No Need for Heroes: Chapter 4 – Lifelong Service

Chapter 4 – Lifelong Service

“Wake up! We got an emergency, rookie!” Lt. Sterner yells.

Novus falls out of bed and gets his uniform and armor on quickly and efficiently just as he was trained to in an emergency. He then gets his guns and runs downstairs with the rest of the Sorrows as the alarm blares loud enough to wake up a person from blocks away. Every single office in this station stands at attention outside behind Lt. Sterner who stands at attention in front of three True Servants, veteran Angel of the Shadows officers. These veteran officers are heavily armored in a suit that’s a mixture of a juggernaut and a medieval knight while their weapons are double-barreled light-machine guns with two separate boxes for each barrel.

“We’re all here as you asked, chief officers. What are your orders?” Lt. Sterner says.

The True Servants look at each other as if confused.

“We don’t have any orders for you. We just told you that we’d be coming to visit,” one of the chief officers says.

“What are you talking about? A visit from the True Servants is always an honor and for a special reason or have you not yet grown up, chief officer Murus?”

Murus takes off his helmet to reveal his old yet glowing face. He has very few grey hairs in his black hair and minor wrinkles on his smiling face.

“I’ve told you that growing up is for the proud and that only those who have the pure heart and mind of a child will inherit the kingdom of Heaven,” Murus says.

“Have you lost your mind? Put your helmet back on! You’re leaving yourself exposed to assassination!”

“The Lord is my protector. You know that if my time was up, no amount of armor could protect me from my destined death. Take off your helmet. I want to see your face.”

“Chief officer-”

“If you keep wanting to be so formal, then I’ll command it. Do as I say, Lt. Sterner. Or do you lack faith in God and are unwilling to obey your superiors?”

“…yes, sir. I’ll do as you command.”

Taking off his helmet, Lt. Sterner reveals his aging face that appears to be stuck in a permanent scowl. His black hair and brown eyes seem to be darker than most as if colored by his past.

“Ah. Still aging faster than most I see. You’ll look older than me before you turn forty. If you don’t lighten up, you’ll die tired and miserable as well.”

“…yes, sir…”

Lt. Sterner keeps his head down as if completely ashamed of his superior’s judgment of him.

“Sensus, I trust you’ve been watching over him?”

“Yes, sir. I’ve been doing my best,” Sensus says.

“Let me see your face as well.” Sensus takes off his helmet which reveals a youthful face with shining brown hair and brown eyes. “Ah! I see that you look still as if you just graduated from high school. It wouldn’t surprise me if you still look the same in fifty years.”

“I hope so, sir. My wife would sure like it.”

“I’m sure she would. Tell your family I said hi or better yet, we should arrange another get-together and have our families cook together.”

“Will do. I’ll get to it later today.”

“I remember you said that you had an aspiring private on your team, Sterner. Let me see him.”

“Rookie Novus!”

“Are you still calling privates rookies? Did I calling you that really affect you that much?”

Ignoring what he said, Lt. Sterner presents Novus as he says, “This private, who is a transfer from the police, was a bit slow at first but has overcome his flaws and has the potential to be an outstanding Angel of the Shadows. I can transfer you the reports that he was a part of if you want a detailed history.”

“Noted. Let me see your face, boy.”

“Yes, sir,” Novus says as he does what he is commanded.

Novus’ face is much like Sensus’ in that it is youthful. His light blue eyes and shiny black hair seem to have a glimmer to them that makes Murus squint a bit.

“I see potential in you, private. Keep that light shining and you’ll accomplish great things.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Sir, sir, sir. Enough with the formalities! Sterner, have your cooks make us a fine lunch. I want to know everything you and your station have been up to for the past year and a half that I haven’t seen you and I don’t mean that you should tell me mostly about work.”

“Yes, si-Yes, right this way,” Lt. Sterner says before leading all the officers into the building.

A large lunch is made for every officer in the station and the visiting chief officers. Murus tells the Sorrows stories of the past and includes embarrassing ones of Lt. Sterner that everyone laughs at while Lt. Sterner hangs his head down in embarrassment.

While eating, Novus asks Sensus, “What’s Lt. Sterner’s history with Chief Officer Murus?”

“He was our teacher and lieutenant when Sterner was a private like you. Murus usually stops by every year, but because of the recently high crime rates and the True Servants like him having to be deployed in different places in this sector, he hasn’t been able to make it as much,” Sensus says.

“Are the crime rates really worse than they were years ago? I haven’t noticed a difference from the crime rates of recent years.”

“Years ago probably when you were too young to remember, we used to be deployed maybe once a month or once every two months. Now, it’s pretty much every other day, which is sad despite the action giving us raises.”

“Helping the Dominion had to at least help. We haven’t been deployed in a month.”

“It probably did, but quietness is never good.” An alarm bell rings for the Sorrows to deploy. “Speak of the devil.”

The officers in communications tell the officers that a city-wide fight has broken up between several revolutionary groups both known and unknown, The True Servants decide to help the Sorrows and deploy themselves with them. Murus dictates that he and his fellow chief officers will be joining Lt. Sterner, Sensus, and Novus while the other Sorrow officers will be deployed in groups of five.

“I’m sure you don’t mind us joining you,” Murus says.

“It’s your orders, sir. I can’t object to them,” Lt. Sterner says.

“You can complain as you have before.”

“Chief officer, I think it’s time we move. Innocent lives are at stake here.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Murus says with a chuckle.

The officers travel to a mall where one of the fights is happening in an armored truck. When they get to the scene, they see both civilians and revolutionaries dead on the ground. Civilians armed with guns of their own attempt to fight back in stores with owners who are also fighting back. As soon as they see the Angels of the Shadows appear, they cheer them on and loudly thank God.

“Let’s get to work, boys and girls,” Murus says before taking out his bulletproof phone and playing his music.

Both he and the other True Servants play the same song and awkwardly dance while ripping into the revolutionaries with their light-machine guns like a group of newbies to a dance club that wants to appear confident but still dance stiffly.

“What are you doing, chief officer?!” Lt. Sterner says.

“Just enjoying my job. Come on, sing with me, Sterner! Another one bites the dust!” Murus sings.

“You only got sillier, haven’t you Murus…”

Novus is astounded by how the True Servants walk into the hail of gunfire and treat it like nothing. He and the other Sorrows hardly have to cover them since they’re killing most of their targets. After five minutes, the revolutionaries lie in pieces and the civilians and shop owners come out to give the officers their thanks and praise.

“Thank you for your help, citizens. You are all brave and will be rewarded. Come to Sorrow station Raziel and mention that Chief Officer Murus sent you for your reward, but for now, get to safety while we bring safety back to our city,” Murus says.

“You’re going to have them all come to my station for a reward?” Lt. Sterner asks in a confused and shocked tone.

“It’ll be on me.”

While back in the armored truck on their way to the next fight, Novus says, “That was some impressive shooting, Chief Officer Murus. I’m surprised that you could dance and shoot so accurately at the same time.”

“It’s all a result of practice and asking God to pull the trigger,” Murus says.

Lt. Sterner rolls his head and tries not to listen to the conversation.

“Why do you listen to music while you shoot anyway?”

“To help me work.”

“It’s stupid,” Lt. Sterner comments.

“To be honest, you’re right in a way,” Murus admits, “All of the killing I’ve done since I was sixteen has numbed me to it a bit. I try to not be completely numb to it by still practicing my penances for sinners and will do so more for the ones who have recently passed by helping with the cleanup and attending the next funeral.”

“It’s going to be a big one at this rate,” Sensus points out.

“The world never runs out of tragedies,” Lt. Sterner says.

“Such is life and why we should always remember to hope beyond hope by placing our eyes on the Lord,” Murus says.

“Amen,” the other two chief officers say.

Novus and Sensus also say amen while Lt. Sterner says it much softly as if reluctant to do so. The officers go from place to place clearing out revolutionaries and protecting civilians during which Novus can relate to Murus in that he was growing numb to killing. By the end of the day, he doesn’t know how many people he’s killed. The cleanup takes three days during which the mayor, chief of police, and other figureheads give speeches about unifying against crime for the good of humanity and God.

“It’s an obvious speech to make, but they’re right to remind us of it,” Lt. Sterner says. “The revolutionaries fought each other because they worshipped different gods, masters of their morality, and goals whereas everyone loyal to the kingdom has the same goal of serving and loving God and their neighbors. Common sense is now common rather than a delusion as it was back then. This can’t be overstated enough.”

On the next day, the funeral for the revolutionaries and the innocents who died during the riot is held at the largest cathedral in the city. Even now, some of the caskets must be kept outside due to the high number of bodies. The True Servants attend the funeral and the service itself lasts the entire day. Afterward, Murus and the other chief officers join the Sorrows for dinner during which he talks to Novus.

“You’ve been doing great. I see that you have the potential to be a great officer, Pvt. Novus,” he says.

“Thank you, sir. It’s an honor getting a compliment from a True Servant such as yourself,” Novus says.

“So, what are your plans when you hit your ten-year mark? Are you thinking about transferring into a government job or continuing as an officer?”

“I pray to God that I know when I reach that point. How long does it take to become a True Servant anyway?”

“Roughly the same time it takes to become king, so roughly fifty or sixty years depending on how distinguished you become.”

“I can’t imagine myself becoming king in the future.”

“I couldn’t see myself entering into politics either. It’s why I am where I am now. I was and still am inspired by our patron’s humble simplicity and I try to enjoy and appreciate what I have because of it. There’s honor in every role in life, you know? A humble factory worker can earn a high if not a higher place than the king or most distinguished clergyman in Heaven through a faithful life.”

“I see. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Later in the night when Novus is in bed, he reflects on recent events and feels renewed in the same way a person does when they enter a cool building on a hot summer’s day and feels ready for whatever comes next in his life.

“I’ll appreciate-no. I appreciate everything that I have now and make this promise again to do so until the day I die. Amen,” Novus silently prays before falling asleep.