(Design Credit: Tim Ritz)
Any debate as to the greatest Rallyist would be remiss not to mention Superball’s name. Since their introduction in 2018, Superball has become a lynchpin of the Rally, and fans often joke that the two years prior to their debut were merely a head-start for the rest of the field. But relative to contemporaries like Ghost Plasma and RN3 they’ve remained an elusive figure, never dabbling in the League and making scarce few appearances in public. Instead, Superball has let the results speak for themselves— at least in theory.
Originally from Supozi, a peaceful city sat ensconced between snowy slopes and the southern coast, a young Superball first attracted attention not as an athlete but as an exceptionally intelligent young marble who stood out amongst their peers for their discipline and academic excellence. When they eventually became understimulated in school, they were turned on to sports in the hope that their capabilities would translate to Supozi’s cutthroat soccer culture. Lush fields and year-round pleasant weather make the ballgame an incredibly popular sport across the city, and in turn a system of feeder youth teams and training camps hungry for the next big thing have sprang up to support the increasingly sophisticated industry. Smart enough to not suffer academically while training and naturally athletic enough to succeed, Superball came highly recommended by their youth coach and quickly demonstrated the necessary skills and dedication to go far. Early performance records leaked by fan sleuths speak to an adept young athlete tipped for the top.
However, while adored by teachers and coaches alike, Superball’s peers did not take well to them. They were lagging behind in verbal expression and struggled to interact with and befriend other players when introduced to an actual team environment. During intense matches they were sometimes unable to issue even simple field commands. All of the potential they were believed to hold was called into question. They were also troubled by frequent changes of school, at one point having to move thrice in the span of two years. The reason for these transfers was never publicly specified, but those same fan sleuths also uncovered their extensive injury records, all attributed to incidents between Superball and other players. As a place on an associated youth team was contingent on a given prospective player playing for their school’s home team for the length of a season, this simple prerequisite proved an insurmountable obstacle for the itinerant Superball. They got the closest after one school fast-tracked them to the team thanks to their excellent performance metrics, then placed in a more passive supporting role. However, after another reported altercation with other members of the team, Superball was quietly struck from the roster, and their attempts to climb the ladder of glory would come to an end.
Still an exceptional athlete, Superball redirected their efforts towards solo sport. Agility was their greatest strength, so they focused on racing, dashing about in the dry riverbeds and sandhills of Supozi. Having exhausted all other options, they also began attending a non-mainstream school, which meant that despite their exceptional grades, they weren’t able to go on to university after graduation. Now alone and with few prospects, Superball began dedicating their life to racing.
At the time, Supozi’s rallyist population was predominantly casual. None shared Superball’s professional ambitions. They quickly tired of their dominance over their races and redirected them to the Sand Marble Rally; a professional rally league with real stakes and real competition. It had recently experienced a bevy of retirements and was seeking new and capable competitors.
Superball traveled out of Supozi to nearby Rugbetia, where a pre-qualification tournament was being held. Bottom-half elimination style races whittled the hopefuls down until only twenty marbles remained. Superball made it through the chaotic first three races, but only victory in the final round would allow them entry into the 2018 SMR qualifiers. Their relative inexperience appeared a weakness, but lead change after lead change, trap after trap, split after split, Superball held firm. They seized the lead decisively after the rest of the front pack had gotten caught up fighting each other. This victory meant that Superball would join Ducktape, Phoenix and Grasshopper as novice racers in the upcoming season.
Between then and the actual qualifiers they developed an elaborate training routine and began working with a well-known local trainer named Patches, aiming to secure qualification to the tournament itself. That qualification they secured, finishing their qualifier race in fourth and joining the 2018 A-League roster.
Superball attracted little attention from Rally watchers initially. Qualifying race winner Phoenix was considered by most the immediate standout amongst the debuting crowd, having been personally endorsed by the now-retired Fantasy. Not helping the gulf between them was Superball’s reluctance to speak to the press or do any other self-promotion. That they had never had a professional racing career before also meant that bookkeepers and fans were highly skeptical of their ability to beat experienced racers like Dragon’s Egg and Ghost Plasma.
Superball’s start to the season was not particularly inspiring. Their eighth place finish was outclassed by Phoenix and Grasshopper in fourth and fifth respectively; in their next race Phoenix beat them once again, as did Ducktape. A fourth place in race three was more encouraging, though far from an indicator of what was to come. But Superball followed that up with a stunning win. Despite Phoenix’s early lead, Superball played smart and took the bottom line during a crucial split around the midway point, charging to the front and never letting up. In a warped premonition of what was to come, RN3 and Phoenix sat on the podium’s lower steps in silver and bronze.
Where other athletes relished in the attention afforded by a win, particularly on which had put them in the overall lead, Superball once more eluded the public eye. They would only briefly attend the subsequent press conference, and none of the usual pictures from a post-race party appeared on the other racers’ social media accounts. Fans lurking the sandhills hoping to catch the racers out and about reported seeing Superball back training on the track mere hours later.
Despite being particularly on-edge following the race’s false start, a sixth place finish in Race 5 was sufficient for Superball to strike out further into the lead. Had they been underestimated? Fans and pundits debated the matter fiercely, but this Superball-lead state of affairs did not last. Subsequent races marked a slight decline for them and a sharp upturn for fellow front-runners Phoenix and RN3. The battle for the lead was becoming highly contested. Meanwhile, Superball’s absence from the public eye and inner-circle celebrations continued, behavior widely considered bad form amongst dedicated Rally fans.
Red Number 3 has been on top before, is on top now. Can Superball give any chase?
So narrated Greg in Race Seven, giving voice to the predominant item of fan speculation- could a novice like Superball seize back their lost lead? The race itself saw their first direct conflict with the beloved standings leader, quarreling for second place behind a dominant Black Knight. Superball eventually overcame RN3 and refused to cede the position, but they could not catch up with Black Knight, and RN3 keeping third place let them maintain a healthy eight-point lead over Superball. Still, Superball themselves had a six-point lead over now third-place Black Knight. Coming into the final race, Superball was very much the challenger; an upstart with a real shot at sweeping the title away from a beloved fan-favorite.
Once more Superball did not attend the post-race celebratory event. They spent the next week training unrelentingly for what looked to be the race of a lifetime. They also refused the pre-race interviews given by the other prospective podium-sitters.
A week later, amidst the autumn leaves, RN3, Superball, Black Knight, Phoenix and Crazy Cat’s Eye lined up for the championship-deciding race. Despite initial optimism, here was where Superball’s relative inexperience finally proved a liability. Having overextended themselves solo training without rest the entire week prior, they languished at the back of the pack, unable to overtake and only seen in second-camera shots. Meanwhile, frontrunners Phoenix, Big Pearl and Comet continued onwards. A last gasp wall-dash move later on put them in a slightly better position, but their competitors had long seized the chance to determine the race’s outcome. Phoenix in particular had taken an assertive several-length lead over Big Pearl and continued to extend it as they rolled further downhill. Nobody could have said it better than Greg:
Where’s RN3? Where’s Superball?
While Phoenix was ineligible for the overall championship, a race win could earn them a podium position, and it seemed nobody knew that better than Phoenix themself. Meanwhile, equally mired at the back was Black Knight, and a calamitous mistake while in 20th resulted in an almost off-screen DNF for the other prospective champion. Almost at the same time RN3 took second over Big Pearl. Superball was a non-factor at the back of the pack as RN3 then caught up with Phoenix and battled them on the slaloms, but failed to overtake by the finish line. Summer Sky completed the final race podium, having pushed past Lollipop in the last few seconds. For all of their effort during the race, Superball earned only a single point.
While RN3’s victory was assured simply by placing above Superball, it was Phoenix’s win that dealt the biggest blow. For want of three points, Superball was pushed by Phoenix into third place. Outshone by their fellow debut marble, they were left to wonder what could have been, though unlike the similarly unfortunate Black Knight they still stood proudly on the final podium with a bronze.
In their first interview ever given, Superball issued a to-the-point statement about the season’s outcome to the press conference.
“I’m glad I was able to stand on the podium today. I’ll see everyone next year.”
Superball left the podium party early and did not remain for the B-League, departing back to Supozi long before most of the other competitors made their way home.
An unproven rookie from an area with no sand racing heritage, Superball’s success secured the attention of many Rally fans. Carefulness, strategic movements and the ability to move steadily forwards on a clear track defined their racing style. Many Supozians were also happy to see a city native achieve success, though the Rally itself garnered little interest at home. But some in the city were also eager to gossip about Superball, whose silence regarding their personal life excited the imagination of fans and journalists alike. Approached by outlets covering the rally, past classmates and teammates of Superball’s sold accounts of their personal life and history to the highest bidder.
Superball fans and more reputable marble sports journalists alike picked apart the inconsistencies between the stories and argued that nothing could be confirmed as long as those speaking remained anonymous. Nevertheless, the image conveyed—that at best, Superball was socially maladjusted, and at worst an irascible bully—stuck in the public imagination. Their reputation thusly suffered, but no retraction or counter-narrative was ever provided. Superball just kept on rolling.
There was little doubt that Superball would be training for the 2019 MR season with the same dedication they had displayed during their debut season. Whatever faults were found with them elsewhere, nobody could deny their dedication to the sport. Neither they nor Patches spoke to the press during this time, though it was obviously impossible to stop the general public visiting Supozi’s sandhills. Those in the area described to fans an intensive and comprehensive training routine aimed at fixing the problems which had denied them what could have been a rookie-season win. Some noted that their training was frequently frustrated by young racing fans, who Superball would reportedly greet much more openly than other older marbles.
Uniquely, they worked tirelessly to individually replicate the courses which had tripped them up in 2018, in particular the narrow and winding final track where the traffic jam of marbles had impeded their progress.
The Red Number 3 controversy proved an unwelcome interruption to Superball’s offseason. In the midst of the matter, Superball appeared as part of MSPN’s Not a Marble documentary to issue a statement. Theirs, unlike Phoenix’s, was in favour of RN3’s eligibility to compete, as well as providing what could only be described as a glowing character reference. Speaking openly and confidently, it was perhaps their most extroverted appearance yet. That they were happy to speak to the press to defend RN3 but not to discuss their own career also took many rally fans by surprise. In a certain sense Superball also benefitted from the distraction that the RN3 controversy provided from their own elusive background. But Superball was also not without their fans. They attracted a particularly dedicated fanbase amongst both younger marbles and ultra-passionate rally fans. Some fans went as far as to suggest that once Superball showed their true potential, the rest of the roster would eventually come around to Superball’s isolationist approach.
As the 2019 Marble Rally swung into action, Superball returned to the sandhills for the friendly race, snatching a fifth place finish in the field of eight.
In a first race of tight curves that saw almost half of the field DNFing, Superball demonstrated their natural tenacity and the improvements made to their racing over the off-season with several quick-thinking overtakes and wall jumps that allowed them to seize a fourth-place finish. Meanwhile, Phoenix and Black Knight came to a stop next to each other in a mutual DNF, which fans of both marbles alleged was deliberate on the part of the other marble—allegations disavowed by Phoenix and Black Knight alike. Some fans also alleged that Superball had sided with Black Knight over Phoenix in the conflict, following rumours that Superball had been seen comforting them.
Continuing hot and dry weather, similar to conditions in Supozi, favored Superball coming into the second race. Initially relegated to the back of the pack by the initial scrum, Superball overtook the other competitors in tight spaces and hairpin turns one-by-one until they were able to land a fifth-place finish. The new subtlety and precision of their racing was a clear sign their training had paid off.
Even as the field responded to Superball’s new tactics by guarding against them, Superball played things cleanly on Race 3’s perilous track and ended up in third, only slightly behind Reflektor and Blizzard Blaster. Uncharacteristically, they attended the post-race party, only to be caught by the press leaving early in what appeared to be a foul mood. This sighting was quickly spun into speculation regarding an argument between Superball and either championship leader Blizzard Blaster or old rival Phoenix, also in attendance. Blizzard Blaster denied this fervently on social media, but Phoenix’s silence fueled speculation.
Perhaps what happened, whatever it was, negatively impacted Superball’s psyche, as the dynamism and daring-do seen previously was all but absent in Race 4. They never broke out from the back of the pack and finished in a disappointing 10th place. These efforts were still enough to tie them for points in first with El Capitan and Blizzard Blaster, however.
RN3 dominated the subsequent race, and Superball was as out of the conversation as everyone else. What concerned their fans was an apparent lack of stamina around the midpoint. Successive mistakes lost them a considerable amount of momentum, left them vulnerable to overtakes, and resulted in Superball being pushed almost to the back by the end of the second sector. An eighth-place finish kept them in a tentative provisional third, but those who had tipped them to have an even better season than their last were left shaken. Even worse was the next race, which increased the gap between them and second-place Ghost Plasma to 58 points versus 65. Meanwhile, other fans fell into Superball-related discord as rumors began to spread from a popular marble sports gossip blog about an encounter between a member’s cousin and two unnamed Rally athletes.
Race 7 repeated the pattern—Superball just barely edging into the top ten, gaining points consistently but failing to assert themselves. Fans became increasingly conflicted over whether Superball was to live up to the expectations set for them prior. Though, coming into the final race, Superball was in an undeniably good position. Being 18 points down from championship leader RN3 meant that only a gold medal could secure them the championship, but the lower podium steps were Superball’s once again should they be able to fend off those eligible to usurp them. And as they stood within reach of the podium, their 2018 rivals Phoenix and Black Knight were in provisional 18th and 11th respectively. Superball had never professed any animosity towards either marble—as with almost everything, their opinion was unknown to the public—yet this disparity heartened their most dedicated fans.
A twisting, barely-dry course stretched out in front of the racers, one final hurdle to overcome. All three championship contenders started in the gate’s back row, Ghost Plasma to the right and Superball and RN3 to the left. Superball got the best jump out of the gate, and as they worked their way down through the order with overtake after overtake and into third place Greg’s narration told of the unlikely conditions needed for them to take home the championship.
Superball, knowing too of their vulnerability, would not leave third-place unguarded. Summer Sky and Comet’s war for first place was the story of the race, but Superball’s own story was that of clever movements and slow, methodical movement upwards into a fifth-place finish. It would be just enough. Having defended against the well-medaled Crazy Cat’s Eye and seasonal standout Blizzard Blaster with a five-point gap between them and fourth, and just one point behind Ghost Plasma, Superball was back on the podium for the second consecutive year. Having never DNFed or scored under six points in a single race, their consistency and dogged pursuit of success shone through and placed them high atop the mountain.
A repeat of their 2018 feat drove their hardcore fanbase into a congratulatory frenzy and cemented them as 2018’s most promising addition to the field. And that Superball was placing so well despite their apparent professional distance from the rest of the field seemed to prove not just their own skill but, to some, a broader point about the nature of the rally. Fans posited that Superball wasn’t weighed down with external obligations or concerns about their friends in the field, so they remained hyper-consistent even without having RN3’s material advantages. This viewpoint was less than popular amongst Rally fans who tuned in for the colorful cast of characters as much as they did the racing.
Superball granted their third ever interview in front of the baying crowd of reporters camping out the podium ceremony. Looking more exhausted than anything, and with a voice all too small in the face of what they had achieved, they delivered another brief statement to those watching the proceedings.
“Congratulations to Ghost Plasma and Red Number 3. I’ll see everyone next year.”
And so they returned home, awaiting the beginning of the next season.
Two of the greats on the podium. Where does Superball factor into that as well?
Such was the question posed by Greg at the end of the 2019 season, one which Season 5 was poised to answer. If 2018 had been a promising start for Superball, 2019 had made them one of the marbles to beat just two years in. Already there was extensive speculation in fan spaces as to how far Superball could take their success. And while most in Supozi still saw the Rally as a novelty compared to soccer, Superball was beginning to challenge the long-held belief that soccer was the only sport that those from Supozi could find success in. Increasingly harangued for more public appearances, Superball eventually capitulated, hosting and occasionally participating in races across the city’s ancient walled perimeter. But they were quiet as usual, and only reluctantly mentioned the rally while amongst the people. Less publicized was their donation of most of their 2019 winnings to charities for young marbles across the city.
Early 2020 saw something else uncharacteristic from Superball; for the first time, Superball left the Supozi/Rugbetia area not for a tournament but for a holiday. The black-and-white marble was spotted in the warm mid-spring climes of Cassata, enjoying the white cliffs in peaceful solitude. When journalists approached, however, Patches fended them off unapologetically with threats of legal action and, failing that, a good pummeling. But the trip nonetheless provided Rally fans with one of the biggest insights into Superball’s character up to that point. While in nearby Sotsevsa, Superball had an unexpected meeting with the Limers, and to the surprise of fans of both the two trained together briefly prior to the 2020 Marble League in Cassata. Superball also appeared in a fan Q&A with the team, though they only answered questions about their training. After the 2020 Showdown, where the Limers placed bottom four, team captain Sublime was quizzed on the TV show Sotsevsa LIVE about the encounter.
Kaffir: You trained with Superball earlier this year, didn’t you?
Sublime: Ah, geez… Yeah, we did.
Kaffir: Do you think it worked out for you?
Sublime: You’ve seen the points totals, what do you think?
Kaffir: (pause) No.
Sublime: Yeah, no. But it’s not their fault. I mean, there was no Sand Rally, so what good was their advice?
Kaffir: Outcome aside, there aren’t many marbles who can say they’ve been able to speak to Superball in person. Did you get along?
Sublime: What, this is a gossip show now? (sigh) Look, they’re a good kid. It’s hard to believe someone that young has accomplished what they’ve accomplished. I know you probably want to hear something exciting, that they’re secretly a huge jerk to suckers like me, but they’re just quiet. And a lot of marbles nowadays could stand to think before they speak.
Superball resumed their intensive training schedule upon returning to Supozi. As an auto-qualifier, the shift away from qualification races to an invitational did not affect them; but of note was the absence of Phoenix, considered Superball’s de facto rival throughout the 2018 season, from the roster. Superball only commented on the matter briefly, when pressed by a Rally fan in public, stating they were disappointed Phoenix would miss the season.
Autumn 2020 spelled the return of the Rally for its longest and most intensive season yet. The impact of RN3’s recent surgery on their performance still a daunting unknown, similarly-consistent Superball was already hotly tipped for the win.
Superball’s initial performance in the season’s first race briefly validated this optimism, as they stormed to the front of the pack quickly, only for the field to be completely reshuffled around a difficult fast-paced turn that sent Lollipop flying into the lead and caused more than a quarter of the field to DNF. Superball failed to recover from this disruption and finished the race in eighth. But those disappointed did not have to wait long for a redemption. In an equally DNF-filled second race, Superball demonstrated their consistency and speed. They took first place around the halfway point, and once comfortably in the lead, they established an insurmountable lead which held strong and true against challengers Ducktape and Ghost Plasma and delivered them to a win.
Superball comes across and gets the second win in an already illustrious career!
Fans and journalists alike once again clamored to hear from the marble on the eve of their second win, and Superball made the rare decision to oblige. Rushed before the microphones, a still-stunned Superball spoke once more to the world in the same quiet voice.
“Thank you for your congratulations. I hope I’ll be able to show you more wins as the season progresses.”
To their most hardcore of fans, Superball’s words were as good as a promise to win the fifth season outright, while their most ardent detractors decried it as presumptuous and egotistical. In any case, Superball was not actually on top of the standings. Relative newcomer Cool Moody headed the field coming out of the second race and stretched their lead in Race 3 thanks to a weaker seven-point finish from Superball. Even a better seventh-place finish in the fourth race was insufficient to keep up with Ghost Plasma, who continued a streak of good performances with a third bronze just four races in and seized second place from Superball. It seemed as if Superball might have to be content with third once more. But those fans who joked extensively about Superball’s trouble escaping the bottom step of the podium found themselves eating their words after Race 5, where stellar performances by Lollipop and RN3 overshadowed a disappointing DNF from Ghost Plasma that allowed Superball to overtake into second overall with a fourth place.
Race 6, the final race before the season would be split into two and the racers would break for the winter, similarly kept Superball’s stake in the championship standings alive and well. But it would also introduce an outside competitor in the fourth place position—Lollipop, who had held Superball’s SMR 2019 position in the accompanying showdown. The artist-slash-athlete was known for their socialite nature and party-planning hobby, neither of which gelled well with Superball’s notorious reclusiveness. Despite knowing each other for almost three years, the two had barely ever spoken. Superball, who hadn’t attended their blowout podium party held after the previous race either, became the target of their ire when they attempted to depart the post-race huddle early as usual.
Lollipop: Hey, Superball! The party’s not that way.
Superball: (pause) I’m not going.
Lollipop: Everyone’s going to hang out and work on a painting to celebrate. And that means everyone.
Superball: (pause) I’m sorry, I can’t.
Lollipop: (sigh) What, so you’re going to refuse to do anything with us forever? Is it because you’re mad that someone that’s not you is allowed to be on the podium? Or is it because you think you’re better than us?
Superball: I never—
Lollipop: Whatever. I bet you wish we’d stop wasting your precious training time and let you win everything, right? Well, forget I asked.
Superball departed for Supozi immediately the next morning. Despite the confrontation, Superball was intensely motivated throughout the off-season, devoting all of their time to training. Superball also began to incorporate snow tracks into their training rotation in preparation for Winterpeg, utilizing an artificial snow hill built in adjacent Rugbetia for this. They did not initially show aptitude for snowy conditions, worrying Patches, but month after month they refined their skills until the novelty of the terrain barely factored in.
Upon their return to racing, Superball looked primed and ready to strike for a season win. There should have been no distractions nor obstacles on the path forward. But the best laid plans of marbles and athletes oft go awry. The day prior to Race 7, Lollipop came to Superball’s door in SnowWorld’s Athletes’ Village, offering an apology for their prior confrontation.
(door knocking)
Lollipop: Hey, Superball? You in there?
(A door opens.)
Superball: What?
Lollipop: Can I come in?
Superball: (pause) Okay.
Lollipop: Hey, thanks. Listen, um, I wanted to apologize for what happened before the break. Not my best moment. But hey, I ended up destroying that painting, so I guess it doesn’t matter. Haha.
Superball: Don’t apologize. You were right.
Lollipop: What?
Superball: I don’t want to do anything with you. And I want you to leave me alone so I can train. So, you were right.
Lollipop: Uh…
Superball: There’s no point in apologizing when you were right, is there?
Lollipop: …I…. alright.
A difficult relationship with one of the other rally racers was nothing new for Superball. That the other racers felt uneasy with the silent prodigy in their midst was something they’d come to terms with. What drew their training to a halt was a call from their trainer the following morning: audio of the confrontation had been leaked by an unknown source overnight, and it was already all over the internet. Superball was distraught.
Officials needed to search their room for the leak’s origin, and the notoriously private athlete was in tears as they waited in the public lobby, processing their private conversation becoming an item of public debate. Lollipop would also be called out to see them, but the two did not speak.
An investigation uncovered a bug in Superball’s room, a voice-activated transmitter concealed within the ventilation system, which had broadcast anything Superball had said since arrival to the unknown perpetrator. The incident, reminiscent of and potentially inspired by the high-profile Savage Speeders leak that had occurred just months prior, prompted an extensive search for similar devices employed elsewhere. Yet after a careful search, it appeared that the reclusive Superball was alone in being surveilled, likely due to the difficulty of infiltration and value of Superball’s private thoughts in particular. For Superball, it felt like perhaps the most grievous entry in a long list of punishments they’d received for trying to keep their personal life private.
The leak dealt a heavy blow to Superball’s struggling reputation. It was confirmation in their own words that they were unengaged with SMR’s communal aspect, and for many it was also interpreted as confirmation that they thought themselves superior to the others. Some dedicated Superball fans defended the racer, some Lollipop fans called for them to be stricken from the roster, and the fandom would be thrown once more into a myopic argument over the value of a competitive sport like the SMR encouraging its competitors to befriend each other. Amidst the controversy, Superball notched a devastatingly poor finish in the day’s race, scoring zero points. In a certain cruel irony, their failure to score tied them and Lollipop on points, with Lollipop winning the tiebreak.
Despite pressure from all sides to justify themself, Superball kept quiet and evaded all attempts to contact them. They remained in their room at SnowWorld and relied on Patches to keep the world away. But on the night prior to Race 8, Lollipop spoke to them through their door, once again insistent on making amends.
Lollipop: (knocking) Superball?
Superball: Go away.
Lollipop: Look, I know you want to be alone, but please at least talk to me. It’s not fair that you’re in this mess because of me, and I want to say something, but—
Superball: Just go away!
Lollipop: If I could clear things up for you—
Superball: I told you, I want to be alone! All this lying about me, stalking me, spying on me, and now banging on my door in the middle of the night. You’re the same as everyone else.
Lollipop: All I want to do is set things right, okay? I don’t—look, my life has been really weird recently and I just—
Superball: Don’t bother. You never really changed your mind, did you? You still think there’s something wrong with me for not wanting to spend time at your loud parties and get covered in paint. You just regret saying it out loud.
Lollipop: I…
Superball: So, you’re right. I’m nothing like you. It’s so easy for you to say the right thing to make everyone like you, and you never get overwhelmed, or scared, or mess it up without knowing it. But I do, and I don’t know why, and everyone’s always treated me worse for it. Racing is the only thing I’m worth anything at, and now you’ve ruined that for me!
(pause)
Superball: Now will you go away?
Unwilling to face the outpouring of media hostilities and resigned to being made the Marble Rally’s villain now that RN3 was competing on even keel, Superball’s determination to outscore their competitors and climb back up the standings only grew. Race 8 saw them lunging aggressively to the front of the pack and attempting a series of dramatic maneuvers, but on the tricky snow terrain these drastic actions drained their stamina, and they fell to the back of the pack. A single point awaited them across the finish line; one less than Lollipop, finally giving the multicoloured marble a point advantage in the standings and letting them claim third place.
Patches insisted that they return to their training and attempt to resolve issues with the press in order to rescue their season from their series of flagging performances. Superball stubbornly refused. Reporters continued to trouble them whenever they appeared in public, and the sudden encounters caused them an unmanageable deal of stress an organized press appearance would only worsen.
During another sleepless night curled up in their bed, an envelope signed with Lollipop’s name was slipped under Superball’s door. Exhausted, Superball opened it before they could convince themself otherwise.
Forced to confront many heavy, long-buried emotions by the note, and further tempted by Lollipop’s offer to do damage control on their reputational issues, Superball contemplated the matter during their private flight back to the sandhills during the days prior to Race 9.
Race 9 was an utter disaster for Superball. Initially promising racing encouraged fans who blamed the Race 7 and 8’s novel icy terrain for their results downturn just as much as they blamed the controversy. But just as Superball had gained a significant burst of speed around a turn and overtaken six other marbles, they crashed out, careening wildly into the fan stands and barely avoiding a collision with the audience. Taking 0 points home from the race and dropping two places in the standings barely registered as fans, alarmed and excited, surrounded them. The animosity Superball had witnessed towards them online was not reflected in those who had come to watch and who marveled at the chance to get to meet one of the racers, rushing in to help them dislodge from the sandbank. Their faces shone with admiration and amazement at suddenly getting so close, and even as race stewards and Lollipop dispersed the crowd and checked Superball for injuries, the passion and enthusiasm of the fans made a powerful impression.
Emboldened, Superball took the initiative in seeking out Lollipop. The two met on a clear night, overlooking the sandhills. Discussing for the first time with complete honesty the history of bullying and harassment they had endured as a result of their differences and difficulty talking, Superball made themself more vulnerable than they had let themself be in a long time. They also shared part of the collection of social media posts deriding them which they had collected over the years; posts made by rally fans calling them shallow, angry, a freak; which collated and shared unsubstantiated rumours about them; which touted the deep loneliness and fear that had built up over the years and prevented them from befriending the rest of the rallyists as their best feature, all emboldened by the anonymity provided by the internet. Expecting to be misunderstood and humiliated again, Superball instead found Lollipop in tears. Lollipop confessed in turn to their own recent period of intense loneliness, spurred by a conflict in their own life which had drawn them to lash out in the first place.
Despite their many differences, the two came to see a part of themselves in the other, not least because of Superball’s own repressed interest in the world outside of athletics. Superball finally agreed to Lollipop’s proposition to speak publicly on a Van Gotterdam talk show about the confrontation in the hope of clearing their name.
With Lollipop taking the blame for the argument and describing Superball as a friend of theirs, much of the controversy was put to rest. The two also began socializing more as friends, too, talking casually and hanging out in and around the athletes’ village. Lollipop also helped introduce Superball to their own closest friends in Season 5’s lineup, Summer Sky and Marbly McMarbleface, in a two-to-one environment. Ever so slowly, Superball began to emerge from their shell.
Race 10 marked an immaculate return to form for Superball. They made a series of smart overtakes which allowed them to assume the lead early in the race, and they held it against challenger Quicksilver until the very end.
Superball, statistically one of the best marbles, takes the lead!
The resultant 20 points rocketed them from seventh to second in the standings. In lieu of a high-energy celebration, Lollipop invited Superball to relax and watch a documentary together, and Superball gladly accepted.
Superball spent a chaotic Race 11 trying to recover from a bad start, eventually succeeding and netting a fifth-place finish at the race’s conclusion. More imperiling to a potential season 5 win than their penultimate race were the equally proficient finishes of fellow top contenders Ghost Plasma and Cool Moody; 4th and 2nd respectively. Superball stood in 3rd with 97 points coming into the final race—with the rest of the field close but a comfortable gap between them and 4th place Ducktape, were they doomed to score a triad of third places?
Everything was down to their final performance, but Superball left nothing to doubt. Not a single second of the race was spent outside of provisional podium contention. Through straights and splits and technical sections alike, they kept their cool for as long as it took, bringing an immensely valuable gold medal and twenty points home. But while Ghost Plasma had DNFed earlier on the course, Cool Moody had recovered into fourth, and it wasn’t immediately obvious how the numbers would shake out.
The race podium itself took place immediately, before the numbers were crunched. Superball, Marbly McMarbleface and Lollipop were quickly washed clean of sand and herded onto the stand. Sharing their first podium together, Superball and Lollipop also shared a symbolic hug at the end before they left to hear Greg’s announcement.
It is confirmed! Superball is the Marble Rally Champion [of] Season 5! Three wins and three points clear of Cool Moody.
Their win had made the vital difference. Years of struggle, controversy, wins, losses, missteps, and great moments alike were all condensed into the Marble Rally trophy that now finally belonged to Superball.
Cool Moody, who finished second overall, spoke to the press while Superball prepared.
“Did I want to win? Sure. Am I mad that I couldn’t make that final push? Yeah. But I’m only mad at myself. There’s no marble I’d rather be second to than Superball. That’s raw talent, baby, all the way.”
And finally, it was Superball’s chance to face the world.
“Thank you to everyone who’s brought me to this place. I wouldn’t be here without the support of my family, my trainer, and even my fellow competitors. Being able to hold this trophy is an incredible honor, and it’s one I’ll never forget.”
Superball attended the post-season celebration, hosted by Lollipop. Hosted in the athletes’ village common room with no loud music and plenty of comfortable seating, the downtempo event suited them much better. They would also have the privilege of putting the finishing touches on Love, Lollipop’s ambitious new comeback project.
But what was next for Superball, who had accomplished in the span of three years what many could only hope to achieve in one lifetime? Those who suspected it would be back-to-normal for the new champion were taken roundly by surprise when, without announcement, marble sports fans Marblearth-wide reported sightings of Superball and Lollipop together in a victory lap across the major cities of Marblearth. Though Lollipop remained on guard against the press, a new generation of younger fans were able to take pictures with their idol, smiling and laughing, in their home cities. But the trip was just as much about relaxation as it was about meeting the fans—most reports were from beaches, spas, and art museums rather than sandhills and gyms. For the first time, the SMR audience saw Superball smiling and carefree, no longer weighed down by loneliness and the pressure to become a champion.
Even as Superball reworked their to-the-bone training style, the Season 5 champion didn’t slow down. They first emerged from their travels and their passion projects for the 2022 practice races, posting a seventh-place finish overall, but fans got another taste of their true capacity when they won the friendly race held during the S6 qualifiers.
Consistency over podiums was at the core of Superball’s strategy coming into the season. Within the initial two races, Superball achieved consecutive fourth-place positions and landed firmly in fourth overall. They were also seen in post-Race 1 photos congratulating race winner and rookie induct Amethyst, who had themself mentioned Superball as an inspiration during their pre-season interviews.
A less impressive subsequent 12th and 7th place finish in Race 3 and Race 4 saw Superball drop into seventh overall, all while Ghost Plasma’s two successive wins positioned themselves as the rallyist to beat. A third consecutive meant this dominance continued into Races 5— but a seemingly indomitable opponent wasn’t going to deter Superball from mounting their own rise up the standings. Two could play the medal-chaining game. Superball rose through the pack aggressively in the tail-end of Race 5, finishing just behind Plasma and CCE and adding a bronze medal’s worth of points to their total. Then, in a fierce skirmish with Ghost Plasma at the front, Superball would put Plasma’s hope of four wins in a row to bed with a gold of their own. Slowly but surely, the prospect of Superball being able to defend their championship was seeming more and more realistic.
Having jumped into second behind a still-dominant Ghost Plasma, Superball rewarded themself with a brief nature trip, enjoying the crisp early spring weather between then and Race 7. Race 7 was a more low-key affair, one which Superball spent struggling with a fierce headwind, and they finished in eighth for an eight-point haul. Shortly afterwards, they were seen with both Slimer and Lollipop, who had earned their first medal of the season in the race, celebrating in a quiet spot nearby.
As Ghost Plasma began their trifecta of DNFs, what looked like a potential podium in Race 8 after a protracted battle with Pollo Loco was thwarted by CCE and Amethyst, and Superball would finish in fourth. But, crucially, that was sufficient to remain in second, and with Ghost Plasma suffering another DNF in Race 9 they would be able to take first place in the standings with a single-point margin on only another eighth-place finish.
Finally on top of the standings, Superball was poised to become the first repeat Rally winner since RN3, but they faced an intimidating field. Ghost Plasma and Slimer were the most obvious threats, but Ducktape also stood ready to strike, with Amethyst and CCE also in with an outside shot. Like the rest of the championship competitors, Superball returned to their hometown to train in the week preceding Race 10, anticipating a fierce battle ahead. They also made an appearance in front of their hometown media, something they typically avoided.
“I’m confident I’ll be on the podium; ideally, I’ll be able to win. But my competitors want it no less than I do. It’s ultimately all up to the quality of my racing on the day.”
Even the most curt and conservative of statements on their Race 10 prospects could not have predicted the outcome that followed. Superball received a prime position in the starting gate lottery, only to DNF mere seconds after the gate’s opening; wedged between the track walls and a branch which had fallen onto the track. Facing their first DNF of the season at the worst possible time, the sounds of the race grew ever more distant from Superball’s ears as the rest of the competitors raced further downhill.
Superball was not alone in DNFing. Fellow championship competitors Ghost Plasma and CCE also failed to cross the finish line, and their 99-point start to the race meant that, in the end, Superball still ascended to the third-place step of the podium, behind Slimer and Ducktape. Once again greeted at the end by Lollipop, whose win in the final race had secured them an eighth-place finish, they let a few tears fall before being led to the place most familiar to them; two steps below the win. Superball stayed around the sandhills to watch the Rally Showdown prior to departing back to Supozi,
In light of their prior championship, missing the victory slightly was no longer an existential disappointment. Having never gone a year of their career without a podium, and with RN3 finishing the season in 16th, Superball had slipped quietly into the role of one of the greatest Rallyists of all time. The question asked by Greg Woods back in 2019- where does Superball factor in amongst the greats?- had finally been answered. But what Superball will have to offer in seasons to come beyond their passion and skill remains, on the other hand, an open question- one that stands to be answered in Marble Rally Season 7 and beyond.
Credits
- Writer: Millim
- Copyeditors/Editors: Evolution, GhostDM, Stynth
- Artist: Toffeeshop
- Graphic Designers: Emmun_Isaac, Millim, Stynth, Tim Ritz, Yume
- Photo Credit: Jelle’s Marble Runs
- Release: 14/07/2024
Project Marblearth 