Simon rested his head against the cool ceramic tiles as he stood before the urinal. He yawned dramatically.

It was unprecedented, but Armitan had called an indefinite extension to the day’s proceedings. The judge was apparently concerned that Simon might not be so talkative in the morning. Simon couldn’t understand why he was worried about that. He’d been nothing but cooperative. He would happily tell his story tomorrow. He’d talk all year if he had to. One thing he wasn’t short on was time. Energy, though. Damn he was low on energy. He felt the tiredness like an ache. He had been tired for a long time now, he realised.

“Hey, buddy, you’re supposed to be taking a piss, not having a nap.”

Polias turned to the guard, bored and disinterested. He was mildly satisfied to see the taller, broader, and undoubtedly stronger, man flinch fractionally under his jaded, disparaging gaze. Simon turned back to his tile.

From over his shoulder Simon heard the voice of his second escort, an averagely tall, dark-skinned man in his mid-twenties, with close-cropped hair and a youthful face. The guard cleared his throat nervously.

“My cousin,” he paused, eyeing his partner carefully, expecting to be reproached at any moment, “she was raped when she was sixteen. They beat her too, pretty badly. She swears to this day it was a couple of thugs from the Wolf Pack, you know, those that ran with Grey Wolf Lupus.”

Polias looked at the other man levelly, his expression unchanged but his interest evident.

“When she heard about what you guys were trying to do, well, she cried for hours she was so happy. I can’t remember the last time I saw her smile so much. When happened to her changed her. It made her close up, made her distant, made her so damn,” he fumbled for the word, “so angry. After you guys offed Marcus she started smiling like she used to again - the real kind of smile,” he was smiling himself at this point, a distant look adorning his face, “You know the kind of smile where your eyes light up? It’s so bright it fills the rom. You gave her back a part of herself. I guess what I’m trying to say is, thanks. Thank you.”

Simon considered the story he had just heard. Did he feel proud? Should he feel proud? He had been doing what he had to do. Ultor always told them that they would have this kind of effect, that they would change lives and make the future brighter for thousands. It had been a mantra. He had recited it to himself and others so many times that it had practically lost meaning by the end.

Simon had been more involved with the big picture stuff in recent times, to the point where he’d almost forgotten what their actions meant to people on a personal level. It was odd to be confronted by it – a tale of individual happiness that they had caused. Knowing thousands had been saved by their actions was a comforting thought, certainly. However, going to sleep being able to picture one person, smiling in a way they never thought they could, and knowing that you were responsible? Now that was a powerful motivator.

Polias did not have long to consider his reply. The first guard trumped up, his gruff voice oozing with disdain.

“You think this guy is some kind of hero, kid? Get fucking real. I wasn’t supposed to be working today; I’m covering for Johnson. Wanna know why? Johnson’s brother-in-law got suckered in by this shithead’s bullshit propaganda. The powers that be decided Johnson probably couldn’t be trusted with your vigilante pin-up here, and I think they had the right of it.

“You see, Johnson’s brother-in-law? Well he ain’t smiling. Poor fool got his head blown off on a suicide run, marching into some psycho’s pussy-joint as part of some noble crusade to rid the world of ‘villainy’.

“I ain’t saying this city is perfect. It ain’t. I’m not even saying this city isn’t full to the brim with shitheads; oh no, we’ve got plenty. One thing I do know, though, before these guys rocked up with their high and mighty bullshit, the shit kept to the shit, and most decent people were just able to get on with their lives. Gangs fighting gangs, who cares? It was these arseholes who brought the fight to real people.”

The guard jabbed a finger at Polias, “You made them scared. Once they were scared, what the fuck did you think they were going to do? This city is built on one big fucking hornets’ nest. What it didn’t need was some selfish pricks with a grudge kicking the damn thing.”

The younger guard looked a little abashed. An internal debate seemed to rage within him, the winning party opting to keep silent and not test the temper of his senior.

Polias was less inclined to back down from a challenge.

“The syndicates never kept to themselves. You think they just sat nicely on their velvet thrones and enjoyed quiet nights in in front of the television? Where do you think they got all their money and power from to begin with? By working hard and playing fair? Rape, theft, murder – just because you weren’t watching doesn’t mean they weren’t happening. The syndicate lords dedicated their lives to shitting on the little guy and taking what they please.

“I don’t know if you are blind, stupid, or lying, but people died. People suffered, and daily, too! Just because it wasn’t public doesn’t mean it wasn’t real. Up here you’re all so fucking intent on getting a good night’s sleep that you beg to have the wool pulled over your eyes.”

Polias paused to catch his breath, annoyed that he had let himself get so agitated.

“People died fighting for us, yes,” the vigilante continued, “but they died fighting for what they believed in. We didn’t trick them. We didn’t promise them anything, least of all that they would live to see a better world. All we did was show them that they had the power to change things. We showed them that man doesn’t have to be content with his grim lot. People joined us because they were no longer content to be subject to the whims of tyrants. They believed the world could be better and for once, just for once! And they believed they could be the ones to make it better.”

Polias rested his head against the tile once more, utterly exhausted.

“Hey,” it was the gravelly voice of the taller guard.

Exasperated, Polias sighed, “What?”

“You about done pissing yet?”