Close Topic Options

Spring Break has come, and with it, a chance to write a new fanfic. We'll see how this goes. In car news, I was able to get my differential installed, but now my left axle seal is leaking and the car is inop until the shop opens on Monday and figures out what to do. They were also unable to install my suspension components, and my clutch engages much, much lower to the floor after they drove it than before. I'm not too happy with the shop right now.... Anyway, here's what you guys pay attention to.


***************

Nakazato looked down his nose at the individual standing before him.
“What did you say your name was?” he asked imperiously, arms folded over his chest as he leaned against the gleaming black R34.
“Masaru Katsu,” said the challenger, a quiet young man a few years younger than Nakazato. Takeshi looked at him for a moment, then snorted and walked toward Sayuki who was chatting happily with Mako.
“Do you feel like a quick race?” he asked. Sayuki looked at the blushing Mako, then back to Nakazato.
“Would you mind if I stayed here and caught up with my friend?” she asked. Nakazato smiled, nodded, and turned to his challenger.
“Masaru Katsu, if you don't mind I'll race you myself, without my navigator. Will that be an issue?”

“No,” he said, retreating to his car, an old white AW11. Nakazato glanced at it, snorted at the idea of a tiny old sportscar challenging his potent new R34, and sat down in his bucket seat. Turning over the RB26DETT, he let it idle and come up to operating temperature. No sense in damaging his engine racing against this nobody. It would be a quick battle like it always was, and a short burst of the R34's true potential would be more than enough to put his challenger out of sight. The two cars lined up, the AW11 out in front with the R34 back and to the side.
“I might as well have some fun,” Nakazato said. “Maybe I'll try and beat my best time,” he added, signalling to one of the Night Kids.

“Time me down the mountain, I'm going to try and beat my old record,” he said. His team member nodded and went off, picking up a radio and barking orders. The two cars revved their engines, preparing for the start. One of the Night Kids walked up and raised his arms, looking at both drivers carefully before counting down.
“San! Ni! Ichi! GO!” he roared, waving his arm and keeping out of the way of the two cars. The R34 vaulted ahead, its all-wheel-drive and turbocharged engine giving it a massive headstart. The two cars barreled down the short straight, the R34 gaining car length after car length on the little AW11. Nakazato dove into the first corner, a tight right-hander, tapped the brakes, and used the ATTESA-ETS to fly through at full throttle. To his surprise, a flash of headlights appeared on his left as the AW11 attempted to overtake.

“What?” he said, shocked that the little sports car was almost about to succeed. The corner straightened out and a quick burst of throttle brought the R34 ahead again, but it was a sobering experience. The AW11 was cornering at fantastic speeds, but it had no power to speak of on the straights.
“So Katsu, where did you come from?” Nakazato asked, flooring the R34 down another short straight, but as soon as the corner appeared the AW11 was even with his door and pulling ahead, forging slowly ahead as the two passed the apex of the turn. The straight gave Nakazato another chance to blast ahead, but every corner, whether it was a decreasing radius turn, an off-camber sweeper, or a wicked hairpin, found the AW11 passing the R34. The front tires were beginning to lose their grip as they overheated, but Sayuki's decision to fill the tires with nitrogen instead of oxygen was helping to slow down the degradation of traction.

Down Myogi they plunged, Nakazato's lead slowly wearing away corner after corner, until the short straights gave him a chance to catch up rather than forge ahead. Nakazato's concentration began to waver as the AW11 kept increasing its lead, until he began to drive hard consistently, the ABS always on the verge of activating, the ATTESA-ETS doing its best to balance the power. Without Sayuki's calming influence, Nakazato's driving grew wilder and wilder, stressing the front tires more and more until they finally lost their grip. The understeering R34 was no match for the nimble old AW11, and it was Katsu who passed over the finish line with half a dozen car lengths to spare. The AW11 kept driving and soon disappeared on one of the local public roads, while Nakazato parked the R34 and stared at the MR2's receding tail lights incredulously.
“Who was that?”

*

Bunta leaned down and rested his hand on the Impreza's front right tire, rubbing it and running his palm over the tread, feeling the heat distribution of the tire and the wear of the tread as he did so, picking out pieces of gravel before running his hands over each spoke before placing the flat of his hand on the hub, feeling the warmth radiating off of it. Sniffing gently he detected a very gentle blend of brake pads, clutch, and something else, something unpleasant mixing in with the other more favorable scents. Takumi looked at his father like he was insane, then cleared his throat.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“You've started using a new technique. It's manifested in a strange wear pattern on the tires, as well as overworking the brakes and clutch. You've also broken some tofu,” he said, straightening up, dusting off his pants, and walking inside. Takumi followed after him, looking back at the Impreza to see if there was some visible evidence of damaged tofu, but he couldn't see a thing.

“What is this technique?” Bunta asked once they were inside. He began to prepare a quick breakfast, moving through the kitchen rapidly as Takumi spoke.
“It's one-handed steering. You keep one hand on the wheel, and the other on the shifter.”
“Like a gum-tape death match, hmm?” Bunta replied.
“Yeah, kind of.”
“Have you tried it in the 86?” his father asked.
“No,” Takumi replied. “I'm not good enough yet. I try it with the Impreza because it's more stable and I don't have to worry about spinning out as much. I tried it a little in the hachi-roku and I almost hit a wall.”
“That's a shame. If you could use this new technique in the 86, you might be able to reach a new level of speed. Anyway, go get ready for work. I can't spend all day talking to you,” Bunta said, walking off to prepare the next batch of tofu.
“Hey, where were you and the 86 last week?” Takumi asked. Bunta froze in his steps, then answered slowly.
“Ibaraki.”

“What were you doing there?” Takumi asked, walking closer.
“None of your business,” Bunta said, before adding, “the 86 won't be here for a few weeks. Use the Impreza until I can find something else for you to drive.”
“What? Did you break my car?” Takumi shouted.
“Your car? No, I loaned it to a friend. Anyway, go do the delivery and don't break anything this time. You're pissing off some of my best customers. I don't have all day to talk to you about your car.”
“What am I using to do the deliveries?” Takumi asked.
“If you're bored of the Impreza, I found another AE86. It's almost completely stock, but it was cheap. Don't screw it up,” Bunta said, finally disappearing into the shadows of the kitchen. Takumi walked outside to the already-loaded car and had a look at it. The car was a red AE86 hatchback with a stock engine, an aftermarket muffler, and a hastily-applied logo for the Fujiwara Tofu Shop down the sides. Peeking out through the spokes of the wheels were modified dampers, but true to his word, there was nothing else changed about the car.

Takumi opened the door and slid inside, feeling the standard bucket seat gripping him lightly rather than the vacuum-tight hold the hachi-roku's seats were capable of. Putting the key in the ignition he started the car, listening to the stock engine grumble as it idled. A few revs revealed the sad situation under the hood. Normal-compression pistons, a standard flywheel, and a normal intake manifold, all dumping their exhaust gas through the stock exhaust manifold. Sighing, he pushed in the light clutch pedal, shifted into gear, and took off. The light stock clutch felt unnaturally easy to operate, but the stock shifter was a bit rubbery and tall, and the stock engine felt sluggish after the insane ferocity of the hachi-roku's Group A engine.

After making his delivery, Takumi decided to enjoy himself and explore the abilities of the new AE86. Streaking down the mountain at a slower pace than usual he turned the wheel quickly, balancing the car's slower response to his inputs, anticipating his movements. It was like driving the hachi-roku before he had blown the original engine, back when driving was fun, and not a job or a constant battle for honor. A white hachi-go appeared in front of him, Itsuki out early in the morning practicing his drift before going to work at the gas station. It was getting to be a regular occurrence, encountering his easily excited friend as he was coming back from the morning delivery. With a grin, Takumi downshifted and took off after him, wringing out all one hundred and thirty horsepower the engine possessed in order to gain on his friend's 185 HP turbo hachi-go.

Itsuki glanced in his rearview mirror and saw the strange red AE86 bearing down on him with lightning speed. He downshifted quickly and floored the hachi-go, bracing for the turbo's rush of power. It hit strong, pushing him forward relentlessly as it waggled the rear end of the car, shrinking his opponent's headlights. Diving into the approaching corner he turned hard, balancing the throttle as best he could as he swept through, hoping that the new ball-bearing turbo he had ordered would arrive soon. Its quicker response would help him attack the corners easier and with more control over the car's sudden acceleration.
“Who is this guy?” Itsuki asked, rushing downhill like he had a million times before with his friend Takumi. The two cars screamed through another corner, the red AE86 taking the inside line and hooking its tires into the gutter, drawing level with the more-powerful AE85. The two cars powered down the straight, engines screaming at their respective redlines, when Itsuki looked over and saw, to his surprise, his friend Takumi behind the wheel of the red AE86.

The two cars continued racing down the hill, one overtaking the other over and over again until they passed over the unofficial finish line, Takumi's red AE86 in the lead by half a fender. Pulling to a stop, Itsuki left his car idling with the parking brake up and ran over.
“What happened to your hachi-roku?!” Itsuki cried, looking at the red hatchback in shock.
“I don't know,” Takumi said miserably, “that shitty old man did something to it. He said he gave it to a friend for a week, and that I have to drive this. It's not too bad. You're getting better with your hachi-go,” he added, watching as Itsuki's smile spread wide across his face.
“Really?! You think so?! Awesome,” Itsuki cried, hugging his hachi-go's white hood.
“Yeah, you're getting better. Feel like racing some more?” Takumi asked.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, it'll be fun. I like how this car feels. The limits are so low and driving it is so easy, it's a lot of fun. It's not fast or anything, but it's still enjoyable to drive,” Takumi said, not noticing Itsuki's face falling when he mentioned how low the red AE86's limits were.


*

“So,” Masashi Suzuki said, holding a ratchet in his hand and spinning it slowly, “what is it we're going to be doing to this thing?” he asked. Bunta set down a large cardboard box on the closest table and pulled out a large tube, handing it over to Masashi who took it from Bunta with a look of wonder.
“Foam?”
“Foam. After we get the frame straightened out and everything in alignment, we're going to fill the frame with this high-density foam for added stiffness. It took me a lot of time to find new sheetmetal to rebuild the front of this car, so we're not going to screw this up,” Bunta said, pulling on a work apron and picking up his own ratchet. The two men approached the car and began to disassemble it as fast as they could, organizing the fasteners and labeling them as they came off, setting aside the fenders and hood as they came off.

“Where were you able to find this stuff?” Masashi asked, jerking a thumb at the slightly dusty Toyota sheetmetal.
“I didn't. I won it in a bet racing against a couple of geezers in Ibaraki. They were a little bit unwilling to part with this, considering how difficult it was to come across it in the first place. My luck, one of them used to race an AE86, so he had this stuff stockpiled. I got a few other things too, lucky me. We'll be able to really fix this car, make it like brand new again,” Bunta said, setting aside the bumper cover carefully. Masashi pulled off the impact bar and continued disassembly, until there was very little left of the AE86 from the firewall forward. Taking out the welder, the two men continued, bracing the chassis as they worked, grafting in the new strong sheetmetal that would rejuvenate the aged hachi-roku.

“How much time do we have?” Masashi asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“A week or so. It should be doable, provided you don't slack off,” Bunta said, continuing to work. Masashi looked at the sheetmetal again, taking careful note of the boxes the panels had come in before moving on to the tubes of foam.
“So we're going to foam up the hollow spaces in the chassis in an attempt to make the car stronger?” Masashi asked, picking up a tube and reading the directions.
“Yes. It's worked well before, I just never thought I'd have to resort to it with this car, especially with the cage. Have you got the lasers?” Bunta asked. Masashi picked up a box and started mounting them to the car. They would provide the reference points needed as they straightened the chassis. Once the foam was injected, there would be no more straightening or frame tweaking.

“Aren't you afraid of adding a lot of weight by doing this?” Masashi asked.
“Not really, all those tubes will do the job for the whole chassis and it only weighs a few kilograms. We'll add a few bits of metal bracing to finish off the job, get the chassis really stiff. I brought a new carbon fiber hatch as well, with a lexan window, and carbon fiber for the other panels we haven't changed out. But I'm particularly proud of this,” Bunta said, tapping one of the largest boxes.
“What is it?” Masashi asked, trying to read the label.
“A carbon fiber roof panel,” Bunta said proudly.
“What's the good in that?” Masashi asked.
“You call yourself a sporting man,” Bunta taunted, straightening up and groaning as he did so.
“I do.”
“With a carbon fiber roof panel, we're reducing the weight of the car, but most importantly it lowers the center of gravity. It'll help the car turn quicker,” Bunta said bluntly. The two men continued working as the sun went down, and were still turning wrenches when the sun rose once more. Finally, with eyes bleared by lack of sleep, the two reached a stopping point and called it a day.
“I'll be back after the customers are taken care of,” Bunta said, sliding into the Impreza and driving off like he hadn't been awake for thirty hours straight, working hard enough to be covered in sweat from head to toe. Masashi looked at the rapidly-disappearing blue coupe and turned back to look at their project and the incredible progress that had been made and sighed.
“I need some sleep,” he groaned, crawling into the passenger seat of a van he was working on and passing out.

*

“Where were you this morning?” Takumi asked, looking at his father suspiciously.
“Out. I left the delivery for you. You didn't screw it up, did you?” Bunta asked, his lack of sleep making him a bit grumpier than usual.
“No. When am I getting my car back?” he asked.
“In a while. Don't bother me. Go to work,” Bunta said, brushing past his son and trudging upstairs for a quick nap. Takumi watched him go, shook his head, and went outside to the red AE86. It was an interesting car, but it wasn't in the best of shape. Popping the hood, Takumi pulled out the dipstick and held it to his nose, inhaling gently. It smelled slightly burnt, and it was a dark color. Sneaking back into the house he pulled an oil filter out of the cabinet by the door and oil. Back outside he jacked up the front of the car, rested it on a set of floorjacks, and then did the same with the rear of the car.

After changing the oil, he examined the underside of the car. It was dirty, and needed cleaning. There was thick mud caked on the bottom and in the wheel arches. Pulling out the hose and a stiff brush he scrubbed and hosed and scrubbed some more until the bottom of the car shone as best it could given its age. Moving to the top of the car he cleaned and scrubbed, then washed the windows and finally, being careful with the cord, he vacuumed the inside, brushing the seats and shaking out the floormats. With the car clean and the oil fresh, he moved under the hood and pulled out the spark plugs, cleaning them and filing the side electrode of the plug into a point for better high-rpm flame shape, groaning to himself when he noticed the dark sooty appearance of each plug. The engine was burning oil.

Eight hours later, Takumi wiped the sweat from his forehead with greasy, sooty hands and smiled. With the tools lended to him by Shuichi Matsumoto, he had torn down the engine completely, cleaned it, replaced a few worn pieces, and put it back together again in the garage Project D used. Driving back to Fujiwara's Tofu Shop, Matsumoto stopped long enough to unload the motor and set up the engine hoist before leaving. Takumi carefully lowered the engine into place and finished connecting everything just as the sun went down. His father stepped out of the Tofu Shop and looked at him.
“What have you been doing all day?” he asked, looking at the oil, grease, and grime smeared all over Takumi's face, hands, arms, and clothes, as well as the pile of junkfood wrappers weighted down by one of the old worn-out pistons.
“Working on this car. I was going to go driving, but I noticed the oil needed changing so I changed it. Then I checked the plugs, and saw it was burning oil. I had a friend come pick me up, and I rebuilt the engine. I just finished reinstalling it, and I was going to wash up and take it for a spin to see how it does.” Bunta looked at his son and wondered. He had started out unable to tell the difference from one car to another, and now he had torn down and reassembled a motor.
“You did good. Drop me off,” Bunta said kindly, sitting in the passenger seat of the red AE86.

Takumi wiped off the worst of his grease, ran inside to change, and came back out again with key in hand. The little 4A-GE motor turned over quickly and murmured happily to itself, surprised that it had been put back into good order. With the high-compression pistons and the slight change in cam timing, the motor was putting out 150 HP and was more than happy to rev to its 8000 RPM redline, once it had been gently driven for a few kilometers.
“You did a good job,” Bunta said before getting out of the car. “Go easy on it.” Takumi smiled, then noticed the sign of the building. Suzuki Motors.
“What are you-” Takumi began to ask, but Bunta shut the door and walked in, giving Takumi a half second glimpse of a panda Trueno before the door slammed shut.
“What's going on here?”

*

Keisuke streaked down Mt. Akagi, returning home from another intense practice session with the Red Suns. With Ryosuke trying to balance his blossoming racing career and the final year of medical studies, it had fallen to the younger Takahashi to run the team that was the pride of Mt. Akagi and keep them in perfect condition, and it was a responsibility that weighed heavily on his shoulders. In order to get rid of the stress he was leading the team down the mountain in an all-out battle, but as usual, he had already lost them after the first few corners. A pair of old yellowed headlights appeared in his rearview mirror, growing so large that they went from tiny pinpricks to huge yellow blobs that cast a shadow through his rear window and lit up part of his dash.
“That's not from our team,” Keisuke said, reaching for the shifter. “AE86? 180?” Diving through a tight right-handed corner Keisuke glanced over his shoulder and saw, to his shock, an old AW11.
“MR2?” he almost shouted, but calmed down quickly. “Of course he caught up. I was going slow so my team could catch up. The real challenge is to see if he can keep up,” he said, downshifting into second and depressing the accelerator smoothly and quickly. The well-tuned 13B-REW belched flames from the exhaust and pushed the yellow FD forward, but at the next corner the AW11 stayed glued to the RX-7's rear bumper.

The two cars plunged down Akagi, dodging and weaving as their lines intermingled and overlapped. The RX-7 barreled ahead down the straights, but the AW11 managed to draw even in the corners. The extreme yo-yo effect began to lessen as the winding road became more and more tortured and twisted, until finally as the two were performing a parallel drift through an intense left-handed sweeper, Keisuke's RX-7 spun out and came to a stop. The last thing he saw of the fleeing AW11 was its red tail lights disappearing around the next curve.
“Hey, Keisuke, are you okay?” Kenta asked as he ran up to the FD, followed by a few other members of the Red Suns. Keisuke got out of his car, flexed his arms and legs, then nodded.
“Yeah, I'm fine. Who was that?”

This post has been edited by thx712517 on Mar 1 2008, 09:01 PM

That was seriously, epic.

sweet, i see a fanfic thread and it turns out to be your new fanfic . i like how the 1st chapter starts. lol the red 86 reminds me of keisuke's red starlet. the reds suns torch has been passed down to keisuke after such a long time with ryosuke as its long time leader .

This post has been edited by 207 on Mar 1 2008, 09:17 PM

Finally! It has begun, a new epic story from THX! I can already smell the smoking brakes and and and.. yeah.

I seriously LOL'd out loud after reading that bit

Takumi really got into fixing up that red AE86, its so much like the 1st Stage AE86 for him.

Awesome start thx, need moar!

I seriously LOL'd out loud after reading that bit

Same here

As is usual in your fics, more epic-ness.

And it's nice to see Takumi have some more character development.

I hope your Miata gets better soon.

This post has been edited by Meteor on Mar 2 2008, 03:31 AM

that reminded me of when he encouterd takumi for the first time, except this time he let the option of it being an ae86 be a possibilty right off the bat. lol

might i ask why another aw11?

Because AW11's are awesome and natural competitors to the Trueno and his IRL car, Miata/MX-5?

i guess...
i think there should be another FC...

a red one...

hint hint...

My poor Mazda is completely inop for the moment! Just because of a damn seal. We'll see how it goes on Monday, if the shop will own up to the issue and fix it or if I'll have to go elsewhere. R-Speed is fairly close by, maybe they'll install my swaybar.

*************

Seiji Iwaki sat down on the bench next to Kyouichi Sudo and drained the last of his can of coffee before throwing it in the trash and turning to his friend.
“How's your pupil?” he asked sullenly. Sudo shook his head and stood up, walking back to his Evo before commenting.
“He's getting faster than me. I know how Ryosuke feels now, with Fujiwara constantly nipping at his heels. It wouldn't be so bad if his Roadster was still power-mongered, but he rebuilt it with a normal, naturally aspirated engine that only makes 150 HP or so. I'm losing to a car that's down two hundred horsepower on me, and the feeling hurts,” Sudo confessed, getting in his car and starting the engine. Seiji followed suit, sliding into his powerful Evo, waiting for his leader to move. Suddenly the black Evo lunged forward, headed up Irohazaka as fast as Sudo could manage, pushing the tires hard in every corner, hitting the brakes strong and burying the throttle to slide it around the hairpin corners. The two Evos thundered past an old white AW11 that was laboring uphill, barely able to make it up the steep incline and keep a steady speed. Seiji smirked as he whipped past, noticing the pained expression of the AW11's young driver.

At the peak of Irohazaka the two Emperor drivers pulled over to the side of the road in their usual spot and got out, looking down at the winding road that was their domain. For years now, Emperor had ruled with an iron fist over Irohazaka, and Sudo intended to keep it that way. Ryosuke might play with the history books by setting his mark upon Japan's street racing scene, but empires failed. One day, it might by Kyouichi who stood at the top of Japan as he stood now at the top of Irohazaka.
“With a three person team, I could destroy Project D's records and claim the title for myself,” Sudo murmured, beginning to treat the idea with a little more respect. After all, with Itsuto's remarkable downhill talent, a skill that threatened Fujiwara's, all it would take would be an uphill master. Glancing at his Evo III, it seemed that all the necessary components were there.
“Seiji, I'm going home. Chase me down, see if you can pass me,” Sudo said, getting into his car. Iwaki followed suit and pulled up behind his master, aimed for the downhill road with engines roaring. Glancing in his mirror he noticed the AW11 had finally made it to the top, and he smirked again at how incredibly slow it was. The two Evos took off with tires screaming, barreling downhill like demons possessed.

Keeping up with Sudo on Irohazaka was difficult any day, but now, for some reason, Seiji was sweating hard to keep his leader in sight.
“What's gotten into you?” he asked, surprised at the intensity of Sudo's driving. The two cars screamed down the short straight, stood on their brakes almost simultaneously, and powered through the hairpin with all four tires screaming. As they tackled each hairpin, Kyouichi began taking a line closer and closer to the curb, until finally he was jumping his Evo III, racing all-out down Irohazaka, holding nothing back. Even though his Evo III GSR was older than Seiji's Evo IV RS, and lacked the additional power and Active Yaw Control that the newer platform had, he was pulling away almost effortlessly, his ALS sounding like gunfire as he downshifted for the turns. Seiji was sweating as he fought to keep up, using all the skills and tricks he had available to him, but he was still losing ground.

The two cars dove into another hairpin turn, Sudo's Evo taking another flying leap, when Seiji was shocked to see a flash of white cut inside him at the hairpin. It was the AW11!
“Get out of the way!” Seiji cried, then shut up when he saw it wasn't in the way at all. With the short straights in between each hairpin the MR2 lost ground, but the moment the turn was initiated, the AW11 shot ahead, passing him in the corners and being passed on the straights. The two tangled for nine hairpins until finally the AW11 took one of Sudo's flying leaps and disappeared around the next corner, leaving Iwaki shattered and breathless. When he finally made it to the bottom, he saw Kyouichi's black Evo III pulled off the road after the third bridge, Sudo resting against his car's fender with a strange look on his face.

“Did you see it?” were the first words Sudo asked as Seiji parked his car.
“The old MR2?” Iwaki asked, even though he already knew the answer. Sudo nodded in confirmation and thought for a moment about a cigarette, then shook his head. Better to keep it a dead habit than start up again. Smoking weakened his strength in a battle, made it harder for his lungs to provide his brain with enough oxygen to keep functioning properly. When Ryosuke had quit, the other top aces had followed suit.
“Yeah, the old MR2. He passed me like it was nothing. I fought with him for eleven hairpin turns, passing him and being passed by him, until he finally put me in the dust and blew past. Who was that?”

*

Takumi woke up a few moments before the alarm clock and remained in his bed, lying on his back staring at the ceiling with his hands folded behind his head.
“I like that new AE86,” he said. “But the Impreza has better battling capabilities. It has more traction, stability, and power. I can push it harder and turn better than I ever could in the hachi-roku. Up until the corner apex they behave the same, but at the apex in the Impreza I can go full throttle, while I can only balance the car's traction and throttle in the hachi-roku. Quick exits can win battles,” he said, remembering his first battle against Sudo, with the old engine. The Evo III had rocketed out of the corners like a monster, and no matter how hard he had held down the throttle, no matter how high he revved the engine before shifting, he had fallen behind until the engine finally gave up and blew apart, sending a rod through the block and completely destroying the engine beyond repair.

“Ryosuke likes rear wheel drive, but he's encouraged me to look at all wheel drive. That was back during Project D's desperate battles, when a single setback could derail the whole mission. Did he want me to try out all wheel drive because it would work well for me, or because it would minimize the chance of a loss?” he wondered, tossing onto his side and looking out the window. He could hear his father loading up the red AE86, grunting and swearing softly as he did so.
“I like that car,” Takumi admitted to himself, speaking quietly so his words couldn't be heard by his hachi-roku, wherever it was.
“Yo, Takumi!” Bunta shouted. With a sigh, he rolled out of bed, splashed some water on his face, and ran downstairs, key in hand. Bunta was putting something metal into his pocket but turned away quickly.
“You're going to drop me off at Suzuki's before you go on your delivery,” Bunta said, walking outside to the AE86 and hopping inside. Takumi sighed and followed, starting up the rebuilt engine and taking off gently to avoid breaking the tofu. They traveled through the dark streets in silence, only the sound of the 4A-GE intruding in the cabin. As they stopped outside Suzuki's where a dim light was already glowing inside, Takumi turned to his father.

“Your friend has had my car for two weeks now. When will I get it back? Am I going to get it back?” he asked, almost afraid of the answer. Bunta looked at his son for a moment, wondering what would be the best response. Finally, he shook his head slowly and got out of the car.
“It's difficult to say. He needs it for a little while longer. Besides, you've put time and money into this car, aren't you happier with this AE86? It's quieter, rides softer, gets better gas mileage, and it's easier to drive. You don't have to deal with a heavy clutch or a loud, thirsty engine. You don't have to sit in a deep bucket seat that won't let you relax and sprawl out. You even have a radio you can listen to,” he added, shutting the door and walking inside. Takumi craned his head desperately to see, but the only thing inside the shop was draped with a large white sheet.

Grumbling, he shifted into gear and drove off to make the delivery. His father's words rang in his mind though, echoing everything he had been thinking about for the past few weeks. The red AE86 was easier to drive and far less demanding of him since it wasn't on such a razor edge. He could hear himself think, and gas money certainly went farther feeding the slightly-improved motor than it ever did with the 12,000 RPM beast he had under the hood of the hachi-roku. After making the delivery he turned downhill and began to enjoy himself, pushing the car to see what needed to be improved next. As he streaked through one corner he saw a red FC practicing, and he had a quick battle with the driver, tangling with him curve after curve, racing at breakneck speeds down the short straights, until finally he lost him at the five hairpins, noting with a smile the look of shock on the FC's driver. Continuing downhill he caught up to Itsuki, who had been out practicing even earlier than usual that morning.
“How often do you practice?” Takumi asked as the two stood beside their parked cars.
“Every day. When I get home from work I take a short nap, make myself something to eat, and then practice from 11 at night until 5 in the morning. I go home, get a few more hours of sleep, and then go to work,” Itsuki said. “I take a nap in my car during my lunch break so I'm not too tired.”

“That's dedication,” Takumi said, impressed with his friend. Six hours of practice every night, eight hours of work every day, it left only ten hours to sleep, eat, and live a life outside of the car. For someone who had just turned nineteen a month ago, it was impressive.
“Have you done any more work to your hachi-go?” Takumi asked, watching with curiosity as an old white AW11 drove past, headed up the mountain. It reminded him of Hayato's, but it seemed different. Weaker.
“I just installed a ball-bearing turbo,” Itsuki said proudly, his smile beaming bright.
“What's that do?” Takumi asked.
“A ball-bearing turbo has a quicker spool-up time, responds better to the throttle. It should cut out my butt-wagging acceleration and let me modulate the throttle better,” Itsuki said.
“Good. I noticed your throttle control is getting better,” Takumi replied.
“You think so? I have to be good, or else the turbo spools up without warning and spins me out. It took a few weeks to get where I am now.”
“It's showing, Itsuki. You really are getting better. Have you done any suspension work to your AE85?” Takumi asked.
“Not yet, but I want to. I actually wanted to ask for your advice on what I should buy. I'm kind of limited in my choices for the AE85,” Itsuki confessed.

“Why bother with AE85 stuff?” Takumi asked. “Can't you just convert to AE86 suspension parts? The bodies are the same, aren't they? It's just everything that's bolted to the body that's different. If you change all that out, you should do fine. Get a nice limited slip, some coilovers. Bring a catalog to work with you and I'll bring my books over so we can pick something good,” Takumi said, getting up and walking back to the red AE86.
“Going home?” Itsuki asked.
“Yeah, I need to get some sleep in before I go to work.”
“Takumi, the Speedstars are having a meeting on Saturday on Mt. Akina. You're welcome to come. Maybe we can have some fun,” Itsuki said. Takumi nodded.
“9:30 PM, right?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Alright,” Takumi said, getting into the AE86 and turning the engine on. “I'll be there.”

*

“Please tell me we're almost done,” Masashi begged, setting down another empty tube. Bunta smiled to himself as he worked, placing duct tape over the holes to prevent the foam from oozing out again. They had just finished injecting all the crucial areas in the AE86's body, and when the foam dried and solidified, the chassis would be even stiffer than it was before. The body had been straightened and rebuilt with all the precision the special alignment lasers could offer, and the additional chassis bracing under the floorpan helped even more. The carbon fiber body panels and roof had been painted and installed as well, shaving more weight from the car.
“We've done a decent amount of work,” Bunta said. The new body panels more than compensated for the additional weight of the foam that had been liberally injected into the car's rocker panels, pillars, and other hollow spaces.
“I think once we let all the foam dry, and trim anything that managed to squeeze out, we should be done. I can give Takumi his car back and put an end to his incessant nagging. It's a haunting nightmare having to listen to him. Have a good night, Masashi. Here's the money I owe you,” Bunta said, slipping an envelope to his friend before walking out the door.
“Hey, how are you getting home?” Masashi asked.
“Walking, how do you think?” Bunta replied.
“I'll run you home. Get in the Mazda,” he said, pointing toward a little white Roadster with a black top that was sitting outside.

“Nice car,” Bunta said as he settled into the passenger bucket seat.
“I know. Fellow's having me fix a leaking axle seal. Poor guy, got a nice new differential installed, drove it home smelling burnt oil, found out a sixteen hundred yen rubber seal had been torn up, leaked some forty thousand yen fluid, and put his one hundred and fourteen thousand yen differential in danger. So I fixed the seal for him, filled it back up with fluid, and everything's fine now. He'll be back around tomorrow morning to pick it up. I thought you'd like to see it. If you promise to go easy, you can drive it over.” Bunta took the key, started the BP-Z3 engine, and took off, Masashi bracing himself in the passenger seat.

Idling outside the Fujiwara Tofu Shop a few very intense minutes later, Bunta smiled to himself.
“Not bad,” he murmured, leaving it running as he got out. “It might give the hachi-roku a run for its money with a proper engine,” he added before walking inside. For Bunta to praise a car with such words was a real honor. Masashi smiled privately as he drove off. Such praise for a little car.

*

“Hey, Takumi,” Bunta said, “wake up and do the delivery!” Takumi sighed and sat up in his bed, still tired from the day before. It had been two weeks and three days since the hachi-roku had disappeared, but it had given him a chance to truly appreciate the red AE86 that was resting outside for the delivery. It had a nice light clutch that was easy to work, the steering still had power assist, the engine was quiet and fuel-efficient compared to the monster under the hachi-roku's hood.... It was a much nicer car. The seats were comfortable, and it was nice to listen to the radio instead of the incessant drone and popping of the hachi-roku's open exhaust.

Walking down the stairs after having cleaned up Takumi was still smiling happily to himself, looking forward to another trip in the red AE86. He had discovered a new radio station and was looking forward to listening to some good music as he trekked up and down Mt. Akina in the dark. Walking outside his brain skipped a step. The red AE86 was there, but it was parked behind something low, mean, and panda-colored. Wide black wheels wrapped in sticky rubber bulged under gleaming white fenders and quarter panels, and the side proudly proclaimed Fujiwara Tofu Shop (Private Use) in big black letters. The peaky and insanely loud 4A-GE was burbling and spitting, ticking under the hood of the hachi-roku and waiting for him.

“It's back,” Takumi said, shocked and sad at the same time.
“It's back,” Bunta replied.

“I know. Fellow's having me fix a leaking axle seal. Poor guy, got a nice new differential installed, drove it home smelling burnt oil, found out a sixteen hundred yen rubber seal had been torn up, leaked some forty thousand yen fluid, and put his one hundred and fourteen thousand yen differential in danger. So I fixed the seal for him, filled it back up with fluid, and everything's fine now. He'll be back around tomorrow morning to pick it up. I thought you'd like to see it. If you promise to go easy, you can drive it over.” Bunta took the key, started the BP-Z3 engine, and took off, Masashi bracing himself in the passenger seat.

XD!!

Nice self-insert!

Okay, so I'm guilty of a self-insert once in a while... haha. Does the red FC count as fan service?

Those were some well done cameo-appearances.

The 86 is back. Takumi's both happy and sad at the same time, and I can see why.

It's nice to see Itsuki getting better. And it's nice to see that the Speed Stars still actually exist.

very good chapter! love the author cameo!

Another great chapter

Nice self-insert and putting a red FC there, red comet 7 will be over the moon I bet

Judging by how the AW11 struggles uphill but flies downhill, its probably making lower bhp than the red 86. Could be interesting to see a battle.

or then the AW11 has just a really peaky powerband that it can not utilize at uphill runs..

Wow this is great stuff, keep up the good work,

Axle seal will be replaced Wednesday, so the car will be back soon. Still have to get the suspension put together though. I may not have everything together in time for the test and tune on the 15th, or Points #2 on the 16th. It sucks, one of my credit cards is supposed to have a $3000 limit, but it's only $2000. This puts a crimp in my modifications. Just a quick update tonight to keep you interested.

************

“Aniki, have you heard anything about an old white AW11 making challenges?” Keisuke asked as he casually flopped down on his brother's bed. Ryosuke sat up, yawned, and rubbed his eyes before turning around in his chair and looking at his brother.
“I heard some rumblings about Nakazato being defeated on Myogi, but because he wasn't driving with his navigator I didn't take it seriously. There were a few rumors on Irohazaka that Sudo had battled with an AW11, but I don't know if that was true or not. Theoretically speaking, from the very few observations I've heard about the car, the driver would have to have more skill than Fujiwara. He would be almost undefeatable on the downhill. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I may have had an encounter with him a few nights ago,” Keisuke admitted, blushing slightly. Ryosuke's tired eyes opened wider and focused on his brother intently.
“I didn't observe much,” Keisuke said, blushing even deeper.
“As number one for the Red Suns, I expect more from you,” Ryosuke said softly, returning to his laptop and opening his browser.
“I know. I'm sorry. But I did get these,” Keisuke said, tossing down a handful of photographs on Ryosuke's desk. His older brother picked them up and took a look at them, flipping through and feeling his smile growing larger by the second.
“How did you get these?” he asked.
“I found him battling a ZZW30 on Usui. I had Kenta in the passenger seat taking photographs. They're not great, but it's a start, isn't it? I also managed to get a few seconds of video. Aniki, I had trouble keeping up with him.”

Ryosuke played the footage, flipping through the photographs as he watched, looping the few minutes over and over again. Keisuke got the unnerving feeling that his brother was burning the image into his mind, unleashing his full analytical power on the old white AW11. Its movements were entrancing to watch on the screen, the old white sports car swaying hypnotically through the curves, effortlessly passing the ZZW30 as the two screamed through an insanely tight off-camber turn.
“Why are you studying? Aren't you an intern now?” Keisuke asked suddenly.
“I am, but I can never stop studying or else I'll fall behind. Someone's life could rest on my knowledge about an obscure disease. This AW11 is capable of turning in faster than a modern ZZW30. The short wheelbase undoubtedly helps, but there has been some suspension tuning. The AW11 is known for difficult handling when stock, but the correct modifications will correct its issues and make it a lethal weapon. His corner exit acceleration is pathetic when he's forced to get off the throttle, but when he can keep the throttle open he out-accelerates everything, even other MR cars. You've found something impressive, Keisuke. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Do you know his name?”
“No,” Keisuke said, “but the galleries have taken to calling him the Fujiwara Killer. There's a website devoted to tracking the two drivers, their cars, and their accomplishments. Here,” he said, typing in the web address.

“Hmm,” Ryosuke said, studying the page. “It isn't run by the driver himself, but someone close to him. He's taken out a number of high-profile drivers. Sudo, you, Nakazato, Kogashiwa, and a few others I don't recognize. He was sighted on Akina last night, but no one battled him. The sighting was reported by an AE85 turbo. I want you to go to Akina and speak with whoever this driver is and see if you can get any good information from him.”

is there an FD vs hachi-go battle there in the shadows?
Good start so far.

Glad the seal got fixed, I know that anxious feeling of wanting your car to be fixed...just wish my car was as good on turns as it is on the straights.

Sorry to hear about the car THX. Did the shop pay for the repair? Anyway, I'm surprise to see another fanfic this quick from you this early...but keep the update coming!!!

HA great stuff! thanks for putting it in there!

i actually have been toying with the idea of writing a one time fan fic.

i'm a big fan of ryousuke's and FC's as you know, but ive always noticed how every time keisuke and takumi race it gets to a point of someone being better than them at something and them having to over come it.

i know the bunta race with ryousuke was awesome, but ive always wanted to see ryousuke have to compete with someone as equally skilled and SMART as he is that also drives an FC.

this way it will be the ultimate battle between drivers. Theories and Strategies would flame like crazy down the mountain the entire battle.

Of course it would have to be a red FC vs. Ryousuke's white one.

I sorta had the idea from the live movie of initial d when bunta tells takumi, the only one you need to beat is yourself. Well in this one, it would virtually be Ryousuke racing himself, but having to prove himself in away that sets him apart and makes him unique. Ryousuke always uses the car's abilities and strenghts and weaknesses to formulate part of his strategy, how do you compete against your own car?!?! especially when the driver is as talented as and as skilled as you are.

The title i had origially thought of was Battle of The Minds

....But i've gotten more into film lately and writing movie scripts and also tryin to pursue my racing career as well..

so THX, would you be interested in turning my pitch into a future fic? i just dont have the time, and i would love to see your take on my ideas unfold into a battle.
i think it would make a great story. of course there will be no offence taken if you decline, i would just love to see it. ive been picturing it in my head for awhile.

and a quick edit, here are some pics of my FC that i mentioned on the other thread..

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

This post has been edited by red comet 7 on Mar 3 2008, 08:26 PM

And another awesome chapter. It should be interesting to see a conversation between Itsuki and Keisuke

Good to know you're getting your car back soon.

@red comet 7: That FC of yours sure looks good.

That will be interesting, yes.

Another great chapter, nice use of video footage and photos for Ryousuke to study, never knew Keisuke was that smart.

This post has been edited by VTiRoj on Mar 4 2008, 05:08 AM

Sent you an email through this website, not sure if you've gotten it. We need to talk, I'll PM you my email address.

i think you'll like the ideas so far...im sure you will take what i have given you and RUN with it!