Swoop Races with Barry and Cisco

[childofrebellion]

The door opens onto a decently lit alley with building's reaching up, ships overhead and a crowd of various alien races moving in the cross-street.

Cassian holds it for Barry and Cisco to walk out, searching up for surveillance and listening for 'trooper boots, "Welcome to Corsin.

Comments

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco winces, covering his eyes and then peering through his fingers.

"Oh man, if it weren't so exciting my heart would be breaking for that machinery."

[run_barry]

"They seem pretty built to handle it," Barry points out. "Are there many wrecks in these races, Cass-- Jeron?" Whoop, he caught himself just in time on the name slip.

[childofrebellion]

He waves away the issues, they're not sitting next to anyone it would be a problem for, he doesn't want Barry to worry,

"They are though there are still wrecks. It used to be worse with pod-racers."

[run_barry]

After everything with identities Barry would hate to be the one to give Cassian's away, so he'll do his best to remember the cover.

"I guess it is a given with any kind of high-speed racing," he says, watching the swoops take another turn.

[makes_the_toys]

"Yeah, you gotta be some kind of skilled or crazy for this stuff," Cisco notes, completely enthralled.

"I bet I could build one of these things."

[childofrebellion]

"Wrecks and crashes happen in anything. I think I've seen at least one down in the garage near the speeders. This is the final lap, see that flag over there?"

A flag is holoprojected in the track as the racers get even more aggressive.

[run_barry]

"Cisco, you really don't need one of those things," Barry says, shaking his head at his friend before turning his focus back to the race.

He stands when the crowd does, trying to see who's going to win it.

[makes_the_toys]

"I didn't say I was going to drive it," Cisco scoffs before the end of the race grabs his full attention.

"Go Em, go Em!" Cisco roots, standing on his seat for a better view.

[childofrebellion]

Cassian stands with them as the woman zips across in front, nosing out another swoop bike.

The crowd cheers as the next race starts to get ready, "They're hard to control. I'd rather be in a starfighter than on one of those. I'd flame out but have a better chance of holding my own."

The next few races pass by quickly, it seems the set up is shorter races first to build up to longer ones. In the fifth race that Howl's in, its almost double the laps of the previous ones so positioning becomes more key.

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco and Barry enjoy themselves through each race, sometimes cheering on the same racer, other times rooting against each other.

At the start of the fifth race Cisco scans the field at the start and stands up to point out, "Hey, there's my guy, Howl! You got this bro!"

[run_barry]

Barry blows a loud whistle for Howl and claps at the start, cheering the man on.

"Man, this is a lot of fun, thanks for bringing us," Barry says to Cassian, throwing the man a smile while the swoops take the first turn on the track.

[childofrebellion]

"You're welcome, glad I could find something you like,"

He smiles and allows himself to relax a small amount, maybe he can make these friendships work.

[makes_the_toys]

"It is a pretty great time for our first other-world adventure," Cisco admits. "I tell you what would make it better, though, is if I could get a guy down here to sell me an Orange Whip and a hotdog."

[run_barry]

"Hey, do they sell souvenirs? I totally wanna-- " Barry turns his head to address Cassian, but the racers coming around the corner again pull his attention back to the track.

He starts to raise his voice to cheer for Howl, but as the bunched group of bikes hit the curve, all bumping and jostling for position, something seems off.

Between one second and the next time suddenly slows for Barry and he watches, wide-eyed, as one swoop comes up hard against Howl's. Metal screeches loudly and crunches under the impact and Howl's vehicle jerks sideways then fishtails out. The front end dips, catching the ground, and the whole bike pitches forward into a barrel roll.

Barry moves on instinct, leaving his seat and speeding down from the stands to the track. Howl is still on the swoop, about to be rolled over by his own vehicle when Barry reaches him.

Lightning crackling all around him, Barry grabs the man and pulls him free. He deposits Howl safely on the sidelines and time snaps back into place, everything unfolding all at once. The bike flips over itself, igniting on impact, the crowd reacts, and Barry checks over the man he just rescued.

"Are you all-- " Before he can finish asking the crowd noise turns from gasps to screams and Barry jerks his head around to see some of the swoop wreckage hop off the track and fly up into the stands.

[childofrebellion]

When he hears the sounds of the crash, Cassian's vaguely aware of Barry not being there then he sees the metal coming their way. He pulls Cisco down and covers him, trying to use the seats as protection.

The wreckage flies overhead and Cassian feels heat and pain on his back where some of it gets close then screams behind them from those who couldn't duck in time.

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco's eyes widen and his mouth falls open as the accident unfolds. He feels the gust of Barry taking off, but before he can even react to that people around him start screaming and there's something large and on fire flying right at him.

"Holy--"

Frozen in place, Cisco is only just starting to duck when suddenly he's being dragged to the ground instead by Cassian. Cisco covers up as best he can while the mess flies by just over them.

[run_barry]

With Howl safe on the side of the track, Barry takes off again.

He has a moment of panic when he doesn't see Cisco or Cassian, but there are other people in danger so Barry rushes to save them.

Whole rows of spectators are cleared out a person at a time just in front of the tumbling wreckage, with Barry snatching the last one right before the burning swoop comes to rest in the seat the blue alien had just been occupying.

Leaving the excited and bewildered people to sort themselves out while others rush to take care of the flames, Barry returns to the seats he was in with Cisco and Cassian, calling out, "Guys? Guys are you alright?!"

[childofrebellion]

While crouching, Cassian listens trying to make sense of what's happening, then hears Barry's voice.

He slowly sits up, a hanging part of the wreckage hit the lower part of his back where his jacket rode up leaving a bad bruise along with scrapping the skin.

Rescue droids, local police and stormtroopers are headed towards the worst of the crash, "Yes, Cisco?"

As he looks around, he notices that there don't seem to be as many injured as he would have expected.

[makes_the_toys]

"Yeah, I'm fine... I think I landed on my keys, though," Cisco says, getting out from underneath Cassian with a grunt, then lifting his head to look around.

[run_barry]

Relief washes over Barry when he finally spots Cisco and Cassian, and he steps into the row to offer either one a hand up.

"I think maybe we should go... "

Barry doubts Cassian will want to be around all the troopers and police, and people are already starting to raise questions about the blur they saw. It's doubtful anyone could actually identify it was Barry, but best not to risk attention, right?

[childofrebellion]

"Yes, there's an exit this way,"

He offers Cisco a hand to get up and gestures with his head towards a smaller door near them. It will take them out in a different place than they came in but will avoid the crowds and questions.

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco accepts the hand up, hanging onto Cassian's a moment after he's on his feet; staring at the man.

"Bro, you saved my life."

[run_barry]

Barry blinks at that, looking between the two of them. Conversation can wait though and he nods his head for them to go.

"C'mon, let's get out of here." And away from all of this chaos.

[childofrebellion]

Cassian meets the stare and nods, not certain what to say, he doesn't know what Cisco might do, "You're welcome and we should go."

He can hear 'trooper boots coming down the aisles and gets them down the exit.

It takes a few turns but soon they end up at a side entrance. He keeps them walking until they're in a quiet side street, "Barry, what happened?"

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco lets go and follows, resisting the urge to look over his shoulder hearing those boots.

Once they're away from all of the noise Cisco starts to breath again, patting his chest to calm his nerves and then actually checking himself over.

"That was nuts."