K, chapter Two is finally here, thank you, thank you, (takes bow) so now the egos done with back to the story. Ahem. The GG's empire is falling apart under pressure of multiple out side Gangs; in desperation they consider recruiting a new Rudie. In a late night meeting, Gum and Corn discuses the Future of the GG's, but is some one listening in? (Pretty impressive if you imagine it's being said by a soap opera announcer.)
"We need Him," Gum said flatly
"No we don't," Corn said back, his voice getting testy "we can manage as is."
"No," Gum snapped, "We can't. Our turf keeps getting repainted almost as were covering up the last round. Were stretched to the limit here, we barley have enough people to deal with these new jokers, 'As is'"
"Then what do you suggest" Corn said, his voice rising "we abandon the Stadium?" To the GG's holding the Rokkaku Exbo Stadium was a matter of pride, especially to Corn, him being the one how removed Rokkaku Gouji from Tokyo. This said the Stadium came to Number two on the non-relinquishable list, right behind the Garage.
Gum kept here cool with the self styled genius "I'm not saying that" she said, her voice calm and sweet, a tone that always calmed Corn down "not the Stadium, but some where else. Maybe the Fort" the Fort was the Fortified Residential Zone, an insane slum that was designed by an equally mad architect "there's nothing there we need, its just one of those things we hold for the hell of it."
"well there is that store.." Corn said slowly
Gum gave him a look "One sleazy Adult Book store that thinks Yoyo is twenty dos not constitute holding the Fort"
"She had an eloquent point," Cube said in a monotone voice
Gum and Corn looked over to where she stood beside one of the cement pillars the held up the crumbling upper story. Corn was sitting on the old tub while Gum passed in front of him. The other GG's had gone home hours before. Yoyo and Rhyth were at his place above Chuo Street. Combo had left in the direction of Shibuya Terminal, while Gram had gone down the sewer to Rokkaku-Dai Heights. Soda was still living around Highway Zero, while Boggie was over in Kibogaoka Hill. Beats flat was near the recorder store in Dogenzaka hill and Clutch and Jazz had a place together on 99th street.
"What are you doing here?" Corn snapped, annoyed at the thought of her listening in on them.
"I thought I could be of some assistance to you in your plight" she said rolling into the light cast from the dim industrial overhead light. "you've forgotten I ran Poison Jam quite successfully for a couple years"
"Of course, you ran it with an iron fist and were only slightly tyrannical" Gum said
"Hey, a girls gotta' do what a girls gotta' do and I had the sexy bustards around my little finger" she said with a sigh
"So what are you going to want for your services?" Corn asked, trying not to think of how she could find those Fish freaks attractive. He new Cube never gave any thing away for free, with her it wasn't a Penney for her thought, it was two hundred yen.
"The new boy, Quoth or some such thing, I want him," she said
Corn and Gum were a little unnerved by the statement. "Well we really don't have control over those thing-" Corn started
"In the gang, you dolt" She said with a scowl
"Oh, okay" they said, but Gum and Corn were still a little suspicious, that was the least she had ever charged for anything "Is that all?" Corn asked hopefully
"And 75,000 yen" she said, a rare smile playing across her face. Gum made a mental note to mark this date on the calendar, October Second
Gum and Corn scowled as they reached for their wallets. "Forgot the Rent again, did we?" Gum asked
"Yeah" she said taking the money and counting it "Okay, so this is what you should do.."
The next day the GG's were assembled at the Garage. Gum and Corn were talking in a low voice on the crumbling upper level of the garage. Yoyo and Rhyth were cuddling on one of the speakers while Jazz and Clutch were talking around the Old Gouji punching bag. Boggie was playing with Pots the dog while Soda watched. Beat and Combo were comparing dance moves while Gram and Roboy did practice laps around their sunken track.
A few minuets later Cube arrived from Shibuya terminal fallowed by a new rudie. He was tall and handsome. His hair was black with remnants of a bleaching in the tips. He had a small goatee on his chin giving him a very modern look. He was dressed from head to skate in black. He wore a Chinese's style silk shirt with the cross-breasted buttons, with the sleeves removed. He wore long cargos with chains crossing his groin. There were silk scarves wrapped around his forearms, allowing the excess to hang down. He had his wrist radio on his left wrist above a pair of gray-black fingerless work gloves. His skates were a low-rise type with crom around the wheels.
As they came into the garage the rest of the GG's gathered around. "I'm proud to present, bleah, bleah, bleah, Quoth. Quoth peoples, peoples Quoth. Have fun being the new guy" she said, in a very unamused voice.
"Thanks" he said sarcastically
There was a quick round of intros then Beat asked "Quoth, where have I heard that before?"
"'Quoth, the raven 'Nevermore'" Quoth said "Edger Allan Poe, one of my favorite authors"
"You actually paid attention in school?" Yoyo asked
"You know those supper genius kids that can leap through high school like that," he snapped his fingers "well I'm not one of those people, and I just like to read"
Yoyo looked confused "Like, actual Books?"
"Uh, yeah. Duh" he said looking around at the others, hoping they all weren't so dim.
"Yoyo, What was the last book you read?" Boggie asked
"'The Art of Kinky'" he said proudly
"Uuhh huh, figures" Boggie said smirking. The other scowled and Rhyth giggled
"Now that we have that dealt with," Corn said rolling forward, his tone serious. "we can start getting our little turf troubles taken care of." The GG's had gotten used Corns almost daily updates on the gang standings in Tokyo. It was just another sign that this new state was starting to get to him.
"Because of all the new Rudies in town our turf has become the new world, they're the explores, thinking its theirs for the taking. But I don't intend for use to let it go with out a fight. The Ghouls are trying to over run the Fort and Rokkaku-Dai. Them and Poison Jam. They keep getting into fights and we keep coming back to clean up after them. Poison Jams been staying mostly to the sewers though we have been seeing them around in the daylight. Kibogaoka hill, the Sky Scraper district and Pharaoh Park are all under the Immortals control, but they seem satisfied to stay were they are, but I bet they are just looking for a reason to start a fight with us, so every one, if your in there territory, don't do anything to tick them off." Every one nodded approval. Quoth guessed there had been bad blood between the two
"What's left of the Noise Tanks are putting them selves back together in Sky Dinosaurian Square. The Doom Riders are in and around Highway Zero. Now those two at leaving every one else alone so lets do the same for them. The Night Lords hold Hikage Street and Yenazuma Heights, we don't know what they want, but I don't want a fight with them. That New Salem Park place is the hocus Girls home turf and they seem to want to have nothing to do with anybody. Then theirs the Jack-O's" here Corn gritted his teeth and Combo stiffened "they have the Shibuya Terminal, as if any body didn't notice, but they don't seem to care about anything but their precious pumpkins, so leave them alone" Again more nods of acknowledgment
"On the small bright side, were still on good terms with Rapid 99. I've talked with their leader and she says that they're willing to be on our side if the need be. They've been heating it up with the Ghouls and have made an alliance with the other new group, the Zodiacs. I don't know much about them so I want some one to go to Chuo Street and talk to them, find out where they stand"
There were nods of approval from all those assembled "I've also decided to abandon the Fort" he said in closing. More nods, broken by a high-pitched gasp from Yoyo.
"Wh-what!" he stammered
"You heard him" Gum said firmly "There is no good reason to hold on to it. And no, free porn is not a good reason" she said, seeing Yoyo open his mouth in protest.
"What, free porn?" Quoth said, ears perking
"No," Cube scowled "I'll go talk to the Zodiacs"
"Take Clutch and Quoth with you" Corn said "Just to be on the safe side"
"What ever" she said turning away "Come on boys" she skated off towards the Terminal. Clutch kissed Jazz goodbye before he and Quoth skated off after Cube.
If you want to see pics of Blade and Quoth there on search Heliosbedambed