The Jade Eye

This fan fiction is the perfect merge of Highlander: the series (a Davis/Panzer Production.)and Forever Knight (Parriott/Sloan Prduction in Canada.) Katrina Macleaod and her co-workers are my creations only.

The Jade Eye dance studio was located in central Toronto with three over flowing dance floors. The twenty-one and under crowd, raved with spirited competition. On the center dance floor, gamers in circular pens controlled virtual demons and warriors on a 5X5 viewer screen; the main attraction with all the accessories of high definition graphics and thundering club riffs.

Winner! The crowd roared and whistled!

A single shout of congratulations sounded over the speakers. Introduced by a herold of techno fanfare, Katrina Nagarelli walked on to the gaming platform, a small earpiece- and microphone attached to her ear.

Mindful of the girl's tiara, Katrina extended her arm around the teen's shoulders. A TV camera slid over to their position. "That was a fine match, Princess Teacup!" The teen bowed briefly, uttering thanks with flushing cheeks.

Katrina spoke again in Japanese to the camera, "Toronto's own tackled the final round- best two out of three." Katrina glance to her left, "Well, played, Captain Peachfuzz, but it's ladies night at the Jade Eye- And listen up folks! There's a sale on peach smoothies at the bar!"

A chorus of "yahoo!" sounded from the crowd. Captain Peachfuzz stood in the opposite gaming pen wearing a British colonial/ punker ensemble and folded his arms - blushing with a hard grin.

Katrina playfully wrinkled her nose at the crowd to her far right. "What did she win, Darth Vader?"

The camera panned to the disk jockey wearing a black cape and a like replica helmet. The D.J.'s alcove was rimmed with break-dancing storm troopers. Darth Vader wheezed and droned his reply, and the lacy Princess Teacup skipped off with a college grant taped to a new game system.

The camera panned back to Katrina Nagarelli. Speaking again in Japanese, Nagarelli told her television audience, "'Digit Titan' game masters face off in Tokyo. More news up next."

Katrina scanned the crowd. Among the children, she recognized Nicholas and his detective partner; they'd been watching her show by the smoother bar. Katrina met with Nicholas' gaze, and he sent her a fetching nod the made her heart skip in response.

Katrina was given an over-sized TV remote. The 5X5 viewer screen switched through channels of commercials and programs.- Godzilla roaring with Hershey's chocolate dripping from his spiky jaws. – Sesame Street's Oscar the Crouch had Barney in a head lock – Mercury Tech. logo in CGI graphics and head banger riffs. – Yowling bare-chested monk dive at each other, a gong clashed, a traditionally dressed samurai warlord stomps through the shrine. The monks gasp. - Channels moved on. - "If you can turn a door knob, you can turn the 'Pan Fryer.' But wait!" – The viewer screen switched back to the samurai warlord. He had his own oversized remote aimed at the audience. With 70' style 'ah-oh' fanfare, the villain made a hearty introduction and cackled, "Ah-ha-ha-ho- How are my Canadian friends?"

"Oh! Lord Tae Bo, greetings." Katrina started, sounding caught off guard at first, but beginning to match the samurai's boldness. "I'm Katrina Nagarelli of Toronto—"

"Ooooh, aren't we a feisty girl, Cat Ringer," the warlord cooed.

"That's Ka-trin-a!" she snapped in halting syllables.

"Track-rail-or…" Tae Bo uttered in flat tones, now timid after his failed attempt.

Katrina stuck out her tongue while shaking her head in cross-eyed surrender. "Whatever- Look. I know it's lunch hour in Tokyo right now, but could you honor us with the overview of your tournament's events?"

The warlord's bulking armor expanded further with pride. "First I test their feats of strength with a simple 'finding a hay straw in a needle stack' game… Then with an elite few left" – The TV flashed Lord Tae Bo commanding a horde of Sasquatch creatures to ambush a huddled group of teenagers.—"my gamers compete in vats of boiling school cafeteria leftovers. Which is more impressive than the pens you've arranged Lady Car Trainer." The extreme close-up had the camera all but staring up flaring nostrils as he turned his nose in haughty contempt.

"Uh- thanks," she replied as she shrank back in surprised disgust.

Lord Tae Bo continued. "Our reigning champion is Orri Seiko of Haiku, Okinawa." The screen cap of a teenage gamer caught at a slanted camera angle appeared briefly on the screen. The boy looked like a god/superhero in tie-die spandex. "The looser, Cosmo Nokumura of Kyoto will be drop-kicked to Euro-Disney Land in a Barney suit… Did you ask about my singing voice?"

"No…"

"When I'm not commanding my boogie men, and dressed as fashionably as this. I campaign for our future—Roll film!" In Japanese trash rap style, Bo idealized his world dominance and juvenile moral corruption, at higher after- school wages—"And I don't like Star Wars." Gradually, Lord Tae Bo's speech started stuttering and skipping out of sequence. Then the scene melted in a projector-style mishap. The TV displayed a standby- screen: The Mercury Tech. logo with orchestrated easy listening music.

Katrina Nagarelli turned to the Canadian youngsters, muttering in a bubbly twang, "All… right…That was Mercury Tech. Enterprise's: Digit Titans, Tournament of Champions. B'bye, now and 'May the Force be with you.'"

The crowed cheered.

Katrina walked off the platform as techno- spin music sounded off the show and returned The Jade Eye' to its dance club function.

She joined the detectives at the railed entrance when they left the bar. Her eyes gleamed with jade contacts against the darkened pallet of eye shadowing.

Nicholas greeted her jokingly, "Great show, Lady Cat Trainer."

Katrina did a double take at Nicholas.

Detective Don Schanke cut in ruefully with insight to Nicholas Knight, "Guys at the precinct could use this taping for working with the Asian kids."

Katrina huffs at both, "Ho- yah! I'd love to hear Canadian cops stutter in Japanese!"

Schanke coughed and grinned cautiously at Nicholas. "Ms. Nagarelli, we have more questions."

Nicholas smiled at Katrina and remained casual. "Is there a quiet table some where we can talk?"

Schanke agreed while reaching into his pocket. "If you don't mind the campy Vader ante rage is distracting me." He didn't wait for Katrina to respond. Schanke glanced at his pager then moaned in aggravation. "Okay Nick I'm need cross town."

Nicholas replied with mocking sympathy. "Send my regards to the dungeon."

"Yah, yah." Schanke chided back as he left.

"Nick is it?" Katrina said to Nicholas as laughter played in her eyes. "Follow me." They weaved left near the entrance.