A Blazing Fire Before Them

As Rei followed the map projected on the bike to the nearest power source, she could hear the rush of chaos flowing through the city. Glass breaking, people shouting, shots firing, everything going off like a roaring wave rising around her. She accelerated, gritting her teeth, tightening her fingers around the unfamiliar handlebars of the bike. When this was all over, she was going to get a very nice bike for herself…

A certain smell hit her, acidic and strong, and her eyes watered. The smell of…

It was that time again, and both of her arms screamed in pain. Everything that was crashing down again, burning to cinders and ashes…

Fire. Someone had set fire. She looked up, hoping that it was merely torches someone wanted to use to light up the streets again, but an orange haze illuminated the tops of the buildings. Arson? Vandals?

She was already accelerating as fast as she could, and still she tried to push a little more, a little harder, the tiny holographic map blinking as she made her trail throughout the city. She felt an object fly past her head, and she ducked. Had someone thrown a can or a battery at her? Hooligans…

She wished she had her helmet.

The main source of the power grid was right up ahead, and she could feel herself beginning to relax. She was almost there…

But that smell of fire was still there, and it grew stronger, brighter, and as she screeched to a stop before the generator she saw that it had gone up in flames. Boston was parked before the inferno on his bike, taking a smoke, his silhouette framed where the darkness met the light.

“What have you done?” Rei felt herself scream, but her voice was hoarse and ragged, and she doubted he could hear her over the crackling of the flames. “What in the world did you do, Boston?”

Boston removed his cigarette from his mouth and let out a long breath of smoke, putting his mask back on, and he tossed the burnt end into the flames. “Nothing much. What about you?”

It took all her willpower not to run him into the fire. Instead she got off her bike and stormed over, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket, shaking him. “Boston. Do you not understand? Answer me, Boston. Answer me! Do you not know what you’ve done?”

Boston remained calm and limp in her grip, staring at her through the black slits of his fox mask. “Oh, trust me, I know perfectly fine what I’m doing. I’m completely sane, though they may call me crazy, and I wouldn’t correct them. When you’ve lived in this city for as long as I have, when the city has done so much to you that you couldn’t even imagine…”

“I’ve lived in R’veno for my whole life, just like you, you bastard,” Rei spat. “Why are you so hell-bent on destroying it?”

“Why are you so bent on saving it?” Boston replied. “What is it to you, this place, that - ”

“To protect the people.”

“ - when this place never protected you?” There was a smirk in his voice. “You and me, that bartender, the assassin, we’re all the underdogs of society here. We all worked hard to get to where we are now, but there’s no way out, and we’re stuck here forever… You, a bounty hunter; me, a gang leader, a criminal, whatever you want to call it. Meeting Haze was probably the best thing that happened to me. He showed me a new life, a new light, something that only he can see…”

“Your mask has made you blind, and you’re following a boy who’s missing an eye.” Rei tightened her grip on his collar. “Sure, the city’s been harsh to me, and I’ve been in this business for as long as I can remember, but this city is still my city. I’ve learned to enjoy doing what I do, and I see the benefit of my life. Maybe if I make the city better, it’ll treat me more kindly, you know? It’s people like you, who are only here to disrupt and cause anarchy, that get in my way, ruining my progress. Haze, screw Haze, and whatever he showed you. You’re all being seduced by dreams…”

“Let Haze show you,” Boston said. “You’d understand then.”

“It seems all so confusing,” Rei replied. “You, Aries, him…what’s going on? And how do you plan on fixing all of this?”

“Aw, well, he didn’t exactly explain Aries to me.” Boston sounded slightly exasperated. “There wasn’t enough time to ask him about it. I didn’t realize he was also working for Haze.”

“And now Caius is dead, because of your stupid, warped miscommunications,” Rei said.

“Caius is dead?” Boston raised his head. “When?”

“Right after you left. You can thank Aries for that.”

“Wait, then who’s with Haze right now?”

“Haze?” No freakin’ clue. Get your game together, Boston. You could’ve worked with me, but now we’re all gonna be dead within the month. Do you hear that? That’s the sound of crime. People killing, getting killed, shops being broken into… Without the power, the city is basically dead, vulnerable, open to every kind of transgression. Did that not occur to you, when you set fire to this place?”

“Of course it did.” A small laugh rippled through Boston’s voice. “Of course it occurred to me. But I don’t give a crap about this city. And besides, Haze promised me that the lights would turn back on again…”

“What in the world did he mean by that?”

“No clue. Now, girl, will you let me go? My back is starting to break.” He flipped open a switchblade near her ear, and brushed it through some of her hair.

“Don’t hurt the girl.” A voice sounded, and they both looked to see Haze stepping into the light of the fire, hands buried deep in his coat pockets. “Boston, why don’t you leave us alone for the time being? You’ve done good tonight. Go find your crew, and start taking care of the damage in the city. You can put the fire out. It is enough.”

Rei dropped Boston unceremoniously back onto his bike, and he pocketed his switchblade without another word, tipping his mask to Haze before riding away. Rei was left alone with Haze, a million questions circling through her mind, but no strength left in her arms to do anything.

“What do you mean…the lights will turn on? Look at that! That can’t possibly be repaired…”

Haze’s healthy eye glistened, reflecting the flames, and a grin was etched upon his face as he stared at it. “In my original plan, Aries was supposed to put them all on again after it was all over…”

“What about the bounty?”

“Oh, I put that up too, because I wasn’t sure if he would be up to it. No, I wanted to find you, Rei. I wanted to find you again.”

“What?”

He stared at her through the flying cinders, and grinned. “Oh, Rei. I’ve missed you! It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”