RCKakashi14's GT Sport Fanfiction - ON HOLD

[RCKakashi14]

Page 14 - The Cousin With Two Faces




A few minutes before the race starts, Isaiah is zipping up his race suit. He then takes his helmet from the table and walks towards his car.

But just as he is about to strap in, a man visits him.


The man in question wears a gray racing suit with a Ravenwest logo, and he is none other than Andy Midfield. But what is he doing in the midst of last-minute preparations? There's only little time for chatting.


Andy: "Are you Isaiah? Martin's cousin? Can you spare a few seconds before you go? My name is Andy Midfield, by the way."

The two proceed to shake hands.


Isaiah: "Isaiah Geronimo. Well, begin now."


Andy: "It's strange to give advice to a rival, but I hate people who have two faces. Don't let your blood relation determine the result. Smoke him at your pleasure."


Isaiah: "Martin seems to be okay. We're not close, but he's cool."


Andy: "Ahaha. Oh you bet. You are his kryptonite, because he despises people succeeding through chance alone, getting all the attention. I wish I could give him a smack on the head. But anyhow, enjoy!"


Andy walks away and leaves a bewildered Isaiah.


Weather reports indicate a 60% chance of rain. But the show must go on. Even office employees can spectate from their buildings overlooking the elevated city circuit.

But as the laps passed on, Martin notices a speck of his cousin's X2019 getting larger and larger.

Isaiah: "Time to prove myself to you, Martin. Family bonds won't intervene."

Martin: "Things are looking better now. I have a cousin to play with. Oh well, gotta ride with this facade."

Martin: "I hate overly-ambitious Filipinos like you. Sometimes, I even feel ashamed to be one. You have no idea what I went through to get this far."

Martin: "You display the traits of a typical Filipino dreamer over-sensationalized by media. Be thankful your luck has brought you here. But how long will that be on your side?"

Isaiah: "You idolized my father. He was your inspiration. And yet, what Andy said earlier..."


Isaiah wouldn't let Andy's words plague his head for now. Though he is starting to feel the enmity.

Martin is pushing the enmity further, having no intentions of pulling his punches especially that his relative is now in the same league as his.


Martin: "I viewed your father as an inspiration. All he did? I merely imitated it. I worked my entire blood, sweat, and tears to get over here. And then you? You just won in some ditzy video game contest and you are already considered "skilled"?! You're throwing all your father's life lessons out of the window!"

Isaiah treads carefully through the hairpin, wary of the power that can potentially make him lose control.


However, slipstream is definitely an effective tool. Isaiah's car finds itself once again locking horns with Martin's.

Then, an opening appears itself.


Isaiah: "There!"

Isaiah then goes full-throttle, taking advantage on the copious amount of downforce the X2019 can provide.

And finally edged out.


Martin: "This is just the beginning, kiddo! Don't let this get over your head."

Isaiah's X2019 bursts out of the tricky final chicane, which made Martin's eyes widen.


Martin: "He must have gotten the track already. Well, this one is short, anyway."

However, more are to come, as Isaiah shows a sudden improvement on his pace.

Martin: "How has he gotten THAT fast?! What's gotten into him?"

Isaiah now has a newfound drive of finding the truth behind his father's death, which is something that Martin is unaware of. The answer to his question is merely abstract in form.

Martin plowed through the hairpin too fast, that his X2019 hit the guardrail. He didn't mind the sparks flying, however.

Isaiah: "I'm not going to lose, Martin. Moreover, it seems that your exploits have clouded your morals, if Andy is to be believed."

Isaiah: "A man from the slums of Tondo, raised by a humble household maintained by his parents, has completely forgotten his roots. Or perhaps uprooted by his pride."



Despite Martin's best efforts, Isaiah prevails the first round.

Isaiah: "I am not going to allow myself being belittled by the big wigs like you, including William Tan."




End of Page 14

 

[MisterWaffles]

Martin's personal stance on sim racing is really interesting. It's really topical at the moment and reminds me of all these professional racers who have laughed off the whole virtual racing scene spawned from Corona. Really reminds me of that incidents with Pagenaud and Abt recently.

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 15 - Sending a Message


A victory ceremony is in order, after the city race concluded with Isaiah's victory. At the podium, Martin smiles in front of the cameras but at a brief moment showed a sneer on his face upon looking at his cheerful cousin standing on the middle holding the gold trophy up high.


This would surely send waves to the Philippines, considering only a handful would make it in a prestigious event such as this.


As the ceremony ended, Isaiah walks along with his equally happy peers. But Martin follows them and calls the attention of his cousin.


Martin: "Isaiah?"


Isaiah stops, and hands over the trophy to Abel, who then proceeds to return to the pit garage. Martin merely smirks.


Isaiah: "You did well. I had a hard time."


Martin: "Really? You made it look easy back there. But hey, word of advice - everything will be tougher from here on out. Don't celebrate just yet."


Isaiah: "Oh, I'll keep that in mind. And also, here's a little quote that hits closer to home:

"Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan, ay hindi makakarating sa kanyang pinaroroonan."

(If you can't remember your past, then you won't see your future.)

​

Isaiah smiles, despite the enmity now brewing between them.


Isaiah: "Good day to you."



Isaiah leaves a seething Martin, who still can't get over the fact that a rookie would beat a professional in a game he has more experience in.

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

​

Location: Nurburg, Germany
Time: 7 pm, two days later



After their successful stints in Japan, Formula Geschwindigkeit gets their brief, but well-deserved rest. Though they are aware that Kevin left Geschwindigkeit, Abel strives to move forward.

But how will he? Even that he cannot answer to himself.


And so he invited Isaiah along for dinner. Ben decided not to tag along as he wants to sleep it out and his stomach is filled.

The rain has just stopped pouring, but they decided to eat inside the restaurant to keep themselves warm. After picking their respective orders, they help themselves first with glasses of water.


Abel then places down his glass. Isaiah briefly looks at his smartphone checking the latest news on social media. He still hasn't seen a news article about his victory, but he didn't mind and merely put his phone on lock screen.


Abel: "What are your plans after this, if I may ask?"


Isaiah: "I'm going back to the Philippines. Alexei told me everything."


Abel widens his eyes upon hearing the answer.


Abel: "What did Alexei tell you?"


Isaiah: "That my father's death is more than meets the eye. Maximilian Marsh also has to answer to me. There is a mess that I must clean first."


Abel: "Wait! You're giving up the...?"


Isaiah: "Of course not. I have seen the race calendar for the X2019 series. After the second race in Laguna Seca, we have a long break before the third. I'll use that opportunity to find out the truth."


Abel: "But finding the truth is not easy! Especially that you're targeting the head of the FIA. He can..."


Isaiah: "He can... what?"


Abel: "I'm just... worried for Kevin about what's he about to do, and here you are doing the same thing."


Isaiah: "Father never backed down from a challenge. And so do I. I cannot let this pass by. Those who are responsible must answer. You told me to shake off my fears, am I right?"

Abel: "Yes I did."


Isaiah: "Then how am I to move on, if I don't go after the real cause of said fears?"


Abel: "Do you think your father would appreciate what you're about to do?"


Isaiah: "I don't know. But my heart screams for justice, that's all there is to it."



The waitress then arrives with their appetizer, a plate of French Fries. Upon laying it on the table, Isaiah grabs one piece, and munches it as Abel gives a stern expression.


Abel: "You'd better gather your thoughts about this first, okay?"


Isaiah: "Don't you worry about me, sir. I'm not going to act drastic. Kevin and I are different."


Isaiah then picks another piece and consumes it.


Isaiah: "Kinda crisp. I like it."

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

​

Location: Geschwindigkeit HQ, Nurburg, Germany
Time: 10 am, the next day



The next morning, Abel calls on both Isaiah and Benjamin for a briefing.


Abel: "Good morning. Now, please come with me."


He leads them to the garage. He then presents a veiled car, presumably another open cockpit racer because of its low stance. Abel takes wrap off, and this appears before them:

Abel: "That's pretty much the reason why I came here at midnight. I drove all the way to Stuttgart to get this."


Benjamin: "Whoa... and what is this, exactly?"


Abel: "A proper 1980s formula one car. Driven by my brother... who is Kevin's biological father."


Benjamin's eyes widened.


Benjamin: "I'm sorry, but what?! You're not...?"


Abel: "I'll spare the explanations later. But right now, this is our way of letting Maximilian know that we do not forget, and that his days are numbered.


Benjamin, you will be driving this in our race at Blue Moon Bay in New York. You'll be hard pressed on this one."


Benjamin sees this as a challenge, and so he smiles.


Benjamin: "Taming a car with a mountain-sized turbo lag? What's more fun than that?"

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


​

Location: London, England
Time: 8 pm



As usual, the after hours is a lively time in London. Pubs and restaurants are brimming with customers eager to shake off their daily stress.



Then in a district filled with cafes and pubs, three sports cars are seen parking in an alley.

Getting out of the electric Jaguar are Alexei and Darwin Healey. Then exiting the Aston Martin V8 Vantage S are Bernard Morris and Allen Wilson. Then the M3 at the back is owned by Bianca Moretti.

The half-siblings are meeting again, but why is Darwin Healey with them? Was he given a better contract?



As they get in, they managed to find a table and settle down. Bianca places her Hermes bag behind her, pressing her back against it on the backrest to support her posture. The waiter hands them their menu. Darwin is merely staring at them as they are discussing on what will they eat. Bianca immediately notices Darwin's aloofness, and engages him.


Bianca: "Hey, are you okay?"

Darwin: "Yeah. I'm all right."

Bianca: "Are you tired?"

Darwin: "A bit, yeah. But let's just eat."


After placing their orders, it's now Alexei's turn to lead the conversation.



Alexei: "My siblings, I hope you're getting along nicely with Darwin Healey. Please, don't intimidate."


Bianca: "You're the most intimidating one of all, Alexei. So why is he here?"


Alexei: "He will be racing with us, as soon as the F1500T-A series is over. There are a couple of rounds left."



Bernard: "That's good. And our Group 3 car is almost finished."

Allen: "So, are we focusing on European GT races?"


Alexei: "For now, yes. But do not forget why we assembled. And..."


Alexei looks at Darwin, squarely on to his eyes, with a smirk.


Alexei: "...I wonder. How is our lovely brother Rob Hatch going to react if he sees Darwin Healey?"




And then Alexei shows an even more impish grin.

"...or should I say, Dennis Hatch?"




​

End of Page 15



AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Martin's personal stance on sim racing is really interesting. It's really topical at the moment and reminds me of all these professional racers who have laughed off the whole virtual racing scene spawned from Corona. Really reminds me of that incidents with Pagenaud and Abt recently.

Actually, even before COVID-19, I already planned for Martin to be a condescending rival to Isaiah. He represents a typical Filipino who had fame and fortune gotten over his head, who has this what Filipinos call a "Crab Mentality" - pulling down someone who is on a brink of success. Ironic, given that he rose from the slums and yet Isaiah - being a bit more better off - is the humble one.

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 16: I Will Fight


Location: Geschwindigkeit HQ, Nurburg, Germany
Time: 7 am, the next day


Isaiah just finished his hearty breakfast. He had eaten copious amounts of it - consisting of eggs, ham, bacon, and some slices of bread. He misses rice, for obvious reasons.

He then heads back to his room, brushing his teeth as he inspects his luggage for one last time. He is to head over to New York and then to California for their respective races.

Once everything is packed, he sits down on his bed, checking the social media through his phone. Upon scrolling down, he sees Martin's post. He notices more than a thousand comments and reactions. It then states:

"Imagine all of your years of hard work - your blood, sweat and tears along with years of spinning out or losing a tire - are made worthless by some gamer who just got scouted by a gaming developer after winning in a computer racing game.

So, armchair racing drivers are now a thing nowadays. I'm getting old, perhaps."


​

While most of the comments are actually criticizing Martin, Isaiah couldn't help but grip his phone tighter. He then takes a screenshot of said post. Next, he takes a deep breath and merely puts it back on lock screen and puts it back in his pocket, as he is about to leave with Abel.



Upon arriving at the airport and checking in, Isaiah enters a restaurant and gets a bottle of soft drink. He then sits down and drinks alone while waiting for the boarding call. Benjamin spots him, and joins.


Benjamin: "Here you are. And you don't have the good mood today. What's up?"


Isaiah: "Just my condescending cousin ranting about how I beat him. He proved that Andy is right all along. But hey, it's a Filipino thing. You feel threatened when you are the top of your game because you don't want others to steal your thunder. That's something very familiar in the gaming community too. You then resort to the lowest of the lows just to make sure you're still sitting on the throne.

I don't even need media attention of my victories. Just as long as I win, fair and square. I've made it this far, only to be insulted by a family member."


Benjamin: "I feel ya, mate. I've been ridiculed too because of my age. But hey, skills pay the bills, not your mouth. Always. You'll get over it. It takes time."


Benjamin then gets the menu and starts looking at the food choices.


Benjamin: "Oh, by the way, never ever eat in an airport restaurant. They're mediocre. My father scoffs all of them. And he's a great cook back home. You should come over sometime."


Isaiah: "I know that all along. Even back home, airports don't have the best of restaurants, and that includes the popular fast food chains."


Benjamin stands up and heads over the counter. He ordered only a cup of coffee to tide him over.

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

​

Location: Blue Moon Bay Speedway, Long Island, New York
Time: 12 pm, two days later



Scores of press gather around the Formula Geschwindigkeit garage. Abel is handling all the questions. They have gathered mainly because of his decision to use his brother's formula 1 car.

Abel: "We are not here to gather points for today. Since the world now knows what Maximilian Marsh has done to my brother, I decided to send out this car only for this round. Because I know he'll be watching while still in hiding. If he is living in guilt as he claims, then this one will seal it, or maybe even drown him forever. This is a message that we still remember, and that justice is just knocking on his door. This, is my way of fighting."



While Abel entertains the press further, Isaiah gets out of the pit garage and over to the caravan just to get a bottle of water. He sees Alexei inside, listening to his tunes with his ears covered by wireless earphones. Upon helping himself outside, he is spotted by none other than Martin. Isaiah tries to veer his face away and look on the opposite side.


Martin: "Just came by to watch my cousin. Well, even though you're not racing. I'm in full support."


Isaiah covers up the bottle and turns around to face his cousin.


Isaiah: "Ayaw kong makipagplastikan, sa totoo lang. Wag mo aking gawing tanga." (I don't want to be two-faced when dealing with you, to be honest. Don't take me for a fool.)

Martin: "Teka lang. May sinabi ba ako?" (Hang on, what did I just say?)

Isaiah: "Parang nakalimot ka ata. Or perhaps, dinelete mo ang post?" (Seems you've forgotten. Or perhaps you've deleted your post?)

Isaiah then takes out his smartphone from his pocket and shows the screenshot photo of Martin's controversial social media post.

Martin merely chuckles upon seeing it.


Isaiah: "Digital na ang karma. Uso ang screenshot. Mag-ingat ka sa sinasabi mo, kung talagang may delicadeza ka. Talagang napatunayan mo na nanggaling ka sa basura. At masangsang ang amoy nito, kahit ano pa ang bihis mo." (Karma's gone digital now. Screenshots are a thing. Be careful what you say, if you are truly refined. You've proven yourself to be a trash from the slums, and it still reeks no matter how much you dress yourself.)


Martin: "Ikaw naman. Wag mo ngang seryosohin." (Oh you. Don't take it seriously.)


Isaiah: "Pikon ka? Dahil natalo ka ng isang pawang gamer LANG? Nawala na ang pride mo? Tapos iniidolo mo ang tatay ko? Wala kang alam kung ano ang pinagdadaanan ko, at hindi mo rin alam kung ano ang naranasan niya habang nabubuhay pa siya."
(Butthurt much? Because you were beaten by a MERE gamer? Did you lose your pride? Then you claim that my father inspired you? You don't know what I've gone through, and also you don't know what he had gone through when he was still living.)


Martin has gotten stern. No use putting up a warming family facade.


Martin: "Hindi mo rin alam kung gaano ako naghirap para matupad ang mga pangarap ko. Hindi ko hahayaan na mawala yun ng basta basta ng katulad mo."
(You too, don't know what I've gone through to achieve my goals. I'm not going to allow them to be diminished by the likes of you.)

Isaiah: "Wag na wag mong gagamitin yan para mang-apak ng ibang tao. Hindi mo yan ikaka-unlad. Lumaban ka ng patas." (Never use your struggles just to invalidate others and step on them. It's not going to take you places. Fight fair.)


Isaiah then returns to the pit garage, leaving a defeated Martin.


Isaiah has a newfound vigor, and he shall use it as a weapon for his future plans.


And now, time for the race itself...

The audience, especially the younger ones, are given the golden opportunity to witness the rawness of a 1980s Formula racer.

The commentators are even amazed on how it can keep up with the similar-looking yet more modern opponents.

But Benjamin's struggle isn't too apparent for them.


Benjamin: "I've been keeping this thing on the road since qualifying. But strangely enough, it has the same speed as the modern ones I race with."

Benjamin: "What's more important though... is that I get even with Darwin. I won't forget that!"


True to his word, Benjamin locks on to Darwin.

Benjamin: "Even I have to act like a little kid. Hehe. But I can't let my loss merely pass by!"

Meanwhile, in the circuit's big convention center where fans can view historic cars on display, Takuma Kanonji is walking around the cars that pique his interest.

He then sees a giant booth promoting the Atkinson Motor Company's products, with a giant flat screen television showing a video of its history and achievements. Representatives are busy speaking to their potential clients. Takuma gets closer, and sees a face shown on the video clip, none other than William Tan.


Takuma: "Mr. Kern once mentioned that man's name. Could he be connected too? They are really pushing this autonomous vehicle technology hard, huh?"



However, before one of the representatives can approach, Takuma turns his back and walks away.



Back in the race, Benjamin moves in.

Darwin, still using that name, holds off his pace... as per Alexei's instructions.

But even then, he is genuinely impressed with his rival's impeccable control.

Darwin: "For someone so young to have that level of control on a relatively primitive car, that's commendable. No one should look him down after this."

And primitive it is. Despite Benjamin's best efforts, its cornering abilities leave so much to be desired. 30 years is a vast gap in terms of car performance.

Benjamin: "My biceps will grow after this. The steering is just... vintage, to say the best."

Despite the complaints, the Porsche-powered Formula 1 car spreads the gap.

Benjamin: "I won't earn points for this round, but the fun of driving this thing is more than worthy!"

Benjamin: "Oh well, if this will help Mr. Abel Kern, then so be it. I'm not vocal like my father, but I will fight for what's right too."

A legendary figure in racing evokes the memories of those who had witnessed it in its heyday. Surely, this will hit the social media sites, and who knows? Maybe people will bring up the name Gerhard Kern too...



...to stir up the investigation.


Abel has indeed crafted a clever plan. People will start delving in to the past.






End of Page 16

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 17: Gamble



Location: Weathertech Laguna Seca, California, USA
Time: one week later


It is once again Isaiah's turn to shine. This will be his only race in the USA, and then return home to the Philippines.

Also, he will have to deal with his condescending cousin once more. But for him, he won't let family bonds get in the way. He was not close with Martin to begin with.

The routine starts as usual, with the crew members having their hands full on setting up the cars.

Isaiah is catching some fresh air outside the pit lane, but then he is approached by his cousin.



Martin: "I take it that you haven't raced here."


Isaiah: "And I take it that you're going to spew a lesson about experience once again. I can have this in my head during qualifying. Thanks."


Martin: "You can't just pause and repeat if you make a mistake. You only have one chance."


Isaiah: "I'm not dumb to realize that, Martin. Good graces brought me here, like you said. But you have to accept the fact that I'm here, running with you."


Martin: "I'd be willing to bet my pride coming from years of experience. Gamers should just stay in their rooms and work on their views."


Isaiah: "Go ahead. Risk it all. Excuse me."


Isaiah enters back the pit garage. He just couldn't stand it. It may have been merely a psychological tactic.


Abel: "Hey, saw you talking to your cousin again."


Isaiah: "Nah, I won't be psyched out. He's speaking gibberish. I can do this."


Abel smiles and pats on Isaiah's shoulder.

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

​

The race soldiers on smoothly. No incidents took place and Isaiah maintained his pace to conserve his tires.

​

However, to show that he is more than his cousin's expectations, Isaiah goes into attack mode, burying the throttle and then make an aggressive corner entry.

And in one sweep, he overtakes his cousin. A show of force.

Isaiah: "So, this is what gamers do? News flash, we actually do more virtual practice laps than you "pros" do on real life."

Martin: "I'll go all out. To prove my point, that is. I'm not going to show mercy on newbies like you."

Treading carefully on the Corkscrew...

Martin puts his right foot down, overtaking the hesitant Isaiah on the Corkscrew's exit.

Martin: "I've done more than a hundred laps here, hence I know how to tackle the Corkscrew. Your virtual experience is useless here, even if you did a few laps on the qualifying today."

Martin: "I have everything on my belt, and yet why? Why would someone with very little exposure gets THIS fast?!"

Isaiah, meanwhile, airs his disappointment...

Isaiah: "I know we are not close, but I do look up on you from time to time. I thought, you would be someone who will put our country on the map."

Isaiah: "But upon meeting you, the true colors came out rushing like wave. You just solidified the rumor that Ravenwest peeps are eloquent pricks."


On the Rahal straight, Martin once again sees Isaiah closing in.

With another successful exit from the Corkscrew, Isaiah musters up his courage, and his pressure game ensues.


Isaiah: "Oh you would be pissed if someone as "low" as me will buzz around you like a fly. Wait a minute..."


Martin has miscalculated on the final corner, prompting Isaiah to bury the throttle now that he is in the correct line.

Isaiah: "Ha! I am indeed like a fly swarming around reeking garbage like you."

Martin: "No! Dammit... and the final lap has started!"

For the final lap, Isaiah makes the ultimate decision of using his qualifying line.

Isaiah: "Come. Surely someone as high and mighty as you won't have a problem keeping up, am I right?"

Martin notices the more aggressive movements that Isaiah's X2019 is displaying. His eyes widen, and clenches the wheel tightly. His usual demeanor has turned into anxiety.

Martin: "I have the data, resources, backing and years of experience. But how can he be faster?! I don't get this!"

With haste, Martin enters the Corkscrew. It seems perfect, however...

...the speed it entered was actually too much, that it lost its momentum and control on the exit, a very familiar mistake seen in every race at Laguna Seca.

Rather than pulling over, Isaiah moves on. The checkered flag awaits, and he won't lose it considering the enmity between them.


Isaiah: "All of your pride lost, on that one critical corner. Not going to stop and help you."

Isaiah takes the second round with a win, as the checkered flag is waved. Abel smiles as he sees the rest of the crew celebrating with Benjamin. Alexei smirks as well, but immediately returns to the team's caravan.


Alexei: "You're truly going places, Isaiah. You keep on breaking the mold."





Isaiah's quest is far from over, however. It's time to move on to the next phase: finding justice.






End of Page 17




AUTHOR'S NOTES:



- This will be last race for this story arc. Next page will be the conclusion.

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 18: Next Steps


Location: Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Time: 1 pm, one week later.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please claim your baggage at carousel 6”

​

The Emirates airline has made a full stop at one of the gates of NAIA Terminal 3. The passengers stand up from their seats to collect their carry-on luggage.


In the business class, Isaiah stretches his legs first as he is to stand up to take his carry-on luggage. Some people in the cabin have recognized him all thanks to his recent victories. He smiles as he gets his brown leather bag from the overhead compartment.

He exited the plane without much effort, and upon claiming his luggage, he receives another SMS message from the same mysterious person who kept on pestering him since he kicked off his racing career in Europe. Isaiah has arrived home, thinking that he will enjoy this much needed break...

“I am wearing a black shirt and jeans, holding a cardboard with your name on it.”

​

Isaiah breathes out a sigh, anxious but at the same time eager to meet this mysterious person. Upon heading out, he looks around for a man matching the description seen on the message. As he looks on his left, he finally encounters the man, having a gelled back hair wearing the said black t-shirt and jeans.


Isaiah approaches the man. The mysterious man breathes a sigh of relief knowing that Isaiah only brought one piece of suitcase.

“Hi, my name is Ricardo Dimaguiba. It’s great to finally see you in person.” the mysterious man said.


Isaiah: “Oh finally. I’m not the one easy to trust someone, but I am somehow relieved that I finally met you.”

Ricardo: “Shall we go? I don’t like huge crowds.”

The two men head over to the airport’s parking lot. They stopped right in front of this car.

Isaiah: “A GT3 RS? Neat. My teammate owns one as well, albeit in a hybrid guise.”


Ricardo: “I’m pretty sure your suitcase can fit in the boot. Put it in.”


Isaiah tucks in the suitcase in the GT3 RS’ front trunk. It manages to fit, mainly because Isaiah didn’t pack much thinking that he’ll be having a short stay in Manila.

With all set and done, Ricardo fires up the naturally-aspirated 4 liter flat six motor. Isaiah hears a rather louder tune from the exhaust.

Isaiah: “Nice sound. I take it that this is modified?”


Ricardo: “Six hundred horsepower.”

They head out and Ricardo decides to take the Skyway, taking the ramp near Resorts World Manila.



Upon cruising, Isaiah now takes the opportunity to be frank.




Isaiah: “Let’s just make everything clear, now that we have met. You’ve been bothering me for months, claiming to know what really happened to my father. What’s your deal?”


Ricardo: “Let’s just say you deserve to know. And it’s better for you to fix this mess.”


Isaiah: “What mess?”


Ricardo: "You know, there is a private property in Tagaytay turned into a racing circuit named “The Circuit”. It has been a hotspot for racers as of late. It consists of treacherous twists and turns. The track is managed by an organization known as “The Council”.

Ricardo: “A young man from that organization named “Winston Tan” currently holds the fastest lap time of 2 minutes and 5 seconds. But The Council is aiming to get recruits whoever eclipses the 2-minute and 10-second barrier. And here goes the peasants in their ghastly modified domestics taking shots. Should they ever be indicted, they would be a part of this “illustrious” racing team holding races during the daylight.”


Isaiah: “Sounds like a noontime show used as a gateway out of poverty, albeit with cars.”


Ricardo: “You put the words right out of my mouth.”


Isaiah: “How are they involved, then?”


Ricardo: “That’s what we’re trying to find out. As far as I know, they are allegedly involved with the corrupt practices of the FIA. My job is to verify that.”

Half an hour later, they have finally arrived at Isaiah’s residence in Quezon City, nearby the SM North EDSA shopping complex. The Porsche parks right in front of Isaiah’s Integra Type R.


Ricardo: “Nice Integra, Isaiah.”


Isaiah: “I fixed it up all by myself.”


He quickly gets out of the 911 and get his suitcase from the trunk. Upon taking it out, he is greeted with his mother, Adela, who hugs him tight.


Adela: “You finally came! Oh, have you eaten? And... who is he?”


Isaiah: “Ummmm... he’s my Grab driver.”


Ricardo crosses his arms, but he definitely knew that was a comical excuse to cover up a serious mission.


Ricardo: “I must be going now. Nice to meet you, Isaiah.”


Ricardo leaves with a wink.

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

​

Location: Brands Hatch, Kent, England
Time: 6 pm, the next day




A loud rumble can be heard among the hills, for the entire duration of the day. Seems like someone is honing his or her skills.

As it turns out, it's Alexei's newly-formed racing team testing the Jaguar F-Type Group 3. Ever since winning the overall championship of the F1500T-A series, the Formula Geschwindigkeit's operations has been put in hiatus. Therefore, Alexei can finally stretch and put his plans into action.

And the driver of the race car is none other than Dennis Hatch, still under the guise of Darwin Healey. He is still quiet and reserved as ever.

Alexei: "It is good that Dennis acts this way."


Bianca: "Until when will he keep that ruse, then?"


Alexei: "Until I tell him to stop."

Alexei: "We will show our always mighty brother Rob Hatch, that he is not alone."

Alexei: "He has been acting high and mighty and focused solely on himself when it comes to career. He had even once disowned his mother. All that matters to him is to keep the "Hatch" name alive and shining."

Suddenly, Bianca feels a sharp sensation on the back of her head. She looks back, but seeing nothing, she decides to continue the chat until she looks down. It's a paper plane. She picks it up and unfolds it. A message is written in Cyrillic:

"Мы всегда рядом"

(We're always nearby)

​

She then shows the paper to Alexei. Upon reading it, Alexei grabs it and quickly runs out in search for the sender. He looks left and right. Seeing absolutely no one, he briefly closes his eyes and breathes out a sigh. He crumples the paper and throws it in the bin nearby. He looks at the bright sunset.


Alexei: "Seems like I'm having a REALLY GOOD START."

************************************************************************************************************************************************************
​

Location: Gottlieb Electric, Stuttgart, Germany
Time: 5 pm, the next day


The Monday ended just like any other weekday. However, Kevin and Gerhard are still in their respective office rooms. Gerhard then heads out, loosening his necktie as he is preparing his way home. He then sees Kevin in his office, folding a paper in a fan-like shape, then using rubber bands for the holder.

Gerhard smiles, and knocks on the door to get his son's attention.

Kevin stops, and then reaches for the door.


Kevin: "Mr. Gottlieb. Well, I'm just trying to pass time until work is over."

Gerhard: "What is that on your desk?"

Kevin looks at the fan-shaped object he made using multiple layers of folded paper to make it solid.

Kevin: "It's called a... harisen, sir. You know me, I like Japanese culture so much."

Gerhard looks at his watch, and then sits down.


Gerhard: "Can you... teach me how to make one?"


One of the moments he is once again bonding with his son, while still keeping the latter in the dark about his true identity. After all, he still has a LOT to catch up on.


Kevin happily obliges, sitting down behind his desk and getting the sheets of paper.


Kevin: "Well, sir... this is how you should begin..."



And the duo spent an hour making harisen fans together... When Gerhard finally makes a perfect one, Kevin claps his hands.


Kevin: "All right! That looks perfect, sir!"


Gerhard: "It's easier than I thought. Well, I always yearn to learn, even from the energetic youth such as you."




Later, Gerhard returns home to his mansion.

He exits from his Taycan, with the harisen fan, which piques Albrecht's curiosity.


Albrecht: "Sir? What is that?"


Gerhard: "My son.... taught me how to make this. It's called a ha... harisen! Yes. I hope I got that right. I might hit Maximilian with this someday. I'll keep it with me.


Have dinner prepared, please. I'll just take a shower."


As he ascends the staircase, he takes out his smartphone, and calls Takuma.



Gerhard: "Hello?"


Takuma, in London, has just finished his meeting with a buyer. He enters in his Lamborghini Veneno.

Takuma: "Hello, Mr. Kern?"

Gerhard: "Is this a good time?"


Takuma: "Yeah. I just finished a meeting with a buyer. He'll finally buy a lot here in London that took me years to sell."


Gerhard: "Good for you! Real estate can be tough, but brings in lots and lots of bacon. Anyhow, what have you seen from the AMT booth?"


Takuma: "The self-driving program they have, has the similar specifications as yours. But we have yet to gather a strong evidence."


Gerhard: "My hunch has gotten stronger, then."


Takuma: "What hunch?"


Gerhard: "I had once an incident at my office, of someone having stolen a certain amount of data and then left. It will be my job to connect the pieces. Kevin has yet to be officially indicted to my team."


Takuma: "What are your next plans?"


Gerhard: "I'm sending him over to Palm City in Florida, under the guise of time trial challenges, but at the same time, I had finally tracked down the man who attempted to kill me. Kevin will do the "interrogation". While I, am heading to the Philippines."


Takuma: "Philippines? What for?"


Gerhard: "I've heard Isaiah Geronimo had suffered the same as Kevin's. Plus, I'll confirm if there is a connection. After all, the AMT is owned by the Tan family. Apparently, one of the Tan siblings is allegedly keeping the stolen tech.


We're going to have a busy time ahead. Please, do as what I have asked of you."



Takuma: "Roger that. I'll make my comeback a lot more fun."




Takuma then presses the ignition button on the center console. The Veneno's V12 breathes into life with a custom exhaust, gathering the attention of bystanders and pedestrians.

THE END


​

AUTHOR'S NOTES:


- This page acts as a prelude for the upcoming three arcs.


And...

"I might hit Maximilian with this someday."​

Leaked footage of Gerhard finally hitting Maximilian:

​

​

 

[AudiMan2011]

Things are now in motion that can't be undone.

 

[RCKakashi14]

HATCH 2.0



The Hatch Family tree has branches that has been hiding in its shadow.

Now, they sprout and make themselves known in the light...


​

Page 1: Turning Back


Location: London, England
Time: 8 pm


Night life in London is as vibrant as it will ever be. The after hours will always be the refuge of the stressed or even the downtrodden. Scores of adults gather in various pubs, cafes, and restaurants.

In a certain street in London, however, three parked supercars make things more interesting for the bystanders. A Saturday evening has turned into a feast for the eyes among the supercar spotters and bloggers.

The three cars shut off their engines. Coming out the P1 is Rob Hatch, while the Aston Martin V8 Vantage S' owner is Owen, and finally, exiting the Porsche GT3 RS is Takuma Kanonji. Rob has invited the two for dinner.



Inside the restaurant, the three men placed their orders. Takuma is drinking water, but then proceeds to start the conversation despite the noise of other dining people.


Takuma: "How's life playing dead?"


Rob: "You answer first. How was it?"


Takuma: "Hey! At least it wasn't done intentionally! Unlike you!"


Rob: "Fair point, well made. My answer? Gone to dust."


Owen: "What do you mean?"


Rob: "All my efforts into pinning down Maximilian Marsh in the most precise of methods, have basically turned to ashes. Kevin knows... and that cute little Filipino driver is on to a path of retribution too."


Takuma: "Here's the thing. They will get involved too, no matter how much you cover your tracks. Maximilian will definitely go after those two even if things went according to your plan."


Rob then drinks his glass of water and gulps down.


Rob: "At least I got everything that can take him down. Those two? They will basically start off with the information leaked to them. They're on their own."


Owen: "Someone spilled the beans?"


Rob: "Indeed. Those are beans that took me time and effort to harvest. Now, I have to go after the guy first. What about you, Takuma? How's your "retirement"?


Takuma: "I'm back on the circuits. Found a motivation. Simple as that."


Rob: "But how are you going to reform the team? Will there be another Dream Alliance? Nobuhiko's gone nuts, and his protege is now an instructor. Your twin is in that German team that temporarily disbanded, and basically free."


Takuma: "That's not on my mind at the moment."


An ice in Rob's glass slides down. Rob leans back on his seat.


Rob: "Wow. Just wow."

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

​

Location: Team Storm's headquarters, Wimbledon, London
Time: 12 pm, the next day


Rob summons Owen to the headquarters for a brief meeting. Their next racing season isn't too far off, so preparations are ought to be made.

He then shows Owen the car they'll be running for the season: an Aston Martin DBR9. Owen reacts with a stern look, however, knowing the car's age.


Owen: "One question, though. why pick a used race car?"


Rob: "Old or new doesn't matter. This baby will still run rings around the competition. I just spent money modernizing it."


Owen: "What about the Group 4 class?"


Rob: "That's sorted out as well. A Vantage is quite a nimble little machine, isn't it? You even own one."


Owen: "That I can confirm. So, are we ready, then?"


Rob suddenly walks towards outside the garage, looking at the cloudy sky.



Rob: "Not until I fix a little problem of mine first. I'm pressured for time, even."


Owen: "What is it? Maybe I can help."


Rob: "Don't get yourself involved, if I were you. I can't afford to put a family member in harm's way."

************************************************************************************************************************************************************
​

Location: Circuit de Sainte-Croix, France
Time: 1 pm


Meanwhile, just across the English channel....


A race is underway, consisting of premium sports and super cars.

One car is gathering instant attention, however...

It's a black Lister LFT 666, a modified Jaguar F-Type with none other than Dennis Hatch at the helm. He is alone, however, without Alexei and the other half-siblings watching by.

As the car's name suggests, the F-Type generates 666 horsepower, but Dennis also reduced some of the car's weight with lighter body panels.

It astonishes the competition with its sheer pace, betraying the car's grand touring status.

Hidden beneath the car's beauty is a beast awakened by a few modifications. One had to look even deeper to realize it. A lot has been fooled today.

Despite losing a bulk of his memories, Dennis' skills are as sharp as they were before that tragic accident in Switzerland years prior.

Back in one of the pit garages, Rebecca Crewe (now a racing instructor) watches by and takes interest to that black F-Type.

Even for just a fleeting moment, she suddenly feels something stroke her.


When the race concluded (with the F-Type's win), Rebecca debriefs her driver and then asks the crew to pack up. While letting the crew do their packing, Rebecca hears the F-Type's loud V8 grumble, seen exiting the circuit. She takes a look outside, and sees Dennis exiting the car to pay for the ticket. However, because Dennis now sports a longer hair, with his right side of the face covered by his bangs, she couldn't make out who he is. However, the ginger color makes a giveaway.


Rebecca: "So that's the F-Type's driver? I've been around with gingers lately, though."

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


​

Location: Rob's home, London, England
Time: 10 pm



The sun finally decided to call it a day, and changes places with the full moon. However, the clouds quickly form and cover it. Thunder can be heard cracking.

Rob is in a separate room, sorting out files in his laptop while Jenny and their newborn son Jason are in slumber in their master bedroom. He then switches off the laptop, and calls it a night. He then goes to the bedroom.


Little does he know, that a man wearing a grey jacket, with a hood large enough to conceal his face, ascends through the wall, making his way to Rob's office.


As Rob is about to take off his turtleneck, however, he hears a loud rustling of the tree just beside their home. Rob, at first, was stopped by the sound, but then proceeds to undress.

Just as he is to enter the bathroom, he hears a creaking window opening noise coming from his office. Sensing that something is out of the ordinary, Rob hurriedly rushes to his office.

His eyes have widened, seeing his laptop opened and of course confirming that someone broke in. Quickly, he heads outside, despite the cold temperature and only wearing pants and being barefoot. He then looks to his left, and sees the intruder running for it. Rob picks a rock of a considerable size, and throws it at the burglar. He gives chase and manages to catch up with the man and grabs him at the back. The two men then rolled on the ground. Rob assumes his fighting stance...




...and so does the intruder.

And who is the intruder?


None other than Alexei Bourdovsky. Seeing his half-brother ready to throw it down, Alexei assumes a grappling stance commonly seen among Mixed Martial Art fighters, with his hands slightly away from his face and palms slightly turned outwards.


Seeing his opponent stance, Rob smirks. The downpour suddenly comes to play as well.




It will be a fight night, minus the octagon ring and a referee.




End of Page 1

 

[AudiMan2011]

Rob's going to be in for such a rude awakening when he finds out his own truth

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 2 - The Bee


The downpour strikes hard on them. The two men are ready to throw down. Rob is still unaware of his perpetrator, as the hood is still perfectly in place, covering the man, none other than his half-brother, Alexei.

What has Alexei done? Did he steal something? That is for Rob to find out, as he squares on his opponent.


The duel ensues... starting off with Rob kicking off some soil to distract Alexei, but Alexei kicks some of it back to Rob. Some parts of the mud had covered up Rob's right eye, and Alexei seizes that opportunity to use his knee to hit Rob's jaw, then proceeds to cling on to the shoulder and lift himself up. Alexei then spins around, performing a spinning headscissors throw, sending Rob down to the grass with his bare chest covered in soil.

Undeterred, however, Rob quickly springs back up, and unleashes a quick punch on to Alexei. Rob throws another one, but his half-brother parries it reflexively.

Holding on to Rob's parried arm, Alexei makes a roundhouse kick on to Rob's face, then proceeds to grab and roll over the ground once more, but Alexei has him on an armbar.

Alexei's base martial art is judo, but he spiced it up with various disciplines, including Kung Fu. However, Alexei wasn't able to lock Rob, hence the latter being able to escape following up a sweeping kick that manages to hit Alexei's face, knocking down the hood in the process. Alexei was quickly able to stand up, and Rob is crouched down on his knee.


Upon seeing the face of the intruder, Rob widens his eyes, while Alexei merely shows a smirk.


Rob: "Alexei..."


Alexei is about to rush and use his knee to hit Rob's face, but of course Rob simply rolls on the side and manages to stand up. Deep down, he's shaken... to find out that his most-trusted protege had turned on him.


But he won't go down without a fight, and surely beat some sense onto his protege. With a scowl, Rob charges at Alexei, with the latter barely able to parry Rob's flurry of punches until one lands on Alexei's face, knocking his opponent down.


Alexei was quickly able to roll back up. Then he runs towards Rob, jumping up and manages to land on his shoulder, sitting down. Alexei crosses his legs around Rob's neck and performs another variant of a headscissor throw, slamming Rob down.


Rob, ventilating on the wet soil, looks up to the smirking Alexei standing right in front of him. The Russian half-sibling then shows his flash drive, presumably containing Rob's years of hard work in the MI6.


Alexei: "Dosvidanya... brother."


Upon hearing the final word, Rob stops ventilating and looks up in shock as Alexei walks away.

The rain still pours on heavily, with Rob slowly making his way inside his home. Soiled and wet, he ascends to the upper floor, with Jenny seeing her husband's sorry state. She quickly rushes to his side, aiding Rob who is holding his chest due to pain.


Jenny: "What on earth happened?"


Upon reaching their bedroom, Jenny grabs a towel while Rob sits on their bed. She passes it on to him, enabling him to wipe away the dirt by himself.


Rob: "Alexei... turned on me."

Jenny: "It's difficult to trust people nowadays. Hang on, I see some gashes and cuts."


Upon seeing some gashes on Rob's chest, she goes downstairs to get the first aid kit. With that done, she applies a cotton filled with iodine on to his wounds.


Rob: "He called me... a "brother". He used to call me merely as "sir" or "Mr. Hatch". This isn't out of friendship either. What is he implying?"

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

​

Location: Brands Hatch, Kent, England
Time: 9 am, the next day



It's a foggy morning at Brands Hatch. But despite that, Bianca and Dennis are at the track to get to know the Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Coupe, as a high-roller race will take place in a matter of weeks.

However, while working on the car, they hear an exhaust noise, growing louder as it closes by the main straight. Dennis heads out of the pit garage, and he managed to catch a glimpse of Rob's P1 GTR.


Dennis: "I wonder who is that?"


Bianca breathes deeply as she heard the question, and joins Dennis outside. She can't risk jogging Dennis' memory too much.


Bianca: "Our rival. Rob Hatch."


Dennis: "Alexei has been mentioning that name all the time."

It blitzes by the track along with pops and blow off valve sounds as it slows down for the first corner.

Turns out, Rob is driving as a way of venting out, after what had transpired last night. However, the sting of betrayal lingers, and that cannot be relieved in mere moments.

Rob would bury the throttle the moment the car braces itself for the corner exits. His anger is evident, but not seen on the outside.

In a few moments, the pair once again witness the blitz of a track-day hypercar. But the two would then return inside, not without Dennis looking at its fleeting image before he can resume working.


Rob decides to call it quits and return to the pit lane. He notices another pit garage open, and out of curiosity, approaches the said garage. He is immediately allured by the Jaguar's sleek styling.

Rob pretends to clear his throat in order to gain attention from the two. Dennis looks back, and briefly stares at his long-estranged older brother. But of course his condition still dictates that he has no memory.


Rob: "Nice Jag. A one-off? That is not common among the sea of F-Types and those ghastly I-Paces."


Bianca takes all the answering.


Bianca: "It is indeed a one-off. It's fully-electric, but developing a thousand horsepower."


Rob: "Yours?"

Bianca smiles.


Bianca: "I wish it is mine. But the two of us here are the owner's hired drivers. We will compete in a premium race in France soon."


Rob: "Ah yes. I'll be there too. By the way, my name's Rob Hatch. And you?"


Bianca: "Bianca Goretti. Nice to meet you."


They perform a hand shake. Rob then turns his attention to Dennis.


Rob: "How about you?"


Dennis: "Darwin... Healey, sir."


Dennis reaches out his hand, prompting Rob to return the gesture as well.



Rob: "1 minute and 22.4 seconds. Well, I must be leaving. I'm sorry."


Bianca: "See you at the race!"


Rob leaves them with a waving hand. He starts up his P1 and leaves the premises. Dennis stares at the leaving McLaren.


Bianca: "You heard the lap time. Beat it. The sky is getting darker. We need a bit of practice before the downpour."


After a warm up, Dennis goes in for the time attack.


(Race BGM: Risky Guy - Yuuzo Koushiro)

Despite being heavier than Rob's McLaren, it's actually proven to be more composed on the turns.

Dennis takes advantage of the car's 4WD system and instant thrust of provided only by the electric motors to exit the twists like a bullet fired from a gun.

The speed builds up quickly, hitting speeds exceeding that of GT3 racing cars on the back straight.

While it may perform like a true racing car on the outside, Dennis seems to be able to focus more because of the luxurious interior, with full leather and futuristic switch gear - a complete opposite on the P1 GTR's sparse interior.

Once it crosses the line, Bianca stops the recording. Dennis was able to post a 1 minute 21.4 second lap time, a full second faster than Rob's run.

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

​

Location: Amelia Hatch's home, London
Time: 12 pm


After managing to clear his head through timed runs, Rob heads back to London to have lunch with his mother. But it isn't just a simple lunch...


Upon entering the home, Amelia hugs her son tight and kisses him on the cheek. She then proceeds to the kitchen, leading Rob to the dining table with the food served already.


Amelia: "Let's eat!"


They both sit down and say grace. After that, Rob takes a fork and a knife and starts slicing on the steak Amelia has cooked for him.


Rob: "I always miss your steak."


Amelia: "Gotta have to make it special, even though it's sudden. Is it your day off?"


Rob: "I called in sick. I'm here to dig up on something."


Amelia: "Which is? Oh, by the way, I called up your wife a while ago to check up on you, and she told me you were in a brawl."


After chewing and swallowing, Rob replies.


Rob: "Which brings me on to the topic at hand."


Amelia: "What are you on about?"


Rob: "Why... did you leave father?"


Amelia: "Well.... sigh... look, I know I did something horrible to you, and we already agreed not to bring up the past. But why come up with such question?"


Rob: "Just answer my question... please."



Amelia gulps down the food she chewed, and then sets aside the utensils. She drinks a glass of red wine on her right side.



Amelia: "All right. I'm actually surprised you never asked it, until now. Where to begin? Oh let's see...




...you know what a bee does? It goes fluttering, buzzing around the garden, looking for a beautiful flower to enjoy the sweet nectar. And unknowingly, it brings pollen, while flying away to find the next flower to enjoy that sweet nectar... and to the next... and to the next... without the bee realizing its part for the ensuring of the future generation of flowers.


You should be able to get it now, why I cheated on your father. I was so aware, yet so blind. Every night before he comes home for dinner I always wondered if he stumbled upon another dame. Every time I sleep, I am trying to guess, how many? How many?


Hear this, a failed marriage bruises a man's ego. And men don't like failures. That's why they keep their wives and go out with other women at the same time. That was your father, always hanging on to his pride, afraid of tarnishing his image.... Much. Like. You.



Now, have I answered your query? We gotta eat our grub. No one enjoys them cold."



Amelia proceeds to take another sip of the wine.





End of Page 2

 

[XSquareStickIt]

I guess you could say that Amelia was... a bee-tch.

Eh? Eh?

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 3 - Family Tree


Location: MI6 Headquarters, London
Time: 8 am, the next day


Even after taking a day off yesterday, Rob is not in a fine mood. He sits behind his desk, playing "Hello" by Adele as his first song in the office which his partner Mark grew accustomed to. Rob then leans on his chair, covering his face with his hand, still baffled with the revelation his mother thrown at him.


Mark, turns right to face his colleague.


Mark: "You know, I already memorized the lyrics by heart. Thanks."

Rob: "Appreciate it."


Mark: "I'm surprised myself that this hasn't crossed my mind, but why? Why that infernal racket?"

Then the chorus plays out, prompting Rob to get out from his slouch. He gulps and looks up, fighting any form of tears... and as soon as that was suppressed, he looks at Mark with a scowl.


Rob: "The chorus... is an apology... to Dennis. Now... would you be so kind not to inquire again?"


Mark returns to looking at his monitor, as there is a lot of work to do.


Mark: "All right."


Passing by is their boss, Conrad, walking along with a woman wearing a typical white collared shirt with a black blazer and slacks, along with high heels. What does make her stand out though, is her hairstyle - shaved on the left, but wavy shoulder length on the right side. This prompts Mark to gaze, until Conrad looks behind.


Conrad: "Mr. Hatch, please come with us."

Rob: "Yes sir."


Rob follows the pair, and is fixated on the woman, mostly because of her peculiar hairstyle. The woman merely looks behind and smiles at him. Upon entering the room, Conrad sits behind his desk and types a few keys to unlock his PC, while Rob and the woman sit in front of the desk, facing each other. The woman then looks at Rob from head to toe, then ends it with a smile.


Conrad: "First order of business, Mr. Hatch... it seems that your "protege" Alexei is MIA. You... contacted me about that night. You did mention to me about that flash drive he took, didn't you?"


Rob: "Yes, sir."


Conrad: "And what were the contents?"


Rob: "Every aspect of the investigation - Maximilian Marsh, and that Bulgarian Mafia."


Conrad: "And where did Alexei come from? Wasn't he an ex-FSB agent who defected here?"


Rob: "Yes, sir. But I never ruled out the possibility of him stealing MI6 data. I kept a watchful eye on him."


Conrad: "Yet he managed to slip away."


Conrad then turns his attention to the woman.


Conrad: "Mr. Hatch, meet Diana Hatch. Diana, this Rob."


Diana: "Nice to meet you... little brother."


Rob's eyes widened.


Conrad: "Diana will be handling the Bulgarian Mafia case, and of course, Alexei. I've come to that decision because of letting your pride dictate which tasks to accomplish. Being the top agent doesn't mean letting THAT go over your head.

And I trust, that you'll cooperate with her to make things easier for you.


You're not always on the top, Mr. Hatch. The number 1 spot does not stay forever.


Do I make myself clear, Mr. Hatch?"


He now has nothing else to do but to comply. Half of his hard work have been taken away, acquired through sweat and blood.


Rob: "Yes... sir."


Conrad: "All right. Resume your work, both of you. You may leave."


The half-siblings then walk together on the corridor. Rob couldn't help but express his disappointment and shock.


Rob: "One after another. What's next, a lunch lady, or a janitor in the family tree?"


Diana: "Our father is one hell of a man, isn't he?"


She then stops to her desk, just a few steps away from Rob's.


Diana: "Brandon Hatch was not the type to admit his shortcomings. He is indeed a lone wolf, refusing any kind of assistance. Oh men... their ego will always be their greatest gift. Always playing the martyr. The "hero" of the Dream Alliance, always doing the fighting."


Rob: "You did not grow up with him, so you don't have the right to spout some nonsense."


Diana: "Oh who's talking? Your ego? Ha! See? You can't even admit our father's shortcomings! Or maybe perhaps he was drowned by his own ego that he was too ashamed to tell you!"


Rob clenches his fist and then slams it on her desk. Reflexively, Diana pulls out her handgun and aims it straight on to his nose.


Diana: "Keep your distance, if I were you. I knew a lot of men like you, and have dealt them swiftly. Don't join them. I finally know what's the weakness of one Rob Hatch.


Ego.

E-GO."


Diana smiles and turns away to quell the tension. She then opens her PC and while she waits for it to load up, she puts her gun in the drawer and looks at Rob once more.



Diana: "And I'm a loving sister. I really am. I already know who are the other relatives we're dealing with. Who knows? Maybe they're also wanting to have a slice of the Hatch pie."


She then accesses the files, and then faces the monitor to Rob, showing pictures of three more people.

Diana: "Oh, haven't you met Bianca Goretti too? She's one of our own. We also have a Canadian brother named Bernard Morris, and a high-spirited one from Down Under! Allen Wilson.

These three are race car drivers, but they might have been accomplices to Alexei too. What a happy family we have.


Go back to work now. Be glad one was taken off your shoulders."

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


​

Location: An empty warehouse in London
Time: 10 pm


A pair of black luxury saloons arrive and park at an empty warehouse. Coming out of those cars are men armed with rifles. A man wearing a silver suit is being escorted inside.

The interior is devoid of any object, save for a table and a chair, where Alexei sits on. Alexei smiles as he sees the men approaching him. One of them hands out a briefcase, with bundles of bills inside.

The man in silver suit, a high-ranking member of the Bulgarian mafia, named Apostol Borislav, takes off his sunglasses.


Borislav: "We're here."


Borislav is a member of the FSB, though of course his membership in the mafia is kept secret, and makes a living selling classified information coming from Russia, United States, and United Kingdom.


Alexei: "Thank you for coming."


Alexei takes out the flash drive from his pocket, flashing it to Borislav.


Alexei: "My little gift, and my apology for turning on you."


Borislav: "I am merciful, unlike the others in the mafia. Be thankful. I do give second chances. And that flash drive is the one. Once you give it to me, you are a free man."


Alexei: "Well, I am setting you free too."


Alexei takes out a device from the other pocket and presses it. In an instant, an explosion is heard, and huge slabs of debris from above come falling down, crushing all the goons before they can even react. Borislav is stunned, but Alexei spares no time and quickly grapples Borislav's neck from behind, then snaps it.

Borislav is indeed free, the moment his body crashes on the pavement.



Alexei: "Dosvidanya, or should I say, Dovizhdane. Here is the freedom you deserve. Freedom from the wretched life you have."


Alexei grabs the briefcase, and walks away casually, with a smirk on his face.

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

​

Location: Circuit Sainte-Croix, France
Time: 3 pm, four days later


It's another Saturday, and today is the high-roller race being talked about in social media.

Various supercar bloggers have gathered to create content for their videos, recording exotic cars the likes of which have never been seen by the general population.


Amidst the commotion, Rob and Owen make preparations in their pit garage.

Diana makes a surprise visit, however. She is genuinely allured by the P1.



Diana: "Wonderful piece of kit. I take it that it's faster than our siblings on the garage next to us?"

Rob: "I hope you're not here to stir trouble. Leave them be."


Diana: "Of course I won't. What about you?"


Rob: "I'll deal with them in due course."


Diana: "Oh here we go again."


Meanwhile, in the other pit garage not too far off, Takuma is making the last minute changes on his Zonda R. It makes 811 horsepower along with suspension updates.

Takuma: "I guess this should do now."


Rob pays a visit, intrigued at the Italian track day toy.



Rob: "It's been ages since I last saw that."


Takuma: "I missed driving this."


Rob: "You'd better make sure it's not rusty. After all, you've been out for months."


Takuma: "It'll serve its purpose, that's what I'm sure of."



Rob: "Best of luck, then."


Rob returns to his pit garage, with Diana awaiting.


Diana: "Let's do a little wager. If you win, I'll hand over the Bulgarian mafia case back to you. If you lose, you're coming to work on a kilt and a bagpipe for a week. I hail from Edinburgh, by the way."


Rob: "You got yourself a deal, missy."



The qualifying session begins. The three cars get the biggest attention from the audience.

Eager to prove himself worthy of praise, Rob is attacking the course with everything he has.

Rob: "I'm not going to let that woman get onto my nerves. I don't care if she's my half-sister. I do what I always do best."

As expected from a hybrid hypercar, the modified P1 shows incredible speed on both corners and straights. All the years of development in Woking paid off.

The McLaren sets the fastest lap time of 3 minutes and 18.9 seconds.

​

Meanwhile, the Zonda pleases the fans with its high-pitched roar of the 6 liter naturally-aspirated V12 handcrafted by AMG.

From the footage, it seems that the Zonda is more composed on corner entry than the McLaren. The exit speed is stable as well.

Although, it is made clear that it doesn't have the same straight line pace as the McLaren's. But that does not matter for Takuma.

The fastest that Takuma can muster is at 3 minutes and 24 seconds. It may be six seconds slower, but surprisingly, Takuma doesn't mind at all...



Takuma: "Job done. Now, time to go."

Quietly tracing the race line, is the Jaguar VGT coupe driven by Dennis. He still hasn't aroused suspicion, and his silence does pay off.

The speed of the electric hypercar matches the pace of hypercars powered by internal combustion engines. It easily topped 340 km/h on the long back straight.

But it also shows poise on the twisty stuff. It showed more composure than both the McLaren and Pagani, with a whiff of understeer that can be managed easily.

Dennis managed to clock in 3 minutes and 17.1 seconds, once again beating the McLaren.


When the session wrapped, the drivers check their lap times. Rob is once again gobsmacked by the Jaguar's performance.


Diana: "Looks like someone here is going to wear a skirt."


Rob: "The tables will be turned, sister."


Diana: "Do it. Be a man of your word, just as you always are."



Upon returning to the pit garage, Rob sees Takuma leaving. But then Takuma stops the car beside Rob and opens the plexiglass window.


Rob: "You're leaving?!"


Takuma: "I'm here on a different purpose, Rob. My job's done."


Rob: "A job?"


Takuma: "That info's classified, bro. Well, let's meet again next time."


Takuma slides close the window, and proceeds to leave the premises, with of course the crowd being attracted by the Zonda R's presence.





End of Page 3


AUTHOR'S NOTES:


- I need a volunteer who can drive the Jaguar VGT Coupe. I have shared the livery and its privacy is for Friends Only. If this is your first time, please add me first on PSN.


- I will be available on Friday or weekends to do the duel.

​

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 4 - It Runs In The Family



The race begins, and Rob clearly has the wager in mind. Definitely he will turn the tables or else he'll be enduring scrutiny and laughter at work thanks to a Scottish Kilt.

The charity event is seeing drivers clearly belonging to the upper echelons of the society.

And even that, has divisions on its own. Drivers flash off their supercars ranging from "common" to more exotic forms.

Though of course, the real head-turners are the McLaren P1 GTR and the Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo.

Rob, in his McLaren P1 GTR smiles coyly as he observes his rival in the electric coupe known as the Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo, fleeting away.

"A worthy opponent, perhaps." Rob commented as he places his McLaren right within the drafting range of the Jaguar. Little does he realize...


...that his beloved younger brother is at the helm.

"While I reel him in on the turns, he escapes from me on the exit." Rob thought as he quickly deduced the pattern among the two.

Using that initial knowledge, Rob takes advantage of the P1 GTR's downforce on the sweeper, overtaking the Jaguar.

Meanwhile, nestled among the onlookers at the circuit's main grandstand, are two men. They are a father-son pair coming from the Baden-Württemberg state of Germany, though living in Mannheim.

The father, sporting a leather jacket and his neck wrapped with a scarf, and in his 60s, is watching the flow of cars passing the main straight, while his son is seemingly not entertained and resorted to look at his smartphone instead. The father's name is Ferdinand Kern while his son is named Julius.


Ferdinand looks at his son on the left.

"You seem to be too focused on your phone. Aren't you bored?" Ferdinand asked.

"I'm just making a research as to who Darwin Healey is, and why is he such a big deal for you, to the point that we had to come all this way to watch." Julius quipped.

"That's because I invested in his team, simply put. And a huge return of investment is always pleasant to the ears." Ferdinand responded.

"I think you're just making it up." Julius once again quipped.

"I want a weapon. That's the truth. Satisfied now?" Ferdinand replied.

"You are interested in family feuds, aren't you? You're peculiar." Julius said.

"When it comes to glory, fame, or even fortune... not even familial bonds can stop them. When you are driven by ambition, everything else is thrown out of the window." Ferdinand responded with a grin on his face. Could he have such a similar history? We're bound to find out in the coming days.


Back in the action, Darwin makes a taunt by pushing the Jaguar to tap the McLaren's rear.

Rob is jolted by the act, but his reflexes allow him to keep control of his car.

"Why, aren't we cheeky?" Rob said in a confident tone.

The dogfight between estranged brothers begin.

"Alexei's words about you hold so much water." Dennis comments on his brother's skill. Though of course his true persona is still withheld, even including the truth of his relationship with Rob.

The two cars then blitz by the main straight, with Bianca observing from the pit lane.


"I don't know how to make of this, honestly." Bianca thought. "Why does Alexei want to push this? Why does it have to end up in conflict? Both he and Rob are the same egotistic morons thinking they have nothing to lose." she further stressed out.

"And then he uses this amnesiac little brother who has nothing to do with this at all." Bianca said.

Rob begins to move in. The P1 GTR has an edge in the bends after all.

And with pretty much matches the electrifying pace of the Jaguar. No pun intended.

With four wheel drive, however, the Jaguar evens the odds by having a rocket-like corner exit speed. In truth, that's the sole reason why Dennis was able set a faster lap time.


And in a jest, Dennis ups the ante.

"Your name rings familiar, but I'm sorry, I can't be merely admired to you. I got to win." Dennis said.

(Background Music - Initial D 5th Stage Sound Files: Battle 1)

Rob is left gobsmacked with the sudden burst of his opponent.


"Did he... just play with me?" Rob wondered, and at the same time felt a hint of insecurity, prompting him to push the pedal down.

Unfortunately, the Jaguar's distance is not enough to create a draft for the McLaren to catch on.


After the lengthy back straight, is a hairpin that tests the car's braking capability. While the P1 didn't have an issue with that...

...the sudden spike of power coming from the combination of engine's raw power and electric motors upset the rear wheels. Rob had overcooked on the throttle, out of his doggedness.

The P1 GTR comes to spin and halt. Rob bangs the steering wheel in frustration.

"Let us play again, Rob Hatch." Dennis said as he soldiers on. Their reunion can wait once again.



Meanwhile, Diana catches word about Rob's predicament. She merely smiles.


"Someone is wearing a skirt at work. Looking forward to it." Diana said to Owen.




End of Page 4

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 5 - The Unveiling


Location: London, England
Time: 7 am, two days later

Another week begins anew. Typical of a Monday, cars attend in droves in Central London as work week begins.


Diana exits from her Aston Martin DB11, a car she bought with pretty much all of the options ticked. She has her leather handbag clinging on to her right arms as she shuts the car door close.

She then enters the facility with a smile, greeting the receptionist and then placing her ID on the scanner, unlocking the turnstile.

Upon arriving at her desk, she sees Rob, sitting down at his desk, with his face looking sternly at his monitor.


"Stand up." Diana commanded, as she is looking forward to this day as much as everyone else in the room.

Rob, without a dab of hesitation, stands up, wearing the kilt but his legs are covered with his usual slacks. Diana giggles at one moment.

"You clearly have no idea how to wear a kilt, do you?" she said while giggling. Rob coldly stares at her as a reaction.

"I'm being a man of my word. And I'm not Scottish." he replied, while crossing his arms and stands with his legs apart.

"You truly are, but your ego is still emanating in places it shouldn't have." she replied in a snarky tone.

Rob's partner, Mark, arrives and couldn't help but laugh at his friend.

"Bro, you look like a Japanese schoolgirl who does J-Pop as a gig. That black blazer with a tie, that kilt of yours and covered up legs. Maybe you should put on a wig for a complete package!" Mark commented.

"Don't start my week, the two of you." Rob said.

"Tomorrow, be a dear and cook up a nice batch of haggis. You forgot the bagpipe as well, but that's okay." Diana said as she still tries her very best to control her laughter.

Rob did not entertain the two further as he returns to his seat. Even though work is to start an hour later, Diana gets to business. And when the clock strikes 8, Diana prints out a paper, then stands up to approach Rob. Upon looking, it's a memo for the two of them stating that their other half-siblings are listed as persons of interest.


"Mr. Conrad's orders. Bianca Goretti, Bernard Morris, Allen Wilson, and even Darwin Healey are now included in our investigation. They may have sold our intel as well. Oh, what could be more fun than investigating your own family? As for Alexei, he's still MIA. No surprise." Diana explained.


"Never thought we are such a "happy" family." Rob commented.


"If our father is alive today, what will he think? What will he do? You know him the best." she said.


Rob leans back on his chair, crossed his arms and shaked his head.


"Honestly... I do not know." he replied. "Even the closest of people still have their secrets, I guess." he added.


"Mind if I join?" Mark asked out of the blue. The half-siblings turn to look at him.


"My contacts confirmed that Alexei is seen roaming in the streets of Sofia, Bulgaria. Then the other night, they have spotted him purchasing some high-caliber weapons. This is getting a lot more dangerous than we initially thought." he said.


"What are you implying?" Rob asked.


"Well, this is merely a theory that I hope it won't come true... but I have a gut feeling that he might storm this building. After all, we are talking about a man who brought down an entire KGB facility. Single-handedly. No witnesses." Mark said.

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

​

Location: Brand Hatch, Kent
Time: 12 pm



Meanwhile, Owen tests out the Aston Martin DBR9 for his upcoming first European GT race in Brands Hatch. Everything was in order, and the car is running smoothly without any hint of potential mechanical issues considering its age.

While tackling the racing lines, Owen suddenly sinks to his thoughts.


(Background Music - A God of Death I: Initial D 5th Stage Soundfiles)

"That race in France, that was the first time I saw my brother fixated on defeating someone he BARELY knows."

And his mind produces more questions than answers.

"That man... Darwin Healey. Upon first look, he seems normal, but..."

Darwin's face then suddenly triggers a flashback on Owen. He remembered the one time Rob showed a photo of Dennis. He seemed like a facsimile. A splitting image, even.

"Why do I have this feeling that I saw this man before? Is it because of that picture?" he asked to himself.

But the answers can merely wait. Owen has a job at hand.

"I'm going to the bottom of this. Rob is not the only one who's good at snooping around, you know?"

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

​

Location: Gottlieb Electric Headquarters, Stuttgart, Germany
Time: 4 pm


Work is about to come at a close. Employees in the large electronic firm are readying themselves to wrap up.


In the office, Kevin and Gerhard are discussing matters.


"Well, since we have our work done, may I know about your trip, Mr. Gottlieb?" Kevin asked.


Being a loving father eager to catch up, albeit discreetly, Gerhard happily obliges.


"Ah yes. Well, it was nice one. And your friend Isaiah is surely on good hands." Gerhard replied.


"Isaiah, on good hands? What are you talking about, sir?" Kevin followed up.


"He told me about his plight. He is also... investigating. But I have a friend there who can take care of him. You know, you should visit Manila sometime. I'm actually interested in setting up a satellite factory there, to cater the growing South East Asian market." Gerhard said.


"Sounds good, sir. I hope he's doing well." Kevin said.


"You did well too, in Florida. Now, have you spoken to him?" Gerhard asked.


"Yes sir. After that exchange, my plans have become more linear. Now I know where to--" Kevin replied.


However, their conversation was interrupted by a knocking on the door. It turns out to be Gerhard's secretary, Louise Mendrik.


"May I interrupt? Mr. Gottlieb, a certain Mr. Ferdinand Kern wishes to set an appointment with you any day of this week. Will you be available?" Louise asked.


Upon hearing the name, Gerhard's left eyebrow raises, but he quickly dispelled it and shows a smile at his secretary instead.


"Yes. Please tell him I'm available on Thursday at 3 pm. Thank you." Gerhard said.


The secretary leaves the pair be.


Gerhard breathes out a deep sigh.


"Is there are problem, Mr. Gottlieb?" Kevin asked.


"Ah. No. Nothing at all. Well, it's just that I get to meet someone I do not know. I'll do a... background check on him." Gerhard replied as he stands up to get a glass and fill it with water from the dispenser. He then holds the glass in a firm clench.




End of Page 5

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 6 - Cracking The Shell




Location: Brands Hatch, Kent
Time: 10 am, one week later


Rob went through the week with his usual cool self despite the humiliation. Though the danger is imminent, he also has to focus on winning the first round of the European GT3 Championship.

He set aside his MI6 mission for a while, giving Owen a little amount of coaching. As if his half-brother would even need one at all.

"Got it." Owen said, as he was given a brief strategy from Rob. He believes Owen can perform with little to no guidance, backed up with his years of experience and training with his half-brother.

"I'll just head outside to catch the sun." Owen said.


Rob nods, and Owen proceeds to the pit lane and look around the action. He takes a stroll, being curious with the competition.

As he passes by, he once again overhears Bianca talking to Darwin. He briefly stares at the bright orange Jaguar F-Type tuned to meet GT3 regulations.

As he is to take one step away, he then hears something like this...


"Dennis Hatch, just focus on winning this one. I'll be the one searching for Alexei." Bianca said.


Owen further steps away from the pit garage, and turns around to head back to the garage. As he arrives, he stops again, remembering what he just heard.


"Did she just call Darwin, Dennis Hatch? What for?" Owen asked to himself.


However, he sees Rob with his hands full on setting up the car, coordinating with the mechanics. He doesn't want to stir up the momentum.


The race begins with no incident, and in the heat of the moment, Owen still has more questions than answers.

"This does not make sense to me. Why would she call him with a dead person's name? I don't think Rob would waste his time on Darwin, and yet it's the other way around." Owen thought as he paces the Aston Martin close to the Jaguar.

The DBR9 catches on the F-Type's draft.

"And then Rob would warn me about Darwin's skill. Yes, I am aware how fast he is. But why is he so fixated on our rival?" he asked himself.

Owen squares on that orange Jaguar, asking himself instead of focusing on getting in front.

"Surely, there has to be a reason why she called you "Dennis", am I right?" he asked to himself.

"That name... and a familiar face. The dots have connected." Owen thought. He only has a few steps left to confirm his suspicions...

Owen still manages to catch on behind his opponent's draft. The F-Type uses the full width of the course to get smooth, precise lines.


"Tackling the full-width? Very basic, but also very high level. It separates amateurs and pros." Owen commented.


With another lap down, both cars show no sign of giving their quarter. The uphill corner didn't even shake off the two cars' traction, despite being FRs.

Darwin, meanwhile, feels the pressure mounting.


"I... didn't expect that. I thought it would be Rob once again. Looking at him though, evokes some nostalgia I cannot explain." Darwin thought. Little spurts of flashbacks with his brother would come to visit his mind.

"But where's Alexei? I need him for my answers. They are long overdue!" Darwin thought.

However, he had sank way too deep in his thoughts, sending the Jaguar off the track.

"Argh!" Darwin exclaimed.

Seeing the mishap, Owen steps harder on the accelerator.


"Huh? What's wrong?" Owen said.

Darwin frantically keeps the car intact, making rapid and repeating corrections on the steering wheel as Owen makes the charge.


"Rob would sing praises when it comes Dennis' skill, despite regretting not saying that to him when he had the chance." Owen commented.

However, there is no time to relax for Owen either, as the DBR9 is starting to exhibit understeer, as evident by the more vibrations on the steering.

"Great. The glory is short-lived." Owen said.

"The tires are fine...ish." Owen remarked on the slowly degrading condition of the tires. He had forgotten the fact that he is running on medium compounds, and his efforts to pressure his opponent cost them quite quickly.

However...


"Huh?" Darwin reacted.

When he stepped on the accelerator, he feels as if the Jaguar is not pushing itself further. A loss of power, perhaps?

Even Owen notices the Jaguar's sudden drop of pace.


"Mechanical trouble?" Owen wondered.

Feeling uneasy, Darwin looks at the gauges. He quickly spots the boost gauge needle pointing towards zero. He opens up the radio communication.


"The boost dropped!" Darwin exclaimed. "I'm pitting in!"



The limping F-Type concedes the duel. A disappointed Darwin could only shake his head.


"I was having a wonderful bout with that Aston. But this happened." Darwin said to himself.

Owen soldiers on. Now, he's on his way to capture the gold. With the display of skill he witnessed all by himself, Owen then concludes one thing.


"I won't say I won. You are indeed... Dennis Hatch." Owen said.


"Rob has to know this. I hope it won't shake him that much. Owen added.

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

​

Location: Rob's home, London
Time: 7 pm, two days later



The race concluded with Team Storm securing 3rd place. Rob was contented, however, when he found out that Alexei's team had retired. For him, that mattered the most.


As he is waiting for his wife Jenny to serve supper, he hears a doorbell ring.


"I'll get it!" Rob said.


Rob reaches for the front door. As it opened, it turns out that Owen is the visitor.


"Owen? Hey." Rob said.


"I've got something important to say, Rob." Owen said. "I wasn't able to say it after the race." he added.


"Come in." Rob said.


Owen closes the door upon entering. He hangs his jacket nearby. Upon seeing Jenny, he merely waves his hand and joins them in the kitchen.


"You can stay here for supper, if you want. Just wait for Jenny to whip up some more." Rob said.


"I would only be here for a moment, Rob." Owen said.


"Spill it." Rob commanded.



"Before that race started, I overheard Bianca calling Darwin as "Dennis Hatch". At first, I thought it will never make sense. But after seeing him, and the resemblance... plus his driving...


...I think there's no doubt." Owen explained. He even gets up to get the photo frame of Dennis and Rob together.


"What are you talking about?" Rob said.


"Darwin is Dennis. You saw how he drives, and how he beat you twice in a row. Who can only display such skill? And the look on his face. That meekness hiding on those long side part bangs. It's him. Bianca is hiding something from you." Owen said.


Rob gets his phone, and opens up a photo of Darwin in his dossiers, and compares it side by side with the frame. The maple eyes are indeed similar to Dennis', and the slender neck as well.


Rob could only place the two objects on the table, his mouth gasping.


"No... no... this can't be." Rob said in disbelief, shaking his head. He had moved on from his brother's demise, painful as it may be.


Suddenly, they hear the doorbell ring once again. Rob stands up, and attends to it. Upon opening, he is greeted by the sight of...



...Bianca Goretti. Instead of the usual strong and serious exterior she shows, she displays a long face, her eyes showing a hint of sadness, and her hands clutching on her handbag.


"Good... evening." Bianca greeted.


Rob crosses his arms, and then shows a grin.


"Well well well, what does the enemy want?" Rob said condescendingly.


"I am not... your enemy, Rob. I am... your sister." Bianca answered.


"What can I do for you, then?" Rob asked.


"I know Alexei won't like me after this, but... I need your help." she answered.


"What will I get if I do so?" he asked.


"I will tell you... about someone you hold so dear. Alexei kept him from you." she said.


This does confirm Owen's suspicions. The circle is about to be drawn. Rob's eyebrows push down to a scowl.


"What do you want?" Rob asked.


"Alexei... is missing. I knew what he did to you, but please... help him. I.... I... I got a mysterious call... from someone. He claimed, that his men captured him." Bianca said as she fights her tears.

"You are the only one who can find and save him. I know you can." she added.


Rob clenches his hand.



End of Page 6

 

[RCKakashi14]

Hello guys.


As you have noticed here, my frequency in posting new pages here have dwindled so much to the point that I do it on a MONTHLY basis or no new content at all. It could be brought upon by the lack of new updates this year, and the passion I once had maybe had gone down to the drain.


I still have a lots to write for the GT Sport saga, and I don't want to drag them until GT7 comes out.


Hopefully I can most as frequent as before.

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 7 - Dennis Awaits



Location: Rob's home, London
Time: 7 pm


Bianca joins them on the dining table, with tea being served. She holds the cup with her two hands, to keep herself warm.


"Of course, we have to come up with a plan. We can't just barge in." Rob said.


"We can trace this number." Bianca said as she displays the unknown number to Rob.


"I'll let my colleagues handle that." Rob said.


"I know Alexei did was not favorable. Rest assured, I always question his decisions." Bianca said.


"Then why didn't you stop him?" Owen asked.


"He's so stubborn, headstrong. He has... too much testosterone. Plus, I see him with guns. That's enough reason to get scared, isn't it? I'm merely a race car driver. Yes, I bore a grudge towards our father for abandoning us, but blood does not have to be spilled. Driving is the only way for me to convey those feelings." Bianca replied.


"Let me make this clear for you. I will do this because you promised me to see Dennis. Alexei is my sibling by name only." Rob said.


"Agreed. I just don't want violence stirring within the family, that is all." Bianca said.



Bianca consumes all the tea. As she wipes her mouth clean, she grabs her handbag and stands up.


"Once the deed is done, I'll arrange for you to meet up with him. Have a good night." Bianca said.


She gets her coat from the hanger and wears it. She then heads outside, smiling as she walks away from the foyer.

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

​

Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
Time: 10 pm, three days later


As night begins, the citizens empty the streets. Shops and restaurants are closing one by one.


In a narrow street, a familiar car parks in front of an unnamed building.

Gerhard's red RUF CTR3. What business would Gerhard have in Bulgaria, let alone at night?


"I will take care of this. Leave this to me." Gerhard said as he exits from his RUF CTR3 with a phone call to an unknown caller.


He heads to the left side, and is greeted by men in black combat attire with each holding AR-15 rifles.


They escort him to an empty hall, and lo and behold, Alexei is tied on the chair, with the ropes tied around a pillar where the chair is leaning against.


Alexei, with cuts and a swollen right eye, gradually regains consciousness. Upon seeing Gerhard in clear view right in front of him, he smirks,


"I'm... surprised. I got played." Alexei said, as he struggles to at least make himself comfortable while bound and tied.


"You have gotten yourself into too much trouble, Bourdovsky." Gerhard responded.


"A vengeful person will definitely sink into the dark side." Alexei said.


"My heart has long been corrupted with anger and hate. But this isn't about me now, Alexei." Gerhard said.


Gerhard takes an AR-15 rifle from one of the men, then he aggressively lurches the weapon on to Alexei's cheek. He draws closer, placing himself next to Alexei's ear.

"Be thankful I AM the one who brought you here. If that's the boss, your body parts will be scattered all throughout the continent. And now, as your sign of thanks, you will do exactly what I'm asking to." Gerhard said.

Alexei shows again another smirk, prompting Gerhard to almost pull the trigger.


"YOU HEAR ME?!" Gerhard said.


Then he steps away, then walks back towards to his men and returns the rifle. Next, he pulls out a small piece of paper. He goes back to Alexei, slipping the said paper into the left pocket.


"There's my number. The MI6 will be coming here to get you, but keep this between us. Pretend that you've been abandoned here by the boss. From now on, I OWN you." Gerhard said.


"Let's go." Gerhard said as he leads the men in vacating the premises.


Alexei smiles. He then returns to his slumber.




Two hours later, he hears footsteps, prompting him to awaken once more. He looks around. The sound of the steps are getting louder.

He sees a group of men, wearing combat attire, pointing their rifles with laser beams. One beam is pointing at Alexei.


One approaches him, and takes off the helmet. It's Rob...


Alexei smirks, as Rob uses a knife to cut the ropes.


"Well well well... look who came." Alexei said with a snark.


Rob proceeds to deliver a punch on Alexei's cheek.


"I came here because your sister is worried sick. And... you've got a LOT to answer for." Rob said.


Rob pulls up Alexei with force, and the other MI6 agents proceed to aid him in walking. Diana rendezvous with them.


"We've searched the entire building. Nothing was found." she said.


"We're going to get a chair and gather round to his stories once we return to HQ." Rob said, returning the smirk to Alexei.

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

​

Location: A coast somewhere in Britain
Time: 3 pm, two days later




Dennis is looking at the waves. The gust blows, but not enough to distract his viewing.

​

Shortly, Bianca arrives and parks her M3 behind his F-Type. She sees Dennis standing nearby the shoreline.



"Found you." Bianca said.


"Oh hey..." Dennis said.


"Alexei has returned safely, thanks to the man you're about to meet." Bianca said.


"The man I'm about to meet?" Dennis asked.


"Yes. You've been pestering me to meet him, am I right?" Bianca asked.


"That's right. I have so many questions. I hope he can answer them all." Dennis replied.


"Of course he has. You can have him all day if you want." Bianca said.


Bianca places her hand on Dennis' shoulder.


"I'm fixing this the right way, Dennis. No matter what, we are still family." Bianca assured Dennis with a smile.

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

​

Location: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Time: 5 pm, the next day

Rob had found a way to hone his skills despite the hectic week, as the next race will take place next week.

And as for Alexei?


"Alexei did not sell any info at all. I can rest... or should I?" Rob thought.


He then reminisces the day Alexei was brought in for interrogation... while sticking to his racing line.

"You have a lot of questions to answer, Alexei. If you do so, we will assure you of protection from the Bulgarian mafia." Rob said.

"Let me answer all. I don't want to sit in this cold room for far too long." Alexei said.


"You can begin." Rob commanded.

​

"I don't care what kind of punishment you're going to dish out. I wasn't really supposed to drag MI6 into all of this."


​

"It was all an elaborate play. And I pulled it off."


​

"I had disposed one of Bulgarian mafia bosses merely because it was tasked on me. Only difference is that I did it without approval."


"I had done everything... to get your attention. Our father abandoned me, and all other half-siblings. He played us on promises that he'll watch after us, but didn't.


And so here I am, having successfully played you. Made you look a like complete tool.


Also...



...maybe you're wondering what had happened to your dearly beloved Dennis?


He has been right under your nose the whole time, outsmarting you in the one field you are excelling at: Racing.


I grabbed the perfect opportunity when he was rushed to the hospital after that dreadful accident. I was the doctor who delivered the terrible news, and from them on, he's on my leash.


I trained him to be like an attack dog, having seized the opportunity of him completely forgotten his past life. I made him think that you are to answer to us.


He's the perfect tool, for my plans. You and Dennis are actually my puppets. You just didn't notice the strings.


Now, how would you react, now that Bianca arranged a meeting between you two? What kind of reunion would it turn out?


​

At that moment, Rob overcooked on the throttle out of anger. He vividly remembers Alexei's smirk of confidence, having been successful in his plans of playing Rob and Dennis as puppets.

He takes a deep breath, and then he leans his head on the bucket seat's headrest. A tear sheds, albeit quickly absorbed by the helmet's foam.




End of Page 7

​

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 8 - Eau Rouge Flat Out


Location: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Time: 9 am, one week later



Rob went through the rest of the week thinking about the race, and his fated meeting with his long-lost brother, Dennis. A hint of anxiety can be detected, well, according to Diana, that is.


Nonetheless, the half-siblings head over to the track without incident. Rob and Owen directed the crew on setting up the car. They also noticed the growing number of racing fans filling up the grandstands, as well as reporters from various media organizations covering the event.

The one who gets the most attention, however, is...


...not surprisingly, Takuma Kanonji. He never made an announcement nor left any clues about his return. He merely made his presence known and even racing experts are taken by surprise.



Another highlight is Kevin's debut race in his new team, Rote Strahl, under the watchful eye of his still estranged father. They are hard at work, on the other hand, to be bothered by media interviews.


Rob, meanwhile, is also attracted by the crowd that Takuma built up.


"My my... what do we have here?" Rob said as he sees familiar faces in Spa's pit lane.

He approaches Takuma, who is seen talking to his twin, Takanori. Apparently, Dream Alliance Global has returned to business, albeit with a much smaller manpower than before. Yuki Kanonji has also enlisted.


"Is this another wacky gimmick?" Rob asked with his usual snark.


Takuma merely grins.

"I'm back. For real this time." Takuma replied.

"Oh you'd better be a dear and keep your word. Competition's getting dreary without you." Rob commented.

"Hey, don't underestimate Kevin either. He whooped you more times than you can count." Takuma said.

"I'm aware of that. But I have another problem in my hands. And I'd be better off not telling it to you. It's... personal." Rob said.

"Don't let that drag you down, mate." Takuma said, as he places his hand on Rob's shoulder, accompanied with a smile.

The two men proceeded to grin at each other. Rob leaves Takuma be, and returns to the pit lane.


Meanwhile...

Dennis and Bianca are also helping the crew in the Jaguar's set up. However, Bianca sees that Dennis isn't in his usual element, noticing his slightly inert behavior.

She approaches him out of concern.


"Are you all right?" Bianca asked.


"Uh... yeah. Don't worry about me." Dennis replied.


"He's here. It's your opportunity to let him know." Bianca said.


"I want to tell him how I felt, but I wonder how he'll react?" Dennis asked.


"He'll understand whatever you say. He's as much eager to see you as you do. I have told him about this already." Bianca answered.


And then...


...Rob arrives. Their meeting is long overdue. Bianca hopes for a pleasant one.


Rob looks at his brother from head to toe, then focus his attention to Dennis' hair. Dennis' eyes widened, with his fists clenched.


"Your hair. You grew it? I thought..." Rob commented.


Before he could comment further, Dennis pushes Rob. Dennis had snapped, something that Bianca didn't expect.


"HOW COULD YOU?! WHY?! WHY LEAVE ME TO DIE?!" Dennis frantically asks.

Rob maintains his rock solid composure and didn't even budge. But deep down he is just as about to explode as Dennis does, but with joy.


"I WAS ALONE! YOU DIDN'T EVEN COME!" Dennis continued on raging.


Bianca quickly holds Dennis' both arms, to restrain him.


"I knew it. Dennis, just... go back." Bianca said.


"I WON'T UNTIL I GET AN ANSWER!" Dennis replied.


"I knew this isn't a good idea. But your brother is here! Aren't you happy?" Bianca asked.


Dennis is left hyperventilating, only looking at Rob walking away. Bianca runs and catches up to him.


"I'm sorry, Rob. He's not ready yet." Bianca said.


"I knew it all along. Alexei hard wired his brain. Weren't you informed of that?" Rob asked.


"No. Alexei didn't tell me of that. I swear, Alexei has kept secrets from me too. I never approved of him "influencing" Dennis just to get an edge over you. If I want to race or even fight you, I'd do it fairly." Bianca explained.


"Why not.... show him? How about reminding him of the brother he once looked up to?" she said. "Do not hold back." she added.


She then returns to her team's pit garage, to check up on the still shaking Dennis.


Rob lets out a deep sigh. But a race is at hand, and he has to outperform the rest from qualifying to the race proper.

All eyes are at Takuma at the moment, not only because of his sudden return, but also to Mazda's new race car that Takuma volunteered to gather data for them.

The racing car tackles the Eau Rouge effortlessly, with Takuma's right foot flat on the accelerator. GT3 specification machines have the capability to tackle the chicane flat out thanks to the advancements on downforce.

However, Takuma has another job at hand, and his mind had a brief flashback - a short meeting with Gerhard days before the race.

"I will fund your team's revival. But of course there is one important favor you have to fulfill in exchange." Gerhard said.

"What is it?" Takuma asked.

"You have to make sure that Kevin focuses on racing alone. I can't afford him doing reckless things as he did before. Be his hurdle. An extremely tall one, at that." Gerhard replied.


"Got it. Consider it done, sir." Takuma said.


"I will be the one doing the dirty and reckless stuff. I don't want Kevin to have the same life as I have. He has a life of his own. I must be a responsible father, and yet I haven't had a great progress on that so far." Gerhard added.

​

The cries of the naturally aspirated 4-rotor Skyactive-R Rotary engine can be heard even outside the premises of the circuit, including those who live nearby.

"Rest assured, Mr. Kern, I will give your son the challenge he deserves. Besides, I have to dust myself off." Takuma thought as he grins at the prospect of being trusted by Kevin's father to aid his son's progress.


Meanwhile, Kevin goes on full attack mode as well. Having found out his idol has suddenly returned, he cannot pass up the opportunity of proving himself to be better.

"I'm totally taken by surprise. I'd never expected this day to come." Kevin thought.

"I don't care if mid-engined cars get heavier penalties in BoP. My real hurdle just popped up. None other than Takuma-san." he added.

The R8 LMS hits the apex whenever it sees one, squeezing out much speed as it can despite the weight penalty.

But the increased weight has a benefit on stability too. Kevin has little to worry about his car squirrelling out of control.

"All right. I can fully floor it." Kevin thought as he notices the newfound stability of his car.


And now, on to Rob.

It's as clear as day that he's affected with how Dennis acted earlier.

He muses over to what Bianca suggested a while back - to show his true skill in order to remind Dennis his brotherly love.


"She is right. I can't hold back. Why would I? Last time I checked, he has gotten way faster. I've got to take off this uneasiness." Rob thought.


As a start, he dashes the DBR9 on full throttle at the Eau Rouge.

Back in the pit garage, Dennis and Bianca are performing the finishing touches on their race car before they can start their qualifying run.


Bianca, ever the loving half-sibling, attempts to give advice.


"Dennis, just give it your all. Let all the angst go. Then watch your brother very carefully. Maybe it will jog your mind." Bianca said.

"This race will be an eye-opening moment for you. He is more than eager to welcome you back, Dennis." she added.

"It doesn't matter to me now who wins. Let him show you what he truly is." she said, as she holds both Dennis' hands.


End of Page 8








AUTHOR'S NOTES:


- The entire race is a crossover event. It ties in with the Rote Strahl arc, with that one focusing on the duel between Takuma and Kevin on that same race.


- Once again, I need volunteers who can drive the orange F-Type Gr.3. Please send me a PM if you can. Thanks in advance.

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