Lap 4
Tanaka spotted them in the garage and welcomed them all. As they walked up, Lucy took Kuma and Kamui to her workplace computer.
Lucy: „We will build your machines now."
They were both super excited about finally getting their own F-Zero gliders.
They hugged each other.
Kuma: „Finally, now we're getting our own machines. We need nice names for them."
Kamui nodded in agreement.
Kamui: „Yes, and good-looking gliders without making rip-offs!"
Kuma gave her a thumbs-up, and they both worked on their gliders with Lucy.
As they looked through the catalog of glider parts, Kuma had a different vision for his glider than Kamui.
She pointed at parts in the catalog so her glider would look like Jody's, just with a spoiler at the back. Kuma's parts, however, looked like EAD's glider.
Kuma: „Didn't we say no… knock-off versions… mhm?!"
He looked at Kamui, who quickly looked away and whistled slightly.
Kamui: „I don't know what you mean."
Meanwhile, Jody, Ryu, Jack, Dr. Clash, Clank, and Tanaka talked about the couple.
Jody: „They are both energetic and jokingly empathetic in their own way."
Tanaka agreed with Jody but added nothing more to her statement. Clank and Ryu exchanged glances, and Jack pointed out that they could potentially be allies.
Jack: „Leaving the fact aside that he ejected himself, he didn't drive that badly."
Ryu agreed with Jack, but something didn't feel right to him.
Ryu: „Something is still strange. How did they know too much about all of us? I know about the F-Zero Grand Prix, but they know information about us that we kept well hidden."
They all thought hard and came to a consensus: they would observe them.
Clank: „That's true. He even knew that Ryu drew the dragon bird before I did. How would he know that if he wasn't there?"
Jody tried to stay stoic, but failed. Her face showed sadness.
Jody: „He even knew that my brother died and that he was Captain Falcon… We kept that well hidden."
Tanaka rested his hand on her shoulder and smiled supportively. Jack tried to change the subject.
Jack:„Does that mean he knows that our Ryu here is Captain Falcon now?"
Ryu drifted off into his thoughts completely. His usual demeanor shifted to concern and curiosity. He came up with an idea that would show what Kuma and Kamui were hiding.
Ryu: „I have an idea. We will bring them to Haruka's and my F-Zero bar. If they know Haruka's name before she became normal again, we know that they lied and are keeping secrets."
Tanaka nodded at the idea. Jody was skeptical because of the secret Ryu was about to reveal just to find out who these two really were. Jack was optimistic and believed it would work out.
Clank, who hadn't said much yet, decided to step in.
Clank: „What if they know about the Blue Falcon underneath the bar? Then they are hiding more than just being a nice couple that jokes all the time."
Dr. Clash stepped in — a man with white hair, black glasses, and a yellow shirt that no longer fit because he was overweight. He had mechanical arms on his back, which were shaking.
Dr. Clash: „If they are keeping so many secrets like you all said, isn't it counterproductive to give them F-Zero gliders?"
Jack waved it off, laughed, and stayed professional.
Jack: „If they were evil, they would have struck us down already. They knew so much about us but didn't do anything. I don't think they are bad."
They all stepped out of Tanaka's office and walked back to Lucy, Kuma, and Kamui.
To their surprise, they were already in the building section.
Ryu:„It seems like we now have to hope that they are really just a chaotic duo."
As Lucy, Kuma, and Kamui arrived at the workshop, it was loud. The F-Zero gliders were being built there. Kuma sniffed and smelled the sweat from welding. Kamui watched how the parts were produced.
Lucy spoke loudly and firmly.
Lucy: „IT MAY BE LOUD HERE, BUT AT LEAST THE GLIDERS ARE FINISHED IN SECONDS!"
Kamui held her ears with her hands. Kuma walked around with curiosity and understanding. He spotted a warning sign to wear ear protection.
Kuma: „UHM… WE SHOULD WEAR EAR PROTECTION. WHERE ARE THOSE?"
When he looked at Lucy, she already had hers on. Kuma was confused about when she had time to put them on, but he didn't question it. Instead, Lucy gave them ear protection. They both put them on and watched until the F-Zero gliders were completed.
After they were assembled, they left the loud workshop and took off the ear protection. They watched as the gliders were painted. Kamui's looked like Jody Summers' White Cat, but in green. Kuma's, on the other hand, was a replica of EAD's F-Zero glider Great Star, only in blue.
Kuma looked at Kamui's glider and raised an eyebrow.
Kuma: „Didn't we say no knock-offs?"
Kamui narrowed her eyes at him.
Kamui: „Yes, we did, and yours looks like EAD's, so I don't see a problem
with mine looking like Jody's."
Kuma pointed at her glider.
Kuma: „Well, at least mine doesn't look like a toothpaste tube with hyperdrive."
Kamui put on a little act and played deeply hurt.
Kamui: „I can't believe you said mine looks like that, while yours looks like a pile of meat with hyperdrive."
Lucy stepped in, arms out, touching both of their chests.
Lucy: „Stop fighting over such an unnecessary stupid thing. Wow… your chest is small, Kamui."
Kamui's eyes widened as she held back a laugh.
Kamui: „Better small than too big. At least I can see my physics."
Lucy looked clearly displeased.
Lucy: „Mphff…"
She turned her head away and ignored Kamui for thirty minutes straight. Kuma watched the scene with pure amusement. They walked to the final sector, where the finished F-Zero gliders stood. Kuma's had the number 66, and Kamui's had the number 99.
Lucy didn't question why they wanted those numbers, but she pointed out that they should train on tracks and drive carefully at first.
Lucy: „You need names for your F-Zero gliders."
Kuma and Kamui thought hard and then decided on names. Kamui struck a thinker pose.
Kamui: „I'll go with Queen Falcon!"
Kuma liked what he heard.
Kuma: „Good choice. Then I'll take King Falcon."
Lucy giggled. She knew which racing legend they both adored the most.
Kuma opened the wind protection of his glider and looked into the cockpit, seeing countless buttons.
Kuma: „Great, another ejection will be at my mercy… muahahaha. Damn, I hope I don't do that again."Kamui went to her glider as well, opened the wind protection, and looked inside. She whistled at the sight of the buttons.
Kamui: „Wow, so many beautiful buttons to press."
Lucy looked pleased and proud of her creation.
Lucy: „We can test them if you want, but you can't drive them directly. First, you need to learn the basics, so Jody and Jack will drive your gliders there."
As Lucy was about to call Jody and Jack, the others arrived at the workshop. Kuma and Kamui agreed.
Jody: „We will drive them there, right, Jack?"
Jack nodded and jumped into Kuma's King Falcon. Jody took Kamui's Queen Falcon. Kuma rode with Jack to the training area, while Kamui went with Jody in her own glider.
Jack: „So, Kuma, tell me… why the name King Falcon and why the number 66?"
Kuma watched Jack intensely as he drove the glider.
Kuma: „That's simple. I like Captain Falcon and EAD's glider design, and my girlfriend and I always use partner names."
Jack's voice became more relaxed and teasing.
Jack: „I prefer more women than one, but everyone should do what they like, right?"
Kuma crossed his arms and nodded.
Meanwhile, Jody asked Kamui the same question.
Jody: „Tell me, Kamui, why the ordinary name and number?"
Kamui smirked, her eyes half-closed.
Kamui: „That's simple. I combined the things I love: you, Captain Falcon, and my boyfriend."
Jody smiled despite her mistrust.
Jody: „You flatter me too much… I'm not as good as you think. I… couldn't even—"
She stopped herself.
Kamui moved closer.
Kamui: „You aren't as bad as you think. You did what you thought was best. You are a good little sister."
Jody's face showed pain and relief at the same time as she turned to kamui she startled and turned the wheel to the side almost crashing the F-Zero glider.
Kamui: „Ahhh, the road, Jody… the road!"
Jody: „You startled me badly…"
After twenty minutes, they arrived at Devil's Forest.
Kuma: „Devil's Forest… how nice it looks."he heard the machines arriving.
And turned around to face them when he spotted the knew F-Zero pilot that came with them.
Kuma: „OMG! It's EAD — or rather the android Super Mario!"
EAD stood out of his Glider greeting Kuma and kamui.
EAD: „It's a pleasure to meet you, Kuma the Ejector and kamui the straight forward."
Kamui winks at him.
Kamui: "Hey EAD or Super Mario"
Over Kuma washed a cold showed of embarrassment and failure.
Kuma: „Awww… my career is starting perfectly, it's over before it can start.…"
Kuma: „No, I won't let that take me down!"
He jumped back into his glider and he pressed the right button so the wind protection closed.