Chapter 10

Last chapter Ren declared war upon the Misfits and RTD. What will happen next? Find out in this next chapter! Oh something I forgot to mention in the last chapter (*) I always forget to explain those, anyhow Noah—along with Ororan, and Ren—Is one of the few people in this story who understand Japanese. And Mistuki, tends to speak in Japanese whenever he's with Noah. Kinda like what Ren does, only someone in RTD actually understands him. ONWARD TO THE BATTLE FIELD!

'Ren Hagane's declaration of war!' Lind-Z said on her show later that night, 'That's right you heard it here first folks, earlier today at the Rock hard Café Ren Hagane declared War upon the Misfits!'

Ren glared at the television. They were taking her words out of context, she hated it when people did that. Behind her Jerrica sighed, and shut off the TV, Ren looked up at them.

"I should have known the Misfits were lying, and with another band's lies." Jerrica said pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, "I'm sorry Ren."

Ren gave Jerrica a thumbs up, indicating that it was alright and that she held no grudges against Jerrica Benton.

"No worries, Ren says it's her fault for not telling you about Respect the Dead sooner." Shirley said, "We didn't think they would actually show up here."

"They must have caught wind of Metal Voice's fame forming up here from Edo." Ororan said then looked to his two younger brothers, "And here you thought I'd be the one to cause you guys trouble."

"It wouldn't have been the first time." Loki mumbled.

"So now then who exactly are these guys?" Shana asked, Ren snorted and crossed her arms not at all happy with the situation.

"They call their band Respect the Dead. Another heavy Metal group from Edo." Creepie explained, "They're full of themselves, not unlike the Stingers, and the Misfits. Their drummer Mitsuki has a record as long as the travel from Tokyo to here. Noah the guitarist and—let's face it—real brains behind the group. He's known for slipping out of contracts and starting fights."

"Then there's the bassist Lily…" Othello mumbled, then paused, and looked to Shirley who held onto Ren's hand. Ren huffed.

"Lily's just as bad as the rest of them," Shirley said, "She's always causing problems ever since she joined the band. Papa always has to bail her out of something."

"How do you know this?" Aja asked, Shirley let out a somber sigh and looked up at the blue haired woman.

"I know, because she's my big sister." She said, "Kinda sad isn't it?"

"Is that how you met Ren?" Raya asked. Shilrey and Ren shook their heads.

"No. Rennie and I met through our favorite band." Shilrey said with a sincere smile.

"What band is that?"Shana asked.

"Metal Lotus." Shirley said with a giggle. Ren nodded. Jerrica scowled she wanted to know more about the group RTD (Respect the Dead).

"Tell me more about this band you guys have a history with, I want to know more so that next time we can stop them from trashing anymore parties." She said. The group (and guest; Loki and Ororan) scowled.

"None of them are even half as bad as their leader, Zeek Sanders." Blud said sternly, "He's a punk, and not the good kind. He's a conman and a womanizer, which might explain why he's shacked up with Pizzazz and her group."

"That's the guy who was singing right?" Kimber asked, "He called Ren something earlier."

"Jailbait." Othello said, "That's what he always calls her."

"What's that mean exactly?" Jerrica asked, the group looked to each other, then to Ren, who rolled her eyes. Not really caring whether or not they told them, though surprised they didn't already know.

"I-it's a term for people of a young age, having sex appeal of an adult. It can lead to some older man being thrown in jail for flirting with her." Becky said, "While Ren doesn't exactly have the sex appeal, that the term implies, she has the attitude."

"In anime we call that a Loli-con." Shirley said plainly. The holograms looked to Ororan with a sort of suspicious look. Ororan pursed his lips.

"He was calling her that way before I met her." He said, "This time it has nothing to do with me."

"Though you really don't help." Loki mumbled. The others nodded, agreeing with him. Ororan pursed his lips into a slight pout.

"As I said before, there is a difference between having a great deal of respect for a talented young woman, and the plain disgusting profanity they implied." He said, "I am the former. I have a respect for Loli—I-I mean Ren."

"Oh almost let that one slip didn't ya?" Samantha said leaning against him with a taunting smirk. Ororan let out a sigh.

(Ren's POV)

This whole thing was starting to wear on my nerves. What did it matter? Zeek has never beaten me when it came to music, and he certainly wasn't going to do it now. Even if he did have Pizzazz doing his dirty work—among other things. Men like him disgust me. Let me tell you about my dealings with Zeek and his group he so laughably calls a metal band.

~years ago~
(narrator's POV)

Ren walked down the streets of Edo, in one hand she had her late father's bass guitar, in the other a lollipop she had gotten from the instrument repairman. Sound shaddy? It was. The man was a pedo—a real pedophile, but Edo was a pretty dangerous town so that was the least of her worries. Plus considering the man was the only one who could repair the instrument without much trouble, Ren continued to do business with him.

As she walked she happened to see a wanted ad poster on a brick wall. She stopped and looked at the poster. It read 'Wanted, guitarist, bassist, and drummer.'

This was a long time before Metal Voice had started, and longer still before Ren Hagane met Becky and started forming the group. So granted, she was interested. She then went to the address provided, a bar in probably the only good part of town, and that's where he met him. Zeek Sanders. He was the same man she knew and despised today. However then, he seemed to be the coolest person on the planet.

He had the looks of Sid Vicious from Sex Pistols. He played guitar like Zero Hagane from Metal lotus, and his singing—well that was crap, but it had potential. Ren wanted to be part of the band, so she approached him.

"Who the hell…Ha! Why's there some bratty kid in here? Isnt this a bar?" He said, standing on the bar stool. Ren narrowed her eyes at him.

"Baka, I'm replying to the ad you have plastered across town." She said in her usual tone. This was also before she knew the seriousness on her condition. "I've come to sing."

"Aw how cute. Get lost." Zeek said to her, still Ren persisted. She refused to leave until she had auditioned for his stupid band. "A) a brat like you couldn't sing what I want and B) This ain't no baby sittin gig."

"Shut your mouth before and hear my voice before you make your decision." She hissed. Zeek's brows rose in amused interest.

"Alright then, have at it brat." He said tossing Ren a microphone. Ren huffed.

"Dick."

It's just one of the seven wonders…

AH~! Fuck!

Never in my life has someone saved me,
Or avoided conflict in destiny.
Overly consuming, never agree,
Running like a person's gluttony!

"Everybody here, you are all my friends,"

I can only say that with great smirk on my face,
Because in this dark reality that I live,

there really are no friends at all for me.

The students always talk of shit!
Sensei! Please do something or I may submit!

What makes you think you have the right to

Tell my feelings?!

It's written on my heart's surface,

I'll prove it to you!

It's just so funny how everyone desires to be heard!

And yet I find myself let in late, why am I like this?

So much confusion in my love for you,
It's just one of the seven wonders in the world...

"Shit…you're good, kid." Zeek said when Ren Finished. She glared at him. Letting out an arrogant snort as she crossed her arms.

"I'm not just good, I'm damn good, and don't you forget it." She said pointing to him. Zeek smirked.

"I like your style jailbait, what's your name?" he asked. Ren hesitated in thought for a moment, then smirked.

"Hagane, Ren Hagane*." She said.

"Hagane? Like that dead bassist from Metal Voice. HA! No accounting for style eh?" Zeek said in a loud tone. Ren's eye ticked in annoyance. Even then she knew they wouldn't get along.

And her intuition wasn't wrong. After a while Zeek spent most of his time picking up chicks rather than forming a band. He wanted the lime light, he didn't really care too much about the music. He just wanted the attention. It was something that seriously wore on Ren's nerves. So one day she called him out on it.

"You care more about fucking women then you do about the band!" She hissed.

"You say something brat?" Zeek growled back, Ren glared, banging her fist against the table they sat at in the very same bar in anger.

"You heard me dumbass! Being in a band doesn't mean you get to sleep with a new groupie every night!" She growled, "It's about music!"

"It's about music,'" Zeek said mocking Ren. "Blah blah blah! I'm getting sick of your shitty attitude Ren."

"If you spent half as much time practicing as you do trying to pick up whores like her, we'd probably have more members!" Ren shouted pointing the a blonde girl who sat clinging to Zeek, she glared at Ren, who glared back. Guess who won that stare down.

"You lookin' to pick a fight brat?" Zeek hissed. Ren glared, then balled up her hand into a fist and slamming it down hard onto the bar table. It cracked in half falling on either side of the duo. She then glared at Zeek.

"You really want to go there with me?! Well bring it!" She screamed. Zeek stared at the table and huffed.

"You don't like the way I work then find your own gig." He said, Ren went to say something but then stopped to think it over.

"Yaknow what Zeek," She said hopping off the bar stool and heading toward the door. "That's the smartest thing you've said since I met you. I will, and I'll beat you at this gig no problem!"

"Yeah good luck with that little shit!" Zeek shouted, back. Ren brought up her middle finger.

"Fuck you!"

~today~
(Ren's POV)

Come to think of it Zeek may have been the reason behind the stress on my vocal chords back then. I'm getting off topic though. In the end I formed a great band, with interesting people, and Zeek, well, you see how he's doing. After that he formed a band and did everything in his power to sabotage mine. Even going so far as to have a relationship with Shirley's sister Lily. Which I should mention seems to be on the fringe again. Remind me why I care though? Zeek's sex life, is not my concern, nor is it ever on my mind.

This time excluded because this time I'm only concerned because Shirley is. that girl really cares for her older sister—even if the bitch never shows any of that love in return.

"Ren," Jerrica's voice broke me from my seriously deep—and slightly disturbing—thoughts. I looked up to her, "What exactly did you mean when you told the misfits that this was War?"

I looked to her. She was worried, and really? Who wouldn't be in this situation. I'll admit I overreacted when I threw that amplifier.

'Pizzazz has done enough damage through Zeek and his degenerates.' Becky said for me. 'He's picked a fight, and for the first time in a long while I'm going to rise to this challenge.'

"Wait a minute, Ren think about this. Didn't you want to avoid this?" Becky asked me, I nodded. I did, I truly did. However circumstances called for a different approach, after all I sure as hell wasn't going let that idiot Pizzazz get away with signing Respect the Dead. Zeek was going down.

"But do not worry," I said, this time using my own voice, "The actions of Metal Voice and myself, will not reflect on Starlight Music. I will make sure of that."

"Ren…I can't let you do whatever you want. That'd be acting just like the Misfits." Jerrica said, I went to speak again but to my surprise Loki interrupted me.

"With all due respect, Miss Jerrica, Holograms…"He said, "None of you have ever dealt with Zeek and his gang. It would be wiser to let Ren Hagane and the others deal with it as they normally do."

"And how is that?" Kimber asked. I looked to Becky who sighed.

'Through a bet, Zeek's a stuck-up ass whole, and an arrogant man, he won't pass up a chance to try and beat Metal Voice, though he never succeeds. This won't be much of a problem really.' She said, then said, "But Ren, we have no idea what they could have with the Misfits backing them."

"We can't lose!" Shirley shouted, surprising me and the others, "If RTD manages to beat Metal Voice, the Misfits win too! Metal Voice is the greatest Metal group ever!"

Did I ever mention how much I enjoy Shirley's enthusiasm?

(Narrator POV)

"HA! Jem didn't know what hit her!" Roxy shouted, "The Misfits win again!"

"Excuse me? Who won exactly?" Noah asked, "You guys didn't do anything, it was all us. Not to mention thanks to that Zeek was nearly flattened by an amplifier."

"Oh shut it Noah." Zeek said rolling his eyes, Noah glared.

"So what do you have planned next?" Pizzazz asked, Zeek smirked, putting his hands behind his head.

"Next little ol' Jailbat's going to issue some kind of challenge." He explained. Lily huffed.

"We always lose those bets idiot." She hissed. "Mostly because you're too busy with your little 'hobby.'"

"Shut up, this time I have a plan that will bring that fangirl of Lotus Metal to her knees." Zeek said, "All we need is a little, boy-ish charm…"

What does Zeek have in store for a little Princess of Metal? Find out next chapter! I hope you enjoy it! Ja-ne!