Okay, FF is stuffing up on this particular story so I can't remember exactly how I format my notes before and after the chapter... but anyway... here's the second chapter.


'Can't you turn that thing down, DJ?'

The Scion tuner glared reproachfully at his ladder-rear companion. The two of them were sitting squashed up next to each other in a small dark alleyway, just next to a gas station that apparently ran day and night. DJ had sunk back into his relaxed body by now, sipping a can of fuel and happily sending his massive stereo system into a series of deafening thumps – his idea of a good time. Wingo, however, wasn't exactly in the best of moods right now, especially when they could possibly be in a threatening situation. He tried sliding back further down the alleyway in hopes of hiding his massive brightly painted spoiler from view of a nearby police car, but DJ wasn't making it easy.

'Hey man, I know we're all being hunted down by the cops and split up 'cause Boost told us to on the highway and Boost or Snot Rod could be in danger or something right now, but hey, doesn't mean I can't have a fun time,' DJ said casually, nodding in time to the beat of his music.

Wingo rolled his eyes and sighed – and as he did so, he immediately caught sight of what the police cruiser was doing. He was in the middle of a chat with a pretty waitress, but had just looked up and was staring suspiciously towards the set of alleyways behind the gas station.

'Shut that thing up, yo!' Wingo hissed, watching the police car.

'All right, all right.' DJ switched his subwoofer off and sighed despondently; unaware of the danger they were in.

The police car came slowly rolling over down the aisle in the gas station, peering around with a frown on his face.

Wingo blinked, frozen. 'DJ… shrink yourself, or something. Now.'

DJ took this for a joke and chuckled. 'Why, am I gettin' too hulky for the chicks?'

'No – just drive backwards, now!' Wingo mouthed desperately, as the police car looked down the alley next door.

DJ looked up from his fuel and nearly choked, his eyes suddenly filled with fear as he caught on. 'Okay, yup, sure, let's get outta here,' he gasped, revving backwards. Wingo followed suit, not taking his eyes off the end of the alleyway. They eventually came out of the other end of the alleyway, into the suddenly dark emptiness of night. They were in a small two-lane road now, stretching for miles through a deserted field. They both sighed in relief.

'That was too close,' Wingo whispered, turning himself around. 'We're definitely on the run now. Gotta be more discreet, man. We're not really stealthy ninjas, y'know, what with your boombox and my big ugly –'

'Wingo, look!'

He looked. DJ was staring at something on the road. His companion stared too.

Lying there was one of Boost's NOS tanks.


Snot Rod eventually gave up and slowed to a halt, panting and leaning against a nearby rock for support. Deserts were never any fun, not for any of the DRH. Back years ago they had raced around gleefully in the city, a good old cop chase always following, and Snot Rod couldn't forget the wonderful times they'd have wreaking havoc on the road. But neither of them had really liked being chased through deserts – there were no other cars to harass, apart from the police officers; it was flat and bleak and monotonous; and worst of all, the heat was unbearable.

He blinked through the blazing sun and gazed longingly at the sign up ahead. YARROW CITY 50 KILOMETRES, it read. Snot Rod groaned. Who the hell would put a city so far across the desert? Shouldn't there be a gas station in the very middle or something plentiful like that?

'Yo, what the hell are ya doin'?' Boost finally rolled up next to Snot Rod, frowning in the unbearable heat. 'We gotta move. The cops know where we are.'

'Can't we just stop for a bit? I'm dying out here.'

'Same here, man, but we might as well die in jail if we're caught.'

'We got out of that Impound.'

'Yeah, well, that was different.' Boost winced as he said this, his body sinking a bit lower. Those tyres were beginning to wear out, and he felt pain every metre he rolled in them.

As Snot Rod suddenly went into a random sneezing fit, Boost stared gloomily at the ground and wondered where DJ and Wingo were, and if they were all right. Ever since he had formed the DRH gang so many years ago, he had never really valued the good of the public that much. He just found a great thrill in watching the horrified look on other cars' faces as he abused property and zoomed through traffic at a monstrous speed, hooting with laughter all the way. But it was no fun wreaking havoc by himself. That was why he valued having such close friends.

And yet, there was more to his friends than being inseparable criminals. They were his friends… his mates, his allies… the ones in his life that made it worth living. Especially after his hard past… Boost gazed into the tiny stones on the ground and sighed, trying hard not to let those memories of his adolescent life come back to him.

'You all right, mate?' Snot Rod looked at him concernedly. Boost nearly jumped right out of his rims, but when he met his comrade's gaze he felt glad that at least one of his close friends was here – not only for company, but to keep his sanity also. Snot Rod was surprisingly good at keeping a balanced mood in a hard situation. Boost may have gone insane without him.

He smiled. 'Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about the others.'

'Me too,' Snot Rod said. 'Speaking of which, we had better get moving. We've gotta find them, man.'

'You said it,' Boost replied – but his spirits instantly drowned even deeper when the horrible, familiar sound of a police siren reached him. No, two. No… more than that. The sound drew nearer and nearer, and as Snot Rod yelped and panicked beside him, his tyres seemed to spin of their own accord and attempt to take him away, leaving a great big dust cloud to engulf the two cars. The sirens were blaring again and he couldn't see a thing and there was nothing but sirens and screaming and dust and oh my God, they've got me, I can't move…

And it was just the beginning of his misfortune.


HAHAHAHAAAAAAAA. Any thoughts? Say it.