Chapter 7: Name the speaker

"I need a name" Shirako blurted out the next afternoon while playing with his state of the art laptop sitting in one of the big plush sofas found within the room.

"What do you mean?" Nolo asked as he lent against the counter in the corner of the room waiting for the kettle to boil. Shirako's fingers worked at an almost superhuman speed as they blurred across the keyboard downloading some new music for Bassline and the other Teku cars.

"You already have one…" Vert stated confused from his spot on the floor, his light blue eyes looking up from the surfing magazine in his hands "…It's Shirako Takamoto"

"I have a new sub and she doesn't have a name yet" Shirako explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, not even bothering to look up from the laptop on his lap.

"She?" Kurt asked with a raised eyebrow at the young racer.

"Yer Bassline is a girl car stupid" Shirako said playfully with a small smile on his face, his fingers blurring as they typed away at the keys in front of him.

The Teku were currently relaxing in the large cream and red themed lounge room. The room had big plush sofas that you could sink into and happily fall asleep for years; a single wall was lined with bookcases full of all the mechanical books you could think off. In the corner there was a small counter top with a kettle, mugs lined up next to it and a small fridge under it; the room could easily fit all twenty drivers but due to disagreements between Wylde, Kurt, Nolo and Tork the Teku and Metal Maniacs wouldn't be found in the same room together; unless they were in the conference room or dinning area and that was always tense.

All in all a room you could happily relax in after a race or somewhere you could go when there was nothing to do.

It had only been a day since the Fog realm and everyone were bored out of their minds as they waited for the next realm to open with their cars at the ready. The other drivers were lounging around the Acceledrome somewhere or another, doing their own thing.

"Yo" Faith greeted as she walked into the now quiet room with Dan and Kadeem in a heated debate right behind her; they sat down in one of the sofas and carried on like they were the only ones in the room. Since the teams had met two days ago the only disagreement had been yesterday morning; the only teams that did not get on were the Teku and the Metal Maniacs but they avoided each other like the plague. Unlike popular belief Hope and Faith were not glued at the hips; they would spend time with others which surprised some of the more naive racers like Monkey.

"What's up?" Vert asked when Faith went straight for one of the bookcases, her eyes scanning the spines of the books held within.

"I have a problem that I'm having real trouble with. I'm hoping there is a book that could help" She said moving onto the next book case as she could not find any she was looking for. Karma took a sip of her coffee as she watched on, her legs tucked under her as she sat.

"What's the problem?…" Nolo asked sitting down next to Karma with his hot drink being carefully not to jostle Karma "…we could help" Faith moved onto the next set of books bring her that much closer to where Shirako was sitting.

"No it's ok, but thanks for the offer" The sofa Shirako was currently sitting on was right under a shelf of books that happened to have what Faith was looking for. "Sorry for leaning over you Shirako" She apologized as Faith reached for a book. Shirako looked up to say it was not a problem when he came face to face with Faith's modest dark purple covered bust making him flush instantly.

"Faith" Shirako stuttered not able to move his dark almond eyes.

"Yer" She replied putting the book back when she did not find what she needed with in its pages.

"I don't think leaning over is a good idea" He whispered his dark eyes looking at her chest and flat stomach. Faith looked down at Shirako confused and noticed the slight blush on his cheeks and the glazed look in his dark almond eyes that hid behind his orange tinted glasses; she followed their gaze to find her bust was not far from his face.

"Sorry" Faith apologized while hastily taking a step back, her cheeks taking on a light flush "You're right that wasn't the best idea" The sound of someone's deep chuckling was followed quickly by a loud thump.

"Hay" Vert protested rubbing the side of his head where Karma had struck him with his own magazine, a small smile on the woman's lips.

"Shirako has a problem as well…" Kurt said hinting when he noticed the flush on Shirakos cheeks. "…maybe you could help each other out or something" He added with a shrug as he saw Shirako's blush deepen. Kurt was the next one to get hit round the back of his head, the force knocking his orange goggles to the floor.

"What's wrong Shirako?" Faith asked while Kurt muttered under his breath reaching for his goggles. It took a minute for words to make their way from Shirakos brain to his mouth.

"Nothing really" Shirako stammered "What's your problem?" He asked.

"Something with the car, it just has me puzzled actually…" Faith looked down at the Asian with a gleam in her eyes "…its right up your field. Could you help me out?"

"Of course he will" Nolo volunteered "He would love it won't …" With a glare and a thump from Karma the sentence ended unfinished.

"Shirako?" Faith half asked looking back at him, her blue grey eyes begging; she just looked too cute to refuse so Shirako nodded. "Brilliant" Faith took his gloved hand and dragged the still blushing Shirako behind her and out off the room.

"He sooooooooooo what's to shag her" Vert said in a gossip like way as he hitched his voice up a few octaves; earning another hit from his magazine still in Karma's hand.

XxX

"My music's not working…" Faith explained when they had reached Moonlight Temptress. "…I have tried everything I can think off but the subs aren't working" She released Shirako's hand swiftly moving herself into the car to pull a leaver from the inside, the bonnet popped open with a snap "Everything looks to be hocked up right but it still won't work" Faith huffed annoyed that her beloved music would not work.

"Don't worry…" Shirako said as he moved towards the car his blush now gone. He set the bonnet in place so it would not fall on their heads as they looked "…I will get it working in no time" He looked at the powerful engine to find everything was wired up right; he double checked just to be sure "Nothing's wrong here. Let's have a look under her" Shirako gently put the bonnet back in place while Faith grasped the keys and started up Moonlight Temptress.

Carefully Faith drove the car onto one of the forklift gadgets, with some handy work from Shirako the car was lifted just two foot in the air, just enough room for an Asian to slip under it. Shirako lay on the skateboard like trolley and rolled under the raised car once again finding nothing wrong.

"Anything there?" Faith asked biting her lip; she had made the car from scratch it was her baby, nothing like this had happened before.

"Nothings wrong here…" Shirakos face appeared again as he slid out. "…drive it back and we will have a look inside" Under the supervision and careful eyes of Faith Shirako carefully took the stereo out of the dashboard and fiddled with the many wires hidden behind.

"I'm just as puzzled as you are…" Faith's soft worried voice said when the Asian scratched his head in confusion. "…I mean have a look at this" Instead of having three back seats the back was replaced with one of the best sound systems you could get. Faith straddled the middle compartment; which caused another blush from Shirako followed by some not so innocent thoughts, she leaned between the two front seats causing her bum to stick out; all Shirako could do was stare at the curve of her bum.

Faith pulled panels off the system and racked though all the wires she could "You can't see from there..." Faith said as she looked back at Shirako "...I know it's wired…" Shirako finally found the strength to look away from Faiths body to look into her eyes "…but do the same as me. It's the only way to get to the sound system without taking out one of the seats" She said apologetic as a slight tint of pink graced her cheeks.

"It's ok" The Asian brushed off while following her example, Shirako knocked his leg in the confined space as he swung it over and ended up griping onto Faith's sides to keep himself from falling on the floor, once he realized his hands rather close to her rather large chest he quickly moved them to grip the head rests feeling the heat once again rise in his face.

"Oh" Faith said puzzled looking at the wires she held in her hand. "Sorry to drag you out here but I just found the problem" She said skilfully fiddling with the wires in her hands.

"What was it?" Shirako asked leaning closer to take a look being careful not to come into contact with Faiths's curvaceous body.

"One of the wires had come lose…" She stated while putting the sound system back together "…now that's sorted" Faith said to herself while she waited for Shirako move back into his seat, once Shirako was sat he kindly helped Faith back into hers.

To make sure everything was right Faith put the stereo on. The loud bass boomed out the car causing Pork Chop to hit his head on the open bonnet of his car; it worked "Sorry PC..." Faith shouted to Pork Chop who rubbed the back of his head, he muttered a few words under his breath and then got back to his car "...so what's your problem Shirako?" She asked her voice back to normal volume.

"I need a name for one of my subs" Shirako said slightly embarrassed in confessing this to Faith.

"We must name her…" Faith said shocked that she didn't already have a name "..all subs must have a name it's the unwritten law, come on let's go have a look" Swiftly Faith got out of Moonlight Temptress and ran over to Bassline with Shirako right behind her. "Which one is it?" She asked looking over the subs built into the back of the car.

"This one" Shirako said pointing it out with pride; Bassline had always been his pride and joy and no one had been able to top her sound system. Faith looked closely at the sub deep in thought, after a few minutes she looked up happy with herself.

"I have a name for her" Faith said lovingly stroking the sub in question.

"That's good as I have no clue…" Shirako said in relief "…I thought she would be a nameless sub for the rest of her life" Both of them happily laughed as they looked down at the sub like a pair of proud parents .

"What do you think to Lyrical?" She asked looking back at the sub with affection.

"It's perfect" Shirako said delighted "Thanks so much"

"That's ok Shirako, anytime" Faith's soft plump lips kissed Shirakos cheek before she walked off, a small smile on her lips. Shirako watched her leave with a blank expression on his face, his cheeks blushed as his finger tips touched the skin Faiths soft lips came into contact with, a smile growing on the young Asian's face when the female was no longer in sight, to distracted to hear the roar of oncoming engines.

XxX

Cold icy blue eyes watched as bit by bit a droid army was being built below her. One human looking hand brushed her stark white hair out the way while her other robotic hand held onto the railing before her. The eerie black and green walls glowed around the half robotic half human woman causing her already pale skin to stand out against the pitch black dress that flowed to fall at her feet.

The robot woman stood at the top of a very tall building looking down at the building army; once they were built each soldier marched passed the balcony she stood upon and stood to attention around the stolen Wheel of Power; which was now closed ready for the next realm. Around her buildings stood tall, short, fat and thin each one having its own purpose; Hot Wheels city as it was once called.

After her miserable defeat to get the Wheel of Power at the end of the World Race Gelorum took over Hot Wheels city and changed it into her own image, it acted as a base of operations for the angry droid. While she looked over the edge of the balcony to once again see the world she wanted to create a small messenger soldier steeped forward.

"Give me a progress report" The woman demanded, her voice just as cold and empty as her eyes.

"All of the machines are working at full capacity my mistress" A deep mechanical voice said making the single messenger soldier; as she liked to call them stand out. The small built robot blended in perfectly with the black and green surrounding them from all sides.

"When will they be finished?" She demanded again.

"We estimate in about a week my mistress" The robot stated as he stood to attention.

"That is not quick enough…" The mistress shouted unhappy with the lack of progress "…we were beaten in the Fog realm by a lowly human that is something I will not forgive again" Gelorum turned to look the messenger soldier in the face showing her unhappiness.

"All of the new soldiers have been upgraded and it will not happen again…" The messenger said quickly almost in a panic "…and we have the information you wanted" The mistress looked the small robot up and down with cold icy eyes before finally coming to a decision.

"I will let it slide this time but another mistake and I will make you into paperclips" The small robot nodded his understanding and rushed off before his mistress changed her mind and had him really turned into paperclips.

With a murderous smile on her face Gelorum walked into her quarters to look though the new information her underlings had gathered; one of the droid cars managed to see the driver that beat her army before they went though the portal. With an air of importance Gelorum sat down on a huge throne like chair and crossed her legs, with a flick of the wrist a screen rose out of the floor and flickered into life. Gelorum's gaze turned into a glare as she came face to picture with the lowly human that beat her perfect soldiers.

"Beware Amelia Angel…" Gelorum spat the name as she hissed to herself looking at the picture included in the file and reading the personal information included "...you never know what's waiting just around the corner"

A.N. There we have it, Gelorum has finally come into play.