CHAPTER 1
THUNDERTRUCK XTREME RALLY
Excited trucks fill up the stands. They honk and beep as they cheer on their favorite ThunderTrucks.
An official hooks one end of a chain to Hercules’ bumper. She hooks the other end to Theseus’ bumper. A mud pit bubbles and belches between the two rivals.
The Tug-o-War Championship at the ThunderTruck Xtreme Rally is about to begin!
“You won’t beat me this time!” Hercules shouts.
“We’ll see about that,” Theseus rumbles.
“Competitors, get ready,” the official blares. The chain between Hercules and Theseus snaps tight.
TCHING!
“Get set!”
The ThunderTrucks rev their engines.
VROOM! VROOM!
“Pull!”
Tires screech. Dirt flies. Engines roar.
Theseus jerks forward. He drags Hercules, tires spinning, toward the pit.
Mud bubbles up and splashes the mighty ThunderTruck.
“Eat mud!” Theseus yells.
At the edge of the pit, the treads of Hercules’ tires dig in.
“Not this time,” Hercules shouts. His engine rumbles. RUMBLE! RUMBLE! He tugs and yanks and jerks. Inch by inch, he drags Theseus toward the pit.
Theseus’ tires spin. His engine whines. He kicks up a cloud of dirt. But nothing can stop the mighty Hercules.
Theseus lands in the pit with a SPLASH! Oozing mud covers him from tailpipe to windshield.
“Looks like you need to hit the car wash!” Hercules laughs.
Other ThunderTrucks rush over to congratulate Hercules.
“Wow, I thought Theseus was going to win,” Atalanta says.
“Great match, Hercules!” Perseus says.
Hercules just puffs out a cloud of exhaust and rolls away. Theseus crawls out of the mud pit and heads in another direction.
* * *
The next competition at the ThunderTruck Xtreme Rally is about to start. Hercules rolls up in front of a ramp. Beyond is a row of flaming tires. He revs his engine. VROOM! VROOM! Then he takes off in a cloud of dust.
Hercules hits the ramp and leaps into the air. He flies over 10 . . . 20 . . . 30 . . . 40 . . . 47 flaming tires.
The crowd beeps, “Hercules! Hercules!”
As Hercules drives by Theseus, he honks, “Beat that!”
Theseus looks at the flags atop the stadium. They flutter in the wind. Theseus waits until they point away from him. With the wind at his back, he is off. He hits the ramp. He sails over 10 . . . 20 . . . 30 . . . 40 . . . 50 . . . 52 flaming tires.
The crowd beeps, “Theseus! Theseus!”
“Yeah!” he shouts. “I won.”
Other ThunderTrucks rush over to congratulate Theseus.
“I didn’t think you could beat Hercules’ jump,” B-phon says.
“That was incredible, Theseus,” Argonutz says.
Theseus just puffs out a cloud of exhaust and rolls away. Hercules leaves in another direction. The rest of the ThunderTrucks are confused.
“What is wrong with those two?” Atalanta asks.
“They are getting way too competitive,” Odysseus says.
At the next competition, things only get worse. Theseus and Hercules face off at a starting line.
“I am the best ThunderTruck there is!” Theseus roars.
“No, I am the World’s Mightiest Truck!” Hercules rumbles. “I even have a decal that says so.”
“Anyone can buy one of those at Royal Rumbler’s Decal Shop,” Theseus backfires.
The other ThunderTrucks drive between the two.
“Stop it!” Perseus says. “You two are supposed to be friends.”
No one can believe that the two friends are arguing so much.
“We need a contest to decide who is the best!” Hercules beeps. “Like completing the Rough & Tough Twelve.”
“Or racing through the Monster Maze,” Theseus honks.
The two ThunderTrucks honk and beep at each other. Then a mysterious MonsterTruck rolls over. It is black with tinted windows. A skull sticks out of the grill.
“You need something more challenging,” the truck says in a raspy voice.
“What do you have in mind?” Hercules beeps.
“I challenge you to race through the Underworld,” the truck says.
Theseus and Hercules look at each other.
“I’m in!” Hercules rumbles.
“Me too,” Theseus blares.
The other ThunderTrucks gasp in shock. Only trucks that cannot be repaired go to the Underworld.
And none of them have ever returned.