30 Days of Sonic Prompt 25: Elements
Media: Sonic Riders
Catch Me, I Know You Can
The Extreme Gear flew out from underneath him on the ramp, shooting out like a bolt of blue lightning. Sonic's eyes widened, his goggles slipping off his head and slinging into the air. His body toppled, weighed down by gravity slamming on to him. His head tilted to the side, catching a glimpse of the steel platform below him, his dismayed reflection filling his gaze, getting closer and closer.
A flash of green caught his eye. He couldn't twist his head in time, the ground a mere inch away, when a gust of wind propelled him forward. His body flung upward, the skyscrapers surrounding him reflecting his distress. As a yowl escaped his throat, Sonic heard an odd whirring fill his ears, the sound deafening the traffic below Metal City's highest platform.
Hands snatched his arm and heaved him down. Sonic's feet touched solid ground, but he still moved forward. His body arched to face the ramp, ascending as something wreathed around his waist. The cityscape twisted around him, blurring chrome buildings and the cerulean sky as he twirled around in mid-air, his sneakers never moving an inch, but he still felt as free as the wind.
When he landed, reality hit him. He stood on an emerald Extreme Gear board with yellow accents and a gray body. Glancing at his waist, he found a white glove gripping his hip. Following the cuff, dark green flames tattooed on the wrist affirmed his savior's identity. If he hadn't realized who protected him, then the hoarse cackle certainly alerted him to the hawk's presence.
"Falling off your board, Sonic the Hedgehog?" Jet sneered, curving around a corner. He leaned into him, his chest feathers pressing against Sonic's midsection before blasting off toward the starting area. "I can't believe you did that! It's such a beginner's mistake!"
The crowd roared the second Jet crossed the finish line. He secured his victory with a level of mastery unparalleled by any other racer. How he took corners and blasted through the course always left Sonic's chest tingling with a desire to continue racing him. With Jet, it was always neck-and-neck, a nail-biter from start to finish, but as Jet waved for the audience, his fellow Babylon Rogues taking the silver and bronze places, Sonic couldn't stop grinning.
"What? Why aren't you saying anything?" Jet asked, slowing to a stop. He hopped off his Extreme Gear by a pit stop and nudged his board into it. As his station filled it with air, Jet crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes on Sonic, sneering, "Too shell-shocked to speak with your rival?"
"No. Just taking a moment to admire how you used the wind to your advantage," Sonic said, chuckling. "It completely caught me off-guard when I was going up that ramp, but you handled it with such expertise, and you grabbed me before I could become roadkill."
"Hah! As if I'd let you get run over. I wouldn't have any reason to look forward to a race if you weren't in it," Jet jeered, running his hand through his head feathers. He pulled off his goggles and stepped on his board, rising higher in the air. "Next time, watch your feet because I won't always be looking out for you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have prize money to collect."
A short burst of wind pressed into Sonic as Jet flew off to Wave and Storm by the finish line. It ruffled his quills, sending a pleasant chill throughout his body. Chuckling, Sonic breathed in the cool air, already awaiting the next time they'd race and the thrill that came with it. And the warmth around his hip from where Jet held him made another snicker rise in his throat, his heart still thundering in the aftermath.