He landed slap bang against clean white tiles. All around the world buzzed with the sound of commotion, with people tracking back and forth. It was there he saw hundreds of faces, all of them streaming around him. Above bright lights glittered within a huge facility made of glass. There were dozens of levels too, dozens of floors and balconies that ran ring around the atrium in which he lay. Somewhere high above the glass seemed to end. It was there Gilly saw the night and the stars and the moon. There were trees outside too, and other glass buildings spaced far in the distance.

It was the strangest place he’d ever seen.

‘Where am I…?’ whispered Gilly.

On the wall beside he saw four huge initials.

D.A.R.E.

‘Organization for defense against unregulated evil.’ Glitch turned from beneath his hat to where Gilly lay across the floor, ‘Welcome to D.A.R.E. Dead Man.’

He clung to Glitch’s shadow, the two of them walking through the massive glass building. All around he saw regular office workers with briefs, many of them hurrying to-and-fro in heated discussion. There were small groups too who wore royal blue jumpsuits, each of them stitched with red and white, the front of which saw those same four initials stitched in gold.

D.A.R.E.

‘Rookies’ said Glitch. ‘I expect you’ll be wearing one of those suits soon enough.’

Gilly shook his head, his eyes turning toward his watch.

It was two a.m.

‘Doesn’t anyone here sleep?’

‘Does evil sleep Dead Man? Do bad men do bad things only by the light of day?’

That’s when Gilly saw them.

Heroes.

Some of them walked beside regular workers as they were informed or debriefed. Others strolled at the head of those rookie groups, and others still looked terrifying and deadly to approach. There were small heroes, tall heroes and heroes with the strangest kind of suits. There were suits that crackled, and others that zinged. One hero wore the mark of a cloud, while others zipped by too fast for him to catch, and there was yet another whose suit seemed to literally roll frost against the bright, open air.

‘Dead Man…’ said Glitch from where he’d stopped before a huge, glass tunnel. ‘We’re this way.’

Above Glitch’s head lay a sign.

Inauguration Hall.

Gilly’s mind however was somewhere else, his hands beginning to shake. ‘I’ve made a mistake. I need to go home.’

Glitch strode forward with a sigh, ‘Listen… all you have to do is come in and listen to the president’s speech. If you don’t like what he has to say then you can leave. In fact,’ said Glitch placing his hand against Gilly’s heart, ‘I’ll take you my very self. Do we have a deal?’ Glitch held out his hand beneath a rare, terrible smile.

Gilly met the man’s cool skin with his own, his breath wavering in his chest. ‘You promise?’

‘I’m a man of my word…’ said Glitch, his eyes twinkling bright beneath the dark, glass sky.

***

‘Ho… Glitch!’ Gilly watched as a huge man rushed towards them. He wore a black and gold suit, his muscles bulging as he embraced Glitch in a crushing hug. He had long, rolling black hair too, and thick, strong eyebrows above an even thicker beard.

All around hundreds of people were settling into their seats. The huge inauguration hall seemed packed with hundreds of heroes just like Glitch. Hundreds of charges too.

Just like Gilly.

‘Dead Man’ said Glitch after smoothing himself down, ‘Meet Tough Justice.’

Tough Justice tapped his chin as he looked at Gilly, ‘Dead Man?’

‘He tried to jump from a roof.’

‘Hah!’ bellowed Justice, and all while smacking Gilly across the back. ‘This one tried to skewer me with a bread knife.’

Justice pointed out his own charge – a woman – her eyes still seething. It was only as Gilly was coughing up his lungs that he realised Tough Justice had a Russian accent, and that in fact his English was a little stiff.

‘Still…’ said Justice smiling. ‘We cannot be calling such a strong man dead.’

Gilly looked between Glitch and then to Justice, after which he slowly, and shakingly held out his hand. ‘G-G-Gilly sir…’

‘Gilly!’ beamed Tough Justice, after which he embraced him tight in one of those terribly crushing hugs.

They found seats in the middle row. Just in time too as the lights began to dim. All around the attention focused on the stage, and even in the now darkened hall Gilly could see that it was packed with hundreds of faces.

Hundreds of Heroes.

It was then that an older man strode out onto stage. He was dressed in a baggy white shirt, his tie askew, his trousers ruffled. He also had wide circular spectacles beneath his ever-whitening hair.

‘Welcome.’ His voice was rich and gravelly, and it travelled easily throughout the room. ‘I expect you’re all wondering just where exactly you are… Unfortunately, the location of D.A.R.E. Headquarters is kept secret – even from our own operatives. That being said there are things we can tell you. For instance, my name, at least for now, and to each of you is Mr. President. What’s more you have each been brought here because of your potential for justice. No doubt each of you have suffered in some way. That is why we created D.A.R.E.’ The President pointed toward the huge blood-red letters on the wall behind him, ‘Defense – Against – Unregulated – Evil. That is who we are, and that – if you choose to join – is what you will become.’

The President paused before continuing. ‘Each of you has been chosen as representative for your city, your district, your domain. You have been called! To fight evil! To spread justice!’

Gilly watched as the man sighed from behind the podium.

‘I would like to stress that regardless of what you think, this is not a facility for heroes. It is a facility for justice!’

His voice echoed through the room with a snap, each word viciously spoken.

‘I want you also to know that should you choose to join, the pathway here at D.A.R.E. is far from easy. It will be the hardest transformation you’ve ever had to make. I make no bones about the truth of this. Many here have passed through the eye of death to become what they are, and many more have died in the attempt. This is not a game lightly played. It is on that basis that I would like to warn all of you. This is not a joke. It will be the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do.’

Silence swept the hall.

‘Tonight, you will rest at D.A.R.E. Tomorrow you will decide. This gives you one night to think upon the path you wish to take. After all, justice is not by any means an easy road. Sometimes it requires darkness – evil. Think long and hard tonight. For though the path ahead is treacherous, it might just save someone’s life.’

Daisy.

‘And I must remind you all one last time. This is not a facility for heroes. This… is a facility for justice. Here at D.A.R.E. you have to break yourself into pieces just to survive. Anything less… and you’ll die.’

***

‘I want to leave.’

‘Leave?’ said Glitch as they left the Inauguration Hall. ‘But you haven’t even sampled our fine accommodation yet…’

‘You said you’d take me home!’

Glitch turned with a terrible smile, ‘Some promises are made to be broken Dead Man… and that there promise was just such a one.’

Gilly’s face fell, after which Glitch patted him lightly against the cheek.

‘Don’t worry. Rest. After all… I’m sure the morning will bring a change of heart.’