Arcade's Dungeon

Hunter Hero 4: Patrol

"No-really, I've had this planned for three months. Yes. Please. I just want to reschedule my appointment for a later time, but I can show up tomorrow. You know I'm fast. That's all I'm good at. Just-Yes, instead of ten AM, noon. Oh, sorry, lunch break...then how about half past? Okay, thank you. And it's on the fourth floor, Section B, right? Alright, thank you. Bye."

     Oh my goodness.

     Life did not need to be that difficult.

     "This is your last warning, Nike. Don't ruin it for yourself."

     It took all I had to not protest how I'd literally only had one warning via email and how Chandra must've forgotten to give me the rest.

     "Yes, Sir."

     "Come on," I wanted to scream while pacing the rooftop and tossing my phone to land on top of my gray bag slouched up against the side of the roof. "Come on!"

     It was only an hour into my shift and early in the night. I wanted to run off the nerves of that email's headline and the boss' look as he caught me out the door, having passed by his glass wall and mournfully been waved inside with quite the frustration in his features. But duty called and needed me to be there, the one place I was best able to reach almost any part of the city in seconds. The downtown area where crime was most located anyway when it did strike.

    What does it matter if I faked my eval anyway? It's my choice how much strength I choose to display or what skills I choose to divulge! There are so many laws these days that protect civilians that want to remain as civilians! And I read the contract before I became a hero, and I read it when I renew it every year. There's nothing in there that says I have to be a hundred percent honest with my rank. And it's not like it matters anyway, when all of the crime here can be dealt with by a D-rank or below. What the actual...

     I sighed and threw my head back, still walking, still frustrated. Short, straight blonde brushed over my shoulders, and the mask felt weird while dragging my hands down my face.

     What would they even do with me if they found out I was above D-rank? Move me to another city? It's not like they can forcefully relocate me or something, and the boss knows I'm a minor. I'm technically not allowed to work at the company, and I've been illegal for four years. Is he getting braver or stupider because I'm going to be an adult soon? But again, if I say no to the relocation, I can't be forced to move. It doesn't matter if I'm F-rank or C-rank. This is my home and where I live my day life. If push comes to shove, they know I'll just quit. I'm just some part-timer. I'm just some...

     "...fah." The breath came out sharp while finally throwing my hands off my head and just looking up at the same smoggy sky as always. It was hard to work out the nerves on that one, especially when it came to my identity or my rank. As far as they knew, I was just a high schooler wanting to knock out some energy because I was an E-rank with a high metabolism and a lot of energy. So what tipped them off to the fact that, after four years, I might've not actually been an E-rank? My speed definitely wasn't E-rank and was probably somewhere up there, but no one had said a thing about it the first time I evaled.

     Pacing over to the edge of the roof, looking over the mall and off into the distance. Just old buildings that'd stood for twenty years and switched out as restaurants, boutiques, pet shops, banks, and theaters. Parking lots on the ground and buildings for them where Mom and Dad would take us walking on Friday evenings when we went out for a meal, and where we spat off the top to see who could make it farther.

     "You're wasting your talent."

     Leaning over the edge, putting my elbows on it and holding my head.