Kindle sat alone in a coffee shop at a table set for two. Said table was ringed with natural wood, a standard green center, and then another wooden circle right in the middle, all painted to a matte finish. The chair she sat in, along with the empty one across from her, were of the same wood as the tables. Given the lack of damage on their relatively hard exteriors, they were most likely some form of pressboard. Kindle wondered if they would even catch on fire, not that she had any intention of finding out.

Dressed in civilian clothes, she was there as Anna, not the superhero Kindle. She wore a tight white shirt with flowy short sleeves which really didn't do anything other than cover her shoulders. Blue jeans and white sneakers completed the ensemble.

The place was moderately packed. A barista smiled as she handed a white foam cup to a middle-aged gentleman, who took it before finding a seat. Another employee took an order from a teenage girl with brilliant red hair. About half of the tables hosted occupants, a few of which were quite obviously couples. Anna couldn't help but smile. There was something so comforting about people being people, even in a public place like this.

Anna looked up at the entrance, and that smile turned into a scowl. For all the people currently inside the establishment, the one she'd come to see was absent. She looked at the tiny bronze-painted watch on her right wrist. Late, as always. No surprise, there, but it was still annoying.

She took a deep breath. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and various baked goods filled her nose. Ever was she tempted to go order something while she waited. But, no. That would be rude to her friend. Not that said friend would care, or maybe even notice. Surely letting a cup of coffee cool down was reasonable, right?

Just as she were about to get up to place an order, a woman walked through the glass entrance door. A couple inches shorter than Anna herself, she had her shoulder-length mousy brown hair pulled back into a low ponytail. She wore a loose gray tanktop with the words "sleeves are bullshit" emblazoned on the front in bold white letters. How lovely. Denim shorts and white on black sneakers rounded out the look. The outfit made her look a bit boxier than she really was, given her hourglass figure.

"Hey, you!" The woman greeted excitedly as he approached.

"Hey," Anna returned, standing up.

The women exchanged a brief hug over the table, that was mostly arms and shoulders. Anna returned to her original chair, while the new arrival chose the one across from her. The woman positioned her seat at an angle such that if she leaned back, she'd be resting her right shoulder against it.

"You look, amazing," complimented the woman.

"So do you," said Anna.

"Don't lie. I know you hate my style," the woman admonished, and they had a little smile at it.

"How have you been, Silver?" Anna asked.

"I've been great," Silver said. "I've had a really good couple of days."

"That's good to hear."

"How about you?"

"The city's been pretty quiet. Boring, but a good boring," Anna said.

"I didn't know there was a such thing as 'good boring,' but okay."

"And you? How's your job going?"

"Hold that thought." Silver held up a finger and looked toward the counter. "I'm dying for a good cup of coffee. Let's go order."

"Alright," agreed Anna.

They stood and went over to the closest open barista. Silver ordered a white mocha, while Anna went with a normal coffee with cream and two sugars, as well as a banana nut muffin. Their drinks were prepared with an impressive expediency, and the ladies went back to their table, treats in hand.

The moment she sat down, Anna took a sip of her coffee. It was dark and slightly sweet, with a heavy roasted flavor. She usually preferred a lighter blend, but this was more than adequate. She lowered her cup to see Silver giving her an alarmed look.

"What?"

"Nothing," Silver shook her head. "It's just, every time you do that, I forget for a split-second that you're immune to temperature." She gingerly touched the sides of her own cup. "Must be nice."

"I've never been hot before, so I wouldn't know," Anna said. "So, how are things at Penny's?"

"Oh, I quit that job a week ago," Silver said, brushing it off as if it were no big deal.

"Silver..." Anna cautioned.

"Don't give me that. At least I gave it a shot."

"That's not the point. This is the fourth job you've quit this year."

"And?"

"It's June!"

"Alright, alright, don't freak out. We both know I'm not the working sort," Silver said. "Besides, I was recently approached with something really interesting."

"Something legal, I hope," Anna said.

"Of course," Silver nodded. "There's a chance to make a lot of money. I think it'll be a really great opportunity for me."

Anna sighed. "At least you're not being completely irresponsible," she said. "You're behaving yourself, then?"

"Yes, mom," Silver joked.

"Really?" Anna raised an eyebrow. "Because there was a robbery just last night, right after a liquor store lost power. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that?"

"Not a thing."

"Right." Anna rolled her eyes, but didn't act beyond that. Instead, she began unwrapping her muffin. "You know, you really should find a better codename, instead of just your real name. For safety's sake."

"It's fine, isn't it?" Silver countered. "My real name is so perfect for my power, no one would ever suspect it's also my real name."

"If you say so," Anna shrugged. They'd had this conversation many times before, and each time it ended in the same way. Seriously, getting this girl to do anything she didn't want to was like pulling teeth from a bear.

"Speaking of work, though," Silver began, "I might have something your team would be interested in."

"Oh?" Anna took a bite of her muffin. A bit dry, but flavorful.

"Yeah." Silver leaned in over the table. She continued in a hushed tone. "There's a big shipment of opium coming in at the docks tonight. The good Afghan shit, the stuff that rich white dudes pay a lot of money for."

Anna swallowed. "Where'd you hear this?"

"One of their guys on this side of the pond tried to hire me for protection, but I turned them down. I don't touch drugs, you know that."

"You're right, that's interesting," Anna said. "Can you tell me anything else?" She took another bite of her muffin.

"Sorta. They were a bit scant on details," Silver began.

"Sit up," Anna interrupted. "What you're doing right now is more suspicious."

"What? Why?"

"Because it's obvious we're not having a normal conversation."

Silver looked confused, and then slightly alarmed, which—coupled with her posture—made it painfully obvious she always worked alone. Silver sat up, snapping her head this way and that on the watch for eavesdroppers. Anna did the same, but with a bit more tact. Her eyes scanned the room, as if she were simply looking around. No one seemed to be listening.

"Alright, continue," she said, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Right, okay." Silver paused. "It's coming in just after seven on a boat disguised as a merchant fishing vessel."

"Ah, that old trick," Anna said. She continued when Silver gave her a confused look. "Dogs can't smell through the fish scent, and most dock workers don't want to inspect the dead fish too closely."

"You seem to know an awful lot about drug smuggling," Silver said, a suspicious tilt to her voice.

Anna shrugged. "I've been doing this for a few years. Anything else?"

"No, I don't think so," Silver said. "Careful if you decide to go after them, though. They probably found some other Neo after I said no."

"Anyone other than you, we can deal with," Anna said. "Thanks for telling me."

"Of course. Anything for my best super friend." Silver said.

"I'm your only super friend," clarified Anna.

"Which is why you're the best one." Silver punctuated this with a sip of her coffee, which was still too hot, judging by the strained expression she gave.

Anna rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. Silver could be a handful, sure, but they were friends all the same. That she sometimes provided intel was a bonus. She'd never steered the team wrong before.

…

Pulse stood behind a building, posture somewhere between a duck and a proper standing position, her head just below a dirty window. She had tucked herself right behind the corner in a position that would make it easy to peek out if necessary.

Behind her stacked up her teammates Kindle, Flechette, and Flashbang—Anna, Frank, and Dominick—in that order. Each of them wore their superhero costumes. Kindle had the skin tight black leather suit with red trim, matching jacket, and eye mask with oculars in the shape of diamonds. Flechette wore a white wife beater and tan cargo pants. A latticework of interwoven little metal spikes covered his every inch of what would be bare skin. An expressionless mask with rectangular eye holes protected his identity. Finally, Dominick sported his black morph suit with armor plates sewn into the chest and upper arms. He used his power to make his face appear as nothing but an faceless expanse of African-American skin.

Darkness filled the sky. It smelled of salt, and fuel, and fish. In the relative quiet, Pulse heard the waves lapping against the man-made shore structures. The docks were always oddly peaceful at night. No one really wanted to unload a ship with flashlights, so it didn't see much business after the sun went down.

Pulse had been pleasantly surprised when Anna came to her with information about a high profile drug deal going down later that night. She wasn't so enthused about where this information came from. She respected the friendship shared between Anna and Silver, but only because it predated the team. It always caused a bit of umbrage whenever she heard of the two hanging out.

Whatever. Bygones. What was done, was done. Ayda had a mission to focus on. It had been quite a long time since they'd had a proper drug raid. This would be fun, surely. To that end, she looked behind her to gaze at her companions. Each of them nodded. They were ready.

"Alright, Crypto, we're good. What do you see?" Ayda asked in a hushed tone over the comms.

"They're dead ahead," Crypto's voice said in her ear. "Five on land unloading boxes, and four more on the boat handing them down. There's a Neo supervising the land guys. I think it's Tiger Shark."

"Tiger Shark, really?" Ayda asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Isn't that a Marvel villain?" Flashbang chimed in from the back, copying her lowered tone.

"Yes," Crypto confirmed. "This guy's not as cool. Stupid shark mask, orange and black bodypaint, orange vest, I'm pretty sure it's him."

"Nothing to worry about," Flechette said. "He's a minor villain, at best, and even that's pushing it."

"You've fought him before?" Kindle asked.

"Yeah, he was the first Neo we took on after Tahoe," Pulse answered. "We kicked his ass, but he got away, and he's been silent ever since.

"What are his powers?" Kindle continued.

"Level five Shooter. He makes short-range projectiles that shoot forward a few feet and chomp, like a shark."

"That... sounds really dumb," commented Flashbang.

"It's even worse because he's an Alt. Someone made him. Why, I have no idea," Flechette said.

"It's a dumb power, but it cuts through diamond like butter. That's the only reason his rank is high as it is," Ayda said.

"Still feel better knowing it's him and not someone worse," Flechette said. "What's the plan?"

"Alright." Ayda turned around to face her team. "The three of us will show ourselves and distract them. Just a little talking, no violence. Flashbang, you stealth around and take out one of their guys on land. Do not go after Tiger Shark."

"Why not?" Flashbang said. "We should take him out first."

"He doesn't need to see you to use his power. I don't want him to lash out blindly and hurt you. I took him down once, so I'll handle him. Understood?"

"Yeah, I got it." Flashbang nodded.

"Good. When F.B. takes out the first guy, the rest of us go in. Flechette and Flashbang, I want you to handle the guys on land. Kindle, take the boat, but try not to sink it. Any objections?" Pulse gave them time to voice their opinions. They did not. "Okay, then. Let's move."

Flashbang went invisible. At the same time, collapsed staff in hand, Ayda led the remaining two around the corner and straight toward the baddies. The scene was exactly as Crypto described. The heroes fanned out as they passed between two buildings, Kindle on the right, Flechette on the left.

They weren't trying to be discrete, and as such were noticed quite quickly. One thug smacked another on the shoulder and pointed. His actions go the attention of everyone else. In a second, all eyes were on them. Three guys on land and two on the boat drew handguns. One had a knife. The others appeared unarmed. Tiger Shark stepped forward.

His mask really was ridiculous. It looked like an open shark's head, with his own set back in the mouth. A balaclava and dark ski goggles concealed his identity. He'd added a pair of black boots with fins on the back to his outfit, but they didn't stop his brown pants from clashing with the rest of his look.

He set his shoulders and looked Ayda straight in the sunglasses. For a wonder, he actually managed to look intimidating. They criminals were ready for a fight, but when the heroes showed no aggression, they also stayed their weapons. It was to be a standoff. Perfect.

"Tiger Shark, buddy!" Ayda enthused. She halted her approach several feet away. "Long time no see."

"What do you want, Pulse?" He had a gruff way of speaking which made him sound like a smoker.

"Come on, you can't be that stupid," Ayda said. "You're a known criminal, helping other criminals unload a whole lot of drugs. What do you think I want."

Tiger shark looked around. "I don't see any drugs here."

"Look harder," Flechette said.

"Oh, you're here, too? Sorry I didn't notice the least famous superhero in town." Tiger Shark tried to be witty. It wasn't a good look on him.

"I don't need fame to kick your ass," Flechette fired back.

"Yeah? Plan on backing that up, or are you all talk?"

"Why don't you come over here and find out?" Flechette challenged with an audible sneer. Negotiations were deteriorating faster than Ayda expected.

Tiger Shark took a step forward, but never had a chance of further movement. Ayda saw Flashbang reappear a second before he reached up and attacked the thug furthest to the right. He put his hands over the criminal's eyes and created several rapid-fire bursts of light. The bad guy screamed out in surprise and pain, drawing the attention of everyone else. A few of the guns were pointed their way, but no one pulled the trigger. They wouldn't dare with their compatriot in the way.

Ayda didn't even need to order the charge. Her friends were well-seasoned heroes. They knew how to capitalize on a distraction. Pulse ran right at Tiger Shark, extending her staff with little purple explosions on both ends as she went. Kindle lifted into the air and shot past overhead, propelled by knife-like jets from balled up fists at her sides, a blonde missile heading for the boat. Flechette kept pace with Pulse, but diverted a little further left to aim at two of the gunmen. He produced a big spike and threw it at one of them. The man found it embedded in his right shoulder, a discovery which made him drop his gun and cry out in pain. Flashbang disappeared again.

The gunmen opened fire. Two of them shot at Flechette. The bullets sparked off his armor and made holes in his clothing, but he was unhampered by them. The pair on the boat turned their attention toward Kindle. The pyrokinetic dived low and rolled twice, avoiding the shots. At the end of the second roll, she landed hard on the boat. The moment her feet came down, her hands went out with two jets of flame, one for each gunman. They cried out and were thrown backwards. One of them landed on his ass, while the other took a nice late-night swim. The remaining two squared up, though they had little chance of wining. All of this took place before either Ayda or Frank reached their targets, a perfect highlight for just how fast Kindle was.

As Ayda came up on Tiger Shark, he was still looking over his shoulder at everything happening behind him. The heroine leapt at him the last few feet, staff held high above her head. Tiger Shark looked her way at the last minute and threw up a projectile just as Ayda's swing came down. It was orange and appeared energy based. Flat on both ends and with big jagged teeth, it more closely resembled a bear trap than a shark. He called them "jaws," if memory served. It met with Ayda's blast, and both effectively canceled each other out. The bear trap things were solid enough to stop Ayda's swing, though they shattered on contact. Since she wasn't able to actually hit him, Tiger Shark remained unharmed.

Ayda landed and sneered up at him. Tiger Shark stepped back to fall into something that resembled a fighting stance. Ayda pushed forward, pressing the initiative. She unleashed a quartet of blows with blasts, left-right-left-right, all at different elevations. Tiger Shark met each with a jaw. He countered with a front kick. Ayda quarter-turned out of the way and came down with her staff. Tiger Shark tossed up a jaw to block. He followed with an uppercut that also threw a jaw. Ayda leaned back, held her staff high, and thrust forward with the butt end. Tiger Shark deflected the blast with a jaw, then threw another on the end of a low kick. Pulse jumped back to dodge. The projectile continued on its low arc, taking a broad bite out of the pavement a few inches from where Ayda landed.

Ayda kicked the fore edge of the newly created hole. The blast she created threw up dust and asphalt chunks at Tiger Shark. He shielded his face with his arms. Exactly what she wanted him to do. Pulse separated her staff into its dual kali sticks form and tossed the left-hand stick at her enemy, no blast to send it forward. He stumbled back a few steps, holding his forehead where he'd been hit.

Pulse rushed him. She attacked thrice with her remaining stick—down, then up, and down again in rapid succession. None of the hits were accompanied by blasts. Though Tiger Shark did not block, he took each hit without falling. He countered, more than a flail than a straight punch. Ayda crouched down so the jaw sailed harmlessly overhead. From this lowered position, she struck Tiger Shark's knee. While he struggled to keep his balance, Pulse popped up into the air and spun a hook kick into his temple. She finally hit him with a blast, one barely big enough to rip him off his feet. He rolled in the air before landing on his shoulder to skid a few feet along the ground. Winded, but not dead or knocked out. Ayda recovered her thrown stick and went for him.

Flashbang snuck up on the fight Flechette currently waged with three of the men on land. Two actively engaged him, while the third had picked up a dropped handgun and was trying to line up a good shot. Dominick wasn't invisible as he came up behind the criminal. Since he couldn't cloak himself and create light bursts at the same time, going invisible made his attacks slower. No one was paying attention to him, so the extra exertion was unnecessary.

As Flashbang approached his target from behind, he heard the rapid patter of footsteps charging up on him. They were very close, partially masked by the sound of Ayda's blasts. Dominick turned to face the threat, but far too late. He had enough time to see that it was not one of the criminals before this new attacker barreled into him. They went down. Dominick landed hard on his spine beneath the man. His vision swam for a second.

They man postured up as Flashbang's vision returned. A stout gentleman, he was broad of both shoulders and hips. Bald on top and slightly wrinkled, he must've been in his early fifties. He wore a blue button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, matching jeans, and tan work boots. Most telling, perhaps, was the orange safety vest. A dock worker?

Flashbang had little time to ponder this, as the man drew his fist back. Instinct drove the young hero to turn invisible. The man gave pause at the disappearance of his target. This allowed Dominick to wriggle out feet first. The man tried to grab at him as he felt the movements beneath him, but Dom managed to slip through his grasp.

He popped up on his feet behind the man and dropped his cloaking. The man realized he was gone a moment later and stood, spinning quickly to face his opponent. Dominick squared his stance, but kept his hands low.

"Sir, I need you to stand down," he said in his most authoritative voice.

The dock worker completely ignored him. It was as if he didn't hear at all. He ran again at Dominick and went low for another take down. Flashbang's training kicked in. He leant forward and spread his feet in the exact instant the man made contact with him. This allowed him to remain upright in the man's grasp.

They struggled for a moment. The man's hold was like a vice around Dominick's thighs. He was much stronger than he looked, and he looked strong to begin with. He tried to push the hero back, but Dom dug in his heels. Flashbang buried a few punches in the man's ribs. He shifted slightly at the impacts, but showed not other outward reaction.

"F.B.?" He heard Pulse call out.

"I'm fine, I can handle it," Flashbang responded, annoyingly more strained that he wanted.

To accentuate this point, he reached down and put a hand over the man's eyes. Several intense flashes emanated from his hand. The man howled like an ape and reeled back, hand over his eyes, head thrashing about. Now at his full height, he was about five or six inches taller than Dominick himself was. Dom sighed. Everyone he fought was taller than him. Just one of the many perks of being short.

Flashbang closed on the man. He let loose a blazing series of body shots, since he couldn't reach the head easily. The combination of punches traveled up and down the man's body. He ended with a knee to the liver. The man was completely unfazed. He didn't even miss a step. Instead, he lashed out a swooping swipe, an attempt to grab his aggressor. Dominick dodged to one side and threw a pair of kicks to the knee. The man's joint buckled, but he gave no reaction. Instead, he continued to throw his weight around, desperate to grasp at anything in range. Flashbang faded back out of his reach.

"Shit," he murmured, then called out, "Pulse! Possible Neo! I need a Code 4!"

"Do it!" Pulse called back before one of the blasts rang out.

Dominick wasted no time. He darted in, dodged a swipe, and grabbed the wrist before it could come back at him. The man tried to yank himself free, while also swatting blindly all around himself. Flashbang removed a stasis cuff from a pocket and placed it over the wrist he'd trapped.

The telltale red pulse highlighted the man's nervous system. His boots clacked together, and his hands snapped to his sides, as the stasis took him over. Several of his bones audibly cracked, a sound not unlike a big branch being broken from a tree. The man fell forward, an impact which undoubtedly broke a rib or two. Both of his arms were kinked in places they shouldn't be. His left thigh bulged as bone pressed against skin. His right leg appeared mostly intact. Blood from his nose dripped onto the pavement.

The world ground to a halt. Time itself seemed to stop. All Dominic could do was stand and stare at what' he'd done, the horrendous injury he'd just caused.

Code 4: The administration of a stasis cuff to a mobile and struggling individual, normally to the result of grievous bodily harm.

Reality faded away. His ears tuned out. His vision turned black, save for the mangled form of the dock worker. The man lay there, twisted and broken, unable to squirm or even cry out for the agony in his bones. He was hurt, and in immense pain, all because of one bad decision.

And it was all Dominick's fault. A man's life was potentially ruined, and it was all because of him. He did this. He made the decision. The consequences were his to bear, and no one else's. This terrible ending was on him.

He had no idea how much time passed, how long he stood there just staring at the shattered remains of what used to be a whole man. A part of him even forgot where he was, or why he'd been put in this position. All that mattered was the terrible destruction he'd wrought.

"Come on, let's take a walk." He heard Ayda's brisk tone from his left a second before an arm slid around his shoulders.

He was forcibly turned around and moved away from the scene. It wasn't until the dock worker was no longer in his line of sight that his senses returned to him. He felt the warm air of a Texan summer night, and how it was overshadowed by the warmth encompassing his left side, and the weight on his shoulders. He looked up at her.

"Pulse?" he asked, sounding bewildered. "What's going on?"

"We're taking a walk, like I said." She returned his gaze with a small smile.

"But, what about the fight?" Dominick tried to look behind him. Ayda squeezed him even tighter, which he took a a cue to face forward.

"It's over, we won," Ayda said. "The bad guys are in stasis, and the cops are on their way."

"And... the old man?"

"He's hurt, but he'll live. Flechette says his leg got the worst of it." Ayda used a gentle tone, which just made Flashbang feel even worse.

"Okay," he said, looking forward and down. Pulse brought them to a stop.

"I'm sorry you had to do that," she said. "I know you've never hurt someone that badly before. It's ugly, but we all make tough calls. It's part of being a hero."

"I know," Dom said. His conscience said not to continue. He ignored it "I know, but, there had to be another way! I mean, I could've immobilized him, or at least put him on the ground first, or—"

"Stop." Ayda cut him off. "Don't beat yourself up. You did what you had to. He was an unknown quantity, and you couldn't take the chance of him hurting you or someone else. You made a call, and you can't change it now."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Dominick said.

"I know. If it helps, I think you handled it well. You saw a threat, and took decisive action. That's exactly what I expect from the members of my team. I would've done the same thing."

That did make him feel a little bit better. Not enough to smile, or even lift his head, but he felt a little less dark than a minute ago.

"Just for future reference," Pulse began, "You don't need confirmation for Codes 1 through 4. Code 5 is the only one I need to sign off on, but I really hope you never have to use it."

"Oh, sorry," Dominick said.

"Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong. I'd rather you check, than get in trouble."

"Hey," the voice of Kindle called to them from close behind.

Pulse turned Flashbang around just as Kindle and Flechette strode into a comfortable talking distance.

"How are you holding up?" Kindle asked in a tone even softer than Ayda's.

"I'm fine," Dominick said. "I think," he added.

"What was that all about, anyway?" Flechette said.

"It's okay if you don't wanna talk about it yet, F.B.," Ayda said.

"No, it's fine." He paused, collecting his thoughts before he continued. "I don't really know what happened. I was going to take out one of the guys fighting you, Flechette, when that dock worker tackled me."

"Dock worker?" Echoed Kindle.

Dom shrugged. "I can't think of any other reason why he'd be wearing a reflective vest."

"Can you tell us anything about him?" Ayda said. "Was he acting weird? Did he say anything?"

"Won't I have to tell the cops all of this in a few minutes?" Dominick said.

"I'll put it in my report. You don't have to talk to anyone who isn't us."

Again, Dominick hesitated. "No, he didn't say anything. He reminded me of a gorilla, with the way he howled and thrashed. And I think he might have been a Neo—a Defender type, or something—because he wasn't reacting to my attacks. It's like he didn't even feel them. He just kept coming, no matter what I did."

"Just like what happened with Bronze Knight, then," Flechette said.

"How so?" Ayda asked.

"A normal looking woman attacked him," Clarified Flechette. "She never said anything, didn't show any pain, and couldn't be subdued before he put a stasis cuff on. This is exactly the same, except it's some old guy."

"You're right, now that I think about it," Kindle said.

"That's weird," Ayda said. "That's really weird."

"Did you ever talk to Captain Barnes about it?" Kindle said.

"I did," confirmed Ayda, "but she couldn't tell us anything we didn't already know. They couldn't even tell if that woman was a Neo, since that sort of thing doesn't always show up in blood tests."

"This sounds like something we need to talk to NAAME about," Flechette said.

"Agreed," Ayda nodded. "After the police have finished their report about this, I'll get in contact. See if anyone knows anything."

"And until then, it's a waiting game. Great." Flechette oozed with sarcasm.

"Hey," Ayda said to Dominick. "When I talk to NAAME, I might need you to recount your side of things. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, sure," Dominick said in what he hoped was a positive sounding tone.

"Good," Ayda said. She finally released him and addressed the group. "You all did really well today, team. Let's help the cops, and then it's business as usual."

There were agreements all around, though Dominick's was silent, and they made their way back to the scene. He put himself on Kindle's left side, because that kept him furthest away from the dock worker. He purposely looked everywhere except in that direction. Part of him wanted to get to the bottom of this. Another part wanted to forget it happened entirely. He wasn't sure which had the right idea.