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Haley's thought up a plan. Is it going to work?! I hope it does.

Can I have some more? *holds out plate, again*

Act 23 – New Revelations


Kevin stood outside of the hotel, next to the orange Z32 known as the “Satan Z.” He heard the front door open and turned to see Ali. There was a strange look in her eyes, like it wasn’t her. She really was possessed then…

Kevin closed his eyes and said, “So this is the Satan Z…not as great of a ‘legendary car’ as I had heard it to be.” Ali just stood there without replying. Kevin smirked. “Hmph…but I guess that’s fine.” He opened the driver side door with the key that Haley managed to sneak out to him and got in, to Ali and the car’s surprise. “Get in. I’m driving. I’ll show you how you’re supposed to drive this thing. After all…lately, Z’s have been my specialty.” Ali stood there with an astonished look on her face. What was going on?

Out on the Wangan, the great demon R, Raven Blood, roared around the C1 Inner Circuit with wild abandon. There was a full moon out. Raven Blood only came out on nights with a full moon. And it knew…the Satan Z would come out as well. It perfectly slipped through a right corner, then a left, then blasted onto a straightaway with incredible power.

Behind it, a car began to catch up. It was sleek and fast…and orange. Raven Blood revved its engine: a car’s way of smiling. Was it fate that caused these two cars to face off every night? Raven Blood sped up, but the Satan Z was coming on strong. There was something…different about it tonight. But what was it? In the time Raven Blood last saw it, it couldn’t have possibly gotten good enough to defeat it. But it was coming on so strong…what was going on?

In the Satan Z, Ali sat in the passenger seat, along with the mind of the Z inside of her, watching Kevin drive the Z, unpossessed. His movements were so fluid; his line was so smooth. And he had yet to even hit the brakes. How? How could anyone have gotten that good? He was only driving for about ten minutes or so. Did he already master the Satan Z?!

Kevin made an assessment of the Z32 he was driving as he drove. It felt somewhat heavy in the rear, and took a while to get up to speed if it slowed down too much. But if he kept it at a higher speed, it was fine. It was a dangerous style, however. But he had it down. Now it was a matter of getting in front of the blood red GT-R running in front of him. He had almost forgotten what it was like to drive against a more superior vehicle. It took a bit more work to stick with it. But the R34 was starting to seem as though it was a bit shaken or something…

Raven Blood was going all out at this point, pushing itself at far as it could go. But the Z was still sticking close. Not only that…it was also gaining. There was only one logical explanation for such a thing: someone else was driving the Satan Z. Someone who wasn’t possessed by it. And whoever it was…they were extremely good. They were keeping the Z’s speed up above the 240kmph-mark. And on the C1, no less! Impressive.

Around a long, right sweeper, the Satan Z pulled into the inside lane, cutting into Raven Blood’s blind spot. Coming out of the corner, the two cars came out onto the short straightaway side-by-side. Coming up fast was the sharp, downhill left into the tunnel near the Shinjuku entrance. Raven Blood, being on the inside, had to hit its brakes sooner, seeing as it was a heavy car. The Satan Z, however, being driven by the fastest on the highway, was able to take it a bit faster, and the two cars were once again side-by-side, with the Satan Z slightly ahead.

Raven Blood could hardly believe what it was seeing. The passenger of the Satan Z was none other than the person it was currently possessing. It could see the Z’s spirit inside of her eyes as she glanced over at it. Who was driving?!

Kevin blinked as they traveled down the straightaway side-by-side. Come on…this was easy. The next corner was a left, and the GT-R would have to hit its brakes. Then it would be all over.

As they approached the corner, Raven Blood hit its brakes, and the Satan Z went in, full-throttle. Even Ali and the Z’s spirit were freaked out by it, as well as Raven Blood. But amazingly enough…Kevin made it through the corner perfectly, leaving the stalling Raven Blood far behind. He continued on through the tunnel until Raven Blood was no longer visible from behind. The Z could hardly believe what it just saw. This driver was amazing. That was it. Raven Blood had been shown firsthand that sometimes there are drivers who are better than the cars themselves.

As they got back home, Ali’s eyes began to change back to normal as the Z’s spirit left her. When it completely left her, she fell asleep. When Kevin finally pulled up into the parking lot of the hotel, the sun was beginning to rise. Haley sat on the curb, unable to sleep. She perked up when she saw the orange Z32 roll up. Kevin got out and closed the driver side door. “It’s done. I need to go now. Good luck.” With that, he walked off, leaving Haley with a sleeping, yet cured, Ali.

Haruhi closed the door to her FD and straightened her black secretary skirt. It was a beautiful, sunny day as she casually walked towards the building where she worked. As she walked through the front doors, the head secretary, Chinatsu, greeted her from behind her desk. “Good morning, Miss Korisaka. How are you on this wondrous day?” Haruhi felt as though someone suddenly shook her from a deep sleep. “Huh?” she replied absentmindedly. “Oh…good morning, Chinatsu. Yes…it’s a very…nice day…”

Chinatsu looked at her, puzzled by her dreamy, head-in-the-clouds behavior. “Um…are you…okay?” Haruhi blinked as she clocked in. “Yeah…tired…” Chinatsu giggled and smiled. “Of course. Running the highway, right?” Haruhi nodded sleepily as she walked by. “Yeah…” Chinatsu watched Haruhi very closely as she walked towards the elevator. “Hm…how strange…”

Meanwhile, Kevin had just finished the work on the car he was repairing before Haley came to ask for his help. He was quite satisfied with his work, although it cost quite a bit. But it would be worth it for sure. As he sat down in a chair, Haley and Ali walked in. Ali was most definitely herself again, and she looked very happy. Haley did as well. They walked up to him, and surprisingly enough, they both bowed to show respect. When they stood up straight again, Ali said, “Thank you, Kevin. Thank you so much.”

There wasn’t much more to say. Kevin nodded, then glanced at the car he had just finished, still under the tarp. “Oh…” He stood up and took the tarp off to reveal none other than Ali’s old, once-broken-down car, now shining like it was brand new. She gasped in astonishment. “Oh my…god…M-Milo?! Milo!” She ran to the car and hugged the hood. “Oh my god, I can’t believe it! How can I ever repay you for all you’ve done for me Kevin?”

Kevin was surprised by the question. He really didn’t want much of anything really. Just for those he cared about to be happy. He blinked and replied, “Nothing. It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re happy with my work.” Ali stood up straight after bowing again, and then Haley said, “Well…we’re off. I think we’ve stayed here long enough. We should go back home. To America. You know…where cars don’t possess your friends and all.” Ali and Kevin were surprised that Haley actually wanted to leave Japan. Ali put her hand on Haley’s forehead. “Are you feeling okay, Haley?”

Haley rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m fine. Come on, let’s go.” Ali looked at Kevin and he tossed her the keys with a smirk.

Another satisfied customer.

That night, Haruhi left her office full of energy, as always. She was definitely more active at night now. She skipped by Chinatsu’s desk, happily humming all the way. Chinatsu smiled slightly. “Hm. Hey, Haruhi.” Haruhi stopped and turned around with a cheerful smile. “Yes?” Chinatsu giggled at little Haruhi’s energetic personality. “Try not to drive too late now! And be careful!”

Haruhi waved as she replied, “Sure thing! I’m always careful!” With that, she happily skipped out of the building and to her car. It was always one of the greatest feelings in the world when she got into the driver’s seat of her FD, ready to go to the Wangan. She took a deep breath, then started it up. She closed her eyes and sat there for a bit, humming in tune with her FD’s engine. Such a great feeling.

When she finally went to the Wangan, she found herself constantly looking for someone faster than herself. She wanted a challenge. A real challenge. A lot of the racers nowadays were just not up to par with her skills. They’d seem skilled at first, then come up short when it actually came time to race. Either that, or they’d use nitrous to pull away. Then, later on in the race, their engines would be so worn down that there was no way they could race any further.

Finally, she spotted something worth racing. A blood red BNR34. She flashed her lights to initiate a battle. Raven Blood revved its engine and took off immediately. An FD? This would be easy.

Haruhi was surprised by the GT-R’s power output. That had to be murder on the tires! And there she had it: the race hadn’t even started and she already knew the car’s weakness. She’d just keep with it until its tires couldn’t keep up anymore. Just like with Alicia. She caught up slightly through a corner, but the GT-R just pulled away again on the straightaway. She grimaced. Stupid GT-R drivers…they all just acted like they owned the roads. She always hated racing against GT-Rs.

Raven Blood slightly tapped its brakes and went around a right corner at incredible speed, and Haruhi did her best to grip the same corner and keep up with the monster R. This GT-R was different from all of the other GT-Rs she raced in the past. There was something about it. Like a powerful aura. Of course, most GT-Rs had an intimidating aura. They were pretty much just street-legal racing cars, after all. But this one was different. Its aura was overwhelming. She found herself shaking like she used to back when she first raced on the Wangan.

The GT-R continued to keep its lead, pulling away on every straightaway they came across. Haruhi caught up in the corners, but apparently it still wasn’t enough. But from the way things looked, her car actually had more power. So why was the GT-R still ahead? As she further examined its performance, she found that it had an overwhelming amount of torque. That’s what kept it in the lead. It pulled away quickly out of each and every corner.

But Haruhi would never give up. Soon, the GT-R’s tires should wear out. And when they did, it would be all over. She had to hold on…just a little longer.

Going through the tight left into the tunnel, the GT-R slightly understeered. Haruhi immediately noticed it. “Yeosh…” It was happening. The GT-R’s tires were wearing thin. She got right on its tail as they went onto the straightaway, and Haruhi was able to keep on it until the next corner, where she quickly took the outside lane. It was a left turn, but if the GT-R hugged the inside, it would have to brake to avoid sliding outside.

Haruhi’s plan worked, and the GT-R hit its brakes, while Haruhi took the turn at full throttle. She was in front! Now to lose him! They raced through the tunnel at incredible speeds, fighting for the pole position.

As they came out of the tunnel and onto the long straightaway, Haruhi knew she had won. She confidently put her foot on the accelerator…and noticed that her car began to lose power at an incredibly fast rate. “W-wha?” What was going on? What was wrong? She kept her foot on the accelerator, but received no response from the engine. Why? What was wrong? What?

She looked over her dashboard, and when she finally found the problem, she just about killed herself.

The fuel gauge was on empty.

“W-w-whaaaat?!! Out of gas?!!” Her FD slowed to a stop on the side of the road as Raven Blood roared by, seeming almost as though it was laughing at her as it did so. Haruhi hit her head on the steering wheel and just sat there.

“Oh my god…why does my life suck so much?” She sat in the car and turned her hazard lights on. Then she just closed her eyes and thought. She should’ve won that one. It wasn’t fair. This time it truly wasn’t fair. Did some entity out there have something against her?

She was about to call a tow truck when a car pulled up behind her. She looked in her rearview mirrors, then turned around in her seat to get a better look. It was a pink JZA80 Supra RZ with two thin stripes down the middle: one green, one red. It couldn’t be. Exhaust Eve?!

The driver of the Supra got out and walked up to the driver’s side of Haruhi’s FD, then lightly knocked on the window. As Haruhi rolled down the window, she was met with quite a surprise. “Eh?! Ch-Chinatsu?!”

Sure enough, it was her office friend, the main secretary Chinatsu. Chinatsu smiled sweetly and giggled. “I thought I told you not to drive for too long.” Haruhi sighed. Chinatsu was always positive no matter what was going on. Haruhi got out her cell phone. “I need to call a tow truck…” Chinatsu nodded. “Of course. Lock your doors, roll your windows up, and come with me. You can call them as we drive.”

Chinatsu drove the Wangan as Haruhi finished calling the tow company. As she hung up, Chinatsu began to speak. “So…you ran out of gas. What kind of mileage does that RX-7 get anyway? It must not be that much…” Haruhi hated talking about technical car stuff, so she changed the subject. “You…you’re Exhaust Eve. Aren’t you?” Chinatsu got quiet. She had a solemn look on her face. “Not right now…no…it’s sorta…my alternate personality. Kinda like a werewolf. ‘Eve’ comes out on nights with a full moon, and then I’m a really good racer. Right now I’m just me. Chinatsu.” She smiled to confirm her statement.

Haruhi looked out the window tiredly. Chinatsu was always so weird. Now she seemed weirder. Alternate personality? So…Eve wasn’t really Chinatsu? What the heck? So strange…

But now she knew…on nights with a full moon, she’d see this pink Supra being driven by someone else.

is it a spoof off the Devil Z

O...kay? That sucked for Haruhi... running out of gas against a worthy opponent for her. And How Chinatsu's driving changes if it's a full moon may give the impression that her JZA80 is possessed as well... or it's just the effects of a full moon at night...

MOAR PLZ!

To skyline gtr: I made these names up before I ever watched Wangan Midnight. This was back when Tokyo Xtreme Racer was fairly new. I just started making the story not too long ago though. So it's not exactly a spoof off the Devil Z. Nice observation though! It does seem a lot like the Devil Z in a way...

And I guess I'll post up the next act, even though I don't know if Meteor read this one or not...


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


Act 24 – Racing Plaque


At the parking lot, Rusty and Thomas sat in silence. Finally, Thomas spoke up. “So. You’ve changed.” Rusty didn’t say anything, and instead stared at his GT-R. Thomas looked at the car as well. “This car…I have to admit that there’s something about it. And your attitude is changing in a strange way. I don’t believe in ghosts though. I’d like to figure this out.”

Rusty stood up. “There’s nothing to ‘figure out.’ My car…it’s alive. It speaks to me. It’s changing me. I’m changing, Ryan…I just don’t know whether or not it’s a good thing.” He opened the driver’s side door and sat in the seat. As soon as his hand touched the steering wheel, his eye color changed to black. “He’s out tonight…” Thomas looked at Rusty questioningly. Rusty shut the car door and put the keys in the ignition as he finished his sentence. “Dragonfang.”

Meanwhile, on the C1 entrance, Dragonfang’s black R33 merged onto the highway. In the passenger seat sat Ayaka, with a sad look on her face. Takeshi glanced at her for a second before putting his eyes back on the road. “What is it, Ayaka?” Ayaka sat in silence, staring at her lap. Thoughts ran through her mind. Thoughts of Rusty. What was going on with him? What happened back at the restaurant?

Headlights appeared in the rearview mirrors, and Ayaka saw them first. An orange Lan Evo V. “Eh…who is that?” The Evo V driver eased off of the gas as he approached the rear of Takeshi’s R33. He was toying with him. Takeshi grimaced and began to speed up as another pair of headlights shone in the mirrors, approaching at an incredible speed. The Evo V moved in order to make room for the approaching car…a black R32.

Rusty was no longer himself. Something was definitely happening to him, alright. The car was taking over him. But if that’s what it took to become the best…then Rusty would endure it. He would never lose again. Never.

He quickly pulled up on the left side of the R33 as Thomas pulled up on the right, messing with Takeshi’s mind. Ayaka covered her eyes and feared the worst. Takeshi was quick to anger and quick to frighten. Who were these guys?! Where they just show-offs? Or did they mean business? The R32 pulled ahead first, followed by the Lan Evo V. Takeshi gritted his teeth, refusing to give in so easily. But Rusty…no…Outcast didn’t plan on having a very long battle. He activated his nitrous tanks and pulled away quickly, leaving even Thomas behind. Takeshi’s eyes went wide with awe at the R32’s speed and power. “Im…impossible…”

Thomas sighed at Rusty’s move. Now how was he going to keep up with that? Oh well, might as well try. Thomas stayed in his lane, going side-by-side with Takeshi as they went through a couple gradual corners before finally coming up on one that required real skill. Who would pass who?

Around the right corner, Takeshi took the lead, using his car’s phenomenal power output to his advantage. Thomas blinked boringly as he watched the GT-R pull ahead. That didn’t work…but it wasn’t like the race was over yet or anything. He stayed right on Dragonfang’s rear bumper, not letting up, looking for a chance to strike. Dragonfang began to sweat as he attempted to catch back up to the black R32 up ahead, to no avail. It was just too powerful…the driver just too skilled.

Finally, Thomas saw his chance to attack. Dragonfang seemed to have forgotten about how heavy a GT-R is, and didn’t slow down enough for a tough left coming up. Thomas took the outside as Takeshi began to understeer. As he slid to the outside, Thomas used the classic out-in-out line in order to overtake him, and that was that. Takeshi recovered in time to save his car, but he had lost enough time to admit defeat. He had lost his concentration, and now there was no way he would be able to catch back up.

Ayaka watched the two mystery cars as they continued down the highway. Suddenly, the R32 did something that she would never had expected it to do: it drifted. It was only around one corner, but there was no mistaking that technique. Ayaka’s eyes went wide with shock and surprise. “R-Rusty…”

Rusty felt relieved that he had defeated Dragonfang. It was as though a heavy load had been lifted. He had accomplished something that he never could have done as Frostbite. He was finally getting somewhere again. He was moving up in the ranks. Soon…this entire highway would be his.

The next day, Rusty went to work as usual. He was the CEO of a construction company, but that didn’t stop him from working out in the field with the rest of the guys. As he went over the day’s checklist out it the hot, sunny weather, a girl stood off in the distance, watching him. It was Ayaka. Rusty turned his head, sensing her presence, but then turned the other way, continuing his work.

Ayaka walked up hesitantly, unsure of exactly what she wanted to say. Rusty had definitely gotten better at racing since the last time she saw him. Maybe she was wrong about him? “Rusty…listen…I…” Rusty continued to go over the checklist, apparently trying to ignore her as she continued to speak. “I…regret what I’ve done. I mean…I know you’re really mad at me…and I understand if you don’t want to speak to me. I acted hastily…I just thought that…that maybe if I left you, I wouldn’t worry so much about you anymore. But…well, it’s just not working at all! I wanna get back together with you.”

At that, Rusty’s face began to relax. He was glad to hear that. Just as he was about to turn to speak with Ayaka, his eyes turned black, and Outcast took over! It spoke to him inside of his mind. “So you’re just going to let her back in, are you? Just like that?” Rusty’s mind began to argue with Outcast. “She said she regretted it…I don’t see why I shouldn’t forgive her.”

Outcast was disgusted with Rusty’s choice of action. “You are a fool. You always have been. You are weak. And that is why you lose.” With that, Outcast completely took over, using Rusty’s body to reply to Ayaka the way it wanted Rusty to. “Ayaka…you betrayed me. Got together with another man and left me to wallow in my self-pity. Well, I’ve changed now. My car is all I need. You are nothing to me.” Ayaka was shocked at what she heard. But Outcast wasn’t done yet. “Go on back to little Dragonfang. Oh wait…I get it now. You only want to get back together with me because I beat Dragonfang. Because I’m not a loser now. After all, a pretty slut like you can’t be seen hanging around with a loser, now can she?”

Ayaka was absolutely speechless. She wanted to say something. Wanted to get angry with him for insulting her. But instead, she just took it. Every single punch he threw. She just couldn’t bring herself to say anything. When he was done, as tears began to well up in her eyes, all she could manage to say was, “You really have changed, haven’t you?” With that, she ran off as fast as she could to her car.

In Rusty’s head, Rusty watched what happened in horror. “No…NO!!” Outcast wasn’t guilty at all about what he did though. “Silence. It is all for the better. Forget about her. She ran because she knew that what I said was true. And you must accept it as well. It is the only way that you will become stronger.”

Rusty grimaced as he forced himself to continue his work. He was lost. He didn’t know what to do. Was he going insane? Why was his car taking over him? His life? Why?

Yes! Ali finally got cured! It's a shame she won't get back the hours spent being possesed, but why bother thinking about that? Looks like Blood Raven isn't as fast as previously thought (though still quite fast).

And it looks like I was half-correct regarding Milo.

Wow. Haruhi running out of fuel. . What a letdown. Working so hard through a well written battle, and losing because of an empty tank.

Yes! Rusty wiped the floor with that jerk Takeshi! And then Outcast talked with Ayaka in place of him What next?

*inserts coin to continue*

Act 25 – Chase


Rusty called Ayaka later at night. Just as she thought, she wouldn’t answer. But he wasn’t going to give up that easily, and so he waited for the answering machine to come on. When he got the tone, he began to speak. “Hey…Ayaka, this is Rusty. Guess you already knew that though. I…” He was about to say that his car had taken over him, but suddenly stopped. She wouldn’t believe that. It sounded so stupid. He sighed and said, “I’m so sorry about earlier. I…don’t know what came over me. Look…I understand that you were worried about me…I guess I was just upset and wanted to get my feelings out. I’ve been holding so much of this inside, keeping it bottled up. You know that my life was always hard, even as a kid.”

He closed his eyes and continued. “I really didn’t mean what I said…and I want to make it up to you. If you can forgive me…then meet me at the parking lot where we used to hang out with Kevin and Haruhi all the time. Does 9 p.m. sound okay to you? If you don’t show, then…well…I understand. Sorry.” With that, he hung up and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He did what he had to do. Now all he had to do was hope that she’d forgive him.

At Ayaka’s apartment, Ayaka had heard the entire message as it was sent, turning on the answering machine’s speaker as Rusty spoke. She looked down at her feet as she laid on the couch, contemplating whether or not to go and meet up with him. After what he said, she wasn’t too enthusiastic about it. But he really did seem sorry…she guessed. She’d have to talk with Takeshi about it. She decided to call him over first.

As Takeshi came through the front door about twenty minutes later, Ayaka began to get nervous. Takeshi walked into the kitchen, where Ayaka stood at one of the counters. “What’s up, babe? You alright?” Ayaka looked away guiltily, choosing her words carefully. “I…don’t know how to say this, but…I think I made a bit of a mistake.” Takeshi looked at her questioningly. “A mistake? Like what?” Ayaka bit her lip and replied, “Well…it’s about Rusty. And you. See…I think I overreacted with him. I was just so upset…so worried that he might die that I…I just ran from him.”

She rubbed her arm as she continued to speak. “I…I’d like to go back to him now. But…I appreciate all that you’ve done for me, Takeshi. I really do. You were there for me when I was upset. Thank you.” Ayaka never expected Takeshi to react the way he was about to, however. He looked at her suspiciously. “Oh…oh I get it now. The bastard in that black GT-R was him, wasn’t it? And now that he beat me, you suddenly don’t feel too comfortable being around me, huh?”

At that, Ayaka got pissed off. “Why does everyone always say that?! I don’t care about who’s better! I’m just a bit confused…but I know what I want. Rusty is the one I love! I know you’re angry, but I’m sorry! You can’t force someone to love you! It’s not going to work out!” Takeshi was furious now. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her outside. “I’m not letting that dumb-ass have you. No way. At least not until I’ve had my way with you!” Ayaka gasped at what Takeshi had just said. “So…that’s why you did this all along…”

Suddenly, Ayaka was truly afraid. There had to be some way to contact Rusty. There just had to be!

Meanwhile, Rusty was sitting at the parking lot, waiting patiently for Ayaka as Kevin and Haruhi pulled in and parked. They noticed Rusty sitting all alone on a bench and went over to find out what was going on. When Rusty told them what he said to Ayaka, and then about the phone call not too long ago, they understood. Haruhi looked sadly at the ground. “So you two really have it rough, don’t you? I wouldn’t know what it’s like…I’ve never been with anyone before…” Rusty smirked faintly and replied, “Well, trust me…you’re lucky for that. I actually envy you…” At hearing that, Haruhi suddenly changed. “No…don’t you dare say that. Listen to me…everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes can leave lasting impressions that hurt us for the rest of our lives…but you can’t keep dwelling in the past, regretting everything you ever did wrong.”

Rusty looked up at her. “Haruhi…” Haruhi continued. “If you want to live a happy life, you have to keep moving forward, even if you keep making mistakes along the way. No life is perfect, but no life is completely terrible either. I’m sure Ayaka understands that as well. She knows you made a mistake. And you admitted your mistake and apologized for it. How could she possibly turn you down? Do you really think she’s that heartless, Rusty?”

Rusty looked as though he was about to cry. Where did all of that advice on life come from all of a sudden? He had never seen Haruhi like that before. “Y-you’re right…she has to come. I’ll wait. I’ll wait all night long. Thank you…” Then, Haruhi looked around curiously. “Oh! Hey, where’s your car anyway?” Rusty suddenly jumped up nervously and looked at his GT-R. “Oh, um…heh heh…in storage. You know how it is, right? Just can’t bring myself to race anymore after she left me…”

At the same time, Ayaka was sitting in the passenger seat of Takeshi’s R33 as he drove to the highway, heading for his house. Ayaka yelled, “You won’t get away with this! You’ll see! I’ll find a way out of here!” Takeshi just smirked. “Yeah, whatever.” As Ayaka squirmed in her seat, she felt something in her pants pocket. As she felt inside, she suddenly felt relieved. Her cell phone! She had forgotten to take it out of her pocket when she got home! This was her last chance!

She pretended to look out the window as she secretly dialed Rusty’s cell phone number. She knew that Takeshi would take it from her if he saw her talking on it, so there was only one thing she could do.

Back at the lot, Rusty once again sat alone as Haruhi and Kevin left. Just then, his cell phone rang. He pulled it out and looked at the caller id. It was Ayaka! He quickly answered it. “Ayaka?”

Back in Takeshi’s car, Ayaka was relieved to see that Rusty had answered, but she couldn’t bring the phone up to her ear to listen. Instead, she shouted, “Dragonfang, how could you do this?! How could you kidnap me?! Where are you taking me?!” Rusty suddenly began listening very intently. “What?! He kidnapped her?!” In the background, he heard Takeshi speaking, saying that he was going to his house via the highway. It was the quickest way to get there, and no one could catch up to him. Especially not the cops.

Rusty ran to his car and started it up. Suddenly, his eyes turned black, and Outcast took over again. “And just what do you think you’re doing? Do you really think that I’m going to let you help her after all she’s done to you?” Rusty was pissed now. “SHUT THE HELL UP! YOU’RE JUST A CAR! LEARN YOUR PLACE!” Then he began to calm down. “She’s in trouble…I have to help her. No…we have to help her. Together. This is all your fault, so you’re helping me now!”

And with that, Rusty started up the car and took off, listening to the conversation on the phone to figure out where Dragonfang might be at the moment. He heard something about C1 Outbound…looks like that was where he’d find that bastard.

As he came onto the C1 outer loop, he began to hear a GT-R. Perfect timing. Dragonfang’s R33 drove past just as Rusty entered the loop line. Rusty looked serious as he began to give chase. Ayaka gasped as she suddenly saw headlights in the rearview mirrors. “Is it you?!” She had the phone up to her ear now, and Takeshi suddenly realized what was going on. “Shit! You little…” He snatched the phone from her and hung it up immediately as he increased his pace. “Not this time, big boy. She’s all mine.”

Rusty kept right on Dragonfang’s rear bumper. He wasn’t going to let up until the bastard stopped. He’d never lose him, he knew that much. And sooner or later, Dragonfang would have to stop somewhere. Rusty just hoped that the cops wouldn’t get involved. He’d hate to get pulled over for speeding and let this bastard get away. After all, he had a feeling that this chase would lead off of the highway at some point.

Dragonfang did his best to try to lose Rusty, but nothing was working. Even with a perfect grip run, Rusty stayed right on him. “Shit shit SHIT!!!” Ayaka held on for her life as Takeshi hastily maneuvered through traffic, trying to keep his speed up as he did so. But it still wouldn’t get Rusty off of his tail.

Meanwhile, Rusty felt something amazing. He was actually in control, but Outcast was still helping him out. They were truly working together! Man and machine, perfectly working as one entity. Rusty smirked. “Time to stop running, dragon boy. GIVE ME MY GIRLFRIEND BACK!” With that, Rusty accelerated, showing his GT-R’s true power. He pulled up on the left, forcing Dragonfang to stay in the right lane. Unfortunately, there was a big truck in his way. He had no choice but to slow down…and Rusty knew it.

As soon as he slowed down, Rusty turned his car sideways, bracing for an impact as he used his car to block Dragonfang from going forward. The inevitable impact came with a heart-wrenching crunch and the sound of shattered glass. As soon as both cars came to a complete stop, Rusty got out and ran to the passenger side of the R33, seeing Ayaka inside. She was shaken up, but she was glad to see him. She unlocked the door and got out of the car, throwing her arms around him in relief.

Takeshi was so shaken up that he just sat there, staring at the road ahead in horror. Ayaka smiled as Rusty looked her in the eyes. “You may be crazy…but I’ll never stop caring for you no matter how many times you crash. Who would’ve thought that a crash would actually save my life…” At that, the two of them laughed. Then Rusty smirked and said, “I guess it’s just the two of us again.” Ayaka smiled happily and nodded. “Hm! For better or for worse! I’m with you ‘til the end! Because…well, you know…” She began to blush as she gave him a bashful look. Rusty held her in his arms. Yeah, he knew.

“I love you too, Ayaka.”

Trying to call Ayaka? Good decision Rusty. And nice writing yet again fettman53. The message he leaves behind on the answering machine is written quite convincingly, with a slight hint of awkwardness.

And Takeshi pulls a Miki. . . . What's this? Outcast and Rusty worked together to save her in a chase sequence featuring more good writing?

The image of two damaged GT-Rs on a public road, with Takeshi sitting stunned inside one, while Rusty and Ayaka embrace each other nearby and say how they feel about each other, seems slightly cheesy though (with a little bit of funny mixed in). But that's just what I think.

Hmm. . My speedometer's needle is stuck at "MOAR PLZ!". Do you think you could help?

Sure! *upgrades your speedometer with MOAR!!!*


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


Act 26 – Fate Of The Demon


Around midnight, out on the C1 inner loop, Alicia drove her black R34 furiously, barreling through the corners like she had a death wish. She was extremely pissed that she lost to Haruhi. And on her own turf, too! She had been running these roads way more than Haruhi could ever hope too! She had even once been the fastest on the highway! The only reason why she left the highways for the mountains was because it was getting boring being the fastest! Now her mountain rival beats her on the highways too?!

She gritted her teeth. What was it that made Haruhi better than she was? Why did she always lose to her? WHY?! Alicia barreled around another corner and blasted onto a straightaway. She was extremely pissed. “Dammit! Why aren’t I fast enough?! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!”

Suddenly, headlights flashed in her rearview mirrors. Another car was coming up fast. “At this speed? I’m going 290kmph! Are you kidding me?!” The car quickly caught up and began tailing her, almost as if interested. “What the hell do you want?! CAN’T YOU SEE THAT I’M PISSED?!” She wished that she could go faster, but in all reality she was at her limit. And at the speed that this car had caught up to her at, it was bound to pass her. But she’d fight until she couldn’t anymore!

She didn’t stay in front for long. The challenging car apparently lost interest not far into the race, and decided to pass her. And it did so with frightening ease. Alicia looked at the car in horror as it passed her on a straightaway. A blood red R34…

The red GT-R roared away, disappearing into the darkness of the night. Alicia watched the car with her eyes open wide. “That thing was unnaturally fast. Who was that?!”

The next day, Kevin worked on Rusty’s GT-R, repairing the damage it took a couple nights earlier. He had heard that Rusty and Ayaka were back together, and that they had plans to get married. He had almost forgotten how old he and his friends were now. He sort of figured it probably was about the age that people were usually married. Time went by so fast that it was easy to forget. He still felt like a teenager. He still looked like one too. So did all of the rest of his friends. Maybe it was just the way he saw things…

Zero was hanging out in the garage as Kevin worked on the GT-R. “So, I hear that a legend has finally come to an end. The Satan Z has finally defeated Raven Blood. That’s the word on the street, anyway.” Kevin blinked as he lazily worked on the underbody of the car. “Yeah…” Zero looked through a newspaper as he spoke. “Ah, those kids with their pride and all…who cares who beats who? What does it matter? Not like you get a prize or anything for beating a random racer.”

Kevin absentmindedly nodded and replied, “Mm-hm…” He felt the same way that Zero did. Everyone made such a big deal about him being the fastest on the highway, but did it really matter? Who cared? Not like he got some big prize or anything. He still had to work and pay the bills. He was no different from anyone else.

Zero turned the page. “I wonder what that demon car will do, now that it’s been defeated. According to the story, it was trying to prove that cars that drive themselves are better than cars driven by humans. Seeing as the Satan Z’s driver won against it, it was proven wrong. You think it’ll look for a driver now?” Kevin took his gloves off and put away his tools, getting ready to call Rusty to pick up the car. “How should I know?” Zero continued to read the paper. “Guess we’ll see. Wonder who it’ll be in the end…the driver of that demon car…”

When Rusty arrived, he felt relieved to be reunited with his GT-R. He put his hand on the hood and had a look of seriousness on his face. “There’s still one more thing that we have to do…” Outcast replied to Rusty with satisfaction. “Yes…the demon that humiliated us…the both of us want revenge.” Rusty nodded.

“Let’s go…to the Wangan.”

As the sun began to set, and the full moon began to rise, Rusty set out on the highway. It was calm. The traffic drove along peacefully, and Rusty went along with it. There was no point in driving fast. Raven Blood would inevitably come to him. Then, he and Outcast would work together to bring it down.

Earlier during the day, Rusty told Ayaka all about Outcast, and even proved it to her by showing her his eyes when Outcast took over. He then told her what he needed to do. She decided to let him do what he wanted. After all, there was no stopping Rusty.

Suddenly, the calm of the night was broken by the menacing roar of Raven Blood as it blasted down the highway like a rocket, shooting past Rusty with incredible force. Rusty smirked. “Let’s do it.” His eyes turned black, and Outcast sped up. Around a few corners, they caught up to the demon car. Rusty looked at it seriously. “You’re going down tonight, Raven Blood. I am the fastest GT-R in all of Japan!” With that, he flashed his lights to issue a challenge, which was accepted with the roar of Raven Blood’s engine as it increased its pace.

Outcast increased his pace as well, staying right on Raven Blood’s bumper. As soon as Raven Blood hit 4th gear, however, it gradually began to pull away. Rusty activated his nitrous in order to keep up until the next corner, which worked pretty well. Through the corner, Rusty caught up slightly, but not by much. Then, on the straightaway, Raven Blood pulled ahead again. Rusty frowned. How was he going to do this?

Then, for some reason, he began to think about Haruhi. He remembered what Kevin had told him about her a few years ago. About how she beat her opponents. She’d watch them from behind and find their weakness, then use it against them to defeat them. Every car had a weakness of some kind. So what was Raven Blood’s weakness? What strength did Outcast have over Raven Blood?

Rusty kept up as best he could, and was doing a pretty good job. But he knew that it wouldn’t last forever. One of them had to give out first. And humans actually got tired. Cars didn’t.

Wait. That wasn’t true. Cars did tire after a while.

Hold on…TIRES!!!

Rusty had recently gotten some medium race slicks from Kevin to test out. He doubted that Raven Blood, the awesome machine that it was, had such great tires. That was his advantage. He had grip!

Through the corners, Rusty began to notice that Raven Blood was a bit slower than he was. That was because it had to brake longer than he did in order to have enough grip to take the corners. If he could get just a little closer as they entered a corner…

As they came up to a corner, Rusty hit his nitrous, pulling up beside of Raven Blood on the inside. From there it was a test of braking, in which both opponents seemed to have the same amount of skill in. But then was the test of grip. Although Raven Blood had an enormous amount of power, due to the shape of its old tires, not all of the power was able to be used to its full potential. Outcast, on the other hand, with its brand new racing slicks, was able to pull through with ease, using all of its power perfectly.

After Rusty led for a few kilometers, Raven Blood activated its hazard lights, signaling that…it had given up! Rusty narrowed his eyes suspiciously. It was almost too easy. Outcast took over from there, following Raven Blood off of the highway and straight to the place where the demon car had been hiding out all this time: an old, abandoned junkyard.

Rusty got out and looked at Raven Blood, sitting there in the junkyard, facing him. Outcast spoke to Rusty. “It seems that you are worthy in the demon’s eyes. It has accepted you as its driver, should you wish to take on the task. Every night on a full moon, you will be able to drive it. You will be…Raven Blood. Of course, this is all up to you. Do you accept?” Rusty looked at the red R34 and nodded.

“I do.”

Meanwhile, Haruhi sat at the parking lot, waiting for someone. She had called Chinatsu earlier, and wasn’t all that surprised to find that Chinatsu wasn’t the one who answered the phone. It was someone different, although the voice was the same.

She heard the sound of a high-performance racing machine as the pink Supra arrived. Haruhi walked up as the driver rolled down the window. It looked like Chinatsu at a glance, but her eyes…there was a strange look in her eyes. She was different. This definitely wasn’t the sweet, caring Chinatsu that she worked with every day. “So,” Haruhi said, “you’re Eve.”

And so Raven Blood has finally found a driver worthy of it. Rusty's going to be quite a force in that thing.

Hmm, so Chinatsu has a split personality? Or is it just the same person acting different enough to to actually be different? I wonder what this "Eve" persona is like compared to the person Haruhi is familiar with.


I could just go to WME and skip ahead, but I like reading it the current way. So do post up the next chapter

Act 27 – Couple?


Eve looked at Haruhi with a serious expression. Her stunning eyes stared Haruhi down. But Haruhi wasn’t afraid. Eve was just another opponent to defeat. That’s all she was to her. And Haruhi wasn’t afraid of any opponent. “I want to battle you.” Eve didn’t flinch or anything, still staring Haruhi down. “I know. I’ve known ever since I met you. Why should I race a little brat like you? It is no challenge. You and your car do not have what it takes to defeat me and mine.”

Haruhi frowned. She didn’t exactly take well to being insulted. “I’m going to be the best someday. I figure I should get you out of the way right now and take the title of fastest female from you.” Eve seemed insulted that Haruhi would even think to suggest that she could win against her. “Hmph. What a fool. You don’t know whom you’re dealing with. You think that just because you’ve beaten those ‘untouchables’ that you can take down anyone? How naïve. Very well. I will race you…and show you just how amateur you are.”

Haruhi grimaced. This definitely wasn’t Chinatsu. Eve looked Haruhi in the eye and said, “Next full moon. I’ll be here.” And with that, she rolled up the window and pulled out of the parking lot. Haruhi suddenly hated Eve. A lot. And it took quite a bit to make Haruhi truly hate you. She was looking forward to taking that jerk down. Eve would learn very quickly not to underestimate Haruhi.

The next morning at Zero’s restaurant, Zero and a couple of people working in the restaurant began to open up for the day. Kevin sat in the office and waited, and pretty soon Zero walked in, closing the door behind him and taking a seat at his desk. “So…what’s been going on lately with you all? I haven’t seen you on the highways lately.” Kevin looked very tired. He tiredly closed his eyes, then forced himself to open them back up. “Do you have to ask?”

Zero chuckled. “Insomnia again, huh? I thought Haruhi was your magic cure for that particular problem. What’s the matter? Did she loose her luster already?” Kevin looked at him with surprise. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Zero blinked, then smirked as he said, “What, you mean to tell me that the both of you are still virgins after living under the same roof the way you do?” Kevin had a casual look on his face as he bluntly replied, “Yes.”

Zero crossed his arms and said, “Well then, my apologies. But perhaps you should see a doctor about your insomnia.” Kevin suddenly looked frustrated. “I’m not taking any sleeping pills or anything. No drugs. Besides…I don’t think it’s something wrong with my body…I think it’s my mind.” Zero looked at him questioningly. “Your…mind?” Kevin tiredly closed his eyes again. “Yes…maybe I’m just…depressed. Lonely. Maybe her presence…having her close to me as I lie down…makes me happy.”

Zero looked at him and asked, “So why don’t you ever let her close? You two are together, aren’t you? It shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Kevin looked a bit surprised. “Actually…although we told each other our feelings…we aren’t officially together, now that I think about it. At least…that’s how I feel…” Suddenly, Kevin realized that he wasn’t satisfied with that. His heart began to ache…ache of loneliness. He needed to know what Haruhi felt about the subject. He needed to know for sure.

That evening, Kevin sat in the living room of his house in his recliner as Haruhi made herself a glass of water in the kitchen. Kevin also noticed that they hadn’t actually talked at all for so long. Evenings usually consisted of them sitting in silence in the living room, watching television or something. Then Haruhi would fall asleep on the couch, and Kevin would either sit there doing nothing or go out and drive the Wangan. Well…the television was off. Maybe they’d actually start a conversation with each other.

Haruhi came out with her water and sat on the couch, sitting the water on the coffee table. She then reached for the remote, and that’s when Kevin suddenly spoke up. “No!” His voice startled Haruhi, who quickly sat back on the couch. Kevin once again had a tired look on his face. “Not tonight.” And so they continued to sit in silence. Haruhi seemed to be trying to avoid looking at him as she sat on the couch. She was beginning to feel a little awkward.

Kevin sat still, looking at the coffee table in front of him. It was polished earlier, possibly by Haruhi. It seems that she also bought a decorative cloth to place in the middle, sort of like a circular placemat. On top of it sat an elegant vase. Was she planning on putting flowers in it, perhaps?

“Zero spoke to me earlier today. He sort of woke me up to something that I hadn’t been thinking about before…” Haruhi looked at him curiously. Kevin continued to stare at the coffee table as he spoke. “He made me realize that…we’re not really together. And just now…just now I realized that we never even really talk anymore. We never really did…” Haruhi looked sad, and a bit ashamed. “That’s both of our faults…”

Kevin blinked tiredly. “I still have insomnia. It’s acting up again. And I’ve finally realized that I want more than this. I want us to be a little closer. I didn’t know it, but it was tearing me up inside that we hadn’t officially gotten together. It was like we were teasing each other…like holding a piece of bacon just out of a dog’s reach. It’s there, but it isn’t doing itself…or us…any good unless…” Haruhi stared at the coffee table as well. “So…you want to officially get together.” She smiled slightly. “Of course. It’s what I’ve always wanted. I just…never thought you’d be the one to suggest it.”

Kevin was relieved. So Haruhi had felt the same way. “So then it’s official now…we’re…” Haruhi smiled and looked at him as the excitement finally set in for her. “A couple!” Suddenly the atmosphere in Kevin’s house changed. The two of them felt more relaxed. They felt that they could be more open with each other. Haruhi sighed lovingly as she sat back in the couch, letting her crazy dreams of love take her away. There were so many things that they could do now that they couldn’t do before. They could show their affection for each other in public! And it wouldn’t feel awkward!

Kevin got up out of his recliner and said, “Oh…and you can sleep in my bed, you know…” Haruhi instantly got up with a jolt. “O-oh! Okay.” Then she blushed with a bashful look on her face. “But…don’t you think it’s a bit early for that?” Kevin raised an eyebrow. “What? We did it before…” Haruhi suddenly frowned. “Oh…right…I thought you meant…er…nevermind…”

Meanwhile, as the sun set, Rusty drove Raven Blood to one of his friends’ house. As he got out, his friend opened up his front door and walked out. He had short, black spiky hair and wore blue jeans and a red shirt with a Mobile Suit picture on the front. Rusty got out of Raven Blood with a smirk and yelled, “Yo, Miyakawa! You think you can do me a favor?” His friend, Raito Miyakawa, walked down his lawn with his hands in his pockets. “Sure thing. Whaddya need?”

Rusty patted Raven Blood’s roof and said, “I need you to take good care of this car for me. I’ll come to use it every night with a full moon. Every other night, you can use it I guess. If it’ll let you, that is. Its name is Raven Blood. The demon of the highway.” Miyakawa stared at the car seriously. “I understand. I’ll take good care of it. I promise.” With that, Rusty walked off to call a taxi, giving Miyakawa the keys. Miyakawa got in the car to put it in his garage.

But as he got in, he had the sudden urge to run on the highways.

This post has been edited by fettman53 on Dec 28 2008, 08:57 PM

Friendly Chinatsu by day, not all that friendly Eve by night. I wonder how Haruhi'll act around Chinatsu now.

How sweet, Kevin and Haruhi finally broke through the awkward atmosphere.

And the possessions continue. .


I would like MOAR please.

Act 28 – Fastest Female On The Highways


Midnight. The full moon lit the sky up almost as bright as the city lights did. And Haruhi once again sat in the parking lot, waiting for her opponent to arrive. She had the utmost confidence in herself. She couldn’t lose now. She was going to be the best. She most definitely would not lose to a jerk like Eve. How could she insult her like that? She had never seen her race! She had no place to judge her!

Haruhi heard the Supra before she saw it. It rolled into the parking lot and parked in a position that showed that Eve was ready to go. As Haruhi walked to her car, she suddenly began to feel nervous. It was one of those things that happened right before you did something big, like get up on stage in front of a large crowd. It was normal. But Haruhi didn’t like it. It ruined her self-confidence.

She got into her car and followed Eve out onto the C1 inner loop. Haruhi took a deep breath and relaxed in her seat. This was going to be easy. She just knew it. For some reason, she just had this feeling that she was actually going to have fun. And that was what was important on the Wangan. Haruhi had yet to understand that, however. But it was alright as long as she won.

As the race began, Eve immediately began to pull away. Haruhi gritted her teeth as she watched the Supra widen the gap with ease. The first corner was a left, downhill corner. Eve hit her brakes first, then Haruhi followed, closing the gap. Haruhi had expected that Eve’s weakness would be her car’s weight. But it couldn’t be that easy. Eve was holding back. She had to be. No one with her reputation could be caught this easily. She watched the Supra closely, looking for a change in the way it drove.

Eve had a neutral face on as she ran the roads. Every once in a while she’d check the rearview mirrors to see if her pursuer was keeping up. Haruhi was the first to actually be able to do so for so long, but the race had just begun, and Eve wasn’t even going all out yet. When she did, it would be over in an instant. Until then, she’d play around and let Haruhi believe that she was keeping up.

“All drivers are the same. No matter who you race…there’s always someone better than you. You race because you can’t accept that fact, and wish to prove it wrong. Can you prove me wrong…Haruhi?” She pressed further on the accelerator, upping her pace. Haruhi noticed it and was ready for it, upping her pace as well. They went through another corner, and this time Eve got through it a little faster. But Haruhi still closed the gap that Eve had gained during the previous straightaway.

It seemed to be a stalemate so far. Eve would widen the gap on the straightaways, and then Haruhi would close them in the corner following. Eve’s Supra had more torque and base horsepower, but Haruhi’s FD was lighter. Also, earlier during the day, her order came in for a carbon fiber hood. It had been painted the same color as the rest of her car, and was currently equipped on the car, making it even lighter than it used to be. Also, Kevin seemed to have gotten a surprising amount of racing slicks for testing out, and allowed her to use a set. So it was very likely that Haruhi had the advantage in grip as well. But who had better skill?

Eve balanced her accelerator through a long turn, downshifting halfway through to get her revs back up as she exited the corner, and Haruhi did the same. It seemed that Haruhi had unconsciously begun copying Eve’s line. Pretty soon she’d find its weakness, just like she always did. Eve was leading. That would be her downfall. Haruhi’s brown eyes stared intently at the Supra in front of her, watching its every move and copying it flawlessly. Some would say that the difference in cars would make it impossible for Haruhi to copy as well as she was. But somehow, she pulled it off.

The grip from the tires she was using was phenomenal. Haruhi had never felt anything like it before. She was pretty sure that her car’s limits were extended tremendously simply due to the new tires, and that she wasn’t even scratching the surface of her car’s new limits. She needed to get used to it. She needed to know just how far she could push it before she could go all out.

She continued to follow Eve as she blitzed the C1 inner circuit. Haruhi found the pace quite calming, even though it was extremely fast. The car was more responsive and easier to handle. It was easier to follow such a tough opponent as Eve than it probably would have been before the changes. Haruhi had never imagined just how much the performance of a car relied on the type of tires being used until now. It was amazing!

As Eve and Haruhi continued down the highway, they began to come up on an entrance to the C1 inner loop, which they were currently running on. They had to be careful to watch for cars merging onto the highway as they passed by it. Eve passed it successfully, but as Haruhi came up on it, she heard the sound of a familiar engine, and her eyes went wide with surprise as the car merged onto the highway.

The red S30!

Kevin merged onto the highway as a pink Supra with stripes down the middle roared by. He looked in his mirrors to see a familiar, silver FD behind him, coming up fast. So Haruhi was challenging Exhaust Eve. Kevin blinked absentmindedly as Haruhi passed him. Maybe he should follow and see what happens. He wanted to see how well Haruhi coped with the new tires too. He lightly pressed down on his accelerator in order to go a bit faster and stay behind them.

Haruhi’s heart began beating fast now. Kevin was watching. She had to do her best! She tried not to get too excited and make a wrong move. She wanted to stay behind and wait for the right moment to pass. Eve wasn’t toying with her anymore. She was going all out. Haruhi had to be extra careful as to how she went about passing her. That is…if she ever even came close to doing so.

Haruhi continued to close the gap around every corner. Her entry and exit were better than Eve’s, and she was slowly getting better and better. Eve was starting to get frustrated. The race was taking way longer than she had planned. And as soon as the sun came up, she went back to being Chinatsu. She gritted her teeth. And…he was here too. The mysterious red S30 that defeated her seven years ago…the one that ended her perfect record. She still wasn’t ready for him yet…running only on full moons contributed to her lack of skill. If only Chinatsu raced…

She shifted up into fourth gear as she traversed a straightaway. Usually, in fourth gear, her Supra became unstoppable. But when paired up with these two opponents, apparently it wasn’t so tough anymore. She began to break a sweat. She had never broken a sweat in a race before! Never! What made these two drivers different from all of the others?! What did they have?!

Eve slightly understeered through a corner. Her tires were beginning to wear down. She groaned in frustration. Her opponents weren’t slipping up at all. They were right on her, probably just waiting to pounce. If worse came to worse, she could always block them and prevent them from passing. It wasn’t very honorable, but her title was on the line. If Haruhi defeated her…then what would she have to live for? At all costs, she couldn’t let that happen!

Finally, Haruhi decided to make her move. On the straightaway, she began to approach, ready to overtake the Supra. But just as she was about to pass, Eve blocked her off. She quickly hit the brakes to avoid running into the rear of the Supra. “Tch…” She gritted her teeth and attempted to pass again. Unfortunately, she was met with the same response. So that’s how Eve wanted to do it? Fine then. Haruhi began to look serious. She’d make the move on the next right corner. She set herself up on the inside lane, and Eve did as well, blocking her off. As they approached the corner, Haruhi suddenly switched to the outer lane. Eve saw this and quickly moved to block her off.

In his S30, Kevin couldn’t help but smile. She got that trick from watching him race.

As Eve switched to the outer lane during the right corner, Haruhi quickly switched back to the inside lane and came side-by-side with Eve’s Supra at the apex of the turn. As they came out of the corner, they went through an immediate left, then side-by-side onto the straightaway, through a small tunnel with a right hand corner, and finally back onto another straightaway. Next up was the sharp, downhill left. Who would make it through the fastest?

Having recently rewatched a certain battle in Battle Stage, my lips curved into a knowing grin the moment Eve switched to the outside to block Haruhi.

Who'll make it through the fastest! Haruhi?! Eve?! Kevin?! Well, okay, Kevin's not even participating. But who will it be?!

Next time on Shutokou Battle Stage 2! A new chapter shall be posted because the readers wanted one! Don't miss it.

Act 29 – Lucifer Z


Haruhi was on the inside, Eve on the outer lane. Both women hit their brakes, but Eve, being pressured, actually slammed on hers on instinct. Unfortunately, that was a big mistake. While Eve’s brakes locked up due to the fact that she removed ABS from her Supra to lighten the car, Haruhi lightly pressed down on her brakes through the corner. Eve’s heavy Supra refused to turn halfway through, and began to slide to the outside.

Eve’s eyes went wide. “No…NO!” She quickly got back on the accelerator and tried to regain traction, but she had acted too late. The side of her car grinded against the outer wall, and she was forced to stop. Kevin easily maneuvered through the inside and passed her, and then he and Haruhi both stopped their cars and got out to see if Eve was okay.

Eve was so upset that she was unable to express her anger and frustration. She just sat there, staring at the steering wheel. That was twice now that red S30 defeated her. And now she also lost her title as the fastest female on the highways…to that kid. Little Haruhi…why did she lose to her?!

Kevin and Haruhi stood next to Eve’s Supra, waiting for some sort of response. Finally, Eve rolled her eyes and rolled down her window. “So you’ve won. You’re fastest woman on the highways around here. Don’t screw up and make us all look bad, now.” Haruhi flinched at hearing that. She suddenly realized that she represented all of the female racers on the highway now. Eve actually smiled as she said, “We’re all counting on you.”

Haruhi was surprised to see Eve smile, and decided to smile as well as she nodded. Eve rolled up her window and drove away, leaving Haruhi and Kevin alone together. Haruhi looked at Kevin, expecting some sort of congratulations or speech. But he was silent. He didn’t even look at her. He simply walked back to his car. This actually made Haruhi angry for some reason. “What? No praise? Not even a ‘good job?’ I worked so hard…”

Kevin stopped and said, “You shouldn’t look for praise every time you win a race. I get no praise at all, and I’ve never lost. You’re fastest female on the highways now. You’ll have to get used to men that act like jerks and think that women are inferior. Don’t get discouraged if you beat them and they say they went easy on you or if they simply insult you, saying that you were lucky. Other than that, Eve said all that I wanted to say to you. If you want praise, then fine. Good job. You beat Exhaust Eve. I beat her every time she comes out.”

Haruhi flinched. Kevin continued. “I understand that you have to work harder to defeat opponents that I wouldn’t even think twice about. But you can always be better as a racer. I myself am still improving. The way you go about this, it seems like every time you defeat someone tough, you think you can take a break and everyone is happy for you and you should have some party thrown or something. Winning out here means nothing. Neither does losing. Keep getting better. The only thing that matters when you’re a racer is defeating yourself and your own weaknesses. Until you have done that…it doesn’t matter how many people you defeat…you have lost.”

Haruhi looked sad. She thought for sure that Kevin would be happy for her. Now that she had beaten Eve…was he expecting more from her? She had to work ever harder. Would this chase never end? This chase…to gain Kevin’s attention....to be worthy in his eyes…

Suddenly, a black 240Z stopped near them. The two of them looked at it curiously. Haruhi said, “Who…who is that?” Kevin looked at it. He had never seen it before. That was actually strange. Was it a racer? Or a civilian vehicle stopping to see if anyone needed help?

The driver door opened, and a girl about 4’8” stepped out. She had long, black hair and dark eyes that looked as though they were black as well. She wore a thin, black sweater and a black skirt. There was a necklace-like chain around her waist, made of black metal, with a Christian cross keychain hanging off of it, also made with black metal. She wore thigh-high black socks and black, shiny shoes that looked a bit schoolgirl-ish. She just stood there for a minute, looking at the two of them before finally walking over.

“I had been watching you…ever since that battle with the man in the furious NSX…the one known as Banshee. The two of you handled him quite well. Your reputations are not simply false rumors after all.” Haruhi looked at Kevin, then at the girl. Who was this girl? She had been watching them? Was this girl scoping out opponents?! Kevin frowned. “I’m sure you enjoyed being our audience, but we’re not here to put on a show for children. Now if you’ll excuse me.” He turned to leave, but the girl seemed to take offense to his comment.

“I am not a child! I am nineteen years old! I’m small…but I am an adult!” She gave the both of them a stern look. “I have yet to lose a race that I have entered. I’m feared by many racers for my skill. My name is Lucy. But most people simply call me Lucyfer…after the devil’s name. Lucifer.” She looked at her black S30. “This is my car. The Lucifer Z.” She looked back at them seriously. “And I challenge the two of you for the title of fastest on the highway.”

Haruhi was nervous, but Kevin had gotten used to these types of challenges. Haruhi suddenly gasped and looked surprised. “You…you’re Hako’s little sister!” Lucy looked dead serious. “Yes. And I am sick of being compared to her. I’ll defeat the two racers that she couldn’t…and be fastest in Tokyo! Tokyo’s…EXTREME RACER! My Z has a Silvia racing engine installed. There’s no way you’ll beat me!” Haruhi was surprised. An engine swap from another car?!

Kevin wasn’t interested though, and got in his car and started up the engine. Lucy didn’t give up hope, however. “I’ll see the two of you again soon. You know where to find me…or my sister, if you prefer. I look forward…to thrashing the two of you on my own.” Haruhi flinched. Lucy was completely different from back when Haruhi first met her. She was scary now. Scary serious. She had been watching the two of them. She must know how fast they are. And yet she still wanted to race them. She even believed that she’d win. That was enough to make Haruhi nervous.

Kevin drove away, and Haruhi slowly backed away towards her FD, while Lucy stared at her. Her eyes were like blades. Her gaze would cut right through you. No wonder she was feared by the other racers. Haruhi got into her FD and drove back to Kevin’s house. When she got there, Kevin was sitting in his recliner, eating some vegetable soup in silence.

Haruhi blushed. He was so confident. Either that, or he just didn’t care. Either way…he was just so cute. She blushed even more. She couldn’t believe she just thought that! She closed her eyes, trying to hide her embarrassment. Good thing he couldn’t hear what she was thinking. So embarrassing.

When she finally managed to stop blushing, she said, “So…are you racing her?” Kevin swallowed and just sat there. He spoke after a moment of silence. “I doubt it. She’s just a kid that thinks she’s tough because she defeated a few racers.” Haruhi began to argue. “But…she says she’s been watching us! She knows how good we are!” Kevin closed his eyes. “Out of all the times that I’ve raced, I’ve never gone all out. Have you?”

Haruhi stopped and thought. As she did so, her nervousness subsided. “No…now that I think about it.” Kevin looked at his soup. “Then what’s the problem?” Haruhi looked a bit tired. Kevin always seemed so cool and calm, and he always knew more than she did. There was nothing more to say, and she guessed that Kevin wasn’t expecting a reply. She sat down on the couch in silence as Kevin ate his soup. She was still so weak. She wanted to be just like Kevin someday. She wanted to be the best.

The next day, at Kevin’s garage, Kevin was helping Haruhi change the oil in her FD when a visitor entered. It was…Hako. Haruhi looked up and was quite surprised to see her. She never got to say hello that night…to either her or Alicia. Hako outran the both of them and then left. Hako bowed to the both of them to show her respect and apologize for intruding, then said, “My sister challenged you. But…I don’t think you should race her just yet…”

Haruhi stood up and said, “Why not? And why is she racing now? Back when we first met, she didn’t seem like the kind of person who’d ever race a car…” Hako blinked, with a blank look on her face. Suddenly, her face actually showed emotion! Sadness…

She replied, “Because of me. It was all my fault. My parents always told me that she looked up to me…wanted to be like me. But I really think that all she wanted was to be seen as her own person…different from me. My parents were so proud of how well I drove. They paid so much attention to me…that I think…” Haruhi seemed to sympathize with Hako. “Hako…”

Hako suddenly looked serious. “She wants to prove that she is better than me by defeating who I couldn’t. Before she races you…I want to race you! I want our final rematch, for back on the mountain! A one-on-one battle! One lap around the C1 Inner Loop! I will not accept ‘no’ as an answer.” Haruhi frowned. So she was still sour about her defeat back then. What was a rematch going to accomplish though? Especially if Haruhi won again…

Haruhi said, “Fine. If that’s what you want…I guess I’ll do it. I need to sooner or later anyway. Might as well be now.” Hako nodded and then stated, “I understand that you are the fastest female on the highway now. I wonder if I can take that title for myself. I shall see you later tonight.” With that, she walked out.

Haruhi groaned. She just realized that she had a pretty big responsibility as fastest female on the highway now. Anyone that challenged her for her title had to be defeated. But even if she wasn’t fastest…she was pretty sure that Kevin wanted her to race Hako anyway. She looked at him, changing the oil in her FD. Was it really worth it? Was it really worth trying to impress him?

Sibling rivalry. Ain't it just great?

This is still an interesting story, so please post up the next chapter.

*door creaks open*

Girl's voice: Erm...

*door closes. Haruhi walks in bashfully*

Haruhi: Mmm...umm...h-hi...

Kevin: Say what we came to say.

Haruhi: *startled* Y-yes! Right, um...erm.........um...

Kevin: "Um?" Did we come here to say "um?"

Haruhi: *closes eyes, forcing herself to be brave* No, no...um...Fettman is busy, so...*swallows* So we're here to talk to everyone for a while. Until he's finished...

Kevin: We'll be here until the final act for stage 2 is finished. Feel free to talk to us until then. *sits down in chair*

Haruhi: *all eyes on her* Haha...w-whatcha wanna talk about?

Meteor: Well, uh. . Is he planning on updating that "Go Touge!" story soon?

This post has been edited by Meteor on Jan 14 2009, 08:59 AM

Haruhi: Oh, yes...well...when my...my parents...when they passed away...I was taken into the care of my aunt and uncle, who had moved to America...

Kevin: ...

Haruhi: We lived in the same place that Kevin lived...near the east coast. Also...my aunt and uncle got me my car for my sixteenth birthday. *smile*

*door opens. Rusty walks in and tosses his coat on a nearby chair. Ayaka follows him in and hangs her coat on a coatrack by the door.*

Ayaka: *sigh* Rusty, why don't you ever use the coatrack?

Rusty: *rolls eyes and hangs coat up on the coatrack, then sits down* So what's goin' on?

Kevin: Conversation.

Rusty: Right...

Haruhi: More guests! I just hope that-

*door slams open*

Everyone: !!!!!

Haruhi: Oh no...

Anri: HI EVERYONE!!!!! I'M ANRI!!!!

Everyone but Anri: *sigh*

Haruhi: Anyway, that's the story, Mr. Meteor, sir. *bows*

Anri: What story?! I WANNA HEAR!

Haruhi: Anri, please...

Fettman: Haruhi must've caught your post right before you edited it. "Go Touge" is much harder to write than this story because it's much more focused on the cars and how things work. Not only that, but seeing as I wrote it before, I won't be satisfied unless it's perfect. I don't want it to be different from the original.

Rusty: *shrugs* It's just how things are. Plus...I'm not even in it...

Anri: Like that's a big deal...

Rusty: Hey!

Haruhi: Let's talk about something else... *getting nervous*


This post has been edited by fettman53 on Jan 14 2009, 09:17 AM

*meanwhile, outside Kevin's apartment... A silver 350Z parks right outside their place.*

350Z driver: I wonder what's up here? So many cars parked outside one apartment. Is it a party? With those highly modded cars? Better see what it is...

*knocks at door; random driver opens it*

random driver: Yes, may I... <gasp> you...you...-re...

Daiki: Yeah, um... I'm Daiki Akiyama and I'm just wondering what's going on here.

Shimizu: (standing next to Rusty) It was supposed to be Haruhi and Kevin filling in for Fettman as he finishes the next act but all of a sudden, a lot of people came in... Actually, I was dragged along with the crowd.

Daiki: Shimizu. You're here too?

Shimizu: Well, duh. Who'd you expect?

Daiki: No one in particular. (glances at Haruhi & Kevin)

*Haruhi & Kevin caught Daiki's eye*

Daiki: I've heard about the two of you... mind if I join in the discussion as well? By the way, Shimizu... what was it that they are talking about again?

Shimizu: You've been thinking of Chloe too much are you?

Daiki: *kneels in corner of room* Don't say that name! She's the only one yet I had a horrible experience with her!!

Shimizu: take it easy. I didn't mean it that way. Ahem *cough, cough* sorry for the commotion, Haruhi & Kevin. He's Daiki Akiyama. A Close friend of mine. We're in the same team, Midnight Masters and... practically, that is what you need to know for the moment. *looks back at Daiki* they were about to talk about something else. They just talked about the other story Fettman is working on... "Go Touge" am I right?

Everyone: *nods heads in agreement*

Daiki: Alright, I'm listening...

Shimizu: We just ended that last discussion before you came in...

Daiki: No, I mean I'm ready to listen to the next conversation, este topic...

Fettman: First off, Kevin has an actual house he built himself, so it's a house, not an apartment. Just to clear that up. Now then...

Rusty: So, uh...what are we talking about now?

Kevin: ...

Haruhi: I don't know...why don't we talk about our cars or something? Like how we got them and all that?

Kevin: Whatever...*sits looking bored*

Haruhi: Well, I got mine from my aunt and uncle for my sixteenth birthday!

Anri: You already said that!

Haruhi: Who cares?!

Anri: It's stupid to just repeat yourself like that! Geez!

Haruhi: Will you pipe down, pipsqueak?!

Anri: Pi...pi....PIPSQUEAK?!!!

Kevin: Oh boy...

Anri: WHO'RE YOU CALLIN' A PIPSQUEAK?!!

Haruhi: YOU!!! PIPSQUEAK!!!

Anri: *starts hitting Haruhi on the head with a rolled-up newspaper* YOU TAKE THAT BAAAAACK!!!

Rusty: Sooo...while the little kitties have their cat fight... *leans back in the chair* I got my GT-R myself. Had it imported to America, then I met Ayaka while she was traveling abroad, and before I knew it I was in Japan.

Ayaka: My older sister bought me my Civic back when it was brand new. I bet she'd hate me for all the stuff I've done to it...haha...

Kevin: My S30...I made it myself, from the ground, up.

Rusty: *chuckles* That's Kevin for you. *looks at Shimizu and Daiki* What about you guys?

Shimizu: Us? Well... you wouldn't believe what car I usually use for Racing...

Daiki: Here we go... (followed with huge sigh)

Shimizu: My car is a Nissan R390 GT-1 road car.

Everyone: *huge gasp*

Kevin: ...

Shimizu: Anyway, I got my R390 from a friend who was once part of the 90's le mans. He gave me his R390 road car on the day he officially retires from racing. I did some street upgrades of my own and at 375 hp, it runs up to 298 km/h top speed and could go from 0 - 60 in no less than 3.7 seconds.

Daiki: they don't want to know the stats, they just want to know what car you own and use.

Shimizu: Fine. *shrugs over what Daiki said* Your Turn, Akiyama.

Daiki: I dunno where to start... I mean, I have a GDBF Impreza; the latest one, An Audi S4 98', A GT-R34 LM Pennezoil replica, A spoon Integra type R DC2, A NA2 NSX type R, An AP1 S2000 Opera performance tune, A BMW M3 Continental GT, and A Nissan 350Z Z-S tune. Well, for the Wangan, I mostly use my Z. I bought it stock and custom modded it from Nissan to Nismo with my own upgrades. Started with S upgrades then to the Z tune upgrades with a tri-aspiration: NA, Turbo, Supercharger altogether... in performance but not in upgrades. I can't tell my secret though.

Shimizu: you just went against what you said to me! *pissed*

Daiki: Did I? I must have gotten carried away back there.

Everyone: *jaws down in surprise*

Kevin: (A Le Mans road car and some rich dude owning more than one car but only uses one for the Wangan. Tri aspiration?)...

Shimizu: Well, you did lose to your pal Tomo in the Wangan during your 3-round competition, remember?

Daiki: He got the best of me back there. I attacked too early. His car, in specs is weaker than my Z but he overpowered mine for some reason. That's all I could say.

Shimizu: in fact, that was your only defeat, right?

Daiki: In Japan, yeah. I wonder how the folks at Chiba would react if they ever found out I lost in the Wangan?

Shimizu: ...

Haruhi: Hmm...I don't know a lot about cars, but how can a car be naturally-aspirated and turbocharged at the same time?

Kevin: It can't.

Haruhi: Hmm...

Rusty: *shrugs*

Haruhi: I'm bored. How about a run on the Wangan?

Rusty: Sure. I need to take Outcast out for a bit anyway...

Ayaka: We aren't racing, are we?

Kevin: I'm not.

*everyone walks out and gets in their cars. begins following each other. then Rusty flashes his highbeams at Daiki, wanting to see how good he is.*

Jo: Yo. Any problem if I join in with them?

Meteor: (How'd he get here? Oh right, he's in my head.) Yes, there is.

Jo: Come on! Why not?

Meteor: First off all. Being noticed by anyone other than me in your car right now will result in a time paradox. Secondly, your S24 would be banging off the redline at 180 km/h while everyone else disappears from your sight. And third, I haven't developed your character much, especially since my story's still stuck on the first chapter.

Jo: If you haven't developed my character much, then what's with this conversation?

Meteor: I'm using a stock character type.

Jo: Oh. . . Well, couldn't you write me into a present-time car that can go over 200?

Meteor: I could. . . But they'll feel quite different from what you drive. Now pick one.

Hiroshi: I want one too!

Meteor: (Him too?) Pick one.

Jo: . . . NSX. I've always wondered what a middle-engine felt like.

Hiroshi: The 959 always interested me.

Meteor: Here's the NSX, modified for the expressways. Are you sure about the 959 though? It stands out quite a lot.

Hiroshi: . . . Fine. Porsche 993 Turbo.

Meteor: Gotcha. 911 933 Turbo with a few modifications. Have fun you two.


Jo: (Second gear! . . Third! . . Fourth! . . . Fifth! . . Wow, what a bumpy ride. Wait. How fast can I take these corners?)
Hiroshi: (Maybe I'm going in a little too fast?)
-Both cars brake before entering the corner from the outside. Both cars had relatively slow cornering speeds-

This post has been edited by Meteor on Jan 17 2009, 05:00 AM

Haruhi: Eh?! Who are those guys?

Kevin: ... *drives out in front and leads for no apparent reason...*

Haruhi: Geh... *tries desperately to keep up with him.*

Rusty: *still flashing lights at Daiki. kinda nervous about Jo and Hiroshi.* New Wangan runners...gotta be careful...could be a very unpredictable bunch...