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[outlaw-2]

Preview of the next chapter...

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“Too much of a mystery that it's bugging me,” the butch replied with a heavy sigh. “No matter, you need a courtesy car while I work on the R34. I've heard about what happened to your Honda Prelude as well. Still waiting for the new tyres to come, am I right?”

“Yeah... And I sent the rims to be repainted as it has some nasty chipped areas. Reminds me of dried earwax.”

“Oh damn, I can't un-see that,” Nagase cringed at the thought. “Get those wheels stacked at the back of the garage and follow me to round the back. The courtesy car's still on jacks.”

“What about the Celica ST165?”

“Unless you want to leave a trail of rust down Yokohama.”

“I get you.”

As both the butch and the powerhouse got hold of two wheels each, they plodded along round the back of the garage. There were several cars that appear to be in several stages of scrap. Chassis and body panels that could not be salvaged lay piled on the far right, rusting away while cracked and broken window panels sat against them. Cracked engine blocks of various make were stacked in rows on the dry, dusty ground. It was only then Minoru took notice of a singular saloon, supported off the ground with four car jacks, one on each side of the wheel. But... he could not make out on what brand and model it was. Not a word left his mouth as the duo bolted the wheels onto the said sedan.

“Just.... what car is this? Never seen it before,” the brunet asked, noticing that logo that has a yellow tiger on a green roundel embossed upon a dark blue shield, with words on top that read... “Proton? As in the electron and neutron thing?”

“Very funny,” Nagase replied in a bland tone. “What you are looking at now is a car from Malaysia. A Proton Waja. Though, the chassis is heavily modified from its usual front wheel drive shenanigans. Since it's the company's 'toy car', we've been fooling around with it.”

As the Proton was off the car jacks, the butch leaned on it, her right hand patting the top part of the bonnet, “First things first, it's now rear wheel drive, using parts from a scrapped Silvia S13 Q; driveshaft, differential, brakes. Gearbox is from a scrapped eighth generation Mitsubishi Galant VR-G. And the engine, oh boy. Is one heck of a gem thanks to my dad.”

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A six year promise is slowly being fulfilled all right. And it's from before the revamp as well.
Someone's gonna go 'Holy shit.' A certain username that starts with a 'B'?

This post has been edited by outlaw-2 on Nov 1 2015, 12:51 PM

[outlaw-2]

The mind is a peculiar thing,
it has the power to assume strength from weakness,
it has the talent to accept or challenge unprecedented fate,
but can it have the ability to even agree,

that there is something about this blood red car,
that chooses the driver?

5th Stage
Spiritual Selection

Minutes passed by fleetingly at the tuner shop, resulting in both Minoru and Nagase dousing each other with tap water from a nearby water hose, followed by a brief moment of wrestling on the wet, smooth concrete. The commotion provided some entertainment for the tuners and engineers whom were dreading the monotony of their jobs. Not so for an individual known as Terao Ozuma, the owner of the company.

Standing at a respectable height of 1.73m, the 56 year old sported short grey hair with a side parted fringe. Of a rather buff build, years of not working out have made him out of shape, even though he is still considered fit. Normally sporting a casual dark grey company polo shirt, tough black cargo jeans, and matching dark brown boots from Dr. Martens, Terao currently dons a navy blue work jacket over it as he helps out working on the engine swap for a Toyota Crown. He is used to seeing the commotion between his own daughter and the powerhouse in the workplace, but adding water into the mix is just asking for it. There are other projects within the vicinity that would be tarnished if water were involved.

"God damn it you two!" the middle-aged man yelled, green eyes glaring at his own family member. "I don't mind seeing you two numbnuts going rough and tough, but playing with the damn water? And you, Nagase! 29 years old and still not married. Just find a man already!"

That had the butch paused dead in her tracks, allowing Minoru to break free from her grasp and fled, "I haven't find the one I want to be with yet, damn it!"

"Well, those two are like a close couple if you think the other way," thought Aikawa, who witnessed the commotion while pacing her way towards Terao.

Green eyes then turned towards Twin-tails, "Ah, Aikawa. Been a while."

"Yep," the blonde replied. "Anyway, should we get the rolling road ready?"

"All on standby. As soon as you called an hour ago, we got it prepped. Myself and Nagase will attend to the R34 should anything needs changing. A car being left stagnant that long is bound to bring about a lot of deterioration. Even if all goes well, I'd opt for a full overhaul. But before all that, let's have a look-see at this Tommykaira," Terao suggested as he leads the way to the garage on the far right. "But first, get that Minoru to the car and drive it in there."

The blonde had the intention of catching that brunet with her own hands, but Akiko cut in.

"Ay, Minoru! Ya need ta get that red Nissan of yers into the garage near to dat Mitsu!" the tanned lass yelled over to the intended person, who appeared to be hiding behind Ryou's Toyota.

"Wait, wait," Minoru replied. "That butchy woman there?"

Blue eyes scanned the area around her, "Ah, naw. She ain't around somehow. Git going in yer car."

… … …

In the workshop, after a few moments of physical banter between Minoru and Nagase that involved about a spanner and a hammer, the Tommykaira got onto the rolling road. Terao had a quick look under the bonnet, and was surprised at the immaculate condition. Minoru had not even did anything to it when he took it out onto the Shutokou and went full tilt down the Wangan Straight and doing an excess of 370kmh. Considering the brunet to be lucky for that stint, he got into the driver's seat of the R34 and hollered his daughter over to ready the computer.

Minutes passed by as Terao powered the R34 on the rolling road. The computer marked out the power curve on the coupe's engine, and it appeared... underwhelming. 620hp. That did not feel right. A second run began soon after. No doubt, the middle-aged man pulled off about the same horsepower figure.

"Nagase, the techs did overhaul and calibrated the rolling-road 2 days ago, right?" Terao asked, sticking his head out of the driver's seat window.

"Yep, witnessed it with my two eyes," the butch replied. "Let me get in it and see if I can rake up more power. Just to be sure."

"Suit yourself," her father responded as he got out of the R34. "But I doubt it will be any different."

Minoru was present, looking at the tests going on while Aikawa and Akiko went off to the main building to check up on Ryou, who have been in there the whole time. Brown eyes took notice of the butch getting into the coupe before shutting the driver's side door. Nothing appears out of the ordinary apart from the amusingly low horsepower figure. He did hit 370kmh at one time, and 620hp might not even be close to even power the Skyline GT-R to reach that speed. Nagase applied the throttle after her father did a reset on the computer. The powercurve formed a different line compared to what Terao did earlier. 685hp.

"Is it even serviced properly?" the butch pondered before voicing out. "Dad, a second run."

The second run with Nagase behind the wheel resulted in the same power figure. 685hp. That left both Terao and Nagase stunned. Something must not be right. Minoru stepped up, and suggested he could have a go.

"I seriously want to get the rolling road serviced again, but have a shot," the woman implied as she got out of the car. "The interior of the coupe is slightly cooler than the humid interior of the garage here though. Did you leave the air conditioning running all this time?"

"Nope, turned off everything when we arrived here. And Terao didn't seem to even bother to turn on the air-con as well," the powerhouse replied before getting into the Tommykaira. "It does feel a bit cooler in here somewhat."

"Didn't even turn on the air-con when I got in," the middle aged man countered. "The graph's reset. Give it the beans on the throttle."

"If Minoru gets a different reading, I'm going to call the technicians back to have a look at the system. Maybe some kind of calibration problem?" Nagase implied, her right hand holding a flip phone.

Without a moment's hesitation, the powerhouse applied the throttle. Immediately, there was something off. It was not the rolling road that caught their attention. The Tommykaira itself. Despite being shackled down by straps, the mind-blowing surge of acceleration had the coupe lunging a bit from where it was as the revs climb. The sound of the coupe was different than what Terao and Nagase had heard when they were in, and out of the car. It was as if the R34 was trying to attack. Green eyes from the middle aged man then turned to look at the computer. Both of his eyebrows raised, amused at the result.

"Welp, call the technicians. This is definitely off," he announced, pointing a finger at his daughter. "Do it."

"Way off?" Nagase asked, dialing the number on the phone.

"Minoru racked up 990hp in that run."

"You serious?"

The brunet remained in the coupe, somewhat surprised by how the car reacted as he revved it just moments ago. Not only the surge of power rocked the car a bit while shackled on the rolling road, but the temperature in the cockpit dropped drastically. He had his eyes on the air-conditioning unit just to be sure that it was off. It was. He had his right hand on the driver's side air-con vent the whole time as well. Uncertainty kicked in for Minoru as he got out of the R34. He remained silent as Nagase got hold of the technician, and was able to arrange a check-up on the system. The good news came in when the technician would be bringing in their portable variant as a temporary replacement should he find faults.

Hours rolled by as the rather confused technician arrived with the portable rolling road. As the Tommykaira was driven off the static version and onto the portable one, Terao got Minoru to stay in the car. If there was one thing the middle-aged man wanted to know now, it would be that power output. Not a word left the brunet as he receives a thumbs up from Terao. Minoru depressed on the accelerator. Once again, the temperature in the cockpit began to drop, drastically. He lifted his right hand on the air-con vents once again. None, no cool air coming out of it. He stretched his left arm towards the passenger side's. Nothing. A chill ran down his spine. Once again, the Tommykaira's acceleration attempted to break free from the shackles. The engine screamed at such ferocity, it even had the technician turning to look. Terao looked on in disbelief as the computer showed the final power output of the R34.

"You have got to be kidding me. 990hp?" he uttered, somehow audible enough for Nagase to hear it.

"Oy, scrub, did you do anything to boost the engine power in there, like a damn afterburner?" the butch yelled, catching Minoru's attention instantly.

"Heck no! There ain't such a thing in the Tommykaira, woman!" the brunet countered as he got out the red coupe. "You think I want to even kill a car with such a stupid modification like that?"

"Judging by how long I've known you, yes," the 29 year old countered. "But whatever it is, I suggest doing a major overhaul on the engine. I don't trust the fact that it runs fine after being dormant in that garage you found for years. Now get it off the rolling road and get it into the garage, and on the lift. Pa, I'll settle the R34. I guess Minoru's standard payment is via installment?"

"Yep, either 6 months or 12 months. Depends on the severity of the total costs," the middle aged man replied, before turning his attention to the technician.

Green eyes from the butch turned to look at the powerhouse in the red coupe as he drove past her and into the garage just to the left of the main building while a thought ran into her mind. "A full engine overhaul... If I were to do it thoroughly and quickly, if all the parts are all good like what that scrub says, at least a week and a half. Don't touch the gearbox my dad would say on engine overhaul, but I rather do that as well. Transmission fluid is as important as well. The only thing is, knowing Minoru, he'd request for a courtesy car. That Toyota Celica ST165 is pretty much scrap though. Unless... 'that' car could be used. It just needs new wheels."

… … …

"That took a while having a look in the engine bay, but initial suspicions were right. That RB26DETT appears to be heavily tuned, and after some struggle, it's even more unreal that it has an N1 engine. That '24U' stamp on the engine block is proof so far. Not sure on the internals though. I really suspect it might have been bored and stroked to a bigger displacement," Nagase pointed out after her initial checks of the engine in the Tommykaira. "I thought all Tommykaira R34s are from the early batches with the standard '5U' blocks? Or did the previous owner possibly swap it for an older generation N1?"

Minoru could only reply with a shrug, "No idea. Paperwork that came with the car came up with nothing related to those mods. It's a mystery by itself. Only thing it stated that it's bored and stroked to 2700cc, and that's it. No mention on anything else when I registered the car."

"Too much of a mystery that it's bugging me," the butch replied with a heavy sigh. "No matter, you need a courtesy car while I work on the R34. I've heard about what happened to your Honda Prelude as well. Still waiting for the new tyres to come, am I right?"

"Yeah... And I sent the rims to be repainted as it has some nasty chipped areas. Reminds me of dried earwax."

"Oh damn, I can't un-see that," Nagase cringed at the thought. "Get those wheels stacked at the back of the garage and follow me to round the back. The courtesy car's still on jacks."

"What about the Celica ST165?"

"Unless you want to leave a trail of rust down the Shutokou."

"I get you."

As both the butch and the powerhouse got hold of two wheels each, they plodded along round the back of the garage. There were several cars that appear to be in several stages of scrap. Chassis and body panels that could not be salvaged lay piled on the far right, rusting away while cracked and broken window panels sat against them. Cracked engine blocks of various make were stacked in rows on the dry, dusty ground. It was only then Minoru took notice of a singular, stock-looking, silver saloon, supported off the ground with four car jacks, one on each side of the wheel. But... he could not make out on what brand and model it was. Not a word left his mouth as the duo bolted the wheels onto the said sedan.

"Just... what car is this? Never seen it before," the brunet asked, noticing that logo that has a yellow tiger on a green roundel embossed upon a dark blue shield, with words on top that read... "Proton? As in the electron and neutron thing?"

"Very funny," Nagase replied in a bland tone. "What you are looking at now is a car from Malaysia. A Proton Waja. Though, the chassis is heavily modified from its usual front wheel drive shenanigans. Since it's the company's 'toy car', we've been fooling around with it."

As the Proton was off the car jacks, the butch leaned on it, her right hand patting the top part of the bonnet, "First things first, it's now rear wheel drive, using parts from a scrapped Silvia S13 Q; driveshaft, differential, brakes. Gearbox is from a scrapped eighth generation Mitsubishi Galant VR-G. And the engine, oh boy. Is one heck of a gem thanks to my dad."

"What about it? You certainly know how to make me interested," Minoru's attention perked up, getting to know more about this saloon.

With a smug look, she replied, proudly, "Under this bonnet lies a menacing 2000cc, twin-turbo V6... from Maserati. It was meant as a spare for my dad's 2800cc twin-turbo V6 just in case if it failed, but since it kept on going, and a recent overhaul on it showed it having no signs of wear on the engine block and manifold...yeah. It ended up in this company's project car. You could say it's a sleeper car, this Proton."

"How about the engine that came with it? And I guess you imported it all the way from Malaysia?" the brunet asked, leaning against the Waja, next to the butch.

"Yep, imported it brand new from Penang, Malaysia. And the engine, well..." she paused for a moment, unsure on how to say it. "It's a bit of a gutless wonder if I were to say the truth. Proton's in house engine, the CamPro 1.6 litres, only does 110hp. That's even lower than what the 1980s AE86 had at 128hp with the same displacement, and older technology."

"Ouch, any progress on the CamPro engine? Or did you ditch it?"

"Ditch it when brand new?" green eyes turned to look at the brunet with a look of disapproval. "You mad? We kept it, and fiddled around with it. Bored and stroked it to 1700cc, and ported it bumped its horsepower to 145hp. It's sitting temporarily in one of our Mitsubishi Lancer sedans, those 5th generation ones. It had a supercharger from an AW11 installed at one point which raised the power output to about 165hp, but had to be removed because a customer was looking for a cheap, working replacement for his AW11 MR2. The CamPro does have potential, but you need to wring the crap out of it just to reach there. We do have a project planned for it of course."

"Which is?" Minoru asked, interested in the matter.

"Twin-charging the CamPro engine. You know, like the one on the Lancia Delta S4?"

"A lot of work to do I can predict."

"Shit ton of work," Nagase let out a heavy sigh as she clasped her hand together and stretched forwards. "We're just in the paperwork stages and targeted for a low output of at least 300hp and already found a problem. High possibility of overheating. But never mind that for now. Get in the Waja. Hope these 16 inch wheels are good enough for the sedan. Tyres on them are brand new by the way."

"Wait wait," the brunet paused, stopping the butch from opening the driver's side door. "How much horsepower does this Proton make now?"

"With some tweaking on the engine, mostly just porting, and tuning with an aftermarket ECU, it makes 350hp now. It will reach its top speed of 260kmh, limited by the gearbox itself, rather easily. So, we kind of have the ECU to limit the speed to around 255kmh just to prevent the gearbox from overheating, or breaking."

"I'll probably end up having the ECU go bonkers and still hit the 260kmh limit. It happened before with the old ST165 when I went full tilt down Wangan Outbound. Still don't know how I did it," Minoru grinned as he got in via the driver's side.

"Oy, other side, scrub."

"I am driving this back later on, you muscle woman."

The rest of the day at the tuners went by uneventfully, with Ryou securing his pre-orders on a new set of springs and bushes for his Toyota Chaser. Aikawa had her deal settled by purchasing transmission fluid to replace the one in her S30Z, and pre-ordered the gaskets for the engine, while Akiko booked a schedule for a thorough maintenance for her Autozam AZ-1, due in three week's time. However, if there was one thing Minoru finally remembered...

"Aikawa,"

"Yes?" Twin-tails replied, turning her attention to Minoru, who happened to be in the Proton.

"Did you... forget something? I happen to notice once we got here," the brunet asked in a calm manner, though his eyes appear to shoot arrows at the blonde.

"Nope, got my bottles of transmission fluid for the S30Z, and pre-ordered the gaskets for the Fairlady," she replied, taken aback by the powerhouse's reaction.

"You forgot, didn't you? A certain wrecked car in the garage?"

A sense of dread kicked in for the woman, realising what Minoru meant, "Ah... my Hakosuka GT-R."

"Damn it, shorty," the brunet replied in a monotonous tone. "Money's on you for the towing services."

… … …

Night time fell in the Ozuma Tech Tuners as Nagase made her way into the garage with the Tommykaira, still elevated on the lift. Her father followed suit seconds later, with somewhat a concerned look.

"Nagase," he called.

"Yeah, dad?" she replied, turning around to look at him.

"The technician did a run through with our rolling road. There's nothing wrong with it, both hardware and software," the 56 year old paused, as he leaned against the wall of the main building. "But still, the varying difference in power outputs from myself, you, and Minoru is puzzling. I knew about the Tommykaira R then. Was even at the same pace at one point during my stint back in those days when my Ghibli II was running at a mind-blowing 850hp. The only thing that restricted me was my own nerves. Just hitting such speeds made the Maserati feel... vulnerable. However, it was not because of the car. It was the driver; one look at him behind the wheel and there goes my confidence."

Terao remained silent as his head tilted upwards, gazing at the cloudy night, "Nevertheless, that was my height of my stint, I had the intention to defeat that R34, after that incident. It is unfortunate that about that brutal crash."

The butch had the intention to ask about the crash her father mentioned, but refrained. She turned away, unsure on how to change the topic.

"Anyway, you let Minoru drive that Proton as a courtesy car? You do know that sedan is your responsibility should anything happen to it, especially the engine?" the middle aged man asked, bringing about the current events. "We did find a valuable candidate to replace that engine early in the morning in the junkyard. That 3S-GE from a Toyota Altezza RS200. A lot of custom parts to fabricate though."

"I know, I did try to convince him not to go full tilt on the throttle," the lass paused. "But considering that it's Minoru we're talking about, he's bound to go full tilt on it. The adapter we fabricated for the gearbox didn't inspire confidence when we installed it. I just hope the gasket holds up."

"Heh, that's Minoru for you; our unofficial car torture tester," Terao chuckled as he shrugged it off. "Anyway, the R34. Let me help you on draining the fluids. After that, it's all yours."

"Thanks, dad."

… … …

Shin-Kanjou Clockwise

A brief run in the silver, Malaysian sedan was what Minoru needed to get himself familiarised. Considering that he is driving a rear wheel drive car for the first time did draw some concerns for him. He would normally expect some form of understeering like what he would in the Honda Prelude. However, being in both the Tommykaira and this Proton does shake his confidence a bit. The new tyres on the saloon at least ensured him on constant traction during the run. The brunet did make sure he did not hit the limited top speed, let alone even tick over 240kmh. The acceleration on this car feels like a rally car that has been naturalised for highway runs.

"I have to admit, it does feel good in a way once I get my doubts aside. Suspension is a bit on the soft side, and it leans a bit on the corners, but all is well," he thought as the Waja crossed the Rainbow Bridge. "Time to head back I guess."

Cruising at a paltry 80kmh on the second lane, the brunet drove past a rest area, and took notice of a rather familiar looking coupe. Brown eyes squinted a bit at the rear view mirror, witnessing the sports car filtering into the highway from the rest area. A quick glance at the license plate of the said vehicle pretty much confirms his query; Kagura's back from her delivery.

"That's fast," the brunet thought. "Normally it would take a person at least 4 to 5 hours to reach Aichi from Tokyo. She must have tilted that throttle hard."

As the R32 slipped into the first lane in attempt to overtake him, Minoru applied more pressure on the accelerator as he wound down the window. Red eyes from the albino took notice and wound down the passenger side window, only to notice the brunet, in an unfamiliar car. A smile formed on the powerhouse, and replied with a nod. Kagura, not a word, let out a grin, and floored the accelerator while winding up the window, overtaking the Proton.

"Hey now," the 24 year old uttered under his breath. "That's cheating. No countdown whatsoever?"

Gearing down to 2nd, the brunet floored the throttle, allowing the twin-turbo V6 to sing as it hit top rev in record time. 105kmh. 3rd gear. The wide left corner was peanuts at such a speed. 140kmh, 6500rpm. His left hand gripped onto the gearknob, ready for another upshift. 7000rpm. He hit 4th. No tyre squeal, just a surge of acceleration. The speedometer read at 165kmh as the Proton approached the next bend; a wide right turn with a decline. Kagura's R32 was barely out of sight when she jump started the race earlier on, and now, at least, Minoru could get a glimpse of the tailights. 175kmh. He feathered on the throttle and steered the saloon into the corner, slipping into the first lane. The decline allowed the Waja to surge in speed, forcing the powerhouse to hit 5th gear prematurely at 190kmh. Brown eyes looked ahead as the Nissan indicated to the right.

"Not going into your favourite course; the C1 Outer Loop, Kagura? This is a treat," he thought, following suit with the R32. "These tyres better be ready for some torture through this route."

Slipping onto the first lane, he allowed the Proton to reach 220kmh, going past the Hamasaki junction. A brief moderate left bend was next. A quick 'out-in-out' technique would suffice, and not need to lose any speed in any attempt to keep with the GT-R. He held his breath. As he expected, a van was in his way on the second lane. Seconds away from the bend. That particular traffic was just too far to overtake and execute the maneuvere. His hopes now rely on the fresh tyres. Without a hint of hesitation, Minoru turned the wheel, hard. 230kmh. The front tyres squealed as it gripped through the moderate bend. The rear slipped, but ever so slightly, allowing the sedan to direct its way towards the exit with minimal speed loss. 215kmh. His right feet still flooring the accelerator.

"Barely catching up, but at least I still have my sights on Kagura," he thought, the Proton tapping just close to 240kmh. "Ah, I'm close to the top speed."

As the highway widened to three lanes, brown eyes took notice of the black Nissan slipping into the middle lane, while he remained on the first. An S-bend is next; a wide left, followed by a wide right, with the third lane filtering off to the Shiodome junction exit. If there is one thing the brunet can do to catch up, it would be the risky, late braking. 250kmh on the speedometer. He needed to judge when to slam on the brakes, to even effectively catch up with the albino. Brakes lights on the Skyline GT-R lit up. Minoru paid no attention as the Proton screamed towards the left corner.

"Now!" he thought as he held his breath, slamming the brake pedal.

… … …

"Dad?" Nagase called out as she inspected the oil on the collector. "There seems to be something odd about the engine oil, and transmission fluid. They are both the same colour."

Terao, who was busy cleaning the sump, paced his way towards his daughter, who too noticed the sight, "Now this is different. Dark red in colour as well."

"And a strong metallic smell too," the butch replied. "I have a gut feeling the brake fluid, and radiator coolant would be the same. I just have this sinking feeling somehow."

"Get the brake fluid bleeder."

Not a word was said in the following minutes as Terao observed the old brake fluid in the container as they begin the flush. No doubt, dark red, and a strong metallic scent. The middle-aged man would simply pass it off as corrosion, but considering that all the brake lines, no, every single damn component on the Tommykaira is in pristine working order... Confusion set in for Terao as he stared blankly at the fluid, unaware of his daughter calling him over a few times.

"Minoru did say he found this Tommykaira in a hidden garage within the premises of the dormitory he's manning," thought the 56 year old. "That itself is already an unbelievable feat. But what are the chances of this particular one to be that Tommykaira that I raced against back then? The R34 that sent shivers to anyone that challenged, or be challenged by it."

"Dad, you all right?" Nagase asked, pacing her way towards her family member.

"Whatever it is, it is bringing me back into the world I've retired for the past 7 years. December 1999. The time where I last challenged that Tommykaira R34, that should not have existed. It was officially released in 2001 by the tuners. That two year gap meant something. Was it a prototype?" Terao uttered under his breath.

"Dad?"

"Nagase," he said, his eyes turning to look at her daughter. "Did you say that the engine block is the 24U type when you checked it?"

"Yeah, why?" the butch replied, slowly getting concerned. "What about it?"

"Something just doesn't add up the more I think about it. Not only the car itself, Nagase."

"Which is?"

"Just who is the previous driver of this Tommykaira? The one before Minoru got his hands on it? Just who is that person?"

… … …

Solutions only bring about more questions,
Be it the unknown original owner of the machine,
Be it the bleeding machine itself, laying comatose,
Just waiting to return to the highway,

Where it rightfully belongs,
always searching.

… … …

*Proton Waja is also known as the Impian in some regions.

[outlaw-2]

Well, it happened. One bad news, one good news.

Bad News: PSP is finally dead, dragging along Street Supremacy, my source for the Shuto Highway Routes.

Good News:

Image size reduced, original size: 1919 x 1079. Click here to view the image in its original dimension.

Image size reduced, original size: 1919 x 1079. Click here to view the image in its original dimension.

It lives once again as an emulator. No lag, goes well with the Xbox 360 controller.

[outlaw-2]

Speed, a sensation that excites the senses,
Pumping adrenaline, revealing skills and weaknesses,
But what if... separated from its being,
Can it execute the same excitement?

6th Stage
Inorganic Soul

Tyres squealed under braking as the needle on the speedometer dropped rapidly from 250kmh to 165kmh. Without a chance to downshift to 4th, Minoru steered to the left abruptly. The rear tyres screeched as the weight of the Proton lunged towards the barriers. The suspension had the sedan lean towards the outermost side of the first lane, leaving the brunet only centimetres to get the car clearing the corner. With haste he hit 4th gear, and floored it. Traction from the tyres slingshot the Waja ahead, marginally reducing the lead Kagura's R32 had. 175kmh. Not enough distance for the Proton to gain speed as the following, winding right corner comes in next. The brunet knew he placed the sedan at a disadvantageous position. He would need to slow down a lot just to clear the obstacle, and not entering the Shiodome junction exit on the far left filter lane.

"There's nothing I can do but to just hope these fresh tyres are already warmed up," he thought, tapping on the brakes as the bend approaches, fast. "And throw this Proton into the corner."

With a swift single movement on the steering wheel, the inertia from braking shifted the weight slightly towards the front tyres, increasing traction. The Waja turned, but the rear began to slip. The brunet hastily hit 3rd gear, allowing the needle on the tachometer to rise, and the engine singing a loud, throaty tune. 130kmh. The Proton slipped into the middle lane mid-apex. Rear tyres began to register the grip as the inertia swung towards the back of the saloon, but now causing a powerslide. Minoru had expected this to happen on a rear wheel drive car, and countersteered, slightly. The Proton held on at the middle lane while the brunet feathered the throttle, coaxing the rear tyres to grip the tarmac. Brown eyes stole a glance at the road ahead. He was reducing the gap all right, but Kagura already cleared the corner, and now barreling down the road in the second lane. A blast of flames from the R32's exhaust pipes agitated Minoru. It felt like a taunt. A faint jolt soon caught his attention, followed by a forward surge from the Proton. At 140kmh, he geared up to 4th.

"The tyres are really grippy from the looks of it. Not race tyre grippy, of course," he thought. "Despite that, Kagura's clawing back that lead. Her R32's Group A spec tuning really shows in the ShinKanjou and C1 Loops. And that S-bend ahead is really intimidating. It's like going in blind."

Minoru knew that particular series of turns all too well. Just after entering the tunnel, it begins with a moderate right turn, followed by a similarly hard left. Being a two lane road in this portion of the Shuto highway left him no room for error for the Proton, let alone in his Honda Prelude. Brake lights lit up on the Waja as he geared down to 3rd. Needle on the speedometer indicated 125kmh. Without a second thought running through his mind, Minoru steered hard onto the first corner. The rear swung out, but the tyres held on with its immense traction. Speeds reduced to 110kmh. He floored the accelerator, switching lanes onto lane 1 upon exiting the right bend. A white kei car came into view, occupying lane 2 and entering the upcoming left corner. A faint 'tch' left his mouth. As much as he wanted to be reckless, having another road user involved would only escalate problems. 140kmh. He remained in 3rd gear, but reduced pressure on the throttle.

"If this was my Honda, no way I can clear this corner and stay in the same lane at such speed," he thought, his hands clenching harder on the steering wheel. "But here goes nothing."

Just centimetres before the start of the bend, he steered the wheel to the left. The soft suspension had the Waja leaning to the right as the tyres clawed onto the asphalt, desperately trying not to slip. The inertia of the sedan and lack of support from the seat had Minoru's right shoulder slamming onto the driver's side window. 120kmh. Squealing from the tyres were barely heard as the Proton reached halfway through the corner, overtaking that kei car. He floored the throttle. Revs rose on the tachometer while the needle on the speedometer followed suit. 140kmh. Rear tyres began to scream, maximising its traction potential while inertia and suspension worked its way, as the weight shifts to the rear. Minoru felt the front of the car rising just a bit, followed by a slight forward push. He geared up to 4th.

"Wait," he thought, noticing what was in his view as he looked ahead. "Did that kei car slowed Kagura down at that S-bend?"

No doubt, Minoru, despite being under-powered compared to that albino's R32, have pretty much closed in the gap to an estimated distance of ten metres. 180kmh. This particular section of the Shuto highway with only two lanes made the Proton feel faster than usual. Little to no road shoulders, and the ever so intimidating barriers would often get to Minoru every time. His remedy to it would only be paying attention to the road ahead, the total width of the two lanes, and the severity of the corners. Uncertainty kicked in. Brown eyes stole a glance at the speedometer. 195kmh. Though hesitant, he hit 5th gear, but applied the accelerator gradually. Another S-bend was in sight, but not as severe as the other previous two. 210kmh. Effortlessly, Minoru witnessed the black Skyline GT-R entering the bend on the second lane without drama except for minor tyre squealing. The brunet followed suit, but on the first lane, with intention of hitting both apexes. At 215kmh, the Proton entered the first challenge. The soft suspension proved detrimental as the rear slipped ever so slightly, making the sedan lean, and turning more than expected.

Not a word left his mouth as he corrected it by counter-steering early, at the cost of more speed loss than he had expected. 190kmh. If there was one thing Minoru would be tempted to tamper with the courtesy car, it would be the suspension settings. It felt as if it was more suited for off-road rallying on loose gravel or clay. A light right bend was next. On the second lane, Minoru entered the turn, slowly slipping into the first lane to hit the apex, and retaining the speed. 200kmh. The Proton hit the apex, the side mirror just centimetres from touching the metal barriers. Once again, the suspension setup came interfering, forcing him to counter-steer immediately.

"Starting to get irritated by this Proton somehow," he uttered under his breath. "It starts freaking out once you try to push beyond what it can do."

… … …

Crimson eyes glanced at the rear view mirror, witnessing the silver sedan recovering from an unexpected slide. She knew Minoru would be driving in a courtesy car, but she never expected it to be a car from an unknown make, and model.

"Whatever happened to that Celica GT-Four ST165?" she thought, applying half throttle, in 3rd gear. "Also, I'm not pushing hard and that car seems to be really struggling. At least that old Toyota could rear end me with 500hp from that modified, yet tiny 2 litre engine it has."

She stole a glance at the rear view mirror again. Whatever that brunet was pulling off, it appeared to be catching up with Kagura. A quick left bend was ahead, but that is just a were walk in the park for the R32. Even the divider ahead which splits the two lane road briefly into singular lanes due to a support beam for a bridge, is child's play. That saloon behind her, however, had her concerned.

"Whoever replaced the courtesy car, really did not do a good job on the suspension setup. Looks like it drives like a pudding," she uttered under her breath. "And knowing Minoru, whom has yet to even figure out the characteristics of a rear wheel drive car, he's bound to screw something up."

That was when she witnessed the most ambitious attempt from the powerhouse. The strange sedan came screaming into the corner she was in previously at high speed, and turned early. Kagura applied the brakes, dropping her speed below 150kmh. If there was one thing she wanted to see, it was Minoru's attempt in taming a rear wheel drive car, let alone one with a botched suspension setup. In an awkward motion, the silver saloon rocked to the right, sending it slipping into the first lane before the front wheels counter-steered ever so slightly to regain control. However, just as Kagura had expected it to fully recover from the stint, the sedan then leans to the left, ever so threatening it to hit the divider. She held her breath as she witnessed it slamming on the brakes. It stopped just before coming into contact. Without hesitation, the albino turned on the hazard lights, wound down her driver's side window, and waved her right arm, palm facing downwards towards Minoru; her usual sign to terminate the race.

"Time to get out of the Shuto Highway," she thought. "And I need to top up my fuel."

Minutes passed by as the two cars exited the highway via Kyoubashi exit, and stopped at a nearby petrol station, where Kagura finally got to know about this... unknown sedan Minoru had been driving all along. The brunet emerged from it, exhausted, and his face dripping in sweat, despite putting the air-conditioning on full blast.

"What happened to the usual Toyota Celica courtesy car?" the lass asked as she dug her left pocket, pulling out a pack of tissues, and handing it over to the powerhouse. "Wipe the sweat off. You look like you showered in there."

"Thanks," Minoru replied as he pulled a sheet out. "Apparently it became a rust bucket, and got scrapped. This Proton Waja is their supposedly new courtesy car, though it's actually the company's project. It apparently got converted from front wheel drive to rear wheel drive."

"Proton Waja?" Kagura asked, staring at the front of the sedan. "It doesn't look much though. More like your run-of-the-mill Mitsubishi Lancer sedans we see everyday."

Minoru shrugged before walking over to the attendant, "Regular, please. Will be paying by cash."

"Much obliged!" the frisky attendant replied as he got to work almost immediately.

"Not getting the usual premium or ultimate?" the albino asked, before another attendant came up towards her. "Ultimate, please. Payment via credit card."

"Not for the courtesy car, just for the Honda and Tommykaira," he replied before pacing his way into the store.

That left the lass standing alone next to her black coupe, giving her a chance to have a better look at the Proton. Unimpressed would be the word she was looking for as she paced her way around it. Nothing seemed to stick out that attracts attention. She then got into the driver's seat, and pulled the bonnet lever. The interior though, reminds much like what an ordinary Japanese sedan would have. Seats comfortable enough, and every piece and button were where one would expect to be. As she got out of the saloon, she popped the bonnet open. That was where something caught her attention.

"So that's why it could keep up. Well, just barely that is," Kagura uttered under her breath before Minoru exited the store and came over with two bottles of mineral water.

"A Maserati, 2 litre, twin-turbo V6. Makes about 350hp with some minor tweaks," said the brunet, handing a cold bottle to the albino. "Here."

"Thanks," the pale skinned individual replied, grabbing the bottle. "But that suspension though. It heaves through the corners like a wet hippo on steroids."

"Hah! It's worse than that. More like a drunk elephant trying to run. Or a Kirishima battleship trying to turn at high speed," Minoru ranted before taking a big gulp of water. "And leans as if a yokozuna is pushing on one side."

"Soggy suspension eh?"

"Your shapely boobs are firmer than the Proton."

"Heh, I figured when you would pull that off," said the albino confidently, her body thrust out towards the Powerhouse as a tease while a smirk formed on her face briefly before getting to the main point. "But seriously, tune the springs when we get back. Aikawa would probably flip if she feels this woolly suspension."

"Flip? If I throw her towards the car, she would bounce back like a damn trampoline!" Minoru added, sarcastically.

… … …

Days went by uneventfully for Minoru and the group, with the exception of occasional drinking parties in the dormitory that often made them wish they had not. However, things got confusing for Terao and Nagase back at the tuner company, whom have fully dismantled the engine and gearbox, cleaned and reassembled, and put back together in record time. Discrepancies when comparing to the information provided by the documents and receipts Minoru have found in the gloves box was extensive. It started with the discovery of a supercharger, which is installed, complete with the ancillaries fitted. However, it lacked the belt to power it. Second came from the invoices, which listed the engine as a 2800cc RB26DETT, with a 05U engine block, making 800hp. Terao, taking the rough measurements of the cylinder bore and stroke of the current engine, confirmed it to be at the rather awkward 2700cc. It was only through further digging through the thick documentation file where he found supporting evidence. An engine swap job between Tommykaira's tuned 2.8 litre RB26DETT an the unknown 2.7 litre RB26DETT, where the source was simply listed as 'Nissan Skyline GT-R'. It only made the middle aged man wonder more on the version where the engine came from; the BNR32, or the BCNR33.

"Damn it, Nagase," he said, in a rather bemused tone. "This car has more mystery than some Alfred Hitchcock ones. Now we have no idea which type of Skyline GT-R that 2.7 litre engine came from."

"If we think logically, 24U engine blocks were pretty much came from the N1 models of the GT-Rs, but they are pretty rare to begin with. That's where I begin to question if some models were peppered with these 24U engine blocks," the butch replied, finalizing the installation of the supercharger. "And the belt's on. Not sure what kind of boost we'll be getting from it though. Maybe some low rev range improvement?"

"You forgot the brake fluid," Terao pointed out, his left index finger pointing at the unopened bottle of DOT 5.1 brake fluid. "Get one of the mechanics to help you bleed the system. We'll find out the supercharger's purpose when we finally get it running. No point wondering what it can do for now. The thing I'm noticing now is that during the purchase of the Tommykaira R, to the engine swap, and the various modifications that came with it, the dates between them are narrowly spaced. Last dated appears to be... 29th December 1999; an oil change, and ECU tuning."

"Come to think of it, dad," the 29 year old pondered before voicing out her concern. "If the Tommykaira's original engine was swapped for that 24U variant, you think there's a possibility that it might be kept in the same place where Minoru found the car? I highly doubt the previous owner would be that mad to sell it away."

"That," he paused, closing the file as he stood up and paced his way out of the garage. "We'll have to ask Minoru himself. But now, I'll be putting my Maserati on the vacant garage lift."

Green eyes from Nagase widened, obviously in surprise to what she just heard, "Whatever for? It's perfectly fine for the past 3 weeks since its last maintenance."

The middle aged man paused, dead in his tracks before turning around to look at his daughter, "What do you think I'm planning to do with it? I'm bringing out that retired gearbox, ECU, and twin-turbochargers back in action, and re-tune the suspension."

"What, you want to come back into the racing scene? Is it because of this Tommykaira?" she asked, her excitement growing stronger.

"Like I said, what do you think?" Terao replied, his eyebrows raised. "Well then, time to pull an all-nighter for this sake. This 'Hunter' is coming back."

Though, even if I come back, what am I really am going to do?
Sure, the Tommykaira that's in front of me might be the one I have raced against.
But, for what reason?
Is there even a point for me to even return into the highway scene?

Is it because of this lingering hatred against it that I left behind years ago?
Or is it the thrill that I felt when I went one on one against it, and craved more?
Damn, this 56 year old body might have gone wonky over the years ever since then,
But damn my mind and soul still crave more of this excitement.

As she looked on at her father leaving the garage, Nagase pondered on the sudden change of opinion of returning to the highway racing scene. She remembered all too well back then when he decided to quit, and swore with his life to not even race again in the future. The rule that his father imposed on himself proved challenging. Nagase had to keep the keys to the Maserati for the first six months, leaving his father in cold turkey as he concentrated on the sales for the company. She, too, detuned his coupe, resulting in a drop on horsepower, replaced the gearbox, and softening the suspension, suitable for long distance cruising. Soon after, he got over the urges to race on the highway. It was then Nagase found herself drugged by the sensation of speed in her first sports car. A yellow Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo MR Z16.

"Hmph," the butch let out a sigh while a train of thought ran through her mind. "Who would have thought I would end up taking his place, hitting the Shuto Highway? But the best part? He supported my need for speed as he improved my car. Sure, the coupe might be heavy, but being nimble with all that heft is quite an achievement, thanks to his setup. From its initial claimed 276hp, the GTO now tips well over 690hp. Sure, I can tweak the boost pressure for more power, but I'll have to get a new, better intercooler for that."

Green eyes turned, now looking at a busy mechanic who happened to be occupied polishing the Tommykaira R's rims, "Hey, bro! Come over and help me bleed the brake system."

"Just a minute!"

… … …

Three days later, Wangan Inbound, Yokohama Bay Bridge

"Dad," said Nagase, in a rather concerned tone. "I know I'm excited and all about taking the Tommykaira for its first test run after the overhaul..."

The 56 year old gazed at the distance past the barriers, as the night sky barely illuminated the water surface of the Tokyo Bay, all silent. He did not catch what his daughter was saying at all. He shut his eyes, and took a deep breath. The fresh coastal air rushed into his body, recalling him the days he would loiter around the rest areas on the Shuto Highway every weekend, taking up challenges from competitors who mistake his red Maserati for a mere, unmodified ride. With the old parts installed into the coupe, the Italian machine now tips just around 735hp from a mere 2.8 litre twin turbocharged V6. A custom pedestal spoiler was installed, possibly to induce downforce for better traction.

"Dad!" the butch called, rousing her voice slightly to get her father's attention. "We've been at the road shoulder for close to fifteen minutes. It's already 1am."

"Ah, yes," he replied, turning to look at his family member, who happened to be leaning against the passenger side door of the R34. "You were saying something before?"

"Nothing," Nagase replied, turning away, not looking at her father. "Maybe I'm just over-thinking about stuff."

"Right," said Terao, his right hand rubbing the back of his scalp. "Let's go then. We'll use the long straight of the Wangan Line, and exit via the Kawasaki Ukishima junction."

"Isn't that near Haneda Airport?" the 29 year old asked, just before she got into the Tommykaira.

"Nearby, but not quite there yet. It's the exit that leads to the Tokyo Bay Aqua Line," the middle aged man answered with confidence. "Didn't you say you wanted to go to Umihotaru?"

"Oh, I'm down with that! Let's head there after the test run."

"Shops are closed now, obviously,"

"Ah,"

"Check that the handheld transceiver is working. Using cellphones would only shoot our phone bills upwards," said the grey haired man, just before getting into his Maserati.

"All right," Nagase replied, opening the driver's side door of the R34, noticing the difference in temperature in the cockpit. "It's happened again. The interior is freaking cold, yet I have not turned on anything in the car, and we're in the middle of summer."

The initial drive from their company to the bridge showed no anomalies. The supercharger did provide some low rev range power boost, but not much. A three-time test on the rolling road came up with an average result of 720hp. A far cry from Minoru's 990hp result without the supercharger. Starting up the Tommykaira, the roar of the straight-6 engine reverberated throughout the empty bridge as if announcing its presence in the highway. Terao, in the Maserati, was amused by the Tommykaira's unique sound signature as he started his Italian coupe. Signaling his daughter to take the lead, the middle aged man shifted the gear knob into first as he depressed the throttle gradually.

"Nagase, we'll take this slowly. Been a long time since I went over 120kmh on any vehicle," he said, through the radio.

"Wait, any vehicle?" the butch sputtered. "You mean you have been speeding in the company pick-ups and the lorries during delivery runs too?"

"Have I ever lied to you at all?"

"No."

"What do you think then?"

Not a word exchanged soon after as the black-haired woman hit 2nd gear at 80kmh on the second lane, her father on the first. If there was one thing she noticed right now, it would be the engine responsiveness. The delay from the gas pedal to the engine itself is so miniscule, it had Nagase feel she have more direct control on the coupe. Green eyes glanced at the tachometer. 9500rpm. Into 3rd gear. The whine of the supercharger was at its loudest so far. From within, her sense of excitement began to grow exponentially. A smirk formed on her face. There was just something she felt in the Tommykaira that her Mitsubishi lacked. From the engine's eagerness to unleash its power, to the high tension atmosphere in the cockpit. Nagase could feel her pulse increasing as her eyes, once again, glanced at the tachometer. There it was. 9500rpm. 240kmh. It dawned on her.

"Hold on," she thought as a sense of fear kicked in. "Did the Tommykaira really increase its speed that quickly? I didn't even feel the sensation at all. I thought I was doing around 180kmh."

A rush of cold air brushed against her back from her hips. The butch gasped at the chillness running up her spine. Not a word left her mouth. No. She could not even let out a gasp. Her breathing got heavier as the cold sensation reached her nape, then forwards, running down to her busts. She eased on the throttle, holding it at 240kmh. A very wide right bend was ahead. Nagase knew such an obstacle could be dealt with at speeds at an excess of 300kmh with the right set of tyres, and suspension setup. She knew nothing about this R34. Her body shuddered at the sudden drop in temperature, yet again. Despite wearing a dark blue denim jacket over her black, short sleeved T-shirt, long black trousers, and a pair of discreet black sports shoes...

"Feels like winter in here," she thought as she steered the car into the corner, still at 240kmh, past the Daikoku junction.

A faint brush of air rubbed against her right ear, causing the butch to twitch, turning the Tommykaira briefly to the left. Her reflexes reacted almost immediately, turning the wheel to the right. Right now, fear was not her concern. It was panic. Beads of cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Her eyes, though fixed on ahead, struggled to concentrate as her vision blurred and focused erratically. Her hands trembled as she gripped onto the steering wheel tightly. A pair of tail lights was seen up ahead, from the filter lane. Illumination from the lamp posts allowed her to make out the brand and model of the vehicle. A white Toyota Supra JZA70 with an unmistakable rear, box-like wing.

"Not the racer I would want to meet at this point of time," she thought, taking a deep breath. "It's that damn 'Fake Tommykaira hunter'. No one can ever understand what their real intentions are about taking down R34s that look similar to the legendary Tommykaira R back in 1999. Unless...what I'm driving is the real deal. Nevertheless, based on what Minoru retold his encounter with them, he would still try to take me down."

What the butch has feared came true. As she overtook the white sports car, and exited the wide bend, a pair of headlights, not her father's came into view on the rear view mirror, and high-beamed. A challenge. Static from the radio kicked in. Terao.

"Go ahead with the challenge. I'll join in as a third party," his voice crackled through the unit. "But do note you were unexpectedly fast before the bend, and the supercharger is howling like a turbine. Barely heard the twin-turbos."

Nagase did not reply. Instead, her left hand stretched out to press the hazard light button, a sign that she would accept the challenge from the Toyota- she paused. Her fingers were still about a palm's length away from the button when it depressed by itself. Green eyes widened at what she had witnessed. Her right leg eased off the throttle further, allowing the revs in the tachometer to drop slightly, and the speed to 220kmh. Confused train of thoughts ran through her mind. The butch was unsure on what to do. She felt trapped. It was only then, a sentence popped up within the chaotic thoughts of hers.

Floor it; unleash the true potential of this lost monster.

"Floor it," she uttered under her breath, as panic and fear from before began to fade; replaced with raw determination. "Let's see what makes this car tick. Let's see how its heart beats. Let's see what Minoru sees and feels that no one else can. 720hp might not be much compared to what that scrub pulled off without the supercharger. But hell I can imagine the monstrosity of it."

A wide grin formed on her face. Despite the chillness in the cockpit, Nagase was fired up. Her left hand grasped the gearknob, left foot ready on the clutch pedal. She floored the accelerator, allowing the rev to hit over 9500rpm, and the needle bouncing around 9700rpm. With a swift gear change, she hit 4th gear. The symphony of the supercharger and the twin-turbochargers kicked in as the revs rose.

"Let me hear that haunting tune of the engine Minoru has been raving about!"

… … …

As the Wangan Line wakes up to the haunting, harmonic symphony,
from the whining cries of the supercharger, and the wailing howls of the turbochargers,
Another is revived by the existence of it all,
Once again drugged by the excitement he once missed.

Where age no longer become the barrier to this lethal sport.