Crossover Escape: Gotta be more than Lucky to survive

1.4 Unwanted company again

[Ghost: Oh? Company’s here]

Luca intended to respond but his fingers slipped when a car slammed violently into the other side of their vehicle.

“Who dares?” the manger started as he jerked around to look at the cause of the collision. He then made his freshness to the real world apparent as he went ghostly pale and squawked, “Underworld attackers! Get me out of here”

The driver accelerated directly, and Luca braced himself better as he counted the cars around them driven by the faceless masks. [Lucky: They’re blaming the shadows; think he believes it or it’s just a convenient excuse?]

[Tails: Ours are making the same implications. Pretty sure this suit believes it, but as its fake as rainbow gold it’s probably a convenient excuse given to them by someone else.]

[Rӓv: Agreed.]

The vehicle swerved sharply, and Luca forwent further comment as a window came down on one of the cars as the passenger was brought close to the driver’s window. The passenger raised his hand, and the WIC driver swerved the car to the side. The wheel caught on something, and the vehicle careened into a disorganised spin. Swearing softly Luca steadied himself and undid his seatbelt. He looked into the front of the car and paused. The driver had vanished and the car began to lose speed. Without time for further contemplation Luca twisted and launched himself into the front in a feet first twist and slide. Slipping into the driver’s seat he brought the car under control with a final spin before he accelerated hard around the faceless mask vehicle that attempted to block him.

“Anyone see what happened to the driver?” Luca asked as he shifted lane then slid between two cars and around a van so that he was further away from the faceless mask cars.

“No, he was there when we started the spin and then gone.” Rӓv sounded as unhappy about the situation as Luca felt. He’d have been fine if the driver had been injured but there was no sign of blood. Would have been alright if he’d jumped out, but there hadn’t been an opportunity and the door hadn’t opened. Could have accepted it if the driver died but the disappearance all together? That was a problem Luca wasn’t certain he wanted the answer to.

Luca was distantly aware that the manager suit was screaming and cowering in the car. It was somewhat distracting. Thankfully Rӓv had turned the coms on which meant that even over the noise he could still hear. She had to have separated the coms channel out though at some point since Luca couldn’t hear anyone else.

[Rӓv : It’s weird, none of the other vehicles are reacting to what’s happening.] Rӓv scanned the area from window to window as she spoke while Luca slammed on the brakes to avoid the faceless mask car attempting to slam into the nose of his vehicle.

[Lucky: Excellent question. It’s like a damned video game where the traffic patterns are fixed. Not that they don’t make good obstacles, but they are limiting.] Luca eyed the approaching exit ramp and then twisted hard on the steering wheel turning nearly right angled on the highway and weaving through the traffic before yanking the wheel the other way and sliding out onto the exit ramp. Gracefully ignoring the speed signs he shot down the ramp and onto the next road. With some quick turns and twists Luca wound through the back roads before coming onto a relatively empty road that connected back towards the airport drive.

[Rӓv: No sign of any more of them.] Luca frowned harder as the manager puffed up in relief. What on earth? There not doing any serious damage. We certainly didn’t hurt them so what’s with this push and retreat process?

[Tails: Can we get a lift. Our driver vanished and the car got totalled.]

[Ghost: Faceless have no staying power. We in position to play and they leave.]

[Tails: Can you focus, we managed to keep our suit and he says we need to be at the airport in twenty minutes or we won’t be able to participate]

[Rӓv: So this whole thing was a delaying tactic? Can we make that?]

Luca noticed that the manager in their car was still useless not offering any useful information just complaining about the driver disappearing. The weird thing was that the man acted like the driver had left on his own. It was as if he was viewing a different reality to the one Luca and Rӓv had seen. After catching Rӓv’s eye Luca dipped his chin slightly. He could make the airport in time even with stopping to pick the others up if they could get within a reasonable range.

[Rӓv: Lucky says we can make it, we’re coming down South St just went past Westbrook Ave, where are you?]

[Ghost: We can run. Easy just carry suit and go.] Ghost’s tone was far to cheerful and was accompanied by disbelieving squawks.

[Tails: Shut up, I am not running to the airport you crazy man.] Tails voice also came through the coms and Luca realised that Rӓv had removed the separate channels again.

[Tails: We’re almost at the corner of South and Correns we should be able to hail you down.]

[Rӓv: We’ll be looking.]

Luca pushed the pedal down a little harder racing down the road somewhat recklessly by the light traffic. He wondered why there hadn’t been any sign of police yet. They’d driven straight past the front of a police station in fact, but it was similar to the highway as if their situation was invisible.

Two streets ahead Luca spotted the three figures reaching the intersection and then waving at their approaching car. So it wasn’t like the vehicle was miraculously invisible. Luca stopped the car before immediately taking off again when the three piled into the vehicle. Ghost bounced in place a little until Rӓv smacked him. While Tail’s collapsed against his seat, their manager was unconscious. Whether they had knocked him out or he’d passed out on his own Luca didn’t know. Could be either with Ghost, and Tails would have been too focused on the problem to care about the carry-on suit.

[Holly: Are you guys alright?]

[Holly: I mean you have been attacked right?]

[Holly: I was reading that right. It seems like your fine, but please respond]

[Rӓv: We’re fine. Lucky can’t talk right now because he’s driving but none of us are hurt, and we are nearly there.] Luca admired once again how Rӓv switched between talking and messaging when she couldn’t pawn conversation off as normal.

[Holly: Oh good. I’ve been at the hotel on the airport, so it was a quick walk over for me I haven’t seen anyone suspicious. Definitely no one like the video’s you guys sent me. We’re at the private flight terminal.]

With some judicious speeding and selective acknowledgment of road signs and stop lights Luca brought them to a screeching park at the airport with five minutes to spare. Luca and the others bailed out and grabbed their gear heading straight for the private flight terminal. They moved at a quick jog and Luca noticed that the manager suits barely managed to keep up.