Okay, so I only got two reviews. That sucks (thank you though, guys!). Some of you are just being lazy. I know. Because I do it all the time :D I know it's only been almost a week since my last chapter, but I'll get slower. Unless you review, I mean. Because the more reviews, the more my eyes widen, and the sooner I click the Microsoft Word button.

Torn, Ashelin and Pecker had eventually come out to us in the middle of the road. From there, they greeted us and we all headed to the main station, where Ashelin, Jak and I sat with each other and tried to catch up. Torn listened, while he tried to figure some things out by flipping through the channels on one of his walkie-talkies. It was hooked to the Freedom League HQ back at the Naughty Ottsel. He was saying something about poisons and drivers. It rang no bell to me.

The room was nice. Round couches and the layered floors, along with the warm colors. It was much better than hanging out in the Naughty Ottsel or the wasteland for so long. But as soon as we had got here, everybody but Jak got serious and were deep in concentration. Jak nudged me. I looked away from Torn, to whom I was watching suspiciously. He smiled for the tenth time, this time the edges of his face softening from their manly angles. It just seemed like he simply wanted me to smile at him. And so I did. He put a finger under my chin and softly brought my face to his. He barely brushed his lips and against mine, and still my stomach flipped and my heart stuttered. I was glad he couldn't hear it, too.

And then that made me think of something. I reached my hands up and ran my fingers to the tips of my newly long ears. Smiling, I turned and pecked him on the lips gratefully.

When I looked to my left, I saw Torn and Ashelin murmuring over the walkie-talkie. "What's going on?" I asked Jak. He frowned and looked up at a blond man on the TV. "Nothing good." He replied darkly. I blinked and glanced from the TV back to him. I placed my hand on his knee and stared at him.

"Jak, what is it? What's the trouble this time?"

He pursed his lips ad inhaled deeply. "Ashelin, Daxter, Torn, Keira and I got poisoned."

Once more, I blinked. I didn't understand. Poisoned. It didn't seem to make sense to me.

"…poisoned?..." I asked, puzzled.

He turned his head and looked me in the eyes. "As in, there is more than just Dark eco flowing in my blood." His jaw tightened. "Somebody wants to off us."

And then I realized he meant he was dying. My jawbone locked and I sucked in air. My hand tightened around his knee and I pulled my legs up on the couch and completely turned myself toward him, my eyes shooting to every inch of his face. But nothing came out of my mouth. I was more scared then I was when I was nearly run over only about an hour earlier. So instead of saying anything, I waited for him to speak. He saw the question in my face and tried to smiled reassuringly.

"I shouldn't have told you that."

"…"

He shook his head. "It's okay." He touched my face. "We just have to win this combat racing tournament and we're home free, no more poison."

Combat Racing.

My eyebrows shot up and the game's cover popped into my head. Yeah, I went to wal-mart and bought it the day it came out. But the problem was, it was still lying on my dresser, still completely wrapped in plastic. I should've played it. I would've been able to solve all of this. But I had neglected it completely, for what reason, I didn't know. I just wanted to go back home, just for a second and find out who did this, and how to reverse it, or at least keep it from happening.

Finally, I opened my mouth.

"I wanna help. Please, let me do what I can."

He smiled and moved a piece of hair from my face. "Of course. Just drive."

And then my stomach turned. I couldn't drive worth hell. I thought of the loud engine, competing with my shrieking and the out-of-control speed that I had barely been able to handle even before. I sat down properly and shook my head.

"Jak-"

"Kirsten." Torn interrupted, making me jump. "Get up off your ass and come with me."

I turned around and looked at him. "What did I do?"

His face was stone hard, as usual. "It's what you're going to do that's important."

Jak got up and pulled me up with him. Ashelin and Daxter followed, as we all walked out the west door. They led me down a hall and through another set of doors that led outside. The sun was not far from gone and the sky glowed orange and pink. A long, red car idled on the edge of the road. The trim was a vibrant orange and the glossy exterior reflected the sunlight dramatically. To my far left, there was a garage full of more good-looking cars.

"Get in." Torn commanded.

I flipped to face him. "Are you kidding me?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

I looked back at the purring vehicle. "Torn, I will fly right through those guard rails and you know it! When have I ever been able to drive?"

Ashelin crossed her arms. "You're probably better than this asshole." She nodded to the ex-Krimzon. Torn growled and turned me to face the car. "I'll guide you through the headset. We need as many drivers as we can get."

I studied the car and swallowed nervously. But I climbed over the side anyway. The seat was the perfect fit and everything wrapped around the dash, just in reach.

I looked in the rear-view mirror and was surprised to see the dark Freedom League tattoos printed onto my face. I had actually missed them. I clearly remembered getting my license with Jak a long time ago.

Torn leaned against the vehicle. "Here's your headset. Keep it on channel two and I promise you won't go through the guard rails."

I glared at him and he nodded, patting my shoulder. I rolled my eyes and put the earphones over my head and adjusted the mouth-piece. The commander walked away and pulled another two-way radio from his belt. I put my hands on the wheel and continued to study the many buttons and levers around me. It was crazy. I didn't know when the racing started but there was no way I was going to ace this before-hand. After a moment, Torn spoke through the headset. "Can you hear me?" I nodded since he was only about ten feet away. "Sorry, didn't catch that."

I sighed. "Yes, I hear you."

"Alright, pull the clutch down to disarm the breaks."

I did so and the car slowly drifted forward. "Okay, now what?"

"The gas, sweetheart, the gas."

I made an irritated noise. "I don't know which one is the gas, Torn." I said staring down at the four pedals on the ground. This wasn't going to work out well.

"The second one. The fourth is the brake."

"Mind telling me the others?"

"We'll get to that some other time."

I hesitated and lightly put my foot on the gas. It revved and pulled forward, faster than a normal car might. I pulled the vehicle back to the center of the lane and concentrated on the track ahead of me, making sure it was clear. "Good" Said Torn. "Now try to get through the track once without going through the guard rail."

"Alright. Only if you'll let go of the guard-rail joke."

I pushed down a little harder, only about forty-miles an hour. The car drove perfectly smooth, never vibrating too much. The only problem was sharp turns. This vehicle was looser than what I was used to. Probably so it would be easier to turn on tight corners when you were going fast. I tried to relax my back and arms, letting my mind work better. "Where are we anyway?"

"This is Kras City. A little more abundant than Haven."

"Abundant in buildings." I added. "There's so may turns and streets. I'll get lost."

"No you won't. It's a racing track. It goes one way, and that's back here."

I turned a street corner and the road wound down in a straight line.

"Kirsten, you're going to have to go a little faster. Onin could whoop your ass."

He was right. I looked at the speed meter. The numbers were funny little signs, defiantly not English.

"Goddamn it, I can't read this!"

"Learn. It's not my fault you're half retarded."

I snapped at him. "You know, your attitude pisses me off!"

"You might wanna straighten up, soldier! You know, we're not getting any healthier here!"

I sighed and bit my lip, trying to calm myself. "Sorry."

I pushed down on the gas and the car sped forward. The speedometer went higher and I guessed I was going around 90 mph. Now that I was speeding up, the car wasn't so frightening at turns. After a couple minutes of twisting and turning, I finally made it back to the three of them. Keira had joined them. I smiled and waved at her .She grinned and waved back enthusiastically.

Jak walked toward the car an offered me an orange helmet. "What's this for?"

"Don't ask questions, just put it on. Better safe than sorry."

I took it and struggled putting it on my head, for my ears were way to long. Then, I pushed ear through one side, then the other and finally pulled it over my head. I adjusted my headset once more and held a thumbs up. He backed away from the car and joined the others again.

I accelerated and this time, knew what I was doing.

"Okay, I've got the holograms turned on. Now, the first line coming up is blue eco. Drive right through it and one of the meters on the dash should glow."

I indeed caught sight of what he called blue eco. It floated in mid-air and I drove through it. The blue meter did light up about one fourth total.

"Now, when you get to the clearing up ahead, I want you to pull the lever with the blue handle toward you."

I turned a few corners and the wide, clear road opened. I placed my fingers on the handle and pulled. And more sudden than I would've liked, the car lurched forward and the engine roared. I screamed and for a split second, let go of the wheel. The car steered to one side and clipped the railing. I grabbed it, still trembling. "I didn't go completely through." I could hear Daxter cackling uncontrollably, and Keira said Good God, Torn in an unimpressed fashion.

"Alright, your next set is yellow eco."

I had already run through one and saw another meter glow, only this time, the unredable words lit up. "Torn I still can't read this."

"It doesn't matter. Now pull the yellow one."

I hesitated this time but pulled it, thinking that turbo couldn't be two colors. A missile shot out from one of the two small turrets on the back of the car. It cut forward and smashed into the side of a building. Dust and stone fell on me and even though I had a helmet on, I held an arm up.

"Great, now red."

I passed the red eco and pulled the handle. I didn't see or feel anything happen.

"What did I just do?"

"It's a rear projectile, for the guys who try to ram your ass." He said. "Now, the only one left is the green. That's simply a healing eco, that will pass through your car and give it more oomph ."

I nodded aimlessly and looked back down. Their was a red button on the top of the wheel that looked so tempting.

"What's the red button on the wheel for?"

"That's nothing. You'll know when to use it."

"Well I obviously don't now." I said, pulling up to the curb, with everyone else.

I turned off the engine and lifted off the helmet. Keira and Jak approached me and Keira took my helmet for me and walked to the other side of the car, examining it.

"Tell whoever owns this vehicle to sell it and get it out of my sight."

Jak lifted me out, even though I was perfectly capable of getting out myself. "Well we won't allow you to sell it, it's all you got."

I watched him carefully and turned to Ashelin. "It's mine?"

She nodded. "We got tons. About fifteen. This one's the least complicated."

I sighed and shook my head, turning to walk back to the building. "You're all making a big-"

But when I looked up and caught sight of the camera man approaching us, in one swift movement, I was back under Jak's arm.