Alien Species Mentioned in this Chapter:

Necrofriggian (Big Chill's Species), Loboan (Blitzwolfer's Species), Revonnahgander (Rook's Species), Nagasapien (Ssserpent's Species), Cerebrocrustacean (Brainstorm's Species), Lenopan (Cousin Lucy's Species), Vicetopus (Predator of Cerebrocrustaceans from the Nemetrix)

Logan wouldn't say his childhood was like the others.

Not because it was better or worse. It was just different.

Virgil grew up a foreigner on his own world. Scout was put into the role of protector at a young age. Deceit grew up around criminals. Patton was forced to choose between his family and doing what's right. They'd all spent years struggling. Logan's life just wasn't like that.

He'd say his life was more like Rook's but even that was kind of a stretch. The only similarities they had were that their youths counted as normal for their species. Other than that, Logan didn't think life on a farm could really be compared to rising in Encephalonus IV's academic ranks. Especially not to the degree he had.

"Be warned," Logan murmured as Rook brought the ship down, "I am quite popular among my people."

"What, like you're some kind of celebrity?" Scout joked but his amusement was quickly replaced by shock as the ship's hangar opened and the group was met with the sight of hundreds of Cerebrocrustaceans gathered around them, filling the streets on the ground and in the air. A waste of one's electricity, Logan thought, but he supposed he could understand wanting to use his telekinesis on the unnecessary.

"Before I joined the Plumber Academy, I was very successful in Encephalonus IV's top science division," Logan explained, stepping ahead of his friends to make his way down the panel as it slid out of the Protoship. "My achievements got me quite a bit of fame."

"What kind of achievements?" Patton asked, sounding shocked. He probably was. Encephalonus IV was truly a sight to behold and the sight of a city with so many inhabitants was even more impressive.

Logan tried not to sound too proud as he explained. "I invented the technology that allowed us to control and tame wild Vicetopus. I have not been around to see the effects of my work but it is my understanding that my people's city builders and scientists are now able to go to the water's edge without a protection team."

Logan knew his friends didn't understand the implications of what he was saying but he didn't expand on his thoughts. He was too distracted. His mind buzzed as the other Cerebrocrustaceans tried to reach out to his mind. He kept the flaps of his exoskeleton firmly shut, not wanting to talk to the crowd right now. Instead, he waded into the mass, waving for the crowd to part as he progressed.

"I'm guessing that's what got you into the Plumber Academy?" Dee asked, quickly slithering after him so he didn't get separated.

"I imagine so, yes."

"How much of the planet will we see while we are here?" Rook asked, looking upward to gaze at the towering trees and the buildings nestled into their trunks. To a Revonnahgander, Logan imagined it was humbling. Farming planets didn't tend to build vertically, unless they had the mountain space for terraces. Logan couldn't wait until they got out of the forest and they saw the actual city.

"I'm not sure," Logan told him, scuttling down the street. There was the forest and city, sure, but Logan wanted to see the progress in the ocean as well and maybe the moons. It'd just been so long since he'd been here. He had a lot to catch up on. "For now, let's just head to my apartment. That's where we'll be staying for the duration of our stay so I'd like to settle in before-"

"Nonsense!" a gruff voice interrupted, startling the group. The tickle of voices trying to touch Logan's mind suddenly ceased as the crowd looked upward to see a large, red-shelled Cerebrocrustacean floating downward on a field of blue electricity.

Someone in the group started to ask who the newcomer was but Logan snapped a claw in that direction, telling whoever it was to shut up. The Cerebrocrustacean's pleopods hit the ground with a declarative click. Shuffling back a bit, Logan dipped his head, careful not to unbalance himself, to the other crab. "High Thinker."

"Logan Burton," the High Thinker greeted, an unusual jolliness in his tone. "I was not expecting your return."

"I did not call ahead," Logan responded, slightly unsettled. He straightened himself. "I wasn't planning on this being an eventful visit. I just wanted to show my teammates my homeworld. And perhaps visit my uncle if he is around."

The High Thinker glanced at Logan's friends. Patton waved awkwardly.

"Well, if you want to show them Encephalonus IV then they should stay somewhere better than your apartment, Logan. No one has been there since you left. I'm sure it's in no living condition." The High Thinker turned to face the others. "You all should come stay at my tower! It would be a delight to have you."

The group stared blankly at Logan, looking for an answer. Logan wanted to scream into his claws but alas. Instead, he just gave them an ever so slight nod. Rook broke into a pacifying smile, pressed his hands together, and bowed to the High Thinker. "We would be honored."

The High Thinker clicked his claws in pleasure. "Excellent! Now, let's get you away from the crowd. There is so much we must do!"

Virgil had been impressed when Logan told them about the technology he'd designed. And now that he was actually riding a Vicetopus, he was even more so.

They were massive creatures, terrifying image complete with thick tentacles, a jaded break, and slit eyes. Virgil knew he could be scary but there was a difference between being afraid of a ghost and being afraid of such a powerful predator.

But the creature made no move to attack. It stayed in line, as tame and docile as any domesticated animal. As the group climbed on its back, Virgil eyed the collar around its neck and the stream of electricity connecting it to a nearby Cerebrocrustacean's brain. He doubted the humanity of such a device but considering the fact the monster wasn't attacking, he couldn't complain.

Even Logan seemed a bit unnerved by it as the creature carried the group and dragged their ship through the city. Virgil wanted to ask Logan to tell him more but he was quickly distracted by the city. As the Vicetopus carried them deeper and deeper, Virgil's amazement only grew.

After seeing Lenotelma, Virgil was getting the sense that no planet looked quite like Anur Transyl but he couldn't help but compare them. There weren't forests like this back home, let alone any trees even close to the height and thickness of these ones. It was a city somehow suspended yet rooted. Bubble-like structures stuck out of the bark, presumably homes, and complex hover platforms connected them, forming bridges. It looked so intricate, technology fused with the natural environment, and that wasn't even considering all the vehicles and Cerebrocrustaceans flying around.

And Logan said there were other types of terrain here as well? Uncanny. Virgil was looking forward to seeing it. They didn't get much time on Patton's homeworld. Hopefully they'd get the time to see it all. Unfortunately, Logan was starting to look unhappy about the situation.

"Who is that guy?" Virgil whispered, barely loud enough for the Plumber group to hear but quiet enough that this High Thinker guy and the Cerebrocrustacean driving the Vicetopus couldn't hear. Hopefully at least. "You kind of clammed up when he showed up."

"I'm a crab, not a clam. Clams aren't even crustaceans," Logan retorted, scoffing. Virgil couldn't tell if he was kidding, deflecting, or being serious. He suspected some combination of the former as Logan's usual attitude melted away into solemness. "That is the High Thinker. He is a leader of sorts of Encephalonus IV. Our people's greatest mind, supposedly."

"Like the Mother Sludge!" Patton piped up but Logan didn't seem to find the contribution helpful.

"Perhaps but not quite. The Mother Sludge is a hidden figure, a collection of your people's intelligence. The High Thinker is very public and he is not everlasting. They change every couple milenia or so," Logan explained. He paused and dropped his voice even further. "I suspect that the High Thinker may not even be the most intelligent Cerebrocrustacean. My uncle could run figurative circles around the High Thinker's mind."

Dee snorted. "So how was he chosen? I mean, was there some kind of IQ test or something? Or was he, like, elected?"

Logan shrugged. "I was pretty young when he came to power, barely more than a larva. I remember the previous High Thinker but not well. If it is a test of intelligence, I would say the previous one was known for his scientific mind and this one is known for his strategy. He may not be as intelligent as other Cerebrocrustaceans in the ways I value but I must admit he is a genius when it comes to infrastructure and employing tactics."

"Sounds like you respect him," Virgil commented. His wings twitched, unfurling from his hood slightly. "Why don't you like him?"

"I never said I don't like him," Logan replied, sounding surprised but Virgil could tell he was faking it. He shot him a knowing look at Virgil quickly caved. Logan sighed, eyes flickering to the High Thinker one more time, and leaned in to tell his friends the story. "A few years before I applied to the Plumber Academy, Encephalonus IV was visited by some envoys from Galvan Prime. You know our species don't get along. Some Galvan goaded the High Thinker into a challenge and the High Thinker chose my uncle to take his place. Needless to say, my uncle lost and the High Thinker send him to one of Encephalonus IV's moons as punishment."

"Who was your uncle?" Virgil started to ask but was interrupted by the High Thinker's trill.

"We've arrived!"

Caught up in the conversation, Virgil failed to notice they'd left the forest and entered a more open landscape. And open didn't mean less exciting. Trees and natural structures were replaced with something more urban and modern but just as beautiful. Thin towers sliced through the sky, cutting deep into the fluffy clouds above. There were dozens of them, all spread out and scattered about. Virgil had the sudden urge to fly up to them and get a closer look. The trees were fantastic but these things were amazing!

The Vicetopus came to a stop in front of one of the towers. The High Thinker snapped his claws and the other Cerebrocrustaceans quickly hopped off the creature and detached the Protoship, bringing it to the side of the building as the Plumbers slid off the Vicetopus's back. The High Thinker lifted himself off with a burst of telekinetic power and landed neatly beside them.

"You know," he said, "our engineers could do a good deal of improvements on that ship of yours during your stay here."

"Thanks but no thanks," Dee responded curtly. "No one touches that ship but us."

The High Thinker chuckled. "True ship-enthusiasts, I see. Well then, whatever technology you may find on Encephalonus IV is at your disposal and you have free reign on my workers' tool supply for whatever work you want to get done."

Deceit's eyes nearly bugled out of his head. "Really?"

"Of course. Why would I lie?"

"That is very gratuitous of you, High Thinker. Thank you." Rook then turned to Dee and Scout. "I believe we passed a junk yard on the way here. Would you like to check it out?"

Dee nodded enthusiastically while Scout looked a bit more hesitant, glancing at Virgil and Patton questioningly. Virgil offered an encouraging smile. "Go ahead. You never get to do the things you like."

"Yeah," Patton agreed, putting his hands on his hips. "You kiddos go have fun! Virge, Lo, and I will get everything ready here."

Scout's tail began wagging before he even responded. "Thanks!"

"Actually," the Hgh Thinker interrupted, "I'm afraid it will just be you and the Necrofriggian at the tower this afternoon. I would like to speak to Logan, if you don't mind."

Virgil started to protest but Patton spoke before he could. "No problem!"

Virgil shot Logan a worried glance but the Cerebrocrustacean's expression was unreadable. Deciding he could handle himself, Virgil followed Patton into the tower as the rest of the group split up to see what else Encephalonus IV had to offer.

Encephalonus IV was everything Rook could have hoped for in an alien world. Even it's junk yard was exciting. Unlike when they'd visited Lenotelma, here on Encephalonus IV, they could get hands on with the tech they ran into.

"This is nearly half a Quil-Temp Nanoshift Transformer!" Rook called in excitement. Scout and Dee's heads popped out of two respective junk piles, interested. "I am sure we can find the rest of the parts we need to build it around here."

"I found something that looked like part of one," Scout shouted back, "but I got distracted when I found this FTL Drive."

"We already have an FTL Drive," Dee told him, tipping his head as if confused.

"I know but a backup could never hurt."

"I guess but that Quil-Temp Nanoshift Transformer is where it's at. Think you can sniff it out again?"

"Uh-huh. Get over here, Rook. You'll probably be able to recognize the parts better than I can."

Rook adjusted the machinery in his arms, trying to get a good grip, and headed deeper into the junkyard to catch up with his friends. When he found them, Scout's nose was pressed against the ground and Dee was slithering after him, carefully inspecting everything they passed to see if it was what they were looking for. "You sure it was a Quil-Temp Nanoshift Transformer you saw?"

"Yeah. I remember seeing it and thinking about how dumb that names is," Scout told him, briefly lifting up his nose to shoot his friend a glare. "Now quit distracting me. There's this new scent here and it's muddling everything up."

"What is it?"

"I believe that would be me," a new voice cut in, heavily accented and very unfamiliar. Rook looked up, shielding his eyes against the glare, and saw a humanoid figure standing atop a nearby junk pile. With a powerful leap, he landed dramatically in front of them and bowed theatrically but Rook wasn't paying attention to that. What interested him was the tech in his arms. The figure straightened and flashed a knowing grin. "The name's LeGrange."

"Rook Blonko, Deceit Bradker, Scout Alazraqui," Rook introduced quickly, gesturing to each one as he said their names before pointing forward. "That is part of a Quil-Temp Nanoshift Transformer you are holding."

"I can say the same about you," LaGrange replied, tucking in his chin a bit as he stared at the device. "What would you like for it, eh? Taydenite? Repair men? Carbon-alloy tires?"

Rook shook his head. "We are vehicle enthusiasts. We are merely interested in building a top-tier custom vehicle. What are you willing to barter for the piece of the transformer that you found?"

LaGrange didn't exactly look happy but he didn't look upset either. "What are you willing to offer?"

Rook hesitated. He spoke before really thinking. They didn't have much to offer, save Plumber gear but that was only valuable since they weren't supposed to be giving it away. Thankfully, Dee seemed to have an idea. Elbowing Scout, he prompted, "Hey, you still got that spare FTL?"

Scout's ears went up and he started fumbling through his pockets for it. It took him a moment but he found it quickly and held up a paw, presenting the device to LaGrange. "How about this? It's an FTL- that's Faster Than Light- Drive. Slap one of these puppies on your engine and get some Gravitorque Boosters and you can shoot halfway across the galaxy in seconds."

LaGrange's eyes glowed with interest. "It goes fast?"

"Real fast. Only in space though."

"That's alright with me. You have yourself a deal," LaGrange responded, sticking out his hand. Rook stared at it for a moment before remembering Patton did the same thing. LaGrange was a human, he realized. What was a human doing this far from Earth? Rook shook the thought away and clasped the man's hand. This was too good of a deal to pass up. LaGrange flashed his teeth. "It was nice doing business with you three."

"Likewise," Rook said as they exchanged the machinery. Rook's hands full, Dee took the other half of the transformer while Scout passed the spare FTL over. The sight of it made Rook's stomach thrum with glee. This was going to be so much fun to put together!

"The Academy has treated you well," the High Thinker observed as he and Logan strolled through the upper halls of the tower. Through the pristine windows, Logan could see the surfaces of the clouds. It was a rare treat to visit a tower this tall. He missed views like this.

"It did," Logan responded and he wasn't lying. "I must say, I wasn't pleased at first but I found my place and I'm confident to say I grew a lot during my time there."

The High Thinker nodded, coming to a stop to look out one of the windows. "The Cerebrocrustacean people heard of your success. You did well, Logan. Top of your class. Better than any Galvan."

Any pride that Logan may have felt was cut short as bitterness bubbled up from his belly. His face twisted, souring. "I'm not going to fuel our people's rivalry with Galvan Prime. Not after what happened with my uncle."

"Dr. Psychobos had it coming," the High Thinker responded, waving a claw dismissively. "He's too short sighted. He doesn't have the cunning to keep up with the Galvans. But you, Logan, you-"

"No."

"-you have the potential. You have the brilliance to overthrow the Galvans and put Cerebrocrustaceans-"

"No."

"-on the pedestal at the top of the galaxy that we deserve."

"No," Logan repeated, more firmly this time. The electricity under his shell sparked alongside his anger but he forced his shell to remain flat. "I meant what I said. I'm not going to help you propel this foolishness. The Galvans are arrogant but we have to respect their intelligence and contributions to the galaxy as an interconnected whole. An attempt to upturn them from- I'm done here."

Logan started to leave but the High Thinker kept talking. "You'd turn all this way? Even if it gave you the chance to become the next High Thinker?"

Logan would be lying if he said he didn't pause. The temptation was there, sneaking up on him like a starving animal with a belly that rumbled so loud it shook the planet. It only lasted a moment. Whipping around, he glared at the High Thinker and snapped one of his pincers. "Like I could dishonor myself by taking a position on this- this wretched planet."

The High Thinker's amicable expression suddenly contorted with rage. "You dare insult our mighty home?"

"Yes." Logan didn't really mean it, he loved it here, but at the moment, he couldn't see past his anger. The electricity crackling around his brain surged and he let his skull plates rise, letting the power snarl at the High Thinker aggressively. "I'm leaving. If you come after me, I'll show you exactly what the Plumber Academy taught me."

The High Thinker frowned but if he said anything, Logan didn't hear it.

"We're leaving," Logan announced, bursting into the room the tower's employees had shown Patton and Virgil to with an electric blast.

"Why?" Virgil asked, confused, as Patton winced. That poor door. Black scorch marks stained it's exterior, positively fried. "We just got here."

"I know," Logan stated. "And we're leaving."

"I support whatever decision you make, Lo," Patton told him, setting down the bag he was holding, "but we're going to need some explanation here."

Logan looked frustrated. He wasn't the most emotionally articulate of the group but Patton could tell he was trying to find the right words. Virgil and Patton fell silent, letting Logan struggle and calm down a bit on his own before speaking. "The High Thinker is not as benevolent as he made you believe."

Virgil snorted and opened his mouth to make some snappy comment but Patton elbowed him in the ribs, shutting him up.

"We've always been… close. Professionally, not emotionally. We had to be, with all my work affecting the planet on such a large scale. I mentioned that the High Thinker is a skilled strategist, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Yup."

Logan began pacing, thin legs scuttling over the surface of the carpet at a rapid speed. "He is also a skilled manipulator. Sometimes, Cerebrocrustaceans can see through it but not always. He- He only invited us here because he wanted my intellect back on his side."

"I thought that was kind of obvious," Virgil stated. He got another elbow to the ribs. "Ow! Patton!"

Logan looked down. "I was wary since we arrived but it still… hurts to hear it directly from the… what's the expression you use? Straight from the Night Mare's mouth?"

"Uh, pretty much." Night Mares were just horses from Anur Transyl, right? A horse was a horse. It was close enough. "You okay, Logan?"

Logan let out a long sigh and glanced up at his friends.

"I will be," he told them honestly. More honestly than anything Patton had heard from him before. "I would just like to go home. I was a fool for coming here."

"Hey," Virgil said softly, approaching the Cerebrocrustacean to put a comforting hand on his… Well, Logan didn't really have shoulders. "You're the smartest guy I know but sometimes even geniuses can give into emotion sometimes. It's not a bad thing. It's what makes us who we are."

"I suppose you're right," Logan admitted. The plates on his head raised. "How many of our things have you brought in? I will carry them out. I don't want to come back."

"Oh, don't worry about it." Patton shifted from his human form into a Tetramand. Not his favorite thing to turn into but it did the job. He grinned at Logan and flexed his new arms. "I have more than enough hands to carry it all."

Logan looked amused so Patton considered that a win. Shifting into a Tetramand unfortunately didn't come with the strength of one so carrying their possessions, though it wasn't much, back down to the ship was not exactly easy but Patton kept his mouth shut for Logan's sake.

When they made it to the bottom floor, they found Rook, Scout, and Dee back at the ship. They had some tech with them, excitedly chattering amongst themselves, and didn't notice the others' arrival until Patton dropped the bags down on the solid ground before them.

Dee raised an eyebrow as Patton shifted back into his human form. "What's wrong?"

"The High Thinker sucks," Virgil told them bluntly. "We're leaving."

Dee, Rook, and Scout exchanged a glance, concerned and confused. "Is everything alright, Logan?"

"It's fine. I'm fine," Logan responded, already climbing back into the ship. "Let's just get going."

What was someone who'd grown up a criminal, scrounging and struggling, supposed to think when he had a friend like Logan?

Deceit knew logically that Logan still had a rough life but the problems he faced were just so far out of Dee's sphere of knowledge that his mind just failed to comprehend them anytime he tried. So what if this High Thinker guy wanted Logan to help him upturn the Galvans' place in the galaxy? The little grey guys probably deserved it and if the Cerebrocrustaceans actually managed to top them, they had a right to a social position of such power. And if Logan's closest kin failed to do the same job… Well, that was his fault. Cruel, maybe, but Dee couldn't help but sense the parallels between Logan's relationship with his uncle Psychobos and his own relationship with his uncle back on Nagatria.

He kept his maw shut though. He didn't complain as they traveled away from the modern, advanced city and back into the forest dwellings. He didn't point out that Logan's living quarters, as spacious as they may be, were not designed to house beings much larger than Cerebrocrustaceans. He didn't verbally lament the loss of access to the High Thinker's tools. No, he knew none of that would help right now.

He'd like to do more. He wished he had a way with kind words like Patton. He longed to learn how to show sympathy like Virgil. He craved Scout's ability to comfort. He wanted to learn Rook's way of reframing a bad situation into a positive one. But he couldn't do any of those things. He was more of a material guy than an emotional one. That didn't mean he couldn't help in his own way.

"What do you miss most about Encephalonus IV?" Deceit asked as Scout and Patton dumped their things into Logan's apartment. They didn't have much, being technically homeless and all, so Dee didn't really feel bad about not giving them the chance to settle in. Cheering Logan up was more important. "Out of everything, what was the thing you were looking most forward to doing when you got back?"

Logan hesitated, face contorting with thought. "I'm unsure. I didn't- don't- have many friends on Encephalonus IV."

"Well, you've got friends now," Scout told him, picking up what Dee was putting down. "Doesn't matter what it is. It could be- It could be something big like, um, I don't know, skydiving-"

"We don't skydive here. We can fly but we're not insane."

"Or- or something small like, um, smell the, uh... smells…?"

"I think the word you're looking for is scent."

"Thank you. Scent. Maybe you want to smell something like- like the sap of bushes in the morning. Or maybe drive one of those hover platform things. Anything!"

Dee was grateful that Scout jumped in to help because he wouldn't have been able to come up with solutions like those but did he have to be that awkward? He lacked the slickness to be convincing in the slightest and that really didn't help speed up Logan's thought process.

"I remember you telling me- what's that stuff?" Virgil began waving his hands, folded wings ruffling, as if that would help him think. "It's like a food thing. You'd put them on, like, molluscs and worms and bugs and stuff but it was made from a plant? It was called like… Luna Lobo, it's on the tip of my tongue. Figuratively, Logan, not literally so don't… Hey, Dee, you remember what it was called?"

Dee didn't. Despite rooming with Logan and Virgil for so long at the Academy then living with them on a ship afterward, he didn't know these sorts of things about them. None of them were the open type. But thankfully, Virgil's ramblings seemed to be enough for Logan to figure it out.

"You mean jam?" Logan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah! That. Remember, you told me that one time that you missed it since the stuff in the cafeteria was all artificial or whatever?"

"I do not remember telling you that but I could always use a good clawful of Crofters."

"So let's do that," Deceit decided, coiling up in preparation to slither out the door. "Come on, not every day is your first day back home. Let's make it something to remember."

"I don't- Oh, well, alright. My favorite Crofters place is right next to an automobile supply shop so it won't be a total waste of time."

"Oh come on," Scout said, nudging Logan good-naturedly, "doing something you enjoy isn't a waste of time."

Logan responded with a hum that didn't really say he agreed or not but he seemed in better spirits so Dee considered it a success.

Scout had to say he liked this Crofters stuff. It wasn't something a Loboan was meant to eat- his teeth itched to sink into something but that wasn't exactly possible here- but Scout still found he enjoyed it and it wasn't particularly difficult to get down. His long tongue and curved claws were perfect for getting the jam out of the jars and consuming it in a semi-neat fashion.

As good as the Crofters was, Scout wasn't a food-driven creature at heart and his attention was quickly captured by the automobile shop next door.

It was even more exciting than the junkyard. Visiting that had been fun but messy and finding anything good was based on luck more than anything else, even if there was an abundance. Here, everything was intact and organized like it was meant to be. Scout found it father beautiful. And, it seemed someone else found it similarly enticing.

"Ah! My friends!" a rough but friendly voice greeted. Scout looked up from the engine he was inspecting to see a familiar figure wandering over. "I would say I'm surprised to see you again but I'm really not. Great minds think alike, no?"

"LaGrange," Scout stated in surprise but offered a friendly smile. "You're looking for more parts too?"

"Indeed. I have a need for speed, you could say, and the Cerebrocrustacean homeworld has much to offer."

The noise attracted the others and they began making their way over. Dee, slithering to the front of the group, spoke up. "If you're looking for speed, I'd recommend getting an engine from Khoros then taking it to Aul-turrhen for mods."

"An excellent suggestion but I'm afraid my journey through space won't be a very long one," LaGrange told him. "We humans don't fare well offworld for very long."

"Hey, you are a human!" Patton realized aloud, eyes lighting up.

LaGrange shot him a sideways look. "And… you are as well?"

"What? Oh, no. I'm a Lenopan. But I've got some family on Earth. It's been awhile since I've seen, uh, well anything Earthean!"

LaGrange hummed in response. "Well, if you're ever on Earth, pay me a visit. Your friends here have a good instinct for modifications. The wolfman here sniffed out the best engine in the whole shop!"

Scout assumed he was talking about him. He glanced at the engine he'd just been looking at. Engines weren't his fortitude. He hadn't realized it was anything special but Dee's eyes glowed at the sight of it so he imagined LaGrange was right. "I'm guessing you're not going to give up the chance to have this thing easily, are you?"

"I'm not. With your new transformer, I know you'll need a new engine for high-speed chases on the surface. My ride back on Earth needs an engine like this to keep up with my new Techadorian jets." LaGrange tapped his chin in thought. He snapped his fingers and grinned like he had an idea. "How about a race?"

"A race?" Scout echoed, blinking.

LaGrange nodded. "A race. Each of us gets a day to modify our rides and then we race… oh, let's say from the seaside city to the forest. There is a good stretch of untouched land between them. The perfect place for a race. Loser buys the engine for the winner."

That caught Scout's attention. The potential to get a free engine? It was a risk but it was too good of an opportunity. He glanced at his friends, ready to make his case, but they were already nodding. Grinning, he turned back to LaGrange and put out a hand. "You have a deal."

"I can't believe you agreed to only a day of time to work on the vehicle."

"We got the transformer working, did we not?"

"Having wheels on the ground is a requirement, not a guarantee to win."

"Pipe down, you two," Dee snapped from outside the vehicle. "Start getting ready."

The Protoship, now dubbed the Protoracer, sat beside LaGrange's car, both humming with anticipation. Outside, Patton and Deceit marked the starting line. Many miles East, Scout and Virgil waited at the finish line. Rook and Logan sat in the car, Rook being the best driver and Logan being the most familiar with the terrain. Having a team of two, plus their friends at the start and finish, did not fill Logan with confidence.

LaGrange's car was intimidating. It was an actual race car. The Plumbers' had managed to program the transformer to shift the ship into something half-way decent for racing. Still, Logan knew it couldn't hope to compare to a vehicle like LaGrange's. That thing looked powerful. Logan couldn't see all the modifications but he was sure that even without them, LaGrange's car would be hard to beat in a race.

But it was too late to back down. Patton was holding the start flag and it was moments from coming down. "Ready?"

Both Rook and LaGrange nodded. A heartbeat later, the start noise blared through the air and they were off.

The logical part of Logan's brain screamed for him to tell Rook to slow down. The competitive part urged him to speed up. They were already pushing it but it looked like LaGrange's car was still cruising. Right off the bar, it was obvious LaGrange's car was the smoother vehicle but the Protoracer still had some surprises. They were far from done for.

The coast was beautiful but it wasn't the best place for driving. The rockier terrain was arguably worse but they were prepared for it. The bulk of the race was meant to be here. They'd be fools not to install some tires with enough traction to navigate the inclines and bumps. But that didn't stop LaGrange from trying to take them out.

Spikes erected from the centers of LaGrange's wheels and he began drifting. At first, Logan didn't think of it but then Rook slammed the gas and he heard the metal scrape the side of the Protoracer, the spikes grazing the side of the car and narrowly missing the tires. "What was that?"

"I never said anything about not racing dirty!" LaGrange howled in laughter. Logan's eyes narrowed, anger boiling, but Rook merely laughed. Logan realized he was grinning.

Rook hit the comms. "Virgil, take to the skies. It seems this is going to be more fun than I thought."

"Roger-dodger," Virgil replied and the telltale sound of wings unfurling came through the speakers before the comm went dead. Logan wasn't really sure what Rook was planning but he had to admit he was intrigued.

Logan was still a bit uneasy about the sudden line crossed but he trusted that Rook knew what he was doing, even if he found the new vicious glint in Rook's eye off putting. The Revonnahgander hit the pedal to the metal, sending the Protoracer lurching forward. The vehicle bounced as it rolled over the debris scattered across the uneven plain. Ahead, dips and hills awaited. Logan deployed the inflated tires but LaGrange kept speeding ahead. Logan watched carefully, interested to see how the human's car responded to the new challenges.

Unfortunately, he didn't get the chance. The moment LaGrange's car got ahead of them, spikes dropped from the compartments in the back.

What kind of man were you, La Grange? A human, sure, but what kind? A criminal? Likely but he didn't seem particularly fiendish. He was friendly, supposedly. Rook, Dee, and Scout seemed to like him. Dee's standards were kind of low but Rook and Scout's weren't. There had to be some reason for this, other than a shared interest in cars. Something about his character that someone as, eh, non-socially skilled as Logan would miss? Maybe Logan would understand by the time the race was over.

Rook's driving got wild as he swerved to avoid the spiked balls. Logan leaned out the window as far as he dared and used his telekinesis to throw the spiked bars away from the car to the best of his ability. It was lucky he did because seconds later, an explosion forced him back in the car. If it'd been any closer, the car would've flipped or lost a tire.

They lost some distance and LaGrange pulled ahead by far. But to their luck, Virgil was a fast flier and was soon coming down on the faster vehicle.

Logan heard LaGrange shout in surprise at the sight of him. He'd met him before, of course, but Necrofriggians were rare. There was no way LaGrange would know Virgil's abilities. It filled Logan with more glee than it should have to say LaGrange was in for a surprise.

"Do not hit him directly!" Rook shouted out the window as Virgil sent a spiral of ice down, freezing the mesa's surface and causing LaGrange's car to start slipping. "This is a race, not a battle."

"What, so I'm just a stall tactic?"

"Essentially, yes."

"Wow, you're really making me feel appreciated here," Virgil responded sarcastically. LaGrange's car regained control and moved onto a clear patch. Virgil dived down, hovering in front of LaGrange's windshield to obstruct his view. Flickering his invisibility on and off, it was clear Virgil was just trying to annoy him and he was enjoying it.

The two cars were on two separate paths at this point. LaGrange had to stick to the flatter path out of fear of Virgil freezing an incline which meant the Protoracer had the rockier but more direct road. With their enlarged tires, it wasn't hard to tear through the landscape but it didn't make for a comfortable ride. Logan could feel his shell rattling as the Protoracer bounced him around his seat. This was why Cerebrocrustaceans modeled their vehicles after their telekinetic abilities. Hovering was so much more comfortable than this!

"I do not know if we have enough traction to make it up such a steep slope," Rook told him, preparing to turn, as they approached a wall of rock. Logan leaned forward in his seat, eyes narrowing. It looked familiar but how could he be sure? It'd been so long since he'd been home. But with a free engine on the line, Logan was willing to take a gamble.

Brain effortlessly making the necessary calculations, he answered. "This is the main plateau of the biome. It levels on top. If we make it up, we should have nearly a clear path. Activate the chains."

They weren't literally chains but they were modeled after the attachments some species put on their tires in the snow and ice. They gave the tires that extra grip that couldn't be built into the tires themselves. With a hit of a button, the transformer buzzed and looped the chains over the tires. It was a last minute addition but Dee insisted. Logan was glad they listened.

The rumble of the vehicle was noticeable different now but Logan wouldn't say it was better or worse. Rook sped up, trying to gain some momentum, before riding the front tires up to catch the mountain before them.

It was a struggle. They slowed down significantly and for a moment, Logan feared they'd slip and he'd be forced to use his powers to catch them. But, the Protoracer pulled through. It made some noises Logan wasn't exactly thrilled to hear but they could always fix that later. There were other repairs and upgrades they want to do while they were here anyway, especially if they won that new engine. For now, the only thing Rook and Logan cared about was that the Protoracer got where it needed to be fast enough.

Finally, it reached the top of the plateau and the car stopped complaining, happy to be back on a flat surface. Some of the modifications retracted and the racer returned to its natural state. It was smooth sailing from here, assuming there weren't any surprise obstacles in their way.

Something hit the roof of the car. Concerned, Logan struck himself out the window and looked up to see what was wrong only to come face to face with Virgil, the Necrofriggian looking tired and defeated as he clung to the car.

"The jerk tricked me into making him a ramp," Virgil grumbled. "He's on his way here. I don't know how much longer you guys will be leading."

"How did you make a ramp by accident?" Logan queried. "That sounds like a very specific structure. I would image someone of your skill level wo-"

"Look, I wasn't expecting it either but it happened. I'll tell you about it later. I just wanted to give you a heads up and tell you to speed it up."

"We would be going a lot faster if you were not weighing us down," Rook commented, not even looking up. Virgil made a face at him through the roof.

"Alright, alright. I get it." Virgil picked himself up and spread his wings, letting the wind catch him and throw him into the air. "But I'm not fighting LaGrange anymore! That guy's got some serious firepower."

Virgil was flying away before either Logan or Rook had the chance to respond. Logan really didn't know how fast a Necrofriggian could fly if he wanted to. Faster than the racers, maybe? Would they meet him at the finish line? Or would he lag behind? Interesting to think about.

Logan could hear LaGrange nearing before he saw him. He shot a blast of electricity at him, narrowly missing his tires. LaGrange responded by launching a missile that was considerably harder to deflect than the spikes he'd thrown earlier but Logan managed to do it, activating the missile halfway between LaGrange and the Protoracer, the force propelling the Protoracer forward while pushing LaGrange's car back.

"Good move," Rook complimented once it became clear LaGrange wouldn't be firing anymore missiles.

"I try," Logan responded nonchalantly, "but even without sabotaging us, I fear his car is faster. And, it can probably take more punishment than the Protoracer."

Rook didn't say anything as LaGrange's car began creeping up. Rook was too polite to veer to the side and try to ram the other car until it flipped over but Logan kind of wished he would. The high of battle was flowing through his veins and Logan wanted to win, even if the win was a dirty one. Afterall, Rook and Logan had planned for a clean race. If they won through unclean means, it was LaGrange's own fault for starting it.

The cars were neck and neck. No sharp words or efforts to take out the other car were exchanged. Both drivers were solely focused on getting ahead of the other. The Protoracer was putting up a good fight but by the time they reached the edge of the plateau, it was obvious LaGrange was in the lead.

The cars entered freefall, their momentum carrying them at enough of an angle that the drop wouldn't be disastrous. Logan spotted Virgil hovering nearby, eyeing the cars carefully. Logan thought he was going to ice LaGrange's car but instead, a frosty breath came their way.

"What are you doing?" Logan cried but got no response, Virgil's mouth too occupied freezing the air to respond with words. He fell in step beside them, forming a long ramp on the car's projected path. Logan got a brainwave as he realized what Virgil was trying to do. He grinned at his friend's genius. They might just win this!

LaGrange's exhaust pipe flared up as a backup engine kicked in, pouring out more speed for the final leg of the race. Logan wondered how raw power would compare to simple physics. With the Protoracer's momentum from the previous stretch combined with the fall and the sudden loss of friction, it was rushing towards the finish line at a speed Logan didn't think was possible of the car. Too fast for Virgil to keep up with, even.

Virgil cut off the stream of ice, unable to do much more to help. Everything was in Rook's hands at this point. They just had to keep the car straight and pray they didn't lose control.

LaGrange's car bumped them.

It was disastrous, the car suddenly spinning out of control with no foreseeable way to regain it. Rook gripped the steering wheel as Logan's skull plates raised in alarm, ready to do whatever he could to save the car but they were going too fast for Logan to get any idea of what to blast or hold onto.

Russet red bled into vibrant greens and blues as Logan felt the car tear through the undergrowth. Finally, something to slow it down. When they stopped spinning, they were well over the finish line.

Virgil was a few feet behind them. Behind him, Scout and LaGrange were running over, LaGrange's car abandoned in favor of running. The clear concern on the human's face was surprising. The graze had been an accident, it seemed.

"Are you alright?" Virgil asked, landing beside them, pale eyes flickering over them worriedly.

"I don't smell any blood," Scout announced, slowing to a trot before finally skidding to a stop. He disrupted some of the rich, damp soil of the forest floor but Logan didn't bother telling him that he'd just splattered him. The concern was a comfort.

"We are fine," Rook assured them. He glanced behind him. "I think these vines stopped us before we could hit anything."

"Ouf!" LaGrange exclaimed in relief. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "My apologies. I did not mean for things to get that out of hand. Please, let me buy you that engine to show my, uh- how you say… To show no hard feelings?"

Logan waved a claw. "No need. We had a deal, LaGrange."

"Deal was loser bought the engine for the winner," Virgil said, "and from the sky, it was pretty obvious the Protoracer crossed first."

Rook and Logan exchanged a pleased look. "Well, in that case, we might just take you up on the offer, LaGrange."

It turned out that during the theatrics of the race and preparation time, someone else had brought the engine.

That was okay because the Plumbers had already gotten a Quil-Temp Nanoshift Transformer and LaGrange had already gotten an FTL Drive out of the visit. A Galvan FTL, they soon learned upon helping LaGrange install it into his ship.

Working with LaGrange to upgrade both their ships, Logan learned why his friends liked the guy. He was intense when it came to racing but he was a good man at heart and his instinct when it came to cars was almost as good as Dee's. It was fun working alongside so many people who could keep up with his ramblings and who's passion exceeded his own.

When it came time for the Plumbers to leave LaGrange and Encephalonus IV, Dee asked Logan if he had a good visit. Logan, having forgotten all about the High Thinker and his uncle, said he had.