Faith Connors, the young runner, couldn’t run anywhere now that she had been captured. Her bobbed, black hair swayed back and forth as she struggled in her bonds but she had been tied up rather tight. It didn’t look like escape was possible. How could it have happened?

She was just doing a quick delivery job and somebody jumped her. The girl was fast; faster than almost anyone Faith had come up against. Now she was writhing and squirming on the ground in an alleyway, glaring up at her captor with her hard, brown eyes.

The young girl knelt down and noticed the distinct, black tattoo beneath Faith’s right eye. She even touched the long, black tattoo of some strange, blocky symbol that ran all the way down Faith’s right arm. But that just made the Runner struggle more and growl into her gag.

The sly 19-year-old who had caught Faith was a fellow Runner named Zoey, though Faith didn’t know that. Not yet, anyway. Zoey was feeling rather impressed with herself having caught someone a few years older and stronger than her, not to mention the fact that she was the Faith Conners. Everyone in her line of work in the City of Glass knew who Faith Connors was.

She had recognized the trademark low cut, red shoes first. Not many Runners sported red shoes and only one dark-haired Asian woman was known to wear them at all. But Zoey didn’t stop there for identifying Faith. She noticed the black tattoo on her arm, of course, but also Faith’s single, red and black fingerless glove on her right hand. She left her other hand bare but, of course, her right arm was where she had once stored her grapple. Zoey had stolen that, of course, to make escape more difficult.

Zoey knew for sure the girl she had been tracking was Faith Conners when she noticed the black tank top and tight, white capri pants. Combined with all the rest, Zoey confirmed her target’s identity in seconds.

While Faith still struggled with her bonds, she glared at her captor and declared to herself that she would remember every detail. The girl was younger than her, that she knew, but everything else about her was rather distinctive and made her stand out. Perhaps the young girl wanted to be like Faith, in a way.

She wore bright, pristine white shoes, flat and low cut like Faith’s. Faith didn’t know of any Runners in white shoes so that alone made this girl stand out. But everything else made her even more unique. Her clothes were barely clothes, as far as Faith was concerned. The girl wore a dark blue tube top that bore her midriff and bare shoulders, though a pair of red bra straps poked out from underneath. She wore matching short shorts that hugged tightly to her legs. A thick, black belt hung just above the waistline of her shorts, adorned with a gold buckle and a small pouch.

The girl also wore bizarre striped socks that reached her thighs that were coloured red and dark blue. As though copying and one-upping Faith, the girl wore a pair of red, fingerless gloves with thick, padded palms for grip.

Still eyeing her up, Faith wondered how someone so small and thin could take her down. The girl was athletic, certainly, but nowhere near the speedy powerhouse that Faith was. But perhaps looks were deceiving. Or perhaps not, what with the young girl’s innocent looking, bright blue eyes and thick hair, dyed green. Faith supposed the hairstyle made the girl look cute, with long bangs hanging down either side of her head and framing her face. It wasn’t very long in the back but it was a sort of wide hairstyle, like something she might have seen on the internet.

Zoey still hadn’t introduced herself to her famous captive but she was waiting on that. She wanted to build tension first and let the one and only Faith Conners know just who had beaten her.

She knelt down to meet Faith’s eyes. Faith struggled to sit up and still tried working her wrists free. They were tied behind her back by some long, thin yellow cord. The cord was smooth to the touch and felt almost like electrical cable but Faith knew better. Runners often used this stuff to restrain captives from rival factions. She knew Black November definitely used it on their captives.

The cord also bound her arms to her sides in two places and around her waist to pin her wrists to her back. Her legs were also tied at the ankles and knees, completely restricting her movement and taking away her powerful and nimble legs she so heavily relied on to get out of trouble. Faith’s gag kept her quiet and from calling for help as shiny, black tape was wrapped around her mouth, sealing in what felt like a soft sponge that filled her mouth.

Still glaring at the wiry young girl, Faith felt humiliated that she had even been caught in the first place. She hadn’t been caught since she was sent to prison. Faith was a real hotshot who took all kinds of risks and sought thrills wherever they could be found. She was a formidable fighter and fast as lightning. How could this fresh-faced kid have gotten the drop on her?

As if reading her mind, the girl leaned in close to Faith and spoke. “I’ll bet you didn’t see this coming, did you?”

“Mmmrgh! Mmmmph! Mmmtmm mmm!” Faith’s protests were thoroughly muffled, though the anger in her voice was quite obvious.

“You’re too cocky, Faith. That’s the problem. You didn’t even see me when I knocked you out.”

“Hmmmph!?” Faith knew it then. This girl had to be actively hunting her if she knew Faith’s name. But why?

“It’s gonna be a shame to see you go. I always thought you were pretty hot. Those ugly prison uniforms don’t suit a body like yours.”

“Gmmmph! Hrrrghmmm! Mmmmph!”

“Quit your grunting. It’s so... ugly. Not at all you, Faith.”

“Gmm tmmm hmlll!” Faith cursed, struggling in her bonds once again.

“You know you are still a legend. Folks always told me I’d never measure up to someone like you. But look at me now!”

“Mmmph!”

Zoey grinned. “You really should know my name. Everyone will know the name of the girl who caught Faith Conners in a little while, anyway. I’m Zoey Morrow. The Runner hunting legend!”

Runner hunting? Is that what this girl did? Did she really chase down and tie up Runners? For what purpose?

“Well maybe not a legend yet,” Zoey continued. “But I will be. As soon as everyone knows my first catch is the Faith Conners.”

Faith rolled her eyes. Kid fancies herself a hotshot before she’s ever even done anything. She was almost starting to like Zoey. She reminded Faith a little of herself at a younger age. The only difference was Faith didn’t kidnap people. Zoey continued speaking as though Faith could talk and ask questions, though Faith had stopped making any noise into her gag.

“Who do I work for? Good question. Bet you think I work for Dogen, don’t you? I heard you two have a history.”

“Mmmrrrrggh,” Faith growled.

“Well I don’t work for him. Black November? Have you met Rebecca? That woman scares the crap out of me!”

“Hmmmph...” Faith said, actually agreeing with Zoey a bit. Black November’s leader certainly did have that effect on people.

“Nope. I’m an independent. Working my way up the old ladder. Earning scrip by catching the city’s most wanted Runners. Gotta make a living somehow, right? Why not be, like, a bounty hunter or something? That’s pretty cool, right? And I know you know cool, Faith. You were pretty cool yourself once.”

Faith didn’t like the past tense Zoey had used and struggled in her bonds again, growling into her gag. Zoey laughed at her feeble struggling attempt.

“You do look cute like that. But I think the time for chat is coming to an end, don’t you?”

“Mmmph! Lmmmt mm gmmm! Ymmll rmmgrmmt thmmph!”

“Oh, Faith,” Zoey said. “You’ll be fine. Soon as I call KrugerSec and let them know I’ve got Faith Conners all tied up, they’ll rush in here and whisk you away to a place where you’ll never have to worry about anything ever again! It’ll be so peaceful, won’t it?”

“Mmmmph! Dmmt dmm thmmph! Mmm wmmmrmnng ymmm!”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you said, who cares? I’m calling K sec now.”

“Mmmph!’

While Zoey stepped away to begin calling in the city’s authoritarian security force, Faith began struggling again in earnest. Zoey had done a pretty good job tying her up, however, and Faith felt like she couldn’t escape. But she refused to be sent to prison again. She still had work to do on the outside.

Zoey finished her call and turned around again. “Well, Faith, you know better than most how fast K sec responds. They’ll be here in 90 seconds. Take care in prison!”

“Mmmmph! Nmmmm!”

Zoey scaled the wall behind Faith and was gone from view in seconds, taking off across the rooftops above. There really wasn’t much time. Faith struggled hard against her restraints but the cord was holding pretty firm. She might be able to get free but it would be cutting it close....

...

Zoey finally settled on a rooftop overlooking the alleyway and watched the white uniforms of KrugerSec rush into the alley where she had left Faith. In her ear, she listened in to their transmission and a stern, older woman who led them spoke first.

“Target is loose,” she said. “But she was here. Spread out and search the area. She can’t have gone far.”

Zoey stood up straight and stared at the spot where she had left Faith, eyes wide. She could see the traces of the yellow cord that had once bound Faith spread out on the ground where her captive had once been.

“What!? How did she do that?” Zoey said to herself. “This isn’t good. How the hell am I going to get pa-mmmph!”

A strong hand clamped over her mouth and Zoey was dragged backward by someone stronger and bigger than her. A woman’s voice spoke into her ear.

“No payday for you, kid.”

It was Faith! How did she get behind Zoey so fast? Zoey never did get an answer as she was tackled down onto the roof, lying on her stomach, and her hands were forced behind her back.

“Let’s see how you like it,” Faith said.

The girl had a bag nearby full of the thin yellow cord and a roll of the shiny, black tape as well as several round sponges. Faith tied Zoey’s wrists behind her back quickly and didn’t even give her the chance to speak, plugging her nose with one hand while sitting on top of her.

“Open up,” she said, gritting her teeth.

Zoey opened her mouth to get a breath and Faith crammed a sponge into her mouth, sealing it in by wrapping the tape around Zoey’s mouth over and over again. With still more cord, Faith took a very long strand of it and wrapped it tightly around Zoey’s arms just above the elbows. More of the cord was cinched around Zoey’s thighs and calves before Faith tied her ankles together. Using one more long piece of the cord, Faith pulled Zoey’s ankles up until they were touching her hands and tied them to her bound arms to leave her in a strict hogtie position.

In truth, Zoey was actually a little excited by this. Faith Conners was exacting revenge against her and tying her up! How did she know how to do this so well, anyway?

“There,” Faith said, finally climbing off of Zoey.

Zoey squirmed in her bonds but they weren’t coming loose. Faith was a pretty strong woman, after all.

“Mmmpphh!” Zoey said, testing her gag. No one would hear her like this!

Faith knelt down on the ground and glared into the girl’s eyes. “You think you’re a hotshot now, kid?”

“Mmmmmph!”

“Well? Do you?”

Zoey sighed and slumped into her bonds, defeated. She shook her head. “Mmm mmm.”

“You’ve got a lot to learn. You’re young so I’ll leave you with this warning: stay out of my way. Don’t come after me again. And do some honest work. There’s plenty a quick Runner like you could do to earn Scrip.”

“Mmmkmmm,” Zoey said.

“No more hunting Runners and kidnapping people or it’ll be me coming after you next time. You got that?”

“Mmm hmmm,” Zoey said, nodding.

“Good. I’m going to leave you here, now.”

“Wmmt? Nmmmm! Mmmtmmm mmm!”

“Relax. Runners come by here all the time. Soon as K sec clears the area someone will be by to untie you. I know someone from our group who patrols the area, actually. You’ll be fine. Just... go do something good. I had to learn that the hard way, too. And don’t forget my warning.”

Faith stood up and held her wrist up high. Zoey noticed then that she had gotten her grapple back. With a quick flick of her wrist, Faith Conners was hauled up and away to a nearby skyscraper to run across the rooftops of the City of Glass once more. Zoey Morrow, the naive Runner who tried to kidnap her for Scrip, remained bound and gagged on a rooftop and unable to escape.

She struggled hard in her hogtie but there was nothing she could do. She would be stuck there until help arrived and she didn’t know how long that would be. Zoey wanted to be untied sooner than that! So all she could do was moan and groan and struggle with her bonds, trying to call for help.

“Hllmmp! Hlllmmp mmm, smmbdmmm! Hllmmmp! Mmmmmph!”