Here is chapter two!

I'll try to post once a week, because you guys are amazing and I can't let you wait for too long! Enjoy :)


About half an hour after Chloe's departure, Beca finally came back to her senses and finished her task with the copper bolt. After testing her left foot for a moment and let a small smile of contentment, she went to Jesse at the back of the workshop. It was almost as messy as the front. At least nobody could see inside, and Beca cherished this feeling of intimacy surrounded by all the high tech machines and expensive materials. She bought this for Kasmer because he couldn't repair himself.

Jesse ranted about Chloe's presence in front of them, but he stopped when he saw the tiny brunette taking the board hanging on the wall and starting to clean it. He went from gushy to annoyed in a matter of seconds. They were now arguing because Beca wanted to go out and race.

"You can't seriously go tonight."

"Watch me." Beca mumbled, her back to Jesse while she was checking the motor on her board.

Jesse sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose, as if he was speaking to a child.

"Beca, you just got a lot of money today. You know these races are dangerous and I don't want to see you hurt..."

Beca stilled her movements. She turned around to face him, playing with her earrings. One of them was a gift from Jesse and Benji, an ear spike. When Beca opened the box, she was really grateful for the present, but after Benji's explanation of the hidden communication capacities of the gadget, the tiny brunette was close to tears. Touching her earrings had become an habit whenever she was stressed or when she couldn't find her words.

She met Jesse's anxious eyes and sighed.

"Extra money never killed anyone. And you should know that I'm tougher than I look."

Jesse pouted and she rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to win, aren't I?" He sounded defeated.

Satisfied, Beca turned around again and finished her task before looking above her shoulder. "Not at all." She deadpanned. Internally she was smiling at her friend's concern.

"Well good luck then." He grinned. "I bet on you Becaw! Don't make me lose my money!"


Tonight's race took place in the old castle. Far from the city, because board races were illegal. Maybe it explains why there was so much people scattered around to watch. Beca didn't complain, more people, more money.

She started to race when the workshop wasn't enough to pay her bills. She could eat and pay the small flat she rented but her cyborg parts needed maintenance and it was rather expensive. So she built a board to earn extra money from the races.

It worked well. With Kasmer and her computer senses, she was fast and her tiny frame was an advantage. Her homemade board was great. She downloaded lots of board plans on the web. Looking like the skateboards in old times, the wheels were removed in order to place anti-gravitational magnets. At the end of the board was the motor, a smaller version of a jet engine.

She was proud of her job and her board never failed before. Jesse was always the first to bet on her and always ended up with a huge bag of money too - he once called Beca her sugar mommy and the eye roll he got in return was by far the biggest he had ever witnessed.

Accidents were usual in a race and a lot of them were deadly. The speed and altitude were the main factors among others, like sabotage or collisions. In Beca's case, sabotage wasn't possible because it was her board and she took care of it herself. Perks of being a mechanic.

Beyond that, Beca loved to race. The adrenaline made her feel alive. She was wearing a black suit that covered her body, black boots, black aerodynamic shape helmet, black gloves and a yellow belt. The belt came from her first race, when a stranger said she looked like a bee. She liked the idea and bought this belt.

She was standing on the waiting line with the other racers. Her black helmet was covering her face since she arrived, nobody here knew her true face. According to Jesse, it was for her security. The guards cannot find her if she was anonymous. In reality, he just found her helmet badass and was making her wear it on every occasion.

Kasmer finished the scan of her board and reported that no default was found. She sighed shakily, releasing some stress. Every time she raced, the adrenaline was almost too much to handle. And she had her fair share of races.

The host introduced each competitor. Beca was familiar with most of the names. Some of them raced every night, hoping to qualify for a bigger event. Some of them were like Beca, only racing from time to time to earn money.

"And to his left we have the Black Bee!" The host presented in his over enthusiastic voice.

The tiny brunette waved at the crowd and received loud cheers. She heard the host introduce the racer next to her, whose nickname was The Hunter. What a funny name. She never saw her before - she would remember someone racing with these tempting feminine curves.

She was wearing a tight dark red suit with a white helmet. Her visor was up, and she was smiling at the bleachers. The crowd was loud, whistling and screaming. To be true, this new racer was hot. And she seemed fit too. Beca smirked. The race was promising.

The Hunter sensed her stare and flashed her a wink. "See you after the race Lil' Bee!"

Beca was speechless. Hopefully, the race was starting in a few seconds, preventing her from saying something stupid.

The cannon banged and Beca went full speed, dodging the pillars and walls. She heard an explosion behind but she focused on the road. Well, the road was just a path in the ruins of the castle, which required her to fly and dive around the area.

She was in second place, but she wasn't worried. At some point, she dived under the first racer - a regular guy named Flashing Flute - and put her board on the side to take a right turn.

She was first. Three more loops and she will win. Beca could now enjoy the race, struggling against the wind. As she bend her knees to dive to the ground, she heard another explosion. Two accidents in one race? No wonder the crowd was this loud.

Kasmer sensed another racer coming. To say Beca was surprised was an understatement. She was not used to have another racer catching on her. The Hunter appeared to her left. They stayed side by side for a few seconds.

Beca glanced at her. The Hunter couldn't see her face thanks to the stained glass but the tiny brunette clearly saw the smirk directed for her. Kasmer flooded her senses, warning her of an incoming wall. Just in time, her board flew above it.

Her heart was beating fast. She couldn't be distracted. The Hunter had stolen her first place as the brunette was dodging the obstacle. Beca sped up. No way she was loosing against her. She needed this money. Or her ego needed to win since she had gained quite an important amount from the heiress today.

Her thoughts drifted to Chloe Beale. The way smiled at her with her pretty blue eyes. Her angelic voice. The chill that rolled down her spine when their arms touched… Kasmer put red signals in her retina, urging her to focus.

Beca realized it was the last loop. And The Hunter was almost out of sight, too far away. She groaned in frustration. Pushing her board to max power, she adopted a straight trajectory. Risking a collision with an obstacle, she brushed against a pillar without slowing down.

Kasmer detected a scratch on the bottom of her board. She didn't care. The Hunter was getting closer. Her movements were fluid, like she was born to race. But Beca had Kasmer and even if it was cheating, no one could guess she had a computer in her brain.

She reached the red racer and waited behind for the right timing. It happened when Kasmer analysed the slalom pattern in front of them. Beca could go straight if she flew down in a small opening, just large enough to her board. The problem was the shape of this small hole in the wall, it was large at the top and tight at the bottom. To cross it, she needed to be upside down.

She never tried to return her board while racing because her feet weren't attached to the board. She could fall and die on the impact. A glance at The Hunter decided her. She went down to the opening. She faintly heard the host yelling at the crowd. He must've understood her plan.

Beca focused Kasmer on the trajectory and frowned in concentration. Everything happened very quickly. She bent her knees and gripped the sides of her board. She took a deep breath and turned over. Gravity took control of her body immediately. She swore and struggled to keep her position and retracted her head.

Her right shoulder brushed against the opening. Her muscles hurted and her jaw was clenched to the point of tears. She didn't let it go.

Once she reached the end of the wall, she turned her board to be in a normal posture again. Kasmer was having a small celebration inside her head. She didn't slow down for a second.

The Hunter was still in the slalom, so Beca raced to the finish line. She realized she was still gripping the board tightly when she crossed the line.

Loud cheers erupted around her. She slowed down, fists in the air. This was overwhelming, the crowd, the noise, the adrenaline and Kasmer.

"Wow, I knew you were good but that was amazing!"

Beca turned around and saw The Hunter, visor up and smiling wide.

"You earn it, Lil' Bee. Next time I'll crush you." The taller woman extended her hand with a playful smirk. After a brief pause, Beca shook her hand. She was not comfortable with her right cyborg hand but the other woman didn't seem to notice the hardness of her metal hand underneath the glove.

Beca nodded, the only expression readable with her black tinted visor. She awkwardly stood as the host came to congratulate her. She was asked to stand on the podium, then she received her prize. After, she left as soon as she could and went straight home, not wanting to stay for a drunk celebration nor a surprise escouade that would throw her tiny body into a cell.

Kasmer guided her through deserted paths and empty streets. She removed her suit behind a trash bin and changed into more normal clothes. She arrived at her workshop and went upstairs, where she lived.

She reconnected her screen because she always put her ID in an untraceable mode before a race. She was careful with the guards, they watched the races closely and aimed at the racers first.

It was late and Beca was physically tired. The adrenaline had left her bloodstream and her muscles ached from her extra figure tonight. Even her cyborg hand was a bit damaged by the hard gripping on her board. Which needed some repair too.

Beca fell on the bed face first with a groan as her screen chimed. She was tempted to ignore it a few seconds. She wanted to wake up early and work on Chloe's card. Jesse must've heard of her race tonight and she was not in the mood to start another silly conversation about the race or the miraculous apparition of the heiress this afternoon.

The screen chimed again and she gave in, raising her arm slowly.

[2 new messages from Chloe Beale]

Beca gasped and lifted her chin from the mattress, all ideas of sleep thrown out of her mind.

[Chloe] Hi! I know you must have things waaayy more important to do but… If this is not too much to ask, could you please make it your priority? :) Don't get me wrong, if you need time then it's fine and I don't want to pressure you. Anyway take the time you need ;)

[Chloe] Beca? Is everything alright? Your ID seems disconnected…

Beca smiled to herself. Who would've thought the heiress had a rambling problem? She thought of a polite answer during what could be hours.

She typed a short message and sent it after debating if the text was correct. It was past midnight and Chloe was certainly sleeping. The brunette changed for the night and as she was closing her eyes for a good - short - night, her ID chimed.

[Chloe] Beca! You're alive! Thank you so much! :)) You're not sleeping yet? :P

[Beca] Not yet, a redhead is keeping me awake.

[Chloe] Aww, sorry Beca! Good night then, see you tomorrow ;)

For a second, Beca thought Jesse might be right. The heiress was flirting with her! Chloe was sexy and famous so nobody could refuse her anything. Flirt was a terribly effective weapon on Beca, especially if it was a hot woman.

Her mind was running full speed but her body was tired. She brought her cyborg hand up to her face. Metal and wires. Half her constitution wasn't her original body. She was a broken human, and her hand needed to be checked tomorrow.

Hopefully she had Kasmer to watch her. He sent a picture of two bears hugging to her retina and she chuckled. Yes, it was great to have him. Feeling safe and very tired, she fell asleep.