Hashiriya (Volume 2) - Chapter 20 (This Is The End - Conclusion) added 9/11/10!

Holy crap, and I thought my story was going down the depressing and morbid route.

Excellent chapter! I can't wait for epic stuff to start happening!

 

Wow. This entire story has turned cold.
Poor R32...

 

Chapter 4.75 - Detective Work​

There was a knocking sound on the door.
- "Who's there?"
Miyu - "It's me!"
- "Who's "me"?"
Miyu - "You can't even recognise your own sister's voice? Open up!"
I opened the door.
Miyu - "Jeez, you stink!"
Thanks for the compliment. Miyu walked into what used to be my living room.
- "I called the hospital. I asked who dropped me off there. He only gave his name as G.O.N."
Miyu - "G.O.N.? What could that stand for?"
- "Well, he's not Japanese. Otherwise he wouldn't have a middle name."
Miyu - "Could he be Korean?"
- "I don't know any Korean family names which start with "G"."
Miyu - "What's with all the detective work, though?"
- "G.O.N...where have I seen those initials before?"
Miyu - "Do you think...he may be a racing driver?"
- "I don't know. I barely remember anything about his car. All I know is that it's a black Mercedes, most likely from the early 90's."
Miyu - "Well, it can't be the Yakuza then."
- "Of course not, they drive S-Class Mercs...the goons drove an E-Class."
Miyu - "Maybe there were witnesses?"
- "Kasatori trail is usually deserted 24/7. It's not used often."
The phone rang.
- "Mushi mushi?"
Junichi - "I have a lead for you, man."
Junichi is Toshi's cousin, and unlike Toshi, he does have some driving ability.
Junichi - "This guy has some contacts in the know, I've arranged a meeting. He drives a white NSX Type R, NA1 generation, and he's in Chiba Inn, wearing a Honda baseball cap."
- "Domo origato."
I hang up.


- "Thanks for the ride, Miyu. Wait here."
I limped inside the inn (a crutch really slows you down). I spot the contact immediately. He looks a lot like Miki.
- "I take it you're related to Miki Watanabe."
Kentaro - "Kentaro Watanabe, at your service. I'm his cousin."
I rub my hands with glee. He'll lead me straight to Miki...but then Kentaro drops a bombshell.
Kentaro - "He's not in Japan. He left. And no, I don't know where he has gone."
- "When did he go?"
Kentaro - "Yesterday. Uncle Daisuke told me, he's Miki's father. Miki and I haven't talked for about 3 years, and that was at Grandma's funeral."
- "Do you know anyone who might know?"
Kentaro - "Of course...I've more connections than the New York Subway! Try talking to Michio Ichimoto. He drives an Evo 7, often hangs around Mt. Gozaisho. Shouldn't be too far away."

The next day...

Michio - "Get out of my way!"
- "Kentaro sent us."
Michio - "That bastar-sorry, my apologies...I lost to him last Saturday. I'm still pissed off."
Miyu - "Do you know anyone with the initials "G.O.N."?"
Michio - "No. I have a friend who might, though. Tatsuru Ida, he's well-connected, his father's a temple priest, so he's loaded...how I envy him. Now, if you excuse me, I've got a race to go to, and you two Sherlock Holmes wannabes are in my way."

About two hours later...

Miyu parked up alongside a black S13.
Miyu - "Nice car..."
Tatsuru - "Domo origato. Last time I checked, it has 280hp. My best lap on Suzuka...I think it was in the 2'24, 2'25 region."
- "Was this your first car?"
Tatsuru - "Yes, and I will never sell it. I don't need to."
- "Let's cut to the chase. G.O.N. Do you know him-"
Miyu - "Or her."
Tatsuru - "Of course. He often races at Tsukuba, and specialises in wet weather racing. He only ever gives his initials. He adds a bit of a stipulation, too. He never gives his full name, unless you beat him. He also refuses to talk, too, unless you beat him."
- "Well, thanks for the information, and I guess this is goodbye."
Tatsuru - "Sayonara."
- "Sayonara."

 

Chapter 5 - Rain, Rain, Go Away​

My left foot's starting to feel better. I can walk unaided from my couch to the door. It even feels good enough to slam against the brake pedal of Miyu's S15. My phone rang when I was halfway through finishing off a mission in GTA IV.
- "Mushi mushi?"
Miyu - "I'm not going to be able to be your chauffeur today. I'm going on a day trip to Tokyo with my friends."
- "Right."
Miyu - "My S15's outside the house, if you want to use it."
- "Miyu, I'm going to Tsukuba. I don't feel like driving for 4 hours, so I'm taking the Bullet Train."
Miyu - "Okay, sayonara then!"

A train ride to Tsukuba City and a cab ride to the Tsukuba Circuit later...

Spectator - "You see the Evo?"
The spectator had an English accent and was wearing a McLaren jacket and baseball cap.
- "Yeah?"
Spectator - "That's Ryo Matsumoto. The guy's undefeated. He decided to challenge this G.O.N. bloke."

I watch Ryo spin across the finish line.
Spectator - "He's just had his arse handed to him. I tried to beat that Skyline. I used a BMW. I was leading, too."

I see Ryo do something which looks like pulling the handbrake. I then see him take his helmet off and throw it onto the passenger's seat.
Spectator - "But then...it started raining. It wasn't a drizzle. It was a bloody downpour."
- "So, the BMW suffered from a drivetrain disadvantage?"
Spectator - "Yes, and I spun out on the last corner. Just like Ryo."
By now, both cars had returned to the pits.
Ryo - "Hey...are you Hiroto Matsuda? Holy crap, it's you!"
- "I'm just a spectator."
Ryo looked at my left foot.
Ryo - "What's wrong with your foot?"
- "Well, I can still driv-"
Ryo - "Dude, I heard about your braking skil-"
- "Hey, don't interrupt me."
Ryo - "Sorry. But still...could you drive my Evo?"
- "Sure. Besides, in rain it isn't good to brake hard, so that should help."
Ryo - "Okay, but the thing is...there's a fee."
- "Huh?"
Ryo - "There's a 1 million yen prize for beating this guy. The fee is 50,000 yen."
I was hoping to use that to pay my rent.
- "Fine, where do I pay?"

If I lose...well, I still have a crapload of money left over from racing in America.
- "Oh man...a GT-R R34...how I've always wanted one of these."

- "Okay...he seems to be faster on the straight."

I tried drifting at turn 1. Meh, at least I didn't spin out.

- "Damn, that spray is annoying!"
Do windscreen wipers reduce horsepower in the same way an air conditioning system does?

Holy crap I'm leading!

Now I'm not. Damn.

At the last corner, I had the inside line...

- "BANZAI!"
I'm leading! I'm leading! I haven't lost my skill!

I started to pull away. All sorts of emotions were going through my head, mostly excitement and joy.
Spectator - "Bloody hell, I thought he was injured?"
Ryo - "That's Hiroto Matsuda for you!"

- "Damn, I can't shake him."
This will require my full attention. Any mistakes will let him in.

- ", you never give up, do you?"
I wonder why he's not talking...

I decide to see if this Evo was any good on wet grass.

A slip-up from the Skyline cemented the win. All I needed to lose was to monumentally -up.

- "VICTORY!"
My left foot was numb. At least that's better than being in immense pain.
G.O.N. - "Okay, you've beaten me, I may as well break my silence."
Spectator - "You sound like you're Irish, mate."
G.O.N. - "Of course, O'Neill is an Irish name. Hiroto, how about we have a chat?"

 

Nice win! Even with a bullet in the leg.

 

I just read through the story (lot of catching to do ) and all I can say is... damn, man, you've got something really good going on now

I like the darker elements of the story, and the racing is pretty decent too. Not outlandish, which is what I like

Look forward to reading more (if I can keep up with it ).

 

Well, it's getting better (as in less mechanoly.)
Keep up the good work!

 

Chapter 6 - Regime Change​

I have done some pretty bad stuff over the years. In 1986 I rammed Ryosuke Sato into the wall at Fuji, and cost him the Formula GT Driver's Championship. He ended up in hospital, and I became a national hate figure not only in Japan, but globally too. My team, Apollo Motorsports, viewed me as a liability. They fired me. I went into rally driving in 1987. I technically won the GT Rally Championship in 1989, but that too was tainted with what everyone called "cheating". So what, I only got my useless team-mate, Antoine Perrier, to block my rival, Irishman Connor O'Neill, and cost him valuable time. Peugeot then had the nerve to call me a liability, and fired me. After realising that no team would dare hire a man who lost the 1989 GT Rally Championship in a disciplinary hearing, I started my own. Team Nightshade was born on the 12th of April 1990. I vowed that one day, we would become...

...the best FWD drivers...

...the best RWD drivers...

...the best 4WD drivers...

...the best circuit drivers...

...the best rally drivers...

...the best road course drivers...

...and of course, the best driver, on any surface, on any drivetrain, in the world - me!

Of course, there were little bumps on the way. There were rivals. But, of course, I did vow to never, ever, lose again! No challenger has ever beaten me since my GT Rally Championship days. Until now.

Spectator - "Mon dieu! The NSX is passing The Leader!"
Spectator 2 - "Naturlich, Michel. The challenger is very fast."
I haven't lost in 20 years!

Damn it! Not now! I don't need this Goddamned wheelspin!

I watch my opponent cross the line. He managed to force his way through, to my inside. He knocked me off balance.
Michel - "Franz, what does this mean?"
Franz - "We have a new Leader. Nothing more, nothing less."
I slump over the steering wheel.

I cruise back to the pit-lane. Upon my arrival, there are no friendly greetings. This is how Team Nightshade works. We abandon sentimentality. We don't forge friendships. Friendships complicate things. We don't forge alliances. It is every driver for him/herself. Someone taps my shoulder. It's Miki.
- "Oh, hello, Miki."
Miki - "Can it, old man. Get your stuff and off."

I find my daily driver. I hear Miki calling my name.
- "What?"
Miki - "You know what. That Supra's mine."
- "But..."
Miki - "You pathetic old man. You have feelings for it. You piece of ."
I grudgingly hand over my keys.
Miki - "Franz! How much do you think this old man's Supra is worth?!"
This is my cue to leave.
---------------------------------------
Might as well get some stat sheets up.
---------------------------------------
Name: Miki Watanabe
Age: 24
Home course: Suzuka, Japan
Specialties: Circuits, RWD
Likes: Honda, NA cars, things that will violate the AUP if I mention them
Hates: Hiroto Matsuda, turbocharged cars, Toshi Sagata, Kazumi Tanaka, Ryosuke Sato (Sr. and probably Jr. too)

Interesting facts:

• Miki Watanabe has never driven anything other than a Honda.
• He has only lost once.
• Miki has been known to regularly flirt with any woman he deems attractive (this includes Kazumi).
• His family are all Honda fanatics. They won't drive anything else.
• His grandfathers both died in World War 2.
• He joined Team Nightshade after being expelled from school.

I hope StigNumbers won't mind me borrowing the idea of stat sheets.
E Class: The chav that tried to steal your granny's Korean hatchback for street racing.
D Class: Amateur racers. The very beginnings, where all racers start off.
C Class: Experienced Amateurs. Nothing special, but able to put in a good lap.
B Class: Solid racers. Able to put in a good lap, and control many kinds of car.
A Class: Very good racer, where most professionals race at.
S Class: Master rank. Think Keiichi Tsuchiya.
EX Class: Master rank plus one. Select few racers ever reach this zone, e.g. Michael Schumacher.
EX+ Class: The true legendaries, e.g. Ryosuke Sato Sr. and Ayrton Senna. You can't hope to race them on even ground.

Miki Watanabe: Overall EX
Throttle Control: S
Braking: EX
Cornering: EX+
Ability to improve: B
Ability to cheat: EX+
Specialty: Cheating

Toshi Sagata: Overall D
Throttle Control: C
Braking: D
Cornering: D
Ability to improve: D
Specialty: Being a mobile chicane

Kazumi Tanaka: Overall A
Throttle Control: A
Braking: A
Cornering: S
Ability to improve: B
Specialty: Tight courses

Hiroto Matsuda: Overall S
Throttle Control: S
Braking: EX+
Cornering: A
Ability to improve: S
Specialty: Learning courses after a lap or so

Mr. Matsuda: Overall ? (rumoured to be in the EX region)

Mr. Tanaka: Overall ? (rumoured to be in the EX region)

Ryosuke Sato Sr.: Overall EX+
Throttle Control: EX+
Braking: EX+
Cornering: EX+
Ability to improve: EX+
Specialty: Situations where the car is naturally oversteering, e.g. in the rain

Ryosuke Sato Jr.: Overall A
Throttle Control: B
Braking: A
Cornering: A
Ability to improve: B
Specialty: Learning courses in a lap or so

Miyu Matsuda: Overall B
Throttle Control: B
Braking: B
Cornering: A
Ability to improve: B
Specialty: Slow circuits which favour high-downforce cars.

G. O'Neill: Overall EX
Throttle Control: EX+
Braking: EX
Cornering: EX+
Ability to improve: S
Specialty: Low grip situations, e.g. dirt, ice, rain

 

Who is the former team boss, or is he coming up later?

 

Chapter 7 - Little More Conversation​

My phone rang. I headed to the nearest toilets. To my dismay, I initially entered the ladies' toilets. This being a racing track with no major races going on, it was empty.
- "Junichi?"
Junichi - "*burps* Honestly, I'm glad Pizza Hut had the cajones to tackle the Japanese fast food market."
- "Whatever, have you got any results on that phone call?"
Junichi - "Well, my friend, no. The caller's cell is untraceable. The signal keeps pinging off places from all over the world. One minute it says it's in Hokkaido, the next it's in Honduras. The signal was even pinged off a mast in Kenya! As for the obviously great Darth Vader impersonation that was the caller's voice, I can't unscramble that into a recognisable voice. I'm not Bill Gates or some other IT genius. I don't even know if the caller was a man or a woman."
- "Right, I get your point. So the call's untraceable, the caller's unidentifiable. Just great."
Junichi - "Yeah, and the cell was disposable, and Kazumi's phone was found at the bottom of the sea. Toshi's phone was found about a mile down Kasatori trail from where the Burakku-ido crashed."
I'm starting to feel bad, even though it was only a Nokia 2310. Toshi's way too cheap to buy a new phone.
Junichi - "Listen, man, I'd be a hypocrite if I told you to get over it. Sayonara."
- "Sayonara."

After a few minutes, I was sitting in the passenger's seat of G. O'Neill's R34.
- "Woah...nice interior."
G. O'Neill - "I consider it kinda simple compared to what some interiors of cars look like."
He hands me a photo.

Immediately the toast I had for breakfast tries to leap out of my mouth.
- "Ugh...who would want to do that?"
G. O'Neill - "People who can't afford to go to track days but still want to show off their car."
- "Hey, what does the 'G' stand for?"
G. O'Neill - "Gareth."
I look around, and see another photo lying on the floor. This time, it's not a crime against the automotive industry.

This is such a beautiful car.
- "Is that your car?"
Gareth looked over for a brief second. It was okay, we were crawling along in rush hour traffic anyway.
Gareth - "Yes. This is automotive legend you're staring at there. That, Hiroto, is a Mine's-tuned Skyline GT-R R34."
- "What happened to it?"
Gareth - "*sighs* You really want to know?"
- "Sure, I've nothing else to listen to. I don't think there's any good radio shows on now."

Gareth - "It was in a time attack. I was taking on the leader of a glorified racing mafia. He did his lap in a Toyota Supra with way too much power. I thought I had it in the bag."

Gareth - "What I didn't know was that my opponent doesn't like playing by the rules."

Gareth - "My brakes didn't work. I knew that he cut the brakes. Unfortunately, I couldn't simply decelerate and get out okay."

Gareth - "I was sent into the wall at over 250km/h. It all went blank from there."

Gareth - "James told me that after that, the car did a clockwise spin into another wall."

Gareth - "My car hit the second wall at around 150km/h. By now I was fully unconscious. My body was a rag doll."

Gareth - "The engine was still running. But even though it was a write-off, my opponent still wanted my car. It was a pink slip race. Two weeks later, when I was still recovering in hospital, I was sent a picture of a crushed metal cube. That was my Mine's Skyline. I had lost my most prized possession. What's more, no Edospeed drivers were allowed to face Team Nightshade again."
- "What's Team Nightshade?"
Gareth - "A racing team. But not just any racing team. A racing team that set out to dominate the world, set up by controversial French racing driver Pierre Bernard."
- "Pierre Bernard..."
# Commentator on the 1986 Japanese GP - "Oh my word...Bernard has just slammed Sato into the wall! The Frenchman has rammed the Japanese driver into the wall! They must have been doing at least 180mph down there!"
I was only 1 when that happened. But I remember the clip from a show in 1996 called "Formula GT's Biggest Moments," and it was ranked at #2.
- "What did he have against Edospeed?"
Gareth - "If a challenger fails to beat the leader of Team Nightshade, he or she must hand over their car. Only 3 have ever challenged Pierre. None have won. I should remind you that Edospeed was set up by the man who was slammed into the wall by Pierre. Ryosuke set up Edospeed with the aim of finding talent. Pierre just uses Team Nightshade for fame, or rather, notoriety."
- "So they had contrasting ideologies?"
Gareth - "That's an understatement. That's like saying Hitler and Stalin had contrasting ideologies, it's just a massive understatement."
I start thinking about the crash, and my friends being kidnapped.
- "Why did you bring me to hospital?"
Gareth - "You were injured."
- "But what if it were someone else?"
Gareth - "I'd still bring them to the hospital, or at least call an ambulance."
- "But why?"
Gareth - "This is starting to get a little annoying."
- "Come on, tell me why!"
Gareth - "Because I knew it was them! Team Nightshade do that sort of stuff! You were collateral damage."
- "What?"
Gareth - "I heard that Kazumi Tanaka beat their Road Course Lieutenant. Miki Watanabe wanted to see her skill for himself. He sent his team-mate, Shiro, to race her. He lost. He decided to lure her into a trap. He offered to race against her on Mt. Kasatori."
- "How do you know?"
Gareth - "I had a guy on the inside. I think he was found out. I think they killed him. And your Skyline was his coffin."
We returned to the track.
- "Hey, who owns that blue Skyline?"
Gareth - "Shiro Takanawa. Their 4WD Lieutenant."
Shiro - "Oh, it's the cripple!"
- "You do know I can shove this crutch right up your-"
Gareth - "What do you want?"
Shiro - "You've made quite a name for yourself. And then I hear that you lost to the cripple."
- "My offer of a free crutch lodged in your ass still stands."
Shiro - "Oh, but you're members of Edospeed..."
- "We split up."
Shiro - "Oh, I pity you, the couple are no longer together..."
Gareth looked at me, as if to tell me not to cause grievous bodily harm with a crutch.
- "You know what? I've raced once today, and I feel like doing it again."
Shiro - "Fine, let's make it a battle!"
Gareth - "Not a good idea..."
- "Why?"
Gareth - "These races...are for pink slips."

-----------------------------------
Fact file: Shiro Takanawa
Age: 29
Home course: Tokyo R246
Specialties: 4WD, sticking rigidly to a racing line
Likes: 4WD, Skylines, German cuisine, smooth jazz, 7-Up, gangster films
Hates: FWD, Toyota Supras, the elderly, Chinese cuisine, Chrisitan music, Uwe Boll (don't we all?)

Interesting facts:

• Shiro is an avid karaoke singer.
• Shiro is a binge drinker.
• He learned how to drive aged 11.

 

You should've at least hit him over the head! (j/k)

 

Chapter 8 - Hiroto vs Shiro​

I already love this Skyline. It's a shame that it's not mine. It's pretty nimble for a 1.5 ton car.
Shiro - "Bah...if I win, I'm selling that Skyline. I have no need for it."

# Gareth - "Hiroto, if you lose, you're buying me a new Skyline. You got that?"
- "Loud and clear."

At the first corner, I could feel how slippery the track was, as I drifted effortlessly.
Shiro - "Bah...he has no throttle control. I will lose him easily."

Shiro - "Hmm...you're better than I thought you were. But that's not saying much."

# Gareth - "Hiroto, the last thing I want you to do is worry. Otherwise Shiro will leave you in the dust."

Shiro - "Gah! I can't shake him!"
# Gareth - "Good, Hiroto, keep pressuring him!"

I knew that by staying in his slipstream that I would get more traction, as his car would have cleared some of the surface water.

However, I still couldn't find a way past him. We even braked milliseconds apart from each other.

# Gareth - "Hiroto, you've already spent one lap behind him, and you have one lap left...get going!"

Then, at turn 1, Shiro understeered.
Shiro - "NO!!!"
I could see him punching the dashboard like an escaped mental patient.

As he was driving off-line, he was struggling for grip.

He even locked up under braking.

At turn 3 I tried a bit of drifting.
# Gareth - "Hiroto, stop around, he's still within 2 seconds of you."

Shiro - "*sighs* I can't believe it...my first loss in my Skyline..."

Shiro - "I'm going to miss this car...like my old R34, it was so much better than my R33...even more so than my R32..."

I now had a car to take on Team Nightshade. I had an R34. My very own R34. As soon as I got out, Shiro threw the keys, wrapped in a crumpled up pink slip, at me.
Shiro - "Enjoy it. Gareth here sure enjoys my silver R34. If you're taking on Team Nightshade, I have to say, good luck."
I only one thing to say.
- "Kazumi Tanaka. Toshi Sagata. Where are they?"
Shiro - "I have no idea."
- "Come on, you're a Lieutenant in Team Nightshade."
Shiro - "What each Lieutenant gets up to is their own business. Mine, for example, is illegal street racing. That R34 isn't the only car I own, I also own a 300ZX with somewhere around 600, maybe 700hp."
- "Do you at least have an idea?"
Shiro - "Miki doesn't trust me. I drive a Skyline, a car which he despises. Miki and I don't talk. I'm more on Franz's faction."
- "Who's Franz?"
Shiro - "Our Circuit Lieutenant. He used to drive a Opera Performance S2000, but now he's switched to a RUF BTR."
Gareth - "So, where do we go from here?"
Shiro - "If you want to save the environment by travelling as little as possible, I'd suggest Chun, he's in Hong Kong, and he's our FWD Lieutenant."
- "So that means..."
Shiro - "You need a FWD. Do you guys have one?"
Gareth - "Don't worry, I'll cover for Hiroto."
As we left for Gareth's apartment, we got talking.
- "He doesn't seem so bad..."
Gareth - "Team Nightshade is split into 2 main factions, and while they're not at war with each other, they hold contrasting ideologies. Franz Becker's faction favours racing, nothing else. The main faction, Miki's, are involved in crime. Drug smuggling, people smuggling, contraband smuggling, street racing, I could go on. Pierre tries to make himself look neutral. But, ultimately, he favours Miki's side."
- "How do you know about Miki?"
Gareth - "The guy's risen fast. When I raced against Pierre, he was only a Captain. There were 9 of them, and you had to beat 3. I didn't race him. Of course, now that a Lieutenant directly challenged you, you don't have to face them."
I started thinking about the FWD Lieutenant.
- "What's there to know about Chun?"
Gareth - "Chun Mei..."
Oh boy...flashback time.

- "He sold my friend a fake GT-R!"
Gareth - "He's deeply involved in the whole counterfeiting business. His cousin's a factory owner, which provides parts for his fake cars. The guy sells DVDs, games, T-shirts, etc."
- "Where can I find him?"
Gareth - "He drives both a Spoon Integra - a real one - and a Dodge SRT-4. He often races at the Hong Kong city circuit."
- "And what about a FWD car?"
Gareth - "I got that covered."

 

Great! Was you on the blue car, or the silver car?

Just two again to 500th post.

 

Wow, nice job on keeping the story flowing. Due to computer troubles, this is the first time I've logged in for a while and I'm happy to be back.

 

Chapter 9 - Hiroto vs. Chun​

# PA system - "Xīní shì 831 hángbān dēng jī mén 35B tiáo xiànzài. Flight 831 to Sydney is boarding now at Gate 35B."
Gareth - "192...193...194...195...196...197...here we are, parking spot number 198."
I'm glad I can walk without crutches now. Otherwise it would have taken hours to get from the shuttle bus stop to the car - especially seeing as the lift is broken, and there's no shortage of cars hurtling down the ramps. I want to have control of my bladder and my legs, and not be in a wheelchair.

Gareth - "What do you think?"
- "It's kinda...meh."
Gareth - "Tough . I prefer to this a Civic."
What the hell?
- "What's so great about a Mitsubishi Mirage?"
Gareth - "I don't know. This was actually my very first car when I started in the GT Association."
- "So, you're being sentimental?"
Gareth - "Yeah. I beat Chun Mei with it, too."
- "Really?"
Gareth - "I won a Honda Civic EK off him. It was modified to look like a Type R. It's actually one of the base models, with something like 120, maybe 130hp. Chun Mei modified it to around...maybe 200hp. He gave it some basic performance parts so it could beat a real Type R."
- "So, what's Chun like?"
Gareth - "The guy's the worst of the Lieutenants. He's the only one who really bothers with FWDs."
- "So how did he become a Lieutenant?"
Gareth - "His brother was the former FWD Lieutenant. Unfortunately Chun Peng was involved in a nasty motorbike crash, and decided to quit being the FWD Lieutenant. He preferred bikes over cars anyway."
- "Does he have any skills?"
Gareth - "He specialises in tyre preservation."
- "Anything that's useful over a short distance?"
Gareth - "Not really."
- "So do I have any reason to fear him?"
Gareth - "Yep - you start at the back of the grid, in a rolling start situation. You're going to be around 4 to 5 seconds down, and you have about 2 laps to catch up."
I froze on the spot.
- "What if I...lose?"
Gareth - "Then you'll have my foot lodged in your arse."
I could hear another announcement.
#PA system - "Wú rén kānguǎn de jū liàng jiāng bèi shānchú bìng kěnéng bèi cuīhuǐ. Unattended vehicles will be removed and maybe destroyed."

Race time

# Gareth - "Hiroto, can you hear me?"
- "Loud and clear."
# Gareth - "Right. Do you have the track memorised?"
- "Yeah."
We had a few practice laps before the race. We had no chance to talk to Chun Mei, as he was already in his Dodge SRT-4 by the time our car had been cleared the registration office.
# Gareth - "Do you remember the braking points and the racing line?"
- "Gareth, don't worry. The car's still going to be in one piece by the time I get back."

Chun Mei's car rounded the final corner - this was the reverse circuit, not the normal circuit used in Formula GT and the GTWC.
Chun Mei - "He bring Mitsubishi? He lose already."

GO!!!

The Alfa Romeo was no match for the vastly improved Mitsubishi. I was surprised by how little the car rolled through the corners. It was if this car disobeyed the rules of G-forces.
- "Pah...buy a proper Italian car."
I seriously can't see how anyone would find - you're going to hate me for this - an ugly car with front-wheel drive so great.

What the hell is a Mazda 323F doing outside of a school car park? It's just such a random car to bring to a racing track.

- "Gareth?"
# Gareth - "Yeah?"
- "What the is a Vauxhall Vectra doing in Hong Kong?"
# Gareth - "I have no idea. I never knew they exported to Hong Kong."
I should have also said, "What the is a Vauxhall Vectra doing on a racetrack?" It understeers like a cruise liner.

I knew by the time I got to the Megane that I was close to Chun Mei. He really is over-rated.

Megane driver - "Damn it! He's going to pass me!"

# Gareth - "Bravo, Hiroto!"
- "You saw that?"
# Gareth - "There's TVs here in the pits."

I had Chun Mei in my sights.
Chun Mei - "What the hell? He catch me up already?"

- "Gah...come on..."
# Gareth - "Don't worry...I know where you can pounce."

With at least 200hp under the bonnet, Chun Mei's Dodge SRT-4 had the edge.
- "Gareth?"
# Gareth - "Yeah?"
- "Why does Chun Mei drive a Dodge SRT-4?"
# Gareth - "You'll have to ask him yourself."

However, my car had the edge on corners.

But, at Turn F...
- "Cheating bastard!"
Chun Mei - " See you from finish line!"
...Chun Mei tried to squeeze me against the wall.
- "Did you see what he did there?"
# Gareth - "Yeah...the bloody cheat..."

I stayed in Chun Mei's slipstream along the back straight.
Chun Mei - "But...but...I ram him into wall!"

- "Come on...now or never..."
# Gareth - "That offer of my foot being lodged in your arse still stands."

Chun Mei - " One thing I hear about Hiroto Matsuda...he very good..."

Chun Mei - "...at braking."

- "Yes!"
# Gareth - "Oh yeah, stick that in your blunt and smoke it!"

Oh yeah...victory tastes so good.

After the race...
- "Keys, please."
Chun Mei - "I remember you. Your dumb friend buy fake GT-R from me."
Gareth - "Here's a thought. How much did Toshi Sagata pay for that Skyline GT?"
I told him that Toshi bought a Skyline GT, not a GT-R.
Chun Mei - "5 million yen."
Gareth - "Well, I'm sure that the GT Association looks down on criminals. So, if you pay us the money now, we won't tell the GT Association."
Chun Mei took out a roll of Japanese banknotes and threw it at us.
Chun Mei - "Here your money, Shylock."
Gareth - "So, I'm a smart businessman then?"
Chun Mei had no comeback, and walked off.
- "Where next?"
Gareth - "I hear that Michel Martin is their new RWD Lieutenant. And he's currently racing in a BMW manufacturer's series, and their next stop is Apricot Hill, Australia."

====================
Fact file: Chun Mei
Age: 35
Home course: Hong Kong
Specialty: FWD, tyre preservation
Likes: Money, Hong Kong cinema
Hates: Having no money, China, people who correct his crap grammar

Other facts:

• Chun Mei is a very skilled poker player.
• Chun Mei was, from the very beginning, a skilled entrepreneur. In school he ran a sort of tuck shop...with high prices.
• Chun Mei has a 1-of-100 Bruce Lee doll action figure.

 

”无人看管的车辆将芟除病可能被摧毁.“

你说中文吗？因为它是很错中文。是很难看。

 

*psst!* You have to speak in English!

 

Aaaaaand...

...Hiroto Matsuda does it again!

I like this story.

*story sigged*

 

I took offense... or at least Kenji Yamamoto will if you say that to his face about the Mirage.
Anyway, keep up the good work.

 

Chapter 10 - Hiroto vs Michel​

- "Is that his car?"
Gareth - "What? No. Besides, it's an M-badge competition. Z4s aren't allowed."
- "Whose is it, then?"
Gareth - "Knowing Ronnie Thompson..."
The door nearest to the Z4 opened. A young woman, in her mid-20s, exited.
- "See you tomorrow, babe."
Woman - "See you then, Ronnie."
The woman got into her car, and drove off. Ronnie looked across the street, at us.
Ronnie - "What are you guys doing here?"
Gareth - "Well, we're in Canberra. Canberra's near Apricot Hill, and a Lieutenant of Team Nightshade is racing in an M-badge championship."
I could see rage boiling in Ronnie's veins.
Ronnie - "Those bloody bastards..."

We turned our attentions to the black M3 CSL.
Gareth - "Nice car."
Ronnie - "I had to replace my Evo 8 somehow."
- "What happened to it?"
Ronnie - "Mikhail Kalashnikov happened."
- "Who?"
Gareth - "Team Nightshade's Rally Lieutenant."
Ronnie - "I lost my Evo 8 in a pink slip race. You two want the M3, don't you?"
Gareth - "Of course, Michel Martin is racing near here. We want to race him."
Ronnie stares at me.
Ronnie - "I suppose you're that Hiroto Matsuda guy."
I nod in agreement.
Ronnie - "I've heard good things about you. Especially about your braking skills, and your ability to learn tracks almost instantly."
Gareth - "So, are we allowed to have the M3?"
Ronnie - "Sure. One thing, though - you're paying for any damages."

----------------------
At Apricot Hill...
Michel was easily identifiable. He was wearing black overalls with the words "Team Nightshade" across the chest.
Michel - "Ah, good day, monsieurs. What do you two want?"
- "He seems a bit friendly to be in Team Nightshade..."
Gareth - "Of course, he's in Franz's faction."
Michel - "Monsieurs, if you want to race, that's fine. I suggest you get a few practice laps, though."
- "Tell me...would this race count towards the championship?"
Michel - "The M-Badge Meisterschaft (championship)? No, the organisers will count this as a non-championship event. I should warn you, though, I haven't lost a race all season."
--------------------
Race time...

- "Testing, testing, can you hear me?"
# Gareth - "Yes. Do you have the course memorised?"
- "Yeah. This circuit seems to take a lot of design cues from Suzuka."
# Gareth - "Huh?"
- "The winding S-curves, the chicane, the hairpin...all of these remind me of my home track."

GO!!!
Off the line, my car suffered from wheelspin.
# Gareth - "Hiroto, the car has around 360 or so horsepower. Couple that with about 1.5 tonnes, of course the car's going to spin it's wheels."

The M-Coupe was easily passed by Michel.
Michel - "Bah...buy a proper M-badged BMW."

The M5 wouldn't give up easily, especially seeing as it had much more horsepower...I think it was around 500hp if I remember.

- "Has that guy ever thought about tuning?"
The M-Coupe was easier to beat.

When I looked back, that happened.
M-Coupe driver - "Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap..."

It was a good thing the driver's aids kicked in...even though they slow you down in every other situation.

M-Coupe driver - "*gasp* That...was...close."

The M3 GTR was more of a match.

I pushed my foot as far as it could go without breaking the pedal. The M3 started to fall back.

My next opponent was an M3 CSL.

I had a glimpse inside the cockpit of the CSL. Nope, no-one recognisable driving the car. I would've thought Maria Meyer was driving it.

M3 CSL driver - "Damn und blast!"

M3 CSL driver - "Damned sand!"

Michel is starting to get on my nerves already.
Michel - "Ah, monsieur, you must know my reputation. Once I get through an opponent, no one else does."

Even taking the outside line couldn't get me through (mainly because there was less grip available there).

Michel - "You must realise...I don't feel pressure. But, monsieur, I can feel that frustration bubbling up inside you."

I was hoping that the frustration inside me wasn't going to get the better of me.

Michel - "Gah! Does this man not feel frustration!"
I was starting to increase the pressure on Michel.

Michel - "Must...not...cave in...to...pressure..."
I beg to differ. He must be feeling incredible pressure.

# Gareth - "Hiroto, you've only got one lap left. And I don't want to tell Ronnie that he list his prized M3 CSL to a Team Nightshade Lieutenant."

What's more, the M3 CSL was starting to catch up.

Michel - "Ha...that frustration has boiled over."

Michel - "Monsieur, I'll enjoy the thought of you paying the installments for a car you won't even own."

He obviously forgot that my car had more power than his.

Michel - "Around the outside?! How dare you!"
- "Eat emissions!"

Michel - "My M3...I've lost it..."
# Gareth - "One thing about Michel is that he completely loses it when he's been passed."
Michel - "Never since Gareth O'Neill have I lost to someone..."

I took a look back in the mirror.
Michel - "You've lost 1st. Don't lose 2nd..."

I had another glance in the mirror, only to be told off by Ronnie, who managed to make it in time for the end of the race.
# Ronnie - "Bloody hell, don't crash or else I'll knock the out of you!"
- "Oh, thanks for putting my mind at ease!"

I was told as I crossed the finish line that the M3 CSL had passed Michel.
------------------------
After the race...
Feeling dejected, Michel threw the keys to his M3 at me.
Michel - "You bastard...you've cost me the M-Badge Championship..."
I decided that seeing as he's not as big of a piece of as Miki Watanabe, that he can have a loan of the car to finish the championship.
Michel - "Merci, monsieur."
- "Hey, we're not done here. Where should I go to race against the next Lieutenant?"
Michel - "The Velocitá Festival Capri. There, you should meet Dmitri Petrov. I should warn you...the man likes violence. Especially when racing."

------------------------
Fact file: Michel Martin
Age: 32
Home course: George V Paris
Specialty: RWD, holding position
Likes: Leading races, Paris St. Germain, German cars
Hates: Chavs, FWD

Interesting facts:

• Michel has a large collection of film posters.
• Michel has his own wine cellar.
• Michel was a go-karting prodigy in his youth, winning the French Karting Championship aged 14.
• Michel's secret shame is his first car - a Fiat Panda. It was originally exported to England, and had chrome rims, a spoiler and a sound system illegal in Switzerland.

 

Haha! Love the fact that the Rally Lt.'s last name's a Russain Gun!
And a question, what happens to the other cars if a Lt. beats them? Do they call get taken?

 

LOL! Never thought I'd hear the day where somone has a Fiat Panda!
Anyway, great job, and keep up the good owrk!

 

Yeeees... Eeeeexcellent...

Great chapter! I hate French people!

(Kidding of course.)

 

I may as well reply to some fan mail.

-> I was in the silver car, which Hiroto borrowed from Gareth to do the race.

-> I'm pretty sure Kenji and Hiroto live in separate universes.

It was either that or naming the Russians Mikhail Faustin and Dmitri Rascalov. But seeing as I don't have the money to pay Rockstar Games for any damages should they file a lawsuit against me for plagiarism, I decided to name them Mikhail Kalashnikov and Dmitri Petrov.

You only lose the car you were using. Isn't that how pink slip races normally operate?

You and every supporter of the Irish football team following Thierry Henry's handball.

 

Chapter 11 - Hiroto vs Dmitri​

On the ferry over to Capri, I passed the time by comparing Dmitri Petrov to Dmitri Rascalov (the main villain in GTA 4). I'm thinking how they match up. I'm sure Petrov would betray Miki if offered vast sums of money, or the chance to lead Team Nightshade. Also, Petrov seems like the kind of slimeball who would use any means possible to mess with your head. My mind goes back to Kazumi's first encounter with the burakku~ido.

Kazumi - "Wow Hiroto...it's beautiful..."
This was the first time I ever heard a woman call a Skyline R32 beautiful. The seller looks at us.
Seller - "Are you interested?"
Kazumi - "Hai. How much?"
Seller - "Girl, you must realise that this is not a Silvia Q's. 1.5 million."
- "I can buy a GT-R for that!"
Seller - "Would a 1.5 million yen GT-R have...aftermarket suspension?"
I was wary. Toshi had a bad time looking for his second car, and almost bought a Silvia Q's S14 disguised as a K's model. I checked the wheel well, to see if the seller was lying. He wasn't. I could see Nismo springs. The guy's got taste. I had a look inside. Black bucket seats, no back seat. There was even a lightweight air-conditioning system. There was a Mine's speedometer which read up to 320km/h (a bit ambitious) and numerous gauges for oil pressure, boost pressure, etc.
Kazumi - "What about under the bonnet?"
The seller lifted the bonnet. Despite the car being from 1991 (this was 2006, when I still had my Silvia), the engine was in pristine condition.
Seller - "The engine has about 276hp. Last time I took it to Suzuka, I managed to get somewhere around 2'26, and I think a wing might help bring that down."
Kazumi fished through her handbag.
Kazumi - "Is cash okay?"
From the look on the seller's face, you could tell that it was more than okay.
Seller - " YEAH!!!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Gareth - "Hiroto...Hiroto...Jesus Christ, wake the bloody hell up!"
- "Whuh...huh...where are we?"
Gareth - "We're in the harbour."
A few minutes of boring-as-hell walking later and we approached what would be my weapon of choice:

It was the R34 that I won against Shiro.
- "Any changes?"
Gareth - "Nope. Bone stock."
I actually liked that. I wanted to experience the GT-R as it was, and not without weight reduction and all that.
- "What's my opponent driving?"
Gareth - "See for yourself."

The Impreza peeled out as it exited the final hairpin.
- "Which one is he in?"
Gareth - "The Impreza. Well, it is leading anyway."
The race ended, with Dmitri far outclassing his opponent. Dmitri got out of his car. He towered above it, and it was obvious that even his size is intimidating. The challenger got out of his car. Dmitri stared at him, in an intimidating fashion. The challenger, a young man who has barely finished high school, dejectedly handed over a wad of money. Dmitri's mouth curled upwards into a smirk, as if to say, "Loser."
- "How did you deal with him?"
Gareth - "Dmitri? Well, I beat him in a city circuit in Paris. I was using a GT-R R33, which spawned Dmitri's illogical hatred of GT-Rs."
- "What about around here?"
Gareth - "Dmitri's weakness is 180-degree corners."
- "So why would he come here?"
Gareth - "Dmitri likes to practice. However, I would have to say he has a lack of confidence in his car's ability to take tight corners. The final two hairpins...they may decide the battle."
- "I just don't get it..."
Gareth - "Hang on there Hiroto. Dmitri also underestimates his opponents. You see, when he attends meetings like this, where there's very little chance of the likes of Michael Schumacher showing up, he thinks that every opponent is going to be some idiot with more money than brains and skill. Also, you should remember these aren't Lieutenant vs. Challenger battles. Dmitri, as far as the organisers are concerned, is just another driver, and doesn't deserve any special treatment. These are just normal 1-on-1 races. Only cash changes hands."
Dmitri sees us. I think, though, he doesn't give a crap who we are, and continues talking to a marshal.
Dmitri - " that kid, he has no understanding of true greatness. When he can hold his own against people who have the experience, then I will not consider him mentally retarded."
I walk over to him, completely immune to his intimidating aura. Dmitri finally took notice of me when I was standing next to him.
Dmitri - "What do you want?"
- "A race."
Dmitri - "What is your name?"
- "Hiroto Matsuda."
I could see complete shock in his eyes.
Dmitri - "Impossible...I thought...you were..."
- "Dead?"
Dmitri - "No...that you wouldn't be able to race ever again..."
- "Well, let's make this a Challenger vs. Lieutenant battle!"
Dmitri - "You must realise...I must break you."
--------------------------------

- "Whoah!"
Gareth - "Don't worry Hiroto, the seats will absorb the bump."

- "I think I get this circuit already."
Gareth - "Yeah?"

Gareth's prediction about the seats absorbing the bumps was right. I never sat in a bucket seat that was this comfortable before.

Gareth - "That's it...keep it around 100km/h here...don't floor it..."
Gareth is turning out to be a very good co-driver.

Gareth started getting more and more into the character of a co-driver.
Gareth - "Easy left, 140."
- "What's with the co-driving?"
Gareth - "My dad was a rally driver, and my uncle was his co-driver."

Gareth - "Brake here, down to around 90."

Out of that corner, I looked at the downhill stretch.
Gareth - "I should warn you about the hairpin...at the last 100 metres, I want you to just brake slightly."
- "Why?"
Gareth - "A lot of people spin there."

Out of the hairpin, the car oversteered.
- "This car is so agile for something that weighs 1.5 tons."
Gareth - "That's the ATTESA ET-S system for you."
- "Ha, don't lecture me. I scored 100% on a Skyline GT-R quiz on Facebook."

Gareth - "Easy...you don't want to be arrested for hit-and-run..."

In the penultimate corner, the car oversteered again.
- "This is fun!"

I ran wide out of the last hairpin.
Gareth - "So, do you remember the course?"
- "Yeah. You know, for Italian roads, these roads are very smooth."
Gareth - "Well, it is a racing track."
---------------------------------------

Dmitri - "I must break you."
These words play over and over in my mind. Dmitri is the first of the Lieutenants that actually scares me.

- "Don't get frustrated...don't get frustrated..."

The bumps were taking its toll, but I can only imagine how sore Dmitri is feeling.
Dmitri - "Gah...this pain in my ass better be worth it."

Photographer #1 - "This photo's going on eBay!"
- "BAKA!" (Fool!)

I decided to wave for the next photographer that took my car's picture.
- "Wow...I can't believe I can still drive with one hand."

Dmitri - "I'm not losing him...WHAT THE IS GOING ON?!"

- "Never take on a Japanese guy on mountain roads..."
This takes me back to my college days, when I couldn't afford the track day fees at Suzuka.

I was keeping my left foot pressing the brake pedal down just a tiny bit.

This was as close as I could get.

The Subaru edged away. From the exhaust note, I could tell that the Impreza was modified.

I was following Dmitri closely.
- "Don't get frustrated...don't get frustrated..."

- "I can't get past him..."
# Gareth - "Hiroto, don't get frustrated. He feeds off that."

- "What can I do?"
# Gareth - "I know what you shouldn't do...bump him."

Don't bump him...what can that mean?

I have to admit, although Dmitri is the most intimidating person I've ever faced, this is also the most fun I've ever had since those days on the touges.

*bump*
Oh crap...I did what Gareth had warned me not to do.
- "Gareth...I bumped into him."
# Gareth - "Then you've enraged him."

Dmitri - "I'll show you the true might of my skills!"
- "What will happen now?"
# Gareth - "It's best not to think about that."

Drunk - "Woooooo...go...blue thing..."

- "YES!!!"
Dmitri - "You have no idea what's next for you."

*bump!*
Dmitri shoved me into the wall. I was forced to brake and let him pass. Immediately I got onto the radio with the marshals.
- "That can't be legal!"
GT official - "You're right. I will talk about this with my fellow marshals."
He started talking in Italian to his colleagues.
GT official - "I'm sorry, but we can only take action after the race."
Well, that was a great waste of time.

- "Come on...I know I can catch up!"

The crowd were blowing air-horns as I went by. I'm starting to get a fan club!
Dmitri - "Are they supporting him?! How dare they!"
- "I've gained on him...he's not as his great as I feared he was..."

Dmitri - "NO!!!"
*bump*
- "Take that, !"

I put myself through to the marshals again.
- "I bumped the who bumped me. Is that legal?"
GT official - "Ha...well, let's just ignore it, huh?"
- "Sure, I hate Dmitri Petrov."

As we came out of the shaded side of the island, I could see how far Dmitri dropped behind. Like Michel, he too became demoralised.
Dmitri - "Miki...he will never forgive for...losing."

- "You're not so tough without a gun, are you, you ."

Drunk - "Woo...the blue thing...it's leading...I think...*vomits*"
Lovely. Puke all over the road.

I know that this picture's crap. But you can see this is as close as Dmitri could get.
Dmitri - "I'm sorry Miki."

- "BANZAI!!!"

Dmitri went over the line, about 5 seconds behind. Immediately, I turned around and blocked him off. I got out, and walked over to him.
- "Kazumi Tanaka. Toshi Sagata. WHERE ARE THEY?!"
Dmitri - "Please excuse, I speak English not."
- "Bullcrap!"
I opened the door and dragged Dmitri out.
Dmitri - "Please...don't hurt me..."
- "NOT SO TOUGH NOW, YOU MURDERING BASTARD!!!"
Dmitri - "You think I killed your friends?!"
- "NO!!! I KNOW THEY'RE ALIVE!"
He smirks coldly.
Dmitri - "What makes you think that?"
- "I...I...just...know."
Dmitri - "I know that your bitch called you."
I kicked him in the head. He started spitting blood.
- "DON'T YOU CALL KAZUMI A BITCH!!!"
The marshals were pulling me away from him.
Gareth - "He's not worth it Hiroto. He's scum. He just wants a reaction."
Dmitri started laughing. It was a demented, twisted laugh.
Dmitri - "What you did...won't compare to what we have in store for you."
He gets up, and staggers to his car. He takes the keys out of the ignition, and throws them over, and then gets a bunch of ownership papers, and rolls them into a ball, and throws them over to me.

-------------------------------------------------
Fact file: Dmitri Petrov
Age: 30
Home course: Chamonix (Dmitri's father was a Soviet diplomat who worked in France)
Specialty: Road courses, snow
Likes: Russian hip-hop, ice racing, ironic veneration of communism
Hates: Americans, the French, the British

Facts:

• Dmitri learned how to drive in a Lada Riva.
• His first car was a Lada Riva that was exported to France upon failing its MOT.

 

I can't believe I didn't notice the title of my story for a whole week. I hate double and triple posting chapters. It makes me lose interest in my story.

Chapter 12 - Hiroto vs Mikhail​

If you thought Dmitri was scary, think again. His good friend Mikhail was even scarier. And Gareth and I were sitting across from him at a table in a Swiss cafe.
- "*coughs* Can't you read the sign?"
Mikhail completely ignored a sign saying "No Smoking, Rauchen Verboten, Non Fumeur, Vietato Fumare." Don't you just love the many languages of Switzerland? I could see a waitress on the phone, presumably calling the police.
Mikhail - "You must realise...you have no chance. I am Rally Lieutenant of Team Nightshade."
Mikhail took another drag of his cigarette. Gareth leaned over to me, and whispered in my ear.
Gareth - "You know, maybe Mikhail will die from something smoking-related. And I heard that their Rally Captain is absolutely crap."
Mikhail coughed.
Mikhail - "Please excuse me. I hear that you have defeat my good friend Dmitri. And that you beat him to pulp. I like that in a man. I like those who show..."
I could see his veins were fit to burst. Perhaps some good ol' Soviet steroids were pumping through his veins?
Mikhail - "Excuse me, please pay attention. As I was saying, I like those who show their rage. Rage is important weapon. Mr. Bernard..."
Now I can see Gareth tense up.
Mikhail - "GODDAMMIT PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"
Now I could see the waitress faint, and a cook rushing over to her.
Mikhail - "As I was saying, Mr. Pierre Bernard could sense rage in others. He could channel that into true driving talent, into concentration. Dmitri, on the other hand, lost concentration as he became angry."
- "So, when's the race?"
Mikhail - "The race shall begin at 3pm, sharp, at the Swiss Alps rallycross circuit."
Mikhail left the table.
- "Which car did we bring?"
Gareth - "The Subaru. The BMW is a RWD, the SRT-4 is FWD, crap, overpowered and understeering, and the Skyline's too valuable to lose."
We left the cafe, having met a man who probably made this Swiss village themselves.
Gareth - "Ever go off-road before?"
- "Oh yeah."

James - "I believe I can fly..."
- "I believe I can touch the sky..."
We saw Mikhail in an alley, on his phone.
Mikhail - "Что вы имеете в виду он почти бежал? Сын сука! Я надеюсь, что панк и его би - то, что она не его девушка?" (What do you mean he almost escaped? Son of a bitch! I hope that punk and his bi - what, she's not his girlfriend?)
- "Do you know what he's talking about?"
Gareth - "No, I never learned Russian. I learned English, German and Irish, the last one being a waste of my life."

------------------------------------
3pm, Swiss Alps Rallycross Circuit
------------------------------------

I try raising my voice above the loud engines.
- "SO, HOW MANY LAPS?"
Mikhail holds up 3 fingers, and he shouts, "3!". I take it that he means 3 laps.

GO!!!
I'm off to a crap start. It's a good thing I have the track memorised from the formation lap (as if we needed one).

Mikhail - "I hope you like to eat the dust..."

Already, the dust is having a negative effect on my driving.

- "Gareth, what should I do?"
# Gareth - "First of all, don't crash. Otherwise it'll give the authorities an excuse to shut this place down. Second, don't get worked up, and try to stay out of the dust cloud."

I try not to hit him. I don't want to end up driving against a pissed-off Russian who wants to kill me.

- "Uh-oh...better brace fo-OW!!!"
I hit my head off the ceiling as my car failed to defy gravity.

I was starting to become, not frustrated, but bored.

I could hear the warbling exhaust note of the Evo, and I knew that it was not stock.

# Gareth - "Relax, Hiroto. Don't get frustrated."
- "Frustrated? I'm bored! This is their Rally Lieutenant?"

I could see cameras flash as we went around turn 4.
- "These guys probably never seen a race before..."

Mikhail - "This will lure him into false sense of security...he will not expect it when I REALLY start racing. He will become reflection in mirror."

- "Oh crap...BUMPS!!!"
Mikhail - "You think you have it hard...I'm nearly 2 metres tall, do you know how much my head is banging off the ceiling?!"

- "I've got my strategy worked out now..."
# Gareth - "What are you going to do?"
- "Something so simple, it's genius."

- "Hey Gareth, I can see you from here."
# Gareth - "Keep your bloody eyes on the road!"

- "Okay...here I go..."

In the blink of an eye, I moved to the right of Mikhail's Evo. Mikhail, in the belief that the middle of the track is the racing line, stayed in the middle. How wrong was he.
- "Sayonara!"
Mikhail - "NO!!! NO!!! GODDAMMIT, NO!!!"

- "Try the dust, it's tasty!"
I've got to stop rubbing it in.

- "SUBARU DORIFTO!!!"

The car's right-hand side sagged as it went from dirt to what is probably bitumen for the last time.

The car was pulling 1.5 Gs in the corners. I was enjoying myself.

I didn't even care about the massive bump that could gave me internal hemorrhaging.

I look out the window, for any sign of the Evo. He wasn't there.

It was only when I looked in my rear-view mirror that I noticed how far behind he dropped.
- "Victory!"
-----------------------------------
Mikhail was not one to talk. Immediately after arriving in what was meant to be the parc fermé, he got out of his car, left the keys and ownership forms on the bonnet, and walked off. But I wasn't going to let him go easily.
- "Who were you talking to on the phone?"
Mikhail - "What?"
- "You heard me."
Mikhail - "That...is none of your business."
Gareth - "My friend wants to know where his two friends are."
Mikhail - "You do realise that if I tell you where your friends are, I will die. And their prison is guarded."
- "Who was that on the other end of the phone?"
Mikhail - "*sighs* Nikolai. He is...how do you say, a goon. Nikolai is a guard at where we're keeping your friends. Some punk named Toshi tried to escape."
- "What do you want with my friends?"
Mikhail - "Is nothing personal. It's Miki who wants them. Especially...that girl, Kazumi."

------------------------------
Fact file: Mikhail Kalashnikov
Age: 35
Specialty: Rally, 4WD
Likes: Mitsubishi, Russian cuisine, Russian rock music, Grand Theft Auto (both the game and the crime)
Hates: Subaru, people who stereotype Russians, Russian folk music

 

Sweet chapter! i can't wait until Hiroto finally gets his bi- err, friend back. Likely in small chunks.

 

In Soviet Russia.......Sorry, I had to.

Good chapter!

 

Great chapter.
Mikhail could have been Stalin's lieutenant, if he was alive back then.

 

[

Chapter 13 - Hiroto vs Franz​

Gareth - "So, what do ya think?"
- "I don't like the rims."
Gareth stared at me, gobsmacked.
Gareth - "Christ on a bike! These rims cost..."
- "$500?"
Gareth - "How..."
- "All rims cost $500. Even if they were on a Le Mans racer."
Gareth - "What the up with that?"
This track's layout is still fresh in my memory from Edospeed's American tour.
/\ The way I said that kinda makes us look like U2 or some other rock band...
- "So, which layout are we using?"
Gareth - "The reverse layout. Is that too difficult?"
- "No. What is Franz doing here?"
Gareth handed me a flyer for the "Tuning Car Grand Prix." I decide to take a closer look at the tyres.
- "Slicks? What the hell?"
Gareth - "Super hard, R1-compound slick tyres from Yokohama."
- "Yokohama? Same as on my sister's Silvia."
Gareth - "And your Skyline?"
- "Bridgestones. My Silvia was also on Bridgestones."
Gareth - "I heard about that S14. You won the <250hp Stock category in the Tokyo R246 time attack, right?"
- "Yeah. The thing about me and my Silvia...it just felt like we were one. I had it since I was 15. My father had to buy the car for me, and register it in my name."
Gareth then changed the subject back to the rims.
Gareth - "So, what's wrong with the rims?"
- "I don't like red rims. Red cars, yeah, that's okay. But red rims...that's just garish."
A RUF BTR pulled up behind us.
Franz - "Ah, guten tag. I take it you must be Hiroto."
Franz looks at my tyres.
Franz - "Yokohamas? My car uses Michellin Pilots."
He then looks at the suspension.
Franz - "Aftermarket Ralliart shocks..."
Then he looks at the wheels again.
Franz - "Was die Holle? Red rims? You aren't playing Juiced 2, mein Freund."
Gareth whispers in my ear.
Gareth - "You can't change rim colours in Juiced 2..."
- "You play that crap?"
That shut him up.
Franz - "What about the engine?"
- "Gareth? Engine specs, please?"
Gareth - "Stock."
Franz - "Well, that should neutralise the tyre advantage."
Gareth whispered in my ear again.
Gareth - "I had the oil changed and the ECU remapped for max power and torque."
- "Why didn't you tell him?"
Gareth - "You don't show your hand when you're playing poker, Hiroto. "
- "When does the race start?"
Franz - "Uh...half three."
- "But the flyer says 2:30pm!"
Gareth - "That's what half three means in Germany."
Seeing as it was around 1pm, I decided to have a power nap.

------
2006
------

Kazumi - "NO!!!"
Kazumi was having a go at rallycross.

- "My precious pelvis..."
At least there was no back seat for Toshi. The lucky man is sitting in the pit lane crapping himself laughing as my pelvis turned to dust.

Kazumi - "Goddammit, stop bitching about your pelvis."
Well, I wasn't the one in the driver's seat. I could clearly see Kazumi wince as we bounced over the grass on the inside of Degner.

Kazumi - "WAHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

- "Maybe you could give up on rall-"
This earned me a slap across the face, as Kazumi took her hands off the wheel.

I got out of the car and got the marshals to help us push the car out.


---------
Next lap
---------

Kazumi - "GODDAMMIT NO!!!"

I decided not to keep my mouth shut. Screw the consequences, I wanted some cheap laughs.
- "Not even your best friend's cat uses this much kitty litter."

Kazumi pulled the handbrake. She unbuckled her racing harness.
Kazumi - "Shut the up!"
- "Bu-"
Kazumi - " this and you. We're finished."
- "Finished driv-"
Kazumi - "As a couple."

I decided to take the wheel.
- "Oversteer, wheelspin...this car needs a wing."
When I got back to the pits, I handed the keys back to Kazumi. She still won't talk to me, and she gives me the finger.
Toshi - "Is she on her p-"
- "It's best not to ask."

Present day
I heard a knocking on my window.
GT official - "5 minutes 'til start, get out there onto the grid."
I nod, and drive off.

I looked at the field. The Spoon S2000 and the Mine's Evo will be no problem. I'm worried about the Opera S2000, though. The R-Tune's weight would work against it on this handling-oriented track.

- "I guess your V-Tec hasn't kicked in yet."

It's a good thing that's not the Evo 7, or else he would have ran out of fuel already.

I decided to copy my fellow countryman Kamui Kobayashi and go balls-out through Turn B in a three car sandwich.
R-Tune driver - "Crazy fool!"

Because I had better tyres, I could get around the R-Tune easily, even off the racing line.
R-Tune driver - "Around the outside...that's kamikaze style right there..."

I was off the racing line but still got past the S2000, again thanks to the increased grip of my slick tyres.
Opera S2000 driver - "Goddamned cheater!"
It's not my fault your tyres suck...

It's kinda disheartening to see Franz so far away. But I should point out that I'm on better tyres.

As expected, I caught up. Franz tuned his radio so he could talk to me.
Franz - "Ready to play with the big boys?"
- "Ha...I'm a big boy already..."

Gareth then tuned in.
Gareth - "Look, Hiroto, Franz has a reputation. He's never tried to overthrow Pierre."
- "Why?"
Gareth - "He never likes being in a position of leadership."
- "Is he good?"
Gareth - "Does the Pope hate atheists? He's easily the best of the Lieutenants. And he doesn't cheat like Miki."
- "Could he be...better than Miki?"
Gareth - "Do you think so?"
- "I only raced Miki once, back in high school."

- "Crap, I'm wide!"
Gareth - "So...about Miki..."
- "Yeah?"
Gareth - "What was he like to race against?"
- "He drove with extreme aggression. He just drove with anger. So, he made a lot of mistakes."
Gareth - "You won, right?"
- "Yeah."
Gareth - "How?"
- "He wore out his tyres. That's his version, even though it was December, and it was hard to wear out your tyres in such cold weather."
Gareth - "And what's the official version?"
- "He understeered constantly. He was even doing handbrake turns, trying to slow down for the corners."
Gareth - "How far back did he finish?"
- "About 20 seconds. He was so demoralised when he started to realise how far ahead I was."

I managed to catch up again with Franz. I was trying to find out where I could overtake him.

Franz tuned into my radio again.
Franz - "Hiroto, as you've heard, I have a reputation."
- "And what is that?"
Franz - "Back in Germany, I gained a reputation for my smooth, calm style. They nicknamed me "Herr Ice," or "Mr. Ice." Do you see where I'm coming from?"
We were rudely interrupted by an announcement from the officials that the Spoon S2000 had retired due to a leaking oil pan.

Franz - "Gah! There's no grip!"

Franz and I skidded off into the gravel, after going over the Spoon S2000's oil spill.

Franz - "Mein Ruecken tut weh!" (My back hurts!)

Franz had learned well enough not to lift off in a rear-engine vehicle like a RUF. He moved to the outside...giving me room for an overtake.

Franz - "Damn it! Don't get gravel in my air intakes!"

We rounded the final corner for the second and penultimate time.
Franz - "Mein freund, you are very lucky."

- "Well, as you Germans say, auf wiedersehen!"

The gap grew...

...and grew...

...and grew.

I kept my foot firmly on the accelerator through Turn H.

- "So...Gareth...did I do well?"
Gareth was left searching for a reply.

As I crossed the finish line, Gareth finally replied.
Gareth - "Judging by how far behind Franz is, yeah, you did great."
-------------------------
Franz - "Honestly, Hiroto, you have no one else to thank for your victory but the Spoon S2000. If he had a non-leaking oil pan, I seriously doubt I will be the one handing their pink slip over."
I had a familiar question on my mind, but this time it was rephrased.
- "Do you know what happened to Kazumi Tanaka and Toshi Sagata?"
Franz - "Pah! Miki is a wannabe Yakuza member. He reminds me of the character "D.K." from Tokyo Drift. I'll tell you this, Hiroto, had it not been for Michel and Team Nightshade, he would be on the streets begging."
- "Well, he never did finish high school..."
Franz - "You know what? Team Nightshade. I want to be my own man, with my own team, racing independently from all of these teams. Maybe I could help you against Miki."
- "Wow. Good for you."
Unknown to us, someone was eavesdropping. A man in a black hooded jumper walked over to a secluded spot.
- "Boss, I found Franz. He wants to leave."
- "I never liked that bastard anyway. Never really gave diversification a chance."
- "I have his hotel address, and his room number too."
- "You're not entirely useless without your Evo 8, it seems. Dismiss him...with extreme prejudice."
- "As you wish."

--------------------------------------
A hotel near El Capitan, around 7pm
--------------------------------------
Franz got into an elevator.
# - "Going up."
Franz dialled a number on his phone.
Franz - "Ah, Mutter, wie geht's?" (Ah, mother, how are you?)
Franz - "Nein. Ich habe der Rennen verloren." (No. I lost the race.)
Franz - "Ich werde am...22 Uhr am Montag ankommen. Tschues." (I will arrive at 10pm on Monday. Bye.)
Franz hung up.
# - "You are now on the 5th floor. Doors opening."
Franz never stepped out of the elevator. He stared at a helmeted man wearing dark clothes.
Franz - "Oh no...not like this."
The man fired one bullet, straight at Franz's head. Franz collapsed on the ground. No one heard the gunshot, as the killer was using a silencer.

Then the man walked off, calmly, as if nothing had happened.


------------------------
Fact file: Franz Becker
Age: 34 (now deceased)
Home course: Deep Forest Raceway, Germany
Specialty: Circuit courses, mid- and rear-engine cars
Likes: tuned cars, endurance racing, the Nurburgring, Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
Hates: poorly modified cars (i.e. "ricers"), Fox News, people who stereotype Germans, bratwurst, Margaret Thatcher (don't we all?)