Major Wheeler's Office

"As I said before, just like you I loved racing. It all started when I was in high school. And since then, while I did less of it, it's always something I liked doing." Jack started.

"Eventually, I decided to be in the military. The Air Force to be exact." Major Wheeler said. "Of course, the government took recognition in my racing. So they came to me to lead an organization that would be the Silencerz. But that part would be kept secret. On the surface, I'd still be in the Air Force. And for most, saying that while wearing the uniform would be enough." He continued.

"I've been working with the Silencerz for years, Vert. And thanks to GIG, we were able to keep tabs on what was happening with the World Race and the wheel." Jack explained.

"Wait, so you knew about the World Race?" Vert said.

Jack nodded. "When my squadron was called, that was when I was needed for the Silencerz. Plans to take action against Tezla during the World Race were discussed, but never put into fruition. We just didn't have the tech ready to do anything yet. And that was when I returned home to see the letter about you entering the World Race." He explained.

"So I'm guessing it was GIG that told you the location of Tezla's old HQ." Vert said.

"Yes. I let Tezla explain everything to keep my cover, but I already knew what was happening from GIG. The Doctor already knew I was military. What he didn't know was that I worked for the Silencerz. That was how GIG was able to be fixed. Both Tezla and I worked together to fix him." Jack said.

"On that day, I was proud of you for what you did. I truly was. But my superiors, not so much. They weren't happy that Tezla had the wheel and sent it back. And since then, we didn't hear much from Tezla or the wheel for two years. In that period, we did more work on our technology and cars. And then, after those two years, Tezla attempted to get the wheel. But the Drones got to it before he did."

"What I don't get is how the Drones were even able to take the wheel in the first place. Only people could get the wheel. The Drones were robots." Vert said.

"We could get the wheel and take it out of Highway 35. There was nothing stopping them from just moving it." Jack said.

"The Drones' Headquarters. It's in Highway 35." Vert concluded.

Jack nodded. "Tezla already had a plan in place to explore what was inside the wheel and go against Gelorum, even though he didn't have the wheel with him. His studies on it allowed him to make a hologram replica of the wheel to go in the realms. GIG sent us the plans in secret, and we entered the realms ourselves. Though the first few were merely test runs. We can run as many simulations as we want, but nothing that we have in simulation training can replicate the dangers and challenges in each of the realms. When I found Alec, Dan, and Banjee, I brought them all here. And they raced for us ever since." Jack said.

"But after the Swamp Realm, the decision was made to not enter the realms until our cars, and our drivers were ready. After experiencing how dangerous the Realms were compared to Highway 35, we weren't going to put our drivers out there in that kind of danger until they and the cars were ready to handle it." Jack said sincerely.

"So when exactly did you guys start racing in the Realms?" Vert asked.

"The Metro Realm. But even when we started racing in the realms, we kept it as much of a secret as we could. It kept us out of conflict with Dr. Tezla's drivers and the Racing Drones. But it also kept our drivers, and his more out of harm's way. The conflicts between his drivers and the Drones had already put some of Tezla's drivers in danger. We weren't going to let that happen to anyone else."

"But it did. The fighting you and the rest of the Silencerz caused was the reason why Wylde got captured." Vert started. Jack adjusts himself in his chair a little.

"You pretended to be other drivers, and it made the Teku and Metal Maniacs not trust each other. Even more than they already didn't." Vert said.

Jack sighed. "What happened to him was a mistake. Something I apologize for. But we had a mission. We couldn't afford to let Tezla or Gelorum get her hands on the Accelechargers."

"That's what I don't get Dad. What was the mission? Just what exactly do the Silencerz want to use the Wheel for?" Vert asked.

Jack was silent for several seconds before he spoke up. "As you already found out after the World Race, the Wheel of Power has large amounts of energy. The government wanted to use it for their own purposes. What those purposes are I can't disclose as it's classified information. When we found out that it was the wheel that caused the mass outage in the US, the government pushed even further to get the wheel. It was a lot more power than they expected it to be, and it only encouraged them."

"But Dr. Tezla already said the Wheel's energy was too dangerous to use. That's why he brought the Wheel back." Vert responded.

"Between you and me Vert, I wanted to leave this be. If the wheel was safe in Highway 35, then there shouldn't have been much that we needed to do anymore. But it wasn't just the government that continued to push for the wheel. It was Gelorum too, as evidenced by her taking it. The CLYP Agency in the World Race, the agency that Kurt worked for, led by Gelorum, that was only the beginning. We decided to do some more digging on the Racing Drones. Where they came from, and when they showed up." Jack said.

A flashback scene of the drones activating underground is shown.

"From what we learned, the drones were built by the Accelerons and have been around Earth for a long time Vert. Thousands of years to be exact. But they weren't active. We can only guess that the drones didn't activate until Tezla started sending robots to race on Highway 35. Their only purpose: To race and to win."

"If you guys knew about the CLYP Agency, wouldn't you have at least been able to stop them before Gelorum even tried to get the wheel?" Vert asked.

"We didn't. At most, all we were able to find at the time was that the Agency was a company that specialized in robotics. But when we did more investigating, we learned that their founder, Gelorum, was someone that's been dead for years. The actual CLYP Agency had gone bankrupt not long after her death. But once the World Race was over, Gelorum and the CLYP Agency disappeared again."

A flashback of the drones being produced in a factory in Hot Wheels City is shown.

Hot Wheels Acceleracers: Racing Drones Theme plays

"It wouldn't be until years later that we learned they didn't disappear. They were just regrouping. And they became what we all are familiar with today: The Racing Drones."

A flashback scene of the Drones spreading themselves across the world like in Dr. Tezla's nightmare in speed of silence is shown.

"The Drones were the reason why I decided to continue with the Silencerz. That type of power could not fall into the hands of someone like Gelorum. If it did, we could all be at her mercy."

Gelorum is scene smiling in front of her Drone Army as an image is formed in both Vert and Jack's minds about her ruling the Earth.

Racing Drones Theme stops

"And you think the Wheel would be safer in the government's hands?" Vert asked.

"Regardless of what I think, I have to follow orders." Jack said.

Vert shakes his head. "So what makes you think the wheel shouldn't be in Tezla's hands? Is he no better than Gelorum?" Vert asked.

Jack inches closer to his desk with his chair. "What he wanted at first, while it was a conflict of interests with the government was something I could commend, regardless of what orders I had. But now, his ambition, his curiosity as a scientist, has turned into an obsession. An obsession that has gotten others hurt or worse." Jack said.

"He sent in more drivers into the realms without a single thought after losing three already. He sent in you, Vert." Jack said, a small bit of anger growing in his voice at the last part.

"So many drivers could have been lost in the realms, Vert. Alec, Dan, Banjee, Mark. Kadeem was lost. Why? Because he didn't properly prepare any of them for what they were facing in the realms. He probably never told you anything that he felt you didn't need to know. There's more to this than just wheel. And even The Ultimate Race. Something that Gelorum stopped at nothing to achieve but failed to. Tezla might not be as ruthless as she is, but there's no telling what he'll do to get to whatever the Accelerons have and use it for himself. I can't allow more people to get hurt Vert. That's why we, the Silencerz have to stop him." Jack finished.

Vert took a bit to let all of this information simmer in his mind.

"Even if I wanted to help you, the Accelerons never told me what the circle was, or what it was for. Besides, the Realms won't open again. Once the Ultimate Race was finished, there's nothing else to race for." Vert said.

"Sounds like you're asking me to quit." Jack said.

Vert raised his eyebrows a bit.

"What if I said I wasn't?" Jack proposed rhetorically.

"Sounds like someone else we know doesn't it?" Jack asked.

Vert realized that he was talking about him, when his dad wanted him to quit racing.

"The Accelerons gave you that circle for a reason. We're going to find that reason, before Tezla does."

"What makes you think Tezla would care about finding me now?" Vert asked.

"It's not just him. If your friends are anything like you, they're not going to give up that easily in finding you. Never underestimate the human spirit. Gelorum and the drones found that out the hard way." Jack said before getting up out of his chair. He taps his son on the shoulder twice in a caring fashion before leaving out.

Vert looks on at his Dad a bit before leaving out himself. If, well, when they found him, Tezla was going to have a lot of questions to answer.