Chapter 8: Driving underage

The car was blue.

Luna liked blue.

"..."

"...Imma take this."

Lulith blinked.

"...Princess..."

"I don't believe this vehicle belongs to—"

Luna pulled on the driver's door.

It was locked.

"..."

She frowned.

"Open or else I'll have your whole race slaughtered."

The car called Lunas bluff and didn't open, or it just stayed locked as cars usually don't care for threats as they are fearless machines.

Stefan floated forward.

Pop.

The door fell off.

Luna nodded approvingly.

"...I knew you were a coward."

She climbed into the driver's seat.

Looked around.

There were...

Far too many buttons.

"..."

"...hmmm...I wonder what this does?"

Lulith carefully entered the back seat.

Luna decided to click some random buttons and aggressively twist the gear stick...

...And so the car floated upwards as it is common knowledge cars and planes are close cousins.

The car suddenly dropped back on the road and bounced a little...Luna enjoyed this, Lilith on the other hand was vigorously looking around as she has never seen a car fly without the use of magic.

"...Princess..."

"...Can you actually drive?"

Luna looked offended.

"..."

"...I've seen one before."

"...Once."

"...From outside, honestly really chill."

Lulith's eye twitched.

"...That..."

"...doesn't answer the question."

Luna grabbed the steering wheel.

"..."

"...I think this is the driving circle."

Stefan floated into the passenger seat.

He immediately reached for the seatbelt.

Click.

He gave Luna a thumbs up.

Then saluted.

Luna smiled proudly.

"...Thank you, Stefan, at least you trust in my genius."

Lulith looked between them.

"..."

"...Why is a child driving anyway?"

Stefan slowly turned his head.

He stared at her.

No expression.

Just...

The mustache.

Lulith suddenly felt a primal fear, the kind of fear God would put in you.

"..."

"..."

"...I apologize."

She quietly reached for her own seatbelt.

Click.

Stefan nodded once.

Then saluted again.

"...Alright."

Luna cracked her knuckles.

"...Let's commence driving."

"...Princess..."

"...You don't know how to—"

Luna pressed a random pedal.

The engine screamed.

The car launched forward.

"...AAAAAAAAAA—"

Lulith was thrown into the back seat.

Stefan clapped enthusiastically.

"THIS IS AMAZING!"

Luna laughed.

"This is even faster than the lizard back home!!"

It in fact was not faster than the 'lizard' back home.

They shot out into traffic.

Cars swerved.

Horns blared.

A taxi barely avoided them.

A delivery truck wasn't so lucky.

CRUNCH.

It spun onto the pavement before exploding, and it just so happens the truck was filled with terrorists...well...not anymore.

"..."

"...Oops."

Luna continued driving.

"He'll walk it off."

Another car appeared beside them.

Luna looked over.

"...Hello."

The driver screamed.

She accidentally turned the steering wheel.

BANG!

The poor man's vehicle bounced across three lanes before landing in a flowerbed.

"..."

"...Hope he's not allergic."

Lulith gripped the seat so hard the leather began tearing.

"...Princess..."

"...Eyes."

"...On."

"...The road."

"Oh."

Luna nodded.

"...Good idea, it truly was a good choice to take you along."

She looked at the road.

For approximately...

Three seconds.

"...Stefan."

The bubble saluted.

"...Am I doing well?"

Stefan gave two enthusiastic thumbs up.

Then saluted again.

Luna beamed.

"I knew it."

"I'm naturally the worlds greatest genius."

Lulith stared at Stefan.

"..."

"...You're encouraging her?"

Stefan slowly turned toward Lulith.

He narrowed his imaginary eyes.

The moustache started to emit killing intent.

Lulith swallowed.

"..."

"..."

"...I-Incredible driving, Master."

Stefan nodded with approval.

Then saluted.

Luna smiled proudly.

"See?"

"Everyone agrees."

She spotted a button.

"..."

"...What's this?"

Click.

Music filled the car.

A cheerful jazz tune.

Luna gasped.

"..."

"...THE CAR SINGS!"

She immediately let go of the steering wheel.

Started dancing.

Her shoulders bounced.

She clapped along with the music.

"YEEHAW"

The steering wheel turned by itself.

Mostly because the road wasn't straight due to poor infrastructure management.

The car drifted gently toward the edge of the highway.

Lulith slowly looked out the window.

"..."

"...Princess?"

"Hm?"

"...Road."

"What about it?"

"..."

"...We're no longer on it."

Luna looked outside.

"..."

"...Oh well."

The car drove straight up a grassy hill.

Silence.

Then...

It left the ground.

"..."

"...We're flying."

Luna sounded impressed.

The car rolled sideways.

Once.

Twice.

Lulith closed her eyes.

"..."

"...I don't believe in God..."

"..."

"...But if You're listening..."

BOOM!

The car landed perfectly back on the road.

Still moving.

Still somehow facing the correct direction.

Luna blinked.

"..."

"...I meant to do that."

Stefan was applauding.

His respect for Luna had increased dramatically.

Far ahead...

A black limousine rolled smoothly across a suspension bridge.

A flag fluttered from its hood.

Two crossed wands.

A mountain.

Lulith's pupils narrowed.

"..."

"...The Nameless Mountain Coven...?"

Inside the limousine...

Everything smelled expensive.

Gold trim decorated the ceiling.

Crystal glasses rested on polished ebony tables.

Soft classical music drifted through hidden speakers.

Three stunning women sat around an enormously fat man dressed in an immaculate white suit.

One fed him grapes.

Another poured champagne.

The third seductively massaged the man...

There was a small bottle sat on top of the table.

The bottle sitting on the table had an enormous golden label.

"$10,000,000,000."

The fat man took another sip.

"...Marvelous."

Across from him sat an elderly police superintendent.

Grey hair.

Perfectly pressed uniform.

Dozens of medals.

He adjusted his glasses.

"...The weapons shipment arrives tomorrow."

The fat man chuckled.

"And Westwood?"

The superintendent smiled.

"...Still poor."

"...Excellent."

The fat man raised his glass.

"If people are desperate..."

"...they'll buy anything."

The superintendent laughed.

"...Even their own lives."

The two clinked glasses together.

Outside...

The flag of the Nameless Mountain Coven fluttered proudly.

Meanwhile...

Luna was looking backwards and trying to steer with her feet.

The steering wheel spun wildly beneath her.

The car drifted between lanes.

Lulith had completely accepted death.

"..."

"...This is how I die..."

"...I never even went on a single date..."

"...I've been so preoccupied with getting stronger I couldn't even touch a single man..."

Stefan nodded proudly, as he thought a woman like Lulith isn't much in the first place.

Luna spun once.

Twice.

Her foot...

Accidentally...

Pressed the accelerator all the way down.

The engine screamed.

The car launched forward like a missile.

The limousine driver looked into his mirror.

"..."

"...Sir."

"I believe we're being overtaken."

The fat man sighed.

"...Then don't let them, make them crash haha."

"...Yes, sir."

Unfortunately...

Luna wasn't trying to overtake anyone.

She wasn't trying to do anything.

She was trying to do a handstand on the steering wheel.

"...Princess..."

Lulith whispered weakly.

"...You're heading directly toward..."

Luna twirled.

"...Toward what?"

"..."

"...The limousine."

"Oh."

She looked ahead.

"..."

"...Long car!"

She waved through the windshield.

BOOOOOOM!!

The front of Luna's car slammed directly into the limousine.

The impact lifted the enormous vehicle completely off the bridge.

For one magnificent moment...

The limousine floated gracefully through the air.

The fat man looked calmly out the window.

"..."

"...I believe..."

"...this is unfortunate.."

The limousine disappeared over the side of the bridge.

Silence.

Three seconds later...

Far below...

It landed squarely inside an enormous oil refinery.

Another second passed.

Nothing happened.

The fat man blinked.

"..."

"...Perhaps we're fi—"

KABOOOOOOOOOOM!!

A pillar of fire erupted into the heavens.

The refinery exploded.

Fuel tanks ignited one after another.

Shockwaves rolled across the region

The bridge shook violently.

Windows shattered for miles.

A mushroom cloud climbed into the sky.

Luna gasped.

Her eyes sparkled.

"..."

"...Fireworks!"

She clapped excitedly.

"I knew Earth was fun!"

Stefan applauded enthusiastically.

Lulith stared out the rear window.

The burning remains of the refinery slowly disappeared into the distance.

She quietly looked toward the small flag that had been torn free during the explosion.

The mountain.

The crossed wands.

"..."

She whispered to herself.

"...Those were the banners..."

"...of the Nameless Mountain Coven..."

A pause.

"..."

"...Was..."

"...that Lady Marticia's father's limousine...?"

Silence.

She slowly turned toward Luna.

Still dancing.

Still smiling.

Completely oblivious.

Lulith swallowed.

"..."

"...She eliminated his entire bloodline..."

"...to warn me..."

She nodded slowly.

"..."

"...Terrifying."

Luna on the other didn't even do that much.

She decided...

Not to ask.

Ever.

Several minutes later...

The road changed.

Smooth asphalt became cracked concrete.

Streetlights leaned awkwardly.

Potholes became more common than road.

Graffiti covered abandoned buildings.

The sky itself somehow looked darker.

Luna slowed down.

"..."

"...The road's like Swiss Cheese."

Luna likes Swiss Cheese as she was allowed to have it once a year when she was in the mental facility on the one day the director didn't embezzle funds.

Ahead...

A rusty sign leaned sideways.

Its paint had almost completely peeled away.

Several bullet holes decorated the middle.

It read:

WELCOME TO WESTWOOD CITY

Luna read it aloud.

"...Westwood."

She smiled.

"...We must be in the west then."

...To this day scholars and scientists cannot explain her boundless genius.

The city...

...Wasn't very friendly.

Factories belched black smoke.

Windows were boarded shut.

Rust covered everything.

People hurried through the streets with their heads down.

Some teens carried guns so many 70% of their weight was gun and were walking an alligator.

Nobody smiled.

Nobody laughed.

Even the stray dogs looked exhausted.

"..."

Luna frowned.

"..."

"...This must be the city from my past life."

It wasn't, but it was close enough, even in a world full of magic Earth is nothing more than a sad world with a mask to cover the imperfections.

She became distracted watching a pigeon steal someone's sandwich and kick the person in the face just to humiliate them.

The steering wheel turned.

The car drifted.

Lulith looked ahead.

"...Princess?"

"...Hmm?"

"..."

"...Building."

"What building?"

"..."

"...The orphanage."

Luna looked up.

"..."

"...Oh."

CRAAAAASH!!

The car drove straight through the front wall.

Bricks exploded everywhere.

Dust filled the air.

Silence.

Luna blinked.

"..."

"...I mean...who are they gonna tell?...."

"...Their parents? HAHA!"

She slowly put the car into reverse.

The vehicle rolled backwards...

Leaving a perfectly car-shaped hole in the orphanage.

Nothing happened.

Then...

Children began pouring out.

One.

Five.

Ten.

Twenty.

Dozens.

They cheered as they ran into the street.

"I'm free!"

"Thank you!"

"We're finally out!"

One little girl hugged the side of the car before sprinting away laughing.

Another boy shouted,

"Best day ever!"

Within moments...

They had vanished into the city.

Finally...

One last child walked through the dust.

He couldn't have been older than Ten.

Crimson hair.

Tattered clothes.

Bruises covered his arms.

He looked directly at Luna.

For a long moment...

Neither spoke.

Then...

He bowed.

"I won't forget this."

His voice was quiet.

"But one day..."

"I'll repay this debt."

Before Luna could answer...

He turned.

And disappeared into the maze of dark streets.

Luna watched him leave.

"..."

"...Nice boy, a shame I couldn't capture him."

She looked back at the orphanage.

Or...

What remained of it.

She tilted her head.

"..."

"...I didn't know buildings gave birth to children though."

Stefan saluted.

Lulith closed her eyes.

"..."

"...I'm beginning to believe..."

"...so God if you're listening, I beg you to just smite me."