Heritage

Daniel glanced between Cornelius, Demetrius, and Ryang when they were all mentioned to assist him "awaken". Ryang mentioned that this was a "Bloodline Spirit" that he would meet, which seemed really strange; did that imply that whatever his powers were had a persona? He also had concerns with being sent out on a mission so soon after he would be awakened; finding a brand new incarnate without all of the tools that found him seemed like a daunting task. He had a feeling that he shouldn't complain, so he simply replied with an "Understood. Thank you, Mr. President."

Lionel dismissed the three of them and Sixela, and Ryang put her hand on his shoulder. It was ninety nine percent likely to be just a signal that he could get up and leave, but Daniel still gasped and glanced towards her hand. Blood rushed to his face as Daniel conflicted with the emotions running through him. No, she's out of your league. She's just being nice. Stop that. Daniel looked at Ryang and nodded, scooting his chair back and standing up. The morning light coming in through the floor to ceiling windowpanes really made her features stand out. Damn, she's really cute, though. His shade of red deepened and he quickly turned from Ryang in shame, sheepishly making his way from the meeting room. No. Stop that. You can't ever have her. She's way too good for you.

He made his way to the elevator, making a remark in passing that would likely get ignored or laughed at. "I look forward to working with you all. I hope that I'm not too much of a burden."

Wait, she actually did know who Sariska was? Sariska was caught off-guard by that bit, she usually just said that to joke around but she never thought someone would eventually figure out who she was. Mishka, that big fluffy cat-man. Of course it'd be him, he probably knew everyone in the city with how much he got around. Sariska broke out of her thoughts when she saw Freya's downcast look. She stepped closer and placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, for comfort.

"Hey, it'll be alright. No matter what kind of trouble he got into, I'm sure he'll be able to get out of it. Mishka's a big guy, you know?" Sariska offered a smile. "Tell me what happened, I might be able to help track him down. You must've gotten into a fight with some pretty nasty people if Mishka went down."

Music: "Royalty Free Elevator Music"

Spoiler:

"Alright. I'm just gonna go ahead and ask since I'm sure it's on everyone's mind." Cornelius started. "Who farted? Was it you, Fur-man?"

"Sod off you monkey, 'less you wanna die here in the elevator," Demetrius growled back.

"Are you two always on like this?"

"Only when I haven't had my morning coffee."

"You don't drink coffee."

"Uh-huh."

"I really get sick of listening to you sometimes. Any of you have a sharp object I can borrow so I can puncture out eardrums?"

"One moment," Sixela said, reaching into her bag.

"I was joking."

"My mistake."

"How do you even manage to tolerate those two, Sixela? I've never seen you rattled once."

"Sparklehair's cool about it."

"I'm cool about it."

The elevator reached the ground floor and the doors slid open. Demetrius didn't hesitate and make himself the first one out.

"I'll be the last one that has to deal with that new twat," he said. "Call me when Cornelius is done with 'im. And take all the time you need. I ain't in no hurry. He smells like he crawled out of the women's perfume section at the mall."

"Aye, aye, Fur-man."

"F'koff."

The disgruntled Beastman marched off into the hallway, and Cornelius made himself the next to depart.

"I guess you got it from here, Ryang. Have fun. Whatever you have in store for the new guy isn't gonna prepare him for what I got planned. Ya hear that, New Guy? Ya ain't ready!"

Cornelius waved a two-finger salute and walked away with his arms in his pockets, casually striding off. Ryang sighed and stepped out of the elevator with Sixela.

"If it weren't for Cornelius, we could get so much more done."

"He means well, at least."

"Oh, I'm sure. I don't know if I trust your words, o' great queen of subtle scorn."

"That was highly unnecessary of you, Ryang. 'Your Highness' would have sufficed just fine."

"Don't you start too."

"I was just leaving, anyhow."

Sixela flipped her hair and left Daniel alone with Ryang for their training. Ryang shook her head and faced Daniel.

"Sorry about that," Ryang apologized. "They can all really be a handful sometimes. Let's head over to one of the labs." She pressed a button on the elevator and the doors closed once more. It began descending into the basement floors of the company, and through the glass doors, Daniel could see the underground layout of the laboratories.  Fixed lights built into the ceilings of each floor with narrow hallways spanning out as far as the eye could see. It looked like something straight out of a horror science film. The elevator finally came to a halt with the indicator reading "B5." Ryang guided Daniel to the second door down the hallway, where she slid a keycard into a reader. The door's lock clicked and allowed entry. Inside, the room looked much like a physician's office, only larger and without anatomy posters hung up on the walls. Everything below the ground floor was so quiet. Ryang pointed to a mechanical operating chair.

"Please be seated Daniel," she said, turning over to a counter. A digital menu was displayed on the counter that responded to Ryang's touch. As she navigated through the menu, she input several numbers and commands that Daniel wouldn't be able to understand. The counter made a steamy hiss, as a rack of test tubes emerged onto the surface. Ryang grabbed a syringe and filled it with the liquid from one of the tubes.

"Hold still."
---

{Sariska}

"These people weren't run-of-the-mill thugs," Freya said. "It was Duple Corp, that wretched company that's been getting too involved with the city. Mishka and I have been working to stop them and expose them for the criminals that they are. But we ran into one of their lackeys, Caleb Ambrose. We weren't prepared, and in the end... Mishka... he had to buy me time to get away. I promised to make them pay... I want to see that whole company burn to the ground for everything they did." She then turned away from Sariska.

"Sorry, I don't mean to spill all this out to you. You don't need to be involved in this. If you're anything like the last guy I tried to tell, you probably think I'm crazy."

"I knew Duple Corp was bad news." Sariska put her thumb to her lip. The name Ambrose as well - that was Sicily's last name. It probably wasn't a coincidence. She had to be careful here, a company with that much power and the police under their thumb was bound to have some kind of wiretap linked to the city. Anywhere with surveillance or traffic cameras, meaning they probably could see her speaking with Freya now. She could still pass it off as her just being a thankful passerby. She didn't have to get involved.

"I want to be involved," Sariska said. "Besides, I have some experience destroying reputations. Duple Corp is a lot bigger than my grandfather's, but I've always loved a challenge. But how about I bring you back to my apartment? I'll need to know all you can tell me." She flashed a smile and gestured back the way she came. It was up to Freya to accept this help, of course, but Sariska already felt her adrenaline pumping. It's been too long since she was able to let her talents out to play.

"If nothing else, I'd like to give you some hospitality for helping me before. I'm not taking 'no' for an answer, either."

Daniel stepped into the elevator followed by the others. The door closed and before he knew it, there was a smell that reminded him of a shithole. Cornelius pointed it out, but Demetrius was as intimidating, if not more so, as Mishka. Daniel chose to shrink back into a corner to not get in between Cornelius and Demetrius. Beastfolke scared the living daylights out of him, and he preferred not to be eaten alive if he could help it. Even Ryang was losing her cool, though Sixela didn't. It was a strange sight to see Ryang starting to lose her temper, which made Daniel think twice about crossing her.

They all reached the ground floor, and only Ryang and Daniel remained together in the elevator as the rest of the group departed to go about their business. Ryang apologized for everyone's behavior, explaining that they just got that way sometimes. "It's alright," Daniel responded, "I understand that I'm not exactly a fan favorite around here." Ryang then pushed a button on the directory and the pair began descending into the depths of the corporate building.

Through the glass walls of the elevator door, Daniel could see sterile, pristine laboratories that conducted who knew what kind of experiments. There was likely more money inside each of those rooms than Daniel had made in his entire career. Eventually, the elevator stopped at B5, and Ryang led him to what looked like a mockery of a doctor's office, complete with a controllable chair in the center of the room. Ryang directed Daniel to have a seat, and he did. He watched her  as she put in a variety of strange commands and inputs into the advanced computer system she was operating. He wanted to try and understand what she was doing, but he could only focus on how adorable she looked. After a couple of minutes, a rack of test tubes containing glowing green liquid emerged from the table top. Ryang grabbed a syringe and filled it with the nefarious green goo.

Wait a minute... That shit's glowing. Shit isn't supposed to glow, especially not shots... Ryang told him to hold still as she approached him with the filled syringe. His eyes widened as for a moment he considered bolting. The impulse was quickly squelched.
But after what I've seen this morning, I suppose this isn't completely out of the ordinary, either... He tried not to focus on what was going to be put inside of him and more about who was putting the green goop inside of him. At least she could make it bearable.

{Daniel}

Music: The Rabbit Hole

Spoiler:

Ryang soaked a ball of cotton in rubbing alcohol and proceeded to swab down the side of Daniel's shoulder. She brought the needle to Daniel's arm and pressed in. "This stimulant is called the 'Upsilon Formula,'" Ryang explained, pulling out the needle. Daniel would feel a surge run through his body like a wire, as if his blood were beginning to boil. His insides would sting like a swam of wasps running rampantly under his skin. It wouldn't take long for the pain to pass, and Ryang would go on.

"Now that it is in your body, you will be able to withstand physical trauma that would prove otherwise fatal for normal human beings. Your skin will be able to reinforce itself upon impact, and you will be able to regenerate from wounds at an accelerated rate. Here... let me show you."

Ryang opened a drawer under the counter and grabbed hold of a pistol. She placed it just a mere few inches away from Daniel's forehead and clicked the hammer.

"You'll forgive me, won't you?"

A pull of a trigger launched a bullet at Daniel's head, and he would feel quite possibly the worst pain he had ever experienced in one dose. He bled, but the pain dulled just as quickly as it came. The bullet didn't even make entry into his head - pieces of it were on the floor in shattered bits, and the wound on Daniel was nothing more than a graze; already closing itself at a visible rate.

"Are you ready to move on?"
---

{Sariska}

"You'll help?" Freya let out a small exhale of relief. "I suppose Mishka was your friend, too. Thank you, this means so much to me." Freya walked with Sariska back to her apartment, where they would find Sicily still lounging on the sofa. This time, Aurora was next to her all bundled up in a blanket while Sicily was hand-feeding her chips. The young intern was in a much better state than she was before Sariska had left, though she still had several stray hairs poking out in unruly fashion.

"Heya Star, done with your jog already? Wanna join our human burrito club on the couch? Plenty of room for- oh hey, who's the chick with the whip?"

Sariska led Freya back to the apartment. Aurora was up again, looking a little better now and totally wrapped up in a blanket. She had to giggle a little at the sight, she looked so content sitting there. "I'll be glad to join you, but I'll stay unwrapped for now." Sariska offered one of the other chairs to Freya. "Can I get you anything to drink? Tea, water, lemonade?" After Freya decided and Sariska finally settled down on the couch next to Aurora.

"This is Freya," Sariska started with the new girl. "Freya, this is Aurora and Sicily. My little sister is-"

"Right over here!" Chloe poked her head around the corner and waved with a happy little smile, despite the news from Chrys. She must've been happy with something else. "Is that authentic leather? And those shoes look so..." Chloe stopped for a moment. "Shiny!" was all she could say before retreating. Sariska laughed.

"That was Chloe. She's gay, but don't take it personally."

"I'm bi!" Chloe shouted from the other room.

"Anyway guys, Freya was just telling me about Duple Corp." Sariska explained most of the details to Sicily and Aurora. She knew Chloe would be listening in too so spoke up loud enough for her sister to hear. "And Sicily, you share a name with this Caleb Ambrose. Anything you can tell me?"

Daniel watched as Ryang brandished the "Upsilon Formula" that looked suspiciously like liquid Kryptonite. Who knew what exactly was in that concoction? Before he could protest (as if he would; after all, at least it was Ryang administering it), the needle sunk into his arm. Immediately, he felt as if his entire circulatory system had lava flowing through it, and it was the most painful experience that Daniel had ever felt in his life. Short of screaming, he broke into a sweat as the concoction coursed through him... and just as quickly as it had started, the pain subsided. Ryang explained that the substance would keep him from experiencing trauma like what a regular human being would.

That resonated with him - normal human beings... something that he apparently never was. His loss of thought was interrupted by Ryang standing just inches away from him, holding him at gunpoint.

"You'll forgive me, won't you?"

"Ryang, n-" She pulled the trigger. Daniel thought he had felt pain before; it was nothing at all like this. He was so winded that he couldn't even scream or breathe. He teared up, but after being shot in the head, he was still alive, and the pain that had rocketed through his head dissipated as quickly as it had risen. He felt a trickle of blood running down his forehead, but when he instinctively reached to touch the wound, he found that there was hardly a scratch. Ryang asked if he was ready to continue. Part of him wanted to get up and bolt as far away as he could go. A deeper, darker part of him was excited that he had become stronger, though he had never heard that part before. It was alien, and it really made Daniel shudder.

"I suppose, Ryang," he replied, wiping his hand across his forehead to remove the blood that remained, "what's next?" His voice was rather dull, as if he had just ran a marathon and was physically and emotionally exhausted, even though neither of those were the case.

{Daniel}

Ryang turned back to the digital control panel, inputting more commands that would seem arbitrary to anyone but her. The back wall of the room opened like a shutter and revealed an even larger compartment of the building. An entire armory was fitted into the walls - blades and arms from virtually every era lined up the locked racks, while more curious weaponry was displayed behind holographic grids with Duple Corp's logo marked on each one. After entering a password into the console, the locks to the more traditional weapons were disengaged.

"Pick one," Ryang spoke. "You're going to be needing one in a moment."
---

{Sariska}

Sicily was already midway to feeding Aurora another chip when she heard Caleb's name. She froze in place, and Aurora looked over at her for a brief second before leaning her head forward and chomping the chip out of Sicily's hand. "I see you met my uncle," Sicily eventually managed to say.

"You're uncle?! You know him?" Freya raised her voice.

"Unfortunately. It's kind of a long story. I used to live with him at his manor. I know what you're thinking, but I have nothing to do with him and whatever he did to you. In fact, I ran away ages ago and fucked off to Hastel where I knew he would never bother to step foot in."

"So then, are you a vampire like him?"

"Half. As you can clearly see, I'm not getting vaporized from being exposed to daylight."

"He wasn't either."

"Wouldn't surprise me if he's working with Duple Corp. They probably invented a cure for him. Frankly, I never cared about his business. I just wanted to get as far the hell away from that freakshow of a house."

"Do you know how to defeat him?"

"I know what could work."

Sicily slipped her hand into her purse and set her revolver on the coffee table.

"A gun? That's it?"

"It ain't the piece that's important, it's what I loaded it with. Bonafide silver bullets, sista-friend. Been carrying this around for years in case I ever needed it."

"So... will you help us as well?"

"Look, I hang around Star here just because she needed an impromptu band and I thought it'd be fun. I'd much rather not see my uncle's face for the rest of my life. The gun's just there if things go from worse to worst. I'm all for sticking it to the man - and this all sounds like some real dope spy shit and all, but I'm gonna have to sit this one out. Sorry."

"Your uncle was responsible for my friend's disappearance and possibly his death, and there's no telling what Duple Corp will set their sights on next. Knowing this, how can you just there and do nothing about it?

"Hey, cool it, Sugartits. I'm saying right here and now that I don't want any part of this. I feel bad for what happened and all, but you can't fucking drag me into this just because Caleb's related to me."

"Unbelievable. Maybe you're secretly working with them."

"You tryin' to start a fight with me, Toots? I don't even fucking know you, and you wanna drag me into something that doesn't involve me?"

"As far as I'm concerned, this involves everyone. You don't even know half the atrocities these people have done. They're the worst kinds of murderers, kidnappers, and conspirators... and I know because I am one of their victims. I'm not even talking about what happened this week."

"Then what did they do?"

Music: To Arms

Spoiler:

"My own father was a scientist for them. And when I was younger, I was one of the children subjected to their cruel experiments. That corporation tested on people with their drugs and developed weapons, trying to raise an unstoppable army. My father could see how much pain I was in, and he decided that he had finally seen enough. One night, he allowed me and the other children to escape and erased all the records the company had on us. He knew Mishka and asked him to look after us. I doubt they let my father live after betraying the company. I knew my father wanted me to stay safe and live a life away from all this... but I can't stand the thought of this happening to anyone else. We were just children, and they treated us like property. Disposable. Replaceable. But if they knew what I really am, then I know without a doubt that they'll be coming back for me. Everyone else left to live their own lives when they were old enough, but Mishka insisted to keep looking after me. I couldn't leave him for all he had done, anyway."

"What you are?" Aurora asked.

"Mishka never told me up until the very end, when I found out what he left behind. He  had inside sources from Duple Corp, notes from some of their scientists, and connections across the city. Do you know the old fairy tale? 'Children of the Stars?'"

"Nah. 'Least I don't. You're gonna have to fill me in."

"It's the old story that tells of the true creation of the world. Eight beings representing the very elements themselves shaped the land and gave it life. These were the Children of the Stars. Humanity's own greed, selfishness, and lust for power sought to ascend godhood. Society split into several opposing sides, each one trying to earn favor over the Children of the Stars. Saddened, the eight beings left the world and joined the stars from whence they came. It is said that someday they will return to the world among humans. Duple Corp has proven this story true. One of the current projects they are conducting has found what they call the incarnates of the elements. These are people that are said to have descended from the Children of the Stars and possess their powers. These people are unaware of who they are at first - for their abilities remain dormant. There is however, a certain ritual that can be performed to unlock the power. Mishka discovered that I am in the incarnate of fire. As of now, I am making preparations to awaken my power.

"Huh. Quick question: why in the world did the two of you try to take on an entire company by yourselves if you knew you weren't ready?"

"Mishka had found someone a couple of days earlier. This person turned out to be the incarnate of water, though I myself didn't know at the time. When Duple Corp started making their move and take over every company they could, Mishka knew they would find the incarnate and recruit him for their project so we tried to talk him over to our side. His name is Daniel Reisa, and he is incredibly stupid beyond reason. Mishka and I weren't expecting a fight, however Daniel willingly joined Duple Corp and I stood face to face with Caleb. Not even Mishka could get a hit in on him, and all he could do in the end was secure my escape."

"And he never bothered to tell you about all this fairy tale shit?"

"I said before that my power must be unlocked through a ritual. This involves communing with the Children of the Stars and reaching out to my 'Bloodline Spirit.' It is likely that I will have to prove myself worthy of the power and be prepared for anything. Mishka probably didn't want me to take such a dangerous risk and decided that we would have to defeat Duple Corp without it."

"What about the other incarnates?"

"I don't know how many of them Duple Corp has recruited or how many are just out there in the crowd of the city still unaware of who they are. In any case, I won't be able to defeat them as I am now. I have to proceed with the ritual."

"Must you fight them?"

"I'm afraid they're too much of a liability to let alive. It would be better if they could join my cause and fight alongside me, but when I consider what happened with Daniel, I have decided that it's victory enough just to deny Duple Corp their power."

"Alright then, I'm convinced."

"What?"

"I said I'm in. I'll help."

"What made you change your mind all of a sudden?"

"You're right, nobody should have to go through with what you went through. It reminded me of what my uncle tried to make me into. So I'll help."

"Thank you. What about you, Aurora?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Me joining in this is one thing, but Aurora is too damn pure and adorable to expose to this. I mean just look at her. Think a girl like her would last against the big evil corporation?"

"Umm..."

"It's okay. I will help any way I can."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"But you-"

"I have made my decision."

"Aurora-"

"No."

"I don't think-"

"No."

"I appreciate any and all help that you can provide. For now, I must be leaving. I have Mishka's phone, so you can reach me there. Until next time."

Freya showed herself out and Sicily groaned and leaned her had back on the couch.

"Just what the hell are we getting ourselves into?"

Alright, this was getting weird. First vampires, then magic, and now apparently everyone wants in on the action, including Aurora? Sariska pinched the bridge of her nose. Sicily and Aurora seemed ready and able to believe all of this. She had believed Freya from the start about Duple Corp being more than what they seemed, but all this talk of magic and vampires was starting to make her head spin. Then again, such creatures would make an ordinary person's head spin.

"Star?" Chloe came in after Sicily and Freya mentioned vampires. The look on her face was the one she got when she knew Sariska was about to get into something dangerous. Again. "Remember what happened last time you got involved in something big?"

"I didn't die, so no I don't remember."

"You almost died. Besides, you said you were done with vigilantism."

"I said a lot of things," Sariska said. "But I know for sure which side that grandfather of ours is going to take, and I need to be on the other end to tip those scales."

"Is it worth it?"

"He isn't a worth a goddamn thing. Making sure it stays that way is worth it." Sariska glanced to Chloe, who pressed her lips together. After a few seconds, she finally nodded.

"I agree. Let me know if you need my help."

"And make you break your vows? Not gonna happen. Sicily, we should get ready for the BotB. And none of this conversation leaves this apartment, obviously. Aurora, can you call Alice and make sure she's ready? Don't tell her about Duple though, I don't want her to freak out before the show."

"I'll drive you guys up and make sure your other stuff is ready, Star."

"Thanks, Chloe." Sariska dismissed herself to the showers and Chloe retreated back to her room. Thankfully the two girls were ready to go in just a few minutes, all of the band equipment was piled into the car, and then they were off to the BotB.

Daniel's head still throbbed with pain as he watched Ryang input more arbitrary commands into the weirdly high-tech panel that she summoned the Upsilon Formula from. With a whoosh, the back wall of the room opened to reveal what was the deadliest room that Daniel had ever laid eyes on. There were weapons of all shapes and sizes adorning the walls - some Daniel had no idea could or would be a weapon. "Whoa..." Daniel was awestruck, briefly forgetting about the pain pulsating through his body as he took the whole sight in.

With a few more strokes, weapons that Daniel recognized as weapons were released from the holographic casing that kept the more... esoteric choices safe. Ryang told him that he'd need to pick a weapon to use. He turned towards Ryang, frowning as the pain came back in strength. "Wait... what for?" He took a glance over the weapons again, hastily selecting a rapier that hung in the middle of the newly unlocked array of weapons. He didn't take too much time to consider, with the pain he was in being the primary focus. Surely," he grunted through the intense headache, "we won't be using these things, right?"

{Daniel}

Ryang blinked for a moment at Daniel's question and paused. "If we weren't, then I wouldn't have told you to pick one. Just because you're now able to sustain extreme physical trauma doesn't mean you don't need to be armed. What if you're attacked again and Caleb and I are not around to protect you? Come on, follow me."

She led Daniel out of the room and down the long, eerie corridor. After several more halls, they reached a gate to a stadium field-sized room. Ryang slid a card into the gate's reader and the doors opened. The two would walk together to the center of the room, where Ryang spoke again.

"For this exercise, you and I are going to fight," she announced. "I want you to attack me with the intent to kill me." Ryang unzipped her jacket and revealed two rows of stiletto knives strapped around her waist. She pulled one of the knives out, the metal letting out a screech as it was being drawn. It shone, reflecting the light of the ceiling as Ryang tossed it up to catch it by the bladed tip. Without saying another word, Ryang threw the blade at Daniel with high velocity, the knife making an audible "woosh" as it propelled through the air.
---

{Sariska}

"It is about that time, huh?" Sicily said, getting up from the couch with the blanket still wrapped around her. Aurora and Sicily followed Sariska and Chloe into the car, and buckled up.

"I have contacted Alicia and she informs me that she is already at Winddrift  Stadium waiting for us," Aurora added. "We are to meet her by Stadium Entrance F. That is where they are accepting registration."

"I should probably shop for new clothes after this. I'm startin' to smell like a barn."

"We could go back to my dorm and you could wear one of my spare blazers."

"Iunno. That institute is so preppy it makes me want to vomit. Like, those outfits are so ug-"

Aurora's eyes became watery and Sicily caught on quick.

"I mean, yeah. Totally. We can be twinsies and get ice cream together and all that... yay."

"You mean it?"

Sicily placed her hand on Aurora's shoulder.

"Definitely. We'll rock this Battle of the Bands, maybe meet a few cute guys, and we can go get shitfaced drunk again!"

"...I kind of liked the ice cream idea better."

"Or ice cream. Ice cream's good too. Hell, maybe we'll actually win this damn thing."

"Sicily, I was wondering..."

"What's up?"

"You seem a lot more... a lot more..."

"A lot more what?"

"A lot more friendlier than you were yesterday."

"Oh yeah? How so?"

"Well the other day you were talking about how dependent I am on Miss Star's instructions, and I got the feeling that you think I'm... boring."

"Oh, that. Well, not gonna lie but you don't bring a whole lot of excitement to our little circle that we got going here. Wasn't trying to give you a hard time though, I just wanted to show you some of the things you were missing out on."

"Like the painful migraines I got when I woke up this morning?"

"Hey, if you aren't spending half the night cuddling the toilet, you aren't doing it right. Anyway, you may be boring, but I guess that just makes you who you are. Not saying that's a bad thing - I'm sure you got plenty of redeeming qualities."

"Like what?"

"I dunno. You're pretty organized from what I can tell. You're above-average looking too, and trust me, that's more than enough to get your foot in the door through a lot of situations. You're like the most innocent person I've ever met though. Like, I feel like I have to protect you."

"Is it true? About you being a vampire?"

"I said I was a half-vampire. My father was the vampire."

"Oh. Where is he now?"

"Dead. And I mean 'dead-dead' and not undead."

"I'm sorry to hear that. What about your mother?"

"She's in prison. For killing my dad."

"I don't know what to say..."

"Don't worry about it too much. I try not to think about how fucked up my family is or what I am. As far as everyone in this car is concerned, I'm just your plain ol' Sicily."

The car pulled up into the stadium's parking lot, and the girls could see various bands lining up and registering at the desk outside the doors. They all wore their own unique and diverse style of clothes; each one trying to stand out more than the others with the irony being that Sariska's band would most likely stand out the most due to them being the only ones wearing casual clothing. Alicia waved at the girls and gestured them to stand with her in the line. Aurora helped carry the instruments from the trunk and stood next to Sariska.

(Ambience)

Spoiler:

"Where have you guys been? Registration's almost closing!" was Alicia's way of greeting them.

"Nice to see you too, 'Licia."

Each band was taken accounted for very quickly to move the line along. It only took about a minute for the clerk to get to Sariska.

"Band name?"

"I guess it's a good thing Karla couldn't come," Chloe said, looking at all the different bands and their wacky get-ups. "You guys will stand out like sore thumbs at this party."

"That's the idea," Sariska said as she unbuckled and got out. "Make sure you take care driving, and give Richard my best."

"Leave it to me, sis!" Once they got all their junk out of the car, Chloe drove away. She wasn't going to be coming back for awhile. Sariska hoped she'd make it back in time to see them perform but there was no telling what was going to happen. Even so, there were a lot of people signing up for this event. Meeting up with Alicia was easy though, the girl was short but her loud screeching made up for it.

"Hey Alicia. Nice of you to join us," Sariska said, purposefully oblivious. One they were at the clerk, Sariska spoke up as the band leader. "Starstruck. I've got all our names on a card, in case you needed that." She handed over a small business-style card with her and the others names on it. Some entries required names, so it was just a safe bet.

As soon as everything was squared away with registration, Sariska got out of the way and took a good look at the stadium. "How many do you think are coming in?" she asked no one in particular. "I hope it's a big crowd. I could really use that spotlight."

Daniel frowned in Ryang's direction when she proposed he'd likely be attacked if he were ever on his own. Truth be told, if he were attacked, he'd crumple like tissue paper. "I suppose you're right, Ryang." he meekly responded. The two proceeded away from the armory and down a very, very long hallway that seemed to have no end in sight. It did have an end eventually, though, leading down a few more hallways identical to the ones they had just passed through. If he weren't walking right behind Ryang, Daniel would have likely gotten lost in this maze of hallways.

After what felt like a little while, eventually the two reached what looked like an indoor football field, without turf on the ground. Ryang carded their way in and the two proceeded towards the middle of the arena. She informed him that they would fight, and that she wanted him to attack her with the intent to kill. "F-fight...? But I don't wanna -" Ryang coolly unzipped her jacked and unsheathed one of the many stiletto knives that hung insde. Daniel's eyes became wider than saucers. "Ryang, please--!" She threw the knife straight towards him. Instinctively, he threw his hands in front of his head...

... and the knife plunged directly in his torso. The force of it knocked all the wind out of him, and the pain reverberated throughout his body. Daniel doubled over onto his knees, coughing, but there was no blood as he had anticipated. "OH GOD WHY?!" Tearing up, he pulled the knife out, sending a fresh wave of pain through his system. "Surely," he tried to say as he put his hand over where the hole should have been, but there now wasn't, "this can't be what Lionel meant... Surely not, right?"

Daniel stood back up, dropping the knife he pulled from his abdomen to the ground, gritting his teeth and bringing his rapier in front of him. "I don't... I don't think..." he trailed off, only watching to see what Ryang's next move would be.

{Daniel}

Daniel's pleading was ignored as Ryang kept a stoic face, saying not another word as she threw another knife. And another. And another. She emptied her belt of knives, and before Daniel could even think it was over, Ryang raised her hand in the air. A large gust swept through the room despite there being no openings, and the wind picked up the knives that had fallen to the ground and swirled them about at Daniel before the knives gently found their places back into their sheaths. Ryang would then pull a knife out yet again...

"New Guy!" Cornelius called, watching the entire one-sided battle from the sidelines. It was an absolute mystery how he found his way into the room without anyone noticing. "Curling up and crying is not a very effective strategy! Ya gotta fight back, bruh."
---

{Sariska}

"Starstruck," the clerk repeated, jotting the band name down and handing Sariska a tag. "Got it. Go on in, leave your instruments with our stagehands and Julia should take care of the rest. Next!"

The girls were allowed in the stadium, and Sicily let out a whistle as she took note of how big the interior was. For a stadium, it was a lot less traditional then the average sporting arena, and looked more like a modernized hotel. Holograms of famous athletes were projected on the sides of the path, while there were carts mounted on electric rails to help guests around the building. The color scheme was predominantly black and white, with liberal uses of cube shapes fitted in the architecture. To top it all off, the lamps were also those unusually slender, rope-like shapes that seemed to droop over.

"From what I hear, this place gets plenty of traffic even when there aren't big events. Some people come here just for the stadium itself. Can't imagine how packed it'd be during a Sixela concert. Probably be like squishing through a sea of flesh and sweat trying to find your way around," Sicily explained.

"Yeah, I think I got violated like seven times the last time I was here," Alicia added.

A tall woman dressed in business formal attire and a blue scarf around her neck approached the girls and looked at Sariska's tag.

"Another band?" she asked. "Nice to meet you, and thank you for joining our event today. I am Julia Skye, owner of the Neon Heart Agency - you may of heard of me. It is with great esteem that I am hosting this event and will be showing you to your complimentary room for the evening. Here is your suite key and alert buzzer. Please head over to your rooms and enjoy Winddrift Stadium's services, paid for today by my company. When it is your turn for your band to perform, the alert buzzer will flash and you will meet me on the ground floor in Backstage Area C. Enjoy your rest of the evening, and best of luck to you. Peter, Rodrick, take their instruments for them."

Two men dressed in black t-shirts rushed over to the band and relieved them of their cases, setting them onto a cart and pushing it off, while Julia handed Sariska a key with the number 844 engraved on it, and a small, circular disc attached to the ring. This was presumably the alert buzzer. Julia then took her leave to tend to the next band.

"Eight floor, huh? Nice. And we get paid for room service. Double nice. Hey Star, you wanna get a metric shit-ton of lobster and shrimp cocktails? Fuck, by the time I'm done, you guys are gonna have to roll me onto the stage."

-Julia's social profile obtained

"Oh, that's nice," Sariska said, a little surprised at the extreme hospitality. It'd be a waste not to take advantage of it, but as soon as one of the guys tried to take her case, she tightened her grip and pulled it away. "Let me make something clear." Sariska kept a blank look on her face, but her stare was cold. "I know the exact condition this case and the instrument inside is. I know where the scratches are, where the paint is chipped, and how tight the strings are." She didn't need to say anything else, the boy would get her meaning. She was still very hesitant to leave the case behind though.

"Lobster, huh?" Sariska grinned a little. "I'm not a big fan of seafood, but you're free to take advantage of whatever they give you. I need to keep my voice ready though, so no alcohol for me."

Once they were in the personal waiting room, Sariska went to check the mirror in the bathroom. She tugged at her tail and turned her head in the mirror. Hair down, or hair up? It came down right below her shoulders and felt rather stringy... She put it back into a ponytail.

"Hey, you think we'll be able to watch the other performers from here?" Sariska asked once she came out.

Daniel noticed that Ryang's expression made no change when the knife pierced him in the stomach. In fact, it looked as if she wasn't feeling anything at all. Another, and another, and another knife sailed in Daniel's direction. Some sliced through his sides, others didn't quite hit, but thankfully, none directly punctured him this time. Shortly afterward, Ryang raised a hand and a tempest of wind blew through the room. As far as he could tell, there were no windows or doors for a breeze to pass through, then he remembered that Lionel mentioned Ryang was "of wind". The knife that had Daniel had thrown to the ground along with others that didn't quite make their mark began to swirl around him at a furious pace.

Suddenly, Daniel heard a voice that he hadn't heard in a while. Cornelius was watching the whole affair from the side of the stadium. He told Daniel that standing around and crying wasn't going to be very effective, and that he should probably fight back. Daniel took a look at the rapier he held and tightly gripped it. "I'm sorry." He brought the hilt to his front and lunged the rapier forward towards Ryang. He aimed towards Ryang's torso, but likely wouldn't make his mark before being attacked again.

{Daniel}

Ryang didn't make any attempt to move away as Daniel lunged at her. Instead, she calmly waited for Daniel to strike and clasped her hands, catching the blade before impact. "Close. But your form is sloppy," Ryang judged. Daniel could feel the gale picking up again as he could only watch Ryang's hair wave upward. Daniel was suddenly off of his feet and being carried by the wind. He would not be able to keep hold of his weapon as Daniel was now being flung around the arena at the mercy of the wind. He was tossed with great force, getting slammed against the hard wall. Daniel wouldn't even land on the ground, as the wind then flung him around like a rag doll. He found himself hurdling towards Cornelius, but the incarnate of ice casually scooted over to the side and Daniel landed upside down next to him.

"'Sup," Cornelius said, sipping on a cup of soda.

The wind then picked Daniel up and threw him up, with Ryang picking up Daniel's rapier and throwing it skillfully to pin Daniel against the wall again by his shirt.

"This is going to take some work," Ryang said.

"It'd be a lot more fair if you didn't use your powers, Ryang. Actually, by the looks of it, it'd be a more even match if you blindfolded yourself and tied your arms behind your back! New Guy! Step your shit up!" Cornelius jeered.
---

{Sariska}

"You can see the stage down by the window over there," Sicily pointed. The drummer plopped herself onto the build and found the remote to the mounted plasma screen television. "You go ahead and do that if you want. Mama's gonna watch her stories and order a buffet." She picked up the phone and dialed in a number. "Yeeeeeello? Room Service? Would you be so kind as to bring me your finest lobster and shrimp cocktails? Like a lot. As much as you're allowed to give me." Sicily brought the phone down and looked over at the other girls. "What are you guys getting?"

"I think I'll have some red snapper," Aurora said.

"Nothing for me thanks, I already ate a little while ago," commented Alicia.

"...Some red snapper for my girl, too," Sicily resumed. "And make it..."

"Don't."

"Make it..."

"Sicily don't you dare."

"Make it... snappy."

"Oh my god."

Sicily finished the order and hung up the phone, lying back down on her pillow.

"And that, ladies, is how you order room service."

A few seconds passed and a scratching sound was heard at the door. Sicily was already too engrossed with her shows, and Alicia was too busy on her phone to notice, however Aurora got up to open the door. On the other side was a small black cat, pawing at the door. It swished its tail about and looked up at Aurora, and Aurora looked back down at it. There was a moment of silence before it meowed, and Aurora gave off a surprised yet enamored squeal.

"Look, Miss Star! A cat! It's so cute! It doesn't have a collar though... is it a stray? How do you think it got here? I want to pick it up. Can I pick it up, Miss Star? Look at its eyes! And its tail! It's so cute!"

Sariska leaned against the wall and glanced out the window. These were likely going to be their last chance to relax. Saturday she had a date with Eric, but...this was more important. Could she still go out with him while knowing what Duple Corp is planning? She would have to be ready for anything from this point on. Even being here was dangerous now, Sariska still didn't know if Freya is being watched. At this point she wouldn't doubt it. Then again, Duple likely doesn't know she's the one they're looking for, so maybe not. They might have a little extra time.

Chloe would be on her way to Richard's by now. It'd take a day for him to prepare her tools. Meaning she'd have to grab them tomorrow, and no later. Otherwise she'd be fighting with her fists, and that wasn't such a pleasant idea.

"Hm?" Sariska glanced to Aurora. She barely heard her talking she was so out of it. But there was a cat now. It didn't have a collar, but how did it end up in the stadium? "Looks like you and my sister share a love of cats," Sariska said, eyeing the feline. "I don't think you should touch it though. If it doesn't has an owner it might be feral."

Daniel was stopped with what appeared to be no effort. His eyes widened as Ryang completely halted his advance with her bare hands. She told him that he was almost there, but that his execution was bad. The wind that Ryang moved through the room began to pick him up off the ground, and eventually he couldn't hold onto the sword that kept him anchored. Tossed like a ragdoll, Daniel was blown around the stadium, colliding with walls each way he went. He hurtled towards Cornelius, who just calmly slid out of the way as Daniel faceplanted into the ground.

Daniel thought he could hear an exchange between the two Incarnates, but the sound of the wind roaring in his ears was blotting it out. He was picked up again and thrown against the wall, with Ryang expertly throwing the rapier in his direction, pinning his shirt, and him as a result, to the wall. He hung there like a sad punching bag, feeling the bruises and scrapes that he got from being buffeted around the environment. The wind died down a tad bit, and Daniel could hear Cornelius shout for him to step up his game. I dunno, if Ryang could stop my attack without a scratch, how am I ever going to land anything on her? I don't want to hurt her, but I don't want to die either...

Through the aches and pains, Daniel grunted as he lifted his arms to pull the rapier from the wall, and he fell flat on the ground when he succeeded. "I'm trying! I've never done this before, I'm sorry." He got up and walked back to where he stood before in front of Ryang, bracing himself for what would likely be more of the same. "I'm ready, I suppose." Daniel grimaced and readied his weapon, watching closely to see if he could anticipate Ryang's next move.

Probably not.

{Daniel}

"Very well, I will cease using my powers for this session," Ryang announced. "Let's try a different approach to this." She  went over to Daniel, circling around him. "Let's start with you form.  Keep your rear hand relaxed, and have your front knee over the instep of your front foot. Have your rear knee over your rear toe. Keep your feet at a perfect ninety degree angle. The rapier is a very flexible weapon, and you too must be flexible both in physical stance and in mentality. Your footwork must keep a fluid and proper tempo, and your mind must maintain a state of constant readiness. Always watch your opponents tells and act accordingly. Okay. Now I want you to try and parry my attacks. If you think you can do more than block my swings, then feel free to try a counterattack."

Ryang held only a single knife and swung from predictable angles at Daniel, her movements telegraphing each direction they were coming from.
---

{Sariska}

"It doesn't look feral," Aurora said, keeping her eyes on the cat. She held her hand out towards the cat to see what it would do, and the cat would in turn scamper off. "Ah, no! Come back!" Sicily turned her head over from the bed to look at what was going on.

"Wow, this has got to be like the first time I've ever seen Aurora worked up. What's she going on about?" Sicily asked.

"I don't know, something about a cat," Alicia responded, texting away on her phone.

Aurora followed the cat down the hall where it ran behind a man's leg and peeked out at her.

"Oh, you're... Mr. Autrey. Right?" Aurora addressed the man.

"You can just call me Zeto," he responded.

"Is this your cat?"

"He's nobody's cat. Though he tends to only follow me around."

"Is he feral?"

"Not at all," Zeto said, petting the cat on the head and watching him purr. "Would you like to hold him?"

"Y-Yes!"

Zeto picked up the cat and handed him over to Aurora. The cat looked a bit uncomfortable at first, but eased itself and rested his head on Aurora's shoulder, allowing her to pet him.

"What's his name?"

"I call him Loki. He's quite a troublemaker."

"He doesn't seem like much of a troublemaker. Oh... why are you here, Mr. Autr- I'm sorry, Zeto? Did you come to see the Battle of the Bands, too?"

"Not really. I just have some business I need to tend to. Who are you, by the way?"

"Oh, my name is Aurora. Aurora Emblyne."

"You were with Sariska for that jam session, weren't you?"

"Oh, you remember Miss Star?"

"It's kinda funny. I'm not usually good with names, but hers is hard to forget. I have to get going, but tell her I said hello."

"Alright, Zeto."

Zeto made off into an elevator, while Loki hopped out of Aurora's arms and followed him. Aurora returned to the room to meet back up with the others.

"Hello, Miss Star, I've returned. It turns out the cat was not feral after all. Also, I ran into the same Mr. Zeto Autrey that we encountered that day. He told me to tell you 'hello.'"

Sicily hit the mute button on the television remote at the mention of Zeto's name. "Wait, the hot guy was here and you didn't invite him over? Girl, what's wrong with you?!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't know I was supposed to! Also, he said he had business to attend to."

"Shit. I woulda given him some business to attend to..." Sicily mumbled.

It was Zeto's cat? Somehow it didn't surprise Sariska to hear that. Zeto was a pretty chill guy, from what she gathered yesterday. What was he doing here, if not watching the battle? Could he be staying to see them perform? There was nothing else he could be doing here, right? Sariska frowned a little, feeling her ears get a little hot. He remembered her, too. Something told her she'd be seeing him again, and soon.

"That's great, Aurora," Sariska said, giving the girl a gentle little smile. She seemed so earnest before with the cat, it really was adorable. She felt a little regretful for not giving the sight the attention it deserved. "No wonder my sister seems to like you so much. You're both fond of cats." I am as well, Sariska thought, keeping that little line to herself.

"We were on time, right?" Sariska glanced out the window again. "When does it start? I'm excited to hear some good competition tonight."

Daniel sighed with relief when the howling wind Ryang called forth died around him. Maybe now he would have a fighting chance to make any sort of headway. She directed him on proper form, posture, and stature, critiquing every small mistake he made as he tried to adjust to her precise instructions. Man, this is crazy. Surely it's not this complicated to just swing a sword, right? He complied, though, trying his best to keep up with making sure his form was better than it had been.

Ryang then told Daniel to try and parry her attacks. Daniel squinted and focused on how Ryang was moving. She was very clear with where she was going to swing at Daniel next, and he lifted the rapier to guard against each assault. For the most part, the blades clashed, though a few swings went through Daniel's guard and sliced his arms. He wasn't entirely positive about trying to counterattack, but there was an opportune moment where Ryang's flank was exposed as she made a wide swing at him. He lifted the blade to fend off the final blow, fluidly shifting it to thrust at the exposed area.

He likely wouldn't succeed, but surely it would count as an A for effort, right?

{Daniel}

By some stroke of luck or perhaps even actual progress, Daniel's thrust landed square on Ryang's shoulder. Cornelius watched on, his straw making the obnoxious sound when one's beverage runs out of liquid. Ryang paused, then nodded. "You're picking this up rather quickly," she praised. "This will be all for now. I shall return to you with some more exercises tomorrow. For now, I suppose I'll have to leave you... with Cornelius."

"Ayyyyyy."

"Best of luck to you, Daniel."

Ryang took a bow and left the arena, the door sliding shut behind her.

Music: The Cruel Tutelage of Cornelius Fischer

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Cornelius put on a smirk and reached into his coat, taking out a pair of shades. With a click of his heel, a slope of ice formed from beneath his seat all the way to the ground. The Prince of Frost rested his hands into his pockets and casually slid down the ice to meet with Daniel. "New Guy, New Guy, New Guy..." he chanted. "Hope you're ready for the real fun to begin. Let's make one thing clear. Since I'm the one responsible for training you right now, I'm the boss man. That means you gotta do what I say... or else. Gotta show respect for seniority, after all. Why don't we start by seeing how useful you are? I want you to go down to the Inferno Burger over by Rexford. Get me a Double Lava Burger, no pickles, no onions, extra hot sauce - I wanna violate my toilet tonight. Oh, and an order of chili fries. Don't keep me waiting. Chop-chop."
---

{Sariska}

"The first band should be going up soon," Alicia said. "I'm actually kinda nervous."

Two knocks rapped on the door, revealing the room service that was delivering Sicily her banquet. Sicily wasted no time in tearing into her meal, causing the attendant to reel back in fear and slowly make his way out of the room.

"Damn I shoulda gotten me some hot wings too. With buttermilk ranch. Gaaaaaaahhh," Sicily groaned.

"Did they bring my red snapper?" Aurora asked.

"Yeah, right here."

Applause could be heard below as Julia Skye appeared on the stage to address the crowd forming in the seats.

"Hellooooooooo Winddriiiiiiiiiiiiift!" she shouted, accompanied by the cheers of the audience. "Welcome to our twenty-third annual Battle of the Bands! Before we get on with the show, I would like to take this moment to thank Duple Corp for their help sponsoring this events, and to you all, the loyal supporters and fans! With that out of the way, let's welcome this year's contestants! Be sure to cast your votes after the last band performs, which has been decided to be Starstruck! Now, on with the show!"

The first band made their way to the stage, dressed in extravagant outfits and unusual haircuts. This would be a recurring theme with the rest of the contestants. And so, one by one each band would play a song, revel in the cheers of the audience, and then make way for the next band.

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The band that followed set themselves apart from the rest - instead of flashy outfits, they arrived in normal clothes, and brought in a grand piano, a trombone, and a cello. No guitar. It seems they took the word "band" to a more traditional sense. The frontwoman gave no introduction and went straight into the song as the pianist started.

Spoiler:

The audience watches in awe, captured and enthralled by the tones of her voice. She sways as she sings, as though she were a sort of snake charmer, and the crowd hangs on to every delicate movement and chorus. Aurora closes her eyes as she listens in tune with the girl's song, Alicia's attention is pulled away from her phone to look, and Sicily actually stops engorging herself. The three girls gather to the window to see the graceful figure that is delivering the ethereal and vocal wisps of song - the girl that in this moment has the world's attention in her dainty grasp. Her song ends, and the crowd remains silent for a good moment, lost in their trance and stupor. One voice lets out a cheer, and the rest follow, bringing the entire stadium into an uproar. She would be a tough act to follow. The disc attached to the room key began to flash, signifying Sariska's band to come to the stage to perform.

"Oh... uh... we're next," Alicia sputtered, even more nervous than she was before. "Let's go... I guess."

The girls would make their way out of the room, aside from Sicily, who went to grab Sariska's attention.

"Hey, Star? Got a minute?"

When Sariska and Sicily were the last ones out of the room, Sicily brought out what was on her mind as they walked.

"So there's been something that's kinda been bugging me for a while now. Ever since me and Alicia got into it the other day, and ever since we met that Freya chick. You've been going along with everything that's happened so far, and I've been wondering why. You brought me in as your drummer, even though I'm from a shithole like Hastel, not to mention everything else you've learned and seen from me. You also went along with everything Freya said without even questioning it. Personally, if I were in your shoes I would've said all that shit sounded hella suspect. So what gives? Are you that trusting of people? Not saying I'm gonna do something behind your back or steal from you or anything, but real talk, what is your deal?"

Sariska kept her eyes closed for most of the songs. There wasn't much happening, though the crowd seemed to enjoy them. She had a particular taste that couldn't be satisfied with just a good guitar or good vocals. The odd band that combined everything well caught her full attention. By the end she was growing a little impatient, at least until she saw who was walking on stage. A traditional band in a concert like this?

Sariska kept her silence out of respect, watching the girl sway with her music. A tough act to follow, for sure. If she were able to vote, she'd already know who for. "She's got some nice cords," was all Sariska said. It was the only one she bothered to compliment in front of the others. It was finally their turn. Sariska held back with Sicily as requested and listened quietly to her.

"I am not a people person, Sicily," Sariska said. "My sister can see through lies and deceit much better than I can, but that's never really bothered me. I had my doubts with you from the start for sure, but I can tell you've got your heart in the right place. I thought maybe you need a little push in the right direction, but that really isn't my call. Band leader or not, I'm not your boss and I don't want to be your boss. If it turned out you had stolen something out of my apartment or been otherwise hostile to me or my sister, I wouldn't have had a problem throwing you out on your ass. But you haven't, so I'm more than willing to put my trust in you. As for Freya, she helped me out earlier today and I've no reason to mistrust her. Besides, I've already suspected Duple Corp was up to no good.

"My deal here is that I'm willing to do anything for the sake of a friend. Whether it's believing in fairy tales or that a girl with a rough past living in a shitty place can have a good heart. Like it or not, I consider you a friend now. That goes for Alicia and Aurora too. Life's too short to mistrust people based on circumstance."

Sariska was smiling by the end of her talk, and the band was getting up on the stage. She found her guitar ready and waiting for her. She checked it over once, finding all the old scratches and dents on it. The paint was starting to chip a little, but it wouldn't be noticeable on stage. Everything was as it should be. "Alright girls," Sariska said, turning her attention to the other two. "We formed not two days ago, had only one practice session, and are in way over our heads here. But you know what? I've never been more excited about a performance than today, so lets get out there, blow some heads off, and hit the bar to celebrate no matter what happens. Deal?" Sariska's smile turned to a cocky, one-sided grin as they stepped out on stage.

She felt the lights and heard the roaring of the crowd die out. They were last performance. She couldn't ask for a better chance to get her name out there. She gazed out into the crowd, feeling her heart soar as she basked in the spotlight. Sariska stepped up to the microphone and readied her hands.

"We are Starstruck," she said simply, then nodded to Sicily to start the countdown.

Music: Never Look Back

She danced with her guitar, taking shot and quick steps and keeping her mouth attached to the mic. She had done this a hundred times before and made it look effortless. She stomped her foot in time with the music and sang, drawing out the chorus and extending her voice to the deepest parts of the hall. She never lost the grin on her face or the fire in her eyes. She exuded even more confidence on stage than she ever did in the practice room.

It was over too soon. But they did what they came here for, and once the last note fell out, Sariska made a sweeping bow to her audience.