"Are ya sure you two don't wanna come?" Miko asked from the passenger's seat of her car.
"Sorry, Miko, but I think Frankie and I need a little bit of an outing to breathe more, if you know what I mean! And it gives me a little more time to bond with him!" Pyra exclaimed as she gripped the handles of her backpack tighter.
"Plus, we got snacks!" Frankie added.
"That's always been my favorite part of exploring!"
"Okay, you two, settle down, you go on and get outta here, and by the time you see me tomorrow, I'll be cruising along like there's no- er… tomorrow!" Mythra proudly stated.
"Yeah… let's just make sure you can drive stick before anything else, okay, banana Senpai…?"
"Do you remember how to use the phone, Mythra?" Frankie asked.
"Push the big green button and hit some numbers then hit the other green button, I got it, Dummy."
"Okay… you just call us if anything comes up, I don't want you getting hurt."
"Don't worry, Big Guy, if I can pick up on self defense, I can pick up being a driver myself!"
"W-wait, which kind of driver are you talking about…?" Miko asked.
"We'll be off then, see you later, Mythra!" Pyra called as she and Frankie got in Frankie's own car to head off towards the mountains.
"Bye Big bro! Bye Big Sis! Er- one of them at least…" Miko blushed sheepishly as she turned to Mythra in the Driver's seat.
"Alright, brat, I know we've had our differences in the past… but I need you. Pyra's already on the way to figuring out what she wants to do, and I got nothing! The least I can do is figure out how to work these things!" Mythra cried, slapping the edges of the wheel in frustration.
"Mythra… calm down, you have plenty of time for all of that, Frankie and Pyra wouldn't like seeing you act this way, would they?"
Mythra paused and flushed red; immediately thinking about Pyra, and just as quickly thinking to Frankie… it wouldn't be a good look for her as far as she was concerned.
"W-well… I guess not…" She admitted, gripping the wheel tightly.
Miko looked at her with a twinge of concern.
"You…crazy sure you don't want us to, I dunno, find an open parking lot at least to get you started?" She asked.
"C-come on, you brat! I don't need no training wheels, this baby's already got four!" Mythra stepped on the pedal with fake confidence, not realizing the car was still in reverse, causing her to back up forcefully and knock over the neighbor's trash bin. It fell over with a very audible "BANG!" and clattered to the ground. A family of raccoons in the tree hurried down to feast on the spoils.
"Uh… those little guys seemed hungry… I sure helped them out pretty good, right?!" Mythra asked excitedly. Miko stared blankly at her. "Don't you sass me, woman!"
To Mythra's begrudging acceptance, Miko drove the car to a nearby parking lot, mostly empty as it was close to a bus station under construction. She carefully explained to Mythra what each setting of the car was, what each pedal did, the purpose of her mirrors, and other basic driving elements.
As she did so, Mythra muttered under her breath "And I thought Siren was a pain in the butt to control…"
"Siren? What's that?" Miko asked, briefly glancing at Mythra before returning her eyes to the road.
"Oh, it's…huh…" Mythra started as if she was ready to answer Miko's question, but almost exactly as she thought of it, the answer to what "Siren" was seemed to leak out of her brain.
"Mythra?" Miko again looked over at the blonde, who seemed a little dejected.
"I…don't remember, sorry…"
Miko turned back and took a moment to take in Mythra's state. As a practicing lawyer, she was quite adept at picking up on when someone was hiding the truth from her. Because of that, she could tell Mythra clearly wasn't keeping secrets or anything, she seemed to honestly not be able to remember.
Miko glanced once again at Mythra's expression, which was somewhat pained but mostly just gloomy.
"...it's fine, Banana Senpai, don't worry about it."
"Hm?" Mythra perked up at Miko's response.
"Listen, these spotty memories of yours…we're gonna help you figure it out. And honestly we've already made a lot of progress on that front." Miko spoke with confidence as she turned the corner.
"Just don't forget that you're not doing any of this alone, okay? All of this stuff is gonna start making more sense real soon, I can feel it."
Mythra pondered over Miko's words silently, her brain eventually leading her to think of Frankie. Seeing his kind and inviting smile welcome her no matter what even in her own imagination made her honestly smile once more… perhaps even blush a little.
"Yeah… okay…" She responded with a tiny grin.
"And while I know you're downright obsessed with that dork Frankie, remember that you can rely on me and Kaito, too. And everyone you make friends with here. That's what friends are for, yeah?" Miko parked the car and flashed Mythra a wide smirk with a wink.
"O-obsessed?! Where'd you get that idea fro-!" Just as Mythra was about to chew Miko out, the phone started ringing, with the ID being listed as "Big Bro", as it belonged to Miko.
"Heh. You two are so in sync it's adorable…" Miko's smirk persisted as she looked over at Mythra.
"Sh-shut it, you…!" Mythra swiped the phone from the dash and responded hurriedly. "H-hello…?"
"Mythra? Is that you?" Frankie asked from the other line.
"Y-yeah… what's up?"
"Well, Pyra wanted me to check in on you cuz she said she felt that you were a bit… off, you doing okay?"
"Yea-h, t-totally, m-me and Miko are just about to start the lesson and stuff…" Mythra twirled her hair shyly as she spoke. "What are you and Pyra up to?"
"Hunting! If you could believe it or not! Well… I guess fishing is more like it…"
"Frankie! Frankie, look! Two of them! And they're huge!" Pyra ran up to Frankie excitedly with two large frogs dangling from her hands.
"And by the looks of things, we've found dinner!"
"Oh! Is that Mythra? Tell her I said hi! Oh! A-and that… you know… I hope she's doing okay…" Pyra shrunk into herself a bit as she calmed herself down.
"Heh... I can hear her from here…" Mythra answered back fondly.
"Okay, Mythra, you just be careful and listen to Miko, we'll see you later on tonight, okay?"
"Yeah… sure thing. See ya…"
"Bye, Mythra… ACK! Pyra, what the heck!"
"I'm sorry! I wanted you to do the honors!"
Mythra couldn't quite tell what was happening on the other line, but she did hear a chorus of loud croaks and wet, sloppy slaps that she could clearly tell were hitting both Frankie and Pyra.
"OkayMythraI'lltalktoyoaterbyebye!"
Frankie hung up quickly as Mythra set down the phone hurriedly and awkwardly, staring off into space as she tried to process what happened.
"Sooo-"
"Shut it Law-brat."
After having switched sides, Miko reviewed what she told Mythra on the road.
"The car already moves a little when in drive or reverse, the pedal is just to speed it up in either direction. This isn't like Mario Kart where you have one speed and just hit a button, got it?"
"Got it…" Mythra was too ashamed to admit that she was disappointed with how few similarities the two had.
"Remember to slow down before you take turns."
"Okay but what if I wanna-"
"For the 17th time, NO. DRIFTING."
"Aww…"
Miko sat back down in her seat. "Alright, I think that should be good enough to get you started." She buckled up her seat belt snugly.
"W-well…okay." Mythra looked around at the wheel and gear shifter, not doing anything in particular.
"...Mythra?"
"Wait- don't tell me…" Mythra squinted as if she was searching her brain for what the next action was.
"Back it up." Miko said curtly.
"Huh?"
"Back. It up."
"Right- back. It up." The taller girl still seemed confused. She gripped the gear shifter, but her movements weren't forceful enough to budge it.
"Back it up!"
"Okay, okay!"
"Shift into reverse, Mythra!"
"Reverse? Oh yeah! Reverse!"
Mythra finally put 2 and 2 together and shifted the stick until it landed next to the letter "R" on the stand. She then waited for the car to reverse itself out of the parking spot Miko put it in, and she attentively looked behind her as instructed before turning the wheel, shifting gears to drive, and pushing down on the gas pedal slightly to move forward.
Miko checked their surroundings closely. "Alright, you've officially passed boating school."
"What?"
"Don't mind that, just keep going."
Mythra took a deep breath in and out as she looked at the road intently.
"I'm… used to the ground being more… populated." She admitted nervously as she gripped the wheel.
"The greatest gifts to man were weekends and vacant parking lots with the smell of fresh hot dogs and, as big bro says, nice hot eloté!" Miko pointed dutifully.
"Riiight…"
"Oh, by the way, this is Kaito's car. So if you mess it up, you take it up with him."
"I WHAT?!"
The driving practice continued, and as twenty minutes passed, Mythra was getting antsy. This constant mess of driving slowly in circles was certainly not what she anticipated when she first brought up the prospect of driving. Miko, however, was pleasantly surprised with Mythra's handiwork, taking notes on her phone at every stop, turn, and reversal she made before settling in on a nearby parking space, backing up slowly and lining up perfectly.
"You're doing great, Mythra! If there's one thing I can compliment you on, it's your hand-eye coordination!" Miko announced.
"It better damn well be. If I spent all that time fighting and kicking and screaming and I didn't even know how to use both hand and eye at the same time, I might as well have killed myself…" Mythra growled.
"Okay, little miss edgelord, let's calm down… I don't think Frankie would've liked the outcome of that."
Mythra suddenly jumped in her seat and flushed red nervously as she searched around for a response, stuttering all throughout.
"W-w-w-well I- he- it's… SHUT UP!" She crossed her arms and turned away sharply.
"Heheh… Gotcha…" Miko smirked.
"I COULD go five minutes without you or Kaito trying to force us together like two edge pieces of a puzzle or something!"
"Oh, but Mythra… we don't mean any harm…" Miko explained. "And, y'know… the fact of the matter is that you three DO fit together so well… Frankie and Pyra like toast and strawberry jam… and you and Frankie like toast and butter…!"
"I…I like butter…" Mythra shyly remarked, sinking into herself a bit.
"See? There you go again. Acknowledging my compliments but not really accepting them? That's big bro written all over."
Mythra just grumbled unintelligibly in response.
"Heh, and that is too."
"I…I guess maybe I'm just a bit jealous of him and Pyra right now…"
"Hanging out together by themselves?"
"Nah, got over that picky crap eons ago. Besides, she deserves it. But I more mean that they're out there having the time of their life, meanwhile I'm stuck in this metal box going round and round in circles with no end in sight when there's a whole mess of land out there WAITING FOR ME TO GET MOVING!!!" Mythra slapped the wheel in frustration before slamming her head into the horn, which let out a loud, "BAAAAAAARRRRRRPP!!!" sound. Miko leaned in sympathetically, meeting the side of her face with her own.
"Is somebody a little bit hungry…?" She asked. Mythra nodded and let out a tiny 'mm-hmm' as she glanced over at the smaller lady. With big, sad eyes. "Well then, I'll tell ya what! We get out onto the streets, head over to the nearest drive thru, and if you do good enough out there, we'll go for a nice long drive with you at the wheel, sound good?"
"C-can I talk to Frankie again first…? O-only so that I could ask him and Pyra if they want anything-"
"Oh, I'm sure that's the ONLY reason, Banana Senpai…" Miko teased.
"Sh-shut it you… just show me how to use the stupid phone again…"
…
Frankie huffed and puffed as he stood above a mess of tarp and rope, gripping onto two long pegs in frustration. Pyra stood back, quite taken aback by his behavior. She quickly shook it off and headed over to him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"It's… only a tent, Frankie… it's okay…" She said soothingly.
"A big fat stupid tent is what it is…" Frankie mumbled, less upset than before and more melancholy than anything. Pyra smiled reassuringly and picked up a few pegs herself.
"Come on… let me help you out… just follow my lead, okay?"
"…kay…" Frankie shifted uncomfortably as Pyra's reassuring smile widened more before getting to recollect the fallen pieces. Just as Frankie was about to help her, his phone started ringing. The ID was Miko, but he knew it was Mythra. "Hello…?" He asked.
"Frankie…? You don't sound too hot… something up?"
"Just big, mean, stupid, dumb, and mean things being mean…"
"What is it?! Do I have to ram this car into some perp messing with you?! I'll do it! I don't know who they are, but I have a very particular set of skills!!"
"...you literally just started learning-"
"Don't interrupt me, brat!" Mythra cut off Miko's sny comment.
"N-n-no, Mythra… that's okay… nothing of the sort I'm just… frustrated…"
"Oh? Frankie, is that Mythra again?" Pyra asked as Frankie nodded. "Great! Let me in on this!" Frankie nodded once again and put Pyra on speaker. "Mythra! Hi! Are things going well with you and Miko?"
Miko tapped the speaker button on Mythra's end as well so she could clear things up.
"Everything's juuuust peachy, big sis Pyra! Mythra's doing a lot better than I was anticipating! At this rate she'll be road-ready within the next decade!" Miko said triumphantly with a hint of mockery in her voice.
"Hehe, yeah that's right!" Mythra didn't seem to process the subtle insult Miko made, which caught the smaller lady off guard for a second.
"A decade…? That fast? I would've guessed it would've taken a century at least…" Pyra intoned. Frankie stifled a chuckle and turned away from the phone so Mythra wouldn't hear.
"Oh, Pyra, not you too!" Mythra screeched.
"You know you love me and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"Alright, that's it, I'm taking Frankie and locking him in the shed so you and I can settle this one on one the moment you get back."
"Hey! What did I do?!" Frankie shrieked.
"Shut up, Frankie, this doesn't concern you."
"So does it or does it not? Make up your mind!"
"Frankie… I can handle this on my own, let Mythra and I speak, please…" Pyra politely scolded.
"Okay…" Frankie whimpered.
"Alright then, Banana!" Pyra snapped back to Mythra.
"Don't you start calling me that-"
"You better make sure you get Miko home safely, and don't mess up Kaito's car, got it?"
"W-well I wasn't planning on-"
"Got it?" Pyra intoned, stretching out each word for emphasis.
"...yes… of course… Baaaaaabyy sister-"
"Hey! I'm not a baby! I just… get emotional over the things I like… that's all…!"
"That includes Frankie, right?" Miko suddenly interrupted.
Frankie, Pyra, and Mythra all suddenly paused in a fluster, with Frankie and Pyra looking at each other briefly before turning in embarrassment, the two growing redder and redder each passing second. Frankie was eventually forced to resume the conversation as he heard Mythra shaking Miko around rapidly.
"TO CONTINUE!" He began. "Everything is… mostly fine…" Frankie glared at the fallen pegs once again before turning back to the phone in a more quivering voice, "But we've been having a bit of issues on the trail…"
"Oh… you… well… do ya need something to eat? We're about to leave right now…" Mythra said.
"Oh! Get the biggest sandwich you can find, wherever you go! Pile it high and stuff it full until it just can't close!" Pyra hollered.
"H-heh… Pyra's been burning calories out here… both of us have, actually… don't expect any cheese crackers or trail mix at home…"
"Hah… it's alright Big Guy. Get you something with chicken?"
"Please… I'll send Miko a text about which mountain pass we're at. My car's at the foot of the mountain so…we might still be hiking, see you soon."
"Alright Frankie, bye bye." Mythra smirked. "Bye, Pyra…"
"Bye Mythra! It was nice hearing you again!"
After the call ended, Mythra gave Miko back the phone with a pleased and more relaxed look on her face as she sat down.
"Seems like someone's nerves have finally calmed down, did talking to Frankie help, hmm?" Miko cheekily asked.
"N-no! …okay, maybe a little, but…if I'm being honest, it was Pyra that really cheered me up."
"Oh? How so?"
"Well…you see…" Mythra looked down wistfully. "...you know the story behind her creation is long and complicated…and not something I even remember too well…"
Miko, noticing Mythra's tone, placed her hand gently on the lady's shoulder, a gesture Mythra noticed and appreciated as she continued.
"It's just…for as long as I can remember, Pyra's always seemed a bit…distant. Which is embarrassing for me of all people to admit, considering our circumstances. But it just always felt like she was…hiding a part of herself…holding back in a way."
"Mmm." Miko nodded knowingly. "She does seem like that type of person. Overly worried with making sure everyone is happy, even if it means not rocking the boat herself?"
"Y-yeah…" Mythra nervously replied. "I've…always felt a little guilty about that, because -no matter what she tells me- I…feel like I'm kind of the one responsible for putting her in that position."
"Mythra…" Miko rubbed her friend's shoulder, to which Mythra smirked to let her know she was alright.
"But that's the thing, ever since we came to this world it…really feels like she's finally come out of her shell. She's being more energetic, more open, more…herself…heh…she's even demanding things from me now…never thought I'd see the day."
Mythra looked out the window to the park close by. Miko smiled.
"Heh…you really are super sweet at your core, Mythra. Maybe you're opening up a bit, just like Pyra."
Mythra turned and looked at her quizzically.
"You really think so?"
Miko nodded, causing Mythra to blush and sink into her seat some more, grumbling again.
"Oh you dork… let's go get that food, already, yeah?"
"...heh, sounds like a plan!"
—————————————————————————
"Thank you, have a nice day!" The employee at the window said as he handed Mythra and Miko their food. Before the two drove into the parking lot to recollect themselves.
"Meat Mountain… that's a heart attack waiting to happen…" Mythra murmured out loud to herself.
"The guy gave you his number…" Miko intoned just before Mythra fell a large light arrow from out of nowhere to spear through it and just before hitting the floor of the car. She was far from impressed. "I… take it that's a no from you, huh?"
"What do you think…?"
"I think… you just can't wait to get in those sheets with that tubby little jumping bean up there~" Miko smirked.
"SH-SHUT IT, YOU!"
"Awww, of course… that's not what such a pure, wonderful relationship is all about, it's all about the flowers and chocolates and late night Tv binges… and the hugs and the kisses and the tears you share together, and the baby talk- and the eyes and then the ring, the alter, the vows, the I dos, just before the baby its-" Mythra hurriedly stuffed Miko's wrap in her mouth to get her to shut up. Her eyes lit up with delight as she chewed generously, very much enjoying her meal as Mythra fidgeted nervously and angrily in the driver's seat.
"Alright… we've got lunch, we've got the lessons, we've got the destination… let's move out!"
"Nu hul' ahn thur, Ol'iocks…" Miko muffled before swallowing her food. "I don't think you're quite ready for the mountains yet…"
"Excuse me?! Didn't you say if I did good pulling up, we could get going on the streets? How else are we gonna get there? Fill up on gas and float away in the wind?!"
"The walls have ears Mythra, and some of them are creepy, you better watch yourself…" Miko warned.
"So is that a yes or a no?"
"Well, I wouldn't say a no, but-"
"Okay, so I'm going!" Mythra lifted her foot off the brake and slammed down on the gas as Miko sputtered nonsensical protests that fell on deaf ears as Mythra barreled through the parking lot.
The sudden shift in speed caused both of them to scream in alarm, which turned into terror as none other than Irma suddenly appeared before them, about to enjoy an ice cream cup piled high, only to yelp out in shock as the convertible sped towards her, diving and ducking out of the way just in time for Mythra to swerve to avoid hitting her and bolt away. In a daze, Irma shook her head violently and growled.
"Damn brats! I'll Sue!" She hollered just before turning to her ice cream… which was completely ruined and upturned. She could already see the ants matching their way toward the sprinkles. Her mouth swung open in sad disbelief before gritting her teeth in seething anger. "That Iino and Frank's Squeeze are gonna pay!" She looked over to the wild and sudden driving and merging Mythra was doing on the road and then turned to face her own car. A devious smile crept across her face as she twiddled her fingers together sneakily.
"MYTHRA GIVE ME THE WHEEL!" Miko screamed as they raced through the parking lot.
"NO YOU BRAT, WE CAN'T SWITCH NOW! J-JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Mythra was looking around very panicked. It was one thing driving in a low stakes environment, something about speeding through a place with more things to crash into in such a closed vehicle really set off her nerves.
"WELL HIT THE BRAKE FOR ONE!" Miko flailed a bit to get her balance.
"BRAKE? OH YEAH. BRAKE. YEAH." Mythra, still yelling, responded very absentmindedly as her brain seemed to go a bit blank.
"MYTHRAAAAA-!"
Instead of breaking like Miko calmly suggested, Mythra's fight or flight caused her to keep swerving to avoid a collision, which was a difficult task given how many people, cars, pets, and other obstacles immediately made themselves known.
However, despite her panicked state, Mythra's keen reaction time had her swiftly evade any serious property or person damage. She narrowly missed an old lady looking for her car, blew past a stray cat that decided not to wake, and -in a move she was secretly very happy with- drifted smoothly to avoid ramming into a small child with a baseball cap on the turn.
Finally she had looped the entire parking lot and quickly made a sharp turn onto the road.
As the immediate danger was avoided, Mythra and Miko got the chance to breathe.
"Mythra…I swear…"
"That…was…AWESOME! Did you see how I-"
"RED LIGHT! HIT THE BRAKES THIS TIME FOR PETE'S SAKE!"
"RIGHT, right!"
Her slightly more controlled frame of mind allowed Mythra to, at last, remember where the break was and use it to make a less than graceful stop at the intersection.
"Okay…gasp…okay…this red light should be up for a little while, we can catch our breaths." Miko had been gripping her seat tightly and was finally loosening up.
"Heh…hehe…sorry Miko…" Mythra chuckled nervously.
"It's…fine…you're just…lucky we didn't actually…hit anyone…cuz man…I was NOT looking forward to having to defend your giant golden butt in court again…hoo boy…" The smaller lady finally sat up.
"Well I mean, if you had to…"
"Don't test me, you lightbulb."
"Right-"
As they bantered, Mythra almost didn't notice a car pulling up beside them. Both her and Miko certainly noticed when the car honked, as they looked over to see none other than Irma, sporting a very devious glare at them.
She rolled down her window, and Mythra did the same.
"Well, you lot sure have been causing a ruckus, haven't you?" The sneering woman said.
"I'm learning, big deal. What's your point?" Mythra jutted out her chin as she responded.
"Welllll…one might anticipate that you'd…bump into someone as a result-" Irma revved her car's engine.
"Uhhh…Miko…what's she talking about?" Mythra turned over to Miko, who had her head in her hands.
"...so you know how you wished driving was more like MarioKart, Mythra?"
"I…yeah?"
"Let's just say Irma's planning on bumping you off the track."
Mythra, now putting 2 and 2 together, quickly turned back to Irma who curled an evil smile.
"B-b-but she can't do that, it's against the law, right?" Mythra went back and forth between the two law students.
"That's true, but who would the jury believe, the uncontrolled beast of a woman who people have already seen nearly injure at least 3 witnesses and whose already been in court once for her reckless behavior…or the studious law-abiding citizen who pays her taxes and is a valued contributor to society?" She checked her nails as she finished.
Mythra, her panic re-emerging, turned back to Miko hoping for a reassuring denial of Irma's insinuation.
Unfortunately Miko shrugged her shoulders a bit and said, "W-well I mean…she's not wrong in that it'd be pretty difficult to prove your innocence there…I'm honestly shocked we got out of the parking lot with no damage to begin with."
"W-well, you're here, what if we collected evidence on her saying-"
Mythra was cut off by Irma clicking her tongue.
"What would any of your 'evidence' have against this recording of you nearly running me over?" She giggled maniacally.
"No, it can't be-" Miko unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over Mythra to get a better look at Irma, noticing a small circular device strapped to her shirt. "A body camera?!"
"That's right! You should never leave home without one, or did you not know, Iino?" Irma cackled. Miko was in a mixture of disbelief and anger, not settling on any one emotion as she shifted through her expressions wildly.
"W-what the…why does she have that on her? What's it for?" Mythra was completely befuddled. Miko shook her head as she figured it out on her own.
"See, we have a term in this time, Mythra, you haven't heard of it…" She whispered the term into Mythra's ear.
"What in the heck is a 'Karen'? Isn't that like… a name?"
"Long story short, it's a title for someone who acts like an entitled know-it-all to everyone."
"Wait, isn't that like you?"
"Well, yeah, technically but- wha- hey now!"
"We can argue about this later! Just tell me what's going on!"
"Irma probably wears that when she goes shopping or for food so she can catch poor service workers in a bind and sue them for damages…the lowest manipulation of the law!" Miko intoned the end of her sentence towards Irma.
"You shut your brat-mouth, twerp!" Irma barked back. "The moment this light turns green, I'm denting the crap out of your lazy excuse of a boyfriend's car and making you pay for it!"
Miko's face was practically fuming with anger now. "WHAT WAS THAT?!"
As Miko and Irma were deadlocked in their glaring match, Mythra started to notice the cars on the other ends of the intersection beginning to stop. They all had tinted windows, making it impossible to discern the drivers' facial features, but the rumbling and eager purring of their engines that seemed to raise in cadence every other second told her all she needed to know… this was a chorus she was all too familiar with. Frankie told her about these exact kind of people… ne'er do well crazies just wanting to cause trouble…
"With Irma distracted…" Mythra took a sharp yet deep breath to ready herself. It was a gigantic risk… but it could be worth it tenfold…
"Strap in, Miko!" She shouted as she pushed the smaller woman back into her seat.
"I wasn't done ye…waitwhatareyoudoing-" Miko also saw the cars stopping and, in a split second, realized Mythra's plan and frantically re-fastened her seatbelt.
In Mythra's head, she counted down, just like in the kart racer, as Irma seemed confused.
"3…"
"Hey beast-blondie, pay attention!"
"2…"
"W-what are you thinking of?"
"1…"
"Hello?!"
"GO!!!"
The light turned green as Mythra floored on the gas, booking it down the street alongside the other street racers and -quite literally- leaving Irma in her dust.
"That…hot-headed…stupid…"
Irma similarly slammed her gas pedal to rush forward, the entire sequence of events have mildly shocked the other drivers in the vicinity.
"You can run but you can't hide for long! You're making things worse on yourself!"
Mythra responded by flipping her off from the window. Irma's mouth swung open in stunned silence.
"MYTHRA YOU CRAZY IDIOT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU'RE GONNA GET US BOTH ARRESTED!" Miko hollered as she was plastered to her seat.
"Proficient or not, I've had plenty of damn time to get used to situations like these… and now I'M the one calling the shots…!" Mythra drew a devious and confident smile on her face as she clutched the steering wheel.
"WHY DIDN'T I JUST GO WITH FRANKIE AND PYRA! I'D STILL BE ALIVE!"
As Miko screamed her concerns to no one in particular, a large brown bear blocked Frankie and Pyra's path. It stood up tall and roared wildly, completely blotting out the sun as it tried to intimidate Pyra… to little success.
"I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM HIM! IF IT'S A FIGHT YOU WANT, IT'S A FIGHT YOU'LL GET!" She screamed at the creature, burning sword in hand.
"PYRA WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! IF IT'S BLACK, FIGHT BACK! IF IT'S BROWN GET ON THE GROUND!" Frankie hollered, keeping himself low, belly and limbs spread out as he protected his neck. The bear roared and Pyra screamed at each other once again before the other lunged in for an attack, with Frankie screaming himself as he was about to watch the chaos ensue.
Back at the quickly escalating car chase…
"Well Frankie and Pyra aren't here! You're with Mythra and nobody else!"
"THAT DOESN'T MAKE ME FEEL BETTER!" Right as Miko finished, a loud popping sound echoed amidst the chaos. Her eyes widened as she checked the tires on her side, and the ones on Mythra's side -as best she could-. Both sides seemed fine… but not for the red car that spun wildly out of control on the farthest lane. Caltrops were being thrown to the sides!
"Kaito-baby, I'm so sorry, please forgive me… Miko whimpered as she fell back into her seat, pale as a ghost.
"Quit your bellyaching, it's pissing me off!" Mythra snapped.
"Oh… oh it's pissing you off? Oh! Ohhhhh, someone call the authorities! We're being attacked left and right all in the name of a senseless and highly illegal bloodsport in which we may never see the people we love ever again but poor MYTHRA IS PISSED OFF! THE MOST PISSY PERSON IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE IS FINALLY GETTING A TASTE OF HER OWN MEDICINE!"
"Do you wanna deal with these assholes or the crazed lunatic barreling towards us as we speak?"
Miko looked in the rear view mirror, Mythra had kicked up so much dust to the point of their vehicle being near invisible, but she could make out one image very clearly. Irma's scheming, delighted grin shining brightly, her bright blue eyes and neon blonde hair gave her the appearance of the sun itself exploding into nothing.
"Both sound like imminent death…"
"Well I'm not trying to race these bozos! I'm just trying to lose Irma in the chaos so we can finally find Frankie and Pyra! So you're stuck with me at the helm, like it or not. So get your map out and tell me what to do! I'll handle the fun part…"
"F-f-f-fun part? What do you mean fun part, what are you- WAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"
As Miko was speaking, Mythra drifted the car to avoid one of the cars spinning out of control. Miko was starting to really process how adept she was despite the hectic and dangerous situation. In fact…it seemed almost like she was better at driving in this scenario than she was when there was zero danger whatsoever.
"Hope you're ready for a game of Mario Kart, Miko!" Mythra hollered suddenly as she looked in the mirror.
"Ugh, NOW what?!" Miko looked in her own mirror, face dropping in sudden horror as a car on the lane closest to them was slowing down and speeding up at seemingly random points, almost causing a mass collision between the other racers and Irma… the driver in question also had a B.B. gun firing wildly.
"ALL! Ow… OF! Ow… YOU! Ow… ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!" Irma shrieked. One more pellet hit her square on the nose, causing her to momentarily lose her concentration. "WHO KEEPS DOING THAT?!" She whipped her head wildly to the person in question. A lanky mustachioed man looked awkwardly from side to side as he quickly put his gun away, realizing who he was dealing with.
"A-ah, n-no habla inglés, Señora…" He said.
"¡Pápa! ¡Pápa! ¡La putá es aya!" A little boy from the backseat hollered.
"MIGUEL! BE QUIET BEFORE I CALL YOUR MOTHER-"
He was cut off by Irma bumping her car into his own as the woman was losing her temper at all of those around her.
Needless to say, Irma was experiencing massive overload. On the one hand, there was justice waiting to be served at all those in this mess, particularly this blatant example of child endangerment and neglect, and the explosion that went off over where the red car had spun out. The driver screamed pitifully to the sky as the vehicle went up in flames, he learned his lesson. But Mythra and Miko were still ahead of the pack. Getting them in trouble while making everything look like an accident was easy, keeping her cool and not succumbing to the chaos was the hard part.
"MYTHRA YOU'RE GOING ABOVE THE SPEED LIMIT!" Miko screamed as she sunk further and further into her seat.
"WILL YOU SHUT UP?! DO YOU THINK THEY CARE?!"
"WE BETTER MAKE IT OUT OF THIS ALIVE SO I CAN KILL YOU MYSELF!"
"NEATO! Hey, what's that…?" Mythra and Miko watched a barrel of some sort fly over head and onto the road, leaking the contents from the inside out as it rolled back down the street, gaining momentum every second.
"An oil spill…" Miko chuckled nervously, "They're conducting an oil spill! Look at what your bright idea has gotten us into, Mythra!"
"Will you stop complaining and let me think?!" Mythra scanned her eyes all over the road, to the cars who were skidding towards each other to get the other to crash, the loud, raucous chorus of screams and jeers from each driver and passenger and the roaring of the engines was nothing short of difficult to deal with, but she really needed to think quick. She saw Irma swerving in between each of the cars wildly, avoiding getting hit herself and trying to catch up to the two of them.
'All this ruckus is on the inside… but we're all the way over here…'
"Hey Miko, have I ever told you about my Foresight?" She asked.
"It's certainly not 20/20 if that's what you're getting at!"
"Whatever. Take over the wheel."
"Imsorrywhat?"
"Come on! You heard me! Grab it and don't let go!"
"Huminahjeablabpblblaaaghhghhhhhhh!!!!!" Miko sputtered nonsense as she tried her hardest to take over, reaching uncomfortably over Mythra to control the car herself.
"Alright Irma… if you want us… come and get us…" Mythra intoned.
"Mythra, what did you-"
Mythra let go of the gas and let herself fall into the crowd. Miko screamed like a wild chimpanzee, shaking her head wildly as she tried to process what on earth Mythra was planning.
Unbeknownst to her, Mythra had completely blocked out any and all sounds and focused in on her foresight. It had been a good while since she'd used it, the last time being during the trial, but that situation wasn't quite as physical tense as this one. That being said, using Foresight in the heat of action was much more within Mythra's comfort zone.
She took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes, a blue light pouring from them. Miko couldn't see this, but to anyone looking at Mythra in this moment, they'd see her eyes emitting a bright yet relaxed blue light, as well as her pupils moving unbelievably fast as she looked into the future to see the potential outcomes.
As she was doing this, Miko was trying her damndest to keep the car from being totaled.
"Not that way…turn left here…swerve here…okay…okay. Got it!" Mythra closed her eyes and opened them again with a start, startling Miko.
"G-g-got what?!"
"I got this, Miko!" Mythra grabbed the wheel with great strength, signaling Miko to let go and huddle back into her seat. She dramatically spun the steering wheel fully to the left, drifting into a full u-turn and now pointing the front of the car to the oncoming monsoon of chaos.
"M-Mythra?"
Then Mythra slammed her foot on the gas with so much force Miko was shocked she didn't run her foot through the bottom of the car.
"MythraaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!" Miko shrieked, and would continue to shriek as Mythra deftly swerved the car through all of the wreckage. She dodged a car spinning out on her left, then turned the car to the right so the hood would narrowly sneak under another car flipping out of control. Then she breaked and turned to avoid a large pile-up of vehicles before continuing on.
She was in the zone, she managed to deftly avoid every possible bit of damage, all without breaking her concentration. All of this as Irma watched on in total and utter disbelief as Mythra and Miko now approached her car yet again. Mythra turned the wheel to keep the car pointed straight, and as she passed Irma, she decided to slow down and shoot her a mocking wink.
This caused Irma to squeeze her wheel so hard she might've torn its leather bracing… as well as really stick her foot on the gas pedal. She finally noticed what she was doing, as the pile of cars was coming in quickly. She let out a horrific scream as she zoomed towards the mess, with the father and child quickly getting out of the way as they were the last to exit their destroyed vehicle.
And Mythra and Miko smoothly drove away from the absolute wreckage behind them.
Miko, having had her life flash before her eyes about 17 times in the past 40 seconds, finally took the time to breathe in and really process what just happened.
"...w…wow Mythra…that was just…wow…" She could barely do so, but she felt the need to congratulate her driving student-turned driving savior, who smiled smugly as she said so.
"Heh…yeah…you really saved our…wait, whatever happened to that barrel of oil-"
Miko was answered by a massive explosion of fire and car parts erupting from behind them.
The two ladies didn't dare look in the rear-view mirrors to observe the damage, so they simply glanced at each other briefly before silently continuing forward.
"...cool girls don't look at explosions?"
"Yup."
"...you know I'm still one-bazillion percent blaming you for all this."
"Yup…"
…
Pyra looked over her fresh kill confidently, hands on her hips, observing the bear carcass dutifully as it was sprawled out on display, tied up with sticks and twine she had packed. Frankie stood silently by her side, marveling at what she had done himself.
"I'm proud of myself!" Pyra said, keeping her hand to her chest happily.
"Well… it IS still open season… and you saved our colás… thanks, Pyra."
"Just doing my duty, Frankie!"
As the two smiled -albeit a bit winded- at each other, the sound of rummaging leaves came from behind them as Miko and Mythra pulled up to the campsite with the car.
"Huh? You two were gonna leave me home alone while you romped out in the woods?!" Mythra shrieked.
"Nonono! It's not what it looks like Mythra, honest!" Frankie nervously explained, a blush already forming on his face.
"Well this was SUPPOSED to be a surprise, but I guess we missed that opportunity." Pyra added.
"A surprise?" Mythra asked.
"Mm Hmm! We wouldn't dream of leaving you out of some good old fashioned and old timey relaxation, would we, Frankie?"
"N-n-no! O-of course not!" Frankie glanced over to the bear and then back to Mythra sheepishly. "Pyra got us dinner… eheh…"
"The frogs got away, but I think it was a worthy trade!" Pyra then directed her attention to Kaito's car. "Oh! And look at that, not a single dent or scratch! You've really outdone yourself Mythra, I would've guessed you'd be trudging yourself up here with a little tire in hand!"
"Alright, you're getting yourself a little too comfortable, get over here…" Mythra exited the car and reached for Pyra, who yelped and immediately went to Frankie's side playfully.
"Oh man, you two should've seen me! I was like a speeding bullet, a graceful swerving machine, an absolutely positively fantastic driver! Now, I can tell you for sure that no one else of my caliber can pull what I did off! Miko, what do you think?!"
Mythra smiled at Miko proudly. Miko delivered a silent, deathly glare at her as she ripped the food bag from Mythra's hand, returning to the driver's seat, rolling up the window, and leaving her in the dust without another word.
"…Miko?"
"Mythra… what did you do…?" Frankie asked suspiciously.
Mythra darted her eyes back and forth nervously before turning to face a cock-eyed, cross-armed Frankie and an unamused, hands-on-her-hips Pyra staring directly at her. She blushed and glanced aside innocently, chuckling to herself with a quiver as she twiddled her fingers.
"Well, uh… how do I say this…"
…
"A street race?! What in the blazes-"
Miko asked as she sat down with Kaito back at the house, the scruffy man having pulled out his laptop to answer Miko's question.
"Yep, right here. 'Street racing is typically an unsanctioned and illegal form of auto racing that occurs on a public road. Racing in the streets is considered an ancient hazard…" He skimmed ahead a bit. …"it continues to be both popular and hazardous, with deaths of bystanders, passengers, and drivers occurring every year.' And yeah."
Miko stared back, refusing to believe what he just said. Kaito gestured to the page for her to read herself. Miko read, re-read, and re-re-read the first paragraph before finally just accepting it and slumping back into her seat.
"So…you mean to tell me that stuff just…happens? Regularly?? All the time???"
"Typically they take place underground and they are illegal, but yeah. From how you described it, what you just went through was a lot more extreme than on average -nottomentionstupid- but yeah Koko Puff, stuff's pretty commonplace."
"...remind me to never drive. Ever."
"Aww, c'mon Miko. Considering you kept my car completely scratch-free, I can't imagine you were in much danger." Kaito calmly stated.
"But I'm telling you! We were in the middle of all that carnage! I'm lucky to still be alive right now!" Miko gestured to herself as she leaned forward.
"Heh…well, I'm at least glad you made it through, you big goof." Kaito leaned over to give her a little kiss on the forehead, which caused the little lady to blush lightly and sit back down. She picked up her glass of ice-water and held it to her head to help cope with her pounding headache.
"Actually, speaking of damages, I wonder what happened with Irma? You think she's gonna follow through on her threat?"
"Eh…considering I haven't gotten any vague, mocking texts from her, something tells me she isn't getting that precious go at Mythra in court…"
The police surrounded every corner of the collision, taking all but one of the participants of the race into their cars before jutting down their notes and speaking amongst the other officers on what was to happen next. The last remaining party was that of the mustached man and his son, who's mother had come along with the cops, both arguing loudly in Spanish about how much danger their son was in. The boy sat on the road dimly, looking at the sky, while the police officer speaking to them stood just behind them as a bored audience.
The chief was listening to Irma ramble on about everything that happened, dutifully taking down notes as she continued to explain every last bit of chaos that happened not too long ago.
"Barrels full of oil! Endangering a child! B.B. Guns and spikes on the ground like it was a video game! All parties here are guilty and I'm pressing charges on all of them!"
"And the teenagers?"
"ESPECIALLY the teenagers! They need PROPER authority if they ever hope to be sane members of society!"
"Right… I'm counting five cars here… but you said one got away, care to explain?"
Irma chuckled deviously as she readied herself for an overly dramatic explanation.
"As a matter of fact, I-!"
Then she paused… she thought quickly about what exactly would happen when she would pull out her body camera. Mythra's antics would be revealed, to be sure… but so would her own. Her screaming, insulting, and her own rather explicit violations of road safety that would be incredibly difficult to brush off.
She froze momentarily with the most ridiculous smile on her face as she fast-forwarded through the next five years of her life if she DID follow through... cuffs, a trial, the revoking of her education, sent behind bars... possibly even having to SHARE a cell with Mythra at some point… truly the worst fate of them all. Not to mention Miko would get the last laugh in all of this.
It was far from worth it.
She sighed, bucked herself up, and spoke pointedly to the officer.
"…cannot, officer, said vehicle was just as much a victim as me… they had no part in this whatsoever, unfortunately caught in the chaos but otherwise unharmed…"
"Alright… let's call you a pick up truck to get that car of yours out of here, and we'll take you to the station with us to fill out some paperwork and get you fixed up."
"Yes, officer, of course…"
Just as Irma finished, a rumbling sound came from her car, directing herself and the officer's attention toward it… completely falling apart as a wheel bounced away pathetically before landing at Irma's feet. Her eyes widened in shock as she slumped forward in defeat.
"You've… got insurance, right?"
Irma looked at the officer and back to her car, and then down at the wheel silently, pondering over her next words carefully.
"motherFU-!!!"