Titans: Elemental

Chapter 18: Car Trouble

We see a litter of auto parts and tools on a garage floor. The sound of mechanical work is heard. First, a bit of spot welding is carried out. Sheet metal is cut to make a body panel, after which a shock absorber is set in place and a hubcap is bolted on. Next, a taillight is installed, we see Vic's hand holding the part; he is the one putting this vehicle together. An engine is lowered on an overhead crane.

Vic reaches into view and torques a couple of bolts. He closed the open hood before smiling and removing a rag from his shoulder to wipe his forehead.

Vic climbs into the driver's seat and presses a button on the dashboard. No response. He hunches down over the steering wheel and starts grumbling to himself.

But then, he thinks of something.

He snaps his fingers and opens a panel on his chest. A circuit board pops out; he removes this and slips it into a slot on the dash.

Rubbing his hands gleefully, he tries the starter button again. This time, the engine sputters as he grimaces nervously, and then it roars in full voice and brings an enormous smile to his face.

….

Later, we see him standing by the vehicle, which is now covered with a tarp. The other Titans are gathered nearby. Even Sarah is there to see what Vic wants to show them.

Vic said, "drum roll, please!"

BB turns into a lemur and starts thumping his belly to fill the request.

Vic said, "ladies and gentlemen, and whatever Beast Boy is…."

BB returned to his human form and growled, "hey, Victor. You want a drum roll or not?"

Sarah snickers at the joke as BB transforms back and starts up again.

Vic said, "sorry. It is my great pleasure to present, for the first time anywhere, the thing you've all been waiting for, my coolest, hottest, baddest creation-"

Raven said, "just get on with it."

Jack said, "be patient sweety."

Vic said, "I give you the future of Titans transportation, the one, the only…."

He whips the tarp away, backing up as he does so. The car he built stands fully exposed for the first time: white body with blue trim along the sides and front bumper that resembles the circuitry seen through the transparent coverings on Vic's body.

Vic announced, "…. T-CAR!"

Dick stares wide-eyed in admiration. The other onlookers peek out from behind him; Raven is considerably less enthused than the rest.

As is Jack, who never really showed much excitement over cars.

Something he was ridiculed for numerous times growing up. Sarah claps at the sight.

BB said, "dude!"

Blackfire said, "ooh, me likey."

Dick said, "cool!"

Sarah giggled, "sweet!"

Starfire said, "oooooh!"

Rose said, "neat."

Vic said, "yep, she's my baby. One-hundred-thousand-horsepower, plasma-turbine engine…. All-terrain hover jets…. Anti Lock air brakes…. Built so there's three rows of seats in a compact size, enough room for all of us…. And an onboard computer that links with my systems, so I can literally feel the road."

A small panel pops up in front of the array of processors to show his hugely grinning face. The others are still very much impressed, but Raven looks unimpressed.

Jack shrugs and says, "eh, pretty cool. I'll admit."

BB said, "whoa!"

Blackfire said, "totally awesome."

Dick whistles as Starfire says, "amazing!"

Rose said, "wicked cool."

Sarah said, "this is the coolest thing ever!"

The window rolls down to give a good view of the interior and the sound system control panel, which promptly comes to life.

Vic said, "and of course, leather seats, power windows, and a booming stereo are all standard."

A heavy beat starts up. BB, Blackfire, Rose, Sarah, Dick, and Starfire are all momentarily dazed and disheveled from the sonic onslaught.

BB said, "sweet!"

Rose said, "double sweet."

Dick said, "nice!"

Blackfire said, "double nice."

Starfire said, "it sings!"

Sarah said, "heck yeah it does!"

Raven stands. She is still absolutely unaffected by the demonstration in any way.

She then asked, "can we go now?"

Jack snickered and said, "c'mon babe, be nice."

Raven rolled her eyes as Vic said, "you bet, Raven. I'll take you anyplace you want to go."

BB said, "the beach!"

Rose said, "the book store!"

Blackfire said, "the mall!"

Dick said, "the movies!"

Sarah said, "the park!"

Jack said, "that pizza place we all love!"

Starfire said, "the swamp moons of Drenthax IV!"

Rose and the boys are so floored by this that they keel over; she blushes in embarrassment while Blackfire face-palms.

Starfire said, "he said anyplace."

Jack clarified, "I think he meant any place on EARTH, Star."

Starfire said, "oh."

As they get up and Dick rubs his head, his communicator sounds off.

He checks it and says, "trouble!"

The engine revs up; Vic is already at the wheel.

Vic said enthusiastically, "I'll drive!"

….

We see the T-Car rolling on a winding mountain road. It is nighttime, and the Tower is visible in the distance. Inside, Raven peeks out from behind Vic's seat; Dick is next to her on one side, while Jack is on the other. BB, Rose and Blackfire are in the third row.

Raven asked, "are we there yet?"

Vic grinds his teeth a bit.

Vic yelled, "NO!"

Starfire's hands zip here and there, pressing every button within reach, as her giddy laughter is heard. She is riding shotgun and completely freaking him out with her goofing off. Sarah sits in-between Vic and Starfire.

Starfire said, "so many fascinating buttons…. Your baby is most entertaining…. Ooooh!"

Vic groaned, "Stop…. Don't…. Careful with…. Not the ejector seat…. Would you cut it…."

Sarah has to hold in her laughter at the whole thing.

The windshield wipers start up; Starfire gasps and laughs, "look! They are dancing!"

Vic is so stunned, he cannot speak for a moment. He looks in the rear view mirror and yells, "Yo!"

The window is down, and BB, as a St. Bernard, is leaning out to savor the wind. Drool splatters everywhere from his lolling tongue.

Vic said, "I know you're not drooling on my paint job."

The green canine reverts to human form and laughs sheepishly.

Saliva still dribbles down his cheek as he says, "my bad."

Rose is a little carsick, so Blackfire rubs her back and holds a bag open for her, in case she lost her lunch.

Blackfire said, "I told you not to use your phone while in here. That's a really easy way to get carsick."

Rose nods sickly. Up front, Starfire's eyes are still glued to those wipers. Vic shuts them off, deflating her mood considerably, and he smiles and lets off a relieved sigh at having gotten everything back under control.

Vic said, "all right, y'all, hang on. Time to kick my baby into high gear and see what she can-"

Dick said, "there! Stop the car!"

Vic said, "oh, man…."

….

We see a place named; Cook's Electronics. Lights blaze and pulse through the open front entrance as several screaming people run for cover. The T-Car skids across the parking lot and comes to a very neat stop at the curb. First out is BB, who stumbles dizzily to the pavement, then Dick, who has himself a bit more under control.

Dick exclaimed, "Titans! Go!"

All but Vic charge toward the store. Vic fits a locking device into place to immobilize it. Now he is out and wiping the windshield lovingly; the T-Car has been moved to a proper parking space.

Vic exclaimed, "coming!"

Two teenage boys sidle up, one short, one tall and wearing sunglasses, with a toothpick in his mouth.

Sammy said, "dude! That is phat!"

Cash said, "sweet ride. She yours?"

Vic said, "built her with my own two hands, using the finest parts and cutting-edge techn-"

He trails off into a surprised yell as Raven reaches into view and seizes him by the ear to drag him into Cook's.

Raven groaned, "boys."

Jack walks with them and says, "no control when it comes to that stuff."

Vic said, "whoa! Almost forgot to switch on the alarm."

He pulls out a keychain remote and hits a button; the headlights flash and a siren blips briefly to show that the alarm is now active. Cash and Sammy back up a step, but continue to gaze upon the car. After a second or two, they trade a knowing look.

Sarah decides to wait outside, not wanting any of the Titans to worry about her safety.

….

Inside the store. High-voltage arcs play among shelves of stereo speakers, which crumble into dust that is quickly sucked down.

Televisions and VCRs receive the same treatment. The ceiling is awash in an electric current. Standing there is a large figure composed entirely of electricity save for a small dark patch at its center; the arms are outstretched, forming the source of the arcs.

This is Overload!

Overload yelled, "mine! All mine!"

We see that the dark patch is a circuit board whose pathways form a grinning one-eyed face.

Dick said, "if you're going to take all that stuff…. You'd better be ready to pay for it."

Overload growled, "foolish biologicals. Overload will destroy!"

Rose said, "and does foolish Overload always speak in third person?"

Overload clarified, "Overload speaks exclusively in third person."

He pounds the floor, sending a few thousand amperes straight at the team; they scatter to avoid the shock. Dick leaps high and has his fighting staff out and extended in a trice, and he twirls to block the shot and then flings a handful of discs. Overload deflects these easily and blasts Dick across the store; he passes Raven as he tumbles. She levitates several pieces of hardware.

Raven chanted, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The items rocket toward Overload and disappear into his body; instead of being hurt, though, he merely grows several feet and roars heartily. She retreats to where BB is crouched atop a display case.

BB said, "smooth."

Turning into a rabbit, BB hops down and Raven bugs out just before the case is blown apart. Now Starfire and Blackfire get into the game with a passover the walking spark plug's head and a string of star bolts without effect. His counterstrike sends them careening out of control to crash into the wall, not too far from Vic.

Vic said, "yo, Radiohead! Listen to this!"

He backs up again, framing his right arm in sonic cannon mode, and lets off a huge beam and a mighty yell at the same time. This attack also does no visible damage. Overload pours himself into a handy stereo speaker, which grows large enough to reach the ceiling and puts out a thundering wall of sound. A second yell, this one of pain, comes from Vic as he is hurled the length of the showroom, slamming into a column and tumbling to the floor. Overload approached Vic, but then, Rose started hurling objects at them. They do nothing as he effortlessly sends her into the wall.

Overload grabs Vic and exclaims, "mine!"

The supercharged evildoer holds the struggling Vic aloft.

Vic said, "I'll bet you're not waterproof!"

He throws a devastating right jab that makes Overload drop him and skid across the floor toward a water cooler some distance away. The bottle flies overhead, and a fair amount of the contents splashes down on the electric figure; his face strains in discomfort as he gulps the water down.

Dick said, "good idea. Titans! Soak him!"

It's time for Jack to shine! He exerts his powers over a water fountain and causes it to rip from the wall, and the broken pipes start gushing as the water goes crazy! Raven helps him by using her powers. The cooler bottle is in the hands of BB; he chugs every drop, becomes an elephant, and uses his trunk as a fire hose. Next, Starfire and Blackfire put a few shots on the ceiling-mounted sprinklers, knocking them all off to create one shower after another. Dick, meanwhile, has the actual fire hose in hand with the nozzle full open. The combined effect of the assaults shrinks Overload and drives him groaning to the floor. Smiling triumphantly, the Titans stand over him.

….

A few moments later, out come the heroes.

Overload has been rolled in a thick blanket to protect them from his charge. Starfire and Jack are carrying the criminal, while BB has

frozen in his tracks and is staring dumbstruck at something. The others head out.

Vic said, "soon as we hand Sparky over to the cops….", he stops and elbows BB, "… How 'bout we swing by the drive-thru?"

BB said, "uh…. Dude?"

Vic looks ahead and lets off a huge, shocked gasp.

The T-Car is nowhere in sight! Vic runs across the blacktop in a panic.

Vic said, "my wheel lock! My car alarm! My baby! Somebody stole my baby!"

Sarah runs over and yells, "I tried to stop them, but they were too strong!"

Jack asked, "who?"

….

The baby in question is seen speeding through the streets, with Cash and Sammy hanging out the front windows and whooping it up. The former is driving the now-hot car in this joyride.

Cash yelled, "yeah!"

Sammy yelled, "make it go faster! Make it go faster!"

More shouting and laughter is heard as the car speeds up and disappears over the hill.

….

Vic is still in Cook's parking lot, with tears streaming down his face.

Vic yelled, "noooo!"

Sarah is patting his back. The broken wheel lock and ripped-out car alarm are in his hands, and Starfire, Sarah and Dick stand behind him. Starfire has set Overload down.

Vic groaned, "no, no, no, no, no…."

He hangs his head sadly as Starfire steps up and places a hand on his back to console him.

She said, "I understand your pain, Victor. When I was small, my favorite zarnik was eaten by a rampaging gloorg. Believe me, after your zarnik has been inside a gloorg, you do not want it back."

Vic said, "my car wasn't eaten. It was stolen!"

BB said, "hey, look on the bright side. At least it wasn't my fault."

Dick said, "not helping."

BB laughs nervously.

Dick addresses Vic, "we'll help you find your car, I promise. But right now, we've gotta take Overload to jail."

The soggy villain grumbles wearily inside his blanket.

Vic said, "no! We gotta go now! Every second we wait is a second, she could get scratched or dinged or-"

Raven said, "calm down. It's just a car."

Blackfire said, "oh-"

Rose said, "-no-"

Jack said, "-she didn't."

Vic's over-shoulder glare shows just what he thinks of this remark.

He turns around in anger as he growls, "she's not just a car, she's my car. And I'm gonna find her, whether you guys help me or not!"

….

Later, at a drive-in restaurant at the height of the evening rush. All the stalls are filled with customers chowing down. As a waitress fits a tray onto one driver's door, Vic marches resolutely up and gets funny stares from both of them. He advances along the walk in front of the place as everybody stops whatever they are doing to stare.

Sarah and Jack are following, wanting to help their friend. At the end of the path is a fellow who, seen from the back, looks very much like Cash. After a few seconds, it is revealed that he is not the car thief.

The guy said, "it had a tailpipe this big!"

Vic comes up behind him; the other youth gets spooked and runs off.

Vic hauls the boy up by his jacket lapels and says, "I'm looking for my car. Tricked-out hardtop with a growl that'll make your teeth shake. Ring any bells?"

Jack said, "I'd answer him if I were you."

Sarah begged, "please do!"

The subject of this up-close interrogation sweats profusely.

The guy said, "um, yeah, yeah, um- Sammy and Cash cruised by in a car like that. Looks really cool with those flames painted on it."

Vic yelled, "they painted my baby?! Where are they?"

The guy said, "well, they were looking to race, so they headed to…. Crash Alley."

Vic pushes him to the ground and gives a long, stunned look.

Sarah said, "we better hurry there."

….

We see a billboard for the Crash Alley Raceway. The distinctive sound of racing engines is heard. At the starting line, the T-Car pulls up in front of the packed grandstands. True to the boy's description, orange flames have been painted across the hood and front bumper, spilling back along the sides. Next to it, a tiny vehicle rolls up; it almost looks like a circus clown car, but with a normal paint job. An antenna sprouts from the rear end, marking it as an oversized radio-control car. Sammy rolls down his window so he and Cash can get a good look.

Sammy said, "hey, Cash! Check out the cute little windup toy!"

Cash said, "get out the butter and jam, Sammy, 'cause this dude is toast."

Both engines rev up. The starting lights drop from red through yellow and finally to green, and they are off the line in a wailing screech of smoking rubber. The T-Car and the midget racer edge back and forth a few times before Cash and Sammy nudge the competition aside and speed ahead. They repeat the performance when it starts to pull even again, but the tiny auto drives up onto the banked outer wall of the track and zooms on. When it comes back down, it has taken the lead. The fans cheer wildly. Now Cash and Sammy find themselves stuck behind the swerving micro-car and unable to get out in front.

Sammy said, "dude, we're getting smoked!"

Cash floors the accelerator and gets them ahead.

Cash said, "then we'll smoke him right back."

He presses a button labeled, "smoke", causing thick clouds of it to pour from the rear into the path of the other car. They soon part to reveal the vehicle charging on; with a small vacuum nozzle deployed under the front bumper, sucking up the fumes. Those tiny headlights begin to grow in Cash's side view mirror; now he goes for the, "Oil Slick", control, and pipes pop out from the rear bumper and spew copious amounts of motor oil. The little car's axles extend to either side, putting the tires beyond the edges of the slick, and the body rises a few feet on the slender rods to avoid the hazard. It rolls neatly past, and over, the T-Car before reverting to its original configuration.

Again the fans cheer. Cash is still bent over the wheel. Sammy fixes a bemused stare straight ahead for a second or two before looking at the dash.

Sammy said, "hey, what's this one do?"

He presses a button and gets his answer after a short delay. The T-Car accelerates dramatically and tears ahead. It goes crazily up the wall and comes down in front before crossing the finish line to take the checkered flag. With the race over, Cash and Sammy do a sharp U-turn and come to a stop, then leap out.

Sammy said, "dude! That was the bomb!"

The other car stops in front of them.

Cash said, "the fastest car in town, and she's totally ours."

"Not anymore, pit-sniffers!"

There is a brilliant flash; when it clears, the two juvenile delinquents are caught within a spherical force field projected by the little car's headlights. Slowly but surely, they are lifted into the air; the surprise leaves them unable to get a coherent word out for a moment.

Sammy said, "hey!"

Cash said, "huh? Hey, dude, what's going on here, huh?"

The lights shut off, and the entire mini-auto rises into the air to expose Gizmo himself on all fours. It folds itself away into the central equipment pack on his back; he stands up.

Gizmo said, "check out Gizmo's bonzer new wheels", he crosses to the T-Car, "thanks, hogs. I've been needing a faster getaway car."

Sammy said, "wait! You can't take it, it's not ours!"

Cash said, "yeah, we were just kind of borrowing it from the Titans."

Gizmo laughs from the drivers seat, "even better."

He turns on a viewscreen, which shows the imprisoned pair and a set of crosshairs. Next to this are four buttons, "ignition", "oil slick", "proton cannon", and, "smoke."

Gizmo said, "so long, snot-munchers!"

Cash asked, "snot munchers?"

Sammy asked, "who writes your insults?"

Gizmo yelled, "shaddup!"

He brings the T-Car around sharply and is off with a mighty roar of the engine.

Cash and Sammy can only watch helplessly from within the force field.

Cash said, "this is all your fault."

They are yanked out, with Vic holding them. Jack is holding a fireball, while Sarah looks royally ticked off.

Cash and Sammy said, "hey!"

Cash said, "what's going on, buddy?"

Vic growled, "I want my car."

Sammy said, "yeah, see, um, the thing is, we sort of lost it in a race…."

Vic yelled, "you lost my car?! My car lost a race?!"

Cash said, "no way! We beat him easy. She handled it like a dream."

Vic said, "she did? How'd she take the curves? 'Cause, you know, I've been working on the suspension for a-d-d-d-d-d-d…. Don't try to distract me. Who has her now?"

A big drop of sweat pops out on Cash's temple as Sammy said, "dude named Gizmo. Said something about a getaway car and headed downtown."

"They're right!"

They turn to see Jinx standing there! She was in a more casual outfit; a dark purple, almost black, leather jacket with Super-Bad written on the back and purple lensed sunglasses, sipping on a big gulp.

Jack asked, "Jinx? What are you doing here?"

Jinx said after taking a sip, "I was keeping track of what Gizmo was up to after I had just gotten some buffalo wings at Super-Babes. Say what you will about that place, the food is pretty good. Just thought I'd let you know where they're headed."

Sarah said, "we appreciate it Miss Jinx."

Jinx said, "just Jinx is fine. I'll see you all later."

They nodded as Jinx walked off. Cash and Sammy are both unceremoniously stuffed back into the force field. Vic heads off with Jack and Sarah to continue tracking down his beloved T-Car.

Cash said, "hey!"

Sammy said, "you can't just leave us like this!"

Vic said, "you're right. I'll make sure the cops come pick you up."

Jack said, "but maybe after we get dinner or something. Now I'm in the mood for some chicken wings…."

The thugs trade a very scared look and start crying.

….

Later at the bank, whose drive-up window is occupied by the idling stolen vehicle. Inside, the sunroof is open and a hose leading from the building is blowing cash into the back seats. Gizmo is at the wheel, waist-mounted control unit in hand to work the car's systems. He has also added fuzzy dice to the rear view mirror.

Gizmo said, "this is too easy. Wonder if there's a drive-thru jewelry store around here?"

Vic drops onto the hood. The boiling mad visage startles a yell out of Gizmo.

Vic yelled, "get your tiny butt outta my car!"

Sarah and Jack are watching from a nearby building.

Sarah said, "and, here we go."

With another panicked cry, the owner of that tiny butt starts punching buttons furiously. The T-Car peels out backward.

Vic yelled, "whoa!"

Reaching the street, Gizmo puts it in drive and lays rubber.

Vic groaned, "fuzzy dice? Aw, now that's just tacky. Woah!"

A sharp turn into a car wash is coupled with Gizmo's laughter echoing from inside as the T-Car passes through the whirling brushes and jets of water. Vic yells in fright.

Vic yelled, "no! Keep those nasty plastic brushes off my baby! She's hand-wash only!"

By this time, they have passed the scrubbing area. Suds pour down over a thoroughly peeved amateur mechanic; when they are rinsed off, he has bared all his teeth in a snarl accentuated by the hot air pouring from the drying nozzles to peel his lips back. Ever so slowly, the ride emerges from the car wash, sparkling clean, as is Vic, glaring through the windshield at Gizmo, who has stuck his tongue out. The flame paint job applied by Cash and Sammy has been scrubbed away. They barrel off past a "construction zone ahead" sign.

Vic yells time and again as Gizmo swerves through a string of cones and the tires bounce on the broken road surface. The Titan is doing his best to hang on to that hood. Now he is carried up a steep incline; Vic groans loudly as the gears start to grind.

Vic yelled, "the clutch! You gotta use the clutch!"

Gizmo yelled, "I know, you stinking hood ornament!"

Vic yelled, "and use better insults!"

Gizmo yelled, "everyone is a stinking critic!"

Vic yelled, "are you even old enough to drive?"

He gets a tongue stuck out at him again. The T-Car reaches the top of the hill and goes airborne for a few seconds before slamming back onto the road. A too-close encounter with a telephone pole leaves a long gouge on the passenger-side panels; Vic gasps in fright, turns his left hand into a circular buffer, and starts working on it.

Vic groaned, "that'll buff right out, that'll buff right out…."

He is swept too close to another pole, which knocks the buffer pad away to clatter on the pavement. The car is now paralleling a river, and goes across a drawbridge over the waterway. The two halves start to rise as a trash barge approaches, and the wheels tear toward the "bridge closed ahead" sign, whose warning lights have begun flashing. Crash through a barricade, up the increasingly steeper slope, and Vic is on the verge of total meltdown.

Vic yelled, "hit the nitro! HIT THE NITRO!"

The proper button is located and punched, a mighty blast pours from the exhaust; this was the button Sammy pushed earlier, and the T-Car picks up speed as it did during the race at Crash Alley. It sails off the end of the bridge, gaining altitude as the barge passes beneath and Vic finally loses his grip, and touches down on the far end. We see him in midair above the river; he yells all the way down to the barge and lands squarely amid its piled-up cargo, while seagulls circle overhead. As he picks a banana peel off his head, Vic's facial expression shows that he has had about three times as much of this as he can take. The bridge lowers again.

Vic groaned, "oh, man…."

….

Later, back at the drive-in restaurant to which Vic tracked his wheels. He is sitting despondently on the curb, with several empty milkshake cups scattered around him. A car pulls up, and Raven comes around on the sidewalk behind him.

Jack and Sarah approach with their own milkshakes.

Raven said, "fourteen milkshakes. Not a good sign."

Jack said, "that's nothing, my brother once downed thirty in two hours."

Sarah said, "dang, they must have one heck of a stomach."

Jack said, "yep. That, and a fast metabolism."

Raven sits down next to Vic.

Vic asked, "what are you doing here?"

Raven said, "looking for your car. Soon as we turned Overload into the police, we all split up to search the city."

Jack said, "thanks babe."

Vic said, "might as well stop looking. The T-Car's probably halfway to Metropolis by now. From the day I designed her, I knew she was gonna be special. And I worked so hard, every fuel injector, every spark plug, I made her perfect. I put my heart, soul, and circuits into that car. And now, she's gone forever. Maybe you were right. Maybe it was just a car."

Raven said, "maybe. Maybe not. When I use my powers, I have to put a little of my soul into whatever I'm moving. I become a part of it, and it becomes a part of me. That's kinda what happened here. It wasn't just a car. It was…. Your baby."

Vic said, "yeah."

Jack said, "I put everything into my powers. It's the same principle. That car is a part of you."

Sarah said, "and we'll help you find it any way we can."

Raven gives him a small smile of her own.

Vic said, "thanks guys. "

They hear a screech of tires.

Raven said, "and someone's eating onion rings in your baby."

Vic turns to look in the direction of the noise. His eyes go wide when he looks at the parking lot, where the T-Car is about to peel out with Gizmo still driving. A waitress rolls up on her skates.

The waitress yelled, "hey! You didn't pay!"

Gizmo just laughs as he lays rubber away from the place.

Vic yelled, "HE'LL GET KETCHUP ON THE SEATS!"

Sarah yelled, "I'm more concerned about him hitting someone!"

Raven looks in a different direction and taps his shoulder to draw his attention. Pointing at something, she moves off after it. Across the parking lot, standing by a black convertible with the top down, are Cash and Sammy; they are talking with another waitress.

Cash said, "so we were stuck. Looked like we'd get busted for sure."

Sammy said, "but then we totally escaped before the cops showed up."

They suddenly find themselves on the receiving end of Raven's powers and are hoisted into the air as the waitress stares in total puzzlement.

Raven said, "escape from that before the cops show up!"

Jack smiled as he froze them in midair for added security. Sarah can only smile at the whole thing.

Vic said, "sweet ride. Mind if we borrow it?"

The two young hoodlums have no response but a pair of very scared smiles.

….

We see a stretch of road outside Jump City; the twice-stolen T-Car rockets around a curve. Inside, we see that Gizmo has connected his waist controller to the steering wheel and is operating it remotely.

He now has both hands free to enjoy the meal he ripped off from the drive-in. The honk of a car horn causes him to spit out a mouthful of soda. He looks at the rear view mirror to see the borrowed convertible is gaining fast.

Jack yelled, "hey Gizmo! Where do you get your insults, baby-face?"

Gizmo yelled, "CRUD!"

He speeds around a curve in the mountains, but the black roadster keeps pace easily. With a frustrated groan, Gizmo pulls the controller

off the wheel to operate it himself. A cloud of exhaust and rubber smoke pours back toward the four in the car. Vic is driving.

Vic yelled, "he may have a better car, but I'm a better driver!"

Jack yelled, "right on!"

Sarah yelled, "what Jack said!"

The chase continues through the serpentine bends of the two-lane blacktop. Vic and the others start to close in.

Gizmo yelled, "eat crud, you stinking losers!"

Sarah yelled, "find some better insults, pip-squeak!"

Gizmo dumps an oil slick into the Titans' path. Vic gasps and cuts his wheels sharply, and the car flips up onto its passenger-side tires to keep from running through the hazard. It drops out of this side wheelie once the oil is past and zooms ahead. As the ultra-high-speed pursuit continues, Gizmo works his own control a bit before opening his eyes wide with surprise.

Gizmo yelled, "ooooh, cool!"

He leans forward to the "Proton Cannon" button, which he presses.

Now the roof opens up and this particular weapon extends from within to point back along the road. It locks into place and warms up; Vic's eyes pop briefly, and the right one tears up.

Vic yelled, "boo-yah! Check out my baby's proton cannon."

Raven gives him an odd look.

Jack facepalmed as Sarah said, "Victor…."

Vic sobers up as a big drop of sweat rolls down his temple, "uh…. I mean…. Oh, no."

Gizmo opens fire, forcing Vic to swerve from side to side in order to avoid being annihilated. One shot hits the road just ahead of the car; he drives straight on through the resulting cloud of smoke. Just as Gizmo rode up on the racetrack wall, Vic now takes his car up the rock face a few feet, still dodging the cannon blasts. Gradually, he eases higher and higher, finally settling on a stretch of road that is at an increased elevation. The two single-minded drivers continue their mad dash on now-parallel courses.

Vic starts banging the dashboard, "come on! Faster, faster!"

Raven stands up in her seat.

Raven said, "hang on. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

Vic said, "yo, what are you-?"

The car is flung ahead, forcing a terrified scream from his lungs.

Jack said, "I think I regret coming along!"

Sarah said, "I don't!"

The entire car, under Raven's influence, goes flying off the edge of a curve and starts to drop. Gizmo, on the lower part of the road, is still grinning and working his controller, but the sight of Vic, Jack, Sarah and Raven smoothly descending to his right throws a real surprise his way. The car does not touch the road, but instead eases over to knock fenders.

Vic yelled, "pull over!"

Gizmo yelled, "make me, Robo-Wimp!"

Jack tries tossing a fireball at the car, but it manages to dodge it. Gizmo swerves, pushing the convertible against the rock face, and does a quick 360-degree spin. Vic and the others come up even again.

Vic yelled, "I said, pull over!"

He reaches toward the T-Car and gets one hand hooked on the passenger-side front door, reaching for Gizmo with the other.

Gizmo yelled, "hey! Let me go, you barf-smelling hairball!"

Sarah said, "Jack is right, your insults are terrible."

Gizmo turns in his seat to break wind in Vic's face.

Raven said, "okay, making it really hard to concentrate."

Jack said, "hold on!"

Jack stands up and uses his powers to blow air under the car, keeping it in the air.

They continue on. A third vehicle pulls partly into view, ahead of them and approaching, and its headlights flare over the Titans.

They all yelled, "whoa!"

The source is an approaching prison transport van whose horn is blaring. Its lights wash out the entire view. Gizmo has just enough time for one yell of sheer panic before the van is upon the group.

Guards jump clear, leaving it to careen driverless toward Gizmo, Vic, Jack, Sarah and Raven. The convertible is levitated to a safe height, and the pipsqueak bails out thanks to the ejector seat Vic warned Starfire not to mess with.

Vic yelled, "NOOOOOOO!"

The borrowed ragtop and Gizmo both rise into view, and a parachute deploys from the latter's seat. A colossal explosion occurs at ground level. The van has been knocked onto its side, while the smashed T-Car has fetched up against the undercarriage. Raven and Jack bring the convertible down for a soft landing to the sound of Gizmo's very nasty laughter; he drifts down into view as they jump out.

Gizmo laughed, "heh! Looks like your stupid car is-"

Raven hits the parachute with a burst of telekinesis and causes it to wrap him up in a very neat bundle.

Vic runs toward the wreck and says, "please be okay, please be okay, please be okay…."

Sparks crackle over the side of the overturned van and form into a lightning bolt that pours itself into the not-even-close-to-okay T-Car.

Overload is the only one who could do this. He was in that van!

Overload said, "car is better than okay."

It turns to face Vic, the villain at the wheel.

Overload said, "car is mine!"

The builder recoils in fear with a small gasp; Overload just laughs and pulls out the circuit board that had been put into the dash.

Throwing it out, he feeds himself into the slot it had occupied and all the interior lights go red. The windshield repairs itself as the auto is quickly restored to mint condition. However, the white bodywork is now an angry gray, the blue circuit trim has turned red, and the windows and windshield are tinted black. The headlights, narrowed into fierce slits, blaze to life as the engine revs up.

Vic growls softly; the Overload/T-Car does likewise. They face each other down across the empty yards of asphalt.

Jack, Sarah and Raven watch in shock.

Overload/T-Car said, "only way to stop Overload is to destroy your precious car!"

He/it surges forward with a horrid squeal of rubber. Vic does not move from his spot, but instead brings out his cannon and aims it straight ahead.

Vic said, "it's not my car anymore."

He fires a blast straight at the car. We see the charging possessed vehicle, which takes the full force of it; the entire body is blown off, as are the tires, leaving the axles and undercarriage a mass of twisted, skidding metal. A piece of debris rolls across the ground, past Gizmo's fuzzy dice, and stops at Vic's foot. Overload's circuit-board face lies there, but the rest of his body has dissipated.

Overload groaned as he closed his eye, "Overload…. Overloaded."

….

Later, we see a second prison van and at its rear end we hear the sound of Gizmo's grumbling. It is now sunrise. Two guards have cuffed him and are hauling him toward the open doors. Inside, Cash and Sammy have also been apprehended. Sammy laughs.

Cash said, "you got busted."

Gizmo is put in.

Gizmo said, "so did you, you brainless stink bombs!"

Sammy said, "that one guy is right, your insults are terrible."

The core of Overload is tossed in after the three auto thieves, and the doors are closed.

We see the others standing by the remains of the car.

Vic said, "she's gone. Gone forever."

Raven said, "maybe. Maybe not. These are just parts. The thing you loved about that car, the thing that made her special, that came from inside you."

Sarah said, "even if this car gets destroyed a million more times, as long as you're still there to fix her, it'll always be alright."

Jack said, "and we'll be ready to help you with it."

Raven points ahead to ground level, a few feet from the four; lying among the junk is the original circuit board, intact. Vic gasps, picks it up, and smiles.

….

Later, we sew a litter of auto parts and tools on the floor of the Tower's garage, and hear the sound of work in progress. From here, we once again see the car being built. Spot welding, body panel, shock absorber fitted, hubcap bolted on, tail light installed, engine lowered, engine secured, finally, we see Vic working under the hood of the newly rebuilt T-Car. He passes a tool off, to the side hidden by the hood, and closes up to reveal Raven standing there; her grease-smeared face and the implement she took from him tell of the help she has been providing. A big, exuberant smile stretches on Vic's face, as does Raven's.

Jack then walks forward with some drinks for everyone, and we see Sarah roll out from under the car with a wrench.

These two smiled as well as they continued to work on the car.

….

Reviews:

SuperSentai199: yeah, it's one of my favorite episodes as well.

Canadude2029: yeah, this episode is so crazy, but so funny.

….