Nina Vale: Nice to know I've done something that no one else has done, referring to the Seeker Con. I usually worry that I'm just repeating stories that someone else has written.

Adlock221b: Yes, you get a cyber-cookie for "Rings of Akhaten." Lucas did bring it on himself.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Huntik."

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Chapter 19: Monster

During the three days of the convention Renee ran into Lucas a total of eight times, and each time she was able to fool him. He had no idea that the girl he was talking to wasn't Sophie. He did meet up with Sophie a few times, but he didn't seem to notice anything odd. The boys all told Renee that she should go into acting.

The best part of the plan was to take place during a ball at the end of the convention. It was mainly for elite Seekers and major leaders. The Huntik Council would be there, obviously, as well as the Casterwills and some of the team's good friends. They would all be there to see it.

"We're allowed to take cameras in, right?" Renee asked Sophie as the two of them, plus Zhalia, were getting ready for the ball in their hotel room.

"Technically, no," Sophie answered, "but I talked to Dante and he said he would sneak some in for us."

"If I didn't know any better," Zhalia said, "I'd say that Dante was enjoying our schemes a little too much."

"My dad would always get involved when I came up with one of my schemes," Renee said. "At least, the ones that didn't involve him getting hurt or humiliated in any way. One time I was trying to get back at this jerk from school that I caught kissing another girl after he had just asked me out. My dad had so many torture ideas they could have made a horror movie about my revenge."

"I am torn between curiosity and the feeling that I really do not want to know," Sophie finally said after a few minutes of silence.

"You really don't want to know," Renee told her sister, "unless you want to have nightmares so powerful and horrific, your great-grandchildren will be having them even after they're dead and buried."

"And you say your dad came up with those ideas?" Zhalia asked with a doubting look. "I can't see Wilder coming up with something that scary."

"You underestimate my dad when it comes to protecting me," Renee said with a smile on her face. "He took a bullet for me."

"Wish Lucas would be willing to take a bullet for me," Sophie said. "He would probably let the bullet hit me and then, while I'm dying, lecture me about how he was right and how I should have listened to him in the first place and gone into hiding."

"If that ever happens," Renee told her sister, "come back as a ghost and haunt his miserable backside for the rest of his life. Give him nightmares that his great-grandchildren will be having."

"I doubt that guy will ever meet someone willing to just have his children," Zhalia commented. "Never mind getting to the point where he may actually become a great-grandfather."

"If he ever did have children," Sophie said, "he wouldn't need me to give them nightmares. He can do that on his own."

"No arguments there," Renee said.

With that, the girls finished and left their hotel room to go join the guys in the lobby. Dante had made sure that they were in a different hotel from the one Lucas was staying in so that they wouldn't run into each other. The girls and Zhalia walked into the lobby, saw the guys, and walked over to them. The guys turned to look at them as they approached, and their jaws dropped.

Renee was wearing a floor-length teal dress with flowing, wrist-length, off-the-shoulder sleeves of a lighter shade. Her open-toe heels were about the same shade as her sleeves, and her hair was a little extra wavy tonight. The teal streak in her hair had recently been re-dyed. Sophie was wearing a knee-length, halter-top pink dress with a lighter pink sash around her middle and rhinestone decorated pink heels. Zhalia wore a dark blue dress that fell to the floor and was a bit more sheer the further it went to the ground. Her closed-toe heels were also dark, though not quite as dark, and she wore a necklace that Renee had bought for her.

"I may have to bring my Titans with me and fight off all the men that are gonna swarm around you," Wilder said, looking at his daughter.

"I'm perfectly capable of defending myself, thank you very much." Noticing what her father was wearing, she added, "Glad to have your old friend back?"

Wilder fixed his tie and straightened the jacket of his white suit. "Actually, I think I would have preferred it if I never saw this suit again."

"Are you kidding me?" Renee asked him with a disbelieving look.

"Yes, I am," he said with a smile. "I've missed this thing."

After a few more complements were exchanged, they all headed out to the parking lot and to the car they were taking. Wilder drove, Zhalia had shotgun, and the teens had the backseats.

The Huntik Council had reserved a manor just outside of the city for the ball. It was very large, with lots of rooms and spacious gardens outside. There would be a variety of activities besides the dance itself for the teens and younger kids. There was a game room, karaoke, a library, and a movie theater. If the girls needed to get away from Lucas, there were plenty of places they could choose from.

Dante was standing at the entrance and talking to Metz. He turned to say something when they walked up, but fell silent when he saw Zhalia. Metz took the cameras that Dante had been holding and handed them to the boys, who immediately snapped a picture of Dante's face. They then left Dante and Zhalia alone and headed down the hall.

"Is Lucas here yet?" Sophie asked Metz.

"He is," the German answered. "He's in the ballroom talking to Teien."

"Good," Renee said. "I wanted to check out the karaoke and see what songs are in the selection. If I find one of the songs I'm thinking about, we can really freak him out."

"Exactly what kind of song are you thinking of?" Harrison asked.

"The kind where your overprotective parents listen to the lyrics and then ask you why you even know that song well enough to have it memorized."

"Let's go," Sophie said. With that kind of description, she couldn't wait to see how Lucas would react.

"We'll keep an eye on Lucas," Lok said. "Send Cherit to the ballroom when you've got a song selected and we'll find a way to get him there."

The boys followed Metz to the ballroom while the girls and Cherit made their way to the karaoke room. They walked in to see a bunch of teenagers and young adults either standing or sitting on the couches and benches placed around the room and facing the stage, listening to a girl sing Kelly Clarkson's "You Found Me."

Peter was standing by the song selections. He was in charge of entering in the code for each song and playing it when the singer was ready. He smiled as the girls came toward him, having already been told about Renee. After the girls told him their plan, he handed over the binder with the song selections.

They were organized alphabetically, first by artist and then by song title. Renee flipped back and forth for a while before finding the one she wanted. Sophie sent Cherit to tell the guys that they were ready and Renee got in line behind the other singers. The boys, Lucas, Wilder, Dante, Zhalia, Metz, and a few other Casterwills walked in just as the singer before Renee finished. The audience clapped and the singer took a bow before handing the microphone to Renee and stepping off the stage.

Renee stepped up to the stage, smiled at Lucas and her friends and family, then nodded to Peter, who typed in the code and started the music. The intro began, and then Renee started to sing.

"His little whispers:
'Love me, love me.
That's all I ask for.
Love me, love me.'
He battered his tiny fists to feel something.
Wondered what it's like to touch and feel something.

Monster,
How should I feel?
Creatures lie here
Looking through the window.

That night he caged her,
Bruised and broke her.
He struggled closer,
Then he stole her.
Violet wrists and then her ankles.
Silent Pain.
Then he slowly saw their nightmares were his dreams.

Monster,
How should I feel?
Creatures lie here
Looking through the windows.
Time will
Hear their voices.
I'm a glass child.
I am Hannah's regrets.

Monster,
How should I feel?
Turn the sheets down.
Murder ears with pillow lace.
There's bath tubs
Full of glow flies.
Bathe in kerosene.
Their words tattooed in his veins, yeah!"

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Cliffhanger! Sorry, you'll have to wait until the next chapter to see Lucas' reaction. You're welcome to guess what it'll be though.

For anyone who's wondering, the song is "Monster," by Meg and Dia.

I have a picture of Renee, Sophie, and Zhalia's dresses on my Deviantart account. My account name is ldsbabe. Take a look.

Please review.