Disclaimer: All characters property of Hasbro/ Sony Wonder.
The towering black skyscraper that had once been our home now loomed over us as large as Raymond's ego. Fortunately, the odds were in our favor, cause our egos are the biggest in the music business and they are not afraid of a challenge. I squinted coldly at the domineering presence and silently dared it to try me.
"All right, Misfits," I said, "Let's roll."
The four of us entered the building with a determined flourish, causing everyone to turn and stare as we swished past. We relished the attention, smirking in disdain at all the slack-jawed employees of Stinger's Sound. Jetta pressed the elevator button and tried to stifle her laughter at all the goggled eyes.
"Go about your business, people," Roxy drawled. "Yeah, nothing to see here!" Stormer added, and we all erupted into loud, boisterous laughter. The doors opened and we filed inside, myself going last so I could wink at the crowd.
"I can't believe we're doing this," I snorted as the elevator began it's ascent to the top floor. "This is crazy."
"It was your idea, Pizzazz." Roxy replied, folding her arms across her chest. "And from what you told us in the car, we should've done this a long time ago." My eyes narrowed as I was reminded of Eric's insults on the phone and his infinite number of bad business decisions. "So you're still with me on this?" The others nodded in agreement and I smiled.
There was a soft chime as the machine announced it's arrival. Strutting defiantly, the four of us headed for Eric's office as one. The marquis proclaiming his name in gold on the door made me growl in disgust. I threw the door open and it hit the wall with a satisfying bang. The marquis quivered and fell from it's hinges. Eric, however, barely looked up from his paperwork.
"You're late." He said simply as the four of us stalked our way into his lair. A calculating smile crossed my lips as I folded myself into the chair opposite his desk. The other Misfits assembled around the room behind me. "Fashionably late, Eric." I retorted. He gave me a look that was probably meant to be withering.
"You're also in trouble." Eric continued in his usual nauseating tone. "Your last album tanked, thanks to your brilliant idea to incorporate the remaining Holograms and Stingers, and your last so-called hit single barely even made a dent in the charts." My eyes rolled and I began to examine my fingernails out of boredom. "And now this..." he frowned as he spoke the word, "truce with Jem is going to hurt your careers irreperably..
I let him drone on like that for awhile, giving the others a knowing look when his tone got particularly irate. A lot of giggles ensued and Eric slammed his fist on the desk.
"Look!" He barked. "I will not be made a fool of by my star clients in my own office. I am your manager, you have to listen to me whether you like it or not. You are under contract to my company and I...own...you." The last words were spoken deliberately slowly, another one of his intimidation tactics. I started to laugh. He grimaced. I leaned over and folded my arms on the desk.
"You don't own shit." I replied cooly. It was a sharp departure from the tantrums he's used to from me, and his tirade paused. I took the opportunity and continued, "My father has more lawyers than you can shake your puny fist at. Face it, Eric. The Misfits made you, not the other way around. We can be the queens of rock and roll all by ourselves." I stood up then, and the others took my cue to leave.
"You can't do this to me, Pizzazz!" He bleated as we walked out. I turned to look at him one more time. Hunched over his desk, Eric's eyes burned with the knowledge that we had won. He, for once, had lost, and the defeat was already marking lines in his face.
"I still love you, goddammit." He intoned when the other Misfits were out of earshot. My eyes scrunched shut in annoyance and a sigh rushed out of me. "Look, Eric, don't try changing my mind." I sneered, ignoring the weakness in my knees as I reached for the doorknob. "There's nothing here to end." The door slammed behind my words and I did not waste time waiting for any recourse. I ran down that hallway like a woman chased.
The other Misfits were waiting by the elevator when I caught up with them. "What the hell happened in there?" Roxy asked, her eyes wide. I stiffened and straightened my green locks quickly. "Nothing!" I snapped, glaring at all the startled faces. "Nothing at all. We're on our own now, girls. Let's go back to my place and celebrate, huh?"
And so we strutted out the way we had come in, a little more spring in it now that we weren't slaves anymore, en route to Daddy's mansion to party and maybe jam a little. Soon as we got there, though, sure enough Stormer excused herself. I knew it.
"Where do you think you're goin', honey?" I called after her as she climbed into her Porsche. She faked a smile at me as she started the engine. "Sorry, Pizzazz. I already made plans with Kimber and I gotta keep 'em." I rolled my eyes. Always with this Kimber business. I don't mind the Holotwerps much anymore, but that one redhead brat still manages to get under my skin.
"Okay. Fine. See you later." I shrugged, letting her roar off and do whatever. I'm not going to pull a Raymond with her, not at this point in the game. We're still Misfits.
Jetta handed me a brew when I entered the studio. "I raise a toast to us." I sang out, raising the bottle in tribute. "To staying together, to playing together, and to pleasing ourselves!"
"To taking the power back!" Jetta added. "To rock and fucking roll!" Roxy added, sounding like she'd had a few already. We laughed and clinked the brown bottles together, letting foam spill out onto the floor and taking big swigs from them.
I winced at the bitterness and grinned. "To freedom."