The Red Hood Rebellion

Red: The Messenger

In the neon maze of Metropolis, the city never slept. Skyscrapers shimmered in electric blues and greens, casting jagged shadows on the cracked pavement below. Amid the chaos, Ruby Hood sliced through the streets on her matte black electric bike. With her bright red hoodie trailing behind her like a banner, she was a blur against the city’s monotony.

Ruby worked as a courier for Swiftbyte, a tech startup specializing in high-security data transfers. Her routes took her through every corner of the sprawling metropolis, from the glittering high-rise offices to the labyrinthine alleys of Old Town. She wasn’t just fast; she was precise, her bike weaving through traffic like a needle threading a tapestry.

By night, Ruby volunteered at the Steelwood Community Center, teaching coding and robotics to kids. It was her sanctuary, a way to give back to the neighborhood that had raised her.

It was during one of these late-night coding classes that her phone buzzed. The name flashed on the screen: *Grandma Hood*.

Ruby excused herself, stepping into the hallway. Her grandmother’s voice was shaky but urgent.

“Ruby, listen carefully. I’ve uncovered something huge—bigger than anything I’ve worked on before. They know I know. You need to bring the package from my apartment and come to the community center. Now. And Ruby... trust no one.”

The line went dead before Ruby could ask a single question.

Her grandmother, Eleanor Hood, wasn’t just an eccentric podcaster with a taste for conspiracy theories. She was a retired investigative journalist whose exposés had taken down corrupt politicians and corporations alike. If Eleanor was panicking, it meant trouble.

The Wolf in the Shadows

Ruby pedaled hard toward her grandmother’s apartment in Old Town. The streets grew quieter as she entered the district, the hum of neon replaced by the soft glow of vintage streetlights.

When she reached the building, she immediately noticed the black SUV parked across the street. A man in a tailored suit leaned against it, pretending to scroll through his phone. His polished shoes and sharp gaze didn’t fit the neighborhood. Ruby’s gut tightened.

She locked her bike around the corner and slipped into the building. Her grandmother’s apartment was on the third floor, a cozy space filled with books, clippings, and the faint scent of lavender.

The package was exactly where her grandmother said it would be: a hollowed-out book titled How to Spot a Liar. Inside was a small, unassuming flash drive. Next to it was a handwritten note:

They’re after me. WolfCorp. The drive has the proof—everything they’ve done. Bring it to the community center. Don’t let them catch you.

Ruby pocketed the drive and headed for the door, but as she reached the stairwell, the sound of polished shoes echoed below.

“Miss Hood,” a smooth voice called out. Ruby froze.

The man from the SUV stepped into view, his smile as sharp as his suit. “My name’s Mr. Wolfe. I believe you have something that belongs to me. Hand it over, and we can avoid... unpleasantness.”

Ruby’s heart pounded. “Sorry, I don’t talk to strangers.”

Mr. Wolfe chuckled, pulling out a badge that read WolfCorp Security. “Oh, but we’re not strangers. Your grandmother’s been meddling in things she doesn’t understand. She’s confused, delusional. Hand over the drive before you make things worse.”

Ruby’s grip tightened on the stairwell railing. “Funny,” she said, “you don’t look like a hero to me.”

Before Wolfe could respond, Ruby bolted up the stairs.

The Chase

Ruby burst onto the rooftop, the cold night air biting at her cheeks. She leapt from one building to the next, her years of biking and city navigation giving her the edge. Behind her, Wolfe and his agents scrambled to keep up, their shouts echoing through the night.

Ruby spotted a fire escape and slid down it, landing in a narrow alley. She sprinted to her bike, unlocked it in record time, and sped off.

The chase that followed was relentless. Black SUVs with tinted windows tailed her through the city, their headlights cutting through the darkness. Ruby weaved through traffic, ducked into alleys, and even rode through a bustling night market, scattering vendors and customers alike.

She finally reached the Steelwood Community Center, her sanctuary. But as she parked her bike, a sense of unease settled over her. The building was dark, its usual hum of activity replaced by an eerie silence.

The Trap

Ruby stepped inside, clutching the flash drive like a lifeline.

“Grandma?” she called out.

The lights flickered, revealing Mr. Wolfe and two more agents standing in the main hall. Wolfe’s smug smile returned. “I told you this would get messy.”

Ruby backed away, her mind racing. She needed a plan, fast. “What’s on this drive that’s got you so scared?”

Wolfe’s smile faltered. “Let’s just say it’s above your pay grade. Hand it over, and you can walk away from this.”

Ruby tightened her grip on the drive. “Yeah, I’m gonna pass.”

Before Wolfe could respond, the building’s overhead projector flickered to life. A voice crackled through the speakers:

“Funny thing about wolves—they always underestimate the little guys.”

It was her grandmother’s voice. Ruby looked up to see the walls covered in projected documents, video clips, and emails. WolfCorp’s darkest secrets were on full display: illegal mining operations, environmental destruction, bribery, and ties to organized crime.

Wolfe’s face twisted in fury. “Shut it down!” he barked at his agents.

But Ruby grinned. “Looks like Grandma already pressed ‘send.’”

The Stand-Off

Police sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder. Wolfe glared at Ruby, his calm façade cracking. “You think this is over? We own this city. Taking me down won’t stop us.”

Ruby stepped closer, meeting his gaze. “Maybe not. But it’s a start.”

The sirens grew deafening as squad cars surrounded the building. Wolfe and his agents had no choice but to retreat, slipping into the shadows like the predators they were.

Eleanor stepped out from her hiding spot, her face lit with a mix of relief and pride. “You did good, kid,” she said, pulling Ruby into a hug.

A New Beginning

The fallout from the leak was swift and severe. WolfCorp’s CEO was arrested, and the company crumbled under the weight of public outrage. The scandal dominated headlines for weeks, and Eleanor’s name was celebrated as the journalist who’d taken down the wolves.

Ruby returned to her life, but things were different now. She wasn’t just a courier or a volunteer. She was a symbol of resistance in a city that had long been under the thumb of corporations like WolfCorp.

And as she zipped through the streets of Metropolis, her red hoodie flying like a banner, she knew one thing for sure: wolves might rule the forest, but in the city, the hood always wins.