Chapter Eleven – Discovery
(Isas, Suki, Saburo – mine. Everyone else – not mine. Please r+r!)
Saburo breathed a sigh of relief as he entered the Skull HQ. He'd got the girl at last. No prison for him.
She hung warm and heavy in his arms. He knew he should have killed her, but he wanted to see if he could use her to wake Cube up a bit. That girl was going very weird.
Now, where was Cube?
Saburo deposited Mew on the floor, next to the table, and bound her wrists to one of its legs. It was bolted to the floor. She wouldn't be going anywhere.
And there was Cube, sitting on the bottom bunk bed.
Shadows under her eyes. Hair like black thistles. A strange, unclear expression covering her lips.
She was whispering something.
"Cube-chan?" he said.
She didn't answer. Just went on muttering.
He leaned in closer, to hear what she was saying.
"And together, we show you how to improvise…"
Slowly, off-track, like someone climbing a cliff.
"Cube?"
"Reminiscent of the wild style, seventy-five…"
Saburo gritted his teeth. Geez, couldn't he have a partner who actually made sense once in a while?
"Cos it's the brothers on the mike –"
"Cube, listen!" he yelled.
She turned to look at him for a moment, then her eyes flicked back to inside her head, and she carried on speaking.
"Occupying the drum, take four MCs and make 'em sound like one…"
Saburo slapped her, feeling hot rage in his ribs. "Are you asleep or something? Shut up!"
She didn't. Just started to repeat it, faster: "Andtogether weshowyouhowto improvise –"
Saburo grabbed her shoulders and kissed her, and then wriggled on top of her. Keeping his lips on hers, he reached for her belt and unbuckled it.
She may be out of her head, but the rest of her was still beautiful, he thought as he touched her. Lucky it was Garam who'd quit and not her. She was pale and bony and damp and she just let him do whatever he wanted.
She was struggling to turn her head away, trying to speak. He didn't want to let her, but he couldn't keep her lips locked forever.
"No…" she gasped. "No, please, stop it, no…"
He pretended not to hear.
She grasped at his wrists. "No!"
He stayed a few more minutes, came as he always did with her, then rolled off her and straightened his clothes. She'd curled up like a wounded beetle, she was crying, why did women always cry?
And she was still saying that damn rhyme.
"And…and together, we show you how…how to improvise…"
Saburo swore under his breath, and rolled his eyes as he walked over to the fridge. Cursing when he found they'd run out of Coke, he decided to pop down to the store.
He glanced at the schoolgirl. She was kinda pretty too…her profile less strong, her features delicate. Maybe he could go with her before they finished her off. It might be fun.
Shrugging, he walked out of the HQ, Cube's voice following him.
"Take…four MCs…and…and make 'em sound…sound like one…"
***
Future Gum stood in the light with Yo-Yo. It was so quiet. Perfect. She was in the arms of the guy she loved, just him, her and the sunshine…
"Mmm…" she whispered. "This isn't happening, okay?"
"Of course it's not."
"I wonder where everyone else is?"
"Who cares…"
"Yeah…"
She bent her head towards his, and they kissed again.
***
Past Gum was still crying.
"We're gonna have to make a break for it," Beat said. "We can't stay down here forever."
Garam frowned. "No, but getting smushed by a train won't help any of us."
"Can't we call an ambulance or something?"
"Is it safe, though? If Onishima's found the passageway…"
Beat swallowed. Had he said anything about ambulances, about how rudies were vulnerable when they were in hospital?
The memory of the conversation stayed locked in his mind, covered with midnight shadows and pain.
"I don't know," he said. "But what else can we do? We got to get out of here, and she's got to get some help."
"Gum," Garam said. "Can you walk at all?"
Gum shrugged. "Garam, my leg feels really…really weird…I'm scared…"
"It's okay," Garam said, touching her hand. "You'll be fine."
A train rushed past, showering them all with dust and grit. When it finally passed, Garam got to his feet.
"Right," he said. "I'm going to get out of here and find some help. You stay with her."
Beat watched as he vanished into the darkness, then turned back to Gum.
"Gum?" he said. "Can you hear me?"
She nodded after a few seconds.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm really sorry."
"Why? What…what did you do?"
Beat opened his mouth to explain – then stopped. He couldn't tell her. Not now. It would be better to wait until she was okay. Yes.
He'd got two of his friends shot now.
Oh, Future Gum was all right, but she wasn't the person he remembered. None of them were, obviously, he'd been gone for five years, what had he expected? But Past Gum – well, she was exactly the person he'd left. Literally. She hadn't changed at all, and that was the only comfort he had at the moment –
And he'd got her shot.
He closed his eyes, tried to block out the white, strained figure lying in front of him. Garam had torn off one of her sleeves and used it to make a bandage, and it was slowly turning redder and redder.
"Beat, I…I feel really strange…"
Gum's eyes rolled back in her skull, and she blacked out.
"Gum? Gum!"
He shook her. She didn't move. Her head flopped limply, her hair brushing the black ground.
Beat drew a deep, terrified breath. If Garam didn't get back soon, he wouldn't just be a traitor. He'd be a killer as well.
***
Mew groaned. She felt like shit.
She peeled her eyes open, expecting light to punch them, but this place – wherever it was – was dim enough for that not to happen.
She tried to sit up, but her hands wouldn't move.
"Ohh…what's happened?"
She could hear, dimly, the rattle of trains far away…
And a voice, broken with sobs. Slowly the sobs reformed in her ears to become words.
"And together…we show you how to improvise…"
"Who's there?" Mew called. Her head ached as her brain tried to process what she was seeing.
No reply. The voice carried on, "Reminiscent of…of the wild style, seventy-five…"
Her wrists were tied to a table leg. She was wearing her school uniform. Sun was streaming in from a small window high up on the wall.
She'd seen that window somewhere before…
The Noise Tanks. She'd looked up at that window when she'd been a Noise Tank and she'd got sick of being down in the dark.
In the dark…
"Cos it's the brothers on the mike…occupying the drum…"
Now, though…I'm not a Noise Tank, she told herself, looking at her crumpled skirt and blouse, collar, her dusty patent shoes, the blood crusted on her knee.
"Take four MCs and make 'em sound like one…"
That voice.
"Cube?" she called.
The voice stopped.
"Cube, it's me, Mew." She stared round the room. There were a pair of bunk beds against the wall. A figure was huddled on the bottom one, like a crushed bird.
"Mew's not here…"
"I am here, Cube. Come and see."
The figure swung bare feet onto the ground, ducked out of the bed, and stood up.
Mew swallowed. For the last few years she'd remembered Cube as she'd been the night she and Garam stormed out – eyes flickering with scorn, standing tall and angry, loud, shining. That had since mingled with the Cube she'd seen at Isas's house – horrified, but still competent, still agile and quick and violent…
This Cube was neither of them. She had her shoulders hunched as her chest rose and fell with sobs, and one hand pressed to her mouth. She still wore black, but it was untidy, and the skull on her chest was stained and grey.
If it wasn't for the face Mew wouldn't have thought it was the same girl.
"Cube?" she said. "What happened to you?"
Cube stared around, eyes big, making her own face look like a skull. "What – what – are you here? Is he?"
"I think we're on our own," Mew said. I sure hope… "Cube, could you untie me, please?"
"I can't. He'll be cross. There's the blood again."
"Cube?"
Cube's eyes were unfocused as she stared at Mew.
"I can't get away from it," she sobbed. "I didn't want to kill them all but I did and I'm going crazy and he keeps – he keeps – he keeps –"
She struggled for breath.
"Cube, you can come back with me," Mew said. "We can find the GGs or something. You don't have to stay doing this."
"We can leave?" Cube said slowly.
"Yeah, of course we can! You just need to untie me."
Cube stared at her, blinked. "Okay…"
She dropped down next to Mew and started picking at the ropes.
"We can really get out?"
"We can really get out."
Cube smiled, properly, and untied the last knot. Mew struggled to her feet, rubbing her scraped wrists, and hurried towards the door.
Which flew open.
Saburo stood there.
"Well, would you look at that," he said. "Now the other Skull's gone renegade."
Mew could feel her mind locking into panic.
Saburo leaned against the doorframe, watching them. Mew glanced over at Cube, who was trembling.
This isn't good, she thought as Saburo held up the gun.
"Why do you want me anyway?" she asked.
"You were a witness to the killing at the Miyamoto house."
"So? That was Cube, not you. And I wouldn't tell on her, whatever happened."
"Really?" Saburo said. "You know how much the cops hate Skulls now? You know how desperate they are to catch them? You know what they'd do to you to make you tell?"
"Oh, and like you're being any nicer to Cube," Mew shouted. "She's losing it, she needs to get out of here!"
"Oh, really? If she does she'll blab everything, she's not in control of herself –"
"Damn right she isn't!" Mew glanced over at Cube. She'd whitened, and her lips were moving.
"Cube!" she yelled. "Run!"
Cube's eyes widened. She stared from Mew to Saburo, trembling.
"Listen, schoolgirl, you're gonna die." Saburo marched towards Mew. "Accept it."
He raised the gun.
***
Combo skated down Bantam Street, wondering why he'd come here. He hadn't meant to. But he'd seen the sign to it…and the words had triggered memories, pictures of days where there were the three of them, Triple-C, and there had been no demons or killers or super-conglomerates or really, really bad fights…
He'd been avoiding Bantam Street.
Until now.
And now he was having that 'wow, this place is still the same and I haven't been there for ages' feeling, mixed up with a whole load of guilt. He should have stopped Cube and now anything could've happened to her.
There was no news of any arrests yet, but it only had to be a matter of time. Which wasn't exactly a relaxing thought.
Combo stopped and leant on the fence surrounding the skate park. It was spooky looking at it. He'd spent most of his childhood down here, falling over, trying to keep his balance, slowly, painfully learning to grind and wall-ride and jump.
Even the damn sunlight hadn't changed.
And Coin, first acting like he was too cool to skate, skipping school to do other stuff, but slowly getting interested in it and acting like he wasn't…
And Cube strolling in one day like she owned the place…
And his and Coin's jaws dropping…
And then a few good months in the sun…
And the Devil's Contract.
And going to Tokyo-to.
And Cube, gone.
Her voice rang in his ears.
"I'm immature? I'm immature? Well, listen here, punk. Maybe you should damn well take some action more often. Maybe if you had, Coin would still be here right now!"
"That's a lie and you know it!" he'd yelled at her, rage roaring through his head.
"Oh, is it? Think about it! Who said we should go off to Tokyo-to? You! Who said we shouldn't try and track the Rhinos down in Grind City? You! Who pissed about fighting assassins rather than trying to save him –"
"I didn't notice you makin' any objection to any of those things!"
"I was stupid, wasn't I? Well, now I'm smart, and I'm going to get them back for what they did to Beat and to Coin!"
"Get them back? You sound like a fuckin' five-year-old. Fine. You can just swan around in your pretty T-shirt with a skull on and your Goth face and your attitude problem. But I won't be there to see it. I quit!"
"That's great! Now I won't have to have you hanging around me like a – a gorilla! In fact, I'd rather have a gorilla! At least they know when to fight!"
And then he'd marched out the door, and that had been the last he'd seen of her.
And the words still hurt and he never wanted to see her again.
What, never?
Well, hardly ever.
Oh, all right, he did want to see her again.
So why don't you go back? You can keep a watch on her from Tokyo-to. Don't have to say hi or nothing. Just make sure she's okay. And if she was in trouble…well…you could help.
There was no point in hanging round old turf. Not now. Bantam Street was the past, left behind, Triple-C were gone. No matter how he tried, he couldn't go back. The sunlight was the same, but nothing else was.
The only thing left to do was go for the present.
***
Cube could hear too many things in her head. But overriding them all was Mew, "Run!"
A gun.
A gun pointed at Mew.
She felt her lips begin to move, started to speak.
"And together…"
No! Mew was in trouble, she couldn't just sit there muttering!
Couldn't do anything…
The voices returned, leaving trails of smoke across her vision.
"What is it, Cube? Back to your little song?"
That voice left darkness as she heard it.
"Keep singing it. Soon you won't be singing at all. And nor will your friend."
Cube blinked, tried to clear the smoke from her vision.
She could see him, standing in the doorway, dark, just looking at him made tears fill her eyes.
And Mew, silhouetted bright against the blackness…
"Run!"
Into the darkness?
"Cube! Go and get help!"
Help. Yes. They all needed that.
She forced herself to start walking.
"What is it, Cube? Gonna stop me? You're crazy. You can't do anything."
"Move it! Run!"
Cube stumbled past the darkness, looked back. Mew stood there, blazing white, surrounded by black.
She stopped –
"Run!"
Get away from the darkness. Just go. Just go.
Cube dashed along, feet catching on the rough ground. The cool air was caressing her skin, and she felt the sun start to wriggle into the black place in her brain. She stopped running when she got to the gate into Benten-cho residential area, and looked back. She couldn't see the white figure any more.
***
Past Gum lay asleep in the hospital bed, looking miserable.
Beat sighed. "They said she's okay."
Garam nodded. "Lucky they got to her in time…but don't worry. She's gonna be fine."
Beat tried to breathe a sigh of relief. It didn't work. His throat was too tight.
"I still want to know how they found out, though," Garam said.
Beat swallowed and focused on Gum's face. That didn't make him feel any better. She was too pale, almost as white as the pillow.
"Come on," Garam said. "You may as well admit it. Otherwise you're just going to sit here saying zilch."
"Admit what?" Beat managed to say.
"Onishima knocked it out of you. The garage and the passageway and everything." Garam's voice was calm, matter-of-fact.
Beat stayed still. Dread was starting to crawl over his skin like frozen ants.
"Come on," Garam said.
This is it, Beat thought. I am so dead now.
"Earth to Beat?" Garam said.
"Well, what do you want me to say?" Beat yelled. "Yeah, I did it. I betrayed the GGs. I know I suck as leader and as a rudie and as everything. So I don't think there's much more you can add. Go on, tell the others, and then kick me out, and – and just leave me alone!"
He heard his voice wobble, and swallowed. Not wanting to look at Garam, he stared at the metal frame of Gum's bed instead. It blurred.
"That's why you've been acting so weird lately," Garam said. "Right?"
"Right."
"You're not beating – excuse the pun – yourself up about it, are you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"He broke your arm! I mean, I guess that's when it happened."
"Yeah. Sort of." In a way it was a relief to confess. It was like something loosening around his ribs.
"So you didn't exactly just tell him everything, did you?"
"I told. That's what matters."
Garam was silent for a moment, then said, "Are you going to say anything to the others?"
"No," Beat said before he could think. "No, I can't."
"They'll find out sooner or later."
"I won't let them."
"Why not? They won't desert you. They've missed you. We all have."
"Well, maybe you shouldn't have. I'm done nothing I can be proud of. It was my fault I got caught in the first place and it was my fault Tab and Gum got shot and we lost the garage. So just shut up about it all."
"I…I killed a bunch of people," Garam said. "They know about that and they've not freaked. Much."
"That's different. You're still on the right side."
Garam sighed. "If you won't tell them, I will."
"No!"
"Sorry, but you can't go on jumping whenever anyone mentions certain things."
Before Beat could answer, Garam had walked away.
Beat stared after him, feeling like he'd been punched. He could feel his hands shaking. He'd missed the GGs so long and now they were going to hate him.
Part of him wanted to run after Garam and beg him not to tell, but he stopped himself. He hadn't sunk that low.
He rested his head in his hands, and closed his eyes.
***
Future Gum felt Yo-Yo ease her shirt off over her head, run his fingers through her hair.
"This'll just screw everything up…" she whispered.
"Yep. You want to stop?"
He kissed her again.
"No…"
She let him lie her down on top of the sleeping bag. The sun shot into her eyes, and she squeezed them shut, and he kissed her more, slid her jeans off, yes, yes, this was good, he was close to her –
The door flew open, and Garam's voice said, "Guys, we have a – oh. Guys, hate to interrupt, but…"
Gum wanted to scream as Yo-Yo moved off her and straightened his clothes. "What is it?" she snapped.
"Well…your past self got shot. Beat's at the hospital. I think we should go."
Gum swallowed and reached for her top. "If – if she dies, will I?"
"She ain't gonna die," Garam said. "It's all right, they hit her in the leg. But we should go, okay?"
Gum glanced down at her own legs, and winced.
"Which leg?" she asked.
"The left."
Gum swung her legs up onto the sleeping bag and scrabbled for her jeans. She was just putting them on when she saw it.
A faint line was appearing on her left leg.
"Garam…" she said. "Where exactly did it hit?"
"The back of the shin."
"Shit."
"What is it?" Yo-Yo said.
"Look…" Gum pointed, hand shaking, to the mark rising up on her calf.
It was a scar. A scar which looked about five years old.
A scar which she'd never seen before.
"Woah." Yo-Yo's eyes widened. "That is seriously freaky."
"Thanks a bloody lot." Gum shoved her jeans on, trying to cover up the scar. "Great. She gets herself shot, and I have to suffer for it. Great."
She followed Garam and Yo-Yo out of the room. She could feel the scar on the back of her leg, pulsing.
If she's changed this, what else could she change?
I wish she wasn't here. I wish she'd never come. I wish…I wish too many things.
And most of all I wish Garam had come in five minutes later.
That would have been enough.
Frustration growled at the back of her head.
***
Mew stared at Saburo, trying not to cry. Cube had got away, and that was good, but she didn't want to die…
Saburo pushed the door shut, slid across the bolt, and tucked his gun inside his jacket.
"You don't think I'd kill you right away, do you?" he said.
"You let me go right now!" Mew yelled.
"Why?"
"Because you'll be in deep trouble if you don't!"
"I'm in deep trouble already, honey. I'm a Skull."
Mew clenched her fists. "Let me go."
Saburo walked over to her, stroked her shoulder. "I can't do that. I don't want to shoot you, you know."
"I don't want to be shot. Let's work together on this."
Saburo kissed her, his lips dry on hers. Mew struggled, desperately trying to twist her head away.
"Come on…" Saburo murmured. "You're cute enough, and I really want to."
"Well, I don't!" Mew tried to pull his arms off her, but he grabbed her wrist.
"What is it with you girls?" he said, looking hurt. And kissed her again. His body was pressed against hers, warm and strong and she couldn't get away from it…
She broke free from him and screamed, heard the sound echo up to the roof of the HQ. "I mean it!" she yelled. "Get off! Just get off! Do you understand? Get off!"
And then she kneed him between the legs.
Saburo doubled over. Mew shook herself free, and ran to the door. She fumbled with the bolt, scraped it back just as Saburo found his gun and started firing wildly.
"Come back here, you bitch!" he yelled.
"Go fuck a snake!" Mew screamed, and ran.
***
Cube had been walking round the residential district for some time. She felt weird. She knew something was happening in her mind, but she couldn't see how to stop it. She was scared. Tears kept oozing out of her eyes and down her face.
Saburo would find her. He'd find her and he'd hurt her so bad for this…
But she deserved it, didn't she? Look what she'd done…
And, oh help, the blood was back, running slowly down the windows of the houses around her, pooling in deep black puddles on the steps, watering the pot plants, filling the sky with roaring crimson…
"Help me…" she called. "Somebody, please…"
No answer.
Cube dropped down onto somebody's doorstep, the blood oozing over her shoes, and cried.
***
The sky was growing darker outside the hospital window, brightening the strip lights and sending shadows rushing into the corners of the ward.
Beat stared up at the night, and wondered if it was too late to run away.
They'd been at the hospital all afternoon. Past Gum had woken up, and now apart from a slight limp was fine.
So now all the GGs were congregating at Tab's bed, goofing around, eating the junk food they'd smuggled in and generally chilling.
Well, sort of. Future Gum and Yo-Yo kept glancing at each other, then looking at the floor and giggling. Past Gum kept looking at them and then sighing. And Garam kept looking at Beat in a get-on-with-it way.
Just get up and say you've got something to tell everyone. It won't be that hard.
But he couldn't. Couldn't seem to stand, couldn't seem to speak. Couldn't do anything. Couldn't fight back, couldn't keep his mouth shut…
"Seems like it's safer in here than out there." Tab's voice broke into his thoughts. "Cops and Skulls and Crossbones everywhere…you guys better be careful."
"We'll be fine," Future Gum said.
"I wasn't," her past self muttered.
"Well, we're on our guard now, okay?"
"Are you saying I –"
"Please, no violence," Yo-Yo cut in.
"Shut up, gummi bear!" Past Gum shot back at him.
Yo-Yo opened his mouth, then sighed and closed it again, and elbowed Future Gum as she started to speak.
"They said you could come out soon, though, didn't they," Garam said to Tab.
"Yeah. Which'll be cool, I'm going stir-crazy here."
Beat could still feel Garam watching him. He pretended he hadn't noticed.
He had to do this sooner or later.
"Guys, we really have to go," Future Gum said, peering through the curtains round the bed. "I think the nurses are glaring at us."
Beat breathed a sigh of relief, which stuck in his throat as Garam said, "Yeah, okay. I just got something to tell everyone first."
"Talk fast," Future Gum said. "Or we may find ourselves the first people to get thrown out of Shibuya General."
"No, don't bother," Beat said. "We can go. I'm sure whatever it is can wait till next time."
"You know it can't," Garam said. "And everyone needs to hear this, Tab included."
"Garam, I said shut up!" Beat heard his voice rise. Future Gum made frantic keep-the-noise-down gestures.
"What is it?" Past Gum said. "Something else I don't know?"
"It's nothing you need to know," Beat said.
"Yes, it is!" Garam snapped. "It's about the garage getting found, it's about Tab being in here, it's about cops in the secret passage."
"I don't get it," Past Gum said. "The cops been bugging us or something?"
"They always bug us," Yo-Yo muttered.
"You know what I mean!" Gum yelled, then glanced abruptly away from him.
"Someone told them, didn't they?" Tab said. "Some rudie's helped the cops with their enquiries. That's it, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Garam said. "One of us."
Beat stared at the ground, wishing he could run. But he couldn't even move.
"What?" Past Gum said. "Are you crazy?"
"No."
"Who is it?" Tab said, voice sounding like it was balancing on a high wire. "Who?"
"It's Beat," Garam said.
"What?" Future Gum yelled. "Garam, are you nuts?"
"He said it himself."
"But – like – no way," Yo-Yo said. "You're not telling me Beat turned traitor?"
"Did you?" Past Gum asked.
Beat shrugged.
"Oh, come on, give us some answers!" Yo-Yo said. "You can't have Garam hit us with a curve ball like that and then just say no comment!"
"I don't have a comment," Beat said, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the floor.
"Is it true?" Future Gum asked.
"Yeah." The word left a bad taste in his mouth.
There was a stunned silence.
"You told Onishima everything?" Past Gum asked.
"I guess."
More silence. Really horrible silence.
"Guys," Future Gum said at last, "I think the nurses are coming to evict us."
The GGs got to their feet, and began to walk away.
As Beat got up, he stared at Tab, who had picked up a magazine from the bedside table and was studying it fiercely.
"Tab?" he said.
Silence.
"Look, I, I didn't mean you to –"
"Whatever." Tab didn't look up. "Frankly, I don't really care any more."
Beat opened his mouth to argue, but he felt too drained to think up a sentence.
"You finished?" Tab said at last. "Only I got things to do. Things to think about."
"Bye."
Tab didn't answer as Beat walked away.
***
Combo stared out of the plane window. The sun had set, golden-orange light spilt across the dark blue sky.
"We are now coming in to land at Tokyo-to airport. Please fasten your seatbelts and turn off all electrical appliances."
Combo listened as the message was repeated in Japanese. This felt almost like coming home, even though he'd left the place he'd thought was home…so what was his home? Ah, he needed more sleep.
The plane started to dip. Combo swallowed as his ears rang, and gazed down at Tokyo-to, glittering in the darkness like a colony of luminous spiders. Cube was down there someplace.
How would he find her? Skulls didn't make themselves easy to find.
Well, he had to try. No point in coming all the way back here for nothing.
The city was getting closer and closer, dots of light metamorphosing into cars and streetlamps, familiar buildings coming into view. There was the Rokkaku building, spitted with white windows, looming over Shibuya, and there was Benten, smothered with glitter, and Kogane, a dark, smouldering mass to the east.
Despite himself Combo felt warm at seeing it Good to be back with the old place again.
Just the place?
Maybe the people too.
***
Mew lay against the wall, gasping for breath. She wasn't running any more. She was just terrified.
It was night now. Shibuya was the safest place to be. She knew she should head back home. Not home. Care. But she didn't want to. Isas knew her address, and if he knew, he'd pass it on. He didn't like her any more. He'd chased her with the others, hadn't he?
They'd come – maybe at night – noises on the roof, or footsteps downstairs, and they'd shoot her. Suki would laugh.
She was no damn way going back there.
It's violating your probation…
Fuck my probation. I'm more interested in staying alive.
Or that Skull guy. He wouldn't give up. Especially not now she'd kneed him. He seemed more professional than the Crossbones as well, and if he wanted her dead surely it would only be a matter of time?
"I don't want to die," Mew whispered to the night air.
"Mew?"
"Argh!" Mew spun round at the sound of Isas's voice.
"I won't hurt you," he said.
He was untidy, hair ruffled – Mew wanted to stroke it – Crossbones T-shirt replaced with a black one, eyes shadowed and filled with pain.
"Why the hell should I believe that?" Mew snarled.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Sure. Whatever. Rudie killer."
Isas winced.
"Anyway, aren't you supposed to be somewhere else?" Mew said. "With your family?"
"They left. My mum and dad. I told them I wanted to stay in Tokyo-to, I didn't want to change schools, you know."
"And?"
"They wouldn't let me. So I ran away."
Mew shrugged. She knew she should do the same, right now, but her legs weren't listening. They were going jelly-like as she looked at Isas.
Damn it, he was cute.
"To join the Crossbones?" she said, trying to sound scornful.
"Sort of. I didn't want to be pushed around. Mew," he said, "what are you doing out here?"
"Hanging. What about you? Where are you staying?"
"Suki's place."
"Why did you join the Crossbones?" Mew heard a sob rise up in her mouth, and swallowed. "How could you?"
"Your friend would have killed my parents."
"You would have killed me."
"I wouldn't. Mew, you've got to believe me, I wouldn't."
"Sure. The gun is just the latest fashion accessory."
"I'm quitting," Isas said. "I walked out of the meeting tonight."
"Whatever." Don't believe him, don't listen to him, and stop thinking about how gorgeous he looks!
"Mew, I want to make it up to you. I – I just didn't think, okay? I wanted to hurt someone. I wanted to show I'm not just a dumb schoolboy."
"You joined a club that specialises in killing people like me."
"Your friend joined a club that specialises in killing people like me."
They stared at each other. The night air stroked Mew's face and rippled Isas's hair.
"Suki's a Keisatsu's child," Isas said. "Like me. The other two are her best friend and this boy who got beaten up by some rudies in Kogane-cho."
Mew shrugged. "My friends joined because the cops arrested someone we cared about."
"Why aren't you at home, Mew?"
"I'm not going anywhere you Crossbone freaks know about."
"But it's getting dark."
"So? I'm Benten-cho born and bred. I like the dark. And it's a summer night, it's not too cold."
"You can't stay out here for the rest of your life."
"I simply intend to have a life."
"Who was the guy who caught you?" Isas asked, and he looked worried.
"A Skull."
"The Skulls are after you too?"
"Yeah. Peachy, isn't it."
"You really shouldn't be out here."
"Isas, just leave me alone."
"Look, come back with me."
"To Suki's house? I don't think so."
"I mean to my old house. My family's house. I've got a spare key."
"No way. No, no, no. This is an ambush."
"It's not!" Isas cried out. "I just want you to be safe! If the Skulls are after you they'll be prowling the streets and you can't run from them forever."
Mew swallowed. "But if this is a trap and I go back with you, I'll be dead anyway."
"It's not a trap," Isas said. "What can I say to convince you?"
Mew stared at him, and suddenly she couldn't bring herself to keep objecting.
"Okay, fine," she said. "I may as well die for being a rudie rather than being a schoolgirl witness."
"Is that why they want you?"
Mew nodded as they began to walk along to the Kogane-Shibuya border.
Isas touched her arm. "Mew, I never wanted to hurt you."
"Then why –"
"I've tried to explain. I know I was dumb, but…it just seemed a good idea at the time."
Mew wanted to pull away from him, but his hand was heating up her skin like she was about to spontaneously combust.
"They'll probably have me arrested again anyway," she said. "I'm doing the equivalent of jumping bail here."
"Why don't you tell 'em what's going on?"
"Because if I tell them about the Skulls, they'll make me spill the beans about Cube, and if I tell them about the Crossbones…well…I don't think I'll get much sympathy for being a rudie."
"But you could die."
Mew shrugged, trying to cover her trembling. "Rudies do, generally." She stopped, turned to face him. "I don't like the idea, but you know what the Keisatsu do to us. Guess it'll only be a matter of time."
Isas whitened at that. "Don't."
"It's the truth."
"Why do you do it, then?"
"For the same reason you keep posters of tags in your room and read about them on the bus. It's what I like doing."
She stared up at him, remembered seeing his posters, an event which seemed ancient, faded, normal.
Then they'd come down…and Cube had been there…and everything had gone crazy.
She shuddered. And now everyone was trying to kill her.
"It's okay," Isas said. "I won't let them hurt you – I –"
He stopped. They were almost touching.
"I know you won't," Mew said, and even as her mind snorted, she smiled.
She stepped a little closer.
He moved nearer to her.
And then somehow they were kissing. Mew clung onto his shoulders, feeling fireworks explode throughout her body.
"Let's get home," Isas said at last, trying to catch his breath.
"Let's." Mew grinned, unable to stop herself. The ex-rudie and the Keisatsu's child.
How cool was that?