Authors' note # 1 describing a fight with Beat in it really sucks.

Authors' note #2 viruses suck when you don't back up.

Chapter 6 Bad memories

Tab's talk with Bit went as well as his talk with Silphie. Yo-Yo grouped all of the GG's at the border of Benten and Shibuya not sure what Tab was expecting them to do. The high landing they stood on looked over the entrance of the subway and train tracks. With all but Mew and Tab there, the GG's were all feeling a little edgey. No one was sure if they were feeling bitter for their upcoming fight with the Noise Tanks or the feeling that they were being pushed and pulled by the Stone Tears.

"This is nuts. Why are we trying to stop the Noise Tanks?" complained Garam. Slate and Combo grunted in agreement.

Cube folded her arms and sighed, "Garam you just don't get it do you?" Garam shrugged his bare shoulders. "Well you guys weren't there when it happened, but Bit's little plan collapsed a half completed building. If it hadn't been for the Stone Tears, several people would have died." Garam gave an oh, but Cube continued. "Now think. If that would have happened what would have the police have done? Onishima is already looking for any excuse to wipe out all rudies. People being killed over a turf war? That would be it! Police would be all over the place hunting us down for what one gang did." By the end of Cube's little speech Slate, Combo and Garam were feeling guilty for not looking at the obvious.

"You shouldn't go to hard on them Cube." The GG's had been waiting for Tab for over half an hour. "Sorry it took so long. I don't know how Beat does this without ever getting stress over it." Tab squatted and pulled out a spray can. "Stone Tears are expecting us to handle this since we are the ones who won the territory back. It is kinda nice to be thought of as owning two thirds of the whole city- but its a pain when idiots are trying to prove them selves with stupid stunts." Tab started to spray out a plan.

"In half an hour the Noise Tanks will come out of that Subway entrance and grind to the railway tracks. They are planning on moving into the residential area of Kogane-cho. I am pretty sure that they are planning to discredit the Stone Tears and get the Police to drive them out for them, but he doesn't understand that what Onishima will do if he is given the opportunity. We are not entering Kogane. We are going to stop them here." Tab sprayed an ex over the train tracks. "From this entrance the Noise Tanks will have to go through the pit." everyone moaned. The pit was the train car loading area that dipped forty feet into the ground.

"Tab you know that we never can hold that ground. Every time we do try to move there, the Noise Tanks have always won." complained Piranha.

"True, but we are not trying to take over the area, we are stopping the Noise Tanks." Every was silent then. They were really going to stop The Noise Tanks. Not since before the Stone Tears came have any gangs fought each other.

The Noise Tanks had been making the last of their preparations for over an hour. The new plan involved some very clever ingenuity that would not have been possible if not for Jine's and Brenlis' help in getting it done. Bit looked over at his two friends. Both were quietly getting their gear on. Brenlis with his dark black hair was by far the youngest of the Noise Tanks. But he was the one that showed Bit what it meant to be a member of a gang, of a family. Jine was the strongest and fastest of the Noise Tanks, but he would not have been apart of this gang if he did not show Bit that leadership was a burden that needed a strong spirit of someone who needed to lead. Bit owed these two men everything. And it was this one notion that pushed his hand to this now. Bit sat quietly looking at his feet. He was ready the moment that their new weapons were completed. The other two Noise Tanks had to put together their gear, and in Jine's case take a bath. Bit was glad his mask was off. It was nice to see his friends in his own eyes instead of the constantly scanning lenses that were built into his goggles. Bit close his eyes and remembered when the Stone Tears first entered their territory, and how it was only by chance that they did not escape in time to be the first of many victims of the Stone Tears second expansion. He shivered and steeled himself that no matter what, his anger would never be like Beats'.

Both Jine and Brenlis stood up with masks on. Bit nodded and got up grabbing his mask along with a heavy duffle bag. "Lets get this done. PAY BACK!"

The other Noise Tanks shouted. "PAY BACK!"

The three moved as fast as they could through the subways out to the surface and most likely certain pain and punishment if they fail in pulling this off.

Three months before……

The Benten-cho was in turmoil. Fleeing rudies from Kogane came pouring in in groups of ten to fifteen. All were screaming of a gang that tore apart Poison Jam in mere minutes. Bit grinded through downtown Benten trying to find Brenlis or Jine praying they would have gotten information he could not. What he could get out of it all was a gang called the Stone Tears showed up the night before and had not just beaten up Poison Jam for being in their way, but beat them senseless.

He didn't know what else to believe and not believe. Some of the frantic rudies said as soon as Poison Jam was crushed many of the Stone Tears began to smash some of the other rudies that were looking on. Bit bit his lip as he looked around and saw Onishima trying to capture all the rudies that have been fleeing from Kogane. Many of the Rudies sagely decided to give up. Better to go through a pathetic attempt at rehabilitation than go through what just happened at Kogane. Hospital trucks came in to treat some of the lucky survivors that had gotten away from Kogane.

Bit would not have been as concerned about he whole mess if it was not for the fact that Jet Set Radio was down. Not for several years has Jet Set Radio gone MIA. That is why he was so relieved when he finally saw the rest of his gang. They were both standing at the edge of a building looking at the ambulances wiz by.

Jine rolled up to Bit when he caught up to them. "Bit it's a nightmare. I just went a mile north and there were Stone Tears looking and waiting for the police to leave before moving in this direction." Brenlis behind him gave a loud gulp then said, "From what I got, one of the Poison Jam is alive but is in critical condition in a hospital. Beat saved him." Bit was looking at the ambulances beginning to leave then suddenly looked up at him. Brenlis nodded. "From what Gum told me, as soon as he heard that a gang calling them selves Stone Tears was in Kogane he took off. It scared the crap out of her when she saw him all angry."

Bit nodded. "Go see if you can get the GG's to help us Brenlis. If what Jine said is true they will be moving this way as soon as the police leave." Brenlis gave a helpless nod then bladed as fast as he could for Shibuya.

"This is our show Jine. There is no way that Brenlis will get back here in time. Lets show these Stone Tears what native bentens' are made of."

Jine shouted "YEAH!"

Bit gave himself a rueful smile. Onishima was rounding up the last of his men. Bit wished for the first time in his life that the police would stay a little longer. But Bit was thankful for the length of time Onishima had stayed. It gave them an extra hour to get all of the rudies out of Benten and into Shibuya territory. Bit had confidence that the GG's, who tripled any other gangs numbers, and would at least make a better stand than two rudies in Benten that weren't smart enough to go with the rest of the rudies.

"Here comes one of them." Jine broke Bits concentration and looked to the east. A very large rudie with dark blonde hair carried a large strait stick. He grinded easily over power lines and agilely moved from one line to another. As if it was his nature to be able to move so easily for his size. A monster born to grind.

Jine eyed the club the man carried, then said out loud "Don't let your self be hit by his weapon its made of solid stone." Bit shivered when he remembered seeing a rudie earlier carried off in an ambulance with stone dust all over his body. A stone club had shattered over his shoulder.

"Thanks for the reminder." Bit moved forward as the man saw that they were the only ones out this late at night. The man must have had three hundred pounds of muscle sculpting his body by the way the ground shook. He jumped from a wire grind doing an open armed seven twenty flip and landed in a deep crouch. He slowly stood up and looked at the two rudies.

He did a gazing look at the costumes. "What elicit gangs you have here in Tokyo-to. First fish heads now robots with goggles. I have seen worse…" He trailed as he saw someone behind him land in her own deep crouch. Bit and Jine were a little alarmed. Neither of them noticed her before.

"What is it you have come here for?" Bit moved forward away from Jine. Right now he was not just another rudie, he was the leader of the Noise Tanks.

"We have come here to claim Tokyo-to. I am Drill, Leader of the Stone Tears. Your gang can surrender now if you want. Loose your gang, and you land." Bit turned to Jine but he already knew his answer before the feeling of surprise by the offer.

The woman spoke up before Bit could answer. "I strongly suggest you accept his offer. The gang called Poison Jam were offered the same and look what happened when they refused. If you don't surrender now, we need to wipe your gang of the face of the earth."

Bit only pause a second then said, "Why do you think it is only us?" The woman looked surprised then began to look around. She quietly noted that no rudies were there looking on. "Those rudies you had been beating were not all of that gang. Only the three in suits were the gang of the area. The rest were just free rudies. You robbed them of their home when they don't care whos' territory it is!" Bit said angrily. The woman looked regretful. Then that faded from her face. "It only needs to be us. No more needless victims."

The woman tapped the mans' shoulders signal that he may proceed. Bit suddenly knew the reason why the woman was there. The man must be the leader, but the woman was the one who keeps him in check. God help us. He thought to himself. He moved into an awkward fighting stance. He may be a leader of a gang but a fighter he was not. Then out loud he said steadily, "Come take Benten from me then."

Jine moved into an easier stance. He moved forward so he was next to Bit and nodded through his mask. They were doing the right thing. The woman looked very sad, then left. Great! Even she doesn't want to see this. was Bits only thought before a lung jarring punch connected to his chest.

The Leader of the Stone Tears, Drill, out classed the two rudies in every way possible, speed agility, balance, strength, reach…. They were all on his side. Jine tried hard to block an attack but his arms bent unnaturally when Brill's forearm connected. When one of the Noise Tanks would try and draw him towards him so the other could escape. Drill would just grapple the one closest to him and throw him towards the fleeing rudie so they were always together and would never find a way to escape from the violence that they were facing.

Drill charged at Bit, his blades flickering with light. Bit spat out some blood from an earlier hit to his head and charged to towards Drill. Bit moved lower to try and get under Drill's reach. Bit moved to the lower left of his enemy and felt two finger tips graze his mask. Bit took the chance and punched as hard as he could into the other mans kidneys. It connected but only made the other man flinch. Bit looked up in time to see the free arm with the stone club hit him in the face. The stone club shattered. Bit closed his eyes just before the club hit, praying that the eye lens of his goggles would not fly into his eyes. Bit crumbled to the ground, stunned by the force of the blow.

"Huh, your lucky you have that on. That last hit would have split your head open." Drill dropped the small stub of the club that didn't shatter. Drill loomed over Bit ready to hit him one last time while the weaker rudie was too stunned to move.

"Don't forget about me idiot!" Jine tackled the oversized man and began to punch his head while he was on the ground. Jine did not stop punching Drill in fear that it did not work. After a while the rudie felt his arms go numb from repeatedly hitting the Stone Tear so hard. When he could not keep up the pace anymore he stopped, his arms too tired to continue. Bit heard his panting, then his heart sank when it was suddenly muffled.

Drill grabbed Jine by the throat. His eyes were wild, not really looking at Jine than through him. "You…" he said shakily, "Marked me…" Drill touched his eye brow with his free hand and could already feel the bruise forming there. "You…" Though Drill was underneath Jine he easily got up holding the Noise Tank in one hand. "marked ME!" Drill snarled and backhanded the smaller rudie into a window glass display. Jine hit a dummy hard and moaned as he tried vainly to get out of his awkward position.

Drill leaned over to pick up Jine when someone said. "Yo!" Drills' heated gaze ripped from Jine's body in time to have a green glowing blade hit his face. Drill spinned seven hundred and twenty degrees in mid air before landing on the ground. He didn't move. Bit weakly looked up from his laying position to see Beat with his goggles off. Beats' eyes did not leave the Stone Tear.

Brenlis moved from behind Beat to help his leader. "Sorry it took so long, it was hell trying to find him. He was already on his way here from a fight with Gum." Bit smiled, and with Brenlis' help wanted to get up and thank the GG. They both stopped.

Beat glare at the downed Stone Tear. "Why did you come here?" he barely whispered. Beat breathed heavily then shouted, "WHY? WHY HERE?" Beats left foot sparked to life and it flew right into the unconscious mans gut. "WHY DID YOU COME HERE?" Beat continued to kick the man.

Brenlis began to move towards Beat to stop him, but Jine grabbed his ankle. Brenlis looked at his friend on the floor. Jine shook his head no. Beats anger lashed out until the Stone Tears' body began to lift off the ground. "FIRST KYOTO! NOW HERE? I WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ONE OF YOUR KIND TO STAY HERE?!" Beat kept kicking the downed man. Bit felt sick from the hollow sounds that came from the mans mouth as air was forced out of his lungs repeatedly. "I WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ONE OF YOUR KIND TO STAY HERE!" Bit looked at the smoke coming from Beats blades and felt sick with the smell of burning flesh each heated kick made. "NO ONE ELSE NEEDS TO GO THROUGH THAT EVER AGAIN!" Beat kicked the Stone Tear off the ground and up against a building wall. His hand clinched Drills' neck. Beat turned angrily towards the roof and shouted "Get out of here!" Several Stone Tears got up and left in fear of what he would do to them. Beat turned back to the unconscious man and raised his fist to continue his attack. It was stopped by a gentle hand.

Beat tuned his head to see who dared touch him now. His anger evaporated in that instant. Gum let go of his raise hand and hugged him. Beat choked and let the Stone Tear slide to the ground in a heap. The leader of the GG's let himself be hugged and relaxed the restraint of his already red eyes. Brenlis helped Bit and Jine up and all three moved closer to the two GG's.

Daylight was coming. Beat pushed Gum gently away from him but still held her hand. The Noise Tanks took off their masks. "Thank you for coming Beat. I don't know what happened with you and them, but it must have been painful." Bit reached out his hand to a more calm Beat.

Beat shook his hand but said, "You three need to leave here. You couldn't handle this one, you will be hard pressed when more come."

Bit looked at both of his Noise Tanks. Both shook their heads. "I am sorry, but we can't this is our home."

Beat spat. "Idiot you don't know what you are talking about, Benten is theirs. You and your Noise Tanks will in the hospital by the end of the day. You look like you should be there now."

Bit nodded, "Still doesn't mean we can't fight. Can we team up? We do what we can from here and you do your what you can for Kogane?" Bit sounded hopeful.

"Idiot you don't get what I am saying." Beat said angrily. Beat let go of Gums' hand. "You won't last the end of the day. They will hunt you down for this." Beat pointed at the Stone Tear.

Bit said raising his voice. "What am I supposed to do? Give them Benten? Roll over and die? How can you call your self a leader and say that?"

"You are dumb aren't you Bit? They own Benten already!" Bit just glared back and Beat. Beat gave a disgusted look then said, "Fine! Stay here and rot! But don't think I will come and help just because you are in trouble! You are already neck deep in trouble!" Beat nodded for Gum to follow him. When they were gone, Bit sighed and said "You didn't have to stay."

Jine laughed, "No, but will we? Of course."

Bit heard police sirens and said. "Lets make ourselves scarce."

Present

Beat was right. Not even the end of the night and I was in the hospital. Placed in there by Chisel after declaring himself the new leader. Bit, Jine and Brenlis had just reached the exit to the circle and grinded the billboards to the fenced exit of the railroad tracks. But not this time. I was the lucky one then. Jine and Brenlis… they were the ones made to suffer for my mistake. NOT AGAIN! Bit stopped the Noise Tanks just as they were entering the pit. A single figure stood in the middle of the tracks, waiting.

Bit knew who it was. Tab said. "Yo! I have to ask one more time, will you not do this?" Bit felt a sort of dejavu. But Bit didn't see Tab. He saw Silphie.

Bit moved forward and said, "You really going to do go though with it aren't you?"

Tabs' faced was closed when he said, "What you are doing is a mistake. I can't let you pass."

Bit snapped his fingers and Jine and Brenlis flanked their leader. "You are going to stop me then?" Tab nodded. "Then I am sorry it had to end this way. I will not show you any mercy if you side with those Stone Tear bastards." Bit moved into an easy fighting stance. Bit had become accustomed to it from the crash course he had relieved when he ran across the Stone Tears.

"Bit, I will see to it that the Noise Tanks are remembered for never giving up!" All of the GG's stood up from the tops of the still train carts. "GG's take them down."

All of the GG's jumped of cars yelling.

Above them Silphie stood on a pedestrian catwalk watching the fight and bitterly thinking that "street-politics" is an oxymoron.