RPG OtakuBoards Survivor: Game On! <PG>

[Raiyuu]

[color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]After three fairly strenuous challenges, the Golden Lotuses all reacted enthusiastically to Xiaoyu's suggestion of a quick dip in the lake. The water was pleasantly cool, and the setting sun dyed it a blazing gold.

[b]"How very appropriate," [/b]Ada commented, using a cupped lily-flower to pour water over her head.

[b]"So..." [/b]sighed Yuna, [b]"only one more challenge, then it's every woman for herself..."

[/b]Everyone descended into a sombre silence, trickling water, buzzing insects and evening birdsong the only sounds in the Lotus Garden. Suddenly, the water in the centre of the pool started to bubble, and Xiaoyu erupted from the deeps, spouting water from her mouth like an ornamental cherub. The Lotus Garden descended into hysterics, scaring off the evening birds and buzzing insects for miles around.

[b]"Didn't the Fists have a spying mirror thing, from when they were on your team?" [/b]Xiaoyu asked Lara.

[b]"I bloody well hope they've forgotten about it!" [/b]spluttered the tomb raider.
[/font][/color]

[Sandy]

[FONT=Century Gothic]A familiar sound directed both teams to the CPU, where the host of the game was waiting with two wooden crates.

"Alrighty, kupo! This is your last challenge as two teams. The team of Heroines now have twice as many members than the Heroes, but it can very well work against you in this challenge."

The female contestants looked at each others, mildly worried.

"The name of this eight game is [SIZE=3][B]GTA: City of Survivors[/B][/SIZE]."

"You will be sent to the Liberty City, where the ex-Bravers lived before, kupo."
[CENTER][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/place-city.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

"[URL=http://www.inecco.net/~beronjas/gta_-_3_-_full_map.jpg][B]Here[/B][/URL] is the map of the city for both teams."

"And here's what you got to do there, kupo:"
[INDENT]1. Both teams will start at the [B]Portland Hideout[/B] in the easternmost island (marked with 1 on the map).
2. Both teams must make it through the city to the [B]Cochrane Dam[/B] at the Shoreside Vale (marked with 12 on the map).
3. This is where it get's tricky, kupo. On your way you will encounter many [B]hostile gangs[/B], such as the Triads, the Hoods, the Yakuza and the Mafia. The [B]police[/B] isn't a friend of yours in this city either, kupo.
4. Neither team will have a [B]vehicle[/B] at dispose, so both of them must jack them from the street. Because the Heroines have six members, they must either find a really big car or take two.
5. When both teams have arrived to the goal, I will judge the winner based on performance and street-credibility, if you get what I mean, kupo. *wink*[/INDENT]

"Oh, and now you're probably wondering what these [B]two crates[/B] are for, kupo. They're actually filled with all sorts of weapons for you to use on this challenge. Both teams will get one crate, and they will teleport with you to the Portland Hideout."

"Oh, and one little thing: you may use the weapons you get against the gangs and the police, but don't try to sabotage your rivals' effort, or there'll be consequences. Consequences, I tell you, kupo!"

"Now, are the Survivors kupo? I mean, ready? Then [I]Game On[/I]!"[/FONT]

[Sakura]

[COLOR=Navy]Both of the teams were teleported into Liberty City, they arrived at the exact same spot, and the two crates followed after them. The Heroines cracked open the wooden box and shuffled through everything that was inside, it was full of different kinds of weapons. There were bludgeoning/melee weapons like baseball bats, crowbars, brass knuckles etc. along with projectiles like grenades, and a large assortment of guns with ammo. Yuna peered into the crate, she'd been suprised that so much had been able to fit in there.

Yuna noticed Xiaoyu picked up the Brass knuckles and slid them onto her fists and did a bit of quick shadow boxing. The group hurriedly scavenged through the box, even though most of them all carried weapons, they still took whatever was there, tucking the weapons away wherever they could. Yuna picked up a Colt M4 and slung the strap over her body so it hung behind her and grabbed a Minigun, then she gathered a bunch of ammo for them and loaded the guns for quick use.

When they were ready, they head off, running down the street, the Heroes moved off at the same time they did, going into the opposite direction. Yuna took a look at the physical map, it was a crinkled piece of paper with streets on it, with a words and emblems all over it. Samus had a copy of the map too, she had downloaded it into her database earlier.

[B]"We need to get some wheels."[/B] Xiaoyu commented as they ran down the street, civilians looked at them and ran when they noticed the amount of weapons they were carrying.

[B]"Ah, who knows how to drive? I can pilot airships, but I've never tried a car."[/B] Yuna asked the rest of the team.

Ada and Lara answered that they both could drive, but they were the only two within the team. If they were desperate, any of them could drive, it would just be a little hectic and crazy.

Suddenly they stopped at a crossroad and they saw a yellow school bus go by. They all glanced at each other and ran after the large vehicle, it would be perfect for transporting the six of them. The traffic light ahead turned red and the bus slowed to a stop, the Heroines took the chance and ran up to the door, asking the bus driver to open the door.

He looked at them strangely, not yet noticing the weapons they carried and opened the door with a hiss, the girls jumped in and Yuna didn't want to, but she pointed one of her pistols at him.

[B]"We don't want to hurt any of you, I ensure your safety if you all co-operate and just dissembark from this vehicle."[/B] Yuna announced.

The bus driver gulped and nodded frantically, clambering out of his seat and down the stairs, exiting the bus. A female teacher was scared and gently ushered the children out of the bus. They all stood on the side walk, the girls took a seat and Lara took the wheel.

As they closed the door and pulled away, they heard the teacher cry, [B]"Won't somebody think of the children?!"[/B] as they were left stranded on the busy sidewalk of Liberty City. All the children started to bawl loudly, and the teacher and bus driver were stuck trying to calm them all down.

The Heroines looked back at the teacher and school kids, it was cruel of them to do, but that's what had to be done. They thought they were okay until they noticed a group of black, heavily tinted cars were following them, on the hood was an [URL=http://www.gta3.com/images/content/artwork/diablos_big.jpg]emblem[/URL], it seems they had already come across their first gang, the Diablos.[/COLOR]

[Blayze]

[b][size=1]"Now this is my kinda challenge," [/size][/b][size=1]said Shadow, pulling his gloves on and whipping out his handgun. Crash rolled his eyes and looked towards Mario, who smiled and shrugged.

Shadow ran straight for the first car he could find, a sleek red convertible, and knocked on the window. The driver turned from doing...certain activities...with a woman in the other seat, and rolled the window down.

[b]"Can I help you?" [/b]he asked irritably. Shadow pulled the gun on him, aiming it at his head.

[b]"Get out of the car, and take the girl with you," [/b]he said sinisterly, [b]"We need a ride."

[/b]The man hurriedly fell out of the car, dragging the woman with him, and ran as fast as he could away from the demented hedgehog. Shadow got into the driver's seat, and signalled for the other two to follow him. Crash flipped the seat forward, and Mario got in the back, then Crash got in the passenger seat.

[b]"This is gonna be fast," [/b]murmured Shadow, pressing a hand against the dashboard. He managed to transfer a little of his own speed into the vehicle, and then slammed his foot down on the accelerator.

The vehicle sped forward, faster than any vehicle like that should have been able to, and Crash quickly wrapped his seatbelt around him.

[b]"Mamma mia! There's-a no seatbelts in-a the back!" [/b]cried Mario, deciding instead to grab onto the seat and hold on for dear life.

Shadow laughed as they sped towards their destination. They were easily gonna win at this rate...
[/size]

[JJ]

[Color=DarkBlue]"We haven't even been here 20 minutes and we're already being ambushed." Ada said, sighing.

"Not a good sign, I take." Krystal said, pointing to the hit man hanging out of the window.

"Everyone down!" Ada shouted, throwing herself and Yuna to the ground.

The others seemed to follow suit as the bullet ripped through the bus seats in the back. The ping of the machine gun brought Ada's thoughts back to the graveyard and Spain. She quickly considered her options and quickly moved up the isle.

"Ada! What are you doing?" Lara yelled, looking back and trying to drive at the same time.

"We've got to kill him before he kills one of us!" Ada yelled back, opening the backdoor.

"Ada! No! You think he's the only one in the car?" Samus shouted.

Ada faltered and stopped. "Yeah, right. The sound of gunfire at me seems to get me going."

It was then that the guy with the gun let loose with another round. Ada threw herself to the ground as the spray hit and shattered the glass of the door. Ada cursed aloud and crawled back to the others.

"What are we going to do?" Yuna asked, looking in Ada's direction.

"Well, we have to stop the car entirely. Look, there?s the strip joint on our right. Lara, turn right up here!" Ada shouted upwards.

Lara shot thumbs up and kept driving.

The chasing car on the other hand, had another idea as they drove up to the side of bus.

"I'm going to solve both our problems with one solid movement. Everyone hold on!" Lara shouted.

Lara then proceeded to slam on the brakes, sending Samus and Krystal flying. They both slammed into each other and grabbed onto the bolt holding the seat to the floor for dear life. The Diablos went flying by and could not stop as Lara turned a hard left while pressing the gas. The bus seemed to moving parallel to the street for a moment as it slammed into the other car and sent it flying into a building with a fiery explosion.

Meanwhile, the bus itself kept moving down the street, now with dents in left side. All six of the Heroines were out of breath as Ada and Ling stood up.

"Good idea Lara." Ada said out of breath.

"Yeah, don't ever do it again." Yuna said, wincing.

"Well, we lost the gang, but who knows how many more gangs know where we are now. Everyone hold on, this is basically a big circle and someone could ambush us up at the next intersection." Ada cautioned as they passed under the overhead street. All the Heroines braced themselves as a police siren was heard. The police had caught them.[/color]

[Doukeshi]

[SIZE=1]The school bus screeched as Lara cut a sharp corner, mounting the pavement momentarily and sending a dustbin flying out into the road. One of the persuing police cars locked into a spin as it tried to negotiate the turn but three more took its place as the yellow school bus roared down the street.

[B]"Bloody coppers."[/B] Lara growled yanking the wheel into another tight turn. Her chaotic manouvers had the rest of the team careening to and fro in the seats behind her, occasional yelps and thumps accompanying the ever present noise of the sirens.

[B]"Jeez Lara could you try to lighten it up a little!" [/B] The annoyed voice of Ling piped up from somewhere in the back. Lara simply laughed and pushed the accelerator down to the floor, the resulting boost sending the bus lurching forward.

[B]"Hey, I got rid of those Diablos didn't I?"[/B] The question went unanswered as a large bump in the road sent a shudder running through the vehicle. The suspension groaned under the stress of Lara's hard driving and the police were slowly gaining ground. Seeing a steep plunge in the road ahead Lara called out to her team.
[B]
"Hold onto something guys we're going for a short flight!"[/B]

[B]"WHAT?!"[/B]

Conjoined cries filled the bus as Lara barrelled straight across the dip. The wheels left the ground and a cloud of dust billowed out behind as the bus made air. Coming back down with an almighty thud Lara slammed on the brakes once more, sending most of the Heroines shooting forward. Whipping the wheel round the tires skidded as the bus made a right turn in the road. Flashing blue lights shot over head as the lighter cop cars made the verge. Slamming on the accelerator Lara shot off down a small side street, not waiting for the cops to realise what had just happened.

[B]"I said not to do that again!"[/B] Yuna whined, rubbing her neck as she got back into her seat. Lara looked back and grinned,
[B]
"All's fair in love an wa..."[/B] The bus came to a sudden and abrupt halt, sending Lara slamming forwards into the wheel. Smoke billowed out from the crumpled hood engulfing the windscreen. The owner of the white van that had the misfortune of crossing the bus climbed shakily from his seat.

The sound of a voice muffled by the dispensed drivers air-bag dinted the stunned silence.

[B]"Wha' the bloody 'ell?" [/B][/SIZE]

[Sakura]

[COLOR=Navy]Yuna looked around, the sirens of the police were getting closer, there wasn't any time. She grabbed a hold of Lara and pulled her away from the airbag.

[B]"Come on, the cops are gonna get here any second."[/B] Yuna said to the rest of the team.

The six females got out of the totalled bus and ran into the white van they had conveniently come across.

[B]"Sorry, we can't bring it back, thank you!"[/B] Xiaoyu called out the window to the driver of the van.

Ada was in control this time and they were speeding along the streets, the good thing was that the van actually had seatbelts which they all chose to wear so they weren't thrown around the car as they had been in the bus.

[B]"Turn left, up ahead!"[/B] Samus told Ada.

She nodded and they turned a sharp left onto the highway, they didn't know how far the guys had gotten while they had been slightly sidetracked by the cops and the Diablos.

Yuna kept an eye out, she held one of her pistols in her hand in case they faced another gang as they barrelled down the highway, crossing the bridge between Portland and Staunton Island.

They landed on the other side, they were at mid-point, their destination was on the far north-west side of Shoreside Vale.

Ada suddenly lost control of the vehicle and they were soon in the middle of heated traffic, going the wrong way. They all gripped the seats as Ada swiftly weaved her way, but were thrown when they ran up a curb and hit a fire hydrant. The van stopped in its tracks and water started to spew from the destroyed hydrant, spraying everyone and everything along the street, sending cars sliding.

The girls piled out of the van, there were no large cars nearby that could transport all of them.

[B]"We have to split up."[/B] Ada told them all.

They all agreed and divided into two groups of three, each had a driver, and someone that had a map. Now there was a group of Ada, Xiaoyu, and Yuna; and Lara, Krystal and Samus. They agreed to meet up at their final destination and ran to find some kind of transport.

Ada, Xiaoyu and Yuna swiftly scurried across the street and around a corner, stopping suddenly. Not too far away was a Police station and they had been alerted of a crisis. Several officers ran out of the building and jumped in their cars, they turned on their sirens and drove crazily toward where the girls had left the dumped van.

[B]"I've got an idea, come on."[/B] Yuna grinned.

The three of them crept up to the building and tested the handles of one of the police cars, someone had left it unlocked, they quickly got in, with Ada at the wheel and hot-wired the car. They turned on the siren and pulled out of the car park, unless something seriously bad happened, no one would suspect a thing for their reckless driving.

[B]"Take this route, it's the fastest. Though hopefully we don't come across any more gangs."[/B] Yuna traced the streets with her finger.

[B]"Gotcha, put your seatbelts on ladies, it's gonna be a bumpy ride."[/B] Ada said as they sped along the road, dodging cars and driving along sidewalks.[/COLOR]

[Ellerby]

[color=#333333]"Wah-ha-ha-hoo~!" yelped the short plumber bouncing around in the backseat. There were no seatbelts and this was a very uncomfortable ride. But then a thought struck Mario through the head. [i]Double Dash![/i]

The red coloured man smashed another of the cars windows and climbed out onto the back of the speedy vehicle as carefully as possible. With one hand, he grappled a little hinge on that back of the roof and planted his two feet firmly on the trunk. That's when Crash popped his head out the window.

"Mario! Get back in here, we have followers!" he said. He zipped back into the car looking for some kind of weapon to shoot the gang chasing them on their motorcycles.

Without yelling back, Mario took a red turtle shell out of his pocket and it instantly grew about three times larger. He whipped it at the closest biker and, to everyone's surprise, it pegged the man right in the head, causing him to fly off of his bike.

"Wahoo!" yelled Mario. He pulled something out of his pocket again. This time, it was a banana. He threw it on the ground and watched the first couple gang members dodge it, but the fourth person wiped out and skidded all over the streets of Liberty City. It was around this time that Crash had finally popped out of the window with a weapon.

"Now, you'll see why they call me Crash '[i]the Bash[/i]' Bandicoot!" he yelled. With that, he pulled out a large... bazooka[i]?![/i] He slipped a rocket into the front and aimed cautiously. With one final pull of the trigger, the rocket slid out of the gun and wizzed past Mario, straight at three of the remaining four bikers.

One fiery explosion later, a singular biker remained and turned around, chickening out. Mario turned to Crash who was smirking from ear to ear.

"Holy-a [I]shit[/I]!" he said with a surprised look on his face.

Both Crash and Shadow laughed, it seemed a little bit of CJ was still left in the team. But the laughing soon stopped when Shadow announced he was running low on gas, and to top it off, they could hear sirens in the distance. Crash was the first to speak.

"Coppers."[/COLOR]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]Crash grinned wickedly at Mario, as he reloaded his Wumpa bazooka. His grin faltered momentarily as Shadow whipped around a corner on two wheels, just barely squeezing between a removal van and a pickup truck. The indignant drivers leaned mercilessly on their horns, as hot-headed Shadow flipped them the bird out of the driver's window. He switched into the wrong lane as they sped past an road-accident, where a white van had come to some sort of disagreement with a fire hydrant. Unfortunately several police officers surrounding said van had a disagreement over Shadow's driving techniques, and those earlier sirens were suddenly tailing them.

"Time for evasive maneuvres!" hollered Shadow, swinging the steering wheel from side to side, as by some good fortune they avoided a group of schoolkids crossing the road. However, Shadow's wild steering sent one of Mario's turtle shells flying wide. It cannoned off the side of an alley-wall, and into a the side of a white and blue sportscar. A furious asian man leapt out of the car and hurled a string of abuse at the backs of the speeding Heroes.

Shadow was still trying to lose the police, but Crash put down his bazooka to try and figure out where they were. Sure, Shadow might have only grazed a few things so far, but the fact was, they had no idea where they were. As Shadow accelerated the car over a railway-line [in the progress almost dislodging Mario from his position atop the car roof], Crash pulled the map Mog had given them out of the glovebox. Where was a railway-line? Alright so they coud be anywhere along... holy sh*t, what was that smell?

Glancing up from the map, Crash saw a giant warehouse with "Bitch'n Dog Food" emblazoned on it's side.

"Shadow, we need to keep going straight and follow the road around, and take the next main right and then left to get onto the bridge onto the second island!" yelled Crash.

"No worries buddy, just as soon as I lose these cops"

A sudden banging was heard, and Mario stuck his head in through the ruined rear-window.

"Guys-a, we may have-a more problems than-a just-a the police! Look-a!" shouted Mario, and as Crash looked past Mario, he saw a group of six sportscars come flying out of alleys, right amongst the police cruisers.

One of the sportscars was blue and white.

"Mario, I think you might have annoyed the Triads a little..." said Crash, as he reached for his bazooka.[/size]

[Blayze]

[size=1][b]"Goddamn Triad," [/b]cursed Shadow, looing back quickly to see how close they were. The blue and white car was close behind them, and closing in. Three men were leaning out of the windows, holding automatic weapons.

A spatter of bullets strafed across the side of the Heroes' car, and Shadow swerved to avoid any more damage.

[b]"Holy shit!" [/b]he cried out as the window next to him shattered. That was most of the windows gone now. Mario got something small and black out of his pocket, and hurled it at the Triad car. An explosion mushroomed just in front of the car, and it flipped onto its roof, skidding along behind the Heroes, smashing into the back of the car. Shadow was flung forward into the dashboard, and Crash almost dropped his bazooka. Mario tumbled over the roof of the vehicle, hitting the concrete in front of the car.

[b]"I guess-a we need a new car-a," [/b]he said sheepishly. Shadow leapt out of the car and ran towards another parked car. Crash and Mario hauled the crate full of weapons out of the trunk, and dragged it over to where Shadow was harassing another driver. He eventually dragged the protesting man out of the car and flung him onto the road.

[b]"Hey, you!" [/b]came a voice. Shadow looked around and groaned. The cops. They had spotted Shadow dragging the guy out of his car, and were probably coming over to arrest him.

[b]"What the hell do you think you're doing?" [/b]asked the cop, [b]"Are you car-jacking him?"

"Of course not, officer, me and my friend were merely having a conversation, and...now!" [/b]shouted the hedgehog, throwing the former driver at the cop, knocking him over, and leaping into the car. The other two followed suit, hurling the crate onto the back seat.

Shadow smiled, and was about to put his foot down, when Mario grabbed his shoulder.

[b]"Let-a me drive this-a time," [/b]he said, and Shadow switched places with him. Mario slammed his foot down on the accelerator, and they sped quickly towards their destination, however this time they had the Triad [i]and [/i]the cops after them...
[/size]

[Raiyuu]

[color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]The ominous [i]whuck-whuck-whuck [/i]of helicopter rotors caught up with the car on the bridge from Portland to Staunton Island. The cop car's radio had been crackling at them to report in, so Yuna had planted a bullet in the speaker grille. Presumably, from the PD 'copter now in hot pursuit, the guys back at HQ hadn't liked that.

[b]"Lara, faster, faster!" [/b]Xiaoyu yelled, pulling her head back through the sunroof into the car. [b]"They're gaining and there's a guy on a rope..."

[/b]Ada put her foot down, weaving from side to side to try and throw off the 'copter from whatever it was up to, but the pilot was obviously well trained, and it stuck to them like glue.

[b]"Leave this to me," [/b]said Yuna grimly, pushing Xiaoyu to one side and standing up out of the sunroof. She unslung the minigun from her back and began mercilessly churning out four hundred rounds a minute at the unfortunate police 'copter.

Yuna's sheer rate of fire managed to completely shear off the 'copter's tail, and it descended in flames into the bay. But the officer on the end of the rope managed to cut himself free and, more by luck than judegment, landed on the back of the Heroines' car, sidearm drawn.

[b]"Yikes!" [/b]yelled Yuna, hastily withdrawing inside the car. Xiaoyu's face lit up as she slid on her brass knucks and erupted from the sunroof, taking the officer by surprise with a roundhouse kick to the midriff.

[b]"Who~oa!" [/b]she screamed as she almost lost her balance and fell from the speeding vehicle. [b]"Okay, no fancy acrobatics," [/b]she told herself, and she took a square stance and steadied herself, fists held out like a boxer's. The cop tried to get a steady enough position to fire his gun, but Xiaoyu drove one brass-clad fist into the wrist holding his gun, and another directly into his solar plexus, sending him flying off the into the traffic in a shower of golden sparks.

[b]"More coming," [/b]she warned as she withdrew back into the car.

[b]"If we can reach the other side, we'll be okay," [/b]Ada replied through clenched teeth. [b]"Too many tall buildings. No 'copter access!"[/b]
[/font][/color]

[Doukeshi]

[SIZE=1]Lara's team sped off in their recently comandeered vehicle. It was relatively easy to steal, they simply waited until a suitable car pulled up to a set of traffic lights then proceeded to pull the driver out and hop in. Simple. Unfortunatley this did seem to attract a bit of attention, not least from a group of gang bangers who thought the sight of an anthropomorphic fox and a chick in a space suit was too much to pass up.

Therefore, their little side of the team found themselves speeding down the highway, Lara at the wheel, while being chased by a several gangsters on motorcycles.

[B]"This day just keeps getting better and better."[/B] Lara muttered, pushing the accelerator to the floor.

It seemed that Samus' armour was impervious to common bullets, a fact they discovered once she had leant out of the window to return fire. As it was Samus was now comfortably perched through the sunroof, sending volly after volly of charged blaster fire at their persuers.
[B]
"I hope hurting innocent bystanders doesn't get held against us!"[/B] Yelled Krystal as a stray shot sent a passing Volvo flipping across the pavement. Lara winced and made a sharp right, the back of the car moving in a wide arch, sideswiping a nearby lamp post.

Lara cursed as she fought to right the car.

[B]"Samus! Where to now?"[/B] She yelled, frantically dodging traffic as she pulled over two lanes. The armour clad bounty hunter slipped back down into the car. She tapped the side of her helmet to gain a holo schematic.

[B]"Take a right at the next junction, then we should be right ontop of the rendeavouz point."[/B]

[B]"Right."[/B] Lara nodded. [B]"Do me a favour, lose those gnats for me if you wouldn't mind." [/B] If Samus' visor hadn't been down Lara was sure she would have seen a grin. Hefting her arm cannon Samus once again opened the sunroof, sending a volley of bolts right in the path of the bikers. The shots were well place and their persuers were quickly dispatched.

Taking the turn Lara looked back at her passengers.
[B]
"Looks like we made it folks!"[/B] A nervous look from Krystal however, told her otherwise. A large police barricade stood between them and the finish point.

Words failed.[/SIZE]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]Mario gunned the accelerator, and the Heroes sped over the bridge between Portland and Staunton Island, with a cavalcade of police cruisers and Triad sportscars tailing them.

In the back seat of their newly acquired transport, Crash and Shadow began to tear the lid off their weapon crate. It was jam packed full of goodies, with a small mini-gun, several belts of ammo, some handguns, some sub-machine guns, a case of grenades.... a veritable treasure-trove of ordinance.

Crash grinned when he saw several round discs at the bottom of the crate. Carefully pulling it out from the confusion of barrels and bullets, he shook it in front of Shadow's face.

"This is just what we're after matey!" he said. He twisted a ring-pull button on the top of the device and, winding down the rear-window, he dropped it out onto the road. One unfortunate police cruiser who had been steadily gaining on them ran straight over it. With a fairly impressive explosion, it's doors blew out, and it flew into the air, it's momentum carrying it forward, as it flipped through the air. It landed on it's roof, and another cruiser and a sportscar simultaneously ran into it, each vehicle veering off in a different direction, before colliding with the re-enforced concrete barriers on the bridge.

Most of their other pursuers made it through alright, but bridge-length was running out.

"Guys-a, we may have a slight-a problem-a!" called Mario.

Shadow and Crash turned to look out the front windscreen. Ahead of them, a gas truck had tipped over onto it's side, blocking half of the road. There were several fire trucks and a group of Hazmat vehicles, and a lot of yellow tape.

Mario sweated, Crash yelped, but Shadow just smiled.

"Straight on through fellas, I see a way out!"

Mario swung into another lane, and drove straight though a tape barrier, as people in bright orange Hazmat suits dived sideways to avoid the now fishtailing car. Fishtailing because, all across the road, was a vast chemical spillage. The dozen or so cars pursuing them however had no room to slip between the fire trucks and various vehicles positioned around the perimeter of the spillage. In fact, most of them crashed and blew up.

And as burning chunks of wreckage rained out of the sky, the spillage caught alight, and with an earth-shattering explosion, it blew a hole all the way through the Callahan Bridge.

Fortunately the Heroes escaped the worst of the explosion. [i]Un[/i]fortunately they blew three of their tires on the smoking bonnet of a police cruiser, which landed right in front of them.

Their car swerved wildly, as Mairo struggled for control. He brought it to a shuddering halt, and the shaken-and-stirred Heroes clambered out, dragging behind them their weapons crate.

"Time for a new vehicle I think" said Crash, as behind them a vast [and dramatic!] cloud of toxic smoke rose into the sky.

Hello, Staunton Island. Halfway there.[/size]

[Sakura]

[COLOR=Navy]The police car was being chased all around Staunton Island, now they didn't just have the cops after them, they'd crashed through several gang territories, and the girls guessed they weren't fans of police, even if they weren't really police. They had whole mobs chasing them; the Yakuza, the Colombian Cartel, and the Uptown Yardies were following them as closely as the police cars.

Yuna reloaded her minigun and leaned out the window, peppering bullets at all of the cars, quickly withdrawing as they let out their own barrage of bullets, smashing through every window.

[B]"I got left!"[/B] Xiaoyu called.

The girl leaned out the window on the left and punched out the gunner who was aiming at them. Yuna caressed the gun and blew a clip on the cars that were closest, she aimed for the engines and tyres, which would at least stop them pursuing.

[B]"They're gaining!"[/B] Ada shouted heatedly as she weaved between cars, honking her horn loudly even though the siren continued to blare.

[B]"Forget this."[/B] Yuna muttered.

She handed the minigun to Xiaoyu and extracted her dress spheres, she hadn't used them in a long time, since she hadn't needed them in the challenges. She used her Unerring Path grid, which only had two slots, one of the slots was Gunner, so she had to make one more change before she was ready. She traced her path to Black Mage, then she traced halfway between the two spheres, lifting her finger. The spot where the traced trail met the untraced section of the line glowed brightly and another sphere appeared, she touched it and she glowed brightly before she changed into her special dress sphere, [URL=http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/ffx-2/art-079.jpg]Floral Fallal[/URL].

Yuna effectively took up all the space in the backseat, shielding Ada and Xiaoyu from any damage. She looked out of the non-existant rear window and lifted her left hand.

[B]"Heat Whirl!"[/B]

Strong blasts of fire spiralled from her hand, engulfing the cars that had been behind them for a few metres, but more rose in their place. And more mobsters popped out and sprayed bullets everywhere.

Yuna reacted quickly holding both hands out. [B]"Shield!"[/B]

A glowing, colourful shield blocked the attacks. Yuna took the time to look where they were and pointed out the direction they should go to reach the bridge that finally lead to Shoreside Vale.

[B]"Right, I'm on it."[/B] Ada sharply took a right, making Yuna shift from her kneeling position in the back.

Yuna quickly passed Xiaoyu the map so she could direct Ada while Yuna attacked and protected them the best she could.

The shield wavered and shattered, leaving them exposed again. Yuna snapped her fingers and pointed toward them. [B]"Ice Whirl!"[/B]

A blizzard spiralled from her extended index finger, hailing heavily upon the cars, freezing them to the road or freezing the engines.

[B]"That should do it, go."[/B] Yuna sat down, spreading the petals around her as someone would do with a dress.

[B]"Got a spell that can give us a boost of speed?"[/B] Ada asked, grimacing at the speed they were going, they still weren't sure how far the guys had progressed.

Yuna stuck a hand out of the gap where a window would be and rested her palm on the cool surface of the roof. [B]"Floral Rush."[/B]

The police car shot off, faster than normal due to the Haste spell Yuna had cast. They blazed over the bridge to their next destination. Yuna looked behind them often to check if they were being followed still, it had calmed down. That is until they sped through an area where three gangs were having a war, so now they had the Redjacks, the Nines, and the Southside Hoods after them.

Xiaoyu directed Ada in the right direction, which lead them to a street that did head straight to their destination but it was closed off by a police barricade. Ada quickly turned the car around as bullets were fired at them. Yuna used Shield again as their hijacked police car and the gangs trailing them took a different route. Yuna turned again to face the unhappy gangsters.

[B]"Ice Whirl!"[/B] Yuna sighed for hopefully the last time.

The cars stopped, and skidded, some crashing into each other due to different failures due to the sudden blast of cold.

[B]"Go, go, go!"[/B] Xiaoyu cheered, pointing forward to Cochrane Dam that was straight ahead, their final destination.

Yuna peeked backwards, the gangs had all stopped and were angrily shouting at each other. Yuna had her hands clenched in fists in anticipation. They were almost there, they all wondered if they were first to arrive, or if the Heroes had beaten them.[/COLOR]

[Solo Tremaine]

[color=#503f86]The car skidded to an uneasy halt, the driver and passengers very well-aware of the massive police line in front of them. Each and every gunbarrel of the extensive law enforcement team was aimed at them.

"Turn around?" Lara suggested loudly, loading new clips into her guns whilst gripping the wheel.

Samus scanned the skies. The ominous whirr of a police helicopter rumbled across the sky, its piercing searchlight illuminating the car.

Several officers began edging towards the vehicle, their guns raised.

"Step away from the vehicle! Come out of the car with your hands behind your heads!"

Lara poked her head out of the driver's side window. "Get lost!"

With that, she revved the engine and screeched the car into reverse, bullets peppering the side panels of the car. Krystal dived to the floor, actvating her Staff's shield to protect herself from the bullets. Windows shattered, showering the plush leather interior with shards of glass. Samus dropped into the passenger seat and fired covering shots to prevent Lara from being hit- her suit was more than a match for an armour-piercing bullet.

Fumbling around on the floor whilst being rocked by Lara's violently evasive driving, Krystal felt something drop out of her pocket. It was a grenade, one she'd picked up from the crate Mog had sent them. She sat up, narrowly missing taking a bullet in her right ear and pulled the pin, hurling the explosive into the crowd of police. They scattered, the small green object rolling undereath one of their patrol cars.

The grenade exploded in a cascade of fire, cremating the car above it and launching the burning wreckage several feet into the sky. For a few seconds, the police had been dispersed.

Lara saw her opportunity. Skidding the car round, she stomped the accelerator to the floor and belted away from the blockade. In the distance, she could see flashing blue and red lights fastly approaching their position.

The car screeched past the walls of the Pay 'n' Spray, scraping the bodywork against the crumbling brickwork.

Suddenly, the car skidded out of control- a bullet had pierced the back left wheel. The front of the car whirled past the One Stop Autoshop and ground to a halt, the driver's airbag punching Lara in the face.

Krystal picked herself up from the floor, her head spinning.

"Does this mean we need another car?" she groaned.

"Later! We need to move!" Lara hissed, kicking open her door and helping Samus to her feet. They grabbed the weapons that had spilled over the floor and began sprinting towards the finish.

Out of the corner of her eye, Krystal noticed a shining black vehicle barely hidden behind a metal fence. It was a vintage motorcycle, complete with sidecar.

"What about this?"

Were it not for the dire urgency of their situation, Lara could have hugged Krystal.

Lara leapt onto the motorcycle, leaving for a brief moment Samus and Krystal looking rather incredulously at the tiny sidecar space they both had to fit into. After a quick altercation, Krystal sat down and Samus planted her feet behind her, hoping her suit would give her the stability she needed to hang on.[/color]

[Blayze]

[b][size=1]"This one!" [/size][/b][size=1]shouted Crash, pulling open the door of a parked minivan. It would move them as fast, but it would be easier to fit them all in. Crash jumped into the driver's seat this time, and Mario took the passenger seat, with a handful of mines from the crate, which Shadow threw onto the back seat of the van, before leaping onto the roof.
[/size][b][size=1]
"Floor it, Crash!" [/size][/b][size=1]shouted Shadow, leaning into the vehicle and pulling out a rather hefty minigun from the crate with a wide grin, [b]"We've got more pigs on our tail!"

"Give it to them, Shadow!" [/b]yelled Crash, and Shadow turned to the police helicopter that was now winging its way towards the car. He fed a few bullets from the chain-feed into the weapon and aimed it, before pulling the trigger. A stream of hot lead burst forth from the barrel of the gun, spitting towards the chopper.

Shadow burst into a bout of manic laughter.

[b]"Muahahahahahahaaaaa!" [/b]he bellowed, firing round after round into the chopper. Eventually it blossomed a cloud of orange flame, and bits of shrapnel, as well as larger parts, fell to the ground with a crash.

[b]"We got-a some more on our-a tail!" [/b]said Mario, throwing a bunch of mines onto the road. They exploded just as impressively as before, hurling the cars into the air.

[b]"Oh, shit," [/b]said Crash, [b]"That definitely does not look good." [/b]Shadow turned to see what the Bandicoot was talking about. And he immediately knew what it was.

The Army had arrived. Armoured cars, jeeps, and a fair few tanks nnow blocked their way. And they were so close to their goal. So close to the Cochrane Dam. The Pay'N'Spray stood right next to them. The Army stood in front of them, the Cochrane Dam behind them.

[b]"Ok, I have a plan," [/b]said Crash.

[b]"Does it involve me blowing up a tank?" [/b]asked Shadow hopefully.

[b]"Not really. But you can do that in the meantime if you really want," [/b]replied the Bandicoot.

[b]"Thank you!" [/b]said Shadow, reaching into the crate and pulling something big out. An RPG launcher. His eyes lit up as he withdrew it from the crate, and he shouldered it before climbing back onto the roof.

[b]"Take this!" [/b]he shouted, blasting a Rocket-Propelled Grenade straight at the engine housing of one of the tanks. It was destroyed in a ball of flame, and Shadow leapt into the air in celebration.

[b]"I love this game!" [/b]he shouted gleefully.

Meanwhile, Crash had formulated a plan inside the car. He took five of the mines, and Mario did the same.

[b]"Now, when I say go, throw the mines in front of the car. It should work, but there is a slight chance of us blowing up and never seeing the light of day again. Are you in?"

"All-a the way!" [/b]replied the Italian, [b]"Shadow! Get back in the car-a!" [/b]The hedgehog swung himself back into the vehicle, laughing to himself, discarding the RPG.

[b]"Let's go!" [/b]shouted Crash, slamming his foot down. The car sped forward, towards the military roadblock, and Crash shouted:

[b]"Now!" [/b]Mario hurled his mines onto the road in front of the car, and Crash did the same.

[b]"Whoah, what the hell are you doing, guys?" [/b]asked Shadow, not having been involved in the plan.

[b]"You'll see," [/b]said Crash through gritted teeth. He drove the minivan directly onto the mines, and the force of the resulting explosion blasted it high into the air, sending the van sailing over the roadblock.

[b]"Oh my God you're crazy! Why did I ever get in a car with you?!?" [/b]yelled Shadow, spouting obscenities at the Bandicoot.

Mario held onto the dashboard, but quickly unclipped his seatbelt. Crash did very much the same, and then he nodded at the Italian man. They both flung the doors open and leapt out, flying towards the Dam. Shadow looked in the car, and followed them, hitting the ground and rolling as the van, or what was left of it, smashed into the ground a few feet behind them.

[b]"Quick, Shadow," [/b]said Crash, running, [b]"Get to the Dam! You're the fastest out of both teams!"

"Gotcha," [/b]said the hedgehog with a wink, and he sped up, grabbing the Bandicoot and the Plumber and hauling ass towards the Dam, making it there in record time, away from the Army.

[b]"Looks like we got here before the girls," [/b]said Shadow triumphantly, [b]"So what do we do now?" [/b]He eyed the tanks that were now rolling steadily towards their new location...
[/size]

[Sandy]

[FONT=Century Gothic]Mog the Moogle was standing in the middle of the monumental Cochrane Dam, watching three figures running towards him at high speed, chased by the army tanks.

"Kupo, I think we have a winner... And they are the [COLOR=Gray]Heroes of the Iron Fists[/COLOR]!"

Shadow, Mario and Crash waved their hands in the air when they realized that they had finally won. It didn't take long enough for the girls to arrive and realize their defeat.

"Sorry to say this, [COLOR=Gold]Heroines of the Golden Lotus[/COLOR], but you came second. This challenge is now over, kupo! Let's return to the CPU, shall we?"

Mog gave a worried glance at the Liberty City Police Forces gathering around the dam. The contestants looked at the host in disbelief - the challenge had been all real!

"Uhh, we better be quick about it, kupoo..."

Rapidly the nine survivors followed the moogle through the teleporter and into the blueness of the CPU.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Alrighty, the result is clear, and you, Heroes, may return to the Temple of Warriors to rejoice in your victory. But you will also have to bid farewell to that place, as when the next challenge begins, you won't be returning there. Also, I'd like to congratulate all three of you for making it to the last level of this game, kupo!"

"What comes to you, Heroines... You'll face your first and last Team Council as this team. Kupociously, it's time to vote."

After all six female contestants had casted their votes, Mog announced the result.

"Kupo, the tenth contestant voted out of OtakuBoards Survivor: Game On! is..."

[CENTER][B]Samus Aran[/B]
[IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/delete-Samus.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

The futuristic warrior started to disperse into data.

"I'm aware that I'm a loner at heart, yet I want to say that I've thoroughly enjoyed playing this game with you girls. Take care, and may the best woman win, right?"

Lara, Xiaoyu, Krystal, Ada and Yuna wiped off their tears and shouted in unison: "Rrright!"

With a one final smile, Samus was gone.

"Kupo, it's time for you five to go say goodbye to the Lotus Garden. Then wait for my contact which will happen soon, kupo. And congrats for you all as well for making it to the final eight. Keep the [I]Game On[/I]!"
[/FONT]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]Crash, Mario and Shadow found themselves in the great stone hall in the Temple of Warriors. Seating themselves around a fire pit, they reminisced about the challenges so far, and what might be ahead of them.

Mario was thrilled that he had finally participated in a winning contest.

This was one of the last time's that they would be together as a team, presumably, and there was a lot of heaviness in the air. The gruff macho exteriors, and the slowly fading adrenaline rush from the challenge kept any mushy stuff at bay....but only barely. As the sun slowly set, the three remaining members of the Iron Fists stood on the steps of the Temple, and watched as the mysterious unnamed constellations of this world came to life. Not much was said - the bonds they had previously forged in the fires of competition were readily felt.[/size]

[Sandy]

[FONT=Century Gothic]After hearing the familiar alarm calling them, the three remaining members of the [COLOR=Gray]Heroes of the Iron Fists[/COLOR] stood up, gave a one last glance around the temple that had been their home for some time, and slowly marched towards the teleporter, and the upcoming challenge.

At the Lotus Garden, the five [COLOR=Gold]Heroines of the Golden Lotus[/COLOR] made a promise to see this through with dignity and fair play. Then they bid farewell to the serene silence of the garden, and made their way to the teleporter that would bring them to the CPU.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Kupo! Welcome back, survivor candidates!" Mog greeted the contestants. "Now is the time for the ninth challenge of Videogame Survivor. But before that, you will all have to say goodbye to your teams, as after this challenge, it'll be each on his or her own, kupo."

"Yes, I said after [I]this[/I] challenge. In this challenge, you won't be competing in two teams or as individuals, but in four pairs. The pairs are predetermined, and are as follows, kupo:"

[INDENT][COLOR=Pink][B]Team Oriental Beauty[/B]: Ling Xiaoyu & Yuna[/COLOR]
[COLOR=Indigo][B]Team Kickarse[/B]: Ada Wong & Shadow the Hedgehog[/COLOR]
[COLOR=SeaGreen][B]Team Plumber & Plunder[/B]: Mario Mario & Lara Croft[/COLOR]
[COLOR=Orange][B]Team Furry Flurry[/B]: Crash Bandicoot & Krystal[/COLOR][/INDENT]

"You want to find out what you're up against, kupo? The name of this game is [SIZE=3][B]Double Dash Survivor Style![/B][/SIZE]"

"You four pairs will all be sent to the contest called Mario Kart to compete against each other in the most psychedelicly crazy track of them all: [B][COLOR=Red]Ra[/COLOR][COLOR=Orange]in[/COLOR][COLOR=Gold]bo[/COLOR][COLOR=Green]w R[/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]oa[/COLOR][COLOR=Purple]d[/COLOR][/B]."
[CENTER][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/place-rainbowroad.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

"Here are the rules, kupo:"
[indent]1. First of all, each pair should visit *[URL=http://www.mariokart.com/doubledash/launch/index.html][B]here[/B][/URL]*. There's a list of all the vehicles available, kupo, as well as a good look on the track you'll be driving.
2. Each pair must choose [B]one vehicle[/B] that they will use for the duration of the race, kupo. Obviously you cannot choose the one that has already been chosen by another pair.
3. Once all the pairs are ready, the race will begin, kupo! You will drive until I wave the finish flag. The pair that's [B]first[/B] over the finish line [B]will win[/B], simple as kupo.
4. During the race, you will have all kinds of kupocious bombs and weapons at your dispose, as well as speed enhancers etc. Use them to sabotage your rivals performance and to get to the first place.
5. Each pair will also get a [B]rank counter[/B], that shows their current place, as well as that of other pairs. Remember to keep the counter visible, kupo!
6. Want to know what you're racing for? [b]The winners will get to choose which pair will be deleted[/B]! That's right, kupo! Two contestants - one of the predetermined teams - will be dropped out of the upcoming merger! Now there's a twist for you, kupo![/indent]

"All further questions are answered at the [B]Mog House[/B]. Now, hurry up and choose your ride, kupo! Game on, game on, [I]GAME ON[/I]!!!"

Quickly the contestants greeted their pairs, and then hurried to the garage with dozens of quirky karts to choose from.
[/FONT]

[JJ]

[Color=Indigo]"Tema Kickass." Ada said sarcastically.

"Team Kickarse, although Kickass just sounds better." Shadow retorted.

"Well, let's grab a cart and get ready to go, I think winning this is going to be a very important step in the game." Ada whispered.

"Wait a second. We haven't ever worked together, how can I trust you to make the right decision?" Shadow quizzically asked.

"Look you, you, hedgehog. I want to win as bad as you do. We're going to have to work together to win this. That means, actually listening to me." Ada explained.

"Fine, pick the..." Shadow started.

While Ada and Shadow had been discussing and walking, Shadow hadn't been paying attention. He had run right into his dream Kart. The sign above it said, "Parade Kart". Ada was a bit impressed, but she hopped in the driver's seat to make sure.

"I like it." She said, flatly.

"Who said you get to drive?" Shadow demanded.

"I did. Besides, I'll let you drive halfway out. We're allowed to switch drivers I think." Ada answered.

"You'd better, besides...? Shadow interrupted.

"Can't you speed up this car anyway?" Ada questioned.

"Oh yeah. I can. You'd better drive then." Shadow responded, chuckling.

"So, we're at peace then?" Ada spontaneously quizzed.

"Yeah, truce for now." Shadow answered, sticking his hand out.

Ada stuck her hand out and the two shook. It was on.[/color]

[JJ]

[Color=Indigo]"Team Kickass." Ada said sarcastically.

"Team Kickarse, although Kickass just sounds better." Shadow retorted.

"Well, let's grab a cart and get ready to go, I think winning this is going to be a very important step in the game." Ada whispered.

"Wait a second. We haven't ever worked together, how can I trust you to make the right decision?" Shadow quizzically asked.

"Look you, you, hedgehog. I want to win as bad as you do. We're going to have to work together to win this. That means, actually listening to me." Ada explained.

"Fine, pick the..." Shadow started.

While Ada and Shadow had been discussing and walking, Shadow hadn't been paying attention. He had run right into his dream Kart. The sign above it said, "Parade Kart". Ada was a bit impressed, but she hopped in the driver's seat to make sure.

"I like it." She said, flatly.

"Who said you get to drive?" Shadow demanded.

"I did. Besides, I'll let you drive halfway out. We're allowed to switch drivers I think." Ada answered.

"You'd better, besides...? Shadow interrupted.

"Can't you speed up this car anyway?" Ada questioned.

"Oh yeah. I can. You'd better drive then." Shadow responded, chuckling.

"So, we're at peace then?" Ada spontaneously quizzed.

"Yeah, truce for now." Shadow answered, sticking his hand out.

Ada stuck her hand out and the two shook. It was on.[/color]

[Sakura]

[COLOR=Magenta]Yuna and Xiaoyu turned to each other and grinned, they were the only all female couple, which made it a lot easier for them since they already had trust and a bond from being together in the Heroines.

[B]"Come on, let's go grab us a kart."[/B] Yuna whispered.

Xiaoyu nodded and the two of them ran off in the direction Ada and Shadow had gone. They ran into the showroom type area and saw that the two members of Team Kickass had chosen their kart quickly, the sign above it said [B][I]Parade Kart[/I][/B] and it listed it's stats, it was a good choice.

Yuna and Xiaoyu walked around quickly, taking a look at each, it was a tough decision because each had their advantages and disadvantages. The two girls of Team Oriental Beauty finally decided and stood by the kart with the sign, [B][I]Bloom Coach[/I][/B].

[B]"D'you wanna drive? And I'll take care of the followers, if either of us get tired we can switch."[/B] Xiaoyu suggested since she didn't know how to drive at all, seeing as the only games she was in were fighting games.

Yuna agreed and hopped into the driver's seat, grabbing hold of the wheel.

[B]"We can win this, I think we'll get along better than the other teams, seeing as the others are paired up with Heroes."[/B] Yuna said confidently.

[I][B]'How much harder can it be than piloting an airship, the controls are the same as the ones that were in the Fahrenheit, we can do this.'[/B][/I]

[B]"And now we wait."[/B] Xiaoyu sighed from behind her.

[B]"And now we wait."[/B] Yuna repeated the phrase in agreement.[/COLOR]

[Solo Tremaine]

[color=#503f86]Krystal greeted Crash happily; it was good to see him again. Despite the fact she was going up against nearly everyone else, half of the remaining contestants were from the Adventurers team. It was comforting to know that even if she weren't to make it to the final, at least some of her friends here still had the chance to.

But of course, she wouldn't think like that. She didn't want to let Crash down, after all.

The Bandicoot tuttled at the duo's dubbed name. "Team Furry Flurry..."

Krystal smiled. "I think it's cool." With a quick twirl and a flourishing point at the carts with her Staff, Krystal indicated the karts.

"Which would you like?"

Crash looked at the stats carefully. A Heavy car would mean they'd pack a heftier punch if it came to ramming another car off the track, but probably wouldn't be as speedy or handle as well... but when was he about being careful, anyway?

"DK Jumbo!" he sang, striding up to the car and leaping into the driver's seat.

Krystal was a little confused. If he was driving, what was she to do exactly?

"Have you ever driven anything like this before?"

Crash shrugged. "I've done a few races in my time."

Krystal bit her tongue when the thought of mentioning that as part of her training in Starfox she'd had to drive virtually every different kind of vehicle under at least three different suns crossed her mind; she instead hauled herself onto the back and lent over to look at the controls over his shoulder. Accelerate, brake, steer. Not exactly complicated, then...

"Let me know if you want to take over at any point during the race."[/color]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1][b]OOC[/b]: I would like to say that it's a touch unfair to choose the best car in the whole damn game. Personally, I would like to see everyone pick from the first line.

*shrugs*

*********

Crash wiggled around in the driver's seat, getting comfortable, and getting used to the feeling of the wheel in his hands. And then he realised that he'd been a touch blasè about Krystal's earlier question.

Half turning around in his seat, he said to Krystal "It's more than just a few races, actually. A year or so ago an evil alien came to my planet intending to level the place and turn it all into a carpark. We bargained with him until he agreed to a competititon to decide our planet's fate. He chose cart-racing, and made us play off against each other until we had a champion."

Here he paused, immodestly, "Which was me. And then I flogged him when I raced him, and saved the planet. So, it was more than just a few races, in case you were, y'know, concerned or something."

Krystal arched her eyebrow at him "How much did you flog this evil alien by?"

Crash looked defensive "By enough.... about half a metre."

Krystal laughed, and her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. The last team picked their cart and hopped in, and then Mog appeared [where did he come from anyway?] and began to give them instructions about weapon usage, and just how the passenger was meant to help the team win.[/size]

[Ellerby]

[color=seagreen]Mario walked over to Lara Croft and greeted her.

"I-a don't think I have-a ever met you-a before," he said. Lara smiled at the short plumber and nodded.

"It's a pleasure," and she shook his hand. "So, what kart shall we take? You have done this before, haven't you?"

Mario nodded and explained to her his background in Mario Kart games and how he beat the Mushroom, Flower, Star and Special cup with his companion, Luigi.

"I have beat-a this course-a before. It is definately a toughie." Mario stated. They wandered through the isles of Karts and watched as the other three teams chose theirs.

"Well, which kart did you us--"

"Red-a Fire."

Lara flipped her hair back and stepped towards the red kart with blue tires. Examining it carefully, she grinned at Mario and gave him a thumbs up. Ecstatic, je jumped into the driver's seat and pulled out of it's parking spot. Lara looked at him dumbfounded.

"You drive that thing so preciously. I guess I'll do items?"

Lara hopped onto the back of Red Fire.

"I have-a driven this kart-a so many times, I know it like-a the back of my palm-a." Mario gripped the steering wheel tightly and thought of the days when he would be racing neck and neck with Bowser and Bowser Jr. The good ol' days...[/color]