Chapter Thirteen – Lost

Past Gum and Future Gum walked through Kogane residential area at seven a.m. the next morning. Past Gum wasn't particularly happy at how early it was, but she sure wasn't going to admit it.

"You got the address?" she said to Future Gum.

"Yeah."

"Is there anything I should know about Piranha and Slate? That you forgot to tell me?"

"No."

Gum sighed, and glanced over the rooftops to the huge sky. The sun was rising, and white-yellow light spilled over the balconies of cloud filling the morning sky. The rooftops glinted.

"Cool," she said at the same time as Future Gum did.

They both glanced at each other, and then smiled.

"How are you gonna get home?" Future Gum asked at last.

Gum shrugged. "Hope I get lucky?"

"Look," her future self said. "I don't think this was random, you getting bumped into the future like this. I think it happened for a reason, I think you're gonna change things for us. All of us."

"How'm I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know. But no one's happy, are they? In my present? Wherever they are, I don't believe they're happy. Maybe if you do stop Beat getting caught, that'll put some things right. But I think it's gonna work out, okay? I don't think you're stuck here. You can't be."

"Thanks." That had been exactly what Gum had been wondering herself – stuck, whether she was.

Future Gum stopped outside a rickety-looking block of flats. "This is it. We want the third floor."

They walked inside. The walls were the colour of mustard, and the whole place stank.

"Eeeuw," Gum said. "Maybe they'll be more keen to get out than I thought. What day is it today, by the way?"

"Saturday."

"So the kid should be at home."

Both Gums glanced at each other.

"I don't do children," Future Gum said.

"Me neither."

They started to climb the stairs.

Finally they reached the right apartment. Past Gum knocked, and the sound echoed round the bare corridor.

Footsteps, then a voice from behind the door said, "Who is it?"

"Piranha? Is that you?"

Silence for a moment, then, "Yes…"

"It's Gum."

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Okay…"

Gum heard the rattle of bolts, and then the door opened.

Piranha peered round it, and her eyes widened as she took in the two Gums. "What the hell?"

"Long story. Can we come in?"

"I guess so," Piranha said, opening the door a little wider.

They walked into the uncarpeted hallway. Past Gum noticed the walls were covered with tags. Familiar looking tags.

Piranha noticed her looking, and said, "It's a cheap decorating service, right? Look, what is going on? Why are there two Gums?"

As Future Gum began to explain everything, Past Gum studied Piranha. The GG still had her hair in dreadlocks, but she was wearing a black top and trousers decorated with purple stars, and she no longer had skates or goggles. And she looked older. Properly older.

Five years really had passed.

Gum shivered. She had hopped forward five years…she'd missed out five years…oh, lord…

You'll get back. Future Gum says you will.

She's me and I've hopped forward five years…

"That is the most crazy story I've ever heard," Piranha said at last. "If it's a joke, it ain't that funny. Why're you here?"

"Um. Well. You tell her, Past Gum."

Gum jumped, shook herself out of her fears, and said, "We were wondering if you'd be interested in a rudie reunion."

"I'm not a rudie any more. I've got a daughter."

"Look, you don't have to join us," Future Gum said. "But I said Onishima's planning something. What names are you guys working under now?"

"Our old ones. Birth names, as it were. When we're not Mummy and Daddy, that is."

"So he mightn't find you that way." Future Gum's eyes narrowed. "You ever do anything rudieish? Your kid know about what you used to be?"

Piranha shrugged. "We tag at home. Slate's been selling some tag posters to second-hand shops, to get some extra cash. And we still skate a bit, but only up and down the corridors." She laughed. "Okay, that sounds dumb. But if we got arrested…"

"Exactly," Past Gum said. "But does your daughter know?"

"We haven't really discussed it. I think she thinks all parents do it at times. Anyway, round here half the kids want to be rudies themselves. Look, we're no different, okay? Onishima won't find us."

"He might. He knows you quit the GGs cos you got pregnant. He'll put time and energy into looking. Can't you just relocate until – well, until we know what he's up to?"

"Relocate to where?"

"We're holing out in Benten-cho at the moment," Future Gum said. "We lost the garage."

"So what you're telling me is," Piranha said, "you don't have our hideout, you don't know what he's planning, and you don't know how he can find us. And you think I'm the one who needs warning?"

Both Gums shrugged.

"You have no idea how freaky it is watching you two," Piranha said. "And what about Mari?"

"Who?" Past Gum said.

"My daughter, you moron."

"Any friends she could stay with? Or she could come with us."

Piranha rolled her eyes.

"Look," Future Gum said, "You think this isn't serious but I'm telling you, it is. Onishima knows you and Slate have set up house with a young child. He also can assume that as rudies you're unqualified and uneducated so you won't be earning much."

"So?" Piranha snapped.

"So you'll have to live in Kogane-cho, everywhere else is too expensive. So then all he has to do is lurk around and watch out for you. Slate's pretty distinctive even if you aren't and I think Onishima knows what you both look like. Then he sends in the cops, you two are arrested, and your daughter's at best in care and at worst lost."

Piranha swallowed. "But –"

Suddenly they heard footsteps. Heavy footsteps, coming up the stairs outside.

Piranha crept over to the door as someone banged on it, and a voice called, "This is the police! Open up in there!"

"Oh, help…" Piranha's face whitened.

"Where's Mari?" Future Gum mouthed.

Piranha jerked her head in the direction of a room on the right. Gum tried to think. She and her future self would be recognised, and they couldn't let Piranha get caught.

"Think there's anybody in?" another voice was saying.

"Don't know. Could be." Another bang on the door.

"We gonna break it down?"

"We don't have a warrant…Come back later…"

Gum let out her breath slowly as the footsteps echoed away.

"Shit, damn and bother," Piranha muttered. "You're right, aren't you?"

They nodded.

"Stop doing things at the same time, it's scaring me! Okay. Fine. Right, Slate's at work at the moment. One of you can go tell him, we're moving out. I'll come with you."

"I'll go tell him," Past Gum said. "Where is he working?"

"Shibuya Hardware Store. And he's there under his old name, Samuru, that is. Tell him to leave, take him to wherever you are the moment. Me and Mari will go with Future Gum, okay?"

She walked into the room on the right. A little girl was curled up on the sofa there watching a black-and-white TV.

"Mari, get dressed," Piranha said. "We're going out."

"But mum, Digimon's coming on!"

"Mari…" Piranha said dangerously.

The girl pouted, but she stood up and tottered towards the door. Her skin was paler than Piranha's, chocolate-milk colour, and her hair was shoulder-length and dark brown. Her face was similar to Piranha's, but her eyes reminded Gum of Slate's.

"I'll go and warn Slate," Past Gum said. "See you back at the hideout."

Future Gum nodded. "Good luck."

***

Combo yawned and opened his eyes. For a moment he didn't know where he was, then it all came flooding back. Cube. Finding Cube. Making Cube cry.

Oh, shit…

He sat up, and looked over at Cube's bed.

It was empty.

There was a note on the pillow.

He walked over and picked it up. It was written in blue biro over an advert for car insurance torn from a newspaper.

Dear Combo,

I am sorry I ran out on you. I am sorry I shouted at you. But I need to be by myself. Thanks for being nice to me and giving me a place to sleep but I need to think and I don't think I deserve to be with you coz I am being so weird and I'm a Skull as well. Also I feel funny around guys at the moment. I really like you and thank you for being my friend but I don't think you can do much about what I've done to my mind. Maybe you should try and find the GGs. I am all right so don't worry about me.

Cube

"Damn!" Combo kicked the bed, forgetting his feet were bare, and stubbed his toe. Muttering curses under his breath, he sat back down, put on his skates, and reread the note. It didn't seem any better the second time.

At least she hadn't been angry.

But he was only her friend. Only her god-damn son-of-a-bitch friend.

And where the hell had she gone? Out into Tokyo-to on her own, the way she'd been acting last night that didn't seem a good idea.

He glared at the bed, and then saw his spare T-shirt hung on the end of it. Jumping to his feet, he checked the bathroom. Her clothes were gone.

She'd gone out with a Skull across her front.

And the cops knew what that meant.

He had to find her. He had to find her now.

***

Tab trudged away from Shibuya General Hospital, scuffing his feet along the ground. His skates were with the other GGs and the shoes he'd borrowed were annoying him. They made him feel vulnerable.

They also made it harder to kick things. And at the moment he wanted to kick something. It might make him feel better.

He didn't want to go back to the GGs at the moment. He didn't want to go back and see the guy who he was supposed to – supposed to love, for heaven's sake, who'd just admitted he'd betrayed him, betrayed them all.

His thoughts burned red behind his eyes.

What's with you? his brain asked, sounding annoyingly reasonable. So he finally cracked under the pressure. He was there for five years, did you expect him to be Superman or something?

Tab glowered. He knew he probably wasn't being fair, but who cared about fairness when you'd just got shot?

He crossed into Benten-cho, hurried through the silent streets, and arrived at number 74 in the residential area. As he walked up the stairs, footsteps echoing round the empty rooms, he found himself wanting to walk away again. Forget the GGs, go back to the Noise Tanks. They hadn't minded him hanging with his old gang. Thought it was funny, cos his old gang were fish food now.

"And you sure helped, Beat," he snapped.

Nearly at the top floor now. Below him the house stretched away, empty and dirty and bleak.

He missed the garage.

Despite the fact it had featured in his nightmares. He wasn't telling anyone about those, the dreams where he died or was arrested or Gum didn't save him…

Tab sighed as he reached the top landing. Okay. Time to face the music.

He knocked on the door, and then walked in.

The Gums were absent. Garam was playing on the computer, Yo-Yo was juggling two cans of spray paint, and Beat was sitting staring out of the window.

"Hi," Tab said.

"Dude, you're up!" Yo-Yo flung the paint cans into the corner and got to his feet. "You, like, okay now?"

"Yeah. Where're the Gums?"

"They've gone to warn Piranha and Slate."

"Warn 'em? About what?"

"Onishima's trying to capture the GGs and do something scientific and permanent to them," Garam said, keeping his eyes locked on the computer screen. "We thought we'd better tell Slate and Piranha."

"Gum read it in his diary," Yo-Yo said. "The one she stole from the station."

"Something scientific and permanent?" Tab said.

"Uh-huh. He and some woman called C have been developing a secret weapon to use on rudies, and he needs someone to test it on. So he's selected us. Because he hates our guts. He says we'll never be able to come back from it or something."

"Well, that's a great piece of news to start the day with," Tab said. "Anything else I should know about?"

"We reckon Combo and Cube are safe," Garam said. "And we don't know about Mew. You haven't heard nothing about her, have you?"

"No."

There was a computer-generated explosion from the screen, followed by a bleep. Garam cursed and got to his feet. "I give up. I'm going out tagging."

"Me too," Yo-Yo said. "By the way, Tabster, Gum brought your skates, I think they're over there…" He gestured to a heap of spray paint cans, magazines, and rubbish.

"Uh…thanks. Watch out for Onishima," Tab called as they left.

"I've figured out why Onishima's so short," he heard Yo-Yo mutter. "So no one sees him coming…"

Their voices faded away.

Tab walked over to the pile of stuff and rummaged through it to find his skates. As he put them on, he glanced at Beat, and his fury boiled up again.

"You're not going out?" he said.

"Why should I?" Beat didn't look round.

"Maybe meet up with your Keisatsu friends and tell 'em where we are now."

Beat's shoulders tensed, but he didn't say anything. Tab wished he would. He wanted to yell and let the rage go.

"You don't know where Mew is?" he said. "Onishima didn't tell you?"

"Leave me alone," Beat muttered.

"Why the hell should I? You got me shot!"

"Look!" Beat swung round to face him, eyes furious. "He broke my arm. It killed. I was tired, I was stressed, I'd been beaten on for five damn years. So I cracked. Have you never taken the easy course?"

"Not when it means betraying my friends!"

"I didn't want to betray you!"

"Oh, yeah, sure you didn't. A mysterious alien force took your brain over and made you spill your guts. I believe you, Beat!"

"What is your problem?" Beat said. "Garam didn't freak –"

"Garam's a killer himself. You know if Gum hadn't come back when she did I could be dead by now."

Beat closed his eyes a second. "But you're not."

"That's no excuse!"

"Get over it!"

"Get over it?" Tab wondered if punching him out of the window would be excessive. "Oh, yeah, I love that! I get shot and then find out my boyfriend caused it, but no big deal, worse things happen at sea, get over it! Chill out! Go with the fucking flow!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Good!"

They stared at each other. Tab blinked. The rage was making his vision flicker.

"What else can I say?" Beat said. "I can't turn back time. Unfortunately. So just give me a break, quit making sarky comments, and go have fun with your tech-brain friends."

He turned back to the window again. Tab stood there a moment, then he marched over to the door, wrenched it open, and walked out, slamming it behind him.

***

Cube walked down through Shibuya bus terminal, wondering whether she dared leave the city.

So far she was managing to keep the blood away from her eyes by muttering that it wasn't real, but she didn't know how long that would last. What if she left Tokyo and then everything went crazy again and this time she didn't know anybody or anything?

Maybe she should go back to Grind City.

But Combo was still in Japan…she should stay for him at least.

Why did you walk out on him? her brain complained. He would have helped you.

Exactly. I don't need anyone helping me. I need to be able to do it myself. I'm not just gonna play the weak little woman type.

And I felt the way he touched me. She shuddered. He'd been hope, he'd been safety, and then his hands…like Saburo…

It was still hot. Her head ached.

A flicker of red on the side of a bus –

She blinked furiously. It's not real, it's not real, it's not real…

Rubbing her eyes, she carried on walking. She didn't know where now. Maybe she'd just get on a bus and let it carry her away. Maybe she didn't care now.

Suddenly something slammed into her. The ground hit and it scraped her skin. She tried to get up, but hands grabbed her wrists, and she felt cold metal grate round them.

"Saburo?" she called out, hearing her voice wobble. "Is that you?"

"You're under arrest, Skull."

Cube drew a slow, terrified breath that ended in a sob. "I didn't – I didn't –"

Mean to, was what she wanted to say. But she couldn't seem to remember how.

She tried to sit up again, and the barrel of a gun jabbed the back of her neck, keeping her flat.

"Don't –" another voice said.

"You think anyone would care? You saw what they do."

"She deserves a fair trial."

Cube saw the blood rising from the ground, over the stones and litter, to touch her face. She started to scream.

"Shut up." The first voice grabbed her arms and hauled her upwards. Cube watched as the blood pooled around her feet, hardly able to breathe for terror.

It's not real, it's not real, it's not real…

"You know what she did?" one cop said to the other, shoving Cube forward. "She shot Toriyama, his wife, his son and his mother, just cos they were all staying at the house at the time."

It's not real, it's not real…

"How d'you know it was this particular Skull?"

"Witnesses report seeing a dark-haired girl running away from the house, and I bet her fingerprints will match up with the ones we found."

It's not real…

The blood was splashed over them by the bus roaring past. Cube wanted to rub the red off her face, but her hands weren't free to do it. They reached the police car.

Cube closed her eyes as she was pushed inside, and wouldn't open them. She felt the car move off.

***

Mew lay on the cell bed, eyes sore, and wishing she had some clean clothes. Her school uniform was definitely the worse for wear after a night behind bars.

I will not panic, she told herself. I will not. I am fine, nothing's gonna happen, everything's okay, help me!

Calm.

What had happened to Isas?

After the phone call to the Miyamoto house last night the Crossbones had marched her down to the police station. Isas had been left at the house, locked in his room.

They'd go back there, Mew thought. They have gone back there. He's dead. That bitch whore cow Suki has killed him.

Tears rose in her eyes again, and she tried to swallow them down. She'd cried enough. Her face was tender and the salt hurt it.

Onishima hadn't said why he wanted her. Maybe it was just because she'd skipped out on the care home. Whatever, she'd been in this cell all night, trying to sleep, and nearly always failing. And trying not have a panic attack. And only just succeeding.

She heard footsteps, several pairs, one pair out of step, and sat up a little to see who it was. She'd been doing that all night too. Just in case it was someone she knew.

Three cops surrounding a black and white figure…

Cube.

Mew clenched her fists.

The other girl's eyes were squeezed close, and she'd bitten through her lower lip. Watery blood edged it.

They dragged her forward into Onishima's office, and the door shut.

Mew swallowed, got to her feet and hurried towards the bars. She pressed her face to them, tried to see what was going on in the office.

Someone cried out. There was a sound of shouting, then another cry. Mew gripped the bars, tried not to imagine what could be happening, tried not to listen too much.

At last, too long, the door opened again, and Cube was brought back out. Her eyes were still closed, one blackened, bruises speckling her bloodless skin.

They were walking towards Mew's cell.

Mew stepped back from the bars, starting to shiver. No, they couldn't be gonna beat on her now, could they, please, no…

The door screeched open, and Cube was shoved inside. Then it was banged shut, relocked, Mew shuddered at the sound.

"Cube," she said. "Cube! Are you all right?"

No answer. Cube's eyes were still shut.

"Cube, it's me, Mew." She hissed it, trying to get the words to be accepted. "I got away, see? Come on, talk to me!"

Cube didn't move.

Mew sighed, and wondered if life could get any worse.

***

Tab skated furiously through Kogane-cho, slicing gouges into the dust.

Well, fine. Fine. He would just go back to his techno friends, then. He didn't care. Fine.

You don't care at all?

No.

Liar.

Tab kicked the crash barrier running along the edge of the road, striking rusty sparks.

He started to tag up the nearest wall with a Noise Destroys tag. Forget the GGs, he told himself. There's nothing left there for you. Nothing.