All around them, the crowds hooted and jeered as the gesture was broadcast live; Erica scowled, though her blacked out visor hid the expression from the cameras, her anger was obvious in the way that she tensed. Appearances demanded that she make a rebuttal, and she was only too happy to deliver; looking around at the cameras, she pointed at her rival's back and then jerked her arm up into an L shape, while slapping the elbow with her other hand. Now, not all of the crowds' mockery was directed at her, and she was able to save some face; but in a grudging sort of way way, Erica was thankful for the interaction - having a rival was never a bad start for any rookie looking to get noticed. If she won this race, she could sell her old place and get some new digs - perfect to fill with booze, and pleasurable company to keep her bed warm.

Erica took her place on the line, somewhat to the left of the middle; a dangerous place to be - after the start, all the racers would rush towards the middle in an attempt to pull ahead, and that's when a lot of crashes happened. Glancing from side to side, she plotted ways to use the imminent chaos to her advantage. After all, she was not above fighting dirty and neither were half of the others; there were countless times she could recall being punched or kicked in that knot of racers. This time, her new visual augment would give her a sharp advantage - she now knew precisely [i]where[/i] to strike; it was as if she was surveying the very blueprints of each bike, each little error now a glaring flaw. And target.

The lights turned orange, fusion engines started to buzz.

[i]"Right biker. Visor is cracked..."[/i]

The lights turned yellow, Erica hunkered down on her bike.

[i]"Left biker. Steering is wobbly..."[/i]

All sounds of the crowds' excitement was drowned out in the roar of at least thirty hoverbikes surging forward as the lights turned green. Exhileration filled Erica as she picked up speed; the racer that had been to her right attempted to cut her off as they tore towards the already-forming throng of hoverbikes. Her arm shot out like a piston, catching the other rider in the side of his visor; the steel implements in her glove shattered it and cracked his helmet, sending him reeling off of his bike onto the unforgiving road below. Erica shook her hand to dispel the numbness, before focusing on mavouvering through her opponents, looking to catch up with her rival. There was no time to contemplate the fate of the poor sod she had knocked out cold.