Sonic Riders: The New Circuit
Disclosure: I do own Sonic Riders and own Sonic Heroes as well... This webcomic will have characters from BOTH games... So, enjoy the fanfic and leave me feedback. I would like to know if you like the fanfiction…
Chapter 1: Time Trial
"It's been said that I'm currently the fastest around… That's before Jet came in and screwed me over. Now that I have won, I feel like this victory was too empty… I want to race more…." Sonic, Babylon Garden (After beating Jet)
After the race at Babylon Garden and defeating the guardian that guarded the Magic Carpet Extreme Gear, Team Babylon left and Team Sonic was left to do what they do best; run and defeat Eggman. As Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles returned to Metal City, a new host appeared and was on the screen. This time, it wasn't Eggman.
"To all Extreme Gear Racers, this is for you. I, Rico from Mile Mansion, will offer a 200,000,000,000 ring reward for anyone who takes on the Extreme Gear Circuit. This circuit will test your extreme gear and your team… Also, by entering this new circuit, you'll be part of the Extreme League and any treasure you may uncover in your travels and/or races will be yours. No questions asked. Hero or Villain, Good or Bad, Ugly or Beautiful, NO ONE WILL BE DENIED… So, come on to Mile Mansion at the edge of the city and enter. The only fee is a 200 ring deposit and you must have an extreme gear of your own. If you don't, there's a chao extreme gear shop on the way to my mansion. Hope to see you there."
"Sonic, should we go for it? I mean, I personally wanted to beat Wave and get her to finally respect me." Tails nervously asked as Sonic continued to think on the matter. "Yo Sonic, let's do this, I wanted to get even with Storm and his cheating winged behind." Knuckles added as Sonic gave them both the thumbs. "Ok guy, you want Team Babylon, then let's get Team Babylon." Sonic responded as they dashed to Mile Mansion. As they continued to Mile Mansion, they saw a considerable amount of people getting on gears and getting to the mansion. As they neared the edge of the city, they were the third ones there. Two teams beat them there and both teams were familiar to Team Sonic. Team Babylon and Team Black waited at the stairs with Team Rose and Team Choatix coming close behind Team Sonic.
"Ah, well if it isn't Team Sonic. What's good?" Jet commented as Wave eyed Rouge from a distance. Jet was the captain of Team Babylon and by far, the best rider on the circuit. With the ONLY exception of Sonic, no one else has made it close to catching this green speed demon. His cocky attitude usually is overshadowed by honor and respect for fellow riders. "Well, Jet, I needed some more experience." Sonic quickly replied as Tails eyed Wave. Sonic is your typical hero with an attitude for evil. As of late though, he's been a bit mellow and looking for the challenge. Everyone who has raced this blue blur has had a taste for the "Blue Foot Special". He is currently the team's captain. "Hey there, you fake!" Shadow snidely remarked as he walked towards Jet and Sonic. Shadow is a robot that has an "I'm gonna kick your ass" attitude. Not admitting to losing to his blue counterpart, he continues to go after Sonic. Nowadays though, his obsession for beating the blue blur is dimmed a bit. "Hey Shadow. Don't you ever get tired of this?" Sonic tiredly replied as he waved at Shadow. "SONIKKU!!!! You won't escape me this time…" A familiar voice came. "Damn, Amy, isn't there something else you need to do, like, um, get a job or get a life." Sonic said as an annoyed look engulfed his face. "Oh please, you promised me a date today. To think I got dressed up for you." Amy reminded Sonic as Jet couldn't help to laugh and intervene. "I feel for you Sonic. I really do. Ever since Babylon Garden, Wave hasn't left me alone either. I kinda got used to that." Jet sympathized as Wave coldly looked at Rouge then back to Jet. "So Jet, how many dates have you been on?" Sonic commented as Amy wrapped her arms all over Sonic. "Too many to remember." Jet nodded as sighed. "Well, Sonic, you promised me lunch and you backed out, so, I DEMAND dinner tonight, after registration." Amy mused as Sonic gave her the thumbs up. Amy Rose, now girlfriend of Sonic, has a habit of pursuing what she wants, to include the blue blur himself. Now that she has him (thanks in part by some quick words), she looks for a better relationship than what she currently has. "Well, it seems like the wind is blowing this way. Speed and stealth will be needed to solve this paradox." Espio calmly commented as Jet, Shadow, Sonic, and Amy diverted their looks towards the new leader of Team Choatix. Espio at first was a humble detective for the team. But after a major lawsuit from Eggman Enterprise, Espio and Charmy explained to Vector that a new leader is in order. After three days of nonstop disputes, Espio earned the right to be in charge. The smooth chameleon is fast and swift with his movements.
"So, how's Choatix coming along, Espio?" Sonic commented as Espio rubbed his horn and looked at the rest of his team. "Better, I guess." Espio sighed as Shadow and Jet exchanged gears. "Jet, why did you come here?" Sonic asked as Jet smiled and pointed to Sonic's board. "To get a rematch and to beat your team. I didn't expect to see all the major teams here though. The excitement is unbearable. I wanted to see Shadow in action and after Storm lost to Amy in freestyle, I had to join. Wave wanted to prove to the rest of the mechanics that she's the one to beat. Storm just wanted to race." Jet explained as the other captains looked and nodded. "Well, I joined for the challenge and to take you on again, Jet. Tails wanted to beat Wave and Knuckles wanted to get even with Storm." Sonic replied as Jet nodded. "Ah yes, I scolded Storm for the cheap shot in Egg Factory." Jet calmly commented as Shadow intervened. "Well, my team joined for the money and for me to beat this, dweeb." Shadow said as he intended to take a shot at Sonic. "Well, my team wanted to prove to Sonic's team as well that we can win and to get the money for the perfect wedding." Amy mused as sweat came down Sonic's face. "Why did you go and say that! We didn't agree on a date yet!!!" Sonic yelled as the rest laughed and Shadow was left rolling on the floor. "Well, it's true." Amy quickly replied as Espio looked at Sonic and was ready to give his reason for joining. "Well Sonic, Jet, Shadow, and Amy, I joined for the challenge. The rest of the team wanted the money and treasure. That and to improve in freestyle." Espio commented as they looked at the mansion. Rico's speaker came on and was ready to transmit an announcement.
"To all team captains, come to the lobby and get your registration papers. That is all."
As the captains went inside, the team mechanics all gathered up and began to talk it out. "Oh my, Miles Prowler! How are we today?" Wave shot at Tails as Tails' look stiffened. Wave, the cocky mechanic of Team Babylon is the type of person that will sabotage a gear if given the chance. Her cocky attitude only hides the fact that she isn't the best mechanic in the circuit. To be honest, her skills is current substandard to the rest of the mechanics. "Well, Wave, if someone didn't plant a bomb under Sonic's gear, I wouldn't have made the Blue Star 2. Only a whiney brat like yourself could have thought of that. And the name is Tails." Tails snidely replied as Wave shot a cold stare at Tails. Tails, usually mild mannered and well behaved, have been off as of late. Thanks solely to Wave and her antics, Tails had to defend his honor and his credentials as a competent mechanic and extreme gear rider. "Now, now children. Do you really think you could stand up to fill these shoes?" Eggman comment as it got Wave's attention. Dr. Robotnik, AKA Eggman, is the last of a generation of excellent geniuses. After robotizing himself to extend his own life, he decided to take over the world. After countless campaigns and seeing blue starts in his dreams, he gave up world domination and traded his carrier in for an extreme gear garage. His skills are currently the best in the circuit and only Tails is on track to surpass him. "Why you dirty old man!!! Why don't you go somewhere and fix something." Wave said as she got a smile from Eggman. "Well, isn't that lovely, someone who is substandard in her work defying me, the best mechanic here?!!? Ha! Only this two tailed genius is on pace to compete with me." Eggman mused as Wave's ego took a nosedive and Tails' confidence got a major boost. "Well, what do you know?" Wave shot back. "Well, I do know this: Tails' work has been sold all over the Mobian Gearworks. As for me, I have been working on my project bike gears and they are making a killing out in the market. Yours, well, not so much. To be frank, Big and Vector has better gear sales than you." Eggman explained as Tails smiled, Wave's face turn a fireman red, Vector and Big finally looked in their direction, and Eggman with a look of accomplishment in his eyes. "Hey Eggman, do you know about the new Servo-Engine?" Vector inquired as Eggman nodded with Tails seconding that nod. Vector, once the leader of Team Choatix, is now the mad mechanic of gears and is quite the mechanic indeed. His attitude at first was rebellious, but after some convincing and profit charts, Vector found the knack for gears. "Yes I do, I bought 20 this week." Eggman replied as Tails slight flew up to add his two cents. "I bought about 5 and they seem to be a bug." Tails commented as Vector added to that. "Yeah, that has been the big problem lately. I think I fixed it though." Vector mentioned as the rest agreed uneasily, except for Wave of course. "I got the problem fixed in Beta Factory." Eggman replied as Tails looked at his gear. "I fixed mine at Red Caverns" Tails glowed as Big intervened for the first time. "Well, Froggy and I fixed our gear at Ice Pyramid." Big commented as the rest looked in SHOCK at Big. Big the Cat, the mechanic for Team Rose, has been fiddling with gears for a while now. He was hired by Amy after the Babylon Garden incident. He proved himself to the team as he fixed Amy's gear and test ran it in Egg Factory. "Well, I have yet to fix mine Servo Mark 2." Wave nervously commented as the rest looked, laughed, and walked off.
"I swear I will prove to these, MEN, that I can do this. Jet and Storm believe in me. Now I want the world to believe in me."
"Now to all Mechanics, come to the lobby and register your gears and garage. That is all."
Rico's announcement got all the mechanics to the lobby as the rest of the remaining people waited at the door.
"Hey honey, how's the ME doing?" Rouge wooed Knuckles as Knuckles face turned a beet red. Rouge, track scout for Team Black and fiancé of Knuckles, had her racing blacks on. She lives with Knuckles on Angel Island but is a bit hesitant to admit she is finally settled down. Her relationship with Knuckles though has been a dream for her and a better dream for him. "Fine, I guess. The Master Emerald doesn't need to be guarded as heavy as before, now with Eggman a mechanic and you, my future wife living with me." Knuckles commented as Rouge gave Knuckles a kiss on the cheek. Knuckles, track scout for Team Sonic has had a marvelous career so far and his love life is getting better. As guardian of the ME (Master Emerald), he looked after it with a new radar that will repel intruders so he too can have his fun. "Oh, by the way, we need dinner tonight, can we stop at the market and get some?" Rouge asked as Knuckles have his approval. Just then, Storm came by and ruined the couple's moment. "Hey cheat!" Storm commented as Rouge and Knuckles snidely looked at Storm. Storm, the muscle of Team Babylon, has a reputation of being the big guy and track master of the circuit. Though he has a stuttering problem when excited, his rage for Knuckles and Rouge is fueled by a loss at Egg Factory in the previous circuit. "DAMN!" Both Rouge and Knuckles yelled as they walked off. Cream was sleeping next to Charmy and Charmy was also asleep. Cream, track scout for Team Rose, upsetted Wave in freestyle to earn her place in the team. She currently is going out with Charmy and is secretly the cousin of Tails. Charmy, track scout for Team Choatix, had his sights on Cream for the longest. After the too got together in a play date, they got their feelings out. Though underage for anything to happen, they keep close contact of each other. "Wake up, you two!" Storm yelled as Cream sprung up and Charmy glared at Storm. "Why don't you leave them alone…" Rouge bothered as Knuckles and Charmy coldly stared at Storm. As the five of them got heated up, the rest of their respective teams came out with registration papers and headed to their benches.
Team Sonic:
"Here's the scoop from Rico, this is a career. It won't interfere with hero work, but this can get us the money we need to repair and buy new equipment. The 200,000,000,000 rings is the grand prize, but I don't think anyone was that interested. The competition is what we were after. Rico understood completely and we agreed that we have a bigger budget to get better events. There are a total of five different events: Time Trial, Grand Prix, Showdown, Freestyle, and Trickoff. " Sonic explained as Knuckles looked confused. "Which events will I do?" Knuckles questioned as Sonic gave him the breakdown of events. "We all will do the events, but you will solely be in charge for the Time Trial. You're navigation of the tracks will be crucial in this circuit. It's our circuit, Team Babylon's Circuit, and three new ones." Sonic explained as Tails looked at their budget they had. "So I take it, the top five teams have circuits." Tails mentioned as Sonic gave his approval. "We'll start with the Rose Circuit. The first event is today and it's Time Trial. The track, Metal Highway." Sonic examined as Knuckles groaned. "I hate that track. Too many things to break." Knuckles groaned as Sonic and Tails agreed there. "Not to mention that there is only one rail and that is at the halfpipe. " Sonic added. "Let's not forget the lack of accelerators as well." Tails groaned as they began to plot their plan.
Team Black:
After a brief meeting on the events, their meeting started. "Eggman, is there a gear for Rouge so she can crash the cars?" Shadow inquired. "The Bat Hook. Why do you ask?" Eggman answered with one of his eyebrows raised. "Because the first even is Time Trial and the track is Metal Highway." Shadow responded. "WHAT!!!! OH HELL NO!!!! I can't do that!!!" Rouge screamed as she clutched her Rouge Special Gear. "I was getting used to this Gear." Rouge moaned as she knew the course well. Storm did a huge number to her during a challenge and she vowed never to attempt the track again without Knuckles. "Well, you need to do this. I can manage without the rails." Shadow replied as Eggman patted Rouge on her head. "And besides, this gives me a chance to see where I can crash the cars. Oh how I love to break stuff. By the way Rouge, do you even know what the Bat Hook Gear is?" Eggman inquired as she looked worried at him. "Well, here it is!" Eggman commented as he unveiled the gear from the back of his private van. The gear glowed with jewels and gold. The new Servo Mark 4 installed where the Mark 3 was and the board shined with a angel white glow to it. Naturally, Rouge was impressed and Shadow pleased with Eggman's work. "You outdone yourself again, Eggman." Shadow applauded as Rouge couldn't help but to hug it. "Eggman, I'll do it. Only because of this sick gear of yours. Thank you." Rouge commended as Eggman walked to the driver seat of the van and signaled the rest to get in. They got ready for the Time Trial.
Team Babylon:
"Jet, what's the track and circuit?!!?" Storm beamed as Jet and Wave struggled to calm the beast. "First things first, you know what we need to do, right?!" Jet commented as the other two agreed. "Well then, here it is. The circuit, the Rose Circuit, the track, Metal Highway." Jet explained as Wave groaned and Storm cheered. "Alright!!! I get to use the Typhoon Gear." Storm continued as Wave shook her head and Jet smiled, knowing that Storm would have to be the one to get pole position. "Jet, Storm, wait up. There are no rails there and the accelerators are too far in between." Wave added as her face tensed up. "Well, that's where you use the Grinder Gear." Storm added as Jet thought about it and Wave dismissed it. "I hate Power Gears. I won't use them." Wave complained as Jet continued to think about it. "Hey Storm, how is the Grinder Gear?" Jet inquired as Storm briefly gave his opinion of the gear. "Well then, I'll use the Grinder Gear and take advantage of that long rail at the halfpipe." Jet added as a look of shock hit Wave's face. "What Wave, forgot about the halfpipe rail…?" Jet questioned as Wave fell to her knees and began to sulk. The team prepared without Wave.
Team Rose:
"Cream, you may have to use the Grinder Gear Mk. 2 that Big made to get through this one." Amy commented as Cream already knew which track it was. "Amy, is it Metal Highway?" Cream nervously asked as Amy gave her a timid thumbs up. "Great, I get to bash things…. I hate crashing into things." Cream complained as Big stood silent. They prepared without too much side conversation.
Team Choatix:
"Charmy, Rose Circuit, Metal Highway." Espio ordered as Charmy got the order. "Grinder Mk. 3 with Fly Mode." Vector added as Charmy cheered. "I get to crash into things and fly… YEAH!!!!" Charmy cheered as the team got ready and moved out to Metal Highway. On the way there, Espio began to talk to the team. "Vector, Charmy, am I doing a good job?" Espio asked as the others looked in confusion. "As much as I want to stay the leader, you're doing a better job than anyone of us here. Don't concern yourself right now with internal matters. As it stands, I'm happier as the mechanic and you're better at the leader. I can humble myself for the sake of our team… Keep up the good work, Espio." Vector praised as Espio nodded. "And anyway, who gonna kick butt!!??" Charmy cheered as it signed for the team's battle cry: "WE ARE!!!" The team recited as they got to the highway.
Metal Highway
The tack started with a long straightaway for about a mile, then contained two S-bend turns into a nasty 108 degree hairpin turn that Storm got familiar with. Then the track got hairy and most of the teams hated. The congested traffic that backlogged that straightaway. Then the fun part. There is a halfpipe at the end of the traffic, followed by a high ramp that most gear riders adore. After they land, this skills they have come into play. The three apex turns, followed by another 108 hairpin is known as Metal Highway's fear factor. This part of the track is where most people get hurt and injured. At the end of that section, there is the straightaway that leads to the starting point. The rail here is only at the halfpipe and it skips all the way to the beginning of the straightaway. The accelerators are at the ramp and with a high enough jump, you can also skip the fear factor section. As for debris, well, the cars are abundant and bunched up.
Rated- Power
As everyone got to the Highway, the people who prepared for the Time Trial got ready and the thoughts were flying a mile a minute.
"God, I hate this track. Sonic, I hope you know what you're doing here. I know I'm not going to get the pole for this."
"Shadow, Eggman, Knuckles. I can do this. I know I can. I'll get the pole."
"Hehehehe, this is too easy. I master this track and already defeated Rouge and Wave here. Getting the pole is going to be a breeze."
"Wow, I need to focus. What would Amy and Big think if I couldn't get the pole here."
"CRAASH TIME!!!"
Knuckles' Run:
As Knuckles got to the starting 30m, he looked at the track and saw the buildup of traffic. "Here goes nothing." He knew the average time was 3:41:05 and he needed to be at least ten seconds ahead to beat Storm and Charmy. As he dashed across the line, he smashed through the cars and gained momentum as he entered the S-bend turns. As he quickly navigated through the turns, Sonic and Tails looked on with worried eyes knowing that Knuckles weakness was the hairpins. As Knuckles navigated inside the hairpin, his Red Storm Gear held up and he was in traffic in the second straightaway. As he exploded through traffic, he was in fact achieving a new track record at 1:05:94 at the halfway checkpoint. As he entered the halfpipe, he zipped along to the ramp and pulled the Red Meteor 540 with a 180 Method Twist. He landed it and got a SS grade for the sweet landing. As he entered the apex he quickly got through with maximum air left and made it to the last hairpin. That's when disaster struck. He took the turn to sharp and smashed his face into the barrier and that resulted in a loss of time and speed. As he recovered and crossed the finish line, his time was 2:47:11. A new personal best and currently the track record. Team Sonic currently held the pole.
As Knuckles got to the team's booth, Sonic was jumping for joy and Tails smiles as he got the first-aid kit out. "Knuckles, that was EXCELLENT!!! You made track record." Sonic cheered as Tails attended to Knuckles cuts. "Well, the track wasn't that bad. Maybe I shouldn't be so quick to judge this track. Hey, maybe with this time, I can hold the pole. "You might, Knuckles. You might." Tails commented as he put water on the cut and a fresh bandage on it.
Rouge's Run
As Rouge got to the starting 10m, she knew that she needed to beat that impressive run that Knuckles did to stand a chance at Storm. As hated the traffic and with the new gear, she could now handle it without too much problems. As she walked back to the 50m and followed the green laser to the starting point, she crossed it and got a heavy boost as she began to crash the cars. "Wow, I feel like Knuckles!!! Yay!!!" As she got into the first S-bend turn, she lost some control and Eggman saw that. "Great, it can't handle the turns…" As she got into the hairpin, she smoothly got through. As she got into the traffic at this straightaway, she was at 1:07:94 at the halfway checkpoint. She needed to turn up the speed and it the accelerator at the ramp to stand a chance at the pole. As she zipped and flew passed the halfpipe, she for to the ramp and flew into the air. As she got through all three accelerators, she got to the beginning of the straightaway that led to the line. As she crossed the finish line, her time was 2:47:25. Her personal best, but Knuckles' time still held up. Despite her best efforts, Team Sonic still held the pole.
As Rouge got to Team Sonic's booth, Knuckles greeted her halfway and sat with her as she tried to shake off the failure. "You did your best. That's all I can ever ask for." Knuckles consoled her as she wept in his arms. She knew that under normal circumstances, she would have beaten that time. But due to an untimely mishap at the S-bend turns, she blew that chance. She kissed him again and headed for her team's booth. Despite the time, the rest of the team we're quite impressed. "Rouge, you did great. Although we don't have the pole, I can live with this. This is your personal best here. Congrats. Here's a Chaos Drink on the rocks." Shadow commended as Rouge quickly downed the drink. "With that impressive run, I now know where I need to dash and what I need to fix on the Bat Hook." Eggman commented as she dried her eyes and smiled. She knew that her team had her back on this one. She readied herself for the race.
Storm's Run
As Storm made it to the starting 50m, only one thing was on his mind: "Knuckles had a great run. This will be a challenge. I might not beat this." As the green laser passed Storm, he sprung into action and crossed the laser at an amazing speed. She crushed the cars and gain great momentum. At the booth, Jet smiled as Wave prayed to get the pole. She knew that if they didn't get the pole, she would be in dead last by race end. As Storm navigated passed the hairpin, he gained speed as he continued to crush the traffic. His time was 1:04:00 even and he was in fact, a bit off. As he sped passed the halfpipe, he got to the ramp and missed the jump. He fell to the first apex and struggled from there. After losing speed there, he recovered as he sped through the hairpin, leaving behind a stream of turbulence. As he crossed the finished line, his time was 2:57:07. He didn't beat his time, nor did he get the pole. Team Sonic still maintains the pole.
As Storm made it to the booth, he lowered his head, but in spite of his dismal performance, Jet was still in high spirits. Wave, on the other hand, wasn't so pleased. "Storm, that was great. You may not have gotten the pole, but at least I know what to do. We'll still win this." Jet beamed as Wave came through to try to rain on Jet's parade. "Are you mad??!!!! There is no way we can win. Knuckles and Rouge have FAR better times than Storm. We have no hope!" Wave pointed out as Jet and Wave argued. Storm just sat down and thought about where he went wrong.
"That jump. I missed it and lost time and speed. I now know where to practice for the next time. In this race though, Jet did say that the team's score will be combined. I'm not that worried. As long as Jet and I stay within the Top 5, we should be in first as a team despite Wave's weakness to the course."
Cream's Run:
"Wow, can I do this?" Cream really looked timid out there as she got to the starting 30m. As the laser passed her, she slowly got passed the laser and immediately veered to the left of traffic. As the track ended, she found her "way out". There was a concealed ramp that led to a group of accelerators high above the turns and traffic that would give her the edge at the halfpipe. As she flew into the first accelerator, EVERYONE who watched had their jaws hung low and in shock as she passed the turns and the traffic. Team Rose cheered as Team Sonic began to take critical notes about the shortcut. Team Black continued to watch they recorded the new discovery as Team Babylon fell to their knees. Team Choatix laughed as Charmy knew what was to happen next. About halfway in the heavy traffic, Cream's air suddenly dropped and she was in the middle of traffic. Her time at the halfway checkpoint was 0:59:77, currently the best track record at this point. She then began to crashed and plowed away the cars and made it to the halfpipe. As she sped through that, she also jumped high to the accelerators and continued until she reached the goal. Her time at the goal, 2:37:91. She not only got her personal best, she also had the track record and a crowd of magazines ready to shoot her for their various magazines. As of right now, Team Rose held the pole.
As Cream (with the help of Big) jetted pass the photographers, one made it to the booth and decided to get the whole team. The team didn't object and they all held a pose. Just after the picture, Wave, Rouge, Tails, and Charmy gave their congrats to the youngest track holder. Cream got a major boost of confidence and the rest of the team felt her confidence and planned accordingly for the race.
Charmy's Run
Charmy got to the starting 100m and knew that this was a huge risk. If this worked, he would have a major advantage going into the shortcut. As the laser passed him, he began is run. As he passed the laser with 0:00:00 at the start (Which is unbelievable), Charmy also veered left into the shortcut. Unlike Cream, he stayed in he air for a while as he passed the halfway checkpoint. His time was 0:55:56 and he was on a roll. As he continued to fly high, he hit the second set of accelerators and now dropped near the goal. His time was an astounding 2:17:93. The magazines now had two stories and two teams to bug. Charmy ran fast and got to the booth. Team Choatix won the pole and won for their team, 7 points.
Espio and Vector knew this would happen. Whenever Charmy has an accelerator, he usually make quicker times. Charmy laughed it off and prepared for the race ahead.
The Points going into the Metal Highway Race:
Team Choatix: 7 points (1 Pole)
Team Rose: 5 points
Team Sonic: 3 points
Team Black: 2 points
Team Babylon: 1 point
Rico's Observation and Predictions: Metal Highway
As the riders prepared for the race, Rico (who always watches from the stands) begins to make his predictions on who is to win the race. As Rico got out his notebook, he knew that there were going to be side-bets on the side. With that said, he decided to play the odds and make his predictions.
"1. Sonic: As the team captain of Team Sonic, this is one of those races that could go in his favor. His gear, The Blue Wind has the potential to make quick times. My only beef is that with Cream's discovery, he might have a problem making Top 5. All the Flight riders will aim for that shortcut and with Charmy already at the head, this could be a huge problem for Sonic. Let's see if he can keep up."
"2. Tails: He might be in 1st at this rate. If Rouge and Charmy miss that shortcut or hits it in a wrong angle, Tails might slip in for the win. Again, this is his chance to shine and fly high."
"3. Knuckles: Knuckles will have it easier and will have the cars to boost him for this. I really think he might make Top 5, but he won't make it in 1st. That's for damn sure. His speed isn't as fast as the flyers."
"4. Jet: I really feel sorry for Jet. He will have it rough from beginning to end, but then again, if the officials shut the shortcut down, he might make Top 5. That's a mighty big "If". If they don't, Jet will need to hit that rail at the halfpipe to stand a ghost of a chance."
"5. Wave: She could win, if it wasn't for her attitude. She's going into the race dead last. She will have a hard time getting to the laser at the start. If she can cross the laser and still be in 1st at the start of the race, she might actually win this."
"6. Storm: He has the best chance at winning this for his team. Despite that dismal run, he still has that muscle and power to even take the flight out of the flyers. If he "grounds" the flyers, then Storm and possibly Eggman can blow the race away. I'll keep my eye on him."
"7. Shadow: He might be a great candidate to win, but the odds are stacked too heavy against him. Unless he flies, he might not win this one. Hell, he might not make Top 5 for that matter."
"8. Rouge: She is still shaken by not beating Knuckles' time. That will affect her in this race. She will be in 12th when the laser goes. If she can move fast enough, she might be the sleeper of this race."
"9. Eggman: This madman can win this because unlike most of the other racers, his gear is a bike type, not a board type. Though the Egg Punisher Gear isn't meant for flying, he can take advantage of the lack of air it consumes and that can be the difference in the race. Only Storm's Typhoon Gear consumes less air. Expect Eggman to make Top 3."
"10. Amy: She can't win this one. Her skills are mediocre and her speed is too slow for this track. Although her team's handling are superb, she is still far too slow for this track."
"11. Cream: She would be my pick to win, if her gear didn't lose so much air in the Time Trial. She can still make excellent strides for Top 3, but I can't see her winning this. Sorry Cream, someone is faster than you in the air and it's not Tails for once."
"12. Big: as good as a mechanic he is, his racing style is lacking for the track. My money is one someone else here. Expect Big to be at least in the better half of the riders today."
"13. Espio: Being the new kids on the block, he won't win this one, but you can expect him to be in the Top 7 of the bunch. His speed is remarkable, but his gear prohibits him to "Crash" the cars and use it for air. I really think that Vector and Charmy may have this one made."
"14. Vector: This should be a walk in the park for Vector. If Eggman screws up and makes "that" mistake, Vector might be in good shape to win this. Let's see if Vector is really, "The Truth".
"15. Charmy: This is his race. Unless something goes horrifically wrong at the start, I don't expect anyone to beat Charmy. He's my pick to win this race."
As Rico finished his notes for the race. The races took their places at the following positions:
1-3: Charmy, Vector, and Espio (5m)
4-6: Cream, Big, and Amy (10m)
7-9: Tails, Knuckles, and Sonic (30m)
10-12: Rouge, Eggman, and Shadow (50m)
13-15: Wave, Storm, and Jet (100m)
As the laser cross Team Babylon, everyone waited for the laser to it the start. As it hit the start, the racers readied themselves for the red laser…
Chapter 1: End