5A/N: I don't really know much about motorcycles, so if there were any motorcycle fans out there that I offend from my complete incompetence on my knowledge of motorcycles, sorry. Some ideas are based on events from Too fast too furious
Disclaimer: I do not own bleach; I just borrow the characters for my personal enjoyment.
Thoughts are: Thought
Spoken words are: spoken words
"Riders, come to get the rules!"
The crowd roared with approval; they were getting their race.
Ukitake and Kyouraku came out to explain the rules.
"Remember this is a race. You must line up at Stravers in this order. First is abarai- Kun. Then Ran-Chan and following her is Hisagi-san. Our black rider over there will be at the end."
"The race consists of one lap around the perimeter of the whole town. The track is marked by these little red reflectors pinned up around town, on buildings light poles, billboards, you name it. These reflectors mark the limits of the track for this race. However, if you find a shortcut and it does not go beyond the limits, you are by all means allowed to take it at your own risk. Parts of the race will be observed through street cameras that our specialist Urahara-san has managed to… borrow… the rest of the cameras have been disabled."
"Ara, ara juushiro. Just because we have 4 cameras up doesn't mean we will know every highlight. At most we will only catch glimpses of who's in the lead, but the majority will remain unknown."
"Yes well, that is all. Riders please put on your helmets. Don't take any risks…Please drive safe, I would like to see you all healthy and alive at the end of this race."
"Oy, Juushiro, you're scaring the poor kids. Let them have their fun; just lighten up and watch the race." With this Kyouraku successfully managed to pull his white-haired friend away, but not before Ukitake gave the rider at the end a glance.
Yoruichi Shihounen (?) a famous ex street biker came out with 2 checkered flags. She was known as the flash goddess on the streets for her speed could not be matched and all people saw was a flash of dark purple when she rode. However, she had come to race one day and announced that it would be her last race.
"To put in short, whatever happens out there is at your own risk. You expected it when you joined the race. Other than that there are no rules."
She raised both her arms, one flag in each hand…
"Riders! Start your engines!"
The crowd got louder and the revving of engines was heard…
Yoruichi's arms came down
"RACE!"
The racers sped past her, barely a blur. So far the order stayed the same as the original line up.
Renji sped past and successfully rounded the corner, the others following suit. Looking back, he saw that Matsumoto was right on his tail.
"M-Matsumoto. No Tailgaitin!"
"Nuh-uh Renji. There are no rules in this race. Remember?"
With that Matsumoto lightly rammed her bike against Renji's, effectively making him brake to avoid a collision. With that distraction all three riders passed Renji as he sat on his bike about 5 cm from a building.
"Shit! I'm last now."
They rounded the second corner, and a camera that was placed relayed the image back to where the crowd was.
Matsumoto had just stolen a glance back and saw that Hisagi and the black helmed rider were literally head to head and barely 13 feet behind her.
Back at the crowd, the cheering among the crowd got louder as Matsumoto increased her speed and maintained the lead. Nanao and Rukia stood together quietly urging Matsumoto on.
This is going to be a close race.
Her eyes shined with a new kind of light in them.
That just makes it all the more fun.
She increased her speed from 110 mph to 125 mph.
The adrenaline coursing through her body made her all the more excited. She hadn't had this much fun since… Since they had rode together…
"Coming through!"
Matsumoto's thoughts were interrupted as her peripherals caught a glance of Hisagi racing past her, the black- rider right behind him. Just as he passed Shuuhei yelled out,
"You have to play your A-game if you want to ride with the big boys!"
Shit! I let them get past me…
Hah… But they should know, a lioness' greatest thrill is chasing her prey on the run.
With that Matsumoto quickly picked up her speed and came up behind the two of them. Hisagi and the other rider were head to head again. She took a risk and quickly took a 360. Renji was coming around the corner that the three of them had passed like what seemed like an hour ago. They had just passed the third bend and had covered about 3 ½ miles. They had about 11 ½ more miles to go, the roads near he beach shore first and then the bridge.
Renji rounded the corner and saw the other three ahead of him with a lead of more than 54 feet.
Dammit, I needa shortcut. Unless I take one now I won't ever catch up…
The three up ahead turn left and the building blocked the rest.
If they turned left, I could cut through an alleyway… I think Urahara mentioned somethin' bout the beach shore track. It's completely straight and the height from up here is higher so I would end up at the front.
Pleased with his decision he quickly entered the next alley. The crowd saw Renji enter an alleyway and everyone wondered what he was doing.
"That boy's not that smart is he?"
"What do you mean Kisuke?"
"What I mean is the boy remembered me telling him about the beach shore track…"
This left the crowd in silence to ponder on what Urahara meant.
Sure enough, she saw the beach. The turn was a sharp right and all three riders skidded around the bend to stay on the track and not fall into the nearby sand. From there the road was long, narrow, and straight and it would be a race of speed. If she remembered Nanao's words correctly, the bridge would come up next in maybe 15 or so minutes.
Matsumoto focused her attention on the mysterious rider ahead of her, still keeping up her speed. Supposedly no one had ever seen the rider's face. Judging from the call earlier and the riders build, she could tell that it was a male. Nothing else could be deuced. However, she as sure that the bike he rode was a Yamaha G.E.N.I.C.H. The bike was supposedly one of the best made, a pure street-bike; so why wasn't the rider revving it up and passing them as he should?
AS she thought this a scream emitted from the Sky.
"ALRIGHT! Now THIS is what I'm talkin' bout! Freestyle in the air!"
Hisagi and her looked up to see Renji falling down from their right; He had on his racing jacket what seemed to be garbage. He landed about 68 feet ahead of them…
"You're supposed to hit the brakes you retard!" Hisagi screamed out.
Sure enough Renji had continued to go in the direction that he had landed, which was sideways to the track. He and his bike ended up on the sand and Renji was deposited off his bike rather ungracefully. His bike remained in the sand, stuck. Sand was not the best element to race motorcycles on.
Long after they passed, Matsumoto and Hisagi's laughter still lingered in the air. Renji looked up to see a camera focusing in on him.
Of all places…
Dammit, he wasn't gonna hear the end of this.
Back at the finish line…
"Hahahahahaha… what did I tell you!"
The whole crowd had just witnessed Renji's ungraceful crash into the sand banks of the beach. Half were holding their stomachs in pain from laughing too much while others just shook their heads in disbelief.
"I understood when you said he wasn't bright… But I didn't know you meant this much."
" Hurry up. They're coming soon, I can hear their bikes. Remember the plan Aizen-sama told us."
"Ah.. Don't ya worry ya lil head off. I can hear em' just fine as well. Besides… its done."
"Good, good. Now come back, it's time to watch a little payback."
"Heh, this should add a lil twist ta their lil race, 'fter all wheres da fun if there aint no surprises?"
The speaker with the phone moved away from the bridge, the riders would be here in about 8 minutes.
"Nd wid a big blast, London Bridge is fallin' down."
With that, the person with silver hair and crimson red eyes walked away from the exploding bridge.
"Camera 4 now. They should be out of the underground parking lot and approaching the bridge."
As the scene emerged the crowd gasped and murmurs started everywhere.
"Is that part of the race?"
"How are they supposed to make it across that?"
"There's no way anyone could jump that."
"Maybe they're supposed ta find another way?"
"I bet Hisagi- san can do it. If anyone can it's him!"
"Nah, bet it'll be Rangiku-san who jumps it."
"NO! If anyone can do it, It's the black rider."
"That's right, it's said that he can make his bike soar through the sky as if it was a dragon."
"Duh, that would be why his symbol is an ice dragon!"
"SHUT UP!"
"NO WHY DON'T YOU?"
With all the outbreaks in the background the sponsors and crews came together.
"What do we do? Any bright ideas?"
Silence was among them….
" Hey look the riders just came around the bend!"
Everyone looked at the screen, unsure of what to do. The riders didn't seem like they had noticed the huge cap that had been made in the bridge.
A sigh came from Kyouraku…
"What else can we do? We can't stop the race in time. All we can do is sit back and watch what happens."
As hard as it was to admit it, it was true. Bets had started to accumulate over who would be able to jump the gap. However the crews and sponsors could only hope that the riders would notice the gigantic gap that spawned about 320 feet.
"Urahara? What do you think?"
Taking out his fan and covering his mouth he replied,
"I think this race just got even more exciting."
The first one to emerge from parking lot was the Black rider. Right behind him were Matsumoto and Hisagi. As they approached the bridge they smelled smoke but didn't give it much thought. They were less than 100 ft from the bridge and once they crossed it, it would be easy street, cruising down to the finish line.
Coming onto the bridge, the first one to notice was the black rider. He immediately pressed his breaks, his wheels skidding across the metal of the bridge. His bike spun until he was sideways when he stopped. Hisagi and Matsumoto also realized the problem and pressed their brakes after seeing the black rider stop and get off his bike. Matsumoto skidded to a stop, her bike falling and earning both bike and rider some scratches and cuts. Hisagi wasn't as lucky.
As the bike had been twirling to a stop, a chunk of debris had tipped the bike to one side. With Hisagi trapped under it, it continued its twirling descent towards the edge of the gap taking Hisagi with it.
Everyone's eyes were glued to the screen, terrified for Hisagi Shuuhei's fate, but unable to look away. It seemed to go in slow motion as Matsumoto ripped off her helmet jumped off her motorcycle and started running towards her friend stretching her arm towards him and…
… Failing to grasp Hisagi's extended hand.
The crowd watched as Hisagi Shuuhei's bike went over the edge, as he would follow in less than 5 seconds…
1… the crowd looked away…
…2…the crew and sponsors took off their hats….
…3….. Matsumoto got up, despite her bleeding knees to try to save her friend….
…..4… Everyone looked down to the ground…..
…...5….. And they waited for the sound of a splash….
That never came…
The crowd lifted their eyes to the screen to see the mysterious black rider, still with his helmet on but the screen part lifted, just barely on the edge of the gap. Matsumoto Rangiku stood behind the other rider frozen in surprise. However, what caught their attention was not the fact that a part of the riders face was revealed to Hisagi. No, it was the fact that the rider had caught Hisagi's hand as Hisagi had gone over the edge. The screen now showed the dark rider lifting Hisagi up from the edge.
The crowd erupted in tears and cheers.
Just as Hisagi was lifted over the edge, he himself stunned, Renji appeared walking his bike.
The sight of him with sand in his hair and on his bike quickly broke the tension and Matsumoto laughed. Hisagi tried, but found it hurt with each intake of breath.
"What? What'd I miss?"
The crowd broke out in laughter out of relief and holding in their breaths for so long.
Out of the laughter a voice was heard, and it was not Renji.
"I'd get him to the hospital. He must be in pain after that."
Matsumoto looked up as did everyone to see the black rider getting back on his bike with one of his sleeves rolled up, showing a huge gash. It was fresh and bleeding; he had probably gotten it when he had leaned on the edge of the bridge.
"What about you? That's got to hurt. You should get yourself checked out."
"It's just a little cut…"
"A little cut? You're bleeding as badly as we are. Why are you getting on your bike? You can't possibly still be trying to finish this race."
"…"
"There's got to be another way back. Renji take Hisagi with you on your bike, yours is bigger. Did you see any way back while you were…. Walking?"
"Nah, the only way'd be to either turn back the way we came or jump that. I don't know bout you but I'd rather go back."
With that Renji put Hisagi on his bike and started walking it, for the sand had messed with the bike.
"Man, Nanao is gonna kill me," Matsumoto said as she examined her now dented and scratched bike.
Matsumoto also got ready to walk her bike for the impact had jarred hers, when she heard the engine of another motorcycle starting up. Before she could say anything the bike went past them toward the underground parking lot.
He could've at least offered…
Her thought was interrupted as the bike passed her once more, but this time towards the bridge. Renji and her looked at each other eyes wide before turning to the bridge.
"Is he crazy? He cant possibly make that jump!"
"Nah, I just think he's suicidal… yea… definitely…"
As they said this they watched as the rider rode up the bridge, where it would provide a small slope for the jump. The crowd watching via camera held their breaths. He was going over 160 mph and at the last minute lifted the front of his bike as the floor ended below him and he was in the sky. The rider was airborne for about 10 whole seconds, and he descended onto the other side of the bridge. Without looking back or stopping, he rode towards the finish point.
"Now THAT's what I call freestyle in the air! You think he could teach me how to do that? Who do you think he is Rangiku?"
"No-one knows, remember Renji? He's the 'mysterious rider'," using air quotes to emphasize her point.
"The only one who has even a remote clue on what he looks like or who he is, is probably Shuuhei over there and Ukitake-san.
The crowd released their breaths and jumped up and down in exhalation. To jump off a bridge and successfully land 320 feet unscathed; that kind of thing just wasn't possible. As the rider came closer towards the crowd, the cheers became louder and deafening. It was only when the other three riders arrived, the new rider was left in somewhat relative peace. However, this much was clear among the people…
A new favorite had emerged