"You ready?" Lock said, tugging at his tight dress shirt. It was red, and had a long black tie loosely swaying in front of it. He also wore a pair of skinny black pants.

"Yeah." Shock answered, straightening her dress. It was bright lilac, and just barely came up above her knees. The top was cropped and tank-top-like.

Lock smiled. "And Barrel?"

"Coming!"

The candy-lover stumbled out from the dressing room, wearing the same outfit as Lock but with green instead of red.

Shock took a deep breath. "I just KNOW I'm going to mess up."

Lock patted her shoulder reassuringly, "You won't."

Jack's voice, magnified by a microphone, boomed out.

"Okay, next for out talent show, we have..." here he groaned, "...Lock, Shock and Barrel."

Lock rolled his eyes. "Will he ever learn?"

Shock peered out of the curtain. "Okay, let's go."

He signaled to Werewolf, who grudgingly raised the curtains. Lock stood in the middle, with Shock a few meters to his right and Barrel a few meters to his left. He cleared her throat, and the music turned on.

Violin strings squeaked as Shock stepped across the stage. Her footsteps resonated throughout the amphitheater hall. She took a deep breath and said her first line.

"Tells the story," she said loudly, voice firm and unwavering, "Of a prostitute!"

Here she whipped around and pointed at Lock. He did his best to look shocked as the crowd ooo-ed and laughed.

"And the man..." Shock continued, walking around Lock like a shark, "...who falls in love...with her."

Here Barrel drew in a loud, shaky breath as the violins in the background reached a tense climax. Shock waited in a coiled pose, and when the music burst into full mode, she sprang forward like a spring and held herself in a dramatic pose.

"First, there is desire!"Shock said as Lock stepped forward. She grabbed him and twirled him around and into a romantic dip. Barrel instinctively stiffened - despite the fact he knew this was fake, jealousy was settling in his stomach like a hot poison.

"Then, passion!" Shock said, lifting him back up and sensually drawing her close.

"Then, suspicion!" Shock pulled away and scanned Lock with a true appearance of distrust. Barrel held his breath.

"Jealousy! Anger! Betrayal!" Shock called out, as she and Lock danced around each other in choreographed moves that had taken them weeks of rehearsal to get down. Barrel, trying to keep in character despite the butterflies in his stomach, clenched his hands and leaned forward.

"When love is for the highest bidder, there can be no trust!" Shock philosophically exclaimed, bring Lock closer to her once more, "Without trust, there is no love!"

Barrel glanced momentarily at the judging table, where the three judges sat. Jack was watching them with his mouth hanging open. Beside him, Oogie had a tense appearance, eye-holes wide. The final judge, the Mayor, had his angry/sad face turned toward them, worrying Barrel.

"Jealousy..." Shock said, voice growing louder and more powerful as she drew Lock so close they were nearly kissing, "Yes, jealousy...will drive you...MAD!"

Indeed, Barrel was nearly mad with jealously at the sight before him, but he hung on to his cool like it was a life line, clenching his hands. He had to keep his temper down - the show had just begun. The violin strings captured the moment perfectly as the tango music exploded.

"Roxanne..." Shock said, spinning away from Lock and striking a tango-esque pose, "You don't have to put on that red light..."

The simple white lights behind them flashed red momentarily as Shock grabbed Lock by the waist and lifting him up.

"Walk the streets for money...you don't care if it's wrong or if it is right..."

Barrel felt his chest jumping up and down spastically as the 'Ocks spun around and struck more phallic poses.

"Roxanne...you don't have to wear that dress tonight..." here Shock's hand flew down to Lock's legs, making him gasp in surprise when he felt how cold her hands were.

"Roxanne...you don't have to sell your body to the night..." Shock spun Lock around and brought him closer. Barrel knew he had to sing next, so he took a sharp breath and stepped forward.

"His eyes upon your face..." he sang, voice beautifully husky but audible, "His hand upon your hand..."

Shock held Lock's hand tightly and moved forward, brushing her lips against his forehead. Seeing him blush, Barrel swallowed hurriedly and continued.

"His lips caress your skin..." he sang, before raising his voice confidently.

"It's more than I can take!" he sang out loudly.

"Roxanne!" Shock sang, as she and Lock jumped back into a dance and Barrel walked forward and around them, singing as best he could.

"Why does my heart cry?"

"Roxanne!"

"Feelings I can't fight!"

Barrel finished circling around the dancing couple as Shock stopped singing and let him take the center stage.

"You're free to leave me, but just don't deceive me, and please, believe me when I say, I LOVE YOU!" he raised his voice especially for the final three words.

The blazing lights behind them extinguished momentarily, drowning the three of them in pale blue light. Shock roped his arms around Lock from the back and drew him in close. She was not singing, but speaking now, in hushed tones.

"When this production succeeds, you will no longer be a can-can dancer..." she whispered, voice layered with lust, "An actress...I will make you...a star..."

Very slowly, she slid her hand down to Lock's shaking hands and slipped something into them - a tiny sparkling gold band. Lock breathed heavily, trembling realistically.

"Accept it...as a gift from this maharajah to his courtesan..." Shock murmured, his voice heavy. Lock's first line was next.

"A-and...and the ending?" he breathed. Shock chuckled under her breath.

"Let Zidler keep his fairy-tale ending..."

The music rose once more as Barrel stepped forth again.

"Roxanne!"

"Why does my heart cry?"

"Roxanne!"

"Feelings I can't fight!"

"You're free to leave me, but just don't deceive me, and please, believe me when I say...I LOVE YOU!"

Now was time for the climax. Lock pushed Shock away from him and spun away, facing Barrel as the light and the music both held their breaths.

"Come what may...I will love you...until my dying...day." he sang quietly. Barrel's barely-controlled hyperventilations made him shudder. The fans blew wind at both of them, making ripples appear in Lock's red hair.

Now was the dramatic bit - the three of them had not rehearsed together past this point, but Barrel knew what he had to do. He just didn't know what Lock and Shock would do until then, and it made him tense. He knew they had rehearsed together, but he didn't know what they would do.

Suddenly, Shock's shadow loomed over Lock. He turned abruptly, whispering the word "No." under her breath.

"No...oh, I see..." Shock hissed angrily, "It's our very own penniless sitar player..."

She flicked his wrist, and a click echoed throughout the amphitheater. Barrel breathed in sharply when he saw the shining of light on the blade of her pocket knife.

Lock stumbled back, looking almost genuinely scared.

"My dear Duke -"

"SILENCE!" Shock snapped, voice frighteningly real. She shoved him to the ground, before grabbing him by his neck and lifting him to his feet. Her fingers held Lock's neck so well - Barrel was horrified.

"You made me...believe you loved me..." Shock snarled, voice raspy with rage.

It was too real for everyone.

With each tense pluck of the violin string, the blade in Shock's hand turned so that she was holding it in the pose of the murder. The blade glinted with steely malice.

Barrel knew he had to sing again, but his throat had closed from watching the scene unfold. He swallowed painfully as the lights turned bright red behind them.

Shock swung the knife down, and just before it made contact the strobe lights started going off, flashing wildly. Unable to see what happened past the red and white lights, Barrel could only sing.

"Roxanne!"

"Why does my heart cry? Feelings I can't fight!"

Real tears flooded down Barrel's face as he uttered the last words.

"I love you, I love you , I love you, I love you..."

He couldn't go on any longer. Sobbing, he covered his face.

The song ended, and the stage went pitch black.

Barrel turned and raced into the dressing room under the cover of darkness. Crying, he collapsed to the floor.

"Barrel? Barrel, what's wrong?"

He looked up in alarm to see Lock kneeling down beside him.

"Wha...what happened to you?"

"We finished the play. Judging by the audience's reaction, they loved it."

The sounds of applause and cheers resonated from the stage.

"But...but I...why didn't you tell me you were going to do that?"

Shock grinned and folded her arms. "Because you wouldn't react the way we wanted."

Barrel felt a smile tugging at his mouth. "You jerks."

Lock kissed him tenderly on the lips.

Note: I used a specific version of the song for this. Go to YouTube and type in 'moulin rouge el tango de roxanne lyrics' and choose the SECOND video for the audio for this.