A gift from Bulldog; POP QUIZ!

1. What is the name of Lexi's Grandfather?

A. Optimus Prime / B. Mike Wazowski / C. Stanley / D. Leone

2. Who designed Alexis' original paint job?

A. Her brother; Phoenix / B. Ripslinger / C. Xzibit / D. Optimus Prime

3. What is Lexi's signature move called?

A. The Cuban Eight / B. Optimus Prime / C. The Lomcevak / D. The Macarena

4. Alexis is most afraid of... ?

A. Spiders / B. The ocean / C. Optimus Prime / D. Arianna

5. Alexis' replacement compressor was bought from a store.

True / False / Optimus Prime

6. In addition to being Lexi's mechanic/babysitter, Arianna is a... ?

A. Optimus Prime / B. Honey Badger / C. Photographer / D. Writer

7. How long does El Chupacabra agree to date Alexis?

A. Three days / B. To infinity and beyond / C. A week / D. Optimus Prime

8. Bulldog thinks rap is fun.

True / False / Optimus Prime

Bonus Questions

9. Sometimes Dusty be straight trippin'.

True / False / Optimus Prime

10. If there are three pancakes on the ceiling, how many pencils are in your hand?

A. What?! / B. Three / C. Optimus Prime / D. Purple, because aliens don't buy applesauce on Wednesdays.

Songs: Turn Me On by Kevin Lyttle

It was just beyond midnight when all that could be heard from the Team 12 hangar was soft snoring. The day's weariness had overtaken the tug and the old Haviland while the crop duster had succumbed to Bulldog's long-winded and dry, yet soothing, sermon. The Grob G 120TP had managed to resist boredom by keeping her mind crowded with lyrics. She was full of excitement as she leaned her body into Dusty to gently rock him and whispered, "Wake up, D-man. It's time to go."

"I'm awake! 'Never Eat Soggy Waffles'! See, Bulldog, I was paying attention!" He yelled as he arose with a start.

"Shh, Dusty. You'll wake Barb-Arianna and Professor B-dog. Let's go."

Alexis hooked a prop blade through the handle of her portable stereo and dashed outside.

"Where are we going?" Dusty yawned whilst he followed.

"To serenade EC. I've thought of the perfect song."

"Does it have words?"

"Of course it has words, Dusty," she responded crossly as she led him through the still competitor's quarters.

Taxying across the lot, Dusty could hear the mild snores of his fellow competitors and he began to grow nervous. Surely, Alexis wouldn't choose a boisterous song that would disturb everyone. Right? Suddenly, the answer struck him: of course she would.

"Lexi, maybe this isn't such a good idea," he said as the female set up just outside the Gee Bee's shelter.

"This was your idea, D-man. It's too late to turn back now."

"No, it's not too lat-," he began but the stunt plane had already hit the button on the stereo.

The music blared to life as Dusty cringed and Alexis belted out,

"Oh yeaaaaaaaaaaaah, eah eah eah!

For the longest try'na get your attention
But you're ignorin' me
Pushin' everythin' up
Right back on top of me
Yea heh

But if you think you're gonna get away from me
You better change your mind
You're going ho-o-o-o-ome
You're going home with me tonight!"

"What the hell? !" Gasped Arianna shocked from her sleep.

The exhausted Bulldog continued to snore on through the performance, even after the irritated tug shoved him from the Team 12 hangar. Team RPX peered out of their shelter to study the commotion.

"Oh man, this is priceless," jeered Ripslinger. "Ned, get the camera!"

"Ooh! Such an inconsiderate little trollop!" Scoffed Rochelle, closing her privacy curtain as tightly as she could.

"What is going on? !" Demanded Ishani as she stormed from her hangar. Her eyes widened upon seeing the crop duster in the raucous Alexis' company, "Dusty?!" She heatedly thundered back to her dwelling and scowled, "What does he see in her? !"

In his private sector of the communal WATG staff hangar, Roper struggled to drown the stunt plane's melody out, "I could've retired. I could've been in Tahiti right now with a motor-hito on one lift and a fine young piece of tailgate on the other. 'No' I said. 'I like my job' I said… This is definitely strike two and a half!"

When he finally made sense of what was happening, El Chupacabra was stupefied.

Alexis' serenade persisted as she danced unwittingly in the moonlight,

"Let me touch you
Boy, caress my body
You've got me going crazy
You, turn me on
Turn me on

Let me kiss you
Boy, fly all around me
You've got me going crazy
You, turn me on
Turn me on

Boy, just hug me, hug me
Kiss me, squeeze me
Hug me, hug me
Kiss and caress me

Hug me, hug me
Kiss me, squeeze me
Hug me, boy and
Kiss and caress me!"

After her show was over Dusty pulled Alexis aside, "Um, Lexi, haven't you ever heard of 'low and slow'?"

"Of course, D-man, but I'm not a car," she grinned before turning back to the object of her desire. "So, whaddya think, babe? Pretty dreamy, huh?"

El Chupacabra was frozen in horror. Only the mocking laughter of Team RPX and a few of the other racers pulled him from his trance, "Estas loco? ! What made you think I would like something like this? !"

"Well, Dusty told me you sang for Rochelle last year so I thought you'd find it flattering."

El Chu turned and stared daggers at the crop duster who avoided the look like his life depended on it. Then he responded, "When I did it, it was muy romantico. This, Alexis Tigerfyre, is muy embarazoso!"

"My bad … the last thing I want to do is embarrass you, boyfriend -"

"I AM NOT your boyfriend! Now, go away before I call Roper!" With a furious cape swish he whirled back into his hangar.

From where he stood behind her, Dusty could see that Alexis was trembling from the stinging words of her idol's punishing reprimand. He rolled up beside her, expecting to see tears and not knowing how he was going to handle them, but her eyes were completely dry.

Suspecting that she might be holding it in, he inquired, "Are you alright, Alexis?"

"Yeah…," the stunt plane replied sadly before she turned and headed back to her own hangar.

Dusty tried to cheer her up as he escorted her, keeping a careful watch for the tears he was sure would erupt from her at any moment, "It was an awesome song; very lively … and fun. Also, your voice was perfect-"

"I don't get it," she interrupted Dusty's brown-nosing. "I can sing another song, a more romantic one…"

There was a long pause before Dusty sighed, "It's not the song, Lexi."

"You're right; I bet he would've liked it if it was Rochelle singing it…"

"Yeah, but … he'd probably like it if it was simply Rochelle gargling mouthwash."

"… And you'd probably like it if it was Ishani gargling mouthwash," she teased with a small smile.

"Well, good oral hygiene is a fetish of mine," the crop duster joked back.

There was not a single tear from the stunt plane the whole way home and Dusty was astounded. Was she really not going to cry at all after her deepest and most powerful obsession had ripped her self-image to shreds? Alexis was very strong and it impressed Dusty. When they reached her hangar, Alexis quietly peered inside. Arianna had moved and was now fast asleep in her bed and Bulldog was gone. Both had, no doubt, been awakened at some point by Lexi's song. The crop duster and the stunt plane were silent for a bit as they stood just outside the Team 12 hangar.

Then Alexis drew a deep breath and asked, "What have they got that I don't got?"

"Who?" Questioned Dusty.

"Ishani and Rochelle."

"Um … better grammar?"

"I'm serious!"

"Well … let's see. They're graceful and delicate, they make an effort to look nice … and, aside from the gossiping, they have excellent manners. I guess they're mostly perfect by most men's standards, while you curse and belch. You run into stuff, you say the wrong things sometimes, you get into trouble, you're messy, and occasionally you snort when you laugh really hard."

"Alright, Dusty, I get it. My self-esteem is low enough as it is."

"You don't have to feel bad, Lexi. I like that you're imperfect. It makes you real … plus you're funny. The fact that you make mistakes and make me laugh allows me to relax and be myself. I'll tell you a secret; I really like Ishani but when I'm around her I feel like I have to always watch what I do and say, like I have to put on my best performance to even come close to being good enough for her. It can be exhausting so … it's nice to hang out with you and be completely accepted for who I am. I love that when I'm around you I can let my flaps down, reek of Vitamin-a-mulch, and know that you'll still be there for me."

"That's true I guess … but can I be there for you from waaaaay over here?" She teased, moving away from him.

"Ha ha, very funny. You know, perhaps if you had competed last year I might not have fallen for Ishani at all."

"Are you trying to say you want to date me or something?" She gave him a quizzical look.

"I … er … I thought you wanted to be with El Chu," faltered Dusty as he anxiously looked at the ground and shuffled a tire back and forth.

"I definitely do, more than anything … but I mean, if EC and Ishani weren't factors in our lives … would you want to date me?"

The gold-encircled azure of Alexis' eyes held the sapphire blue in Dusty's as the pair gazed deeply into one another beneath a sky of softly shimmering stars. For a split second, an image of a small young plane; a boy, flashed before Dusty's sight. While the strange vision's feeling was not unpleasant, it still shook him to the core. In unison, the two friends timidly averted their eyes from one another.

The crop duster was the first to speak, "Uh … I … s-suddenly I don't feel so comfortable talking about this anymore. Can we talk about something else?"

"Yeah, I was just about to suggest that," replied Alexis. "Uh … well, it's been a long, and rather disappointing, day. I'll see ya around, Dusty."

"Goodnight, Lexi," he smiled as he watched his friend disappear into her hangar before heading to his.

When the dawn came, it was El Chu's voice that pulled Dusty from his sleep, "Rise and shine, amigo! Es una dia mas bonita! Let us have breakfast with the girls and prepare for the final round."

As Dusty followed El Chu to the Team 12 tent, he couldn't help but ask, "What makes you think Alexis will have breakfast ready for us today?"

"Because … she has made it for us all the days before. Why would she stop now?"

As they taxied through the grounds, Dusty absently began to hum to himself, "Hmm hmm hm hm hmmm hmm … You've got me goin' crazy. You, turn me on, turn me on…"

"Dusty!" Barked the Mexican racer.

"Huh?"

"Stop singing that song!"

"Sorry, El Chu. I didn't even realize. It's such a catchy tune."

El Chupacabra mumbled bitterly.

When they arrived, Dusty called out to the girls," Alexis? Arianna? Are we having breakfast together at the crib today?"

When no reply came he parted the curtains with his nose and looked inside. Everything was tidy, even Lexi's area, but the girls were nowhere in sight.

"They're not here," said Dusty.

"What are we supposed to do for breakfast?" El Chu pouted.

"I guess we'll just have to fuel up at the cafeteria like everyone else."

The competition grounds cafeteria was an enormous hangar with steel walls and doors that were locked tight after hours. Breakfast and dinner were always the most crowded times and the noise of so many vehicles in one place echoing back forth made it deafening. Not to mention that the close quarters brought the immaturity of the racers to the surface as someone's tray was knocked to the ground nearly everyday and fights were practically incessant. Speaking of which, as the boys entered the canteen the first thing to be seen was a cook and a race official who had two unruly brawlers separated and pinned to the ground. While everyone's focus was on that Team RPX ambushed Dusty and El Chu.

"Look who it is, boys," mocked Ripslinger. "It's 'D-man' and Loverboy."

"I totally see why Lex is so smitten, Boss. Stupid costumes 'turn me on' too," laughed Ned.

"'Hug me, hug me. Kiss me, squeeze me'," heckled Zed.

The Gee Bee fought to hide his humiliation as the vicious trio circled them like hungry sharks, all the while slinging chains of piercing insults. It was more than enough to make them lose their appetites and they quickly left the chaos.

"Ugh, I see why the girls don't eat in the cafeteria," grumbled Dusty as they strolled through the competitor's quarters. "It's definitely not for the faint of engine."

"It's not for me either," interjected the old Haviland from where he stretched in front of his hangar.

"Hey Bulldog, are you just waking up?"

"Morning, chaps. I am, … shocking isn't it? I didn't think it would be so difficult to stay up past 7:30 but boy was I wrong. Still, you and Alexis should be more than ready for the navigation round now."

"I really appreciate all your help and I know Lexi does as well."

"Yes, that girl needs all the assistance she can get … and then some. Speaking of whom, have you see her about? I figured she would have awoken me at dawn. Anyway, I thought of a few more tips for her."

"If I see her before the final round starts I'll let her know that you're looking for her," nodded Dusty.

"Thanks, lad, and good luck today. You too, um… uhhh…"

The Gee Bee glared, "El Chupacabra."

"Right! Well, cheerio." Bulldog hummed softly to himself as he moved back to his dwelling, "Hmm hm hmmmm hm, … girl, caress my body…"

Dusty couldn't help but giggle at the older plane's singing of the lyrics, "Bulldog, you know that song?"

"No, I don't remember ever having heard it before, but it's been stuck in my head all morning. It's a charming little ditty though."

The boys ventured into the city and had a nice breakfast at a local cafe where they quizzed one another on some basic navigation principles. It was 9:45-ish when they rolled back onto the grounds.

Dusty was puzzled, "It's almost time for the final round to start and we still haven't seen Lexi."

However, El Chu seemed pleased, "Yes. Having Alexis for a girlfriend is becoming a lot like not having Alexis for a girlfriend, no?"

"I thought you said you weren't her boyfriend," Dusty's tone with El Chu was short but he tried to hide it and not blame his friend for Lexi's sudden disappearance.

"I … uh … well, I am not."

"I hope she's alright."

"I am sure she is fine, amigo. No doubt, we will see her in the final round."

At 10 AM on the dot all the racers were lined up as Roper began his announcement, "Welcome racers to the fourth and final round of the qualifiers for this year's Wings Around the Globe Rally. As you may already know; this is the navigation round. Hidden throughout the city are three magnetic flags with your team number on them. All you have to do is collect your three flags and make it to the finish line as fast as you can. All SatNav devices and global positioning systems are strictly prohibited. You will be given a simple holographic map that shows the locations of your flags and a few landmarks indicated by numbers. Encoded in the map are a vague set of directions that corresponds with the numbers on the map. They will point you the right way but will not tell you exactly how to get to your flags. Of course, if you don't know how to navigate, the directions could very well confuse you and get you turned around. Flying will be unnecessary for this round as you'll find it easier to read street names, spot landmarks, and see the flags from the ground. However, you may find yourself heckled by the occasional fan or journalist. Don't bother asking them for directions because that's cheating. This isn't just about qualifying for the Rally; you're here to test your abilities and learn where you need improvement. So, good luck, racers." Roper raised his pistol, "Get ready! Go!"

When the starting gun fired, the planes all taxied off in various directions as they pretended to follow their maps into the city. In actuality, they each wanted to be alone to attempt to decode their maps. This way no one would see when they became hopelessly lost and judge them on their poor navigation skills. Through pure luck, El Chupacabra was the first to find one of his flags when he followed Rochelle down a dead-end street.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" Inquired the French twin-prop upon spotting the team 5 flag. "Zis is not my flag. I must 'ave taken a wrong turn." She studied her map again.

"No, my angel, this is exactly where we need to be," he circled around her, cutting off her escape. "Tell me; why do you deny our love?"

"Mon Dieu! You are so desperate, so clingy! It was a fun summer fling but did you really think it would last? We 'ave nothing in common. Besides, if people saw us together they would think I was dating my gardener."

"Y-you assume that because I am Mexican I am a good gardener…," he sadly said.

"You are not? Then you 'ave even les' to offer than I thought. Wha's funny iz that if you are zis pathetic, then zat girl must be 10 times as tragic," she mocked. "Now, if you don't mind I must find my flags. Au revoir, my little monster!"

The Gee Bee helplessly watched her leave as his heart crumbled.

By this point, Dusty had also managed to locate one of his flags and in his search for the second he had found himself hopelessly lost!

"All these streets and buildings look alike!" Dusty groaned in frustration as he attempted to navigate another crowded New York thoroughfare. To give himself some space to think, he quickly took a turn into a much calmer and quiet park. Dusty then brought up his holo-map for some more study and sighed, "'Head North on 134th.' Which way is North? Well, if the sun rises in the East and the sun was that way this morning, then 'Never Eat Soggy Waffles' is North, East, South, then West, that means this direction should be North … ish. Thank you, Bulldog. Alright, if I'm going the right way I should be able to see a restaurant called 'Tailgaters' when I make a left at the end of this street. Let's try it."

As he approached the end of the park's road he grew a little nervous. Making the fateful left, he desperately looked through the waiting traffic at every storefront on the boulevard. When he discovered no eatery his heart sunk. "Darn it! Now I have no idea where to go from here!"

Just then, the light turned green and the waiting vehicles began to move. An oversized rig motored out of the way and behind it, in front of an unmarked store, written on an old-school chalkboard sign above the 'special of the day' was 'Tailgaters Bistro'.

"Oh, thank the Manufacturer!" The crop duster cried before continuing on his way.

The Twin Turbos were having no such luck as they studied their holo-map.

"What the fuck am I lookin' at? !" Cussed Ned indignantly.

"I think those are trees," said Zed. "Maybe our flags are near a forest."

"Where are we going to find a forest in the middle of the city? !"

A nearby WATG official who was patrolling his section of the test area laughed, "You boys sure are having a hard time. I guess you should've spent more time on your navigation skills instead of your paint jobs."

"Shut up, you're just mad because when the Rally's over we'll still be rich and famous racers while you'll have to go back to being some no-name mall cop," taunted Ned.

"Grrr. You just better not let me catch you two retards cheating! I'm watching you."

Just then, an old plane in a cream colored bonnet and wrapped in a matching shawl hobbled betwixt the official and the twins, "OH MY GOSH! It's the Twin Turbos; Ned and Zed, my two favorite racers! Can I have your autographs? !"

The WATG tug was surprised, "You actually like these losers, lady?"

"I love them! They are so smart, and fast, and strong and they hang out with the incredibly handsome, talented, sleek, sensual, awesome, brave, generous, kind, and modest Ripslinger. He is so gorgeous and if I was a young girl again, I'd -"

"Yeah, yeah, ma'am, I get it," interrupted the official as he started to depart.

"Wait, sonny, I haven't told you all my favorite things about Ripslinger yet."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I really need to … uh … be somewhere else."

"Heh," the elderly plane chuckled with a wicked grin as she watched the official speed far away and out of sight.

"Here you go, ma'am. Still want that autograph?" Said Zed.

"Get your worthless signatures out my face," she said in a deep male voice.

"Whoa! What's your malfunction, you senile old rattletrap? !" Snapped Ned.

"It's me, you idiots. Ripslinger."

"B-Boss? !" The twins inquired as they leapt back in shock. Suddenly, Zed began to whimper before bursting out in tears.

"Boss, why are you dressed like and old lady?" Asked a very confused Ned.

"It's disguise, you morons. How else am I going to be able to make sure you guys qualify?" Answered the captain, raising his voice so as to be heard over Zed's bawling.

Ned found that he nearly had to shout over his brother, "Thanks, Boss!"

"Dammit, Zed! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Snarled a pissed off Ripslinger.

Zed blubbered, "Y-you … c-complimented me!"

"No I didn't."

"Uh huh! Y-you … s-said you thought we were smart… and that you're our biggest fan…"

"So what? !"

"You never say nice stuff to us. I'm … just … so … happy!" Zed wailed with tears of joy.

"Zed! If you make a scene and blow my cover, I'll kill you! Now, get ahold of yourself!"

"I-I'm trying!"

Ripslinger led his team through the city streets as Ned read the directions, and Zed struggled to calm down.

"Behold, boys! Your first flag should be right in those bushes," said the captain confidently.

"But Boss, those are rose bushes," informed Ned.

"So?"

"They have thorns!"

"Get your ailerons in there! We don't have all day!"

Ned turned to his still weeping brother and smacked him with a wing, "Yeah, get in there, stupid!"

"Zed's cried enough. I told you to get in there!" Ordered Ripslinger.

"Aww man," whined Ned as he reluctantly taxied into the sharp masses of leaves and thorns. His shrieks of pain rung through the air as he scoured the pointy plants for the prized pennant. At last, his distressed voice came from the bushes, "You're wrong, Rip."

"Keep searching! I know there's a flag in there."

"There's a flag alright," whimpered Ned as he emerged covered in scratches, leaves, and dirt. In his teeth was a number 7 flag, "It's the farmer's."

"What?! Let me see that damn map!" The custom plane smacked the holo-map from where it was magnetized to Ned's wing tip. When it hit the ground it opened and Ripslinger studied it angrily. Then he looked at the flag Ned held before growling, "Dusty…"

As if summoned by his rival, the crop duster turned onto the street, "Alright, if Bulldog's lecture is really making me into a nav-whiz then my flag should be just up ahead-" When Dusty saw the 'elderly' plane, the tears in Zed's eyes, and Ned all scraped up, he good-naturedly teased, "What's wrong, Ned and Zed, is this little old lady beating you up?"

Ned quickly spat out the flag and barked, "Shut up, Dusty, or we'll give you something to cry about!"

"Calm down, guys," laughed Dusty, still amused by his own joke. "I'll just take my flag and go. By the way, thanks for pulling it out of those nasty looking bushes for me."

Ripslinger's oil was boiling inside as he listened to the crop duster. He refused to let Dusty have the flag.

"A Dusty Crophopper pennant! Why, Dusty's my favorite racer of all time!" Dramatically exclaimed Ripslinger in his elderly voice as he fought to hold back the urge to vomit in revulsion of his own words. He grabbed the flag and sharply whispered to the twins, "I'll take care the hayseed and the others. You two idiots hurry up and find your flags and get to the finish line." Suddenly he peeled out, his tires squealing and smoking as he accelerated away.

"Hey, Miss! Come back, I need that!" Yelled Dusty as he unknowingly chased after Rip. "I know you're a fan but I need you to give me that flag so I can finish this competition!"

"Not a chance, Farmboy!"

"'Farmboy'?" Dusty pondered to himself a moment, and then it dawned on him, "… Ripslinger!"

The two adversaries raced through the packed streets, shoving cars and trucks aside. After Rip ducked down a side street, a race official narrowly avoided being run over as Dusty attempted the same sharp turn.

"Hey!" Called the tug, "What's going on, Mr. Crophopper?!"

Dusty quickly headed back to the official, "Ripslinger's dressed like an old lady and he just took one of my flags!"

"Say what now? Ripslinger's dressed as an old lady and has one of your flags? What is this? A joke?"

"It's true!"

Doubtfully, the forklift called it in on his radio, "Hey, Roper, I've got Crophopper 7 here and he says his flag was stolen by Ripslinger in an old lady costume. Over."

Roper's sarcasm came back over the radio, "Now, that's an excuse if I've ever heard one. You tell Crophopper 7 I give him points for his creativity. Over."

"It's true!" Dusty asserted.

"Ripslinger is pre-qualified! Why would he risk his career to mess with you? Over."

"I dunno, maybe because I'm the only one who can beat him! Or maybe to get back at me for last year!"

"Vanity, thy name is Dusty! You won one race, kid. The professional racing circuit is a big world and it doesn't revolve around you. Over."

Another race official's voice sounded over the receiver, "Roper, I'm getting a lot of reports from racers of missing flags. Over."

Roper growled, "Seriously? More whining? I know they're well hidden and it can be tough if you have a problem following directions but do these racers really think the path is going to be clearly marked for them in the Rally? This is a test! Tell them to figure it out! Over and out!"

"You heard him, Dusty. Figure it out," said the official.

"Oh, for heaven's sake! I'll take care of him myself!" Dusty furiously sped after Ripslinger who now had a massive lead.

The custom plane quickly descended a subway entrance and glimpsed two more racers' flags stuck to an old pay-to-pump air compressor. As he scooped them up, Dusty spotted him from the entrance.

"Ripslinger, you'd better stop!"

In his senior voice, Rip cried, "Someone help! That frightening young man is after my purse!"

A few angry New Yorkers blocked Dusty's path and lectured him on crime and its tendency not to pay well. The little orange plane was able to clear up the misunderstandings but the distraction still gave Ripslinger just enough time to slip back above ground and off the crop duster's radar.

He hid beneath an overpass to catch his breath, "Damn, why is Dusty so fast? Well, at least I won't have to worry about him finishing as long as I have one of his flags." During the chase, Ripslinger had managed to collect quite a few team flags. After counting them he looked up and there, on the road under the overpass were two more: one for 32 and one for 12. "While I'm here I might as well pick up a few more things," he chuckled wickedly as he passed over them and their magnets attached to the metal in his wings. Suddenly, something hit him so hard that all the flags flew off him and he was knocked on his back!

"Son of a Boeing, that hurt! Why don't you watch where you're going?!" Ripslinger cursed.

"My apologies, I should have known better! Please allow me to help," a gentle voice crooned, as its owner helped flip him back over. "Tell me where it hurts, ma'am."

"I'm fine," Rip answered. When he turned and saw the other vehicle he grew so disconcerted that he completely forgot about the flags ... and the fact that he was supposed to be incognito.

The offender was a slightly smaller lilac-colored aircraft with snowy points. She was adorned with ornate floral designs composed of a fuchsia hibiscus pattern that lined the ivory and lilac, and a great red tribal rose that tattooed the side of her cab. From the rose sprouted a barbed wire-esque vine that hugged the lengths of her slender wings and body. She wore a violet ivy-style cap from the base of which elegantly streamed two matching ribbons. Finally, her striking emerald eyes peered through a classy, thin pair of black, square frames. She was quick to notice the 12 flag, "Ooh! May I have that, please? It would really mean a lot to me."

"U-uh … sure," stammered Rip. "No wait, I can't. There's someone really important I need to beat in the Rally. If you're looking for racing souvenirs you can have one of the other ones."

She gave him a confused look before pouting, "Aww, I really only need that one."

The girl's presence was beginning to make Ripslinger uncomfortable, "Fine, just take it. You're going to attract too much attention to me."

"Thanks so much, ma'am! You're the best," she smiled warmly as she kindly placed a wing atop his. "Are you sure you're alright and there isn't anything I can do for you? Are you coming down with something? No offense, but your voice is starting to sound like a dude's."

At once, Rip donned his elderly woman's tone, "Y-yeah, I'm alright, dearie."

"Okay then, I really must be on my way but it was a pleasure meeting you. Later!" She raced off and out of sight.

"That was weird," thought Ripslinger as his senses returned. Who was that girl and why was she so interested in team 12's pennant? Maybe she was just a racing fan or a collector. In any case, giving away Alexis' flag was sure to keep the stunt plane from qualifying which would spoil his plans of revenge. He'd just have to settle for her crushed expression when she looked upon the leaderboard and it reflected her failure.

Quiz Answers

1. D 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. False 6. C 7. A 8. True 9. True 'Dat! 10. D

How did you do on the quiz? In the event that you don't know the right answer, 'Optimus Prime' is always an acceptable choice. =p