(A/N: Those gloves that have no fingers—I've heard them called "fingerless gloves," and as far as I know there's no name for them.  I use the term "half-gloves," because I feel like it.  Thank you.)

"What the—?"

Glaring at Speed, Yoyo raised one half-gloved finger to his lips and motioned with his head.  Speed fell silent and listened.

There were noises in the sewer.  Human noises, to be precise, and more than one.

"Poison Jam," Yoyo whispered, almost mouthing the words.  He frowned in annoyance.  He and Speed had waited until morning to venture into the sewers, assuming that they could be through before Poison Jam woke up.  Apparently they had been wrong.

Speed watched the level below, where Yoyo was pointing.  Sure enough, three huge monsters skated out of the sewer pipe, laughing and joking as they went.  A moment later, a girl came out after them.  Speed gave Yoyo a questioning look, but he just shrugged and whispered, "I don't know her."

The two watched as Poison Jam stopped several feet in front of and one level down from them.  The girl halted as well and addressed them.  "All right, guys, remember everything I told ya?"

"Yeh," answered the one who appeared to be the leader of the trio.  "Kill 'em."

"Except for the leader," the girl reminded them.  "The other two, the one with the short hair and the one with the braid… toss 'em off somewhere.  I want the leader alive.  And paint everything ya see.  You morons got it?"

Poison Jam grunted in response, and Yoyo and Speed stared in silence as the four skated into another open sewer pipe.  Yoyo seemed worried, and when Poison Jam was gone he said, "They went to Kibogaoka Hill.  I'm not sure what's goin' down, but it's pretty bad.  Poison Jam's looking for a tag war, or worse."

Speed was confused.  "What?"

Yoyo was beginning to get annoyed with the "street cluelessness" of his new companion.  "Did you understand a word I just said?  …Doesn't matter.  Listen: Poison Jam's going for war with another gang.  It's possible that they'll just tag their backs, but it sure sounded more serious, in case you didn't pick up on that…  They're really out for blood this time."

Speed stared at him.  "Who's the other gang?"

Yoyo shrugged.  "No idea.  I know the sewers okay, but I told you I've never been to Kibogaoka.  Tab can't be here if Poison Jam don't know about it, so I should move on."  He glanced at the pipe leading to Kibogaoka Hill, then looked back to Speed.  "Want to go see what's going on?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Who knows," Yoyo added as he hopped over the rail, landing safely on the level below.  "Your sister might even be part of that gang."

"Maybe," Speed replied.  The odds of that were… well, too good for his own peace of mind.  He jumped after Yoyo.  "Let's go."

*          *          *

A young man walked out of the Ayame Street courthouse.  Free at last!

He had been jailed three years ago for drug dealing.  Sixteen at the time, he had been oblivious when someone he thought was his friend had set him up…

He muttered a curse or two.  Or three.  Or four.

Blade smiled to himself as he sat on the steps and pulled his skates on.  They were new, black with a red flame design, and fit him perfectly.

He stood and started off, pleased to find that he hadn't lost his superior skating ability.  Using the street signs, he directed himself toward his former home… and, he hoped, revenge against his former friend.

*          *          *

Cat stepped back and looked over her work, smiling through the early morning light.  Poison Jam's disgusting graffiti was gone, replaced by the indigo-colored words "Dark Storm" and the gang's symbol, a yellow lightning bolt.  A scowl flashed over Cat's face.  Poison Jam had been invading Kibogaoka with increasing frequency.

As if her mind was playing a trick on her, she heard voices.  Voices that sounded very much like Poison Jam.  She shook her head for a moment and listened, realizing then that it was indeed Poison Jam.  She leaned over the rooftop she was on and saw them just beneath her.  The three monsters took off, painting over Dark Storm graffiti on the walls near the entrance to the sewers.  Then, to Cat's astonishment, Cube followed them, adding her own personal touch to her underlings' art.

Cat stood and skated off, her heart pounding loudly in her ears.  She did not have much time.

If Cube's here too, this is it, she thought.  I didn't think it would be so soon…

Cat dropped directly into Dark Storm's home, not even bothering to grind down the ladder.  Tip looked up at her, startled.  "Cat!" she exclaimed.  "What's wrong?"

"Poison Jam," Cat gasped, out of breath from skating so fast.  "They're here."

"You mean…?" Tip asked, eyes widening.

"All of 'em," Cat confirmed.  "Where's Spark?"

Tip bit her lower lip.  "I don't know, she went out tagging, same as you…"

Tab had managed to partially sit up.  "What's going on?"

Tip glanced at him.  "Poison Jam is here.  You're gonna stay put.  We'll be back soon," she told him, only half-believing her own promise.  "Come on, Cat.  We gotta go find Spark."

"You go alone," Cat responded.  "I'm going for 'em."

Tip stopped on her way to the exit and stared at her.  "You're kidding me, right?  You're not crazy enough to go after Poison Jam?"

"I'm faster than they are," Cat assured her friend.  "And I'm a better tagger.  I can probably take out Shard, he's the slowest…"

"You'll be dead!" Tip pointed out, grinding up the ladder.  Cat followed.  "But," Tip continued when they were out, "I can't stop you.  I can only ask you not to do it…  Cat, please don't go.  Please."

Ignoring her friend, Cat skated off.  "Find Spark," she called over her shoulder, trying not to let on how terrified she was.

Tip went in the opposite direction, feeling sick to her stomach and wondering if she should have tried harder to stop Cat.  She knows what she's doing, she told herself.  Pushing her worries away as best as she knew how, she skated faster.  She had to find Spark before Poison Jam finished Cat off.

*          *          *

"Where is she?" Shard demanded of no one in particular.  He was sure he had seen the girl with the braid, but she had escaped before he could go for her.  He was looking at the stairs in front of him when he heard the sound of a spray can.

Realizing what was happening, he turned around.  The girl was standing behind him on the above walkway.  Leaning far over the rail, almost to the point of falling off, she had begun to tag his back.

"Hi," she greeted him.  "Come and get me, freak."

If she could spray Shard's back, the fumes from the paint would probably make him pass out.  If he didn't, Cat knew, he would get so frustrated that he would no longer be a problem.  If he could tag her, it worked both ways: the two had begun the dangerous game called "Tagger's Tag."

Shard looked around, but he was the only member of Poison Jam left.  Shred, Scrap, and Cube had left to different areas of Kibogaoka, so it seemed he would have to deal with the girl alone.  Grunting, he lumbered toward the stairs that led to the walkway she was on.

Cat let him get within ten feet of her, then she jumped on the rail of the walkway.  Before Shard figured out what was going on, she shot past him, adding a bit to the graffiti on his back as she went.  He turned and followed her as she hopped on a wire, went grinding down over a large group of houses, and jumped off at a large building at the end of the wire.

Shard leapt off onto the building just as Cat jumped onto the next wire.  He chased her once more, growling in frustration.  She began slowing down, and he got closer and closer…  He reached for a paint can, grinning to himself.

Without warning, she jumped.  Shard, utterly unaware, went right under her.  Cat landed just behind him and began tagging his back again.  She had nearly finished when he leapt to the side, desperate not to let her tag him.  He did not look where he was going, however, and hit a rooftop face-first.  Cat continued on the wire, leaving the angry Shard far behind.  She had to go look for Spark and Tip.

*          *          *

"It's already begun, yo."

Speed looked at Yoyo.  "What?"

Yoyo looked around as he skated toward the stairs where Cat had been a moment earlier.  "Dude, do ya got any street sense at all?  You can feel it.  You can smell it even.  There's a war goin' on here.  A small one, maybe, but still a war."  He dragged his finger along a piece of Poison Jam graffiti and held it up to Speed.  It was covered in purplish paint.  "Fresh.  They're here."

Speed said nothing.  He was staring at another piece of graffiti.

Yoyo followed his gaze.  "Huh.  Dark Storm.  I think I've heard of them.  I guess Kibogaoka's their turf."

"Spark," Speed whispered.  "She's here."

Yoyo glanced at his friend.  "What?  How do you know?"

"I just know," Speed answered, not wanting to go into detail, especially since he didn't understand the certainty himself.  "If she's joined a gang, it's this Dark Storm.  It's just… her style."

Yoyo shrugged as he jumped on the stair rail.  "If you say so.  Come on… there's obviously no one right here.  They must've all moved on by now."

Speed followed Yoyo with new purpose.  If Spark was in danger… he would never forgive himself for not being there for her.

*          *          *

Spark's skates seemed to glide gracefully over the ground, though she felt anything but graceful.  Glancing back, her pulse raced faster as she saw that the member of Poison Jam, the one called Shred, was only a few feet behind her.  A bit closer and he would be able to tag her…  Spark looked forward once more.  She was getting tired, and the monster would catch her if she stopped…

"Spark!"

Spark was relieved to hear Tip's voice behind her.  She heard the sound of a spray can and breathed a prayer.  Not daring to look back, she could only hope that Tip was the one doing the tagging.

Hearing the noises slow behind her, Spark stopped to catch her breath and turned around.  Tip had been tagging Shred, but he had paused to deal with her himself.

Horrified, Spark watched as Shred swung a fist at Tip, who ducked under it and skated to the side.  Shred followed her, grabbing a paint can as he went.  Making up her mind, Spark dashed back toward Tip and the monster.  Together the two friends might have a chance, but only if she could catch them in time.

*          *          *

Cat skated along the ground, having abandoned the rooftops for safer footing.  Shard was following her as they skated around a group of houses.  They were back near the entrance to the sewers now, for Cat had turned around when she had encountered a second member of the monstrous gang.  Fortunately, he had not noticed her, so she had only the first one to contend with.

Worried about Tip and Spark, Cat realized too late that she was closing herself into a dead end.  Shard was directly behind her, and she would have to turn around as soon as she had rounded the next corner…

She was jolted out of her strategizing when she felt something she had not expected: Shard had grabbed her long braid.  She winced and kept moving, knowing she would have to turn back soon but unsure of how to do it.  She swore under her breath, the pain sending red waves through her vision.

Suddenly she heard skates hit the ground a ways behind her; someone had jumped off the rooftops.  Shard did not seem to notice.

A few feet from the drop ahead, Cat braked hard, her skates sliding to a halt.  Shard continued on, still holding her hair, and she kicked him with all her strength in the back of the knee as he passed her.  He collapsed to the ground, moaning and releasing her braid.  Pulling out a paint can, Cat finished the painting on his back.  One down, however many to go.

Remembering that she had heard someone behind them, Cat turned around just as a boy skated up behind her.  He looked at the fallen Shard, then at Cat.  "Nice moves, yo," he remarked, no hint of sarcasm in his voice.  "You okay?"

Cat stared at him.  He had green hair and red sunglasses, and he looked about her age.  She could not recall having seen him before.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, then she asked the two questions that were standard operating procedure for anyone in her position: "Who are you and what're you doing in my turf?"

He backed up a bit, Cat wasn't sure why.  "Name's Yoyo.  I heard Poison Jam in the sewers talkin' 'bout invading here, and I decided to come see what's up…  Sorry.  If I may ask, who're you?"

Cat was annoyed that she couldn't think of much of a reason not to tell him.  "Cat.  I'm part of Dark Storm.  Kibogaoka's our territory."

Yoyo gave a vague nod.  "I gotta ask, do you know a girl named Spark?"

Cat was so surprised that it didn't even occur to her to lie.  "Yeah, she's in our gang; why do you ask?"

Yoyo looked up toward the rooftops for a moment, then back at Cat.  "I got a friend, name's Speed… don't know what happened to him at the moment, but he's lookin' for her.  Says he's her brother.  He probably went to try and find her or something.  Kinda got a one-track mind, though it's understandable."

Cat continued to stare at him.  She had known Spark had a brother; Spark had babbled incessantly about him when Cat had first met her, but then she had stopped talking about him altogether.

Unable to think of anything else to say, Cat told Yoyo, "I gotta see if my gang needs help."  She studied the boy, wondering if she could trust him.  "Come with me," she sighed finally.

Confused, Yoyo obeyed, doing his best to keep up with Cat's superior speed as she went straight up a pole and began grinding down the attached wire, then rode off a billboard and jumped from it onto another wire.

"Careful to follow me," she warned, slowing a bit so he could catch up.  "There're some jumps here that ya gotta make if you want to live a long life."  Before she had even finished speaking, she leapt off the wire and landed, quite a ways away, on yet another.

Not having as much time to think about it as he wanted, Yoyo jumped after her.  He didn't quite reach the wire and, in a desperate move, jumped off the wall, barely landing on the wire.  He wasn't exactly prepared as he fell from one wire to another a moment later.  Catching himself in time, he jumped onto what appeared to be the last wire.  After grinding along it, he rode off a billboard and landed on the roof of the building where Cat was waiting for him.  He caught only a glimpse of her face before he landed, but he could've sworn she was smiling.

"Not bad for the first time," she told him, turning and skating off once more.  Taking a deep breath, Yoyo followed.

He was again unprepared when Cat suddenly slowed in her grind.  Too late Yoyo tried to slow down as well; he bumped into her and the two fell to the ground.

Cat landed on her feet like the animal bearing her name, but Yoyo was not so fortunate.  Cat grabbed his hand in both of hers and pulled him up, a bit faster than he would have preferred.  "Watch out next time," she called as she skated back the way they had come, leaving the dizzy Yoyo to stumble after her.  "One of my friends is over here… I think I saw her.  I just hope she's okay…"

(A/N: And in conclusion, everyone, this is what happens to you when you eat two and a half cups of plain brown sugar: you post stuff like this on the Internet so the world can laugh at you, plus you get on a sugar high.  Oh, well…)