Chapter 12: Race Against Time
"Captain you look exhausted," Swen said as Sea Hawk emerged from his cabin slowly.
"I can't rest Swen," he said. "Not until I know Adora is out of danger." In truth the pirate captain was exhausted as he had not slept a bit all night. His mind was wrecked, torn between his desire to find Adora quickly, and his knowledge that he needed to go about it strategically less others be harmed.
After learning all he could about Road Queen from the old man at the station -not nearly the inside look that Adora had gotten from the bounty hunter herself of course but still sufficient to understand her better- he had turned and headed for Whispering Woods to enlist rebel aid. Despite his concern for Adora, Hawk knew that flying into the Fright Zone on the Solar Clipper would be a suicide run.
Another problem was that he couldn't be certain that Adora was even at the Fright Zone. His locket had not glowed a bit for several hours giving him no clue as to her whereabouts nor her condition other than that she was in no immediate danger.
"Ahoy Sea Hawk," a voice called from below. Hawk looked over the side of the ship which was docked, so to speak, over the rebel camp. Glimmer, Bow and a small group of rebels were waiting. Hawk nodded and jumped down to them. His boots absorbed the fall but he still staggered slightly due to his tired nature. Glimmer did not fail to notice this.
"I was going to ask if you were ready to go, but you're in no shape to fight right now."
"Do you want to try and stop me?" Sea Hawk growled at her.
"I suppose not," Glimmer sighed. "Okay let's go."
"Sorry Glimmer, I didn't mean to snap at you. I really appreciate the help."
Glimmer waved him off. "Forget about it. If Adora needs help than we're here for both of you."
"So are we going to the Fright Zone or do we try and track down this bounty hunter first?" Bow asked.
Sea Hawk thought for a moment than said, "Maybe we should try to find Road Queen first. If Adora had been taken to the Fright Zone than my locket would be…" he got no further before the unmistakable hum and glow drew everyone's attention.
"You were saying?"
"I was saying, next stop The Fright Zone!"
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Road Queen raced onto the Fright Zone grounds without slowing. Her mind was filled with a mixture of rage and determination. No matter what the cost she was going to get Adora free and then, if possible, get back at Hordak for his deception.
So great was her concentration that she barely managed to skid her bike to a sudden stop when something unexpectedly dashed in front of her. As you've more than likely guessed, it was Dragstor.
"What are you doing here?" he hissed low. "Hordak has concluded his business with you."
"Don't play ignorant with me," Road Queen snapped. "As if you don't know about Hordak's little fast one. I've come for Adora. I didn't get what I wanted so neither does he."
"You discovered the truth faster than anticipated," Dragstor nodded. "However, I cannot allow you to take my master's prize from him. If you want Adora you must first get past me."
"You make it sound like a challenge," Road Queen said revving her engine.
"Don't even try it," Dragstor laughed. "I know you're fast but you are no match for me."
"Wanna bet?" Road Queen scoffed.
"An intriguing offer," Dragstor hissed. "A race then. I have not had the pleasure of a real challenge in some time. But what do you intend to wager?"
Road Queen paused. She hadn't been seriously considering making a bet but if she could save Adora simply by winning a race… well why not? But what could she offer him? Money? She had plenty but doubted it was of interest to him. The formula? The Horde would love to have it. But no! Reina made a mental note to slap herself for even thinking that. She had promised her brother to keep that a secret and no matter what she would never break that vow.
"What's it to be?" Dragstor snarled, now loosing his patience.
"I wager myself," Road Queen spat out quickly.
"What?"
Road Queen swallowed hard but stayed firm. "My freedom wagered against Adora's. If I win you have to let me take her and leave. If you win I'm yours. A willing slave to the Horde."
Your skills would prove most valuable," Dragstor nodded. "Very well it's agreed. But I warn you, should you try to back out once you loose…"
"No need to worry about that," Road Queen smiled. "There's only one man who's ever been able to outrun me."
Dragstor laughed, a chilling sound coming from behind his respirator. "There is no man who has ever outrun me."
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Adora grunted as she struggled against the ropes binding her wrists. A difficult process when one took all factors into account. If she struggled too much the ropes would cut into her skin. On one hand a small wound was preferable to the fate that awaited her. Also the blood might make her hands slicker and thus let her slide out of the binds easier. But on the other hand the smell of blood could very well attract the Beast Monster to her all the quicker.
She shuddered at the thought. The Beast Monster was one of the most feared creatures on Etheria. Some thirty feet in size the creature was reptilian in appearance, with along slender neck and a disproportionately large head filled with enormous razor sharp teeth. Not that it mattered since the beast could easily swallow a grown human whole. (and had on several occasions)
Adora had encountered the Beast once before while searching its lair for a water crystal needed to power one of Man-At-Arms' devices. That time she had gone in as She-Ra with Swift Wind and Mermista to help her. Even then she had narrowly escaped with her life. Now she was here without her sword, tied to a stake, and completely alone. So feared and dangerous was the Beast Monster that no one had remained to guard her. The escort had rushed in tied her up and rushed out.
At first Adora had thought this would work to her advantage in that she could slip out of her bonds and escape before the creature discovered her. Now, however she was finding that to be more difficult than she had anticipated. At least only her hands were bound. The Hordesmen who had left her were in such a rush they did not bother to tie her feet to the pole.
Adora gasped as she suddenly realized that was the solution. She still had the knife Road Queen had slipped in her boot! Getting it to her hand would be a bit of a challenge but, thanks to her athletic agility, not an overwhelming one.
It took Adora a bit of twisting and struggling to remove her boot without her hands but finally it fell off spilling the small knife onto the ground. Reaching out with her foot Adora gripped the knife between her toes then bent her leg up behind her back passing the knife into her hand.
"Yes! Thank you Reina!" Adora said aloud as she began cutting through the ropes. It was a slow frustrating task but she kept at it. She had to.
A low rumble caused her to pause. The dust and small rocks around her began to vibrate. Then the silent air was broken by a low moaning growl.
"Oh no," Adora whispered. "Don't let it be.."
But it was. The Beast Monster was awake. And it was hungry.
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Road Queen breathed in and out quickly but steadily. Her fingers flexed but maintained their grip on the throttle. This was always the toughest part of a race for her. The countdown before the start.
After a bit of arguing back and forth with Dragstor the rules of engagement were finally laid out to their agreement. The race would be a relatively short one, only one lap around the Fright Zone. Dragstor had wanted at least three but Road Queen did not have the time to waste. In truth, had she known just what danger Adora was in, she wouldn't have agreed to the current terms. Dragstor had finally agreed to one lap on the condition that the course took the longest and most treacherous route around the grounds.
Now as she sat waiting to take off, Reina let her eyes shift momentarily to the Sword of Protection planted firmly in the ground between her and Dragstor. She felt slightly uncomfortable relinquishing her possession of it, but knew it was necessary.
Dragstor had quickly conceded that no one in the immediate area could be trusted to judge the winner fairly so the race was to be determined by the sword. Whoever made it back to this point first and snatched up the sword would be the victor.
Reina's eyes now shifted back to the front waiting for the flash grenade she had tossed out to go off, signaling the start of the race. Her mind counted down the last seconds as she leaned forward in preparation.
Three, two one!
The flash burst and the two competitors took off. Or at least they initially did. As soon as she saw the light Road Queen had jammed her throttle to the extreme pumping maximum power into the engine. Her bike skidded forward two inches then sputtered out and died. Road Queen's jaw dropped like a stone as Dragstor zoomed ahead, glancing over his shoulder to emit a barely audible laugh.
"I flooded it!" Road Queen growled in disbelief as she restarted her bike slowly and moved forward at a moderate pace letting the engine warm up a moment before giving it a full throttle boost. This time the bike handled the extra power without any sign of protest.
"I actually flooded it!" she continued. "What the hell was I thinking? Shit, damn, piss, fuck, shit, damn, fuck, shit, shit, damn…" She continued to utter a nonstop string of obscenities that even I, your extremely lenient chronicler, think is best cut short at this point.
Now you, dear reader, may feel that Road Queen was overreacting just a bit to what was a simple mistake that only cost her a couple seconds. If this is the case then I must take a moment to remind you of several very important facts.
Firstly, remember that Road Queen's life revolved around engines and speed. To say she was an expert on the matter does not give her vast knowledge and mastery of the subject due credit. Someone of Reina's stature just did not make a "simple mistake" like flooding an engine.
Second, on that same note, Road Queen's bike was a highly customized fully tricked out piece of machinery. It had been designed to handle such sudden bursts of power and speed with no problem. Therefore, try to imagine just how much Road Queen had to have pumped into such an engine in order to overpower it.
Thirdly, while she had only lost a few seconds, those were seconds she couldn't afford to loose. Seconds can make the difference in any race but Road Queen was up against the fastest man on Etheria. A few seconds were enough to give Dragstor a substantial head start.
And on that note of time, need I remind you the reader that, although Road Queen did not know of Adora's current situation, she was aware that the young princess was scheduled for execution and that every moment counted? So as you can see, even overlooking such factors as Road Queen's pride and short temper, there were plenty of reasons for her to be extremely angry with herself.
Eventually though, Road Queen did stop dwelling on her mistake and concentrated fully on the path ahead. The course was flat and open in the beginning, which allowed her to accelerate with no worries about adjusting to steer. Reina's mind filled with determination and she shut out everything else, concentrating only on the dust clouds ahead that marked Dragstor's position.
Within moments she had closed enough distance to make out her opponent's form though his legs were moving with such speed as to make them a blur. Dragstor glanced over his shoulder and muttered something. Reina was unable to make out his words over the roar of her engines but it was clear that he had been surprised and angered by Road Queen closing the distance.
Reina eased back on the throttle now as they approached the first set of rock formations rose up ahead. Even someone as skilled as her would need to reduce speed to maneuver. It was also going to take more than speed to steal the lead away from Dragstor. The cyborg was weaving around in front of her intentionally so as to block any window she could slip through. Some fancy piloting was going to be required in order to sneak by. She hoped that Dragstor too would be forced to slow down to make it through the rocks, but in her mind she knew that he would need less time to maneuver his body than she would her bike.
Indeed Dragstor took advantage of Road Queen's drop in speed to put on a little of his own. Strangely he seemed to be headed straight towards a precariously balanced rock formation rather than steering around it. His intention soon became clear as he drew back his arm than slammed a devastating punch into the stone.
Dragstor's speed, combined with his cyberneticly enhanced strength, was more than enough to cause a chain reaction crumbling the formation sending stone raining down into Road Queen's path. There was no time to brake and no way to steer clear. Fortunately, Road Queen was quick in the head as well. Keeping one hand on the controls she pulled out her laser pistol and fired repeatedly at the stone blasting it to tiny rubble so that when she passed through it was as if flying through a dust cloud. A few gravel-sized pieces pelted her painfully but she shook it off and focused ahead.
Clear of the rocks she had a few moments in the open again before the next challenge and used it to once again close the distance between herself and Dragstor. Some of the respect she had for him had vanished because of his underhanded trick and Road Queen found herself pointing her gun at his back ready to fire. But then she stopped herself.
No one can say for certain what stopped her. Whether it was pride, respect, conscience or if she simply didn't want to reduce herself to that level, Road Queen holstered her gun rather than take the shot. For some reason she could not do it. No matter what tactics he may imply, she was determined to defeat him fairly and honestly.
Unaware of this Dragstor had lessened his pace in preparation for the next stage. Now they had to move across the fire plain; an area near the Fright Zone where boiling magma rose to the surface running through cracks in the barren land and sometimes bursting up through lava geysers. Here the advantage went to Road Queen. Dragstor had to run a specific pattern to keep on the stone and avoid setting foot in the magma. Road Queen on the other hand could cut straight across on her hover bike swerving only once to avoid a sudden spew of lava beside her. Despite the grim situation Reina couldn't help but grin wide as she shot into the lead. As soon as she was sure no more lava could spout up around her she gunned her engines leaving Dragstor in her wake.
Dragstor's eyes narrowed but he maintained his temper. The second his foot hit the ground outside the fire plain he flung himself forward onto his chest. The wheel that stood where his stomach should be spun wildly and with an incredible burst of power the rocket pack on his back sprung to life propelling him forward with such speed that he had closed the distance and overtaken Road Queen before she knew what happened.
"Damn it!" Reina shouted as she realized she had lost the lead. Pushing the throttle forward fully she accelerated to maximum speed but still found herself lagging behind.
"Come on baby," she whispered to her bike, "don't fail me now." The bike was holding up to the strain put on in but it would give no more. Taking her eyes off the path for a split second Road Queen saw her power gage pushed all way to the red line indicating she was already at 100 percent power. The bike could go no faster. At least it wasn't supposed to.
"Sorry baby," Road Queen sighed. "I hate to do this to you but you're going to have to take one for the team." Flipping a switch on the control panel she shouted over the roar of the engines, "Override security protocols! Proceed to 150 percent power!"
Road Queen desperately tried not to think about the inevitable damage she was doing to her precious vehicle by pushing it past its limits. Had this been a normal race she would have conceded defeat rather than risk loosing the bike she loved like a living being. But this was different. There was an actual living being counting on her to win. And not just anyone, but her friend. The only real friend she had ever had besides her brother.
The bike shuddered underneath her as it struggled to hold up under the strain. Road Queen too was shaken up by the G-force pushing against her but soon adapted. An ability brought on by years of exposure to high speed. Moments later she was neck and neck with Dragstor.
The cyborg glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and shouted to her though his voice was barely audile over the combined noise of the wind and both his and her propulsion systems.
"There's only one way you could be maintaining this speed and not have run out of gas! You must be using the fabled hyper-fuel formula!"
"What if I am?" Road Queen shouted back.
"When you're a Horde slave you'll be expected to reveal all your knowledge about it." Dragstor shot back. Before Road Queen could offer a witty retort the evil warrior put on another burst of speed and shot out in front of her again.
"No fucking way!" Road Queen stuttered watching him speed away. She hesitated for a moment knowing that the consequences of what she was about to do would be severe, but there was no other choice.
"Increase power to 200 percent!"
Again the bike strained under the pressure. Road Queen had to grip the controls with all her strength to keep steady. She could smell smoke and even feel the heat of her engine burning up but blocked it from her mind. Even when a bolt came free from the frame and flew into her face cracking the lens of her sunglasses she ignored it. Her gamble had paid off the extra speed had brought her back up to Dragstor and then the front of her bike moved ahead of him. It was by a nose but she was winning.
"Just hold on a couple minutes longer," she whispered to the bike as the Sword of Protection came into view. Road Queen let go of the controls with one hand to reach out and take the sword and only then did a horrifying truth hit her. While technically she was in a slight lead over Dragstor, because of the position he was in -lying on his chest with his arms stretched out in front of him- his hand would reach the sword before hers! In spite of it her superior speed she was going to loose this race… unless she did something incredibly drastic and life threateningly dangerous.
Road Queen pressed a button on her controls and shouted, her voice strained by the amount of dust being blown down her throat.
"Auto-drive engage! Maintain speed and course!" With that she let go of the controls but her always obedient bike did not falter in any way. It continued to pilot itself as the young bounty hunter stood up on her seat and began climbing out onto the vehicle's front.
Keeping one foot hooked on the handlebars Reina stretched out in front of her as far as she could go extending her lead by a literal arm's length. Dragstor saw what she was doing but despite his best effort found he could not get any more power out of his body. Road Queen felt herself almost slip off as her fingers closed around the sword's hilt but she yanked back with all her might and the weapon came free from the ground just as Dragstor's hand reached the point where it had been closing on thin air.
Beaming with pride Road Queen shouted into her wristcom for the bike to cut the power and come to a stop. The sudden drop in speed caused her to finally loose her grip and she fell off onto the ground rather hard. She didn't care however, but simply pulled herself up and held aloft the sword in triumph as her bike slowly returned to her side as if to share in the victory.
Dragstor could only stare in disbelief at this young girl who had just become the first person to ever outrace him. Road Queen too realized the significance of this event and found herself wishing now, more than ever, that her brother had been there to witness it.
