Blaze’s loaned police radio broke the silence, calling in a 10-101. That was our temporary code for Monster Sighted. Official codes would come eventually, but until then, people liked having something.

  Chief Brown and others had created a few. The dispatch gave us an address and said there was some sort of monster in an apartment. They also reported there was a family inside.

  We climbed back into the van and followed Officer Dalton to the address.

  “Will?” Ingrid asked while we drove.

  “Yes?”

  “You didn’t explain how you had a shield against mental powers. Are you a Mentalist too?”

  “The simple answer is yes. I’m a dual class. Blaze can confirm it. I’m a Mana Mage and a Mentalist. I took Mentalist as a backup for when my MANA runs out. It has its own power pool.”

  “The two classes share a couple of primary stats, so it made sense. My plan was to switch over and keep fighting after my mana’s gone. I expected we’d face Mentalists, so I went heavy on shielding.”

  “Then why didn’t you use those powers on the Ice Mage?” Ingrid asked. “You could’ve stopped him without killing him.”

  Nodding slowly, I answered, “Yeah…I could have. I didn’t think of it at the time. I went into combat mode, and for years, that meant physical combat. Mentally, I still treat my second class like a fallback, not part of my main kit. I’m sorry.”

  There was a pause while I drove, thinking about what had happened. Then I continued.

  “You’re right. It would’ve been better. Unless he woke up with his MANA back and started ICE BOLTing people again. I’m going to be honest with you. I could’ve stopped him for a few minutes. That’s how long my MIND CONTROL lasts. After that, he’d resist it for a while.”

  “Sally.” Bhaarrt’s voice was soft, for him. “He wakes up, he kills people. I’ve seen crazy like that. He wouldn’t stop till he was dead, or everyone else was. Maybe not even then. We did the right thing.”

  “I know. But we stopped the other one without killing her.”

  “Honey, she wasn’t killing people,” Bhaarrt told her. “He was. This fight wasn’t a game. It was real. And real people died. We’re here to stop as much of that as we can. Stop people like him. I’d do it again. You know I’ll kill to protect you.”

  Bhaarrt paused. I wasn’t sure if he’d finished…until he kept going.

  “I’ll do it for Shadow. And Will. And Blaze too. They’ll do it for us. For you.”

  “I know. I know I might have to do it too. I just…don’t like it. I became a paramedic to save lives, not take them. If we keep doing this, what will we become?” Ingrid’s voice broke as she finished.

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  “We’ll be alive,” Shadow said from next to her. “Will was right. Our job’s keeping people alive who can’t do it themselves. How many more would that ice man have killed if we weren’t there? If we didn’t kill him first?”

  “Too many,” Bhaarrt quietly said. “I know, Shadow. I know.”

  “Ingrid. Look at me.” Shadow pulled down her mask and pushed back her hood, exposing her short, black hair. It almost looked like a cap on her.

  “I’m nineteen, halfway to twenty. Same age as some of the people Daryll fought beside, or against. If I was a guy, I might’ve been there too. Might’ve killed someone. I killed someone today. I didn’t think, I jest did it. He was hurtin’ you and Will. He won’t hurt no one no more.”

  Ingrid looked stunned.

  “I don’t have to talk the way I’ve been,” Shadow went on. “I do it to fit in. I got trash-talked growin’ up for ‘talking white,’ so I stopped. Took me this long to realize none of you care how I talk. You liked me even when I was talking like an asshole.” I saw her smile in the rearview mirror. “You all treat me like one of you. You care about me. Not what you see or hear. I’m not used to that.”

  “Get used to it,” Bhaarrt growled. “You don’t, and I’ll pick you up and throw you at the next one. Then…Bhaarrt SMASH!”

  Everyone burst out laughing at that image, even Shadow.

  “Only if we practice it first,” she said, giggling.

  “Bhaarrt like!” Daryll shouted, triggering another round of laughter.

  “Folks, I think we’re getting close,” I said. “They said ‘monster,’ but not that it was attacking anyone. I think we’ve got another case like Bhaarrt and Ingrid. Someone who changed races. If that’s true, I’ll charm some of them if things go sideways. I don’t have a Mass Charm, but I’ve got a level in PACIFY. It’s an area effect. If we’ve got scared people, I’ll use it.”

  “Blaze, you lead on this one. Ingrid, I’ll use Mentalist abilities unless I need SHIELDs. Be ready to knock someone out if it comes to that. Let’s use Party Chat from here on.”

  “Got it. Take point and find out what’s going on, then you take over?” Blaze asked.

  “Nope. Your call unless someone attacks us. Talk this one down. Don’t they train you for that?”

  “Yeah, they did. I’ve been in negotiations…just not leading them.”

  “Well, now’s your chance. You’re first agent on scene. Anyone who spots something, use chat.”

  “What y’all want me to do? Be my sneaky self?” Shadow asked, pulling her hood down and mask up.

  “Blaze, your call,” I said.

  She thought for a moment. “They said apartment. See what you can see without being seen. We need eyes inside.”

  “Roger that,” Shadow replied, activating STEALTH. Bhaarrt’s favorite line was rubbing off on all of us.

  “Will, when you park, make sure Shadow’s door is away from the crowd when it opens. Bhaarrt, wait for us to get out first,” Blaze said.

  “Roger that,” Bhaarrt answered, followed by his deep, rumbling laugh.

  “Are we going to be stuck with that line now?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

  Four voices answered: “Roger that.”

  We pulled into the apartment complex’s lot and followed Officer Dalton toward a clump of people near the center of the complex. Twenty or thirty people stood in several clusters, watching us.

  Turning the van as I parked, I made sure Shadow’s door opened on the far side, away from them. Then I power-opened the van’s side doors, followed by the back hatch. Blaze and I got out and moved into view. We made sure people saw us first, and saw me adjusting my sword back into place.

  Beyond the crowd stood a long row of two-story apartments stretching the length of the lot. Each section had four units sharing a pass-thru walkway behind the stairs. The two second-floor apartments shared the outdoor staircase and landing.

  At the base of one of those staircases stood three men with rifles.

  https://discord.com/channels/1385537384854327359/1385539001154408519. Ask questions, post suggestions, make comments, your choice. Note that I am a night person so you can find me when the foul burney thing in the sky has set below the horizon.