It was unusually quiet this night, far too quiet for Lightning. This time of night normally would be full of races for her to build even more of a name for herself. Tonight there was nothing. Only midnight hour traffic littered the streets, and that was pointless to even speed by. Lightning's cruising speed was above the speed limit anyway.

She had kept telling herself to look and look, hoping there was something she could commit to doing. She may have continued driving for hours until the sun came up if she felt like doing so but she was just burning gas in the Porsche. So, after no luck anywhere she departed from Bayview Park and began heading south.

She breezed past the barren streets of Eden Shores, heading back for the garage to rest and look for things to do in the morning. As she passed by a gas station, a Chevy Corvette Pursuit vehicle pulled out to follow her. It did not speed up to her, nor flash it's lights. Rather, it snuck up to the Silver 911 GT2. By the time Lightning had glanced in her mirror to find the unsuspected pursuer it had already flashed the Porsche with an experimental EMP. Lightning was initially disoriented and to her dismay the entire system shut down on the car as the Electro Magnetic Pulse fried the dash.

The Corvette pulled alongside, but as it parked the 911 GT2 seemingly re-fired. Lightning pulled away without a moments hesitation, and began racing away from the scene. The Corvette gave chase, calling on some more to back it up.

Lightning blasted through the south tunnel, and began heading for the large suspension bridge. Her Porsche easily outran the unmodified Corvette Pursuit vehicle and she ducked low around a manufacturing building on the other side of the bridge.

It was a close call, but now she needed to find a place to hide for the night. The garage was a no go, the cops were between her and it. She pondered her options for some time, but eventually an answer presented itself. It was a stretch, but she gave a chance at getting Carbon Shadow to come. but, she didn't want to risk blowing his cover so instead she called Copper.

"Lightning?"

"I didn't think you'd answer."

"I didn't think you'd fucking call me, let alone this time of day."

"Look, can you put that to the side. I've got shit going down. I just got tagged by an officer who somehow electrically shut down my fucking car. I was lucky it fired quickly enough for me to bust out of there."

"Electrically? Oh fucking hell they've started using it already?"

"Using what?"

Copper sighed heavily.

"That EMP they had me working on, it's a remote fired pulse that was supposed to be used as a sort of...off switch. Fry the electrical systems rendering the car unable to properly operate. Of course they got some pony else to work on it. Where are you at?"

"I'm just south of the suspension bridge, down by the industrial district."

"Okay, I'm sending you the location of the shop Carbon hooked me up with. I need to look over your car, see if anything is permanently damaged. If your car re-fired they obviously still have some things they need to work out but there is likely some lasting effects."

It did not take long for Lightning to find the place, not too far off a bridge that was under construction along the eastern seaboard of Wing City. Lightning Parked right alongside the black Huracan inside, but didn't step out until she saw Copper who already had some tools in her magic. Not long before Lightning stepped out of the Porsche the unicorn got to work looking at the electricals of the 911.

"Celestia's crotch Lightning, where the fuck do you get parts like these? V12?! Those don't even fucking fit in these cars!"

"Don't look at me, I didn't build this."

"Then who in Tartarus did?"

"Vitality."

Copper immediately stopped working and broke into a fit of laughter that confused Lightning as much as it concerned her.

"That fucking ghost? Yeah sure, I checked your record Lightning. Your history in racing is only a couple weeks old, and there is no way you talk with her. Vitality has been on the run for so long she's considered a ghost to the WCPD. She shows up, races for maybe a day, then drops off the face of the map, and you expect me to believe you own one of her cars?"

"Oh she's a real pony Copper" Carbon surprised the pair. "Did no pony tell you about Perfect Shift?"

"Oh shut up about that Carbon, I'm a discharged officer and a mechanic not some know it all street racer."

Carbon didn't even retaliate to her rant, rather turned his attention to Lightning.

"I'm surprised you're even here, I would have thought you'd be up at the quarry by now."

"Why?"

"Your telling me you didn't get the message? Rogue did, and your name was on the list too."

This took Lightning by surprise, and she reached for her tablet that she had left in the Porsche. She had left it in for far too long, the battery was dead. Lightning deadpanned at her own stupidity, before slapping herself with a face hoof.

"Yeah, Vitality has a sort of...invitational going on. It's up at the quarry, and it will be starting soon. You might want to head up there soon before you miss it."

"Yeah, thanks. Are you almost done Copper?"

"The systems seem to be functioning normally, no long term damage to the components...seems like everything is in order. Count your lucky stars I'm not working on that thing or they'd have it done by now."

Lightning got back in the seat of her car.

"Be careful around Rogue today, he intends on creating a spotlight around himself. Whether or not it's a good one I've yet to figure out, but be ready for anything."

And with that Lightning blasted out Northwest for the quarry at the northernmost part of Wing City. It was mostly abandoned having been mined dry of all the resources it had once been home to. However, off-road races and the occasional drift showcase often happened in it's abandoned dirt trails. What Lightning was expecting she didn't know, but if it was an invitational that likely meant something big. She made haste, cutting several hairpin corners to make sure she made it on time. Her arrival at the quarry was met by a few other cars and she slide to a hasty stop alongside another car.

A black and red Dodge Viper ACR.

Lightning steeled herself for a talk that never came, for it seemed many ponies had their eyes on a different car. Or rather a hauler, that was beginning to unload a car. As the door flopped down it revealed a Chrome Coated Red Ferrari 488 Pista. As the door became a ramp for it to drive off of onto the concrete, and it pulled a 180 right in front of her Porsche. Lightning got her first good view of the license. "VITALITY"

The Ferrari in question pulled away quickly onto the main road, taking position in the center. It was followed by several other cars, including Rogue's Viper. It soon became apparent to Lightning what was going on and she found a spot at the end of the grid, but Vitality wasn't quite ready. She pulled a 180, and drove down the line of cars behind her, and they in turn began moving a spot up as she did. The racer then swung the car around one last time to line up at the back right alongside Lightning's Porsche.

The field was big, 24 cars of varying makes, models, and designs. Whatever this was it had big implications, and the fact that the head mare herself was in it made the stakes seem that much higher.

Rogue in turn was a decent length ahead of them 13th on the grid. Lightning did not expect to win this race at all being so far behind, but it didn't mean she wasn't going to try. They had a large crowd on the scene, but Lightning had a bad feeling about everything. The Corvette that had caught her off guard earlier. Surely they knew something this large was taking place. But, the time to worry was not then, the race was starting.

3...2...1...

Lightning got a perfect launch, but the Ferrari next her blazed a trail of nitrous right from the start and rocketed to the front. After a small kink right, the pack jostled for position on the road heading south. several cars traded paint as they did so with Lightning cutting her Porsche in between two Lamborghini's a Murcielago and Reventon.

An Aston Martin Vulcan was forced off into the grass and fell down the order, and up ahead was a very wide semi circle right turn. Near the front, a Pagani Zonda got hard on the brakes and sent a ripple effect down the order but both Lightning and Vitality were able to react quickly enough to avoid the brake checking and soar up the order. The Ferrari was very quick in a straight line, even pulling away from the Porsche.

Lightning used a bit of her own nitrous as they continued past Fort Callahan, but Lightning's police scanner picked up some radio chatter. Sure enough, a squad of the Corvette's came from the west leaving the fort. They intercepted the lead group of cars just ahead of where Lightning was, the first discharging and EMP on a Mclaren 12C. The game was on, but not many wanted to play.

Several car behind them bailed, taking alternative roads or backtracking entirely while the cars in the lead were hauled in by the Corvette's.

It left Rogue and Lightning the lone rivals to chase the Ferrari through Frontera Hills and into Port Murphy. By now, the pursuers has turned their attention to the three remaining racers. A Helicopter had also been called in, but had been critically low on fuel. One Corvette took it's first shot on Vitality, hitting the Ferrari with an EMP. Though the lights of the car initially flashed, the car kept going much the surprise of all the cars around it. But, it made sense to Lightning. Her Porsche had also survived the EMP, so it could be that Vitality's cars had some defense for it.

Rogue did not, and when a second Corvette lined up he brake checked it. Smashing in the radiator of the pursuit vehicle and disabling it soon after. He peeled off into an alternate road as the chopper began to flee to refuel. The two remaining vehicles seized an opportunity and dove into the dockyard to shake off the remaining cars.

They came out the other side, the Ferrari just ahead of the Porsche. Suddenly Rogue reappeared, giving the Ferrari a harsh bump onto the curb. Vitality did not take this lying down and began rubbing her car with the Viper. This gave Lightning a chance to level the field, and she pulled up along the other side of Rogue and forced her Porsche against him to box him in.

Seemingly outmuscled, he slammed the brakes causing both cars on either side to inadvertently hit each other and skid to a stop. By the time both drivers regained their composure he had begun to flee north with his tail tucked under.

For the first time, Lightning had gotten the better of him at his own game. But she didn't get to admire the victory for long. Her phone was ringing.

"Hello"

"You impress me kid, you didn't crack under pressure. Takes a lot of guts to face odds like that. Glad to have you in the series. I'll be in touch."

With that, the Ferrari pulled away to shaked off heat, Vitality once again becoming a ghost in the night. Lightning also took her leave, having made an impression on the boss. She was going places, but she knew it wasn't going to get any easier.

Author's Note

It's back! and it's heating up, but Rogue won't take too kindly to being roughed up.