A/N:
This is my first FanFic in this style.
I based the characters off the movie Step Up but as you get deeper into the story, you can tell the plot is based on Night World: Dark Angel. I hope you enjoy this first chapter. Sorry Chapter 1 is kind of long. I hope to get Chapter 2 done soon!
Reviews are always welcome! Thanks for reading!
~xxSumma

Was this death?

If so, it's so… empty, Piper thought nervously as she took in her surroundings. She was in a wide meadow. The grass was lush green and reminded her of a summer's rain. Tiny white flowers speckled the meadow periodically and she bent to touch one, as if making sure this whole thing was real. There was a shadowy look to the purple mountains in the distance. Piper couldn't seem to focus on them hard as she tried and they remained a painted smudge on the horizon against a black sky. She looked all around her but found no signs of any other life-forms.

What am I supposed to be doing here? She wondered, feeling the hysteria rise again. This was a crack at her right? She couldn't actually be dead! She had so much more time left! I'm only 18! Piper glanced around, rubbing her hands together as she felt a chilling breeze blow over her. Her dark skin seemed to glow with an inner light since there was no moon in sight and she wondered if her curly black hair and doe-brown eyes did too. This must be one of Mac's latest pranks.

Piper felt a pang as she thought about Mac and their other best friend J.T. Would she ever see them again? Try as she might to pretend this was one big joke; she remembered clearly what had happened that night.

~*~

Piper and had been at the local club that night. It was late, nearly 1:30 and heat was blazing in the Californian slums. The run-down building had seen better turn-outs but most of her gang was there. Everyone was drinking and dancing as Omar spun them a good mixer. Piper had on her black miniskirt and tall black boots. Her black shirt was low-cut and tight, she had outgrown it a while ago but it was still the nicest thing in her wardrobe. She was ready to break some hearts that night.

She had started to feel too hot as she rubbed up against everyone else on the dance floor. Piper excused herself from the guy she was dancing with and went to the bar to get a cool drink. The bartender, Ty, pushed an icy margarita into her sweaty hands and she downed a few gulps automatically, ignoring the buzzing already pounding into her head. She was underage but she and her gang needed the alcohol after a hard day at work; jumping people, breaking into cars, and stealing whatever they could find.

It was while Piper was sitting at the bar, cradling her margarita, that Mac had rushed up to her, a grin on his dark face.

"Guess what ride we bagged today?" he exclaimed as he stood in front of her. He was a big guy with broad shoulders and muscled legs and arms. His chocolate brown eyes were narrowed as he took in Piper's outfit and drink but he decided against saying anything, knowing he would just get socked for it. Mac and Piper had grown up together and knew each other inside out. They watched each other's backs like brother and sister, ever since they had both ended up kicked to the gutter of the slums when they were 13.

Piper had taken one look at his face and grinned broadly, "Somethin' big, I guess. Corvette?" she tried, folding her arms over her chest. She was excited. If Mac and JT had gotten away with a Corvette it meant more money when they sold it to Stiles later.

Mac shook his head slightly, "Better," was all he said before motioning to her and turning towards the back door. Piper followed him, excitement rising. What was better than a Corvette on this site of the city?

Mac threw open the door and raised his arm, sweeping it out to the alley outside where JT leaned against a car, his own expression was more cautious than Mac's, as JT always was more cautious than any of them. He was tall and lean, with a cat's grace and intense black eyes. His own black skin as deeper than both Piper's and Mac's and he was easily lost in shadows. JT had joined Mac and Piper's duo a short time ago. He was a mystery to them but he was fun enough, and he knew a thing or two of the business, so they let him stick around.

"Shit." Piper whispered as she gaped at the car behind JT. It was pitch black, sleek and muscular. The shining hood shined against the moon, barely visible through the city's smog. The wheel's had blinding silver spinners. She knew the horsepower would get up to 190 and the engine was a 6.2 L Vortec V8. "An Escalade," Her gasp was hoarse in her ears and she knew she was shaking at the knees.

JT raised his eyebrows at her reaction, "What? Ya don't appreciate the crap we went through to jack this?" he asked.

Piper glared at him, her doe-brown eyes smoldering. "Man, do you know who owns the only Escalade around here?!" she demanded, flinging her hand at the car.

JT shrugged, "Mac said it was some rich skeezer." He replied calmly, his intense gaze never leaving her face.

Piper whirled to Mac, "I know you know! That's fricken' Stiles' main hussy's car! Dammit! he's goin' to go after you guys with his shotgun!" she was practically shouting and Mac just rolled his eyes and slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Not if you don' go yellin' it to the whole place that we has it." He growled in her ear. Piper struggled to get out of his hold, her head buzzing with this and the forgotten drink. JT turned his dark gaze to Mac, his eyes narrowed as if saying 'Thanks for telling me exactly who's car this was', but he remained silent. Because that was the type of guy JT was.

Mac let Piper go and ran his hands over the car. "Isn't she a beauty" he murmured, inspecting it for dings or scratches. He failed to notice the blinking red light reflecting from the windshield. If he had, they would have been more alert as a tinted window SUV swerved into the parking lot with a loud screech of tires.

"Hell, man!" Piper cursed, taking JT by the shirt and dragging him towards the club door, hoping to disappear inside, "That car has one of those tracking devices or somethin'!"

Mac was still standing next to the Escalade, staring in horror as a gang of huge guys jumped out of the SUV, guns in hand, and headed towards them. Their stride was fast but not a run, purposeful. Piper knew they weren't leaving without someone paying for jacking Stiles' car.

"Mac! Get your ass inside!" JT hissed, motioning wildly from the open doorway to the club. If they all made it in before the guys got too close, they might be able to disappear into the crowd. Piper could hear the club inside going on as if nothing was wrong. They would have no idea what happened until they heard the shots. She knew what she was doing was stupid, and it might have been the margarita she had chugged down even though it wasn't anything new, but she ran back into the street.

Mac came to his senses as she hurried over and pulled at his arm, glancing warily over her shoulder at the approaching firearms. He followed Piper as she tugged him into the shelter of the club where JT was waiting frantically.

It was then, right when she was almost into the club and pushing Mac in front of her to make him move faster, that Piper heard the unmistakably sound of someone pulling the trigger. She couldn't help it, Piper froze in the middle of the street, shoving Mac ahead of her, her brown eyes widening in fear.

It was as if time froze. She could feel Mac stumble into JT as they bunched at the doorway. She wanted to turn to them, reach out and huddle behind them. But even though time was frozen, there wasn't enough of it. Before Piper could cry out to them or anyone, she didn't even know what she wanted to say, her chest exploded in pain. Her vision went red then black and she crumpled to the ground.

~*~

Piper jerked herself out of her memories. She had just died and she didn't want to relive it. As she continued to try to figure out where she was, her mind tumbled into a multitude of thoughts. Did anyone miss her? Would they notice she wasn't there anymore? She particularly found it odd that she hadn't seen her life flash before her eyes like people said usually happened when you died. Maybe that only happened when you died slowly? She wondered. Wait, what was she thinking?! Why was she thinking this when she had no idea where she was or what she was doing?!

She was pulled out of another bout of hysteria as a voice sounded nearby. It was musical and worldly at the same time. She turned to see a bright ball of light floating towards her. It was singing. The song had no words but it made Piper feel strangely comforted as she watched the light-ball get steadily closer. Then it took a form- what looked like a woman, but she couldn't make out any features through the bright light. And then the singing stopped and the voice spoke:

"Sup, girl?"