(Open POV)
Silica City…
The van and car are going as Tari is looking at Belle angrily.
"Oh, come on, lighten up a little. You look like we're gonna kill you and hide your body." Belle said, looking at Tari.
"You're kidnapping me. That's just as bad." Tari said.
"No, we're not. Think of it as…temporarily borrowing your body and Jared's body for research. Um, wait, hang on a second. That sounds worse. Look, we're not gonna hurt you and Jared, okay? We just wanna find out what makes the both of you tick."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better? How we open up and drill into your arm and see how you like it." Tari said.
"You don't think I've suffered to get to where I am now? Let me put it this way. An arm is the least painful thing for a Meta Runner to give up! You don't know how many friends I've seen that have given EVERYTHING for this!" Belle said, angrily.
"But that was under your own will. You agreed to do all of that. People have been pulling me around since the moment I got to this city."
"Ugh, save me the guilt trip. Listen, you can't remember anything right? Live in this world for a couple of days, and you will be crawling back on our doorstep- begging to be a part of TASCorp."
"I find that really hard to believe."
"What else are you going to do babe? In this society, video games are all that matter. And if you don't win you don't matter."
"Ugh!" Tari yelled.
"Yo, Frank! I fell off my motorbike yesterday. Almost broke three bones." Belle said, getting no response from the TASGuards. "I got a personal best of 33:18 at Dragon Kart just this morning." The TASGuards all do a thumbs up. "You see? So just sit back and enjoy the ride. Lucks is gonna do his thing, you'll get a fat stack of TASCoin, and you'll be free to go. Everybody wins!"
"What about Theo and Jared? What happens to them?"
"That kid and the President of the World… are two completely different stories. I have no idea what Lucks has planned for them." Belle said.
"They don't deserve any of this. Theo's just a child! And Jared looked utterly worried for us!" Tari said, worried.
"Oh, don't be so melodramatic…" Belle said, while A car crashes into the van as it sends the people inside jumbling a bit. "...ack!"
Tari opens the van door as she coughs. Theo pops up from on top of the car with Jared as he waves.
"Hey! Tari!" Theo said, excitedly.
"Hey! What's up?" Jared asked, sipping on some bubble tea.
"What?" Tari asked, coughing. "Theo?! Jared?!"
A second white car comes up as it stops midway to inspect the crash. Lucks comes out of the car.
"Belle! Is the girl alright?" Lucks asked, seeing Tari. "Y-YOU!"
Theo mocks Lucks a bit.
"Tari! Quick! Get in the car!" Jared said, looking at Tari. "Whatever Lucks wants for you, you've seen that it isn't good! Now jump!"
Tari runs for the car where it is decorated with an anime girl character in the side.
Belle also gets out as she just sees the car drive away, "Son of a…"
"Get in Belle! You're driving!" Lucks said, angrily.
"What about the whole 'being in public" thing?" Belle asked, looking at Lucks.
"Tinted windows. Get. In."
"Alright, alright. Chill out man."
They both get in their car.
Lucks' car…
"Uh, Lucks? Where's the controller? I ain't using this analog crap." Belle said, looking at the steering wheel.
"Oh, right." Lucks said, rolling his eyes and handing the controller to Belle.
(Jared's POV)
Lamar's car…
I am sipping on my bubble tea while we are in the car with the anime girl driving in the streets with Lamar, Tari, and Theo.
"Theo, Jared, are you okay?" Tari asked, looking between Theo and I. "What's going on?" She sees the guy with the beanie. "Who are you?"
"Damn, that's an interestin' way to say thank you to someone who just saved your ass." Lamar said.
"That's Lamar." I said, sipping on my bubble tea. "He's here to help us, Tari."
"Is…is that a body pillow in the back?" Tari asked.
"Huh? Yeah, that's Nova-chan. Don't worry, she's chill." Lamar said.
"I like her!" Theo cheered.
"Same. I have a body pillow room back home. One of Mint Fantôme." I said, looking down at Nova-chan.
"Isn't she the ghost maid that haunts a maid cafe?" Lamar asked, as he looked over at Tari. "Girl, do me a favor, and put that hoodie on by your feet."
"What? Why?" Tari asked.
"We saw you and Jared back in the arena. Big boss Lucks put a tracking chip in your arm. He likes to keep tabs of his… 'opportunities'. The material on your jumper should block the signal."
"Oh! Theo, tha-that's how they found we were in that streaming pod!" Tari said, her eyes widening.
"Lucks put a tracking chip on me too, but I fried it. Benefit of my ghost powers. It is electromagnetism." I said, drinking my bubble tea. "
"How did you get ghost powers anyway?"
"It's a long story." I said, laughing a little. "And a bit of an accident. Not as much as Theo starting up a livestream in a streaming pod."
"Can we go back there later? I think my fans miss me…" Theo said, sadly.
Lamar handles the controller as he drives through. Also, the red dot signal on Lucks monitor disappears.
(Open POV)
Lucks' car…
"Ugh…" Lucks said, turning to his uniquely masked TASGuard. "Take that vehicle out, but be sure to use the electro mags." The TASGuard preps the rifle. "We need them alive."
The TASGuard sniffs his rifle as they breathes pleasurably.
"Ew. Where do you find these people, Lucks?" Belle asked.
The TASGuard stands up as he has his rifle on the ready as they aim at Lamar's car.
"Do not lose them Belle." Lucks said, looking at Belle.
"C'mon now, Lucks. Look who you're talking too." Belle said, speeding up the car.
(Jared's POV)
Lamar's car…
Tari is shocked that our opponents have a rifle.
"A RIFLE?! They have a RIFLE?!" Tari exclaimed.
"Calm down, girl. I got this." Lamar said, smirking.
The TASGuard takes a shot as it only hits the other car which then shuts down as we keep on moving forward.
"Oh god, that was so close." Tari said, happily.
"Crackerjack! That was awesome!" Theo said, excitedly.
"Hey! Seatbelt!" Lamar said, looking over at Theo.
"Yes, sir…" Theo said, putting on his seatbelt.
(Open POV)
Silica City…
The TASGuard aims and takes another shot. It misses and hits the ground.
"Oh this is gonna be fun…" Belle said, chuckling.
Then the monitor on Lucks' screen starts to show up warning them to slow down and comply.
"Uh, Lucks? The cops?" Belle asked.
"Chief of Police." Lucks said, activating his earpiece. "This is Lucks. Yes that's us. Call your officers off. We're handling the situation."
The warning label of the police goes away. The cars are still driving forwards.
"Hold on, guys!" Lamar said, activating a sequence of inputs using his Meta Runner arm.
The car speeds through as it dodges most other cars. Tari and Jared see how Lamar is handling the controller as they are amazed.
"Whoa…" Tari said, analyzing the inputs being made on the controller.
Belle also opens up her menu using her arm as she also activates a sequence of inputs. The cars keep driving forward as they keep on dodging the cars. The TASGuard takes another shot and this time it breaks the side mirror of the car.
"Ah!" Tari said, worried.
"Aw man, I just had those done! OKAY, now I am pissed!" Lamar yelled.
More of the cars driving forward as the TASGuard still struggles to keep himself steady over the rocky driving.
"Whooo! We are owning this baby!" Lamar said, angrily.
"Look out!" Jared cried, looking at what was in front of him. "Truck!"
There is a truck coming from the side about to be set on their collision course.
"Gah!" Lamar said, drifting just narrowly avoiding the car as there is a slow-motion shot of everyone in that moment being in shock except for Theo who was just enjoying it.
Belle chuckles as she drifts to avoid the truck but hits another car instead sending the TASGuard flying out. Lucks looks at her a bit frustrated.
"Whoops." Belle said, sadly.
"Ugh…" Lucks said, activating his earpiece to talk to his men. "We're coming up on 27th and 3rd now. Put up the barrier."
(Jared's POV)
Lamar's car…
"That was awesome!" Theo said, excitedly.
"You alright baby?!" Lamar exclaimed.
"Huh? Yeah, uh. I, uh. I think I'm fine." Tari said, frowning.
"Oh, uh. Not you. I was talkin' to Nova-chan." Lamar said, looking at Nova-chan.
"Oh."
"Do you know Ryuusei Nova?" I asked, drinking my bubble tea.
"Are you talking about the girl that is friends with Pikamee, Mint, and Lyrica?" Lamar asked.
"That's the one."
"Hey guys. The road disappeared." Theo said.
Lamar, Tari, and I see way in front of us to see the barricade set up by the TASGuards.
"Oh hell no! This ain't good!" Lamar said, and I turned around to see that it is a one way track. "I don't see a way around."
"Uh- uhh…" Tari said.
"Uh- Should we stop the car?" Theo asked.
"Crap. It looks like I'm gonna have to. I'm sorry guys, I screwed up big time." Lamar said, while Tari starts to scan her surroundings. Then she takes the controller as she has a plan. "Hey! What are you doing?!" Tari bumps the car into the trashcan in a way that makes the lid fall into the car and next to Theo. "What the hell?!"
Tari positions the car as she looks at the billboard attached to the side of a building, "Theo! Throw that lid at that billboard up there!"
"Throwing? Oh, I'm good at that!" Theo said, popping up by the hood of the car as he then aims and throws the lid at the billboard, which causes it to fall onto the floor as the TASGuard moves out of the way.
Tari preps herself as she attempts to drift and drive into the billboard. Lucks' eyes then widens as he sees Tari doing the driving now.
"What? Tari?!" Lucks exclaimed.
And then the car drifts by the billboard as it makes a sharp turn on the side of the building as it goes over the barricade and lands on the other side as it then drives off causing a TASGuard to clap.
(Open POV)
Lucks' car…
"What…the…f…" Belle said, in awe.
"BELLE! LOOK OUT!" Lucks said, angrily.
The car was really close to crashing.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" Belle said, hitting the brakes hard as the car just stops just barely in front of the barricade thus preventing disaster.
(Jared's POV)
Lamar's car…
I looked between Lamar and Tari in the car.
"OH YO!!! That was sick!" Lamar said, excitedly.
"Yeah! Tari!" Theo cheered.
"We alive! Gimme hi-fives for bein' alive, little man, Black Pearl!" Lamar said, and, he, Theo, and I hi-five each other. "DAMN! I knew I was right about the two of you. Where'd you learn that?"
"Tari's a super genius and Jared's got the foreknowledge!"
"Well, you are driving on the wrong side of the road now, super genius. Can I have the controller back?" Lamar asked, looking at Tari.
"Oh shoot! Yeah, here you go." Tari said, handing the controller to Lamar.
"Haha, man. You three, alright." Lamar said.
"Where are we going now?"
"To a place where you'll be safe from that corporate scrub."
"Ooh, the cow level?" Theo asked.
"Not the cow level. You were really milking it, Theo." I said, letting out a sigh.
"Uh, sure." Lamar said, rolling his eyes.
(Open POV)
Silica City…
Lucks and Belle are at the barricades.
"GOD DAMN IT! Where the hell did she learn to do that?! And where the hell did the Black Pearl find her?! I don't understand!" Belle said, angrily.
"…Change of plan." Lucks said.
"WHAT?!"
"I no longer want their abilities for TASCorp. I want… THEM…"
"Lucks…you are so creepy right now."
Lucks looks at Belle.
(Jared's POV)
Outside a ramen restaurant…
Lamar, Tari, Theo, and I parked at a restaurant and are about to go inside of it.
"Ooh, dinner? I'm starving." Theo said, happily.
"I don't think we are here for food, Theo…" Tari said, sadly.
Lamar looks around as he then types in the button inputs as the door opens. It shows a ramen restaurant brand where the four of us go inside.
Ramen restaurant…
"Lamar, why did you take us to a ramen restaurant?" Tari asked, and Lamar walks forward. "Lamar?"
Lamar then goes and opens a secret door to a kind of hideout.
Hideout…
I looked at the areas of the hideout and at a blonde girl working on someone's arm.
"Masa, my man! They're here!" Lamar said, angrily.
Masa and the blonde girl turn around to look.
"Oh!" The blonde girl said, excitedly.
"Hiya!" Theo said, waving.
The blonde girl gets excited as Masa walks off. The blonde girl then goes up to the four of us.
"Oh my gosh! You're here! You're finally here! I'm so glad to see the four of you in one piece. Great driving work, Lamar." The blonde girl said, while Tari eyes Masa going into a room as Masa eyes her. "And Tari, Jared! You two need to tell me all about those abilities of yours. What I witnessed earlier absolutely blew my mind."
"Well, I knew you'd be impressed by me." I said, drinking my bubble tea. "But Tari's more amazing."
"She is."
Masa closes the door as he turns around.