Episode 095 Previous Episode	Next Episode
“I was visiting a bar there, not unlike this one. They served beer. Not quite as good as this, but close. And I saw something you wouldn’t believe. I’m sitting there see, small table all by myself at this bar. It’s full of real lowlives. I mean, not like this place here. No, I mean bad. Like they were up to no good. Anyway, I’m by myself...I like it that way. Meanwhile, things are going on...under the table kinds of things. Not too obvious but, not too secret either. So, I’m sitting there. And in walks the biggest Mexican I have ever seen. Big as sh!t. Just walks right in like he owns the place. And nobody knew quite what to make of him...or quite what to think. But there he was and in he walked.” Buscemi, Desperado The doors swept open like the Gates of Hell welcoming the newest arrivals. Sydney stood at the forefront of the five knights, Erik and Richard to her right, Roland and Donovan to her left. The light from the outside world flared up from behind her and the others, encasing them, silhouetting them against the darkness of the club. Roland stepped past Donovan to stand next to her, a cautious look in his eyes. “Things feel different to you?” he asked. Sydney just nodded. Roland surveyed the club, seeing numerous figures in black and red moving about. All their chivalrous eyes were on the five newcomers. “See a lot of friends?” “I do,” Sydney confirmed. “But I don’t think they’re our friends.” She started down the stairwell to the main dance floor, the humid air seeming to grow hotter with each descending step. Roland stayed at her side, a step back, while Erik and Richard flanked her on the right. Donovan brought up the rear. “This is a nice club,” Richard observed as the five reached the bottom step. “I haven’t seen a club like this since I was in Munich last.” “That’s lovely and all,” Donovan said, his humor gone. “I’m wishing I’d had the foresight to bring my sword.” “You came to this party and aren’t under arms?” Roland gawked. “We’re not here to start trouble,” Erik reminded them both. “Maybe,” Roland allowed cynically. “But just because we’re not here to start trouble doesn’t mean someone else might have other plans.” He gestured with a glance towards the center dance floor. The others turned to see Eliot standing still, utterly amused to see the five knights. Shirtless, his taut muscles flexed with every motion as he walked towards the five. He reached the edge of the dance floor and stopped with a pleasant grin. “Well, hello,” he smiled over the invasive music. “You must be the Europeans that have come to start trouble with Alan Vick and the rest of us.” “You know,” Roland said, moving to stand before Eliot. “It does seem odd that you’re a knight. I mean, usually creepy little bastards like you either accept the fact that their child molesters or they get a gig as a leprechaun in a pro-wresting.” Eliot’s eyes dimmed with anger, but his smile grew wider. “How frightening it must be for you,” he said. “To stare down at one who is so much your superior.” Donovan leaned close to Sydney. “They really got right to the chase with picking the fight, didn’t they?” She nodded, taken back herself. “Gentlemen,” Erik said, stepping between Roland and Eliot, practically pushing them apart. “We are not here for trouble, nor would I imagine your leader would wish there to be any.” “That’s only partly true.” They all turned to see Alan Vick walking out of the crowd, Ryoko at his side. “I would like to avoid trouble. At the same time, I’m not blind. I know why you’re here.” “You do? Great!” Roland grinned, clapping his hands together. “Where are the easy chicks?” He turned and looked at Eliot. “Preferably ones he hasn’t slobbered all over.” Alan smiled tritely and stepped into the midst of the five knights, the brass pommel of his cutlass standing out against his dark red shirt. “This may be a public club,” he said to them, “but this is a private party. I’m delighted to see that I’ve garnered so much attention that Europe has had to get involved. Never the less, I have to ask you to leave.” “You force our hand, Vick,” Richard said, moving to step in front of him. “We know what you’re up to.” “No, you really don’t,” he answered back with a smile, undaunted as Richard stepped within a breath of him. “You don’t know what I’ve seen. You don’t know what I’ve done. You don’t know what I’ve been a part of. And you certainly don’t know what I have planned. Or have even the slightest inkling of why it’s so necessary.” “Guys,” Sydney spoke up. “Why don’t we have this conversation over some drinks? Say, somewhere else, where we don’t have to shout over bad dance music? Somewhere where there aren’t a dozen knights watching us with their hands on their swords.” “Leave,” Alan stated adamantly. “We can’t,” Erik said sincerely, stepping before him. “We are here to stop you. With reason, or with force, we are here to stop you.” “You don’t have reason on your side, so I don’t see how you plan on bringing it to bear against me,” Alan said, unable to keep his smile from growing. “And I’m afraid that there isn’t a force that you command that can stop me.”
Previous Episode	Next Episode