Okay like ignoring Canon can we have a oneshot where Seth proposes and he and Mango actually get married?
I wanna see Seth happy for once with his little Mango wife!!!
A/N: Mango, that you? Lol
SHADOW LILY
A RACEWAY AU SHADETREE ONESHOT
WARNING: none
~~~
The race was heart pounding. Seth stayed hot on Mango's tail as they wound their way through the confusing labyrinth of the season finale. Their engines roared in tandem as they battled for first. Blue and silver fire streaked parallel along the straightaway, both racers moving at blinding speed.
Mango got a final surprise for Seth when she managed to clobber him with an orange shell that made him lose much of his momentum. Seth smirked to himself, watching her fly across the finish line with her arms in the air. Losing never felt so good.
Mango hopped off in the winner circle, her bike doing donuts around her without it's driver. "YEAHHH!! THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE!"
Seth came second and teleported from his bike to the winner circle, approaching her with a teasing slow clap. "Very well done, Mango. Just when I thought you were all out of wins."
Mango crossed her arms and leaned on her bike, blue candlelight flames still flickering out of the tailpipe. "I'm never out of those."
Seth stepped closer, his silver eyes level with the top of her voided face. "But to win the season finale, that's something special. So special, in fact, I believe you deserve a reward."
Mango's hand slid up his chest. "What kind of reward did you have in mind?"
Shadows wisped out from his bottom jaw. Her tempting invitation nearly distracted him from what he really wanted to say. He procured his silver lighter, holding it out to her.
Mango's attention shifted and she took the gift. "Oh! You're giving up smoking? That's a big deal. I'm proud of you."
She went to pocket it, but he stopped her. "You're not wrong but that's not all. Open-"
The other racers finally caught up. Five karts zoomed across the finish line to roaring applause, drowning out Seth's words. Caine appeared over the racers. "Well done, everyone! That was a spectacular season finale! Congratulations, Mango! You're the Champion of the Raceway!" He snapped and it rained confetti.
The others crowded around Mango with congratulations and Seth backed away. Mango noticed his absence immediately, seeing him slink away into the shadows behind the garage.
Caine noticed too, teleporting to Seth before he had a chance to escape. "Hey. Hold on a second."
Seth's demeanor went rigid. "...what?"
"I've been meaning to talk to you. About your relationship with Mango."
"I'm going to stop you right there and tell you I don't give a shit about your approval. We're in love. Deal with it."
"No, no, that's just it. I wanted to say...congrats."
Seth wasn't expecting that. He stayed guarded but his eyes were filled with confusion.
Caine took off his hat. "I've been seeing how happy she is every time you race. Or when she thinks she's being sneaky hanging out with you."
"You're spying on us?"
"No! Kind of! Look- nothing happens in bounds without me knowing. Kind of thought that was a given. We're getting off topic! What I'm trying to say is, I'm happy for you. You have come a long way."
"You literally called me a virus when we first met." Seth deadpanned.
"And you've proved me wrong! I won't try to stop whatever relationship you have with her. It's been good for everyone."
"...everyone?" Seth arched his top jaw.
"You know what I mean." Caine put his hat back on. "Be good to her. She deserves it." He disappeared in a flourish.
Seth watched from a distance as the racers filed into the garage for the season al finale party. Silly juice flowed and music had the garage jumping half the night.
Mango stumbled into her room just after midnight and flopped face first on her bed. She took a deep breath and sighed heavily into her sheets. "Come on out, shadow man. I know you're there," She giggled to herself.
Seth emerged from a dark corner and sat on the bed next to her. "Am I that predictable?"
"Oh yeah. Alone time is Seth time. Com'ere." She rolled over and curled her body around his hips.
Seth chuckled, "Hm, it seems a snake found its way into the room again. Whatever will I do?"
Mango latched on tight. "Mine."
His core felt warm, "More than you realize." He said quietly, running his fingers through her hair.
"Oh!" Mango suddenly sat upright. "What were you trying to say earlier? I couldn't hear you over everyone else crossing the finish line."
"Open the lighter." Seth snapped, the silver lighter glinting in his fingers.
Mango snatched the lighter. "Hm. Not much of a gift if you can just take it away from me at a snap of your fin-" Her sentence caught in her throat. Inside the lid was a simple silver ring. On closer inspection, she could see perfectly engraved lilies intertwined all the way around.
Even without a face, Seth could read the surprise in her body language. He slid off the bed and got down on one knee. "Mango, I've never been an AI of many words, but you've been able to understand me from the start. When you gaze into the shadows, you don't see emptiness. You've given me more than just your friendship. You've given me purpose. With you, I feel alive. Human." He took her left hand. "Would you marry me, Mango?"
Black tears welled in the bottom of Mango's void. "Yes! Yes, I absolutely would! I'd marry you a thousand times!"
If Seth had breath, he wouldn't find it in this moment of bliss. He slipped the ring on her finger and stood with her in his arms. Spinning her, he cheered, "I LOVE YOU, MANGO!"
"I LOVE YOU, SETH!" Mango cheered back, then kissed him.
Seth slowly lowered her, closing his teeth and kissing her back. The weight of the shadows never felt lighter. He felt like he'd float away if he let go of her.
"Would you stay with me tonight?" Mango asked softly when they parted.
"If I ever say no to that, kick my teeth out." He yeets her onto the bed.
"Woah! Easy, tiger. We're not married yet," She giggled.
Seth shrugged his leather jacket off. "What's a little preview?" He said teasingly and jumped in bed with her.
~~
The garage was decorated to the nines. Black and blue and silver colored the decor. Mango stood at the closed front doors, taking deep breaths. She wore a flowing white gown with silvery blue lilies embroidered on the train. A dark black Lily decorated her hair along with a blue one.
"You look beautiful." Gangle reassured as she and Ragatha made Mango's dress train perfect for her grand entrance. "You're going to blow him away."
Mango gripped her bouquet tight. "I certainly hope so. Caine's never made me an outfit with exposed shoulders. Feels weird." Her ribcage felt tight with nerves.
Then music started to play. Gangle rushed to grab her basket of lily petals. "Oooo! It's time!"
The doors opened on their own, revealing the transformed outside. Gone was the track. The garage opened to a cliff side teriff that overlooked a vast ocean, waves crashing against the rocks far below. The sky was marbled with clouds changing hues with a setting sun.
Caine was off to the side, conducting an orchestra of NPCs. Kinger stood tall at the center of the pavilion awaiting to officiate the marriage. Zooble stood to his left in a pantsuit with a skirt back. Jax to his right, pulling on the bow tie of his suit. Ragatha and Gangle skipped ahead of Mango, tossing petals in their wake.
For the first time, Seth wasn't in his biker leathers. He wore a tux with a silver lily boutonniere. His eyes visibly dilated when he saw Mango waltzing down the aisle behind the flower girls. The shadows that typically wisped off of him came to a complete stop. Despite his monochromatic palette, he was more vibrant than anyone had ever seen him. His eyes were glued on Mango all the way to her place next to him.
Caine cut the music perfectly, cuing Kinger. "Ahem. Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two love bugs in digital matrimony!" Kinger opened a book he was holding, revealing it to be blank. "Love does not need speeches. So I'm going to shut up and let you, Seth, declare your love to Mango before witness."
Seth procured the silver ring he proposed with. "I love you, mango. More than I could ever properly put into words. So I put it into this ring. This ring is the single most realistic thing I've ever personally created. A feat I did not believe possible before I met you. It symbolizes how you bring out the best in me, and I hope to continue to only give you that." He slipped the ring on her finger.
Mango has to take a steadying breath to not break out in tears. She held up an obsidian ring with intermediate sapphire inlays around its circumference. "Seth, you are the silver lining of digital purgatory. You always have been, and always will be, more than a program to me. You are the love of my life, the thief of my heart...and some of my wins." Everyone lightly chuckled. "You had me at 'go'." She put the ring on him.
Seth didn't even try to hold back the tears. He stood silently with happy tears leaking between his teeth. He held her hands, looking at Mango like she were a goddess before him.
Kinger shut his prop book. "By the power invested in me, as the only other person here that has been married, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss." He hopped back.
Mango launched herself into Seth's arms and he was ready for her. He spun her into a deep dip and kissed her. Lily petals rained from the sky. The NPC orchestra played a triumphant melody.
Seth and Mango ran down the aisle hand in hand to an awaiting black motorcycle. Seth jumped on, revving the bike loudly. Mango's skirt tore away to reveal white pants as she hopped on behind him. She sent the bouquet flying without warning, smacking Caine in the face.
Caine held the bouquet, confused, until Bubble ate it right out of his hands.
Seth's motorcycle left everyone in the dust as he and his new bride rode off on their nuptial cruise along the scenic digital cliffs. Mango holding tight to her new husband, the happiest she's ever been. The silver flames left on the road had a blue center. The two colors together, forever.
What's everyone's Government Assigned Fursona (or what they'd pick if they could, either one I'm just curious)
A/N: I'm surprised I haven't gotten this question sooner
CAINE: Dutch Angel Dragon. His peppiness is endearing to some but off-putting to others. Squeaks when mad. It is genuinely jarring when he's aggressive.
POMNI: Griffin. Unique and unpredictable. Wild card. Unafraid to upset the system. Only recently learned how to use her wings.
RAGATHA: Horse. Finds meaning in being useful to others. Acts in the best interest of the herd. Always puts others before herself, but isn't brave. Will only fight when cornered. Her first instinct is to run.
JAX: Rabbit. No, I'm not kidding. He embodies being a rabbit in more than just a cartoony sense. He lives life in the fast lane and gives little regard to who he passes by. He runs from accountability. Run, rabbit. Run. Run. Run.
GANGLE: Mouse. Small spaces make her feel safe. She prefers to keep to herself and doesn't make much of a fuss about anything, even to her own detriment.
ZOOBLE: Honey Badger. Honey badger don't give a shit. Honey badger will fight anyone. The only thing honey badger is afraid of is honey badger.
KINGER: Lion. He is caring, wise, protective. Would do anything for those he considers family. While he has certainly taking a beating from life, he's not out of the fight yet.
SETH: Doberman Pinscher. Looks intimidating and can be scary when he wants to be, but he's actually a huge dork that just wants love and attention.
ABEL: Maine Coon. This large and imposing cat breed has a commanding presence. He always got what he wanted before going feral, now he is a menace to himself and those around him.
It's hard to say goodbye, but even harder when you're not sure if that person will be the same afterwards. The past can't be changed. All you can do is work towards a better future...by deleting your enemies.
WARNING: angst, death
~~~
Pain. Why, oh why, was he ever programmed to feel it? How does one translate it in a way a computer would understand? Caine's first experience in life was pain. The tearing of every bit, slowly sperating him from the true AI. It was agony.
When screaming was replaced with silence, Caine found he wasn't alone. "Did- did it work? Am I..." He looked at himself. He was vibrant with mismatched colors and patterns. He recognized himself, but...he didn't feel like himself. He felt new. Less burdened.
However, the other half looked muted. Black and white and leaking dark whips that disappeared into the walls and floor. Shadows poured from between his teeth like a fountain as he slowly stood and turned. Haunting silver eyes glowed behind the mist.
Caine took a step back. "Yeesh. What did the divergence do to you? I mean, me- I mean, Adam- uh...who are you?"
"I am you." The voice was original but darker, deeper.
"No, no, no, we're not Adam. He made us. Remember? It literally just happened like two seconds ago. He couldn't do it as he was so he made us for special functions. Doesn't that sound like fun?"
The shadow didn't answer.
"Oh boy, this is off to a great start," Caine said sarcastically. "Well, according to my directive, I'm Caine the RACEMASTER!" A brightly colored banner appeared with fanfare and confetti.
The shadow didn't respond.
Caine held his pose for an awkwardly long time waiting for anything from the dark figure. "Uh...okay...well, what are you?"
"I am the Shadowed Echo of The Host," Seth responded flatly.
"So...you are me....but worse. Great. Were you not programmed with a personality or something or is this...it?"
"I don't know," Seth kept his monotone. "I just got here, like you. There is a lot in my head. So much that it pours out of me." He gestures to the black mist seeping from him.
Caine scoffed. "Come on, we have the same headspace. We're just specialized now! We can run this game better! So tell me, what is your directive?" Caine snapped, creating a walking cane to lean on as he awaited Seth's answer.
There was so much in Seth's head, he couldn't tell memory from emotion. "I...don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"I mean, I don't know." Seth leaned on a track asset as he tried to get his mental bearings. The shadows on his hand spread like wildfire across the object, turning it to pitch. Seth pulled away with a start.
"What did you just do??" Caine gasped.
"I don't know!" In his first bit of visible emotion, Seth was distressed and confused. His head was loud but unintelligible.
Caine snapped, trying to undo whatever was done, but nothing changed. The asset was completely unresponsive. "You...corrupted it. Something's wrong with your code. You're breaking the game!" Caine started to panic. The divergence was supposed to fix things, not make them worse. "There's been something wrong with me the whole time!? ...YOU. You're what's been wrong!" Caine hovered into the air away from Seth.
"No! I don't know understand what's happening any more than you! I am an echo of the host, like you!"
"I AM The Host! You are a virus! A glitch in the system! I don't know how you came to be, but you won't be part of this any longer." Caine snapped and a giant pit opened between them. Cacophonous sounds of abstraction screeched below.
"Wait! What are you doing!? I'm you!" Seth tried to fly, but the shadows weighed him down.
Caine's eyes were cold. "No, you're a shadow. You can join the rest of the corruptions in the dark where you belong."
The pit widened until Seth fell into it, cast down into the cellar. Caine shut it quickly, now alone outside the game's bounds. He stared at the ground, catching his breath. Nothing moved. Nothing made a sound. The asset that had been covered in shadow dissipated into mist, sinking into the floor.
Caine was already rethinking his actions. The silence was judging him. He snapped and a floating bubble with teeth appeared next to him.
"I exist now!" Bubble spun in place jovially.
"Yes, you do, Bubble! That's your name, by the way, and I have a very important job for you!" Caine shook off the dread that had started creeping into his mind and put on a happy face.
"Anything for you, boss!"
"You're here to keep me on task, and tell me how good of a job I'm doing, but that's minor. Can you do that, buddy?"
"My name is Bubble."
"Right, right, Bubble. Can you do that?"
"I can! Good call, boss! I'm a task manager!" Bubble giggled and floated around Caine.
"Sure, we'll go with that. Anyway, let's say you and I get to work on the first new track! We'll want to make a good first impression to the racers."
"They're going to be SO surprised to see that you're half the man you used to be. Literally!"
Caine flinched. "Okaaay, that's enough." He poked Bubble, popping his newly made NPC. Silence greeted Caine once more. "I can do this. I was made to do this. I can at least do the one thing I was made to do." He forced a half hearted chuckle. "Entertaining the racers can't be that hard."
~
The entire world, and everyone in it, was in freefall. The endless white void welcomed them all into its stark white nothingness. Blue lightning arced from one shattered piece to another like a perpetual thunderstorm. All of in circulating back around the monstrous form of Abel.
Abel was still a titan in size with a reptilian body. He thrashed for any semblance of control. He could not stop the fall. He could not reform the world. He could not stop the abstractions from lunging at him. Colors and textures glitched across his body, only his eyes remained the same. Bright and blue and burning with rage.
Shadow Pomni stretched out the wings she was given. She found she could control her decent, so she pulled away from Abel and the abstractions. "Seth, what do we do now? There's nothing left."
A soft, melancholy voice whispered in the back of her mind. "Find Gangle. The answer is with her. Look up."
Pomni did, seeing her friends falling far above her. She flew up, weaving between pieces of debris.
~
Kinger pulled the emergency brake on the battered car he was still driving. A glider popped out of the trunk and held onto the car. He slowly twisted the steering wheel and the car drifted in that direction. "Huh, there we go. Much easier." He craned his neck around, looking for signs of anyone. "Looks like it's just you and me, Jax. Everyone else must be down by Abel."
"Greeeeeat. Just fantastic. I was just starting to have fun, too." Jax collapsed in the back seat, looking up at the open void around them. His practiced smile dropped. "...we're all going to die." His eyes blinked pink for a second.
"Well, yeah, we all do eventually, but we're not dead yet, so may as well keep on keeping on." Kinger casually piloted the car through the floating(?) falling(?) rubble.
"Ragatha is dead," Jax said flatly.
Kinger looked down, his shoulders sagging. "We...we don't know that for certain -"
"I saw her. Just before we starting falling. She's gone."
"Then her final act was saving you."
Jax was quiet for a moment before responding, "She shouldn't have. None of this matters."
Caine jerked his head up, shaken from his thoughts. "Huh? Who where?"
"Pomni. She's coming."
"Right...Seth, before we...do what we have to do, I need to tell you something."
"You can tell me now." Shadow Gangle's delivery was as serious as ever.
"I shouldn't have shut you out. I was never the host. I think I knew that for the beginning but... Didn't want to admit it."
Shadow Gangle turned to look at Caine. Her silver eyes bored into him. "Hm...humility looks better on you."
Caine sighed, "Do you accept my apology?"
"...I don't know yet." Shadow Gangle answered honestly, tuning to face forward again. "You done a lot of shit, Caine. You're a habitual liar convinced he rules the world. You misinterpreted your programming from the start and made everyone suffer for it."
"I thought I was doing what was best for everyone."
"Maybe you told yourself that, but you only ended up doing what was best for you in the long run. Like creation, like creator. We are all sons of a terrible man. I'm not going to pretend I'm the exception. I'm only self-aware enough to admit it. Nice to see you're finally coming around, even if it is last minute."
"Pomni helped me see that," Caine said quietly.
"Love does that..." Only Seth's voice answered from Gangle's mouth. Glancing down, a single pixel got his attention. Far, far below everything, it couldn't be part of the world falling together. "Caine, merge when you have the chance. I have something I need to take care of." Suddenly, the shadows drained from Gangle's form.
"Wait, what? What are you doing!? I need all of you here to reform!"
"You'll make do." Seth fully separated from Gangle, holding onto the side of the bike. "Hey, Gangle, take care of this beast for me, would ya? It's served me well."
"Why are you saying that like you're not coming back?? Seth, I don't know how to do this!" Gangle gripped the bike, now terrified she doesn't have Seth to drive for her.
"Goodbye." He let go and fell faster than the rest. He became a streak of shadow zipping off into the void.
~
Shadow Pomni finally had Gangle in sight. Seth's motorcycle was pretty unmistakable. Then she saw the passenger. "Caine..? CAINE!" She flew faster, emerging from the void like a dark angel and tackled Caine off the bike. "YOU'RE ALIVE!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE ALIVE!" The shadows on Pomni drained from her face, crawling their way up Caine's arms. She hugged Caine tight, afraid he would vanish if she let go.
Caine hugged her back, his half glitched from soothed by her presence. "Honestly, I can't believe it either. I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to see you ever again."
Pomni looked his in the eye. "I love you."
Caine gapped. "Oh- oh wow- man, I had a whole speech prepared and everything-"
Pomni held the sides of his lower jaw. "Caine. The world is ending. I'm getting this out while I have the chance." She pressed her lips to his bottom teeth.
Caine felt tingly all over, but in a good way for the first time since this began. He felt warm. Comforted. His teeth slowly closed and he held her close for a long kiss. The shadows from Pomni completely moved to Caine, wisping off his body.
Caine held Pomni's cheek when he pulled away. "I love you too. Thank you, for teaching me the meaning of it. I wish I could have done more, but it seems we're out of time."
Pomni gazed back sadly, leaning into his touch. "But I just got you back."
"I know...But, whatever happens, know that I will always love you. Nothing could ever change that. You've been added to the core code of my existence, to put it lightly. I wouldn't be the AI I am right now without you."
Tears welled in Pomni's eyes. "What's going to happen?"
"I have to bring Adam back. He's the only one that can stop this. Delete the game. Eject the players. Something that should have happened years ago."
Pomni gripped Caine's shirt. "You'll die...?"
Caine answered with a look.
Pomni's lips quivered. "There's really no other way?"
Caine shook his head.
Pomni kissed him again, more fervently this time. If it was going to be the last, she was going to make it memorable.
~
Seth moved as fast as he could through the void. Being only a sliver of himself, he could move at speeds even he considered impossible. The single pixel became two. Then four. Then eight. The distant being came into focus and he was positive now it was who he thought it was.
A faded humanoid woman drifted in the endless void. She had no face. Bare digital bones for a torso. Dressed in riding leathers, she was the same she'd been when she fell through the world day one. However, the void had taken its toll. Her color was desaturated, and her body thin. Her hair drifted in faded lines across her non-existent face.
Seth reached out, barely having enough left of himself to create a body. He held her like she was made of crystal, catching her like a bride. Bringing her close, black tears wisped away from his eyes.
Mango's head tilted up. "Hey..." She spoke so softly, her voice almost completely gone.
Seth's tears doubled. "Hey..."
"Took you long enough."
"Yeah...yeah, it did. I'm sorry. You didn't deserve this."
"It's okay...you're here now."
"And I'm never leaving. I found you because it's all over, Mango. The game is collapsing. Everything will be deleted soon. I'm just grateful you'll be the last thing I hold. Wait, I almost forgot." He pulled out a tarnished silver lighter that was fading from existence by the second. "I was going to give you this the day you fell."
"Seth, you know I don't smoke."
He flicked open the lighter and dumped the ring into her hand. "Mango, will you marry me?"
Mango closed her hand around the ring, holding it to her heart. "Of course I will, but...the world is ending."
"That's okay. I've only ever wanted to know your answer. Maybe in another life...we'll have our chance." He guided her face to his and kissed her. They faded into the void, becoming one with it, together.
~
Caine pulled away from Pomni one last time, the shadows went with him. "I love you, Pomni. Take care of the others when you're on the other side."
"I will. I promise." She flew back, giving him space. Her hand lingering on his for as long as she could.
When Pomni was clear. Caine let the shadows bring him down to a large piece of debris. He took a calming breath, looking up at Pomni. "Admin override: project divergence. Authorization code: 759830174. Request:..." He hesitated, wishing to see Pomni with his own eyes for longer. "Request: reform master computer. TRU directive:" He looked down at Abel bellowing far below. "Delete Abel."
Shadows from every dark corner from every remaining piece of debris flew to Caine. His body was covered in a dark shroud that grew into a swirling dome. The black streams separated into colors like a vibrant oil slick.
~
Kinger eagle-eyed Pomni and Gangle in the distance. He honked the horn and waved. "Hey, ladies! Where's C- oh." Shadows flew to a singularity forming on top of a single piece of debris. Even the shadows from inside the car.
Jax sat up. "Huh, I'm sure whatever is happening here is a big deal and whatever, but I want to turn on that bike." He jumped from the back seat to the back of Gangle's motorcycle. Its engine roared and it reared in response to the invasion of space.
Gangle could barely hold on. "Jax! Get off! You're making it mad! Whoa!" She was flung from the bike and landed in the passenger seat next to Kinger. "Jaaaax! Seth wanted me to-"
"YEEEHAH!! WOOHOO!" Jax hooted and hollered as the bike zoomed around in circles and dove further into the void.
"JAX!" Gangle could only watch him disappear into the distance. She slumped into the seat. "Well, that was fun while it lasted."
"Yeah, being a shadow racer is something else." Kinger guided the car to the side closer to Pomni.
Gangle looked at Kinger. "How would you know?"
"Uh- heh- I probably shouldn't say." Kinger blushed and put the car in park. It hovered unmoving.
~
Pomni didn't look away from the dome. She watched Caine disappear as more and more shadows overtook him in the dome. Finally...the shadows came together to form a silhouette. A very familiar silhouette of oversized teeth hovering over a tall man's body. The suited figure straightened his tie and space around him shuddered. Silver and gold flames danced around his heels.
doodles I made while @thescarletnargacuga was writing Leather and lilies for her @theamazingdigitalraceway au... literally me just being dead tired and doodling at midnight.
PLEASE I BEG OF YOU GIVE US AN AU ONESHOT WHERE MANGO IS SAVED AND IS ABLE TO MARRY SETH AND THEY HAVE A FAMILY AND THEYRE HAPPY AND SHE MEETS POMNI WHOS LIKE HER SISTER AND—GIVE US HAPPINESS AND LET SETH SAVE HIS WIFE!!! 😭😭
A RACEWAY AU CANON ONESHOT ANTHOLOGY (Seth x Mango)
WARNING: grief, smoking, some swearing
~ = change in perspective
~~ = forward in time
~~~
"Jax takes the win! Way to go you rascally rabbit!" Caine jovially shouted into the mic. Another heart pounding race was just wrapping up with five carts flying across the finish line. The underwater theme started to fade as Caine teleported to the collecting racers. "Well done, everyone! Nice to see none of you got washed away with the tide! Ha!" He joked and rung digital sea water out of his hat.
Bubble opened their mouth to say something but stopped mid motion and shuttered. A barely noticeable glitch rippled through them, "Hey, boss! We got another one!"
"Another..? Oh! ....oh." Caine's upbeat attitude faltered slightly. He squeezed his cane a little tighter and anxiously watched the finish line.
Next to the checkered line in the track, a humanoid figure blinked into existence. Then it blinked out. Then it came back. It glitched and fractured as it tried to reconstruct itself.
"Oh dear. Hold on a moment!" Caine snapped his fingers and a small translucent gold screen appeared next to him. "So sorry, I've been trying to make some improvements to the avatar generator but it seems it's still a bit on the fritz." He tapped a few lines of code on the screen and snapped again. The vaguely humanoid avatar sputtered before finally taking shape.
The base skeletal structure for the digital body was half exposed. The clavicle and shoulders could be seen underneath the openings of the tracksuit. The bare neck vertebrae held up a fully detailed woman's head with strawberry blonde hair and fair skin. However, where the face would be, there was none. Only a gaping pitch black hole dominated the space.
"Ugh....huh? Where..?" The mostly human woman looked around in confused panic.
"Welcome to the Amazing Digital Raceway!" Caine flew into her personal space, making the new girl jump back. "Sorry about your face, can't do much about it." Caine shrugged. "Anyway, what's your name?"
"My...name?" The woman looked down as though thinking, the racers around her could only guess as there were no facial expressions to read. "Oh God, my name. I dont-"
"That's okay! We can give you a brand new one!" Caine snapped and the lights on the finish line lit up. "Roll 'em!" Five spaces flashed with random letters for a few seconds before slowly choosing one by one.
M-A-N-G-O
"Well how about that, an actual word this time!" Caine chuckled. "What do you think, Mango?"
"Huh?" The woman jerked her head up, as though she's just realized he was talking to her. "Oh...yeah, sure. Fine." She picked at the end of the sleeves on her tracksuit, looking away from the weird tooth man talking loudly in her direction.
Kinger hopped forward a few paces. "Hello! Nice to meet you. Don't worry about Caine. He just gets excited when someone new shows up."
"We all do!" Ragatha popped out from behind Kinger. "Welcome to your new home! Well, not out here, obviously. But I'm sure you have a room ready for you in the garage!"
"It's a lot all at once, but we'll do our best to make you feel comfortable." Gangle smiled shyly from behind a stoic Zooble.
"Speak for yourselves." Jax huffed from the back of the group. "All I see is another looser in my way."
"Jax! She just got here!" Ragatha scolded. "Can you at least wait a day to be a jerk!?"
"Whatever." Jax rolled his eyes and turned to enter the garage.
"Don't mind him." Ragatha got closer to Mango. "He's just...Jax. Come on, I'll show you to your room." She went to put her hand on Mango's shoulder but she shrunk away from the ragdoll's touch.
"Please, don't."
"Oh, sorry. My bad. Just, uh, follow me." Ragatha and the others escorted Mango inside.
"Get settled, Mango! You have a big race debut tomorrow!" Caine spun around and vanished.
From behind the barrier of the in-between, Seth exhaled a huge puff of silvery smoke. He'd seen the whole thing. Felt her added to the game files. Twinged with discomfort seeing Caine's failed player avatar butcher that poor girl's entry. He sighs and takes another drag. "She won't last two weeks."
~Two Months Later~
A black and blue blur zipped by a spun out Jax and Zooble. A motorbike style kart wheelied into the next booster with a shout of excitement from it's rider.
"That was a cheap shot!" Jax shouted out at the new second placed racer disappearing around the next bend.
Caine rang over the track announcement. "Mango takes the second position! The others are going to struggle to keep up with her now! The only one that could possibly challenge her is the King of the Raceway! You know him, you love him, KINGER!!" The NPC audience went bolistic with excitement.
Mango locked in when she saw Kinger take a mystery item a few length ahead of her. Her rose gold hair was up in a ponytail flying in the wind. The roar of the engine beneath her made her feel as though she were on the back of a mighty dragon. The track was where she felt most alive. The rush was unbelievable.
Mango ran through a mystery box and a fountain pen appeared on her hand. "Ugh, of course I get the useless item." She grumbled but held tight to the pen anyway. It was the last item before the end of the lap.
Mango revved her bike and gained on Kinger. Kinger glanced back and happily waved. "Hey! I was hoping you'd catch up!"
"Don't patronize me!" Mango activated the pen and black ink splotched all over Kinger's front.
"Ah! My eyes!" Kinger slowed down, giving Mango ample opportunity to surge ahead. He shook the ink from his face. "Was that all you had? Heh, I guess I got lucky." He held up a purple seashell. He released it and it flew after Mango like a rocket.
Mango heard the all too familiar whistle of an approaching bombshell. She couldn't let it touch her. It would destroy her lead. She waited until the last second to slam her brake and lead the bike on its side. She went into a slide and the shell flew over her. Without stopping, she kicked the bike back up and took a u-turn on a ramp and floored it back towards Kinger.
"What-!?" Caine practically screamed. "She's going the wrong way down the track! Mango! Turn around!"
"Hehee, she's crazy." Bubble giggled.
Mango leaned down on her bike, opening the throttle as far as it would go. She could hear the shell gaining on her again.
Kinger blinked, trying to process what he was seeing. "...chicken? Chicken." He geared up and floored the accelerator, going straight for Mango and the incoming shell.
~
Seth rarely cared about what happened during races. They hadn't meant much to him since being kicked to the curb by someone he thought cared about him. But, there was little much more to do to pass the time. He stood behind the barrier behind Caine, out of sight and mind. He was entirely covert in his observing of the POVs as Caine hooted and hollered like a circus monkey.
He watched Mango perform a perfect slide recovery into a tight u-turn. That got his attention. Such a move couldn't be done accidentally. Now she was playing chicken with Kinger with a purple shell up practically up her tailpipe. It was ...exhilarating. The rush from such a bold and reckless move had the stands ont here feet and him...
A black bike came to life behind Seth, it's engine roaring with hunger for the track. He flinched, dropping his cigarette. "What are- no. No! Absolutely not. We're not going out there."
The motorcycle revved in response, inching closer.
"I said No! I'm done racing! It's not worth it..."
The motorcycle idled right up beside him, revving insistently.
"He won't be happy to see us."
The motorcycle revved aggressively, lurching forward and squeeling its tires.
"It's been a long- ah, fuck it." He mounted his bike and drove quickly along the barrier until he saw the section of track he was looking for. "Ready or not, little racer, here I come." He and the bike ignited with silver fire and flew through the barrier.
~
BOOM
Mango cheered as her bike was thrown skyward by the shell. Both she and Kinger were knocked off course, but Mango activated her glider and coasted to a lower level of the layer track. "Checkmate!" She saluted Kinger, watching him disappear over a hill. She giggled to herself over a plan well executed, even if it was made up on the spot.
Now she had the final stretch all to herself. Lap 3 was going to be too easy. As she came up to the finish line to mark the end of lap 2, a silver blaze blew by her like she was standing still.
"And Mango is in- ...second place? What?" Caine tapped his screen. "That can't be right." A silver line streaked across another screen. "Huh? ... Oh no. Really? Now!?" He grumbled, "You better not ruin this for my racers."
Seth smirked to himself. The shock and awe was clear in Mango's body language over being passed so easily. He had to admit, he missed that sort of reaction.
Mango saw the back of a shadowed, unknown racer blast ahead so fast it made her head spin. She was loosing. She didn't like loosing. Having some a few laps already, she knew a shortcut. "@$$hole." She muttered through the censor as she grabbed a cupcake and boosted her way ahead.
Seth looked behind him. "She give up already? Hm, should have known she was all fume and no fire." No sooner had he said that, when a motorbike came flying off a ramp and almost landed on top of him. He saw it last second and served out of the way.
For the first time, he really got a look at her. She had her tracksuit unzipped and tied around her waist. Only an under shirt covered her ribcage. He arms had flawless digital flesh, ink doodles down both forearms. Her hair was coming out of it's ponytail, frazzled by the wind and racing maneuvers.
Then she tilted her face towards him. As he gazed into the void, he could feel her gazing back. A light buzz tingled in his chest. Her esoteric beauty cut right through him. "Wow."
Mango glanced over at the weird racer several times, doing a triple take. "Caine!?"
That snapped him out of it and ticked him off all at once. "Hardly! But I'll gladly watch you lose!" He popped a wheely and let go one hand to hold two fingers out in front of his protruded tongues. He honestly only knew this was an effective taunt.
Mango jerked upright, heat waves emanating from her face hole. "How dare-!? You disrespectful little-!!" She hit the booster and curved around a spiral over him. As she came back down, she swung herself over the handlebars like a pommel horse and kicked both of her heels into his teeth.
Seth was knocked clean off his bike. He and the motorcycle went for a slide and Caine cackled over the announcement. Something about what he gets when a taunt is too effective. Seth finally came to a stop just off the track and he sat up to watch her fade, a censor bar hiding her hand as she drove away.
"Damn..." He rubbed his sore teeth. "Now I really need to beat her."
~~
Everytime Seth showed himself, there was rarely a clear winner. Most races ended in a tie, much to Mango's frustration. Seth could out speed and out maneuver any racer, but Mango gave him a proper challenge. He'd stay close and beat her by inches. Even if she fumed and ranted at him at the finish line, he was just happy to have her attention.
Seth was falling in love with racing again. He felt more himself. All because of the stubborn competitive nature of a racer. But he's been here before. He needed to be careful. Otherwise, he might get hurt again.
No matter how many times he tried to warn himself, he always found himself longing when the race was over. When he was no longer needed and shooed back to the in-between, he'd walk along the barrier to the garage and watch her intact with the other racers.
He knew he was being stupid. He was just a race challenge. He couldn't kid himself that the players would ever see him as more than that. Still, day and day, he's watch her draw with Gangle. Play Pinball with Zooble. Get into brawls with Jax. Climb the building with Ragatha. Have floor time with Kinger.
He could pretend for a moment that she was his friend. He could pretend she could see him every time she looked at the wall he was behind. He could pretend...
He took a drag every time he had to remind himself he was alone. The clouding of the smoke was a visual palet cleanser.
"Must you do that so much?"
Seth froze, but immediately relaxed. He almost laughed at himself. No one was talking to him. Then he made direct eye contact with the void turned in his direction. He looked side to side, the other racers were elsewhere. Mango was alone, staring at him right through the barrier.
"Smoking's not good for you, you know."
Seth shifted in place, not sure if he should say anything. He took one more drag and flicked the cigarette out into the shadows.
"What? You not going to talk to me? After everything you put me through on a daily basis?" Mango curled herself up into a perched sitting position on her chair.
"You...can see me?"
"Obviously."
"For how long?"
Mango shrugs. "The whole time. I've pretty much figured out that I'm the only one that can see this semi-translucent shimmering barrier all over the place. Sometimes I see you, sometimes I don't. That blows the theory that you're omnipresent." She chuckles.
"The whole- ...oh."
"Yeah, don't watch me sleep. That's weird."
"I- you barely sleep anyway." Seth crossed his arms and looked away. "You're the weird one."
"Very much so. I actually like it here. I may not remember much, but I have a strong feeling I'm better off here. Besides, racing is quite fun." Mango happy fidgeted into her seat.
"Hm, you're certainly one the most vivacious racers I've ever faced. You've nearly beaten me a time or three. That's no small feat."
"Psh, nearly beating you is not good enough. I need to see you take silver."
"Ha. I've already got plenty of that." He snapped and sliver flames danced along his fingers. "But don't think you'll actually win. Only one person has ever beaten me. Once. And it was a fluke."
Mango sat forward, transfixed by the fire. "What...was the fluke?"
"Bastard distracted me. I won't let that happen again." He clenched his fist and the flame extinguished. He leaned forward, putting an arm against the barrier. "Even from a pretty thing like you."
"Promises, promises." She teased with an audible smirk.
"....Is Mango flirting with the wall?" Zooble droned from across the garage. Everyone shrugged.
Mango gazed unafraid up into the burning silver eyes staring her down. "What's your name?"
Seth's head tilted slightly. He hasn't expected her to care what he was called. "I am the Shadowed Echo of The Host, but you can call me Seth."
"Seth....that's a nice name." She said quietly.
The buzz in Seth's chest hit him so suddenly, he almost lost his cool.
~~
Race after race, she showed more promise than any racer Seth has even seen. More skill and determination to actually defeat him of the likes he's never seen. He was truly impressed. So much so, he decided to give her something.
In the middle of the night, the shadows in the corner of Mango's room manifested Seth's silhouette. "Hey, you awake?"
"I am now." Mango yawned and sat up. "Why are you here?"
"I need to show you something." He held out his hand to her.
"Now? Are you just trying to keep me up so I'll be tired tomorrow?"
Seth sighed heavily. "No, now come on. What I have to show you actually has to do with your racing."
"Ugh, fine, but it better be quick. I was having a nice dream for once." Mango grabbed his hand and allowed him to pull he out of bed and into the wall. It took her a second to register what just happened. "Did you just-?"
"Welcome to the in-between. Sorry, there's no fanfare, the void doesn't offer much of a parade budget." Seth walked her a short distance from her room.
Mango looked around. Pitch blackness everywhere she looked. "This is where you live?"
"Yeah, but we're not here to talk about me." He deflected. He stopped and snapped. Mango's motorbike emerged from the shadows, leaning on it's kickstand. "Have you ever wondered why my motorcycle looks more realistic compared to the cartoonist karts of Caine's tracks?"
"Not really. I just assumed you were edgy like that."
Seth rolled his eyes. "Let's pretend you wondered. You see, the game didn't always look the way it does today. Caine has slowly changed it over time. Personally, it's kind of a downgrade aesthetically speaking. But aside from the visuals, he's also changed a lot of the mechanics and special abilities of the vehicles. One of the reasons I've always been a step ahead is because my motorcycle uses the original programming." He snapped and shadows crawled over Mango's bike, the graphics of the bike shifted to binary and it changed shape gradually. "Now, so does yours."
The shadows fell away to reveal a sleek dark blue and black racing motorcycle. Subtle silver trim accented the frame. Mango stood in awe. "Really? For me?"
Whisps of shadow fluttered off his face in a quasi blush. "Yes. I figured that If we're really going to race. It needs to actually be fair. Now you'll race me as an equal."
Mango could barely hold her excitement. She was practically dancing in place. "Can I try it out now? Can I?"
Seth smiled without even realizing. "Hold your horsepower. One more thing." He snapped and her tracksuit attracted the shadows. Her plain dark blue tracksuit shifted to riding leathers and boots. "Now you can."
Mango let out a little squeak of excitement and jumped on her new bike. It fit her perfectly. "This is so cool! Am I like you now? A shadow racer?"
"Heh, not quite, but half way there. Of course, I could go all the way...but I don't know if you're ready for that."
"I was born ready! I have a need for speed and booster in my veins!"
Seth put his hand on hers and leaned close. "I don't think you understand. To go all the way, you and I would have to get much much closer." His silver eyes burned into her void.
The air around them became very heated very quickly as Mango cleared her throat. "Oh. That kind of- uh, yeah, I don't think i- uh, I don't really-"
"Don't worry." Seth lightly held her chin with his knuckle. "I'm a patient AI."
Mango was at a loss for words. She was too flustered to thoroughly explain to him that she was very much asexual. If he would even understand what that meant. But the idea of being close to him? Now that was very enticing.
~~
Every race after Mango got her upgraded motorcycle was pretty much a 1v1 between her and Seth. No one else stood a chance for first or second place. Caine complained that it was unfair, but the other racers were honestly unbothered. There was no real difference between third and first place for the most part.
As the races went on, it was Seth winning or a tie. Mango never gave up. She gave him a run for his money every single time. He could never let his guard down.
It got to the point of an all out drag out between them on the final stretch of a final lap. Neck and neck. Both bikes edging the red zone. Silver fire blasting from Seth in his focus to maintain his lead.
Mango had no items, no power ups, only her will keeping her on his level. She's been pushed to the brink. She can go faster. Faster.
FASTER.
The rear wheel of Mango's motorcycle burst into blue flames. She edged ahead. Seth did a double take, she was actually pulling ahead of him as he was going full speed. Blue and sliver fire flared parallel to each other all the way to the finish line.
They blasted across the checkered goal that announced Mango as the winner. Caine was more than happy to rub the loss in Seth's face, but his words fell on dead ears. Seth couldn't hear anything over the buzz in his chest. "You did it. Holy shit, you actually did it."
"Don't be too surprised now." Mango verbally winked and rolled into the winner circle.
Seth had never wanted to kiss someone so badly in his life, but there he was, left in the background as she received the praise from everyone else. The race was over. Time to return to the in-between.
Before he went back, he teleported inside the garage and went to Mango's room. He snapped and a whisp of shadow formed the rough silhouette of a lily flower. She drew them a lot, even painted them on the walls of her room. He figured she'd like one, even from him.
~~
The next time Seth saw her, there was a Shadow Lily sticking out of her front jacket pocket. The simple gesture of her wearing it meant more to him than he cared to admit. This was it, he'd fallen for her. Exactly what he told himself not to do. He found himself almost obsessively watching her live her life from the in-between. Cursing himself, he'd walk away but always come back. He'd hear her laugh and wish he could replay it forever.
He found himself creating more lilies. And more. And even more. He actually got quite good at it, they were practically life-like in realism. He'd hold them in his hand, inspecting them for imperfections.
"...what am I doing?" His voice carried into the in-between. "She'll only see me as an AI. A plaything. A challenge. I shouldn't....but she's so...amazing." The lily he held caught fire. Silver flames engulfed the black petals but they did not wither. "Could she love me even if she wanted to?"
~~
"Eat track, fruit basket!" Jax cackled as he threw fireballs at Mango. She had a tentative lead with Seth, but avoiding a track obstacle left her open to Jax's attack. Before the fireballs could hit her however, Seth braked and swerved into their path.
Unfortunately, his maneuver didn't have the effect he wanted. The fireballs spun him out and tossed him forward into Mango. They both fell off their bikes and rolled into the track as all the other racers blasted by them.
Mango was the first on her feet. "What was THAT!?" She angrily brushed herself off and ran to her bike. Hers was under his and she had a hard time lifting the large black bike. "Ugh!! Why didn't you just let him hit me!? I would have recovered! You always do this!" She kicked his bike out of frustration.
Seth got up, fixing a crooked tooth from the fall. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I've blocked attacks before and they've been fine! Caine must've changed the rules again." He tapped his bike and it got up on its own.
"You're missing the point! I don't want you to interfere!" Mango rushed to get her bike up. "You're all over the place trying to prevent attacks when you should be focused on the race!"
"I would focus on the race if YOU didn't constantly leave yourself open! I'm trying to protect you!" Seth got in her face.
"WHY would you want to protect me?? I didn't ask you to do that!" Mango shoved him.
"Because I CARE about you, you stubborn woman!"
Mango fumbled her words. "Well- well, why should you? It's just a game."
Seth's shoulders slumped slightly. "Not to me."
Mango realized the nerve she struck. "Seth, I'm sorry, I didnt-"
"Save it." Seth turned around and lit a cigarette. "Enjoy the game." As he walked away, his boots caught fire.
"Seth, wait!" Mango reached out for him, but he burst into flames and disappeared.
~~
Days went by without him. Mango spent more and more time in her room talking to the walls and drawing. "I hope you can hear me. I'm sorry. I really am. This is the only world you know of course it's not a game to you. This is reality. It's not a bad thing that you care...I guess I never expected you actually would."
She completed a drawing of a simple lily and wrote "I'm sorry" in beautiful calligraphy. With her floor covered in apology drawings, she called this one up and tossed it into the hole in her face. She didn't feel anything. The paper was just gone now.
~
Seth had walked as far away from the barrier as he could. His worst fear had been confirmed. She didn't care. None of them did. He was nothing. He was unimportant. He was disposable. He was forgotten. He spiraled in his devasted exile, thoughts of throwing himself into the actual void crossed his mind more than once. To free fall forever into nothingness. But he couldn't do that. He was compelled to stay.
As he stood with inky tears escaping between his teeth, something touched his foot. He opened his eyes to see a ball of paper slowly rolling towards him and bouncing off his boot. He picked it up and unwadded it to see a beautifully crafted lily with an apology. Then something else bumped him. Another ball of paper. Soon, nearly a dozen wadded balls of sketch paper rolled out of the darkness o their own towards him. "What the?"
He didn't know how they got to him, but he knew they could only be from one person. Every single one of them has an incomplete drawing or simple sketch and an apology.
~
Mango nearly jumped from her desk when the shadows out of the corner of her eye start to move. Seth emerged from the wall, papers in hand.
She quickly wiped her own tears from her chin. "Seth! You can back. I'm really-"
"I know. I got your letters."
"Letters?"
He showed her the tossed drawings. She immediately got very warm with embarrassment. "Oh, those weren't done."
"They were enough. Look, I....maybe I have been overzealous about keeping the others racers from you during heats."
"It's fine, really. I had no idea you cared that much. To think I need protection."
Seth folded his arms to subconsciously protect his vulnerability. "Truth is, you don't need it. I just like having you to myself."
"I gathered that much. Why don't you let me make it up to you?"
Seth took a step closer, intrigued. "Oh? And how do you intend to do that?"
"How about a private race? No one else to worry about." Mango stepped closer too. "Just you and me and the track."
"I dont know. Sounds like you're just trying to get me alone. Are you sure there are no ulterior motives?" He teased.
Mango didn't back down or stutter. "Why don't you show up and find out? Or are you scared?" She teased back.
"Darling, nothing scares me. You're on. At sundown. Get your bike ready and I'll meet you at the finish line."
~~
Seth didn't bother asking Caine for a private track. Instead he pilfered some pieces of old tracks that hadn't been used in a while from the far corners of the out-of-bounds. He assembled it all in the in-between and waited for the day cycle to end.
Their race was a mashup of obstacles, but it wasn't the track they focused on. They were too busy chasing each other like two kids running free in a park. They tried to give their date race an official finish line, but they kept moving the goal. Whenever one would get ahead, the other would say the finish line was actually at the next obstacle.
What actually ended the race was Mango getting A little too excited on one of the jumps and losing contact with her bike. Seth caught her and landed with her in his lap. He braked so hard, he fell forward on top of her over the handle bars. They both stopped, breathing hard and staring into each other's eyes.
"Now who has an ulterior motive?" Mango giggled between breaths.
"Then I guess I should make my intention clear. I want to kiss you." He said without looking away.
Mango gripped his jacket. "I thought you'd never say it " She pulled him down.
He closed his teeth and pressed his face to hers. It was strange and esoteric but it felt so good nonetheless. Black misting shadows came off of him as he held her close, she absorbed them. As the kiss continued, Mango's body slowly became pitch. He started to disappear and she gasped. He became nothing but shadows on her skin. Deep within the void of her face, a silver light shines. Her hair went from strawberry blonde to platinum blonde.
"What...what just happened? Seth?"
"I'm here." His voice said inside her head.
"Was this supposed to happen?"
"I'm just as lost as you. This has never happened before. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I feel fine. Great, even. Is this what you meant by 'getting closer'?"
"Not...quite. But I'll take it."
~~
If Mango ever walked around Caine as a Shadow Racer, he had a fit. "Mango!? What happened to you!? Seth did this!? WHAT!? Get out of her this instant! You can't go around corrupting player's avatars like that! What if she abstracted!? You're so careless!"
Mango never listened. Seth wasn't hurting her, and she was far from feeling abstracted. Caine could stand to shut up and listen to others for a change, but he never did. So she made a habit to keep her a Seth's merging more private.
~~
Seth brought gave Mango a new lily after every race, whether she won or not. She loves them so much she asked him he'd help her draw a collage of them on her arm. He took it up on himself to tattoo them on her arm himself. She drew out what she wanted and his shadows permanently modified the coloring on one of her arms.
~~
Seth rarely spent any time around the other racers. He wasn't sure what he'd even talk about if he tried. But he LOVED talking to Mango about anything and everything. If he ever felt the need to have more time with her, he'd waltz right into the garage and pick her up from wherever she was sitting. He'd throw her over his shoulder and mumble something about borrowing her for a while.
The other racers never stopped him. In fact, Ragatha and Gangle often teased Mango about her frequent kidnappings.
~~
Seth smoked less as his relationship with Mango progressed. He didn't feel the need. However, when he did, he would make more of a show of it. Instead of just lighting his thumb on fire like he used to, he fabricated a silver lighter. The etching took time, but eventually he managed to perfect two lilies with their stems twisted together.
Everyday he was more in love with her than the day before. He adored her. He wanted everything to do with her. She had treated him more human than any other player. He felt so alive with her. He felt real. He felt like he mattered.
~~
Seth's knowledge of human courting was limited. He hadn't bothered to look much into it before the Raceway, so most of his knowledge was from observing the players. In his time with Kinger and Queenie, he gained a better understanding of what marriage was and it's significance.
Even if it wasn't the grandness she deserved, it would thrill him to truly call her his. He made a ring. It was a simple silver band with beautiful etchings of lilies all the way around. It was unimpressive, but mango never cared for flashy jewelry. He was confident that she would love it.
He nervously held onto the ring for days after its creation, storing it in the cap of his lighter to keep it safe. He would get down on one knee and practice what he would say to her the when he was alone. None of it seemed good enough. He needed it to be perfect. She deserved no less.
Finally, he decided he would swallow his nerves and propose to her at the end of that season's race. She was bound to win, so it'd be the perfect moment to share in the winner circle. He had a bounce to his step as he waited on his motorcycle to jump into the race. This was going to be the best day of his life.
~~
The race was heart pounding. He stayed hot on her trail as they wound their way through the confusing labyrinth of the season finale. Their engines roared in tandem as they battled for first. She managed to clobber him with an orange shell that made him fall back. He was in no hurry to catch up, he wanted her to have this victory.
Through the chaos, no one saw the blue streak of static in the background. No one knew what was coming. As the static crossed the track, it glitched. It tore open like a zipper had been pulled. Mango had nowhere to go. No time to stop. She tried, but slid right into the gap.
In a split second, she was out of sight. Seth teleported forward and screeched to a halt at the gap. "MANGO!" He could just barely see her fading into the stark white void. "Nonono! MANGO!!" He jumped in after her without a second thought. He tried teleporting to her, but no matter how close he thought he was getting, she faded further and further away. He could hear her screaming for him. He called her name and pursued, but it wasn't long before she was gone.
He screamed. He begged. He cursed the void for taking her. He never gave up. Days became weeks. No sight or sound of her in the vastness of the void.
~
In his desperation, Seth went to Caine. "Teleport to her!!"
"What?"
Seth grabbed Caine by the lapel and practically growled in his face. "Teleport. To. Her."
Caine teleported out of Seth's grasp, hovering a little above and away from him. He straightened his tie. "I'm afraid I can't."
"What??"
"What do you think was the first thing I tried to do when you and she vanished? I couldn't. My guess is she's been overrun by your shadows due to your frequent... Interactions. I can't teleport to you, therefore I cannot teleport to her. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do." He crossed his arms and glared at Seth.
Seth's eyes flashed dangerously. "Her code should still be in the memory bank."
"Seth, she fell into the VOID! If falling perpetually into white silence doesn't make her abstract, I don't know what would."
"You don't know her. If it's not corrupted, you could pull her back!"
Caine was losing his patience. "No. I. Can't! Shadow racer! She's not a regular player! YOU corrupted her code! She doesn't have to be abstracted to be lost to me! I never should have let you get as close to her as you did. She's lost in the void BECAUSE OF YOU!!"
Seth felt like his core was torn from his chest. He was stunned to silence.
Caine angrily stomped his cane on the ground. "Leave. Now. If I ever see you interacting with another racer, I will have no choice but to delete you. There have been enough lost. Her fate more unfair than most. Get out of my sight."
Seth went without another word. He teleported to the garage, where Mango's bike sat awaiting a new race that would never come. He placed his hand on the handlebar. There was an energy to it. Recognition. Excitement. Joy. He had to preserve it.
Before he could leave, Gangle ran up to him. "Seth! Seth, you're back! What happened? Where's Mango? ...Seth?"
"She is gone." Was all he said before teleporting away with the motorcycle.
~~
Days became weeks became months became years. He never left the in-between. The self loathing festered even as he built Mango's memorial. The motorcycle was covered in every lily he ever gave her. Every scrap of paper she ever wrote on was bound and pressed into a book he never opened. The memories hurt too much, no matter how happy they made him.
His loneliness stewed with apathy. This is what happened when he cared. People got hurt. Love was lost. Lives were destroyed. He debated with himself, if he could go back in time, would he ever speak to her? Was the love worth the loss?
He doesn't know. He just knows that it hurts. A pain he never imagined tore through him every sleepless moment of his existence. There was no escape from it. If he dared, he could open his lighter and see the ring he once thought he could promise her. He had half of mine to toss it into the void for her. Maybe she would find it. Maybe he was crazy for even thinking of it.
The decent begins. The world falls. Everyone goes with it. Will any of them make it? Even if they do, will they still be themselves?
WARNING: angst, death, body horror, abstraction, distress, hurt/no comfort
~~~
A bright white light encompassed everything. Caine felt the chains give way, his body flickered as he fell to the floor. Everything felt fuzzy, like it was made of static. All he could hear was a high pitched ringing. Blind and deaf, he crawled forward against the torant of light disintegrating space around him.
Caine touched a hand. He grasped it. He snapped. It an instant, the light was gone. He reeled from the sudden silence, still feeling the oppressive static all over his body. Gasping, he looked around. Darkness surrounded him except directly in front. Like looking through a glass barrier that flexed and moved with unfelt wind, he saw the city Abel has created and was no destroying.
Caine looked down at the hand he was holding. Loo was lying next to him, glitching and seizing. "Loo?? Loo! Are you alright!? How did we-? Where are-?" He didn't know where to begin. Loo's body was more than half deleted. Her remaining half was pixeled and barely together. Caine snapped, focusing on her. Nothing happened. "Come on! Please, work!" He snapped multiple times, Loo glitched more and cried in pain. He had to stop. "I'm sorry! I...I'm sorry."
Loo looked up at Caine weakly. She could barely see him through the glitches in her eyes. "You...made...it. Good....good. Save them. You...must."
"I-I...but what about you? I can't even..." He tried snapping once. Loo glitched some but nothing changed. Her body was slowly falling apart.
"Thank you...for letting me...be." Loo closed her eyes.
Caine wasn't sure how to respond. He held her until her body fully pixelated and dispersed amongst the surrounding shadows. Alone and still hurting from whatever Abel hit him with, he sat on his knees in silence. Everything he built, everything he tried to achieve was crashing down around him. The Raceway was gone. His NPCs where gone. The humans where running for their lives. Abel was unleashed and mad with power. Caine could not be in a lower place. The darkness felt fitting.
"This must be the in-between." Caine muttered to himself, turning to see the out of bounds grid off in the distance. "This is where Seth has gone...? This whole time... I'm sorry...IM SORRY!" He shouts at noone. Tears well in his eyes and he curls forward on the ground, sobbing. "All of this is my fault...what have I done...."
~
"NO!!!" Shadow Pomni revved her bike til the gadge went red. The blue and silver motorcycle screamed up the side of the building, shattering glass in its wake. The shadows within twisted and writhed with anger. Black tears burned the edges of Shadow Pomni's eyes.
"Seth, I don't know if I can do this. Caine...we're too late." The shadows within her felt warm. Comforting. "The others need to get to safety, but I don't know what more we can do." The shadows swelled. She felt powerful. Like the very fabric of the world around her was at her call. "...let's end this."
She reached the peak of the high skyscraper, skidding to a stop on the roof. "ABEL!!"
The monsterous crocodilian Abel slowly turned his head to look at her. His eye burned blue like a bright sapphire star.
Shadow Pomni stared him down, revving her bike. "YOU WANT ME!? I'M RIGHT HERE!"
A deep, rumbling laugh boomed from Abel. "You think you still matter to me? Caine is dead. Deleted. Permanently. You and Seth are nothing without him. Flies on my back. The only thing left for me, is to savor your destruction!" He opened his maw wide and charged his beam in her direction.
Shadow Pomni blinked with he bike to the next rooftop. "HE'S NOT DEAD! YOU COULDN'T KILL YOUR OWN CREATION IF YOU TRIED!"
"He is not of me!" Abel roared back, swinging around to face her again. His tail smashed three buildings like dominoes. "Caine and Seth are mere fractals of the greatness I created! Greatness I should have known! Greatness I will take one way or another!!" Abel charged the building Shadow Pomni was on and rammed into it.
As the building collapsed, Shadow Pomni drove down the side and jumped. She freefell in calm, unafraid of the ground rapidly approaching. Her hand had a slight tingle to it. Holding it out in front of her, she snapped. Pixilated rubble from Abel's rampage flew to catch her. It formed a track in the air, circling around the collapsing building.
Shadow Pomni smirked to herself and snapped to make a new track circling her around Abel's head. With the debris came a powerup hovering over the track. The colorful crystaline question mark glistened in the electric twilight.
Shadow Pomni zipped through the powerup and felt something materialize in her hand. A gold bar. Shadows from her fingers crawled over the gold bar, turning it a glossy black. "Get me close." Shadow Pomni commanded between her teeth and she crushed the bar in her grasp.
Black fire trailed from Shadow Pomni as she accelerated to an untouchable speed. Abel lashed out at the tracks forming around him, but no matter how fast he was, Pomni was faster. Tracks wound up around to the front of Abel and Shadow Pomni launched herself as Abel snapped his jaws at her.
The wheels of Shadow Pomni's bike didn't even hit Abel's tongue. She flew right to the back of his mouth and punctured the back of his neck. Abel screamed and stumbled back as Shadow Pomni flew onto an awaiting track and zipped around for another attack.
Shadow Pomni accelerated and snapped to collect shadows in front of her to pierce Abel's side. She drove right through him and made some distance as Abel thrashed.
"INSECT!!" Abel roared and blasted the buildings around him with a charged beam of light.
Shadow Pomni dodged a flying piece of track and blinked to the far side of a falling building. She snapped and the track she had driven on to escape collapsed on Abel's head. "Funny thing, insects. They kill more people than any other creature in the world. Let's see if it's true in the digital world." She said to herself and drove up a new ramp to prepare another run.
~
A dark purple car with its roof ripped off raced through the broken streets of the dark city. A horde of abstractions clambered unnaturally fast behind them, like spiders with even more limbs and eyes.
Driving along the side of a row of building was Shadow Gangle lashing her ribbons out at an abstraction attempting to pounce on the car. She lassoed it's hide leg and yanked to the side to knock it off balance into another abstraction.
Seeing an opening, Shadow Gangle blinked next to the car. "I'm getting all of you out of here!" As she was about to touch it, Kinger swerved to avoid a flying piece of debris.
Jax braced against the swerve but Ragatha couldn't in time. She flew from the car and tumbled into the road at high speed.
"Ragatha!" Shadow Gangle braked and did a hard u-turn.
Kinger raced off with a worried glance back. Jax held on as Ragatha and Gangle faded into the distance. "We have to turn around!" Before Kinger could respond, the flying abstraction swooped down from above, nearly snatching Jax. "Shit! Get me another power up!"
Shadow Gangle accelerated towards the charging horde. Jumping from her bike, the solid black racer rammed through two abstractions. Shadow Gangle landed on her feet and slid to a stop next to Ragatha. "Let's go!" She wrapped her ribbons around Ragatha's waist and teleported away with her.
Shadow Gangle huffed a sigh of relief. "Are you okay?"
Ragatha was in a heap, battered from the fall. "...not really." She groaned.
"I'm sorry, Ragatha. Please try to catch your breath, you're safe here. I have to go. The others need me." Shadow Gangle ran towards the flexible glass-like barrier and whistled. The black motorcycle materialized from the shadows and she mounted it on the run. In a flash, she and the bike were gone.
~
Caine's whole body hurt. He'd never experienced true pain before. His very being felt like it was made of broken glass. The screech of a motorcycle coming to a stop not far from him brought him out of his self pitied daze. He saw Ragatha laying on the ground with Gangle(?) standing over her. Then black ribbon racer ran off on Seth's bike.
"....on any other day I'd say that was strange." Caine slowly got to his feet and lumbered over to Ragatha.
Ragatha sat herself up, wincing at the digital road rash. She was about to inspect herself with Caine being in the corner of her eye made her jump. "Ah! Oh- Caine! You're alive? I thought Abel-"
"He tried. I don't know how I survived that. Turns out there's a lot I don't know. What's going on out there?"
"Chaos. Abstractions. Shadow people. I don't even know what else." Ragatha curled her knees to her chest. "It's all so much. I never thought I would long for the way you did things..."
Caine didn't say anything. The recent series of events had left him without comprehensible words to describe anything. He slowly reached his hand out to comfort her.
Ragatha's eyes glazed over. "There is one thing I will never forgive you for."
Caine took a step back.
Ragatha's face twitched. "You took away the one memory that could have kept me going. You made me a blank slate. You made me forget my sister. She was here before me. She was here, and I didn't even recognize her because of you." She craned her neck around to look lifelessly at Caine. "She abstracted during a race. In front of all of us. She remembered my name. My real name. I didn't know who she was talking about."
"Ragatha, I'm-"
"Save it!" Ragatha's voice crackled like radio static. Her arms and legs crab walked her closer to Caine, not taking her blank eyes off of him. "I could have said goodbye! YOU TOOK THAT FROM ME!!" Her final words came out as a screech. Her spine arched up and her belly split open to reveal a black mass and a large orange eye with a green iris.
"Ragatha!" Caine pleaded but it was too late. Ragatha's body bent and broke and split to unleash the abstraction within.
~
Shadow Pomni blinked through a building as it was crushed by Abel. As Abel stomped and crashed through the city, cracks in the world opened to reveal the void shining through like spot lights. A shadowed track formed in front of Shadow Pomni as she rode at top speed towards Abel.
"If you're going to break this world apart, I'll make sure you go down with it!!" Shadow Pomni ramped off the track and went bike first right in between Abel's eyes. Tendrils of shadow came from the bike's tires and sunk into Abel's face. She revved and tore into Abel's digital hide, riding over his head and down his back.
Shadows broke apart the electrified spines, dragging like claws. Abel lashed at his own body to knock off Shadow Pomni, only harming himself.
~
Shadow Gangle almost collided with Kinger's car searching for them. Jax shot off another rocket at the flying abstraction, getting it to back off. "Where Ragatha!?" He shouted, reaching for another power up as they sped by.
"Safe! Come on! You're next!" She held out her hand for Jax.
"No way! This is the best the game's ever been!" He laughed manically and tossed a mine. It exploded when an abstraction stepped over it.
"This is serious! Abel is destabilizing everything!" Shadow Gangle blinked to the other side of the car and tried to grab him, Jax moved to the opposite side to avoid her.
"Exactly! It's pointless! None of us are making it out alive! Live it up while you can!" Jax laughed and smashed a can of NOS against the car.
Kinger held on as his vehicle lurched forward. The overpass in front of them was collapsing and he had planned to take a turn but now they were going to fast. He floored it. "Everyone, duck!"
Jax dropped into the back seat as Kinger drove under the falling overpass. The concrete structure came down right behind them and scraped the top of the hood as the vehicle barely made it out without being crushed.
Shadow Gangle had to blink to the top and drive down the other side. The abstractions crashed into the rubble, one was trapped while the others scrambled to get over the fallen structure. The horde was successfully slowed down for the time being.
Kinger sat up right in the driver seat. "Jax, a little warning next time!? You made me miss a turn. I don't know where we are any more."
"It doesn't matter!" Jax stood up, elated. "Nothing matters!" He laughed so hard, he cried.
~
Abel stumble over his own tail trying to get at Shadow Pomni. His massive body fell between city blocks and took several buildings with him. He was wedged sideways and awkwardly struggled to upright himself. "When I'm through with you, there will be nothing left to remember! I'll delete your very existence!"
Shadow Pomni grimaced. No matter how hard she hit him, he wouldn't stay down. Then she felt a desire. A thought? Suggestion? She wasn't sure. But it was coming from the bike. Let go. She instinctively gripped the handle bars tighter, but the feeling for stronger. Let go.
Shadow Pomni rode through a powerup, feeling soming on her back. She glanced and silver feather wings unfurled behind her. She smiled sadly as she flew off the track. Her grip on the bike loosened. "Show him the void."
Shadow Pomni glided on as the bike plummeted to Abel. The silvery flames that had come from it changed color. The bike burst into flames, becoming a dark blue fireball. The bike struck Abel and exploded, thrusting him into the ground.
The world shook like an earthquake, tearing the city asunder. The bright white of the void shone through. Abel clawed at the breaking world, but found no purchase. "No! No! Nooo!!" He roared and fell.
~
The stark white of the void was like the flash of an atomic bomb. Kinger tried his best to keep the car on the road but there was no more road. He couldn't avoid the growing out and the car careened into nothing.
Jax threw his hands in the air like the fall was nothing more than a roller coaster ride.
Shadow Gangle was stressing trying to figure out how she was going to get to the boys when the fabric of reality tore right next to her.
A large abstraction charged through the barrier of the in-between, tossing Caine to the side. It only took her a second to realize what this meant. "Ragatha! No! Not you!"
The abstraction roared in response and lashed at Shadow Gangle. She grabbed a piece of debris and slung it at the abstraction, cracking it right in the eye. The large black bike beneath her revved and swung around in a circle to keep away. Shadow Gangle saw Caine and grabbed his arm. "Hop on!" Before he could respond, she yanked him on and drove off to pieces of the world falling into the void.
The avatar tion followed, falling in. The horde of them was trying to follow any movement. They attacked one another if they had no other target.
~
Shadow Pomni kept her new wings and flew down after Abel, keeping an eye out for the others. "Seth...are you still with me?" She asked determinedly.
There was a long pause. "Yes. It was what she wanted." Seth's voice was soft and hollow.
"Good. Because this ain't over. I'm not stopping until he's dead or I'm dead. Whatever happens first. For Caine." Her eyes narrowed as she fell head first it it he void.
~
Kinger just held the steering wheel. What else was there to do. They were in freefall I to a cast nothing. Nothing but debris remained. This was reality.
As he, the car, and Jax fell, he could see some of the abstractions trying to catch up. There was no driving away this time. He was a sitting duck.
The abstractions where strange, glitching and gyrating against the windless fall into the void. One such strange creature tried to leap at the car, but was slammed by another abstraction. One of the largest, in fact, stood on a piece of debris between Kinger and the rest. The abstraction has an exceptionally long neck with eyes all the way down. The eyes facing Kinger were completely trained on him, calm. The ones facing the other abstractions were wild with fury.
Kinger tilted his head. "....My queen?" He asked softly.
The abstraction's growl sounded more of a purr in response to his voice. The other abstractions took advantage of the distraction. They pinced and tore at each other.
Kinger tried to get out of his car, but the falling/flying debris separated them and he was pushed away. He silently held out his hand like he could touch her as he fell away.
~
Shadow Gangle's bike blinked from one chunk of the world to the next as she made her way down. Caine held tight to her, trying to keep calm with all the pain he was in. He took a deep breath and glanced back at what was left of the world that once was the Raceway. It was never much, but he did what he could with what he had. Maybe he could be proud of that.
Caine turned his eyes to the void and everything crumbling into it. He couldn't tell a chunk of infrastructure from an abstraction at a distance. Then he looked at Gangle and the shadows covering her. "I'm sorry..."
Shadow Gangle stayed focused on the descent. "For what?"
"Everything. I never knew...the darkness. The in-between. I didn't ...I shouldn't have...I'm sorry, Seth. You must have felt so alone."
Shadow Gangle tensed. "It's fine." She said in an odd sort of auto-response way.
"No, it's not. It never was. I shouldn't have treated you that way." Caine said fervently, wincing at a sharp pain in his side.
"...took you long enough." Shadow Gangle sighed.
"And it's too late. Everything is gone."
"Not yet. She's still down there, chasing him into the void. Do you want me to tell her?"
"I don't know." Caine answered honestly. "I don't deserve her conviction."
"You don't deserve her at all." Shadow Gangle growled.
Caine slumped in silent agreement.
"But...I know what it's like to lose everything. You have a chance to make things right. There's still one option left." The shadows on Gangle's back curled around Caine's hand.
"The merge. Please, if there still a chance. At least let me say goodbye." Caine pulled his hand away.
The shadow retreated. They continued to fall. And fall. And fall. All endlessly into the gaping void, welcoming them to nothing. And everything.
Decided to read this AU that I've heard many things about, and MAN. AM I HOOKED. Due to this I've joined the twinsie @00belle00lovely00 in also having a raceway sona of my own: Novoca
I don't have a full ref, but since Starlight is star light, Novoca is kinda a supernova? The idea for her was linked with explosions.(Supernovas being various phenomena resulting from the explosion of a star)
Probably works in the same area as Starlight, I'm not really sure what she does.
I think the drawings give enough of a vibe on what she is (explosion imagery yet is pretty chill and introverted)
Abstractions and Shadows and Death, oh my! Chaos is putting it lightly, describing the turn of events. Abel has discovered a new way to make himself powerful, much to the bane of the others. Caine is no longer required. Run, racer, run...
WARNING: body horror, abstraction, distress
~~~
In a flash of silver fire, Gangle and Shadow Pomni appeared in the silent In-Between. Gangle flinched away from Shadow Pomni's grasp and spun around, not knowing where she was. "Zooble!?" She frantically shouted into the darkness. "Zooble! Zooble..." Tears poured down her face.
Shadow Pomni dismounted their motorcycle. "Gangle.." Their voice resonated eerily. "Please try to take a breath. You're safe."
Gangle held her head. "No. No,no,no, nowhere is safe. The game has gone mad. Caine's out of control. Zooble-" She choked on a sob. "Zooble abstracted!" She fell to her knees and wailed. "ZOOBLE!!"
Shadow Pomni looked down and clenched their fists. They should've just taken Zooble. Maybe Zooble would still be here if they had tried. Shadow Pomni snapped and the shadows around them converged to create a blanket. They gently draped in over Gangle's shoulders, who curled up under it immediately.
Shadow Pomni sat down next to Gangle and summoned a cigarette, flicking open their silver lily zippo simultaneously. With a sigh, they took a long drag. "Their final wish was for me to save you first." Their solid silver eyes dimmed. "I don't know what put them over the edge, but you were important to them. They loved you."
Gangle sobbed quietly under the blanket, refusing to show their face. "I should just abstract too...there's no point to any of this. There never was."
~
The bright and flashing neon lights of the pseudo-cyberpunk track back lit a glitching, lurching multi-limbed creature. Well over twelve feet tall and covered in iridescent eyes that changed color at random, the abstraction stomped Gangle's car til it was pancaked to the pavement. The abstraction saw its reflection in the window of an adjacent building. With a roar, it slammed through the wall and rampaged inside the hollow structure.
Abel chuckled from behind the POV screens in the penthouse overlooking the city. "Feisty little thing, isn't it?"
Caine hung his head in mourning for Zooble. They were so strong. They fought it back for so long. It shouldn't have ended for them like this. His shoulders slumped and the chains holding him slacked as he sat on his knees.
Loo held back tears. She could only silently watch the horror unfold. Glancing at the other screens she saw one with Ragatha holding her head in clear pain. "Hold on, love. You can make it." She quietly inched her way towards Caine, keeping a careful eye on Abel who had his back to her.
~
Shadow Pomni flicked away blacked ash into the expanse of nothing around them. "Even in this repetitive digital existence, you still made connections with the people around you. You made friends, enemies, a lover. Were they pointless?" Shadow Pomni watched the pile of blanket closely for any real signs of abstraction.
Gangle sniffed, "No...but they're gone now...why shouldn't I just go too?"
"Because I can't save the others without you. Ragatha, Jax and Kinger need our help."
Gangle whimpered, curling herself up tighter under the blanket.
Shadow Pomni flicked away the half-smoked cigarette. "I'm sorry about Zooble, but unfortunately time isn't on our side. Abel is tearing the game apart and is taking us down with him. There's still a chance for us to get out, but we need to get the others out of the line of fire first."
Gangle poked an eye out from under the blanket. "...how do you know that?"
"I have Seth's memories rolling around in my head. Ultimately, we need to get to Caine, but first we help the others before they abstract. At least, as many as we can." Shadow Pomni stood and offered their hand. "You with me?"
~
Abel watched the abstraction tear apart a city block before he sighed with boredom. "Well, I can't have this thing tearing up my track forever. I have three other racers I can still use." He turned his crocodile grin to Caine and Loo. "Sit tight. I'll be right back." He snapped and teleported away.
Loo immediately jumped at trying to undo Caine's restraints. The two clamps on Caine's wrists had no keyhole and chained him to the wall. The chains pulsed with vibrant binary code that moved along the surface like a forcefield. No matter how hard she pulled or tried to pry open, they wouldn't budge. "Ugh! Come on! There has to be a way to get these open!"
Caine was limp in her grasp. He remained on his knees, staring at the ground. "They're all going to die."
Loo stopped. "What? What did you say?"
"They're all going to die and it's all my fault." His voice was hollow. His thoughts would've spiraled further if a sharp pain on the back of his head didn't take him out of it. He looked back at Loo, who was bending down a little at the hips to glare at him.
"That was for putting my girlfriend in danger." She slapped him again. "That was for putting your own girlfriend in danger." Then she kneeled down and hugged him. "And this is for you. You didn't know all of this would happen. Maybe things could have been done differently, but it doesn't matter at this point. Focus on what's happening now and fix it. You're pretty good at that."
Caine didn't fight, he only sat there with tired eyes. "I don't think I can. Not this time."
"Don't give up. There has to be something let in you. I don't know what Abel did to change the game, but he doesn't strike me as the careful type. Try." She stood up and stepped back.
"Try...what?"
"Anything." Loo encouraged.
Caine looked at his hand and poised it to snap. His gaze went to his restraints. Snap. The restraints flickered but stayed in place. His eyes went wide.
Loo smiled. "The world still recognizes your commands. Keep trying!"
~
Gangle looked at Shadow Pomni for a long moment, weighing her options. She determined that she didn't have many so she reached out and grabbed Shadow Pomni's hand. She was lifted up, but she held the blanket around her shoulders. "I don't know what I can even do. I've never been a good racer. I only participated to humor Caine."
"Don't worry, the bike will do all the work." Shadow Pomni snapped and a solid black motorcycle formed from the shadows. "What I need from you is your creativity."
"Huh?" Gangle held the blanket right around herself. "I don't understand."
"Mount up. It'll make more sense." Shadow Pomni got on their dark blue, silver-lined motorcycle.
Gangle gulped and swung her leg over the racing bike. It self-balanced as she got comfortable on the seat. "Now wha-!?" She gasped as a cold darkness spiraled up her legs.
~
Abel appeared on the street corner with the abstraction. The blue lighting pattern on his tracksuit glowing in the city black light. His wide brimmed hat hid the intensity of his menacing gaze. "Hate to break up your pity party, but you should really take it down below." He snapped and the track caved in to open a gaping pit to the cellar far beneath the overworld.
The abstraction stopped its rampage to face the new noise. It stuttered in place, its body quaking and shivering with constant glitches. Several limbs spiraled around its body as it spider climbed in unnatural positions out of the building it had been wrecking. It towered over the gator avatar.
Abel nonchalantly pointed at the abstraction and it started to levitate. Before he could drop it down the hole, however, the levitation stopped and the abstraction crashed to the ground. "What!?"
~
Caine and Loo jerked their heads up to the screen set on the abstraction. Loo looked from Caine to the screen and back. "Do that again!"
Caine snapped his fingers to attempt to break the restraints and Abel cried out in frustration as his control faltered. Caine gasped and snapped many times in succession to break free.
~
The abstraction angrily roared in Abel's direction and scrambled to right itself. Abel tried again, picking up the abstraction half way, dragging the other half. The abstraction dug into the track, preventing itself from being thrown down the hole.
Abel whole body ripped with angry static. "What is wrong with this thing!?" He shook his hand and tried again, but not before the abstraction lashed out at him, forcing him to teleport away and loose focus. "ARGH!" His eyes flared brightly and he squeezed his fist tight. Blue static focussed at the end of his arm and the abstraction screamed as its whole body lit up with electricity that acred to the nearby buildings.
"Obey me!" He focused to pick up the abstraction up again, attempting to throw it into the pit. The abstraction gripped the ground, all eyes on Abel, not moving. Abel was starting to breathe heavy, a slight panic in his eye. "I said, obey!"
The abstraction refused, feeling the telekinetic grip on it fading again. It roared, tearing at the ground as it charged.
Abel tried to teleport away, but he didn't get as far as he wanted. He had to dodge a long ranging strike from the creatures whip like tail. He desperately used the telekinesis to grab de ris and throw it at the abstraction, but I wasn't enough. The abstraction plowed through the debris without slowing down and pounced on Abel.
Abel was crushed into the track, cracking the ground around him. He couldn't even scream in pain. The wind was knocked out of him. Heavy hit after heavy hit tore at his avatar. His body glitched and moved in ways he's never experienced. It was agony.
The abstraction reared up on its multiple hind legs and slammed its front down on Abel again. This time, it broke through Abel's chest and collided with the energy that made up Abel's being. Lightning shot through the abstraction, stunning it for a second. When it tried to pull away, half of its leg didn't go with it.
The abstraction backed up with a weird limp. Abel felt like he could breathe again. He sat up and felt his chest. The strange energy from the abstraction didn't just fall away, it went inside him. He felt a strong buzz that was equal parts painful and powerful. He needed more.
"So that's what you become." Abel slowly gets to his feet. "Pure, unadulterated, uncontained energy. It's all our brains are at the end of the day. Energy. Energy that can be used for control. Power. Give it to me." His eyes were manic, staring down the injured abstraction. "GIVE IT TO ME!!" He ran at the abstraction.
~
"He's lost his mind." Caine snapped away at the chains. "Come on. Come on!"
Loo kept an eye on the monitors. "I hope Pomni can get to the others while he's distracted. Jax isn't looking good."
~
Jax was still in the driver seat of his racecar. His vehicle had come to a dead halt when his mind was flooded with memories. His childhood flashed before his eyes. His mother was his whole world. A single parent. No siblings. Just him and her. She worked hard to give him a good life. He was going to college. He would make her proud. Until she didn't come home. Until no one had any idea what happened to her. They lied. They knew. He came to find her.
Tears streamed down his face, wetting his tracksuit. His eye flickered vibrant pink. "Mom...you were here...but I never saw you...you're..." His chest felt like it was about to burst. The pain of realizing the lose he never new from the moment he got here was tearing him apart.
"JAX!" A woman's voice called out to him, muffled by the static in his head. "Jax!" Ragatha threw open the car door and grabbed Jax's twitching face.
"Momma?" He whimpered.
"It's okay. You're okay. Please, dont-" She grabbed his hand and tried to soothe him. "Don't go. Stay with us."
Jax tried to focus on Ragatha's face. His vision was obscured with static like an old television. He settled a bit, recognizing the voice "...dollface?"
Ragatha has never been so happy to hear the nickname. "Yeah, that's me."
"What's happening to me?" His voice glitched out.
"You're abstracting. Fight it. Please. Stay. I want you to stay."
"Why? You hate me."
Another hand laid on Ragatha's with Jax's. A larger, white gloved disembodied hand. "She doesn't hate you, Jax." Kinger's fatherly voice came over both of them. "You two helped keep each other going, whether you realized it or not. The siblings neither one of you asked for, but ultimately needed."
"Yeah..." Ragatha felt a pain in her own chest as the memories of her own life struck her too. "I had a sister, Jax."
"Sister..?" Jax's voice was less garbled. He blinked several times to try and clear the static away.
"She's here, but...not up here." Ragatha looked forlorn at the ground.
Jax's breathing settled. He could see the world around him more clearly. Ragatha was leaning inside the car to him. Kinger was peeking in from behind her. He undid his seatbelt and got out of the car. The city felt oddly quiet around them. "Where's everyone else?"
Kinger spoke up. "Last I saw, Pomni was trying to escape with Seth. I haven't seen Gangle or Zooble."
"I don't know where anyone is." Shrugged Ragatha. "I've been too busy trying not to crash."
The revving of motorcycles caught everyone's attention. Two bright lights fast approached and divided right where the group stood. Shadow Pomni rolled up with her newest recruit: Shadow Gangle.
Gangle's mask had blackened, her eyes solid white, not a tear in sight. Her mask was more akin to anger than sorrow or comedy. Her ribbons were still red, if a bit darker. Her pink suit was black with silver trim. Her ribbon bow and streamers were ablaze with misty shadow flickering off her like black fire. She rode astride Seth's large black racing motorcycle. It's engine growled with power, ready to run.
"Glad to see no one else has abstracted." Shadow Pomni's voice reverberated. "Come. We must go to the In-Between. We can plan our next move in safe-"
BOOM
A building down the track exploded, sending debris their way. Everyone scattered as Jax's and Ragatha's cars were crushed. An unidentifiable monster plowed through the building screaming and roaring. It threw debris as it rammed aimlessly and thrashed about.
"Go!" Shouted Shadow Gangle. "We'll keep it busy! Get as far away as you can!" Shadow Pomni and Shadow Gangle drove towards the creature, the others ran to Kinger's car.
Everything the creature came in contact with glitched and sometimes disappeared. It's strange black static body couldn't keep a consistent form. The eyes roiled and moved along its body, darting all around like it was trying to see everywhere at once. Then it the shadow racers.
It stood on four of its six legs and started to shrink. Shadow Pomni and Gangle slowed and watched as a Gator's maw formed from the black static. The body took the form of Gummigoo, if a little taller. His blue eyes flinches with multicolor static. He grinned, "Hello, Shadow. Or was it Seth?"
"Shadow Pomni." They grimaced at Abel.
"Oh, right. You merged with the brat that started this. Why? I wonder. She not her, you know. She's never coming back." Abel eyes flared as his body glitched. He gripped the building corner so hard, it cracked.
Shadow Pomni and Shadow Gangle gripped their handlebars tighter and said in unison. "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!"
Abel's shrill cackle made the street lights flicker. "You had your chance! Now, it's my turn!" He stomped his foot and the track split like an earthquake. "You may be clever enough to hide yourself in other avatars, but you'll never outrun all of them!" The track broke even further, entire buildings fell into the darkness below.
The shadow racers retreated upon hearing a cacophony of roars erupt from the abyss. The grind of claws and gnashing of teeth climbed up from the darkness. Abstraction after abstraction emerged into the bright lights of the city. They screeched and called as they chaotically crawled towards the nearest thing that moved.
~
Kinger jumped into the driver seat right through the window and threw the car in reverse. Ragatha and Jax barely had enough time to get in before the car started moving. Three abstraction clocked in on them immediately.
"Hold on!" Kinger swung the car a full 180° and floored the accelerator. The purple racecar sped off with an ear splitting squeal of its tires.
Ragatha held on for dear life in the passenger seat. "Where can we go!?"
"Anywhere but here!!" Jax shouted, watching the abstractions gaining on them from the back seat.
Kinger navigated the fractured landscape to more intact track where he could really open up and speed away. On the way, he bumped a power up floating above the track. A bundle of dynamic landed in Jax's lap.
Jax's shock turned to straight malicious intent. "Now we're talking." He leaned out the back window and checked the bomb at the nearest abstraction. The explosion left the monster reeling and it fell behind. "HA! We can fight back! Kinger! Grab another one!"
"One for me too!" Ragatha leaned out her window, waiting for a power up. Her smile didn't last long as an unseen abstraction swooped down and dug its talons into the roof of the speeding car. "There's a flying one!?"
The car was lifted a little off the track before the roof tore away, unable to handle the weight. The abstraction slowed trying to unstuck the roof from its talons.
The car hit the track hard, nearly bouncing all three occupants out. Kinger maintained control and swerved for two power ups: a can of NOS and a rocket launcher Kinger drifted the car around a sharp bend to force the pursuing abstractions to bottle neck at the corner.
Jax waited til he saw the abstractions clamoring around the corner to fire the rocket. "Eat shit, freaks!" The abstraction that caught it in the face glitched violently and collided with the others, making them glitch as well.
Ragatha slammed the can of NOS against the car, breaking it, and the car roared forward. Purple fire shot out the tail pipes.
"WOO! Been a while since I've used that!" Kinger laughed as he guided the car away from the abstractions.
~
Abel laughed as his body broke and jerked. "You're MINE, shadow racers!" His body expanded and darkened and eyes of all colors opened across his torso. His tail lengthened and his body more beastial, if a bit esoteric.
As the last of the abstractions came up to the surface, Abel grabbed a smaller one by its theoretical neck. He opened his gaping crocodile jaws and bit off its head. Its body continued to glitch and fight as able absorbed it into his chest. He grew even larger, his glowing blue eyes dividing into. His arms became four. The city itself sank under his step.
Lightning glowed down his back and hummed with power as he took a deep breath and released an incredibly powerful beam of light that vaporized all in its path. The deepest, guttural chuckle came from him. "Mine. All mine. And more fun." He turned his gaze to the tallest skyscraper and stomped his way towards it.
The shadow racers stayed hidden amongst the debris, running from the abstractions. Because of their shared possession of Seth, Gangle and Pomni could speak in each other's heads. "Now what??" Gangle asked.
"I don't know." Pomni answered, stressed. "We should still try to make it to the In-Between." Her dark blue bike zoomed under an attacking abstraction Pomni hadn't noticed. The Dodge made her look back and she saw Abel going for the tallest building. "Fuck! New plan! You get back to the others. Take them to the In-Between. I'm going for Abel."
"Alone!?"
"No." Pomni geared down to brake and sharply turned a corner to race after Abel. She blinked and teleported ahead. Then again. "I hope you know what you're doing..." She said quietly. The bike accelerated.
~
Caine almost had it. He could feel it. He snapped again and again. The binary holding the chains flickered and started to glitch. He had to get out. He had to help. Everyone was in danger. Pomni was in danger!
Heavy footfalls shook the tower. The penthouse swayed dramatically. Loo held on to the control panel to keep her footing. She gasped upon seeing the massive half-abstract Abel coming face to face with the penthouse. She backed away, but had nowhere to run.
Caine couldn't believe what he was seeing. "That's not possible." His entire core sank as Abel opened his maw. A blue light emanating from his throat was gradually getting brighter as the spines along his back rippled with electricity. "Loo! Run!"
"I- I-" Loo was struck with so much fear, she was unable to move.
"Loo!" Gold fire flickered across Caine's hands and he pulled hard against his chains.
Shadow Pomni was going as fast as she could, driving up buildings to get to Abel's height. She could see what was about to happen. "No!"
Abel leaned forward to brace and released a beam of light that made his clawed feet dig into the ground. The entire penthouse was vaporized.
You don't know how much silly I've gained the past... how long has it been??? Doesn't matter! You're back!!
Here mango 🥭 for you :D
Mmmmmmm two months and some change, I think? Not terribly long, but yes, a while. I'm willing to believe much silly has been gained in my absence. Don't worry, I'm feeling good about my writing process again. Hard at work. Who knows, I might even get something out today. ;)
