Experiment 9: Winner

The air buzzed with excitement and loud cheering as crowds gathered on each side of the elevated sky road. Drones flew overhead, broadcasting the competition live to massive holographic screens.

Eve stood by Leia and Rika near the edge of the barricade, her wide eyes reflecting at the luminous tracks above.
"It so loud in here..." Eve muttered, her voice barely audible.
"That is part of the fun!" Rika grinned as she said with a loud voice almost shouting.

Leia hands in her coat pockets looking at the chaotic surrounding. "This make me dizzy." She muttered.

Just then, the announcer voice boomed over the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen. Robots or not! The Sky Skates Championship is about to begin it first round! Participants, take your positions!"

Leo appeared on the screen, standing confidently in his newly enhanced skates. Eve's face lit up when she recognized him, she tugged at Leia's sleeve. "There he is!"
"He looks nervous." Leia observed with a small smirk.
Rika cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting. "Leo! Don't crash!"

The countdown began, and the crowd erupted into cheers. When the buzzer went off, they shot forward, the neon lit tracks sparking beneath their skates like streaks of lightning.
Racers weaving skillfully through the glowing sky roads. Leo glided forward, executing sharp turns with precision and confidence.

While everyone focused on the amazing show, Eve has her attention of a figure that caught her eyes. Someone  standing slightly apart from the others.
The person suspiciously looking, wearing an oversized dark glasses, a hood pulled snugly over the head and a scarf wrapped around the neck.

Eve tilted her head curiously and tugged on Rika. "Look over there," She said, pointing subtly.
Rika followed her gaze, squinting her eye. "That definitely Ellen." She said blankly. "Of course, she'd be here."
"Should we say hi?" Eve suggest.
Rika smirked mischievously. "Oh, absolutely. Let's go."

The two girls quietly left Leia's side, weaving through the bustling crowd towards Ellen that is in disguise.

"Nice outfit." Rika teased as she and Eve stopped in front of her.
Because of the two small figure, Ellen doesn't even realized they approaching.
Ellen flinched. "Wha- What are you two doing here!?" She stammered.
"This Sky Skates thing is cool." Eve replied plainly. "Why are you here?"

"I-I'm just... Interested in the sport!" Ellen huffed, crossing her arms awkwardly.
Rika, of course not buying it. "Sure, sure. Totally not here for certain someone."
Ellen's face turned redder.

Before they could tease her further, the crowd erupted in cheers, signaling an impressive move on the track. Ellen used the distraction to mumble a quick goodbye and slip back into the crowd, though her awkward disguise still made her stick out like a sore thumb.
As they returned to their spot, Rika whispered to Eve, "She totally likes him."

They returned to watch in awe beside Leia.

The competition was at its peak, with racers weaving skillfully through the glowing sky roads, their shoes hover up at the sky tracks. The crowd roared and Leo glided forward.
Eve hands clutching the barrier. "This is so cool..." She said softly, impressed.

Suddenly, Leia eyes caught movement from one of the racers behind Leo. A tall participant in a black and red suit veered suspiciously close, their movements calculated.

"Something’s off," Rika muttered, noticing it too.

Before Leo could react, the racer swung to the side, giving Leo a deliberate shove mid air. It wasn’t hard enough to throw him off completely but enough to disrupt his balance. His hover shoes wobbled, sparks flying as he struggled to stabilize back in the air.

The crowd gasped, and Leia, standing behind the girls, frowned deeply. "That was intentional."

Leo gritted his teeth, his jaw tightening as he regained control of his hover shoes. The dirty move had cost him valuable seconds and his trajectory was slightly off. He swerved just in time to avoid getting completely out of tracks, his movements sharp but shaky.

"That jerk!' Rika exclaimed, slamming her hands on the railing. 

Eve’s eyes narrowed, her usually blank expression hardening with determination. "He’s still in the race."

On the track, Leo shot a glare at the offending racer but didn’t let it slow him down. With a sudden burst of speed, he leaned forward, taking advantage of a downhill section of the track to regain lost ground.

"Go, Leo!" Rika yelled, pumping her fist in the air. Eve joined her with a quiet but resolute, "You can do it!"

Despite the dirty play, Leo pushed forward, his competitive spirit unshaken as he closed the gap between him and the cheating racer.

The blaring sound of the buzzer marked the end of the first round. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as the participants crossed the finish line one by one. Eve leaned forward, gripping the railing tightly, her eyes scanning the leaderboard displayed on a massive holographic screen above the track.

"Did he make it?" Rika asked anxiously, bouncing on her toes.
Eve stayed silent, watching as the rankings updated. The top ten names glowed brightly and finally, there it was.

Leo Volt: Rank 8.

"He did it!" Rika shouted, throwing her arms in the air. "He’s in!"

Eve allowed herself a small, relieved smile.
Leia, standing calmly beside them, nodded with a hint of approval.
Ellen also, let a sigh of relief.

The announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers. "And there you have it, folks! The top ten racers moving on to the final round! "

The lights dimmed momentarily as preparations for the final round began. The excitement in the air was electric, and Eve couldn’t take her eyes off the track, ready to see what would happen next.

As the holographic screen flashed COMMERCIAL BREAK. The crowd started to disperse for snacks and restrooms. Eve, Rika, and Leia stayed in their spot, though Leia’s expression turned sour when a familiar robotic jingle echoed through the arena.

"HELLO, CITIZENS! I’M MART-E, HERE TO DELIVER TODAY’S AMAZING DEALS!"
Leia groaned. "Not this again."

The overly cheerful robot with big round eyes and a neon smile rolled up to them, waving its mechanical arms. "Ah! Dear customer! How wonderful to see you again!"
Eve, also recognized the robot. "Oh, Mart-E, robot from the Mall."

Mart-E beeped excitedly. "Remember our mall madness? You forgot to redeem your coupon! No worries, I’ve got a fresh batch just for you! For only 50 credits-"
"Not interested," Leia said, turning to leave.
But Mart-E zoomed after her. “Miss, wait! You qualify for our exclusive VIP membership! Imagine discounts on hoverboards, kitchen bots, and even smart socks! A deal of a lifetime!”

Leia quickened her pace. "Why are you even here? Go advertise to someone else!"

As Mart-E trailed Leia with relentless persistence, Rika smirked and nudged Eve then pulled out a shimmering fabric and threw it over her shoulders.

"What’s this?" Eve asked, touching the material.
"Invisible cloak," Rika whispered proudly. "Dad got it for me."
"I think I saw this on TV, it's expensive..." Eve said.

Rika leaned closer. "Let’s go check on Leo with this. He’s in the preparation zone!'

Before Eve could protest, Rika threw the cloak over both of them and guided her toward the restricted area. Behind them, Leia yet to managed to shake off Mart-E, but when she turn back, she realize Eve and Rika were gone.

"Of course they’d disappear during a commercial break," Leia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Meanwhile, Mart-E gleefully announced, "Let me help you find them! For only 10 credits-"
"No, thank you!" Leia snapped.

Ellen, still disguised in her dark glasses and hat, reluctantly went to the restricted zone, unsure why she’s even want to do this.

As she hiding behind the wall, seeing Leo who is sitting on a bench adjusting his gear, Ellen freezes, her heart pounding. But she decided to form all of his courage and approach him suddenly.
"Your form was sloppy during the turn after that shove!" She said, standing in front of him.

Leo looks up, confused. “Uh… who are you?" 

Ellen panics but glad that he's not too smart to see through her disguise. She adjusted her sunglasses. "Just... someone who knows what they’re talking about," She says, crossing her arms. "If you don’t tighten your movements, you’ll lose momentum in the final round."

Leo narrows his eyes, not recognizing her. "You’re really invested in this, huh?"

Ellen sighs, stepping closer, her tone softening. "Look, just... stay away from the edges of the sky road, and watch for sudden movements from others. People play dirty when they’re desperate."
Leo raises an eyebrow. “Why do you care so much?”

Ellen stiffens, pulling her hat down further. "I don’t. I just hate seeing idiots waste their potential." She quickly turns away, her face burning, and mutters. "Good luck, or whatever."

Leo stares after her, baffled, while Eve and Rika exchange knowing glances, suppressing grins. “She’s weird, but familiar...” Leo finally says, shaking his head, but there’s a faint smile on his face.

While that moment occur. Eve and Rika actually standing literally beside them seeing and hearing the conversation but they cannot see the two little girl because of the invisible cloak.
"Yep, she's totally like him." Rika whispered to Eve.
"This is like a drama I watched on TV..." Eve said.

The final round of the sky skate competition was unlike anything Eve had ever seen. The sky road was a vast, floating track suspended high above the city, with bright neon lights flashing all around. The air was thick with excitement as the remaining 10 competitors zipped across the floating lanes, weaving in and out of obstacles, making sharp turns and daring jumps. The crowd’s cheers were deafening, and the sense of thrill in the atmosphere was palpable.

Eve’s heart raced as she watched from the sidelines, her eyes not on Leo this time but fixed on one of the girl competitors, who was gliding smoothly along the course. Her movements were elegant and smooth instead of fast and precise like everyone else. Several other participants were constantly on her tail, and Eve could see the determined look in Leo’s eyes but not on the girl that is up in front, she were enjoying this with bright eyes and smile.
"She's amazing..." Eve muttered.
Suddenly, Eve caught on a man voice talking about the racer she has been focused at.
"She's definitely going to win again this year."
One man huffed proudly. "Of course, she is!"

The other competitors were not holding back. One competitor, a tall, muscular boy with wild, unruly hair, deliberately swerved into Leo’s path, forcing him to make a sharp turn to avoid a collision. The sudden move threw Leo off balance, but he recovered quickly, still holding his position.
As they neared the final stretch, Leo was in 4th place, just inches behind the top three competitors. His muscles burned from the effort, and sweat trickled down his forehead. He pushed himself harder, gliding faster, but the other racers were just as determined.

Eve and Rika shouted from the crowd, their excitement contagious. Even Ellen, still disguised but noticeably leaning forward, couldn't hide her nervous anticipation. "Come on, Leo!" Eve yelled, her small hands cupped around her mouth.

With the finish line in sight, Leo made one last push, but it wasn’t enough. The other competitors edged past him, crossing the finish line just seconds before he did. Leo came in 4th, exhausted but with a satisfied grin on his face.

Everyone at home were watching these on TV, including Leo's dad that smiled looking at his son proudly.
Zero, at home also watching the TV, surprisingly quite fond of sports.

Eve, Rika, and Ellen watched from the sidelines, a mixture of pride and admiration on their faces. Leo coasted to a stop, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling. He wasn’t disappointed.

"And that's it everyone! What an incredible finish to this year’s Sky Skates Championship! Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for our top three winners!" The holograms displayed the racers’ names and faces, with the champion’s name glowing brightest. "In third place, we have Aiden Vega! In second,  Zack Cyan! And this year’s champion, the same winner of last year, Eden Gold!" The announcer laugh proudly. "Really live up to her name! Like always!"

Ellen smiled, slowly disappeared, leaving the arena.

"You did great!" Rika cheered, running up to him. "That was amazing, Leo!"
"Yeah, fourth place isn’t bad at all," Eve said, smiling. "You were so close!"

Leo chuckled, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Eh, it’s not about winning, you know? I gave it my all. I can’t be mad about 4th place. Besides, that was probably the most fun I’ve had in a long time."

Eve and Rika look at each other and turn back to Leo. "Really?" Rika asked.

Leo dropped on his knees suddenly tears streamed down his face, crying. "No! I want to win so bad!" He breakdown like a child wanting a toys.
Eve hesitated, then reached out and gently tugged his sleeve. "You did your best," she said softly. "Your dad would still be proud of you."

Leo sniffled, looking at them through watery eyes. "You guys are… annoying," He muttered

Eve and Rika exchanged a look before both grinned. "Come on," Rika said. "We’ll buy you some snacks to celebrate. Fourth place deserves a feast!"

Leo groaned but followed them, his spirits lifting slightly as they led him out of the arena.

As the competition wrapped up and the crowd began to disperse, Leia and Mart-E found themselves in a quieter corner of the arena. Eve, Rika, and Leo walking towards Leia and Mart-E. The two girls noticed Leia deep in conversation with the robot, and as they got closer, they overheard them.

"I just don’t get it," Mart-E whirred, its mechanical arms folding in frustration. "People always run away from me the moment they see my promotional gear. Just because I have advertisements, they think I’m only here to sell something. Can’t they see I have feelings too? I’m more than just a billboard on wheels!"
"Yeah... I know. I was one of those people." Leia said sitting beside the venting robot.

Mart-E’s screen face morphed into a cartoonish sad expression. "But it’s my purpose! My programming!"
Leia sighed. "Mart-E, have you ever considered switching careers? Maybe something less... aggressive... And less annoying?"

Mart-E’s eyes widened. "Like what?"
"I don’t know. A cafe robot, maybe? You could serve coffee and have actual conversations with people. No one runs away from a cafe bot." Leia said.

Mart-E froze, processing her suggestion. After a moment, its screen face displayed a steaming cup of coffee with a cheerful smiley face. "A cafe bot... I could hand out caramel lattes instead of coupons! Leia, you’re a genius!"

"Not exactly," Leia chuckled nervously glancing away for a moment. "But if it gets you to stop harassing me, I’m all for it."

Mart-E suddenly exclaimed, "And I’ll call myself Cak-E as in cake! Life begins now!"
Leia gave Mart-E an unenthusiastic thumbs-up. "Sure. Go chase your dreams, buddy. But please rethink about the name."

Rika whispered to Eve, "Doesn’t she, like, work with real science? Why is she fixing a robot’s feelings?"

Mart-E. Shake Leia's hand showing it gratitude. "Thank you so much Miss Leia! I'll make sure to give you a free coffee coupons!"

"Haha... Thank you?" Leia said awkwardly.