Tell me about Jack Keagan

Chapter 8

Jack sat in the driver's seat of her Audi, Tony huffily seated at the back of a car that he owned while Sam relaxed in his rightful throne in the front. It was the day of her driving test, and she knew she was going to ace it, but Jack wanted to have some fun before Tony stopped having to be with her. They were sitting at the start of a military airfield Colonel James Rhodes had cleared for them for fifteen minutes, supervising in the flight tower to their far left. Her iPod played the Danger Days album and she waited until Doctor Death Defying started telling her the future was bulletproof and the aftermath secondary before she started to rev, taking off in a cloud of burning smoke. Tony was thankful he had a glass of scotch in his hand, or he knew it would kill him.

Sam felt his heart in his throat as she did the fastest gear-changes he had seen in civilian cars, feeling her double-clutching to combat the sluggishness the car was showing at growing speed.

"You know, I regret showing you The Fast and The Furious." He admitted as he gripped the handbrake between them. Jack laughed.

"Ask any racer. Any real racer. It don't matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning's winning." She quoted, watching the tachometer reach red again. "Remind me again why my first car doesn't have nitrous oxide?" She asked Tony, changing gears again while he glared at her through the rear-view mirror.

"Because you're a goddamn hazard, Daniels." He replied, trying to hide the fact that he was enjoying himself just a tiny bit. As they reached the corner, she turned the wheel slightly, making the Audi do a shaky drift until she put it back on the right path, slowing down and shifting gears back.

"This shit will turn me white." Sam commented, making Tony chortle into his glass. They coasted more gently down the second runway, Jack completely in her element.

"You know what? If you can get to 88 miles, get into a tailspin and then get yourself out, you can drive the Tesla." Tony challenged, prompting Sam to shake his head.

"Okay, and I get to go on a flight in a suit."

"You bargain hard, but okay."

Sam looked at them both.

"Are you crazy? Let me out. I ain't dyin' over a bet you two masochists have!" he announced, prompting Jack to stop at the start of the long stretch where they had begun, Sam getting out and walking away mumbling to himself while Tony got in the front, emptying his glass first just in case. He sat down and put his seatbelt on, bracing himself.

"Why do you trust me so much, Stark?"

"Because Dorothy Adler had her licence, and I love living in fear. Keeps my blood pumping." He sniffed, burying himself in the seat. Focussing, she took off with a grunt in the motor, building up to 88 mph quicker than expected. She stabilised the speed and swerved, knocking the car into a cloud of donuts. With muscle memory, she corrected the turn and stayed on it until she was back on track, slowing down. Beside her, Tony Stark sat in complete silence, eyes wide under his purple-tinted sunglasses.

"Jesus Christ. You did it." He groaned, much to Jack's delight. She turned the corner normally and retreated to where Sam was standing, shaking his head. Jack slowed down and came to a rolling stop as Rhodey came out of the tower, unamused. Now he had tyre marks to lie about. Jack turned the car off and got out, laughing as a genuinely shocked Tony stumbled his way out of the car.

"Wilson, you'll have to drive her to her test. I need to go and have my heart re-started."

"Get in the passenger seat and I swear to god if you try me, I will throw you out the window." Sam threatened, walking over to the car and getting in. They had ten minutes to get to the DMV, and Sam didn't think he could take any more than that before he lost his mind.