The Anti Thieving Duo

"Hello" - (Normal talking)

"What happened?" - (Thoughts)

"What do I do?" - (Flashback)

{"Hey, can you hear me?"} - (Communication)

":Now arriving at our destination:" - (Another Language)

"\Prepare for departure\" - (Radio and speakers)

Hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 13 - The Need for Speed Caper

(Faculty room)

"And what about Neal the Eel?" Dr Bellum asked with a smile, as she stood before her fellow Faculty members, as a picture of said agent was on the big screen behind her. "He's extremely conniving, yet loyal to a fault."

"We require someone capable of masterminding, Dr Bullum. The slippery one is hardly what I'd call 'Faculty material' at all" Professor Maelstrom said simply.

"Plus, he also leaves a slimy trail" Countess Cleo said with a look of disgust.

"Who's game for a game of grease, then, eh?" a female voice said, taking Gunnar, Cleo and Saira by surprise, while Brunt looked excited.

Bellum turned around, and saw a woman dressed up like a mechanic, while knocking a pipe wrench in the palm of her hand. "Or are you headmaster types all about manners and extended little pinky fingers?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow, as she wiggled her little finger.

Coach Brunt stood up with a large smile on her face. "Mechie!" she yelled happily, as she ran over.

"Heya Brunt" the woman said with her own smile, as she ran to meet her.

The two of them met each other in the middle, and did a secret handshake.

Coach Brunt laughed happily, as they both folded their arms. "Everyone, you remember Sophie; also known as: The Mechanic" she said with a smirk and a cocked eyebrow, as she turned to face her fellow Faculty members, as Sophie AKA The Mechanic stood next to her with a cocky smirk on her face.

"Hard to forget" Cleo said with a deadpan look and tone.

"Hello, how are you?" Bellum asked, as she raised her hand in a wave.

Maelstrom just gave a sigh at this.

"So, how's the old chop shop, Mech?" Brunt asked with a grin, and a raised eyebrow.

"It's tip top, Coach. Tip top" Sophie said with her own grin and cocked eyebrow. "I've got me crew pinching motorcars from the East End all the way to Blackpool. Oh, blimey, when we get through stripping them down to the floorboards, they look like piranha ate them."

Coach Brunt gave a laugh at this, as she held her belly. "Ain't she the greatest?" she asked her fellow Faculty members, as Saira sat back down in her seat.

"A mechanic who steals cars. How does that make her VILE Faculty material?" Countess asked with a frown.

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not looking to pinch any old jalopy for you, Princess. I am out to snatch a technological wonder, I am. Real space age like too" Sophie said with a grin.

"Which we would do what with?" Cleo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Reverse engineer to see what makes it tick. And possibly even build a fleet of our own" Dr Bellum said with a large grin, as she steepled her fingers.

"Which we would do what with?" Gunnar asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Coach Brunt walked back to her seat, and sat down. "Uh, hello? Greatest getaway car ever" she said with a smile, as she spread her hands in the air, while raising an eyebrow.

Cleo gave a huff at this, as she faced Sophie. "Shouldn't you be in Dubai attending to this grand carjacking scheme of yours?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, no, me drivers already there, love, getting the lay of the land" Sophie said with a smirk, as she approached the Faculty table, where she leaned her elbow on it. "I've just pooped in to throw me wrench in the ring for me seat at your big, fancy table" Sophie said, as she waved her wrench about for a moment, before throwing it at the vacant seat, getting oil on it.

"Ugh, disgusting," Cleo said with a look of disgust.

0o0o0o0

(With Naruto and co)

Naruto and the others were all at the airport, ready to head for Dubai

"We gotta fly 16 whole hours to save the fastest car in the world?" Zack asked with a groan, as he and Ivy climbed the stairs to board the plane.

Ivy glanced over her shoulder at him. "It'll wiz right by, bro, with a little help from marathon peanut fights and extreme karaoke at 30,000 feet" she said with a wide smile, making Zack smile back as they entered the plane.

Shadowsan walked behind them with a slight scowl, as he groaned while closing his eyes briefly, before walking up the stairs.

Naruto and Carmen were walking behind him, carrying a bag each.

"We can handle Dubai," Naruto said, making him stop walking.

"Yeah. And you should really use this time to focus on strategy with Player" Carmen said with a nod of agreement, as she held up her phone, showing Player was on the screen.

Shadowsan looked over his shoulder at this, and looked at them both with narrowed eyes. "So, I have a choice of playdates," he said with a raised eyebrow.

{"I heard that ''} Player said, with an unamused look on his face, and his arms crossed.

"Player's been decrypting the data on the hard drive that you supplied" Carmen said.

"However, you're the only one that can take the guesswork out of how VILE might intend to put it to use," Naruto then added with a cocked eyebrow.

Shadowsan turned around to face them fully, and walked back down the stairs. "Player, please arrange my air travel and a town car to escort me to your place of residence" he said.

{"Whoa, what? You can't come here"} Player said in shock, as he held his hands up. {"What would I tell my parents? 'Meet my new friend, he's a ninja.' That would never work."}

"Here, you can just use my laptop," Carmen said, as she handed Shadowsan her briefcase.

"Yeah, you can work remotely," Naruto said with a nod, as they both boarded the plane.

Shadowsan frowned at this, while groaning, before he walked off, as the others got into their seats and buckled up.

The stairs were soon taken away, before the plane was cleared for takeoff.

Once the plane was in the air and on its way to Dubai, the others got down to business.

"Okay Player, get us up to speed, before Shadowsan logs onto the free Wi-Fi at the local coffee house" Naruto said with a grin, as he and Carmen leaned on the back of the chair, while Ivy and Zack were sitting in it, as Ivy had Naruto's laptop on her lap.

Player grinned at this, while typing on his computer. "You're currently enroute to Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates. That may sound like it's a bunch of places, but it's actually a country in the Middle East" he said.

{"Yup. Dubai sits on the Persian-Gulf, known locally as the Arabian Gulf, in the Arabian Desert, and it's famous for its cutting-edge architectural engineering,"} Carmen said.

{"Yeah. Like, for example, the Burj Khalifa skyscraper holds all kinds of world records, including tallest existing structure, which means that it has a great view of Dubai's artificial islands, which are completely man made"} Naruto said with a nod.

{"The Palm Jumeirah is where you'll be hobnobbing with the rich and the famous tonight"} Player said with a grin, and a raised eyebrow, as an image of a man appeared on the screen, which then changed to the car. {"I was able to score you some invites to a private party hosted by Ibrahim Al Sibaq. He's the owner of Al Sibaq Motors. It's a gala unveiling for his all electric prototype supercar."}

"Oh, yeah!/Sweet!" Zack and Ivy said happily together.

{"According to the VILE chatter I've intercepted, it suggests that they're gonna plan to steal it during its inaugural test-drive at Dubai's Autodrome tomorrow morning"} Player said, as an image of a race track came on the screen.

"We'll need to steal it tonight in order to keep it secure until then," Carmen said with a grin.

Naruto nodded at this in agreement. "Once the party's in full swing, everyone's attention will be away from the showroom where the supercar is on display. We'll mingle our way through the festivities to see if we can ID any VILE operatives, while taking care to avoid detection by Al Sabiq's private security force" he said.

"Me and Naruto break us into the showroom, Ivy hotwires the car, and Zack drives it out" Carmen said with a smirk. "Plus, with the engine being nearly silent, motor noise shouldn't attract any attention."

"A master plan" Zack said with a grin.

"From two master thieves" Ivy said, with her own grin and a raised hand, as she and Zack highfived.

Naruto and Carmen both grinned at this, before the four of them had some fun with karaoke and peanut fights.

0o0o0o0

(Later that night, at Dubai)

A lot of people were gathered in a large room, as they gazed at a video image of the electric supercar on display.

"The Al Sibaq 9000 heralds the next generation of engineering travels. It is a rocket ship on four wheels" Al Sibaq said with a smile and a cocked eyebrow, as the video image of the car glowed, while the doors opened upwards.

Zack and Ivy were both smiling as they walked into the room, wearing a tuxedo and a dress respectively.

Zack had to sidestep a waiter, while gagging at what he saw on the tray. "Fish eggs? Oh, why don't we ever go to chip 'n' dip parties?" he asked with a groan.

Ivy walked over to stand next to him, while frowning at Zack. "Hey gag reflex, no one's forcing you to eat them" she said.

Zack looked to the side, before his eyes widened at what he saw. "I'm in love," he said, as he turned towards something.

Ivy raised an eyebrow at this, before looking where Zack was, as her own eyes widened at what she saw. It was a woman, who was wearing a green dress, and had a hand on her waist.

Zack gained a goofy look on his face, before he smiled confidently with a raised eyebrow as he walked over to her, while Ivy watched with a cocked eyebrow as she rolled her eyes at this.

Zack soon stood next to the woman, and smiled at her. "Some shindig, huh?" he asked with a smile, as he chuckled slightly. "Any chance you're into, uh, chip 'n' dip?" he then asked her with a cocked eyebrow, trying to play off as being cool.

The woman just looked at him impassively and a raised eyebrow, before she walked off, causing Zack to look upset.

Ivy walked over and stood next to him with a smile. "Wow, and I thought watching you try to bond with Shadowsan was awkward" she said, with the back of her hands on her hips and a cocked eyebrow.

Zack watched as the woman walked away, before he gasped at something, then clenched his teeth as he growled.

Ivy looked over at what Zack saw, and her eyes widened. "Whoa, is that -?" she asked in shock.

"Excuse me, are you…." the woman asked with a smile, as she approached someone they were both familiar with, who smiled with his fists on his hips, while she looped her arms around one of his.

"Trey Sterling!" Zack growled out, before he marched over, with Ivy following him as she frowned.

Trey looked at them as they approached, and cocked his eyebrow. "Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked them curiously.

"Southie. We used to race together" Ivy said, as she raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, while Zack just continued to glare at Trey.

"Jack and Daisy, right? From the amateur tracks" Trey said with a smirk, as he waved his hand in the air.

"And pro," Zack said with a glare.

Trey was still smirking at this. "Not for long as I recall. The last time we raced, you wound up crossing the finishing line with your tires over your sunroof" he said with a cocked eyebrow, as he chuckled at what he just said. "The tires should be on the bottom," he said to the woman on his arm, who just smiled slightly at him. "So, what have you two been up to?" Trey asked Zack and Ivy.

"Well, since you asked, I'm a duke now, and Ivy here's a rocket scientist" Zack said with a grin, causing Ivy to look at him in shock, before she smiled at Trey uneasily.

0o0o0o0

(Meanwhile)

While Zack and Ivy mingled with the guests, Naruto and Carmen were making their way towards the electric supercar. They carefully avoided the security detail, as they approached where the car was being held.

When they reached the showroom, they made sure that the coast was clear, before they looked through the large glass window at the car.

Naruto smiled as he held up a device, before he pressed a button on it, which caused the door to unlock.

"Open Sesame" Carmen said with a grin, as they opened the door and quickly went inside, before closing it behind them.

They then approached the car, and stood next to it.

"Now, we just gotta wait for Zack and Ivy to show up," Naruto said, as they made sure to keep out of sight.

0o0o0o0

(Back at the party)

Zack and Ivy were still with Trey and the lady in the green dress, who both had looks of boredom on their faces.

"And I dabble in art collecting. Vermeers, mainly" Zack said with a smile, as Ivy rolled her eyes and finished with a raised eyebrow. "Perhaps you've heard of him?" he asked.

Ivy then grabbed Zack by his arm, and gave him a hard look. "Come on Zack. We have that thing we need to attend to" she said while smiling at him, with Zack looking at her a little clueless.

"Now, you two look familiar" they both heard someone saying, before anything else could be said or done.

Zack and Ivy looked over, and saw Al Sibaq walking over, along with a elderly gentleman, who was smiling at them. "You're from the racing circuits around Boston, aren't ya?" he asked them.

"That's right, Dad. We used to 'compete' against them" Trey said with a smirk, as he used air quotes when he said compete.

This caused Zack to glare daggers at Trey, while Ivy crossed her arms with a scowl.

"Sure, I remember now. The brother-sister team, with the do-it-yourself car" the man said with a wide grin.

"Exactly" Trey said with a grin, as he looked at the lady on his arm with a cocked eyebrow.

"That always beat my son," Trey's father said.

This caused Trey to look at his father in shock. "What?" he said, as his eyebrow went higher.

"Good memory, Mr Sterling" Ivy said with a grin.

The man returned the grin with one of his own. "Please, call me Sterling. Sterling Sterling" he said.

Trey looked a little embarrassed at what his father said earlier, with Zack and Ivy smiling at this. "Dad, I'm sure that our host would much prefer to hear about the professional who's driving his car tomorrow instead of ameatur drivers," Trey said, as he smirked at Zack and Ivy, as Zack glared at him while Ivy frowned.

Upon hearing this, Zack gritted his teeth hard as he growled in anger, while Ivy looked surprised.

"Wait, you're test driving the supercar?" Ivy asked.

"Mr Al Sibaq demands the best of the best," Trey said proudly with a raised eyebrow, as he puffed his chest out.

"How very true" Al Sibaq said with a smile, as he nodded his head.

Trey looked smug, while the lady on his arm chuckled. "I want to hear all about your professional driving skills. And by the way, my name is Alexis" she said to Trey, causing him to raise an eyebrow while smiling at her, before they walked off, with his father and Al Sibaq going in a different direction.

Trey then turned around, and clicked his tongue while making two finger pistols at Zack and Ivy, as he walked backwards. "Later, Big Z" he said with a cocked eyebrow, before he turned back around, and walked off with Alexis.

Zack and Ivy both frowned at this.

"I can't believe that Trey gets to drive the new racer," Zack said, glaring at Trey as he walked off.

"Yeah, after we drive it tonight, remember" Ivy said, smiling at him with a raised eyebrow.

The two of them both looked at each other in shock, as they gasped. "Naruto/Carmen!" they both said together.

They quickly headed towards where the car was being kept, and after making sure that there were no guards watching, they looked through the large window before sneaking into the showroom, with Zack closing the door behind them.

"Nice of you two to join us," Naruto said with a grin, as he and Carmen stood next to the car.

Carmen then opened up one of the doors. "Let's get this kitten purring" she said with her own grin.

"I'm on it guys" Ivy said with a grin, as she walked over.

Ivy then leaned down and took off an access panel, before she looked at all the wires.

"What about you guys?" Zack asked Naruto and Carmen with a smile.

"Two seater" Naruto said with a smile of his own, as he and Carmen headed for the door.

"And besides, we brought our own getaway vehicle," Carmen said with her own smile, before they left the showroom, after making sure that no guards were nearby.

Zack turned to look at the car, just as it started up, with the headlights coming on, along with the car lighting up. Zack gave the car a determined look, before he looked at all the stuff around the car; which was all about Trey.

This caused Zack to grit his teeth hard, as he growled in annoyance, while clenching his fists tightly.

"We're ready to roll" Ivy yelled out, as she got in the passenger's seat, then put the seatbelt on.

Zack climbed into the driver's seat of the car, and put his seatbelt on with an unhappy look on his face, as the car door shut.

"Okay, now it's time to sneak this baby outta here, like a panther in a library" Ivy said, as she looked at Zack with a smile, before looking out the front windscreen.

Zack looked in the rearview mirror at a cardboard cutout of Trey, and glared at it, as he remembered what Trey said and did to him at the party.

Zack put the car into gear then pressed down hard on the accelerator, which caused it to loudly spin its wheels and create smoke, along with squealing loudly too.

This caught the attention of some guards nearby, who decided to walk over and see what the commotion was about.

Zack made the car do a full 360 turn, with a savage smile on his face.

This made Ivy look at the back of the car. "What are you doing?" she asked in shock, as she looked at Zack.

Zack then made the car knock over the cardboard cutout of Trey, before he stopped the car on top of it.

"Hahaha!" Zack cackled gleefully.

"Dude, only you could make an almost silent car that noisy" Ivy said, with a look of disbelief on her face, as she cocked an eyebrow. "Get us out of here!" she said, glaring at him.

Zack then put the car into gear, and made the tires spin on the cardboard cutout of Trey, before taking off, showing tire marks on the cutout of Trey's face, legs and one of his hands.

As they headed for the glass, it began to open up, showing that it was also a roller shutter door, just as the two guards showed up, who had to quickly jump out of the way as the car drove past them.

"Seal off the island!" one of the guards said into his walkie talkie.

Zack quickly drove the car through the courtyard, and through the gates just before they closed.

Naruto and Carmen were sitting on a red and orange motorbike respectively, watching as the car drove out of the driveway, with police cars chasing after them, with their lights and sirens going.

"Now, that wasn't part of the plan" Carmen said with a frown.

"No, it wasn't," Naruto said in agreement, with his own frown.

They placed their helmets on and started up their bikes, before following after them.

As Zack drove the car, he swerved his way through other cars on the road, with Naruto and Carmen watching as the cop cars continued chasing after them, making them both frown at this.

Zack then changed gear and pressed on the accelerator, causing the car to go even faster.

Zack chuckled at this with a wide smile, while Ivy had a frown on her face. "Oh, man! If this is the future of racing, then sign me up!" he said excitedly, as he looked at Ivy before looking back at the road.

"Just focus, bro. You've gotta get this super car off the island and fast!" Ivy said, as she glared at him.

As they drove down the street, they saw a bunch of police cars stop in front of them, blocking the road.

"Aah!" Zack yelled out, before he slammed on the brakes, causing the car to swerve as he brought it to a stop, just as the police cars behind them stopped.

"Exit the vehicle! Hands in the air!" one of the police officers shouted.

Zack and Ivy looked at each other in worry, before doing as they were told.

Naruto and Carmen soon arrived and watched this with glares on their faces.

0o0o0o0

(Elsewhere)

Meanwhile, as all this was happening, in a cafe Shadowsan was talking to Player on the laptop, who was explaining how he did things with Naruto and Carmen.

{"So that's our usual pattern. Piece together some VILE chatter, then cross reference it with data from the drive, to see where it might connect"} Player said with a grin, as he crossed his arms while raising an eyebrow.

Shadowsan looked surprised at this. "You really are their secret weapon" he said with a smile, before he took a sip of his drink.

{"Speaking of, shouldn't they have reported in by now?"} Player asked curiously with a raised eyebrow.

This made Shadowsan widen his eyes at this, as he looked off to the side slightly, before he picked up his phone and called their comms.

0o0o0o0

(Back in Dubai)

Naruto and Carmen were on a ledge, looking down at Zack and Ivy with a glare each, as they got out of a police car, when their comms rang, causing them to answer.

"Not a good time," Carmen said with a hard tone.

"So whatever it is, make it quick," Naruto added with his own hard tone.

{"What is wrong?"} Shadowsan asked firmly.

"Lets just say that tonight's break in, is starting to look more like a breakout" Carmen said, as Zack and Ivy were dragged into the police station.

{"Do not tell me that the pranksters are in jail?"} Shadowsan said with an annoyed tone, causing Naruto and Carmen to both frown at this.

"I strongly urge that you consider finding better help than those amateurs" Shadowsan said with a scowl on his face.

"Our circus, our monkeys," Carmen said with a firm tone.

"Yeah, we managed just fine before you came along, and we'll continue to manage," Naruto said with his own firm tone.

{"Without a headquarters!"} they both yelled out together, causing Shadowsan to move the phone away from his ear, before they hung up.

Shadowsan groaned disapprovingly at this, with a frown on his face.

Naruto and Carmen gave their own groans, before spotting headlights, causing them to hide.

They carefully peaked over the side of the roof, and saw a limo pulling up to the station.

"Now whose this?" Naruto asked curiously with a cocked eyebrow.

"Hopefully no one that'll cause more trouble for us," Carmen said.

0o0o0o0

(Inside the police station)

Zack and Ivy were both inside a cell, with Ivy sitting on a bench as she leaned her head on her hand, with her elbow resting on her crossed knees and other hand while Zack was standing, holding onto the bars, with looks of worry on both their faces.

"Oh man, what do ya think they'll do to us?" Zack asked, turning around to look at his sister.

"Maybe you should worry more about what Naruto and Carmen are gonna do to us. We let 'em down" Ivy said, as she looked down with a depressed look on her face, with Zack doing the same.

Before anything else could be said or down, the door to the cells opened, showing one of the police officers opening it, with Mr Sterling walking into the room, with an impassive look on his face.

"Well, you certainly put on quite a show tonight" he said with a cocked eyebrow.

Ivy stood up and walked over, while Zack had his hands on the bars, both looking at him with worry.

"My friend, Mr Al Sibaq, is none too happy that you took his crown jewel out for a joyride" Mr Sterling said with a firm tone, making Zack and Ivy look down in shame.

"But I know what you were really up to" Mr Sterling said, with a raised eyebrow and a hard look.

Zack and Ivy looked at him in slight confusion. "You do?" Ivy asked in worry, with Zack raising an eyebrow.

Mr Sterling then smiled at them. "You were trying to impress me with your skills behind the wheel," he said.

This made Zack and Ivy look at him with wide eyes of shock and surprise.

"I was? Ow!" Zack asked cluelessly with a raised eyebrow, before he was elbowed in the arm by Ivy.

"Yup, you nailed it. That was totally what we were trying to do" Ivy said with a nervous smile.

"Did it work?" Zack asked curiously with a cocked eyebrow, as he rubbed his arm.

Mr Sterling merely gave them a smile, as his eyes and head moved towards the cell door, causing Zack and Ivy to look over and see the guard opening it for them.

Zack and Ivy walked out of the cell with dumbfounded looks, with Mr Sterling walking over to stand in front of them. "I've convinced my friend to drop all the charges. And in exchange, I'm gonna ask that you consider driving for me" he said with a wide grin and a raised eyebrow at them.

This caused Zack and Ivy to gasp in shock at this, as they looked at him in surprise.

"You'll have your own car to race, son. Fully funded too" Mr Sterling said to Zack, as he stepped forward and placed his hands on their shoulders. "And you will have your own pit crew to supervise," he said to Ivy, as he stepped back, taking his hands off their shoulders as he did.

Zack and Ivy looked at each other with curious looks, before looking back at Mr Sterling. "What's the catch?" Ivy asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Mr Sterling just smiled at this. "No catch. With both you and my son Trey under my banner, Team Sterling can win more races. I like to keep things in the family" he said, as he turned and headed for the door.

Zack and Ivy raced after him. "Wait, we're family?" Zack asked in surprise.

Mr Sterling stopped at the door, and turned to face them. "You're Boston proud, just like I am. And that's family enough for me" he said simply, before he walked through the door.

Zack and Ivy followed after him, and watched as Mr Sterling climbed into the limo before it drove off.

They then looked across the street, and saw that both Naruto and Carmen were leaning against their bikes, both with unhappy looks on their faces.

Zack and Ivy both smiled happily upon seeing them, and ran over.

"Guys! You'll never guess what just happened. Not in a billion years" Zack said with a wide grin as he waved his hands in front of him, as he and Ivy stood before them.

"Yeah, and it's wicked ridiculous too" Ivy said with her own grin, as she clenched her fists while moving them up and down.

Naruto and Carmen then stood up, with Zack and Ivy then noticing the looks on their faces, as the happy looks on their faces were replaced with looks of surprise.

"Do you both realise that you just jeopardised the entire mission? When are you both gonna stop behaving like amateurs?" both Naruto and Carmen angrily said together.

"Sorry, guys" Zack and Ivy said together, both with looks and tones of shame.

Naruto and Carmen both sighed, before leaning back against their bikes. "So, let's hear what's so wicked ridiculous," Carmen said with a tone of frustration.

"Yeah, let's hear what was possibly worth so much to you, that you risk your necks and ours, and give VILE a chance to win" Naruto said with his own tone of frustration, as they both advanced towards them, making Zack and Ivy back up slightly.

The two of them said nothing, as they just bowed their heads in shame.

"Well, go on. We're listening" they both said with glares at them, with their hands on their hips.

"Nothing important" Zack said lowly, rubbing his neck, while glancing off to the side.

"Um, just - nothing really" Ivy also said lowly, as she glanced off to the side too.

Naruto and Carmen both looked at them with narrowed eyes for a moment, before they headed back to their bikes. They placed their helmets on, then climbed on their bikes before starting them up. They looked at Zack and Ivy with firm looks, before they drove off, with Zack and Ivy watching them go, with upset looks on their faces.

0o0o0o0

(The next day)

Naruto and Carmen were sitting in the stands of the raceway, looking at Al Sibaq and Mr Sterling through their binoculars, as Al Sibaq waved at everyone.

"I haven't seen Zack or Ivy," Carmen said with worry, as she leaned back in her chair.

Naruto nodded in agreement at this. "Yea, me either. I just hope that we didn't scare them away" he said also in worry, leaning forward as he placed his elbows on his knees, while putting his hands on his chin.

{"You guys were kinda….direct with them"} Player said over their comms.

Naruto and Carmen sat up, with frowns on their faces. "They're not the only no show," Carmen said.

"Yeah, VILE hasn't reared its ugly head, not yet anyway" Naruto said with a nod of agreement, as they both looked at the supercar on the track. "And the test drives about to begin soon."

0o0o0o0

(In the pits)

Zack and Ivy were walking along in the pitstop area of the raceway, with Zack's hands in his pants pockets, along with a frown on his face.

"So, if we're seriously considering Daddy Sterlings offer…." Ivy said with a look of concern, as she glanced over at Zack.

"Why wouldn't we?" Zack said, looking back at her. "Especially since Naruto and Carmen hate us now," he said, before turning his head to the side.

"They don't hate us," Ivy said as she looked at Zack, who looked upset. "But, they might be right about one thing though."

This caused Zack to stop walking, as he looked at his sister in surprise. "What's that?" he asked curiously.

Ivy sighed, as she stopped next to Trey's trailer and turned to face her brother, with her arms folded. "The amateur part. We may need to face the fact that we're better racers than we are thieves" she said with a raised eyebrow

This made Zack give off a sigh of his own, as he slumped. "Yeah, you're probably right," he said in agreement.

"So, we should take the high road and apologise to Trey for putting skid marks on his face" Ivy said, as she knocked on the door, while Zack stood on the opposite side of it.

Zack looked off to the side with a scowl at this, which Ivy noticed. "It's the right thing to do if we wanna end up racing on his dad's team" Ivy said to him.

0o0o0o0

(Back at the track)

After he finished waving at the audience, Al Sibaq picked up a microphone, and tapped it a few times and blew into it, making sure that it was working. "\And now, here to set a new land speed record with the Al Sibaq 9000, please welcome international racing sensation; Trey Sterling\" he said, as someone wearing a racing suit and a helmet walked out onto the track.

The crowd roared and cheered at this, as the person stopped to wave at everyone, along with pointing their fingers at them, and moved them about, as though shooting at the crowd.

Naruto and Carmen were watching all this with their binoculars, with frowns on their faces.

0o0o0o0

(Back at Trey's trailer)

Zack and Ivy could hear the roaring cheer of the crowd, as Ivy knocked on the trailer's door again, before they heard muffled yelling from inside the trailer.

Zack and Ivy looked at each other in surprise, as Ivy leaned back from the door and raised an eyebrow at her brother.

Ivy shoved the door open with her shoulder, as Zack ran in after her.

"Whoa" Ivy said in shock, as they both widened their eyes upon seeing Trey tied and gagged, while only wearing a black singlet and his underwear, as he tried to squirm his way out of the rope, along with trying to talk through the gag on his mouth.

"Pffft, hahahaha!" Zack laughed loudly, while Ivy glanced over at him. "He's got racing cars on his underwear" he said with a wide grin.

Ivy scowled at him, and slapped his arm, causing Zack to frown at her and to hold his arm in pain. "He's also got rope on his body," she said firmly, gesturing at Trey.

The two of them looked at Trey for a moment, before they looked at each other with wide eyes. "The car!" they both exclaimed in realisation together, before they ran out of the trailer, and headed for the track.

Trey gave a muffled shout at this, as he wiggled about, trying to get the rope loose.

0o0o0o0

(At the track)

The person wearing Trey's racing suit climbed into the car, and buckled themselves in, before they started the car up, causing the car to light up.

Naruto and Carmen looked through their binoculars, while Al Sibaq and Mr Sterling watched, with a smile on Mr Sterling's face.

The top two lights lit up red, two at a time in a row of five, before the bottom row all lit up green. The person in the driver's seat put the car into gear, and pressed down on the accelerator, causing the tires to spin quickly as smoke appeared, before the car quickly shot off, making a strong breeze form as it did.

Naruto and Carmen watched it go with wide eyes of shock.

Mr Sterling pulled Al Sibaq into a one armed hug, as they both smiled at this.

Everyone watched as the car went round the first turn, and headed between a group of buildings. Everyone waited for the car to appear on the other side, but it never did.

This caused the audience to mutter amongst themselves, while Mr Sterling and Al Sibaq looked stumped as to what happened.

Naruto and Carmen both looked at each other with narrowed eyes, before they looked through their binoculars at the buildings, and zoomed in on where the car was meant to reappear.

"Guys," Zack and Ivy said, popping up in front of their binoculars, causing them to lower their binoculars in surprise.

"That drivers not Trey," Ivy said with a tone of worry.

"Yeah, we found him tied up in his trailer. With only his shirt and underwear on" Zack said with a nod of agreement.

Naruto and Carmen both growled angrily at this, before they got up and headed off down to where they'd parked their bikes.

"I can't believe that we didn't see it," Naruto said with a scowl, as they put their helmets on.

Carmen nodded in agreement at this. "It probably didn't help that we were still thinking about what happened last night" she said, as they hopped on their bikes and started them up, before they drove off, just as Zack and Ivy ran over.

"Wow, they must be really mad at us," Zack said, with a depressed look.

Ivy scowled at her brother, and placed her hands on her hips. "If we got on their bikes, the weight might have slowed them down where they wouldn't have been able to catch up to the car. Come on" she said, as she headed for a car parked nearby, with Zack raising an eyebrow at this.

0o0o0o0

(On the road)

The supercar quickly turned round a corner, before speeding off, with Naruto and Carmen right behind it, as they moved their way through other cars, always keeping the supercar in their sights.

The driver of the supercar lifted up the visor before taking off the helmet, showing that it was the woman, Alexis, who hung out with Trey at the party last night, as she shook her hair loose.

She then pulled a VILE phone out, and placed it on the centre console, before the middle screen gained the VILE symbol on it, which then changed to show Sophie's face, who had a smirk.

"Mission accomplished," Alexis said with a smile.

{"I do fancy your fancy driving, Driver. Are you ready to take it to the next level?"} Sophie asked with a smirk, as she raised an eyebrow.

Alexis was about to reply, before she looked up at the rearview mirror and frowned, as she adjusted it and saw that Naruto and Carmen were right behind her.

She then gave a scowl, as she turned the wheel, while making the car go faster. Naruto and Carmen looked at each other, before narrowing their eyes and revving their bikes, as they chased after her, while swerving their way through other cars.

They soon started to drive alongside the supercar, and widened their eyes in surprise, when they noticed who was behind the wheel, who gave them both a glare.

Alexis gave them both a smirk and a two finger salute along with a cocked eyebrow, before she drove up a ramp.

Naruto and Carmen both frowned at this as they looked forward, before their eyes widened in shock, as they noticed workmen working on the road ahead of them, with a big piece of wood leaning against a truck, like a ramp.

They both glanced at each other before nodding their heads, as they narrowed their eyes and gunned the engines of their bikes, racing towards the ramp, while the workmen moved out of their way with yells of surprise.

Once they reached the ramp, they drove up it and jumped into the air, while slightly standing up on their bikes, as they soared through the air.

Alexis looked up in shock, as Naruto and Carmen moved through the air, before landing in front of her.

Alexis then gave a growl of annoyance, as she turned the car. Naruto and Carmen watched this in their side mirrors, and followed after her.

Meanwhile, Zack and Ivy were in the car they'd taken from the racetrack, following after them.

"Some plan" Zack said with a raised eyebrow. "How's VILE gonna get the car outta Dubai?" he then asked curiously, looking over at his sister.

Ivy had a look of worry, as she took out her phone, and had the map app appear on the screen. "Water in front of us, and sand behind" she said, as they followed Naruto and Carmen, who were moving their way through other vehicles.

Alexis looked back with a scowl on her face, before she shifted gears, which caused the car to glow brightly, and with a burst of light from the rear, it shot off.

This made Naruto, Carmen, Zack and Ivy to gap in awe at this, along with wide eyes, before Naruto and Carmen narrowed their eyes and sped off after her.

Alexis drove the supercar into a parking garage, with Naruto and Carmen not far behind her, while Zack drove after them.

Naruto and Carmen looked back to see if Zack was keeping up with them, before looking at the parking garage, and were surprised at how far the car had driven up already.

They both leaned forward on their bikes, and once they entered the parking garage, they drove up the second ramp.

"Bro, hang a right" Ivy said, once they entered the parking garage.

"Box em in" Zack said with a grin, as he did what Ivy said, and drove up the other ramp.

Once they reached the top of the parking garage, they noticed that the supercar was nowhere in sight….and that they were driving towards each other.

Naruto and Carmen quickly drove round the car, while Zack turned the wheel so that they car slid to a stop, as Ivy screamed in terror, while Naruto and Carmen slid their bikes to a stop.

Naruto and Carmen turned off their bikes, put the kick stands out and climbed off them before they took their helmets off, while Zack turned off the car as he and Ivy climbed out of the car.

"Oh come on, is it invisible too?" Zack yelled out.

"It was like it vanished into thin….air!" Ivy was saying, before they all looked up when they heard something, and saw a blimp raising into the air.

"They're airlifting it" Carmen said in realisation.

Naruto nodded at this, as he and Carmen activated their grappling hooks. "Grab on" he said with a determined look and tone to Zack and Ivy.

"Oh boy" Zack and Ivy both said in worry.

Naruto grabbed hold of Zack, while Carmen held onto Ivy. They then shot their grappling lines up at the blimp before it got too far away, before retracting the rope, allowing themselves to be pulled up to the blimp, with Zack and Ivy yelling as they went up.

When they reached the blimp, they all noticed that they were next to a hatch.

Naruto and Carmen pushed it open, then helped Zack and Ivy inside the blimp, before climbing in themselves and detached their grappling hooks from the underside of the blimp.

Once they were all inside the blimp, Naruto and Carmen walked off.

"Guys, listen. There's something that we've gotta tell you" Zack said, as he and Ivy followed them.

"There's a time and a place, bro" Ivy said with a glare at Zack over her shoulder. "And being on a blimp over Dubai ain't either."

"Sterling wants you to drive for him?" Naruto and Carmen both asked simply, glancing over their shoulders at them.

This caused Zack and Ivy to stop walking, looks of shocked surprise on their faces. "You know?" they both asked, with Ivy raising an eyebrow at this.

Naruto and Carmen then both turned around, smiling at them with their hands on their hips. "A get out of jail free card. It wasn't that hard to figure out" Carmen said, with Naruto nodding in agreement.

This made Zack and Ivy look away in shame at this.

Naruto and Carmen then both looked at each other, before they sighed and rubbed their foreheads slightly. "Look, we think you both know that you're more than just our crew," Carmen said.

Naruto nodded in agreement at this. "Yeah. You have our support, no matter what you decide" he said, as he and Carmen smiled at them.

Zack and Ivy smiled back at this, as Naruto and Carmen got serious again. "After we've found that supercar" Carmen said, before they turned back around and headed for a door.

"So, let's split up gang" Naruto said, as everyone nodded, with Zack and Ivy going back the way they came, while Naruto and Carmen carried on forwards.

0o0o0o0

(With Zack and Ivy)

Zack and Ivy carefully poked their heads through a doorway into a large room, and looked around for a moment, before they both smirked as they spotted the car strapped down.

"And Bingo was his Name-o" Ivy said.

The two of them carefully and quietly walked over to the car, and as they did, they heard some noises coming from inside the car.

They both gave each other looks of curiosity, before Ivy pressed a button on the door, causing it to open, where they saw Sophie behind the wheel of the car, pretending that she was driving it, while making car-like noises as she did.

She looked momentarily surprised, before she gave them a smirk. "Hello, hello, hello. And who do we have here?" she asked, as she grabbed her wrench, before getting out of the car, while Zack and Ivy backed up.

"Oh, boy" Ivy said in worry, as they backed away from her.

Sophie tossed the wrench from one hand to the other and back again, as she advanced towards them. "Looks like a couple of Oliver Twist's looking for some gruel" she said with a raised eyebrow, as she spun the wrench in her hand, before throwing it at Zack.

Zack gave a yell of shock, as he dodged the thrown wrench, where it got embedded into the side of a wooden crate, making the two of them look at it, before looking back at Sophie in shock.

"Oh, an Artful Dodger, he is," Sophie said with a cocked eyebrow, before she frowned at them, as she pulled out two more wrenches, and spun them in her hands.

0o0o0o0

(Meanwhile)

Alexis was in the cockpit of the blimp, as she piloted, before she looked at a screen on the dashboard, and saw Sophie menacingly advancing towards Zack and Ivy.

She gave a frown at this, as she pressed the autopilot button, and got out of the pilot's seat to go help her.

But as she did, she gave a gasp of surprise, as she saw that Naruto and Carmen were leaning against the doorway with their arms crossed.

"Would you care to land the blimp?" Carmen asked in a bored tone and a raised eyebrow, along with narrowed eyes.

"Or do you need some help, as it's an air vehicle, and not a ground vehicle" Naruto said, with his own bored tone.

Alexis gave a growl at this, as she glared at them and moved to attack them.

She tried to hit Carmen with an overhead knife hand and Naruto with a punch, but Carmen blocked it with her forearm, while Naruto simply slapped the fist out of the way.

Alexis then tried to kick them, but they both dodged it, before she threw a punch at them both, which Naruto and Carmen caught in their hands, and pressed the back of their other hand against her elbow joint on the inside of her arm.

"We thought that you might need more persuading," Carmen said with a smirk.

"And unfortunately for you, that's what we're great at" Naruto said with his own smirk, before they both rammed their shoulders into Alexis, sending her crashing onto the console.

Alexis gave a groan, as she slumped down, while unintentionally pulling a lever down as she did, which caused the blimp to fly up.

This sent everyone, and everything not strapped down on the blimp, sliding about towards the back of the blimp.

And when Alexis slid completely to the floor, she pulled the lever all the way down, which Naruto and Carmen saw caused the door at the back of the blimp to open up on one of the screens.

0o0o0o0

(In the blimps cargo area)

Zack and Ivy slid towards the open door, with Zack quickly grabbing onto the inside of the car on the driver's side.

"Zack!" Ivy yelled, as she tried to stop herself from sliding towards the open door.

Zack quickly leaned into the car, and pressed a button, which caused the passenger door to open, which Ivy grabbed just as she slid past.

Ivy gave a sigh of relief at this, before smiling at Zack. "Thanks bro" she said, smiling at him.

"Anytime sis" Zack said, smiling back.

Meanwhile, Sophie had slid all the way to the open door, and had grabbed onto the door handle, while some crates fell out.

"Aaaahhhh!" Sophie yelled out in fear, as she dangled in the air.

0o0o0o0

(Back in the cockpit)

Naruto and Carmen were both still fighting against Alexis.

Alexis gave Carmen a side kick, sending her towards the door, before Naruto tried to punch her, only for Alexis to grab his punch. Alexis then tried to punch him back, only for Naruto to grab her own fist in his hand. The two of them grappled like this for a bit, before Alexis threw him against the console, causing the steering wheel to move, which made the blimp begin to go down.

"You know, if you come back to VILE, I'm sure that I can show you a good time with a real woman," Alexis said with a smirk at Naruto.

"Okay, 1: no way in hell am I ever gonna return to VILE. And 2: you're not my type anyway" Naruto said, as he put his feet on Alexis' chest and shoved her off him.

"Plus, he's already taken," Carmen yelled out, as she tried to kick Alexis, who ducked underneath it to dodge.

Naruto and Carmen then nodded at each other, and moved to attack Alexis again.

0o0o0o0

(Back in the cargo hold)

Sophie had her arms and legs wrapped round the bar on the door, as she held on for dear life with her eyes closed, before she opened them again when she noticed the blimp was going down instead of up.

She around in worry for a moment, before she fell off the bar and into the cargo hold with a yell, passing Zack and Ivy as she did, who were still holding onto the supercar.

The two of them watched as she tumbled into a crate, where she laid there upside down in a daze for a moment, before she succumbed to unconsciousness.

While all this was going on, the blimp was heading towards the rooftop of a building, with loads of people gathered on it having a party, who all looked over and gave gasps of shock as they noticed the blimp heading towards them.

0o0o0o0

(In the cockpit)

As Naruto and Carmen fought against Alexis, an alarm began going off, causing them to look out the front window and notice they were about to crash into the building.

Alexis went to grab the wheel, but she was shoved out of the way by Naruto, sending her crashing into a nearby console.

"Sorry, but your licence has been revoked" Naruto said, as he and Carmen both grabbed hold of the wheel, and began to pull as hard as they could.

"Come on now, upsy daisy," Carmen said with a groan.

The people on the building all looked at the blimp with fear and terror as it drew closer, as they ran out of the way.

"Run away!"

"Look out!"

"Get to cover!"

"Let's get out of here!"

As the blimp got closer, it soon began to level out, flying over their heads, causing them to all sigh in relief.

Zack and Ivy looked at the roof through the open door, and looked at each with smirks on their faces.

"Vroom and zoom?" Zack asked.

"Buckle up," Ivy said with a nod.

The two of them climbed into the car and strapped themselves before closing the doors. Zack then started up the car and put it in gear, before he pressed down on the accelerator.

This caused the car's wheels to spin, and made the straps holding the car in place snap off, before it shot out of the blimp.

"Whoo-hohoho!" Zack yelled out in glee, as the car seemed to fly through the air in slow motion, while Ivy tightly gripped the headrest of her seat.

Naruto and Carmen, along with Alexis who got up off the floor, while holding her head, watched this from one of the monitors with looks of shock, before Naruto and Carmen ran out of the cockpit, with Alexis watching them go.

Soon enough, after what felt like hours flying through the air but was really seconds, the car landed safely on the rooftop of the building and skidded about for a moment, with Zack grinning confidently, while Ivy yelled in fear with wide eyes, before Zack drifted the car to a stop before the people on the roof, who looked at this in awe.

"Did I call it? Flying race car" Zack said with a wide smile.

"Just please tell me that we're the right way up" Ivy said, with her eyes closed tight, as she held onto the headrest tightly with her feet up on the dash.

"You betcha sis," Zack said happily.

Ivy opened one of her eyes slightly, before giving a sigh of relief, as she let go of the headrest and put her feet back down, leaning herself back against the chair when she did.

The two of them then opened the car doors and climbed out of the car, before looking at the blimp as it continued to fly away.

After a few seconds of looking, they noticed two figures running towards the back of the blimp, as they jumped out and free falled for a moment, before gliders appeared on their backs, which they used to glide over to the rooftop, which they soon folded away as they landed in a crouch in front of them, before standing up.

"That was some pretty good pro moves, you two" Carmen said with a smile with her hand on her hip and a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, that was really cool," Naruto said with a nod of agreement and his own smile.

The four of them then looked back at the blimp, and saw Alexis and Sophie standing at the edge of the open door.

"Now who in Dickens' ghost were they?" Sophie asked, as she rubbed her head, looking at Alexis with a raised eyebrow.

"Some rocket scientist….and a duke" Alexis said with a scowl, as she gripped her fists tightly.

This made Sophie have a dumbfounded expression on her face, as she watched the group of thieves become smaller as the blimp flew away.

0o0o0o0

(VILE Island)

The frozen picture of Sophie and Alexis' faces were on the big screen in front of the Faculty members, before large red x's were put on them.

Brunt growled angrily at this, as she clenched her teeth, along with her fists.

"Next" Cleo said with a smug look, causing her fellow Faculty members to look at her.

0o0o0o0

(At the raceway)

The supercar was parked at the starting line of the track, with Zack and Ivy standing before the two Sterling's, with Mr Sterling having his arm round Trey's shoulders; who was wearing a spare suit, and Al Sibaq.

"Both of you are true heroes," Al Sibag said with a smile at Zack and Ivy.

"Oh, it was nothing, really/Anyone would've jumped that building" Zack and Ivy both said with sheepish smiles on their faces, while Zack scratched his chin.

Naruto and Carmen were sitting in the stands, as they watched this.

"Which is why my son and I can't wait to have you join Team Sterling" Mr Sterling said happily, as he placed his hands on his son's shoulders, and moved him towards Zack and Ivy, who had a grumpy look on his face, with his arms crossed over his chest.

Trey glanced over his shoulder at his dad with a frown, who frowned back in return, with Trey groaning. "It would be my privilege to….race alongside you" he said begrudgingly.

"I assume that you two have had a chance to consider my offer?" Mr Sterling asked with a smile.

Zack and Ivy had unsure looks on their faces as they looked at Naruto and Carmen in the stands, who smiled at them.

"We'd be honoured to have you in our family" Mr Sterling said with a wide grin, his arm around Trey's shoulders, who was glaring off to the side before glaring at them.

Zack and Ivy looked at each other with raised eyebrows for a moment, before they looked back at Mr Sterling.

0o0o0o0

(Sometime later, back at the Carmen Brand Outerwear warehouse)

Naruto, Carmen and Shadowsan were standing outside the building.

"Funny. In a way, it all began with Carmen Brand Outerwear" Carmen said with a grin.

"Yeah. I'm not sure that there's a better place to hang our hats" Naruto said with a nod of agreement.

Shadowsan looked at the two of them from the corner of his eyes. "I know that this was difficult for you," he said to them.

Naruto and Carmen both looked down at this. "We're really gonna miss -" Carmen was saying, before getting cut off.

"Oh man, it looks even bigger the second time!" Zack yelled out happily, as he and Ivy walked out of the building. "You could totally park a blimp in there!"

"- our midnight calls to room service" Carmen finished with a smile.

"But, Zack and Ivy chose family over career. Throwing down roots for them is the least we can do" Naruto said, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's wicked perfect for that workshop we always dreamed of! And now we'll have somewhere to park our cars!" Ivy said happily, as she nudged Zack slightly, who looked at the building with his hands in his pockets.

{"Hey gang"} Player's voice said from Naruto's phone, who took it from his pocket and looked at the screen.

"As much as I hate to throw a wrench in moving day, Shadowsan's hunch about Neal the Eel was spot on" Player said with a grin and a raised eyebrow. "Something vile is going down tomorrow, at the Kremlin. So pack a toothbrush, as you're going to Moscow" he said, as the map on his computer screen zoomed in on the location.

Naruto, Carmen and Shadowsan simply looked at each other.

"Hold down the fort crew" Carmen said, as she turned around and walked off.

"Yeah, and try not to wreck it," Naruto said, as he followed her.

"We can stop for coffee on the way to the airport. I know a place" Shadowsan said, as he walked alongside them.

Zack and Ivy looked at each other, while shrugging their shoulders.

0o0o0o0

Authors Note: To those who want me to lemon/sex scenes in every chapter or so, I can't as I need to find the right time/moment to do them. Such as, on their plane, in a hotel room or in a train's sleeping carriage. So please, stop asking me to keep adding them, as I'll do them when I please.

Hope that everyone enjoyed the chapter, and that you're doing what you can to avoid getting this COVID by following the rules, while any and all flames are no longer welcome. Also, for some reason, if I get a PM from anyone, it wouldn't show me the number(s) on fanfiction (so if you send me a PM, and I reply to it late, that's the reason why). Let's hope that now the vaccines are all done, we can rest a bit easier.

I have also posted a few story ideas on my home page, and if any of you want to use them please, PM me and let me know.