New chapter! Forgot to mention this, but I do read the ideas you guys mention in the Reviews, so don't think they go unappreciated!
Like before, up to around 2016/2017-ish lore and characters aspects, not described yada yada yada.
"This is real drifting." = Dialogue
'Mom, slow down!' = Thoughts
"Information! it's an age that tells you speed by the second, but choice isn't understood!" = Song title / lyrics
Alpha'sThrowawayAccount Presents:
JNPR Car: Third Stage
June Arc's ears twitched. The sound of an alarm clock blared against them. She cracked one eye open. Was it really time to go? Groaning, she got up and turned it off.
June rubbed her eyes. She slept on the bed alone. Her husband was out on a mission, one that had him stay for a few days at the mission point. It was just her and her son Jaune at home.
She glanced at the clock again. 01.00 AM. Just a few minutes more and she'd have her last job to do. She was about to get off the bed and grab her coat when a knock sounded from her door.
"Mom?"
Her son's voice reached her ears. June took note of his tone. Scared, unsure. Hurrying up, she put on her coat and opened the door.
Her son's 11-year-old frame greeted her. He was shaking, his arms hugging himself tightly. June knelt and made her eyes level with Jaune's own. In her softest possible voice, she asked. "What's wrong, Jaune?"
The boy had his eyes on the floor. He mumbled something that June couldn't quite catch. "Pardon?"
"Nightmare, Mom."
June opened her arms, ready for a hug. "Come here, sweetie." With a gulp, Jaune slowly got closer and hugged his mother tight, burying his small body into his mother.
The two of them stayed like that for a long while. Eventually, Jaune spoke up, his voice slightly muffled by June's coat. "It was about monsters. I was so scared, a-and D-dad wasn't there…"
"Shh…" June ran her hair over Jaune's blonde locks. "It was only a nightmare, right?" June lifted her son's chin and flashed him her biggest smile.
Jaune giggled. "Y-yeah…" But her son frowned again. His lips trembled. "M-mom, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, Jaune."
"Why doesn't dad train me?"
And that there was the crux of the problem. Her husband refused to train Jaune, no matter how much he asked. It was one of the few things she and her husband couldn't agree on. If it was up to June, she'd at least indulge Jaune a bit and see how things went from there. But she wasn't a hunter, so it wasn't her place to force the issue.
From what June could see, the constant rejections have made a significant impact on Jaune's self-confidence. Lately, Jaune's been having more and more nightmares. Usually, it was monsters, and no one was there to save him. Personally, June thinks that this is Jaune's desire to be a hunter manifesting in his dreams, but instead of being a hero in those dreams, he can't even fight back because he doesn't believe that he's able to.
"Does Dad think I'm not good enough, Mom?"
June hugged her son tighter and let out a breath. She can't solve this problem in one night, she knew that. She'd have to chip away at the source, bit by bit.
"Tell you what, Jaune. I've got something to do right now. Wanna come with?"
Jaune eagerly nodded his head. "Sure, Mom."
Hopefully, by spending some time with him, she could do just that.
June nodded and lifted herself. Taking Jaune's hands in her own, she led him out of their house and into their garage. Pressing the open panel, the gates lifted and two cars greeted their sights. June went to her personal car, a Maestro MX-5. It was the first-generation type, complete with pop-up headlights and slightly dated bodywork.
June unlocked the car and motioned Jaune to take the passenger seat. Her son did as he was told. Closing the door beside her, she spoke again. "Put on your seatbelt, Jaune. Make sure it's on tight."
"Okay." His tone was chippier than before, just a bit. June smiled. Looks like spending some time with him was working.
"Good boy. Let's go." June turned on the car. Its headlights popped up and turned on. The engine roared, its small yet supercharged engine sending small vibrations to the driver and the passenger.
June pushed the clutch gently, shifting into first gear. Slowly lifting her foot, she began driving away from their home, the garage closing behind her.
The wind blew past their faces even as they went below the speed limit, the convertible nature of the MX-5 allowing the passengers to feel the cool night air. Jaune could feel his thick blonde hair waving as the wind passed them. Slowly, he began to forget about the nightmares he had.
In curiosity, Jaune asked "Mom, where 'we going?"
"I've got something to do at Mount Ansel, Jaune."
"The mountain? At 01.00 AM?"
Of course, her son was observant. After all, what normal person goes out in the middle of the road to go to the mountain?
June just answered. "It's something very important, Jaune." Her tone left no room for further questions.
Soon, they reached the foot of the mountain. June told Jaune to get the top cover on, of which Jaune complied. As her son did so, she checked her messages once again. A message from Alexa, her old friend.
Remember, 01.30 AM, Mount Ansel. Show something good enough and they'll officially launch the Street Series Concept.
~Dave Rodgers – Make My Day~
June breathed in and out. Right, no pressure.
"Are you done yet, Jaune?"
Her son gave her a thumbs up. "Done, Mom!"
"Alright. Let's start. Hold on."
June pressed on the clutch and shifted back into first gear. She stepped on the gas hard, the tires of the MX-5 squealing as sudden power had to be transferred from wheel to road. The squealing stopped and the car lurched forward, 210 horses from the supercharged engine providing ample acceleration.
"Walking through the night…"
"Uh..., Mom?!" Jaune glanced at his mother worryingly. June didn't answer. A corner was coming up. June quickly braked, her speed going from 150 KM/H to 90 KM/H. She initiated a drift. The car's nose pointed slightly towards the inner guardrail, yet the car didn't lose control as Jaune expected. Instead, the angle stayed relative to the turn until the end, when his mother straightened the car back and punched the gas again. The car lurched forward again, leaving smoke and skid trails at the turn they just left.
"I wonder what you do, this is my time!"
Jaune could feel his heart beating. Was his mother insane?! They could've crashed right there! He turned to look at her but her face showed no signs of concern. She was calm, like this was all in a night's work. The question he was about to ask died on his lips. Instead, he decided to relax and pay attention to the ride.
"Taking you the right place baby!"
After all, he'd be lying if he said that what his mom did on those turns wasn't exciting.
"I'm giving all to you, I'm ready to get through!"
They continued uphill, Jaune sitting with rapt attention as his mother sped up the mountain. Every time they approached a corner, Jaune noted that there were some things that his mom kept doing. Brake, downshift, kick the clutch, turn the wheel towards the inner guardrail, and counter that steer when the car started to gain an angle.
"Don't you wanna let me in, I'm singing again…"
Of course, there were some differences in how she approached each individual corner. Sometimes she wouldn't go all out. That was probably because she knew that another corner was coming up.
"There's a present just for you, and tonight is the right time!"
As they reached the top of the mountain, Jaune expected his mother to slow down. That didn't happen. Instead, as they reached the top, a long straightaway with no one else there, she pulled her handbrake and turned the car around, a full 180 degrees in a 3-second-maneuvere. As the car's nose pointed back the way they came from, June pressed on the gas again. The car accelerated and they began the downhill section.
"It's so good to me, and you baby, don't you feel it again?"
Jaune couldn't help contain his excitement. It's time for round two!
"Woooo! Yeah! Go, Mom!"
June cracked a smile. She's glad that Jaune's happy now, even if she didn't bring him for the time attack run. She just wanted her son to spend time with her.
"Every time you wanna be close to me, make my day!"
They continued racing down the downhill route. Jaune noted that his mother didn't seem to push the gas as hard as she did when they were racing uphill. On the downhill, his mother's movements seemed more fluid, each corner taken with a grace that Jaune could barely comprehend. It was like the car was just another limb for her, something she seemed so in tune with.
"A young soul, I will be next to you!"
In the end, they reached the foot of the mountain again. June stopped and parked at the side of the road. As Jaune was gasping for breath beside her, she grabbed her stopwatch and noticed the time.
"I'm your girl!"
'10 minutes, up and down. Should be good enough. Hope the cameras got that.' June pocketed her stopwatch again and looked at her son. He had the widest grin she'd ever seen.
"I wanna be a Hunter, mom." Jaune began. "But if that doesn't happen, then I wouldn't mind being like you right now."
For the first time in a long time, Jaune's eyes began to shine with hope. Maybe his life wouldn't be so hopeless after all.
June ruffled her son's hair affectionately and pulled her son close. She hugged him tightly. She wouldn't be like her husband, who blocked her son's aspiration at every turn. No, she'd be different.
"And I'll support you all the way, Jaune."
Jaune watched the video intently on Beacon's library. In it, Yang was driving her Intresa down Mount Ganbari's downhill. She braked hard and turned the wheel, her car going around the corner fast. She exited the turn and pressed the gas, the car's engine and turbocharger providing ample acceleration.
'Huh. She's not drifting.' Jaune noted. The GC8A's system was designed for rallying. The mountain passes have some similar traits to rally, including tight turns and low-grip gravel. Of course, the GC8A would excel in those conditions. Noting this, it's no surprise that Yang managed to get a time as good as she did, even without drifting.
Another corner came up, this one a steep hairpin to the right. Yang braked hard and did a drift. The tires screeched against the road and left skid marks. Pressing on the gas, her rear end spun out a bit before getting traction again and her car went straight.
'There it is.' Jaune thought. He replayed that video again, this time in slow motion. 'Looks like she hasn't gotten fast drifting down. The rear end of the car tends to slip way more than it should be. I think she's applying too much throttle at the end there. Then again, this is the first drift I've seen her do. Next one should shed some more light.'
The GC8A approached another corner, this time a medium left. Yang attempted to drift, but it didn't last until the end of the turn. Because of that, she exited the turn with grip cornering instead of drifting. Jaune paused the video.
'There. She braked too early at that point. After that, the car didn't have enough speed to carry on the drift, making the turn slower overall.'
In the video, Yang seemed to take note of this. The next turns were generally better, but still relatively slow. Jaune paused and closed the video. He'd seen all he needed to see.
'She's got to work on drifting a 4WD car. It's a bit different from drifting a RWD car, but she'll have to if she wants to go fast. Right now, she's preferring gripping over drifting because she can't get good time out of those drifts. That's what needs to be prioritized.'
Jaune turned his Scroll off and pocketed it. He got off his seat slowly as to not aggravate his injuries. It wasn't good, however. As he stood up, his neck's bones became sore after looking down at a Scroll for too long while his back ached from sitting too long. Jaune groaned.
'But that was only half an hour! Pyrrha really did a number on me...'
He felt someone tap his shoulder. His breath got caught in his throat. Slowly, he turned around. Takeshi was standing there, hands in his pockets. Jaune let out a sigh. Good, Pyrrha was nowhere in sight.
"Hey, Takeshi. Need something?"
Takeshi shrugged. "Not really. Just wanted to ask you about your opinion on the Blizzards."
"Blizzards?" Jaune quirked an eyebrow. "I've never heard of them."
"Right. I forgot that you've tuned out of the scene for a while. They formed just after you left, the Atlas team I was talking about a few days ago. Here, take a look."
Takeshi handed Jaune his Scroll with a video displayed. He pressed play, and Jaune watched it. The video showed racers using various models and modified version of the Evo, all leaving their opponents in the dust. Be it a GTR, an Intressa, RK, X-series, and others. It seems no one could stand up to them.
"They seem pretty skilled." Jaune said after a while. "The way they take those turns, I can tell that they're using their Evos naturally. Drifts are smooth, lines are solid. They don't force the car's rally heritage to pull their weight for them. They must've already been good drivers before getting those Evos."
"Glad you agree." Takeshi pulled back his Scroll. "Even though I use my GTR to grip, I'm not blind to the advantages of drifting anymore. Not since Fujiwara, anyway."
Jaune hummed. "Right. I don't see how this's causing you to worry though. Those were all Atlas' mountains, right? They've got no business on the Vale scene."
"That's where you're wrong, Jaune." Takeshi responded. "Recently, they've started branching out from Atlas. They've already started taking out the smaller teams around Greater Vale."
"Seriously?" Jaune was surprised. This was big news indeed. "I assume they won all of their matches?"
"Yeah."
"Damn." Jaune muttered.
"Exactly. I thought the Trailblazers were gearing up, but from what you did a few nights ago, you proved me wrong."
"Wait, you saw that?!"
"Heh. Saw you chasing their leader down with his teammates nowhere in sight. And quiet down, this is a library."
"Sorry." Jaune muttered. Like it or not, Takeshi was his senior in Beacon, a 4th year to be precise. He had to listen to what he said.
Takeshi brought them back on topic. "Listen. You and I both know that Vale's scene is one of the most competitive ones out there. We've got a ton of highly skilled drivers. What do you think about an Alliance to stop the Blizzards?"
"An Alliance?" Jaune repeated. "I don't know if I'm the person you should be asking. I've never joined a team, after all. My time in the Street Series has always been spent as a lone driver."
"Come on, give me some inputs here. At least give me some words to work with." Takeshi pleaded. "You know your words will have a lot of impact. Coming from the former Fastest in Vale, after all."
"That's just it, y'know? Former." Jaune stressed the word. "The position's open right now, anyone's free to take it."
"And no one has." Takeshi bit back without missing a beat. His face relaxed moments after. "Sorry. I mean, Fujiwara and Kei are the best bet, but none of 'em are quite at the level you were at just yet."
"And it's been more than 9 months." Jaune sighed. "They should've made a move by now. Alright then. For the record, I think an Alliance will be beneficial. Can't let Atlas stomp all over us, after all. There. You happy?"
Takeshi visibly slumped in relief. "Slightly. I'll still have to convince Shingo, he's coming here in a few days to discuss. After that, I'm gonna have to go around Greater Vale to convince the teams to join."
"Alright then. You do that. If you can excuse me, I've got class. See you later, Takeshi." Jaune nodded and Takeshi nodded back. The blonde began to leave the library, but not before asking something to Takeshi first.
"By the way, that black Evo's driving style seemed familiar. Who was he?"
"Him? The Blizzard's leader, Kyoichi Sudo."
"Sudo, huh…" Jaune let the words roll across his tounge.
The former Fastest in Vale nodded. "Got it. See you."
After classes, Jaune excused himself from his teammates. They looked at him a bit weirdly, but Jaune just said that he had something important to do and waved their concerns away.
("He's going to talk about racing again, isn't he?"
"Relax, Pyrrha. As long as it doesn't involve us, it doesn't matter."
"But I want to be involved, Renny!"
The aforementioned speaker sighed, as did the Mistralian Champion.)
At the parking lot, Jaune caught Yang at the parking lot, leaning against her car. Jaune took out a list that he had written earlier, about the observations he made and gave them to Yang.
"Hope that helps." Jaune said. Yang read the notes. "These are awfully specific." Yang remarked. "How'd you get all of this from just that?"
Jaune shrugged.
"Well, that's that I guess." Jaune turned around. "My team's waiting, so I'll be off, Yang."
"Wait!" Yang called out. She smirked. "Since you can write these down so well, I want to know how good you are behind the wheel. How about a race with JNPR's car? I know it's got a lot of potential."
Jaune chuckled. "Not this time, Yang. My team's not letting me drive for a few weeks." Yang groaned. "Really?" She decided to try a different approach. "Then I guess Nora's blowing hot air after all."
Jaune tried to hide his grimace. "Look, it's not like that. I..left that behind, Yang. I'm retired." 'As much as I don't want to, this is the path I've chosen. I don't do things half-way.' Jaune took a deep breath. "I love racing as much as you do. I'll be glad to show you a few pointers, but that's it. Zip. Nada. I'm done."
'You keep telling yourself that' A voice inside Jaune's head spoke as he turned back and walked away. 'In the end, you're a racer through and through.'
Yang smirked. 'Oh trust me, Vomit Boy. I'll get you cracked, just you wait.'
Meanwhile, she had some drifts to improve.
"Thanks for coming here, Shingo." Takeshi leaned back against his chair in the Family'S restaurant. It was a nice reminder of Miruka for both Shingo and Takeshi. A branch of the restaurant opened at Miruka's foot a few years ago, and it became the Miruka Night Kids' hotspot ever since. Granted, it's not exactly the same here in Vale, but the familiar atmosphere was certainly a welcome one.
"Eh, I was stopping by anyway." Shingo placed his cup of coffee at the table, sitting across from his rival. "It's nice to meet the leader once in a while. We gotta keep each other in check, after all."
"Yeah." Takeshi took a sip of his milkshake. "See, I've got something I wanna ask you."
"Shoot."
"What'd you think about making a Greater Vale Alliance?" Takeshi shot straight to the point. "To deal with the Blizzards." He added to clear the context a bit.
"Hmm? Those Atlas hotshots?" Shingo gave it some thought. "Come to think of it, they are getting too close to us… After that, I'm sure they'll come after the other teams." Shingo rubbed his chin. "Might be one of the few times we'll have to swallow our pride and cooperate."
"Which you don't seem too keen on doing." Takeshi pointed out.
Shingo chuckled. "You know me so well. No, I don't like it." But Shingo spoke again before Takeshi could respond. "But it looks like that's necessary. I don't think my EG6 can stand up to an Evo on the downhill. Other downhillers might have something to say, though."
"Your point?"
Shingo let out a resigned sigh. "Fine, we'll make an alliance and take down Atlas' wonder team as one. That way, all of our respect stays intact 'cause it was a shared effort. Meanwhile, the Blizzards will be left running with their tail between their legs."
Takeshi let out a relieved breath. "Glad you could come around."
Shingo grunted. Clearly, he wasn't that happy. He decided to get this over with. "You got a plan on making this Alliance, Takeshi?"
Takeshi smiled. He pulled out a map and pointed to a spot far away from Vale Capital, a cliff just the side of a beach. "This. The home of the Hashiriya no Teku, Beachside Valley. They're the farthest from Vale Capital. I'm thinking both of us can visit them first, then get the other Vale teams as we come back to Vale. After all of us are teamed up, we'll challenge the Blizzards to a match at Mount Ganbari."
"Why can't we just call 'em from our Scrolls?" Shingo was slightly annoyed. He was looking forward to his own destinations after this little meetup. Now he has to trek across Greater Vale? With this idiot?
"Because we need to make this look serious." Takeshi began "I'm sure everyone knows the threat the Blizzards pose, but we'll need something to convince them to swallow their pride. You know how we street racers are. Best way to do that is by meeting in person."
Shingo slumped. "Ah, damn it. Fine, I'll come with"
At this, all signs of tension finally left Takeshi. "Thanks, Shingo."
"Yeah yeah. This doesn't make us friends, though."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
The next day came and Takeshi parked his GTR at the Family'S parking lot. He double-checked everything on him while waiting for Shingo.
His weapon, a dual revolver/short sword called Reality Grip? Check.
Full tank of gas? Check.
Clothes and their backups? On a suitcase in the back.
Scroll and power bank? Check.
Drinks and food for the ride? Check.
'Alright, then. Time to wait for Shingo, I guess.'
It took a few more minutes, but Shingo came. The distinctive rumble of his B16A engine can be heard from far away. No doubt he had installed a loud exhaust. As his car rolled in front of him, Takeshi checked his car's radio and tuned it to 141.40.
Takeshi spoke through the radio. "Shingo, you hear me?"
"Loud and clear."
"Good. You got everything you need?"
"Pretty much. On your call."
"Got it. Let's go then."
"Lou Grant – Don't Stop the Music"
Takeshi gave the throttle a little nudge. The roar of his GTR R32's RB26DETT sounded through the parking lot. Takeshi pressed on the clutch and shifted to first gear. Letting go of the clutch, he let the GTR roll slowly out of its parking spot.
"Don't stop the music!"
Paying the portal a few lien, he left the parking lot with Shingo behind him. Their headlights pierced the morning fog, the sound of an RB26DETT accompanied by a B16A echoing through the road.
"Don't stop the music!"
They made their way towards the highway. Together, the two highest members of the Miruka Night Kids set off from Vale Capital, commencing their plans to stop the Blizzards.
"Music! Music!"
On their journey away from the Vale junction, a group of cars came in the opposite lane. Takeshi squinted his eyes. Those headlights seem familiar….
Don't stop! Don't stop the music!
And sure enough, Takeshi knew them well. As the group of cars, Evos, approached, Takeshi gripped his steering wheel tightly. They were led by a black Evo, the red "BLIZZARDS" sticker clearly seen on their sides.
"Music! Music!"
The two teams crossed each other, and in that moment the gazes of Kyoichi Sudo and Takeshi Nakazto locked for a brief second. They went past each other soon after, their cars going at higher and higher speeds. With renewed vigour, Takeshi Nakazato steeled his resolve. He'll do his best. He just hoped this plan worked.
"Don't stop the music tonight!"
The EG6 and the R32 GTR sped through the highway.
And Scene! Sorry I couldn't add more, but I felt that this was the best way to wrap up the chapter. Don't forget to review!