The rain had not stopped for three days.
Five young men sat against a stained concrete wall near an abandoned loading dock. Their clothes were dirty, their faces tired. They had no jobs, no apartments, and very little hope.
Most people walked past them without looking.
The city had forgotten they existed.
One afternoon they drifted toward a fast-food restaurant, drawn by the smell of burgers and fries. They stood outside the entrance, pretending not to be hungry.
Their pockets were empty.
That was when they met him.
A young Asian man stepped out through the restaurant doors carrying two enormous bags of food. He wore a strange black suit that looked almost alive, its glossy surface reflecting the city lights. Across his chest was a single word:
"Looks like you guys could use lunch."
Before they could protest, he handed them food.
Later they sat together at a picnic table in a nearby park.
For the first time in months, the five young men laughed.
The SERVE member laughed with them.
He listened to their stories.
He told stories of his own.
As the afternoon faded into evening, they moved to the park basketball court.
The SERVE member joined their game.
Despite the strange suit, he played like one of them.
Nearby, two other SERVE men watched from the sidelines.
Both wore similar black-and-silver uniforms.
The newcomers seemed powerful, but relaxed.
When the players stopped to catch their breath, conversations formed naturally.
The Asian SERVE stood beside the blondest of the homeless youths.
An arm rested comfortably around his shoulder.
The two talked quietly while others formed small groups around the court.
Nobody wanted the evening to end.
Before leaving, the SERVE members handed each of the young men a black card.
The cards were smooth and metallic.
Only one symbol appeared on them.
"Come tomorrow," the Asian SERVE said.
"If you want a new beginning."
The next morning they arrived at the address printed on the cards.
Before them rose an immense black-and-silver skyscraper.
Its reflective walls towered into the clouds.
The giant SERVE emblem gleamed above the entrance.
Armed guards stood motionless beside the doors.
The five young men suddenly felt very small.
"What is this place?" one whispered.
Inside, everything was black and silver.
Glossy floors reflected endless rows of lights.
The SERVE emblem appeared on walls, screens, banners, and glass panels.
Young muscular men wearing SERVE suits moved through the headquarters with purpose.
Others discussed projects.
Others disappeared into elevators.
The five visitors did not.
Soon several SERVE members approached.
The Asian SERVE approached the blond youth.
The others were paired off with different guides.
As they walked through the facility, they passed glass-walled rooms.
In one room a young dark-haired recruit was removing his old clothes.
A SERVE suit waited neatly on a nearby table.
In another room a newly suited recruit sat in a chair.
A visor covered his eyes.
Headphones enclosed his ears.
Screens displayed streams of information while a SERVE supervisor monitored the process.
The Asian SERVE looked at him.
"Helping them become something greater."
The answer somehow made him even more nervous.
Eventually they reached another chamber.
Its glass door stood open.
Inside, a SERVE suit rested on a metal table.
The blond youth hesitated.
The Asian SERVE stepped closer.
For a moment he simply placed both hands on the young man's shoulders.
The reassurance seemed genuine.
The blond youth entered the room.
The fitting process took hours.
The suit hugged every muscle and contour of the body.
When it was finally complete, another SERVE member helped make final adjustments.
The blond youth barely recognized himself in the reflective walls.
Gone was the homeless young man from the alley.
Someone else stared back.
Then came the next stage.
He was escorted into another room.
This room contained a chair.
The headphones sealed around his ears.
A SERVE supervisor watched from nearby while data flowed across giant screens.
Dreams and instructions merged together.
When the visor finally lifted, the blond youth sat perfectly still.
The SERVE emblem reflected in his eyes.
Elsewhere in the facility, the same process occurred for the other recruits.
Now they all wore identical SERVE suits.
At last they assembled together in a massive ceremonial hall.
The former homeless youths stood in a straight line.
Behind them, a giant silver SERVE emblem dominated the wall.
The Asian SERVE walked slowly before them.
Studying the faces he had once found outside a fast-food restaurant.
Faces that now looked stronger.
"You came to us with nothing."
The recruits remained perfectly straight.
The SERVE emblem gleamed behind them.
He spread his arms toward the line.
And for the first time in their lives, every one of them felt they belonged somewhere.