Corad: Another story that needed updating a while ago. Again, sorry for the long wait. I hope this chapter is ok :) Thankyou GreyJedi for beta-ing this, and to everyone who read and/or reviewed the first chapter. Well, I'd better get on with it lol.
Jak and Daxter (c) Naughty Dog, Thea and her father (c) Corad.
Just Another Threat
Chapter 2 - Confronting Your Allies
It was mid morning by the time Razer made it to the gang's base. He skidded to a halt outside the large building and removed himself from the car, locking it up. Peering ahead, he spotted Shiv and Edje outside, preoccupied in a heavy conversation to notice his arrival. Bypassing the two of them, he walked towards the building, typing in his security code at the main doors. They soon granted him entrance, and he marched in, following a narrow hallway to a large room, much resembling a private bar.
Slinking into the bar, he spied Cutter playing pool with another of Mizo's cronies, and decided to head to the bar counter first. Upon approaching, the bartender sidled up to meet him. "What'll it be, Hun?" the lady asked, her voice rough and cracked from smoking pretty much her entire life. Razer eyed her warily, before glancing at the mini menu above his head.
"Too early for loading myself. Just pass me some water," he muttered, seating down on the nearby stool. The bartender seemed slightly disappointed, but got Razer's drink all the same. Sliding it across the polished counter, she began making happy chitchat.
"Heard you guys are heading inland next week. Off to another city, are ya?" she asked, leaning an elbow on the counter.
"Mizo wants to spread his control. It will be entertaining to see the skills of foreign racers on their own turf. With luck we may even recruit a few of the top ones," Racer replied, taking a sip of the water. It was warm and bitter to the taste, but he continued to drink anyway.
"Heard you ran into some trouble last night too," she pressed on, and Razer jerked up.
"Who told you that?" he inquired quickly, eyebrow raised.
"Cutter over there," the bartender said, pointing at Cutter who was cursing in the background at having sunk the white ball. Razer growled and stood up, making his way slowly towards Cutter and his game of pool. He found it odd that Cutter knew of last night's ordeals. The man hadn't been around when Razer had confronted the new racer, and was concerned he'd been followed and spied on.
"Nice morning, wouldn't you say, Cutter?" Razer muttered, stopping beside the pool table and placing a palm on the edge, using it to hold his weight. Cutter glanced at him briefly, before grunting in reply. "Yes, a nice morning indeed. Tell me, where did you go after last night's little 'meeting'?"
"None of your business," Cutter growled, leaning over and aiming up his pool cue. He pulled it back slightly, and gave it a quick nudge, hitting the white ball into another one.
"Actually, I believe it is my business. I heard you've been spreading false rumors," Razer pressed, watching in mild fascination as Cutter missed his target, sending the white ball into the pockets again.
"Don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, I think you do. It seems the bar lady knew of my little meeting last night with the offending newbie. Hasn't anyone ever told you to keep out of other people's business? Or did Mizo put you up to it?"
"What the hell are you talking about Razer?" Cutter snapped, straightening up and glaring at his teammate. "You're as easy to read as an open book. Wherever you go, you create trouble. It's no surprise you had a fight. I predicted you would, I never followed you once!"
"Is that so? I find it hard to beli-"
"Why are you two fighting? Must be pretty serious," Shiv interjected, ambling up to the pool table. Razer glanced at his orange haired comrade, before brushing the argument aside.
"No particular reason. I must be off now. Give Mizo my regards when he shows up," Razer muttered, leaving Shiv seeming confused and Cutter silently fuming. Outside, Razor spotted his car glistening invitingly in the sun. He wasn't sure what possessed him to lose his cool back there. Maybe the thought of Mizo distrusting him, or the thought of Cutter spying on everything he did. The idea that Cutter could predict his next move so easily was unnerving too.
Pushing those uneasy thoughts aside, Razer walked up to his racing machine, and began to unlock the door. Before getting in however, he glanced across the road, spotting a fairly young woman with dark bluish gray hair, watching his every move closely. She seemed to notice Razer's penetrating glare and shuffled off, disappearing in the crowd.
"How odd," he mumbled, having sworn he'd seen that young woman somewhere before. What was she was doing, staring at him like that? He was a famous racer in the city, so maybe she was just a fan. Something about the way she carried herself though, made Razer believe she was watching him for another reason. Not wanting to dwell on the thought much longer, Razer continued getting in his car, and sped off to do some track practice. With the upcoming tournament starting in less than a week, he wanted to perfect his skills some more.
The car swerved violently to the side, tires screeching along the bitumen tracks while the smell of burning rubber met his nose. He been practicing all morning, getting the hang of this track knowing it would be the location for the third class race. He was at a slight disadvantage; Kras city was not his home ground unlike most of the other racers. He had to memorize each and every track in detail to give him a greater chance at victory.
He continued to press his foot to the accelerator, driving the axels to spin faster and faster. Steadily climbing speed, he practiced his power slides, slamming on the brakes and skidding sideways around a gentle bend in the road. The racer had picked an easy track to practice on, choosing one with a wide road, easy turns and open space, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was a simple route, with effortless jumps to practice on too, not too mention a lot of power ups locked into the ground to boost his speed maneuverability.
Spending the next while or so driving at top-notch speed, testing his endurance and concentration, the racer finally slowed down and got out of his beloved car. It wasn't the best car a racer could hope for, but the loyal vehicle had won him numerous races over the past years. It didn't have the shiny paintwork or sleek body most racing cars had. The wheels were old and desperately needed replacing; the racer was surprised he could even still race with them considering most of the rubber had been burned off gradually. The engine was particularly loud, dints and scratches lined the body, but regardless of all that, he favored this car amongst all else.
"Don't worry girl, we'll win this thing. Or…" he felt his throat constrict up at the thought, "die trying." He couldn't exactly "die trying". If he did, what would happen to his young daughter? His girlfriend had left him soon after Thea was born, leaving the racer to raise a child by himself. Unfortunately for him too, giving up racing was harder than anything. Instead, he worked harder at it, taking any winnings to support his daughter. He desperately needed this victory, knowing the winner's reward was ridiculously high in this city. If he managed to rake in that cash, he wouldn't need to race for quite a few months.
Smiling at the thought of winning, the racer petted the roof of his racing car, before slipping back into the worn and tattered seat. He switched on her engine, hearing the loud rumble signifying life, before driving to the exit of the track. He checked the time displayed on the car clocks, and his eyes widened.
"Damnit! I forgot to pick up Thea from daycare!"
Corad: Another short chapter :) Like I said in the previous one, I'll aim to keep the chapters shortish in this fic. Sorry if Razer seemed OOC while arguing with Cutter. Not too sure if he'd get so riled up about someone spying on him. Also, I couldn't think of a very good chapter title for this, so excuse the lameness lol. Well, I hope this chapter was ok. Thankyou for reading :)