As Nico entered Metropolis City, the scenery around him changed instantly. The natural cliffs and open fields of South Island were replaced by towering skyscrapers made of glass and steel. Neon signs flashed on the sides of buildings, hovering traffic lanes buzzed with flying vehicles, and crowds filled the streets far below.
Bright advertisements flickered across giant screens.
Hover trains glided silently between buildings.
"Ah, good old Metropolis..." Nico said with a grin.
Without slowing down, he leapt upward and landed on a red rail suspended high above the street, about thirty meters in the air. The rail ran alongside one of the highways that curved between the buildings.
Nico balanced easily and began riding along it like it was second nature.
The wind rushed past him as the city blurred by.
He jumped from the rail to the side of a tall building and ran along its wall for several seconds before kicking off and flipping back onto another rail.
A group of people standing on a rooftop restaurant looked up in shock.
"Was that him?"
"I think that was Nico!"
Nico waved casually as he sped past them.
He hopped off the rail again and landed on the roof of a delivery truck that was cruising along a sky highway. The driver didn't even notice as Nico crouched on top of the vehicle for a moment.
"Nice ride," Nico joked.
Then he pushed off and launched himself back into the air.
He landed on a row of hanging construction cables that stretched between two half built towers. The cables swayed violently as he ran across them like a tightrope walker.
Halfway across, he jumped and grabbed a passing drone.
The delivery drone beeped loudly as Nico held onto it for about two seconds.
"Don't mind me."
He let go and dropped down, landing on another rail that curved around a tall circular building. The rail twisted like a roller coaster, spiraling downward before leveling out again.
Nico crouched low as he rode the curve, sparks flying behind his shoes.
The city lights reflected off the glass buildings around him.
Everything felt alive.
Then suddenly, a massive explosion erupted in the distance.
BOOM.
A plume of smoke burst from one of the tallest buildings in the city.
Nico skidded to a stop on the rail and looked up.
The building had a giant golden sign on its side.
The bank.
"Oh, damn! I wonder what's going on!"
Without another second of hesitation, Nico jumped off the rail and took off running across the rooftops.
"Better go check it out!"
He sprinted across three buildings in seconds before launching himself off the edge of a tower and landing in front of the bank.
Glass and debris littered the street.
The front wall of the building had been blown open.
At that exact moment, someone came flying out of the smoke.
The figure crashed into the pavement and rolled before flipping back onto their feet.
"Could it be Dr. E?" Nico wondered.
"No..."
The smoke cleared.
Nico squinted slightly as his eyes adjusted.
Then he recognized the silhouette instantly.
"Katie?!" he shouted.
The bat dusted herself off and stretched her wings slightly.
"I should've known!" Nico laughed.
Katie groaned when she saw him.
"Ugh, damn it... Not you."
Katie wasn't exactly Nico's enemy.
But she definitely wasn't his friend either.
The two of them had crossed paths several times before.
Katie was a small bat with a sleek and confident appearance. Her fur was a soft shade of gray with lighter tones around her face and chest. Her wings folded neatly behind her back like a cape when she wasn't flying. She wore a fitted black bodysuit with sharp pink accents that highlighted her slim frame. Her boots and gloves were white with metallic trims. Her eyes were bright teal and always carried a playful, mischievous look.
She held a small glowing jewel in her hand.
Little did Nico know, this was a Phantom Ruby.
Nico pointed at it.
"You robbing banks again?"
Katie smirked.
"Borrowing."
Nico cracked his knuckles.
"You know I can't let you leave with that."
Katie suddenly flapped her wings and shot into the air.
"You can try to stop me!"
Nico dashed forward instantly.
Katie swooped down toward him and tried to kick him in the head.
Nico leaned backward just enough for her boot to miss his face.
"Too slow," he teased.
Katie spun midair and launched another kick.
This time Nico caught her ankle.
She gasped as he swung her in a circle and tossed her across the street. Katie flipped through the air and landed gracefully on a street lamp.
"Oh please," she said. "You barely touched me."
She dove again, flying low and fast.
Nico sprinted forward to meet her.
Their attacks collided in the center of the street.
Katie threw several quick punches and kicks while hovering just above the ground, but Nico dodged most of them with ease. He sidestepped, ducked, and weaved through her strikes while grinning the whole time.
"You gonna try harder or what?" he asked.
Katie huffed and suddenly flew straight upward.
Nico watched her rise.
Then she dove down at full speed.
Nico waited until the last second before jumping.
He grabbed her by the arms mid flight and spun around before landing behind her.
Katie struggled as Nico held her in place.
"Gotcha."
She groaned in frustration.
"Let go!"
Nico casually lifted her onto his shoulder like she weighed nothing.
"Sorry. Bank robbery gets you a ride back to South Island."
Katie crossed her arms angrily.
"This is humiliating."
Nico laughed as he took off running.
Within seconds he was already racing back across the massive bridge toward South Island, carrying the struggling bat over his shoulder while the city lights of Metropolis faded behind them.
To Be Continued!