I was on my way to the Arasaka headquarters when my phone suddenly lit up with a call from an unknown number. I had a feeling I knew exactly who it was. I picked up and said, "Hello?"
"Spike, you shouldn't come here."
"You've got to be kidding me… I'm sick of this. Who are you really?! You are a terrorist!"
"For you, I suppose I'm that. But my real name is Tanaka."
"Tanaka… do you even understand what you're doing? Hundreds will die just so you can get your revenge?!"
"I'd love to say you have no idea how I feel, but that'd be a lie… you should've figured this out by now. You and I are more alike than you want to admit. I'm sure you have those dreams too—the ones that won't let you rest. And as for the people, don't worry. I'll still give you a chance to save the 'hostages.'"
"You think we're more alike than I'd like? That may be true… but that just makes me hate you more! Do you really think your wife and daughter would want this?"
"That doesn't matter. Every night they ask me whether they deserved what happened to them… whether they had no right to a normal life. I have the right—"
"That's not true! Do you have any idea how many families you'll destroy? What happened to you was wrong, yes, and maybe you didn't deserve it—your daughter certainly didn't—but does that give you the right to hurt others? You think this is a good decision?! Even if you set off the bomb and get away, the dreams will keep coming. You should know that better than anyone. Don't you remember what happened five years ago? You took your revenge then, and yet here you are again," I cut him off.
"Spike… I gave you a chance, and you didn't take it. Now see what your stubbornness has brought you."
"…."
"What's wrong? Did the truth take your words away? Anyway, no matter how right you are, no matter how wrong what I'm doing is—
to you, I'm just a selfish man," he said, and hung up.
I sped through the streets, unable to shake his words from my head. I knew I had to act. It was time to put an end to Tanaka. The only way forward was through Rodrigo. If anyone could help me, it was him.
I pulled up in front of Rodrigo's shop, leapt off my bike, and stormed inside. Rodrigo was behind the counter, eyes fixed on a small monitor streaming live footage of the chaos outside Arasaka HQ. When he saw me, concern filled his eyes.
"Spike, what are you doing here? You were just at the honors ceremony! And then there was this man…" His voice trembled with worry.
"Rodrigo, I need your gun," I said bluntly. "I have to stop Tanaka, the terrorist."
"Are you insane? That's suicide! You'll get blown up along with him."
"Rodrigo, I'm a bounty hunter. This is my job. I've taken down plenty of dangerous people—Tanaka's no different. I can do this, but I need your help. The gun's just for when there's no other choice."
"Spike, you're like a son to me," he said quietly. "I already lost one son. I'm not about to lose another good friend. You're family."
I stepped closer. "Rodrigo, giving me that gun increases my chances of making it out alive. Without it, I have no shot at stopping him. I can't just sit around and watch history repeat itself. Someone else could lose their family again… and maybe another father will lose his son."
Rodrigo let out a long sigh, hesitating before turning to a drawer behind the counter. He pulled out a small but powerful pistol and handed it to me. "Promise me you'll be careful," he said softly. "And come back alive. Understood?"
I took the weapon, feeling its weight in my hand. "I'll try," I said. "Thank you, Rodrigo. For everything."
He only nodded. "Take care of yourself, Spike. And be careful."
I slipped the gun into my jacket and headed for the door. Before stepping out, I turned to look at him one last time. "I'll stop him," I said firmly. "Not just for my parents… but for your son."
Then I turned away and left. Adrenaline and anger surged through me as I climbed onto my bike.
The wind whipped against my face as I tore through the streets of Neo-Tokyo. City lights blurred into a neon sea as I twisted the throttle harder. My heart pounded, my mind a storm. Tanaka's call still echoed in my head.
"Spike… I gave you a chance, and you didn't take it. Now see what your stubbornness has brought you."
Those words cut through me like a blade. In a way, he wasn't wrong—but what else could I do? My hands trembled on the handlebars, a wave of helplessness threatening to take over. But there was no time for self-pity. I had to stop him—there was no other option.
Still… what the hell was I even doing? Who did I think I was, riding at 130 towards a bomb, thinking I could make a difference?
The headquarters loomed ahead, a massive structure of glass and steel. The surrounding streets were cordoned off far and wide. Military units, police, a bomb squad, and drones were swarming the place—far more than at the honors ceremony. I parked my bike in a dark alley and scoped the area. The streets were chaos, civilians in panic, security forces struggling to maintain order, clearly overwhelmed.
Suddenly, Tanaka's voice boomed from the giant advertising screens:
"I'll give you twenty minutes. Bring me the CEO of Arasaka, and I'll release all the hostages inside this building."
What? Well, that's something for once… but will the CEO really show up? I wondered.
As expected, the announcement set off an uproar. Family members of those trapped inside were pleading desperately to give the terrorist what he wanted. Since this was far bigger than just Arasaka, the military was ordered to locate the CEO and bring him here.
In the chaos, it wasn't hard to slip in unnoticed—so that's exactly what I did.