Here's the next chapter
Now to reviews
No One: I'll admit Bottas is ONE of the current unluckiest drivers in F1, but not the unluckiest, also I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter
Gloyd's Only Fan: It's just in Annie's nature to be like that
That Guy: I'm just going to stop responding to you…your just trying to get under my skin at this point
Ch.19 Same Old Story
(Where we left off)
All the racers would take off rather nicely
Marcy would move over to the left and cover up Lodhi heading into turn 1 which would be a tight hairpin
Phipps, Akio, Annie, Taffyta, Torvald, Snowanna and Vanellope would round the hairpin cleanly
Behind them things would be very different
Minty's brakes would lock up and she'd run into the back of Swizzle
The daredevil's kart would be punted over and onto Sticky's kart ending the race for all 3
Ahead of them Adorabeezle would bump Rancis sending him skidding onto the Tarmac beside the turn and into the barrier also ending his race
Rancis would sigh. "I thought we were even Winterpop…"
"Nope…that even things out now…" Adorabeezle would respond
"What happened between you 2?" Annie would ask through her mic
"During the races yesterday Rancis knocked me off the track in a race I would've won…he offered one free revenge shot…right Rancis?"
Rancis would play along. "In deed I did…but you did wreck me in the last race yesterday…"
"Because you tried ramming me off the track…"
"True…"
Crumbelina would go to say something but would stop when she'd look at Candlehead to see her holding a finger to her lips
Crumbelina would bite her tongue and stay quiet
Back up ahead Marcy would lead Lodhi down the 1st straight leading towards turn 2
Lodhi would stay behind Marcy waiting for his moment
They'd round turn 2 and head towards the hill and infamous turns 3, 4 and 5 (Also known as Eau Rouge and Raidillon)
Lodhi would close the already small gap between his front wing and Marcy's rear wing
Marcy wouldn't be fazed as she'd keep her composure and would round turn 5 without much trouble
Lodhi would grip his steering wheel tight down the small run towards turn 6
Marcy would stay close to the right of the track
Lodhi would capitalize
Heading into the turn he'd swing to the left and going down the long 2nd straight he'd pass Marcy
Marcy would check around her and would see Phipps pulling up on her left and Akio on her right
All 3 would drag race behind Lodhi heading towards turns 7, 8 and 9 forming the right-left-right chicane
Closing in on the chicane Marcy would slow as to not get squeezed in between Phipps and Akio
Phipps and Akio would remain side by side through the chicane
Akio would be faster on the exit and would claim second and slam on the gas seeing Lodhi and the small gap slowly beginning to form between the 2
"Oh no you don't…" He'd mutter to himself as he'd speed down the short 3rd straight leading to turn 10 which would be a 180-degree downhill bend
Lodhi would lock up and skid slightly giving Akio the opportunity to close the small gap between the 2 heading towards turn 11
He wouldn't notice Phipps on his tail bidding his time
Lodhi would round turn 11 and speed down the downhill 4th straight towards turn 12 Akio and Phipps hot on his tail
Behind them Annie would catch up to Marcy
Taffyta would remain behind Annie gritting her teeth. "They're so fucking fast…" She'd mutter
Going down the straight Vanellope would pass Torvald and Snowanna
She'd see Taffyta just ahead of her
Her eyes would narrow as she'd grip her steering wheel tight
Lodhi would approach turn 12 which would be a double apex left hander
He'd round the turn easily as would Akio and Phipps
They'd speed down the medium length 5th straight
Marcy would keep Annie at bay heading through the turn and would stop Annie's attempts at overtaking her
Behind them Vanellope would trail Taffyta going into turn 12
Vanellope would smash into the rear-left tire of Taffyta's kart causing her to spiral and crash into the barrier hard
Taffyta would rub her head as she'd watch Vanellope speed off quickly followed by Torvald and Snowanna
Candlehead would overtake Crumbelina, Nougetsia and Citrusella heading down the straight
Lodhi would lead heading into the right-left of turns 13 and 14
He'd speed through without much trouble as Akio would struggle to remain in his slipstream still unaware of Phipps right on top of him
Lodhi would lock up in turn 15
He'd round turn 16 with Akio almost touching his rear wing
Lodhi would go through turns 17 and 18 without any problems Akio would remain patiently behind them
"No way I can pass him before the chicane…" He'd mutter
Lodhi would go through turns 19 and 20 forming the awkward right-left chicane and would cross the line starting his second lap
Akio and Phipps would follow closely behind as Phipps would see Marcy and Annie far behind
"Just us 3 now…" He'd tell himself
4 laps later, last lap positions having remained the same
Lodhi would lead heading down the long 2nd straight Akio would nearly be touching his rear wing
Phipps would make his move
He'd move to the left much to Akio's surprise
"Where did he?!" He'd move to the left but would clip Lodhi's rear tire sending him into a spin
Akio would also spin from the impact as Phipps would run off in first
Lodhi would hit his steering wheel as he'd get back on track and would check his mirrors to see Marcy and Annie on his tail with Akio not too far behind
Lodhi would remain dead silent as he'd hit the gas in a desperate pursuit of Phipps
Through turns 7-12 Lodhi would close the distance
Phipps would see him gaining fast in his mirrors. "Took him long enough…"
Lodhi would make attempts to pass in turns 13, 14 and 15
Phipps would slam the door on him each time
Behind them Akio would see Vanellope on his tail
"Wow…caught up with a slower kart…not half bad…" He'd tell himself
Vanellope would swing to the left only for Akio to cut her off
Crumbelina would overtake Nougetsia and Citrusella
Both would sigh
Herschel would suddenly speed by both of them
"From top contenders to bottom feeders…just a routine day…" They'd mutter in unison
Heading through turns 16, 17 and 18 Lodhi's attempts would get more desperate and reckless
Phipps would smirk as he'd block each and everyone of Lodhi's attempts sensing the frustration building in his brother
Phipps would lock up entering the chicane
Lodhi would blow by him but would skid off the track exiting the chicane having gone to fast
Lodhi would get back on the track
He'd be inches from the line when Phipps would appear stealing first place, the win and Lodhi another heart breaking lost
Phipps would wave at the fans
Lodhi would grip his steering wheel tight. "…Akio…" He'd mutter under his breath
Behind them Marcy would lock up in the chicane seceding her spot to Annie
Akio would skid a little exiting the chicane as Vanellope would pull up to his side
Both would drag race down the short run to the finish line
Akio would win by a millimeter
"Aww…" Vanellope would sigh
"Phew…" Akio would sigh in relief
The rest would finish behind them as the final results would appear on the large screen above the pit lane
1st Phipps
2nd Lodhi
3rd Annie
4th Marcy
5th Akio
6th Vanellope
7th Torvald
8th Snowanna
9th Candlehead
10th Crumbelina
11th Herschel
12th Nougetsia
13th Citrusella
14th Adorabeezle
15th Jubileena
16th Taffyta DNF
17th Rancis DNF
18th Sticky DNF
19th Swizzle DNF
20th Minty DNF
Phipps would park in his garage and be swarmed by the others
He'd receive high fives and hugs from everyone
Akio would shake Vanellope's hand
"That was a close one Princess…"
"I'll get you next time…"
"Well hopefully you provide more of a challenge then Taffyta…she just stayed behind us and did nothing…"
"Don't worry…I'm the true Queen of the track…"
"You'll have to prove that to me…"
"Don't worry I will…"
Phipps would walk over to Lodhi's garage where he'd be sitting slumped on his kart
He'd pat his back
"You made it close…I doubt anyone else would've manage to catch up to me…"
"I know…"
They'd both see Akio walk into his garage
"You go get ready to get on ze podium…I need to chat vith Akio for a second…"
Lodhi would get up and walk into Akio's garage
Everyone would peek in expecting a large fight
Lodhi would walk in Akio noticing right away
"Lodhi if this is about sending you into a spin…I didn't mean it…I was gaining on you faster than I thought…I moved to the right to pass you…then I saw Phipps…and swung left…which in hindsight I shouldn't have since it screwed us both…"
"Zat move costed me…I vould have von…"
"Sure I want to contradict you on that…but had it only been me spinning out…you would've lost Phipps…I'm sorry…but I was gaining faster and I was closer to you than I thought I was…"
Lodhi would silently head up to the room leading to the podium
Marcy, Annie, Phipps and Akio would join him shortly after
Annie would hug Marcy
"It was a close one sis…had you not locked up…3rd was yours…"
"It's ok Annie…I still made the podium…to bring my streak to 3…"
Phipps would drink some water as a marshmallow would open a door
"The podium awaits…"
The siblings would walk out in the order than finished
Phipps would lift both his arms his fist clenched tight
His fans would cheer loudly as he'd step on the podium and lift the trophy high above his head
His siblings would clap as cameras would film them as others would take pictures
(A few minutes later)
Lodhi, Akio, Marcy and Annie would grab their champagne bottles
They'd spray Phipps who'd laugh still holding his trophy high
Eventually Vanellope would walk over to them
"Where's the next race Princess?"
"It'll be Circuit Gilles Villeneuve…in 30 minutes…it'll only be 3 laps…"
"Got it…"
They'd head down to their garages
(A few minutes later)
Torvald and her racers would meet in her garage as Vanellope and her minions would meet in hers
Torvald would look around at her racers. "I think we can all see things aren't as ideal as we would hope…it's clear Annie already hates most of us…but with the other 4 we seem to be on their good sides…"
"You think they would help if they knew Vanellope's true side?" Gloyd would ask
"If they realize had dark and twisted she is…they will…however…Vanellope is very manipulative…but in the current situation…I'd rather Vanellope try and turn them first…than I can get things straight with them…" Torvald would respond
"Annie is a problem though…what if she ends up causing more trouble than good?" Minty would ask
"Even if she does…it's better than her being on Vanellope's side…right now excluding the rookies it's 8 v 8…doing the math Vanellope just needs 3 of them to have the number advantage…but I'd rather have all 5 on our side…than and only than…could we truly end this little conflict…and finally be able to stop fearing every waking moment about the possibility of death…"
Little would they know 5 pairs of ears would be listening to their conversation closely
In Vanellope's garage Vanellope would ponder a little as her racers would talk amongst themselves
"They're fast and skilled…"
"A little too fast…"
Would be the statements often brought up
Vanellope would pick up her goggles causing them all to go silent
Her back would still be too them
"Do you all mean to tell me you can't beat the rookies? Or are you making excuses for slacking?"
"No…"
"Of course not…"
"We're just giving them chances…"
"If I wasn't wrecked in the past 3 races I would be challenging them…"
"They're not superior if that's what your implying…"
"Maybe they're better…" 2 would say in unison
Vanellope would suddenly look up from her goggles
"Did 2 of you just admit you are no longer useful?"
All 7 racers would look among each other wondering who made the final statement
Vanellope would keep her back to her racers. "Who's admitting to being the weak links?"
All 7 racers would look at one another
Vanellope would look at sword laying on the table in front of her
"Don't make me ask twice…"
The 7 racers would remain silent
She'd turn around to face them her eyes narrow
"Fine…I'll ask a second time…who admitted they were a weak link?"
Citrusella and Nougetsia would reluctantly step forward
Vanellope would look at the others
"Leave us…"
The 5 would bow and rush out
Nougetsia and Citrusella would look at the ground
"Why didn't you step forward when I asked the first time?"
Both racers would remain silent
"Don't be shy…"
"We were afraid…of what you might do…"
"Very well…on your knees…both of you…"
Both racers would go down to their knees still looking at the ground in front of them
"What makes you both weak links?" Vanellope would ask as she'd grab her sword
"The fact that we can't fight effectively for top positions…" Citrusella would state
"The fact that after the first race we were near the top…and 2 races later we're near the bottom…as always…" Nougetsia would add
Nougetsia would feel Vanellope's sword rub against her shoulder
"Valid arguments…have any reasons as to why I still need you around?"
"Because I can and will prove that the first race wasn't a fluke…I am more than capable of charging through the field and challenging for top positions…I am loyal to you to the end Princess…and I'm willing to do anything to prove it…" Nougetsia would state
Vanellope would move her sword away from her
"Very well…you'll earn that chance…now get out of my sight…"
Nougetsia would rush out in a hurry
Citrusella would feel Vanellope's sword on her shoulder. "What reason do you have Citrusella?"
Citrusella would remain silent
"Citrusella…do not test my patience…"
"I have none…I'm useless when it comes to racing…I always finish in the bottom 4…I know the only reason you took me in was because you wanted Jubileena on your side…you might aswell end me now Princess…but no matter what my loyalty to you is second to none…"
Vanellope would lift her sword off her. "I will give you a chance to prove that loyalty…"
"How Princess?"
"Get Akio on our side…"
"Ok Princess…I will not fail…"
"You better not…your life depends on it…"
Citrusella would leave
Vanellope would put her sword back on the table and look back at her goggles as Rancis would walk in
"Nelly…what was with that?"
"I wanted everyone to know their leashes are now short…"
"Why?"
"Because I had won…and they all failed to retrieve Gloyd's memory key…the same key that turned the citizens against me…and forced me to bring back all the dead racers…I may not be showing it…but I am furious right now Rancis…and if these rookies happen to turn to Torvalds side…it will force my hand…something I do not want nor need…"
"So far everything seems to be going fine…Annie hates everyone on Torvald's side except for Candlehead and Torvald herself…Marcy and Nougetsia love each other…so we know who Marcy will align with…Snowanna and Phipps love one another…so we know who's side he's on…Akio is showing all the signs he loves Citrusella…only outlier is Lodhi who loves Torvald…but he can be dealt with…"
"Then you haven't been paying attention…"
"Is there something you know that I don't Nelly?"
"Yes…on the track the 5 rookies dislike one another intensely…off the track they couldn't be closer…they will not go against one another…it's all of them or not of them…and if Lodhi were to hold out and somehow convince his siblings to join Torvald's side…we'd be at a disadvantage…"
"Alter his code then Nelly…"
"Any slight change in him would immediately cause his siblings to join Torvald…I must make my moves cautiously…and not reckless like you…"
(Later)
The races would line up on the track their positions appearing above the pitlane
1st Phipps
2nd Lodhi
3rd Annie
4th Marcy
5th Akio
6th Vanellope
7th Torvald
8th Snowanna
9th Candlehead
10th Crumbelina
11th Herschel
12th Nougetsia
13th Citrusella
14th Adorabeezle
15th Jubileena
16th Taffyta
17th Rancis
18th Sticky
19th Swizzle
20th Minty
The 5 siblings would look at one another speaking in silent language
Everyone behind them would look on confused
"Who's conversation were you eavesdropping on?" Torvald and Vanellope would mutter in unison
5 red lights would appear above the racers
The 5 rookies would grip their steering wheels tight
"May ze best racer vin…" Lodhi would state
"Indeed…" Phipps, Marcy, Annie and Akio would respond in unison
The 5 red lights would go out
End ch.19