The white void, their impromptu playground, now pulsed with a mischievous energy. Laughter, a lingering echo of their shared schemes, fuelled the four tricksters—Loki, Hermes, Coyote, and Sun Wukong—as they solidified their grand deception.

  "First, my esteemed colleagues," Loki purred, a theatrical flourish in his voice, "we require a stage. A canvas worthy of this… divine spectacle of chaos."

  "How 'bout that old prairie of forgotten dreams?" Coyote drawled, eyes gleaming with cunning. "Vast, empty, ripe for a bit of… spontaneous landscaping."

  “A brilliant notion!" Hermes exclaimed, snapping his fingers as energy sparked around him. "Pit Stops — ahem, Godly Maintenance Zones, naturally! And maybe... a few creative detours."

  "Traps! And treasures!" Sun Wukong shouted before Hermes even completed his sentence. His tail twitching non-stop with excitement. "Let the chaos begin!"

  With a synchronized snap, the void shimmered and fractured, giving way to a golden prairie that stretched endlessly beneath a sky painted in hues of twilight. The faint hum of magic vibrated through the air, as the tricksters got to work.

  Loki conjured up Godly Maintenance Zones brimming with bizarre, mismatched materials and plenty of illusionary obstacles for the participants to discover. Hermes scattered traps and bonuses designed to zip racers either forwards and backwards like seeds of delightful pandemonium. Sun Wukong twirled his staff, the ground rippling with his every move, creating pitfalls, mud traps, twirling hoops, and winding fiery trenches that promised both havoc and hilarity. Coyote coaxed a pack of coyotes, mischievous crows, and curious prairie dogs into crafting power-ups, each animal leaving behind faint traces of magic—or mischief. A group of prairie dogs even dug tunnels designed to collapse unexpectedly.

  "Now," Loki said, rubbing his hands together with a sly grin, "we must address the… participants. Or, rather, the unsuspecting pawns."

  "Let's keep the details… delightfully vague," Hermes suggested, his eyes twinkling. "Build the suspense, cultivate the mystery."

  "Yep," Coyote agreed, nodding slowly. "Announce an 'opportunity,' then muddle up the rest."

  "Rules?" Sun Wukong interrupted, his voice ringing with anticipation. "Let there be rules to break!"

  "Fluid," Loki replied, his eyes glinting with wicked amusement. "Exceedingly so."

  "We need a referee," Hermes stated, tapping his foot impatiently. "Someone to manage… divine squabbles."

  "Janus!" Coyote exclaimed. "Perfect! He's got eyes everywhere, literally, and can't make up his mind which way to look!"

  "Though," Sun Wukong mused while absent mindedly scratching himself, "he might just argue with himself until the end of time."

  Janus, the two-faced god of beginnings and endings, materialized, a whirlwind of confusion. “What is this? Where am I? Is this the beginning or the end?” his faces asked in rapid-fire succession, each contradicting the other.

  “Janus, my dear friend,” Loki said, his voice smooth and persuasive, “we have a proposition for you. A chance to officiate a truly… memorable event.”

  “Memorable? What kind of event? Is it a beginning or an end of an event?” Janus said confusedly, his faces turning to each other.

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  “A race!” Hermes exclaimed. “A grand, divine golf cart demolition derby!”

  “Golf cart? What is a golf cart? Is this the beginning or the end of a golf cart?” Janus exclaimed, his faces looking in opposite directions.

  “Don’t fret the details, Janus,” Coyote said, patting him on the shoulder. “Just keep things… relatively balanced. Or unbalanced. Whatever works.”

  "Balanced? Both ways? Is there a middle? Or just an endless loop?" Janus asked, his faces looking at each other.

  “Besides,” Said Loki with a sly grin: “Janus! Master of transitions! With you presiding over this event, the realms will finally witness your unmatched importance!”

  “Very well,” Janus said, his faces briefly aligned in agreement. “But I reserve the right to declare this entire debacle… undecided.”

  “Perfect!” Sun Wukong shouted, hopping around and clapping his hands. “Now let’s make this a spectacle worth narrating! Announcers! Let’s get some noise!”

  “Nezha!” Loki shouted, his eyes gleaming. “He’s got a flair for the dramatic and loves a good fight.”

  “And Bacchus!” Hermes added. “He’ll bring the… festive spirit! And the wine!”

  Nezha appeared in a blaze of fire and spinning wheels, his energy palpable, while Bacchus stumbled through a shimmering haze of wine and music, his goblet already raised in cheer.

  Sun Wukong slowly approached Nezha, “Nezha, only a true warrior-god can capture the essence of this race! Are you up to the challenge of narrating such a display of power and skill? Or are you afraid it will be too much for you?"

  “A race! Excellent! Let us begin the contest of champions — a true test of divine skill and valour!” Nezha shouted, his voice ringing.

  Meanwhile, Hermes worked on Bacchus. "Bacchus, this race will be a source of endless amusement and entertainment. The stories you can tell! And, of course, I've arranged for an unlimited supply of your favourite vintage. Consider it a divine tasting event."

  "More wine! Faster carts! This will be the most glorious of events! AND A GRAND PARTY!" Bacchus slurred, raising his goblet.

  “Excellent!” Coyote declared. “Hype! And the narrator?”

  “Raijin!” Exclaimed Sun Wukong! “He’ll electrify the race with his thunderous commentary!”

  "Raijin!” Coyote called to the air, “this race is going to be a blast! Imagine all the crazy stuff that's going to happen! We'll have lightning, thunder, and maybe even a few surprise storms! You wouldn't want to miss out on all the fun, would you?"

  "Hear me now! By the power of the storm, and the fury of the heavens, I Raijin, shall bring you a narration that will shake the very foundations of the divine realms! Let the thunder be my voice, and the lighting my words! This race, shall be a LEGEND!" Raijin boomed as he materialized out of a bolt of lightning.

  “Well now, we have the venue, the referee, the announcers, and the narrator! What are we missing apart from the participants and the audience?” Loki mused.

  “The Daily Deity News!” Hermes snapped his fingers. “They’ll spread the word like wildfire!”

  Momus, the critic, and Kami-Musubi, the creator, appeared, a mix of cynical observation and curious wonder.

  “Momus! Kami-Musubi! You’re just in time for an exclusive scoop—the race of all races, with golf carts and gods!” Hermes greeted the two as they materialized.

  “A race? How quaint. And with golf carts, no less? Truly, the pinnacle of divine creativity.” Momus said with a sneer.

  “This sounds… intriguing,” Kami-Musubi said, their eyes sparkling with curiosity. “I wonder what wondrous forms might bloom from such an unprecedented contest.”

  “We need you to promote this event,” Loki said, his voice smooth and persuasive. “Build the hype. Sell the tickets. Make it the most… anticipated spectacle in all the realms.”

  “Tickets? What kind of tickets? And what are the benefits of said tickets?” Momus asked, his eyes narrowing.

  “Golden tickets, of course,” Hermes replied, producing a shimmering ticket. “Each granting access to the most spectacular seats, and the grandest of views.”

  “And the participants?” asked Kami-Musubi, their eyes searching. “Who will be the catalysts of this creation?”

  “That is a surprise,” Loki said, his voice laced with playful mystery. “A delightful one, I assure you.”

  “A surprise? How utterly predictable.” Momus said, rolling his eyes.

  "Vague rules, maximum confusion," Coyote said, his tail wagging.

  “The rules are… adaptable,” Hermes chimed in, his eyes glinting. “Subject to… spontaneous adjustments, of course.”

  “Adjustments? Beginning or end adjustments? How many adjustments?” Janus asked, his faces turning.

  “Just… do your job, Janus,” Sun Wukong said, patting him on the shoulder. “Or don’t. Whatever.”

  With a flurry of activity, the tricksters and their recruits set to work. The Daily Deity News churned out tantalizingly vague promises. Golden tickets appeared, shimmering like mirages. The divine realms buzzed with anticipation, blissfully unaware of the delightful chaos that awaited them.