This takes place right after Takumi defeats Ryosuke. However, I've taken a bit of creative liberty here and made it so Takumi also already has the upgraded 86, because it just works out better this way. Anyways, I welcome any feedback you have to give me! Also, Takumi is 18 and still in high school in this story.

In the darkness that was Mount Akina, a solitary figure sat behind a guardrail, watching the dark three lane street with interest. Engines screamed in the distance, the tang of exhaust smoke mixing with the scent of burning rubber.

Hardly anyone had come down to watch the race here- most of the galleries wanted to watch at the sharp corners, where they'd see drifting action.

The lone spectator, however, had only one interest in mind- information.

He watched as the two cars roared around the corner, waiting for the intensity of the headlights to die down in order to see the white FC was in the lead. The man watched with detached interest as the 86 tried to overtake on the outside lane, before throwing himself into a drift. The FC's rear tire was slipping, allowing the 86 to gracefully slide ahead and steal the inside…. The 86 had won.

The lone spectator smiled, pulling a cell phone from his pocket and punching in a number. The call was picked up on the first ring.

"Matsuda?" the deep voice on the other side of the phone answered apprehensively.

"I've found him."

"Dude, you beat Ryosuke Takahashi! How can you now be on cloud nine right now!?" Itsuki asked his best friend the next day, shocked at Takumi's usual spacey demeanor.

Takumi shrugged. "Dunno. It was more fun than I was expecting… but I still feel like Ryosuke is a better racer than I am."

"But you beat him! How can you say that, Tak!?" Itsuki demanded, jogging in place out of frustration, hands clenched into fists.

"Quit being so damn excitable, Itsuki." Takumi said simply, and the first bell rang, causing Takumi to shuffle off towards class.

Itsuki stared after his friend, sighing. "Sometimes I think you're crazy, Tak."

After school that day, as Takumi was walking home, an electric blue Mercedes pulled up beside him, the driver rolling his window down.

"Hey kid." Takumi paused for a moment, peering over to see the man was, in fact, talking to him. He shuffled over, figuring the man was lost and needed directions- after all, he hadn't seen that car around before.

He expected the man's next words to be a question as to how to reach the nearest shop or something. He was caught completely off guard when the man asked; "Are you Fujiwara Takumi?"

Takumi took a step back, looking slightly unnerved. How did the man know that? Takumi had never seen this guy in his life- the man wore a suit and looked to be in his forties, with graying hair and a muscular build, so how on earth did he know his name?

The man frowned, seeing Takumi's wariness. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. Let me put this a different way- are you the driver of Akina's 86?"

Takumi paused, pursing his lips. "Who's asking?" He asked, eyes narrowed. This man looked far too old to be a potential challenger- if anything, he looked more like a cop. And street racing was technically illegal….

Takumi was getting a very weird feeling from the whole exchange, and he turned and started walking away without saying a word.

"Hey! Hey kid, wait! I just wanna talk to you…." The man tried again.

Takumi turned. He was going to tell the man to contact him at the petrol station, before, taking one more look at the man's appearance and getting yet another bad vibe about the whole situation, he turned and jogged away. Something about the whole situation wasn't right. If that man wanted to challenge him, he could look around Gunma just like everyone else and find him the normal way- at the gas station.

As soon as Takumi had turned the corner and disappeared from sight, the man in the Mercedes sighed, rolling up his window and pulling away from the curb. So, that was how it was going to be. Well, they'd just have to go with plan B, then.

Takumi fell asleep easily that night, thinking nothing of the strange man in the Mercedes. Rather, he fell asleep with rather early on his bed, still trying to catch up on sleep lost at the race two nights before.

At 4am, he was awoken by his father shaking his shoulder. "Takumi. Hey kid- it's time to get up."

"Mmmm…." Takumi rolled over sluggishly, fumbling to rub a hand over his eyes. By the time he'd gotten his legs swung over the side of the bed, Bunta was already back downstairs.

Takumi sighed, running a hand through his bedhead and slogging over to the bathroom, splashing some water on his face before he was heading downstairs, pulling on his trainers and grabbing the keys to the 86.

He climbed into the bucket seat happily enough, taking the cup of water Bunta handed him through the window and setting it in the cup holder as he did every day.

He shivered slightly, breath clouding in front of him. It was chilly this morning, and he nodded to his father, stifling a yawn.

"I'm off."

He was pulling out of the driveway easily, cranking up the heat slightly as he felt the familiar purr of the new engine beneath his feet. Once again, it was just him and the 86.

He climbed Mount Akina easily thanks to the extra horsepower from the new engine, making his turns deftly and drifting. Today was a good morning, he decided, and he grinned, pleased with himself when he found he could bring the bumper less than a centimeter away from the guard rail.

After he'd delivered the tofu, he started his downhill run as usual, throwing caution to the wind. He was nearly three quarters of the way down the hill, just clearing the final corner before the 5 hairpin turns, when he saw a red Nissan parked horizontally, blocking the road down.

He turned the wheel expertly as he hit his breaks, drifting and pulling to a stop about fifteen centimeters before he would've hit the Nissan.

Takumi frowned slightly, getting out of the 86 and heading over the car. Perhaps the driver had spun out, or needed help? He approached the heavily tinted windows, hesitating for a brief moment before knocking. "Hello? Are you alright in there?"

Two black Toyotas pulled up behind about ten feet behind the 86, one in each lane, blocking his escape.

Takumi frowned, backpedaling towards the 86 anxiously….

The car doors seemed to slam in unison as half a dozen men emerged from the cars- three from the Nissan and 3 from the Toyotas- two men hung back on either side of the 86 while the other two approached him.

They were dressed professionally- all in suits- and Takumi recognized one of the men approaching him as the man from the Mercedes he'd seen yesterday.

"I don't want any trouble." Takumi stated warily, hands up defensively. "Look, just move your car and I'll be on my way…."

Neither men responded to him, each one grabbing him by the arm.

"Hey!" Takumi squawked, voice rising an octave in a panic. The 18 year old pulled an arm free, reeling back and slugging one of the men with all the might he had- blood erupted from the man's nose, and Takumi turned, shoving away the remaining assailant and sprinting for the gap between the two Toyotas only to be stopped by a brick-wall of a man.

Takumi threw a punch which was dodged, and a right hook sent him to the ground, spitting blood.

Still, a moment later, Takumi had staggered to his feet, eyes flinty. "Let… me… go!" he hissed at the man.

They'd started to close in on him, now, and Takumi threw himself at the first of his much larger opponents, attacking desperately. He managed to down one man completely, but all too soon they were on him, grabbing his arms and restraining him.

"Lemme go!" Takumi shouted around a mouthful of blood. They were dragging him towards the red Nissan, completely ignoring any of his shouts.

Takumi kicked out wildly, flailing as much as he could- all he managed to do was knock off one of his trainers. One of the suited men straightened his clothing, opening the door of the Nissan calmly. Someone forced a handkerchief over his mouth, and Takumi tried his best to turn away, nausea enveloping him as the sticky-sweet scent of it invaded his very being.

It was no good, though- he was growing weaker, and once he could no longer hold his breath, he inhaled, the lungful of whatever it as he'd just inhaled sending him careening into oblivion.

The last thing he heard was a car door slamming before his entire world went black.