Before Blair and the rest of the team knew it, the IG-1 Pre-Season Exhibition Tournament was upon them. After weeks of rigorous training, they were finally ready to face the most challenging race of their career so far. They were well-rested and feeling very confident. They felt as if nothing could stop them on their way to victory.
When it was the day of their first race, the team geared up and met in their briefing room. When Blair and Roxanne entered the room, they saw Sarah and Lucia discussing something amongst themselves at the front of the room. Their voices were a bit hushed and distressed, and there was a troubled expression on their faces.
"What do you think they're talking about?" asked Roxanne to Blair as they stood in the doorway.
"Dunno. Let's find out," said Blair as she began walking over.
As Blair and Roxanne approached them, Sarah looked to them with a firm expression. "Just take a seat and wait for the others. We'll be addressing you all shortly," she said before returning her attention to Lucia.
Blair and Roxanne exchanged confused looks then took their seats. "What do you think that was about?" asked Blair to Roxanne after sitting down in the front row.
"Not sure. I haven't received any news that'd raise concern," said Roxanne as she looked to Sarah and Lucia with a worried expression.
Not before long, the rest of the team showed up and sat down next to Blair and Roxanne. Once the team had all assembled, Maggie wheeled Lucia off to the side while Sarah turned to address them about some very recent and unfortunate news.
Sarah cleared her throat and looked to her team. "Y'all are looking rested. That's good," she said before looking to her pad and stepping aside as well.
After Sarah tapped a few times on the screen of her device, the images became mirrored on the main wall monitor. She tapped a few more times, and an image of Team Satomi appeared on the wall monitor.
"Sometime early this morning, Lucia and I received some rather… disconcerting news from the IGPX Committee regarding the tournament bracket," said Sarah as she looked to every member of her team. "Apparently, Team Satomi dropped from the tournament rather unexpectedly."
Immediately upon hearing that, Blair groaned out loud. "What?! You kidding me?!" she said, hitting the desk with her fist. If there was any team she was looking forward to racing against, it was Team Satomi.
"Is everything okay? Hopefully nothing bad happened," said Roxanne. She was more worried about Team Satomi's well-being rather than the missed opportunity to race against them.
Sarah shrugged. "Not sure. The officials were rather tight-lipped about their reasoning, so we don't know," she said. "But that's only half the news. The more concerning part is regarding the team replacing them."
"I was about to say- just which team is good enough to replace them that isn't already taking part in the tournament?" asked Blair.
Sarah and Lucia exchanged glances, then Sarah sighed. "Now, you may not agree with the decision the committee made, but the team replacing Satomi is…," she said before pausing. She breathed in then sighed heavily once more. "Team… Guldstrand."
After Sarah revealed the team, Blair and the rest of the team just sat in silence with confused looks on their faces.
"Uh, who?" asked the Anko Twins in unison.
Sarah tapped on her tablet, and an image of Team Guldstrand appeared on the screen. "They're a relatively unknown and unproven team," she said as she looked to her pad. "They've never raced in any of the leagues, at least, as a team, but there is one pilot on their roster that you may recognize."
Blair sat back in her seat as she looked to the image on the wall, seeing the three pilots of Team Guldstrand along with their mechs. At first glance, the mechs looked quite intimidating, sporting an all-black and gold color scheme, but even so, she wasn't daunted as appearances weren't as important as performance.
Although the mechs didn't worry Blair, one of the pilots gave her room for pause. He was a veteran pilot of the IG-1, and the last that she'd heard of him, he'd retired and put his racing days behind him. She figured something must've brought him out of retirement, probably a large sum of money if she had to guess.
Other than the veteran, Blair didn't recognize the other two for the most part. There was man standing in the center, and she figured he was the team captain. He was an older gentleman, and the smirk on his face gave her the impression that he had a chip on his shoulder. There was a hint of familiarity about him, but she couldn't put her finger on it. For the last member, she had no clue who they were. They were wearing a mask that covered the lower portion of their face. They also seemed familiar, but Blair was unable to figure out why.
"I recognize one of the pilots as IG-1 veteran Lawrence Sheffield, but who are the other two?" asked Blair as she looked to Sarah.
Sarah looked to her pad and tapped on it, bringing up profiles of the other two pilots on the screen. "The man in the center is Tiberius Guldstrand, the team's captain, forward, and gracious benefactor," she said as she looked from the screen to the team. "He's a very wealthy businessman, and he basically funded the entire team out of his own pocket."
Shizune scoffed and gestured frustratingly to the screen from her seat. "Pfft, so they're just buying their way to victory," she said as she looked to Miharu who gave her a nod, having similar thoughts.
"I guess that's why their mechs look so nice and have that gaudy gold color scheme," said Roxanne with arms crossed over her chest.
"So that's why they seem familiar!" said Blair as it all clicked in her head. "I saw him and that woman at the charity ball talking with Team Satomi."
"You did" asked Sarah.
"Yeah. But why would a team like Satomi trade places with a team like them? It just doesn't make sense," asked Blair, completely perplexed by the situation. "Unless Satomi sold out and allowed them to buy their way in."
"Hey, we don't know the full details, so don't go making baseless accusations against your fellow competitors," said Lucia as she glared at Blair through her glasses. "Team Satomi's reputation has been pretty spot free since they started, so I don't see them tarnishing it any time soon."
Blair calmed down and gave Lucia a nod. "Yes, ma'am," she said before sighing and looking back to Sarah. "What about the last member? The one with the mask? She works for Guldstrand, right?"
Sarah looked to Blair and tapped on her pad. "All I have is a name- Vera Janeski, so besides that, I've got nothing," she said, glancing at the screen that only had a picture of the pilot and her name. In the picture, the pilot was still wearing the same mask which covered her face partially.
"I like her mask. Adds a bit of mystery behind her," said Miharu as she looked to the screen.
Sarah rolled her eyes and looked to her team. "And I assume you all know the last member, so I don't need to explain who he is," she said, looking to the rest of the team.
The pilots of Team Balisong nodded their head. "Good," she said before stepping aside, allowing Lucia to continue the briefing from there.
"Like we said, we don't have much information on the new development, so it does no good to ponder things out of our control," said Lucia as she addressed the team. "Now as troubling as the news is, it doesn't affect us all that much, so put it out of your mind for now. Let's focus on more immediate issues, like our upcoming race against Team Sledge Mamma."
Blair and Roxanne exchanged troubled glances then focused on Lucia. "We're all ears, ma'am," said Blair.
"Now, as you all know, the Team Sledge Mamma we're about to face off against isn't the same Team Sledge Mamma as it was just a couple years ago," said Lucia as an image of the current Team Sledge Mamma appeared on the wall. "Under their new captain's leadership, it has become a force to be reckoned with. Even though they've lacking when compared to their fellow peers in the IG-1, they've crushed every IG-2 team they've come against."
"Every team? Didn't they lose to Team Windstreak not too long ago?" said Miharu. As soon as she said that, Shizune scowled and nudged her with her elbow, causing Miharu to shrug in confusion.
Lucia looked to Miharu and scoffed. "You know as well as I do that Team Windstreak cheated during the last IG-2 season, and because of that, it gave way to your ascension to the IG-1. Or have you already forgotten?" she said as she glared at Miharu. "Regardless… besides that, Team Sledge Mamma hasn't lost a race against a proper IG-2 team. Because of this, they've acted as a sort of 'gatekeeper', preventing newly minted IG-1 teams from staying in the league long, so don't take them lightly."
Miharu sank further into her seat, glancing away from Lucia. "Yes, ma'am…," she said before exchanging glances with her sister.
"This is your crucible, your chance to prove to the world that you truly belong here and aren't here just because of a technicality. It's time to show them what you're made of!" said Lucia.
"Yes, ma'am!" said the team in unison as they sat at attention in their seats.
Lucia smirked. "Good. Now listen up," she said before going over the rest of the briefing.
Blair and the rest of the team continued to listen intently as Lucia and Sarah went over the upcoming race. In preparation for the race, the team had a set of pre-determined plans of action depending on how the race went. The plans were mainly devised by Lucia after studying Team Sledge Mamma's past races and tactics. She had an idea of what they'd do, she but wasn't sure, so she kept her overall strategy loose to better be able to adapt. Once the race started, and she had a better feel for Team Sledge Mamma's game plan, she'd be better able to coach the team on what to do.
After they were done, Lucia, Sarah, and Maggie headed to the team's observation deck while the pilots went to the locker rooms to change into their race gear. Even though Roxanne wasn't actively participating in the race, she went along with them to support Blair and get her head in the game.
"How're you feeling?" asked Roxanne as she stood by Blair at her locker.
Blair exhaled as she opened up her locker. She disrobed and stashed her street clothes into her locker before changing into her race gear.
"Good. Feelin' good," said Blair.
"You nervous?" asked Roxanne with a smile as she leaned on the locker beside Blair's.
"Nervous? Me? What gave you that impression?" asked Blair as she took her helmet out of her locker before closing it.
Roxanne smirked and placed a hand on Blair's shoulder. "You'll do fine. It's just another race, right?" she said, trying to calm Blair's nerves.
Blair scoffed and looked to Roxanne. "It's more than just another race," she said. "It's just like Coach said, it's our chance to prove ourselves. I don't want to let the team down."
"It's not like you'll be alone out there. Anko will be backing you up," said Roxanne.
Blaire glanced over to see Miharu and Shizune, seeing them talking to each other in an attempt to psyche themselves up. She gave a nod and looked back to Roxanne. "To be honest, I wish you were out there with me. Not that I have anything wrong with either Shizune or Miharu, of course, but… you know. I just want to share in the experience with you," she said.
"And you will. Even though I won't be on the track with you, I'll be supporting you from the observation deck, just like Coach will, and Sarah, and Maggie. We'll all be rooting for you and the others," said Roxanne.
Blair appreciated the emotional support and gave Roxanne a smile. "Thanks, Babe. I needed that," she said before looking at her watch. "Well, I guess it's time then."
"Good luck out there," said Roxanne to Blair. She then gave Miharu and Shizune a nod before heading up to the observation deck.
Once Blair and the Anko Twins were ready, they made their way to the hangar bay. Thanks to her talk with Roxanne, Blair was able to get a hold on her nerves. As she walked along, she looked to Miharu and Shizune who were flanking her on each side.
"You two good to go?" asked Blair.
Miharu and Shizune each looked to Blair, giving her a nod. "Hai! (Yes!) We've got your back," they said together.
Blair smirked as she kept walking. "You know, it's okay to be nervous," she said.
Miharu and Shizune exchanged tense glances then looked back to Blair. "I haven't felt this tense since our first combat sortie," said Shizune, her tone mellower than just moments ago.
"Me too," said Miharu who also matched her sister's tone. "There's so much riding on this. I mean, our first ever race in the IG-2 was important, but nobody was expecting anything of us back then. But this- This is the IG-1."
"Wow, way to be downer," said Blair with a chuckle. "But don't worry. Just remember your training and heed Coach's instruction, and we should be fine. Win or lose, just do your best."
Blair and the Anko Twins continued to chat while on their way to the mech hangar. There, the maintenance crew was already warming up the bots and doing pre-race checks. They wanted to make sure everything was functioning at one-hundred percent. It'd reflect badly upon them if there was a malfunction during the race, especially since they'd been in the IG-1 before. Lucia was confident in their abilities, and she reassured them that everything'd be fine; she trusted her crew.
After Blair and the Anko Twins arrived in the mech hangar, they checked in with the maintenance crew. Once the crew was done with the mechs, the pilots got inside the cockpits to conduct their usual routine.
Blair was still a bit anxious, but she remained focused and composed. She put on her helmet and made sure the cockpit heads-up display (HUD) was fully functional. Once everything checked out, she tested her comms to make sure she was able to hear her teammates.
"Check. Check one two. Can you hear me up there?" asked Blair as she talked using her helmet's comms.
"Read you loud and clear," said Sarah from back in the observation deck. "Also got you on the video feed, so all good up here."
"Roger. Are the twins up and running?" asked Blair.
"Miharu, checking in," said Miharu over the comms.
"Shizune here," said Shizune over the comms.
"Sounds like we're all present and accounted for," said Sarah. "Continue with pre-race checks, and we'll see you on the starting grid. Over and out."
Blair exhaled heavily and made sure everything inside her cockpit was working as it should. Once everything was checked and ready to go, she and the Anko Twins began making their way to the elevators that led up to the racetrack.
#
Inside the observation deck, Roxanne had joined the others, and they were all watching the monitors to see how the pilots were doing. One had the pilots' cockpit camera feeds, one had a feed of the live broadcast, one had the statuses of the team's mechs, and several others had views of the track from different angles, courtesy of stationary and drone cameras located around the track.
"How're our ladies doing?" asked Sarah as she glanced over at Roxanne.
Roxanne picked up a headset and put it on, tuning in to the team's comms channel. "They seem good to go," she said.
"I hope so. It's going to be one helluva fight if they plan to win," said Lucia as she kept her attention on the monitors.
"Think they can win?" asked Sarah as she looked to Lucia.
Lucia sneered and looked to Sarah out of the corner of her eye. "Of course I do," she said, causing Sarah to smile along with Roxanne and Maggie.
Roxanne and the others then focused their attention on the primary screen. It had a live feed of the race being broadcasted for all the world to see. They watched as Benjamin Bright, the usual emcee for all IG-1 events, was about to make his introductions from his place by the racetrack.
"Ladies and gentlemen! People of all ages! Welcome to this year's IGPX Pre-Season Exhibition Tournament!" said Benjamin in usual enthusiastic tone. "Tonight, we have a real treat as a newcomer to the IG-1 faces off against a battle-tested veteran!" Just as he said that, he motioned to his left, which for viewers watching from home, had an on-screen display pop up.
"First up, we have a skilled team of veterans, a team that has totally dominated their opponents, most of which were IG-2 teams, but even so! They've completely crushed the competition and prevented any new teams from staying in the IG-1 for too long! Let's hear it for Team Sledge Mamma!" said Benjamin as an image of the team appeared on the display next to him.
Roxanne and the others continued to watch the broadcast from the observation deck as they waited for the teams to arrive on the track. As Benjamin went on to introduce the individual pilots of Team Sledge Mamma, Roxanne looked to Sarah.
"Do you think the committee or Team Satomi will release any more information about… you know?" asked Roxanne as she stepped closer to Sarah.
"Who knows? The news was rather sudden and concise, so I doubt they'd release any more than what they have already," said Sarah as she monitored the status of Team Balisong's mechs on her pad. "I'll do some digging after the race, but don't expect much."
Roxanne gave Sarah a nod and looked back to the main screen in front of them. "Thank you, ma'am. This doesn't sit well with me, and I can't imagine how the other teams feel as well," she said.
Benjamin had just finished introducing Team Sledge Mamma and was moving on to introducing their opponents. "And their opponent, a newcomer to the IG-1, but a fan-favorite in the IG-2! A team of femme fatales that fans are saying are the new Team Skylark! Give it up for… Team Balisong!" said Benjamin as an image of the team appeared on the screen.
Roxanne smiled as she saw her team appear on the screen. She listened intently as Benjamin continued on with the introductions, starting with Blair, the team's captain. Even though she wasn't going to be featured, she was proud to be part of the team, and she supported her fellow teammates. Beside her, Sarah continued to monitor the mechs via her pad while Lucia eagerly waited for the race to begin, ready to coach her team through her headset.
#
When Blair and her teammates arrived at the elevator, they all boarded and waited for the lift to start. On their HUD, the word "STANDBY" flashed as she and the others waited until they were summoned by Benjamin up above. While Blair was sitting there in silence within her mech's cockpit, she heard a voice in her helmet which gave her comfort.
"Good luck out there, Hon," said Roxanne from back in the observation deck, watching Blair through her cockpit feed on a monitor.
Blair smiled which Roxanne saw thanks to the front of the helmet being made of a transparent material. "Thanks, Babe. I'll be seeing you shortly," she said before Lucia's voice was heard in her helmet.
"Remember, Blair. Play it defensively and just observe for now. Once I get Sledge Mamma figured out, I'll tell you the plan and go from there," said Lucia.
"Roger that, ma'am. We'll get it done," said Blair.
Shortly after Blair said that, a new set of words flashed across her HUD: "PREPARE FOR ASCENT". Seeing that, Blair temporarily let go of her mech's controls and prepared herself as did Miharu and Shizune. A few seconds later, the lift began to move, and all three mechs began ascending towards the track.
"Oh, wow! This is it! The IG-1!" said Miharu over the team voice channel, her nerves having seemingly vanished.
"Cool your jets, Mimi. This isn't our first race, so don't get too excited," said Shizune, attempting to keep her sister under control.
"Aw, loosen up, Zuzu. We're in the big leagues!" said Miharu.
Blair just rolled her eyes then felt the lift start to slow down, signaling their arrival at the top. "Lock it up. We're here…," she said.
The dim lighting within the elevator shaft started to brighten as the lift doors above them began to slide open. The lights from the track filled their screens, and the sounds of the crowd rang in their helmets as their mechs breached the surface, becoming visible for all to see. Blair smiled as she took it all in, never getting tired of the cheers and fanfare.
Once the lift was locked in place, a message appeared on her HUD: "PROCEED TO STARTING GRID". Having been given the all-clear, Blair smirked as she gripped the controls once more.
"All right, ladies. Let's move out," said Blair as she began moving her mech.
The ground began to quake as the three towering metal giants began taking their first steps towards the starting grid. Ahead of them, Blair saw that Team Sledge Mamma had already arrived on the track and had taken their places. Their mechs had a new aesthetic to them ever since River had taken over as their leader, but it still retained the iconic Sledge Mamma look. As Team Balisong continued their approach, Team Sledge Mamma all turned towards them and watched.
Blair stared at the lead mech in the Team Sledge Mamma formation through her screens, knowing that it was River behind the controls. The mech stared back as if River was doing the same within his own cockpit. Blair shook off her nerves and continued walking with Miharu and Shizune right behind her.
As Team Balisong took their individual positions at the starting grid, Team Sledge Mamma turned around and did the same. The two forwards were at the head of the formation with the midfielders behind them and the defenders in the rear. Inside her cockpit, Blair was completely focused on the race.
After all the pilots were in position, a countdown started on their HUDs which was synched to the track's starting lights. As the lights flashed red, the countdown began as the numbers started counting down from ten. Blair's heart was pounding as she tightly gripped her controls, anxiously waiting for things to begin. Once the green light flashed, both teams sped across the starting line.
"All right, ladies, punch it!" said Blair as she engaged her mech's boosters.
Miharu and Shizune followed suit and fell in right behind her. They grouped up and used their mechs' speed to take an early lead. It was easier to hold the lead rather than having to both race for position and fight at the same time.
As Blair and the others sped by, River looked to his teammates. "Let them go. They won't have the lead for long," he said over his team's comms channel. His teammates complied and remained in formation with him, keeping pace right behind Team Balisong.
Blair and the others kept their wits about them and didn't let their guard down. They knew better than to underestimate their opponent, especially in the IG-1, so they made sure to keep track of Team Sledge Mamma's position at all the times.
#
Back in the observation deck, Roxanne and the others were watching the race closely via the several monitors around them. Lucia kept extra attention on the monitor that focused on Team Sledge Mamma. She wanted to discern and dissect their strategy as quickly as possible before her team was overwhelmed. As she watched, she noticed that there was something strange about the way Team Sledge Mamma was racing.
"What is it? What do you see?" asked Sarah as she looked to Lucia, sensing that something was up.
"They're being cautious… a bit too cautious," said Lucia as she continued to focus on the screen.
Roxanne looked over to Lucia and Sarah. "Is that so odd?" she asked.
Lucia scoffed as she glanced at Roxanne out the corner of her eye. "I suppose someone wasn't paying attention during my briefs," she said before looking back to the screen. "Team Sledge Mamma, especially in recent times, isn't known for being the cautious types. They're known for one thing, and one thing only- aggression."
"Yeah, even I knew that, and I don't even race," said Maggie as she smirked at Roxanne.
Roxanne sneered at Maggie, giving her a glance before looking back to Lucia. "You were saying?"
"Sledge Mamma surely would've tried something by now, even if it is still the setup lap," said Lucia as she continued on from where she'd left off. "Just what are they waiting for?"
"Do you think they're taking it easy on Blair and the others since they're new to the IG-1?" asked Roxanne.
"Such naive optimism. 'Easy' isn't exactly in their vocabulary- in any IG-1 team's vocabulary for that matter," said Lucia as she looked to Roxanne. "Sledge Mamma isn't known as the 'Gatekeepers' for nothing. They judge all IG-2 teams the same and that's trial by fire. They'll do whatever it takes to weed out the unworthy, and that doesn't include taking it 'easy' on them."
#
Blair was completely on full alert as she kept an eye on Team Sledge Mamma. By then, she and the others were so wound up, not knowing what Team Sledge Mamma was going to do. Fortunately, the first lap went without any trouble as both teams tried to get a feel for one another.
The teams mainly kept to themselves as they got a feel for the track, taking advantage of the "setup lap" to let their bots warm up. Blair continued to remain focused and kept in touch with her team via her helmet's integrated comms.
Once the second lap, otherwise known as the "battle lap", started, things quickly heated up. Team Sledge Mamma showed their true colors and began their assault in earnest. River and Timma targeted the same mech and used their detachable arms to attack. Blair was their primary target, so she became their first victim.
Having been on edge for the entire race, Blair froze as everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Just as Team Sledge Mamma's fists were about to impact Blair's mech, Miharu and Shizune used their boosters to defend her. They quickly swatted away the attack and moved in front of Blair, keeping a watchful eye on Team Sledge Mamma.
"Hey, wake up, Blair!" said Shizune as she kept her guard up.
Blair shook off her nerves and released her death grip on her mech's controls. "Thanks, Zuzu. I zoned out for a second there," she said.
"Well, you better get your head in the game, because here they come!" said Miharu as she readied to defend herself against another attack.
Team Sledge Mamma began attacking Team Balisong head-on, welcoming them to the IG-1 with a flurry of blows. It seemed Team Sledge Mamma was going with a "divide and conquer" strategy, trying to single out and dominate one pilot at a time. From the beginning, they had their sights fixed purely on Blair as they tried again and again to seclude her, but thankfully, Miharu and Shizune kept her well defended.
Within the observation deck, Lucia smirked as she sat back in her chair. "That's the Team Sledge Mamma I know," she said. "Listen up, team. I'm pretty sure I have Sledge Mamma all figured out," she said as she looked to the monitors with the pilots' helmet feeds on them. "When the time is right, we're going with Plan Delta Charlie. I repeat- Delta Charlie. Good hunting, ladies."
"Roger that, ma'am! Plan Delta Charlie!" said Blair. "Anko, you copy?"
"Ryokai! (Roger!)" said the twins in unison over the comms.
"Stick to the plan and stay on your toes. We'll need to be completely in sync when the time is right," said Blair.
Just then, one of Team Sledge Mamma's mechs got past Miharu and Shizune and landed a solid hit on Blair, striking her mech across the face with its fist. The twins promptly reacted and attacked the mech, but it retreated just as swiftly as it attacked.
Inside the cockpit of his mech, River looked to Blair as a slight smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "How do you like that, captain," he said before looking to his teammates. "Let's give 'em hell!". Timma and Dimma smirked as well, promptly moving to engage Blair and the rest of Team Balisong.
Throughout the second lap, Team Balisong was entirely on the defensive. Blair was on constant guard, doing her best to stay on her feet. All the while, Miharu and Shizune tried to defend her as the two teams exchanged blows with one another. Despite the onslaught of attacks, Blair and her teammates kept their cool while Lucia continued to coach them and give them advice. Sarah and Roxanne also chimed in to offer their support to the pilots and keep them focused.
Even though Team Balisong was used to head-to-head fights, the way Team Sledge Mamma was attacking was much more intense than what they'd encountered up to that point. Whereas Team Skylark, the closest team to a current IG-1 team they'd raced against, was very methodical and precise with their attacks, Team Sledge Mamma was a lot more feral and brutish. Their attacks had a lot of weight and power behind them, causing Blair and the others to either dodge them, or strain to take them head-on.
Team Balisong's mechs were taking a beating, especially Blair's. It was just over halfway through the lap, and Blair didn't know how much longer she was going to last. Suddenly, River landed a vicious attack which cracked the armor on Blair's right arm.
"Blair! Are you All right?!" asked Roxanne as she what happened on the monitors within the observation deck.
"I don't know if my bot can keep this up!" said Blair as she was once again saved by the Anko Twins. They fended off another set of attacks from Team Sledge Mamma before being pushed back.
Lucia looked to one of the monitors, seeing Team Balisong's position via an overall view of the track. She wanted to see how much time they had before they entered the third lap. If she called in the running skeleton too early, she risked something happening to Blair and the others and not being able to send more aid. If she called it too late, one of the pilots might sustain catastrophic damage and put them out of the race for good.
"Lucia?" asked Sarah in a firm tone as she looked to her to make a decision.
Lucia deliberated for a moment more then made her decision. "Send in the running skeleton," she said.
Sarah gave Lucia a nod then began coordinating with the maintenance crew to get the team's running skeleton on the track. The running skeleton was a mobile repair platform that teams were able to call in mid-race, though, it was only able to be used once and only during the second lap. It allowed teams to conduct repairs while the mechs were still moving along the track. The machine only had enough space for two personnel, so only those who were essential could ride. Sarah and the lead mechanic were onboard to expedite repairs, and they only had three minutes to get things done.
When the running skeleton was called in, a warning appeared on the track in front of the mechs and within the pilots' cockpits, prompting them to cease fighting. The two teams separated and slowed down, not being allowed to pass each other as they made room for the running skeleton to come in.
"Oh thank goodness," said Blair as she relaxed within her cockpit, waiting for the running skeleton to come to her.
Blair's mech was the one that needed the most repairs, mainly to replace its damaged right arm. When the running skeleton arrived, it picked up Blair's mech using two mechanical arms and lowered it onto the platform in the center of the large machine. Once the mech was settled in, the mechanic quickly went about the repairs while Sarah talked with Blair.
"How're you hanging in there?" asked Sarah to Blair over their comms.
Blair exhaled loudly then responded. "This is brutal. At this rate, I don't know if Delta Charlie is a viable option," she said.
"Just hang in there for a little while longer. You've got this," said Sarah as she looked to her tablet which displayed the video feed of Blair's cockpit. "We're almost to the target area, and once you're there, you can show these guys what Team Balisong is really made of. You've already shown that you three can hold your own against them, so that in itself is a win I'd say."
"Heh, thanks for the encouraging words, but you're not the one getting pounded on by three mechs," said Blair.
"Just hang in there. Repairs are just about done, so get ready," said Sarah as she looked to the mechanic.
Once the mechanic had finished the repairs, he gave the thumbs-up to Sarah. Sarah notified Blair that they'd finished, and they used the running skeleton to return Blair's mech to the track. After letting her loose, the running skeleton fell back behind the mechs and began to depart from the area. All the while, the warning signs remained on the track and in the pilots' cockpits.
"You good over there, Blair?" asked Miharu as she looked to Blair.
"Yeah. Good as new. Lucia's crew is really on the ball today," said Blair.
The running skeleton quickly vacated the area as the mechs returned to their previous positions. It was near the end of the second lap, and the mechs were just about to begin the third.
Once the signal was given to resume the race, the mechs picked up their speed and continued duking it out. Team Sledge Mamma picked up their attack, wanting to finish off Blair for good since they'd used their "time-out". Blair did her best and fended off against River and Timma once more while Dimma hung back mostly. The Anko Twins tried to relieve the pressure from the attack as they tried to get into the fray, but Dimma mostly kept them away. Eventually, the pilots crossed the finish line for the second time and began the third and final lap.
When it was finally time to put their plan into action, Blair found the perfect moment and notified the rest of her team. Her teammates followed her lead, and they rallied around Lucia's coaching as they struck back against Team Sledge Mamma. She began baiting Team Sledge Mamma towards her as she slowly began to fall further and further behind while keeping them distracted. To lure them into attacking her once more, Blair feigned a mechanical failure in her right arm as she tried to draw in at least two of their members.
Thinking they saw an opening for a decisive victory, River and Timma lashed out with their detachable arms for a coordinated attack. Little did they know, Blair was already waiting for such a move, and she caught them both with ease. She wrapped the ribbons around herself and grappled both mechs. She then began to use her thrusters to spin in place, pulling the two mechs she had along with her.
At the same time, Miharu and Shizune directed their attention towards the lone Team Sledge Mamma pilot. They began putting pressure on Dimma and attacked him directly. Their plan was to take him out quickly while pushing further up the track, getting farther away from Blair and the rest of Team Sledge Mamma. The plan was to sort of use the opposing team's strategy against them.
River and Timma were unable to break free as Blair increased the rate of her spin, causing them to get caught up in the centripetal forces of the maneuver. Blair was used to the stresses on her body caused by the intense movement, so she persisted to keep them preoccupied and disoriented.
Thanks to Blair's efforts, Miharu and Shizune were able to overpower Dimma by attacking him from both flanks. Together, they knocked him off his feet in a synchronized assault. Once they were clear, the twins switched to speed-mode and sped off towards the finish line. After tumbling along the track for a bit, Dimma quickly recovered from his fall and transitioned to speed-mode as well, chasing after them.
Just then, River and Timma were finally able to break free from Blair's grasp. To get free, River made a rash decision and quickly relayed it to Timma. Using their good arms, they hacked off the ribbons connected to the arms grappled by Blair. It caused major damage to their mechs, but it was worth the sacrifice. Once they were loose, they were tossed onto the track ahead of Blair. They then switched to speed-mode, as did Blair, and they all went after Dimma and the twins. Since River and Timma were missing parts of their arms, they were a bit slower and unstable while in speed-mode, and Blair was eventually able to overtake Timma.
At the head of the group, Dimma was catching up to the twins. Seeing him approaching, Shizune moved to block him and prevent him from passing, allowing Miharu to focus on keeping the lead. Shizune managed to hold Dimma off long enough for Miharu to secure first place, though, he was able to squeeze by her and get second place with her getting third. Shortly after they crossed the finish line, River sped on by followed closely by Blair then Timma picking up the rear in last place.
It was a close match, but Team Balisong ended up clutching a victory over Team Sledge Mamma. For getting first place, Miharu earned her team 15 points while Shizune in third place got five points and Blair in fifth place got two points. For getting second place, Dimma earned his team seven points while River in fourth place got three points and Timma in last place got one point. Due to the placement of the pilots, Team Balisong won with 22 points while Team Sledge Mamma earned 11 points.
#
Seeing Blair and the others cross the finish line from the observation deck, Roxanne and the rest of the team were overjoyed.
"They won! They actually won!" said Maggie as she looked to the monitor that was showing the race's live feed.
Sarah smirked and looked to Roxanne, relieved by the outcome. "Well I'll be damned. They managed to pull it off," she said.
Roxanne was at a loss for words, completely overcome with positive emotions. She looked to Sarah and nodded with a smile. "Never doubted them for a second," she said.
Beside them, Lucia was more reserved. She didn't outright show her joy, but on the inside, she was just as elated as the others. She just smiled to herself, thinking the team actually had a chance, albeit a small one, at winning the entire tournament.
After riding the initial high, Roxanne and Sarah rushed down to the track to congratulate the pilots. Maggie carefully hurried after them, pushing Lucia along in her wheelchair.
#
Down on the track, Blair and the Anko Twins were still on their high, trying to come to grips with their victory. After hearing all the voices from her teammates in her helmet's comms, Blair finally came to terms with reality and began to cheer. She opened the cockpit and got up from her seat, almost blinded by the track's lights. She looked out and took off her helmet, fully able to hear all the cheering from the surrounding crowds of spectators. She waved to all her fans and smiled before letting out a shout of joy.
By then, the track began to flood with race officials, reporters, and other people hurrying over to get the pilots' first impressions on the race. Blair carefully climbed down from her mech and jumped down to the track. Just as she landed, she was immediately surrounded by reporters holding microphones, photographers flashing pictures, and a plethora of cameras broadcasting the live feed.
"Blair! Blair! How do you feel after winning your first IG-1 race?!"
"Captain Casing! How much training did you do to prepare for the race?!"
"Ms. Casing, were you and your teammates worried about winning?!"
Blair did her best to keep her composure while in front of all the attention, but her excitement and joy was overflowing at that point. Her eyes didn't know where to look as camera operators were all around her, not to mention the camera drones hovering above, trying to get the best angle possible for the people watching from home around the world. Miharu and Shizune weren't fairing any better nearby as they too were surrounded by the press and media.
Thankfully, the rest of the team soon arrived to save Blair and the Anko Twins from their plight. Seeing Blair in the distance, Roxanne started to pick up speed as she hurried over, eventually turning into a full-on run.
Through a small gap in the crowd around her, Blair spotted Roxanne and called out to her. "Roxanne!" she said as she began squeezing through the crowd.
"Blair!" said Roxanne as she quickly approached the group.
Just as Blair managed to get through the crowd, Roxanne jumped into her arms and was swung around as Blair caught her. Blair then brought Roxanne into a close embrace before giving her a kiss. The group that was around Blair quickly turned around to see them meet. The camera operators and the drones quickly began to spread out to better capture the intimate moment.
After breaking away from the kiss, Roxanne looked lovingly into Blair's eyes. "You guys did it! You won!" she said with a large smile on her face.
"I know. I can hardly believe it," said Blair as she gazed back, completely blocking out everything else that was going on around her. In that moment, it was just her and her lover.
While Blair and Roxanne were together, the Anko Twins and the rest of the team came by, diverting most of the media's attention away from the couple and towards them. River and the rest of Team Sledge Mamma also came over to them.
"We almost had you!" said Timma as he gestured to Blair.
Blair and Roxanne turned to see Team Sledge Mamma standing right there next to them. "Yeah… almost," said Blair with a smirk.
As Timma scowled and was about to say something else, River moved in front of him. "Congratulations on your victory," he said, outstretching his hand for a friendly gesture.
Blair scoffed as she shook his hand. "Good to see you're more civil than your teammates," she said, glancing over River's shoulder at Timma.
Timma sneered, but he managed to keep his composure. "Yeah, well. At least you put up a better fight than those punks in Team Satomi," he said.
As Blair stood there with her arm around Roxanne, something came to mind. "Speaking of which, would you guys happen to know what happened to Team Satomi?" she asked.
River looked to Blair then grimaced as he glanced away. "I guess everyone's heard by now then," he said. "We have no idea, but I intend to get some answers sooner or later."
Not wanting to linger around, River and his team decided to leave, allowing Team Balisong to relish their victory. After taking a few steps, River turned back around and looked back to Blair. "Hey, Blair…," he said.
"Yeah?" asked Blair as she turned back around as well.
"Things only get harder from here, so watch your back," said River with a smirk before turning back around.
Blair smirked as well, giving him a nod. She and Roxanne then rejoined the rest of the team to continue soaking in the limelight. They all spent some time talking to reporters and posing for pictures before finally taking the celebrations off the track.
Blair and the other pilots returned to their mechs and waited in their cockpits for the people on the track to clear out. Once the area had been vacated, Blair and the others were safe to begin moving around. They switched back to battle-mode and returned to the elevator, riding it back down to the maintenance hangar level.
During the ride down, Blair had some time to decompress and really take everything in. She'd calmed down from all the excitement, but she was still feeling its effects. As she was sitting there, a couple voices came over the comms in her helmet.
"How're you doing over there, Captain?" asked Shizune.
"Yeah. You're awfully quiet after winning our first IG-1 race," said Miharu.
Blair smiled before exhaling deeply. "I'm just trying to soak it all in…," she said.
"We saw you talking with River earlier. What did he have to say?" asked Shizune.
"Nothing important. We were just talking about the race," said Blair as the elevator began to slow its descent. "I also asked them about Team Satomi, but they were clueless as well."
Once the platform was locked in place at the bottom of the shaft, Blair and the others returned the mechs to their hangar. They secured the mechs in their assigned bays and handed things over to the maintenance crew. Roxanne, Lucia, and Maggie were already there waiting; Sarah had to head back to the observation deck to take care of some administrative business.
"I see you all are still in good spirits," said Lucia as Blair and the Anko Twins came over to meet them.
"Of course we are! We won!" said Shizune.
"That you did. A well-deserved victory," said Lucia. "Now, as much as I'd like to do a post-race debrief and all that boring stuff, we can do that tomorrow. Take the rest of the evening to rest up and relax. You deserve it."
"You going to join us for some celebrations?" asked Blair.
Lucia smiled wanly. "My partying days are behind me. I'll leave that all to you," she said as she looked to her team. "I have to stay behind to oversee the repairs. Maggie, you can join them if you'd like. Sarah should be keeping me company shortly."
"I might. What're you all planning to do?" asked Maggie as she looked to Blair and the other pilots.
Blair shrugged. "Dunno. Might go out for some drinks. Might get something to eat," she said before looking to Roxanne. "What're you thinking?"
"I was thinking a bit of both, but it is getting late out, so I doubt there are many restaurants that are still open," said Roxanne.
"Anyway, before you all leave for the night, make sure you get enough rest. I want you all back here at 0800 for the debrief. Should give Sarah and me enough time to gather our thoughts and highlight some things we want to go over," said Lucia before leaving to oversee her maintenance crew.
After the team acknowledged Lucia with a nod, they all looked back to each other to continue discussing their evening's plans. In the end, Blair and Roxanne decided to just head back to the apartment to get some rest. They planned to formerly celebrate their victory the next day when they were rested and had more time to do things.
After talking, Blair and the Anko Twins went into the locker room and hit the showers. While they were there, the three pilots talked amongst themselves about the race and their victory.
Once Blair was done, she went back into the locker room where Roxanne was patiently waiting for her. The two chatted for a bit while Blair got dressed in her street clothes, and once she was ready, they headed back home together.