Summary: An alternative sequel to World Race. Hope you find it interesting, and feel free to review!
Disclaimer: I do not own anyof theHot Wheels, Mattel, etc. stuff that I'm writing about here.
Author's Note: Again, I started writing this before I saw any of the AcceleRacers episodes, so obviously I have some of the characters turning out differently than the later movie series showed. Thanks for your understanding!
Chapter One
"Are you sure he's gonna be here?"
Vert Wheeler glanced at his friend Alec Wood in slight annoyance.
"Of course he'll be here! He said he would be, so I'm sure he is. I just don't know where exactly."
"Oh, brilliant," Alec shot back. "We've been walking around for over half an hour, and we haven't seen any sign of him."
Vert didn't respond; he knew Alec was right. They had searched what seemed like the entire race track, but with no luck. He shaded his eyes against the hot Southern California sun and scanned the crowds once more.
"This place is huge," he finally said to Alec. "He's just gotta be here somewhere."
"How about right behind you?" Alec suggested suddenly, trying to suppress a smile.
Vert turned around, and sure enough, there waving at them was Markie Wylde.
"Hey, Markie!" Alec called as he and Vert ran up to meet him. Except for an increase in muscle mass and the new look of depth and maturity in his dark eyes, Markie looked very much the same as when they had last seen him a year ago at the World Race.
"How you doing, Markie?" Vert asked with some concern. He and Alec had kept in touch with Markie over the past year, and the tragedy that had struck the Wylde brothers just three months earlier was well-known to both of them.
"I'm all right," Markie answered. "Things have definitely gotten better since school got out."
"No kidding!" Alec agreed. He grinned. "We've only got one year left, guys. I can't believe it – we're gonna be seniors!"
Markie shrugged. "It'll be fun, I guess, but I really can't wait for school to be over for good."
"What are you planning to do after you graduate?" Vert asked him.
"I'm gonna start racing professionally. How 'bout you guys?"
Alec answered for both of them. "We might race, like you, or we may try professional skateboarding or surfing."
"Either one will probably work," Vert put in, "so we'll just have to see when the time comes. But you, what's it like living with Kurt?"
Markie chuckled slightly and shook his head. "Well, it's not as bad as I thought it might be," he admitted. "Naturally, there are times when we want to kill each other, but for the most part, we've been getting along pretty well. A lot better than before, anyway."
"Is he letting you come with him to all his races, or just this one?" Alec asked.
"I'm going to all his races during the summer; but once school starts up again, I'll be pretty much stuck in New York." Markie made a face. "He'll keep racing, of course, but he's promised he'll try to be home more often and not leave me alone so much. He and I have spent a lot of time driving together lately, and I've actually learned a lot from him. Shocking, I know, but it's true."
Vert grinned. Throughout the majority of the World Race, he and Kurt had certainly not been on friendly terms. Like his younger brother, but to an even greater degree, Kurt Wylde was very proud and extremely competitive. But despite all this, Vert had come to realize that Kurt truly was a good person, though a bit mysterious on the surface. He hadn't seen or talked with Kurt at all over the past year, but Vert felt confident that none of the previous prejudices between them would surface again.
"After I graduate, it hopefully won't be long before he and I are competing in the same races," Markie went on. He smiled. "Now that'll be fun!"
"I'm sure that won't be too long," Alec assured him. "You're a really good driver, and I know you could get into any race he can. I mean, you held your own in the World Race a year ago, and only the best drivers in the world could compete in that one."
"Thanks," Markie replied appreciatively.
"Speaking of the World Race," Vert broke in, "is there anyone else here we would know besides you and Kurt?"
Markie thought a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. Dan Dresden's here racing, too, and so is Taro Kitano."
"Awesome!" Vert exclaimed. "I hope we can get a chance to see them again; that would be great!"
"Yeah, it would!" Alec agreed.
"Oh, hey!" Markie said suddenly. "Did I ever tell you guys that he and Lani actually got married?"
"Who?" Vert and Alec immediately exclaimed in unison.
"Apparently I didn't," Markie dryly commented, "but Lani and Taro really did get married just a few months after the World Race."
"Wow!" Vert shook his head. "I can hardly believe it."
"Their child will no doubt be the greatest racer of the next generation," Alec added with mock solemnity.
"Oh, yeah, that reminds me," Markie said again. "Lani's about four or five months pregnant now, too."
Vert and Alec could only stare at him for a moment.
"How do you know these things?" the blonde teen finally asked.
"Kurt," Markie answered simply. "He hears about stuff like that and tells me anything he thinks I'd be interested in."
Alec shook his head in frustration. "I still wish you'd told us about Lani and Taro sooner."
"Told you what about Lani and Taro?" said a feminine voice from behind them.
The boys turned and smiled as Lani Tam, now Lani Kitano, emerged from the crowd to greet them, hugging each of them in turn.
"It's so good to see all of you!" she exclaimed. Like Markie, Lani had not changed much over the past year. The only noticeable difference was the slight bulge just beginning to form in her lower belly.
"We heard about your parents," she said quietly, turning to Markie. "I'm so sorry."
"Thanks," Markie replied softly, his head bowed, and Lani reached over to embrace him once more.
Markie straightened up as she released him and said, "I was just telling Vert and Alec about all that's happened with you and Taro since the end of the World Race."
"Yeah, congratulations!" Vert interjected. "When were you married?"
"October fifth, just a few months after the race. It all happened so quickly, but neither of us wanted a long engagement." Lani smiled, and her face seemed to glow. "I've never been happier in my life! And now the baby's coming in less than five months!"
"Have you thought of any names yet?" asked Alec.
"We've thought about it, but we haven't decided on anything." She shrugged. "We've still got some time to think about it, though."
"Well, you'll have to let us know soon after the baby's born, otherwise it'll be a whole year before Markie tells us anything," Vert teased, playfully punching Markie on the arm. Markie just looked at him innocently and shrugged his shoulders.
"We'd better get going," Lani commented, glancing at her watch. "The race will be starting soon. Why don't you all come sit with me?"
"Is there room?" Alec asked incredulously.
"Oh, yes! Taro always gets me tickets for one of the luxury boxes whenever I travel with him to races. He's so sweet!"
Vert laughed. "In that case, we'll be glad to join you. Lead the way!"
Lani's box seats high above the race track were as good as the boys could have hoped. The seating was extremely comfortable, refreshments had already been laid out for them, and they were the only ones there.
"So, Taro gets you something like this for every race?" Alec inquired in amazement.
"Yes, every race I come to, at least. I especially wanted to see this one because I had hopes of meeting you guys."
"Well, I'm glad you found us," Vert commented. The box was indeed luxurious, but Lani's accommodations didn't really surprise him. Not only had Lani won five million dollars of her own as a part of Vert's victorious Wave Rippers team at the World Race, but Taro himself had been living quite affluently long before that through his success in racing and other venues.
Vert couldn't help remembering his very first meeting with Taro Kitano, in which Taro had made it quite clear that even five million dollars would not make a drastic difference in his lifestyle. Taro may have been a bit rough around the edges, but he was clearly a man of strong character, and Vert liked him a lot. He was glad that Lani had found such a good man as her husband.
"This ought to be a great race!" Markie leaned forward in his seat, his excited voice breaking into Vert's thoughts. "Kurt and Taro competed in separate races last week, but they both won. So now they're both coming in here with a lot of momentum behind them. Should make things interesting."
"Don't count Dan Dresden out, either," Vert told him. "He's really good, and I wouldn't underestimate him if I were you. He just might give those other guys a run for their money."
"Maybe," Markie admitted with a mischievous grin, "but only if he doesn't crash. He does seem to have quite a habit of doing that."
Halfway through the race, Markie's misgivings were realized when Dan Dresden was caught up in a wreck involving three other cars. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but all four cars had been damaged beyond immediate repair, and their drivers were disqualified.
But the rest of the race was as thrilling as Markie had hoped it would be. It hadn't been long before Kurt and Taro made their way to the front of the pack, and from that point on, they had only each other to battle for the lead. They were constantly alternating between first and second place, but in the end, Taro managed to pull ahead in the final lap, winning by less than half a car length.