Disclaimer: I own nothing of Nintendo

Nintendo released the most anticipating news to the world just last week. The masterminds have decided to stage a Mario Kart challenge to participating teams around the world in an effort to restart the phenomenon. Create a team of eight, based off the characters available in the latest DS version of the classic game, and race your way through the brackets to win. The top two teams from each participating country will fly to Japan to compete for the grand prize of creating their own racetrack for the upcoming version of Mario Kart. Does your team have what it takes?

*PB*

He looked promising. George raced with force and brutality, as well as an occasional item at the end to ensure his victory. And occasionally, he won.

Mitchell glanced through more of George's uploaded races and hoped this guy would come through. He needed another teammate to ensure their participation in the tournament. However, with his rocky relationship with Jackie and he and Elliot's acquaintanceship, he remained without adequate assistance. He reviewed the first half of another race before checking his personal best on the Mushroom Cup. He wrote a private message to George with the details and sent it off.

He leaned back in his chair, preparing to take an early morning nap before starting his day of lounging around. Just as he closed his laptop and proceeded to his bed, the piercing voice of his mother cut the air.

"Yeah?" he hollered back.

"Do not 'yeah' me! You need to come down here and cut the grass before the guests arrive for the lunch today!" Mrs. Ferguson ordered.

"Guests?" he questioned, walking down the stairs to the living room. "It's Uncle Ray and Aunt Beauregard."

His mother shot him a glare as he searched for food. "Yes, but they are on your father's side and I know they go straight to your grandparent's house and inform them of whatever trouble they find here! You need to go and cut the grass and then fix up the backyard."

Stuffing a sandwich into his mouth, Mitchell walked over to the window in the living room. "What's wrong with it?" Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted in his lower back as he spun around to find an eating utensil lying on the carpet. "Did you just throw a spoon at me?"

"You cannot prove a thing. Now hurry and clean up the outside of this house because you need to get cleaned up before they arrive." She held out her hand, and Mitchell stared at the palm.

"Should I throw it back?" he inquired aloud.

His mother paused a moment before picking up the butcher knife and grinning at him. "I'm not sure; I may just throw something else."

Mitchell waited a moment before, debating her skills before placing the spoon in her hand and drinking the reminder of a glass of orange juice on the table. As he exited the kitchen, he heard his mother again.

"Mitchell?"

"Yeah, Mom?"

"I love you."

"Yeah, okay."

*PB*

Jason clicked another button his television remote, groaning as he came across another commercial. He gazed up at the clock hanging in the living room. 10:57 a.m. He groaned again, more at his boredom than anything else and stood up, leaving the TV on. He meandered toward the kitchen, pulling a soda from the fridge. He popped the top and took a drink. He ignored the phone when it rang, but then decided it might be his team and hurried to reach it on his nightstand.

He reached the cell only to discover Carlos Tacos on the caller ID and pressed the button to silence the ring. Jason paused a moment, took another drink, and reentered the kitchen.

He thought about recalling the phone company to recheck his status, but knew they hadn't. He'd been without Internet for a 21st century eternity, at least without easy access. He returned to his bedroom, throwing on his shoes and stuffing the phone in his pocket. He shut off the television set and grabbed his keys.

He drove for about fifteen minutes before reaching the Central Library, parking his car close to the door. He climbed out and locked his old vehicle, stepping toward the entrance. Upon entering, he was relieved to discover it close to empty. He took the stairs immediately and proceeded to the basement. Jason grinned at its abandonment and quickly entered the closed-off computer section. He pulled out a chair, turned on the computer, and slid the headphones out of his way. He immediately logged on to the tournament site, only to discover no one had messaged him. He hadn't even gotten a notification for a comment. Frowning, Jason scrolled to his profile and clicked first on Mitchell's profile link. He found that he'd left a comment on a George's wall.

Upon surfing to the unknown racer's profile, he was disappointed by his stats. However, he knew how much the competition meant to Mitchell, and decided to trust whatever secret plan he concocted. Remembering his diamond in the rough, he proceeded to Elliot's profile. It seemed like he hadn't updates since they met, but Jason noted his new advertisement as searching for racers with only one talent. He smiled as he continued to Jackie's profile.

His content faltered. Jason found two comments left from the last 24 hours: one from a Barbara, and one from a Cassandra. The first spoke about a private message sent. The second did as well.

Thanks for the reply. If you want, I can continue conversing with you, or you can speak with some of our other members. However, as I mentioned, we do need an answer soon. Thank you for your interest. – Cassandra

Jason leaned back in his chair, confused by the comment. He clicked on the link to Cassandra's profile and found she belonged to a team called Heroines. The team captain, Barbara, was most likely the same girl who commented first. But it seemed like they asked first, but then why would Jackie continue talking with them?

He shook his head, realizing that if she wanted to leave for a complete team she had every right to. He just couldn't imagine what would happen if Mitchell and Elliot discovered other teams. But at that point, there'd have to be a fourth team who would accept him.

Jason checked to see if Skype was already loaded onto the computer. Not finding it, he shut down the computer and rolled the chair away from the monitor. He started to exit the room when his phone started ringing. Quickly pulling it out of his pocket, he read his work number and answered.

"Hello?"

"Jason, so glad you finally decided to answer."

"What do you want Lillian?"

A short laugh escaped her mouth. "Is that anyway to talk to your new manager?"

Jason stopped, not quite comprehending. "My what?"

This time, she laughed wholly. "Your new manager. I've been promoted as of this morning! There were even corporate guys here to congratulate me!"

"I…" he fumbled over a choice of words, not quite understanding why she was so excited. "This contradicts everything you were threatening me with."

"Oh, Jason, not really. You see, now I get paid more to work less! And I personally know the new assistant manager, he's a good friend of mine. And as my first action as boss, I have decided that you will work open to close this Saturday, as our personal racer." Jason picked up her game and boiled with frustration.

"What is your problem! Okay, I officially apologize for making you postpone your date last week, now get over it!" Remembering where he was, he lowered his voice. "How long will you hold a grudge that didn't even affect you?"

He heard her sigh, but he guessed more from amusement than annoyance. "It's okay Jason, I forgive you." He banged his head against the wall, holding his tongue. "But this is more than that. I've decided that in order to bring more life into the grim and grime we work in we need to create some fun. I've decided to make you the subject of my fun." She giggled. "However, I do bore quickly, so I assume I'll keep you around until I'm done torturing you. Then I'll let you go."

"Let me go? Like fire me?" Jason demanded.

"Sure, that sounds good. Again, it's nothing too personal. I'm just bored and need someone to boss around. You were the first one to apply."

"You won't get away with this."

"On the contrary, Jason, I can. The assistant manager will be on my side, and I'll promise the other employees that I'll treat them just fine if they go against you if you try anything. I'm the boss, and what I say goes."

Jason sighed. "Fine, do whatever you want. I don't care anymore."

She faltered. "Well then. Just remember that your schedule has changed for Saturday. Be there by 8:30 a.m."

Jason hung up. However, he kept his phone open. Suddenly, going on an impulse, he searched through his contacts and called Elliot.

He answered on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Elliot, it's Jason. How's the search going?"

"It's going well. I think we may have found a Wario, but it's a long shot."

"Yeah, I saw that." Jason paused a moment, thinking over his thoughts. "Hey, do you think we should steer away from the 'only one' perspective?"

Silence arrived first. "Are you suggesting that as a means to complete the team faster?"

"Maybe. I mean, come on Elliot, we're running out of time. The first rounds of the city rounds are in less than 2 weeks. Should we continue acting this picky about our team?"

"Uh, yes!" he exclaimed, forcing Jason to pull the cell away from his ear, cringing. "You want to win, don't you? If we just throw together some average racers, we won't even pass the city qualifiers! If you want to continue on this team as, not just the captain, but as Mario, you need to up your game! Mario is the leader, and never questions anyone about what he should do. Make a decision and stand by it."

Jason nodded, understanding his speech. "Alright, Elliot. I know you're right, and as Mario, I think I can make my first decision."

Elliot nodded. "Good, good, what is it?"

"I don't believe Yoshi is necessary for this team."

Silence ensued.

"You know, wishy-washy leaders are what everyone loves, and so you should—"

"Goodbye Elliot."

Jason hung up, placing his cell phone in his front pocket. He turned around and restarted the computer. He had plenty of work to complete before work that afternoon. He logged on to and started up a search.

*PB*

Jackie laughed so hard she cried, listening to Cassie tell her stories of things Barbara said and what she expected the girls to wear when they reached regionals and nationals. According to the Daisy racer, Barbara acted like a princess trying to teach her maids how to act like royalty while knowing they'd never match her expectations. Jackie shook her head as Cassie finished another explanation of how the captain wanted everyone to wear dresses designed like their racers.

"I cannot imagine what she would have made a girl wear if she was racing as Donkey Kong," Cassie continued, forcing a disgusted sound from Jackie.

"Poor girl," she commented, getting a laugh out of them both.

After leaving her private message, Jackie had maintained touch with Cassie. They quickly grew friendly and opened up about both their teams. However, the more stories Jackie heard about the Heroines, the more thankful she grew for joining a team full of guys. Cassie, as she knew, exaggerated, but she doubted she remained far from the truth. Cassie realized early on that Jackie wouldn't leave her team, but it seemed like the girl had an ulterior motive for keeping contact.

Jackie shook her head again, smiling into the phone. She knew Cassie suspected something, but she didn't want to give anything away until she knew she could pull it off. She continued listening while she studied Cassie's ranks. Finally deciding to make her move, she picked up her pink DS. Scrolling through her own scores, she decided to make her move. She only hoped that Cassie would agree to take the test.

They talked for a little while longer before ending the call. Jackie immediately started composing the private message she intended to send to Cassie.

Okay, I think we should prove once and for all which princess is better: Peach or Daisy. Let's race the 150cc Star Cup to see who wins. Of course, I think it's obvious that I will since I'm racing as Peach, but I'm just curious to see how far below my score you'll be. Message me your answer.

Jackie smiled as she sent the message. Now all she needed to do was determine if Cassie was right for the team and then they'd have five racers. She logged off and turned off the computer. She checked her phone calendar and discovered that they had about a week to create the team. Jackie smiled as she grabbed her purse. They'd make it.

*PB*

Mitchell climbed the stairs to his bedroom wearily. The day had lasted far too long, and it was only three o'clock. His Uncle Ray and Aunt Beauregard had been pleased with the house and food, as they always were, and so his mother granted his the evening off. He really couldn't wait to move back into a dorm.

He thought back to his nap, and just as he fell asleep he remembered the Wario racer. Moaning, he turned his head to face his laptop. "Laptop, come," he called, hoping the computer would rise and float to his outstretched hand. He cursed the machine as it sat there, mocking his human abilities. He climbed out of bed and trudged to his desk. Flipping open the laptop, he loaded up the Internet and pulled up the tournament website. He found a message from George, but upon viewing his uploaded scores on his profile realized he wouldn't make the team.

He made up an excuse, similar to they would consider him, but he was free to continue looking for teams. Mitchell sent the PM and grew disappointed at their failure. If they didn't find at least another racer soon, then the team may not make it in time for the deadline. He didn't want to consider the possibility of dropping out before they started, but he found their options slipping away.

Suddenly, he brought his fist down on the table, quickly regretting the action when he heard his mother hollering at him. "It was nothing, Mom!" he shouted back. He knew they could make it. He, Mitchell Ferguson, would make this team unbeatable. Hell, he could win the tournament without a team! But he was too nice to leave the others behind, although he'd gladly welcome Jackie. He started to search through the players when he yawned.

Mitchell paused before closing the laptop. He'd just tell himself the same pep talk when he woke up in six hours.

*PB*

Cassie logged on to the website, eager to read the message from Jackie. Ignoring the notifications from Barbara and the other superstar Jessica, she immediately opened up her inbox. She grinned at the challenge, ready to dominate the track. She sent Jackie a text, informing her of her WiFi Connection name. Within seconds, Jackie responded back with a positive response, and the race was on.

The first race began with DK Pass. Cassie took a breath as her character appeared on screen in 7th place to start. Already she was above Jackie. As the countdown started, she held down the 'A' button as the '2' faded and took off with a boost, as did five other racers including Jackie. She drove through the curved, mountainous track at her highest speed, quickly reaching second place behind Toad and in front of Peach. Cassie veered to catch an item box and found herself with a banana. Cursing the draw, she drifted around another bend and easily avoided the tumbling rocks. As she turned again, she dropped the banana. Peach barely dodged but Dry Bones ran into the peel. As he spun out, Peach caught up to the two top racers. Cassie remained neck-in-neck with Toad, finally passing him as Peach seemed to materialize next to her cart. Grapping another item box under the tunnel, Cassie found herself armed with a green shell. She shot it behind her, knocking out Toad as Dry Bones ran into him. Cassie grinned and continued to drive.

Cassie won DK Pass in the end, with Jackie taking second, but they traded ranks when Jackie took 1st in both Tick Tock Clock and Mario Circuit. Cassie couldn't believe her place. She was currently in second, with 26 points to her name. If she managed to win the next, and Jackie maintained her spot behind her, they'd both score with 36 points. She wasn't sure who would win in the result of a tie.

The scene of the final track played on the screens. Airship Fortress was a simple track, which meant it be as easy for Jackie as it was for Cassie. She took a breath as the number 3 popped up on screen. She could see Peach's cart in the corner of her screen, and held down the 'A' button as the '2' vanished. She had to win this race. Just as the 1 disappeared, Daisy took off.

She glided down to the Bullet Bills, quickly turning through the tortuous path until she reached the flat plane with Rocky Wrenches. She dodged them with expertise skill and raced down the track with Peach beside her. She'd missed every item box so far but finally grabbed one near the flamethrowers, and found herself with a green shell. Just as Peach raced ahead, Daisy shot the item but missed by a hair. She frowned as she continued through the dash panel and immediately spun her cart as she raced down the tower. She turned sharply left and watched as Peach remained in the lead at the end of the first lap.

It was time to get serious.

Cassie pressed down the 'A' button to the point where she expected it to remain forever stuck in her blue game console. She raced past every obstacle with ease, hitting every item box possible and firing everything she found at the pink cart just ahead of her. Drifting around another corner, she dashed forward with a boost and found herself beside the princess, remaining that way until halfway through the third lap. Out of nowhere, a red shell hit Daisy from behind, causing her to flip over. Cassie cursed the fungus as she hurried to catch up, now with Toad ahead of her as well. She had one last chance to win with the last item box. She flew over the dash panel, knocking her cart into Toad's and passing him. She ran into another box and found herself with a red shell. She shot it immediately and watched as Peach flipped over in her cart. Daisy drifted around the corner and passed the finish line as Peach started up again.

She held her breath until the game announced she had won.

Cassie jumped up, cheering. She quickly calmed down, however, as it remained unknown who had won first for the Star Cup overall. She bit her lip as the results slowly arrived…

Daisy! Daisy had won based on the results of the final race! Cassie fell atop her bed, exhausted. She started rubbing her right thumb realizing how sore it had grown. Suddenly, her phone started ringing. She saw it was Jackie and answered immediately.

"Good racing, Jackie. I guess Daisy is the best after all!"

"Okay, I admit you won. But we scored the same points, so we're more equal than I thought." She smiled through the phone. "And Cassie, this race was a little more than a friendly competition."

The victor stopped short. "What do you mean?"

"How would you like to join the unnamed racers?"

*PB*

Jason left work close to eleven. He needed to continue searching, but the library was closed and he remained without Internet. His entire life was against this tournament.

Fortunately for the team, he was now completely supporting the tournament. After Elliot cleared his mind, he decided that he could pester his apartment manager to lend him a code to get into the office lobby after hours and use the computers late at night or early in the morning. He couldn't quite recall asking Mitchell to take over and now he was without a reason to why he had done it. He parked his car outside his building, and called Mitchell as he walked upstairs.

He answered soon enough. "It's a little late to call, don't you think?"

"You answered, didn't you?"

Mitchell nodded. "Touché. What do you need?"

"My team. I'm official captain now. Whatever story you told Jackie to convince you to follow you, go ahead and tell her I'm in charge again."

"Why can't you call her?"

"I figured you'd want to talk to her. But if you'd rather I called—"

"No, no, I got it!" he interrupted before he hung up. Jason grinned as he unlocked his apartment door.

"Good. Now she'll be angry with you for waking her up and not me." He threw his wallet and keys on the table beside the door and drifted to his room. It was time to sleep.