Under Pressure
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original IGPX characters. I do own, though, my precious Team Delta and all of its members.
Summary: Another IG-2 team moves up and into the IG-1. Will they threaten to replace Satomi as one of the top teams? What will they do to win? And most importantly... who are they?
Chapter Three: Delta vs. Sledgemama
"It's time, folks, for the first IGPX race of 2051!" exclaimed Benjamin Bright, the IGPX commentator, "it's between the newbies Team Delta and long-time veterans Team Sledgemama!"
In the press room, the three Delta team mates answered as many of the questions that were bombarding them as they could. They stood up in the flashing lights in their black suits.
"Miss Archer!" shouted a reporter, shoving a mike toward her face, "are you scared to face the eleven-year-veterans known as Team Sledgemama and their forward River Marque?"
Raven smiled and stared the camera. "Actually, to tell you the truth, no, I'm not scared of River, but I am partially scared of Dimma." She said, laughing. Her voice had a gruff tone to it, but it rang though the room with a certain confidence and morale. "Hopefully Mitch can hold him off for me," she glanced over at her defender.
"I can try, but it's no promise that I can hold off a man who is almost seven feet tall and weighs almost twice as much as I do." Mitch shrugged. A small wave of laugher filled the room. His light voice threw off his appearance. It was almost as if Raven and Mitch could have exchanged voices and it would have been a lot more accurate.
"Raven, do you have any last words for the opposing team before the race starts?" yelled another reporter; another microphone pushed through the crowd and into the racer's faces.
"Nothing I can say in public," she answered. Bryce stifled a laugh; he knew what she would say if she could.
Hayden Erikson, Team Delta's owner, rushed onto the stage and ushered his team off. "Excuse us, but it's time for the race to start."
The room was then filled with sounds of journalists trying to fit last-minute questions in before the team exited the room. Bryce grinned at the desperate people and waved. He hadn't said a word the whole interview, and he hadn't been planning on it. Publicity was Raven and Mitch's thing. He was just there because he loved to race, not because of the fame.
"'Kay, guys, it's time. The first race of the season and our first race in the IG1," Hayden was Bryce's cousin, and an IGPX expert. He had been preparing his team for this moment his, and their, whole careers. "Sledgemama is the oldest team still in the IGPX, and--"
"Yes, you've already put us through this, Hayden." Raven said, smiling reassuringly, "just put us out there and let us do the rest. Don't worry,"
Hayden sighed, "Go get 'em,"
The three racers walked down the hallway toward the three Sledgemama racers. Dimma who was closest to Raven, took a threatening step in the rookie-team's direction. Raven flinched.
"Stupid kids," Yamma said, his scar making his sneer look like an overstretched, Picasso-like smile.
Mitch started to go after the Sledgemama leader, but Bryce roughly pulled him back; a reminder that they could get them on the track.
ll--I-G-P-X--ll
Both teams were in their mechs and ready on the track. Benjamin Bright was shouting away in his usual loud and annoying manner. All of the drivers could see was the flashing red bar that, when blinked the signature blue GO, would signal the start of the race, but nobody could see or hear the crowd--just their own heart beating one-million times per second.
"Man, I'm nervous," admitted Raven, "this isn't like the IG2... we were almost guaranteed a win down there. Mitch, get ready to be slammed, and don't get taken out or I come back and get you."
"Yes ma'am,"
"Raven, don't forget our strategy," Bryce's strong voice carried through his team mate's helmet with a vibe that echoed fortitude.
"I won't, Bryce; Hayden pounded that thing into my head so many times that I doubt I would forget it if you took my head off and cleaned my brain out."
"Guys, can we stop talking for a while? I need to get into my groove." Mitch interrupted.
"Groove it up, Mitchell--you'll need it,"
Silence blanketed the line as the red bar turned yellow, then the blue letters flashed once, but none of the mechs were around to see them disappear. All six mechs launched themselves off the starting line, moving into set formations. Sledgemama shifted into a line, so that they were side by side, and not allowing Delta any track for them to maneuver themselves around or in front of them. Delta swung into a backward-triangle arrangement, with Bryce at the back point.
"Rookies," River Marque scoffed.
"Why don't you do us all a favor and take that bottom lip of yours, put it up over your head, and swallow!" Mitch jeered.
"Hey, at least I didn't steal my mech!"
"Like you have room to talk,"
"Children!" screeched Raven, "no more bickering, please!"
"Oh, and now the lady comes to save the day. How unoriginal," Yamma sneered.
"Three," Bryce said quietly.
"I'm unoriginal? What's with the tactics, huh? Trying to make us attack before the second lap? So IG2," Raven countered.
"Two," the Delta midfielder counted. He hoped his team mates were hearing him.
"Then what's your defender doing arguing back, Archer? You're arguing too!" River contradicted.
"One," the second lap was approaching rapidly, and they were supposed to start their strategy within moments.
"Don't make me not come up there, River," the Delta leader advised.
"Bring it on, girly, I can take you anytime."
"Go," Bryce whispered, closing his eyes for a second.
"If you take me, you take my whole team, baby,"
Bryce's mech sped forward as Mitch's crouched. Raven fell back fast to about where her midfielder used to be. Bryce kneeled and spun around to be directly beside Mitch, looking the opposite way. The two mech's were so close that they looked like they were holding hands.
"What the heck are they doing?" asked Yamma, doing a slow three-sixty.
"Don't bother; they won't be able to beat us," said Dimma.
Raven shot forward, making a beeline for her ready team mates. She spun in circles for less air friction; her metal skate-like rungs created enough sparks to light a whole house. As soon as she was close enough, she stopped spinning and slammed her jointed fingers into the tarmac track, causing her to do a sudden front flip over into her waiting partner's hands.
The springs in her mech's legs loaded and released in a split second, launching her into the air, and over Team Sledgemama's heads. With a single summer-salt, she landed on her skates with perfect accuracy.
"Haha, suckers! Who's girly now?" Raven gloated; her mech going ever faster into the next turn.
Bryce and Mitch sped up behind the Sledgemama line and pushed their way through, much to the objection of River.
"Hey!" He shouted, moving up behind the Delta midfielder and defender, "you better watch that girl of yours, she's gonna get you into trouble." River easily slid around the two guys and moved toward the leader.
"I think we'd better go to our respective corners now, Bryce," said Mitch, slowing a little so he fell back behind the Delta midfielder.
"Sure," Bryce sped up a little and they pulled away from each other; Mitch turning to face the giant behind him, and Bryce trying to keep ahead of Yamma.
Mitch took the first blow unexpectedly. He ducked, but found himself right in line for the second punch coming up. He spun out onto the back of his mech, trying to get a grip on the track so he could get back on his feet. The Delta defender almost took a kick, but got up right before and managed to shakily dodge it. He spun to the back of Dimma's mech and gave him a hearty shove, knocking the bigger guy off balance. Mitch took advantage of this and jumped on the mech's back; pushing Dimma's whole machine into the hard pavement that made up the Big Eye.
As soon as Dimma was eating cement, Mitch jumped off and skated after Bryce, who was deep in combat with Yamma. The punches were being exchanged fast between the two mechs, and it was getting hard for Bryce to block them all. So far, he was managing on his own, but he would have to think of something else if he were to win this fight.
The Delta mid-fielder threw a whole bunch of fake punches, hoping to find an opening in his opponent's defense, but there was none. Yamma reacted to the fake punches just as fast as if it were actually going to hit him. Yamma took advantage of the fact that Bryce was a little slower and dodged a punch slowly so that it connected with his mech for a split-second. This boosted Bryce's confidence, and when the next punch came, Yamma grabbed it. The Sledgemama mech pushed the Delta mech ferociously into the side of the track; pinning the younger racer under himself.
Mitch skated up behind the pair, grabbed Yamma's mech around the waist, and pulled him off. Bryce got to his feet and they both pushed Yamma to the side of the track and worked to smash his mech.
"Where are you guys!" Raven's urgent voice called through the mike. "I need help!"
The two boys left Yamma's mech in a state of almost-disrepair and sped up the track.
Meanwhile, River Marque was chasing Raven all over the track. She had taken a couple hits and almost lost an arm. "Hey, Hayden? I think you can send Rachel out now." She said, referring to their mechanic.
They were about two-thirds done with the second lap when Hayden called out the Running Skeletons. It turns out River was taking Raven apart, literally. Rachel Harrington was a pro; she sped up in her green Running Skeleton and Raven relaxed, letting her friend go to work.
"So what happened, Birdie?" Rachel asked while expertly re-building Raven's mech.
"Please don't call me that," Raven droned.
"What happened?"
"Man, I got picked apart, Rach."
"Yes, I see that,"
"I completely underestimated River, which I shouldn't have done, and let him break my defense."
"Well, don't do it again," the Running Skeleton placed Raven's mech back onto the track.
"I don't plan on it,"
"Just win the race, hon,"
There was a click as Rachel turned off her radio. The bars on screen inside the mechs flashed red, yellow, then blue, signaling the restart of the race. The two forward mechs were less than a minute away from crossing into the third lap.
If Mitch and Bryce have done their jobs, thought Raven, we should be in line for a win here. Now for River...
She fell back so that the blue Sledgemama mech came into view. Raven charged at River, who sunk out of sight and came up behind her.
"You never learn, do you, girl?" He said as his mechs arm's linked around the torso of Raven's mech. Raven squirmed in his grasp, but no matter what she tried, he wouldn't let go. River spun in circles, causing their momentum to work against Raven.
Once they had moved into the third lap, River suddenly let go of Raven, sending her flying across the track and smashing into the side. The Sledgemama forward cackled as he sped away; shifting into speed mode. Raven grumbled under her breath.
Mitch and Bryce flew past their team mate in speed mode. "Are you okay?" Mitch asked.
"Fine," mumbled Raven, "but I don't think I'll be finishing the race."
ll--I-G-P-X--ll
Dimma and Yamma never finished either, which meant that the first race of the year ended in a tie.
"An exciting first race between Team Sledgemama and the rookie Team Delta!" Benjamin Bright yelled into his microphone. "Tune in tomorrow for the race between Teams Edge Raid and White Snow!"
"At least we tied," said Mitch while rubbing the back of his neck.
"And if you race that again, your sorry butts are gonna be losing!" shouted Hayden, "You have six days until we race Team Velshtein, so pick it up, people--let's show them what we can really do. I want a win,"
Team Delta headed upstairs to their rooms; this was going to be a long season.
Please tell me how that turned out. My first time writing IGPX, so I hope it was good!
Thanks MagicalFairy12 and Hannah for reviewing! You helped! Seriously!
'Til we meet again--KT