The Garage wasn't as packed with people as it normally was tonight, so everybody just relaxed and did their own thing. Reiko, Earl and I just worked on a car. They were telling me how Japanese cars are fixed differently than American cars because of the way different cars are driven. Most Japanese cars are built for racing, whether they were raced or not, while American cars were simply built for durability.

The conversation was going well, that was until I went to look outside, but instead saw Neela walking into the garage, and looked like she had been crying.

'Hey', I muttered, walking over to her. I heard Earl and Reiko stop what they were doing and watch and Han was bound to be watching as well. She had been crying and still was. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and led her inside. 'Come on'.

I sat her down in the chairs up the top and made us some tea. We sat there forever just listening to the silence that was inevitably there. She couldn't voice what she was thinking, and I didn't know how to start. Eventually we didn't need to say anything, cars came screeching to a halt outside of the garage. I recognised the car and was ready to go.

Neela and I made out way down the stairs and Twinkie just looked at me.

'Hey Brother', Han smiled, welcoming DK. But was faulted when DK stormed up to him and punched him just as hard maybe harder than he had me.

'I vouched for you', DK shouted, as Han kept his face against the car that was until DK pushed his back up against it. 'Put my reputation on the line for you! We were partners!'

Han didn't look all that worried and I think that scared me more than anything. He was a calm guy, but he had never been this calm.

'You think you can keep your side deals from me?' DK shouted, grabbing Han's shirt with force.

'Come on', Han sighed, pushing DK off of him. 'We're not in boy scouts. This is what we do'.

'Takashi', Neela shouted, walking further down the stairs. The face that DK's contorted into was unbelievable. He felt betrayed and dead inside, and it was all portrayed onto his face. Ripping a gun from his pocket, he pointed it at Han's forehead.

Everybody gasped and inched away, and even Han felt a little nervous. I started walking towards the two, but Morimoto stopped me and I just pushed his arm away.

'What about now, huh? Is this what we do?' DK shouted, nearly in tears.

'Man, you need me'; Han sounded tough, but his voice faltered. 'You'd still be shaking down teahouses for chump change if it wasn't for me'.

DK cocked the gun and I saw Twinkie move out of the corner of my eye. Neela was yelling in Japanese beside me and Han was just staring at the barrel of the gun. Next thing we all know, the garage door is coming down. Han smacks DK with a massive punch, as he was distracted. I whipped Morimoto around and smacked him one.

Han pushed one out his way as he ran passed me and up the stairs. I turned to Neela, 'Get in', and indicated to my car. We both got in and I started the car, and was about to take off when Morimoto ran in front and started kicking at it. That got to me and I just slammed my foot on the accelerator and bolted over him.

The garage door had been caught on DK's car, so there was a part chance of my car slipping under it, but we were about to find out. We just got out, sparks flew and paint was stripped, but we made it and I saw Han's car fly around the corner.

Following him we swerved around corners, with DK and Morimoto behind us. It was turning into one major chase as Han and I were doing swerves in between each other, just trying to confuse the shit out of the two behind us. Once we made it onto the freeway we knew shit was getting bad.

We were weaving in front of and behind cars faster than the eye could see and it was amazing that no one crashed. I had a close one but managed to avoid it. Swerving my way further and further up the freeway, it didn't feel like I was running, that was until I felt a car smash into the rear end.

It was Morimoto. He came up on my left side and started ramming me. It was giving me flashbacks of the reason why I was here. Over and over again he rammed us. Pushing back I managed to push him into on coming traffic, causing him to swerve around it. As we came up on the other side of the onslaught, Morimoto hadn't joined us.

We soon realised why as we saw parts of his car and another cars, flying through the air and then the many other cars crash into the two. It was terrible and I wished it hadn't have happened that way, but it was too late to think about that now. I focused my attention on the road and sped up to keep up with Han.

The roads cleared up the further we went, but there was still need for swerving. We were right on Han's tail now, and DK was right on mine. Swerving around a corner, DK came up beside us, and started ramming us like Morimoto had. Neela squealed.

DK swerved out and around on coming traffic and unlike Morimoto, he came back to join us. He rammed the left side again, causing me to swerve to the right a little bit, but I regained my composer and went back on course. Before I can comprehend a path, Han slows down and takes my place in front of DK as I sped ahead.

I watched in my rear view as DK pulled up beside Han, but Han stepped it up a notch and sped his way in front. We had reached the square. And I hadn't noticed.

'Jude!' Neela shouted, bringing to my attention the thousands of people walking across it. I slammed my hand down on the horn alerting the people to our presence and that we weren't planning on stopping. Everybody screamed and ran to the nearest side. Ripping on the hand brake, we drifted through the path the people had provided.

Everything went into slow motion. The fear in everybody's eyes, the crying children, hurt people who had been trampled in the attempt to create a path, all of it, wrenching at my heart as we glided passed.

I swerved around another corner, and then another, clearing the path for the fighting pair as we went. That was when I noticed that DK was now in front, and just like it had the day my ass was kicked by DK, my blood ran cold as DK swerved around to come face to face with Han, and fired at him.

It missed. My attention was brought back to myself driving a little to late as a car smashed into my rear end sending us both spinning into a spiral, knocking my spoiler off while I came to a short and fast halt against another car.

Han and DK came up to the intersection. DK still firing and Han still managing to avoid. DK swerved away from Han, and hand changed gears hoping to speed off. I got out of the car just to watch my mentor, my friend have a car smash right through the middle of his car. Han's car was sitting on top of the other car, just like a hood ornament. The car slammed on its breaks and Han's car came sliding off, rolling its way down the street till it came to an abrupt halt on it's roof.

Mouth agape, and not believing what I was seeing I stepped my way slowly over to the car. I thought he was dead, until I saw him moving. Slamming my door shut I bolted over there, not worrying about the fire that was starting or the fuel spilling everywhere. I almost made it too, but it went up, went up like a time bomb. The force of the blow knocked me off my feet.

I got up as quickly as possible, gaping at the wreckage, hoping to god that this wasn't happening that I was dreaming and that when I woke up in the morning, Han would be there shoving dirty socks in my face, trying to wake me up like he always did. I still didn't come back to earth when Neela grabbed me. She was telling me we had to go, but I was to dumbfounded to walk properly so she dragged me away, leaving all that was left of Han, to burn.

We hiked it on over to a station and jogged it down the stairs and got into the train as fast as possible. Neela clinging to me in case I nearly fell over.

We sat in the corner. I stared off into no where thinking about the shit that Han had done, that he told me off, and what he had done to me.

Pressing the button I stepped back and waited. We had come back to my fathers place. Not knowing where else to go. I stared at Neela as she stared at me. She was worried for me, like any good friend would be. I heard the revving of an engine come round the corner as I recognised the black car that held the guy I would rue the day till I killed.

I started storming over to him as he got out and Neela jogged a head in front off me.

'Takashi', she shouted.

'Get in', he shouted back as I ran at him and pushed him backwards. I got him onto the hood of the car and started beating in the left side of his head like he had done to me that day. I kept going, murder in my eyes, till he finally blocked a punch. Pushing me off him he got out his gun and aimed it at me.

'I wouldn't do that if I was you', I heard someone say as I looked over to find my dad pointing a gun at the back of DK's head. No body moved. I stared at DK's gun, while he contemplated killing me.

'Okay!' I heard Neela shout, causing everyone to look at her. 'I'll go with you'.

'Neela', I whispered, but she ignored me as she walked behind DK and in front of my dad's gun to get into DK's car angrily.

'See you when daddy's not around', DK threatened as he pulled his gun down and got back into his car. Stepping back a little I allowed them to drive off. Dad brought his gun down as well and stared at me.

'I'm putting you on a plane tonight', he said angrily. No: "are you all right?" or "Is everything ok?"

'Dad!' I started.

'Jude, don't argue with me', he ordered.

'Dad, I dealt with shit like this everyday. Everyday for fucking three years, and you weren't there for it. So, don't pretend you care now, let's just drop that bullshit. I did this. I can't run away', I stated angrily. 'I can't!'

'Jude, I'm your father, I'm responsible for your well being', he shouted back.

'I'm responsible for my mess', I stated calmly back. My father's façade was starting to falter as what I was saying was starting to kick into him. 'I got to do this. Can you understand that?'

Instead of storming in the house like he was about to before he walked slowly away from the door.

'At least you're not redoing my mistakes'; he smiled. I just nodded and turned around, not being able to find anything to say to my father was the hardest thing I had done, and walking away from him was harder. But seeing the tears fall down his face was one thing I never wanted to find out how hard it actually was.

I waited in an abandoned warehouse, looking at my feet, replaying every little event, every word, every movement, over and over in my head. From Neela showing up at the garage to seeing the look in Han's eyes focus on me when he managed to move his head.

Moving around I focused my sights on the door as Twinkies infamous Hulk car pulled in. I hadn't registered that Twinkie had gotten out till I heard the car door slam.

'You alright, man?' he asked me, stopping right in front of me. My throat was so dry; I just nodded. 'We're leaving town. Look, I know some people…'

'I can't do it, Twink', I sighed, shaking my head.

'Look, DK wants your head, All right? And the trouble you just made for Kamata? You're done here, bro', Twinkie sighed,

'Maybe I should talk to Kamata', I stated, forming a plan in my head.

'What?' Twinkie asked surprised.

'DK answers to him', I mumbled completely ignoring Twinkie's reactions.

'I know I just didn't hear that', Twinkie muttered aloud.

'I gotta end this. I'm gonna go talk to him', I said, standing up straight now looking at Twinkie, hoping to see a look that says: "Your plan is brilliant, man", instead…

'What, are you crazy, huh?' He shouted, 'Han is dead, all right! Plus you can't just walk into Kamata's place, man!'

'It's all I got', I sighed, shaking my head. I was going to do this, with or without Twinkie's help. I looked at him, hoping he'd help, but he rolled his eyes, shook his head and walked off. Following him, he stopped at the back of his car and opened the door.

'Something I think Han would've wanted you to have', he said, propping the door up, and popping out one of his speakers. He pulled out a small brown leather bag, and handed it to me.

'What's this?' I asked him, reaching my hand inside the bag. I pulled out a wad of money.

'You're going to need it if you're gonna make it out of Kamata's place alive', he said gravely.

'Don't you need it?' I asked indicating to him.

'Nah, it's cool', Twinkie said, looking away and waving it off, 'Look, I'll figure something out'. I felt bad taking it, but I had to get this sorted out, no matter what, I will pay the twink man back.

I managed to grab a jacket from Han's place before the cops rolled up and seized the place. Leaving, I found my way to the back street where I would come face to face with Kamata.

I stood in the entrance and all of a sudden, four men stopped what they were doing and watched me. One swung a chain while the other bounced a bat off of his hand. This caused everybody behind them to come to attention and subtly harass me as I passed.

I made it to the end of the alley and four important looking men stepped forward.

'I'd like to see Mr Kamata, please', I said in Japanese. The nerves had kicked in as everything changed from being surreal to very real. I bowed as the gentleman with the cigarette snatched the leather bag out of my hands and looked inside. He looked up at me again before the bald gentleman beside him led me inside.

As I stepped inside the curtain, everybody on the other side stopped talking, moving and it seemed even breathing as I came to a stand still. The Bald guy pushed in front of me and looked at another guy who stepped forward defensively. The guy that had led me in nodded and indicated for me to follow the other guy.

I was led into back of the place where I noticed two rather familiar faces.

'Jude', Neela exclaimed getting up and walking over. 'You need to leave'.

'You came to the wrong place', sneered the face of DK.

'I didn't come here to see you', I said in a rather calm manner that would have made Han proud.

'Takashi', came the voice of what sounded like a withered old man. 'Who's your friend?'

'Nobody', DK said nervously, 'I can handle this'.

'I have something which belongs to you, sir', I butted in on the Japanese argument. I walked forward with the bag only to have a guy step forward and forcibly lay his hand my shoulder to stop me. he took the bag off of me and walked it over to what I now knew as Kamata.

'You think…' He started in English after looking at the contents of the bag, 'you can walk in here, dump some cash and walk out?'

I know I'm only returning what belonged to you in the first place, sir', I said, smacking myself on the inside for saying something like that, but it had to be said in order to get something done. 'But that's not why I really came. I came here to apologise. I know your nephew and I have embarrassed ourselves badly'.

'Don't listen to this Gaijin', DK shouted in Japanese darting towards his uncle.

'Takashi…' his uncle started, looking rather disgusted, '…after everything you've done, you're giving me orders?'

'I apologise', DK said, bowing in respect.

'Sir, I am here to offer you a peaceful solution', I stated, nerves suddenly leaving me. I noticed out of the corner of my eye DK starting to get up from his bow, before I focused on Kamata.

'How do you plan to accomplish that?' he asked, looking rather assuming.

'A race', I said simply, looking him straight in the eye. DK was fulling standing now and looking murderous, but I still kept my cool while Kamata laughed at me, and my suggestion. 'DK and I have caused nothing but problems for you…' I paused, '…for us! I'm asking you to allow us to settle this, once and for all. We race. And the loser leaves town for good'.

'I've already beat this piece of shit once!' DK shouted, finally snapping.

'Good', Kamata finally chimed in. My attention and not to mention everybody's in he room was brought back to him, 'Then it should be easy!'

DK nodded, as I just made my way passed a sickly looking Neela and murderous looking occupants of the building.

I gathered the guys up, and we made our way back to Han's garage. All around the outside there was police tape stating the bloody obvious: "Keep Out". Slipping under I made my way into the garage dodging the ludicrous amount of tape only to come to a large disappointment. The guys all came in round me and came to the same stand still that I had.

Zero cars.

We spread out around the garage looking for anything that could help us out with the final race against DK. And we found nothing. Earl came running down the stairs.

'The cops took all the cars', he stated slamming shut his phone.

'Hey!' Reiko shouted, running into the garage. She led us through a few passages till we came to the outside of the garage. There sat the "crumbled beer can" that Han had let me race the first night I was here.

I hiked it on over to the front and checked the damage. We weren't able to re-salvage the body. Popping the hood I propped it up and looked at Reiko. Nodding I smiled for the first time since the accident. The engine was in perfect condition.

'Dad?' I muttered through the phone.

I was back at my dad's place, pushing up the doors of the garage across the road. Stepping back and took a look at the work we needed to do while my dad came and stood beside me. Looking at him he looked at me gravely before throwing the keys over, and for the first time since I was born, I walked over and hugged him.

I got the guys around and we pushed it most of the way to the garage which Reiko and Earl had removed the tape and cleaned up a little.

Piece by piece, the car started coming together. Once we got the windshield on we tested it out. Driving it to the mountain I weaved my way up it. The feeling still wasn't right, and it showed as I tried to do a U-turn and crashed it into the inside wall.

Fix after fix, test after test, it still wasn't right but we were getting there. Days and nights were spent on getting this car ready.

'We almost there, Twink, couple more tweaks', I said proudly, but tiredly.

'It's not the car I'm worried about, man', Twink muttered grinding his teeth together. I looked at him, trying to figure him out. 'DK picked this road for a reason. This is his mountain. He's the only one to ever make it to the bottom'. I looked away from him and swallowed calmly, looking out and down the mountain. Was it really going to be as hard as Twink is making it sound?

The night was finally here. No more cannibalistic butterfly's, it was now for the cannibalistic crickets. I was parked up at the top of the mountain, looking down over what was either going to be my doom, or my victory, and that scared me.

I watched the cars below gather at the bottom, organising phones for the video's organising, who was going to call the ambulance, who knows, all I knew was that tonight was going to make me, or break me, and I hope it is the first.

I got back in m car as soon as I saw people on each bend starting to surround one singular person. I sat comfortably for a little while before slipping the seat braces and buckling them up. I saw headlights behind me and immediately knew who it was. He pulled up beside me while another set of headlights stopped behind us. A man in a black suit got out and walked towards the cars.

I could feel DK's eyes on me, but I dared not to look at him because once I took my eyes off the road ahead of me I was going to doubt myself and that was the last bloody thing I needed right now.

Now standing in front, the man in the black suit waited for us to rev our engines in a salute to say we were ready. DK revved, then I followed suit, and the cannibalistic crickets, kicked in even more. Feeling like they were about to burst through the walls of my stomach, the man in front raised his hands to indicate the start of the race will be…he dropped his hands and BOOOOM!

I was the first to take off, although after a metre we reached neck and neck status. We were a small way away from the first turn when DK sped ahead and swerved around the tight bend. I followed suit, but a little less nervous when we started so I flew around with ease.

Levelling myself we sped down the second straight, closing in fast on the second bend. We went down around the second bend that led into the tight spiral down the side of the mountain. I wasn't used to such tight turns, and barely made it down, almost having the rear end fall over the edge, but I managed to pull it round with no damage.

We came to another straight leading of course to another bend, with DK still in front. So far I hadn't tried once to get passed him but I turned close to the edge and tried to speed passed him before the bend but he cut me off. As he was paying to much attention to my attempt he was a bit late in pulled the hand brake so he turned the corner a little wide smashing into a car parked on the bend, allowing me to swerve in close and come out on the straight first, DK struggling to stay behind.

Coming halfway down the straight, DK pulled up on the inside of me before ramming me repeatedly, moving me closer and ever so dangerously to the cliff like edge of the mountain. Every time I pushed against him, he pushed me back till I finally gave and pulled back a little allowing him to shoot in front.

An S bend was the next turn and although DK turned a little wide I didn't have enough time to pull passed him before we went through the next turn. A few more S bends wound their way down the mountain and each turn, DK turned wide allowing me to slide in on the inside, but never enough time to slip passed and turn.

We came to the last S bend for that little lot and on the last turn, DK went on the inside, allowing me to slip on the outside. He had focused a little to much on me and as I switched gears a little more a flicked the hand brake and swung passed him and in front.

Down each straight, and each bend I remained in front doing exactly what he had doing to me, cutting him off every chance and swerving around in the middle allowing him no room on the inside or out.

I swerved a little on another straight, gathering strength back in my arms for the next turn, and apparently that was just the little slip up DK needed. He came up on the inside and used his front end to ram my back end, nearly pushing me off the edge. We were neck to neck along the rest of the straight, DK still ramming me but I still managed to gather my composure every time. That was until we came to the bend.

DK rammed me again, this time instead of pushing me to the edge, he spun me around so that he had be T-boned, pushing me full speed along the track. We had one small straight before there was another bend, and if I didn't get out of predicament soon, it was bye, bye Jude. Pulling on my hand brake, it forced DK to push trough the rear end allowing me to swing back and face the track the right way, avoiding the lovely tip off the edge, but still pushing me into second.

Pulling up fast, I was straight back on track tail gating DK as much as possible before I found an opening and came up on the inside of him, ramming him, pushing him towards the cliff like edge. As we turned a small corner, DK ripped his break, allowing me to sped ahead, but him still on my tail. And he let me know it to as he rammed me from behind.

I swerved a little out of frustration and not concentrating, and that allowed DK to some how climb the side of the mountain and come neck to neck with me before I pulled back, allowing him to come back on the road. But the bumpy ride had ripped his spoiler off which came with a smash into my windscreen.

Swerving again, I gained my composure to again, tailgate DK. He swerved on the inside of the mountain in order to get ready for the swerve around the bend and I took my chances and sped up, switching gear and speeding passed him.

I swerved around the corner with a smile but not for long as I swung around to wide and that mistake allowed DK to swing in on the inside, again ramming the rear of the car with his front end. Over and over, and over again until I saw the end of the railing up ahead and ripped on my brakes, sending DK into a large swerve to avoid running off the road. Too late.

He flipped and went toppling off the road down and down, each flip tearing his car to shreds. I kept driving not daring to take the chance to stop as I came round the next bend and onto the straight, DK's car dropped on the road in front of me. I ripped on the brake and swerved around it. It was as if I was in slow motion, I took my eyes off the road and saw DK ripped and bloody in his car, and as I made it around his car it dropped onto it's roof.

I regained myself long enough to swerve to a stop at the finish line. I had won. Everybody ran over as I got out of the car, cheering and dancing, and I noticed out of the corner of my eye that DK's mates had rushed over to fetch him out of his car.

'Yeah, baby', Earl shouted triumphantly while Twink was slapping me on the back.

'Told you', he shouted, 'Told you!'

Neela walked up and stood beside me, I smiled and she smiled and I gave her quick hug before I noticed Kamata and his cronies were making their way over to me. He stared at Neela who had her arm around me as we were cheering just before, before staring at me.

'You're free to go'; Kamata sighed in Japanese. He smiled and nodded before turning and walking away.

'I wonder if you know…' I sang stupidly to Neela who had announced that I was her new family. She started laughing as I started dancing.

'You can't make fun of the song', she laughed as I just continued dancing and making fun of the song.

We were back in the basement. I, being the new DK, had to be there.

'Hey, yo, Jude!' Twinkie shouted at me, as I was still making fun of the song to Neela. 'Yo, Jude! Hey, check this out, man. This dude over here wanna race the new DK'.

'Does he knew the new DK is a girl?' I asked Twinkie with a smile.

'I don't know, but I heard he's been beating everybody around Asia, too'; Twinkie sighed, still smiling. I just laughed and shook my head.

'Not tonight, Twinkie', I smiled, turning back to Neela.

'Said he knew Han', Twinkie stated sadly, knowing that would tip the iceberg. I swallowed grimly, and turned half way to Twinkie, contemplating racing. 'Said Han was family'.

I looked at Twinkie and noticed the guys had stopped dancing and laughing around me too. They knew what was going down. I looked away from Twinkie and sighed. Looking back at Neela she smiled, and I smiled too.

'All right', I said to Twinkie smiling, 'Let's race'.

I drove my car slowly around till I turned into the starting area and noticed a good ol' American muscle car, sitting there, engine running. I smiled to myself as I pulled up slowly to the drivers side. Coming side by side with the car, I looked at the driver and my blood ran cold and my heart was beating a million miles per hour.

The driver looked over to me and didn't even flinch.

'Nice ride', I said calmly, smirking.

'I won it from my friend Han, a few years ago', he said calmly, looking out over his hood before looking back at me.

'I didn't know he was into American muscle', I laughed.

'He was when he was rolling with me', he said still as calm as when I first pulled up.

'You know this ain't no ten second race, for some ten second car?' I smirked.

'I got nothing but time', He said, leaning towards the passenger door. I nodded. 'You ready, kid?'

'Yeah, come on, Jude!' I heard Twinkie shout through my window as Neela walked up and stood between the cars.

She pointed to the girl on my side, who said ready, and before she pointed to the one on the other side, I sighed and looked at the guy in the other side.

'It's good to see you', and before he could answer, Neela threw her hands down and we were off.