Maria, in her guise as Twister, raced through the night on her motorcycle. The wheels skidded across the wet ground, the drizzling rain streaking the glass of her helmet.
Normally Maria wouldn't drive so recklessly, but she needed to clear her head. Stephanie's words still echoed in her mind. "Don't think about it," she muttered to herself.
Her hand cranked the throttle and the engine gave a satisfying roar. She whizzed around a gray car that was only moderately speeding.
Part of Maria wanted to crash. It would be a distraction at least, not that it would hurt her rubber body. She could withstand all kinds of injuries, but words, words could cut her deeply.
"Oh wow, I didn't know you thought of me that way," Stephanie said in her memory.
Don't think about it.
It still hurt. All the speed in the world wouldn't outrun her own memories. Sam and Allison had just been so close lately. Maria wanted that for herself. She wanted it enough to work up her courage and talk to the girl she liked, the girl she had rescued.
"I'll always be grateful to you for saving me. But I just don't think of you that way."
Don't think about it.
Maria knew she shouldn't be taking it so hard. She couldn't blame Stephanie for being who she was. It was just that Stephanie knew her secret identity. She was one of the only people who could date Maria and Twister. So losing her meant being alone.
"I hope we can still be friends."
So alone.
A stubborn rain drop wouldn't roll off her visor. She shook her head. Then she realized it was inside the glass.
"So are you running towards something or away from something?" A voice shouted.
The words shook Maria out of her reverie. Who could have said that? She looked to one side and saw no one. Then she looked to the other side and saw a woman running, running alongside a speeding motorbike. "Away," she yelled back.
"I thought so," the woman responded. She didn't even sound winded. "You should try running towards something."
"Like what?" Maria answered.
"Like me. Catch me if you can," the stranger said gleefully. She sped up, easily outpacing the bike. Her long-sleeve, green shirt became a blur as she zipped into the night. She was hard to see beyond that.
"What a weirdo. I'm not just gonna chase her for no reason," Twister mumbled. Then she considered further and decided it beat feeling sorry for herself. She leaned down, hugging her body to the cold metal of her bike as she let the throttle all the way out. The wind roared around her.
"That's more like it," the stranger's voice carried back to Maria. "Now try to keep up." She veered sharply around a corner, briefly disappearing from view. Twister's tires screeched in protest as she matched the turn.
They dashed along a straight section of road after that. Twister started to gain, until they reached the train tracks. The arms were already lowering as they approached. The train's horn blared over the engine. Every instinct in Maria's mind told her to stop and turn around, but the green streak didn't slow down so Maria didn't either.
The stranger deftly leapt over the arms and the tracks. Twister didn't have it so easy. She veered around the arm. The light of the oncoming train sliced the darkness like a knife, a knife that Twister narrowly avoided. The bike kicked off the iron of the tracks and shot into the air. It wobbled on the landing, barely staying upright. "That was crazy. You're crazy!" Twister shouted ahead at the blurred figure.
"I'm crazy? I had plenty of time. You're the crazy one," she said.
"Well I'm not going to just let you win," Twister answered, laughing. Her heart still pounded.
The chase continued. The stranger tried to lose her in a tight series of turns, cutting down one street after another. But Maria had lived in San Angeles her whole life. She knew these streets better than anyone. That was why she smiled when the stranger turned down a dead end. The building's shadow loomed over the end of the alleyway. "Looks like I win," she goaded as they sped towards the end of the alley.
"Funny, I was about to say the same thing," the stranger yelled back. Then the green blur turned and raced straight up the wall of the building.
Maria slammed on the brakes and skidded to a halt. She watched in amazement as the mysterious figure shot up the brick wall and disappeared over the roof.
But Maria wouldn't give up yet. She dismounted the bike, and doffed the helmet. She would need to see well for this. Then her arms stretched into the air, straining to reach the building's parapet. Her fingertips wrapped onto the wall's coping. She tensed her legs and rocketed into the air like a slingshot. Her arms pulled back to her body as she spun in the air. For a moment she could look down onto the rooftops. It was like she had left all her troubles down on the ground. For that brief instant she was just flying. Maria grinned, reveling in the freedom and the adrenaline. The street lights shone through the mist in a hazy glow. The rain rushed past her as gravity pulled her body back to the earth.
The other woman had stopped on the opposite side of the building. Twister could vaguely make out her form, bent over catching her breath. She angled her descent towards the stranger. Her rubber legs absorbed the tremendous impact. "9.0" she rated herself, hitting the slick ground with poise. As Maria landed she placed a hand on the stranger's shoulder and instinctively yelled, "Tag!"
The woman straightened up, stunned. Maria finally got a good look at the stranger. She had light tan skin and a pixie hair cut, shaved on one side. A row of piercings ran down the opposite ear. A pair of goggles covered her eyes. She wore a bright green, long sleeve shirt, fingerless gloves and black pants. "Oh wow... No one's ever... Caught me before... Call me Bolt," she panted.
"I'm Twister. You were right. I needed that. I forgot all about..." Stephanie, she thought but didn't say. A touch of sadness crept through the rush of the chase. "So how come I've never seen you before?"
Bolt grinned. "I mostly keep moving and... enjoy the rush of the wind and the freedom."
"So why slow down for me?"
"You were driving like a lunatic and you seemed so upset. Speed is supposed to be fun. So I thought I could help you enjoy yourself."
Maria blushed, looking the woman up and down. She was cute in a punk sort of way. Maria realized she'd been staring a bit too long and cleared her throat. "Anyway, it was fun."
Bolt appeared next to Maria in an instant. "It was fun. Next time I'll catch you," she whispered in Twister's ear.
Maria could feel the heat of breath on her cheek. She shivered and not from the cold. In fact she felt warm. Then as suddenly as she had appeared, Bolt zipped off down the alleyway, leaving Maria alone again. Maria walked slowly around the block to retrieve her bike. She did her best to keep her thoughts on the joy of her game with Bolt and not, well anything else.
She remounted the bike and turned to go home. Her police radio buzzed to life. "This is squad 504. We're at the Moderna bank downtown. Things are getting out of hand. There's this woman here and..." some static interrupted the recording. "And I've got to go," the voice sounded dreamy and distant. Maria sighed and turned her bike around. There was only one villain in San Angeles that could be.
The bank tellers and security guards happily emptied their vaults with blissful smiles. Even the cops had joined in the fun. Twister took in the scene from the front windows, finishing her protein bar. She needed to refuel after that jump. Sure enough, Maria spotted a familiar figure standing among the enthralled employees.
Her long, blonde hair brushed against her shoulders as she gave orders. Frilly, white lingerie hugged her petite figure. An ornate bow and a quiver of arrows hung across her back. There was no mistaking Euphoria.
Maria tossed her wrapper into the trash and strode confidently into the bank. "I'm not in a great mood tonight, Euphoria. You willing to come quietly or do we have to do the usual song and dance?"
Euphoria turned to face her with a devilish grin. "There you are, my sweet. I was beginning to think you would leave me by my lonesome."
Maria shook her head, approaching the blonde. "I don't know why you still bother. Your arrows bounce right off of me, every time. Just make it easy on yourself and give up."
Euphoria's eyes lit up. "But where's the fun in that? Your resilience just makes me want you all the more. It's the treat you can't have that tastes the sweetest," she cooed. Her hands pulled the bow free of its strap and nocked an arrow.
Maria sighed and continued walking. At least she would get to hit something today. None of the employees made a move, which she found unusual. Generally Euphoria's only way to beat her was to dog pile her with love-struck zombies and inject the hero slowly with her chemical concoction. Well whatever her plan was, Maria figured it wouldn't hold up to being punched in the face. She stretched her elastic fist across the empty bank floor.
Euphoria released her arrow at the same instant. It out-sped Twister's punch and struck the hero square in the chest. As it did, time slowed down for Maria. She expected it to bounce harmlessly away. But instead, it dissolved into a shimmering light and vanished. As the arrow disappeared, Twister felt all her hostility towards Euphoria evaporate. Her calm composure erupted into a giddy nervousness. Had she really been about to punch this woman? She couldn't do that to someone so sweet and beautiful. In the nick of time, Maria was able to stop her blow short.
"What did you do to me?" Maria stammered.
"What I've dreamed of doing since I first met you. I made you mine," the woman replied.
