So far, things were going well. Izzy smiled as she looked over to Hitch. "And split!" she called.

The pair moved from side to side to dodge a set of training dummies that had been set up, and then moved back together in front of it.

"Consider them jammed!" Hitch said. "You know, these unorthodox tactics you've come up with are really good."

"Thanks!" Izzy smiled. "There's just something about the smell of wheel grease, other substances, and disco balls that giving me really good ideas!"

"This other substance isn't glue, is it?" Pipp asked.

Izzy looked over indignantly. "I do not sniff glue! How would you like it if somebody just randomly started sniffing you?"

"OK kids!" Tracy called. "Let's take five and have a rest." She held a clipboard up to Sunny. "So far we're doing great. We've got some new tactics courtesy of Izzy, we have the uniforms, new safety equipment, plenty of motivational stories. That just leaves the entry fee. You have paid it, right?"

Sunny's face went white as she took out her phone. "I forgot," she said sheepishly. "But I've got the email on my phone and should find it soon. Here we are!"

Tracy looked at the email and looked very surprised. "I know I've been out of the game for a while, but surely inflation isn't that bad!" she said. "It didn't have that many zeroes when I last entered."

"I don't have four figures sitting around in my bank account!" Sunny said. "Besides, if I tried it the bank would probably flag the payment as fraud and block it." She put her head in her hands. "Why am I only good at messing things up?"

"We all make mistakes, Sunny," Pipp said. "I once forgot to turn the sound on when streaming, which was interesting experience."

"Remember the time we had to pay for retroactive planning permission?" Zipp said. "We could use the same tactic."

Sunny shook her head. "I don't think mom would appreciate me calling her about this when she's in Poland."

"Business trip?" Izzy ventured.

"Yes, and she's probably very busy. Besides, I really don't like using her as a walking ATM."

"Besides, we can all work together to correct this," Hitch said. "We're all in this together, and no doubt you're already brainstorming ideas to fix it."

"You know, I do have a few thoughts," Sunny said. "Why not have a bake sale, with a special smoothie to help raise funds?"

"Can't we try something a bit more exciting?" Zipp asked. "Why not jousting- wait for it- on roller skates?"

"Why did you pause for such a long time?" Pipp asked.

"Dramatic effect."

"I could skate around town to promote that," Hitch said. "Besides, it would mean I'd no longer need the quadbike to get around."

"Can roller skates tow heavier equipment?" Izzy asked.

Hitch's face fell. "I'd overlooked that."

Izzy now spoke. "I have an idea. We could have a roller skate paint party, where people paint patterns with the skates! Or how about an open skate party, where people learn to skate in return for a small donation?"

"And I could perform music!" Pipp suggested.

"How about we combine them all into one?"

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Flank looked at his colleagues. "This isn't looking good," he said. "That new team are really getting good. I haven't seen a team improve this quickly in a very long time."

"Probably because of hired help," Kiki grumbled. "Hiring in a coach is always possible if you've got a large enough bank balance. I'd forgotten Mister Egghead was mates with Tracy Tailspin."

"Odd name for him," Tina commented.

"Given he's one of my professors at the University, don't repeat that," Kiki said. "Besides, I've heard rumours they're holding a fundraiser. Perhaps we should pop along and find out how they're doing."

Captain Buck looked at them. "Don't do anything silly. I don't want our chances of entering the competition to be compromised. If you so much as place a hand on them I will not be pleased."

"Don't worry boss," Flank said. "We won't."

"I think they're going to be a problem," Kiki said.

Less than a week had passed since they had started the observation operation, and already Sunny's team (christened the Locoyard Lightships) had won a bout against the reformed Tinsley Titans. Furthermore, their training only continued to hone their skills.

"What date is their fundraiser again?" Tina asked. "If they get that fee paid they are basically guaranteed a spot at the Derby."

"Tomorrow, I think," Flank said. "Perhaps some sabotage is in order. After all, they can't pay the fee if the fundraiser never happens."

"Flank, boss said that we're not to hurt anybody!" Kiki protested.

"No, he said we're not to place a hand on them. Provided we only use our feet we should be fine."

It was the day of the fundraiser, the disco paint joust derby... thing. Pipp was busy explaining what was going on. "I've set up a smoothie station by the back wall next to the Truro Track, and the disco ball is already going at full power. I also ordered in loads of pizza, so that should help cover anybody who feels a bit peckish!"

"What type of pizza did you get?" Sunny asked.

"Pepperoni, deep fried. And technically I didn't get it. I asked your dad to make it according to that recipe you have!"

"It's an easy thing to bulk produce," Argyle explained. "Besides, I didn't want the Chicago recipe to go to waste."

But as they walked in, they were greeted with a scene of devastation. Drinks were all over the floor. Pizza was splattered on the ground, making a horrible mess. The disco ball had been removed. And paint had been smeared all over the place.

"Oh no," Sunny said. "How are we going to hold the fundraiser now? People are already popping their donations into the box to come in!"

"I don't fancy becoming the next Willy's Chocolate Experience," Hitch said.

Izzy then had a brainwave. "How about we get them to help us put it back together?"

Thankfully, once they had learned the fundraiser had been trashed, the assembled crowd was more than happy to help out the team fix the problem. Sure enough, they got to work. Tables were put back into place. Drinks were remade, and new pizza supplied to replace the ruined pizza. The paint and mess were cleaned up with roller skating cleaning brushes. And a new disco ball was put into place to replace the other one.

Soon, the fundraiser was well underway, and Tina leaned in, scowling. "How did they get all of that put back up so fast?!" she said. "Why are they supporting them instead of us?"

Kiki sighed. "There goes the plan to have their reputation tarnished. Making Sunny out to be a liar who can't supply what was promised would have made this so much easier."

"They're a lot more resourceful than I gave them credit," Flank said. "But then again remember who her dad is."

Tina smiled. "I have an idea. This might work."

As Sunny was on her way home to the station, she suddenly heard a voice.

"Hey, you!"

Sunny swung round to see Tina pull up in front of her. "Hey Tina. How is it go-"

"Being able to trick people into cleaning up your mess doesn't make you a good leader, Sunny," Tina said. "I wouldn't be surprised if you made that mess yourself so others could clean it up!"

"You take that back!" Sunny said.

Tina leaned in closer. "Small shots like you don't belong here, Sunny. I can smell the sea salt on you. Country bumpkins like you are the last thing the sport needs."

Sunny laughed coldly, and started learning closer with every sentence she said. "Oh, I get it now. You're scared... of being beaten... by a group of rookies." She abruptly pulled back as the shuttle to Falmouth pulled in. "Well, check six, Tina. We're coming for you."

Tina smiled coldly as Sunny walked away. "Oh, we'll see about that, Sunny. We'll see about that. Time for my interference strategy to pay off."

Zipp got back in after a long day and went staight to her room to relax. On the way, however, she heard a thump. "Ow! Wearing skates with this lot is harder than it looks!"

Zipp dropped back and opened the door. "Misty, are you... O..." She trailled off as she saw what Misty was wearing. The colours of the Falmouth Falcons.

Zipp's smile vanished, replaced by tranquil fury. "Et tu, Brute?" she asked.

"Sorry?" Misty asked. "Who's Brute? I'm Misty?"

"You joined the Falcons, didn't you?" Zipp asked.

"Well, Tina did offer me a solid position, and-"

"We're competing against them! You're like a sister to me, Misty! How could you do this?"

Misty got herself up and rolled over as best she could. "Wait, what? You formed your own team? Why didn't you ask me?"

Zipp looked shocked. "How were you not aware?"

"You never mentioned it, so I just assumed you were too busy for some reason." Misty looked at the clock. "I've got training in half an hour, so if you'll excuse me I need to be on my way."

As Misty left, Zipp looked about. "They're trying to drive a wedge between us. Well, not today."

Author's Note

This chapter is an adaptation of the fourth Kenbucky Roller Derby comic. The title is taken from the 1954 novel of the same name by Paul Brickhill.

Willy's Chocolate Experience was a notorious scam event which occurred in Glasgow in 2024. What was advertised as a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-esque whimsical journey rapidly turned out to be a sparsely decorated warehouse. Safe to say, the result bore little resemblance to the (nonsensical and typo-ridden) promotional material, and the police was ultimately called.

Et tu, brute is a Latin phrase meaning 'and you, Brutus'. The line is taken from Act 3, Scene I of the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar, when Caesar recognises his old friend Brutus amongst his assasins. Since then, the phrase has been used in popular culture to represent betrayal by an old friend; Rarity uses a variant of the line when confronting Sweetie Belle in Ponyville Confidential, and the Kenbucky Roller Derby comic has Sunny ask Zipp this question in Issue 2 (albeit getting the declension wrong; it should read 'et tu, zippe', not 'et tu, zippus').