The four-hour drive left Damien with permanent ear damage. It must have had, otherwise there was no other explanation as to why at the end of it, he had already started to think that Lane's howling didn't sound all that bad.
But that was alright. It was better to get used to this screeching early on, if they were to stay together in the future. At least he wouldn't suffer during their trips together, as the chances of Lane's singing voice ever improving seemed… bleak, to put it nicely.
This questionable quality performance had to come to an end shortly after 1 AM, though, when the towering walls of Forbidden Zone No. 183 sprang up on the horizon, dark and menacing even from a distance. Lane's mouth finally shut, and he even turned off the music completely. Only the humming of the engine was left to accompany them as they sped ahead.
As they arrived at a turn they needed to take to get to the tunnel leading to the gate, Lane pulled over on the side of the road.
