Chapter 7: Rage's Special Talent
That night on his apartment, Rage is seen practicing his street dance moves wearing his house clothes as also dance some hip-hop dance moves. Suddenly, he noticed someone tries to shoot him with a sniper rifle as he avoids the shots from the sniper rifle and hides at their backyard and became terrified by this as he thought.
Darn it, this is the second time I was targeted again. Why these snipers are attacking me?
After that he realizes that they were gone and seeing that his life was on the line knowing that the mafia are targeting him.
The next day in EMTI, Drum discovers the mafia's next target and knowing that Rage has been targeted by them as Bass came to see him.
"How's Garuda doing, Bass?" Drum asked as Bass sadly answers.
"I haven't seen him, Drum... He seems like he doesn't want to show it to him that Rage was their next target."
"Are you saying that Reiji has been targeted by the mafia?" Retsu arrives to see both of them in the Director's office and Drum was surprised.
"Oh, Retsu... I never knew you would be here so early today?"
"If you're saying that Reiji has been targeted? Then why you didn't inform Sir Garuda about it?" Retsu said scolding at him as Bass tells him.
"In fact, Garuda doesn't respond in our call. Especially, he does not want to know that his grandson has been targeted."
Back at the Student Council's office, Retsu became desperate after seeing the mafia is targeting his best friend and the protecting leader of DDR City. He discovers the leader had already ask by one of his operatives to eliminate Rage as he thought.
So they were asked by their leader to get rid of Reiji? This must be their reason after we foiled their plans numerous times.
"Hey. Retsu... Reiji was here in the Director's office." Beechum said panicking as Retsu stands up and leave the office.
Retsu then noticed Rage was talking to both Drum and Bass and became angered to see his grandfather acts cowardly to save him which he knows that he's been targeted by the mafia. On their way to his apartment, He goes with Rage while walking back in the city.
"Thanks, Retsu... I was relieved by the time I went to EMTI." Rage said thankfully.
"It's all right, Reiji." Retsu said telling him. "At least I'm here to help you out."
"Retsu, I can feel that someone is trying to attack me last night. By the time I keep on practicing in the garage of my apartment." Rage said sadly as Retsu sensed someone from behind as he yells.
"Look out!" Retsu then tackles Rage to the ground as the gunshot coming from the sniper rifle. Both managed to avoid the shot as Rage scolds him.
"Retsu. Why did you tackle me?"
"You don't know that you were targeted by them?" Retsu reacted angrily and Rage noticed the mafia are gone after him.
"Let's run for it!"
Both Rage and Retsu run to safety as they avoid the gunshots from their machine guns and sniper rifles. Both then hides at the back door where it leads to Beechum's ice cream parlor as they were relieved for their safety.
"Phew, now that was a close call."
"I think the auditorium in EMTI would be our safe place for refuge." Retsu said telling him.
"Yeah... at least we're in Beechum's place." Rage said smirking.
"Come on, we have to get back in EMTI and fast. I'm sure the mafia will go after you." Retsu said as Rage agrees as he follows him back to EMTI.
Meanwhile inside the car, Yuni, Emi and Kari became frustrated after they ended up in a heavy traffic while Akira is behind the wheel.
"Akira, how long we can get through the mall? I had enough of this traffic." Yuni asked as Akira replies.
"It seems that traffic is gonna take it for an hour."
Suddenly, Yuni's cellphone has been rung and she receives the call coming for Retsu and she was surprised that he calls her.
"Retsu, why did you call me at this moment?"
"Yuni, we have a problem... Reiji is been targeted by the mafia. You need to inform Emi about this, okay. We're still at the auditorium in EMTI for refuge."
Yuni was shocked by his words as she urgently tells him knowing of their leader is in danger.
"Okay, Retsu... we're going to EMTI right away." Yuni said as she finally hung up her phone and Emi wondered.
"What's wrong, Yuni? You became serious all of the sudden?"
"Emi... Retsu just called and your boyfriend is in danger?" Yuni said telling her much to her shock.
"WHAT!? Rage is in danger?!"
"Akira... I changed my mind of going shopping. We're going to EMTI instead."
"As you wish..." Akira said calmly as he tells them. "But I can take shortcut from here..."
That night in EMTI auditorium, Rage became terrified while sitting at the stage floor and Retsu was waiting for the other four to arrive and he looked on his mini-computer which is the mafia are not yet present. Until the arrival of Emi, Kari, Akira and Yuni.
"It's about time..." Retsu said as Emi was worried for Rage.
"Rage, you should tell me if you have problems? What's going on!?"
"In fact, Ems... I was targeted by the mafia..." Rage answered sadly much to everyone's shock.
As they spend time in the auditorium, Yuni was very pissed after seeing Rage was targeted by the mafia as Akira was terrified in their situations.
"Those mafia creeps... How dare they plan to kill our friend and leader?"
"You need to calm down, Yuni. This is what I've been afraid of."
"How did grandfather didn't inform you about this, Retsu...?" Kari asked seriously as Retsu replies.
"Actually... Sir Garuda didn't want to see his grandson get killed? Drum had already convinced it but he rejected it."
Rage noticed his communicator is lighted up as he picks on his right pocket from his blue gray camoflauge capris as he clicks the button to see his grandfather's image.
"Grandfather, what do you want...?" Rage said sadly as Garuda replies.
"I heard about what happened that you almost hit with the mafia's heavy weapons. Thank God that yer okay."
"I really don't know what else to do. I can't just hide here and do nothing. I hate if my leadership go to waste."
"Listen, Reiji... your friends is able to help ya on yer problems. But I have to say this to you that distracting the enemy is yer primary strength." Garuda said telling him.
"Wait... grandfather... I just wanna talk to you..." Rage said as Garuda quickly hung up to his communicator as he loses his temper. "Dang, I hate to get myself being killed by them."
"That's it..." Retsu said finally have an idea to stop the mafia from killing Rage. "I think dancing is the right way to distract the enemy. Then either of us would beat them down for the count."
"Retsu..." Emi said calling his name.
"He has a point..." Akira said smirking while cracking his knuckles. "I guess fighting the mafia would be easy."
"Reiji is gonna dance in every move. That way we can knock those mafia guards down."
"So Rage... what dance move that you practiced?" Yuni asked in a bratty manner. "I know you keep on using street dance manuevers and break dancing techniques."
"Uh..."
"Are you keeping secrets towards us, Rage?" Emi reacted angrily as Rage finally reveals to them.
"Okay... you girls are scary when you get mad at me...? Before I was attacked by those mafia guys. I was practicing hip-hop dancing..."
"What!?"
"Are you saying that you were practicing hip-hop?" Retsu said became terrified to him.
"That's right... I added up to my street dance moves with hip-hop. That's why I don't want to show it to everyone." Rage said as Retsu knows he has CD on his dormitory.
"I never thought you practiced the same as the black bald guy who keeps hip-hop dancing with his abs." Retsu said in disappointment and Emi decides to help her boyfriend
"Rage... I'm going to join up with you. We're Team Burning, right."
"Ems..."
"We always practice dancing at Burning Dome. But this time if it's desperate, I'll help you." Emi said wanted to help him as Rage agrees as he renewed his confidence.
"Right... As long as my team will win."
"I'm coming along with you, Rage." Yuni said smirking. "I let my bodyguard to handle things with Retsu and Kari. I just love to dance in the real dance floor."
"Thanks Yuni... I owe you..."
"I guess it's time for us to prepare against the mafia, Let's do this?!" Retsu said smiling as Rage and the group does a battle cry.
At the underground facility in EMTI, a depressed Garuda who became upset after his grandson was targeted by the mafia as the angered Princess Zukin arrive to see him as she gives a slap to his face.
"Uh... What!? Princess Zukin... what did ya slapped me?" Garuda reacted angrily.
"Ms. Liana tells me to slap your face for being a coward, Mr. Garuda..."
"What!? She shouldn't done that...?" Garuda said while raising his brow as Princess Zukin angrily scolds him.
"I can't believe you, Mr. Garuda... You actually let your grandson to be killed by these armed men. What kind a old man that you act so cowardice?"
"..."
"Rage is your grandson... and you don't help him when he's in danger. You're a cold-hearted old man, WAAAHHHH?!" Princess Zukin said as she cries for his actions and Garuda stands up and knowing that his enemies wanted to kill his grandson and decides to help him.
"Just don't cry, Princess Zukin..." Garuda said stopping her from crying and wanted to help his grandson. "I'm totally stupid for lettin' my grandson to get killed by them. I finally detected that the mafia are goin' here in the EMTI campus."
"Huh!?"
"Ya need to call Robo2001, Princess Zukin..." Garuda said finally renew his bravery.
"Mr. Garuda... All right... I'll wake Robo up..." Princess Zukin smiled as she goes to wake Robo2001 with his capsule and Garuda became serious to see the mafia are here to kill Rage as he thought.
All right, ya arrogant creeps... It's time for ya to be taken down by me. If ya dare to touch my grandson, then It's not gonna be easy!
Back at the auditorium in EMTI, Rage is now seen wearing a white tank top, dark blue jeans with a brown belt to his waist and leather shoes. He also has a red and black shoulder bands in each side of his shoulders and a brown wraps in his left wrist while tieing a matching black headband on his forehead.
"Okay... I'm ready for this." Rage said smirking as Emi arrives to see him in a black collared tank top with a dark blue neck tie on her neck, green denim pants and white and black sneakers which is a surprise to him. "Ems, you look cute on that get up."
"Don't try to flatter me, Rage? I was trying to wear something similar to a rocker, haha..." Emi said jokily as Yuni arrives to see them in a white sleeveless shirt with yellow suspenders and a pink denim skirt but retains her black socks and brown shoes from her school uniform.
"I was lucky that I brought my casual clothes at my bag just in case if my school is already out."
"Wow, Yuni... you're very clever as I thought." Emi smiled happily as Rage watches as he heard some someone is calling him.
"Hey, Reiji... don't forget about us in here?" Retsu finally arrives along with Akira and Kari while wearing an indigo blue vest with a black sleeveless undershirt, matching indigo blue pants and black shoes as his hair flickers while wearing a blue cap.
"Nice get up you got there, Retsu! I like it so much...!" Rage exclaimed smiling as Yuni noticed both Akira and Kari are wearing in a soldier motif as she teases him.
"Wow, Akira... seems like you're showing your muscles over Kari, huh?"
"Wha... no I'm not, Yuni." Akira said as he blushes in embarassment as he wears a camoflauge tank top, olive green cargo pants and black and green combat boots. "Kari and I are just going to team up with Retsu to beat the mafia down and I'm also prepared to beat them out."
"You can tease him if you want to, Yuni." Kari said smiling as she wears a green vest under a white sleeveless shirt, dark green short shorts with a black kneepad to the left and brown boots while wielding both darts and kunais. "But I always prepare either my darts or my knives to directly throw at them."
"We're gonna call it "Dance with the Sweepers" in which your group will dance to distract the enemy while in my group are sweepers to beat the mafia soldiers down." Retsu said suggesting to Rage as he reacts.
"How can we dance to distract the enemy without a music? I shouldn't brought my stereo in my apartment."
"I'm gonna help all of you on your problems this time..." Beechum finally arrives wearing a Japanese combat engineer and as a pilot helmet with a goggles on his forehead. "If it comes to play the music then I can...?"
"Wow...Beechum your costume was amazing." Emi said amusing to his costume. "You're just like a samurai pilot."
"At least he can help us..." Yuni said smirking.
"All right, Beechum. You know your background." Rage smiled as Retsu detects the mafia are already here in the EMTI Campus as he warns him.
"You have to get ready, Reiji. They're coming."
"Okay, Protectors of DDR City! Let's beat the mafia down!" Rage yelled in a confident manner as they put their hands like a basketball time-out and they go for a battle cry.
Therefore, the mafia tries to hunt Rage until they enter the auditorium. However, the stage lights opens the whole auditorium stage and the whole place is covered with black out as Rage is shown in the middle of the stage. They tried to gunpoint at him from their rifles as he states.
"If you dare to shoot me then you guys prepared to get smacked down right here?"
Rage finally snaps his right finger as Beechum opens the stereo from the auditorium as the song "Slam" has been played. He dances the song in a solo dance routine as he uses the same routine as the ones Akira uses in the popularity contest. The mafia operatives tried to put him at gunpoint. One of them was easily dispatched by ninja blades coming from Kari and she shown wearing a visor during the black out as she knocks them down with her Krav Maga moves.
At the back side of the auditorium, other guards are been taken down by Akira as he shoots them with a Silencer gun and knocks them with his grappling techniques. On the other side, Retsu distracts the operatives as he disguised himself as Clark Still as he poses towards the mafia operatives.
"Hey... is that Clark Still?"
"Wrong answer..." Retsu said as he takes off his sunglasses and cap and knocks both operatives down with both punches and kicks as he corrects them. "The answer is Trevor Specey."
The operatives are shock of this ambush as the song changes to "Get Ready for This" which Emi and Yuni is with Rage as they dance in a manner of hip hop and club dance moves. Suddenly, Kari rushes towards the other mafia operatives with her fighting moves as she throws her ninja blades towards the upcoming operative rending him, unconscious as the latter attempt to kill with his knife. Kari dodges as she stabs him with his own knife and she kicks him to the chest to death. Other operatives are trying to get in the other door but was quickly intercepted by Akira with his fighting moves as well as he shoots them with his Silencer gun while Retsu dispatches most of the operatives with his fighting moves as he grabs his opponents face and lands face burst to the ground. However, one of the operatives attempting to shoot Rage which makes the latter was frustrated by this. Garuda later arrives with his bomber jacket tied on his neck and his pants have kneepads on it and his hair is tied in a bun with a white bandanna on his head as he swings the rope and knocks the operative down and Retsu was surprised by this.
"Sir Garuda..."
Garuda unleashes his fighting techniques against the mafia operatives with both punches and kicks as he headbutts them intensively then immediately tackles the other operative down with a killing blow as he commands Robo2001.
"Okay, Robo... Shoot whatever ya got?! Hit them with yer Rocket Explosive Punch to the incoming ones!"
Outside, Robo2001 is seen flying and detected the upcoming mafia operatives in the EMTI campus as he confirms Garuda's command.
"Command Sir Garuda confirmed... Activating Rocket Explosive Punch?!" Robo2001 finally unleashes the explosive punches towards the upcoming mafia operatives in explosion, eliminating them in the process.
Kari then saw the explosion knowing that her grandfather is helping them after all as another mafia operative attempts to kill her but was shot by Akira from his back up handgun.
"You should be careful, Kari."
"Now that's a good shooting..." Kari complimented to his shooting as both saw the mafia are retreating from the onslaught.
Rage was relieved as the lights on the auditorium are finally opened and Beechum saw Garuda is also here to help.
"Grandfather... I thought that you're gonna help us..." Rage said in frustration as Garuda apologizes.
"I'm sorry for bein' a coward, Reiji. I was just too stubborn not to see ya get killed by the mafia. But I managed to help ya whenever you were in danger."
"Mr. Itoh..." Emi said while watching the two of them as Yuni smiles to see them.
"At least the old professor apologizes Rage for being a let down."
"Professor Garuda... I'm impressed that you're here..." Akira said finally arrived to see them as Kari closes her eyes.
"Grandfather sometimes, he's too reckless..."
"Grandfather..." Rage said as he smiles while he angrily tells him while cracking his knuckles. "Since you save my life and almost get killed by the mafia freaks, I'm giving you a severe punishment."
At Beechum's ice cream parlor, Rage and the group are seen eating ice cream as he and Emi are eating chocolate parfait.
"Mmmm... the chocolate parfait is good." Emi said happily as she looked at Beechum. "I've never seen you owned a ice cream parlor in here."
"Gee... that's my dad's family business... Emi." Beechum said happily. "That's the time when both Rage and Retsu are beaten up by many girls led with a transexual dude."
"What!? Seriously?!" Emi said shockingly as Rage tells him.
"That's when you're not around, Ems... Retsu and I we ended up in a beating because of 'him' and his ladies."
"I just love the Banana Split... Mmmm..." Yuni said happily eats the Banana Split ice cream as Retsu and Kari are eating a single scoop.
"Well at least they pay us free desserts. Don't you think, Kari?" Retsu said calmly as Kari happily answers.
"I think this is our grandfather's punishment for nearly killed his own grandson."
"Well eat whenever ya want, It's my punishment for almost lettin' my grandson get killed, hahahaha..." Garuda said as he laughs maniacally while having bruises on his faces due to his grandson's punches and he looks at Akira who is not eating like the rest. "Hey Akira... Why don't you eat with them? This isn't like you?"
"Sorry, Professor Garuda... I'm on a diet. I just hate sweets and I need to maintain my physical shape..."
"Hehehe... Well I'll be damn... Ya actually let Yuni to eat many ice cream as she wanted to." Garuda said happily as Akira smiles.
"Yeah... At least she loves junk food."
Afterwards, the group celebrate for saving Rage from being killed by the mafia and much to Beechum's happiness that Garuda is gonna pay their ice cream after being beat up by Rage as a severe punishment.
Trivia:
*Beechum wears an outfit similar to Heihachi in the anime Samurai 7.
*Retsu mentions to Rage about black guy who keeps on hip-hop dancing and a reference to Shaun T the main host of both "Hip-Hop Abs" series and Beachbody's "Insanity" extreme workouts.
*The color scheme of Yuni's casual clothes is based off Elie Valentine from her third outfit in the anime Groove Adventure Rave.
*Rage now wears his fourth outfit in DDR Universe while Emi wears in her second outfit in the same game.
*The song "Get Ready For This" is the Space Jam theme from the movie and was performed by 2 Unlimited.
*Kari wears a mixture between Metal Slug's Eri Kasumoto and Flame of Recca's Fuko Kirisawa's outfits.
*Rage also mentions Kaoru in DDRMAX: Operation Protect Disco in the near end of this chapter which he and Retsu are severely beaten by them.
