Silver opened his eyes and let out a rather sleepy yawn. Then he stretched himself out, ignoring his aching, protesting muscles as he did so.

Something had happened, something major. That much he was aware of. He also knew that a tragedy of some kind had been averted. How he knew this, he didn't know. It was actually more of a feeling than actual knowledge, and he felt good for simply knowing. Everything else, like his aching muscles, just happened to be secondary.

"Good morning, Silver," came a very familiar voice. "Breakfast is waiting for you. Your father will most displeased if you choose not get up again and join him."

Slowly, Silver sat up, noticing Dimsley standing in the doorway to his room. A surge of happiness coursed through him. For some reason, he hadn't expected to see the old butler or his father alive ever again. Yet there Dimsley was. Standing in his doorway in his usual butler outfit, and he was saying that his father was pretty much waiting for him at the breakfast table.

Forgetting his pain, Silver leapt out of his bed. He'd ask questions later. Right now, he just wanted to see his father.

"I'll be right down."

888888888

Red read over various articles in the newspaper as he waited for his son to come down the stairs for breakfast. It had been a few days since he and Dimsley had found the boy unconscious in the forest. The first thing he'd done was seek out several of his family's healers to make sure that the boy would live. Even though Silver had passed his first trial and had beaten back the Light clan, they'd still win if he passed on. That was their true goal. To kill his son.

'I can't let that happen again. He wasn't ready. He got lucky,' Red told himself as his eyes read the article on the still missing Speed Racer. 'Very lucky.'

The sound of shoes clacking towards him alerted Red of Dimsley's approach and he glanced up. The butler stopped the customary few feet away from him.

"Silver is awake, Sir. He shall be downstairs for breakfast shortly."

A smile graced Red's features.

"That's very good to hear. Thank you, Dimsley."

"You are most welcome, Sir."

'Very good indeed. He's going to live. Now's the time to begin to train him in earnest.'

888888888

"There still hasn't been any sign of them . . . has there?"

Inspector Detector glanced up from his paperwork at Pops Racer then he shook his head. The Mach 5 designer had been there for some time but this had been the first time he'd spoken since arriving.

"No. There hasn't. If Red Shadows has been making any purchases, it's either been with cash or he's having someone else making them. We haven't been able to find anything on him or Speed's whereabouts."

The large, bulky man let out a heavy sigh and slumped into the chair across from him. Despite his bulk, Pops didn't look very hot. His eyes, it seemed, had sunk into their sockets. He looked pale . . . almost like death warmed over. Inspector Detector frowned. However, Pops spoke up once more, before he had a chance to say anything to the man about his health.

"We're never going to find Speed again," he sighed. "If we do, he still won't recognize us as his family . . ."

"You're not giving up on the search, are you?"

To that, Pops nodded his head.

"We are. We can't keep this up . . . Rachel's health is deteriorating . . . quicker than what mine is and we still have a son to take care of at home. We need to think of Spritle now. Speed really is old enough to take care of himself, after all . . ."

"Mr. Racer, what Red has done is against the law," Inspector Detector pointed out. "He took Speed against his will. He . . ."

"Hasn't done anything wrong, in Speed's mind," the Racer patriarch stated. "We'd have to prove that Speed had been brainwashed by that man. We can't do that. Racer X told me he looked into Speed's eyes before he disappeared with Red. He saw no signs of brainwashing and he said he should know what they are, having helped those who've been brainwashed. Even if we did manage to get him back, he wouldn't be the same anymore . . . he might even hate us. That isn't something my wife and I can live with. As long as he's happy and healthy, that's all we care."

888888888

Racer X listened quietly as Pops told Inspector Detector to call off the hunt for his brother and for Red Shadows. Then he slipped away.

He wasn't about to give up in the search for Speed. Though he understood where Pops was coming from, he knew he couldn't quit. Not now. Not until Speed was safely back at home.

'Don't worry, Speed. I'll find you. I swear that I will.'