*Warning: The stunts you are about to read in this chapter should not be attempted at home, or anywhere!
* No people or animals were harmed in the making of the characters' stupidity
Chapter 9:
Jack was racing down the street towards the hideout, pressing 90 mph in a 35 mph zone. (Yes, that is fast!) He smiles as the fresh air whips in his face, the engine roars with a life of its own, and the fact that the G-force is threatening to pull his lips off. Jack accelerates even more as he nears the garage, the boys' private hidey-hole at the bottom of the hill. He twists his bike sharply to the left, drifting and leaving a skid mark a mile long. As if waiting for him at just the right time, one of the garage doors quickly opens. Jack side winds in and makes a perfect landing in the middle of the floor, circling donuts and stopping in a twister of smoke and engine steam. Yusei stands on one side of the garage, leaning against the brick wall with a grin on his face. He pushes the garage opener again, and the door immediately closes with a bang. Jack cuts the engine and stretches out of the bike, the motor still smoking warm, white steam.
"Welcome home, Jack." Yusei starts, Jack taking off his helmet and hopping onto the sofa. "Hope you had a nice time at Carly's. It was definitely peaceful without you and your cannon around." "
Jack only humph's at him as a reply. "Where are Bruno and Crow? Mostly Bruno. Crow could sleep on a statue for all I care."
"They needed to rush to the hardware store for a few last-minute parts for a speed upgrade on Crow's bike." He walks over to the resting Jack; never stop smiling at him for some reason. "You know, if you keep this up, the police are going to be nipping at your heels...again."
"Pff! What!" Jack barks back while sitting up. "Sector Security is going to hunt me down for spending a little leisure time with my gal?! When was kissing a lady a federal offense?"
"Not her. I mean the fact that I saw you racing down here like your bike was on fire. I'm surprised it wasn't. You think I didn't see you run over that stop sign? You bashed it so hard, it uprooted out of the concrete and flew in the air!"
"Oh, come on! No one was hurt!"
"Don't worry, Jack. There was that mailman working late that caught that sign for you...with his face."
"Ah! What was the old man doing outside at 10 at night!? Next time he should watch where I'm going. Anyways, how did you know all that?"
Yusei rolls his eyes and walks over to the end of the room. "I saw you coming through the upstairs window. When you speed up and down a street, it's pretty hard to ignore you." He sits at another area of the garage, one that seems to be restricted for computers and mechanical equipment only. Yusei smiles some more and turns to him."By the way, how's the dog?"
Jack leans back and shuts his eyes. "Damn mutt! Won't leave me alone with Carly for one second. If she wasn't babying it all the time, I would've...?" Jack shoots out of the chair, wide eyed and questionable. "Wait! What!?! H-How did?!"
"Aha!" Yusei turns back to the computer, logging onto a video website. "I knew that dog had to have known you! No offense dude, but you're not exactly an animal fan."
"Like heck I am!" Jack runs over to Yusei, glaring over his shoulder at the screen. "What is-?"
Yusei smiles again at Jack, but this time Jack is well aware of his grin and shutters back in fear. "Funny thing, Atlas. Seriously funny. About 8 or 9 hours ago, some guy uploaded this video on the internet." Yusei scrolls to the search box and types in 'Man vs. Wild'.
Jack looks at the screen in absolute bewilderment. "Huh?"
"Man vs. Wild, a special 20 minute clip about a certain star toughing it out with a 'wild dog'. Of course, your best friends would know you wouldn't just go up and pick a fight with some stranger of a dog. Eh, Dog Whisperer?"
Jack shrinks back even further, shaking and sweating bullets. "Does anyone else know about this?!"
Yusei snickers some more. "You mean besides us? Yeah. Funny thing about that! After Bruno and I stopped laughing hysterically at your video, Crow emailed it to Akiza, Rally, Blitz, Tank, Nervin, Blister, the twins…"
"OH, COME ON! Give me a break! This is horses%#$!"
"Temper, Jack!"
"Don't you temper me, crab-head!" Jack stops and takes a deep breath. "Besides, how did you know I would even associate with someone from a lower species."
Yusei rolls his eyes ant turns back to the computer, playing the show again. As Jack looks on, he pauses at a scene where Jack and Magnus were on the same screen. Yusei punches in some keyboard letters, and an electronic box shows up around Magnus' throat. After a few more furious clicks from the keyboard, the image enlarges frame by frame, until Jack's neckband was clearly seen around Magnus' neck. "May I present to you, exhibit C! C, as in collar!"
"DAMMIT!" Jack scoots back even further.
"Sorry Jack, but there's no way that the dog could've put that collar, or your collar, on with his little paws. You probably did it to make fun of him!"
"I, Jack Atlas, did no such thing. That monstrosity is Carly's new pet."
Yusei turns back to face him. "What?!"
"You heard me! Carly picked up that stray last night! When we went over to some pet supermarket, she wanted to use my neckband as a temporary collar, so he wouldn't be taken by the dogcatcher. Before and after the shopping trip, a whole mess of weirdness happened."
"All this happened in 24 hours?"
"I know, right! I have seen the face of torture and misery, and it is a DOG!" Jack walks groggily to the couch and stretched himself into a comfortable position, fighting off the nightmares he's positive he'll have tonight. "Please, Yusei, it's been a long day. Can you guys make fun of me in the morning?"
"Sure!" Yusei shuts down the computer and gets up. "Just so you know, there's been 5,000 viewers already. The people around here have been knocking down our door, just so you can sign the pictures they printed out from their favorite scenes. HA-HA! Face it, Jack. You're famous again, but for all the wrong reasons. Good night!" Yusei teases as he walks up the stairs, shutting off all the lights on his way to bed.
Jack groans and turns uncomfortably in his make-shift bed. His face twisted into an unhappy smirk, and his tired eyes staring up at the ceiling. AAUUUGH! What am I gonna do?!? This is all that damn mutt's fault. If what Yusei says is true, I won't even make it out the front door tomorrow! Rotten mutt! Jack tosses again, keeping his eyes shut this time. Hmm, I wonder if I still have that outfit that Carly bought for me?
*Poor Jack, one can only take so much misery...
*If you ask me, he isn't miserable enough. Stay tuned for the next chapter! :)
