Disclaimer: Nothing is owned and nothing will be gained.
WARNING!! This is by far the largest head-trip piece I have ever written and therefore it will be kind of hard to digest the first time, so be careful and read carefully because this is going to get a bit. . .dark. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
I face myself to cross out what I've become
Erase myself
To let go of what I've done
What I've done
-Linkin Park-
That's right Speed say goodbye to everyone. Evil Speed sneered as he watched the young driver peel out in the Mach 5. To his annoyance, Racer X also pulled away; the Shooting Star taking the same route as the white car. Stop meddling in my plans, fool! The alternate projected angrily. Since Speed had been close to his older brother before Rex left, the negative was able to link minds with the older Racer. I'm going to kill him and there's nothing you can do to stop me! After a long pause, the Masked Racer answered fiercely.
*You stole my car.*
So?! Go away! I'll deal with you later. My primary business is with Speed. You can't stop me and you know it!
*Give me my car you waste of skin!*
Not until I'm done with it. The irony must be killing you, Racer X. The alternate chuckled, the car YOU built destroying the Mach 5 and helping me destroy the one you SWORE to protect! The Dark Driver grinned wickedly as Speed entered the junkyard and got stuck by a carefully placed electromagnet. Ah, yes! My guest has arrived! Evil Speed got into the Doom Mach and turned the key.
GOSPEEDGOSPEEDGOSPEEDGO
Hearing the black Mach's engine, Speed looked around but saw no sign of the dangerous car. The young driver relaxed a little until the engine revved again and the Voice that was his albeit deeper and raspy split the air.
"Greetings, Speed Racer. It's been too long."
"Not long enough!" Speed growled.
"Oh, I'm hurt—NOT!! Now, out of the car. If you want me you're going to have to find me!"
Speed leaped out of the Mach 5 and faced the direction the Voice was coming from. As he searched behind a pile of wrecked cars, his heart suddenly leaped in his throat as his ears caught wind of a sound; a sound Speed hoped to never hear as long as he was alive:
The piercing screech of his car being torn apart.
Frantic, the driver dashed back to the Mach 5, then stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide in horror. "NO!" he croaked, willing his body to move but it refused to obey him, so Speed was forced to watch as little by little, the white car got sliced to very thin ribbons by the Black Mach's rotary saws. Suddenly, Speed was snapped out of his stupor by Racer X's soothing tone.
"You can't let it get away with this, Speed. That car is a part of you. Save her!"
Rage consumed the younger Racer, and without thinking he leaped into the Shooting Star and rammed the other car into a roll, knocking out the four blades.
"Get your stolen war machine OFF my car!"
The Doom Mach ran into the damaged Mach 5 and spearhooked it, ripping most of the underbelly off. Speed saw red, flew at the black car, and got hooked himself. Unfazed and energized with white-hot rage, Speed tackled the Dark Driver, knocking them both out of the car and into an all-out fight on the ground. The alternate laughed wickedly as they tussled,
"I've gotten stronger since we parted, Speed. I've always been stronger than you. You're weak Racer!"
Speed grunted as a blow connected with his midsection, then dove for his alternate and landed blow after blow into it; his eyes ablaze with righteous fury.
"I'm not weak! I'm better off without you! You lied to me—said I'd die if you were kicked out. You made me think that strength was being more feared than respected! Rex was always there to stop the bullies so I didn't need to play dirty. I don't need you to be strong!"
Evil Speed grinned wickedly and pinned Speed to the ground, straddling his rival's chest and choking him with both hands. Looking into his victim's earnest blue eyes, he sneered,
"Rex was always there, Speed. Do you know why? He thought you were too weak to handle things alone. He always stepped in and stopped you from pounding on someone because he knew you would get pulverized."
Speed writhed; "No!" he choked. The alternate nodded and let his victim breathe a little while it came in for a mental blow that it knew would wound Speed deeply.
"Yes. He finally got so sick of saving your butt that he left. He seemed better off alone anyway. The crash at Sunny Downs sealed his independence. You were at the back of his mind when he took off and he obviously doesn't think about you now. Why do you think he hasn't made contact since he left? He's forgotten about you, Speed."
Speed twisted and writhed under the grip of Evil Speed, then, a small detail that the alternate had brought up caused the good driver to see things a little differently. He tensed, and then with an enraged roar threw his attacker off, then uppercutted it.
"YOU LIAR!! You almost had me hook, line, and sinker—but you made a mistake mentioning Sunny Downs! Everyone knows Rex left because Pops wouldn't let him go pro without some experience. I had nothing to do with it and so it would be natural for Rex not to think about my feelings during his spat and when he ran off!"
"Then why hasn't he made contact, smart one? You'd think that he would at least let you know he misses you if he cared at all!"
"I don't know why we haven't heard from Rex. Maybe I'm not a good enough driver yet. When I'm ready I'm sure he'll challenge me to a race!"
Evil Speed snorted, "You'll never be good enough. Not when you drive like a wimp! Besides, you won't be able to find out anyway, 'cause you won't be around much longer!"
The two tussled some more, the Alternate always ending up on top but Speed tried his hardest, succeeding in keeping E.S. off his throat. The rest of him was not so lucky, and the young driver was getting quite bruised by his alternate as the two continued their brawl.
"I'm wondering how to best put you out of your misery." The Dark Driver snarled as he shoved Speed into a Volvo corpse, grinning when he heard something crack, "I'm thinking slow and painful." The trapped Racer broke free only to be knocked to the ground by a car door. Speed yelped in pain as his attacker jumped on the door, cracking a rib. Determined, the fearless speed demon threw off his tormentor and all weakness and got to his feet. Wiping red spittle from the corner of his mouth, Speed growled savagely,
"Let's finish this!"
"We're about to!"
Evil Speed shoved his hated rival up against a tractor claw, making sure the metal 'teeth' dug into his victim's skin. Speed yelped as teeth met flesh but his determination did not waver. Using strength tapped from his racing reserves, Speed once again threw off his attacker then kicked it into a Chevy. The impact knocked a tire loose from a BMW on top of the Chevy, and the Dark Driver grunted as the part landed on his head, stunning him. Always the good sport, Speed waited for E.S. to get up before attacking again.
"Big mistake Speed!" the Dark Driver snarled as he grabbed a crowbar and hit his rival hard in the ribs, making Speed cry out in pain and double over holding his side. Smirking, E.S. beat his victim nearly senseless with a lead pipe then yanked him to his feet, sneering in mock pity.
"You should have killed me when you had the chance. Like I aid before, you're too weak to kill anything! Now, you're mine! "
Leaning in, E.S. began murmuring, almost soothingly, in a hypnotic tone in his victim's ear. Speed fought at first but eventually his defenses dissolved, and the young driver felt no need to fight the Voice even though he knew it was poison. Evil Speed's eyes shone in sick triumph as he sensed his prey's will give way. The murmuring became a pleasant croon as the poison continued to spread.
