In the garage of the Neo HIVE facility, I admired the three perfect Harley's in front of me, gleaming lik stars. I looked up.

"Thanks, big guy. I'll be sure to remember this..."

ZHHHHHHT!

I turned around and saw a figure walking towards me from the dark side bay.

"I see how it is." I smirked. "We're kicking your butts, so you figure to get the hell out of Dodg-"

I stopped as the figure emerged from the shadows. It was a dark-haired woman with dark skin and an imperial face. He robe left little to the imagination, but what I noticed most were the light purple eyes that somehow reached out to me from the past.

"I...I know you."

The girl stared me down.

"You're mistaken."

I stepped forward, trying to get a better look. She watched me but didn't move.

Behind me, I didn't notice Kyd Wikkyd's silent form. He crept stealthily along the edge of the garage and hopped into a large hovercraft. I didn't see, too obsessed with the girl before me. I noticed real damn quick, however, when the engine roared to life.

VROOM!

My poncho furled as I spun around to see the big hovercraft bearing down on me. I dove to the side and rolled even as I felt the whoosh of it zooming by. As I gather my wits, the hovercraft slowed just enough for Zillah to hop on board. By the time I made it to my feet, the hovercraft was flying down a tunnel I assumed must lead to the surface. I watched it speed away and saw the flames erupting from the exhaust hole in the back-

I gasped. My eyes widnened.

For I had remembered.

"...Zillah..."

Suddenly, red lights started blinking.

"Unauthorized entry into escape passage." An electronic voice said from somewhere. "Closing and securing passage in ten...nine...eight..."

The metal door over the passage Zillah and Kyd Wikkyd had fled started to close.

I sprinted for the nearest Harley and kicked the helmet out of the way as I jumped on.

"Seven...six...five...four..."

I found the ignition and slammed on the gas.

VROOOOOOM!

"Three...two...one..."

I leaned to one side and pulled hard on my bike, sliding parallel to the ground. Just as my wheels reached under the door, my cowboy hat flew off. Miraculously, I was able to reach back and grabbed it just before the door clanged shut.

I throttled down the perfectly round passageway, twisting and turning along the route.

ZZZZZZZZZZ

I sat beside Kyd Wikkyd in the cockpit of the hovercraft, looking forward eagerly as the wind blew my hair wildly around my shoulders. I wanted to get this place behind me as soon as possible. Booker, Chang...and most of all, Bard.

He had almost recognized me back there. I didn't want-

VROOOM!

The cowboy came into view, riding a high wheelie as he came along the bend. The front tire smacked down to the metal floor and I could see his blue eyes looking at me from under the brim of his cowboy hat.

He always was the persistent one...

"Wikkyd!" I yelled over the screaming air. "Floor it! Pedal to the metal!"

I turned back and already saw Bard closing in. I stood up in my seat and crawled over the body of the hovercraft to the rear compartment. I sat down and gripped the gatling gun mounted there. From down the sight, I saw the look of concern on Bard's face.

I closed my eyes. I gathered my will and pushed away my doubts. When my eyes popped back open, I was already pulling the triggers.

TTTTTTTTTT

Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-ZAP!

I turned the Harley to the side and laser shots peppered and ricocheted off the metal floor. I grit my teeth and pulled back on the throttle. I reached under my poncho and pulled out my laser pistol. Holding the bike with one hand, I took aim with the other. I closed one eye, looked down the sight...

And hesitated. I aimed a little to the left.

ZAP! CLANK!

The laser shot bounced off the body of hovercraft.

Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-ZAP!

Again I dodged to the side, hugging the bike close.

"Zillah! Stop that God forsaken thing!"

The gatling gun immediately stopped shooting. Behind it, I saw Zillah gasp.

I held my breath.

Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-ZAP!

The laser shots came at me again, and this time it wasn't a concentrated burst. With no where to go, I hummed.

CHING!

An ice shield appeared in front of me, connected to the from fender of my bike. It crackled and spit ice shavings as the laser abuse didn't stop.

SHATTER!

The ice shield broke away, leaving me defenseless. Zillah stopped shooting long enough to line me up in her sights.

"Warning. Unauthorized persons in the escape passage. Activating security measures."

At intervals of twenty feet, gun turrets lowered from the ceiling.

RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

Zillah swiveled the gatling gun around and pointed up at them.

VROOM!

I throttled up beside the hovercraft. I looked up and to the side at Zillah who returned my gaze.

"..."

"..."

We looked forward.

Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-ZAP!

ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!

Gun turrets exploded and debris rained down on us as we sped along the passageway.

RAT-A-TAT-TAT!

"Ugh!" Zillah winced as a bullet slammed into the protective shield of the gatling gun.

I grit my teeth and aimed at the gun turret.

ZAP! BOOOM!

The weapon exploded and we blurred by it.

I didn't look at Zillah, nor did she look at me.

And then that damned electronic voice I was starting to hate piped up again.

"Security measures destroyed. Sealing passage."

"Wikkyd!" Zillah called forward. "Ram him!"

I did a double take. The hovercraft bore down on my side.

I smashed the brakes.

SCCREEETCHHHH!

Sparks flews as the hovercraft scrapped the side of the passageway in front of me. The engine of it revved and it disappeared down the tunnel, leaving me stopped far behind.

I cursed under my breath, changed gears and hit the gas.

VROOOM!

"Door twenty two, closing."

I saw it ahead of me, a sheet of metal descending down from the ceiling. I crouched down on the bike as low as possible and hit the highest gear.

SWOOSH!

I zoomed under it.

"Door twenty three, closing."

The sheet of metal slid in from the left this time. I turned had to the right, riding horizontal along the wall.

SWOOSH!

I cleared it.

"Door twenty four, closing."

I grit my teeth.

This is starting to get on my ever loving NERVES!

This door closed from the left. I turned to the other side.

SWOOSH!

I left it behind me.

The smell of cool night air came to me.

"Closing final door."

Thank goodness!

I blanched. The last door was closing from the bottom up. I took in a huge breath. I turned to the left, rode horizontal along the round tunnel before jerking the bike to the right. I rode horizontal on that side and kept going. The closing door filled my upside down vision.

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeehawwwwwwwwwww!"

SWOOSH!

I landed on a bumpy dirt path.

The night surrounded me. I let my bike idle to a stop and peered around.

Where the heck did they go?

I took off my hat and scratched the hair under it, thinking.

VROOOOM!

I spun my head around and looked up. The hovercraft ramped off a nearby slope and and barreled down at me from above.

I hit the gas harder than I should have and my back wheel threw up dirt.

The hovercraft fell faster.

My back tire finally got traction and I zoomed forward.

CRASH!

ZZZZZZZZZZ

I braced myself as we landed, my teeth clattering. I looked up through the dust and saw we'd missed the cowboy. But the shock wave of our landing had thrown his back tire into the air. He balanced totteringly as the bike went forward. Both wheels back on the ground, he swerved left and right and regained control.

I pointed.

"After him! Ram him!"

Kyd Wikkyd complied and the engine of the hovercraft growled hungrily. We rammed into Bard's back tire, sending him swerving again. Kyd Wikkyd looked at me and jabbed his thumb back at the gatling gun.

"I know what I'm doing! Just drive!"

I kept my seat next to him and watched as we gained on the cowboy again. He suddenly turned a hard right at a ninety degree angle and drove up a smaller dirt path.

"Turn! Now!"

I was jostled around the seat as Kyd Wikkyd made the impossible turn.

TTTTTTTTTT

I rocketed down the narrow path with trees on either side. I had suddenly went from the predator to the prey. How the hell had that happened? I was hoping the leaner path would stop the bulky hovercraft from following me.

It didn't.

VROOM!

The hovercraft ate at my back tire, causing a horrible smelling smoke to fill the air. The hovercraft smashed into trees on either side of the path, sending branches and debris in my way. With my headlight only showing a few feet ahead of me, it was like the damndest roller coaster I'd ever been on.

CRASH!

An old dead fall tree plummeted across the road. I jerked my Harley up into a wheelie, bunny hopped and sailed over it. Behind me, the tree scrapped the bottom of the hovercraft.

We finally emerged from the woods into a clearing. The moon was bright above and I could see a little better. That was the good news. The bad news was that I saw a sheer rock face that blocked me on all sides.

A dead end.

I closed my eyes.

I can't believe I'm gonna destroy two steel horses today...

I shut off my headlight and threw the bike into a sideways slide. I bailed and hit the ground rolling. I stopped on my back, looking up at the stars. I pressed myself into the ground as hard as possible.

SWOOSH!

The hovercraft rocketed over me.

BOOM!

My borrowed Harley exploded against the rock face.

The hovercraft was right behind it.

CRASHHHHHHHSHHHHH!

I stood up, dusted myself off and half limped up to the wrecked hovercraft. The whole front in of it was caved in. The engine faded weakly like the last cries of a wounded animal. I climbed up on the hovercraft and looked into the cockpit for Kyd Wikkyd and Zillah.

It was empty. Puzzled, I turned-

WHAM!

Kyd Wikkyd smashed me over the head with the broke off steering wheel. I stumbled back and fell into the cockpit while he ran for the forest with Zillah just ahead of him. I growled and pulled myself out of the seat. I grit my teeth, hopped down from the ruined vehicle and sprinted after them.

I lost sight of them in the trees, but I heard the leaves crinkle beneath their feet and the bushes rustle and branches grab at them. I kept going. I broke through the trees and, down a gentle slope, Zillah and Kyd Wikkyd stood on the bank of a river.

"Split up!" Zillah pushed Kyd Wikkyd on his way. He fled upstream while Zillah ran along the bank the opposite way.

I had a split second to decide who to chase.

I ran downstream after Zillah. As I ran, I pulled my laser pistol and aimed-

"..."

I cursed under my breath, shoved it back home to the holster and continued after her. As we ran, the roaring of the river grew louder. I soon found out why.

Zillah dug in her heels and stopped. Beyond her was at least a hundred foot drop off, the river changing to a waterfall that emptied into a huge lake.

I slowed to a stop, panting and resting my hands and weight on my knees. I sucked in lungfuls of air.

Zillah's breathing was much more reserved.

"I told you the first time we met that smoking was bad for you."

I stood straight and looked at her.

"So it is you...Zillah."

"What of it?"

I shook my head.

"Look...after...after w-what happened, it's no surprised you've ended up like this. But-"

"Stop. I don't need saving."

I looked at her, my eyes soft. I took a deep breath.

"What...what do you need, Zillah?"

I watched her, waiting for an answer.

She looked back at me. She opened her mouth, but then she closed it again. She shook her head.

"All I need." She suddenly winked at me. "Is a good swim!"

She jumped off the waterfall.

"NO!"

FLASH!

"No! Wait! Come back! I need your help! I need you, Zillah!"

FLASH!

"ZILLAH!" I dove after her, but it was too late. She'd already jumped.

I looked over the edge and saw her falling parallel with the waterfall. She fell back first, looking up at me the whole time. Just before she hit the water-

ZHHHHHT!

She disappeared.

"..."

I bowed my head.