Ghosts of the past part III
Chapter 1
Approximately ten years later….
The sounds of engine revving sent his blood pumping through is veins in hard pulsing heat.
The start gun echoed, a familiar voice over the loud speaker announced the start of the
event. With the roar of a lion he pushed his foot hard onto the floor taking off with plumes
of smoking tires and the roaring sounds of cheering crowds with banners flying in his
peripheral vision.
Jason Asakura was doing what he loved most-motor racing.
The feel of the vibrations of the powerful beast and its metal shell enclosed around him
excited every fibre of his being into a place of pure ecstasy. Inside the metal beast he
unleashed all his pent up emotional frustrations.
Throwing his focus onto the road ahead, and outsmarting the driver next him, shooting past
with inches from his rear bumper, as he hurled down the race track cutting into corners
over taking on his competition. Busting the track record in after a few hours of racing,
smashing through his enduring pain.
It was how Jason coped with life in general. Bitterness was his long-time friend.
Racing against the ghost of his father.
Living up to a legacy left in the racing circuit by a man who abandoned him as a boy at time
when he needed him the most… People do that, he concluded. They say they love you, care
about you, but the truth is, they leave one day and never come back. He wasn’t going to be a
fool in his life again, close relationships meant more wounds.
He was the youngest on the track to legally from the time he turned fourteen, he was now
eighteen and champion.
He was had become a champion in no time, acing races from the time he kicked over an
engine of race car- Many in professional field called him a natural talent.
There times when racing the ghost of his father haunted him- The man who abandoned him.
Anger drove the car those days, when tears racked his face while turning sharp bends with
G-forces pulling at his body dragging him around the corners again and into the longer
stretches.
He hated him, and at the same time loved his memories of being a small boy with his dad,
who said he loved him. What went wrong? Over the years it had haunted him, how he
vanished. They said he was dead, he wanted deep down to believe it, but his gut told him
other-wise, and the echo of a strange voice that woke him as he slept…
His dreams didn’t make sense, it was like he saw his dad walking through a jungle in a
strange place. Mark had offered him to bunk in at the airfield as they formed their cover
occupations. He opted for a trailer alone because of his strange dreams. He would wake up
with lingering scents of the place he was dreaming about.
The alien voice… it was like a wall was between them, but how? Too many unanswered
questions raced through his mind as he increased his speed for the final lap.
Sure, his dad wasn’t perfect, but he was fun. He had a temper and few times Jason had a
bruised bottom from a hard smack for playing up. Taking him racing as little kid, he loved
going faster and faster. Dad’s feather shuriken was the best, and he kept a stash of them in
his pockets. He spent time teaching him to throw them at a dart board.
He did things other kids dads wouldn’t do, he found out one day when he went to a playdate
at house burry in his memories- when he lived with him in Utoland- Other kid’s dads were
boring.
The times his dad would strap him into the backseat of his car, on an abandoned racetrack in
Utoland they’d burn tires, hurl down the track. The heavy smell of smoking tires caught his
nostrils dragging in the air, burning his fine nasal hairs, driving the bitter memories.
He waited for him on the beach, it was going to be the best day of his life, turned into his
most painful.
Playing in the sand, building a sand car. He tried but it turned out be a messy pile of nothing,
and then it happened. An explosion. People panicked and more explosions went off. He ran
down the beach trying to figure out what going on, then he saw his foster parents, broken bodies laying
still in the wreckage of their rented hut.
The strangest sight of all was the masked lady wearing a blood red bodysuit holding a red
rose in her hand. A pure white wig adorned her head, and an eerie expressionless mask.
He stared at her, taking in the details of the strange sight before him. She threw the rose his
direction, it landed on the beach.
A person, grabbed him from behind, sheltering him from the force of the blast. That person
was his hero. The man who sacrificed himself for him. He never saw his face, but one day he
wanted to be a hero like that faceless man. Becoming G-Forces Condor he would be a
faceless hero to others in crisis situations along with his team mates.
Losing all sense and consciousness, his memories of that day stuck in his thoughts with
every colour, sound, smell and details.
After that he woke up in a hospital dazed and bleeding.
Dr Anderson arrived not long afterwards, and once he was recovered enough to travel
brought him back to his mansion in Ameris from Centre Neptune where he recovered.
He was told his father wouldn’t be coming for him again. That was the extent of the
information he received.
Bloody coward. He thought, grimacing, the roaring of a track full of high powered engines
cut into his thoughts. Didn’t have the guts to raise him, so he abandoned him. The prick was
probably on some planet being the loser he turned out to be.
He hoped he was dead, the asshole deserved it to be dead. So why his dreams of him…
Gliding it smoothly into gear, he coming into the finish line, edging past his rival. Jason
brought his beloved new skyline racer over the finish line into first place.
The race track was his home, and he planned to keep it that way. With his winnings, he
planned to buy himself a trailer. He wanted his independence and was tired of living in the
mansion. Despite the size of the place, he still was crowded in.
He wanted to park his mobile home by the beach and spend the night hearing the waves if
that’s what he wanted- No restrictions.
Freedom…
Mark had the same ideas, he was settling into the shack on the airfield his parents left him.
Princess and Keyop had dropped in a few times to see their commander.
Princess and Keyop were signing a contract to rent the room above Jill’s snack bar. It was
part of their cover to not be all in the same place. With their training underway and
preparations with Spectra showing signs of hostile activities from intel. The five of them had
a hectic schedule to keep. The full operation of Centre Neptune had come online a few
months before.
Screeching to a halt by the side of the track, he spotted his four team mates in the stalls.
Mark and Prin were sitting together as normal, and Keyop and Tiny eating popcorn and
cheering.
Following the procedure of accepting first place, he leaped up onto the podium accepting
the race sponsors handshake. A stunning young teenage girl with her platinum locks and
heavy make-up greeting him.
Batting her fake dark eyelashes, she handed him the oversized bottle of champagne to spray
over the crowd. Performing the ritual of the winner, he covered the cheering crowd close by
with bursts of bubbling spray. Accepted his trophy and winnings. Leaving the podium to
catch up with his friends and team mates.
“Congratulations Jason.” Princess warmly greeted him. Landing a kiss on his cheek, from the
corner of his eye he noticed several stunning girls glaring at her. Making the most of the
attention he turned an interested eye their way.
Prin did it deliberately, he was sure of it. She wasn’t blind to what was going on around her,
her natural perception and ability to multitask was a team asset.
Mark extended his hand, accepting his commander’s proud handshake, and few slaps on the
back from Tiny and Keyop.
They hadn’t been called out to a mission so far, but they were on high alert.
Stomach growling from a long day of racing, he walked with his friends over to the smack
cart Jason picked up a hot dog. Noting Tiny picking up two for himself and Princess refusing
even a bite of Marks hot dog when he offered.
“I’ll have a salad later.” She blushed, thanking him for the offer. She was conscious of her
figure, almost seventeen, with slender curves and killer figure, Prin drew stares from the
young men walking past them. She’d have no hope of gaining weight with their training
schedule.
They made their way through the crowds, a few calling out his name and waving. He had his
fans. Nodding, he kept walking not really interested in talking to anyone.
“See those two over there.” Mark, indicated with a sharp nod to the side, following his
direction Jason spotted two younger teens than themselves. A boy and girl standing next to
the stalls.
“They’ve been watching us the whole race.” Marks natural suspicion was working overtime.
He was suspicious of everything and everyone, sharp Eagle eyes scanned the stands for
dangers.
“Plenty of people staring, you’re walking with me and I just won the last race.” He pointed
out.
Shaking his head frowning, the Eagle side glanced the pair still standing next to the stands.
They were talking, and the girl elbowed the boy with pale skin and wearing a beanie.
She folder her arms obviously annoyed with him. Petite, like Princess her hair was more
chestnut, with a heart shaped face and casual clothing, and she had to be a about two years
younger.
“They don’t look Spectran to me.” Princess said observing them. Approaching her motor-
bike she hopped on. “I’m going to Jill’s, I promised to help out this afternoon.”
Mark jumped on behind her, keeping a watch on the kids. He’d come to the track with her,
leaving his car at the café.
“See you at Jill’s.” He barked over the noise of her engine roaring to life.
Mark waved, as she turned the bike around and headed out of the grounds.
Jason turned his attention to the two young kids watching him. The girl appeared pensive,
and the boy looked like he wanted to approach him. They had been early teens, and alone.
A strange thing in itself on race day.
Strolling over, he figured it was better to break the ice, and find out what they doing.
“Hi there.” Jason casually sidelined the pair of them.
The girl elbowed the young teen, his response was annoyance.
“Hi.” She greeted Jason. “Congratulations on winning.”
“Thanks.” He stopped in front of them. These kinds of encounter were not, his usual
territory.
“Ahh yeah congratulations.” The young teen extended his hand. Lanky in appearance, his
startling green eyes studied him.
“I’m Syrah and this is my brother—” The boy cut her off with a glare. Straightening up his
shoulders, maintaining a steady gaze he extended his hand.
“I’m Jamie.”
“You know who I am.” Jason accepted his handshake, firm, but not crushing. He was
confident, and slightly arrogant. Looking into his eyes he was also more street wise than girl
next to him.
“You here with your parent?” He quizzed.
“They had to leave early, so we’re killing time.” Jamie filled in. “Syrah’s my sister and too
young for you.”
Syrah, screwed up her young face, obviously her brother was treading on her toes.
A lopsided smirk formed on his lips, like he would seriously go after a girl her age. She was a
rosebud, and only starting to bloom. His preferences were older and more developed.
“Look… I’m hanging out with a group of friends celebrating my victory race.” He said dryly.
“It’s at Jill’s Café, it’s not far from here, how about you two come along join in the party.” It
often turned into a party as people arrived from the tracks and he was there.
That should send Mark into a spin. He needed to be shaken up occasionally. He was
obsessive about caution, and often telling off about mingling too much with strangers least,
they be Spectran spies. He seriously doubted this pair could be spies, a couple of kids
escaping parents, misbehaving even- but not spies.
“Sure.” Syrah chirped, her bluish eyes lighting up, before he brother could object. “Is it
walking distance? We’d love to come.”
“How about I give you a ride.” Jason offered, lightening a little. That way he could learn
more about them on the way.
“Syrah.” Jamie scolded her as they followed him. Keeping a straight face, he listened in by
tunning in his implant.
“I call the shots here, not you, it what we agreed on.”
“No, it’s what you said, but I’m the one that got us here.”
“It’s a party, and he’ll be there.” She hinted. “Isn’t that why we’re here??”
“Yeah, but--“
“So, we’ll get a chance to talk to him.”
So, they’re possible runaways? A few things didn’t add up, and he didn’t want to let them
out of his sight.
They dropped the conversation as they arrived at the car. He figured they weren’t talking
about him as the teens jumped into the back, and he drove off towards Jill’s.
This was going
to be interesting…
Story Notes:
These stories are also the set up for the Battle of the Planets universe. I've taken liberties with the universe. Worked to keep the tone of it in the stories, but have chosen to be more adult in its approach due to it being a combined universe.
The underlying storyline carried from "Tangled Web." has always been about family and sacrifices made because of their duty.
I will be keeping with this into the following series "Rise of Spectra." The stories in the series follow the threads of Cronus, and Ken's actions, as a result of the ending of "Utoland."There are betrays and reveals, emotional rollercoasters and twists including Joe and Jasons special link with the Luminous one. The threads left open will be wrapped up. I always finish what I start.
If its not posted here during 2018. It will be found on AO3 known as "Archive of our own."
The underlying storyline carried from "Tangled Web." has always been about family and sacrifices made because of their duty.
I will be keeping with this into the following series "Rise of Spectra." The stories in the series follow the threads of Cronus, and Ken's actions, as a result of the ending of "Utoland."There are betrays and reveals, emotional rollercoasters and twists including Joe and Jasons special link with the Luminous one. The threads left open will be wrapped up. I always finish what I start.
If its not posted here during 2018. It will be found on AO3 known as "Archive of our own."