REMEDY

11: Road Trip

-P I P E R-

The five had been driving for a while, before thankfully coming to a stop at a blocked tunnel. Piper couldn't bare sitting in the car for another second, not only because she was driving, but also because she could feel Jade looking at her from the seat behind her. Occasionally, Piper would catch a glimpse in the rear-view mirror of Jade's brown eyes staring into hers. Of course, Piper looked away quickly, before almost crashing the vehicle every time.

Newt explained, "I don't wanna come across as too negative, but if I was a Crank, that's exactly where I would be."

"I don't think we have much of a choice." Thomas replied, as he stared confusedly into Jade's map. He asked curiously, "Where is this tunnel on the map?"

"Right there. That long line." Jade pointed to a scribble that certainly did not look like a tunnel, "There's no other way to get through."

"Alright, I get shotgun." Newt sighed, before walking back to the car.

Piper sat in the driver's seat, Jade leaning through the front two seats to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. However, Piper found it the least reassuring, and her face flushed a shade of pink. Jade exclaimed, "No pressure, Pipes. Just... go slow."

Newt shone a torch through his window, catching a glimpse of the abandoned cars that Piper had to dodge as she drove through.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Thomas pointed up ahead, causing Piper to stop driving. One Crank stood in the distance, its head drooped as drool dribbled from its mouth. It gagged on its own spit, making a horrible screeching nose, causing Piper to look at her friends in doubt.

"It's okay." Jade reassured doubtfully, "It's just one."

"Just go around him." Thomas added, "Take it slow."

Newt rolled up his window slowly, before something banged on Frypan's window desperately. A young woman, her pupils dilated and her skin crawling with black veins. She pleaded, "Please. Help me. Please! Help me!"

Suddenly, every window was blocked by a Crank, banging and head butting the windows desperately. Piper's eyes widened in fear, before slamming her foot down on the accelerator. However, one Crank had climbed on top of the bonnet, punching the front window so hard it began to crack.

"Come on, Pipes, shake him!" Thomas insisted from the back seats, as Piper swerved in and out of cars to try and throw the Crank off.

"I'm trying. I can't!" Piper yelled in frustration, before putting on the windscreen wipers as her last resort. However, the Crank ripped off the wipers ferociously, leaving the five speechless.

Frypan scoffed sarcastically, "Did you think windscreen wipers was gonna gently brush him off?"

"Do you have a better idea?" Piper retorted.

"Yeah, go faster!" Jade panicked, "You're so slow-"

"Oh, shit!" Newt gasped, as the Crank climbed around the car and was now punching Newt's window.

"Swerve!" Jade insisted.

"Hold on!" Piper changed gears before flooring it, swerving the car towards an abandoned truck, causing the crank to be thrown to the floor by crashing into it. Piper turned to Fry, Thomas, and Jade who were sat behind her, "How's that for slow-"

"Pipes, look out!" Newt shouted, reaching to grab the steering wheel and swerve it around another truck, though their vehicle lost balance and crashed onto the floor, rolling upside down.

Thomas was the first one to kick open his side door, rolling onto the floor and stumbling to stand up. First, he helped Jade out carefully, followed by Fry. Piper tried to kick open the door repeatedly, as Jade tugged on the door until it finally opened. Piper and Newt rolled out of the door, as Jade helped the girl to her feet.

"You okay, Piper?" Jade questioned, as Thomas helped Newt to stand up.

"Yeah." Piper replied quickly. Despite her aching body, the girl was more distracted by Jade's touch, as the girl helped her brush off the dust from the clothes.

"Is everyone okay?" Thomas asked, "Fry-"

Abruptly, a sudden scream echoed through the tunnel, before a Crank started running at the group from a distance. Jade placed her hand in her back pocket, her face dropping with worry, before she climbed back into the car.

Piper panicked, "What are you doing?"

"Oh, hell-" Fry worried, "Come on!"

Newt added, "We gotta go!"

"Jade, hurry up!" Thomas shouted in worry.

The Crank was sprinting towards the group, though as it got closer, Jade climbed back out of the vehicle, pointing her gun at the Crank and shooting it directly in the head.

"Nice shot, Jade." Frypan raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Thanks." Jade replied, as more Cranks started running at the group from a distance. Jade motioned for the group to run, as she shot at as many Cranks as she could before sprinting after them.

Their sprint came to a quick stop, when a crowd of Cranks ran at them from the other direction too, enclosing the group into a tight clump. Piper retrieved her gun from her back, helping Jade to shoot the Cranks from the two directions they were coming from.

"Shit." Jade shouted, "I'm out!"

Piper continued to turn back and forth, shooting at the two crowds of Cranks that still sprinted towards them. Soon after, the girl shouted, "No, no, no! I have no bullets left!"

"Shit!" Thomas cursed.

Fry panicked, "What do we do?"

Suddenly, an engine motor revved as another vehicle sped down the tunnel, taking out Cranks as it stopped next to the group. Brenda popped out of the top, shooting at the Cranks, before yelling, "Get in. Quick!"

Jorge drove the group straight out of the tunnel effortlessly, before remarking, "I'm impressed. You almost lasted a day."

Thomas hesitated, "Look, I didn't wanna bring you guys into this."

"I think what he's trying to say is thanks." Jade retorted sarcastically, before glancing at Piper, "Remind me to never let Piper drive again."

"You try and drive when a Crank is punching through the window." Piper shot back, before looking out the window. From a long distance away, skyscrapers stood standing within a barricaded wall. Piper frowned, "Wait, look at that."

Jorge stopped the car, letting the group climb out of his vehicle to have a look at the City in the distance.

Newt scoffed, "It's funny. We spent three years behind walls, trying to break out, and now we wanna break back in."

Piper questioned, "How do we get in?"

"Don't look at me, kid." Jorge replied, "Those walls are new. I guess that's WCKD's answer for everything."

"Well, we're not gonna figure it out from up here." Jade said, "Let's go."