[Metal Tsubasa]: 95.Driving (A Racing Story).Preparing for the rematch

Cars rushed by the run down garage as he looked over the wounds. He made a list in his head of everything that now needed to be either repaired or replaced.
It could have been much worse, but still it was a lot of work and a lot of money. He had plenty of connections, even so, those connections could only get him so far. Again he looked down at the car, and to him, it looked back at him... and glared. The car's scarred body hardly reflected it's inner scars now that it had been so brutily beaten.
"Don't look at me like that," he told his mess of a companion. "It's not just my fault. If I remember correctly, you we ready to race him too."
Steady footsteps came in from just outside to his left, causing him to turn an eye away from his precious car. A man entered, his hair pulled back and tied tight and dark sunglasses covering his eyes, obviously due to the bright sunlight. He smiled calmly at the newcommer, it was clearly someone he knew.
"Talking to that damn car again?" the other man laughed as he gave the beaten metal creature a look over. "You give this poor girl another rundown like that and she'll run up and down your ass Kent."
Again, Kent looked over his car, and again it looked back at him. He turned back to his friend and smiled. "Naw," Kent said, "she know's I love her." He patted the car's dented hood and the smile faded. A car wasn't supposed to feel like this. He ran his fingertips over the dents and places where the paint had scrapped away and winced as though he was running salt over an open wound, which possibly wasn't too far from the truth. A car is like a beautiful woman, it should be like running your hand over silk. "Damn," Kent sighed, "she took a real beating last night."
"Why did you do that anyway?" Kent's friend questioned, removing his shades. "That guy is bad news, even some of the top racers have failed running against him. You're not there yet buddy."
He didn't want to hear that. In his head he watched the night before, as if he had recorded it on camera. He hadn't expected anything, that monster had been sitting behind forever. Kent wanted to slam his fist down, and went to, until he realized his car was underneith his fist. Instead, he turned and kicked a toolbox, which hurt his foot, but he wouldn't admit it. "I'll get that son of a bitch, Ben," Kent grumbled as he shot a stern glare in his friends direction. "I'll do whatever it takes to get up to speed with that thing and I'll kill him and that god damn car."
Ben shook his head at Kent, shrugging off the idea like a bad d ream. "C'mon Kent," he said as he turned back out to the street, "let's go get something to eat."
"I'm not hungry," grumbled Kent as he ran his finger tips over his wounded car.
His friend simply put his sunglasses back on and walked away, saying only, "I'll see you later then."
Ben knew not to push Kent, it was never healthy for anyone. Nonetheless, he felt somewhat disapointed in Kent. He was still new to the neighborhood and already he was pushing the top ranking racers, trying to get into their ranks. Ben laughed slightly as he opened his car door. "Rookie."
Kent was far to busy to bother with Ben's antics. He hadn't been ready the night before, but he would be ready for that dark monster another night... when his own girl was fixed up and shining again. For now, he would plan and prep... and work his ass off to get enough money to fix up his poor beaten car.
Defeated and dissapointed, Kent looked down at his car, who continued to look back coldly. He shoved his hands into his pockets and began to shuffle off in the direction of the restroom. "Oh shut up you," he mumbled back at his beaten car.