Disclaimer: I don't own Initial D, Shigeno-sensei and the Kodansha Publishing Company do.

The Kizuna Ethridge name and character belongs to fellow Initial D fanfic author SouthSideSlider.

Programmed Lives – Fifth Stage

Prologue

Mt Akagi - November 2023

The screeching sound of the tyres, the roar of several engines and the noise of their exhausts were the only things which disrupted the peace around Mt Akagi at that time of the evening because, except the sixteen sports cars which were currently racing each other, there wasn't any other traffic in the mountain pass again, being mid November and with the evenings beginning to get rather cold, most people preferred to stay indoors.

'Akito, take it easy!' the eighteen year old heard through the radio installed in his V-86.

'Come on, Seisuke, I'm just pushing it a little,' Akito said laughing as he looked at his rear view mirror to see the white RZ-1 closing the gap as it picked up more speed.

'You wanna push it? I'll give you a reason to push it,' Seisuke replied as he grazed his Mazda's front bumper against the Toyota's rear one.

'Oi!' Akito complained and, as he floored the accelerator, he heard Seisuke laugh.

'Guys,' they then heard the voice of their leader say, 'time to quit playing. Let's head back up.'

'Spoilsport,' Seisuke was heard muttering.

'Seisuke, I heard that,' Kyosuke admonished.

'I know, I wanted you to hear it,' Seisuke said cheekily and all sixteen radios cracked with the laughter of several people. Kyosuke grunted as he thought that maybe, after all, it hadn't been such a good idea to install the radios inside their cars.

A few minutes later all sixteen of them met up at the parking area near the mountain's summit, parking their cars around the yellow RZ-1 of their leader, Kyosuke Takahashi.

'Geez is cold,' Kizuna said as she snuggled herself inside her thick dark brown parka.

'Nah, wait until winter's here, then it'll be cold,' Akito said.

Kizuna looked at Akito briefly as if she wanted to say something but then, she looked at Kyosuke and remained quiet.

'Guys,' Kyosuke said, 'before we take the winter break...'

'We're taking a winter break?' Shinji, a twenty year old guy from Maebashi said.

'Well, I don't think we're going to take up any more challengers until at least February so…'

'We're not?' Akito asked sounding very disappointed, after all, as the newest addition to the team, he hadn't seen any proper challenges yet and, for this reason, he was the one most eager to prove himself.

'I don't think so, Kizuna and I will have to study for our finals,' Kyosuke replied, again exchanging a brief look with his girlfriend who, for some reason, frowned at him.

'Ah, okay,' Akito said oblivious to the exchange.

'Anyway, as I was saying,' Kyosuke continued, 'we've received a challenge from a team from Tochigi and I think we should accept it. What do you guys say?'

'Duh!' Seisuke exclaimed, 'as if you need to ask.'

'Yeah, let's do it!' Akito exclaimed enthusiastically.

'Alright, I'll call their leader,' Kyosuke said seeing that the rest of the guys were nodding their approval.

'I can't wait!' Seisuke said.

Then, taking the chance that the rest of the team were distracted by this announcement, Akito walked towards Kyosuke and said:

'Hey, I'm going now, I've got to pick Ryoko up from the ice rink.'

'Yeah, you better not be late or she'll kill you,' Seisuke commented and Akito glared at him.

'Okay, guys, same time this Saturday, we'll discuss the tactics for the challenge,' Kyosuke proposed, talking to the whole team.

After agreeing to that too, Akito and the rest of the members of the Golden Arrows walked back to their cars and, led by the panda coloured Toyota, they all drove off leaving the two Mazda's and the Nissan Z33 behind.

'I take you guys want some privacy so I'll head down too,' Seisuke said as he turned round to make his way back to his car.

'See you back home,' Kyosuke replied and Seisuke just nodded.

'You didn't tell them,' Kizuna commented as they both watched the white RZ-1 driving away.

Kyosuke looked at his girlfriend's worried face and said:

'I know, is just that…'

'They'll freak out, I know,' Kizuna finished for him, 'but sooner or later they'll have to know, after all, we need to send the email with our acceptance by the end of this month.'

'I know,' Kyosuke said now frowning too.

'I don't think that's the only problem, is it?' Kizuna asked.

'Kizuna, you know I'd love to go, it's just that…'

'I know: you don't want to leave your brother and Akito alone but, Kyosuke, this is an opportunity of a lifetime.'

'I know,' Kyosuke repeated feeling more and more torn about it.

'I don't want to put any pressure on you but, think of how much we'll learn in three whole months working for an Indy Racing League team,' Kizuna said.

'Yeah but, going to the U.S.'

'Hey, it'd be fantastic!' Kizuna exclaimed, 'we could even spend Christmas with my father's side of the family.'

Kyosuke repressed a shudder, which had nothing to do with the cold, at the prospect of meeting his girlfriend's family.

'Yeah, that'd be great,' he said trying his best to sound as enthusiastic as possible.

To be continued…