//------------------------------// // Ch.8: Free to fire // Story: XGRA: Ultrasonic Rainbow // by Brotato //------------------------------// Chapter 8 Free to Fire "Whoa." Rainbow Dash's eyes grew wide as the tram made its final stop at Vostok's snow-capped peaks. The weather predicted heavy snow during the race, but that wasn't for another hour. Currently it was at a light dusting which covered everything but the audience's seating and the track, although it was steadily increasing. Not much else could be seen of the track as the beginning started with an almost ninety degree shot upward and over a mountain. After Rainbow's arrival Cawley had treated her to an enjoyable brunch at Earth's XGRA offices. He had apologized for the atmosphere and not something more fitting such as a public diner, but the crowds were still rowdy. The food however was still delicious, and while she would love to stay to relax she was behind schedule. "Quite a sight." Cawley added his own comment to Rainbow's, his breath visible in the cold mountain air. His clothing had changed to something more warm: A sleek black leather coat and grey scarf. Both of his hands stayed snugly within his deep coat pockets. "Just don't stare for too long. You need to get ready for today's race." He nodded his head towards the side of the stadium where a small stairwell waited for her. The sound of a large crowd could be heard coming from the building as the audience's excitement was already high. Rainbow nodded her head. "Right. Wish me luck!" She galloped towards the stairwell and down it. After slipping through a guarded doorway for XGRA staff and riders only, she found herself cantering down a long white tiled hallway. Several doors were labeled leading to different directions of the building, but only one caught her attention to her left mid-way down the hallway. She was greeted by the sound of revving engines as she closed the door behind her. Already the other seven riders were suited up and standing beside their bikes while others made lazy laps around the underground prepping area. She recognized several of the riders from the tryouts such as Jesuit and the weird robot she ran into. There were also some new faces which she didn't recognize, but she didn't have the urge to greet them. She found it odd that Katarina was nowhere in sight, even though she won second place in the tryouts. "Damn, and I thought you were just pulling my leg." Dash's ear twitched towards the direction the voice came from. A lanky human wearing a funny looking red suit was staring at her. His matching red helmet with built-in goggles didn't help Rainbow Dash from giving him an odd look. "I look forward to those extra credits in my account after the race." Jesuit commented with a smug smile on his face, causing the red-suited man to growl. Though his anger dissipated quickly as he turned his attention back to Rainbow. "Glad for you to join us, Rainbow. I'm Gekko." He took a moment to leave his bike to awkwardly shake Rainbow's hoof. "I heard you won first place in the tryouts. Quite a feat considering you've never ridden a hyper-cycle before." Rainbow shrugged. "I have a lot of experience with racing with these babies though." She spread her wings for a single flap. "Wish I could use them though, but rules are rules I suppose." "Oi, Rainbow!" Both Gekko and Rainbow turned their heads to find Barry tapping his foot with his arms crossed. "Ya got thirty minutes to get suited up and get your bike in position. Hurry up now!" He pointed to a line of lockers, one of them with her name on it. "I'm going, I'm going!." Rainbow grumbled as she took a moment to struggle with the track suit. After finally putting the suit on, she pulled the helmet from the locker. While she approved of the style the suit had, her wings being trapped under it still felt awkward. Although, thank whoever made the change, there was an opening for her tail at least. Just as she picked up her helmet with her mouth, the sound of a revving engine behind her made her turn towards the sound. "Here's your bike, Rainbow," Barry stated as another man in the same get-up he wore rolled out a plain white hyper-cycle. Rainbow noticed there were three types of bikes, although they ranged in different colors probably out of rider preference. Gekko, for example, rode a sleeker model with dozens of fins in the back. Rainbow's hyper-cycle was higher in the back, considering the enormous wheel that supported it. It's two engines giving off a low purr as the current driver pulled it up beside her. Rainbow set the helmet down on the floor to speak. "How come it isn't colored like the others?" She asked while resting a hoof against the bike. Her bike. "Because you have to decided what colors you want," Barry explained as he stood beside the bike. "While you'll still need to have your sponsor visible, these past years XGRA decided to allow riders to customize their cycles however they wanted." He deftly pressed several buttons on the console near the wind screen and the bike suddenly shifted the same way a chameleon would camouflage, except the cycle was now the color of a sunset. "Any colors you prefer or should I choose for you?" Rainbow tapped a hoof against her lower lip for a moment before a smile appeared. "Sky blue and yellow, like a lightning bolt." Barry raised a brow, but kept his opinion to himself as he punched in the colors. Soon afterwards the bike shifted against to fit Rainbow's request: Blue with golden trim. Rainbow's smile widened as the cycle now wore the colors of the Wonderbolts. Coughing in her hoof, she took a moment to regain her composure. "Er... good work, Barry." "Uh huh." Barry stared at Rainbow for a moment before shrugging off her reaction over colors. "Anyway before you go racing with your new toy I'm sure Cawley has already told you about weapons being allowed." He let Rainbow take a moment to swallow what he had said before continuing. "Your bike is equipped with unguided Patriot Scorpion rocket launchers, so I hope your aim is good. There's also special powers you can unlock if you collect enough holograms on the race track. I'd love to list each one off for you, but every rider needs to discover each one on their own. Now, get on the bike because the race is about to-" "Ladies and gentlemen, we're proud to welcome you to the first event of XGRA's 2085 premier motorsport championship!" The same announcer from Mars spoke, his voice echoing in the large room. "I can't believe it's already been five years of amazing racing, Bill. XGRA sure knows how to get the audience pumped. Just listen to them now." He paused to allow viewers to hear the audience once more. "That's some hardcore dedication to this sport." "Dont forget the riders also. There's veterans and rookies alike in this years race, and we're finally gonna see some real action with weapons now online. I can smell those smoldering hyper-cycles now." "Anyway, if you haven't watched the try outs on Mars we have someone special in our race this year. Coming from the planet of Equestria, we have Rainbow Dash coming to show her stuff. After seeing her win first place without breaking a sweat, I'd say she has a sure shot at winning this years championship. What do you think, Bill?" "Hm, it's hard to tell for now, but I'll say this: Anyone still has a shot to turn this around. Who knows what the riders have up their sleeve. "-Start," Barry finished. As the announcers continued to banter, Rainbow Dash gave a quick thanks to Barry and picked up her helmet. After donning the grey head ware she settled her bike on the large elevator, just like the one on Mars. Unfortunately with her winning first place she was placed once again in dead last to help even the odds for the other riders. With everyone in their positions, the elevator shook as it began to ascend. The top split open and everyone was soon pelted with flurries of snow. She found herself in a large dome-like structure with the audience cheering safely in their seats on both sides of the track. While she took a moment to wave to the crowd, the speakers in her helmet crackled. "Hey, can you hear me? Is this thing working?" "What? Who is this?" Rainbow asked in annoyance. The race was about to start and she didn't want any distractions. "Just consider me a friend, but who I am isn't important. You need to know something before the race begins. There's a contacts out for your head, Rainbow. I don't know which sponsor signed it, but you need to watch yourself out there!" "Out for my head? Wait, somepony is trying to kill me?" "Yes! look I have to go as I'm sure security already knows about this call. I'll see you later, and good luck!" Once the call shut off, Rainbow furrowed her brow as her mind tried to sort through what had just happened. Who was the stranger that called her? Why was a contract out to kill her? So many questions ran through her mind, but she couldn't dwell on them for too long. Already the countdown for the race was starting so she did her best to clear such thoughts to focus on the race, and be wary of whoever would target her. Three... Rainbow Dash settled down low in the bike and recognized herself with the interface once more. She noticed the line of icons on top was lit up now and the bar reading 'weapon energy' was filled with a red bar. Two... Thoughts of what should she do if she was attacked ran through her mind. Should she run? Should she fight back? The only rockets that came to mind were the ones used for fireworks. Did that mean she fired fireworks from her bike? Calm down, Rainbow. Just focus on the race. Vixen built their bikes for speed, so if I just outpace them I should be fine. One... Rainbow took steady deep breaths to calm her nerves. Feeling her lungs expand and listening to her exhale brought a sense of calm... Race! All eight bikes shot forward, each leaving behind a streak of light that matched the color of their bikes. The first leg of the race before the coming mountain ahead of them involved several winding turns and a short jump across a gap. The boost arrows on the track made the turns unnerving as several times Rainbow underestimated the speed of the bike and ground against the railing, causing the other riders to gain distance. Although she started to catch up fairly quickly after recovering. Another thing she noticed were spinning green icons on the track which the riders ahead of her picked up. Soon afterwards, beams of light and others displays of firepower lit up the track. She tried to grab them, but with her still being dead last, she was left with nothing. Next stood the enormous path leading over the mountain. There were several breaks from the main track, but most of the riders went straight. Rainbow followed after them and soon felt her position on the bike shift as she ascended the mountain. The rider in first place had already passed the peak at high speeds, which she found strange as he should be flying through the air from the momentum. Deciding to not question how that even works, Rainbow continued at her breakneck pace and soon found herself rocketing at twice her normal speed from the shift downward. She grinned at the feel of such speeds and formed a plan to pass several riders as she noticed even more boosting arrows ahead of her. The track lead under a lengthy cavern which allowed the riders to take shots at each other before opening up into a small city. The track itself broke into two pathways. One lead onto several catwalks which weaved through the city. the other dipped dipped downward to a straight track filled with more boost arrows. A plan formed in her head as she turned her bike towards the dip. She smiled as already her position counter switch from eighth place to seventh. Alright, time to turn this race in my favor. Wait, what's that sound? Before she boosted further ahead of the competition, her bike shuddered as the shield bar on her screen depleted rapidly. Something had hit her from the back. Turning her head to get a good view, she tilted her bike to the right as two rockets whizzed by; missing by inches. The culprit being a white hyper-cycle behind her. Whoa! who the hay is shooting at me? Her question was answered as a small screen on the bottom right of her bike's display appeared. The frightening sight of eight red mechanical eyes staring at her in greeting. Its artificial voice sending a chill down her spine as it shouted at her. "I HAVE YOU TARGETED FOR OBLIVION!" "Gah!" Rainbow shouted back as she dodged another volley of missiles. Not wishing to make friends with the crazed robot, she shot forward to leave her opponent in the dust. She succeeded somewhat as the increase in distance made it easier to dodge the rockets. As she dodged each volley while staying on the line of helpful boost, she noticed her position was in first place. She also realized there were plenty of those strange green icons for her to grab. Grabbing several of the small holograms, she shot up another ramp and found herself zipping across an enormous metal bridge that crossed from one mountain to the other. Down below she only saw more jagged mountains and the ever-present flakes of snow. If she wasn't racing from a crazed killer she would've took a moment to enjoy the view. Another volley of rockets missed by a wide margin, as if to show it was still in the fight. Grabbing another icon she locked her selection which was a double chevron pointed upward. "Rail accelerator selected, the same mechanical voice that did the countdown spoke in her helmet. "You had my attention at accelerator," Rainbow Dash said with a grin. After the lengthy bridge she found the track forming into a spiral, leaving her suspended upside-down before tilting "up" and into another cave. She found the perfect time to use it as she followed a straight track leading into another domed building. Plant-life thrived inside it and the weather quickly turned from frigid to humid. Pressing the same button that selected her power, the icon stopped glowing and her engines roared to life as she felt her speed steadily increase. Aw yeah! I should get this ability more often! Rainbow shot through the rest of the domed building with ease and went up a small incline before reaching a gorgeous view of the entire track. Far below she could see the starting line and the cheering crowd within. The only way down being a ninety degree drop. Passing by the starting line, her interface told her she was on the final lap. I'm going to need more of those accelerators if I"m going to stay away from whatever that thing's name is. Going with that plan, Rainbow did her best to grab the holograms in groups of three to use the rail accelerator as much as possible. However, it must have been copying her idea because it kept pace. Even so much as bumping into the back of her hyper-cycle. "Go away!" Rainbow shouted as she dodged more rockets. She had reached the large bridge with another rail accelerator and was about to use it, but her hunter had shunted into her bike, sending her flying against the railing. Shortly after the robot followed through by slamming repeatedly against her bike. Rainbow glanced at her shield and found them reduced to around an eighth of the entire bar. If she didn't do something fast she would become a smear on the track. Come on think! She grunted as another slam hit her bike, sending the last bit of shield plummeting to zero; her screen red with warning flashing brightly over her shield bar. Think slowpoke! Wait... that's it! Her current speed had been reduced to a cruising range of 350 MPH. If she suddenly braked when her opposition went for another slam... She didn't have time to think more about it as she noticed the final blow coming straight for her. Without a second thought she slammed her hoof on the brake, causing a loud squeal come from her large back tire as her speed reduced to a measly 50 MPH in a two seconds. Her plan was rewarded as the other bike slammed into the rail at full force. His bike squealed to a crawl from the massive amount of friction, giving Rainbow the opening she needed. Thankfully she didn't use her rail accelerator yet. Activating it while riding with the chain of arrows on the track, her speed skyrocketed close to 800, leaving her hunter far behind once more. The increase in speed always caused a familiar cone of air to appear in front of her bike. However, the accelerator power had disappeared, dropping her speed back down to 650. The idea of causing a possible sonic rainboom drifted in her mind, but her thought was broken as her pursuer had returned. How the robot managed to catch up to her was a mystery, considering her bike was meant for speed. Maybe the other bike was a better model? Nonetheless, Rainbow continued to dodge the incoming barrage of missiles. Thankfully after her first close escape, her shields had plenty of time to recover so the rockets that hit weren't fatal. Snatching up more holograms for another boost, Rainbow growled as the enemy bike slammed into the back of hers again. Hoping to reach the finish line before it could finish her off, she activated the rail accelerator as soon as she touched the booster located at the ninety degree drop. However, before she got away another bump hit the back of her bike, sending a spike of speed that rocketed her forward at 1000 MPH for a split second. What happened next surprised Rainbow as a loud boom surrounded her bike, causing all sound to cancel out. Only the sound of her bike could be heard as she crossed the finish line and screeched to a halt; guiding her bike away from the track to not get run over. Looking up at the crowd, they were dead silent as they stared at something in the sky. Following their gaze through the glass dome, she saw the rainbow ring her sonic Rainboom would always make. "No way," Rainbow whispered. The small sound caused the shifting feet and squeak of chairs as the entire crowd stared at her in a mix of awe and shock. It took a moment for it to wear off before the crowd roared in approval for today's performance. Somewhere in the background, someone yelled out her name. "Rainbow Dash!" Soon afterwards more people joined in to praise her name. "Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!" Soon the entire dome was shouting her name at once. The pony of the hour took off her helmet and sweeped her gaze at the entire crowd, soaking up the praise like a sponge would water. She held a hoof to her chest to calm her heart which hammered faster than her hyper-cycle's engine. The adrenaline in her body making her unable to stay in one place as she had the urge to spread her wings and start flying. That was too close. If that crazed robot hit me one more time... Rainbow shuddered at the thought. Even when she was in danger, she couldn't stand the thought of killing her attacker. Killing wasn't right. Celestia certainly wouldn't approve of such action. Maybe this entire trip wasn't worth it, Rainbow thought with finality. Looking back at the cheering crowd, her frown slowly turned back into a smile. While she put her life in danger, she entertained others. This technically was what she wanted all along. If she managed to get through this race and evade her pursuer today, she could definitely do it again. No doubt it will take every once of her being and every trick she could think of to get to the top, but she was willing to do it. She welcomed the opportunity for such a challenge with open hooves. Plus it's not like she's risked her life before. Plenty of her stunt routines had the chance to risk her life, but she didn't stop doing them. As she relaxed against her bike while waiting for the other racers to passed the finish line, she spotted her opponent in the gathering group of riders. Getting a peek in at the white hyper-cycle, she noticed the decal on the side. Suddenly it all made sense as to how it was able to keep up with her. The sponsor wasn't kidding when he said their bikes were the best. The bike in question had Templar decals.