"You planning to come to the fight, if it's him?"

"If it's nearish. No point to hauling me all the way across the world. More people you try to put on the plane the slower it leaves."

He nods.

"I went to Leviathan once. I got like - ten people, maybe, and a broken arm."

"That's ten people who are only alive now because of you."

"Somebody else might've got 'em."

"Yeah, they might, and tomorrow a plane might crash on your head but I'd still save your life today if it needed saving. Just because we haven't figured out immortality yet doesn't mean the extra days we buy each other aren't worth living."

Blink. "I didn't say anything about immortality."

"I know you didn't, I did. I'm just saying, life's worth living, and every person you saved matters."

"Yeah," mutters Boots.

He puts a hand on Boots' shoulder.

"...What."

Shrug, remove hand. "Nothing. Just felt like it was a thing I should do."

Snort. "You feel like you should do a lot of things, don't you."

"To be fair, I can usually figure out where the feelings come from if I try." Pause. "You saved ten people, then. You're worth taking to fights, a twenty-second delay in boarding the plane is worth ten lives."

"Is it? I figured somebody else did the math already."

"I don't think they really do a whole lot of math when it comes to Endbringer fights. It seems mostly like 'everyone who can come is a helpful addition.' And that's a point. Even if you don't save anyone, just showing up, boosting morale, convincing other people who might be able to save even more people, to drive those creatures away even a second earlier. I think it's worth it."

Blink. "Um. They probably wouldn't notice but... I mean, if people started doing that then that'd be a morale hit, people would be more reluctant to come to the next fight. It's why we have the Truce." Pause. "Why, though? You get your full salary, don't you? I mean, it's not as much as an adult hero, but it's still more than me."

"...um."

"...um?"

"I mean, yeah, they - they pay me."

"So...?"

"You—what? Wait, what?"