The next day, Dusty and Braedey now got a head start from Nepal, due to the two of them coming in 1st place. The 5th leg of the journey has begun for the air-race. The duo flew beside and over the Great Wall of China, cars and forklifts waving to the two flyers. The two soon flew over a field of rice paddies. Forklift farmers were harvesting, and as both crop-duster and racecar flew overhead, they smiled and waved to them.
"Flying low and quick, Dusty Crophopper and Braedey Martin are managing to hold on to the top spot." Brent announced on TV. "But current reigning champ, Ripslinger, is just seconds behind them. This surprise battle for 1st place has made Dusty Crophopper and Braedey Martin the one to watch. They are becoming a working-class heroes around the globe."
There was even something going across social media about a music video with both Braedey and Dusty on it, as well as funky music. It became a sensational hit, with over a million likes within the first 24 hours.
~*~*~
Soon, the racers eventually made it to the next check point in Shanghai, China. Dusty and Braedey made it into first again. Annie was happy for the two of them for getting this far, and she was very pleased about her big brother taking the lead from that green Ripslinger.
Out of anger from seeing the music video with Dusty, Ripslinger rolled over one of the twin's SkyPads, and crushed it. "Wha... Aw!" Ned sighed in disappointment. "That was my SkyPad, man."
Ripslinger scoffed at him. "Forget it. A new one's coming out in two weeks." Ned whimpered.
Down at the hangars, Dusty and Braedey were both talking to the others on the radio. "You're really showing them big-time racers a thing or two, huh?" Skipper commented over the radio.
"Yeah. We head out across the Pacific tomorrow, Skip." Dusty said as Braedey sat beside him. "You were stationed there for a while, right?"
"Yeah." Skipper agreed.
"Got any advice for us?" Dusty asked.
"Yeah. You know, before we go forth across the Pacific." Braedey clarified.
"Back in '41, during the Battle over Wake Island, the Wrenches ran into serious monsoons with embedded CBs that could tear your wings right off." Skipper said, Braedey and Dusty looking concerned.
"Now I feel like I should keep myself grounded." Braedey muttered.
"Be careful." Skipper warned. "And one more thing... I'm proud of both of you, Dusty. You, and Braedey."
"Thanks, wingman." Dusty was grateful.
"Thank you, Skipper." Braedey added.
"Hey, you two, we have a surprise for you." Dottie then chipped in.
"Oh, oh, oh!" Chug now sounded overexcited. "You have to let me tell them."
Dottie chuckled. "Go ahead, Chug."
"Uh..." Chug was thinking about what to say. "Oh, I know it. It's..." Dusty and Braedey smiled, wondering what Chug wanted to say. "It's on the tip of my tongue. I'll remember."
"We're going..." Dottie started to pitch in.
"We're going..." Chug began repeating.
Dottie: "to..."
Chug: "to..."
Dottie: "Mmm..."
"Malays..." Chug began.
"Mexico." Dottie corrected.
"Mexico! That's it!" Chug exclaimed happily. "We're going to meet you two in Mexico." He announced to them both.
"Really?" Dusty and Braedey asked simultaneously in shock.
"Yep." Chug agreed. "Tickets on Sparky and me. We sold 326 Dusty and Braedey bubbleheads, 143 antenna balls, 203 spinner mugs, 100 Braedey figures..."
Someone blew a whistle. "And 1,000 whistles." Sparky chipped in. "Go, Team Dusterino and McQueen! Yeah."
Braedey looked at Dusty with a mischievous smirk. "What?" Dusty looked at him confused.
"Oh, nothing." Braedey shrugged.
"You sure you're up for it, Skipper?" Dusty asked.
"You bet." Skipper sounded joyous. "Somebody else is doing the flying."
"That's great news, guys." Dusty was glad to hear the news. "We'll see you in Mexico."
"Yeah!" Sparky agreed.
"Buenos noches!" Chug then spoke Spanish.
"I'll bring the salsa! Whoo-hoo!" Sparky cheered. They were getting way too excited to travel somewhere else.
Dusty turned the mic off and both him and Braedey now headed out. It was nighttime now, and the full moon was out.
"What a perfect night tonight." Braedey sighed with relief.
"I agree." Dusty looked around.
As they go near El Chu's hanger, the hangar door was open. A bunch of oil cans were lying around inside, just as El Chu shot out suddenly.
"Hey, El Chu, where's the fire?" Dusty greeted curiously.
"Yeah. You look like your tail's on fire." Braedey added.
"It is in my soul." El Chu declared.
"Why?" Braedey asked, standing next to Dusty.
Annie rolled up. "He's gotten that crazy look in his eyes." She whispered to the two.
"Tonight, I shall win the heart of Miss Rochelle." El Chu rolled that R, abut he sounded determined. Braedey shook his head and smiled. El Chu flicked his cape and rolled away in a hurry.
At Rochelle's hanger, El Chu had turned on the spotlight, and had a radio next to him. He set it on to a Mariachi music. El Chu began to whoop. Then, the song changed to Rock music. Rochelle muttered something when El Chu began to sing. El Chu was singing 'Just a Love Machine.' Nothing a girl like Rochelle would like, so Rochelle closed her hanger door.
Braedey shook his head. 'There's gotta be something we can do, Dusty." He said.
"Yeah. He is making a fool of himself." Annie added.
"Already on it." Dusty whispered. Annie and Braedey looked to one another with confusion, wondering what their friend might be up to.
Dusty cuts off the power. El Chu stopped singing, confused. He looked to Rochelle's hanger to see it was closed. He looked to his radio and followed the wire to Dusty. Dusty had the wires hanging on his right wing, unplugged, and smiling; I was smiling as well.
"Dusty, what are you doing?" El Chu whispered. He wanted to continue with his singing.
Just as he said that, forklifts came: one with the maracas had already started shaking them. The others followed: one having a lamp and another having a guitar. The forklift with the lamp lit the candles. The guitar forklift now started playing soft Latin music. Dusty pushed the candle stand lamp up next to El Chu. Both instrument forklifts drove up next to him and continued to play. Confused, El Chu looked to him, as a trumpet playing forklift drove up next to El Chu.
"Low and slow." Dusty soothed.
"Oh..." El Chu was now starting to understand. He began to sing again but with more passion this time.
Braedey's eyes widened. 'Now that's what I'm talking about.' He thought. 'Dusty the Love Doctor'. He mentally snickered. Dusty, as well as a red forklift, and Annie were swaying to the music. 'I do have to admit, El Chu can sing when he is not trying for Rock music. Smooth singing is for him.' Braedey thought to myself.
Rochelle had heard the music and decided to open her hanger doors to see El Chu singing. She now looked impressed. Just as she appeared, the spotlights went on and the red forklift had left to change the blue-white lights to a tannish colour. El Chu had finished singing then he said something in Spanish. Rochelle was pleased and replied in French. She giggled then closed her hangar door.
Dusty, Braedey, and Annie roll up to El Chu, smiling. "What does that mean?" El Chu asked.
"No idea." Dusty replied.
"Beats me." Braedey chuckled. "But French-Canadian is the language of love in Quebec. So, it's got to be good." All three of them turned, ready to leave.
"I'm in both of your debts, compadre." El Chu thanked to them. "If ever you need me, I shall be there."
"Compadre." Dusty thought. "I like that."
After that, El Chu went off to his hangar, as the others go forth to their hangars. Braedey rolled his wheels, as if he felt something caught, but he took a guess that it might be a stubborn stone. Braedey was about to join Dusty, when a flash of light got his attention, making him look back. He could see a set of high-beams a few hundred metres away, on the other side of the airport.
"Dusty, I'll be right with you in a moment." Braedey whispered to Dusty. "There's something out here that wants my attention."
"Okay. Just be careful, especially with Ripslinger around." Dusty advised.
Braedey nodded, and he began to make his way along the taxiways of the airport. He wondered who it could be flashing their high-beams at him, as he got closer to the lights. Then, the lights turned off, now revealing who it was that got his attention.
It was Zane. He is a muscle car in white with black/blue highlights. He has blue eyes. He had custom rims and wheels, and dragon tattoos on his doors. He is a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, with a 6.2L HEMI V8 engine that produces 707 horsepower.
"Zane? What are you doing here?" Braedey asked in shock and surprise.
Zane is an old friend of Braedey's from their hometown of Motorville in the USA. Zane nowadays lives in Japan, taking the time to do drift races and also photography. When he heard about Braedey racing around the world with airplanes, he thought it was some joke, so he had to take a look on the news, and was shocked by what he saw. So, he opted to go see his friend for himself in Shanghai.
(A/N: Zane is an OC character who rightfully belongs to ironbloodangel)
"Hey, man. Dude, you and that crop-duster have been taking the racing world by storm these last few days!" Zane said in amazement. "I mean, half of Japan has been talking about you two!"
"Really?" Braedey asked in surprise.
"Yeah. Plus, I wanted to see how you were." Zane nudged his Buddy with his front tyre. "Man, taking first place with Crophopper against Ripslinger and his goons, that took guts." He then looked over Braedey's retracted wingpack. "By the way, are those standard issue packs, or are they custom-made for you and your Redbulldozer Racing group?" He asked.
"They were all custom-built for the Redbulldozer commercial a little while ago." Braedey clarified. "Why?"
"Oh, no reason." Zane shrugged. "Anyway, good luck out there tomorrow. I might head on over to New York to see who crosses the finish line."
"You take care, my friend." Braedey nodded, and the two headed off to go get some rest and be ready for tomorrow.