F-Zero: The Rising Hero

Chapter 11: Humiliating Chain

     There were thirty racers in the race at Mute City. Some were newcomers like PJ and Digi-Boy. Others were old-timers, like Silver Neelson and Dr. Stewart. It was an estimated fifteen minutes before race time. Ace Winters stood by the Green Amazone, while Lily Flyer was behind him next to the Bunny Flash. The number of the Bunny Flash was 37, while the Green Amazone's was 44. Ace waited impatiently for Michael Chain, he knew the gangster would arrive. He was not currently on the track, which gave him an idea. Sometimes, the pilots keep their machines in garages for tuning up before races. The young pilot figured that his machines was in a garage. Ace walked over to Lily Flyer. "Hey Lily," He said. "I got a brilliant idea, wanna help me play a prank on Michael Chain?" "Will we get caught?" Lily asked Ace.

"I'll make sure we don't," Ace responded. "Let's go." Lily followed Ace off the track. They sneaked over to the garages. Lily pointed out the Wild Boar to Ace Winters, it was sitting in a garage with the door open! Apparently, Michael Chain wasn't there! "Where's Chain?" Lily wondered. "Probably taking a dunk or out being a jerk," Ace replied as they walked into the garage. Ace took a good look at the Wild Boar. "Hand me that toolbox over there," he pointed to a toolbox on the other side of the room. Lily fetched it for Ace. "Can you keep a lookout?" He asked her. "We don't want to get caught." Lily now stood in the doorway of the garage while Ace worked on the Wild Boar. Ace knew how to tune a machine, he would repair his own machines time to time. He sabotaged the machines booster. Now using it would have a unique effect. "Payback time Chain," Ace snickered. Next he turned to Lily Flyer. "We can go now!"

Ace and Lily left the garage, both were laughing at what could be the results. Even Ace Winters didn't know what would happen. Meanwhile, Jody Summer was talking to Captain Falcon by the Blue Falcon before the race. "Octoman is over there," She gestured. "I'm going to prevent him from winning. However, if you help me. I'll reward you with his bounty." "Forget about the bounty," Falcon stopped her. "Consider this a favor." Just then, the couple were interrupted by none other than John Tanaka. He looked out of breath, as always. "Jody the race is about to start!" He said panting. "Tanaka, this is Captain Falcon," Jody Summer introduced the two. John Tanaka turned to Falcon, who gave him a salute and a warm smile. "I know who he is!" John Tanaka scowled. "But we have to go!" He grabbed Jody Summer's arm and pulled her away from Captain Falcon. Jody managed to wave to goodbye to Falcon while the crazy man pulled her away. John Tanaka might've been jealous.

Before climbing in her machine, Jody noticed Ace and Lily run onto the track. They seem to have come from the direction of the garages. The woman just shook the thought out of her head and climbed in the cockpit of the White Cat. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! OUR CONTESTANTS!" Mr. Zero spoke up. "The High Flying Medico, DR. STEWART!" The crowd cheered for Dr. Robert Stewart in his classy machine, the Golden Fox. "The Star Racer of the Galactic Space Federation, JODY SUMMER!" Jody waved to the crowd as they cheered her on. Ace was a tiny bit disappointed that Jody was the federation star, and considered the best. Then again, he was new. "The new rookie of the Space Federation, ACE WINTERS!" Ace stood up tall on his machine and waved to everybody in the crowd. He didn't expect so many to applaud him. "The G.S.F Recruit Lily Flyer!" Mr. Zero hollered. Lily saluted the crowd in front of her machine.

"The Star of Takora, Octoman!" Mr. Zero went on. The crowd was a mixture of cheers and boos. Ace mostly detected boos from the crowd. Mr. Zero went on: "And the Bounty Hunter, CAPTAIN FALCON!" At the sound of that name, the crowd went crazy. All of them stood up and cheered as Falcon waved to them. He does have over seven million fans, Ace Winters thought to himself. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES!" Mr. Zero finally said. The crowd is in for a real treat, Ace thought, and the humiliation of Michael Chain. Every machine on the track rose. "Remember, the comlinks are on," Jody reminded her team. "Now's a good time to test them." "This is Lily Flyer, I copy," Lily spoke up. "This is Ace Winters, I copy," Ace smiled and spoke. "This is Captain Falcon, I copy," Captain Falcon spoke up. "Great," Jody said. "You can talk to me or Falcon during the race rookies. I trust there will be no crazy incidents. Just focus on Octoman, that goes double for you Ace." Ace Winters silently groaned, he was hoping to rough house Chain during the race, But Jody Summer said no. "What about me?" John Tanaka wailed. "I exist too!" Everyone might've forgotten about Tanaka, but not Ace. Mostly because he heard kissing noises coming from the Wonder Wasp. John Tanaka did have a Jody Summer action figure in his machine, which he kissed for good luck before every race.

It was now or never, the countdown had begun. "3...2...1....GO!" All pilots floored their accelerators, but the Green Amazone and the Golden Fox shot out front. Ace Winters was in first place and he was confident. "Octoman is in tenth place," Jody reported to everyone. She always kept track of what criminals were in which race. Octoman's machine was called the Deep Claw, and it was picking up speed as they went along. Octoman was Jody's sworn enemy not Ace's, Ace instead changed his monitors to focus on Chain. He was in twenty-fifth place, so far so good. Ace led the pack as the second lap rolled around. Immediately he activated his boost, soaring ahead of the pack. The rest of his team did the same, but John Tanaka seemed to have a little trouble with his. "I had it checked this morning!" He said. Of course, Octoman was still catching up as he gained up to Jody. "I've lost to you twenty-four times Jody!" he said to himself. "It will not happen again. For Takora!" Octoman let his rage get the best of him, and he engaged Jody in a battle. Jody fought back, knowing that she could take down this octopus. "Leave this to her," Captain Falcon told the rookies. He didn't need to tell Ace twice, he had more pressing matters to deal with. Michael Chain was in third place and on Ace's tail. The position of the gang member was driving Ace crazy. "ROUND TWO!" He hollered. He hit his booster, unfortunately for him, his engine backfired when he hit the button. Michael Chain hit it again, but all he got was fart noises coming from the Wild Boar.

At that moment, the machine made a poof and suddenly it was covered in pink and women's jewelry! Ace and Lily were doubled over in laughter! Michael Chain then saw his windshield covered with huge letters that said "COURTESY OF ACE WINTERS." "NOOO!" Michael Chain hollered in defeat. The Wild Boar sputtered to a stop and the other machines whizzed by him. The only one besides the rookies that noticed Chains humiliation was Captain Falcon, who just shook his head. Michael Chain was a D.N.F. The final lap had come, but Jody was still fighting Octoman. Jody Summer finally figured that she would need help. "FALCON!" Jody called out. "I could use a hand." Captain Falcon zoomed behind Octoman's machine, the Deep Claw. The Blue Falcon collided with the Deep Claw. Octoman had lost the fight, as he slid back, he still managed to get seventh place. The Pilots crossed the finish line one by one. Ace Winters came in third, Captain Falcon fourth, Jody Summer got second, and first was....LILY FLYER! "I won?" Lily said in disbelief. "I WON!" "Way to go girl!" Ace cheered for his friend. Most of the crowd was cheering too as the racers pulled back into the stadium. Lily hopped out of her machine, waving to her new fans. Octoman meanwhile, had hopped out of his machine and had begun to make a run for it.

Jody gave chase, and using expert combat, she managed to leap into the air and kick Octoman to the ground. "You're not going anywhere," Jody told him as her and Captain Falcon took him away. Ace now walked with Lily as she clutched her winning trophy, it was her first winning race. "Hey wimp!" A voice hollered. The two turned to see Michael Chain walking up to them. Ace stepped in front of Lily to face him. "I know what you did," He said. "No one humiliates the leader of the Bloody Chain!" "So what?!" Ace snapped back. "You unfairly beat me in the race at Port Town." Lily Flyer felt she had a say in this, so she spoke up. "It was unfair!" She said. "We'll beat you anytime anywhere!" "Tomorrow Night, ten o'clock at Big Blue!" Michael Chain declared. "Be there or you'll never see the light of day again, let alone your girlfriend!" With that, Michael Chain walked away to plot HIS revenge. "You really think you can beat Michael Chain?" Lily asked Ace Winters. Ace didn't let his gaze leave the part of the track where Chain exited. "I can with your help," He replied. "Now let's put your trophy away."