I should have known better than to trust the sense of a prisoner, and I cursed myself for underestimating his desperation as I heard the roar of an engine through the earpiece before it was shattered. Looking out the window, I could see the neon lights of the motorbike Luko had stolen as it sped away from the prison. My chest constricted with fear for a moment; Ash would have been unsatisfied if the mission had failed, but if Luko escaped… I shuddered to think of my fate.

Gritting my teeth, I allowed anger to filter through my dread as I focused on the prisoner who had the sheer brainless gall to act against Synchro. Though he’d thrown away the earpiece, the device I had attached to his collar was still in place. A map of the local area bloomed in my vision with a few keystrokes, my gaze tracking the blinking green dot of the device as it moved quickly through the streets.

“Not today, asshole,” I hissed under my breath as I scrambled to my feet, racing down the decaying flights of stairs. Dashing out through a dusty, cobwebbed lobby, I hurried to round the building; one of Ash’s motorbikes was hidden carefully in the alley, the engine purring as I started her up. Glancing up at the map again, I grimaced seeing the distance Luko had already put between us.

Scowling, I turned my attention down to the bike for a moment; fail-safes were built into the programming, limiting the vehicle’s speed in the city where streets were narrow and high velocity accidents could be lethal and disastrous. A keyboard opened beneath my fingertips, my gloves shedding neon light over the bike’s handlebar as I turned the limiter off. Gripping the clutch, I let the engine roar as I sped out into the streets.

The map of the surrounding area stayed open in the corner of my view as I raced down the streets, following Luko. Catching up in small increments, I took advantage of side roads and narrow alleys to cut corners and close the gap between us. My heart raced as I found a way to get ahead of him, stopping my bike just past the curve of a long road as I opened my keyboards again with a gesture of my fingers.

Hacking into an unprotected motorbike was nothing compared to Purgatory’s security system. I waited until I could hear the sound of the engines before I entered a command to slow the bike’s speed; smirking as I imagined Luko’s outrage and confusion. The motorbike’s headlights flooded the buildings in front of me, bright against the dark buildings and hazy neon lighting. As Luko slowly turned the corner, finally coming into view, I stalled the engine of his bike completely. 

I watched as the bike tipped sideways, skidding along the concrete street with a shower of sparks as Luko was dragged alongside it. I could hear him swear, the momentum finally coming to a stop as he lay scuffed and bleeding beside the bike on the side of the road. As I dismounted my bike, I could see his gritted teeth shining red, long purple hair in sweaty strips that were matted with blood from his forehead. His hands were in fists as he lay flat on his stomach- he had barely enough energy to raise his head and glare at me with weary golden eyes.

Pacing across the skidmarks the bike’s tires had left on the pavement, I crouched down a few steps away from him- just out of reach. “Did you really think it would be that easy?” I asked, my tone dripping with scorn. “I hope the few minutes of freedom were worth the road rash.”

His face was crumpled into rage, a snarl in his throat as he spat, “Fuck you, Synchro.” He tried to push himself up- perhaps to attack me or to try and outrun me- but the rage in his face dissipated, taken over by exhaustion as his arms trembled and buckled. He groaned, falling to the ground in defeat as he closed his eyes, swearing again in a huff as he grimaced.

Looking him over, I wondered how long it had been since he’d used his biotech; it had clearly drained him, and the fact that he had made it out of the prison- even with my help- was impressive. Sighing heavily, I softened my tone as I tried to appeal to whatever reason he might have left. “Look, this isn’t what I wanted either- but the guards will be after you soon, and you’re in no position to fight. If they take you back to Purgatory now, you won’t survive it- and failing my mission won’t end well for me, either.” Pausing, trying to sound sympathetic, I offered my hand to him. “So come with me. We can help each other.” 

There was defeat and reluctance in his gaze as Luko pried his eyes open to meet my own stare, smirking coldly. “You sure know how to sweet talk a man, baby,” he muttered, coughing as he winced and gripped the collar around his neck as if it were choking him. Finding the strength to push himself up, he took my hand, his large palm meeting mine with a strong grip. “Can’t believe you fucking crashed my bike…but guess I have no choice.” He sighed, his expression full of thoughtful worry as he uttered, “Alright. Take me to Synchro.”