Author's Note: (Updated story on August 7, 2007). Hey, everyone...this is finally the penultimate leg of the race. It took a lot of work for me to get this chapter finished, but now that it is finally done, I am happy to say that TTYD2 is finished in terms of writing... This is only the calm before the storm...but what exactly happens to the four remaining teams during this leg? Who will be the final team eliminated? Read to find out, and please enjoy...
Review Answers:
SSBFreak: We shall just have to see who it turns out being, eh? I wonder if my thoughts are the same as yours, though...heheh...
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Loading the Memory Card in Slot B… The save file in Slot B has been loaded!
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Previously, on the Amazing Race…
Four teams of two boarded a charter bus that drove day and night back into the midst of the Naturfood region to Choco Island, in the middle of Darkmoat Lake. It was there that they discovered another twist to the race that would forcibly split the teams in two, preventing groups from seeing each other.
"'This is a Junctionleg. The teams will be split to accommodate certain paths that lead to the pit stop. You may only take from one clue box at a time; if you choose to switch, please replace all information and return to the proper clue box.'" To read.
Following the red route, allied teams Shimi and Waitress, and To and Too, found trouble with the Detour with their suffering endurance.
"Oh, this is killer on my legs…it's getting so hard to pedal…" Waitress mumbled. "By the time I'm done with this, I'm going to have the best thighs of all the Toad workers on the Excess Express…"
"Good for you. I don't even have pies, er…thighs! Yeah, that's what I meant to say…"
"We've got to pace ourselves, or else we'll never make it without having to take rests." To stated. "Sis, let me do most of the pedaling for a while. You rest."
"Alright…" Too nodded weakly, relaxing her legs.
Meanwhile on the blue route, the Glitzville guys took the Roadblock. Andy and Hamma both found it extremely time-consuming as a task, and the latter became very stressed out.
"Go for a strategic way around it." King encouraged. "Don't get all confused."
"Good idea…" Andy put the piece back onto the wall, making sure to press it in to make it stay. "I'll do it in rows…it might take a while, but I'm pretty sure I won't miss anything."
"You're taking too long, bro…you've only got one with writing on it?" Flare sounded. "That's pathetic!"
"Shut up, okay! This whole thing is luck-based, so I've got no control over it, hear me?!" Hamma retorted.
However, both male teams managed to pass the Roadblock before the allied forces could ride their tandem bikes to the top of Choco Mountain, and reached the blue route's own Detour. While Andy and King went for the more sports-oriented task and revealed Andy's lack of aim with a tennis racket, Hamma and Flare opted to get down and dirty.
"Just hit it pillow-like and let the tense threads do your work, dawg. Nuthin' to it." King said, bouncing one of the chocolate balls into the front row. It hit a Piranha Plant, causing it to shrivel back down into its pipe.
"I'm afraid it's all going to be on your shoulders…" Andy said apologetically. "My aim isn't helping me on this task at all…"
"…Aw, man…" Flare groaned. "Well, this could be a messy job…I'm not sure I'm gonna like this later on when we're waiting at the pit stop…"
"Whatever, worry about that later." Hamma instructed. "This is here and now. Besides, do we ever get to jump into chocolate pits back home?"
Leaping in headfirst, the two brothers immediately came up, their faces covered in the dark chocolate.
At the same time, Shimi and Too tackled the red route's Roadblock for their teams, which made them dive underwater to look for the valuable envelopes.
"Okay…I don't see a chest around here…did we search this part already?" Too asked.
"I'm not really all that sugar—er, sure…" Shimi mumbled. "Maybe we're swimming around in circles?"
A risky maneuver by the brothers sent them out in front of their rival homeboys…
"You're almost up with them, bro…just stay on their tail." Flare advised.
Shaking his head, Hamma chuckled. "Oh, no, I'll do better than that…you just watch."
Suddenly, the Hammer Brother made a daring maneuver—he passed the surprised homeboys by going on the left side of the street and zipped back into place right in front of them.
"What the heck?!" Andy stomped on the breaks and honked the horn as the brothers swerved in front.
…but the best friends struck back, keeping pace through the final task of the leg and reaching the pit stop at the same time as their foes. However, due to the penalty, Andy and King were checked in first.
Disappointed that they hadn't managed to beat their rivals, but content with the fact that they at least didn't lose, the brothers went to stand off to the side, leaving the homeboys to stand alone on the mat.
"Because of that…" Miles turned back to the duo. "Andy and King, you're team number one!"
Conversely, things started off sour between the allies in last place, who discovered that they would have to race against each other. However, their agreements to support each other overlooked the precarious situation, allowing for a friendly race to the pit stop without the risk of their alliance breaking. Shimi and Waitress somehow managed to claim the last safe spot, leaving To and Too in last.
"To and Too…as you know, you're the last team to arrive." Miles confirmed.
"We figured that out long ago, Miles." To joked.
"Just give us the news…and make it good, please." Too suggested.
Smirking, Miles nodded. "I'm pleased to tell you that this is the final of the three non-elimination legs, so you two are still in the race. However, I'll have to take away all of your money, and you won't be provided any by the race at the beginning of the next leg. Additionally, you're to start the twelfth leg with zero money to your name as you leave."
However, a reprieve allowed them to stay in the race at the cost of their money.
Homeboys Score Victory; Sisters Saved
Four teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?
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This is Choco Island, the source of over ninety-five percent of the Mushroom world's chocolate and chocolate products. It is located within the confines of Naturfood, in the same vicinity as Dairy Hills and Sugar Mountain. Within this large isle resides a wide variety of landforms, including a mountain range, lakes, rivers, tributaries, hills, plateaus, and plains. On the southern section of this grand atoll is Cocoa City, which sits on the very edge of the Darkmoat Lake, and serves as the capital residency of this important commercial center. On the outskirts of this town is where the Nutfree River flows freely into the lake, and on its other side, this small clearing that gives the clearest sea level view of the mainland. This picturesque location was the eleventh pit stop in a race around the world.
Teams checked in at the end of the last leg to take part in a mandatory pit stop that allows them to eat, sleep, and mingle with the other teams. The four teams waiting here have no idea where their next destination is, or what kinds of challenges await them. They must use a series of clues to make their way to the next pit stop.
After tying for a first place arrival with rival team Andy and King, but subsequently being forced out due to their penalty from several legs back, will Hamma and Flare make good on their vow to come back on this leg when it counts the most? Can To and Too pull out of last after being stripped of all their money? And exactly how will their allies Shimi and Waitress assist them to make it through what could potentially be one of the toughest legs yet?
Andy and King, who arrived at 9:01 A.M…"And a well-earned victory it is, dawg." King said, holding a thumbs up.
"Needless to say, we fought really hard to get this one…" Andy mentioned, his hand subconsciously reaching back to motion towards the brothers.
…will depart at 9:01 P.M.
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In the darkness of the night, all of Choco Island, even the white parts, somewhat, seemed to be made purely of dark chocolate, down to the mountains from the rivers. It was definitely a sharp contrast to how the area appeared to the eyes during the daylight hours, when all of the colors could be perceived properly, and it was even possible to see through the chocolate shards on the trees. However, in the clearing that housed the pit stop, all of the trees looked the same—a group of regular, honest-to-goodness wooden trunks with leaves huddled together.
The middle of the obstruction-free chocolate zone was the location of the mat, which stuck out like a sore thumb, due to its glow of light. Nonetheless, that small bit of illumination was hardly anything, even with the help of the moon and stars painted above in the sky. That's why the first team had decided to bring their headlamps out with them to start the leg.
Andy was once again back in his green robes, but there was a repeat appearance of the matching green jacket that went over them. Similarly enough, King was reusing his orange hoodie for this departure, also.
Andy & King: Best Friends- 1st to Depart, 9:01 P.M. (Nutfree River Clearing)
Noticing that the time had arrived and it was okay to open the envelope, King cued his partner with a shake of the finger. Putting his headlight into its strongest flash, Andy tore off the paper strip that kept the covering closed. He slid the Route Info out from the wrapper.
"Here we go…" Andy said, clearing his throat. "'Drive yourselves to Choco Harbor and enter into Cacao Airport. From there, board a flight to Neon Heights, and travel by taxi to the monument, "The Statue of Liberation," where your next clue waits.'"
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Author's Note: Like in TTYD2, Legs 2, 7, and 9, this part of the race features an area that was used in the Mario Party series as a gaming board; in this case, Neon Heights is from Mario Party 7. The same clarification goes here—the game board is considered only a small part of the actual city, so teams will be visiting an area that has many of the same kinds of things that were seen on the board in the game.
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Teams must now row back across the Nutfree River to their marked cars, and drive themselves 3 miles back to the main commercial location of Choco Island, Choco Harbor. They must then enter into Cacao Airport and board a flight that will take them approximately 7,576 miles to the large city of Neon Heights. This sprawling urban metropolis, comparable to Mushroom City in terms of size and appearance, is famous for being the origin of nearly all movies that enter into Mushroom world theaters, and serving as the home to countless numbers of beloved actors, actresses, and sports players. Once in this important entertainment district, teams will need to travel by taxi from Starshoot International Airport about 5 miles to reach this stone work of art in the middle of town, the Statue of Liberation. Created many years ago as a symbol to the Mushroom world's truce to the end of its ongoing wars, this monumental figure now sits in place, watching the peaceful times pass from its aged, weathered position atop its stand. It is here that teams will find their next clue.
"'Three teams have 128 Smash coins for this leg of the race; one team has zero.'" Andy concluded. "Alright, pal, gimme the news. How're we doing in terms of funds?"
King held the Smash bill up to the credit card and watched the money fly in. "Ain't lookin' too bad, dawg…got a good one an' fifty or so goin'. Bad thing comin', though—that big city charges crazy rates on yellows, so we might get depletion later on."
"You serious?" Andy raised an eyebrow. "Neon Heights is rich and famous as it is. Why would they need to charge so much on taxis?"
"How'dya think they got there?" King quizzed.
Understanding what his friend was getting at, Andy laughed and shook his head.
"It comes down to this leg to determine exactly who's in the final three, and I'm pretty sure we're definitely going to be there." Andy stated boldly. "But then again, it's easy to say it…we actually have to do it, and actually accomplishing that will probably take quite a great deal of effort from both of us. But, it's happened all too often that I'm the one dragging us down in tasks, like in the previous leg…and the leg before that…we can't afford to lose now just because of me struggling at doing something. So, this time, I'm definitely not going to screw up—we're making it into the final three whether everyone else likes it or not."
With their headlamps turned on bright to prevent them from bumping into anything, the two friends maneuvered their way through the path back to the Nutfree River, where the four canoes had been haphazardly parked the morning before onto the shore. They quickly located the one that they'd used, and hopped in, grabbing the oars. Then, they rowed across the large river.
"You think we'll make it through this one?" Andy asked hesitantly, as if even he didn't believe that there was a doubt about it.
King paused for a moment before responding. "Certainly think we will, dawg. All you gotta do is believe…we got a good shot, and it ain't bein' wasted."
The canoe reached the other side of the river, and the best friends jumped out. They walked up the small hill and across the street to the lot where their and the brothers' cars were parked, and got in.
"You see our flight out on the map?" King asked.
"Yeah." Andy replied, watching as the KP Koopa backed out in the darkness and started to drive forward. "I think the best route is going to be basically to follow this road all the way out of Cocoa City until we can find the side street that leads to Choco Harbor."
"Got it." King nodded, holding a thumbs up in view for his partner to see.
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Cacao Airport, like the rest of the buildings in the town of Choco Harbor, had been forged out of chocolate material—the bricks, the structure framework, even the lights were made out of the sweet stuff (not sure how the last one would exactly be possible). Unlike most of the major public buildings, however, it was still running pretty smoothly; the occasional airplane could still be seen flying in to a stop on the runway.
After navigating the streets, the frontrunner team arrived at the main parking lots of the airport. The two team members hurriedly clambered out of their 4 by 4, pulled their backpacks from the trunk, and headed towards the nearest doors.
Andy & King: Best Friends (Cacao Airport, Main Hall)
"Doesn't look like there are all too many workers hanging out tonight…" Andy mused, looking around. There were hardly any people behind the counters. "Think we should go for one of the agents, or the computers?"
"I say the agents first; they got the scoop." King chose.
"Alright…"
The two approached one of the information counters that was still being manned. Looking up from her game of Solitaire, she quickly shook the hair out of her eyes and tried to look decent.
"Hi, can I help you?"
"Uh…yeah…as a matter of fact, you can." Andy said, looking at the Toad. "My friend and I are looking to get to Neon Heights, and we need to get on the fastest flight you have."
"Fastest flight to Neon Heights…sure thing," the Toad woman responded, starting to type into her computer and clicking the mouse a few times. "Okay. There's nothing leaving tonight, sadly enough, but there are some flights leaving tomorrow morning."
"Name 'em off." King said, taking out a notepad and pencil.
"Mushroom International 380, leaving at 7:30 A.M. and arriving at 5:40 A.M. World Flyer 42, leaving at 6:45 A.M. and arriving at 5:00 A.M. Koopa Air 903, leaving at 10:20 A.M. and arriving at 9:35 A.M. Cloud—"
"Is there anything you know of that's earlier than World Flyer's arrival?" Andy interrupted.
"Anything earlier than World Flyer 42…" the Toad repeated, searching the screen. "As far as I'm aware, no. That appears to be the fastest thing we've got."
"Perfect." Andy nodded. "Thank you very much. Do you know if they still happen to be open tonight?"
Tapping her head with her pointer finger, the Toad woman tried to think. "I'm not really sure…I think that most of the agents have already left. You can go see if you would like."
"Thanks."
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Hamma & Flare: Brothers- 2nd to Depart, 9:31 P.M. (Nutfree River Clearing)
Once again, the two brothers were clad in their respective green and red hoodies. Their helmets were fastened tightly about their heads.
"We've gotta make up for lost time now." Hamma stated, opening the Route Info. "'Drive yourselves to Choco Harbor and enter into Cacao Airport…'"
"Somehow, those two minor leaguers lucked out and beat us in the last leg. We're getting back at them on this one. It's just too bad that there aren't any Yields or anything back here, because if it were the last one, we would've saved it to use on here. I hate to say it, but Andy and King are our main threats in this competition." Hamma admitted. "They've gotta go…it'd be so much easier on us to know in the final leg that they're out of our hair when we're fighting to overcome that final penalty."
"128 Smash for us…the sisters got none." Flare commented, depositing the money into the credit card. "I seriously think we should try and help them so they can get through, and the minors will come in last."
"They've got their support coming in from Shim-stress." Hamma waved dismissively. "Besides, if we just focus in on taking the minors out ourselves, those weaklings can get by just enough for our rivals to be eliminated."
"Well, alright." Flare shrugged.
Walking back to the Nutfree River, the two rowed back across in their canoe, abandoned it, and headed back to their marked car.
"Tell me how to get to Cacao Airport." Flare commanded, slamming the car door.
"The best route should probably be heading down one of the side streets…"
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Andy & King: Best Friends (Cacao Airport, World Flyer Counter)
"Nope…they're closed for the night." King observed, seeing the empty desk. "Guess we just chill here 'til the birds chirp, dawg."
"Yeah…it's our only viable option." Andy agreed. "Though, I don't think we should stick around just to clue the others in on our flight."
"Let's get elsewhere in a hurry, then."
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Cacao Airport, Main Hall)
"The place looks closed down. We should just sleep here so we don't lose any time tomorrow morning." Hamma suggested.
"I guess." Flare muttered, dropping his backpack on a nearby chair.
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Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers- 3rd to Depart, 9:47 P.M. (Nutfree River Clearing)
Somehow, Shimi had on a perfectly tailored red jacket that perfectly matched his brownish body color. A blue baseball cap with the inscription, "Fish Swim, You Sink!" rested on top of his head backwards, with the bill facing back. Waitress was wearing jeans, a regular white T-shirt that had the words "Ideal Girl, Idol Woman" written across the chest, a purple jacket, and oddly enough, a bit of glitter in her hair, which was back in the duo ponytail.
"Let's wait for it's time for them to open before we do." Waitress suggested, motioning towards the sisters, who were standing off of the mat.
"Now that we're on the second-to-last leg, it's more important than ever for our alliance to hold strong and fast. We have to support the Toad girls with everything we've got, since they have no money, and this next leg is the deciding factor in who goes on, and who doesn't. I really hope that both of our teams make it." Waitress explained openly. "But if Shimi and I end up being the only members of the original alliance that end up moving on, that's okay…we'll have three teams rooting us on."
Moving off of the world map, the train employees allowed their allies to get on.
To & Too: Sisters- Last to Depart, 9:48 P.M. (Nutfree River Clearing)
Going for simplicity this time with their apparel, the sisters were merely wearing matching respective pink and green T-shirts and jeans. To's hair was done back in a pair of two pink braids, while Too's locks were left to hang down freely. In spite of the lack of feminine touch that they usually had, the two seemed as bright and bubbly as ever, optimistic even in spite of their situation.
"Well…everyone has 128 except us." To remarked.
"Make it 64." Shimi said, transferring said amount from their credit card.
"Are you guys sure you still have enough?" Too asked worriedly.
"Don't agonize on it." Waitress shook her head. "We still have over a 100. It's you that we're worried about."
"Neither of us are really sure on how we should get back to thanking Shim-stress on this…they helped us out quite a bit over the course of the race. But to be sharing money, that's like pretty much saying 'We want you guys to be able to race against us in the final three.' Of course, we know it's true, but seriously, when would you even see anything like this on such a race?" Too asked rhetorically. "It's pretty unheard of…but we're lucky to have worked together with such friendly allies. That's why we're not wasting a single coin they give us."
Heading over to the two remaining canoes, the allied teams rowed back across Nutfree River and got back inside of their marked vehicles.
"We call lead to the airport!" To informed, leaning out of the window.
"Wouldn't have it any other day." Shimi smirked, bending his fin like a thumbs up.
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Shimi & Waitress / To & Too (Cacao Airport, Main Hall)
Upon entering the airfield, the four immediately passed by the already-asleep Hamma and Flare, who were taking up several seats on the row, sleep bubbles protruding from their noses.
"Looks like the Ham-bros. aren't having any problems…" Waitress rolled her eyes, while To and Too giggled.
"I say we search on their computers for what we can find." To suggested.
"Just like the old days." Too added.
Andy & King: Best Friends (Cacao Airport, Tourist Center)
Just as they were getting ready to turn in for the night, the homeboys noticed two other teams quietly moving towards the Internet café.
"They're going to search for flight options on those computers again…" Andy noted. "Hopefully if they find the same one that we got, the Ham-bros. will be blocked off…"
"Wishes can always come true." King shrugged.
Shimi & Waitress / To & Too (Cacao Airport, Main Hall)
After quite a bit of extensive searching, the two teams had finally stumbled upon the information they needed.
"Not too many seats left on World Flyer 42…seems like we have a good shot for this leg." Too remarked, reserving two pairs of tickets.
"That's a relief." Shimi stated.
"Yeah. Well, we better head over near that counter and check things out…if there isn't anyone there, we'll just have to sleep in front of it." Waitress muttered.
5:30 A.M.
In the dim early morning, the sun's corona began to show its first signs above the Naturfood region. Upon the arrival of light, employee cars started to pull into the parking lot of Cacao Airport, as ticket agents began to take their places for the long day ahead of them. Needless to say, seeing a party sleeping in front of his counter was somewhat of a surprise for a certain one of the agents…
Shimi & Waitress / To & Too (Cacao Airport, World Flyer Counter)
It had only taken a matter of minutes for the group to freshen up; after doing so, they bunched in front of the counter.
"Good morning, sir…we'd like four tickets for World Flyer 42 to Neon Heights, please." Waitress requested.
"Closest seats to the front of economy class if you can." To added.
Typing into his computer, the Koopa nodded absentmindedly and got to work printing the boarding passes.
"Alright. Here you go."
(Shimi & Waitress- 1st on World Flyer 42)
(To & Too- 2nd on World Flyer 42)
"Awesome." Too said, distributing the tickets among her friends.
"Cool jeans!" Shimi exclaimed.
The Koopa looked down, a red blush immediately flushing across his cheeks.
"Wha—but I'm not wearing jeans today, I'm wearing my boxe—"
A sweat bead appeared over the Koopa's head as he looked up to find a sheepish Waitress awkwardly covering Shimi's large fish lips, To and Too giggling like crazy behind her.
Andy & King: Best Friends (Cacao Airport, World Flyer Counter)
"Great…there are still spaces left for us." Andy breathed a sigh of relief. "I forgot that the other two always do their reservations over the computer…they might've taken our only chance to get on this…"
(Andy & King- 3rd on World Flyer 42)
"Sure is good, eh?" King turned to the agent. "'Bout how many more ya got on economy, dawg?"
"Uh…only two more free spaces," replied the Koopa.
"Awesome…" Andy murmured. "That's not enough for them and their recording crew…we got this now."
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Cacao Airport, Main Hall)
"So you're saying the fastest flight to Neon Heights is World Flyer 42, right?" Flare repeated.
"Yes, it is," replied the Toad woman (a different one from the night before that Andy and King had dealt with, however). "But I'm afraid that there aren't enough seats for all of you."
Hamma slammed his fist down into the palm of his other hand. "Dang! I knew we shouldn't have fallen…GRAH!"
"Bro, shut up! We can still try and get on standby!" Flare reminded. "Those girls got lucky back a few weeks; we could repeat it, too!"
Succumbing to his brother's pleading pulls, Hamma allowed himself to be dragged along the ground, up the escalator, and across the second floor.
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Cacao Airport, World Flyer Counter)
"Oh, come on! We need to get on this!" Flare growled.
"Er…sorry, sir…" the Koopa grimaced. He knew that if he wasn't going to at least try, things could get ugly…judging by the Fire Brother's tone of voice. "I-I'll put you on standby, b-but nothing c-can be guaranteed…"
"I know that, stupid." Flare hissed, leaning closer over the counter. "Listen. This is to us, a life-or-death situation. Do your best to get us on this flight."
Sweating heavily, the Koopa slowly nodded.
"Oh. And don't even think about calling security. We'll be staying out of your way." Flare added.
Moaning, he nodded again.
"Flare, quit wasting your time! If there's no way we can get on this flight, we'll just have to reserve tickets on a later one before it gets full up, too!" Hamma ordered. "Come on!"
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Andy & King / Shimi & Waitress / To & Too (Cacao Airport, World Flyer 42 Flight)
"Well…this is pretty familiar…" Andy remarked, noting that the flight was now behind schedule. "We haven't even taken off yet…"
"Bet those guys stood by and're on an agent's tail." King suggested. "Good enough reason for me."
"Heh, I guess…"
"They must be freaking out right now…" To murmured, overhearing the conversation going on behind her. "At least it's not us this time, right?"
"Definitely…that had to be the scariest thing ever." Too agreed.
"The closest flight to ours arrived like forty minutes afterward." Waitress recalled. "If they have to get on that one, we probably know that we're safe…there's no way we could lose enough time for them to actually gain a considerable lead."
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Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Cacao Airport, World Flyer Counter)
To make a long story short, the Koopa finally called the two up to the desk and handed them a set of tickets.
"Y-You're on…you just might want to hurry t-to the terminal…the pilot is waiting…" the Koopa said nervously.
(Hamma & Flare- Last on World Flyer 42)
"All right!" Flare shouted, pumping his fast into the air. "Thanks, guy!"
"Now we got our shot to kick some minor league butt!" Hamma exclaimed.
Plowing their way through security, the two brothers ran in a full-fledged sprint for the terminal that hosted their plane.
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Andy & King / Shimi & Waitress / To & Too (Cacao Airport, World Flyer 42 Flight)
"We apologize for the inconvenience, but the problem we had has now been fixed, and we will be departing shortly. Thank you for your patience," came the voice of a female over the intercom.
"Sounds like they were either defied or accepted…" Shimi muttered.
"You mean 'denied,' right?" Waitress corrected.
"Er…yeah! That's it! 'Defied!'"
The sisters giggled again as Waitress slapped her forehead.
"Looks like the gang's all here…" said King.
There, standing in the aisle with their backpacks, were a tired Hamma and Flare. They made their way over to their seats, and with the help of a flight attendant, loaded their luggage into the overhead compartments before sitting down.
"That…was too close…" Flare said, his breath steadying as he regained his composure.
"Yeah…but we're still in the running." Hamma smirked.
The brothers looked over at the homeboys. A silent 'glad-you-could-make-it' type of conversation started brewing in their eyes.
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(World Flyer 42- Departing at 6:54 A.M.)
As the eight racers settled in for another long period of travel, they started preparing themselves by plotting for strategies. They all knew—this one was where it counted.
This is the sole flight carrying teams from Choco Island to Neon Heights, scheduled for brief stopovers in both Cheese Land and Vegetarianville. Aboard are all four teams—best friends Andy and King, brothers Hamma and Flare, train coworkers Shimi and Waitress, and sisters To and Too.
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When not viewed in its nighttime splendor, Neon Heights looked vaguely different. The lights that would normally be flickering in the dark were all off. Very few cars were roaming about the streets in the morning radiance, so activity seemed much slower than the norm that could be seen at its peak in the evening hours.
Like the rest of the mega city, Starshoot International Airport was relatively slow in the buildup to the daylight. Only a small handful of people were walking around inside, and hardly even any employees were there. The very first plane of the morning pulled into the runway with the few personnel that were actually there.
(World Flyer 42- Arriving at 5:38 A.M.)
Running late by about half of an hour due to its late departure and extended layovers, the flight finally connected to the airport terminal, allowing its passengers access to an exit.
Shimi & Waitress / To & Too (Starshoot International, Terminal S7)
"Hurry, we've gotta be first to grab taxis out of here!" To urged.
The very first to get out of the plane, the allied teams dashed through the connection hallway, backpacks frantically bobbing side to side as they ran.
Andy & King: Best Friends (Starshoot International, Terminal S7)
Emerging next from the airplane, the homeboys quickly took chase after the frontrunners, knowing that they didn't have much time on the last place duo.
"We can overtake 'em! Come on!" Andy advocated.
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Starshoot International, Terminal S7)
"Crud! Last out!" Hamma shouted, stepping out into the actual terminal.
"They all went in that direction!" Flare pointed. "Keep movin'!"
Shimi & Waitress / To & Too (Starshoot International, Taxi Queue)
Materializing from the airport in first, the two teams were quick to interview the two closest taxi drivers to the entrance.
"Sir, we need to get to the 'Statue of Liberation,' fast as possible, please." Waitress requested.
"You do know how to get to the Statue of Liberation, right?" Too inquired.
Upon receiving affirmatives from the cab drivers, the two teams hurriedly shoved their backpacks into the trunks and jumped in.
Andy & King / Hamma & Flare (Starshoot International, Taxi Queue)
A wrong turn by the homeboys resulted in the two Glitz Pit teams coming out of the airport at the same time. However, they ignored each other as they checked out the remaining cabs.
"We gotta get to the Statue of Liberation, dawg." King informed. "Faster you go, the better."
"Whatever you do, don't let that cab in front of us beat you—pass them whenever you find the opportunity." Hamma carefully instructed.
Somehow, the brothers loaded in and sped off first, making Hamma's direction null and void as their rivals left behind them.
-----
As a monument in memory of the Mushroom world's vow to peace, the Statue of Liberation was definitely an admirable piece of work. It was built upward in a spiral fashion, with various famed items clustered around the sides like a tornado of fame—a Mushroom, a Starman, a Fire Flower—numerous things littered the spiraling structure right before the earth itself was placed at the top.
Due to the statue being located in a grassy field, there was no problem in accessing it—the first taxi pulled up to the curb, followed shortly by the second. Their occupants hurried out and took care of business before running over.
To & Too: Sisters- Currently in 1st (Neon Heights, Statue of Liberation)
Grabbing an envelope from the clue box, To tore it open while Too tossed one to their approaching allies.
"'Make your way to Technician's Tower.'" To read.
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers- Currently in 2nd (Neon Heights, Statue of Liberation)
"'Locate your next clue in the front lobby.'" Waitress finished.
Teams must now make their way 6 miles to this 15-story building, known as Hollyshroom Set Construction, but informally as Technician's Tower. This office structure's main purpose is to create, provide, and supply the various sets of Neon Heights with the equipment and background pieces they order for their diverse creations. Here, in the lobby of this tall tower, teams will find their next clue.
"Aw, no! Our taxis are making their getaway!" Shimi pointed over at the retreating cabs.
"We'll just have to hurry and find some others." Too stated. "Hurry, I think I see the other teams coming up fast!"
As the foursome hurried off to attempt grabbing two more passerby taxis on the opposite side of the field, another taxi pulled up to where they'd disembarked.
Hamma & Flare: Brothers- Currently in 3rd (Neon Heights, Statue of Liberation)
"Dang, that's an expensive ride!" Flare complained. "Are we going to even have enough money to make it?"
"Forget the money!" Hamma said, shoving the Route Info into Flare's face. "Read!"
"Gah, alright, alright!" Flare brushed the paper off. "'Make your way to Technician's Tower. Locate your next clue in the front lobby.'"
Noting that the others were having a hard time trying to get attention from the few cars patrolling about, the brothers smirked.
"We just got a leg up on the competition, telling our driver to stay." Hamma commented. "Come on!"
By the time the brothers were safely back in their cab and dishing out information on the next destination, the last team taxi parked.
Andy & King: Best Friends- Currently in Last (Neon Heights, Statue of Liberation)
"Stay here, 'kay?" Andy requested.
The Big Bandit rushed across the field to meet up with his partner in front of the bust.
"Where are we going, King?" Andy asked curiously.
"Technician's Tower. Ever hear of it?" King questioned.
"Nope, can't say I have. We'll learn about it soon enough."
Hastening back to their taxi, the homeboys wasted no time in getting in.
"Next stop, Technician's Tower." Andy stated.
Shimi & Waitress / To & Too (Neon Heights, Statue of Liberation)
It was several minutes after the departure of Andy and King's taxi until another familiar cab even passed by. The group quickly hailed it down.
"There's not enough room on this one for all of us…oh, great…" Waitress sighed.
"Yeah, and there are also very few cabs even circulating around town at this hour." To added.
"How about if you guys take it?" Shimi suggested.
"What? Us?" To repeated.
"No way. We couldn't do that." Too shook her head.
"After they lent us money for the leg, there wasn't any way we were really going to let them force us into using the taxi that easily." Too remarked. "I mean, they already sacrificed their money for us…would it really be such a good idea to sacrifice their chances as well?"
"One of us needs to get a lead and try to catch up with them." Waitress pointed out. "Seriously, we can't waste time arguing over this; just get in!"
Sighing in defeat, the sisters loaded in their bags and hopped into the taxi.
"Technician's Tower, please." To directed the driver.
"Are you guys really sure about this?" Too asked.
"Yes, don't worry about it." Waitress said impatiently. "Hurry up and go!"
"We'll find another taxi to confide in." Shimi reassured.
A bit after the sisters had disappeared from view, the Excess Express employees spotted another taxi and tried to hail it down, but to no avail—it was full. However, shortly afterwards, they discovered another one that was empty, and hopped in.
"Let's just hope we didn't lose too much time." Waitress murmured.
-----
Technician's Tower appeared to the untrained eye just as any old regular office building that would be found in an ordinary city. However, there were a few exterior differences that made it notable, including the wide automatic front doors, the extra space in front of said doors for large trucks to park, and the drab coloration. It was as if there had been no attempt made for the building to stand out; it was just a humble area for sets to be built.
The first of the taxis parked in the small overpass in front of the automatic doors, and the team jumped out after paying and retrieving their bags.
"We're probably coming back, so please just hang around for a bit."
Storming the front lobby, the team quickly stumbled upon the clue box in front of the desk.
Andy & King: Best Friends- Currently in 1st (Technician's Tower, First Floor Lobby)
Ripping open the envelope, Andy took out the Route Info.
"'Head to the top floor and choose one of the marked tables. You will be required to assemble fifteen wooden walls for a replica before you can receive your next clue.'"
Teams must now partake in one of the tasks that most Neon Heights workers have more or less done at least once in their careers—building props. After choosing one of these marked tables, teams will be shown an example of a small amphitheater replica, and the parts used to build the wall. They must then don gloves and proceed to glue together the wooden sticks needed to duplicate enough pieces for fifteen walls. Once that is done, teams will receive their next clue.
"Alright…sounds pretty easy, dawg." King stated. "There are the lifties!"
Running over to one of the elevators, the best friends patiently waited for one to come down and pick them up. Although Andy initially somehow met a problem stepping in with his backpack, they both were able to board and push the buttons for the top floor.
-----
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Techno Power Disco, Main Entrance)
"What? Are you sure this is the place?"
"Positive. It's where you told me to go."
Standing there dumbfounded as the taxi sped off, the brothers' eyes traveled over the sign above the building in front of them.
"Aw, crud! We got dropped off at the wrong place!" Hamma cried, kicking the ground with his boot. "What kind of stupid mistake was that? I was perfectly clear when I said where we needed to go!"
"Why the heck is good help so dang hard to find these days?" Flare queried to the open air. "That was a waste of time and money!"
"Well, come on! Don't just sit there; we gotta get another taxi to take us to the right place!" Hamma ushered.
"I'm goin', I'm goin'!" Flare responded irately.
It took a bit, but the angry brothers finally managed to capture the attention of a taxi and get it to stop.
"Technician's Tower!" Flare barked. "Step on it!"
-----
Andy & King: Best Friends (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
Exiting out from the elevator, the best friends stopped upon noticing that they'd entered into a room that appeared to be making a set for a school play of some sort—the colors were vibrant and happy, and everything was made out of cardboard. They spotted the marked tables and chose one to work at. A supervisor quickly hurried over to them.
"You're here for this task, right?" the Toad asked, receiving affirmative nods. "Good, good… Okay. This is pretty simple. You see that small amphitheater here at your workstation?"
The two friends looked over to their table, which had a small theater with an approximate one-foot radius sitting there. It was painted, but upon further inspection, it was possible to see that it had been crafted out of wood and adhered together with nails and glue.
"You're going to have to build fifteen of the walls exactly like those, except no nails—just glue. You've been provided with the dimensions and the assembly structure you need on the posted paper there…" the Toad pointed his pencil towards a sheet on the workstation. "…And you'll be able to use as much wood as you need, cutting it with the tools you've been provided. Any questions?"
"Nope. We'll get started on it right away." Andy assured.
"Good. I'll leave you to your work."
As the Toad shuffled away, the homeboys gave their paper a good look over. It listed the materials needed (which was basically just wood and glue), the dimensions of the sticks, and how to glue them together.
"I think we oughta cut 'em all first." King suggested.
"Great thinking; that's exactly what I was planning." Andy revealed.
With a smirk, the two rushed over to the supply of wooden boards, which were extremely long, but only about a fourth of an inch wide and an eighth of an inch thick, and grabbed some before heading back to their station and picking up the rulers and scissors.
To & Too: Sisters (Technician's Tower, Entrance)
Upon getting out of their taxi, the sisters paid the driver and rushed to the trunk to grab their backpacks. Unbeknownst to them, however, when inputting how much money to withdraw from their credit card, they had slipped up on one of the numbers, and handed over ten more coins than they should have. It didn't seem like much to the driver—he definitely noticed, but didn't say anything as he drove off. However, their credit card's fund had quickly dwindled down to less than a third of what they originally had.
Not realizing their mistake, the girls ran through the doors into the lobby and spied the clue box.
To & Too: Sisters- Currently in 2nd (Technician's Tower, First Floor Lobby)
"'Head to the top floor and choose one of the marked tables. You will be required to assemble fifteen wooden walls for a replica before you can receive your next clue.'" To read. "Wooden walls? That doesn't sound too bad…"
"I just hope it doesn't take too long." Too murmured.
Heading for the elevators, the Toad girls pressed the button and waited for one to take them up.
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers- Currently in 3rd (Technician's Tower, First Floor Lobby)
"Building walls for a replica…that sounds just great for a task." Waitress sighed. "I don't know anything about construction work…"
"I'm sure it won't be too sad." Shimi assured. "Let's just check it out."
Sighing again, Waitress shrugged. "Well, alright…"
Like the teams before them, the workers took an elevator to the top floor.
-----
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Neon Heights, Discord Avenue)
Riding along in their taxi, the brothers angrily stared out the windows at the passing scenery.
"This is just so wrong! I bet we're in last because that stupid other driver took us to the wrong place and wouldn't even listen!" Flare growled. "We cannot be going out this leg!"
"If we got lucky, one of the other teams might have taxi problems." Hamma stated. "It should hopefully give us enough time to catch up and possibly even get a lead."
"I hope so…" Flare responded.
-----
Andy & King / Shimi & Waitress / To & Too (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
In the work area, the three teams were busily trying to reconstruct the fifteen walls at their workstations. The homeboys had already cut all of the wood they had needed, and the other two teams, taking the idea that the friends had already used, were also cutting all of their wood into pieces at one time.
"Er…this glue is really sticky…" Andy muttered, shaking one of the pieces off of his glove. "Why couldn't they just provide us with regular old wood glue instead of this stuff?"
"It sticks to ya like a cactus…prob'ly the whole point of the challenge to waste the ticks." King replied, prying one of the small sticks off of his own glove.
"Yeah, well, it's kind of annoying." Andy added, pressing the group of sticks together before gluing on a small brace.
"I sure hope that we can get this done quickly…" To murmured, making several marks on a long stick with a pencil and ruler.
"The Ham-bros. aren't here yet." Too mentioned, cutting at her sister's marks. "That's a really good sign for us."
"Yeah, but how long until they actually get here?" Waitress asked from the adjacent station. "We have to capitalize on this lead before they manage to catch up. Shimi, the scissors, please."
"Here you go." Shimi said, placing the scissors near his partner's hands. He then got back to work using one of the bigger cutting machines to slice the wood, several sticks at a time.
-----
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Neon Heights, 31st Street)
"We're approaching Technician's Tower," announced the driver.
"This better be the right one this time…" Flare muttered peevishly.
-----
Andy & King / Shimi & Waitress / To & Too (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
At this point, the best friends were still holding onto their lead, having created eight of the miniature walls, while the other two teams had only just started piecing their wooden structures together. By the looks of things, cutting the wood in groups had allowed Shimi and Waitress to pull ahead of the sisters, but only slightly; the girls were making up time by working with their fast hands.
"This thing keeps on getting stuck to my fin!" Shimi exclaimed, shaking the glued stick off of his gloved appendage. "How do builders work with wood if materials flick—er, stick to them like glue?"
"They don't work with this type, that's for sure…" Waitress muttered with disgust. "If they did, they'd fall behind on their work schedules."
"Okay, so it's five sticks per wall, and we hold them together with another two pieces of wood…we should glue them together first and then mark for the braces." To decided.
"Alright…" Too nodded, and started to group the large pile of long sticks into fives.
"Hopefully the others will dry in time for them to be presentable when we're done…" Andy remarked, brushing more glue onto the stick he was holding.
"Don't worry…by the sights of things…they dry instantly." King replied dryly, pulling a stuck stick from his glove.
Hamma & Flare: Brothers- Currently in Last (Technician's Tower, First Floor Lobby)
"Looks like that driver was right on the money." Hamma stated, taking an envelope from the clue box. "We're in the right place."
"Yeah, and I think we're last." Flare retorted. "Just read it so we can catch up already."
Rolling his eyes, the Hammer Brother opened the Route Info. "…Blah blah…okay. We apparently have to build some walls out of wood on the top floor…but it'd be so much easier just to knock some down…"
"Tch, right." Flare agreed mockingly.
The duo hurried over to the elevators.
Andy & King / Hamma & Flare / Shimi & Waitress / To & Too (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
As another elevator arrived and opened on the top floor, only a select few turned to look.
"Well, they're here now…" Waitress noted. "Shimi, we need to pick up the pace."
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Shimi assured, holding a wall together while it dried.
Walking over to the workstations, the brothers were left to go with the only remaining open one, which was fortunately enough, on the opposite side from the rival homeboys. Seeing them, the Toad instructor quickly rushed over from his work near a set that was currently under construction, and started sputtering out the explanation.
"Only three more…" King mumbled. "We got this, dawg…they all just gotta be up to standards."
"When it's made of wood, I'm not sure how 'high' the standards for a model are." Andy replied modestly, motioning towards the example sitting in front of them.
"But look at the detail." King reasoned.
"Whatever…we're not woodcrafters, bud." Andy wiggled his finger. "Let's just stick to the simple walls, alright?"
"You know it."
"Quickly, sis! If we keep on letting these things get stuck to our gloves instead of to each other, we're going to lose too much time!" To said fitfully.
"I'm on it!" Too declared, placing the marks on a slab of five sticks before slapping on their braces. "But we can't rush, though—or else we might have to do some over."
After about a minute, the Toad supervisor was finished with his speech and hurried back to his work, leaving the brothers sitting there.
"Um…all right…I guess we get started, then." Hamma muttered. "How much wood do you think we'll need?"
"I don't know…let's just cut as much as we think we should and then come back for some more later!" Flare suggested haphazardly.
Using the large slicing machine, the two brothers were able to quickly measure out their sticks and cut them in groups, and in no time, were back at their workstation, piecing the twigs together. Conversely, over at the best friends' table, Andy put the finishing touches on what he hoped to be the fifteenth completed wall.
"Okay, we're done!" he exclaimed.
"Some help over here!" King added.
This got the attention of the supervisor back. He quickly walked over, scribbling a few notes in his notepad, before stopping to look over all of the walls. He even had to place the pencil on his cap and the notepad in his pocket as he carefully handled each and every wooden flat, checking to make sure that they had been made correctly. When he was satisfied, he put the last one down and nodded.
"Your task here is complete," the Toad stated, presenting an envelope from his jacket.
Andy & King: Best Friends- Currently in 1st (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
"Sweet! Thanks, dawg!" King exclaimed gratefully.
"Seriously, thank you." Andy reassured.
The two went over and pressed the button for an elevator. Upon stepping into the doors of an arrival, they then opened the clue.
"'Detour. "Super Route" or "Act It Out." How will you go about the city?'" Andy read.
A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. In this Detour, teams have a choice between two activities commonly done by actual actors and actresses that work in the filming industry. "Super Route" and "Act It Out."
In "Super Route," teams will take on one of the side jobs of performers, commonly done as extra money, testing for companies, or practice stunts for the actual set. They will have to utilize several different power-ups to deliver three packages at three points at the very edges of the city. To do so, they will be prohibited from using vehicles, and instead, will be forced to access an unlimited wealth of different items that can help them clear the many obstacles that stand in their way, including tall buildings, lakes, and the cars driving in the streets. They will need to travel 4 miles to the Power-Ups Delivery Agency to obtain the trove holding their items, as well as the three packages. After receiving the signatures of the three recipients, they will need to bring the clipboard back to the building, where they will receive their next clue.
In "Act It Out," teams will actually tackle the task of the famous numbers of performers that produce films in Neon Heights. First, they will have to travel 8 miles to this well-known place: Battlestroke Studios, the filming center that spawned several particularly successful movie series when in its prime. Here, they will be allowed to dress up in as many genuine clothes as they want before they head out onto the set, and perform one of the race's actual few "non-100 percent guaranteed-safe" tasks—playing improvisational roles in a 5-minute action short of their choice involving various themes. With no set script to adhere to and real effects going on around them, the teams' only mission will be to play their parts and remain safe. If they manage to pull it off, the directors will hand them their next clue.
"Aw, this is such an easy choice." King shook his head skeptically.
When the elevator doors opened with their trademark 'ding!' both team members stepped out.
"'Act It Out!'" exclaimed Andy and King simultaneously.
Heading outside, the two managed to flag down a passing cab, since their previous one had already left.
Hamma & Flare / Shimi & Waitress / To & Too (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
"Great…now they're out in front…that pretty much eliminates our chances of not having them in the top three…" Flare muttered regretfully.
"We still have a chance to at least ensure that we're in it, bro." Hamma reminded. "And we're gonna take it."
"Right on!"
While the brothers were still quite literally 'stuck' on their first two walls, things were running along a bit smoother for the other two teams, who had gotten the gist of it. They were keeping a relatively even pace—Shimi and Waitress stood at eight, while To and Too were on their seventh.
"We really have our work cut out for us on this one…" Waitress muttered. "This is really irritating to have the pieces keep sticking to your hand…"
"We're executing it correctly so that the head falls off!" Shimi exclaimed.
"…What? What does that have to do with anything?" Waitress asked, eyebrow raised.
"…Did I just say something sheared—er, weird?"
"…No." Waitress responded. "…No, of course not…why would you do that?"
"We might need to re-glue some of these…" To mumbled, fumbling with one of the walls. "The sticks don't feel like they're bound together…"
"We'll have to do it in a sec…once we're done, we can get actual confirmation on which ones." Too suggested.
"All right. Sounds like a good idea…"
-----
Andy & King: Best Friends (Neon Heights, 2nd Street)
"I'm betting that one of the other teams will be calling that supervisor over to them any minute now…" Andy mumbled. "We can't afford to relinquish our lead now. You think this guy's going the right way?"
"Certainly hope my money'd be on the mark, dawg." King responded.
Nervously looking out the windows at the morning streets behind them, the homeboys only stole a glance at the driver, who was struggling with a GPS system.
-----
Hamma & Flare / Shimi & Waitress / To & Too (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
"Just two more!" Shimi called out. "We're nearly done!"
"Shimi, hold on…" Waitress muttered, shaking a wall off of the side of her hand.
"We gotta speed this up if we want to catch up with them…" Hamma mumbled nervously. "Come on, bro…"
"I can't!" Flare snapped.
"What're you talking about? Yes, you can!" Hamma shouted.
"No, we can't. We need to get more wood!" Flare pointed at the workstation, which was full of messy wooden walls.
"Argh, for crying out loud!" Hamma growled. "Well, don't just sit there! Let's go cut it!"
"Almost done…" Too announced, holding another wall together before setting it aside.
"Good…hopefully we'll be able to break away from the brothers, then…" To whispered.
"DONE!"
Looking up, the supervisor hurried over to the finished team and quickly examined all of their wooden walls. He gave them a small smile and dropped a clue envelope on their table before rushing back off.
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers- Currently in 2nd (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
"I guess that means we're done." Waitress stated, tearing off the gloves. "What's it say, Shimi?"
"'Detour. "Pooper Flute" or "Bile Doubt." How will—"
Waitress quickly snatched the Detour folder out of her partner's hands and read it over.
"Actually, it's 'Super Route' or 'Act It Out.'" Waitress corrected.
"Good luck, guys! We'll catch up with you as fast as we can!" To assured.
"Alright!"
The Excess Express employees rushed into the elevator and selected the button for ground floor.
"Which one should we do?" Shimi queried.
"…Oh. My. Gosh. I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE IN A MOVIE!" Waitress screamed exuberantly. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! We're SO doing 'Act It Out,' even if it's just a lame-brain action clip!"
"…Let me confess…you would've wanted romance?"
"How'd you know?"
"…Lucky guess."
As the elevator doors opened back up, an elated Waitress literally skipped towards the front doors, singing merrily along the way. Shimi murmured something about "girls" under his breath before flopping to catch her outside, only to find she'd already claimed a taxi.
"Come on, Shimi! We can't waste any time!" Waitress exclaimed, heaving her partner into the cab by the fin.
"Whoa!"
Hamma & Flare / To & Too (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
"It's just them against us now…we've gotta catch up, or else we're dead!" Hamma muttered roughly, slamming the sharp edge down against the set of sticks.
"Okay, we're nearly there." Too said, holding together the second-to-last wall.
-----
Andy & King: Best Friends (Neon Heights, 44th Street)
"Y'know…I've always wondered the differences between Glitz fame and movie fame…" King muttered.
"I'm not too sure they'll televise footage of us doing a few stunts or anything." Andy replied.
"Yeah, but…ever think 'bout what we do is real?" King continued. "Usually, actin' in those is fake…I think."
"…Even if it is, remember what the folder read, though?" Andy reminded. "Eheh…it's not just play-acting for this one…and I'm not looking forward to ending up in the hospital."
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers (Neon Heights, Spangle Avenue)
Inside of the taxi, Shimi simply stared in disbelief as his jumpy partner kept on talking about her childhood dreams as an actress. He'd already tried to get her to stop several times before she blabbed to the cameras, but of course, since they were always filming (merely edited), it was no use.
"…and it was always a dream to play a princess in one of those giant castles with those awesomely tall towers!" Waitress exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with glee. "I wonder what kind of prompt we might get for this action scene, because if it's one where the prince picks up the princess and runs for a fire or something, I'd be happy to oblige…"
"…Out. Of. Character." Shimi said bluntly to the screen.
-----
Hamma & Flare / To & Too (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
"This is getting really irritating…" Flare grumbled, shaking a stick from his glove. "What kind of stupid glue is this…"
"I have no idea, but if this is what they use in actual movies, I'm surprised the actors don't sue." Hamma remarked.
"Done over here!" To called out.
Walking over again, the supervisor quickly checked the girls' walls. However, his expectant smile went upside down into a frown as he tapped his pencil on three of the pieces.
"Need to be re-done. Do them over."
"…I saw that coming." Too sighed. "We need to cut more wood now."
"On it."
-----
Battlestroke Studios, the filming center famous as being one of the top five recognized production zones in Neon Heights, was a building shaped oddly like a spiked battalion. The fortress had a very imposing look, most likely used to discourage break-ins. It was pitch black on the outside with silver spikes, and the entire mass seemed to just sprout out from the ground. The large glass doors in the front opened inward to the rest of the area, which was split into an outdoor and indoor set of rooms.
A taxi pulled up to the front of the studio, and the occupants excitedly jumped out after paying the driver. They then grabbed their backpacks and headed inside, following the arrows until they reached a group of four buildings separated from the main building section by open ground.
Andy & King: Best Friends (Battlestroke Studios, Outdoor Sets Entrance)
"This is Battlestroke Studios? Pretty sweet joint, dawg," remarked King.
"I like the scenery of this place…follows a strict, but awesome theme." Andy agreed.
"Hey, what's this…"
Upon closer inspection of the doors, it was revealed that each doorknob had a small placard hung around that had a brief description of the action short. Immediately, the homeboys pounced upon the first door, which read, "Extreme demolition! Dodge the exploding cars! Enter here!" written in bright, bold letters.
After reading smaller print at the bottom, King slipped the string off of the handle before opening the door, which led into a changing room with two stalls. Located on the ground between the two was a box overflowing with appropriate clothing for the occasion; both guys spotted several bits of snazzy wear that caught their attention.
"Whoo-wee…this is gonna be fun!" Andy rubbed his hands together.
Throwing off their backpacks, the fighters dove into the box, pulling out accessories and articles to change into.
-----
Hamma & Flare / To & Too (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
"Five more! Come on! We can get this!" Hamma encouraged, brushing the glue onto the wooden sticks before pushing them together.
"I know, I know! We're gonna make it!" Flare answered.
"Okay, I think this is good."
"Let's try. We're done over here!"
Looking hopeful, the Toad supervisor hurriedly rushed back over to the girls' workstation to check on their three new walls. This time, he nodded his head and produced an envelope from within his jacket.
"Good fix."
To & Too: Sisters- Currently in 3rd (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
At the same time that the worker walked back to join the hectic crowd on the other side of the room, the Toad girls pulled on their backpacks and opened the envelope en route to the elevator.
"'Detour. "Super Route" or "Act It Out." How will you go about the city?'" read To.
"Acting or making more deliveries?" Too stated, pressing the button for ground floor. "Definitely…"
"Acting!" chimed the sisters in unison.
"We've made enough deliveries on this race already…I want to have some fun on an action set, especially now that we're in the big bad glamour town itself!" To exclaimed.
"Exactly!"
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
"Argh, dang…we're still in last!" Flare commented, slamming his fist on the table. "Well, we're friggin' not gonna stay here! We gotta get some time on at least one of them to take our rightful place in the top three!"
"We will! Just quit yakkin' to the camera and start gluing!" Hamma ordered.
The twelve wooden walls that the two major leaguers had constructed seemed stable enough—the liquid glue had dried, showing that they'd pretty much put glue all over the sticks in a feeble attempt to get them to stick together no matter what. Luckily, they were all stuck at the correct edges instead of in some wacky way that would've surely resulted in do-overs.
-----
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers (Battlestroke Studios, Main Entrance)
"This place is so cool!"
Skipping along eagerly, Waitress whistled as she bounded through the halls of the main part of the studios, receiving strange looks from staff members and actors/actresses alike. Following behind her (and struggling to keep up) was a panting Shimi, who was panting exhaustedly from having to jump with the weight of the backpack, especially at a speed to try and keep up with his giddy partner.
By the time the Cheep-Cheep reached the exit to the outdoor area, Waitress was already at the entrance to the four separate sets across the grounds, scanning the three remaining descriptions. When he'd finally made it across, she'd already made her selection with a door that had, "Saving from the furious battle! Man saves woman—preferably a coed team to work with, please!" scribbled on the card.
"Oh, this looks like fun!" Waitress shrieked. "Come on, Shimi!"
"Whoa!"
Before Shimi even blinked, he'd been pulled into the changing room, and his backpack had been thrust off. Waitress flung the contents of the box about the room, grabbing certain items as she went, somehow selecting certain things without even looking.
"…Still…out of character…" Shimi remarked. "She really spares me sometimes…"
Andy & King: Best Friends (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 1)
"Wow…you two boys look perfect to play this part! You sure you're up to this, though?"
"Positive!"
"Sure am, dawg!"
"Good…here's a small idea of what you gotta do…" The Snifit director handed over two small slips of paper. "It's nothing especially concrete…basically in a nutshell, you're just dodging those cars in the most insane way you possibly can…showing off, being flashy, the like. Just gotta stay alive while you're doing it."
Smirking, the two guys looked at each other with excited grins. If it weren't for the clothing choice, it would've been hard to even distinguish who they were. Andy was decked out in attire entirely different from that of a normal Big Bandit—a dark green bandana around the head, a black skull-and-crossbones T-shirt, scratched up black pants, and sneakers. King was even more unrecognizable—his yellow shell had been swapped out for a black one (presumably NOT explosive like that of a Nokobon), a white tank top and black leather jacket outside of the shell's underside, fake nose piercing, spiky choker, and heavy-duty boots. One could just look at the two, compare the looks to the original, and come up with one solution: over-exaggerated gangster.
"Alright…get out there, boys! Have fun, but try not to get run over! We don't got any of that magic safety to keep in compliance with the rules…besides, it looks less realistic."
Rushing out onto the open 'street,' the best friends fervently eyed the cars waiting around them at varying distances from down the sides of the set.
"And…ACTION!"
Almost immediately, one of the vehicles jolted alive and started rushing the duo. In response, Andy cart wheeled out of the way, while King spun to the side on the rounded part of his changed shell. The car zoomed harmlessly past and rammed into a 'streetlight' on the side, crushing it into a hunched figure of twisted metal. However, just as that occurred, a van and a truck started roaring down opposite sides of the intersection, set to collide where the homeboys were standing.
"Looks like we're in for quite a workout!" Andy exclaimed. "We're gonna have to move around a bit for this!"
-----
To & Too: Sisters (Neon Heights, Famed Road)
Watching the scenery pass by in the safety of the taxi, the sisters patiently sat in the back, fastened down by seatbelts. The green-haired Toad girl leaned over to her sister after taking a look at the credit card.
"This doesn't look too good, sis…we hardly have any funds left…it's hardly even enough to cover the cost of this ride." Too informed. "After this one, we might be too low on cash to get another taxi to take us to our next place…"
"Really? That's no good…" To mused. "We'll come up with something, I hope…"
-----
Hamma & Flare: Brothers- Currently in Last (Technician's Tower, Top Floor Work Area)
"YES! THANK YOU! NO DO-OVERS FOR US, BABY!"
As the supervisor gratefully walked away to rejoin the crowd of builders and workers, the last-place brothers slipped on their backpacks and opened the clue on the way to the elevators.
"This Detour sounds pretty fast…we can do a 5-minute short in no time." Hamma decided.
"Yeah, but I bet all the good stuff was taken by the other teams…" Flare said flatly.
"Especially those stupid minor leaguers…"
"ESPECIALLY those STUPID minor leaguers…"
"…We have no other choice, though…it gives us a set idea." Hamma reasoned. "Doing the other one doesn't guarantee anything in terms of time."
"Yeah, I know. We just better not get some crappy part to work off of." Flare shook his head.
-----
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 3)
"…Oh my gosh…I hope nobody sees me in this…I didn't want to have to cross-dress just to play a part!"
"…SHUT. UP."
An apologetic Paratroopa shrugged his shoulders as he handed over the prompts to the two coworkers. Humorously, it appeared that to take part in the plot planned for the set's action theme, the man was required to be bigger than the woman, so the two were forced to switch roles—Waitress looked stunning with a covering of black lightning bolts hiding her pink hearts and her purple hair messily done into a spiky, yet handsome, do that stuck out from all sides of her hat, especially the front. The act was even more convincing with her in a black and white tux. On the other hand, Shimi…was wearing a bride's gown…complete with white lace, frills, flowers, and puffs.
"This was such a tad choice!" Shimi fumed. "I don't WANT to be wearing a dress!"
"…It's either this or take another prompt, sonny…take it or leave it," responded the director.
Waitress sighed. "I don't like this, either…I have to CARRY you!"
"Are you implying that I'm FAT?!"
"No, it's just that I've never had to carry you before…especially not in a MAN'S clothes!"
"Actually, a tux isn't just for men, you know, girl…" the director cut in. "As a matter of fact, my second cousin, she often wears—"
"You carry heavy trays all the chime…whatever, let's just do this and get outta here!" Shimi pleaded.
"As you wish…"
An annoyed Shimi and Waitress strode out into the middle of the set—the interior of a humongous cathedral that had been prepared for a ravishing wedding. All around the pews, actors and actresses were dressed nicely in fine clothes…but they were armed with books, plates, and…wedding cake?
"…If I get hit with one piece of that stupid cake, so help me…" Waitress grumbled.
"And…ACTION TIME!"
Shimi leapt into Waitress' arms, and the female dressed like a groom took off running down the central aisle, swerving to avoid the flurry of hymnals, paper plates thrown like Frisbees, and slices of creamy wedding cake that went flying by, overhead, and underfoot. She tripped over a slippery puddle of cake that had fallen onto the carpet, and fell to the ground. Immediately, the nearest crowd of 'angered' attendees closed in and started flinging gobs of wedding cake at the grounded Toad and Cheep-Cheep.
"…What kind of deranged set IS this?!" Waitress demanded, disgustedly wiping icing from her face. "Why I oughtta…"
"You can't fight back, remember?! Just stick me up and get out of this circle!" Shimi responded, opening his mouth to swallow a wedding cake piece that was thrown at him. "…This was poorly made…"
Andy & King: Best Friends (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 1)
"Look out behind you!" Andy shouted.
Scrambling to get out of the way, King leapt into the air to dodge the incoming car, just as it plowed into the building set behind him, releasing a brilliant flash of fire.
"Thanks, man!" King exclaimed. "Though I think it's gotta be you lookin' out next, yo!"
Seeing no other alternative way out, Andy was forced to crawl over the windshield of the van that had nearly slammed over him and jump to safety as it collided with another incoming truck.
"What's with their aim?! Are they TRYING to kill us?" Andy asked incredulously.
"Of course not…what makes you say that?" the director whispered sheepishly. "Boys, you've got only half of it left to go…you can do it!"
-----
To & Too: Sisters (Neon Heights, 46th Street)
"We should be coming up close on Battlestroke," stated the driver.
"Okay, thank you!" To called out through the glass panel. "You were right…we only have just barely enough to just cover the fare on this ride…"
"This doesn't look good, does it…" Too bit her lip.
"Hopefully we'll come across some sympathetic people somewhere…" To murmured. "I hate to beg, but we really have no other choice…"
"Yeah…"
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Neon Heights, Sequin Street)
"Dangit, can't this old guy go any faster?!" Flare muttered impatiently. "We're in a race, and here he is, going UNDER the speed limit…"
"Tell me about it…this is ridiculous." Hamma groaned. "Hey, old man! Hurry it up, will ya?!"
"I'm going as fast as this speedy cat will go, my boy…"
"…You know what…" Flare slapped his forehead. "Turn off that camera. I've got some…bargaining…to do…"
Somehow, the Fire Bro got access to the power switch of the recording camera, but left the sound recording mic on. The next few seconds were filled with squeaked, whistled protests, angry shouts, and the noise of fireballs flying through the air and hitting metal walls.
-----
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 3)
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
Using Shimi, the fishy-in-more-than-one-way bride, as a battering ram, Waitress knocked a few surprised actors out of the way as she ran for the cover of a church column.
"Maybe if I destroy some of these deserts on the table, I can get rid of some of their ammo!" Waitress plotted, spotting the nearby line of tables covered with numerous other foods that did not include wedding cake (which was already scattered all over the floor).
"Make sure you get some of that pudding! I wanna fry some!" Shimi motivated.
Somehow, as Waitress swept her partner over the tables on the reception area of the chapel, Shimi knocked a lot of the food off, meanwhile getting some of it into his mouth.
"Don't waste food!" Shimi added brightly.
Apparently, although the groom-bride combo wasn't allowed to fight back directly against the provoked-for-an-unknown-reason crowd, the destruction of the food was entirely appropriate; the filming crew was eagerly eating it up.
"This duo is a natural, mac!" the director hooted, bent over with tears coming out of his eyes as he laughed. "Make sure you get a close up on that girl—er, the spiky guy's face as the food is cleaned off before the janitors come!"
Andy & King: Best Friends (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 1)
"Last one! Move it!"
In a spectacular show of moves, Andy somersaulted narrowly past the front tires of the monster truck that came crashing down the street, while King flipped over the top, using his left pointer finger as a brief push. The two friends landed on the sidewalk of the intersection, Andy on his feet and King on all fours, as the last decoy vehicle exploded against a café, sending debris and smoke into the air. Seeing that their 5-minute time had expired, the homeboys tiredly walked off of the set and over to the director.
"Awesome job, guys! Your moves were purely spectacular and absolutely built for this kind of thing!" congratulated the director as he clapped, heading to meet the duo.
The best friends looked at each other.
"Yeah, well…we got experience with this genre…and it ain't no actin'." King nodded, looking back at the Snifit.
"It's ingenius! You two are more than deserving; that short's gonna be used in something, I can assure you that!" the director guaranteed. "Just get yourselves changed and you can get your tails out! Here!"
Andy & King: Best Friends- Currently in 1st (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 1)
"Thanks very much!" Andy accepted the envelope. "Let's see what we've got… 'Make your way by taxi to the Fourbase Pinnacle Park. Locate your next clue at the northern entrance to the fields.'"
Teams must now make their way approximately 4 miles from both Detour points to this place: Fourbase Pinnacle Park, a grassy acre of recreational playgrounds in the middle of a star-struck city, filled with the equipment for the second thing that Neon Heights is known for other than movies, films, and the stars behind them—sports. This large complex holds areas for popular outdoor sports such as baseball, soccer, and rugby, and also arenas for indoor competitions such as karate, wrestling, and judo. Teams will find their next clue at the northern entrance to these commons.
"All right! Let's ditch this place and get out!"
The homeboys made a dash for the changing room and started pulling off the accessories and fashionable items they'd been provided with, glad to be free of the sweaty items for their refreshing normal clothes.
To & Too: Sisters (Battlestroke Studios, Main Entrance)
After paying their taxi driver and retrieving their backpacks, the Toad girls rushed into Battlestroke Studios, through the main building, and out to the segregated sets. They quickly took a look at the two remaining cards on the doors.
"Which one should we do? They both sound equally…er…exciting…"
"I guess this one. Might as well take advantage of it."
Too had directed To's attention toward a short marker advertising, "War zone! Exhibit extreme caution! Not for the faint of heart!" with a red slash painted over the corner of the card.
"Well, okay…sounds kinda violent in comparison to the other one, but I'm not complaining." To shrugged.
Opening the door, the two removed the card and headed into the changing room. They dropped off their backpacks before setting to work looking amongst the clothes in the box.
"Whoa…looks like this one is being taken seriously…" Too noted, holding up a camouflage-colored helmet. "…Oh, gosh…"
"…I'm sure that Zessworth and Team Twilight are laughing at us right now…" To muttered, pulling out a padded green jacket.
Andy & King: Best Friends (Battlestroke Studios, Main Entrance)
Now that they were back in their regular attire, it was easy to see that Andy and King hadn't escaped their experience without any scratches—in fact, they had quite a few scrapes from making close calls and hard landings. However, they seemed unfazed as they rushed back out the gates to grab a taxi.
"Hey! Get that one over there across the street!" Andy pointed.
Catching the attention of the driver, the homeboys quickly questioned about their destination before depositing their luggage and getting in.
"Make sure you go really fast!" Andy instructed.
"Yeah…pretty sure most of the cards on the doors were gone." King remarked.
-----
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Neon Heights, 48th Street)
A heavily shaken taxi driver sped down the road, even cutting off several other cars, as he tried to find favor with the two occupants.
"I'll h-have y-y-you know, I-I can f-f-file for threats a-and assault!" stammered the driver.
"I'd like to see you try!" Flare boomed, coughing up a bit of fire for emphasis.
"…I w-would, too…" the driver squeaked.
"Great…now we might get the police after us…that's the last thing we need…" Hamma muttered.
"Shut up and don't think like that!" Flare warned. "Or else it's actually gonna happen!"
-----
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 3)
"And…that's it!" shouted the director. "It's done! Stop!"
Taking their cue, the actors and actresses on the set quit flinging their seemingly endless ammunition of various foods and books, allowing the cross-dressed Shimi and Waitress to safely maneuver their way into security.
"…You aren't going to be showing that on the screens or anything, are you?" Waitress asked, a pleading look in her tone and eyes.
"Yeah, please won't…that was so embarrassing, wearing a mess!" Shimi complained.
"What? Are you kidding, kids? That was great material right there!" the Paratroopa contradicted. "That baby's gonna be shown everywhere starting next month! And there's nothing you can do about it! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers- Currently in 2nd (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 3)
Quickly tossing the clue envelope down to the ground, the Paratroopa then flew off and out of reach to some unseen area of the studio before either of the two could protest. Sighing, Waitress reached down and picked up the envelope, tearing off the paper strip to get to the Route Info inside.
"'Make your way by taxi to the Fourbase Pinnacle Park. Locate your next clue at the northern entrance to the fields,'" she read. "Alright…but we're getting cleaned up first."
"Get me out of this press before I die…" Shimi muttered. "That guy's gonna show my boast embarrassing moment!"
The two employees rushed back over to the door that led into the changing room, slamming it shut as they started to take off the 'insulting' wardrobes they'd been assigned.
To & Too: Sisters (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 4)
"…So…you're here for this action short?" asked the Koopa. "Sweet deal…it's been a while since I've worked with two chicks…especially under this genre."
Looking at each other worriedly, both To and Too obtained sweat beads. Although they'd been willing to dress up for the part, they hadn't realized exactly how far they'd gone. To's pink head ensemble was covered by camouflaging, and she had on a brown tank top, green jacket, khaki slacks, and heavy-duty working boots. Too's light-green hair had somehow been acceptable, so it was left the way it was, except for being pulled into a ponytail. She had similar clothes to her sister; her wardrobe consisted of a camouflage-covered shirt and brown jacket, green pants, and boots.
"Here's your little 'outline.' It's not much, but you might want to keep it in mind…" the Koopa smirked, handing over two slips of paper.
"…Huh? 'Avoid bullets and cannon fire?'" To read aloud. "You can't be serious…"
"We're in an actual war zone…with actual ammo being used?" Too asked fretfully.
"You got it, toots. Now get out there and turn some heads, but just don't get blasted to pieces, 'kay? It'd be a real shame for two real dolls like you to obtain stars upon unofficially being enrolled, and only joining the field on the first day."
"…Can't we get stand-ins for this part?" the sisters asked simultaneously.
"…Let me think about that for a second…" the Koopa held up his finger. "…No."
With that, two Shy Guys carrying brooms and dustpans came in front of the sisters, brushed them onto the pans, and carried them over to the middle of the set before dropping them off.
"…Maybe we should've just taken our luck with 'Super Route' instead…"
"…I think so…"
"ACTION!"
The sisters shivered as they felt the unsettling breeze generated by fans on the sides of the area. Suddenly, they heard the startling noise of a machine gun being fired. Shots of dirt and dust flew up in quick succession in a direct line heading for their feet.
"EEP! Let's not get cut right away!" To suggested, grabbing Too's arm and pulling her out of the way.
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Battlestroke Studios, Outdoor Sets Entrance)
"Looks like the other three teams went for this option, too…that's just great…" Flare groaned. "We rushed here, all only to get no choice in which prompt we got?"
"This bites!" Hamma growled, thrusting open the door. He tore the card, which read, "Fight going on in the gym! Stop the senseless violence! Preferably meant for good defenders!" from its place, before slamming the door shut.
Throwing their backpacks down to the ground, the Hammer and Fire Brothers started sifting through the box of accessories in the middle of the small dressing room.
"At least they've got some good choices of clothes in here…" Flare remarked dryly. "…Least we get to show off a bit with these clothes…"
"I wonder if we get to do any actual fighting or anything…that'd make up for it really nicely." Hamma snickered.
"Yeah, seriously…"
To & Too: Sisters (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 4)
"ACK!"
Seeing the mini-grenade land on the fake dirt in front of them, the two Toad girls skidded to a stop and ran in the other direction, just as the bomb exploded and sent bits of mud and small shards flying through the air.
"How'd we get ourselves stuck in this mess?!" Too queried. "This isn't war, this is just plain violent! We're just running from stuff!"
"I know! But what choice do we have?!" To ducked to avoid a whistling bomb that was thrown overhead. "It's either run or…or…you know!"
"Good point!"
With that, the sisters frantically continued their avoidance of the reckless fire, dodging large bullets and sprays of fire from the 'enemy' side.
"Not only are they hot, but they dance pretty well under pressure, too…" the Koopa nodded, tapping his chin. "Good combination…"
-----
Fourbase Pinnacle Park, the biggest area of green grass in Neon Heights, had several multi-purpose fields spread out within half of its boundaries; the other half had several scattered buildings for the indoor arts and exercises. While there seemed to be activity going on in most of the fields, it appeared that two of the locations were docile; there were players sitting there, but they were dormant and void of actual movement of importance.
At the northern edge of the recreational playing field, a black cab pulled up to the opening in the gray stone fence. Two people got out after paying their fair share and pulling their backpacks out from the trunk. They spotted the clue box, situated on the edge of the sidewalk path that led in the direction of the buildings in the distance. Without hesitation, they grabbed an envelope from inside and peered at its contents.
Andy & King: Best Friends- Currently in 1st (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Northern Entrance)
"All right!" exclaimed King. "Roadblock! 'Who's ready to round third base to the finish line?'"
A Roadblock is a task that only one person may perform, and no one person may perform any more than eight Roadblocks on the entire race.
In this Roadblock, the participant will be required to take part in one of the sports that Neon Heights is most famous for—the popular activity of baseball. After choosing a field and amateur high school team to play with, the team member will be placed at first to bat. Then, he or she will have to try and meet the requirement: rounding all of the bases at least one time within an inning. However, because this task deals with the character being dependent on the skill level of their chosen team, part of the task is not even within his or her control. Once the task has been completed, the participant will receive the next clue.
"I'm doin' this one to get the count back on track." King announced. "…Baseball, hm? Smooth…"
"Have you ever played before?" Andy asked concernedly.
"Couple o' times, dawg…nothin' too fancy…" King shrugged. "Just shortstop on a minor team in meh childhood…"
"…Well, hopefully you still know how to bat, because that's all that matters here." Andy pointed out.
"Yeah…" King pulled out an additional notice from the envelope. He started scanning over the important details; the paper gave four teams and their respective fields in the park, as well as stats rated on a best-worst scale of 1 down to 5 of batting, running, and plays. "'Apex HS Strikers?' They sound mighty fine… Decent statistics on all players… Field 2."
"Well, let's go before we lose our lead." Andy suggested.
"Right on."
-----
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 2)
"…Looks like you two ready for this task! That good! You need have good defense to survive!" shouted the Thwomp. "Do good, be safe!" he commanded, giving the two their prompts.
"Don't worry…we're professional fighters on another circuit…I'm sure we can handle just standing there, blocking hits from other actors…" Flare reassured, quickly reading over the paper.
"No problem." Hamma agreed.
For some odd reason or another, the brothers had gotten stuck with the only prompt that explicitly allowed fighting back (unlike that which Shim-Stress obtained), and somehow knowing that beforehand, they'd dressed appropriately. Although the main objective was for defending themselves against blows, the two had taken off their helmets mostly just to show off—Hamma had quickly gelled his hair up into short spikes, while Flare's hair was left to messily hang over a red headband tied firmly around his forehead. Even with a shell on, the black muscle shirt Hamma was wearing seemed to accentuate the muscular bulk his arms had. He'd exchanged his shell color for black, put a black choker on his neck, pulled on blue trunks and black shoes, and haphazardly protected his fists with badly done hand wraps and red boxing gloves. On the other hand, Flare was wearing something a bit different; his shell was also now a shade of black, but the front was partway covered by a white karate gi. He had on no shoes, but his hands were covered by fingerless black gloves.
"Even if those 'fighting actors' over there are giving play hits, we won't be…" Flare sneered, cracking his knuckles. "This'll be a cinch."
"Listen, guy…you better call an ambulance over for later…" Hamma warned, punching his gloves together. "We're not responsible for any damage done to your play-fighters…"
"It good, it good…just get out there. You be surprised in minute."
Giving each other knowing looks, the two nimbly hustled over into the midst of the set, which was a workout room with windows all the way across one wall, several mirrors on the opposite side, and various equipment scattered about the middle, as well as a horde of about fifteen fighters.
"ACTION!"
Immediately, several of the attackers ganged up on the two dressed-up Koopas. Flare effortlessly swayed his own center of balance to throw two assailants over his shoulder and trip up another, while Hamma simply blocked a few kicks with his arms in an 'X' before punching the foes away.
"…Not too bad…and actors not even acting, fighting real…" the Thwomp mused.
To & Too: Sisters (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 4)
"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!"
"Me, either! My legs are about to give out!"
"And…CUT!"
All of the heavy artillery and machinery immediately powered down around the girls, much to their relief. The dirt-covered Toads thankfully jogged off of the set and over to the directing Koopa as he applauded.
"Congrats, dolls…you made it through without biting the dust," he stated. "We'll find some way to put your exploits to good use, don't you worry…"
"…That's…great…" To gasped.
"…Really…wonderful…" Too added pantingly.
"Well, anyway…here's your current reward."
To & Too: Sisters- Currently in 3rd (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 4)
After taking a few seconds to catch their breath, the females accepted the envelope from the director's outstretched hand before opening it.
"'Make your way by taxi to the Fourbase Pinnacle Park. Locate your next clue at the northern entrance to the fields.'" Too read. "Oh, great…we might not have enough money for this taxi trip…"
"We'll have to worry about it when we come to it…come on, let's get changed out of this stuff…" To suggested.
Agreeing, the green-haired Toad girl followed her sister back to the changing room, where they locked the doors as they wiped themselves of the dirt and grime before starting to remove the dirty clothes to get back into their normal wear.
-----
Andy & King: Best Friends (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 2)
It hadn't taken long for King K. to snap on a batter's helmet and pick up the appropriate bat before stepping out next to the plate. The outfield team quickly shuffled to their positions, and the pitcher started winding up.
"Come on, King! You can do this; just don't think about it!" Andy advised.
"Don't worry dawg; I got it!" King pledged.
The opposing team's pitcher tossed the ball in a straight pitch down the center to test out the newcomer KP Koopa. King swung, but accidentally hit the baseball in such a way that it flew into the foul area on the right side of the field.
"Eheh…not like that, though." King said sheepishly.
Obtaining another ball from the catcher, the pitching Paragoomba tossed another pitch, this time giving it a curve. He missed hitting this one, and it flew into the catcher's mitt.
"Strike!" yelled the umpire.
"Come on, King…don't to this to us now…remember, if you fail, you have to wait for them to go through their turn at bat before you can go again!" Andy reminded.
"I know, I know!" King acknowledged.
With the third pitch, the sunglasses-wearing Koopa managed a hit to the outfield. Although one of the Goombas tried to make a dive for it, he missed, allowing it to bounce once. By the time the ball was recovered, King had managed to make it to second base.
"Alright…now it all comes down to the other batters…and hopefully he won't get touched out on a play of some sort…" Andy crossed his fingers.
-----
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 2)
"Man, these guys are nothing!" Flare exclaimed.
"Tch, I could hardly call this a workout!" Hamma agreed.
Flare tripped up another one of the goons, causing him to fall backwards over a barbell and land on the matted ground. He then turned around and backhanded another guy before grabbing his wrist and throwing him at an approaching foe. Taking care of his own business, Hamma grabbed a suspended punching bag with the finger part of his fists and pushed it into a crowd, knocking the members over like bowling pins. Feeling the punch of another enemy behind him, the Hammer Brother parried the blow of a boxing Sledge Brother and gave him a punch that floored him down for the count.
"We'll be out of targets to use before our five minutes are even up!" Hamma proclaimed, throwing an attacking Koopa an uppercut with his right glove.
"Yeah, I think we already knocked out a third of 'em!" Flare said, sweeping the legs out from underneath a Boomerang Brother.
"…These guys experts…they right!" the Thwomp realized with horror. "Possible they defeat all actors before time up?!"
To & Too: Sisters (Battlestroke Studios, Main Entrance)
"Taxi! Taxi! Over here!"
Calling over a cab, the two Toad girls walked over to the window as it was rolled down to see the Goomba waiting inside.
"Hi…we need to go to Fourbase Pinnacle Park, please." To informed.
"Sure thing…just hop in and we'll go." The Goomba gestured towards the trunk. "…Wait…you got enough money to cover the fare, right?"
The sisters nervously looked at each other.
"Uh…about how much is the cost?" Too inquired.
"…I'd estimate about twenty to thirty Smash…that too much for you cheapskates?" the Goomba asked accusingly.
"Well, you see…we don't really have that much…we only have about ten Smash coins left on our card…" To explained.
"Ten? Well, forget it then; I'm not carrying freeloaders to even an ATM! Go find someone else!"
"No, wait!" Too insisted, trying to stop the window from rolling back up.
"Please, sir…we don't have enough money to pay you…but we'll find some way to get it done, I assure you!" To pleaded.
Looking at the Toads with a quizzical look, the taxi driver waved them off and continued on his way.
"That was so cold…" Too shuddered with a whimper. "We can't even afford to get a taxi here…how will we ever make it to the pit stop?"
Sighing as she watched the retreating cab, To shrugged unsurely.
"I'm not sure…but we'll have to find a way if we want to make it…"
-----
Andy & King: Best Friends (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 2)
"Great hit, man!" King cheered. "Nice job!"
The Koopa gave him a thumbs up.
"Next one, send me home!"
Waiting on third base and hoping to make it to fourth base, King eagerly crouched down in preparation to run. There were already two outs, but the bases were loaded, and there was still the chance of the next batter helping to push him to where he needed to be. The potential last batter on his side, a red-shelled Koopa, nervously stepped up to the plate and brought the bat up to his left side.
"You can do it, dawg!" King encouraged.
"Let's hope he can…" Andy whispered.
The Paragoomba sent a pitch straight down the middle. The Koopa swung too early and missed.
"Strike!"
"…Just focus! Don't be nervous, man!" King counseled.
The Paragoomba sent a second pitch, curving it in a wide arc. The Koopa swung late and missed.
"Strike!"
"Shoot…" Andy bit his lip. "Come on…"
"You can do it!" King told the batter again. "Concentrate and you'll get it!"
Leering, the Paragoomba shot a third pitch towards the plate. It curved slightly to the left. The Koopa swung…
CRACK!
…and hit it…just out of reach of the Goombas in the outfield.
"YES!" Andy shouted.
Making it around with no problem, King slid into home plate for emphasis. By the time the opposing team had retrieved the ball, all but one runner from the Apex High School Strikers had made it across home plate, and that was the very batter that had sent the three other runners home. Before continuing the inning, the umpire stood up and walked over to the Apex dugout.
"You've earned this for making it around the bases," he stated, handing an envelope to the KP Koopa.
Andy & King: Best Friends- Currently in 1st (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 2)
"Sweet! Thanks!" King said gratefully.
To the cheers and shouts of his team, the yellow-shelled Koopa jogged back over to his partner, who'd been waiting outside the fence of the field. He pulled his backpack on while Andy tore open the clue, pulling out a blue folder.
"'Using the keys and number code enclosed with this envelope, make your way by taxi to the last pit stop at the Starrit Apartment Complex's ninth building, at the top floor's furthest room.'"
Teams must now make their way 6 miles to the final pit stop in the more quiet part of Neon Heights, at the Starrit Apartment Complex, Building Number 9. Using the entrance code and keys that were obtained in the envelope, teams will have to navigate their way into the building and up to the seventh floor to this room at the end of the hallway: one of several getaway locations of famous actor Zip T. This small room, a secret home to one of the most popular actors ever to grace the screens of the Mushroom world, is the pit stop for this leg of the race. The last team to check in here…will be eliminated.
"'Warning: The last team to check in will be eliminated.'" Andy concluded. "Geez, we haven't heard that phrase ever since leg one! I'm glad we made it this far even to hear it again!"
"Let's not let it be us!" King implied.
Running back across the sidewalk to the northern entrance, the two homeboys spotted another taxi. Much to their surprise, it stopped and let another team out.
"Whoa! You guys are already done here?! Gee, that was fast!"
"Speed demons…"
"It's pretty easy. Say, can we use this cab?"
"Why not…we can always find another…"
"Great, thanks!"
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers- Currently in 2nd (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Northern Entrance)
As Andy and King clambered into the taxi and informed the driver of their destination, the Excess Express workers grabbed an envelope from the clue box.
"'Roadblock. Who's ready to round third base to the finish line?'" read Waitress.
"Sounds like a game of face—er, baseball." Shimi commented. "I couldn't do that real well…"
"Neither can I. I hated playing baseball when I was younger…I'm hoping you're wrong about what the actual task is, you know." Waitress warned.
"Don't take a risk; you do it."
"Fine…" Waitress sighed, and opened the Roadblock folder to get to the in-depth information. "…Oh, great! It IS baseball! That's just perfect; I have absolutely no clue how to do this!"
Groaning, the Toad girl marched over to the first field and randomly selected one of the teams before donning her helmet and grabbing a bat.
"Okay, how do you hold this thing again?"
-----
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 2)
Just before the Thwomp yelled, "CUT!" out loud, the brothers knocked out the remaining two actors—Flare simply kicked the foe Koopa in the stomach and sent him flying into the wall, while Hamma gave a large punch in the face to an even larger Giant Koopa, accompanied by the sound of his boxing glove making contact before the Koopa fell to the ground. While all of the fighters dizzily recovered from seeing stars, the two Glitz Pit major leaguers simply walked off the set and expectantly strode over to the director.
"Great job! You definitely earn clue with that!" the Thwomp congratulated.
"Sure, sure…of course." Hamma flexed his arms, twisting his gloved wrists around.
"Are we gonna get to see that replayed in theatres anytime soon?" Flare inquired, tugging at his gi.
"Well…"
Hamma punched the red boxing gloves together, creating a loud smacking noise. Flare cleanly just cocked his head and eyed the stony character, his hands on his hips.
"Er, yeah! Of course! Eheh…" the Thwomp laughed nervously. "After you done with race…here, take envelope and finish!"
Hamma & Flare: Brothers- Currently in Last (Battlestroke Studios, Race Set 2)
As the Thwomp timidly hopped away to get out of beating range from the two figures, Flare opened the envelope and hauled the Route Info out from within.
"'Make your way by taxi to the Fourbase Pinnacle Park. Locate your next clue at the northern entrance to the fields.'" Flare read. "Alright…we gotta hurry this up!"
"This should be our big chance to catch the others now!" Hamma grinned, smacking the gloves together again to receive the sound of the smacking.
Sprinting full-speed back to the changing room, the brothers slammed the door shut before starting to rapidly pull off the gear.
"Y'know, I really gotta get a pair of these," said Flare, motioning towards the fingerless gloves. "They feel fireproof, and I could even have some kind of a fire-hand!"
"And I really should get some of these…" Hamma mused, eyeing the boxing gloves as he slipped them off. "'Cuz if the Koopinator thinks that disabling my hammerspace will be how he wins the next time, he's gonna have another thing coming!"
"Tch, I bet I could use those better than you…" Flare mocked.
"…We don't got time to settle this right now…" Hamma muttered. "Match when we have the time, but that's it…and I'll still whoop your blazin' butt!"
"You're on, hammer-for-brains!"
In no time, the two guys were back in their normal shells with their trademark helmets, and dashing back out the opposite door.
To & Too: Sisters (Battlestroke Studios, Main Entrance)
After several tries, the two girls had finally found a taxi driver willing to show some sympathy.
"We don't know how to thank you…" To complimented. "If only the other four drivers were so nice, we would've been long gone…"
"Yeah…please, help us make up for lost time!" Too begged.
"Sure thing!" responded the Toad.
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Battlestroke Studios, Main Entrance)
Approximately half a minute after To and Too had left the scene, the major leaguers rushed through the open gates and onto the narrow sidewalk.
"Gotta get a taxi…where are the circulating cabs when you need 'em?" Flare voiced edgily.
"I have no idea…" Hamma moaned. "Dang, and just when we'd gotten a break with a fast task, too!"
Heading down the street a few yards, the two specialized Koopas finally noticed a white van with the appropriate label parked a ways down the street.
"Over there!" Hamma pointed. "Come on!"
"Already way ahead of ya!"
The brothers stopped at the window of the taxi.
"We need to get to Fourbase Pinnacle Park as fast as possible. Think you can get us there?" Flare inquired.
"It'll be my pleasure, boys…just hop in," responded the Boo at the wheel.
-----
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 1)
"Strike! Out!" bellowed the umpire.
"…You've gotta be kidding me! That's so uncool!" wailed Waitress. "Man, I hate baseball!"
"You'll get it the next time!" Shimi encouraged.
A quick inning later, the female Toad was back up at bat with a completely incorrect stance and bad grip on the wooden bludgeon.
"Come on, Waitress! Hit fun out of the park!" Shimi shouted.
The rival pitcher, a Shy Guy, released a speedy pitch down the center. Waitress swung way too high and definitely missed the baseball as it flew by.
"Strike!"
"…Shimi, you so owe me one if I ever get through this…" Waitress grumbled.
The Shy Guy let another pitch go, this one with a smooth curve to the right. She swung early and accidentally let go of the bat at the same time. Luckily, it harmlessly landed in the dust between third base and home plate.
"Strike! Be careful, little lady! We don't want any of our players getting their heads knocked off!"
A vein started to throb near the top of Waitress' head.
"You can do it! Just implore him!" Shimi urged.
"…Sure…whatever…" the purple-haired Toad muttered.
The Shy Guy somehow released a surprise on the third pitch—a startling change-up that slowed just before going over the plate, causing Waitress to swing too hard and spin around in place.
"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!"
To & Too: Sisters- Currently in 3rd (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Northern Entrance)
Following the quick and gracious payment of all the money they had to their savior taxi driver, the Toads bolted for the entrance and took a clue out of the box.
"'Roadblock. Who's ready to round third base to the finish line?'" Too read.
Just as the two started contemplating the decision, a second taxi pulled up to the curb outside the park.
Hamma & Flare: Brothers- Currently in Last (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Northern Entrance)
"Sweet! It looks like the girls just got here!" Hamma noticed. "We actually still DO have a chance at this! Alright!"
Wasting no time in paying the driver and grabbing their baggage, the brothers ran up behind the sisters and took out an envelope.
"'Roadblock. Who's ready to round third base to the finish line?'" read Flare. "Sounds like baseball terms…"
"Well then, we know who's doing it, right?" Hamma proudly gestured towards his chest.
"Go ahead! You better be fast about this, or we're done!"
Nodding, Hamma took off in a run after the retreating sisters, who went to the empty Field 2. The Hammer Brother opted to take chances competing against Waitress and the Hightop Junior High Bright-Lights on Field 1, joining the Neon High Superstars.
-----
It wouldn't have been appropriate to deem the areas holding apartment complexes as complete 'slums' or 'dumps,' because they were almost like the high-rise towers of the residential sector of town. One set in particular that stood out was the Starrit Apartment Complex, whose outside brick walls were colored a dark mahogany. Unlike many of the other surrounding buildings, it only had seven floors, and it wasn't very wide in appearance at all. The small entrance at the bottom consisted of a gate locked by an electronic numeric lock, and two doors that led inside on opposite walls, both also locked, but with obvious keyholes. However, the right one had a small race flag hanging down from the door handle.
A taxi pulled up to the front of the complex, and two people got out. They quickly paid the driver (and at the same time, dwindling their funds down to nearly zero), retrieved their particularly heavy backpacks, and strode up to the gate.
Andy & King: Best Friends (Starrit Apartment Complex, Building 9 Entrance)
"Okay…this is the part that requires the number code…what does it read?" Andy questioned, readying his finger above the keypad.
"'Six-seven-two-six.'" King responded.
The Big Bandit pressed the corresponding numbers on the pad. When the second 'six' was pushed down, the electronic lock let out a strange beeping noise, along with the unmistakable clank of the gate's door opening. Andy pushed it inward and took a look at the two wooden doors before noticing the race flag.
"Key, please," he requested.
King K. complied, and Andy easily slipped the key into the hole and opened the door. After closing it shut, they rushed down the narrow hallway and out another open door into an alley of sorts—it was a rectangular area of open space with garbage bins in a neat line on the close side, and a view of the floors towering above. Only giving the lesser details a quick glance, the two quickly recognized what they were looking for. There was another open doorway a few feet over from where they'd exited the hall. Hurrying up the inside steps, the homeboys discovered they had two options: use the elevator, or ascend the spiraling staircase up the square-shaped corridor up to the top floor.
"It looks like the elevator is already down here…that's good for us!" Andy remarked.
Pulling open the blue door, the best friends went through the open folding access flaps and pushed the button for the seventh floor, causing the pieces to straighten out and shut, and the lift to start upward. After about twenty seconds of creaking noise, it stopped at the chosen destination, and reopened the flaps. Andy and King pushed open the blue door and turned down the hallway, barely noticing the fact that there was a lack of light as they rounded the corners. When they could go no further in the darkest part of the hall, King pulled out another key and inserted it into the hole to the door.
"Let's hope this is the right one…"
Much to their relief, the lock clinked open…
Team ? (Starrit Apartment Complex, Building 9 Top Floor, Room 710)
For the penultimate leg of the race, it appeared that Blaise had the honor of being the one to make the final elimination—he calmly stood in the area behind the mat, red arms crossed firmly in a comfortable position over his chest. His unblinking eyes were much different from the shifty movements of famous actor and star model, Zip T., who was constantly moving his weight around on his feet and trying to find a comfy arrangement in which to stand and wait. However, it seemed he just couldn't find it.
"When're they gonna get here?" Zip asked impatiently. "I really gotta grab a mousse or something, man…I'm starving; haven't had breakfast yet…"
"Too bad…you're staying right there in place until the crew gives us the okay to move out." Blaise stated resolutely. "But when they tell us to move back in, you're back there…even if you're in your fancy-pants bathroom when they call."
"HEY! I'll have you know, that bathroom is just the same as any other in this place; small and tight! For crying out loud, the shower and sink is separated from the toilet!"
"…I'm guessing that's one of the main reasons why you only visit this getaway about once a year for only a day or so…"
"Bingo."
Just then, the outside lock made a noise, and the door swung open. The two team members slung their bodies onto the pit stop mat and eagerly awaited the verdict from the red Yoshi.
"Welcome to the…uh…boring part of Neon Heights, I guess." Zip openly greeted. "…Man, this is stupid, being a greeter…sheesh…"
The best friends gave the Toad a questionable look before turning their attention to Blaise, who was silently fuming over the actor's snobbish attitude. Snapping out of it, he apologetically shook his head and looked the two in the eyes.
"…Andy and King." Blaise paused for several seconds before going on. "You…are team number one."
Andy & King: Best Friends- 1st Place, 7:42 A.M.
"WOOHOO! First again!" hollered Andy.
King smirked. "And that means…"
"Yeah. You two are one of three teams racing for the million Smash in the final leg." Blaise confirmed.
"Yes! Just what we've wanted to hear from the beginning!" Andy hooted.
"Got that right." King agreed.
"That's not all…let me continue." Blaise cleared his throat. "As the winners of this twelfth leg of the race, you two have both won a two-week long vacation here in Neon Heights, and an all-expense paid service stay at one of the most famous resorts in the area, 'The Neon Star.' During that stay, you will be free to roam the city as you please, and have priority access to all movies and plays that you desire, along with the opportunity to spend time with five actors or actresses of your choice. You can enjoy that after the race…and I have a feeling you will…"
Upon hearing that, the eyes of the best friends lit up.
"Spend time with any actors or 'actresses' of our choosing, huh…" Andy repeated. "Sweet deal…"
"Definitely, dawg…we'll be livin' in the lap of luxury and accomplished dreams…" King murmured.
"If you choose to get some sleep before your departure, you two will most likely be the most well rested of the top three…whereas they might have to seek out a place to stay on their own, you've already been prepared pre-paid taxi service to a nearby hotel that will be assigned to bring you back here for when you need to leave." Blaise informed. "Oh, and there's one more thing I forgot to mention…you can bring another party with you on that aforementioned vacation."
"Really now?" King lifted an eyebrow. "Sounds cool…I think I got my idea of who I'd wanna bring…"
"Heh, I think I have the same thoughts as you…" Andy chuckled.
-----
To & Too: Sisters (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 2)
"Come on, sis! You can do it!"
Having chosen to perform the Roadblock for her team, the green-haired Too saddled up for another turn at bat, lifting it to its position. Although her previous swings had failed, she was determined to make up for it this time.
"Here I go!" Too declared.
The opposing Koopa threw a straight pitch down the middle. For some unspoken reason, Too decided to let it go by.
"Strike!"
"…She didn't swing at it?" To murmured in confusion. "Er…okay…go, sis!"
The pitcher prepared another attempt, charging up before releasing. This one was a trick throw; the ball went around the edge of the plate. Seeing this before it happened, Too didn't move her arms from their bent position.
"Ball!"
A little frustrated that his strategy hadn't worked to shake the female Toad, the Koopa started the wind up for another toss before liberating the white ball for the third pitch. This time, Too decided to try a crack at it—she swung and made a hit to the infield, forcing the third baseman to leave his normal position to run after the ball. She safely made it to first.
"Alright! Now the others just have to try and get hits!" To exclaimed.
Hamma & Flare / Shimi & Waitress (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 1)
Due to the timing of the brothers' arrival, they had to wait for the teams to cycle through their turns at bat before they could go. This meant that Waitress had another shot at the task before Hamma could give a first try.
"Come on, Waitress! Get it this slime!" Shimi cheered.
Flare looked over at the Cheep-Cheep with an odd expression. "…He is so weird…"
The Shy Guy attacked with a solid throw down the center that shifted slightly to the left at the last second. Waitress obviously swung at it, and missed.
"Strike!"
"What in the world was that?" Waitress demanded. "I thought these teams were amateur, not professional!"
If the mask could've been seen through, it would've seemed that the Shy Guy smiled at the unintentional accolade. Nevertheless, he prepared for another pitch and let loose with another stunning change-up. It wasn't as good as the first, but again, Waitress was unable to predict it, and ended up swinging way too early.
"ACK!"
"Strike!"
"Looks like I'm armed with a decent pitcher on my side…" Hamma mused with a smirk from the dugout.
"That's so unfair! I'm a newbie, you…you…URGH!" Waitress made a frustrated noise before putting herself back into a waiting position. "Come on! Haven't you ever heard of 'going easy?!'"
Shrugging diffidently (with a hint of I-don't-care mixed in), the Shy Guy threw a third pitch. It roared straight down the plate, not even curving at all. Waitress…missed.
"AAARGH!" Waitress let out a high-pitched scream of frustration. "Why can't I hit the stupid ball! I hate this so much!"
As the Toad girl stormed back to her team's dugout, Hamma grinned. He uncomplainingly waited out the rest of the opposing team's turn at bat (which seemed oddly thrown; the other two batters either seemed to miss on purpose, or didn't swing at good pitches), and stood up when it was his turn, and the rest of his team came back to momentarily rest in the dugout.
Walking up to the plate, Hamma playfully swung the heavy wooden bat as if it was a hammer, the type that he wielded under normal circumstances. He made a 'come-on' type of gesture with his chin at the pitching Toad on the other team, and fell into position.
"Well, bro…don't you dare waste time on this…" Flare muttered under his breath.
The Toad wound up and flipped in a somersault as he released the baseball in a straight pitch down the center. Noticing this, Hamma smirked and swung.
CRAACK!
Almost instantly, all heads and eyes turned to watch as the baseball elegantly flew clear over the outfield and over the fence. It was a home run.
"…All right, then…" Flare said, his eyes widening.
"…Whoa…" Shimi gawked.
"What the…how'd HE do that?!" Waitress shrieked.
Rounding the bases, Hamma showed off by beating against the underside of his shell and flexing his arms, as well as even briefly stopping at second base to spin out and break dance. When he reached home plate again, the umpire got up from his crouching position.
"…Either beginner's luck or extreme skill…I don't know how you did that, but…you get this, deserving or not."
Hamma & Flare: Brothers- Currently in 2nd (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 1)
"It's from working out using a hammer, bud. Deal with it." Hamma informed the shocked Lakitu, taking the envelope and galloping excitedly back over to Flare.
"…Show off." Flare muttered.
"Yeah, whatever…you know you couldn't do that even if you tried." Hamma teased. "That just goes to show you that my upper arm strength is better, and I'd knock you out in a heartbeat with those gloves!"
"…Just open the clue already…" Flare retorted, breathing out a little bit of warning flame.
The brothers started back towards the northern entrance of the park.
"'Using the keys and number code enclosed with this envelope, make your way by taxi to the last pit stop at the Starrit Apartment Complex's ninth building, at the top floor's furthest room.'" Hamma read. "All right…go get a taxi!"
"Why me?"
"'Cuz, I'm the one that did the Roadblock…and rocked at it!"
"…Whatever! Quit gloating!"
After a bit of searching, Flare managed to hail a taxi and get it to stop. Without any more wasted time, the two jumped in after depositing their backpacks and giving the destination to the driver.
To & Too: Sisters (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 2)
"Man…that crack of the bat and that home run just made me lose my concentration!" Too apologized to her sister. "I didn't even realize that the baseman had gotten the ball and was running after me!"
To sighed. "…It's okay…if you make another hit on the next pitch, we might have an edge over the only other team still here…they're having trouble."
"Yeah…" Too sadly looked over at the other field. "I just hope that she gets lucky…"
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 1)
"This is just great…there's no way we can make it into the top three now…" Waitress sniffed, holding her head in her hands as tears started brimming in the corners of her eyes. "I didn't want to have to face off against the sisters again…but now…they have us beat…"
"Don't play that…" Shimi comforted. "We still have a prance at it…come on, you can still do it…"
-----
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Starrit Apartment Complex, Building 9 Entrance)
Getting out of their cab, the major leaguers paid the driver the necessary amount before pulling their backpacks out of the trunk and heading up to the electronic keypad. Hamma quickly punched in the code, and Flare took care of the lock guarding the following door. They rushed down the hallway and into the main part of the building. Noting that the elevator wasn't readily available, the two opted to instead run up the stairs. Due to their having to carry the heavy bags on their shells, the two tripped and stumbled quite a few times on the way up, but managed to make it up to the top floor.
"That's the wrong key, you numbskull! It's the other one we didn't already use!" Flare reprimanded.
"Okay, okay!" Hamma roughly shoved the other key into the slot and turned it, opening the door. "There, happy?!"
Panting heavily from the seven-flight run, the brothers tiredly leapt onto the mat.
"Zip T., you idiot…" Blaise growled under his breath.
Said Toad waved over at the brothers from the table at which he sat, gulping down the last bits of a soufflé before finishing up a mousse and glass of milk before leaping over to the spot behind the mat…all within the impossible time span of several seconds.
"Welcome to my apartment, guys!" Zip greeted. Blaise slapped his forehead in annoyance.
"…A big star like you lives in a dump—er…place like this?" Hamma questioned.
"Only for a fraction of a day per year on my annual tour…"
"Shut up." Blaise commanded, pushing the actor back towards the kitchen. "Go finish up your make-up or something…"
The specialized Koopas scratched their heads.
"Urgh…" Blaise turned back towards the two guys. "Sorry about that… Anyway. Hamma and Flare…you are the second team to arrive, but because of the Mismatch Rod's effect, you will have to wait out a thirty-minute penalty before I can check you in."
"Yeah…we didn't forget that easily." Flare snorted.
Walking off of the mat, the brothers went over and plopped down on a nearby bed.
"We're safe anyway…the other teams were having so much trouble with that baseball task, there's no way they can catch up." Hamma estimated.
"Hey, that's MY bed!"
-----
To & Too: Sisters (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 2)
After waiting out another inning, Too was back at the plate and ready to try and make up for the accidental mistake of not paying attention after her first success. On the first pitch that the Koopa threw, she swung a bit early and missed.
"Strike!"
"Come on, sis! You can do this!" promoted To. "You've got it!"
"I sure hope so!" Too responded loudly, pulling the bat back up behind her head.
The Koopa tossed another pitch to the plate. It curved slightly before reaching the space above the white shape.
CRACK!
"She hit it! She hit it!" To yelled excitedly. "Go, go, go!"
Although the ball only made it to the left side of the field between the third baseman and the outfielder positioned behind him, there was a bit of confusion as to who was supposed to retrieve it. When the ball was back in sure and steady hands, Too had reached second base.
"Yay!" Too hollered. "Come on, send me home!"
Stepping up to the plate, the batting Goomba took a few practice swings before settling into the final position. The Koopa threw his first pitch to the new batter as a straightforward fly down the middle.
CRACK!
It was a hit; the Goomba had managed to slug the ball back into the outfield. Taking this opportunity, Too started to run, but stopped and quickly turned back upon noticing something.
"Out!"
The center Koopa had caught the ball in the air. However, now free to move, the green-haired Toad girl dashed for third. The ball flew to the third baseman, but it arrived in the glove about a second too late.
"Whoo, that was close…" To breathed. "Risky move there, sis…be especially careful on this last one…"
A Toad waddled up to the plate as the third batter, and stretched his feet out for a moment before falling into a ready position. The Koopa threw a curveball to the outside that quickly curved back inward; he slammed it with the bat, aiming for the spot between the center and right outfielders, and succeeded.
"Yeah! Alright!" To cheered.
Upon seeing the baseball bounce, Too charged for home, doing a cartwheel on the way. Her foot touched the edge of the fourth base. When the play was over, the umpire halted the game, stood up, and pulled an envelope out from under his clothing.
"You successfully completed the task. Here's your clue."
To & Too: Sisters- Currently in 3rd (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 2)
"Okay, thank you very much!" Too smiled, accepting the yellow and black closed folder. She hurried out of the dugout and over to To before handing it over and putting the backpack over her shoulders.
"'Using the keys and number code enclosed with this envelope, make your way by taxi to the last pit stop at the Starrit Apartment Complex's ninth building, at the top floor's furthest room.'" To read. "Great…we're out of money, and now we have to go for the pit stop."
"Well, now's our only opportunity to go begging. Come on, maybe we can find some kind hearts over there!" Too pointed.
"What about Shim-Stress?"
"What about?"
"I don't want to…um…you know…" To sighed dejectedly.
"…Neither do I…but if we want to stay in, we have no other choice…sadly, we can't just give up like that out of kindness…" Too bit her lip. "Let's go ahead and go…if we busy ourselves, it won't bother us too much if we end up having to beat them out…"
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 1)
"Strike! Out!"
"…I absolutely, positively, really, really, HATE this…"
Stomping back over to the dugout, a disconsolate Waitress miserably plopped back down on the bench.
"This is just so hard…I don't think I'm able to do this…" she muttered shakily, wiping the wetness from her eyes as Shimi bounced over to her. "…Our friends are already finished, aren't they…"
Shimi nodded. "Yeah, they just got their clot—clue, and I think they're trying to raise the money for a taxi."
"…That gives us some time, I think…" Waitress sniffed. "We were their only other source, and I guess they know it's pointless to ask us now…"
"…Yeah…"
A short inning later, the purple-haired Toad girl was sent back up to bat.
"Good luck…" Shimi whispered.
Taking her stand at the plate, Waitress tried her best to hide her spilled feelings from the opposing team as she waited for the ball to be thrown. The Shy Guy threw a first pitch that whistled through the air as it flew towards the catcher's mitt. She misjudged it and didn't swing at the decent throw.
"Strike!"
"…Oh, shoot..." Waitress said in a low voice.
The Shy Guy received the ball from the catcher and waited a few seconds before trying a second throw that ended up curving far to the outside. Waitress actually swung at it.
"Strike!"
Shimi's hopeful expression plummeted. Waitress blinked in disbelief.
"Last decent chance…great…" she muttered.
Seeing his opportunity, the Shy Guy wound up and threw the third pitch. It quickly slowed into a devastating change-up that was more of a beauty than the first one he had demonstrated.
"…No…" Shimi gasped.
However…Waitress shocked everybody by holding the bat out and lightly bunting it towards third base. It bounced along the line, forcing the pitcher and catcher to give chase as she dropped her bat and made a mad dash for first.
"Come on, you can shake it!" Shimi encouraged.
Just as Waitress slid into the first base, the ball was thrown by the pitcher to the baseman. She was proclaimed safe.
"…Phew…now if I can just make it back to home…"
To & Too: Sisters (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Soccer Field 3)
"Excuse me, but could I bother you for a little bit of money?" To asked another Toad who was strolling along the grass. "I know it sounds crazy, but my sister and I, we have to get some money for a taxi ride, and we have none at all on us…"
Digging around in his pockets, the Toad slowly shook his head up and down once. "Uh…sure." He took out a few coins. "I only have about five coins to spare, though…would that work?"
"It's perfect. Great. Thank you." To nodded, gratefully grasping the Toad's hands as she took the money. "If I ever found the opportunity, I would pay you back these five."
Chuckling, the Toad stepped back. "Sure…um…just don't hurt yourself, okay?"
Agreeing to the concept, To quickly uttered her thanks again before rushing back over to Too, who had just finished talking to another pedestrian.
"Yeah…thanks, anyways…" Too responded with a sigh. She turned to her sister. "He couldn't give anything…a dud."
"It's okay…I got five more." To said, showing the five shining coins. Too held out the credit card and the change zipped in, making the coin count rise. "Now we just need about ten or so more to cover the entire ride…"
"Yeah, but it's like only every one out of three people is even willing to give anything…" Too heaved another sigh. "Come on, let's try those guys…"
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 1)
Two batters had been unlucky enough to strike out, succumbing to the rival pitcher's mastery of the change-up and astonishing curveballs. Waitress had yet to budge from first base, and the fourth batter, a Piranha Plant, waddled up to the plate, a green bat in his leaves.
"Please make a hit…please, come on…" Waitress quietly begged.
The Shy Guy wound up and pitched the ball to the new hitter. Trying to hit, the Piranha Plant attempted to connect, but somehow swung a bit too low, and the ball spiraled out of control to the far side.
"Foul ball!"
Receiving the ball again, the Shy Guy threw the second pitch. This time, the Piranha Plant swung and hit the ball square with a good spot on the bat. The white baseball flew up into the air…
"Alright!" Waitress took this as her cue to take off running.
…and bounced off of the far fence, forcing the outfielders to run over and get it.
"Go, partner, go!" Shimi rooted, clapping his fins together.
While the Piranha Plant clumsily moved his roots as he moved about, Waitress sprinted at what full-speed her endurance allowed as she crossed the second and third bases, her intentions clearly set on not taking a chance on a fifth batter and making the round for home on the play. However, a Snifit on the outfield was the one to retrieve the baseball, and used a special spit-throw to rocket the ball back to the infielders. Although the Piranha Plant was visibly the easier target, the black Shy Guy on second was evidently aimed at stopping the runner from making it to fourth. So, he threw the ball at the catcher.
"Slide for it!" Shimi shouted.
Seeing the ball traveling towards the catcher, Waitress made a frantic dive for home plate, skidding across the uncovered patch of dirt and sending dust flying up into the air. When it finally cleared enough, the umpire looked at the scene—the catcher had his mitt with the ball in hand tagged onto Waitress' shoulder, and she was lying across home. He quickly made a decision.
"Safe!" he declared, making the appropriate sign.
"YES! YEAH!" Waitress screamed, standing up. "I did it, Shimi! I did it!"
"Woo-hoo!"
"It took you a long while, but you deserve to pass after that tough time you had," stated the umpire. He held out an envelope.
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers- Currently in Last (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Baseball Field 1)
"Thank you so much…" Waitress shook the umpire's hand, taking the clue at the same time. "You don't know how much this means to me!"
She ran over to an excited Shimi and skidded to a halt, opening the envelope.
"Quick, read it!" Shimi commanded.
"'Using the keys and number code enclosed with this envelope, make your way by taxi to the last pit stop at the Starrit Apartment Complex's ninth building, at the top floor's furthest room.'" Waitress read. "Alright; we should have enough money to make it to the final pit stop! Come on, Shimi! Hurry!"
Scooping up her backpack, Waitress didn't even bother putting it on as she raced across the grass back to the northern entrance, Shimi flopping behind. Upon coming to the street, she was quick in finding a taxi and hailing it over.
"Sir, we need to go to the Starrit Apartment Complex, building nine." Waitress informed. "Fast as you can, please!"
The chef Cheep-Cheep arrived on the scene, and the two placed their packs into the back of the van before getting in.
To & Too: Sisters (Fourbase Pinnacle Park, Northern Entrance)
At the same time, the female team had just obtained enough money to hopefully completely cover the fare to the final pit stop, and rushed over to the sidewalk just as the taxi of their allies departed. Luckily, another patrolling car was nearby, and they hurried over to it.
"Hi, we need to go to the ninth building of the Starrit Apartment Complex." Too stated.
Unlike the Excess Express workers, the sisters didn't even bother depositing their packs into the back; they clambered into the taxi and placed the bulky bags on their lap as they buckled in, and the taxi took off.
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Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers (Starrit Apartment Complex, Building 9 Entrance)
"Thank you!"
Getting out, the pair paid the driver of their taxi the appropriate fare, and found their card depleted down to a humble amount with only two Smash to spare. They gave it no mind as they rushed around to the back and pulled out their backpacks before hurrying up to the front gate.
"Hurry, what's the code?" Waitress asked anxiously.
As a second taxi rounded the corner, the female Toad punched in the code, and the lock clinked open. While the sisters paid their driver with a few coins remaining in their pockets, the co-workers opened the gate and rushed to the keyhole, where Shimi inserted and turned it. In a strange twist of grace and respect, they left both open as they ran down the hallway, allowing To and Too to follow along, unimpeded by any obstacles. Upon reaching the second entrance into the main part of the building, however, the "Shim-Stress" team found luck was on their side—someone had brought the elevator back down to ground floor. They pulled the door open and got in, pressing the button for the top, closing the flaps. Shortly after, the pink and green-haired females arrived on the scene, to find the blue door closed and only the back of the lift visible through the blurry window.
"Quick, we have to use the stairs!" To advised.
Backtracking shortly to drop off their bags outside the door that led in, the sisters started rushing up the stairs two at a time, balancing themselves with the wall and the rails. Without anything else weighing them down except for exhaustion and pressure, they started setting their own fast pace in comparison to the slow ascension of the elevator…
Team ? (Starrit Apartment Complex, Building 9 Top Floor, Room 710)
The lock to the small dwelling was opened, and the door flew to the side as a team rushed in. Bizarrely enough, Hamma and Flare had already been standing on the mat, and had to lean back to avoid being ran into. Seconds later, the second team hurried through the open door and joined the foursome on the other edge of the mat.
"Hey, you other four people! Welcome to my apartment overlooking Neon Hei—hello, chicks…" Zip trailed off, eyeing the bodies of To and Too, who avoided his gaze, their attention instead fixated on Blaise, as with the other two duos.
All expressions were unreadable as Blaise took it upon himself to glance into the eyes of all six people. He coughed and cleared his throat before speaking.
"This was a really close call, guys…much closer than anything that's ever happened before." Blaise informed the group. "As you all know, Hamma and Flare incurred their thirty-minute penalty and arrived here a while earlier, but it had yet to expire until you guys—" he looked at the alliance, "—came in. This finish is probably even closer than what happened back at Giant Land…or even Lakitu Valley in the first race…you guys have finishing times that are only within seconds of each other."
The tension could almost be seen mounting in the air as the three teams absorbed every word, taking it in, knowing that the results were about to come out.
"However…it wasn't close enough for me to judge who got what." Blaise stated. "…Team number two is…Shimi and Waitress."
Shimi & Waitress: Train Coworkers- 2nd Place, 8:23 A.M.
"…We're second?" Shimi asked in shock. "But the Ham-bros…"
"Were waiting for their penalty to expire on the mat." Blaise finished. "Be glad and rest easy; you two will be leaving on the ultimate final leg as the second of the three teams racing for the grand prize."
"…That's a…relief…" Waitress nodded halfheartedly. She and Shimi exchanged a hug before pulling away to see the final part of the decision.
The brothers and sisters nervously looked at each other before looking back at Blaise. They both knew; one of them was going to get the final axe from the game.
"Really close call this time around…seriously." Blaise closed his eyes for a second. "Only one of you can advance on…and the third team to check in was…"
Shimi and Waitress held their breaths.
Hamma and Flare felt sweat running down their necks.
To and Too apprehensively gulped.
Zip T. couldn't care less about what happened.
Blaise sighed. "…To and Too."
To & Too: Sisters- 3rd Place, 8:24 A.M.
A huge sigh of relief burst from the lips of the two thankful sisters as they embraced, calmly content to hear the good news being directed towards them. On the other hand, the brothers just looked at each other, their faces contorted in a mixture of disappointment and displeasure.
"You two round out the final three racing in the final leg for the one million Smash coins." Blaise confirmed. He then turned to the Hammer and Fire Brothers.
"Sorry, guys…" To and Too whispered simultaneously.
"Hamma and Flare…your penalty just expired approximately a second after To and Too jumped onto the mat." Blaise informed. "Therefore, that makes you the last team to check in."
Hamma & Flare: Brothers- Last Place, 8:24 A.M.
"Lay it on us so we can get over it faster…" Flare said understandingly. "We got it; we just ran out of luck on this one…"
"Yeah…cutting it close too many times ended up being what got us cut." Hamma agreed.
"It sure was." Blaise nodded. "I'm sorry to tell you that you've been eliminated from the race," he apologized.
A few moments passed before anyone spoke again.
"It had to be someone…just guess it was us this time." Hamma sighed. "Fourth isn't too bad, but we were looking to take it all the way…"
"Then again…you gotta admit, it's the best we could do, and we made a pretty darn good placing, even with our strategy." Flare commented.
"In the beginning of this race, Flare and I were a complete mess…we fought a whole lot, and we just couldn't get it together; it was a slow start for us, even though we seemed to have our act in place as a strong team. When we resorted to using that scrambler on our rivals, I guess it just sealed our fate entirely in the long run…it ended up dumping on us at the last possible second to keep us from participating in the final leg." Hamma said impassively. "I guess that what really matters is that we finally managed to at least cement some kind of teamwork between us…as the race went on, we ended up fighting less and less…and even in this twelfth leg, it only just came down to friendly arguments. Out of everything, that's what counts the most…the brotherly bond we got out of the experience…it's sure to help our overall teamwork as a fighting force back in the Glitz Pit."
"We got into a ton of deep trouble throughout the race, but that was the backbone of the fun we had…or at least, what I had." Flare continued. "It's like we became the target for close calls…every single time, we'd come out of it just barely hanging in place, keeping our positions as racers in this competition. But when life gives you the opportunity, you just have to take a chance…and that's exactly what we did. We didn't always play safe, but we gave it our all, expecting either exiting rich or ending bankrupt. I won't lie; this race was one of the hardest things I've ever done, and it's a pleasure to be able to walk away, saying I did it. Although we won't be in the running for the million, it doesn't matter…Hamma and I will be there to greet the ones who win it in the end. We won what we wanted…"
"Oh, by the way, guys…I have some…good news for you." Blaise mentioned. The brothers perked back up.
"Really…and would that be letting us back in?" Hamma joked.
"No." Blaise responded flatly. "You still remember your old pals Andy and King, right?"
"…No duh." Flare replied. "Come on, just spare us the suspense and give it to us already…we've had enough of the cliffhangers for one day."
"All right. Well…you see, for winning this leg of the race, they won a two-week vacation to stay here in Neon Heights, and had the option to bring along some company to enjoy the full ride with them." Blaise explained. "They said that even though they know you guys already won some stuff…you two would be the ones they'd most desire to bring back with them…most likely to patch things up, especially after this hair-raising race."
A little stunned at the revelation, Hamma and Flare looked at each other again.
"…Whoa…really now…that's crazy…" Flare chuckled.
"I guess they just want to keep their hides safe from the entire major league locker room pouncing on them when we get back home…" Hamma joked. "Sounds cool…"
"Yeah, but if they win the million…they're gonna be the ones paying for our souvenirs." Flare added. "…That is…unless one of you guys takes it instead."
The alliance teams looked at each other approvingly.
"We'll do our best, we can assure you that…" To grinned.
"Yeah…we didn't come all this way for nothing." Waitress agreed.
"You'll see us back at the finish line, don't worry." Too offered.
"And you better have a feast ready!" Shimi exclaimed. "I'm starving!"
Silence occurred as the group looked at the Cheep-Cheep strangely before bursting out into friendly laughter. Momentary good-byes and hugs were exchanged before Hamma and Flare started out the hall with their bags in tow, giving each other brotherly biffs over the shoulder as they rounded the corner.
The morning light over Neon Heights continually grew stronger as the sun went on with its ascent into the sky. Although the final team had been eliminated from the race, there were still things yet to come to look forward to…the final leg was upon the top three…and all nine eliminated teams would be there to see who would be crossing at the finish line.
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Next time, on the second part of the season finale of the Amazing Race…
A time-consuming Roadblock forces teams to wait at the mercy of nature.
"It's all out of their control now…they just have to wait until a fish decides to tug on one of their strings…" Too observed.
"This is just great…our fate lies in the hands of a fish." Andy remarked.
Shimi finds himself stopped cold by one of the challenges.
"Come on, Shimi! Focus!"
"I'm locusting—er—focusing!"
Unfortunately, upon making it halfway up the incline, Shimi accidentally lost his hold on the snowball, and it crashed back down to the bottom.
"Urgh…" He moaned, bounding back down again.
At the final task, the teams battle it out.
"What leg was that again?"
"Okay, I can't remember that one…just skip it…"
"Was that leg three or leg four?"
And one of these three teams will win…
Rushing into the middle of the street, Andy and King flagged down a cab.
…one…
Stopping a local for directions, Shimi and Waitress showed him their map.
…million…
Hurrying through the airport, To and Too dashed at full-sprint side-by-side.
…Smash coins. Which one of the final three teams will it be? Stay tuned to find out…
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Leg 12 Trivia- An author's note in the beginning of the leg gives an explanation of how Neon Heights is viewed for the race in comparison to the games. Although the note states that three other legs had Mario Party-made locations, only Leg 2 had another of the notes in its section. The reason being is that the explanation does not hold true for Leg 7, as the actual Pyramid Park was kept in its original form, with cities placed around it; Leg 9, on the other hand, held the same case as Legs 2 and 12, but was more obvious due to the existence of no cities around Astro Avenue in the game, and therefore making it pointless to point out.
- The "Statue of Liberation" of Neon Heights parodies the "Statue of Liberty" in real life New York. Although the author did not even step foot on the island on which that actual monument was, he was able to view it in the nighttime on a boat ride to and from one of the surrounding areas.
- One of the additional tasks in this leg involved teams reconstructing the parts for a scale replica's wall; this was derived from the painstakingly long experience the author had in using quick-drying glue to piece together twenty wall pieces for a project.
- The location of the pit stop for this leg of the race was based on a location visited by the author while on vacation in Paris, France.
- Um…the author has very little knowledge about baseball? Yeah, that's it…the awful, obvious truth.
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Author's Note: The final leg...is coming...