AN: Here's Chapter 2, readers! Enjoy! Don't forget to review! Thank you! ;)
"Line 'em up, boys!" Tej yelled as Brian and Dom lined up their cars side-by-side on an empty stretch of road.
"This should be good, dawg!" Roman whispered excitedly to Letty, Han and Gisele.
"900hp beasts going against each other on the twisty canyon roads. This will be good, alright." Letty smirked.
"Alright, listen up. The both of you will race through the canyon roads until you've reached the summit. Then, you'll make a U-turn around the small cone that had been placed in the middle of the road and race back here.. The winner will be the first one to cross the finish line." Tej announced to the two drivers.
"Prepare to eat import dust, Dom." Brian taunted as he revved the RB26 engine, his exhaust pipe spitting flames.
"We'll see about that, Brian." Dom replied, keeping his cool as he revved his 1970 Dodge Charger's engine. The American muscle roared has Dom blipped the gas pedal.
"Let's begin! Ready, get set, GO!" Tej shouted as he dropped his hands, signaling the start of the race.
The two cars thundered past Tej, leaving a large cloud of dust behind. Dom did his signature wheelie while Brian simply used all-wheel drive to keep up with him. When the Charger's front wheels touch the tarmac, Dom did everything he could to take the lead. He timed his shifting perfectly and made sure to utilize all 900hp of his Charger's engine. But to his surprise, Brian's R34 kept up with him. They were still side-by-side, just like how they left the finish line. The two cars approached a corner but neither of them bothered to reduce their speed. The two drivers were forcing a braking duel, hoping that one of them would brake first. After a few seconds, Dom was the first to hit the brakes. Knowing that his Charger couldn't corner as fast as the R34, he had no choice but to slow down. On the other hand, Brian simply lifted his right foot from the gas pedal. Noticing that he was going a little too fast for the corner, he tapped the brake with his left foot to reduce his speed further. Then, he performed a heel-toe downshift, shifting from 6th gear into 5th. After going through the corner, he quickly slammed on the gas pedal. He felt an enormous power pushing him from behind as his R34 sped up.
"Damn it!" Dom grunted as he chased after Brian. As the two cars attacked more corners, the gap between them widened. However, on the final corner, Brian made a shifting error, causing his turbo to lag. Dom took the opportunity to close the gap. When they reach the summit, they saw a small cone in the middle. They knew that they had to make a U-turn around it. Dom took Brian by surprise by nudging the R34's rear bumper just before the turn. The R34 went wide and the Charger immediately slipped by and took the lead. A smirk crept on Dom's face as he sped back down the canyon road at full throttle. On the other hand, Brian's R34 managed to recover almost immediately thanks to the ATESSA-ETS all-wheel drive system which help it gain traction quickly. Infuriated with what Dom had done earlier, Brian slammed on the gas pedal to chase down the Charger.
"You're not getting away this time, Dom." Brian muttered silently. It wasn't for long before the mighty R34 caught up to the monster Charger. After a couple of corners, the R34 was right beside the Charger. As they entered the straightaway, Dom quickly flicked the switch of his nitrous oxide. His Charger suddenly sped up, leaving the R34 in the dust.
"You have to be better than that, O'Conner." Dom said silently as he watched the image of Brian's R34 getting smaller in his rear-view mirror.
"Too soon, Dominic!" Brian smirked. He pressed the two buttons on his steering wheel, instantly activating all of his nitrous. Brian felt a strong surge of power pushing him from behind. He overtook Dom's Charger at an incredibly high speed. Dom on the other hand was caught by surprise. In a desperate attempt to catch up to Brian, he used his nitrous again but unfortunately, he couldn't catch up.
"Crap!" Dom cursed as he watched Brian cross the finish line. For the first time in his life, his was defeated in race against an import while driving his monstrous Charger.
"How did my dust taste, Dominic?" Brian teased Dom as he exited his car.
"Well done, Brian. You actually have an import that smoke my muscle." Dom complimented his "brother". The two men shook hands while Tej, Rome, Letty, Han and Gisele cheered wildly for Brian.
"The last time I raced your Charger was with the Supra. It was a tie in the end, though. God, I miss that car." Brian chuckled. Dom simply smiled.
"Me hungry, guys. Let's go home." Rome spoke up, rubbing his stomach.
"Alright, let's scram before the big-ass forehead eats us." Tej joked, earning him a pair of eyes glaring at him. Rome wanted to punch Tej's throat but hunger got the best of him so he aborted his original intention and got in his car. The others simply laugh and got in their cars. After starting their engines, they quickly sped home.
After what seemed like an eternity, they pulled into the Toretto house. Rome immediately scurried into the house and straight into the kitchen. The rest simply laughed at the way Rome had scurried into the house. After that, they followed Rome into the house. They were greeted by Vince who was watching Top Gear UK on the television. Next to him was Mike, playing with his Hotwheels, a red '12 Aston Martin DBS.
"POWER!" Mike giggled he played with his toy car, imitating the Top Gear UK host, Jeremy Clarkson. Then, Rome came in from the kitchen, holding a large turkey sandwich.
"Man, this guy is like my brother. He's always hungry. The only difference is that he can eat the entire country and still be hungry." Vince said jokingly. Rome simply laugh and gave him a fist bump.
"Where's Mia?" Dom asked, noticing the absence of his sister.
"She went to the grocery store to grab some food for Mike. This kid's just like his father and uncle." Vince replied pointing to himself and Rome.
"Bruh, please make sure that he doesn't grow a big-ass forehead like his uncle Rome." Tej smirked, making everyone laugh except Roman.
"Vince, this kid better learn how to drive. Make sure he doesn't suck at driving like his uncle Tej. He can't even drive a damn remote control car." Rome said to Vince, slight anger evident in his voice.
"That'll be thirty-five dollars, miss." Said the cashier. Mia whipped out a fifty-dollar bill and paid the cashier. "Um, do you happen to have any five-dollar bill so that I can give you twenty dollars change?"
"Um, I'll check." Mia replied as she dig her wallet for a five-dollar bill. After a minute of rummaging her wallet, she couldn't find any. Just as she was about to tell the cashier she didn't have any, a hand suddenly slipped a five-dollar bill. Mia looked at the hand before looking up to see whose hand it was.
"Hi there!" a beautiful young woman greeted her with a smile. She had light brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes. Her skin had a golden glow.
"Hey, thanks for the five." Mia smiled. "How can I pay you back?"
"It's alright. It's just five-dollars, no big deal.. My name's Suki." The woman replied, shaking Mia's hand.
"I'm Mia. Please, I want to pay you back your money." Mia insisted. Just then, the cashier handed her change and her bags of groceries.
"Let me give you a hand." Suki insisted and Mia smiled. "Hey, since you want to pay me back so badly, I'll give you a lift home."
"Thanks! You're literally my hero right now!" Mia giggled excitedly.
Suki carried some of Mia's grocery bags and went to her car, a '12 Porsche Boxster S. She opened the car trunk and placed Mia's grocery bags in it. Mia then placed the ones she carried and shut the trunk. After that, the two girls got in the Porsche and sped off.
"Where's your residence, Mia?" Suki asked as she sped through the streets.
"1327, located in the suburban neighborhood." Mia replied. "Don't worry, your car won't get scratched there."
"Got it." Suki said she speed towards the freeway. When they reached a junction, Suki shifted into 1st gear and gave the gas pedal a blip before merging onto the freeway. Mia took note of her driving style. The way she changed gears was similar to the way Dom and Brian did. She had full control of her vehicle despite the high speed they were travelling at. Then, Mia looked at Suki. Her hair was flowing behind her, her eyes looked very calm and she looked very confident. After a couple of minutes on the freeway, Suki exited at a junction, heading towards the suburban neighborhood.
"You were a street-racer, aren't you?" Mia asked with a smirk on her face. "I swear my brother has a similar driving style to you."
"Yeah, I was. I used to race a lot back with my S2000 back in Miami. I miss my pink Honda. People looked down on it but when they raced me, they simply couldn't accept the fact that they were beaten by a Barbie car." Suki told Mia. "There was only one person that defeated me, though. He drove a Nissan Skyline GT-R and we called him "Bullitt". I got in prison for helping him and his friend crack down a drug lord, though. After that, I quit racing and moved here."
"That's funny, my brother's friend owns a Skyline GT-R! They were having a race in the canyons this morning. They should be home by now with my husband and son." Mia said to Suki. "By the way, may I ask who're you staying with here?"
"I live with my boyfriend, Jimmy." Suki said plainly. Her voice had no emotion at all. Mia immediately knew that she was being abused. She didn't know whether it was physically, mentally, verbally or even all three but all she knew was that Suki didn't like him.
After what seemed like an eternity, Suki and Mia arrived at 1327 or the Toretto House. As the two girls alighted from their cars, Vince and Mike exited the house. Seeing that his wife needed help with the groceries, Vince rushed over to the Porsche with Mike happily trailing behind him, holding his toy DBS.
"Hey there, boys!" Mia greeted her husband and son. "Suki here gave me a lift. I owe her five dollars. Do you have any five-dollar bill right now?"
"Sure." Vince smiled and whipped out his wallet. After pulling out a five-dollar bill, he handed it to Suki. "Thank you for giving a wife a lift, miss. We're really grateful."
"You're welcome. She looked like she needed help carrying them anyways." Suki smiled back. Then, she turned her attention to Mike. "Aww, aren't you a cute little boy!"
"Aston Martin DBS!" Mike giggled happily, holding up his toy car. Suki smiled at him and played with his hair.
"Awww, you're going to own one someday. It's a really cool car!" Suki said to him, making him giggle even more. "I've got to go now. My boyfriend might get mad."
"Alright. It's great meeting you, Miss Suki. We are grateful for the help you offered to my wife." Vince smiled at Suki as he shook her hand.
"Anytime, sir." Suki smiled back. "Great meeting you too, Mia."
"Hope to see you again, Suki. I'm glad I met you." Mia said to Suki. Just as Suki turned around, Mia placed a hand on her shoulder. "Suki, if you need someone to turn to, you can always come here. My entire family, including my brother and his friends will be here for you. You can tell us anything."
"Thanks, Mia. I'm glad I met you too. Those words you just said meant a lot to me. You may not know how or why but they just do." Suki whispered to Mia as she pulled her in for a hug. A small tear escaped her eye and Mia gently stroke her hair.
"I know why, Suki. I can see it on your eyes." Mia whispered back. After Suki pulled away from the hug, she waved a goodbye before making her way back to her car. She immediately started the engine and speed off, leaving clouds of dust behind.
"That's one hot chick." Vince smirked. He expected Mia to get jealous but to his surprise, she agreed.
"You know, she used to be a street racer in Miami. Her driving style is similar to Dom and Brian's." Mia said to Vince. "When she stopped racing, she moved here."
"I see." Vince said quietly. "Alright, let's get you stuff in."
With that said, Mia and Vince carried the grocery bags into the house with Mike following them. When they entered the house, everyone was still watching Top Gear UK.
"What's happening now, guys?" Vince asked them as he placed the grocery bags on the kitchen table.
"Final event, bruh. It's Tim Schrick in a Porsche 911 racing car against James May in an Aston Martin DBRS9. Two laps around the Zolder Circuit." Rome answered his question.
"Wait! They've brought out The Stig!" Han exclaimed all of a sudden. Vince immediately rushed over to the sofa. Brian gave him some space to sit comfortably.
"Come here, Mike. Look, it's an Aston Martin!" Dom called the toddler. "It's not a DBS but it's like the older sister of your car!"
"Aston Martin! Aston Martin! Aston Martin!" Mike cheered excited as he made his way to his father. He sat on his lap to watch the race.
"Does anybody here want to make a bet?" Tej asked them but everyone shook their heads.
"C'mon, dawg! We can't bet because I'm sure everyone here will be cheering for The Stig!" Rome said to Tej who rolled his eyes as Mike began chanting "Aston Martin" again. "Okay, everyone but him. He's cheering for his car."
Gisele, the only one not interested in the race, went over to Mia who was gulping down a glass of water.
"How much did you pay for the taxi?" She asked Mia.
"I didn't. A nice woman gave me a lift in her Porsche Boxster. She was an ex-street racer." Mia replied which surprised Gisele.
"Damn, girl!" Gisele exclaimed with a huge smile on her face. "Did she tell you her name?"
"Yeah. Her name's Suki. She used to race in Miami. But, she quit after she was bailed from prison. She moved here in Los Angeles with her boyfriend afterwards." She added. Gisele's mouth hung agape upon hearing the words "used to race in Miami". She remembered what Brian had said yesterday.
"I see." Gisele said silently. Suddenly, the living room erupted into a stadium as Letty and the boys began cheering. Mike could be heard chanting "Aston Martin".
"YEAH! THE STIG WON!" Brian beamed with joy. When the show ended, they switched off the television and went out to play basketball while Mike and Vince stayed at the sofa. Gisele took the opportunity to tell Brian what Mia had told her.
"Brian, may I talk to you for a sec?" She called out to Brian and pointed towards the garage way. Brian nodded his head and the two made their way outside. When they reached the garage way, Brian sat on the hood of his R34.
"What's up, Gisele?" Brian asked her with a smile on his face. He was completely unaware of what was to be unraveled to him.
"Brian, Mia told me something just now. I asked her how much she paid for the cab but she told me that a woman in a Porsche Boxster gave her a lift." Gisele explained to Brian who simply smiled.
"That's cool! I love Porsche! Lucky woman." Brian exclaimed, still unaware of the hint Gisele gave.
"Bri, she told me that the woman was an ex-street racer." Gisele added, hoping that Brian would get the hint.
"Cool!" Brian simply said. Gisele was getting slightly irritated so she decided to get to the point.
"Brian…." Gisele whispered to him. "She said her name was Suki and that she was a street-racer in Miami."
"S-Suki?!" Brian stuttered, his mouth hung agape from shock. He was at a loss for words.
"Yes, Brian. She's currently living here in Los Angeles. You can ask Mia for more info on this woman." Gisele added. "She's alive, Brian. I'm happy for you…."
With that said, a small tear escape Brian's eye. Soon, tears of joy began streaming down his face. The girl he had missed very much was alive.
"Thank you for telling me, Gisele." Brian whispered into her ear. Gisele simply smiled.
"You're welcome, Brian. I hope you two will get together. If you need help, your family is always here to help you."
Once Brian managed to stop tears from escaping his eyes, he and Gisele joined the others to play basketball.
AN: I personally own a Hotwheels Aston Matin DBS and to me it is the best-looking Hotwheels car I have in my collection though my favorite car is the Skyline GT-R R34(..and I own 3 of those). What made me like/buy one of those in the first place was Top Gear UK's episode where they challenged their German Counter-Parts. The final race(which I used in the story) was a 2-lap race between Tim Schrick in a Racing Porsche 911 and James May(substituted by The Stig) in an Aston Martin DBRS9. The Stig won in the end and the way the car looked in the race made me fall in love with it instantly. Here's a link to it: watch?v=BCrmjWw88ZM (skip to 06:34 for the final event)
Anyways, enjoy reading guys! Working as fast as I can to finish Chapter 3. Please do share this story to your friends or something. hehehe ;)