Breakthrough

4 - Thank You

4

One would think that I was already safe with how far I was from the real cemented road, but 3 seconds later and I realized how drastically wrong that is.

The red car abruptly started slowing down, and the sound of the rubber tires screeching in protest were like nails on a chalkboard, making me cover my ears in an attempt to cushion them from the sharp noise. And as if stepping on the brakes wasn't enough, the driver had to turn the wheel in a rather swift way and in just a matter of seconds, the car was already turning sharply to its side, drifting in a noisy manner that reminded me of car chases in action movies.

It all happened too fast. The red car making the sharp turn slowed its speed, and with the 2 police cars tailing it on full speed and clearly unable to make a quick stop, a crash was inevitable.

One of the police cars slammed against the side of the red car facing them, the sound of metal against metal almost as earsplitting as the tires screeching earlier. Running for cover was impossible--the whole thing is unfolding in just a matter of seconds.

I watched as the 2nd police car slammed against the 1st one. Because the vehicle was on maximum speed, the momentum built was enough for the car to fly and make a flip on the air, the distance spanning a couple meters that the next thing I knew, it was heading my way.

My whole body remained frozen. The thought of jumping away as fast as I could didn't register fast enough, and just as the car was a few meters in front of me, everything suddenly felt like slow motion.

A white stream came right in front of me. It was a man. He was flying off the ground as he reached for the tall lamppost right in front of me, which was something I failed to notice earlier. His hands wrapped around the piece of metal rod a second before the police car hit it.

If it wasn't for the lamppost, the car would've slammed against me, and if it wasn't for the man holding the metal post in place, it would've snapped into two already, and the car would hit me face on. There must be something unnatural with his hold because the car crushed itself against the metal pole without the latter showing signs of collapsing into pieces.

My attention on the very big piece of metal lasted for a second only, because I found myself staring at the man both in shock and awe.

Like the ones I've seen before, he was wearing white from head to toe. His hairstyle reminded me of my Dad--it was the same cut whenever he gets home. He has a huge built, and he definitely is tall.

He only gave me a glance, probably to make sure I was okay, before he turned his attention to the men inside the ruined car. Just that one quick glimpse and my mind had already managed to secure a perfect image of him. He looks quite familiar, yet I couldn't put a finger on it.

I scanned his entirety and with his dress coat having short sleeves, the lower part of his arms were left bare. It didn't take long for me to notice a tattoo I know I've seen before.

The last time I saw it on his arm, it had been a blur because of the distance between us. Now that he's only a few meters away from me, I realized that it's some kind of an Asian character.

I looked back at him. He opened the door of the car and started checking the unconscious uniformed men inside. Thankfully, the car landed in an upright position, and the only portion extremely dented was the side of the hood. The rest of the car remained miraculously intact, but the windows have been shattered, the doors detached, and the light from the lampposts reflected against the glass smithereens.

Out of a sudden, gunshots filled the air. I flinched, and a scream escaped from my lips as I automatically crouched down in response. My gaze snapped to the direction of the road, where the 2 cars were. With their positions in the middle of the road, they've become a disturbing obstruction.