BotB Chapter 2: Burnin' The Floor
 

[OOC] Anyone that wants to join our 'Justice League,' you're waitin outside Thumpman's hangar, 'cuz Ripel should have contacted all the PCs. For those who havn't joined yet, here's your chance!

Intro by Celes and Mr. V. Joint-written, Ecurt approved![/OOC]

Jill bowed to her street audience as she finished her street dancing performance. She thanked the people as she picked up the money they had dropped in a hat for her and put the money in her purse. After she was all packed up, she turned to head down the darkening streets of the city for her lonely apartment.

Before long, she had this feeling, as if somebody was following her. She checked behind her, and sure enough, there were three men following her, and they didn't look like they were fans wanting her autograph. She walked a little faster, they did too.

She was just about to turn around and take them on, when they suddenly ran up and knocked her down. She reached out for her purse but discovered it was gone, along with any money she hoped to survive on.
"Son of a..." She muttered as she jumped to her feet and took off after them.

**************
Thumpman was driving to his home in his Escalade, taking a different route from all the other guys' vehicles. He looked to the side of the street, and saw a familiar woman chasing a familiar group of three gangsters, who apparently robbed her. He pulled to the right curb and opened his passenger door, dropping the first 'goon. Immediately, he climbed across his car and exited the passenger door, closed it, and stood in front of the other two with arms crossed, intimidating them as they skidded to a stop. He flashed his pearly whites in a cocky grin he reserved for his vigilante work. "Remember me?"

Before the other two could team up on Thumpman, the woman let out a battle cry as she landed a flying jump-kick to the back of one. Before the other could react, she landed and snapped her right leg up, kicking him in the face. Both were down for the count. Thumpman smiled, as he grabbed the purse and gave it to her. "Nice kick. It seems these guys just won't leave you alone."

The woman flipped her hair over her sholder as she took her purse back, "I'm a dancer, I perform on the streets, and thugs always think I'm an easy target because I'm just a girl." She smiled, looking back at the two she had knocked out. "I taught myself some martial arts so I could defend myself." She looked at Thumpman, "But thanks for your help. I don't think I could have caught up with them if you hadn't stopped them with your car door."

Thumpman chuckled to himself. "Yeah, that dent'll cost me, but it's worth it to help a peson in need. Oh, my name's Thumpman, I never caught yours." He said as he offered a handshake.

She smiled, but gave him a strange look as she shook his hand, "I'm Jill." She looked him up and down, "Who are you anyway? I mean, I know you're Thumpman but..." She trailed off.

It seems I'm not as popular as the other guys say... "I'm just your average DJ who likes to clean up the streets every once in a while. Say, you're a dancer, right? My friends and I are investigating a strange occurrence involving evil soda machines, and we need ll the musical talent we can get to form..." *flashy pose* "THE BEST CRIME FIGHTING SUPERBAND EVAR! Wanna join?"
***************
The Thumpmobile pulled up to the hangar parking lot. Thumpman wasn't surprised to see everyone, including some people he's never seen before, hangin' out outside. He opened the door and stepped out. "Sorry, I'm late, I had some trash to clean up downtown. Anyways, we have another recruit..." He said as he opened the passenger door to his Escalade. "This is my friend Jill. She's a talented dancer, and she'd like to help our cause."

After she stepped out, he closed the door, got out his keys, and unlocked his office door. "You all wait out here for a minute."

A minute later, the large garage-style door opened, revealing the hangar in all it's former glory. "Welcome to my pad."

Z was leaning against his bike when Thumpman opened the hanger doors. "Mmmm I am digging the decor of this place man." He looked around and yelled out. "Hello!" He grinned as he listened to the way his voice bounced off the hanger walls. "Great acoustics." He looked over at Thumpman and smiled. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. I am known as Z." Gently bows. "It is a pleasure to meet the infamous Thumpman and his crew."

Dezil went over to the fridge, found a Dr Pepper, and took it with him to drink. Then he said, "Alright, introductions of the new guys, cause most of you know us older guys in the biz. I'm of course Techmasta' D, rogue master of electronics and Techno, back from my semi-retirement, and now here to help with the... Vending machine problem..."

Johnny took a glance at Jill and flashed her a shiny grin. Moving in mysterious ways, he swooped up beside her like a sudden gust of wind and tipped his hat to her.

"Jill, was it? Well... I'm sure you'll help us out just fine. My name's Katsumoto. Johnny, Katsumoto. Drummer. And the pleasure of our acquaintance is all mine."

He bowed deeply, then extended a hand to her.

"Welcome aboard, Jill."

Thumpman turned and smiled as Z introduced himself. "It's good to meet you, too. If you'd excuse me for a minute..."

Thumpman pulled out a remote from a dusty drawer and pressed the big, shiny red button on it. Immediately, the lights turned on, revealing the whole of the hangar, which included a skating half-pipe, Thumpman's DJ equipment, weight sets for working out, vending machines, and the all-important place for the band's equipment. "He truned back to Z. "Go ahead and make yourself at home while we get things organized."

He stepped outside and saw Johnny introducing himself to Jill. He could only smile and chuckle to himself from a distance. I'd better get to my weight set and let everyone introduce themselves to each other. I havn't worked out yet today. Walking over to his Olympic-class weight set, he layed down on the benchpress and started doin' reps, 250 lbs. on the bar. He got in impeccable shape before, and he didn't want to lose the muscle he built up Besides, the extra arm strength helped him support his weight while breakdancing.

I just hope the other guys don't trash the place. He thought as he saw the others intermingle, drinking soda and whatnot.

He grinned as he saw the rest of the hanger. "I think I'm home." He placed moved over the DJ Equipment and just sort of stared at it as if he wanted to go up there and mess with it. No one must ever learn of my deep dark secret. He gets a small flashback.
Two years ago. There was a large warehouse on the harbor that only the youth of the city knew what happened within. A younger Z pulled up in a van. "I guess this is the place." He stepped out and opened the back doors of the van as a few guys exited the warehouse and approached him. They grabbed the cases and moved into the warehouse.

He followed them in to the darkened warehouse and up a catwalk to walk to the otherside of the warehouse where there was a large stage set up. "I wonder why we aren't walking on the floor?" As he looked down he noticed that the floor seemed to be moving! "Wait what the? That's not the floor moving that's people!" He was dumbfounded the floor was actually so filled with people that you couldn't even see a single glimpse of the floor.

After they reached the stage they quickly set up his equipment. He stepped up behind his equipment and hit a button and the room roared into life as the first beat of music blasted out from his speakers and the others strategically placed around the room. Yes it was all true. He was at one point a DJ!!!! Everything seemed to go fine and then it happened. He ran out of tunes. "Er guys I'm all out of music. So I guess the party is over." The Xed out teenagers all turned on him and moved slowly toward him their bodies stiff from dancing for so long. "Music... MUSIC!!!"

He was nearly captured as he made a mad dash for the door. He ran across the catwalk but the other end was blocked off by the music hungry teens. He looked around and noticed some cables attached to the roof and not all that far off. He took one final look around and jumped over to grab them. He missed.


Z finally snapped out of it as he recalled the aftermath of falling into the pit of teens. He got away easily of course they were after all hopped up on X so all he had to do was touch them and they would fall over from the pure pleasure of it all. He moved over to the drink machines next to get a Dr. Pepper.

Jill grinned as she shook Johnny's hand. "Pleased to meet you too."
When Thumpman revieled the rest of the hanger, Jill just stared in awe. It was a big change from her lonely, empty apartment.

After staring, dumbfounded, for a bit, she grinned again, "Niiiice place you've got here." She nodded, looking at everything in a hanger, "Is this where you all stay?" She wondered outloud.

Johnny smiled to himself as he watched Jill look around. Apparently she wasn't used to such spacious accommodations. She probably lived by herself in a cramped apartment in some tenement, which would explain why. To tell the truth, Johnny wasn't that much more comfortable with this place than she was. There were a lot of people here he didn't know... and too few that he wanted to.

"Is this where you all stay?" he heard her muse.

"Probably. I doubt Thumpman's house is big enough for all of us... though I don't mind sleeping on the floors or sofa."

OOC: I know I never posted, but I was technically supposed to be Celes partner, so you could have at least killed my guy or something.

*heard his name called over the speakers and makes sure he has instruments* "look, i got a solo performance right now so i gotta go. both of you are more than welcome to watch but meet me out at my suburban afterwards. I need to see if someone i've been spying on is still around." *goes on stage introducing himself and starts playing songs he wrote and other songs he arranged for his accordian*