Challenger

The docks stretched out before them, silent except for the faint lapping of waves against the pier. The air was thick with the smell of salt, oil, and old asphalt, a reminder that this part of Marrydale had long been abandoned by the city.

But not by racers.

Kai parked his C5 just outside the warehouse, fingers gripping the wheel a little tighter than usual.

This place felt right.

A forgotten piece of the city, tucked away from the main roads. Not too loud, not too obvious. If the Night Runners were going to make a name for themselves, they needed a base.

And this? This could be it.

If it was really abandoned.

But the moment Kai and Ami stepped out, he knew he'd been wrong.

The air hummed with the low growl of engines—controlled, steady.

A warning.

Kai turned his head.

Parked in a loose half-circle, their neon underglow casting eerie shadows against the cracked pavement, was a fleet of finely tuned JDM machines.

GT-Rs. RX-7s. Evos.

And one pristine white NSX sitting dead center.

Kai's jaw tensed slightly.

A crew had already claimed this place.

And judging by the way the racers stood by their cars, arms crossed, expressions unreadable, they weren't happy about the uninvited guests.

Ami let out a sharp breath, shifting her weight. "Well, this is just great."

Kai didn't answer.

Instead, his eyes were locked on the NSX.

It wasn't just clean.

It was flawless.

The paint glowed under the flickering streetlights, not a single dent, scratch, or imperfection in sight. Everything about it was sharp, refined, like a predator waiting to strike.

Then, the driver's door opened.

A woman stepped out.

Tall, blonde, eyes like ice.

She moved with the kind of effortless confidence that came from knowing she didn't need to prove herself. A black leather racing jacket hugged her frame, the Apex Serpents' emblem stitched onto the sleeve.

She didn't speak at first.

She just looked at him.

Her gaze swept over Kai's C5, then flicked to Ami's S2000, as if committing every detail to memory.

Finally, she spoke.

"You're the super rookie, aren't you?" Her voice was smooth but firm, carrying a quiet authority. "The one everyone's been talking about."

Kai met her gaze evenly. "Kai Damons."

Her blue eyes didn't waver. "Taryn Wolfe."

At his side, Ami stiffened.

Kai didn't miss the shift in her posture—the slight tightening of her jaw, the way her fingers twitched like she was fighting the urge to grab his arm.

"You know her?" he muttered under his breath.

Ami's voice was lower now. "Everyone who races the mountains does."

Taryn turned slightly, nodding toward the warehouse behind her crew.

"What are you doing here, Kai Damons?"

Kai kept his voice steady. "Checking out the warehouse."

Taryn's lips curled slightly, but there was no amusement in her expression.

"Yeah, no," she said flatly. "Not happening."

Ami exhaled sharply. "Of course it's not."

Taryn tilted her head slightly, studying Kai. "This is Apex Serpents' territory. You can look somewhere else now."

Kai clenched his jaw, but his voice stayed calm.

"We need a base."

Taryn didn't blink. "Not my problem."

She turned slightly, about to walk back toward her NSX.

Kai took a step forward.

"Then let's settle it the right way."

The Apex Serpents crew muttered among themselves.

Some of them smirked. Others watched in quiet amusement.

Taryn turned back, raising an eyebrow.

"You want to take an entire garage from us," she mused, arms crossing. "With a race?"

Kai's smirk didn't waver. "That's how things work, isn't it?"

Taryn studied him for a long moment.

Then, she exhaled.

"That's cute," she said. "But I don't race people who don't deserve it."

Kai didn't miss the slight emphasis in her words. A test. A challenge.

She nodded toward her crew.

"You want a shot at me? Then you prove yourself first."

Kai arched an eyebrow. "How?"

Taryn tilted her chin toward two of her drivers.

"You race them first," she said simply. "Win, and you get a shot at me."

Kai felt Ami shift beside him.

He could feel the weight of her stare, the way she was just barely holding back from dragging him away.

Before she could say anything, Taryn smirked.

"But let's make this interesting," she said.

She let the words hang for a second, letting the weight of them settle.

"If you lose even one race…"

She paused.

Then, her blue eyes flicked toward the C5.

"We take your car."

Ami stiffened.

The words dropped like a stone between them.

Kai didn't react.

Ami did.

"Kai, don't be stupid." Her voice was sharp now, urgent. "We can find another place. You don't have to give up your car for this."

Kai kept his gaze on Taryn.

"Deal."

Ami inhaled sharply. "Kai—"

Taryn chuckled. A small shake of her head, like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Thanks for the car, rookie."

She stretched slightly, rolling her shoulders before nodding toward her crew.

"This is how it's going to work," she said. "You'll race two stages. First, you go up against my crew. You don't have to beat all of them—just enough to prove you deserve a shot at me."

She motioned toward the white NSX behind her.

"If you win, then you get me—one-on-one. Down the mountain."

Her smirk widened slightly.

"And then you hand over the keys to your car."

Ami's hands curled into fists.

Kai could feel the way her frustration burned in the space between them.

"Kai," she said, voice low, "you're being stupid. The odds of you winning alone against a crew are slim to none."

Kai finally looked at her.

For a brief second, he saw it in her expression—not just frustration. Worry.

She wasn't sure if this was confidence or arrogance.

Maybe Kai wasn't sure either.

But his smirk stayed.

"Watch me."

Ami exhaled, jaw tightening.

Taryn chuckled, turning away. "Alright then," she said. "Let's get started."

One of her crew stepped forward.

A Nissan S15 Silvia.

Kai rolled his shoulders, his heart hammering in his chest.

No mistakes. No second chances.

Time to win.