Speed Racer: The Invincible Car (Part 2)
Chapter 10: The Invincible Car (Part 2)
[Intro Music]
"Ahhhhh!" Trixie screamed as the Mach 5 slid towards the edge of the mountain cliff! No matter how hard Speed pressed the brakes, the car wouldn't stop, even the emergency brake didn't do anything to help, but he couldn't see his button cluster and didn't want to press another button that wasn't the B Button. There was nothing that the two could do until a bright yellow car came up to their right side and sandwiched the Mach 5 between it and the mountain! As the cars ground to a halt, Trixie looked up to see the familiar Shooting Star, the car driven by Racer X. Now known to Speed, Racer X is his older brother, Rex, who ran away from home years ago.
Racer X jumped from his car and made his way to the Mach 5, "Are you two alright?" he asked.
"Rex? Is that you?" Speed asked, his eyes still closed.
"That's right, Speed. But don't open your eyes to see me, we've been through this before but it doesn't seem as bad as it was last year. You'll be fine."
"You came in the nick-of-time as always, Racer X. Thank you." Trixie said as Racer X made his way back to the Shooting Star.
"Rex wait! I thought you said you were going to stay away from racing."
Racer X stopped as he opened his door, "I am, Speed. I'm not participating in the No Limit World Race because if I was, I'd be winning." Racer X chuckled.
"Inspector Detector said you were working with him, is he here, too?" Trixie asked.
"I dropped him off at the Denver Airport because I knew as soon as the Three Roses showed up, it was going to be trouble. Listen, Speed you better not mess up like this again, because I might not be around to save you. Same goes to you, Trixie." Racer X scolded.
"I understand, Rex. Thanks." Speed said as Racer X got back into the Shooting Star, performing a very careful three-point-turn back to Denver.
"Don't thank me, Speed; win." Racer X ordered before speeding back off into the distance.
"We're lucky that we have Rex around." Trixie commented.
Speed the opened his eyes slowly, wincing at the pain from the sun, but he smiled and answered, "We are." Before looking back to the road, activating the belt tires and launching the Mach 5 up the hill, seamlessly conquering the incline and getting back on track. Morning turned to afternoon as Speed and Trixie went along the mountains.
"Look!" Trixie notified, pointing towards Left Roardon being harassed by two members of the Three Roses.
"I see, they must've gotten Smoke Wheeler so now they're focusing on Left! We've gotta help him!" Speed said as they gained ground on the two cars.
"Hey, it's him! It's Speed Racer!" Zoomishi said over his radio.
"Get him, then you stone heads, don't you want that money from Ms. Flux?" Rosey Blaze commanded.
"Let's box him in, I'll be in front, you go to the left side and we'll shuffle him off of the cliff!" Kaikko said, the two cars slowed down, letting Left go, to get to the Mach 5.
"They're gonna try to knock us off! Someone is definitely after us!" Trixie said.
"I've got a surprise for them if they try anything." Speed chimed, looking ahead as the cliff portion of the track started to snake around.
"Speed…" Trixie said nervously as the three cars sped towards a sharp bend. Speed's eyes sharpened and became focused on that bend as the two cars surrounded him, Kaikko pulled in front and Speed let Zoomishi pull along the left side. Kaikko then slammed on his brakes, and Zoomishi pulled a hard right which was Speed's cue as he slammed the A Button, sending the Mach 5 soaring into the air! "Speed, it's too far!" Trixie shouted.
"I haven't used this since... I hope it'll work." Speed thought as he pressed an unmarked white button next to the steering wheel which deployed the mini-wings under the Mach 5 which helped it glide, this was first installed when he raced the Car Acrobatic Team in the Alpine Race almost a year ago. The Mach 5 landed with a *thunk* and Speed continued as Sparky chimed over the radio.
"Hey, Speed. I'm reading a malfunction with the auto jacks." He notified.
"I felt it, I think one of them is stuck." Speed replied.
"Next checkpoint is coming up at Yellowstone, so I'll meet you there so I can fix it."
"Thanks, Sparky. It got very exciting down here." Speed said.
"I can tell. Well, I'm signing off for now, keep going!" Sparky said as he and Pops went straight to Yellowstone.
Meanwhile, in Anchorage, Oriana Flux gets off of her flight and heads to a hotel looking over the finish line, "Perfect view of my victory." She chuckles to herself as there is a knock on her door, "Who could it be? I just got here a minute ago, can't a girl get some rest?" she said while grabbing her gun and going to the door. Looking through the peep-hole she saw the new boss of the Three Roses Club, Mr. Trick Idler, Oriana put the gun behind her and greeted, "Mr. Idler, I'm glad to see you could make it." She stepped aside, letting him in.
"How do you get so much money? You must be a slippery one, too." Trick idolized, looking around the expensive hotel room.
"Is there any news from the Three Roses?" she asked.
"Kaikko took out Smoke Wheeler, but when he and Zoomishi tried to take out the Mach 5, Speed Racer pulled one of his tricks and Zoomishi fell off of the cliff."
"Idiots!" Oriana shouted, "Your job was to take out the Mach 5, not someone insignificant to the mission like Smoke Wheeler!"
"Hey! Your driver couldn't take out Speed Racer, either!" Trick yelled back.
"That was only because Speed got help from an outside source that we did not consider!" Oriana argued.
"You can never be wrong, huh? Typical…"
"Typical what? It doesn't matter what I am, what matters is that the job gets done, Mr. Idler!" Oriana interrupted. "Now, leave me, make sure your remaining two roses get the job done." She commanded, waving off Trick.
"Yes, Oriana." He grumbled, slamming the door to her room and storming off. Oriana lit up a cigarette and put it in her black cigarette holder and took a puff before turning the TV on and watching the race which focused in on Lovelace and Rosey.
"I'm glad we're finally faster than someone." Lovelace jeered over the radio to her assistant, Halfdollar.
"Very good, Ms. Goldminter. But I warn you, the Three Roses Club have ways of getting their jobs done. Smoke Wheeler has been taken out by one of them, but not so long after, the Mach 5 returned the favor. Best be quick, Left, Speed and that GRX are gaining on you two."
"Thanks for the update, Halfdollar. I see the clearing, we're about to leave the mountains and go on to a smooth and winding road. This oughtta be fun." Lovelace grinned as she and Rosey Blaze left the mountains and entered something more familiar and less life-threatening.
"What do we know about this Lovelace chick?" Rosey asked as Trick Idler came onto the radio.
"She's rich and her car is fast." He huffed.
"What's with the attitude? I'm asking for intel." Rosey questioned.
"Our client is very unhappy with our performance. The other two took out Smoke Wheeler just because they could and then Zoomishi was taken out because of Speed Racer. But oh no, you're' not focusing on him, you're focusing on Lovelace Goldminter!" Trick yelled over the radio.
"Dude, come on!" Rosey shouted back.
"You're supposed to be going after Speed Racer, pull over and help Kaikko!" Trick demanded.
"Fine!" Rosey conceded as she pulled over, letting go of her possible lead. Not long after, Left Roardon and the GRX passed by and there in the distance was the Mach 5 and Kaikko, "Let's see how you like this." Rosey grabbed a gun that was tucked in the door of her car and shot three shots at the Mach 5!
"Oh!" Speed yelled as he brought the Mach 5 to a screeching halt and pressed the D Button, deploying the deflector shield. Rosey continued shooting at the Mach 5 until she ran out of bullets in which Trixie left the Mach 5 and leaped towards Rosey, grabbing her arm, and stopping her from loading another full clip! This allowed Speed to open the glove box of the Mach 5 where a .45 caliber was kept, after all of the times they've been shot at, he made sure to prepare himself for anything on these kinds of races from now on. Rosey, being a little stronger than Trixie got a hand free and punched her away but still, before she could reload, Speed pointed the gun at her and shouted, "Drop it!"
"Alright, dude. No need to cause such a fuss." Rosey said, dropping the gun. Just then, Kaikko showed up with his gun drawn.
"Stop right there!" He yelled but without hesitation, Speed shot in his direction, causing Kaikko to be thrown off-guard; this also relayed to him that Speed meant business. He threw his gun to the side and raised his hands as well, Trixie picked up the gun and covered Kaikko, making sure he didn't make any sudden moves.
"Who do you work for, what's all this about?" Speed interrogated.
"This is about a few very powerful people wanting revenge on you and your family. We're just hired muscle, doing what we get paid to do."
"Why would you agree to do such a thing?" Trixie added.
"As I said already, we're getting paid handsomely to do this. Enough to get an upgrade for these old cars so maybe we can finally keep up with the front runners like you. It'd make this job so much easier." Rosey explained.
"Well, we won't let you." Speed said, shooting out Rosey and Kaikko's tires. "Let's go, Trixie." He said, Trixie still pointing the gun at Kaikko, cautiously made her way to the navigator seat of the Mach 5. "You two need to find a new racing team. One that'll pay you for racing, instead of hurting others and losing because of it." Speed lectured.
"Yeah, whatever." Rosey huffed as Speed got back into the Mach 5 and drove away.
Rosey and Kaikko lowered their hands as Rosey looked towards Kaikko and said, "I'm gonna need your healthy tires, bud."
"That was close." Trixie sighed, slumping in her seat.
"That girl will be back, but I think we ended Kaikko's race for sure." Speed replied.
"How do you figure Rosey will return?"
"I bet she'll ask Kaikko to give up his remaining tires to her. I shot three of Kaikko's tires out, but only one of hers."
"Why'd you do that? Didn't you hear her? She's been hired to stop us!"
"True, but instead of waiting with her team, she went ahead and raced Lovelace for the lead, I think she's more invested in the race than she is in trying to stop us. I think we can convince her to be on our side, if not, then its cutter blades for her new tire." Speed explained.
"Oh, that's a good idea. Hey, we need to report this to the Inspector, we should use the Homing Robot!"
"Good idea, you record the message, this road is winding so I need to focus."
Trixie opened a compartment in the middle section where there was a recorder and the robot controls, "This is Trixie in the Mach 5 calling Inspector Detector, the Three Roses Club and the GRX appear to be working together, when we entered the mountain pass, the GRX sped through and almost knocked us off of the cliff, if it wasn't for Racer X, we would've been history. Soon after, the Three Roses Club tried to stop us twice, once trying to knock us off the cliff and another trying to shoot us; there's definitely something going on here."
"Inspector Detector, we need you to stop the GRX if you can, there's something definitely going on with it and its driver. We'll try to find out what it is when we catch up to it!" Speed added.
"Alright, the recording is full, time to bring the robot out." Trixie chimed as Speed pressed the G Button and the Homing Robot flew out of the car's hood, Trixie took its delicate control stick and landed the bird on her lap as she attached the recording. She then pressed a new button marked "I" which sent the homing robot directly to Inspector Detector.
"Alright, we're almost at Yellowstone, we can't be far behind." Speed announced as they drove into the night and arrived in Yellowstone when it got dark.
"What did you do to her?" Sparky cried, putting his hands on his head as he saw the scratched and dented Mach 5.
Speed rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed that he damaged the Mach 5 so badly, "We got into a tangle with the GRX and the Three Roses one after another. We were lucky Racer X was there or Trixie and I would be at the bottom of a cliff. Sorry about the damage."
"Well, I can get the auto jacks back up to working order, but I can't buff out all the rest of the damage." Sparky sighed.
"I know it's hard to see the Mach 5 like this, Sparky. But I've been working on a list of things I want to do for it when the race is over, we'll read them over when we win, okay?" Speed promised, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Alright, Speed. You and Trixie go get some rest, I'm gonna be up late tonight." Sparky said.
"Where's Pops and Spritle?" Speed asked.
"They went into town to get supplies, they'll be back any minute now; I wouldn't be worried."
"Alright, we'll be in the helicopter if you need us." Speed said as he and Trixie made their way to the helicopter and got in. Speed closed the door and the two sighed and Trixie leaned over, resting her head on Speed's chest.
"After all of that, I could use some rest." She sighed.
"Yeah. This is the most tiring race I've ever been in. Perhaps one of the most dangerous, too." Speed said, shutting his eyes to rest them.
"Well, don't worry about being tired because the next stint is mine, so you can sleep."
"Mmm-hmm." Speed replied, but he began to doze off, remembering his nightmare from when they were in San Angelo. Remembering how he felt when the Mach 5's gadgets failed him.
"Speed?" Trixie asked, looking up at him.
"Huh?" Speed answered.
"Is something wrong? Your heartbeat got very fast. Is there something I don't know about?"
"Never mind that. We should have something to eat." Speed deflected as he left the helicopter to go to the Mach 5 and grab their lunch basket.
"Speed, I wish you'd tell me what's wrong." Trixie sighed to herself as she looked on.
An hour later, Sparky was pressing the A Button over and over, testing the Mach 5's auto jack repair, "The malfunction is fixed, Speed. Just be careful because I don't know how long it'll hold out. The damage was very extreme, but I did my best."
"Alright, Sparky. We won't let the GRX get the drop on us again." Speed said, climbing into the passenger's seat, handing the keys over to Trixie.
"Good luck, you two, I'll see you in Canada for Stage 3!" Sparky said as Trixie turned the keys and gunned it.
As they drove, Speed gave Trixie the update, "Alright, Trixie. Up ahead, we're going to be entering a heavily wooded area with branching paths along the way. But in order for our stop at Stage 3 to be valid, we need to make it to Calgary, which is where the final stage begins. The average drive from here to there would be nine hours, but if you keep pace, we can shave that down to seven."
"That's a long drive." Trixie commented.
"We'll switch out eventually." Speed said.
"Sounds good to me." Trixie agreed as she drove the Mach 5 through heavy woods and around mountains.
"Sparky calling the Mach 5! Looking good, Trixie; you're going faster than the set pace!" Sparky rang out through the radio.
"Thanks, Sparky, what's up?" Trixie asked.
"Lovelace, the GRX, and Left Roardon have stopped in Montana, but they're almost at the border. Rosey Blaze is still behind you guys by thirty-minutes, so you shouldn't be seeing much of her." He updated.
"Thanks for the update, Sparky." Trixie thanked as Sparky turned off the radio.
"You're getting much better, Trixie, before long we're gonna have to build a Mach 6." Speed said.
"Well, I do have one of the best coaches in the world. But, I'm more of a 'Lucky 7's' girl, I don't think Mach 6 would suit me very well." Trixie smiled.
Speed laughed, "Sounds about right. Well, I'm going to get some sleep, keep it up and wake me in a couple of hours so I can take over."
"Alright, Speed. I'll do my best!" Trixie guaranteed as she gave the Mach 5 a little more gas as they crossed the Wyoming/Montana border, eventually switching out two hours later.
Meanwhile, in Great Falls, "Ms. Lovelace, the GRX has taken the lead and the Mach 5 is on its way!" Halfdollar rang through a radio as Lovelace slept in her car in Great Falls. Lovelace shot up in her car and turned it on.
"Oh jeez, I think I should've brought you along, Halfdollar." Lovelace said, rubbing her eyes. She heard the Mach 5's distinct exhaust note and then saw it hauling down the road.
"There are the others!" Trixie called out.
"Yeah, all of them except for the GRX. Whoever drives that car doesn't seem to sleep at all!" Speed replied as the Mach 5 passed Lovelace and Left, entering second place, but a battle was brewing between the drivers as Lovelace was right on them not long after they passed by. Speed looked in his rear-view mirror and grinned.
"Not this time, Speed Racer." Lovelace thought aloud as she applied a draft on the Mach 5, a move that she learned from Left earlier in the race. She stayed there for a moment before pulling out and alongside, but Speed knew her trick, he wasn't using the Mach 5's full potential, so as she attempted a slingshot, he compensated for her gained speed and was able to match it until he pulled ahead bit by bit, little by little.
"Lovelace's car is still very fast." Speed commented.
"Well, her father is rich, I'm sure he spent a lot on her car and career." Trixie added, as she looked over and realized something, "Hey Speed, how come no one else brought an assistant?"
"To save on weight, having an extra person with extra supplies can weigh you down, but I chose you because it's better for the long run, so I'm not driving by myself and making more frequent stops; we can cover more ground by switching out."
"Don't you just like having me around?"
"I thought that was a given." Speed chuckled as he pulled in front of Lovelace again.
"Look, Speed! It's the GRX!" Trixie pointed out.
"You're right, Trixie, we'd better keep our distance at this point." Speed responded as the two came upon the GRX. "I wonder why it's going so slowly, I remember the GRX being able to pull on the Mach 5 easily." Speed commented.
The three cars passed through from Montana to Canada and continued to Calgary, but the Mach 5 had to let Lovelace pass because Speed stopped to switch with Trixie again. "Alright, Speed. I'm ready to really race now." Trixie said as she gunned it and in no time was back on the tail of Lovelace and the GRX.
"Be careful, Trixie. Lovelace is very skilled at applying blocks, so patience is key against her."
"Ms. Lovelace, the Mach 5 is looking to challenge. I do believe that they wish to win Stage 2." Halfdollar radioed.
"Well, they're not gonna get it without a fight!" Lovelace said as she blocked the Mach 5.
"Sheesh!" Trixie exclaimed, moving left and right, swerving around to find an opening.
"Patience, Trix. You have to handle the Mach 5 like… like it's a person. It has wants and needs like a person. It thinks and feels like a person."
"What're you talking about, Speed?" she asked distressed, not really having had raced anyone this hard before.
"Listen to her, Trixie. Just listen." Speed instructed, placing his hand on hers, stopping her from swerving all around the road. "You know the Mach 5's capabilities for the most part, but there is a power that the Mach 5 has that you have to learn from driving it, something that isn't on the blueprints." Speed looked ahead where there was a series of snaking turns, sharp curves one after the other.
"What do I do, Speed?"
"Don't panic, just think. The Mach 5 can do anything."
Trixie became focused, realizing what Speed meant and what she had to do. Her grip on the wheel tightened as she followed Lovelace into the snake turns, but when Lovelace stepped on her brakes to take the turns, Trixie pressed the B Button, deploying the belt tires for grip and she swung the car hard enough that it swung onto two wheels! The Mach 5 went around the sharp corner passed the side of Lovelace's #1 and passed in front of her! "Excuse me?" Lovelace shouted, not believing her eyes.
The Mach 5 landed back on four wheels with a *THUD* and Trixie quickly disengaged the belt tires and swung the car into the next turn, giving it more throttle, causing it to drift around the turns! Sharp curve after sharp curve she drifted the Mach 5, finally understanding what Speed meant; the Mach 5 wasn't just the fastest racecar on Earth, or the most advanced; but when treated with respect, it's versatile. The curves led out to a long straightaway that led to Calgary. But if they wanted to win the stage, Trixie would have to get passed the GRX! She quickly gained ground on it but then, a sinking feeling, the GRX gassed it as hard as it could and it gained a lot of ground on the Mach 5, that's when Speed put his hand on her shoulder, "Trix, it's alright. Just go for second, don't try to defeat that car. Leave that part to me."
Crowds cheered as the GRX, Mach 5 and Goldminter #1 crossed into Calgary one after another. Only a few minutes behind followed Left Roardon and Rosey Blaze, who missed the whole race upfront.
Trixie let out a deep breath, "How'd I do?" she asked Speed as she turned off the Mach 5 and got out of the car. Speed said nothing but instead hugged her, a rare gesture from her normally stoic boyfriend.
"That was amazing, Trixie! Exactly the right moves all the way!" Speed congratulated.
"Hey, Trixie!" Lovelace called out, walking over to the Mach 5, "That was impressive coming from a rookie."
"I'm lucky that I have one of the best instructors in the world." Trixie smiled.
"Yeah, don't get all mushy on me. You wanna come with Left and me for dinner later? Stage 3 doesn't start until tomorrow so, we have time to celebrate."
Trixie and Speed looked at each other and both answered, "Sure thing!" as they secured the Mach 5 and walked over to meet the rest of the team.
Chapter 11: The Final Stage
After a night of partying, Speed and Trixie awoke at the Calgary Checkpoint to begin the final stage of the No Limit World Race. They silently got washed up and gathered their gear, both strategizing how they were going to beat the GRX. They left the hotel, seeing the rest of the group as Speed put his lucky red ascot on, "I still don't know, Pops." Speed commented, looking over at the GRX.
"Don't worry about it, Speed. I know you'll find a way to win." Pops replied.
"Thanks, Pops. Thanks to all of you, I'll do my best to win." Speed said as he picked up his helmet from his seat in the Mach 5.
"Since I had the extra time, Pops and I were able to get everything in working order overnight, Speed." Sparky added.
"Oh, and I added a little something…extra." Pops said, winking at Speed.
"What does that mean, Pops?" Speed asked.
"Son, the Mach 5 needed a boost to be able to even stay on par with the GRX. Since I memorized the engine build on the car, I had to push the GOV-12 to its limits. I tuned the engine all night after I installed the twin-turbocharger." Pops explained.
"Turbo? I thought you only liked to go with naturally aspirated." Speed was surprised at Pops' seemingly sudden change of view.
"I do, Speed. But in this case, I don't have the means to do that for the Mach 5 right now. So, I had to go the other route, and now you should be able to keep up at least."
Speed put his hand on Pops' shoulder, "I won't disappoint you, Pops."
"All drivers, stage 3 is going to begin soon! Please get to your cars!" the announcer called out.
All who remained on the grid were Speed Racer & Trixie, Left Roardon, Lovelace Goldminter, Rosey Blaze, and the GRX. "This is it, my plan will finally come to fruition." Oriana Flux chuckled in her hotel room overlooking the finish line. She sipped her glass of scotch and looked over to her guest, Trick Idler, owner of the Three Roses Club, "So, Mr. Idler. Would you like to finally hear my plans?" Oriana asked.
"I thought your plan was to destroy Speed Racer and the Mach 5?" Trick asked.
"That is the short-term plan, Mr. Idler. That's why I hired you. No, I have a plan that goes on the long-term." Oriana said.
"Okay, I'll bite. What is your long-term plan?"
Oriana walked over to her bag and grabbed a disk, she then opened her other briefcase that was used to control the GRX and was also a computer, she slid the disk into the computer and it loaded up presentation slides, "Let me introduce you to my long-term plan…autonomy."
"Autonomy? I don't follow."
"Cars that drive themselves, cars that are run by computers. Cars provided by me when I use the winnings to create 'Flux Autonomy'."
"Your great plan is…cars that drive themselves?" Trick said, confused and slightly disappointed.
"You aren't seeing the big picture, Mr. Idler. I could control the world with these cars! Why buy a car that you must learn how to drive, when you could buy one, and you could just tell it where to go and it would do exactly what you want. Why do you think the GRX-2 is so perfect? Why it only follows a specific line and doesn't care for the imperfect human drivers?"
"Again…it's just a self-driving car."
"It won't be when we take control of whatever car we want. Think of it, Idler, the political implications of this new technology. If I don't like the way the world is going…" Oriana snapped her fingers, "Off a bridge goes the president or whoever I want, and I'll be able to cover it up, claiming that the technology 'isn't finished yet because it's so advanced' and that 'this was an unfortunate glitch and we'll do better'. Sure, my sales will plummet, but even so, I can still begin to place people I want into positions of power. I can control the fate of the world by taking advantage of people's laziness and with this technology, and I will."
Trick Idler sat stunned at this revelation, "Now that's quite the trick, Ms. Flux. But what about my Three Roses Club? I spent a lot of money to buy this team and their technology."
"Racing will still be around, I assure you; but your drivers won't, unfortunately. Face it, Mr. Idler, you only have one rose left anyway. The Three Roses Club can become a part of what will become the premier racing league of autonomous cars, I will be able to manipulate certain ones the way I want so I can win money with that as well. It's basically a massive slot machine to all but me." She plotted.
"I don't think I've met anyone as backward as you, Oriana." Trick complimented.
"You haven't, I assure you of that. Now run along to your Rosey Blaze and make sure she gets the job done." Oriana commanded.
"Yes, Ms. Flux." Trick Idler said as he left. But as soon as he was out of earshot, he muttered to himself, "Her plan would lose me all my money. I have to warn Rosey to back off the Mach 5 and focus on smashing the GRX!"
Back at the starting line, the Go Team were putting their finishing touches on the Mach 5… until the Homing Robot flew in and gently landed on Trixie's lap in the passenger's seat. "Oh! Speed, look!" she held up the Homing Robot that had a new tape on it.
"Play the recording, quickly." Speed said as Trixie pressed the button on the recorder and on the playback, was Inspector Detector's voice.
"Speed, Trixie, thank you for your message; Racer X and I will look into the matter secretly. But, if you can avoid it, I implore you to please not engage the GRX. Not until we have an idea of what we're up against and figure out what the driver's end game is. Godspeed Mach 5 Team." But then Racer X's voice overtook the recording, "Speed, if it comes down to winning the race, don't engage that driver, he'll smash you off the road like it did in the mountains. If you can pass, go for it, if it requires you putting yourself and Trixie in more danger, just let him win. Good luck, Speed." Racer X said until the tape ran out.
"Did Rex just ask us to throw the race?" Sparky asked.
"Yes, but he knows I can't do that, Sparky. It's against my nature to throw a race or any competition really." Speed said.
"Just be careful, you two. I don't know what I'd do if one of you got hurt." Pops interjected.
"Don't worry, Pops. We'll be careful." Speed reassured, looking back over to the GRX as the announcer's voice rang through Calgary.
"All drivers, the beginning of stage 3 will see you passing through the harshest of Canadian winters, through the Yukon and finally into Alaska. When the command to start your engines is given, this year's Ms. Racing Car will wave the green flag to begin the final leg of the race! The command will begin in a few minutes! Teams, make your final adjustments now!"
"Good luck, Speedy! I know you'll beat the GRX without a problem now that Pops fixed the car up!" Spritle said, standing at the side of the car.
"Thanks, Spritle and that's right, I'll be sure to win. I'll win for you too, Chim Chim." Speed promised. Chim Chim cheered and clapped his hands above his head.
"Alright, Speed, this is it. I gave you all of the supplies you might need and packed them in the trunk. Just in case you get in a real fight with the GRX." Sparky notified.
"I feel like I've said, 'thanks' to you a lot on this trip." Speed chuckled.
"Keep em' comin', pal. It never gets old." Sparky returned.
"Alright, son. With the twin turbos in the Mach 5, you'll be almost as fast as the GRX which means the G's will be close to the same. If you get light-headed like you did in the GRX, just back it down a little bit and make sure you compensate for the amount of power you have now. Be responsible."
"Don't worry Pops, I will. I remember driving the GRX, that feeling… that power." Speed starts to remember the night he stole the GRX, the moonlight glistening off of its golden paint, the G's so strong that it caused him to hallucinate that he was traveling into a dimension made of speed itself before causing him to black out and almost crash; if it wasn't for Pops, Spritle and Chim Chim coming to his rescue. Even then he couldn't bear to stay away, the speed and handling were addicting. Speed looked on at the GRX and thought to himself, "Whoever is in that car has probably been exposed to the V-Gas…maybe even more than once. I hope we can win and maybe even help the driver."
"Speed! Snap out of it, they're about to make the announcement!" Trixie shook Speed until he was done zoning out.
"Drivers! Start your engines!" the official announced, as all of the drivers turned the keys to their cars, engines of all kinds roared through the Canadian air. "Now, the gorgeous Ms. Racing Car will wave the green flag and begin the final stage of the No Limit World Race!" Each driver stared at the flag-woman eagerly awaiting to get going, engines revved and revved until she waved the green flag! Left Roardon was on the gas a fraction of a second faster than the GRX to everyone's surprise, but it was still only a fraction of a second. In no-time, the GRX sped past Left and into the lead, but it was followed closely by the Mach 5, its power now boosted via twin turbochargers.
"This feels familiar." Left said to himself as he looked in the rear-view mirror to see Lovelace and Rosey coming up behind him!
"Ms. Lovelace, Ms. Rosey Blaze is requesting to be patched into your radio feed." Halfdollar notified. Halfdollar is the Goldminter's newest butler and Lovelace's 'eye in the sky'.
"Patch her through." Lovelace said.
"Goldminter, I need you to let me through to get to the Mach 5!" Rosey said.
"Why would you think I'd do that? I know you're here to take Speed out of the race and I wanna beat him fair and square!" Lovelace answered.
"No, I'm not going to take out Speed anymore! I have to warn him about the GRX!"
"If Speed didn't tell Left and I about you and your friends shooting at him, I'd believe you. But I can't let you get to him, Rosey. If you and whoever you're working for are going to turn this from a race to a battle to save Speed, I'll do whatever I can to stop you!" Lovelace warned.
"Fine, then I'll try other things to get past you!" Rosey answered. Rosey drove the delta-shaped car up to Lovelace's #1 and used a sharp corner of her car to try and get close to Lovelace's tires.
"Oh!" Lovelace shouted before backing down, causing Rosey to overshoot the tire and side-swipe the blue and white car.
The battle between the two allowed for Left to get ahead, but he still wondered what was going on, "What's going on back there?" Left asked his crew chief.
"No idea, Left. Looks like some kind of disagreement."
"Should I help?"
"Nah, keep goin' and don't back down. The Mach 5 and GRX aren't far ahead."
"Alright." Left acknowledged as he continued forward at full speed, pulling away from the two battling ladies behind him.
Meanwhile, at the front of the pack, "How does the Mach 5 feel, Speed?" Trixie asked.
"It's fast, that's for sure. But something just doesn't feel right about it." Speed answered as the Mach 5's turbos whined.
"It doesn't sound so great, either." Trixie added, commenting on the slight whining sound coming from the chargers.
"As long as it lets us keep up with them." Speed said as the GRX was in eyeshot of the two, obviously not going full speed as to conserve gas.
"I'm going to turn on the radio to see any reports about the weather." Trixie said, turning the Mach 5's radio on.
"…and that is all you need to know about the race tonight. Tune in here for live updates as the drivers take on the treacherous Canadian Yukon. Blizzards are reported to strike tonight, so be sure to watch, it's bound to get exciting! In other news…" Trixie turned off the radio.
"A blizzard is up ahead tonight? Speed, can we pull over? I'd like to drive before we hit the storm. You know more about driving in those conditions than me." Trixie pled.
"Sure, Trixie. Hold on." Speed pulled over and the two swapped seats, but as they were buckling up, Left Roardon passed them.
"Alright, punch it, Lovelace and Rosey aren't far behind!" Speed said as Trixie gunned it back onto the main road. It didn't take long for the recently modified Mach 5 to catch up to Left and pull alongside. Before long, the other two cars joined the mix as the four grouped up. "I don't like this, they're letting the GRX getaway! We can't let it win!" Speed said. It was hours as the four cars duked it out until night fell.
"Alright, I'm pulling over." Trixie said as snow began to fall.
Speed hopped back into the driver's seat and as soon as Trixie buckled in, he pressed the D Button to stop the snow and the B Button to avoid loss of grip. "The others will be stopping soon, I'm sure of it." Speed said as he continued to the GRX. Because of their stop during a big position battle, the others passed them up, meaning Speed had to get his position back, as well as having to catch back up to the GRX.
He masterfully was able to dodge the battle between Rosey and Lovelace and caught back up to Left who blocked him, in which Speed grinned and opened the new power of his twin-turbo upgrade. He then pressed the A Button, vaulting over Left's car and back onto the road. Speed was a man on a mission as he was able to catch the GRX, which was when the snow began to fall harder than ever before! The GRX had a lot of torque and wasn't equipped with belt tires, so it struggled to keep its traction, even with a smart-traction control system that regulated power and grip to maximize the GRX's chances to stay ahead of the rest. But it wasn't a match for the purpose-built Mach 5 that ended up passing the GRX without much of a problem because Speed knew that on this slippery terrain, the GRX's driver wouldn't be dull enough to try and swerve into them; because that meant that he had a higher chance of taking himself out. So, to the GRX's chagrin, he had to give the lead to the Mach 5.
"There's new leader, folks! The Mach 5, driven by Speed Racer!" the radio host shouted in excitement.
"Yay Speed!" Spritle shouted.
"Get em', Speed!" Sparky cheered.
"That's our boy!" Mom and Pops both said simultaneously as Chim Chim clapped his hands and did standing flips.
"I'm glad we could fly you out for the final leg of the race, dear." Pops said.
"So am I, it was getting boring at home and I like to be around whenever possible." Mom Racer said. The Go Team were all standing inside of the hotel overlooking the finish line. The very same one that Oriana Flux was staying at. She looked down upon the Racer family from the railing on the next floor up. She made a sinister smile before retreating to her room, Oriana opened her GRX-2 briefcase again and pulled out a hidden compartment, revealing her silenced pistol, the same one that killed Mr. Van Ruffle in Mexico and the same gun she plans the devastate the Racer Family with!
Speed continues to stay ahead of the GRX-2 in a great blizzard in the Canadian Yukon, and it won't be long until the two reach the finish! What else does the GRX-2 have in store for our heroes? Is it already all out of tricks? Stay Tuned for the thrilling conclusion of Speed Racer: The Invincible Car!
Chapter 12: Thrills and Excitement
Lovelace, Left, and Rosey were in the back of the pack, struggling through the blizzard, trying to follow the tire tracks of the Mach 5 and GRX so they wouldn't have to stop. Lovelace and Rosey, who were both locked in an intense battle, they went to each side of Left Roardon and passed him, Left backed down so he wouldn't become a part of a possible accident. "These girls have gotta be more careful." Left commented.
"Ms. Lovelace, please back down before it get's too dangerous." Halfdollar suggested.
"I can't, Halfdollar. I…" Lovelace stopped as she saw a huge orange glow and got distracted. The GRX had come equipped, after all, blowing fire from the front of the car with dual flamethrowers. As her focus faltered, becoming fixated on the fire, her car drifted right into Rosey's, catching her left-front tire on the sharp corner of Rosey's car, tearing it to pieces! "Ahhhh!" Lovelace yelled as her car swerved to the left, she over-corrected the swerve and ended up spinning out of control! Lovelace's blue, white, and orange #1 slammed into a huge snow bank on the side of the road, causing the car to flip end over end in the snow, Lovelace's bright orange headlights shining beams of light in the air as the car flipped and spun.
"Lovelace!" Left shouted as he stomped the brakes to avoid the debris left on the road, sending his car into a slide as well. Left was a veteran, though and he grabbed his handbrake and was able to control the car without hitting anything and bringing it to a complete stop. "Lovelace!" he called out again, leaving his car to look for his opponent. Next to the wreckage, Left found Lovelace unconscious and thrown from her car, which was crumpled and in pieces yards away. "Don't worry, Lovelace. You'll finish this race, car or not." Left promised as he picked her up and brought her back to his #24, continuing on the snowy road, now cleared by the GRX's flamethrowers.
Up ahead, Speed and Trixie's lead had grown exponentially, to the point where the GRX was out of view until they saw the glow from the flames in the rearview mirror. "They put flamethrowers in the GRX?" Trixie said, in disbelief as the GRX gained ground and passed the Mach 5, not having to actively fight against the fresh snow. "Why didn't they use that before?" Trixie asked.
"Probably because it has limited fuel for the fire, and it was waiting for the perfect moment to use them. It must mean that we'll be out of the storm soon." Speed replied, pulling the Mach 5 behind the GRX, and following it closely.
"Speed, look! It's Rosey Blaze!" Trixie notified, seeing the silver car in the side view mirror.
"Huh? What happened to Lovelace and Left?"
"I hope they're alright." Trixie said as the top three ran in single file behind the GRX, in last was Left Roardon, who was quickly approaching Rosey Blaze's #33, whose car was too old and slow to really be able to compete. Left put the nose of his car right behind the aircraft-like, pointed rear of Rosey's and gave it a bump, throwing the triangular car slightly off-balance.
"Come on!" Rosey shouted as she fought her wheel, trying to stabilize her car when Left gave her another gentle bump which pushed the car ever so slightly off the trail that the GRX was blazing. The right side of her car ran into the snow, throwing the traction off and causing the car to spin. Left backed off until Rosey spun out of the way, being able to slow down her car fast enough that she gently slid into the snow. Rosey got out of her car and watched the others get away, she turned around and slammed her fist on her car in frustration and anger. But she bottled it up and tried to get her car back out onto the road so she could re-join the race.
Back in Anchorage, Oriana and Trick continue to watch the race, "Wow, Oriana. You have any more surprises packed into that car?" Trick asked.
Oriana chuckled and puffed her cigarette, "That depends on how far Speed Racer will go to win the race, he's already seen the GRX-2's blinding ability and now it's flamethrowers; but I guarantee you, there's a few more."
"I can't wait to see it." Trick Idler smirked as he looked on.
"Speed, I think we can try and pass now." Trixie notified. Speed pulled out to the left of the GRX and began to gain ground. As he did, Trixie noticed that the GRX's interior wasn't glowing green anymore and she could see through the green tinted windows. She didn't see a driver, but she saw that the entire passenger's side and middle of the car were computers, the only seat being the driver's seat. "Speed, there's no one in the GRX!"
"Huh?" Speed looked over and saw all of the tech packed into the car. "Oh! I've never seen anything like that before."
"How is it possible? A car that drives itself with accuracy like this?"
"Now that I think of it, it makes sense." Speed said.
"How? What do you mean?"
"Well, think of it, Trixie. From the day we came up against this new GRX, it has used the perfect driving line, no matter who or what was in front of it. The computer has been calculating every move this whole time. Every turn, every pass, every time it revealed a new ability, it did so for self-preservation."
"I wonder what else it's hiding."
"Same, and I wonder who's behind all of this." Speed stepped a little more on the gas as the snowfall went away and the road became clearer. As the Mach 5 pulled out to pass, the GRX blocked the way, "Come on, I gotta find a way to pass it!" Speed thought. He aimed the Mach 5 behind the GRX but kept accelerating as it bumped the GRX to throw it off, but it didn't work. This time, Speed bumped it again but moved the Mach 5 slightly to the left in order to get the GRX's rear wheels loose and it worked! Speed moved along-side the GRX and the two had a drag race along the road.
In Left's car, Lovelace began to wake up in the passenger's seat, "Where am I?" she asked, looking around to see Left driving.
"Your car was smashed off the road by Rosey Blaze." Left said.
"Why did you just leave me in the car?" Lovelace asked.
"Because your car was smashed to pieces and on fire; I don't know about you, but that wouldn't be very comfortable for anyone." Left explained.
"Well, thanks for saving me."
"Of course, I'm not a bad person." Left chuckled as they came into view of the Mach 5 and GRX drag racing. "Wow, they're really going at it, huh?" Left commented.
"Wow." Lovelace gasped, wide-eyed, watching the two cars get further and further away.
"I can't gain ground on it, no matter what I do." Speed said, getting frustrated and looking over at the GRX.
"Speed, look!" Trixie pointed out as a train crossing was coming up and the lights on the crossing began to blink.
"This is it. This is our opening." Speed said, really pushing the Mach 5 to its absolute limits. The freight train began to pass by as the two cars approached it, "It'll have no choice but to stop for the train." He added as the cars came in closer and closer until it was the perfect distance for Speed to press the A Button and the Mach 5 vaulted over the train! But to their surprise, the GRX blasted air under one side of the car and attempted the thread the needle by going sideways, in-between train cars! The train was going faster than the GRX and as the GRX went mostly through the hole, the train ended up hitting its rear, causing the autonomous car to skid on its side and spin when it came through as the Mach 5 landed safely. It also damaged the rear of the GRX greatly, the car's taillights and rear panels being torn completely off by the speeding train.
"I wonder what happened to it, I thought the car was supposed to be perfect." Trixie said.
"Maybe they made it too smart, Trixie. To the point where it may have second-guessed itself." Speed replied.
"Maybe it's not so invincible after all." Trixie said with confidence as the Mach 5 sped onward, not far away from the finish.
"What was that? I thought you said that the GRX was unbeatable!" Trick raised his voice.
"To be honest, Mr. Idler, I don't know what happened. It's like the car second-guessed itself which should never happen." Oriana answered, flabbergasted.
"Well, what do you think happened?" Trick asked, pointing at the GRX's wreckage on the screen.
Oriana pondered this and then answered, "I think when it saw Speed Racer make the jump, it decided that Speed's plan was better and last second it decided to follow suit, but it was too late." She said.
"How could some punk kid like Speed Racer outsmart a computer?"
"I don't think he did, I think his action was something the computer didn't consider since not every car has the ability to jump like that. Seems to have just been a coincidence." Oriana said, looking on.
"Well, was that the GRX's last trick?" Idler asked.
"No, there's two more that it hasn't used. I hope it won't have to use the last one." Oriana prayed as she looked at the TV, seeing Left Roardon pass her car.
The GRX had been badly damaged, the paint was scratched, the body was dented, and the rear of the car was almost totally gone. But as it laid on its side, it's wheels steered over to one side and tipped the car over on all fours, it sat there a moment before turning itself on, sending the gravely GRX engine back to life, and setting back off full-throttle back towards the other racers. The GRX was very angry and was on a mission to get back to the lead as it caught up to Roardon and Goldminter.
"Oh boy, it's coming back." Left sighed, moving out of the way of the GRX that passed them seamlessly.
"I think we're going to have to settle for second place." Lovelace added as the black, silver, and green car passed them in a blur.
"Speed!" Trixie called, looking into the side-view mirror.
"Oh!" Speed exclaimed as the GRX began to catch them. "I'm gonna give it a taste of its own medicine." Speed said, moving in front of the GRX to block it. The GRX was trying to make ground, but it was struggling to pass the newly modified Mach 5; Speed slid the Mach 5 in front of the GRX as scrap metal and debris flew out of the GRX's rear and onto the road.
"Jeez!" Left said, having to dodge all the metal to keep his tires safe.
The GRX hit the Mach 5 very hard, jolting Speed and Trixie while putting a triangular dent in the rear of the Mach 5.
"My car!" Sparky cried, watching from the hotel.
"Your car?!" Pops exclaimed, staring Sparky down as the young mechanic shrunk back and gave an embarrassed chuckle.
"It'll really stop at nothing to win!" Speed shouted, looking back.
"We need to figure out a way to put it out of commission for good, Speed!" Trixie said.
"I have a plan, Trixie, hang on." Speed said as he moved out of the GRX's way and backed down, allowing the car to pass. Speed grinned and got very close behind and pressed the C Button, deploying the cutter blades. The blades let out a high-pitched whirring and whining noise as they sped up to the point where they could cut trees instantaneously with barely noticeable power loss. "Let's see it get back up from this." Speed said as he moved the Mach 5 forward, cutting into the rear of the GRX until it reached the tires, shredding the rear tires, brakes, brake lines and even the rotors and rims! Sparks and more shrapnel and debris flew everywhere but before they could damage the Mach 5, Speed activated the auto-jacks once again, jumping over the GRX which had caught fire because the sparks set the fuel aflame! But as the Mach 5 landed, Speed and Trixie noticed that a huge piece of the GRX was launched in the air and as it fell to the ground, it unfolded and deployed two wheels and continued towards them!
"What happened, Speed?" Trixie asked, not being able to process what just transpired.
"It had a motorcycle hidden within it ready to go in case of a crash that incapacitated the normal car!" Speed answered.
"Well, it can't possibly have an engine as big as the GRX on-board, so it can't pass us, right?"
"That may be true, Trixie but now it's lighter than we are, and I'm not sure it'll let us even get close to it with the cutter blades now, so I don't know what else we're going to be able to do." Speed replied.
Oriana Flux then became very angry and walked over to her briefcase, "What're you doin'?" Trick questioned.
"Setting the bomb on board the GRX-2's motorcycle. It's not powerful enough to win, so if I can't win, nobody can." Oriana informed, setting the bomb and then grabbing her silenced pistol.
"Wait, what's that for?"
"I'm tired of the racers meddling in all of my plans. It ends tonight." Oriana said, walking out of her room, gun in hand as Trick looked on in fear of what was about to transpire.
"The money doesn't matter anymore if she's going to fly off the handle and do this!" Trick thought to himself, quietly following Oriana out of the room. She stood by the railing on the third floor and looked down to the lobby where the Racers were all watching the race intently. She aimed the gun at Pops Racer, but before she could pull the trigger, Trick Idler hit her in the back of the head with a serving platter, sending her over the third-floor railing and to the hard lobby floor below. Everyone looked in shock as Trick made a quick getaway via the stairs leading to the roof and then a fire escape.
The people in the lobby looked shocked and Pops pushed passed the others and saw her, "Hey, this is Oriana Flux!" then he looked over and saw the gun, "No wonder, she must have seen the GRX doing badly against Speed and planned to take us out!" Pops exclaimed.
"That's right, Pops." Inspector Detector came in behind them. "Oriana Flux was also the one who killed Mr. Van Ruffle in Mexico City." He said.
"How could you tell?" Pops asked.
"Oriana was more business savvy than someone who would carry out a hit. We found her fingerprints in Mexico City and the ballistics matched her gun. We knew she had to be somewhere, but unfortunately, we were too late to get confirmation to move in before this happened." Inspector Detector explained.
"But what happened? That's the million-dollar question, from the looks of it she just fell." Pops said.
"She couldn't have." The inspector looked at her and noticed bruising on the back of her head. "She was hit over her head and fell over the railing up there. Let's go to her room, Pops. I want you to consult me on this investigation just in case anything you're an expert on any technology discovered."
"Okay, let's go!" Pops said as the two men quickly made their way to the third-floor room of Oriana Flux. As they arrived, they saw the laptop and they ran to it, "I've never seen a personal computer so small!" Pops exclaimed, marveling at how much it must've cost.
"Do you know what it's saying, Pops?" Inspector Detector asked.
Pops inspected the computer and looked at its screen with live updates on the GRX's status before seeing the line 'Admin Pass: 041967. GRX-2-ARMED' scrolling through the screen, Pops reeled back in horror, "We have to warn Speed and Left, I think the car's got a bomb!"
Only miles away from Anchorage, night was falling again, and the Mach 5 was able to stay a good distance ahead of the GRX, "It seems like we are beating it." Trixie said.
"Good. I hope it doesn't have any more tricks like that." Speed huffed, really wishing that the GRX would be gone for good.
"Speed, this is Pops, I need you to pick up right away, son!" Pop's voice crackled over the radio which was cutting off due to the cold weather.
Speed picked up the radio, "This is Speed. What is it, Pops?"
"Speed, I need you to use all of the power you have and don't stop once you cross the finish line. The GRX has –" the radio cut off at the most inopportune moment.
"Come in Pops, I didn't get the last part."
"The GRX –"
"The radio keeps cutting out, but I think I know what you're trying to say Pops. I'll figure out a way to stop the GRX from doing anything." Speed responded as he put the radio back on the hook.
"What do you think he was trying to say, Speed?"
"I think the GRX has a bomb, and if that's the case, I think I know how we're gonna stop it from causing too much damage."
"Attention, racing fans! The Mach 5 and the GRX are coming to the finish! Get your cameras ready to take a picture of this historic moment!" the announcer's voice rang out. Everyone looked in the distance, seeing the yellow lights of the Mach 5 and the green lights of the GRX quickly approaching! The crowd cheered as the Mach 5 crossed the line first, taking the checkered flag with the GRX following behind! "The winner of this year's No Limit World Race, for the second and consecutive time is the Mach 5! But wait… the two aren't stopping or even slowing down, they're headed to the coast! What's Speed thinking?" The announcer shouted as the confused crowd looked on.
"Hang on!" Speed warned, pressing the A and F Buttons, throwing the Mach 5 into the icy Alaskan waters, whilst activating the underwater mode. The GRX, set on destroying the Mach 5 and Speed followed, the autonomous motorcycle smashed through the stone and metal guardrails that separate the land from the water, and as it became submerged, it detonated, sending a massive pillar of water up stories high! The Mach 5 was jolted and due to the extreme damage that the car was already facing, it began to leak in multiple places, ice cold water touched Speed and Trixie's feet as Speed waited for the car to stabilize so he could get it back to the surface on time.
"Speed!" Pops called out as he and the rest of the team ran to the water where the Mach 5 leaped. As they did, Left Roardon crossed the line and he and Lovelace also left the car.
"What happened?" Left asked.
"Speed and the GRX both jumped into the sea and the GRX exploded!" Pops said a worried expression came over him as he realized the amount of damage that the Mach 5 sustained may have caused breaches, making it unstable under water. As the Mach 5 continued to sink, the bits and pieces left of the GRX floated down with it, Speed looked around as icy cold water continued to leak into the car.
"Speed, are you alright? We've gotta get outta here!" Trixie called, as her boyfriend zoned out from extreme exhaustion, having driven the bulk of the race and almost all of the third stage from Calgary to Anchorage without rest.
"Huh? Yeah, let's go win." Speed slurred, his exhaustion beginning to get the better of him. The Mach 5 hit the floor and Speed put the hammer down before activating the jacks, sending the Mach 5 through the surface and the hole in the wall and rails that the GRX left behind. The soaked, scratched, and torn car landed on the road and screeched to a halt in front of spectators and EMT's as Speed passed out and Trixie pressed the F Button to deactivate the shield and oxygen. Trixie helped the EMT's get Speed out of the Mach 5 as Left and Lovelace looked on; Rosey Blaze passed the finish not long after to see Speed getting carried into the ambulance. But instead of staying, Rosey turned around and drove away.
Sunlight came through a hospital window, softly landing on Speeds face; the light came through his eyelids, waking him up. His eyes fluttered, adjusting to the light. Speed jolted up in bed, not knowing where he was or how he got there, but then he looked to the foot of his bed and next to a vase full of white roses from his mother, sat the huge No Limit World Race trophy along with his helmet. Speed grinned, but then suddenly flinched, now feeling the aches and pain from the last leg of the race and allowed himself to gently lay back down. But as he did, Trixie came in a noticed that he was awake, "Pops, Sparky, Speed's awake!" she called out as the other two rushed over to Speed's bedside.
"How're you doing Speed?" Pops asked, relieved that Speed woke up.
"Everything aches, Pops." Speed groaned. "Where's Mom and Spritle?"
"Mom and Spritle went back home, they want to throw you a victory party." Pops smiled.
"Where's the Mach 5?" Speed shot back up, looking at Sparky.
Sparky rubbed his arm and looked at the floor, "You really beat that car up, Speed. It was completely destroyed; Pops and I are going to have to start from scratch."
Speed looked down, dejected, but Pops put his hand on Speed's shoulder, "Rebuilding the Mach 5 is going to take time, son. I'm going to have to do everything from scratch, the chassis, body, the engine, all of it."
"We could always move up a number and make something completely new, Speed." Sparky winked.
"No, the Mach 5 is my car. I don't know if there'll ever be a Mach 6…but it won't be mine." Speed explained.
"You got it, Speed. Do you have any requests before Sparky and I get to work on the car?" Pops asked.
"I had a list of things, but I only remember one."
"Well, what is it? Anything for our driver." Sparky nudged.
"The all-white paint isn't doing it for me anymore. I think the car would look better with a blue under-belly, I have it all drawn up back home." Speed said.
"Well, I guess I can't expect you to remember anything too technical in this state. But we'll get the paint job done, Speed." Pops chuckled.
"I'm just glad you're alright, Speed." Trixie said, taking Speed's hand.
Speed smiled, "Not even a moving bomb could keep me away from you, Trixie."
"Ohh, no. We'd better go before this get's any worse, Pops." Sparky whined. The group laughed together, reveling in their victory against Oriana Flux and the GRX.
Looking through binoculars on a hill across the way was Racer X, he put them away and thought to himself, "I'm glad you're alright Speed. Even if Rex Racer can't return, I'll always be there in the nick of time. Always." Racer X then turned around and jumped back into the Shooting Star, driving off into the distance.
Speed and Trixie have survived the return of Oriana Flux and the GRX, as well as the return of some of their old enemies that they've met in races in the past year. Our heroes prevailed in saving Anchorage, Alaska but at the sacrifice of the fabulous Mach 5. But that doesn't mean that the Go Team's adventures are over. Join us next time for more thrills and excitement on the next episode of, Speed Racer! [Outro Music]