My comments for the review on the previous chapter/s:

JMBuilder: Thanks, dude! But we'll see if your suggestion makes it to the race. XD

Platrium: Thanks for the review for the whole leg! But there's a little bit of a problem, dude. The yield was replaced by the U-Turn, right? So, unfortunately, I'll have to stay canon for this one. So… no U-Turns! :3


Bonus Scene #1: Claustrophobia Conquered

Manhattan, NY

The street of Broadway Avenue was surrounded by many fans and watchers, who just lurk on to see why the popular street was closed to vehicles. People from there were waiting and waiting for the arrival of new 11 teams that will start their journey around the globe for a prize of ONE MILLION DOLLARS.

While Phil began the introduction and spoke through the camera, the teams from the top of an umpteenth-storey building. Who knows how high is the building that they were in right now, but it's one heck of a height to go onto the rooftop of the long building.

One individual has this factor wandered continuously over his mind. He thinks that anytime soon, he could be paralyzed in fear when that time has come.

"Theodore?" A voice was echoed around him, still not breaking the current trance. "Theodore!"

"Huh? Wh-what?!" Theodore startled and almost fell off but brought himself with his own balance. "What?"

"You're daydreaming, silly." Eleanor, the best friend of Theodore, chuckled at his silliness.

"Uh, yeah…" Theodore nervously chuckles back, scratching his hair immediately. "Daydreaming… hehe…"

"Theodore? Are you okay?" Eleanor asked.

"Uhm…" Theodore trailed off after that response, but signs of faltering were noticed by his partner.

"Theo, are you alright?" The blonde chipmunk asked one more time, showing a hint of concern over the stuttering Theodore.

"No…" Theodore responded quietly but Eleanor heard it enough from her hearing range.

"Oh, Theodore…" Eleanor replied softly as she pats Theodore's golden hair. "You know that you can do it, right? We can do it together!"

"Yeah…" Theodore chuckled in response. "We can do it…"

"Don't worry, Theodore. I'll guide us down there. You know that this is my hobby."

"Yeah… I'll try."

"Everyone!" A new voice was detected. "Put your helmets properly and hold tightly to the ropes. You'll be descending down and get ready for the signal."

"Oh." Eleanor chuckled in reaction. "That's it, this is it. Better be ready, I'll help you out."

"Thanks…" Theodore sheepishly giggled as Eleanor finds it sweet, she kisses Theodore in the cheek, making him blush.

"Haha! You're so cute when you're like that." Eleanor responded, added with a pinch of pinkish blush between her cheeks.

"Everyone, on your positions… NOW!"

"Oh, there it is! I'll go first!" Eleanor volunteered herself to go first as she was on the edge tile of the rooftop. "Here we go!"

Eleanor slowly submerges as she steadily releases the hold for a pinch of seconds to move faster. While Theodore was watching in horror.

He gulped. "Eleanor, is it safe?"

"It is! Follow my lead." Eleanor replied while concentrating his sight downwards.

"Okay…"

"Let's go, Theodore! You can do it!"

Without any time to waste, he grasps the rope hardly and jumps out from the edge to start rappelling.

In hindsight, Theodore was in the midst of abseiling down and Eleanor was there to guide him. He has a sheer fear of heights, overall, but that doesn't stop from his tracks. He and Eleanor were going to start their own adventure of a lifetime. Because of this thought, his mood suddenly changed as he aggressively follows his partner downtown.

With looking up above her, Eleanor saw Theodore following her advice, that made her smile. Even through his vulnerable note, she was always there for him. Eleanor wants Theodore to be a tough challenger, the same level as the others. The athletic chipmunk proves that she could be a mentor or a coach, or both at the same time.

Her mind was focused on one thing – that is to make history in the competition, alongside her long-time soulmate.


Bonus Scene #2: A Canadian Coffee Break

Halifax, NS – Pavia Gallery – Espresso Bar

Kevin & Sami were in a coffee shop with different amenities to offer. From selling sweets on the table to some exhibition on different paintings, sticking to the wall. It was a wonderful time to take a break from racing, mainly because the establishment nearby was closed. So, they took a chance to taste some of their signature delicacies.

Because of the guidelines about the budge that was in effect when they started, they only took coffee as a whole meal for the night as they took a sip of it and felt its savory feeling from their mouths through their body.

Sami sighed in reaction. "Who doesn't enjoy this masterpiece? Dark roast coffee really shapes up the night!"

"Medium roast kinda fits the mood, actually." Kevin has his own verdict to his own coffee.

"Eh, this is going to be another useless piece of another useless debate around things. What should we address right now?" Sami said, sweeping excess dust from his collar.

"About the race. That's the only thing that I could think of." Kevin answered, taking another sip of his hot drink.

"Okay! So, what are we dealing with? Co-Canadians?"

"We're not just dealing with them… we're dealing with all of them!" Kevin loudly exclaimed.

"Oh… so are we going to commence something… pesky?" Sami took a plentiful of his coffee while interrogating his buddy.

"Let's tone down with the word usage, okay? That really sounded bad to the ears." Kevin opposing the vocabulary that Sami used.

"Let's see… we can't align with any of them… we can't talk to them in a friendly manner… we can't help them in a navigating situation… that's all I can remember about our agreement." Sami enumerated the procedures of their deal.

"Well, you know what? We can, at least, improvise to banish some of them." Kevin suggested.

"But how? Does it apply to all of them?"

"Uh, Sami? Did you hear a word from me? Because I just said it clearly." Kevin replied, irking at Sami's verbal obliviousness.

"Is this all about… a reverse justice? Like serving it… in an unfair way?"

Kevin took another volume of his coffee to his mouth and coughed. "We'll have to do that in a cunning way! So that most of them, don't have any idea on what are they dealing with us."

"Ooh, I like it!" Sami agreed upon to Kevin's plan, rubbing his both hands softly. "Being sneaky and deceitful? Sounds fun to me. But we gotta be careful, we can get penalized or worst!"

Kevin replied with crossed arms. "I'm fully aware of that but we're smart enough to pull the trigger or pushing buttons. We're smartasses and we can sort anything without pressure."

"Pretty sure that sometimes, there's someone that antagonizes a whole story, just to add up emotions and make it stirred out of their minds."

"We're on a great night, so far. And I think we spent here for a long time." Kevin said, noticing how long did they talk.

"You mean, we're gonna be outta here?" Sami asked furiously but quickly changed. "Not with your coffee mug! It's gotta be empty. I'll stay here for a while." He leaned against his sofa chair and sighed with glee.

Kevin shrugged. "Fine by me." He drank another capacity of the dark brown liquid. "This coffee really keeps me wakeful."


Bonus Scene #3: An Alliance of Agreement Disagrees that Alliance Sucks

The screen showed the different reactions from different teams who were not a part of the newly-formed alliance in their confessional.

Charlie & Viola

"I think we shouldn't be around at any of them," Viola said.

"Yeah, we all know that alliance won't last that long. It's a race, and some of us could get eliminated out." Charlie added.

"At least, we have our own alliance…"

"And that alliance is me and you!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Yeah!"

Leslie & Penny

"So, we heard around them that there's an alliance that was built, on-the-spot!" Leslie reacted anxiously.

"We gotta stay away from them, at least. I feel that this could cost many things in the race!" Penny added.

"We really need to focus on ourselves and not to get distracted by them!"

Penny nodded in agreement.

Kevin & Sami

"Do we really need to respond to that useless association?" Kevin asked seriously but in a daunting way. "Of course, the whole concept of alliance sucks! There's no way that they could last longer!"

"Kevin's right there, ladies and gentleman. What are you going to do there? Sucking sympathy to all of them? That's like a food cycle, in paper, it's effective, but in reality… it's horrible!"

"Yeah, that's the only response we would say about them."

Linda & Lawrence

"Oh, those kids." Linda chuckled. "I like alliances. However, it doesn't mean I like the progression of it. It can all come down to something bad."

"True there, sweetie." Lawrence agreed. "Like one saying 'it is better to have an enemy who honestly says they hate you than to have a friend who's putting you down secretly'."

"I like that quote though."

Lawrence chuckled this time. "Thanks, dear. These kids should take notes about it."

Raven & Starfire

"If you can't beat them, join them," Starfire said, discreetly taking a shot on the concept of alliance.

"One way or another, it's everyone's game. We all have our own games, they can use it for good or bad. That's how life really, really works."

"If they kept it until the end, well, imma be surprised about it."

Stan & Steve

"Just like in historical feuds, most of the bad blood situations started from befriending with one another. But at this time, it's the usual thing to do, especially when you're in a competition. That's why we never wanted to join any 'alliance' to anything." Stan addressed the newly-formed news.

"Friends and alliances are different. Friends could be anywhere and available at all times. While the alliance… says otherwise. If you're in an alliance, your doomsday will probably seal your fate in the end." Steve added.

"I'm still wondering if I can ally with some other nationalities?" Stan quickly changes the topic, humming and thinking about his own question.

Eleanor & Theodore

"Alliance? That sounded awkwardly cool." Eleanor said. "I won't lie but we're supposed to join their alliance but I think they are many enough over them. And overpopulation isn't the solution to this world!"

"Yeah, I think it's bad and not cool," Theodore added, repeating the same line that his partner just dropped. "We're just lucky enough to be in a solo situation."

"Solo? But we're a team?" Eleanor asked, unsurely on what she heard.

"I mean, solo, as in, a team! A solo team!"

"Oh…" Eleanor sheepishly chuckled. "I got it! It's funny when you blabber your words, Theo."

Theodore got embarrassed when Eleanor responds with continuous laughter from the superior chipmunk.