Chapter 5
"Well, here it is." Manic said. Sonic and Sonia looked around in amazement. The theater was bigger than any other space they had ever been in. The roof was well over five stories up, and the seating was twenty-five chairs deep, stretching three quarters of the way around the central stage.
"Woah." They both said.
"Well, you two can start pokin' around, and I'll get the word out."
OOOOOOOOOO
Amy grunted impatiently. She had been by the fountain for near half an hour, and it seemed no one had heard anything.
"You know anything?" She asked a random hedgehog next to her.
"Well, I heard it was Saturday."
"Really?" Amy asked, glad to hear anything. "When?"
"Oh, seven-thirty, I think."
"Thanks." She said, and when someone asked her the same, she told them what she had heard, and then realized that the person who had told her looked exactly like the band's drummer. "Hey, wait a minute!" she said turning to see he was gone. Pushing her way through the crowd, Amy emerged to see him nowhere. A person turned to her, saying,
"Hey I heard the concerts Saturday, at seven thirty." She turned to see that other people were passing around the same message.
"Ha, ha, very funny." She muttered mirthlessly.
OOOOOOOOOO
"I think I found something." Sonia called out. Sonic took a pause from dusting the seats, and walked to her voice. He went on the stage, past the curtain through a hall, and down a flight of stairs he hadn't noticed before. The room was filled with pieces of random equipment. Sonia stepped out from behind a stack of crates, dusting herself off.
"There you are. I found a drum set that looked in good condition, which should save us having to rent one. I think they also have a few amplifiers we could use." The guitar and the keyboard had built in microphones, but that probably wouldn't be enough.
"Well, let's get to work." They took the various drum set components one at a time, and by the time they got to the first amp they saw Manic returning.
"Okay," He began. "I've given us five days to set up and practice. I see you found a drum set, good, and amps."
"There's probably more we could use." Sonia added.
"You work on finding it then, and I'll help you carry if you need me."
"I'll be fine."
"Sonic, finish cleaning the chairs, and then start working on ornamentation for this place. I'll be setting up the electronics."
"You know how to do that?"
"Enough to make it work."
"Okay. Let's go."
OOOOOOOOOO
Five days later, Underground was practicing for the final time before their concert. As the chord for a song trailed off, Sonic twitched irritably.
"Argh." He said.
"What?" Manic asked.
"It's just, we've played these all before. We should play something new."
"Well, now's a bit too late to be saying so."
"We could play Freedom's March." Sonia interjected.
"Rock band, remember?" Manic replied. They all laughed at what had become an private joke for them.
"No, here me out. We use the words for it, but just give it a better tune."
"Like what?" Manic asked. Sonia sang a short snatch.
"I like that." Sonic said.
"Well, let's get working on it."
OOOOOOOOOO
Sonic and Sonia went home to eat a supper with Chuck, and went to bed at the call. Both stayed in their beds until they heard the door for Chuck's room shut. They got out quietly and slipped their instruments onto their backs, meeting outside their rooms. They crept down the stairs together, making sure not to make a sound. When they were almost through the kitchen and at the front door, a voice made their heads turn.
"Try to be back before midnight, will you?" It was Chuck, drinking a cup of coffee in the dark. Sonic and Sonia nodded half-heartedly, before continuing to the door and out it. Chuck chuckled to himself before taking another sip.
OOOOOOOOOO
"So, I 'ear its big night tonight." Ferrel said.
"Yep." Manic replied as he finished a rare sponge bath. He wanted to look as near to his best as possible. Manic grabbed his fanny back and tied it around his waist.
"Bringin' your kit?" Ferrel asked.
"Never know what can happen." Manic replied.
"I've raised you well." Ferrel said with a smile.
OOOOOOOOOO
"Their called Underground." Jimmy said. The elegant housing was a bit overwhelming. "And their having a concert tonight."
"Your sure it's the same girl." Nalsia asked.
"I think so. She looks a lot like the poster."
"Good. Is she wearing anything… peculiar?" Jimmy's face scrunched up in concentration.
"Well… there's this pink jewel she wears, it's on a gold chain."
"Thank you so much young man." Nalsia said as she patted the boy on the head. "Do you want anything?" Jimmy looked down uncertainly.
"Something to eat would be nice."
"Jarvis, would you make this lad a meal?"
"Certainly, ma'am." The butler bowed.
OOOOOOOOOO
Amy flattened her hair and put a band over it. She didn't know why she was pursuing this dumb crush. He'd probably never even notice her, but… she just kept going, because it felt right.
OOOOOOOOOO
In some dark corner of Mobius City, a red-furred individual finished oiling the barrel of an assault rifle and set it on a table next to him. Going over to a dented case labeled "Jake D.", he opened it up and pulled out a pair of spiked brass knuckles. He slipped them on near-religiously. Taking a city-grey camo cloak off a hook, he pulled it around his neck and clipped shut the fastener. He picked the rifle back up, and carefully loaded in a cartridge of ammunition. From what he heard and knew, these would be some interesting times.