Chapter Eight – Fear

Tab blinked. The ceiling was moving.

Or was it just the shadows?

He felt really weird. Like all his energy was seeping out through his skin. Was it? Or maybe this was a dream.

"What's going on?" he said, or tried to. His voice sounded far away, echoing up to the top of the darkness around him.

"Don't worry…you'll be okay…"

The ceiling rushed away from him, and he felt himself falling. And yet he was lying flat, not moving at all…this was too crazy. He wanted out. He hoped Gum was okay.

They'd shot him…was he going to die…he couldn't get out of the dark, was this what it was like? He didn't want to die. He didn't want to die…

Falling, falling, darkness.

Nothing.

***

Past Gum watched as the ambulance tore away, the siren howling into the summer air. Future Gum had gone with Tab.

She turned to Yo-Yo, and tried to think of him as just a guy who didn't mean anything to her and was not really good-looking and whom she didn't want to grab round the neck, kiss senseless and then push to the ground and do stuff that you could get arrested for if you did it in public.

That wasn't tagging.

Okay. Yes. Just another guy.

"Looks like it's just you and me," she said, and cursed inwardly. Like, totally try and flirt with him, why don't you?

"Yeah." Yo-Yo stared at his feet.

Gum sighed. This sucked. She could feel the silence growing heavy around her. Quickly she clicked on Jet Set Radio.

"…Gum's made a daring escape from Sing Sing, Tab seems to be movin' away from the pocket calculator squad, and there's a familiar-looking new GG in town…looks like an old gang's making a comeback, boys and girls! Ex-GG Beat's being transferred from police station to new jail…listen up, dude, your gang's not down and out yet!"

"Yo-Yo!" Gum yelled. "We have to get moving!"

"Why? What's happened?"

"He's being moved! This is our chance! If we try and get him out later it'll be impossible, but we can do it now, we have a plan, remember?"

"What the hell are you on about?"

"Beat's being moved," Gum hissed. "We do our plan."

"But there's only two of us."

Oh, don't I know it, Gum muttered silently. Out loud she said, "We can still do it. Now quick. Let's hurry."

Beat leant his head against the wall of the van, and wondered if he'd be able to go back to sleep.

His earlier misery had mutated into a sort of depressed numbness. Now he was trying not to focus on what he'd done, more on where he was going.

They can't keep you in jail forever, he told himself.

Can't they? Who cares enough to get you out?

He'd asked himself that before, and then he'd been able to answer 'the GGs.' But now – assuming they were still okay – they weren't going to want to have anything more to do with him.

Okay, dude, stop thinking now.

Suddenly the van jerked to a halt, and he was thrown forward. The brakes screeched, and he heard the driver swear.

Then there was a rattling from the rear doors of the van.

***

(A/N: Give me a break if you think this escape plan is pathetic. I find that sort of thing hard to think up – I tried, people! LORD KNOWS I TRIED! Ahem. Sorry.)

Gum swallowed as she wrestled with the chisel. She knew absolutely zilch about lockpicking. So she was going for the Maim, Kill And Destroy approach to getting past this barrier.

It was making her wrists ache.

She took a deep breath, and battered at the lock on the rear door again. Cars rushed past her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the GG car parked by the side of the motorway. Yo-Yo, she knew, would be waiting in it, after cutting down the tree now blocking the road. That guy was scarily good with a chainsaw.

And other things too…

Oh, shut up! Gum hit the door with the chisel, then slotted it into the gap between the two doors, and wrenched.

There was a crunch, and the door swung open.

She stopped it opening too far, and stuck her head in.

Beat was sitting inside the van, handcuffed, one arm in a sling. Their eyes met, and his mouth dropped open.

"Quick," Gum hissed. "Out the back!"

Beat slid across to her and wriggled through the door onto the road. Gum grabbed his arm and they hurried off towards the car.

Suddenly she saw the driver's door of the van open.

"Down!" She shoved Beat, and they flattened themselves against the grassy ground. The driver was walking round to investigate the fallen tree. As long as he didn't walk back afterwards…to investigate his prisoner…

Gum found her heart rate speeding up, and swallowed.

Other cars were beginning to pile up behind the police van, and the air was slowly being filled with a cacophony of hooting, swearing and sulky engines. Gum wrinkled her nose at the stench of petrol mingling with the grass.

What if someone saw the door was open…

They had to get out of here.

She indicated the GG car to Beat, and they both started to slither towards it. Gum could make out Yo-Yo's features now. And her heart rate was still increasing, though not just from fear.

Stop it, she told herself. Stop it, stop it, stop it. You have to focus on important stuff now.

They reached the car. Gum opened the door, and let Beat climb in. She followed, and slammed the door behind them.

"Now move," she hissed to Yo-Yo.

"I got it."

The car did a 180-degree turn, leaving tyre marks in the grass, and screeched off back towards Tokyo-to.

Gum looked back at the snarl of traffic they'd created. Even if someone did realise what had happened, it'd be hard to give chase. Which was good. So…they should get away with this.

"Nice going," Yo-Yo said. "Jailbreaks rule!"

Gum grinned, and for a moment she could almost forget she was in the wrong time.

Then she glanced at Beat, and remembered again.

He sat, staring out of the window, looking like he expected someone to hit him any moment, his lip split, his eyes sunken with fear. Gum swallowed. Suddenly she really, really wanted to be back in the past again. To go and warn him. To go and save him so he didn't end up like this. She clenched her fists. She had to get back, she had to, she had to…

"You're okay," Beat said. "I thought…"

"What?" Yo-Yo leaned round from the driver's seat. "We're fine, dude. Gum got outta jail, didn't she? Thanks to you."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so. Wow, Gum, you don't look any different from five years ago."

"No." Gum debated trying to explain, and decided not to. Beat looked tired enough already.

"Yo-Yo," she yelled, "watch the road!"

"Yipe!" Yo-Yo swung round and grabbed the steering wheel.

Gum breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at him looking at her had made her feel dizzy.

"I thought your hair was longer," Beat said to her.

"Um. Well. I've cut it since. What happened to your arm?"

Beat swallowed. "Oh, Onishima got pissed, that's all."

"He broke your arm?"

"Hey…he doesn't like rudies." Beat had gone pale. "I'm fine, okay?"

You don't look it, Gum wanted to say, but she kept quiet.

"Where're we going?" Beat asked as Yo-Yo tore through the walkway district.

"A hideout in Benten. Seems like the cops have been sniffing round the garage. Ta –"

"Yeah, but don't tell him about that now," Yo-Yo interrupted. "I would've thought the last thing he wanted to think about was cops. Come on, Beat, let's get you home, get you out of the handcuffs, and then it'll all be cool."

Gum glared at the back of his head. Will someone please tell me what's going on? she snapped in her mind.

"The – the cops have been round?" Beat said. He sounded nervous.

"We won't let 'em get you again," Yo-Yo said. "Don't worry."

They skidded into Benten-cho residential district, then slowed as Gum squinted at the house numbers. "58…60…62…"

"We're looking for 74," Yo-Yo said.

"I know!"

"The others are all okay, right?" Beat said.

"Yeah, as far as we know. Except for –"

"Gum, keep your eye on the numbers!" Yo-Yo said.

Gum wondered if braining him with a can of spray paint would make her feel better. "Okay. Fine. 70…72…74…Stop!"

Yo-Yo screeched to a halt.

They got out of the car and hurried into the house. The first two floors were empty except for some rotting pieces of furniture. The top floor consisted of two rooms, one completely bare, the other containing a computer, a sleeping bag, and several cans of spray paint.

"Looks like this is the place," Yo-Yo said. "Now we just have to wait."

"For who?" Beat asked.

"Um. This is the hard bit to explain," Yo-Yo said. "You see –"

Suddenly they heard running footsteps, the door burst open, and Future Gum rushed in. "Guys! Guys! He's in hospital, they don't know how it's going to – oh. Oh."

She stopped. "Hi, Beat."

Beat slowly glanced from Past Gum to Future Gum and back again.

"Yeah," Past Gum said. "This is the hard bit."

"Who's in hospital?" Beat said, his voice shaking. "Who?"

Future Gum and Yo-Yo glanced at each other.

"Beat," Future Gum said, "listen. You're really tired, okay? We can talk about this later –"

"Just tell me."

"It's Tab," Future Gum said quickly. "But listen, now don't start panicking –"

"What happened?"

"A paratrooper came to the garage and shot him," Past Gum said.

"Oh, way to go!" Yo-Yo snapped. "Don't, like, break it to him gently or anything!"

"That's why we're here, isn't it?" Beat said. He'd gone very white.

"Yeah." Future Gum glared at Past Gum.

"Is he going to be okay?" Yo-Yo asked at last.

"Of course he is." Future Gum's voice wobbled.

"Don't lie!" Beat yelled. "Just tell me! If he's going to die, tell me, then at least I can know I killed him!"

"Beat, stop it!" Future Gum was crying now. "He's not going to die, okay? They're working on him, they don't know what the outcome will be."

Beat drew a long, tired breath. He looked very thin, and very vulnerable.

"Look," Yo-Yo said. "Future Gum, go and explain to your past self the situation. Beat, lie down and sleep a bit. I'm gonna surf the Net, see if I can find something interesting."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Future Gum said. She grabbed Gum's shoulder and dragged her out of the door.

"Right," she said, closing the door. "Will you please keep your fat mouth shut in future?"

"Why? He should know what's going on!"

"You didn't have to say it like that! Blurting it out…geez, how dumb can you get?"

"Why? What's going on?"

Future Gum sighed and closed her tear-stained eyes a second. "Tab left the GGs, right?"

"Right."

"Did he tell you why?"

"No. None of you will. None of you will tell me anything!"

"Shut up, I'm telling you now. Beat and Tab were dating."

(A/N: I really, really hope this doesn't offend/annoy anyone. I had my reasons. If you're part of a flame-wielding mob, I'm not here, okay? (Course, if you're bearing gratuitous praise, I most definitely AM here, but only unofficially.^^)

"What?" Gum felt her jaw drop.

"Don't tell me you're a 'phobe. I'm not so you shouldn't be either."

"It's just a shock, okay? I – I mean – how come? Beat's just been away for five years!"

"They'd been going out before that. Why else do you think Tab was worried about him when he stormed out?"

"So Tab left…"

"He left because the whole GG thing was too depressing, too many memories, you know. That's why he's been down lately. And that's why I really didn't need you spilling the beans to Beat like that."

"Well, if you'd told me earlier, I wouldn't have done it!" Gum felt hot fury bubble up under her ribs at the patronising tone in her future self's voice.

"I didn't know if I could trust you."

"I'm you!"

"Yeah, well…" Future Gum shrugged. "Just lay off him, okay? Have some tact."

"Quit talking to me like I'm a kid."

"You are a kid, you're only seventeen."

"What do you mean, 'only?'"

"We've grown up now. Moved on. All that shit. You're still…how can I put this? You're so…idealistic."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Future Gum scowled. "Look, this isn't easy for me. Seeing myself as I was then is kind of embarrassing."

"Well, seeing what I'm going to turn into is pretty bad as well!" Gum snapped.

"Are you insulting me?"

"I'm just saying I know I don't spend my life talking out of my ass."

Future Gum's eyes narrowed. "Say that again and I'll break your face."

"Just try it. You'll be giving yourself the bruises."

"You know what?" Future Gum said. "You are the most immature, bratty, childish person I've ever met."

"And you're the most stuck-up, boring, big-mouthed person I've ever met."

"You bitch," Future Gum said. "Don't think I didn't see what you were doing with Yo-Yo."

"What? What's that got to do with anything?"

"You just come in here and you think you can steal him from right under my nose!" Future Gum's voice was rising.

"What do you mean? You guys aren't together as well, are you? Cos if you are, he hasn't said anything."

"Just stay away from him."

"Is that a threat? If I want to go with him I will, and you can't stop me."

"Don't you dare!"

"What, you're scared of yourself?" Gum felt her lips curve into a smirk. "Come on, if I get to go with him it's you getting the good stuff. We're the same person, remember?"

Future Gum shoved her. "I mean it. He's mine, not yours, and you should leave him alone!"

"I should, should I? Well –"

Suddenly the door opened and Yo-Yo looked out. "Guys," he said, "I thought you were just updating each other, not having a bitch fight."

Future Gum didn't answer.

"How's Beat?" Gum asked.

"Asleep. He's not too happy, he seems to think he's killed Tab or something."

Gum sighed. "I hope he's gonna be okay."

"Why should it bother you?" Future Gum snapped. "You'll be back in the nice time zone sooner or later."

"I didn't ask to come here –"

"Ladies, please!" Yo-Yo hurried between the two Gums. "Right. Future Gum and I will go and get some lunch for us all. Past Gum, you'll stay behind with Beat. Okay? Okay. Let's go."

He grabbed Future Gum's arm and dashed away.

Gum sighed and walked back into the room. Beat lay curled up on the sleeping bag, looking worried even now.

"I'm sorry," Gum whispered. "If I get back, I'll save you, all right? I'll warn you and you'll come home with me and everything will be okay."

But what if I never get back?

I have to have done. Otherwise Future Gum wouldn't be here.

She shivered. It wasn't a nice feeling, knowing she could search and search and search and never find the GGs she'd left behind because they were gone. They didn't exist.

She stared at Benten-cho, spread out below her. So many people. So many lives. So many groups and families and friends.

None of them hers.

***

Mew and Isas had got to school at ten o'clock, an hour and a half late. Isas had immediately dashed away, and Mew, unable to face physics, had slunk off to lurk in the library.

It was now twelve. She hadn't been able to face geography either. She was sitting, hidden behind a book on the Periodic Table, trying to numb her brain.

It wasn't working.

She hated Isas. And yet she wanted him to like her, and wanted to be close to him, and wanted to…wanted to kiss him?

Oh, geez, get a life! Mew focused on the book.

Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Caesium, Rubidium and Francium are known as the Group One Elements…

Suddenly there was a burst of chatter, and she glanced up as a bunch of people scattered into the library. One of them was Suki. Mew quickly ducked down behind the book again.

"Oh, Mrs Fuyada," Suki was saying sweetly to the librarian, "There's a problem in the chemistry lab. Something about stolen textbooks. Miss Naganumi asked me to ask you to come over there if that's okay?"

Mew swallowed as the librarian got to her feet and walked out. She was now alone with Suki and a gang of her friends. This was not cool.

She focused on the book so hard her eyes ached, trying not to breathe the scent of printer's ink.

"Right," Suki hissed. "Let's get going. Into the basement."

Mew shrank down behind the book and waited as they went past, each footstep trembling on her hearing.

"Come on, Isas," Suki said. "If we get caught we'll be done for."

Isas?

Mew fought not to pick up the book and throw it at Suki. Damn her, and damn him, and damn herself, for fancying a stupid little schoolboy.

Suki was doing something bad.

Mew felt a smile creep over her face. Okay, so teacher's pets were the lowest of the low, but she still hadn't forgiven Suki for her remarks earlier. And she could just see what was going on…

She got to her feet, and walked round the edge of the shelf, just in time to see Isas and the others creeping down the stairs to the basement floor of the library.

She tiptoed after them.

When reached the ground, she dodged behind the nearest shelf, then inched two books apart to make a gap. Squinting through it, she saw Isas standing in a circle of people, looking nervous, but determined. Her heart gave a little jump at that, but she tried to ignore it, and strained to hear what Suki was saying.

"So you want to join?"

"Yeah." Isas's voice was surly, tough-guy, no trace of nervousness.

"I don't know. You and Miyako seemed pretty pally."

"Yeah, well, I was dumb, wasn't I?"

"She sure freaked at you this morning," someone else said.

"And I have no idea why."

Mew gripped the cold metal shelf in order to stop herself running round and pitching a book at them all.

"Okay, then," Suki said. "But I heard you were moving house tomorrow."

Isas shrugged. "My parents are. But I'm not letting rudies drive me out of my home."

"So you want us to protect you?" Suki smirked.

"I want revenge."

There was silence a moment. Then Suki said, "Cool. You're in. If you complete the task, that is."

"What task?"

"We're coming to that. Right, guys, you ready?" Suki turned to the others. They nodded.

Then each person peeled off their school jumper.

Under it they weren't wearing school blouses or shirts, but sharp white T-shirts which glowed in the light.

With two black bones, crossed, on the chest.

Mew gulped. What the hell was going on?

"Miyamoto Isas," Suki said. "You're being accepted into the Crossbones, on probation. Do you swear that you'll never betray us, no matter what happens?"

"Yeah."

The white-clad figures took one step closer.

"Do you swear that you'll never leave us, remain faithful until death do us part?"

"Yeah."

The figures closed in further, like a ring of ghosts.

"Do you swear that you'll do your best to exterminate, destroy, and wipe rudies from the face of the planet?"

What? Mew gripped the shelf so hard her finger bones clicked.

She stared at Isas. He was very pale.

Then he nodded.

***

Garam stood in the factory yard, leaning against the relay tower. It was night.

And it was still baking hot. Garam rubbed sweat off his forehead.

He glanced at his watch. Five to ten.

Would she come?

Of course she would. They were together.

The factory was filled with shadow. Garam was glad he didn't have to wait in there. The darkness looked almost solid. He shifted position, so that he could keep an eye on the entrance. Not that anything would come out of the doors, but it was best to make sure.

Above him, the last dregs of the sunset spilled across the sky.

Three minutes to ten.

But she'd called him a weakling. And she – she thought the Skulls ruled. Maybe she'd just decide he wasn't worth it. Maybe she just wouldn't come.

It was very quiet. No footsteps. No cars. No voices. Just the night, and the holes of shadow falling across the ground.

Then a rustling a few feet away from him.

Garam wished he hadn't broken his sunglasses. He really, really wanted the night vision function. There didn't seem to be anything in the dark, but…

Saburo knew where he was, and the Skulls were supposed to kill deserters.

Oh shit. Why hadn't he realised that earlier? Why hadn't he told Cube himself, kept his mouth shut to Saburo?

Because you wanted to see the look on the bastard's face…

The heat pounded in his head, ricocheting off his eyeballs. He didn't have a weapon. He didn't even have skates. He was defenceless.

Ten o'clock.

And Cube wasn't there.

Maybe Saburo didn't let her come.

Maybe she just didn't want to.

An owl hooted, somewhere on the factory roof.

This place was too familiar, anyway. The number of times he'd ground along those telephone wires, scattering the birds, the number of times he'd taken cover in that factory, the number of times he'd scrambled up the heap of cars, rust flecking his skates…

It hadn't changed and it should have done. Most other places had, just a little. But this – this was timeless. No one came here now but rudies and the Keisatsu in pursuit of them. The Rokkaku had abandoned it long ago, and so, barring vagrants, had the public.

Crunch.

Footsteps on the ground above him.

More sweat rose on Garam's skin.

The walker moved around the edge of the yard, then there was a clatter as she – or he – dropped onto the heap of cars. Garam tensed. He could just make out an approaching silhouette, blacker than the ground around it.

"Garam-kun. I see you're waiting for your lady-love."

Garam swallowed. Saburo. He clenched his fists, and didn't answer.

"I'm not here to kill you, if that's what you're worried about," Saburo said. "I know I should, but hey. I like you. Which is why I don't want to tell you the news about Cube."

"What?" He said the word without meaning to.

Saburo walked closer, and suddenly light burnt Garam's eyes as the Skull flicked on a torch.

"She ain't coming."

Garam felt a dull ache spread over his heart.

"Why not?"

"She told me that the Skulls are more important to her. She's sticking up for her beliefs."

Garam swallowed. He wouldn't let this guy see he was hurting.

"Right," he said. "I'll be off then."

Saburo shrugged, his eyes elongated by the torch shadow. "I'll be sorry to see you go, Garam."

Garam started to move away from him. He was almost back at the pile of cars when Saburo clicked off the torch, and spoke.

"You know when I said I wouldn't kill you?"

"Yeah." Garam tried not to put his foot through a windscreen.

"I lied."

The windscreen shattered.

Garam turned and climbed for his life.

His muscles were aching by the time he got to the top of the cars. Another shot hit the wall, and he looked back to see – nothing. The yard was a pit of shadow, and Saburo could be anywhere.

Oh shit…

Saburo would expect him to make a dash for the gate back to Kibogaoka, right? So do the unexpected…which is what?

He was silhouetted against the night sky –

A bullet raised a small puff of dust at his feet.

He leapt back into the shadow of the wall, and tried not to breathe.

"Garam?" Saburo called. "Come on. If I don't get you the cops will. Or Cube."

Garam's stomach wrenched at the thought of Cube killing him like she killed cops, then his mind danced away from the subject like it was too hot to touch.

"Come on, Garam."

Saburo had reached the top of the cars now. That was a mistake. He was now visible.

Garam reached out for the long metal pole lying a foot or two away from him. His sweating fingers closed on it as he watched Saburo.

Who was getting closer.

Oh, shit…

The torch clicked on again. Saburo's face glowed. The beam crept along the ground, darting over wall and barrel and cat skull, until it touched Garam's face.

Oh, shit…

Garam threw himself to the ground as the shot rang out. He rolled, over and over, towards Saburo, still clutching the pole, collided with his ankles. Saburo stumbled, and Garam, leaping to his feet, raised the pole, brought it down on Saburo's flailing figure, there was another shot which echoed into the darkness…

And then it all went quiet.

Garam drew a deep breath. He couldn't see whether he'd killed Saburo and at the moment he didn't care. He wanted out.

He ran along the path, dust gathering in his shoes, and leapt out over Kibogaoka.

***

Yo-Yo skated through Benten-cho residential area, and wondered if it was karma that was making his life go so crazy.

Okay. So Gum wasn't caught. So she was safe. Good thing.

So her past self had just turned up. Bad thing.

But both selves were, like, totally hot. Technically a good thing.

But really a bad thing, because if he went with one of them, the other would, quite possibly, inflict a high quota of GBH on his person. He'd heard them arguing.

And he'd kissed the past self. Good thing.

Except future self had found out. Bad thing.

And now…

Well, and now, he was escaping out of the loft, because with Tab in hospital, Beat being terminally depressed, and the two Gums snapping at each other's throats, it was becoming a totally not groovy place to be.

He stopped at the end of the street, and began painting an X-tra Large tag. Women. Geez, who needs them?

Well, I sure do.

Maybe when the past self went home to her own time zone, he'd be able to apologise to the future self, and they could pick up where they'd left off.

Oh, no – she didn't want anything like that, did she? She wanted to concentrate on her career.

And the past self was interested, but whenever he went near her he felt guilty…

"Arrrgh!" Yo-Yo threw the can of spray paint at a nearby pot plant.

"What's with you, rudie?"

A girl's voice rang out behind him. Yo-Yo turned.

Four figures stood in a line across the street, each one clad in a white T-shirt with a black bone cross on the chest.

"None of your business," he retorted. Who were these freaks?

"Watch your mouth."

The girl snapped out the words, and as she said the last one, each figure drew out a weapon.

The guy on the left held a carving knife. The girl next to him clutched a katana. The next guy held a broken bottle, and the girl who'd spoken to him raised a pistol.

Yo-Yo gulped and felt a small flame of unease kindle in his stomach. "Nice inventory," he said, wishing he couldn't hear his voice shaking. "But I got better things to do than wait around watching a miscellaneous weapons display, okay?"

He stepped forward, and the girl caught him across the face with her gun.

"You're not going anywhere, rudie scum," she said.

"Do you have any idea how boring that line has got?"

She swung her arm, and Yo-Yo gasped as the pistol caught his temple again. It was like a signal. The other three figures rushed towards him. Yo-Yo ducked, kicked out at the feet of one of them, felt a sharp blade scrape through his hair, tried to make a dive under someone's arm, sharpness stabbed his face. He wrestled with terror as he was pushed back into the circle.

The girl's eyes were wide, and he could see her hand tensing on her gun.

"Kill him," she said.

(Heh heh heh…ahem. Sorry. Please r+r!)