I truly want to say thank you to everyone who reads this fiction. You're reviews keep me going when I'm feeling like giving up altogether. One thing I'd like to do for you all is introduce a QA while working on the next chapter. It can be generally about anything involving this fiction, character interactions, etc. Whether you're wondering about the current situations or future outcomes or maybe just ask about what you could expect, you can ask away and I'll respond to each and every inquiry you have. If you read as anonymous, then leave an alternate name along with your question.
Back to the story so far. I would like to say that from this point, the story will take a darker path. To make a long story short, it'll involve some serious themes including drugs, sex, violence, language, etc. So, I'm giving the heads up that from this point on, the fic will be in the rated M department. Another thing I would like to touch on is the apparent moments involving Tori Vegas' mysterious guest. To address the elephant in the room, Tori was not raped. The sex was mutual however under duress. I won't go into too much detail as her actions play a key point in her role in the story. I felt it important to note before continuing. I do not take that subject lightly and I truly hope you all continue to read and enjoy.
NFS: Torque
Arc 1: Enter Palmont City
Chapter 7: Let's Be Clear
Carbon Canyon/City Lines- 1:26 a.m.
Beck surveyed the wreckage at the foot of the canyon; his despicable smirk was made even more terrifying by the dancing flames. Brushing his fingers through his hair, a sick grin twisted by borderline insanity carved his face. It was the first time that any serious emotion was visible on his face. While the flames licked the air savagely, the King of Palmont pulled out a wallet sized photo. His cold grey eyes locked onto the picture, almost analyzing its features, then tossed it from the ledge in the fiery abyss.
"Goodbye..." his tone, cold enough to freeze the deepest depths of hell itself, only accentuated his unbridled hatred. "...It was fun."
Soon sirens were blaring in the distance and Beck hopped in his red Viper speeding off into the night. He managed to slip past the emergency vehicles through a seemingly blocked off tunnel. Cruising down the path with the window down, Beck could feel a weight being lifted from his shoulders. He released a sharp breath that that brought on a feeling of relaxation. He couldn't fathom this feeling washing all over his very being as he once again entered the city and headed home.
Eventually, the fire was contained by the Palmont City Fire Department and soon, the cops began their investigation of the wreckage. The 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer was mangled and charred beyond recognition save for the insignia on the grill. They worked feverishly to find any clue as to what happened though their search appeared to be producing no fruits. All that remained were the large remains of the frame, melted leather seats, and...
"Sir! We found something...!"
The others around the crime scene rushed over. What they discovered was both shocking and disturbing as some held their breaths and others struggled to keep from vomiting. One of them stuck his head inside, along with a flashlight, and inspected the remains. In the passenger seat sat the burned remains of a human being but somehow, as if by chance, the wallet barely survived.
"What do you got there?" the police chief maneuvered around the pieces of debris and checked inside only to clutch his nose in disgust. Along with the wallet, the chief noticed the body that was beyond charred, trying to keep himself from mirroring his subordinates' actions. "Call the forensic crew and have them check this out for any form of clue that'll help us close this case."
"Yes sir!" the men recited in unison.
Throughout the early morning, while the remaining crews cleaned up, three figures watched everything unfold. Under the night sky, Travis and Jade looked on at the city below them. The ivory woman's eyes narrowed as hatred boiled within her. Knowing what her ex-boyfriend had committed, Jade's fist tightened before feeling a strong arm wrap around her waist.
"Will you guys be alright?" the other male asked as he lit a cigarette. His voice was thick with a Cajun accent signifying his Creole-French roots.
Between the two, Travis would be the one to respond.
"I'm just glad you showed up when you did." he huffed. "I would've been the killed, Liam..."
He simply smirked while taking a drag from his cigarette. "No problem. I'm glad we were able to fix things before they got worse."
"Yeah well... I have a more important question..." Jade interrupted, catching the young men's attention. "...Where are we going to stay? In case you didn't notice, the boys raided our home."
Liam could feel the anger rising and, despite his relaxed demeanor, he was glad it wasn't directed towards him. His reputation was centered around being fearless, however, even he respected the scissor wielding goth. It was true, that they were raided by Palmont P.D. in a seemingly 'random' assault.
Palmont City- San Juan District
11:48 pm
Mere minutes before the raid, the couple were discussing a very private matter when they heard the sounds of one of the doors being broken down. They rushed out to hear the ear splitting words of armed men shouting various orders. Andre and Ryanna were no where to be found and Travis pushed his girlfriend back into the room before foolishly rushing into the men. He tackled the lead guard and sweep kicked another on his right. They were effectively thrown off by this sudden action and Travis knew it was all he needed to capitalize on the situation.
"Jade, run!" he roared before throwing a right hook to a third officer's groin, thus taking him out of the equation for a while. However, before he could check if his lover was alright, a large gloved fist crashed into his jaw, stunning him. With his vision blurry, the others followed up with a series of punches and kicks of their own. Travis, to his credit, blocked as many blows as he could but he would soon be bombarded by a solid kick that found its home buried in his gut. His cry of pain echoed in the hallowed room as he dropped to one knee. He wouldn't give up though and pushing through the pain, he hit a blond officer with a solid uppercut square on the jaw, sending him crashing into his fellow comrades. 'That should give me some time to get out of here.'
Or so he thought...
He turned his gaze to the back door to see it wide open. He could've made a break for the exit but was stopped when he felt something hard connect with his back. Again he found himself kneeling only this time, he was held down by those he fought desperately against. "Get off of me!" he yelled only to see a familiar pair of shoes. 'Polo's?" he wondered. 'It can't be..." He looked up to see the shadowed frame of none other than Beck. "What the hell are you doing here?" he snarled. He received a crunching knee to his midsection. No doubt, there was a rib broken from that blow as a considerable amount of blood erupted from Travis' mouth.
"I must say, you've been a bad boy haven't you, Travis? I would've thought you to have wised up and learn from your mistakes." Beck watched, amused that despite his adversary struggling valiantly, the men were holding him securely. A wicked smirk settled at the sight of the physically labored Travis kneeling at his feet. It was a satisfying sight to witness the man whom he held such hatred for. Travis gasped for air after the killer blow, prompting his former friends attention. "It seems you still have a bit of fight left in you." his tone was cold and without emotion at this point. He nodded his head at someone who happily recognized the order. Soon Travis felt the ever so familiar feeling of a limb connecting with his body, this time his lower abdomen. The sickening clamor of retching resonated in Becks ears like a symphony while he watched specks of blood litter the concrete floor. "I told you to get out of town by midnight and wouldn't you know it, it's after midnight. It seems whatever you were doing here was more important than your own life." Travis grunted softly as Beck grabbed his locs and pulled his head upwards so they were eye level. "Last time, it was Trina back in Rockport wasn't it? This time, it's Jade?" his tone held a mock disappointment. "See? Everything was going well before you went snooping. Things would've been simple but, tragically, you chose to make things more difficult for me. It appears I should clean up that mess, huh?"
Travis watched helplessly as the calculated Beck brandished a sleek black hand gun. Pressing it under his chin, Beck's eyes danced in hopes that the thorn in his side would beg for mercy. This was more than pride or one-upmanship. This was madness. Travis, though, wouldn't relent as he spat a thick glob of blood on his face and grinned defiantly. A flinching Beck stared off at nothing before wiping the blood off his face. It was infuriating knowing that no matter what he did, his 'prey' wouldn't break. "I shouldn't have expected anything less from you; always so confident and strong willed..."
"It's one of my endearing qualities."
It seemed to be over for Travis. He was ready to embrace death knowing that Jade would be safe... Never relinquishing his grin, the two waited for the inevitable moment that would disconnect Travis from this world.
"Eh, if you say so." Another voice, one thick with Cajun and French, broke through the small group causing everyone to wonder who it was. "Honestly, I'd prefer a little more humility in the Travis pie."
In the end, Liam helped Travis by attacking the men and helping him escape his and Jade's home. Due to the extent of his injuries, they barely had enough space between them and the hired men. Travis, though he'd prefer to run, or rather limp, under his own power but, found himself on Liam's back. They continued onward to the storage garage where Jade was waiting for them. They were later ambushed but narrowly managed to drive away after Travis flipped the light switch off, plunging the entire room in complete darkness. Unbeknownst to the officers, they'd mistaken one of their own as their intended target. While Liam and Jade sped off into the night, a Mitsubishi Lancer followed close behind them. Many of the Palmont P.D.'s forces gave chase under the direct orders of Beck Oliver. The lone officer driving the vehicle was unaware that he was the one being hunted. After weaving around through traffic and multiple boroughs, he found himself the victim of being rammed by his fellow officers. The dark road only served to hinder any ability for him to inform his partners of his identity...
In the end, he would find himself tumbling over the farthest edge of the canyon.
The rest is history...
Travis spat out a little more blood that had begun to pool in his mouth, just under his tongue. His condition after the ordeal left him in dire need of rest which Jade and Liam duly noted. "We should head over to the next town and settle there until this blows over. The last thing we need is for Beck to send a squad out to hunt us down." The couple nodded and soon Jade helped her boyfriend into the passenger's side of her ride. They both slammed the doors and soon were following their savior on the seemingly limitless highway.
Travis, who was now leaning against the inner frame of the car, glanced over at an upcoming sign that told him that their destination was a ways off. This meant there was plenty of time to discuss the events that occurred. Or maybe something else entirely...
"Jade?" the way he called her name sent goosebumps down her arms. Had the current mood been different, she would've pulled over and pounced on him but sadly, she'd have to remain calm an not succumb to the sweet and calm tone of her lovers voice. She made an almost inaudible grunt, signalling to him that she was paying attention to him. "Do you blame me?"
Her face exuded complete confusion as a frown washed her face.
"What are you talking about?"
Travis could detect that he was about to enter dangerous territory with his girlfriend. In another scenario, this would be a major turn on but he knew his words should be carefully selected. His throat went dry, which he found out when he tried to swallow.
"Jade, we both know it was my fault..." he dared not look at her at this point. "...ever since I came into Palmont, I've been nothing but trouble. I was brought to your home and immediately, you were once again on Beck's radar... I come into debt and in the process, cost you your home. I can only hope that Ryanna and Andre are alright. Tori wouldn't even help me throughout this process for some unknown reason and to top off all of this..." his eyes narrowed while his teeth looked as if they were about to crack under the grinding pressure. "...my ex-girlfriend would much rather see me drop off the face of the earth than even speak to me... face it, I'm a total lost cause..."
Without a second thought, Jade slammed on the brakes resulting in her and Travis being jerked forward. His response was a sharp gasp as, thankfully, the seat belt caught his cracked ribs. The still emotional young man was about to snap only to see that unreadable face. Her blue-green eyes gazed softly at the quiet road ahead calmly.. unnervingly calm. The frown she had mere moments ago was replaced by a relaxed demeanor.
"Are you done?" she asked, her voice freezing the already tense atmosphere. Hearing no audio, she inhaled slowly.. "Is that what you really think?" She turned to see the man who held her heart with his head bowed, almost defeated. Behind his untied locs, she could see the life draining from his eyes. "I asked you a question."
"Jade, you know what I-"
"No!" she interjected. "I don't know what you mean! Do you think for one second that I blame you for what happened?! I know for a fact, that Beck's been manipulative and biased ever since we all left Rockport. He would've done that to anybody who stood in his way. I can't even lie and say I didn't expect this to happen!" Travis could only watch as emotions, hidden even from him, began to pour out. The pain and suffering in his love's voice began to shatter his very being. "I know you feel like you failed everyone after what happened back then, but guess what? You didn't fail... You sacked up and set out in order to make things right. I get it, you were hoping to explain to Trina what really happened, but Beck covered that base and she won't even look at you. It just goes to show you that no matter how much you love, you can't make somebody love you..."
At this point, tears brimmed along her azure orbs.
"Andre and Ryanna are happy to see you were alive. Beck and the Vega's have made their decisions. Hell, they're in the same crew so that wasn't surprising to me..."
"But what about Rockport?" his voice betrayed him, desperation oozed from each word.
"What about Rockport?!"
"Cat? Robbie? What about the others? I let them down... I never got to help them..."
Despite her fury, Jade's glare softened at the realization; he'd been bearing this guilt all this time. She finally let out a haggard breath before leaning towards a beaten Travis. "It's not your fault. We all knew the risk of street racing and we accepted the consequences long before you and your sister arrived in the city." Her words seemed to be falling on deaf ears as his expression was unyielding. It was as if he were a zombie... "Cat disappeared after we were raided. Nobody knows where she went. Robbie took many others somewhere else though, it is rumored that he could be lying low in Palmont... But you have to understand, that they all made their decisions to go where they felt safe. You don't need to keep beating yourself up over this. So what?"
"So what? Beck nearly killed you just to take me out!" he cried back.
Jade's face softened after hearing his words. "But we're still here. He failed... for the first time since Rockport, he lost to you. He's tried twice to have you killed and both times you cheated death. I'm happy to know just where I am in your heart but know this.." the car began to pull off once more. "...I'm not Vega. You can treat me like a daisy all you want behind closed doors, especially the bedroom.." he signature smirk emerged. "...but remember, I'm one of the toughest bitches you've ever met."
Travis stared at Jade for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle that soon grew to a full blown laugh. Unlike other times, this was a hearty laugh that radiated sincerity and while she wanted to smack him upside the head, she couldn't help but join in. Soon the laugh duet simmered down leaving behind a genuinely smiling couple.
"You're right. Sometimes, I forget that you can take care of yourself."
Jade rolled her eyes playfully and was about to respond with something smart only to be cut off by a chirping sound.
"Hey guy. You two alright?" Liam asked with concern. "I looked back to see you two disappeared. Everything okay?"
They looked at one another for a second.
"Never better. Just had to work out a kink but we're trying to catch up with you." he answered.
Static rang in the car before Liam made his grand reappearance. "That's good guys. Keep going for another twenty miles and we should be in Tri-City. I'm sending the coordinates for you guys to find the main safe house. I'll be there waiting for you guys."
"Thanks, Liam. See ya there." Jade, this time, responded.
The goth kept her eyes on the road while Travis navigated for her. From that point, their conversations were much more pleasant and downright normal for them. For the first time, it was like the old days when they were the best of friends only this time, they were also a couple. They had their problem both individually and together, but they made a silent pact to work through them to make the other stronger. As the sun began to ascend, they both knew that no matter what, they were going to be alright...
Sorry everyone for the delay. I was really hoping to have this chapter done before New Years but unfortunately, writers block and everyday life had beat me. I do hope you like this chapter as it's the end of the first arc. To put it plainly, I wanted to touch on many of the main characters featured along with touching on some that will have a much more important role in the future. For the time being, I should let you all know that I will be revising some previous chapters so that they're properly connected to the story. In the meantime, I feel I owe you all something special for being so patient. So while I am accepting OC's, I will also be accepting names for the crews that will be featured in future chapters and arcs. The only rule is be creative but also practical. I would like to have the crews be taken serious so along with the names you can add an OC to lead the crew along with a description on how they act, their racing style and strength, and crew colors. Here is an application preview that you can copy and paste:
Crew Name:
Leader:
Member 1:
Member 2:
Color(s):
Crew Racing Style/Strength:
Cars:
District (Downtown, Fortuna, Kempton, Silverton):
Lastly, I would like to give you all a little insight on what's happened and happening. So, Travis had been incarcerated for three years during the events of Most Wanted. During this time, the gang practically split apart. Beck and Trina became a couple sometime after Travis was arrested. He would be found by Liam who instructed him to go to Palmont City, a place of his past, only for him to wind up being hunted down by Cross who's now a bounty hunter. Just as he was about to be taken in for the Palmont Bounty on his head, he was 'saved' by Beck whom he became indebted to. To add insult to injury, he would find his love, Trina, who now wants nothing to do with him.
He would be sent to live in a neutral district along with Jade who showed him the ropes on how to get back on track with racing in order to pay back the money used to pay off Cross. Throughout the weeks, Travis and Jade would touch on old feelings that were never explored previously in Rockport. They grow closer and become an official couple. Travis finally collects enough money to pay Beck back only to be given a few hours to leave town or face dire consequences that could affect Jade as well. He complies only to be double crossed and attacked. He would've been killed had it not been for Liam helping him and Jade escape.
They managed to get out of town while, conveniently setting up a faux death for Travis. In the end, the three will begin a new chapter (no pun intended) of their lives that'll reshape their destinies and that of Palmont City.
I would like to say the next arc will focus on the three and returning to Palmont. Andre and the others will be back as well so don't worry. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all will be ready for the next arc: Takeover which will be considerably longer than this one. Happy (belated) New Year Everyone!
