After a week of vigorous training, both Rick and Falcon entered together at the Cosmo Terminal, Trident. From the registration, Miss Killer was there, along with EAD and Chris. Also a mysterious machine that looked sleek with a red and yellow design and a O1 numeral entered the fray. The detective looked at each of his opponents with caution. The other machine, the Crushing Quasar, looked very similar to the Great Star, only having a black look with multiple white specs on it's body. Clank went over the altered stats on the contraption: the Quasar had the grades BAD, instead of the usual EAD, making its body strength very lethal. In fact, he could've sworn it was similar to the Black Bull.
So, that's what Black Shadow did to EAD's vehicle. Just like the Dark Star Dragon... he thought.
Feeling a hard hand on his shoulder, Rick snapped out of his reverie. "Oh, Falcon."
"We need to prepare for the race; do not let your training be in vain. It's known to be one of the most difficult due to the lack of guardrails. There are also multiple lanes which would give our enemies a chance to pass us. If not, destroy us. We mustn't fall off and it's vital to stay alert at all times, no matter what happens. The F-Zero Committee didn't put this on the legendary Diamond Cup for nothing."
This mechanical course was surrounded by hi-tech elevators which tied to the abyss. It was considered as the new method of transportation where it substituted the track elevator. The construction had reached a height of almost 50,000 miles, but because the budget was skyrocketing, the building process had it very rough. As such, the F-Zero Execution Project created this particular circuit inside the elevator itself.
Rick hadn't been in this much awe since he was in Aeropolis. The tracks were getting more serious and technologically advanced than the last. "They're getting really tumultuous now."
"No doubt." Falcon added.
"I suppose you all need a helping hand."
"No, we're fine. This course isn't for the young at heart and-Kate!" Rick was astonished to see her here. She made her usual pose behind the duo; they never even noticed her being in the roster, not even the Super Piranha. "What're you doing here?"
With a big smile she explained, "Why do you think, Rick? I'm here because I've heard that EAD is participating. I'd rather give up a thousand concerts to see him. Besides, I owe him that much after he saved my life and for visiting most of my gigs." Then her heart skipped a beat. "Is that...Captain Falcon..?"
He nodded, as bleak as ever. "The very same. We can't let Dark Million prevail. Especially since they have the Task Force under their wing."
"Your friends are a part of this?" she asked alarmed. "Even EAD?"
"Yes, Kate. He, Jody, Tanaka, and the doctor are still brainwashed by Black Shadow; Tinsel and her friends were able to save the lot of us."
Her face dropped. "Rick..."
He stepped closer to the songstress. "Kate, are you sure you still want to race with us?"
She paused for a few moments. She did have a lot of courage and a strong reason for showing up at the last minute. "I will. For the fate of EAD. I'm sure my Super Piranha would do well since it has the same stats as the legendary Blue Falcon." That made the bounty hunter blush a little. "Alright, Rick, I'll do it. I know you two will look out for me."
He grinned. "That's our job, Kate. We always will." he said, putting her mind at ease. Kate Alen would have to enroll since EAD was a valuable friend to her, if not the only one.
I hope the Booster Fire would pay off. Rick thought with a heavy doubt. Then, there was the signal and the exhilarating competition began as each pilot put their pedals to the metal.
There were three pathways and they overlapped a lot on this course. They always went up, down, and around the center path, which was a safe haven, along with numerous dash plates and pit areas across the track. There was also a long jump, and pilots could see the enormous elevator in the distance operating to the right.
This was built for true elites, something that literally separated the men from the boys, as several of the competitors were falling off left to right. It was mostly either due to accidentally falling off, or just constantly shifting from path to path. EAD never seemed to have a problem with it, as Lucy had predicted. Only seven cars were remaining by the final lap as they kept their cool and focused entirely on survival of the fittest.
At one time Rick was unfortunate ending up at the same lane as Miss Killer when she approached him.
Chris warned, "Rick, Luna Ryder is on to you! Be careful!"
She managed to push him off course, but luckily he was saved by an oncoming path beneath him. Out of nowhere, the Deep Claw boosted into Miss Killer and distracted her by an endless barrage of bashing, until Rick was lagging behind.
"Octoman. You sly devil!"
"I think I'll keep you octo-pied for a while, Miss Killer." he sneered. He continued on his annoyance.
"Keep ME octo-pied?! Why? Don't tell me you've turned traitor and decided to help them, did you?!" she said scornfully.
"Hell has no fury for you, Luna. That is what I'm doing! And I'm only helping out to return a favor to a special friend."
She automatically figured it out as quick as altering from road to road. "Tinsel... She convinced you to disobey orders and run away like a foolish coward!"
"I'm not running away, am I? Not anymore, I have my home planet and my family to save! What would Dark Million do for the likes of me?!" Obviously, this was the first and only chance to redeem himself; maybe then the Federation would get off his six.
They were at a tagging match. In a desperate attempt to catch up, while his lethal enemy was busy, Rick did the incredible stunt once more. "It's go time. Booster Fire!" He remembered the warning from Falcon on watching his acceleration timing. He caught up to the Crushing Quasar and Falcon never made a move. But...someone else did.
Luna made a quick glance and then a sinister move. "Moon Fire!" The Moon Shadow was engulfed in flames as dark as fuchsia could get. Octoman was lucky he was behind her as she cruised past him in an instant! She was heading directly toward her target, the Dragon Bird!
Through the rapid-spinning vortex, Rick saw another cyclone in a violet hue head straight for him. "Ah, no way!" Alarmed and nearly petrified he saw the death trap speed up. How is this possible?!
"Rick, you must watch out! Focus on surviving the race! I've warned you someone other than Black Shadow is likely to use it!" Falcon announced in the comm.
"Th-this can't be..!"
"Hurry! Evacuate to the other lane!" He did just that before Luna Ryder made her mark on the him! His machine almost lost its balance, and the two volatilities ended.
"Looks like I've met your match, Rick! Because of your treachery, you will perish!" she threatened.
"Miss Killer!"
"I owe it all to you, my love. As does Mr. BAD." On the third separate lane not much was seen through the black tainted windows, except his body giving out a shocking light blue tinge. He still had the wide load appearance, only he was completely shrouded in darkness. There were also some creepy outlines of turquoise surrounding him, and they were pulsating like veins. A sharp-pointed S shape replaced the Star on his belt. It almost looked as if he was glowing that same eerie light, even his eyes replicated that aura! He had on such a sinister expression, that he was sneering with his razor teeth always grinding. Because of BAD's programming on destroying all the pilots, including ones in the Task Force, his recklessness caused him, and the Quasar, to fall off!
"No! EAD!" Kate saw the fiasco just a few feet behind. She hardly observed it was caught by something after it fell for several miles. Falcon noticed the rash robot, so he immediately punched around the dashboard, and have him be saved by the Falcon Flyer! The maw opened as it brought in the Crushing Quasar, almost looked as if it ate it.
The Deep Claw caught up to Miss Killer. With a sudden nudge after he switched lanes, the mistress nearly fell, putting Rick in a state of panic, "H-Haruka!"
"Rick, concentrate! You got the homestretch ahead of you! Only worry about the race!"
"Falcon, I can't let her die like this!"
"Then, do you want to take her place instead?!" That shut his mouth by force. "Do not fret; we're at the finish line now."
Although, thanks to Octoman's sudden support, Captain Falcon won first, while the Dragon Bird went in second, and the Gazelle was in third. The audience roared wild with a standing ovation!
"I can hardly put this mind-blowing victory into words! The top five have achieved the quarterfinals!" Mr. Zero spoke over the calamity. "Captain Falcon takes the lead, with Rick Wheeler, and the Mighty Gazelle very close! The Moon Shadow and Hyper Speeder barely qualified. What a rush!"
"The Mighty Gazelle...Who is he?" Rick never heard of such a competitor this generic before. He was taken back by the unusual title. But it wasn't long until Falcon explained once the aggressive race ended. "What do you know of him?"
"He's one of the bravest, and the most unique racers in the circuit." Falcon explained everything, coming back to the original Grand Prix 13 years ago:
The Mighty Gazelle was named Roy Hughes, and he used to be human. He was the late father of Clank, and he once worked within the Galaxy Police. He was very exceptional in his field, and he was also into F-Zero racing after being intrigued from the video games he purchased for his kid. He had most of his body replaced after the Horrific Accident. Like Jody, he was half-human, half-cyborg. During his hospitalization, his wife was incredibly terrified from what he became, as there was hardly any of him left. Because of the divorce, and the fact he couldn't visit to see his son anymore, his life was nearly meaningless, until the X Grand Prix was close at hand.
The Mighty Gazelle was no longer afraid on taking chances on the track; not even another severe crash would stop him. He soon met Jody's long-lost brother, Andy Summers. Since then, they became close partners until his death during a shootout against Zoda. Then there was his own demise at Planet Forno in an infiltration of a space pirate transport run by that same maniacal monster.
Falcon first saw him emerge from a dark chamber.
"Run!" he persuaded him.
"Hey, you're Captain Falcon..." Roy was a man in his mid-thirties. He had brown skin, short, fuzzy, black hair, and a light mustache having a few grey hairs. He was wearing a tan overcoat as well.
"I didn't know you were still working undercover." Falcon said, making his occupant perplexed.
"I never met you. How could you know me?" He never had a chance to realize it was his old friend in disguise.
"Well, well, well." A screechy voice belonged to Zoda who leapt off the balcony. He confronted the man who just entered the main deck. "I'm disappointed in you, Roy. You had me completely fooled, but now I know you're a Galaxy Police spy!"
He immediately tackled him down to the ground, though Zoda never flinched. He just kept laughing at him.
"Roy, no!" Falcon shouted.
"Run, Falcon! Go for help! I'll keep-Agh!" Roy was shot by a loaded pistol equipped with a silencer. His chest began to bleed onto the dark purple tile floor, and he barely even moved.
Zoda aimed it directly in the bounty hunter's direction, "You're next Captain Falcon! This is why you should never try to be a hero."
"Go. Get outta here!" Roy struggled as he held down a button to a small remote, causing a sudden explosion that shook the hideout.
"My transport!" Zoda screamed. Roy managed to sacrifice his life as Falcon hurriedly escaped from the carnage! He never saw him ever again, even though Zoda undoubtedly got away with it.
Falcon heard some rumors circling around about Roy's condition. Only his cerebellum was the one thing that remained intact. He became a full-fledged robot for life and has been attempting to stay mobile and active during the F-Zero competitions, rather than resort to working at the Galactic Federation. Thus, this was when he earned the nickname the Mighty Gazelle. Little did Roy know that his son was involved in the war against Dark Million.
Rick was fascinated from the intel he attained all those years ago; he hoped that Clank would find the answers eventually and realize that his father is still alive, albeit not having the same appearance and motor skills. He then gazed upon his machine, the Red Gazelle. It was presumed that it looked similar to a wild gazelle leaping through the savannah. The body was definitely on the weak side, but it was no issue for him, as he's always risky. It did make up for it in spades with its incredible speed and average handling.
Falcon mentioned he may want to take on disaster rescue one day because of his unwavering heroism and courage.
Kate stormed in to the hangout. "Falcon! What was that thing that caught EAD?"
"It's my starship, the Falcon Flyer. It's a spacecraft designed for interplanetary travel. I just remotely summoned it to catch the machine he was in. He should be safe, but also shut down. From the impact, he may be unconscious right now."
She begged, "Falcon, please. I have to see EAD to make sure he's alright."
"I'll go with you. Can it hold more than two machines and passengers?" Rick asked.
"Of course. Follow me."
"What about the Gazelle?" he queried.
"We'll worry about him later. We could always contact him through the Federation." the champion assured.
Meanwhile. the appliance saw the group leave as he listened in on their predicament. At first, he just saw Dark Million's minions, and Black Shadow, as just mere opponents; however, since he heard they're up to no good, he'll do whatever it takes to protect Clank.
Inside the control chamber, Falcon led Rick, Kate, and Chris back to Earth. With the current threshold of the thrusters, they could make it within less than an hour. While she was watching over him, she became more anxious as she saw the comatose android still trapped inside the Quasar.
He abruptly came to, but he was not himself. His eyes ignited with that fiery turquoise color again and he burst out of the machine, putting the black vocalist in a state of terror. Hearing the scream, Rick, Beastman, and Falcon stormed to her side as he was climbing out.
"The syringe. We need the syringe!" Rick startled. Falcon ran to get the formula from the Dragon Bird's glove compartment, after he tossed him the key.
What the terrified pilots never knew was that Mr. BAD had an arm cannon at his right limb. It made a sound as the beam was charging up. He aimed the weapon straight to Kate, but Rick tackled her out of the way just before he made a clear shot! He immediately took out his ray gun, and the bullet ricocheted off his bulky figure. He fixed his eyes upon the nimble detective as he dodged every one of his attacks. The bullet holes left some type of little blue flame which dissipated after a couple seconds.
"EAD! What the hell are you doing?!" he cried, trying to talk some sense into the berserk bot. There was no response. Instead he kept at his assault. The phaser charged again, and someone took the blow! "Falcon!"
The wound pierced his left leg, luckily the small flame was put out after he knelt in pain. "No... You won't finish him off, EAD! Not unless you go through me!" Rick drew out his Glock again.
He braced himself for the worst, and Kate was still dead in her tracks. Then, the cyborg was able to hold him back. It was the Mighty Gazelle! He lifted him up with all the strength he could muster. EAD kept wriggling from his firm hold, until he threw him clear across the room. EAD's fat, Phazon-like exterior hit the wall, sparks flew from him, and down he went like a ton of bricks.
"Gazelle." Rick was impressed from that valiant deed after he unshielded his eyes.
"You should be safe now, Rick Wheeler. You, too, Falcon."
"Thanks, we appreciate that." The fallen pilot grimaced in pain as Beastman was trying to carry him to the sick bay.
"But...EAD." Kate had a loss for words, still shaken up.
"His memory chip has been corrupted by Black Shadow." the former Roy stated after he scanned him. "Codes need to be cleansed."
"But, will that erase his memory?" Rick worried.
"It may be possible. The Emperor of Brutality has done quite a doozy on him."
"Ergh, Rick." He noticed Falcon's arm was sloping over Chris's shoulder. "Take this." From his free hand, he gave him the needle with the sharp needle protected, as well as the key to the Dragon Bird. "You know what to do."
"I know, but I think I'll leave it up to Rodney on this one."
With the tainted data still inside him, the doc was EAD's only hope to restore his normal self. Full of doubt and uncertainty, Tinsel called Rodney saying they'll stop by the hospital as soon as possible. From the urgency in her voice, he knew it was an emergency. They showed up about ten minutes later, and Rick was by his side when they arrived next to the dormant android. Falcon was recovering in Port Town, and Beastman decided to wait it out with the other pilots somewhere distant. The attack in the Falcon Flyer really scarred him since this wasn't the norm with a feral animal.
She queried, "Rodney, I can't be sure about this. Can the formula really work? Even if it's someone who isn't human?"
He had nothing but a blank stare. It boggled his mind as well, but he was hopeful. "My dad made this for a reason; I strongly believe it can work on anyone. Human or not. Besides, don't androids have some organic qualities? They aren't just sheer machines, y'know." he responded confidently.
"This-this may be too easy." Rick muttered under his breath.
"But it's worth a try. I suggest we should use it." Kate looked up and smiled. Even she'd be willing to use anything to save the one she truly cared about.
The young physician did his business and was giving him a MRI. She, Rick, and Tinsel made some space as he proceeded with the syringe afterwards. Like his patients before EAD, he inserted it directly behind his neck, connecting to the brain. All they did was wait in silence. They heard some footsteps from behind, it was only Gazelle, Clank, Jack, and Lucy. They've all knelt by the stretcher, just wishing their friend would wake up as his old self again. Kate held his drooping hand in a tight grip and was close to crying as she recalled the last time she lost him, when he sacrificed his own life to save her from Zoda and the Death Anchor, before he was painstakingly reconstructed from the late Dr. Clash.
While the guys were waiting for EAD to reboot properly Gazelle looked at Clank for a few minutes, then walked away. After a brief period, he followed the strange robot to another corridor. "Hey, do you need something?" he asked.
The Gazelle zoomed in and analyzed the neckpiece the tech geek wore. He felt a buzz in his head as another memory came to him, when they were frolicking outside when the boy was only five. "Clank Hughes."
He looked up at him with his face full of doubt. "Yeah... How do you know my name? I know you were good around kids but-Hey, what're you doing with that?!" He took it off and scanned the moving pic in it. He stared at the scene where Clank and Roy were running together happily. "Um, Gazelle?"
He looked up and answered. If the metal wasn't covering his face, then onlookers would know how somber he was. "I am your father, Roy Hughes; I've waited a long time to see you again."
"How can you be my father?! You're just a robot!"
That statement shocked his circuits. He didn't know what to say since Clank uttered the same thing his wife shouted before she abandoned him.
"It's true, Clank. The Mighty Gazelle is Roy." Rick said as he followed them out.
"Rick...I can't believe it. How do you know that? Why does he have my locket?!"
"Allow me to explain." He reiterated everything he was told, from the accident before X, to the limb replacements, to his death at the space hanger. "Falcon told me he's your dad. He knew him personally before he changed completely. Only his brain survived, that was how he recognized you." He laid a hand on his shoulder. "He really isn't dead, Clank. He was reconstructed. Go to him." he smiled and motioned him over with a nod. "I'll be right behind you."
Clank stepped closer slowly to the cyborg as he climbed into the cockpit. He was about to leave, until- "A-are you...my father?" he stuttered.
Moments stretched onward until he made the confirmation. Needless to say, there was a tearful reunion. He remembered the warm embrace he adored so long ago. That alone was the key that he knew his father was present in his life, and he'd no longer be considered an orphan. The last thing Clank wanted was to be taken away to that accursed orphanage at Forno, where he was treated badly by the other children.
Rick couldn't be more happier as he sighed, "Together at last. I wish Haruka and I would do the same..." With one last, long look, he walked away, letting the robot and the kid catch up on lost time. Then, an idea struck to him like a lightning bolt. "What if..."
"Rick, it's EAD. He's coming around!" Tinsel called from the corner. He immediately followed her back. Just in time to see the android.
He opened his eyes, and they were in their normal, opaque hues, and his eyes and brows were squinty. He rose up immediately and took a quick survey. "Hm? Hmm? Where is this place?"
"EAD!" Kate was the first to go to him.
"Hm, oh. It's you, Kate."
"Welcome back, partner." Rick said.
"Great to have you here, at last." Lucy added.
"You literally gave us quite a shock there, mate." Jack stated cheerfully.
"We were worried sick about you. Is everything functioning ok?" Tinsel asked.
"I think so. But where are we? My memory banks can't recall this place."
"You're at my hospital, Mr. EAD." Rodney chimed. "I just did some tests on you earlier. You seem to be fine now."
"Hm? I don't remember you. Are you a younger version of Dr. Stewart?" the Italian robot queried.
"Actually, no." Rick shook his head. "He's Robert's son, Dr. Rodney Stewart. He was the one that applied the syringe to you, to clean the vile Black Shadow left."
"Black Shadow?! I was with Black Shadow, and Dark Million?" That certainly raised a red flag to him.
"We all were, EAD." Lucy pointed out. "Me, Rick, Jack, and Dr. Clash who..." She couldn't finish her sentence on Theodore's fate.
"We still need to save Jody, Tanaka, and even my dad from those evildoers. The Task Force has been brainwashed, just like you were." the high medico reiterated.
"How unfortunate..." the Mario-look-a-like became glum.
Kate grabbed his hand again. "EAD, I know this is a lot for you to process. But we're here. And we'll do whateever we can to fix everything. You won't have to be ashamed, we still need you. I need you, by my side." She kissed him on the cheek, which felt surprisingly warm on her lips.
He then smiled. "Sure, Kate." Hard to believe that an android would be capable of functioning as a mere machine, yet still possess traits and emotions from that of a human. He was the most unique friend and recruit the Galaxy Police had ever concocted.
"Um, maybe we should...uh..." Tinsel stuttered.
"Good idea." Lucy agreed, leading everyone away except EAD and the singing queen.
"Hey! I wanna see what's goin' on!"
"C'mon, Jack!" she pulled him by the ear.
"Ow, ow ow!" he yelped. Thankfully, the doors closed after Rodney was the last one out.
"I'll keep an eye on things from here. I'm sure EAD will be in good hands with Miss Alen." he said with confidence.
"You're the man, Doc." Tinsel praised.
"Just remember to keep the formula safe at all times. I'm afraid that my dad would find out soon. I'm not sure what I should do when the time comes."
"Don't sweat it. We got your back." Rick said.
"I'm counting on all of you, especially you and Tinsel."
"We'll do our best, even in the last two races."
"Good luck, everyone."
They all left the building in idle conversation, except Tinsel who hesitated and remained silent. She looked out at the sunset through a large window with a lush garden and fountain below.
Does love really rule the universe..? she thought, remembering Kate's famous song. Let's hope it does. I can't let the galaxy be shrouded in darkness. Her fist clenched in anxiety. I just can't! How much more punishment do we have to endure before Black Shadow is stopped for good, or when we get all of our friends back?!
She didn't even notice Rick calling her. "Tinsel, are you coming?"
"Oh...yeah. I'm coming."
He saw the uneasiness in her face. "Are you all right?" he asked in a coy manner. "Is something wrong?"
She denied it. "No, nothing's wrong." Tinsel marched on without looking at him. He knew in his heart there was some negativity building inside her. He began to get very concerned.
There were only three more pilots to go, and both he and she knew they'd be the toughest of all. She was very anxious and paranoid about the situation. Lucy told everyone via communicator to the Falcon Flyer earlier that the pilots in the top five had made it to the semifinals. Those being the Blue Falcon, the Dragon Bird, the Red Gazelle, the Hyper Speeder, and the Moon Shadow. The Deep Claw, the Great Star, the Elegance Liberty, the Wild Boar, the Mad Wolf, and other anonymous machines were disqualified, but she didn't mind the rejection. She said she was better off staying at base. Later on the team noticed the Mighty Gazelle would be more than willing to join them.
Much like how Rick presumed, he has been Clash's replacement, as a mechanic for the Task Force. He was able to make some repairs on EAD and convert the parts from the Big Fang to the other crafts, making them more durable for the next few races ahead. There were only a couple courses to go. Everyone was getting closer to the elimination round. The next challenge would be at one of the most fatal courses yet, Death Wind. And the Wonder Wasp would be there.
Some of Tinsel's friends understood her worry spot on. She told them once about Pico after he set a foiled trap to Tanaka, and when she and Rick failed to catch him. Zoda stole some of the data chips and he was on his way to Kate's concert in a Port Town cruise. During that time, Tinsel explained that Pico was not only a talented assassin, like Stewart said, but also an aggressive F-Zero pilot who drove the Wild Goose. In addition, the semifinals would be at Tortiz 3, the place that's rumored to be the birthplace of that "lean, green, killing machine," as she once called him.
With Tanaka, Stewart and Jody left, there was definitely no fooling around. She almost had an inclination that Tanaka may be the strategist and is planning to show up along with the rest of the crew on that particular course. Because of the constant tension, Rick had decided to train with Falcon one last time as soon as the hero recovers, before the Death Wind contest would take place within a couple days.
The Grand Prix was almost over, but what would it mean for Dark Million and the remaining Task Force members that are still imprisoned?
A/N: "One Ahead System" from GX plays here, although I'm not too crazy about it. I think after awhile, the "Web World War" from ReBoot may play here, as well. "Tatl and Tael" may play here after the Gazelle has realized his long, lost son.
The Crushing Quasar was something I was thinking of as an opposite to the Great Star's outlook. The Dark Star wouldn't work as it was already introduced in Bowser's Inside Story. So, I was thinking along the lines of a black hole of sorts, thus the name came to be. Of course the stats were rearranged to symbolize...well, bad; BAD were similar grades to even the Hell Hawk, itself.
I'm not really a huge fan of the Prime series, but I figured that having the Dark Samus look for EAD was the most effective concept. I know he was supposed to represent Mario, but I didn't want to go with the Wario approach since he wasn't very intimidating. So, I went with the corrupting Phazon embodiment.
I know the Gazelle sacrificed himself for Clank in the anime, and he was a part of Dark Million before that. But that idea was taken out. I still don't understand how Stewart was able to restore Roy's human body after six years. Still, I'm going to go with the portrayal of the Gazelle from GX, and he also sounds like him from that game as well. There are still some intel about Roy Hughes, but as far as the cyborg goes, I'll use the intel from the games.
Also, three Diamond Cup courses are featured in this story? Aside from the fact I'd never experienced them personally? That's a stretch. So, the semifinals are coming up; much like this Lap, the next one's going to take a lot of work. I sure hope my collaborators would help me out. The Task Force will deal with the Death Wind course while going against notable opponents like Pico and Tanaka.
