Virtua Rhapsody

Chapter 4

Author's Note: Ze Plot Thickens! Will try to write as much as I can. In the meantime, enjoy this chapter.

Bryant Mansion, San Francisco, California, USA – 8 October 1993

The next day, a young man arrived, clothed in Martial Arts gear and sporting a bandanna over his head – this was Akira Yuki. He had crossed half the known World to discover the true meaning of the Legend of the 8 Stars (and to participate in a hot dog eating contest). Word was spreading of the free concert, which also attracted the attention of Pai Chan, a Hong Kong-based actress and martial artist. While Sandro, Yakov and Hans rehearsed diligently in the sub-basement studio, the Bryant family was busy organising and promoting the show, with the opening act in the form of a hot dog eating contest. Upon reaching the mansion, the vagrant fighter picked up a flyer and inspected it carefully, muttering to himself as he perused its contents. "Enlightenment… what are these guys, musical cultists?" He half-jokingly quipped as he continued to read the flyer's contents. Eventually, news of the hot dog eating contest caught Akira's attention, causing his eyes to widen and expand to over-cartoonish factors. "Hot dog eating contest with an entry fee of $80!? Now THAT is a bargain!" He smiled like a Cheshire cat as he ran to a nearby stall, wildly gesticulating towards the promotion of the hot dog eating contest. The woman at the stall nodded, seemingly in understanding, as she took his money and signed his name. Akira then walked away happily, seemingly slipping and losing his balance. He then tripped over a rubbish bin, which sent him running as he struggled to retain his balance. Eventually, he landed face-first… into Pai. The actress screamed in terror as she shoved the dazed Oriental Rambo off her, raising her hands into a defensive fighting pose. Akira, sensing trouble, followed suit as he locked eyes with her nervously.

"How dare you touch me like that, you… I will make you pay!" She screamed, startling him as she delivered a flurry of kicks and punches to his face and body. Akira groaned and grunted for a good solid minute before regaining his composure. He began to block Pai's blows effectively as his training came back to him, refusing to strike the crazed woman before him. Eventually, he was able to deliver a single strike to her face, stunning her for a moment. Akira immediately felt remorse at his action as he held out his hand.

"I'm sorry… it was an accident. I had no choice." He looked at Pai pleadingly, who took his hand gratefully before eyeing him up carefully.

"OK… this time you're off the hook." She said carefully. Akira blushed apologetically before introducing himself.

"I'm Akira Yuki. You are…?"

"Pai Chan. Perhaps you've heard of me?"

"Oh, I have, Miss Chan." Akira smiled nervously.

"Please, call me Pai." Pai chuckled at his sheepish demeanour as the two walked off.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Akira asked.

"It's a long story. I'm on the run from someone… powerful." Pai hesitated before completing her sentence.

"Who?" The Oriental Rambo asked as he cracked his knuckles.

"…the Koenkan." The actress semi-whispered. Akira's eyes widened slightly in worry.

"You mean…?" She nodded wordlessly. A thought came to his head as the gears turned in his mind. "OK… stick with me." Pai chuckled at him.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered… I've just never had a bodyguard before."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you… as soon as I'm done with the hot dog eating contest." Akira laughed heartily.

Meanwhile, in the sub-basement studio, the three members of Enlightenment were rehearsing and practicing… which was not complete without some form of banter. The most vocal of the musicians, as per usual, was Sandro, who had to serve a dual role as keyboardist and bassist due to their line-up. "I'm playing what I always play." He protested as Yakov simply mocked him in a childish manner. "I'm playing EXACTLY what's on the record, Yak."

"Yes, and that's your problem, San – you've got no personality. If we put Napoleon in the same studio as you, then he'd still be in Corsica peeling spuds." Yakov retorted, Sandro grunting wordlessly.

"Yes, and I'm quite proud of that fact. Besides, if I weren't so grey, then you'd have nothing to bitch about, Yak." Sandro's comeback was like a nuclear strike. BOOM!

As Sandro and Yakov bantered, with the ever-neutral Hans watching with a smirk on his face, Jacky and Sarah were listening via a hidden microphone on one of the security cameras, the latter's face falling upon hearing about Sandro's quip. Jacky, misinterpreting, simply put his arm on her sister's shoulder.

"Don't worry, sis – plenty of fish in the sea." He replied with a comforting tone, his wounded arm bandaged. Sarah simply nodded wordlessly.

"I can't believe I had a crush on a gay guy." She said sadly as she got up and left, wiping a solitary tear from her eye, covering her face in her custom-branded jacket, which bore her brother's race car logo on it.

"Take it down a bit." Hans interjected through the speaker as Yakov played a guitar melody.

"No, DON'T take it down!" Sandro countermanded as he struggled to make his keyboard countermelody heard above the guitar track. The rehearsal/banter continued for several hours as Mr Bryant and Jacky listened in on the semi-humorous arguing, while Sarah and Mrs Bryant made preparations for the concert.

Unknown Location – 8 October 1993

A shady-looking ninja clothed in blue – Kage Maru – sat in front of a businessman. This was Mr Liu Kowloon, the head of the Koenkan organisation and J6 CEO. "Miss Chan has eluded our top agents successfully, Kage." He replied calmly. Kage simply nodded wordlessly. "Our organisation is in danger of being threatened. It seems that our initial hit on Mr Bryant did not go as well as expected." He handed him a picture of Jacky and his old race car, now a mere wreck – this was followed by a picture of Sarah. "Take her – bring her to us." Kage simply nodded obediently and left. "One more thing: Our recovering agents have informed us of a concert taking place at the Bryant Mansion – she will most likely be there – but take her in secret… not in plain sight. Do not interrupt the show. Clear?" Kage nodded once more before leaving. Mr Liu sat back as he looked at a red 3.5" floppy diskette with a white label. The words "DURAL PROJECT" were handwritten on it in blue.