Jet the Hawk

1: Pressure to succeed.

Jet still couldn't tell one babu from another, but he could at least figure that the kid was confused. Maybe he could roll with it.

"Oh yeah, I met her during this big racing tournament. Honestly, they weren't half bad."

(( Stealing this before I get to catching up on replies. ))

(( Huh...really? ))

(( I mean there's no need. Time trial frustration is a lot more...enjoyable for me, if that makes sense? ))

(( I'm not frustrated with things outside my control, so I don't actually get genuinely angry. It's way different than the bullshit that is gettting Mario Kart'd ))

(( Look...I am Jet and right now Jam is my Sonic. ))

(( I will beat him on the grandest stage. ))

(( I'd be proud of this if HE WASN'T THE FUCKING ASSHOLE IN THIRD ))

(( This fucking rivalry I'm having with my friend is starting to get out of hand. ))

"I mean, isn't that how EVERYONE gets up there?"

"Either you were a bastard, or your parents were bastards. There's really no other way."

Yup, five fingers. And a five year old giant robot kid? Bingo.

He claps his hands together.

"Ohhhhhhhh! You're the one Tron was telling me about, weren't you! Her little brother, yeah?"

"I like Jet and am also part of the bird mafia. Give me your kneecaps."

"Tell me about it. You get born a trust fund baby and you get this idea that you're just better than everyone else by essentially winning the lottery straight out of the cradle."

"Love nothing more than shaking them out of their precious little world and giving them a taste of reality."

"Wait a second...kiddo...how old are you, exactly? Like, hold up your fingers and show me"

It seemed like he was piecing it together.

Retreating back with another quick hop, Jet abandoned the car he was perched on...just in time to see it trampled.

"WHOA-WHOA-WHOA HEY HEY HEY! HOLD UP TIME OUT! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING!? I CAN'T TELL WHAT YOU'RE SAYING CAUSE YOU'RE BABBLING LIKE AN EIGHT-FOOT TALL MECHANICAL BABY..."

He paused.

"Sponsors? Nah, I'm just disguising myself with these wealthy shutins so I can get my fingers in their pockets."

"Yeaaaaah."

"I swear the way some of these uptight assholes treat people is just making me more determined to get away with robbing them."

"Gaia...and people say I'm mean."

"That'd give away the scheme. I wanna keep luring these idiots in and taking whatever they've got."

"Besides, I'm also fishing for a car."

-the hawk flipped back onto the roof of a nearby luxury car, drawing both of his fans at the ready in a flash.

After all, this HAD to be some mercenary coming after him, right?

But when he heard the robot child speak and just...hold out their hand, Jet simply crooked his head.

"I uh...I'm sorry?"

To no surprise, this sort of thing wasn't normal to the trust fund darlings that frequented the area. A lot of businessmen were simply fleeing and panicking in an uproar to the giant mecha shaking the ground with every step.

Given that he had no reason to keep appearances up any longer-

...

"Gaia I hate acting hoity toity for these pampered one percenter bastards."

"If I wasn't walking away with their wallets I'd just punch these assholes in the face."

Jet already up to his schemes today, dressed up in the vest and dress shirt of a valet driver, using this disguise outside a ritzy hotel in order to pickpocket wealthy businessmen.

Hhrrrrrgh.

Something's wrong about tonight and I can't put my finger on what.

I hate these feelings because they always turn out to be right in the worst way possible.

"Lucky you."

He's casually just...popping his eye back into the socket.

"Well all you need to know it was bad. Like...global Eggman takeover bad."

(PS. I am the leader of the bird mafia.)

If you do, the bird mafia will come for you.

"I didn't really lose three big races to Sonic, right?"

"..."

"Like, I remember our race at Crimson Crater during the Meteotech Incident was a tie."

"And the third EX WGP was uh..."

"..."

"Look I don't fucking know what happened during that shitshow. That was stupid. Felt like a fever dream."

"Of course it would. But people prefer the safe, the predictable. They're afraid of excitement."

Hell yeah. Tell me who this chump is let's commit war crimes on corporate ground!

Jet sighed. This was the guy that overshadowed his entire legacy in one fell swoop.

Gaia, he hated it.

📲: Water. Lots of water.

📲: Y'know, in case you forgot.

📲: 3-1? No way it was 3-1.

That was depressing to read. Why did Jet always focus on the worst part of everything It was like he was so used to criticizing others he became an expert on being just as harsh on himself.

📲: Whatever. Maybe we can set this up when you're...y'know...not wasted.

Jet was staring at the screen, eyes half-lidded in a dull glare.

But in the end he just let out a sigh and carried on...when would he get another chance like this, after all?

📲: ...

📲: So you really think I'm that good of a racer?