The Truth That Lies Beyond The Lies
An AcceleRacers Fanfiction
By: Wings of Speed
Disclaimer: As before, still in Chapter 1.
Summary: Vert discovers the connection between Shirako and Leti as Trinity comes up with a plan that neither Leti nor Vert care for.
The Truth That Lies Beyond The Lies
Chapter 6: A Question Of Loyalty
"Vert?" he finally heard Shirako ask, his voice full of confusion.
Vert continued to stare at Leti as her dark eyes continued to drill into his; her gaze showing her utmost confusion. She wasn't the only one who was confused at the moment. But behind her dark eyes he could tell that her mind was working, it was trying to piece together a puzzle that it didn't have all the jigsaw pieces for yet.
"Vert?" he heard Shirako's voice over the phone connection again, there was still a hint of confusion in his friend's voice.
"Yeah, Shirako, it's me," Vert said, his eyes never leaving Leti's.
She had slowly stood up, her eyes never once leaving his. Her hands were knotted into the fabric of her pants, her knuckles turning white with her grip. Her eyes had also narrowed slightly, as if she were trying to figure out exactly what was going on. Trying to place the last elusive piece of the puzzle into its place, but she still couldn't figure out the big picture.
That was something that Vert, himself, would like to know as well. Apparently, somehow, Leti and Shirako knew each other; knew each other well enough to have one another's cell numbers.
"Vert, how'd you get Leti's phone?" Shirako finally asked. "And why in the hell are you in Wyoming? Or is she in Cally? We thought the Silencerz had captured you, what's going on?" Shirako was shooting question after question at him, without giving him a moment's pause to answer. "Did you manage to escape? Is that why you're in Wyoming?"
Vert was speechless, not that it mattered since Shirako didn't want to give him the chance to answer any of his questions anyhow. This was the most he had ever heard his fellow Teku driver talk before, the young Asian man was always more interested in the sound systems of the team cars than actually talking to his other teammates.
"Shirako, shut up for a few seconds and give me time to answer your questions." Vert demanded, his eyes still locked with Leti's. He paused for a second as the full impact of what he'd just said sunk in; he'd just told Shirako to shut up, that had to be something in itself that was unprecedented. Shirako never formulated enough sentences for someone to tell him to shut up; Vert shook his head, completely bewildered by the events that kept unfolding around him. Everything was getting weirder and weirder by the moment, make that second.
Leti's dark Asian eyes had narrowed at the mention again of Shirako's name, her grip on her pants tightening. Her lips became thin lines and it appeared as if she were about to say something but thought better of it. She remained quiet, waiting to see how things would play out and then possibly get some answers to the questions that were now running rampant through her brain.
There was silence from the other end, "Ok," Shirako finally said. "Answer one question though: How'd you end up with Leti's phone?"
Of all the questions he wants answered, that's the one he wants answered first, Vert thought silently to himself. He's more worried about how I ended up with Leti's phone than where I really am or what's happened. And how in the hell does he know Leti in the first place? Girlfriend, ex-girlfriend? Vert shook his head silently, he didn't think so, Shirako had never mentioned anything about having a girlfriend or even being interested in a girl."It's a long story," he finally said. "One I don't really want to get into over the phone. Let's just say I ran into a couple of my cousins and Leti happens to be friends with them."
"Members of the Atomic Winds?" Shirako asked, there was something in his voice, almost like understanding, but Vert wasn't quite sure.
Vert remained quiet for a bit, thoughts cascading through his mind; questions and more questions chasing one another around. Somehow, Shirako knew about the Atomic Winds, but he'd never mentioned anything about them before; but then again, neither had Vert. He had never bothered, why bring up a group of racers from a completely different state after all?
"Yeah, you could say that. My one cousin, Trinity, is actually their leader." Vert finally answered. He'd thrown Trinity's name into the short reply to see if there was any response or note of recognition in Shirako's voice or tone. He received a simple 'Oh', nothing to give him the impression that his teammate had ever heard of Trinity, not even from Leti.
"Vert? You still there?" Shirako asked after there was silence for a few moments, fearing that the connection had been lost or Leti's cell had died, or something had happened.
"Yeah, I'm still here. I just wanted to call and let you guys know that I'm all right." Vert finally said, letting the surprise of everything settle into his mind. He still had questions though, lots of questions. "How do you know Leti?" That seemed like a good place to start, it might shed some light on some of the questions that were now plaguing him.
"She didn't tell you?" There was a hint of laughter in Shirako's voice. "She's my cousin, my dad's sister's daughter."
Well, that explained that. Shirako and Leti were cousins, that's how they knew one another. That also answered the question of whether or not Leti was a girlfriend or an ex, definitely no way possible in light of their blood relation.
"Ok," he paused, thinking of what else to say. "I'll be heading home shortly. I'll explain everything when I get there. Give me sometime before you guys start worrying, it's going to be a long road trip and I want to say bye to my cousins too."
"All right, I'll let everyone know." With that, the connection was cut. Apparently Shirako didn't feel anything else needed to be said. Then again, that was Shirako, the quiet one of the group. Though it seemed, when it came to Leti, he had more to say than usual.
"Your leaving?" he heard Trinity ask from behind him and Leti. He hadn't even heard her walk up behind them. Her footsteps had been silent on the gravel and dirt of the road side.
He turned around to face her, "Yeah," he answered. "I managed to get a hold of my group and it's time to head back home." He walked toward her, a smile playing across his face. "It was good seeing you again," he said as he enveloped her in a hug. "Make sure you make time in your busy schedule to come down and see me sometime. You know you're always welcome."
She smiled at him, "Yes, and the same could be said for you. You don't visit enough Vert. I miss seeing you." Her eyes suddenly got a strange gleam in them and Vert had enough sense to back up from her. Her mind was working overtime and it was never good when it did that. She was bound to come up with an idea that was sure to get him into all worlds of trouble.
"Whatever you're thinking, stop it right now." He said as he backed further up from her. The gleam in her eyes had suddenly turned into a sparkle, a sparkle of mischief. Yes, he was in all worlds of trouble, he could see it already. "The answer is no, whatever it is, NO!"
She smiled at him as she stepped closer, but there was something in that smile that made it wicked, something that told him there was no innocence anywhere behind her cerulean blue depths. She was planning something and whatever it was had his heart beating a couple thousand miles per minute. Her voice was sugary sweet, to sweet for his tastes; it just didn't suit the Trinity Wheeler he knew. "I think that perhaps Courtney and I and the rest of the Atomic Winds should go with you, we can pay you a visit and meet these friends of yours."
Vert stared at her in disbelief. This was not what he had been expecting; he wasn't sure exactly what he had been expecting but it certainly hadn't been this. He shook his head, a thousand and one reasons echoing through his brain why this wasn't a good idea. The main reason though was the fact that she'd come face to face with Shirako, the last person in the world he truly ever wanted her to meet. If she was able to put two and two together and come up with Bassline there would be all sorts of trouble.
Trouble he didn't think that neither the Teku nor Metal Maniacs were quite ready to deal with. There would be blood, this he was sure of, just who's blood he wasn't certain; would it be Shirako's or Trinity's? This was something he didn't, couldn't, deal with and he was positive that it would snap what little hold Trinity still held on her sanity.
He finally shook his head, "No, I don't think it would be a good idea."
Trinity pouted, her eyes giving him the infamous puppy dog look. He had to turn away; he had never been able to say no to her when she gave him those eyes. He knew that she knew it was his one weakness and she usually used it when she felt all else would fail. She was going for the jugular early on by using that dirty trick.
Her voice held that wounded bird note to it as it wafted into his ears, "But why, we'd get to spend some more time with each other. You could show us around your territory, that is unless you're afraid we might show your team up. Afraid of a little competition?" So the puppy dog eyes hadn't worked and she decided to really play unfair by going after his ego. He had to give her credit, she know how to play him like she knew how to drive.
His eyes caught hers as he brought them up to face her. She held a look of triumph; apparently she already figured she had won the battle. And she was right, he couldn't let her get in that little jab, couldn't let her try to degrade his reputation. Her smile brightened and he groaned in dejection, apparently she wasn't finished with him yet. "Besides, you couldn't find your way out of a wet paper bag; you'll be lost in no time flat. Our cars are equipped with the latest versions of GPS, you give us a destination and we can have you there in no time flat."
Yes, she definitely wasn't done with him yet. So maybe he didn't have the best sense of direction but it couldn't be that hard to find his way home. He had driven to Wyoming many times before…ok, maybe he hadn't done the driving, but he'd been in the car. It couldn't be that hard, could it? Could it?
"You're gonna need our GPS systems and you know it." She said when he didn't answer her right away, but she already knew she had him.
"Fine," he said, allowing it to come out a little more forcefully then it probably needed to. "I'll give you the place I'm-" he paused as she glared at him, "Ok, the place we're going to, but you have to promise to behave."
She grinned at him, her hands coming up in front of her in something similar to a child's happy clap. "I always behave!" She said, her eyes sparkling in merriment.
Vert groaned in complete misery. This was going to be one rough trip, he just knew it; but what lay at the end of the trip was going to be a hundred times worse. Shirako, he thought silently, I hope you're prepared 'cause your life is about ready to get knocked upside down and you aren't going to have a clue what hit you until it's hit you and is gone.
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"Was that Vert?" Nolo asked before Shirako even had the chance to close his phone.
"Where's he at?" Karma asked, not even giving him time to reply to Nolo's question.
"Is he ok?" was asked by Kurt.
"Did you say Wyoming? What's he doing in Wyoming?" came from Tork.
No one was giving him time to answer any questions; they just kept shooting more and more off before he even had a chance to formulate an answer to the first spoken ones. He held up his hands, his eyes dancing in an uncharacteristical way. "One at a time," he said softly, a peculiar grin on his face.
"Is he ok?" Kurt restated his earlier question.
Shirako nodded his head. "From what I gathered, yes he's ok."
"So it was Vert?" Nolo asked, a slight hint of confusion on his face. "Who's the Leti you were talking about?"
The grin on Shirako's face widened slightly, "Leti's my cousin, as I explained to Vert. And yes, it was Vert I was talking to; he was using my cousin's phone."
"He's in Wyoming then?" Tork asked, stepping up so he was nearly in the front of the group that was now surrounding Shirako.
"Yes," Shirako answered.
"What's he doing there?" Tork asked.
"I don't know, he's gonna explain once he gets back."
"So he's heading back then?" Nolo asked.
Shirako nodded his head in answer. "In a bit, he's got some goodbyes to say first."
"And he's all right?" Karma re-asked Kurt's earlier question.
Again Shirako nodded his head, "As far as I could tell. He said he'll explain everything once he gets back."
"But he doesn't know where we're at, you didn't tell him that," Karma observed.
"It won't take him much to figure that out," Nolo responded. "This is one of the first places he'll look."
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Leti nodded in satisfaction as she hit the send button, it was probably best to give Shirako a heads up; that he should be expecting company. It wouldn't be the best of company though, Trinity was smart and it wouldn't take her long until she finally figured out that the truck that Shirako drives was near identical to the one that had caused the crash that had claimed Serena's life.
Once she figured that out, there would be all types of hell to pay. She wouldn't rest until she had seen what she perceived as justice dealt. This of course put Leti into a very sticky situation. She had her loyalty to the Atomic Winds and Trinity as their leader, but she also had loyalties to Shirako as well, they were cousins after all. When the hammer decided to fall, the question would be: on whose side would she find herself? Would she side with Trinity since she was her leader, or would she side with Shirako, her cousin?
The rules of relations would insist that she side with Shirako, but the fundamentals of being on a team would require her to side with her leader and teammate. The whole situation was one she didn't want to be in, one she wanted nothing to do with.
Her message to Shirako had been simple: We're coming for a visit, expect trouble. Keep Bassline hidden.
She knew it would confuse him and he'd probably question her sanity. Hell, lately she had found herself questioning her own sanity, or lack thereof. But she had figured it was best that he have a warning before the storm that was Trinity Wheeler blew into his life and turned it every which way but loose.
She sighed softly and contemplated the events that had happened recently that nose-dived her right into the situation she found herself in. There was Serena's death of course and Trinity's insatiable need for revenge. Then there was the sighting of Bassline, or the truck that looked all too similar to her cousin's ride. Deep down, she knew that it hadn't been Shirako; somehow, she just knew that it hadn't been him. He wouldn't do something like that!
And it was because of that certain knowledge that she hadn't revealed what she knew; hadn't told Trinity or the others that she had recognized the truck. Hadn't revealed to the rest of the Atomic Winds that she knew that truck and also knew who drives it, to do that would be betraying her cousin.
She sighed again, but in not telling them and not allowing Trinity to come face to face with the person she perceived as Serena's murderer, she was also betraying Trinity and the rest of the Atomic Winds. Leti rubbed her head; she could feel the beginning of a headache as her temples began to throb in an uncomfortable rhythm.
"Leti?" she heard a male's voice from behind her, she didn't recognize it as any of her teammates which left Trinity and Courtney's cousin.
She turned around to face him, the fingers of her hands rubbing small circles against her temples, in hopes of relieving the headache before it actually started. "Yeah Vert?" she questioned, hoping that this conversation wasn't going to be anything to taxing. She didn't think she could handle much more drama or anything else for that matter.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" Vert asked softly, his eyes were slowly glancing around at the rest of the Atomic Winds, as if he were trying to pinpoint exactly where one particular member was at.
She sighed again, "Sure, what about?"
"Shirako," he said simply and the pounding in her head intensified. This was definitely one conversation she really didn't want to be having. Hell, anything right about now would be better than what she knew was about to crop up.
"What about him?"
"You know, don't you?" he asked,
She looked at him, really looked at him and couldn't decide whether to play dumb or just truthfully answer his question. She went for option one. "Know what?" she asked, putting all the innocence she could muster into those few words.
He blew some air out between his lips and ran a hand through his hair in a distracted manner. "You know about Shirako and Bassline. That the truck you and the rest of the Atomic Winds saw shortly after Serena and Trinity were forced off the road fits Bassline's description perfectly. You also know that it couldn't have possibly been Shirako, there's no way!" He was trying to maintain a whisper but his voice was slowly growing louder with each word.
She motioned for him to keep it down and he nodded his head. In a subdued whisper he continued, "I don't know if Shirako told you or not, but around the time of the accident, he was just completing Bassline. It's not possible for him to have had that truck here, it's just not possible."
"Just completing Bassline?" she questioned, her eyes narrowing slightly. She really didn't have a clue about what he was talking about.
Vert nodded his head, "Yes, Bassline had been destroyed in a race a little while ago and Shirako was just finishing up on the new one. He couldn't have had it here, it's not possible. The timing just doesn't fit."
She just stared at him as she tried to work out what he had just told her. Bassline had been destroyed and her cousin was rebuilding a new one? The new truck wasn't quite done around the time that Serena had been killed? This new information added to what she already knew and confirmed her suspicions on her cousin's innocence, but it also added new questions and concerns.
Had someone set Shirako up then? Or was there another truck out there that looked exactly like Bassline? What were the chances of that? It was plausible, but what were the odds?
"Then who?" she finally asked. "Vert, I've never seen another truck like his. His is a one of a kind, like the cars that we drive. They're all custom, right down to the pedals."
Vert nodded his head, "I understand that, all the cars the Teku and Maniacs drive are custom too. They're built from the chassis up, there's not a possibility of our cars having a twin, it's just not possible." Apparently, Vert was just as confused by the circumstances as Leti was, it was plainly written on his face.
Leti looked at him, watching the tiny lines that appeared and disappeared around his eyes. "If she puts two and two together and figures out that Shirako drives a truck identical to the one that forced her and Serena off the road, I shudder to think of what she'll do. She'll be out for Shirako's blood and I can't let that happen."
Vert sighed as he glanced around, his gaze quickly landing on their topic of conversation. Trinity was standing next to Bass Assault, one hand on the roof as she leaned against the car. Courtney and Mikey were with her; they had their heads together and were discussing something; completely oblivious to the world around them.
That was good for the moment, at least then he and Leti didn't have to worry about either one of the three overhearing something that they didn't need to be hearing. But there were five members to the Atomic Winds and he could only account for four of them; where was Jon hiding at?
Almost as if she had read his mind Leti answered his unspoken question. "Jon's sitting in Crash and Burn if that's who you're looking for." Then, almost as if it was an afterthought and in a rather snide voice she said, "It's past his bedtime."
Well, there's the completion of Chapter 6, I could have continued for quite a while longer but it's already up to 9 pages and I don't want to give anyone a headache from staring at the computer screen for to long. Been there, done that and the trip to the ER is not a fun thing when you feel like your head is about to explode…plus I hate CT Scans. I have issues with small spaces that whirl as something's going around you…long story. Anyhow, I hope you liked this chapter and the ending line was meant as a weak attempt at humor. It made me laugh so hopefully it'll had the same effect on you the readers. Make sure you review, I thrive on them plus it lets me know you're enjoying what you're reading.
Now, onto the shout outs…
I unno: Glad you liked the chapter and at the moment, I'm even wondering what's going to happen next. The story seems to have taken on a mind of its own, though it is still following my basic plan, but it keeps adding twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. Like the whole thing with Leti/Vert and the cell call to Shirako, that was quite unexpected but it just popped up and seemed like a really good idea. Hope you liked this chapter as well.
Tristar: Yes, poor Vert had ended up in quite a bit of confusion and it's only going to get worse as the story progresses. And the pleasure's all mine, thanks for the review, it's greatly appreciated.
Southernlady: Believe me, I plan on continuing. This story has an indefinite amount of chapters in it; I'm not even sure when it's going to end. I know what the ending is, it's just a problem of will that be the actual ending or will people want it continued once I reach what should be perceived as the ending…now I've got myself confused. Anyhow, glad you've liked and hopefully you liked this chapter as well.
KawaiiYamato: Yes, I got the e-mail, shortly after I uploaded the new chapter. Sorry I didn't sent this chapter to you but I'm really impatient to get it uploaded, I've had a lovely day and wanted to share my good fortune and mood with everyone else by updating the story. Hope you can forgive me for not giving you a sneak peek or having you edit this chappie for me. I have got to say that I'm very happy that your computer is now fixed and you'll be updating regularly…but you've got to finish at least a couple of your stories! I wanna know endings! Again, I'm being impatient, lol. And of course I love you; you give me wonderful stories to read!
MoonRavenX: I can't wait for you to get your new story up, I'll be waiting impatiently for the first chapter…once again I'm being impatient; it seems to be my mood today! I can remember what school was like, now I have to deal with work, that seems to take up all my time and if it's not that, then its car repairs. Luckily I can fix minor things myself; it's the major repairs that cost me in the long run. Things should definitely be getting more and more interesting from here in out.
C-chan: glad you liked the story, I love reviews no matter what, especially the good ones. Hopefully you'll continue reading and continue to like the story, even once things get really hectic.
KTezla: Glad things are proving to be unpredictable; in all honesty, I never saw the whole thing with Shirako and the cell phone coming either, it just kinda wormed its way in and I thought it was pretty good so I left it in. I'm glad you're happy that I update, I try to update at least once a week and if that's not possible I attempt to as soon as is possible, it helps though that I usually have another chapter partially completed when I upload the new one. I have got to say that dragons are one, if not, my favorite legendary creature. So Vert's your obsession huh? He's cute, but for some odd reason I seem to be drawn to Shirako, not sure if it's 'cause he's quiet or 'cause of Bassline…I absolutely adore that truck! My son has a habit of calling my car Bassline, it's white and packs one hell of a system in it as well, though I don't think it's anything compared to the system in the actual Bassline. I've been to the forum and actually toyed with the idea of signing up, but someone beat me to Shirako…sighs plus I'm not sure exactly what to do. I'm at a loss on things like that. And yes, you are one of my favorite reviewers; I've got a few particular who I wait for their reviews. I'm sure they know who they are, lol. I'm glad you're behind me 100 on this story, I was a little leery of actually posting it, I wasn't sure if anyone would like it or not. I'm glad that there are people who do like it and tell me so, there's a thrill to seeing all the positive reviews for this story. Hope you've enjoyed this chapter as much as the rest.
Now, hopefully everyone will review and tell me exactly what they're thinking of the story. I can't stress this enough, plus you might get the seventh chapter written a bit quicker…hint Now Review!