Racing Stripe (get it because an anteater has a stripe)
This took. A month of on-and-off writing to finish, on god??? Either way, hope you enjoy Aspen's first "official" appearance in the show! Basically a rewrite and expansion of "The Fast and the Feathery". This episode gave me the idea to make Aspen a mechanic; it did things to my brain.
Word count: 1.4k
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"The lone duck descends in a last-ditch effort to send incendiary ordinance on an unsuspecting enemy... Ka-BOOM! Take THAT, you heathen monkeys!"
Aspen rolled her eyes. Even in the alleyway she was hiding in, she could hear how much dung Duck Dodgers-- yes, the Duck Dodgers-- was throwing out. She poked her head out from behind a barrel.
After getting yelled at by a kid, Dodgers hopped out and started bragging about the hot rods he used to ride back in the 21st century to his cadet and I.Q. Hi. He even went as far as to say he invented racing. The anteater couldn't help but let out a annoyed tch.
"It's just big talk to make himself seem better than he is, Aspen. Errol did the same thing all the time," she told herself. "Just ignore him. Bet he's never been on a real track."
Some trumpets caught the crowd's-- and her-- attention. It was a group of elite Martians, and the commander quickly stepped up into the spotlight. "Introducing the Supreme Leader of the Martian Empire: Her Royal Highness, the Queen of Mars!"
Queen Tyr'ahnee walked gracefully out from behind the curtains and addressed the crowds. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present our entry for this year's competition. The Martian Maverick 6 Million!"
While the crowds cheered for the reveal, Aspen stayed silent. Until: "...and will be piloted by our undefeated Grand Champion!" The queen gestured to her commander. "Who will gladly destroy any competition."
"Arrogant blowhards!" Dodgers sneered.
"Real rich coming from you," the hidden anteater muttered.
"Doc, let's get out of here! Cadet, this way!" But the little pig was gone. "Cadet?" Dodgers looked behind, where the Cadet was talking up the duck as a racing legend.
Dodgers took in a sharp inhale and booked it for the stage, weaving through the crowds of people. The anteater snickered.
"And that’s what he gets for talking big.” She unconsciously started moving closer to the stage. When else would she see the great hero Duck Dodgers make a complete fool of himself?
Aspen shimmied through the crowd just in time to hear Dodgers say, "Um... Y'know... Maybe I wasn't all that great..." and the crowd gasp in shock. As the masses spread their disbelief, she had to bite her tongue to hold in a laugh. "I hope you're happy," Dodgers whispered at his sidekick. But he quickly picked himself up. "Fear not, my people! I will not shrink from the task set before me. I shall be your champion and defeat the Martian horde!"
As the crowds cheered, the commander grumbled. "Arrogant blowhard."
Dodgers soaked up the crowd's approval, but then noticed Aspen with a small smug smile on her face. "What're you grinning for?"
Everyone halted a bit of their momentum. All their eyes were on her now. No one seemed to recognize her… yet. That was good.
The anteater was taken aback for a second— if she stayed here, it could be big trouble. However, if there was one thing she learned from being around a bunch of rowdy pirates, it was how to keep a cool head.
She kept her smile on and her eyes to the stage. "Nothin'. Just excited to see the race."
The duck clearly heard this as a jab because he raced up to her, snarling like a bull and getting right into her face. "What?! You think you can race better than me or somethin'!?" The crowd gasped, and the two Martians quirked their eyebrows.
She could hear muttering. Some of them might be starting to realize. But she's too far in now.
Aspen took a step back, still with a cool smile. "I mean… possibly. I've been around spaceships my whole life, and I've been racing in 'em since I was three. Your experiences sound pretty comparable to mine."
Dodgers nearly seemed to be at a loss for words; she guessed he was expecting her to match his angry energy with her own. This cool reception was a shell shock. But there was still some punch in him.
"W-W-Well... where's your proof then?! How do we all know-"
Aspen whipped out a tiny book.
"-that you're not just-"
She opened it up.
"-blowing... hot... air?"
It was full of all her racing memories, snapped into photos. She pointed at each one she described. "Me when I was three, in my first race ship. Me when I was six, winning my first derby. Me when-"
"How many pictures do you have in there?" The Cadet finally piped up.
She thumbed through the little book. "Enough to fill 141 pages."
The duck blinked like a deer in headlights, but he quickly composed himself. "HA! You're gonna need a lot more than family photos to stand up to me, Trunks! You enter this race, and you'll be eating my space dust!"
"C'mon Captain, let's go and get ready." The Cadet managed to defuse, literally pushing the duck away and towards his race ship. Dodgers left a final message of sticking his tongue out.
With that, the crowd finally started to disperse, and Aspen didn’t hear anyone try and contact the authorities! Mission success: she could finally leave!
"I don't think I've ever seen Dodgers lose his confidence that succinctly before."
Or not.
Aspen jumped out of her skin and nearly shrieked, before she clamped her mouth shut and looked at her side. It seemed the Martian commander accidentally snuck up on her, and he looked as wide-eyed as she did.
Well... compared to how a Martian usually looked. Big eyes had to make up for the lack of every other facial feature.
The anteater relaxed and chuckled. "Sorry, Commander. Didn't see you there."
"Clearly." The Commander's eyes went from cautious to curious. "If I may be so bold to ask, why on Deimos would you do that?"
"Well first off, Dodgers started it. And second, the guy was clearly acting off ego. It just... happened. I have a lot of practice deflating egos, I guess."
X2 made an amused sound. "Well, anyone who can do that to Dodgers is a friend of mine. What is your name, mysterious anteater?"
She flitted around her eyes for a bit. Most everyone was gone now. "Aspen."
"Aspen..." He put his hand up to his chin (where it would be anyway). "Why does that name sound vaguely familiar?"
Uh oh. If it wasn't time to scram before, it is now. The anteater put on a cheery facade and started to walk off. "Well, good luck Commander! May the best racer win!"
"Just a second." Aspen froze in her tracks, then slowly turned around. The Commander stepped aside, and Queen Tyr'ahnee stepped forward. "Aspen, was it?"
"Um... yes, your Highness."
"The same Aspen who's been on the run from just about every law enforcement system in the galaxy?"
"...Um. Yes, that would be me." Shoot.
"Ah. Now I recognize you." X2's cold voice wasn't helping the anteater's nerves.
The Queen paused, and Aspen could see the exact moment an idea crossed her mind. "Are all those things you said to Dodgers true? Have you truly been racing in ships that long?"
"Y-Yes." She didn't like where this was going.
"I'd like to make a wager with you, Aspen. Take a place alongside my Commander and Dodgers in this race."
"You want me to put my money where my mouth is. What's in it for me?"
"From all your reports, you have a particular magic with machinery." X2 seemed to understand his Queen's game plan. "If you can best both Dodgers and myself, all of your charges against Mars will be dropped. You'll be fed, sheltered, and with your handiwork, you'll certainly be paid well. You'll finally have a place to rest your feet. We'll even throw in dental."
Aspen must've made a face subconsciously because the the short Martian's face and tone went deadpan. "Yes, we have dentists on Mars."
"That's... very kind of you, but I don't need charity. I'm doing just fine."
But that wasn't what the anteater was worried about; heck, that offer sounded amazing. She was more concerned with staying in one spot for too long... she never knew when someone from her old crew was going to find her.
Tyr'ahnee could see she would need better bait. "What if every charge of yours was erased, across the galaxy?"
That made the anteater pause. "Can you... even do that?"
"I can be very convincing if I want to be."
Gears turned in Aspen's head, and eventually... "...I think I can work with that."
"Just remember: Mars offered you pardon first."
"I get it." Aspen looked over at X2 and held out a metal paw. "May the best racer win, Commander."
The shorter Martian grinned with his eyes and gripped her paw in a handshake. "Indeed, and may Dodgers lose."
"Say Commander, do you need... money to enter this race?"
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