Heat rose off the asphalt in rippling waves making the cars on the track seem insubstantial in a way, as if they were all mirages spinning around the track. The stink of the oil and burned rubber gave the scene substance, and as every car passed the hum of their engines spiked briefly over the continuous dull roar of the rest. The stands were full, and the spectators added their own layer of noise to the mess, cheering mixed with vendors selling drinks, pit crews yelling, lug nuts being tightened, and above all of it the engines.

The engines were the only sound Eustass Kid was interested in. Set back from pit lane in the garage, he focused on the sound of the cars, trying to pick out the sound of the Crimin-sponsored Ford that his best mate was driving. The regulation coveralls were far too warm in the summer heat, sweat sticking the material to Kid's back and his goggles fogging up as he waited. He hoped that Killer wasn't getting dull from the rising temperatures; there were thirty laps to go in the race.

Kid spat on the ground, and pushed his goggles up his forehead and into his sweaty red hair.

"Fuck the safety rules." he grumbled. He knew no one would have the guts to call him out on it even if they could see him.

The NewWorld 500 was the biggest championship race in the whole country, and the race they were currently in was the last chance they had to qualify for it. They had missed out the last two years and Kid and Killer had sworn that this would be the year they not only qualified; this would be the year they took the title, the money, and the win. It was convenient that shortly after the made that decision their sponsor implied that small scale titles were no longer good enough. If they hadn't already sworn to make that year their year to haul ass, Kid would have made Killer throw the qualifier just to piss Crimin off.

With a screech of worn rubber, their Ford pulled into the pit stall, and the crew leapt over the walls to service the star and stitches emblazoned stock car. Kid stayed where he was, listening critically to the sound of it idling. Nothing gave him cause for concern, and he watched the crew change the tires with disinterest. He glanced at Killer to see how he was faring, and though the helmet and visor made it impossible to tell his expression, Killer flashed a thumbs-up to the redhead before taking off.

Ten laps to go and Killer was in tenth place. If he could hold it, they would be going to the NW500. The anticipation was now worse than the heat, and Kid yanked at the collar of his coveralls to catch a breeze. They were going to fuck up the competition like no tomorrow at the championship race, and it was hard to wait another ten damn laps to get started.

A sudden collective gasp from the crowd caused Kid's head to whip around as he lunged around the garage to see the other side of the track. The car in fifth had clipped the car in fourth and sent it into the wall, and now both cars were spinning out of control. Almost in slow motion they struck the sixth placed driver and slid toward the inside track, smoke billowing out of two of the hoods and leaving debris behind them. The car directly behind lost speed and dropped back to avoid the mess, and there was another gasp from the crowd as one car sped straight past them all.

"Hell yeah!"

Kid jumped up onto a bench and hollered when he saw Killer careen around the bend and take up the fourth spot in the line, just before the yellow flag went up to declare a state of caution. With only two laps left and a pace car coming out to keep the drivers at a steady speed while the accident was checked out, the places were basically set in stone. The pit crew was already cheering, and there was a mixed response from the crowd who booed and cheered in turn. The cheering began to dominate as the drivers involved in the accident all walked away from their cars, waving to signify they were alright. Kid didn't care anyway, and he headed over to pit lane to wait for their car.

The checkered flag finally waved, and the drivers piled out of their cars to greet crews and reporters. Kid got to Killer first, and put him in a headlock with a whoop.

"Way to take advantage, you lucky bastard!"

"Hey, don't damage the driver," Killer replied, not resisting his mechanic's iron grip, "you need me."

"Damn straight." Kid said, releasing his friend and punching him in the shoulder with a grin. "No go talk to the vultures who want a printable quote."

The hovering reporters did look slightly predatory, and Kid laughed when Killer muttered something unflattering about them under his breath.

With Killer handling the media, Kid went to inspect the car. He was somewhat surprised and more than somewhat pissed to see race officials already there, and messing with the car no less.

"What the hell is going on?"

One of the men turned to him, completely unafraid of the mechanic. "Grandline Race procedures require that the first five placing vehicles be inspected for adherence to rules and regulations concerning the engine and entirety. Your car will be returned in a maximum of four hours."

"You fucking kidding me?"

"Those are the rules."

Kid was about to suggest where the man put his rules, when Killer put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it hard. The redhead growled, and turned to the other man, understanding that his temper was going to get them into a shitload of trouble. The pit crew were all drinking champagne and laughing, and Killer forcefully steered Kid toward them.

"Look, we're all going to hit the bar and celebrate. You should come."

Still seething, the mechanic pulled free from the other man. The victory had been soured by the thought of a bunch of asshole officials fucking around with his perfectly tuned engine, but it was no reason to pass up getting drunk. And they had come in at the top five after all. They deserved to get really, really drunk.

"Yeah, I'll come."

…~…

It was well after midnight when the party wound down, and Kid thought it was impressive that they could all still walk under their own volition. Some of the crew tumbled into cabs to get home, and some of the others decided to walk over to the next bar and keep the drinking going. Killer was one of them. Still fairly sober, he barely swayed as he walked over to the table Kid was at.

"Coming to the next one?" Killer asked, sitting and inspecting Kid's half full beer.

"Nah." Kid stood up a little unsteadily and dug out his wallet. "I'm going to go make sure those official fuckers didn't wreck the car."

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"Hell no."

Killer shrugged at that, and got back up. "Alright. Just checking."

Kid watched the other man go before wandering back to the garage where they kept the car stored. It took him a few tries to find the lights, and when he got them on he could see the Ford was in its usual spot, looking no worse for wear than any other day. Still, he wasn't going to let visuals appease his worry.

It was a little harder than usual to crank the jack, but he got the front of the car high enough so he could get under it. He dragged his toolbox over and lay down on his back under the wheel well, not even bothering with the creeper. From the light of the small flashlight he kept handy, everything seemed normal, until he noticed a lump of something stuck up past the axel.

Swearing under his breath about careless idiots who didn't care about other peoples stuff, Kid gripped the flashlight in his teeth and reached up to try and dislodge it. Whatever the hell it was, it felt jagged under his glove, and Kid started to suspect it was debris from the accident on the track. It was jammed in tight, and in his frustration and inebriation, Kid yanked on it as hard as he could.

The last thing Kid heard was the snap of the jack slipping out of place, and then his left side was on fire.

(Hey y'all! I'm not really a shipper of Kid x Law, but I'm cool with it as a pairing. I find it fascinating actually. I just thought I'd throw that out as warning. Also this is not totally accurate to racing, but I have based it loosely on NASCAR. This will be my first time posting a story where I haven't finished all the chapters. Wish me luck!)