Music Masters: CD One

RETURN OF THE SPACE COWBOY: PART FOUR

It was a wonder Nami Nagataki could stand the unbearable silence as she waited for Rob Prototype.

She did as instructed by her brother, taking position in a more obscured area of instrument racks about ten feet from the back entrance. Arashi himself stood straight in the path of said entranceway, with hands in his pockets, headphones around his neck and a completely blank look on his face.

To take down the bass player, he would be the anvil, and his sister the hammer. Their goal remained simple, as stated by Arashi only minutes before.

"We go for the guitar. Nothing complex, Nami."

Impatience was written all over Nami's face as she remained crouched down. Even with her own headphones on, she had been instructed to not play her intended song effect until the signal. It needed to be exactly perfect for them to have the jump on Rob, for however small of an advantage that might give them.

Nevertheless, the girl's light fingers remained poised over her music player.

Nami's eyebrows rose up in an instant at the sound of the back door into Semi-Sound creaking open. She looked for her brother, who kept his perfect posture as he waited patiently.

Footfalls echoed throughout the back of the store.

As Rob walked in, he didn't say a word as he adjusted his cap.

Blocking his path into the store and standing as perfect as a member of military police, was a young Asian boy.

He was dressed in a bright yellow-orange jacket and maroon pants, eyes hidden behind thick black sunglasses.

Rob sized him up in an instant. In particular, he noted the large roller blades he was wearing.

Arashi, on the other hand, didn't even give Rob a passing glance. If he did, Rob couldn't tell underneath his shades.

Instead, the elder Nagataki burst forward with offense, scratching into the floor of the store with his wheels.

Though Arashi was nowhere near Rob's size, the momentum from impact was still more than enough to knock him off his feet. Rob fell back onto the ground with the weight of his guitar case, struggling for the moment like a flipped turtle.

Arashi was far from finished though, launching a hard kick with one of his roller blades right at Rob's face.

He missed, though barely, causing Rob's cap to fly back in the process.

Multiple racks clanged onto the ground, and now the bass player found himself heaving his guitar case to one side just to keep Arashi off him.

His Japanese opponent slid back on his roller blades, but as Rob went to reach for the zipper to take out his guitar, there was a faint click.

Both Nami and Rob, with their enhanced hearing, could easily hear Arashi press down on such a tiny remote.

Up above, Semi-Sound's speakers began to loudly play music in response. Booming horns and violins seemed to conquer the entire store as the music roared in the air.

Meanwhile, Nami smiled at the sound of signal, finally pressing play on her music player.

As Nami began to Harmonize, Arashi kept his position. With the loud classical piece playing, there might just be enough rampant noise to distract even a Music Master's sensitive hearing. Anything to distract a Synkronized Music Master from playing their instrument effectively.