"Whose car is that?"
There was no answer from those gathered around. The small group had arrayed themselves around the car, a Treuno similar to the one Tak drove. The only discernible difference was the lack of the trademark Fujiwara Tofu sticker. In its place was a gang emblem of a dark chess piece, although the lack of light made it impossible to see which. They continued trying to make it out until the one furthest to the back was jerked away with a grunt a cold, hard voice pierced the still night air.
"Get off my car."
They all spun around with a grunt of surprise, unsure of what to make of the newcomer. From the distant streetlight over Fujiwara's, they could make out a crop of messy black hair and a pair of sleek, black sunglasses. His hands rested tensely in the pockets of his leather coat, but it was his face that caught their attention.
His mouth slightly twitched at the corner as he realized they were watching him, then slowly turning to a scowl, as his displeasure became apparent. Other than that, his face was extremely smooth, not a scratch or scar to mar it.
"Did you not here me? I said off my car?"
More silence.
Finally, "Who are you?"
He glared at the lot of them. "No business of yours."
There was a quiet whistle as the wind threw a handful of leaves into the air, making them dance gracefully between the newcomer and everyone else. Slowly his hand withdrew from his pocket, the gleam of a switchblade catching everyone's eye even in the darkness.
"Easy, man. We were just curious."
A faint twitch appeared before he responded. "Are you guys stupid? Move away from the car. Maybe I'll let you keep your spleens."
Slowly they began to back away, now unsure and even frightened of the man who owned this car. When they were all a respectable distance, the knife disappeared. As he walked to get in, the leader challenged him again.
"Who are you?"
He paused, as if thinking. "My name is Darien Gage. I come from the United States. People call me the Black Knight."
"That so? My name is Kai. Me and my boys race on Akina every now and then. You into racing?"
"Every now and then," he conceded.
"Then race me."
"Hell. Why not?"
He then climbed into his car and slowly turned out of the parking lot. As he turned out of sight, Kai turned to one of his lieutenants. "Follow him in school tomorrow. Learn what you can. And if necessary, make sure he can't race."
Then they, too, melted into the shadows, leaving a young woman who had heard everything to scramble for her car, looking for where the American had gone. Then everything was as it had been.
*****
Disclaimer: I own all original characters. Nothing more.
There was no answer from those gathered around. The small group had arrayed themselves around the car, a Treuno similar to the one Tak drove. The only discernible difference was the lack of the trademark Fujiwara Tofu sticker. In its place was a gang emblem of a dark chess piece, although the lack of light made it impossible to see which. They continued trying to make it out until the one furthest to the back was jerked away with a grunt a cold, hard voice pierced the still night air.
"Get off my car."
They all spun around with a grunt of surprise, unsure of what to make of the newcomer. From the distant streetlight over Fujiwara's, they could make out a crop of messy black hair and a pair of sleek, black sunglasses. His hands rested tensely in the pockets of his leather coat, but it was his face that caught their attention.
His mouth slightly twitched at the corner as he realized they were watching him, then slowly turning to a scowl, as his displeasure became apparent. Other than that, his face was extremely smooth, not a scratch or scar to mar it.
"Did you not here me? I said off my car?"
More silence.
Finally, "Who are you?"
He glared at the lot of them. "No business of yours."
There was a quiet whistle as the wind threw a handful of leaves into the air, making them dance gracefully between the newcomer and everyone else. Slowly his hand withdrew from his pocket, the gleam of a switchblade catching everyone's eye even in the darkness.
"Easy, man. We were just curious."
A faint twitch appeared before he responded. "Are you guys stupid? Move away from the car. Maybe I'll let you keep your spleens."
Slowly they began to back away, now unsure and even frightened of the man who owned this car. When they were all a respectable distance, the knife disappeared. As he walked to get in, the leader challenged him again.
"Who are you?"
He paused, as if thinking. "My name is Darien Gage. I come from the United States. People call me the Black Knight."
"That so? My name is Kai. Me and my boys race on Akina every now and then. You into racing?"
"Every now and then," he conceded.
"Then race me."
"Hell. Why not?"
He then climbed into his car and slowly turned out of the parking lot. As he turned out of sight, Kai turned to one of his lieutenants. "Follow him in school tomorrow. Learn what you can. And if necessary, make sure he can't race."
Then they, too, melted into the shadows, leaving a young woman who had heard everything to scramble for her car, looking for where the American had gone. Then everything was as it had been.
*****
Disclaimer: I own all original characters. Nothing more.