The battle between Africans and Europeans had been going on for ages. Draws depended on character, and opening Loot Boxes depended on luck. William was undoubtedly among the unluckiest of them all.
To save his rapidly fading European luck, he tried seeking out all kinds of superstitions. Of them, the midnight superstition was the one he trusted most.
As the name suggested, the midnight superstition held that your odds doubled at midnight. That was why William had waited until midnight to open his Loot Box.
Although it was entirely a matter of luck, William had always felt that he was luckiest at this hour.
"Athena, you didn't finish explaining earlier. What else can you get from a Loot Box besides heroes?"
"You also have a chance of getting equipment, weapons, skills, consumables, sprays, and skins."
"I see. Then let's get started." William took a deep breath and opened his only Loot Box.
"D.Va! D.Va! I want D.Va!"
The Loot Box began to shake. Its lid looked ready to fly right off, and William held his breath, his heartbeat slowing with it. To the sound of familiar music, three streaks of light shot out of the box as it sprang open.
White... white... green. Wait, green?
William had never seen green light before. He examined the items one by one. The first two white ones were sprays, one for Soldier: 76 and one for Pharah. But the last green item left him stunned.
"Soldier: 76 reporting for duty!"
The mysterious man before him had white hair and wore a blue, white, and red combat suit. A red visor covered his eyes. He saluted William with one hand and held his Heavy Pulse Rifle in the other.
"The rewards from Overwatch System Loot Boxes come in four tiers: white, blue, purple, and gold. Green items represent heroes. If you get a duplicate, it will automatically be converted into coins," Athena explained.
Overwatch: William Level: 0 Coins: 100 Energy: 2 minutes Skill: Sprint Items: ?? Unlocked Heroes: 1
William opened his profile and found that a lot had changed. What did the energy mean? Why did it say two minutes?
"When you transform into a hero, you consume energy. At level 0, you can transform for two minutes. Each level you gain will add another minute."
"So I can transform into Soldier: 76 for two minutes right now?"
"That's right," Athena continued. "But remember, once you run out of energy, you won't be able to transform again for a short while."
"Uh..." William couldn't help thinking of Ultraman. When the warning light came on, it meant his transformation time was nearly up. He was just like Ultraman now: once his time was up, he'd have to run.
The night passed without incident.
There were far fewer deliveries on Thursday than there had been the day before. William was glad to have some free time. All day, he'd been thinking about one thing: the bicycle that had been stolen from him.
The bicycle hadn't been his; it belonged to the shop. If the owner found out he'd lost it, he'd be in trouble.
He had to find a way to fix the problem before the owner found out. There was no chance of getting it back now, so he had only one option—buy another bicycle.
There was no way he could afford a brand-new one, but he could buy a used one, preferably a similar model. That way, he could switch them without anyone being the wiser.
He checked his wallet and saw that he was nearly out of money, so he decided to find somewhere to withdraw some cash.
William took his bank card to a nearby bank. There was an ATM outside, but after waiting for ages, he realized it had run out of money. With no other choice, he went inside to the teller.
To be honest, he hadn't been to a bank in a long time. Before he'd crossed over, he'd mostly used mobile banking to pay for things back in China. He never expected that the next time he went to a bank, it would be in the United States—and in the Marvel Universe, no less.
As he looked around the bank lobby, he couldn't help thinking, Sigh, I guess I'm pretty capable now. Two minutes as Soldier: 76 should be enough time to do plenty of things, like... rob a bank?
But he quickly dismissed the wicked idea. He was a member of Overwatch now, a protector of humanity.
Rob a bank? That was the sort of thing Talon did!
While William was lost in thought, a group of people swaggered into the bank. They were dressed in black and wore white skull masks.
"Bang!"
Suddenly, one of the men in black raised his pistol, fired a shot, and roared:
"Don't move! Everybody get the hell on the ground!"
"What the hell?!" William jumped. He'd only been daydreaming about robbing a bank, and now he'd run into actual bank robbers. His luck really was terrible.
There were five robbers in all. They wore masks and carried weapons. One of them was a tall Black man. He'd fired the shot and was walking at the front, clearly their leader.
The sudden gunshot sent piercing screams through the bank. People panicked. Some tried to run, but the robbers stopped them. Some crouched on the ground with their heads in their hands, while others stood frozen, looking completely bewildered.
William was one of the people standing there in a daze. Seeing him frozen in place, one of the robbers raised his gun and shouted, "Get on the ground! Put your hands up and don't move!"
Seeing the dark muzzle pointed at him, William swallowed hard. He raised both hands and slowly crouched down.
The robbers herded the customers together and threatened the bank employees. When one person tried to call the police, the robbers beat him until his head was bleeding. The teller beside him was splattered with blood and began screaming in terror.
One of the robbers grew impatient with her crying. He grabbed her by the collar, dragged her out from behind the counter, and forced her to the ground. Then he drew a sharp knife and snarled, "Cry again, and I'll slash your face!"
The robbers' arrival had alerted the bank's security guards, but as soon as they rushed over, they were subdued.
"Hand over your phones, and put all your cash and valuables in here!" one of the robbers said, pulling out a bag.
Everyone hesitated, but under threat from the armed men, they had no choice but to give in. They handed over their cash and phones. The men took off their watches, and the women removed their jewelry.
William didn't have anything valuable, of course. He dropped his phone and what little cash he had left into the bag, thinking helplessly, Do you people have no professional standards? You're robbing me of twenty dollars, too?
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