While Coop, Dennis, and Fiona were practicing on the course, Mr. Kat was working feverishly in the basement of the Burtonburger house. The cat's black eyes were intently focused on the contraption, his paws moving with lightning speed.

The basement was littered with strange components: pipes, gears, wires, and mysterious elements from alien technology scattered everywhere. A huge blueprint was pinned to the wall.

The machine Mr. Kat was working on was none other than a Global Transportation Alteration Device. Mr. Kat's goal was to alter all earthly transportation. According to the plan, the machine would emit a powerful signal that would reprogram all vehicles—cars, buses, trains, and even airplanes.

The altered vehicles would then follow Mr. Kat's commands, allowing him to control the entire transportation network of the Earth. Mr. Kat could already imagine it: cars driving themselves, trains going the wrong way, planes arriving at unintended destinations. This would be the first step toward conquering Earth. After all, if Coop or his friends tried to stop him, he could simply direct a truck towards them and run them over.

The machine Mr. Kat was working on was a futuristic device, filled with flashing lights and various electronic components. In the center of the device was a round, skateboard-shaped cavity that perfectly fit the glowing skateboard. The exterior of the machine was made of shiny metallic material that reflected the dim light of the workshop.

The sides of the device were equipped with numerous levers and buttons, each serving different functions. The levers allowed Mr. Kat to adjust the parameters of the transportation devices, while the buttons controlled the flow of energy and communication with other devices.

On top of the machine was a large screen displaying the city map. The map was continuously updated, showing the current positions and movements of the transportation devices in Bootsville. Below the screen, a series of displays indicated the energy status and connection stability, all crucial for the machine's operation.

At the back of the device was a large antenna, a key element of the machine's communication system. Through this, Mr. Kat would be able to control and manipulate the transportation devices in the city once the machine was activated.

At the bottom of the machine were a series of smaller robotic arms and tools, allowing Mr. Kat to perform any necessary repairs or fine-tuning without needing additional equipment.

Mr. Kat: Meow ha ha ha.

The laughter began as a deep growl and then continued with increasingly higher-pitched sounds.


As Kyle left, the tension slowly eased, but the trio still stood in awkward silence. Fiona turned to Coop.

Fiona: Coop, about the party, it wasn't like Kyle said. It was organized by my brother, Scott. You know, he's a high school student and sometimes he throws these parties for his friends...

Coop hesitated for a moment, then tried to appear indifferent. Although he was secretly jealous, he decided to hide his feelings for the sake of the competition.

Coop: Oh, Fiona, you don't need to explain. I'm sure your "boring" life back home is different from what's here. You have your own friends and activities.

Fiona sensed the coldness in his words, and it hurt her. Although Coop had previously shown interest in her life in Vancouver, she had only told him that it was boring and mentioned her siblings. Now, she regretted not sharing more with him but still didn't want to reveal the full truth about her parents' jobs or her connection to Kyle Dustin.

Fiona: Yeah, my friends back home are cool too.

She replied, though somewhat uncertainty. Meanwhile, Coop was gearing up for another trick.

Coop: Let's focus on the competition instead. That's the most important thing right now.

Fiona nodded, though it stung her a little that Coop didn't seem to be even slightly jealous. Of course, she didn't know that Coop was very much feeling that way; he just hid his emotions well.

The brief silence in their conversation was interrupted by Dennis's call.

Dennis: Guys, let's practice a few moves. I suggest we thoroughly review the map and figure out what to do where.

They headed towards a bench near the skateboard course, where they sat down to take a closer look at the map on the back of the flyer. Dennis noticed that there seemed to be some tension between Coop and Fiona, so he pulled Coop aside.

Dennis: Is everything okay?

Coop shrugged and tried to respond casually.

Coop: Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?

Dennis, however, raised an eyebrow skeptically. He had known Coop since preschool and could tell when he was trying to hide his feelings.

Dennis: Coop, don't try to fool me. I can see something's bothering you. Kyle's comment is troubling you, isn't it?

Coop sighed.

Coop: Okay, not entirely. You know, it's just that this whole Fiona-Kyle thing is bugging me.

Finally, Coop admitted softly. Dennis rolled his eyes.

Dennis: Look! Don't let Kyle get into your head! He just said that to annoy you. And Fiona mentioned earlier that her brother organized that party. It wasn't some secret date or anything like that.

Coop: Yeah, I know. But that doesn't change the fact that Kyle was at their house, and I've never been to Fiona's. She hardly ever talks about her family. I've sometimes seen an older man dropping her off in a mid-range car, but I have no idea who he might be.

Dennis: You can't know what her family is really like. They might be as unbearable as Old Lady Munson and don't like to bring anyone home.

Fiona had reached the bench and noticed that Coop and Dennis were lagging behind.

Fiona: What's up, guys? Everything okay?

She asked as she got closer to them.

Coop: Yeah, just having a boys' discussion.

Dennis: We were just talking about how Mr. Kat hasn't shown up with any schemes or tricks.

Fiona: Actually, now that you mention it, it is unusual for him. Maybe he's planning something and just being quiet.

Coop: Maybe, but whatever he's planning, we're ready for it. But we also need to win that competition.

Then the three friends sat down on the bench, and Dennis laid out the map so they could carefully examine the course.

Dennis pointed to the area in front of the town hall with his finger.

Dennis: Okay, let's start from the beginning. It would be best to get a quick start to gain an advantage.

Coop nodded.

Coop: Yeah, a 'push off' would be a good move. It would give us a strong start to pick up speed.

Dennis: Then comes the main street. We'll need to react quickly here. Using 'carves,' we can make a series of turns to essentially avoid the traffic.

Fiona: We'll need a good jump at the fountain. We should use an 'ollie,' where we quickly pop the board up with our foot into the air and then fly over the fountain.

Coop: Then we'll have to slalom between the cones in the mall parking lot. That part isn't too difficult.

Dennis: The next part will be tricky. We'll need to speed up the ramp to reach the top of the factory. Here, we'll use the 'pump' technique to help accelerate the board up the ramp with our bodies, like we're swinging, to get as high as possible.

Coop: For the descent, we'll use a 'grind.' Essentially, we'll slide one of the metal parts of the board along the rail while balancing. It's important to position our weight properly on the board to avoid falling off.

Fiona: On the forest trail, there will be various obstacles. Here, we just need to roll smoothly and pay attention to the necessary obstacles, adjusting quickly if needed.

Dennis: The finish line is at the Bootsville dam. Here, we'll need to give it our all and make the most of our speed. The most important thing is to maintain our balance and not lose momentum.

As they continued studying the map, Coop suddenly remembered something.

Coop: But wait! It says we have to solve mysteries too.

Fiona: That sounds exciting. But do you think it will help us advance, or will it just take up time?

Coop: Probably both. If we solve them quickly and well, we might gain an advantage over the other competitors. The question is, if we win, who will get the glowing skateboard?

Dennis: Well, either they'll give out more prizes, or the glowing skateboard is just a symbolic trophy. The real prize might be money, or a group trip, or something similar.

Coop then looked at the flyer.

Coop: Oh right. It says here that teams will receive different gift packages depending on their performance.

Dennis: That sounds fair. Everyone gets something, and teamwork will be highlighted.

Fiona: Well then, we're ready for the challenges.