CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
EXIT, TEAM DANG
The track had been a place where people could forget their troubles, if only for a little while, and lose themselves in the roar of engines and the thrill of the race, but now, with everything in disarray, it seemed like those days were over.
But despite the overwhelming destruction, there was a strong desire to bring back some sense of normalcy, to restore what had been lost.
While it was clear that the original track and cars were beyond saving, the idea of rebuilding began to take shape. It wasn’t just about restoring a race track; it was about giving people something to look forward to, something that could help them move past the devastation and look toward the future.
To that end, Dang reached out to Alessandro, his friend and the owner of the track itself. The goal was simple: to bring the race back. It wouldn’t be easy, but the desire to rebuild and recover from the invasion was strong. The first steps involved assessing what could be salvaged, what needed to be completely redone, and how they could create something that, while new, still captured the essence of what the race had been.
Dang doused his face with a handful of ice-cold water, fully waking him up, and placed his hands under the open tap, gathering more. He tried as much as possible to ignore the gradual increase of the heartbeat thumping away in his ears.
He was in a stressful situation. He knew that much.
Water began overflowing from his hands and he doused himself again, switching off the tap after. With his eyes closed, he reached for the face towel hanging on the rack beside him and used it to dry himself off. Truth be told, he didn’t know if he was ready to step out yet, so he dabbed at his face for longer. Drying parts that were already dry.
The door to the bathroom swung open. It was Dante, with a grim look on his face.
“This is where you’re hiding?” he asked.
Dang tossed the face towel aside and straightened his posture, checking himself out in the mirror. He was much more muscular than he had been before Daedalus had appeared in his life, triggering one of the biggest adventures he’d ever had.
However, his physical features still remained the same: black hair, same eye color, handsome face…
He cleared his throat, “I’m not hiding. I was using the toilet.”
“Yeah, sure. Get out here, he’s looking for you,” Dante said, before turning and leaving.
Dang gulped, “I guess there’s no use staving off the inevitable.” He muttered to himself.
He patted himself down, making sure he looked just as fresh as he did before he entered, and exited the bathroom, glancing left and right to make sure no one was there. He then started, following the series of corridors and hallways leading away from his reponsibilities. He turned a corner and up ahead, the hallway opened up to a field; his destination.
The faint roar of a crowd leaked through the opening, inviting him further.
A smile almost broke out on his face as he inched closer and closer to freedom, having escaped a dreaded encounter, before…
“Dang!”
He froze in place as the sound of footsteps grew louder behind him. He slowly turned around, coming face-to-face with the rest of his team, and also…
“Alessandro!” Dang outstretched his hands and put on his widest smile, hiding the disappointment he felt to himself for not having made it out.
“Don’t Alessandro me!” The man responded.
Alessandro was a short, round man, whose face was partially hidden by the bushy beard and mustache. He wore a suit now and had on a red bowtie for some reason.
“Come on, don’t be like that Alessandro,” Dang continued, “We’re friends are we not?”
The members of his team – Wombat, Tiger, Dante, and Daedalus – stood off to the back, watching the entire conversation unfold. Dante had a smirk on his face, which Dang realized was because he set this whole thing up.
“We are not friends,” Alessandro continued, “Friends do not do what you did to me!”
“Tell me, what did I do?”
“You ruined my track!” he pointed past Dang, out to the field, at the Nascar track that they’d paid Alessandro to rent for the day. Together, they’d made a few…adjustments.
Simply to make racing on it more fun.
“You’re overreacting, my friend,” Dang kept up his smile, “We didn’t ruin anything. We simply just added a few things.”
“We?” Dante spoke up, “Nothing ‘we’ about this. This is all you.”
The entire team was trying to hide their snorting and giggling but was barely succeeding. Dang being scolded was a source of great amusement for them. In their defense, he did tell them it would be fine to modify the track before ever taking permission from the owner of the track himself.
“Yeah buddy,” Daedalus added, “I didn’t know you were getting into French now. ‘We’ didn’t do anything.”
Wombat and Tiger both said nothing but smirked at him throughout.
“Okay look,” Dang turned back to Alessandro, “I’ll pay double what I’m already paying you if you’ll let this slide.”
Alessandro fired off a couple of Spanish phrases, “First, you ask for a track. I give you one as long as you can get other people to race. Then, you ask for multiple cars. I give you. I didn’t even mind the fact that you tore it down to rebuild it, but this? This is the last straw.”
“Okay, triple then.” Dang regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. He could already barely afford to pay the normal price. He hoped to God Alessandro would refuse the offer, and then he could pat himself on the back knowing he tried.
Alessandro thought for a moment, scratching his beard, “Deal.”
The two shook hands and Dang watched as Alessandro turned and marched straight past the rest of the group, who were now straight up laughing at Dang’s panic negotiating methods.
“Oi Dang, there’s no way you just offered to pay the man three times his original amount,” Dante wiped away a tear.
The rest of the group just laughed at him.
“But for real though,” Dante started, after he’d laughed to his heart’s content, “What a strange man.”
“The facial hair gave it away,” Wombat added, “That’s way too much beard for a man that small.”
Dang rubbed the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, “We’re definitely about to bankrupt after this. Whose idea was this entire derby again?”
“Wasn’t it yours?” Tiger asked, “I could’ve sworn it was you who brought it up. You came into the quantum lab like, two days after we stopped Caden and said something like,” they deepened their voice in an attempt to mimic him, “‘Guys, we should do something crazy and fun to relax, and I have just the thing.’”
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“That was definitely Dante,” Wombat said.
“Huh, was it? You guys are starting to look more and more alike I guess,” Tiger glanced back and forth between Dang and his doppelgangers, a smile on their face as if waiting for applause for the joke they just made.
“Really?” Daedalus scoffed, “That’s your best joke?”
Dang sighed, “Whatever, let’s just finish this race. The crowd’s waiting.”
The derby track stretched out before them, a winding labyrinth of tunnels and obstacles that promised some form of excitement at every turn. The air buzzed with anticipation as the racers prepared for the start, each seated in their vehicles. The spectators’ stands around them were filled with the kids from the orphanage and a bunch of other people that they invited.
Even Anna had made it. In the weeks since the accident, her recovery was steady and gradually, she returned to her full strength. Just behind her, the Cletus twins were trying to hit on a couple of the female orphanage staff.
Wombat had invited kids from school too, and they’d all come to watch. This was his idea of raising everyone’s spirits after a very scary time.
The announcer’s voice crackled through the speakers, barely audible over the noise. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome! Eleven racers, each one crazier than the last, are about to risk it all for glory!”
Eleven vehicles lined up at the starting line, engines growling like beasts ready to pounce. Each vehicle was a reflection of its driver—unique, deadly, and packed with surprises.
He was sat in his sleek, futuristic vehicle, its design reminiscent of a high-tech fighter jet. The body was streamlined, with a metallic sheen that caught the light.
Next to him, Tiger adjusted their grip on the steering wheel of their light, wind-inspired vehicle. The engine hummed, the sound reminiscent of a gentle breeze. “Agreed. And just putting this out there, but you boys shouldn’t cry too much when I smoke your asses. After all, it’s only a fundraiser race.”
“Haha, you’re hilarious, but if anyone’s going to be doing any smoking, it’s me. I mean, I’m literally a pyro,” Dante’s car was a mesh of colors. A bright, fiery design that perfectly matched his personality. Vivid colors and flames were painted across its sleek surface. It looked like a living fireball, ready to burst into flames at any moment. His car was built for speed and power, with hidden flamethrowers on the sides that could incinerate anything that got too close.
Wombat laughed as he listened to his teammates’ banter. His vehicle was a rugged, sturdy machine. The car’s body was covered in tough, reinforced panels, and the front bumper was shaped like a wombat’s snout, perfect for ramming through obstacles.
Dang sat in his own vehicle, a simple yet powerful car that reflected his nature. The car was stripped down to the essentials, with little in the way of flashy design, but its true power was in Dang’s ability to resonate with it.
The other racers were a motley crew of underground drivers, each one with their own deadly machine.
The announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers again. “The rules are simple—there are no rules! The first racer to cross the finish line wins! But watch out, because this track is full of surprises! And remember, only the strongest survive! So with that being said…”
He paused, waiting for the loud cheers from the crowd to settle down before continuing.
“GENTLEMEN,” the announcer roared, “START. YOUR ENGINES.”
They all obliged.
The starting lights blinked red…
Wombat revved his engine. Tiger and Dante glared daggers at each other.
…then they blinked yellow…
The crowd cheered louder.
…and finally green, and with a deafening roar, the racers shot forward, each taking off at top speed.
The vehicles shot forward, engines roaring as they accelerated down the track. Immediately, the chaos began. Mad Dog veered to the left, slamming into the Butcher’s car with a screech of metal. The Butcher responded by deploying the blades on his car, carving deep gashes into Mad Dog’s vehicle. The two cars careened into the wall, sparks flying as they scraped against the concrete.
Dante’s car sped on, flames trailing behind him as he activated the flamethrowers. The heat from the flames caused the Shadow’s car to momentarily flicker into visibility, and Dante took the opportunity to ram the car, sending it spinning out of control.
The roads twisted and turned, and the track was anything but straightforward. Sharp corners, steep inclines, and sudden drops kept them on their toes.
Daedalus was in the lead and was the first to hit a sharp turn, his sleek vehicle hugging the curves with precision. He flipped a switch in his car and activated a set of retractable wings, allowing him to glide smoothly around the bend. His car was a blur of motion, energy cannons firing at anything that got too close.
He deployed the spikes on his wheels, slicing through the tires of the Mad Dog’s car and sending it skidding off the track.
Dante was not far behind, his car speeding down the straightaway with flames licking at the asphalt. He hit a button, triggering the boost, and a trail of fire blazed behind him, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers. He grinned, pushing the car to its limits, eager to catch up to Tiger.
Wombat’s vehicle barreled through the obstacles, the reinforced panels easily deflecting debris and minor collisions. He searched around for a shortcut, didn’t see one, and just decided to make his own. He took a hard left, crashing through the barriers with ease. His vehicle emerged on the other side, in front of Daedalus, and in the lead.
Meanwhile, Dang had been biding his time, feeling out the track and waiting for the right moment. As the course began to tighten, with narrow roads and sudden turns, he grabbed the steering of his car firmly.
“Resonate.”
The car’s frame shimmered, parts shifting and transforming to suit the new conditions. The wheels extended, giving him better traction on the uneven ground, and the engine’s output increased, allowing him to keep up with the others’ pace.
The track spiraled downwards, leading them into a hidden layer beneath the main course—an underground track.
As the cars shot down the slope, the darkness of the underground enveloped them. The only light came from their headlights, casting shadows on the smoothed walls around them. The roar of engines reverberated off the narrow tunnel, amplifying the tension.
It was as if they had entered another world entirely, one where the stakes were even higher.
Dang was in the lead, his hands steady on the wheel as he navigated the turns. He could sense the presence of other drivers behind him.
Suddenly, a section of the wall burst open, releasing spinning blades aimed directly at the cars. Dang swerved, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Behind him, one of the other racers wasn’t as lucky—their car was caught in the blades' path, the screech of tearing metal echoing through the tunnel as the vehicle was torn apart.
“Whoa, who added that to the race?” he muttered as he sped off.
Tiger flipped a switch and activated their hover-mode, and they soared above the track, dodging another set of traps that erupted from the floor.
Spikes shot up in rapid succession, and Tiger had to pull off sharp maneuvers to avoid being impaled. One of the other drivers, attempting to follow Tiger’s lead, misjudged the timing and crashed into the spikes, their car flipping over before smashing into the tunnel wall.
Dante was close behind, the heat from his car’s exhaust lighting up the tunnel. He accelerated, shooting past a rival driver just as the ground beneath them shifted, revealing a pitfall trap.
The other driver’s car plunged into the abyss, another racer out of the race.
Daedalus’ HUD lit up with warnings as a series of projectiles launched from hidden compartments in the walls. He weaved through them, his car’s agility keeping him alive.
“I don’t know guys, maybe this one was too much,” He shouted into the comm in his helmet.
“Agreed.” Wombat said as his car crashed through a wall that had appeared in front of him.
As they neared the end of the underground section, the walls closed in, and the track narrowed, forcing the cars to race in a single file.
All five of them shot out of the tunnel.
The race continued was still on.
Daedalus activated a bunch of sensors that he’d installed in his car, and they helped him to navigate a series of traps, using his car’s advanced sensors to anticipate and avoid them.
Tiger soared above a dangerous gap, their hover mode keeping them safe from the danger below.
Dante blasted through a wall of fire, emerging unscathed and even more determined to win.
Wombat used his car’s toughness to plow through obstacles, creating paths for others to follow.
As they neared the final stretch of the race, the competition intensified.
Daedalus deployed his car’s last-minute defenses, launching a barrage of energy blasts to clear the way through a solid wall that had appeared in front of him, and Tiger used gusts of wind to push back the debris from Daedalus’ attacks, creating a clear path for themself.
Dante’s car burst into flames, shooting him forward at incredible speeds. Wombat, seeing the others trying to pull past him, flipped open a case that was protecting a button.
“Not today,” he muttered as he slammed down on the button and activated a boost, rocketing him forward in a last-ditch effort to gap his peers.
Dang made the boldest move. With the finish line in sight, he fully resonated with his vehicle, transforming it into a streamlined, high-speed racer. The car’s body elongated, the wheels retracting into the frame, and it shot forward like a missile. In the blink of an eye, Dang closed the gap, pulling alongside the others.
The final moments of the race were a blur of speed and skill, with the finish line approaching rapidly.
The crowd erupted in cheers; the excitement of the race palpable in the air. The team, breathless and exhilarated, crossed the finish line and pulled their vehicles to a stop.
Dang, sitting in his car, took a deep breath, the weight of everything he had experienced in the past few weeks settling on his shoulders. He had come a long way since the beginning of this journey when everything seemed simpler, more black and white. Back then, it was just him against the world, no ties, no complications—just a job to do and money to make.
He glanced over at his friends. They weren’t just individuals tied together by a common goal; they were a team, bound together by the trials they had faced and the trust they had built.
Dang could feel the shift in himself, a softening of the edges that had once defined him. He had found something worth fighting for beyond his own survival—his friends, this strange yet comforting sense of belonging. It wasn’t easy letting people in, but these were the people who had seen him at his best and worst and stood by him regardless.
For the first time in a long time, Dang felt a sense of peace. He knew he wasn’t alone anymore. He had his friends by his side, and they could face whatever came next. The battles that lay ahead didn’t seem as scary now that he had them with him.