A Mile a Minute
Speed. Power. Passion. Maximum performance.
Gripping the wheel her knuckles went white with desire, the car exploding down the Los Angeles city streets like a blast from a shotgun.
Brilliant orange, blazing like the desert sun as it rocketed across the blacktop, 690 hp thundering in its casing. Power threatened to break free, barely constrained by a metal shell.
V12 screaming out its song, the world went by in a blur. The driver was forced back in her seat, practically shoved into the fabric. Her foot was firmly pressed to the floor. Italian passion barely constrained by a metallic shell.
Some people got their adrenaline junkie fix by rock climbing or diving with sharks or chasing storms.
Not Sunset.
She lived her life on the edge, zero to 100 in just a matter of seconds. Racing between the lights, and outrunning the cops. Redlining the engine, taking it to the ragged edge.
Some called her crazy.
Sunset called them crazy back.
After all, why wouldn’t you want to do this? That was the question, after all, right? Why wouldn’t you? Racing between the lights, the engine screaming out its siren song while all looked on in envy.
Some called it a dangerous self-destructive habit. That Sunset was going to one day get herself killed.
Well, if so, it was a hell of a way to go. Screaming, on fire right through the pearly gates in a burned-out hulk.
Mhmm, fun.
The roar of another engine caught her attention, and she checked her rearview. Sunset’s eyes widened briefly as smooth white lines came up from behind her. A sharp contrast to her Aventador’s own sharp angles.
The Vanquish S was slightly less powerful, admittedly, but not that it mattered. Both had been assigned strict speed limiters. Sunset found it bullshit, personally, as who bought a supercar with a limiter anyways? But she wasn’t skilled enough to disable her own so…
Rounding a corner, tires squealing out in protest, the exhaust belched blue flame. Tire smoke filled the other driver’s vision, but they powered on through. From the city streets to the beach the race progressed. Buildings were replaced by palm trees and the ocean.
If it were any other moment in time, Sunset would have probably slowed down. Just cruised and enjoyed the evening skies reflecting off the waves. But not tonight. Not right now.
Right now was only the race.
Sunset paid the red light no mind. It wasn’t like she was breaking enough laws anyways.
The streets had been cleared. No chance of running headlong into anyone and getting someone killed.
That had been the first rule Sunset abided by. If there was going to be a race, the streets had to be clear. She didn’t want someone’s blood and gore splattered all over her windscreen. It took ages to clean that shit off.
No, it wasn’t because she didn’t want someone’s death on her conscience, so just shut up okay? Like, she could see your mouth starting to open, so shut it.
Day turned to night as the sun finally slipped down past the horizon, and the moon became her guide. The streetlights flashed by in a blur, reflecting off her windscreen. Burnt orange split the night like a fireball, a white comet of ice close behind.
Another turn, and then another. A straightaway. Sunset had the route memorized in her head.
She always did.
It was neck and neck now, and Sunset could see the opposing driver. Oh, okay, Lightning Dust. Yeah, that made sense.
She’d always been salty that Sunset constantly whipped her tail in just about every race. Where did you think Sunset got her multi-million dollar Aventador anyways? That she bought it? Oh hell no. She won it.
Oh, that was a good day seeing Lightning screaming and swearing at her even as Gilda just forked over the keys.
Sunset? She’d treasure that memory for the rest of her days.
So what? Lightning Dust was a jackass, someone who couldn’t put their money where their mouth was when it counted. To quote a certain movie, she was writing checks her body simply just couldn’t cash.
Sunset relished every moment of beating her sorry ass in a quarter-mile drag down Sunset Boulevard.
That was then. This was now.
“Hey Lightning!” Sunset called, rolling down her windows. “You’re lagging behind. Maybe we should start calling you Thunder!”
“I’m taking my car back, Shimmer!” Lightning sneered slamming into Sunset, sparks flying as the two supercars ground up against each other.
“And damaging it in the process?” Sunset said. “Funny, for someone who loves this car so much -not that I blame you, it’s a hella sexy ride- you sure don’t care about what you do to it!”
“Ah, it’ll buff out!” Lightning said. “Besides, seeing your face when I win is so worth a few knocks and dents!”
“Race ain’t over yet bitch,” Sunset said flooring the accelerator. The engine stirred itself up into a whine, like a demon out of hell screaming its rages at the world. “See you at the finish line!”
More blue flame, exhaust popping. Another corner was coming up fast, and Sunset jerked the wheel as she went into a slide. Drifting around the corner, she heard a small ‘ding’ sound. A perfect kiss to the lampost. Then, she floored it again and went right back into top gear as her speedometer began it’s rapid climb.
A tunnel was the finish line, and at the end of it sat a screaming crowd. The V12 shifted into overdrive, and reverberated throughout the tunnel. Sunset laughed in glee, who needed music when you had this as your own personal soundtrack to life?
Oh yeah, life was good. The black pavement, the yellow lines rushing beneath her wheels stirred all of her emotions. Power, passion, high performance. It was… evocative. Stirred something primal from deep within the soul. Gasoline was her fuel, speed her drug of choice. Red lights, red line.
And victory was hers.
“Whoooooooooooo!” came the shout. The after-party as ever, with everyone gathering at ‘the big house’. Sunset’s personal domain, bought with her winnings. A little house -well, maybe not so little- in the Hollywood Hills.
Drinks flowed, and the beat bounced. Life was good.
Bodies ground up against themselves in a display of motion, lights pulsing and the speakers shaking the floor. The very walls pounded, and it was amazing nobody had called about noise complaints yet.
The Aventador sat in it’s prized position down below, in the center of the garage. A place of power if there ever was one, the V12 monster daring all who wanted to approach. To just reach out and touch the burning blazing bright orange paint job. To get that little too close to the sun and risk getting burned.
The figures were simply astounding.
0–62 mph in 2.9 seconds.
0–100 mph in 6.4 seconds.
217 mph at top speed, going at a full trot on some lucky glorious day.
Cornering with 1.05 Gs.
It was enough to make lesser cars drool, and enough to give any true car fan a certain fizz in their pants. And it was all hers.
Nobody dared to try and claim otherwise.
At times, Sunset was asked why she didn’t get a new car. A replacement, for when this one gave out?
Sunset laughed, and simply gestured to her phone’s wallpaper. A furious Lightning Dust ranting and raving. The time when she had pricked the side of a mighty beast and entirely failed to run.
That was enough to silence them.
Less than 10,000 of these beauties existed in the world, every one of them just that little bit unique. Each daring their user to take a little ride on the wild side of life. Sunset had graciously accepted that little deal with the devil. These weren’t cars that should have been displayed in someone’s garage or in some museum gathering dust somewhere. They were meant to be driven. They were rampaging bulls just barely kept at bay, a slice of rare beef meant to be savored. Like a great storm on the plains, they came and brought the show.
They were the show.
Supercars were a unique breed. They weren’t designed to get you from point A to point B. No, they never were. They were meant to be displayed, meant to show off the sheer technical wizardry in their design. They had one purpose in mind. To put that rubber to the road and eat up the miles, looking good while doing it.
Sorry, was she rambling? Yeah, Sunset mused, she probably was. She loved her cars, so sue her.
Wait, I mean not literally! Unless you’ve got a legitimate court case, save your money okay?
“Another victory for you, eh?” Gilda asked from beside her. “Don’t you ever start to get tired of it? Like, do all of the victories start to blend together at some point?”
“Not really, no,” Sunset said. “Every one’s unique, a different little challenge each time. Someone new, with a new set of skills vying for their piece of the pie. You never know what to expect, really. It’s the new boys who always give you the greatest challenge because with veterans you know what to look for. What their moves are. With someone new… well.”
“And you never worry about losing?” Gilda asked, chugging her beer, letting out a loud burp. Frankly unladylike really, though nobody had ever accused Gilda Grimfeathers of being a lady.
“I…” Sunset hesitated. Truth be told, she wanted to lose some day. For her iron to be dented, to show that it wasn’t invincible. She wanted someone to prick her, steal some of that golden ichor. She didn’t want to be the Goddess anymore. After a while, after enough wins, the challengers started to slow.
“Yeah, I suspected as much,” Gilda said, tossing her beer behind her. “You cut quite the intimidating figure, Sunset Shimmer.”
“Stop it, you’re starting to sound like some wide-eyed reporter, hoping for their first big story,” Sunset drawled. “It’s absolutely disgusting. Hate those ass-clowns.”
“Yeah, only because of your ex-wife,” Gilda said. “Well, the good thing about getting new cars? When you trade up, your old ones don’t take half your shit.”
Sunset leveled a glare at her friend. “I thought we agreed never to speak about her.”
They both knew of who she spoke. The Ex, the one who shall never be named. The demon who blighted Sunset’s doorstep, and when she couldn’t take the heat she just up and left.
Did Sunset still have residual feelings for her? Maybe, buried somewhere very very deep down. But it wasn’t going to work out really. Sunset lived her life on the streets, living a mile a minute. She didn’t do domestic. At least, not very well.
0-60, that was her life. Not pumping out a few babies and settling down with someone. Did she regret it? Maybe for a moment, but that thought was quickly squashed. She loved her life as it was. The roar of the engine, the smell of tire smoke. The grease beneath her fingers, a wrench in hand. Sunset knew where her life lay, and it wasn’t in some small house in Nowheresville USA.
“Right right,” Gilda said. “You can hold a grudge, you know that right?”
“Yes, well, my garage used to be bigger before a lawyer got to it and divorce papers settled in. When all is said and done, the aftermath sucks okay?” Sunset replied snarkily. “You can knock me down, but what you can’t do is take my babies. My girls, okay? I’m still pissed about losing my Nismo Skyline.”
“You could just buy another one,” Gilda remarked.
“Okay, A? Us racers never buy any of our cars. We win them, and B, that’s besides the point. It wouldn’t be the same one.” Sunset said.
“...well, you got your first car somewhere that required a checkbook didn’t you?” Gilda muttered.
Another day, another race. Winding through the hills outside of town they came, the horse and hellcat show. Dodge VS Ford, 8,000 pounds of Detroit steel and American muscle. The hills came alive with the sound of engines.
The road flew by, mile after mile being eaten up as the cars thundered around corners taking them like a sledgehammer to the wall. And then when that rare moment came, a straight section of road they shot down it like bullets from a gun.
Tires squealed as drivers fought for control, reaching out for every ounce of grip. Tires hugged the road, the smell of burnt rubber in the air.
Sunset, personally, thought the Hellcat was going overboard. It simply screamed ‘I can’t get it up in bed’ from grill to tailpipe. And the noise? Oh, and the noise was absolutely horrendous. It wasn’t a pleasant whine, more like an unholy screech.
Exhaust pipes burbled, and popped and made all sorts of noises. It was petrol head heaven as the two titans raced down the hillsides, miles of quiet suburbia below. The Hellcat, spitting fire started to bite at the Mustang’s heels, a little house cat threatening to take down a mighty steed.
And yes, Sunset was aware of the inherent humor of a horse driving such a thing. Well, former horse anyways. Snarling, the engine beckoned to push onwards. Sunset found her line and pressed down hard on the accelerator pedal.
Then, in a red blur of motion, she was passed. The Hellcat was now directly in front of her and sliding around corners tires squealing out in protest. They sounded like any moment they’d give out, and yet they never did. The Challenger just kept on going.
Sunset could not let this stand, going into a drift and nipping at her opponent’s heels. Galloping over turn 15, she slammed a foot down onto the accelerator pedal once more. The Mustang snarled, retaking its position, shoving the Hellcat behind her.
She flipped the driver the bird, and kept right on going and was soon on Main Street.
Well, this was going to be another cheap win for her, hooray. No real challenge in it at all. Maybe she should retire. Of course, there was that old saying. Getting into the life was the easy part. Getting out, well, that was even harder.
Even as she took the gold, Sunset sighed. For brief traitorous moments, she always thought about getting out. Then something new lured her back in. A new challenge to take. Some new risk, someone who always wanted to topple her off her throne. And as ever, her pride simply just couldn’t live and let live. She always accepted, and she…. She always won.
It was so lonely at the top, and no amount of friends or money could change the fact that really, she didn’t have anyone to cheer her on. Well, she did but that was a long time ago. Before the races started getting riskier and riskier and there was always that latent concern Sunset would get herself killed. Or worse, someone else would get killed along with her. Her ex didn’t want that kind of blood on her hands, so… she left. Simple as that.
Somehow Sunset suspected her getting away with half the garage was a message to her. You don’t stop racing, it was meant to say, so I take away some of your toys.
Poetic, really.
“You know, one of these days, you’re going to get yourself arrested. You do know that right?”
Sunset’s heart sank at the voice. Oh yes, of course. The Ex. The one who actually made a Goddess bleed. So to speak. Autumn Blaze, star reporter for KTLA. News at eleven, Sunset Shimmer caught out!
“Don’t you need some special pass for an invasion of privacy?” Sunset asked. “One of these days, I could probably sue your ass.”
“Look, just because we’re not married anymore doesn’t mean I can’t show an ounce of concern,” Autumn sighed. “One of these days, the cops will catch up to you, and bam. That’ll be the end of that. Half your friends? They wouldn’t spare a dime to help you. They’re false friends, fairweather types who’ll drop you as soon as the going gets bad.”
“I thought when we got the divorce, I’d be spared from your lectures,” Sunset muttered. “Enjoying the Skyline?”
“Oh yes, I am actually,” Autumn replied. “Got rid of some of the tuning jobs you did to it, I actually want to look respectable thank you very much.”
“See, there’s your issue right there,” Sunset sniped feeling her temper rise. Her baby had been maimed! “You’ve always been concerned about how I look next to you. Your reputation, that’s always what mattered. You never cared about me.”
“No, I just never approved of your self-destructive hobbies,” Autumn replied. “One of these days, you’re going to miss a turn or take it wrong or not brake in time. And then I’ll be reporting on your dead body and looking it over in some morgue somewhere. You really think I’m ready to handle something like that?”
For a moment, Sunset felt fairly disgusted with herself. No, she realized, Autumn probably wasn’t ready to handle something like that. Autumn, despite how much of a bitch she could be, at one point in time did love her. Probably still did, in some small way. She did have the nerve to call her out for her habits, which said something Sunset supposed. A good sort of something, or a bad sort of something, well, that was tricky, wasn’t it? That was the tricky thing to decide, really.
Then the brief moment of sympathy was gone, in a flash just like that.
Autumn just tossed her to the wayside to further her own career, and Sunset hated that with a passion. She’d been used, and when Autumn was done playing with her she’d been discarded like some old stuffed toy. It broke her heart actually, maybe Autumn was too self-centered to realize it but that really did hurt.
“So?” Sunset asked.
“So? So?” Autumn asked. “You think I’m ready to hear my wife’s dead because of her own self-centered stupidity? You think I’m ready to hear about that?”
“Hey, look, I’m happy with my life!” Sunset barked back. “You see this? You see my baby? That’s what I like. I like to be around cars!”
“So, run a garage!” Autumn said. “Don’t get yourself in the middle of dangerous street races. Hell, if you want to race, go do it legally! Go sign up for Nascar or Formula-E or something! Just… just anything but this!”
She gestured behind her, where the driver of the Hellcat Challenger was getting sympathy pats on the back from his friends.
Autumn choked back a sob, and… oh yeah, the sympathy was back. Surprising even herself, Sunset embraced Autumn in a hug. “Look, I’ll be fine, really. I’m a good driver, you know that. One of the best of the best.”
“And even the best of the best have bad days every now and again,” Autumn refuted. “Even for them, luck runs out.”
“Hey hey!” Gilda said as she walked up, spotting Autumn. Her eyes narrowed. “You, you get moving! I don’t want you here and neither does Sunset!”
“Oh, so you speak for Sunset now? What are you, her publicist? I don’t see any badges or any nice suits. Hell, I doubt even a suit would make you look good,” Autumn Blaze sniped, a wave of jealousy in her eyes. Which was fair enough, Sunset supposed. Gilda, in her own scruffy way, was easy on the eyes.
Not that Sunset had ever tried to get with her. Gilda was a bit too rough around the edges for any sort of meaningful relationship. A one night lay, yeah, maybe. But Gilda was hardly the sort Sunset would pick for… anything long term.
And like that, Sunset wondered when she’d started thinking about long term relationships again. Oh, great. Autumn was getting inside her head again. As she always did. Great. Just fucking great.
“Yeah, so maybe I am in a way,” Gilda asked, crossing her -quite frankly, muscled- arms. “Got an issue with that bitch? At least I’m there for Sunset when she needs me, unlike you.”
“Oh, so what, you’d bail Sunset out of jail if she gets arrested for killing someone in one of her dangerous stunts?” Autumn challenged.
“If I have to, yes. Not all of us leave when the going gets tough.” Gilda drawled.
“Alright, fine,” Autumn relented. “But… agh, just keep her safe okay? Sunset? Please don’t do anything stupid. You’re a good friend.”
Sunset sighed and nodded weakly as she climbed in her car. Turning the key, the engine sprung to life and she pulled off down the street. Radio blaring high, Sunset idly wondered who the song fit. Her, or her ex?
“Lazarus has got no dirt on me. And I'll rise every danger
I'm the Mephistopheles of Los Angeles…”
Night fell, and once again Sunset found herself in a duel to the death with Lightning Dust. That woman could never know when to take a hint.
“The streets are clear, right?” Sunset asked Gilda, leaning out of the window. “The streets are clear?”
Gilda gave a gruff nod, as the sound of engines revving began to fill the air.It was a simple route, just one long slash through the city center. Vanquish VS Aventador, the Allies VS the Axis powers all over again. Then, the race began and Sunset was thrown back in her seat White Zombie blaring from her speakers.
The speedometer began to climb even as the bass pounded in Sunset’s ears, the tires gripping the road. Gripping the wheel, Sunset’s knuckles were already white, V12 pounding in her brain like the drums of a heavy metal band.
Going into the first turn, the tires squealed in sharp fashion, Sunset keeping the pace with her opposition, Lightning Dust just barely pulling ahead. The exhaust let out a soft popping sound that Sunset just barely registered. Sunset bobbed her head to the beat as she went into another turn, and then another, going through a winding maze of sidestreets.
Lightning slid past her, re-taking the lead. Sunset floored it, regaining first place. It was a battle for positions, each gaining and losing ground every few moments. The cars practically hugged the asphalt as they reached ever higher speeds.
Then came a crackle over the radio.
“Sunset, pull out!” Gilda shouted. “PULL OUT!”
Sunset’s eyes went wide. “I thought you said the streets were clear!”
Her voice was one of anger and rage, her fury born of worry. If she hit someone…
“I… I thought they were! But I just got a text. One of our scouts just spotted someone near your position. Slow down! Pull out!” Gilda stammered.
Then she saw it out of the corner of her eye, a little SUV just turning the corner a couple of yards ahead. And the distance was being closed with each passing moment. Lightning seemed not to have noticed.
“Pull out, Dust!” Sunset shouted hoping she was heard over the thundering engines.
“Not likely!” Lightning shouted.
“But there’s a…” Sunset shouted back.
“Bah, no excuses!” Lightning said as she surged forwards. “Don’t be a coward Shimmer, if you’re going to win, win honorably!”
“Oh for…” Sunset grumbled, slamming her foot hard on the brakes. Tires screamed out in protest, and for a brief fearful moment, Sunset wondered if they were going to explode. They didn’t thankfully, and Sunset pulled to a halt in a cloud of smoke. She shouted into her radio: “This isn’t about winning, this is about… Just look!”
There was the sound of a sickening crunch, and Sunset’s eyes widened as both Lightning’s car and the SUV went into spins, slamming headlong into a telephone pole…
Sunset sat in a jail cell. Everything had gone by in a bit of a blur, really. Sunset vaguely remembered calling the cops, then punching out Lightning Dust. She remembered the blood and the screams. Oh god, the blood. So much blood...
She’d had to have been physically restrained before she committed murder. Sunset vaguely remembered Gilda’s powerful arms holding her back, even as the family was lifted into a helicopter.
Cuffs had been slapped over her, Sunset not even bothering to protest. Well, she’d probably made the eleven-o-clock news. Sunset chuckled darkly, well at least Autumn wouldn’t have to report about her dead body.
Her car had been impounded. Okay yeah, fair enough. While she didn’t slam head-on into that SUV, she might as well have. Sunset, with a scream of rage and frustration and grief, punched the wall. Her knuckles bled. Autumn had been warning about this for ages, and she… she never listened.
This was exactly what her ex had been warning her about since like forever, and never once did she pay attention. She’d always been too caught up in the moment. In the thrill of it all. That life in the fast lane. Made her lose it.
Yeah, Autumn had been right about a lot of things. As soon as this happened, everyone had practically ditched her. Hell, Sunset wasn’t even sure where Gilda was. Her Gilda. Her best friend who’d promised to stick by her side no matter what. Sunset choked back a sob.
So this was what the loyalty of the streets was worth?
What a joke.
It had pulled her in, the glitz and glamor of it all. The idea of rebelling against authority had reared its ugly head once more for her. It had pulled her under its sway and the woman who emerged was very different from the one who went in.
Sunset, looking back at herself, wasn’t sure what she liked what she saw.
Life in the fast lane did make you lose all sense of self. It ripped and tore at you until something new was born. Something ugly. Sunset, honestly, wasn’t sure if she could ever look at a car the same way ever again.
Speed needed to be respected, kept in check.
Sunset choked back another ugly laugh. Autumn was right. She should have gone for something legal, like NASCAR.
The street’s little fallen angel, wallowing in her own disgrace. That’s what she was now. And now, some poor family was without a husband, or hell for all she knew, without a kid. Sunset wasn’t honestly sure if she wanted to know the full extent of the damages.
A gentle knock on the bars of her cell door pulled Sunset out of her dark reverie. She looked up.
“Come to gloat?” Sunset asked as she looked her ex in the eye.
“Not really,” Autumn said. “Come to pay your bail, yes.”
Sunset found herself helped out of her cell. “You didn’t have to, you know. You could have just let me rot.”
“You know I wouldn’t,” Sunset was told. Autumn looked at her sympathetically. “It wasn’t your fault, you know. You did all you could. You…”
Sunset sobbed again. “Yeah, but that still doesn’t change the fact that I…”
“You didn’t kill anyone, you know,” Autumn said and Sunset looked up in shock, her tear-stained eyes widened. “The paramedics got there just in time. Everyone was very lucky, really.”
“Yeah, if you can call getting themselves into a car wreck due to my own stupidity ‘lucky’,” Sunset said and when Autumn started up, Sunset cut her off with a glare. “And don’t try to push all the blame on Lightning. I played a part in all of this as well. I’ve accepted that.”
Autumn said nothing, and next thing Sunset could honestly recall was that she was walking in the front doors of the UCLA Medical Center. Up the elevator she went, and she found herself in a room. Autumn clasped her hand gently, and Sunset looked in. Yeah, there they were. The family she’d sent her.
“...don’t tell me this is just further guilt-tripping,” Sunset growled stepping out of the room.
“It’s not. Trust me on this,” Autumn said gently. “It’s just to show you that-”
“What, that I’m an idiot? Cause trust me, I’ve certainly figured that out!” Sunset hissed out.
“No, it’s to show you that all four of them will recover. It won’t be an easy road to recovery, but in time they’ll…”
“In time, in time…” Sunset muttered. “Of course it’s time. And there will be the therapy bills and the medical bills and Celestia above I don’t know if a middle-class family will be able to pay any of that.”
Her eyes widened. They may not have been able to pay for all those bills, but she certainly could.
“Sunset?” Autumn asked in a concerned tone. “You’ve got that wild look in your eyes. Last time you did… well, that was when…” she trailed off sadly.
“No no, this is different I swear,” Sunset said rapidly. “Don’t you see? They won’t be able to pay for any of that, but I know someone who can. You’re looking at her.”
“Oh Sunset…” Autumn breathed, a sort of… was that pride Sunset saw in her eyes? She wasn’t sure. She hadn’t seen that look in her ex’s eyes in years.
Right, she had a long way to go to reclaim that little look. And while they’d probably never be as close as they once were, they could at least be friends. Sunset needed a friend honestly. A real one.
That family, to their surprise, found a rather sizable fortune transferred into their accounts. Nobody knew where it had come from, although a note left said: “Do with it as you will.”
As for Sunset? She found a different career path. She saw two cars rocket past her, and her gut churned. She still felt that lure, from time to time. But it never quite grabbed her as it once did. She pressed her foot to the floor, and then came the sirens. Yeah, she could still go fast but this time…? It wasn’t to outrun the law. It was to be the law.
From street racer to police officer. Huh, how ‘bout that?
FIN