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[Meteor]

Rusty
VS
Raven Blood

How long will Rusty last this battle? I hope he doesn't crash. . And good luck Haley! Get Ali back to herself soon before she dies or something!

[fettman53]

Act 12 - Choose

Dodging traffic at a higher speed was definitely more difficult than at a lower speed. It was especially difficult for Rusty. In fact, it was much harder than he made it look. His car wasn’t exactly light, after all. It became much more difficult when going through a turn. Add the fact that there was another car right behind him, pressuring him, and you’ve got quite a predicament. And Rusty could only take so much before he lost concentration. That was true for anyone, really.

The car behind Rusty pressured him mercilessly. Inside the car…the driver’s seat was empty. The wheel turned as if by remote control, and the pedals worked themselves flawlessly. The shift knob shifted perfectly, getting the timing down perfectly every single time. The car drove itself. After all…there was no human worthy of driving it.

Raven Blood’s headlights stared down its opponent, ruining Rusty’s concentration and self-confidence. He couldn’t take it much longer. His arms slightly began shaking as he entered a right turn. No traffic. Lucky. He went on towards the next turn, a left. A van on the outside lane. He hugged the inside, Raven Blood still right behind him. There was a truck going through the next left turn on the inside, so Rusty took the outside lane. Next was a right corner. A pickup truck on the outside. Rusty stayed in his lane, with Raven Blood following close behind.

On the straightaway, Raven Blood made its move. It pulled up beside of him on the right, and they both came up on the next corner side-by-side. It was the sharp, downhill left. They both hit their brakes so as not to fly into the air as they entered the corner. Raven Blood slowed down a bit longer than Rusty, who was slightly slipping to the outside, and cut inside. They came out of the corner side-by-side, with Raven Blood on the left of Rusty now.

Raven Blood used its power to pull in front, and that was that. Rusty gritted his teeth. “Damn! Bastard!” The red R34 quickly pulled away, using a perfect grip run and a perfect line. Rusty was sweating and his heart was beating quickly. His hands were so sweaty that he was beginning to lose his grip on the steering wheel. He let up on the accelerator and allowed his pulse to return to normal as he wiped his hands off on his pants. He wasn’t done yet.

He put both hands back on the wheel as he entered the tunnel with the right turn, and quickly sped up. As he came out of the tunnel, taking a left turn, he noticed that he was going too fast! There was a van in his way! He slammed on his brakes, but that only made his situation worse. By slamming on his brakes, he shifted the weight forward, making his car approach the pedestrian vehicle even quicker. At the last second, he tapped on his accelerator, slowing the approach, and turned the wheel to the left as he did so. But he was too late.

His GT-R crashed into the van, smashing it up against the wall. That was it. He was finished. He had lost. The red R34 was long gone. And he had crashed. Just a split second of lost concentration…and this happened. He hoped dearly that Ayaka would forgive him just this once. But she was right. He crashed again. He closed his eyes and hung his head, sighing. He still wasn’t good enough to avoid crashing.

The next day at Kevin’s garage, Rusty’s GT-R sat with parts of its body taken off, waiting for the replacement parts. Kevin, Haruhi, and Rusty sat outside on a bench as Rusty was explaining what happened. “Well,” he said, “I was chasing this red GT-R…one of those newer ones. The R34’s. I was coming out of a left turn and I was going a bit too fast. I guess I wasn’t thinking. I was letting my car slide to the outside a bit, and then I noticed this van. I did my best, but…well…I still hit it.”

Suddenly, Haruhi squeezed her eyes shut as she felt a pang of pain in her chest. “Gh…” A Skyline coming out of a left turn and hitting a van…sounds painfully familiar. Rusty continued. “Everyone was okay though. Just need body repair on the cars is all.” He looked at Kevin. “Hey, man…thanks again for helping me out with this. I guess I still need more practice…” Kevin closed his eyes and said, “You always go into things like this even when it’s obvious that you can’t win. No amount of practice will change who you are.”

Rusty smirked. “Yeah, that’s true. Guess I’ll just have to get faster instead.” Just then, Rusty felt as though he was being watched, and quickly turned to his right to see…Ayaka. She stood there, looking at him, half angry…and half sad. Without saying a word, she turned around and walked away. Rusty quickly stood up and ran after her. “Ayaka! Wait! Please!” As he caught up to her, she stopped walking, but didn’t turn around to face him. She kept her eyes closed as he said, “Ayaka…I’m sorry…you were right…but…are you really just going to leave me like this? I’m sorry for worrying you, but…”

Ayaka frowned and replied, “I used to run the Wangan. But not anymore. Rusty, how old are you? Twenty-six? Don’t you think you’re getting a bit too old for this now?” Rusty thought about it. Kevin and Haruhi still drove. Heck, even old Zero drove! What did age have to do with it? “I don’t think age has anything to do with it, Ayaka. I don’t know…I just feel like I have something to prove to everyone out there. I want to be the best, and I know that I can make it to the top! But…I can’t do it without you. Please…”

Ayaka sighed. “Maybe you don’t think it has anything to do with age…but I do. I think you’ve outgrown racing. Stop racing already! I have! Why can’t you? You’ve got something to prove?! How about this: prove to me that you care more about me and how I feel than about what everyone else thinks about you! You don’t have anything to prove to those people, Rusty.”

Rusty didn’t know what to say. She just didn’t understand how he felt. Everything he told her was met with her own outlook, and her opinions always seemed to belittle his opinions. The frustrating thing was that everything she said made sense. He didn’t want to quit. Not yet. But he was beginning to agree with Ayaka. Who cared what everyone else thought? Who cared what people he didn’t even know thought about him?

Then, Ayaka came out and said it. “Rusty…I wouldn’t mind you racing if you’d just be smart about it. But you push it too hard. You do dangerous things that your car obviously can’t handle. Sure, sometimes you’re lucky and you make it through…but someday it’ll kill you. Please…just stop. I’ll give you one more chance. I’ll stay with you…if you stop racing.” Rusty was shocked by her proposal. Give up racing? So early? He still had to defeat that bastard in the red R34! And Haruhi! And Kevin! He had to be the best! And he felt that he was getting so close.

Ayaka looked at him seriously. “Choose, Rusty. This is your last chance.”

[Meteor]

Rusty. Think it through and make a choice. You've been given one more chance, so think what'll you do with it.

First The Phantom, and now we have both the Satan Z and Raven Blood. How did these cars come into existence? Well. . I'll just have to wait.

More please *points at dinner plate* Yes, I realise I've had a lot of servings already.

[fettman53]

*takes your plate. gives you more*


------------------------------


Act 13 – Calm Before The Storm


Rusty was torn. Torn between two things he loved. Ayaka…and racing. Obviously Ayaka was more important to him than racing, but…the choice wasn’t as easy as that. He had worked so hard on his car…he had practiced for so long…he had gotten so good. He couldn’t just leave it like that. “Ayaka…I’m sorry. But…I can’t just stop racing. I mean…I don’t want you to leave me, but…I just can’t stop so easily.” Ayaka turned around and walked away. “Then from now on, you race alone.”

Rusty’s heart sank. “No! Ayaka! Wait…” Ayaka started to slow, and slightly turned her head so he could see her mouth. “Just…be careful. Okay?” She smiled slightly, then walked off. Rusty was being ripped and torn up inside. He felt like crying, but he wasn’t going to. He wanted to run after her and try to convince her to stay. But he knew he couldn’t. One half of him urged him to give up racing and run after her…but another half of him just wanted to sulk back to the garage.

Unfortunately, he ended up going back to the garage. And with that, he sealed his decision.

That night, Kevin drove on the C1 Inner Loop, casually holding the steering wheel with his right hand as his left hand relaxed on the shift knob. He had a bored look in his eyes as he examined the road in front of him, lazily watching for traffic as he cruised at 215kmph.

One great thing about driving was that if you had a lot on your mind, when you drove like this on the Wangan, you weren’t thinking about those things. When you drove on the Wangan, you were thinking about driving and predicting things, so you temporarily forgot the things that bothered you at the time.

Not that there was anything bothering Kevin. But he liked the feeling just because all he thought about was what was going on around him. Every single thought was useful in some way when you drove on the Wangan. No useless thoughts or stupid daydreams to waste your time. He liked that.

Haruhi drove behind him. Not racing him; just following. That was sort of relaxing too. Knowing she was there. It was almost as great as racing. Driving with someone was always more fun than driving by yourself, no matter what might be going on.

In her FD, Haruhi sat in a relaxed stance. No racing tonight. It was just a relaxing cruise with Kevin. She had wanted to do this ever since she first met him. It was almost like they were going out on a date. She felt like that every time she drove with him like this, even if they were racing. It was interesting, the way she saw it like that. It actually made sense when you thought about it. A boy and a girl, out alone at night, doing whatever they want…sounds a lot like a date, doesn’t it? Haruhi certainly thought so.

She watched his car happily, entranced by its smooth, fluid movements. Kevin was such an amazing driver. Even when he wasn’t racing, he still managed to amaze her and entrance her. He was special. She felt that he was the best driver in the world. And…well…he probably was! The way he drove was so inspiring. He could’ve gone pro a long time ago. But for some reason, he didn’t. Maybe it was because he doesn’t like corrupt races. He likes it to be fair, with nothing won or lost by the outcome. Just racing for fun.

Haruhi was like that too. She wouldn’t accept any money for winning a race. It just seemed wrong to her. Racing was fun to her because although she hated losing, she never really lost anything necessarily if she did lose. And if she won, she felt accomplished, but she wasn’t taking anything away from her opponent. She didn’t feel guilty. She could go all out and then some, and she’d never hold back. And she’d be confident. No matter what the outcome, in the end she’d be okay.

Of course, there were some racers out there that were just begging to be beaten. She would hate herself if she ever lost to someone like that. But really, defeating them, although satisfying, really didn’t accomplish anything either. That fact frustrated her. There was nothing she could do about it. But at least they’d shut up.

Kevin went onto the Shibuya run in order to change things up a little. Haruhi followed, feeling refreshed at seeing a different part of the highway for once. But it was pretty much just one really long straightaway that exited the highway at the end. They’d have to turn back around and go through the tollbooths, but…she’d pay any day to drive now. Especially with Kevin. Besides, she made enough thanks to her new job. Paying to get on the highway now was nothing.

As they merged back on to the highway after getting to the end of the Shibuya line, they stopped at the tollbooths to pay their way in. Soon they were driving back up to the C1, taking in the sights and relaxing as they went along. It was a beautiful night. Of course, you weren’t able to see any stars while in the city, but…it was still a beautiful night.

However, the peace would not last much longer.

There was a car tailing them. Kevin noticed it as they got on the Shibuya line earlier. He couldn’t make out exactly what it was, but he knew that it was planning to challenge either him or Haruhi. Maybe even both of them if it was brave enough. Kevin got back onto the C1 Inner loop, along with Haruhi. Sure enough, the car followed. As soon as they were on a nice straightaway, the car flashed its lights.

Haruhi was surprised by the sudden challenge. She never even heard the car approach. She looked in her mirrors, but was having trouble making out exactly what it was. It was something sleek…a bit low to the ground. A Ferrari? Didn’t sound like one. What was that thing?

Kevin sped up slowly, allowing Haruhi enough time to react and speed up as well, which she did momentarily. As the challenging car sped up, Kevin heard the engine.

A Honda.

[pnoytecknix]

Banshee? 3-way battle? Nissan-Mazda-Honda sandwich? nice...

[Meteor]

^Agreed.

I wonder how well Haruhi's going to do against this challenger. I'm looking forward to reading this 3-way battle.

[fettman53]

Three-way battle!!! Start!!!

---------------------------------



Act 14 – The Scream Of A Banshee


Haruhi sped up as she saw Kevin start to pull away. As she did so, she heard the car behind her increase its pace as well. Who was it? Was it a newbie? There were a lot of newbies on the Shibuya line. But why would a newbie be challenging two racers at the same time? Whoever it was, he sure was brave! Haruhi couldn’t help but smile. A cooperative race with Kevin! This was going to be amazing!

In his S30, Kevin began to get keenly interested in the attacking car. He recognized it as soon as he heard it. It was the engine of a Honda. A Honda NSX Type S Zero. And judging by how it kept up with them, it was quick. Really quick. As a matter of fact, Kevin wasn’t sure if Haruhi would be able to keep up with such a fast pace. Of course, he’d find out pretty soon. He was going to find out how well Haruhi had really improved!

The NSX challenger was tougher than Kevin and Haruhi knew. He had been practicing ever since that day…slowly but surely clawing his way back to the top. Now…he was here for revenge.

Banshee narrowed his eyes as he watched the FD and the S30 in front of him. He was holding back, not wanting to reveal to him his true power. Not just yet. He’d play with them for a little. But then he’d strike. That S30 was his target. Screw the FD. He was going to be the fastest on the highway again! Flames burst from his NA2’s mufflers. His car was menacing. It was furious. It was a banshee! Its engine roared for all to hear as it tore through the night!

Kevin balanced his accelerator, gradually pressing down further as they went on, slowly upping the pace. He wanted to see just exactly how far the other two cars could push it before they reached their limits. But there was something about the NA2…something he didn’t like. It was holding back. He could tell by the sound the engine made. That car was unpredictable. It could strike at any moment. Kevin didn’t like racing with people he didn’t know too well. This was why. The unpredictability.

There was no helping it though. The race had begun, and quite frankly, Kevin wasn’t afraid. He was just worried about Haruhi. He wanted her to be able to keep up. Would she be able to once the race began to increase in pace and tension?

Banshee frowned. It was time. He pushed down all the way on the accelerator as they entered a long straightaway, overtaking Haruhi on the left and approaching the S30’s rear bumper as they came up on the next turn. Haruhi frowned slightly at the fact that she was overtaken. She should’ve seen it coming, but even if she had, she wouldn’t have been able to prevent it. It took a while for her car’s boost to spool up.

She wasn’t giving up though. No way. It had just begun, this race. And she was in the perfect position, now that she thought about it. Chasing was her forte! She began watching the NA2 in front of her. By passing her, he sealed his fate. As long as he stayed behind Kevin, she had him trapped. And he didn’t even know it.

Banshee chased the red S30 with all of his might, doing his best to balance his speed through the corners while still going fast. But it wasn’t easy. The S30 made it look so effortless, and the FD behind him wasn’t falling behind in the slightest bit. He was losing confidence in himself and his ability to be successful in this race.

No.

He was ready. All he needed was to get in front. He desperately needed to get there. His performance was poor due to the position he was in. Being boxed in like he was…it was nerve-wracking and dangerous. Too fast and he’d run into the person he was chasing. Too slow and he’d be overtaken by the person chasing him. And it wasn’t as easy to pass the same person a second time. He had to make it quick. He had to strike, quickly and precisely.

The only problem was…what was going to happen when he finally got in front, if he ever did?

Haruhi continued to examine the NA2. His line was similar to someone else’s line. Someone she had raced before. It was a focused line, but an unpredictable one. She already knew the weakness of the line he was using…but she had yet to figure out the weakness of the car. It was quick, nimble, and light. It seemed to respond well too, and not only that…it looked menacing. Not that its looks had anything to do with its performance, but…just what was the NA2’s weakness?

Banshee was disappointed. The race wasn’t what he had hoped it would be. The driver of the red S30 had improved considerably since the last time he raced him, and the addition of the FD driver tagging along really took the feeling he was looking for out of the race. He just wanted a one-on-one with the red S30 for the title of fastest. Now…now he not only had to defeat the S30, but hold back the FD as well. And if he lost to the FD…well, he might as well forget being the fastest.

Haruhi’s brown eyes closely watched the NSX. Anything he did, she would mimic perfectly. By stealing his line, she could get a feel for how he drove and find his weakness. That was how she worked, although she could never explain that to you. She just did it. She never really understood how she did it or why she did it. But she did. And once she passed the NSX, she’d pull away with Kevin.

She began to find his weakness as they neared more corners. Through a corner, his line was tight, but loosened up as he exited. She knew what she wanted to do. She knew how to defeat Banshee! Her eyes opened wide as she finally figured it out. This was it!

They came up on a left turn, which Banshee took taking the out-in-out line. But Haruhi kamikazed it, taking an in-out-in line. She slightly closed the gap, and right up ahead would be her chance to attack. She’d teach this guy not to mess with her when she was enjoying herself with Kevin!

They passed by two divider walls holding up a higher level of the highway over them, and came out onto the long, uphill straightaway with Haruhi right behind him. This was it. Her one and only chance! She slipstreamed Banshee’s car to gather more speed, and moved to the right as they came up on the tight left corner side-by-side. Banshee looked over to his right in shock. “What?!”

Haruhi held on through the corner on the outside, but as they came onto the straightaway, Banshee slowly began to pull ahead. Next was the right corner. Haruhi was on the inside. She stared at the road in front of her with a look of furious desperation in her eyes as they both approached, watching the red S30 take it with ease. Banshee and Haruhi hit their brakes, unable to take it any other way due to the tight formation. Haruhi had counterattacked him! She quickly got back on the accelerator and slid in front of the NA2.

Banshee cursed in anger and frustration. “Dammit! Get the hell outta here, you pest! I don’t care about you! You aren’t my target for tonight!” But it didn’t matter. The truth was…Banshee wasn’t as good as he thought he was. All that practicing…and he got beaten by someone other than the red S30! He was going all out. If this wasn’t good enough, then he didn’t know what was. Perhaps…he had finally reached his limit as a racer.

He angrily followed the two cars for as long as he could until they were no longer visible. The standard for the Wangan was rising considerably. People were becoming unrealistically skilled. It would take years for him to match up with the elites of the highway now. This…was the worst night of his life.

In his S30, Kevin looked in his mirrors to see Haruhi following him with ease, even at his cruising speed of 247kmph. He slightly smiled. He was so glad to see her keeping up again. It was just like back in the mountains…minus the racing. And she defeated the NSX extremely fast and efficiently. Very nice. She was meeting up to his expectations at last.

In her FD, Haruhi smiled as she continued to follow Kevin into the night. She hoped that she had impressed him. She tried so hard to pass that NA2, and in the end she actually found it pretty simple. Kevin would be happy to hear her say that. But she knew that in reality, there were way more skilled people out there than whoever that guy was. And she was going to defeat them all!

Secretly, although neither of them knew it, they had been watched. The mysterious driver who spied on them smiled. “The FD driver is even better than I expected. And the S30 driver is quite unique. I can’t wait to meet them,” she said to herself. She exited the highway, and the other drivers on the Wangan were able to relax. Every time that girl made her runs…everyone hid.

[Meteor]

As to be expected, the battle was worth reading. So who was it there spying on them? Was that Ali?

[fettman53]

Act 15 – Kevin’s “Friends”

As they got out of their cars in Kevin’s home garage, Kevin decided to voice his satisfaction with Haruhi’s improved driving. “You…you kept up this time. You’ve gotten faster.” Haruhi smiled, unsure of what to say exactly. “Well…I practiced for so long. After all…my goal is to defeat you. Someday…” Kevin didn’t say anything on that subject. Sadly, he doubted that she’d ever accomplish such a thing at the rate she was improving. What she seemed to forget was that he improved as well.

Suddenly, there was a slight beep from inside his pocket. It was a text message from someone. He read it with a tired look. Then he looked at Haruhi, and had a look in his eyes revealing that he had just gotten an idea. “Haruhi? Some of my friends want to race with me for a bit, but I think you should race them instead. I don’t know whether or not you’ll win…but I think that it will be a good experience for you. Just tell them I sent you in my place. When they see you, they’ll understand.” He smiled and winked.

Haruhi raised an eyebrow. Was this a joke? Well…maybe these “friends” of his were actually really good. Kevin was always trying to teach her more about racing. This must just be another “lesson.” She decided to give in and meet his friends. “Where?”

Kevin smiled. “On the C1. Go to the parking lot that we usually go to. They should be the only ones there tonight. Only…don’t get out of the car or let them see you until after the race.” Haruhi looked uneasy. Why was he giving her such peculiar instructions? He usually only did that if she was about to go into some really tough, serious race. She got into her car and headed off to the Wangan again.

Kevin watched her car disappear as she turned a corner. She was in for a big surprise. Kevin had almost forgotten about his friends. This would be interesting. He was curious as to how she would perform against them. Now that he thought about it, she’d probably be mad at him for not telling her who they were once she sees them. Would she be able to keep up with them? Defeat them? How was she going to do?

Haruhi drove to the parking lot, expecting some GT-Rs or some kind of exotic supercar sitting in the lot, but…well, there was one GT-R. And an NSX. They were both black. As Haruhi got a little closer as she went to park, she began to get the feeling that they looked a bit familiar. Since Kevin didn’t want her to reveal herself to them, she decided to wait off in a corner for them to leave, then follow. She still didn’t understand why Kevin wanted her to do such a thing, and also didn’t understand why she actually listened to him. But she did.

Both cars started up a few minutes after she parked, and she followed them onto the highway. They sped up, obviously guessing that she wanted to challenge them. They were quick! Real quick! Oh, of course they were! They were Kevin’s friends, after all. Her mouth tightened as she began to force herself to concentrate on keeping up with them. Kevin seemed to think that she could do it, right? Otherwise he wouldn’t have sent her out here to do it in the first place!

On the straightaway, the GT-R pulled out in front, leading the other two cars. The driver of the GT-R drove furiously, with a passion unmatched even by the most dedicated of racers. The GT-R flew through the corners with wild abandon, although as Haruhi soon began to realize, the NSX was much better at taking corners. The NSX, unlike the GT-R, was more focused. Its line was smooth and apparently well-thought out. The driver must have been one of those people that could never be shaken up.

Haruhi grimaced as she watched the two cars. This wasn’t going to be easy at all! Who were these guys?! Then, Haruhi just remembered…Kevin said he didn’t know whether or not she would be able to defeat them. Then what the hell did he send her out for?!

Through a few more corners, the more focused line of the NSX earned it the pole position, and the GT-R then trailed behind it. Both cars seemed to have an overwhelming aura around them. There was something special about them. Haruhi had a pretty good idea as to what it might have been, too.

They were taught by Kevin.

Haruhi gritted her teeth. Was that why he wanted her to race them? This wasn’t fair. He should have told her first. And she thought she was the only one learning from him, too. Looks like he took on some more pupils in her absence. Well…it was all good and well. She was his pupil since back in the mountains. But…

Suddenly, Haruhi’s eyes opened wide. No way…it…it couldn’t be…

She remembered two of the team members back when they were mountain racing. They had the same exact cars…and before they went into mountain racing, they had been running the highways! Wasn’t that right? Yes…Alicia and Hako!

[Meteor]

Sorry for the delayed reply. I was away for a few days.

Awesome, two new characters I don't know of since "Go! Touge!" has yet to be updated Now post up the next chapter so that I can keep reading this. Please?

[fettman53]

Act 16 – Rivalry Reignited


Haruhi could hardly believe it. There was no doubt at all that it was them! Alicia, in her black M-spec BNR34…the way she drove…the way she was so passionate about it…no one was more outgoing than she was when it came to…well…anything! And Hako, in her black NA2…she was known all over as the pedal control expert. No one could ever get to the kind of level that she had gotten to with pedal control…not at her age! And she was always calm…nothing scared her or anything. She always kept her cool. She never looked in her mirrors when she raced, so pressuring her was pointless too.

Haruhi remembered the rivalry these two girls had with her back in the mountains. If they were as good as they were in the mountains, then…then she didn’t stand a chance on the Wangan! Not only that, but it was rumored that Hako had rigged up a special nitrous system into her car. She never used it, but…the thought of it made Haruhi want to back off.

If they were being taught by Kevin even more while she was gone…and on the Wangan, no less…then why did Kevin send her out to race them? Did he want to show her how good she could get if she practiced under him even longer? Haruhi wondered when they got back to Tokyo. How long have they been training under him on the highway now? Haruhi was gone for seven years…

Anything could have happened!

Haruhi swallowed and called up all of her courage. She had learned more to act on instinct when racing on the highways, and she would need lightning-fast reflexes to keep up with these two. They gave her a hard enough of a time back in the mountains when they weren’t even good! What would they be like now?!

It was beginning to sink in…what Haruhi had begun to realize lately. No matter how hard she tried to win…there was always someone out there that could still defeat her. Was this what Kevin wanted to get Haruhi to realize? Was this race meant to have that fact pounded into her once and for all?

No. She couldn’t just lose like that. No matter what, she’d never give up! As long as she could keep on going…she would! She’d never stop. Not until she was satisfied! She pressed down further on the accelerator, daring to go even faster than she already was. If these two still wanted to keep the rivalry alive, then Haruhi was going to make sure that she played her part…by kicking their asses! Her eyes opened wide with furious determination. It was almost as though a fire was burning inside of them.

In the black R34, Alicia had the same look in her eyes. Alicia had long, brown hair, tied into a ponytail. Her bangs covered up her forehead, and she had amber-colored eyes. She wore blue jeans, a maroon-colored t-shirt, and a jean-jacket over the shirt. It was what she always seemed to be wearing. It made her look tough. She was tough! Back before she went into the mountains, she was known on the highways as the “Unhesitant Valkyrie.” She had a passion for everything that she did. An unstoppable spirit. She was easy to anger and had to be pulled back by her friends to avoid a fistfight or two.

When she got into her car, she was thought to be unstoppable. She conquered the highways and became the fastest. Pretty soon, it got so boring that she decided to try something new: mountain racing! That was where she met Haruhi…and suffered her first defeat. Ever since then, it was her goal to defeat her. And that goal stands to this day. She was not going to lose! Not on the highway!

In the black NA2, Hako calmly held the steering wheel and worked the pedals the way she always did. She had short, jet black hair with bright neon purple strips every so often. Her left eye was a beautiful dark purple color, and her right eye was a beautiful sapphire blue color. She wore black clothes. A black shirt and a black skirt. The skirt was something she made herself. It looked like a long skirt, coming down to her knees, with a smaller skirt overtop of it, coming down to the middle of her thighs. She always had a poker face on. No one ever saw her smile, frown, blush, or anything. Not many people even knew what her voice sounded like.

But that was Hako. Her… “friends” …learned to accept her for how she was. Although she never spoke, if she actually stood around you or hung out with you and your friends, you knew she…well…she must’ve thought something of you, right? She was extremely silent…but she was a menace behind the wheel of her car. She was known as the “Pedal Control Genius,” and she lived up to the name perfectly. No one knew where she learned such exquisite pedal control…but it was amazing to watch from the passenger seat.
She was…without a doubt…a genius. She was undefeated on the highway. One day, she was fooling around, making a run on a mountain pass, when a dark silver RX-7 passed her. She was unable to keep up. She secretly investigated and found out who the driver was: Haruhi. She heard that Haruhi was joining a team along with someone who happened to defeat her, and she joined as well. Although she never said so…she desperately wanted to defeat Haruhi someday. It was her goal. Then…then she aimed to defeat Kevin.

Hako was unstoppable. The deep gaze that she eyed the road in front of her with was enough to paralyze anyone brave enough to stare her down. Hako was a mystery. To think that she had such a great goal. And the way she drove…she could definitely pull it off!

Haruhi gripped her car’s steering wheel firmly as she witnessed the two cars slightly pulling away. Both cars were more powerful than hers. Both drivers were probably more experienced than she was.

But…something just clicked in Haruhi’s mind and locked into place. She wasn’t going to give up the chase. It just wasn’t her. If she was destined to lose…then until the end, she’d give them the battle of their lives!

[Gunma's 34]

By Hako's descriptions and get up, I can sum it up to 1 word: EMO!! Kidding.
Let's see how Haruhi would do against 2 former contenders...

[Meteor]

GO HARUHI!
GO HARUHI!
SHE'S A DEMON ON WHEELS!

I really wish I could animate some of the scenes in your stories. Unfortunately


Also, I'm sorry I haven't read your FMA fic yet. But I couldn't fully watch the series the first time I saw it air on Animax-Bangladesh, and they suddenly took it off the air before the next rerun had even finished. I also don't know where to find the DVDs where I live, and online ordering is out of the question.
In short: I want to avoid spoilers, so I'm not reading it.


Can we have the next chapter please?

[fettman53]

I have all of the episodes in pretty good quality. I wonder if there's a way to upload them...hmm...

More!!! I mean...MOAR!!!


----------------------------------


Act 17 – Not Good Enough?


In her FD, Haruhi changed. Knowing whom she was going against now, she suddenly changed. She wasn’t concentrating anymore. Everything was flowing now. All she was doing was reacting. She felt her car’s four tires gripping the road through the steering wheel. It was something she evolved into doing while mountain racing. Now she was confident enough to do it on the highway.

Alicia had a poker face on as she glanced in her windshield mirror. Haruhi was upping her pace. Alicia refused to let her pass. She wasn’t going to humiliate the Unhesitant Valkyrie ever again! Alicia knew that Haruhi wouldn’t be able to pass her if she was using a good line. A good line coupled with Alicia’s unstoppable passion fueling her fire made her unstoppable. She’d push her car past its limits, but keep it under control. One of the amazing things that she was gifted in being able to do! And in a four-wheel-drive, at that!

Flames burst from the R34’s muffler as Alicia upshifted, with Haruhi hanging on with all of her might behind her. Alicia looked angrily into her mirrors. Haruhi was always so annoying. She never gave up! She was like a female Takumi Fujiwara!

In her NA2, Hako calmly drove the way she always did, with her expert pedal control. She didn’t expect much of a challenge from Haruhi on the highway, but it was obvious that Kevin sent her in his place. Because of that, there was a good chance that she would give a promising performance. Hako would have to wait. Wait and see. If she could pass them before they finished their loop lap of the C1 Inner Loop, then she was still a worthy opponent. An opponent worth chasing after. And if not? Oh well.

Not too far away, Rusty drove his icy blue GT-R at the speed limit of the highway. After Ayaka left him, he just didn’t have any motivation to race anymore. He was so depressed. He had forgotten what it was like to be alone. Now he knew why. It sucked! What was he going to do now? Maybe he should just go back and tell Ayaka that he changed his mind. He couldn’t live without her.

Just as he was about to get into an exit lane, he heard some cars coming up behind him. Fast. One of them blew past him on the right. It was a black NSX. Next was a black R34, and then Haruhi’s dark silver metallic FD. He watched them race around a corner and out of sight. It was then that he remembered. Looks like he wasn’t leaving after all.

Haruhi was doing her best to keep up, but it wasn’t enough to pressure the two girls in front. She was only able to keep up. Nothing more. Was she hitting her limits? It couldn’t be! She had to be faster than this if she wanted to defeat Kevin! She gritted her teeth. There had to be something that she could do to be faster! There was always something you could do to be faster! But what could she do? What was she not doing that she could be doing? She looked around the road. It was so smooth…there weren’t any places that she could-

Just then she felt a bump. That was it! Another one. The connection gaps! When you went over them, you felt a bump. At high speeds, if you’re not careful, wouldn’t that screw you up? How could she use that to her advantage? How could she use it to defeat them? She didn’t think she’d be able to figure out something so complicated at the time. She’d just have to remember that for later. She remembered that Kevin had said something about that back when he was teaching her, seven years ago.

But tonight she would have to win with skill. Or at least keep up! She pushed the accelerator to the floor.

Hako looked blankly at the road. They had almost finished a lap. It looked as though Haruhi wasn’t good enough yet. But Hako didn’t count this as an official race in her mind. It was about time for her to leave. She had to be home by midnight so she could get some sleep. She couldn’t afford to come into work late. She began to slow down and put on her right signal as she merged into the exit lane.

Alicia watched Hako leave. Hako had to get up early every weekday morning, so it was no surprise. But Alicia wasn’t done just yet. She wasn’t the type to just leave like that. Haruhi hadn’t let up yet. She was still coming on strong. Alicia wasn’t going to back out. No way. She was going to destroy Haruhi. She was going to get her revenge. This was her home course! No matter how hard Haruhi worked to try to defeat her, Alicia was going to destroy her. She was going to show her that she just wasn’t good enough. And she never would be!

Haruhi felt relieved to see Hako leave. One less person to worry about. Now she could completely focus on Alicia. Alicia’s weakness was always that she got a little too into the race when things got tough. She had so much passion…too much passion. She’d start pushing her car too hard. Would she still have this weakness? Or did Kevin teach it out of her? Only one way to find out.

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Haley finally decided to confront the car that possessed her friend. What would she say? Would it know that she was talking to it? She felt so stupid; she was about to talk to a car! But it was for Ali! She had to save her! She took a deep breath and went outside.

Back on the Wangan, Haruhi was doing her best to keep up with Alicia. Surprisingly enough, Alicia wasn’t getting all riled up like she used to. Looks like Kevin beat it out of her after all.

Now what? How could she defeat Alicia’s powerhouse GT-R?

Kevin sat in his home, all alone. Haruhi was taking a long time. Knowing those two as well as he did, Hako had probably left already. But Alicia was relentless. She wouldn’t leave Haruhi alone until she had lost her. But Haruhi wouldn’t give up until she had passed her opponent. Stalemate. They’d keep on going until one of them messed up. And that would take a while. That is, unless Haruhi had something else in mind.

She usually did.

Back at the hotel, Haley walked into the parking lot and saw the orange Z32 parked in a spot away from all of the other cars. In the driver’s seat, Ali sat. Pouting. But was it Ali who was pouting? Or the car, using her to show its emotions? Haley walked over with a determined look in her eye. She was going to get her friend back. And…oddly enough…in order to do so, it looked like she’d have to befriend the car that possessed Ali in the first place.

[Gunma's 34]

hmm... this chapter seems a bit odd. No dialogues but I can really see the grueling match between Alicia and Haruhi. Yes, she IS a female Takumi. If that's the case, then Kevin would be a YOUNGER, NON-SMOKING BUNTA!!

What would Haruhi do now that Alicia's ex-weakness is gone?

[Meteor]

So if Haruhi's a female Takumi Fujiwara, would Hako be a female Ryousuke Takahashi?

Now how is Haruhi gonna win this battle? How's she gonna make use of the connection gaps? When will we receive a new chapter? (Yes, I know the answer to the final question is "tomorrow")

[fettman53]

Act 18 – Surprise Trap


Haley walked up and said, “Hey! Car! Uh…I wanna talk to you for a minute.” Sure enough, Ali responded, looking up at her and opening up the door, stepping out to face her. “Yes?” Haley’s heart began beating quickly. She was afraid. Now that she knew that this wasn’t Ali that she was talking to, she didn’t know what to expect. “I…I heard that you wanna beat that one red car.” Ali frowned and looked her in the eye. “What of it?” Haley gulped. “Uhm…well, I…guess I wanna help.” Ali raised an eyebrow. “And just how will you do that?”

Haley looked at the car. “Maybe…maybe I can find out more about the car. Find its weakness or something. I don’t know! But you took over my friend…and if getting her back involves you beating that demon car, then I’ll help any way I can. At least until I get her back.” Ali closed her eyes. “Do what you wish. Once I defeat Raven Blood, I’ll leave your friend alone.” With that, she got back inside the car and began to fall asleep.

Haley frowned. Where would she start? Who would know about that demon car? Who could help her?

Back on the Wangan, the race against Haruhi and Alicia raged on. It was taking a very long time. Alicia used a grip run, and Haruhi did the same. Haruhi began getting through the corners faster than Alicia as the race went on. Maybe it was because her car was an FD. RX-7’s were always great through corners. Haruhi’s FD was light, and she knew its limits. She was a force to be reckoned with. Especially if you drove a heavy car like Alicia’s R34.

But that was what made Alicia so amazing. In order to drive her car the way she had it set up, there had to be no hesitation when it came to pressing the accelerator pedal as soon as she let go of the brake. There had to be almost no delay. How she worked up the nerve to do it to the point where she didn’t even think about it, no one will ever know. But anyone sitting in the passenger seat is sure to be tossed around a bit! But this kind of thing was what Alicia lived for. It was what excited her. Alicia looked danger in the face and laughed. She lived on the edge. Would Haruhi be able to stand up to such a force?

Moments like this…moments where the tension was high and she was chasing behind her opponent…were moments where Haruhi was at her best. She watched Alicia, and began to notice that Alicia had to slow down more and more for corners as the race went on. Good. Just like she planned. When they came up to the sharp left, Alicia had to slow down to a measly 102kmph. That made it obvious. Haruhi’s plan was working. Haruhi took the corner at 195kmph, coming out right on Alicia’s rear bumper.

Alicia gritted her teeth as she pressed down on the accelerator on the straightaway, attempting to run. It was getting tougher to take the turns for some reason. Why? What was wrong? Did she set her car up incorrectly? What was going on?!

Suddenly, Alicia’s eyes showed that she had just thought of something. No…it couldn’t be. There was no way!

Back at his apartment, Rusty locked his GT-R and checked in before going to the elevator. At least he still had his job. Otherwise he wouldn’t have a place to stay. He closed his tired eyes as he felt the elevator lurch as it ascended. He hadn’t eaten anything yet all day. He just wasn’t hungry. But now his empty stomach scolded him for his lack of appetite. It hurt, and was making growling sounds. But he just didn’t want to eat anything. He just didn’t feel like it.

There was a “ding,” and the elevator lurched slightly as it came to a stop, and the doors slid open. He left the elevator and walked to his room. He felt fatigued in his legs. He just wanted to go to sleep. Maybe he’d wake up tomorrow morning and everything would be resolved. He collapsed on his bed and looked over at his bedside table. Sitting on it was his alarm clock, a lamp, his cordless phone, and his Xbox 360 controller. The clock said “11:58 p.m.,” and that was enough to tell him that it was time for bed. He closed his eyes and tried to forget everything that happened.

But in reality…in reality he’d never forget. Ayaka.

Back on the Wangan, it was clear to Alicia now. That rotten b*tch…she knew this all along. She was planning on it, wasn’t she? Wasn’t she?! How dare she…this was humiliating. Alicia fell right for it. Her fighting spirit forced her to keep going, and now she was screwed! Dammit, dammit, dammit!

Haruhi’s eyes were focused on Alicia’s GT-R, making sure that what she saw wasn’t a fluke. It wasn’t. Alicia had been pushing her car too hard. Her tires were worn out now. Haruhi planned it as a last resort. She knew that Alicia would never give in. Her pride prevented her from backing down. Even now, she wouldn’t give in to her opponent. It was a valiant effort, but…reckless. Alicia was that kind of person that just didn’t know when to quit.

Haruhi had been using a grip run that was less-stressful on her tires. Kevin’s grip run. She remembered it from back when she raced him, and she used it all the time. It was slowly becoming her own driving style. Somehow, because of this, she felt that she was becoming closer to him. So she drove like him. Every night. And geez…did it work well or what!

Alicia was extremely upset with herself. Haruhi did the same exact thing back in the mountains! She fell for the same “trap.” Now she was furious. With Haruhi…and herself. It looked as though there was a fire in her eyes as she furiously shouted, “AAAAH, DAMN IT!” She still wasn’t giving up! She pressed down on the accelerator, and her R34 roared with fury as it blasted onto the straightaway.

All of a sudden, around a left corner, Alicia’s GT-R began to slide. At first she was about to lose it! But just then, the feeling of her car slipping scared her enough to calm her down. She regained control…but it was inevitable what was going to happen. Haruhi had her beat. She was much more patient. And she had real motivation too. She couldn’t lose to anyone. She had to be the best! Only then…only then would she feel herself worthy to challenge Kevin!

Around another corner, Haruhi decided to end it. She took the outside, anticipating Alicia either slowing down or slipping to the outside as they took the turn. Just as Haruhi thought, Alicia began to slip as they got halfway through. Alicia struggled with the pedals and steering wheel, trying her best to keep a good speed and still keep her line. But the car didn’t respond. The tires were just too worn. Haruhi slipped past on the inside and came out on the outside, sliding right into place in front of Alicia’s GT-R.

There was nothing more Alicia could do. If Haruhi could pass her, she could lose her too. Not wanting to be even more humiliated, Alicia reluctantly lowered her speed, watching Haruhi drive off into the night. She’d have to remember what happened tonight. For next time. There would be a next time. And Alicia wouldn’t fall for the same trick a third time.

Haruhi had a satisfying look on her face as she continued down the road. She beat Alicia. But the only reason why she beat her was because she knew her well enough to know what to expect. It wouldn’t be that way with other racers on the highway. Of course it wouldn’t…but would she be able to defeat them? Could she use the same thing that she used against Alicia? It definitely worked. But she wanted to get “fancy;”she wanted to learn some tricks. She wanted to be unpredictable when going against someone. Out on the Wangan, it was much easier to learn your opponent’s limits and weaknesses. She knew that because she found it easy to do herself.

But there were others out there that were better than she was. And she needed to be ready for them.

[Meteor]

Sorry for the late reply!

Looks like even though Alicia learned to not push her car too hard, she still pushes it too much for lengthy battles. Driving something that sends power to all four wheels in corners probably doesn't help. Another well written battle.

It'll be interesting to see how Haley and the Satan Z get along.

[fettman53]

Act 19 – Rusty’s Setback


The next day, Haley spent most of her time in the highway parking areas as “Ali” practiced on the Wangan. Haley listened in on conversations and even tried to start a few, hoping to get more information on the Crimson Devil that the Satan Z was destined to face. But there wasn’t a soul that knew of it. Everyone only seemed interested when she began to talk about it. No one ever piped up about seeing it or anything though. Maybe it only showed up when the Satan Z was on the road? Haley didn’t know where else to look. But then…then she remembered something. Something the old man said about it. She quickly ran to a phone to call a taxi.

Meanwhile, Rusty was sitting by himself at the parking lot that he and Kevin always hung out at. It was noon, so he doubted that there’d be anyone out on the Wangan to race. He wanted to race so badly. It was all he had now. His car was all he had to keep him company. At least…that’s how he felt. But he’d give up just about anything to be with Ayaka again. Maybe he could reintroduce her to racing again and she’d fall in love with him just like before. And to do that…he had to be the best. He wasn’t going to lose to anyone.

He opened the driver side door of his GT-R and sat in the driver’s seat, leaving the door open. He was getting tired of standing. It was almost as though he were waiting for someone. But who would be coming?

Who else?

A dark silver FD rolled up into the parking lot and parked. Rusty smirked. “My first victim as the renewed Frostbite…”

Haruhi got out of the car and looked over at Rusty. She was there when Ayaka left him. Although she could understand how Ayaka felt, she understood Rusty even more. It wasn’t his fault that he crashed. It’s not like he did it on purpose. Haruhi remembered back seven years ago, when she was always having to send her FD to repair garages because of mishaps on the Wangan. Even now, she could make a mistake. You never knew when it was going to happen.

She didn’t want to bother him, so she quietly walked over to get a bottle of water from the machine, hoping it was chilled. She hated room-temperature drinking water.

But as she walked by him, Rusty called her over. “Hey, Haruhi. What’s goin’ on?” Haruhi stopped and reluctantly turned to face him. She smiled nervously in an attempt to look positive. “Oh…nothing, really…” Rusty got out of the seat and stood up, looking at her with a serious face. “We never did race before. I think we should. I wanna beat everyone…including you.” Haruhi laughed uneasily. “O-okay…haha…”

Rusty continued. “I’ve been driving here longer than you have. I won’t lose to you.” Haruhi laughed uneasily again. “Sure…” But deep down, she felt as though she was insulted. She didn’t know why, exactly…but something told her that Rusty wasn’t taking her seriously. This challenge seemed a lot like he just wanted to beat her real quick and get it out of the way. She hated people like that. So what if he drove here longer than she had? He was still crashing! Just because you drive somewhere longer than someone else doesn’t mean you’re better than they are!

They finally decided on a race. One lap around the C1 Inner Loop. It would be a quick one, and Rusty was ever-confident. His GT-R had power. And it handled pretty well too. But…did Rusty have the skill to harness his car’s true potential? Haruhi doubted it. The race started, and Rusty’s icy blue GT-R immediately began to pull past her. She watched patiently. She wasn’t worried at all. All she had to do was pressure him until he screwed up, really. His GT-R still had the same weakness it always had: it was loose in the back. If he went into a turn too fast, he’d slide to the outside and maybe even hit the wall.

Around the first curve, Rusty began drifting. Haruhi was a bit amused that he still drifted. And on the highways too. Drifting on wide roads like this only lowered your speed, and it was dangerous too. Especially with traffic on the roads. Haruhi gripped the turn the way Kevin usually did, staying right on Rusty’s rear bumper. It was so easy to keep up. Compared to Alicia, this guy was nothing! He was only an intermediate driver. Haruhi was actually out of his league! She remembered back when she was racing F.L. and Rusty raced by. She couldn’t keep up with him back then. But now…

Now it was too easy!

Rusty continued to drift through the corners, slightly blocking her off as she got closer and closer. Pretty soon, it was obvious that Haruhi was holding back. She was waiting. Waiting for him to screw up. She didn’t want to have her FD damaged because of some sudden move he might make. She’d wait until things were more predictable. Then she’d strike.

Rusty’s heart was beating fast. Haruhi was way better than she was before. She was progressing at an incomparable rate! It was unreal! No matter what he did, he couldn’t shake her! He slid around another corner. They were almost done with the lap. He was still in front! He had won! Up next was the sharp, left corner. The only corner that Rusty had never been able to successfully drift. But not this time.

He went in at a super-fast speed and suddenly hit his brakes and turned the wheel, causing the rear end to loose grip. But as he began to countersteer, the GT-R began to slide to the outside. Haruhi’s eyes showed that she noticed something. “He countersteered through the turn in a four-wheel-drive car. When drifting a four-wheel-drive, you don’t countersteer. If you do, the tires begin to lose grip in the front due to the fact that they’re used for acceleration as well. His rear lost grip…and now his front lost grip!”

Haruhi’s eyes opened wide as she saw her opening. “And now the inside is completely clear! Yeosh!” She slowed down a bit and gripped through the turn, passing Rusty coming out onto the straightaway. Rusty was angry now. “No. You’re not winning. The goal is on the straightaway after this next turn. You won’t take it faster than me!” They both came up to the right turn, and Haruhi took the outside, still using grip. Rusty drifted through the inside.

But the drift slowed Rusty down. Haruhi opened the gap on the straightaway. Rusty gradually began catching up with his GT-R’s power, but he was too far back to catch up. Haruhi passed the goal first. Rusty couldn’t believe it. Why did she win?! She couldn’t be better than he was! He was driving here longer than she had! He slammed his fist on the steering wheel. “Shit!” Now he was in an even worse mood than before. He could never get Ayaka back on his side now!

Haruhi apparently decided to go home, so Rusty was once again alone on the Wangan. He decided to practice, and drove as fast as he could. But just then he noticed something odd. There were a pair of headlights chasing him. He had noticed it a little while into the race with Haruhi. Who was it? Whoever it was, it looked as though they were finally making their move. The car quickly caught up and passed him on the left.

A black Skyline GT-R Vspec! And an R33 at that!

The car had an aftermarket R33 spoiler and a huge front bumper that didn’t look like it belonged on the car. It made it look menacing though. It had headlight covers as well. It made the car look like it had four small headlights.

Rusty was really pissed off now. He wasn’t going to lose twice in one night. He chased the R33 and flashed his lights at it. The R33 slowed down and allowed him to pull up beside. Then, Rusty took off, leaving it behind. Around the first corner, it caught back up. Rusty looked in his mirrors in disbelief. “No way…” Rusty knew that the R33 was a newer version of the GT-R, but he had no idea that it was this fast! He couldn’t lose. Not again! He just lost to Haruhi…now he has to lose to some random GT-R punk?!

Suddenly, the R33 pulled up on his right. Rusty looked at it in surprise, and then his eyes went wide. In the passenger seat…it couldn’t be…

Ayaka?!

The sight of Ayaka with another guy shook him up. He lost his concentration. No way…no way! It couldn’t be! Why? Why?! He thought she hated racing now! Suddenly, his GT-R lost grip around a wide corner. He was thinking too much and wasn’t paying attention! He gritted his teeth and quickly turned the wheel and hit the brakes, but the car wouldn’t respond. “No!” he shouted. There was the sound of shattering glass and crunching metal as the front-right corner of his car slammed into the wall. His windshield cracked, and he could feel the tire rubbing against the inside of the fender.

He crashed. Again. He gripped the steering wheel tightly. Now he was really pissed off. He was fuming. He was fed up with crashing. He was fed up with Ayaka. He was fed up. He got out of his car and looked at it angrily. It was time for a change.

And he was going to find out who that bastard in that R33 was…and give him hell!

[Meteor]

That Haruhi's come a long since way since the days of crashing her FD. And she's still improving every day And that was yet another nice race scene.

Ouch! Rusty's crashed his GT-R again. Things really haven't been turning out well for him


-crshhh- Requesting update, over. -crshhh-

This post has been edited by Meteor on Dec 21 2008, 03:51 AM

[fettman53]

<crshhh- Request granted, over. -crshhh>


-------------------------------------


Act 20 – Outcast


As Haruhi worked on her FD the next morning, Kevin came out and said, “I hear you raced Rusty. And won. Good.” Haruhi said nothing, but slightly smiled. Then Kevin said, “I also heard that he crashed. It seems that his ex-girlfriend is with another guy already. A racer with a black R33.” Haruhi perked up. “Hmm…black? Not many people out there who own a black one. What do you think?”

Kevin closed his eyes. “I think Rusty was unlucky. Judging by the description he gave of the car, it could only be one person. Dragonfang. The ‘GT-R Master,’ as he likes to be known. He only races GT-Rs. And he’s never lost. It just wasn’t fair to Rusty. No doubt he’ll want revenge. I just hope he’s smart about it…” Haruhi didn’t respond and continued to work on her car, but her eyes showed that she was a bit worried. Kevin knew Rusty very well. If he was afraid Rusty would do something, she should be too.

But…why would Ayaka already be with another guy?

Meanwhile, Haley got back to her apartment in a huff. Her search was a failure. There were so many junkyards around Tokyo that it was impossible to find every single one. But she remembered what the old man had said. Raven Blood rested in a junkyard during the day.

Ali was sleeping in the car again. Poor Ali. Haley hoped that the car was at least taking care of her. Feeding her, brushing her teeth…all of the things she needed. Soon…soon she’d free her. She had to! This was all her fault! Haley blamed herself for all of it!

Rusty sat in his own garage, with his newly-repaired GT-R. He took off all of the aftermarket parts and replaced them with either stock R32 parts or parts that looked similar to the stock parts. Stock spoiler, stock sideskirt, stock side mirrors, stock hood with the emblem taken off, stock grill, a front bumper that was stock except for two square-shaped holes cut into the bumper part, stock rear bumper with fenders that made the car look sort of like it had mudflaps, and shinier rims than his previous ones, made by Yokohama.

The paint was stripped off of the car, and the headlight and taillight glass covers were removed as well. He would be replacing the glass covers with uncolored glass. For example, when the lights were all off, it would look like his car was completely black, which would be the color he planned to paint it. He’d replace the taillight bulbs with red ones so that when they shone, they were still red. The front and rear blinker lights would be white now instead of orange due to the glass cover change.

And he’d change his name as well. Frostbite no longer accurately described him or his car. Two more days and the car would be finished. Then…the highways would be at the mercy of…Outcast. There was a strange look in Rusty’s eyes. He was changing. Something was happening. Something that would change the history of the Wangan in the years to come.

The next day, Kevin came over to finish painting the R32. Rusty watched him with his arms crossed. Kevin was quite satisfied with Rusty’s choice of body parts. Taking all of that ridiculous stuff off of the car was a good move. Not only that, but it looked great too. This car would look menacing when it was finished. Not only that, but Rusty had been messing with the specs as well. If he did it right, it would be fast. He took out the back seat and put in a body-strengthening roll bar, as well as a fully-customized suspension set.

Rusty was getting really serious. He insisted that Kevin not tune the car, saying that he wished to do it himself. Kevin was quite surprised by Rusty’s choice. He had never tuned a car before. Kevin saw something in Rusty’s eyes. He was changing. Kevin wondered how well he would do at tuning the car. He’d just have to wait and see. He noticed that Rusty ordered some nitrous canisters as well. Was he really that serious about this? Interesting. But the important part was the tuning. If he did it incorrectly, then the car would be useless to race with.

Kevin finished the paint job and packed everything up. “I’ll be back tomorrow to finish. I need to hook up the headlight, signal, and brake light bulbs, and then I need to put the glass covers on.” Rusty nodded and looked at his car.

Kevin then said, “I see you’ve changed. You’re not really yourself anymore.” Rusty looked up at him and sighed. “I don’t know, man. I feel kinda strange. Like…like something is building itself up inside of me. I don’t really know how to explain it, man. It’s just weird. But…I do know one thing: I’m getting that bastard Dragonfang back for what he did to me. He made me crash and took Ayaka from me. I’ll never forgive him. He…will…pay.”

Kevin had seen Rusty angry before, but this time it was different. As soon as he said the word “pay,” his eye color suddenly changed to black. Kevin noticed it, but never said anything. A lot of weird stuff had been happening on the Wangan lately. This was probably just another one of those things. Kevin nodded and walked out, simply saying, “Good luck, then.” He didn’t want to get involved in other peoples’ business anyway.

As he left, Rusty sat with his almost complete car. “I can feel it,” he said to the car. “I can tune you. I can hear a voice in my head…telling me…telling me exactly what to do to make you perfect. Is it…your voice? Outcast GT-R…we’re going to be the fastest on the highway. We’re going to beat everyone. As soon as you’re finished…it begins.” Rusty’s eye color turned black again. Something was happening to him. He was becoming connected…connected to his car somehow.

Haruhi drove on the Wangan the next day. She was definitely better. But she was starting to feel that it didn’t matter. There were still those that were faster than she was. She heard the rumors of the amazing people out there. And one story in particular peaked her interest: the fastest female on the highway. It was said that she drove a monster of a car. You couldn’t miss it when it was out on the highway; it was pink with a maroon stripe and a green stripe down the middle, Italian-style.

If Haruhi were to beat her, she’d become the fastest female on the highway! If only…but was she ready? She hadn’t really beaten that many experienced drivers…except maybe the untouchables. She wanted to try. She wanted to find this girl…

A car was coming up fast. It interrupted her thoughts abruptly. Who was that?

The car came up on her right. She recognized the type of car right away. An orange 300ZX…a Z32. She hadn’t seen many of those out on the expressway. It had a menacing body kit. Who was that?

In the Z32, Ali sat in the driver’s seat silently. The FD beside her was slowly beginning to realize that she was being challenged. The Z32 sped up, with Ali’s foot working the pedal. It had a lot of power, leaving Haruhi behind.

Haruhi looked surprised by the Z32’s power, and pressed down on her accelerator pedal to get her FD up to a speed capable of keeping up with it. Around a corner, Haruhi caught up and was on its rear bumper. The Z32 was slow on the corners…an intermediate driver. This would be simple. Just like with Rusty.

Ali gritted her teeth, the car expressing its emotions through her. Something was missing. The car hated to admit it, but it would never be able to defeat Raven Blood if this was its limit. Even after all this time, it still wasn’t fast enough. All of the owners it went through…all of the years it ran the expressway…and it still wasn’t enough? Was it going about this the wrong way?

It wanted to beat Raven Blood so badly. Its original driver…he deserved to win that race. The Satan Z felt as though it failed him as a car when it crashed…killing him. All it wanted was revenge. It just wanted to avenge its driver and defeat Raven Blood. But at this rate…it would never happen before the car wore out and died.

Haruhi beat the Z32 on a wide corner and kept pulling away. She began to enjoy taking the corners now. She understood what Kevin felt in his S30…at least to a point. Not only did it feel good…it could beat just about anyone who didn’t know how to take them the same way. And it was easy on her tires as well.

Speaking of tires…a car with good grip seemed to be approaching, even at the speed Haruhi was going. It passed the Satan Z with ease and got on Haruhi’s rear bumper before she even knew what was happening. There sure were a lot of racers out tonight…but Haruhi felt that this would be her last race for tonight. She felt that by the time it was over, she would be worn out. This guy was good. When she got on a straightaway, she dared to look in the rearview mirrors.

It was a black R32 GT-R.

“A black GT-R? Who is that? Another mysterious driver…” She went around a corner using Kevin’s technique, but the R32 was still able to keep on her! Suddenly, she realized something. She listened to the GT-R’s revs. It was holding back. She could tell. Who was this guy?! Where did he come from?! Haruhi had never seen him out on the Wangan before.

As they came out onto the straightaway, the R32 came up on the outside and passed her like it was nothing. “F-fast!” The R32 quickly pulled away on the straightaway, and lost her on the next corner. Haruhi let up on the accelerator as her eyes were wide with shock. It happened so fast! She didn’t even get to watch him or anything!

Who the heck was that?!

[Meteor]

What's this?! Rusty's been possessed by Raven Blood?!

What's going to happen now? Please update!

[fettman53]

Act 21 – “Friendly” Race


Haruhi collapsed down on Kevin’s couch in relief as the sun began to rise. She won a race, and lost another. All in the same night. Geez…and it didn’t take too long for both of them to happen either. Her eyes hurt now. Perhaps from all of those streetlights. Who was in that GT-R? A new racer? An old racer with a different car? Who knows…

Haruhi really didn’t care. She only wanted to prove herself to Kevin…then defeat him. Because of that, she didn’t really know many racers on the Wangan. She never really tried to be social with other racers. She was very shy, unfortunately, so she’d just make herself look like an idiot or something anyway. She relied on her friends and Kevin to tell her about the other drivers of the highway. She really didn’t have many friends…except Kevin and one other person…

As if on queue, Haruhi’s cell phone rang. And sure enough, it was her best friend…Anri. Haruhi sighed. She really didn’t want to answer it, but she knew that Anri knew she ran the Wangan just about every night…and she must’ve been driving as well. Anri said she had finally gotten enough money to modify her car, a dark red Toyota Altezza. Haruhi closed her eyes and hesitantly answered her phone, seizing the annoying ring.

“Hello?” she said, trying her best to sound groggy. Anri didn’t fall for it though. “Heeey, Hari! Howzit goin’?! Are you already home? Running on the highway is great!” Haruhi felt like hanging up, but she was just too polite to do such a thing. “Y-yeah…I’m so glad you like it, Anri.” She tried her best to sound sincere. Well…not that she wasn’t sincere. She was just tired. “How is your car?”

Anri seemed extremely excited. “Oh, it’s amazing! Even though it’s a sedan, it’s so light and fast! I bet I can even beat you!” At hearing that, Haruhi twitched slightly. “S-sure…” Anri giggled. “Oh Hari, I’m just kidding! You’ve been at this way longer than I have! And my big ol’ car can’t keep up with your little rotary rocket…”

Haruhi smirked. Anri didn’t really mean that. Haruhi could tell when Anri was just being “nice.” She wondered why Anri was so sure of herself so early on in her Wangan career. She just started, didn’t she? Haruhi closed her tired eyes and said, “Well, Anri…I gotta go. So tired…” Anri was disappointed. “Oh…okay…talk to you again soon.” As soon as she heard the other line click, Haruhi felt relieved. She hated talking on the phone, especially at 6 or so in the morning. Time for some much-needed shut-eye!

Kevin couldn’t sleep again. For some reason, Haruhi didn’t seem to remember his sleeping problem, and just slept on the couch every night. So he just spent time with his car. He loved the color. It seemed to give the car a cool air. And the cold metal body felt good against his face as he leaned on it, sitting on the floor.

He liked the fact that Haruhi was back. He missed her so much when she was gone. It was as if a huge part of his life just disappeared when she left. He felt whole again, now that she was back. She hadn’t challenged him yet though. It was good that she knew her limits, but he sort of missed how she always used to chase after him on the highway, trying to beat him. He closed his eyes and remembered when he was first reunited with her seven years ago. He was a bit harsh to her…he hoped she forgave him.

The next evening, Haruhi waited at the parking lot for Anri. They had decided to make a quick run on the C1 Inner Loop just for fun. The parking lot was empty and quiet. The sky was an orange color as the sun was halfway set. The wind blew gently. Haruhi’s dark brown hair wafted in the breeze as she stood there, all alone, lost in a daze. Just then, a red car pulled up. Haruhi recognized the engine sound and smiled softly as she continued to look at nothing. “Him.”

Kevin parked his S30 next to Haruhi’s FD and got out to get a bottle of cold water from the machines. The parking lot was always quiet for some reason. It had become the place where the legendary racers rested. Because of that fact, it was generally avoided by other racers.

Just as Haruhi was about to walk over to Kevin, a dark red Altezza rolled into the lot. It was quite the car, with an aggressive body kit and an even more aggressive-sounding motor. Haruhi was a bit surprised. Anri’s car was…menacing. Haruhi could almost feel the power coming from it.

Anri got out and smiled at Haruhi. Anri was the same age as Haruhi, with long, bright blonde hair in a ponytail, and green eyes. She wore a dark blue skirt and matching button-up shirt.

Anri gave the peace sign with her fingers and stuck out her tongue with a sassy wink. There really wasn’t much to say. They were going to drive. Might as well get to it. Haruhi looked at Kevin, who leaned up against the wall with his eyes closed and his arms crossed. “Hm…I already know who would win if it turned into a race. Go have fun. I’ll follow if I feel like it.”

Haruhi knew it would turn into a race. It had to. Anri was way too competitive of a person to just drive. She felt nervous. She hesitantly walked over to her FD and got inside as Anri started up her car’s engine. Haruhi looked at Kevin as if begging him to come along. She wanted him to see how much she had really improved. And she wanted to drive with him too. It had been so long…too long.

Kevin sighed as he saw Haruhi staring at him. He decided to get in his car and follow. This would be a chance to drive with Haruhi, after all. And who knows? Maybe if he went faster than she did, she’d try to get in front of him or something. Sounded like fun to him. Haruhi went out first, then Anri, then Kevin. As soon as they pulled out, Anri flashed her lights at Haruhi.
Haruhi raised an eyebrow. Did she want her to go faster? Was she just being silly? Or was it a challenge? Anri was so annoying sometimes. Well, whatever. If it was a challenge, she wouldn’t be able to keep up with her anyway. There was no point to it. Haruhi couldn’t lose to anyone! She had to be the best! She wanted to beat Kevin someday!

She increased her pace, and the other two followed. Haruhi felt that her pride as a racer was getting in the way of her having fun. But for some reason, she just didn’t care. She wanted to be the best. She took a corner at 200kmph. As Anri took the same corner, Kevin began to get interested. As they took another corner, Kevin was then keenly interested. This girl…she was better than he thought.

Haruhi blinked as she came out of a corner and onto a straightaway. It was officially a battle now. They were racing. Haruhi was nervous at first, but now that the race was under way, she was actually quite calm. She enjoyed racing against someone, especially someone she knew. She had never raced against Anri before. Maybe it would be a little interesting. She balanced her car through another corner and enjoyed the feeling as it slipped flawlessly onto the straightaway.

She knew that Kevin would be able to keep up…but Anri was still with her too! For some reason, that frustrated her. Anri only started running last night. Why was she still able to keep up with her?!

Kevin was very interested in how this Anri girl was able to do what he witnessed her doing. She was copying Haruhi’s line completely. Every little detail of Haruhi’s line was taken into hers. Right down to the skid Haruhi made on the road. Anri followed it exactly. Was it because she was a beginner that she did this? Even so, it was amazing how well she did it.

In her Altezza, Anri’s always-smiling face was eerily serious. Her eyes stared down the FD in front of her. Little did Haruhi know that Anri had practiced on the Wangan as soon as she got her car, even before it was modified and tuned up. While she was practicing, she met someone that forced her to copy him in order to keep up. She would race with him every night, straight into the morning, practicing copying her opponent. She had gotten so good that she received the nickname “KopyKat.”

She loved messing with Haruhi. She was like a little kid to tease. Poor little Haruhi doesn’t even know what she’s dealing with. Anri stayed right on her tail, copying every move that Haruhi made. It was so simple…so easy. And pretty soon she’d go for the kill. She’d overtake…and then that would be the end of it.

Meanwhile, Kevin understood Anri’s driving technique now. She copied her opponent move-for-move, messing with their head and using their own techniques against them. Usually one would think that such a technique would work. But there were some flaws. First of all was the difference in cars used. Haruhi’s car was small, wide, and light. Anri’s was thinner, larger, and a bit heavy. Not only that, but Haruhi’s car had more power. Anri’s had more torque, however. If Anri copied off of Haruhi’s moves, it must’ve been extremely tiresome. Getting such a heavy car to mimic such a lighter one must have been difficult. Not to mention silly. Obviously Haruhi had the advantage when it came to that.

The other flaw was that once Anri got in front, if she ever did, she wouldn’t have anyone to copy off of. Then, with Haruhi chasing, Anri would be finished. Haruhi never lost when she chased someone. Pass her and it was over for you. Kevin was curious as to how this race would play out.

Anri was getting impatient. It was time to overtake. “Sorry, little Hari, but I’m in a bit of a hurry.” With that, she pulled up alongside Haruhi’s left. “Excuse me!” Haruhi looked over to her left in surprise as the dark red Altezza roared past and got in her lane, blocking her. “N-no way…this is impossible!” But even as she said it, Haruhi was beginning to calm down. The taillights of the opponent’s car seemed to soothe her. She was focused now. She was chasing!

Around the next turn, Haruhi was surprised to see that Anri took it rather poorly. How could she have possibly passed her driving like that?! She was just some stupid amateur! She did something…she did something that she’s not revealing now. But what? What did she do?

Haruhi began to get frustrated. It didn’t matter! Why did she even care?! She was the better driver! She didn’t need to worry about an amateur’s techniques! Obviously it was only a one-time thing seeing as Anri was driving poorly now. Time to finish it. The lap was almost over. All she had to do was get in front near the end, and that would be the end of it.

Up in front, Anri’s heart began beating fast. She was so nervous…she kept looking in her mirrors, expecting Haruhi’s FD and the red S30 to disappear. But they stayed right with her. They were really good…even Haruhi. She had heard rumors that Haruhi had defeated the best team on the highway, but she didn’t believe them at first. Were they true after all? And that red S30…who was he?

“It’s nearing the end,” she said to herself. “I just have to stay in front for a bit longer!” Unfortunately, she didn’t know that she was way in over her head. Haruhi pulled into the right lane as Anri stayed in the middle, and Kevin suddenly pulled into the left lane. Both cars came up alongside the Altezza together as they were on a straightaway. Anri gasped, freaking out at what was happening. They were attacking together?!

Haruhi didn’t have it planned out. As a matter of fact, she was quite surprised that Kevin was attacking too. But it wasn’t important to her. She wasn’t racing him. She was racing Anri. She and Kevin pulled ahead of the Altezza along a left turn just as they passed by the “goal.” After they pulled ahead of her, Kevin pulled behind Haruhi and followed her back to the parking lot, with Anri solemnly trailing behind.

Anri was speechless. She stood in the lot with Haruhi and Kevin, unable to look at either of them. Now…now she noticed the aura the both of them had. They took the race as though it was nothing. They actually seemed to have had fun! They were way out of her league. She smiled at Haruhi and waved as she got back in her car. There was nothing she could think of to say. She lost the race she initiated, thinking she could win. She still had a lot to learn.

After she left, Kevin explained how she was able to pass her. “She just copied what you did. At first I was a bit surprised…but it’s obvious that she must’ve been doing this for a little while. She was pretty good.” Haruhi looked at the ground angrily. “Ohhh! I knew it! I knew she had something she was hiding from me!” Now she was in a bad mood. Stupid Anri. Why didn’t anyone ever take Haruhi seriously?!

Meanwhile, Rusty drove his black GT-R on the Wangan. After winning against Haruhi last night, he decided that he was ready for the bigger racers. His GT-R was a monster now. He was going by Outcast, and didn’t want anyone to know who he really was. When he was on the Wangan, “Rusty” was no more. It was Outcast.

He drove on the Shinkanjo loop line, getting ready to go back on the C1 Inner Loop. He decided to start going out to different places on the Wangan besides the C1, and the Shinkanjo was a perfect place to do a few runs around, especially if you wanted to get up to higher speeds. As he drove casually back to the C1, someone started to come up behind him. He waited for the car to get closer so he could see what it was, and it didn’t take long for the car to catch up.

An orange Lancer Evolution V GSR. Its body was stock except for a grill that looked like it came off of an R32 GT-R, and a Lan Evo VI spoiler on the rear. And it was fast. Really fast. Rusty smirked. That was a four-wheel-drive!

He pressed down on the accelerator, initiating a short battle. He had been itching for a race. What better opponent than a Lan Evo?

[Meteor]

Nice race scene yet again. And yeah, why doesn't anyone ever take Haruhi seriously?!

Outcast's second opponent - An Evo 5. With the final two paragraphs of this chapter, I'm quite looking forward to this battle already.

-You must post additional chapters-

[fettman53]

Act 22 – Possessions


Rusty was suddenly very serious. He had been noticing that every time he raced, he seemed to change. He had gotten better at driving and controlling his car as well. It was almost as if…the car were becoming a part of him.

The orange Lan Evo V behind him began to pull up, attempting to pressure him. The driver was obviously good. Rusty frowned and pressed harder on the accelerator, and his car responded with a menacing roar as it plowed forward, leaving the Lan Evo behind. But the Lan Evo driver refused to give in. He did his best through the corners and ended up sticking with the GT-R. It wasn’t easy though.
Rusty sighed. As if anyone could beat him now. He took a corner at a blinding speed as though it was nothing, then pulled ahead at an extreme speed on the straightaway. But the Lan Evo driver still stuck with him. Hardly, though. The gap kept widening more and more. It was an exhausting effort, trying to keep up with this GT-R. The Lan Evo driver gritted his teeth. He had never come across such a driver before. It was overwhelming.

Finally, Rusty decided that it was time for a break. He put his hazards on and drove into the parking lot that he and Kevin always hung out at. The Lan Evo followed, of course. Rusty frowned. “Hmph. Typical.” He parked his menacing GT-R and got out…and the Lan Evo driver got out of his car as well. Rusty was suddenly surprised. “No way…Ryan?!”

The Lan Evo driver was also surprised. “Rusty?! And didn’t I tell you that my name’s Thomas, not Ryan?” Rusty didn’t even care, though. He smiled and walked over to shake hands with Thomas. “Hey, man! What’s been goin’ on?” Thomas sarcastically said, “Oh, you know. Stuff.” Then he smirked and put a hand on Rusty’s shoulder. “Good to see you again, little bro. You’re a pretty crazy driver.”

Thomas was just about as tall as Rusty was, with slightly curly, dark brown hair and a full moustache that covered the bottom of his face almost completely. He wore a white button-up shirt and blue jeans. Rusty was extremely happy to see his older brother again. “Hey man, you’re pretty good yourself.” Thomas looked at his Lan Evo and sighed. “Yeah, I get by. Get this: they call me ‘Volcano’ now. Kinda stupid.” Rusty chuckled, also looking at the Lan Evo.

“Maybe it’s because of the color?” he suggested. Thomas smirked and shook his head. “I do not know…I just don’t know. Anyway, it was great to see you again, Rusty. Maybe we should hang out sometime. Eliza goes to work tomorrow at noon, so if you aren’t busy and you wanna hang out…” Rusty laughed and replied, “Yeah! Sure, man! I’d love to!” Thomas smiled as he got into his car. “Alright. See you tomorrow then.” With that, he started up his car and drove off.

Rusty smiled as he watched his brother pull out. Things were actually beginning to look up again. His brother was here. His brother! What were the odds of that? Rusty got back into his car and started it up, and immediately got serious again. It was weird. Why did he suddenly change every time he got into his car? Well, no matter. He’d be hanging out with his brother soon. Maybe he’d just leave his car home tomorrow…

The next day, Thomas picked Rusty up at his house. Sitting in the passenger seat of a car felt strange. He hadn’t done it in so long. Thomas put the car in gear and began to drive. “So…anything new happen lately?” Rusty looked at his hands in his lap with a solemn look and replied, “More than you could ever imagine. My best friend is the fastest on the highway, my girlfriend broke up with me…and I think my car is possessed.” Thomas’s interest was peaked at the mention of a possessed car. “Possessed? You know there’s no such things as ghosts, Rusty.”

Rusty shook his head, still looking down at his hands. “No. There are such things as ghosts, Ryan. I raced a Phantom seven years ago and nearly died doing so. What do you make of that? There are such things as ghosts. You won’t convince me otherwise.” Thomas sighed, knowing he’d be unable to convince Rusty of anything. “Alright, whatever…so where are we going?” Rusty looked out the window and replied, “A friend of mine owns a restaurant in the heart of the city. We can hang out there.”

Soon they arrived at the restaurant. It was quite a fancy restaurant, but not so fancy that friends couldn’t hang out. As they walked in, they were greeted by a girl with short hair, dyed a dark green. She had sapphire blue eyes and wore a waitress outfit. “Hello, gentlemen,” she said with a smile. “How may I help you today? Would you like to choose something from our lunch menu?”

As Thomas answered the girl, Rusty looked around the restaurant…and something immediately caught his eye. In a booth near the windows, Ayaka sat with a guy. Was it the same guy in that 33R from that one night? Rusty began to get irritated at the thought of the memory. And the sight of Ayaka hanging out with him made it worse. As the girl with the green hair went off to get their orders, Ayaka and the guy she was with got up to leave. Rusty immediately caught Ayaka’s eye as she walked up to the front counter, heading for the doors.

“Oh…Rusty…” Rusty just stood there, not saying anything. Ayaka began to feel uncomfortable. “Um…this…this is my new boyfriend. He goes by Dragonfang. Takeshi…this is my ex-boyfriend…Rusty. You raced him, remember?” Takeshi smirked and replied, “Oh yeah! I remember this guy! Ol’ Frostbite and his ancient 32R! The R32 with the crappiest setup on the Wangan! Hahaha! I heard that after our race, you crashed. That true, buddy?”

Rusty refused to say anything. Thomas looked at him with interest. Usually, Rusty would be defending himself and insulting the guy. Dragonfang continued to taunt Rusty. “What a loser…and your dumb-ass car is the worst GT-R on the highway. I bet little Ayaka here beat you every day in her little EK9, didn’t she? I bet she only got together with you to feel sorry for you!” Just then, Rusty’s eye color turned a jet black. Ayaka noticed it and gasped in horror as Rusty grabbed Dragonfang by the collar and raised him up into the air.

Rusty’s voice sounded a bit different as he said, “Don’t you ever insult me or my car again.” With that, he tossed Dragonfang over the counter, and he fell over to the other side. Thomas was surprised by his brother’s course of action. Rusty looked at him and said, “Cancel our orders. We’re leaving.” As the girl with the green hair rushed out and gasped at the scene, Rusty turned around and said, “Keep the change.” He and Thomas left the restaurant without another word.

As Zero walked out to see what was going on, Ayaka helped Takeshi back up and over the counter. What was that? Why did Rusty suddenly change? What’s happening to him?

Meanwhile, Kevin sat in his job garage, tweaking with a car that was slightly covered. He wanted to hide it until he was ready to reveal it to its owner. As he continued to work, someone entered the garage. It was Haley. She stared at him as he worked under the car. This was her last hope. Her last hope of saving Ali. “Hey,” she said, getting Kevin’s attention. He rolled out from under the car and stood up. “Yes?”

Haley looked at the ground for a second, gathering her thoughts, then looked him in the eye and said, “Ali is in trouble. Her new car has possessed her…and it won’t let her go free unless it can beat this monster car named Raven Blood. It’s like a Skyline or something. Anyway…her car…the Satan Z…it can’t beat Raven Blood. I’ve seen it try. It’s just not good enough, I guess. I’m not into racing or anything of the sort…but I’m forced to do something. This is all my fault…”

Kevin stared at her sadly. “Haley…” Haley stood up straight, trying her best to stay strong. “I’d been asking around…all of the other racers. All of the other racers said to look for the fastest on the highway. They said he’d help me out. So I looked. And looked. I asked around, and…lo and behold…I was finally led to you.” Kevin stood there, listening closely, waiting for her to get to the point. She took a deep breath and looked at him as seriously as she could.

“Kevin…I need your help. Ali needs your help. I’m asking you…begging you…no…we both are…please…help us. Help the Satan Z beat that stupid Raven Blood car so we can go home! Please!” She collapsed on the floor, unable to draw forth any more strength. “Please…”

Kevin looked quite calm and blinked. Possessed? Raven Blood? The highway was getting really weird lately. Well, whatever. If he was the only one that could help, then he felt obliged to do so. He nodded. “I’ll help. Can I…see Ali?” Haley forced herself to stand up. “Yeah…of course. Come on.” Kevin closed up the garage as Haley called a cab. When they arrived at the hotel Haley and Ali were staying at, they got out and walked up to the Satan Z. Haley frowned at it. “This is it. The Satan Z. The thing that possessed Ali.”

Kevin looked at it casually. It had a pretty over-the-top body kit, and the orange color almost reminded him of Full Moon Lunatic’s car. He had heard rumors about the car, but for some reason he didn’t feel that strong of an aura or anything. Maybe it was because he was a better driver and had a better car. Haley motioned him to follow her into the hotel. She checked in and took the stairs up to their room. There, Ali slept on her bed in peace.

Haley frowned sadly. “She’s…been in bed all day. Ever since the car took over her, she’s become almost nocturnal.” Kevin blinked as he calmly watched Ali sleep. He always thought Ali was a bit nocturnal anyway, but if Haley was worried, then he decided to play along. “We’re going out tonight. Wake her up if you want. The car is only a two-seater though. I guess one of you would have to stay behind.” Haley nodded. “In that case, I elect myself to stay behind! I hate racing!” Kevin sighed and walked out. “Very well then. Wake her up and tell her to get going already. Tonight is going to be one of the most interesting of all.”

As he walked out, Haley went to wake Ali up. She had to believe that Kevin could see this thing through. She had to have faith. If he really was the fastest…then there was no way this plan would fail!