Richard laid down on his bed in the motel; he stared at the ceiling. How long has it been since that day? Hours? Days? Weeks? Now that he had no job, parental guidance, or goals to pursue, he didn’t know what to do with himself anymore. His friends and brother were worried about him and hoped he’d feel better soon. But considering what he had gone through, they knew he wouldn’t be able to heal overnight.

Richard sighed. He looked outside; a glimmer of daylight still showed up from the windows. He eventually convinced himself to get out of bed for the time being and go for a walk, or at least get some fresh air.

Not long after he stepped outside, he gets greeted by two men wearing black and white suits with sunglasses.

“Ah, there you are. We’ve been looking for you.” One of them greeted him.

What could they want? “Um, is there something you need from me?” Richard asked, showing no sign of emotion.

“Yes, the mayor wishes to see you personally.” The other authority figure told him.

Richard’s heart dropped as he assumed the worst-case scenario. “Am I in trouble?”

“No, on the contrary, it’s the opposite.” The first guy corrected him. “If you could follow us to his tower and office, please.”

Richard gulped, but nodded and followed the two of them with caution.

.-.-.-.

The authority figures led Richard to Maxie’s office as they excused themselves. The tension rose again as he stood face-to-face with the Mayor of the city. Maxie stared at the windows, watching construction workers help fix the nearby demolished locations and other agents evacuate people from certain areas. Maxie noticed Richard’s reflection in the glass and went back to his seat.

“Richard, don’t stand there; please take a seat.” He said.

Richard blinked, trying to process his tone before seating himself from the other side.

“So, what did you want from me, Mr. Mayor?”

“Please, you may call me Maxie, or Max, if you wish.”

“Oh, ok. Max, I’m sorry for accusing you of being behind all that chaos that happened a while back.”

“It’s water under the bridge. I owe you an apology, too, for the same reason, and for trying to get you killed on multiple occasions.”

“Like you said, water under the bridge, am I right?”

“Yeah.” Maxie chuckled. “I’ll be honest; you did a phenomenal job handling and protecting the city better than I probably could.” He rubbed his head, still trying to forget about the time he got brainwashed. “I was wondering if you’d like to work alongside me in helping make the city a better and safer place.”

Richard gasped. He couldn’t believe the words that came out of his mouth. What an opportunity. He never thought he’d be in this position right now in all his life. Was it a dream? For once, he didn’t want to wake up and end up somewhere else.

“Are you sure?” He asked, pointing at himself. “I don’t feel I’m worthy...”

“Trust me; I believe you’re more than fit for the job.”

“Thank you. But can I think about this?”

“Of course, you have a right to choose. If you refuse the offer, I’ll understand and won’t be upset about it.”

Well, I’m also currently out of a job. Maybe this can work out. If Max says I’m fit for it and can help benefit the world and make my friends and family proud, then that’d be worth it.

After thinking about it, Richard gave him a sad smile. “Alright, I’ve decided. You got yourself a deal. I accept your offer.” He extended his hand.

“You do? Excellent!” Maxie extended his arm and shook his hand. “We can start right away if you’d like.”

“Sure, that sounds good to me...”