-Chapter 193-

Ride the Wind

GUN HQ

A week later, at GUN HQ, Team Dark spoke with Tower and the others over the EX World Grand Prix.

"Princess Sally isn't the only one who's suspicious," Tower confessed. "Von Koiti has been a recluse since MeteorTech started. Nobody has ever seen him before now, and he decides to make a public appearance just to announce an Extreme Gear race? With Chaos Emeralds as the entry fee?"

"Oh yeah," Rouge agreed. "It's fishier then Meropis on a holiday."

"Your orders?" Omega questioned.

"One of the sponsors of the Grand Prix is a wealth of information," Sarah explained. "Wes Weasely of WesCorp."

"The Chao Cola sponsor and door-to-door salesman?" Shadow asked. "Is he a friend of yours?"

"He's nobody's friend, Shadow," Topaz corrected, "He's a con man who'd sell his own mother for lunch money."

"Actually, he did," Madonna chimed in. "Got top dollar for her, too."

Hope looked a bit ill.

"...I really hope you're joking, Madonna."

"She ain't," Rouge informed her. "He couldn't put a price on her. So Weasely took the best offer."

"Why would you ever request aid from such a sleazy person?" Omega asked, disturbed.

"Weasely helps anyone for the right price," Tower answered. "If anyone knows what's going on in MeteorTech, it's him."

"I hope you're not asking us to pay out of pocket for this," Rouge said.

"Yeah, I already forked over my Chaos Emerald to the kids as an entry fee," Shadow chimed in. "But I think we'll get him to talk with a little persuasion and reason."

He cracked his knuckles for emphasis.

Metal City

The day had come. Team Sonic and Team Thorndyke were in line to sign up, wearing sports gear. After depositing their Chaos Emeralds, they went to the practice field.

"I'm glad your dad agreed to sponsor our team," Kat said.

"Honestly, I was expecting Uncle Sam to come," Chris admitted.

"Knowing my dad, he's gonna be one of the loudest in the stands." Keith mused.

Chris chuckled. "I'll bet."

"For now, let's get some practice in," Sonic cut in.

Things got off to a rough start. Keith inadvertently hit the boost and lost control, slamming into a tree.

"My leg!" he shouted.

"Keith!" Kat cried, rushing over.

"Ow…" Keith slowly got up, shaking out the cobwebs. "I'll live... I think."

"And this is why we're practicing," Chris deadpanned.

"So, Keith crashed first," Hope mused. "Who wants to go next?"

"How about the one whose bones are harder to break?" Kat questioned.

On cue, Sonic stepped forward, getting on his board.

"I'll go next. If I'm gonna win this, I gotta know how to ride this thing."

They watched as Sonic got to work, taking to it quite quickly.

"Not so bad," he mused. "Like riding a skateboard."

He continued riding on the track till he hit a ramp, sailing through the air and doing a 360. The others whistled in awe.

"Aw man…" Kat let out. "I was hoping he'd crash again."

"I'll be sure to tell him you said that," Keith said flatly.

"Kat... you're a psychopath," Hope deadpanned.

"And yet, you're still my friend. Besides, we all know he can just walk it off."

Sonic came back around, coming to a stop before hopping off the Extreme Gear.

"Alright, now I stand a chance," he declared.

Meanwhile, Team Dark was in the crowd, searching for Wes Weasely.

"So…" Shadow began, "aside from what the commander told us, what kind of person is Weasely?"

"The basics?" Rouge began. "He's brash, arrogant, obnoxious, pushy, rude, and dresses funny."

"Dr. Robotnik would get along perfectly with him." Omega deadpanned.

"So, where is he?"

"Step right up! Step right up and place your bets!"

All three turned to see a Mobian weasel with tan fur, dressed in a smart, yellow suit with a red bowtie and fedora. Everything about him screamed sleaze, from his posture, to his voice, and the way he was eyeing everyone like they were nothing more than walking money bags. He was standing in front of what looked like some sort of betting booth, with odds written across a board behind him.

"Who do you think will win this great race? Will it be the famous Team Sonic? Or perhaps the young upstarts of Team Thorndyke? Or, will it be the world renowned rebels of Team Babylon! Come and put some Mobiums down and show your support!"

"Found him," Rouge and Shadow said in unison.

They approached the booth, Wes grabbing Shadow's hand and practically shaking it off his shoulder.

"How are you, how are you, how are you?" he said rapidly. "Wes Weasely's the name! Selling's the game! And who are you betting on today, my good sir?"

"I'm betting that you have some information we could use," Shadow replied.

"Information, eh? Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Either way, I'm not working a charity here. What's in it for me?"

A gun cocked, and he found Omega's plasma cannon in his face.

"Your furry hide." he said matter-of-factly.

"Ah," Weasely nodded. "Well, you drive a hard bargain. What do you wanna know?"

"Rob Von Koiti," Rouge replied. "He's never shown his face to anyone before now. What's his motive for setting up this Chaos Emerald-funded race?"

"Well, I'm afraid that's information not even I have," Weasely answered. "All I do have are some rumors."

"What kind of rumors?" Shadow asked.

Weasely looked left, then right, then leaned in to whisper.

"Word on the street is MeteorTech is in Dr. Robotnik's pocket. Big-time weapons and security manufacturing company... it'd be perfect funding for all his toys and gadgets, no?"

"There is logic behind this," Omega conceded.

"So Von Koiti is one of Eggman's cronies," Rouge mused.

"More like business partner, but that's neither here nor there with that man," Weasely clarified. "But like I said, it's only rumors. You should take it with a grain of salt."

Omega lowered the cannon.

"So, ya gonna place a bet?" Weasely questioned, eyes locking on Shadow as a sly smile graced his face. "One would think such a loving father would want to support his kid."

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "How did you know that?"

Weasely shrugged. "What can I say? Information is my speciality. Now, about that bet…"

Rouge shook her head. "I only gamble with my life, never my money."

After a minute, Shadow shrugged. He reached into his pocket, dug out a Mobium, and flipped it at Weasely. Weasely took it, smirking.

"Have a nice day!" he declared. "Best of luck!"

"Creep…" Shadow muttered under his breath as they walked off.

Meanwhile, Von Koiti was seated in a spectator's box, waiting for the first race to begin.

"Excuse me. Mr. Von Koiti?"

He turned to see Sally standing there.

"I'd like to have a word with you, if it's not too much trouble."

"Why, if it isn't Princess Sally Acorn herself!" Von Koiti proclaimed, a thick German accent lacing his voice. "Come in, come in!" He gestured to a seat next to him. "Have a seat. What can I do for you?"

Sally took the offered seat, lacing her fingers and resting her hands in her lap.

"I was wondering. Are you the real Rob Von Koiti? People always describe you as a recluse who never goes anywhere."

"That's right. I never go anywhere. So when I go somewhere, everyone thinks I'm nowhere when I'm really there."

Sally blinked, looking beyond confused as she tried to work out the logic of Von Koiti's words. He laughed at her expression, then waved it off.

"To put it simply, my dear, this is one event I simply had to attend in person," he clarified.

"And Chaos Emeralds as admission?"

"A way to draw in the best of the best. Nobody can withstand the allure of a set of seven Emeralds. Plus, competitions are always more exciting when everyone has something to gain."

Sally nodded. "Okay, I think I see the logic."

"I thought you would. You're a smart young woman. Now, the last of the teams will be arriving soon, so I suggest you join yours."

Sally stood up. "Yes, of course. Thank you for your time."

"Enjoy the race, Princess!" Von Koiti called as she went out.

As the race began, Sonic and Chris lined up at the start, boards in hand. Off to the side, Amy, Cream, Mina, Cosmo, Frances, and Helen were cheering them on, dressed in blue-and-red cheerleader uniforms and waving matching pom poms.

"Sonic, Sonic, he's our man! If he can't do it, no one can!" Amy chanted.

Sonic shot them all a thumbs up. As they got into position, Jet joined the line with his own board.

"Hello again, Sonic," he greeted calmly.

"Jet," Sonic said civilly.

"May the best man win." Chris declared.

Jet smirked. "Oh, I intend to, Thorndyke."

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

They turned to see Robotnik having joined the line as well, riding a red bike-esque Gear with his insignia on it.

"I knew you'd be part of this, Egghead," Sonic deadpanned. "Anything for Chaos Emeralds, right?"

"Would you rather I just steal them?" Robotnik shot back.

"Uncle!" Eggatha shouted from the pit, where she was standing with several robots, including Metal Sonic.

"Right, right," Robotnik cleared his throat. "I promised Agatha this would be a clean race."

Overhead flew none other than Omochao, a microphone in hand.

"Greetings, racing fans, and welcome to the first annual EX World Grand Prix, sponsored by MeteorTech!" he announced. "On this day, we will see which Extreme Gear rider is the best of the best! I'm your host, Omochao, here to give you an up-close look of the action!"

"Omochao?" Chris blinked, confused.

In the pit, Kat turned to Hope.

"How the hell did you pull that off?" she asked.

"I'm GUN, remember?" Hope replied. "I pulled a few strings."

"You scare me sometimes."

"Now, without further ado, let's introduce the racers of our first round," Omochao went on. "First, you know him, you love him, it's everybody's favorite blue-furred Mobian. Make some noise for the Hero of Mobius, the one and only Sonic the Hedgehog!"

The cheers of the crowd exploded as everyone jumped to their feet. Sonic gave a two fingered salute to them all.

"And next on the docket, don't let his age fool you, this young man could outthink half of you in the stands! Give it up for Christopher Thorndyke!"

More cheers exploded, especially from where the Thorndykes were sitting. Lindsey had a video camera in hand.

"That's my boy!" Nelson cheered. "Burn rubber! Make 'em eat your dust!"

Chris turned bright red at that as he waved.

"You can do it, Chris!" Helen chimed in.

"And next is one those of you in Extreme Gear circles will recognize. Give a big hand to the Legendary Wind Master, Jet the Hawk!"

More cheers erupted as Jet didn't even react, just adjusting his position on his board.

"Last and least is the wannabe ruler, tyrant, and dictator of Mobius. Give it up for the meanest, rottenest, most vile, disgusting, abominable-"

"Enough already!" Robotnik snapped, annoyed.

Omochao made a sound as if clearing his throat. "Dr. Ivo Robotnik."

He was immediately greeted with boos, jeers, and hisses.

"Everybody's a critic…" Robotnik growled.

"BOO! YOU STINK!" one of the spectators shouted.

The other teams were announced as the racers all lined up on the track.

"Alright, we've kept you patient viewers waiting long enough. Let's get this race under way!"

They got on their boards, Sonic and Jet sharing glares as they powered on.

"Ready... set... GO!"

Everyone shot down the track. Sonic and Jet sped across several grind rails, trading blows and banter.

"You don't really think you're gonna win this, do ya?" Jet taunted. "I've had more Extreme Gear experience in a week than you've had in your entire life!"

"Maybe so, but I've faced worse odds! And I will win this!"

"Keep telling yourself that, hedgehog!"

Jet whipped out a massive green war fan, swinging it at Sonic and producing a whirlwind. Sonic yelped as he was nearly blown off course, Jet zooming ahead.

"Why, you feathered-!" Sonic spat before righting himself and speeding after the hawk.

Chris was heading for a ramp, only to narrowly duck an extendo-boxing glove punch from Robotnik.

"Nothing personal, kid," the doctor declared. "But this race is mine!"

"A boxing glove?" Chris deadpanned. "Really?"

He powered up his Nitro Glove. "Try this on for size!"

He aimed for the front of Robotnik's Extreme Gear. A Nitro ball hit the wheel, sending it spinning out of control. With that, Chris boosted off of the ramp, aiming for the airborne Dash Rings to get a boost.

Eventually, the finish line loomed up, Sonic and Jet neck in neck.

"You're not winning this, Hedgehog!" Jet swore.

" Why don't you just give up and save me some trouble, bird-brain?" Sonic retorted.

Jet scowled. "I'm a Babylon Rogue. We don't beg. We don't give up. And we. Don't. LOSE!"

With that, he shot forward, barreling across the finishing line. Sonic came in second, Chris third, and Robotnik fourth. Jet grinned widely.

"How's it feel to be Number Two, Sonic?" he taunted.

Sonic just shrugged. "Hey, I didn't do too bad for my first race, did I?"

That actually made Jet pause. He then let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, guess you did," he conceded. "Let's just hope your team can keep up."

He offered a fist bump, which Sonic accepted after a minute.

Later, during the break, Hope was detailing some information she had uncovered to the others.

"The mark Tails found on Storm's board in Metal City corresponds to some things Relic dug up," she began. "A long time ago, there was a floating island known as Babylon Garden. Supposedly, robbers lived there. According to rumors... this 'legendary' band, the Babylon Rogues, were great thieves."

"And this band eventually evolved into the Battle Bird Armada before Jet split off and founded his own group." Keith guessed.

Hope nodded. "Essentially, yeah."

"This garden sounds pretty important," Kat mused.

"Where there are thieves, there's often treasure," Knuckles remarked. "And I'll bet the Master Emerald that treasure has something to do with all this."

"Right on the money, Knux," Hope confirmed. "Legend also says that the Babylon Rogues incurred the wrath of the gods because of their crimes, and that the island was cast into the depths of Mobius. After that, supposedly the Babylonians were then scattered for all time, never to be found."

"Until the Battle Birds gathered together." Chris deduced.

Hope nodded again. "But they say that the Babylon Rogues' treasure still remains on that island, waiting to be discovered. There are also rumors that the Babylon Rogues were Extreme Gear specialists."

"That's got to be the angle here," Tails mused. "But there's still something we're missing… Where do the Emeralds fit into this? And why the race?"

"And speaking of Extreme Gear, how can a plank like that just float?" Kat questioned.

"Oh, that part's easy to explain," Tails replied. "According to the Kutta-Joukowski Lift Theorem, the control surface flow is balanced by the inverse kinetics of the-"

Kat clutched her ears for a minute, the technobabble giving her a headache before she exploded.

"Okay, stop!" she snapped. "I get it! It just floats and that's good enough for me!"

It was at that moment they heard a laugh, and turned to see Wave approach.

"Sorry, it's just too funny," she said before looking at Tails's board. "That gear's unusual."

"Customized it myself," Tails said.

Wave picked it up, looking it over.

"This isn't half bad, for an amateur," she thought. "Still... You can never be too careful."

After planting a little bomb on it, she laughed mockingly.

"Well, I never imagined anyone would enter the race with such a piece of junk," she handed it back. "Thanks though. It was good for a laugh."

Every member of the Freedom Fighters there glared angrily at Wave. Kat's face was as red as her hair before she lunged at the swallow, Keith quickly grabbing her in a full nelson.

"Easy, Kat," he cautioned. "We do not need you going off."

"Well, I've got things to do, so I gotta go," Wave said casually. "At least you've got those freaky tails of yours to fall back on. See ya, shorty!"

That was the wrong thing to say. Keith looked at the others, sharing a nod before letting go of Kat. The redhead wasted no time charging at Wave, who had just enough time to turn and gasp before she was tackled to the ground.

"You take that back!" Kat screamed as she wrestled Wave to the ground, pinning her arms behind her and shoving her face into the dirt. "You take that back right now!"

"Get your stinking paws off of me, you psycho human!" Wave snapped.

"You take back what you said, or I'll pluck you like a fat turkey!" Kat roared.

She grabbed two large feathers and yanked them clean out, getting a pained shout from Wave that shook the trees.

"Okay, okay!" the Rogue shouted. "I take it back!"

Kat then just sat on Wave's back, panting slightly before getting up and backing off.

"Still red?" she asked.

Keith nodded. "Still red."

"I didn't go too far, did I?"

"Nah."

Kat turned to Wave, holding the feathers.

"Screw with my friends again, and I take more. Understand?"

Wave pulled herself up, scowling in pain, rage, and shock.

"You're the heroes of Mobius?!" she demanded. "Why do you keep psychos like that around?! Do you even-?!"

In the middle of her rant, Sally strolled up and punched her in the gut, knocking the wind out of her.

"Yes, we're heroes," she began. "But we're not just friends, or comrades. We're family. You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us, Wave. So maybe you should keep that beak of yours shut."

Wave shot them another glare before storming off.

"Hey Helen!" Kat called out, heading over to the cheerleaders while waving her new feathers. "Help me braid these into my hair!"

"Gladly!" Helen called back.

The two girls met up as Sally joined the rest, watching Wave retreat.

"So, she's a bitch," Sally muttered before turning to Tails. "Don't listen to her. Your board is great."

Chris and Keith looked over the board, seeing a little device planted on the bottom that they pried off.

"Just as we thought," Chris noted. "She bugged the board with a little bomb. Trying to fix the race."

"According to my research, Jet's a lot of things," Hope remarked. "He's a sore loser, but not a saboteur. Wave was acting on her own here."

"I can attest to that," Sonic added. "He seemed good when we finished."

Keith tossed the bomb aside. "Should we rat on her?"

"Nah," Tails shook his head. "I'd much rather see the look on her face when my 'piece of junk' wins the prix."

They exchanged looks, smirking.

Author's Note:

Yep, a little twist here; they find the bomb Wave planted. I like to mix it up.

Wes Weasely is from AoSTH and Archie.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Wes Weasely - Alan Tudyk (Hoban "Wash" Washburne from Firefly/Serenity, Duke Weaselton from Zootopia, Joker in Harley Quinn)

Please R&R. Until next time!