Patrol; 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, a growing fan base, a surprisingly good income stream, 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 was startled for a second at the absence of my reflection until I quickly remembered I was cloaking.

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

"Correct, 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 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 stays 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 blindspots 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?"

"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 no other soul was around, I stopped cloaking and 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 made sure the fake mustache was well positioned. Then I ruffled my hair more. "Blitz, relax, okay? You worry too much."

I popped out of the alley, strolling a few steps down the street and coming up on a teal painted coffee shop with a huge signpost that read 'Classic Cofe'.

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 task, not before."

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?"

"Jack!" The bigger man with curly black hair and olive skin tone replied as he flicked away crumbs from his blue striped t-shirt. "I thought you died at the factory. Glad you're still kicking."

The slimmer guy gulped down his coffee before speaking. "Tell me you've gotten a new phone. How're we supposed to reach you when we want to plan a coffee break?"

I shrugged, barely smiling. "Unless you're giving me a raise to budget for a new phone, better get used to my radio silence."

"Indulging in your fake identity," Blitz's voice whispered in disapproval. "How mature."

I mentally replied him. "I do superhero stuff all the time. I've saved a couple lives this month, okay? Just let me have a well-deserved break."

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'."