Part 12
The trek to Corn's wasn't exactly easy. Beat had tumbled forward twice: once because he started to get drowsy and the second time because Garam had lost his grip which caused Beat to lean into Rhyth who just dropped him so she wouldn't get crushed under him. To make matters worse, the streets were still filled with disoriented civilians who were rather confused with what had happened only a few hours ago. But inconveniences aside, they managed to get Beat up the stairs and into Corn's small apartment.
When they entered, they expected to see everyone either sitting in the living room or raiding the kitchen, however there was only Gum sitting on the couch humming to Yoyo who was asleep head in her lap. The TV was on and playing some cartoons.
Gum looked up to them with tired eyes. "Cube and Combo went to the drug store to pick up some medical supplies for Yoyo with the others. Corn's in his room… He wanted to be alone."
Beat nodded in understanding as Garam lowered him to the floor. It's not every day that you're sucked into another dimension and forced to run from your supposed to be dead lover and his army of shadow minions. That would screw anyone up for awhile.
"Well maybe we could make him something to eat!" Rhyth suggested as she pulled at Garam's arm. "Everyone's gonna be hungry when they get back anyways!" Garam didn't have much of a chance to argue as the blue haired girl pulled him along to the kitchen, leaving Beat, Gum and Yoyo alone with only the low noise of the TV keeping the room from being completely silent.
"I didn't want you confronting your Father alone…" Gum breathed "but I didn't want Yoyo to get hurt… He told me he saved you…"
Beat looked down at his feet. "I understand if you wished he didn't…"
"N-no that's not what I mean. I'm glad he saved your life. You see even though he didn't have amnesia, I still had to teach him a lot of things about the street and how to survive because his ideas were warped… I told him not to risk his own life but that lesson never stuck with him… I'm glad he was up there with you because if I was… I don't know if I would have done the same…"
He admired her honesty. He didn't say anything back as he leaned up against the red couch. He didn't think he needed to as Gum moved Yoyo off her lap and stood with a small stretch. He assumed she was going off to Corn's room as she disappeared around the corner.
"Beat…?" Yoyo's voice was weak with sleep.
Beat could feel the teen lightly tugging at his hair until he turned around to see him.
"Hey Yoyo… How're you holding up?"
The teen gave him a wide smile before wincing in pain. "Good enough yo, Cube said she was gonna tape my ribs for me when she gets back… But how about you?"
"Me? I'm fine really but you had me worried sick! I thought I was going to lose you Yoyo!"
Yoyo's face burned a deep crimson as Beat cupped his cheek.
"I-I'm sorry but… But when I got up there, I saw him charging at y-you yo. I couldn't let him hurt you because I-I you know… Yo…"
The more he babbled, the redder his face got until finally Beat silenced him. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss onto Yoyo's lips. The teen squeaked into the kiss but he didn't pull away, he leaned further in.
Yoyo's lips were soft and welcoming as he opened his mouth to deepen the kiss which Beat didn't hesitate to do. He could feel Yoyo's fingers digging into his hair as their tongues battled for dominance.
The battle continued well on until they heard Garam's whistle of approval from the side of the couch.
"Wow it's about damn time! Rhyth you owe me ten bucks!"
"No that money goes to Jazz because you still owe her for your pants~"
"Damn it!"
Beat looked at them in horror as Yoyo covered his face. "H-how long have you two been there?!"
"Not long~" Rhyth sang "we finished cooking like five minutes ago and came out to see if everyone was back yet but we found you two kissing instead! Hee hee when you guys popped out of that tower you two were cuddling so we bet to see how long it was before you started eating each other's faces. I said a day but Garam said probably as soon as Gum was out of the room."
The look of mortification only increased as the front door was opened and Cube and the others walked in and Garam shouted: "Hey guys! Those two totally kissed! I am the best cupid ever!"
Cube just rolled her eyes as she shooed Beat away to get at Yoyo and his broken ribs. "Announce their union to the world why don't you? I'm sure Gum would love to hear of it."
"Hey if it wasn't for this wonderful beautiful person, you and Combo wouldn't have met!" With as much grace as he could, Garam twirled around the carpeted floor and pointed to himself.
Cube snorted "whatever I'll give you that. Just go away and let me work! You're presence makes everything more difficult!"
Garam flipped her the bird as he and Rhyth trotted back to the kitchen with Jazz in tow as she was starving while Boogie stayed at Cube's side to aid her. Combo had decided to sit down by Beat who had moved across the room by the radio.
"The rest of Poison Jam didn't make it…" Combo whispered lowly gaining Beat's attention.
"What?"
"After you guys stopped Gouji and the tower crumbled they did with it… I guess that helmet thing linked them to Gouji or something and when he croaked they did too…"
"How's Cube taking it?"
Combo shrugged "I won't pressure her or nothin' to talk about it. She'll talk when she's ready but Poison Jam was the second gang she lost… Ever heard of Rapid 99?"
Beat nodded "I heard they ended up dead… I didn't know how at the time but I can only assume it was the Golden Rhinos."
Combo looked up at the ceiling "yeah… The Golden Rhinos were still under the radar at the time and well… Cube didn't see it coming, they all fell one by one but they made sure she made it out of their turf, 99th street safely. I think it's why she held Garam in such contempt and still does. She may just see herself in him."
"Why're you telling me all this Combo?"
"You're easy to talk to kid. You can be an ass but you know when to get serious y'know? And I was discussing it with her and we'd like to join your gang. Cube's done leading but I don't think she'd admit it to you."
Combo looked like he wanted to say more but he stopped once he began to hear Garam's constant 'pssts' from the kitchen.
Beat looked over to Garam to find him hanging out behind the wall of the kitchen with two bowls of soup in his hands. He gestured Beat over. He sighed as he excused himself from Combo's side.
"What?" He whispered as Garam handed him the bowls.
"Take these to Gum and Corn. I think if I walk out there, Cube'll have my balls. I'd ask Rhyth but as you can see she's flirting with Jazz." Beat looked over to find the statement to be true. Both girls were giggling as they played footsies under the counter.
Beat couldn't argue with that but he wondered himself what Gum would do to him if she found out what happened between him and Yoyo. He didn't want to stop and forget about it all. He wanted to pursue a relationship with Yoyo now that everything was cleared up. The Golden Rhinos were sure to crumble without his Father's aid and his Father himself no longer threatened Tokyo-To.
He ended up sucking it up as he delivered the bowls to Corn and Gum. He really couldn't tell what kind of soup it was but it smelled spicy.
Beat couldn't exactly knock on the door with his hands full. Luckily for him however the door was cracked open slightly. "Please don't be doing it" He prayed as he peered through the crack.
Much to his relief he just saw the two of them sitting on the bed's edge. Corn had changed back into his blue jumpsuit; he was using its long sleeves to dab at his eyes. It was hard to tell, but they were red. Gum held him, her head resting on his as she used her fingers to comb through his blonde hair. She was clearly trying to soothe him but it only made him more upset it seemed.
"Gum… I-I let Soda down… I should have… I could of…"
"We couldn't have done anything more for him Corn… At least now he can rest in peace." He buried his head into her neck, his lips quivering as he let off a choked sob.
"B-but he should have had that all along! He didn't deserve to have to exist as some man's fuckin' puppet!"
Gum pressed a kiss to his forehead as he pulled her into a hug. "Beat you can come in I see you."
The red head jumped at Gum's claim. "Shit I wasn't that obvious was I?" He thought as he nudged the door carefully open with his foot.
The levels of awkward rose ten levels as Beat found Corn's puffy blue eyes to be following him as he entered. "Uhmmm… Garam and Rhyth cooked… They wanted me to bring you some food…" Now both of them were staring at him. "I-I can just leave these here and go…"
"No it's fi-fine…" Corn huffed as he pulled away from Gum to rub at his eyes. "We'll come out and e-eat…"
Gum rubbed her hand across his back "you sure?"
"Yeah I'm sure. I'm fine." He was shaky as he stood. Gum kept her arms out to steady him if need be, but he made it to Beat without assistance. He took his bowl with a small thank you before leaving the room.
Gum took her bowl shortly after but she didn't follow after him. "Seeing Soda really rattled him. They were close even back in America" she sighed. "Well we were all pretty close. But they had this strange little bond. I was always jealous of Soda because of it… But I digress." She looked up at Beat with a knowing look in her eyes that made the red head flinch. "I heard Garam's screech to the heavens."
"Oh… Oh no…"
"Yeah but don't worry. I approve, but break his heart…"
"You'll break every bone in my body and then some?"
Gum gave him a wicked smirk "it's a promise."
Cube had finished taping Yoyo's ribs by the time Beat and Gum stepped back into the living room. Everyone had a bowl of soup in hand except for Beat and Boogie, who was just busy setting the radio up.
"Bowl's on the table!" Garam said in between shoving noodles in his mouth.
"You are a disgusting oaf." Cube groaned from her spot on Combo's lap.
Beat was quick to snag his bowl off the counter and claim his spot on the couch by Yoyo, Gum and Corn. Yoyo tossed him a grin and a peck on the cheek.
"Aw so cute~!" Rhyth cooed before returning to playing footsies with Jazz.
"Yes! I finally found it!" Boogie cheered once the voice of DJ Professor K came through with a call of "Jet Set Radio!"
"Yes I'm back everyone! Had to change my location and station number but if ya'll are listening to this then why do you care?! Heh thanks to that new gang of trouble-makers, The GG's, our world is normal again! They took out Gouji and all of his flunkies, his tower of the 'future' now just steel and glass ready to be cleaned up. Too bad the rest of Poison Jam didn't make it out in the end. But they're probably up in rudie heaven bowling over cops and watching horror flicks only their twisted minds could have come up with. Their stank no longer an issue to the public… Heh for once I really don't got anything all that witty to say… I'm shocked." He paused for a bit the only sound being heard being the records skipping in his studio. "Well the Golden Rhinos fled with their tails between their legs and the Police are back at hunting rudies again with their new Captain, a nut named Hayashi but… The one thing they can't stop is people's desire for freedom. Try as they may, in the end, they'll just end up like Gouji because you can't control everything or everyone. Someone'll always rise up to the challenge and knock you back down and into your place."
As his voice began to fade, music came to replace it.
Everyone eventually crashed on the floor or couch except for Beat. He just stared at the game show Jazz had left on the TV before she and Rhyth passed out. He didn't sleep because he feared another nightmare; his thoughts were keeping him up.
It was around when the TV said it was midnight that Beat went to go stand outside. There was a full moon out so he saw no need to turn the porch light on. The air was crisp but not uncomfortable.
"What's wrong yo?" He could hear Yoyo yawn from behind him.
"You shouldn't be up Yoyo your ribs…" Beat trailed as Yoyo joined him by the porch railing.
The mint haired teen shrugged as he pulled off his glasses, surprising Beat. Seeing this, Yoyo smirked "don't look so surprised you've seen them before yo."
"Y-yeah not in the moonlight though…" He blushed as Yoyo took his hand into his.
"So why're you out here Beat?" He looked him straight in eye.
"I was just thinking about all that happened today and how it ended… My Father, my brothers… I can't wait to see all this in the paper." Sarcasm oozed from his voice as Yoyo leaned into him.
"Least it's all in the past now yo…"
Beat sighed he was right. It was all in the past and nothing could be done to change a thing.
"Maybe they're all happy up there together yo?"
"I can only hope so…" He carefully pulled Yoyo to his side as they stared up at the moon.
Thoughts of the future crossed Beat's mind. There was always action on the streets to be had and with his gang, he hoped to put everything behind him and move forward.
End of Part 12. End of Main Story.
So if you made it to the end and liked it, leave a review and what not. If this is well received, I wouldn't be against writing the perspectives of others since this was mostly Beat focused and I know that he might not be some's cup of tea…