(closed starter for @pillowxtalk)
When Babe signed abroad to try his luck and test his skills in a different race, he expected it go according to plan: go there, win everything, get the trophy, then continue in yet another country. It should have been a breeze; he was the King of the Hallows, after all, the best in his own country, so assuming he will be the best in any country wasn't so egoistic, was it? Well, as Babe sat in his race car โ an interesting combination of black and neon green, instead of the white and blue of X-Hunter that he was used to โ, using all of his skills, every trick he had up his sleeve, and still crossing the finish line seconds too late, he had to accept that it may actually have been egoistic to think he would win easily.
The difference between the winner's car crossing the finish line, and then Babe's following, would have been "only a few seconds" to anyone; but in race car driving, being several seconds behind the winner meant you weren't good enough. And Babe knew better than anyone what not being good enough felt like; he never wanted to feel that way again. He got out of his car after having safely stopped it, and gave his helmet and mask to someone on his team, whose name he hasn't learnt yet, before glaring over at the car and the driver that took first place from him, shattering his ego. The dude was insanely skilled, but Babe would have never admitted that out loud.
