Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5. I am merely borrowing for the fun of it.
Tires screamed against the rough terrain. The Reverb groaned against the strain of fighting to go up the sharp incline. Expert fingers punched a couple of buttons and the back fender opened up. A massive, concussive sonic blast erupted from the speaker. The Reverb shot upward, heading for the edge of the incline. He slammed his thumb against another button and a sonic blast from the bottom sent the Reverb flying up and over the ledge. As soon as the wheels collided with the track, his foot was on the accelerator. The car screeched in protest, but shot forward nonetheless. Emerald green eyes searched the Zone for his teammates.
"Vert? Zoom? Anybody?"
"Help..." a distinct female voice sparked over the radio. "Someone...help..."
Stanford pressed the gas as far as it would go. "Hang on, Agura," he shouted.
He grunted when the Reverb suddenly jolted. He looked in the rear view mirror to see Sever tailgating him. Stanford growled in annoyance, opening up the back fender again. He pressed a button and a sonic blast sent the shark spinning out of control. Stanford rounded a corner to see the Tangler being backed up towards the edge of a cliff.
"Agura!"
"Stanford, help!"
Kalus threw a spear at Agura's windshield. The Tangler shuddered, right back tire slipping on the ledge. Stanford shot forward, but he was too late. The Tangler pitched over the side. A terrified scream emitted from the radio.
"Agura! No!"
Stanford bolted upright in bed, eyes wide and fearful. He looked around to find himself in his room and not in a Battle Zone. He buried his face in his hands, exhaling heavily. He lowered his hands and reached over to tap his phone. 2:30 am shone on the screen.
"Wonderful," he sighed. "They're so...consistent."
He threw back the sheets, knowing he wasn't going to get back to sleep anytime soon. He got dressed in his usual purple T-shirt, black jacket, jeans and sneakers, combed and spiked his hair and walked out into the garage, heading over to the Reverb. He patted the roof and it slid open.
"Can't sleep?" came the voice that always sent shivers down his spine.
Stanford turned around to see the huntress standing behind him. Her beautiful dark skin seemed to glow in the pale light of the Hub's garage. Her soulful dark eyes locked with his, freezing him in place. She had her hands on her hips in that alpha female stance of hers.
"Got a bad case of the munchies. Thought I'd take a run to Zeke's to grab a bite," Stanford replied.
Agura frowned, not buying the lie. "And this sudden case of the midnight munchies wouldn't have anything to do with those nightmares, would it?" she asked.
"Nightmares?" Stanford asked. "Pfft. What nightmares? Royalty don't have nightmares, luv."
"The screaming says otherwise," Agura replied.
Stanford hesitated. "What screaming?"
Agura took a step forward, making Stanford back up on instinct. "I heard you scream my name, Stanford. As if I was in trouble."
Stanford tried to find the words to deny it, but they eluded him. Agura stepped up to him. She looked even more intense in the dim light. For the first time in his life, Stanford found himself lost for words.
"If you need to talk," Agura started.
"There's nothing to talk about," Stanford told her.
"Stanford-"
"Agura, please. I'm fine. With what we do, how can we not have nightmares?" Stanford asked.
"You haven't slept in three days," Agura pointed out. "You're not safe to be behind the wheel."
"I've slept enough," Stanford defended.
"Those bags under your eyes don't count as carry on," Agura retorted.
Stanford tensed, shoulders raising. "I appreciate your concern, old girl, but really, I'm fine. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a slice of Zeke's pizza with my name on it calling to me. Ta ta."
Before Agura could say anything, he hopped into the Reverb and drove off. The dark night was a welcomed relief. Nothing but sand and stars for miles on end. He kept glancing in the rear view mirror to see if the Tangler was lurking behind him. Satisfied that he wasn't being followed, Stanford hit the brakes and the Reverb slid to a stop. He opened the top and climbed out, shivering slightly in the cool night air.
Stanford sat on the hood of his car, folding his arms across his chest. He turned his eyes skyward. He suddenly felt incredibly small. All his life he had known what he wanted. He always had things handed to him on a silver platter. He was royalty. He had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. But now, after facing off against rampaging mutant animals, killer robots and insane Red Sentients, and after three nights of hounding nightmares and sleep deprivation, Stanford felt lost and alone, despite knowing that he had five amazing friends to help him through his troubles.
Stanford sighed, shoulders dropping as his thoughts wandered to his friends. He knew he wasn't the strongest of the team. He wasn't quick and agile like Zoom, strong and smart like the Cortez brothers, cunning like Agura, or brave and fearless like Vert. Stanford ran a hand over the hood of the Reverb, his beloved car. The Reverb was his only escape from the demons of his mind. He had poured his heart and soul out to the car in the last three nights than he had to any human being in his entire life. He wanted to be more than the team screw up. He knew the others saw it and gave him plenty of chances to be the hero.
"Being a hero just isn't the same when you're alone," Stanford mumbled.
He gazed skyward again. He saw the huntress's face in the stars. Stanford sighed and rubbed his eyes. It was probably the lack of sleep getting to him. He pushed off the hood and climbed back into the car. He started up the engine, pulled the car in gear and hit the gas. The Reverb spun around, kicking up sand and dust before heading back to the garage.
The sun was just peeking over the hills as he headed into the Hub. He pulled the Reverb into its spot, turned off the engine and climbed out of the car. He was on his way to his room, eyes growing heavy, when he heard a quiet, gentle female voice.
"Ah, Stanford. I am glad you are awake."
Stanford inwardly groaned as he turned around to see Sage walking up to him. He checked his watch. 7:30 am.
"Blimey, has it been five hours already?" he whispered.
"Would you call the others? There is some news I wish to share," Sage said.
"Sure," Stanford yawned. "No problem." He stumbled towards the rooms, banging on each door as he went. "Rise and shine, mates. Sage-" He yawned loudly. "Sage needs to see..." He yawned again. "Us."
He heard a couple of groans coming from Zoom's and the brother's rooms. In a couple of minutes, Vert was out, bright eyed and looking fresh. His golden blonde hair was neatly combed and fixed in place. Stanford felt a twinge of jealousy as the leader walked up to him.
"Couldn't sleep again, Stanford?" Vert asked.
Stanford pushed back the fatigue and gave his friend his signature charming smile. "Who needs sleep? I can run on four hours and still keep going."
Vert raised an eyebrow in question, but simply smirked and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. The others soon joined them and they went off to see what Sage had to say. Through the meeting, Stanford fought to keep his eyes open. Sage's voice melted into the background as everything slowly grew dark.
"Stanford?" he vaguely heard someone ask.
"Stanford?" he heard Agura call.
His eyes widened when Kalus suddenly appeared, crossbow aimed at his heart. Stanford began backing away, hands raised.
"No. Get back."
Kalus continued to advance. He was soon joined by Sever, Krocomodo, Hatch, Zemerik and Krytus.
"Stay back!" Stanford yelled.
"You will not escape, sub-creature," Kalus growled.
Zemerik stepped in front of Kalus. "You have failed, organic," the Sark leader said. "Earth is ours."
Stanford's foot caught in something and he fell backwards, his head slamming against the hard floor. As darkness closed in, his worst enemies flickered back to his friends.
"Stanford!" Vert's voice called in the distance before he welcomed the soothing darkness.
A/N: As a side note, this story takes place near the beginning of season two, before Tezz and AJ show up. I have nothing against the guys, I think they're awesome, but, I just didn't see where I could fit them in this story. I hope that doesn't dissuade you from reading further chapters. I hope you enjoy the story and as I always say, if you see something I can improve on (grammar, spelling, descriptions,) don't hesitate to tell me. I welcome constructive criticism as it helps me grow as a writer. Reviews and feedback are always welcomed.