"Hey man," Hector greeted Dominic as the rest of the team pulled up and
killed their cars. He shook the larger man's hand, then motioned to the
other men standing just behind him. As if on cue, they all offered up
matching wads of cash. "Ready for this shit?"
"Always," Dom grinned. Leon and Vince flanked him, pushing at each other playfully until Dominic weighed in on the shoving match. Leon stumbled backwards, the dug the cash out of his pocket.
"Sorry dawg," he grinned.
"Dom," Edwin drawled from behind Hector. "Where's that fine sister of yours, man?"
"Don't push it," Dom pointed a finger him. Edwin just grinned and held his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay," he yelled, turning to the crowd. "Let's do it!"
"Not yet, Toretto," a calm voice came from the crowd. "I want in."
Vince and Leon snapped to attention immediately. Vince's hand moved to the back of his pants, but Dom's grip on his shoulder stopped him. Dom's almost black eyes moved first to Lance, dragging slowly over the Asian's shorter form. "You got a lot of nerve." His voice was calm and quiet.
"He's with me. He did his time, which is more than I can say for you." The woman standing next to Lance was close to Dominic's height - slim and dark. Her jet-black lashes moved slowly as she carefully considered the man in front of her. "But I understand you paid your debt in your own way, yes?"
Dominic's nostrils flared as he inhaled. Hector could see what was about to go down, and had no intention of seeing one of his good friends wind up in jail. Again.
"It's an open street," Hector said as he pushed his way between Dom and the growing number of punks facing him down. "You got the cash, you're in the race. Right man?" he turned to Dom.
Dom blinked, then nodded slowly. "Hector holds the pot. You in or out Kuro?"
"In," she nodded. Lance pulled out the cash and held it towards Hector.
The cars cleared out of the back alleyway at a sedate pace, each one growling its way to the chosen spot. Dom took up Leon's normal spot, blocking one of the few side streets. He listened carefully to the constant buzz of the scanner, waiting for just the right moment before giving the signal. Leon's yellow Nissan Skyline was lined up with the other racers, waiting for the starting signal. Dom heard the code he'd been waiting for before grabbing the 2-way and yelling "Go time!" at Hector.
The race started out as it should. Leon got the drop on the others off the line, pulling out fast and hard. Lance was right behind him, followed by a few nameless others. They didn't matter - this race would be decided between Lance and Leon. Dom strained to watch, all the while listening closely to the scanner. The last thing the team needed now was any trouble from the cops. Close, too close to the finish, something happened. Lance's car streaked towards the line, while Leon's choked and died in a cloud of smoke.
The crowd immediately regathered at the finish line, congratulating the newest winner and harassing the losers. Dom moved to Leon's side and popped the hood.
"Holy fuck!" he roared. "What the HELL?"
"I dunno man," Leon shook his head, waving his hand to clear some of the smoke in his eyes.
"You blew a fuckin' piston," Vince muttered as he stuck his head under the hood. "How the hell'd you do that?"
The crowd was clearing out, making their ways to the various parties that followed the race. Dom sighed before calling for a tow. This car was going nowhere on its own.
"Always," Dom grinned. Leon and Vince flanked him, pushing at each other playfully until Dominic weighed in on the shoving match. Leon stumbled backwards, the dug the cash out of his pocket.
"Sorry dawg," he grinned.
"Dom," Edwin drawled from behind Hector. "Where's that fine sister of yours, man?"
"Don't push it," Dom pointed a finger him. Edwin just grinned and held his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay," he yelled, turning to the crowd. "Let's do it!"
"Not yet, Toretto," a calm voice came from the crowd. "I want in."
Vince and Leon snapped to attention immediately. Vince's hand moved to the back of his pants, but Dom's grip on his shoulder stopped him. Dom's almost black eyes moved first to Lance, dragging slowly over the Asian's shorter form. "You got a lot of nerve." His voice was calm and quiet.
"He's with me. He did his time, which is more than I can say for you." The woman standing next to Lance was close to Dominic's height - slim and dark. Her jet-black lashes moved slowly as she carefully considered the man in front of her. "But I understand you paid your debt in your own way, yes?"
Dominic's nostrils flared as he inhaled. Hector could see what was about to go down, and had no intention of seeing one of his good friends wind up in jail. Again.
"It's an open street," Hector said as he pushed his way between Dom and the growing number of punks facing him down. "You got the cash, you're in the race. Right man?" he turned to Dom.
Dom blinked, then nodded slowly. "Hector holds the pot. You in or out Kuro?"
"In," she nodded. Lance pulled out the cash and held it towards Hector.
The cars cleared out of the back alleyway at a sedate pace, each one growling its way to the chosen spot. Dom took up Leon's normal spot, blocking one of the few side streets. He listened carefully to the constant buzz of the scanner, waiting for just the right moment before giving the signal. Leon's yellow Nissan Skyline was lined up with the other racers, waiting for the starting signal. Dom heard the code he'd been waiting for before grabbing the 2-way and yelling "Go time!" at Hector.
The race started out as it should. Leon got the drop on the others off the line, pulling out fast and hard. Lance was right behind him, followed by a few nameless others. They didn't matter - this race would be decided between Lance and Leon. Dom strained to watch, all the while listening closely to the scanner. The last thing the team needed now was any trouble from the cops. Close, too close to the finish, something happened. Lance's car streaked towards the line, while Leon's choked and died in a cloud of smoke.
The crowd immediately regathered at the finish line, congratulating the newest winner and harassing the losers. Dom moved to Leon's side and popped the hood.
"Holy fuck!" he roared. "What the HELL?"
"I dunno man," Leon shook his head, waving his hand to clear some of the smoke in his eyes.
"You blew a fuckin' piston," Vince muttered as he stuck his head under the hood. "How the hell'd you do that?"
The crowd was clearing out, making their ways to the various parties that followed the race. Dom sighed before calling for a tow. This car was going nowhere on its own.