For the past few months, the new couple, plus Pickle, did their best to try to hide their relationship from the rest of their friends.

Crusher and Pickle had no trouble hiding it. Crusher wasn't really close to the other racers, after all. He mostly had only Pickle for a friend.

Blaze had a lot of trouble hiding it. Not only did he have to hide it from his closest friends ever but he also had to hide it from his best friend AJ, who he was living with. It was really difficult to do so, especially whenever he snuck out to go on a date with Crusher.

What made things worse was that the red truck wasn't as subtle as he had hoped to be...

.

.

.

"Hey, guys," AJ spoke as he entered Gabby's pit in the Monster Dome, where the rest of their racer friends were gathered.

"Hey, AJ, what's up?" Stripes asked, seeing the frown on the boy's face.

"It's Blaze... I think something's wrong with him," AJ admitted. "He's been acting really strange,"

"Now that ya mentioned it, Blaze HAS been acting strange these past few months," Starla agreed. "Like, how he doesn't win every race anymore,"

"And how he seemed a little flustered around Crusher sometimes," Watts pointed out. "Looking almost afraid,"

"Huh, that IS pretty weird," Darington admitted with a nod.

"What friends think wrong with Blaze?" Zeg asked.

"I don't know, but I've got a theory," Stripes told them. "Have any of you noticed Blaze sneaking out of the Monster Dome after races with Crusher?"

"Yeah, we have," Starla nodded. "What about it?"

"This might sound crazy but what if Crusher is blackmailing him to go with him?" Stripes thought out loud.

"What?" Darington stared at the tiger truck in disbelief. "That's not crazy, that's insane!"

"Crusher cheat, but Crusher not go that low, right?" Zeg agreed with the stunt truck with a nod.

"Maybe he did," AJ seemed to catch onto Stripes's theory. "He's not just sneaking out of the Monster Dome after races, you know. I see him sometimes try to sneak out of the house when he thinks that I don't see him,"

"Could Crusher REALLY be blackmailing him THAT badly?" Watts frowned.

"But with what exactly?" Gabby questioned. "And why? Blaze is still racing-"

"But he doesn't win!" Starla gasped. "I might not know what Crusher's usin' against Blaze, but one thing's for sure; it's keeping Blaze from beating him all the time!"

"You're right!" AJ let out a gasp. "We've got to tell Blaze and-"

"Tell me what?" Blaze asked as he came in the last minute. "What's going on, guys?"

"Just... talking, that's all!" Stripes drove forward with a forced grin. "Nothing that important, nope!"

"O... okay..." Blaze looked confused but shrugged it off as he backed up to drive off. "AJ, it's almost time for the race. We've, uh, gotta get to the starting line,"

"Meet you there, Blaze," AJ assured him. "I just need to finish up here,"

"Okay then," Blaze nodded and turned away to leave.

Just as he did, the boy turned back to the tiger truck in confusion.

"What was that for, Stripes?"

"Listen," Stripes said. "if we tell Blaze that we're onto Crusher's blackmailing, he might make some excuse that it's not true, just to protect us,"

"Stripes is right," Watts agreed. "He'll never tell us straight-forward. We'll just have to keep it lowkey until we find proof of what Crusher's doing,"

"I still don't think Crusher would do that," Darington sighed and turned to drive out. "but whatever you guys say..."

Zeg nodded in agreement before driving after the stunt truck. The others shrugged them off before heading out, nodding to each other to stick to their plan.

Unbeknownst to them, Crusher and Pickle were right behind Gabby's pit and had heard every word they said. Pickle growled.

"How... How DARE they think that you'd swoop down SO low?!"

"Well, yes, we both know that I wouldn't do that, but to everyone, they think I might," Crusher admitted with a shrug. Dating Blaze had softened him up a little too much.

"Well, it's WRONG!" Pickle hissed. "We've got to tell Blaze!"

"And be a tattle tale and ruin his friendship with his friends? No way, Pickle," Crusher shook his head and startd to drive forward. "It's bad enough that it's being ruined because of Blaze's interaction with me. Besides, a theory doesn't hurt anyone, right?"

"No, it doesn't... unless it's about you," Pickle sighed as he watched his best friend drive off for the race.

X

"AJ, gimmie some speed!"

"Yeah-heh!" AJ cheered as he stepped on the acceleration, causing him and Blaze to speed up through the race track.

They soon caught up to Crusher and were driving beside him. The dark blue truck lit up at the sight of his secret lover before he grinned.

"Hey, Blaze, watch this!"

He then zoomed through the track before driving over a jump. At the jump, he did a triple flip and landed on the track no problem. Blaze's jaw dropped, cheeks flushing while AJ's eyes widened.

"W-Wow, that was... impressive," the boy admitted.

"Thanks," Crusher smirked. "See you at the finish line!"

With that, he sped off towards the finish line. AJ sighed and urged Blaze to speed up.

"Come on, Blaze, he's getting to the finish line!"

"R-Right," Blaze shook himself from his trance and sped forward.

Unfortunately, for AJ, Crusher had reached the finish line first and had won the race. AJ dismounted and met up with the rest of their friends while Blaze ran over to congratulate his secret lover.

"Did you guys see that?" AJ asked. "Crusher did one of Blaze's moves,"

"This is proof enough that Crusher IS blackmailing Blaze," Starla growled.

"We can't let him get away with this," Stripes declared.

"Woah, if you guys are going to be like this then Zeg and I want no part of it," Darington raised his tires out in defense. "Come on, Zeg,"

"Zeg coming!" Zeg nodded and drove over with Darington away from the group.

"That leaves us," Watts sighed. "Come on, I've got a plan,"

As they talked about the plan, Pickle could hear their murmurs, causing him to frown.

Whatever they were planning, he was NOT letting them get away with it.

X

"AJ? Gabby? Stripes?" Blaze called out as he drove into the pit rows. "Where is everyone?"

"Blaze!"

"Pickle?" the red truck turned to see the green truck zoom towards him. "Have you seen anyone?"

"I saw Darry and Zeg at their pits, but everyone else? Nope," Pickle shook his head. "But that's why I'm worried. I can't even find where Crusher is,"

"You can't find Crush either?" Blaze frowned. "But... where could they be-"

Suddenly, there was a thump and a scream, causing the two to jump in surprise.

"That sounds like Crusher!" Pickle cried out.

"And it sounds like it's coming from Gabby's pit," Blaze added.

They both zoomed over to the mechanic's pit. They gasped and froze in horror as they found Starla, Watts, AJ and Gabby cornering Crusher, who was sobbing as Stripes held him by the exhaust pipe.

"Just ADMIT it, Crusher!" the tiger truck growled. "Admit what you did!"

"But I... I didn't do anything!" Crusher defended himself.

"Stop lying!" Starla snarled. "Admit that you blackmailed Blaze into losing!"

"B-But I didn't!"

"Crusher, all of this would be simpler if you just admit the truth," Watts told him in a tone that's dangerously calmer than the others as she held out her phone. "Tell us the truth, call it all off, and we won't tell the police,"

"But I really didn't!" Crusher was crying harder now as the tiger truck twisted his exhaust pipe with a tighter grip. "P-Please believe me!"

"I said, STOP LYING!" Starla roared out, punching the dark blue truck down.

"HEY!" Blaze snapped out of his horrified stance, growing enraged as he drove over to defend his badly injured boyfriend. "WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"Blaze, we're trying to help you," Gabby replied. "Crusher's blackmailing won't hurt you anymore,"

"HE WAS NEVER BLACKMAILING ME!" Blaze snapped. "WHAT MADE YOU GUYS THINK THAT HE WAS?!"

"The flustered look, the sneaking out, the losing..." Stripes listed.

"THAT DOESN'T EVEN MEAN ANYTHING!" Blaze yelled out.

"Hey, what's going on- WOAH, WHAT HAPPENED TO CRUSHER?!" Darington shrieked as he and Zeg came to the pit, horrified.

"Darington, Blaze is being blackmailed!" Gabby told the stunt truck. "We all know that, right?!"

"Oh NO!" Darington shook his head with a growl as Pickle and Zeg zipped over to help Crusher back on his tires. "I already said that whatever you guys are planning, Zeg and I have NO part in it,"

"Blaze, we're just worried about you," AJ admitted.

"You... You have a part in this, AJ?" Blaze stared at the boy that he was calling his best friend in disbelief.

"Yes, because I'm worried about you," AJ confessed with a nod. "You've been sneaking out with Crusher a lot of times now. You think we can't see you, but we do, and we're worried that he might be hurting you,"

Blaze looked betrayed as he turned away from the boy. He went over to the dark blue truck and gently took him in his tires to comfort before turning back to face the group.

"Fine," he spoke. "You wanna know what's going on? I'll tell you. Crusher and I are dating. Period."

The group looked absolutely horrified by the statement. Well, except Darington, who only looked annoyed as he stared at Pickle with a frown.

"I owe you ten bucks, don't I?"

"Twenty, actually," Pickle corrected.

Stripes stared at the stunt truck in disbelief before turning to the red truck. "Are you... serious, Blaze?"

"You're dating HIM, OF ALL THE MONSTER MACHINES IN ALL THE FREAKING WORLD?!" Starla roared out. "ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS?!"

"Blaze, HE'S TRIED TO KILL YOU! PLENTY OF TIMES!" Watts cried out.

"Not to mention he's hurt us plenty of times too!" Gabby agreed with the pink truck.

"Well, right now, it seems that YOU GUYS are the ones hurting him." Blaze hissed, glaring at them.

"Wait," Stripes narrowed his eyes at the red truck. "how do we know that you're not some robot that Crusher made and that the real Blaze is dead?"

"...what?" Blaze's eye twitched. "Are you guys serious?"

"Uh, Blaze, maybe we should get Crusher to my sisters...?" Pickle suggested as Crusher felt oil and blood leak from his nose.

"Crush!" Blaze drove over and helped him up. "Let's get you some medical attention, alright?"

"O-Okay..." Crusher nodded shakily as his lover helped him drive out with Zeg and Pickle.

The others watched as they left. Stripes gagged.

"I mean, I don't mind gayness, but Blaze and Crusher? Dating?! That's just... undescribable,"

"I know, right?" Starla agreed. "I don't think that's the real Blaze at ALL!"

"Neither do I," Watts nodded.

"Do you guys really think Crusher swooped down THAT low to kill Blaze and create a clone of him?" AJ asked.

"I definitely do NOT," Darington huffed and turned to drive away from the toxic group.

X

"Just keep this on, and it'll keep the blood from leaking out," Millie prescribed as she set it towel of cold water on the dark blue truck's nose.

"Thanks, Millie," Blaze thanked as he held onto the towel.

"It's no problem," Millie assured him before turning to leave.

Blaze waited until she was gone then he turned to his shaking lover. He kissed his forehead and sighed.

"I'm so sorry that this happened to you, Crush,"

"N-No," Crusher shook his head. "This... This is my fault. I... Pickle and I should've told you what they were thinking,"

"You guys knew?" Blaze stared at him in shock. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Sorry," Crusher sighed. "I... I told Pickle to keep quiet and... and I didn't want to bother you..."

"Crush, you wouldn't bother me," Blaze told him gently. "You should have told me, especially if it involved you getting beat up this badly,"

"That's what I said, but he just didn't listen," Pickle grumbled as he came in with a tool box.

"Sorry," Crusher apologized. "I... I didn't know it would be this bad. I just... didn't want to create a rift between you and your friends,"

"Well, on the bright side, I know who my real friends are," Blaze offered him a smile.

"Is Zeg real friend?" Zeg asked, driving in.

"Yes, Zeg, you are, as much as Darington is since it seems that Pickle and him were betting on it," Blaze glanced over at the green truck, who was busy fixing Crusher's exhast pipe.

"Couldn't help it," Pickle giggled. "You and Crusher weren't really subtle, tho,"

"So don't worry about it, Crush," Blaze kissed his cheek. "I actually want to thank you. At least I know that AJ isn't with me on this," He sighed. "I can't believe he and the others thought that you were blackmailing me... or that you'd kill me and clone me,"

"I'm sorry about that, Blaze," Pickle spoke, patting his back comfortingly.

"It's alright, really," Blaze assured them. "We just have to be careful now. Who knows what else our so-called friends would think of?"