F-Zero: The Rising Hero

Chapter 13: Redemption

                                                           "HE LOOKS PRETTY BAD."

                                                                "I'VE SEEN WORSE."

                                                   "DO YOU THINK HE'LL MAKE IT?"

                                                               "HE'LL MAKE IT."

     Ace Winters slowly opened his eyes to a blinding light. He didn't know where he was. "Hey," a voice spoke. Ace turned to his right to see Jody Summer sitting in a stool next to the bed he was laying on. Despite Ace's condition, Jody was smiling, smiling at the fact that Ace was alive. "Jody," Ace croaked. He looked around the room to see Captain Falcon and John Tanaka smiling at him. Well, Falcon was smiling. John Tanaka had his arms crossed and was glaring at Ace. He suddenly realized who was missing. "Lily," He said his eyes widening in alarm. "Is she alright? Where is she?" "Calm down Ace," Captain Falcon reassured Ace. "She's getting some X-Rays done," Jody spoke. "She a bit shaken and beat up, but she's fine. We heard about what happened and rescued you." "You're such a helpless screw-up!" John Tanaka scolded Ace. "What were you thinking going to fight the Bloody Chain! I think you're a pathetic loser! You're a disgrace! I thought Captain Falcon was an awful guy, but you...YOU'RE"- "TANAKA!" Jody Summer yelled at him. "Get Downstairs and repair the rookies' machines you jerk!"

    It was the first time anyone heard Jody yell, ever. Captain Falcon was in shock, and even Ace was, and he was barely alive. John Tanaka however, just simply rolled his eyes. "Fine then!" He left the room in a huff. "You going to be okay?" Captain Falcon asked Ace. "No," Ace mumbled. "I'm dying." Jody took Ace's right hand with hers, she felt it would help ease his pain. "It'll pass," Falcon said. "It always does. Sometimes you take beatings, but you move on from them." Ace just moaned in response. "Falcon, can you check on Lily?" Jody asked. "Of course," Captain Falcon nodded. As he left the room, Jody Summer turned her attention back to Ace. "Why did you do it?" She asked him. "Do what?" Ace asked. "Everything," She said. "You sabotaged the Wild Boar and challenged the Bloody Chain to a Death Race." "How did you know I sabotaged the machine?" Ace wondered. "I saw you run out from the garage area, before the race," Jody explained. "Captain Falcon also saw you. Not to mention the little "date" you had with Lily Flyer." Ace groaned again, was there anything Jody didn't know? "We're not as different as you think," Jody told him. "We're actually the same." "How?" Ace Winters asked. How was this woman, THE Ms. Galactic Space Federation of the Galaxy, and him, a young racer with the need for speed alike? "You're racing to make your parents proud," Jody went on. "I'm doing the same thing." "What do you mean?" Ace asked again. Jody took a deep sigh and began to tell a story:

    "We both lost our parents. My mom left me and my dad before I was born. My dad was Mason Summer, you probably haven't heard of him. He was the famous inventor of the G-Diffusor system, the device that levitates every F-Zero machine." "Did you have any siblings?" Ace asked. "No," Jody responded. "I'm an only child, like you. Anyway, I had begun to embrace my career as an F-Zero pilot. I was inspired by one man who had conquered F-Zero a while ago, you know who he is. I had just been hired to the Federation when I heard that my dad had passed away. He died when his ship crashed during a flight to the Leonid system. I was deeply hurt by this, but I decided to race in his honor. I named my machine 'White Cat' because that's the nickname my dad gave me when I was a young girl." "We are alike," Ace Winters finally realized. "I'm trying to race in my parents honor." Both of them were outsiders, they were orphans.

  "I recruited you for a good reason," Jody continued. "I saw some of myself in you." "So how did you meet that dumpster Tanaka?" Ace laughed. Jody joined in, before answering his question: "John actually studied with my father at his university. He keeps bugging me, I just wish he'd leave me alone." Despite all the things that were happening. Ace was still injured and he still was frustrated at not beating Michael Chain. "Jody," He moaned. "I didn't beat Chain. I still want to, if you disagree with my plans, that's fine. I don't have to remain at the federation." "You're not going to stop are you?" Jody shook her head. Ace shook his head no, his power to win was too strong. "Okay," Jody said. "When you're healed and out of this hospital, I'll start training you again. Then, IF you're ready by two weeks. I'll enter you in the Platinum Cup Grand Prix." "Deal!" Ace grinned. Jody was the best. "But I said two weeks," Jody smirked. "In the meantime you can mop the floors as punishment"..............