Author's Note: Sorry this took so long to post, been busy with making Christmas ornaments and battling another one of my infamous chronic sinus infections again. Add a major case of writer's block, and I had a dickens of a time getting back into writing mode.
Chapt. 10 An Unexpected Encounter
For a moment Mom Racer stood there in the hallway, speechless. A look of shocked disbelief registered on her face. "Why...Why, yes. How did you know?" she asked finally. "Have you seen them?"
On the other end of the line, Racer X let out a hearty chuckle. "Seen them? They're sitting at my kitchen table, drinking hot chocolate and staying out of this rain," was the Masked Racer's cheerful reply.
Still, Speed and Spritle's mother had a hard time believing what she was hearing. "What?! Repeat what you said...What did you just say?" Mrs. Racer exclaimed, once the realization of Racer X's words had sunk in.
"I said, they're in my kitchen. Having a nice mug of hot cocoa." Again, Rex Racer chuckled smugly.
Instantly, the expression on Mrs. Racer's face changed from one of shocked disbelief to immense relief. "You mean to tell me, they made it all the way to your house? In this weather?" she inquired anxiously. "Are they all right? Can I speak to Spritle?"
X laughed. "Of course."
While Mom continued talking, her excited tone of voice quickly got the attention of Pops and the three teens in the kitchen. "Hey, uhh...Pops? Did I just hear Mrs. Racer right?" Sparky said hoarsely, looking quite baffled. "Did she just say, she wanted to speak to Spritle??"
"You heard right, Sparky." Snorting, Pops called out to his wife. "Honey? Who's that on the phone, and what's going on?"
Immediately, Mrs. Racer excused herself to her caller. "Excuse me, Racer X. I think I had better tell my husband, what's going on," she quipped, then cupped her hand over the receiver. "It's Racer X, dear. Would you believe, Spritle and Chim Chim are over at his house, having cocoa??"
Naturally, that got the head of the Racer clan all flustered and comically red in the face. He couldn't believe this---Spritle and the family pet, making it all the way out to the Masked Racer's house?? In this horrendous thunderstorm?? The news was enough to make Pops Racer, as Spritle would put it, "blow a gasket."
As usual.
Pops' face reddened even more as the news of his young son's whereabouts finally hit home. "Whaaat???!" he huffed, smacking his forehead with a huge hand. "Those two scamps are having cocoa with the Masked Racer, while we've been worried sick about them???" Hastily the big man rushed from the kitchen into the hallway, still muttering in comic disbelief. "That rascally Spritle, he and Chim Chim are just as bad as Speed sometimes! All three of 'em are enough to give me a heart attack...Here. Let me have a word with Racer X!" Pops snatched the phone from his relieved---and secretly chuckling!--wife, then spoke into the receiver. "Racer X? Pops Racer here. I demand to know, how on earth did my son and Chim Chim manage to get all the way to your place on a night like this??!!"
In the kitchen, Speed and his pals looked up at the sound of his father's voice. "Speed!" Trixie whispered excitedly to her boyfriend. "Did you hear that? Your brother's over at Racer X's house. Having cocoa!!" She rolled her eyes as she made that last comment.
Sparky grinned. "Gee! Wonder how he managed to get out that far," he wisecracked, then turned to Speed, who was still moping at the kitchen table. "Say, Speed. Isn't Racer X's place on the other side of town? Not far from the track?"
Speed nodded. "Yeah, it is. I don't know how Spritle and Chim Chim got out there, Sparky. Your guess is as good as mine," he replied quietly. Part of him still felt guilty over the way things had gone that day. Yet at the same time, the fact that his baby brother had had the presence of mind to seek out someone like the Masked Racer...Well, that did relieve the young man considerably.
Just then, they heard Pops bellow again. Although this time, there was a sense of relief to the man's voice. "I demand to speak with Spritle, this instant! I have a few choice words, for that little scamp...!"
Speed couldn't help himself then. He tried to stifle a smirk, and rose from his chair. "Excuse me, guys. But I have a few words I want to say to that uh, scamp brother of mine too," he said, exiting the kitchen.
He hurried into the hallway. "Hey, hold on, Pops! I've got something I wanna say first," Speed called out. "Besides, it's my fault he left like that. I need to apologize to him."
Pops narrowed his eyes as the teen approached. "Now, Speed, let me speak first...," he began, looking a tad flustered.
"Aw, Pops, please! I just want to apologize to Spritle. I won't take that long---" The look that Speed was shooting his father was enough to melt an iceberg. (Who or what could resist those baby blues of Speed's, anyhow?)
His dad sighed. That Speed! Sometimes, Pops wondered whether he'd raised the next Formula One champ, or a con artist! "Well...if it'll make you feel better..." He handed his son the phone. "...But don't hang up when you're done, I still want to talk to Spritle!"
A grateful Speed nodded. "Thanks, Pops."
A pause. Then, "Hello? Spritle?"
Over at the Masked Racer's house, the sound of Speed's voice over the phone line made Spritle jump off his chair and grab the phone from Rex's hand. "Speed!!!" the little boy cried out, forgetting how he was supposed to be mad at his older brother.
The sheer volume of his little brother's yell made Speed comically wince. There was no doubt in his mind—Spritle was showing signs of having inherited the infamous Racer loud mouth! "Ahhh!!! Spritle!!! My ears!!!" the older boy yelped, making a face.
A childish giggle met his ears. "Sorry, Speed!" was Spritle's eager reply.
For a moment or two, silence engulfed the hallway between the kitchen and the living room, as Speed tried to find the right words to say to his baby brother. After several minutes, the teen sighed. "Listen, Spritle. I want to apologize. I'm really sorry about making you run away tonight--"
On the other end of the line, Spritle fought back his tears. How could he tell his beloved big brother, it'd been all a big misunderstanding---and, a little green-eyed monsterlike behavior? "Uh-uh. You didn't make me and Chim Chim run away, Speed. I made myself run 'cause I thought, you got off easy for tonight's prank," the youngster sheepishly admitted.
"What do you mean, Spritle?"
"Just what I said. I guess...I thought you got the lighter punishment, and that made me real mad. All I heard from Pops was, you gotta cook dinner Sunday night."
At that, Speed made a weird face. "Oh, is that so?? Hey, Spritle. You're the one who got off easy. I gotta do a whole lot more, than just cook Sunday dinner," the elder Racer boy retorted. "A), if I don't get dinner right , I don't get to race next weekend. And Pops is only giving me two chances to get it right! B), I gotta help Mom with the housework. ..As it is, I'm banned from using the Mach 5, until next Tuesday...!!"
He could hear Spritle in the background, whining a bit. "Well, I didn't know that, Speed. Honest! I'd just come out of the bathroom when I heard Pops give it to you about cookin' Sunday dinner. I didn't hear anything else!"
Speed emitted a small groan of mock dismay. "Ohh, he gave it to me good, all right. I may have not gotten my butt warmed like you did but when you get to be my age---believe me, this sort of thing hurts worse than a spanking!" He paused, then his tone of voice changed to one of brotherly concern. Although Spritle could be an annoying pain of a little brother at times, Speed knew deep down within himself that he'd be devastated if anything had happened to the youngster. "Listen, Spritle. Please don't run off on us like that, ever again. I thought someone had broken into your room, and kidnapped both you and Chim Chim! Not to mention, you had Mom and Pops frantic with worry..."
"Really? They were that worried?" Over in the Masked Racer's kitchen,Spritle's eyes widened as he realized, just how much of a scare he and Chim Chim had thrown into his family. "Gee! And what about you, Speed?"
His big brother sighed. "Yeah, Spritle, they were. And so was I. I was actually blaming myself for your running away," Speed replied quietly."I was afraid, I'd never see you again."
Spritle took a moment to digest his brother's words. Having had Racer X explain things to him and now hearing Speed's explanation, the little boy was beginning to regret his rash actions of that evening. "Gee, Speed, I feel real bad now. But it helped that Racer X explained things to me and Chim Chim tonight," he answered, a contrite expression on his chubby little face. "Let's chalk this whole thing up to a whole big misunderstanding, and I promise we'll never run away like this again!"
Speed shot up an eyebrow. "No kidding, it was a misunderstanding!" he muttered, under his breath.
Suddenly, their father's voice boomed out. "All right, Speed. It's MY turn!" Pops exclaimed, motioning for Speed to hand him the phone.
Speed broke into an impish grin. "Hey, Spritle. Better look out, Pops is coming on the line!" he teased, with a whispered laugh.
Immediately, Spritle's eyes flew wide open with comic alarm, much to big brother Rex's amusement. He nervously turned to his host. "Uhh...Racer X? It's for you now!" he gulped.
Rex chuckled, and smiled. "Hmm! Trying to pass me on to your father now, eh?" he joked.
Spritle looked up at him with those expressive, wide brown eyes. "I don't know what you mean!" he said innocently.
X just shook his head as he took the phone from his younger brother. "I just bet, you don't."
At that point, Pops' voice exploded over the phone line. "SPRITLE!!! I'M TALKING TO YOU!!!---I expect an answer from you, young man--!!!"
Racer X grimaced, and pulled the receiver away from his ear. Poor Spritle closed his eyes, scrunched up his face and covered his ears, while poor Chim Chim hopped off his chair and cowered in comic terror at the sound of Pops' voice.
Eeek!! Eeek!!! the chimp screeched loudly.
"Pops!!! Will you please tone it down, you could make a dead man deaf!!" X exclaimed, still holding the receiver at arm's length.
Naturally, Pops' response was just as loud and boisterous. "Who says I'm making who, deaf??" he bellowed, comically annoyed. Behind him stood Speed, his mother, Trixie and Sparky. All were trying to stifle a collective laugh as the burly car designer ranted on.
"That's just my point! This is Racer X, you're talking to. Not your...'Little rascal' of a son!" Rex winced.
"Well. I still want to talk to Spritle..."
"He will. If, you lower your voice."
There was a comic pause. Pops sighed heavily moments later, looking rather...Defeated, as it were. "Unghhh!!! You drive a hard bargain, X, but all right. Just put him on, so I can tell 'em how worried he made us. And no, we're not mad at him, either!" The Racer patriarch paused yet again. Then, almost as an afterthought he added, "But tell me just one thing, Racer X. How did Spritle and Chim Chim, get out to your house in the first place??"
A quiet chuckle greeted his ear. "Well, I'm sure he'll be glad to hear that you and Mrs. Racer aren't mad at him about this. And as for your last question, Pops? I can tell you that myself," Rex said, winking at a giggling Spritle. "That little Model T, he's been working on. Did a really nice job on it, if I do say so myself. Although... " The smile on the eldest Racer brother's face widened. "...It could use a few modifications. Such as, a bigger gas tank.---Spritle ran out of gas, halfway up my driveway."
At that, Pops burst into a hearty laugh. "So the little scamp's finished his pet project, eh? And he didn't tell me...??"ll he joked. "Well, I'll just have to inspect it when he gets home, then." He paused, then added in a more serious tone, "You will bring Spritle and Chim Chim home, I hope---"
"Oh, absolutely!" the Masked Racer assured him. "I thought they could stay the night given the weather outside, if that was all right by you and Mrs. Racer. I'll have Spritle and Chim Chim home tomorrow, right after lunch—I was thinking of taking them out to lunch before dropping them off."
Pops and his wife exchanged glances. A vastly-relieved Mom Racer nodded her approval. "Well, I suppose that would be all right. If it isn't too much trouble for you--"
"I assure you, Pops, it's no trouble at all."
" Fine, then. Now, let me speak with Spritle, please."
A few minutes later, a nervous Spritle was back on the phone. "Please don't be mad at me, Pops!" the lad wailed comically. He was afraid, that his dad just might add on to his punishment. Chim Chim cowered behind the little boy, chattering nervously. "I promise that me and Chim Chim, we won't run away again. Ever!"
His father merely chuckled, his face flooded with relief. "Relax, you little rascal!" Pops boomed, bemused by his youngest son's panicked response. "We're all just glad you managed to find a safe place. Especially your brother---Speed was going out of his mind, worrying about you!"
Racer X had to chuckle, as he watched his baby brother breathe a huge sigh of relief. The whole situation once again flooded the elder Racer with memories of his own childhood. It was funny, in an odd sense---the way Speed worried about Spritle now, was the same way Rex himself used to worry about Speed when the younger boy was Spritle's age... "So...it's okay, that we stay at Racer X's tonight?" the racer-turned-secret agent heard Spritle ask timidly.
"Yes, yes. Your mother says it's ok, and it's ok by me. But we do expect you to behave yourself while you're over there, and listen to Racer X. Understood?"
Standing behind his father, Speed cupped his hands around his mouth, and yelled loud enough for his brother to hear, "And whatever you do, Spritle. DON'T try Racer X's mask on!!!"
Pops furrowed his brow. "He'd better not! You gave us enough of a scare with that last weekend, Speed," he retorted, throwing a sideways semi-glare in Speed's direction.
Poor Speed tried to stop himself from blushing, much to a giggling Trixie's amusement. "That's not funny, Pops!" he cried, red-faced.
Spritle grinned. This was going to be fun, staying the night at the Masked Racer's home. Especially since there was a promised trip to the candy store in the morning! "Don't worry, Pops, we'll be good. Right, Chim Chim?" he asked, turning to the little chimp.
An excited Chim Chim jumped up and down, chattering noisily and head bobbing all the while. Ack ack ack aaack!!! he hooted.
At the Racer home, Speed and his parents couldn't help but laugh at his little brother's eager prattling. Knowing that Spritle and Chim Chim were both safe and sound---and, staying with a very familiar friendly face---made the teen racing star feel much better. Although, Speed mused to himself, it seemed that Racer X had once again come to the family's rescue; it was almost as if the Masked Racer wanted to become part of the Racer household.
Of course, if only Speed and his family knew the truth...
999999999955555555599999999
That night, everyone in the Racer household was finally able to get a good night's rest, their minds put at ease knowing that Spritle and Chim Chim were safe and sound at Racer X's house. The heavy rains continued on through the night, but it didn't matter much; the noise from the storm disturbed no one. All slept soundly...
...Or did they??
Over at his home on the edge of the city, the Masked Racer was making sure his little guests were comfortable in their bed. Already Chim Chim was fast asleep, while Spritle had just jumped into the guest bed. "Good night, Spritle. Good night, Chim Chim," X said, before turning off the light.
Snuggled cozily beneath the covers, a very tired Spritle peered out over the edge of the blankets. "Good night, Racer X," he yawned sleepily.
His elder brother chuckled softly. "If there's anything you need, Spritle, just remember. My room is just down the hall, on your left. The bathroom is to your right."
"OK." With yet another yawn, Spritle drifted off into sleep.
Rex Racer smiled at the scene, then quietly switched off the light. He strode to his own bedroom, pulled off his mask, then began to peel for bed. At the same time thoughts of the past week's events flowed through his mind---some comic, some very serious---and he frowned as he reflected upon them. How he'd nearly lost his younger brother Speed in that basement fire at Jack Wiley's mansion, and how Wiley's blatant disregard for the rules led to that very situation in the first place. Speed, we were lucky this time. . Damn lucky! I hope you'll never have to face another situation like that, again! was Racer X's private thought, as he climbed under his own covers and then reached to turn off his bedside light. Soon, the entire house went dark and still.
End of "The Spritle Incident," right?
Wron-nngg!!!
About three in the morning, Racer X was abruptly startled out of a sound sleep by a strange thumping noise just outside his bedroom. For a brief moment he tensed up, remembering with full clarity the break-in that had preceded Speed's abduction on Sunday morning. Agent's instinct soon took hold of Rex, telling him that he should check the situation out to make sure there were no intruders and that his young guests were all right. Hopping out of bed the 6'4" racer/special agent threw on his robe and grabbed his service revolver, then started for the door, not realizing he'd forgotten one critical piece of equipment...
...His mask.
Moments later he popped his head out into the dimly-lit hallway, and glanced both ways. Not seeing anyone at first, Rex then stepped out and started towards the guest room where Spritle and Chim Chim were, revolver in hand and keeping a sharp eye out for anything suspicious or unusual. Then, the source of the unusual commotion hit him...Literally.
It was only Spritle in sleep-walking mode, that the man had collided with. "Whoaa!!" X exclaimed in surprise, after bumping into the sound-asleep youngster. The elder Racer brother certainly was thankful, his finger hadn't been on the trigger of his weapon at that moment! "I'd better put this, away. I don't need to have an accident with it. Not around Spritle!"
He spied a nearby side table in the hall. It had a drawer that could be locked, so Racer X quickly put the revolver into the drawer and locked it. Just in time, too, as the sleepwalking youngest Racer started to feel X with both hands, looking for the doorknob to the bathroom!
Spritle was definitely asleep on his feet. And, mumbling semi-coherently. "Need to...Mom! I need to pee...!!"
X tried to stifle a laugh. He wore an odd look of disbelief on his face. "Spritle. I'm NOT the bathroom door, you know. The bathroom's thataway." Gently, he tried to lead the sleeping Spritle in the right direction.
Just as Rex managed to get him to the bathroom, Spritle awoke with a start. The combination of his brother's voice and being led by the arm apparently was enough to wake the lad out of his state; although it was more than likely that it was his first look at the un-Masked Racer, that actually brought the boy back to wakefulness. In any event, the sight of Rex's face sure made him wake up in a hurry. "Huhhh???" Spritle said, mouth agape. "Who are you?? You're not the Masked Racer---!!!"
Racer X blinked, caught off guard by his baby brother's reaction. "Spritle, what's gotten into you? Of course I'm the Masked Racer," he replied softly. He knelt down beside a trembling Spritle, and lay an affectionate hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, really."
Spritle looked very uneasy. Of course, never having seen Racer X without his mask before only served to add to the pudgy little boy's confusion and suspicion. "Then where's your mask?" he demanded finally, after finding his voice a minute or two later.
The man formerly known as Rex Racer skillfully managed to answer the question without divulging too much about himself. "I guess I must've left it on the nightstand next to my bed when I heard the noise. I thought there might be an intruder in the house, and I was concerned for your safety," Racer X replied, in a kindly tone of voice. "But as it turned out...it was you, who was making all the noise. I'm afraid, no one informed me that you have a tendency for sleepwalking."
Spritle's face turned beet-red in embarrassment. "I don't do it all the time. Just sometimes," he pouted.
As he spoke, Spritle looked up at the man kneeling beside him. Those midnight-blue eyes, the facial features... The brown hair. There was something very familiar about that face, the little boy mused to himself. And the way the man drove a race car...Speed was always saying, how closely he resembled their brother Rex when it came to handling a racecar! Was it possible...
...Was it even possible to think, he was looking at his other older brother??
X noticed that the child had grown extremely quiet, and was carefully studying his face for some odd reason. "Something wrong, Spritle?" he gently inquired.
Spritle eyed him with the kind of suspicion, that only a young child could muster up. If his suspicions were right... "Who are you, really?" he said in a low voice. "You aren't the Masked Racer. And don't lie to me, else I'll tell Pops and Speed on you!"
Finally, Rex had to give in. He had to hand it to his youngest brother---boy, nothing ever escaped Spritle's eye, it seemed. But although he now realized that his cover was blown, Speed and Spritle's elder brother still managed to maintain a perfectly straight face. "Now just who do you think, I am?" he intoned softly, smiling wistfully at a dour-faced Spritle.
Spritle stared hard back at him. "I'll tell you who I think you are. I think you're my other big brother. REX RACER!!!!!" he shouted excitedly.
Whoops!!! Looks like the cat's really outta the bag this time, gang.
Hey, Rex. Any idea how you're gonna handle this twist on things??
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------