Date: December 23rd 2011

Location: Port of Manzanillo, Cuba

When people talk about secret agents, they often refer to the likes of James Bond, a fictional character that is the very definition of cool, calm, suave and sophisticated. The films and books that center around these non-stop, all action beings make the life seem exciting and dramatic, full of adventure, fast car chases and constant bomb disposal, always on the go, all whilst shrouded in a blanket of mystery. Who are they really? What did they do in their spare time? Anyone who aspired to be an agent often recalled these idols in their mind. That was surely what it meant to be an agent? Those were certainly the thoughts that passed through the mind of a young Toyota Celica, who was currently crouched as low as she possibly dared behind a large metal shipping crate, awaiting instructions from her mentor whom was some way ahead, scouting the area. If everyone really knew how mundane most days were, even on mission... would half of the agents even sign up? These weren't the reasons she herself signed up to be a CHROME agent, but upon these quiet moments, she often took the time to think about more... 'the meaning of life' questions. It kept her mind turning when there was really nothing else to focus on. She began turning her thoughts to how the dynamics of the job were to change should the films show what it was mostly like, when the black Celica dropped back to reality, as a sudden noise caused her to jump.

"Carlisle! Do you read?" Came the voice over her radio, and the sound caused her to blink rapidly, trying to quickly process what she had originally been told to do.

"Oh, right, yes, s-sorry!" She stammered a little, clearing her throat nervously. She glanced around at her surroundings, seeing that the silvery blue Faultless had travelled even further ahead, just about spotting him use his grappling hooks to hoist himself up to the top of a lookout platform about 10ft high. It was the Celica's first official mission, having graduated a few months ago in fact. Most of her working days so far had been filled with training continuously, testing reflexes, endurance and knowledge in every sense, until the young agent was mentally and physically exhausted. Her mentor and mission partner, none other than Finn McMissile, was often put on the more dangerous missions, and there was no other way to ensure that the Toyota would be up to the task. She had been more than willing however, because to be the best, you had to put in the work and keep up with the best. Leland hadn't brought her to CHROME just to give up... to let go of what he'd done for her just because she found the going a little tough. She now lived on in his memory, taking his place as the one to help Finn bring down the criminally insane, as it were. She couldn't let neither Finn or Leland down...

"Do a rotation around to the left, make sure to keep your guard Shadow. I will keep watch from up here... it looks safe for the moment, but be careful Carlisle" Came Finn's voice through her radio. She gave a nod, despite the fact he probably couldn't see it, glancing up to his position.

"Roger that..." Shadow responded, now refocusing her mind to the task at hand. Cuba was always known for being deceitfully rich in criminal activity, and places like this were quite often the agents' bread and butter. It was ideal to get Shadow into the routine of what it took to be an agent, though they had been here for three days so far and all they had really done was scout out the best places to watch from. But only earlier, they had received reports of suspicious activity near their location, with instructions to infiltrate and potentially shut down the operation. Their main target was a white 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, Ross Cherokee, a well-known criminal to CHROME, most famous for money and identity fraud... if you wanted something, he knew how to get it, no matter how illegal. Shadow now made her way through the port, little by little, keeping her left side covered by the giant canisters that towered above her, offering yet more darkness in the dead of night.

Shadow's black paint blended well, so it was decided early on that she would carry out checks on the ground, seeing as most of their active searching was during night. Shouts could now be heard some way in the distance, the Faultless turning his attention away from his partner to hide back a little from view, whilst attempting to get an idea as to where the voices where coming from. The Celica froze as the shouts seemed to get closer, but then further away again. She was surrounded by crates, with no way of knowing what was truly going on and this in itself frustrated her. She knew she had to remain still until further instruction came from Finn, though with him unable to appear without being spotted, it suddenly became a little more desperate. It was therefore the reason she made the decision to move whilst Finn wasn't watching out for her, making her own way through the jagged pathways, pausing and speeding up at the right moments to avoid detection. A single light seemed to sweep the area, controlled no doubt by Ross's followers to watch for intruders, and she used this as her pivot, winding round, though still keeping to the left. Whenever the light swung round and lit up the containers she was using as refuge, she had to duck quickly, staying motionless until the impending danger had passed before moving once again. She was now the other side to where Finn had last seen her, so when the Faultless once again appeared on his platform, he could immediately see that Shadow had gone, a flood of uncertainty creasing his features.

"Carlisle, where are you? What's your position?" He asked, his eyes scanning the pathways rapidly, hoping to catch a glimpse of her golden pinstripes. There came no reply on the radio, and this caused him to become worried. Where was she? He radioed again, looking to his mirror as he did so as if that would hold some kind of answer. To his surprise however, it did, having caught her reflection for just a fleeting moment. From the height that he was at, it didn't take long to turn and locate her once more, intending to scold her for moving when she shouldn't have. However, his voice never left his throat. He could now see why the young agent hadn't responded, and it made his oil run cold. For three feet in front of the Celica, stood Ross himself. The young agent was already faced with a wanted criminal, whom was not above murder, on her first mission, and despite all her training the Faultless knowing this couldn't end well. Shadow felt her heart drumming hard in her undercarriage as she watched the Chevrolet carefully. Both cars were motionless, almost as if weighing each other up... any wrong move could render the Celica no better off than a cube of crushed metal. Finn himself took a moment to recover, before frowning, his voice calling out to his fellow agent.

"Hold on Shadow, I'm coming!" He yelled, pushing forward immediately, wheels spinning and flying right off the edge of his post, using his grappling hooks to use as a swing to get himself there as quick as possible. Ross heard the call aswell, glancing up to Finn in mild surprise, though it seemed he had half anticipated that this young agent he now faced would have assistance. It seemed in that moment he decided that two agents were too much for him to face alone, turning with impressive speed and racing away, his engine growling loudly as he did so. Shadow was then left with a split second decision. To give chase, or wait for Finn. If she chose the latter, then there was a good chance of not catching this guy, not without facing all his goons first, and from what they had seen, there were plenty of them. Shadow gunned her own engine now, kicking up dust and smoke as she propelled herself onward, in pursuit of the fleeing Camaro. Finn landed upon the floor harshly, sparks flying from his wheel arches as they grazed the floor, though paid no mind as he tried to race to where he had seen Shadow. It took him a few moments, though as he rounded the corner he was met with an empty space instead of the Celica, his wheels locking as he braked hard, wildly looking around to see where the two cars had vanished to. It very soon became apparent she had chased him to the very tops of the stacked shipping containers, racing after him and dodging anything the Camaro threw at her. It would have been rather impressive... should it not have been 20ft in the air with the whole port seemingly watching.

"Shadow! Stand down! Now!" Came the abrupt instruction from Finn, though Shadow paid no heed... imagine how it would feel to have bagged a criminal on her first mission! Excitement pushed her faster, trying her best to catch up with the criminal, her mind racing and wildly stringing together a perfect story. She'd be recognised at the best rookie CHROME had ever trained... perhaps even a raise, recognition... it couldn't fail! With this idealistic vision in her head, she pushed on, though with her thoughts elsewhere, she once again failed to see what was around her. The edges of the containers now approached, and with Ross sensing the agent not fully paying attention, he braked harshly and used his back end to swing out, spinning and taking off in the opposite direction. Not used to this move, Shadow had to also brake hard, though her tires didn't grip as well on the shiny surface of the metal. She finally came to a halt a few centimetres from the edge, staring down at a vast drop before her, her front tires pushing her away from the edge frantically. Behind her came the snigger of the Chevrolet, as she whipped round to see him facing her once more.

"What's the matter darlin'? Afraid of a lil' height are we?" He mocked, moving toward her as she realized that he had a gun in both front hubcaps. She swallowed a little as she backed up, though one of her back tires lost ground as she moved a little too far. She pulled herself away, though was now stuck between death and... well, death. Her own gun appeared from her side, a frown on her face as she watched Ross.

"Back off! You don't know who you're dealing with!" She growled at him, only causing the Camaro to laugh.

"Oh darlin', you ain't threatenin' anyone... not at all. In actual fact I know full well who I'm dealin' with, I've heard the Carlisles' are missin' you... best get back to them sweetheart" He sneered with a wink, causing Shadow to only become more angry. Finn by this point had found his way up, now appearing behind Ross, though he was still some way back.

"Give it up Cherokee... It's over!" Finn yelled, his own gun aimed at the opponent. Ross could see the anger written in the Celica's face, playing off this anger as he laughed at her once more.

"You don't have what it takes... give up and go home, Silly-Car" He mocked the pronunciation of her model now, which caused her eyes to widen a little, before a deep scowl returned.

"Oh really?" She snarled, tapping her tire lightly before swinging it at him. He dodged easily, laughing at her now.

"Wow, was that it?" He snickered, before noting her grin.

"Ahh no... No it wasn't" She smirked, before glancing to the small disk-like bomb that now blinked at his tires. Within seconds he had reversed away, heading straight toward Finn, whom seemed ready to detain him by any means, attacking Ross with a swift hit to the bumper. Ross himself was now trapped, trying to deflect Finn's assault with his show of weaponry, though Finn very soon disarmed him. Shadow rolled forward in anticipation, caught up in the excitement of the chase and the capture. They were going to do it! A clicking noise suddenly seemed to reach her, causing the Celica to frown in confusion for a moment. What was that noise? It was then she realized with horror that in her excitement, she had rolled right over and activated the very bomb she had planted. She glanced down, seeing the red flashes increase, before bolting backwards, back tires slipping back off the edge of the container she was upon. Finn suddenly seemed to come to the realization after hearing the noise himself, and whipped his hood round in horror at the scene before him.

"SHADOW!" Came the shout, just as the Celica made the choice to throw herself off the edge to try and escape the blast that erupted before her. However, the act was not as successful as she had hoped, heat and pain blistering through her as the blast half engulfed the car. Moments later, she was plummeting, faster and faster toward the sea, before... nothing.


Date: December 24th 2011

Location: CHROME Headquarters – Medical Bay

"Alright, you ready for the next drama? Finn McMissile has only gone and blown up his new mission partner"

"…What?"

"Yeah! That's what the incoming report says! Well, more that she blew herself up I guess, but still…"

"Oh for gods sake, outta my way Phil"

The Medical Quarters of CHROME were a sudden bustle of activity, as nurses hurried round to prepare the emergency surgery room for its next incoming patient. Medical emergencies at CHROME were common, seeing as agents couldn't really be sent to normal hospitals… they were covered in weaponry and the slight movement of the wrong thing depending on what was damaged could result in something far more catastrophic. The head Medic, Wren Goodyear, was known as an abrupt and 'cut-the-crap' kind of plane, an ex-navy Super Corsair that had no time for nonsense or idle chat. To run an entire wing of CHROME consisted of time and effort, especially when agents like this one insisted on dealing with explosives on a regular basis. The blue and white Corsair now moved out of her office with a hurried pace, the small cream Mini Cooper scurrying to her side, reading further from the paperwork he had attached to his clipboard.

"Turns out that she'd taken a dip after the explosion… Ol' McMissile fished her out and sent out an SOS call, though it seems he escaped any injury himself. Told us the poor girl actually regained consciousness on the plane, so she's awake, but incoherent to say the least" The Mini carried on as both vehicles turned into the long corridor that led to most of the patient rooms. Up ahead, a medical tow truck was pulling along a car draped in a dark olive coloured blanket, an ideal way to conceal the injured whilst being taken through the main lobby of CHROME. Wren picked up her speed and entered the room as other doctors swarmed round the newcomer, before shooing them out of her way with a flick of her wings. The cover was lifted from the car to reveal substantial exterior damage, causing a couple of the nurses to grimace a little. Wren, however, gave nothing away. She had seen far worse, and this was just another work day for her. The Celica indeed had her eyes open, though her gaze was unfocused, looking to her hood with a saddened expression whilst Finn seemed to appear somewhere behind Wren, watching his new partner in worry.

"Alright, what have we got here?" Wren muttered to herself, working her way round the car to assess where to start. Scorch marks were visible on Shadow's right side, to the degree that the buckled and now misshapen metal was showing through the paint. Her right light had smashed, and there was water damage to the inside. Her hood had wrinkled a little from hitting the water so hard, so who knew what kind of damage had been done to the inside. It took a moment for Shadow to unlock her hood when instructed, so the internal damage could be assessed now.

"Ok, suspected broken axle, snapped battery cable, damaged ignition box, broken radiator, broken roll cage, brakes are busted, Oil pipes burst, NOT to mention any kind of water damage…" Wren began listing, Phil nodding as he wrote it all down. Shadow only listened on, her gaze flicking occasionally to Finn, perhaps for reassurance, before Wren shut her hood again.

"…And of course, concussion" There was a moments silence that seemed to greet the room as it sunk in just how much damage had been done. Wren turned to the Mini and began murmuring equipment she needed to him, each one followed by a firm nod as he registered what was required.

"So… is it bad?" Came the feeble voice of the Celica after a few moments, causing the Corsair to turn and stare at the car for a moment.

"….No you're the picture of health" Was the response, before a tray was brought forward with a rather large needle place upon it. Shadow eyed it worryingly before Wren picked it up using an installed device on her wing, causing the Celica to try and start her engine, moving her back tires in a pushing motion to the side. Finn rolled forward a little to attempt to stop the action before Wren noticed.

"You'll need to keep still"

"-Isn't there something else you can use… please?" Shadow fretted, her engine turning over and grinding, though the Celica didn't seem to care.

"…Are you actually being serious? You just blew yourself up… with a bomb no less, and you're worried about this little thing?" Wren pointedly looked to the needle.

"Excuse me but it's hardly little"

"Excuse me but I need to jab this into your head now keep still"

The Celica seemed to still refused, ducking away and trying to move her hood toward the other direction, adamant she was not to have the jab. Wren's expression only grew more exasperated before Finn stepped in, using his tire to gently push Shadow's hood in place.

"You need this done Carlisle, stop resisting" He told her gently, before she glanced to him once more. She seemed to relent finally, allowing the medic to find the joint between her main frame and her door, tensing as the needle broke the surface. Once it was over, the Celica felt she could breathe again, though whatever it was, it was affecting her within the first few minutes.

"How much… anaesthetic was in that?" Shadow asked wearily, swaying just a little on her tires.

"Oh… enough to floor a Boeing 777" Wren replied matter-of-factly, causing the Celica to widen her eyes. Finn only smiled at the exchange, sitting back a little now to watch over them both.

"WHAT?!"

"Well, we need to make sure you don't wake up when we put you into an entirely new body… how does a tractor sound?" Wren smirked a little, causing the Celica to panic.

"NO that sounds horrific! You better…. Better not…" She began to slip on her wheels, blinking slowly.

"Ahhh OK… Bulldozer it is" Wren smiled, almost sweetly, before Shadow squeezed her eyes shut and shook her hood.

"Fight me…" She murmured, finally being taken back into the dark depths of sleep.