Battle Field: Earth

Chapter Seven: Ninja Rider

By: Sci-Fi Raptor

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

Nekomi, Japan

Late September 2002

Nearby NIT:

It was finally the day that Keiichi and Belldandy had been preparing for and they couldn't be any more psyched. They pushed their motorcycle to the starting line and waited for the race to begin.

"Good luck," Belldandy said, kissing Keiichi on the helmet.

"Thanks," Keiichi said, and revved his bike when she made her way to the stands. He had scanned the other racers and noticed that everyone was there except the winner of "Off Road 2002." The race would begin in twenty minutes and Keiichi was worried he wouldn't show up in time. Urd came up to him when he shut his engine off.

"Urd! What are you doing here?" Keiichi said, surprised by her sudden appearance.

"You sound like that's a bad thing," she said suspiciously.

"Nonsense," he lied.

"You're a bad liar, Keiichi 3," Urd said and opened up his engine.

"What are you doing!" he all but screamed.

"Chill. I'm just gonna help you out a little."

"That's what I'm afraid of…" he said, sighing.

"Hey, Trolls! You there?" Urd said, talking into the engine.

"Oh God, not that again…" Keiichi said, remembering the last time they had consulted with his engine's Trolls; and how they had to catch them all.

"Wowza!" they said in unison. "What can we do you for?" the Trolls said, snickering at their own pun.

"I'll make it your while if you guys work your hardest and help this kid win," she said, blinking.

"REALLY?" they said. When she nodded, they went into a frenzy and almost started the engine on their own.

"Hold it there you guys. You have to wait until the race starts."

"We don't wanna wait…" they moaned as she closed the engine.

"Thanks…" Keiichi said unsurely as she made her way back to the stands. He made a short prayer, hoping he wouldn't die from Urd's extra prodding. To his surprise, and relief, the last racer had arrived and took his place. Keiichi recognized the motorcycle as the same model motorcycle of the person who dodged the truck, a green Kawasaki Ninja ZX010R. The driver was wearing a green-black schemed uniform and a green helmet with an opaque black visor.

The race started five minutes later with all participants burning out and many people rooting for the now semi-famous Keiichi. Those with and without skill were quickly separated at the first turn where the less skillful skidded and wiped out and the more skillful pulled up more.

Keiichi had tilted his bike as low as he dared, but the guy with the green bike had somehow still gotten ahead of him. By the third turn, the competition was only between Keiichi and the Ninja rider. But Keiichi wasn't discouraged that he was behind, since when they finished their first lap, the stands were screaming out support for him while Belldandy projected her love for him. He gratefully accepted it and started pulling up to the Ninja rider. Unfortunately, that was as close he ever got the rest of the next three laps. Progressively, Keiichi got so behind that at the fourth lap he was behind by half a lap.

He was starting to lose faith in himself, but he suddenly saw the image of the Ninja rider's bike sprawled upon the ground. Thinking back at what he just saw, he realized that he must have run over some debris from the totaled bikes before him and lost control. Even though it was an unfortunate accident, Keiichi knew that he would win unless a miracle occurred. When he passed by the wreck site again, he expected to see the Ninja rider, wheeling his bike back to the garage, but instead found it empty, save for the debris of the earlier totalities and the Ninja rider's skid marks.

So you're giving it your all then, aren't you? Keiichi thought, realizing that he was back in the race. Then I'll give it my all too, he thought and worked his bike even harder. Somehow, though the race ended with a draw for first between Keiichi and the Ninja rider. The judges decided that a draw was unacceptable and told the two they would face each other on a one-on-one time attack for three laps. They were given half an hour to rest and repair their bikes. Keiichi and his buddies from NIT quickly made some repairs and adjustments, while the Ninja rider did it by his lonesome. Fifteen minutes remained and the two took a break.

Discreetly, Skuld went up to the Kawasaki Ninja and opened up its engine. To her surprise, she didn't find a bunch of trolls. She found a bunch of female trolls.

"Wow, haven't seen much of your kind in places like this…" Urd said.

"You shouldn't be seeing us in the first place!" they retorted angrily.

"I have a simple question. Answer it and I'll leave you and the bike alone"

"What is it?" they said in unison.

"Why are you girls working so hard for this guy?"

"Because he's sexy!" they said in unison again (well, they said Kawaii, but you could tell that's what they really meant).

"And he takes good care of us," one of the less talkative trolls said.

"That's also true," the other trolls said as one.

"I see…" she said and closed the engine. She went up to Keiichi and gave him the news. "He's not cheating. His engine's trolls just love him."

"I thought as much," he said casually. "After seeing what that guy can do, I'm not surprised he didn't need to cheat to pull of catching up so quickie."

"Whatever," she said, going back to the stands. "But if you still want this Maxwell's demon, you know where I am."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Keiichi said as she left. Its just gonna be you and me he thought as the Ninja rider made his way back to his bike. This is getting me excited.

"The race was fifteen seconds from starting and the two were revving their engines. Keiichi turned his head to signal Good luck to his adversary, but found him looking at the stands. At the sound of the three-second bell, Keiichi glued his eyes to the road and started burning out. Peculiarly, his adversary did not burn out, but continued revving. At the go signal, Keiichi let go of his brakes and was sent hurtling forwards. He checked his peripheral vision, and to no surprise found that his opponent was not there. Of course if you don't burn out in the beginning you wont start out as fast! Keiichi mentally rebuked him.

As if to counter his statement, the Ninja rider suddenly went past him. How? What? How did he get ahead of me? Keiichi thought. A split second later, he realized why. The Ninja Rider had popped a wheelie and was now loosing him. So that's why you didn't burn out before… Keiichi thought. But I bet it was to show off to whoever you were looking for, right? Not one to be beaten easily, Keiichi put his skills up a few notches and did his best to keep up with his opponent. By the third lap, they were neck in neck and the only thing separating the two and victory was a straightaway. Our bikes are too similar for the engines to matter anymore. Keiichi thought, analyzing the situation. The deciding factor in who will win this is who can't be more aerodynamic. Both riders hugged their bikes as tightly as they could. I guess it'll be another draw, Keiichi thought as the finish line got closer and closer. But he was wrong.

The Ninja rider crossed it first.

How did he do it this time? Keiichi thought in confusion. What could he have done to beat me? Then he saw what he did. Not only did he have his body flat on his bike, the Ninja rider also held his legs out horizontally, causing his air resistance to be slightly less then Keiichi's.

"Wow, you were amazing," Keiichi said walking up to his worthy opponent. He held his hand out and the Ninja rider shook it. "You've shown me that there are still some things I have left to learn." The winner didn't reply; he just went to get his trophy. In a few moments, the first, second and third place winners were standing on platforms near each other and their picture was taken. The Ninja rider received his rewards, but never took his helmet off. All that time, even while his picture was being taken, Keiichi could sense that he was still looking for someone.

"Keiichi! You were terrific," Belldandy said, coming up to him and hugging him.

"Too bad you lost to that guy," Urd commented.

"Hey, where's Skuld?" Keiichi asked after he noticed that she was missing.

"She was right here…" Belldandy said.

"S-s-she's over thurr!" Urd said, pointing somewhere. "And she's kissing some guy!" As if the whole world had just heard her, everyone in the surrounding area looked where Urd was pointing and saw that Skuld was kissing someone on the cheek: the Ninja rider! (Who was sitting on his Ninja!) When she let go, everyone whooped and made other noises that made Skuld embarrassed. The Ninja rider, however, had shut his visor when the embrace was over and burned rubber out of the area, denying Keiichi and the rest a glimpse of his face.

"Who was that?" Urd said, shocked her kid sister could do something like that in public.

"Gab…" she said, blushing. In her arms was the trophy that he had won.

"THAT WAS GAB?!" Keiichi and Urd said in unison.

"Tee hee," Skuld giggled, smiling from ear to ear.

I was trying to emulate the mangas where after a person says something, they add a heart to show love or something. That line just seemed like it was suited for something like that.