A/N: I know its been an EXTREMELY long time, but after seeing the new Speed Racer movie and the new reviews, I've gotten some new inspiration. This story will now be based on some parts of the movie as well as the old cartoon show. Rex Racer will supposedly have died in a car crash as the movie stated, and he will have changed companies and supposedly made a lot of bad choices as was also shown in the movie. However, everything else is faithful to the classic series. No mask removal, and No plastic surgery! Just to keep things clear and in order. Now enjoy!

Chapter 2

Sitting at the diner counter, Speed Racer sighed in impatience. Would Spritle and Chim-Chim hurry up? His younger brother and his pet monkey had gone to the restroom after their dinner. They were taking fifteen minutes!

He didn't have any time to waste. After having won that big race in Berlin, he had enough money to last him for gas and the next hotel. He didn't like staying in one place long. He couldn't…

Pops would be ashamed to see him racing for money, but even he would have to understand if he knew the reason. But he couldn't let that happen. Pops would never listen to him, say less about actually taking time to understand…

Even though he used aliases now, his face was still recognized. If he stayed, they would find him in no time. And then they would make him go back, and that, he couldn't do. He outright refused! Too much was at stake for that to happen. He couldn't go back. Not yet…

Why? It pained him to even think about the answer. It started about a couple of months ago—a lifetime ago, it seemed…

He had been cleaning the Mach Five, giving it a good polishing before the South Seas Grand Prix race the next day. If he won it, he'd have some money to help Pops build the new enhancements to the car. It had been really important to him then. Now, it seemed no more than a distant memory.

Humming a nameless tune, Speed put the finishing touches to the wax job he just given the Mach 5. Putting down the cloth, the nineteen year-old wiped the sweat from his brow with a passing arm, before looking at his beloved car with a soft smile. He loved his vehicle…it went without saying that gleaming white racecar was his pride and joy, and had saved his life more time than he could even imagine. But he brought himself back into the reality of today; he had daydreamed enough. Once he was finished here, he had so many other things to do.

Sighing, he looked at his baby one more time before leaving the garage and padlocking the door. He had twenty minutes to get cleaned up so that he could meet Trixie at the carnival for their date, and after that he had to take the Mach 5 for a test run before the South Seas Graind Prix race in three days. It was a race he had run and won before, but it was always good practice and the extra money never hurt either….

Tucking a stray dark hair behind his ear, he fingered his near-shoulder length locks before sighing again. Maybe it was time to get another haircut. He had been a little busy, but he knew that both his mother and his girlfriend were both going to start complaining, about him letting his occupation interfere with his appearance. But what was he supposed to do? Being a world-class racecar driver was not at as easy as many people believed. Not only did one have to keep the vehicle itself always in top condition, but the driver too also had to tune his mind and body, going through grueling practice to hone his skills. And then there was always the business side of it, the agents, the backers—not the most exciting parts of racing, but hey! A driver has to eat too, ya know!

Speed had almost reached the front door of his house when his cell phone suddenly came to life. Taking it out of his pocket, he flipped it open and answered automatically. "This is Speed."

A woman's soft voice came from out of the receiver, easily caching his attention even though he had never heard her voice before in his life.

"Mr. Racer, I am glad to have caught you. I must talk to you about an issue of the utmost importance."

He blinked, "I'm sorry, who are you again?"

"I cannot say over the phone, however, if you meet me in Chrysler National Park in ten minutes, I'll tell you all you want to know."

Shaking his head, he leaned against the side of the building, "Look Miss, if you want an interview or to present me with in offer, you're going to have to take it up with my agent. His number is—"

Her voice turned harsh, instantly cutting him off. "Listen to me! I don't have much time, and this is a matter of life and death! Now, are you going to meet me or not?"

The young racer's handsome face lit up with a lance of concern, "If you could just tell me what this is all about…"

Her voice was quieter this time, "It has to do with your brother, Speed."

His eyes went wide with shock at the mention of that simple word. "Spritle? Did something happen? Have you called my parents?"

His mind suddenly flashed with images of Spritle in an accident, or kidnapped, or worse…

God knows he had enemies, and any one of them could take out their hatred for him, on his little brother. The rest of his family had all went out for the day, and he suddenly cursed himself for not knowing his sibling's exact whereabouts.

However, the woman cut off his thoughts and practically stopped his heart with her next statement. "No Speed—your other brother…"

At that moment, his legs could no longer hold him up and collapsed beneath him, sending him sliding down to the concrete. No sound came from his suddenly parched throat. Even though it had been more than 7 years since his death, anything that had to do with his older brother Rex, shook him down to the very core. He loved his brother more than anyone could possibly love another. He loved him unconditionally, no matter how many bad choices his brother made, no matter the fact that he had never come home after that fateful race, no matter how many bad things were said about him, even after the car crash that had claimed his life, Speed had never stopped loving his brother and trying to live by his example.

"Speed? Are you still there?"

The sound of the woman's voice woke him up from his stupor, and a spark came to his suddenly hardened blue eyes. He gripped the phone firmly and spoke with a steel edge in his tone, "Where in the park do you want to meet?"

One could practically feel the woman's smirk come across the phone line. "By the large fountain in the center, the one with the angels adorning it."

He nodded, knowing exactly which one she was talking about. He stood up and walked back to the garage, absently taking the keys out his pocket for the lock. "How will I recognize you?"

"Don't worry, I'll find you. See you in five, Monsieur Racer."

The line went silent recognizing that the conversation had ended. Speed put the phone away as he opened the garage door. Taking out the keys for the Mach 5, he jumped into the driver's seat, no thoughts for anything except finding this woman and learning the secrets she held…secrets that had been held clandestine for far too long.

It took him less than three minutes to reach the park, and he practically ran all the way to the fountain. His nerves were on edge, and he almost screamed when he saw that no one was there to meet him. But thankfully, before he suffered a mental breakdown from his overflowing apprehension, from out of nowhere a young woman with an attaché case, stepped in front of him, blocking his path!

Looking at her intently, he could see she was definitely not a fan. She was very pretty, her long scarlet hair matching her crimson suit, black sunglasses, and fair skin. She allowed Speed to walk past her, never talking and seemingly ignoring him, before walking inaudibly alongside him. They continued to walk in perpetual silence through the park, until the two came to a secluded spot underneath some oak trees. The woman sat down next the tree, still not looking at him, even as he sat down next to her.

After a few long moments of silence, Speed was about to touch her arm to see if the woman was alright, but she instead began to speak, still looking away towards some trees.

"It's good to finally meet you, Mr. Racer. I just wish it was under…better circumstances."

He decided not to ask why she was trying her hardest not to make eye contact. "You said you had information on my brother, Ms.—"

The woman looked over at him for the first time, her hazel eyes flashing behind her mirrored lenses. "In my country, they call me X Rouge, but you may call me Red X."

He nodded in response, "Red X…Is that an alias or something?"

A small curve came to the side of her mouth, "Naturellement, Mr. Racer. As you have probably already guessed, I work for several different secret agencies, including of course, the CIB."

Speed passed a hand through his dark hair in an attempt at stifling his apprehension. He had dealt with the CIB, Inspector Detector, as well as other such groups and men in his past. He knew that when one of them willingly went through the trouble of seeking him out, it was never a good thing.

"You said, Ms. X, that you had some information on my brother, Rex. Since you're probably working for some strange secret spy network and that you probably keep up with the news, I'm guessing you know that my brother died in a car accident some years ago. Did you find something strange concerning his death, did you find some kind of evidence of foul play, that he was—"

His eyes grew dark and his voice harsh and cold at the very thought, "—murdered?"

She smiled, "I wish it was that easy of a case, but things are a lot more complicated then you may think."

Taking off her glasses, she looked straight into his eyes, a sudden seriousness coming over here. "The first thing I have to tell you, is a fact only known to four other people in the world, including myself and Inspector Detector. However, I think it is time that you know this secret as well, even though I am going against regulations."

Speed took all of this in before taking a deep breath in preparation, "You have me in your confidence, Ms. X."

She waved her hand as if it was of no consequence, "Oh, I have no worries about that Speed. Your reputation precedes you, and your integrity is legendary. I'm only thinking of how this news is going to affect you."

At his look of puzzlement, Red X let out a slight uncomfortable chuckle, "Rex looked exactly as you do now whenever he got confused."

He pounced on her words and their implications, "You knew my brother?!"

The young woman looked around her for a moment, before starting to wring her wrist in awkwardness. "I still do know him, Speed…"

He looked her in confusion, "What do you mean? I don't—"

Before he could go any further, she took a deep breath and interrupted him mid-sentence. "Speed…your brother didn't die in that crash."

"W-What do you mean?" He asked incredulously. His intuition was going nuts, and his intuition was nothing to play with.

Red X thought out her words carefully, before finally just coming out with the blunt truth. "Rex Racer is not dead, Speed. He's very much alive as you or me, as far as I know."

If he had been thrown from the driver's seat and run over three hundred times, he would not have felt as much surprise or agony as he did in that moment. At first he denied the woman's words, thinking automatically that she was just a crackpot reporter. However, his logical mind just as quickly refused that, knowing that the woman didn't have any reason to lie to him. But still—Rex alive? It just couldn't be. Why would he fake his own death? Why would he put his family through such heartache? Why wouldn't he at least come back to see him?

"That c-c-can't be t-true. That's i-impossible…"

She looked upon him sympathetically with a smile, "But it is true Speed, and it ispossible. In fact…you've already met him. He's been hiding under your very nose, and you've known him in his new form for quite some time."

He knew that Red X still had more to tell him, but the first blow was still enough to throttle him. He couldn't believe it…he didn't know if his heart would ever start beating again…

Rex—alive and walking around. After all this time…

His role model, friend, and champion—his brother…

When was able to find his voice again, he spoke with a quiet resolve that belied his inner turmoil. "Where is he?...Where is Rex?"

Then he remembered her words, and he could already answer his own question.

'…you've already met him. He's been hiding under your very nose…'

That's when Speed knew. And somehow, in someway—he had always known, at least in his heart.

His tone of voice was no louder than a whisper, but still Red X was able to hear him loud and clear. "Racer X…Racer X's real name is Rex Racer, isn't it?"

Red X looked at him with for a moment, before turning away and nodding.

Speed found himself letting out the breath he didn't even know he'd been holding, before he suddenly threw his fist hard at the ground!

"I knew it! I should have pressed him harder, but every time I wanted to confront him, I was afraid of his reaction. How could I have been so blind?! Anytime I was in a jam, Racer X would show up and come to my aid. He would always push me to do better, to think faster, and strive higher. He was my greatest competition, and my greatest partner. He knew my moves before I did, as I did his. We moved together in perfect sync when we worked as a team, and we drove each other to do our best when we acted alone. All the signs were there, I just couldn't see them…"

When the professional spy glanced at the Racer boy's face as he turned to her, she almost had to hiss at the steely look she saw. His voice was quiet, but was laced with harsh resolve. "Where is he, Red X? Tell me where my brother is, or so help me, I'll tear the world apart if I have to, in order to find him."

She looked away, "I can't—"

He pulled her to him by her suit lapels, "I don't care about the red tape or whether or not he wants to see me! I have to see him! I have to find out why—why he's hiding from me…from us. Why did he make us all think he was dead?! Why?"

"I wish I could tell you where he is Speed, but I can't. I can however, answer your other questions for you." She answered quietly, slowly but firmly removing his hands from her person and pausing slightly, before continuing again.

"When your brother Rex, left home and joined another racing team, he soon got himself involved with some very mendacious businessmen. While your brother never committed any unlawful acts, the people he worked for and with, constantly pushed him to forget his morals and do as they ordered. And though Rex lost many races because he refused to forget his principles, he would never compromise. Things began to get even more dangerous for him…and for those around him. When they started to threaten his friends and family, Rex knew things were getting too close to home. If his family, and especially you Speed, were put in harm's way because of him, he would never have been able to live with himself. So, in order to get out from under the unscrupulous executives' thumbs, Rex did the only thing he could. He made himself totally disappear.

"He staged his own death on that racetrack and destroyed his car. After all the media slowly regressed, he came to the CIB with his story and they hired him on the spot, promising to help him bring down the filth that they too had been after for years. For two years, Rex worked in secret, and he created his new persona as that of the mysterious Racer X in which to finally take down the men who had been abusing and exploiting Rex Racer, as well as many other young racers for years. However, even though the immediate danger had passed, Racer X had now made more enemies than Rex Racer ever would. However, unlike Rex, Racer X had no outside ties, no family, no one to put in danger. Your brother soon realized that there was no way that he could return to old life, without once again, putting the ones he loved in danger. So, instead, he agonizingly, gave up the life of your older brother, and became fully Racer X, and man without a face and a past."

Speed sat there in silence, soaking in all that the female spy had just revealed to him. He didn't know what to think yet, it was all so intense…

"What…what do you mean, that you 'can't' tell me where he is?"

Red X sighed once again and began to flip open the locks to her attaché case. "This comes to the reason why I called you, Mr. Racer. My supervisors don't even know I'm here, and I will probably get chastised for coming to you with this, but I think you might be the only one I can turn to right now."

Taking a packet out of her briefcase, she handed it to Speed. "Over two months ago, your brother went home from a meeting in Paris at 1900 hours."

She then looked over at him; a slight spark of sorrow lit her vibrant eyes. "We've never seen him since."

Speed opened the manila envelope and was immediately disturbed by the pictures he found inside. "What are you saying? That he just disappeared? The place in these photos looks ransacked, everything is destroyed."

The woman reached into her bag and handed him the police report on the incident. "The pictures are crime scene photos of your brother's apartment. The police could find no trace of him and have simply filed him under missing persons, but they suspect foul play."

He didn't even look down at the collection of papers, but instead looked over at her intensely, "But what do your people know?"

She smiled a teen's insight, "We know Rex was abducted, and we know the North Koreans are involved. We know that they probably took him because of something only he knows, but I have no idea what that could be. We even have an idea about the area they're keeping him in." Her voice suddenly took on an angry sorrow that he could connect to, "However, unfortunately, there seems to be nothing we can do about it at the moment."

Speed had to stop himself from jumping up in indignation, "What do you mean?! Why can't you guys go rescue him? He'd do the same for any of you!"

"The place where your brother is probably being held is practically impossible to get in and out of without being noticed. North Korea is a sovereign nation that is for the most part outside of our jurisdiction. If one of us gets caught there, it is understood that we are on our own. If we try a rescue, we could risk a political mess from a country with nuclear capabilities. It may seem as if we're simply leaving him high and dry in favor of bigger picture, and in a sense, that is exactly what we're doing. But Rex knew the risks, as do all of us."

Looking back down at the papers and pictures in his hand, he gazed back over at her with concern. "So there is nothing you can do?"

Red X smiled in understanding at his look of helplessness. The boy had been exposed to much in so little time, his emotions seeming to tear apart the world around him. He had seemingly found his brother only to lose him again.

Yet, she had other plans…

"There maybe nothing I can do, nevertheless, I called you here for a reason."

He grabbed her hand imploringly, "Is there something that I can do for him, Ms. X? I'll do anything! I don't care how dangerous it is, and I don't care about politics. My brother is in trouble, no matter what persona or mask he puts on, he is still Rex to me, and let God strike me dead before I let him rot in some foreign prison."

She beamed brightly before taking out another folder from her attaché case. "Somehow I know you would say something like that…"

And that was how this whole adventure began.Speed thought as he sipped his coffee and watched from the corner of his eye as Spritle and Chim-Chim exited the washroom.

But who knows how the heck this is going to end?