Colin had taken his time to get to the meeting place. Not because he wanted to be an ass, but because he didn't want to get in trouble with the police right before a race. Of course, Cameron didn't know this and he probably didn't care either, because as soon as Colin lined up he had started to mock the man and laugh at him.

"There's no fucking way you took this long! Do you have the slightest idea how long I waited for you? Huh!? 12 MINUTES! YOU DRIVE SLOWER THAN MY GRANDMA YOU MORON!"

'That's not even so long, Jesus Christ. What's wrong with this guy?' thought Colin, his hands tightening around the steering wheel slightly more. 'I bet he's the type of guy who's just waiting for an opportunity to make you look like an idiot. I hate those types of people. It's their attitude that gets me the most. They act as if they are so much better, so much more superior. Also, his insult was so bad. It just sounds so cliche, everybody says it. It's as if this jackass jumped straight out of a cartoon. Couldn't he have thought of anything better?'

"HEY! ARE YOU FUCKING LISTENING!? I'LL COMPLETELY CRUSH YOU, YOU HEAR ME? YOU ARE SO SLOW AND YOUR CAR IS SHIT!"

Colin rolled his eyes and swung his head lazily to the right.

"Are we starting or what?" he asked.

"Shut up, don't tell me what to do! If you want to lose that shitbox so bad, then fine, we'll start"

"Cool. When the light turns green, we go. 1 lap, the winner takes the other's car. Anything besides crashing into each other is allowed. You ready?"

Cameron gave a shit eating grin and loudly replied.

"Hell yeah I am! You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into…"

Colin didn't reply. He fixed his gaze onto the streetlight above and dropped his hand to the shifter. He started revving his engine. Unlike most people, he didn't redline it. Doing so would give him a better start, but it would also wear down his engine faster. Revving it at 5000 RPM, he placed his right hand on the shifter. The moment the light turned green, he shifted into the first gear and floored the pedal.

Unsurprisingly, the Chevelle pulled ahead of him. It had way more horsepower, and it was a muscle car. He expected it to excel in a straight line, and if this was a drag race, Colin was sure the Chevelle would have defeated him immediately.

But this was not a drag race, and this was his biggest advantage.

As the first corner came up, Colin feathered the brakes and turned, avoiding a van in the process. He had removed the ABS a while ago since it slowed him down too much. It turned out to be a very good decision. His driving improved a lot since he did it and he couldn't be happier.

The NSX had no problems taking the corner, while the Chevelle was slightly struggling. Colin inched a little closer, and the next corner came.

This one was a bit tighter, and Cameron obviously slowed down. Colin did as well, but not as much.

This went on for a while, Colin inching closer and closer.

As time went on, Cameron's driving became more and more erratic, forceful. Colin blew past Cameron at one point and looked to his left. They had switched positions now, with Cameron being on the left side and Colin on the right.

He could see the scowl on the man's face and Colin swore that for a second he saw him grip the wheel tighter. Cameron suddenly jerked his head towards Colin. He was gritting his teeth, jaw clenched tight. It was obvious he was incredibly angry. He raised a fist, his intentions obvious.

Colin took a look in front of him then quickly pointed to the road before changing gears. Cameron looked as well and audibly swore as he avoided slamming into an 18 wheeler. Colin laughed at the man's idiocy.

'How the fuck hasn't he killed himself already? Jesus…'

A minute later, the road straightened out. It was now that Cameron started pulling ahead again. His car got further away with every second that passed. Colin had to admit that he was getting slightly concerned. The distance was undeniably big, and the Chevelle kept pulling away. He tried to stay right behind the car to draft as much as possible, and this proved to be effective for a short amount of time until the Chevelle got too far for drafting to be effective.

Colin shifted into the 5th gear and started tapping his steering wheel every few moments as his patience was slowly running out. There was a section of S curves ahead, and he knew that section was the key to winning this race. It was only a matter of mental strength. Most people would panic by now, seeing that they are falling behind. However, Colin knew that panicking would lead to him making rash decisions. He knew that it's always better to wait until an opportunity arises -however small it may be- and take it. He just had to wait for the S section.

Sure enough, after a while some curves made themselves visible. Colin dropped down some gears and slowed down. To his delight, he was taking the apex much better than Cameron and this gave him a huge advantage. With every corner he was getting closer to Cameron. After a few more curves, he passed Cameron. By this point, they were getting close to the finish.

Another minute passed and Colin was gaining distance now, while Cameron was becoming desperate. They were getting close to a particularly tight turn. Colin hit the clutch and dropped a gear. His rear end swung out, and smoke pooled around his rear wheels as he easily pulled through the curve.

In a last effort to win, Cameron decided not to brake. As the turn came up, he violently tugged at the wheel, spinning it all the way.

At first, everything went fine, but mere seconds later he found himself inches away from the metal guardrail on the opposite side. He panicked and tugged at the wheel harder, but obviously nothing happened. He slammed the brakes as he rapidly came closer and closer to the guardrail. The car slowed down and stopped its imminent collision, however he was lagging behind a lot now.

His panic grew as he realized he was barrelling towards an oncoming car. He pulled roughly at his handbrake in an attempt to drift like Colin did. To his surprise, it did work, getting him back on the right lane and narrowly avoiding crashing into a sedan. However, his luck quickly ran out. His car simply wouldn't straighten out, skidding along the road for a few meters and eventually spinning even more. He was now facing backwards as he kept skidding and eventually ended up back on the oncoming lane. He quickly turned around before any other cars would come and slammed the gas pedal, doing a burnout in the process.

Try as he might, he couldn't catch up now. Colin had gotten way too far by this point. Still, he pushed on. After a minute of not seeing Colin's NSX he knew he had lost. And he hated this fact.

He growled in rage.

'That's fucking bullshit!'

He could only hope that Colin would crash or that he would make a mistake. Or hell, maybe even have his car break down. This would mean having to invest in the car after winning it, but it was still better than losing his Chevelle.

However, no such thing happened. Cameron approached the finish, seeing Colin waiting on the side of the road. To his surprise, someone else was present as well, as was indicated by the parked Hurst. Cameron quickly identified the car as Robin's, a guy who often hung out with him and the others.

Cameron pulled over and got out of the car.

Colin came forward, an unreadable expression on his face.

"If you don't have a pen, it's fine. I have one"

Cameron scowled.

"I'm not giving you shit, fuck off"

Colin shook his head seemingly in exasperation.

"Come on man, don't be like that. We had a deal and you have to stick to it. We agreed to this. 1 lap, the winner takes the other's car. Don't make this difficult"

"I said I'm not giving you shit, leave me alone. It's my fucking car, got it!?"

To his surprise, Robin butted in.

"Look Cameron, you can get him another time. Just give him the fucking car, don't go around making enemies. What if he'll start following you everywhere demanding the car every day? Hell, some people even get violent. I'll give you one of my other cars, you can climb up from there and make some money for a better one. You can race him for pink slips again when you have a better car and take this one back"

Cameron did seem to consider this for a short time, but then clenched his fists in anger and started shouting.

"THIS IS BULLSHIT! YOU BOTH KNOW DAMN WELL THAT I AM NOT GOING TO GIVE MY CAR AWAY! IT'S MINE AND ONLY MINE! I WON'T LET THIS DUMB SHIT TAKE IT FROM ME!"

The other 2 men were starting to get really tired of Cameron's attitude. Robin more so than Colin though.

"For fuck's sake, Cameron! Why are you always so difficult? You talk shit at car meets and embarrass all of us, you pick fights, you act like a moron and now you are going around being an asshole. This happens all the time. I'm sick of you, man. And I'm also sick of your attitude"

"YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU CAN'T TELL ME HOW I SHOULD ACT, DIPSHIT! YOU'RE NOT IN CHARGE, I AM"

Robin groaned loudly in frustration.

"You are not 'in charge'. Nobody is. We're just a bunch of dudes that love cars and occasionally have some races. You keep acting like you are our boss or like you are so much better than literally every person ever. Cameron, our friendship is over! It has been for a long time! I told you so many times to fuck off but you keep coming back to annoy me and the others. And now you're making us look bad? To a skilled racer no less? You absolute dumb fuck. Just give the guy the car already and let's get this over with so we can all be on our way"

"I SAID-"

"No, Cameron! I don't give a shit. If you don't change the way you fucking act you'll have problems with everyone, and I won't hesitate to make your life a living hell. I told you, you'll have an opportunity to defeat the guy another time, but today is not your lucky day. And don't think of running away, because that won't work with us"

Cameron grit his teeth but seemed to lose himself in thoughts. It was only after 2 minutes that he angrily stomped towards his car and opened the glove compartment. After a bit of rummaging, he took out a paper. A pink paper.

He came back and outstretched his hand. Colin hadn't expected the guy to actually retrieve the pink slip, but he was glad he did. Unsurprisingly though, Cameron was asking for a pen. It made sense though, he hadn't expected to actually lose, so he thought he didn't have a reason to carry a pen around.

Sighing, Colin took out a pen from a pocket on his jeans and gave it to the man.

"Ok, give me your full name and address" asked Cameron after a few seconds.

"I'll write those myself, just fill in everything else"

Cameron seemed to scowl even more at that.

He went back to his car, retrieved some more documents, then copied the VIN to the pink slip, then the date of transfer. He obviously struggled to write 'Gift' in the 'Sales Price' section, if his grit teeth and enraged eyes were any clue. His hand shook and he audibly growled. Then, he signed the back of the Certificate of Title. He shoved both of the documents in Colin's chest and threw the keys at him.

"You better give me a fucking ride for this, or we'll have problems" he said to Robin.

"Yeah, yeah, I will. Get in the car"

Robin shook his head and came over to Colin.

"Sorry for that. The fucker's attitude is uncontrollable. I knew you could defeat him, I realized from the moment you stepped out of that beautiful NSX that you are very talented. You know, I used to be big back in my days"

Colin was surprised for a moment, but then the realization sunk in. The way the man spoke, his attitude, even just the vibe he gave off, all pointed to him being a racing veteran. Colin always knew when he was facing a racing professional, and now his instincts were telling him that this guy was good.

The man gave a warm chuckle.

"Ah, I know that look. It's the look of someone realizing he is talking with someone just as talented, if not more. But I don't want to brag, that's one of the things I hate the most"

"Same as me, it seems like. I think we all universally hate people that brag"

"Indeed. I can't say I was the best, there were many far better than me. But I used to be a hell of a lot more active about 16 years ago. I did mostly drag races, but I also liked drifting, especially on mountain passes. Downhill mostly. Oh yeah, those were the days, man. It's so weird to think how fast the time flies away. It seems as if it was only yesterday when I was betting thousands multiple times a day. It's all still so vivid, you know? It's the type of stuff that sticks with you. Oh man, now I'm acting like my grandpa. Sorry about that"

Colin shook his head and raised a hand lazily.

"Nah, man. It's fine. Go on, I'm curious"

"Oh, really now? Hahaha! I see you're not like most people. Most would try to make this short and get the hell out, but I can see that look in your eyes. That curiosity, that thirst for knowledge. You want to learn more from a professional, don't you?"

Colin was surprised yet again, this time that the man understood his intentions so easily.

"Yeah, but you also seem chill and I like talking with you. Besides, it's interesting to hear about racing from a few decades ago"

"Why, would you look at that… a talented racer that is also respectful and willing to know more. I'm telling you, son, that's hard to come across. You're a nice kid. You know what? I'd love to talk more with you, but not now. The boys in blue are coming"

Colin only now realized he could faintly hear police sirens. He nodded.

"All right, kid. See you another time. Oh, and there's an alleyway if you go that way, near those 2 buildings right there," he pointed across the street at two old looking blocks. Their paint had long since peeled off, revealing the gray concrete underneath. "It's a perfect place to hide a car -namely, the Chevelle- if you have to. It has a dead end, and you can actually just cover the entrance with those wooden pallets right there. Racers from a long time ago placed those pallets there to cover the entrance and it worked really well every time. No one bothered picking them up, no idea why. Be careful though, that alleyway is sort of tight. Good luck"

"Thank you, I really appreciate that"

And with that, the man climbed into his car and drove off. The police sirens were slightly louder now and Colin was getting a bit concerned. He knew he would have enough time if he hurried up, but it was still nerve-wracking.

He jumped into the Chevelle and started the engine. It roared to life like a beast, however he didn't have time to appreciate the beautiful sound. He shifted into the first gear and carefully drove across the street since he wasn't yet used to the car. He turned a corner and slowly inched forward between the tight walls. On each side, he could occasionally see doors which obviously haven't been used in decades. Most were made of thin metal and had started rusting. After a few seconds he stopped, having reached the end. In front of him was a wall, made of concrete as well, which seemed to connect with the other 2 walls on each side of him. It was about 2 meters tall and was filled with graffiti.

Hearing the sirens concerningly close, he tried getting out of the car but soon realized that would be very difficult. His door couldn't open completely, one leaving a small gap to maneuver around.

Colin cursed, pressing himself against the car as much as possible and taking small steps sideways. It took a few agonizing seconds and his shirt even got caught in something, but eventually he got out. He shut the door then ran as fast as his legs could take him back through the alleyway.

He grunted as he heaved one of the wooden pallets which to his surprise was a lot heavier than expected. He had moved wooden pallets before, but none of them were like this one.

The man placed it in front of the entrance, making it cover only a half since it would fall through otherwise, then did the same with the other pallet but on the other side. Finally, he moved the third one in the center. By the end he was sweating and breathing heavily.

Colin gasped as he saw a Crown Victoria in the distance, the flashing blues and reds rapidly getting closer. He dug for his last reserves of energy and made a sprint for his car. His heart was pumping so fast in his chest he could swear it would straight up jump out and run ahead of him. His lungs burned for much needed oxygen.

After what seemed like ages, he had finally reached his car and jumped in, just as a Crown Victoria sharply took the corner behind him and was heading straight for him at full speed, covering the distance of the long road in mere moments.

It suddenly skidded and came to a stop as he started his car.

"THIS IS THE HURRICANE POLICE DEPARTMENT, STEP OUT OF THE VEHICLE RIGHT NOW!" boomed a voice through the PA system.

He peeled out as soon as the sentence ended, taking a quick look in the rearview mirror. He unintentionally raised his eyebrows as he saw more and more cars coming into view. He had expected the police to show up, but not to see so many of them.

Smirking, Colin pressed a button under his dashboard. This little thing was a clever addition which saved him so many times he couldn't count. It took a while for him to figure out how to make it work, but he was glad he hadn't given up.

'One of these days I'll have to cover it up somehow. Can't have anyone knowing about it'

As he pushed the tiny button, a plastic sort of lid fell over the license plates and covered them.

He drifted around a corner, putting some distance between the police cars behind him. The engine screamed as he went faster, the adrenaline making him grin.

He loved this. He loved the feeling of the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He loved the sound of the engine revving and the squealing of the tires. He loved the sight of the scenery going by so fast and the smell of the burning rubber. The sight of the police chasing him made him feel alive, the danger giving him a thrill.

The sirens were starting to become a problem. Colin could still hear them clearly, and this meant the police were close.

'How the hell did they even catch up? Whatever, I can deal with them.'

A police car was tailgating him, and he had a few seconds to act.

'Let's have some fun, shall we?'

He swerved left, then right. His rear bumper crashed against the Crown Victoria's front bumper, shaking off the car slightly. This was the part that the police always underestimated. Colin used the police's assumption that they were a better driver. They often believed that they would be able to pull such a move and get the upper hand, but it rarely worked when they did it to him. Colin knew the limits of his car and his driving skill, and he had to admit that the maneuver was risky.

However, the fact that the maneuver was risky is what made it so effective. It's not the riskiest thing Colin did, but he knew he would be able to get away with it. He was confident enough to do it, and this is what made the maneuver so successful.

This time was no different. Colin had managed to pull ahead and had successfully shaken the cop off.

He grimaced when he looked in the rearview mirror and noticed all the other police cars behind.

'Man, these guys sure are determined. It's been a while since I've seen them this desperate. I wonder what's up with that...'

It didn't matter though. Colin would probably find out at some point. For now, he had to get rid of these guys.

He shifted into the 3rd gear and floored the pedal. The car shot forward and quickly gained speed.

Colin's face morphed into a grin as he drifted through a curve, then a short bridge. He glanced in the rearview mirror, noticing that the police were falling behind.

It was obvious to him that the police weren't as skilled drivers as him, so he could use his skill to his advantage.

It took a few minutes, but eventually he had lost them.

'Well, I'm fucking lucky I escaped them before they could start making roadblocks. I can sometimes go around them, but there are other times when I can't and despite this car being fucking amazing, it's not big or strong enough to smash through a roadblock without serious damages. I'm just happy I didn't have to deal with that bullshit.'

He let out a sigh of relief. Colin took a corner down a tiny alleyway to be hidden while he stopped. After taking a few moments to calm his breath and heart, he got out of the car and inspected the damage.

To his relief, the car was in an overall good condition. He only needed to repair a small dent in the rear bumper, and even that was fixable with a hammer. Of course, he wouldn't fix it here, he didn't even have the tools for it. But it was still useful to know the extent of the damages.

Colin got back into his car and continued driving.

The sun had set and the sky had started to become a dark blue. Colin could faintly see the stars. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to head over to the convention for his second night shift. He had to head home first though. He was hungry and he had to grab his backpack.

He couldn't help but smile. Today was a great day. Not only did he win a beautiful muscle car, but he had also encountered a talented driver -which was Robin, not Cameron, obviously-. Few people got that opportunity, and he was incredibly thankful for this.

His thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly remembered something.

'Shit, I forgot to turn the damn headlights on'

He shook his head.

'Good thing the police aren't around. They would have noticed that my headlights aren't on and would have probably recognized the car, even through the darkness. I have no clue where they fucked off -which slightly concerns me- but I'm grateful that I don't have to avoid them. For now…

Man, today really was a good day though. I didn't win money, but I did win something far better'

After about half an hour Colin arrived home and parked the car in the garage. After making sure everything was secure, he closed the garage and entered the house.

It was empty, like always. He moved here about a year ago, and although it sometimes stung to not find anyone waiting for him, he did appreciate the moments of silence. It was a sort of privacy that most of the time felt very cozy and comfortable. His parents were very good people and he respected them a lot, however it was nice making decisions for himself and being in charge of his life.

As for his sister… he did miss her sometimes, but a simple phone call always made his day slightly better.

He checked the only clock he owned, taking note of the time.

'Right. My shift is gonna start soon, I should eat something really quickly, then get my bag and drive to work.'

He went over to his kitchen and opened his fridge. There wasn't an awful lot, but he could manage. He learned to cook from his sister. She had always been very talented at cooking, so when she offered to teach him the basics he gladly agreed. Now, he knew a thing or two. He obviously wasn't as talented as her, but he didn't need to be. And this situation definitely didn't require a lot of skill.

He took out some eggs and left them on the counter, then took out a pan and some oil. He added a bit of oil then started the stove and placed the pan on it. Soon, he was making a simple omelet. It was enough to keep him fed for a few hours, especially considering he would bring some snacks to work as well.

Colin ate in silence, lost in thoughts. He briefly wondered about what tonight would be like, but then shrugged off his thoughts.

'What good would it do to ponder on this? The janitor guy said that the nights will become harder, but this is only my second night so I won't have to worry. Besides, the girls are willing to give me a chance. Well, at least the 3 on the main stage are willing to. I don't know about Foxy and Mangle. I can only hope that things won't be too bad…'

He kept eating, and after a few minutes he finished.

He washed the dishes and went to his room to change into his work uniform. It was a bit unkempt since he had slept in it, but it luckily didn't smell and it didn't look too bad either.

'Going to have to be more careful from now on. I don't want to go there looking like shit.'

He quickly checked if he had all his items inside his backpack, then he grabbed it by a strap and walked to his garage.

Like last time, he raced across the mostly empty streets. Going fast at night by himself had always been very relaxing for Colin. Therapeutic even. Just him, his car and the open road, getting lit by his headlights. The moon casting a soft glow onto his face, and the chill of the quiet night cooling him. Sometimes he listened to the purrs of his engine, other times he put on some music. It was nothing short of amazing.

Before he realized, he had reached the convention.

He sat in his car for another minute, then got out and opened the front doors. He stepped in, briefly thinking of how different the place looked in nearly complete darkness. Then, he locked the doors behind him and made his way to the office.

He didn't notice the 3 sets of eyes following his movements as he passed the 3 unmoving machines on the stage…