Challenge of the Masked Racer

by Chase Wheeler

  Trixie looked at Pops with wide eyes. “Please, sir. Please let Speed be a professional racer. Please?”

  Pops didn’t answer for a moment. Then he smiled at Speed.

  “You can be a racer,” he said.

  Speed gasped in surprise. Spritle cheered, and Chim Chim did a flip. But Speed was so stunned, he couldn’t say a word.

  Sparky patted Speed’s racing helmet.

  “Hey, isn’t that just great?” Sparky said.

  Sparky lifted Speed onto his shoulders. He carried Speed toward the judges’ table. Trixie ran by his side, and Spritle rode on Chim Chim’s shoulders.

  “Hooray for Speed! Hooray for Speed!” they cheered.

  The Masked Racer watched the scene from a distance. His heart was heavy. He had been part of that happy family once. But he had made a vow to never contact them until he was world champion, and he wasn’t going to break it.

  The racing judges waited beside the trophy table for Speed.

  “Hey, there are the judges,” Speed told his friends. “Cut it out! We’ve got to look professional.”

  Speed gazed at the big trophy he was about to receive. He should have been thrilled, but he had mixed emotions. Winning was incredible—but his victory was bittersweet. If Racer X hadn’t saved him, Speed wouldn’t even have finished.

  The Masked Racer is the real winner, a real champion, Speed thought. I saw for myself how skillfully he can drive. He’s a far better driver than anybody. He’s a far better driver than / am.

  Speed jumped off of Sparky’s shoulders and ran toward the parking lot, leaving the trophy behind on the table.

  “Hey, where are you going?” Sparky called out.

  Speed didn’t answer him. He had to find the Masked Racer. But there was no sign of the yellow car anywhere.

  “The Masked Racer is gone,” Speed said softly. “I wanted to ask him why he let me win.”

  But Racer X was only hiding. He watched his little brother scan the parking lot.

  “Speed, I hope you’ll be the best racer in the world,” he whispered.

  Racer X jumped into his car and drove away. Speed caught a glimpse of the Masked Racer as he drove away.

  “Someday, I’ll find out who he is,” he vowed. “Someday, the two of us will race each other, one on one.”

  Speed walked back to the stadium. He had a trophy to accept.

  Racer X drove off into the sunset.

  SPEED’S BONUS RACE

  That late-night practice race I had against Racer X is one I’ll never forget. Driving in the dark is always an extra challenge. Throw in pounding rain, powerful winds, and dangerous lightning and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. It was nearly impossible to keep ahold of the Mach 5 on the slick, wet road. And the ocean waves spilling over the rail just made everything worse.

  That wet and wild race reminds me of another one-on-one race I had with pro racer Kim Jugger. And in this race, there wasn’t a drop of water in sight!

  It all started when I decided to enter the Desert Race in the country of Sandoland. Great racers from around the world were traveling to this far-off country to compete. I was at the airport with Trixie and Sparky, waiting for the Mach 5 to be loaded onto the plane.

  Then a race car drove up onto the runway and slammed into the Mach 5! The car was called the Black Tiger and it belonged to Kim Jugger, a champion driver. I couldn’t believe he’d crashed into the Mach 5. He was really arrogant—he said he thought the Mach 5 was supposed to be a superior car and could take the damage. Then he ordered the men to load the Black Tiger onto the plane first! I was really steamed at that guy.

  Trixie, Sparky, and I boarded the plane. We didn’t know it, but Spritle and Chim Chim had come on board, disguised as a little girl and a baby. They were almost discovered, so they hid in the cargo hold of the plane. There, Spritle saw a mysterious, one-eyed man put a package inside the Black Tiger.

  When we landed in Sandoland, Kim’s car got unloaded first. Before our eyes, it exploded into flames! Kim examined the car and found Spritle’s slingshot in the backseat. He blamed Spritle for sabotaging the car. Kim actually thought I put Spritle up to it!

  Kim and I almost got into a fight. Sparky helped me cool down. I had to focus on the Desert Race.

  But after Kim left, Spritle told me about the one-eyed man. I knew I had to tell Kim what had happened. I found out that Kim had gone home to Flathill Country of Sandoland. So Trixie and I climbed into the Mach 5 and rode out into the barren desert to find Kim.

  That’s how our desert adventure started. Want to find out how it ends? Then strap on your seat belt, slather on some sunscreen, and get ready to read about this exciting bonus race!

  CHASE ACROSS THE SAND

  The morning sun was just rising over Sandoland, but already waves of heat were rising up from the sand. The Mach 5 forged ahead into the desert.

  Speed was on a mission. He had to find Kim Jugger. He wanted to tell him what had really happened to his race car, the Black Tiger. Sure, Kim hadn’t been very nice to Speed. But Speed hated to see one of his fellow drivers in trouble.

  Speed gazed around the desert as they drove. Orange sand stretched across the land for miles and miles. There were no buildings or trees in sight, only jagged hills of sand. It felt like the middle of nowhere.

  As they rode, a hot wind began to whip up around them. The wind picked up the sand until the air all around them became an orange cloud.

  “I can hardly see in this sandstorm!” Speed exclaimed. He pressed the D button on the steering wheel of the Mach 5. A clear pod came over the cockpit, sealing it from the elements. Then he carefully drove the car to the base of the hill, where they were somewhat protected from the winds.

  The sandstorm dumped piles of sand around the Mach 5’s wheels. When it finally ended, Speed opened the cockpit.

  The trunk of the Mach 5 opened, too. Spritle and Chim Chim popped their heads out—they had stowed away, as usual.

  “This is the biggest sandbox I’ve ever seen!” Spritle exclaimed.

  But Speed and Trixie didn’t notice the stowaways just yet. An army of men appeared on the hillside. The men rode camels and wore blue uniforms. Yellow scarves protected their heads from the sand and sun.

  The camel riders charged at the Mach 5. Speed quickly got the car in gear. He jammed the gas pedal, but the wheels spun uselessly in the sand. Speed tried again. He had to get the Mach 5 moving!

  Finally, the wheels got traction. Speed roared out of the sand and zoomed across the desert floor. The camels followed behind him. Speed was amazed. The beasts were almost as fast as his race car!

  They drove over a hill, only to see another army of men on camels charging toward them.

  “Oh, no!” Trixie cried.

  Speed quickly turned left to avoid them. Both armies converged, racing behind Speed. Speed frowned. He couldn’t get enough of a lead on them. The camels were too fast, and the Mach 5 was sluggish on the desert sand.

  In the trunk, Spritle and Chim Chim went to work.

  “It’s time we counterattack, Chim Chim,” Spritle said.

  Chim Chim nodded. He handed Spritle a small rock. Spritle put the rock in his slingshot, then let it go.

  Whack! Spritle knocked one of the riders right off of his camel!

  Whack! Whack! Spritle had great aim. Riders were falling left and right.

  Speed saw the action in his rearview mirror.

  “We’ve got help of some kind coming from the trunk,” he noticed. He quickly realized what had happened. Spritle and Chim Chim had stowed away again!

  But Spritle’s help wasn’t enough. The Mach 5 roared to the top of a hill. Speed saw a steep drop below. He hit the A button on the steering wheel to activate the hydraulic jacks. Instead of crash-landing, the Mach 5 hopped across the desert floor. It landed in front of a tall fortress made of stone and sand.

  When the race car came to a stop, the men surrounded them. Their leader came forward.

  “What are you doi
ng here?” he demanded.

  “We’re headed for Flathill Country, to find Kim Jugger,” Speed explained.

  The man raised a black eyebrow in interest. “I see. Then I have news for you. We are an army of rebels from Flathill Country,” he said. “You are wanted as a spy. You must come to our fortress! ”

  CAPTURED BY REBELS

  The rebels led Speed, Trixie, Spritle, and Chim Chim to the steps of the fortress. Speed knew he couldn’t fight a whole army of rebels by himself. He’d have to wait to see what was in store.

  The loud bang of a gong signaled that something important was going to happen. A man in a yellow uniform and a white cape stepped out of the fortress. A bearded man with a patch over one eye stood behind him.

  Speed gasped. It was Kim Jugger—and the man behind him must be the man Spritle had seen sabotage the Black Tiger!

  “Kim, you’re a member of the rebels?” Speed asked.

  “My father is commander of all of the rebels from Flathill Country,” Kim said. “I think it’s brave of you to travel all this way, Speed, but I still think you’re a coward for what you did to my car. I will have my men throw you in jail!”

  “I didn’t do it!” Speed protested. “I can point out the person who destroyed your car. He’s the man standing right behind you!”

  The one-eyed man grimaced.

  “My brother Spritle saw him put something in your car on the plane,” Speed explained.

  The one-eyed man stepped forward. “What are you waiting for? You heard Kim’s order. Throw them in jail!”

  Two rebels stepped up and grabbed Speed and Trixie by the arms.

  “First, burn the Mach 5!” the one-eyed man ordered. “Burn it!”

  Speed watched, helpless, as the rebels aimed flamethrowers at the Mach 5.

  Was this the end of the greatest racing car in the world?

  THE RULES ARE SET

  Speed couldn’t stand by and watch the men destroy the Mach 5. He jabbed the man holding his arms with his elbows. The man groaned and let go.

  Speed jumped with all his might. He tackled the nearest rebel to the ground, wrestling the flamethrower from his hands.

  Speed jumped back to his feet as another rebel came toward him. Speed easily picked him up and flipped him, throwing him into the sand.

  The one-eyed man charged down the steps. His good eye burned with anger.

  Before he could attack, a loud voice stopped him.

  “Enough!”

  A tall man in uniform stood on the steps of the rebel fort. The one-eyed man stopped in his tracks. The rebels lowered their flamethrowers. Speed looked at the Mach 5. Miraculously, it wasn’t damaged.

  “I am General Jugger, leader of the rebels,” he said. “What Speed Racer said is true. I ordered my cousin, Ben Schemer, to destroy the Black Tiger. I did it to keep my son out of the Desert Race.”

  “Father!” Kim cried. “Why did you destroy my chances to enter the race?”

  The general looked downcast. “I wanted your help here, at the fort,” he said.

  “Kim, now you know I wasn’t lying,” Speed said.

  “Yes, but it’s too bad about my car,”Kim said. “Now I won’t be able to enter the race.”

  “You would have lost, anyway,” Speed said angrily. He didn’t usually taunt his competitors, but Kim had almost thrown him in jail and tried to burn up the Mach 5. He wasn’t feeling very nice.

  Ben Schemer stepped forward. “There is only one way to know if the Black Tiger can beat the Mach 5,” he said. “The two of you must race! I’ll get the Black Tiger repaired right away.”

  “You can repair most of it, but the special brake system can never be replaced,” Kim said sadly.

  “Then I have a solution,” Schemer said. “To make you both equal, the Mach 5 won’t have any brakes, either.”

  Kim looked at Speed. “Will you race without brakes?” he asked.

  Speed hesitated. No brakes? That was more dangerous than anything he’d ever done before.

  But a chance to race Kim Jugger was just what he was itching for. He could finally put their feud to rest. And a race across the sand would be good practice for the big Desert Race coming up.

  “I’ll do it!” Speed said.

  Ben Schemer grinned. “Excellent!” he said. “The race will begin tomorrow morning. You will race around the Palace of Doom!”

  A TRAP!

  Speed and Kim were up the next morning before the sun. By the time the sun peeked over the horizon, both drivers sat in their cars, engines humming. The Black Tiger had been fixed, just as Ben Schemer had been promised. Speed felt comfortable behind the wheel of the Mach 5—and glad that it hadn’t been burned to a crisp!

  A soldier gave Speed a small cloth bag.

  “The race will be many hours long,” he said. “This food will sustain you.”

  “Thanks! ” Speed said. He put the bag on the seat next to him. The man gave a bag of food to Kim, too.

  One of the rebels shot a gun to start the race. Speed and Kim took off toward the rising sun.

  “Be careful and good luck!” Trixie called.

  “Do your best to win!” Spritle cheered.

  “Eeek!” Chim Chim added.

  Ben Schemer watched the drivers until they were specks in the distance.

  “This is the last race for them both,” he said darkly. He nodded toward Trixie, Spritle, and Chim Chim. “Make them all prisoners!” he ordered the soldiers.

  The soldiers grabbed Trixie, Spritle, and Chim Chim. Then they grabbed the general, too!

  “I am the commander of the rebel army now,” Schemer said.

  Trixie and the general were helpless to stop them. Spritle, however, got lucky.

  As a soldier carried Spritle toward the jail cells, Chim Chim jumped on the soldier’s back, knocking him to the ground. Spritle and Chim Chim jumped on a camel. The frightened beast reared its head, then began to run away.

  “We’ve got to help Speed!” Spritle cried.

  SUN, SAND, AND SCORPIONS

  Speed and Kim had no idea that Ben Schemer had taken over the rebel army. They both focused on the race. The sun burned down mercilessly on them, but Speed’s desire to win burned hotter.

  I’ve got to beat Kim, Speed told himself. Sweat poured down his face, nearly blinding him. I can’t giveup!

  Speed was so focused on the road that he didn’t notice the bag on the seat next to him was moving. It didn’t contain delicious food. Each bag contained a deadly scorpion! No doubt Ben Schemer was responsible.

  Without Speed noticing, the creature climbed out of the bag and headed for Speed’s arm ...

  In the Black Tiger, the other scorpion had gotten loose, too. It climbed up Kim’s boot, then onto his knee.

  “Ah!” Kim cried. He looked over at the Mach 5. The scorpion had climbed up Speed’s shirt! It clung to his shoulder, just seconds away from Speed’s face.

  “There’s a scorpion on you!” Kim called out over the roar of the engines.

  Speed glanced down and saw the creature on his shoulder. He cried out in alarm. He felt the scorpion’s sharp little legs as it crawled onto his helmet.

  “I’ve got one on me, too!” Kim yelled. “Get ready to jump out of your car. I’ll jump at the same time. We’d better start slowing down.”

  Speed held his breath. One wrong move, and the scorpion might lash out and sting him with its poison-tipped tail. But he couldn’t stop the car without brakes. Kim was right. Jumping was the only solution.

  Speed took his foot off of the gas. The Mach 5 slowed down to a crawl. Speed carefully unhooked his seat belt and slowly opened his door.

  “Jump!” Kim cried.

  Speed hurled himself out of the Mach 5 onto the sand. He rolled and rolled down a hill. The scorpion went flying off of him, then skittered away.

  Speed got to his feet and dusted the sand off of his clothes. Kim was doing the same. The Mach 5 and the Black Tiger had slowed to a complete stop up ahead.

 
“If we’d been stung, that would have been the end,” Kim said.

  “They were planted in our cars,” Speed said with certainty.

  “When we get back, I’ll investigate,” Kim told him. “But right now, we need to get back to the race. I’m going to beat you!”

  “Oh, yeah?” Speed’s blue eyes glittered at the challenge. He and Kim were racers at heart. It would take more than a bunch of bugs to stop this race.

  Speed and Kim ran to their cars. They revved their engines at the same time, then sped out over the sand.

  QUICKSAND!

  Speed and Kim raced along the desert. The bright yellow sun seemed to take up the whole sky. Speed had never been hotter in his life. And he’d never wanted to beat anyone more than he wanted to beat Kim.

  Suddenly, another sandstorm kicked up. Speed closed his cockpit and braced himself against the strong winds. Kim surged ahead, gaining the lead.

  Then, right before Speed’s eyes, the swirling sands swallowed the Black Tiger whole!

  Speed stopped the Mach 5 and ran out of his car. He looked down into a pit of spinning sand. Kim stood on top of the Black Tiger’s hood. His car was slowly sinking.

  “Speed!” Kim called out. “I’m stuck in quicksand!”

  Speed daringly slid down into the pit. He grabbed Kim’s arm, then pulled with all his might.

  “We’re almost out!” Speed cried.

  He gave a mighty pull, and Kim climbed up out of the pit with him. They reached the edge, then both drivers jumped into the Mach 5.

  Speed stepped on the gas, but the wheels spun round and round. Speed had parked too close to the quicksand! He could feel the pull of the quicksand on the race car. Then, a sudden, strong force pulled the Mach 5 under the sand!