Ask The Fast and The Mischievous

[Leon Baudelaire]

Baudelaire was back to running neck and neck with Loots. He could see in the passenger window and saw Koemi struggling to get free. His brow furrowed in concentration as he began timing his next move. Time was running out. Things between Koemi and Loots were imploding, but he didn’t have time to rejoice just yet.

Suddenly, they were in open traffic again. Loots weaved and Leon bobbed as they navigated the crowded street. Baudelaire was closing in. Inching closer with each move. Komie cried out his name and Leon closed the gap. He could see what she was trying to do and he was frantically waving her back into the car, “WHY, WHY IS THIS HOW YOU WANT TO ESCAPE?!”

That’s when Loots grabbed the back of her shirt. That single act of aggression changed everything. Leon slammed the throttle forward, teeth gritted as he managed to get up next to Loots. He locked eyes with Komie, “Get ready, I'm coming for you!”

His eyes darted back and forth between Loot’s car and the traffic still flowing around them. they were running out of street and the avenue they were on was surrounded by skyscrapers, even if their speeders could take to the air there wasn't enough runway left to escape the side of a building. They didn’t have much time. Leon plunged himself into the force, the preternatural power enveloping his body. Time seemed to slow, he took a hand off the wheel and leaned out the window holding it out to her.

“C’mon!” he roared over the wind whipping through his hair, “Jump, I got you!”

Loots screamed, “Bitch WHAT?! Fine you want her, HERE!”

Just like that the hand he was using to drag her back into the speeder shoved her forward.

@Tulos

 

[Koemi]

If someone asked Koemi if she had any regrets about getting into the speeder with Loots, she’d be able to rant for hours. He stunk of smoke, his teeth stained a dark yellow, a foul demeanor partnered with an even worse belief in his rapping skills. Yea, saying she regretted leaping into the passenger seat was a wild down play. The fact that he had now opted to shove her from his speeder proved that the feeling was mutual.

She had focused on Leon, on his extended hand as he closed in. She didn’t even notice the upcoming T intersection though something at the back of her mind nagged at her, telling her that the danger she was in was far greater than she knew.

“Jump! I got you!”

Koemi hesitated, having never done something so wildly dangerous before in her life. She tried with everything she had to push off from the speeder but as hard as she tried to command her legs to move, they remained frozen in place with a stunned and frightened look on her face. Why? Why did she get in this damn speeder? Why?

She didn’t hear Loots as he addressed Leon but she did feel the palm of his hand push against her back side, sending her tumbling from the speeder. Only then did she snap back into reality as she desperately reached for the Padawan’s hand. A second later. If one of them had slowed down or sped up even slightly. It would have sealed her fate, sending her skidding across the street to her death. Instead, like an invisible influence guided her, she managed to wrap her fingers with Leon’s whilst her other hand gripped the headrest of his seat tightly as her legs struggled to climb the side of the speeder.

She didn’t notice until now, her breathing rapid and uneven, but she could feel the tears of fear and remorse streaming down her cheek. ”I’m so sorry! I’m sorry!” she blubbered as she clung to Leon’s hand for her life. She wanted to wrap her arms around the Padawan’s neck and never let go, Leon once again saving her life. She wanted to thank him profusely for being there but all she could do was apologize. If it wasn’t for him, she’d be dead. Then… Well, there was still that damn fast approaching building. Finally, she was able to say something other than sorry. ”Look out!!”

@Zay​

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

As soon as Loots shoved Komie out of the window time froze. The grimy scum-sucker was already mid beatbox. The ragged breath in Leon’s throat caught. The shock on both of their faces collided like two speeders hitting head on. Then he felt the force explode from him like he’d never felt before. He felt it wrap serpentine like around her waist as time began to regain it’s control on Leon’s reality. Their hands met, and Leon had no doubt at all that she was safe.

The force “gracefully” assisted Komie through his window and he squealed like a stuck hog when her hand accidentally got too close to his “blastsword.” Just as he was trying to calm Komie down, all hell broke loose.

To be perfectly honest, Leon has very little recollection of the following events. The sheer fear and terror he sustained in the set of maneuvers combined with his profuse and profound use of old Adumarian obscenities would have seemed shamanistic in their qualities as the speeder careened through the air. Speeders, transports, taxi’s, buildings all flashed by in his mind, but to this day Leon has no fucking clue how they didn’t die.

Leon blinked and suddenly they were parked on the top level of a parking garage just off the main strip. Steam or smoke or fuck probably both pored from the speeders hood. Baudelaire's breath ragged like he’d just run a marathon. Even though they weren’t moving his knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel. Then he let go. He sank back into the seat. The relief was overwhelming and he covered his face to hide the tears stinging his eyes.

Fuck man.

He took a shaky breath and looked over at Komie, “Well, I gotta be honest, these street races aren’t what they’re cracked up to be,” he said and started laughing. He was embarrassed by it, but he couldn't help it. It was the only way he knew how to cope. Then he looked at her and he felt ashamed.

“Sorry, defense mechanism… uh, are you hurt?”

@Tulos

 

[Koemi]

It was all a blur, whatever had transpired after Koemi had been pulled into the speeder. She wasn’t sure if her eyes had been clenched shut in fear or if her psyche made a subconscious effort to simply block it all out but as reality finally dawned on her, she came to realise that Leon and herself had made it out without so much as a scratch. Or rather, no physical injuries at any rate. She sat there, frozen for a brief moment as she tried to piece together what had just gone down, before Leon spoke up. Despite how awful she felt, guilt ridden and terrified, he had managed to provoke a pained chuckle from the girl as she sat in the passenger seat hugging her knees to her chest whilst she faced him.

”Ya think?” she replied, a mixture of laughter and suppressed tears manipulating her tone. ”If I ever see that pile of slugshit again, I’m gonna knock every single tooth from his mouth,” she added with a smirk, though her demeanor still reflected her distressfulness.

”I… think so?” Koemi replied to his question, realising the pain she felt was only on the inside. ”I’m sorry I pulled you into all of this, Leon. I’m just a walking trouble magnet I suppose,” she continued somberly as she stared at her shoes before looking to his eyes. ”Seems we’ve gotten ourselves into a bit of a trend of you saving my ass when shit spirals out of control, huh?” she paused. ”If you’re starting to think I’m more trouble than I’m worth… Well, I wouldn’t blame you,”

@Zay​

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Breath slowly steadying, mind finally coping, adrenaline dumping, Leon managed to open his door. He didn’t slide out, but the breeze coming through the door was cool on his sweat covered skin.

“Yeah, well knock one of them out for me, too, huh?” he teased. It was good to see her smirk. He’d been worried about her. He knew she wasn’t particularly interested in the life or death stuff. Which now that he thought about it was actually a really good thing. Man, his life was weird.

He listened as she tried to apologize, but he wouldn’t hear it, “Oh c’mon, shit happens. I’m just glad I was here to help.” he said, flashing her a reassuring smirk, but Komie seemed determined to say what she felt, so he didn’t interrupt and listened to what she had to say.

“Komie,” he reached over and took her hand, “—let’s be real, the main recurring factor in this is me. I’m bad luck, there,” he brought his other hand to his mouth as if emotionally distraught, “I said it,” his grin peeking through,. “I understand if you don’t want to gamble around me,” he laughed.

“Dude, you’ll never be too much trouble. Just don’t blow me off for months, jerk,” his stomach growled, “I’m starving, wanna go get some tacos?”

@Tulos

 

[Koemi]

It was odd how easily Leon was able to soothe Koemi’s nerves, his ill-timed humour in inappropriate situations coming off as rather charming. As his hand covered his mouth with the other taking her own, she couldn’t hold back a giggle as she eased her posture and allowed her muscles to relax. Even the way he purposely mispronounced her name at every turn was hard to not find adorable and sweet.

”You haven’t learned a damn thing about me, have you?” she teased in return, the mischievous glint returning to her eyes. ”Taking chances is what I do! Though if this keeps up, it’s going to get us both killed but I suppose there are worse people to bite the big one with,” she added with a laugh as her free hand wiped away the last of her tears of distress.

The mention of food sparked a soft growl from her belly, realising that she hadn’t eaten since lunch. Her cheeks flushed from embarrassment at the sound but the small smile refused to fade. She wondered if he had chosen to offer tacos intentionally as a reference to the first meal she had stolen purchased for him and Hera but in the end, she couldn’t say no. ”Somehow I feel like you’re going to regret saying that,” she laughed. ”Raunchy street tacos it is,”

@Zay​