The Choice

Thrill Rider:

Parking my motorcycle, I turn off the engine, pocket the keys, and walk the three blocks to the house where "Vengeance and I were supposed to work together".

As I turn into the block, I see flashing blue and red lights and stop. Taking cover behind a nearby car, I peek out and look ahead. From behind the car, I can see the house surrounded by four or five police cars. Standing around the cars are about a dozen police officers, all keeping watch.

"I guess Vengeance's message wasn't so cryptic after all."

Looking around the neighborhood, I notice how close the houses are, and a lightbulb turns on above my head. Staying low and moving fast, I open the fence and walk into the front lawn of the house in front of me.

As I enter the front lawn, I examine the house. It's a small house, only one story. I don't see any lights turn on so either the people inside are sleeping or are not home.

"If they are sleeping," I think, "Then I have to be quiet. I don't want to interrupt any dreams."

Looking toward the police officers again, I see that none of them are looking in my direction. Standing up fully, I take a deep breath as I start running. Running as fast as I can for a short distance, I jump into the air and grab the roof's ledge.

Biting my tongue, I try my hardest not to scream as I pull myself up onto the roof. Swinging my leg up, I climb onto the roof and fall onto it. As soon as I do, I open my mouth and let out some silent screams.

"Ahhh! Ouch! That was not easy. Note to self. Work on upper body strength more often. Ouch."

Pushing and turning myself over, I walk to the ledge and look over the gap between the house. Taking a few steps back and another deep breath, I then jump from the house's roof to the next one over. As I land on the next house's roof, I feel a sudden fire in my knee.

The fire burns all the nerves in my leg before shooting up into my body. I almost scream but stop myself by covering my mouth with both of my hands. Falling over, I shake my burning leg, hoping it'll put out the fire.

Shaking my leg for the next few minutes, the nerves seem to finally calm down.

"What in the world was that?"

I start rubbing my leg, my hands going up and down. As I keep doing this, my thumb hits a spot near my kneecap, and immediately, the fire returns. Shutting my mouth, it quickly fills with screams of pain. As I let the screams of pain escape through my nose, I think about something.

"My leg had been feeling funny since Ace pulled me out from underneath the T-Rex fossil. I hope it would have gotten better by now but I guess I was wrong. Shoot!"

I give my leg a few minutes to rest before pushing myself up. It feels fine now, but as far as I can tell, too much pressure will trigger another attack. I check the number of houses I still have to jump across. It's only two more so maybe it won't be so bad. Bouncing up and down, breathing in and out, I take one last breath before taking the leap.

"Ahhh," I moan, making it onto the rooftop of the 23rd Gang's house. Seeing some officers turn their heads, I quickly get down and lay as flat as I can. Luckily, the officers turn their heads back after a minute or two.

Rolling to the ledge, I grab it before rolling off. Dangling in the air for a second, I let go while making sure to land on my better leg. Landing in the backyard, I make a quick note of how the backyard is empty. Seeing the back door, I grab and open it.

"This is strange," I tell myself. "Police officers only in the front yard. Not in the backyard, or in the house. Something is off."

Walking into what seems like an empty house, I walk through a narrow empty hallway. I walk past a kitchen, a bathroom, and a small bedroom before entering the living room.

The second I step into the living room, I hear a loud bang and jump to the floor. Covering my head, I look around but don't see anything. Instead, I hear a bunch of running footsteps.

Quickly getting up, I take cover by hiding in the kitchen. As expected, the running footsteps are coming from the police officers.

They burst in through the front door, holding their weapons in their hands as they search the room.

"LAPD," one of the officers shouts. "Put your hands up and come out!"

As the officers rush into the room, I hear another sound. My head snapping left and right, I see something small and silver flying through the air. It lands in the middle of the living room, directly in the center of all the officers.

"Grenade," another one of the officers yells. The second he yells, all the officers turn to see the grenade explode. It explodes and unleashes a gas cloud.

"Everyone out! Everyone out now!"

The officers quickly leave the room. A few of them leave coughing and crying but thankfully, they all still leave on their two feet.

Stepping back as the gas cloud moves toward me, I turn my head and eye the kitchen sink.

Running toward it, grabbing a towel on the way, I turn on the water and wet the towel. Once the towel is wet, I hold it over my nose and mouth. I then walk into the living room.

"You're here," a familiar voice says. Turning around, I see Vengeance standing in the living room with me. It looks like he has a bandana wrapped around his mouth.

"What is this," I shout, pulling out my batons.

"It's a type of tear gas," Vengeance answers. He reaches behind and unsheathes one of his machetes.

"Tear gas," I repeat. "It's not something lethal?"

"No, it's not. My problem is with Mick and his 23rd Gang. I have no problem with the LAPD, and if you choose right, then I will have no problem with you either."

As Vengeance says this, he raises his machete and points it at me.

"So Thrill Rider, pick one. Me or the son of a bastard that would sell his own mother down the river!"

Vengeance then points to a small door I never noticed before. Judging from its side, it's nothing more than a closet. A closet with someone banging against it.

"Vengeance," I say, holding out my hand. "Please, stop this. Don't do this."

As I beg Vengeance to stop, he lowers his machete.

"So you choose Mick."

"I don't choose that bastard," I yell. "I choose you! That's why I'm trying to help you! I'm not asking you to turn yourself in or anything. You have Mick. Turn him over to the police and then just walk away."

"I'm not doing that," Vengeance yells. "You don't know what Mick did!"

"Then tell me," I scream. "Tell me what Mick did! Let me help you!"

"I don't want your help! Not anymore. You don't know how many people Mick hurts. And will keep hurting. I do. He took someone special away from me. He and his gang ruined my life, and now, now, I'm going to take their lives."

"Vengeance, two wrongs do not make a right."

"Don't feed me that cheesy stuff. You made your choice and I made mine."

Turning to the side, Vengeance starts walking toward the closet door with the machete still in his hand. He opens it and there, I see a beaten-up, tied-up Mick lying on the floor. He flinches when he sees Vengeance.

"I made my choice," Vengeance says, raising his machete.

"Nooo," I scream, running toward Vengeance. Pushing him back, I then slam the door shut. Seeing Vengeance recover fast, I hold out my batons.

"Please," I beg. "Vengeance, please don't. It's still not too late to make the right choice."

"No," Vengeance says, "I made my choice, and so have you. You chose Mick and now, you and I are enemies."