A/N Sorry about the delay, things have been really hectic recently and I am finding that I'm lacking my enthusiasm for this fic. So I decided I'm going to take a break to start working with Hachi on another fic. Don't worry I won't leave this fic incomplete but I probably won't be working on it for a while.

Act 25

On Friday night, Aki lay on her bed in front of her computer when Alex walked in. Alex took one look at Aki's intense concentration. "What's so interesting?" she asked.

"Come take a look," Aki replied without looking away from the screen. "Notice anything strange about this course?" she asked pointing to the diagram in front of her.

Alex studied it for a few minutes. "Nope, not a thing. Well don't stay up to late, you have a big night tomorrow," she said sliding off the bed with a sigh.

Aki continued as if she hadn't heard. //There's something about this pass I just can't put my finger on it,// she thought.

*******

The galleries along Irohazka were packed on Saturday night. Rumours that the black FC was going to race drew people from all the surrounding areas. At the peak, the Takahashi brothers had parked their cars alongside the rest of the Dark Horizons. They saw Aki already there sitting on the hood of her car, trying to ignore the catcalling from the galleries. When Kyouichi showed, it only got worse as whispers of "Show the girls their place" began to trickle through the silence of his arrival.

Aki clenched her teeth. //I am not going to get mad. I am not going to get mad. I am NOT going to get mad.// Aki tried to calm herself when she saw her opponent approaching.

"The first one to reach the end of the third bridge wins. You can go first," stated Kyouichi in a bored voice.

//I am NOT going to get mad. Damn, it's not working!//

"No," Aki replied in a cold voice, "I play by the handicap rule. The car with less horsepower goes first, and that hon, would be you."

Kyouichi smiled. "I just thought you'd like to take every advantage you could. This course is Very difficult after all."

Aki smiled in reply. "Really? I didn't know that. So shouldn't you go in front? You know. Show me how it's done."

Kyouichi glanced away. "Shall we get started? We can start at the same time if you like."

"Fine," Aki growled getting into her car. Kyoichi did the same and lined up at the start. In front Chris began to count down.

// Well girl, how do you want to play this?// Aki thought to herself. //I know if I'm behind, I can't trust myself not to ram his skinny ass into the guardrail. But if I'm in front with him chasing…///

[Flashback]

Aki raced down the pass her opponent right behind her, occasionally coming so close that she swore she could feel her bumper being touched. She was getting nervous. The speeds they were racing at barely let them get through the corners. To her right was a wall of rock while to her left a cliff with an 80ft drop. But despite her nerves she was not going to slow down. He had made her angry at the peak. Those sexist comments had spiked her rage and she was not going to lose. Due to her anger, Aki didn't notice when her opponent began to back off. Clearing the next corner she spotted an 18 wheeler in front of her. Breaking hard she managed not to ram into its back. Glancing back she noticed her opponent. He wasn't slowing although it was obvious he too had seen the truck. He was going to hit her and she could get out of the way. He had her pinned behind the truck.

*****

Aki shook her head. It was not going to happen. Not again.

"….2-1 GO!"

Aki took off.

//Just please don't let me cause an accident.//

[A few moments later]

The LanEvo's break lights flared and once again Aki barely managed to slow down in time.

//That bastard, he's doing it on purpose,// Aki fumed. //He does that again and I swear I'll…..no. No accidents, no crashes, no cars bursting up in flames. Just hold on, you're almost half way there.//

Suddenly her eyes caught sight of a bright poster among the crowd reading "Girls Suck" and her temper snapped. The FC's engine suddenly revved in the corner and Aki shot forward into thin air (A/N pulling a Kai). The move was so unplanned, she almost landed on Kyouichi. In his car, Kyouichi glared. He wasn't expecting that kind of a move from the girl. It was a gutsy attack for one wrong move and the car would land and spin out of control. His eyes narrowed. //I'll just get her at the end then.//

*******

Back at the peak, Ryosuke and the rest of the Dark Horizons were listening to the race. Alex was nervously fidgeting.

"What's wrong?" asked Keisuke.

"I have a bad feeling about this. The LanEvo nearly sideswiped her at the beginning of the race, and now he is suddenly stopping to make her back off. If he was doing it as a plan to win I wouldn't have a problem with these tactics," Alex answered.

"But……"

Alex sighed. "He's doing it just to be mean. The way this is going, Aki is going to do something."

The rest of her team silently agreed. Aki's driving was becoming sharper and sharper. To the spectators it looked as though she was slowing down. Her fun and flashy driving technique was giving way to a cold, ruthless professionalism that was hiding her growing rage.

"This is turn 33, the FC just jumped the corner," said a voice over the radio.

"How'd she do that?" asked the twins shocked.

"Well at the corners there's a significant space difference," Ryosuke explained. "By taking a certain line, you can jump in front of your opponent."

"So that's what she saw on the map," Alex said thinking about the other night.

"You mean she knew about it?" asked Keisuke.

"I must say, I'm surprised. Most people wouldn't even think of it unless they had seen the course, and you say she could tell from the map." Ryosuke looked back to his laptop and added in these details. Looking back at his notes, Ryosuke began to notice the range she had. Suddenly a worried voice began to speak over the radio.

"Oh this looks bad. I'm here at the last stretch, the Kyouichi has Aki pinned on the wall. They're coming up to the bridge! Shit! If one of them doesn't back down they're not going to make it over….They are almost at the bridge…..Oh man she bumped him, Kyouichi didn't make it…..Man, he nearly crashed into the wall! The FC's still going. I don't think she's planning on sticking around…" The rest of the report focussed on Kyouichi.

"Something's wrong," Chris said in a worried voice. "That move was totally out of character. She has never purposely endangered someone like that before. Anyone have an idea on where she's headed?"

"Takumi might know," replied Vic. "Anyone got his number?"

Ryosuke passed them his phone. "Speed dial three."

Everyone stared at him. "You have his number on speed dial?" said a surprised Alex.

"Yes, what of it? Aki has your numbers as well," he replied while Chris got a hold of Takumi.

"Alright, Alex, Vic, Vicky, you might as well head back to the motel. Takumi and I are going to get Aki. She's a little down right now and the less people there the better," Chris stated as he tossed Ryosuke his phone.

"All right," they said reluctantly before heading towards their cars.

"Keisuke, go home. I'll be home later," Ryosuke ordered as he got into his car. He was gone before Keisuke could form a reply.

Following Chris's car he replayed the race in his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Not just the anger she showed but the sudden surge of fear he saw when she entered the first corner. Kyouichi made a mistake in when he talked down to her, and his attitude explained her anger. But the fear that came when he almost sideswiped her…… that was something different. For a split second she hesitated. None of the others had picked up on it, but he had been studying her style of driving for months. Aki never hesitated. She always made her choices so smoothly as though the race was preplanned. That hesitation must have carried through to the end of the race. Normally Ryosuke would have been pleased. He had found a weakness, although he didn't know what caused it, and he might be able to use it against her in their upcoming battle. But instead of thinking through scenarios of how to beat her he could only think of one thing.

//Aki, what's wrong?//

A/N To be Continued……