Lap 03

I Get Boost Power

It was not a dream. I woke up at around 9am to see the items still on my dresser.

"Dammit," I muttered as Muffins continued to sleep on the pillow. She was "kitty snoring" as well. This whole thing is so bogus. I still can't believe my own father was Captain Falcon. And Aunt DJ was his computer operator. Of course he knew where I lived when he dropped me off after that day at school, he was my dad. No wonder my mom was so nervous watching the races on TV with me. I even remembered how loud she had screamed when the crash happened. Hoo boy, lemme tell ya. Oh and last night, when Aunt DJ smiled at me when I leaned on the back bar? Yep. That must have been my dad's signature move and Aunt DJ recognized it. Hold on a tick...My dad did that same move when he saved me from Kody and Javic the first time. C'mon Andy, THINK! Muffins woke up as I was examining the address paper. The sound of crinkling paper must have woken her up. She yawned and then sat watching me read what the paper said. It was an address for a place in the older part of Port Town along with 2 more words. It said "Her nickname."

"Hmm...gotta be a password or something. What do you think, little one? Should I go to this place?" I asked Muffins...which totally didn't make me crazy. Shut up.

"Mew!" she said and pawed the air. She just wanted pets. As usual.

"Come on, let's get you some breakfast" I said. Muffins jumped off the bed and followed me out. Aunt DJ was currently sitting at the table, reading the news on her tablet while Aunt Josslyn was making omelettes.

"Hey, there he is! Bacon and sausage hon?" Aunt Josslyn said, cracking eggs into the frying pan.

"Sure, thanks Auntie" I said and took a seat next to Aunt DJ. Muffins had happily started munching the kibble in her bowl.

"How'd you sleep kiddo?" Aunt DJ asked.

"Lousy to be honest" I muttered. It was true. With all that happened yesterday and learning that my hero was my own dad that I resented for 16 years, who wouldn't sleep like garbage?

"Andy, sweetie-" Aunt DJ began but I cut her off angrily which was a shock to her.

"What? What exactly? Hmm? Was my mom his sidekick like you?! What else haven't you told me?! Why the hell would I want to 'take his place'? Does that mean dressing up in skin tight blue pants and punching so called bad guys?! Is Jody not my real sister either?! TELL ME!" I shouted. Aunt Josslyn yelped but Aunt DJ didn't react.

"Andy, he loved you-" Aunt Josslyn began.

"HE DIDN'T LOVE ME ENOUGH TO TELL ME THAT HE WAS CAPTAIN FALCON DID HE?! ALL THOSE YEARS WHERE I WAS WORSHIPPING FALCON AND MY DAD SAID JACK SQUAT! WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE HIM?! WHAT MAKES EITHER OF YOU THINK I WANT TO BE LIKE HIM! I'M NOTHING LIKE MY FATHER!" I yelled again. Muffins looked up from her food, looking confused as to why her best friend was yelling. Aunt Josslyn was looking at me as if I had just kicked Muffins across the room. Calm down, I would never actually do that. I love Muffins. Both the cat and the food. Aunt DJ stood up, grabbed the TV remote and turned it on.

"Watch," she said and pointed at the TV. I reluctantly looked towards it. The replay of the 8am morning news was on and they were currently showing the results of last night's Grand Prix. I almost started yelling again but the headline had changed and a picture of me was on the corner of the screen. Thankfully, it was a recent picture. Just a basic work ID photo. I was grinning sheepishly while wearing my black shirt and a towel over my shoulder. It read "Local Favorite Bartender, Andrew "Andy" Lemming, 25, Saves Diners from 2 Armed Gunmen." The news anchor began to speak,

"Thanks Mr. Zero, now in local news a fan-favorite bartender named Andy Lemming single handedly saved diners at the favorite hot-spot 'Falcon House' by taking on 2 armed gunmen in hand to hand combat. Witnesses say Andy sprung into action after one of the gunmen grabbed a woman by her throat. One of the women he saved, Lily Glyder, spoke with our reporter, Yancy Hawley, last night after the attack." The TV then showed Miss Lily speaking into a microphone in front of Falcon House.

"They were the exact same men that attacked my 1st grade class years ago where Captain Falcon showed up. Andy was even the reason why the big guy had a limp. Little guy stabbed him in the leg with some scissors before Captain Falcon stepped in. I've always liked Andy and his buddy Roy. Teachers aren't supposed to have favorites, but those 2 were some of mine. Anyway, he threw a glass at the guy holding onto me and then just...just beat the crap out of these criminals honestly. I have never seen someone fight like Andy did. These men just could not hit him. One of them was engaging Andy while the smaller guy fought one of the waitstaff. The waitress could hold her own until she was grabbed by him. Andy then ran across the whole diner in record time and saved that young woman. It was incredible. I know that Andy was a fan of Captain Falcon for a while until that unfortunate accident with his parents, but I still think that he still channels his spirit," Miss Lily smiled at the camera as if she was speaking to me. Her young daughter walked over and clung to her leg. The little girl waved to the camera and said

"Thank you for saving my mommy Andy." The reporter interviewed a few more witnesses including Roy, who recounted the same story but made me sound real cool and added his own sound effects and voice acting, Lisa and even Aunt Josslyn, who called me the spitting image of my father. The station went to commercial after that. I looked over at Aunt DJ who was smiling at me.

"That's why. You are just like him. I know this and you know this. I saw Doug do so many good things. He saved innocents, he captured so many dangerous criminals and he even introduced me to Joss," she said looking at her wife with loving adoration. I was still reeling from all the praise I was getting from everyone on the news. Aunt Josslyn also smiled at Aunt DJ and put my omelette in front of me. There was a heart drawn on it with hot sauce.

"The Cap's been gone long enough Andy. Doug chose you. If you ask me, he chose wisely" she said and kissed the top of my head before sitting next to Aunt DJ. Muffins rubbed up against my leg before jumping onto Aunt DJ's shoulders. I looked at both of the women (plus the furry black creature) who lovingly took me in after my parents were killed and made my choice.

"Alright, you win. I'll go" I said and began to eat my breakfast.

I went to the gym beforehand, however. Needed to relieve some stress. A few people had called to me while I made my way there. It was just variations of "Hey! That's the dude!", "Andy! Nice job!" and "Nice moves bro!" I politely acknowledged each of them before starting my workout. I was about 2 reps into my final bench press routine when I saw a familiar face walk in. I nearly dropped the bar on my chest. It was Sam. And boy lemme tell you, she looked amazing in workout clothes. Blue seemed to be her favorite color as she was wearing a light blue t-shirt, black workout pants and yellow and black sneakers. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and she saw me pretty much immediately.

"Hi Andy," she said as she walked over to me. I attached the anti-grav magnets to the bar so that it stayed in place and got up from the bench.

"Hey Sam," I said. I happened to glance at the TVs above me and a few of them were covering the Falcon House attack from last night. Some of the other patrons were starting to take notice of me.

"Fancy meeting you here. DJ tells me that you're here more often than you're at home" Sam said and started to stretch.

"Uh well, you know. Don't want to lose the figure," I said and flexed a little. Sam grinned at me. While wearing skin tight clothes. Which almost made me *ahem* lose my mind if you catch my drift. Gotta keep this PG-13 you know?

"I also heard from my old teacher that you were holding your own against Javic," I added.

"Yeah, the guy was pretty clumsy and I know a few self defense techniques. I never got much of a chance to properly thank you for saving me last night," she said and hugged me tightly and even kissed my cheek again. I couldn't help myself.

"Wangooutme" I blurted out not being able to separate the words properly. Sam released me and looked at me quizzically.

"Hmm?" she asked. I took a deep breath.

"Did you...uh...want to go out sometime?" I asked while rubbing the back of my neck like a freaking teenager. Sam smiled warmly.
"Finally. Of course I will. DJ owes me 5 credits. I knew you'd eventually ask. It was just a matter of when. DJ tells me that you've had a crush on me since high school," she said smugly while batting her eyelashes. I will be having some stern words with Aunt DJ later. I mean what gives?!

"How did you know that?" I asked...like a goddamn CLOWN. No duh she knew Andy! You stupid moth-

"Andy come on. You're not that subtle. Sometimes I saw you looking at me as if you were working up the nerve to talk to me. Here's the thing, I had a crush on you too. I was also too scared to talk to boys, let alone the cute one sitting in the back of Mr. Kryos's science class cracking jokes with his best friend Roy. I eventually tried dating someone else but he wasn't a good match," she said. I meanwhile was smiling reminiscently. Roy and I had some of our best moments during that class. Sam lightly slapped my chest.

"Are you still in there Andy?" she asked.

"Yeah but hold up. You liked me too? Even though I wasn't, you know, well built?" I asked.

"It's not about the body, it's about the person. Your personality hasn't changed since high school or college. You're just as lovely to be around. Now, when are we going out? I'm actually out of town tonight and tomorrow. I'm actually leaving right after my workout. How about...on Tuesday? I'll be back by then," she said

"Sure yeah, sounds great. We'll work out details later. I actually need to get going myself, Roy's race is in a few hours. Should go see him. Better have left me a ticket, those can get pricey" I started rambling and took out my phone to check the time but Sam ruffled my hair.

"It's a date, I'll see you on Tuesday Andy. Oh, here's my phone number so we can still chat," she said, taking the phone from my hand and adding her contact info.

"Have fun, but don't have too much fun without me"

I felt pretty darn good after that. Made my way back home, showered, changed, pet the kitty and told Aunt DJ that she owes Sam 5 credits.

"Hmm? I owe who?...Oh...OH! When and where?!" she started to say but I said.

"Later. Gotta go support Roy" I kissed Aunt DJ, Josslyn and Muffins (who mewed happily) before I made my way to the F-Zero Grand Prix Bleachers in the neighboring Mute City in the late afternoon. Those things were awesome. They float near the tracks the Committee builds and move to the next track along with the racers. Sure, fans couldn't see the whole track, but we got highlights from on board camera systems and high speed cameras placed around the track. Roy had indeed left me a ticket. The blue skinned alien worker squealed in her native tongue when I said my name.

"Like from the news?! Here you go!" she then said in a very high pitched voice and in accented English. Most of the alien species Earth had made contact with over the years had learned to speak English or some other language on Earth. I myself knew a little of the Zou and Tortiz languages. Mainly the swear words. Zou was the home planet of that wolf guy, Leon, I saw on TV the other night at Falcon House. It was a language of barks, yips and snarls. Tortiz was a language of moans and groans. Hard to distinguish "Can I have a drink" from "Can you dunk my head in the toilet" in Tortiz to a human. Made that mistake once. I decided to dress lightly in jeans, a t-shirt and a leather jacket with sunglasses. My seat was in one of the best spots to watch. Basically smack dab in the middle of the sands. I could see an entire stretch of the track up until the first turn. A few other fans recognized me from the news and a couple of them shook my hand or, in some cases, chest bumped me or head butted me so hard that my sunglasses nearly broke in two pieces. Eventually I felt someone sit down next to me. I turned to see Lisa sitting next to me.

"Hi Andy, ready to watch Roy kill himself?" she asked nervously. She was very fidgety and kept rubbing her hands together in her lap

"Hey, relax," I said. "You know Roy. A bit cocky yes, but most of the time he can back up his claims. He's against the doc so he'll really have to bring his A-game. Doc Stewart used to race back in the day. He was just as skilled as my d- er, Captain Falcon" I nearly spilled the beans on my dad's secret but thankfully, Lisa was too busy being nervous for her boyfriend to notice my slip up.

"He told me he has a surprise for me if he wins. Do you know what it is?" she asked me suddenly. Oh crap, she might know of Roy's plan but I decided to have a little fun.

"Perhaps," I said slyly.

"Tell me!" she said. I covered my mouth in mock surprise.

"Oh dear, I have said too much!" I said.

"Andy, c'mon! Please?" she protested. I made a "zip the lips" motion. As I was throwing away the "key" I gestured to the big screen where the race announcer, Mr. Zero had appeared. Mr. Zero was wearing his trademark 3 piece green suit and purple tie. On his face, he was wearing "half a helmet." Half of it was covering his right ear and the top of the other half was open revealing Mr. Zero's green hair. The half helmet also covered his eyes. It looked as if he was wearing goggles and half a starship pilot's headgear. For some reason, a headset mic extended from the helmet but Mr. Zero also spoke into a regular microphone. This guy had been calling F-Zero races for years. He was pretty young when I was a kid, I'd guess he was about 19 years old when he started calling. The crowd roared with approval when Mr. Zero appeared and he smiled broadly at everyone.

"LLLLLLLLLLLLADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS, ALIENS AND HUMANS ALIKE, WELCOME TO THE KNIGHT LEAGUE GRAND PRIX!" he shouted. The crowd, including myself and Lisa, cheered with approval.

"As usual, this Grand Prix will consist of 5 tracks. We will begin here in Mute City before we venture to the ocean views of Big Blue and then the competitors must brave the Sand Ocean before going onto the Death Wind concluding with the fan favorite Silence! BUT FIRST, LET'S MEET OUR COMPETITORS!" Mr. Zero shouted. I nugged Lisa and pointed off to the left.

"That's where Roy will enter from" I said over the noise. Sure enough, I heard the sounds of G-diffuser systems firing up and the roar of thrusters. A music track began to play. Most of the pilots usually picked their own theme song that will play when Mr. Zero announces them. Roy's choice sounded like a bunch of heavy synthesizers mixed together to make a sci fi like tune. Roy wasn't always the most musically inclined and his tastes were all over the place. As for me, I liked hard rock or metal or a bit of acoustic guitar/easy listening in there for when I feel like takin' it easy.

"Our first racer, hailing from Port Town here on Earth, a GSF Mechanic and experienced pilot but newcomer to the Grand Prix scene. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce you to the pilot of the Red Gazelle, Mr. ROOOOOOOOY HUGHES" Mr Zero announced. Lisa cheered loudly when she saw Roy blast his way across the track before making a sharp U-turn and coming to rest at his starting location marked with a number 1. He popped the canopy of his machine. I saw he was wearing a silver jacket, gold pants and a silver helmet that covered most of his face. Roy gave a wave to the cheering crowd, noticed Lisa and me and pointed at both of us before stepping out of his machine to await his fellow pilots. Mr. Zero then announced a orange skinned alien racer named "Z-Xiigus"

"Our third racer, also hailing from Port Town, is a skilled surgeon who races as an F-Zero pilot in his spare time. He once raced alongside the legendary Captain Falcon, please give a warm welcome to the pilot of the Golden Fox, Dr. ROBBBBEEERRT STEWART!" Mr. Zero shouted. I saw Dr. Stewart pull the same kind of maneuver as Roy did and he too got out of his machine and waved at the crowd. He even nodded at Roy. Mr. Zero continued to introduce the remaining 27 pilots, many of which I hadn't heard of and none of which sounded like they were from Dark Million. I pointed this out to Lisa but she didn't respond. A young African American female had just walked onto the track in front of everyone and began to sing.

"Oh, they got a new singer I see," I said.

"I think that's Kate Alen. My cousin went to school with her. He said she was nice" Lisa answered. Kate Alen finished her song a few minutes later to cheers and applause from the crowd. Mr. Zero had called all pilots to their machines and we watched Roy climb back into the Red Gazelle. All 30 pilots powered down their machines as the countdown began.

"3…" Lisa grabbed my arm very tightly.

"2..." All 30 pilots powered on their machines.

"1…GO!" 30 machines rocketed forward going roughly the speed of sound. Let me tell you, watching F-Zero on TV is cool but nothing, NOTHING, will be better than seeing it live. We all watched the racers rocket around the Mute City track at breakneck speeds. Roy was actually doing pretty good. The big screen we all saw Mr. Zero on kept switching to the Red Gazelle while Mr. Zero himself was providing commentary.

"And the talk of the day seems to be newcomer Roy Hughes behind the controls of the Red Gazelle and I must say, the boy has got skill! Racing up against the likes of the legendary Dr. Stewart, a known friend of Captain Falcon back in the day. Roy seems to be piloting that machine quite well but if you ask me folks, those Cyber Stick Inc machines can be a bit fragile but the boost capability on them are second to none. Sacrifice body strength for more speed it seems… OH MY GOODNESS WHAT A MOVE FROM MR. HUGHES!" Lisa had definitely tensed when Mr. Zero talked about Roy's machine. Roy had pulled off a fantastic dodge and increased his lead.

"Did...did he say fragile? Is Roy going to be OK?" she asked me. I had purchased us hot dogs and was holding one under her nose while I chewed mine. Mustard, relish, onions and hot sauce. Byoutiful. Lisa took the hot dog and began to eat it nervously.

"Chill, the Dark Million guys are the ones known for breaking down machines. None of them are here. He's fine. Look here he comes now….and there he goes. Still has his sizeable lead too. Nice" I said watching the machines fly past the spectator stands. They were about to start lap 2 of 3. That means that Mr. Zero's famous catchphrase was coming. The entire crowd joined him when he shouted

"YOU'VE GOT BOOST POWER!" Mr Zero was right about Roy's boosting capability, it was fast but he, as well as the other racers, needed to keep an eye on their machine's power level. Boosting, hitting track hazards and other racers caused the level to drop. There was usually a power strip or 2 placed throughout the track which refilled the power level. If it dropped too low, kaboom. Retired. Have people died you ask? Oh yeah, loads of times but that was before I was born. Recently, machines came with an eject button which will save the pilot 99% of the time. Roy maintained his lead with Dr. Stewart behind him in 2nd as the first race concluded. Lisa seemed to forget that she was nervous about Roy and shouted

"YEAH! THAT'S MY BOY TOY ROY! HE'S IN THE LEAD!" I smiled and let her cheer.

The stands then hovered over Big Blue, the neighboring sea area of Mute City. Lotta vacation homes there and plenty of beach babe (or hunk, I'm not judging your preference) watching. I began to think about taking Sam there on our future date for a walk along the shore line or something but the sound of F-Zero thrusters brought me back to Roy's race. Roy didn't do so hot on this track. His turning was a bit slippery and he grazed the wall a few times trying to turn on the ice patch near the final straight away. Dr. Stewart won that course, but only barely. He just managed to beat Roy over the finish line. He and Roy were now tied for the lead. The next course, Sand Ocean was also not the best for *ahem* "Boy Toy Roy." This track had a nasty hairpin left turn pretty early on and another hairpin turn to the right. Lisa and I groaned whenever we watched Roy graze the wall. Dr. Stewart was victorious once again with Roy taking 2nd. The 4th track, Death Wind, was a standard oval shaped track with a few boost pads throughout. Roy got back into his groove and easily won this one. He even lapped a few of the other pilots and had flawlessly "threaded the needle" through them. Roy and Dr. Stewart were now tied going into the final track, Silence. This was the hardest of all the tracks so far. Mines, a jump over some sandy areas that slowed you down and plenty of 90 degree turns.

"This is it Lisa. he's just gotta win this one and he wins the cup," I said, finishing my 4th hotdog. What? They were good. Lisa had her hands pressed against her face. I think her nails were digging into her cheeks. She didn't say anything when the pilots took off. Roy took an early lead again but he started to lose it on the "boost laps." Those sharp turns were his weakness it seemed and he kept boosting too often which depleted his power level and that made him go slower than I knew he wanted to. Roy changed tactics on the final lap and saved his boost energy for the final stretch of the course where he boosted past Dr. Stewart to secure victory. Lisa nearly knocked me over and made me deaf with how loud she was cheering. I got up off the ground in time to see Roy standing on the nose of his machine with his fists in the air. Dr. Stewart looked genuinely pleased at this, almost as if he had let Roy win, and applauded Roy.

"AND THE WINNER IS, MR. ROY "THE MIGHTY GAZELLE" HUGHES!" Mr. Zero shouted to the crowd. Mr. Zero had apparently given Roy a new nickname.

"Mighty Gazelle? I still prefer Elroy to be honest," I said as we watched Roy lift the Knight League shield into the air. Dr Stewart stood near him cheering along with everyone else. Mr. Zero had made his way down to Roy on the winners podium. Their images appeared on the big screen. Roy took his helmet off as Mr. Zero spoke

"From the special F-Zero GP venue, we're broadcasting an interview with the Grand Prix champion. I'd like to ask you something. Why did you become an F-Zero Pilot Mr. Hughes?"

"For the GLORY!" Roy said and raised his fist into the air.

"Excellent! That's a great machine you've got there as well" Mr. Zero continued.

"It looks like a Gazelle leaping across the plains of the Savannah, doesn't it?" Roy said and gestured at his machine before adding

"I'd actually like to ask a special someone in the crowd to join me up here so I can ask her something. Lisa Fairchild, if you would please" Roy gestured at Lisa who seemed to be taken aback. I gestured for her to go. Lisa joined Roy on the podium where he pulled out the ring from his jacket, got down on one knee and proposed to her. Lisa of course said yes and tackled him in a hug. As I clapped for my best friend, I noticed Dr. Stewart was looking at me as if waiting for something. I figured that since he knew my dad and Aunt DJ since school, he might be in on it. I pulled out the piece of paper, data chip and folded scarf my dad gave me and nodded at him. Dr. Stewart smiled and nodded before I saw his mouth form the words "For your father."

I went to the address after I celebrated with Roy and Lisa over a few drinks late that night and Sam and I began texting. She said that she saw me on TV during Roy's race and told me to wear the leather jacket on Tuesday. I also told Aunt DJ that I'd be home late. She, of course, knew what I was doing. Lisa had no alcohol of course as she was pregnant. She also couldn't seem to keep her hands off her new fiance, the "Mighty Gazelle." I left them to it and arrived in the old abandoned part of Port Town a few hours later. Had to take the bus and walk a mile or 2. The building that I was in front of looked pretty beaten up and was most likely vacant for years.

"Ok...how is this going to explain everything? I'm at the right place am I not?" I double checked the address. Yes, I was. The building in Old Port Town with the number 111 on the front. Windows were broken, the door looked like it was ready to fall off its hinges and parts of the wall were even missing. I decided to just walk in the front door. I got about 2 steps until a voice said

"Identification code please," I stumbled and nearly lost the data chip.

"Pardon?" I said to the air

"Incorrect. Please try again." Where was the voice coming from? I felt stupid but I tried

"Open sesame?"

"Incorrect. Please try again." I frowned and looked at the paper again before noticing the other part of the note "Her nickname." Who's? Must be someone close to my dad.

"Jo? DJ? Joss? Kate?"

"Incorrect. Please try again." Dammit. I was about to just ram my shoulder into the door until I remembered who the actual most important woman in my dad's life was. His wife. My mom. What did he call her all the time?

"Jay?" I said tentatively. Suddenly a falcon emblem appeared on the door in front of me and it's eye revealed a scanner and it went over my entire body.

"Identification confirmed, welcome Captain Falcon," I froze as the door opened to reveal a stairway leading down. I looked up and down the street which was pointless, no one came to this part of the city, and walked inside and down the stairs.

They lead me deep underground. Like well under the foundation of the building. I'm not even sure that the building above was even real. That thought left my mind entirely as I walked into a...well there was no other word for it really, secret lair. There was so much tech everywhere. The lights had come on when I walked through the doorway at the bottom of the stairs. I saw a giant screen covering one of the walls with a massive keyboard array in front of it as well as what looked like a very comfortable chair. Along the walls were name plates as well as photos of people in Captain Falcon's attire. I saw names like Richard Wheeler, Kent Akechi, Ryu Susaku and even my own grandfather, Bartholemew Lemming. He died when I was still a baby. At the very end of the row of names was the name "Douglas Lemming. 2524-2560. Captain Falcon from 2545-2560." I looked at the photo of my dad in the outfit I saw him in when I was 5 raising his right fist in the air and looking serious. I turned around and nearly knocked all the pictures off the wall after seeing what was in one of the corners. It was a blue machine that I knew quite well except it looked like Uncle Mason or Roy had tuned it up from the first time I saw it. It wasn't as bulky as it used to be but more sleek and stylish. The words "Blue Falcon" were painted along the sides near the "wings." There was also a large falcon shaped starcruiser in another corner as well as what looked like a bed, dresser, bathroom and refrigerator.

"No way...No way." I stammered. This was unbelievable. Something made a hissing noise and a large glass tube dropped from the ceiling. Something was inside the tube. It looked like an outfit. Captain Falcon's outfit. It was definitely different than my dad's outfit. The jacket didn't have the same pattern as my dad's old jacket and it was a lighter shade of blue along with the pants. The belt was brown and the belt buckle had a falcon on it. There was also a green holster with a pistol in it. The jacket had a silver and golden pauldron on it's right shoulder and even had an upturned collar. 2 gold buttons were on the chest area. Must be how the jacket stayed on as opposed to a zipper. The boots and gloves were yellow and had falcon patterns on them and the helmet looked way more modern compared to the bulky looking one my dad wore. I walked over to the uniform case. It needed a handprint authorization so I placed my hand against it. Immediately, the glass hissed open. Against my better judgement, I stripped off my own jacket and jeans and put the Captain Falcon jacket and pants on. They fit me perfectly and even accented my muscles. I strapped on the boots and put on the gloves. Those fit perfectly as well. I even pulled out the old scarf and placed it around my neck. I hesitated when I was about to put on the helmet. I had just remembered the data chip Aunt DJ had given me. I picked it out of my other jacket and walked over to the computer with it. I booted on the computer and was greeted with a password screen. I tried the same password I used at the front door. "Jay." The computer powered on and a soft female voice spoke, the same one from upstairs

"Greetings Andy. Welcome to the Falcon Lair." she said. I jumped and nearly dropped the data chip again. I had just now realized that the voice sounded very close to my mom's voice.

"Uh...who's there?" I asked the empty room.

"I am. The Fully Automated Locate and Capture Operations Network or F.A.L.C.O.N. for short" the voice said again. I realized it was coming from the computer and spoke to it.

"2 things, can I just call you Fal and? And what exactly does that mean?" I asked the screen. I noticed that a soundwave was there and it moved when Fal spoke.

"Yes, you may call me Fal. I quite like that name, thank you Andy. As for what I am, I am an advanced AI system designed by your father to serve as your assistant for your role as Captain Falcon. DJ Lemming had decided to step away from that duty right before your father passed so she could be with her wife. I wasn't quite finished yet so your Aunt Kathy put the finishing touches on me. You may have noticed that I sound close to how your mother sounded. I hope that's OK?" Fal explained.

"Uh yeah, that's fine. Do I have to worry about you becoming self aware and trying to kill all life on earth?" I asked. It was a genuine concern. I had seen a few cyborgs throughout my life. Some were cool but others weren't. Fal laughed, which was a tad eerie as she (go with it, Fal has a female voice) was a computer.

"Watching old movies from the 21st century have we Andy? No no, I can assure you that I am here to assist you with your duties and provide security for your base of operations here. As you can see, there have been improvements to much of Captain Falcon's equipment. For example, your outfit, it's been designed by your Aunt Kathy to be more modern. Fully flexible material on the jacket and pants and I must say they fit you quite well. As for your boots, you may have noticed that they are of a different design than your father's. Yours have been equipped with state of the art shock absorption technology courtesy of your Uncle Mason. They can allow you to land safely from high falls. Not from orbit but higher than most humans can withstand. Your gloves are also equipped with the ability to holographically reconstruct hand and fingerprints at random or they can even reconstruct a holographic copy of a living being's hand which can be used on most finger and handprint scanners. Your entire outfit is fireproof and can withstand up to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. As for the gun, it's based on a standard issue GSF firearm. Capable of switching between nonlethal and lethal ammo. Your father only killed one bounty. Some criminal named 'Scale Head.' He even got 500,000 credits for it," Fal explained in her calming voice. Aunt Kathy and my dad must have done that on purpose so I wouldn't start yelling and throwing things. Granted, it crossed my mind but after realizing more of my family was involved with this whole thing, I kept listening. Fal continued to give me the rundown on my equipment,

"Your machine, still called the Blue Falcon, is equipped with a BF2003×4 engine which you can switch between high acceleration but slower max speed and vice versa. Top speed of this machine, without using the boost, reaches around 700-800 kph or about 500 mph. With boosting, it can reach speeds of over 1000kph. Designed by your father to be easy for anyone to pilot but installed anti-theft systems just to be safe. The machine will only respond to you and any authorized users. The spaceship is called the 'Falcon Flyer.' It is to be used as transport around Earth and other planets if bounties are offworld. It can even carry the Blue Falcon if you are to be going long distances. I myself am installed on the Blue Falcon and Falcon Flyer's systems and you may call me to deliver either to you with a push of a button on your gauntlet. I am also installed on your helmet's system. Oh dear, I forgot to explain your helmet's features! It is form fitting and will disguise you perfectly. A voice modulator is installed near where your mouth is and you can use eye movements to pick the voice you want as well as any other commands. It also features a holographic display module that will obscure your lower face if you choose to. Your upper face will be disguised by the eye shield. You can see clearly through the eye shield, but others will not be able to see your eyes unless you want them to. As I said, I am installed on the helmet's computer system and you may speak to me in as loud or as soft a voice as you so desire. I will be able to hear you even if you whisper. I can also install myself on your phone in order to keep you updated on targets or crimes in progress if you would like and I can also link your phone to your helmet display." Fal said. I took out my phone and pressed the "Allow F.A.L.C.O.N. System Install" prompt on screen.

"Great! It seems that everything is in order, although I believe that you wanted to play the video message your dad left you correct?" Fal asked. I was still trying to make sense of all my stuff that my dad left me. It was still hard for me to believe that this was what he wanted from me.

"Y-yeah. Sure" I said as a slot opened up near the top of the keyboard console. With shaking hands, I placed the data chip in. Nothing happened for a few seconds and then a vid screen opened on the computer screen and a video of my father began to play.

"Hey son. Well...surprise. It's been me kiddo. You've been hero worshipping your old man. Yes, I'm Captain Falcon. Unfortunately, my time is now limited. They are after me, son. By the time you see this, I will be dead. I know. It's not fair. Losing your father at 9 years old. That's hard for anyone, no matter how tough they think they are. But I promise it's for a good cause. It's for the greater good that I bring this company down. If this plan didn't topple the company, I hope you will continue the Falcon legacy. See, Captain Falcon isn't someone's name Andy, it's a title. Passed down through generations. Why, even your grandfather was Captain Falcon for a time before he retired and gave it to me. Knowing that you are just like me, you probably lashed out at my dear older sister when she told you about this didn't you? I also lashed out at grandpa when he chose me to succeed him rather than her. Grandpa said that DJ didn't have the piloting skills that I did. See Andy, one who succeeds Falcon, inherits the title of Falcon. I marked you as my successor when I saw you take on that Kody Velleman guy at risk to your own life to save your teacher. I knew you would grow up into a brave young man always willing to help those in need. From this day forward, although you may not know it for many years, you are Captain Falcon Andy. Make me proud son, I love you. Take care of your mom and sister for me," the video ended and I just sat there staring at the screen with tears in my eyes. He really was Captain Falcon. He watched me perform my first heroic act at 5 years old at great personal risk to myself. I picked up the helmet and stared at it. It was red and yellow with a falcon emblazoned on the front. Words from my friends and family began to play in my mind.

"For your father," Dr. Stewart's voice said.

"You carried me outside? You're the best big brother ever," Jody's voice said.

"Andy...you just ran about 25 feet in less than a second…" Sam's voice said.

"He's been my best friend for years. Knew he'd straight up BODY those bozos with no effort" Roy's voice said.

"He's got that heroic quality in him to help those in need" Lisa's voice said.

"I've raised him since he was 9 with DJ. He reminds me of his father. Always ready to put themselves in danger for the safety of others" Aunt Josslyn's voice said.

"You saved the entire diner from those men. It is exactly what your father would have done," Aunt DJ's voice said.

"Fly my little falcon," my mom's voice said. That one got me teary eyed but not as much as the following one.

"You are Captain Falcon Andy. Make me proud son, I love you" the former Captain Falcon, my father, had said in his final message to his son. I even remembered that day back in Miss Lily's class where my father had smiled at me after I told Miss Lily that I didn't want her to get hurt. I turned the helmet in my hands so that the eye shield was pointing in front of me.

"The city awaits you Captain Falcon," Fal said. If an AI could smile, Fal would be doing so right now. I lifted the helmet onto my head and the electronic system initiated. I saw in my reflection on the computer screen that in the place of my eyes, there were 2 white triangles. I barely recognized myself to be honest. I took one last look at the photo of my dad before saying

"I love you too dad. I accept the title of Captain Falcon. Fal, let's go catch some criminal scum"