AN: Answers to the questions in last chapter's second AN are;
01) Seeing as how I based Zax on Zack, right around the time he was shot.
02) Please read the first chapter of "YOU'RE MY LOVEPRIZE IN VIEWFINDER"
Remember how in my second AN last chapter I said that I was going to see family in South Carolina, and that I might not be able to post this chapter on time because my relatives either didn't have a computer or they're homophobic? Well I took the flash drive I have this story saved on with me, Just in case I found a computer I could use. I sort of did since one of my uncles lent me library card and I went ahead to upload and save this chapter into the Doc Manager on this site. I didn't do this with the other chapters because while the chapters were finished, I thought that I might have to go back and tweak them in some way or form later and that it would make more sense to wait until I was ready to publish them before I upload them.
I have a cousin named Michelle, and she falls under the "Homophobic" category. She must have over heard me talk to my uncle and found out that I like to read/write yaoi, because that night she went through my things while I was in the shower, took my flash drive, and deleted EVERYTHINGthat I had saved on it. Including the chapters that I didn't upload yet. Well, long story short my family and I had to leave the reunion earlier than planned. To appease BITCH- I mean Michelle's parents I'm going to have to enroll into anger management class. And I might have to go back on the meds...
FUCKING CUNT SUCKING LITTLEBITCH!
I now have to re-write chapters 5-7 ALL-FUCKING-OVER AGAIN! So glad my chapter overviews were saved on my desktop here at home. So if I'm late to posting a new chapter in the next three weeks, this is why. Lesson learned.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OCs. And I only WISHED I owned Rindou's car.
Chapter 04: (Ready, Set, GO!)
6yrs ago:
Ayase smiled as she admired the sight before her. It was a large crowd tonight, with a scheduled six cars at the starting line and she-lost-track-of-how-many cars parked in different areas within the crowd itself. The parked vehicles were being put on display by either her own team or other groups/individuals to show off their skills in customization and modification. Many of the displays had their speakers busting wide open different types of music; Hip-Hop, Rap, Rock (both western and J), Latin, and even J-Pop to name a few genres.
Of the six Hashiriya tonight, only Kusanagi Rindou and Shishio Koga were racing for the Pack. It was an unwritten rule of theirs to never have more than three of the Pack members in a race at a time. And the two couldn't be more different in style and ethics.
Rindou was driving his "Sleeper" this time. On the outside it looked like a straight out of the factory 2004 Toyota Camry Solara that was a plain Lagoon Blue Mica in color. But if you knew Rindou, then you knew that looks could be deceiving. His baby had a Nitrous oxide injection system of his own design and a few other internal mods to increase it's performance. Rindou himself was an unassuming man in appearance. Short chocolate brown hair that reached the back of his neck with the ends bleached blond. Almond eyes, both in color and in shape. Tonight he was wearing a blue short sleeve button up shirt with the top two undone, blue cargo jeans and gray denim converse, and a classic analog wrist watch. In racing and everyday life, Rindou often preferred what was practical and a firm believer in "Function over Form."
Shishio was a different story. His vehicle was a prime example of a "Rice Burner". A 2005 Lamborghini Gallardo that was mostly black with metallic radioactive green flames lined in chrome painted up the front and sides. A Stereo sound system that in all honesty wasn't doing him any favors when in an actual race, and green & white lights hooked up under the car. To put it simply the Lamborghini was loud, it was obnoxious, it fitted Shishio to a T. Speaking of said man, Shishio's apparel for the night was a very tight light gray tank top with a black leather jacket, black leather pants, and black biker style boots. He wore three gold rings of verious designs on each of his hands, a gold rolex, and a gold chain with a matching pendant that looked like the british royal crown with diamonds embedded into it. Shishio was born and raised rich, and he wasn't afraid to show it.
Why would a man like that hang out with the Pack? Because for all his faults there was no denying that Shishio was an awesome mechanic and pretty good at racing too. The Pack itself was certainly best at what they do, and if there was one thing Shishio wanted to be known for it was that he was always associated with the best.
"Hey Ayase-chan, What do you say after my victory tonight, you me and my girls here have a little private party to celebrate. I'll even let you have first pick of the ladies." Shishio said as he strut his way to the Pack leader, with a girl hanging off of each of his arms, giggling like a couple of empty headed loons. Ayase cut him a look that clearly stated ' I am NOT amused.'
"As, 'tempting', as that offer is I'll pass. Besides, you know I have to get home when I'm done here for the night." It was true. After the race was done and the prize given to the winner, Ayase would have to give a cut of the profit to the gorilla in a penguin suit that was watching her like a hawk. 'So that we can operate unhindered.' She told herself. And then get back to the only constant and love in her life, her five year old daughter Yamainu.
Ever since... that night, Ayase herself has not raced. Only organized and collected. She and the rest of the Pack had a businesses arrangement with the Yakuza. The Yakuza will allow them to hold their races without interfering whatsoever, and in return the Pack will give whichever boss who was incharge of the territory they used a cut of the earnings for the night. It wasn't perfect seeing as how they, the Pack, had to give up no less than 30% of the cash. But 60% of something was always better than nothing.
Ayase examined the sight before her one more time before she nodded to a young woman that was standing on the opposite side of the street. The other woman, tonight's 'Flagger', nodded back before swaggering into the middle of the street.
"All right Ladies and gentlemen; It's time to clear the street! Racers get in your cars and fire them up! We go live in five!" None of them had to be told twice. Everyone knew the race was a "Kousoku Battle" tonight. With the course already uploaded into the GPS of the participants cars.
Shishio smirked then he gave a kiss to his girlfriends. "I'll see the two of you in the winner's circle." They merely giggled again and walked away. As he got into his Lamborghini, he heard Rindou sigh and looked up in time to see him shake his head.
"You know, with that Rice Burner of yours, you really should stick to drifting." "You know, you should really mind your own business." "All I'm saying is that it's not-" "Practical. I know. I've heard you preach it to me enough." "And yet you never listen to me."
The flagger took her spot in front and middle of the line up. The Hashiriya had begun to gun their engines. The flagger look to Ayase one more time before receiving the signal.
"READY. . ."
"SET. . ."
"GO!"
The racers took off like bats from Hell.
Shishio payed almost no attention to the other Hashiriya. The only one he was focused on was Rindou, as he was the only true competition that he had tonight. As they came to the first sharp turn in the course, Rindou, who had been in the lead, took the turn to wide which allowed Shishio to take the top spot.
It pretty much went like that for the rest of the Kousoku Battle. With one of the other cars occasionally taking the lead before being left in the dust by either Pack member. All along the rout, the more tech-savvy members of the Pack had set up video cameras and were streaming the feed live via the net so that everyone could see the race in it's entirety.
Ayase watched the live feed and turned to three of the guys behind her. "Do it." She ordered. The men left to their trucks which were pulling something, hidden underneath a tarp, behind them. They unhooked what ever they were hauling, set it up in the middle of the street, and removed the tarp to show that it was a ramp. It was big and set up at an angle that would launch whoever drove on it roughly 15ft into the air at the highest last obstacle of the race was to be a test of courage. 'This would probably be more impressive, if we could have used a draw bridge instead. Oh well. Make do with what you have.' She thought to herself.
"Alright everyone, back up! We won't be held responsible if you're too stupid to get out of the way!" Everyone heeded Ayase's warning.
Back with the Hashiriya, Shishio was just making the final turn and saw the ramp. 'Dammit! Ayase didn't say anything about us jumping!' Mentally cursing the alpha female. A mile before he reached the ramp, Shishio hit the switch that would activate the NOS. Barely a second later his Lamborghini took of at a blinding speed and he flew as soon as he drove over the ramp. Already laughing in sweet victory seeing he was in the lead.
At the same time, Rindou was a couple feet behind him. He saw when the spoiled prince activated his Nitrous, and shook his head. 'Too soon.' He waited until he was less than half a mile before he used his own NOS, flying higher and farther than Shishio. The Toyota flew just a few inches higher than the rice burner, and when it came down it bumped against the loud Lamborghini's hood. Causing Shishio to lose control and spin around until it marooned itself onto the sidewalk.
Only one other Hashiriya made the attempt at the ramp, the others decided to drop out of the race. Rindou drifted over the finish line and came to a stop once he passed it. His car had gotten a few scratches and the front bumper now had a dent in it, but all in all it was barely any damaged. Rindou howled like a wolf as he exit his vehicle, a huge grin on his face.
"The winner, Rindou!" Ayase proclaimed as she grabbed said victor's arm and raised it into the air. In the background, a few other Pack members were going around and collecting money from some of the bets they had made. After giving Rindou his "winning share" Ayase got the cash from the others and began to quickly count it out. After getting the total, she removed the 30% she had promised to Boss Yamada and walked over to the man's goon.
"30% as promised." The man made a move to take it until Ayase pulled back. "Uh uh. Receipt first big guy, then you get payed. I wouldn't want that money to some how get lost in-rout to your boss, and then have him come after me claiming I didn't pay his dues when I did without the proof to back myself up." Grumbling a little the man did as asked and Ayase concluded their business for the evening. "Pleasure as always. Give my regards to Yamada-sama."
As the alpha female walked towards he car, she decided to make a detour to check on Shishio. "Hey, you alright Koga?" Said man was currently beating on the messed up front of his car. His baby was not only fucked up from where Rindou bumped it, but two of the tires had virtually exploded, it was leaking oil, and the internal damage was just a nightmare.
"Do I look okay to you?" "No, not really. Want me to give you a ride? I can get one of the guys to bring around the tow tru-" "AYASE! Just leave me alone." His friend sighed as she started to move away from him. "Fine... I worry about you sometimes Koga."
"Hey Ayase..." "Yes." "Why do you have to give them 30% of our money?" "Because, so long as I do they will use their connections within the police departments to keep the officers away from us. Also, they won't harass us and try to muscle in our affairs. As long as we pay, we stay safe and in business. Honestly 30% is a bargain. If we had not gone to them with our proposition first, they would have shut us down or forced us to give them an even bigger cut." "But we are the ones risking our lives and working our asses off! Not them!" "Shishio Koga you will be silent right now! You've never had to scrape by with a meager living or worry about things like 'How am I to pay the bills?' or 'How will I be able to get groceries?' or anything of the like. Maybe to you what we get at the end of the night might not seem like much, especially after we pay our tithes to the Yakuza. But to the rest of us it's like we just one a jackpot in the lottery or something. Get off of your spoiled high horse and join the rest of us in reality!"
Ayase walked away after that. Shishio didn't agree with her at all. "It's my money, I should keep it."
5yrs ago:
Ayase was entering their new establishment. After seven hard years of blood, sweat, and tears; The Pack's dream of opening their own high end shop had been realized. She was the first one in this morning after dropping her daughter off at school. She made her way to the back of the garage where a white sheet was draped over a lone vehicle. This was Ayase's labor of love right here.
"Good morning Beowulf. Did you sleep well? How do you like your new home?" She talked to the 1999 Honda Civic. It took a while, but she had fixed all of the mechanical issues. Now all she had to do was finish the cosmetic work and the restoration will be completed. Asyase's eyes began to mist over and a lump formed in her throat as she placed one of her hands on the hood. "Oh Aki-kun. You would have loved this place. And Beowulf's been so sad since you left..."
"Speaking to old ghosts again Ayase-chan?"
The Pack leader turned around to see Shishio was standing behind her. "Oh! It's just you Koga. Don't you sneak up on me like that!" Things between Shishio and the rest of the Pack have been strained as of late. He wasn't racing much anymore, and his work at the shop had begun to slip. The man before Ayase had begun to look like a wreak as well.
What the Pack didn't know is that not long after the Kousoku Battle where he wreaked his Lamborghini, Shishio's parents had cut him off. They were furious that not only did their son buy and wreaked one expensive import, but he had the gall to buy a brand new Lamborghini instead of just fixing the one that crashed. It was the final straw and they told Koga that if he didn't grow up and act like a man then they would not pay for him to act like a juvenile delinquent.
Things became tough for Shishio after that. He had to move out of his condo to a middle class apartment because it was his parents paying the rent before, not him. He could no longer indulge in any of his past hobbies like yachting or catching up with old school mates at the country club. Couldn't afford to pay his entry fee into the races most of the time. Even his many girlfriends had left him. He became so depressed that he developed a drug habit. Just last night he sold his favorite chain to pay for his fix, and if things kept going the way they were he would need to sell his car too. Shishio Koga was now a joke, a shell of the man he once was.
And every time he watched his boss pay her tithes, he felt his blood boil more. That was his cash! And he'd be damned before he watched the foolish woman piss away anymore of his money!
"Ayase, I have a business proposition for you." Shishio spoke calmly and clearly. Ayase narrowed her eyes at him in question. While she didn't know what was going on in her friend's personal life anymore, she did still care. But the man before her was giving her a bad feeling, her instincts growling at her to be ready to attack. "What kind of proposition?"
"I want you to turn full leadership and management of the Pack to me. I'm going to put a stop to you always giving my money away to the Yakuza when they don't deserve it. I'm going to run this garage and races my way. I'm going to get rid of the pile of junk you have behind you. And you are going going to do what I say, when I say it, and love every minute of it." Shishio told his boss as he moved towards her, ready to use violence to get her to agree if necessary. Actually, he might enjoy that.
As Shishio lunged at Ayase, the blond woman quickly side stepped him and tripped him up. Causing the crazed man to collide with the front of Beowulf. Some of the jagged metal still present jammed it's self into his right leg, like an alpha wolf biting down on an upstart to put them in their place. Shishio cried out in pain as Ayase elbowed him in the back of the head, causing him to slam his head hard onto the hood of the car. She pulled out the pocket knife, a precious birthday present that Akihito once gave her, that she caried at all times and held it to her would be assailant's throat.
"Now I have a proposition for you. You are FIRED Shishio. And are no longer welcomed anywhere near this garage, or any of the Pack members and our territories. And if I DO catch you even 100 miles close to me and mine-" She pressed the knife against his throat harder, actually drawing blood. "- I WILL kill you. Now get the Hell out and never come back!" With those final words, Ayase flung Shishio to the floor. Knife still at the ready. Shishio stared fearfully at the blond woman and for the first time ever saw the wolf that everyone had always compared her to. He quickly got up and fled the shop, not noticing that Rindou had entered the building.
Of all the things that Rindou had expected to see that morning, Shishio running as if death itself was behind him and right passed Rindou did not make the top of the list. He made his way to where he could see Ayase, wanting to know what the bloody hell was going on.
"Damn. Now there's another dent I'll have to take care of."
"Ayase?" "Rindou? Good morning! When did you get in?" "Just a second ago. Alpha, what's going on? Why was-" "Rindou I need you to listen to me and listen carefully. Shishio Koga is not to ever be allowed anywhere near us again. He has lost his place here in our pack. I'll explain everything later, but for now I need you to stay here and tell everyone what I just told you when they come in. I'm going to get my little wolf out of school early today. We'll be back as soon as I pick her up." "Sure thing."
Ayase briskly made her way to her car. Once inside she took a deep breath and pulled her knife out again, she could see it still had the bastard's blood on it. She gave a small, rueful smile as she said to herself. "Good thing we took those self defense classes together, huh? Even though you are not here any more, you are still protecting me Aki-kun. Thank you."
3 Days Ago:
It was a typical day in the shop known as "Fenrir's Den". Ayase had brought her daughter, Yamainu, with her this morning due to school being closed for the day and she couldn't find a babysitter. Not that Yamainu needed a babysitter, at least if you were asking the girl herself.
"Good morning everyone!" Ayase called out. "Mornin' Pack leader!" It was Zax that answered her. He was a good kid, in college studying mechanical engineering, interning here for credit. Though Ayase was paying him off the books. No one minded she was doing that, they all knew that Zax worked hard and needed the income. Besides, he was one of the few people that Yamainu took to right away and was the only one who could keep up with the littlest blond.
"Morning Zax!" Yamainu shouted as she ran to give the teen a great big hug. "There's my future bride!" Zax had said as he scooped the girl up.
"Zax you better just be kidding when you call her that, or we are going to have problems." Ayase said with a smile, her tone of voice implying that she was only half joking. "MOM! ZAX IS NO PEDO! Are you?" "HELL NO! And you know damn well that I only see spikey as a little sister, Ayase." "Good."
And the rest of the morning was pretty much the same as always. Until around 10:30am. A large commotion came from the front of the shop, twelve huge men in suits barged in shooting off their guns into the air. Everyone quickly hit the floor.
Zax, who had been in the back break room watching over his boss' kid, pulled Yamainu to him and placed a hand on her mouth. The last thing they needed was for spikey to start calling out to her mom in fear. Right now his top priority was to keep a low profile and keep the girl safe.
After a few more minutes, a man in a pristine white suit walked in. Ayase snarled at the sight of him. 'How dare he show his face here again!'
It was Shishio Koga.
Rumor had it that ever since he was banned from the Pack, he had gotten a job working as a small time crook for the Yakuza. But with his greed and ambition that all too soon was no longer enough for him. Shishio learned everything he could of the business from his boss, then he decided to strike it out on his own. It took him awhile to... procure the necessary funds he needed to start his little venture. But it was worth it to him.
"Hello Ayase, it's been a long time." "Not long enough." "How cliched of you to say. Look, I know we didn't part on the best of terms when we last saw each other; But I came here today to offer you the opportunity of a life time. I've come up with a brilliant plan to not only put my name on the map, but to drive the rest of the Yakuza out of buisness.
"I'm going to have you and your staff here drive one or two of my boys, and have them intercept any and all shipments of 'merchandise' that are in rout to those old farts. Once their supplies have been cut off, I'm going to approach their buyers & customers and have them deal with me from now on. I will finally take my place among the koi fish who have become dragons!"
"You've lost your fucking mind Shishio!" Ayase shouted. "Says the woman who compares herself to a wolf."
After shrugging his shoulders, Shishio stares right into Ayase's eyes. "Well Ayase-chan, what do you think of my business proposal?" The gang leader asked smugly. "Not interested, And the name's Gyousei to you Shishio."...
Present Day:
"And that's when Shishio told his goons to round everybody up or kill them so they couldn't get away to get help. Zax was able to get us outside but those men started chasing us. Zax told me to run while he lured them away and that he would come and find me as soon as it was safe for him to.
"But... he didn't. It's been three days since then, and he STILL hasn't found me! Why?! Where is he?! I want to see Zax Onii-chan! I want us to go home! I want my MOMMY!" Yamainu couldn't hold it in anymore and began to sob after she finished telling Akihito and Asami everything she knew about the situation at hand.
Akihito was doing everything he could to sooth the child in his arms, whispering what he hoped were encouraging words to her. Never once did the young man ever think that he could hate someone as much as he did Shishio. And considering everything he's been through and all the people he's met, especially after getting involved with Asami, THAT was saying something. 'That fucking Shishio! I've never liked the bastard! Why did Ayase have to be so kind to everyone? I'll fucking KILL him for hurting my pack!'
Where the Hell did THAT thought come from?!
While his boy was attending to the girl, Asami was already analyzing the information the kid had provided and making battle plans in his head. 'So the fool is hiding out at this "Fenrir's Den", and has taken an unknown number of hostages. This Zax fellow is either among the hostages or, more than likely, dead. And if what Yamainu says is true, then her mother and her employees really are being forced to commit these crimes against their will. Which means Akihito would never forgive me if my men and I simply charge into the place and kill everyone, whether directly or by proxy...
'I should probably have a person looking into finding Zax as well. Least I could do for the kid.'
Kirishim, albeit warily, approached the two hazel eyed people still sitting on the couch. "Your mother's name?" Two matching sets of eyes look at him in confusion. "You've told us the name of the man who is holding your mother and the other... members of your pack, hostage. You've told us the name of the shop that your mother owns, and you've even told us the name of the boy who helped you escape. But you've neglected to tell us the name of your mother."
Yamainu looked unsure of herself. "Hey. You have to tell us who your mother is so that we can help her. I told you before that no one here will hurt her and I meant it. Please tell us?" Akihito reassured her once again. Yamainu reached into her pocket and pulled out a pocket sized photo album. "I took these myself. The lady in the first picture is my mom."
The men gathered round so that they could see the image of a woman who's blond hair was identical in both color and style to the child among them. She had a small smile on her face and she had a hand resting on something covered in a white cloth. Her emerald green eyes shining with sentimental light and love. It was obviously a candid photo. Probably wasn't even aware that anyone was near her with a camera.
"My mom's name... Is Gyousei Ayase."
*~*~LATER THAT NIGHT~*~*
Yamainu was currently sleeping in the bedroom that Akihito had once claimed for himself. While said photographer was sitting on the couch thinking to himself. He had so many questions and thoughts running around in his head. Was Ayase and the other alright, well as alright as they could be? What if Asami couldn't save them? Would his lover even try? 'Don't be an idiot Akihito! Of course the bastard's gonna try! He knows these people once meant something important to you, even if you have forgotten them.' Though knowing Asami, while he must know the address of Fenrir's Den by now, he has most likely not mounted his attack just yet. He was probably trying to find all the information on Shishio as he could as well as anything he could get on the building itself.'
'I should be the one to help my pack! I should protect whats MINE!'
"Will you shut up ALREADY!"
Yet another issue that has popped up. Ever since Akihito heard Yamainu's story a voice, that sounded a lot like his own but more... growl-y, has appeared in his head. This voice was very protective and possessive. Not to mention annoying. He knew from his mother that he and his friends had a sort of wolf pack mentality when it came to each other, he just didn't think she meant it literally. 'It's official, I've finally cracked.'
He sat there for a few more moments before he just couldn't take it anymore. He pulled out his iPhone and typed in the name of the shop to get it's location. "Sorry Asami, but I just can't stand idly by while my friends are in trouble. Besides I need the answers only they can give me." He got up and went to his old room to check on Yamainu. Akihito was glad Asami was letting her stay here, if only for the night.
'Don't worry my pup. I'll reunite you with your mom soon.'
'Since when is she MY pup!?'
When all this was over, Akihito was going to have a nice long talk with a therapist.
He left the room and walked to the apartment door. 'How do I get pass Kenji?' Before he could stop himself, Akihito opened the door and elbowed Kenji in the back of his head. The man went down before he knew what, or rather who, hit him. 'Problem solved.'
"Forget the shrink, I need to be committed."
Akihito checked Kenji's pulse, satisfied that the man was simply unconscious and not dead. Then left for the elevator. A few moments later a smaller set of feet paused beside the unconscious man. After staring at him for a minute Yamainu said to herself. "Note to self: NEVER piss off Akihito." And made her way towards the stairs. Her pack was in trouble and she refused to runaway anymore!
AN2: Street Racing Terminology used:
Hashiriya= A Japanese word that means illegal street racer.
Kousoku Battle= A Japanese word that means to illegal street race on highways, freeways, or expressways.
Sleeper= A vehicle with a factory stock appearance with high performance internal modifications. The unassuming exterior is designed to deter car thieves, the attention of law enforcement, and to fool an opponent to underestimate the cars performance to win a wager.
Rice Burner= A derogatory term used to identify a vehicle, largely an import, that is focused on external customization that has no affect on performance.
Flagger= The person responsible for starting a Dig (illegal street race) where two or more vehicles begin at a standstill and race to a predetermined point (usually a quarter mile). The flagger will assume a position between the vehicles at a distance of five to ten feet from there hood and through hand and head signals verifies each driver is ready and initiates the race.
NOS= A term often incorrectly used to identify Nitrous Oxide is actually an acronym for Nitrous Oxide Systems; the largest manufacturer of automotive nitrous oxide injection systems in America.
Thank you "Street Racing & Illegal Street Racing Dictionary Terms Glossary"!
Please visit: (colon slash slash)w w .com (slash) stories (slash) Love-Myths-And-Legends-From-All-Cultures (slash) 639074
if you wish to get the whole Koi fish turning into dragons thing. It's a very interesting legend. Just remove the spaces and replace the words in parenthesis with the proper character. Why doesn't fanfiction dot net just let us post the link as is?