Somewhere in the multiverse, on a small blue marble, in a sky-scraping building, one of the hundreds in a city carpeted by clouds, Del and Ge are completely lost in a maze of concrete, and cubicles.

This was one of the strangest places they had been, because of how normal it was. One moment they were dropping off a Hero, as a dungeon core, of all things, which Ge didn’t quite understand. Didn’t Heroes normally go out and clear dungeon cores? Not be them. She also got a strange feeling about walking through this place, like no matter where she looked it was the same, except for the people. “Where are we? This place is strange.”

Del couldn’t help but tease her, “That was a weird way of saying that.”

“What?”

He let out a chuckle, “Well, normally people say it's a strange place then ask where they are.”

“Why does it matter?”

He shrugged, “It doesn't.”

“Then why?”

“Just felt like something I should comment on.” He continued down the twisting hall following something only he could feel. The twisting halls made it harder for him to locate his Hero.

Ge rolled her eyes, “Ass.”

Ignoring her comment, Del shook his head, “To answer your question. We are where we need to be.”

“And where is that?” She asked shortly. Why does he have to be cryptic? Del would sometimes get like this on delivery’s giving weird advice or strange sayings, avoiding the actual answer. She was starting to think he didn’t know when he got like that.

“I have no idea.”

She did not expect him to so casually confirm her thought when she realized something. “You drove us here!” She practically yelled.

“Doesn't mean I know where we are.”

“Wa…bu...” The woman stuttered flabbergasted. “Then why are we here?”

He finally stopped, to look around, finding where he was meant to be, now knowing who he was taking. He answered tiredly, “Same as always.”

——

In a concrete building, an all too familiar scene, of tragedy is unfolding. A boy and a girl, Arlo and Luna, no more than children, sit in an office, waiting. They sat there, given the worst news of their entire lives, they learned they were now orphans. In a single sentence, their world was turned upside down, none of it felt real.

Arlo and luna were both just going through a normal day in school when they were both pulled out of class to the principles office. At first, the two thought they might be in trouble but when they saw each other, they both felt dread creeping in. The officer, who had brought them here, to this big building refused to tell them what was occurring until they, were in the social services office. Their dread growing, when they finally told them, the two could only sit there dumbfounded, unable to process what was being said.

It was a horrible thing for anyone, let alone children. The fact that this came out of nowhere only made it harder for the two to believe it was real. Arlo found himself watching the door expecting his father to come in and tell them they had the wrong kids, or that it was some horrible twisted joke. Luna was lost, staring down at her bookbag, imagining all the homework she could get done right now. Doing everything she could to not think about what they had just said. None of this is real. She thought grabbing her bag and pulling out a textbook.

Arlo nearly screamed at his sister when he saw her taking out a book, and doing homework. How could she think about homework right now? But he stopped himself, seeing the tears forming in her eyes. Arlo felt the wind knocked out of him, feeling, tired and exhausted, and he found himself wondering what was going to happen to them. Even he thought it was callous to think about They had just lost their parents, and all he could think about was what happens next. He chided himself at the thought but it all happened in a single moment. One that cost them everything.

Time passes, as the two sit and wait, as the proper people tried to get in contact with the children's families. It was a long time before they were finally able to contact their grandparents. It took some time for them to explain what happened to the children’s parents. Both sets of grandparents were in mourning, wishing they could take the teens, but only one was able to actually take them in, their father’s parents. The others could not, being too old and barely able to take care of themselves. But they were happy to hear the others would be able to take them in, knowing them as good people.

When the children finally learned of their fate, they cried. Not for anything untoward to their grandparents, but now they knew it was all too real. Luna was trying to hide behind her books, and Arlo just let his tears flow, not caring for the world around him.

——

Standing just around the corner of an office, where two children cry, unseen by all, Del and Ge stood, watching as children mourned for their lost parents.

Every second she watched, Ge felt her heartbreak for the children. Remembering another boy screaming at a coffin for his lost friend. “Is what we do right?”

Del flinched at the question, surprised by her asking, “I don't know if it is good or not that you finally asked me that question.”

Tearing her eyes away, she looked at Del quizzically.

He felt her eyes on him, waiting for an answer he may not have. He looked on, “I'm not some poet. I only speak on what I've seen. We are neither cruel nor kind.” He answered matter of factly.

“But what do you call this?” She gestured towards the crying children.

“Life.”

“How is this not cruel?” She demanded, feeling her voice build, “These children have so much ahead of them, why would you choose them after all they've been through?” Her voice rose to a shout.

“I do not always choose them.” He had seen this scene so many times he had lost count a long, long time ago. It didn’t matter how many times he had, he had a job to do, and the job didn’t matter how heartbreaking it could be.

“The fuck you do!” She snapped.

He finally tore his eyes away from the scene shouting back, “I don't!” Making De take a step back at the vehemence of it. Then he added almost in a whisper, “I’m just the delivery man.”

She narrowed her eyes, knowing there were times he took more people than he needed to. How could he claim that he didn’t always choose? She felt her anger boil over, “Then what the hell was that classroom?”

He stared at her in silence not sure if she was ready for the answer. He debated within himself, knowing she would need to learn one day, but was now that day?

While he was paralyzed with indecision, Ge angrily grabbed him, “No, I'm not letting this go. What was the extra classroom then if not you choosing.”

Coming to a conclusion during the violence, “Fine!” He yelled grabbing her hands to stop her from moving him around, “But, the classroom was different.”

She glared yanking her hands back, “How?”

I guess it’s time. Del took a deep breath, “They would all have died from the excess power of the summoning in the other room, it was the only way to save them. Bleed the power into another circle.”

“Why didn’t you just make the circle yourself?”

“The power was always going to land there, the circle was a conduit to channel it and protect as many people as possible.”

“Could you have made a circle that didn’t bleed?”

“No.” He wished he could, but to do that would require a circle almost the size of the school itself, and then the entire school would have been taken. He had done it once before hoping to limit the damage but only made it worse.

Ge was searching her memory before remembering, “And what about that military convoy?”

“That was an instance where I got to choose. I had the chance to give a group that would die a second chance. Most of the time, I get to choose.” His next words were sad, “But sometimes, I’m just trying to mitigate damage.”

She pointed toward the office, tears in her eyes, “then choose someone else.”

Del looked away unable to look Ge in the eye, “I can't this time.”

“Why?”

He looked at the children, saying resolutely, “They are needed.”

“By their family!” She screamed. Why couldn’t he see? The children didn’t need to fight for a world they didn’t know. They need their family, their friends, and not to take away what was left of them.

Del looked into her eyes, with as much compassion as he could, “This is the first time you've seen it so close, so fresh.”

Taken aback by his response, “Seen what?”

“The real consequences. The innocents. I’ve shown you a funeral, where people mourned, but they had days to mourn. This…” He gestured to the children, “This is fresh visceral, and truly heartbreaking.”

“But…” She was searching for words but completely failing.

“There is no excuse there is always someone left behind. Someone always mourns. We take them from this world to save another. Sometimes they would be taken whether we are there or not, pulled through, hurting or killing those around them at the time. Who or what sends me to these people I don’t know. So tell me are we kind or cruel?”

Stunned into silence, she could only stare on in horror at what he was implying. Tears were in her eyes when she finally responded, “That was not well thought out.”

“No, it wasn't I'm not a wordsmith.”

“Wordsmith?” Ge asked wiping away her tears. Trying to distract herself from the scene happening right next to her.

“You know.” Del tried to explain, “Person who makes things with words, makes you feel, and all that.”

The two fell to silence observing the tragedy unfolding in the room, preparing for the one that was to come. It was a long time before Ge asked.

“What now?”

“We make them Heroes.”