After the whole truck trouble, Braedey, Blaze, Rin, and the others were still taken aback by the fact that there were Decepticons in the area. This was definitely bad news, but for the most part, only they and Headmaster Spritle only know about them, and nobody else. It be a disaster if anyone found out that the school isn't safe.
~*~*~
Today, it felt like just another day for the group. They were all gathered up in the cafeteria and had gotten their breakfast. Braedey sat with Blaze (in human form), alongside Rin. Rin had some milk and yoghurt, while Braedey got a cola, plus bacon and eggs.
Braedey looked over to see Lucy, Connor, Speed and his brother talking quietly with each other. They were no doubt discussing about what the next race will be, and how to plan ahead for it. Braedey looked back to Blaze and Rin, the two smiling back to him, with Rin doing some design sketches for something. Braedey was about to ask Rin about what she's up to, when he felt a cold liquid pour all over his head and down his back.
"Hey!" Braedey snapped angrily.
"Oops." A familiar voice said from behind Braedey. He turned around to see Annalise standing there with a pompous smile on her face. Braedey grunted angrily, wiping the liquid out of his face, now realising it's milk.
"Hey!" Rin snapped angrily, getting up from her seat. "You ruined my sketch." The smile on Annalise's face quickly disappeared and the two boys could not help but smile, even though Braedey was covered in milk.
"Who cares about your stupid drawing? You shouldn't even be at this school at all." Annalise remarked. "This is a school for racing, not finger painting class."
Rin slowly stepped closer toward Annalise, holding her wet sketchbook. She was glaring daggers at Annalise. "That might be true... at least from an unobservant little brat like you."
Annalise's face reddened. "What did you just sa-"
"I said you were an unobservant little brat." Ara repeated with a smirk." Do you need a hearing aid?" That got the attention of others as they looked to the two girls arguing.
Annalise huffed. "What makes you think you can talk to me like-"
"You're the one who started it. What, you now have hearing and memory loss? You need to sort yourself out. I don't understand what X is doing with you at this point." Rin scoffed.
"Is that... jealousy I hear?" Annalise asked.
"No. It's just but pure hot anger." Rin snapped back, both her and Annalise butting heads with one another like two rams.
"Things are gonna get bloody if these two keep going." Blaze whispered to Braedey, handing over a cloth to help clean off the latter.
"Alright. Break it up!" X walked up and stood between the two girls.
Rin scoffed. "I'll be back at the garage if you need me." She said to Braedey, and she walked away.
"That was stupid of you to do to begin with, and you know it." X scolded to Annalise after he finally managed to calm her down.
"I wasn't event trying to ruin that stupid book. I was just aiming for that blue boy." Annalise remarked as she stomped her foot on the ground like an angry child.
X groaned in frustration. "Why do you hate Braedey?"
"He is going to push me off the board soon!" Annalise yelled. "First, it was your brother who pushed me into 3rd place, and now, this new guy is going to push me right off!"
"He's a good racer, it's not his fault." X stated as he looked up thoughtfully. "And Braedey hasn't done anything wrong!"
"Yes, he has." Annalise now stomped off, but she bumped into Braedey. "What do you-" She cut herself short when she saw the stern expression on his face.
"Annalise, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even be here right now." Braedey spoke sharply, his voice like knives. "If I never found the Transformatrix and fought against forces like that of the Decepticons, you would be one of Megatron's slaves or even his pet, and no amount of money, not even your daddy, would save you from his wrath!" He thundered, now glaring down at Annalise. "Unless you want to start making monetary plans with the Decepticons anytime soon, I'd sing a different tune if I were you." With that, Braedey turned on his heel, and he walked away, leaving a shell shocked Annalise.
'Wow. He knows how to shut people down.' X thought to himself. 'On and off the track...'
~*~*~
"Honestly, I cannot stand that uptight pain in the rear. Ooh, what I would give to tear her a new one."
Back at Braedey's garage, Rin was fuming over what Annalise had done to her sketches. Braedey had taken a shower and felt better, though he was also angry with Annalise.
"That dumb redhead, saying I'm a threat to her spot on the scoreboard." Braedey grumbled, sliding under the Transformer to check the underside. "I mean, really? She cares THAT much about her pride? If she wants to, she could suck it up a straw."
Rin snickered. "You have a funny way of saying things." She remarked.
"I try. Hand me a 3/4 socket wrench from the toolbox, please." Braedey asked, holding his hand out from under the car. Rin hands him the wrench. "Thanks."
"What are you doing under there?" Rin asked, kneeling next to the white/blue racecar.
"Just making some adjustments to the gearbox. Have to be sure the bolts are locked tighter than Fort Knox." Braedey replied. "Have to be ready for the next race."
"Which, by the way, is tomorrow." Rin added in.
"Hey, you two." Speed now walked in with Conor and Lucy. "We heard about what happened this morning. You two okay?" He asked.
"Been better." Rin shrugged.
"At least I don't smell like milk anymore." Braedey slid out from underneath the racecar. "You guys ready for the race tomorrow?" He asked.
"Always." Speed smirked, he and Braedey sharing a high-five. "You set to go?"
"Oh, yeah. This'll be fun." Braedey nodded back.
Just then, the roar of a powerful engine could be heard approaching the garages. The group of teens made their way outside to see where the noise was coming from, and they saw a black 1970 Dodge Charger R/T muscle car race up and stop before them, the engine rumbling like a hungry animal.
"Wicked car. Rex would love to get his hands on one of those." Braedey remarked.
"Your friend really is a gearhead, isn't he?" Speed asked.
"Just ask him anything motor-related, and he'll answer back." Braedey shrugged, just as someone climbed out of the car.
The person is around the same age as the two males, with white skin and brown eyes, his black hair slick and with a red dyed piece. He has on a black shirt with a grey vest overtop, a red jacket with a black lining inside, a number 25 in yellow on the left sleeve, with a pair of red pants and black leather shoes.
"Hey there. Welcome. What brings you here?" Braedey greeted the new individual. "I'm Braedey."
"Name's DJ Reyes. Drove all the way from Detroit to be part of Racer Academy." DJ Reyes introduced himself, shaking hands with Braedey and Speed.
(A/N: DJ Reyes belongs to DJDrago9712)
"Well, you came to the right place." Speed smiled. "I'm Speed."
"Hey... you're the son of Speed Racer, aren't you?" DJ Reyes asked in surprise. "I am a big fan of your father and the Mach 5. It's actually what got me into racing."
"Thanks, DJ." Speed smiled sheepishly. He then frowns a little. "Though I'm a little worried for him."
"Same here." Braedey agreed with a nod, gently patting Speed's shoulder. "I'm sure your father is safe."
Speed then looked to the Dodge Charger. "By the way, what kind of engine have you got under there?" He asked to DJ Reyes. "Must be pretty tough, that."
"A supercharged Chrysler 426 HEMI V8, plus a BDS 8-71 Roots-style supercharger, making up 900 horsepower on the throttle." DJ Reyes clarified, patting the hood of the car. "0-60 time of 3.7 seconds, and can reach over 120 miles an hour in 10 seconds."
"Nice." Conor remarked. "But why a boxy muscle car instead of a streamlined model?" He asked, gesturing to the car's shape.
"Sometimes, you can't beat the classics." Braedey answered back. "Well, can't wait to see what you can do out on the track tomorrow." He shook hands with DJ Reyes.
"Same. You all take care." DJ Reyes nodded. With that, he got back into his car, and with a roar and screeching tyres, the Dodge Charger rears up like a horse as it raced away.
"Wicked awesome." Braedey commented.
"Yeah. Well, good luck." Speed replied, now shaking hands with Braedey.
~*~*~
Soon enough, the day of the race was here. Crowds of students in the academy pile in at the the circuit track, all of them awaiting for the beginning of the race. On the start line, the drivers were prepared to race out on the track, and show the school their skills.
Braedey looked to the pits, seeing Rin standing by. She waved to him, and he waved back. Braedey then looked to his right, noticing DJ Reyes and his car next to his. The two nodded to one another, ready to go. The brunette then noticed Annalise and her car up two spaces ahead, and he snarled under his breath.
"Racers, report to your cars." Headmaster Spritle announced on the P.A. "This will be a brand-new track for you to drive. Do your best to keep in the race. Now, drivers, start your engines!"
Every driver climbed into their cars, all of them now strapping themselves in, as they get ready for the race. Braedey puts on his helmet, revving his car's engine a few times, the ground shaking, as the other cars rev their motors. DJ Reyes wrapped a black ascot around his neck, as well as put on black gloves, now gripping the steering wheel. The countdown goes, then the green flag dropped, and all the cars launched off the line in clouds of smoke coming off their tyres!!
The Mach 6 and Shooting Star now launch ahead, as the Spoiled Brat trailed just behind the two leading cars. The Howlin' Heat now shot into the lead, while the Mach 6 and Shooting Star are behind it. The Transformer raced up just behind the two cars, while Annalise's car, along with Jesse and Jared, in their green two-cabbed car, are just behind them. DJ Reyes and his Dodge Charger were also closing in on them.
As the cars raced around the course, the section of track opens up to reveal mechanical and computer components. A second later, two large steel rings rise up from the track, and lock together, forming one large steel arch ring, as a blue glow appeared in the centre of the arch, creating the portal into the Virtual Track.
"Virtual Track: Activated." The automated voice spoke out.
The racecars charged around the main circuit once more, then they entered through the blue portal. Once they entered the Virtual Track, everyone saw they were in some tropical archipelago racetrack, with features as diverse as a volcano, a coral reef, an overhanging granite cliff, plus fearsome corkscrew passes, inclines of 90° and more, plus fearsome jumps.
"Whoa. This is new." Braedey commented as he drove left and right, dodging other cars. "Good thing the track's sticky."
"Be careful, Braedey. This is an unknown course, so you'd best be careful." Rin called on Comms.
"10-4." Braedey acknowledged, now dodging the two twins as they tried to run into him. "Little pieces of... Time for them to face the beast." He puts the Transformatrix into the hole, selected a form, then activated it.
Suddenly, a flash of cobalt blue flows along the vehicle like a wave, as something happens to the car. The white/blue paint gives way to a dark yellow and orange colour scheme, along with some stripes. The four wheels extend out away from the vehicle's body, metal forming around to make it look like lion's legs, while the rear section of the vehicle created a tail-like structure with a jet nozzle at the tali's tip. At the same time, the front structure of the car forms what could be a lion's skull and head structure, with a set of blue headlight 'eyes'.
"Leobreaker Mode!" Braedey announced with a lion's roar, spinning the car around and the Transformer/Leobreaker revs it's engine a few times, smoke coming out of the metal lion skull. "Lemme tell you something, Jared and Jesse, the two dumbest twins in all of Racer Academy! You want a piece of me?! You gots the piece!"
"Holy..." Jared muttered.
"Crud..." Jesse spluttered.
Before the two could even respond, DJ Reyes and his Charger raced forward with a roar of its engine, now smashing into the back of the two, spinning them out of control and they were sent out of the virtual track.
Braedey smirked at DJ Reyes, spinning the Transformer around and shifting it back to normal as they leap over a jump. "Nice shot there." He called to DJ Reyes.
"Hey, anything to help out a friend." DJ Reyes replied back. "Now let's go and catch up with the others."
"Thought you'd never ask." Braedey smiled as DJ Reyes raced ahead. But before Braedey could catch up, he got bumped from behind, nearly knocking him off the track. "Whoa! What the-" He looked at the rear-view camera in the console, and saw the Spoiled Brat. "Oh, it's you." He grunted under his helmet.
Annalise glared at the white racecar in front of her. "I'm not letting you win this race." She declared, charging after the racecar.
"DJ, I've got some girl trouble to deal with. You go on ahead and catch up with Speed and X." Braedey called to the Dodge Charger.
"On it." DJ Reyes acknowledged, and he charged on to catch up with the Racer brothers. "Time to put this beast through its paces." He smirked.
Braedey now got bumped by Annalise from behind, just as she rolled up alongside. Braedey narrowed his eyes, and he began to bump back against the Spoiled Brat, the red racecar swerving but regained control. Annalise now sideswiped into the Transformer, the white racer spinning around, but thanks to the T-180 wheelbase, it kept grounded and stayed under control. Braedey decided to use this and began to the car around like a top, the speed of the spin increasing. He was now a deadly spinning top that was blocking the road.
Annalise swerved left and right, trying to get by, but there was no room. "Come on, come on! Get out of my way!" She demanded.
"As if, you witch." Braedey spoke back harshly. "And this... this is for Rin!" Braedey stopped the spin so fast, the Transformer struck into the side of the Spoiled Brat with enough force to leave a huge dent in the side!
"Hey! You're gonna pay for that!" Annalise shook her fist in anger.
"Send me the bill after I cross the finish line." Braedey called as he rocketed off down the track, Annalise now chasing after him.
"Nice work out there." Rin called, Braedey now heading up a long uphill section of the track, which looks to be heading towards the towering volcano of the virtual environment. "Now be careful. You need to get the aim of this just right. One wrong move, and you won't make it into the mouth of the volcano."
"Why the mouth?" Braedey questioned. He then saw the track shooting straight up into the air, just as he saw the other cars flying up it, and straight down into the volcano, which has a tunnel built right in the middle of it. "Oh..."
"Yeah. That tunnel goes straight down the volcano's throat, then slowly comes out level towards the North." Rin informed, showing a diagram of the track to Braedey on the HUD screen. "Temperatures inside the tunnel reach about 1000°C to 1200°C."
"Duly noted." Braedey replied, now shifting up another gear. "Here we go..."
The Transformer launched off the ramp, flying through the air for a moment, until the laws of gravity kick in, and the car began to fall towards the mouth of the volcano. Fortunately, the car landed inside the tunnel, and began to fly downhill inside of the volcano.
"Man, you weren't kidding about the heat. Good thing the Transformer has built-in thermal coating." Braedey sighed in relief. He then charged along at speed, him seeing the lava flowing around the tunnel. "Wicked..."
"I also included a few modifications into the car. Push the green button on the steering wheel." Rin spoke up. "It's a geothermal energy generator. It absorbs the thermal energy from the volcano and gives the engine more power than before."
Braedey then noticed the Spoiled Brat trying to keep up with him, so he decided to take this opportunity now. He pushed the green button, and suddenly, the exhaust at the rear shot a bright blue, and the Transformer shot forward at speed, with blue tron-like lines in its wake.
"What in the...?" Annalise muttered in shock. She had never seen such a car go so fast. "How did he just...?"
"Whoa! Holy mother of Cybertron!" Braedey yelled out in shock of the speed. He looked to his speedometer, and saw he was clocking 750mph. "Rin, you are now my favourite mechanic." He smiled.
"Thanks. You should be above to catch up with Speed, Blaze, X, and DJ Reyes in about 30 seconds." Rin said back.
Outside of the volcano, the Mach 6, Howlin' Heat, Shooting Star, and Dodge Charger all powered out of the tunnel at speed. As they were bumping bumpers with each other, the Transformer shot out of the tunnel with a sonic boom, like a bullet shooting out of a gun.
"Whoa! That was something else." Braedey shuts off the geothermal generator, as he began to slow back down to a somewhat normal 400mph. "Phew. That is one heck of a launch. Now I know how a bullet feels."
"Hey. You good back there?" Blaze called in.
"Just a bit shaken." Braedey replied, then looked back in the mirror. "Oh, scrap. Here comes trouble."
Blaze knew immediately who it was, then he looked on ahead. "You might want to focus ahead and put that throttle down." He advised.
Braedey saw what he meant: the loop-de-loop ahead was huge! It looked to be over 400ft tall, starting with a 60° incline, as well as a curved top, and a downward 60° section.
Braedey shifted up a gear, now charging forward with the others, Blaze powering along with flames coming from his exhaust pipes. Just as they were closing in on the upper part of the loop, Annalise charged at the Transformer, but the white racecar fired its jumpjacks, falling straight down! However, Braedey fired up the engine and landed back on the track with a thud, with sparks flying off the underside as he raced ahead.
"Nice move, Braedey." Rin called in on Comms. "You're now in first place ahead of the Racer brothers and the others. Great job. The portal is about 2,000m away."
"Got it." Braedey nodded, just as he charged on ahead, with Speed, X, Blaze, and DJ Reyes right behind him.
"Nice work, man." Speed called.
Eventually, the exit portal for the Virtual Track appeared once they reached the end of the track, and the five male drivers exited the Virtual Track, returning to the academy circuit course, and crossing the finish line. Speed and X got out of their cars, and waved to the crowds, while Braedey and Blaze (with his human form, while his car sat next to him) wave to the crowds as well, the crowds cheering out for them. DJ Reyes got out of the Charger, waving out to everyone.
Rin ran up to Braedey and Blaze. "Wow. You guys were great out there." She complimented them.
"Thanks so much." Blaze nodded back. "Definitely a wicked cool track."
"Man, that was awesome." DJ Reyes added in, walking over to Braedey and Blaze. "You took 1st place, with both Speed and X taking 2nd and 3rd. You'll definitely be the talk of the school."
"Story of my life." Braedey sighed. He looked to both Racer brothers. "Hey, great race out there today, you two." He said to them.
"You too. That was some slick driving today." Speed complimented to Braedey. "You should teach me one day."
"Come on." Braedey scoffed playfully. "If anything, I should be taught by you of all people."
"You really have what it takes, pal." X patted Braedey's shoulder. "Best you watch your back."
"Guess I'll need to wear my own rear-view mirrors from now on." Braedey joked, the others laughing at this.
Annalise, however, who had come in 6th place, was now fuming in anger. She stormed up to Braedey, and gave him a shove. "You won't be on top when I'm done with you. Just you wait." She declared.
"I've taken on Decepticons with more regality and dexterity then you, Annalise." Braedey brushed his racing suit nonchalantly. "Your threats don't scare me." He snapped his fingers, the Transformer revving to life and rolled up next to him. "Let's go, guys."
Before Annalise could even say or do anything, Braedey, plus the Racer brothers, along with the others all walked off to celebrate, leaving a fuming redhead to whine and complain.
~*~*~
A little later, up in his office, Zile Zazic was at his desk, and he was having a conversation with his daughter, Annalise, the latter complaining about Braedey and her reputation.
"Are you serious?" Zile asked his daughter, who was pacing back and forth angrily in front of his desk. "You want me to kidnap a teenage boy over petty teenage problems?"
"Petty teenage problems?" Annalise repeated. "This isn't petty! He is ruining my life! He pushed me off the leaderboard, had his friend humiliate in front of everyone at breakfast, acts superior to me, and has my boyfriend against me-"
"That is a good thing. No more Racer boy in your life." Zile muttered under his breath, which caused Annalise to glare daggers at him.
"You don't need to keep him, just scare him!" Annalise said and sat down in the chair, while Zile groaned. "Just have Stan or one of your other henchmen do it."
"I can do it, Mr. Z." Stan said, jumping up and dropping a box of cookies he was eating on the floor and looked down at it sadly.
Zile shook his head. "No. I'm not going to kidnap some random teenage boy." He stated firmly to Annalise.
Annalise smiled, as an idea arrived in her head. "You know, Braedey is close to Speed. I see him talking to Connor a lot. Maybe he knows something pretty useful about the Mach 6, maybe even his own car. It's pretty powerful compared to the Mach 6."
Zile perked up a little after hearing this as thoughts went running through his mind. He's even seen the Transformer in action, and was curious as to how it can transform and function like the way it does. "And even if he doesn't, we can use him to get information... or even get the Mach 6, and his car." He chuckled darkly.