Note: I know it's been a long time between chapters – always is it seems – but at least I am updating at all…right?! Anyway…this may be kinda rushed.

Burning Holograms

Duties

There was a breathless moment in which Jem and Pizzazz stared at one another, their gazes equally hard. The others all knew that neither would give in easily; in fact, the staring match they were engaged in would be only the beginning of the greater contest, which could easily last all day. The Holograms had no time for that kind of wasteful activity, particularly when, if Jem failed, she'd be in an even worse mood than she was already.

"Let's get out of here," Kimber spoke up suddenly, glancing pointedly at her watch. "We can go to my place and have a few more talks."

Kimber's place doubled as a main headquarters for the Holograms when they weren't at the studio or at the record company offices, which was why she offered it up now as a solution to the problem at hand.

Shana said in agreement, "Yeah, good idea Kim."

Aja said, "Jemmie? Ready to get going?"

Jem continued to stare with fire at her nemesis, who did not look like shying away anytime soon. Jem said stiffly, "I'm not going anywhere. This is our space. Somebody's trespassing."

Pizzazz rolled her eyes. "I have the papers right here if you want to double check them."

"What are you talking about?" Jem asked acidly.

"Like I was telling these ladies before you rudely interrupted, I own this space now, at least for the next twelve hours. You guys better get your asses out of here before I get you for trespassing."

Jem laughed mockingly and tossed her head, her masses of carefully teased hair swinging from side to side quite magnificently. "I don't know what your new problem is," she said, "but I think you need to upgrade your medication."

"Actually, Jem, Pizzazz is right," someone new spoke from the doorway, and everyone swivelled on their heels to find another Misfit. This time it was Stormer.

Jem stalked over to the wall phone and snatched up the receiver, stabbing her finger at the keypad as she dialled a number. She waited impatiently, tapping one high-heeled foot and crossing one arm over her middle. Everybody waited in silence, Pizzazz smug, the Holograms slightly anxious, and Stormer almost apologetic.

Finally Jem spoke into the receiver. "Harry, what the fuck is going on?" she snapped, tapping her foot at an even faster rate. "We have two more hours–"

She was clearly interrupted by something Harry, the studio's booking manager, was saying, and Aja shifted closer to Shana and murmured, "I don't like this. She better not explode like last time…"

"Let's just hope she'll keep her cool," Shana responded, trying hard to keep the worry from her face. She always prided herself on being able to let it slide, whatever "it" might be at the time. She usually handled sticky situations with a sarcastic sense of humour and a casually spoken self-confidence. But sometimes, in rare instances, she found it rather difficult to maintain her outer strength. At least she always tried.

Jem's mouth opened in an angry 'o'. "What the hell gives you reason to think you have the right to–?"

She sighed irritably as she was evidently interrupted once again. A few times she tried to say something else, but was either forestalled or just couldn't decide what to say. Aja and Shana exchanged helpless glances.

Finally Jem said, "Well fuck you too then, Harry," and slammed down the receiver. She took a moment to herself, staring at the wall, then inhaled deeply and met Pizzazz's gaze. "Have your fucking space. The microphones are fucked anyway. I'm sure the scratchy sounds they make will complement your voice nicely."

With that she stalked out of the room, snapping at her band-mates, "Kimber's it is. We're going to make a decision about this fucking single. You guys can get your own way there, I'm leaving right now."

"Jem, what about your stuff–?"

"I'll get it tomorrow," Jem called, and was gone. The atmosphere she left behind was far from pleasant, as even Pizzazz appeared to have nothing to say. The yellow-haired vixen eventually shrugged and pushed past the Holograms, heading for the control room. "I'm sure I'm going to have to adjust all these levels," she called, purposefully loud enough to allow the enemy band members to hear her words. "You people always mess things up incredibly."

Us? Aja thought incredulously, and turned to Shana. "Wanna catch a ride with me? I don't really want to leave my car here overnight."

Shana shrugged. "Sure." She'd come into work with Jem that morning, but clearly she could not get a lift back in the singer's sports car. "Just let me get my bag."

Aja waited while Shana gathered her belongings, and tried to avoid Stormer's gaze. Yes, it was true that Stormer was more of a Hologram than a Misfit, at least to Aja's thinking, but the fact remained that the woman was a Misfit, officially. That set her apart. She was almost an outsider from both camps, Aja realised thoughtfully. How must that make Stormer feel?

Kimber tugged at her sleeve and pulled her into a warm embrace. "Don't take it too much to heart, babe," the redhead murmured. "You always have to expect trouble when those two get within a hundred metres of one another."

She was talking about Jem and Pizzazz, of course, assuming that Aja was still upset over the exchange the two women had had. In truth she was, but she had been successfully distracting herself with thoughts of Stormer for a moment there.

"I know," she told her band-mate. "I'm okay with it. Or used to it, anyway." She smiled tiredly.

"Okay, gal. I'm off. I'll see you at my place, yeah?"

"Yeah," Aja agreed, and watched as Kimber turned to leave. The redhead tossed a friendly farewell to Stormer before heading off. Then Aja went back to trying to avoid the Misfit's gaze.

As if summoned somehow by Aja's secret thoughts, Stormer appeared suddenly beside her. "I'm sorry about that," she said softly. "Pizzazz and Jem…it's kind of like they're an entity on their own or something…centre points of good and evil."

Aja smiled wryly. "You and I may have different ideas of which one's good and which one's evil, though."

Stormer looked slightly sad then, and shrugged. "I don't know about that. Sometimes I think they're as bad as each other…just in different ways."

Aja smiled. "Anyway, Stormer, I better get down and get my car out." Her words were a clear end to the conversation, which she was not particularly comfortable having.

Stormer smiled faintly and nodded. "Okay, hon. Nice to see you again."

"Sure," Aja said, and walked out. Shana might get a bit irritated that she hadn't waited, but the purple-haired bassist would get over it. She'd understand.

Aja hid a yawn behind her hand as she walked towards the elevators at the far end of the hall. Sadly, her day was far from over. More headaches awaited back at Kimber's place.