Too Equal For My Taste
Chapter 22: Weekend Five- The Big Race
After baseball, Mike was the hero for the Bakers, and was seen as a good leader. Of course, the Murtaugh's hated his leadership. Mike's leadership was their number one problem. At some points, even Calvin could be seen throwing darts at a picture of Mike. Jimmy walked into the room to catch him doing that, and he just started laughing.
The next sport was going to be a big race. At first, Jimmy and Tom disagreed, but they made an agreement themselves. "The race will be anything goes," Jimmy told Serina and Kate. "The karts are all same speed, so setting obstacles will help turn it around."
"It's too rough," Serina protested.
"Yes, but it's too simple without," Tom said reasonably. "Look, honey, it will be fun."
"Its fun I'm worried about!" Kate said firmly.
"Well, the kids at the University will sure not care much anymore," Jimmy said back. "They're watching this in greater numbers than before, and we'll need to amuse them."
Serina shook her head. As Kate opened her mouth to protest more, Serina cut through, "If anyone gets hurt, you two take the blame."
"Deal!"
Tom and Jimmy walked off happily.
The students at the University were looking forward to this race, especially when they found out it was anything goes. The karts were only six in number. The kids all stared, and asked, "Six?" Sarah asked incredulously.
"Two kids in each," Kate said, looking at all of them. Split evenly. Three for Bakers; three for Murtaugh's. The two will have to work together. The round is a race around the campus. A line has been drawn to show where you have to go."
Elliot had a what-the-hell look on his face, and Sarah was covering her mouth from a laugh.
"All of you choose your partners, and go in for an equal chance at winning," Serina ordered. "One minute."
"Alright, Mike, with me," Jake said. "I drive, and you mess with the obstacles. You got the things we wanted?"
"Yea," Mike nodded readily. Mike and Jake jumped into a car together.
To everyone's surprise, Ken seized Mark and the two went in, with Ken the driver. Lisa and Robin got into another. Nigel and Kyle also seized one. Kim and Jessica decided to sit in one too, despite their mother's objections. The last car went for Elliot and Sarah.
"What's Mark doing in"-
"Forget that," Tom interrupted through Jeffery. "What's my daughter doing with your son?"
"Whose side are you on anyway?" Jeffery called to Elliot.
"I dunno, we'll check," Elliot called back. He put two names in a baseball hat of his, and shook it. He had Sarah pick it out.
"WHO?"
"Oh, we'd better get ready," Sarah laughed, and they rode away slowly to the starting line.
"Engines ready!" Kate called loudly.
Jake signaled to all Baker players to say, "Hit only Murtaugh's. He glanced over at Sarah, and mouthed, "Who?"
Sarah looked away, smiling to herself. She put her arm around Elliot. At his command though, she got everything ready. "Ok, ready? Let's give our team a win."
"Mark, get the binoculars," Ken ordered. "We'll see who wins this race with our advantage."
"Are you sure this"-
"Anything goes," Ken repeated.
Mark took them out, and tested them. The campus looked very large. Serina announced the race would be one lap, so this would be one long race. Mark bit his bottom lip nervously.
Kate approached them one last time, "The points will be divided on offense, defense, and winner, so don't only go for the gold. The real winner will be by the points earned. No cheap hits by hitting when the opponent is already down. First place gets one hundred points. Second place gets ninety. Third place gets eighty. Fourth place gets seventy. Fifth place gets sixty. Sixth place gets fifty."
They all nodded. Ken looked over at Mark. "This race gives it all away, so after this, we'll have to get back to work immediately."
"No problem," Mark said happily, and got ready the bag of all their offensive weapons.
However, no one bothered to think what Nigel and Kyle might've had up their sleeves.
"The offensive points will be decided by how many times a certain team hits another in front," Kate explained loudly. "Defense will be based on how well you maneuver around any obstacles in your way, or defend yourself against people trying to pass you. Ten points for each time an action is done."
Serina looked up, and raised the checkered flag. "To finish the lap, both riders have to be in, or the kart is invalid. Three… two… one… GO!" She waved it down and they started. Ken immediately stepped on the pedal, and their kart moved forward. Since Ken was the first to go, his and Mark's kart were ahead of everyone else, who were evenly matched with each other.
Mark reached into the bag, but Ken stopped him. "Wait till they reach us. We're gonna need them."
"Just to distract them," Mark said, taking a few tiny pink balls out.
"Hold on," Ken said calmly, "Wait till we reach a fork."
Sarah and Elliot tied with Lisa and Robin, swerved over sharply, and hit Lisa and Robin off course. As a turn came, Elliot managed to make a better turn than Nigel and Kyle, and took the lead into a cloud of pink smoke. Elliot covered his nose. "What the hell!"
"I'll bet its Ken and Mark!" Sarah said angrily as they rode out. "Now where are they?"
"There!" Elliot pointed.
Mark looked back through binoculars and saw Sarah and Elliot gaining ground. "Damn it!"
"That's one smoke bomb wasted!" Ken said angrily.
"We're as fast," Mark told him. "Step on it!"
Ken obliged, and they kept the ground they had left. Mark threw back spiked jacks on the road to stop Elliot and Sarah in their tracks. Elliot whistled, and drove completely off the road and way off course. Nigel, who was driving the car held his hand up for Kyle as a signal, and pointed it at Ken's car as they passed Sarah's. Kyle took a small gun that looked like a red pistol with a large yellow sphere. He opened the sphere, and placed a small bag in it. He closed it, and pointed it.
Mark and Ken were unwary, and soon, Ken felt a bag hit him in the face. It popped and paint splattered all over him. He covered his eyes, and the car went uncontrolled, slowed down, and stopped. Mark yelled in anger as Nigel and Kyle gained up on them. "Take the pedal, Ken!"
Ken took the pedal and slowly they gained speed, now tied with the twins.
Much of the race was spent between Ken and Mark and the twins. Lisa and Robin were not far behind them. Tied with the Murtaugh twins were Kim and Jessica, yelling about computational error. Nigel looked at Kyle shortly, "Put five in the thing! Put five!"
Kyle hurriedly put five bags in the sphere, and pointed it. Mark ducked the one aimed for him, and reached into the bag himself. There was an identical green gun already loaded. He pointed, and fired. Nigel was hit on the shoulder.
"Oh, missed!" Mark yelled. "I meant to get his face."
"Shoot again, Mark," Ken yelled.
Kyle jumped from his seat, and jumped over on Mark's car. He fired at Ken's back head, letting Nigel take the lead instead. Mark crawled over the back to try and confront Kyle, but both ended up falling off. They jumped up as Lisa's car swerved out of the way and into a railway. Kyle took a bunch of jacks from his pocket and split them between his hands. One bunch was thrown on the road to pop one of Kim's tires. The others were thrown at Mark.
Meanwhile, Nigel was in the lead now by a bit, and Ken was trying in vain to get past him. He couldn't fight Nigel alone. Eventually, with one hand on the wheel, Nigel jacked Ken's car, and Ken came to an abrupt halt. Kyle and Mark were making a display of street fighting. Kyle ducked a paint bag, and kicked the jacks already on the ground behind and popped Lisa's tires next. The cars behind were down, and Sarah and Elliot rode past.
There were also two more riders who were forgotten. Jake and Mike also rode past them, getting closer to the warring karts in front. Mike laughed aloud as he hit Ken from behind with a slingshot. He clutched his head, and the car slowed. Jake and Mike rode past easily, Jake laughing hard.
Mike, also with his own ammunition, shot back at Ken's face, this time making direct hit. Ken shut his eyes tight to avoid any in his eyes. Mike clapped Jake's hand as they took a small lead over the last kart left. The one with Nigel in it. Since they were both on the same team, they left each other alone.
Sarah and Elliot emerged next, ready to show whose side they were on. If they attacked Nigel, Jake, or Mike, it would be painfully obvious. Jake gave Nigel a get-ready look. Nigel pointed the gun with only two bags left.
Elliot was allowed to make it behind Jake and Mike, and Sarah called, "Give both teams a victory. Ken and Mark are down. Give us both points, and the second and third places get their own points. But you let us make this."
"No way," Mike yelled back. "We're fighting a whole family. You want both teams to get the point, take third place. Jake gained speed and went ahead.
"NOW!" Sarah yelled.
Elliot made a surprise attack with jacks, and stopped Nigel in his tracks. Jake fired a paint gun, and Mike shot the slingshot. Sarah ducked, and Elliot turned out of the way. Sarah fired paint bags herself. Mike and Sarah were shooting at each other harshly. In the tension, only eight shoulder hits were made equally on both sides. None hit heads.
"Swerve, Jake!" Mike yelled.
At the same time Jake swerved into their car. Elliot swerved into Jake's kart. They hit each other, and Mike jumped onto their kart. He hit Sarah at the same time Elliot jacked and halted Jake. Sarah was sightless for enough time for him to confront Elliot. Elliot halted the kart, and jumped out. Mike jumped out after him.
As they started to fire, more karts came up. The jacked cars from before that belonged to Ken, Mark, Kim, Jessica, Lisa, and Robin rode up. The karts were very slow, as if the patched up tires were still steadily losing the air they regained with very tough work. They all saw the fighting, and jumped out, firing for the only good kart left. It was one big offensive turf war between Bakers and Murtaugh's.
Mike kicked the jacks up at Sarah's face just as she got the paint off. Jake fired at Elliot, ducking a shot from Lisa. Kim and Jessica were fighting with jacks. They kicked and threw with their own judgment on where to hit. Nigel and Kyle were fighting back-to-back, hitting Sarah once again, and Elliot finally taken down. With paint on Elliot's face, Kyle kicked the jacks up at him, and they stuck to the paint this time.
While Lisa and Robin were kept at bay by Kim and Jessica in a very fierce fight, Jake and Mike shot sling shots at Mark. After a couple o hits, Mark ran out and behind a tree. Ken kicked the jacks up at Jake, and ran at Mike. Mike pointed a paint gun and fired. Ken dived down. From the ground, he fired at Mike. Jake scrambled back up, and picked up Mike's dropped slingshot. Ken fired up in the sky, and Mike, taking the bait, had his eyes follow it up and into the sun. He covered his eyes, and Ken fired once more. At the same time, more jacks were thrown. Jake defended his face with his arm, and fired another ball. Ken did the same, and fired himself. Jake's face was splattered with paint, defeated.
"Yo Mark!" Ken called.
Mark ran from the tree and charged at Nigel and Kyle. Kim and Jessica, having engaged in a fight with Lisa and Robin, were splattered with paint and jacks. Lisa and Robin met the same fate in the clash. The only ones left were Ken and Mark and Nigel and Kyle. Within two seconds, Mark was splattered. Ken fired at Kyle, and ducked Nigel's paint. Kyle ducked around Ken's arm, and pointed. Ken pointed his gun at Nigel, and Nigel pointed at Mark who pointed his at Kyle.
"Ok, draw, deal?" Ken offered.
"NO WAY!" Nigel yelled, and fired at Ken surprisingly. Ken was out, having been hit from Nigel and Kyle, and Mark splattered Kyle. Nigel ducked Mark's shots, and ran over to where the jacks lay. He ducked again, picked the jacks up, and threw one. Mark ducked, expecting it to be more. As he raised his head, more were thrown. Paint was shot, and Mark was out.
He helped Kyle up, got the paint off, and they took back the good kart. The next ones to get their sights back and paint off were Sarah and Elliot. The next ones to take a slower kart were Lisa and Robin. Ken got himself back in, and got in the kart with Mark. Next, Kim and Jessica took a kart, and then Jake and Mike. In that order, the race was finished to cheers on both sides.
"The winner of the race is… Nigel and Kyle!" Serina announced. "However, by points, the real winners who fought the hardest were Sarah and Elliot!"
A/N: Wait a sec. I need to get everything in order. Nigel and Kyle get one hundred points. Sarah and Elliot get ninety or forty-five each. Lisa and Robin get eighty. Ken and Mark get seventy or thirty-five each. Kim and Jessica get sixty. Jake and Mike get fifty.
Offensive and Defensive counts what we saw, and what happened in the background while we were focusing on Ken and Mark. This was decided by flipped coins.
Offensively: Mark and Ken get sixty or thirty each. Jake and Mike get ninety. Kim and Jessica get ninety. Lisa and Robin get one hundred. Sarah and Elliot get one hundred and ten or fifty-five each. Nigel and Kyle get one hundred and ten.
Defensively: Mark and Ken get thirty or fifteen each. Jake and Mike get one hundred. Kim and Jessica get twenty. Lisa and Robin got none. Sarah and Elliot get ninety or forty-five each. Nigel and Kyle get thirty.