Author's note: So here it is! Racing action. :D Now, just a bit of info: I revamped chapter 7, so those of you who follow this thing might want to re-read it. Let me know how I handled the racing, seeing as how it's the first time I've tried it; for the record, I made it as exciting as I could. Haha. And if anyone can catch the random (possibly very obscure) movie reference in here, I'll be VERY impressed. ;D Happy reading! Oh, and thanks so much, Renji!! :D
She was not a religious person at all, but Jyil had prayed several times that morning. The Falcon had taken to its new carburetor well and the engine no longer rattled when she stepped on the gas, but there were still plenty of reasons to worry. Her eyes scanned the vehicle meticulously, wincing every time she caught the dull shine of duct tape along the rear fender. She'd actually mended most of the dents in the armor, but to fix the rest of the car's damages she would need more money- and her first race was days away.
All there was left to do was hope the damn thing didn't fall apart during the Freeze Rally that afternoon.
With a small sigh, she straightened up, brushing the hair from her eyes. Rapping her knuckles reassuringly on the hood, she reached for her racing helmet lying on the worktable, biting her lip in thought. She was nervous, there was no denying that; a sizable knot had formed in her stomach and her mouth had gone dry. Oddly enough, there was also an uncontrollable feeling of excitement that clashed with her anxiety. It was, after all, the first time she would be on the Kras City tracks as a legitimate racer.
Jyil pulled at the lapels of her black leather jacket and readied herself to leave the garage; she'd promised Oskar he'd get to see the Rally and wanted to meet him before Edje or Cutter found him first. She turned to step from the workspace, helmet in tow, but stopped short. A scowl quickly crossed her face, hiding her surprise.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed.
Bowie grinned at her, leaning forward from his position against the doorway and walked closer. He was much taller than her, but Jyil had never felt threatened by him; Bowie was an idiot in every sense of the word, but unfortunately he happened to be a talented racer- one of Rayn's best.
"She wanted me to give you a message," he said.
Jyil glared at him. "Save your breath; I don't want to hear it."
"No, I think you do," Bowie laughed.
It bothered her how he had walked right in without being noticed, though she realized he looked like any of the mechanics running around; she supposed he could have slipped in during the frenzy to prep the cars for the Rally. He walked closer and she took a few steps back, her fingers curling tightly around the helmet.
"I probably don't have to tell you, but she's not too happy with the way things are going," Bowie remarked in a somewhat mocking tone. "I mean…you were working with us for nearly two years."
"She tried to kill me!" Jyil snapped.
Bowie shrugged. "If it's any consolation, she really didn't like the idea. But I'm not here to talk about stupid things like that- I promised to deliver this message."
Jyil clenched her jaw and said nothing. She watched as her former teammate moved to sit on the front bumper of her car. Anger lashed at her senses and it was the first time she'd ever felt protective of the Falcon.
"Rayn had half a mind you would accept whatever offer Razer made. But she wasn't expecting you to take it so quickly." Bowie looked up at her and smiled. "I think she's crazy, but Krew seems to believe all this is some kind of clever ploy you worked out for yourself. That you're gonna be playing one against the other and none would be the wiser."
Jyil's heart thudded against her chest. Bowie rose back to a standing position and turned to face her, walking forward again. Jyil stepped back, bumping up against the work table.
"But she can't have that happening. You're still so naïve in so many ways, Jyil. You have no idea what it means to switch sides in this business."
Bowie grabbed her arm and she glared at him.
"Don't touch me."
She struggled, but his grip was tight. He ignored her, whispering harshly into her face.
"You're a traitor, Jyil. If you so much as breathe one word of information on any of us and she'll come after you. You'll wish you had never set foot inside this pathetic excuse for a garage."
Jyil managed to hide the fear that had suddenly tightened the knot in her stomach. Her voice did not betray her true feelings, however.
"I'm not afraid of any of you! You'll send another assassin, and so what? I killed the fucking robot!" She leaned forward threateningly. "And you will be next. I promise that."
Bowie laughed, and she cringed at his breath.
"I'd like to see you try."
His grip tightened around her arm menacingly. Before Jyil could bring herself to attack him, a sudden voice sounded.
"Alright, asshole. Get away from her."
Jyil looked over Bowie's shoulder and a pair of striking blue eyes met hers. One of the Umbrella Girls, whom she knew as Kat, was standing there, holding out a small pistol to Bowie's back. He noticed her and laughed; she clicked the safety off with her thumb and the smile was wiped from his face.
"Are you deaf? I said, get away from her. Now."
Bowie held up his hands in surrender and stepped away from Jyil as Kat dug the pistol into his back. She looked over at Jyil and winked. Her serious expression returned after Bowie attempted to move.
"Ah, ah! You're gonna turn around slowly and we're gonna walk out that door. Go."
Bowie reluctantly did as he was told, but not before he looked back at Jyil. She remained where she stood, still clenching the racing helmet in her hands.
"Remember what I said. Just one word-"
Kat drove her foot into the back of his knee and he cried out. In another situation Jyil would have laughed; it looked somewhat bizarre, a woman dressed in designer jeans and a tank top leading a burly man out of the room with a pistol. Bowie growled in pain as Kat prodded him with her handgun.
"Keep walking."
Jyil managed a smile, watching as the two of them strode away. Bowie looked over his shoulder at her and glared. She flipped him the bird in reply and held it until they turned a corner out of sight.
***
Oskar had hopped off the cable car once again, fresh off his last class of the week and relieved to have something to look forward to other than the weekend. With his backpack in tow, he hurriedly scurried up the street and ran for the racing garage. His aunt wasn't waiting for him in front of the building, so he pushed open the door and headed inside himself. The garage was ten times louder than it had been the week he'd visited her; too many people had crammed into the space and he couldn't move very far without being jostled back to the entrance. Frustrated, Oskar turned to head for the lounge Cutter had dragged him into the last time.
He could hear the televisions blaring the pre-race program as he padded on to carpet, at once feeling slightly embarrassed. Two of the Umbrella Girls were there, perched delicately on the leather chairs scattered around the room. They noticed him and flashed pearly white smiles. Oskar made a strange noise, the words he'd wanted to say catching in his throat. The girls stifled laughs and put their palms to their lips. Oskar felt his cheeks flush and avoided their pretty eyes, shuffling across the room to lean against the wall.
He could see that Razer was sitting at the bar, talking to the orange-haired racer, Shiv. His back was to the entrance, and Oskar realized no one had noticed him come in aside from the girls. With a slightly disappointed sigh, he slumped comfortably back against the wall and waited for Jyil. His thoughts were racing with excited visions of going to the tracks and seeing all of the vehicles in person, walking through Pit Row with his aunt…
A sudden shout caused him to look up sharply, along with everyone else. Someone was fighting in the hallway leading to the second part of the garage; Oskar felt his stomach lurch as he heard a scream. He leapt forward from the wall, watching with bated breath. Razer was on his feet, now; scared expressions had crossed the other girls' faces and they stood from their seats. A man suddenly came sprinting from the hallway. The girls shrieked.
"Stop him!!" screeched another woman's voice.
The Umbrella Girls kicked furniture in his path but he hurdled them with ease. Oskar watched, hopping slightly from foot to foot as he thought of a plan. He could only stand by and stare as the man dashed for the exit, stumbling slightly. He heard Razer shout something. Oskar jumped, startled at the fact the girls had screamed again; the man suddenly stopped short, panting heavily.
A knife shuddered side to side in the wall, just inches from his nose.
Shiv had already leapt into action, snatching up a fistful of the guy's hair and dragged him from the room, swearing and nearly choking him by his collar. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, though Oskar laughed a bit at the end. Razer wordlessly left the room to check on the girl in the hallway, who had appeared at the doorway holding her arm where the intruder had hurt her.
Oskar edged closer to the opposite wall, inspecting where the knife had thudded into it with extreme interest. Licking his lips, he took a glance over his shoulder, where Razer and the girl were still talking in the hallway. Oskar turned back to the wall and, standing on his tip toes, his fingers closed around the grip of the knife. With a small tug, the weapon came free and he inspected it carefully. The blade shined admirably even in the lights from the lounge and it wasn't as heavy as it looked; in fact, he thought it fit remarkably well with his hand.
"Oskar?"
He gave a small start and hurriedly stuffed the knife way in his jeans pocket, turning to face his aunt with a grin. She was dressed in her awesome racing clothes, including the black leather jacket and boots he thought were so cool. She looked relieved to see him.
"Hi," he greeted her. "I love this place- it's so exciting!"
Jyil pursed her lips and laid her hand on his shoulder, leading him back into the garage. She sighed.
"I was afraid you'd say that..."
*******
It was a fairly warm day, though the towering buildings blocked most of the sunlight streaming in from above. Jyil stood leaning against her Falcon, fiddling with the chinstrap of her racing helmet impatiently as she waited for Razer to arrive for their 'briefing session.' Oskar had taken his spot behind the barriers a safe distance from the track and he waved to her enthusiastically, a large grin stretching across his face. Jyil smiled and returned the gesture.
Shiv, Edje and Cutter had parked a fair distance away from her, talking amongst themselves and eyeing the stretch of road behind them suspiciously; they were waiting for Rayn's team to arrive. She could just hear their deep voices carrying through the strangely still air. It was nearly disturbing how the three of them were fighting over who would go after which rival team member that year…
Jyil reached for the goggles around her neck, annoyed to find them missing. She turned on her heel and leaned over the side of her racer in order to grab them from the seat. Just as she grasped the strap, she heard the scrape of boots. Before she could straighten up, she felt one of them slap her on the ass. Feeling pretty close to murderous, Jyil turned around to face a smiling Edje, her teeth bared.
"Good luck out there, rookie," he said, "You're gonna need it."
The other men laughed as he moved to step away. Jyil opened her mouth to practically scream something at him, but strangely it was Razer's voice that sounded.
"Alright everyone, let's get this over with, shall we?"
Jyil followed the others in gathering around him, shooting threatening looks at Edje. He seemed to find it incredibly amusing. Razer caught their attention once again.
"Most of you already know how this works, but for the sake of our new recruit, I'll explain." He ignored the eye rolls from the veteran drivers and went on. "Each of you will go separately around the track and attempt to get the best time out of two laps. The line up is as follows:" he paused to point to each member as he said their names. "Shiv, Cutter, Edje and Jyil."
She crossed her arms in defiance and snorted, avoiding his eyes. Cutter and Edje chuckled; Shiv shook his head.
"Krew's team will go before us, unfortunately," Razer continued, the disdain clear in his voice, "So you have awhile to sit and ponder you techniques. And I don't think I have to tell you that this is just as important as a circuit race- Pole Position is at stake here, and it always helps to have it, this year especially."
Razer spoke for a few more minutes, advising them to take the corners easily and make sure they kept the turbo engine flaring as long as they could. Jyil looked back at her Falcon and once again prayed it wouldn't fall apart.
"The time to beat is one minute and fifty-five seconds. Child's play, if you think about it."
Jyil had surprised herself at feeling so confident; she realized their combined times would be the deciding factor in which team would be granted Pole Position, and knew that even if the Falcon decided to act up on her, they'd still have an advantage.
Rayn's team arrived within ten minutes in a chorus of roaring engines and chirping tires. Jyil watched them with narrowed eyes, observing Bowie blabbing about something to the rest of them, climbing down somewhat clumsily from his lime green car.
"That's the same bastard I threw out of the garage this morning," Shiv remarked.
Jyil raised her eyebrows. "He has a habit of worming his way into other people's business; he's kind of like a roach you can't quite manage to smash under your shoe."
Shiv glanced over at her with a curious frown. It looked as though he wanted to say something, but a stark white luxury car flashed past them rapidly, catching his attention. Together they watched as it pulled to a stop near the group of rival driers. Jyil felt hatred burn in her chest as she watched Rayn Krew carefully slink from the back seat of the car. She smiled and thanked the driver as she shut the door, then turned to face her team, arms akimbo.
The car glittered past Jyil once more and she fixed it with a look of disgust. A large piece of cobble suddenly struck the back headlight, severely cracking it. The car continued onward, the driver apparently oblivious; Jyil looked up to see Oskar across the way, a smug smile stretching across his lips. His eyes met with hers and she couldn't help laughing.
The first driver took his position on the track within the next half-hour. Razer's team had huddled into the pit along the right side of the track whereas Rayn's took the other. She was pacing back and forth in front of her drivers, jabbering loudly to them, her heels clicking rapidly as she went.
Razer, however, maintained his usual air of calm. With his hands in his pockets, he stepped up to the barrier to watch as the first vehicle shot from the starting line to begin the Rally. The buzzer still echoed slightly through the air and a cloud of exhaust was slowly drifting above them as the car screeched around the corner. His gaze drifted over to the opposite side of the track, studying the different combat racers parked and waiting. Krew's drivers seemed to be calm and collected, though they looked considerably more arrogant than usual. Razer pursed his lips and watched the television screens briefly as the vehicle rocketed around the track, a digital timer rapidly spinning beside its image.
"They've got some pretty good cars."
The voice brought him from his concentration, though it irked him only slightly. Razer turned to look down to his left, finding Jyil's nephew standing beside him.
"Sadly, I would have to agree with you," he sighed.
Oskar shrugged as they turned to look back across the track.
"They've mostly got V8 engines, though, from the looks of it. I'm pretty sure your drivers have a greater fuel capacity to their cars, not to mention they're more aerodynamic." Oskar studied the lime green vehicle ahead and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "I think Rayn just likes to buy nice-looking things."
Razer had to laugh at that. "You have a point."
A car suddenly roared past them, sending pebbles of the track scattering across the concrete. Oskar grinned uncontrollably as he felt the wind rustle his clothes, smelling the sharp odor of fuel as the vehicle zoomed over the line again for lap two. Razer glanced up at the screen to note the racer's time, not pleased to see it was pretty good. The boy caught his attention once more as he folded his arms and leaned against the barrier, scratching his head. He turned to face him, though avoided his eyes, pretending to be interested in the piece of blacktop he was rolling under his shoe. Razer arched an eyebrow, finding himself moderately amused. Oskar looked about to say something, but the words failed him and he shut his mouth with a small clack.
"You seem to know what you're talking about," Razer began.
Oskar laughed sheepishly. "Ah, I only think I do…I've just read a lot and watched the races for years. Your cars were the only ones I ever really paid attention to, though…"
The ex-racer nodded thoughtfully, reaching for a cigarette.
"It's a good place to start," he said.
Oskar shrugged only one shoulder, distractedly pulling the key side to side along the chain around his neck. Razer focused his attention back on the large screens, lighting his cigarette. He cursed silently to himself; the first time was looking much too good indeed…
"My favorite one was always the old Firespray you used to drive."
Razer tore his eyes from the screen to look back down at Oskar, his attention caught at the mention of his oldest combat racer. He let out a thin trail of smoke and leaned against the barrier as Rayn's driver came screeching to a halt at the finish line. Oskar looked up at him expectantly, only briefly distracted. He smiled.
"Now that was one hell of a car!"
Razer took a drag from his cigarette, watching from the corner of his eye as the neon green vehicle now took its position on the starting line, engine revving. He was actually surprised that the boy knew of the Firespray, seeing as how it was a very old model and hadn't been built in Kras or Haven City. It was apparent Jyil's nephew knew more than Razer had believed. It was admirable, to say the least; he'd had the same passion for racing at that age. He flicked ashes from the cigarette, smirking as the boy's anxious eyes watched him.
"Yes, it was a very good vehicle," Razer agreed, "I do miss the way the Firespray could drive- even the Havoc doesn't have that kind of steering…and once you got out in the open- I swear you could go on forever. Those cars were unstoppable." He lifted his gaze back to the track just in time to catch the second race begin, realizing he was going off on a tangent. Sighing out a small cloud of smoke, he added,
"It's a shame I lost her, really."
Oskar's eyes widened. "You lost your Firespray?" he asked softly, gripping the railing for support, "What…what happened?"
Razer winced slightly, but quickly covered it up with a shake of his head.
"It is quite a long story, I'm afraid. And we don't know each other that well, do we?"
He grinned. The teen stammered for words, no doubt feeling awkward once again.
"Right…uhm. Sorry…"
Razer waved his hand dismissively. Oskar visibly relaxed, his shoulders slouching. They stood watching the track for a moment before the scrape of boots caught their attention. Jyil came into view behind them, her arms crossed. She forced a smile and wiggled her fingers.
"Oskar, can you come over here, please?"
He hesitated, but only for a moment. "Yeah, sure…"
Razer watched as the boy trotted away to meet up with her, puffing on his cigarette. Jyil looked back at him over her shoulder and slung her arm protectively around her nephew, heading back to the Falcon. Razer smirked and turned back to watch the race.
Rayn's team finished within the hour. Their combined times led to an overall average of one minute and fifty seconds. Razer's team would have to drive much faster to acquire a total that would grant them Pole Position- something Razer was not willing to lose.
Shiv was the first to of course; Jyil watched as he readied himself for the first lap, the powerful engines of his car growling threateningly as he pushed repeatedly on the gas. After the familiar buzz at the starting line, he was gone in a flourish of squealing tires and exhaust. Jyil waited until he had vanished around the corner before turning to fix her attention on Oskar, who was now standing beside her, leaning against the Falcon. She'd given him her racing helmet in order to keep him from fidgeting; Oskar had a habit of getting into trouble when he was excited. He was watching the display screens intently, flicking the chin strap back and forth as he did so.
"Shiv's pretty damn fast," he observed with obvious admiration.
Jyil pursed her lips at his curse, but nodded.
"Yes he is. But it's going to be hard to beat Rayn's time."
"No it won't. Where's your confidence, Aunt Jyil?"
She fixed him with a warning look and Oskar flinched slightly, realizing he'd spoken a little too much like he did at school.
"I'd like to see you talking that way in my position. You forget I'm driving the world's crappiest car," Jyil reminded him, jerking her thumb at the Falcon.
Oskar made a face, as if he disagreed, but said nothing more. Ahead of them, Shiv's vehicle screamed across the line for the final lap. Jyil could see Razer still watching pensively from the edge of pit row, smoking his second cigarette. Oskar's voice caught her attention agin.
"You'll be alright. C'mon, Aunt Jyil. This car was the same kind class Nathan Blitz used to drive. And he couldn't have won all those races without it. Something must be good about the Falcons for him to have used one!"
Jyil sighed, but smiled. "Alright. I'll stop wallowing in self pity…"
Shiv's overall time was found to be one minute and forty-eight seconds, a promising start. He hopped out of his car looking smug and triumphant. Jyil smirked as he took his place back behind the barrier, barking a laugh as Razer spoke to him, grinning. Edje and Cutter further congratulated their teammate with fist bumps and a few hearty slaps on the back. Cutter was next up, vaulting clear over the barrier to jog up to his waiting racer.
The next round went almost as quickly as Shiv's had, though Cutter was considerably more impatient than the previous racer; he took every corner hard and the tires would chirp impossibly loud. Unfortunately, the masked racer's desire to win had taken over his sense of precaution; on his second lap around the track, the car clipped a few of the corners, sending him into a spiral. Luckily, Cutter managed to expertly pull out of the skid, but his overall time suffered. The digital display on the screen beside his name read a bold two minutes. Jyil winced after hearing Razer swearing from the sidelines as Cutter trudged past him, looking furious with himself. Oskar giggled slightly.
"Jeez, I've never heard him swear."
Jyil shook her head. "Edje is really going to have to make up for that…"
As he lumbered his way up to the starting line, she finally became aware that she would be going on the track next. The pit crew members were already coming toward her to prep the Falcon. Oskar quickly moved to get out of their way as they checked the fuel amount and made last-minute adjustments. He noticed his aunt's sudden nervousness and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.
A few minutes later, they discovered Edje's time was much more acceptable than Cutter's, at one minute and fifty-three seconds, but there was a good chance Rayn would still be able to keep the lead in spite of his efforts. Jyil felt as if something had been dropped on her shoulders as Edje came back to pit row, receiving congratulatory slaps on the back. She turned to face Oskar, who had already taken her helmet from his head and held it toward her with a small smile.
"Leave 'em in the dust," he said.
Jyil plopped the tea-kettle shaped helmet on her head, fastening the straps tightly along her jaw. She tousled Oskar's hair, blowing out a breath.
"Here goes nothing…"
As she walked through pit row and side-stepped the barriers, she could feel the intense gaze of both Razer's team and Rayn's following her. Cutter and Edje barked out a remark in her direction, but she couldn't hear it; Jyil focused only on the Falcon, waiting for her ahead, the armor shining dully in the sun. Her former teammates were already whispering amongst themselves. Jyil kept her eyes on the Falcon, desperate not to meet their gaze. She could hear them laughing to themselves at the sight of her vehicle, no doubt fully confident they were going to win the rally.
Jyil calmly crawled up the side panels of the Falcon and fell into the driver's seat, pulling the harness over her shoulders and clicking it securely into place. She twisted the keys in the ignition and the car roared to life. Her heart automatically reached a furious pound and she could feel adrenaline beginning to course its way through her veins. Pulling down her goggles, Jyil wrapped her fingers around the steering wheel and waited, revving the engine a few times. She could see the flashing buzzer out of the corner of her eye and tightened her grip as it beeped, counting down.
Once she heard the loud clanging ring, her foot was on the floor. The Falcon gave a great lurch forward and the tires screamed as the vehicle shot up the stretch of track. Jyil quickly shifted as she screeched around the first corner, her foot still glued to the gas pedal. The wind had caught her hair, whipping it out wildly behind her as she drove; her eyes were squinted ahead in determination. The Falcon complied to her every move which surprised her, considering all the problems she'd had with it. She yanked back on the shift stick once again as the street leveled out into a straightaway. The vehicle was shuddering a bit more than what she was used to; the Javelin had excellent shock absorbers and to sit in the Falcon as it was certainly differed from her previous car. Her teeth chattered slightly as she pulled the wheel hard to swerve around one of the treacherous loops of the Kras City track. The tires screeched yet again and she could smell the acrid odor of burning rubber. Her heart was roaring impossibly loud in her ears, louder than the din of the engine and the rumbling of the tires over the tarmac. She couldn't help smiling.
Jyil was hardly aware of the fact the second lap had begun after she'd come streaking around the corner in a blur of gold. She just had time to catch a glimpse of a very excited Oskar jumping around at the barriers beside Razer before she had turned the corner again. Her heart throbbed even faster against her ribs at the realization she was about to become the deciding factor in which team would win the rally. Jyil pressed her boot further down on the gas pedal, yanking back the turbo gear. The Falcon lurched forward as the engine erupted to life in the back with a quick burst of blue flame. Jyil had to laugh at her surprise; she had been almost scared at how much speed she'd picked up. The wind bit at her skin and her hair snapped audibly behind her. She sucked in a breath and pulled the car into another hairpin turn, just missing the corner of the nearest building. The tires dug in and held, leaving behind thick slicks of rubber on the concrete as they went.
As Jyil wrestled the Falcon into the straightaway, she realized the finish line would be coming up soon. Her fingers wrapped so tightly around the steering wheel her knuckles were white. She shifted to the highest gear and yanked back the turbo gear to fully release all of the blue eco reserve, bracing herself for the lurch forward.
To her horror, the Falcon stalled.
Cursing loudly, Jyil fought to keep the vehicle steady. She gnashed her teeth and pulled back the rounded lever as hard as she could.
"Come on you stupid son of a bitch! COME ON!!"
The Falcon abruptly gave a violent tremor and a burst of flame appeared out the back of the turbo engine, a plume of brilliant scarlet and faint sapphire that lit up the track behind. Jyil couldn't stop from screaming as the Falcon lurched forward tremendously, throwing her so hard back into the seat her head spun. Her eyes were almost squeezed shut from the sudden change in force.
The next thing she knew, the buzzer clanged loudly in her ears once again and she slammed the breaks, the last of the giant flame sparking at the back of the turbo engine. Jyil was thrown forward, crying out slightly as the harness dug into her shoulders. Panting, she tore at the helmet and goggles surrounding her head and slumped back into the seat, exhausted. She could hear a distant voice shouting something.
"One forty-three!! She beat your record! She beat your record!!"
Oskar came flying into view as a blur of colors. He grabbed for her arms, practically hauling her out of the car himself. His eyes were impossibly wide in excitement; Jyil struggled to free herself from the Falcon's harness, rubbing a spot on the back of her neck.
"What happened?" she asked, "What's the time?"
"One minute and forty three seconds!!" Oskar howled, his voice cracking, "You beat Razer's record, Aunt Jyil! His set time for this track was one forty-five!!"
"What?!"
Oskar tackled her in a hug before she could ask any more. She fell into giggles at any rate, bouncing up and down a few times. Looking behind her, she could see the members of both teams, standing immobile on either side of the track. Jyil grinned at the scowls crossing the faces of her ex-teammates, including her ex-boss, who was looking both embarrassed and infuriated.
The faces of her new teammates, however, caused her to burst into laughter, hugging her ecstatic nephew tighter in her arms. Each one of them stood staring at her with their mouths slightly agape, expressions blank in disbelief. Only Razer appeared to have composed himself in time. His thin lips stretched into a smile and he dipped his head in the slightest gesture of appreciation.
Pole Position now belonged to his team.