Chapter 5: The Jazz Act

The trio waited in the alley and eventually they had all fallen asleep waiting for La'Rue to wake up. He did so at about 9pm and looked around bleary eyed at the strange men sleeping around him. He recognized Mark but the other two were a mystery to him. He began to get up which took him a second as his balance was a little bit off. As he composed himself he heard a siren off in the distance wailing,

"Just another day in Los Angeles…" All he could remember was that he had come here with Mark to go after the mysterious man and then he was knocked out, only to wake up bound to be knocked out again. As he looked around, La'Rue saw the device laying on the ground and instinctively felt his neck. He felt a mark and four small holes that had scared over where the pincers from the device had burrowed into him. He rubbed it and it felt sore but it didn't hurt him. Remembering what he mysterious man had said the device was for La'Rue began to feel nauseous. "D-Dammit…did that happen to me…?" La'Rue summoned Champion and with a swift movement, sliced the device in two. The device gave an electrical zap and fizzed to silence.

The sudden noise jumped the trio awake and they got up slowly, groaning from the uncomfortable rest. Mark ran over and gave La'Rue a hug, "I'm so glad you're alright after what had happened last night. I'm so sorry about dragging you all into this…"

La'Rue gave him an awkward hug back and kind of pushed him away, "No problem, don't be sorry. I'm your friend and I agreed to go with you, whatever happened would've been out of your control," he glanced down and stared at the floor, "Who are the other two…?"

"This is Jacob and Angel. They helped retrieve me from our…failed attempt…and then they came back to get you when I asked…and you kind of…well…"

He held a hand up to stop him, "Yeah, I know. Sorry about the commotion," he looked at Angel apologetically but his face went back to the stern quality it originally had, "Well I thank you regardless for your assistance. Those bastards thought they could have complete control of my mind. It's sickening, and I vow to not rest until I find out who they are, where they reside and until I put my sword through their chest! Have you gained any information since I've been not myself?"

Jacob took a deep breath and threw him a questioning look, "Woah, don't you think we're rushing into this a bit too fast? I mean, if they had the influence to kill Mark's father and track our apartment and destroy it, not to mention they strategically placed a note for us to read, I just don't think we can go up agai-"

La'Rue threw him a steely glare, "What note? Where is it??"

Jacob reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled mess and began to straighten it as best he could, "Here, it was completely infuriating and insulting. Right after he blew up our apartment too." La'Rue would take the note and scan it, then he'd flip it and look at the back to find a series of randomized, colored dots scattered all over.

"Did you see these before when you looked at the not?" La'Rue was squinting at them as if he recognized them.

Jacob, Angel and Mark gathered around to look, "No, I didn't see that at all. I guess I was so mad I just crumpled it and shoved it into my pocket…" Jacob looked at them, "Could they be scribbles, or maybe just an accident?"

"No." La'Rue sounded so sure in his answer, "This was intentional, look at how its physically printed into the card…"

"So, he must've grabbed it from the suit jacket he was wearing, there's no way it could mean something, right?" Mark put his hands in his pockets and looked at La'Rue with a look that was trying to confirm if it was correct.

"Unless…" everyone began to eye La'Rue unsteadily, "It was intentional and whoever is behind this is trying to test us or lure us."

"How do you figure?" Angel was still a little unsure about this guy and how serious he was about everything.

"Well," La'Rue continued, "I would believe that they would've figured that since the three of you got away you were still alive and dangerous. I assume they know my chip isn't working by now so they assume I'm dead or have also been freed. If they assume I'm dead then they took a precautionary step by assuming you guys are dangerous together and are trying to lure you into a kill zone…"

"Or it was just what he had closest when he wrote the message," Jacob gave a shrug showing his skepticism.

"Consider this. You 'happened to come across the note where you were, he happened to blow up your apartment while you were watching and while the police were busy. He even knew what you had said earlier that day! Whoever he works for clearly is very meticulous in his actions and timing. This was no mistake."

"Well, assuming that this was intentional, what are these supposed to represent? Stars? Braille?" Angel took another look tried measuring out the dots in his head.

"Well," La'Rue angled it a certain way and his face gave way to a small wicked smile, "I figured it out."

"Really? What is it??" Mark looked at him with a dazed look as to what they could possibly represent. La'Rue stepped out of the alleyway and with no regard for traffic, stepped out into the street. Cars began honking at him but he paid no attention to them as he got his bearings.

"Yes! I know exactly what it is!" He ran out of the street and back to the trio. "Look, each one of these dots represents a landmark here in Los Angeles"

"So…what's you point?" Angel had found an oddly shaped rock that he now found entertaining.

La'Rue pulled out a pencil and drew lines from one dot to another that were across from each other until they had all been connected with another dot. They all intersected at one point.

"I think…I can find this based on where everything is…" La'Rue began walking down the sidewalk, opposite of where they had come from. While they began walking, La'Rue took his pencil and connected the dots of the same colors to each other in a shape that made most sense until they resembled an odd sort of symbol. It was about 9:47pm before they reached where La'Rue had deemed was the spot. The looked at another alleyway in between two buildings, but this one was walled off. Before them a flight of stairs descended for a bit before arriving to a place about ten feet down with a single green, rusted door with one slit in front of them. They looked up and saw large blue neon letters spell out, "The Jazz Act," with a yellow neon saxophone by it and one of the z's flickering in and out. They approached the door and Jacob and Angel waited a couple of steps up since the area at the base was a bit small. La'Rue knocked and the slit opened and they were met with a pair of eyes.

"What do you want?" A deep burly voice questioned them. La'Rue simply held the odd symbol up to the slit. While he was unsure that his awkward doodling would prove useful, he still displayed it with confidence and authority. "Hmm…the symbol of Calamity…you may enter…" The door opened and La'Rue walked in. As the others approached the man began to close the door and La'Rue caught it. The man stared at him hard, "You must each have a card…" his voice rumbled.

"They're with me," La'Rue responded with the same deadly tone in his voice.

The man grabbed La'Rue's wrist where he was holding the door, "You each need- "Champion came out and cut a small slit in the man's throat and stared at him,

"I said they were with me…" The man let go of his wrist and opened the door.

"You really know nothing. A group representing the symbol of calamity isn't good for the fates." A light green aura encircled the man and the group realized there was a light green aura around the door as well. The group looked up and pressed forward into the lounge.

As they walked in, they saw a wonderful, slightly dim lounge. A small group were raised on a stage and played smooth relaxing jazz while people sat at a bar or played pool and had idle chatter.

Everyone in the lounge was dressed impressively and they all turned to see the odd group walk in before returning to their conversations, although it felt like the mood of the conversation had shifted. As they looked around a golden chandelier with red rose imprints hung above and they seemed to be walking on velvet carpet. To their far left they saw a set of doors attached to a wall that people would walk into and then the door would vanish. Sometimes a door would reappear and a different person would walk out. As they made their way to the bar they all sat down and immediately some thugs a few years older would approach them.

"I guess they're just letting anyone in here nowadays, huh Giorgio?" One of the thugs would lean back with his elbows on the bar.

"Guess they are…" The man identified as Giorgio stood off to the side and had a cigar in his mouth before blowing a smoke ring at Mark, who sat on the end of the four.

"So, what made you think today that you would just stroll on in here with the big boys?" The unnamed man poked at Mark a little bit.

"Not that it's any of your business, but we're here for information." La'Rue gave the unnamed man a hard look.

"Well then, there's no better place in town to find it than here. Although I have to say, I feel like I've seen you somewhere before," he squeezed Mark's cheek a little, "Can we get a name sunshine?"

"Mark…" he tried to avoid eye contact and tapped his fingers on the counter of the bar.

"Oh? Mark, can we get a last name??" The man was really pushing him.

"…Deriks…" Mark looked down in hateful shame and annoyance.

"Oh really???" The two men looked at each other and had to subside a chuckle, "Having some daddy issues, are we?" The unnamed man burst out laughing.

"So…I see you've heard…" Mark clenched his fists, knuckles turning white.

"Everyone's heard. It's the talk of the town, well at least down here. Hope you got him something good for Father's Day, not that it matters anymore!" The two both began to wheeze.

"Hey listen- "La'Rue began to get up until a large gloved hand grabbed the man by the collar and held him up in the air.

"What the!?" The unnamed man looked down perplexed. He was met with a large bulky figure. It had the silhouette of a face, as if all the features were there but shadowed or as if he was wearing a black morph suit. It stood tall, about a head taller than La'Rue. It was quite bulky with muscle, yet had a nice and kept form to its body. It wore a black fedora with the lining being white around the edges. The rest of it composed of a two-piece suit. It wore a black suit with white clocks all facing up towards 12:00 travelling diagonally along it. The tie that accompanied it was perfectly centered and was black with hints of red dots splattered across randomly, the largest being towards the bottom of the tie. It had a watch on its wrist that never ticked and remained with all three of the clock hands facing straight up. It wore perfectly white gloves, like that of a hitman and it had one button of the suit jacket buttoned to keep it closed. Its pants matched its style but it also had the design of the clocks facing up towards 12:00 along it. It had black dress shoes and to hold the laces in place, there was a metal, white clock, on each shoe, that faced up to 12:00

"What you just said…" Mark looked up, "was unacceptable," His eyes narrowed and the glare made the man shudder. "One Minute Till Midnight…let 'em have it." The arm moved up slowly until in an optimal position and then once it reached its place, an audible "click" could be heard, like a spring locking into place. Within a flash the arm traveled like a bullet in an uppercut motion.

"Stop." A new voice was heard somewhere in the back and the punch missed, whether on purpose or accident. Mark turned, somewhat still enraged but more internally ecstatic at that fact that he manifested his Stand, and about how wonderful it looked. He was a bit confused on how he was able to know its name, but he didn't worry too much as he faced the voice.

In the back corner of the room a man had his legs kicked up on a small round table. His long, narrow, black boots were surprisingly clean and led up to a of pair of slick black pants which met a belt with a navy "J" as the buckle. He had a navy cloak the pinned with a little link of gold chain at the base of his neck. He strangely wore a black aussie that was accented with the same navy color plume. His shirt was also buttoned down and tucked into his pants to reveal a fine, yet muscular figure. His shirt was patterned with gold J's along it and surprising fit well. Because of the way he was sitting, his hat was tipped down and obscured his face. In his left hand, he casually held a glass with what appeared to be expensive wine, which automatically out him in a higher class than all the beer guzzling shmucks in the immediate surroundings.

By now the commotion had drawn some attention and people were looking at the man in the corner with a wary, cautious fearful looks. The level of each differed from each person.

"There will be no need for that…" He lowered his feet and took a sip, "I see you've met my…associate and surprisingly made it here. His damn plan worked…" He chuckled and took another sip. Mark, clearly tired of the word games and calm tone towards his outrage, moved towards the man,

"You know the man who killed my father??" The stand dropped the man and stood nearby in pure silence, staring with unseen eyes.

"Ahh, you're the son. Well I'm sorry for your loss, but yes. I work very close, side by side with him." Mark moved closer and La'Rue moved in behind him.

"You're the bastards that took over my mind!" La'Rue slammed his fists on the table the man was sitting at.

"Well, that was mostly Spades. I prefer more traditional methods and in earning loyalty fairly." He took yet another sip.

"I don't give a damn who did what! What you guys do is disgusting," Champion came out and shattered the glass spraying a bit on the man's outfit. He sighed and looked down and a gleam from his eye shined up.

"It's not what we did, it's what the boss ordered us to do…" Angel glanced around and he swore he saw the bartender staring at them and his eyes flashed from blue to red to purple. Upon closer inspection he had wavy blue hair that was slicked back and a zigzag of green hair going back down the middle and he was surprisingly well dressed, more so than the new man. At the mention of his boss, he seemed to listen more intently.

"Your boss? There's more of you??" Jacob spoke from behind.

"Of course, damn, you guys really know nothing. I don't know what Spades sees in you guys." One Minute Till Midnight grabbed the man,

"That's an odd name, why are you telling us all this?" Mark stared at him hard.

"To give you a fair chance. You're up against an entire group, with practically limitless resources and information. I represent the boss in his elite gang. I'm Joker, a separate mercenary for the boss, just like most of the people in this club, which the boss owns. We represent one of the largest most controlling organizations from the shadows and in the public. We're 'The House', and anyone who dares oppose us, opposes the boss and he doesn't take lightly to pests. But you've made it this far, we'll see how long you last."

"Well bad news for you, but you're in a bit of a pinch right now." OMTM began raising his arm.

"My stand, is the Joker. A card that can become anything and therefore 'Nothing is what it seems.' My ability has already activated." A skinny figure appeared behind him, copying his style, with the aussie being the most prominent feature. It wore a theater mask that was smiling and before Champion could reach it and faded away into a storm of glass, as did Joker. "We will meet again soon, if you make it that far." They looked around and the man was gone. The bartender had begun to clean a glass and was turned away and everyone was in their respective seating. Some men stood in a hostile manner and with that the gang made their way towards the exit with the aftertaste of defeat lingering over them…

Stand Name: One Minute Till Midnight

User: Mark Deriks

Ability: ???

Stats:

Power: A

Speed: D

Range: D

Durability: A

Precision: B

Potential: D