Spy Racers- Can't Run Forever

The Middle of Nowhere

Tony slowly opened his eyes, using his hand to shield them from the bright sun. Although they'd had their wingsuits, their impromptu landing hadn't exactly been smooth, and his whole body ached as he stood up. He looked around and saw the others struggling to their feet as well. Thankfully, they'd all ended up in the same general area.

Layla came up behind him, rubbing the back of her head and grimacing. She stumbled and Tony caught her by the arm, steadying her as concern etched across his face.

"Woah, you good?"

"Fine," Layla assured him, regaining her composure. "Just a little banged up."

"Yeah, these suits definitely aren't made for a jump like that," Echo said as she strode over with Cisco, both still brushing dirt off themselves.

"I don't think any suit is made for a jump like that," Cisco added. "How far was it, anyway?"

"We were at about 15,000 feet and dropping fast," Gary informed them as he, Julius, and Miss Nowhere joined the group. "It's a good thing we jumped when we did."

"Everyone okay?" Miss Nowhere asked. "Wait, where's Frostee?"

Everyone quickly glanced around in a panic. Tony's heart sank. Frostee was the smallest out of all them- there was a chance his wingsuit could've caught a strong wind and caused him to land farther off.

Suddenly, they heard a whirring sound from above, getting steadily louder. Tony and the rest of the crew looked up to see Frostee, looking relaxed as ever, being carried gently to the ground by his mini drones.

"Hey guys," he said, smirking. "So how was your landing?"

"Bro, don't do that to us!" Cisco told him. "We thought you were lost!"

"Enough!" Miss Nowhere cut in. "Now that everyone's here, we need to make a plan. Our plane is gone along with most of our supplies, and I don't know exactly where we landed."

Julius raised a hand.

"We were somewhere over the coast of North Carolina when the engines started failing," He informed them. "And by the looks of it, we're still in that general area."

Tony followed Julius' gaze as he pointed to their right. About a mile off, the landscape started looking like a marshland, and they could see what appeared to be a coastline, though it was hard to tell if it was the ocean or just a lake. A bit farther away, there was also a collection of small buildings. It had definitely been a town at some point, but even from this distance Tony could tell that many of the structures were in need of some serious TLC. It could've been a ghost town for all they knew.

"Frostee, did you happen to see where the plane went down?" Miss Nowhere asked. "You know, since you took a little joyride with your drones."

Frostee crossed his arms.

"You're just jealous that I came prepared," He replied smartly. "But yes, I did. Not that it'll be much help to us now, though- it went up in flames as soon as it hit the ground. I doubt any of our supplies are still intact."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to check, right?" Tony suggested.

"Actually, it could," Miss Nowhere countered. "Do you know how many explosives and other agency weapons were stored on that plane? If it's on fire, we're not going anywhere near it."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Echo asked. "Even if we can contact the agency, they probably can't send help right away. We need those supplies."

"Gary sent out a distress signal before we jumped," Miss Nowhere replied. "With any luck, the agency received it and was able to pinpoint our general location. Until they come to get us, we'll go into town and try to find some supplies. Come along."   

Miss Nowhere began striding towards the marshlands and the so-called town. Tony didn't have a great feeling about this "plan." What if they got into town and it was abandoned? They were in the middle of nowhere- there probably wasn't another town for miles, and they didn't even have supplies for a full day. Plus, the agency had never exactly been fond of their crew. Sure, they'd saved the world multiple times, but they'd also kind of almost destroyed it along the way. Not really the best way to get on your boss's good side.

Tony realized that Layla hadn't said a word since he'd helped her up. He wondered if she'd hit her head harder than she'd let on. She was walking a little behind the rest of the group, so Tony slowed up.

"You've been quiet," he said. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Layla assured him. "Just kinda worried about this plan."

"Tell me about it," Tony replied. "We have no idea what town this is and it's in the middle of nowhere. What if no one even lives here?"

"We might be better off if that's the case," Layla muttered.

"What?"

She looked at him, a pained expression on her face, and then turned away again, blue eyes fixed on something in the distance.

"I know exactly where we are. Somewhere I thought I'd never come back to."

Tony stared at Layla in confusion, but when he followed her gaze, everything clicked. The crew had reached the edge of the town, and a few yards in front of them was a wooden sign with a few words written across it in faded, black paint:

Gumneck, North Carolina
Pop. 196

As they read the sign, everyone's eyes went to Layla. She sighed and crossed her arms.
"Welcome to my hometown, y'all."