Speed Racer Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction ❯ Dangerous Curves ❯ Watch for Falling Rex! ( Chapter 6 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Raven Dhancer 
Anime/Manga: Speed Racer Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Mystery / Horror / Comedy / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 05.16.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 328 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Speed Racer Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Mystery / Horror / Comedy / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 05.16.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 328 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: Speed Racerand Angelare the property of their respective copyright holders, not me.
Chapter 6: Watch for Falling Rex!
by Raven Dhancer
While Lorne called Rex to come and fetch his brats I contacted Pops, “Mr. Racer? Lindsey MacDonald. We've met.”
“Call me Pops. Everyone does,” he says.
“Mr. Racer, there has been a shooting.” I wondered if I could leave it to the TPD to notify him about his son but I didn't want to move the corpse and raise awkward questions. “Spritle is dead. Sparky's lost a lot of oil pressure and some peripherals but you can save him if you hurry.”
“Is this your idea of a joke? I ought to pound you.” I could picture his face purpling.
“I'm sorry. This is no joke. Spritle Racer is dead and Sparky Fontaine needs immediate maintenance.”
“I don't know what you are talking about but I will be right there.” He sounded broken.
Talking to Pops had taken longer than I expected. When I put down the phone, Rex was walking into the garage. There was a long cool drink of something icy with him, something that seemed simple but packed a wallop.
So did she. Her one “Don't” two “endanger” and a sweep “my babies!” had me at her feet.
She kicked me in the ribs until Spud and Chum pulled her off me, “Mom!” Did I mention she was wearing steeled capped cowboy boots? “We had the best time with Mr. MacDonald. Until this bad man came in who looked like Dad but he was really scary.”
If I was another kind of man, the kind of man who would never have accepted a job with lawyers from Hell, a man like Lorne, I passed him my handkerchief (I never use kleenex. You don't want to know what a black magician can do with the bodily fluids off a tissue.), my heart would have warmed to see the family reunited.
I winced out, “Trixie Fontaine, I presume.”
“Call me Pops. Everyone does,” he says.
“Mr. Racer, there has been a shooting.” I wondered if I could leave it to the TPD to notify him about his son but I didn't want to move the corpse and raise awkward questions. “Spritle is dead. Sparky's lost a lot of oil pressure and some peripherals but you can save him if you hurry.”
“Is this your idea of a joke? I ought to pound you.” I could picture his face purpling.
“I'm sorry. This is no joke. Spritle Racer is dead and Sparky Fontaine needs immediate maintenance.”
“I don't know what you are talking about but I will be right there.” He sounded broken.
Talking to Pops had taken longer than I expected. When I put down the phone, Rex was walking into the garage. There was a long cool drink of something icy with him, something that seemed simple but packed a wallop.
So did she. Her one “Don't” two “endanger” and a sweep “my babies!” had me at her feet.
She kicked me in the ribs until Spud and Chum pulled her off me, “Mom!” Did I mention she was wearing steeled capped cowboy boots? “We had the best time with Mr. MacDonald. Until this bad man came in who looked like Dad but he was really scary.”
If I was another kind of man, the kind of man who would never have accepted a job with lawyers from Hell, a man like Lorne, I passed him my handkerchief (I never use kleenex. You don't want to know what a black magician can do with the bodily fluids off a tissue.), my heart would have warmed to see the family reunited.
I winced out, “Trixie Fontaine, I presume.”
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“Sparky seems to have gone into shutdown mode. He's breathing, pulse is good, but he's out cold. Pops is coming; I ain't got a clue where he is.”
“If I was him, I'd be in a bar.” Lorne said flatly. “If I was me, come to that. Somebody's got to get the kids home but what about ol'Spritle? We can't leave him here. And I'm not feeling so sure about Rex being innocent in the shooting.”
As it happened, Rex had an alibi. Let's get an excerpt from the Rex Racer's memoirs "Rx: Prescription for Danger!":
I had talked with the nurse for a bit longer, but she didn't remember anything more. While I felt I ought to offer to drive her home, I wanted to do some more snooping. I was quite pleased with myself having turned up as much as I had; I was sure I could shake a bit more loose with a bit of prodding. I split the difference and offered the lady cab-fare, which she accepted with a gracious manner. Then she got on the bus. She waved to me after she had settled in a seat.
The road past the hospital was really just a bit of driveway leading to a loop-back. The bus pulled away, passed around the loop and as it came back past, I stepped in front of it.
When I came to, I was in the emergency room. I was in an alcove having already been admitted. I must have been unconscious for at least three hours!
The nurse from the curb poked her head through the curtains “Are you decent? Not that I care.”
She had given me her name, Margaret Something. I thought I wasn't going to be much of a detective if I couldn't remember names. I lay back. “Why are you here? Did you stay to keep an eye on me?”
“Hey, you're a grown guy. If you want to throw yourself under buses, it's just more work for me. No, they had to call the cops and get witnesses. The driver felt awful; he wasn't watching where he was going. He saw somebody running to catch him at the corner so he floored it. You went flying!” She laughed. “You seem to be OK though, just knocked silly. You got a pretty thick skull. Plus you landed on the guy in the next bed. He seems OK too. He was yammering like the dead german when they brought him in; that's usually a good sign.”
“He's quiet now.”
”He's off getting tests. He seemed to know you. Um, are you gay?”
“Um, no?” I didn't know what to say. “Whose the guy?”
“Speed Racer! That's his real name! It's on his license and everything! Anyway he kept calling you racer-ex so I was wondering, I've seen that movie. They were sheepherders, why do people keep calling them cowboys or something?”
“He's not my ex, he-“
“It was so sad. The two guys loved each other but they could never be together, it was just like Romeo and Mercutio.”
“He's not gay either.”
“Yeah, well, I was wondering after his girlfriend showed up, but you know…”
“Who's his girlfriend?”
“Another driver, I think, somebody calling herself Felicia Dangerous“ She said it with the sort of la-di-la tone meaning she thought it was not the name Felicia's mother had used calling her in to dinner. "She left a while ago."
"And..." she continued, "I'm out of here too, finally. A friend's running me home, but I just wanted to say goodbye. Goodbye!"
"Bye, Margaret." I lay back.
Some time passed. I must have dozed a bit, because when I opened my eyes again, Trixie was standing over me. Trixie, my "wife" and the mother of "my" kids.
"Rex, you fool." she said softly, "what were you thinking?"
"I wanted to get knocked down by the bus," I said, "just a scrape to give me a chance to look around. Turns out those buses can pack quite a punch. Look Trixie, there's something going on, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it."
"You ... fathead!" Trixie's eyes blazed, "You stay out of it!" She softened a bit. "There are things happening, that are going to happen, ... that I'm going to do... I don't want you involved. I don't want my kids involved. Please, Rex, I'm begging you, drop out of this race!"
"I can't do that." I replied. "People are being killed. I'm not walking away."
“If I was him, I'd be in a bar.” Lorne said flatly. “If I was me, come to that. Somebody's got to get the kids home but what about ol'Spritle? We can't leave him here. And I'm not feeling so sure about Rex being innocent in the shooting.”
As it happened, Rex had an alibi. Let's get an excerpt from the Rex Racer's memoirs "Rx: Prescription for Danger!":
I had talked with the nurse for a bit longer, but she didn't remember anything more. While I felt I ought to offer to drive her home, I wanted to do some more snooping. I was quite pleased with myself having turned up as much as I had; I was sure I could shake a bit more loose with a bit of prodding. I split the difference and offered the lady cab-fare, which she accepted with a gracious manner. Then she got on the bus. She waved to me after she had settled in a seat.
The road past the hospital was really just a bit of driveway leading to a loop-back. The bus pulled away, passed around the loop and as it came back past, I stepped in front of it.
When I came to, I was in the emergency room. I was in an alcove having already been admitted. I must have been unconscious for at least three hours!
The nurse from the curb poked her head through the curtains “Are you decent? Not that I care.”
She had given me her name, Margaret Something. I thought I wasn't going to be much of a detective if I couldn't remember names. I lay back. “Why are you here? Did you stay to keep an eye on me?”
“Hey, you're a grown guy. If you want to throw yourself under buses, it's just more work for me. No, they had to call the cops and get witnesses. The driver felt awful; he wasn't watching where he was going. He saw somebody running to catch him at the corner so he floored it. You went flying!” She laughed. “You seem to be OK though, just knocked silly. You got a pretty thick skull. Plus you landed on the guy in the next bed. He seems OK too. He was yammering like the dead german when they brought him in; that's usually a good sign.”
“He's quiet now.”
”He's off getting tests. He seemed to know you. Um, are you gay?”
“Um, no?” I didn't know what to say. “Whose the guy?”
“Speed Racer! That's his real name! It's on his license and everything! Anyway he kept calling you racer-ex so I was wondering, I've seen that movie. They were sheepherders, why do people keep calling them cowboys or something?”
“He's not my ex, he-“
“It was so sad. The two guys loved each other but they could never be together, it was just like Romeo and Mercutio.”
“He's not gay either.”
“Yeah, well, I was wondering after his girlfriend showed up, but you know…”
“Who's his girlfriend?”
“Another driver, I think, somebody calling herself Felicia Dangerous“ She said it with the sort of la-di-la tone meaning she thought it was not the name Felicia's mother had used calling her in to dinner. "She left a while ago."
"And..." she continued, "I'm out of here too, finally. A friend's running me home, but I just wanted to say goodbye. Goodbye!"
"Bye, Margaret." I lay back.
Some time passed. I must have dozed a bit, because when I opened my eyes again, Trixie was standing over me. Trixie, my "wife" and the mother of "my" kids.
"Rex, you fool." she said softly, "what were you thinking?"
"I wanted to get knocked down by the bus," I said, "just a scrape to give me a chance to look around. Turns out those buses can pack quite a punch. Look Trixie, there's something going on, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it."
"You ... fathead!" Trixie's eyes blazed, "You stay out of it!" She softened a bit. "There are things happening, that are going to happen, ... that I'm going to do... I don't want you involved. I don't want my kids involved. Please, Rex, I'm begging you, drop out of this race!"
"I can't do that." I replied. "People are being killed. I'm not walking away."
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From Speed Racer's personal journal, written on the back of an outdated time trial sheet with an overly short pencil stub and left in a hospital janitor's closet.
I must have been out for a while. I wish I knew what was going on, this afternoon, the first thing I remember is;
"Sir? Sir? Can I get your attention? Do you have anything metallic on?"
"Unuuugh, " I said. I felt as though a thousand motors were revving in my skull and the announcer at the race track was about to disqualify me. "The race!" I attempted to sit up only to feel a hand pressing firmly against my shoulder.
"Oh, Speed." Trixie's voice sounded from somewhere behind me, it hurt too much to turn around though. "He doesn't wear anything like that. Too many accidents to risk it," there was the sound of heels clicking across the floor and she was gone.
I frowned to myself, "Trixie? Trixie is that you?" I opened my eyes and looked around the room. It swum a bit and was very white, the technician seemed to be stuffing something in his pocket. I was in a CAT scan room. That at least was familiar. I have been in a lot of them there was...well...my head still really, really hurts.
"Nobody here but me Bub. You don't wear any neck jewelry, right? No rings or anything?"
"Trixie was here. I must get up!"
The attendant was on me like a shot. "Just lie back Bub. You've been pretty shook up and we need to get a CAT scan done on ya."
"You don't understand!" I exclaimed. "I've got to speak with her!" Which was when he hit me. Damn that glass jaw of mine. Puts me out every time. But why am I locked in a janitor's closet? Something is a-foot and a Racer never gives up. Sure hope the CAT scan came out negative.
I must have been out for a while. I wish I knew what was going on, this afternoon, the first thing I remember is;
"Sir? Sir? Can I get your attention? Do you have anything metallic on?"
"Unuuugh, " I said. I felt as though a thousand motors were revving in my skull and the announcer at the race track was about to disqualify me. "The race!" I attempted to sit up only to feel a hand pressing firmly against my shoulder.
"Oh, Speed." Trixie's voice sounded from somewhere behind me, it hurt too much to turn around though. "He doesn't wear anything like that. Too many accidents to risk it," there was the sound of heels clicking across the floor and she was gone.
I frowned to myself, "Trixie? Trixie is that you?" I opened my eyes and looked around the room. It swum a bit and was very white, the technician seemed to be stuffing something in his pocket. I was in a CAT scan room. That at least was familiar. I have been in a lot of them there was...well...my head still really, really hurts.
"Nobody here but me Bub. You don't wear any neck jewelry, right? No rings or anything?"
"Trixie was here. I must get up!"
The attendant was on me like a shot. "Just lie back Bub. You've been pretty shook up and we need to get a CAT scan done on ya."
"You don't understand!" I exclaimed. "I've got to speak with her!" Which was when he hit me. Damn that glass jaw of mine. Puts me out every time. But why am I locked in a janitor's closet? Something is a-foot and a Racer never gives up. Sure hope the CAT scan came out negative.
--end of speed's journal.
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I stared at Rex. "That's your alibi? You got hit by a bus? Seriously?"
"It didn't turn out how I planned, that's true." said Rex stiffly, "Still, Speed remains at the hospital and perhaps he will discover something."
"Just forget it, you're wasting your time, I told you." snapped Trixie, "The kids are going to get hurt! Look what's happened already!" She took on a begging tone. "Just take them home. I'll be along in a while."
Rex looked like he wanted to ask Trixie something then, but he didn't, probably because he already knew the answer. In the end he just nodded and said, "Perhaps you're right. I'll take the kids home."
"And you stay there!" Trixie insisted. Rex just repeated "I'll take the kids home."
He left. Trixie seemed to change. She became less agitated, more cooly angry.
"Alright." she said, "Do you have any idea what to do?"
"Open to suggestions" I said.
"The problem is Spritle. I can get rid of him for you. No questions." she said. The way she said it reminded me of Lilah.
"That's very kind, but unnecessary." I replied lightly. "We're a full service agency; corpse removal is included in the fee." This was a bluff really. It was getting harder and harder to get rid of bodies these days, when most of my old friends wouldn't answer the phone. "If we did let you take him," I asked in a offhand manner, "you would want what in return?"
"Nothing." she replied.
"That's a good price." said Lorne. "Shall I come with you, help carry?" OK, now this suprised me; usually Lorne avoided this stuff.
She nodded. "Better than nothing, I suppose." she said.
"It didn't turn out how I planned, that's true." said Rex stiffly, "Still, Speed remains at the hospital and perhaps he will discover something."
"Just forget it, you're wasting your time, I told you." snapped Trixie, "The kids are going to get hurt! Look what's happened already!" She took on a begging tone. "Just take them home. I'll be along in a while."
Rex looked like he wanted to ask Trixie something then, but he didn't, probably because he already knew the answer. In the end he just nodded and said, "Perhaps you're right. I'll take the kids home."
"And you stay there!" Trixie insisted. Rex just repeated "I'll take the kids home."
He left. Trixie seemed to change. She became less agitated, more cooly angry.
"Alright." she said, "Do you have any idea what to do?"
"Open to suggestions" I said.
"The problem is Spritle. I can get rid of him for you. No questions." she said. The way she said it reminded me of Lilah.
"That's very kind, but unnecessary." I replied lightly. "We're a full service agency; corpse removal is included in the fee." This was a bluff really. It was getting harder and harder to get rid of bodies these days, when most of my old friends wouldn't answer the phone. "If we did let you take him," I asked in a offhand manner, "you would want what in return?"
"Nothing." she replied.
"That's a good price." said Lorne. "Shall I come with you, help carry?" OK, now this suprised me; usually Lorne avoided this stuff.
She nodded. "Better than nothing, I suppose." she said.
TBC
20-23
AN: If you are Speed Racer challenged, there's a link in my profile for basic character info.