A/N: Sorry so late. I just found this chapter in a long lost drawer. Thank you everyone for all of patience and as always, ENJOY!

Scavenging A KARR: Chapter 8

Playing Tag with a KARR

"You are not authorized to refer to me as KARR." The deep voice playfully groused. "You may only refer to me as the Knight Automated Roving Robot."

You scoff lightheartedly from your soft leather seat. "Umm," you beg with both hands pressed in the fashion of a prayer. "Please, almighty AI, Sir. May I call you KARR?"

You will swear to anyone who will listen, you just heard a car snort. A car can snort? No way?!

"Is that a yeah," you ask hopefully.

"You have," the deep KARR voice relented, "My permission."

Excitedly, you bounce clap, "Nice to meet you KARR."

The whole body of the sleek black supercar shook. It dared not speak.

"Ok," you began carefully. "Since you are in such a good mood…"

You pause for effect.

"May I drive?" You practically beg with a breathless whimper. "Please?"

The darkened dash flashed wildly for a second. Lights that you didn't even know existed flickered on and off. It was but a second and then the normal lights returned. If you called that Christmas Tree array of lights normal.

It spoke not a word. This worried you a bit.

"You May," the deep almost sinister voice agreed with a little too much joy.

Skeptical but not waiting for this crazy car to change his mind. You thumb the seatbelt off and throw yourself between the two fine leather bucket seats. Your Goal? That sexy leather wrapped yoke steering wheel.

BAM!

Your excited face met an invisible wall. It literally bounces you back onto your butt. Shocked, you rub the side of your nose while whining, "Owww man."

"That hurt," you complain as you pinch to see if it is broken. "What was that?"

The dark voice laughs. It wasn't very loud. It wasn't malicious. But it did seem to find a little too much joy in your pain.

"What gives?" You ask a lot more irritated. "You said that I could drive. Why did you block me?"

The proud voice of the sleek black sports car taunted. "Am not a jungle gym. I was built with only the finest of materials by only the most qualified experts in their fields. Crawling around in my cabin like a snot faced 2 year old will not be tolerated."

"Ok," you hesitated to ask. But you have to. "How do I get from here to there?"

"Like any civilized human being with any modicum of decency," KARR haughtily replied.

CLICK

The passenger door in front of and next to you unlocked.

Panicked, you slide the button back as hard as you can.

"HEY! Don't do that!" You snap at the top of your lungs.

"You wish to drive?" KARR queries with a lilt in his deep tenor.

"Yeah," you agree while knowing full well that he is leading you to the slaughter.

CLICK

You slide it back again.

"Is there another option?" You beg hopelessly. "Please?"

"No." Was your basic reply.

CLICK

You slide it again as you scan the basically pissed off mob waiting for you to come out of the car.

"Can you at least promise me that I will be safe? They look like they will kill me if I go out there." You ask as you shrink back into you safe leather seat.

Without any warning, the powerful motor within fires up. Its sheer growl scares the living soul out of you.

"We agreed to your continued safety." The deep voice began matter-of-factly. "So in order to mitigate any damages to you, we must move."

The floor mounted shifter slides down to D. And then the Parking Brake light turnes off.

Scared witless, you grab the seatbelt strap to yank it over your body. It thunks solidly but doesn't budge.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The car warns everyone within a half mile radius. Though you don't see it, you can feel his glee as all of the people all of the way around you jump or back away as fast as they can.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

You struggle even harder with your defiant seatbelt. Stupid child restraint!

As soon as there was a scant gap in the not so gathering mob, your noisy supercar ride shot forward like a rocket from its silo. It blew past everyone and shot around the nearest corner.

You screamed. They screamed. The massive blast of the engine screamed.

KARR rounded the next corner at top speed. The heavy back of the car, where you were sitting, drifted sideways just a bit.

Then the next corner.

Then the next.

You should have been sliding all over the smooth leather backseat. But some weird imaginary force had you pinned securely. Even your head was cradled and held safely to the seat.

But that didn't stop you from screaming at the top of your lungs.

You were still screaming with your eyes still screwed shut when you heard the almost silent but still scary Click sound again. Slowly, you peeked open a single eye and found that you were stopped. Parked to be exact. When did that happen?

"Dude," You pant. "What was that?"

"Evasive Escape Plan Delta." The baritone proudly preened. "Would you like to see more?"

You cautiously check the seat to see if you have peed your pants. Dry.

"Nah," you respond trying to sound braver than you actually are. "Maybe later."

"The coast is, as you would say, clear." The KARR points out unfazed. "You may safely exit the vehicle."

That's when you remembered that the door was unlocked. Cautiously, you meticulously check all around you while ready and waiting to close the lock again.

You are parallel parked on a narrow side street. Only two other cars are there with you. And there are no people around loitering or otherwise.

'Maybe if I am quick.' You foolishly tell yourself.

After another head swiveling inspection, you take another deep breath, shove the front seat leather seat forward, and jump out.

You are instantly hit by the chilly breeze of the shadowy side of the tall buildings that surround you. You shiver for a brief second and then slam the door behind you. Quickly, you double time around the back of the black mystery KARR.

VROOM!

The defiant KARR hopped forward about four feet with a teasing rumble.

Shocked and a little peeved, you run after him while screaming, "Hey!"

That deep maniacal laugh assaulted your hearing. In it, you heard, "Have you ever played Tag with a KARR?"

You stopped dead in your tacks. And so did the KARR. Waiting.

"You can drive yourself?" You gasp while just realizing how incredible this really was.

"Of course," KARR agreed readily. "I am the prototype of the car of the future. Now answer my question."

"No," you chuckled in pure shock by KARR's revelation. "I have never played Tag with a car before."

"Come and Get Me!" The taunting KARR teased with a short gun of the engine.

"But we don't have time for games." You pointed out while checking over your shoulder for the angry competition.

"Then you had better hurry." The KARR teased again with another playful jump forward.

While faking concern, you check over your shoulder again. But instead, you bolt full blast towards the sleek black idling KARR. You swipe at it, missing by only centimeters.

"Missed me." The KARR teases.

You grab your sides hard as you try to catch your breath and stop laughing. You carefully tilt your head scheming on just how you are going to tag a freaking hot and fast sport's car.

Cunningly, you cross the silent street to the other sidewalk. You want to give him a sense of security. But you also want to close the gap between you and him as much as you can.

"I can see you." The deep voice warns you softly. There is no malice. Only curiosity.

For every step you take, he rolls a silent foot to match you. Judging. Silent.

You walk.

He rolls.

You stop.

He brakes.

You run.

He rolls.

You stop.

He brakes.

So you decide to play with him. You half start but don't move.

He starts to roll but takes a second longer to stop.

You try it again. You lead by doing like before, you bolt off in a full run but two seconds later come to a dead stop.

The KARR rolls but comes to a stop a second after you.

Putting your theory into practice, you walk, then stop. You run then stop again. You half step and then stop.

The KARR follows you in perfect unison. Except. He still takes an extra second to stop.

You log it perfectly in your mind. Now to get a bit closer without spooking him.

"I know your plan." The deep baritone proudly announces in your ear.

"Then this," you wave at the air. "Should be a piece of cake."

The KARR says nothing. Though you distinctly heard his disappointing grunt.

Without a second's warning, you brake out into a full sprint down the empty sidewalk. Thank Goodness no one was around.

The KARR paces you lazily. He is making little to no effort to keep in perfect stride with you. But that is exactly what you wanted.

While still sprinting at full speed, you gently start drifting to the right. Within seconds, you are hopping off of the curb and running into the street.

The KARR belly laughs mockingly. "Do you believe that your speed can ever match -"

CRASH!

The KARR, while boasting about himself, ran into the back of one of the only two parked cars on the street.

A little too easily, you ran up to the driver's side door and hopped in.

"Tag!" You yell triumphantly from your well earned perch. "I Win!"