The motorcycle roared through the empty streets like a black streak cutting through the quiet night.
Mira gripped the back of the seat tightly as the bike sped forward, the wind rushing around her in powerful waves. Her hair whipped wildly behind her, strands flying across her face, but the cool breeze felt strangely refreshing after the stressful night she'd just had.
The city lights blurred past them.
Streetlamps. Empty sidewalks. Closed storefronts.
Everything melted together as the motorcycle cut through the streets with frightening speed.
Mira had never ridden on a motorcycle before.
Not like this.
Not this fast.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she leaned forward slightly, trying to stay balanced.
She glanced up at the rider in front of her.
The mysterious rebel.
Even now, she still couldn't believe it.
She had just been saved by A rebel.
And somehow…
She was riding on their bike.
Mira's eyes wandered up toward the rider's neck, where something caught her attention.
A tattoo.
It sat just above the collar of the black riding jacket, partially hidden but still visible when the wind shifted the fabric.
Mira squinted slightly, trying to make it out.
The characters were written in a language she didn't understand.
Sharp strokes.
Elegant curves.
Symbols.
Kanji.
She tilted her head, trying to read it, but the bike jolted slightly as they hit a bump in the road.
The tattoo disappeared beneath the jacket again.
Mira sighed quietly.
"Guess that's not happening…" she muttered.
She leaned back slightly and took a deep breath, letting the cold night air fill her lungs.
But something else filled her senses too.
A smell.
Sweet.
Floral.
Familiar.
Mira blinked.
She sniffed again.
Perfume.
She quickly smelled her own sleeve.
Nothing.
Her eyes slowly widened.
Wait.
That smell wasn't coming from her.
Her gaze slowly lifted toward the rider again.
No way…
Her brain raced.
Her eyes widened even further.
"Wait… hold on…" she muttered under her breath.
Her thoughts exploded all at once.
Perfume.
A slim build.
The way the rider moved.
The way the voice sounded slightly muffled earlier.
Mira suddenly gasped.
"No way!" she blurted out.
The wind nearly swallowed her voice, but the shock on her face said everything.
"I didn't know there were super cool girl rebel bikers like this!"
But before she could think about it any longer…
The motorcycle began slowing down.
The roaring engine softened.
The rider pulled the bike off the road and onto a patch of grass beside a cluster of tall trees.
The bike rolled to a stop.
The engine hummed quietly before shutting off.
Silence returned.
Mira blinked in confusion.
She slowly climbed off the bike.
"Umm… excuse me?" she said carefully.
The rider stepped off the motorcycle as well.
"What are we doing?"
The Rider turned slightly toward her.
"Well," the rider said calmly, "I figured I might as well take you to a real rebel party."
Mira blinked.
"A real one?"
The Rider nodded.
"I felt bad you got all dressed up for a fake party."
There was a brief pause.
Then the rider added quietly,
"Sorry about that."
Mira waved her hands quickly.
"No no! You don't have to apologize!"
She looked around.
Trees.
Grass.
Darkness.
That was it.
Her eyebrows slowly lowered.
"Uhh… I'm still a little confused," she admitted.
She gestured around them.
"Where exactly is this party?"
The Rider simply replied,
"That's the point."
Then the rider began walking toward the forest.
"Follow me."
Mira hesitated for half a second before slowly following behind.
The forest was quiet.
Their footsteps crunched softly against the dirt path.
Branches swayed gently overhead.
For nearly a minute they walked through the trees.
Then Mira saw something ahead.
Lights.
Dozens of them.
They flickered between the branches like tiny stars.
And music.
Faint at first.
But getting louder with every step.
Mira's eyes widened.
The two of them stepped through the last row of trees.
And suddenly-
The entire clearing opened up.
Music blasted through large speakers.
Colored lights flashed across the open space.
Dozens of motorcycles lined the edges of the area.
People were everywhere.
Some were dancing near a DJ booth.
Others were sitting around tables playing cards.
A few people were laughing loudly while revving their bikes.
Two rebels were in the middle of a heated fistfight while a small crowd cheered them on.
Nearby, a girl was aggressively flirting with a guy leaning against his motorcycle.
Others simply stood around with drinks in their hands, talking casually.
It looked chaotic.
Wild.
Alive.
The Rider turned slightly toward Mira.
"This," the rider said calmly,
"Is a real rebel party."
Mira stood frozen.
She couldn't believe it.
These were the people the city feared?
They just looked like… people.
Regular people.
The Rider began walking away.
"Make yourself at home," the rider said.
"People here are friendly."
There was a brief pause.
"Just don't bring up the police."
The rider glanced back.
"Then things might get tricky."
The Rider started walking away again.
"Anyway."
"Have fun."
"Wait!"
The Rider stopped.
Slowly turning back.
"What is it?"
Mira stepped forward.
"What's your name?"
The rider tilted their helmet slightly.
"I want to thank you properly for helping me."
There was a short silence.
Then The Rider said something surprising.
"You seriously don't know who I am?"
Mira blinked.
"Am I supposed to?"
The Rider chuckled quietly.
"Take a good look behind you."
Mira turned around.
A rebel artist was finishing a massive graffiti painting on a wall nearby.
The artwork showed a biker in all black riding through the night.
The helmet.
The jacket.
The bike.
Everything looked exactly like the rider who saved her.
The artist sprayed one final word beneath the image.
Night Rider.
Mira froze.
Her brain stopped working.
The rider who helped her…
The person who gave her a ride…
The one standing only a few feet behind her…
Was the leader of the rebels.
The most wanted criminal in the city.
And-
Possibly…
A girl.
Mira spun around.
But Night Rider was gone.
Vanished into the crowd.
Mira slowly looked around the party.
Her mind raced.
Did I just learn something huge about the biggest criminal in the city?
Her thoughts spiraled.
Who would've guessed?
Night Rider…
A girl?
Mira slowly smiled to herself.
"Well…"
"I guess coming to that fake party wasn't such a bad idea after all."
She started walking around the party, observing everything.
People laughed.
Argued.
Played games.
Took pictures.
Revved engines.
These were the people the city was afraid of?
Mira frowned slightly.
"They're just normal people," she whispered.
Most of them looked young.
Teenagers.
Young adults.
Barely older than her.
Then she spotted something that made her instantly look away.
An old man sitting in a rocking chair.
Flirting with a very attractive young woman.
Mira immediately turned her head.
"Okay nope-"
SMACK.
She walked directly into someone.
Both of them fell to the ground.
"Ow!" Mira said, grabbing her nose.
"Hey! Watch where you're-"
She stopped.
A boy about her age sat across from her, rubbing his eye.
A camera lay on the ground beside him.
A small piece had fallen off.
He quickly grabbed it and snapped it back into place.
He adjusted the camera and looked at her nervously.
"U-uh… s-s-sorry!" he stuttered.
"I wasn't looking!"
Mira quickly stood up.
"I'm sorry too," she said.
"I wasn't paying attention."
She pointed at the camera.
"Is it okay?"
The boy checked it carefully.
"It should be fine," he said.
"I fixed it."
Mira smiled.
"That's good."
"I'm glad."
The boy awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.
"My name's Niko," he said.
"Mind telling me yours?"
"Oh-uh-"
"Mira."
Niko smiled and extended his hand.
"Well Mira."
"Nice to meet you."
She shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you too."
Niko looked curious.
"I've never seen you before."
"Are you a first timer?"
Mira hesitated.
"Uh… yeah."
"I fell for one of those fake parties."
She paused.
"Luckily another rebel biker helped me get away from some cops and led me here."
Niko nodded.
"Ahh that makes sense."
"I'm not much of a veteran myself."
"I've only been here for about two months."
"That's not very long," Mira said.
"Yeah," Niko agreed.
"It isn't."
Mira looked around again.
"So… what are you supposed to do at these parties?"
"There's so much happening."
"I don't even know where to start."
Niko laughed.
"I know exactly how you feel."
"I was like that my first time too."
He held up his camera.
"I'm probably not the best person to ask though."
"I mostly just take pictures."
"Just a hobby."
Mira's eyes lit up.
"Can I see some?"
Niko hesitated.
"Uh… sure."
"Maybe we should sit down though."
"I've got a lot."
They found a bench nearby.
Niko began flipping through his photos.
Rebel girls posing dramatically beside their motorcycles.
Riders doing burnouts.
A group of rebels cheering during a race.
Another picture showed two riders fighting while a crowd watched.
Then one photo appeared that made Mira immediately lean forward.
"Wait!"
Niko stopped scrolling.
Night Rider.
The photo showed the mysterious rider standing beside their motorcycle.
"That's Night Rider right?" Mira asked.
"Yeah," Niko said casually.
"I've got a bunch of pictures of Night Rider."
He said proudly.
"Not a lot of people get close enough to even see Night Rider."
"But I actually talked with Night Rider the other day."
Mira raised an eyebrow.
"About what?"
"Oh… nothing important."
"Just super secret rebel stuff."
"Uh huh," Mira said suspiciously.
She leaned closer to the photo.
"What does that tattoo mean?"
Niko blinked.
"How do you know Night Rider has a tattoo?"
Mira panicked slightly.
"Oh-uhm-"
She pointed quickly.
"You can kinda see it there."
Niko squinted.
"I guess a little."
"That's really faint though."
"You've got good eyes."
"Thanks," Mira said quickly.
"But what does it mean?"
Niko shrugged.
"Honestly?"
"No idea."
"I always assumed it was something dumb."
Mira laughed.
And the night continued.
The two of them talking.
Laughing.
Looking through photos.
On the other side of rebel territory…
Switch stood alone in the hideout.
"We got this guys," she whispered dramatically to herself.
"This surprise party is gonna be awesome."
Dax sat across the room with his feet on the table, staring at her.
"Switch."
"Yeah?"
"He'll be here soon."
"Stop being a dumbass and act normal for once."
Switch gasped.
"That was very mean of you, Dax."
She looked around.
"But not as mean as Zane for not showing up."
Dax shrugged.
"It's fine."
"Zane's dealing with that other rebel group causing problems."
Switch pouted.
"But it's Night Rider's birthday."
"How could he miss that?"
Dax rolled his eyes.
"It's just a birthday."
Switch stared at him like he had just committed a crime.
"That means he went around the sun one full time since his last one."
"That's a crazy thing to think about."
"Everything sounds crazy to someone like you," Dax replied.
Suddenly-
An engine roared outside.
Both of them froze.
"Positions!" Switch whispered.
They tried acting casual.
Moments later the door opened.
Night Rider walked in.
Helmet still on.
Night Rider looked at Dax.
"Why are you staring at me?"
Dax panicked.
"Uh-"
"We're not planning anything."
Switch covered her face, "He's even worse then I am." she said to herself quietly.
Night Rider tilted his head.
"You guys are acting weird."
"What's going on?"
"NOW!" Switch yelled.
She slammed a button.
CONFETTI EXPLODED.
Glitter blasted into the air.
A giant banner dropped from the ceiling.
Except…
The banner had a giant picture of Dax on it.
Switch threw her arms up.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
Night Rider stood completely covered in glitter.
Night Rider wiped the visor slowly.
"…Thanks."
Pause.
"But my birthday was last week."
Dax exploded.
"SWITCH!"
"I thought you said his birthday was today!"
Switch blinked.
"…Oops."
"I guess I mixed up the dates."
"YOU'RE SO DUMB!" Dax shouted.
"HEY!" Switch yelled back.
"You didn't know his birthday either!"
"This is your fault too!"
Night Rider sighed.
"It's fine."
"It's the thought that counts."
Switch sniffled.
"Do you really mean that?"
"Yeah," Night Rider said.
"You get one birthday every year."
"So this one is like… a second birthday."
Switch burst into tears.
Then grabbed Dax's shirt.
"HONK!"
She blew her nose into it.
Dax screamed.
"EWWWW!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU LITTLE TURD?!"
Night Rider laughed quietly.
And the night slowly faded away.
The next morning…
Sunlight filled Mira's bedroom.
She slowly opened her eyes.
"…Where am I?"
She looked around.
Her room.
Her bed.
Then it hit her.
The rebel party.
Night Rider.
Niko.
She smiled.
"Rebels aren't so bad after all."
She thought about Kai.
"I'll brag to him later."
Then another thought appeared.
Night Rider.
The perfume.
The possibility.
"…Night Rider might be a girl."
She thought for a moment.
Then decided.
"I'll tell Kai."
"But I'm NOT mentioning the party."
Later at work…
Mira approached Kai.
"So… Kai?"
"What's up?"
"You work for the police right?"
"Yeah?"
"You guys chase Night Rider a lot."
"Yeah…"
"Do you know for sure if Night Rider is actually a guy?"
Kai paused.
"…You know."
"I never thought about that."
"It's possible."
"What made you think that?"
Mira shrugged casually.
"Just a thought."
Kai nodded.
"I'll bring it up at the station."
Later at the police station…
Kai approached Eli's desk.
"You know what just popped into my head?"
"What?" Eli asked.
"What if Night Rider is a girl?"
Eli leaned back.
"…Huh."
"I never thought about that."
Kai nodded.
"It's possible though."
"We barely know anything about Night Rider's true identity."
Eli nodded slowly.
"Honestly?"
"I think Night Rider could be a girl, there's always the possibility."
Kai crossed his arms.
"Well."
"Girl or guy."
"I'm still catching them."
Eli smirked.
"Got a grudge?"
Kai looked out the window.
"Something like that."
The morning breeze drifted through the open station windows.
Possibilities moved through the air just like the wind.
New ideas.
New theories.
But one question remained.
Which possibilities were real…
And which were only rumors?