Chapter 10 – The Return Of…Several

(You know who I own, and it isn't JSR. Please r+r!)

It was two weeks since Goji Rokkaku had died, but things hadn't got any better. The GGs were now firmly established as The Gang Who Owned Shibuya-Cho. And boy, did they know it. The only thing that made me feel better was seeing Alex. At least there was someone I'd taken power from.

But I wasn't going to let up. Every day we went out into Shibuya. Every day we tagged the place. Every day one of them stole our paint, taunted us, sent us scurrying home. Every day we vowed revenge.

But how? I mulled the thought over as I tagged the side of a bus. The sun glinted on my paint can, dazzling me. They were too strong. Trying to beat them by conventional means wouldn't work.

But what were unconventional means?

Nearly finished the tag. It was going to be a hot day. Already the air was blistering.

Suddenly I realised I could hear voices, coming from the other side of the bus.

"Why don't Love Shockers eat pickles?"

"Please, Gum, no more jokes," another girl said.

"Anyway, that's just a customized blonde joke." This voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.

"No, just this last one."

"Oh, all right. Tell me why Love Shockers don't eat pickles."

"Because they get their heads stuck in the jars."

Someone tittered. Someone else groaned.

GGs. I gritted my teeth, hearing the molars scrape against each other, and increased my tagging speed.

Someone slammed into me and knocked me off my feet. The paint flew out of my hand and clattered across the ground. A white-gloved hand scooped it up, and a sharp female voice said, "Thanks, honey. Always appreciate donations to our funds."

I looked up. Four figures stood over me.

"Four against one?" I said, sliding into a sitting position. "Not scared, are you?"

"No. It's just we all enjoy seeing you guys sprawling." The girl folded her arms across the front of her green and white minidress.

"Can't get your kicks from anyone else?"

Her eyes narrowed. She had strong features, that depending on the light could be painfully ugly or amazingly beautiful. Blonde hair sticking out from under her helmet. And strength. No wilting flower personae for this babe.

"Look, just stop coming here, okay?" The second girl's voice was much higher, a cutesy bunches look-at-me tone. "This is our turf. Not yours. Sorry." She rolled her eyes, then surreptitiously checked her makeup, which was white foundation and blue stripes, in the bus window.

The blonde girl elbowed her in the ribs, and she turned back to face me. She wore a tight blue dress, stripy tights, and pink skates.

There were two other girls, but I couldn't get a look at them.

"Your friend's right," I said to the blue girl. "Don't bother fixing your face, there really is no point."

She scowled at me. "Bitch."

"Like, you're one to talk about looking bad," one of the other girls said.

I froze.

That voice.

Quickly I said, "Whoever told you blue lipstick fitted your face was horribly wrong."

I hadn't seen her face. But I took a gamble she'd have kept the same look.

"I could say the same for you."

Cube stepped into view.

"Oh, geez, not you, Goth girl." I couldn't see for the black hate swimming over my eyes.

"I don't care if you have a problem with my look," Cube said coolly. "I don't much like yours either. And as for going round griping about some guy leaving you – that is pathetic. Whoever he was, he's better off without you."

She doesn't recognise me, I thought dizzily. Once again, someone wasn't looking behind the mask. Well, that could be good.

"Just – just get out," the last girl said.

Now that voice was really familiar.

I gaped as Piranha flicked back long, brown hair, smoothed the hips of her white flares, and stared me down.

"Just go," she said. "You guys are pathetic. Just go."

She meant it. She knew I knew who she was.

"Get out, broken heart." The blonde girl shook my paint can. There was hatred in her face, and that puzzled me. "Or I'll paint you a new face."

I wanted to stay. I wanted to fight. But I didn't want to get knocked out of rudie life for good.

I sneered at them, got up, and skated away.

I couldn't remember feeling so angry before in my life. Hatred of the two GGs I didn't know was mingling with the yearning for utter annihilation of the two I did.

Piranha, that traitor.

And Cube.

Just you wait, I said to her silently. I'm going to make you pay for all of this.

I trailed down towards Center Street, past the square. People looked round as I passed, then moved away. Fine, I told them. Do that. See if I care.

Suddenly I didn't want to be here any more. Shibuya was too cheery. It didn't fit my gloom. Only one place did.

Back to Kogane-cho.

The heat was rising now. Kogane smelt of mouldy rubbish, old food, stagnant water. My head pounded like a prisoner kicking at the inside of my skull.

I deliberately didn't walk to my old house. Instead I headed to Akina's, and stood outside it, wondering if any of them missed her.

I wondered where she was buried.

The front door opened and her sisters came out, arm in arm. They weren't twins, but boy did they act like it.

They saw me standing at their driveway, and I saw their faces grow cold.

"What are you doing here?" one of them hissed.

"I came to see what the old place was like." Did they recognise me?

"Why would you do that? You never lived here, did you?"

I thought I detected a note of unease in her voice.

"I lived in this district," I said.

"Who are you?" the other sister demanded.

"Just someone who loved your sister."

"We don't care about her," the younger girl said. "Mum says we should, but we don't."

"Your brother did."

The older sister spat on the ground. "Well, he's gone now."

"What did you do? Polish him off and bury him under the lawn?"

"He ran off, ages ago," she replied. "He's a rudie just like you."

"Couldn't take the guilt?"

"He was always weak."

I stared at them, trying to see some humanity in their faces. I didn't succeed.

"What's with you two?" I asked. "He was your brother. He was on your side."

"He threatened to turn us in," the younger one said. "We had to make him leave."

"Oh, and how'd you do that?"

"Well, he knows we're good at hurting others," the older one said. "We turned on him. Sorted him out a little. Once we said we'd tell our mum he'd killed our sister, he decided to quit."

"You are a bitch," I said.

"And you're not? Alex Gilbert sure hated your guts."

Enough of this. I slapped her. Then stepped back, and waited.

The girl stood with her hand to her face, looking baffled. I smirked. Then she leapt at me. Her nails were long. They ripped into my skin.

I shoved her, and she stumbled back, feet trampling the family flowerbed.

"Come on," I said. "You want a fight? I'll give you a fight. Meet me tonight, ten p.m. Park Street in Shibuya. On the half-built motorway."

"Whatever you say. I'll kill you."

"Many have tried, sugar."

I blew her a kiss and watched them walk past me. I didn't move until I was sure they were gone. I didn't trust them one inch.

I wasn't sure whether I'd win this fight. But I had to try. Those two were…were creepy, basically. They'd made Akina's life a misery more than anyone else had. They deserved everything I could give them.

Fast forward to ten o'clock. Shibuya-cho was dark and silent.

I stood on the motorway, a knife in my hand. Waiting. A few feet in front of me yawned a black chasm. A gap which the builders hadn't got round to bridging.

On my right, below the edge of the motorway, was the playground. The swings creaked in the night breeze.

No cars. This road wasn't ready for them yet.

The smell of the night air cleared my head. I wished I could go back home. But I wasn't – couldn't – back down.

I heard footsteps, far away, coming up the steps to the half-pipe. I turned to look – and suddenly someone had leapt on me from behind.

I dropped, and stabbed upwards. There was a yelp as my blade connected with flesh. Something sharp bit onto my shoulder, and I felt dampness seeping into my crop top.

I stabbed again. This time I felt the knife sink in, and I turned to face Akina's older sister.

"That was a low trick," I said.

She rubbed blood off her face. "Worked, though. You still up for it?"

"You bet."

We circled. Both blades shot out at the same time, and scraped down each other. She dodged to the side, I leapt sideways just in time to avoid a knife in the ribs.

Both breathing heavily now, we watched and waited. Her face had gone wooden, her thoughts were hidden. She lunged out at me, and I felt the blade rip down my arm.

Trying not to look at the darkness covering my skin, I hit out at her, and she yelped as I nicked her cheekbone.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the younger sister sitting on one of the crash barriers, watching us like it was on TV. What was with her? I thought. What was with them both?

Thinking was a mistake. My opponent's fist hit me, and I fell backwards onto the floor. She leapt on me, raised the knife –

I stabbed for her heart. She rolled off me and I jumped to my feet. Behind my heels the playground waited.

She pushed me.

I fell over the wall, cried out as I hit the ground. She jumped down to stand next to me. "Give up?"

I got to my feet. I was feeling bruised, but no need to tell her that. "Nope."

We were back to circling now. The blood was pounding in my ears. I wasn't noticing my surroundings any more. It was time to fight.

The end came quickly.

She tried to stab me. I dodged to the side, and as she stumbled, I grabbed the back of her collar, and thrust the knife between her ribs.

She dropped.

I stood there, waiting, trying to catch my breath, feeling alive all over, my shoulders rising, my heart pounding in my chest, the cuts throbbing.

She didn't get up.

"Is that enough?" I whispered to the sky. "Akina? Do you want me to stop?"

Silence.

She wouldn't like you doing this, I thought.

"What have you done?" The younger sister's voice was flat.

"I won. And you know it was a fight to the death."

She climbed over the wall, down the elephant slide, and dropped down next to her sister's body. No tears. She just took the dead girl's hand, stroked it, and said nothing.

I turned and walked away. By the time I got back to the HQ I was crying. Akina would hate you, I thought. You know she would.

But what else could I have done?

I pressed a fist to my mouth. No tears. No tears, not now.

I walked into the building. I could tell it was empty as soon as I arrived. There was a note pinned to one of the office doors. Gone partying in Benten. Back very late – if at all!

Don't wait for me or anything, I thought.

I walked up to the second floor balcony, and unbolted the door.

"I see you've got an ally," Alex said coolly.

"Hmm?"

"Babs. She came today. Helped me a little."

I noticed someone had bandaged the cut on her arm. Oh, well. Better she be kept alive. And conscious. Conscious enough to suffer.

After I'd finished with Alex, I walked back downstairs, and turned on the radio. The music echoed up into the darkness, making me feel even more gloomy than I already was, if that was possible.

"Laani?" someone whispered.

I jumped. Only one person called me that. "Akina?" I called. "Is that you?"

"I suppose it is – yes."

I jumped to my feet. "Where are you?"

"I'm here."

She stepped forward. She was just like she'd always been, but she looked – well, she looked more real than the stuff behind her. Like we were all a dimension behind her. I can't explain it.

I hurried towards her. "I missed you – I missed you so much –"

Our hands met. Hers were like glass. Beautiful, perfect – and icy cold. I stared into her eyes. They were different too. The fear she'd always had was gone.

"Laani, why are you so angry with them?"

I knew what she was talking about. "They killed you. Akina, they killed you!"

"I know they did, Laani, but they didn't mean to."

"Your sisters did."

"You can't blame them for that. They're not right in the head themselves. There's a demon in them both. And Alex didn't mean to."

"I can't help it," I said. "I miss you. I miss you like crazy."

She hugged me, but it wasn't like the real Akina. It was like being hugged by cool sunlight.

"I miss you too," she said. "One day we'll be together again. Please, stop hurting people because of me."

She began to shimmer, and become transparent.

"Akina," I said, hearing my voice tremble. "Please – please don't go!"

"I have to. I'm not meant to be here."

"I need you!"

"I'm sorry, Laani…" she whispered, and she was gone.

I blinked. Blinked again. I was lying on the floor. Akina was gone.

It was only a dream, you idiot. She's never coming back. Never. Never. Acidic tears pooled in my eyes.

"Kell? Kell, come on!"

Quickly I scrubbed my hands across my face, smiled, and said, "Yeah?" My voice didn't wobble. Good thing.

"Come on." It was Dash. "They're waiting for you in Benten."

"Why'd you come back for me?"

"I thought you might want in on the action – geez, what happened to your arm?"

It was bleeding still from the fight.

"I ran into some trouble in Park Street. It's been taken care of. I'll just go sort this out."

I performed a spot of first aid on myself, then hurried to join Dash. My emotions felt shaken. Akina had come and then she'd gone and it had hurt so much, felt like someone had stuck a blade in my ribs and dragged down through the bones and muscles, splintering, blood pouring out over my chest, leaving me split open and dying.

But I couldn't tell the others that.

We hurried to downtown Benten, where the others were waiting.

"This is the GGs' turf," I said, seeing the paint cans they all held.

Shar smirked. "Exactly. Let's annoy someone."

"Right," I said. "Shar, Dash, you stay on the ground. Kris and I'll go up to the rooftops. San, you be lookout for those two, okay?"

"I don't want to be lookout," San said. "Why d'you always give me the baby jobs?"

"Because you're the worst skater," I snapped. "Now shut up."

San pulled a face at me, but she kept her mouth shut.

"Come on," I said to Kris. "Let's paint the town red."

We hurried into a building, up a short flight of steps, and out onto the roof, where we both began tagging.

"Kell, are you okay?" Kris asked as we worked.

"Yeah. Why shouldn't I be?"

"You look – uh – kinda upset."

"Nah, I just got dust in my eyes." Damn Akina. Why did she have to get to me like that?

"A 911 call reports reckless skating in Benten." The words droned over 'Miller Ball Breakers.' "All officers rush to the scene. I repeat…"

"Nuts." Kris sighed. "I knew it was too quiet."

"Let's carry on," I said. "You know the cops have problems with heights. The other three can beat it if they feel it's necessary."

We both leapt and ground onto a pole curving away from the roof, and sped over Benten-cho. Below me I saw cops rushing out of the subway entrance.

"Run!" I yelled as the pole curved and Shar, Dash and San came into view. "Move it!"

Shar and Dash did. San flipped me off, took out her paint, and began finishing off Shar's tag.

Kris and I leapt off onto a roof, and I yelled, "Are you crazy?"

Too late.

The cops leapt on her like iron filings to a magnet. San struggled, but they'd got her all right. I watched as she was cuffed and marched off into one of the cars. Great. Just great.

"Get out of here," I said to Kris. "Hide on the roofs till they've gone if you have to. I'll go find the others."

Kris nodded, and dashed away.

What about Shar and Dash?

They were hurrying from the scene. As I watched, they leapt onto an air shaft and ground up onto the roof a few feet along from me. I hurried to meet them.

"San got nabbed," Dash said. "We'd better get out of here."

"Where're we aiming for?"

"If we get over to the walkways," Shar panted, "we can get back into Shibuya. They mightn't follow us there."

"So we need to get to the subway? There's a cop car parked across it."

"Then we jump," Dash said. "The longer we stay here, the riskier it is."

"Oh, the GGs are gonna love this," Shar said. "Can't we go through the square?"

"Nuh-uh. Thanks to our friendly neighbourhood Keisatsu, that route's closed. They've locked the gates to the railway."

"Shit." I tried to think. "Okay, then, make a break for the subway. Try and jump over the car."

"I'll go first," Dash said, and dived off the roof.

We watched as she dashed towards the subway. I willed her to get through. If she got caught – if we all did –

I decided not to think about that.

Clouds of mustard-coloured gas billowed out around her. Coughing, she tried to skate on, but she'd lost. In seconds she'd been grabbed and in a minute, she was off the street and into a car.

"Damn," Shar muttered. "A SWAT team. Why didn't they announce it?"

"Maybe they're getting smart at last."

"We may as well go together, then," Shar said. "We can help each other up and stuff."

We jumped.

The ground hit my feet with a jarring scrape, and we began to run.

"Over there!"

The shout seemed far away, but then we heard the fat, barking shots of the SWAT team, and the gas sprang up around us like mushrooms. It burned at my throat and eyes, and I tried to keep skating even as I coughed and coughed, my ribs heaving as they struggled to help me breathe. Through a brown fog I saw Shar stumble, rushed over to her, pulled her to her feet, but now our way was blocked by the cop car and we hadn't got half enough momentum.

Shar cried out as they grabbed her. I dodged another cop, and tried to shimmy round the vehicle. The driver was watching me, a nasty smirk on his face.

A familiar smirk.

I froze.

This was obviously not a wise move. Hands closed on my wrists, pulled them behind my back, and cold metal closed over them. But I was hardly thinking about that. They shoved me into the car, and now I tried not to look at the driver, because if I did – if I was right – I would be toast.

Who'd have thought Shiro really could come back from the dead?