Chapter Nine – Violence

(Isas, Suki and the Crossbones are © me. No one else is. Please r+r!)

Yo-Yo swallowed and watched as the weapons were raised. A blade glinted in the streetlight.

This was gonna hurt.

"I don't think so."

A new voice rang out around the street.

"You gonna stop us, rudies?" the girl said. Yo-Yo couldn't see who she was speaking to, but the voice sounded familiar.

"Listen, bitch," another voice said. Yo-Yo recognised it as Gum's. "You scat right now. We've called the cops. And if you don't want to spend a night in the cells, you'll disappear."

"Why should the cops arrest us?" the girl said. "You're the lawbreakers."

"Murder's still a crime," Gum said.

Yo-Yo swallowed. It sounded like she had only one other person with her.

He really didn't want to die.

"They don't care about rudies," the girl said, sounding sulky now. "They just want you off the streets. What's so bad about us doing this? No one wants you around."

"Last thing I heard, being a vigilante was still illegal," the guy with Gum said. Yo-Yo was pretty sure he recognised the voice now. It was Garam.

What the hell was Gum doing with a Skull?

"She's right, Suki," one of the guys said. "If we get caught my dad'll kill me."

Gum snorted. "What's this? School's out for murder?"

"Shut up, Isas!" Suki yelled. "Your dad left. You're on your own."

Yo-Yo felt someone grip his hood, hauled him to his feet, then the coolness of Suki's gun stroked his forehead.

"Keep away from me, rudies," Suki said.

The only good thing about this position was that Yo-Yo could see who was trying to help him. It was indeed Gum – Past Gum – and Garam.

As they took in the new situation, Gum's face whitened, and Garam swore.

"I'm gonna put a bullet through his brains," Suki said. "Then my friends are going to chop him up a little, make sure he's really dead. And if you two are still hanging around you'll get the same treatment."

"Suki…" the guy who'd spoken earlier said. Isas, Yo-Yo remembered.

"Zip it," Suki snapped. She shifted position. "Ready, rudie?"

"Screw you and the horse you rode in on," Yo-Yo snapped. His heart was running, and he could feel blood oozing down his face.

"Back off," Garam said, tension rising in his voice.

"Get away from him!" Gum screamed. "Don't you dare hurt him!"

Suki sniggered, her face close to Yo-Yo's. She was leaning against him now, her body warm, her fingers gripping his hood, which was tightening round his neck.

Gently Yo-Yo moved his elbow back. Okay, get ready…

Then he drove his elbow into Suki's stomach, so hard he wondered if he'd hit her spine.

She doubled over, retching, and he grabbed her wrist. Twisting it, he wrenched the gun out of her hand, then placed it at the back of her neck.

"Keep away!" he yelled at the other three figures. "Or I'll shoot!"

He started to skate backwards, slowly, towards Gum and Garam.

"Fuck you…" Suki snarled. "You won't…" She groaned. "You won't get away with this."

"Old line, babe," Garam said.

They carried on backing away. The figures stayed standing in the middle of the street, looking lost.

Yo-Yo felt his heels brush the truck that you climbed up to get to the railway. "Okay," he said. "We're going to leave you now."

"Yeah," Gum said. "But first…"

Yo-Yo heard the rattle of a can of spray paint, and smirked as Gum tagged all over Suki's back.

"There," she said. "This is how rudies do things."

"I'll…get you for…this!" Suki yelled as Yo-Yo flung her onto the pavement. "I mean it!" She swallowed, and continued, "You're gonna suffer!"

The three rudies dashed up the truck and through the gate. Garam paused to flip Suki off, then he joined the others, and they hurried away down the tracks.

"Are you okay?" Gum asked. She touched the cut on Yo-Yo's face, then stopped, blushing. "Um – well, are you?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Yo-Yo suddenly found he was trembling. "Lucky you guys turned up, though. Where'd you find Garam, anyway? I thought you were…uh…" Brutally slaughtering cops.

"I quit," Garam said.

"What about Cube?"

He didn't answer.

"I was in Kibogaoka," Gum said. "I went out a little while after you, and I met up with Garam. He said he wanted to come back, so we were heading to the loft."

"Ah. Yes." Yo-Yo swallowed. "The loft which is now surrounded by a bunch of knife-wielding loonies?"

"Oh."

"We can wait," Garam said. "They'll have to go away eventually."

"Yeah, but what if Beat or Future Gum decide they'd like to go out painting Benten red?" Yo-Yo imagined those two running into the group they'd just left, and swallowed.

"Well, Beat doesn't seem to be feeling particularly sociable at the moment," Gum said, "and I bet my future self won't leave him on his own. They should be okay. But I pity any rudie out on the streets with no friends."

"Hang on," Garam said. "Beat? Future Gum?"

There was a short pause while Yo-Yo and Gum explained things.

"Right," Garam said. "Time travel."

"You'll believe it when you see them," Yo-Yo said. "Two gorgeous identical blondes? Hell, there's no other explanation."

Garam shrugged. "Whatever."

"Who were those freaks, anyway?" Gum asked as the track bent round to the left. "You know them, Garam?"

"Nope. Nothing to do with the Skulls, from what I could see. But –" He stopped.

"What?"

"They were like inverse Skulls."

"Huh?" Yo-Yo said.

"We – the Skulls – wear black T-shirts with a white skull on. This new lot've got white T-shirts with a black crossbones on. Sounds like they're some sort of group like the Skulls – but killing rudies instead of cops."

There was a worried silence, broken only by the hiss of a faraway train.

"That sucks," Yo-Yo said at last. "So – let me get this straight. We've been driven out of the HQ cos the cops have found it. We can't get to our other HQ cos these – Crossbones, I guess – might find it. Cube's still in the Skulls. Beat's terminally gloomy. Past Gum's stuck in the wrong time zone…"

"Um…" Garam swallowed. "The Skulls are sort of after me too."

"What?"

"If you quit, they're supposed to assassinate you. One guy nearly succeeded tonight."

"And don't forget Tab being in hospital," Gum said.

"Thanks a bunch, fate!" Yo-Yo yelled to the night sky.

"Oh, come on, it's not all bad. Beat's out of jail, you're alive, Tab should be okay, and Garam's back with us," Gum said. "Now think, guys. How're we gonna get home? I'm freezing."

"Let's see where we are." Yo-Yo dashed over to the side of the track and peered over the wall. Benten-cho's streets blazed beneath him. There was no sign of the Crossbones.

"Okay," he said. "I think they've gone. But we'd better not risk going down there, right? They could be smarter than they look."

"That wouldn't be hard," Gum muttered.

"Then let's jump onto the phone wires, get onto the roof, creep along, and climb in through the window," Yo-Yo said.

"Um, I can't," Garam said. "I don't have skates."

"Garam!" Gum and Yo-Yo said.

"Sorry. No, but look, it's okay. I'll go over to Kogane-cho and get them back."

"You left your skates in Kogane-cho?" Yo-Yo said. "And you think they'll still be there?"

"I left 'em with some friends. And if those friends have lost 'em, I just won't say I quit the Skulls."

Garam's face in the half-light suddenly looked a lot darker.

"Right," Yo-Yo said. "Okay. The loft is the top floor of Number 74. Meet us there. If you see the Crossbones, run."

"I can handle 'em," Garam said.

"Skulls and Crossbones…" Gum said. "So they're not on your side, then?"

"I think I can safely say they're not," Garam said, and dashed away down the railway.

***

Beat yawned and opened his eyes. A square of early morning sunlight was spread across the ceiling.

He sat up a bit, and looked round the garage. Yo-Yo was curled up asleep in the corner, Garam was playing something on the computer – some game, Beat guessed, judging by the "Hah! Take that, scumbag! Die! Die!" phrases he was muttering – and Past Gum was staring everywhere except at Yo-Yo.

Beat sighed. He didn't want to admit it – it might be a dream, he might wake up – but he was safe. He could feel the comforting weight of skates on his feet, procured from Shibuya Hardware Store yesterday evening, and there were no bars, and no rattle of keys, and no one hitting him.

He was really, really safe. It was so good it hurt.

He breathed out, slowly, and glanced at the people present again.

"Where's Future Gum?" he asked.

"Went out to the hospital," Past Gum said. "Oh. Sorry."

Beat swallowed.

This was the bad bit. "Is he – did you hear any news?"

Gum shook her head. "He's not –"

Suddenly the door burst open and Future Gum rushed through it.

"He's alive!" she yelled. "Alive and well and asking for you!" She grabbed Beat's hand and pulled him to his feet. "Come on! Come on now!"

"He's all right?" Beat dug his heels into the ground.

"Yes! Come on!"

Beat sighed. It wasn't that he didn't want to see Tab. He really wanted to see him, and just see that he was okay, and here, and…

But it was all his fault Tab was there in the first place. He'd kept waking last night, that thought burning through his brain. And wishing he knew what would happen. Waiting for someone in hospital was the pits. It was like the rest of life didn't seem to be real.

"I don't know…" he said.

"Come on, Beat," Yo-Yo said. "We don't mind if you go. You haven't been out since you got back here."

"Yeah," Gum said. "And Tab will really want to see you." She glared at him.

"I think she'll do you serious bodily harm if you don't go, man," Garam said, twisting round in the chair.

"So move it," Gum said. "You wearing your skates? Good. Now come on."

"Watch out for the Crossbones," Yo-Yo said. He, Past Gum and Garam had updated the other two on last night's events.

Future Gum snorted. "I meet any dumb psycho schoolkids, they'll be the ones who have to watch out."

"I'm serious," Yo-Yo said. "They're dangerous. Look!" He touched the plaster covering the cut on his face.

"Oh, dear, did it ruin your film star looks?" Future Gum snapped. "We'll be fine. Come on, Beat."

Beat let her drag him out of the room, but as they reached the stairs, he said, "Look, maybe this isn't a good idea."

"Beat, what is with you?" Gum stared at him.

I blabbed to the cops and they came and shot him.

Yeah. Great line.

"Are you all right?" Gum asked. "I mean, I know you've been through a lot."

Beat shrugged. He didn't want her to lead him into telling. If he kept it secret, maybe it would sort of disappear.

Except for the small fact that Tab was in hospital.

"I'm fine," he said. "Honest. Let's get moving."

***

Shibuya General Hospital was quiet, and sun streamed in across the smooth beige floor. Beat followed Gum through the corridor, wishing he wasn't here. The guilt was starting to squash him. If it wasn't for Gum he wouldn't be here.

But he wanted to see Tab so much…

Gum stopped at the entrance to a ward, so quickly that Beat nearly ran into her. "Here we are. Beat, are you sure you're okay? You –"

"I'm fine. Let's keep moving."

Gum sighed, but she walked into the ward, looking back now and then to check he was following.

Beat sighed. He really, really wanted to run now. But he wasn't going to. He had to face this sooner or later. He had to.

The air was soaked with antiseptic and sweat. It made him feel even worse.

He began to walk past the other beds. First row…second row…

And they'd got there.

Tab was lying there flicking through a magazine. Beat's heart jumped at how pale he looked. He was okay, right? Gum had said he was okay and she wouldn't lie. He was gonna be okay.

If he isn't, we all know whose fault it'll be…

I wish I wasn't here, his mind muttered.

But that was a lie. Part of his brain was walking around with a big stupid smile on its face, and thinking, So this is why I wanted to get out of jail…

Seeing him now was a shock. For five years he'd had nothing but memories, and they'd faded, or hadn't looked right. Now he wanted to memorise exactly how Tab looked. Just in case. In case now they saw each other it all went wrong and he was left with memories again.

Tab glanced up, and saw him.

Beat swallowed, and wished he didn't feel so guilty.

"You're here?" Tab said. "I mean – you aren't behind bars?"

"I guess not." Beat heard his own voice sounding stupidly calm and unconcerned.

"How?"

"Yo-Yo and Past Gum. They busted me out. While you were here."

Tab leant back, a grin spreading over his face. "That's the best news I've had all day." He gazed at Beat. "Wow. You're, like, here."

"Looks like it." And why can't I be happier about it?

"But what happened to your arm?"

"Onishima broke it." Out of the corner of his eye, Beat saw Gum making tracks back out into the corridor, and silently groaned.

"What?"

"We all know what he thinks of rudies, don't we?" Beat tried to speak lightly. "He just lost it a little."

"But he broke your fricking arm…"

"Forget it." And don't ask exactly why he broke it. Please. "Are you okay? You're the one in here."

"I'm fine. Just a close encounter with a paratrooper."

"They've found the garage, haven't they." Beat sat down on the untidy bed.

"Yep."

Beat felt sick. And I know why they found it, he thought. The knowledge was like a glass wall closing round him. Keeping him separate from everyone. From Tab. And there was nothing he could do, because he mustn't tell, he mustn't…

"Seems like it," Tab continued. "Gum said you're holing up at my place at the moment."

Beat nodded. "It's – it's cool. Pity we lost the garage, though." He'd wanted to see it again. The first building he'd remained in for any length of time that he'd actually liked.

And he'd lost it.

"Yeah. But I don't think I'd be too keen staying there at the moment." Tab laughed, but Beat saw the fear in his eyes.

Great. Just great.

"So…you're a Noise Tank, now, then?" he asked.

Tab shrugged. "I was. Now I don't know what I am."

"Why'd you leave the GGs?"

"Why'd you think?" Tab sat up a little, winced, and dropped back. "It wasn't exactly fun hanging round in the garage and tagging GG stuff when I knew where you were. I was dead worried about you, for one thing, and for another…I just kept feeling like…like I missed you. Well, I did. In the end it was either leave, jump off a cliff or go give myself up to Onishima."

"You didn't need to worry. I was fine." If he kept saying that, maybe he'd stop remembering how scared he had been.

Tab gave him a who-are-you-kidding look. "You've got a face like you went and challenged a Poison Jammer to a punching contest. Onishima losing it again?"

"He was trying to get information." Beat focused on the blue sheet and tried not to listen to the memories rattling in his skull.

"And he calls us scum."

Tell him, part of Beat's mind hissed.

No way. No way. I don't need him telling me I'm a traitor.

He won't. He won't, he knows what you've been through, he'll understand.

Won't he?

I can't risk it.

"Hey, Beat?"

Beat blinked and tuned back into reality. "Sorry. Forget it, okay? It's a hazard of our lives. You're the one who should be lapping up the attention, you got shot –" He stopped. He could hear his voice starting to shake.

"Oh, come on. You think a bullet or two could stop me?"

Beat didn't look at him. Suddenly he really wanted to be out of here, because he couldn't stop thinking, One nearly did…

"Beat," Tab said, more gently. "Look. It's okay, now. You're safe, I'm safe, we're together and it's okay."

"Yeah."

No. It's not okay. And it isn't going to be.

***

Mew was taking precautions.

She didn't walk anywhere alone. She didn't say where she was going if Isas or Suki were even thinking of being in earshot. And whenever she had a spare moment, she rehearsed how to hurt, how to punch, how to escape from a stranglehold.

Those were the sensible options.

The stupid one was lurking around Isas and Suki and their freaky gang and eavesdropping.

Not just to protect herself. To reassure herself that they hadn't done anything to her friends. She didn't know exactly what she'd do if she heard they had. Bursting into tears and attacking them with the nearest blunt object seemed a good start.

She had to keep checking that they hadn't. It helped her get through one more day.

It was lunch break now. They met in the basement library. It was a good place. All the books no one read were stored down there. Hardly anyone came in.

Mew waited, crouched down behind the furthest shelf, and watched as the Crossbones slunk in. Suki looked furious. Isas was cringing next to her.

"You goofed," Suki snapped at him. "You don't just decide to get cold feet, okay? You do what I tell you."

Control freak, Mew thought, breathing in the smell of old books, and trying not to move.

"I'm sorry," Isas said. "It's just – I – I –"

"You couldn't stomach the thought of killing?" Suki snorted. "Isas, that's what we do. The Skulls would kill all of us if they got the chance. We can't afford to be weak. We have to make this work."

Isas didn't answer.

"I've been talking to the others," Suki said. "And we've decided on a new task for you to do. Seeing as you fluffed last night's…"

Isas's face remained carefully blank.

"Listen," Suki said. "You have to ice someone by yourself."

"Who?"

Suki smirked. "Miyako. Or Mew, as you call her."

"What?" Isas yelled.

Mew just managed to stop herself doing the same thing. She gritted her teeth, flattened herself into the bookcase, and prayed.

"Kill – Miyako." Suki walked right up to Isas. "It won't be that hard."

"I can't," Isas said. "I can't."

"The door is that way," Suki said.

Walk out, Mew begged him silently. Please. Please.

He didn't move.

"Well?" Suki said. "Are you in, or are you out?"

Isas sighed.

Please go, Mew thought. Please. Please. Please don't kill me.

"I'm in," he said.

Mew dug her teeth into her lower lip. She had a horrible feeling she was about to cry.

And she was in deep, deep, deep shit.

Okay, she told herself, don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. They'll go soon and you can follow them out and – and stay home sick or something. Or something. Oh, help me, help me, they're going to kill me…

"I think that's everything," Suki said to the others. "Except – oh, yes. If you see a rudie, kill it. Don't waste time talking. I want them dead, okay? You know what they're like, you know what they do to people. Kill them."

"We get it, Suki," a girl said.

"Then let's move out."

Mew watched, not daring to breathe, as the Crossbones marched out of the library.

As the door shut, she jumped to her feet, gasping as the pins and needles jumped under her skin.

She was getting out of here and she was never, never coming back. She could feel tears building behind her eyes. Had she and Isas ever been friends? Or was it just a hallucination? She was going crazy already. Or she was going to die.

She staggered towards the library door –

It flew open.

"I thought so," Suki said. "I thought I saw someone."

Mew prepared to scream, and Suki rushed forward and clapped her hand over her mouth. With her other hand she grabbed Mew's hair, pulling her head back.

"Isas," she yelled. "Come do your dare."