Ch 7: Operation Bartholomew

“HIT ME HARDER!”

Wow, that could seem really weird out of context.

“C’mon, Ace, is that all you got? Looks like you need some training!”

With a twist of his body, Ace swung another right hook into Hiro’s face.

“OK, that’s enough! Don’t I look like I got into an epic fight?”

“Yes,” Ace replied.

He did not.

“Alright, just like we planned then. Don’t take too long, or I might have left by then. You better keep my baby safe. If anything happens to it, or if you leave with the money? I'm gonna hunt you down. Trust me when I say that cat grannies will be the least of your problems.”

With the gun’s barrel on Hiro’s head and his hands tied behind his back, they walked into the reception. Dull lights shone on the yellow-tinted walls, with robot guards armoured with metal plating standing around the room. The centre of which featured a help desk, surrounded by rows of scuffed chairs where people sat facing them. Almost every expression was curled into a frown, filling the room with a quiet tension.

“How dare you? How could you betray me? The great daredevil Hiro himself?!
We were best friends, but now? Now you hold that gun to the back of my head,” Hiro groaned theatrically, collapsing to his knees.

Suddenly, all the eyes in the room were focused on the pair.

“I thought that even if I had nothing in this world, I would still have you!
But it’s too bad. It must be done. You’ll bear the weight of your sins,” Ace whined.

Perfect. Just like we planned it out. I never thought of myself as a good actor, but that wasn’t half bad.

“NOOOOO THIS CANT BE!!! What about my family? My wife and my daughter???” Hiro cried out, eyes upward.

That wasn’t part of the script. What is this idiot doing? That was good enough, let’s hand you in. This is getting embarrassing now. Ace kicked him lightly, hoping he would get the message.

“AAAAAAAAHHH,” Hiro shrieked, dramatically flinging himself with his arms in the air, rolling over several times.

Ace kicked him again, but much harder. Suddenly, he was back to normal, but with eyes staring at him like daggers. Yeah, that’s exactly what you deserve.

The robot that greeted them at the counter was a sad attempt at recreating a human's face. It was uncanny. It had eyes that were too far apart, and its forehead was the same size as the rest of its face.

“Hiro. Please take a seat in the waiting area,” Surprisingly, its voice mimicked a human quite effectively.

Hiro sat down, turning to the hulk of a man to his left.

“Yo, my gangster, so what got you in here?” Hiro said, dragging his voice as deep as it went.

“Tax evasion,” he replied in a voice infinitely deeper.

“Sick. What about you?” Hiro asked the person on his right.

“I-I-I didn’t do it!” the small child sobbed. Not answering Hiro’s question.

“That’s what they all say,” the hunk commented.

“All I w-wanted to do was buy a potion. I found it there! It wasn’t me! PLEASE, no one believes it wasn’t me!!!” The child burst into tears, pleading.

Hiro snapped his head toward Ace, distorting his face. Like a horse, his eyebrows were raised high, and the rest of his face distorted downwards. Even as the armed robots led the criminals out of the room, Hiro held that face until he was out the door.

“Good work, sir, that’s twenty-two thousand Zen.

ERROR 404: NO IDENTITY FOUND.

What is your name, sir?”

“Ace-Bartholomew”

“I'm sorry, sir, but unfortunately, as you're not on the system, we can't give you your reward money in Zen.”

Ace’s jaw dropped.

“EEEEUUUGHHHHH?”

Ace wasn’t sure what noise he had just made. But it felt right.

“However, instead, you can choose either a lifetime supply of our affiliated drink, Bocari Sweet, or you can have fifteen e-books for half price, valid for selected stores only.”

“EEEEUUUGHHHHH?”

“Excuse me, sir, are you okay?”

“EEEEUUUGHHHHH?”

Though Ace appeared to have lost all forms of intellect, he did still have some thoughts in his head.

You have got to be kidding me. This must be a joke. What am I going to tell Hiro?

Ace’s shirt began sticking to his skin from the cold sweat. He had the image of Hiro smoking him like a cigarette in his mind.

What if I don’t rescue him and he never finds out?
Would that make him even more mad?

Bocari sweet. Wasn’t that the drink he gave me?

“I-I’ll take the lifetime supply of Bocari Sweet please!”

“Great choice. Please sign here. This is your card; should you lose it, it cannot be replaced. With the numbers on the back, you can order as often as you like after setting up your online account. Have a great day.”

Hopefully, with this, he won’t be as angry…

                                                                                ***

Clink.

Ace placed down his empty blue and white can. It was mildly sweet, refreshing, and slightly tingly on the tongue. He was never a big fan of fizzy drinks, but Bocari Sweet hit the spot. Who needs money anyway? Ace was sure Hiro would agree. He was definitely not just gaslighting himself.

Perched on top of one of the nearby buildings, he had a clear view of the bridge.
Supported by thick beams and cables interlacing each other, it loomed over the murky waters. Diseased with sludge and metal scraps, it was akin to oil, hiding the bridge's reflection. Just the idea of dipping his feet in it made his skin crawl. Who knew what kind of diseases and bacteria lurked in there?

Finally, there it was. An envoy of three black cars, surrounding one larger truck, pulled out onto the street. Instead of turning right, which would have led to the bridge, they veered left onto a side road.

It was just as Hiro said.

The three vehicles turned again, their view being obscured by the buildings.

Ace quickly made his way down to the ground floor. Taking a deep breath, he sat on Hiro’s motorcycle, glancing at the different buttons. Which one was it?

Roaring like thunder, the bike came to life. Sorry, Hiro, but I'm taking it for a ride.
Jerking forward with a twist of the throttle, the acceleration was much sharper than he expected. The engine's violent tremors made his heart race. I totally get why Hiro cares so much about this thing.

Passing where he last saw them, the envoy came into view on the horizon. Each stocky truck was heavily reinforced with chrome plating.

Would my rifle even be able to pierce that armour?

Being wary of the noisy engine, Ace tried to maintain a safe distance. Despite that, a sparking projectile shrieked past his left ear. In a blazing arc, it curled through the air before colliding with the ground, indenting a smoky crater into the road.

Sh*t. How did they see me?

With one hand keeping the bike steady, the other hand holding his pistol, Ace held his breath. The constant motion from the tires on the asphalt caused his hand to shake uncontrollably.

Before he could shoot, another projectile flung out from the car’s rear end. Ace snapped the handle to the left, watching sparks fly by, narrowly missing him. Aiming down the sights, he held his breath again. The booming thumps of his heart drowned out every other noise, but this time he didn’t hesitate.

Pop.

Flames erupted from the rear tire. The car skidded on the asphalt, shrieking as it spun in a chaotic spiral before slamming to a stop.

Just two more to go.