Mellowstone National Park
Distance to Manehattan:
2,799 Miles

After a relatively lengthy uneventful drive, the trio crossed over a bridge into the hills of the park with Viral taking point from Dean and Akula. They flew past a Subaru for position and kept going. Ahead were a few more compacts, but while Dean and Akula made stellar progress Viral's Camaro was struggling through the bends.

She caught up a little on a straight road, and ahead a Lotus pulled onto a mining road. Dean and Akula followed and Viral, sighing, refused to follow and stayed on the twisty road that her car could handle.

It was a massive shortcut, and after pulling back onto the main road the M3 and Porsche rocketed by the remaining sports car ahead of them, Viral eventually catching it.

"You guys are insane." She stated matter of factly.

"You gotta do insane things to succeed Viral, if we don't take risks we'll be at risk of failing."

"Fine, but we need to keep pace through the hills. We can't lose any time here or we'll fall like rocks. Pedal to the floor boys, we've got to pick up some time...me especially."

While the Camaro wasn't exactly the smoothest car in the corners, Viral was no stranger to its habits.

"Okay, gotta pick up some time."

She got into form, putting the hoof down and weaving through the valley. There was some difficult road ahead, but it was a chance to pull back on her companions if she could get it right.

She came up fast on a hard right corner, slamming down into fourth and kicking the rear of the Camaro out, as she came into a tunnel she was making good time.

Exiting the tunnel she was met with a quick left and another winding right. Again, using the rear wheel drive and sheer power of the ZL1, she slid around the corner whilst doing her best to not oversteer or spin out.

The road ahead curved through the valley like a snake, but rather than follow the paved path she cut through the bends to shave Amy time she could. Once back onto a relatively straight piece of road it kinked left over a bridge.

The time she was making on her group was good, but with how much faster their cars were in the bends she would need something drastic. Ahead was an offshoot road that diverged from the main highway.

It was the only option, she needed to catch up now. The Camaro responded to the sudden terrain change as she expected, the bumps in the gravel doing a number on her flank.

Gritting her teeth, and taking some air over a crest, she was just barely on pace to catch up now. It was a long road ahead before she would return to the highway, but if she kept up the speed she would merge in the vicinity of Dean and Akula.

"Viral, you've been awfully quiet." Akula said as the Camaro dipped into a pothole sized bump.

"Just trying to focus."

"You alright?" Dean inquired.

"Fine, watch out on your left up the road."

"Did you take the hiking trail on the west side?"

"Yes."

"Shit V, that road is meant for trucks. You're gonna have a hell of a time handling that."

"Gotta take risks or risk getting left behind."

She blew past the campgrounds stationed for the hikers present in the park, luckily no ponies were present at that time of year. With subtle inputs, she managed to coax her Camaro into a relatively stable ride as she flew under the campground sign.

"Head's up on your left boys!"

The highway merged over from the right of the pathway, Viral pulled onto it right in between the Porsche and BMW with a loud screech from her tires drifting onto the pavement.

"Nice to have you back with us."

"I'm never gone for a long time mate. Not a moment too soon, our first stop is just up the road. Coming up on your right Dean."

The two pegasi swapped the lead, Viral now pointing them in their intended direction. It wasn't long before she spotted what she was looking for. A stupidly convenient location for a gas station, and in the parking area sat three undisturbed cars for three fast equines.

The three of them merged into the area, stopping abruptly.

"Are you for real right now? A petrol station? Viral, this isn't a family vacation."

"While you are correct on that observation Dean, thanks to a close friend of ours, these stations can be the perfect place to stop, swap, and stay for as long as we need to catch our breaths."

"And who exactly is this friend that you pulled into this?"

"The only pony I trust as much as I trust the both of you."

As they swung around, they got a better look at the three cars waiting for them. A Black/White Corvette Z06, a Dark Crimson Nissan GT-R, and a Maroon Aston Martin V12 Vantage. However, inside one of the cars a pony was waiting.

Out of the GT-R stepped a white unicorn mare, whom the three were well familiar with.

"Neon Shock, wanted to make this one personal?"

"I'm just here to make sure this shit is legit Viral, can't have you using my connections for another one of your eccentric movie stunts."

"It's not a movie stunt Neon, but I'm glad You're on board."

"Mhm, I figured I'd take the trip from Cloverland just to make sure you weren't pulling my strings. But, looks like you've really gotten yourself into some shit then. Alright, I'll make sure the cars are taken care of. From now on, whatever you take will be ready to go when you arrive...and I'll make sure whatever you arrive in is taken away. No traces."

"That seems oddly suspicious." Dean noted with a puzzled expression.

"Neon's got some connections even I don't know about, but at least this way we'll have rides for the journey."

"I'm not even taking a cut, not like I need the bits anyway." It was at that moment that 6 cars flew by the rest stop. "You should bet going though Sheila, You're burning time right now."

"You heard the mare, let's get going before we fall behind."

The pale unicorn stepped out of the way as the trio piled into their new rides. Viral was on her way out first, Akula and Dean following.

It took some time for them to catch up with the cars that had overtaken them whilst they took a breath, but the Aston, Nissan, and Corvette were an easy match for the Mustang's and JDM's in front of them.

It didn't take long before they saw the open road again. Viral was much happier with the GT-R, it had a much better response to the corners. That trait was very useful for the bends that led them up the mountain.

Two such bends presented themselves in front of the trio, but the traction of the GT-R provided an easy way up the hill whilst the Corvette and Vantage took some time to bite in. This allowed the pegasus to pull away slightly.

She was the first through the tunnel, Akula soon following with Dean. Though they were unaware of a fourth car, one much more powerful than any of the new toys they had.

A Pagani Zonda flew up to and NY both the Corvette and Vantage, disrupting a civilian commuter in the process. Akula had weave out of the way of the car as the Pagani flew past.

"Fuck, Dean we need to keep up with that Pagani."

"You expect us to keep up with that?"

"Viral is ahead, we should be keeping up anyway."

"Akula I recognize that Pagani, and if I'm right the pony driving it is nothing but trouble."

"You two alright back there?" Viral inquired, having started to fight through some slower racers ahead.

"Yeah, watch your mirrors V. Fast company on the way."

"I can handle it."

Dean and Akula made an attempt to follow the Zonda through the hills. It quickly began to catch up with the traffic Viral had recently passed. Both Dean and Akula did their hardest to keep up with it, despite its massive advantage in outright speed. Luckily the cars they were up against at that moment had no right being this high up the board.

The two split overtakes on either side of a Ford Focus as they passed under a waterfall.

"Hey guys, would this Zonda behind me be the fast company you were talking about?" Viral asked, confirming a suspicion.

"Yeah, don't let it get too far ahead."

"It won't be getting by me."

They passed by a Firebird and an Impreza on their way to catching up with Viral. Up ahead Viral was doing a good job of making it difficult to pass.

Though it seemed this only angered the driver of the Zonda. Coming up to the edge of the mountain, the Pagani sped up suddenly, hitting the Nissan and lifting up its rear. Viral caught it the first time, but the Pagani hit her again, this time causing her to spin into the run-off with a 360.

She gathered up the car and continued on.

"Son of a bitch!"

"You alright V?"

"Fine, just pissed off."

"The turns down here are sharp as knives, you should have no problem catching up. We'll worry about dealing with that driver when it becomes a problem."

"That may be sooner than we would like." Dean remarked.

Viral gathered the car up and took off down the mountain. As she got back up to speed an MX-5 passed her. She scoffed at the tiny sports car as she blew past it into the first hairpin.

The back road down the mountain cut through like a snowboard slope. Weaving back and forth as it descended down into the valley. She made a lot of use of the GT-R's advanced traction control going through the corners.

And that's all it was, tight hairpin turns one after the other. As she rounded one she spotted an Impreza making the bends. She didn't take long before she snuck up the inside of the sports hatchback and passed.

There was a healthy straight bit of road, so she got a short breath before more hairpins came. The road was a snake, and up ahead was another caught in its grasp. This time a Lancer.

It cut across lanes into an observatory post, but the GT-R had no problem following it. Once she was past, the road opened up for her.

"I'm at the bottom of the mountain. What about you guys?"

"Merging into the 190 now, Las Pegasus isn't very far."

"How are we doing?"

"170 through 172. We've got to pick up the pace. The desert should be wide open for most of the way there. We can still make it there on track, hammer down."

D. Akula

170

D. Dean

171

V. Velocity

172