(DJ Candy's POV)

Let's get one thing straight here. I am a criminal.

Ever since I robbed my first convenience store, I've been drawn to the thrill of crime. The rush of adrenaline when I'm robbing someone blind, the risk of getting caught by the cops, the excitement as I reap the rewards of my illegal deeds. I love every bit of it.

But the best part is seeing and hearing people's reactions.

"Where'd that guy go?!" they'd say. "He just disappeared! Someone find him!"

I could just imagine the shock on their faces if they ever learned they'd been robbed by a girl! HA! Ah, the benefits of a perfect disguise…

But, despite all that, I felt like there was something bigger out there for me.

I drove all the way to my hideout in Centreville, on the US/Canadian border. I always loved driving: the wind in my hair, the freedom of the open road, evading the cops at 100+ miles an hour, everything.

Anyways, after evading the police and counting my latest score, I talked with my friend Buddy about my wanting to be a part of something big.

"Hear me out, Buddy!" I told him. "Sure, robbing the occasional store is fun and all, but it only gets me so much! I wanna be rich! I wanna be feared! I wanna be known as one of the most dangerous criminals in the US!" Once I mentioned that last part, I swear I saw Buddy's ears perk up.

"Candy, why didn't you say something before?!" he yelled. "Listen…you've heard of the Forgotten, right?"

"Who hasn't?" I replied. "They're one of the biggest smuggling gangs out there! Ex-military organization, right?" Buddy nodded his head.

"I'm one of their best drivers!" he said rather proudly. "I can put in a good word for you, maybe get you a tryout."

My eyes widened at this. Buddy had always been the innocent, quiet type when we were younger before we became criminals. HOW WAS HE PART OF A FUCKING SMUGGLING GANG AND DIDN'T TELL ME?!

"YOU'RE with the Forgotten?!" I asked, making sure I wasn't hearing things. "And you can get me in with them?!"

"I can't make any promises," he told me, "but I can definitely try to work my magic." At this, I couldn't help but laugh as I grabbed his hand and pulled him in for a hug.

"MY MAN!" I exclaimed. "Appreciate it!"

"Any time, pal!" Buddy told me, giving me his salute.

A few days later…

I couldn't believe it. Buddy had worked his magic and got me a tryout with the FUCKING Forgotten. I could barely contain my excitement.

I made my way in my disguise to their base thanks to the details Buddy had given me. Once I was there, I knocked on the door. The door opened slightly…and a dude with white bandages wrapped around his head looking like some sort of mummy poked his head in the crack.

"State your business," he said rather bluntly, and suddenly I was more nervous than excited.

"Um…" I whispered, discreetly leaning in a bit, "I-I'm here for my…tryout." The guy's mood seemed to change instantly.

"Oh, yeah! Buddy told us about you," he said. "He did warn us you'd come in looking like a guy." He then called out inside. "HEY, BOSS! The new prospect's here!"

"Let her in!" a male voice called back.

The dude nodded his head and opened the door all the way, where I got a better look at him…and saw that his body was wrapped in bandages too. I would be working with an actual mummy. Interesting.

As soon as I stepped in, I took a good look at the inside of the base. Dark, probably to avoid unwanted attention from outside, but it had enough tech inside for them to run their operations. My eyes turned the size of ping pong balls when I checked out their garage.

Their arsenal was HUGE! They had dune buggies, SUVs, trucks, rally cars, fucking MILITARY VEHICLES?! I had never driven off-road before, but I was already eager to learn just to get my hands on those wheels.

Just then, a man walked up to me. Dark-skinned, glasses, full beard, fancy shoes, and a look on his face that looked like he was always planning something. I figured this must be the boss.

"I've heard about you," he said, bringing his hand out, which I IMMEDIATELY accepted for a handshake. "Apparently, you can drive, and you don't care too much for rules and regulations. I'm Gordon, the leader of the Forgotten."

"I-It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," I managed to say. "I am really looking forward to proving my worth."

"Eager, aren't we?" Gordon said. "Excellent. Walk with me. I'll let you know just what you're getting into."

As we started walking, Buddy noticed me from a distance. He quickly gave me a salute before going back to monitoring what looked like security cameras.

"There's millions of dollars flowing illegally into this country every day," Gordon explained. "Untaxable and untraceable goods. Illegal merchandise, weapons, everything. And all of it needs to be brought in." We entered what looked to be the debriefing area, and he turned to face me. "And that's where we come in."

He pointed behind him at what seemed to be another mummy, only with gray bandages instead of white ones. "Listen to Pauly D, he'll tell you what to do." Pauly D, what a cool name. "We work as a team – you, me, and the rest of the Forgotten. IGNORE everyone else, or you'll get us in real trouble…Understood?"

Having let all of this information sink in, I took a deep breath. This is the big break I was hoping for. I made a mental note to pay Buddy back for all this. "Yes, sir," I told Gordon.

"Excellent," Gordon said, making his way out. "PAULY!"

Pauly turned to face me from the ledge he was chilling by. I swear I could see something in his eyes that told me he liked what he saw.

"Well, hey there, hot stuff," he greeted. I immediately wished I hadn't undone my disguise when I entered so he wouldn't see my blush. Pauly chuckled and made his way to me.

"You are on your way to becoming one of the Forgotten Few," he told me as he began leading me away from the debriefing room and towards the garage. "I'll be controlling everything you do, helping you, and giving you the benefit of MY experience. Listen to me. I won't lie to you, girl! I promise you."

Once we reached the garage, he turned to face me. "So let's see what you can do. Just follow the navigation around our little playpen, and fast." Pauly walked back to the debriefing room, and, as if on cue, the lights shone on a dune buggy and an SUV. Guess those were my choices.

An hour later…

I pulled up near Centreville in the buggy. It was nighttime, and nearly no one was around. This was probably so the Forgotten could hold this tryout for me without attracting attention from the Border Patrol.

As I pulled up to the spot, I was greeted by the white mummy, who was flanked by two Morcubots. He preferred to be called Mel, and for good reason. I'm not even gonna fucking TRY to pronounce his full name.

"You ready for this?!" he yelled over the sound of the engine. I nodded my head and gave him a thumbs up. He nodded as well and pointed towards the city. "Just drive past all 6 red flares in under a minute. Should be easy!" He then leaned in and said, "Seriously. Walk away now if you botch this."

He then laughed and stepped back. I couldn't help but smirk at his sense of humor as my hands gripped the wheel. Something told me I'd like working with him. One of the Morcubots held up his hand and started counting down.

"3…2…1…GO!"

I immediately hit the gas…and instantly got a taste of what driving off-road felt like.

The terrain was bumpy going down the hill, especially in the buggy, and it would definitely take some getting used to, but I knew the speed of the buggy would make up for any minor mistakes on my driving.

Once I made it to the city, where the terrain was mostly flat, it was a breeze, and I made it to the last set of flares with just a few seconds to spare. As I slowed to a stop, Pauly's face came up on the small monitor on the dashboard.

"Very good, baby, very good…" he said, then cut the transmission. I let out a sigh of relief I didn't know I was holding. I was making my way into the gang, and I knew it!

Stay tuned for Chapter 2: The Forgotten Few!