PHASE-17: Test Drive


Inside Team Paradox's HQ, at the gym, Akiza, Kiryu, and Ian begin coaching Flay in another series of extreme training. From lifting weights, running on the treadmill, and hand-to-hand combat training, doing multiple goblet squats, dumbell press-ups, half-kneeling shoulder presses, prone bridge, neck lifts, ball throws, rinse and repeat.

The following morning, the future trio take Flay around the city to do some free running. Going as far as to scale buildings and jump from one rooftop after another. At first, Flay finds the idea of jumping rooftops to be dangerous, but neither the three time travelers show any signs of visible fear. Flay is able to make her first leap and successfully landed on the next building.

Back in the gym, it's Ian who coaches Flay in her boxing training. Ian purposely misses and dodges Flay's punches to get into her head.

"Too slow.", Ian taunted.

"Hey, what the hell was that for?!", Flay calls him out while trying to punch the mitts pad, only to be avoided again.

"Bitch, please."

"Cut the crap, Ian."

"Hey, this is always part of the training. Quit whinin' around and stay focus!", Ian continued, as he once again purposely dodged the punch. "You missed."

As Flay grows increasingly frustrated by Ian's antics, she decided to play dirty by kicking him below the belt. When her feet hits Ian's groin, the sound of a Chinese gong can be heard as he collapses to his knees.

"Why did it have to be my balls again?!", Ian could barely say anything after getting hit below the belt.

Akiza can on shrug off in resignation once Ian gets the short end of the stick after pushing Flay way too far. While Rio can barely contain her laughter after seeing Ian moaning in pain after the low blow.

"Man, Ian can be a real pain in the ass sometimes.", said Kiryu, as he's seen most of his antics.

Once her session ends, Flay looks a bit tired, as shown being covered in sweat. She is shown to gain a few muscle on her body ever since going in further intense training. Keeping herself in top form is one of the requirements for her body to withstand g-force. The first time Flay felt g-forces from a speeding vehicle is when she saw Akiza driving the Core GT. Speed itself can be a double-edged sword, as the measure of acceleration can also have an effect on the user's body. If the user's body is weak to withstand g-force, it could be very fatal.

"How was the routine going on?", Kiryu asked as he tosses an energy drink to Flay.

"Fine. It was thanks to Ian clowning around, he really forced my hand.", Flay said as she can't get off getting easily annoyed by Ian's antics.

"Don't mind him. That's what he always does. Make him angry and he'll drive you insane.", Kiryu gives Flay and advice of what not to do if Ian messes with her. "Even Akiza herself has no problem beating him with an inch of his life when provoked enough."

Flay then focuses on the task at hand, aside from training, she's also going to do driving school. "You guys sure know better when it comes to high-speed mobile suits, it's like driving a car. Not to mention, I have to even do driving school despite the fact that I wanted to learn how to pilot a mobile suit."

"That's because, piloting a mobile suit is no different than driving a car. Before you can truly pilot a mobile suit, first you better know how to drive a car.", Akiza lectures Flay. "The OS of the mobile suits from the future are more oriented to mobility and maneuverability of racing cars. The fact that your body needs to be conditioned in top form is required for your body to withstand g-force."

"G-force?"

"Gravitational force. G-forces refers to the measure of acceleration.", Akiza reiterated. "The human body's tolerance of g's may depend on the magnitude of the gravitational force, the length of time it is applied, the direction it acts, the location of application, and the posture of the body."

"At 512kph from a speeding car, it produces about 15 Gs. Gs that high can be very dangerous for anyone with low-tolerance to Gs.", Kiryu makes a simplified explanation on how g-forces affect even mobile suits. "A car crashing onto another car produces more Gs than just speed alone, which could kill a passenger without wearing a seatbelt."

Understanding g-force seems to be hard even for Flay, but she already got the gist since it refers to the measure of speed. Even mobile suits produce Gs when it mobilizes and/or take damage. And it's made clear that g-forces can act as double-edged sword for racing drivers and mobile suit pilots alike depending how their body can withstand the Gs produced from a car's engine or a mobile suit's propulsion system respectively.

"The last time I saw Aki driving way too fast, I thought I might die for sure. But the speed had somehow made me feel at ease for some reason.", Flay recalls her first experience inside the Core GT when Akiza was showboating her driving skills.

"It's natural for you to react with fear and/or trauma when someone is driving that fast. In Akiza's case though, she is already accustomed to speeds at 500 kph. She tends to brake early when nearing a corner."


The next week, Akiza takes Flay to a racing academy in Orb in order for her to learn how to drive. This racing academy also doubles as a driving school. All four of five members of Team Paradox took driving school and successfully obtained their A-class driver's licenses. And Flay is the last member of the team to partake on this session.

On her first day, Flay is nervous under pressure, while the instructor seems fair and strict, she followed instructions very well than usual. Flay ran into more mistakes than passing on her first day - from inadvertently crashing her car, going off-track, and failing to reach the goal in time.

"How did it go?", Akiza asked.

"Terrible. I'm not cut out for this, Aki."

"I know you can do this. Just because things get a bit harder from the start, you don't have to necessarily push yourself too hard. You will have to trust in yourself and keep trying until you get it right."

Quitter talk is the last thing Akiza would wanted to hear, she encourages Flay to believe in her own capacity to learn from her earlier mistakes to learn how to drive, which then where she can finally pilot a mobile suit.

Once back in the wheel, Flay's eyes were on the road, her feet carefully perched on the pedals. Once told to accelerate, she gently placed her right foot and carefully pushed the accelerator as the car moved forward. Flay stayed on track, as soon as she drove into the first corner, she leaned the car closer to the chicane on the left before passing through the corner. After advancing through the straight and with the hairpin closer, she pushed the brake thoroughly before turning right into the exit.

So long as she focuses and avoid reacting to panic, Flay is okay to go.

"You're improving quite well. I suggest you keep practicing.", the instructor gives his summary of Flay's first session. "As soon as you build up your speed, maintaining your pace is the key."

Over the next few days, Flay's driving began to improve. Having timed her braking points in between corners and managing her car's speed, engine, fuel and battery, she continues to better herself as she having set a fastest lap of 01:47.122 on the track.

The final exam would come a week later for the A-Class license. The goal is simple, Flay must follow the leading car before overtaking it at the final lap. The exam's race only has two laps. So Flay must stay close to the car in front of her for the first lap before overtaking it at the last lap.

As soon as the lights go green, the leading car makes a break for it. Flay then followed the car while she drafts behind it. The instructor advises Flay not to overtake the lead car too early, otherwise she might fail the exam. The same can be said if she loses sight of the car. Flay maintained her focus and nothing else, having passed by between corners and back straights, all while drafting behind on the leading car.

However, Flay notices on the car's dashboard that the car is about to run out of fuel soon. Her car managed to reach the main straight for the final lap, and now she's ready to overtake the car in front of her.

"In case if you want to manage your car's fuel, lift the accelerator and coast.", the instructor said.

"Understood.", Flay nodded, having got the gist of it. As she carefully brake into the fourth corner.

The car's fuel is slowly begin to hit empty, but Flay carefully managed the fuel by lifting and coasting around each corner before reaching the final corner and down towards the main straight into the finish line.

"Holy shit! How did she pulled that one off?", Ian exclaimed.

"She managed to pass the final exam.", Kiryu nodded.

Flay is surprised by her teammates, and just like that, she is able to overcome her first challenge. Now that she is finally elligible for an A-Class license, she can finally drive. However, Flay will only save her driving skills only when the situation demands. Regardless, learning how to drive is part of her training on how to pilot a mobile suit.

"How did it go?", Akiza asked.

"It felt great, Aki. I never felt so invigorated in my entire life. It's like I'm ready to take on the world.", Flay smiled at her teammates.

Akiza continued, "See that? Just because things can get harder from the start, it only tells you that you still have a room to improve yourself."

"All of us have A-Class drivers' licenses, meaning we get to even drive fast cars.", Ian flashes his own license, and soon the rest of the team followed. "Hell, the doc and the twins are busy developing new Gun Vehicles and mobile suits in Morgenroete. If we're going to go through into another war between those Alliance ass-clowns and ZAFT, we're going to beat them with speed."

"Flay, the instructor told me that your A-class license will be delivered to you tomorrow.", Rio gives Flay a heads up about her license.

"Well, it goes without saying that you being able to pass racing academy is your rite of passage to be a true Gundam Operator.", Kiryu continued. "Sooner or later, you'd be able to learn how to pilot a mobile suit."

Rio interrupts, "But, before that. Let's see if Flay can prove herself by racing at one of the world's longest race track."

"I hope it's not Nurburgring.", Ian mumbled. "Nordschleife has too many corners!"

"It's the 24 hours of Le Mans.", Rio proved Ian wrong.

"You mean the one track with the longest straights?", Kiryu seems to be familiar of the track.

"I've arranged a session for us next week.", Rio booked a racing session in Sarthe for her teammates to test out the fastest cars in the world. "Five cars will be waiting for us - Hennessey Venom F5, Koenigsegg Jesko, Koenigsegg Agera RS, Koenigsegg One:1, and Bugatti Bolide. We're going to put their speed to the test."

Even though Flay is now elligible for an A-Class license, but her training is still far from over. She has to undergo on her true ultimate test drive yet. The idea of driving fastest cars known in modern history will allow the team to record their data while driving the aforementioned cars as part of their own respective combat data. Speed is the key in order for Team Paradox to respond against enemy attacks.


Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, Le Mans, Sarthe, France, Eurasian Federation

A week later, team Paradox arrived in Le Mans, with Rio being able to afford a private jet for her team to go into one of the longest racetracks in the world.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Le Mans.", Rio guides the team into the garage as she introduces her teammates the five cars to be used to test their speed.

The members of Team Paradox then changed into their racing uniforms based on the color designation of their Gundam Operator names - black and neon teal (Akiza), red (Rio), lime green (Ian), navy and red (Flay), yellow and gunmetal grey (Kiryu).

Rio then took the Bugatti Bolide as she starts the car's engine. Kiryu chose the Venom F5, while Akiza, Flay, and Ian took the three Koenigseggs - Jesko, One:1, and Agera RS.

"Has everyone got behind the wheel of their cars?", Rio spoke through the radio of the Bolide. "I ask all of you to treat my cars with care. If you damage it, you will pay it.", revealing that the five cars that she loaned for the team are actually her car collection, not to mention, these cars are very expensive.

"How does Rio ever afford these expensive cars anyway?!", exclaimed Flay.

"My father is a car enthusiast. And I learned from my father's habits of collecting expensive cars.", the Iron Lady replied. "Now, let's focus on our task at hand. We're going to push these cars to their top speed. Once we head for the starting line, we better check everything - engine, fuel, brakes, tyres."

All five drivers fastened their seatbelts once all five hypercars head for the starting line.

The three Koenigseggs and Hennessey Venom F5 are all powered by their respective twin-turbocharged V8 engines, while the Bolide has a W16 engine. The Bolide's overall top speed reaches that of 518 kph. The Venom F5 is second fastest with a top speed of 511 kph, the Jesko is third fastest with a top speed of 509 kph.

Rio and her Bugatti Bolide take pole position, behind it is the Venom F5 driven by Kiryu. Akiza is behind with the Jesko, followed by Ian in the Agera RS, and Flay in the One:1. Flay was feeling so much pressure while driving a powerful, yet expensive hypercar that can rocket through a speed of about 480 kph.

"How are you doing in that other Koenigsegg, Flay?", Akiza radioed her partner.

"To be honest, my hands are trembling as soon as I'm already on the wheel.", Flay replied, as she is visibly sweating. "But, I won't back down."

"Hehehehe. You've got guts, Allster. Show us some grit in the track!", Ian chuckled.

"Just stay close to us, and you'll be fine. Don't go overboard with Rio's car. Keep in mind, this track has much longer straights than corners not unlike Nurburgring. One mistake can be fatal, so be careful."

The team already understood how dangerous Le Mans is as a race track, the three time travelers and Rio are no stranger to danger. While Flay is about to experience driving a $15,000,000 hypercar with a top speed of 470+ kph. Her hands were already trembling on the wheel. She knows that she's afraid of not just the lengthy track, but in the track itself, one mistake can be fatal. It's the same as hesitation in the battlefield can be likewise a life or death situation.

"Flay, once the lights go green, floor it!", Kiryu instructed Flay by radio. "Don't go far from us. Stay behind Ian's six."

"What's that supposed to mean?", Flay asked.

"Just stay close to us, bitch. If you go far out, the race is over. Got that?", Ian butted in.

"We will race in 15 laps. The overall lap time in this track takes about 3 minutes. We also have other racers joining us in this session.", Rio instructed. "If in case your car experiences problems such as low fuel and degrading tyres, be sure to contact the pit crew and they'll accomodate your cars' needs."

Five red lights lit up at the starting line, and then the lights go green as the cars accelerate from the main straight into the Dunlop Curve, Dunlop Chicane, Esses to the Tertre Rouge. Each of the Gundam Operators reach an average speed of 379 kph once pushing into the first section Mulsanne Straight.

The cars in front of Flay immediately brake as soon as they reach the first speed bump. She likewise timed her braking point upon passing the speed bump and pressed onto the second section of the Mulsanne Straight, followed by another braking point upon passing the second speed bump. As soon as the cars reached a certain speed on the way to the Mulsanne curve, Rio's Bolide along with the Venom F5 and the three Koenigseggs went into the Courbe du Golf straight.

"We're approaching the Indianapolis chicane. Time your braking points well", said Rio. "Then we're passing the Arnage. Keep going until we reach the Porsche Curves and Ford Chicanes."

The cars made a clean pass into the Porsche and Ford chicanes and back into the main straight for the second lap.

"How are you doing back there, Flay?", Akiza radioed Flay from her Koenigsegg Jesko.

"I'm okay, Aki.", Flay replied. "I'm getting the hang of this. I nearly went off-track in one of the chicanes in the Mulsanne Straight."

"Watch yourself, Flay. Even on the race track, the slightest failure can be fatal. It's no different when you're on the battlefield.", Rio warns Flay that in both the race track and on the battlefield, failure is not an option. Hesitation is asking for an immediate death sentence.

"I'm not hesitating... Yet my hands still tremble the moment I am on the wheel. I'm not backing down even if it kills me!"

"Flay...", Akiza seems concerned by the fact that Flay is willing to stare death in the face after her first lap. And Flay wanted to stay true to her word that she has changed for the better and wanting to prove herself to her friends if she has what it takes to fight to protect everyone.

"So be it, then. Now, let us set ourselves the fastest laps in this race.", Rio pridefully declares that this race is now the real deal.

At the second lap, the Gundam Operators finally decided to duke it out for the lead. Akiza manages to snag P2 from Kiryu. Flay, meanwhile, manages to overtake Ian for P4. After getting into Rio's tail for most of the second lap, she is able to set the fastest lap of 03:02.799.

At lap 5, Ian and Kiryu went for a pit stop to change tyres and refuel, at the cost of losing their position to Flay, who managed to get into P3. The following lap, Rio decided to pit for new set of tyres, allowing Akiza to take the lead and Flay already behind her.

"She's very good at this.", Rio smirked as she is positive at herself of retaking the lead from her teammate. "No one shall surpass my skills, much less as a mobile suit pilot!"

For the next three laps, while trying to retake the lead, Rio finds herself in a roadblock between her and Akiza: Flay. Rio did not expect Flay to keep Rio out of the lead, as this is somewhat the kind of team game that some F1 drivers do to help their teammates.

"Playing the ultimate team game for Akiza, I see...", Rio spoke her mind.

"She's right behind me!", Flay saw into the mirror as the Bugatti Bolide is gaining on her and Akiza.

"You're not a Sergio Perez, but Akiza's skills is more on Hamilton's level than Verstappen.", Ian comments on Flay playing defense while Akiza is on the lead.

"Actually, she's more of a Verstappen than Hamilton.", Kiryu butted in.

"Whatever."

By the time of lap 8, Akiza managed to beat her previous best from 03:02.799 to 02:59.651. Akiza didn't even needed to pit, as she carefully managed her fuel and tyres, and even willingly handed Rio the lead back to her. While Flay this time takes second place.

Once the race reaches its final lap, the three women take it upon themselves who will win this race. Flay is able to snag P1 from Rio, and Akiza would then go for P2. As soon as the three ladies went past the Porsche Curves, Akiza is able to retake the lead from Flay. The latter was waiting for her to take P1. Flay had no intention of winning, but what she's doing is an act of being a team player, and by allowing Akiza to take point into the finish line.

The Jesko, One:1, and Bolide finish P1, P2, and P3, respectively. Rio is impressed on how Flay is putting an effort to let Akiza win, let alone a 1-2 finish.

Once the racing session ended, the team gathered back in the garage.

"Good job, team. It was an impressive show of skill.", said Rio, before her eyes were on Flay. "I never imagined that you'd be willing to let Akiza win rather than stay in the lead."

Flay replied, "I'm really not into winning. All I wanted is to prove myself and to everyone."

"You already did, Flay.", Akiza smiled at her partner. "This race proves that you're willing to risk your own life for the sake of others. And you willingly handed the lead to me shows that you are quite capable yourself."

"Aki..."

"It seems the very ability that you're capable of is keeping your teammates covered.", Rio analyzed. "Perhaps that is part of a soldier's commitment to their comrades to leave no man behind."

Flay's first experience with a car was just the start of her being able to soldier through the face of danger. It is through believing in herself and her teammates she is able to keep her cool under pressure.


Author's Note:

- The plot of this chapter is inspired from an episode of Kamen Rider Drive where Chase obtained his driver's license. Here, Flay needed to learn how to drive a car before she can pilot a mobile suit. Because even mobile suits can produce G-force, and her teammates needed to keep her in top physical form in order to withstand Gs from a speeding car and from a mobile suit (in addition to speed, but the damage taken during combat).

- Both Nurburgring's Nordschleife and Le Mans are considered one of the longest racetracks in the world. But Nordschleife is the first longest because of the number of corners, with Le Mans coming in second because of the longest straights.

- Each of the Gundam Operators' racing suits colors correspond to their pilot suit colors, which are all reference to Formula 1 teams:

* Akiza - Black and neon teal (Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team)

* Flay - Navy and red (Oracle Red Bull Racing)

* Kiryu - Yellow/orange and gunmetal gray (McLaren F1 Team)

* Ian - Blue green (Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team)

* Rio - Red (Scuderia Ferrari)