As the truck gained on Uni's vehicle, she decided to conjure her Morph Emblem and…
“Transform!” she shouted.
She became shrouded in a bright silver flash that disappeared just as quickly. Her hairstyle changed to twin braids that reached her elbows. Her attire on the other hand changed into that of a cowgirl, complete with a cowboy hat, cropped brown leather vest with a crop top underneath, brown miniskirt, and black fingerless gloves on her hands, both of which held twin revolvers.
Uni looked over to Trixie with a smirk.
“The plan is simple,” she began, “We're gonna blow these guys’ brains out. Or if the windshield is bulletproof, then blow out the vehicle's tires. Are you game?”
Trixie's eyes widened in surprise as she saw Uni's transformation, but she quickly regained her composure. "Hell yeah, I'm in," she replied, her voice filled with excitement.
"That's what I thought," Uni replied with a fierce grin. She focused her attention back on the road, her hands steady on the wheel.
The guards behind them continued to gain on them, their truck closing in with every passing second. Uni watched patiently, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
As the guard's vehicle pulled up alongside Uni's car, she raised her revolvers and took aim. With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed a barrage of shots, aiming for the truck's driver.
The bullets peppered the windshield, leaving a spider web of cracks in the glass. Uni could see the guards inside flinch as they were showered with glass. The truck's driver swerved wildly as he tried to regain control.
The guard in the passenger seat pulled out a rifle and took aim at Uni through the broken windshield.
Uni grit her teeth and pressed down on the gas pedal, increasing her car's speed. She swerved the vehicle to the side, avoiding the guard's gunfire. Then, she fired back, her revolver spitting lead at the truck.
The guard in the passenger seat cried out in pain as a bullet hit him square in the chest, sending him crashing backwards into the truck's cabin. The driver, blinded by the broken windshield and desperate to regain control, overcorrected the wheel, causing the truck to fishtail wildly. Two guards in the backseat of their vehicle held up their own rifles, both taking aim at Uni as a last-ditch attempt.
Seeing the guards in the backseat aiming their rifles, Uni quickly swerved the car to the side and ducked her head. The shots flew past the car, but one bullet just barely nicked the side mirror. The car jerked wildly, but Uni kept her grip on the wheel.
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The guards in the truck were shaken by the car's sudden maneuver, their shots going wide. Uni took advantage of their momentary confusion and took aim again, firing at the truck's wheels.
The bullets hit their target with a satisfying crunch, the sound of exploding rubber filling the air. The guard's vehicle began to wobble and lose control, its tires now shredded and useless.
"Damn, that was too close," she muttered through gritted teeth. She looked back at the truck, which was now starting to spin out of control. "Looks like we hit the jackpot.”
The guards inside the truck realized their predicament and frantically tried to regain control, but it was too late. Their vehicle swerved wildly, eventually skidding off the road and crashing into a nearby ditch.
Uni smirked as she saw the crash happen. "Not so tough now," she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction.
The girls cheered and high-fived each other, their adrenaline still pumping from the narrow escape. Uni kept the car speeding forward, eager to put as much distance as possible between them and the compound.
"Well, that's one less thing to worry about," Uni said, a small smile of triumph on her lips. "Now let's get the hell out of here before more guards show up.”
The girls agreed, and Uni accelerated as fast as she could, putting as much distance between them and the guards as possible. They all let out a collective sigh of relief as they left the compound behind and disappeared into the night.
…
Four hours of driving later, distant lights of buildings became visible, signifying that they were closing in on a city after their long drive through pitch dark wilderness.
Uni squinted at the approaching city through the car's windshield, noting its dark and shadowy appearance. "What city is this?" she asked, breaking the silence after hours of quiet driving.
Piper, in the backseat, consulted a map via her built-in database. "According to this, we're approaching the city of Evergrace," she said, her voice still weak but noticeably stronger than before.
"Evergrace," Uni repeated, a hint of weariness in her voice. "Why does that sound kinda familiar?"
Trixie looked over at Uni, her thoughts echoing her friend's. "Yeah, sounds a bit ominous somehow, doesn't it?”
Piper, still engrossed in the map, spoke up, "Evergrace was once a developing nation suffering under apartheid, with its native people facing segregation based on race and skin color after colonization. Outside of the slums the natives were forced to live in, Evergrace was a booming industrial city, known for its cutting-edge technology and innovation. However, it's now fallen on hard times, crime rates soaring, and the city having become a haven for the unsavory underbelly.”
Uni let out a low whistle. "Sounds like a real classy place."
Trixie gave her a deadpan look. "Yeah, really charming.”
Piper continued as if she hadn't really heard their comments. "The city is now almost entirely controlled by the crime syndicates and their operations. The law enforcement and government here don't really hold any power anymore. It's definitely not a place for the faint of heart.”
"Well, this is just great," Uni muttered sarcastically. "We've escaped one dangerous place only to land smack dab in the middle of another.”
Trixie smirked. "Hey, at least we're consistent."
Despite her friend's attempts at humor, Uni's brow furrowed as she mentally prepared herself for what they might encounter in this chaotic city.
"Any hotels here, at least, Piper? More importantly, safe ones?" she asked warily.
"The safest hotel in Evergrace with the best reviews is the Forever Kingdom Hotel. It is a five-star hotel with excellent security and reports of crime from tenants are extremely low.”
Uni considered the information. "Sounds fancy."
Trixie chuckled. "Fancy enough to have a pool?"
Uni rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and a spa, too. Might as well get a full day of pampering after all the crap we've been through.”
In the backseat, Piper perked up with more information. "Actually, the hotel does have a full-service spa, including a sauna, hot tub, and several types of massages."
Uni's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? There is a sauna?”
"Affirmative," Piper responded, "And steam room as well."
Uni and Trixie shared a look of surprise, both having completely different thoughts in their minds.
"A steam room, huh?" Uni mused aloud.
Trixie was suddenly extremely interested in the hotel's amenities. "And what kind of massages, exactly?”
Piper consulted her internal database again. "The spa offers various types of massages, including a hot stone massage, deep tissue massage, lymphatic drainage massage, and aromatherapy massage, among several others.”
Uni's eyes widened further. "Damn, they got us covered."
Trixie was now practically drooling. "Oh, we are SO checking into that hotel.”
Uni let out a chuckle but couldn't help feeling a hint of excitement too. "All right, guys, Hotel Forever Kingdom it is, then."