Note: Last chapter! Thanks for sticking around, guys!
"This is it, Speedrick, the big race!" Blaze said with a smile as they entered the Monster Dome.
"I've been waiting all night!" Speedrick smirked. "I barely slept a wink because of excitement,"
Well, almost true.
"Come on! Let's head to the starting line!" AJ urges them, very eager to get rid of the white truck after the race.
They all drove through the Monster Dome and headed to the starting line to see the all of other racers already there and eager to start.
Well, almost all of the other racers.
"Hey, where's Crusher?" Blaze asked.
"We don't know," Starla shook her head.
"Haven't heard from him," Darington replied.
"Last time I heard from him was yesterday, from Prider," Stripes said, glaring at Speedrick.
"Huh," Blaze frowned. "I wonder where he could be…"
"We haven't seen Pickle either," Watts told him.
"Maybe they took a break after what happened yesterday," Gabby guessed.
"Why? What happened yesterday?" Zeg tilted his head.
"Speedrick happened." Stripes growled.
"Hey, what did I do?" Speedrick tried acting innocent.
"What DID he do yesterday?" Darington questioned.
"He kept on kidnapping Crusher and trying to force himself on him, from what Prider told me," Stripes huffed and crossed his tires.
"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, BITCH?!" Starla slapped Speedrick as hard as she could. "THOSE ARE TWO FUCKING THINGS THAT NO ONE HAS EVER DONE, AND CRUSHER'S GOT LIKE A BAZILLION TRUCKS TRYING TO FLIRT WITH HIM! WHAT THE HELL?!"
"YOU ARE INSANE!" Watts roared out before her native tongue came loose. "你怎么敢？！你怎么敢对破碎机这样做？！有时他可能很刻薄，但你试图做的事情太可怕了! (HOW DARE YOU?! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO DO THAT TO CRUSHER?! HE MIGHT BE MEAN SOMETIMES, BUT WHAT YOU TRIED TO DO WAS HORRIFYING!)"
"Woah, woah, take it easy, Watts," Gabby knew her best friend would only slip into her native tongue whenever she was mad to the max.
"B, please, PLEASE send Speedrick away!" Darington begged. "Look what he's done! It's not safe for him to be here!"
"Don't worry, Darry," Blaze assured him. "After this race, Speedrick is out of Axel City and never coming back,"
"Harsh," Speedrick huffed and growled.
"Racers, the race is about to begin!" Bump Bumperman announced. "Start your engines!"
"I guess we'll have to start the race without Crusher," Blaze sighed, a bad feeling sinking in his stomach as he and Speedrick went to their places at the starting line.
X
"Don't worry, Pickle, we've already contacted the police," Lily assured her brother as she, Tillie and Gherkin drove into the Monster Dome with him. "They'll be able to find Crusher,"
"I hope so…" Pickle sniffled his tears. "but I still don't understand who would do this,"
"Well, is there anyone you know that might have done this?" Tillie asked.
"I… not really… except…" Pickle stopped in his tracks as realization dawned upon him.
Speedrick. He was the only truck who tried SO hard to have Crusher for himself.
He was the ONLY suspect who might have done it.
"Pickle?" Lily glanced down at their little brother worriedly as the green truck began to turn red in rage and in realization. "What's wrong?"
"Speedrick." Pickle growled. "Something in my gut's telling me that bitch has something to do with it."
"As much as I agree with you, we can't just accuse without proof," Tillie sighed.
"Then I'll find proof for myself," Pickle hissed and drove off.
Blaze and AJ had just won the race and was receiving the trophy when he approached them. Speedrick was causing a tantrum nearby, which made the green truck roll at his eyes at the lack of originality.
As if he hadn't seen Crusher do that before.
"Pickle, you're here!" Blaze turned to him with a beam. "We were wondering where you and Crusher were,"
"Speaking of, where IS Crusher?" AJ asked, looking around.
"That's why I came to you!" Pickle said. "Crusher's missing!"
"CRUSHER'S MISSING?!" the other racers gasped, driving over to them.
"What?!" Blaze's jaw dropped. "How?! What happened?!"
"Someone kidnapped him!" Pickle replied. "The window was wide open, and the glass of milk he has every night's shattered and spilled!"
"Sounds like someone's kidnapped him, alright," AJ let out a hiss. "What do we do, Blaze?"
"Does Officer Anna know about this?" Blaze asked.
"Yes, but I still need help, Blaze!" Pickle pleaded. "Please!"
"Of course we'll help you, Pickle!" Blaze nodded with a smile.
"Great! Thank you, Blaze!" Pickle beamed.
As he turned to leave with them, however, the green truck caught a glance of Speedrick, who had eavesdropped on them and was paling. This caused Pickle to growl.
The bitch had just given himself away.
X
"Two tire tracks, leading to one," Blaze observed as they investigated the apartment. "You're right, Pickle. Someone DID kidnap him?"
"I knew it!" Pickle hissed.
"Who would kidnap, Crusher?" Starla questioned.
"Well, whoever must be THAT desperate to kidnap him," Watts pointed out. "I mean, to track him down to his own house? Really?"
"Someone who REALLY wants to get him, that's for sure," Darington shook his head.
"But who do that?" Zeg asked.
"Wait…" Blaze frowned as he recognized the tire tracks. "These tracks look… familiar…"
"They are familiar!" AJ gasped. "These look like the tire patterns we chose for Speedrick's tires!"
"So the kidnapper is no other than… Speedrick!" Gabby cried out.
"No way!" Blaze shook his head. "I… I know that he's been doing a lot of bad things lately, but kidnapping Crusher would be too low… right?"
"Just in case, we better check at the apartment," AJ suggested, hopping into the driver's seat.
"And I'll go with you!" Pickle cried, driving towards them.
"Come on then!" Blaze urged.
"We'll stay here to find any other clues," Darington offered.
"Good idea, Darry, thanks," Blaze pecked his cheek before he, AJ and Pickle drove out.
They soon headed to the apartment Speedrick was staying in and headed inside to find the front living room empty.
"Huh, that's weird," AJ frowned. "Where's Speedrick?"
"Let's go check the basement," Pickle suggested.
"Good idea," Blaze nodded and drove off.
"Good that you agree," Pickle giggled. "You know, if I was to kidnap someone, I'd drag them to the basement too to make sure that no one hears them scream!"
"Yeah, you've got a point— wait, why is that so accurate?" Blaze glanced at the green truck with concern. "Pickle, why is that so accurate…?"
"Nothing…" Pickle hummed, ignoring the question as they drove into the basement.
As they drove through the darkness, they soon heard a whisper from nearby.
"You either stay quiet, or I'll break your pipe again!"
A muffled reply came, sounding panicky as a whimper came after it.
"No, bitch, I ain't letting you go!" the voice snarled. "I've done too much to let you go now!"
"That sounds like…" Blaze gasped in disbelief as he looked horrified at what he was hearing.
"Speedrick." AJ gritted his teeth, his voice sounding angry.
"I KNEW that bitch had something to with this, bullshit!" Pickle growled.
"I… I can't believe he'd do this…" Blaze started to pale as his heart broke in betrayal.
"I did." Pickle took out his chainsaw. "I'll handle this bitch ONCE AND FOR ALL."
"Hang on, Pickle," AJ told him. "We'll go together, in case you need help,"
"Sounds fair," Pickle sighed and nodded before they all drove forward to the basement room.
Sure enough, it was Speedrick standing inside, with Crusher in front of him on the ground, chained to wall behind him, bruised, bleeding and upper exhaust pipes twisted and broken. His eyes were watery and red, as if he had been crying and is still crying as he trembled under the white truck's glare. He was also gagged with a handkerchief around his mouth, muffling his pleads of freedom.
The sight alone made Pickle snap and ready to activate his chainsaw.
The sight alone made AJ infuriated to hop out of the driver's seat with a bat.
The sight alone was a big blow to Blaze, who had subconsciously taken out a knife as his eyes glanced at the sight, emotionless.
"Look, we're gonna have to transfer you, so that NO ONE finds out where you are, you slut." Speedrick growled, grabbing onto Crusher's chains, which caused the dark blue truck to whimper in pain. "So either you SHUT THE FUCK UP, or I WILL stick a gun in your throat."
That sentence was one word too far as the trio came forward to expose themselves.
"Speedrick." the red truck spoke, voice lacking it's usual life and cheery, leaving it dark and lifeless.
Speedrick stiffened and slowly turned to the face the trio. He gulped.
"B-Blaze! AJ! I… I can explain! It… It's not what it looks like! I swear!"
But the trio never listened. Pickle had already activated the chainsaw as they cornered the kidnapper to the wall. Blaze drove forward and snarled down at the larger truck.
"I TRUSTED you, Speedrick. I TRUSTED you to change. To be better. BUT YOU DIDN'T!" Blaze grabbed the other by the hair with a VERY tight grip. "I TRUSTED YOU, AND YOU FUCKING BETRAYED ME! YOU FUCKING KIDNAPPED AND HURT MY FRIEND! WORSE, YOU ATTEMPTED TO BREAK HIM TO YOUR WILL! YOU WERE ALREADY A FUCKING BASTARD YESTERDAY, BUT YOU JUST BECAME A MOTEHRFUCKING SON OF A BITCH!"
"Blaze, BLAZE! PLEASE!" Speedrick pleaded to save his ass. "THIS IS ALL A MISUNDERSTANDING—"
"MISUNDERSTANDING MY ASS, YOU ASSHOLE!" Blaze pulled on his hair back, almost ready to snap his neck as he gritted his teeth. "I thought that if you flirted my boyfriend, it was crossing the line, but THIS?!? THIS IS BEYOND IT!"
"ACK!" Speedrick yelped in pain. "P-PLEASE, BLAZE! S-SPARE ME, AND I… I'LL LET HIM GO! P-PROMISE!"
"Save it." Blaze hissed, knife pointing straight at the other's face. "As a police officer, murder isn't an option," He then smirked. "Too bad I'm not a police officer at the moment,"
Speedrick gulped as the red truck and the green truck came forward threateningly with their weapons. Only AJ separated from them to head to to Crusher.
"You okay, Crusher?" he asked, removing the gag.
"N-No…" Crusher sniffled his tears and shuddered. "I… I wanna go home…"
"You will, don't worry," AJ assured him, already making his way to the chains to unlock them.
And both of them ignored the pained screams of the white truck as Blaze and Pickle dealt with him.
X
"Crusher, you're okay!" Darington gasped in delight as he and the rest of the racers all ran to their friend/rival in relief.
"B-Barely," Crusher shivered as Pickle helped him drive.
"Damn, Speedrick did a lot of damage," Stripes growled.
"Where's that bitch boy right now?!" Starla snarled.
"Dead." AJ told them as he walked to their side. "Blaze and Pickle dealt with him already,"
"What about the police?" Gabby wondered.
"I took care of that," Pickle giggled eerily as Blaze drove over to join them. "It's not the first time I murdered, after all,"
"It's my first time, and I still can't believe I snapped," Blaze sighed and shook his head before turning to Crusher. "You feeling better?"
"Out of the chains? Y-Yeah," Crusher slowly nodded, his body still trembling as he held onto Pickle.
"How about we head over to the garage to fix you up?" Gabby suggested. "We'll also have some pizza and ice cream to calm you down,"
"That… would be nice, th-thanks," Crusher shakily gave a nod before they all turned to head to the garage to get Speedrick out of their heads as if he ever existed.
Not that he did anymore, anyway.