Jet Set Radio - 5 Years Later: Deus Ex Machina
Chapter Five
By Jason Winter
-------------------------
--Kogene Sewer--
Slate knocked the other five down just in time as a huge wave of flame passed over them, scalding all of them slightly.
"You guys alright?" Slate said painfully.
"Roasting, but good." Canis replied "Let's get out of here..."
"Hey, what about the Disease Patrollers?" Yo-yo said "You think they..."
"No, they're probably in the same situation we're in..." Lobo said "Chances are when we get out, they'll be waiting on the other side. Rodney woulda loved this..."
"Don't remind me." Yo-yo said, still remembering Rodney as Assassin Three, when he tried to bring Benten to flames.
"Let's get outta here." Vix said, and they quickly got up and began to dash down the corridors to the exit which led to the Residential Area. They got out, safe and sound... Almost, because sure enough, the Disease Patrollers were waiting on the other side, and they had paint. And the Anthro Morphers did not.
"Looks like you're screwed." Anthrax chuckled, juggling two cans "Rodney woulda loved to see that fire."
"Uhh.." Canis said to Lobo "Something tells me you've met before?"
"No way, it couldn't be..." Lobo said.
"I'd much prefer electric shock, but a big explosion's just as good... What, don't recognize me, Five?" Anthrax said, taking off his faceplate "Maybe if my voice was clearer... Remember now?"
"Ugh, hello Six."
"Six?" Slate said "Isn't that the guy that was in Grind Square with the electric crap that Combo and Cube told us about? Wait, you were the Bantam Assassin, which means, you used to be... partners?"
"Yeah, that would be right, Slate. I and Six may have been partners, but we really couldn't stand each other. So, Aaron, you became a rudie, too?"
"Yeah." Anthrax replied "Like you, I retired the Rhinos when Goji died, but unlike you, I wasn't so lucky to get away... three years I spent in prison for my crimes, and when I got out, I wound up living in a crappy apartment for nearly 2 years. It wasn't until I discovered you went into the art of rudieism from an underground magazine I found that i decided to take a shot at it mysef. So, I formed the Disease Patrol, and well, now here i am. Too bad now that you know, I have to ten-tag your gang... It's rudie law. Oh well, I was never fond of you anyway. Kogane's ours now... Rabies, Flu... Tag 'em."
-------------------------
--Shibuya--
The GGs were closing in on Sora, she was already pasted with six tags, and she could run forever if possible, but having swift rudies on your ass made it tougher. Then, the sound of another spray made by Garam. That made seven... Then, she had an idea, and headed for the road. It was risky, but it may give her a chance to get away. The GGs followed, but when they saw where she was headed, they became cautious.
"Careful, she might try and escape us by going into traffic..." Tab said.
"Yeah, and if we get hit, it's gonna SUCK." Beat said as they skated forward, adding an eighth tag. Sora snarled, and duddenly begsn to dash like mad, towards the traffic... She saw a rail, lept on it, and then lept off it, crossing the road, over a car... But she wouldn't get to the end, when she saw the bus, which, of course hit her, as she made a squawk of surprise. It sent her flying into the air, and then crashing down, right into the rail she had jumped on.
"Oh, SHIT!" Piranha said "We better call an ambulance, man... She may be a rival, but I don't want someone to die, no matter what..."
"I'm on it." Zrex said, seeing a payphone.
"Wait a sec, guys..." Tab said "Do people usually SPARK when they get hit by a bus and land backfirst onto a rail? Or have shiny stuff sticking out?"
"Huh?!" Beat said, turning to Sora, when she suddenly lept to her feet.
"Grrr, how shitty is that?" she groaned, her head on backwards, which she suddenly fixed with her hand, making a metallic crunch as she flipped it backwards. Most of her face was gone, revealing a silver skull eternally grinning at the surprised GGs. The arm that had fixed her head suddenly fell off with a clang. A lot of her was exposed, she had a huge crick in her back. A lot of torn wires were sparking as she took a step forward.
"She's a ROBOT?!" Garam yelled "Then that means... The rest of the Skull Roses must be robots, too..."
"Smart human. We Skull Roses ARE robots. Created to get rid of you and take over the entire city, plus to look for a-- a-- aaaaaa.... System malfunction... Sy-sysystem malfuunctiiioonnn... Mission compromised... Total system shutdooooowwwwnnnnnn....."
Sora fell to the ground with a crash, her systems beyond repair.
"Okay, we've got evil-assed robots posing as rudies..." Cube said "Sound a little familiar? You realize what this means."
"They're back, aren't they?" Piranha said "Well, let's get this to the Crushers, maybe they can analyze her."
Zrex was staring at Sora, very frightened. But he tried his best not to show it as Combo picked up the dead machine... So familiar.
--------------------
--Benten-cho--
"Unit 02-S0-R4 has been compromised." came the alert to Hikari, who was currently running from the Virtua Crushers, already with seven tags to her name.
"Unit compromised?" she said aloud.
"Unit compromised?" Mew said "What did she mean by that?"
"Usually when someone means a unit, they usually mean..." Tia siad "Dammit... Marie, check that Skull Rose..."
"On it... Oh, crap." Marie said "My visor shows that her internal structure is definitely mechanical. I smell another Rhino plot."
"Mission compromised!" Hikari yelled out "Self destruct!"
"Uh oh.." Charla said "Everyone, STOP!"
The VCs came to a screeching halt, just in the nick of time, when Hikari exploded.
"Wait, if only one of them was here, where are the other two?" Gum said "They must be keeping us apart... The others must be sending the other gangs on a goosechase!"
And that's when the GGs arrived, Sora slung over Combo's shoulder.
"Looks like you know already..." Tia said "Put her down over here."
Combo nodded and put the robot down on the roof, as Charla brought out the microcomputer, and plugged it into Sora. It began to look through the files, but was very unsuccessful, but did find something interesting. It was Rika's plan to get rid of the other two gangs that they seemingly joined, and then get rid of the TDA, by didviding and then having them get caught by the cops. But that was all that was read, except for the DP going after the Anthro Morphers, so off to Kogane they dashed.
--------------------
--Kogane-cho--
The two gangs were smashing into each other, trying to take away spraycans, Canis and Yo-yo had gotten ahold of two cans, and were going mad with spraying. Already, everyone had at least 5 tags on their backs, but the Disease Patrollers were winning. Lobo and Anthrax were extchanging punches, both without any spraycans now, and they were fighting heavily, Lobo getting a kick in the gut. Anthrax dashed with a punch, but Lobo dodged and flipped him over, kicked a can from Flu's hand, and tagged Anthrax the rest of the way.
"Yes, somone was going to lose, but it looks like it's you, Aaron!" Lobo said "Looks like the Disease patrol lost."
And this was true, the shock taken by Flu and Rabies to see their leader lose had gotten them tentagged as well.
"My gang..." Anthrax said "Well, looks like victory is yours, Lobo. Guys, get up and let's get going... Maybe we can find something else to-- Urk!"
Anthrax suddenly fell forwards, dead, a shurikin stuck in his back. Rika was the cuprit.
"Stupid traitor." she snorted "Your turn, Number Five."
"What?!" Lobo said "Don't tell me you work for the Rhinos..."
"Rhinos? Rhinos are dead. Cobras are the new generation. And, i don't work for them..."
"You were built by them." Beat said, along with everyone else following down the steps "Game over, robo."
"I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out, I was expecting it to take so much longer. Like, say when you were in correctional bliss? Eh, looks like I'm gonna just have to kill you instead. Too bad, it would have been more fun to humiliate you. But before I do, might as well tell you the rest of my mission since 'Sora' wasn't able to finish. We're looking for a renegade unit. It malfunctioned and ran off. Our mission was to bring him back to our masters for a rehaul so he wouldn't run off again. The unit is male-designated. If he's around and you know him, bring him back here. Oh, wait, I'm killing you instead since we can't find the renegade."
"Forget it, I'm not going back." said someone, who stepped forward.
"Zrex?" Tab said "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying..." Zrex said "I'm NOT going back to my creators. You hear me, R1-KA-07?"
"So, you show your face at last, Unit ZR-3X-25." Rika said "I guess i won't have to kill anyone after all... If you cooperate and return to base."
"I told you, FORGET IT!"
Zrex suddenly threw his sunglasses into the orange water, and his eyes were a neon red fire. "I'm not going back, I like it here, so much better than being a killing machine. I don't care who created me, they didn't create me for a cause I believe in. I... like being a Rudie. The GGs have been NOTHING but good to me... they're more than troublemakers that rebelled against the system and defated our so called masters... They're... family. They're my family."
"Fine. I guess you'll just have to watch all your 'family' die interesting deaths. Your choice, renegade. Hmm, who should I start with? Ah, how about the goth? She was the big cause of all our troubles... No, actually, the boy in the cap, he's the one who kept that record in the first place. Yes, I'll kill him first."
"Forget it." Combo said "You're gonna have to go past me before you hurt Coin."
Rika suddenly tossed 3 shurikins at Combo, which he blocked with his boombox. Flu suddenly ran at Rika to toss her into the water, only to get stabbed.
"FFFLLLUUUU!!!" Rabies yelled, and suddenly tossed a firebomb at Rika, and it exploded! But she only laughed as it burned out. Her entire outer body was gone, revealing a skeletal silver robot, with that eternally grinning skull. She also had an antenna on the left side of her head, and her eyes burned bright red.
"Ahhh." she said in relief "So much better to be out of my shell and to my true self. That human look is SO overrated and it really slows you down. Now, I can kill the lot of you more efficiently, one by one by..."
"I'll go." Zrex sighed "Just... don't hurt them. I'll go with you."
"No, Zrex..." Beat said "You can't, man..."
"I have to, Beat. I don't want anyone to get hurt, especially you guys."
"Dude, don't go..." Garam said "You're too cool for them..."
"Please, go..." Rabies sobbed, holding Flu "They don't want you to leave, but it's the only way anyone will stay alive."
"Rabies is right." Zrex said "I must go, for your safety. Thank you for the good times, GGs... Virtua Crush... Anthro Morphers.. Disease Patrol."
He walked towards Rika, very discontent.
"You made the right choice." Rika said as Zrex stepped close, but hen she said something in robot language... "Oh, I'm going to kill them anyway after I take you back. Haha."
Suddenly, Zrex's hand slipped back, Rika noticed it, and she reached for a shurikin, but she didn't get the chance to throw it when Zrex pulled out a knife and smashed it into her robotic skull.
"And no one messes with my family." Zrex said, stepping back. Rika looked at him, surprised and shocked. Sparks were shooting from where the knife was, and it had been a fatal blow to her functions. She staggered back and forth a little before her systems crashed, and then she fell backwards into the water with a splash.
"You did the right thing, Zrex." Beat smiled "Thanks, we consider you family, too."
Suddenly, someone clapped very slowly.
"Aww, isn't this a touching moment?" said a female voice "The renegade wants to stay a rudie. Pathetic."
"That voice..." Gum said.
"Yeah, I recognize that voice." Cube shuddered.
They all looked up, to see a figure in a black suit, eyes glowing as she stared.
"Kell." Piranha said.
--TO BE CONTINUED--
Chapter Five
By Jason Winter
-------------------------
--Kogene Sewer--
Slate knocked the other five down just in time as a huge wave of flame passed over them, scalding all of them slightly.
"You guys alright?" Slate said painfully.
"Roasting, but good." Canis replied "Let's get out of here..."
"Hey, what about the Disease Patrollers?" Yo-yo said "You think they..."
"No, they're probably in the same situation we're in..." Lobo said "Chances are when we get out, they'll be waiting on the other side. Rodney woulda loved this..."
"Don't remind me." Yo-yo said, still remembering Rodney as Assassin Three, when he tried to bring Benten to flames.
"Let's get outta here." Vix said, and they quickly got up and began to dash down the corridors to the exit which led to the Residential Area. They got out, safe and sound... Almost, because sure enough, the Disease Patrollers were waiting on the other side, and they had paint. And the Anthro Morphers did not.
"Looks like you're screwed." Anthrax chuckled, juggling two cans "Rodney woulda loved to see that fire."
"Uhh.." Canis said to Lobo "Something tells me you've met before?"
"No way, it couldn't be..." Lobo said.
"I'd much prefer electric shock, but a big explosion's just as good... What, don't recognize me, Five?" Anthrax said, taking off his faceplate "Maybe if my voice was clearer... Remember now?"
"Ugh, hello Six."
"Six?" Slate said "Isn't that the guy that was in Grind Square with the electric crap that Combo and Cube told us about? Wait, you were the Bantam Assassin, which means, you used to be... partners?"
"Yeah, that would be right, Slate. I and Six may have been partners, but we really couldn't stand each other. So, Aaron, you became a rudie, too?"
"Yeah." Anthrax replied "Like you, I retired the Rhinos when Goji died, but unlike you, I wasn't so lucky to get away... three years I spent in prison for my crimes, and when I got out, I wound up living in a crappy apartment for nearly 2 years. It wasn't until I discovered you went into the art of rudieism from an underground magazine I found that i decided to take a shot at it mysef. So, I formed the Disease Patrol, and well, now here i am. Too bad now that you know, I have to ten-tag your gang... It's rudie law. Oh well, I was never fond of you anyway. Kogane's ours now... Rabies, Flu... Tag 'em."
-------------------------
--Shibuya--
The GGs were closing in on Sora, she was already pasted with six tags, and she could run forever if possible, but having swift rudies on your ass made it tougher. Then, the sound of another spray made by Garam. That made seven... Then, she had an idea, and headed for the road. It was risky, but it may give her a chance to get away. The GGs followed, but when they saw where she was headed, they became cautious.
"Careful, she might try and escape us by going into traffic..." Tab said.
"Yeah, and if we get hit, it's gonna SUCK." Beat said as they skated forward, adding an eighth tag. Sora snarled, and duddenly begsn to dash like mad, towards the traffic... She saw a rail, lept on it, and then lept off it, crossing the road, over a car... But she wouldn't get to the end, when she saw the bus, which, of course hit her, as she made a squawk of surprise. It sent her flying into the air, and then crashing down, right into the rail she had jumped on.
"Oh, SHIT!" Piranha said "We better call an ambulance, man... She may be a rival, but I don't want someone to die, no matter what..."
"I'm on it." Zrex said, seeing a payphone.
"Wait a sec, guys..." Tab said "Do people usually SPARK when they get hit by a bus and land backfirst onto a rail? Or have shiny stuff sticking out?"
"Huh?!" Beat said, turning to Sora, when she suddenly lept to her feet.
"Grrr, how shitty is that?" she groaned, her head on backwards, which she suddenly fixed with her hand, making a metallic crunch as she flipped it backwards. Most of her face was gone, revealing a silver skull eternally grinning at the surprised GGs. The arm that had fixed her head suddenly fell off with a clang. A lot of her was exposed, she had a huge crick in her back. A lot of torn wires were sparking as she took a step forward.
"She's a ROBOT?!" Garam yelled "Then that means... The rest of the Skull Roses must be robots, too..."
"Smart human. We Skull Roses ARE robots. Created to get rid of you and take over the entire city, plus to look for a-- a-- aaaaaa.... System malfunction... Sy-sysystem malfuunctiiioonnn... Mission compromised... Total system shutdooooowwwwnnnnnn....."
Sora fell to the ground with a crash, her systems beyond repair.
"Okay, we've got evil-assed robots posing as rudies..." Cube said "Sound a little familiar? You realize what this means."
"They're back, aren't they?" Piranha said "Well, let's get this to the Crushers, maybe they can analyze her."
Zrex was staring at Sora, very frightened. But he tried his best not to show it as Combo picked up the dead machine... So familiar.
--------------------
--Benten-cho--
"Unit 02-S0-R4 has been compromised." came the alert to Hikari, who was currently running from the Virtua Crushers, already with seven tags to her name.
"Unit compromised?" she said aloud.
"Unit compromised?" Mew said "What did she mean by that?"
"Usually when someone means a unit, they usually mean..." Tia siad "Dammit... Marie, check that Skull Rose..."
"On it... Oh, crap." Marie said "My visor shows that her internal structure is definitely mechanical. I smell another Rhino plot."
"Mission compromised!" Hikari yelled out "Self destruct!"
"Uh oh.." Charla said "Everyone, STOP!"
The VCs came to a screeching halt, just in the nick of time, when Hikari exploded.
"Wait, if only one of them was here, where are the other two?" Gum said "They must be keeping us apart... The others must be sending the other gangs on a goosechase!"
And that's when the GGs arrived, Sora slung over Combo's shoulder.
"Looks like you know already..." Tia said "Put her down over here."
Combo nodded and put the robot down on the roof, as Charla brought out the microcomputer, and plugged it into Sora. It began to look through the files, but was very unsuccessful, but did find something interesting. It was Rika's plan to get rid of the other two gangs that they seemingly joined, and then get rid of the TDA, by didviding and then having them get caught by the cops. But that was all that was read, except for the DP going after the Anthro Morphers, so off to Kogane they dashed.
--------------------
--Kogane-cho--
The two gangs were smashing into each other, trying to take away spraycans, Canis and Yo-yo had gotten ahold of two cans, and were going mad with spraying. Already, everyone had at least 5 tags on their backs, but the Disease Patrollers were winning. Lobo and Anthrax were extchanging punches, both without any spraycans now, and they were fighting heavily, Lobo getting a kick in the gut. Anthrax dashed with a punch, but Lobo dodged and flipped him over, kicked a can from Flu's hand, and tagged Anthrax the rest of the way.
"Yes, somone was going to lose, but it looks like it's you, Aaron!" Lobo said "Looks like the Disease patrol lost."
And this was true, the shock taken by Flu and Rabies to see their leader lose had gotten them tentagged as well.
"My gang..." Anthrax said "Well, looks like victory is yours, Lobo. Guys, get up and let's get going... Maybe we can find something else to-- Urk!"
Anthrax suddenly fell forwards, dead, a shurikin stuck in his back. Rika was the cuprit.
"Stupid traitor." she snorted "Your turn, Number Five."
"What?!" Lobo said "Don't tell me you work for the Rhinos..."
"Rhinos? Rhinos are dead. Cobras are the new generation. And, i don't work for them..."
"You were built by them." Beat said, along with everyone else following down the steps "Game over, robo."
"I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out, I was expecting it to take so much longer. Like, say when you were in correctional bliss? Eh, looks like I'm gonna just have to kill you instead. Too bad, it would have been more fun to humiliate you. But before I do, might as well tell you the rest of my mission since 'Sora' wasn't able to finish. We're looking for a renegade unit. It malfunctioned and ran off. Our mission was to bring him back to our masters for a rehaul so he wouldn't run off again. The unit is male-designated. If he's around and you know him, bring him back here. Oh, wait, I'm killing you instead since we can't find the renegade."
"Forget it, I'm not going back." said someone, who stepped forward.
"Zrex?" Tab said "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying..." Zrex said "I'm NOT going back to my creators. You hear me, R1-KA-07?"
"So, you show your face at last, Unit ZR-3X-25." Rika said "I guess i won't have to kill anyone after all... If you cooperate and return to base."
"I told you, FORGET IT!"
Zrex suddenly threw his sunglasses into the orange water, and his eyes were a neon red fire. "I'm not going back, I like it here, so much better than being a killing machine. I don't care who created me, they didn't create me for a cause I believe in. I... like being a Rudie. The GGs have been NOTHING but good to me... they're more than troublemakers that rebelled against the system and defated our so called masters... They're... family. They're my family."
"Fine. I guess you'll just have to watch all your 'family' die interesting deaths. Your choice, renegade. Hmm, who should I start with? Ah, how about the goth? She was the big cause of all our troubles... No, actually, the boy in the cap, he's the one who kept that record in the first place. Yes, I'll kill him first."
"Forget it." Combo said "You're gonna have to go past me before you hurt Coin."
Rika suddenly tossed 3 shurikins at Combo, which he blocked with his boombox. Flu suddenly ran at Rika to toss her into the water, only to get stabbed.
"FFFLLLUUUU!!!" Rabies yelled, and suddenly tossed a firebomb at Rika, and it exploded! But she only laughed as it burned out. Her entire outer body was gone, revealing a skeletal silver robot, with that eternally grinning skull. She also had an antenna on the left side of her head, and her eyes burned bright red.
"Ahhh." she said in relief "So much better to be out of my shell and to my true self. That human look is SO overrated and it really slows you down. Now, I can kill the lot of you more efficiently, one by one by..."
"I'll go." Zrex sighed "Just... don't hurt them. I'll go with you."
"No, Zrex..." Beat said "You can't, man..."
"I have to, Beat. I don't want anyone to get hurt, especially you guys."
"Dude, don't go..." Garam said "You're too cool for them..."
"Please, go..." Rabies sobbed, holding Flu "They don't want you to leave, but it's the only way anyone will stay alive."
"Rabies is right." Zrex said "I must go, for your safety. Thank you for the good times, GGs... Virtua Crush... Anthro Morphers.. Disease Patrol."
He walked towards Rika, very discontent.
"You made the right choice." Rika said as Zrex stepped close, but hen she said something in robot language... "Oh, I'm going to kill them anyway after I take you back. Haha."
Suddenly, Zrex's hand slipped back, Rika noticed it, and she reached for a shurikin, but she didn't get the chance to throw it when Zrex pulled out a knife and smashed it into her robotic skull.
"And no one messes with my family." Zrex said, stepping back. Rika looked at him, surprised and shocked. Sparks were shooting from where the knife was, and it had been a fatal blow to her functions. She staggered back and forth a little before her systems crashed, and then she fell backwards into the water with a splash.
"You did the right thing, Zrex." Beat smiled "Thanks, we consider you family, too."
Suddenly, someone clapped very slowly.
"Aww, isn't this a touching moment?" said a female voice "The renegade wants to stay a rudie. Pathetic."
"That voice..." Gum said.
"Yeah, I recognize that voice." Cube shuddered.
They all looked up, to see a figure in a black suit, eyes glowing as she stared.
"Kell." Piranha said.
--TO BE CONTINUED--
