Reviews :
marinetanker97 : Wow. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I was just telling one of my good friends about that, actually. Dragging emotion down a quick though gradual slope from such heightened anger isn't very easy, so I'm really really glad it was conveyed well and everyone understood the depth that followed. So, thank you! I SO appreciate your input!
chuckiboo : LOL! Yeah Gunner's a real piece of work, for sure. And, this isn't the last time Turbo will encounter him! So, don't you worry, friend :) Thank you for everything! I so appreciate that, Gunner definitely has some demons to work through, for sure. And, he's not gone from the story. He still is relevant and comes in and out of the plot, moving forward.
Nikki Firesong : That's so sweet. Thank you SO MUCH. Seriously, wow. I did whatever I could to make it so Turbo kept his hands off of him, but also fervently got his point across, so much so that Gunner maybe would've rather a beating lmao. Also! Wren is extremely nosey and will CONTINUE to do this embarrassing teasing throughout the time where Turbo and Berri are not officially swap mates, so just brace for that I guess xD
Snake557 : Thank you, friend! Yes, Gunner and Berri EVENTUALLY hash everything out like civil adults - but until then, Gunner throws a tantrum lol
faolan1230 : LOL aww. Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it :D
BanannaSammich : LOL! You guys haven't seen the last of Turbo/Gunner scenes, that is for sure! He still is relevant in some way or another.
WildRebel93 : Yessss you are absolutely right. Gunner doesn't have a leg to stand on, but he sure does go down in hopes everyone goes down with him.
A/N : Wowwwww you guys, just wow. I just need to love on you guys, the unending amount of support and love I feel from all of you, both the vocals and the lurkers, I mean just wow. That scene has been in my head for the last 2 years, and although I WROTE that scene maybe 3 weeks ago (I'm still 20 chapters ahead of y'all lol) it just feels unreal to have it ALL unfold and be read by the world once and for all, by my awesome friends and readers that have so diligently stuck by me through thick and thin. I'm just speechless. Which... Clearly is a feat lmao. I just want to thank you guys for always supporting me, for cheering me on, for complimenting my work and giving me the encouragement to PLOW forward like I have. It's just like lightning, and I'm FOREVER grateful for you guys.
I'm pleased to announce, that even though I'll be going to school and I'll be busy doing my best acing everything with flying colors, I have not only the 5th story in the works, but I ALSO have... TADA! Have a 6th story on the horizon! I know, I'm crazy!
I've just gotten to a point in this saga where I've felt dread. I know all good things come to and end, and eventually this behemoth WILL end. It will. I dread it. I think because I just have SOOO many more ideas, plots, twists, characters, arcs, themes, climaxes, surprises! My mind never stops dreaming, and I've just come to the conclusion that the more I grit my teeth and say 'okay, Out of the Blue is the end'... My mind presses forward with something little that eventually SPIRALS into me having the whole plot to a fifth story... And beyond that, a main character for my SIXTH story. I just... I can't limit myself. This is my baby, this is my source of creativity, and I don't think it wise to limit myself. I may be singing a different song once I start school, and sure, uploads may slow, but I just don't see myself stopping. I just don't. Readers come and go, but I can name a few handfuls of readers of whom I've known since my Wrecking Limits days and I'm just floored.
All to say... You guys can anticipate at LEAST 6 stories from me, from this mess. I have the 4 main characters for my 5th story, as well as a fleshed out plot. I have only ONE main character, so far, for my 6th story, but I'm not too focused on that right at this moment.
I just need you guys to know how eternally grateful I am, the sheer amount of love I've gotten for these past few chapters really just makes my heart soar. Like said, this whole scenario has been in the works since the last half of writing for Rectifying Origin, and seeing it all come to fruition, and see all you guys get SO excited for it, I mean, wow. It's magic. And I'm just so grateful.
I say all of this now because, the LAST half of Out of the Blue comes with a few MORE climactic scenes that have ALSO been in the works for the past 2 years. So seeing you guys get all hyped for ideas that have been stewing in my head for YEARS is super encouraging, and I just love growing with my work, and seeing it come about after such a long time marinating inside my brain.
ALL TO SAY - THANK YOU. Just... Thank you. Wow. I love each and every one of you, and I'm so thrilled you all are enjoying this so far.
Although I'm uploading this today, all previously prepared and ready to go, I'm currently en route to moving to Sarasota. The next chapter uploaded, I'll be living near the beach! Thank you guys, for everything. I mean seriously. Thank you.
*Chapter 183*
"Alright gang," Berri pressed with a whole boost of energy, something Wren and Theo eagerly cued to, though as the three, including Bedgy, a few much closer working, diligent staff members, that hovered tight to the band's needs through this entire process, Berri sagged her shoulders in nervousness and was well aware the reason why Gunner was missing. With grit teeth, she looked about her staff, Wren and Theo, and gave everyone a look of tender concern, "Stupid question alert... Where's Gunner."
"Probably running for the hills," Wren muttered, Theo choked a laugh and nervously rubbed the back of his head; the arena was filled to the brim with people, background noise and music that played to fill the void of the empty stage, the crowd was already going wild.
"We need an ETA on Gunner," One staff muttered into her walkie, a few other staff members began to nervously mutter things to each other and break off in pairs of concerned search parties, it was here did Bedgy begin to look entirely concerned and softly took off in a flit of grey feathers.
"Berri, I'd... Honestly be shocked if Gunner actually got on that stage and smiled and had a good time," Theo huffed a chuckle, "But, if Turbo was telling the truth in the fact that he grabbed you, like that?"
"Gunner grabbed you?" A nearby staff member asserted in hot, concerned shock, to which Berri nervously tucked her hair behind her ears, lulled her eyes closed and bobbed a nod.
"He... Grabbed my arm, I'm not hurt, he just got upset with me," Berri cooed in nervousness, and though she knew it was wrong, she grit her teeth and peered through the double doors behind the crew, which were gaped open, and though she could see the stage and arena, they were too far down in to the ground for anyone to see them properly. She urgently gestured her hands and began to feel her heart race in rising terror, "We just... Need to get this underway, we're already due to missing our marks, here."
"The crowd can wait for a few minutes," Theo pressed softly as he whirled around and furrowed his brow in contemplation, "Did anyone see where Gunner ran off to?"
"You guys can't find Gunner?" Throttle staggered nervously as he pushed through the group he was with; although Zed, Tessa, Turbo and Chester were doing everything to stay out of the crew's way, they still hovered as close as they could, to the heart of the team, with excitement and fervor, something of which everyone respected. Throttle, although mainly a tag-along on these tours, very quickly had wormed his way into the hearts of the new sound crew that was hired, and in doing so, he often found himself odd-end jobs and tasks to help out with. In this, he quickly slipped his phone out of his pocket and began to urgently text someone, though he muttered under his breath as he pushed past Zed and firmly pat Turbo's arm with a wide, brotherly smile, "Welp, congrats. Your stunt made Gunner vanish."
"... I-I... Really-" Turbo huffed a soft, nervous breath, shrugged his shoulders and began to look terrified in the whole fact that his actions caused this, though Throttle shook his head and eased Turbo a kind notion.
"Don't beat yourself up about it," Throttle mumbled as he cued a call with Gunner, eased the phone to his ear in anticipation for Gunner to pick up, and softly began to press down the long, wide corridor they were previously in.
Berri nervously peered out to the crowd, the sea of people awaiting their arrival, she knew Turbo had every right to get in Gunner's face like he did. Although in this bind, and although she was floored Turbo finally had a chance to speak his mind and end Gunner from potentially physically harming Berri, she bit her lip and asked the universe just why it had to have happened ten minutes before their hugest show. In agitation, she bounced on her feet, bit her lip, twiddled her fingers, tucked her hair behind her ears for the millionth time, and in a huff, she opened her palms in silver-coded, live-wired readiness and softly peered to Wren, Theo and the crew about her.
"I'm going to go about the building, quick, and see if I can find him," Berri huffed quietly, and before anyone could stop her, she inhaled a deep breath, glossed her eyes past her mother, father and boyfriend, and allowed her whole body to assume itself into silver coded pixel squares of the perfect form of a glitch she was; with a hot bounce and a zip of a lightning bolt, she tore down the long stretch of corridor, further into the backstage, in a soft show of skillful, electric maneuvering, gone in the blink of an eye.
"... Damn," Turbo huffed quietly as his and Zed's arm hairs stood on end, due to her zipping straight past them.
In an intelligent bounce about the points of electricity all about the building, Berri skillfully navigated every single little shred of energy that she passed by. With said scan of life and energy, she specifically kept a diligent look out for Gunner's coding, and with a sudden pop of a finding, Berri came rushing out of her coded glitch-hop and skid her heels to an educated, dainty stop. She panted softly and peered to the room he was in, aptly being the men's room of this backstage area. Down a quiet, dim hallway deep into the stretches of their secured, backstage accommodations and Midnight Moon's venue, she knew no one else, but Gunner, had to be in this larger, public bathroom. With a deep inhale and a firm shove into the bathroom, she was well aware Gunner wasn't simply in here to relieve himself; she knew he was in here, hiding away. Berri's heels heavily clacked into the tiles, she furrowed her eyebrows and sharply looked about, though she was thrilled to see Gunner hovering at the sinks, glowering himself down in the mirror, though his phone was on the counter, opened and unlocked.
"Gunner," Berri chirped, her eyes scanned the large, tiled, glossy public bathroom, past the urinals, past the big stalls, and finally dead for Gunner's surprised eyes. Her voice heavily echoed as she loudly pressed on, "We're on in like... LITERALLY thirty seconds."
"Go without me," Gunner snarled, he wrinkled his nose and sent Berri a full swathe of unhinged hate, he grit his teeth, inhaled a trembling breath and grappled the counter as his rib cage expanded to prepare his vocal chords for a solid amount of damage. His voice wretched to raspy, hollering heights as he viciously snarled her another slash of anger, "Get OUT OF HERE! You traitorous SNAKE!"
"Gunner, I KNOW you hate me, I KNOW you're not happy that I'm friends with Tatum, I GET that you're pissed Turbo just got in your face," Berri firmly clapped her hands with her words, stood her ground in her solid heels and held her head high amidst his crazed glower, "But WE have a show we have to do. We just need to get through this LAST show and then you can... You can go on for ETERNITY, never talking to me ever again, I UNDERSTAND. But right now? We-"
"There is no WE, here," Gunner growled as he finally turned and faced Berri, and although he sauntered over to her, she knew that he didn't dare lay another hand on her. He inhaled a shaky breath through his nose and darkly glowered her down, "You had the gall to befriend Tatum and then have your stupid little guard dog nearly tear me to shreds with an AUDIENCE?"
"YOU. LIED," Berri firmly clapped with her words, once more, she uttered an incredulous giggle and largely shook her head in unadulterated, sarcastically smiling disbelief, "YOU started that rumor about Tatum. You had the WHOLE world on your side. And you know what, Gun? I wasn't going to say anything to anyone. Let bygones be bygones, we'll finish this quietly, it's FINE. I PROMISE you, I was NOT expecting Turbo to come into that room, let alone into this station, LET ALONE out of SUGAR RUSH!"
"You're lying through your teeth, I'm never going to believe ANYTHING you say to me, ever again," Gunner growled, he dared to take a step closer to Berri, in which she stood firm and tall, as if to dare him to try it, "Go do the concert WITHOUT me. You lying, conniving, selfish little bitch."
"Fine," Berri snipped gently, and with a turn, her heels confidently clacked out of the bathroom, swung with the heavy door she gently left out of, and in a pop of silver coding, she was off like a bolt of lightning, easily leaving Gunner alone with his halted, miserable thoughts.
With a few sneaky turns down empty hallways and energetic bounces firmly into walls and light fixtures, Berri easily got a whole swathe of angry energy out before she made a straight away for the group waiting for her, at the gape of the back stage. With a jolt, scuff of her heels and a bounce a few feet away from Turbo and Zed, inside the mouth of the corridor, they both jolted and peered to her in shocked confusion, which easily then cued the rest of the crew and band just beyond both boys. Berri inhaled a trembling breath, tucked her hair behind her ears, shook her head and confidently continued to stride out into the scene in terrified solitude.
"HOKAY, so, we're going to do this show without Gunner somehow," Berri chimed sweetly, dripping in well-concealed terror, the crew began to bug their eyes and urgently chatter amongst themselves, though as Berri came to the center of Wren's and Theo's gravity, they also began to nervously look around.
"Where is he?" A frantic crew member huffed, a few others urgently hovered in baited wait, for Berri's answer.
"Down some... Back alley in an empty bathroom, he can't be reasoned with," Berri quickly rattled, and though the majority of the crew stayed and hovered with the existing band members, a few others began to tear off in the direction Berri insinuated Gunner was. Berri sagged her shoulders and gave Wren and Theo her terrified eye contact, though she gingerly cupped her larger hands to the broad of Wren's right shoulder, Theo's left shoulder, and pulled both boys closer to her in a small, loose huddle, "Boys, we're... Going at this without a lead singer... Although this is all I've ever wanted out of a show, I didn't want it to be like this. We're REALLY going to have to work together, here."
"We got your back, Bear," Theo encouraged, a twinkle of nervousness clouded both boys' gazes, and though Berri opened her mouth to nervously carry on, Wren rushed to her aid.
"Give my corner a mic, I'll be your back up vocals," Wren soothed with a nod, though he bugged his eyes in nervousness and shook his head, "Holy shit, I'll be your back up vocals."
"I'm gunna smile and bang my drum, guys, do NOT give me a voice mic, you do NOT want me singing on that stage," Theo choked a laugh, and though everyone softened into easy, shaky, nervous love, Berri apprehensively glossed her eyes to that stage and inhaled a deep breath to broaden her voice to the crew all about her.
"Alright, guys, welcome to the circus, I'm your new pony master," Berri called out to everyone, and with such strong, loud words, their chaotic chattering and bustling halted as they eased into nervous, knowing laughter. Not particularly skilled at wrangling in a crowd, Berri was shocked to see all eyes lay on her as she stood in the dead center of the circle. As she held her hands together and slowly turned about to catch eyes with everyone surrounding her, she briefly glanced her eyes back in the direction where her parents and Turbo hovered. In a gentle string of love, she held contact with Turbo's glowing, proud eyes across the stretch, she smiled and proudly pressed on, "We're without a lead singer strictly due to the fact that Gunner and I got into a fight. Those details aren't important, what IS important here is that Gunner has bailed out of the show, and now I'm at the helm."
"Y'got this, Bear," a staff member, nearest her, kindly cooed; this started a chain reaction of everyone mumbling in nervous encouragement.
"I need everyone to understand that I only have a small SHRED of knowledge of what to do, here, and I need all hands on deck," Berri firmly instructed, "I'll be lead singer and guitar, Wren is the keys and back ups, and Theo, well..."
"Teddy hit drum," Theo mumbled loudly, everyone burst into wide smiles and laughter as he bashfully rubbed the back of his head.
"I-I'm... I KNOW this throws a curve ball at our sound and light guys, you guys are just going to have to bear with me while we wing this together," Berri loudly instructed, "There's a crowd of fifteen THOUSAND people beyond that stage. We cannot let them down. We're going to continue on with all songs, the only difference is... I will be singing them."
"That's a lot of added strain, Bear," someone gently worried, to which Berri raised her eyebrows and peered about the group in vulnerable softness.
"I'm sure you'll be fine, but we haven't rehearsed for ANY of this," Someone else rushed to press, and though light murmuring broke out, Berri shook her head and gestured her hands.
"We have NO choice," Berri firmly instructed, "I will go out there and... Regretfully let everyone know that Gunner isn't able to go on, but promise that we will still give them a memorable show. Now, everyone WITH ME?"
Everyone loudly and unanimously chanted a loud, excited affirmative as Berri raised her hand and beamed her crew a wide, excited, though terrified smile.
"Then get in here," Berri urged with a wide smile as everyone began to very quickly put their hand into the center, where Berri's hand lay extended, hovered before her; the group was too large, so in the squeeze, people held on to each other's shoulders. Berri huffed her crew a few solid notions of encouragement as they began to jostle their hands in fervor, "We're gunna carry on like normal, we're gunna give this crowd an unforgettable show, and we're gunna KILL IT."
With a loud call of a chant as everyone's hands urgently flung into the air, the group then immediately began to scatter and dissipate to their places. Berri held the sides of her head and froze in a slump of anticipatory fear, though she shook her head and began to lurch forward the second Wren and Theo began to tug her into the direction of the stage. Like clockwork, everyone swiftly moved with her, and in the weave through a few different stretches of the much lower-laying back stage, their eye levels with the sleek, never-ending stage itself, Berri quietly began to mumble nervous notions to herself as all three individuals quickly pressed to backstage left. As they eased near the metal staircase that lead to the glowing, beckoning stage, the thousands of people cheering and begging for the excitement to start, the three hovered on their marks in now frozen, terrified wait. Berri softly drew her humbled, terrified, excited gaze to Wren and Theo, and though they equally looked concerned, Berri's face was washed a paler white of terror.
"I-I can't believe this is happening," Berri hissed in uneducated, joyful dread, though Wren and Theo choked small laughs of nervous agreeing and heavily bobbed nods.
"Me neither, first Turbo shows up, and now... THIS?" Wren huffed in a stagger of a faltered breath, he shook his head and bugged his eyes, "A-All in the span of like fifteen minutes. If WE can't wrap our heads around it? Bear, we're scared to ask just how you're feeling."
"Not well," Berri mumbled with a giggle as she held her forehead, though the three flinched in surprise the second Turbo's gentle voice popped the atmosphere.
"Bear, here," Turbo urged as he hustled over, and with Berri's discombobulated thoughts, she shut her eyes tight in unadulterated dread and disappointment, at herself, with just what Turbo was bringing her; her shiny, new, grey guitar. Turbo huffed a hard chuckle as he came within Wren's, Theo's and Berri's hovering bubble, "Youuu MIGHT need this, love."
"Thank you," Berri choked a nervous giggle as she gingerly grabbed the neck of her beautiful guitar and held said guitar tight to her side; all three performers peered to Turbo in warm, hovering, nervous delight as she carried on, "For everything, Turbo. Seriously."
"No, this mess was entirely my fault and I'M the reason you three are going on that stage without Gunner," Turbo hissed through his teeth as he eyed all three of his friends, his golden eyes had never looked more glossed in joy, though he gave the three an apologetic look and shook his head, "THIS is what happens when I leave the game. NOW do you guys know why I wanted to stay home?"
"No, we don't," All three murmured in messy unison, to which they all let loose a loud bout of laughter; Turbo beamed, looked down to his feet and shook his head.
"Let's just keep my title at game ender and not concert ender, and we'll be good," Turbo bobbed a nod and held both his thumbs up, though as he caught eyes with Berri, he sagged a little and took note of just how terrified she looked. He softened and, although with Theo and Wren hovered tight to either side of him and Berri, he lovingly rested his hands to Berri's shoulders and gripped her with understanding. Though he spoke to all three before him, he knew Berri's shivering soul needed this overflow, the most, "You're going to do great. You have never... EVER failed to impress me. You commanded the attention of your team, now garner that energy and command the attention of this arena."
"Fifteen thousand," Berri faltered through a small huff, though as Wren and Theo began to softly argue her in smiling annoyance, all four beings halted their bickering at the sound emenating from the crowd, far beyond. With Berri's name now adamantly being chanted, Berri cocked an eyebrow, peered tight up into Turbo's eyes with unadulterated surprise and sagged in a roll of hot understanding. Turbo grinned her a knowing look, shrugged and shook his head, though she urgently pressed on with a hard giggle, "For User's SAKE."
"The crowd speaks," Turbo huffed with a wide grin, though he furrowed his eyebrows in tender confusion and softly let his fingers grip the shoulders of the cute, black shawl she had draped over her shoulders. He fingered it in curiosity and eyed it in cute displeasure, "Did you pick this out yourself, babe?"
"NO," Berri choked in whole entire annoyance as she firmly gifted the neck of her guitar to Wren and began to rip herself clear out of the black shawl Gunner had made her wear.
"Didn't think so," Turbo muttered with a cocky smile as he subtly glanced her body, once more; a very similar outfit she had worn when she visited Orion City's open mic bars and clubs, all those weeks ago. He kindly took the shawl from her possession, tossed it over his broad shoulder in a resting spot and returned his hands to her bare shoulders. Although he gripped her for a second, he finally broadened his reach and hugged Wren and Theo in on their mini huddle, "You guys are so brave. Far braver than me. I can't believe I get to be here, you guys are going to rock the outlets right out of this station."
"Go hard or go home," Berri pressed with a cute, cocky smile, and as Turbo gave the three a good squeeze of a messy group hug they slowly began to climb the metal staircase from backstage, to press to their positions on stage, whether old or new.
Turbo inhaled a deep breath and urgently watched from the wings, and as he sagged his hands into his jean's front pockets, he took mental photos of this raw memory before him, one of Berri gently tugging her beautiful guitar over her chest and shoulders, her luscious blue hair that flicked with her movement, the knowing urgency Wren and Theo took to get to their positions, and as all three individuals crowned the stage, Turbo felt his ear drums rattle with the sheer amount of noise the crowd suddenly delivered. Arcadia's glowing, sunny noon stage held a single sliver of a silhouette of that infamous, lead singer mic and stand, dead in the center of the stage, one that Berri proudly approached in her heels, an apprehensive crawl of determination, one of which everyone was well aware she had earned.
