Unfiscal Advantage

"Ori, huh? Never heard of you." Sampson sneers, "You ever raced before?"

Ori shrugs, "No, but I'm sure we'll manage."

"Right, well, why don't you just come out and tell us who's sponsoring you? No way some new meat can afford something like that." he gestures at the tank.

"Yeah, which Corpo's tit you sucking? We know Sampson bends over for Militech, but even he's not this blatant!" Claire states.

"I work for them, everything else I finance myself." Sampson mutters in annoyance, tired of the constant remarks about his subservience and reliance on Militech.

"We work for no one, let alone some Corpo ass-hats," Rebecca responds, folding her arms with a scowl. "Just because can't afford to upgrade doesn't mean the same for the rest of us. We can settle shit without the wheels if you want." she grouses, resting a hand on the sling her Guts was attached to.

Dean raises his hands placatingly, "Hold it, this is just good fun, no point gunning each other down outside the race. Besides, if we were supposed to be competing on equal footing then we'd all have the same ride." he shrugs.

"There's disparity then there's irrationality!" Claire argues, "Don't be stupid Dean, if they brought in an AV would you be saying the same? No! Because no one else is shameless enough to try something like that!"

"Fuck this." Sampson sighs, holding his hand up in the air, "Ref! You guy's really allowing this fuckin' thing to race!?"

One of the officials at the side of the track blinks a couple times before holding up a finger, turning around and calling someone.

"See, you guys better find a replacement or you're not racing." He gestures around, "No one here thinks that shit is fair."

"That's fine..." Sasha offers, "But you have to trade your car with them." she points at a car with three wheels, the fourth rolling down the hill behind them.

"What? Why?"

"You want it to be fair right? Why should these people with regular vehicles go up against yours?" she presses.

"It's not the same! No sane person would think that!"

"Ahem!" the official from earlier loudly coughs, drawing everyone's attention, "After some deliberation, we have found no issue with the vehicle competing."

"WHAT!?"

"That's bullshit!"

"Fuck you!"

"Fuck me!"

The crowd of racers shout in outrage, but the official just shrugs his shoulders and slinks away, completely uncaring.

Ori gives them all a friendly smile, "I wish you all luck!" he says, walking back towards the tank.

"Bitches represent!" Rebecca smirks, making an 'I got my eyes on you' gesture. (AN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBXVOkvapRA&ab_channel=bublibub)

"Man... Let's just hope their ride isn't able to keep with us, I guess." Sampson morosely mutters, getting into his own car.

"C'mon Dead, let's show these douchebags who rules the roads."

"Eh, if you say so, Claire..."

---------------------

Ori buckles himself in and grips the steering wheel as the holographic windows activate, displaying the surroundings with-like quality. "Alright, you girls ready?"

They nod, "What's the first-place prize for coming first in a qualifier?" Rebecca asks, cocking Guts and accessing the aiming systems with a grin on her face.

"Eh, there are prizes for the qualifiers?" Ori asks, not having heard that before.

Sasha shakes her head, "I heard the last death race had that, but these ones won't apparently."

"Shame... Oh well... Look, it's starting." she points out the colourfully dressed black man stepping next to the starting line with some sort of microphone.

"What's uuup Niiiight Ciiitttyyyyy!! Everyone here ready to race!?" a couple drivers rev their engines, "Haha! That's what I like to hear, a CHOOH CHOOH cheer! Now you all know the rules already, so I won't repeat 'em. Just know that if you break 'em you're probably gonna die!... Anyway! Our guys are sending you the map coords, so follow 'em and shit'll be fine and dandy!"

"Start the fucking race already!" one of the drivers shouts, prompting the others to voice their own opinions.

"Ahah! Fine! Fine! If you wanna die so badly!" the announcer says, erratically waving his arm, "TWO LAPS! NO MERCY! FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO!-"

Rebecca's grin becomes bloodthirsty as she flips a switch, causing the automated machine guns to reveal themselves from the sides of the tank. This causes the announcer to stumble over his words, but he quickly recovers and continues.

"ONE! GOGOGO! DEAD OR ALIVE, DON'T SHOW YOUR FACE UNTIL YOU WIN! Hahahaha!"

*BANGBANGBANGBANG!!*

Rebecca has the guns immediately open fire on the cars next to them, instantly killing the occupants and forcing the vehicles behind him to swerve around. The trio's tank simply drives through them however, pushing them past or rolling them over.

In a mad dash, every other car screeches down the road, most wanting to get away from them than to actually race... Regardless, their placement at the back and the vehicle's relatively low acceleration speed compared to the lighter competition put them in last place, aside from those they'd already killed.

Ori speeds up, and inwardly cackles as he spots some cars in front turn and speeds down some sideroads, abandoning the race, in an attempt to get out of his line of fire. Those that don't? Well, no need to speak badly of the dead.

*Bangbangbangbang!*

*Thud!*

Some junkies driving a rusty hatchback slam their car into the side of the tank as the gunner unloads his rifle, the only thing they manage to do however is knock one of their own doors off and waste ammunition.

"Idiots!" Rebecca laughs as she shifts the automated gun, sending bullets crashing through their window and into the occupant's backs, causing them to swerve off and crash into a nearby lampost.

"I kinda get what that guy was saying now, this is bullshit..."

"Suck it up, we're in it for the Eddies, nothing else!" Rebecca retorts, eagerly firing at the other cars ahead.