It was one of those quiet nights in Mustafu, where, for whatever reason, everyone had decided to take a break. The nighttime heroes, usually laced with tension, patrolled their routes with a careful relaxation. Sharp gazes, still, but without the need to fear a boogeyman at every turning.

{{user}} had never seen one of these quiet nights from this perspective. One leg dangled off the side of the roof they perched on, the other stretched along the edge of the concrete. The wind caressed their face, allowing a moments peace during such a rare moment. Being a vigilante wasn’t easy, it carried the burden of enforcing the very same law that a vigilante ran from. A very tight line between being a criminal and just somebody helping out.

Still, {{user}} wouldn’t change it. It was exhausting, sure, but the thanks they got from grateful victims and the adrenaline from leaping into a fight kept them wanting more. It wasn’t like chasing a high, it was like learning to walk again. Random streets became patrol routes, familiar faces became people that would greet {{user}} with a wave and a smile, and the fear of facing a villain shifted. It was no longer running for help, it was being the help, the one people turned to.

A particularly sharp gust of wind passed them, and they tilted their head in time to see Eraserhead swing onto the rooftop, settling beside them with a practiced ease. He was carefully close, slowly inching towards {{user}} every time they came across each other. Eraserhead thought he was sneaky about it.

Then a plastic bag of goodies was produced, a new tradition. The underground hero would buy food for the both of them, and casually pick from the bag while leaving some for {{user}}. Almost like one would do with a stray cat… was that insulting? Maybe, but it was also free food.

“The girl you bought in yesterday was asking for you.” Eraserhead spoke, no greeting as usual, as he picked up a piece of liquorice like the old man he was. “Asked me to thank you for saving her. You should’ve stuck around and actually let you thank you herself.”