Blend In

An 812 – actually, 811 now that I've sorted a stupid typo - word count for the 'drabble me' community – contains the line 'Well, I had it right here just a minute ago…'
And, AngryScientist is going to do some serious bitching if I don't credit him for this whole idea, plot and concept, so he's being credited. :-mutters-: Anything for a quiet life.

"This is HQ to all squads: A gang has been spotted on Highway Zero. All officers to intercept immediately. I repeat…"

Jazz jabbed at her wrist radio to shut off the droning voice and glanced around furtively, half expecting every cop in the city to be right on top of her. When the only sound she could hear was the passing of traffic far away, she went to slowly put down her half depleted spray can with a shaking hand.

She wasn't very good at escaping cops. She tended to panic and need another GG to bail her out, which they would always do, to their credit. Those who enjoyed – and were very much used to – the chases often got irritated with her, telling her that she wasn't a very good Rudie if she couldn't even run away from the cops, was she?

Before she could give into her desire to curl up against the wall and hope the police wouldn't see her, Jazz pushed herself away from the wall and took off toward the other side of the marketplace, where the other two were. As she got closer, she could hear them arguing.

"Wha'dya mean you've lost it?" a male voice yelled from somewhere just past the last of the stalls.

"Well, I had it right here just a minute ago!" That was Yoyo, she was sure; half nervous – she hated walking right into the middle of an argument – half relieved not to be on her own anymore, she moved out of the wary crowd, right into Clutch's line of view.

"Oh, yeah, and a little fucking birdie came and stole it, right? Hey!" Clutch had noticed her standing watching, "Anything been on the radio? Yoyo's just fucking lost his, and mine's still broken."

For a moment, Jazz debated not telling them about the police bulletin – she could get the two of them to leave the highway pretty easily, and if she did tell them, they'd get mad about being stuck with her while the police were closing in.

"The police know we're here, they're closing in." She was really bad at lying. And besides, if she got found out… No, she'd rather just tell the truth and be done with it.

"Well, shit," Clutch ground out, glaring at Yoyo venomously, "How long ago was that?"

"Two or three minutes," she replied, feeling a surge of adrenaline as she considered how close the cops had probably gotten in that time. She clenched her fist, her nails digging into her palm, trying to stop it shaking.

"They can't get us in the Marketplace, right?" Yoyo said, sounding almost as nervous as her, "I mean, they don' wanna scare anyone, do they?"

"Probably not, but if you wanna stay here and try to blend in, be my guest. I'm going up to the unfinished highway – see where they are." With that, Clutch jumped at the nearest set of railings and took off.

Jazz was panicking. Every disaster that could possibly happen was running through her head, from being killed by their guns to being arrested and thrown into jail; her mind raced and she leaned herself against a wall in case she fell over.

"Jazz…?" She looked up – Yoyo was standing in front of her, looking at her curiously, "Why're you a Rudie if you're so scared of getting' caught?"

"I can skate and I can tag. The problem is, I can't do much else." She shrugged helplessly. "And there's not many legal jobs I can get with spray paint and inlines, is there?"

Yoyo 'hmm'ed, but didn't say anything more – much less anything helpful. Jazz didn't expect him to say anything that could change her life, by any means, but a simple 'hmm' just… She didn't dwell on it, or at least, she tried not to.

"We need to blend in," Yoyo said suddenly, just as she heard the sound of sirens in the distance.

"Didn't Clutch say that?"

"Well, we ain't done it yet. 'Sides, me an' you – we don't stand any chance getting past a shitload o' cops, yo."

He could say that again. The police force had taken to using massive Doberman dogs and air support recently – surprisingly few of the GGs liked dogs at all, but Yoyo was freakishly scared of them and Jazz was just scared of the police, full stop.

It wasn't too long before both had thrown their skates and conspicuous clothing into a nearby alleyway, and were wandering around the marketplace, the punters not even giving them a second glance. Yoyo immediately took off to look at a mobile phone stand.

Jazz took a long, slow breath, barely even looking at the display of video games in front of her. This was the closest she would get to being normal for a long, long time – she would have to make the most of it.


Good Things: G Rated - Cube/Mew - Jet Set (Grind) Radio
For the 'I do' project - sticking the finger up to George Bush's homophobia since... a few weeks ago. ;
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"You know…" Mew started merrily, as she flicked a needle and thread in and out of a piece of white fabric.

"No, I don't. Enlighten me." Cube was too busy to listen to anything Mew had to say at that moment, which was weird to say the least – when this whole carry-on had started, she'd probably been the most cynical of all of them about it.

'I mean, a wedding, for Pete's sake…' she had thought, 'We're street punks, not friggin' debutantes!'

"I always wanted to design all the dresses for my wedding, but I hated the thought o' making the bridesmaid dresses 'cause they couldn't be as pretty as the bride's."

"Mm-hmm." Cube kept scribbling on the yellowed pad, hardly listening.

"And now…"

Mew was building up to something, she just knew it.

"I get to make two really pretty bride gowns for my wedding!"

Jesus.

Having paid no attention to what Mew had been doing, Cube didn't hear the little 'clack, clack, clack' noises stop – and she jumped when Mew seemed to appear kneeling in front of her.

Mew kissed her; the girl's mouth tasted of sweets and good things, and despite herself, Cube melted into it, leaned into the light touch that caressed her cheek.

And to think she found herself wondering why she was marrying this girl.

"Thank you," Mew murmured against her mouth, and for once, Cube couldn't think of a thing to say.