Battle Heroes X Vetera: S01E05

Craving for Race is the fifth episode of the Battle Heroes X Vetera series. The plot revolves around Cloud entering a street racing competition to prevent a classmate from abusing the void and endangering the city.

Cloud enters a street racing competition to prevent a classmate from abusing the void.

## The Episode

It was the first day back to school for the students of the city. Everyone was talking and checking each other out after the summer break. Cloud and our heroes were walking to school, the former talking to them as they walked.

“You guys ready to impress the popular kids?” Cloud asked. He wore an upside down visor and a black t-shirt with a blue electric spark pattern. Blue jeans with a chain attached were on his legs. “Let’s go over the secret handshake one more time.”

“Cloud, please,” Julius pleaded. “We practiced all morning. My fingers are killing me.”

“Then we’d better do it as soon as we see Ronnie!"

“Now that I think about it, you never mentioned why she’s the key in the first place,” Popple recalled.

A childish grin appeared on Cloud’s face and he giggled. “In time, Popple. In time.”

“...That’s never a good sign.”

As they approached the front steps that led to the door, Cloud glanced across the street and immediately stopped. "No way..."

"What, what's wrong?" Julius asked. The others stopped and followed Cloud's gaze. Across the street, a blonde girl with a duffel bag was walking to school. She had her hair in a ponytail and wore a grey skirt with a white silk blouse. On her neck was a red scarf and on her feet she wore black boots. Beside her were two other girls, but Cloud hardly noticed them.

"It's...it's her," Cloud uttered, eyes wide. "Ronnie Jacobs."

The others looked at her. "That's all? She looks pretty normal to me," Zack commented before turning to Cloud. He was still wide-eyed, his mouth gaping. As soon as Zack saw his face, he shook his shoulder. "Cloud? Earth to Cloud?"

He snapped out of whatever daze he was in. "Yeah, man? Oh crap, this is it!" Cloud looked both ways as he got ready to cross the street. "Just like we practiced, entourage!"

"Do we have to do everything? Even the dialogue?"

"Yes, even the dialogue, Julius. The dialogue is *everything*! Let's roll."

As the four crossed the street, Julius, Zack, and Popple began laughing uncontrollably. After they calmed down, Julius said, "Oh man, Cloud! You're so funny! Say it again!"

Cloud chuckled. "So then I said, 'Whoever's finger that is, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but now is not the time!'"

This sent the others into another burst of laughter. "Oh man, it's even better the second time!"

The laughter caught the attention of Ronnie and her friends. Cloud, who was looking at her from the corner of his eye, turned as well and they made eye contact. Jackpot. "Hey, Ronnie!"

She waved at him, a vague expression on her face. "Hey...do I know you?"

"It's Cloud, remember? We sat at the same table in chemistry last year."

Ronnie took a few seconds to remember. "Oh yeah, I remember you! You were such a class clown!"

"That's me! Remember when I showed our table how to make a stink bomb?"

Ronnie laughed. "Then Terry Phillips decided to throw it in class and got suspended?"

"Oh, yeah! Least we got to have class outside for a week and do nothing. You pumped for this year?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun. Listen, I'll gotta go put my cheerleading stuff in my locker. Maybe I'll see you later, if we have another class together."

"Word. You should see what I have planned for physics!"

Ronnie's eyes widened slightly. "Can you even top a stink bomb?"

Cloud stepped to her side. "Walk with me. I have so much to show you."

Cloud and Ronnie were about to walk into the school when their conversation was interrupted by the screeching of tires and the roaring of an engine. Turning to the street, everyone saw a purple Ford GT drive up to the school and pull up in the school driveway, right next to Cloud and Ronnie. The window opened, revealing another teen. He had a messy head of brown hair and pierced ears. His hoodie was black with a green outline. As soon as Cloud saw him, an alarmed expression appeared on his face. Ronnie, on the other hand, was excited and squealed with delight. All the other kids oohed and ahhed.

"Eugene! Where did you get this car?!" She asked, rushing away from Cloud to run her fingers along the roof.

"I bought it myself! We still have a few minutes before class starts. Get in and we'll take her for a spin!" He glanced at Cloud. "Who's he?"

Ronnie squealed even more and got in the car. "That's Cloud. We were in the same chemistry class last year. The one who made the stink bomb."

"Ah. Well, see ya later, Stink Cloud," Eugene said in in a patronizing tone before the car sped off. Everyone outside saw the car speeding away from the school. Cloud was visibly shook.

"Oh no. Oh no no no no no..."

Julius, Zack and Popple guided him to an outside table. "Alright, we need some answers. Who was that guy, and how did he drive off with our chance at popularity?" Zack asked.

"That...was Eugene. Eugene Russo. He's a rich kid, but still unpopular. He owns a lot of cars, which actually means his parents own them, and brags about them all the time. The only explanation is that he...he got clout over the summer..."

"Maybe he's trying to get popular, too? What's wrong with that?" Julius asked innocently.

Cloud got up and grabbed Julius' shoulders. "What's wrong with that? WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT?! Julius, if he's on the same path as us, this puts a wrench in our plans! He's gonna get popular and get close to Ronnie! Fo you know what that means?! Second most popular kid in school!"

Julius laughed nervously. "Yeah, I got that part. There's still space for us there, though."

Cloud shook his shoulders furiously. "That's where you're wrong! See, Eugene has friends, and when he gets super popular, so will they! Say goodbye to slots three, four, and five! He's gonna ruin everything! EVERYTHING!!"

"Cloud I understand your frustration but could you please stop shaking me?!" Julius said, grabbing his arms and taking them off his shoulders. Cloud held his head in his hands and his elbows on the table.

Popple patted him on the back. "Relax, Cloud. I don't think it's that serious. All we have to do is reformulate the plan. There's another way to get popular fast, right?"

Cloud drummed his fingers on his head, then raised a finger in the air. "That's it! I'll tell her who we really are!"

"Maybe something that won't mark us for death by every bad guy around."

"Did you see Ronnie's face when she was with Eugene? I think she might have a crush on him or something!" One of Ronnie's friends said, walking with the other into the school. Cloud stroked his chin and the others watched him uneasily. "I know what you're thinking, but don't do it," Julius advised. The bell rang and more people entered the school. The teens got up.

"But think about it, Julius! We could expand our circle of trust! She'd be our Mary Jane!" Cloud complained as he followed his friends.

After school, the teens started home. Cloud looked particularly down in the dumps. He let out a sigh.

"C'mon, Cloud, cheer up. You've been moping all day," Zack said.

"Yeah, I know. I'm still bummed about this situation. Did I tell you guys that Ronnie and I are in the same Algebra class? Know who else was in there with us? EUGENE RUSSO! All they did was talk and talk and talk about him and his stupid car!" Cloud perked up. "Wait, what if we got our own car? Roy probably owes us enough favors to lend us something big and cool looking!"

"I don't think it works like that, Cloud," Popple explained. "We'd probably need an emergency that requires a vehicle."

"An emergency, huh?" Cloud thought for a moment. "Alright, here's the story..."

A buzzing in the heroes pockets caused them to stop walking and reach for their morphers. They were receiving a call. Julius opened his morpher and answered. "What's going on?"

It was Silas. "Hey, kids! How was your first day back in school?"

Zack laughed. "It was fine, you've seen one day of school and you've seen them all. Cloud over here's been trying to get popular."

"Let's go! That's the type of ambition that can make a man shed a tear."

Cloud beamed with pride."I'm doing you proud, man. You know Ronnie Jacobs?"

Silence. "The rich cheerleader? Don't tell me..."

"No, not yet. But when the time comes--"

Popple interrupted the two. "Good to hear from you, Silas. What's going on?"

"Oh yeah," Silas' voice changed to a more serious tone. "Something's come up at SPD base. Come over ASAP so I can explain everything."

"We'll be there," Cloud. said. The call ended. "Looks like it's time for the after school special..."

...

The teens were now in the SPD base with Silas. He was standing in front of the computer screen that gave them their first presentation about the void. The other two scientists were still in the lab.

"Alright, now that we're all here, we can begin the presentation," One of the scientists said. The computer screen turned on and started with a picture of the earth and the void cloud.

"Three days ago, the void touched down on Earth and infected a shark, sending it into a frenzy. We thought that the incident was the only void event that day. However, we were wrong. Another, significantly smaller piece had fallen later that night."

The screen shifted to footage of the city. "It landed inside of the city. We sent out forces to bring it in, but when we arrived, it was gone. Once we developed a way to track traces of the void in the air, we immediately detected trails of it all around the city."

Silas stepped in. "Before you panic, it's not enough to cause any kind of disaster. It's *who* found it that's giving us concern."

"Isn't that all from the M.Tea?" Julius questioned.

"No, the M.Tea only contained the void, it was never moved from that underground facility. The source this time is..."

The screen changed again and Cloud stomped the ground. "NO. NO WAY."

Onscreen, a Purple Ford GT sped down a boulevard at night. The exhaust from the car was a distinct dark purple color.

"EUGENE! I CAN'T ESCAPE THAT DUDE!" He exclaimed.

Silas raised an eyebrow. "Eugene? Eugene Russo?"

The scientists turned to him. "You know the perpetrator?"

He made a face. "Saying I knowing him is a stretch. He's some tool that went to my old school."

"He owns that car. We saw him drive to school in it today," Popple said.

"So you're telling me Eugene Russo managed to steal a piece of the void, put it in his car engine, and use it as an fuel source?"

"He needs to be stopped for a multitude of reasons. For one, we don't know what prolonged exposure to the void will do the people of the city, no matter how minimal it is."

The other scientist nodded. "Two, because of the...creature you encountered last night. If it's attracted to the void, then this Eugene Russo may become a target."

"Finally, we don't know how the void reacts to being used as fuel."

"So you want us to retrieve the void from the car?" Zack asked. "Should be easy enough."

"Not quite. We don't know what state of matter the void is in. Until we do, there's no way to safely contain and collect it. Here at the lab, we're creating a simulation of a car engine to test its effects on the void in a controlled environment. In the meantime, we'll need to get closer to the car. That's where you come in."

The screen changed once more. Now the footage looked to be shot by an amateur videographer, shaky camera and all. Eugene's Ford GT was on the road with three other sports cars. A crowd was gathered behind them, filling the sidewalk and the street. A girl walked into the middle of the street and raised one hand up, then another. Finally, she threw both of them down and the cars sped past her.

"According to this video, Eugene engages frequently in street racing." The scientist pointed to the title of the video, which was "stupid fast ford gt dominates the competition!!!*"*. "Our best chance of getting close to the car is by having one of you go undercover and enter the races. This would allow you to effectively keep an eye on the car without drawing too much attention to yourself."

"But how are we gonna get into the races without a car?" Popple asked.

The scientist looked at each other. "Follow us." They left the lab and the heroes followed with Silas behind them. They were led to the elevator and sent down to the lower levels of the SPD Base. When the door opened, the teens were met with a sight. Standing in front of them was a red 2006 Ford Mustang with two white stripes along the hood. Wires trailed from the inside of it to computers on a table next to the car. Cloud's eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. "Humina humina humina humina humina..."

Silas grinned. "We got you covered. This bad boy comes with all the fixings." He walked over to it and slapped the hood. "Not only did we modify it to peak performance, but it also comes with a built-in autopilot."

"One question remains now. Which one of you will go undercover and enter the races? The others can go home for now."

Cloud looked up to the ceiling and got on his knees. "If anyone is up there," He pounded his chest with his fist twice, then pointed back up. "Thank you."

The scientists looked at him with a perplexed expression. Cloud recomposed himself.

"Could you excuse us for a moment, please?" He gathered Zack, Julius and Popple into the elevator and pressed the button to close the door. He then began to talk. "Guys, you already know what I'm gonna ask. I'm BEGGING you, you gotta let me be the one! This is our opportunity to reclaim our spots as the new popular kids! We're still in this!"

"...What about saving the world and dealing with the void?" Julius asked.

"Yeah, yeah, that too. Eugene's source of clout is that car of his. Not only will I shut it down, but I'll also look badass as hell while doing it! So what do you say?"

The others looked at each other. Julius shrugged. "You're the best choice to enter, Cloud. You know all the popular kid stuff. Knock 'em dead."

"Go for it, Cloud. This is your time to shine," Popple agreed.

"Man, that car looks sick," Zack started. "But seeing you riding around in it would be even sicker. Just don't make me regret letting you go," He finished, saying the last part in a joking manner.

Cloud pumped his fist. "HAHAHAHAHA YEAHHH!! Thanks, guys! I won't let you down!" He opened the elevator door and stumbled out, falling on the ground. Quickly recovering, he got up and stepped forward. "Looks like I'm the one! When can I take this bad boy for a spin?"

"We have some notes to go over before the vehicle steps out of the garage," One of the scientist said, picking up a small stack of notes on the table and riffling through them. Cloud groaned lightly and had a seat.

"That was a groan...of excitement!" He declared.

One of the scientists opened the front door and gestured inside. Cloud got up and entered the car.

"Greetings, user," Someone said in a British accent. The surprise prompted Cloud to yelp and fall sideways out of the car. "What was that?!"

"That, is the Calibrator of Optimal Locations in the Environment," One of the scientists answered. "It's the AI auto-pilot we mentioned earlier."

"I concur," The car said. "I have been programmed with data on every part of the city, allowing me to map out the fastest and most conventional path between Point A and B."

"This is gonna take some getting use to. The name's Cloud. Nice to meet you, C.O.L.E!"

The scientists looked at each other. "C.0.L.E? That is actually a lot better than saying the full name every time."

Cloud grinned. "Yup, C.O.LE. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Let's go out for a drive! I think we need to pay a certain popular someone a visit!"

"Cloud, the Calibrator of Optimal...C.O.L.E, is not a toy. When the date of the race is revealed, we'll bring it over. Now let's go over the commands..."

Cloud groaned once more.

The next afternoon, Julius, Zack, and Popple exited the school without Cloud. All around them, other students walked to theirs cars, their bikes, or to their homes. On the street, Eugene and Ronnie were talking enthusiastically next to his car.

"I'm surprised Cloud managed to get out of Physics," Julius said.

"I'm surprised he used the 'explosive diarrhea' excuse so early in the year. Man's dedicated," Zack commented.

Popple checked her watch and looked around. "Where is Cloud, anyway? He said he'd be here with the car by now."

Zack pointed at Eugene and Ronnie. "He'd better hurry." As he watched, Zack's phone rang and he answered it.

"Hey, Zack! I'm on the way! Where are Eugene and Ronnie?"

"Well, they're talking right next to his car." A pause. "She's laughing at something he just said." Another pause. "He's asking her something and she's nodding. They're getting closer to each other. He's putting his hand on her chin. He's about to kiss her!"

"NOOOOOOO!!!!" Cloud yelled, so loud that Zack recoiled away from the phone.

Zack laughed "I'm just playing with you, man. But she did just say yes to something." Zack heard a car honk from Cloud's side.

"I spent almost all afternoon trying to convince the scientists to let me use the car before the race. Now let's hope this pays off." He hung up.

A car horn blasting "La Cucaracha" filled the air. Everyone outside turned to the source of it, which was the Ford Mustang. When it stopped in the school parking lot, a small crowd swarmed around it. Ronnie stopped talking to Eugene and turned around. She immediately walked away from him and towards the car. Eugene stomped on the ground and watched from afar. The Mustang's window was lowered and Cloud's grinning face was revealed. He had on a pair of sunglasses. " Wassup, Ronnie?"

"Woah, Cloud! Nice ride!" Where did you get it?" She asked, running her fingers along the side.

"You're kidding me, right?" Eugene said from behind everyone else. He jostled and pushed his way through the crowd. Beside him were two other boys. "You really think he could afford this? Hell, you think his parents could afford it? He probably had to rent it." The two boys next to him laughed and high-fived him. People in the crowd began to mutter and mumble.

Cloud casually lowered his sunglasses and thrusted a piece of paper in front of Eugene. "...What's this?" Eugene asked, snatching it from him. The document was labelled 'Vehicle Bill of Sale'. On it, Cloud's name was written.

Cloud took it back. "It's the Proof of Purchase paper. It means that I'm the one who bought this car. My rich daddy didn't give me a handout, unlike someone I know." The crowd now oohed and ahhed, looking at Eugene, who rolled his eyes.

"Besides, the legal age for renting a car is 23 years old, *clown*," Cloud added. The crowd gasped.

"OH SHIT HE JUST CALLED EUGENE A CLOWN!" Someone yelled.

Eugene sputtered, at a loss for words. "I...wuh...whatever."

Cloud turned to Ronnie. "Where we we? Oh yeah, I've been saving up for one of these bad boys. Hoping to get into a race sometime."

Eugene's boys looked at him and he looked back. All three grinned. "So, you wanna get into some races, huh? Well, there just happens to be a race tonight, first of the season. You want in?"

Cloud chuckled. "Hell yeah, I want in."

"The race is in the city, next to the docks. 10:00 pm sharp." Eugene snapped his fingers. "Jeremy, pen."

One of his boys took off his backpack and rustled through it. He came up with a notebook and a pen. Eugene took them and opened to a page. Writing down an address, he tore the paper out and handed it to Cloud. "Hope I see you there, I've always wanted to see a life-sized bug get squashed. Let's roll." Eugene and his boys walked away. He turned around when he noticed that Ronnie wasn't with him. "Ronnie, you coming?"

"Oh, yeah. See you tonight, Cloud," Ronnie said.

"See ya, Ronnie. Lemme know when you wanna upgrade." He started the car and drove out of the school parking lot and towards home. The crowd watched in surprise. Ronnie giggled and smiled as Cloud drove off and Eugene stomped his foot again and muttered under his breath. Julius, Zack, and Popple watched it all from the school's steps.

"Nice, Cloud's in action!" Julius said.

Popple had a neutral look on her face. "So are we. The race is at 10:00 pm. Let's report to SPD base and tell the news."

All three of the heroes' phones rang and they answered them. "Hey guys, sick exit, right?"

"Yeah, that was pretty impressive. Nice work." Zack said.

"Thanks, man," Cloud said, nervously laughing. "It was so sick, I forgot to go back in and grab my backpack and stuff. I don't suppose you guys could, heh, y'know..."

The three teens looked at each other. Popple sighed. "Sure, Cloud. We'll see you tonight at the race."

"This is our first social interaction with the other kids at our school, so you guys better dress to impress!"

Later that night, a rowdy crowd made up of young people and cars was gathering in a large vacant parking lot. Rock music blasted from speakers attached to some of the cars. Eugene sat on the hood of his Ford GT with Ronnie and his friends from earlier.

"So where's Cloud? I knew he'd chicken out!" Eugene laughed. His cronies laughed as well.

Ronnie rolled her eyes. "He said he'd be here, cut him some slack, Eugene."

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, Cloud was driving to the parking lot. He casually ate french fries as C.O.L.E did all of the driving. "Nice work earlier, C.O.L.E! Did you see how she was looking at me?"

"Which girl? My optical sensors detected multiple females sustaining eye contact with you."

"...That sounds like a good thing, I think! I mean the blonde girl who was with dipstick!"

"You mean Eugene?"

"Nah, that's his...codename, y'know?" Cloud explained.

"Ah, I see. Shall we go over the plan for tonight, Cloud?"

"Sounds good. When we get there, you start playing my intro song. Then I'll find dipstick, challenge him to a 1 on 1 race, win the race, get the girl and become uber popular!"

"I'm confused, when do we neutralize the void?"

"That, too! Insert it somewhere in the plan."

"You certainly have your priorities in order, but you must stay focused. Can't have our energy diverted to other endeavors, hm?"

"Yeah, that's true," Cloud admitted. Just as he finished his fries, he saw the crowd. "We're here, C.O.L.E. Showtime!"

The crowd turned to see Cloud's car rolling in and they made way, looking at it intently as it parked next to Eugene's car. Cloud stepped out of the car and Eugene fumed. Ronnie turned to Eugene. "Told you he'd be here!"

Cloud smirked. "You know it!"

Next to Eugene's car were two others, a dark red Mazda RX-8 and a navy blue Pontiac GTO. Two older boys stepped out of the cars and walked towards the others. One of them wore a blue t-shirt and had a blonde beard with a backwards baseball cap on. The other was wearing a maroon hood and had a small brown mohawk. "Eugene, wassup!"

"Richie, Peyton, wassup!" Eugene greeted in return, fist bumping the two. They glanced at Cloud. "This the new blood you were talking about earlier?" The one named Richie asked.

"Yeah. Cloud here thinks that since he bought a 'racing' car, he's ready to do some racing."

Cloud folded his arms and looked at Eugene. "Nah, I *know* I'm ready to do some racing. Now let's stop talking and take this to the track."

Eugene, Richie, and Peyton stared at each other before bursting out into laughter. Cloud looked at them, confused. Finally, Richie calmed down enough to begin talking again. "You don't know how this works, do you? The races are organized in a round robin format. Everyone involved races each other and the one with the most wins by the end faces the champion."

Eugene got in Cloud's face and sneered. "Who is none other than me! So get in line, scrub."

Cloud didn't back down. "Man, whatever." He looked at Richie. "So where does the line to kick everyone's butts start?"

Richie laughed again. "You've got guts, man! I dig that. The first race of the season is tonight. Circle around towards where those other cars are, the race is starting soon."

"Let's see what you got, stink cloud." Eugene taunted. His toadies chuckled at his joke. Cloud rolled his eyes and got back in the car, driving to where he was directed. Also at the location were some other guys and their cars. There was a black Audi A4, a lime green Ford Focus, and an orange Chevy Malibu. As he parked and stepped out again, he felt the eyes of the others racers on him.

"Cloud!"

Cloud heard his name being called over the loud music and chattering of the crowd and turned around to see Zack walking over, along with Julius and Popple. Relieved to see familiar faces, Cloud gave his trademark grin. "Hey guys, glad you could make it!"

"How's everything going so far?" Julius asked.

"Apparently, I can't race Eugene yet 'cause of a red robin or something. Looks like before I can take candy from a baby, I gotta take it from several different babies!"

"Easy, Cloud. We're still learning about the void's effects. You'll get your shot at Eugene."

As the heroes talked, the music began to decrease in volume, along with the crowd's talking. "Will all racers make their way to the starting line!" Cloud heard Peyton announce. Cloud got back into the car.

"Good luck, Cloud!" Popple said.

"Better run 'em down, or we're not letting you in the house," Zack jokingly threatened. Cloud laughed and drove to the starting line. The others cars soon joined.

Richie strolled in front of the cars, a microphone in his hands. "Welcome, everybody, to the first race of the Autumn Circuit!" The crowd cheered loudly. "You all know how we do things around here, but for those who don't know, every racer will engage in races over the span of a few weeks. The one with the most points by the end of the circuit will be crowned the winner of the circuit and will earn the right to race the reigning champion, Eugene!" Richie pointed at Eugene.

The crowd went wild for him, and he glanced in Cloud's direction goadingly.

"Alright, racers, tonight's meal is a simple circuit. You'll be racing to the high school, driving through the roundabout checkpoint, and back. Good luck!"

Richie ran out of the street and a girl took his place. Slowly, she raised her left arm up. Cloud relaxed and gripped the wheel casually. He could hear the other cars' engines starting.

"Ready..."

She raised her right arm up.

"Set..."

In a flash, both arms dropped down and she bowed. "GO!" And just as quickly, the cars blasted past her. As they drove off from the docks, all four racers were stuck together. However, they were soon divided, with the Malibu and Audi taking the lead. Cloud was in the middle and the Focus was lagging behind. Cloud looked around the inside of the car curiously.

"We're going to the high school and back, sounds easy enough. So C.O.L.E, how does that whole point a to b work again?" Cloud asked as they drove.

"The pathfinding program can be accessed through the user interface on the dashboard," C.O.L.E replied. A screen on the dashboard hummed to life and displayed a map of the city. The streets were filled with blue lines that connected two black markers through various routes. Cloud examined them. "Woah, those are a lot of options. Uh..." Cloud took some time to think and clicked on the shortest one.

"Are you sure about this path, master? It may prove a tad uncomfortable..." C.O.L.E asked.

"Nah, I can take it!" Cloud said, shrugging.

The car slowed down, allowing the Focus to speed past them. "Wait, what are we doing? Shouldn't we be speeding up?"

C.O.L.E made a right turn into an alleyway that left the vehicle barely any space to move. Cloud looked at the walls on both sides of him, slightly nervous.

"You sure this is the right--." The car suddenly lurched forward and he was pushed back into his seat due to the sheer boost in speed. He looked at the speedometer. 30 mph, 40 mph, 55, 60, 70?! He felt butterflies in his stomach and it took every ounce of self-control in his body to not yelp. The car turned the left a smidge and near missed a dumpster. A stray cat leapt out of the car's path and Cloud could hear it yowl in panic.

"I apologize for the discomfort, master, but this path is the fastest towards the school," They exited the alley and crossed a street before entering another alley. Honking cars were left in their wake. "Unlike the other racers, we'll be moving in a straight line there."

In little time at all, they arrived at the school, where another smaller crowd of kids were watching. As they saw Cloud's car, some began to talk amongst themselves. Other clapped and cheered for the racer in first place who reached the checkpoint. Cloud and C.O.L.E entered the roundabout and circled around it, passing the kids, before exiting and beginning their drive back towards the school, now on the main road. Soon, they were back at the docks, where the crowd waited in anticipation. When they laid eyes on Cloud, reactions were mixed. A portion of the crowd clapped, but the rest were silent. Cloud had not only arrived first, but without any of the racers in tow.

Eugene looked at him incredulously. "No way! How did he--...this is BS!" He directed his attention from Cloud to Richie. "Right? He had to have cheated!"

Richie held a hand up and opened his phone for confirmation. Everyone in the crowd looked on intently. Finally, he put it in his pocket and put the microphone to his mouth. "It's confirmed, the winner of the first race of the season...is Cloud!"

It was only when Richie announced the results that everyone started to clap and cheer for Cloud. People mobbed around Cloud's car and when he got out, surrounded him with high fives and fist bumps. Soon, the other racers finished as well and returned to the docks. They exited their cars, completely confused. While celebrating, Cloud caught a glimpse at Eugene, who looked back at him casually. He slowly clapped in a condescending manner. Cloud gave him a grin and continued to celebrate.

"Hey, Cloud!" Cloud heard Ronnie's voice and he turned to see that she was behind him. "Nice job, you impressed me. Not a lot of people can do that in a day of knowing me," She punched his arm playfully and he tried his absolute best to maintain his cool and not make a goofy grin. Come on come on, what was the line he prepared for something like this? "There's a lot more where that came from."

Ronnie smirked. "Really? I'm looking forward to it," She said before walking away. Cloud looked just in time to see Eugene fuming after their exchange. Oh yeah, everything was coming together.

...

Julius, Zack, and Popple were back in the SPD lab after they finished the school day, sitting at the round table. One of the scientists and Silas were at the front of the room, putting the finishing touches on their presentation. All that remained was to begin, but Cloud was nowhere to be seen. Zack was looking at an image on his phone.

"Where did you say he was again?" Silas asked, looking at Julius.

"Well, according to the text he sent us, he's out doing deep undercover work," Julius replied.

"The third time this week he's been doing 'deep undercover work'. We barely see him outside of school and the tournament races." Popple added.

It had been three weeks since the first race. Cloud had been rising through the ranks, going undefeated so far. All his winning had been attracting popularity and respect from everyone at the high school.

Zack laughed out loud and Popple turned to see what he was laughing at. She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, he's deep undercover alright, deep undercover with Richie and Peyton. They're hanging out at the mall."

"Wait, what?" Julius asked, confused. Zack passed him his phone and he looked at it. Cloud was posing in front of his car with two other boys. The picture's caption read 'Out riding with Richie and Peyton'. Julius looked at Zack. "Are we getting replaced?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Julius," Zack said reassuringly. Julius relaxed a little. "It's only you that's getting replaced."

Julius rolled his eyes. "Haha, whatever..."

Meanwhile, in the city, Cloud, Richie and Peyton were sitting on the hoods of their cars drinking sodas, laughing, and generally having a good time.

"Man, when I first met you, Cloud, I thought you were just some loose amateur," Richie started. "But you proved me wrong! Where did you learn to drive like that?"

Cloud took a sip from his can and nonchalantly shrugged. "Tons of practice, not to mention videogames boosting my reflexes and stuff." He looked at Peyton. "So who else is gonna meet us here to hang out?"

"Outside of us...Ronnie and Eugene are close by."

"Speaking of which, how did you guys meet Eugene anyway?" Cloud asked.

"Same way we met you, he showed up to the races and started dusting everybody. His car's ridiculous, man."

Peyton finished his soda and set it on the hood. "Yeah, you should see it when he's racing. It's like a wild animal is in the engine, trying to break free from a cage! The way it purrs and vibrates, man! Just as fast as one, too. It's out of this world!"

*Yeah, about that*, Cloud thought to himself.

Eugene's car rolled up and parked next to Peyton's car. The first one to get out of was Ronnie. "Hey, Cloud!" She said, smiling.

"Wassup, Ronnie!"

Eugene exited the car next. "What up, fellas?" He said to Richie and Peyton, walking over and fist bumping them. He ignored Cloud.

Richie looked to Eugene, then to Cloud. "Now that I think about it, this is quite the interesting meet up. We've got the reigning champ," He pointed to Eugene. "And the rising star."

Eugene finally acknowledged Cloud, pointing at him with his thumb. "What's he doing here?"

"Richie and I wanted to bring him here to celebrate his latest achievement."

"What’s that?"

"He's undefeated, that's what!" Richie burst in and answered. "Cloud here hasn't lost a single race since the season began. Funnily enough, just like you."

"Yup," Cloud said, pointing to himself. "I'm going for gold. Better not get comfortable on that throne of yours, genie weenie,"

Richie and Peyton looked at each, surprised. "Ooooooh..."

"I think I'm gonna be staying in that throne for a long while, stinky. You're still not ready to face me yet."

Richie cleared his throat. "Actually, he kind of is, Eugene."

Eugene remained composed. "What?"

"According to the tournament brackets, Cloud's beaten everybody *but* you."

"Oh, word!" Cloud said. "That means there's only one thing I gotta say to you now." He got off the hood and walked towards Eugene. "When's the best time this week for you to get your butt kicked?"

Eugene got in his face. "You're really eager to eat my dust, huh?"

"The only thing I'm hungry for is the dub." Cloud got in his face now.

"Easy there, guys," Peyton said, walking in between the two and breaking them apart. "Save it for the streets."

"So, when're we doing this?” Cloud asked.

"Tomorrow night, loser. You've raced the rest, now it's time to lose to the best." Eugene turned around and walked away back to his car. "Come on, Ronnie, we're going."

"We just got here, Eugene. C'mon, let's hang out."

"Hey, don't sweat him, Ronnie. If he wants to go, let him," Cloud extended a hand. "Come to think of it, have you ever been in *my* ride?"

Ronnie grinned and took it. "No, I don't think I have."

"Yo, Richie, Peyton! Race you guys to the docks!"

"You're on, Cloud!"

Eugene could only grumble and watch as everyone got into their cars and drove off towards the docks.

As they 'drove', Cloud's phone buzzed and he opened it up, reading a text message. It was from Julius. "Meeting is in 10 minutes. Where are you?"

Crap.

...

Finally, Cloud arrived at SPD Base, making a beeline to the meeting room. Once he got inside, he was greet with the unhappy faces of Julius, Zack and Popple.

"Hey hey! Mis amigos, que pasa?" Cloud said, excitement and hype in his voice.

"Hey yourself," Popple greeted in return. "How did your 'deep undercover' work go?"

"The undercover work? It went great!"

"Yeah, I bet it was great hanging out with your new best friends Richie and Peyton," Julius mumbled.

"Huh?"

Popple jumped in. "We know you've been out with your racing friends. You completely forgot the meeting, which was supposed to start 20 minutes ago!"

Cloud raced to find something to say to cushion his mistake, but was coming up blank. Hearing the commotion, the scientists and Silas entered through the door next to the projection screen. "Glad you could make it, Cloud."

The heroes sat down and the room darkened. The presentation screen displayed a vial containing a sample of void connected to a small engine via a tube. The purple substance flowed through the tube and once it reach the engine, the engine began to vibrate and shake.

"As you can see, we have successfully created a simulation of the void being used as fuel."

"It may look normal," Silas explained. "But as the experiment progressed, things took a turn." The footage fast-forwarded and as it ran, things changed. The engine was beginning to emit a purple light. The brighter the light became, the more the engine vibrated and shook.

*Wait, didn't Peyton say something about that earlier?* Cloud thought to himself.

"It seems that the void is perhaps infecting the engine?" The scientist said, unsure.

"I think I know what's going on! One of Eugene's friends said something about that when we were hanging o--I mean, when I was undercover. The engine was shaking, rumbling, and making noise like it's about to bust open. I think the void as fuel is *really* unstable."

Silas groaned. "Aw, geez...if that's the case, then we need to exponentially advance the simulation. Good find, Cloud. Did you find out anything else during your undercover work?"

"Well, I found the date for the final race of the season. And it's against Eugene."

"When is it?"

"It's gonna be tomorrow night."

"Then it's a good thing we're advancing the experiment," The scientist said. "If Eugene is going to be racing in that car, it'll be good to know what to expect of the engine."

"So, is this the part where we come in to smash and grab the void?" Zack inquired.

The scientist held his hand up. "I'm afraid not. We still don't know enough. Racing him is a perfect way to keep an eye on things. I'd better get back into the lab for testing. Good luck, Cloud." The screen shut down, the lights returned and the scientists walked back into the lab. Silas stayed, strolling over to the others at the table. He pulled up a chair and sat down.

"Great, now that that's done with, time for meeting number two," He began, eyeing Cloud. "What *else* happened during your deep undercover hangout?"

Cloud smiled sheepishly. "After Eugene challenged me to the race, Ronnie ended up hanging out with me in the car."

"HAHA! That's what I'm talking about! Cloud and the most popular chick in school!" The two high-fived.

"You should come to the race tomorrow, Silas. It'll be like old times," Julius suggested.

"Don't think I'll be able to make it, Julius. I gotta help the scientists in the lab. Everyday, the stuff seems to get more and more dangerous. Have any of you seen that monster from the M.Tea attack?"

"Nothing at all," Zack answered. "Not that I'm complaining."

"I've been looking at the footage from the lab. The shadowy abilities remind me of Bane's, but he's obviously locked up."

"Wait, what about about Chan and Hoji?" Cloud recalled. "Bane mind-controlled them and everything, maybe it's related to them?"

"True, but I don't think they'd have enough of Bane's energy in them to do all that stuff. If you see it out there, be careful. Especially out in public with innocents," Silas said as he walked into the lab after the scientist.

It was the big night of the final race. The crowd was even bigger than before. Cloud could hardly hear himself think over the sounds of the crowd. Rock music was playing from speakers and people in turn were trying to talk over the music or singing along with it. The people were split into two sides on the lot, giving C.O.L.E ample room to drive through. When people noticed his car rolling in, they began to whoop and cheer for him, adding even more to the noise.

"Geez, they're really showing up tonight, huh?" Cloud asked , looking out the window at the gathering.

"It's to be expected. This is a rather important social event for them," C.O.L.E stated. "Although I must ask, are you nervous?"

"Nervous? About what?"

"I was briefed about the meeting from yesterday afternoon. When used as fuel, the void becomes increasingly unstable, creating a possible risk for the public, possibly the entire city."

Cloud shuddered slightly. His phone buzzed and he took it out. He had received a text from Zack. "turn to your right." He turned and saw Julius, Zack, and Popple at the front of the crowd. They waved and cheered him on. The teen smiled and turned back to look ahead. "Of all the times to be afraid, this is definitely not one of them. If something goes wrong, we'll take care of it, just like we did with Bane."

Noticing the starting line, Cloud slowed down and parked in front of it. "I guess I should give them what they want, huh?" Without waiting for an answer, Cloud stepped out of the car and waved at the crowd. They erupted into even more cheering. As he waved and looked around, Cloud caught sight of Eugene's purple Ford GT rolling up next to him. Cloud didn't think that the crowd could get louder than it already was, but he was sorely mistaken. Eugene stepped out of his car and looked at Cloud. The rivals stared at each other.

"You know you're going down today, right?” He said. "No mercy."

Cloud took some time to get a closer look at the Ford's hood. It definitely was bumping and shaking. He looked back up to Eugene. "We'll see."

The two returned to their cars as Richie moved through the crowd and stopped in front of the cars. He held the microphone to his mouth. "GOOD EVENING RACING FANS!" The crowd clapped and cheered the MC. "Welcome to the final race of the Autumn Circuit! It's been one hell of a season, let me tell you! For the second time ever, we've had a racer go undefeated in every single race! Give it up for Cloud and his Ford Mustang!" The people cheered for him. “And to make things even more interesting, our champion is also undefeated! Give it up for Eugene and his Ford GT!" More applause. "I don't think either of our racers want to go home with an L tonight, but there can be only one winner! This race is gonna be the longest and most challenging one of them all, perfect for our racer's calibers. You'll be racing from here, to the city park, into the business district, past the drawbridge and finally back here. Good luck, you two. Now start those engines!"

Cloud and Eugenes' engines came to light, revving and making noise. Cloud quickly glanced to his left and could faintly see a purple light emitting from the engine under the hood.

"Ready...set...go!" Riche yelled, the cars speeding past him and on their way. Julius, Zack and Popple watch Cloud and Eugene's cars pass by, purple exhaust smoke coming out of Eugene's car. While the other people in the crowd were intrigued, Julius looked uneasy. "Nothing to worry about...right?"

"Yeah, according to the scientists, it's purely visual," Popple answered. "Let's fan the area, make sure there aren't any unwanted guest appearances." Julius and Zack nodded and began to look around them, surveying the area. Zack noticed something odd. Two boys began to walk out of the crowd. He poked Julius with his elbow and pointed at them leaving. The three slowly made their way out as well and followed them from a distance. The boys walked to their cars and got in, driving out of the parking lot.

"Weird, what do you think that was about?" Julius asked. Just as he asked, all three of their morphers went off. Julius opened it up and answered the call first. "Hello?"

Silas’ panicked voice began to talk immediately. He sounded like he was out of breath. "Guys, we have a problem, and it's a big one."

"What's up?" Popple asked.

"Well, the void fuel simulation finished, and we have our conclusion. The engine isn't built to use fuel as unstable as the void, so all that shaking and rumbling? It's from the engine overheating and melting down. The result?" Silas imitated a bomb. "Kaboom."

All three heroes had worried looks on their faces. "How big of an explosion?"

"First of all, the experiment wasn't to scale, we used a V8 four-stroke engine, which is about the size of a basketball. Plus the void sample we used was a minuscule amount. However, half of the lab blew up. The explosion from a bigger engine with more void in it would be disastrous."

"It could take out half the city!" Julius exclaimed. "We need to go after it and warn Cloud!"

"But how? We don't have a car!" Popple said.

"Well, you *didn't* have a set of wheels. The scientists got a vehicle for you guys and are delivering it as we speak."

"How long will that take?"

The three heard a honk behind them and turned around. Parking before them were two white convertible jeeps with black stripes. On the backs were red sirens and 'SPD' was labeled on the side of the hoods. One of the scientists stepped out of the jeep and walked to the other one, entering it. "It's all yours, rangers. Everything you need is inside. Godspeed." The two then drove away.

Julius, Zack, and Popple wasted no time getting into the Jeep. Zack and Popple got in first, with Zack taking the driver's seat and Popple taking the passenger's side. Julius reluctantly got in the back. "Zack, can you drive this?"

He grabbed the keys off the dashboard and started the jeep. "For sure. Now let's roll!" He drove out of the parking lot and after Cloud and Eugene.

Out on the road, Cloud and Eugene were engaged in the race. At the moment, Eugene was ahead, but only by a little. The racers drove past the park and now made their way to the business district. The road was empty save for a few cars. Eugene bobbed and weaved past them. Cloud and C.O.L.E followed in stride.

"Alright, no more playing around, we need to get in the lead," Cloud said.

"We can't do that quite yet, Cloud. We need to keep our eyes on the car. "

Cloud let out a sigh. "Yeah, yeah, alright."

Up ahead, a car was driving straight, but slowed down as it reached the middle lane. As C.O.L.E got ready to change to the left lane, another car in that lane sped up and moved into the spot he was going to enter. With the sidewalk on his right and the car on his left, he was forced to slow down. Oddly enough, however, Eugene didn't use this opportunity to increase his lead. He instead slowed down as well as they drove through the intersection. The car that had slowed down turned to the right just before Cloud and Eugene passed through, which meant Cloud was now trapped between the car to his left, the sidewalk to his right, and the car blocking him from advancing ahead. Eugene rolled down his window and Cloud could hear him laughing. The taunting laugh was making his blood boil. The windows of the cars next to him and in front of him lowered as well, revealing the sneering faces of Eugene's toadies.

"What's wrong, Cloud? Stuck?" Eugene asked, continuing to laugh.

Cloud rolled down his window. "Eugene, what the hell is this?"

"I'm making sure that I come out in first place. And you lose horribly."

"You're cheating, man. What's wrong, afraid you can't beat me yourself?"

Eugene ignored the question. "You had a good run, Cloud, but you're not winning tonight. See ya around, chump!" He said, speeding up the car. Soon, he was out of sight.

Cloud yelled out in frustration. He tried reversing and getting out of the blockade, but the car to his left was completely on top of him. Whenever Cloud moved, he would move as well to make sure there was no escape.

"Great, he's getting away! And I can't get out 'cause of his stupid goons! C.O.L.E, think you can get us outta here?"

"With the sidewalk blocking our right and the other cars in traffic, I can't find any reliable paths out of this jam that would guarantee ours and everyone else's safety."

Cloud signed and bonked his head on the steering wheel. Things were hopeless, he had lost and there was no telling what the void would do in Eugene's engine.

Suddenly, he could hear sirens behind him. The car up ahead lowered its windows and Eugene's friend yelled to the one blocking Cloud's left. "Oh crap, it's the cops, what do we do?"

"We keep going, we can't let Eugene down, man!" He yelled back.

"Screw that, I'm not going to jail for him!" The other yelled back, turning into a vacant area to park. The friend on the left and Cloud followed and also parked there. The police vehicle stopped and he turned around to look. What he thought was a police car was actually a white jeep. When he saw who stepped out of the car, his heart soared. A red, green, and yellow ranger got out of the jeep and walked over to the two cars. The two friends stepped out of their cars.

Zack began to speak to them. "Evening boys, couldn't quite help but notice that both of your taillights are broken."

Eugene's friends looked at their cars. "No they're not."

In a single motion, Zack summoned his blaster and fired at their cars, destroying both of their taillights. The friends yelped and cowered on the ground, shocked.

"Oh, looks like they are. Now since it's your first time, I'm gonna let you two off with a warning," He pointed behind him with his thumb. "Now beat it."

The friends clumsily got up and fled the scene in terror. Cloud could hear them cursing and whimpering as they ran.

"Geez, Zack, did you really need to do that?" Julius said.

"No, but I wanted to," Zack replied. "Look at them run!"

Cloud got out of the car, smiling. "If that wasn't the most clutch moment of all time! Eugene tried to cheat his way to victory, but you came through!"

"We came with some bad news!" Popple began to explain. "The void isn't stable enough to be used as fuel! Once it overheats, it's gonna explode and half the city will be caught in the radius!"

"Then I have to stop him!" Cloud turned around. "C.O.L.E! Find us the fastest route from here to the finish line!"

"Already on it, master."

Julius was startled for a moment. "That thing talks?"

Everyone could hear C.O.L.E's clicking and whirling as it ran through it's options. "There...there aren't any paths that will put us ahead of dipstick, master."

"Who's dipstick?" Popple asked.

"Dipstick...dipstick..." Cloud took a moment to think. "Oh yeah, it's Eugene. C.O.L.E, how fast is the best route?"

"The fastest route will get us there five minutes behind him."

"Crap..." Cloud paced about, trying to think of a way out of this mess. *Come on Cloud come on...what's C.O.L.E's primary function?* He remembered the first conversation he had with the scientists and C.O.L.E. *'I have been programmed with data on every part of the city, allowing me to map out the fastest and most conventional path between Point A and B...'*

"That's it! C.O.L.E, what about the most unconventional path?"

Another pause as C.O.L.E calculated. "Yes, I've found an...unconventional path that would put us ahead of Eugene. Although you might want to come inside and have a look."

"Wait! Before you go!" Julius ran back to the jeep and reach into the back, pulling something and running back. He handed Cloud a gray welding glove and a black thermos-like object. "For when you separate the void from the engine. It's made out of a material that's resistant to heat."

"Looks like it's time to save the day." Cloud looked at his friends. "Thanks again, guys."

"It'll be thanks enough if you save the city and beat that piece of crap Eugene in the process," Zack said.

Cloud grinned and got in the car. C.O.L.E started up and immediately began driving out of the parking lot and down the normal racing path. C.O.L.E was driving at top speed and Cloud was reminded of the first race they were in. He looked at the screen on the dashboard and saw that the map was filled with black lines instead of the usual blue. "What, are those every single unconventional path?"

"Precisely." All of the lines but one disappeared. This path had a clock above it as well. The line would have them go on the highway, bring them to the drawbridge and...

"Hey, C.O.L.E? I think the map is glitching out, there's no ground where the drawbridge should be."

"That's part of the path. We'll have to use the drawbridge as a ramp to shortcut through a good portion of the race. Enough to catch Eugene. In about 5 minutes, the drawbridge will begin to rise up. The clock is there to alert us that this route is time sensitive. We'll only have 6 minutes to get there before the drawbridge is too high to pass through. Lastly..." The car began to slow down and came to a stop. "My programming does not permit me to embark on paths as dangerous as these. You'll need to drive."

Cloud gulped. "Wait, me? But I can't drive!"

"I'll guide you through. Think of this as a...more hands on driver's test. We'll do this together, alright?"

He took a deep breath and sighed. "Alright, let's do it."

"Good. First, put your left hand on my wheel. Then, while pressing down on the brake, put me in drive and slowly press down on the accelerator."

Cloud did as he was direct and the car lurched forward slightly before regaining composure.

"You're doing it, Cloud! You're riding me!"

"C.O.L.E, can you do me a favor refer to yourself as the car? It's getting kind of weird in here..."

"As you wish."

Cloud put his hands on the wheel and turned, glancing at the screen. It was directing him to keep going straight for 100 feet before making a turn onto the interchange, which led to the highway. The car swayed from side to side as Cloud's hands were shaking.

"Easy, Cloud. Lean back in your seat, otherwise the car will turn whenever you move your body."

Cloud leaned back and the car wasn't shaking as much. He turned and drove onto the interchange. Unfortunately, there were cars on the highway.

"You're going to need to maneuver around these cars, Cloud. Use the turn signal to the left of the wheel to announce your movements. Don't turn too sharply."

Cloud pushed down on the lever and turned to the left. Once he was on the left side, he sped up and pushed the lever up. Once he saw that the way was clear, he went back on the right side of the highway.

"Hey, this isn't so hard!"

They continued on the highway for about a minute. Cloud looked down and saw that the directions required him to make a turn soon.

"Alright, Cloud, begin to slow down and get ready to take this turn," C.O.L.E directed. Cloud pressed down on the brakes softly. "A little harder." The turn was coming up soon.

"Ah, crap! Car safety gods, forgive me!" He yelled, turning the wheel rapidly. The car's rear wheel lost traction and he felt his body lightly hit the window as he drifted through the exit. His cheek felt cold against the window and he nervously yelled out. Although it was a very rough turn, the car successfully drifted through the entire turn and Cloud found himself on another straightway. Far up ahead, the drawbridge was still up.

"Holy crap...holy crap...we made it! We're gonna do it!"

The gate to the drawbridge began to fall onto the road.

"CRAP CRAP ME AND MY BIG MOUTH!" He exclaimed.

"Relax, Cloud, it's all part of the route. For this next part, you'll need to time it perfectly. Too early and the car won't gain enough speed to overtake Eugene. Too late and you'll send us plummeting into the water below."

"So it's just like a quick time event? Alright, what do I need to do here?"

"When the car is exactly 150 feet away from the drawbridge, slam on the accelerator and go as fast as you can, alright? No earlier, no later."

"Like a QTE on hard mode..." Cloud nodded and drove straight for the drawbridge The bridge itself now was beginning to rise up. Cloud divided his attention between the road and the dashboard. 300, 280, 260...*You can do this, Cloud.* 220, 190, 181, 170... Things seemed to be going in slow motion. 160...157...155...151...***150***. Cloud slammed his foot on the accelerator and the car launched forward. The car was blazing forward at 80 mph. He felt like he was fusing into the seat with the speed he was going. Cloud hardly noticed the drawbridge gate break, but he did feel the car tilt as it drove on the drawbridge and was sent into the air.

"AAAHHHHHH!!!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Below him was ice cold water and failure. He felt completely weightless as he soared in the air. Soon, gravity returned and grasped the car tightly. Now they were falling. This was it, had he really sped up at the correct time? Was he destined for defeat? No, defeat wasn't his destiny. As if a mystical spell had been lifted, the car landed on the other side of the drawbridge and Cloud was back to driving on solid ground.

"YAAAWHOO!!" Cloud whooped. He had done it! He got over the drawbridge! But it wasn't over yet. There was still one more matter to take care of. He continued driving forward, through another set of gates. Slowing down, he made a turn and was back on the main road. From his location, he could hear the sounds of the racing audience. Looking to his right and at the dashboard map, he saw that there was a straight path for about half a mile before a turn, which led right to the finish line. He was close, but where was Eugene? After a few seconds, he saw Eugene's Ford GT enter from the left, having just turned a corner. He was driving at a rather slow and casual speed, probably thinking that Cloud was far behind him. Cloud summoned one of his blasters and took aim. As Eugene drove past him, he fired three shots. The first two hit both his front and back right tires. Once the car passed him, Cloud fired the last shot, which hit his back left tire. The car began to skid and Eugene was forced to come to a stop at the corner. Bullseye. Cloud could hear the people cheering for him as they caught sight of him. Cloud got back into his car and drove over to Eugene's, getting out and walking to the driver's side with the glove and thermos in his hands. He set the thermos on the ground, put on the glove, and opened the door, unbuckled Eugene's seatbelt, and dragged him out of the car.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!" Eugene exclaimed.

Without answering, Cloud continued to drag him away from the car, away from the corner and the sight of anyone else.

"Let go of me!"

Obeying him, Cloud dropped him on the ground and walked back to the car. He put on the glove and took a deep breath before opening the hood. The first sensation he felt when he opened it was searing heat. It was very, very hot under the hood. The engine looked unlike anything he had seen before. It was a regular engine with around 14 tubes attached to a bright purple rock to the left of the engine. The engine itself was a bright purple, but it wasn't its natural color. It looked like molten metal, something you would see in a blacksmith shop, only instead of orange, it was purple. The engine was shaking violent, ready to blow at any moment. Cloud reached in slowly and pulled on the rock. The wires gave way easily, possibly because they looked as molten hot as the engine itself. Even through the glove, the rock was still rather hot. Cloud put the rock on the ground, quickly opened the thermos, and placed it in, closing it in tightly. He then entered his car and lightly tossed the thermos and glove onto the passenger's seat. He slowly began to drive forward. Eugene banged on the window with his fist, but Cloud ignored him. The crowd watched in silent confusion as Cloud drove closer and closer to them with Eugene walking next to him. Finally, right in front of the finish line, Cloud stepped out. Eugene glared at him, fury in his eyes.

"You asshole! What did you do to my car!" He hollered.

"You're welcome," Cloud said simply.

"I'm welcome? I'm *welcome?* Welcome for what?"

Without warning, without any kind of signal whatsoever, Eugene's Ford GT exploded. The shock of the sudden explosion was so intense, Eugene fell into a heap on the ground in utter shock.

"JESUS CHRIST!!!" He yelled out.

"HEY LOOK UP THERE!!!" Someone in the crowd yelled. Everyone looked up in disbelief as the destroyed husk of his car was sent sky high by the explosion. Cloud kept on walking refusing to look at anything other than what was ahead of him, the finish line. *Cool guys don't look at explosions cool guys don't look at explosions.* Richie and Peyton ran over to Cloud.

"Dude, what the hell happened?!" Richie asked. "Why did you drag Eugene out of his car? And why did it suddenly explode?"

Cloud pointed to Eugene, who was slowly getting to his feet, whimpering. "This idiot here had a stuck valve in his engine. That's why it was always shaking and vibrating. Tried to see if I could fix it, but it was too far gone. His car stopped working and I had to save him before--" He was interrupted by the loud crash of the Ford's charred remains hitting the ground.

Eugene looked up. When he saw what had become of his car, he fell to his knees, tears forming in his eyes. "MY CAAARRRR!! MY DADS GONNA KILL ME!!"

Cloud continued. "...That happened. His life took priority over me winning the race, so I saved him."

Richie and Peyton looked at each other, then nodded knowingly. "That makes sense. I'm just glad nobody was hurt," Richie said, turning to the crowd. "Everything is okay, guys! It seems that due to poor car maintenance, Eugene's car blew up. The winner of the race, and the season..." Cloud stepped forward over the finish line. "IS CLOUD!!!!"

The crowd went wild, beginning to mob and swarm him, surrounding him with cheers and compliments. Someone began to chant his name and soon everyone joined in.

"CLOUD CLOUD CLOUD!!!"

Up ahead, someone was trying to get through the crowd to him. Cloud was suddenly greeted by Ronnie, who ran up to him and hugged him.

"YOU DID IT CLOUD!!" She exclaimed with joy. After the hug, she looked up and leaned up to kiss him. The crowd's chants became a mixed chorus of 'oohs', 'ahhs', and 'HOLY CRAP RONNIE JACOBS KISSED HIM'.

"YEEAAAHHHHH!" Cloud cheered. This was his moment. Mission accomplished.

...

Later on, when the crowd had mostly dispersed, Cloud sat on the hood of C.O.L.E, looking up at the night sky.

"You did it, Cloud! Splendid job!" C.O.L.E chirped happily.

"Yup, I really did it. Ronnie *kissed* me, man!"

A pause. "Ah, yes, that too, but aren't you forgetting something else you did?"

"Heh, yeah. I got the void and saved the day as well. Couldn't have done without you, buddy."

Julius, Zack, and Popple walked over, just as excited as Cloud was.

"Nice work, Cloud!" Julius started. They high-fived.

Zack fist bumped him. "Looks like you just pulled off your own 'Zack moment' and saved the day, Cloud."

"'Zack and Julius moment', you mean," Julius corrected him.

"Sure, whatever."

Finally, Popple embraced him in a hug. "You had me worried about you for a sec..." She recoiled back. "You're really sweaty, geez!"

"I had to drive a real car for the first time in my life *and* jump off a drawbridge! Cut me some slack, huh?"

"Where's the void fuel?" Zack asked.

Cloud opened the passenger's side and brought out the thermos. "Right here, safe and secure."

"Hey, Cloud!"

He quickly put it back in the car and closed the door. "Yo, Ronnie!"

She walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "How's my champion doing?"

Cloud gave a goofy grin. "Hehehe, haha...I-I'm feeling great, babe! What's up?"

"Richie, Peyton, and some other friends from school are gonna go to the waffle house to hang out. You and your friends interested?"

Cloud glanced at the others. They shrugged, playing it cool.

"Sure, I'd like some waffles," Popple answered.

"Ditto," Julius agreed.

"I'd kill for some pancakes," Zack said.

"Sweet! I'll see you guys there!" Ronnie said. She kissed Cloud again, this time on the lips, before walking away.

Cloud smiled. "Heh...guys, we did it. We made it! We're popular!" The four friends high fived. "I'll see you guys at the waffle house, alright?"

"See ya, Cloud!" Julius, Zack, and Popple said before walking away, heading to where they parked the jeep. Cloud looked up at the sky and pumped his fist before getting into the car.

"Do you wish for me to drive you this time, Master Cloud?"

"If you don't mind, I'm think I’ll drive again this time."

"As you wish."

Cloud drove out of the parking lot and headed for the waffle house. On the sidewalk, next to where he had first fallen on the ground, Eugene sat on the sidewalk, dialing a number on his phone. He put the phone to his ear.

"Hello? Dad? Yeah, it's Eugene," He sniffled. "I...I'm gonna need a ride home..."

## Trivia

* The title is a spoof of the racing videogame Need for Speed.