Scene: Late evening in an empty hallway of the city’s government building. Jacob, the janitor, is mopping floors when Agent Parker, a stern and skeptical government operative, enters.
Agent Parker: [Glances around] Odd time to find someone cleaning. You always work this late?
Jacob: [Shrugs timidly] Floors don’t mop themselves.
Agent Parker: [Raises an eyebrow] Jacob, isn’t it? I’ve seen you around. Quiet type. But you don’t miss much, do you?
Jacob: [Keeps mopping] People don’t pay attention to janitors. Helps us notice things others don’t.
Agent Parker: [Steps closer] Like the mysterious power outage last week? Knocked out half the city. But miraculously, critical systems stayed online. Care to explain how that happened?
Jacob: [Pauses] I wouldn’t know. Just cleaning up messes—nothing heroic.
Agent Parker: [Scrutinizes him] You’re no ordinary janitor, Jacob. You’re always in the right place at the right time. Surveillance shows you in the maintenance room ten minutes before the blackout. Coincidence?
Jacob: [Defensively] It’s a big building. I go where they send me.
Agent Parker: [Leans closer] And the flood in the lower level last month? Someone redirected the water to avoid catastrophic damage. Security footage? Same story—your mop cart is right there.
Jacob: [Avoids eye contact] I guess I got lucky.
Agent Parker: [Narrows eyes] Lucky doesn’t cut it. Systems don’t just fix themselves. Someone’s behind this, and all signs point to you.
Jacob: [Sighs] Look, people like me… we don’t get noticed, and that’s how we survive. But sometimes, noticing the problem means finding the solution.
Agent Parker: [Pacing] Why do you do it? Why risk everything to fix problems no one even knows about?
Jacob: [Quietly] Because someone has to. While the rest of the world looks up, someone needs to watch the cracks beneath their feet.
Agent Parker: [Crosses arms] You’ve saved lives—countless times, it seems. If you’d step forward, you could be recognized. Respected.
Jacob: [Smiles faintly] Respect isn’t why I do it. I’m happy being invisible if the people above me get to keep their world intact.
I’m happy to be invisible…
Agent Parker: [Studies him] You realize, don’t you? The more you intervene, the more dangerous it gets. Someone’s bound to notice eventually.
Jacob: [Nods] They noticed tonight. Guess I haven’t done enough to stay invisible.
Agent Parker: [Pauses] What’s next for you, Jacob? You think you can keep doing this forever?
Jacob: [Looks up for the first time] Forever is a long time. But today, there’s still work to be done. That’s what matters.
Agent Parker: [Leans against the wall] You’ve got courage, Jacob. More than most. But courage won’t keep you safe.
Jacob: [Starts mopping again] Safety was never the goal.
Agent Parker: [Nods slowly] Maybe not. But the world could use more people like you—whether they notice or not.
The hallway falls silent as Agent Parker watches Jacob resume his work. Jacob’s quiet determination speaks volumes, a reminder that heroism doesn’t always wear a cape, and sometimes, saving the world happens behind the scenes.