Part B
It was the next day at 3:00 P.M. There were only the slightest traces of clouds in the sky. Tokyo was going through it's usual routine of hustle and bustle. Cars heading this way, trucks heading that way, buses going both ways were typical for a day like this. There were bystanders on the street. Some going for a stroll, others yakking on their cell phones, some playing hackie-sack ball, typical for a day like today. The thing that wasn't typical was the race that was going to begin, right here, in Dogenzaka Hill.
Beat was sitting and talking to himself. "I hope my partners are ready at the other areas. I hope they don't screw it up either." Beat was the only GG at Dogenzaka Hill.
This was because the game was a sort of combination time trial/marathon sort of thing. The GG's were racing against a clock; a clock, which held the times of the other gangs. Beat was surprised any gang even bothered in this. Although unofficially, most gangs sort of gave up making tags and conducting acts of hooligan warfare against their foes. When one GG got to a specific spot, he/she would have to tag a partner and the partner would continue the race. There was certainly no "I" in this team.
Beat looked around himself. There was GG graffiti all over the place. All the paint was worn and old and starting to fade out. Nobody ever bothered messing with the elusive, almighty GG's. For the first time he ever thought about, Beat realized they might have to put a second coat on their tags for once. It was important to keep the graffiti looking sharp. The graffiti provided an active soul. It was food. It was energy. It was fuel for the Soul Powered Engines of the people.
[I, DJ Professor K approached Beat. I get to start off this race and announce it on the radio! Who's cool, yo!] "So Beat, you all set and stuff?" DJ K asked.
"Yeah, better now than never," said Beat between what was either a sigh or a pant.
DJ K started drawing a line on the street, using sidewalk chalk. He was using the kind that could last a couple of days if it didn't rain. Then, with atrocious handwriting, he applied the word "Start" under the line.
[After displaying my awesomely funky handwriting on the street, I told Beat to come over here and stand behind the line. I didn't need to tell him twice. He was ready. A medium sized group of people gathered around. I figured it was time to start announcing stuff to get the crowd aroused. My media groupies came up to me, one presenting a microphone. I was all set to begin.]
"Yo! This is DJ Professor K, the man everybody knows! I'm here live at Dogenzaka Hill where it is now the GG's turn to compete in the Race Around Tokyo! Standing at the starting line, the one with the shades you'll have plenty of trouble finding, Beat! He shall start off the session for the GG's! Let's hear all the dudes and dudettes out here now!"
The media guy held the microphone out and took a quick sweep through the audience. On the Radio, you would be hearing all sorts of screaming and shouting and we love you -insert GG here- and cheers of support. The media went back to DJ K.
"Alright! I'm sure you all want this to get going! And now, officially; BEAT! ARE YOU READY?" Beat nodded. "THEN LET THE RACE BEGIN!"
At the very word "BEGIN", Beat took off with a great amount of acceleration. He moved too fast in fact, and had to push a couple of people in the crowd to the side so he could get by. At the beginning of the avenue, he started to grind.
[Beat has to go around Dogenzaka Hill once, then head down the Avenue once he gets back and he can move down to Shibuya Bus Terminal.]
He grinded down the avenue, pulled a cross-rocket to the left and landed on another rail that headed through the market place. He hoped off the rail and veered of the right where he jumped from the ledge to the platform and off a small rail on that platform.
He descended to the rail below just to get a good landing and jumped off it before the first curve. Beat knew all the shortcuts. Instead of going all the way around the curve, he would make a hard left, and through the area where the fence didn't stretch and down the steep hill. He did the same for the next curve. At the third curve he jumped off to left onto a platform, from which he jumped to another, and off that platform onto a rail on the stairs below.
After the rail he was down a wide but dark alley. He was approaching the curve that went upward. He used the same basic technique he use to get past curve #1 and #2 except that it was and incline, which he had to boost dash up.
He sharply took the square right that came after the curve and he was facing the mini-mall. He knew what to do. He grinded up the rail off to the side, which led up to a higher platform. He jumped from that platform to the next. People looked up in astonishment as it was weird for somebody to just pass by like that. From the platform he just landed on, he jumped off to the next one, getting the same reaction below him. After reaching the third platform he jumped through where there should have been glass, but the mall people decided it was useless to keep replacing it.
Beat landed on the tarmac and approached the sewer. He grinded the sides as it would be much faster. He jumped into the sewer only when he had no choice, but he got back to the sides as soon as he could. He hoped over the low wall and he was back on the avenue. He could hear the people cheering for him as he tore by. Grinding down the avenue and deciding to throw off another boost dash. He came down to the bypass to Shibuya Terminal.
Beat grinned with determination. He could already see the mystery prize going to the GG's. His grin turned into a smile as he imagined what it could be.
[The winner of the race was said to get some sort of mystery prize. This was most likely the reason that other gangs even bothered to try the race.]
Beat was in the Shibuya Terminal and wasted to time getting to the graffiti stop to tag his partner. He saw the extremely large shadow from a couple of yards away. Yep, it was his partner all right. Combo was there dancing around, boom box in his huge arm.
Beat got to Combo and tagged him. Combo shouted, "All right!" and then literally, gave Beat a big thumbs up. Combo sent off.
[In Shibuya Terminal, Combo has to circle the area one full cycle and then head for Hikage Street by any route he chose. Combo hangs around Shibuya a lot, so that was a pretty good choice.]
Combo got on to the rail as he started his attempt to go all the way around Shibuya Terminal, in one combo! [Funny how that's his nickname!]
He jumped made the first right turn where he immediately had to jump over the traffic and landed on the stair railing on the other side of the street. He went up, and then down, did a quick hop to get over the small gap, and grinded on the traffic lights. After that he got onto the average rail set that led him to take another square right. He could calm down for a second as there weren't any gaps to clear for the moment but when he got to the next right turn he had to jump across a small street. He got to the rail where it led him over a small stair set where he once again went up and down. He jumped across a small gap and grinded over the traffic lights. The lights led him to an instant square right and he got back where he started. [Around Shibuya in one combo! Excellent!]
Combo made a beeline to Hikage Street. He boost dashed in its direction. From the visionary blur he didn't see the car coming in the middle street. Pow! Combo ran right in to it. Combo backed up and shook his head. Then he continued his run to Hikage Street. He got there in a jiffy. There at the graffiti stop was his partner, the guy with the funky hat and huge lips.
[As if I didn't give away who it is! You just hold on a sec dudes, I really gotta go talk to the president, moon the porcelain, flash the flush, and water the wet walls. In other words, I really need to go to the bathroom! I'll tell ya some more later.]
It was the next day at 3:00 P.M. There were only the slightest traces of clouds in the sky. Tokyo was going through it's usual routine of hustle and bustle. Cars heading this way, trucks heading that way, buses going both ways were typical for a day like this. There were bystanders on the street. Some going for a stroll, others yakking on their cell phones, some playing hackie-sack ball, typical for a day like today. The thing that wasn't typical was the race that was going to begin, right here, in Dogenzaka Hill.
Beat was sitting and talking to himself. "I hope my partners are ready at the other areas. I hope they don't screw it up either." Beat was the only GG at Dogenzaka Hill.
This was because the game was a sort of combination time trial/marathon sort of thing. The GG's were racing against a clock; a clock, which held the times of the other gangs. Beat was surprised any gang even bothered in this. Although unofficially, most gangs sort of gave up making tags and conducting acts of hooligan warfare against their foes. When one GG got to a specific spot, he/she would have to tag a partner and the partner would continue the race. There was certainly no "I" in this team.
Beat looked around himself. There was GG graffiti all over the place. All the paint was worn and old and starting to fade out. Nobody ever bothered messing with the elusive, almighty GG's. For the first time he ever thought about, Beat realized they might have to put a second coat on their tags for once. It was important to keep the graffiti looking sharp. The graffiti provided an active soul. It was food. It was energy. It was fuel for the Soul Powered Engines of the people.
[I, DJ Professor K approached Beat. I get to start off this race and announce it on the radio! Who's cool, yo!] "So Beat, you all set and stuff?" DJ K asked.
"Yeah, better now than never," said Beat between what was either a sigh or a pant.
DJ K started drawing a line on the street, using sidewalk chalk. He was using the kind that could last a couple of days if it didn't rain. Then, with atrocious handwriting, he applied the word "Start" under the line.
[After displaying my awesomely funky handwriting on the street, I told Beat to come over here and stand behind the line. I didn't need to tell him twice. He was ready. A medium sized group of people gathered around. I figured it was time to start announcing stuff to get the crowd aroused. My media groupies came up to me, one presenting a microphone. I was all set to begin.]
"Yo! This is DJ Professor K, the man everybody knows! I'm here live at Dogenzaka Hill where it is now the GG's turn to compete in the Race Around Tokyo! Standing at the starting line, the one with the shades you'll have plenty of trouble finding, Beat! He shall start off the session for the GG's! Let's hear all the dudes and dudettes out here now!"
The media guy held the microphone out and took a quick sweep through the audience. On the Radio, you would be hearing all sorts of screaming and shouting and we love you -insert GG here- and cheers of support. The media went back to DJ K.
"Alright! I'm sure you all want this to get going! And now, officially; BEAT! ARE YOU READY?" Beat nodded. "THEN LET THE RACE BEGIN!"
At the very word "BEGIN", Beat took off with a great amount of acceleration. He moved too fast in fact, and had to push a couple of people in the crowd to the side so he could get by. At the beginning of the avenue, he started to grind.
[Beat has to go around Dogenzaka Hill once, then head down the Avenue once he gets back and he can move down to Shibuya Bus Terminal.]
He grinded down the avenue, pulled a cross-rocket to the left and landed on another rail that headed through the market place. He hoped off the rail and veered of the right where he jumped from the ledge to the platform and off a small rail on that platform.
He descended to the rail below just to get a good landing and jumped off it before the first curve. Beat knew all the shortcuts. Instead of going all the way around the curve, he would make a hard left, and through the area where the fence didn't stretch and down the steep hill. He did the same for the next curve. At the third curve he jumped off to left onto a platform, from which he jumped to another, and off that platform onto a rail on the stairs below.
After the rail he was down a wide but dark alley. He was approaching the curve that went upward. He used the same basic technique he use to get past curve #1 and #2 except that it was and incline, which he had to boost dash up.
He sharply took the square right that came after the curve and he was facing the mini-mall. He knew what to do. He grinded up the rail off to the side, which led up to a higher platform. He jumped from that platform to the next. People looked up in astonishment as it was weird for somebody to just pass by like that. From the platform he just landed on, he jumped off to the next one, getting the same reaction below him. After reaching the third platform he jumped through where there should have been glass, but the mall people decided it was useless to keep replacing it.
Beat landed on the tarmac and approached the sewer. He grinded the sides as it would be much faster. He jumped into the sewer only when he had no choice, but he got back to the sides as soon as he could. He hoped over the low wall and he was back on the avenue. He could hear the people cheering for him as he tore by. Grinding down the avenue and deciding to throw off another boost dash. He came down to the bypass to Shibuya Terminal.
Beat grinned with determination. He could already see the mystery prize going to the GG's. His grin turned into a smile as he imagined what it could be.
[The winner of the race was said to get some sort of mystery prize. This was most likely the reason that other gangs even bothered to try the race.]
Beat was in the Shibuya Terminal and wasted to time getting to the graffiti stop to tag his partner. He saw the extremely large shadow from a couple of yards away. Yep, it was his partner all right. Combo was there dancing around, boom box in his huge arm.
Beat got to Combo and tagged him. Combo shouted, "All right!" and then literally, gave Beat a big thumbs up. Combo sent off.
[In Shibuya Terminal, Combo has to circle the area one full cycle and then head for Hikage Street by any route he chose. Combo hangs around Shibuya a lot, so that was a pretty good choice.]
Combo got on to the rail as he started his attempt to go all the way around Shibuya Terminal, in one combo! [Funny how that's his nickname!]
He jumped made the first right turn where he immediately had to jump over the traffic and landed on the stair railing on the other side of the street. He went up, and then down, did a quick hop to get over the small gap, and grinded on the traffic lights. After that he got onto the average rail set that led him to take another square right. He could calm down for a second as there weren't any gaps to clear for the moment but when he got to the next right turn he had to jump across a small street. He got to the rail where it led him over a small stair set where he once again went up and down. He jumped across a small gap and grinded over the traffic lights. The lights led him to an instant square right and he got back where he started. [Around Shibuya in one combo! Excellent!]
Combo made a beeline to Hikage Street. He boost dashed in its direction. From the visionary blur he didn't see the car coming in the middle street. Pow! Combo ran right in to it. Combo backed up and shook his head. Then he continued his run to Hikage Street. He got there in a jiffy. There at the graffiti stop was his partner, the guy with the funky hat and huge lips.
[As if I didn't give away who it is! You just hold on a sec dudes, I really gotta go talk to the president, moon the porcelain, flash the flush, and water the wet walls. In other words, I really need to go to the bathroom! I'll tell ya some more later.]