Digging Up Dirt

**Digging Up Dirt**is the ninth episode of the second season of Rimba Racer.

## Summary

In Pike's room, he and Xeno discuss their plans, and on Xeno's advice Pike decides to hold on to a "card" he's been saving. Ms. Dira then arrives at his room to lead him to a press conference, which Pike himself has organized in the Ark lobby. In Tag's garage, Tag is desperately analyzing the connections between the Ringmasters, their various operatives, and the RGP, looking for some missing detail while Miles looks on in exasperation. Meika, in response to Sonny's questioning, reveals that she and Pike used to be partners in crime, but he eventually betrayed her and left her to be arrested. After spending some time incarcerated, Meika was released and her criminal record expunged by the Ringmasters through their connections, in exchange for her agreeing to act as one of their agents.

As Meika affirms that she is no longer loyal to her employers, Meelo enters, surprising the group by having gotten over the recent destruction of the computers in his secret room. At the press conference, Pike addresses an audience that includes King, Axle, Krom, and Tamira, with Miles and the others tuning in on the garage TV. Pike stuns them all by claiming that the RGP has become corrupt, with forces collaborating to fix the outcome of races. Tag races to the lobby, wanting to be present, and is stunned when Pike not only accuses Tag himself of being the one responsible for the corruption, but reveals to everyone that Tag is Riq's son.

Tamira leaves the press conference, apparently putting in a call to Riq to alert him to this developments, when Vyxx intercepts her and snatches her phone. Luckily, Riq's number is listed under a false contact name, and Tamira retrieves her phone only to get into a fight with Vyxx. The underworld enforcer soon has Tamira held up off the ground and pinned against a wall, demanding to know the identity of her accomplice. However, Torres arrives and warns Vyxx to back off, threatening to alert security if she doesn't relent. Reluctantly, Vyxx leaves, allowing Tamira to walk off leaving behind an exasperated Torres.

In King's office, King questions the purpose of Pike's ploy, as he has no evidence to support that Tag has been rigging races. Pike turns the conversation on King, berating him for failing to inform the Ringmasters that he had learned Tag was Riq's son. He then mockingly informs King that, due to his repeated failures, he will be removed from his position as head of the RGP. Furious but with no response, King leaves with Axle, the two quietly agreeing that it's time for "Plan B."

Meika contacts the Ringmasters from her own room, demanding to know why Pike would make an accusation that could implicate her due to her closeness to Tag. They respond with Pike's suspicions that she is working with Tag against them, but Meika is able to persuade them of her loyalty. Riq has a video call with Tamira and Tag in Tamira's room, initially berating Tamira for risking a call to him before asking about her safety. After hearing about the negative public response against Tag due to Pike's accusations, Riq advises the pair to be careful and to look after each other, leaving to a brief exchange in which Tag attempts to tease a laugh out of Tamira to no effect.

The next RGP race is set at Cobalt Caverns, a fermonite mining facility where robots harvest the rare mineral. Tag experiences some inconvenience as race marshals look over the Ripper-and only the Ripper-before the race begins. The competitors are soon speeding through the mines, with Vyxx closing in on Tamira to continue their earlier altercation only for Tag to come to his friend's aid. Vyxx is knocked off the track and into the claws of a mining droid, but Xeno targets Meelo only to be attacked by Meika, leaving him to crash into a dropped mining crate.

Tag and Sonny are thus freed to close in on Tag, who deploys the Triple Threat to throw them off. However, the special feature proves to be limited, with the hologram-producing drones shutting down when they get too far away from the real Cerberus. Axle unexpectedly comes to Tag's aid after he briefly loses control, but Krom then prevents Sonny from interfering with the real Pike. Racing up a long circular ramp, Tag is sent into a spin by Pike, only for Axle to once again act to help him regain control, just in time for the pair to get into second and third place behind Pike.

After the race, Tag is hanging out with Meika and Sonny in the lounge, when Meika receives word that her modeling agent has fired her due to her suspect collusion with Tag's cheating. Miles and Meelo then arrive with news that Jump Jump Power Drink is suspending its funding of Tag and Miles based on the same allegations, and that the Tag Team is to be subject to an official investigation. Tag voices the suspicion, which King appears to confirm, that Pike's goal is either to get Tag and his friends thrown out for cheating or else left without the financial means of remaining in the tournament. To the surprise of Tag and his friends, King then announces that he has not come to gloat, but to offer his help.