Act 2
It is nearing 3 am in the Takahashi residence and Ryosuke was up working on racing simulations for the upcoming battles in Fukushima. He looks up as Keisuke walks into his room wearing a tank top and sweats, in other words the usual bedtime wear.
"Bro, what are you doing up so late?" Keisuke yawned rubbing his eyes.
"Go back to bed Keisuke, I'll tell you tomorrow. Right now you need some sleep, we have to leave early in the morning," Ryosuke replied.
Keisuke was too tired to argue and mumbled something as he left the room, closing the door behind him. Ryosuke listened as his younger brother stumbled into his room tripping over everything on the floor. A soft thud followed by a curse indicated that Keisuke had once again misjudged the placement of his bed and stubbed his toe. Ryosuke smiled, maybe this time he'll clean it up, and went back to his simulations.
******
The next day the Takahashis went to look over the first pass in Ryosuke FC, Keisuke was riding shotgun so they could discuss the course. Going uphill Keisuke got his first look at the pass.
"It's pretty steep, probably more than Akina or Akagi, eh bro?"
Ryosuke nodded. "Yet the turns are not as sharp as what we are used to. This course is ideal for speed cars with high horsepower and rev speeds."
As if to prove his point a red blur rocketed past them in the next corner. Keisuke spotted it first.
"Hey bro, did you see that car?"
Ryosuke looked back and got a look a its tail lights before it rounded the next corner. "I don't recognize the configuration. It's probably an import."
"Hm, so some rich guy's toy, all show and no skill."
Ryosuke smiled and pulled his car over. "We'll wait here for everyone else."
*****
In the evening, the Dark Horizons met at Koto pass. The twins were pulling up their Lamborghinis beside the others.
"You're late," stated Aki.
"Sorry Aki, we were hungry so we stopped for take-out." The group laughed as the twins blushed.
"How many times do you guys eat in a day?" asked Chris smiling. "That would have been your ninth meal I do believe."
"Come on Chris," whined Vicky, "it was more like our sixth."
Aki put her hand on her head. "I can't believe you two. Ok whose idea was it to stop?"
Each twin pointed at the other making the team burst out into more laughter.
"All right, that's enough," smiled Aki. "I think they've had enough of being laughed at. It's time to get on with the meeting." She pulled out a map and everyone gathered around to look. "These are the passes I think we should check out."
"Already got you covered."
"What?" Aki stares at Alex.
"I checked this place out today," she said pointing to a name, "and I wasn't the only one. It looked as though another team was scouting it as well so it wasn't a local."
"So why don't we just wait for that group to find us here. Then we would have no chance of losing," said Rick.
"The only problem is that people don't believe that there is a team here so they have no reason to come," stated Aki as she turned back to the map.
Rick was angry. He hated it when Aki shot him down like that in front of the others. None of his other driving instructors had ever spoken that way to him for a complaint by him to his father would find them out of a job. It didn't work that way with Aki though. She was hired by a variety of different manufactures to train promising drivers and the only way Rick got in was through his father's connections within his company. She would not lose her position if he complained, rather his father might actually side with her instead.
//One day I'll make her see….//
"Ok, how about this one?" Aki pointed to a pass. "It's close to here plus we don't have to worry about interference from other teams. You guys aren't ready to become 'famous' yet."
Everyone in the team agreed except Rick. He wanted to be known, to become famous, that's why he began racing in the first place yet he didn't say anything and kept looking at the ground.
"So agreed, we can check out the pass and challenge the team?"
They all nodded.
"Then I'll go tomorrow and make the challenge for next Saturday," said Aki folding the map.
"So soon?" Chris was nervous.
Aki smiled at him. "Who wants to go with me tomorrow?"
Only Alex agreed.
"I take it, the rest of you want to sleep in then?"
The twins nodded.
"Fine then. Tomorrow's a rest day. Alex I'll see you here tomorrow morning." With that the meeting ended and everyone went back to the motel where they were staying.
*******
The same night on a different mountain, Ryosuke and Keisuke waited for the other Project D members to arrive. Kenta showed up first.
"I heard that this team usually practices as a group on Fridays and they leave their races for Saturday nights," said Kenta as he walked up.
"That's perfect for your plans, right bro."
"Yes, it's good that these things work out," Ryosuke smiled.
The next to show up was Shingo. Kenta tried to tell more but Ryosuke's cell phone went off.
"Yes. That's right. I see. No don't worry about it."
Keisuke looked questioningly at his older brother.
"It was Takumi, he can't make it tonight but he will be here for Saturday. His manager needs him for a rush delivery."
Satisfied with the answer, Keisuke turned to Shingo. "So where's your partner?"
Shingo glared at him. "He's not my partner. He isn't even my friend."
Keisuke smiled. It was so easy to bait them about this subject. However Ryosuke wasn't nearly as pleased with the answer. Shingo quickly explained Nakazato's absence.
"He got me to convince my friend Sayuki, you know, one of Usui's Sil-Eighty drivers, to go on a date with him."
No one replied to that. The idea of Nakazato on a date was much too shocking.
Cars began to appear around the bend. Kenta pointed out the rear sticker on one of the cars. It spelled out the name Tsunami indicating one of the teams that frequented this pass. The members of Project D watched as the cars raced up and down the road.
"Well Keisuke, what do you think?" asked Ryosuke.
"Some are good, but there aren't that many. Maybe we should go see who the leader of this outfit is."
Ryosuke agreed and got into his car. "Come on Keisuke. Let's go find out who thinks they're the best." Keisuke smiled and jumped into the passenger seat.
They head towards the peak followed by Kenta and Shingo, and as they round a corner a black car suddenly appears in front of them. Before they have time to react, the car drifts past on the outside almost scraping all three cars. It happened so fast that none of them had time to register what kind of car it was before it drove out of sight.
"Bro should we follow?"
"No it's too late to catch up to it now. Someone at the top might know who it was though."
They continued to make their way to the top. Upon reaching the peak they had gained the attention of the rival teams.
"Who claims to be the fastest on this pass?" asked Keisuke settling into his role of the challenger.
One of the guys stepped forward. "I'm Ryo, the leader of the Tsunamis. What can I do for you?"
"We would like to arrange a race with you for this Saturday," replied Keisuke.
"I see no problem with that. We were waiting for a good race anyway." His team nodded.
"Good then its agreed." They began to head back to their cars when Keisuke posed one more question. "Was there a black car hanging around here today?"
Ryo looked at his team before nodding. "Yeah, but no one got a close enough look to see what make it was."
"Thanks anyway," he replied getting into the white FC. "hey bro, do you think they are lying?"
"No, they want to know as much as we do," Ryosuke stated and headed towards home.
******
Aki went to check out the possibility of a battle with a team called Tsunami. She arrived early and managed to grab a spot where she wouldn't be noticed as much. She sat on the hood of her black FC and watched the racers.
//Hmm, some have potential, and a few are pretty good.//
She watched them come up again before getting into her car and heading downhill.
//I probably won't race this time. The others will do fine, their skill are definitely up to par.//
She drove quickly getting the feel of the pass. As she was approaching a corner she saw lights flash.
//Shit, cars. About three of them at the next corner.//
She calculated.
//If I speed up, I won't hit them.//
As she rounds the corner Aki preformed a full drift without crossing the center line on the road, and manages to pass them. Something shocked her.
"The one – the one in front is good. Really good."