Act 13

Saturday night found the Redsuns driving around Myougi looking for the other team. Keisuke pulled up beside Kenta's car.

"Where's Ryosuke?" asked Kenta.

"He's not coming. He still believes that Myougi isn't their true target."

Chris was nearby and overheard their conversation.

//You just wait and see. The rest of us are coming, just not yet. I wonder if Aki thought this would work against Ryosuke Takahasi. It seems that he might have figured it out.// He smiled. //Maybe she wanted it that way.//

Keisuke looked at his watch, it was 10:10 pm. "Kenta, I'm going to see if my bro's theory was right. Just wait here and call me if anything happens," Keisuke sighed getting into his car.

*******

Aki, Alex and the twins were at the top of Usui waiting for the Sil-Eighty to show. It pulled up in front of the group a little after ten and the two girls got out of their car. Aki stepped forward.

"Hi, I'm Aki Keiichi and I would like to propose a race between our teams."

Sayuki was suspicious. She had noticed the blue eyed Japanese woman hanging around here before. "What's the deal?"

"No deal. You race against the Dark Horizons, you make the rules. That's how it normally works, no?"

//Confident bastard aren't you?// Sayuki smirked, then nodded agreeing to the match.

Alex stepped forward, inwardly smiling. //So much posing for one little race. I hope not everyone here is like this.//

"This is Vic and Vicky, they will be racing together tonight."

The twins raised their heads in acknowledgement. Aki had told them they were racing before so they weren't surprised. Sayuki and Mako were however. All the cars were clearly visible and there seemed to be no reason for them to race together when they both had cars. Quickly hiding her shock, Sayuki outlined the rules of the race.

"…so you have the choice of either going first or second."

The twins looked at Aki who indicated that it was their choice.

"Second," they both said simultaneously.

The two pairs got into their cars and made their way to the first corner.

"This worked out well," said Alex. "This place is deserted, everyone is probably at Myougi waiting."

"Almost everyone," replied Aki looking at the approaching FC. Alex turned around surprised. "And here I thought this tactic might throw you off," said Aki as Ryosuke walked towards them. Ryosuke smiled knowingly while Aki smiled right back, annoyed by his presences yet remaining civil. "I take it that our being here wasn't your only conclusion?"

Hearing the sarcasm in her voice, Ryosuke gave her a sidelong glance before looking back down the road. "There seems to be a fog rolling in."

"What?" That wasn't the answer Aki had been expecting. She looked to the base and saw the deepening fog. She swore in a combination of English and Japanese.

Alex just looked shocked. "What?"

"The fog just hit the road and the twins are headed right for it. If they don't slow down they are going to have a serious problem when C-121 comes up." Aki narrowed her eyes looking at the base. "Great, another car is coming up, probably an FD." Ryosuke looked up. "As if this couldn't get any worse."

Aki raced to her car.

"Aki what are you doing?" asked Alex.

"If I leave now I might be able to reach them before they reach that corner. I might be able to prevent an accident."

The car door beside her slammed shut.

"What are you doing here?"

"My brother's at stake here as well, so naturally I'm coming along."

She didn't have time to argue she quickly gunned her engine. "So why didn't you take your car?"

"Because I like the company."

Aki didn't answer. She didn't know how to answer to that, so she just kept on driving.

******

Sayuki looked back.

//I've never seen a car like that before, but it is doing well.// She gave Mako some instructions and then continued examining the following car. //It is good in both speed and skill. But why are they racing together? They both have their own cars.// Sayuki looked back to the road. Things were starting to get fuzzy. //Is it me?//

She rubbed her eyes and looked at her partner. Mako hadn't changed her driving yet. They went around another corner and ran right into thick fog.

******

Aki was approaching the first corner.

"Make sure you have a good grip Takahashi 'cause I'm going full out." She did some quick calculations in her head. "They should be hitting C-121 in about 10 minutes. I should be able to make it in eight."

Ryosuke looked at the first corner expecting the worst, yet it felt no different from when he would take a corner. The next corner came and Aki increased her speed. Ryosuke glanced at the speedometer. His eyes widened.

//She's not going to be able to make the corner.//

Approaching the corner, Aki lightly touched the brake and turned the wheel slightly. The car began a drift that looked like it was going to end in the wall. Suddenly Ryosuke was hit from behind as the car launched itself forward. Opening his eyes he found himself past the corner and approaching the next. He watched as she did the same move through the next few corners. He looked on in shock. So this was the power of her engine.

"Four minutes to go."

Ryosuke looked ahead and could just barely make out a pair of red lights. A few seconds later Aki also spotted them. "We're about 10 corners away."

"We're not going to make it," stated Ryosuke.

"I can make it." Aki pushed her car faster. Cutting the corners dangerously close. Sparks flew as the FC rubbed against the guardrail.

*******

"So why are you here?" Vic asked his sister.

"Because Aki seems to think that you might learn something. This is rally style meaning you should take my advice when it comes to corners."

"Ah."

"So let's try this. I know how you drive and you can go faster if you get closer to the guardrail."

Vic approached the first turn and did as she said. By the time they reached C-121 the twins had reached an understanding and they were listening to each other.

"Ok the next one is the hard one. Just go full out and think of this as a skidpad test."

"That sharp huh?"

"Yeah so get ready."

"But what about the fog?"

Vicky thought for a moment and looked at the car in front.

"They don't seem too worried. So let's go full speed."