Just had a new Speed Racer fic concept idea.
So, the beauty of Racer X is that anyone could be under the mask. It just takes someone willing to don the mask and stand up to the corruption (I know that's kinda a Batman thing, but he's basically Car Racing Batman minus the dead parents, so bare with me).
Anyway, while anyone can wear the mask, no one can drive like Rex Racer. And the uninitiated wouldn't really understand this, they'd just see the Shooting Star coming and be like, "Oh shit! It's the Harbinger of Boom." But Speed would notice.
Of course Speed would notice.
So imagine, Rex is hurt or kidnapped or missing or off on another important mission, but Racer X is still needed for a race, so the CIB gets one of their other driving operatives to take his place in the suit. And he does ok, he's not winning, but he protected the driver he needed to, so mission complete.
Cut to and angry/panicked Speed Racer storming out of victory lane up to where this guy was about to sneak off. He grabs him by the front of his jacket and starts yelling, "Where is he?" "Who the f**k are you?" "Is he ok?" "What the hell do you think your doing?"
And this guy doesn't know what to do cuz, what do you mean last year's Grand Prix winner who's only raced against/with the guy your pretending to be like twice and he's so in tune with the way he drives that he was able to pick up that you're not him, and apparently cares enough about the guy to confront you about it?
So he calls Inspector Detector over, and he explains the situation, and once Speed understands the situation he goes off on a rant about all the ways the guy is failing to drive like X, and he's a little peeved but it is good driving advice, so he takes it. And then Speed eventually turns to the Inspector and is like, "I could do a better job pretending to be him."
And the Inspector has to internally be like, "You're absolutely right and there's a reason for that, but I can't tell you why!"
All this to say, Speed pretending to be Racer X for Rex while he's busy, indisposed, or missing. Speed going as Racer X to rescue Rex. It's just chef kiss*
