Hope

The sea of traffic seemed to extend for miles on end. Hope tried leaning her head against the steering wheel to get a moment of rest but leaned a bit too hard and the car’s horn shook her awake. In response, all the cars in front of her honked back, as did all the cars behind her, and all the ones to her side. She tried covering her ears, but the noise was just too overwhelming.

Sebastian woke up in the co-driver’s seat with his mouth covered in saliva. “Whuh? Oh. Sweet Haven City. What the heck is wrong with them?”

“No idea,” Hope answered, barely audible over the noise.

Finally, the traffic started moving. Hope dug her foot into the gas pedal and raced with all her might. Despite being over twenty years old, her car was doing surprisingly well.

That made her a bit jealous.

Sebastian leaned back in his seat and breathed a sigh of relief. “Another five minutes and I would’ve lost my mind.”

“That’s what you said at the cinema last week,” Hope snickered.

“Okay. But in my defense, that line for the movie was effin’ ridiculous. Honestly, half of those morons didn’t even know about the TV show. Super Cyborgs is my comfort food. And now, all the jocks are gonna get into it and act all cool like they discovered it. Darn it! Why are all my favorite shows going mainstream?”

“Aren’t you happy that more people get to enjoy your favorite thing?”

Sebastian gave her a long look of “are you serious” and laughed.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Hope rolled her eyes at him. “Speaking of stupid, you still got that card?”

“You mean the one from that creepy guy from earlier?” He smiled and raised an eyebrow at her.

“No, the one from the King of Regalia,” she replied sarcastically.

“Yeah, I got it. Why? Changed your mind?”

Hope’s mind went back to her encounter with the strange man. Trent Morningstar. “This city’s last memory of Vega will be that of a terrorist.” His offer was looking more tempting with every passing minute.

She shook her head. “No, just curious. Why’d you keep it, anyway?” she asked him.

“Why do you think?” he asked back.

Hope tapped the gearbox and pushed the gas pedal even further down. The speed made her heart race. It wasn’t the same thrill as busting evildoers as a vigilante, but maybe she could get used to it. Maybe…

Yeah, right.

“I’m not going into crime, Seb,” she said.

“Look, I’m not saying you should. But it’s either that or goodbye forever. This city needs Vega. You know that better than me. So, what if we gotta get our hands a little dirty? Think of all the good you could do.”

Think of how much they’ll love you, her mind echoed in response.

“Nope! Nuh-uh. No way. End of story. Also, I’m maybe, kinda, sorta crashing at your place tonight,” she added softly at the end.

Sebastian thought about this for a moment. He looked at her and blushed. “You? My place? That’s... that’s okay, I guess. Sure, I’ll ring up Mom and tell her right now. Yeah, she’ll be thrilled.”

The next thirty minutes of the trip passed in awkward silence. Hope wondered how long she’d have to save up to afford rent again. At sixty hours a week, it’d probably take her about fifteen days. She could crash with Seb until then but… No, he’d already done too much for her.

“Hey look!” Sebastian exclaimed, pointing to the red convertible in front of them. “That’s your dream car, right? The Raytech 221-A.”

Hope raised her eyes in anticipation. It was the same car from those online listings she loved reading for hours at night. Goes from zero to a hundred in 4 seconds. Unmatched agility. Eighty-eight hundred cc engine. Unmatched power. She knew the tagline by heart.

She gazed at the vehicle with lustful eyes. Those beautiful curves. That metallic sheen. That purring engine. That license plate.

That license plate? Wait a second.

Shit.

As the realization dawned upon her, she pushed down on the gas pedal. “That’s the stolen car from the news!”

“You’re kidding, right?” Sebastian exclaimed.

“It was on that news feature about Vega. I remember the license plate. It has to be it.” Hope gritted her teeth and gave chase to the red convertible.

“Okay, even if it is the one. What are you gonna do about it? Vega’s still… out of commission.” His voice sank with those last words.

“Yes, Vega’s out, for now. But these bastards haven’t seen the last of Hope Hastings.” She grinned.

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Hope raced after the red convertible with her own rickety ride. Within seconds, she was right next to the perp. She peered through the smoked glass windows of the 221-A. The driver had a masculine build. She narrowed her eyes to see his face but found her attempt thwarted by his hoodie.

The driver upon seeing her right next to him, cursed, and shifted his vehicle into top gear. The red convertible roared with power and leaped forward in a sudden burst of speed. Just as advertised, in just four seconds, the Raytech 221-A was hundreds of meters away.

Hope slammed her gearbox angrily. “Damn it! He’s gonna get away. Tch! Stupid beautiful car!”

“Worry not, Hope Skyler Hastings,” Sebastian spoke in an audacious voice as opened his laptop. “For thine effort shall not be in vain.”

Hope groaned. “Seb, didn’t I tell you to quit it with that voice?”

Sebastian’s glasses glowed with the green light from his laptop, giving him an ominous vibe. He answered with evil laughter. “After much deliberation, thy humble request hast been rejected. For the great Altair is nothing without the full magnificence of his personage. Now, for the evil fiend thou art pursuing.”

Hope rolled her eyes, complained to God despite being an atheist, and took a deep breath. “Alright, Altair,” she spoke his name with all the anger a person could conjure. “Slow him down. Cause a distraction or something so I can catch up.”

Sebastian stroked his hairless chin thoughtfully. “Hmm. Thine will be done. Upon my name as Altair, I swear that fiend shall not escape thy grasp.”

He licked his lips and set to work typing away on his laptop. Hope did all she could to keep up with the convertible. She knew the streets better than most, thanks to her previous job. Even so, the perp was giving her no small amount of trouble. Every time she thought she was gaining on him; the bastard would hit the gas and leave her in the dust.

“Talk to me, Seb.”

Sebastian did not respond. His forehead was set in a deep furrow as he kept mumbling something to his laptop. His gaze was fixated on a flowing sea of numbers and letters. He licked his lips once more and cursed in a low whisper. “Confound it all!”

“What is it?” Hope asked, taking a sharp left after the perp’s car. Seb’s laptop nearly fell out of his lap.

“Gah! This city has upgraded its paltry defense systems. Impressive. I can no longer break through their network in five seconds,” he spoke in a pensive voice.

“Really? How long’s it gonna take, then?”

“Six seconds. I am already in. What do you need me to do?”

“I… just… Just stop the car! Do anything!” she cried.

All of a sudden, she froze. From the corner of her eye, she caught a street sign:

WELCOME TO ALDONIA DISTRICT

They’d come from Lupin District. The perp was headed North, no doubt about it. Any other path would take him to a dead end. That meant he was taking them straight to…

“Wolcowzki District! He’s headed for Wolcowzki District. We gotta stop him!”

“Why? What’s in Wol- oh.” The realization hit Sebastian like a truck.

Wolcowzki District. Home to the biggest immigrant population in the world, and the recently christened Haven City’s Haven for Refugees. One step in it would cause an international incident. Even Hope understood the importance of that place.

“We cannot let him get there, no matter what!”

“No, I, the great Altair, will not allow him. That fiend shall be halted. There!” Sebastian hit the enter key on his laptop with excessive dramatic flair. “That fiend shall trespass over innocents no longer.”

“What did you jus-”

Before Hope could finish her sentence, a blue sedan in front of her came to a sudden halt. She pushed the brakes as hard as her feet allowed and stopped mere inches from its rear bumper. One by one, all the vehicles behind her came to a stop as well.

The red convertible was trapped. Stuck between a white hatchback, two motorcycles, and a large gray SUV, it had nowhere to go.

Sebastian closed his laptop with a proud smirk and leaned back in his seat. “Apparently the traffic light at the next junction turned red without any warning. I wonder why that happened. Come now, we’d better call the cops,” he said, getting up to stretch his arms.

“Wait.” Hope signaled him to remain seated.

The perp jumped out of the red convertible. He looked back at Hope, his hoodie still concealing his face. Then, he looked at the endless sea of traffic in front of him. He stomped his feet, kicked the car, and ran like the wind.

“Oh, no.” Hope shook her head as she jumped out of her own car. “You’re not getting away.”

“Hope!” Seb called after her. “Wait for the cops!” But she didn’t listen.

By the time she got a running start, the perp was a good two hundred meters away. She vaulted over the cars to close the distance. The perp looked back, yelled something in a foreign language, and kept running.

“Stop!” she yelled.

Even with a leather jacket, she was shivering. It was well past eight and she’d forgotten to drink her Blue. The cold wind was burning her skin.

The perp showed no signs of slowing down. Hope dreaded to think of where he was going.

“Give up already!” she yelled again.

Hope’s phone jingled in her pocket. She ignored it and kept running.

The perp appeared to slow down. His steps were heavier. His footing was less sure.

This is it, Hope thought. She was gaining on him. At last, she’d nab her first criminal in months. Her breathing was heavy, but she did not feel tired. Beads of sweat disappeared just as quickly as they had formed in the cold, cold wind. Hope thanked her lucky stars it was only July. I’ll get him.

And then, they’ll love you once more, her mind whispered back.

A warm smile formed over her lips as she neared the perp. He was within arm’s reach. She leaped forward ferociously and grabbed at his hoodie. “Aha!”

The perp, now aware of the threat upon him, discarded his hoodie, and crawled just out of her reach. Hope was left with just a dirty cloth in her arms as the criminal sprinted away. She could finally see his face.

But more importantly, she could see his body. He wasn’t wearing an ordinary vest; she could tell as much. It was thick, much thicker than any jacket she knew of. Covered in straps and wires and all sorts of glowing icons. For some reason, it was emitting a faint beeping sound.

Hope’s eyes widened, and her mouth was left agape as she caught a proper look at the man that was running away. “God damn it!” she cried out loud. “He’s wearing a bomb! Everyone get away! He’s wearing a bomb!”

Her pace quickened with every step as adrenaline rushed through her veins. The chaos was immediate. Cries of havoc and despair flooded the streets of Haven City.

Hope racked her brain for a solution as she raced after him. Anything could set off the bomb. Worst of all, soon, they’d be inside Wolcowzki District. She recalled a news segment she’d seen once about life in the refugee camps.

Four hundred thousand people.

The pit in her stomach deepened with every passing second. There was no time to call the cops. It had to be her, she told herself.

It has to be you, her mind reinforced. No one else can do it.

A surge of untapped energy flowed through her body. She could hear her heart beating through her chest. The man was getting closer.

When she saw the signboard, a paralyzing fear clutched her heart:

WELCOME TO WOLCOWZKI DISTRICT

She raised her voice once more. “Bomb! There’s a bomb! Everyone, evacuate! Get outta here! That guy’s carrying a-!”

For a single moment, time appeared to stop around her. The man wearing the bomb jacket tripped and fell. Hope was about a hundred meters away. Her gaze was fixated on a young mother and child standing right next to the criminal. She watched as the life in their eyes was stripped away.

The force of the blast was so powerful that Hope was thrown into the air and knocked back into a wall of solid concrete, leaving her to bleed out on the scorched pavement. She lost consciousness. Even in her sleep, she could hear the pitiful cries for help, the crackling of flames, and the desperate screams of the injured.