Steven was dying…not literally but figuratively, sobbing so hard he couldn't catch his breath; winded after sprinting through the Palladium's back lot, crossing the street, dashing through the parking ramp entrance, and hopping back into his Dondai to grieve in solitude. Cortisol was a motherfucker, especially for Steven, due to his Diamond powers.

He felt ill. Physically drained, his body began registering the abuse undergone during the frenetic sprint. Emotionally, everything Steven felt - guilt, anger, shame, regret - all began pouring out in a waterfall of tears. His body shook, his voice squeaked in distress, and snot exploded from his nose. The worst part was that he couldn't stop it, but honestly, there was a part of him that didn't want to stop. He wanted to wallow in self-pity regarding his asinine behavior. He felt like it was all he deserved.

What stung the most was how the date went incredibly well up until that moment on stage. Steven felt pride in how he managed his social anxiety at Jayhawk. He recalled hating being unable to connect with "normal" people in the past. Therefore, meeting Micah and Michelle that morning made him feel like a normal human being for once in his life. The incredible sensation of connecting to his inner humanity became more robust during the drive with Connie to the venue. Besides the uncomfortable encounter with the jock, Steven's time inside the venue was also excellent. He reconnected with Sadie and Shep and also met J. As crazy as the drummer was, Steven thought tonight could've been an opportunity to make a new friend.

And he ruined that opportunity by punching the stage-rushing jock in the face.

Of course, Steven was only protecting Sadie. Also, noting how J reacted, the drummer didn't seem disgusted by Steven's display of physical violence - if anything, J seemed enthralled by it. However, J's reaction was not the one currently on repeat in Steven's head. Instead, Steven's mind kept reflecting upon the concern he saw on Connie's face - such sorrow, sadness, and pity. Steven felt like a pink-glowing freak, and during the attack, from his perspective - Connie saw that freak rear its ugly head once more; years of work in therapy to subdue the beast just ripped to shreds, years of self-improvement flushed down the drain.

With glowing arms crossed along the dash, head buried within them, Steven briefly lost control and slammed his fist into the dash, leaving a dent. "What's wrong with me?" He cried.

While using his shirt collar to wipe the tears and snot away, The Voice reappeared again. "What are you talking about?"

Steven's felt his rage spike. "Of all The Voices in my head I could be dealing with right now, you're the one I want NOTHING TO DO WITH!!" Steven retorted mentally.

"Even after I helped you?" The Voice countered disappointedly.

"HELPED ME!?!" Steven screamed, shocked by such a ludicrous statement that he couldn't just think this opinion; it had to be shouted. "HOW DID ANY OF THAT HELP ME?!?"

"You wanted to protect your friends, right?" The Voice reasoned.

"I should've just grabbed him," Steven sadly retorted, fingers lacing within his hair in distress. "I could've just tackled him, and security would've handled the rest. I could've even warned security before going backstage."

"No time for that," The Voice remarked. "And how illogical of you to think of a solution after the fact. Hindsight is always 20/20. You had no idea he'd try to rush the stage."

"You're just a voice in my head," Steven thought, trying to block out The Voice's reasonings, assuring himself that he was in control of the situation, not The Voice. "You've been nothing but trouble since I began hearing you."

The Voice then asked, "And when was that? A few days ago? A few years ago? Steven, I've been around for a while. Don't you think I've grown stronger since then? Since Homeworld?"

Steven tried to deduce what The Voice meant. The young man had intuitions, but the rampaging flood of emotions inside him made it difficult to decipher these intuitions. What did The Voice mean by "Homeworld?"

All of a sudden, The Voice changed. One aspect that changed was the tone, now sounding crystal clear and becoming more tangible every second. It was as if the Voice was no longer inside Steven's head but instead in the Dondai with him. The 2nd aspect that changed was the emotion. Until now, The Voice sounded authoritative but relaxed, like a monarch casually controlling their kingdom within the palm of their hand.

Now the Voice sounded scared.

"Whoa," The Voice began. "Whoa….wh-whoa-wh-wh-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-WHOA WHOA WHOOOOOOOHOLY SHIT DUDE!"

Steven realized his usual pink glow was no longer emitting from him. However, something was shining, as evident by the neon light cascading within the Dondai. It appeared the source was in the passenger seat. As Steven turned his head quickly (though it felt agonizingly slow due to fear), he saw something he hadn't seen since his first encounter with White Diamond on Homeworld.

Sitting in the passenger seat was a bright, neon-pink glowing version of himself, slightly more muscular, definitely not human - and yet somehow looking precisely like him, all grown up and everything! The figure stared at their outstretched hands, examining them in wonderment, eyes wide, like a child registering for the first time that those were indeed hands.

The pink version of Steven turned its head toward its human counterpart, and Steven's jaw hit the floor as they locked eyes. A period of silence followed that was so immense; it was as if all possible sounds got sucked out of space and time.

And it all came rushing back with screaming and cursing.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!?" The Pink creature blared with alarm.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!?" Human Steven repeated with equal ferocity.

This three-word phrase became the only thing Steven's two halves could say to each other presently, repeating it about 20 times before human Steven finally said something different. Steven was never one to cuss. Even out on the road, he was too kind-hearted to consider, much less use, the F-bomb; It was just too rude! However, at that moment, seeing a grown-up Pink-Diamond version of himself sitting in the passenger seat, Steven Universe realized this moment qualified for "fuck" to be uttered loudly multiple times.

Almost hyperventilating, with a shaky breath, Steven then asked the glowing apparition, "What's going on?!?"

"Honestly," Pink Steven said, face still expressing shock, "I think I'm your subconscious."

"My Subconscious?" Steven inquired.

"Look," Pink began. "I know you have many things going through your head right now, and I'm one of them! That means I know what you think before you even think it, so let's see if I can answer all your questions quickly. Shall we?" The pink apparition then squinted, appearing deep in focus. All human Steven could do was stare back, dumbfounded. "Number 1, Yes - I can assure you that all of this is all real. Number 2, yes - you can see me, but no one else can. I doubt you'd want anyone else to see this conversation, correct?" Steven nodded in agreement, paralyzed by surprise, unable to voice his opinion any other way. Somehow what this Pink monstrosity said earlier was true; Steven was thinking of all those questions while staring at the apparition before him. "Good," Pink replied. "And it will stay that way until you decide so…that, and whenever we figure out how to manage this new aspect of your gem powers."

That's when Steven suddenly noticed the light shining towards the apparition like a projection. Steven could trace the source back to his gem, thanks to the specks of dust floating in the Dondai that became visible in the pink light. He lifted his shirt and stared at his gem, light emitting from it delicately.

"Y-you're…you're," Steven trembled, recognizing with horror and slight amazement what was happening. "You're my gem?"

"DING-DING-DING!" Pink replied, "We got a winner here!"

"I don't understand," Steven stated. "How is this possible?"

"To be honest," Pink retorted. "I have no idea. But I'm guessing it had something to do with-"

"-the weed?" Steven finished, slowly coming to terms with the fact that he saw himself in the 3rd person, literally sitting next to him in the passenger seat.

"It definitely had something to do with it," Pink confirmed. "My guess is, whatever chemical compound is in that stuff simply triggered a new aspect of your gem powers. That's what I am; part of your homeworld encoding and part of your subconscious."

Steven blanched at this observation. He remembered how the Diamonds made gems for specific purposes when their strict caste system was in place. Did it also apply to the Diamonds themselves? Was Pink Diamond just another creation? What was her purpose? What was Steven's?

Philosophical questions regarding free will and predestination began to consume Steven's thoughts. Luckily, Pink was also a part of these thoughts. Seeing the mental storm clouds boiling, the projection waved them off by bringing Steven back into the conversation.

"Okay," Pink tried to explain. "Think about what a subconscious is. It's the back of your head. It's where every traumatic thought goes once suppressed. It's also where your defensive mechanisms originate from."

"...my defense mechanisms," Steven sighed disappointedly, suddenly realizing why he went Pink on stage.

"I will say," Pink defended, "I tried pulling back my power. Unfortunately, I still don't know my full strength, hence why the douche-nozzle fell to the floor."

Then, a thought occurred to human Steven, "...so, if you're a part of me, you know exactly what I'm thinking of right now."

"Was I the same figure you saw when you took control of White Diamond's body?" Pink said, finishing Steven's thought. "Was I also the same version of yourself you saw when White removed your gem?"

Steven nodded, lips trembling as another wave of trauma washed over him. The Pink apparition grumbled, knowing Steven wouldn't like the answer.

"...yes, that was me….both times," Pink confirmed. "Keep in mind; White deserved what she got. She tried to destroy us! Think about how it felt when she ripped me from y-,"

"I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT!" Steven interrupted. "I tried my best not to think about it since that day, and I've only recently come around to it, thanks to Dr. Sugar. I don't have to erase the memory, but I have to leave it in the past. Something that awful doesn't just disappear. It sticks with you like a stain for the rest of your life! And apparently, you're the stain, and I have no idea how to wash you out!"

There was a brief pause as Steven stared at the pink specter, their eyes showing distress, possibly the same distress human Steven was feeling. The hybrid sighed, anger dissipating slowly as he came to terms with the situation. "I mean, therapy's been helping, and now you're.….wait? Does my therapy have something to do with this?" Steven questioned.

Pink confirmed with a small "hmm-mmm."

"How?" Steven replied, baffled.

"I've been trying to talk to you for FOREVER!" Pink exclaimed. "Fighting through human genetics was grueling. That's why it took forever to control or even use your powers! Then, when we went to homeworld and White separated us, it activated something; something more powerful than Rose."

Steven tensed at the word, partly because a new theory concerning how this Pink version of himself was related to him through Rose popped into his mind. Pink's reply dispelled that thought.

"Don't worry!" Pink Steven quickly counteracted. "It's not like I'm your mommy or anything. But….before Rose, I was Pink Diamond. When I became Rose…the best way to describe it….it was like a software patch, an upgrade, testing out a beta program before," Pink gestured toward Steven, "the alpha's launched. And, of course, there's bound to be some hiccups with any launch. Your Human side essentially acted as a firewall. Powers came back online but slowly, and by the time you were 16, I found a way to…hack the system."

Then the apparition sighed, almost regretful, briefly burying his head within his hands. "But by then…I neglected to consider how humans work and how emotions and trauma play a significant role in their development. Your therapy with Dr. Sugar has got me to see that and… I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I tried to defend you, to defend us, and I ended up doing us more harm than good. And for that…I'm sorry."

Steven sat there mystified. Did this thing just…apologize? Steven asked himself.

Since Pink was a part of Steven, he heard the thought and replied with a chuckle, "Enjoy it while it lasts! I don't apologize for much. I don't have to. I'm the part of your brain that doesn't WANT to apologize. And yet, thanks to the advice, exercises, and therapy prescribed by Dr. Sugar …" the Pink apparition's eyes scanned their blazing arms, "I think we've found a way to 'cope' with these feelings in a healthy way. We've separated the part of you that's human and the part of you that's gem….but without feeling like you're going to die like the last time this occurred. In other words, yes, Dr. Sugar's therapy is what allowed me to find a way to talk to you, to become The Voice. The weed simply triggered something to make this conversation happen "in-person" rather than in your head. Not sure how, but there's more to it than just getting a contact high. Trust me; I don't have much tim-"

At that moment, the apparition fizzled, glitching out like a TV losing reception. The figure strobed out for a few seconds, and then Pink shrugged once back to normal.

"See what I mean?" Pink observed. "You're gonna want a lot more weed if you'd like these in-person conversations to be much longer."

"...and why would I want that?" Steven asked.

Pink furrowed his brows. "I see you're not as enthusiastic about our reunion as I am."

"Oh, you THINK?" Steven shouted back sarcastically. Then, losing his temper, Steven exploded. "I went on this road trip to figure out who I am. Then you show up, and it throws everything out of wack!"

"You're not Pink Diamond," the apparition confirmed. "It's as simple as this: I'm Pink, you're Steven - together, we are Steven Universe."

"It can't be that simple," Steven replied in denial. "It just can't. Y-you….you almost shattered White! You Shattered Jasper!"

"WE SHATTERED JASPER!" Pink screamed. "AND IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! I DIDN'T KNOW HOW POWERFUL WE WOULD BECOME. I DIDN'T KNOW JASPER COULDN'T HANDLE IT!"

"Couldn't handle it?" Steven remarked, disgusted. "You say that as if it were her fault she shattered."

Pink replied in a way Steven wasn't expecting. The apparition looked out the windshield, lost in a thousand-yard stare, and the way their eyes were slightly lidded made Pink almost look…regretful?

Breathing out his nose with a giant huff, Pink stated, "Yeah…that's really messed up, isn't it? But Look, that's why Dr. Sugar is good for us. I've been re-examining my wants and needs along with you. There are no crossed wires if we know the origin of the current; if we know what triggers these emotions that connect to your gem powers through me. In this case, the wires can't cross because now we know where each wire comes from. We've separated the two components that work together to form the system. We can examine them independently, but they must function together. You thought you could do it alone, and you couldn't. I thought I could do it alone, and I couldn't. From now on, we need to work as a team; it's what Dr.Sugar would want us to do, right?"

Unbeknownst to Steven, Pink saw Connie approaching the vehicle. Time was already short, and now it was becoming shorter.

"You know what she says," Pink conjectured regarding Dr. Sugar's familiar farewell. "You're only half gem; the other half of you is human. It's okay to be human, and it's okay to be a gem. Ultimately, if you want to learn how to love others without a debilitating fear of abandonment-"

And with a flash, Pink was gone. The trailing projection light was replaced by Steven's usual glow emitting from his body. Steven stared at his eyes in the rearview mirror, noticing their pink hue, confirming that Pink was back inside Steven again.

"-you have to learn to love yourself first," Pink finished the sentence inside Steven's head. "I'll leave you alone for now. I won't even interject as The Voice for the rest of the night. I doubt you'll want me to use that feature as often as I did before. Be careful if things get too freaky with Connie. Remember how you can broadcast your subconscious? Also, Just remember, if you ever want to talk in person….we got a theory, and that's a start."

At that moment, the door to the Dondai burst open, and Connie entered. She was also winded and slightly panicked. Even though she could see her beloved glowing, she still had to ask, "STEVEN! Are you okay?"

Steven, glowing brighter than ever, simply stared into Connie's face, unsure where to begin, his eyes wide with shock. Eventually, he just couldn't take it. He collapsed into her arms, face buried into her shoulder, and began to cry.

"I am so, so SORRY," he sputtered. Connie held him tightly and rubbed his back, trying her best to comfort Steven. "I never wanted you to see me like this."

"Shhh, shhh," Connie hushed in the warmest voice she could muster. "It's okay."

"But it's not okay," Steven sobbed. "I ruined everything. I injured someone-"

"Someone who probably deserved it," Connie replied.

Steven was slightly shocked by Connie's observation and pulled back, looking her in the face. While a sword fighter, Connie was also a lover at heart and would try her best in any situation to find the most diplomatic solution. However, apparently, based on her observation, there was a part of her that also knew when the time for diplomacy had passed.

"How can you say that?" Steven asked, bewildered.

"Because clearly, that asshole did deserve a beating!" Connie admitted. "He tried to rush Sadie. You had good intentions; you were just trying to protect your friends; the only downside was that you went pink."

"I know," Steven replied as he wiped more tears and snot away from his face. "You probably think I'm a freak now."

Connie squinted her eyes in a disappointed fashion. "Seriously, Steven, when have I ever thought that? Do you ever think I would believe that?"

Steven knew in his heart of hearts that Connie would never leave him. Still, there was a part of himself so disgusted by his own body whenever he "went pink" that he often wondered why Connie stayed. Subsequently, there was a silence that followed soon after Connie's question. Connie took the silence as a sign that her boyfriend needed more convincing.

With vigorous pace, like a slingshot stretched to its limits and then released - Connie kissed Steven.

At first, Steven's eyes widen at the initial contact. He quickly hummed, "MMM, HMM?" into her mouth as the kiss caught him off guard. They'd kissed many times before, so usually, Steven could tell when a kiss was coming. However, this kiss felt like a shooting star - a natural occurrence but one rarely seen. As Steven felt her tongue sliding over his, he began to melt. Finally starting to relax, Steven started returning the kiss with equal intensity.

The make-out session started to get heated. Hands began trailing along each other's bodies with no purpose or destination; They just wanted to hold each other close. Based on the beautiful sensation of kissing Steven, Connie could begin to feel herself becoming one with him. Warmth enveloped her core and began to spread all over her body, and Steven was experiencing the same sensation. Some part of them knew what was about to happen, but they were so caught up in the frantic kissing that they just didn't care. It happened a few times before (most notably the first time they got to 2nd base), so it no longer was surprising for make-out sessions to result in a fusion.

A bright light enveloped them; within seconds, there was no longer a Steven or a Connie in the car.

But there was a Stevonnie.

As the fusion opened their eyes, Stevonnie noticed themselves still glowing brightly pink in the rearview mirror. It was a surreal experience seeing themselves Pink-Out, rather than just Steven.

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO FUSE!" Stevonnie cried out, voicing Steven's thoughts. "I'M SO SORRY!"

Suddenly, Stevonnie gritted her teeth as Connie replied. "Stop it!" Stevonnie commanded. "Remember, it goes both ways."

Stevonnie tried their best to calm themselves down. Thinking back to some breathing exercises Dr.Sugar showed Steven, Stevonnie began imagining a tranquil beach - the sound of waves lapping against the shore. It was Steven's happy place, and it worked wonders for Stevonnie. They inhaled, extended their breath for 4 seconds, then exhaled. Stevonnie tried holding their breath longer each time they repeated this action. Eventually, the breathing exercise worked, and the Pink glow dissipated.

Stevonnie could see themselves in the rearview mirror, now no longer glowing pink, and made a tiny declaration.

"Damn…." Stevonnie said. "I look good!"

It was interesting to see how Stevonnie changed; how they grew alongside their two human components. Stevonnie's hair seemed thicker and a little curlier. Their skin looked flawless like they had been bathing in moisturizer since birth. The toned muscle mass (ripped, not buff) made Stevonnie appear slick and agile, like a ninja ready for battle. They turned their face in the rearview mirror to look at their profile silhouette. Their cute upturned nose made them slightly giggle.

"If I continue to look this good every time I fuse," Stevonnie observed, "I should probably get a career in modeling." They laughed at this joke, finally feeling at peace after the crazy ordeal on stage.

And that's when Stevonnie noticed that one of their hands had drifted close to their crotch.

Stevonnie cocked a brow. They were…curious. Being one-half Steven and one-half Connie, they always identified themselves as "just Stevonnie." Still, however, whenever they fused, they always shapeshifted some type of clothing for decency. But…they were alone. Combined with the fact that Steven, now one-half of Stevonnie, could feel all of Connie's emotions (specifically how horny she had been all damn day), curiosity got the best of them. Stevonnie always wondered, since one half was female and the other half was male, what type of genitalia would they present? Did Stevonnie have a penis or a vagina?

As their hand crossed the waistband, heat flushing up to Stevonnies face, they felt the hardening shaft of a cock. A tingling sensation began dancing along the nerves of their arm, imploring them to explore further. Stevonnie, deciding to "blow-off-some-steam," quickly unbuttoned their pants (unnecessary since their clothes were a holographic projection in a sense, but it's what they did). Once Stevonnie had moved into the back of the Dondai for more privacy, the pants fell to the floor, disappearing in a cloud of pink light.

That's when Stevonnie got a perfect look at their "equipment." It was…unique, but then again, everything about Stevonnie was unique. Being a fusion, Stevonnie presented both female and male genitalia. It essentially looked like a pussy, but instead of a clitoris, a giant cock stood in its place instead; fully erect, no longer at half-chub, standing like a soldier, ready for battle. Below the cock, instead of balls, Stevonnie was equipped with a vulva - complete with an outer labia, urethral opening, and a vaginal opening that was soaking wet with arousal.

Stevonnie gripped the cock in hand, sucking air through their teeth as they made contact. A shiver went up their spine at the delightful sensation of the pressure. Electricity danced along their fingertips. They could feel their cock pulse, twitching in time to their heartbeat. As they began to stroke, another hand went to their pussy, and played around with the outer lips. The dual sensation was very arousing, the cock getting harder, the pussy becoming wetter.

Stevonnie laid down in the back, continuing to masturbate with increased vigor. With enthusiasm, they daringly inserted one digit into the opening, begging to be filled. They moaned as the finger started to curl inside their pussy, while the other hand began stroking their cock faster and faster - precum already enveloping the tip. Juices began to spill from the pussy, making drilling easier. Suddenly, one finger just wasn't enough. Two fingers now blasted the entrance of Stevonnie's pussy, picking up pace. They began to breathe harder, releasing moans of satisfaction. The Dondai's windows started to steam over.

Their fingers went deeper, causing Stevonnie to shout reflexively, "Oh….DAMN, that's good!" Their fingers curled, stroking the g-spot in a "come-hither" motion, which caused Stevonnie to arch their back. All they could focus on was the pleasure enveloping them, the dual sensation of stroking a cock while finger-banging a pussy bringing them closer and closer to climax. In desperation, wanting to go further sexually, Stevonnie briefly removed their fingers from their pussy and inserted them into their mouth, tasting themselves for the first time.

If Steven had listened to the tune "Give It to me Baby" by Rick James, he would've realized that Rick James was absolutely on the mark when the songwriter described pussy as "that sweet funky stuff." It was both sweet yet funky. Their cock became so hard it could've been used as a weapon to defend oneself from a mugging.

Stevonnie's eyes suddenly fluttered open, and they shouted, "WAIT!"

Stevonnie became encased in white light and the two halves that made the fusion separated.

Connie and Steven were now on the floor of the Dondai next to each other, somehow wearing clothes and breathing heavily, basking in the enticing arousal of having a sexual experience as a fusion. It was unlike anything the two had experienced. Regular masturbation, be damned! Masturbation as a fusion was so much better! Even though they didn't cum, it was still amazing! The only downside, as far as Steven could tell, was now his erection felt extremely confined within his pants.

Steven was the first one to say something, but first, he had to catch his breath. "Ahh, haaa, ahh…oh my stars! That was amazing!"

"Mmm, indeed," Connie moaned, a dirty grin spreading across her face. Then, sounding slightly disappointed, she asked, "Why did you stop?"

Steven got up from the floor to examine Connie below him, sprawled out in ecstasy. It was the most adorable sight he had ever seen, and if he was going to lose his virginity - this is what he wanted to see.

"It's just," Steven began as he leaned closer to Connie, their noses almost touching. "If we're going to lose our virginity to each other, I'd rather we do it in a more… human way. Know what I mean?"

Connie, with half-lidded eyes of lust and a gracious smile, nodded her head and affirmed Steven's opinion. Connie knew that Steven started his road trip almost three years ago to figure out what it meant to be human. Losing one's virginity was definitely a significant part of being human to some people. Therefore, Connie understood why Steven wanted to save themselves for later, and she couldn't agree more. No matter what transpired before, tonight was going to be awesome! Their lips connected in a sweet, carefree kiss.

As Steven pulled away from the kiss, Connie exclaimed, "I couldn't agree more, Bisky."

Steven lightly blushed at his pet name, which was strange, considering they had just mutually masturbated as a fusion. There wasn't much for Steven to be embarrassed about at this point. Still, to Steven, Connie was already cute, but seeing her in this state of relaxation made her seem even more adorable. They held each other momentarily, basking in the hormones trying to convince them to finish the job now, to reach that climax instantaneously, but the couple had already made up their minds. They definitely would cum tonight, just not right now.

As they got up from the floor of the Dondai, Connie asked Steven again, "You sure you're alright?"

Steven answered truthfully. "I'm much better now, thank you."

With a smile, Connie leaned over and pecked Steven's cheek. Steven could feel the love and lightly placed his hand on the side of her face. The couple lovingly stared into each other's eyes for a moment.

"So….." Connie began. "You wanna try heading back to the concert? I'm pretty sure Death Clutch has a few more songs in their set, so we might be able to catch the end of the show."

Steven hummed, agreeing with this sentiment but wanting to add one more element to the equation.

"Absolutely," Steven said. "But, when we get inside…think we can fuse again? I missed that feeling."

Connie smiled, "I missed that feeling too."

Once inside the venue, after passing security, who quickly scanned Connie and Steven's hand for the stamp which allowed them re-entry - the two fused again, now witnessing the show as Stevonnie. They were further in the back of the general admission area than before as the mosh-pit had tripled in size. The three band members on stage had just finished their penultimate song and were gearing up for the finale. Saidie, the adamant frontwoman she was, found the perfect introduction to their last tune for the night.

"This will be our final tune for the night," Sadie announced, the crowd replying with a string of "booo's," as no one wanted the show to be over. Smiling at the reaction, Sadie waved her arms in a "brush-off" motion, trying to quell the audience. "Yes, Yes, I know," Sadie declared. "Sorry, we're leaving you all a little," and with a devilish smile, "…..Disappointed."

With the last word, the crowd erupted in applause, knowing exactly what tune Death Clutch was about to play - their latest single, entitled "Disappointed."

It began with Shep on the boards, producing a squelching bass sound that blasted through the speakers, popping at certain moments. Shep created the popping by carefully manipulating phaser knobs at the top of the Ableton Launchpad. J, listening to the bass sequence, wrapped his fingers in his sweaty lion's mane of a hairdo and began rocking in time to the beat. After about 4 bars at 118bpm, J joined in on the drums. The beat J provided for the 2nd half of the intro was a blistering alternating 1/16th note beat between the kick and hi-hat. At certain moments, J lifted his foot off the hi-hat pedal, allowing the cymbals to bark in synch with the bass when it splish-splashed. The kick drum on the 1/8th notes provided a building tension that broke when the band went into the song's hook.

Since sound manipulations always enamored Death Clutch, the hook was simply a vocal line provided by Sadie, which was then chopped, screwed, pitched up to the point of sounding like a chipmunk, and harmonized with another version of the vocal sequence pitched down 2 octaves, acting as the bass. If that were all the hook had to offer, one would think such a hook would be utterly ridiculous, as the now remixed lyrics went, "Wah, di-dah, di-dah, di-dah, di-dah, di-dah, di-dah, di-dah, disappointed."

This is where J's genius on the drums came into play.

Instead of playing the sextuplet subdivision on the hi-hat (where drummers usually play their subdivisions), J elected to have both hands on the snare, creating a "train-beat" commonly found in country tunes. However, because of the sextuplet rhythm, It had a swing. The best way to describe J's drum groove was a demented surfer jam. The addition of doubled 1/16th note kicks encircling the backbeat drove the frantic feeling of the groove home. And then, to make it even more complicated to play yet extraordinary to listen to, J kept his left foot stepping on the hi-hat at an 1/8th note pace, providing a nice counterbalance to the berserker groove.

When the song went into the first verse, Sadie played within an inch of herself, going into a physical gear she never knew she possessed in the first place. The vocal melody acted in a call-and-response manner. The call was provided by a playback track of Sadie speaking in a monotone; the response was provided live-in-the-moment by Sadie - screaming her damn brains out. Interestingly, the playback track and the live vocals simply repeated the same line. Rhythmically, each word (sometimes syllables) landed on an 1/8th note, with the playback track on the downbeat and Sadie's live vocals on the upbeat. With every outburst, Sadie's body rocked violently.

The lyrics went like this:

"Called shots, cheap shots / slack jaws, low blows / Weak chins, chin checked / chin up mofo's / No life signs left / ah, yes, try mine / This threshold fresh / hold nine lifetimes."

Then the band immediately went into the first interlude. Shep played specific samples on the pads, creating fuzzy bass bloops that sounded appropriate for a heavy-metal-inspired video game. Meanwhile, J began "glitching out" again on the drums - but curiously, he only played one drum - the kick. He played with such ferocity it almost looked like the drummer was humping the shit out of his bass drum. During this section, Sadie screamed:

"Machine, human, malformed machine / Uninformed unit, forlorn regime / Metamorph into 'done for, at last' / at least 'til my present shore has passed."

Then the band went into the chorus. The samples provided by Shep now reintroduced the sloppy bass sound that was present in the intro. The time signature, being 5/8 (quite unusual), still managed to sound danceable thanks to J's intensely coordinated playing. Sadie made leaps and bounds across the stage, the height of her hops tremendous due to her using her hamstrings. All this hopping took place in-between bursts of:

"WHY ME?!?"

After screaming this phrase four times, J briefly rested while Shep played a sample that sounded like an alarm clock from hell. Saidie blared the chorus line again, J provided a jazzy fill on the drums, and the band went back into the hook.

"Wah, di-dah, di-dah, di-dah, di-dah, di-dah, di-dah, di-dah, disappointed."

At this point, Stevonnie, while still marveling at Death Clutch's intensity, noticed something unusual about J's drumset they hadn't seen before as Steven or Connie. Behind J stood a giant pole with a hook on the top, possibly just a foot above J's head. It looked like a coat rack out of Mad-Max Post-Apocolypse. As far as what purpose this pole provided, Stevonnie couldn't say. With it being located directly behind J, it was a very unusual spot for a piece of percussion equipment to be if it was meant to be played.

Stevonnie's train of thought derailed as the band barreled through the next verse. Stevonnie began jumping in time to the beat, becoming more enamored by the music, smiling widely.

"Nut job, no job / fuck jobs, not hired / Low lands, road rash/warpath, crossfire / Nonthreats, hot mess, known threats, stalk less / Talk less, show less / snatch your trap doors."

Then Death Clutch went into the 2nd interlude, different from the 1st in that contained a pre-interlude. During the pre-interlude section, J provided a classic death metal blast beat - made all the more impressive with the addition of the handcuffs still on. Shep triggered a playback track of a pre-recorded heavy-metal guitar riff, and Sadie provided the poetry.

" Ripper, ripper, skin-tight, too tight / Too tight, holding solid, moonlight, moonlight / Moonlight, kevlar-coated slit moon, lunar gush / Lunar gush, carry on carrion never been far enough."

Then the band went into the regular interlude section, same as before (with the frantic kick drum beat provided by J) but now with new lyrics.

"Focus breaking in and centering / Broke in and gave up on everything/everything, everything, EVERYTHING!"

And then the chorus.

"WHY ME?!?"

The end of the 2nd chorus, the last chorus, gave J the chance to show the audience the real magic behind his handcuff trick. While his stamina was impressive, evident by playing to the meter perfectly throughout each track in the setlist (even with his wrists cut all to hell), it was about to become even more remarkable, thanks to the addition of some acrobats.

This is where the pole behind J came into play.

During a four-bar-rest, where Shep continued the music by triggering a bass sample submerged in tremolo (giving the fuzzy tone a rhythm), J lifted his handcuffs above his head. The chain which linked the two cuffs wrapped around the hook at the top of the pole. In a display of incredible core strength (even with J being a little chubby), J lifted himself off his throne and suspended himself mid-air for a moment, performing a pull-up. At the apex of his pull-up…

The chain snapped, and J landed perfectly back on his throne to play one of the sickest fills anyone had ever heard (or ever will).

Stevonnie's jaw hit the floor.

The band did one more round of the hook before Sadie launched into the outro verse, her voice so expressive - it was as if the frontwoman was channeling all the world's anger through her throat and releasing it upon the audience with her "singing."

" Rot clot, corpse clutch/corpse clot, you husk / Scorned husk, born shook/torn trick, core breached / Shut the fuck up shit head / bitch, too short, sweet / Shut the fuck up, well-fed / still you're-"

The tune ended with J and Shep ending on a dime, allowing one final sardonic chipmunk squeak of "disappointed" to sound through the mains.

And with that, Sadie held up the mic, said, "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, good night," and dropped the microphone like a boss as the band began walking off stage to applause so loud it could rival in decibels against the sound of a 747 taking off.

A conversation took place within Stevonnie between Steven and Connie that went like this.

"Oh my god, Steven! That was amazing!"

"...I don't think I've ever seen anyone do what J did before. That's a first."

"We gotta go backstage now, agreed?"

Stevonnie's eyes trailed to the side of the stage where J led them before with the chain leash. They noticed a security guard standing with his arms crossed. Above him, Sadie was whispering into their ear (of course, with how loud the venue currently was, most likely Sadie was actually shouting at the security guard but had her hand cupped in the way that friends do when whispering secrets to each other). Sadie briefly pointed towards Stevonnie, and that's how the fusion could tell that Sadie was basically letting security know, "chillax, they're with me."

And with that, Steven replied, "Agreed," and Stevonnie started heading backstage.