Black swan events are characterized by their extreme rarity, severe impact, and the widespread insistence they were obvious in hindsight.

~investopedia.com

POV - Tad

From bad to worse to worser. And not a word spoken. What’s with that? I didn’t even know why we were being accosted. The lady was glowering at us, though for a brief moment, her resting grump face had softened ever so slightly. But the muscle, well he might as well have been a stone for the amount of emoting he was motin. A murderous murder-hobo of a stone. It wasn’t an emotion wafting out from him. I wanted to say that it was intent that I was sensing. Killing intent, barely held in check. But intent would imply that there was reason behind the intention. And there definitely wasn’t. It was sort of empty. Not like a void though, that would suggest too much control. It was more like a lack, like he had lost something and didn’t even realise it was missing. And time was moving forward at a snail's pace.

Dom was on his feet, glacierly reaching forward in greeting, a gormless smile lighting up his face. Dom! We’re not on Earth anymore; I couldn’t stop him. People probably don’t shake hands anymore. My hesitation cost him. Because while I couldn’t stop him the thug certainly could. And even though I was in fully enhanced Gallfreudian perception time, he was just too quick. I didn’t even register that he had moved until Dom slammed into the shelves behind us. My perk slammed to a close as combat initiated. That was so unhelpful.

Dom roused slightly with a brief groan before lapsing back down into unconsciousness. Well, he was like the shortest meat shield ever. Not that I was ever thinking of him that way. At least I knew he was alive. I had never even envisaged that we would be confronted by such enemies, at least a Tier or even two higher than we were. This was Level 1. And we were in a Library. Why were they even here? What had we done to aggravate this malicious attention? And now I was on my own. If he could one shot Dom, who was at least 5 levels higher than me, I had less than a snowball’s hope on Brizzie footpath at midday.

The lady whirled on her minion.

“Did I ask you to hit him?” Her tone was deceptively mild. She was back to furious. At least she was furious at her companion rather than at me. I think, no I knew, that if she had directed that level of intent at me, I would have collapsed where I stood. I didn’t even realise I had come to my feet at some stage. But now, even not being the target of her ire, the proximity was enough to buckle my knees. I grasped the chair beside me, desperately trying to stay up.

She didn’t wait for her henchman to respond. “No I did not! How can I ask him questions now you have knocked him out?” Oh good. It was Dom they were after. Perhaps they would leave me alone. I felt guilty at the relief that flooded my soul. This was not right, Was I just going to abandon my new friend? Where was my honour? My responsibility to my teammate, my team leader even? Oh! It was cowering there behind my sense of self preservation, quite happy to keep its head down thank you very much.

The lady wasn’t finished.

“Sledgrick!” I could see that she was struggling to contain herself. To reduce the shriek growing in her voice. Her anger had condensed, not going away but becoming colder, more controlled and contained. Don’t look at me, I willed her. I am not here. You’re cross at him. Not me. I’m just a bystander. I’m not even looking. I didn’t see anything. I was horrified at my own thoughts. My courage had evaporated just like that. This was unbearable. I was a coward.

Sledgrick was unperturbed.

“Sledgrick, you, you, cretinous imbecile! We wanted to ask him questions. Not knock him out. You are my minion. Not my companion, not my guard. Chase told you to do exactly what I said, didn’t he? And I did not say ‘Sledgrick be a dear and knock this fellow out for me please’ did I?” She didn’t wait for him to answer, “no I did not!”

She pulled up a screen and flicked it at him. “Look at the reduction in reputation we have just suffered. You are two Tiers higher than him. Over 50 levels! You can’t just go around beating on babies. It's a wonder you didn’t kill him you idiot. Then we would have been in the strife.” Yes, she was peeved alright. But the anger had been tamped down. It was a ladylike peeve. I was probably safe, I sighed to myself as she moved over to daintily crouch over Dom and administer a Health potion.

She paused.

Why was she pausing?

“Sledgrick,” she spoke without turning her head, “be a dear won’t you and end the Combat please so I can administer this potion?”

What?

Before I could say anything, activate my time dilation perk or even my dodge skill, a finger the size of a freight train flicked me on the forehead.

As the light faded, I heard the lady dimly berate my killer yet again as my Defeat Notification closed in on my fleeing consciousness. Heh, I had time for one last thought. I hadn’t seen the train coming after all.

POV - Sledgrick

Henching for Lady Ivy was the best ever. I really liked Lady Ivy. She was nice.

We had had a great journey down to Level 1. I hadn’t been here before, having been born on Level 5, I think, or maybe 4. It was so peaceful here. Sort of light and airey too. This was like a holiday. Especially since I didn’t really have to do anything, or find anyone or anything. I just had to escort her to the Library and do what she told me. That was easy. Specially since she hasn’t told me to do anything. Oh, except not to talk to her. That was easy too. I really didn’t have anything to say. In fact she had actually said ‘Sledgrick shut up please’ and then something about seeing and hearing but that was too fast so I figure she wasn’t talking to me then. I could safely ignore that part.

She was so polite too. I was used to bosses shouting at me and throwing things at me. Normally knives. Lady said please and thank you. I like that. I would use those words myself. I spent the next four hours trying to decide whether she meant just to not talk to her or whether she meant not to talk to anyone. It had made it a little tricky getting lunch, but in the end I managed. The nice vendor just gave me everything I pointed at. He was very nice. He didn’t even want any money. I was super sad I couldn't say please and thank you at him.

I am a very good henchman. It's one thing I am good at; henching. Apart from hitting people and getting money. But that's part of henching really. And people like giving me money. I like getting it too because it makes the Bosses happy. Good henchs always do what they are told. But often Bosses tell me wrong so I always remember exactly what they say and do exactly that. Shutting up was one of the easiest things I had ever been asked to do. I liked it. I hope she doesn’t tell me to stop shutting up. Then I would be sad.

It didn’t take too long to get to Level 1 Library. Lady said something about going down being much easier than going up. But she didn’t tell me to answer her, which was good because I didn’t know nothing about that.

I knew what I had to do. It was just two things. One finger; escort Lady and two fingers; shut up. This was great. I could concentrate on finger one cause finger two was already done. It would be different if I had to concentrate on talking too while doing finger one. That was hard. Often that was where things went wrong. Lady was very wise. Cause going wrong was bad. Often Bosses got very cross when things went wrong.

Boss Chase was mad just before. He said ‘shake him down til he coughs up the dough.’ That's exactly what he said and that’s exactly what I did. But he didn’t cough up the dough. Dough is money. I already learnt that afor. All he coughed up was lunch and then breakfast and then he went all silly and sleeped. And then the Boss Chase said he was the wrong guy too. But lucky I don’t have to find him again because now I was escorting Lady Ivy.

I had to ask System what escort was. System is very helpful if you ask the right questions. But it is not very good telling you the right questions when you don’t know what the question is. System says escort is ‘accompany and provide a screen of protection from aggressors.’ Lots of words to understand but I had lots of time to find out them.

When we got to the Library we found the badguys. They were funny badguys. They were very little and weak. I didn’t know why they wanted to be badguys. Very silly. Badguys should be strong guys. I think I would make a good badguy if I was Bad. If I stopped henching perhaps I could be a badguy. But I was a good hencher though so I didn't need to be a badguy. That was good. I liked henching. Specially for Lady.

The bigger badguy tried to grab Lady. Bad badguy. I escorted him. He went for a fly. He was not a good lander. He crashed. Silly badguy. He should watch out for books on shelf. Now he made a mess. And he was too tired to stand up. I wonder if he will sleep like my shook down guy. Lazy. He should pick up his messes. Bosses always tell me to clean up messes. I was good at cleaning up messes. I had a special Skill for it. It was called [Sanitation]. It was good for cleaning up mess. Even blood. I liked using it. I liked to clean things. They said 'good job Sledgrick.' That's why I was a goodguy and a good hencher. All my bosses like my [Sanitation] Skill.

The System just did me a [beep]. That means it wants to tell me something. I said to System ‘Yes please and thankyou.’ But I said it in my head cause Lady told me shut up and cause Lady talking fast at me.

System said in my head.

<“A person who unlawfully strikes another person to the head or neck that could potentially cause the death of the other person is guilty of a crime””>

I like King Hitting. One punch is good. Then no punch back at me.

> >

I say to System ‘Yes please and thankyou.’ System says some more [beep]s at me but Lady is still talking. She is talking slower now. This is how I know she is talking at me.

She says I to end combat. I am surprised. I finished the fight already. Maybe she not watching properly. Then I see the other badguy. He still in the fight. Silly badguy. He is only very little. I give him a poke in the head with my finger. My new Skill activates. It is a good Skill. It ends the combat.

I am a good hench.