Neon Genesis Evangelion is © Gainax/TV Tokyo. Series distributed by ADV Films. Movies distributed by Manga Entertainment, a subsidiary of Palm Pictures.
Initial D is © Shuichi Shigeno / KODANSHA / prime direction / OB PLANNING. Series distributed in the US by TokyoPop.
INITIALE
By Trent Retrix
01 – The Summoning
From the vantage point on Akina Mountain, a brother and sister pair stood beside their respective cars. Unmoving and silent, the two stood in the soft, night winds, gazing at the lights below. Before the pair was the city of Akina-3; a small suburbia away from the big cities of Japan, out in the country. It was a picturesque landscape, with the neon lights glowing in the darkness of the night. But that didn't matter to the siblings on the mountain; for they had but one purpose for this visiting this city, and it involved the mountain most of all.
"Sister…" the boy spoke softly, "So... This place is our twelfth victim?"
"Hai."
"We've finished scouting the mountain. Perhaps we should get some practice runs in?"
"Of course, Kaworu," the girl responded as she turned toward her brother, with a look of indifference on her face. "Then tomorrow, we find the local team and destroy their race records like all the other cities, then move on to the next, until the Angels Racing Team has left unbeatable records all across the Japanese mountains."
"Sounds like fun, Rei," Kaworu answered with a small grin, "Let's get going."
"Hai."
Parked side by side behind the two siblings, were two cars, already infamous for their drivers' records. On each, near the rear quarter panel, was emblazoned the single red logo of their racing team, "Angels." Neither car had gaudy aftermarket parts on the outside; each part served a vital function, with the brother and sister pair going for substance over style. Both the cars and the drivers had always been like this, ever since they began last year, gaining near-legendary status for their racing exploits at various mountains. Now they sought to ensure that their names would be remembered forever by those who would dare take to the mountain roads.
Kaworu opened his car's door and got in, strapping on his five-point harness. He had learned long ago that normal seat belts just wouldn't do for the type of racing he and his sister were doing. Yellow with a black trim, Kaworu's car was a 2013 SEELE Tabris, known in street racing circles as the "S2." Stepping on the clutch and starting the powerful, turbocharged engine, Kaworu glanced out the driver's side window, and saw his sister's car starting up as well, vibrating slightly with the rumble of its engine.
Rei remained emotionless in the driver's seat of her car - a 2002 SEELE Lilith, known by the name of its engine, "Zero Gouki," among racers - as she concentrated on the task before her. She drove to the top of the mountain, where all the downhill races would begin, with her brother close behind. A low, loud sound emanated from the muffler of her car as she increased her uphill speed. The pale white car seemed almost like a spirit, a blur seen only for a moment as it sped up the hill.
Approaching the starting point for the downhill, Rei pulled the handbrake and jerked the wheel to the left, spinning to a stop positioned perfectly at the starting line. Beside her, Kaworu did the same, both cars like a single unit as they slid into position with pinpoint accuracy, their tires screeching in protest before falling silent. As suddenly as it started, silence once again filled the air as both cars began to prepare for launch. Revving their engines, the two nearly flew down the mountain, taking turns that would scare any other drivers with haunting ease.
Kaworu kept back, content with following his more experienced sister as they both bolted down the mountain. He watched her perform a perfect drift on a turn; depressing the clutch, brake, and gas while turning then slamming on the gas, causing the G-forces of the acceleration to cause the car to slide almost sideways around the turn. With a grin, he mimicked his sister's move, his car taking the sharp turn every bit as flawlessly as Rei's had.
Halfway down the mountain, a pair of lights came into the siblings' rear view mirrors. The headlights became more easily visible as they caught up to them at an amazing speed. Coming up was a difficult S-curve, a 90 degree right turn followed almost immediately by a 90 degree left turn. The two of them had no choice but to slow their machines down to take the turn, having misjudged the entry speed of the corner. The headlights behind them, however, did not follow. Indeed, they seemed to be going faster.
What the hell's he doing? Kaworu thought, He must not know about the next turns… He quickly glanced at his rear-view mirror, catching the vague outline of an unfamiliar automobile. I don't recognize that shape... Is that an MR2? An MPE?
In a flash, the mysterious car passed both racers, leaving both drivers in awe as recognition dawned on both.
"A '79 NERV Eva?" Rei questioned apathetically. Her voice was calm and collected, not showing a hint of her surprise at the nearly thirty-year-old car that passed her up.
Approaching the S-turn, the Eva swung to the left, using the inertia to throw the car into a high-speed drift around the first right corner. Exiting at an odd angle and high speed, near any racer could smell a recipe for disaster.
"He's going to spin out!" Kaworu gasped, contemplating on just how to swerve out of the way and avoid hitting the car. He wouldn't have to worry about that, however. Kaworu's eyes grew wide, watching the older car lurch right, squealing tires before flying into the left turn in a drift, exiting in a near perfect line. Still maintaining its breakneck speed, the Eva drove off into the night.
Kaworu tried to mimic the move, but failed miserably, his lack of concentration causing him to grossly misjudge his entry point and angle, and spun out of control. Rei pulled up next to him, lowering her window and looking at him icily with her cold, red eyes.
"I believe..." Rei mused, calm and calculating as ever, "this is going to be an... interesting city."
It was the middle of June, and Shinji Ikari was spending his summer vacation working part time at a full service gas station along with his closest friends, Kensuke Aida and Touji Suzuhara. However, staying up wasn't easy, between the lack of customers and the thick, humid heat surrounding him. Desperately trying to keep his eyes open, he turned to the gas pumps, only to see his buddies reading a magazine near one of them.
"Guys," Shinji sighed in exasperation, "Do you have to bring your hentai doujinshi to work? We almost got fired last time, remember?"
"Hey!" Kensuke cried out, pointing a finger at Shinji accusingly. "Maybe you forgot that you were the one who cleaned that pile of rags in front of him!? Fuyutsuki-san wouldn't have found them if not for that!"
"Besides," Touji chimed in, holding the cover up for Shinji to see, "It's a car magazine. Nothing perverted about it!" Indeed, he held the newest issue of J's Tipo, an automotive magazine aimed at the young people of Japan. A cute race queen adorned the cover, hiking up her skirt as she lay atop the hood of a red Gainax FLCL.
I'm not entirely convinced, Shinji thought. Aloud, he said in a shaky voice, "We're still in trouble if he sees us slacking off."
"Yeah, never know when that army of customers might show up." Touji retorted sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "Maybe you haven't noticed, but barely anyone ever comes here in the middle of the day."
"Touji knows what he's talking about," Kensuke assured Shinji with a nod of his head. "He's been here since he graduated." Indeed, twenty-year-old Touji had long since graduated from the high school Shinji and Kensuke still attended, and worked full time at Gehern Gas and Service Station, pumping gas and performing tune-ups. He liked the work, and the pay was good, so he never really thought of going elsewhere.
Finally, Shinji shrugged and sighed. "What're you guys reading?" he asked, looking for an escape from the boredom.
"We're lookin' at car reviews!" Kensuke exclaimed, his freckly face beaming proudly, his glasses catching a glare of sunlight, "I'm gonna get me a car so I can join Touji's racing team!"
Shinji blinked in confusion. "Racing team?" he parroted dumbly. As far as he knew, Touji only worked here at the station.
"Street racing," Touji explained, puffing up his chest ever so slightly. "We go up to Mount Akina and race downhill and uphill. We call ourselves the Akina Speedstars! I've been leading ever since I got my NGE."
"What's an NGE?" Shinji queried, "Don't you drive an Anno?"
Touji shook his head and grinned. "No one who races really cares about the model names," he explained. "The chassis aren't that big a deal anyway. It's the engines we're talking about. Mine's an NGE, Gainax Motors' most powerful V6!"
Shinji nodded and faked a smile, trying to look interested. Cars weren't his thing anyway, and driving for fun didn't seem too appealing to him. Kensuke, being practically obsessed with cars for as long as anyone who knew him could remember, was much more eager, his eyes bright and sharp as he took in every word Touji said with rapt interest.
Shinji and Touji both saw Kensuke's face and tried their best to tune him out. One of his rants was coming; they could see it from miles away.
"I wish I had a car…" the racing otaku began, "Then I'd race it and practice every week! Man… I'd never stop until I was the best in Akina! No, wait…. The best in Japan! Yeah!" Kensuke put his hands on an imaginary steering wheel, twisting madly as he went on. "I'll slide across every corner of the mountains! All across Japan, I'll be a legend! And it all starts here, with the Akina Speedstars, and whichever car I choose to drive. My very future in racing depends on this one choice!"
Touji and Shinji both sighed in relief as Kensuke finally came down from his fantasy. After the smoke cleared, Shinji was the first to speak. "Doesn't your family have a car?" he asked.
"Don't be so stupid, Shinji!" berated Kensuke, giving his friend a scandalized look. Shinji raised an eyebrow, while Touji gave a small grin, nodding as Kensuke explained. "It's an automatic with front wheel drive…. It wouldn't stand a chance in a race!"
"He's right," Touji chimed in, "It'd take some mad skills to do anything in a car like that."
The angry horn of an impatient customer broke the three from their conversation. They looked up and saw the car parked at the farthest pump, then went over there and did their jobs; Shinji asked the customer what kind of gas he wanted, then washed the windows with Kensuke while Touji pumped the gas.
When they were done, the boys lined up in front of the driver's window and bowed in synch with one another. Heads still bowed, the three thanked the customer for their business as he drove away.
A loud, low-pitched rumble came from free flowing exhausts. The glimmering headlights seemed to grow as they closed in; four cars rolling down the road till they got to the rest area, then took parking spaces. At a nearby bench, two young men watched the action. However, only one seemed particularly interested.
"Woah! That was awesome, wasn't it, Shinji!?" Kensuke exclaimed, his eyes glowing with excitement as he watched the racecars intently.
"Yeah, sure," Shinji responded indifferently. He didn't really understand Kensuke's fascination with racecars, having always hated driving, and was really regretting his decision to take up Kensuke's invitation to watch as Touji and the rest of the Speedstars performed. As the cars took position and then sped by again, Shinji sighed in boredom, the gusts of wind blasting toward them the only thing remotely exciting.
'Amateur' certainly describes Touji's driving, Shinji thought with a sigh. Not that I'm one to judge; only driving I've ever done is delivering stuff for Father. He sighed as his thoughts drifted to his father. Father...
And so they sat there, watching the cars speed by again for another run, until they returned to their spots in the rest area. Finished, the drivers jumped out their cars to talk about their run. As his teammates talked amongst themselves, Touji walked over to his buddies on the bench. Kensuke and Shinji rose from the bench and walked over to him as he approached, meeting him halfway.
"So," Touji began with a smirk, "Enjoy the show?"
"It was cool," Shinji fibbed, his voice near a deadpan monotone.
"Unbelievable!" Kensuke gushed, his eyes glistening in admiration as he went on. "You gotta get us in the team when we get cars, Touji!"
"Of course," Touji agreed with a smile. "You're my best friends, after all."
"I'll pass," Shinji sighed, shrugging as he did. "This just ain't my thing, you know?"
Kensuke didn't have a chance to attack to Shinji's masculinity before the trio was enveloped in a bright light. Turning to the source, the three got a glimpse of two cars pulling into the rest area. The lights went dead as the cars went silent. Now every eye in the rest area was turned to the two cars, clearly visible under the streetlight. Anyone into racing could recognize them instantly – The Angels racing team had traveled from town to town, track to track, mountain to mountain, anywhere a race could be found. Everywhere they went, local records were shattered and teams were left decimated. The red Angels team logo on the rear quarter panel of the car had become a sign of doom to any other team, a symbol of certain defeat.
The driver's door of the white Zero Gouki opened, and the infamous Rei Ayanami emerged. At age twenty-four, she had already become legendary. Cold and calculating, she had never shown even the most basic of emotion as she drove, her unmatched skill leaving an undeniable impression upon the racers she destroyed. It was as though her actions were a simple routine; as though defeating seasoned racers was a mundane, everyday occurrence. From the yellow S2 emerged Rei's brother, Kaworu Nagisa. Though not quite as renowned as Rei, he was certainly a superior racer in his own right. In the two years since he'd joined Rei as a racing partner, he had easily earned a reputation as one of Japan's elite, second only to his sister in skill.
Touji walked timidly over to the Angels, his Speedstars teammates behind him along with Shinji and Kensuke. He looked as though he was about to run off right there, his face a study of fear and confusion. As they closed the distance between them, Rei glared at Touji coldly with her piercing blood red eyes. Touji's blood ran cold as he quickly bowed, trying not to look as frightened as he was as he showed his respect to the racers before him.
"It's an honor to meet you two, Ayanami-san, Nagisa-san." Touji rose from his bow as he greeted the two. "I'm Touji Suzuhara, and this is my team, the Akina Speedstars."
Rei did not reply, only folding her arms across her chest. She turned her face to Kaworu and nodded her head slightly.
"Never one for conversation are you, dear Rei?" Kaworu remarked with a sigh as he stepped forward. He then turned his attention to Touji and his group. "I see our reputation precedes us."
"Yeah," Touji replied with a weak grin. "Every racer knows the Angels racing team."
"Such flattery," Kaworu chirped with a grin on his face. "I take it then you know why we're here."
Touji nodded slowly. He could feel his team's feet growing cold even from where he stood.
"Well, since we're all racers, let us have ourselves a friendly little rally, shall we?" Kaworu proposed coolly, the eerie little smirk on his face firmly in place. "Next Saturday night, both uphill and downhill. You're game, I trust?"
"We'll be there," Touji affirmed with a strong nod, never the type to back down from a challenge.
"We look forward to it then," Kaworu bowed as he spoke. "I'm sure we'll have ourselves quite an audience."
With that, he and his sister went back into their cars and drove off, leaving the Speedstars in the dust behind them. With keen interest, Kensuke silently watched while the quartet talked among themselves, Shinji not anywhere near as interested in the proceedings.
"What're we gonna do!?" One of the racers, Kenji, squealed in panic as he rushed up to his leader.
"The Angels are better than most pros out there!" another racer, Jin, exclaimed, "We can't even drift properly yet!"
"We're in over our heads, man!" Iwao, the last of them, cried.
Touji cleared his throat to silence his panicking team mates. "That's enough!" he shouted. Confident he had gotten everyone's attention, he went on. "It's hard, I know, but we have to do this! They think they're better than us? We'll show them! Right, guys!?"
Everyone else nodded limply, their eyes devoid of any real hope. They planned on nightly practice until Saturday, then piled into their cars and left for the night. Touji's head was cloudy as he drove Shinji and Kensuke home. Certainly the downhill race would be the main event, the one everyone would be paying attention too. Though still learning how to downhill himself, Touji decided he'd be the one taking the drive. He couldn't ask anyone else in his team to risk his life against these two.
The moonlight night offered no comfort to the worried minds of the Speedstars, who were worried for the team and for their own health.
"God damn it!"
Touji punched the wheel as he cried out his frustration, and then cursed again as he shook the pain out of his hand. He'd been practicing for hours, pushing his car to the limit, taking more and more risks, yet his times weren't improving much. Three days, three nights since the Angels had issued their challenge, and the Speedstars' efforts seemed futile, especially for Touji, who poured his heart out into his practices, trying desperately to improve his racing technique.
Turn.
Clutch.
Gas.
Counter steer.
It sounded so easy, but drifting seemed to be far beyond the reach of the Speedstars' leader. He'd tried so many times down this mountain, but he could only come up with a decent power slide, certainly not enough to challenge Ayanami and Nagisa. With a sigh, Touji began rolling up the mountain to the rest area, where the downhill races would start.
Damn it! Touji cursed inwardly. I can't lose to them! As he drove, he analyzed his run carefully, scrutinizing his every action as he tried to find a way to improve before the fateful encounter Saturday.
At this time of the night, the mountains were normally empty, the winding roads stretching for miles uninterrupted in the ghostly moonlight. The shimmering beauty of Lake Akina invited many to the peaceful waters at the base of the mountain, along with parks and beaches, and even a cozy little resort nearby. But once the sun fell, the roads were normally deserted. Thus, street racers competed during the darkness of the night, when it was unlikely that any cars would come by. Certainly one or two might come along to present a little obstacle, but it was nothing someone couldn't handle with a clear mind. Touji's mind, however, was far from clear as he gassed up around a final bend, accidentally over steering into the opposing lane. As he rounded the curve, Touji saw a pair of burning eyes heading toward him from around the bend.
Headlights. Headlights beaming from the monstrous form of a Sport Utility Vehicle.
He stared in frozen shock as the automobile came close, the headlights of the raised vehicle blinding Touji completely. Desperately, he pulled over to the side of the rode opposite the cliff. However, the tires lost their grip as he slammed on the brakes, squealing madly as the NGE spun out of control. The car smashed into the side of a tree, the driver's side receiving the brunt of the impact as the sickening crunch of metal filled the air. The windshield and side windows seemed to shatter into millions of pieces, raining down upon Touji as the door caved in. He could almost hear his bones breaking as consciousness left him, uttering one word as the darkness consumed him.
"Damn...!"
Meanwhile, the driver of the SUV pulled over and walked to the mangled car, the older man infuriated at the driver's recklessness.
"What do you think you're doing!?" he yelled. As he got a good look at the totaled car before him, he caught sight of a pool of blood forming around the side of the tree that had been hit. His anger left him immediately as he fumbled for his cell phone and called the police. "Oh god...!" He gasped as he waited for dispatch.
It was Friday afternoon, and a dark cloud hung over one particular gas station on this otherwise sunny day in Akina-3. A drained corpse lay still in the garage at the Gehern Gas and Service Station, crippled and broken. The three kids looking at it could only stare in disbelief.
"Dammit," Touji muttered under his breath. "My NGE... Dead..."
"Just be happy you aren't!" Shinji exclaimed as he pointed at the bandages around Touji's torso, the splint on his leg, and the brace around his neck.
The Speedstars' leader had spent two days in the hospital before being released. Amazingly, he suffered nothing more than a badly sprained left leg and a few bruised vertebrae. His car, however, was quite a different story. Most of the frame and engine made it intact, but the engine block was cracked, the suspension was ripped apart, and the axels were snapped in half. The chassis was a total loss as well. Everything could easily be fixed or replaced, but only after weeks of work and a whole lot of money.
"What're you gonna do?" Kensuke asked, concerned for his friend.
Touji sighed as he turned away from his car. "Dunno," he declared. "I'll get the thing running soon enough, but the race is a no-go for me. I couldn't drive with these injuries, even if I could find a ride. Guess I gotta have Jin do it; he's almost as good as me. I just hope we can pull through..."
"I wish we could do something," Shinji said softly, trying to comfort his friend as Kensuke nodded in agreement.
"There's nothing you guys can do besides cheer us on."
"We'll be there," Kensuke smiled, raising a fist to emphasize his point.
"Don't you boys have work to do?" an older voice interrupted, calling from around the corner. As the three boys looked to the source, a figure passed the corner of the building, walking toward them.
"Yes, sir!" the boys bowed to their boss, Kozou Fuyutsuki, before walking back to their posts. Shinji and Kensuke were already out to the pumps, but Touji was slowly limping along. Fuyutsuki put a hand on the boy's shoulder, stopping him in mid-stride.
"Are you sure you're all right, Touji?" Fuyutsuki asked, his eyes showing his concern for his eldest employee, "You look worried."
"I'm all right," the boy responded. "My leg'll be better in a few days, so will my neck and back. I'm just worried about the race tomorrow night."
"Ahhh, of course," Fuyutsuki nodded, a friendly smile growing on his face, "I remember the street racers of my time; I still get excited thinking about the sport..."
"Well, our team is screwed," Touji relayed, hunching down. "Akina's pride will be gone once the Angels come through here. I don't think there's anyone in the city that could even come close to beating them."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Fuyutsuki replied with a smirk, looking up at the sky as he remembered a time when he was younger, before his hair had grayed and his skin had lost its smoothness.
"Huh?" Touji was confused by his boss' rather cryptic statement.
"On Akina," Fuyutsuki began, turning back to the boy, "there is one man who is truly unbeatable. He's been there ever since my days as a street racer, and no one has ever defeated him. He drives an old Sho Gouki."
"A Sho Gouki?" Touji repeated, "I've never seen anyone race that kind of car around here; is he still around?"
"Of course you haven't seen him. He's out there much later that you kids, maybe around three in the morning. Trust me, you'll see him."
"How can I meet him?" Touji asked, his voice laced with excitement. "Do you think he'd race the Angels for us?"
"I don't know if he'd race..." Fuyutsuki frowned. "But meeting him should be easy enough. Gendo is Shinji's father..."
"Shinji's dad?!" Touji nearly yelled, mouth gaping open. He'd seen the man from a distance, having dropped Shinji off many times, but never thought that someone who ran a tofu shop would be the sort to race. "But he's just an ordinary tofu shop guy!"
"You can't judge a person by their outside appearance," Fuyutsuki advised.
"You're right," Touji acknowledged with a slow nod. "I'll talk to him. Thanks, sir!"
Returning to work, Touji continued to ponder about Shinji's father. Could he help the Speedstars? Or perhaps a better question is would he help?
"I'm gonna get some shuteye," Shinji strained to speak through a stifled yawn. "Father's in the kitchen. Just ring the bell on the counter and he'll get you that tofu you wanted."
"All right," Touji said with a weak nod. "See ya." He then waved as his friend disappeared into the back of the shop.
Touji rang the little bell on the counter and waited. After a couple of minutes, Touji had his doubts as to whether the old man was even there. He leaned against the counter with a sigh, trying to figure out what to do now. It was at that moment that a flash of color over by the windows. A flock of birds, Touji thought to himself. No real reason to get all worked up.
"Welcome,"
Touji spun around in shock at the cold greeting, coming face to face with a stern-looking man with rose-tinted glasses, donning a black shirt and pants. Touji blinked as he peered wide-eyed at the intimidating figure before him. This, Touji thought, is a reason to get all worked up.
"I, um..." Touji gulped loud as he tried to settle the butterflies having a riot in his stomach, "I'd like some, umm... T-Tofu!" He gulped again, trembling in fear. "Some fried tofu, yeah..."
The man in black, no doubt Gendo Ikari, smirked slightly, apparently amused by the fearful look of his son's stuttering friend. He grabbed a large block of tofu from a nearby fridge, and then chopped it up into pieces atop a metal heating tray, preparing to fry it.
"Um, Ikari-san..." Touji struggled to get the words out, "I'm the leader of a local racing team..."
Gendo merely raised an eyebrow as he examined the tofu, making sure it didn't burn.
Touji resumed, gulping nervously as he spoke. "We're having a huge race tomorrow night against the Angels racing team, but I got busted up pretty bad as you can see." Touji sighed as he gestured the bandages around his torso. "There's no way I can do it..."
"I suppose there's a point to this story?" Gendo snapped coldly, his eyes as icy as his voice as he looked over at the boy through his shades.
"I'm asking you to drive for us, sir!" Touji spat out, his eyes shutting tightly as he pleaded. "Please, there's no one else, Akina's pride will be ruined if we don't have someone who can take them on!"
Gendo seemed unimpressed, returning to his cooking. They both were silent, the sizzling of the frying tofu the only sound in the café. When it was done, the older man placed the tofu into a Styrofoam container, and then set it on the counter.
"Five hundred yen."
Touji sighed in defeat as he fished the money from his left pocket and laid it on the counter. Whether from hope or desperation, even Touji didn't know, but he decided to try one more time. "Sir, please. We've got no hope left."
The older man gave no indication of interest as he turned away, heading back into the recesses of the kitchen.
"Here's my number if you reconsider," Touji sighed, leaving a piece of paper on the counter before taking his tofu off the counter. "Just call before tomorrow night."
To Touji's surprise, Gendo suddenly paused, then turned around and walked back to the counter, taking the paper and slipping it into his pants' left pocket. "How did you know about me?" the older man asked, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at the younger. "Who told you?"
"Fuyutsuki-san, sir. He's my boss at Gehern Gas and Service."
Gendo gave no reaction as he turned around, heading inside once again. "Very well. I'll call you when I've made my decision."
Suddenly feeling as though all the cares of the world had been lifted from his shoulders, Touji walked out of the café, tofu in hand. He'd found the possible solution to his problems, and in the form of Shinji's dad, no less. As he opened the door to leave, he hummed softly to himself. The walk home wouldn't be so bad.
Gendo Ikari walked into the small room he used as an office and sat down at his small oak desk, hands folded together in front of his face as he frowned slightly, contemplating what had just transpired. He reached for the small black phone on his desk and dialed up his oldest friend, wanting to get some answers.
"Hello?"
"What did you tell that boy, Professor?"
"Ikari!" Fuyutsuki's voice sounded quite cheerful, as though he'd expected the call.
"What did you tell him, Kozou?" Gendo's voice hardened as he spoke. He wasn't interested in small talk this evening.
"Never one to beat around the bush, eh?" Fuyutsuki responded. "Well, Touji seemed desperate enough. Besides, the chance to put some punks in their place seems right up your alley."
Ikari stayed silent a moment. "Normally, yes. But, ever since Yui..."
The two old comrades remained quiet, the sound of light breathing carrying over the phone line. Gendo was the one to break the silence.
"Besides, I've not done the deliveries in a long time."
"You... Haven't?" Fuyutsuki sounded flabbergasted by what he'd just heard. "Then who's been driving the Sho Gouki? I saw it last night coming back from Shibuya."
"That would be Shinji." Gendo replied in an icy tone. No one would ever see the slight grin that crept across the old man's face as he heard the shocked gasp of his old friend. He didn't seem ready for that, Gendo thought triumphantly. One of his greatest talents was the ability to surprise people while remaining completely calm himself. 4
"Perhaps," he resumed, "The old Sho Gouki will make a little appearance tomorrow night..." With that, he hung up the phone, uninterested in whatever response would have come. He folded his hands before him once more, grinning once again. All is going according to the scenario...
The sun beat hard the following day, even as it began its slow descent into the western horizon, the flaming orange ball slowly hiding within the mountains, leaving only darkness behind. The streetlights burned brightly, fighting away at the night just enough to light the roads. On Akina Mountain, the Speedstars, waited at the rest area, all slumped against their cars, resigned to their impending defeat. The call from Ikari-san hadn't come, and Jin would have to take on Kowaru in a few hours. The prospect did not seem appealing.
"Hey there, man," Iwao said with false cheer, patting Jin on the back. "Don't worry, it's gonna be all right."
"Like hell it will!" Jin shot back. "There's no way I can beat them! I'll never be able to show my face again!"
As Iwao opened his mouth to try to assure his friend, the soft beeping of a cell phone interrupted him, its customized chime immediately recognized as Touji's. Pulling out his cell phone, the Speedstars' leader hit the 'answer' button before holding it to his face, the receiver resting against his ear.
"Yeah?" Touji knew he wasn't being the most polite, but he could barely remain civil under the mountain of stress threatening to crush him.
A cold voice responded. "The Sho Gouki will defeat the Angels." With that, the stranger on the other end hung up without giving Touji a chance to respond.
Touji's eyes widened as his jaw hit the floor, the phone slipping from his suddenly limp hand. He struggled to form the words as a wave of jubilation washed over him, tears of joy filling his eyes. "We're saved..."
"Shinji, get down here!"
Shinji struggled to get up from his bed as he wiped the sleep from his eyes and walked down the stairs. "What is it, Father?" he managed to say through a stifled yawn. "I don't have to do delivery for another six hours. Let me sleep at least..."
Gendo met his son at the base of the stairs, stepping from the shadows into the light that fell down from their home above the shop. "Do you know why I've summoned you?" he asked coolly, gazing at Shinji intently.
"Huh?" Shinji looked at his father strangely. "What is it? Stop acting all weird on me..."
Gendo smirked at his son as he stepped closer, adjusting his glasses as he spoke. "I have a use for you..."
To be continued...
INITIALE
Omake 01
Cars (In order of appearance)
Driver: Kaworu Nagisa
Make: SEELE
Model: Tabris
Year: 2013
Engine Code: S2
Engine Layout: 3.6-Liter Rotary, FR
More Info: Experimenting with technology, SEELE introduced the S1 rotary engine in its 2005 Tabris GTX. Still selling strong, the Tabris has undergone only minor body changes in the ten years since the brand's introduction. In 2010, SEELE replaced the S1 engine with the next generation S2. A compact sports coupe, the car only weighs 2600 lbs; coupled with 232 horsepower and 225 ft/lbs of torque, the Tabris has an impressive power-to-weight ratio.
The Tabris owned by Kaworu Nagisa has undergone major suspension and engine modifications, including an intercooled twin-turbo system, rally-grade suspension, and new rear differential. Reportedly, Kaworu's S2 makes near 450 horsepower, with 392 ft/lbs of torque.
Driver: Rei Ayanami
Make: SEELE
Model: Lilith
Year: 2002
Engine Code: Zero Gouki
Engine Layout: 5.7-Liter V8, FR
More Info: Perhaps the only Japanese V8 sports car ever produced, the SEELE Lilith was discontinued after only two years, due to slow sales resulting from inflated gas prices near the beginning of the new millennium. Using 102-octane fuel, the Lilith boasted 300 horsepower and 352 ft/lbs of torque from the factory. Based upon the F-body platform bought from an American auto company, the Lilith isn't known for being the easiest to maneuver.
Rei Ayanami's Lilith has been extensively modified, sporting a 24psi supercharger, performance suspension, and a specifically tuned gearbox among its countless modifications. At last Dyno-test, the engine made near 520 horsepower and 502 ft/lbs of torque.
Driver: Shinji Ikari / Gendo Ikari
Make: NERV
Model: Eva
Year: 1979
Engine Code: Sho Gouki
Engine Layout: 1.9-Liter Inline-4, FR
More Info: Sho Gouki has become somewhat of a legend in street racing; with near perfect weight distribution, the underpowered NERV Eva has been found to be capable of drifting at high speeds. A small hatchback, the car only weighs 1900 lbs, making up for its unimpressive 110 horsepower and 120 ft/lbs of torque. Being a small economy car, the aging Eva is still capable of attaining 30 miles per gallon (12.78 km per liter). Requiring skill to overcome the drawbacks of low horsepower, the Sho Gouki is not favored by many racers, most of whom choose modern, more powerful cars instead.
The Ikari Sho Gouki has been in their possession since 1980, and has most recently been used to deliver tofu from the Ikari Tofu Shop to the hotel at Lake Akina. Sporting no exterior modifications aside from R-rated tires and 15-inch wheels, the Ikari Shogouki has a highly tuned engine, gearbox, suspension, and differentials.
Driver: Touji Suzuhara
Make: Gainax
Model: Anno
Year: 2014
Engine Code: NGE
Engine Layout: 2.9-Liter V6, FR
More Info: Being a luxury sedan, the Gainax Anno is not what one would think to consider a racecar. The V6 is more suited to being a family car, with a maximum of 165 horsepower with 179 ft/lbs of torque. Smooth handling and noiseless ride are accomplished through a system of active suspension and strategically placed insulation.
Being short of cash, Touji Suzuhara bought an Anno with his parents' financial support during his last year of high school. A skilled metal worker, Touji chopped the car, lowering the roof by two inches, and removing the rear doors while still retaining the back seats. Stripping the car's weight down to 2850 lbs from the previous 3900, Touji has removed anything he deemed unnecessary during his extensive work on the body. With his last savings, Touji spent 70000 yen on a replacement EPROM, modifying the engine controller and boosting his car's power up to 200 horsepower and 210 ft/lbs of torque.
And now for something completely different…
Shinji Ikari yawned as he leaned against a pole, struggling to stay awake. With school out for the summer, he and his good friend Kensuke Aida worked part time at the Gehern Gas and Service station along with their good friend, Touji Suzuhara, who had been working full time here since he graduated. Trying to stave off the fatigue, which threatened to consume him, he looked around the station and found his friends near one of the gas pumps, reading a magazine.
"Guys..." Shinji began as he approached the duo, his voice sounding mildly annoyed. "Do you have to bring your hentai manga here? We got in trouble last time!"
"Hey!" Kensuke protested as he glared at Shinji, a scandalized look on his face. "It's not my fault he found those! You were the one who decided to clean that pile of rags!"
"Oh crap!" Touji spat out in shock, interrupting the two of them. "Here he comes!"
Kensuke quickly hid the magazine behind his back as he put on a huge smile for his boss, the other two kids also grinning like idiots.
Fuyutsuki crossed his arms and gave his employees a hard, disapproving look. "And just what are you three doing?"
"Nothing!" Kensuke snapped, trembling in fear as he replied. "Certainly not what you think we are!"
"Nice..." Shinji groaned as he smacked his forehead and sighed. "Very smooth there, Kensuke." Touji could only nod and groan in agreement.
Fuyutsuki reached around and snatched the magazine from the horrified Kensuke, then started flipping through the pages, his eyes growing wider with each flip.
"Oooh!" Fuyutsuki squealed in excitement. "Super Taboo Extreme! My fave!" He quickly regained his composure as he tucked the magazine under his arm and spun around. "I'll be in my office, you three." He paused for a moment before resuming. "Don't mind any strange noises you might hear."
"Um, yeah, all right..." Touji said weakly as he clutched his abdomen, the mental image making his stomach churn angrily. Kensuke and Shinji shivered as they nodded, feeling just as uncomfortable as Touji was that moment.
A short bit down the road, the SUV had pulled over, the driver irate at this punk's reckless driving.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the SUV driver yelled as he stepped out of his vehicle and approached the wreck. As he got a good look at the wreckage, he noticed the pool of blood beginning to form around the side that hit the tree. Instantly, his demeanor changed; he fumbled for his cell phone and immediately called an ambulance. As he waited for a dispatcher, a thought ran through his mind. Damn, he survived. I knew I should have driven the Hummer...
Touji sighed in defeat as he fished the money out of his pocket and laid it on the counter. Whether from hope or sheer desperation, even he didn't know, but Touji decided to try again.
"So you'll do it?" he asked. Gendo showed no emotion as he turned and began to walk into the recesses of the kitchen.
"Here's my number if you reconsider," Touji cooed as he left a piece of paper on the counter. "I'll be waiting when you wanna have a little fun."
Gendo turned around just in time to see Touji wink seductively and leave with his tofu in hand. I'm going to have to have a long talk with my son about his friends... the old man thought to himself as he stood there in shock.
Omake 02
In this omake, I am going to make clear some things about street racing that some people might not know. More importantly, I want to explain the Japanese mountain street racing seen in Initial D and described in this fic. If you've seen all of Initial D, then you could probably ignore all this. The same goes for if you're really into rally-type racing.
First off, forget everything about street racing in America. If you've ever seen the movie The Fast and the Furious, then I feel very, very sorry for you…. Oh yeah, and forget about almost everything in that movie. Huge wings on the back of front wheel drive cars do absolutely nothing to increase speed and handling; the increase in down force on the rear causes the front tires to lose traction, essentially slowing down a front-wheel-drive car. Cold air intakes are not "performance" modifications, as they usually do nothing significant but increase engine noise and (sometimes) increase horsepower by 1-3. Exhaust tips to nothing but to annoy those around the car with the loud noise. Nitrous Oxide is not necessary for Japanese mountain racing, as there is little opportunity to use it without flying off a cliff.
The street racers in the Japanese mountains do not speed down a quarter mile at a time. The Japanese mountain racers rush down the winding, narrow roads on the sides of the mountains. The deciding factor in these types of racers is not how powerful the car is; rather it is based on the skill of the driver, more specifically the ability to turn at very high speeds. Keep in mind that this is performed on mountain roads, where it is usually too dangerous to drive over 50mph. This means that if a racer messes up, there is a good chance that he will fly off the side of a cliff and fall to a gruesome death.
The mountain racers don't have to worry about police busting them; from what I understand, the police are laid back in this matter. The mountains are in the booneys and are far from the general population, meaning that the roads are empty of all bystanders almost all of the time. The only people in danger are the racers themselves. The police only get involved if an area begins to have a substantial increase in dangers and injuries, whether it is the racers or bystanders.
The "ultimate" technique in these races is called "drifting". This happens when your tires temporarily loose their grip during a turn, allowing the car to turn at smaller angles and higher speeds without the driver losing control. This is an extremely difficult thing to do; the timing of the brakes and when to force the tires to loose grip are crucial, as well as the specific manipulation of the steering wheel. If any of it is off, then the driver may lose control, which is a dangerous thing on a mountain.
Many Japanese racers do not refer to their cars by the make or model; instead, they call it by the car company's code for the engine. The Nissan Skyline (depending on the year) is called the R31, R32, R33, R34, or the R35. The Honda Civic hatchback is known as the EG series. And the older (1983) Toyota Corolla / Trueno / Levin is called the 86, based on its engine code of AE86. Those of you who play racing games have probably seen this car in there and wondered, "What the hell is this old piece of crap doing here?" The 86 is famous for being the perfect drifting car; it is light weight and has an even weight distribution. Despite being old and underpowered, many people still race these. Initial D is centered on the incredible skill of a teenager who drives an 86.
Don't worry about any of the above mentioned engine names in this fic. All cars in this fic are fictitious and based upon stuff from Evangelion. None of them are real, with the exception of Misato's Renault Alpine A310 and Kaji's Porsche 928.
Racing Terms:
Aftermarket – the term used to describe equipment that does not originally come with the car.
Air Dam– a scoop on the car designed to "catch" air, and increase down force. Usually found on the hood of cars. Sometimes these openings are used to route air into the engine compartment for the purpose of cooling the engine. One of the few cars that come with this stock is the Subaru Impreza.
AWD - configuration with all four wheels as drive wheels, with the engine either in the rear of the car (Porsche 911 Turbo) or the front of the car (Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4)
Body Kit – the body pieces of a car, usually not stock, that replace the front and rear bumpers and the side "skirts" beneath the doors. These are supposed to be used to increase down force and therefore in crease handling and traction. However, in America and other places, these are only used by amateurs to make their car look more like a racecar, although that's debatable. In fact, body kits do not provide any significant down force at speeds below 80mph.
Burn Out – when the tires squeal, leaving a black tire trail on the asphalt. Caused by either having tires with no grip or making the wheels spin too fast to have any grip
Line – the path that a car takes during a turn
Down Force – the force of air pushing down on the car. Air dams and Spoilers are used to increase down force because an increase in down force results in an increase of the cars handling capabilities.
Drift – explained above; sliding the car during a turn by use of loss of traction, not brakes alone. The loss of traction is caused by shifting to a lower gear while at high rpm. Also, by quickly pressing the gas pedal all the way down, the sudden increase in acceleration will cause the tires to lose traction; however, this only works if the car's engine is very powerful, and is hence known as a horsepower drift.
Exhaust – two meanings: 1) the waste gases the engine produces after burning gasoline 2) the system by which the waste gases are disposed. A "free-flowing" exhaust is one which lets the exhaust gases flow freely without the interference of devices used to silence the sound of it; this increases the rate at which the engine can safely expel gases, increasing power.
FF - configuration of a car with the engine in the front and using the front wheels as the drive wheels. Sometimes referred to as WWD, meaning Wrong Wheel Drive, to mock FF cars.
FR - configuration of a car with the engine in front, and the rear wheels used as drive wheels
Ground Effects – see Body Kit
Inline – a type of engine configuration in which all the pistons are arrange in a single-file line. There are three kinds of these engines: Inline-3. Inline-4, and Inline-6
Nitrous Oxide – a chemical compound that burns faster than air. Using systems to deliver nitrous oxide to the engine, output can be increased by up to 300 horsepower. Though this only lasts for a few seconds, since the supply for nitrous oxide is kept in a small tank. Also known as NOS by some, most probably because of Nitrous Oxide Systems, a company that makes popular nitrous oxide delivery systems.
MR - configuration of a car with the engine directly behind the driver, using the rear wheels as drive wheels. Also known as the mid-ship configuration.
Powerslide – similar to a drift, but much slower. Performed by simply braking and jerking the wheel to any direction.
Ram-Air – a system devised by Pontiac during the 1960's to increase engine performance by letting air in through an intake on the hood, and then "ramming" it into the engine. This differs from turbocharging and supercharging because the increase of air is not generated by a turbine, and does not provide as much performance increase. The last cars to use this system are the Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am WS6, SLP Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS, SLP Engineering Pontiac Firebird Firehawk, and the Pontiac Grand Prix.
Rotary Engine – a type of engine developed by Mazda, which operates mechanically differently than other engines. Instead of pistons and cylinders, a rotary engine generates power by using spinning triangles. The most famous of rotary engine powered car is the Mazda RX-7.
RPM – Revolutions Per Minute; this is the speed at which the engine runs
Horsepower – an arbitrary amount that is the standard unit of measure of the power generated by engines
Torque – the amount of turning force generated by the engine and applied to the wheels. It is directly linked to horsepower, however, torque is much more important in terms of acceleration.
Spoiler – an appendage attached to a car to generate down force. Rear spoilers are usually shaped like upside-down wings and attached to the rear of a car. Front spoilers, also known as Chin Spoilers, are usually replacement front bumpers, shaped to generate down force.
Stock – the term used to describe a car as it comes from the factory
Supercharger – same device as a turbocharger, except that it is powered by either gears or belts instead of exhaust. Has no turbo lag because it does not need to wait for the turbine to start up.
Turbocharger – a device in an engine designed to boost horsepower by forcing more air into the engine via a turbine powered by the engine's wasted exhaust gases.
Turbo Lag – when a turbo charger spools up, it must wait for the turbine to get up to speed before generating boost pressure. Turbo lag is the time it takes for the turbocharger to take effect.
V6 and V8 – these engine configurations are that in which the pistons are arranged in two parallel lines, where they connect to the engine forming a "V" shape.
Notes from the Author:
My apologies to the fans of the other Eva characters. I'll get them in eventually, but I wanna make sure everyone has a decent story behind them before tossing them all in there suddenly. I'm thinking of introducing two to three of them per chapter, meaning this story will at least go up to ten chapters, assuming I can finish it.
And of course, special thanks to The Master Chief for pre-reading for me.
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