LAP 16
Leave It To Super Arrow!

In the secret space headquarters of Dark Million, Miss Killer announces her plan for the sake of the audience: she's looking for a pilot dumb enough for her to manipulate, but talented enough to make her efforts worthwhile. She quickly finds a suitable candidate...
Super Arrow makes a dramatic entrance in a sports stadium, eager to hear the fans applauding the arrival of their most capable hero...

... only to find the place completely empty. His owl reminds him there's no events on today, though that doesn't stop him: he begins calling for his fans to make a similarly dramatic entrance. Instead, he finds the stadium is being used - Ryu Suzaku is practising some drifting, and the superhero admires his passion but frowns on his technique. Hopping into the King Meteor, he bursts onto the track to show him how a real hero drifts!

Unbeknownst to them, Miss Killer is observing their drifting technique. When they're done, Ryu has Lucy give her evaluation; he needs to work on controlling his machine while drifting, as it just ends up spinning out beneath him. Having held her end of the bargain, Ryu promises to take her to dinner afterwards.
While driving home, Super Arrow sees every superhero's one weakness: a crying woman!

He gets out and introduces himself, and his bombastic boasts are enough to bring a smile to her face. Her concern is no less troublesome, though: her father was once a builder and designer of F-Zero racers, but owed money to some unscrupulous businessmen before passing away, leaving her with his debt... and his last machine.

Super Arrow wipes her tears (with a Super Arrow brand hankerchief) and suggests, if she already has an F-Zero machine, why not race it to win prize money? He'll even personally train her to the highest degree! The girl is overcome with his generosity, and wants to find out how she can thank him. To Super Arrow, that is of no concern, his only wish is to turn her luck around; and he's married, by the way. He realises the girl has not introduced herself. Her name? Sophia.

Meanwhile, Ryu and Lucy are out on their dinner date to the swankiest place in town; he cringes at the sight of the prices, though Lucy sees something interesting: isn't that Super Arrow sitting at that table with another woman? She gets excited at the thought of witnessing some juicy gossip material - a superhero with a mistress! - but Ryu is shocked when he turns around. Is that Miss Killer?!

While excusing himself to freshen up, the superhero is ambushed by Ryu and Lucy. They tell him that his dinner date is among Dark Million's ranks and not to be trusted. Although he values his friend's input ("When did you two become friends?" Lucy asks), Super Arrow believe it is his duty to help the poor woman no matter what, and leaves. They drop it and take it up with the rest of the Platoon; they don't know what Miss Killer would want with a subpar racer like Super Arrow, but it bears keeping a close eye on.

After his date, Super Arrow ponders what he could teach Sophia to turn her luck around... perhaps that technique Ryu demonstrated at the stadium could help? He dreams of transforming it into the "Super Arrow Typhoon Spin", a devastating attack that will sweep the opposition off the track, clearing the way for the plucky damsel. He vows to practise until that fantasy becomes reality.

Ryu and Lucy visit Falcon House to ask Burt for any info on Super Arrow they could use. Clank tells them the boss is a busy man who can't waste time with idle questions... though he's free to answer them, whipping out his wrist-mounted computer. According to his databases, the superhero is deathly afraid of his wife - could they use that to help dissuade him?

Speak of the devil, Super Arrow enters to tell them all of poor Sophia's plight, and why he must do all he can for her. Ryu's attempts to convince him holds no mustard, but since he's been so patient, Super Arrow asks for his help: can he teach him the ways of the Typhoon Spin? Ryu is baffled at first, but declines - he's in this alone. Super Arrow leaves in the King Meteor...

... unaware that the Queen Meteor is watching his departure.

He takes to a practise track and tries his hardest (despite his owl's critiques), only for Sophia to appear: would he be willing to try her father's technique?
She shows him a demonstration - it requires two racers to boost side-by-side, while a third racer drives in between. The residual energies will propel the third racer far ahead at immense speeds - just like a sandwich, Super Arrow deduces. He dubs this technique the "Sandwich Burst", and the two set to attempting it.

The residual energies are a powerful thing, however, and the two machines have difficulty even staying close before it throws them against the track's barriers. Super Arrow isn't willing to give up, no matter how battered his machine becomes. What they need to master the Sandwich Burst is another slice of bread!

The superhero sheds tears for his machine's bruises when he's alone repairing it. Ryu and Lucy arrive, shocked that "Sophia" was responsible for such damage. Super Arrow doesn't want to hear them say such things about her, and instead offers Ryu to become a part of his glorious sandwich. Ryu still has no idea what he means when he returns to the police station; Jody informs him he may have to battle his "friend" if it means preventing Miss Killer from winning.

The Gobida Circuit begins after the announcer warns the audience of what dangers await the pilots - extreme temperatures, treacherous sadstorms and more - before the lights turn green and the racers are off!

The King Meteor and Moon Shadow stick close the entire race, and the Dragon Bird and Astro Robin aren't far behind to keep an eye on them. By the penultimate lap, a sandstorm begins to approach the track...

...and Ryu is wondering what Super Arrow and Miss Killer have planned. Jack Levin cares not one whit and boosts on ahead, roaring his way to the front of the pack. The Dragon Bird fights to overtake the King Meteor, when Super Arrow tells him his time has come to become the slice of bread.

Still baffled, Ryu boosts ahead - just as planned - and Super Arrow lines up on his side, paving the way for the Moon Shadow to boost between them. Miss Killer drops her ruse, thanking the big lug for being so blindly cooperative, as the Sandwich Burst rockets her machine forward at impossible speeds.

Upset he's been manipulated in such a manner, the Dragon Bird boosts to catch up, the King Meteor doing likewise, trying to calm him down. This is Sophia's race to win! What the two don't notice is a third racer boosting alongside them... it's Mrs. Arrow! Her Queen Meteor helps create another Sandwich Burst, hurling Ryu's machine forward at similarly ludicrous speeds. Super Arrow asks his wife why she did such a thing. "For justice, darling."

The sandstorm finally sweeps the course, reducing the track's visibility to zilch. Blinded, machines begin colliding with one another, causing chaos on the track. Ryu catches up to Miss Killer, but the sandstorm and their uncontrollable speeds are a poor match-up, and the two hit the barriers and fly clean off the track...

... sliding to a halt next to a cliff. Ryu exits his machine to berate Miss Killer - did she think she could get away with manipulating Super Arrow like that? Yes, quite easily, actually - a Dark Million battleship rises from the canyon, picking up the Moon Shadow and its pilot before ferrying them to safety, Miss Killer's laughter drifting through the wind as she makes her escape.

On the bright side, Jack Levin was the only pilot left standing to win the race!

Super Arrow and Mrs. Arrow have a little talk after the race; the husband apologises for his actions, but his wife assures him he acted like a true hero, doing what he thought was right and noble. He's pleased to hear such compliments, though he still expresses sorrow for failing Sophia. That's why Mrs. Arrow loves him; his kindness is immeasurable. Next time, maybe he should let her win instead. That becomes Super Arrow's new vow - he will do anything it takes for his wife's happiness!

Burt's F-Zero Classroom: Richard from Osaka asks, "why are F-Zero machines so fast?" The technical answer is the GD Phaser - the layman's answer is F-Zero machines are designed much like jet planes, with extremely powerful engines.

According to the banner before the race, the year is now 2202.

(click to enlarge)
Miss Killer's gallery of pilots features some almost legible Engrish that may actually be an attempt at relevant descriptions... though it's tough to tell.