Asphalt Knight (Legacy Version)

Session Twenty Nine: Goliath

Michael awoke to find the spare tire had been fitted to the derelict Foxbody. He found Amelia pacing about the car, her hair in a ponytail, a Michael's jacket tied around her waist as if it was her own.

"Oh! Thank god you're ok! I changed the tire for yeh... but are yeh ok?"

"I'm fine. Let's get everyone home."

"Can I ride with yoo? I just want to be here in case the ol ford yeh noo... dies."

"I guess so."

"Great."

Nick took an AutoCab home, and Michelle had already left as soon as he woke up. Michael debated asking Amelia to drive, as he was so exhausted, but decided against it. Michael unlocked the car and sat inside, while Amelia immediately strapped herself in the passenger seat.

Michael put the key in the ignition, and... the engine coughed and barely turned over.

"Come on you old piece of shit!" Michael grumbled under his breath.

"Oi! Be gentle with 'er!" Amelia scolded.

Michael tried again, pumping the gas this time, but the car refused to start.

"Dammit. It's no use. It won't start!" Michael shouted angrily, and stepped out of the car.

Michael noticed a crowd of spectators had surrounded the car.

"She won't start huh?" A younger man in an AMG T-shirt on jeans said, "Come on guys! Give em a push!"

Immediately several members of the crowd moved to the back of the car, and Michael sat back in the front seat.

Michael tried starting the car again, letting the clutch in. The crowd began to push and the car began to pick up momentum, and he tried the ignition again... and the Mustang coughed to life.

The spectators burst into cheers and high fives and Michael gave them the thumbs up out of the doorway and slammed the door shut... shattering the drivers side window.

"Oh shit!" Michael grumbled. Amelia cringed at the sight.

"Poor car..."

Michael sighed. She would never return his feelings. He gingerly hit the gas, carefully shifting up through the gears and watching the warped projection of the GPS on the cracked windshield to where Amelia lived.

They drove mostly in silence, Amelia eventually falling asleep despite the wind noise from the open driver's side window. The streets were mostly empty, save for the occasional AutoCab. Michael didn't dare drive too fast. It occurred to him that he had never pushed the car that hard before. Evelyn was right. He needed to stop being afraid of making a mistake, and give everything to the car. But now was not the time.

By the time Michael arrived in Fortuna, it was nearly 1 AM. Amelia was fast asleep. He gently tapped her on the shoulder to wake her.

"Hey... we're home."

"Wha- oh... did everything go ok."

"Everything's fine."

"Well, *yawn*... I guess this is goodbye then? Until tomorrow?"

"Until tomorrow then."

She leaned in and gave Michael a soft kiss of the cheek.

"Bye, love."

Amelia stepped out of the car, and walked down her driveway towards the house. She looked back at Michael, almost longingly for a second, but then continued to the door and went inside. Michael sighed and put the Mustang in gear, and drove home in silence, carefully nursing the Foxbody across the now silent and nearly empty city.