09-14-2016, 09:18 AM
The past few days had been methodical, almost meditative in their goals. Eat, relax, work on the car, rinse, repeat. The cyber samurai had spent some time going over the F-Zero races of past years, although since this contest was a new style all it told him was the identities of previous racers and just how fast it could get on a traditional track. He also spent some time developing new offensive programs from the example of Colonel's biodata, culminating in the accidental destruction of his training dummy using a materialized Chernobyl virus. Well enough. He could buy another dummy, and the added offensive capability might give them an edge in the race. He was sure Madotsuki had her own tricks up her sleeve. Additionally, he tweaked and improved on his goggles, expanding their capability he was experiencing some odd visual errors, like sensor ghosts, and there was a new spark and tingle of electricity whenever he put them on, but he just lived it with. Consequences of upgrading, he guessed.
Finally, race day had arrived. Hiro had been contacted by a recently resummoned Barry Sanderson, to his great delight. The Syntech bartender had opened his own hole-in-the-wall on Tier 3, and when Hiro had told him of his participation in the race, offered him a deal on some Syntech merchandise. Hiro had wired the funds, befitting from a small discount, and received two form-fitting racing jumpsuits made of padded armor gel and plastic impact plates, with goofy logo on the back for "Barry's Cantina". His datagloves replaced the thicker ones that came with the outift to ensure maximum tactical operation with his goggles.
As the two Primes loaded into their vehicle, the spiderlike quad racer that Hiro had christened the "Digital Nightmare", he heard the announcer introduce the other seven racers, a quick picture of the pairs, their vehicles, and a few stats flashing up on the event datapad they had been given by the organizers, which also served as a leaderboard.
"First up, we have Fragile Bob and Manic the Crunch Warrior, racing their vehicle, Anger Highway!" Two figures covered in spikes and menacing scrap metal waved from their behemoth of twisted chains and smoke belching pillars, one of the racers strapped in place on top of the machine. He held what looked like a guitar, and the screeching, crunching licks were accompanied by balls of flame issuing from the neck of the hellish instrument.
"Next, Captain Blaze and the Arsonist!" This vehicle was built much smaller than Anger Highway, although it sported far more tubes with drilled holes. The engine roared and flames almost completely engulfed the car, shooting a considerable distance away from it. The crowd, high above the Tier 5 mockup arena on floating bleacher platforms, went wild at the sight.
"G. Getter Gruesome and BoneZone, piloting the Coffin Maker!" It was actually shaped like a huge coffin, although covered in spikes and barbed wire, with a large mallet attached to the front and sides, segmented treads underneath it hinting that the vehicle would be slow but incredibly tough and hard hitting.
"Hiro Protagonist and Madotsuki, bringing bad dreams in Digital Nightmare!" The hacker turned around to his co pilot, flashing a thumbs up and pulling a couple levers that made their car spin in place, the smartwheels rotating and locking underneath them as he raised and lowered the frame, leaving it perched high in the air like a predatory arachnid.
"Carlos Manuel and Chica, bringing blood back in Aztecá!" Another thick behemoth of a racer, it looked like a stone temple with machine guns, bamboo tubes, and wicked, curved scythes serving as forward grabbers. Both drivers popped their heads out waving, and Hiro could see one of them was a girl about the same visible age as Madotsuki. Welp, this was a rough competition. He would make an effort not to obliterate their vehicle too badly.
"Boomstick and Flynn, in their unique vehicle, Screaming Eagles!" Either Boomstick or Flynn pumped their fist and raised the motorcycle helmet they were wearing, the two competitors both riding twin linked tricked out motorcycles. The man's face was familiar somehow, but when he mouthed the words "Tier 4 Falcons" Hiro recognized him. He pointed at the screen. "That's the fucker who tried to run me off the road on my first mission from the EPD! I broke his arm, but I knew he was still down here...son of a bitch. Well, motorcycles won't be too hard to take down, right?" Madotsuki shrugged, offering a small smirk, and rotated her gunner's chair, testing the speed and reaction swivels on her targeting screen.
"The Enigmatic Mr. Dark, in his Death Orb!" It was quite simply, a featureless black sphere. It should have looked stupid and woefully underequipped, but the blank face of the sphere was crisscrossed with all sorts of lines and hidden sections. Not to mention it was floating three feet off the ground and rippling with waves of black lightning. Hiro made sure to keep an eye out for that one in the arena.
"And finally...The Terror of Tier 5, The Laughing Monster, Needles Kane driving his vehicle, The Sweet Tooth!" Hiro's stomach dropped as he beheld a seven foot tall behemoth wearing nothing but pinstriped pants and a bloodied butcher's apron, a chipped ceramic clown mask covering his face and most of his forehead. His actual head seemed to be on fire, although the man (or was it monster) showed no discomfort. He climbed into his vehicle, a battered ice cream truck, and flicked a switch. Distorted calliope music sounded from the screen, and Hiro had flashbacks of Jason. "I recommend we unload everything we got on that guy, pod." He called back to Madotsuki.
D. Va finished the racer introductions, and a big stylized "3" overlaid their windshield. Hiro tightened his grip on the steering column and raised his foot over the pedal, waiting for the battered garage door to open.
2
"Racers......GOOOOOOO!"
1
The door opened, and Hiro slammed on the pedal, the car neatly gliding out onto the asphalt grid of Tier 5.
Finally, race day had arrived. Hiro had been contacted by a recently resummoned Barry Sanderson, to his great delight. The Syntech bartender had opened his own hole-in-the-wall on Tier 3, and when Hiro had told him of his participation in the race, offered him a deal on some Syntech merchandise. Hiro had wired the funds, befitting from a small discount, and received two form-fitting racing jumpsuits made of padded armor gel and plastic impact plates, with goofy logo on the back for "Barry's Cantina". His datagloves replaced the thicker ones that came with the outift to ensure maximum tactical operation with his goggles.
As the two Primes loaded into their vehicle, the spiderlike quad racer that Hiro had christened the "Digital Nightmare", he heard the announcer introduce the other seven racers, a quick picture of the pairs, their vehicles, and a few stats flashing up on the event datapad they had been given by the organizers, which also served as a leaderboard.
"First up, we have Fragile Bob and Manic the Crunch Warrior, racing their vehicle, Anger Highway!" Two figures covered in spikes and menacing scrap metal waved from their behemoth of twisted chains and smoke belching pillars, one of the racers strapped in place on top of the machine. He held what looked like a guitar, and the screeching, crunching licks were accompanied by balls of flame issuing from the neck of the hellish instrument.
"Next, Captain Blaze and the Arsonist!" This vehicle was built much smaller than Anger Highway, although it sported far more tubes with drilled holes. The engine roared and flames almost completely engulfed the car, shooting a considerable distance away from it. The crowd, high above the Tier 5 mockup arena on floating bleacher platforms, went wild at the sight.
"G. Getter Gruesome and BoneZone, piloting the Coffin Maker!" It was actually shaped like a huge coffin, although covered in spikes and barbed wire, with a large mallet attached to the front and sides, segmented treads underneath it hinting that the vehicle would be slow but incredibly tough and hard hitting.
"Hiro Protagonist and Madotsuki, bringing bad dreams in Digital Nightmare!" The hacker turned around to his co pilot, flashing a thumbs up and pulling a couple levers that made their car spin in place, the smartwheels rotating and locking underneath them as he raised and lowered the frame, leaving it perched high in the air like a predatory arachnid.
"Carlos Manuel and Chica, bringing blood back in Aztecá!" Another thick behemoth of a racer, it looked like a stone temple with machine guns, bamboo tubes, and wicked, curved scythes serving as forward grabbers. Both drivers popped their heads out waving, and Hiro could see one of them was a girl about the same visible age as Madotsuki. Welp, this was a rough competition. He would make an effort not to obliterate their vehicle too badly.
"Boomstick and Flynn, in their unique vehicle, Screaming Eagles!" Either Boomstick or Flynn pumped their fist and raised the motorcycle helmet they were wearing, the two competitors both riding twin linked tricked out motorcycles. The man's face was familiar somehow, but when he mouthed the words "Tier 4 Falcons" Hiro recognized him. He pointed at the screen. "That's the fucker who tried to run me off the road on my first mission from the EPD! I broke his arm, but I knew he was still down here...son of a bitch. Well, motorcycles won't be too hard to take down, right?" Madotsuki shrugged, offering a small smirk, and rotated her gunner's chair, testing the speed and reaction swivels on her targeting screen.
"The Enigmatic Mr. Dark, in his Death Orb!" It was quite simply, a featureless black sphere. It should have looked stupid and woefully underequipped, but the blank face of the sphere was crisscrossed with all sorts of lines and hidden sections. Not to mention it was floating three feet off the ground and rippling with waves of black lightning. Hiro made sure to keep an eye out for that one in the arena.
"And finally...The Terror of Tier 5, The Laughing Monster, Needles Kane driving his vehicle, The Sweet Tooth!" Hiro's stomach dropped as he beheld a seven foot tall behemoth wearing nothing but pinstriped pants and a bloodied butcher's apron, a chipped ceramic clown mask covering his face and most of his forehead. His actual head seemed to be on fire, although the man (or was it monster) showed no discomfort. He climbed into his vehicle, a battered ice cream truck, and flicked a switch. Distorted calliope music sounded from the screen, and Hiro had flashbacks of Jason. "I recommend we unload everything we got on that guy, pod." He called back to Madotsuki.
D. Va finished the racer introductions, and a big stylized "3" overlaid their windshield. Hiro tightened his grip on the steering column and raised his foot over the pedal, waiting for the battered garage door to open.
2
"Racers......GOOOOOOO!"
1
The door opened, and Hiro slammed on the pedal, the car neatly gliding out onto the asphalt grid of Tier 5.
Quote:Cruising for Destruction: Light 'Em Up
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