IX
Ellay's Most Wanted
Roaming around the densely populated city of Ellay, the kids saw a metropolis being terrorized by a brutal gang of street thugs calling themselves "The Black Blood Gang". Their reign of terror was so bad that even the undermanned, mal-funded, and overpowered police force were hardly able to do anything within their means to stop it.
"Hey!" one thug said, brandishing a lead pipe and hiding his face in a blue hooded sweats shirt underneath a heavy black leather jacket, "What'll it be? Your money or your life!"
"Neither…" Ken replied, as Lloyd and Anna took up the rear.
"What was that?" the punk asked.
"You heard me." Ken replied, "You ain't gettin' either one."
"OK, you asked for it!" As the punk charged at Ken quickly stepped aside, as he swung his bat at the thug, causing him to drop his pipe. As the thug muttered some nasty words at the kid, which couldn't be repeated in public, got the thug slammed in the head by Anna's skillet, while Lloyd got a clear and easy shot at the thug's rear with his air rifle, even though he tempered the shot to avoid causing any more serious injury, as Ken finished the thug off with one more slam to the back with his trusted baseball bat.
As the thug crawled away, all bloody, bruised and beaten…
"What's wrong?" Ken asked, adrenaline pumping at full force, "Is that all you've got?"
"Who-who the bloody ****in' Hell are you guys?" the thug asked, looking like he'd just called Mike Tyson a sissy.
"I'm Bat Man!" Ken sarcastically replied, showing off by swinging his bat around, "And my friends and I are your worst nightmare."
"Youse guys're ****in' crazy!" the thug said, running off, "I'm gettin' the ****in' Hell outta here!"
"And don't let me catch you around here again!" Ken yelled off at his would be assailant.
Near the town's leading department store, this street hawker caught the kids' attention.
"I've got a ticket for the Live House." the guy said, indicating a nightclub behind him, "You know, the store's sold out." This, however, set off several serious red flags for Ken and Anna, their telepathy warning them that something about this guy wasn't entirely on the up-and-up, "I can part with it for a mere $1,200."
"$1,200!" Ken replied, "Thanks, but we'll pass."
"*pft!* Stingy kids." the scalper scoffed as he went off in search of another target.
Before the kids could go elsewhere, they were confronted by a familiar, yet extremely angry face.
"You brats broke my tank!" that old biplane pilot yelled, enraged and ready to get reimbursed any way he could, whether it was legal or not, "It was my most prized possession!"
"We're sorry, really…" Ken said.
"Save it!" the pilot spat, "It's gonna cost me $2,000 to get the parts I need to finish repairs."
"Two-Thousand?" Ken asked, shocked.
"And you overgrown brats better give me restitution, or by God, I'll…"
"We'll pay!" Anna abruptly said.
"Anna…" Ken said, pulling her and Lloyd aside.
"Relax - I have half that much in a private account, and I know your father's been giving you daily stipends for emergencies." Anna said. Then, looking over her shoulder back at the old man, "And I'd say this is quite an emergency."
Sighing, Ken knew he was beaten… again.
"Sir?" he asked, "We just have to withdraw it from our bank account. Just… please wait here while we go get it."
"You'd better be back with it…" the old man sneered.
"You can have me as collateral." Anna suddenly stated, catching her two friends off guard.
"What?" Lloyd replied, almost losing his glasses in the shock.
"Anna?" Ken replied.
"Relax…" she scoffed, "I trust that you'll come back with the money." Then, getting nasty, "'cause if you don't, you'll have more than Hell to pay when I get through with you."
Getting one last look, Ken rushed off to the nearby department store to use their ATM to withdraw the $2,000 - as well as $360 for three tickets to get into the Live House nightclub. (Hey, it sure beat the price that scalper was charging for just one, and he was able to get three for less than a third of the price.)
Returning…
"Here." Ken said, handing the old man what he wanted.
Counting the money on the spot, his disposition somewhat softened, "Thank you, and goodbye."
As the old man left, he was no longer blocking their entrance into the Live House, which was starting to cause a scene.
"What kept you?" Anna asked.
Knowing she could tell if he was lying, Ken just came out with it.
"Turns out that scalper was lying." Ken said, handing them each a ticket, "You could get them at the department store for a tenth of the price."
Not sure whether to hug him or slug him, Anna took her ticket as she and the boys entered the establishment.
"Tickets please." the bouncer said, unenthusiastically and in an almost robot-like monotone as the kids entered the establishment, "You need a ticket to get in."
"Here." Ken said, handing them over.
Looking them over, the bouncer seemed somewhat satisfied, "Thank you. Hope you enjoy yourself."
Activating the automatic turnstile, the kids were allowed to enter the darkened nightclub.
Escorted to a table, the kids were given a menu and left alone to look them over, as a voluptuous, somewhat scantily clad waitress came walking up to them.
"Wow, you look cute." the waitress said, putting on the charm, "How 'bout I buy you a drink."
Hiding all but her evil eyes behind the menu, Anna shot the waitress a look that could melt ice.
Ken's telepathy kicking in like Spider-Man's Spider Sense, Ken noticed the lady (in the weakest definition of the word) was hiding a police badge and a pair of handcuffs in her slightly exposed bust line and a John Derringer handgun in the back pocket of her Daisy Duke shorts. Learning to trust his Spider Senses, as he'd nicknamed them, it was obvious this waitress was a narc.
"Uh… No thanks," Ken replied, "We're good."
With a bubbly laugh, she asked, "What? Are you scared of the cops? Come on!"
"He said we're not interested!" Anna burst out.
"Well…" the woman said in a huff, miffed as she walked away to hunt for a new victim.
"Thanks, Anna." Lloyd replied.
"Talk about someone who won't take 'no' for an answer…" Ken replied, looking down at his menu, hoping this place served a good T-bone steak special.
"Anna, girl!" this other rowdy patron said, staggering (and obviously) drunk.
"Do I know you?" She asked, suspiciously eyeing him.
"It says so on your hat, cutie. *hic*"
Taking off her hat, she saw that she did in fact have her name sewn on it, on the size tag inside of the headwear.
"*hic* How 'bout you and me…?" the drunk slurred.
"Waitress!" Ken bursts in, "Here's one for you!"
With that, the drunk was escorted out of the building, with his hands behind his back, chained to a pair of thin metal bracelets.
"Now we're even." Ken said, said to Anna, getting her to awkwardly blush at the response, knowing full well what he was referring to.
"Teddy's parents were killed by mountain creatures." Ken overheard this woman at the next table say to another, "Before that, he was such a gentle kid."
"Don't peek in the back room." Ken also overheard another patron warning his friend, "Or you'll get it for sure." pointing to a dressing room door one of the far end walls of the building. Deciding he didn't want to know what was supposed to be going on in that room, he and his friends' attention were immediately drawn to the emcee as he stepped up on stage as the lights in the hall finally dimmed.
"Ladies and gentlemen?" he said, addressing the small crowd as a lone spotlight shown down on him, "We regret to inform you that the main act has just called in to say that something's suddenly come up and they'll be unable to perform this evening." After the jeers from the audience died down, and he avoided the random rotten egg and tomato thrown at him, "Please, please!" the emcee pleaded, "Before you kind people demand any your money back, how about we have a little (impromptu) karaoke show." As the crowd grumbled, at least the tension had died down enough for him to continue, "All we need is at least one brave volunteer from the audience…"
You could almost see the light bulb turn on above Anna's head. "Why don't we, boys?" she asked, excited.
"I don't know…" Lloyd stammered.
"Come on, it'll be fun." Anna pleaded.
Before Ken and Lloyd could protest any further, Anna volunteered them to do a number on stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first act of the evening." he said, "Please, give a round of applause for these three young men and woman as they sing Jeremy Budd's latest hit, "All That I Needed"."
As the music started playing, and the light, obligatory applause died down, the gang went into some impromptu chorography. As soon as the melody cues start playing, Anna and Ken alternated verses, occasionally sharing one, while Lloyd provided backup…
(Anna)
…~"I used to think I was so smart"~…
…~"But I couldn't hide the hole in my heart"~…
…~"Sad as it seems"~…
…~"None of my dreams"~…
…~"Ever came true"~…
(Ken)
…~"I used to walk the avenue"~…
…~"All by myself, with nothin' to do"~…
…~"Kickin' at cans"~…
…~"Half of a man"~…
…~"Till I met you, and I knew"~…
(Anna/Ken)
…~"I've looked for you"~…
…~"All of my life"~…
…~"Round every corner"~…
…~"Wishin' on stars"~…
…~"Like some kind of fool"~…
(Anna/Ken/Lloyd)
…~"*…ooo…* *…ooo…* *…ooo…*"~…
(Ken)
…~"But now that I see"~…
…~"The stars in your eyes"~…
…~"Those days are over"~…
…~"I took one look and I was hooked"~…
…~"I found heaven in you"~…
(Anna)
…~"And though my dream was overdue"~…
…~"My prayer was answered out of the blue"~…
…~"And now I know"~…
…~"I know it's true"~…
…~"All that I needed was you"~…
(Anna/Ken/Lloyd)
…~"You were all that I wanted"~…
…~"You were all that I needed"~…
(Ken)
…~"I was lost, anyone could tell"~…
…~"Just tossing dimes in wishing wells"~…
…~"Out of money and down on luck"~…
…~"Was I surprised when lightnin' struck"~…
…~"And suddenly, you were sent to me"~…
(Anna)
…~"My destiny. it was meant to be"~…
…~"I didn't know before"~…
…~"What I was living for"~…
…~"But now I know for sure"~…
…~"I have been waiting for you"~…
(Ken)
…~"I never knew what I had missed"~…
…~"Until the moment that we kissed"~…
…~"Angel divine"~…
…~"Now you are mine"~…
…~"I feel brand new"~…
(Anna)
…~"And now at last my life's complete"~…
…~"Baby, your love's the missing piece"~…
…~"Here in my arms"~…
…~"Here in my heart"~…
…~"All that I needed was you"~…
(Anna/Ken)
…~"I've looked for you"~…
…~"All of my life"~…
…~"Round every corner"~…
…~"Wishin' on stars"~…
…~"Like some kind of fool"~…
(Anna/Ken/Lloyd)
…~"*…ooo…* *…ooo…* *…ooo…*"~…
(Ken)
…~"But now I see the stars in your eyes"~…
…~"Those days are over"~…
…~"I took one look"~…
…~"And I was hooked"~…
…~"I found heaven in you"~…
(Anna/Ken/Lloyd)
…~"And though my dream was overdue"~…
…~"My prayer was answered out of the blue"~…
…~"And now I know"~…
…~"I know it's true"~…
…~"All that I needed was you"~…
As the song concluded, the audience applauded, obviously entertained at the three young teenagers' spectacle.
"I didn't know you could sing so well, Ken." Anna said, as the gang took their bows.
"*heh* Neither did I."
Around that time, this buff, older teenager, who couldn't have been older than seventeen, maybe nineteen tops, came into the club, walking up to the trio looking like he was ready for a fight - leather boots, ripped jeans, a studded belt, white tank top, black fingerless gloves, sunglasses and a greased back pompadour - If he had a leather jacket, he'd look like someone out of an old James Dean movie.
"Thank you for your nice song." the stranger said.
"Thanks." Ken replied, suspicious, sarcastically.
"By the way, you beat up on one of my friends." the stranger added, "I'll smash you good!"
"You mean that Black Blood thug?" Lloyd replied.
"That's him." the stranger sneered. "Who's your boss! I'm planning to teach him a lesson."
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ken bravely stepped forward.
"Not for long, you ain't!" the stranger said, taking a swing at Ken, making him stagger back, unprepared for that punch to the face.
"Ken!" Anna and Lloyd cried, concerned as they ran to his side, helping him up.
"This one's mine…" they heard Ken sneer as he charged forward, only to get a heavy slug to his gut. Without the use of his bat against the older teenaged gang boss, Ken got a lucky strike in, knocking the stranger back a couple of steps. Trading punches with one another, Anna and Lloyd had no choice but to watch from the sidelines - Ken wasn't allowing either of them to back him up. Besides, to his surprise, he was holding his own fairly well. Getting one more good punch in on the young kid, the stranger knocked Ken to the ground.
"Ken! Look out!" Anna shouted, seeing the stranger had produced a stiletto.
As soon as the stranger threw his knife, Anna reacted, using her telekinesis to force the blade to hang midair just before it came in contact with Ken's head. When Ken looked at her, Anna lost concentration, forcing the knife to drop to the floor, ending the fight.
"*hahaha* You're quite a guy." the guy smirked, letting out a hearty laugh as soon as the shock wore off, "Your name's Ken? Let's call this a draw, then…"
"Just who the Hell are you, anyway?" Ken demanded, brushing himself off after his friends helped him get up.
"Someone who seek vengeance for my parents." he replied.
"You're Teddy?" Lloyd asked.
"The one and only." Teddy smirked. "To the mountains! I'm sure we'll make a great team! Let's get going!" Like it or not, Teddy was joining this rag tag little party, save for one exception. "You there!" pointing at one of the kids, "The one with the glasses!"
"Who, me?" Lloyd asked.
"You're not good at fighting, are you?" Teddy asks.
"Not really…"
"Rest here, then." Teddy says, "While these two and I head into the mountains."
"Hey, wait!" Ken protested.
"Save it, Ken…" Lloyd calmly interrupted, "I could use the R&R."
"Lloyd, are you sure about this?" Anna asked.
"Positive." Lloyd replied.
"Then it's settled." Teddy said, "Let's go!"
"Wait!" Lloyd said, "Before you guys head off without me, we found this on our way here." handing Teddy the sword they'd been keeping on hand since Ken had found it while roaming around the tunnels underneath Magicant.
"Righteous!" Teddy said, seething the sword in his belt, "Thanks, kid."
"Good luck, guys!" Lloyd said, as the original team (reluctantly) parted ways.
