Gilly stood silent and alone, there upon the seventh floor of the accommodation tower. It was somewhere around four a.m., and he stood with his head slunk, his eyes pressed tight against those massive slabs of glass, each of which joined together to make the transparent face of the accommodation building. Beyond and in the distance he could see the brightness of D.A.R.E. Those massive, blood-red letters showing clear, and even beneath the darkness of night. The facility was lit like a beacon between the trees. As for the accommodation tower everyone seemed to be sleeping – or at least that’s what he’d thought.

‘Cannot sleep?’

Gilly felt a huge hand clap softly against his back. Beside him stood Tough Justice, only now he wore a fluffy nightcap, and what’s more a set of pyjamas with little smiling bears.

Gilly sighed, his breath steaming against the glass, ‘No one seems to sleep here anyway.’ He nodded towards D.A.R.E. The huge glass building lay bright beneath the distant darkness of night, and even in the early hours of morning it seemed to gather to it an atmosphere of bustling activity.

‘Evil does not sleep Mr. Gilly.’ The man’s Russian accent seemed to fall and lilt at the end of Gilly’s name.

Gilly shook his head, ‘I know it sounds cliché, believe me. But I just can’t help feeling that this is all just some pathetic little dream. It’s just that ever since Daisy I’ve had this feeling like I’m slowly going mad, and now this. I didn’t even know that heroes existed – let alone that they hide out in strange secret buildings that never go to sleep.’

Justice smiled, ‘Better to have and not know, than to know and not have. Correct?’

Gilly shook his head again, ‘I can’t make this decision Mr. Justice… I just don’t understand why Glitch would choose me. I’m a nobody. I’m nothing…’

‘Ahh…’ said Justice, his fingers coming up to stroke at his chin. ‘You know, our good friend Mr. Glitch used to be out in the field himself. Now he is D.A.R.E.’s top recruiter. And you know what?’

Gilly turned to meet the man’s dark eyes.

‘He has never chosen wrong once.’

‘Never…?’

Justice puffed his head proudly, ‘Never.’

‘But how does he know? How does he choose?’

‘He likes to watch his candidates. He studies them. Mr. Glitch has big brain. But Tough Justice has big muscles ah?’

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The man winked knowingly at Gilly, after which Gilly couldn’t help but loose a smile.

‘He watches them?’

‘Watches. Yes. With eyes.’

It was only then that Gilly got to wondering. He began to remember all the times he’d saw Glitch across the road, or then again upon street corners. He wondered how many times Glitch had seen him, perhaps when he hadn’t been looking, or then again when he hadn’t been aware. He wondered even more so if Glitch had ever snuck into his house. After all, it wouldn’t have much surprised him, and it was exactly the type of thing that Glitch might have done.

Gilly shook his head, ‘He chose wrong.’

For a moment the two of them simply stared, there beyond those massive squares of glass.

‘When I first came to D.A.R.E. I was still a very young boy. Before D.A.R.E. Tough Justice was raised in little village town in the mountain. There was a woman there. A very dangerous woman who could take the form of anyone or anything she wanted. They called her Skin Witch. She would come into the village like wolf in sheep’s clothing, taking the appearance of those we knew. She would come deep in the night, sneaking into houses as mother or wife and drawing out the children – sons and daughters – deep into the darkest part of the woods. There she would bind them, giving to them skull crowns made from deer and crowns of holly. She would dance them round the fire and sing, and then when it was done she would slice each of their throats from here–’ Justice drew his huge thumb slowly across his neck, ‘–to here. It was quick. Clean. Like a smile drawn across the neck. I was thirteen, the only child to escape. After that I had terrible nightmares, until one night I was visited by a different kind of person – by agent of D.A.R.E.’

Gilly watched the man’s dark eyes staring off into the distance, almost as if remembering.

‘Twenty years ago D.A.R.E. was not very advanced. But… they made me into what was needed.’ Gilly startled as the man hammered his chest, a great smile drawn forth across his face. ‘They helped make this.’

‘What happened to the witch?’

‘Tough Justice found her.’ His smile evaporated. ‘Then he broke her neck.’

Gilly squirmed.

‘Regardless of what you might believe there is evil out there Mr. Gilly. Evil beyond comprehension. Beyond what is right.’ Tough Justice tapped his skull, ‘Unless it is stamped out it will return drawing more harm to innocent people – to those we love.’ It was then that he let free a great big sigh, ‘Sometimes justice is not found in court of law Mr. Gilly. Sometimes justice can only be found at the end of one’s fist!’ He shook his huge, curled fist against the air, only to somehow realise what he was doing.

Almost immediately Tough Justice chuckled, his laughter filling the floor. ‘I am sorry. I made the atmosphere too dark huh? Still… Tough Justice sensed it from the very first moment he saw Mr. Gilly.’ It was then he placed his huge hand on Gilly’s chest. ‘We are very alike. Mr. Gilly and Tough Justice. We are same.’

‘We’re not the same’ said Gilly shaking his head. ‘In fact, we’re nothing alike at all…’

‘Oh?’

‘I mean look at you… you’re a hero. Then look at me. I’m… I’m just… me…’

It was then that he saw his own reflection. It was staring from within the glass.

Next to Tough Justice he just looked pathetic.

Weak.

Tough Justice clapped him on the back, at which Gilly felt his spine rattle between his ribs.

‘Not all justice has muscles Mr. Gilly. Here at D.A.R.E. there are many types of people. The question is simply…’ at this Justice moved closer, prodding him softly against the chest, ‘…who are you? The question is…’ he said laying his hand over Gilly’s heart, ‘What does Mr. Gilly have here inside…?’