Stardust District, Luminata City - June 3, 2035
🎵: Miami Nights 1984 - New Tomorrow
"HELLO, LUMINATA CITY!! Brightest CITY IN THE WORLD! Some like to call it an Urban Utopia. I always like to call it home… At first glance, it looks like paradise, but hidden deep inside is an evil that can only be stopped by one man. Fear no more, Luminatans! Your hero is here! THE KNIGHT OF LIGHT, SOL CALIENTOS!!"
Luminata City certainly doesn't lack any colorful personalities. Sol Calientos stands atop one of the city's many light altar towers, overlooking the lively Stardust district.
"HEY, KID! SHUT UP AND GET DOWN BEFORE YOU GET HURT!", a voice yelled from a short distance away.
Sol knows precisely where it's coming from. At a nearby apartment building, a man out on his balcony for his routine smoke calls out to him as what he's doing is rather dangerous. Sol lives for this sort of thrill, however. Almost on cue, his phone rings and a girl is on the other line.
"You ready?"
"Well, I just finished my 'Knight of Light' speech", he responded excitedly. "I should trademark that.", he thought to himself.
"Yeah, you're ready", she pointed out with a bit of a sigh.
Sol salutes the man at the apartment building before he drops down the tower skillfully. "Well, you know me-", he said to his friend. The man just watches him descend before taking another puff of smoke.
"Honey, who do you keep yelling at?", his wife asked as she motioned him inside.
"It's that kid again. He does this like every week. Whatever happened to staying inside and playing video games all day?" He puts out his cigarette and follows her inside.
"I'm always ready.", Sol claimed as he landed below.
Now at a lower, much safer rooftop, Sol readies himself to begin his run through the area. "Alrighty, you know where to go, let's do this!", he mutters to himself. "Are you nervous? You sound nervous.", his friend asked, still on the line. Sol laughs it off. It was never in him to be nervous doing this. That kind of fear left him long ago. "Me? Nah, never."
The Stardust is one of Luminata's heaviest tourist spots. It has a variety of shops, restaurants, and clubs, but it's also quite open. A large canal cuts through the center area. Many love to pass their boats through the place rather than drive or take the train. Sol likes to have fun with this and use the boats as extra platforms along his path. It does vary on whether or not he'll have a happy or angry boat captain, though. The skyscrapers surrounding the area stand tall shining the lights that make Luminata City what it is. The likeliest part of this whole place to catch one's view is the Stardust City Centre, one of the most popular spots in the whole city… and that's where Sol is headed.
He checks in with his friend, "Where are you right now by the way?"
"Apartments. A few minutes from LOCALE.", she responded.
"I thought you didn't work today?" he wondered.
She clarifies, "I'm always working. Trying to get great shots, you know. Tonight's looking good. It's just… I forgot my camera."
Sol chuckles, "And they'll let you come in after hours?"
"Pssssh… yeah, of course.", she said unconvincingly.
Sol uses the boats to cut across the canal to get to the draw bridge passing over it. Most of them are docked, but the one sailing through had a captain who was more impressed by this kid's athleticism. Sol reaches the bridge and climbs up, but accidentally runs into a passing biker. He comically goes over the railing, scaring the group of kids on the city bikes.
"Oh crap, guys! I think I killed him."
On the other side of the bridge, Sol emerges to give the scared kid and his friends a sigh of relief. He had simply caught himself below and swung to the other side. It was his version of "all in good fun". Now, he's much closer to the City Centre.
"This never gets old, does it", his friend commented.
Sol laughs in agreement, "Never will. Exploring the city… Great Views-"
"Great shots.", she interjects.
"I knew there was a "you" reason in there."
"I mean it's something we both love, you know. Our call to adventure."
Both reminisce on past runs like an old couple. Sol remembers their first time running in Link-Stown, the cultural district in Southeast Luminata. He couldn't forget his first time eating a Schnitzel. His friend brings up the time that they jumped across the parade floats at the Firefly Music Festival, the previous year. She laughs at the excitement, really wanting to give it another go this year. Sol adds something more recent, their run on New Year's Eve. His friend's eyes glowed with excitement, he could tell over the phone. She loved the scenery at Lumos Square, the city's most iconic locale. The fireworks… The lights… It was a hell of a show. Just a shame, that the ending wasn't so memorable for either of them.
Just as they finish reminiscing, Sol climbs up to the extravagant Stardust City Centre. He accidentally gives away his location as he mutters the name to himself.
"Wait a minute, the Stardust City Centre, that's where you are?", she questioned worriedly. "Damn it, Sol! You aren't heading for that spot we talked about earlier, are you?
"WHAAAA- nooooo… I mean I'm close to it, but I'm not heading for it.", he cheekily responded.
"What a load of bollocks! It's right by the meetup point. I swear if I have to pick you up in pieces again…", she warned.
"You're over exaggerating… Besides, I'm just at the mall passing through. That doesn't mean much.", he assured her.
"I know you better than that. Just be careful"
The City Centre is quite the lively place. Friends, families, and lovers, all around… The heart of Luminata. Sol walks past some of the shops, but his attention always lands on what he calls, "the preppy girl store". He tends to joke about his friend fitting in well among the preppy girls, usually mocking her accent while doing it. She knew how to throw it back at him every time, however. Sol walks through the mall naturally, so as to not start freaking the large crowds out. He loves his fun, but there's a time and place for that. Besides, he can take a moment to enjoy the sights.
"I'm glad Papa Sake lets us do this. Like you said, great views… great memories. But, the question is… when are we gonna take this international?", Sol asked his friend.
"International?", she laughed, "Sol, you don't even have $100 to your name."
"Well, I can't help that I'm not some big-time landscape photographer. Sorry."
She teases him, "Should've paid attention in photography class. Might've been decent, and besides, I'm just a rook… "
"... For the biggest publication in the country."
"Yeah, I know.", she said proudly.
Sol smiles, glad that his friend can enjoy her dream. He still has that to figure out, if only his ultimate dream could come true. Sol always wanted to be a superhero, heavily inspired by his love of comic books and manga. Maybe he doesn't have the abilities of a superhero, but he could move like one, at least. He walks by one of his favorite anime shops and really wants to go look at stuff, but alas, he must keep going. Upon reaching the fourth floor, he strolls through the sports bar, which covers it entirely. He didn't get the appeal of sitting around and drinking with people. His friend just attributed it to him being a nerd. She jokingly promised that she'll take him when they're older, so he can get a job and be the best drink server in town. He pointed out that making drinks actually takes skill. She said drink server though, not bartender.
Sol looks at the large "Stardust" sign connecting the City Centre to the South Side condos across the street. That was exactly what he was looking for. He goes around the back of the sports bar and finds an easy path to the sign, which he climbs across expertly.
He alerts his friend, "Making my way across to the condos. Almost at the meet point."
"Okay, I'm almost there too. Be careful again. Don't turn the other way and head for that spot.", she warned.
"Yes, Mom", he cheekily said before she hung up.
He climbs up to the condos and has a moment of conflict. Just around the corner is the meet-up point, but that spot his friend warned about is an easy shortcut. The risk is obvious, but he knows he can nail this. Once more… and never again. Yeah! He heads over to the spot, a space between two buildings. It's a large jump, but it can be done… by someone with extraordinary ability. Sol wants to be a superhero? This is how he believes he could ultimately prove it.
"We meet again, I must conquer you now."
He takes one look at the gap and his demeanor does a complete 180O.
"Okay, Okay! Come on, you got this! You've done this before.", he mutters. "It's just a few broken bones… or death." He takes a deep breath. "Come on! You're the Knight of Light, Protector of Luminata City. A jump can't scare you. You were made for this!"
After hyping himself up… or crying internally… or both, Sol takes a good running start and leaps hard to the other side. He flies through the air like a bright blue bird, the city lights all around him, and a pit of death directly below. He isn't able to stick the landing, but he catches the ledge still making it in one piece.
"Holy crap! I did it. Well, sort of, but still no in-"
The ledge holding him up cracks almost on cue. If he wasn't breathing heavily already, he sure is now.
"-juries… I just had to say it"
As Sol hangs there perilously, footsteps directly above signal him that someone's here.
"Need some help?"
Sol looks up to see a red-haired girl, clad in athletic gear much like him. Her hair, held up by a large pink headband. It's his friend on the phone… His best friend, Luna Orouku.
"Luna! Hey…", he said both nervously and excitedly.
"Aw, who's the damsel in distress, now?", she joked.
He sarcastically laughs, "My hero! Now, help me out here."
Luna pulls Sol up to his feet, checking him to see if he's hurt. She's a small girl, but interestingly, she's very strong for her size.
"Boy, did you come at the right time.", Sol told her in relief.
"Yeah, it's almost like I know you far too well.", she responded. "Hold still, I need to check you for injuries." It was in her nature to be motherly towards her friends, especially with Sol's reckless antics.
He assures her, "No, that's the best part. I didn't get hurt, so I think that counts as beating it. Kinda."
"Right, and you kinda forgot that there's a sky bridge connecting these buildings.", she said as she looked in its direction.
Sol looks back at the obvious sky bridge connecting the two buildings. He blatantly ignored it in exchange for the crazy stunt.
"Huh, right", he uttered embarrassedly.
"You're so reckless, Sol. Just don't do it again."
"Understood. Now, where are we off to?"
Luna set up this meeting for the two to go on a run with a guy she met at the gym named Seth. They're set to meet at Link-N Square Park, a park in the adjacent district.
"Woah, woah! You're meeting guys now?", Sol asked with a cheeky smile.
"Oh shut up, he's just a guy I've been talking to at the gym." Before he could say anything else, she assured him, "No, I don't exactly trust him, but that's why you're here with me."
"Wonderful. Now we can both be kidnapped."
She cracks up, "We can handle ourselves. Now, let's get a move on… And be careful, please."
Sol and Luna head off on the second half of their run. They've run this particular route numerous times before. Link-N Square is the district directly south of Stardust. Where the latter is a popular tourist area, the former is a popular local area. Link-N Square is characterized by its proximity to the Link, an expressway that links the Luminata City mainland to the beach town. Link-N is Link-North, while Link-Stown is Link-South. Link-N Square is built with more hotels and residential buildings, a perfect place for free runners. Whatever route Seth knows has Luna intrigued to run.
Sol breaks the ice, "Okay, so older dude, I presume, meeting a young girl at the park. And you agreed to this?"
"He seemed like a decent guy. But like I said, I intended to bring you along.", Luna reiterates.
"Does he know that?"
"Probably"
"Really?"
"If he paid attention…"
"Oh, this should be good."
Sol and Luna almost always exclusively ran their routes together. It surely was a safety thing, but more so, it's what it means to the two of them. Sol enjoys the superhero feeling that comes with athletics, but Luna was always naturally athletic, so it appeals to her in a more straightforward fashion. As far as the superhero thing goes, she loves to entertain her friend's passion. As children, the two role-played as the quintessential hero and damsel in distress. As teens, well… it wasn't going to have the same effect unless it was a tabletop game. This and their shared love for exploration led them to Free Running.
Of course, free running has its own dangers. Sol has a nasty fall on this route, falling along with a century-old fire escape ladder. He brushes it off, calling it a bit of karma for his stunt earlier.
"I swear you bloody worry me all the time.", she said with a sigh of relief.
"Part of the hobby."
"Yeah alright, you hardened warrior, kick off that wall and I'll catch you."
Luna helps Sol up and once again, checks him for injuries. Thankfully, he's still okay with some pain from the impact.
"Let's be glad that injuries are the most trouble we've had to deal with.", Luna stated gratefully.
"Yeah, we haven't had to fight any bad guys yet, but doesn't that sound like fun? Running around Luminata City, fighting the worst that the city has to offer.", Sol added, aching for more excitement along with his current aches.
Luna laughs, "Criminals beware!! The toughest crime-fighting duo Luminata has ever seen!"
"The Knight of Light and… Girl!!"
"Genius! Unbelievably clever! We should trademark that."
"That's what I said.", he muttered to himself.
In no time, the two end up at their destination, Link-N Square Park. The park, ironically enough, isn't even shaped like a square. It stretches about a mile in length from the elevated train station to the Basketball arena, the Link-N Square Garden. Two hotels tower right next to the park, giving it plenty of extra traffic.
"Let's go meet your new boyfriend.", Sol joked.
"SHUT IT!!"
Both friends approach a guy sitting on a park bench. As soon as he notices the pretty redhead approaching, Seth pops a breath mint and fixes his hair. He turns back to her with a rose as red as her in hand. His shock at seeing her coming along with another guy is only measured by the rose crumbling instantly in his hand. Luna innocently introduces the two guys to each other.
"What's wrong, bro? You don't seem too happy to see me.", Sol pointed out as he reached his hand out.
Seth tries to play it off, "No, no, not at all. I'm always happy to me-" He stumbles on his words after Luna nervously chuckles at this awkward exchange. "Hey, can we talk for a moment?", he asked her.
"This is going smoothly. Bravo!!", Sol said as they walked away from him.
"Listen, uh, Luna… I kinda wanted to keep this route on the down low.", Seth said secretly.
"Sorry… Look, it's just that he's my best friend and I always do this with him. You don't remember I mentioned this?", Luna clarified.
"Yeah, I just thought it was another girl."
"Creepy!"
"Anyway, gorgeous, I just thought you and I could run this one."
"Oh, boy. Called it!"
"Oh, like a date?", Luna realized, getting progressively creeped out. "Ewww, Seth, you know I'm 17 and you're like 30 right?
"Actually, I'm 28."
"That's not much better, guy!"
"I'm sorry, but this wasn't like that at all. If that's what you're looking for, we're leaving.", Luna asserted.
"WAIT!", Seth responded. He gives himself a big facepalm. "Fine, your friend can come and we'll just do some parkour. No funny business. We good?"
"Yeah, all good." She turns to Sol, "Come on, you! By the way, I heard you the entire time."
Sol & Luna follow Seth across the park. Many joggers run past, enjoying a bit of exercise, much like all of them. The three cross to an alleyway directly across, which naturally doesn't encourage much confidence.
"An alley. Yup, not suspicious in the slightest.", Sol pointed out, continuing to annoy Seth.
He continues leading them further, "OKAY, listen here, kid. I'm kindly letting you come along thanks to your friend here." He stops at a clearing in the alley, turning back towards them. "You want to go on this route, I'm gonna need you to shut the-"
From the side of the alley, they couldn't see, a massive shockwave blows through, sending Seth flying in the other direction. He collides with the lid of a dumpster before falling in followed by the lid closing behind him. Sol and Luna are both shocked by what they just saw, but things are about to get even more shocking. From where the shockwave originated came a man decked out in strange military garb along with a hulking metallic gauntlet on each arm. Who this guy is and what he wants is subsided by the fact that his appearance is lacking any color and his eyes… a blood red. This "Gray Man" smiles at Luna directly.
"What the hell?", Luna let out in shock.
Sol sees this situation as bad, "Talk about suspicious. RUN!!"
Both friends make tracks quickly to the alley exit but are instantly met with two mafioso-looking goons. They are surrounded by the linear alleyway. Luna glances back at the "Gray Man", allowing one of those goons to grab her.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HE-", Sol yelled before he was smacked by the other goon with his gun. He falls to the ground and everything goes black.
"SOL!!" He can faintly hear Luna yell, "Let go, you bastard!"
"Jeez, this girl is strong!" This is the last thing Sol hears before everything else becomes a blur. He can hear muffled voices and finally, a struggling scream. If Luna is in danger, he has to push himself up and protect her. He wakes a few minutes later, completely out of it. He finally regains his composure enough to clearly hear the last words.
"SF here, we've got the package. Heading for the gate.", says the "Gray Man".
Sol spots a hooded figure he hadn't seen before, carrying Luna's unconscious body. What did they do to her? Didn't matter. He had to go save her. He powers himself to his feet, leaving him stumbling as everyone's back is turned to him. As soon as he's fully regained his composure, he surely lets them know.
"HEY, YOU BASTARDS! Where do you think you're going?"
Everyone else in the alley turns back to see him standing against them. They're all rather impressed that he was able to power through a blow to the head like that. All except the hooded figure, whose expression is hidden by the mask.
"Run along, kid. You're free to go about the rest of your day.", The "Gray Man" told him while laughing.
"I'll tell you what's funny, the fact that you think I'm just gonna let you walk away.", Sol responded defiantly.
"That would be the best for your health, mate."
"Kidnapping my best friend isn't good for yours, BUDDY."
The "Gray Man" laughs, "I'm gonna enjoy this." He turns to the hooded figure, "Why don't you go on? We'll take care of this."
Sol tries to stop them, "HEY!! I'M NOT-"
"…in any position to call anyone out. You're in big trouble now, kid."
Sol is faced with not just the "Gray Man", but the two goons plus another one he didn't see previously. As Luna said, they are capable of defending themselves. Question is, can he handle a 4-on-1, especially when one of those four has weird metallic gauntlets? He guesses that he'll have another superhero-defining moment tonight.
The goons come at him with blunt weapons, and amazingly enough, he makes short work of the three. Their own weapons were their undoing.
"YOU'VE GOT TO BE FREAKING KIDDING ME! You call yourselves "made men"? You can't even handle a kid!"
"So what were you saying again? Something about bad health?", Sol rubbed in. "Now, it's just you and me, metal hands."
"Unbelievable… Well, the only thing you can do is count on yourself to get things done."
Sol thinks to himself, "No time to waste! I have to get to Luna."
He rushes the "Gray Man", but this proves to be deadly for him as those metallic gauntlets he has are where the shockwave came from. Sol is sent flying back like Seth was, but luckily, didn't end up in the trash. He feels the pain in his back from earlier come back and then some. The "Gray Man" stands over him as he writhes in pain.
"Now, it's your turn to stay down, kid. Told you what would happen."
Sol sits up and uses him to pull himself to his feet. He stares the "Gray Man" directly in his red eyes, breathing hard, "Not a chance."
The street out by Link-N Square Park has been relatively peaceful thus far. The joggers are minding themselves at the park. Others are just walking and driving about the town. Another regular citizen parks his expensive sports car right next to the park, ready to have a nice time there with his girlfriend. They both walk into the park with their picnic blanket and food, leaving the car there unbothered.
Sol flies out of the alleyway, sent back by another shockwave. He crashes into the car at a devastating speed, leaving him brutally incapacitated. Everyone around runs off as the "Gray Man" emerges out of the same alleyway. The driver, saddened by the damage to his beauty.
"I… don't suppose you'll t- take me to a hospital.", Sol joked, heavily injured.
"Good night, kid."
The "Gray Man" grabs Sol by his head and with a boost of his bionic gauntlets, he slams him multiple times against the vehicle. Sol, at this point, is unconscious again or dead for all he knows. He let go of his head, letting him slump over. The sadistic "Gray Man" wasn't finished as he picked his body up, holding him high in the air before slamming him through the roof of the car.
"We're done here.", he laughs.
Sol is just left there, a bloody wreck, on the roof of the car. He doesn't move an inch when suddenly, a blinding light glows close by.