Hero-for-hire

A hero-for-hire is a term used to describe individuals who perform acts of heroism within a community. As the name implies, they are contracted to do a specific task, with money, fame and recognition being the main rewards. Like bounty hunters and vigilantes, they act outside of the laws of the land within reason, with their main objective being to stop the threat no matter what. 
== History ==
The term “hero-for-hire” was first coined in the early 1700s, where certain famed soldiers, in need of work, decided to perform acts of heroism for payment. It would take a while for the term to start gaining traction and popularity, and even so, there were many deriders who called them “glorified bounty hunters” and not true heroes. The House of Ancients, the world’s oldest hero organization, was formed to provide a refuge and a haven for both heroes-for-hire and victims of incidents such as village fires, monster attacks and other mass crimes. 
In the very beginning, heroes-for-hire weren’t paid for their work, as their contractors believed that recognition was enough for them. This would lead to their services being abused, and eventually a group of disgruntled men and women joined together to fight for heroes’ rights, which led to the creation of the World Heroes Society in 1808–the Society would introduce paid work a year later. Similar to those who joined the militia, those who considered the path of being a hero were often seen as those who’d already written their wills ahead of time, or were well off enough to leave something for their family, because if the foes didn’t kill them, the stress would. Those who managed to survive into middle age were considered veterans, and the few who were heroes for hire until death were considered legends. 
Nowadays, there are numerous heroes-for-hire, and it seems to be a lucrative position that (at least within the Heroes’ Society after Sebastian and later Edith took over) offered good benefits and a clause to look after the family should said hero die. While many work for rewards, only the truly rich can afford to work for free.
Though their method of work is similar to a bounty hunter’s, their code of conduct is more in line with a vigilante. Whereas most bounty hunters do not let morals get in the way of their reward, heroes-for-hire always strive to do right by the people they’re assigned to, even if it comes at the cost of their own fame or reputation. Indeed, many of the legendary heroes that people look up to became famous (or infamous) due to their willingness to rebel and outspokenness on the evils society had inflicted on the weak. 
== Known heroes-for-hire organizations ==
* The House of Ancients
* World Heroes Society
== Known heroes-for-hire ==