Aftermath: The Nightmare Part 2
Hey guys, what's up? Well I'm glad you all liked the first installment and thanks to wide_eyed_raven and her amazing psychic powers, she has helped me to think of some other things Jonna would have our poor Willa Walo do just to get Bam back, man this is going to be quite the adventure...so I'll stop blabbering and get to the writing! The song used in this story is "Get Out Alive" by Three Days Grace, which I hold no ownership over what so ever.
Previous Story Links:
Dream Weavers
Title: Aftermath: The Nightmare
Author: MGSSnake
Rating: I don't know, it will change...
Summery: Bam and Ville are now married, and life seemed to be calming down for the young couple, however their dreams were shattered one fateful day, when Bam was kidnapped. (Again)
Disclaimer: Don't own anything, yet I wish I did...
Previous Chapters:
Chapter 1
Ville sighed nervously as he worked on pacing a huge divit in the floor of Bam's living room. He then retreived his cell phone and proceeded to play with the options in his phone's menu, randomly switching his ring tones and messing around with the phone's background, just to occupy his racing mind as he awaited a call from either Jimmy Pop, Evil Jared or the guy Ryan called who said he'd hook him up with a street racer.
"Ryan, what kind of car did your friend say he'd work on for me?" Ville asked after a few minutes of his nervous customization of his cell phone.
"No, he just said that he knew what kind of car would be best for this kind of race," Ryan informed. "Then he said he'd work on it."
"And how far do you think Jimmy Pop and Evil Jared are?"
"I don't know man," Ryan replied. "They could be anywhere...all I'm wondering is what are you going to race in? The Lambo's too low on gas to take another racing session, the Hummer doesn't go fast enough to be worthy of street racer, and the Mercedes isn't built for racing."
"God, what the fuck am I going to do?" Ville questioned as he pulled at his hair.
Just as Ryan was about to suggest something, the door bell rang, followed by a loud knocking sound coming from the large sliding doors.
"I'll get it," Raab said as he stood and opened the doors, emitting both Jimmy Pop and Evil Jared of the Bloodhound Gang.
"So where's the star racer?" Jimmy asked as he entered the living room.
"Here," Ville said as he meekly raised his hand.
"So, you want to learn how to race?" Jimmy asked as he shook Ville's hand.
"Yes, very much so," Ville almost pleaded.
"Well....so would I," Jimmy said as Evil Jared leaned on Jimmy's shoulder.
"Are you serious?" Ville questioned as the color drained from his face. "You don't know how to race?"
"Who told you I knew how to race?" Jimmy questioned as he stared at Ville's paling face.
"That fucker did!" Ville shouted as he pointed to Raab. "He said that since you raced with Bam in the quarter mile you knew how to race cars."
"Well actually all I did was ride in the Lambo with him," Jimmy replied. "Bam was the one that raced."
"Oh God..." Ville said as his pale face gained a slight tint of green as he walked over to a vacant chair and collapsed into it. "Now what am I going to do? I've got a street race tomorrow with an Indy five hundred champion and I have no clue how to race..."
"Well Ville, I hate to have to say this, but I was pulling your leg," Jimmy said smiling. "I know how to race cars, and I'll take you out and give you a few lessons right now."
"Jimmy," Ville said as he stood up from the chair. "Forgive me..."
Jimmy Pop was about to ask what Ville wanted him to forgive him for when Ville forcefully slapped him across his face, causing the wayward singer to stumble to his right slightly.
"I probably deserved that..." Jimmy said as he gently rubbed the now throbbing hand mark on his face.
"Well, now that that is out of the way," Ville said before rubbing his hand. "Why don't we start the lesson?"
"After this..." Jimmy said as he grabbed Ville's head and kissed him.
"What was that for?" Ville asked afterwards.
"I don't know..." Jimmy Pop said shrugging. "I always do that...it's how I connect with my band mates..."
"That's a weird way to connect with them don't you think?"
"Not really..." Jimmy said smiling. "So let's go, times wasting."
Ville sighed and proceeded to follow Jimmy out to where his car was when Ryan's cell phone rang. Pausing momentarily, Ville waited patiently to see what the call was about.
"Hey Ville, good news," Ryan said as he closed his phone. "Your car's done. You can go and pick it up any time..."
"Great, let's go then," Ville said as he, Jimmy Pop, Evil Jared and Ryan left.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So where's my racer?" Ville questioned once they got to the garage.
"Hey Mike!" Ryan shouted. "Your racer is here!"
"Oh he is?" Mike asked as he entered the garage. "Well come on back and I'll show you your racer..."
"Please let it be fast..." Ville whispered as he pressed his hands together as he followed Mike back further into the garage.
"Well here you go," Mike said as he uncovered a street racing hot rod.
"Woah!" Ville said as he walked a slow circle around the vehicle.
"Well go ahead Mike," Ryan said poking him in the ribs. "Start explaining what makes this car a racer."
"Oh yeah," Mike said as he lifted the hood. "Well to start things off, this is a two thousand six Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, with a two point four MIVEC SOHC inline four engine. With an engine this powerful, you're looking at a giddy-up of about one hundred, sixty-two horsepower at five thousand, seven hundred, fifty RPM, and a max torque of the same rate of horsepower at four thousand RPM. And you see that back there?"
"Yeah," Ville said as he noticed the engine block Mike was pointing to.
"That's called the engine block, which this car's stock model is cast iron," Mike explained. "However for street racing these things would only inhibit the car, making it heavier and having the risk of the engine overheating, therefore the block was replaced with a lighter material, the pistons and rods were replaced with port and polish heads, racing camshafts and cam gears were installed, as well as headers. All of these minor replacements help the car have a low resistance and a high flow, basically that's why street racing cars sound different from stock cars when they drive, which also includes the muffler tip."
"Wait, what does a muffler tip have to do with racing?" Ville questioned as Mike led him back to see the modified car part.
"A lot," Mike said as he and Ville knelt down. "Well first off the muffler is the part of the car that filters out the noise that the exhaust system makes when the car is running. Generally you can tell how well the muffler works by how loud the car sounds when it's cruising down the road. Muffler tips are basically the part of your car that you can customize to make it fit with your car's outer ensemble. I went ahead and fixed you up with a rocket muffler tip, a class three racing part when it comes to visual appearance."
"That's good right?" Ville questioned as they stood up.
"Yeah, it's good," Mike said as he moved around to the side of the car. "Okay, now on to the side skirts. This part of the car deals a lot with aerodynamics, so basically the less wind resistance you have on your car, the better. So I hooked you up with a Blast style side skirt."
"What's that hole there for?" Ville questioned as he pointed to it.
"That's to redirect the wind that rushes over the sides of your car so that it doesn't add any extra resistance or friction which can ultimately be the difference between winning and losing," Mike explained. "And if you notice, it's streamline, so it won't cause your car to wobble or jerk a lot when you're racing from wind conditions. Moving on, you'll notice that these rims are generally not the general size hubcaps should be. Well these are seventeen inch, Momo Sport racing rims."
"Does the design mean anything?" Ville asked as he ran his fingers over the shiney chrome rims.
"No, that just adds to visual representation," Mike said before standing up. "Now that I've shown you most of the exterior componants, would you like to actually sit in the driver's seat?"
"Would I ever!" Ville said as Mike led him around to the driver's side.
Ville was expecting Mike to open the door so that it would swing outwards but instead he lifted the door upwards until it came to rest with the bottom of the door suspended above the car's frame.
"I installed these just for fun," Mike said as he opened the other door. "I forget what my buddy in here likes to call them, but I like to call them 'butterfly wings'."
"Interesting..." Ville said before lowering himself into the driver's seat.
"Okay, so one of the first things you'll notice is the gear stick I'm sure," Mike said as he pointed to it. "Well originally, stock Lancer Ralliarts are automatics, however I installed a six-speed transmission so you can either choose to drive auto or manual. Along with the new transmission, I also installed a lightweight and strengthened driveshaft. Next is the fuel system, this new system that I was delivered not too long ago has a stand alone engine management along with replaced fuel injectors, just so the engine doesn't receive too much fuel, ultimately causing it to stall, which wouldn't be good at all during a race. I also replaced the seats with actual race car seats, that's why it felt like you were falling into it, since race car seats are slightly deeper than regular ones, plus I installed a roll cage, so if you do happen to flip your car, the frame work won't collapse on you. And I'll bet you've noticed that little red button on the dash by now."
"Yeah, what is it?" Ville asked staring at the button.
"That is your nitros oxide button," Mike explained. "When you press it, the computer in the dash will release a shot of nitros oxide or laughing gas if you will into the fuel system, thus causing your car to lurch and speed forward. Your nitros canisters are placed right behind your seat, basically where the back seats were. This stuff can ultimately win the race for you if you use it at the right time. The nitros compnant I installed for you is a direct port, therefore giving you the ultimate shot of nitros oxide to speed up your car. However, if you are going to use nitros, wait until your within a couple hundred feet of the finish line, because once you use it, you lose it, and it's very expensive...so use it sparingly."
"Alright, so what's next?" Ville asked as he got out of his new car.
"Well there are the brakes," Mike said as he knelt down. "These brakes have large cross drilled and slotted rotors with four-piston calipers. So in other words, if you learn how to expertly use your breaks, you can help to shave off a few seconds when rounding tight corners. Young racers like to call that drifting. Next is the suspension. This is basically what helps to absorb the 'bouncing' that would generally inhibit the car's performance and cause physical discomfort for the driver. What I've installed is a coil over shock system and adjustable pillow mounts, so you can switch between how much shock protection you think you'll need."
"Can I start it up?" Ville asked eagerly.
"Sure go ahead," Mike said as he handed Ville the keys.
Ville smiled as he quickly retreived the keys and slipped into the driver's seat. Sliding the key into the ignition, he turned the keys clockwise, causing the beast to roar to life. Smiling, Ville pressed down on the gas pedal a few times, revving the engine. He then noticed the pulsating light that was being emitted from underneath the car.
"Hey Mike," Ville shouted over the engine. "What's that?"
"That's neon," Mike explained. "This is basically another componant that helps to make your car look cool."
"Awesome," Ville said as he turned off the vehicle.
"The last thing I want to describe is the weight reduction," Mike said as Ville crawled out of the driver's seat. "To make this car as lightweight as possible, the trunk and doors were replaced with lightweight materials, and the excess parts of the frame and interior componants such as the backseats, windows and doors were cut and foam filled, thus taking at least fifty or so pounds off of the original chasse. Those computer monitors are basically your GPS, where you can map out your course."
"Wow, Mike, thanks so much," Ville said as he shook Mike's hand. "Thanks to you, I'll have a good shot at finding out where my ex-fiancee hid Bam."
"Well let's hope you find him," Mike said as he closed the passenger's side door. "Good luck."
"Thanks."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So Jimmy," Ville started as they reached a marked street of West Chester. "How do I street race?"
"Well one of the basic rules to racing is, timing," Jimmy explained. "You're going to need to practice, so why don't we find a vacant lot or something?"
"Okay," Ville said as he drove down the road that would later be on the specified course.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Okay, we're in a vacant lot," Ville said as he parked the car. "Now what?"
"Well, let's see how good you are at 'drifting'," Jimmy suggested.
"How do I do that?" Ville questioned, nervousness in his voice.
"Well what you do is when you're approaching a corner or a turn, you quickly turn the wheel to the direction you want to turn and 'ride the brake'," Jimmy explained. "'Riding the brake' is when you place a certain amount of pressure on the brake to slow your momentum down so you can make the turn, however you don't want to apply too much pressure for too long, otherwise you'll cut your turn too sharply, ending you up in a wall or barrier. So what you want to do is approach the turn, sharply turn the wheel while applying a little pressure on the brake, and once you've rounded the corner, redirect your car to where you were going and step on the gas. The tires should screech if you did it right."
"Alright..." Ville said sighing. "Here goes nothing..."
Ville swallowed hard as he shifted into first, then second and finally third, his spedometer quickly raising with the rising speed the car traveled at. Upon reaching the corner, Ville applied a set amount of pressure to the brake and sharply turned the wheel, whipping the car's rear end around the corner. Lifting his foot off of the brake to quickly press down on the gas, he quickly righted his car, causing it to slide slightly as it sped down the other end of the parking lot, the sound of screeching tires mixing with the loud roar of the engine. Ville smiled as he slowed the car and eased it back into first gear, rounding it back to stare at the long, snake-like tire marks on the pavement, the fresh skid marks still smoking.
"Great job Ville," Jimmy Pop said patting him on the shoulder. "Next is how to regain control of your car if you miscalculate a turn and end up turning your car around so that it's facing the wrong way..."
"This is going to be a long day..." Ville said as he drove out to a vacant spot in the parking lot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Great job Ville," Jimmy said as he completed another exercise. "Now our last exercise is the drag race."
"You should know a lot about this huh?" Ville questioned as he left the now marked up parking lot.
"Oh yeah, you know what, don't bother going to the half-mile track Bam raced on," Jimmy said changing his mind. "Just do it on this road..."
"Jimmy are you sure?" Ville questioned concerned. "What if I make a mistake, or hit something or someone?"
"Ville, this road is hardly ever traveled on..." Jimmy said calmly. "Besides it's longer than the half-mile so if this thing goes as fast as I've heard, you should have enough time to slow to a stop afterwards."
"Okay what do I have to do?" Ville questioned as he backed up to the very end of the vacant street.
"Okay, you'll first start out in Neutral," Jimmy explained. "Then you'll shift into first, but before you shift into second, make sure you max out the gear otherwise too many short shifts could cause your engine to overheat, but don't wait until the needle is in the red, otherwise you'll over rev also paving the way for an overheating engine..."
"What?" Ville questioned.
"Look, you just worry about steering this beast and shifting," Jimmy said. "I'll tell you when to shift. This car has a max of six gears, so after you reach sixth gear, hold out for a few seconds then apply pressure to the brake, slowing this car down progressively."
"Okay..." Ville said as he shifted into neutral. "Let's go."
Stepping on the gas, he revved his engine for a few goes until he shifted into first. Focusing on the road, Jimmy yelled now, which caused Ville to shift into second, the car quickly gaining speed.
"Now!" Jimmy said as Ville shifted into third.
Sweat started to bead on Ville's forehead when the sight of a group of children appeared a few hundred feet before him on the road. Jimmy's shout of now had Ville shifting into fourth, the car's speed now climbing over 170 miles per hour.
"Now!" Jimmy shouted as Ville shifted into fifth.
Now reaching speeds up to 186 miles per hour, the group of children came and went in a blur of black and white, the wind that followed knocking a few of them to the ground.
"Now!" Jimmy said as Ville shifted into sixth.
Ville glanced down at the spedometer only to see that the Lancer was now traveling at 197 miles per hour.
"Start slowing down Ville!" Jimmy shouted over the engine's mighty roar.
Quickly nodding his head, Ville applied pressure to the brake, the spedometer needle quickly descending down the numbers. Once the car slowed to around fifty miles per hour, Ville shifted back into second then first as he brought his car to a complete stop. Ville sank back further into his seat as his body shook from the adrenaline rush he just experienced from traveling about 200 miles per hour down an old abandoned road, the wind that the car disturbed as it sliced through it practically being strong enough to begin to peel away the pavement. Smiling, Jimmy Pop nodded his approval and slapped Ville on his shoulder.
"Great job Ville," he said smiling. "You're ready to race."
Ville was about to thank Jimmy when his cell phone started to ring. Sighing he answered it, not really caring who it was.
"Hello?" he answered.
"I've made changes to the challenge Ville dear," he heard Jonna's voice proclaim. "Instead of being tomorrow, your race will be tonight. And instead of it being on back roads, it will be on busy in-town streets, and instead of being a sprint race from point A to point B, this is going to be a circuit race with three laps. How's that sound dear?"
"You sick mother fucker," Ville snarled. "I'm going to find you, and when I do, you're dead!"
That being said, he quickly hung up his phone. He then sighed as he laid his head down on the steering wheel.
"Who was that?" Jimmy asked.
"The ring leader of these sick games," Ville said, fatigue in his voice. "She changed my race to tonight, on busy or crowded streets in West Chester, and it's a circuit race with three laps. This is just too much Jimmy..."
"I'm sorry you have to do this alone..." Jimmy said as he placed his hand on Ville's shoulder. "I wish I could help you in some way..."
"Don't worry about it Jimmy," Ville said as he turned his car around to start heading back to Castle Bam to await the race. "You've already helped me greatly, by teaching me how to race."
"I wish you best of luck Ville..." Jimmy said softly.
"Thank you Jimmy," Ville said as he drove past the still stunned children. "Let's hope I can make it out of this one alive and victorious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that night, Ville sighed heavily as he drove down the marked roads of West Chester, following them to the starting line.
No time for goodbye he said
As he faded away
Don't put your life in someone's hands
Their bound to steal it away
"Nervous?" Evil Jared questioned as Ville glanced at his surroundings.
"No," Ville replied, his face pale with a hint of a greenish hue. "I'm petrified."
Don't hide your mistakes
'Cause they'll find you, burn you
Then he said
If you want to get out alive
Run for your life
If you want to get out alive
Run for your life
"Well Jimmy said he taught you everything he knew..." Evil Jared replied, trying his best to verbally calm Ville with conversation. "He said you learned quick and did exceptionally well..."
"Thanks," Ville replied smiling.
This is my last time she said
As she faded away
It's hard to imagine
But one day you'll end up like me
Then she said
"God Jared," Ville said as the road ahead was marked with flares, symbolizing that the starting line wasn't far. "I'm so scared that I won't succeed..."
"Ville, don't even think that," Evil Jared started. "You'll do fine, as long as you keep an eye on your spedometer, and remember to keep one hand permanately on the gear stick, cause believe me, you'll be switching gears often...."
If you want to get out alive
Run for your life
If you want to get out alive
Run for your life
If you want to get out alive (If you want to get out alive)
Run for your life (Life)
If you want to get out alive (If you want to get out alive)
Run for your life
"Well there it is..." Ville said softly. "The starting line...oh and look, I guess that's Dan..."
"I'll be watching for you Ville," Evil Jared said as Ville slowly pulled up to the starting line next to Dan's car.
"Thanks Jared," Ville said as he and Jared lifted their doors and got out, walking over to meet Dan.
If I stay it won't be long
Till I'm burning on the inside
If I go I can only hope
That I make it to the other side
If you want to get out alive
Run for your life
If you want to get out alive
Hold on for
"So this is who I'm racing against?" Dan Wheldon asked as he held out his hand, Jared being the first to shake it.
"No, I am," Ville said as he stepped out from behind Jared.
"Alrighty then," Dan said as he shook Ville's hand. "Nice to meet you sir. So are you ready to race?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Ville replied nervously as he glanced at Dan's car.
"That's good," Dan said as he pulled up on his car door. "Let's get to it then."
"That's a Nissan Skyline," Jared pointed out. "This guy's going to be tough to beat, but all in all, your Lancer is faster than the Skyline, so as long as you can keep a fast and steady pace, you'll win for sure, but watch out, his car has better stability than yours."
"What's that mean?" Ville questioned nervously.
"It means that your car has a greater chance to flip than his does..."
Ville gulped as a nervous breath escaped his throat. He looked like he was about to pass out when Jared grabbed onto his shoulders and lightly shook him.
"Hey, what'd I tell you?" Jared questioned. "Just keep a strong hold of your sanity, and control over your car. Watch the turns and especially the cars, I know it seems impossible, but you can do it. I have faith in you Ville. Just keep looking forward, never look back because the moment you do, it's all over."
"Thank you Jared." Ville said as he embraced him. "I'll do my best."
"You'll do fine," Jared whispered before gently rubbing Ville's back before they parted.
Ville sighed heavily as he made his way back to his car.
If you want to get out alive (If you want to get out alive)
Run for your life
If you want to get out alive (If you want to get out alive)
Hold on for:
Once Ville was inside of his car, he quickly clicked his harness in place and turned on his GPS computer, a display flashing to life which displayed the route he charted while following the huge circle around West Chester of marked roads. He then closed and locked his door, as he heard Dan fire up his engine, the massive roar slightly scaring Ville.
"Remember Ville," Jared said as he leaned down next to Ville's window. "Believe in yourself, you can do this."
"Thanks," Ville said before he quickly kissed Jared.
Jared smiled before nodding his head and walking out to stand in between the two race cars. Dan smiled as he revved his engine a few times as Jared raised his right hand. Ville gripped the steering wheel tightly and revved his car's engine as Jared rasied his left hand.
If I stay, it won't be long
Till I'm burning on the inside
If I go I can only hope
That I make it to the other side
If I stay, it won't be long
Till I'm burning on the inside
If I go, if I go
Burning on the inside
Burning on the inside
Burning on the inside
The next thing Ville saw was Jared's arms quickly falling, symbolizing the start of the race. Flooring the gas pedal, he quickly shifted into first gear, causing a burnout and an early lead. He then quickly shifted into second as he turned down the first street. A slight feeling of ease came over Ville as he shifted into third gear, remaining ahead of Dan. Shifting into fourth, Ville's ease soon disappated as the late night traffic came into view. Taking a few deep breaths, he focused on the traffic and expertly manuvered through them, narrowly missing a few. Shifting up a gear, Ville momentarily glanced at his GPS computer screen, a really sharp turn fast approaching. Recalling Jimmy's training, he applied pressure to the brake and quickly turned the wheel in the direction the turn was, causing his back end to swing out. Releasing the brake, Ville quickly shifted down into fourth gear and floored the gas, turning the wheel sharply as his car sped down the road. Keeping Jareds words in his mind, Ville continued to focus on the road ahead of him instead of worrying about how Dan made the turn.
'You can do this Ville,' he told himself as a tunnel was fast approaching.
Continuing to avoid traffic skillfully, Ville quickly shifted back into fifth gear, literally flying through the semi-vacant tunnel as if he were a bullet. The next thing he encountered after an easy turn was a steep hill. Glancing at his spedometer, he noticed that the needle was still around the halfway mark in between gears, so he shifted back down into fourth, which lurched his car forward a little as his Lancer powered up the hill. The next sound he heard over his own roaring engine was the sound of Dan's engine. Glancing over, he noticed the bumper of Dan's Skyline slowly gaining purchase next to his Lancer. Reverting his attention back to the road ahead of him, he quickly noticed a car that was only seconds in front of him. Screaming he applied pressure to the brake and swerved, luckily missing the car by inches. This setback, however landed him in second as Dan's Skyline sped past his Lancer. Growling low in his throat, Ville floored the gas pedal.
"Oh no you don't," Ville growled as he now worked to regain first.
The next turn had the driver's travel over a bridge that was suspended over a large river, preferably one that everytime a large boat happened to pass by, the bridge would separate and rise to allow the tall ship to pass. Blazing past a few cars, Ville continued to play 'catch up' with Dan as he shifted into his car's next gear. After the bridge came a slow, lazy turn, eventually ending up back at the starting line. Ville narrowed his eyes as he shifted into fifth as his car roared past the starting line, Evil Jared clocking their lap times.
"First lap down, two more to go," Ville muttered as he moved along side Dan's car, their side skirts rubbing against each other.
Deciding to take this race to the next level, Ville started to force Dan's car off into a hazard lining the road. However just as Ville was about to push Dan off of the road to buy him valuable time, a car in front of him caused him to part from Dan's car and move around it. Retaining his speed, his attempt at pushing Dan off the side of the road at least gained him first place again. Smiling deviously, Ville sped off down the road, the tight corner fast approaching. Following his pattern, he executed another perfect drift, keeping masterful control over his car. Focusing on the road ahead of him, he continued through West Chester, the apparent cars that would pop up every now and then, an easy obstacle that was avoided. Rounding another corner, Ville spotted the steep hill again, however this time, his spedometer was well past the mid point, so he kept it in fifth, powering up the hill with amazing swiftness. Once he reached the top however, he experienced a thing called hang time, panicking, he tensed up, clutching to the steering wheel for dear life. Upon landing, his car started to slide as his back end slowly swung out to the right, nearly missing an oncoming car. He quickly shifted down into fourth gear as he regained control of his car, thus giving up his position in first.
"Fuck!" he shouted as he floored the gas pedal again, his anger seething within him.
Glaring daggers into the rear bumper of Dan's Skyline, Ville pushed his Lancer hard as he shifted into fifth gear crossing the still closed bridge. Within seconds, he was drafting Dan's Skyline, his front bumper practically pushing Dan's car. Since Ville's bumper was practically touching Dan's rear bumper, when he went to make the turn, Ville's bumper scraped against Dan's rear bumper, causing him to cut the turn too sharply, thus allowing Ville to take the lead again. Smiling, he sped across the starting line for his third and final lap. His heart thundered in his chest as he sped down the familiar roads, taking chances as he crossed over lane after lane of traffic, trying his best to shave seconds off of his time. Coming to the sharp turn, Ville pulled through with his drift, however, he cut the turn to sharply, causing his Lancer to spin too much, his front end soon facing the opposite direction the race was in. Recalling what Jimmy Pop told him about this situation, Ville quickly turned his steering wheel so that his sliding car faced the right direction again. He then quickly shifted down into second gear as he floored the gas pedal, watching as Dan's car sped by him and down the street even before he had shifted into fourth. Grinding his teeth Ville kept the gas pedal floored as he pushed his car to the limits, the gear stick already in fifth. Ville soon narrowed his eyes when he found Dan's car, already halfway up the hill.
"You're mine bitch!" Ville snarled as he charged up the hill.
However just as Ville was about to catch up with Dan, he ignited his nitros, thus pushing his car further ahead. Ville's eyes widened at how fast Dan's car was moving. Snapping out of it, he kept right on Dan's trail, and as if things couldn't get any more difficult, the bridge that had been closed for the past two laps was now open, as a large ship proceeded through it. Glancing over he noticed the red nitros button on his dash. Remembering what Mike told him, he summed up that this was definately a good time to use it. Taking his chances, Ville pressed the red nitros button. A faint hissing sound was heard before Ville's Lancer shot forward, flames erupting out of the muffler tip.
"Holy shit!" Ville said as he braced himself to jump the bridge gap.
Ville tightly shut his eyes as he felt his car rattle sharply from the sharp incline shift. The next sensation he felt was practical weightlessness. Upon experiencing this sensation, he opened his eyes and glanced out of his window, only to see the dark water beneath him and the fast approaching ramp that was the other end of the bridge. Dan gasped as he witnessed Ville's Lancer fly over his car as they made the jump. Bracing himself, Ville held onto the steering wheel tightly as his car cleared the gap in the bridge and sped down the other side. Hearing Dan's car land right behind his, Ville floor the gas pedal and sped the rest of the way down the bridge, easily turning the last corner. Quickly glancing over, he noticed that Dan's car was now neck and neck with his car, thanks to the las bit of nitros he had in his car. That then reminded him that he still had some left over nitros in his car. Smiling, he waved good-bye to Dan before depressing the nitros button again, shooting his car forward as it sped down the hill and past the finish line, one full second before Dan's car.
"Yes!" Jared shouted as Ville slowed his car to a stop.
"Yes! I won!" Ville shouted as he literally jumped out of his car, only to be swallowed up by Evil Jared's embrace a few seconds later. "I fucking did it!"
"Congratulations," Dan said as he walked over to where Ville and Jared were celebrating. "You are a really skillful racer."
"Thank you," Ville said shaking his hand. "You too, you really kept me on my toes..."
"Well, I guess I'll call Jonna now and give her the news..." Dan replied sighing.
Ville eagerly bounced on the balls of his feet as Dan dialed Jonna's number and informed her that Ville was victorious.
"Alright, give him the phone..." Jonna said groaning. "Here whore, talk."
"Here you go Ville," Dan said as he handed Ville the phone.
"Bam?" Ville questioned, his heart still thundering in his chest.
"Ville?" Bam questioned, his voice soon retaining a smile. "Oh thank God it's you Ville. It's so good to hear your voice again..."
"Bam, how are you?" Ville questioned. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"
"Not too badly," Bam said softly. "So how'd you do in the race?"
"I won, apparently."
"That's great!" Bam said happily. "I'm so proud of you Ville."
Ville was about to tell Bam that he'd find him soon and not to worry too much when Bam's sudden coughing fit broke out over the phone.
"Bam?" Ville questioned. "Bam? What's wrong?"
"I don't...." Bam started. "I'm so...tired..."
The next thing that Ville heard was the clattering of the cell phone on the floor, a loud thud resounding afterwards.
"Bam?" Ville called. "Bam!"
"Oh, sorry, it looks like poor wittle Bammie's too tired to talk to you at the moment...oh and did I mention, your minutes aren't saved," Jonna replied.
"What the fuck did you do to him?" Ville growled.
"Oh nothing, well I guess it's time for your next challenge then isn't it?" Jonna questioned. "Now...let's see...what's it going to be next....? Oh I know, your next challenge is a dual against Valentina Vezzali, a world and Olympic fencing champion. Your duel will take place in West Chester University's gymnasium two days from now. I'd say good luck, but then again, it probably won't help you anyway..."
Ville heard Jonna's wicked laugh before Bam's painful cry erupted over the line. Seconds afterwards however the line cut out. Holding down his anger, Ville quickly closed the cell phone and handed it back to Dan. The Indy 500 champion retreived his phone before glancing back up to find his successor sobbing in the arms of his friend. Bowing his head he sighed before walking over to Ville and placing his hand on his shoulder. The simple gesture caused Ville to glance back at his competitor.
"Hey man, I'm sorry," Dan replied softly. "If I would have known that she was doing this to your friend...I...I would have never agreed to this..."
"Don't worry about it..." Ville said his voice wavering considerably. "I have to work through it, but thank you for your kind words. Come on Jared, let's go..."
Dan watched as Ville and Evil Jared entered the victorious Lancer. Waving he watched as the now purring car turned down a street and disappeared. Sighing he glanced back at his purring car before he walked over and entered it. Closing his door, he sat there for a while as he thought over a plan. Upon finding one, he decided to call up Valentina, seeing as how each of the contestants in this game all had each other's phone numbers so they could be reached in order to progress to the next challenge. Smiling, he quickly dialed the fencing champion's number and proceeded with his plan.
Ooo, what's Dan Wheldon up to? I don't know...and apparently you won't either, well at least not until the next chapter, which will probably be up tomorrow sometime...enjoy.
Previous Story Links:
Dream Weavers
Title: Aftermath: The Nightmare
Author: MGSSnake
Rating: I don't know, it will change...
Summery: Bam and Ville are now married, and life seemed to be calming down for the young couple, however their dreams were shattered one fateful day, when Bam was kidnapped. (Again)
Disclaimer: Don't own anything, yet I wish I did...
Previous Chapters:
Chapter 1
Ville sighed nervously as he worked on pacing a huge divit in the floor of Bam's living room. He then retreived his cell phone and proceeded to play with the options in his phone's menu, randomly switching his ring tones and messing around with the phone's background, just to occupy his racing mind as he awaited a call from either Jimmy Pop, Evil Jared or the guy Ryan called who said he'd hook him up with a street racer.
"Ryan, what kind of car did your friend say he'd work on for me?" Ville asked after a few minutes of his nervous customization of his cell phone.
"No, he just said that he knew what kind of car would be best for this kind of race," Ryan informed. "Then he said he'd work on it."
"And how far do you think Jimmy Pop and Evil Jared are?"
"I don't know man," Ryan replied. "They could be anywhere...all I'm wondering is what are you going to race in? The Lambo's too low on gas to take another racing session, the Hummer doesn't go fast enough to be worthy of street racer, and the Mercedes isn't built for racing."
"God, what the fuck am I going to do?" Ville questioned as he pulled at his hair.
Just as Ryan was about to suggest something, the door bell rang, followed by a loud knocking sound coming from the large sliding doors.
"I'll get it," Raab said as he stood and opened the doors, emitting both Jimmy Pop and Evil Jared of the Bloodhound Gang.
"So where's the star racer?" Jimmy asked as he entered the living room.
"Here," Ville said as he meekly raised his hand.
"So, you want to learn how to race?" Jimmy asked as he shook Ville's hand.
"Yes, very much so," Ville almost pleaded.
"Well....so would I," Jimmy said as Evil Jared leaned on Jimmy's shoulder.
"Are you serious?" Ville questioned as the color drained from his face. "You don't know how to race?"
"Who told you I knew how to race?" Jimmy questioned as he stared at Ville's paling face.
"That fucker did!" Ville shouted as he pointed to Raab. "He said that since you raced with Bam in the quarter mile you knew how to race cars."
"Well actually all I did was ride in the Lambo with him," Jimmy replied. "Bam was the one that raced."
"Oh God..." Ville said as his pale face gained a slight tint of green as he walked over to a vacant chair and collapsed into it. "Now what am I going to do? I've got a street race tomorrow with an Indy five hundred champion and I have no clue how to race..."
"Well Ville, I hate to have to say this, but I was pulling your leg," Jimmy said smiling. "I know how to race cars, and I'll take you out and give you a few lessons right now."
"Jimmy," Ville said as he stood up from the chair. "Forgive me..."
Jimmy Pop was about to ask what Ville wanted him to forgive him for when Ville forcefully slapped him across his face, causing the wayward singer to stumble to his right slightly.
"I probably deserved that..." Jimmy said as he gently rubbed the now throbbing hand mark on his face.
"Well, now that that is out of the way," Ville said before rubbing his hand. "Why don't we start the lesson?"
"After this..." Jimmy said as he grabbed Ville's head and kissed him.
"What was that for?" Ville asked afterwards.
"I don't know..." Jimmy Pop said shrugging. "I always do that...it's how I connect with my band mates..."
"That's a weird way to connect with them don't you think?"
"Not really..." Jimmy said smiling. "So let's go, times wasting."
Ville sighed and proceeded to follow Jimmy out to where his car was when Ryan's cell phone rang. Pausing momentarily, Ville waited patiently to see what the call was about.
"Hey Ville, good news," Ryan said as he closed his phone. "Your car's done. You can go and pick it up any time..."
"Great, let's go then," Ville said as he, Jimmy Pop, Evil Jared and Ryan left.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So where's my racer?" Ville questioned once they got to the garage.
"Hey Mike!" Ryan shouted. "Your racer is here!"
"Oh he is?" Mike asked as he entered the garage. "Well come on back and I'll show you your racer..."
"Please let it be fast..." Ville whispered as he pressed his hands together as he followed Mike back further into the garage.
"Well here you go," Mike said as he uncovered a street racing hot rod.
"Woah!" Ville said as he walked a slow circle around the vehicle.
"Well go ahead Mike," Ryan said poking him in the ribs. "Start explaining what makes this car a racer."
"Oh yeah," Mike said as he lifted the hood. "Well to start things off, this is a two thousand six Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, with a two point four MIVEC SOHC inline four engine. With an engine this powerful, you're looking at a giddy-up of about one hundred, sixty-two horsepower at five thousand, seven hundred, fifty RPM, and a max torque of the same rate of horsepower at four thousand RPM. And you see that back there?"
"Yeah," Ville said as he noticed the engine block Mike was pointing to.
"That's called the engine block, which this car's stock model is cast iron," Mike explained. "However for street racing these things would only inhibit the car, making it heavier and having the risk of the engine overheating, therefore the block was replaced with a lighter material, the pistons and rods were replaced with port and polish heads, racing camshafts and cam gears were installed, as well as headers. All of these minor replacements help the car have a low resistance and a high flow, basically that's why street racing cars sound different from stock cars when they drive, which also includes the muffler tip."
"Wait, what does a muffler tip have to do with racing?" Ville questioned as Mike led him back to see the modified car part.
"A lot," Mike said as he and Ville knelt down. "Well first off the muffler is the part of the car that filters out the noise that the exhaust system makes when the car is running. Generally you can tell how well the muffler works by how loud the car sounds when it's cruising down the road. Muffler tips are basically the part of your car that you can customize to make it fit with your car's outer ensemble. I went ahead and fixed you up with a rocket muffler tip, a class three racing part when it comes to visual appearance."
"That's good right?" Ville questioned as they stood up.
"Yeah, it's good," Mike said as he moved around to the side of the car. "Okay, now on to the side skirts. This part of the car deals a lot with aerodynamics, so basically the less wind resistance you have on your car, the better. So I hooked you up with a Blast style side skirt."
"What's that hole there for?" Ville questioned as he pointed to it.
"That's to redirect the wind that rushes over the sides of your car so that it doesn't add any extra resistance or friction which can ultimately be the difference between winning and losing," Mike explained. "And if you notice, it's streamline, so it won't cause your car to wobble or jerk a lot when you're racing from wind conditions. Moving on, you'll notice that these rims are generally not the general size hubcaps should be. Well these are seventeen inch, Momo Sport racing rims."
"Does the design mean anything?" Ville asked as he ran his fingers over the shiney chrome rims.
"No, that just adds to visual representation," Mike said before standing up. "Now that I've shown you most of the exterior componants, would you like to actually sit in the driver's seat?"
"Would I ever!" Ville said as Mike led him around to the driver's side.
Ville was expecting Mike to open the door so that it would swing outwards but instead he lifted the door upwards until it came to rest with the bottom of the door suspended above the car's frame.
"I installed these just for fun," Mike said as he opened the other door. "I forget what my buddy in here likes to call them, but I like to call them 'butterfly wings'."
"Interesting..." Ville said before lowering himself into the driver's seat.
"Okay, so one of the first things you'll notice is the gear stick I'm sure," Mike said as he pointed to it. "Well originally, stock Lancer Ralliarts are automatics, however I installed a six-speed transmission so you can either choose to drive auto or manual. Along with the new transmission, I also installed a lightweight and strengthened driveshaft. Next is the fuel system, this new system that I was delivered not too long ago has a stand alone engine management along with replaced fuel injectors, just so the engine doesn't receive too much fuel, ultimately causing it to stall, which wouldn't be good at all during a race. I also replaced the seats with actual race car seats, that's why it felt like you were falling into it, since race car seats are slightly deeper than regular ones, plus I installed a roll cage, so if you do happen to flip your car, the frame work won't collapse on you. And I'll bet you've noticed that little red button on the dash by now."
"Yeah, what is it?" Ville asked staring at the button.
"That is your nitros oxide button," Mike explained. "When you press it, the computer in the dash will release a shot of nitros oxide or laughing gas if you will into the fuel system, thus causing your car to lurch and speed forward. Your nitros canisters are placed right behind your seat, basically where the back seats were. This stuff can ultimately win the race for you if you use it at the right time. The nitros compnant I installed for you is a direct port, therefore giving you the ultimate shot of nitros oxide to speed up your car. However, if you are going to use nitros, wait until your within a couple hundred feet of the finish line, because once you use it, you lose it, and it's very expensive...so use it sparingly."
"Alright, so what's next?" Ville asked as he got out of his new car.
"Well there are the brakes," Mike said as he knelt down. "These brakes have large cross drilled and slotted rotors with four-piston calipers. So in other words, if you learn how to expertly use your breaks, you can help to shave off a few seconds when rounding tight corners. Young racers like to call that drifting. Next is the suspension. This is basically what helps to absorb the 'bouncing' that would generally inhibit the car's performance and cause physical discomfort for the driver. What I've installed is a coil over shock system and adjustable pillow mounts, so you can switch between how much shock protection you think you'll need."
"Can I start it up?" Ville asked eagerly.
"Sure go ahead," Mike said as he handed Ville the keys.
Ville smiled as he quickly retreived the keys and slipped into the driver's seat. Sliding the key into the ignition, he turned the keys clockwise, causing the beast to roar to life. Smiling, Ville pressed down on the gas pedal a few times, revving the engine. He then noticed the pulsating light that was being emitted from underneath the car.
"Hey Mike," Ville shouted over the engine. "What's that?"
"That's neon," Mike explained. "This is basically another componant that helps to make your car look cool."
"Awesome," Ville said as he turned off the vehicle.
"The last thing I want to describe is the weight reduction," Mike said as Ville crawled out of the driver's seat. "To make this car as lightweight as possible, the trunk and doors were replaced with lightweight materials, and the excess parts of the frame and interior componants such as the backseats, windows and doors were cut and foam filled, thus taking at least fifty or so pounds off of the original chasse. Those computer monitors are basically your GPS, where you can map out your course."
"Wow, Mike, thanks so much," Ville said as he shook Mike's hand. "Thanks to you, I'll have a good shot at finding out where my ex-fiancee hid Bam."
"Well let's hope you find him," Mike said as he closed the passenger's side door. "Good luck."
"Thanks."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So Jimmy," Ville started as they reached a marked street of West Chester. "How do I street race?"
"Well one of the basic rules to racing is, timing," Jimmy explained. "You're going to need to practice, so why don't we find a vacant lot or something?"
"Okay," Ville said as he drove down the road that would later be on the specified course.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Okay, we're in a vacant lot," Ville said as he parked the car. "Now what?"
"Well, let's see how good you are at 'drifting'," Jimmy suggested.
"How do I do that?" Ville questioned, nervousness in his voice.
"Well what you do is when you're approaching a corner or a turn, you quickly turn the wheel to the direction you want to turn and 'ride the brake'," Jimmy explained. "'Riding the brake' is when you place a certain amount of pressure on the brake to slow your momentum down so you can make the turn, however you don't want to apply too much pressure for too long, otherwise you'll cut your turn too sharply, ending you up in a wall or barrier. So what you want to do is approach the turn, sharply turn the wheel while applying a little pressure on the brake, and once you've rounded the corner, redirect your car to where you were going and step on the gas. The tires should screech if you did it right."
"Alright..." Ville said sighing. "Here goes nothing..."
Ville swallowed hard as he shifted into first, then second and finally third, his spedometer quickly raising with the rising speed the car traveled at. Upon reaching the corner, Ville applied a set amount of pressure to the brake and sharply turned the wheel, whipping the car's rear end around the corner. Lifting his foot off of the brake to quickly press down on the gas, he quickly righted his car, causing it to slide slightly as it sped down the other end of the parking lot, the sound of screeching tires mixing with the loud roar of the engine. Ville smiled as he slowed the car and eased it back into first gear, rounding it back to stare at the long, snake-like tire marks on the pavement, the fresh skid marks still smoking.
"Great job Ville," Jimmy Pop said patting him on the shoulder. "Next is how to regain control of your car if you miscalculate a turn and end up turning your car around so that it's facing the wrong way..."
"This is going to be a long day..." Ville said as he drove out to a vacant spot in the parking lot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Great job Ville," Jimmy said as he completed another exercise. "Now our last exercise is the drag race."
"You should know a lot about this huh?" Ville questioned as he left the now marked up parking lot.
"Oh yeah, you know what, don't bother going to the half-mile track Bam raced on," Jimmy said changing his mind. "Just do it on this road..."
"Jimmy are you sure?" Ville questioned concerned. "What if I make a mistake, or hit something or someone?"
"Ville, this road is hardly ever traveled on..." Jimmy said calmly. "Besides it's longer than the half-mile so if this thing goes as fast as I've heard, you should have enough time to slow to a stop afterwards."
"Okay what do I have to do?" Ville questioned as he backed up to the very end of the vacant street.
"Okay, you'll first start out in Neutral," Jimmy explained. "Then you'll shift into first, but before you shift into second, make sure you max out the gear otherwise too many short shifts could cause your engine to overheat, but don't wait until the needle is in the red, otherwise you'll over rev also paving the way for an overheating engine..."
"What?" Ville questioned.
"Look, you just worry about steering this beast and shifting," Jimmy said. "I'll tell you when to shift. This car has a max of six gears, so after you reach sixth gear, hold out for a few seconds then apply pressure to the brake, slowing this car down progressively."
"Okay..." Ville said as he shifted into neutral. "Let's go."
Stepping on the gas, he revved his engine for a few goes until he shifted into first. Focusing on the road, Jimmy yelled now, which caused Ville to shift into second, the car quickly gaining speed.
"Now!" Jimmy said as Ville shifted into third.
Sweat started to bead on Ville's forehead when the sight of a group of children appeared a few hundred feet before him on the road. Jimmy's shout of now had Ville shifting into fourth, the car's speed now climbing over 170 miles per hour.
"Now!" Jimmy shouted as Ville shifted into fifth.
Now reaching speeds up to 186 miles per hour, the group of children came and went in a blur of black and white, the wind that followed knocking a few of them to the ground.
"Now!" Jimmy said as Ville shifted into sixth.
Ville glanced down at the spedometer only to see that the Lancer was now traveling at 197 miles per hour.
"Start slowing down Ville!" Jimmy shouted over the engine's mighty roar.
Quickly nodding his head, Ville applied pressure to the brake, the spedometer needle quickly descending down the numbers. Once the car slowed to around fifty miles per hour, Ville shifted back into second then first as he brought his car to a complete stop. Ville sank back further into his seat as his body shook from the adrenaline rush he just experienced from traveling about 200 miles per hour down an old abandoned road, the wind that the car disturbed as it sliced through it practically being strong enough to begin to peel away the pavement. Smiling, Jimmy Pop nodded his approval and slapped Ville on his shoulder.
"Great job Ville," he said smiling. "You're ready to race."
Ville was about to thank Jimmy when his cell phone started to ring. Sighing he answered it, not really caring who it was.
"Hello?" he answered.
"I've made changes to the challenge Ville dear," he heard Jonna's voice proclaim. "Instead of being tomorrow, your race will be tonight. And instead of it being on back roads, it will be on busy in-town streets, and instead of being a sprint race from point A to point B, this is going to be a circuit race with three laps. How's that sound dear?"
"You sick mother fucker," Ville snarled. "I'm going to find you, and when I do, you're dead!"
That being said, he quickly hung up his phone. He then sighed as he laid his head down on the steering wheel.
"Who was that?" Jimmy asked.
"The ring leader of these sick games," Ville said, fatigue in his voice. "She changed my race to tonight, on busy or crowded streets in West Chester, and it's a circuit race with three laps. This is just too much Jimmy..."
"I'm sorry you have to do this alone..." Jimmy said as he placed his hand on Ville's shoulder. "I wish I could help you in some way..."
"Don't worry about it Jimmy," Ville said as he turned his car around to start heading back to Castle Bam to await the race. "You've already helped me greatly, by teaching me how to race."
"I wish you best of luck Ville..." Jimmy said softly.
"Thank you Jimmy," Ville said as he drove past the still stunned children. "Let's hope I can make it out of this one alive and victorious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that night, Ville sighed heavily as he drove down the marked roads of West Chester, following them to the starting line.
No time for goodbye he said
As he faded away
Don't put your life in someone's hands
Their bound to steal it away
"Nervous?" Evil Jared questioned as Ville glanced at his surroundings.
"No," Ville replied, his face pale with a hint of a greenish hue. "I'm petrified."
Don't hide your mistakes
'Cause they'll find you, burn you
Then he said
If you want to get out alive
Run for your life
If you want to get out alive
Run for your life
"Well Jimmy said he taught you everything he knew..." Evil Jared replied, trying his best to verbally calm Ville with conversation. "He said you learned quick and did exceptionally well..."
"Thanks," Ville replied smiling.
This is my last time she said
As she faded away
It's hard to imagine
But one day you'll end up like me
Then she said
"God Jared," Ville said as the road ahead was marked with flares, symbolizing that the starting line wasn't far. "I'm so scared that I won't succeed..."
"Ville, don't even think that," Evil Jared started. "You'll do fine, as long as you keep an eye on your spedometer, and remember to keep one hand permanately on the gear stick, cause believe me, you'll be switching gears often...."
If you want to get out alive
Run for your life
If you want to get out alive
Run for your life
If you want to get out alive (If you want to get out alive)
Run for your life (Life)
If you want to get out alive (If you want to get out alive)
Run for your life
"Well there it is..." Ville said softly. "The starting line...oh and look, I guess that's Dan..."
"I'll be watching for you Ville," Evil Jared said as Ville slowly pulled up to the starting line next to Dan's car.
"Thanks Jared," Ville said as he and Jared lifted their doors and got out, walking over to meet Dan.
If I stay it won't be long
Till I'm burning on the inside
If I go I can only hope
That I make it to the other side
If you want to get out alive
Run for your life
If you want to get out alive
Hold on for
"So this is who I'm racing against?" Dan Wheldon asked as he held out his hand, Jared being the first to shake it.
"No, I am," Ville said as he stepped out from behind Jared.
"Alrighty then," Dan said as he shook Ville's hand. "Nice to meet you sir. So are you ready to race?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Ville replied nervously as he glanced at Dan's car.
"That's good," Dan said as he pulled up on his car door. "Let's get to it then."
"That's a Nissan Skyline," Jared pointed out. "This guy's going to be tough to beat, but all in all, your Lancer is faster than the Skyline, so as long as you can keep a fast and steady pace, you'll win for sure, but watch out, his car has better stability than yours."
"What's that mean?" Ville questioned nervously.
"It means that your car has a greater chance to flip than his does..."
Ville gulped as a nervous breath escaped his throat. He looked like he was about to pass out when Jared grabbed onto his shoulders and lightly shook him.
"Hey, what'd I tell you?" Jared questioned. "Just keep a strong hold of your sanity, and control over your car. Watch the turns and especially the cars, I know it seems impossible, but you can do it. I have faith in you Ville. Just keep looking forward, never look back because the moment you do, it's all over."
"Thank you Jared." Ville said as he embraced him. "I'll do my best."
"You'll do fine," Jared whispered before gently rubbing Ville's back before they parted.
Ville sighed heavily as he made his way back to his car.
If you want to get out alive (If you want to get out alive)
Run for your life
If you want to get out alive (If you want to get out alive)
Hold on for:
Once Ville was inside of his car, he quickly clicked his harness in place and turned on his GPS computer, a display flashing to life which displayed the route he charted while following the huge circle around West Chester of marked roads. He then closed and locked his door, as he heard Dan fire up his engine, the massive roar slightly scaring Ville.
"Remember Ville," Jared said as he leaned down next to Ville's window. "Believe in yourself, you can do this."
"Thanks," Ville said before he quickly kissed Jared.
Jared smiled before nodding his head and walking out to stand in between the two race cars. Dan smiled as he revved his engine a few times as Jared raised his right hand. Ville gripped the steering wheel tightly and revved his car's engine as Jared rasied his left hand.
If I stay, it won't be long
Till I'm burning on the inside
If I go I can only hope
That I make it to the other side
If I stay, it won't be long
Till I'm burning on the inside
If I go, if I go
Burning on the inside
Burning on the inside
Burning on the inside
The next thing Ville saw was Jared's arms quickly falling, symbolizing the start of the race. Flooring the gas pedal, he quickly shifted into first gear, causing a burnout and an early lead. He then quickly shifted into second as he turned down the first street. A slight feeling of ease came over Ville as he shifted into third gear, remaining ahead of Dan. Shifting into fourth, Ville's ease soon disappated as the late night traffic came into view. Taking a few deep breaths, he focused on the traffic and expertly manuvered through them, narrowly missing a few. Shifting up a gear, Ville momentarily glanced at his GPS computer screen, a really sharp turn fast approaching. Recalling Jimmy's training, he applied pressure to the brake and quickly turned the wheel in the direction the turn was, causing his back end to swing out. Releasing the brake, Ville quickly shifted down into fourth gear and floored the gas, turning the wheel sharply as his car sped down the road. Keeping Jareds words in his mind, Ville continued to focus on the road ahead of him instead of worrying about how Dan made the turn.
'You can do this Ville,' he told himself as a tunnel was fast approaching.
Continuing to avoid traffic skillfully, Ville quickly shifted back into fifth gear, literally flying through the semi-vacant tunnel as if he were a bullet. The next thing he encountered after an easy turn was a steep hill. Glancing at his spedometer, he noticed that the needle was still around the halfway mark in between gears, so he shifted back down into fourth, which lurched his car forward a little as his Lancer powered up the hill. The next sound he heard over his own roaring engine was the sound of Dan's engine. Glancing over, he noticed the bumper of Dan's Skyline slowly gaining purchase next to his Lancer. Reverting his attention back to the road ahead of him, he quickly noticed a car that was only seconds in front of him. Screaming he applied pressure to the brake and swerved, luckily missing the car by inches. This setback, however landed him in second as Dan's Skyline sped past his Lancer. Growling low in his throat, Ville floored the gas pedal.
"Oh no you don't," Ville growled as he now worked to regain first.
The next turn had the driver's travel over a bridge that was suspended over a large river, preferably one that everytime a large boat happened to pass by, the bridge would separate and rise to allow the tall ship to pass. Blazing past a few cars, Ville continued to play 'catch up' with Dan as he shifted into his car's next gear. After the bridge came a slow, lazy turn, eventually ending up back at the starting line. Ville narrowed his eyes as he shifted into fifth as his car roared past the starting line, Evil Jared clocking their lap times.
"First lap down, two more to go," Ville muttered as he moved along side Dan's car, their side skirts rubbing against each other.
Deciding to take this race to the next level, Ville started to force Dan's car off into a hazard lining the road. However just as Ville was about to push Dan off of the road to buy him valuable time, a car in front of him caused him to part from Dan's car and move around it. Retaining his speed, his attempt at pushing Dan off the side of the road at least gained him first place again. Smiling deviously, Ville sped off down the road, the tight corner fast approaching. Following his pattern, he executed another perfect drift, keeping masterful control over his car. Focusing on the road ahead of him, he continued through West Chester, the apparent cars that would pop up every now and then, an easy obstacle that was avoided. Rounding another corner, Ville spotted the steep hill again, however this time, his spedometer was well past the mid point, so he kept it in fifth, powering up the hill with amazing swiftness. Once he reached the top however, he experienced a thing called hang time, panicking, he tensed up, clutching to the steering wheel for dear life. Upon landing, his car started to slide as his back end slowly swung out to the right, nearly missing an oncoming car. He quickly shifted down into fourth gear as he regained control of his car, thus giving up his position in first.
"Fuck!" he shouted as he floored the gas pedal again, his anger seething within him.
Glaring daggers into the rear bumper of Dan's Skyline, Ville pushed his Lancer hard as he shifted into fifth gear crossing the still closed bridge. Within seconds, he was drafting Dan's Skyline, his front bumper practically pushing Dan's car. Since Ville's bumper was practically touching Dan's rear bumper, when he went to make the turn, Ville's bumper scraped against Dan's rear bumper, causing him to cut the turn too sharply, thus allowing Ville to take the lead again. Smiling, he sped across the starting line for his third and final lap. His heart thundered in his chest as he sped down the familiar roads, taking chances as he crossed over lane after lane of traffic, trying his best to shave seconds off of his time. Coming to the sharp turn, Ville pulled through with his drift, however, he cut the turn to sharply, causing his Lancer to spin too much, his front end soon facing the opposite direction the race was in. Recalling what Jimmy Pop told him about this situation, Ville quickly turned his steering wheel so that his sliding car faced the right direction again. He then quickly shifted down into second gear as he floored the gas pedal, watching as Dan's car sped by him and down the street even before he had shifted into fourth. Grinding his teeth Ville kept the gas pedal floored as he pushed his car to the limits, the gear stick already in fifth. Ville soon narrowed his eyes when he found Dan's car, already halfway up the hill.
"You're mine bitch!" Ville snarled as he charged up the hill.
However just as Ville was about to catch up with Dan, he ignited his nitros, thus pushing his car further ahead. Ville's eyes widened at how fast Dan's car was moving. Snapping out of it, he kept right on Dan's trail, and as if things couldn't get any more difficult, the bridge that had been closed for the past two laps was now open, as a large ship proceeded through it. Glancing over he noticed the red nitros button on his dash. Remembering what Mike told him, he summed up that this was definately a good time to use it. Taking his chances, Ville pressed the red nitros button. A faint hissing sound was heard before Ville's Lancer shot forward, flames erupting out of the muffler tip.
"Holy shit!" Ville said as he braced himself to jump the bridge gap.
Ville tightly shut his eyes as he felt his car rattle sharply from the sharp incline shift. The next sensation he felt was practical weightlessness. Upon experiencing this sensation, he opened his eyes and glanced out of his window, only to see the dark water beneath him and the fast approaching ramp that was the other end of the bridge. Dan gasped as he witnessed Ville's Lancer fly over his car as they made the jump. Bracing himself, Ville held onto the steering wheel tightly as his car cleared the gap in the bridge and sped down the other side. Hearing Dan's car land right behind his, Ville floor the gas pedal and sped the rest of the way down the bridge, easily turning the last corner. Quickly glancing over, he noticed that Dan's car was now neck and neck with his car, thanks to the las bit of nitros he had in his car. That then reminded him that he still had some left over nitros in his car. Smiling, he waved good-bye to Dan before depressing the nitros button again, shooting his car forward as it sped down the hill and past the finish line, one full second before Dan's car.
"Yes!" Jared shouted as Ville slowed his car to a stop.
"Yes! I won!" Ville shouted as he literally jumped out of his car, only to be swallowed up by Evil Jared's embrace a few seconds later. "I fucking did it!"
"Congratulations," Dan said as he walked over to where Ville and Jared were celebrating. "You are a really skillful racer."
"Thank you," Ville said shaking his hand. "You too, you really kept me on my toes..."
"Well, I guess I'll call Jonna now and give her the news..." Dan replied sighing.
Ville eagerly bounced on the balls of his feet as Dan dialed Jonna's number and informed her that Ville was victorious.
"Alright, give him the phone..." Jonna said groaning. "Here whore, talk."
"Here you go Ville," Dan said as he handed Ville the phone.
"Bam?" Ville questioned, his heart still thundering in his chest.
"Ville?" Bam questioned, his voice soon retaining a smile. "Oh thank God it's you Ville. It's so good to hear your voice again..."
"Bam, how are you?" Ville questioned. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"
"Not too badly," Bam said softly. "So how'd you do in the race?"
"I won, apparently."
"That's great!" Bam said happily. "I'm so proud of you Ville."
Ville was about to tell Bam that he'd find him soon and not to worry too much when Bam's sudden coughing fit broke out over the phone.
"Bam?" Ville questioned. "Bam? What's wrong?"
"I don't...." Bam started. "I'm so...tired..."
The next thing that Ville heard was the clattering of the cell phone on the floor, a loud thud resounding afterwards.
"Bam?" Ville called. "Bam!"
"Oh, sorry, it looks like poor wittle Bammie's too tired to talk to you at the moment...oh and did I mention, your minutes aren't saved," Jonna replied.
"What the fuck did you do to him?" Ville growled.
"Oh nothing, well I guess it's time for your next challenge then isn't it?" Jonna questioned. "Now...let's see...what's it going to be next....? Oh I know, your next challenge is a dual against Valentina Vezzali, a world and Olympic fencing champion. Your duel will take place in West Chester University's gymnasium two days from now. I'd say good luck, but then again, it probably won't help you anyway..."
Ville heard Jonna's wicked laugh before Bam's painful cry erupted over the line. Seconds afterwards however the line cut out. Holding down his anger, Ville quickly closed the cell phone and handed it back to Dan. The Indy 500 champion retreived his phone before glancing back up to find his successor sobbing in the arms of his friend. Bowing his head he sighed before walking over to Ville and placing his hand on his shoulder. The simple gesture caused Ville to glance back at his competitor.
"Hey man, I'm sorry," Dan replied softly. "If I would have known that she was doing this to your friend...I...I would have never agreed to this..."
"Don't worry about it..." Ville said his voice wavering considerably. "I have to work through it, but thank you for your kind words. Come on Jared, let's go..."
Dan watched as Ville and Evil Jared entered the victorious Lancer. Waving he watched as the now purring car turned down a street and disappeared. Sighing he glanced back at his purring car before he walked over and entered it. Closing his door, he sat there for a while as he thought over a plan. Upon finding one, he decided to call up Valentina, seeing as how each of the contestants in this game all had each other's phone numbers so they could be reached in order to progress to the next challenge. Smiling, he quickly dialed the fencing champion's number and proceeded with his plan.
Ooo, what's Dan Wheldon up to? I don't know...and apparently you won't either, well at least not until the next chapter, which will probably be up tomorrow sometime...enjoy.