Realms: Rumbles of Engines and Thunder
As the golden rings of the Wheel of Power spun around each other, alarms began blaring and the emergency lights all lit up red.
"What!" Ethan yelled, dropping his controller.
"The Wheel is moving!" Shouted Aidan, darting toward the door. Everybody immediately dropped what they were doing and chased after Aidan, knowing their prep time was limited. Running to the central heptagon, each driver ran to their corresponding garage, as the inner ring of the Wheel of Power stopped moving. Settling in place with a harsh *thud*, a symbol on one side lit up.
'The lightning bolt?' Aidan thought, looking at the displayed symbol. The alarm pitch raised, and the first light in the sequence of 3 on the runways turned yellow. Getting into his car, Aidan turned the ignition, hearing his car rumble to life. Putting on his helmet, he ran one final check.
"All systems go." Kana said as Aidan returned his gaze to the Wheel of Power, awaiting the signal to go.
–
As he ran to his side of the heptagon, Will hoped this would be interesting. Those Accelecharger devices sounded like something new to study. With a smirk on his face and his helmet firmly strapped to his head, he pulled the start lever, causing Scrap Box's v18 to roar to life. Watching the golden Wheel spin was something he'd been anticipating, but it was even more beautiful than he could have ever imagined.
–
Ethan practically ripped the door off of Beast, as he climbed inside and put on his helmet. He was not going to miss this. If these locations were anything like Highway 35, then what was beginning would be a sight to behold. Slamming his door shut and awakening the Beast, he hoped they had prepared enough for the events to come.
–
Luke slapped his cheeks, making sure he was awake. His eyesight was one of his best abilities, so he had to be sure to use it. Starting the rat rod, he lined up with the runway, as the second ring of the Wheel stopped spinning. The symbol on the side matched the one that lit up on the first ring, and the second light turned yellow. With his engine rattling, he leaned back in his seat. It was nearly time.
–
Connor had a huge smile stuck on his face. It was time for another race! All the new cameras were installed and were also monitored by Lana.
'This'll be fun, plus I finally get more footage!' Connor gleefully thought, shutting his door and putting on his helmet. Starting his engine, he wondered what they would face, before moving up to the starting line.
–
Marie felt mixed. This was her chance to prove herself to her brother, but what if she messed up? She hadn't been in a race like this before, and from what she had seen in the footage of Highway 35, you have to pay attention constantly. The Acceleron's warning of the 1-hour time limit echoed in her mind, causing her to worry more. Putting on her visor and shutting her door, she steeled herself, determined to prove that she was just as good as her brother.
–
'Fuck, fuck, fuck, shit, fuck…' Ronnie thought as he reached his garage. It was clear that Ronnie was panicking. He talked big, making up achievements he had done to make himself seem worthy of being where he was but he had no idea what he was doing. Reviewing the footage from Highway 35, he was already scared for his life, but he knew that I'd he wanted to win against these drivers, he would have to play dirty. A smug grin crossed his face as he shut his door. He'd just have to play some tricks to win, just like he always did.
–
The outer ring finally came to a crashing halt, and all 3 symbols matched. Glowing brightly, the vacant center of the Wheel of Power was abruptly filled with a ball of blue and white light. The portal to the realm was open.
As the final light on the runway turned yellow, all 3 turned green, and all 7 racers shot forward. With the aid of a built-in slingshot, they all rocketed up to 300 mph toward the first realm of many. Hitting the ramps, they all thought; 'I'll be the one to win.' As all the vehicles touched the ball of light, they began to glow, before vanishing in a flash of light, leaving the portal to await their return.
–
Within a sea of purple and gray clouds, between huge pillars that touched nothing, a wide blue rift tore open. A chrome car, a junky truck, and a blue rally car emerged, before plummeting down.
"Where is the track!?" Aidan shouted, confused as to where they were. Once again, Connor did not scream like a small girl as the trio fell further. Above them, a red truck, a rat rod, a flowery car, and an angular lime car appeared, the rift sealing behind them.
"Well, fuck." Ronnie said, taking a drink from the metallic flask at his hip before taking out a piece of paper to write his will. 'I leave everything I own to my nephew Maxwell. Continue my legacy.' He quickly scribbled onto the paper.
Ethan and Marie looked around frantically. The track had to exist, right? As Aidan's car tilted forward, he saw a purple track coming up to greet them. Landing hard on the track, Aidan fought to regain control before speeding ahead onto the even track. Will spun around several times before he wrestled his chains under control, taking off after the chrome speedster. Connor held his breath, rapidly turning from side to side, before regaining control.
Ethan and Marie landed smoothly, chasing after the front runners, while Luke fought for control and Ronnie spun around before accelerating. As the septet drove along, the purple track turned left, before going straight between huge metal pillars with glowing blue segments.
"If that start was any indication, this is going to be way harder than the old tracks." Will said, staring at the huge pillars as thunder rumbled in the distance.
"Yea, tell me about it." Marie said, still trying to calm her heart. Lightning could be heard in the distance. Even with all the drivers' headlights on, a thin fog still covered the entire area. Not enough to be detrimental, but enough to be noticeable. As the track turned to the right, the sea of clouds beneath them was thicker, and moving fast.
"Is that a lightning vortex?!" Ronnie cried, staring into the purple spiral of clouds filled with electricity. The track turned left, then back right before banking left and spiraling down the huge swirling storm. The hum of electricity could be heard from the center of the terrifying tornado.
'I was right, this symbol must mean lightning.' Aidan thought keeping his eyes open for any stray bolts of electricity that could strike the track. Ronnie's head was constantly checking around him, switching between the vortex and the track. He'd have to wait for later to play dirty. He had to survive first! Connor's eyes rapidly moved around the track ahead of him, checking for any dangers.
As the track stopped spiraling, it evened out gently snaking while approaching a huge loop into a vertical drop. The sight alone made Ethan's stomach drop.
"Is it too late to back out?" Ronnie questioned.
"Weren't you the best around?" Connor taunted.
"I KNOW WHAT I SAID BUT WHAT THE HELL DID I SIGN UP FOR! I NEVER EVEN SIGNED UP!" Ronnie shouted, distressed that his first race would be his last. As the track turned up into the phenomenally tall loop, Ethan and Will hoped their downforce would be enough. Marie and Ronnie turned on their Magnets with the press of a button, the light blue lines firmly connecting them to the track. As the group reached the peak of the towering track, Aidan and Luke accelerated, picking up speed as they moved down through the thin sea of clouds.
As the track finally evened out, relief was felt by all, as it seemed the initial gauntlet was finally over. Turning right, the group almost missed the start of the next section.
"STRIKE!" Aidan shouted, swerving to the left and narrowly avoiding a lightning strike moments later. The sides of the track had lightning rods, arcing with electricity. While the track was now straight, lightning filled the air. Ronnie swerved, his nerves getting the better of him. Will narrowly dodged an arc, his chain tires not aiding his endeavor. Ethan's eyes were wide, his breathing becoming uneven. Connor was holding on to second, being cautious while keeping his speed up. Marie was directly behind him, her high mobility paying off. Luke couldn't turn in time, getting struck, his engine shutting down and forcing him to stop. Punching his wheel in frustration, he looked at the group ahead. Aidan almost seemed to be doing too well, dodging the bolts like a master with at least a second to spare.
'Does Aidan have some power we don't know about? His A.I. doesn't show him anything.' Luke thought.
As the shocking track snaked along, the strikes became more infrequent, before entering a thick fog and splitting. Aidan took the left, followed by Marie and Ronnie. Connor took the right, followed by Ethan and Will. Winding through the foggy track, lightning poles became infrequent and eventually stopped appearing.
Luke's engine finally started again, but Nitrox wasn't an option with the lightning, so he drove carefully. Upon reaching the fog, he spotted something odd. On one of the tracks, there was a chrome and orange thing.
'What is that?' Luke thought as he traced the track back to himself. Deciding it was worth checking out, he took the right path.
–
As 3 paths reconverged and the fog dissipated, Aidan's lead was still clear. Marie and Connor's lack of speed kept them from gaining any ground. Lightning rods began to reappear on the glowing sides of the purple track, and an intense rumble of thunder was felt in the chest of the six competitors. Weaving between the engine killing electricity, the track finally straightened out for a stretch.
Marie, Connor, Ronnie, and Will used their Nitrox 2, taking the chance to catch up to the frontrunner, while Aidan and Ethan used their Nitrox 3. All wheels lit up, leaving trails of fire along the track, but the Nitrox 3 was much stronger. Aidan only gained ground, but Ethan had claimed second as somebody approached from behind.
–
As Luke winded through the fog, he finally found what he spotted properly. It was chrome and orange all over, with small wheels in the front and monstrous wheels in the back, accompanied by a huge engine on top leading to a row of 8 exhaust pipes on the back. Where a spoiler could have been, there were 2 angled fins. The front was a ramp, and the center seemed to be made to fit a car.
"What a beauty. Think you can carry me to first place?" He asked out loud to the contraption, as he backed up the ramp. Locking in place, the huge engine whirred to life, shaking like a branch in a hurricane. The back wheels began to spin, struggling to find traction, before shooting forward. As Luke was flung back into his seat, his speedometer was over 500 mph.
Shooting out of the fog and along the track, the fast machine seemed to be immune to lightning.
'Will would have a field day with this thing!' He thought. Once he could see his competitors in the distance, the ride instantly stopped, catapulting his car forward as his speed slowly climbed back down. Using his Nitrox 2, he caught back up to the group.
–
As Luke rejoined back of the group, the track split off. The right side turned up and left into a huge jump, while the left path looked to go down to the right. Marie quickly glanced at her clock. It had been about 40 minutes, so they still had time.
Aidan took the right path, speeding his way up to the jump. Not trusting their speed, Ethan, Will, Marie, and Connor opted to take the left path.
"Ain't gonna live forever, I guess!" Ronnie said, taking the right path with Luke following closely behind him. As the quartet of slower vehicles took the coiled and windy path below, Aidan took the huge jump, crossing the gap with space to spare. Ronnie, however, did not make the jump.
"FUCK I FUCKED UP!" Ronnie yelled, as he removed the cover from his EDR and pressed it. His car vanished in a flash of white, ejecting him from the realm and saving his life.
–
Back at HQ, a lime green angular flew out of the open Wheel of Power, tumbling into the catch area of Ronnie's launch bay.
"Well shit." Ronnie said, frustrated that his first chance to prove himself fell short.
–
As Luke managed to cross the gap, Aidan reached the reconnecting point of the tracks. Using another tank of his Nitrox 2, his booster let out a large flame and he struggled to take the turns to catch up.
Down below, the group had been fighting over positions. Will got struck by lightning, and Connor held the lead. As they came up the incline to rejoin the other track, Luke appeared, while Ronnie and Aidan were nowhere in sight.
"Where did Ronnie and Aidan go?" Marie asked.
"Ronnie ejected. Aidan is ahead." Luke explained, pointing to the chrome car up ahead.
Aidan had turned left, and was now headed directly for a huge ball of electricity. After getting close enough, the sound of electrical cackling was the only thing that could be heard, and his hair stood on end. The track split, doing 5 sequential helix. Taking the right side, his car turned around with the track, as lightning was everywhere. Finishing his 5th helix, he turned slightly left, narrowly avoiding a bolt of lightning, before speeding along the straight track.
As the lightning rods vanished something huge was suspended in the distance. It was a perfectly circular object, the beige outer ring filled with intricate line and detailing. The center was a swirl of light blue and white.
'The exit portal?' Aidan thought, as he noticed one final detail. On the center of this 'portal' was the same symbol that was lit up on the Wheel of Power. A zig-zag lightning bolt, bright purple in color. The track curved up to meet the circular portal, before ending. As Aidan flew through the air, he connected with the portal.
As he disappeared from the realm, the purple zig-zag vanished with him, and a shockwave was sent across the realm.
As the remaining drivers began to close in on the huge ball of electricity, the energy dissipated. The hum of electricity died down, leaving only the sound of thunder in the distance.
"Did the realm just shut down?" Asked Will, catching back up to the group with an injection of Nitrox 2.
"Looks like it." Ethan said, calming down from the absence of danger.
–
In HQ, as Ronnie stared at the Wheel, a flash of light occurred, and a chrome car was flung into the bay to his immediate left. As he heard tires screeching to a halt, he ran over to the door in the garage to see what had happened. Walking into the launch bay, the interior of the car erupted bright purple, before dying down. Awestruck, Ronnie could only stare.
–
As Aidan flew back into his bay and came to a halt, something began to happen next to him. The space distorted, before revealing an intricate rectangular cartridge. It began to glow a vibrant purple, the same color as the realm symbol on the portal. Looking at the object, he took it in his hand, gazing at his prize. The rim was gray, but the top had a rectangle of bronze with bumps. The inside was covered in connecting lines and dots, all of which were illuminated purple. On one side, presumably the front, the Lightning symbol was glowing the brightest. The bottom of the thin object was engraved with the word 'STORM'.
"An Accelecharger? So that was the Storm realm?" Aidan wondered out loud, stepping out of his car as the other drivers emerged from the Wheel of Power behind him.
'If that was just the first realm, this is going to get insane.' He thought. The one hour time limit was reached, and the Wheel of Power closed the portal in its center, before spinning back to its closed state.
–
The Siblings Music Playlist:
Aidan's choice is: 2HOT2PANTS from Distance
Marie's choice is: #1f1e33 by Camellia
Enjoy!
–
Ronnie Advice!
Cousin Ronnie says: "Drug money is the best kind of money!"
–
Will's Accelecharger Study:
"Hey Will, what does my new Accelecharger do?"
"After running some tests, the Storm Realm Accelecharger appears to nullify all electrical based attacks or damage."
"How so?"
"While active, it will completely negate the effects of lightning, electrical attacks like energy balls, EMP's, and similar things."
"Awesome! Does it have a name?"
"I'm calling it Lightning Rod."
"Thanks for the help Will!"
–
Aside from all the cross-referencing I had to do, this was fun! I'm not sure when the next one will be up, but it'll probably be next week. FYI I am also tweaking some Accelechargers to be less useless, so some of them get extra powers/are modified. Also, I hope you like the new segment. It's partially an excuse to explain the Accelecharger powers. Until I get around to writing the next chapter, have a good day, and I'll see you in the next chapter!
Next Chapter: Realms: Groovy Lines