THE ADVENTURES OF TEKEON

#8. THE DARKEST DAY: PART ONE

"Patrol" is a word I never thought I'd find in my daily vocabulary. Yet there I was, flying through the New Chronos skyline in cloaking mode, on my—here comes the shocker—daily patrol.

It's probably standard superhero stuff. But it wasn't exactly my favorite part of the job.

"Didn't you just successfully install a remote criminal motion sensor system in all the city's public cameras?" I asked Blitz as I sped past a towering office complex. Another one came into view.

"Correct. That is why, from today onwards, the patrol route will be streamlined to include only the city's blind spots. Fewer locations, more time to spare."

True... but not satisfactory. I have powers I should be enjoying as much as possible, not wasting my time searching for a problem to solve. For crying out loud, there's a reason for the police.

Blitz was barricaded from reading my thoughts at the moment, though. "You can now detect crime in areas with public surveillance equipment, right? Why not get into a satellite and see everything at once? That way, I won't need to patrol."

"You misunderstand the limitations of my current state. I cannot tap into frequencies beyond a certain range."

As I flew between two glassy skyscrapers, I admired my armor's magnificent reflection. 'Almost three weeks in, and I'm still amazed how good this looks!'

"But you can. You just demonstrated an upgrade of that power two days ago."

"Correct," Blitz replied. "Yet I am still many upgrades away from reaching the capacity to tap into satellite networks."

"The ethical part of me doesn't want you to attain that level of surveillance." I pouted beneath the helmet. "But the lazy side is begging for you to unlock that already. Patrol sucks."

"Human ethics is quite a fascinating concept. I do find it logical to a degree, and that's why my surveillance method varies from 'Big Brother' or the fabled Santa Claus."

"What do you mean?"

"The same way childhood memories aren't at the forefront of your mind but buried deep down is the same way the recordings shared with me in the form of electronic signals stay in the background of my memory."

I sighed and increased the speed of my jetpack, eyes glued to the small holographic screen by my eye space projecting the route of public blind spots in New Chronos.

"So how do you tell when a crime happens?"

"Simple, the feature I added to the surveillance network is capable of identifying criminal activities like stealing a purse or robbing a bank. On identification, only that particular scenario surfaces to the forefront of my mind. Do you now see my consideration for human ethics?"

The mayor's office incident where he wanted me arrested happened yesterday. Flashbacks of it discouraged me. All I ever did since showing up on the scene was save lives. And yet, I was repaid with fear and spite. The motivation to continue patrol left me.

"You know what?" I descended into an empty alley and landed softly. "All this patrol is getting me tired. I'm gonna grab a coffee."

After confirming that no other soul was around, I desolidified my armor.

"Jason! You can't skip patrol two times in a row. It increases the chances of preventable crimes escalating."

Raising my phone, I checked my texts to confirm the meeting place. Then I used my other hand to make my hair more presentable. "I'm demoralized, okay? What's the point of doing good if no one appreciates you?"

I popped out of the alley, strolling down the street. For a moment, I wondered what it was like to be famous.If I revealed my secret identity to the world Ironman-style, maybe people would love me. Maybe they'd line up on the streets as I walked by. Maybe life would be better. 

My destination was a teal-painted coffee shop with a huge signpost that read 'Klassik Kofee.' The sweet aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted into my nose on entry, and I made my way to a booth by the window.

"Jason, discipline yourself. Reward comes after completion of a task, not before."

The way the cops gathered around me yesterday played across my mind. "I'm not sure there's a reward for this anymore."

I slipped into a seat and beamed at the two fellows seated on the opposite side.

"Tim! Ian! How's life been going for ya?"

"Jason!" The bigger man, Tim, with curly black hair and olive skin tone replied as he flicked away crumbs from his blue striped t-shirt. "Thought you said you wouldn't make it. What happened?"

"I changed my mind." I shrugged.

The slimmer guy gulped down his coffee before speaking. "It's a bummer Nic couldn't show. Think we should wait for him?"

"I wouldn't hold my breath." My voice was edgy. "He's too busy with his new job."

Was I glad I passed on the S.P.E.R.E. job offer? Initially, yes. It gave me more time for crime fighting. Now, I was unsure whether that was the right move to make.

"At least let me read your mind to tailor problem-specific solutions that will get you motivated." Blitz said. "There's a high probability of ongoing preventable crimes."

As the waitress came around, I was about to place an order, but the voice from the TV grabbed my attention.

"Breaking news, folks! An armored criminal is wrecking midtown and is being confronted by the police as we speak. The police arrived only minutes ago to control the situation and arrest the armored man who goes by the name 'Rogue.'"