Part 11

Beat decided that it would be best to regroup with everyone else before even thinking about heading to Shibuya Terminal. Cube agreed with the idea and called up Combo to lead the others down to sewers.

Cube herself led the way down into the sewers. But before they entered, they all couldn't help but notice how the sky seemed to unnaturally darken.

"That can't be good yo…"

"Guess it's only another reason we have to hurry."

It was in Poison Jam's hideout that they met up with the others. They looked pretty beat and in Garam's case singed. The only ones who looked up to any challenge really were Combo and Rhyth.

"So how'd it go?" Beat asked. He was quite curious about what kind of assassin they had ran into.

Garam answered "Oh my God she was evil!"

"Obviously" Boogie snorted.

"S-she was a fucking pyromaniac that wanted to turn us into well-done steaks! She burned the seat of my pants! I had to beg Jazz to pick me up a pair before we came here because I don't show off my cute little butt for free y'know!"

Jazz faced palmed "Yeah and now I'm down fifty bucks. However that's not where the story ends. With Combo's help we were able to take her down. Kind of a grisly death to be crushed under a billboard… But anyways, then this robot that looked like you, Beat, came and led us onto the railroads."

"Yeah, where I got electrocuted by some stupid Golden Rhino machine!"

"Not helping Garam and hey it was just a little shock."

"I was twitching as Rhyth finished the stupid thing off!"

"Whatever, so after that, that robot came down and told us to 'get to Shibuya Terminal. Gouji's done playing.'"

"…Yeah we got the same message…" Beat sighed.

"But did yours say anything about a Takako?" Boogie inquired.

Beat froze.

"I mean I know that was Gouji's wife's name but that robot seemed to talk like she was with us."

Both Corn and Yoyo looked to Beat. His face had paled as he held his arms with a light shake.

"Okay yeah it did… That robot referred to Takako because I am Gouji's son… When she died, he went crazy and now thinks I'm her just because of our resemblance…"

There was an echo of gasps throughout the sewer as well as a groan of disgust from Garam.

"Man what's wrong with that fool?! I mean how could you not know when to let go and accept things?! But whatever I can see why you didn't tell us."

"I really didn't want to. I just wanted to finish this whole thing and forget about it all and not bother you guys with the trivial business of my crap Father. Not to mention I didn't think I'd get very far with any of you if the first thing I said was; 'Hi I'm Beat! I'm the son of Rokkaku Gouji! You know the man who wants you all dead and works with the Golden Rhinos! Want to join my gang?'"

"Yeah…"

"I would have kicked you in the balls…"

"I rest my case, and I understand if you want to leave. This doesn't need to be you guy's fight."

"But it's different now" Gum sighed. "We've all come so far together. We're not going to leave you because of this, not now, at least I won't."

"Yeah I won't either!" Garam chirped "because it is our fight too! Knock him out of power, and we can just go back to running from the idiot police and not those Golden Rhino fuck-tards!"

"I've been with you since the start Beat. I'd gladly follow you to the end." Corn spoke with a light clap to the red head's back.

"I'm tired of finding Golden Rhino's lurking 'round my home. It sucks sleeping with one eye open." Boogie yawned.

"Well I can't exactly say I've known you all long enough but if we die, it would be an honor to go down with you all." Jazz laughed nervously "but I'm sure we won't…"

"As much as I hate Garam," Cube started.

"Right back at cha, Cube."

"You can count on me and Combo to help in anyway. I still have to find the rest of my gang after all."

The only ones who had yet to say anything now were Rhyth and Yoyo. They seemed to realize this as the blue haired girl nudged her friend. "I want to help as long as I know Yoyo will be there too!"

All eyes were on Yoyo now. The teen began to sweat under their stares. "I-I want to help yo! I want to stay with all you guys but how can you trust me or Rhyth when you know what we used to be? I mean, if it wasn't for me, for us, none of this would have happened!"

Beat shook his head as he took the teen's hands into his, tears brimming from both of their eyes. "Thing is, you never know what may or may not have happened if things turned out different. It could have been the same story just a different day. What I do know is that dwelling won't help. I've learned that. It just puts you in a worse place then you were before. That's what I think happened to my Father and I'd be damned before I let that happen to you, Yoyo."

"…W-whoa yo…" Yoyo's face was on fire as he looked into Beat's sincere forest gaze.

"Hey I hate to break up this… tender moment" Cube spoke her words carefully. "But look up."

Beat ended up having to tear his gaze away from Yoyo to look up to the sewage grate where Cube had pointed. What he saw was quick to remind him of their date in the Shibuya Terminal. He didn't really know what he was seeing: people were floating in the air towards something. Some looked dead while others fought for awhile until finally going limp.

"That can't be good…"

"Way to spot the obvious leader boy. We have to start moving."

Shibuya-Cho was dead. Cars were abandoned, stores unattended. It was quite the eerie sight to the GG's as they skated their way to the Terminal. The only thing that moved other than them were the people that floated through the air towards the Terminal.

"This is just disturbing." Jazz noted "I hope we don't end up like them."

Boogie had to agree with her "yeah but I wonder where they're ending up?"

They didn't have to wonder long as the terminal came up to reveal a tall black foreboding tower-like structure with a creepy black and white face that spun around as the tentacle like things at its side danced and nestled in between all that was Rokkaku Gouji.

"Welcome Ladies and Gentleman to the beginning of the long awaited Rokkaku expo! I do have to admit, it was a little behind schedule as I was dealing with some troubling news…So many troubling rudies had invaded my city and hurt my dear wife… But you need not worry I've come up with the perfect solution! My work of art sings of a new future without worry without pain. Yet it's not finished! But you can help, all you need to do is channel your useless worries of demise and grieftowards my tower! What's that? Don't know how? Why don't you let my sons help with that?"

From the tower's core, two robots emerged onto the scene, the robots that shared Beat's likeness.

"My sons are geniuses you see so don't cross them. You've been warned!"

"Sons?!" Beat growled "h-he really did it…" He figured his Father had done something to his brothers. He thought he had just killed them in blind anger but instead he turned them into something else entirely.

"Beat what do you mean?"Gum questioned as she saw the robots targeting the civilians that tried to flee from the tower.

"Those robots… They're my brothers, Takuma and Rokuro… He turned them into robots…" The pair of robots caught sight of them and began skating towards them.

"But do they know that?!" They could hear them growling the closer they got.

"But they're my bothers Gum! I can't just-" When they had gotten too close, Rhyth had let off a sharp cry as she kicked them away with her skate. A thick cracked sounded through the air as the pair were sent flying into a railing, denting it slightly.

When Beat stared at her, she shrugged "they were getting too close and you guys were just bickering!"

Beat couldn't argue with her, she was right. If he didn't want anyone in his gang to get hurt or worse, he was going to have to rage war with his brothers. "Okay I get it… As much as I don't want to do this, we're gonna have to take them out if we want to get to Gouji."

"Now I can wrap my head 'round that!" Combo snickered, cracking his knuckles "taking Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum'll be easy!" Beat's brothers were already on the move as Combo began to chase after them.

"Such like rudies to be unfair to my beautiful children! How about I even the odds a little?"

Three more figures shot out from the tower's core only this time, Cube recognized them.

"My gang!"

The three members of Poison Jam looked terribly creepy under the low light of the sky without their masks as they'd been replaced with strange helmets that seemed to make their bodies twitch horribly.

"You bastard! What have you done to them?!" Cube's voice was loud and sharp. She had no idea if Gouji could even hear her, but he did.

"Such disgusting creatures they were. They didn't respond well to my commands so I made them! Now look at them! I have them under better control than you ever did!"

This infuriated Cube but she stayed silent, her anger instead being put into charging after Beat's brothers. She steered clear of her gang but that didn't mean they wouldn't go after her and Combo.

"Come on guys we have to do something!" Beat huffed "just try anything to either get rid of those helmets on Poison Jam or… Stop my brothers."

Boogie, Garam, Jazz and Rhyth ended up splitting off from the group to deal with Poison Jam while Beat, Gum, Yoyo and Corn followed after Cube and Combo to deal with the robots.

"Ugh! You can abuse these things until the cows come home and they'll still just pull themselves back together!" Combo hissed as his boom box finally broke after crashing it into one of the robot's for the umpteenth time.

"How about spray paint then yo?" Yoyo suggested, producing a can from his pull over "it worked on the assassin back on Chuo Street.

Cube nodded as she took the can. "Yeah it'll clog the stupid thing's circuits for sure but… Here Beat you should the one to do it." She tossed the can to the red head once they drew closer to the fleeing robots. "They're your brothers."

Beat looked down at the golden paint can with weary eyes. Was he really going to let it end this way? He thought surely there was something more he could do for them. He knew he didn't have much more time to think about it. They were gaining on them fast; it was as if his brothers were slowing down, that they accepted what was going to happen to them.

It wasn't much of a conscious thought when it happened. He sprayed the backs of his brothers and watched them crumble to ground with heavy pants. The paint was seeping deep into their circuits as one of them shakily turned towards Beat eyes flickering from bright sky blue to dim grey.

"M-Mo- nngh… Taisuke… Th- *zzzert* thank you…" It choked out before crumbling down to the ground dead with its brother.

Beat could hear DJ Professor K talking through his headphones again along with the melodic beat of some song he didn't know. He was talking about a bright future. It made him wonder if he could even see what was going on outside. Gouji and his tower were still there sucking up people. The sky may have been clear now but it was still dark to him.

Gouji stared down upon the rudies that killed his sons below the tower. He stared down at them with disdain.

"You dare interfere with my masterpiece? I thought I told you all I was done playing! If you want to play this way, then maybe you would like to help me complete my work! Eh?"

The tower's suction intensified and Yoyo was picked up. He let off a sharp scream as Beat snagged his wrist. "Don't let go yo!" He begged as Beat was struggling to hold on.

"You better not let him go!" Gum shouted once she wrapped her arms around his waist, Corn following her example by wrapping his arms around her.

Their combined weight however wasn't enough to hold them all down. They ended up sky bound as Combo got a hold of Corn's ankle. Cube had jumped on his back, legs around his neck as she held onto Corn's other ankle. They were quickly being dragged forward. The others didn't notice their predicament until it was too late to make a major difference as they were still hunting down Poison Jam.

The suction became stronger making it more difficult for Combo to hold on until finally someone knocked into him and Cube causing them to let go of Corn and in turn everyone else.

When Beat, Yoyo, Gum and Corn were sucked into the tower, the sucking stopped and people fell from the sky like rain.

"Shit" was all Cube could say on the matter. The only thing she and Combo could do now was focus on Poison Jam and hope for the best. Thing is, she never hoped for the best outcome.

Everything just plain hurt when Beat came back to his senses. He had pretty much just been through a tornado and landed in a crazy world that made him feel like he was on a drug trip.

"Looks like we're not in Kansas anymore…" Corn moaned as he tried to get his bearing. The world around them was lime green and navy blue with various out of place objects floating around a giant piece of floating concrete at the top. But that wasn't what bothered him about the world what bothered him was the army of shadowy men that were led by a familiar person.

"S-Soda?" He called out, gaining the other's attention.

They didn't notice the quiet army until Corn spoke up but they weren't focused on them, their leader had their eye. He was tall with a very prominent nose sticking over his teal jacket. He had on light green pants with teal skates and goggles atop his head but even further than that was a helmet like the one Gouji had placed upon the Poison Jammers.

"The Golden Rhinos collected the bodies of the rudies they killed. They were such fun things to experiment with~ like him? I know he's a friend~" Gouji laughed from his perch high above.

Corn let off a sob as Soda directed the army of shadow men at them.

"If you get bored and realize that they're not worth it Takako, you can always come up here with me!"

"What is wrong with that man?!" Gum hissed as she dragged Corn away from the shadow men. He was too shocked to move on his own.

"I have to go up there."

Gum and Yoyo both looked at Beat like he was crazy. "You can't be serious? You know it's what he wants right!"

"Well what choice do I have Gum? I don't think there's any other way to get out of this hell hole!"

"Well! You don't have to do it alone! You have us!" Yoyo nodded vigorously.

"I'm sorry! It's just something I have to do alone… Keep those things at bay and I'll be back. I won't let him win" and with that, he took off onto one of the floating platforms to start his ascent.

"Yoyo listen to me carefully…" Gum started her body stiffening in irritation.

As carefully as he could, Beat made his way to the top. The platforms didn't move under his weight but he couldn't help but worry that they would collapse under him. A fall from this height after all probably wouldn't end all that well for him after all.

When he finally made it to the top, he found his Father with his back to him. He too was wearing one of those helmets that the Poison Jam and Soda had on.

"Takako…"

"No I'm not. I'm Rokkaku Taisuke, your son."

"How dare you say that name… He's dead to me. He took you away."

"No I didn't! Those Golden Rhinos you worked with, they did it. They killed her all because they were power hungry fools like you Father!"

"You're lying! Shut up, they helped me while he ran! I only had our two boys but they were scared of me!"

"So you turned them into yours and the Golden Rhino's slaves?! You know the Golden Rhinos were just using you! Why can't you understand that?! Why couldn't you just move on?!"

"Because I love you Takako!" Gouji charged at him, his form morphing into a giant silver and white robot. He aimed to kill Beat but he didn't hit his intended target.

Beat didn't expect what happened. He expected to get cleaved by his Father but instead he was knocked out of the way, a shock of green catching his eye as he was almost knocked clear off the platform.

"Yoyo!" He bemoaned as he watched the teen's small body hit the ground with a small thunk. His body felt numb as the boy lay unmoving against the ground "Yoyo!" He was at his side in an instant trying to illicit any sort of response from the limp body in his arms.

"Why do you care more for this insect than me Takako?!"

"Because I love him damn it! A whole lot more than you ever did for me or Mother!" His voice was hoarse. He wondered if Gum or Corn could hear what was going on from down below.

"No you love me!" The more he tried to reassure himself the more pathetic he sounded.

"No I'm done!" Beat rested Yoyo on the ground as carefully as he could before he stood to face the hulking monstrosity that was his Father.

He boosted at him knocking him down easily and as he stood, he did it again until a crack began to form on his belly. "This ends here!"

Before Gouji could stop him, Beat sprayed the rest of the spray can from earlier's contents into the crack.

Electricity began to bubble out from crack as Gouji reached to stop it with a groan. But no matter what he did more just began to spill as the world began to crumble around them.

"You had this coming you know…" Beat spoke once Yoyo was in his arms.

"Did I now eh? Maybe you're right Taisuke…" Once he fell Beat began to grind back down to Corn and Gum.

"Do you think I'll get to see Takako again?"

"I know you will Father."

The world faded away around them leaving nothing but white for a long time.

"H…He… et! Ge… p!"

Beat could hear someone talking to him but he didn't want to move. His sleep wasn't plaguing him for what felt like the first time in ages. "Go away…" He yawned.

"Psht! He's fine!" It was Garam; he'd recognize that voice anywhere.

It was against his will for his eyes to open as he found Rhyth to be opening his eyelids for him.

"No more sleepy time~ we need to get out of here!" She forced him to sit up while Garam pulled him onto his feet.

The world seemed to move around Beat, nothing centering until he caught sight of the rubble that was his Father's tower. "G-Gum… Corn… Y-Yoyo! Where's Yoyo?! Is he-"

"Relax space cadet! Sheesh they're all fine really." Garam explained "the others took them back to Corn's apartment. We got stuck bringing you home. I mean we can leave you if you to go back to sleep and wake up a little nicer. Then you can explain to the cops what the heck happened."

Beat didn't argue with that. He just let Garam and Rhyth lead him back to Corn's.

"Yoyo's fine by the way" Rhyth spoke. Beat let off a sigh of relief.

"He had a couple of broken ribs nothing he isn't used to."

That sigh of relief turned into a full on moan of worry.

End of Part 11