posted
I don't really do much in the way of writing, but the following is a little something I wrote a few years back and posted to the YahooGroup. Hope you like it
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Madame Wu’s Sushi/Karaoke Bar, Metropolis, Earth:
It had appeared out of nowhere, a quaint little restaurant at the lower end of Restaurant Row, on Metropolis’ lower east side. It was nice enough, not as large as some of the city’s more established dining spots. And there were definitely Japanese Cuisine establishments with much better food. But Madame Wu’s had a catch, something that couldn’t be found at that time in any other establishment.
A karaoke machine.
Now, karaoke had gone out of fashion hundreds of years earlier, sometime in the latter half of the 21st Century. In fact, the fact that it had ever even existed had mostly been forgotten. But Madame Wu was a shrewd businesswoman. She knew that nostalgia was a very marketable thing. And so, she opted for an angle that no one else had thought to try.
And it was a goldmine.
Patrons lined up for blocks to get into the restaurant, and the waiting list for reservations to the private areas went on for months. However, there was one person that never had to wait in line. One favored person that never needed a reservation to get the best private dining area in the house.
No one knew the story of how the two had met, or what possible circumstances could have placed the man up on the stage in Madame Wu’s permanent favor, but special to her he was.
And the patrons loved him.
A hush came over the room every time he got up to sing, and an excited tingle spread through the room any time he entered the front doors. Any performer on stage willingly deferred to him and took their seat, eager to be enthralled by the velvety sound of his voice.
He stood before them tonight, leaning against the antique baby grand piano that sat center stage of the main dining area. A single spotlight was aimed at him, softened to bathe him in a dusty glow. The only other illumination in the room came from the single candles on each table.
Breathy words spilled from his parted lips, the sound carrying across the room like wisps of smoke, washing over the listeners, wrapping around them. They were enthralled by him, swept away by his words. They would have done anything he asked of them, every last one of them, so mesmerized by him they were.
The song finished, and he bowed down his head, waiting patiently for the crowd to come out of his spell. And when they did, applause filled the room, a thunderous ovation as the patrons leapt to their feet, eager to praise him, devastated that the song was over. They wanted more, but he was tired. It had been a long day, and a glorious evening, but Michael Lash was ready to go home.
As always, he stopped at Madame Wu’s private table, up in the center balcony. They spoke for a moment, their heads bent close together as if sharing some deep secret. Smiles crossed both their faces, and the two shared the gentle embrace of longtime friends. Not wanting to deal with the crowds below, Michael used Madame Wu’s private exit, which led him to a side street away from the main avenue. No one would see him there, and he could quickly make his escape from Restaurant Row.
It was a beautiful night, and although he could have used his flight ring to propel him quickly back to the LMBP Outpost, he decided to walk a bit. It would help him clear the last few cobwebs from his mind before he got home and into his comfy bed.
A sound up ahead told him that his journey would have to take a minor detour.
He turned down a nearby alley. It was dark, with no streetlights to push through the shadows. Luckily the moon was full, so he could navigate the alley without falling down. That would have been very embarrassing. He came around the rear corner of the building, and that is when he saw them.
The couple had probably felt that it was safe enough to walk. After all, it wasn’t really that late. However, the woman’s expensive jewels and the man’s tailored suit was very visible proof of their wealth, and really such displays always put one at risk, even in Metropolis. The gang of thugs had probably been in hiding, waiting for some foolish traveler to come into their trap. They had more than likely forced the couple into this alley, either with brazen threats or some kind of weapon.
And they might have succeeded, if not for Mllash.
He spoke to them, calmly yet forcefully, advising them to step away from the couple before it was too late. But really, he certainly didn’t seem overly threatening, in his casual suit and laid back demeanor. The gang members sneered at him, and three of the group broke off and moved menacingly toward the newcomer.
In the blink of an eye, Mllash moved. He slashed aside his right arm, cutting through the air before him. However, the hand that had only been empty a split second ago now held a whip, which cracked forward as if guided by its own will. The end of the whip caught the nearest thug, wrapping itself securely around the man’s wrist. With little effort, Lash pulled back, and the man was pulled off his feet, his face smashing into the pavement.
The other two thugs quickly drew weapons from within their coats, and simultaneously the guns were fired. However, the laser blasts simply hit the area were Mllash should have been. Unfortunately for them, he was gone, throwing himself forward into a series of somersaults, which brought him quickly to them. Hands braced on the ground, Lash’s legs kicked outward, heels catching the thugs in the chin.
As he flipped up onto his feet, Mllash spun around, and throwing stars that he must have pulled from his pockets slashed out, catching the gunmen in their trigger hands. Screaming in pain, they dropped their weapons, blood already trickling from the wounds. Grabbing the one nearest him, Lash threw him into his partner, and the pair slammed heavily against the nearby wall.
Quickly he turned to face the two remaining villains. They stood on either side of the frightened victims, guns shakily pointing toward Lash, indecision evident in their panicked expressions. Could they take him down before he got them? Uneasy glances at their fallen friends seemed to tell them their chances were not good.
Mllash stood there calmly, arms dropped easily at his sides. He again gave them the offer to give themselves up peacefully, before anyone else got hurt. He almost thought that they might do it, but the wild looks in their eyes told them that fear was going to make them do something very stupid, and possibly very dangerous.
Suddenly his arms shot up, and the whips that were suddenly in them snapped out. The tips cracked the thugs’ gun hands with a painful slash, and the pair roared in agony. Before they could react further, however, a dozen knives were suddenly slicing through the air at them. The razor sharp blades dug deeply into clothing, and the force of their blows pushed the pair backward against the wall. The knives dug into the wall, pinning the villains securely against it.
Lash checked to make sure the couple were okay before pulling a small communicator from his pants pocket. Within minutes the Science Police were there, taking the gang members into custody. The Mayor of Metropolis thanked Lash profusely for saving his wife and himself from those dangerous criminals. Lash made some polite reply, and quickly excused himself.
He used his flight ring to take him the rest of the way home.
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
I'm afraid my storylines tend to run a little more... traditionally... than most of the tagteam threads, Cobie Cakes
I might overhaul an old Newcru King & Crujectra story from around the same time as the Lash story. I would have to bring it up to speed for modern continuity.
We'll see
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Sounds good to me Cru! I'd love to read that story!
Th tag threads are a bit out of control sometimes, which is why I love 'em. But sometimes I like telling a good solid story too without the 'over-the-top' aspect of it also. That's what I was going for with my "Price of Security" story, which I think is more similar to this story than to the tag threads.
Once again, great story Cru!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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