AN: Sorry to keep you all waiting for so long. But once again, school overrides the time I take to actually write a story. WARNING: THIS IS A SHORT CHAPTER. I REPEAT. THIS IS A SHORT CHAPTER.
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Chapter 12: Winning while losing.
Moby was sitting on the top of the steps, he was rubbing his arms. He felt so cold, he felt almost heartless. Yuri sat next to him. "Nice shiner..." Yuri noticed the black eye on Moby, Moby didn't even care that Psymon had caught him with a good suckerpunch. "Are the results from the challenge in?" Moby asked gruffly, he had already broken his M-comm in a fit of frustration. Yuri just shook her head, she leaned against the railing and just watched Moby. "You know...there wasn't really anything you can do about it." Yuri started, Moby gave her a hard stare. "I could of started by not fucking up tha best thing I eva had..." Moby sighed. He stood up and began to walk down the stairs.
He saw everyone in the lobby, they seemed to only care about the challenge as well, they could easily end up with a newbie for a Snow God, and some of the veterans were not happy about that."I mean, he isnt that much of a bad guy and all, but a newbie becomming one of us his first time out is just wrong!" Elise yelled to Nate, who just nodded in agreement "I mean, it took us three long years to work up to our ranks, and it is just a slap in the face that a kid who has only been here for three months can get a shot and what we worked hard for." Elise kept speaking, Allegra caught wind of what she was saying. "What do you mean it isnt right? I have only been on this circut for one year, and look what I have around my neck!" Allegra showed off her Snow God medal, JP was sitting right behind her.
Viggo clinched his fists, he wanted more than anything to espose that Allega's rank was gotten on a fluke, on a sick ploy by JP to get into her pants. "Oh come on! Look who you won it from! J.P! He wasnt even on the ciruct for three full years, he didn't come back last year beacause he was too busy getting drunk and laid up in France!" Elise blurted, J.P didn't look visiably angry, but it hurt him deep down. "Hey! You leave him out of this! I won my rank fair and square! I beat him on the mountain! Ask Viggo! He was there!" Allegra yelled, pointing over to Viggo. Everyone else in the lobby turned towards the him, awaiting his answer.
Viggo looked at everyone, he had no idea what he could say...should he expose J.P for the fraud that he was? Or should he back up Allegra? "Yeah...she won. J.P fell on the last fall." Viggo muttered flatly. J.P took a bigger sigh of relief than Allegra did, but Viggo kept speaking. "You know, its sort of ironic. Up until that point, they were neck and neck. Maybe God just has a cruel way of playing tricks on people who get too cocky. You know..maybe it was all part of his plan. Eh, J.P? All part of his plan." Viggo could of turned J.P into swiss cheese with all of the daggers he was starring into him. Viggo got up and headed out into the front lawn(or lack there of) "What the hell was that all about?" Elise looked over at J.P, who just shrugged. "I guess he is still jealous that I have gotten closer to Allegra than he has." J.P spoke with a smooth smile on his face, he pulled Allegra down onto the couch with him and gave her a peck on the cheek. Allegra acknowledged it and kisses J.P back, but something about Viggo's speech just didn't feel right...it sounded almost...sarcastic.
Psymon was the first to notice Moby's backseat to the enite conversation. "So, Britt-Boy, what are you views on your newest brotha's chances at becomming the next Snow God?" Psymon was enjoying making Moby sweat. Moby looked up at Psymon, and just flatly said. "That bloke is not my brotha..." Psymon looked for an opening to strike and he found it. "Oh? He isnt? Well, he is black...so wait..yep. That would make him your brotha in slang terms wouldnt it? Wait a second. Last year weren't you the only 'brotha' on the circut?" Psymon grinned. "Now..before that there was Seeiah...and she wasnt there the third year...and on the first year...there you were again. The only black guy." "Wot are ya gettin' at, Stark?" Moby snapped, he was in NO mood for Psymon's little games. "Im trying to say that you are jealous! Someone else is stealing your thunder!" Psymon yelled, dramatically pointing at Moby, Griff tried to stop himself from laughing. Moby sat there, frozen, maybe he was just jealous beacause he wasnt the 'black' sheep anymore?
Eddie sat there, looking at everyone, namely at Elise and Nate. "You know what? We are one big dysfunctional family." Eddie blurted out, maybe in some way to lighten up the damp mood. No one spoke, then a loud wet sound filled the air. "....UGH! Who ripped one!?" Elise yelled, pinching her nose. Eddie meant to crack the ice, not shatter it. Every looked over at Psymon, who was the prime suspect for things like this, but he always admitted when he did it. Every scanned the room, next to Mac was a giant japanese tomatoe. "....How can a smell that bad come out of a girl that small!?" Nate yelled, Kaori looked like she was about to burst, Mac had either passed out from laughter, or lack of air. "...Gomen?" Kaori squeaked, throughrougly embarassed.
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Peak 2 was empty, the wind was howling, and the snow was still falling. "Where the hell can they be? We never got a call saying that one of them finished." Rahzel was sitting in the side seat of a helicopter a little ways away from the finish line. "I tried calling thier M-comms, but the storm is making it damn near impossible." Pete grunted, "The cameras are all caked with snow, too. Can't see nothing down there." Rahzel sighed, as much as he didn't want to interefere with the challenge himself, he didnt want any of his boarders to get hurt and have no way to contact them. "Pete, go ahead and lift off, we will just see who has the most flags and decide the winner from that." Pete shook his head. "No need to, boss." Pete pointed over to the horizon. "The big one, he is right there." Pete pointed and Rahzel looked over. There he was, Drum, boarding over towards them slowly.
"Wait, where the hell is Payne!? He didn't leave her back there, did he?" Rahzel was about ready to burst, how could a fellow rider leave one of thier own in such a storm!?
"Calm yerself down, boss. Look!" Pete pointed around Drum's neck. There were a set of arms...hanging around his neck...it was Zoe, out cold.
"He had Payne..but why isnt she moving? Lets get them. NOW!" Rahzel ordered, and Pete set out to get them.
By the time they had gotten back to the lodge, 8 hours had passed. No one knew what condition Zoe was in, and no one even bothered to talk to Drum. Moby had to get banned from the medical wing beacause he kept on demanding to see Zoe. The boarders didn't even know who had one the challenge. Rahzel had assembled everyone in the lobby for an annoucnement. Griff had already had early predictions that Drum got a little bit too rough in the race and was about to get the boot for injruing Zoe. Kaori thought it was going to be an annoucnemt about whether Drum was the new Snow God or not.
"As you all know, Zoe Payne and Jordan Williams had a Snow God challenge today. Along with the SSX Council, I have reviewed the footage of the race from the only camera that was visable at the end. In the tape we can see that Zoe landed a trick wrong, and it resulted in an injury. At that point, we had to switch the the finish line camera, which only shows who crosses the finish line. In that tape we saw that Mr. Williams had infact helped Zoe across the finish line, by holding her threshold style and sliding down the mountain..."
Eddie blinked, and raised his hand. "So, who finished first?"
Rahzel sighed and rubbed his temples. "Even though Zoe was unconcious at the time, and indeed was not on her board. Her body did cross the finish line first. The SSX Council awards the Zoe Payne the winner of the contest." Mac threw a pillow in a small tantrum, "That ain't right! If it wasnt for Drum should would of never gotten across the line anyway!"
Psymon was the first to snap back, "Quityerbitchin Wiggerboy! Rules are rules. She won fair and square." "You have NO room to talk about rules, Stark!" Mac snapped back before Rahzel blew his whistle
"Calm down! What's done is done! The Council had decided that Zoe is the winner and that is that!" Rahzel was about to continue but Kaori shot her hand up. "Yes?" "Umm...how is Zoe?" Kaori asked, she seemed to be the only one who cared to know how Zoe was doing. "Well, she is lucky she only came out of it with the injuries she does has..." he started, and began to think. "She has a small fracture in her leg, and a couple of bumps to the head. She won't be on a board until they can fit her with a walking cast. Which will be at least two or three months."
Elise shook her head, "Damn shame..." Eddie snapped to look over at her, Elise sounded a little bit too much like Nate for comfort. Atomika noticed it as well. "Hey, people get injured in this sport. Its not like its ballet. Theres an X in it for a reason." Atomika put his arm around Elise's shoulder. Eddie almost cussed out loud, but somehow held his composure.
"What about Doughboy?" Psymon blurted. "Is he getting banned or what?" Rahzel snapped back at Psymon, "Psymon, he pretty much gave up his chance for his rank. The least you could do is address him by his name!" Psymon thought about it. "Nah, he is just a dumbass for not taking a chance at glory." Psymon grinned. "Here here!" Griff raised his hand, which was quickly smacked down by Yuri.
"So, is he okay overall?" Yuri asked. "He should be fine, he is a little banged and brusied. It was a pretty hard race. But he is in better condition than Zoe..."
Rahzel replied. "The SSX Council will do an investigation of the accident, just so now thoughts of foul play are tossed around." Rahzel gave a stern glance at Griff. "Be assured, if any evidence of sabotage is found, the person...or persons responsible will be looking at a one way ticket back to wherever they came from." Rahzel took that chance to look over the whole roster. Then nodded. "You can all leave now..if anyone sees Moby, pass the message along to him, too."
Moby heared everyhing, he was at the top of the stairs the whole time, he couldn't bare to show his face.
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It was late, about 2 A.M in the morning. Drum was laying back on his bed. Mac was out cold, and Kaori had finally went to her own room for the night. Until he heard a knock.
Drum got up and cracked the door, it was Kaori. "Oh, Hold on, I'll wake Mac up..." Drum started, but Kaori stopped him. "No..I am not here for Maccie..Its Zoe..she wants to see you." Kaori whispered, not wanting to wake up Mac. "Wait, Zoe...Zoe Payne...she wants to speak to me?...Why?" Drum asked, unsure of why Zoe would want to see him. "I don't know..." Kaori shrugged. Drum walked out, and headed down the hall for Zoe's room. Kaori stayed behind with Mac. Drum put his hand on the knob, then pulled it away. "I don't feel like hearing her gloat about beating me..." Drum began to talk to himself. "...Fuck it, I might as well get it over with." Drum pulled the door open and walked in.
Everyone was asleep, except for Moby. Who has just watched Drum walk across the hall during the night..and go into Zoe's room...and Yuri was in Griff's room...which means Zoe was alone. Not only was Drum trying to steal his thunder...now he was trying to steal his girl, too?
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AN: Ooooh, more and more suspense! Looks like I am solo on writing this chapter as well. You know the drill, read and review. The next update will be the last chapter for Snow Gods part 1! (Unless I say otherwise).