Author's Note: Initial D and characters are property of Shuichi Shigeno. The DC2, AP1, and EK9 are property of Honda, the AE86 is property of Toyota, and the FC3S and FD3S are both properties of Mazda. Blah, blah, blah ON WITH THE SHOW!

Announcer: Initial D! R Stage the Fanfic!

Act II - Initial Return

6:25 AM - Lake Akina Hotel

Woulf's black ITR entered the parking lot. He scanned around for the other two drivers that came with him. Finally he spotted a space, directly between Michael's S2000 (AP1) and another car. Michael was a strange one. He had moved here from America such a short time ago, but was adjusting well.

Of course, Woulf thought it odd that he had insisted on importing an exported car. Left-hand drive was something Michael had grown accustomed to in the U.S. He said that shifting with his left hand was far too strange and would take him too long to adjust. Woulf just let it be and allowed Michael the storage space for the car.

Slowly Woulf approached the hotel, twirling his keys around his finger. His other teammate, Sakamoto Akiko, was waiting for him at the door.

"So, handsome" she said as he reached the door. "Where have you been for the past two hours?"

"None of your business Akiko" he replied as he entered the hotel. She put out her cigarette and followed him.

"Oh yeah?" She stuffed her hands into her back pockets as she walked behind him, strutting. "I heard your ITR's tires squealing up and down the mountain all morning. You were previewing Akina's pass, weren't you?"

"So what if I was?" He stopped in the lobby to get a cup of coffee.

"We're ALL supposed to run the course TOGETHER, Toshiro! You know that! You should have waited until Michael and I woke up before you started! Why did you run it without us?"

"Because I saw something I liked and I chased it. Does that answer you question?" He walked to the elevator and pressed the call button.

"What, another ITR, an EK9 like mine maybe? C'mon already, let's hear it."

"It wasn't anything you'd expect for this place. Let's just say Saturday will be fun." The elevator doors opened with a gentle ding. Both stepped inside as Woulf took a sip of his coffee.

"Explain, please. I have to know what you're going up against. I MUST know!"

"Alright." He sighed heavily. "I wanted to wait until Saturday to show you, but I can't handle you bugging me about it like last week. It's an Eight-Six with a special 4A-G. Sounds like one from Group A, but without the VVT controller."

"VVT? What's that?"

"It's like the VTEC in our engines. It surprises me that this engine wouldn't have one, but all it means is that the engine only performs at high revs."

"Okay, so what's so special about that?"

"Because TRD tuned this engine. It's a 1.6-liter engine for use in a Group A AE101, two generations past the Eight-Six. At eleven thousand rpm this engine pushes as much horsepower as Michael's AP1. It was only a few seconds behind me this morning."

The elevator dinged. Woulf sipped his coffee again and approached his room.

"Don't worry about it Akiko" he smiled as he opened the door. "I won't make you go up against this guy. I'll handle this one myself."

6:10 PM - GS Station

Itsuki and Iketani stared at Takumi blankly, unable to believe what he had just told them.

"Yeah," Takumi said in his normal, out of it voice. "I couldn't believe it myself. Even with the new engine and the high grip tires I just installed, I was still slightly slower through the corners."

"Ta-Ta-Takumi lost!?!?" Itsuki whined as tears started to build up in his eyes. His best friend, the driver of Akina's legendary Eight-Six, was beaten by a lowly DC2.

"Not really. I mean, he said that he just passed me and tore down the mountain. He even said it didn't count. But this guy, he's eerie. You know how Takahashi Ryosuke can tell you everything about a car just by how it sounds?"

Both fledgling road racers stared at him again, listening intently.

"Well, this guy can do the same thing. He knew about my engine, probably my tires and high-octane gas, too. He even knew I was the fastest around here."

Iketani's eyes were wide, almost as if he had just seen a pretty girl walk by.

"Hey, Takumi." He stuttered, trying to snap out of his trance. "Are you going to race him?"

"Well, yeah. I don't want anyone to think I'm a coward. It just feels strange."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I remember how it felt when the Redsuns first showed up on Akina and challenged us. It was almost like a dream."

"Yeah," Itsuki butted in. "But Takumi took Takahashi Keisuke down the next week in a super downhill battle!"

Takumi and Iketani just stared at Itsuki like he was a moron.

"Eh heh. I'll just be over here" He scooted away and started sweeping the driveway.

6:12 PM - Fujiwara Tofu Shop

The phone rang inside. Fujiwara Bunta picked it up, taking the smoke out of his mouth.

"Ah, mushi-mushi."

"BUNTA!" Yelled the manager of the GS station through the phone. "I have unbelievable news!"

"What are you bothering me for? I never call you when you're working."

"But your son, Takumi, was beaten buy a guy in an ITR this morning"

"I could have told you that. I noticed it in the Eight-Six and Takumi's mood when he got home. Stop calling me with such trivial things."

"Hey, Bunta, Bunta!" Bunta promptly hung up on Yuichi.

A/N - Okay, that's Act II! Stay tuned for more in Act III, when there's dissention among the ranks of the Honda team! Can Woulf keep the team together? Find out next time on Initial D: R Stage the Fanfic!