Author notes: Well, I've gotten pretty far into the story, but there's still some things that needs to be resolved, like the identity of the cloaked figure, and the mystery behind the Paramount Emerald. Act One is almost done, and soon Act Two will take place, about only five or six challenges left. I hope you all enjoy! I do not own Ed Edd n Eddy, Johnny Bravo, PowerPuff Girls, Code Named Kids Next Door, Billy and Mandy, Freakazoid, Samurai Jack, Fosters Home For Imaginary Friends, Courage The Cowardly Dog, and Dexter's Laboratory, they belong to their respected owners. I also do not own any of the racing tracks, they belong to Naught Dog's Jak X, although I do own the vehicles, except for Freakazoid's Freakmobile. I do own any OC characters, but I do not own any guest appearances. Update: I haven't been posting chapters, because I've been keeping busy with homework and stuff, but I'm going to try and post chapters faster.
Chapter 20:Act 1:DEATHRACE Three
2100 Haven City Building...
The two Kanker sisters, Lee and May, were just walking in the building of 2100, an abandoned building that was rented by the "cloaked figure" every one on the racing team would say, since the guy would always wear a cloak to hide his face. Lee just didn't know what this guy is planning, but Lee couldn't care less, as long as she gets her hands on this "Paramount Emerald" thing, and get the Eds to become kings of the world, as well as for the three sisters to become the queens of the world, still...
The cloak figure was not really on her mind, no. It was Marie. Marie is in the hospital, unconscious, nearly died of an explosion. Lee felt bad. She is the older sister of the three sisters, and yet she was hopeless in the last race. She was supposed to protect her sisters, even though her sisters needed to learn themselves, like May...
May's new boyfriend Terrance was cheating on her. How am I going to tell her this. May is the youngest(and most obnoxious) of the three sisters. Knowing her, she wasn't going to believe what her sisters say. So her and Marie decided to get proof of this the next day. Hopefully Marie get's out of the hospital for them to investigate this Terrance guy...
"Yo, Lee, May!" a familiar voice said.
Lee and May were halfway into the meeting room, where the drivers would call meetings about any problems or concerns they have with the challenges, or, more recently, problems about trusting the cloak figure into weather this "Paramount Emerald" thing is real or not. Lee and May turned around, to surprisingly see Marie in the back of them, a little cheery.
"So, the guy in the cloak called us? I wonder what he wants," Marie said to the two sisters, once she got up to them.
"It's probably about us losing that race," Lee said to her two sisters.
"Well then what's the big deal, we lost our first race so what, we can easily get back in the standings," May said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Who knows?" Marie said.
As the three sisters were talking, they walked in front of the door of the meeting room. They opened the blue door, and beyond it, the big table with the many chairs around it were empty, save for one chair in the far end of the table. The cloak figure was sitting there, aware that the three young girls entered the room, although he didn't turn in his rolling chair.
"Have a seat," he offered to the girls.
The three sisters took a seat at the opposite far end of the table. The cloak figure then turned around in his chair. He was still wearing a cloak, but this time, the cloak was black, instead of brown like last time. Lee always find it suspicious that this guy always has to hide his identity. She was the first one to speak.
"Let me guess, you called us because we lost that race, didn't we?" Lee said.
"What's the big deal anyway, we lost one race, so what, we're still in the standings," May informed him.
"Yes, I already know that your still in the standings," the cloak figure informed them.
Lee also noticed that the cloak figure's voice sounded kind of young, like someone in his young 20's or old 10's, but it seems that he also tries to hide his voice, so his age is also a mystery to the three girls.
"Then why did you call us here?" Marie asked.
"I called you here to talk about your performance in that last race," the cloak figure said.
Lee threw up her hand. "How many times we've got to tell you, we're still in the standings!" Lee said.
"I'm not talking about winning or losing the race. I'm talking about the fact that you three girls let the CIA's member teammates help you get through the race."
Of course they let the Eds help them, they couldn't get through that crazy lady! If the girls were to keep going, fighting Glorious, then they most certainly would die.
"Did you not see the race? That crazy lady Glorious would have killed us if the Eds didn't help us."
"Yeah, we would have been toast if our..." May stopped mid-sentence. She remembered that Ed's probably got a new girlfriend, and decided to move on, but still... "...if Lee and Marie's boyfriends wouldn't save us!" she finished.
The two sisters noticed that May didn't say our boyfriends.
"Well, you could have saved yourselves somehow," the cloak figure informed them.
The sisters thought about it for a few moments. The cloaked figure had a point, they could have found out that the club was the now dead fat woman's weakness, and they could have done the same thing that the Ed's done.
"Well, I guess you got a point there," Lee said.
"Yes. From now on, I don't want you helping the CIA's member's team, no matter what. That will just give them an advantage of winning the competition, got it?"
"Yeah, we get it," Lee said. "By the way, when are you going to take that cloak off?"
"When the time comes." was the cloaked figure's respond. "That is all, you may go now."
The cloaked figure walked out of the meeting room and into another room on the left corner of the big meeting room. He opened a door and entered it.
"So, what do you think girls, kinda suspicious eh?" Lee asked her two sisters.
"Yeah, just why does he wear that cloak all day?" May said.
"If you tell me, their something fishy about that guy," Marie added.
"Yeah. Well, I've got somewhere to go, I'll see you later," May said as she began to leave the room.
"Your gonna go see Terrance huh?" Lee said before May could reach the door.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" May asked.
Marie and Lee looked at each other. They knew what they were thinking, should they tell her? Before they could make decision, they looked to where May was standing and she was gone.
"I guess she went to go see Terrance, the slob," Marie said.
"Yeah, I never really liked that guy," Lee said. Lee then turned to her sister. "Why are you out of the hospital so fast?"
"Oh, the doctors had to run some test on me. They were quick, and left me off early."
"How did you survive that explosion?
"Oh, that. I quickly bailed out of the car right before my car crashed into the driver." Marie explained.
"Oh," Lee simply said,
"Well, I'm going to go do some shopping."
"For a new car?" Lee asked.
"Heck no, I'll get that geek Carl to build me a new on."
"All right, let's go, I saw this dress that I absolutely know that Eddy will love!"
Lee and Marie left the building, leaving an empty meeting room, which will used more in future events by the people who wants the Paramount Emerald for their own selfish needs...
1901 Haven City Building...
When the three Eds entered the comfy room of 1901 Haven City Building, they were greeted by congratulations by the other drivers. Mac and the imaginary friends were saying how cool the Eds were in that race, Josh complimented them on their teamwork, Dee Dee giving Ed kisses and the two of them laughing, Johnny Bravo and Eddy joking together, and Edd joking with Dexter. It was like a celebration of the ending of World War 2.
"Seriously though, you guys were great!" Bloo exclaimed.
"Yeah well, it was nothing," Eddy said, scanning his nails like the race wasn't anything.
"Hey, did you guys know that that woman, Glorious, is still alive?" Freakazoid, the blue superhero said.
The three Eds looked at him with bewilderment. "She's still alive?" Eddy exclaimed.
"How can that be?" Edd asked.
"Well, apparently she bailed out of the car before her car exploded, but just barely. It was on TV, and her whole face was bandaged up, and she kept screaming about something about how "I'm the prettiest and strongest woman in the world!" She kept screaming like a mad man."
"Go figure the odds on that one!" Eddy said.
"Yeah, but she's unable to race, because she's gone cukoo for coko puffs. Speaking of coko puffs, I'll think I'll have some!" Freakazoid said as he zipped through the room with his blue lightning into the other room.
"Hey, save some for me!" Cosgrove said dully as he walked to where Freakazoid was going.
"I still can't believe that they have such incompetent people such as Glorious," Edd said.
"Well, as long as we won the race, it's all good right?" Eddy asked.
"Yes, you are right Eddy, but to believe that they are such people out their..."
"Well, we sure showed her when we beat her with out teamwork!" Eddy exclaimed.
"Yeah, you guys do make a great team," Wilt, who was a friend to Mac and Bloo, but who was not competing in the competition but just there just to look out for his friends, said. Eduardo and Coco were also looking after Mac and Bloo.
"Well, it is getting late," Edd said, looking at his watch. "I'm going to rest up, it has bee a long day for me."
Eddy and Ed let out a loud yawn. "Yeah, I'm going to hit the sack to," Eddy added.
"Sleepy time for Ed," Ed said.
Everyone else in the room agreed, and they all went off to there rooms, which was separated by a main hallway. Among the people was Johnny Bravo, the yellow haired, big muscle guy with black sunglasses and black shirt, with light blue pants. He went into his room, which was at the left corner near the comfy room, as everyone liked to call it. When he opened his door, he wasn't surprise to see Suzy sitting in his chair, writing something that Johnny thinks is her diary. When Johnny opened the door, Suzy immediately turned around and gave Johnny a smile, like she always does. This caused Johnny to let out an annoyed sigh. He didn't know why in the world does Suzie has to be with her, of all people.
After all, he sees Suzie every day, since she's her next door neighbor, and the fact that she bother's Johnny everyday. Of course, Johnny didn't knew that Suzie has a crush on him, that's why she volunteered, by Johnny's mother, Bunny Bravo, who was in the next room of Johnny and Suzie, to look over Johnny. But of course, Bunny was getting worried, as a mother does worry; so she caught a flight to Haven City, and met up with her only son.
"Hey Johnny, how was your challenge today?" Suzie asked, her smile rein forming. With a smile like Suzie's, anyone can tell that she was just another sweet, innocent girl.
"It was horrible, I lost the race, and now I could be dropping out of the standings," Johnny answered.
Suzie's smile disappeared, and her lips turned into sadness. "Really Johnny, that's horrible."
"Yeah, it is," Johnny said with little energy.
"Did you tell Josh?"
"No, I didn't tell Josh," Johnny said as-a-matter-of-fact.
"Why?" Suzie asked.
"Because I forgot," Johnny replied. But that was a lie. The real reason Johnny didn't tell Josh that he might be dropping out of the standings, was because he thought that Josh and the rest of the team would be disappointed in him. After all, the racing team weren't racing to win one million dollars and a trophy. They were racing to save the world, after all, and besides, Johnny thinks that, ever since he joined this team, he has really connected to everybody on it. He has begun to like everyone on this team, especially the Eds, those kids were a trip, and he really gets along with Eddy. He has laughed and...well, just really enjoyed himself while he was here.
Suzie looked at Johnny with curiosity. She knew that he was lying, after all, she's known Johnny for a long time. "Really, are you sure?" Suzie asked ridiculously.
Johnny started getting a little mad at Suzie for asking him to many questions. He didn't know why, he just did. Even though he's always mad at Suzie, this tie was different.
"Yes, I'm sure," was Johnny's response.
"But Johnny, you looked kinda sad when everybody was celebrating the Eds race," Suzie complemented.
"What are you talking about, I was having a good time with Eddy."
"Yeah, but outside of that, you looked like something was bothering you."
"Look Suzie, right now YOUR bothering me, so either keep your mouth shut or go to the other room with momma," Johnny said a little to roughly that surprised Suzie. It even surprised himself.
"There is something bothering you, is there?" Suzie asked. "I knew it, I saw it in your face..."
"Look Suzie, I don't wanna talk and I don't wanna be bothered by you, so scram!" Johnny said louder.
Suzie has been hollered by Johnny a lot of times, but not like this. Johnny's face turned red, and it looked like he was a bomb, ready to exploded in any minute.
"But Johnny-"
"Look, I told you I don't want to be bothered, and I don't wanna talk, so just leave!" Johnny said strictly.
"Johnny-"
"LEAVE!" Johnny shouted, a shout that probably made the whole racing team to be in attention of it.
For a while, the two were silent, like something in the room would come out and strike them at any moment. Suzie could feel the urge the cry, but she didn't know why, since Johnny hollered at her all the time. But somehow, she felt like this was different, as if something is really bothering Johnny from the inside. Suzie started walking silently to the opened door. She walked out into the hallway, but before Johnny could slam the door, she quickly spun around.
"Johnny, we've been best friends for a long time, you can talk to me about anything, you know?" Suzie asked, the tears inside her going down a bit, hoping that Johnny would let her back in.
But Johnny still refused. "I already told you Suzie, I don't wanna talk!" Johnny shouted again. The tears inside Suzie started to come back up again. "Your an annoying little girl, and I've never been your best friend, okay? I never liked you, and you know what, I never will," Johnny said, this time more calmly, in order for Suzie to go away, thinking that the words he said would pass through her if he was more calm.
He was right. The tears went up to Suzie's eyes now. Johnny turned away, ready to shut the door; for he didn't want to see Suzie's tears. Johnny was surprise to hear Suzie scream.
"Well fine, go ahead and be a jerk, I don't wanna talk to you anymore!" Suzie screamed.
Johnny slammed the door shut before Suzie could say anything else; he was already upset enough as it is. Johnny lay on his bed, putting his hands over the back of his head, and looked at the ceiling. Suzie wouldn't understand why Johnny was upset...it was for a reason...
The Next Day, Haven City, Gate Number Two...
Johnny was inside his car, just reaching Gate Number Two. His challenge was a DEATHRACE. (For rules about a DEATHRACE, see chapter three; for description on Johnny's car, see Chapter Two.) All Johnny had to do was to destroy these automated cars that moved automatically in front of him. When he destroys a car, he gets 10 points for every car, but he can increase it by doing a combo, which will give him five extra points. The total points he had to get was 150, and the time limit was minutes.
"Ladies and gentleman, it's time for another exciting and thrilling DEATHRACE!" the announcer said, which was Blitz, the same Blitz who brought Edd and Jack on a tour with the Paramount Emerald.
Johnny heard the people, cheering for the person who would come and give the fans entertainment. When Johnny drove out of the gate, however, the fans started to down the cheering a little. It was because, ever since Johnny started losing challenges for a while, people expected him to lose. Some people in the stands were probably happy when they didn't bet on Johnny, but Johnny didn't care.
If Johnny loses this race, then he'll be out of the whole competition; that was partially the reason why Johnny was upset yesterday. But now, he decided that he wanted to stay, because the people on the racing team were good kids. He decided to give his best on this challenge.
Right now Johnny sees that the racing track was different then the all the tracks that he was on. On the top, there was a bronze metal roof on the top, even though the track was outside. The ground was white, and that was all Johnny could see so far.
Johnny decided after this challenge, he was going to apologize to Suzie for screaming at her yesterday. After all, it wasn't Suzie's fault for what Johnny found out...
In the stands, people were not that anxious for the DEATHRACE challenge, due to the person competing in it was someone who lost a lot of challenges. Among those people, was Carl Shocker, Johnny's best friend; or at least, that's what Carl thought. But back in Aron City, is that Johnny doesn't care for him. As a matter of fact, Johnny would sometimes bully him mercilessly, just to laugh at him. The cloaked figure said so. Carl knew that Johnny would be competing in a DEATHRACE, so he decided to do what Katz did.(Remember in chapter 3?) He was going to control the automated cars and use them to attack Johnny. He knows that it's against the rules, but the cloaked figure didn't care. Today is Johnny's final challenge...
"All right driver, are you ready?" the announcer said.
Johnny gave the announcer, who was speaking through a glass on top of the stands, a thumbs up. The light in front of Johnny shined red, and he started to rev his engines.
All right Johnny, you gotta win this...
The light then shinned yellow...
If I'm gonna be with my friends, then I have to win...
And when the light shinned green, Johnny was off. As soon as Johnny crossed the starting line, automated cars started appearing in front of him. Johnny and the automated cars in front of him were driving in a track that was outside, with brown walls at two sides, and a bronze metal rooftop. When the automated cars appeared in front of him, he immediately started shooting them, destroying two already in the process, which gave Johnny 15 easy points so far. He then shot at another two, which totaled him up to 25 points now.
"So far so good for Johnny so far ladies and gentleman, maybe there's hope for Johnny yet," the announcer stated.
Johnny and the automated cars made a sharp turn, while Johnny continued to shoot at them with the machine gun of his car. He destroyed three more, which now totaled him up to 45 points. Hey, maybe I'll win this thing yet...
What Johnny didn't know, was that Carl was in the stands, watching him through binoculars. Carl snickered.
Sorry Johnny, but since you treated me so horrible, I'm going to have to get rid of you! Carl then pressed a button that was on a remote control, with an evil smile on his face...
Back on the track, Johnny just got through shooting and destroying another automated car. Johnny then sot at two more, which now averaged him to 65 points.
"Wow, Johnny is on the roll ladies and gentleman!" the announcer said.
The fans saw this through the big screen, where the action takes place. They started to cheer for Johnny now. Maybe there was hope for him yet. But then again, the fans didn't expect, didn't even think about, that the automated cars would go crazy, and Johnny's life might as well be taken away by these machine cars.
The brown scenery on the racing track, which Johnny was getting used to as he shot down more cars, was now disappearing. Now, after jumping a ramp, Johnny and the autmated cars were now outside of the brown walls, where Johnny and the automated cars had to make a hard turn to the left to avoid crashing into a wall. Some cars didn't make it, which caused explosions once they crashed. They didn't count on Johnny's point total though. Now, Johnny and the automated cars were now at more whitish scenery, with the dround white with pavement. On the left, there was a tall metal wall blocked anyway out of the challenge.
Before Johnny could shoot at more cars, he had to make another turn to the right to avoid the tall metal wall. Johnny then prepared to shoot, but before he could press anything, machine guns started popping up on the automated cars. They started shooting at Johnny, which the bullets rapidly pierced through Johnny's front window, barely missing his head.
"Whoa nelly!" Johnny hollered as he tried to avoid the shooting.
What made the situation even worse was that in front of Johnny and the automated cars, was ramp. The automated cars jumped it with ease, but Johnny, who was still dodging bullets, didn't have enough speed, but jumped the ramp anyway. He barely made it to the other side, just a few inches on the edge. The automated cars were way in front of him; and they were heading to a cave. Johnny accelerated his speed to catch up.
"It appears we're having more technical difficulties with the automated cars again!" the announcer stated.
When Johnny reached the cave, the automated cars started shooting at him again, all at the same time. Their were 10 in total, all shooting at Johnny. It was impossible to dodge all the bullets; Johnny was at his wits end, he didn't know how he was going to survive this. Johnny tried to shoot at the cars, but bullets kept flying past his head, making his ears ring. One of the bullets pierced through his shoulder, only grazing him.
The announcer, Blitz, was on the phone with a DEATHRACE staff employee. "What the heck is going on, I though that all the bugs were cleared out of the cars?" he hollered.
"Sir, we inspected them twice, and nothing was on them," the DEATHRACE staff at the other end of the line said. "The cars weren't even installed with machine guns."
"Well then I'll need the technicians to come and fix them, quick!" Blitz said.
"We'll be right there sir!"
At the stands, the crowd was wondering what was going on, while Carl Shocker was snickering. How does it feel Johnny, to be betrayed? That is exactly how I felt you jerk!
Back on the track, inside the white cave, the bullets of the automated cars completely destroyed Johnny's front window, which led him vulnerable to getting a bullet in his head. The cave was left behind, and beyond it Johnny and the rampaging cars were now at a big white area. In this area, the metal wall was now curvy, instead of going straight up. It looked more like an arena like this. On top of this curvy metal wall, a giant ball with spikes on it was visible.
Blitz noticed this. He quickly dialed a number on his phone. After a few rings, another person picked up from beyond the line.
"What is it Blitz?" the person said.
"Dave, I'm going to need you to cancel rolling that giant ball down," Blitz told him.
"Why, that would give the fans something to be excited for!" Dave replied to Blitz.
"But right now there's something wrong with the automated cars, their going berserk right now."
"Again?"
"Yes, some of the DEATHRACE staff is going to be here to dismantle them, so cancel the ball."
"Okay then." With these words, they hung up.
Back on the racing track, bullets were still flying like crazy at Johnny's car. Johnny's car was completely totaled, with the paint peeling off, even if it was new, and bullet holes everywhere that made his car looked like a moving golf ball with wheels. Johnny knew he had to find some way out of this, and fast.
I've got to find some way out of this, or else so long Johnny Bravo.
While dodging the bullets, he happened to look up at the curvy wall. He noticed that a giant ball with spikes was up there; and the automated cars were going to drive right under it.
Wait a minute, I'm getting one of those things again...ideas!
Johnny did come up with an idea to get rid of these rampaging automated cars. He pressed a button on his wheel, and replaced the machine gun with missiles. He then aimed the missiles at the large ball, all this while dodging the bullets from the automated cars ahead. Some of the bullets flying past his head, like a fly would.
Come one Johnny, come on Johnny, was what Johnny was thinking about, trying to aim the missiles on the ball before the automated cars would pass it. He then finally got a good aim on it. He quickly pressed the button on his wheel, and immediately the missile flew towards the ball, with an explosive impact. But Johnny wasn't aiming at the ball; he was aiming at the edge of the curvy wall, in order for the ball to roll down the wall and impact on the automated cars. It did just that.
"Bulls-eye!" Johnny exclaimed.
The force of the explosion of the wall made the giant ball with spikes roll down with a great speed towards the automated cars. The cars didn't have time to dodge it; and the ball immediately impacted on the automated cars, causing them to explode. Soon, all the automated cars were destroyed. Johnny passed the still rolling ball and hit the brakes. After all, with all of those automated cars he destroyed, that should be enough points to move on to the next challenge.
In the stands, Carl watched in shock as Johnny was still alive. He was also furious. Luckily he had a back up plan in case Johnny would survive. He walked to the racing track, with his idea in mind and with a smile on his face...
Author notes:Well, just what exactly is Carl planning? You'll have to find out in the next chapter! So then, I tried to change my writing style; I know it's sudden but I am trying to increase my writing style, after all. Not much to say, so R&R!