Deep within the city, a law firm was as busy as a beehive. Many lawyers and secretaries ran through the office, shouting into the ringing phones, trying to complete their duties. And one secretary, a special someone, was among them.

  Karen, twenty-four, a British beauty, was glued to her typewriter. Her long silver hair, muscular yet curvy body, and brown skin, smooth like the most delicious chocolate, stood as the ideal of grace and battle strength. Still, Karen stopped typing, dropping her head on her desk, exhaling heavily, and looking at a frame of herself and her comrades. The picture depicted them in US military uniforms, standing in a war zone.

  Karen cracked a smile, drawing the image closer to her face, the hint of a teardrop in the corner of her eye.

  "Looks like I traded one battlefield for another. Right, dear friends?"

  Carol, a blonde Caucasian woman of twenty-four, hurried to Karen.

  "Karen, security says there's a Matthew at the door waiting for you, and he says it's urgent."

  "But I don’t know a Matthew.” Karen pointed toward her typewriter. “And I’m being suffocated with work."

  "Well, who's the one waiting outside?" Carol pointed her thumb backward at the hallway.

  Karen groaned, leaving for the hallway to meet the mysterious Matthew and grabbing her purse.

  "Excuse me, Matthew. I think you may have mistaken—" Karen turned a corner, seeing Daniel with a nervous smile, and a scowl swept her face. "Oh, God."

  "Hello, Karen.” Daniel vigorously rubbed the back of his head. “So I know you weren't there when I got out, but a lot of stuff has happened. And I'm here to beg for just one more c—"

  "Security," Karen shouted.

  "Angel, please."

  Quickly, Daniel tried to hold Karen's hand, but she dragged it away.

  "Do not do that. Angel, please. That trick may have worked before, but not this time. Now, how did you find me?"

  Daniel and Karen had a history together as early as high school. Karen could still recall the day she met him. Her family had recently immigrated from Great Britain to America. They found each other on the first day of their studies, quickly becoming lovers. There was a connection between them that she had hoped was the mythic true love.

  "Speak before I draw my gun from my purse," Karen boomed.

  "I used the directory. Now, please look."

  Daniel took several steps back from Karen. And as she saw him, she signaled for him to keep talking.

  "I love you, and I need you back in my life. Please give me another chance."

  "Daniel, this would be your thirtieth chance. Between the cheating, your amoral crimes, and what you said to me that night, I refuse to fall for this again.” Karen cried and continued. "I won't do it. I won't do it anymore."

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  "I’m a changed man. I swear."

  "How do you expect me to believe that?" Karen shouted.

  "Well, because I helped someone today without expecting anything in return.” Daniel took a deep breath. “Also, I found out Pop died. It put everything into perspective."

  As she heard his words, her look of anger disappeared as she placed both her hands over her mouth. "I am so sorry."

  Daniel grew a smile, walking toward her, but Karen stepped away from him.

  "I'm sorry, Daniel. I feel for your loss. But I can't trust you anymore."

  As Daniel heard Karen’s words, his smile disappeared. And he walked away, brushing against a potted plant. However, as Karen went to her office, she stopped, glancing toward Daniel. For the slightest moment, she wondered. Still, she took a deep breath, using willpower to keep walking away from him.

  ***

  In the evening, Daniel staggered through Kent Park alone. Bags formed around his eyes as his face became deathly pale, dragging his feet forward like the living dead.

  "No job and no Karen. I could probably track down Larry, the liar. One of his connections could hook me up with a job that suits me.” Daniel stopped walking and looked skyward. “Break some bones, and I can get everything I want."

  As he contemplated resuming his criminal ways, the sensation in his flesh, his conscience, had returned. Daniel wanted to listen, but he was afraid. He couldn’t live off his mother forever, and legitimate employment was hopelessly out of his grasp.

  "God and I have never seen eye-to-eye before. But if you're listening from upstairs, Pop, let's talk."

  Suddenly, Daniel heard a gunshot. He spotted a police officer fighting a criminal nearby. But the criminal quickly shot the officer dead. And the people around screamed, dashing away as they saw his corpse as the criminal escaped. Daniel tightly gripped his face with his hands, nearly cutting himself with his fingernails, seeing the incident.

  "I respected you so much when I was younger. You were like the superheroes from my comics. You were a pillar of honor and kindness, so much so that there were times I wondered if you were human. But then I got older, and the world darkened.” Daniel took a deep breath. “I noticed scum getting away with it every day. Life became so cruel and devoid of meaning. Pop, is honor still an option?"

  A massive explosion shook the ground. As Daniel looked for the source, he saw a plume of black smoke at least ten meters away. He started to run towards it but stopped as several thoughts came to mind. What could one man possibly do in this disaster? And even so, why should he? Daniel knew the world was a cruel place. No good Samaritan would come and aid him.

  "Not my problem."

  Daniel walked off in the opposite direction. However, another explosion happened, stopping him in his tracks. He forced himself to start walking again, his joints becoming stiff, unsteady, and almost painful to move like he was an old man. But once more another explosion went off, more thunderous than the others. Finally, he turned back, running at top speed toward the smoke.

  ***

  Daniel continued running toward the smoke. As he got closer, screams of terror consumed the air as it became harder to breathe from the intensifying smog. Still, he pushed through a sea of people using all his strength as chaos gripped the neighborhood ahead of him.

  On the other side of the crowd, he gazed in horror, witnessing it engulfed in green flames. And a building soon exploded, catching a mother and young daughter in the blast radius and rendering the two unconscious. But Daniel ran to aid them, taking them in his arms and getting them to safety.

  As he got the two away from harm, he spotted an injured fireman limping from one of the burning buildings. “I hate myself.” Daniel ran to the fireman, dragging him out of danger. However, the building behind them exploded, sending large pieces of rubble that were heading their way. Seeing them, Daniel jumped away. Still, the shock from their landing injured his ribs, making Daniel scream as he gripped his right side from the anguish of his injury.

  “Man,” Daniel shouted.

  Again, more explosions went off, releasing a blinding light and sending a driver crashing into a light post. And Daniel, in pain and dizzy from the heat, limped over. But as he got the driver out, a live wire from the post broke loose, falling towards them. At that moment, it was as if God gave Daniel a great dilemma. And once and for all, Daniel made his choice. "No." Pushing the driver out of danger. Letting the live wire hit him instead, electrocuting him. He screamed in pain at the top of his lungs, dropping to the ground, lifeless.