Author note: Hey, all! Here's the next chapter!

Let's play a little game, shall we?

First: what side effects(mentioned in the previous chapter) do you think will occur?

Second: guess which event(fanfic) that's being referenced!

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!


(Dee's POV)

I sat in the limo with the others, headphones on and music blasting to drown them out. Josh and Rey seemed to be in some sort of disagreement, while Jojo and Ellie were simply trying to keep them calm to prevent them from getting into a fight. I was humming along to a dubstep song when someone tapped my arm, causing me to stop.

"What?" I asked, taking off my headphones and putting them around my neck as I noticed everyone was staring at me.

"Were you even listening?" Rey asked.

"Nope! I was busy, thank you very much..." I answered, sticking my tongue out and putting my headphones back on.

I saw Rey roll his eyes as he turned and started talking to Josh again. My friends know that when it comes to my music, it's best to leave me alone.

...

A few hours later, I felt the limo stop moving and opened my eyes. I stratched my head in confusion because I didn't remember falling asleep, but then I shrugged it off as I got out with everyone else. I looked around and froze, a smile creeping on my face once I realized where we were.

"Oh...my...gods..." I began getting excited. I then started jumping up and down happily. "We're in my game! We're at Von Clutch's Motorworld in my Crash Tag Team Racing game!"

My friends simply shook their heads at my childishness, except for Jojo who was smiling wide because he was a fan of the Crash game series as well. We stepped onto a platform that took us to the meeting room. My heart nearly stopped and I felt as if I had the wind knocked out of me as we stepped off the platform and the other team turned their attention to us.

"Nevara Sane, I'm surprised you actually decided to show up...and with an actual team instead of clones of yourself like the last time we met." Dr. Cortex spoke as he walked closer. His expression turned from amused to annoyed as his eyes caught sight of me. "...really? Another one?"

I stuck up my middle finger, causing Nevara to stand in front of me.

"Yes, Neo, another one. But she's on MY team, not yours...right, Dee?" Nevara said, glancing back at me.

I huffed and crossed my arms with an offended look on my face.

Nevara continued standing in front of me as she began talking again. "Now, Neo...why don't you tell us exactly why we're all here? It seems your team is about as clueless as mine."

The shorter scientist simply nodded as all attention turned to him, he spoke to everyone but kept his eyes on Nevara. "I'll be challenging your team in the same style as an event we participated in a few years ago. There will be multiple challenges, the team with the most points at the end of the competition will be the winner..."

I rolled my eyes as he talked, putting on my headphones and playing music to drown out the boringness of the conversation. I glanced over at the other team, mostly watching the bandicoots. There were three of them, but I was the only one on my team so I was a bit upset. The good thing was in the room with three of my childhood heroes. Once the three of them noticed me lookig at them, I turned my back towards them, embarrassed that I had been staring the entire time.

I heard Dr Cortex's voice as the song I was listening stopped playing and the next one was about to start.

"...the first event is going to be a simple car race, so choose two team members to compete with you. Racing with me will be N Gin and Nina."

Nevara sighed and shook her head. "Of course...hmmm..." Nevara looked among the team before deciding "...I choose Josh and Ellie."

The three villains on the other team simply stared at Josh and Ellie for a moment before getting on a platform that was to take them down to the actual amusement park. Nevara, Josh, and Ellie joined them and the platform lowered, leaving the rest of us in the meeting room.

I took my headphones off and pulled Rey and Jojo aside to talk to them. "Ok, how is this supposed to work? We don't even have cars!"

Rey shrugged. "Maybe Nevara has something planned?"

Jojo nodded in agreement with Rey. "She seems like she knows what she's doing."

"Well, I don't trust her." I said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Coco's voice then echoed across the room. "You three coming to watch the race or not?"

I looked at my teammates, who simply shrugged, before sighing. "Yeah, we're coming..."

I put my headphones back on as the six of us got on the platform that had returned from its previous trip. We all stood in silence as we were taken down to the park.

I stepped off the platform before anyone else did, music blasting in my ears as I thought out loud. "Let the games begin..."