Race. {4} Adrenaline [R17]

Iza's heart skipped a beat. She dared a glance upward and saw it... a massive dirigible hovering above them, its blinding searchlights sweeping the ground like the eyes of an angry god.

Border patrol soldiers lined the railings with their rifles glinting in the light. The dirigible's shadow loomed over the racers like a grim reminder of the consequences they were racing toward.

"W-what are we going to do? Those are the border patrol forces!" Iza stammered while her voice trembled and her mind raced with panic.

{Oh no! What if I end up on the front page of the newspaper tomorrow? My parents will kill me! My reputation will be ruined! I can't let that happen!}

"Alexius! I can't go to prison! I don't want to get caught! I—" Her words tumbled out in a frantic rush, but Alexius cut her off with a sharp laugh.

"Relax, Iza. They won't catch me. This isn't my first rodeo," he said with his voice dripping with confidence.

He leaned into the bike while his grip tightened on the handlebars. "Once we hit the lower districts of the city, that Zeppelin won't be able to follow us. Too many buildings, too many obstacles. And the local police? They use cars. We're on bikes. Trust me, losing them will be easy."

Iza wanted to believe him, but the deafening hum of the dirigible's engines and the shouts of the soldiers made it hard to think straight. She clenched her eyes shut while her fingers dug into Alexius's jacket. "You better be right about this, or I swear I'll—"

"Hold on tight!" Alexius interrupted her with his voice being sharp with urgency. The bike roared as he slammed the throttle, weaving through the scattered racers like a snake through grass. The dirigible's searchlights followed them, but Alexius was like a ghost, slipping through the cracks of their net.

Up ahead, the city's skyline came into view, a jagged silhouette of towering buildings and narrow alleys. The lower districts were a labyrinth, a place where the law struggled to keep up with the chaos. Alexius grinned beneath his mask since this was his playground.

"Almost there, Iza. Just a little longer," his voice was calm but laced with excitement. "When we hit those streets, it's game over for them."

Iza nodded while her face was still buried in his chest. She could feel the bike tilting sharply as Alexius took a sudden turn, the tires screeching in protest.

The sound of gunfire echoed behind them, but it was growing fainter. The dirigible's lights flickered as they plunged into the shadowy maze of the city.

"See? Told you," Alexius said with a chuckle. "Now, let's see if we can't lose the rest of these clowns."

Iza peeked out just enough to see the narrow streets whizzing past, the coloful signs and flickering streetlights creating a dizzying kaleidoscope of color.

Once they entered the middle levels of the city, the border patrol and police vehicles were already waiting for them with their engines idling like predators ready to pounce.

The moment the racers came into view, the sirens blared, and the chase was on. Tires screeched, and the roar of engines filled the air as the police closed in with their lights flashing like angry red eyes.

"Hey, Fitz! Let's see who gets there first! The loser buys the beers!" Alexius shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. His mind was already racing with plotting the fastest route through the labyrinth of streets.

"You're on, kid! But only if your aunt serves me the drinks, BAHAHAHA!" His laughter was booming over the noise.

Normally, Alexius would have been furious at such a comment, but coming from Fitz, it was almost endearing. The old man had once made the mistake of flirting with Alexius's aunt in front of Amanda. She'd promptly beaten him senseless with a broom. Since then, Fitz used the excuse of "checking on Evangeline" to visit her, though everyone knew he was just too scared to admit he had a crush.

"Ha! Keep dreaming, Teddy Bear! First place is mine today!" Alexius shot back with his grin hidden beneath his mask.

"BAHAHAHA! We'll see about that, brat!" Fitz roared while his bike rumbled like a beast as he swerved to avoid a police car.

As they finally reached the lower districts, the riders scattered like leaves in the wind, each taking a different route.

Alexius veered sharply onto a narrow road that led toward the unfinished water pipelines, even though it was a risky move, but one he'd pulled off before. "Hug me tight, Iza, like I'm your lover!" he shouted while accelerating La Bastarda to its top speed.

Iza didn't need to be told twice. She wrapped her arms and legs around him with all her strength while her heart pounded like crazy in her chest.

The police were relentless this time; their presence was heavier than usual. The recent chaos at the academy had put the entire city on high alert, and security was tighter than the hole of an ant.

"Alexius! Have we lost them yet?" Iza asked with her voice trembling with panic.

"Not yet! But I've got a plan... though you probably won't like it!" Alexius replied with his tone being teasing even as his mind raced.

"I don't care what you do; just do it!" Iza shouted while her grip tightened.

"Ha! Alright then, hold on tight! I'm about to show you how men can fly... even without wings!" With that, Alexius swerved onto an unfinished bridge, the road ending abruptly in a sheer drop.

"W-wait, what!?" Iza's eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do. "Don't tell me you're going to—"

"Stop talking, or you'll bite your tongue! Here we gooooo!" Alexius gunned the engine, and La Bastarda shot forward like a bullet. For a moment, they were airborne, the world spinning around them in a blur of sky, water, and city lights.

"AHHHHHH, I HATE YOU!" Iza screamed while her stomach lurched as they plummeted toward the river below. The bike hit the water with a thunderous splash, sending up a geyser of water that soaked everything in sight.

On the bridge above, the police cars screeched to a halt, their headlights illuminating the empty space where Alexius and Iza had disappeared. "Did you see anything? Blood? Bodies?" one officer asked while leaning out of his window.

"No, Captain. Nothing. They're probably dead. Should we send a team to fish out the bodies?"

The captain frowned while rubbing his chin. "Nah, do it tomorrow. It's too late, and I don't feel like getting wet in this cold."

Meanwhile, beneath the surface of the river, Alexius grabbed Iza's hand and pulled her toward an underwater pipeline he knew led to safety. They swam through the dark, icy water until they reached a section of the pipe with air and while gasping for breath, they emerged into the dimly lit tunnel.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!" Iza doubled over while coughing up river water and clutching her chest. "You... you... are..." she stammered while still trying to catch her breath.

"Awesome? I know! I hear it every day!" Alexius said while running a hand through his wet hair and flashing her a smug grin.

"You ARE CRAZY!" Iza shouted with her voice echoing through the tunnel. "How, in your sane judgment, did you think that was a good idea!? Do you have any idea how scared I was!? How all of this was so... so... damn exciting!? I think I'm broken already! I... I have to do something! I—"

Before she could finish speaking, she grabbed Alexius by his dog collar and pulled him toward her, pressing her lips to his in a furious, desperate kiss. It was less of a kiss and more of an attack, as if she were trying to punish him for the adrenaline still coursing through her veins.

Alexius, ever the gentleman, responded by lifting her up and pinning her against the wall of the pipe. He kissed her back with equal intensity, their wet clothes clinging to them as the tension of the chase melted into something else entirely.

The intensity of their kiss was palpable, fueled by the rush of adrenaline and the danger they had just faced. As they stood there, pinned against the wall of the pipe, their bodies seemed to meld together, the wet clothes clinging to them like a second skin.

The desperation and fury of the initial kiss gave way to a passionate and all-consuming connection, as if they were trying to devour each other.

Alexius's gentlemanly fake demeanor was momentarily forgotten, replaced by a primal urgency that matched hers, and for a moment, nothing else mattered except the two of them, lost in the heat of their passion.

As they kissed, the sound of their heavy breathing and the pounding of their hearts filled the air, echoing off the cold metal of the pipe.

The world around them melted away, leaving only the two of them, suspended in a moment of pure, unadulterated passion. Alexius's hands roamed over her body, his fingers digging into her skin as he deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers in a fierce, sensual dance.

She felt herself getting lost in the sensation, her body arching into his as she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer, needing to feel him closer. The tension between them was palpable, like a living, breathing thing that pulsed with an energy all its own, threatening to consume them both.

As they finally broke apart, gasping for air, they stood there, frozen, with their eyes locked in an intense stare. The passion and adrenaline still coursed through their veins, but for a moment, they just looked at each other, the only sound being the heavy breathing and the pounding of their hearts.