Chapter 1: Intense Training

Mike grins as he flew his plane to his hometown of Pilotwash Junction, passing the sign while doing so. The place doesn't seem much but this is the best place to be when it involves planes and their pilots. Mike saw a lot of folks going about their day.
At a fueling and repair station, Rob 64, a robot working at the same flight school that taught a hillbilly beast known as Fuzzy Lumpkins how to fly, was listening to a fat boy named Owen who is filling up the robot's fuel tanks. Two figures are with him listening. One of them is a Goth Girl with black eyes and blue hair. She wears a black teal/shirt, black pants and black boots . Her name is Gwen, one of Mike's friends next to Owen.
The other is a African boy with brownish hair and blue eyes wearing glasses, a red hoodie sweater, yellow shorts, white with blue stripe topped socks, and orange sneakers. Hisname is Cameron, another one of Mike's friends.
"Yuck, nowadays, they got soybean fuel, switchgrass fuel, algae fuel!" Owen comments. "Cool but a bit gross."
"Right, healthy." Rob 64 remarks with a light chuckle, "No 'tank' you; Ha ha ha!"
"Yeah, what's next; Pistachio propane?"
"Well, they are just saving some energy." Gwen comments to the boys in concern. "I mean, there are ways of using alternative fuel."
"What, you nuts?" Rob 64 asks Gwen in amusement. "Only fools would do that.
"When it comes for my money, give me that good old fashioned corn fuel." Owen chuckles as he pats the fuel that is filling up the tanks right now.
"You betcha!"
"Heck, I even made up a slogan."
"Really; what slogan is that?" Cameron asks Owen curiously.
"Right, slogans are good." Rob 64 remarked, wanting to know what slogan that Owen has made.
"I got a keeper. Ahem...'Corn, it gives you gas'. Owen said, revealing what the slogan is. Gwen and Cameron look a bit uneasy by it, though Rob 64 gave that an pondering thought.
"Yeah; sounds catchy. I like it."
"Yeah, same here! Whatcha think, Gwen, Cameron?"
"Well, it's catchy and something all right." Cameron said, giving an uneasy smile to Owen, not wishing to harm his feelings
"Right, a bit disgusting but it works" Gwen said with a quick nod. The slogan sounds gross though but what else do you expect from a gross fat boy like Owen?
"Yeah, awesome," Owen cheers at the approval, well, some of it anyway. Once the tanks are filled, he gives them to Rob 64. "Okay, Robby, got you all set."
Rob 64, taking his tanks, grins as he head off, sayings, "Thanks, Owen. Catch you guys later!"
"Right, say hi to Peppy for us." Cameron remarks to ROB 64 who nods as he leaves, "Weirdest conversion ever!"
Suddenly Owen's ham radio is turned on; a familiar voice calls out from it, "Hey! This is MP Mike to Goth Girl, Brainiac Bubble-Boy and Canadian Boy, over!"
"Oh yeah, he's done!" Owen cheers on wildly as he, Gwen and Cameron rush over to the radio. Mike is done with his work which means that the gang can get to practice for the tryouts for the rally.
Gwen turns the radio on, speaking into a mike in annoyance, "Uh, Mike? You know Cameron and I are with our nicknames."
"Awww, come on, Gwen! It makes this sounds cool!"
"Yeah, but 'Bubbleboy Brainiac'," Cameron ask Mike unimpressed. "Who came up with that?"
"I did! Woo-hoo, awesome," Owen cheers wildly, making Gwen and Cameron sighs a bit. Of course, they should've known.
"You guys are ready for practice?" Mike's voice came from the radio. The trio nods as they put their hats on, time for practice for the rally.
"You betcha, Mal." Gwen responds into the mike to Mike in amusement.
"Uh, Gwen; I thought we talked about this. I don't like using the name of my evil alter-ego."
"Oh, sorry. I meant to say 'The Big Boom'."
"Hey, Mikey," Owen calls out into the radio in eagerness, "Ready to make some clouds?"
"You betcha! You guys ready for practice?" Mike asks his friends who put their hats on; Time for practice or the competition to participate in the rally. If all goes well, Mike will be in!
"You betcha, Big Boom," Gwen said with a smirk into the radio, "Okay, fellow; Time to get into your positions!"
Gwen and Cameron got into their cars while Owen got into his truck; everyone drove off to the practice area.
Mike meanwhile smiles eagerly as he chuckles and passed by the pirate looking flag in the sky, cheering, "Yahoo! Ha ha!"
During Mike's showing off, at the flight school, a window open as Peppy Hare, the old pilot who once taunt Fuzzy how to fly, watch him show off. The hare shake his head, mumbling, "Ugh, young pink is going to get himself killed one of these days."
In the crop fields below, Mike's friends watch their friend flew by them. Cameron speaks into a headset to his friend, "All right. We got you in sight, Mike."
"Now then, start with some corn-row springs." Owen comments with a chuckle. "Right, drop and give me 20...spin or bucks whatever works!"
Mike smirks, zooming his plane down a bit then flies around. Peppy peeks behind his curtains to see the boy in action. To him, the boy is going to get smashed if he keeps this up.
"All right, buddy; keep it going!" Gwen calls out to Mike with a smile.
"Nice turn!" Cameron's voice remarks through Mike's radio.
"Too easy, what else you got?" Mike asks his pals with a smirk. The wannabe pilot needs a good challenge if he wants to succeed at the tryouts.
The group looks through a book which is labeled 'Air Racing for Morons'. Owen spoke to his pals, speaking, "Now try some treeline moguls." Mike did as he flew above the trees a bit.
"Yeah!"
"Okay, all the way up and down. Don't dog it, that's how you do it."
"Ooh, yeah!" Mike exclaims with a grin. He is doing well so far.
"Looking good," Gwen's voice came from the radio impressed.
"Right, uh huh."
As his pals chuckle on the ground below, Cameron reads the next instruction though is having difficulty, "Now adjust your angle of bank with your alien irons.
"Oh, don't you mean 'ailerons'?" Mike asks Cameron puzzled.
"Hey, you try reading this!" Cameron exclaims to Mike with a frown. Suddenly without warning, part of Mike's plane's engine blew up a bit. The boy groans in alarm.
"Ugh! Oh man! Audrey is going to kill me."

Audrey Ramirez is the head mechanic at 'Owen, Audrey & Crew's Fill & Fly' where Mike and other pilots usually go to get their planes repaired. The girl is a tough one but a fair friend to Mike but disapproved of his flying, mostly because she believes his crop-duster plane is not built for racing. He does his best not to let her know but she always figured it out.
Audrey, a black-shouldered hair woman, was checking out Mike's plane while her crew which consists of Dr. Joshua Sweet, Vincenzo 'Vinny' Santorini and Gaton Moliere AKA the Mole helps her out. The girl mumbles, "Okay, the oil lines and oil cooler check out."
"Right," Mike said, nodding as he, Cameron and Gwen wait for the results.
"Right, so far, the AN-fittings look fine." Joshua said with a nod, cleaning the plane up a bit.
"Wait, wait, dirt, dirt," The Mole laughs he swipes the rag that Joshua is using, much to his annoyance.
"Mole! Put that back!"
"Well, so far, things appear to be doing fine." Mike said with a sigh of relief. His plane is fine...he can only hope that Audrey doesn't know what he was doing.
That is until Audrey notices something, lifting her goggles up, frowning as she said, "Hang on. You've worn out your main oil-seat."
"Wait, really?" Gwen asks Audrey in concern. That doesn't sound good.
"Right, which happens during engine burn outs." Vinny remarks with a nod as he get some tools. "No prob. It will be fixed in no time."
"Right, of course, that kind of damage comes from extremely." Audrey remarks dryly as she almost slams the engine hood near Mike's fingers.
"Wait, hey!" Mike exclaims in alarm. That almost broke his fingers.
"High speeds; pushing the engine to the red line for prolonged periods of time."
"Hee hee hee; I don't get it." The Mole remarks to his pals puzzled.
"She means that that engine stuff only happens when it involves major situations like racing, flights and all that." Joshua comments as he opens the hood again, helping on fixing the thing.
"Well, that would be unwise to do something like that." Mike said, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
"Ooooh, but you won't do that." Audrey remarks sarcastically to Mike. "After all, you're only a crop duster and you only dust crops at very low speeds."
"Right, low and slow." Cameron remarks, chuckling a bit but a glare from Audrey stops him.
"Unless you, Mike, have been racing again! We've talked about this!"
"What? No, what, me? No way," Mike remarks nervously to Audrey. Not good, she figured him out. Now the boy got to work hard to conceal his secret.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down, Audrey." Joshua said, patting Audrey in the back. "What's wrong with racing? He wants to be a racer like certain people."
"His plane isn't built for racing, Joshua, you know that!" Audrey scowls in irritation to the doctor. "If it blows up, then Mike is going down with it."
"Well, come on, if Mike said he isn't racing, then who are we to disbelief him, huh?" Vinny ask with a smirk, secretly knowing what Mike has been doing.
Suddenly a truck is heard honking as everyone saw Owen arriving. He smirks and got out of his truck saying, "Yo guys! Hey, Mike, you were really in the zone earlier! A Saturn rocket couldn't catch ya!"
"Err, Owen?" Cameron asks Owen nervously, noting Audrey's frown.
"Ballistic, ha ha ha," Owen chuckles as he flickers his lights. "We're talking light speed, light speed big time!" Mike's group meanwhile yelps as they try to shush the fat boy. If Audrey finds out what Mike has been doing, she is going to go ballistic. "Oh, I know you're going to tear it up at the qualified this weekend, Mike."
"Argh, no, no," Gwen exclaims to Owen frantically. The crew looks concerned as Owen notices Mike doing some motions, signaling him to stop talking.
"Oh, charades! Oh, this is awesome! Well, you're..." Owen said, seeing Mike zips his lips, much to the fat boy's confusion, "Uh...putting some lipstick on. You know that's weird." The pilot quickly waves his arms around to make buzzing sounds. "No, wait, wait. You're...trying to hit flies, yeah!"
"No, no!" Mike insists, making a 'cut' motion across his throat frantically.
"You're cutting your head off?" Owen asks confused. Mike covers his head, then clenching his arms and groans loudly. "You're...using the bathroom? Can you do that here?"
"Ha ha ha! You stink at this game!" The Mole laughs madly. "It's..."
"No ruining the game!" Vinny snaps in irritation to the Mole. "Especially since that isn't what Mike is doing and..."
"Ugh, Owen! Aurey's standing right here!" Cameron exclaims in annoyance.
Owen blinks and saw Audrey, crossing her arms. He chuckles nervously, "Oooh, right. Sorry, I didn't notice ya."
"Busted," Joshua remarked with a sigh, shaking his head.
Audrey gave an accusing glare to Mike who said sheepishly, "Wow, that's awkward. I don't know."
"You were racing again, weren't you?! Mike, your plane is not built to race! It's built to dust crops! I mean, do you even have an idea as to what would happen if you push it too far?" Audrey scowls as she holds the wrench and hits Mike and Cameron a bit, "Wing flutter, metal fatigue, turbine failure!"
"Turbine failure," The Mole gasps in shock and uncomfortingly.
"It means boom." Gwen explains, making the Mole blinks and smirks mischievously.
"Oooh, I like boom!"
"Not with this boom!" Audrey remarks dryly. She then begins to imitate as if the boy is in a terrible situation. "Oh no, I'm going down!" Owen and the Mole gasp in alarm, "Oh, why didn't I listen to Audrey?!"
"Hey, ain't you overreacting a bit?" Vinny ask Audrey with a frown.
"Yeah, why didn't you listen to Audrey?" The Mole asks Mike in worry while frowning a bit.
"Wow, she's the smartest mechanic in the world!" Audrey remarks as she continues imitating Mike in a nasty situation. The girl gasps, "Whoa!"
"What? What's wrong?" Owen asks Audrey frantically.
"The orphanage!'
"No! Not the orphans!"
"Out of the way," Audrey exclaims frantically, still overreacting. She slams the wrench down onto a part of the plane to make a crash, "BOOM!"
"The kids, not the kids," Owen whines a bit.
Audrey's wrench meanwhile hits the lights, causing sparks to shorten a bit. She made some more explosive noises while mimicking dying before the girl falls to the floor, pretending to be dead. Mike's group gasps a bit as she lies still.
"Wow...both vivid and specific." Mike remarks in concern to Audrey.
"Right, a bit overreacting of course," Cameron said in concern concerning Audrey’s performance.
Joshua sighs, shaking his head while saying, "Audrey, you're overreacting. Look, I'm sure Mike will do fine."
"Right, that is why I need you and your crew to come with us to the qualifier." Mike said with a smile, making Audrey getting up, glaring at the others. "I need a good crew to help me out."
"Yeah, and maybe to make some more TNT for special effects, you know?" Vinny ask Audrey with a chuckle.
"Ugh! You boy are unbelievable!" Audrey remarks in disgust to the boys. She is trying to help Mike from killing himself from a dangerous risk and no one is taking her seriously...well, almost no one.
"Oh, you hear that, guys? I'm unbelievable." Mike remarks to his friends with a light chuckle.
"I think that was an insult." Gwen explains to Mike in concern.
"Ooooh, the orphans," The Mole sobbed a bit while covering his face on the plane, "Why, oh why?!"
"Okay, calm down, calm down or I will use this!" Joshua snaps as he hold a bar of soap to the Mole, making him hiss and runs off.
Audrey rolls her eyes as she heads off. Why must she put up with these people?!

It was nighttime as Mike, Owen, Cameron and Gwen are in Mike's home, watching TV. On it, there is the news about the upcoming Wings around the Globe Rally which is being explained by Jet Hawk, who did some commentating for other races involving cars.
"All right, tune in for in 2 weeks, it will be the start of the Wings around the Globe!" Jet exclaims to the camera with a smirk.
"Guys, you know I think we've got a really good shot at this." Mike said in confidence.
"Right, we do!" Cameron exclaims with a smile. As long as Mike sticks to his training and confidence, he could be able to make it.
"Especially since we finish this book by then," Owen remarks as he checks out the book that the trio were reading to Mike during his flight.
"I'm concerned, Mike." Gwen remarks to Mike in concern. "I mean, we may need more help and experience in this."
"Come on, what could go wrong, Gwen?" Mike asks Gwen with a frown. "I mean, I didn't crash and hit the ground yet! Yeah, I got some engines problems here and there, but nothing too biggie."
"Audrey may have a point. We may need to find a way to keep your engine problems from happening during the tryouts and the rally if you make it there."
Suddenly a show called 'Top 10 Crashes' appears on the TV. Owen exclaims eagerly, "Sweet! I love this show!"
The number 10 logo appears on the TV as a voice booms, "The best 10 best air crashes ever of all time!"
The four watches as planes are being lifted before one tilted, falling right onto the ground. Mike cringed a bit while saying, "Whoa, yikes!"
"Not good." Owen remarks in concern.
The ninth crash appears as a bewildered Cameron asks, "How does that happen?" Sure enough, the TV shows pilot flying by cone balloons, but one of them hits one, crashing right in front of the camera.
"Ooooh," The four remarked, cringing at this sight.
"Wow; that is going to hurt big time, especially for wannabe pilots." Gwen remarks. Mike looks a bit worried. If those crashes happen due to some problems or inexperience, he may not last out there.
"Huh." Cameron said as he looks at the Flying for Dummies book. "This book might not cover everything that you could run into out there.
"What are you on about?" Mike asks Cameron nervously.
"I don't know, I think Gwen is right about Audrey being right. I am wondering...maybe we need some help."
"Help; from who? Who would bother?"
"How about that hare who trained that hillbilly beast how to fly?" Gwen suggests thoughtfully, thinking about Peppy Hare. After all, if he could train Fuzzy how to fly, then maybe the old hare could help out with Mike.
"Yeah...what is his name again?"
"Let's see...oh yes, Peppy Hare." Cameron said in realization, recalling the hare's name.
"What; Peppy? You mean the old hare whose lives at the end of the runway?" Mike asks his pals, knowing what they're talking about now. Everyone in town knows about Peppy, his school and the obvious fact that he trained Fuzzy.
"Sure, he's a war hero. He flew with Star Fox before, even the original team."
"Cameron, look, the hare did some flight schooling for the money, but come on! He's an old crankshaft rabbit!"
"Is that so? Well, my buddy Rob 64 says that he was also a legendary flight instructor in the navy." Owen explains to Mike with a smile. "That can't be different from that school he teaches at sometimes."
"Right, come on. Give him a chance." Gwen comments, making Mike frown a bit. "He taught that beast without leaving the ground. He knows stuff."
"Guys, face it. Peppy's been grounded for decades and hasn't flown ever since, even after teaching certain people how to fly!" Mike remarks in frustration as he slumps to the couch. "Anyway, why would I want to be coached by someone who can't even fly?"
"At least he was a pilot." Cameron points out to Mike with a sigh.
The four drank some soda, watching the TV as the voice booms, "And the number 1 crash ever of all time..."
The four cringes as the crash occurs on TV. Owen remarks in alarm, "Aw, man!" That airplane crash looks like it could kill someone.
"Yeah, I'm okay." A weak voice is heard. Well, the injured pilot was hurt but then the TV begins to flash flame colors, making the Viewers gasp in alarm. That really REALLY hurt.
"Oooh, that's gotta hurt!" The voice remarked. "I hate to be a rookie who wanted to be a flyer who doesn't learn from that!"
Mike begins to look frightened, saying, "Yeah, on second thought, we should ask for Peppy's help after all..."

Peppy's school/home is closed for the night but the four went over to the darkened area anyway. Hopefully, Mike can talk the hare into teaching him to fly in hopes to be ready for the tryouts and/or the rally.
"You know, I heard that he shot down 50 planes." Owen explains to his planes quietly. "I heard stories about his squadron, the original Star Fox and the new."
"Yeah, we know that already, Owen." Mike said to Owen, reminding the fat boy that everyone heard about Peppy's involvement with Star Fox by now.
"Those guys were the roughest, toughest, meanest flyers in the navy; Ruthless killers who don't show any mercy...unless that goes to the enemy, not the good guy."
"Wait, so..." Cameron said, beginning to get a bit nervous.
"No mercy!" Owen booms, making Cameron gulp a bit. "Why, won't they see you, they would rather shoot then continue looking at you!"
"Come on, I'm sure that was just exaggeration." Gwen comments as she rang the doorbell near the door, "Anyway, I betcha if Peppy could teach those guys, he would have no problem with you, Mike."
"Hope you're right about this." Mike said nervously as he closes his eyes.
But when Mike opens his eyes, he, Gwen and Cameron saw Owen rushing off into hiding, making them snap, "Owen!"
"I will wait here!" Owen exclaims as he hides behind a bush.
Just then the door opens up as a stern-looking Peppy walk out, approaching the visitors with Rob 64 peeking out from behind. Cameron nervously spoke, "Uh..."
"Say, hey there, Mr. Hare. Uh, hey, I'm trying out for that Wings around the Globe Rally thing...and yeah, while I know you can't fly anymore..." Mike said nervously. Of course, Peppy just glare at him as if the boy has said the stupidest thing ever.
"Smoooooth move, Mike," Gwen remarks sarcastically to Mike.
"Errr, I mean, you know what they say: 'Those who can't do, teach'. Right; so...what I'm going for is...you're not a truck pushing boar. Okay, let me cut to the chase: Cameron, Gwen and I were wondering if you could train me."
Peppy however frowns as he slams the door shut right in the trio's face. Cameron groans, "Awww, geez. That didn't work hard."
"Hey, go on! He's warming up to you!" Owen calls out, peeking out to Mike and motioning him to go on.
Gwen rang the doorbell once more. The door slams open as a frowning Peppy glares as she spoke, "I think we came out on the wrong foot, so can we do this again?"
"Right, I heard you shot down 50 planes...err, I meant planes, not the pilots." Mike said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.
Peppy finally spoke but not in a nice way, "So what? You want to be number 51?"
"Gah! Errr, no..."
Peppy was about to close the door again but Cameron quickly yells out, "No, wait, stop, wait!" He quickly stops the door with his foot though it ends up getting scrunched, making the African boy screams. "OUCH!"
Peppy opens the door once more, getting a bit irritated. As Cameron frees his foot, groaning while holding it, Mike said, "Hey, look. You got to help. I figured that...with my guts and your glory."
Peppy however just sighs, explaining sternly, "Look, you guts would just be a grease spot on a runway somewhere. Just go home and forget about it, kid. You are in over your head."
"Look, you flew all those..."
Sadly, Peppy slams the door shuts before he shuts the lights off for the night. The trio groans a bit in defeat; Looks like the hare isn't going to help Mike out after all. Why can't he?
"How about we try the back door?" Owen calls out to his pals, much to their annoyance.

Author's note
Well, so much for asking Peppy for help. In the next chapter, Mike goes to the tryout as we meet champions Scott and Courtney as well as other pilots. Can Mike be able to make it through the tryouts when there's doubt against him? Read, review and suggest.

This chapter has references to shorts of 'JusSonic's Cars' starring Fuzzy Lumpkins.

Cameron is from the Total Drama series.

Mal is Mike’s evil alter-ego that was the main antagonist of ‘Total Drama All-Stars’.

Audrey and her crew came from the Atlantis movies.