Chapter Sixteen

I huffed as I tuned the guitar that I found backstage. "If you guys can buy me some time to remember the notes I need to play and tune this guitar," I said to them, looking up from the crate I sat on. "I can probably win them over and get us all out of here."

Aerrow nodded. "You heard her. I'll try to find a way to bring down the tentacle monster…whatever it is in the meantime."

I sighed and continued to tune it. I began to murmur the lyrics as the armor beside me shook and rattled.

"Calm down, Stork." I said.

We got wound up into auditioning for these weird guys that reminded me of those old men Muppets from when I was a kid. I needed to win these guys' over with a great song. Of course, one song in particular came to mind.

Just hold on a while, guys. I attempted to tell my friends mentally.

The beat made by the crowd made me think of "We Will Rock You" by Queen. I mean, I think it was Queen.

I suddenly heard Finn out there telling bad jokes. If I was in an anime, I would have sweat dropped right then and there.

In the meantime, Piper attempted to smash the window with a board of wood but ended up with only a stub of wood.

I groaned in agony when I realized how weird this guitar was. It's system was totally messed up. I strummed it and the strings all broke! I huffed in anger and tossed Piper the guitar.

"See if that piece of shit can smash it." I suggested.

I walked to the cases for a new guitar. Finally, I found an old Fender. It looked like the one I had back home. I smiled lightly and began to tune it as Piper walked to me with only the neck of the guitar I'd passed her.

"You okay, Al?" She asked me.

I sighed. "I'm fine. I just can't remember this one song. My brother taught it to me and it's pretty special to me. But, I think I'll change one word in the chorus."

"Why's that?" Stork asked, peeking his head from the armor.

I smirked and looked up to him. "That's a surprise." I said, winking.

"Stork?" Piper asked. "What're you doing in there?"

"I can't go on stage!" he whispered urgently. Stork hid behind the shield. "Just the thought of it makes my knees feel like jelly sausages injected with liquid dread!" He then dropped the shield. I blinked and stared at it.

"Piper." I said. "Better check on Blondie. I don't think he'll last much longer. Oh, and keep those Smokers on hand." I finished as she walked away. I returned to strumming the guitar without missing a beat.

Piper

I blinked in shock. Just as I thought about checking on Finn, she told me too and reminded me of the Smokers I had in my pocket.

I looked over at Aerrow. He raised an eyebrow to me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my forgotten Smoker. I stared at it in amazement.

It was right there and I forgot.

Aerrow must've noticed my expression because he shook his head in disbelief. I looked at Alice who sat on a barrel next to the armored Stork.

How did she know that?

"I'm not sure how I knew." Alice said aloud.

"D-Did you just read my mind?" I asked, shivering.

"Sorry." She said. "Like I said though, I don't know how I knew. And, no. I didn't read your mind. I could tell by the expression on your face. Your reaction just proved what I theorized."

She said it so plainly, I wasn't sure if this really was Alice. She looked so…focused.

I then looked out to see Finn failing horribly.

"Okay!" He said. "You're gonna love this!"

"Please?" I begged to whatever great entity was out there. "Please, not you're lame impersonation of Ravess."

"My impersonation of Ravess!" Finn said, as if contradicting me.

I put my hand to my forehead. "Oh no." I turned to the Wallop who stood on the other side of me. "Junko, quick! Do something!"

Junko swept in after thinking of something just in time.

Before I knew it, Junko sounded like a dying animal!

"Huh!" Stalford, one of the wacky judge guys, grunted. "I haven't heard a traditional Wallopian folk roar in years!"

Walder crossed his arms over his chest. "I guess all things come back in style eventually." He then turned to his partner. "Except for that suit."

Finn stomped over to me. "Hey!" He said once I shot him a doubtful look. "I was doing great! Why'd you send him out there?"

There was a pause as we realized that it was way too quiet for a Wallopian Folk Roar. I looked to see Junko wrapped up in a tentacle.

"And why'd he stop screaming?" Finn asked in shock.

The two idiots chatted up and began to take Junko into the audience. I ran out.

Finn

I watched as Piper tried to make do with a "Magic" show with some…I think they were called Smokers?

She failed miserably. Then, Radarr strutted in with a cane and top hat to look cool.

I laughed as he squirted water at a tentacle through a flower on his uniform.

"How is it going?" Alice asked, still strumming the guitar.

"Not good." I said. "Junko and Piper's already out and it looks like Radarr is next."

I watched as they got dragged in. "I need more time. I've almost remembered the song." She said quickly.

"The Finnster is on it." I said, running my hand through my hair.

Aerrow

I watched from my hiding place as Finn "Air-Guitar-ed" his way into the "Denied" Section.

I rolled my eyes. Listen to me. I'm starting to sound more and more like Alice.

I then jumped down, landing on the balcony of the two producers.

"Alright, you two." I growled. "Show's over!"

"Woo, how dramatic!" Stalford said.

"Kid's got style." Walder agreed.

I got irritated when I realized that they wouldn't take me seriously so I pulled out my energy blade and held it on my right hand. I put it to Stalford's throat. No escape.

"Call off your tentacle monster, or whatever that thing is." I ordered.

The weirdest thing happened then: They were laughing a little.

"First thing about being a good performer," Stalford said. "Know your audience."

"Right," Walder said. "That thing, as you call it…"

"Is us!" The two finished in perfect sync like the two Alice-copies did a while back.

The audience screamed as they rose up. I saw the body of the monster before me and shuddered a little in fear.

"Oh…" I said in realization. "That's…really…kinda creepy."

Maybe I sounded like Stork but who cares! They didn't have lower bodies, just tentacles.

Now I really sound like Alice.

I fell when the balcony began to splinter and split. I turned to land on my feet only to be caught by the tentacle.

Alice

I listened as Stork shook in the armor in fear.

"Don't worry, Stork." I said, playing the guitar softly. "I think I remember the song now."

Too late because he was shoved away by tentacles.

I rushed to the edge of the curtain. Stork now stood in the spotlight. Gulping, I watched as he grabbed the microphone stand in hopes that it could support him.

"I uh…" He stammered into the mic.

I blinked and saw the musicians beginning to play softly. At that point, I was amazed. Stork began to recite how he felt through poetry.

"I'm feeling dread…Um, from the corns on my feet to the hair on my head, I, uh, can't breath." He paused, slumping as the guitarist began to play. "I don't even know how I'm able to speak. I shouldn't be here. I'm sensitive you know!"

I smiled. It was good. I couldn't believe it. "Last thing I want is to be part of your horrible show." That part made me laugh a little. "Darkness, falling, it's all closing in. That's it; good-bye. I've reached the deep end." He cried as he fell to his knees. "All of you watching, you've seen my demise. Please show me some mercy, and cover your eyes!" He then dramatically fell back on his elbows with his hand to his forehead. "Farewell cruel world!" He shouted as the producers stood above him.

Stork gulped again as everything settled in.

"Um…I'll be fainting now." He collapsed as the drummer finished with a whack at the crash symbal.

I laughed a little. I then walked out to him and touched his forehead. Stork blinked and looked up at me. I smiled down at him. "Way to go, Stork." I said. I stood and motioned for him to get away.

"What's this?" Walder asked. "You think you can top that performance-"

"Just shut up and listen." I growled.

The two blinked.

"I've been stressing myself out just to remember this song and you'll be damned if you don't just kick back and listen."

"The girl has spunk." Stalford said.

"Alright, girly." Walder said. They sat back where they once were. "Show us what you've got."

I gulped my fear and stepped up to the mic. I took a deep breath and looked out into the audience. I found my comrades there. I smiled at them then began to play.

Stork

She strummed the guitar softly before beginning to play faster.

"I am so high," She sung deeply. "I can hear heaven…I am so high, I can hear heaven. Whoa, wherever, no heaven. Don't hear me."

The bass player strummed and the drummer joined in. (AN: Yes. The Neon Band know this song. XD Cartoon logic is awesome!)

"And they say that a hero could save us. I'm not gonna stand here and wait. I'll hold to the wings of the Condor. Watch as we all fly away." She sang.

I smiled as she sung out the name of the ship she lived on. In the audience, I saw my comrades smiling too. They were proud and they were in awe too. This was Alice.

"Someone told me, Love would all save us." She sang. "But how can that be? Look what love gave us. A world full of killing and blood-spilling; That world never came. And they say that a hero could save us. I'm not gonna stand here and wait. I'll hold to the wings of the Condor. Watch as we all fly away. Aaaahaaaa!"

She then began to play the guitar in a solo professionally. I stared at her as she played. She was wonderful and beautiful.

I blinked at that last thought. Beautiful, huh? I must have mind worms. I then smiled to myself. No. This isn't mind worms. It's something…different. I recalled what Finn had said back on Terra Rex. Maybe I do have a crush on her after all. I admitted to myself.

"Now that the world is at ending, it's love that I'm sending to you." She sang softly before strumming five notes. "It isn't the love of a hero, and that's why I fear it won't do. And they say that a hero could save us. I'm not gonna stand here and wait. I'll hold to the wings of the Condor. Watch as we all fly away. And they're watching us!"

"Watching us!" Some members of the audience sang.

"They're watching us!"

"Watching us!"

"As we all fly away. And they're watching us!"

"Watching us!"

"They're watching us!"

"Watching us!"

"As we all fly away!"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah and they're watching us!"

"Watching us.

"They're watching us!"

"Watching us!"

"As we all fly away…yeah, yeah! Whoooaaaa." She sang, the song ending.

Everyone applauded. She then turned to me, panting a little. She really gave her all in all this. She smiled at me.

I stepped up to her but we both yelped once tentacles wrapped around us.

"You two are miracles!" Stalford said. "This is just the beginning."

"Y-Y-You, you want me to do that…again?" I stammered, twitching my eye.

"Seven shows a week for the both of you!" He responded.

"Two on Sundays!" Walder said.

I heard Alice gulp. "And if we don't?" She challenged.

In response, the tentacle around her body squeezed tighter. She gasped in pain. "Alice!" I cried, trying to reach her. "Let her go!" I shouted to the monster...s?

"You two will be famous!" Walder told us.

"And we'll be rich!" Stalford continued. "We'll make thousands!"

"Millions!"

They continued yammering on and on about the money they made as I squirmed my way to Alice. "Alice," I whispered.

"Jesus, this guy has a grip!" She said through her teeth. I pulled her free and we both jumped on the stage. She panted as she knelt next to me. She then sighed and smiled up at me. "Thanks, Stork."

I nodded. "Let's go!"

"Hey wait!" The two shouted as we rushed to the edge of the stage.

"Stork," Alice said. "We gotta get these guys away from the audience. Once we do that, everyone is freed."

"Right!" We then played a game of "Moles," popping up in places then disappearing again before the tentacles could grab us.

Alice

Stork and I rushed out of the theatre through the double doors. As we ran, I pulled out my energy blade and shot behind me as I ran.

I kept running hard. At one point, it felt like I was running on air. I looked down to realize that I ran right off the terra.

"Ack!" I squeaked. A hand grabbed mine and I was yanked back onto solid ground. I watched as my energy blade plummeted in the Wastelands. "Ah, man." I whined. "Aerrow's gonna kill me for losing that."

"That's what you're worried about?" Stork asked me as he looked back at the producers. "Seriously, Alice! Focus on the matter at hand!"

"This is how I handle myself in bad situations. Deal with it!" I pouted.

I looked to see that the two producers were coming closer, babbling on and on about deals and contracts for us to make.

"Alice, do you trust me?" Stork asked.

"What?"

"Do. You. Trust. Me?" he repeated.

"Of course I do, Stork!" I said with offense. How could I not trust him?

"Good!" He wrapped his arm around my waist and actually jumped off the terra.

Oh. That's how I couldn't trust him.

"Are you insane?" I shrieked. This is Stork, the paranoid-schizophrenic Merb that always gone on about Mind Worms, you know. My conscience told me.

Stork just gripped me tighter and I buried my face into his neck, not wanting to watch my death come closer.

Me: Hey, guys. Sorry it's short and fast (...my brother came in as i typed that and said "That's what she said.") but I feel a need to get the episodes done faster because I want to get on with the rest of the story.

Aerrow: What do you mean?

Me: Believe it or not, it's actually REALLY hard to just make up something for an episode. It's like trying to figure out what would happen if there was a 10th walker in Lord of the Rings, it's hard. You want to keep the story as close as possible with your own twist but if you screw up then...well...you have a bad story.

Piper: That makes sense.

Me: I think I'm going to quit though.

Finn: Quit? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

Me: Don't worry; I'll finish Alice in Atmos, most definitely. I mean, after I'm done with this. I want to work on my own stories. I mean, it's fun to write Fanfic as a side thing but I'm wanting to write scripts, novels, and direct movies. I can't spend my time writing on something I can't really make a profit from. It is fun but after this, there'll be a leave of absence. I mean, I'll liekly (- Spell fail) write one-shots or start a new story with irregular updates but it's actually getting harder to find time lately.

Junko: Isn't school starting up next week?

Me: Yeah, the 18th to be exact. I'm going to be in my senior year and i have to sign up for the ACT again. I wanna get a better school for hopes of good scholarships because I have no financial anything really. I couldn't find a job at all. :'(

Stork: Well...isn't that just tragic. *I shrug and nod to Stork* Really? Oh, okay. *Clears throat* Lupin does not own Storm Hawks. They belong to Nerd Corps alone. She owns only Alice and the upcoming development.

Taylor (My brother): That sounds dirty. *WHACK* Ouch!

Me: *Book now in hand again* Keep going, Stork.

Stork: Right. Please review and do not worry about her not completing this. She has it set in her mind that she will complete this, even if it must be done with irregular updates due to schooling. Thank you.