Deus Ex Machina

Chapter Seven

By Jason Winter

They danced, they ate, they talked… This party was a lot of fun. Almost anything that Jet Set Radio had to offer was being played. Too bad all this fun wouldn't last much longer. The broadcast of smooth sounds suddenly stopped. Prof. K had something to say.

"We've got a problem." he said, his voice very serious "It seems that we're…"

Then, there was static. His voice came again, but too static-ified to be understood… More static, and then it became clear, a spooky song even spookier than Grace & Glory took over the broadcast. And then, a voice unknown to them spoke.

"Hello, Tokyo-to." it said, male, very rough "We interrupt this broadcast to say that Tokyo is under siege."

There were murmurs from everyone in the party crowd, who was this mysterious interruptor and what did they mean by "under siege"?

"Tokyo would not be in its current state if a certain group of kids had not messed with us five years ago. Your city would currently be under the empire of the great Goji Rokkaku. But that was not to be, thanks to those meddling brats. Goji died, and we were weakened… But we came back strong, only to have everything interfered with yet again by the Rudies! Our new master has been waiting for years to return and get his revenge on you, and that time begins NOW. Forget us being nice, this time, no one is safe!"

Everyone began to panic. They hadn't expected this… But then again, they were warned that it would come when they least expected it. And this was that time it seemed.

"Looks like we've got another battle on our hands." Garam said "And just when everything was going so well."

"How dare they ruin our party!" Yo-yo said, finishing off his slice of pizza "I was having so much fun, and now this happens."

"Don't worry, we'll clean up the city." Mew said "I mean, we've done it before, haven't we? Against greater odds, too…"

"Yes, but we have no idea how powerful the Jade Cobras are." Lobo said "Even I was in the dark about the most mysterious sub-division of the Rokkaku Mafia. And by what we've seen so far, they look like they're very dangerous."

"Well, why don't we ask Zrex, maybe he knows?" Canis said.

"I don't know much of anything, only that they created me to destroy you." Zrex admitted "Everything else I was kept in the dark about, probably because I was not needed as of yet. However, I DO know if something like me was created, they'll have things a lot more powerful than what you said the Golden Rhinos had…"

"Okay, I hear ya." Charla said "So, what are we going to do?"

"We'll send two of our best in each gang to investigate what's going on in the city." Lobo said "Two just in case one gets attacked or hurt."

"Sounds like a plan." Beat replied "And if both are hurt?"

"We'll give them a 30 minute time period to investigate and come back." Charla replied "If they don't the rest of us will go and try to find them."

"Sounds good."

"I choose Yo-yo and Vix." Lobo said "No reason any of the leaders should go, we're needed."

"Okay, Tab and Piranha. I agree about us needing to stay."

"Gum and Marie." Charla said "You are the best in that you both know how to survive."

"Okay, you got it." Vix said, the other chosen nodding in agreement "But, what about Zrex, he knows the Cobras…"

"We need to keep him here, he may be our last line of defense." Beat said.

"Uhh, where is Zrex anyway?" Slate said "He was here one second and now he's gone."

"Great, he must have run off by himself. If you guys see him, make him a part of your group."

"Got it." Tab said "What about our rebellious friend?"

"Zrex probably went off to find him." Tia said "We'll need all the help we'll get, I'm sure."

"Okay, let's move out." Lobo said,. As the six Rudies dashed out to their own districts.

Shibuya-cho

Zrex was already dashing through the Bus Terminal, and everything was quiet… Too quiet. Usually, the place would be just bustling with people around this time, but right now, everything looked empty and abandoned. Must have heard the broadcast, the people.

"Yo, Takaishi?!" he yelled aloud "You hiding somewhere?! I know you probably don't want to, but we need your help!"

"He's not, but I am." said a familiar voice. Zrex turned around to see the speaker. A short man with short black hair and a large chin stood before him.

"Hey, aren't you Koushiro Onishima?"

"Yeah, that would be me. Former Rudie-loathing captain of the Tokyo Police Force, and before that one of the first founders of Rudieism."

"Whose side are you now anyway? I heard you're sympathetic to our cause now."

"That I am. Who do you think provided the pizza to your party? That's what I do now, I make pizzas. I'm too old to be a Rudie, to softened to be a cop."

"Well, you'll help, then?"

"Might as well. I still have my old gun." Onishima said, running quickly to his shop and getting it "Alright, let's go. Where do you think we can find this Takaishi kid?"

"Maybe Kogane, because that's where his gang's from. If it's his natural place to hang out at, that's probably where he is."

"Right."

Onishima and Zrex went on their way to Kogane, as Tab and Piranha came around. Neither party noticed each other.

"Okay, so where do we first look?" Piranha said.

"I think we'll go to the outskirts, I think they'd probably start from there and move inward." Tab said "So we go to Center Street, that's furthest outside of town."

"That won't be necessary." said a voice, and then the sounds of screeching tires.

"I don't think we have to find them, because they just found us." Piranha sighed.

Benten-cho

"I don't see Zrex anywhere." Marie said, looking through her night vision moded visor "Nor can I see anyone else around. Must be hiding out. But where's the Cobras?"

"Probably outside of the city limits." Gum replied "Gekijomae's probably not the best place to look. We can probably see more if we go to Chinatown."

"Yeah. Let's go across the circle, through the fence, and there that way."

So, they quickly grinded a rail and jumped through the gate and ran to Chinatown, and went up the tower to look.

"See anything?" Gum asked.

"No guys in black business suits, but plenty of dudes in trenchcoats and large-brimmed hats." Marie replied "Uhh… With what look like cobra pendants on the hats… Looks like they're made of some sort of green gemstones.."

"They're made of jade, Marie… Oh, shit, we're surrounded."

"Great. Just great."

Kogane-cho

"Takaishi!!!" Vix called out "You around?!"

"YO YO YO YO!" Yo-yo yelled "You around, yo?!"

They continued to go through the deserted Residential Area, nothing. Until they came across a whole lot of Takaishi's tags. Yo-yo put his finger to one, it was fresh.

"Well, he was here just a few minutes ago, this tag's still wet. You know, if we weren't in danger, I'd make out with ya right now."

"Looking for Takaishi?" Zrex's voice.

"Well, THERE you are!" Vix said "What are you doing? And who's that?"

"Oh, hey, Onishima." Yo-yo said "The pizza was fantastic."

"Thank you." Onishima smiled "So, now that we're all here, maybe we can find him."

"That won't be necessary." came a voice, and they looked up to see Takaishi standing above them, being held at gunpoint by a Jade Cobra. Suddenly, there was a multitude of clicks, and they were surrounded.

Grind City. Bantam Street

"Woo-hoo!" Clutch cheered as he performed one of the hardest tricks to pull off in Bantam "That was cool!"

"You sure learn fast, Clutch." Coin said, smiling and nodding "It took me about a year to master that one."

"brother, it's great to have you on the team." Combo said, with Cube in his non boombox arm.

"Yeah, that was sweet." Cube said.

"I wonder how your friends in Tokyo are doing." Clutch said "I sure hope I'll get to meet them someday."

"You will, trust me." Combo said.

"You won't live to see it if you don't start running." said a female voice. A girl was standing in the shadows, her blue scarf blowing in the wind.

"Well, if it isn't Jazz the Rebel." Coin said "And what do you mean by that?"

"What I mean…" Jazz said "There's this huge group of these weird dudes in trenchcoats and hats coming this way, and they've got guns… They're also being led by two guys and some strange chick in black suits."

"It's the Cobras, they're here in Grind City…" Cube said "So, we gonna stand our ground and fight, or run away like babies?"

"I'm not running." Clutch said "From what you've told me, if we leave this city, if we ever return it'll be in ruins. And I've lived in the Grind my whole life. I'm not gonna let a bunch of two-bit mobsters take over my home."

"I'm not running, I've got a score to settle with Kell."

"Me either, I'll stay and protect you." Combo said.

"As leader, I need to keep Grind City clean of these guys… I remember what happened the last time I didn't watch my back." Coin said, his face now very serious.

"Ah, what the hell, got nothing better to do with my time." Jazz chuckled "Count me in."

"Alright then, let's do this."

Tokyo-to Recreational Complex

A new Cobra announcement was suddenly broadcast.

"Hello again, Rudies of Tokyo-to." that same voice announced "As of now, we've taken 6 Rudies, the traitor Zrex, the rebel Takaishi, and former officer Koushiro Onishima hostage. If you want them to live, we suggest you surrender. You have twenty-four hours to make your choice. You can rebel, but we have almost every member waiting… Oh, except for the ones that were sent to Grind City. Hope your friends there don't get hurt… Oh wait, they'll be dead soon enough. We haven't captured them just yet. Anyway, we leave you with our classic hit, Grace & Glory, which we have made a funky remix of. Enjoy."

"Well, that went well." Lobo said "Now what are we gonna do?"

"We've got a whole day to free our city or surrender…" Charla said "I say we bide our time and plan a rebellion, and if that doesn't work…"

"We surrender after that, then." Beat said "Who knows what these new guys have up their sleeves."

To Be Continued