Gumball Rally 2: Reborn In The USA

by BKelly95

After a long absence, the Gumball Rally returns to the U.S. A new set of racers prepare to take to the road in a contest of skill and determination. But there can only be one winner. Who knows who that will be? Co-written by The Turbo Man.

3. Meet The Gumballers Part 2

GUMBALL RALLY 2: REBORN IN THE U.S.A.
by Bkelly95 and the Turbo Man

CHAPTER TWO: 'Meet The Gumballers Part 2'

DISCLAIMER: As usual, we own nothing.

---

Outside a video game arcade somewhere in California, two female figures walked towards a Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640. The car had been painted orange with a graphics of red dragons on the sides. The hood and roof had been mounted with scoops, a carbon splitter and spoiler had been added, and the front fenders sported canards.

The first was a short, young Caucasian girl of about ten years old with long, raven-black hair which had pieces of candy sprinkled over it and was styled in a high ponytail. She wore a mint green hoodie sweater, a dark brown double-layered skirt, a pair of mismatched tights with candy cane style stripes and a pair of shiny black boots.

The second figure was a slightly dark-skinned woman in her mid-twenties with long, brown hair, and eyes which were a lighter shade of brown. She wore a black leather jacket over a red hoodie jacket and a blue shirt, blue jeans with a belt which had a bronze buckle of a skull and two snakes, and a pair of black boots. She had a tattoo of a dagger on her left arm and also wore a pair of gold hoop earrings, a pair of red fingerless driving gloves, and red nail polish on her fingernails.

They both took a minute to take in the view of their surroundings.

"So, this is the real world." the woman said with a slight Middle Eastern accent.

"You betcha, Shank!" the young girl cheerily remarked. "We're not the only ones coming from another dimension to take part in the Gumball, so there are a lot of folks this year who'll be surprised by it."

The woman grinned at that. She was the racer Shank, the protagonist of the online racing game 'Slaughter Race'. Her young friend was Princess Vanellope Von Schweetz who was the main character of the arcade game 'Sugar Rush'. Both of them had ventured via the arcade's WiFi router into the real world to compete in the Gumball Rally.

Shank ran her hand along the Murcielago's surface. "I'm glad to see that the Starla made it here as well."

Vanellope looked at the tablet she had in her hand.

"Okay, I've worked out the fastest route to Miami." she grinned. "With our abilities, it should be a fun ride. I just hope that the Gumball doesn't involve dodging giant gumballs like we had to do in 'Sugar Rush'."

"So? I'm just hoping it's an interesting challenge so that winning won't be too easy." Shank replied. "It's no fun otherwise."

"Right. Let's go!" Vanellope chirped as she opened the Starla's driver side door and got behind the wheel. Shank climbed in on the passenger side.

Vanellope suddenly narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"What's up?" asked Shank.

"Thought I felt something a bit familiar and unfriendly." Vanellope replied before she shook her head. "Probably nothing." she then dismissed it.

"I just hope nobody gets the wrong idea about me tagging along with you." Shank half-jokingly remarked.

"We'll just tell them you're my big sister helping me train for my learner's permit." Vanellope good-naturedly shrugged as she started the Starla up and drove off at high speed.

A few yards down the road, the Starla digitally 'glitched' and jumped ahead about fifty yards. Vanellope's special power was working in the real world as well.

Not long after the Starla had gone, a Lamborghini Egoista pulled up outside the arcade. It had been painted pearlescent orange/yellow and mounted with a hood vent, fender flares, and a box spoiler.

Driving it was a short, very ghoulish-looking male figure wearing a red and white racing jumpsuit and a similar racing helmet which had with the letter 'T' emblazoned on the front and back of it and a pair of red and white sneakers on his feet. He had pale, almost gray skin and his eyes and his teeth were bright yellow. The eyes had a gleam in them like the headlights of a car.

He was Turbo, protagonist of the arcade game "Turbo-Time" and the self-proclaimed greatest video game racer of all time. Out of spite and jealousy, he had caused Vanellope a lot of heartache in the past.

"I knew you couldn't resist the Gumball, glitch!" he sneered to himself. "I'm going to put you in your place once and for all! Okay, Tristessa, vamos a Miami!"

He revved the engine of the Egoista, which he called the Tristessa, and took off after the Starla.

"Turbo-tastic!" he laughed to himself maniacally.

---

Mexico...

A 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham drove down a deserted highway in the dead of night. The matte grey car featured twin hood scoops, intakes in the headlights, grille teeth, and ducts in the rear fenders. At the wheel was a tough-looking Mexican man with a thin mustache wearing a brown leather commando vest and matching pants. He had many tattoos, most notably a large one on his chest of a woman wearing a sombrero. On the floor at his feet, where he could easily reach it if he needed it, was a large machete. That was rather fitting as the blade was his namesake. The man was the legendary former federale Machete Cortez.

Machete drove north to the United States so he could take part in the Gumball after he had received his invite earlier that day. It had been a long drive thus far and he had yet to cross the border. Even though his reputation as the toughest of the tough had been well earned, he was still starting to get tired as he drove down this dark stretch of lonely highway.

His eyelids began to flutter a bit and the Cadillac drifted a bit into the oncoming lane.

The blare of a loud truck horn shocked Machete's eyes open as the headlights of an oncoming gas truck shocked him fully awake.

He quickly turned back into his lane as the truck drove past him in the opposite direction.

"Idiota!" the truck driver yelled at him as he drove past.

Machete brought the Cadillac to a halt and took a deep breath.

As he did, there was a sudden knock on the passenger-side window.

Machete looked surprised and saw the silhouetted figure of a rough-looking Caucasian man with his thumb out like a hitchhiker.

Machete heard a rumble of thunder and knew that a storm would begin soon and decided to give the stranger a ride.

He reached over and opened the passenger-side door.

"Mi madre used to warn me never to do this." he said to the stranger half-jokingly as he got in.

"She may have been right." the man grinned as he sat down. He was a blond-haired man with a few days' worth of beard and wore a long overcoat and what appeared to be clothes which he had slept outdoors in underneath it.

The man stuck a cigarette in his mouth. "Got a light?"

"Si." Machete replied as he took out his lighter and flicked it open.

As Machete lit the man's cigarette, he got a good look at his face and also saw the stock of a shotgun sticking up near the collar of the man's overcoat.

A look of surprise crossed Machete's face for a moment, but it quickly passed as he played it cool.

"I know you." Machete remarked. "You're that hobo guy who cleaned up things in Hope Town up in Canada, right?"

"That I am." the Hobo grinned. "I hear that things have improved enough that they now actually call it Hope Town as opposed to Scum Town or Fuck Town."

"I heard that you were dead." Machete snorted.

The Hobo grinned mysteriously.

"I was, but I got better. It's a long boring story." he remarked. "Let's just say that a deal was made where I would come back to sort out a few more towns that need sorting out."

"Okay." Machete grinned.

"You're taking it very well." the Hobo commented.

"I've seen a lot of weird mierda in my life." Machete shrugged. "Hell, I fought a battle in space not so long ago."

Now it was the Hobo's turn to look surprised. "Seriously?"

"Machete don't joke." Machete sternly stated.

"Fine." the Hobo shrugged. "So, you goin' to El Norte?"

"Si, but I have to stop in Miami. The Gumball Rally is taking place this year and I'm taking part."

"The illegal race?" the Hobo raised an eyebrow.

"Fuckin' A." Machete grinned.

"Well, I'd hate to think that my time now I'm back was all business. I was given a good bit of cash to start up when I was sent back, so I can pitch in for gas." the Hobo smirked.

"Yeah, I think I could use a relief driver as well." Machete nodded. "You CAN drive, right?"

"Sure I can." the Hobo replied with mock indignation. "It's been a while since I have, but I can do it."

"Then sure, you can come on the race with me. You wanna get some driving practice in now?"

"That's a good idea, considering your near-miss back there." the Hobo nodded.

"Bueno." Machete remarked as he climbed out and went around to the passenger side as the Hobo slid into the driver's seat.

"Cool ride, by the way." the Hobo added as he fastened his seatbelt.

"Thanks." Machete replied as he got in the passenger seat. "I call her the Nightrider. No relation to the TV show."

"Right." the Hobo nodded as Machete strapped himself in and the Hobo started the Nightrider up.

He burned out of the spot the Nightrider had been parked in and grinned as he kept the car under control at a high speed.

"Just like riding a bike." the Hobo smirked. "Once you've learned, it sticks with you."

He and Machete fist-bumped as they drove on towards the border.

---

Somewhere in the wasteland of Australia, a group of people in post-apocalyptic wear gathered around an altar. A bald woman with a bionic left arm stood on top.

"Presenting Imperator Furiosa!" yelled a man wearing copious amounts of sunblock. "Mistress of mayhem! Madam of mischief! The Ayatollah of rock and rolla!"

Furiosa stepped forward to address the crowd.

"People of the Citadel!" said Furiosa. "I have been chosen to represent you in the Gumball Rally! This is being held in an alternate dimension where the bombs didn't drop! Don't get excited. I'll only be able to go there for the duration of the race and I'll be home before you know it."

"Furiosa!" cheered the crowd.

"As you might guess, an event like this requires the right car." said Furiosa. "And that is something we have. I present to you...the Collision!"

She stepped aside to reveal a 1971 Chevrolet Camaro painted in matte black. The car sported a hood bulge, a chin spoiler, a carbon fiber tailgate, blacked out taillights, and titanium exhausts.

"An excellent machine, Imperator." said one man. "But the Gumball Rally is a three thousand mile race. It's quite a lot for one person. Are you prepared, my lady?"

"I'm prepared as much as possible." said Furiosa. "But you do have a point. The journey is a lot for one person and I will require an assistant. Who is willing to join me?"

Murmurs flowed through the crowd.

"Anyone?" asked Furiosa. "No one is up to the challenge?"

They heard a whistle. They all turned to see a dark-haired Caucasian man wearing a black leather jacket with a sleeve missing.

"If you need someone with driving experience, let me tell you." said the man. "I'm the one you should partner yourself with. I've got the skills you need. You can ask Toecutter's gang...or you could if they were still alive. You can see the results from Pappagallo's convoy. What you need is me."

"I can attest to his skills as well." said Furiosa. "Funny seeing you again, Max."

"We meet again." said the man, former police officer 'Mad' Max Rockatansky. "So, what do you say? Am I in?"

"Why not?" said Furiosa. "Are you ready?"

"Always." said Max.

They walked towards the Collision and climbed in.

"Let's go." said Max as Furiosa started the Collision up. They drove off as the crowd whooped and cheered behind them.

---

In the suburbs of San Francisco, a group of rather unusual friends walked out of two-story townhouse.

At the head of the group was a 12-year old Caucasian boy with blond hair and blue eyes wearing glasses, a light blue t-shirt with the number five emblazoned on it, blue jeans and black shoes. His name was Willy DuWitt and, despite his young age, he was a genius. He had created a photon accelerator in his bedroom and it enabled him access to another dimension known as the Aniverse. The Aniverse was so called due to the fact that it was inhabited by anthropomorphic animals. Indeed, Willy had served aboard a starship called the Righteous Indignation in the Aniverse as its engineer, and the rest of the group with him were the crew he served with.

First off was the ship's captain, Bucky O'Hare. He was a green-furred hare with pink eyes wearing red goggles on his ears and a red captain's outfit with yellow trim, coattails, and epaulettes on the shoulders.

Next was Jenny, a white-furred female Persian cat with green eyes, long pink hair, and a pink tail who was wearing a form-fitting black leotard with equally form-fitting silver armor on her shoulders, arms, legs, and torso and a silver tiara on her forehead. The armor also included oval pink gemtones on her arms, legs, waist, and in the center of her tiara. She served as Bucky's first mate and pilot of the ship.

Next was the ship's gunner, Deadeye Duck. He was a black, four-armed duck wearing an orange flight suit, red boots, a red baseball cap, and headphones on his ears. His left eye socket had a red eyepatch over it and his remaining eye was green.

Then there was Bruiser, a large, muscular ape wearing combat armor and with a pierced left ear and nostril with a gold chain going from the ear to the nostril. He was a former space marine and had joined the crew to replace his brother Bruce who had been accidentally transported to another dimension.

Finally, there was Blinky. He was a short, silver robot with a giant red eye where his face should have been, pointed silver fingers on his hands, and a blue circular module with a black center on his chest.

The crew had made small visits to Willy's home before, but had been invited to compete in the Gumball Rally the year before. They had received a return invitation this year and thought it too good an opportunity to pass up.

"Are you guys sure it's okay for us to take part?" Willy was asking as they walked towards a grey Hummer HX which was parked at the curb outside Willy's house.

"It'll be fine, Willy." Bucky reassured him. "Things have been quiet recently and both Dogstar and Mimi say they can handle things for now."

"It just be a pity we're still going up against toadies again this year." Deadeye grumbled, referring to a team that also took part in the Japanese Gumball and had been invited back.

"This humble android has already informed Deadeye that Battletoads are different from toads this crew usually fights against." Blinky put in.

"He knows, Blinky." Jenny lightly teased. "He's still just ticked off that he couldn't beat their video game."

"He's not the only one." Bruiser complained. "I couldn't get past the third level either."

"Well, maybe we can beat them in a real-life race this time." Bucky cajoled. "So, what do you call this ride, Willy?"

"Well, in keeping with the whole different dimension thing and the fact that I enjoy the classic TV show of the same name, I've called it the Twilight Zone."

"Niiiice." Deadeye grinned as he let out an appreciative whistle.

"I'LL drive." Jenny peremptorily stated as she opened the door and got behind the wheel.

Bucky was initially surprised, but sighed in a good-natured way.

"She'll drive." he confirmed.

The others all nodded as Bucky got in the passenger side and the other four climbed in the back.

"Strap yourselves in." Jenny warned. "We already have about three thousand miles to go just to get to the starting line."

"Yes, ma'am." Willy grinned.

---

In a movie theater in New York, a blond-haired Caucasian teenage boy wearing a flannel shirt, blue jeans and a varsity jacket stood watching an action movie playing on the screen. As he did, he took a quick look at the half of a movie ticket he had in his right hand. The ticket seemed to be glowing with an unearthly energy.

On the movie screen, a yellow Mitsubishi Eclipse drove right towards the camera as Beethoven's 'Ode To Joy' played over its stereo. Its paintjob looked like shattered glass and the car had a full body kit with a hood vent, box spoiler, and carbon splitter. As the Eclipse was about to hit the camera, a portal of blue light opened in the movie screen and the Eclipse drove out into the movie theater where the driver brought it to a controlled halt before it crashed.

The teenager smiled as he approached the car.

Behind the wheel was a brown-haired muscular Caucasian man wearing a red t-shirt, a brown leather jacket, blue jeans and brown boots. He had one hand on the Eclipse's steering wheel and he held the other half of the movie ticket in his free hand. It was glowing as well.

"Glad to see it still works." the man grinned as he spoke with an Austrian accent.

"Hey, Jack." the teenager smirked as he got over to the car. His name was Danny Madigan and the driver of the car was Jack Slater, his favorite action movie hero. Thanks to the mysterious magic movie ticket Danny had been given, the duo had been able to travel between the world of Jack's movies and the real world.

"Good to see you, Danny." Jack answered. "I take it that your Mom is okay with you taking part in the Gumball?"

"She is." Danny nodded. "My grades are up at school and it's summer anyway."

"Good to know." a female voice chipped in from the Eclipse's back seat. The voice's owner was an attractive blonde-haired woman in her early twenties who was wearing a leopard-print crop top, a black leather jacket and matching black leather skirt with combat boots. She also had a belt around her waist from which a police badge and a pair of handcuffs hung and had a tight-fitting silver helmet on her head and silver mirrored sunglasses. This was Jack's daughter Whitney.

Sitting beside her was an orange cartoon cat with black stripes who wore a gray trenchcoat and pants, a matching fedora, and a pair of sunglasses. He was Whiskers, another officer in Jack's L.A.P.D. precinct in Jack's movie series.

"So, Whitney, you joined the force?" Danny asked.

"Naturally. As you can imagine, Mom wasn't too happy about it." Whitney shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm glad that the only one of our movies she was in was the first one." Whiskers chuckled.

"You DO know that female cops don't dress like that in this world, right?" Danny sheepishly added.

"I could just say I'm giving my Comic-Con costume an airing." Whitney replied. "I'll say I'm going as a sexy cyberpunk cop."

"Good idea." Danny chuckled.

"So, Danny, meet the Harlequin." Jack beamed as he indicated the Eclipse.

"Good name." Danny replied.

"I've come to like commedia dell'arte." Jack shrugged.

"Yeah, he's a real cultured guy now." Whiskers playfully teased.

"Okay, guys, enough with the chin music." Whitney warned. "We have a race to run."

"Yeah, I know all about New York traffic." Jack answered. "So, climb in and strap in, Danny."

"Absolutely." Danny smirked as he and Jack fist-bumped.

---

At a club somewhere in Chicago, a blues band performed for the crowd. The singers were two men wearing black suits with white shirts, black hats, and sunglasses, but not ties.

Coming to you on a dusty road.
Good lovin' I got a truck load.
And when you got it, you got something.
So don't worry cause I'm coming.

I'm a soul man.
I'm a soul man.
I'm a soul man.
I'm a soul man.

Got what I got the hard way.
And I'll make it better each and every day.
So honey, don't you fret.
Cause you ain't seen nothing yet.

I'm a soul man.
I'm a soul man.
Play it, Steve!
I'm a soul man.
I'm a soul man.

Listen.
I was brought up on a side street.
I learned how to love before I could eat.
I was educated from good stock.
When I start lovin' I just can't stop.

I'm a soul man.
I'm a soul man.
I'm a soul man.
I'm a soul man.

Well, grab the rope and I'll pull you in.
Give you hope and be your only boyfriend.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm a soul man.
I'm a soul man.
You're a soul man.
I'm a soul man.
I'm a soul man.
I'm a soul man.

-"Soul Man" by the Blues Brothers.

The taller man, Elwood Blues turned to the crowd and said "Let's hear what you are."

He held out his microphone to them and they sang "I'm a soul man!"

The shorter, stockier man, Elwood's brother Jake, said "And now just the front row."

He held out his microphone to them and they sang "I'm a soul man!"

"And now just the guys in the back." said Elwood.

He held out his microphone to them and they sang "I was so mad!"

After the concert, Jake and Elwood walked into the dressing room.

"Next time, let's find a venue with better acoustics." said Jake.

"Hey, what's this?" asked Elwood as he looked at a case of beer.

"That better not be coming out of our payment for the night." said Jake.

"I already made sure about that." said Elwood as he pulled a note off of the beer.

"What does it say?" asked Jake.

"It just says 'Gumball'." said Elwood.

"Oh, you know what that means." said Jake.

"We've been asked to take part in the Gumball Rally." said Elwood.

"Well, great." said Jake. "Let's get the Bluesmobile and get to the starting line."

"Yeah, that." said Elwood. "I traded the Bluesmobile for another microphone."

"You traded the Cadillac for another microphone?" asked Jake.

"No, it's okay." said Elwood. "I got another car."

Outside, they looked over a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner with a hood scoop, intakes in the lights, and a mid-level spoiler. The hood, front fenders, rear fenders, trunk, and bumpers had been painted black while the doors and roof had been painted white. Faded police badges adorned the doors.

"Another former cop car." said Jake.

"Last one worked out well for us." said Elwood. "What do you say?"

"Okay, let's go." said Jake.

They climbed inside with Elwood driving.

"So, what do we call this car?" asked Jake as Elwood started it.

Latin Quarter's "Radio Africa" played over the radio.

"How about we call it Radio Africa?" asked Elwood.

"Hit it." said Jake as he gave a thumbs-up.

---

In the city of Los Santos, at a clothing factory on the east side of town...

"Just a few more taps and we're in." said the balding man wearing glasses.

"You got us into the Gumball?" asked the stone-faced black-haired man in the suit. "Great job."

"Well, I'm sure the race could benefit from your particular set of skills." said the balding man, Lester Crest.

"If you want a particular set of skills for this, call Franklin." said the suited man, Michael de Santa. "In fact, he should be getting a notice on the race soon enough."

In the hills overlooking the city, a muscular African-American man checked his laptop. "Alright!" he said. "Lester came through and got us into the Gumball."

"Looks like something that calls on your skill set." said another African-American man with a moustache.

"It's a crazy-ass challenge." said the muscular man, Franklin Clinton. "But you know I had to do this shit."

"What do you think?" asked the other man, Lamar Davis. "Can we win this thing?"

"We can see." said Franklin.

"Hey, your homeboy Trevor taking part?" asked Lamar.

"Ugh, you know he is." said Franklin.

Further north, in the run-down town of Sandy Shores...

"Hot damn!" cheered a wild-eyed man with stringy black hair. He also had a dashed line tattooed around his neck with the words "Cut here". "The Gumball Rally!"

"The Gumball Rally?" asked a meek-looking man with grey hair, glasses, and a hat. "But why? How does an underground cross-country road race advance your operation?"

"It doesn't." said the wild-eyed man, Trevor Phillips. "But sometimes, you have to take a break and have some fun! And this is gonna be fun!"

"Yes, you're right about that." said the meek man, "Nervous" Ron Jakowski. "But what about the cops? Driving like that is sure to attract their attention and possibly jeopardize Trevor Phillips Industries."

"Not if you do it right." said Trevor. "And that is why I'm making sure that Michael and Franklin are coming too."

Back in Los Santos...

"Well, now that we're in the race, we'll need a car." said Lester as he hobbled on a cane out of the factory.

"I've got that covered." said Michael. He ran over to an arch leading under an overpass.

Lester watched and heard a car door slam. Then he heard an engine start. Then, a blue Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Competizione drove out of the arch and pulled up next to Lester.

"Well, I see you've rejected subtlety." said Lester.

"The Hyena wasn't meant to be subtle." said Michael. "It was meant to win."

"Alright, let's go." said Lester as he opened the passenger side door.

In the hills...

"Aw, sweet!" said Lamar as he looked at a blue Ford GT race car. "This should do the trick."

"Yeah, I hope so." said Franklin. "We call her Pride. This is a pure race car."

"Maybe you should drive her first." said Lamar. "That way, we can get a feel for it."

"Hey, I wasn't letting you have her first." said Franklin. "Come on, we gotta leave for the race."

"Alright, let's go." said Lamar as they opened the doors.

In Sandy Shores...

"And here's the car you requested." said Ron. He looked at a green 2010 Dodge Viper SRT-10 with velocity stacks poking through the hood, a carbon splitter, square exhausts cut into the fenders, a carbon diffuser, and vents in the rear fenders. "Doesn't really blend in with the neighborhood."

"Maybe it's not supposed to." said Trevor. "The Hellion is built for two things: speed and intimidation."

"I see the second part is satisfied." said Ron. "But what about the first"

"Climb on in and we'll see." said Trevor.

"Alright, let's go." said Ron.

---

South Town, Florida...

A group of five people gathered in the penthouse office of the Geese Tower to discuss their plans on entering the Gumball.

Seated at a large desk was a ruthless-looking blond-haired Caucasian man wearing a black dress suit, black dress pants, a black shirt, a red necktie, and a pair of black leather dress shoes. He was Geese Howard, CEO of the Howard Connection and a huge figure in South Town's criminal underworld.

Standing in front of the desk were two equally ruthless looking men and a pair of attractive but menacing women.

The first man was a Caucasian British man wearing a black dress suit with a red shirt which was open to show off his muscular chest, a pair of black dress shoes and a Union Jack styled bandana covering his hair. He was Billy Kane, Geese's right-hand man and main enforcer.

The second was a bald-headed Caucasian man with a short black beard and moustache wearing a black overcoat with a white fringed collar, a brown dress vest over a white dress shirt, white suit pants and a pair of black sunglasses. He was Mr. Big, another South Town crime lord and unwilling underling of the Howard Connection.

The first of the women had short black hair and wore a long red dress vest over a black formal blouse and a black skirt. Her name was Vice.

The second woman had blond hair and wore a white dress vest over a black formal blouse and a black dress skirt. Her name was Mature. She and Vice were both Hekkesshu, servants of the mystic being Orochi. They had been sworn to serve the Earth God Gaia, but both women were ruthless and cruel in pursuit of their goals. In fact, they quite often believed that the destruction of all human beings was necessary to achieve their goals.

"As you all know, my old acquaintance Bison has been invited back to the Gumball Rally this year." Geese addressed the group. "I think it's about high time that delusional braggart was knocked down a notch or two, which is why I intend to enter again this year. And why I'm bringing the lot of you with me to ensure victory for the Howard Connection."

"Sounds like it could be a lot of fun, boss." Billy evilly grinned.

"You would think that!" Mature sneered. "You males with your pointless automotive contests disgust us!"

"For instance, we have no doubt that we'll be forced to use gasoline cars that pollute the air even more than is already done." Vice chipped in. "As if you haven't ruined this planet enough by now!"

"You could always refuse to come if you're that serious about your work, ya dumb sheilas! It's not like you've ever really been on our side!" Mr. Big snorted in his Australian accent.

"We would have refused Howard's offer, but we intend to teach all of those idiots taking part in the Gumball how foolish their efforts are when going up against the Orochi clan." Mature grinned. "If a team-up with Howard is what is required, that is what will do to achieve that end."

"And we'll definitely prove the superiority of Orochi by claiming victory!" Vice added.

"We shall see, ladies. We shall see." Geese nodded as he used a remote control to activate a video screen on the wall showing an image of three cars which were in the tower's garage.

Geese used the control to enlarge the copper-colored Ferrari LeFerrari in the image. The car had vents in the fenders, a hood with a carbon center, and a carbon diffuser.

"This car will be yours and mine, Billy." he announced. "I call it the Country Feedback."

"Bit of alright, eh?" Billy smirked.

Geese then enlarged the image of the red BMW M2. The splitter, hood, mirrors, spoiler, and diffuser had all been done in carbon fiber.

"Mr. Big, this car is called the Strutter and it will be yours." Geese continued.

"You tryin' to say something, mate?" Mr. Big growled slightly.

Ignoring Mr. Big, Geese highlighted the black Ferrari 458 Speciale. It had vents in the hood and fenders, Italian tricolor flags on the mirrors, and a carbon spoiler.

"Ladies, you will have this car. It's called the Pretty Persuasion." Geese finished.

"It's nice enough for us to overcome our prejudices against the pollutants it will no doubt burn for now." Mature nodded.

"Are you sure that Bison is all we'll have to worry about this year?" Vice inquired. "Bogard and his friends won't give us any trouble?"

"If that prat Bogard has anything resembling a brain in his head, he'll stay away." Billy remarked. "He didn't win last year. Maybe the embarrassment will have been too much for him."

"That's a big 'maybe', limey." Mr. Big chipped in.

"Well, the ladies here said they whipped up something special." Geese remarked.

"Exactly." grinned Vice as she opened a large suitcase which contained several hockey-puck sized electronic devices. "When we get the chance during the Gumball, we'll slip one of these beauties onto the undercarriage of as many race vehicles as we can get away with."

"When the vehicles reach their top speed, the devices will short out their engines and electrical systems bringing the vehicle to a halt and putting it out of the race." Mature confirmed.

"Excellent." Geese nodded. "Just as long as you remember not to use it on any of us."

"Would we do that?" Mature pouted seductively.

"Yes, you would." Billy groaned.

Vice affected disgust. "If you're gonna be like that, then forget about our assistance."

"It's alright, ladies. We trust you." Geese assured her. "Billy will apologize."

Billy's eyes bulged with angry embarrassment as he huffed.

"Apologize, Billy." Geese flatly ordered.

"Come on, Kane. Say you're sorry." Mr. Big maliciously teased.

Billy grunted in frustration.

"I'm very sorry, ladies." he reluctantly stated.

"Damn straight you are." Mature evilly grinned.

"Just be grateful we're in a generous mood." Vice also grinned. "So, shall we go?"

"Indeed we shall." Geese triumphantly remarked as he shut the video screen off and stood up.

"To victory!" he declaimed as he put his right hand over the desk.

Billy, Big, Vice and Mature all put their right hands on top of his in a show of solidarity.

"To victory!" they all replied. Nobody noticed that Vice and Mature held their left hands behind their backs and had their fingers crossed as they winked at each other.

---

Somewhere in Stilwater, at a dealership called Foreign Power...

"I thought you'd like this one." said the salesman as he showed a white 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat to an Asian man wearing sunglasses.

"I do like it." said the man, Johnny Gat from the Third Street Saints.

"Wonderful." said the salesman. "Any more questions?"

"Yeah, what if someone were to run out in front of the car?" asked Johnny.

"You mean like an errant pedestrian?" asked the salesman.

"No, like someone committing insurance fraud." said Johnny. "Like they run out in front of you intentionally so you hit them?"

"Oh, this car has rather decent build quality." said the salesman. "You should be safe inside and then just have to worry about the legal issues."

"What if someone in a truck goes around spraying everything with shit?" asked Johnny.

"If your windows are up, you should be safe." said the salesman. "After that, a good wash should be enough to get back on the road."

"And how about if someone goes running around firing missiles and machines guns and destroying property?" asked Johnny.

"Sir, where are you planning to drive this car?" asked the salesman.

Some time later, Johnny drove into a garage called Rim Jobs. Three others waited for him.

"So, this is Running Wild." said a woman with dark hair.

"Sure is." said Johnny. "We're going to need to modify this car for the Gumball."

"We're also going to need to prepare for any run-ins with law enforcement." said a woman with red hair and a blue suit.

"Hey, we've got that shit covered." said an African-American man in a white suit.

"Car's not gonna mod itself." said the dark-haired woman, known as Shaundi.

Some time later, the redhead, Kinzie Kensington, had finished working on a computer. "Okay, I've programmed some countermeasures into this computer." she said. "If we encounter the local police, we should be able to handle them."

"We'd better." said the African-American man, Pierce Washington. "Johnny's not the kind of guy who takes to police encounters calmly."

"No, but I'm pretty good with combat." said Johnny as he and Shaundi walked in.

"Come on, guys." said Shaundi. "The car is finished."

They walked into the service bay and looked at the car.

"Oh. My. God!" squealed Kinzie.

The car had been outfitted with a hood scoop and hood vents, a carbon splitter, a carbon diffuser, and a ducktail spoiler and had been painted purple with white stripes.

"That looks bitchin'!" said Pierce.

"It's going to look even better through the windshields of the competition." said Johnny.

"Hey, Johnny." said Shaundi as she ran in. "You gotta come see this."

She led them outside and showed them the wall of the building across the street.

"Well, that's a little hard to ignore." said Johnny.

The wall had a white cloud painted across it with "Gumball" in purple letters.

"Time to go." said Pierce.

---

On a long highway in Nevada, a woman rode a white KTM 450 EXC heading east. The bike sported an LED light for a headlight, a carbon fairing, and twin exhausts. She wore a black leather jumpsuit and black combat boots. She also had a crossbow strapped to her belt and a sheathed switchblade knife at her hip. She enjoyed her high speed ride.

Suddenly, another motorcycle roared past her at a much higher speed, causing her to wobble a bit on the road. She looked angry under her helmet and rode off after the other rider.

The EXC caught up to the other motorcycle, which was a silver Ducati Monster 1200 S with carbon forks, white rims, and carbon exhausts.

Riding it was a younger woman wearing a custom-made superhero-style outfit consisting of a purple leather zip-up jerkin with black armor shoulder pads, black gloves, a purple plaid skirt, a pair of purple leather pants with black kneepads, gun belts around her waist and over her shoulders as well as a pink belt with the initials 'HG' on the buckle and a pair of black combat boots.

The Monster's rider looked over at the woman on the EXC and accelerated ahead, swerving around a red Plymouth Valiant which was coming the other way.

The woman in black cut past the car as well and caught up to the costumed young woman.

The younger woman swerved the Monster and tried to overtake the EXC again as they got neck and neck.

Just then, there was the blare of a truck's horn ahead of them as a Peterbilt semi-truck with a fuel tanker came fast from the opposite direction.

The girl riding the Ducati swerved quickly off the road and into a turn-off. The woman on the EXC swerved to the right and halted her bike until the semi had passed and then pulled into the turn-off herself as the costumed girl removed her helmet.

She was a Caucasian girl of about sixteen years old who had a domino mask over her eyes and a purple wig styled in a bob hairstyle.

The woman in black removed her helmet and showed herself to be an auburn-haired woman in her late forties wearing a pair of silver earrings. She shook her head in disbelief.

"I thought it was you." the woman remarked. "The infamous Hit-Girl. You'd think you'd be a bit more subtle considering you're still wanted in New York over that business with the Toxic Mega-Cunts."

"Fuck you, lady!" Hit-Girl snapped as she flipped the bird with both hands and then went to reach for one of her gun belts.

"Easy!" the woman said in a pacifying way as she signaled for Hit-Girl to chill out. "I'm on your side. I sympathize with what you did since I took out a gang of shitheels too back in the day."

Hit-Girl looked the woman over carefully and then snapped her fingers as she recognized her.

"Brenda Regan, right?" Hit-Girl asked. "I heard all about what you did in L.A. against those fucktards who messed with your sister and your best friend. I was royally pissed when I found out you got arrested."

"Well, that wasn't the whole story." Brenda assured her. "I got a judge who sympathized with me as well and he gave me the choice of military service instead of prison. So, I got to serve my country for about eight years even though it meant putting some more misogynistic jerks in their place."

Hit-Girl eyed Brenda's crossbow and switchblade. "I take it that silent weapons was your spec?"

"It was and still is." Brenda chuckled. "So, if I may ask, what was the big hurry back there?"

"I was invited back to the Gumball Rally after taking part with my old buddy Kick-Ass last year." Hit-Girl answered.

"Isn't that a coincidence?" Brenda remarked. "I got my first ever Gumball invitation this year."

"So you're going to Miami too?" asked Hit-Girl.

"Yep."

"Fuckin' awesome!" Hit-Girl cheered. "I'd like to see what you can do on the road."

"Ask and ye shall receive." Brenda remarked as she patted her bike. "In keeping with my whole 'bad girl' rep, I've called this bike the Rock 'n' Roll Rebel. You got a name for your machine?"

"I call her the Overdrive." Hit-Girl nodded. "I intend to tear a lot of people a shitload of new assholes in the Gumball."

"I look forward to going up against you then." Brenda grinned. "But try not to get pulled over and busted before you get there."

"I'd like to see any of those donut-eating douches try to catch me." Hit-Girl bragged. "How do you feel about a race to the next state?"

Brenda grinned again. "You asked for it! Let's go!"

They both put their helmets on again and started their bikes up. Hit-Girl popped a wheelie with the Overdrive and took off ahead of the Rock 'n' Roll Rebel as Brenda followed after her.

---

In a darkened room somewhere, an armored figure stood before a coffin which stood upright. The figure wore Samurai-style armor with a helmet which had a faceplate in the front that covered his face. The faceplate a basic 'face' design carved into the metal, with holes where the eyes were. However, there appeared to be no actual eyes behind the mask. The figure had a rectangular-bladed sword sheathed at his waist.

He was Rip, one half of the infamous demonic duo known as the Plague. He was awaiting the return of his team-mate from the pits of Hell.

A bright flash came from inside the upright coffin and it then opened.

Out stepped another armored figure wearing a helmet which looked like the kind you would find on a HAZMAT suit which covered the wearer's head completely. This helmet had a window slit with dark-tinted glass for the wearer's eyes, but it was once again impossible to see the eyes behind it through the tint. This was Rip's team-mate Grinder. Grinder had been killed in action a few years beforehand, but the Plague's dark masters had agreed to his return for the Gumball Rally so the Plague could settle one remaining score.

Rip stepped forward and put his hand on Grinder's right shoulder as Grinder returned the gesture. The duo spoke in their own language which consisted of robotic sounds.

"(Greetings, my brother.)" Rip greeted.

"(Greetings, brother.)" Grinder replied.

They both turned to the wall of their lair where a painting of the Hobo hung.

"(He has been returned to this life as well.)" Rip remarked. "(We must enter the Gumball Rally and ensure he stays dead this time.)"

"(It will be a special pleasure to do so.)" Grinder confirmed. "(Have you prepared suitable vehicles?)"

"(Indeed, I have.)" Rip nodded as he gestured to two motorcycles, an orange KTM 1190 RC8 R and a black KTM 1290 Super Duke R ABS. The 1190 sported orange rims, smaller mirrors, longer exhausts, and a smaller taillight than stock while the Super Duke had a carbon front fender, orange rims, and a short exhaust while the side mirrors had been removed.

"(The Super Duke is yours and is called the Ultimate Sin.)" Rip confirmed. "(The other is mine and is called the Killer Of Giants.)"

"(Perfect.)" Grinder nodded.

"(We shall waste no time and be on our way.)" Rip added.

"(I had hoped you would say that.)" Grinder replied as they both mounted their bikes and began to ride off over the open drawbridge of their lair.

---

The Land Of Metal...

Outside the settlement known as Bladehenge, two high-ranking members of the army Ironheade sat in a green 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 with a hood scoop, headlights in the grille, a splitter, a carbon diffuser, and a time attack spoiler.

In the driver's seat sat a husky Caucasian man with long black hair wearing a black t-shirt, a black leather commando vest with metal studs and spikes on the shoulders and a pair of black jeans. He also had a sweatband on his right wrist, a spiked bracer on his left wrist, a belt with a silver buckle depicting a demonic face, and a pair of black-and-white sneakers. His name was Eddie Riggs. He was known as the World's Greatest Roadie and had accidentally been transported to this strange world a few years before. He was one of the most important generals in Ironheade after helping them get organized into a fighting force.

Sitting next to him was a Caucasian woman with long black hair wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans. She also wore a black choker around her neck, a spiked bracer on her left wrist, a spiked belt around her waist, and a pair of black-and-white sneakers. Her name was Ophelia. She was Eddie's girlfriend and had been welcomed back into Ironheade after Eddie had helped her redeem her reputation from her dark past in a battle they had fought against the demon lord Doviculus a while ago.

"You did a great job with putting the Unforgettable Fire here together, Eddie." Ophelia remarked. "I hope you intend to let me drive at some point."

"You know I intend to, Ophs." Eddie grinned. "We just have to wait for the others and then we can be on our way."

There was a rumble of loud engines and three motorcycles approached the Unforgettable Fire and came to a halt.

The first of the cycles was an orange Indian Chief with a small windshield, intakes on the fairing, and matte black exhausts, but the front fender had been removed. Sitting astride it was a black-haired Caucasian man wearing a black shirt which was open over his bare chest, a silver Maltese Cross pendant around his neck, a black cowboy hat, a pair of black leather pants, black cowboy boots, and a pair of silver mirrored sunglasses. He also a short beard and a moustache and had two moles on his left cheek. He bore a strong resemblance to the late Motorhead frontman Lemmy. He was another Ironheade general known as the Kill Master. Despite his name, he and his Thunderhog Rider faction served as the field medics for Ironheade with the healing power of the Kill Master's music.

The second cycle was a matte black Harley-Davidson Iron 883 with chrome exhausts. The mirrors and fairing had been removed. Its rider was a bald-headed, clean-shaven Caucasian man wearing a sleeveless black leather motorcycle jacket with studs on the shoulders, collar, waist, and lapels, a pair of black leather pants with a silver belt buckle in a skull and crossbones design, a black leather military-style peaked cap, black leather cowboy boots and a pair of mirrored sunglasses. He bore a slight resemblance to Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford. He was called the Baron and was the leader of the Fire Barons shock troop faction of Ironheade.

The third cycle was a yellow Indian Scout with twin headlights, intakes on the fairing, and carbon mirrors. Its front fender had also been removed. Its rider was a blonde-haired woman with black and white facepaint wearing an extremely skimpy black leather outfit which just about covered her chest over, a purple fur cap on her head, and a black leather thong. Her name was Rima and she was the leader of the female warrior tribe called the Zaulia who were important allies of Ironheade.

"Glad you guys could make it." Eddie remarked as he gave a thumbs-up.

"Are you kidding?" the Baron replied. "I've been bored stiff since we took down Doviculus. I'm glad to finally get some fucking excitement!"

"Yeah, well be careful, mate." Kill Master told him. "I'd hate to have to be healing you guys all the time if you get into an accident."

"That will not happen." Rima sternly stated. "After our battles, a simple race should be no problem."

"Glad you're confident, Rima." Ophelia answered. "But we don't know what the rest of the competition will be like yet."

They heard the sound of a car engine approaching and Eddie looked down the road. His eyes narrowed as he saw a lime green 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon approaching. The car had a splitter, diffuser, carbon spoiler, and carbon mirrors.

"Well, here comes some competition whose skills I know." he sighed as the Dodge did a power slide and came to a halt just inches away from Eddie's door.

Driving the Dodge was a muscular, brown-skinned demon wearing a white tank top vest, a pair of blue jeans, and a brown flat cap.

In the passenger seat was a dark-haired man with black and white facepaint wearing a white robe and a metal headdress whose top half was styled in two close-touching curved "horns" which were both blazing with controlled flames.
"Good to see you, Fletus." Eddie greeted the demon.

"Can it, Riggs." Fletus, the demon, growled. "I've heard about you going back to your dimension to take part in the Gumball Rally. As if it wasn't bad enough that you think you invented cars in this world, you think you can diss my clan by winning that race? If you thought I was going to let that pass, you're very much mistaken!"

"Who's your pal?" Eddie asked as he gestured to the man with the flaming headdress.

"I AM THE GOD OF HELLFIRE!" the man yelled. "AND I BRING YOU..." he paused and then continued in a more quiet and conversational tone, "...a challenge to beat Fletus and I in the Gumball Rally, if you can."

"Is that right?" Ophelia playfully asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, it is." the God Of Hellfire replied.

"I want to prove once and for all which one of us is best in a race." Fletus added. "I don't care if you're bringing your pals with you. It's between you and us, Riggs!"

"Challenge accepted then, stinktooth!" Eddie teased. "You got a name for your ride?"

"We call it the Hot Rockin'!" the God Of Hellfire answered.

"That sounds familiar to me for some reason." the Baron remarked. "Anyhow, I call my bike the Necromancer."

"My chop is called the Overkill." Kill Master added. "Rima calls hers' the Bomber.

"Aye, okay." Fletus nodded. "What about you, Riggs? What lame name have you given your four-wheeler?"

"The Unforgettable Fire." Eddie cheerfully stated.

"We'll soon see if it lives up to its name." the God Of Hellfire taunted.

"So, what do we have to do to get to your world, Eddie?" asked Rima.

"Just a minute." Eddie requested as he reached into the Unforgettable Fire's glovebox and took out a penknife. He used it to slash a cut on the palm of his left hand. As the blood began to ooze, he put his left hand to his belt buckle and made sure a good amount of the blood ran into the 'mouth' of the demon face on it.

"Drama queen." Fletus grumbled disparagingly.

There was suddenly a glow forming around the area, and a portal opened up in the space just down the road. It was a gateway to our world and Eddie's home world.

"How?" asked the God Of Hellfire in amazement.

"You thought that buckle was just for decoration?" asked Ophelia. "Uh uh, buddy. It's an amulet of the lord Ormagoden."

"And Eddie has it because he's the son of the great hero Riggnarok." Rima added.

"You're joking." Fletus scoffed.

"D'ya hear us laughing, mate?" the Baron growled.

"It's the titans' honest truth." Kill Master confirmed.

"Not that it matters." Fletus dismissively snorted. "We'll still beat you!"

"Sure, Fletus, sure." Eddie taunted as the Ironheade teams and Fletus' team drove off towards the portal. Eddie and Ophelia clasped their free hands together as they passed through.

Eddie then turned on the radio in the Unforgettable Fire.

"Just a bit of light traveling music." he explained as a heavy metal tune began to play as they made their journey.

Racing down the road,
In a street machine of steel.
Gears are jammed in full.
I'm the madman at the wheel.

Got my foot pinned to the floor.
You can feel the engine roar.
I got thunder in my hands.
I'm metal thrashing mad, yeah.

Metal thrashing mad, yeah.

Driving like a maniac.
Can't go any faster.
Burning up the road.
Headed for disaster.

Got my foot pinned to the floor.
You can feel the engine roar.
Got thunder in my hands.
I'm metal thrashing mad.

Racing down the road.
In a street machine of steel.
Gears are jammed in full.
I'm the madman at the wheel.

Got my foot pinned to the floor.
You can feel the engine roar.
I got thunder in my hands.
I'm metal thrashing mad.

Got my foot pinned to the floor.
You can feel the engine roar.
I got thunder in my hands.
I'm metal thrashing mad.

-"Metal Thrashing Mad" by Anthrax.

---

In a quiet roadside bar somewhere in Texas, a pair of tough-looking women sat at a table enjoying a couple of beers.

The elder of the two was a Caucasian woman with medium length dirty blonde hair which was starting to go a bit white and wore a white tank top with a black ballistic vest over it, green camouflage pants, black combat boots, and a pair of black sunglasses.

The younger woman was Latino and had long light brown hair and wore a black t-shirt with a black hoodie over it and a brown ballistic vest over it, blue jeans, and a pair of brown hiking boots.

The elder woman, Sarah Connor glanced suspiciously at the text and accompanying image that her friend had been texted a few days before. The image showed a tough-looking Caucasian man wearing black sunglasses with an oddly expressionless face.

"I don't know if we should be trusting another one of those fuckers, kid." Sarah cautioned.

The younger woman, Daniela 'Dani' Ramos, sighed a bit at Sarah's hostlility. "At least we know what to expect when it walks in."

The front door swung open and Sarah tensed as the man from the text image walked in. He was a very tall, muscular man wearing a black t-shirt, black pants, a black leather jacket, and black motorcycle boots.

"You really need to get a better fashion sense, you know that?" Sarah sarcastically quipped.

"It's alright, Sarah Connor." the 'man' answered. "I fully understand your caution when dealing with one of my kind."

The 'man' was really a Terminator: a cyborg infiltration unit from a possible future who fought against humanity in the aftermath of a nuclear war. It had been sent back through time, and indeed was one of many Terminators who had been sent back through time to eliminate the enemies of its creator, the A.I. known as Skynet.

"How are you even still here?" Sarah inquired suspiciously.

"When so much time travel has been going on, you can expect a lot of alternate timelines to be created." the Terminator replied as it took a vacant seat at the table. "For instance, there is one where you were supposed to have died in 1997."

"Is John still alive in that timeline?" Sarah asked hopefully.

"Yes. It was him that sent me here and he has already reprogrammed me to protect you and Daniela Ramos." the Terminator confirmed.

"From what?" asked Dani.

"Both Skynet from my timeline and Legion from the future of this timeline are determined to ensure their creation by winning the Gumball Rally and thus give publicity to the companies that created them and make sure they get the sufficient funding." the Terminator explained. "To that end, each of them has sent a Terminator back through time."

"Which kinds?" asked Dani.

"Skynet has sent back a T-1000 and Legion has sent back a Rev-9."

"Great. Two polymimetic pricks." Sarah grumbled. "And I take it that you intend to stop them?"

"That is correct." the Terminator answered. "John ordered me to seek the two of you out and request your assistance in this task."

"In the Gumball?" Sarah spluttered. "The last thing we need right now is publicity."

"That is why it is not necessary to win the race." the Terminator assured her. "We just have to make sure that the T-1000 and the Rev-9 do not win either."

"If we try to finish the race in about 26th position, we should be okay." Dani assured Sarah. "Besides which, the Gumball tends to be kept on the down-low anyway."

"We just have to avoid the authorities as well." the Terminator added.

"Why exactly should I trust you?" Sarah asked the Terminator confrontationally.

"If you wish to destroy me at the end of the race, I will allow you to do so." the Terminator replied. "I will even make it easier for you by removing one of my power cells."

Sarah looked very surprised at that.

"You're okay with that?" she asked.

"I was sent back here with a clear mission." the Terminator confirmed. "What happens to me after it is completed is irrelevant."

Sarah and Dani looked at each other for a moment.

"Alright." Sarah nodded. "I'll give you a chance. I take it you have wheels? We brought our own as you said in the text that a fast car was needed."

"I take it you're referring to the Corvette parked outside?"

"Yep. Our old pal Major Dean was able to provide it for us. We call it the Real Thing." Dani said proudly. "No offence intended, by the way."

"I understand why you chose such a name considering the ongoing fight between humanity and A.I. and cyborgs like me." the Terminator replied. "My vehicle is outside and I called it the Everlong. It was a name I picked after hearing a song of that name on a radio a few days ago."

"You have weapons?" asked Dani.

"Yes, and I know that you two have as well."

"Okay, let's hit the road." Sarah sighed as she laid a thirty dollar tip on the table and the small group went outside.

Sarah and Dani headed for a black 1963 Chevrolet Corvette: the Real Thing as they called it. The car had a flame job, hood vents, an airdam, and a carbon wing.

The Terminator went over to the Everlong which was a blacked out Ducati Diavel motorcycle with red rims, a carbon exhaust, and a carbon fuel tank.

Sarah started up the Real Thing and the Terminator kicked the Everlong into life. They drove and rode off heading east for Miami, with their clear objective in mind.

---

Somewhere in Germany, a woman with short, blonde hair ran through a city at night. Another blonde woman, who wore a teal uniform with mask and cap, followed her.

"I told you." said the first woman with a German accent. "I am not working for Bison again. Leave me alone."

The second woman looked at her and said "Execute." in an emotionless, Russian accent.

She activated a device and the first woman's expression went blank.

"Return to base." said the Russian woman.

"Return to base." said the German woman.

Meanwhile, in Mexico, a very tall Native American man, wearing light blue pants and a vest, walked towards a house. A woman with long, dark hair walked out of the house with a blank expression. She was led by a blond-haired man wearing blue pants, a white shirt, and a white mask.

"Julia!" said the Native American man, T. Hawk. "Where are you taking her, Vega?"

"Oh, that's right." said the blond man with a Spanish accent. "She's part of your tribe."

"You're not taking her." said T. Hawk.

"But I am." said the Spaniard, Vega.

He jumped towards T. Hawk, grabbed him, and flipped him into the ground. T. Hawk tried to get up, but Vega grabbed Julia and ran off with her.

"I need to tell Guile about this." said T. Hawk.

At an underground base somewhere, a scary-looking man in a red uniform and cap sat on a throne.

Vega and Julia approached. "Ah, mighty Bison." said Vega. Julia now wore a similar uniform to the Russian woman.

"I see you've brought Juli to me." said the man in red, the notorious M. Bison.

"Hopefully, your latest plan will succeed due to my assistance." said Vega.

The Russian and German women walked in with the German woman wearing a similar uniform.

"And I see Decapre has retrieved Juni." said Bison.

"Decapre reporting for duty." said the Russian woman.

"Juni reporting for duty." said the German woman.

"It looks like we have all we need." said Vega.

"Not yet." said Bison.

"Just pipe down, will ya?" said a muscular African-American man wearing a suit.

"What does Bison want with me?" asked a really tall, bald, Asian man wearing an eyepatch and a grey robe.

"Sagat, so nice you to join us." said Bison.

"Balrog didn't give me much of a choice." said the Asian man.

"Oh, I gave you a choice." said the African-American man, Balrog. "Come with me or die."

"Now, you're probably wondering why I've gathered you all here." said Bison.

"The thought had crossed my mind." said Sagat. "I know it didn't cross the Dolls' minds." he added while looking at Juni, Juli, and Decapre.

"The Gumball Rally is rapidly approaching." said Bison. "I plan to enter with the intention of defeating race organizer Michael Bannon. But I will need a secret weapon. And that is the rest of you running interference."

"You...what?" asked Vega. "You brought us all in for a street race?"

"There's no cash prize!" said Balrog. "What reason is there to compete?"

Sagat laughed.

"We will support you." said Juni, Juli, and Decapre in unison.

"This is a waste of manpower and resources!" said Vega.

"How can this plan of yours get any worse?" asked Balrog.

"During the race, Balrog and Vega will share a car." said Bison.

"What?" yelled Balrog and Vega together.

Sagat laughed again.

"Sagat will ride with me while the Dolls will have their own car." said Bison.

"And where are these cars?" asked Sagat.

"This way." said Bison.

Minutes later, they found themselves looking at three Ferraris.

"Sagat, this will be our car, the Aftermath." said Bison while looking at a red 599XX Evoluzione.

"This is an actual race car." said Sagat. "You're not taking chances."

"The Dolls will be driving the Electrolite." said Bison as he presented a white F12berlinettta with a carbon hood insert, carbon splitter, carbon skirt, and a track spoiler.

"We will assist you." said Juni, Juli, and Decapre in unison.

"Vega and Balrog will drive the Hollow Man." said Bison as he presented a green F12tdf with vents in the hood and headlight covers, a carbon ducktail spoiler, and a body color splitter and diffuser.

"Well, the car's good at least." said Balrog.

"And it looks beautiful too." said Vega.

Bison's phone beeped. He checked the text program. "Gumball." he said. "Now, we can head out there."

"Alright, let's get this over with." said Balrog.

---

A red Kawasaki Z 1000 drove on a highway in Louisiana. The bike had a carbon fairing, white rims, a carbon swing arm, and twin exhausts. The rider was a Latino man wearing a white leather motorcycle jacket with black piping and matching pants over a flannel shirt. He wore an open face helmet and had aviation goggles covering his eyes and a red plastic "mask" covering his mouth and nose.

As he passed a billboard, a dark orange Ducati Panagale R riden by a Caucasian uniformed police officer wearing an open-face helmet and a pair of mirrored shades pulled out and followed him down the road. This bike had white rims, a tinted window, and low exhausts.

The Kawasaki's rider pulled over to the shoulder even though the officer had not put on a siren. He removed his mask as the cop dismounted and approached him.

"Is there a problem, officer?" the Latino man asked.

The cop held up a picture of the Terminator taken from a security camera.

"Have you seen this man?" the "officer" inquired.

The Latino "man" nodded in a knowing way.

"So, you're after him as well." he stated. He was, in actuality, the Rev-9 Terminator Sarah and Dani had been warned about. The cop who had pulled him over was the T-1000.

"That's correct." the T-1000 confirmed. "We may serve different masters, but our goal is the same. We must prevent this T-800 from winning the Gumball so we can make sure either Skynet or Legion will rise to power."

"Then that is just what we shall do." the Rev-9 answered. "I call this motorcycle the Rose Of Pain."

The T-1000 looked a bit surprised. "Rather poetic for a fellow cyborg. I call my machine the Breakout."

"I see poetry is not your strong point." the Rev-9 chided.

"You don't need to be a poet in order to kill. And that is what I'm best at." the T-1000 quipped.

"So, if you'll follow me, I know the way to the starting line." the Rev-9 instructed.

"Very well." the T-1000 nodded as it climbed back aboard the Breakout and the two motorcycling Terminators rode off.

---

Somewhere, two men in karate gis took defensive stances.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked the blond, Causcasian man in the red gi.

"I need to train for the upcoming tournament." said the Asian man in the white gi and red headband.

"Alright, just checking." said the blond man, Ken Masters.

"Let's get this going." said the Asian man, Ryu Hoshi.

"Not just yet!"

They looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man whose blond hair had been done in a flattop. He wore army boots, camouflage pants, a green tank top, and dog tags.

"Guile!" said Ken. "What are you doing here?"

"I just heard from T. Hawk." said Guile. "Julia's been kidnapped. It appears that one of Bison's soldiers reactivated her."

"Bison?" asked Ryu. "What is he planning?

"He seems to be reuniting his army." said Guile. "Our intel is that he's planning to enter the Gumball Rally."

"Wait, Bison's entering the race again?" asked Ken.

"What kind of plan is he trying to execute there?" asked Ryu.

"We don't know yet, but we need to investigate." said Guile. "Cammy and Chun Li are looking into the race as well."

"What does that have to do with us?" asked Ken.

A knife impaling a slip of paper hit the ground between Ryu's feet.

"The lowest rated messager service strikes again." he said as he picked up the note.

"What does it say?" asked Ken.

"Gumball." said Ryu. "Looks like we're entering the Gumball Rally."

"I'd join you, but Bison would be expecting me." said Guile. "I wish you luck. Don't disappoint me."

"Hey, do you have a car yet?" asked Ken.

"Not yet." said Ryu.

"Come with me." said Ken.

He showed off a silver Pagani Huayra with an Italian tricolor on the airdam, vents in the hood and fenders, and a carbon diffuser and spoiler.

"Say hello to Way Cool Jr." said Ken.

"I think this might be overkill." said Ryu.

"Nah, I think it's just enough kill." said Ken.

"We'd better get going then." said Ryu.

---

In Genoa, a woman walked alongside the waterfront. She wore a brown overcoat over a green leotard with camouflage leggings and a red beret. She had a scar on her right cheek and had her blonde hair in pigtails.

She found a fortune teller's shop and entered. The proprietor, a dark-haired woman wearing a magenta coat and a yellow scarf, looked up at her.

"Ah, Ms. White." said the proprietor with her Italian accent. "So good to see you."

"I've been told to consult with you." said the blonde woman, Cammy White, with her British accent. "Bison seems to be planning something."

"Yes, yes." said the proprietor, Rose. "Come let me find your fortune."

Cammy and Rose sat at a table.

"I'm seeing that Bison is planning to enter a competition." said Rose as she laid out a set of tarot cards.

"A fighting competition?" asked Cammy.

"No, it doesn't appear so." said Rose. "It appears that in this competition, what's behind you is not important."

"That doesn't quite narrow it down." said Cammy.

"I'm seeing that many are entering this competition." said Rose. "Any of them could be targeted by Bison for some nefarious purpose. Wait, what's this card?"

"What about it?" asked Cammy.

"It appears to be different from the other cards in the deck." said Rose. "I think someone may have planted it when I wasn't looking."

"What does it say?" asked Cammy.

Rose turned the card over. It read "Gumball" and displayed a patch of gumballs.

"Of course." said Cammy. "The Gumball Rally. It does sound like something Bison would do."

"Consider that our official invitation." said Rose.

"Our?" asked Cammy.

"The invitation was in my deck of tarot cards." said Rose. "The invitation was directed at me as well. Don't worry. I have just the car."

Some time later, Rose opened a garage and revealed a red Ferrari 458 Italia GR2.

"Behold, the Moral Kiosk." said Rose.

"That's a bloody Ferrari." said Cammy. "How did you get your hands on that?"

"A client put it up as collateral when he couldn't pay." said Rose. "I'm sure he won't mind too much."

"Shall we?" asked Cammy.

"Why, of course." said Rose.

---

Back in South Town, the owner/bartender of the Illusion Bar had just finished locking the place up. She was a Caucasian woman with short, blonde hair and wore a white dress shirt and black bow tie with purple pants and a purple tuxedo. She was known to her friends as King. After she put her keys in her pocket, she went over to join a group of her friends who were waiting in the parking lot beside their Gumball vehicles.

The first car was a silver Aston Martin Vanquish with a black stripe down the center, airdam, and diffuser. There were two tough-looking men standing near it. The first was a Caucasian man with a muscular physique and long blonde hair styled in a ponytail. He wore a red jacket with a white star on its back, a white shirt, blue jeans, red fingerless gloves, sneakers, and a red baseball cap. His name was Terry Bogard and he was a prominent street fighter in South Town and a major enemy of Geese Howard.

The second man was Terry's younger brother Andy Bogard. He was another Caucasian man with longer blond hair which was not tied-up and wore a martial-arts style uniform with a red belt around his waist and red boots. Both he and Terry had a friendly rivalry with each other but were both united in their fight against Geese who had murdered their adoptive father many years before.

The second vehicle was a red Audi R8 with a splitter, a hood vent, exhausts through taillights, and a carbon spoiler. Standing next to it were two women. The first was a beautiful Asian woman with long, brown hair styled in a topknot which also formed a waist-length ponytail down her back. Her name was Mai Shiranui and she was a kunoichi or female ninja and heir of her family's ninja clan. She wore a red and white traditional Japanese kunoichi dress which showed off a good bit of her figure and red and black tabi on her feet.

The second woman next to the Audi was an attractive blond-haired Caucasian woman wearing a red crop top, blue jeans, white sneakers, and blue fingerless gloves. Her name was Mary Ryan, also known as Blue Mary and was a secret agent. She and Mai had also been friends with the Bogard brothers for a long time.

"So, it's definitely true that Geese has been invited back to the Gumball?" King asked as she joined her friends.

"Yeah, it has. Rock let us all know about it." Terry nodded. "And it's up to us to make sure he doesn't win and get even more power."

"Well, we know to show him no mercy since he'll give us none." Mai chipped in.

"We will have to be careful as I found out that there's a limit to the amount of hostility between competitors that Mike Bannon is willing to tolerate this year." Mary added. "We go over that, we can get disqualified from the race."

"Maybe we can hope Geese forgets that and gets himself put out." Andy joked.

"I wouldn't count on it, little bro." Terry warned. "So, King, is your ride on the way here?"

"They called just ten minutes ago." King confirmed. "They'll be here."

"Looking forward to racing with your boyfriend?" Andy lightly teased.

"I don't give you guys merde about your relationships, so I'd thank you not to give me any about mine." King chided. "And besides, Yuri's going to be my partner and Ryo and Robert will be friendly competition."

"That makes sense, considering how often you and Yuri team up every time the K.O.F. tournament is on." Mai chuckled.

The group heard the sound of two cars approaching the parking lot and glanced down the street to see who was coming.

The first approaching car was a Maserati MC12 with a white top and blue bottom.

Driving it was an Asian man wearing a brown karate gi jacket over a black shirt and a matching pair of karate gi pants. He had short, blond hair, and was barefoot. His name was Ryo Sakazaki, a friend of Terry's group who also had history with Geese Howard.

In the shotgun seat was a black-haired Caucasian man wearing a blue shirt with a black dress vest over it, white dress pants, brown leather dress shoes and a pair of black gloves on his hands. He was Ryo's best friend and fellow martial arts student Robert Garcia.

The other car was a purple Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. The paintjob depicted a deer with a constellation and the vehicle sported a carbon hood, diffuser, mirrors, and spoiler along with chrome side steps. Driving it was a young Asian woman with long, black hair styled in a ponytail. She wore a white karate gi jacket over a blue shirt, purple pants, red sneakers, a red belt around her waist and brown fingerless fighting gloves. She was Yuri Sakazaki, Ryo's younger sister. She had indeed been part of King's Women's Team in the King Of Fighters tournament for many years.

"Hey, you guys." Yuri cheered as King went over to the passenger side of the GLC and got in.

"Glad we're all here now." Mary flashed a thumbs-up.

"So, did you think of vehicle names, Terry?" Ryo asked.

"Yep." Terry answered. "Andy and I call the Aston the Rowdy and the Audi is called the Dollar Sign."

"How about you guys?" asked Andy.

"We call this baby the Moonchild." Robert beamed as he indicated the MC12.

"Didn't take you for a 'Neverending Story' fan." Mai joked.

"And we call this ride the Daffodil Lament." Yuri grinned as she indicated the GLC.

"Okay then." Terry nodded.

"Let's go kick Geese's ass all over again like we do in the King Of Fighters!" Ryo cheered.

"We'll certainly give it 110% in trying to do so." Mai smirked.

---

In a fighting ring somewhere in Texas, two women did battle. One of them was a blonde woman wearing green jeans, cowboy boots, a red shirt, and a cowboy hat. She grabbed her opponent and performed a suplex.

"Oh, Tina Armstrong is on fire tonight!" said one of the announcers.

The woman who hit the mat crawled away and Tina waved to the crowd.

"Chalk up another victory for her." said the other announcer.

"Wait, who's that?" asked the first announcer.

An Asian woman jumped over the ropes and landed in the ring. She wore a blue dress of Chinese design, brown leggings, white boots, and spiked bracelets.

"We weren't expecting to see Lei Fang!" said the announcer.

"Wait, that's not Lei Fang!" said the other.

"Who are you?" asked Tina in her Texas drawl.

"I am Chun Li Xiang." said the woman. "I am the strongest woman in the world."

"You better not disappoint me." said Tina.

"Not now." said Chun Li. "I have a proposal for you. Have you heard of the Gumball Rally?"

"I've been trying to get into that again this year." said Tina. "I took part last year. I keep asking to come back now that it's running in the States again, but Bannon won't return my calls."

"I was able to get in." said Chun Li. "But I agreed because a man I'm seeking revenge on is also competing. I could use some help taking him down."

"Why me?" asked Tina. "There has to be someone in the Street Fighter circuit who can help you out."

"I thought of that." said Chun Li. "But this man knows all about every fighter in the Street Fighter circuit. Then I had an idea. He might not know of a fighter from the Dead or Alive Tournament."

"And he'd be fighting a blank." said Tina. "Okay, sounds like a good idea. When do we leave?"

They walked outside to a dark green 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS with a carbon fiber splitter, hood vents, a whale-tail spoiler, carbon exhaust, and carbon fiber vents in the fenders.

"Looks like you don't mess around." said Tina when she saw the car.

"We call it the Doubleback." said Chun Li.

"Nice." said Tina. "I'll drive."

---

Eighteen months earlier, a woman snuck through a cave somewhere. She wore hiking boots, grey shorts, and a light blue tank top and wore her brown hair in a ponytail.

"This is supposedly where to find the Ark." she said with a British accent.

She kept walking through the cave and came upon a large chamber with a stone temple carved out of it.

"Looks like I found it. Huh?"

A group of men in black jumpsuits milled about the temple. They looked over a section of stone in a courtyard.

"I recognize those jumpsuits. dataDyne."

"Good." said a man who put a gun to her head. "Now we don't need to introduce ourselves."

A minute later, he led her to the leader of the group.

"Well, well, well." said the leader. "If it isn't the one and only Lara Croft."

"What does dataDyne want with the Ark?" asked Lara.

"Didn't you know?" asked the leader. "The Ark is a space vessel. If we can acquire it, then we can track down and eliminate our enemies on Earth."

"It's nice to have a goal in life." said Lara. "Pity I must do this."

She rolled out of the crowd and ran around a corner. She pulled out a pair of handguns and flipped the safeties off.

"After her!" ordered the leader.

Before Lara could aim at them, a series of gunshots rang out and hit the floor in front of the dataDyne agents.

Lara ran for the section of stone. Just before she got there, a woman with short, red hair landed in front of her. She wore a blue jumpsuit with a black chest and aimed a handgun at her.

"Is the illustrious Lara Croft working for dataDyne?" she asked with a British accent.

"No." said Lara.

"I guess that makes us allies." said the redhead as he withdrew her gun. "Joanna Dark, Carrington Institute."

"Lara Croft as you knew."

"What do you make of this sculpture?" asked Joanna.

"It doesn't appear to match the design associated with the temple." said Lara. "In fact, it almost looks like controls for a vessel of some kind."

"So, it's true." said Joanna.

"She did say this was a space vessel." said Lara.

"What would it take to get it airborne?" asked Joanna.

"It appears to be missing two pieces shaped like rectangles." said Lara.

"I think I saw something like that on the way in." said Joanna.

"So did I." said Lara. "I'll go after the one I found."

"And vice versa." said Joanna.

They ran off in different directions.

Lara used a grappling hook to run across the side of a wall to an alcove overlooking the chamber. She found a rectangular artifact and picked it up.

Joanna ran to another room, moved a couple of stone panels, and retrieved a similar artifact.

They returned to the sculpture simultaneously.

"Do you think it will work?" asked Joanna.

"There's one way to find out." said Lara.

They placed the artifacts on the sculpture. Suddenly, lights started to flash on it and the temple started to lift off.

"I don't suppose you know how to fly this thing." said Lara.

"No, but I'm thinking of a number of references to a certain San Diego-based band." said Joanna.

The temple flew for a short distance before landing. After Lara and Joanna stepped off, the temple flew away.

"Well, that was unexpected." said Lara.

"It actually fits with our research." said Joanna.

"I think we did great back there." said Lara. "We should work together again sometime."

"When would be a good time?" asked Joanna.

"I'll let you know when something comes up." said Lara.

A few months later, Lara and Joanna had the chance to work together again in the Japan running of the Gumball Rally when Michael Bannon had revived the race. They enjoyed that even more despite not claiming victory and were once again hoping to work together on a similar situation.

Present day...

Joanna rang the doorbell at Croft Manor.

Lara answered the door. "Oh good! You came!" she said.

"You said you had something else we could work on together?" asked Joanna.

"Yes, this." said Lara. She showed her phone to Joanna.

"Gumball?" asked Joanna. "The Gumball Rally is coming back?"

"Yes. It's making its' return to the United States, and I'm asking you to join me once again." said Lara.

"Oh, definitely count me in." said Joanna.

"Come see our car." said Lara.

Minutes later in the garage...

"Meet La Grange." said Lara. She showed off a black Porsche Cayman GT4 with hood vents, a splitter, quad exhausts, and a GT-type spoiler.

"Dazzling." said Joanna. "When does the race start?"

"Soon." said Lara. "We need to get going if we're going to make it."

"Right." said Joanna. "To the airport!"

---

In outer space, just above the planet Earth, a starship shaped like a vulture hovered in orbit. Its cargo hold opened and released a purple Renault Megane RS which had rocket boosters strapped to it. The car's paintjob featured a vine with birds perched on it and the bodywork included a rally spoiler, a carbon splitter, fender flares, and a carbon diffuser.

Inside the car were three mutant humanoid toads wearing black shorts, knee pads and combat boots. They were the famous team known as the Battletoads

The first, sitting at the wheel, was of medium height and wore black leather gauntlets on his hands. He was the team leader Zitz.

The second was the shortest of the group and wore black sunglasses. His name was Rash.

The tallest of the three had brown skin rather than green and was wearing black wristbands on both of his wrists. His name was Pimple.

"Just have to get through the atmosphere and land and then we'll be on our way guys!" Zitz cajoled his team-mates.

"I just hope that the Professor won't rip us apart with sarcasm if we have any difficulty." groaned Pimple.

"Come on. With the Black Hole Sun here, we should kick everybody's butts in the Gumball!" Rash cheered.

"Okay. We're going through the atmosphere. Brace yourselves!" Zitz warned as the Black Hole Sun began to heat up.

As the starship closed its cargo hatch and flew off leaving the 'toads to arrive on Earth, another vehicle with rocket engines strapped to it was hiding just behind the moon, watching the Black Hole Sun make its journey.

This vehicle was a black Lamborghini Huracan Performante with hood ducts, a splitter, fender flares, vents in the rear fenders, and a wide spoiler. Seated in it were two of the 'toads' greatest enemies.

The first was the Dark Queen: a beautiful but evil-looking woman with big and long black hair wearing a skimpy black bathing suit with a black cape, a pair of black leather elbow-length opera gloves, and thigh-high black leather boots.

Seated next to her was her main henchman General Slaughter: a muscular, horned anthropomorphic bull wearing a blue denim vest and black jeans with a belt buckle styled like a longhorn cow skull.

"There go those snotskins!" the Queen sneered. "But if they think the Gumball will be a walk in the park, they've got another thing coming! Especially with the two of us entering the race with the Luna here."

"Are we gonna follow them now, your Highness?" Slaughter inquired.

"We'll give them a brief head start and then go through the atmosphere after them." the Queen answered. "Then, when the race starts, we kick their wartybottom asses back to the swamp!"

"Can I put the radio on?" Slaughter asked.

"You might as well, since you won't give me peace until I let you do so, burger brain." the Queen sighed in exasperation as she put the Luna in gear and headed towards the Earth.

Slaughter chuckled and turned the radio on as they made their approach.

Black leather pants and denim shirt.
He don't care about the girls he hurts.
He got big tattoos, snake skin boots.
He's a 10/10, I'll be his muse.

Oh, I want to get closer.
I really want to get closer.
Oh, I want get closer.
Yeah.

He's driving.
Driving in style.
He's driving,
Me mad.

He's driving.
He's driving in style.
He's driving,
Me mad.

Silver jewels and long black hair.
If you wanna win you gotta dare.
Sweet honey cup, here's the room key.
Tonight's the night you're my VIP.

Oh, I want to get closer.
I really want to get closer.
Oh, I want get closer.
Yeah.

He's driving.
Driving in style.
He's driving,
Me mad.

He's driving.
He's driving in style.
He's driving,
Me mad.

Yeah.

He's driving.
Driving in style.
He's driving,
Me mad.

He's driving.
He's driving in style.
He's driving,
Me mad.

Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
He's driving.
He's driving in style.
He's driving,
Me mad.

Yeah.
Alright.

-"Driving In Style" by Thundermother.

---

On a narrow country road outside of Austin, Texas, a movie crew were set up along the sides of the road shooting a stunt sequence. A yellow 1983 Honda XR 500 motorcycle chased a black hardtop Jaguar XK-E. Riding the motorcycle was a tall woman wearing a black leather jumpsuit and a full-face black helmet with the visor closed on it. The bike fired blank rounds at the Jag from two machine guns mounted just below its front headlight.

A semi truck came the opposite way and took up most of the road. This was another part of the movie. The Jag pulled ahead of the motorcycle and the driver put the Jag up on its two left wheels and squeezed through the narrow gap on the semi's right side. The truck began to jackknife but as it did, the Honda's rider did a slide under the trailer and quickly put the bike upright again as she continued after the Jag.

The camera truck was now in front of the two vehicles as they approached a four-way intersection. The movie's African-American director, Cecil Evans, kept filming as the Jag roared through the intersection, narrowly avoiding two cars coming from the left and right sides of the intersection. As the two cars' drivers stood on their brakes, the Honda's rider activated a shot of nitrous oxide and leaped over the two stalled cars and slid to a halt just short of the camera truck.

Cecil raised his megaphone.

"Cut and print!" he announced. "Great job, ladies."

The Jag had turned around and stopped next to the Honda bike. The cyclist removed her helmet and revealed herself to be a blond-haired Caucasian woman.

The Jag's stunt driver got out and was revealed to be a tough-looking African-American woman wearing a camo tank top, leather pants, and a black leather jacket. She wore reflective goggles and a bandana covering the lower half of her face to conceal the fact that she was not the actress she had been doubling for from the cameras. She removed the goggles and pulled the bandana down and shook her head in amazement at the blond woman.

"I knew you could pull that move off." the driver, Kim Mathis, remarked to the cyclist. "Zoe the fuckin' cat strikes again."

"You better believe it, mate!" the Caucasian woman, Zoe Bell, chuckled in a Kiwi accent.

Two of their friends came over. One of them was another African-American woman who wore a pink t-shirt and a jean skirt. She was Kim and Zoe's friend Abernathy Ross who was a make-up artist.

The other woman was a brunette Caucasian woman dressed similarly to Zoe who was the movie's star Lee Montgomery for whom Zoe had just been doubling.

"That was off the chain, ladies!" Abernathy cheered.

The movie's director, Cecil Evans, walked over to the group.

"Okay, ladies, that was the last stunt sequence in the can, so that's a wrap." he grinned as he gave a thumbs-up. "See you at the wrap party?"

"Don't you know it!" Kim cheered in response.

Cecil walked away and Lee shook Zoe's hand. "Awesome work as always, Zoe."

"No problem, mate." Zoe replied.

Suddenly, Kim's cellphone got a text alert. She took it out of her jacket pocket and looked at it. The text read "Gumball".

She signaled for Zoe and Abernathy to join her in looking at the text. All three ladies smirked.

"Uh oh." Lee joked. "I recognize those expressions. You three are up to something. I just hope you can leave me out of it."

"Don't worry, girl." Abernathy assured. "It's nothing like that deal back in '07 with the Challenger."

"Besides, how many times do we have to apologize for that?" Kim asked with a tad of annoyance.

"I'm just glad that all that guy wanted was to have someone to play 'Striking Vipers' against on the PS2." Lee grumbled. "Still a bit weird that he wanted to play as Roxette, though."

"Well, at least he was so happy you gave him a good match that he wasn't too pissed about the damage to the car." Abernathy chipped in. "But we had no choice but to buy it after that."

"So, Zoe got her Detroit muscle after all." Lee grinned.

"Could have done without the repair bill, though." Zoe joked. "Don't worry though, Lee. What's come up here is something you can sit out. We'll have to take a rain check on the wrap party, though."

"I wonder if the celebration will be worth it, though." Lee joked. "I mean, a movie version of 'Fox Force Five'? The pilot didn't even get picked up back in the day and Cecil thinks it can work as a movie?"

"Well, it's still a massive paycheck for you, white girl." Kim assured her. "Anyhow, we'd better get going."

"How long will you be gone?" Lee inquired.

"As long as it takes." Zoe flashed a thumbs-up.

A few minutes later, Zoe, Kim and Abernathy walked towards a red 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 with hood vents, fender flares, exhausts in the rear bumper, louvers, and a carbon spoiler.

"So, is Gloria ready for this?" Zoe asked.

"Who?" Abernathy asked in confusion.

"The car." Kim confirmed. "Maindrian Pace had Eleanor, so I call this ride Gloria. After Gloria Baker, the racing champ from back in the '80's."

"Okay." Abernathy added. "I just hope you don't plan on playing Ship's Mast again."

"You know we haven't done that in more than ten years after that stuff with that fucking psycho." Zoe chided.

"I was just kidding." Abernathy moaned. "Jesus Christ!"

"Don't blaspheme!" Kim warned in a serious tone.

"Sorry." Abernathy sincerely apologized.

"Alright, y'all! We're on our way!" Kim cheered.

TO BE CONTINUED...