Chapter Text
The desert night is characterized by many things, such as its incredible cold or the beautiful starry sky that can be seen from there, but it is also known for its tranquility. The silence is so abundant that you can hear the footsteps of beetles and the small creatures that abound.
However, that tranquility was interrupted by the horrible engines of ACME. A van was escorted by two classic motorcycles, one in front and one behind the van.
—How are we doing, comrade? Still clear? —asked the worker who was in the van over the radio, looking anxiously from side to side. ACME was aware of the latest attacks they had suffered against their shipments; a strange blue ray had been flipping vehicles over and destroying the company's resources.
—Everything is in order, don't worry —mentioned the worker on the motorcycle in front.
The worker in the van sighed in frustration, trying to calm his nerves. He adjusted his rearview mirror to look behind him. Aside from some resources for ACME, such as tools, metal, rockets… they were carrying a small capsule. The worker stared at the capsule for a while before adjusting the rearview mirror back toward the road, his eyes returning to the path ahead as well.
That attempt at peace lasted very little, because when he least expected it, a loud buzzing sound came from his right side, raising a cloud of dust and causing all three vehicles to brake abruptly.
—Shit! Is everyone okay? —asked the worker in the van, agitated, over the radio.
In front of him was the first motorcycle, whose worker was wiping the dust from his face.
—Yeah, I'm fine… —said the worker on the front motorcycle while coughing—. What about the other guy? —the front motorcycle worker asked again.
There was a brief silence before a:
—BEEP BEEP!
could be heard over the radio.
Both their eyes opened completely. The worker in the van slowly looked into the rearview mirror, watching as the motorcycle behind him was already lying on the ground, its worker unconscious from the impact, and beside it was that blue ray, which was none other than the Road Runner.
His intense gaze met the frightened worker's gaze, a wide smile spreading across his beak as he slightly tilted his head.
—Damn it! Let's go! —he announced over the radio.
Both vehicles hit the accelerator as hard as they could, quickly taking off in an attempt to escape.
The Road Runner never took his eyes off them. He wanted to give them the courtesy of a few seconds' head start; he stuck out his tongue several times and then sped after those vehicles.
—BEEP BEEP!
It didn't take him even a minute to match and surpass the vehicles' speed, beginning to run circles around them and creating a huge cloud of dust as they continued moving.
The vehicles did not stop and drove straight through the huge cloud. However, the worker in the van couldn't see his partner in front because of all the dust, and when he finally emerged from it, he realized that the motorcycle was no longer in front of him.
He quickly grabbed the radio without taking his foot off the accelerator.
—Does anyone copy? Are you there…? —said the worker, now pale-skinned and with a somewhat trembling voice.
Nobody answered; only static could be heard. However, he couldn't think about it for long, as he felt a powerful impact against the side of the vehicle.
He quickly looked toward the side where he had been hit and saw the Road Runner slamming his torso against the vehicle with all his strength.
The last worker cursed under his breath and, before the Road Runner could strike again, he jerked the steering wheel sharply, causing the vehicle to veer off the road while still traveling at full speed, unaware that this was exactly what the Road Runner wanted.
The Road Runner once again caught up with the vehicle, hitting the van again. The worker, already desperate, tried to dodge every blow, unaware that the Road Runner was steering him toward a cliff.
With every hit the Road Runner delivered, he not only managed to push the van off course, but the rear doors of the van also opened. The worker looked behind him when he heard the noise, watching as all the resources flew out because of the speed they were traveling at, including that capsule.
The worker looked forward again when he noticed that the impacts had stopped. He looked into the rearview mirror once more and saw that the Road Runner had stopped, causing him to raise an eyebrow. But when he least expected it, he went over the cliff, and only at the very end was the man's loud, high-pitched scream heard.
The Road Runner, victorious, watched as the vehicle fell. Proud of his work, he simply jumped, sticking out his tongue and running back, not before letting out a:
—BEEP BEEP!
The capsule had been left stranded in the desert, stuck in a rock until dawn. A vulture looking for meat found it and carried it to its nest…
----
And so we arrive at this morning, where a coyote was walking around, looking for material to be able to catch his greatest… rival?
To be honest, although he still chased him during the day, it seemed that at night they were friends… partners? He didn't know how to describe their relationship, since a few days ago, after returning to the desert, they had started getting together to watch the stars.
At first, it was strange. Wile had always liked sitting among the desert mountain ranges, enjoying the vast night sky and the cool breeze of the night. Sometimes it helped him find inspiration and think of a new plan. However, he never expected the Road Runner to show up one of those nights.
At first, he still chased him, obviously without any success, but he soon realized that the Road Runner came back…
That part of the Road Runner made Wile very curious, and from then on, he stopped chasing him at night and instead enjoyed his company, which, to be honest, didn't feel bad at all. Neither of them spoke; they simply sat together and, with a few glances and some smiles, they understood each other perfectly, warming the coyote's heart a little (or perhaps a lot), making him feel less alone…
Anyway, his next plan was to build his own rocket boots, taking advantage of all the scrap ACME had sent him over the years. He wanted to break everything down and make his own contraptions. I mean… those stupid ACME inventions have to be useful for something, right?
Whatever. In the distance, he managed to spot a small glint of metal. Excited, he approached and found a motorcycle handlebar partially buried in the sand.
The coyote narrowed his eyes and showed a crooked smile, rubbing his hands together in excitement.
“Maybe I can have a Plan B,” Wile thought, grabbing the handlebar and pulling it to get the object out.
What Wile didn't expect was how heavy it was. Letting go so he could reposition himself, he pulled the handlebar again. He pulled with so much force that he finally managed to get it out. But, having used too much strength, he fell backward, tripping and landing on his back.
Wile shook his head and looked forward again, realizing that it wasn't just the handlebar: it was an entire motorcycle.
Wile's ears perked up with excitement, once again showing that crooked smile. He had a better idea…
----
Wile put some seeds on a plate, placed his classic “FREE SEEDS” sign, and went to hide behind a large rock, where he was already prepared. He mounted the motorcycle and started it without any trouble, looking mischievously at the seeds, waiting for the Road Runner to arrive.
He didn't have to wait long before the Road Runner came and began eating those seeds quickly. When he finally finished, he looked in every direction, sticking out his tongue again, and ran off with a:
—BEEP BEEP!
That was Wile's signal. He quickly accelerated the motorcycle, going after the Road Runner, who soon looked back after hearing the annoying engine roar.
He saw the coyote, who had a huge smile showing a bit of his fangs. The Road Runner simply stuck out his tongue and winked at the coyote before speeding up a little more, putting more distance between himself and Wile.
But even that didn't make Wile give up. On the contrary, he snorted proudly, loving the adrenaline of the challenge. That was why he kept chasing him; he loved that battle of pride between the two of them.
It was more than obvious that he had modified the motorcycle a little. He pressed a small red button that he had added to the motorcycle, and the bike accelerated like a rocket, going faster and faster and getting closer to the Road Runner again, who noticed him out of the corner of his eye.
So, to escape this, the Road Runner began zigzagging, trying to lose the coyote with every turn. But every time he looked back, there he was, getting closer and closer, with a determined look and an open smile, sticking out his tongue slightly.
But the Road Runner also noticed something: the coyote's motorcycle was leaking oil, so he came up with an idea.
Knowing that Wile would chase him until he caught up, the Road Runner headed toward a large canyon, climbing up onto one of the cliffs and occasionally looking back to make sure the coyote was still there. And yes, he was still chasing him, completely absorbed in catching him.
Wile was only a few inches away from reaching him, so he lifted himself slightly, stretching out his hand to barely touch one of the Road Runner's tail feathers. His eyes shone with excitement; he only needed a little more…
When everything went wrong.
He noticed that he had started slowing down and, even worse, the motorcycle's exhaust began to cough, gradually releasing less and less smoke. Only then did he notice that farther ahead, he was heading straight toward the edge of the great canyon.
The coyote's eyes widened in fear. He tried to brake, but the brakes weren't working either… So he had no choice but to gather his courage and cross that canyon.
Wile crouched low over the motorcycle, determined. A strange rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins, something the Road Runner noticed, letting out a laugh and enjoying the adrenaline as well.
As they approached the edge of the cliff, the Road Runner jumped, and Wile's motorcycle suddenly left the ground, leaving the bike suspended over the void for a few moments.
However, unfortunately for Wile, the motorcycle gave its final coughs of smoke, stopping in the middle of the jump and plummeting downward, while the Road Runner successfully made it across.
The Road Runner peeked over the edge, watching his friend fall and finally crash into the ground. He quickly ran back down the cliff until he reached the place where Wile had fallen.
Wile's great fall had created a hole in the ground shaped like his silhouette, and beside it lay the wrecked motorcycle. The Road Runner approached the hole, looking at Wile with little birds circling around him. He still had his proud smile, though he was missing a few teeth, and the coyote's pupils were spinning around in their sockets, causing the Road Runner to let out a small giggle.
“Are you okay?” the Road Runner held up a sign, to which he pulled out another sign:
“Y3s…” It was badly written, until finally his pupils stopped spinning, meeting the attentive gaze of the Road Runner and his stupid, wide smile on his beak.
“See you tonight?” the Road Runner held up another sign.
The coyote simply nodded, letting out a sigh and furrowing his brow, pretending to be annoyed. The Road Runner closed his eyes enthusiastically and made a few excited little hops, sticking out his tiny tongue before running off again with his usual:
—BEEP BEEP!
And disappearing into the distance.