Chapter 09 – Road Crashes, Rokkakus, and Revenge

(I don't own JSR or associated characters but I do own the characters of the Love Shockers apart from Piranha. Oh, and I forgot to say at the beginning of this story, thanx are due to JW/Zrex for giving me Kell's full first name so that's cool. Oh, and r+r!)

San had become a Love Shocker at last.

We still had no idea how she'd managed to talk us into it, but once her own sister agreed there didn't seem much point in arguing any more. Today she'd just had her hair spiked, and we were celebrating.

Shar slumped against the car we'd – ahem – borrowed from a Shibuya street a few days before, swaying slightly. "So – so – so we got – we got seven of us now, right, girls? And those GGs only got six, that's gotta be good, right?"

She laughed, raised her glass, and made a mock bow in San's direction. We were all a bit pissed – in fact, San was looking distinctly green – but it was a celebration, right?

I'd not been drinking so much. I don't like not being alert.

"This is, like, so cool!" Alex said. "Two Gilbert girls in this gang…two of us…wonder what Kellaani would say if she could see us now?"

She carried on giggling, tears pouring from her eyes. I tried not to look like I'd noticed.

"Who's Kellaani?" Dash said. "I mean…I mean…it's not like I know her, is it?" She glanced at Shar, and the two of them cracked up.

"Kellaani was…was…was this girl…" Alex gesticulated wildly with her drink, speckling us with warm liquid. "Bitch. Complete bitch."

"What happened?" Piranha asked. She looked pretty dozy. "She still a bitch?"

"I don't know, do I?" Alex sounded angry suddenly. "I don't want to talk about her now. She's bad. We both are."

A silence fell.

"Let's go out…" Kris said. "Go for a drive."

"Can't," San said. "We're drunk."

"I'm not," Piranha said, trying to focus. She staggered over to the car. "Come on. Bags I drive!"

"Don't be stupid," I said. "You can't drive, you're off your face."

The car sputtered into life, and Piranha stuck her tongue out at me. I watched as the others piled into the car.

"Piranha!" I yelled, but too late. The car did a 180-degree turn and charged out of the door.

Great. They'd probably come back in pieces. Or in handcuffs.

I leaned back against the wall and sighed. It was very quiet in the building. Why on earth had they chosen to live in something so creepy? It creaked and rattled 24/7.

"Come on, Kell," I said to myself. "It's not like you believe in ghosts, is it?"

No, but maybe they believe in you, my thoughts replied.

I wondered what I'd do if I did come across Shiro as a ghost. Scream, probably. Screaming would sound good in this building, what with the echoes.

Can ghosts fuck you?

Don't be so stupid, I thought. He's dead, and ghosts don't exist.

BANG

I jumped violently as the front door slammed against the wall. There was no one behind it.

"Who's there?" I called, trying to sound tough.

"Kell? Is that you?"

A girl crept into the building, and I relaxed.

"Who are you?" I said.

"It's Babs."

"No way!"

She shrugged. She'd cut off the spikes on her hair, and it covered her head like a cap. Her eyes were sunken and angry, and her clothes – not Love Shocker clothes – were crumpled.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Not good. Thanks to that bitch Alex."

"Tell me about it."

"You don't like her either?"

"I hate her," I said. "She killed a – a friend of mine. But don't tell her I said that."

"Hey, when will I ever get to speak to her? Where is everyone, anyway?"

I sighed. "Driving round Tokyo drunk as lords."

"Shit."

"I'm trying not to think what might happen." If they did all get killed, I'd be alone again. That couldn't be good. The dreams – the nightmares – had been coming back, and whoever was near me had got into the habit of shaking me awake when I screamed.

No one to wake me.

Babs sat down next to me. "Not that I'd care if Alex got smashed up. How dare she kick me out? I was there before her. I'd love to see her down and out."

"Stick around," I said without thinking.

She glanced at me. "Why? You planning something?"

I decided not to deny it. "Yeah. But keep your mouth shut."

"I've already said, who've I got to open it to? Can I help?"

"Not at the moment. Maybe later."

"Cool." Babs rested her chin on her hands.

"Where are you living at the moment, then?"

"Around. I crashed with a friend last night, but a lot of times I wind up under a bus shelter."

Suddenly there was a screech as a car halted outside.

"That'll be them," Babs said, getting up. "I'd better go. Thanks for talking to me."

"Anywhere I can find you?" I called.

"Try the bus terminal, like I said." She hurried out of the door.

I heard the slamming of car doors, then the others walked in. Right away I saw there was something wrong. Everyone looked sobered up. San was crying. Alex was angrily comforting her. Shar and Dash had nervous, not-sure looks on their faces. Kris was leading Piranha, who looked unconscious apart from the fact her eyes were open.

"What happened?" I asked.

Kris looked angry. "We ran someone down."

"No way."

"Way. Some girl coming out of Shibuya High School. I think Piranha's in shock."

Piranha's eyes stared blankly ahead. Her mouth was half-open, and her skin shone with sweat.

"What happened exactly?"

"She was driving. The girl ran across the road. It wasn't her fault. We were speeding. We hit her. Piranha drove off. I don't know if she realised or not."

"Man. Do you think she – the girl, I mean – do you think she's dead?"

Kris nodded. "I'll see if I can wake Piranha up a bit." She led her patient away.

"Onishima's gonna love this," Shar said. "It's just the sort of thing he says will happen."

"Oh, shut up," San sobbed. "That doesn't matter! Someone's dead! We shouldn't have gone out, and someone's dead!"

"It's okay…" Alex stroked her sister's back.

"No, it isn't! She's dead!"

I'd been right. Screaming did sound good in this building.

There was no more party atmosphere. Everyone just sat around looking depressed. I was feeling pretty guilty myself. I should have stopped them. I wasn't going to beat myself up about it, but I should have. It would have been better for everyone.

That night, as I tried to go to sleep, someone started crying, Kris, I think. Piranha didn't. She lay there, staring at the ceiling, not sleeping.

I dreamt. Hands on me, holding me down. Bad things happening, trying to run.

I managed to wake myself this time, and not scream, and lay there, feeling musty, in the darkness.

Piranha was still lying as she had when I'd dozed off, awake and zombiefied. I sat up, wrapped my blanket around me, and started saying my times tables in my head to break away from the memory of my dream.

Piranha sat up, blinked. "Kell? What – what happened – I – I – oh, my god –"

Her face collapsed like water bursting through a dam, and she dropped down, sobbing, like a child.

I gently picked her up and hugged her. "You remembering?"

She nodded damply against my shoulder.

"We'll look after you, okay."

"I killed her," Piranha choked.

"She knows you didn't mean to. She's probably mad because you were dumb, but she knows you didn't do it to be bad."

Piranha took several deep breaths. "I'm sorry – I'm sorry –"

"I know." I put her blanket round her shoulders.

Piranha grabbed at it with shaking hands. "I'm scared…"

"We'll look after you."

I stayed talking to her until she dozed off. I felt strange. Once again I was letting someone lean on me. That was Laani's style, not Kell's.

But what else could I do? Piranha needed help. I knew what it was like to be scared in the night. And it had made me less scared, to help someone else.

No, I could handle this.

We were still all gloomy the next day, which I wasn't surprised about.

"Seen the papers?" Alex said as we ate breakfast, throwing me a copy of Shibuya News.

Across the front page blazed the title, Local Girl Killed In Rudie Hit-And-Run.

I scanned the article. A gang believed to be known as the Love Shockers…terrible tragedy…day of mourning at Shibuya High School…

"Hey, this girl's sister's a member of the GGs!"

"What?" Alex tried to grab the paper. I held it away and read out, "The victim's sister is believed to have ties to a local gang known as the GGs, but although the police are not ruling out the possibility of a gang war-related killing…blah blah."

"If she's a GG, it serves her right," Shar said.

San leapt up and slapped Shar's face. "Don't you say that. The GGs aren't any different from us. And no one deserves this."

"They are different," I said. "They win."

"This one didn't," Alex said. "This one lost, big time."

We heard footsteps, and looked round to see Piranha coming towards us.

"Hi, guys," she said, giving us a nervous grin.

"Hi," I said.

Silence from the rest, then Kris finally said, "Sleep well?"

"Not too great." Piranha sat down and began to eat, glancing from face to face nervously.

"I'm not surprised," San said, sort of under her breath.

Piranha let her eyes drop.

"So…uh…what's happening today?" Dash said.

"I don't know. Maybe we'll go out and maim some babies," San said. "Or firebomb a church. That sound good?"

Alex glared at her sister, and said, "Same old, I guess. Trying to grab a bit of Shibuya-cho for ourselves."

"We'll have one less GG to worry about, anyway," Dash said. "Won't be feeling like tagging, I'll bet."

"That's horrible!" San slammed her plate down. "Don't you ever think of how other people feel?"

Piranha got up, and marched out of the building. I debated going after her, but decided not to. I felt sorry for her, but I also – wait for it – felt sorry for that GG girl as well. I wouldn't admit it, but I did.

I wondered if she hated Piranha like I did Alex.

Almost everything was ready for that. Soon Alex Gilbert would be begging me.

"I'll go see how Piranha is," I said, as silence fell again.

Outside Piranha was leaning against the wall, tears in her eyes again.

"They're not going to let up, are they?" she said.

"Who?"

"The others. And the cops are looking for the killer."

"Piranha, what are you thinking?"

"It's horrible here. Everyone hates me." Piranha looked up at me, brown eyes aching. "And I hate myself. I'm sorry, but I don't want to be part of this any more."

"Where will you go?"

"Anywhere. Anywhere where I don't have to hate and where nobody hates me."

"You're not gonna give yourself up, are you?"

She shuddered. "I can't. Maybe I should, but I – I just can't, they'll beat me up – I can't."

She began to walk away. Called back, "Don't forget me, all right? I'll be okay. I just need a new life."

"Don't we all," I replied, but she didn't hear me.

Here goes.

This next part will not be easy to explain at all. I guess you'll think I'm really crazy now.

Alex said she'd stay behind in the HQ while the rest of us went out tagging. This was just the occasion I'd been waiting for. I said Piranha had kept me awake and I was too tired.

They walked out, and left me alone with her in the building. I sat in the main hall, trying to pluck up my courage. I'd bought another knife, and I sat there, my face reflected in the blade. My eyes were too dark. It looked like there was nothing but blackness behind them.

The knife shook as the hand that held it did.

I was scared.

Well, I'd just have to try not to get scared. Think of Akina. Think of her crying. Think of how scared she must have been when they grabbed her. Hope that she didn't remember too much of what they did.

And Chiyo. If you want to be successful then don't be nice.

That was good. Now the rage was pulsing through my body. I got up and walked towards the door into one of the old offices. Alex was in there, I knew.

I wrenched open the door, slammed into Alex, and pushed her back against the wall, knife at her throat. It was all done without thinking about it. Like I already knew what to do.

"What the hell are you doing?" Alex's voice was walking a careful line between anger and fear. I saw her eyes flick to the knife.

"I'm giving you what you deserve."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't remember me, Alex Gilbert? Oh, dear. That's a pity. I sure remember you. Those wonderful school days…the insults…the bitching…the fun by the river…"

Alex went horribly pale.

"You," she whispered.

"Me."

"Kellaani," Alex said, still whispering, her ribs rising and falling as she slowly breathed, "Kellaani, please. I'm sorry about Akina. This won't help either of us."

"It won't help you," I said. Putting one hand on her back, I shoved her forward, keeping the knife on her skin.

"I didn't mean for her to die!" Alex cried out. "I haven't been able to look at the river since it happened! I swear, I didn't know she had asthma –"

"You wanted to frighten her, and you only did it to hurt me." We were walking up the steps to the first balcony now. "Well, you succeeded. Congrats. Now I want to hurt you."

"You're going to kill me?" The words were jerked out like dying breaths.

"No. Not yet."

"The others may notice I'm not there."

We climbed the next flight, up to the second balcony. "I'll tell them what really happened. We went out tagging, and you got caught. Simple."

Alex closed her eyes, then opened them, and took a deep, careful breath. "Don't do this."

We stumbled along to the room I'd found, and I unbolted the door. I gave Alex a shove, and she landed heavily. Scrambling to her feet, she tried to dodge out, but I slapped her, and she fell back. Before she could make another break for it, I'd taken the handcuffs I'd purloined and clicked one round her wrist, and the other to the heating pipe on the wall.

We stared at each other. Hate simmered in the air.

"Fun's over, sweetie," I said. "I'm leader now."

"Then why don't you just kill me?" Alex said.

"Because then I wouldn't be able to do this."

The knife cut well. I'd sharpened it specially.

"Don't try screaming," I said as I left. "No one will hear you. I've tested."

I slammed the door on her, and rebolted it. I was shivering all over. Exhilaration? Fury? Fear? I didn't know.

I rushed down to the bathroom and got rid of the blood on my fingers, then tucked the knife under the mattress I slept on. Rubbing my eyes to redden them, I dashed out into Shibuya-cho.

The others were lurking round the bus terminal, looking fed up.

"Guys!" I yelled. "Something – something's happened…"

"What is it, Kell?" Kris looked concerned. I hoped I was convincing them all.

"Alex –" I said, trying to catch my breath. "She – I – we –"

"What?" San rushed over to me, shook my shoulders. "What's happened to my sister?"

"We went out tagging," I said. "I know, I know, we shouldn't have left the HQ empty, but we were bored…I was feeling rotten after no sleep, and I decided I wanted some fresh air after all. Anyway, we knew you guys would be around in this district, so we headed to Benten-cho."

"And?" Dash asked.

"The cops shot at us." I swallowed. "Alex got a bullet in the back of the leg. She fell, and, and they…"

"They've captured her," San said.

I nodded.

"What are we going to do?" Shar said. "Piranha's left. Jay's dead. Babs was fired. And now Alex…"

San pressed a fist to her mouth, which was quickly crumpling into tears.

"We'll just have to carry on," I said. "We can't let the GGs beat us."

"We just did," Dash said. "They jumped us and they've taken all the paint we had."

"Then we go back and get some more," I said. "We've got just as much right as they have to paint."

"Isn't there anything else we can do?" San shouted. "Like, rescue my sister?"

"San, don't be stupid," Kris snapped. "We try a jailbreak, we end up there ourselves. We're rudies, that's what happens, eventually." She put an arm round San. "I'm sure you'll see her again, but she'd want us to keep going, right? She didn't want the GGs to win either."

San scowled. "Fine. Let's leave her to rot. Just damn well leave her!"

She broke away from Kris and skated off into Center Street.

"Who's the new leader?" Dash asked.

"Not me," Kris said. "And I think San's too young."

"Then Kell should be it, right?" Shar gave me an ingratiating grin. "She's smart, she's tough, and she's been around long enough. Right?"

"I guess so," Dash said. "Could be worse."

"You okay with that, Kellaani?" Kris asked.

"Yeah, that suits me. Thanks, guys."

"So even if San objects," Shar said, "she's been outvoted."

And that was how I became leader of the most pathetic gang in Tokyo-to.

The next day I went out to the bus terminal to find Babs.

She was lurking around under the steps to the bridge, looking even worse than she had before.

"What's going on?" she said. "Have you dealt with her?"

"Yep."

"No way! Really?"

"She's locked up in one of the old offices right now." I kept my voice down. If any of them heard I'd be dead.

"You didn't kill her or anything?" Babs looked disappointed.

"No. Where's the fun in that? This way she's alive to suffer."

"Oh." Babs looked puzzled for a moment, then smiled. "Well, is there anything I can do?"

"If something happens to me, I'll need you to feed her," I said. "I want her alive. She's in an office on the second balcony, the door that's bolted. But only go in when the others are out. And don't kill her, okay?"

"Sure." Babs smirked. I looked at her, wondering if she hated Alex as much as I did. "Can I go visit her myself?"

"If you want." I didn't like talking to Babs. It made the whole situation seem tackier.

Akina wouldn't like this, something in my brain whispered.

Well, I don't care. She didn't like revenge or hurting people, and look where it got her. Six feet under. I'm not going to end up like that, and I'm going to hurt those who did it to her.

"Kell!"

I looked round. Dash was running towards me.

"I'm off," Babs muttered. "See you around."

"Kell, you've got to get back," she gasped. "Someone's set a bomb in Shibuya-cho. Several, maybe. There's explosions all over Park Street, and…"

"I'm coming," I said. "Babs?"

"I'll be fine," Babs said. "See y'around, Kell."

I followed Dash back to the HQ. We'd just reached it when the ground rocked beneath our feet as an explosion shattered the air.

"Get inside," I said, and shoved her forward.

The others were cowering in the middle of the hall.

"Does anyone know what's going on?" I asked.

"I was listening to Jet Set Radio," Kris said. "Prof K said that some freaky gang are attacking the whole city. There's flamethrowers in Benten…and winged machine gunners in Kogane."

"Why? Did someone declare war on Japan and forgot to tell us?"

"Nope. K said it was some sort of group of thugs…Rhinos, or something."

"Rhinos?"

"Don't ask me. I think all we can do is stay inside, and listen."

So that's what we did. Sat around the radio, listening. Outside the floor shook every so often. Once we heard someone screaming.

"Do you think – do you think it is some sort of war?" San said.

No one answered her. I wondered if Babs was all right. I wondered if Alex could feel the explosions up on the second floor.

Time slowed, became meaningless. Songs blurred together.

Then suddenly we were all wide awake again, as Professor K said, "And this report from our informant in Benten-cho, the Pink No Shijin! A rudie's tagged the city up and driven the Golden Rhinos mad!"

"Huh?" Dash sat up. "Who'd be dumb enough to do that?"

"We're trying to find out who this crazy punk is. Stay tuned for the latest news on Jet Set Radio!"

'Sneakman' came on, and we stared at each other in amazement.

"They've gone out there?" Shar said. "It's a bloody war zone!"

"Crazy punk, like the Prof said," Kris answered. "Hope they'll do the same here. Then maybe I can get some fresh air."

As the song finished, we waited.

"We're Tokyo's finest pirate radio station…we're Jet Set Radio! And now the latest news on the street. The cat who put out the Golden Rhino flamethrowers is one of the gang who's been treading on everyone's toes – the GGs!"

The silence turned black with rage.

"Looks like you're ready to take on anyone, guys – news just in from Kogane states that there's a rudie dicing with death there too! Hang on, all you Shibuya fools out there – the GG supermen are gonna save your butts in style!"

"I don't want them to save my butt," Shar snarled. "It would be them, wouldn't it?"

"Of course." I spoke calmly, but I wanted to break something. "They're the perfect ones."

"We're never gonna beat them," San said, lying back on the floor. "Everyone'll love 'em now."

"We don't," I said. "And we can still annoy them, if nothing else."

"Have you got a plan?" Dash asked.

"Not yet. But I'm going to get one. We're gonna bring those GGs down if it takes us all our lives, right?"

"Right," they chorused.

"So hang on and wait. I'll think of something."

Sooner or later.

That night, the others were out in Shibuya, drowning their sorrows.

I stayed behind. I had to talk to Alex.

The sky wasn't completely dark. Blood-red clouds streaked a burning sunset, casting an odd orange light onto the ground. Very Hallowe'en style.

I unbolted the door, and stared down at Alex.

She was crumpled, she was dusty, but she was still staring at me with scorn in her eyes.

"Feel like a big girl now, do we?" she said.

"Don't get me mad, Gilbert."

"I thought I already did. I thought that was the point." The orange glow seeping through the edge of the shutters ran down her face, making her look like a screenshot.

"Hear what was going on in Shibuya?" I said.

"I heard explosions."

I shrugged and let her wonder.

My gang should have been the ones recognised, the ones who were famous. But no. The GGs had got the glory while we'd hidden like rats.

I took out the box of matches, and saw Alex tense up.

"Scared?" I said.

She didn't answer. Her eyes were focused on that box and only that.

Find out what scares them…what burns their minds, Chiyo whispered in my head.

Gently I struck the match. It sounded loud in the small space. Alex's hands curled into fists.

I brought it down so that it licked the pale skin of her hand.

She screamed, one short sharp scream. I'd never heard her sound like that before.

"Oops," I said. "Did I hurt you?"

Alex didn't answer. She was trembling.

I got to my feet. That had made me feel better. The GGs may have got to me, but I'd got to Alex. Boy, had I got to her.

I rebolted the door behind me, and stood there, looking out over the light-filled hall. Safe again. They couldn't get to me.

I walked back down onto the ground floor, sat down in the orange glow bathing the floor. Safe. Safe. Yes.

I don't know when I slipped from waking to dreams. All I know is suddenly I was trapped in a nightmare again, unable to even move this time as I was broken up, trying to scream and my mouth was frozen…

They woke me up. Thank god.

Who are you kidding, Kell? He may be dead, but you're not safe and you never will be. Never again.

"Kell?" Dash was speaking. "I think we ought to put the radio on again."

"Why?"

"There's some rumour flying around about a demon, and the GGs are involved…"

"Oh, lord, not again!" I wrenched on the radio.

Professor K was sickeningly cheerful.

"This is Professor K, captain and DJ of your hard-walking, truth-talking, always squawking guerilla broadcaster – Jet Set Radio! Goji Rokkaku located a record that's got the power to summon a demon, and he's planning to start the evil right now! The GGs are on the case –"

We all groaned.

"And all the nation can do is wait as a bunch of street punks try and save the world!"

"A record that can summon a demon?" Dash said. "Talk about a dumb story."

"I don't know…" Kris looked thoughtful. "You know the GGs put three of ours out of action, before you all joined?"

"Yeah." Shar twisted a lock of pink hair round her fingers. "So?"

"Jay had a piece of record that someone had given her. She gave it to Brek – one of the ones the GGs knocked out. After Brek got tagged, she said the GGs had taken it off her."

"So?"

"I saw the piece. It was black and it had a devil on it. You don't think – someone knew about what it could do and tried to destroy it?"

"Why would they give it to someone else, then?" Dash asked. "Why not just smash it?"

Kris shrugged.

"Where did Jay say she got the record from?"

"She said some guy had given it to her, told her to keep it hidden and safe. That's all."

"I wonder if he gave bits to any other gangs," I said. "I would."

"Oh, what does it matter?" San said. "What matters is what's happening now. I wish K'd stop playing songs and tell us what's happening!"

'Miller Ball Breakers' rattled to a halt, and Professor K's voice blared out again. "This is your very own –"

"It's Jet Set Radio! We know!" Dash snarled.

"The GGs are up on the Rokkaku building! All ten of 'em!"

"Ten?" Shar said. "Where'd the other four come from?"

"The Pink no Shijin tells us there's something breathing fire, but no one's been roasted yet –"

"Pity," Shar said.

"This could be it, folks, so make your peace with your loved ones! There's some way creepy music coming off that tower. Looks like Goji's plan is succeeding…"

There was a pause. I wondered if this actually was going to be the end of the world. Surely not. Records couldn't summon demons.

I wonder what Coin would think of that?

I remembered him showing me his collection…I have no idea how that got there…they're like bits of history…it wasn't too cool, in fact it was pretty warped…

That record had had demons on it too.

Could it be? a voice whispered inside me. Could it be that he'd found the record Goji had now? Could it be that he'd brought it to Tokyo-to? That he was here now?

Stop it, I told myself. He doesn't love you, remember? He chose Cube.

Nausea rose in my mouth as I remembered that humiliation. I wanted to hurt. Hurt that stupid Goth whore and show her what it felt like to have someone kick you down. I hate you, I thought to her. I hate you so much.

We'd all grown silent. K wasn't playing any music. He wasn't commentating either. Just waiting, like us. Outside I could hear running feet. I got up and walked over to the window.

The sky seemed to be boiling, looking like it would splash over the horizon and flood us any minute. I could just see the Rokkaku tower in the distance, glowing with some weird light. There was something on there – something big and burning –

Suddenly the ground shook. There was a bang so loud I could hardly hear it. The huge thing on the roof started to leak light, then imploded, sending a golden corona across the sky.

The tower trembled.

Behind me, K started up again.

"Something big's happening round Rokkaku way! We can still see the GGs – they're trying to tag Goji – the tower's shaking, folks, hope all you office workers got out earlier!"

He was right. The tower was swaying from side to side, tiny specks of rubble flying from it.

"I hope they did," San said.

"Would you stay in a building with all this happening at the top?" Kris said. "Don't worry. I'm sure they're safe."

"They've tagged Goji," K said suddenly, "and he's fallen! Goji's fallen from the roof! Guys, you better get off there yourselves, or you're gonna be GG pizza in two seconds!"

"No, stay on there, and give us all a break," Dash said.

The Rokkaku tower swayed even more – then – slowly, like a child's toy, a film effect, a dying dancer – it crumbled – bent – and collapsed, vanishing into the rooftops of the city.

We stared at each other, faces amazed in the darkness, as K said, "And the GGs are coming off the tower…yes…we can see 'em…looking a bit dusty, but there's ten of 'em, they're alive!"

Dash sarcastically punched the air.

"This might even get Onishima off their backs for a while! Guys, we owe ya big time!"

There was the sound of cheering, which metamorphosed into 'Sweet Soul Brother.' It echoed up to the factory ceiling, the only sound in the HQ.

"Think of a plan, Kell," Shar said at last. "I don't think I can take this much longer."

(R+r please!)