From: GAYNOR@agvax2.ag.ohio-state.edu (Jim Gaynor)
Subject: Deuces and One-Eyed Jacks [3/?]
Organization: The Ohio State University - OCES
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 19:33:37 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.24

"I was *trying* to entertain the kiddies here," Freddy said, squatting
down to be at face level with the rather filthy man who had shouted at
him, "that, and maybe get a job before I was so *rudely*
interrupted..."

Freddy turned around to the images of the AIs. "Who does this guy
think he is, anyway?"

Danny muttered, "Freddy, this is Blackjack. Blackjack, this is
Frederick Marx, aka Klone Crimson". He nodded apologetically and
shrugged. Floyd bit his lower lip in apprehension.

Freddy shook his head at the irony. He faced the Blackjack and
chuckled, "Blackjack, huh? I shoulda worked that one out when the
stench of brandy drifted this way..." He wafted his hand in front of
his face...

...and suddenly the dirty floor of the Chatsubo rushed up to hit him
squarely in the face. Terribly unkind of it, Freddy thought as the
hands that had yanked him from the stage pulled him upright again.

He opened his eyes again to see Blackjack taking a step back, as if to
put a bit of distance between them. Blackjack's next movement was a
blur and Freddy only just managed to dodge the roundhouse kick,
'Jack's booted foot coming within millimeters of his face.

"Hey, take a pill," Freddy protested, raising both hands in front of
him. He spotted his bass on the floor, all scraped and mangled from
the fall. "Cryminee: my axe! What a complete bastard... it was only a
joke, eh?"

"Fuck off," Blackjack growled. The punch that followed, a swinging
haymaker, made up in speed what it lacked in grace and style. 
Freddy managed to avoid the main force of it, taking the hit on his
right side.

"If that's the way you want it." Freddy threw a right jab, trying to
score on the now close-in Blackjack.

Hands moving in a blur, Blackjack grabbed Freddy's right wrist and
pulled. "Yeah, that's how I want it," Blackjack said as he turned,
jerking Freddy forward into his bent elbow.

Blackjack's elbow struck Freddy just beneath his rib cage, driving the
air from his lungs with a "whuff". As Freddy doubled over, Blackjack
yanked his elbow up, cracking Freddy in the jaw. Stunned, Freddy fell
to the floor.

"Where's the smart-ass now?!?!" Blackjack shouted as Freddy pulled
himself to his hands and knees. Freddy shook his head, drops of blood
falling from his mouth to splatter on the dirty floor.

"Get up, dammit!" Blackjack shouted, "GET THE FUCK UP!" He started to
take a step forward, only to be held back by a pink plastic arm.

"No," Ratz said, "now you will stop this."

Blackjack paused to look at Ratz, anger flaring on his dirty features. 
The musician's aggression drained, though, as he saw the sadly serious
expression on Ratz' face, and the wide-bore shotgun that the bartender
carried in his meat hand.

Ratz nodded. Dorcas, the waitress, moved up to help Freddy to his
feet. Together, the two of them staggered off to Chatsubo's back room,
Freddy leaning heavily on Dorcas' shoulder.

"You." Ratz' words fell heavily into the silence that had come over
the bar. "The artiste was right. Go clean yourself. Look in the mirror
and see the thing this is turning you into."

With that, Ratz turned and started to walk back towards the bar. 
Blackjack moved to the stage and retrieved a duffle bag from behind
one of the amps and, eyes downcast, went back to the restrooms as the
hum of biz slowly returned to fill the empty quiet.

Danny and Floyd remained on the stage, silent.

* * *

Blackjack, Danny, and Floyd are Copyright 1990-1992 by Jim Gaynor.
Please get permission before using them in your own storyline.

Frederick "Klone Crimson" Marx is the property is Mark Friedman.  Used
with permission.


---
   Jim Gaynor    | "Man-of-Many-Beeping-Sounds-and-Flashing-Lights" - KAJ
OSU/ACS/FMS/OCES | <gaynor@agvax2.ag.ohio-state.edu> or <gaynor.4@osu.edu>
ObDiscl:  Everything stated here and above is _my_ opinion.  Mine mine mine!
ObQuote: "Every devil I meet becomes a friend of mine." - Indigo Girls