Chapter 2 home
Z-ro left the garage with the feeling of something he never experienced before. He looked at the falling sun. It was almost Eight - thirty. Halfway to his mothers' house, he heard something from behind him. Z-ro turned and didn't see anyone but something told him it was Beat. "Beat?" Nothing answered. After a few moments he began to resume his walk to the house he had not even settled into yet.
"You just can't shake the feeling, can you?" Gum was flat down on her back. She laid spread across the flat side of the roof looking side ways to the kid walking off.
Beat looked at her for a gauging moment before he said, " Sorry, but I can't relax when he is going in that direction." He looked at the path the boy was traveling, the same direction as Stone Tear territory.
Gum followed Beat to the apartment building Z-ro entered. When he looked inside a window and finally saw the mother he relaxed.
"Satisfied?" Gum let him sit down on the roof across from the apartments.
"Sorry," he said again, "I should trust K. He knows about my... problem with the Stone Tears. I think that, that little letter was as much for me as it was for Z-ro. But... just the way it happened. It was just not like professor at all."
"It's o.k. Beat, lets just get home." She pulled him off the roof and they rolled to the garage.
"Hey mom! I'm home!" Z-ro dropped his new gear on the matted floor that was his bed and bounced into his seat at the table just beyond the door of what would have been his quarters. His foots steps were padded and quiet, a strange contrast to the children his own age playing outside.
"That's good, Gered. Did you make any new friends?" His mother wore a simple pair of blue pants, dark locks of hair shadowed over green eyes. His mother looked to the room he ran out of and knew his answer.
Gered began to chow down on the food in front of him and said, "Yeah, I was goofing off, and taggin until I bumped into the leader of the GG's."
"The GG's?" She looked up already understanding the situation. And why he came in the door looking so pleased with himself.
"They are a Rudie gang down here." He explained. He knew his mothers' apprehension after all of the things they have already gone through but he knew she learned this was who he is, who she used to be.
His mother was used to such antics of daily police visits to her home in New D.C. She simply said, "That's nice." She paused for a moment. "J-just be careful and don't do anything that is seriously illegal. I understand the thrill of being a skater like you do but just don't get caught." Gered looked at his mother. He was amazed she could not bring herself to say what he really was now. Gereds' mother was an ex-Ghost of D.C. And one of the most skilled taggers he had ever met. It was the only reason he was so good in D.C. But the taggers in Tokyo-to are so much better. It amazed him.
Gered, swallowed hard his last bite and said, "Ma..." he paused not sure how his mother was going to take it, "I'm not a skater anymore." His mother stopped and looked at him, "I am a rudie. I am a member of the GG's of Shibuya-cho. They were so impressed with my and my age that-. They gave me new blades..." he said lamely.
His mother pulled her brows together in concern and then sighed, "You know how I feel about those high powered blades... Especially after what had happened to your cousin Blain."
Gered looked down at his plate of rice balls and fried veggies then said. "Mom, Blo knew what he was doing, he just scared some of the peds. And that was in D.C..." Z-ro blushed trying to defend himself to someone who was on his side. "Besides the skates are legal here." Gered spoke carefully not wanting to argue with her right before he left.
"The police are very dangerous here." she said, in her own kind of justification to her worries that still haunted her from D.C.
Gered smiled and said, "I know, I was shot at when I tagged the captain."
Gered's mother smiled with a weak laugh and said, "I know you, so I am not worried that you will do anything bad, just make sure you come home to see me like your brother did. O.k.?"
When dinner was done Gered kissed his mother and stuffed his things into a bag. Even if he didn't meet up with the GG's, he was going out to start his own life at school. Move into another family's house, and then work the rest of his life away. His mother knew that he would most likely join a rudie gang as soon as they accepted him, so she did not worry about him as long as he checked in from time to time.
Gered's mother took her plate to the sink and began to wash it absently. She began to zone out remembering times in New D.C. that were pretty scary for the both of them. Shook dried her plate and shook herself and thought Gered is his brother. He can do anything he sets his mind too. His brother led the gang war that spread over half the state. She thought to herself. The war ended many of the death-games that bladers had often done to judge leaders and territory. Trouble didn't start until after other gangs discovered our family. He'll be fine. Gereds' mother sniffed. At least we were here in my hometown, not many things can go bad here.
Gered waved good-bye to his mother after he left the building. He was eager to go back to the people who so readily accepted him and who he was, regardless of his age. He was fully equipped in his new blades and radio at his side. For the first time in Gereds' life, he felt at home.
When Z-ro arrived at his new home "The Garage" everyone was dancing and said "hey" as he walked through the back door. The place was geared from wall to wall with graffiti, speakers, or maps of the cities. Beat led him to a room that was once occupied by Potts. "Hey, sorry about the smell, we tried to clean it out since we rearranged things last month but the damn smell wouldn't come out. Your welcome to anything in the fridge."
Z-ro said, "Wow this is great. Um... what do I do about a job?"
Beat laughed lightly finally placing trust in Professor K and said, "There are always jobs around here, I think the restaurant down the street is looking for a dish washer." Z-ro nodded and looked at the belt on the bed.
Beat spoke up, "We share the expense of everything here, food, bills and cans. We got you a can-belt when you left. If you're hungry the fridge is full. And what else... oh yeah tomorrow Tab and Combo are going to show you around Shibuya."
Beat was about to leave when he turned around and said, "There was one thing that was bothering me. You said you weren't used to bullets but flame throwers?"
Z-ro smiled and went to his bag and pulled out his flimsy looking wrist guard. When he pulled it on he twisted his wrist a large fan like row of plates expanded around his wrist into a two-foot diameter shield that had heavy scorch marks. "The gangs of New D.C. agreed with the police not to use lethal weapons like blades and guns, one of the few things left over were our spray cans."
Beat wondered out loud, "Spray cans don't seem like a very good flame thrower."
Z-ro smiled and waved him outside on top of the roof. Everyone heard the shaking sounds of a can. All of the GG's looked at Z-ro with what looked like a shield attached to his wrist. Beat was carrying Z-ro's bag outside. Beat nodded for everyone to follow.
It was already dark outside. With no moon, the stars were the only light outside. When everyone was on the roof, Z-ro pulled out several hubs that were scorched and slid on his new blades. Z-ro looked to Combo, "You look strong enough, chuck these, Frisbee style, as far as you can." Combo looked to Beat as Z-ro began to shake a can written in English. Beat nodded his head. Combo chucked all four of them in rapid succession out towards the raised highway. As soon as the last one was in the air, Z-ro's skate burst to life, large waves of dark electricity licked the rooftop as Z-ro took off after them.
Behind him, Beat could hear Yo-Yo say "Holy Shit! Dude!"
Z-ro grinded on a high telephone wire, not feet forward like a normal grind but feet behind his body, only take small steps to propel him farther. Beat looked at the new skates, the sparks they gave off were black not the traditional blue. Beat tapped Gums hand lightly and nodded to the Z-ro's feet jets. They were being used.
Z-ro then took out a narrow tube and a sudden line of flame knocked the first two flying disks out in one shot. Z-ro did a back flip with a 360 twist and landed on a far wire on the opposite side of the street shooting another blaze then a final third that took out the last of them when he stopped and came back the other noticed he had them all in his hands. Beat smiled and said, "That is a lot of skill, nice job catching those."
Tab said, "Beat you could keep up with him? It was like watching a blur for me." most of the others agreed with him. Only Gum and Garam did not nod. They were able to follow along too but their eyes were big at with surprise at how the kid moved. No one wanted to ask how the kid could to a forward grind like that.
"Can I see that can?" Z-ro handed Beat the can and said, "In New D.C. there is a different mixture so it is more..." Z-ro's Japanese was good for a westerner but paused searching for a word. "Explosive? I use this needle nose," he handed Beat a metal pipe with a narrow flame attached to a trigger. "To help me aim and builds pressure for long distance shots."
Beat looked at this little kind with a frank smile and said, "Man, things over there must be hectic."
Z-ro shook his head and said, "They are not that bad, but my brother is the Leader of the Free-flyers. I was trying to keep up after-, well it was a long story." He gave a slight smile. Beat looked at it for a second. It was forced.
Cube poked her head through the group of people in front of her and said, "Your brother is the Black Angel?"
Z-ro made a slight frown then said, "Yeah, but I want you guys not to tell anyone, that was the reason why I had to come down over here, cause me and my mom were constantly attacked. I also think that was why I am so good, I had to be." Everyone nodded all gained a new respect for their youngest member.
The next day, found Cube and Mew in front of a restaurant. Z-ro came back out with a huge grin on his face. "I can start work next week, but he said I needed a hair cut. I guess it is kinda raggedy."
Mew and Cube giggled. Mew said, "Aww, but those cute little spikes make you look soo adorable." Her voice turning high as if talking to a baby while stretching Z-ro's face into unnatural angles.
Z-ro finally had enough. Pushing her hands away he said playfully, "Lay off. But I do need a hair cut."
"Never fear, Combo is here." Combo had his boom box over his shoulder and gave Cube a light kiss before trudging up to the kid and said, "Common half-pint time to get you shaved."
When they all got back to the garage, he was slightly irked, he didn't mind the term "half-pint", he was small for his age but Z-ro was not sure he like to term 'shaved'. Z-ro only went along with it, for all his big talk, he was very intimidated by Combo. Combo picked him up, pulled off Z-ro's shirt, and plopped him with an inelegant thump on to a raised chair with an overhead light near the bathroom. Combo pushed out the girls while he said, "I am about to do some magic, ladies, I don't think you need to hear the squeals of fear as I give him a hair cut." Combo ushered the girls out of the door still talking all the while.
Mew spoke up and said, "Just don't give him a rash from the electric clippers or do something that we might all regret."
"Hey that last time I was drunk remember? And that Love Shocker loved it anyway, damn crack-head."
"Hey Jewelle is my friend you big ox." Z-ro heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh.
"Sorry Mew, you know how I get." Combo sounded almost harried.
"So do I and don't you forget it!" Z-ro heard the other voice say and both Cube and Mew laughed.
Z-ro spoke over his shoulder, still sitting obediently in the chair, and said, "You know I can still hear you guys, and thanks for the vote of confidence. I really need it." He gave another of his slight whimper as Combo came back into the room.
Combo looked at the kid and smiled as he said, "Man, you really are scared of me. Don't worry I am a fairly good barber. Just wait." With a few fatal sweeps of a razor and a slight trim on the sides and bangs, Combo said, "There done, see?" Combo handed the kid a mirror. Z-ro unclenched his hands from the chair that were tightening after every swipe that flew by his ear.
Z-ro looked at him self through the mirror and said, "Wow" The spikes on top of his head gracefully fell over to the sides of his head. "Never thought I could look this good." Z-ro gave himself a cheesy grin through the mirror.
Combo said, "Go hop in the shower, you have hair all over the place, man I didn't think you hair was that thick. When you're out, I'm supposed to get Tab and show you around so hurry up."
With a nod Z-ro hoped into the bathroom and showed up ten minutes latter with a nice trim hair cut. Combo looked at him from a different angle to admire his handy work and said, "O shit."
Z-ro gave a slight start, Tab came to view what Combo was talking about and began cracking up. With a sign of real fear Z-ro said, "What did you do?"
Combo and Tab looked at each other and said, "no-nothing it just looks like the way you combed your hair, it looks like a pair of ass cheeks on the back of your head." Tab laughed harder. With that Combo ruffled the back of his head and said, "That's better."
Tab was still laughing.
Z-ro grumbled to himself about finding a bandana and said, "Can we get going now?"
Z-o was actually having fun, it was much more wide and not so full of people so he could enjoy what he did, grind and paint. Half the day was worn away as he became in tune with his blades. Black electricity grasped pavement, roof tiles and rails. Tab and Combo stood eating lunch while Z-ro was getting used to his skates.
"Beat says that the kid is a genius." Tab felt the gust of wind as Z-ro passed him at speeds he knew only Garam and Beat could match.
"A genius huh?" Combo saw what the kid was doing. "I am still not quite sure he is human the way he does some of those things. You didn't see it cause you were in mc-e-d's but he learned how to actually use the thrusters while grinding. The kid has no fear of killing himself."
Tab ate his burger thoughtfully and Z-ro finally did a three-sixty with a twist and landed on a rail and slowly grinded to a stop in front of them, perfectly balanced. "A genius." said, Combo.
"A what?!?" Z-ro lost his balance and fell flat on the cement. He got up groggily and looked at both of them. "Who were you guys talking about?"
"You, of course. I don't think I have seen anyone your age doing half the things you are doing."
Z-ro looked a little disturbed. "O.k. just don't call me that." he sat down and began to eat his burger oblivious to their raised eyebrows.
Suddenly Combo and Tab pulled up and Z-ro had to slam on the brakes and back track to where they were. "What's going on?"
Combo looked down and said, "This is as far as we go. That over there is Stone Tear territory."
"What's so bad about them?" Z-ro was surprised that the big guy was so apprehensive about a rival gang. He looked like he could take on army.
"They tend to beat up any rudie that is not one of theirs. They see it as someone is trying to invade, and they take out that person very quickly."
Z-ro looked concern as he looked to the west. "Me and my mom moved in over there just a few blocks down."
"Then your lucky you went south your first day instead of north, you probably wouldn't be here today, you'd probably be in a hospital. You remember Garam right?" Z-ro nodded, "Well you can't tell by the outfit, but he was the first one to go into their turf, and he got the snot beaten out of him, they let him live since it was the first time a GG went into their turf. But he is covered in bruised from head to toe. The costume just hides it. He was lucky; The Love Shockers never got a chance like we did. Many of the rudie gangs are pooling money together to pay for a hospital bill for what they did to their leader, Lina."
Tab felt the answer was inadequate and said, "The Stone Tears are a national gang. They have divisions in several other cities, but their roots are in Kyoto. Don't ask Beat about his history with them, he'll probably try to fight you. Yo-Yo asked one time and had a black eye for a week. After the punch Beat apologized of course but gave no explanation to why he did it."
Z-ro looked at the invisible border that was a simple narrow street. "Would you guys mind if I drop by my moms house?"
Combo and Tab nodded a go ahead.
When they got there, Tab thought is wasn't a half bad place to live. The apartment was a little shabby, but it had walls that were windows, and a small row of pots that constituted a garden that lined the windowsills.
"Hey mom." Z-ro skated up to his mom and gave her a hug. She moved a stray brown lock of hair and said, "You are o.k. I take it. Its nice to see you so soon." She looked up the two other people that followed her son home. "And these are?"
"Oh, sorry. This is Combo and Tab." Tab and Combo nodded with a nervous smile. They were never too comfortable with meeting another GG's parents. It usually ended with a violent threat and a few minor injuries.
Z-ro's mother walked up to the two of them and said, "Its nice to see that Gereds' friends are brave enough to come visit me." The statement carried none of the sting both Combo and Tab thought it should. They both gave a cautious smile.
She looked at both of them carefully then gave each a hug. Then said, "Alright I like these boys. Gered, enjoy your self just make sure you get some kind of education and a job."
Z-ro gave his mother a hug and said, "Here mom take this," Z-ro handed her the radio that JSR had given him. "It picks up a Pirate station called Jet Set Radio on a 109 frequency that most normal radios don't pick up. You can keep up with what is going on with me through this, O.K.?"
"Z-ro we should get going, Beat probably has the stuff ready." Tab looked outside, it was getting dark already. And they were really close to the boarder.
Z-ro's mom looked at him when his friends were already out the door. "You kept the name?"
Z-ro nodded, "After all the stuff we went thru at home, Z-ro just fit. And not because of what those bastards said about me either. I was never a zero or my brothers shadow, I am my own person."
His mother nodded her approval. "Mom listen it is really dangerous just a few blocks north, could you be careful please? The new gang have only been attacking rudies but still..." His mother nodded and said good-bye as he left. When he left, his mother turned on the radio her son had given her and began to listen to a very strange man shouting Radio.
When they finally left Combo and Tab were quiet. Tab finally said, "That was.... weird.... That's the word. 'Weird'."
Z-ro smiled and said, "She understands better than most parents. She was a 'blader' in New D.C. years ago."
Tab and Combo both gave an understanding "Oooooooh."
"You guys don't mind I gave her my radio do you? I can buy another one when I get paid."
Tab waved him down and said, "Its o.k. Those radios are cheap and easy to make. Good thing too because of the abuse they take."
It wasn't just Beats imagination. All of the G.G.'s seemed to have suddenly gotten a little faster. He looked over to Garam following a new line of grinding and asked Mew, " Since when has anyone known of that line?" Beat pointed to the route Garam was on, that connected the half pipe sewer to the up rail at the bus station to the wall next to a large billboard over a canopy guarding part of the parking lot.
Mew smiled when she got up, rubbing her sore back, she said, "Z-ro was creating lines left a right, Gum, Piranha, Garam and Yo-Yo have been trying to follow them. It took them a while to realize that Z-ro was using his nettrium while grinding to build up speed to get up that high." Beat tapped the tip of his blade igniting the jets in his own blades.
"I think I'll give it a try. You game?"
Mew gave a weak smile. "Not today, I have been strangely of balance, back hurts..." Beat waved his hand. "Please I don't need to know what new positions you two have been doing."
Mew turned crimson, "Get out of here you perverted bastard." Her face was pouting and he laughed and tried to follow an imaginary line only Z-ro could have seen.
Beat made the line on his first try but instead of finishing the line he grinded of the billboard and did a full circle grind of the bus station. It's been too long for me not to enjoy this. He thought to himself. On his third circle he heard the faintest siren. Damn just when I was getting relaxed. Beat did a three sixty spin and flip and landed in front of his GG's. "Time to go guys." He couldn't mask the irritation in his voice.
They all nodded and scattered. Beat suddenly looked at the roof of a shadowing building. Beat sighed and burned his nettrium strait towards the building, and grinded up the water drain on the corner to the top of the roof.
"Nice trick." said the rudie on top. A single Marble teardrop hanged of her left ear.
"Its no trick its a valuable skill, I am amazed none of us have every figured it out."
The other rudie sighed. "Some one did, only my group accidentally killed him over it."
Beat suddenly took of his goggles, "Don't you dare for a second try to convince me it was an accident. Rhythm died the way he did Silphie. And I don't plan on forgiving you guys for what you did to Lina or Garam anytime soon either." Beat glared at her for a few moments.
Silphie murmured her understanding then went on. " I am just waiting for you to disgrace Chisel, once you do that I can interfere. Not before." She folded her arms and looked out to the city. "This is a nice town, I would like to be the owner of it." Beat scowled. "But i don't want what Chisel will bring to it. He knows i am the best in our group in this town. But you have to make a challenge in order for me to beat him. He will not have me in a challenge unless you challenge us.
Beat clenched his fist. Just when i was begging to relax.... Beat gave himself a stupid smile, mocking himself. "Alright then, I challenge a race between the best of the Stone Tears and the best of the GG's."
Silphie nodded fully satisfied. Beat turned to leave then realized what he just said, 'the best of the GG's' he turned around to tell Silphie that Z-ro was not going to be in it. She was already gone. In the echoing of the roofs, Beat heard her say, "I am fully expecting Z-ro to be in this race Beat."
Beat kicked and cursed himself then realized that he better tell the GG's what he just did, and he hoped that Z-ro would be up for this challenge.
They were already back from the front when Beat came in. He called Z-ro and pulled out a map to show Z-ro the boundaries. I guess it's a good place to start to get him warmed up to the idea, he thought ruefully to himself. "Z-ro, see from Main to Sakuya Street, that is the boundary with the Stone Tears' when we go within three blocks we double up, none of use go alone. I will take you there myself later tonight with Gum. They are very aggressive and have constantly challenged us."
"That was one thing I was wondering about you guys. How do you handle your fights here?"
Beat looked thoughtful and had to think how to explain it to someone who has never seen a challenge in Tokyo-to. Deep inside his chest his heart was pounding hoping that Professor K didn't announce the challenge before he got a chance to tell Z-ro! "Well there are two ways, the first is to make a clear challenge, they can do that by either tracking one of us down, or spray over a large public tag. If they do the second one, we can't back out of it, we have to accept, if the challenge was a verbal one that was said, we have the power to decline. We also have street fights. Many of gangs before had live guns and switch blades. But all gangs have decided that the cops lay off us if we don't use guns. They damaged everything else besides killing us rudies." Z-ro nodded in understanding. "But some gangs still use switch blades. Others like the Stone Tear's use stone rods. Of all of the Original gangs before I started, only Poison Jam are really around, and that's cause we took out their leader when they first challenged and have never really recovered until like a month ago. We wiped all of the other gangs out. That or they are too small now to take turf neither of The Stone Tears or we want. The Stone Tears are our major rival and we have had a stale mate with challenges and fights for almost two months. They control Kogane-cho and half of Benton-cho. Neither of us have gained or lost any ground. I don't think I want you in a street fight unless you feel comfortable using that flame of yours and only to help as herd them somewhere. I don't want to kill them, just kick their asses. I know your fast enough to get away if you run out of spray. Other than that..." He looked at the kid again and sighed, " I have issued a challenge that will be in two days. If you think you are ready for a debut, I would like you to be apart of it."
Z-ro nodded and said, "Yeah I will do this one."
Beat smiled and everyone cheered.
Gum was up ahead scouting to see if there were any Stone Tears' present. Beat and Z-ro waited in a shallow alley. Gum came back and said, "Coast clear."
When she made her move to go back out, she was stopped by Beats' hand holding hers. Her face turned red but noticed his gaze was on Z-ro not her.
"Z-ro, I need to know something. Where did you learn how to do a Forward Dash?" Beat's gaze was steady but his voice cracked.
Z-ro looked into Beats eyes and slowly turned away. "I don't know," Beat saw something flash through Z-ro's eyes. Beat recognized the look in many of the other GG's. Bad memories.
Gum looked at the two and felt their tension pushing her back. Of all of the rudies in the GG's she was the only one who had something to go back to if she so chose.
"I guess, that when I was being..." He thought a moment finding the right words. "Hunted" he said finally, " in New D.C., I thought up a bunch of things I could do to survive out there. When I said," it wasn't bad out there," I lied. It was horrible. When Combo threw those hubs, I didn't think he could throw them that far. It was the first time I did it. I never had nettrium skates before." Z-ro looked at Beat, his fists were clenched. "Why?"
Beat looked at the kid like he was a miracle. The kids' natural talent amazed him. Not even a full day passed and he had perfected several techniques Beat only saw in his older brother. "My brother made a dash similar to that one seven years ago. He was killed in a fight with the Stone Tears over in Kyoto. They wanted him to teach them that dash. When he said, 'No,' they killed him with their Stone rods." Beat swallowed the lump he felt swelling in his throat. Gum had no idea and quickly covered here mouth with her free hand and squeezed his hand that she was holding onto. Beat then let go.
Z-ro looked at him sympathetically. He understood. God, he understood.
"Z-ro I don't want you to ever do that dash again. Not even if one of our life's on the line, not until there are no more Stone Tears in Tokyo-to o.k?"
Z-ro only nodded. They were both quiet. Gum moved her hand over Beats' hanging one.
That night it took a while for Z-ro to get familiar with the GG - Stone Tear boarder.