Adventures In Parodyverse: Complex Chaos Part 2

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Complex Chaos Part 1

Adventures In Parodyverse - Complex Chaos, Part 2

    "Hey, it's lame fake-o boy," Kerry greeted Visionary with as he arrived at his quarters at the Lair Mansion. She looked at his companions. "Let's see...purple haired chick and..." She looked closer at Liu Xi. "Who are you supposed to be?"

    "Liu Xi," the Chinese teen told Kerry.

    "What're you doing hanging with fake-bob dork-pants? And who dressed you like that?"

    "I'm real, dammit!" Visionary insisted. He was summarily ignored by everyone present.

    "Ebony," Liu Xi replied.

    "Don't you have like...something less Sneezing Dragon and more...normal?" Kerry asked. "I mean...isn't that uncomfortable?"

    Liu Xi nodded. "I have, yes. But this is very comfortable."

    "Really?" Kerry asked. "I could use something like that for all the dates--" She stopped in mid-sentence and looked at Visionary, who looked more panicked than usual. "Uhh...for all the formal occasions I attend."

    "Okay," Liu Xi replied. "I asked Ebony to give one to Visionary to give you."

    "No, no no noooo," Visionary protested. "I don't want to get too close to Ebony. She scares me."

    "So do I," Yuki Shiro finally piped up.

    "Ebony is a lot scarier. Trust me."

    Yuki rolled her eyes. "Okay, so we took you home. Ready to go, Liu Xi?"

    "She can hang out here for a while if she likes," Kerry interrupted.

    "No, she can't," Visionary said, "Because you're grounded."

    "Grounded? Since when? For what?"

    "Since right now," Visionary replied as he hastily herded Kerry inside. "I'm sure I'll think of a good reason."

---

    Jay Boaz was enjoying a quiet afternoon reading, after a somewhat long and painful day. He was bruised and sore, and his hand was covered by a real bandage newly applied by Asil upon his arrival at the Lair Mansion. It was a moment he looked forward to, a rare moment of quiet. Little did he know that was about to change. There was a knock at the door.

    "Come in!" Jay announced, anticipating that it was one of his fellow Lair Legion members. He was shocked to see Flapjack escorting a woman he'd seen before just a couple of hours ago - Chiaki Bushido, the Psychic Samurai.

    "Oh," he said quickly as he put the book down. "I wasn't expecting you."

    "I apologize for intruding on your privacy," Chiaki apologized as she bowed slightly, "I came to make you an offer. A small deposit on a very large debt I owe you."

    Hatman thought about protesting the debt part, but thought the better of it and urged her to continue.

    "If there is something you seek...something just beyond your reach...I may have access to resources unavailable to you or difficult for you to approach peacefully. Please consider me to be a resource at your disposal."

    "That's not really necessary, Chiaki," Jay said. "I do just fine on my own."

    "It is to repay my debt to you...and to fill a promise."

    "What promise? If you don't mind my asking."

    Chiaki finally smiled slightly. "Upon my release from Akiko's employ, I promised myself I would use the rich supply of information from my previous connections to do good things...provided it does not shame Akiko. I still feel she deserves some loyalty."

    "She's a criminal," Jay said, "But I can see why. She's probably the nicest criminal in the entire state."

    "You should attempt to truly understand her before passing judgement," Chiaki told him. "There are reasons she has become what she is." She frowned for a moment and shook her head. "Please forgive my last comment. I only came here to make you an offer."

    "No, don't worry about it," Jay told her. "It was a nice discussion, and you're probably right. And thanks for the offer. I'll think about it."

    Chiaki smiled and bowed slightly. "I will see myself out," she said.

    With that, the Psychic Samurai quickly slipped out of the Lair Mansion. Jay returned to his book.

---

    "Do you feel better?" Liu Xi asked upon returning to Al B Harper's cabin. He gave her an exhausted look from beneath a thick blanket as he lay on the couch.

    "I am sorry," she whispered to him. She lowered her head and looked at Al B sideways through her dark hair as she added sadly, "You do not have to be angry for long. Manga Shoggoth should come for me soon."

    "I'm not angry at all," Al B spoke weakly. "Just...sick, and very tired. And maybe a little frustrated, because I didn't learn anything." He took a deep breath and sat up slowly. "No, that's wrong. I did learn something. I learned that I had it all wrong. I thought if you were safe using these abilities I should be too. I didn't take the proper precautions."

    Liu Xi gave him a concerned look. "Do you think I did not become ill when I first began?"

    "I...guess I never asked," he replied quietly.

    "But you make yourself more ill," Liu Xi told him, "Because you think about what happened again and again. Your memory makes you sick longer."

    "How do you do it, then?" Al B asked. "How do you stop it from making you feel sick?"

    "I think about the next thing," she replied. "Make myself forget the past. Distract myself with fun things...like video games."

    "Thing is," Al B told her, "My whole life is learning things. If I just let this be I'll drive myself crazy forever trying to figure out what I could have done to understand it." He paused for a moment and asked, "Does the Manga Shoggoth approve of this?"

    "Shoggoth is happy I can interact with regular people," Liu Xi told him. "Yuki and you teach me a lot." She tilted her head slightly and added, "I see good people and I see bad people. I understand now why Ebony says to be careful of powerful enemies."

    "I'm a good people, right?" Al B asked curiously.

    Liu Xi smiled. "Yes. You are odd but treat me with respect and kindness. Yuki is very kind too. Shoggoth asks me each time if I wish visit again. I say 'yes'."

    "Even though I hook you up to wires and run tests?"

    "Yuki hooks up to wires too. She does not mind." Liu Xi laughed, implying that she knew the difference and was making a joke.

    Al B smiled. "I find this refreshing. Usually my test subjects either want to run away or kill me."

    "I am no test subject," Liu Xi pointed out. "It you who is being tested. There is no reason for me to resent you. I...worry you resent me for making you sick."

    "Nah, that's just...science." He smiled. "If it's not me getting sick, it's blowing up the living room couch."

    Liu Xi laughed. "Please don't do that. You need a place to lie down when you sick." She turned around as a small point of light appeared...and a second later, the Manga Shoggoth was resting at approximately the same spot.

    "I guess it's time for you to go," Al B said.

    Just then, Yuki came bursting in through the front door carrying two armfuls of grocery bags. She sighed with relief when she walked in. "Oh, good, I made it. I wanted to say goodbye before Liu Xi left."

    "Where did you go?" Liu Xi asked.

    "Al needed some groceries," Yuki replied. "I picked up a few things because he wasn't feeling well."

    Liu Xi slowly approached the Shoggoth and spoke to him quickly in Chinese. The Shoggoth seemed to understand perfectly.

    'Yes,' the Shoggoth broadcast to everyone in the room, 'They do seem to have been doing an excellent job.' The Shoggoth turned its attention to Al B Harper. 'I hear you have been running experiments on Liu Xi.'

    Al B turned white as a sheet, but didn't reply...

    ...and then he had to refrain from laughing when Liu Xi suddenly raised her voice and began scolding the Shoggoth in Chinese. The Shoggoth bubbled something back, and then a moment of silence passed between them.

    'I apologize for implying you were acting improperly,' the Shoggoth finally broadcast. 'Liu Xi has informed me that she consented to these tests, and that you have treated her with respect at all times.'

    Liu Xi urged the Shoggoth to add something else. She smiled, seeming like she was trying not to laugh as she said it.

    'She also wants me to thank you for taking good care of her.'

    "She's welcome back any time," Yuki told the Shoggoth. She looked at Al B for signs of resistance, but there were none.

    'I may take you up on that soon,' the Shoggoth replied. 'But first Liu Xi has something else to do.' With that, he and Liu Xi vanished into a point of light.

    "I guess I do too," Yuki admitted. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked Al B. "Are you over being sick?"

    "Yes, I'm much better," he said. He rubbed his chin gently for a moment. "Say, before you go, can I download your data on the experiment with Liu Xi?"

    Yuki looked confused. "You already have all my data. It was run through your computer."

    "Oh." Al B sounded disappointed. "I was hoping you had some insight into it that I missed."

    She shook her head. "I saw the same power spike and then the sudden drop-off, like it was drawing energy from some other plane. Same as you did."

    "You didn't see where the power was being drawn from?"

    "No." She shook her head again. "I checked to see if it was my battery, if it was utility power. And Liu Xi herself wasn't releasing any significant energy."

    "She doesn't have to." Al B smiled when he began to put together part of the puzzle. "That...'in between', or whatever she called it...it must have all the energy she needs to do these things. And she can tap it by opening a small tear in space."

    "So?" Yuki asked.

    "So if I can do the same, I can design a dimensional transport that uses the power of a hundred watt light bulb!" Al raced off to try and work out his theories on paper.

    Yuki laughed. "Good ol' Al B, back in action," she said to herself. Louder, she added, "I'll see you later."

    Al B harper didn't hear a word she said.

---

    "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ebony asked Liu Xi as they stood outside Visionary's quarters in the Lair Mansion. Her arm was outstretched, prepared to knock at the door, but she was unsure if she should.

    "I promised," Liu Xi told Ebony. She decided to tap on the door instead.

    After a moment's pause, the door opened. Visionary saw Ebony first and gasped. "Tell the Shoggoth that Mirii surprised me completely with her visit. I didn't ask her to or anything."

    "And also tell him fake-man forces a teenager to stay locked in her room!" Kerry yelled from the background.

    "She's...uh...grounded," Visionary whispered sheepishly.

    Ebony just gave them both a dismissive scoff.

    "May I give to her this?" Liu Xi asked politely as she lifted up a white paperboard box.

    "What is it?" Visionary asked. He paled for a moment as he asked, "It's not flammable, is it?"

    "It is the outfit Kerry asked for," Liu Xi replied. She laughed and added, "You are quite funny, Visionary."

    "He's also quite fake!" Kerry yelled. "Tell him that, too!"

    Visionary cringed, but didn't say anything to counter Kerry's comment. "Thanks," he mumbled, "I'll make sure she gets it."

    Ebony raised an eyebrow and gave Visionary a look which chilled him to his very core. "Be sure that you do," she said.

    Visionary shivered, and nearly forgot to close the door when Ebony and Liu Xi headed back down the sidewalk.

    "Why do you do that?" Liu Xi asked Ebony. "Is it not cruel to Visionary?"

    Ebony shrugged. "Yeah. But it was fun."

---


    Yuki Shiro burst into Frankie's club, the site where the Zoot Suit gang usually hung around. It was there that the entire incident with Hatman began - and with the careful balance of power in the community, the last thing Yuki needed was for a gang like them to feel too powerful and end up attracting the attention of the Lair Legion. If they did, they would surely be beaten, and it was pretty sure then that either Akiko Masamune, or worse, the Lynchpin, would take control.

    But as she entered the club, she found it completely empty. The furniture was still in place, but the lights were out and everyone was gone. The liquor behind the bar had vanished.

    "What's going on here?" she asked herself.

    "They have moved on," a middle-aged man suddenly came out of nowhere and told her. He wore a dark cloak and a hood. "The Asian friend you brought with you last time has some major connections. The club has been shuttered."

    "The Psychic Samurai?" Yuki asked.

    "Yes," the man replied. He laughed. "You thought she was just some polite Samurai girl from Japan, didn't you? She has been part of one of the largest organized crime syndicates in town, Ms. Shiro. She has significant financial resources and connections."

    "So where did the Zoot Suit gang go?" She squinted when she saw a hint of a green glow from his eyes - she began to recognize him. "And why are you helping me?"

    He ignored her question, and instead added, "Chiaki Bushido has never known anyone with a good heart who wasn't a comrade in arms, and therefore off limits. She has never harmed anyone she did not mean to."

    "Stop speaking in riddles," Yuki warned. "I know you have a reputation for it, Hooded Hood, but I won't stand for it."

    The Hooded Hood raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe anyone asked you to." He turned and began leaving the club. "If you wish to understand Ms. Bushido's motives, I suggest you start with the man who's hand she sliced open. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." With that, he vanished from view.

    "What a freakin' weirdo," Yuki mumbled to herself as she left the club. As soon as she stepped outside, her mouth was left hanging open.

    On a large billboard directly across the street was an ad from a local television station trumpeting the return of Marvellous Marv.

---

    "No, he's supposed to be dead, Al," Yuki told Al B Harper upon her return to the cabin. "Marvellous Marv died on live television!"

    Al B shrugged. "No, but he did announce his retirement. Maybe you had a bad dream?"

    Yuki frowned and shook her head. "Maybe this all has something to do with running into the Hooded Hood."

    A loud crash sounded as the odd metal structure Al B was simultaneously holding up and soldering came crashing down. "You ran into the Hooded Hood?"

    "Yes. Why?"

    "I've got to call Hatman," Al B told her. "If he spoke to you and now your memory is different from everyone else's...he's up to something."

    "Maybe he's just trying to make me crazy." Yuki replied, "I'm not sure why else he would bring a television psychic back to life."

    "His motives and plans are very complex," Al pointed out. "The Lair Legion usually doesn't figure it out until it's almost completed."

    "I figured that part out." Yuki took a bottle of water and sat on Al B's desk. "I know all the puzzle pieces. Me, Chiaki, Hatman, Visionary, the Zoot Suit Gang, and Marvelous Marv." She paused a minute and added, "Maybe the club itself, and the Yakuza. What I don't get is how they fit together."

    "With the exception of Marvelous Marv, everything else relates directly to Hatman," Al pointed out.

    "Something the Hood said," Yuki pondered. "Something he said to me bothered me. About Chiaki and Hatman. Like he's taking a particular interest in them. It makes no sense. Logically he might go after Liu Xi, but he doesn't seem to have any interest in her."

    "It's you," Al B whispered. "You're at the center of it all. He's interested in you."

CONTINUED IN PART 3

-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2005 by Jason Froikin, and may not be
-- reprinted without permission.
-- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow
-- Liu Xi Xian is an original design by Jason Froikin

Post By Anime Jason Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 12:06:46 pm EST	Subject Adventures In Parodyverse: Complex Chaos Part 2

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