"How much longer, kid?"

"We're almost there!"

The teenager, who called himself Hart, groaned. He had never met anyone as frustrating as his Dayle guy. How could an adult be so impatient? It was not like the teen was enjoying this long walk either!

"Hey, get out the way!"

Dayle, Arthur, and Raines quickly shifted to the sides. Just in time too, as several teenagers and young adults zipped past on hoverboards. Dayle's brows shot up as he watched the youths. Their eyes carried equal parts, excitement, anticipation, and panic. These were not the first set of boarders to fly past. They were becoming increasingly frequent as they neared this 'Cyclone.'

Curious, Dayle asked, "This Cyclone. What is it exactly?"

Their guide grinned with pride. "Well..." He paused for dramatic effect as they rounded a corner. He then spread his arms as he gazed at the grand sight before them. "This is the Cyclone."

"Wow." "Whoa." "Seriously?"

Arthur, Dayle, and Raines simultaneously exclaimed in shock.

The riders transformed this large plot of land dominated by abandoned, broken down buildings into a racing zone. Dozens of kids zipped in and out of these dilapidated buildings, through makeshift hoops and tunnels, while performing tricks like weaving through spinning blades, or flaming rings.

The entire area was a playground for daredevils who sought the thrill of speed and danger. Currently, a significant race seemed to be going down. A massive crowd was gathered around the perimeter, cheering on the racers inside as they cut through the buildings and took dangerous shortcuts.

To keep a modicum of fairness and order, they placed checkpoints around the track. Racers could take whatever path they wanted, but they needed to pass through each checkpoint in the correct order. This led to exciting matches and decisions where runners had to choose between taking the shortest, but most dangerous paths over the longer, but risk-free paths.

Dayle whistled as he looked at the buildings. "This all belongs to Viper?"

"No way!" Hart chuckled. He led the trio through the crowd towards a building outside the Cyclone boundary. "The Cyclone doesn't belong to anyone."

Dayle looked at the men and women collecting money from gamblers in the crowd. He questioned with clear doubt, "Really? There's a lot of money here. I don't see how it functions without ownership."

Hart scratched his cheek. "I guess there are owners. But they change every three months – or they should at least." When he saw their confused expressions, he elaborated. "There's a grand Prix every three months. The first five places get to split ownership of the Cyclone and all profits between themselves. They also get to vote on any new policies."

"Quite progressive," praised Arthur. "How did you get so many people to agree to this arrangement?"

Hart scratched the back of his head. "Boarding is banned past three meters aboveground in most of the city. Hell, it's outright banned in some areas. Boarders needed a place to go wild, so the community pooled their funds to buy this land. Cyclone is the only place in the city boarders can go crazy without worrying about the authorities."

Raines glanced at an overhead screen, which depicted the boarders weaving past dangerously packed steel cables. She knew nothing about boarding, but even she could tell those maneuvers required tremendous skill, vision, and bravery. She then looked at Hart with concern in her eyes, "How about the gangs? They haven't made a move on this territory?"

"Of course, they have!" Hart snorted. A vicious light sparked in his eyes, but he calmed down a moment later. "But, so far, Viper has managed to fight them off. She refuses to let the gangs have any piece of this pie. She's got the firepower and blackmail to keep them in check, but no one knows how long that'll last. More importantly, she'll soon lose power from the inside, because the gangs are beginning to buy up many boarders. They hope to knock her out of the top spot, and then their cronies can unanimously vote in a new owner."

"I get it." Dayle tapped his chin. "She can't justify using the blackmail if she's taken out fair and square. Huh. Not bad. The gangs have some common sense. Who would've thought?"

Hart shook his head. "Don't underestimate the gangs here, Mister. You won't even know how you died."

Dayle chuckled at this warning but ultimately chose not to respond.

Instead, Raines looked around and asked, "So, where's Viper?"

Hart stopped in front of a building that had several screens along its wall. Sometimes, the monitors would depict several different racers, but sometimes they all combined to form a single image. Hart raised his finger and then pointed at the teenage girl who had taken up every screen. "There."

"OH, MY WORD! Viper with a smooth turn off the garden!" An excited commentator screamed as Viper burst out of the rod infested zone ahead of the pack. "The Queen of Brats is back in First Place! But she's got Xi Lao and Nakamura on her tail! The Hunting Dogs are sniffing; they're attacking as we pull into the Twisters. Whoever pulls ahead here is in prime position for the Cyclone!"

Dayle's eyes widened in shock. The fuck was going on!?

Viper's eyes, protected by a pair of goggles, were sharp as she lowered her body, so she was almost parallel to the board. The risky move significantly increased her speed, and she began to pull away from the boys behind her.

Viper, unaware she was being watched, steadied her breathing as she zoomed to the next obstacle course. The Twister was a low-ground obstacle course. It consisted of a series of apartment bungalows that had holes smashed through their walls. Unfortunately, these holes were not placed in a straight line, but rather, haphazardly, so speedrunners required extreme tight control in tight spaces to avoid turning into pancakes on the walls.

As usual, there was a natural course through the apartment building, but this 'clear' zone had so many turns that breaking was an inevitability. This detour would undoubtedly hurt anyone's time.

Viper, since she had a 5-second lead on those behind her, could have considered taking the safer route. Unfortunately, those behind her were just as skilled, and even worse, worked as a team. In a minute, those watching would understand why Viper chose the riskier route despite the increased risk of a wipe-out.

Vwoosh!

With a determined gaze, Viper zipped through the entrance into a wide hallway. However, rather than take the hallway, she immediately cut into a hole by the right. Her gaze narrowed as she burst into the apartment. The force almost sent her flying into a sofa, but she angled her board upward, so she only bounced off the soft surface.

The impacted dropped her speed but gained her the precious second needed to take out the layout of the room. The obstacles were moved around during every race, so she could not afford to blindside through these zones.

Viper located the next hole, and then with a smile, accelerated. Vwoom! She burst through the opening but immediately dropped to her knees, so she elevated just a centimeter over the ground. She bent backward till her back likewise flirted with the ground, and successfully slid beneath an array of steel poles.

Tap! Bam!

The next second, Viper lurched forward and slammed her hands against the ground. The movement, coupled with the hoverboard's thrusters, sent her tumbling over rebar scattered over the ground. Within a second, she regained control, and then swerved left and right, dodging piles of stone at either side. Afterward, she finally burst through that room, and then moved to the next.

Just like this, Dayle, Arthur, and Raines had their hearts in their mouths as they watched Viper do death-defying stunts to dodge the obstacles, all the while, never really slowing down for a second. This was no joke! At Viper's current speed, one small mistake would land her in Intensive Care or worse!

But, all the trio had to do was look at the other competitors to understand why Viper needed to go this far. Unlike Viper, who rode alone, the other competitors worked in teams.

At some point, the frontrunners had dropped back, allowing a pair of buff men riding on huge boards to take their place.

"Blockers," Hart explained to the confused trio. "They're not as fast as speedrunners, but they specialize in clearing paths for the runners and blocking their opponents." A blocker's board was much larger and heavier than a runner's. It traded speed for stability and strength, both traits required when their riders' sole purpose was ripping through big debris at high speeds. Hart pointed at Viper. "She's ridiculously good, but even she must slow down a bit to dodge the obstacles." He then looked at the Blockers, who had begun ramming through the obstacles like a pair of bulldozers, tearing down everything in their path. "With their help, the others will soon catch up. Obstacle zones like these are their playgrounds."

Raines frowned as she watched little girl fighting on her own. "Doesn't she have teammates? Why is she going by herself?"

"Nah, Viper doesn't trust anyone." Hart shook his head with a wry smile. "Way too many people out to get her. More likely, whatever teammate she gets will screw her over."

"Ah! The Blockers have caught up! What's Viper gonna do now!?"

Raines immediately turned back to the screen, tensions rising as she watched the muscle-bound men crush the distance.

"Damn muscle-heads!" Viper cursed. She could sense the blockers right behind her, but she still had one last room to clear. She was confident she could lose them once she hit the open air after the room.

Unfortunately, it was one room too many, or rather, one obstacle too many.

Viper had just slid between two wardrobes and had the exit hole insight when she heard a massive explosion behind her. Cursing, she looked over her shoulder to see the wood chips and planks flying straight at her.

Panic seized Viper's heart. She quickly jerked in several directions in an attempt to dodge the flying debris. Unfortunately, she could not avoid all the debris at such a close range.

Bam!

A flying plank struck Viper's hoverboard. Viper thus treated everyone to the reason runners avoided contact as much as possible. The impact sent Viper spinning out of control. She just about ducked in time, barely preventing her head from smashing into the wall. Luckily, she made it through the hole, but unfortunately, she hit the ground hard and then rag-dolled for several meters.

FireRain, like hundreds of spectators, gasped in shock and fear, but the other boarders didn't care, instead choosing to speed past the rolling Viper.

Just when everyone thought Viper was done, she let out a low, primal growl and slammed her fists against the ground. The impact sent her flying a few feet off the ground, but more importantly, gave her enough air to finally blast forward.

Viper's hair clip shattered during the impact, causing her hair to billow around her as she chased after the leading pack. Blood from several cuts on her face and arms trailed in the breeze, but the young lady's determined eyes did not weaken in the slightest.

"Fuck me." Dayle let out a breath he did not realize he was holding. "She's got balls."

Arthur patted down his rapidly beating heart. He barely managed to whisper, "I do not think we need to doubt her conviction. This girl is more than ready to risk her life."

"Dayle." Meanwhile, Raines' eyes were cold as she observed Viper's powerful gaze reflected on the gaze. She recognized those eyes. They belonged to those who had resolved to sacrifice whatever was necessary to crawl their way out of hell. "Take good care of her."

Dayle recognized the solemnity in Raines' voice. Raines rarely got severe with him. This meant that Viper had triggered something in the young woman. As a result, Dayle smiled and said, "I promise."

"Oooh! The Queen is in 12th Place and chasing! Xi Lao and Nakamura are in the lead as we head toward The Cyclone! The Queen's got a lot of work to do if she's gonna break into the Top 5. I don't think Xi Lao and Nakamura's blockers are gonna let her past them. And as we approach the Cyclone, it's gonna be even harder to surpass them! What's Viper going to do?"

"Ah, fuck! The Queen actually lost!"

"That selfish bitch should just get teammates already! I bet my last cash on her! Fuck!"

Dayle frowned. He listened to the crowd who seemed to have accepted the foregone conclusion that Viper had lost. "What's the Cyclone? Why does it sound like she has no chance?"

Hart let out a depressed sigh and then pointed at the tallest spire-like tower within the compound. "The Cyclone was made from reworking ancient jet turbines. It's a cylindrical tower with an inner shaft, and a narrow, spiral staircase that wraps around the shaft until both reach the finish line at the very top." Hart shook his head and then continued, "The staircase is so narrow that two blockers are enough to block any chasing party, so it's very easy to defend a lead, especially against a single person."

"Is there nothing she can do?"

Hart scratched his head. "She could challenge the Cyclone, but no one's tried it in years. The success rate's less than 5%, and those who fail usually end up dead."

Raines frowned. "What? How?"

"There are three powerful jet turbines in the tower. Each turbine gives the rider an incredible speed boost as it launches them to the ceiling."

"Okay? What's the problem?"

Hart looked at Raines. "You see all the obstacles she's passed so far? Multiply them by five, and that's she has to weave through while at that incredible speed. Even worse, aside from the first turbine at the bottom of the building, there are only about two or three 'safe' areas to go past the next two turbines. Miss those tiny spots and you're meat paste. Also, the speed increases each time they pass a turbine. Most can't even tell what's around them by the second turbine. That's why the success rate is so low."

Hart sighed. "Even Viper hasn't dared to challenge the Cyclone. You only have one life, you know. And I don't see how she's going to make it past those asshole blockers. So, it's clear she's going to lo—"

"HOLD THE PHONE! We have a Cyclone Challenger! I repeat We Have a Cyclone Challenger! Viper's Chosen to challenge the Cyclone! It's been three years since our last challenger... and we all remember how that went!"

"What The Fuck is She Doing!?" Dayle roared in anger. The usually calm, young man was red in the face with rage. This was no joke! Just looking at the view from the camera – the hundreds of floating debris ready to impale her at a moment's notice – was enough to make him almost piss his pants, and this girl chose to fly through that!? Was this place worth the risk?

Unfortunately, Dayle could only watch with bated breath, as the commentator screamed in excitement!

"OOF! That was a close one! Viper's slowly getting used to the speed as she explodes up the Cyclone! Ah! Street Lamp's in her pa—Oh My! What a beautiful kickflip over that! Watch out! That's three signposts barreling towards her! She's surrounded! What's she gonna – Oh my Word! A windmill right through the epicenter! Viper's doing it, folks! She's breaking through! I can't believe what I'm seeing!"

"Fuck!" Dayle exclaimed in excited fear as he watched Viper zip and spin past the ever thicker debris field. She was like a hummingbird, buzzing through the narrowest of angles and openings at breakneck speed. "Damn it, Go Viper!"

If Dayle, the onlooker, was filled with panic and dread, one could only imagine what Viper was going through. The teenage girl's heart felt like it would explode out of her chest, but she did not dare acknowledge her fear. The Cyclone was unforgiving. There was no quitting once one entered. You either rode it to the end or got diced into mincemeat!

Viper could only bottle her fear and then convert it into grim determination. She gritted her teeth as she stole through a car window, ground on a stair railing, and then hopped over a bus. Eventually, she made it to the next turbine and then tore through the small opening at the center.

This would have been the time to rest, but the wind speed doubled, sending her barreling toward the next set of obstacles.

"My days! Viper has cleared the Second Turbine, shooting her up to 7th Place! What a comeback! Like they say, No risk without Reward! But can Viper go all the way!? If she makes it past the third Turbine, she might have a chance of clinching this race. The Leading pack isn't slowing down, folks. Viper'll need to pull off a miracle!"

Viper, oblivious to the commotion she was causing outside, swallowed a huge gulp of air and then held her breath as she pushed toward the second set of obstacles. Contrary to expectations, rather than slow down, she accelerated, borrowing the turbine's boost to shoot upward.

However, this exponentially increased the risk!

Viper barely had time to formulate a thought before she had to dodge dozens of debris that bounced off each other at nigh unpredictable angles. As she sped upwards, she was increasingly forced to rely solely on instinct. She ducked, weaved, and sliced past debris at the narrowest of margins!

The onlookers, and even the commentators, went silent as they watched the little daredevil dance her way through the chaos. It was madness. It was chaos. It was...

"Beautiful."

Dayle and Raines looked at Arthur, who watched the screen with a stunned expression. The little girl in there was defying all odds to produce a display that could be called nothing short of a miracle. They had never seen anything like it. The bravery, the tenacity, the determination, and that mesmerizing skill! There were no words to describe the sight, except, simply, beautiful.

Beauty, however, was the last thing on Viper's mind. In fact, there was almost nothing in the teenager's mind. The more she relied on instinct, the fewer thoughts she had. At a point, she ultimately went blank. Her body just moved as if programmed by someone else. She somehow 'knew' where to go and when. It was like she could tell where the debris was going to be by the time she got there.

Finally, Viper saw it. The Line. Every boarder had heard of it - the fabled line that only the best could see. It charted the quickest path through any field or zone. It was similar to the 'racing line' drivers saw, but only a million times harder to obtain for a boarder.

Viper's eyes widened as she saw the line chart a course through the debris field. Intriguingly, the line seemed to pass right through the center of some considerably large obstacles. But, rather than doubt, Viper, increased her speed even further and charted a rapid course through that line.

"OH, MY WORD!"

The audience and commentators went wild as they watched Viper tear through the debris. Sometimes it seemed she would certainly slam onto an obstacle, but then another would suddenly ram into that one, sending it out of her path. It almost looked like the debris was deliberately parting ways for her!

As a result, everyone held their breath and watched in disbelief until Viper finally broke through the second turbine!

"SHE'S THROUGH! Oh my Word, she's Through! I Do Not Believe This! For the First time in Three Years, Someone has Broken through the Second Layer! It's a straight boost from here on out, gents! Is she gonna close the gap, ladies!? Clutch your betting slips and pray to the heavens, cause this is gonna be one heck of a finish!

"Viper's accelerating with everything she has! The leaders are also blasting through at top speed! Is she gonna catch up!? Hang on. She's 6th! Ooh, we're getting to the en- She's fifth! Goddamn, my soul can't keep u- 4th! Ladies and Gents, we are witnessing the comeback of a lifeti—3rd! Oh, my word I don't believe it! It's down to the wire! Ten seconds to the exit! Who's gonna make it out first! Viper, Nakamura, or Li Xao? Nakamura and Li Xao are still ahead, but it's close. Viper's just half a second behind. Fuck my soul. I can't call – Viper's ahead! No, She's back in 3rd! Now she's second! It's close; it's here... aaaaaand..."

VWOOOSH!

Viper burst out from the third turbine at lightning speed, just as Nakamura and Li Xao dashed out from the exit. All three zoomed toward the flag hovering over the Cyclone, arms outstretched to catch it first.

"Your Winner Is..."

Grab!