Hm... Well, you must like me after all, I got 5 reviews like I wanted. ^_^
Well, this is where everything gets into gear.
Pay attention or you might miss something that will pop up in a later
chapter.
In this part there will be some 3x5 action, so watch out.
Enjoy!! ^_^
~*~
Chapter 2
In the outskirts of the city there is a race way that was open to the public. This race way was a major attraction to most of the population, and was under no one's control. The main events held at it was motorcycle races on the one mile oval track, and the motocrosses that were held in the middle of it on the dirt track. The place was huge compared to most of the other things in the city. The best thing about it was that anyone who wanted to could come and practice on either tracks free of charge. The only thing that you had to pay money for was the concessions stands, or if you used the garage that was located at the far end of the track. People who were regulars at the track had the option of renting a locker in the locker rooms, or even having their bike stored in the garage for safe keeping. The people who did that were usually the pros who had the time and the money to keep their bikes in perfect condition.
And at every track there is a certain group of people who attend there, and everyone knows who they are.
At this track it was no different.
In particular, there were four who worked on the same team. They each had their own field of greatness, and every competition they entered, these four always dominated hands down. The name of the team was The Apocalypse, and the four were to be the four riders. You could always spot them anywhere because of their trademark black leather jackets that they wore. They were the three patch jackets that were commonly associated with any motorcycle gang. Each jacket had the name of their team on the bottom, the rider that they were called in the center, and their own name up at the top.
Heero: he is the group leader and is the best when it came to the oval tracks. His thing is his speed. No one could match him, or even come close. Since he always treated every race like a battle he was given the name War.
Trowa: he is Heero's younger brother. He had experiences on both tracks, but had to stick with the motocross because his agility was better suited for it. It originally started as a joke, but since he was always so thin, everyone thought they should give him the name Famine, so it stuck.
Wufei: he is the 'personal friend' of Trowa. He, like Trowa, had experience on both tracks, but he preferred the oval tracks. Why no one could say. He was given the name Plague because whenever he would go into a rant it would always make you sick.
And finally Duo: he is sort of the second in command, and is best friends with Heero. His field is the motocross, and the motocross only. Everyone could see why when they watched him race. He was always risking his life with bigger and better stunts, that he would practically scare the judges to death when he would do free style competitions. So naturally, the name Death was instantly given to him.
Everyone thought the names suited them perfectly, and no one that knew them dared to challenge them. Not only would they defeat any competition, but they took the time to humiliate them while they were at it.
These were the ones that everyone made sure to stay on their good side.
And these were the four that were walking up to the main entrance to start their practice like they did every day. No one came during the weekday, so this was the best time for them to practice in private. They didn't have to walk far from their parking space in the lot, since the lot was completely empty. Soon they reach the main entrance where the guard that was always on duty at this time was watching the gate for anything that looked like trouble.
When the guard looks up from the paper he was reading, he instantly saw trouble when he spotted the four young men heading for him, but it was something he had become used to. "Hello, boys. How are you doing today?" he asked politely. He knew that they were just average kids when you got to know them better.
Duo smiled at him when he answered. "Were doin' just fine, Mr. D. We just came by for our usual practice. You know ol' no fun here." He pointed at Heero. "Always wanting us to be ready for anything." he laughed.
Heero frowned at his friend, but said nothing.
The guard, or Mr. D as Duo likes to call him, chuckled lightly and nodded. "Yes, I know. Unfortunately, boys, you're not gonna have the place all to yourselves like usual. There's two people in there that has rented out everything, and has paid in full for everything they would need in the garage. In fact, they said that they didn't want to be disturbed, and bribed the owner into letting them have full run of the place for the entire day." Mr. D told them.
He knew that their reaction wasn't going to be pretty.
"What?!" they all exclaimed.
"They can't do that! It's a public track!!" Duo yelled out, pissed off that anyone would have the nerve to do this.
Wufei noded in agreement. "Yes, they do not have the authority to tell everyone that they can't use it!" he growled, but calmed down when he felt Trowa gently hold his hand.
"Calm down, everyone. Yelling will not change the situation." Trowa told them all calmly, but also rather annoyed at this.
Mr. D sighed deeply. "I know that they don't have the authority to do it, but they certainly had the money. Paid everything in cash, and it was enough to finance this place for a week without having to have anyone pay for anything. I wouldn't be surprised if the owner had a free day some time next week." he explained in an attempt to settled them. "I know that it wasn't right to take it away from the public, but it's only for the day, boys. I'm sure that they aren't doing anything to hurt the track. When I looked last they were practicing like you guys would do." Mr. D told them, and hoped that that would be enough.
It looked as if the four understood, but it still angered them.
"Man, this sucks... Now what are we going to do?" Duo mumbled loudly. He looked at the others for some suggestions.
The other three only looked back at him with the same unknowing expression.
*Bring Bring Bring!*
"Oh, that's the phone in the office. I'll be right back boys." Mr. D stood up from his chair, and hurried into his nearby office next to the ticket booths.
When he left, the four boys looked at one another, all had the same annoyed expression.
"What kind of prick would do this? Everyone knows this is open to everyone...." Wufei growled, as he still held Trowa's hand in his.
Duo snorted loudly. "I bet the two bastards can't even ride worth a fuck." he spat and folded his arms over his chest.
Heero and Trowa remained silent. They were trying to hear what was being said over the phone in the guard's office.
Soon, the old guard walked back out of the office, a small smile on his face. "Hey, boys, I just talked with one of the people renting the track. He said that they don't mind you going in and using the track, just as long as you don't bother them." he told them and thought it was better than nothing.
But the four boys still frowned. "Oh, how gracious of them." Duo grunted, not pleased.
"Come on, at least they offered, and didn't turn you flat out." Mr. D pointed out, still trying to be optimistic.
Wufei was about to respond, but Heero beat him to it. "He's right. We should still get our practice in. No point in letting these two interfere with our routine." he reminded them.
Trowa agreed. "Yes, let's just go and try to ignore them. We might even discourage them when we get on the track." he offered, knowing that that would work.
"Hell yeah! We'll show those two up, and teach 'em not to mess around on our terf!" Duo stated, hardly able to wait to dazzle them with his tricks.
Heero was already making his way to the entrance. "Then it's all agreed. We go on with practice as usual." he said in his normal tone.
Duo smirked as he followed him. "Lead on, oh great leader!"
The four of them made their way down to the track, and it didn't take long for them to spot the two who had the money to spend for the place. The two were standing at the start/finish line on the oval track, and seemed to be discussing something. Their faces were hidden because they still had their white helmets on, but their suits only proved more that they had money. They were both black and white checkerboard at the top, and with solid black from the waist down, but the one on the left was dressed for the oval track, while the other looked ready to take on the dirt track. When they got closer, they could tell that pads, boots, chest guards, all of it was top of the line quality, and made by the best manufactures.
"Damn, Rich and Richer certainly paid a pretty penny for all that shit... And take a look at their bikes..." Duo whistled as he looked over the well kept machines parked behind the two on the track.
The others looked, and they had to admit that they were impressive. "Wow... I didn't think they sold those to the general public.... I thought it was only to the teams who had the major sponsorships and contracts with the league." Wufei said aloud, practically drooling over them.
Trowa shook his head and wrapped his arm around his lover. "Anything can be bought or sold, Wu. All it takes is enough money." he explained as he held him close.
It was then that the two on the track noticed them. They faced them, and looked on curiously at the group that was looking at them back. Then, almost shyly, the one on the left waved politely to the group, while the one on the right turned their head away, and placed their hands on their hips in annoyance.
"Well, at least one of them is polite." Duo grunted, instantly not liking the one on the right. Then an idea occurs to him. The braided rider grinned evilly, and turned to the couple next to him. "Hey, you wanna try to see if you two can irk them?" he asked in hopes that they would.
Trowa and Wufei blinked for a moment, then shrugged. Anything for the opportunity of a kiss, the two quickly faced each other and crushd their mouths together, doing their best at what they enjoyed most.
Heero and Duo, accustomed to the sight, looked over to see how the other two on the track would react. The one in the motocross gear was still looking away, but the other froze in place, almost as if they had never seen it in their entire life.
Duo almost laughed. "Wow, I think they petrified that one. I wish the other would look over here."
At that moment, the one in the motocross gear looked over and saw their partner stiff as a board. He looked to find the source, and saw the two boys making out about twenty yards away. Instead of freezing like the other, this one quickly snapped their attention back to the frozen one, grabbed a hold of their helmet, and roughly jerked it to where they were facing each other.
Trowa and Wufei stopped their fun in time to see the one in motocross gear lightly smack the back of the other's helmet to keep their attention. They exchanged words quickly, and it ended with the motocross one pointing rigidly to the bikes, and waiting impatiently. Looking defeated, the racer slumped their shoulders and walked slowly to the bikes, being followed by the other. Once they mounted their bikes, they started the engines, then rode off to their different tracks.
The group was a little surprised at their reaction as they watched them go. "Well, guess that guy's intolerant. I didn't think he would get violent with that other guy." Duo admitted, never really wanting them to fight with each other.
"Well it was your lame idea, Duo." Wufei reminded flatly.
Duo growled at that. "I don't remember you complaining very much!" the braided boy almost exclaimed.
Suddenly Trowa stepped in to prevent a fight. "Guys! Chill, alright? No point in fighting with each other. Let's just go get our bikes, and try to ignore them." he suggested, not wanting a bruised lover.
The two both agree, then Wufei hooked the taller boy's arm, and gave Duo a smug look before walking off.
"You better be glad that you're sleepin' with Trowa.... If he wasn't here to watch you, you're ass would be splattered on the ground." Duo mumbled loudly, hoping that the other would hear him. He was about to follow them, but noticed that Heero was looking the other direction. When he turned, he saw his friend watching the lone bike on the oval track intently. Curious, he lightly placed his hand on his shoulder. "Heero? You okay, man?" he asked in concern.
Heero suddenly shook his head, like he was snapping out of a trance. "Huh? Oh, sorry, Duo. What did you say?" he asked, but sounded as if he still wasn't all there.
Duo blinked. "Uhhh.... I asked if you were coming. You're brother and his wu-bear are already gone to the garage." he said, worried about his friend.
Heero slapped his ever present emotionless mask on when he turned away from the track. "Sure..." he grunted, then headed off in the direction of the other two.
The braided boy watched for a second, then he sighed deeply. "You're startin' to worry me, buddy." he whispered to himself. He then began to follow the rest of them as he thought hard upon something.
Duo could remember when he first met Heero. It was when they were very young, in fact, when they were in the third grade. Some other kids were picking on Duo because he had such long hair, that it made him look like a little girl. Always being one with a huge ego, and a hot temper, little Duo got into a big fight. He was doing fine for someone who was fighting against ten bigger boys, but it was still too much. Just when he thought that they were really going to let him have it, another boy jumps in and starts to help Duo fight them off. Having enough, the other boys scatter before they all had black eyes. When Duo asked for the other kid's name, he was surprised when he found out it was Heero. Being young, he could never pronounce it right, so he would always say Hero.
And Heero was truly Duo's hero, and has been ever since. He always knew what to do in a tough spot, and was always there for him no matter what.
One thing that Duo noticed was that Heero was very distant with everyone except him. Well, maybe his brother Trowa too. Originally, the two brothers acted very similar. Always quiet, never spoke unless they had to, and very reserved about everything. Four years ago that all changed when Wufei transferred to their high school. Him and Trowa almost instantly hooked up, and you couldn't separate them if you tied each one to a bike, then took off in different directions. Now Trowa was more open, and smiled much more than he had.....
Now that he thought about it...
Trowa didn't smile at all before he met Wufei.
It changed Heero too. Since his younger brother had someone special to him, Heero felt that he no longer needed to watch out for him. He didn't have him like he used to, now he had to share time with Wufei. It really didn't seem to bother him at all, but Duo knew better. It was eating Heero alive. Heero would never admit it to anyone, but was insanely envious of Trowa.
He found someone who loved him.
Heero had never even been on a date.
No one wanted to get close to him because no one thought they could. Duo knew that people, both men and women, thought he was absolutely drop dead sexy, but they didn't like him because he seemed so cold. He knew that Heero was very compassionate, and caring, but Heero, for some reason, didn't like to show it.
Another thing that Duo knew was that Heero, like his brother, liked men better than women. Heero was honest, and told Duo up front instead of hiding it like most would do.
Now the braided boy himself was as straight as anyone could be. He loved women, and would go out with any pretty girl at the drop of a hat, but he didn't hold anything against his friends because of that. He didn't care what they did in their personal lives...
Actually he shuddered at the thought of what they would do, but that was beside the point. The point was that he cared for all of them, even the stubborn Chinese boy, like a brother. They felt the same for him.
And that was all the mattered to him.
Already knowing the problem all too well, Duo tried to think of a way he could help his friend, but was coming up empty. He shook his head in irritation, and walked forward as he absently looked around.
While he was looking, his eyes were caught on something.
On the motocross track, the guy that had acted very rudely was sitting on their bike looking straight at him. Duo raised a brow at this, and wondered what the hell the guy wanted. The rider did nothing to show any signs that he wanted anything. It was almost as if he was sizing Duo up, like potential competition. After a moment of this, the guy started his bike back up and took off down the track.
Duo blinked again, and shuddered for some reason. "God, I really don't like that guy. I'll hafta teach him a little lesson when I get my bike." he stated in a satisfied tone. He already knew how he would do it. Without looking back at anything, Duo picked up his pace to follow the others.
~*~
It only took ten minutes for the four to get their bikes, give them their daily checkup, and have them out of the garage. Like Mr. D. had said, nothing looked out of place, and actually it looked as if someone had cleaned up the place.
Duo had found two lockers wide open with things in them in the locker rooms, but was talked out of doing anything by the others.
Now they were pushing their bikes onto the track, and were looking up at the jumbo score board. The score board was a newly added thing to the track. It would show how fast someone was going, the time they have on completing a lap, and it also showed current record holders.
Naturally, the record holders were Heero and Duo. Heero held the speed and time record for the race track, while Duo held the lap time record for the motocross track.
Occasionally they would stop to see if their records were still there, but this time, they practically froze.
"Damn... Heero, that guy on the track is coming close to beating you record!!" Duo exclaimed, hardly believing it.
"Don't worry about Heero, Duo. According to this, that guy over there is only few seconds away from beating your record." Wufei pointed out bluntly.
"WHAT??!" Duo's eyes almost popped from head, and nearly snapped his neck when he turned to the dirt track.
There on the dirt track, the solitary rider was hitting the jumps perfectly, and landed them just as good.
"Fucking bastard... Not on my damn track!!" Duo exclaimed, and, before the others could even ask him what he was going to do, he was already on his bike, helmet in place, and took off for the track.
"What the hell does he think he's doing?" Wufei asked the other two.
Heero folded his arms and watched the track. "He's going to make the other guy play chicken." he grunted plainly.
Wufei blinked. "Doesn't it help if the other guy knew about it too?" he asked. He knew, as well as the other two, that one wrong move and the two could crash.
"Duo's counting that the other guy will turn to the side to avoid a crash." Trowa finished explaining to his love.
"What if the other guy doesn't?"
Suddenly Heero hissed at them. "Shhh! They're coming up to the jumps."
On the track, speeding towards each other, the two riders came up to the last jump before it led to a sharp turn. The other rider had been doing each jump perfectly, and was totally focused on the track, so didn't notice that Duo was going to the same jump.
Suddenly both bikes took to the air, and were headed straight for each other. Now completely aware of Duo's presence, the other rider leaned quickly to the side, altering the collision course, and barely missed Duo. When the rider leaned to the side, the speed was too much, and instantly the bike flipped over, rider still hanging on. In a blink they hit the ground with so much force that the rider kept rolling until the guy landed against the hay bale barriers. Bike nearly embedded in the nearby hay bales, the rider rolled off of them and fell limp on the dirt track.
The three standing watched wide eyed as they waited for the rider to move, but so far nothing.
Just then Duo rode up and cut off the engine. After taking off his helmet, he looked back at the damage done. "Damn! I didn't think he would go that far..." he mumbled, and regretted what he did.
The other three glared at him. "Duo, you dumb ass! You could have killed the guy!!!" Wufei growled, about to go check on the fallen rider.
They were all ready to run over to check on the battered biker, but suddenly...
*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!!!!!!!!!*
The sound of squealing rubber caught their attention. When they turned around they gaped in shock as they saw the rider on the oval track slam on the brakes, and lean to the side. Smoke billowed from the tires, and sparks flew from the metal scraping over the pavement, the bike quickly lost its speed. Not even waiting for the bike to come to a complete stop, the rider jumped off and ran to the edge of the track.
The rider jerked off the helmet, and the group saw long black hair being flung back out of a pale face. "Chance? Oh God! Chance!!" he shouted out desperately. The dark haired rider threw the helmet carelessly over his shoulder, and dashed to the dirt track, jumping over anything in his way. In no time he fell to his knees at the side of, apparently, his fallen friend. "Chance? God, Chance, please say something!!!" he pleaded in a way that broke the other four's hearts.
As they moved closer, the group watched them, trying to be out of the way, yet still nearby to offer help. When they were only ten yards away, they could see the fallen rider move slightly. The black gloved hands of the rider fisted into the dirt of the track, and seemed to shake in tension.
The dark haired rider let out a deep sigh of relief. "Thank God... Chance? Can you hear me?? Are you alright?" he asked, still very worried.
Suddenly, scaring everyone, the rider quickly sat up, almost like nothing had happened. The rider stood up on their knees, and let out a frustrated growl/scream before the guy fell on their hands. He then punched at the dirt ground in anger.
"Chance?.... Are you alright?" the other rider asked hesitantly, obviously worried, but also cautious.
The biker clawed at the helmet before pulling it off roughly, then threw it in anger at the safety barrier. "What the hell do you think?!" the rider asked in a growl. Long black hair was thrown back out of...
"What the hell? That's a girl!!" Duo yelled out in shock.
The others were just as shocked as him. "A girl? Riding motocross like that?" Wufei asked to no one in particular.
Suddenly hot teal eyes were glaring at the four riders in anger. "Yes, a damn girl! Now which one of you ruined my run, and practically trashed my bike?!" she asked in a growl. She got up to her feet and looked ready to fight. After scanning over the four racers, the teal eyes instantly locked on to violet ones. "You!" she almost snarled, and pointed at Duo. "You fucking bastard, what the hell you trying to do?! Kill me?!" She would have gone on, but a hand placed on her shoulder stopped her.
"Chance?... Calm down.. I'm sure that's not what he meant to do... Please just drop it." the other rider asked politely, not wanting a fight.
She tried to glare at the mirror image of herself, but couldn't bring herself to. "Chase..... I..." she began, not sure how to finish.
The other nodded. "I know. Come on. I'd say that both our bikes need a major over hall after all of that." he chuckled lightly.
She knew he was right. "Okay...." she mumbled. Chance then walked over to her bike. "I just had that damn thing fixed from the last time!!!" she yelled mainly to herself.
After laughing softly to himself, the one called Chase turned to the group with a small smile on his pale face. "I'm sorry for her behavior. Chance has a very short temper, and doesn't like practical jokes unless she's the one pulling them." he stated in a very polite tone.
Wufei nudged Duo in the ribs. "Sound familiar?" he jeered sarcastically.
"Shut up, Wu!"
Just then Heero stepped forward. "I think it would be only fair if we helped you repair your bikes." he offered, and looked at the pale boy with an intense stare.
Amazingly, he didn't flinch at the cold blue eyes, but instead smiled brighter. "That would be very kind of you, thank you." Chase accepted graciously.
"That ass ain't comin' anywhere near me, or my bike!!" Chance shouted hotly.
Chase looked over and gave her a disapproving look. "Oh get off your high horse, you untrusting blowhard! It won't kill you to accept a little help now and then." he pointed out bluntly to his counter part.
Having pulled her bike out of the barriers on her own, she wheeled her bike back to the group,and gave Chase a hard glare as she did. "Who said anything 'bout it killin' me?" she grunted before moving on in the direction of the garage.
The others watched her go, four of them stunned at the way she acted, but the other only smiled in amusement. "She is a real character at times.... Again, I apologize. Chance isn't very trusting when it comes to new people. Very few have ever really earned her trust, so don't take anything she does personally." Chase explained, smile still intact. He turned back to the track and walked forward to his forgotten bike.
Heero suddely shook his head again like he slipped into another trance, and quickly followed him to see if he needed any help.
Having noticed this, the others gave each other knowing looks and smile.
"I think something caught Heero's eye." Duo said in a low tone.
The other two nod. "Yes, I do hope it works out this time." Trowa answered, tired of seeing his brother always alone.
"Well, let's get back to the garage and pray that that chick doesn't want to sue you, Duo." Wufei said loudly. He enjoyed rubbing in the fact that Duo's record was nearly beaten by a girl.
"Shut up, Wu!!"
~*~
The five boys parked their bikes after entering the garage, and looked around for what they might need to fix the damage done to Chase's. As they looked, they saw that Chance already had several tools out and was working hard on fixing her bike.
When she heard the others enter she stiffened and let out a low growl. "I swear if you lay one finger on my bike, I'll rip your damn hand off and shove it up your ass." she grunted in a deadly tone before she returned to her work.
While the others blinked, Chase only laughed. "Does that threat pass on to me?" he asked in a cute innocent tone.
Chance looked over her shoulder and smirked. "You don't get any special treatment, baby bro, so yeah, it goes for you too." she stated coolly and went back to her bike.
Chase raised a brow. "You're so violent. Maybe you should try some anger management classes.... Might help your social skills." he quipped lightly, then ducked as a oil rag is tossed at him.
"Kiss my ass, Chase." Chance grunted.
"I wouldn't be the first to do that, dear sister." Chase jeered with a laugh, then ducked again as a wrench came flying at his head. It landed with a loud clang on the floor, and Chase swallowed hard.
"And you wouldn't be the last, now get to work, or do I hafta make you?" the dark haired girl dared him.
His eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head. "No, I'll do it on my own, thank you." He retreated the fight, knowing well what she meant when she said 'make you'.
As the other four watched their sibling quarrel, they instantly saw the differences between brother and sister.
"Huh.... Well this wasn't what I expected when I woke up this morning....." Duo mumbled, and rubbed his forehead.
"Well, I doubt Chance expected some stupid ass loser trying to kill her when she woke up." Wufei piped up, having loved the way Duo's face looked when Chance took off her helmet the first time.
Duo glareed at the Chinese boy. "Will you shut up?!"
Wufei glared back. "No!"
"Will you both shut up?!" Chance shouted from her bike, annoyed with all of them.
Trowa tried to hide a small smirk. "Hn, I agree. You're both acting like children, and, Duo, I think you need to apologized to someone." the taller one reminded him, and pointed to Chance.
Duo's jaw dropped. "What? Why the hell should I?!" he exclaimed, still not liking her.
"Because it would be the right thing to do." Heero stated flatly as he gave him a warning glare.
The braided biker would have protested, but knew better than to get on Heero's bad side. "Oh alright...." He stepped up behind the raven haired girl at her bike and tried to think of what to say. "Chance.... I'm sorry I ran you off the track..." he mumbled gruffly.
She stiffened again, but pretended she didn't hear him and continued what she was doing.
"Chance, accept his apology." Chase urged. He hated it when she acted like this. "Come on, Chance, quit being so high and mighty, and forgive him." he asked again with a frown.
Chance grumbled loudly as she stood up to face Duo. "I... I... Damnit, do I have to?" she grunted, and looked to her brother in annoyance.
Chase moaned in frustration. "Chance! Will you just do it already? It won't kill you! It's not like I'm asking you to kiss Tiny!" he suddenly laughed.
She smirked evilly. "I've already done that though....." When she looked back at Duo, she saw that he wasn't thrilled at all about this either. "I guess I forgive you...." she grunted again.
"Good, now shake and be done with it." Chase added, highly amused at the way they acted so similar.
Both grumbled loudly, but after seeing the warning glares they both got, they extended their hands, and shook. Both gripped tightly at the other, but neither would show it. They stood there for a moment and glared into each others' eyes while they grumbled mild threats to one another.
"I forgive you this time, but do it again and I'll be using that braid of yours as an oil rag." Chance growled deeply as she tightened her grip on Duo's hand.
Duo only tightened his grip as well. "You wish.. If you're in my way, I'll do more than run you off the track." he shot back.
The others watched this, and were all surprised at what was happening.
"Oh my... I've never seen anyone get to her this much before..." Chase said, his teal eyes wide.
"And Duo's never been this competitive..." Trowa added, and wondered what was going through his head.
But Heero knew that spark in his friend's eyes well. "Well, Duo's never really had major competition before.... I guess it just shocked him to see someone beating his record so well." Heero concluded.
Chance suddenly smirked wider. "Ashamed of being beaten by a girl? Hmm? Well, let me tell you something, Mr. big bad Duo... I've beaten that record hundreds of times. That is nothing compared to what I can do." she said in a low tone. She then quickly released his hand, and moved back to her bike.
Duo blinked a moment, then frowned deeply. "Yeah right! No one's ever beaten my record! I'm the best there is on the motocross tracks!!" he exclaimed, angered beyond belief.
Chance let out a bark of laughter as she tossed the tools she was using back in their tool box. She wiped the oil off her hands with another rag and gave the braided rider a sly look. "Hardly... You have obviously never heard of me before, which means you don't get out in the city very much..." She dropped the rag on the seat of her bike, then walked away. "I'm going to the locker rooms, Chase." she announced as she reached the door.
The dark haired boy blinked in confusion. "Huh? Why? We got the rest of the day left here." he reminded her, and wondered what she was doing.
"I know, but my bike is practically trash until I can fix it. The fuel tank has a big ass crack in it, and the front wheel is bent all to hell..." she assessed with a deep frown at her machine. "I need a whole new bike, that thing is gonna get me killed if all I do is patch it up every time..." Chance sighed and turned to open the door. "I hate to admit it, but..." She looked back at Duo. "It's a good thing you ran me off the track when you did."
"Huh?" Everyone looked at her curiously.
"It was?" Duo repeated, unable to see how.
Chance nodded. "Yep... Brakes were almost shot. A few more hard stops and I would have ran head on into something...." She smirked slightly. "Guess I should thank you.... But I won't. " She winked playfully at him then walked out the door to the locker rooms. "You can go ahead and keep practicing, Chase. I'll watch you from the stands." she shouted out before closing the door.
The five boys left in the garage blinked in shock and confusion, but then Chase started to laugh. "I'm sorry to say this, but I do believe you have just been placed on her hit list, Duo." he told him with a smile.
"Hit list? You mean she's gonna try to kill me?!" Duo asked in a shout.
Chase shook his head. "No, not at all. Chance is a firm believer in the eye for and eye policy. She's going to get back at you when you least expect it." he warned.
And he knew it would be funny as hell when she did.
Wufei hoped he would be around to see it happen. "Boy, that's a switch.. Death being on someone else's hit list." he jeered.
"Shut up, Wu!" Duo snapped. "Evidentially this chick hasn't ever heard of me either, or she wouldn't have said that." he grunted flatly and folded his arms over his chest.
"Oh, we know perfectly well who all of you are." Chase spoke up. "It's because she knows that she said that. And I hate to bring this up, but she has broken that motocross record several times." he added lightly, and hoped he wasn't starting anything.
Duo was actually silent for a moment. He stared at Chase blankly before he mumbled a few choice words and turned around.
Trowa ignored the moody Duo, and looked at Chase to ask him something. "What about you? Does that mean you've beaten the oval track records as well?" he wanted to know, and that also raised Heero's curiosity.
Chase chuckled lightly. "Are you kidding? I've been trying to break that record for a long time now. I came close today, but that was when I saw Chance go down. Scared the hell out of me, so I tried to stop as quickly as I could to make sure she was okay." He looked over at Heero. "Don't worry, your record is safe for now." he joked with a smile.
His cobalt blue eyes widened for a moment, and the others were almost in shock when they saw the corners of his mouth twitch, as if he wanted to smile.
"Well... I think I do want to get some more practice in..." Chase said mainly to himself. "I need all that I can get if I want to compete anytime soon...." When he looked over at his bike, he saw, other than a new paint job, that everything looked in order. He stepped up to it, and carefully checked every part to make sure nothing vital was damaged.
The others watched him, and thought that he was doing better than most professionals at any bike shop.
"Who taught you to check out the bike like that? A mechanic?" Trowa asked curiously, and wondered if he could do a check up on his bike while he was at it.
"Oh no, not at all..." He looked up at them. "Chance taught me everything I know. She was the one who got me interested in racing in the first place." he told them as he continued his task. "She's the best at patching up a broken down bike, and can tell if the slightest thing is wrong just by hearing it run. And I'm not bragging just because she's my sister. She really is good, and you shouldn't underestimate her." Chase said as fair warning.
Heero nodded. "Duly noted. Now the rest of you get out there. We came here to practice as well, now get to it." he ordered the others firmly.
"What about you?" Duo suddenly asked in a jeering tone.
The blue eyed leader was unfazed by it. "I want to ask Chance a few things, other than that it's none of your business. Now go. I'm not the one who needs practice, you three are." he stated bluntly, and pointed at the garage exit.
If the three bikers could argue, they would have, but Heero had a very valid point.
No one ever beat him, so what was the point in practicing every minute of the day?
So Duo and Trowa left to their motocross practice, while Wufei stayed behind to help Chase. Since they were going to the same thing, Chase offered for a little friendly competition to the Chinese boy.
Again, Heero felt the corners of his mouth twitch every time the teal eyed racer spoke. He thought it rather strange, but it was not unwelcome. It was a change, and one that Heero thought himself due for.
If not smiling physically, he was practically grinning mentally as he headed for the locker rooms to catch up with Chance.
~*~
Having dressed quickly into a pair of worn faded blue jeans, and a loose, almost three sizes too big for the small frame, blue jean shirt, Chance sat quietly in the middle of the stands. Her teal eyes watched as intently as a hawk through darkly tinted sunglasses. She observed her brother's form on the track, and it looked as if the black and white blur would fly off the track at any moment. She smiled at this because she knew that meant that he was pushing himself to go faster. Chance wanted to see her brother succeed more than anything in the world, and was willing to do anything to make it happen.
Anything.
The only times she would take her eyes off the track was to either light up another cigarette, or to take another drink out of a nearly empty beer bottle that sat next to her on the sun warmed concrete.
As she lit up her third cigarette, she noticed from the corner of her eye that the one biker named Heero was heading toward her. She was aware of the stern look on his face, and recognized it to be one of a purely business intent.
She looked over the top of her shades, and regarded him calmly. "Can I help you with something, or are you just here to apologize again for your friend's behavior?" Chance asked smoothly.
Heero regarded her in the same manner. "Both in a sense. May I sit?" he asked in a semi polite tone.
She shrugged and looked back at the track. "Whatever floats your boat. I don't own this place." she stated in an uncommitting tone.
"For the day you do." Heero reminded her as he sat down. "I do want to apolo.."
Chance suddenly turned around to face him and held up her hand for him to be silent. "Listen, I know you're sorry for what happened, and I know that that Duo guy didn't mean for it to happen like it did. I just got a little pissed because I was trying to figure out what was wrong with my bike when he did that. Like I said, it turned out to be a good thing. So let's just drop that subject for good, and you can get on with the reason you came here." she told him bluntly, tired of the formalities.
Heero gave an almost invisible smirk and nodded. "Hn, I figured you would be like that. Alright, I won't get off subject... Unlike the others, I do know your reputation. I make it a point to know all major competitors on both tracks so I know what my team would be up against. Seeing what you and your brother are capable of today only further supports this that I'm about to ask of you...." he trailed off. He was trying to find the right way to approach this.
She took her shades off and looked into his eyes directly. "Go on." Chance prompted, actually intrigued.
Heero looked up and gave her a determined glare that meant he wasn't going to take no easily. "I would appreciate it if you and your brother would join up with my team for practices."
Chance raised a thin black brow in a questioning look. "Why would you ask me something like that?" she asked, not saying yes, or no.
"You're both very talented in this. In fact your brother down there looks as good as any professional." He glanced down at the oval track and smirked when he saw Chase far ahead of Wufei. "The main reason is that my team hasn't had any real competition, and they're getting arrogant, especially Duo, as you could tell."
Chance nodded in understanding.
"They need to realize that they have a long way to go before they can be the best. Sure they're good, but that isn't enough. I'm sure, since you've probably have had a lot of experience, that you can understand my position here." Heero finished and awaited her answer.
Chance nodded again as she replied. "I understand you completely, Heero. That's exactly what I've been trying to teach Chase..." She trailed off, and smiled slightly as she looked down at the form of her brother. "He's good, extremely good, but he's hardly ready for anything major. He races because it makes him feel good to know he can do something special. He hasn't developed a good enough competitive spirit." Chance looked back at Heero. "And, as I'm sure you know, one can't win unless the need to win is there."
This time Heero nodded. "Well, I'm sure we can assist one another out in this. I'm not asking you to join the team, only to practice with us. Do we have a deal?" He held out his hand in waiting to her.
She looked down at the hand, then back up into the deep blue eyes. "I don't want to make any decisions without my brother's okay on it, but I'm sure he would be glad to. So, yeah, I'll help you out." The raven haired girl reached out, grasped onto his strong hand, and they shook firmly on the matter.
After a moment of quiet understanding between the two forceful competitors, they let go, and turned back to the track.
Suddenly, when he saw how well Chase was doing, Heero felt the corners of his mouth twitch again. "Hmm... I'm sure that someday soon Chase will be my major competition if he keeps that up.... How did you teach him to ride so well?" he asked curiously.
Chance took another drag from her cigarette, and breathed out slowly before answering. "I didn't really teach him anything..... I got him interested in it a while back, and he took to it better than I ever expected.... Only things I taught him were how to keep his bike maintained, and a few tricks that could get him up front. The rest is raw skill." She looked over at the silent rider and gave a light chuckle. "He has a bit more to learn on his own if he wants to keep up with someone of your standard." She slipped her shades back on. Her thin form leaned back on the hard concrete steps and her pale face looked up to the clear blue sky. "Like you, I prefer to know who the up and coming riders are. I know you're good... One of the best here... So am I.... It's not easy, and you of all should know that. Those guys down there, and anyone else for that matter, think it's all just a big game that, once you master it, nothing else matters..." she trailed off, remembrance laced her voice.
Heero grunted in agreement. "Yeah, they haven't realized that they're risking their lives every time they pull up to the starting line.... The faster you are, the more risk you're at.... I'm concerned that Duo's going to get himself killed with the stupid stunts he pulls... And yes, I know that you pull tricks that are just as, or even more, insane. But you know the possible outcomes. Duo just wants to scare the hell out of people." he snorted, but had a small smirk on his face. He remembered the times that the long haired rider did just that.
"Yeah, I know... They're just trying to find their limits.... I know mine, but I keep trying to push them.... I got a question for you... This one's personal..." Chance started, still staring at the sky.
He raised a brow curiously. "What?"
"I heard from the other guys that you only talked with your team mates, and ignored everyone else..." She looked back at him with a blank expression. "Why all of the sudden so chatty with me? I'm hardly the one most would expect the great Heero Yuy to talk to." the raven haired girl said. She actually wondered that from the moment she saw him coming to her.
That made Heero snort lightly. The stoic rider crossed his arms and gave her a small glare. "You're the only other rider here that isn't a cocky bastard that thinks that they own the track. If you haven't noticed, most of the people around here always talk big, but can't back it up. I know that if you say you'll do something, you'll do it. I think that a person like that is worth being acquainted with." he reasoned calmly.
She looked at him for a moment, then nodded slightly.
It was enough for her. "Point taken. I guess it wouldn't hurt to...." Chance trailed off for a moment and directed her attention back to the track.
Curious, Heero looked as well, and was surprised when he saw that Wufei had caught up with Chase. When he looked back he could tell that Chance was not happy with it. "What's wrong?"
She didn't answer him. "Damnit, I hate it when he does that." Chance threw down her cigarette, and crushed it out with her boot. She then practically stomped down the stands, and grumbled curses the whole way.
Heero followed her, and soon they were on the front row above the track.
An annoyed expression on her face, Chance took off her sunglasses, and started to wave to get her brother's attention.
He saw her when he passed by, so he began to slow down. By the time they made another lap, both riders on the track came to a complete stop in front of where the dark haired girl was in the stands.
Chase took off his helmet, and looked curiously at his sister. "What is it?" he asked a bit timidly.
He knew that he must have done something wrong for her to glare at him like that.
Chance was indeed glaring at him, and was going to tell him flat out what was wrong. "Chase, how many times have I told you not to slow down in the middle of a practice?! You're trying to improve on your skills, not make the other riders feel better about themselves! Now quit fucking around and get back out there!" she shouted in a frustrated tone.
Surprised that she knew that he had slowed down so Wufei could catch up, Chase didn't say a word as he pulled his helmet back on and made quick work of getting his bike moving again.
Wufei blinked in shock, and a little embarrassment as he watched the white bike speed off around the first turn in the track. "You mean to tell me that he was letting me get close to him?" he asked Heero, unsure of how to take it.
The stoic rider nodded lightly and almost smirked at Wufei's reaction. "Yeah, he was. Now if you want to really keep up with him, I suggest you get after him now and work on your time." he called out, curious at what he would do.
The Chinese teen blinked for a moment more. He didn't mind that Heero was faster than him. He had always been the fastest, but now a different person was surpassing him, that made the competitive flame in him flare up a little.
As soon as he looked back at the track, he was startled when a blur of black and white zoomed by him, the wind from it nearly knocking him over.
Not wasting another moment, Wufei pulled his helmet back on, and in no time was out trying catch up with the faster bike.
Heero found himself smirking at the site. "See? It's already working." he mused, but then he turned back to the woman next to him. He thought it was a bit rash for her to do that to her brother. "But why were you being so strict with him? You looked as if you would bite his head off." he said lightly.
Chance regarded him calmly. "You know that you can't give anyone a break in this sport. This was what I was talking about. He doesn't have the competitive spirit. He needs to feel that winning is something he must do. Right now he's just playing around." She followed her brother's movements on the track, studied his form, and saw, like normal, it was flawless. She sighed heavily, and rakes her hand through her hair. "I would have practiced with him myself, but I can't handle the oval tracks like I used to...." she trailed off as the memories filled her mind.
The stoic rider knew what she was thinking of. Heero remembered the day all too well. "The accident two years ago?" he asked lightly.
She nodded sadly, and winced at the thought. "That was too close a call back then... You were there, weren't you?" the dark haired woman asked, unable to remember everything clearly.
"Yeah, I was there...." he grunted. He still thought that it was a miracle that she survived that. "That was the worst crash I ever saw...." Heero looked at her for a moment, everything still fresh in his mind.
~flash~
The big race for the top sponsors was underway at the track.
The best riders from all over the city were here to show off their skill.
Heero, not thinking himself ready yet, was sitting in the stands close to the track so he could get a better look at the riders that were participating. As he watched, he was looked over each rider carefully. He wanted to see if he could guess who would win just by looking at the riders before they started.
All of the riders were acting extremely cocky, and were practically strutting around the track, mocking one another.
But one of them wasn't doing anything.
This one was smaller than the others, and on a closer look, Heero was shocked to see it was a girl with short black hair. She was waiting patiently at the side lines on the track for the race to get started. All of the other racers were teasing, taunting, and a few even threw things at her, but she looked unfazed by all of it, and kept a straight face.
Then, somewhere from in the depths of the crowd, a light voice shouted out above all of the chatter of the faceless voices.
"You can beat 'em Chance! Don't let them get to you!!!"
At the shout, the girl looked up and smiled.
Then the announcements had begun.
All of the chatter died when the national anthem was sung, but soon started again when the racers were called to go to their positions.
Heero was watching intently as they were getting ready, studying their form, and, yet again, the girl stood out from the rest. She looked professional out there, even with the pitch black racing helmet on.
When they got the signal to go, the girl shot out in front of all the others, and instantly took up the lead. It was amazing at how forcefully she was dominating the competition, and the margin of how far she was leading was unbelievable. None of the other riders were even coming close to her, and the entire crowd was in near awestruck because of it.
Unfortunately it was short lived.
On the fourth lap, the girl was coming into the front stretch when the front wheel of her bike seemed to twist, and soon the wheel came loose. Catching on the ground at the high speed, it sent the rider flying through the air, and she landed hard on the track. Once she had landed on the ground, her bike fell on top of her, nearly crushing her with the weight.
A giant gasp echoed throughout the stands, and everything just seemed to stop. There were screams, and shouts for someone to go out and help the fallen rider, but everything was in slow motion.
When Heero saw that nothing was being done, he quickly jumped over the rail, and fell the ten feet before his feet touched the ground. Soon he was rushing over to the girl's side. Once he got there, the first thing he did was use all of his strength to pick up the busted bike, and throw it off somewhere. Kneeling down, he unzips the top part of the black racing suit, and checks if she was breathing.
She was still breathing, thank God, but that was when he noticed that the shoulders of the suit hand been ripped off, and her blood was steadily spreading over the pavement.
Heero was shocked at seeing so much blood, but then, when he looked down at the helmet, his breath caught in his throat.
The visor part of her helmet had been shattered from the crash, and the two piercing teal eyes were staring straight ahead blankly.
They were cold, lifeless, and unblinking.
That was when he heard her mumble something.
"...I'm sorry... Brother.... I can't keep my promise...." she gasped out raggedly.
Just then, when Heero was about to ask her if she could hear him, the EMS crew finally got there. They grunted a few things him, all of which Heero wasn't listening to. He kept his eyes locked on hers, and wondered what she had meant.
He watched, and stood out of the way as they loaded her onto an awaiting ambulance, and the second before she was out of view, Heero caught a glimpse of a single tear finding its way out of the dead eyes.
They were about to close the doors to the ambulance when..
"Wait! Please wait! I have to go with her!"
The same voice from before shouted out, and was soon followed by a darkly dressed boy with a black hat, and dark sun glasses hiding his face.
One of the workers looked at him briefly before grunting out his answer. "Only if your an immediate family member."
The boy was quick to reply. "I am! I'm her brother!"
Without another pause, the workers quickly ordered him to get in, and in a matter of seconds they were speeding off, leaving Heero behind staring after them blankly.
~flash~
As he remembered, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the young woman next to him. ~She used to be better than me.. But ever since the accident, she won't race on the oval tracks anymore....~ He thought to himself.
He also thought it was a great loss. "You could have been killed." he stated softly.
That made her wince lightly. "I know... I barely made it through that... Was in the hospital for a month..." Chance mumbled out. She still felt all of the pain she went through. After staring at the ground for a moment, she shook out of her thoughts and returned her attention back to Heero. "They never did catch the bastards that fucked up my bike, did they?" she asked in a low grunt. She knew that someone had to have tampered with it before the race. There was no other way that it could have happened.
Heero shook his head. "Not that I know of. The race officials asked me to help find them, but I couldn't find anything to blame on anyone.
Chance snorted lightly, then turned to lean her back against the railing. "I guess it doesn't matter now... It's been two years now... Whoever did it, I guess they got what they wanted... I can't race in the big leagues anymore...." she mumbled in a defeated tone. Chance wanted more than anything to be out there with her brother, but now she couldn't.
"You still have the motocrosses... You're the best there is now... So you're still in the big leagues." Heero pointed out. He didn't want her to put herself down.
The woman shook her dark head, then started to walk away. "You don't understand... I promised Chase when I first got him started that we would be in the competitions side by side... Now he's out there all by himself... I know he's scared, and he needs someone to help him set a goal... I can't do that anymore...." She suddenly turned back to Heero, a dead serious look in her teal eyes. "That's where you come in. I want you to challenge him. I want you to entice him, and make him want to do better. You're the only one who can do that. I'm going to trust him to you.... Will you do this for me?...." she asked as a pleading look overcame her face. "Please.. Do this as a favor for a fallen fellow racer."
~So that's what she meant that day.... She wanted to compete with her brother.~ His cold blue eyes looked at her for a moment, and he saw that she truly wanted her brother to be the best. "I'll see what I can do. I can't promise you that I can, but I will try."
She gave a soft smile to him. "That's all I can ask. Thank you."
"No problem... I know what it's like to want the best for your younger brother..." He looked over to the dirt tracks to see Trowa trying to keep up with Duo. "But, I can't do anything else for him... I know he has reached his limit, and he won't surpass Duo. Duo on the other hand, I know he can improve." He turned back to look at Chance. "So I want you to help him."
Chance's eyes flickered over and she smirked when she saw Duo trying to do a superman off one of the jumps. "His form could use some work... He has talent, but.."
"He's too damn cocky, and is a big show off. I know, he's been that way since the day I met him." Heero snorted, but his lips twitched into a slight smirk.
"That's a very light way of putting it." she laughed lightly Suddenly she walked away in the direction of the nearest concessions stand. "Come on. If you're not gonna practice with them, then let me get you a beer."
Never passing up the offer of free beer, Heero followed her. "I think you've read my mind."
~*~
TBC
IF YOU WOULD LIKE THIS FIC TO CONTINUE, PLEASE DEPOSITE AT LEAST FIVE REVIEWS.
Sorry, I had to do that. ^_^ But seriously, I'm sticking with the five review thing. I don't wanna waste my time on posting something no one will read. So let me know! Later!
~*~
Chapter 2
In the outskirts of the city there is a race way that was open to the public. This race way was a major attraction to most of the population, and was under no one's control. The main events held at it was motorcycle races on the one mile oval track, and the motocrosses that were held in the middle of it on the dirt track. The place was huge compared to most of the other things in the city. The best thing about it was that anyone who wanted to could come and practice on either tracks free of charge. The only thing that you had to pay money for was the concessions stands, or if you used the garage that was located at the far end of the track. People who were regulars at the track had the option of renting a locker in the locker rooms, or even having their bike stored in the garage for safe keeping. The people who did that were usually the pros who had the time and the money to keep their bikes in perfect condition.
And at every track there is a certain group of people who attend there, and everyone knows who they are.
At this track it was no different.
In particular, there were four who worked on the same team. They each had their own field of greatness, and every competition they entered, these four always dominated hands down. The name of the team was The Apocalypse, and the four were to be the four riders. You could always spot them anywhere because of their trademark black leather jackets that they wore. They were the three patch jackets that were commonly associated with any motorcycle gang. Each jacket had the name of their team on the bottom, the rider that they were called in the center, and their own name up at the top.
Heero: he is the group leader and is the best when it came to the oval tracks. His thing is his speed. No one could match him, or even come close. Since he always treated every race like a battle he was given the name War.
Trowa: he is Heero's younger brother. He had experiences on both tracks, but had to stick with the motocross because his agility was better suited for it. It originally started as a joke, but since he was always so thin, everyone thought they should give him the name Famine, so it stuck.
Wufei: he is the 'personal friend' of Trowa. He, like Trowa, had experience on both tracks, but he preferred the oval tracks. Why no one could say. He was given the name Plague because whenever he would go into a rant it would always make you sick.
And finally Duo: he is sort of the second in command, and is best friends with Heero. His field is the motocross, and the motocross only. Everyone could see why when they watched him race. He was always risking his life with bigger and better stunts, that he would practically scare the judges to death when he would do free style competitions. So naturally, the name Death was instantly given to him.
Everyone thought the names suited them perfectly, and no one that knew them dared to challenge them. Not only would they defeat any competition, but they took the time to humiliate them while they were at it.
These were the ones that everyone made sure to stay on their good side.
And these were the four that were walking up to the main entrance to start their practice like they did every day. No one came during the weekday, so this was the best time for them to practice in private. They didn't have to walk far from their parking space in the lot, since the lot was completely empty. Soon they reach the main entrance where the guard that was always on duty at this time was watching the gate for anything that looked like trouble.
When the guard looks up from the paper he was reading, he instantly saw trouble when he spotted the four young men heading for him, but it was something he had become used to. "Hello, boys. How are you doing today?" he asked politely. He knew that they were just average kids when you got to know them better.
Duo smiled at him when he answered. "Were doin' just fine, Mr. D. We just came by for our usual practice. You know ol' no fun here." He pointed at Heero. "Always wanting us to be ready for anything." he laughed.
Heero frowned at his friend, but said nothing.
The guard, or Mr. D as Duo likes to call him, chuckled lightly and nodded. "Yes, I know. Unfortunately, boys, you're not gonna have the place all to yourselves like usual. There's two people in there that has rented out everything, and has paid in full for everything they would need in the garage. In fact, they said that they didn't want to be disturbed, and bribed the owner into letting them have full run of the place for the entire day." Mr. D told them.
He knew that their reaction wasn't going to be pretty.
"What?!" they all exclaimed.
"They can't do that! It's a public track!!" Duo yelled out, pissed off that anyone would have the nerve to do this.
Wufei noded in agreement. "Yes, they do not have the authority to tell everyone that they can't use it!" he growled, but calmed down when he felt Trowa gently hold his hand.
"Calm down, everyone. Yelling will not change the situation." Trowa told them all calmly, but also rather annoyed at this.
Mr. D sighed deeply. "I know that they don't have the authority to do it, but they certainly had the money. Paid everything in cash, and it was enough to finance this place for a week without having to have anyone pay for anything. I wouldn't be surprised if the owner had a free day some time next week." he explained in an attempt to settled them. "I know that it wasn't right to take it away from the public, but it's only for the day, boys. I'm sure that they aren't doing anything to hurt the track. When I looked last they were practicing like you guys would do." Mr. D told them, and hoped that that would be enough.
It looked as if the four understood, but it still angered them.
"Man, this sucks... Now what are we going to do?" Duo mumbled loudly. He looked at the others for some suggestions.
The other three only looked back at him with the same unknowing expression.
*Bring Bring Bring!*
"Oh, that's the phone in the office. I'll be right back boys." Mr. D stood up from his chair, and hurried into his nearby office next to the ticket booths.
When he left, the four boys looked at one another, all had the same annoyed expression.
"What kind of prick would do this? Everyone knows this is open to everyone...." Wufei growled, as he still held Trowa's hand in his.
Duo snorted loudly. "I bet the two bastards can't even ride worth a fuck." he spat and folded his arms over his chest.
Heero and Trowa remained silent. They were trying to hear what was being said over the phone in the guard's office.
Soon, the old guard walked back out of the office, a small smile on his face. "Hey, boys, I just talked with one of the people renting the track. He said that they don't mind you going in and using the track, just as long as you don't bother them." he told them and thought it was better than nothing.
But the four boys still frowned. "Oh, how gracious of them." Duo grunted, not pleased.
"Come on, at least they offered, and didn't turn you flat out." Mr. D pointed out, still trying to be optimistic.
Wufei was about to respond, but Heero beat him to it. "He's right. We should still get our practice in. No point in letting these two interfere with our routine." he reminded them.
Trowa agreed. "Yes, let's just go and try to ignore them. We might even discourage them when we get on the track." he offered, knowing that that would work.
"Hell yeah! We'll show those two up, and teach 'em not to mess around on our terf!" Duo stated, hardly able to wait to dazzle them with his tricks.
Heero was already making his way to the entrance. "Then it's all agreed. We go on with practice as usual." he said in his normal tone.
Duo smirked as he followed him. "Lead on, oh great leader!"
The four of them made their way down to the track, and it didn't take long for them to spot the two who had the money to spend for the place. The two were standing at the start/finish line on the oval track, and seemed to be discussing something. Their faces were hidden because they still had their white helmets on, but their suits only proved more that they had money. They were both black and white checkerboard at the top, and with solid black from the waist down, but the one on the left was dressed for the oval track, while the other looked ready to take on the dirt track. When they got closer, they could tell that pads, boots, chest guards, all of it was top of the line quality, and made by the best manufactures.
"Damn, Rich and Richer certainly paid a pretty penny for all that shit... And take a look at their bikes..." Duo whistled as he looked over the well kept machines parked behind the two on the track.
The others looked, and they had to admit that they were impressive. "Wow... I didn't think they sold those to the general public.... I thought it was only to the teams who had the major sponsorships and contracts with the league." Wufei said aloud, practically drooling over them.
Trowa shook his head and wrapped his arm around his lover. "Anything can be bought or sold, Wu. All it takes is enough money." he explained as he held him close.
It was then that the two on the track noticed them. They faced them, and looked on curiously at the group that was looking at them back. Then, almost shyly, the one on the left waved politely to the group, while the one on the right turned their head away, and placed their hands on their hips in annoyance.
"Well, at least one of them is polite." Duo grunted, instantly not liking the one on the right. Then an idea occurs to him. The braided rider grinned evilly, and turned to the couple next to him. "Hey, you wanna try to see if you two can irk them?" he asked in hopes that they would.
Trowa and Wufei blinked for a moment, then shrugged. Anything for the opportunity of a kiss, the two quickly faced each other and crushd their mouths together, doing their best at what they enjoyed most.
Heero and Duo, accustomed to the sight, looked over to see how the other two on the track would react. The one in the motocross gear was still looking away, but the other froze in place, almost as if they had never seen it in their entire life.
Duo almost laughed. "Wow, I think they petrified that one. I wish the other would look over here."
At that moment, the one in the motocross gear looked over and saw their partner stiff as a board. He looked to find the source, and saw the two boys making out about twenty yards away. Instead of freezing like the other, this one quickly snapped their attention back to the frozen one, grabbed a hold of their helmet, and roughly jerked it to where they were facing each other.
Trowa and Wufei stopped their fun in time to see the one in motocross gear lightly smack the back of the other's helmet to keep their attention. They exchanged words quickly, and it ended with the motocross one pointing rigidly to the bikes, and waiting impatiently. Looking defeated, the racer slumped their shoulders and walked slowly to the bikes, being followed by the other. Once they mounted their bikes, they started the engines, then rode off to their different tracks.
The group was a little surprised at their reaction as they watched them go. "Well, guess that guy's intolerant. I didn't think he would get violent with that other guy." Duo admitted, never really wanting them to fight with each other.
"Well it was your lame idea, Duo." Wufei reminded flatly.
Duo growled at that. "I don't remember you complaining very much!" the braided boy almost exclaimed.
Suddenly Trowa stepped in to prevent a fight. "Guys! Chill, alright? No point in fighting with each other. Let's just go get our bikes, and try to ignore them." he suggested, not wanting a bruised lover.
The two both agree, then Wufei hooked the taller boy's arm, and gave Duo a smug look before walking off.
"You better be glad that you're sleepin' with Trowa.... If he wasn't here to watch you, you're ass would be splattered on the ground." Duo mumbled loudly, hoping that the other would hear him. He was about to follow them, but noticed that Heero was looking the other direction. When he turned, he saw his friend watching the lone bike on the oval track intently. Curious, he lightly placed his hand on his shoulder. "Heero? You okay, man?" he asked in concern.
Heero suddenly shook his head, like he was snapping out of a trance. "Huh? Oh, sorry, Duo. What did you say?" he asked, but sounded as if he still wasn't all there.
Duo blinked. "Uhhh.... I asked if you were coming. You're brother and his wu-bear are already gone to the garage." he said, worried about his friend.
Heero slapped his ever present emotionless mask on when he turned away from the track. "Sure..." he grunted, then headed off in the direction of the other two.
The braided boy watched for a second, then he sighed deeply. "You're startin' to worry me, buddy." he whispered to himself. He then began to follow the rest of them as he thought hard upon something.
Duo could remember when he first met Heero. It was when they were very young, in fact, when they were in the third grade. Some other kids were picking on Duo because he had such long hair, that it made him look like a little girl. Always being one with a huge ego, and a hot temper, little Duo got into a big fight. He was doing fine for someone who was fighting against ten bigger boys, but it was still too much. Just when he thought that they were really going to let him have it, another boy jumps in and starts to help Duo fight them off. Having enough, the other boys scatter before they all had black eyes. When Duo asked for the other kid's name, he was surprised when he found out it was Heero. Being young, he could never pronounce it right, so he would always say Hero.
And Heero was truly Duo's hero, and has been ever since. He always knew what to do in a tough spot, and was always there for him no matter what.
One thing that Duo noticed was that Heero was very distant with everyone except him. Well, maybe his brother Trowa too. Originally, the two brothers acted very similar. Always quiet, never spoke unless they had to, and very reserved about everything. Four years ago that all changed when Wufei transferred to their high school. Him and Trowa almost instantly hooked up, and you couldn't separate them if you tied each one to a bike, then took off in different directions. Now Trowa was more open, and smiled much more than he had.....
Now that he thought about it...
Trowa didn't smile at all before he met Wufei.
It changed Heero too. Since his younger brother had someone special to him, Heero felt that he no longer needed to watch out for him. He didn't have him like he used to, now he had to share time with Wufei. It really didn't seem to bother him at all, but Duo knew better. It was eating Heero alive. Heero would never admit it to anyone, but was insanely envious of Trowa.
He found someone who loved him.
Heero had never even been on a date.
No one wanted to get close to him because no one thought they could. Duo knew that people, both men and women, thought he was absolutely drop dead sexy, but they didn't like him because he seemed so cold. He knew that Heero was very compassionate, and caring, but Heero, for some reason, didn't like to show it.
Another thing that Duo knew was that Heero, like his brother, liked men better than women. Heero was honest, and told Duo up front instead of hiding it like most would do.
Now the braided boy himself was as straight as anyone could be. He loved women, and would go out with any pretty girl at the drop of a hat, but he didn't hold anything against his friends because of that. He didn't care what they did in their personal lives...
Actually he shuddered at the thought of what they would do, but that was beside the point. The point was that he cared for all of them, even the stubborn Chinese boy, like a brother. They felt the same for him.
And that was all the mattered to him.
Already knowing the problem all too well, Duo tried to think of a way he could help his friend, but was coming up empty. He shook his head in irritation, and walked forward as he absently looked around.
While he was looking, his eyes were caught on something.
On the motocross track, the guy that had acted very rudely was sitting on their bike looking straight at him. Duo raised a brow at this, and wondered what the hell the guy wanted. The rider did nothing to show any signs that he wanted anything. It was almost as if he was sizing Duo up, like potential competition. After a moment of this, the guy started his bike back up and took off down the track.
Duo blinked again, and shuddered for some reason. "God, I really don't like that guy. I'll hafta teach him a little lesson when I get my bike." he stated in a satisfied tone. He already knew how he would do it. Without looking back at anything, Duo picked up his pace to follow the others.
~*~
It only took ten minutes for the four to get their bikes, give them their daily checkup, and have them out of the garage. Like Mr. D. had said, nothing looked out of place, and actually it looked as if someone had cleaned up the place.
Duo had found two lockers wide open with things in them in the locker rooms, but was talked out of doing anything by the others.
Now they were pushing their bikes onto the track, and were looking up at the jumbo score board. The score board was a newly added thing to the track. It would show how fast someone was going, the time they have on completing a lap, and it also showed current record holders.
Naturally, the record holders were Heero and Duo. Heero held the speed and time record for the race track, while Duo held the lap time record for the motocross track.
Occasionally they would stop to see if their records were still there, but this time, they practically froze.
"Damn... Heero, that guy on the track is coming close to beating you record!!" Duo exclaimed, hardly believing it.
"Don't worry about Heero, Duo. According to this, that guy over there is only few seconds away from beating your record." Wufei pointed out bluntly.
"WHAT??!" Duo's eyes almost popped from head, and nearly snapped his neck when he turned to the dirt track.
There on the dirt track, the solitary rider was hitting the jumps perfectly, and landed them just as good.
"Fucking bastard... Not on my damn track!!" Duo exclaimed, and, before the others could even ask him what he was going to do, he was already on his bike, helmet in place, and took off for the track.
"What the hell does he think he's doing?" Wufei asked the other two.
Heero folded his arms and watched the track. "He's going to make the other guy play chicken." he grunted plainly.
Wufei blinked. "Doesn't it help if the other guy knew about it too?" he asked. He knew, as well as the other two, that one wrong move and the two could crash.
"Duo's counting that the other guy will turn to the side to avoid a crash." Trowa finished explaining to his love.
"What if the other guy doesn't?"
Suddenly Heero hissed at them. "Shhh! They're coming up to the jumps."
On the track, speeding towards each other, the two riders came up to the last jump before it led to a sharp turn. The other rider had been doing each jump perfectly, and was totally focused on the track, so didn't notice that Duo was going to the same jump.
Suddenly both bikes took to the air, and were headed straight for each other. Now completely aware of Duo's presence, the other rider leaned quickly to the side, altering the collision course, and barely missed Duo. When the rider leaned to the side, the speed was too much, and instantly the bike flipped over, rider still hanging on. In a blink they hit the ground with so much force that the rider kept rolling until the guy landed against the hay bale barriers. Bike nearly embedded in the nearby hay bales, the rider rolled off of them and fell limp on the dirt track.
The three standing watched wide eyed as they waited for the rider to move, but so far nothing.
Just then Duo rode up and cut off the engine. After taking off his helmet, he looked back at the damage done. "Damn! I didn't think he would go that far..." he mumbled, and regretted what he did.
The other three glared at him. "Duo, you dumb ass! You could have killed the guy!!!" Wufei growled, about to go check on the fallen rider.
They were all ready to run over to check on the battered biker, but suddenly...
*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!!!!!!!!!*
The sound of squealing rubber caught their attention. When they turned around they gaped in shock as they saw the rider on the oval track slam on the brakes, and lean to the side. Smoke billowed from the tires, and sparks flew from the metal scraping over the pavement, the bike quickly lost its speed. Not even waiting for the bike to come to a complete stop, the rider jumped off and ran to the edge of the track.
The rider jerked off the helmet, and the group saw long black hair being flung back out of a pale face. "Chance? Oh God! Chance!!" he shouted out desperately. The dark haired rider threw the helmet carelessly over his shoulder, and dashed to the dirt track, jumping over anything in his way. In no time he fell to his knees at the side of, apparently, his fallen friend. "Chance? God, Chance, please say something!!!" he pleaded in a way that broke the other four's hearts.
As they moved closer, the group watched them, trying to be out of the way, yet still nearby to offer help. When they were only ten yards away, they could see the fallen rider move slightly. The black gloved hands of the rider fisted into the dirt of the track, and seemed to shake in tension.
The dark haired rider let out a deep sigh of relief. "Thank God... Chance? Can you hear me?? Are you alright?" he asked, still very worried.
Suddenly, scaring everyone, the rider quickly sat up, almost like nothing had happened. The rider stood up on their knees, and let out a frustrated growl/scream before the guy fell on their hands. He then punched at the dirt ground in anger.
"Chance?.... Are you alright?" the other rider asked hesitantly, obviously worried, but also cautious.
The biker clawed at the helmet before pulling it off roughly, then threw it in anger at the safety barrier. "What the hell do you think?!" the rider asked in a growl. Long black hair was thrown back out of...
"What the hell? That's a girl!!" Duo yelled out in shock.
The others were just as shocked as him. "A girl? Riding motocross like that?" Wufei asked to no one in particular.
Suddenly hot teal eyes were glaring at the four riders in anger. "Yes, a damn girl! Now which one of you ruined my run, and practically trashed my bike?!" she asked in a growl. She got up to her feet and looked ready to fight. After scanning over the four racers, the teal eyes instantly locked on to violet ones. "You!" she almost snarled, and pointed at Duo. "You fucking bastard, what the hell you trying to do?! Kill me?!" She would have gone on, but a hand placed on her shoulder stopped her.
"Chance?... Calm down.. I'm sure that's not what he meant to do... Please just drop it." the other rider asked politely, not wanting a fight.
She tried to glare at the mirror image of herself, but couldn't bring herself to. "Chase..... I..." she began, not sure how to finish.
The other nodded. "I know. Come on. I'd say that both our bikes need a major over hall after all of that." he chuckled lightly.
She knew he was right. "Okay...." she mumbled. Chance then walked over to her bike. "I just had that damn thing fixed from the last time!!!" she yelled mainly to herself.
After laughing softly to himself, the one called Chase turned to the group with a small smile on his pale face. "I'm sorry for her behavior. Chance has a very short temper, and doesn't like practical jokes unless she's the one pulling them." he stated in a very polite tone.
Wufei nudged Duo in the ribs. "Sound familiar?" he jeered sarcastically.
"Shut up, Wu!"
Just then Heero stepped forward. "I think it would be only fair if we helped you repair your bikes." he offered, and looked at the pale boy with an intense stare.
Amazingly, he didn't flinch at the cold blue eyes, but instead smiled brighter. "That would be very kind of you, thank you." Chase accepted graciously.
"That ass ain't comin' anywhere near me, or my bike!!" Chance shouted hotly.
Chase looked over and gave her a disapproving look. "Oh get off your high horse, you untrusting blowhard! It won't kill you to accept a little help now and then." he pointed out bluntly to his counter part.
Having pulled her bike out of the barriers on her own, she wheeled her bike back to the group,and gave Chase a hard glare as she did. "Who said anything 'bout it killin' me?" she grunted before moving on in the direction of the garage.
The others watched her go, four of them stunned at the way she acted, but the other only smiled in amusement. "She is a real character at times.... Again, I apologize. Chance isn't very trusting when it comes to new people. Very few have ever really earned her trust, so don't take anything she does personally." Chase explained, smile still intact. He turned back to the track and walked forward to his forgotten bike.
Heero suddely shook his head again like he slipped into another trance, and quickly followed him to see if he needed any help.
Having noticed this, the others gave each other knowing looks and smile.
"I think something caught Heero's eye." Duo said in a low tone.
The other two nod. "Yes, I do hope it works out this time." Trowa answered, tired of seeing his brother always alone.
"Well, let's get back to the garage and pray that that chick doesn't want to sue you, Duo." Wufei said loudly. He enjoyed rubbing in the fact that Duo's record was nearly beaten by a girl.
"Shut up, Wu!!"
~*~
The five boys parked their bikes after entering the garage, and looked around for what they might need to fix the damage done to Chase's. As they looked, they saw that Chance already had several tools out and was working hard on fixing her bike.
When she heard the others enter she stiffened and let out a low growl. "I swear if you lay one finger on my bike, I'll rip your damn hand off and shove it up your ass." she grunted in a deadly tone before she returned to her work.
While the others blinked, Chase only laughed. "Does that threat pass on to me?" he asked in a cute innocent tone.
Chance looked over her shoulder and smirked. "You don't get any special treatment, baby bro, so yeah, it goes for you too." she stated coolly and went back to her bike.
Chase raised a brow. "You're so violent. Maybe you should try some anger management classes.... Might help your social skills." he quipped lightly, then ducked as a oil rag is tossed at him.
"Kiss my ass, Chase." Chance grunted.
"I wouldn't be the first to do that, dear sister." Chase jeered with a laugh, then ducked again as a wrench came flying at his head. It landed with a loud clang on the floor, and Chase swallowed hard.
"And you wouldn't be the last, now get to work, or do I hafta make you?" the dark haired girl dared him.
His eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head. "No, I'll do it on my own, thank you." He retreated the fight, knowing well what she meant when she said 'make you'.
As the other four watched their sibling quarrel, they instantly saw the differences between brother and sister.
"Huh.... Well this wasn't what I expected when I woke up this morning....." Duo mumbled, and rubbed his forehead.
"Well, I doubt Chance expected some stupid ass loser trying to kill her when she woke up." Wufei piped up, having loved the way Duo's face looked when Chance took off her helmet the first time.
Duo glareed at the Chinese boy. "Will you shut up?!"
Wufei glared back. "No!"
"Will you both shut up?!" Chance shouted from her bike, annoyed with all of them.
Trowa tried to hide a small smirk. "Hn, I agree. You're both acting like children, and, Duo, I think you need to apologized to someone." the taller one reminded him, and pointed to Chance.
Duo's jaw dropped. "What? Why the hell should I?!" he exclaimed, still not liking her.
"Because it would be the right thing to do." Heero stated flatly as he gave him a warning glare.
The braided biker would have protested, but knew better than to get on Heero's bad side. "Oh alright...." He stepped up behind the raven haired girl at her bike and tried to think of what to say. "Chance.... I'm sorry I ran you off the track..." he mumbled gruffly.
She stiffened again, but pretended she didn't hear him and continued what she was doing.
"Chance, accept his apology." Chase urged. He hated it when she acted like this. "Come on, Chance, quit being so high and mighty, and forgive him." he asked again with a frown.
Chance grumbled loudly as she stood up to face Duo. "I... I... Damnit, do I have to?" she grunted, and looked to her brother in annoyance.
Chase moaned in frustration. "Chance! Will you just do it already? It won't kill you! It's not like I'm asking you to kiss Tiny!" he suddenly laughed.
She smirked evilly. "I've already done that though....." When she looked back at Duo, she saw that he wasn't thrilled at all about this either. "I guess I forgive you...." she grunted again.
"Good, now shake and be done with it." Chase added, highly amused at the way they acted so similar.
Both grumbled loudly, but after seeing the warning glares they both got, they extended their hands, and shook. Both gripped tightly at the other, but neither would show it. They stood there for a moment and glared into each others' eyes while they grumbled mild threats to one another.
"I forgive you this time, but do it again and I'll be using that braid of yours as an oil rag." Chance growled deeply as she tightened her grip on Duo's hand.
Duo only tightened his grip as well. "You wish.. If you're in my way, I'll do more than run you off the track." he shot back.
The others watched this, and were all surprised at what was happening.
"Oh my... I've never seen anyone get to her this much before..." Chase said, his teal eyes wide.
"And Duo's never been this competitive..." Trowa added, and wondered what was going through his head.
But Heero knew that spark in his friend's eyes well. "Well, Duo's never really had major competition before.... I guess it just shocked him to see someone beating his record so well." Heero concluded.
Chance suddenly smirked wider. "Ashamed of being beaten by a girl? Hmm? Well, let me tell you something, Mr. big bad Duo... I've beaten that record hundreds of times. That is nothing compared to what I can do." she said in a low tone. She then quickly released his hand, and moved back to her bike.
Duo blinked a moment, then frowned deeply. "Yeah right! No one's ever beaten my record! I'm the best there is on the motocross tracks!!" he exclaimed, angered beyond belief.
Chance let out a bark of laughter as she tossed the tools she was using back in their tool box. She wiped the oil off her hands with another rag and gave the braided rider a sly look. "Hardly... You have obviously never heard of me before, which means you don't get out in the city very much..." She dropped the rag on the seat of her bike, then walked away. "I'm going to the locker rooms, Chase." she announced as she reached the door.
The dark haired boy blinked in confusion. "Huh? Why? We got the rest of the day left here." he reminded her, and wondered what she was doing.
"I know, but my bike is practically trash until I can fix it. The fuel tank has a big ass crack in it, and the front wheel is bent all to hell..." she assessed with a deep frown at her machine. "I need a whole new bike, that thing is gonna get me killed if all I do is patch it up every time..." Chance sighed and turned to open the door. "I hate to admit it, but..." She looked back at Duo. "It's a good thing you ran me off the track when you did."
"Huh?" Everyone looked at her curiously.
"It was?" Duo repeated, unable to see how.
Chance nodded. "Yep... Brakes were almost shot. A few more hard stops and I would have ran head on into something...." She smirked slightly. "Guess I should thank you.... But I won't. " She winked playfully at him then walked out the door to the locker rooms. "You can go ahead and keep practicing, Chase. I'll watch you from the stands." she shouted out before closing the door.
The five boys left in the garage blinked in shock and confusion, but then Chase started to laugh. "I'm sorry to say this, but I do believe you have just been placed on her hit list, Duo." he told him with a smile.
"Hit list? You mean she's gonna try to kill me?!" Duo asked in a shout.
Chase shook his head. "No, not at all. Chance is a firm believer in the eye for and eye policy. She's going to get back at you when you least expect it." he warned.
And he knew it would be funny as hell when she did.
Wufei hoped he would be around to see it happen. "Boy, that's a switch.. Death being on someone else's hit list." he jeered.
"Shut up, Wu!" Duo snapped. "Evidentially this chick hasn't ever heard of me either, or she wouldn't have said that." he grunted flatly and folded his arms over his chest.
"Oh, we know perfectly well who all of you are." Chase spoke up. "It's because she knows that she said that. And I hate to bring this up, but she has broken that motocross record several times." he added lightly, and hoped he wasn't starting anything.
Duo was actually silent for a moment. He stared at Chase blankly before he mumbled a few choice words and turned around.
Trowa ignored the moody Duo, and looked at Chase to ask him something. "What about you? Does that mean you've beaten the oval track records as well?" he wanted to know, and that also raised Heero's curiosity.
Chase chuckled lightly. "Are you kidding? I've been trying to break that record for a long time now. I came close today, but that was when I saw Chance go down. Scared the hell out of me, so I tried to stop as quickly as I could to make sure she was okay." He looked over at Heero. "Don't worry, your record is safe for now." he joked with a smile.
His cobalt blue eyes widened for a moment, and the others were almost in shock when they saw the corners of his mouth twitch, as if he wanted to smile.
"Well... I think I do want to get some more practice in..." Chase said mainly to himself. "I need all that I can get if I want to compete anytime soon...." When he looked over at his bike, he saw, other than a new paint job, that everything looked in order. He stepped up to it, and carefully checked every part to make sure nothing vital was damaged.
The others watched him, and thought that he was doing better than most professionals at any bike shop.
"Who taught you to check out the bike like that? A mechanic?" Trowa asked curiously, and wondered if he could do a check up on his bike while he was at it.
"Oh no, not at all..." He looked up at them. "Chance taught me everything I know. She was the one who got me interested in racing in the first place." he told them as he continued his task. "She's the best at patching up a broken down bike, and can tell if the slightest thing is wrong just by hearing it run. And I'm not bragging just because she's my sister. She really is good, and you shouldn't underestimate her." Chase said as fair warning.
Heero nodded. "Duly noted. Now the rest of you get out there. We came here to practice as well, now get to it." he ordered the others firmly.
"What about you?" Duo suddenly asked in a jeering tone.
The blue eyed leader was unfazed by it. "I want to ask Chance a few things, other than that it's none of your business. Now go. I'm not the one who needs practice, you three are." he stated bluntly, and pointed at the garage exit.
If the three bikers could argue, they would have, but Heero had a very valid point.
No one ever beat him, so what was the point in practicing every minute of the day?
So Duo and Trowa left to their motocross practice, while Wufei stayed behind to help Chase. Since they were going to the same thing, Chase offered for a little friendly competition to the Chinese boy.
Again, Heero felt the corners of his mouth twitch every time the teal eyed racer spoke. He thought it rather strange, but it was not unwelcome. It was a change, and one that Heero thought himself due for.
If not smiling physically, he was practically grinning mentally as he headed for the locker rooms to catch up with Chance.
~*~
Having dressed quickly into a pair of worn faded blue jeans, and a loose, almost three sizes too big for the small frame, blue jean shirt, Chance sat quietly in the middle of the stands. Her teal eyes watched as intently as a hawk through darkly tinted sunglasses. She observed her brother's form on the track, and it looked as if the black and white blur would fly off the track at any moment. She smiled at this because she knew that meant that he was pushing himself to go faster. Chance wanted to see her brother succeed more than anything in the world, and was willing to do anything to make it happen.
Anything.
The only times she would take her eyes off the track was to either light up another cigarette, or to take another drink out of a nearly empty beer bottle that sat next to her on the sun warmed concrete.
As she lit up her third cigarette, she noticed from the corner of her eye that the one biker named Heero was heading toward her. She was aware of the stern look on his face, and recognized it to be one of a purely business intent.
She looked over the top of her shades, and regarded him calmly. "Can I help you with something, or are you just here to apologize again for your friend's behavior?" Chance asked smoothly.
Heero regarded her in the same manner. "Both in a sense. May I sit?" he asked in a semi polite tone.
She shrugged and looked back at the track. "Whatever floats your boat. I don't own this place." she stated in an uncommitting tone.
"For the day you do." Heero reminded her as he sat down. "I do want to apolo.."
Chance suddenly turned around to face him and held up her hand for him to be silent. "Listen, I know you're sorry for what happened, and I know that that Duo guy didn't mean for it to happen like it did. I just got a little pissed because I was trying to figure out what was wrong with my bike when he did that. Like I said, it turned out to be a good thing. So let's just drop that subject for good, and you can get on with the reason you came here." she told him bluntly, tired of the formalities.
Heero gave an almost invisible smirk and nodded. "Hn, I figured you would be like that. Alright, I won't get off subject... Unlike the others, I do know your reputation. I make it a point to know all major competitors on both tracks so I know what my team would be up against. Seeing what you and your brother are capable of today only further supports this that I'm about to ask of you...." he trailed off. He was trying to find the right way to approach this.
She took her shades off and looked into his eyes directly. "Go on." Chance prompted, actually intrigued.
Heero looked up and gave her a determined glare that meant he wasn't going to take no easily. "I would appreciate it if you and your brother would join up with my team for practices."
Chance raised a thin black brow in a questioning look. "Why would you ask me something like that?" she asked, not saying yes, or no.
"You're both very talented in this. In fact your brother down there looks as good as any professional." He glanced down at the oval track and smirked when he saw Chase far ahead of Wufei. "The main reason is that my team hasn't had any real competition, and they're getting arrogant, especially Duo, as you could tell."
Chance nodded in understanding.
"They need to realize that they have a long way to go before they can be the best. Sure they're good, but that isn't enough. I'm sure, since you've probably have had a lot of experience, that you can understand my position here." Heero finished and awaited her answer.
Chance nodded again as she replied. "I understand you completely, Heero. That's exactly what I've been trying to teach Chase..." She trailed off, and smiled slightly as she looked down at the form of her brother. "He's good, extremely good, but he's hardly ready for anything major. He races because it makes him feel good to know he can do something special. He hasn't developed a good enough competitive spirit." Chance looked back at Heero. "And, as I'm sure you know, one can't win unless the need to win is there."
This time Heero nodded. "Well, I'm sure we can assist one another out in this. I'm not asking you to join the team, only to practice with us. Do we have a deal?" He held out his hand in waiting to her.
She looked down at the hand, then back up into the deep blue eyes. "I don't want to make any decisions without my brother's okay on it, but I'm sure he would be glad to. So, yeah, I'll help you out." The raven haired girl reached out, grasped onto his strong hand, and they shook firmly on the matter.
After a moment of quiet understanding between the two forceful competitors, they let go, and turned back to the track.
Suddenly, when he saw how well Chase was doing, Heero felt the corners of his mouth twitch again. "Hmm... I'm sure that someday soon Chase will be my major competition if he keeps that up.... How did you teach him to ride so well?" he asked curiously.
Chance took another drag from her cigarette, and breathed out slowly before answering. "I didn't really teach him anything..... I got him interested in it a while back, and he took to it better than I ever expected.... Only things I taught him were how to keep his bike maintained, and a few tricks that could get him up front. The rest is raw skill." She looked over at the silent rider and gave a light chuckle. "He has a bit more to learn on his own if he wants to keep up with someone of your standard." She slipped her shades back on. Her thin form leaned back on the hard concrete steps and her pale face looked up to the clear blue sky. "Like you, I prefer to know who the up and coming riders are. I know you're good... One of the best here... So am I.... It's not easy, and you of all should know that. Those guys down there, and anyone else for that matter, think it's all just a big game that, once you master it, nothing else matters..." she trailed off, remembrance laced her voice.
Heero grunted in agreement. "Yeah, they haven't realized that they're risking their lives every time they pull up to the starting line.... The faster you are, the more risk you're at.... I'm concerned that Duo's going to get himself killed with the stupid stunts he pulls... And yes, I know that you pull tricks that are just as, or even more, insane. But you know the possible outcomes. Duo just wants to scare the hell out of people." he snorted, but had a small smirk on his face. He remembered the times that the long haired rider did just that.
"Yeah, I know... They're just trying to find their limits.... I know mine, but I keep trying to push them.... I got a question for you... This one's personal..." Chance started, still staring at the sky.
He raised a brow curiously. "What?"
"I heard from the other guys that you only talked with your team mates, and ignored everyone else..." She looked back at him with a blank expression. "Why all of the sudden so chatty with me? I'm hardly the one most would expect the great Heero Yuy to talk to." the raven haired girl said. She actually wondered that from the moment she saw him coming to her.
That made Heero snort lightly. The stoic rider crossed his arms and gave her a small glare. "You're the only other rider here that isn't a cocky bastard that thinks that they own the track. If you haven't noticed, most of the people around here always talk big, but can't back it up. I know that if you say you'll do something, you'll do it. I think that a person like that is worth being acquainted with." he reasoned calmly.
She looked at him for a moment, then nodded slightly.
It was enough for her. "Point taken. I guess it wouldn't hurt to...." Chance trailed off for a moment and directed her attention back to the track.
Curious, Heero looked as well, and was surprised when he saw that Wufei had caught up with Chase. When he looked back he could tell that Chance was not happy with it. "What's wrong?"
She didn't answer him. "Damnit, I hate it when he does that." Chance threw down her cigarette, and crushed it out with her boot. She then practically stomped down the stands, and grumbled curses the whole way.
Heero followed her, and soon they were on the front row above the track.
An annoyed expression on her face, Chance took off her sunglasses, and started to wave to get her brother's attention.
He saw her when he passed by, so he began to slow down. By the time they made another lap, both riders on the track came to a complete stop in front of where the dark haired girl was in the stands.
Chase took off his helmet, and looked curiously at his sister. "What is it?" he asked a bit timidly.
He knew that he must have done something wrong for her to glare at him like that.
Chance was indeed glaring at him, and was going to tell him flat out what was wrong. "Chase, how many times have I told you not to slow down in the middle of a practice?! You're trying to improve on your skills, not make the other riders feel better about themselves! Now quit fucking around and get back out there!" she shouted in a frustrated tone.
Surprised that she knew that he had slowed down so Wufei could catch up, Chase didn't say a word as he pulled his helmet back on and made quick work of getting his bike moving again.
Wufei blinked in shock, and a little embarrassment as he watched the white bike speed off around the first turn in the track. "You mean to tell me that he was letting me get close to him?" he asked Heero, unsure of how to take it.
The stoic rider nodded lightly and almost smirked at Wufei's reaction. "Yeah, he was. Now if you want to really keep up with him, I suggest you get after him now and work on your time." he called out, curious at what he would do.
The Chinese teen blinked for a moment more. He didn't mind that Heero was faster than him. He had always been the fastest, but now a different person was surpassing him, that made the competitive flame in him flare up a little.
As soon as he looked back at the track, he was startled when a blur of black and white zoomed by him, the wind from it nearly knocking him over.
Not wasting another moment, Wufei pulled his helmet back on, and in no time was out trying catch up with the faster bike.
Heero found himself smirking at the site. "See? It's already working." he mused, but then he turned back to the woman next to him. He thought it was a bit rash for her to do that to her brother. "But why were you being so strict with him? You looked as if you would bite his head off." he said lightly.
Chance regarded him calmly. "You know that you can't give anyone a break in this sport. This was what I was talking about. He doesn't have the competitive spirit. He needs to feel that winning is something he must do. Right now he's just playing around." She followed her brother's movements on the track, studied his form, and saw, like normal, it was flawless. She sighed heavily, and rakes her hand through her hair. "I would have practiced with him myself, but I can't handle the oval tracks like I used to...." she trailed off as the memories filled her mind.
The stoic rider knew what she was thinking of. Heero remembered the day all too well. "The accident two years ago?" he asked lightly.
She nodded sadly, and winced at the thought. "That was too close a call back then... You were there, weren't you?" the dark haired woman asked, unable to remember everything clearly.
"Yeah, I was there...." he grunted. He still thought that it was a miracle that she survived that. "That was the worst crash I ever saw...." Heero looked at her for a moment, everything still fresh in his mind.
~flash~
The big race for the top sponsors was underway at the track.
The best riders from all over the city were here to show off their skill.
Heero, not thinking himself ready yet, was sitting in the stands close to the track so he could get a better look at the riders that were participating. As he watched, he was looked over each rider carefully. He wanted to see if he could guess who would win just by looking at the riders before they started.
All of the riders were acting extremely cocky, and were practically strutting around the track, mocking one another.
But one of them wasn't doing anything.
This one was smaller than the others, and on a closer look, Heero was shocked to see it was a girl with short black hair. She was waiting patiently at the side lines on the track for the race to get started. All of the other racers were teasing, taunting, and a few even threw things at her, but she looked unfazed by all of it, and kept a straight face.
Then, somewhere from in the depths of the crowd, a light voice shouted out above all of the chatter of the faceless voices.
"You can beat 'em Chance! Don't let them get to you!!!"
At the shout, the girl looked up and smiled.
Then the announcements had begun.
All of the chatter died when the national anthem was sung, but soon started again when the racers were called to go to their positions.
Heero was watching intently as they were getting ready, studying their form, and, yet again, the girl stood out from the rest. She looked professional out there, even with the pitch black racing helmet on.
When they got the signal to go, the girl shot out in front of all the others, and instantly took up the lead. It was amazing at how forcefully she was dominating the competition, and the margin of how far she was leading was unbelievable. None of the other riders were even coming close to her, and the entire crowd was in near awestruck because of it.
Unfortunately it was short lived.
On the fourth lap, the girl was coming into the front stretch when the front wheel of her bike seemed to twist, and soon the wheel came loose. Catching on the ground at the high speed, it sent the rider flying through the air, and she landed hard on the track. Once she had landed on the ground, her bike fell on top of her, nearly crushing her with the weight.
A giant gasp echoed throughout the stands, and everything just seemed to stop. There were screams, and shouts for someone to go out and help the fallen rider, but everything was in slow motion.
When Heero saw that nothing was being done, he quickly jumped over the rail, and fell the ten feet before his feet touched the ground. Soon he was rushing over to the girl's side. Once he got there, the first thing he did was use all of his strength to pick up the busted bike, and throw it off somewhere. Kneeling down, he unzips the top part of the black racing suit, and checks if she was breathing.
She was still breathing, thank God, but that was when he noticed that the shoulders of the suit hand been ripped off, and her blood was steadily spreading over the pavement.
Heero was shocked at seeing so much blood, but then, when he looked down at the helmet, his breath caught in his throat.
The visor part of her helmet had been shattered from the crash, and the two piercing teal eyes were staring straight ahead blankly.
They were cold, lifeless, and unblinking.
That was when he heard her mumble something.
"...I'm sorry... Brother.... I can't keep my promise...." she gasped out raggedly.
Just then, when Heero was about to ask her if she could hear him, the EMS crew finally got there. They grunted a few things him, all of which Heero wasn't listening to. He kept his eyes locked on hers, and wondered what she had meant.
He watched, and stood out of the way as they loaded her onto an awaiting ambulance, and the second before she was out of view, Heero caught a glimpse of a single tear finding its way out of the dead eyes.
They were about to close the doors to the ambulance when..
"Wait! Please wait! I have to go with her!"
The same voice from before shouted out, and was soon followed by a darkly dressed boy with a black hat, and dark sun glasses hiding his face.
One of the workers looked at him briefly before grunting out his answer. "Only if your an immediate family member."
The boy was quick to reply. "I am! I'm her brother!"
Without another pause, the workers quickly ordered him to get in, and in a matter of seconds they were speeding off, leaving Heero behind staring after them blankly.
~flash~
As he remembered, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the young woman next to him. ~She used to be better than me.. But ever since the accident, she won't race on the oval tracks anymore....~ He thought to himself.
He also thought it was a great loss. "You could have been killed." he stated softly.
That made her wince lightly. "I know... I barely made it through that... Was in the hospital for a month..." Chance mumbled out. She still felt all of the pain she went through. After staring at the ground for a moment, she shook out of her thoughts and returned her attention back to Heero. "They never did catch the bastards that fucked up my bike, did they?" she asked in a low grunt. She knew that someone had to have tampered with it before the race. There was no other way that it could have happened.
Heero shook his head. "Not that I know of. The race officials asked me to help find them, but I couldn't find anything to blame on anyone.
Chance snorted lightly, then turned to lean her back against the railing. "I guess it doesn't matter now... It's been two years now... Whoever did it, I guess they got what they wanted... I can't race in the big leagues anymore...." she mumbled in a defeated tone. Chance wanted more than anything to be out there with her brother, but now she couldn't.
"You still have the motocrosses... You're the best there is now... So you're still in the big leagues." Heero pointed out. He didn't want her to put herself down.
The woman shook her dark head, then started to walk away. "You don't understand... I promised Chase when I first got him started that we would be in the competitions side by side... Now he's out there all by himself... I know he's scared, and he needs someone to help him set a goal... I can't do that anymore...." She suddenly turned back to Heero, a dead serious look in her teal eyes. "That's where you come in. I want you to challenge him. I want you to entice him, and make him want to do better. You're the only one who can do that. I'm going to trust him to you.... Will you do this for me?...." she asked as a pleading look overcame her face. "Please.. Do this as a favor for a fallen fellow racer."
~So that's what she meant that day.... She wanted to compete with her brother.~ His cold blue eyes looked at her for a moment, and he saw that she truly wanted her brother to be the best. "I'll see what I can do. I can't promise you that I can, but I will try."
She gave a soft smile to him. "That's all I can ask. Thank you."
"No problem... I know what it's like to want the best for your younger brother..." He looked over to the dirt tracks to see Trowa trying to keep up with Duo. "But, I can't do anything else for him... I know he has reached his limit, and he won't surpass Duo. Duo on the other hand, I know he can improve." He turned back to look at Chance. "So I want you to help him."
Chance's eyes flickered over and she smirked when she saw Duo trying to do a superman off one of the jumps. "His form could use some work... He has talent, but.."
"He's too damn cocky, and is a big show off. I know, he's been that way since the day I met him." Heero snorted, but his lips twitched into a slight smirk.
"That's a very light way of putting it." she laughed lightly Suddenly she walked away in the direction of the nearest concessions stand. "Come on. If you're not gonna practice with them, then let me get you a beer."
Never passing up the offer of free beer, Heero followed her. "I think you've read my mind."
~*~
TBC
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