SPEED RACER X!!!
THE CHALLENGE - Episode 16 - X
At Hibiki Motors, Sparky discovers a note saying Speed's parents have been kidnapped and Speed must meet the kidnapper at the practice track in one hour but Speed is nowhere to be found.
Sparky makes an urgent videophone call to the Mach V in the hopes of finding Speed in time. Speed is on his way home. Sparky tells Speed about the note and Speed gets mad at himself for not being there when he's needed the most. He thanks Sparky and tells him he'll meet him at the practice track soon.
Meanwhile, unknown to Speed, Racer X has received information from an undercover agent of the whereabouts of Mom and Pops where they are being held captive. He heads for an abandon supermarket where they are literally being "kept on ice" in an old storage freezer bound, gagged and blindfolded and tied to chairs. Two huge hooded men with side arms are guarding them.
Racer X arrives in the Shooting Star, parking a quarter mile away so that he might enter the building undetected. He looks carefully through the front window and sees a faint light coming from the back of the store, the meat market. The two men stand guard sitting at a card table playing poker.
Racer X creeps inside silently, carefully studying the layout of the rows of empty broken metal shelves. He sees the men playing cards behind the glass of the meat market and notices they are both armed. He comes up with a plan and slowly advances on their position.
In the meat market the two men finish a hand, one laughs and the other disgusted with his partner's lucky
streak. He accuses the other of cheating and they begin to argue while Racer X is now so close he can see the whites of their eyes, he is ready. He spies a crushed soft drink can on the floor, picks it up and tosses it over several aisles where it clangs a few times on the metal shelving and falls to the floor.
One of the hooded men tells the other to check it out; both stand and draw their weapons. The hood exits the meat market through a large swinging metal door and quietly goes around the empty meat counter looking side to side but sees nothing and walks right past a crouching dark shadow.
Racer X slowly rises and clears his throat briefly to get the man's attention. The man startled, spins around and fires a round off blindly, but before he can fire a second his revolver is knocked out of his hands. Racer X as fast as lightning, throws a quick one-two punch and spinning kick and its lights out for the first hooded man.
Mom and Pops hearing the first shot squirm and mumble as loudly as they can while the second man rushes out to deal with the commotion.
Racer X quickly throws a dart at the hooded man's hand holding the revolver and the man drops it wincing in pain. Racer X lets him have it with a vicious double standing kick and spinning kick and the second hooded man drops to the floor.
Racer X cuffs the two unconscious men hand and foot. Then goes to the freezer to free Mom and Pops who thank him gratefully for rescuing them. Racer X wastes no time returning to the Shooting Star to call the police making an anonymous tip where to find the Racers and their kidnappers.
Back at the Hibiki Motors practice track, Sparky awaits Speed's arrival. Mr. Balboa arrives and tells Sparky that Speed has been challenged by Clouse in a rematch that will determine which is the better car, the Albatross or the Mach V.
In anger, Sparky tells Balboa that Team Exelion has no right to force Speed into a race by kidnapping his parents. Mr. Balboa replies telling him that no harm will come to his parents if Speed loses to Clouse, three laps, may the better car win. Sparky waits helplessly.
Midnight, as Clouse and the Albatross arrives. Speed arrives shortly there after.
Speed tells Clouse and Balboa that if it's a race they want, he accepts the challenge.
The race begins with Clouse taking an early lead with Speed following close behind. Speed says to himself, "This isn't even a real race, it's late at night with no cheering crowds in the grandstands. No trophy to win, but the stakes are higher!"
Flashback to Rex advising young Speed about professional racing ethics. Rex says "Speed, one day you may have to prove to yourself which is more important to you --- professional racing or your family. Remember there will always be another race, but you only have one family."
They're on the second lap and Clouse still leads in the Albatross. Speed starting to feel fatigue, shakes his head and declares he's had enough of this race. He spurs the Mach V forward and the two cars are wheel to wheel.
Clouse taking notice of this says to himself, "No Speed, I will be the light this time. It is your turn to be the dark, as dark as the track we race on." He laughs then sideswipes the Mach V. Speed yells and regains control of the Mach V saying, "Dirty racing!"
Unlike their last race together Clouse is racing more like the typical Team Exelion driver, to win at any cost.
The third and final lap, Speed makes a final attempt to pass Clouse at the same spot where he was sideswiped and nearly lost control. This time Clouse doesn't wait until the cars are wheel to wheel, he edges the Albatross aggressively in an attempt to run the Mach V off the track, but Speed was ready this time.
Speed activates the Aero Jacks to make a short hop over the Albatross. Clouse seeing this thinking he'll be crushed by the Mach V panics and impacts the wall and spins out. The Albatross still traveling at high velocity is headed straight for a head on collision with the wall. Clouse yells and pounds the keyboard controls with both fists activating an ejector seat that propels him straight up and out of the Albatross. He comes down and gets knocked out cold when he impacts the track. The Albatross is destroyed.
Speed crosses the finish line unchallenged.
Mr. Balboa growls and picks up his cell phone and speed-dials the supermarket, no answer. He hangs up and gets away in his vehicle. Speed near exhaustion exits the Mach V and collapses but is caught by Sparky.
Mom and Pops arrive in a taxi, safe and sound. Sparky asks, "What happened?" Mom replies, "We were rescued by an angel." Pops adds, "Yeah, an angel that looked very much like Racer X." Speed and Sparky say simultaneously, "Racer X?"
Not far away in the moonlit night, a dark figure lowers his binoculars and smiles saying, "Speed, remember you only have one family."
THE CHALLENGE - Episode 16 - X
At Hibiki Motors, Sparky discovers a note saying Speed's parents have been kidnapped and Speed must meet the kidnapper at the practice track in one hour but Speed is nowhere to be found.
Sparky makes an urgent videophone call to the Mach V in the hopes of finding Speed in time. Speed is on his way home. Sparky tells Speed about the note and Speed gets mad at himself for not being there when he's needed the most. He thanks Sparky and tells him he'll meet him at the practice track soon.
Meanwhile, unknown to Speed, Racer X has received information from an undercover agent of the whereabouts of Mom and Pops where they are being held captive. He heads for an abandon supermarket where they are literally being "kept on ice" in an old storage freezer bound, gagged and blindfolded and tied to chairs. Two huge hooded men with side arms are guarding them.
Racer X arrives in the Shooting Star, parking a quarter mile away so that he might enter the building undetected. He looks carefully through the front window and sees a faint light coming from the back of the store, the meat market. The two men stand guard sitting at a card table playing poker.
Racer X creeps inside silently, carefully studying the layout of the rows of empty broken metal shelves. He sees the men playing cards behind the glass of the meat market and notices they are both armed. He comes up with a plan and slowly advances on their position.
In the meat market the two men finish a hand, one laughs and the other disgusted with his partner's lucky
streak. He accuses the other of cheating and they begin to argue while Racer X is now so close he can see the whites of their eyes, he is ready. He spies a crushed soft drink can on the floor, picks it up and tosses it over several aisles where it clangs a few times on the metal shelving and falls to the floor.
One of the hooded men tells the other to check it out; both stand and draw their weapons. The hood exits the meat market through a large swinging metal door and quietly goes around the empty meat counter looking side to side but sees nothing and walks right past a crouching dark shadow.
Racer X slowly rises and clears his throat briefly to get the man's attention. The man startled, spins around and fires a round off blindly, but before he can fire a second his revolver is knocked out of his hands. Racer X as fast as lightning, throws a quick one-two punch and spinning kick and its lights out for the first hooded man.
Mom and Pops hearing the first shot squirm and mumble as loudly as they can while the second man rushes out to deal with the commotion.
Racer X quickly throws a dart at the hooded man's hand holding the revolver and the man drops it wincing in pain. Racer X lets him have it with a vicious double standing kick and spinning kick and the second hooded man drops to the floor.
Racer X cuffs the two unconscious men hand and foot. Then goes to the freezer to free Mom and Pops who thank him gratefully for rescuing them. Racer X wastes no time returning to the Shooting Star to call the police making an anonymous tip where to find the Racers and their kidnappers.
Back at the Hibiki Motors practice track, Sparky awaits Speed's arrival. Mr. Balboa arrives and tells Sparky that Speed has been challenged by Clouse in a rematch that will determine which is the better car, the Albatross or the Mach V.
In anger, Sparky tells Balboa that Team Exelion has no right to force Speed into a race by kidnapping his parents. Mr. Balboa replies telling him that no harm will come to his parents if Speed loses to Clouse, three laps, may the better car win. Sparky waits helplessly.
Midnight, as Clouse and the Albatross arrives. Speed arrives shortly there after.
Speed tells Clouse and Balboa that if it's a race they want, he accepts the challenge.
The race begins with Clouse taking an early lead with Speed following close behind. Speed says to himself, "This isn't even a real race, it's late at night with no cheering crowds in the grandstands. No trophy to win, but the stakes are higher!"
Flashback to Rex advising young Speed about professional racing ethics. Rex says "Speed, one day you may have to prove to yourself which is more important to you --- professional racing or your family. Remember there will always be another race, but you only have one family."
They're on the second lap and Clouse still leads in the Albatross. Speed starting to feel fatigue, shakes his head and declares he's had enough of this race. He spurs the Mach V forward and the two cars are wheel to wheel.
Clouse taking notice of this says to himself, "No Speed, I will be the light this time. It is your turn to be the dark, as dark as the track we race on." He laughs then sideswipes the Mach V. Speed yells and regains control of the Mach V saying, "Dirty racing!"
Unlike their last race together Clouse is racing more like the typical Team Exelion driver, to win at any cost.
The third and final lap, Speed makes a final attempt to pass Clouse at the same spot where he was sideswiped and nearly lost control. This time Clouse doesn't wait until the cars are wheel to wheel, he edges the Albatross aggressively in an attempt to run the Mach V off the track, but Speed was ready this time.
Speed activates the Aero Jacks to make a short hop over the Albatross. Clouse seeing this thinking he'll be crushed by the Mach V panics and impacts the wall and spins out. The Albatross still traveling at high velocity is headed straight for a head on collision with the wall. Clouse yells and pounds the keyboard controls with both fists activating an ejector seat that propels him straight up and out of the Albatross. He comes down and gets knocked out cold when he impacts the track. The Albatross is destroyed.
Speed crosses the finish line unchallenged.
Mr. Balboa growls and picks up his cell phone and speed-dials the supermarket, no answer. He hangs up and gets away in his vehicle. Speed near exhaustion exits the Mach V and collapses but is caught by Sparky.
Mom and Pops arrive in a taxi, safe and sound. Sparky asks, "What happened?" Mom replies, "We were rescued by an angel." Pops adds, "Yeah, an angel that looked very much like Racer X." Speed and Sparky say simultaneously, "Racer X?"
Not far away in the moonlit night, a dark figure lowers his binoculars and smiles saying, "Speed, remember you only have one family."