Sean slowly rode his bike up to the starting markers. Being one of the youngest racers, his bike was set in a painted square at the back. He had never started a race in the back but tried to keep his positive attitude. He told himself that it didn't matter where he started. He'd find a way to get ahead in the end. Turning off his bike, he swung off her and walked casually to the starting line where the other Slum Racers were standing. Overhead, drones were zoning around to take in all the racing vehicles and Racers to broadcast on the massive video screens. Every time a drone zoomed in a leader's back to see their colors, somewhere in the crowd people cheered wildly. Even some of the Nobles cheered. Sean glanced at the stands as he reached his spot on the starting line. The stands were divided with protective clear walls to allow the gangs to sit and watch. The gangs were all separated from each other and the nobles were separated from them, but so far everyone looked excited.

When a drone showed the back of his black leather jacket to show off the green dragon, the Nobles and their Pets roared to life. Sean hadn't expected that. Yet, the announcer introduced him as Valhalla's Elite Slum Dog. The other gang leaders looked at him with unreadable looks. Sean lifted his chin, keeping his face just as unreadable before turning his eyes ahead to look at the track. He couldn't let this distract him. He kept telling him they were just racers in his mind. Didn't matter who they were. He was here to race. The announcer told the stands what the prize was for the winner and Sean exhaled heavily. His title had never felt so heavy. The unseen announcer then stated aloud. "This race will play to Slum rules. Anything goes. Holograms are activated. Track Terraform is activated. Vehicle boosts are activated. Vehicle weapons for the first time in history are activated." The gangs cheered and Sean focused on keeping himself calm. He'd been practicing with the weapons on his bike, but it was weird after years of having nothing on her for it.

He couldn't imagine how the others felt about having those upgrades added to their vehicles. The announcer wished them well and they all turned to walk back toward their vehicles. While heading back, Rat grabbed his arm to stop him. Leaning in close, he whispered to him quickly. "Scorpio. Bradley. Karl." Rat then released him as the crowd of Nobles booed him. Rat chuckled, raising his hands in playfully surrender. Sean nodded to him subtly, continuing his way to the back. The Nobles wouldn't know about Rat's intentions. Whether they knew it or not, Rat had told him exactly who to watch out for. Walking reluctantly beside Bradley as they made their way to the very back, Bradley told him smugly. "I'm so glad that I am not in your shoes. You've got so much to lose... including your life." Sean refused to look at Bradley but responded dryly. "Worry about yourself. Cause if you think these guys are going to roll over and let you win... You're wrong. The older generation outnumbers us six to two. So, I'm inclined to guarantee that one or both of us are not walking off this track."

Bradley scoffed, asking him teasingly. "Scared of a bunch of old rusted gang leaders? How have you survived this long?" Sean stopped beside his bike, finally looking at Bradley when he answered curtly. "Because I don't underestimate them. They haven't survived this long because they let people live." Bradley rolled his eyes, then leaned in to snap out. "They know they are old and broken down. They can't compete with my youth. Which is why we are going to kill you. It's time for a TRUE Slum leader to emerge... and that isn't you." Sean locked eyes with Bradley, he told him without flinching. "Youth doesn't mean shite against experience. And I hope I'm there when you learn that. Because they are playing you like a fucking harp." Bradley licked his dry lips, leaning closer to whisper in a darker voice. "Like I played with you and Nate?" Sean's fingers curled into tight fists. He wanted nothing more than to punch him but held himself back. He couldn't risk hurting his hand before a race.

Bradley's eyes looked him over smugly, before purring out to him. "I can still hear you moaning like a whore. Can you still feel me inside you?" A Valkyrie guard moved up to them, causing Bradley to back away from him. Giving him an air kiss just to piss him off, Bradley swung his leg over his red bike. Sean's arms shook from the strain of holding himself back. Turning to his bike, he locked his jaw and swung his leg over. Straightening his bike up off the kickstand, he pulled out his visor glasses to slip them on. The second they were on, Sean heard Nate ask in the headset. "Bradley talking out of his ass again?" Leaning forward to grab the handlebars, Sean revved his engine loudly and growled darkly out. "If Rat doesn't kill him, I will!" Looking to the stands, he saw Nate sitting in one of the many private booths at the very front. Every leader had someone picked to watch their backs and help them navigate the course, since most of the gang leaders wouldn't know this track as well as the small one back home. Nate's voice was soothing when he told him calmly. "Don't let him rile you. It's what he wants. Keep a clear head. Don't get distracted."

Sean closed his eyes for a second to force his anger down with a deep exhale. Inhaling slowly, he let himself relax and focus on the track. In front of him, the large three wheeled motorcycle revved to life, spewing jets of ice blue flames from the long curved exhaust pipes. Sean was thankful that the pipes were curved up over the two large back tires and not directly at him. The bright golden lights around the stadium began to shut off in sections. Replaced by neon lights that lit up the track and even highlighted the vehicles. Sean's hollow wheel wells began to shine with a bright neon green light. Even the dragon on his back was glowing softly in the new light. Every gang leader was sporting a different neon color to help tell them apart in the blacklight. The pavement of the track went from a grey pavement to a sudden glossy black with neon lines that highlighted the borders and walls. Sean's heart began to race as the lights kept changing and the crowd roared into excited cheers. Sean's visor changed to a night vision mode that made the dark track clearer to see.

Sean had raced in a glow race once or twice, but not at this level. Staring ahead, he saw Rat rise off the pavement in the front on a hover board that had a small engine attached to the back that was blazing with orange light. A hologram woman in white stepped out across the track and removed two strips of holographic flags from her back pockets. The slender woman eyed the men along the starting line, then threw her hands up, causing the ground to vibrate as the engines surged to life as they took off. The track streaked in a mix of neon colors as it followed the racer it was matched with. Beside him, Bradley hit his charge causing his front tire to rise off the ground as he took off like a shot to weave between the others, leaving a burst of red flames in his wake. For Sean, the second the race started his heart practically stopped or was beating so fast that he couldn't feel it anymore. Staying put, he let his engine roar to life. His bike tire squealing loudly as it spun against the glossy pavement until white smoke billowed behind him.

Once the others were a few feet in front of him, he released the brake and hit his charge. His back tire flared into neon green flames, before his bike surged forward after them. Over the speaker, Nate asked him curiously. "Why did you do that?! You put yourself behind!" Sean leaned over the tank as much as he could as he shot off into the long straight dark tunnel. Concentrating on the track, he couldn't answer. Nate would just have to trust him. As much as he wanted the lead... he had to play this smart. These guys were going to be gunning for first and he didn't want to be caught in the crossfire. Upfront, the gang leaders were slamming the hell out of each other. They were riding coattails of the guys in front of them and slamming into the guys next to them to shift them closer to the walls. At the first turn that led out of the tunnel and out across the clear domed over roads of Valhalla, the gang leaders slammed into each other so hard that the first three guys were knocked over, and their bikes were sending up sparks up from being shoved across the pavement. Onlookers on the sidewalks safely outside the domed road all cheered and waved glow sticks.

The only ones that made the turn flawlessly and passed the others were Rat, Bradley, and Sean. Rat had rode up the wall of the dome to avoid the accident, while Bradley and Sean drifted hard into the turn to hug the wall. Bradley took the lead with Sean right on his heels. Over the speaker, Nate told him in a rush. "Sean, Rat's coming down the wall on your right! Watch him!" Sean thought about drifting into Rat's way, but instead shifted to the left to make room for him to come down. Rat seamlessly drifted down the wall and gained quickly up on Sean's right. Sean glanced at him briefly to see Rat was crouched low on his small board. Over the speaker, Nate was telling him that he had made a mistake by letting Rat down. However, Sean saw it as strategy. He'd seen Rat practice at night. Rat's board was lethal, and he didn't want to be caught in front of it. Rat wouldn't try to hurt him... but he couldn't say that Rat wouldn't pick revenge over his life. Rat saluted him with his free hand then hit a button on his board.

From the sides of Rat's board, a set of long curled razors sprang out. Sean winced, trying to hang back to get behind Rat. He didn't want to be knocked down when Rat knocked out Bradley. Rat's heel slammed down on a level, causing his engine to heat up as he shot forward to catch up to Bradley. Bradley looked over his shoulder, trying to drift away from Rat. Rat shifted his weight on his board to propel himself faster. Getting up alongside Bradley, Rat leaned closer to Bradley's bike trying to bring the razors to the tires of Bradley's bike. Sean glanced in his rearview mirror, seeing the other racers gaining behind them. If Bradley went down here, odds were that the others would run him over without a second thought. The razors started to tear into the frame of Bradley's bike, and he panicked. Hitting his breaks like a coward, he whizzed behind them. Sean cursed as he saw him fall back into the crowd of gaining racers. Rat was grinning wickedly though. Sean shifted back to the center of the track, catching a glimpse at the razors on Rat's board before they retracted. Two were coated in fresh blood.

Sean gawked at Rat. Had he clipped Bradley? Rat started to hang back, giving Sean the lead without a fight. Over the speaker, Nate told him excitedly. "Bradley's hurting! Rat slashed his thigh! Their saying its Bradley's fault for braking right into them!" Sean smirked to himself. Rat always knew that Bradley was a coward and he had used that fear against him. He wanted to ask how badly Bradley was hurt, but Nate suddenly stated out. "Sean! Behind you! Scorpio's gaining and he's activating his tail!" Sean cursed, there wasn't anything he could do. The track dropped into a steep decline that would wind into a sharp spiral. He couldn't afford to move his bike too much or his bike would topple over. In the clear reflection over ahead, Sean could see Scorpio gaining. Scorpio's thin black bike was highlighted in yellow neon lights and as it rushed down the decline. The thick metal tries splitting into four to balance the bike better. At the back of the bike, a long curled tail grew out piece by piece to a sharp point like a Scorpion's tail. Feeling vulnerable, Sean asked Nate in a rush. "Nate! Please tell me there is something incoming that I can use! I'm an easy target!"

Nate cursed, mumbling out. "I'm looking but you are the one that hung back and let them get to the weapon's first!" Drifting into the turn, Sean heard the soft 'BANG' and flinched. The end of the Scorpion tail shot out toward the back of his bike. Just before it hit, Rat surfed down the wall to slip between them. Leaning back, Rat tilted his board enough that the end of the tail attached to the bottom of Rat's board instead. Scorpio's eyes widened behind his goggles. Rat flashed Scorpio a grin and yelled out. "GOTCHA, ASSHOLE!" Sean kept his focus on drifting around the spiral, while Rat hit his charge and took off ahead of Sean. Sean yelped as the line between Rat and Scorpio's bike jerked tight. Scorpio's bike hadn't expected that, causing the back tires to rise off the ground as the ass was jerked around to the front. Sean hugged the inside as Scorpio's bike was sent up the wall to be dragged reluctantly after Rat. At the bottom of the spiral, Sean heard the crowd outside the domed road gasp and express surprised pain.

Reaching the bottom, Sean saw why. Scorpio had lost control of his bike and was slammed into the side of the wall. The line retracted back into the tail of the bike as Rat waited for Sean to speed up next to him on the straightway. Over the roaring engines, Rat yelled out to him. "Just so you know! I didn't do that for you! I just hate him!" Sean smirked, giving him a nod in understanding. Then from behind him a pulse went out. The pulse was strong enough to make Sean's bike waver over the track, but he managed to keep his baby upright. The pulse completely shut off the engine to Rat's board though, causing him to tumble off it as it dropped to the ground. Sean looked back, yelling out. "RAT!" Rat rolled to the side of the track and up onto his feet. He managed to kick the frame of a bike that whizzed past him, but the guy was gunning for Sean! Sean didn't recognize him. His bike was unfamiliar to him. The bike only had one large wheel at the back and the front with the tank and engine was hovering on large metal plane wings.

Over the speaker, Nate yelled out to him. "Sean, there is a weapon platform coming up! Get it before the Rebel Wing gets it!" Sean couldn't remember the name of the Rebel Wing's leader. He only remembered their colors. Large angel wings attached to a human skull with three swords up through the jaw. He was the second oldest gang leader. Sean had never dealt with him and didn't want to clash with him now... but he was gaining on him quickly after burning through three charges! To Be Continued...