⁅‗‗‗‗‗🌸🎶🎷🎶🌸‗‗‗‗‗⁆

ʙʟᴜᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴋᴇʏ ʙᴀʀ

⁅‗‗‗‗‗🌸🎶🎷🎶🌸‗‗‗‗‗⁆

———ᴀ ᴋɴᴏᴄᴋ ᴇᴄʜᴏᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴛᴀʟ ᴅᴏᴏʀ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴀ ꜱᴍᴀʟʟ ꜱʟɪᴅᴇ ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀʙᴏᴠᴇ ɢʟᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ɢᴜᴇꜱᴛ: "ʏᴇᴀʜ?"

"Ricko Benny Giordano."

The metal door unlocks itself, as the person from the other end, spoke: "Come on in."

The sound of the band playing Jazz was smooth and intoxicating, each note weaving a tapestry of emotion that wrapped around the listeners like a warm embrace. The trumpets blared with a boldness that commanded attention, while the saxophones sang sweetly, their melodies dancing like whispers in the night. 

Doubling the bass laid a steady foundation, its deep resonance pulsating through the room, inviting everyone to sway along. Drums kept the heartbeat alive, syncopating rhythms that made feet tap and shoulders sway. 

Every band member seemed to feed off each other's energy, creating an atmosphere electric with creativity and spontaneity. It was more than just music; it was a conversation, a celebration, a moment in time when the world outside melted away, leaving only the magic of jazz in its place.

"Welcome, friends!" An announcer from the stage starts, "And a warm welcome to the Buddy Righteous Orchestra." The audience applauded as the band continued speaking into the microphone: "And without any further ado please welcome the lovely Lula Lillywhite."

Another round of applause comes from the crowd as a woman with white hair and tan skin in a beautiful white & golden toga dress comes in to sing while the rest are chatting, talking to one another, gambling, drinking, and dancing on the dance floor. 

Four robot gangsters slowly walk in, unaware that a Samurai in a white robe has followed them. They (robots) sit down near the bar, where the bartender is cleaning his cups. He notices their presence and carefully motions them with his eyes to the right twice. As a way to signal them to murder the other customers on the other side.

Sure enough, the Samurai took notice of the weapons and immediately unsheathed his sword by going straight for the kill and a couple of slicing, flames, and bullets; It ended with the Samurai being stopped at gunpoint by three black men and a white man.

"Okay, Mac, that's enough." Says one fat guy, pointing a gun like the rest, "Nice and slow."

The Samurai slowly stands up from his fighting pose while doing as told.

Another guy pokes at him: "That's right, put the butter knife away."

"Come on. Move it before we throw you out." The Samurai, to say the least, wasn't pleased but complied since he didn't want to harm anyone after killing the robots and held his hands in surrender in silence. 

But then, something happened.

"Wait. Let him stay." A short man in a black tailored suit while wearing a brown fur coat over it, held a cigar over his mouth and a hat to make him be recognized as a gangster; Of course, the Samurai did not know that. Yet: "It's okay. Let him go, see?" 

The men left while still holding their guns at him, "You know, we could use a guy like you.

The Samurai was genuinely confused, still had both his hands up, " 'We?' " 

"Me and the boys, see?" The Boss explained, motioning his gang to show themselves, "Stitches, Mr. Shine, Mr. Pibbles, and Knuckles. Yeah." "Well, actually, my real name is Joe." All of a sudden, Joe gets hit by Mr. Knuckles through the back of his head, who glares, "Mr. Pibbles." He gruffly repeated.

The Samurai then questions, "What exactly does your organization do?" 

"Why, me and the boys sort of run things around this town. Know what I mean? Nah." He continues, "Say, how'd you like to? It's all right." The Boss then notices that he isn't putting down his hands because of the guns pointing at him and waves, "It's Ok, you can put them down now." 

Making him smile a little.

"How'd you like to be a member of the most feared gang in the city, see?"

The Samurai comes forward to the Boss and curiously questions him: "What activities does your gang participate in?" 

"Stitches, explain it to him," he instructs his partner, who hesitantly responds, "We fix things. You know what I mean?" He coughed a bit and elaborated, "We ensure the money flows to the right places: the horses, casinos, banks. Got it?"

Within moments, the Samurai grasped their meaning, his brows furrowed in disappointment at why these people wanted him to work in such matters: "You are involved in crime." The Chicago gangsters laughed together before the Boss spoke up and on que, he confirmed it, "Now, did I say that?" 

"Enough has been said." He stops them, "Your activities are of no interest to me. I wish to be no part of your group." The boss tilts his head to the right, takes out his cigar, and drops it on the floor, as the Samurai glares deadly at the boss's gesture.

"So, a prima donna, eh?" the Boss scoffs, his anger palpable. He gestures dismissively, making it clear that his patience has run out, "Get out of here. Just go on and leave. Beat it, altar boy." With that, he turns his back, his disdain evident as he walks away. 

The Samurai straightens his posture, holding his head high despite the tension in the air, and he shuts his eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath as he strides towards the exit, determined to maintain his composure without fighting with someone who saved you from being rudely kicked out, "We got a delivery to make for Aku."

As soon as he heard those words, it piqued his interest. Jack widened his eyes before quickly thinking of a plan and immediately turned around to say, "Do you mean the great and powerful Aku?" 

"Of course." The Boss takes out his cigar in a monotone gangster tone of voice, "The master of darkness, the shogun of sorrow, the big boss himself: Aku." 

The Samurai then curiously asks, "And you have dealings with Aku in person?"  

"Sure. All the time." Suspiciously, The Boss furrowed his eyes at him, "What's it to you anyway?"

He clasps his hands and kneels to make eye contact. "Please forgive me. I thought you were—" The short man interrupts, " 'Small time?' "

"Well, no—"

"Oh, so now Mr. Goody-Two-Sandals wants to talk?" The Samurai, still tall despite the earlier confrontation, he begins telling his 'goal' with full interest yet cautious from slipping anything about his REAL goal: "Please understand, I have spent my life preparing to come face-to-face with Aku. Achieving this goal would change my life forever."

The Samurai bows at him as he willingly awaits for the Boss and his gang to give him "a chance" to come face-to-face with Aku.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Okay, boy. We'll give you a shot." The Boss stops briefly to look at his gang, receiving eager glances and nods from each one of his members, before turning to him, "But you gotta pass two little tests first, see? You know, to prove you got the stomach for it."

Time skip~

After Samurai Jack completes his first test, the boss takes the group to a hotel. As they exit the car, Mr. Pickles gives him a subtle nod, pretending to be nervous.

"The second test is in here," he whispers, instilling fear in everyone. Jack furrows his brows and reaches for the door, only to be unexpectedly tackled to the floor. Instantly, he draws his sword and clashes with the assailant, his eyes widening in shock as he doesn't recognize her.

The intruder is a young Asian woman in her 20s, with sleek black hair in a low bun. She wears a light pastel blue suit that highlights her sharp silhouette, featuring a deep V-neckline and wide belt, complemented by a flowing cape that adds a dramatic touch. Her wide-legged, tailored pants complete her confident appearance.

Along with her matching white knee-length boots. However, what struck Samurai Jack about the woman was not just the unexpected attack but the intensity of two katanas and her amber, cat-like eyes glaring directly at him with nothing but cold and emotionless.

"Ah, there ya are, sweetheart!" 

Jack struggles to push the woman's two swords off him, as the boys fail to hide their snickering at how their new member (Jack) failed to respond to the surprise assault. The tension in the air thickened, mixing shock with the flicker of excitement as the gang watched the unfolding confrontation in amusement.

"Jackie, meet our Famous Negotiator of the Chicago Gangsters of ALL Time, Maya Yodi."

A vein popped through the Asian woman's forehead at how her boss just miscorrected her last name and grumbled, "Correction, boss."

She keeps her eyes on Jack as she continues. "It is Maya Yoshida."