AN: The first half of the chapter is probably one of the most nervous things I did; I have to ensure it is done nicely and fulfilling since it's a moment. It all ties in with the arc regarding Antoine's killer instincts and the call back to Obsidian's apparent 'sociopathy'. I even looked back on Obsidian's talk with Mitchell to see how I should innovate. Regardless, I hope that this goes well and that you all enjoyed this chapter!
Special thanks to Assassin Creed's Master, who helped out once again for this chapter! More details at the bottom author's note.
Chapter 26
The touch elicited a huge reaction. It wasn't like the power of a black hole, but it just felt…right for once. A sense of stability and safety from the chaos. As soon as the green glow formed from my finger, I knew everything would be alright.
And there was nothing I could do.
Glitch patterns formed from my finger and they evaporated everything around me and Antoine. And to my surprise, it looked like broad paint strokes flying out from this single touch. The whole place turned into something that was as extraordinary as the musical concert.
Despite not feeling wet, the floor underneath us changed into a moving ocean with shades of blue and salmon. These colors took the form of watercolor swirls, making me feel like a real sailor literally standing above the waves. The blocked sky turned into a smooth gradient of orange, blue and purple; a sunset sitting on the digital horizon.
As if in reaction, Antoine suddenly slumped down and his body rolled to the side. Once his back was lying on the ground, he slowly shrank.
My first instinct was to rub my neck, but it was barely sore. In fact, my body felt nothing but content. I blinked a few times, wondering if it was a dream. Or if it was my ruby putting me in a really high mood.
I rolled onto my stomach, pushing myself back onto my knees. For a brief moment, I noticed my reflection from the ocean ground. My eyes were green again. I took time to consider this new look again. Whatever happened led me to do…nearly all of this.
Yet, I was still sure that everything was going to be alright.
Antoine was wheezing. I turned to him and I instinctively came close to him. The coyote was already rocking his body, his knees close to his chest. His hands pressed against his scalp, rhythmically tapping it in a mantra. His golden eyes were still feral silts, shivering in place as if they were suffering a cold. The clenched teeth were enough to tell me he was trying to hold on.
"Calm down, Antoine," I said, shifting to a gentle and reassuring tone. "I'm here."
His eyes failed to process my presence around. The move to this illusion world must have taken its toll on him. His heartbeat was thumping loudly in my eardrums, matching his moving chest. It reminded me of my heartbeat when I got stabbed. It wasn't a pretty feeling having the skin of a drum ripped once the drumstick hit it too hard.
The hyperventilating coyote was scared.
I slowly placed my hands on his. He flinched, but I gently held them. His fingers twitched for a while, but then, they gradually relaxed. For extra measure, I curled my large tail around his body. His tail reacted, curling it on top of mine. I remained in a calm composure without tensing my shoulders upwards, wanting to show that I wasn't a threat.
His eyes remained distorted but his mind slowly took control through his tiny squeaks. Those sounds barely resembled his previous maniacal laughter.
"Can you hear me?" I asked.
Antoine's opened mouth twitched. A sign that he was still here. Even though it would only be for a period of time, we shouldn't take too long in this world. I slowly let go of his left hand. His arm dropped like a ragdoll, unresponsive. Still holding my left hand, I gently pressed my palm against his forehead. I didn't need to think, sharing the warmth of my ruby with him.
I wished that I could say through words, but through this could help in soothing the pain.
It was starting to work and Antoine was taking this effect well.
He continued panting, but it wasn't loud. His breathing slowly became regular and easy for him to feel relieved. His chest was no longer moving rapidly. Some built-up tension was removed from his body. His eyes slowly turned back to circular but remained cloudy in the trance of being in another world. I allowed him to take his time, waiting patiently.
After a while, he was returned to the ground. His golden eyes returned to its glowing, vibrant state. Through the ruby's power, I could feel it consoling his mind. Telling him that he was safe and sound. I smiled, feeling the comfort provided. It never failed.
I lifted my finger away and Antoine closed his eyes. He took a deep breath in and out, his shoulders sagging in comfort.
I smiled when I felt the sense of any tension lowered. I wanted to say something, but I had to let him recollect all of his thoughts. Which was why I suddenly went into a panic when the high power dropped from my vitals and Antoine started sobbing.
"Antoine-" I said.
"Don't look at me!" he shouted, immediately turning his back at me. "I-I'm…I'm a monster."
It took me a while to keep myself from acting without control. The ruby felt like it wasn't on my chest anymore. For some reason, I nearly felt alone on this. I haplessly watched Antoine's body shaking again, close to sobbing. He kept it quiet, but I could hear the gasps between threatening tears. My heart sank at the thought that I had done something wrong.
However, I didn't want to stop right there.
Whether ruby or not, I couldn't just sit there uselessly.
In fact, it got me thinking on how we tried helping each other when subduing Ice.
I thought back to Antoine's deadly eyes when he slowly approached Ice. But I told myself that he wouldn't just randomly attack out of nowhere. Not after the amount of restraint he put on himself.
"You lost your grip to save me, didn't you?" I whispered.
"I never asked to be like this, OK?!" retorted Antoine harshly, keeping his eyes away from me. "What is it to you that you're so interested in?!"
"I-I…well, I mean, I am concerned since I wonder how that…" I trailed off, my mind in a literal mess. The loud tone in his voice threw me off-guard that I had to mask any doubt. "...relates to you-or your former squad…? I had theories."
Antoine looked over his shoulder to see me properly. His eyes were narrowed. He sniffed. The stare didn't take too long as he looked away in shame.
"I'm not in the mood to talk about it," he said, trying to keep his tone gently. "They're invisible. I can't really express what I gained from them. It runs in the blood."
I simply crawled towards him, reposing myself in a comfortable sitting formation. Crossing my legs to be too close to Antoine but not too far to make him feel truly alone. We sat there for a while, looking at the calm ocean below us. It wasn't violent or fast. It was just white lines flowing into each other, clashing to form new line waves all around. All on top of a beautiful gradient. An animated artwork that wouldn't harm the eyesight.
Finally, Antoine talked again. "…it felt really good. It felt…right. I don't know how you held it in for so long, but…I tried everything to replace this killer instinct. I tried medications, relying on guns, even therapy sessions all over again. The moment I go right back at it, the more likely I will create cuts I can't fix. I…" A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "...I can't believe people are alright with letting mass murderers like us take this work to 'improve'."
I opened my mouth but refrained from doing so on the worry of saying something childish. He called me a kid. Once again, a huge generational gap. And this moment wouldn't be like when I comforted Mitchell. The biggest difference was that Antoine carried a sadistic streak in killing while I lacked one in place of apathy.
But as I tried to think of a solution, I remembered what I was told.
My mind flickered back to the pictures of Molly's family. All of them waving around their huge weapons for hunting and sport. Today, Molly continued using guns, but worked in the military service. She used something of her marksmanship despite rarely mentioning any hobby of shooting she complied with it.
It was something else, but it felt like she knew how to downplay such a deadly weapon.
"But the question is, who will you use those past training lessons for?"
It also was the case from a lesson the Jackal Squad should have kept for a long time.
"A person once told me…" I fidgeted my fingers awkwardly, cringing at how weak I sounded. "The ones who committed to not question their killing are the people who fall beneath the strong. The ones who thought through made the best decisions. I know what is necessary to kill…and just now, you knew, did you?"
Antoine scoffed. "You really think so? You're still young."
"You're right. You're absolutely right. Like I don't know anything about this city. Or even your taste of music!" When the coyote gave me a quizzical look, I quieted down. "Sorry, that's a side note. But I can see where this is going. And since you held all that in to not hurt anyone, is that like a 'starting step' in…not falling beneath the strong?"
Antoine shook his head. "I find that hard to believe. I don't see the appeal of…being strong? Why do you jackals keep using that term?"
The truth was simple. "I don't know. But I'm still alive, trying my best. Look, I know that I have difficult moments around here-"
"You're just saying that to yourself," grumbled Antoine.
"Fair point, but I don't want to feel weak about myself for too long. I don't want to feel sorry that it stops me from getting to know more, visit more, get to meet more people. Even tonight too, since…it's out of my comfort zone. It's still loud, but there are some things that I can be…flexible with? Like I can't repress things for too long."
While I wished I had a better way of saying that, Antoine seemed to believe in what I intended to say. He turned his head back to me, his eyes watery. They were wide in anticipation to hear.
"You might think you're a monster," I continued. "But you were only trying to help. And you chose to do it your way by inflicting it on the one who deserved it the most. Either way, you tried doing it for good. If you think what you did was stupid, then I guess…rescuing me was also stupid. Then, it would be considered…weak, I suppose."
Those words stung more than I thought they would carry. It wasn't a pretty experience being stabbed. I did get scared when Antoine attacked Ice, but after a while of thinking, I let myself come to the reality of acknowledging why he stepped in through this twisted yet thoughtful way. Feeling myself tearing up, I briefly looked away to wipe those forming tears. I shouldn't let him down.
Antoine noticed me rubbing my eyes, his own tears rolling down his face. But his golden eyes glowed brightly, a contrast to dreaded dullness. They appeared clearer and more refined in the reminder of his intent. He looked back down on the ocean floor again, watching the calm ocean.
The coyote sniffed, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry."
I nodded. "It's alright. I'm grateful that you did try to help. And from what I can say, trying to hide this thing is unhealthy. It's easier to say, but it's eating you up…"
Antoine took a while to progress. While I thought of adding more, I let him think. It seemed that his mind found a ripple through his growing doubts. He didn't appear as distressed as before. Despite his anxiety, a small smile marked his newfound confidence and acceptance.
He chuckled sadly, looking weary. "Should I worry about Ice?"
"We'll worry about that soon," I said. "I mean, don't…overthink it. He would have blown up a stadium if you didn't put him down."
The coyote nodded in understanding. "I'm…I'm gonna need a lot of therapy for this." I chuckled lightly, but his pointed glare told me to shut up. "But seriously, yeah. I just…don't want to hurt anyone anymore. Not even Molly and Matthew."
"That's good. You know what's good and bad, so you know what's necessary to kill."
Antoine hummed, shifting around awkwardly. "Maybe…I'll think about that. But I need to have a better grip on my temptations."
"I know."
A little stiffly, he patted me on my shoulder. I took it as a sign of gratitude. In turn, I just rested my head on his shoulder. He hummed again, this time sounding more happier.
The world around us glitched out of frame, but to me, it felt like a good thing. These walls crumbled to transition back to the now-quiet stadium. Rosemary was still here but was already sitting in the corner of the room. Once she noticed we were returning to reality, she stood up with a sigh of relief.
She glanced at Antoine and one look was enough to reassure.
Antoine turned to me. His golden eyes dimmed under the dull lighting. But his smile remained. I realized that his tears slightly washed out the blood stains on his muzzle. There was hope for the future. I smiled, laughing a little. My ruby did the same as well. I have never been so happy to help another mercenary like me.
The moment was interrupted by a loud banshee scream.
Ice shot out from imprisonment, revealing the many bloodied wounds visible from the holes in his white jacket. He roared and rushed towards us, brandishing a knife despite potentially bleeding.
It was a miracle when Shard flew over our heads and punched in Ice's face, sending the bloodied jackal flying. Shortfuse was behind him and spun around to deliver a mega metal punch right into Ice's cheek. Breezie came in next but only grabbed the injured jackal by the neck mid-air. Unfazed by the growing smell of blood, the teal hedgehog came close to Ice's ear.
"You try to beat the house, the house beats you," she whispered, sultry yet amused.
Ice's eyes were manic, but his voice offered one last piece of sanity. "Well played. It's not me you have to watch out for-"
BANG!
It was Antoine who turned my head away from the scene. I wanted to see, but I could understand that he didn't want to show me the image of Breezie blowing out Ice's brains. Even if Ice was never a good part of the Jackal Squad, it still pained me to imagine him this destroyed. When I was allowed to see, his body was gone and Shortfuse was walking away.
Strangely, Breezie's face wasn't coated in blood, her dress already red. She spun her gun on her finger, fitting her sharp appearance. "I still prefer to trust logic over rumors."
Rosemary and Shard stood there awkwardly. Breezie scanned the room, trying to find an applause. But she seemed to ignore any attention when she saw me and Antoine, both of us rattled.
I looked back at my wounds. They were still wet but not painful.
"...blimey," Breezie said flatly.
By the time I stepped out of the stadium for some fresh air, I realized that I wasn't bothered by the stab wounds received from Ice. It turned out that the ruby was responsible for healing them quickly. My muscles still felt sore from the damage inflicted, but if it weren't for my ruby, I might have fallen weak from losing blood.
This was another thing I was grateful for.
I was concerned about the dead bodies piling up, but Breezie reassured me that they handled it. Before we left, she applied some bleach spray over Ice's blood stains on the floor. She said it would only take a few minutes for it to take effect. I wanted to ask how using bleach is possible, but I was too tired to ask.
It didn't help that the team already had a hostage Shard apparently spared. Me and Antoine were putting back on our normal outfits, watching the black-cloaked assassin squirm in his ropes. He didn't even think of standing out from his sitting position in the back of the truck.
"...you know, your former teammate is a prick," muttered Rosemary, approaching the two of us.
"I'm surprised that he knew how to use a knife like it ain't nothing," grumbled Antoine, zipping up his black combat jacket. "Did you know, Obsidian?"
"It has been a while since I'd seen him fight," I said, shrugging. "But it was expected."
Rosemary glanced at me, concerned. "Are you going to be OK?"
I chuckled mirthlessly. "No. Maybe not. At least I can sleep on the fact that if Phoenix is also in hell, there's gonna be complications between him and Ice."
Antoine whistled lowly. "Too much information there."
"Sorry…"
As Shard and Shortfuse watched over their hostage, Breezie came to us, still in her dress. In the palm of her hand was a card partially soaked in Ice's blood.
"I found this in Ice's pocket," she said. "I think this may be one of his many connections. Do you recognize this?"
Antoine squinted his eyes, observing the card. "Hmm, it feels more like he just picked this up for leisure."
Sure enough, the card was a contact type that advertised…some sort of circus? I kind of have an idea of a circus. My squad saw the circus two times in the desert, as bizarre as that sound. But here, it seemed more saturated. The circus aesthetic was nearly all over the place on this little card. With the fonts in a fancy style, the jester hats and tents surrounding the text box and the use of vibrant red, yellow and blue. I doubt this would be what Ice took seriously.
"I can't really say as well," I said. "It just looks weird…"
Breezie hummed, her eyes narrowed in frustration. "And yet, he said he's not the only one we must look out for. But if he held onto this card for long…" Fatigue only slowed her train of thought. "Know what? I'm too damn tired. I'll report back to Towers and he'll decide on my proposed investigation."
I was about to ask, but she already kept the card away. Oh well, I thought. Maybe it was some weird business I shouldn't be involved in. After all, it seemed like civilization has done weird things to Ice as well, despite his hatred for consumerism. But I didn't concentrate on that as I watched Breezie whistling to get everyone's attention.
"Listen up, children! We have executed nearly the entirety of Ice's squad. Not only that; we safely eliminated the explosive devices he tried using. This stadium is still stable. We did one last check and no other backup plans or one-minute saves." A warm smile of pride and compassion widened on her lips, admiring the troops before her. "The party can still go on! I'm proud of all of you."
Half of the team broke into a cheer at the reassuring, cheerful sound of her voice. I couldn't help cheering as well, punching my fist in the air.
I only stopped when I heard a loud squawk and something falling onto my head.
My eyes were greeted by the wonky eyes of a familiar pigeon.
And without a fuss, it hopped back on its feet, taking refuge in my mohawk.
"I haven't seen you in a while," I commented.
The pigeon cooed, but I couldn't see it cocking its head. And I couldn't even see it flapping its wings and trying to pull off my green headband. I just placed it back on after destroying Molly's fedora (which I might have to explain later on). Yelping, I swatted my hands upwards, letting out a puppy-like bark.
This time, the pigeon didn't bother fighting for my headband and flew to the tied-up hostage. He jumped upwards, but his breaking point reached when it swooped behind him and flew out with a leather wallet in its beak.
"HEY!" the hostage yelled. "GIVE THAT BACK!"
With a loud warrior cry, the hostage moved his arms upwards and the ropes finally gave way. Freed, he pulled out his gun and ran after the pigeon, only to be held back by Shortfuse.
"Whoa! Whoa!" said the Cybernik. "There's no escape, you know that? Once in the hands of us, you'll be paying for your crimes-!"
"I think it's not an escape," said Breezie, merely observing the pigeon hovering above us.
The hostage suddenly lashed his legs out. "LET ME GO!"
"Not so fast!" said Shortfuse, pointing a laser cannon at his face.
Breezie's eyes widened. "Wait, what are you doing?!"
"I'm threatening him!"
"No, I thought…you were supposed to be on baby mode!"
"Too bad, I managed to break those Blocker Rings once we got out."
The teal hedgehog stared at his wrists. The rings were gone.
"Who told you you're allowed to do that?!" said Breezie, agitated. "Shard? Did you break him free?"
Shard shrank, his arms close to his sides. "Don't look at me! I didn't hear a single thing!"
"How about I kill that bird instead?" asked Shortfuse, pointing his cannon at the pigeon.
"Yes!" shouted the hostage, his eyes bloodshot. "Fry the bird!"
The pigeon seemed to want to stick around but stayed away from us as possible. It cooed, oblivious to the likely danger from below.
"Absolutely not," said Rosemary, rubbing her face.
"Oh, c'mon!" whined Shortfuse. "First, I can't use my weapons on people and now I'm not allowed to use it on animals?!"
Antoine closed his eyes at the donnybrook before us as an argument took over the celebratory mood. One glance at me and his nose wrinkled in a shamed feeling of awkwardness. The coyote looked more fed-up.
With an eye roll and a grumble, he turned on his heel and headed straight back to the stadium. I glanced back at the crew, who were too busy trying to get the point straight to Shortfuse.
Concerned, I followed after Antoine. The coyote even stopped when his ears flicked up to my footsteps.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"I'm just wondering why you want to return there," I said.
The coyote rubbed his face. "I need a good distraction. The show hasn't even finished yet!"
"...and you're going back to where Ice's blood stains are around?"
"Hey, it's my choice. I'll…" Antoine paused for a moment. "It's just only blood stains. They already dried up on the floor. I'm not gonna lose my mind there again."
I wasn't really sure since the stadium was also the crime scene of his near descent into madness. However, we could still hear music. The party still went on despite the potential bombing. But the threat was already over with Ice gone. Nobody knew and nobody needed to escape. I looked behind, but nobody else came around. Antoine must be really desperate to stay for a while.
"C'mon, kid," said Antoine, tapping his foot impatiently. "Music helps me keep my mind off. And the metal shows are already over. I mean, I saw you enjoying the first few performers, so the next few songs will be more..." He briefly looked up with a thoughtful look. "...peaceful?"
I wouldn't really count 'peaceful' to be the term for the rowdy music concert. But he wasn't wrong that I did enjoy the first few performances. And it didn't take long for me to adjust to the loud noises. Thinking about it, I became aware of how nearly quiet it was compared to inside. It felt dead (no pun intended) in the parking lot. There was more life in the stadium. And soon enough, I missed the colorfulness of the Magma Holiday Break Live Show.
I wanted to go back in.
My tail was already wagging slowly, my eagerness spilling out as a sign. My ruby hummed to me. A whisper that it might not be too bad staying around for a few more songs. The mission was over, of course. And remembering how much it helped save Antoine, I agreed with my ruby.
I swallowed, trying to hype myself up. "Damn. OK. I…I think I like to come along."
The coyote smirked. "Knew that you would be curious."
Getting back into the stadium wasn't too hard since the security guards at the front already recognized us. But Antoine wanted to find a seat out in the open. I had to point out that the grandstands were already filled. Fortunately, we found a nice balcony that offered a closer and direct experience of being part of the crowd.
Though, I thought he told me it was only for V.I.P.
Boy, I wasn't really prepared to be in a more open space. The second we opened the doors to the balconies, there were barely any walls to save me from the blinding lights flashing around from all angles. My face even got hit with the cold breeze despite being already familiar with it. And oh, it turned out to be more louder in this spot.
I briefly covered my ears as I stumbled forward onto the balcony. Eventually, I let my arms drop to my side. The music wasn't too gritty or intense. The crowd seemed to be a bit more chill at the moment. Antoine came from behind, stretching his arms upwards with a sigh of relief.
"What a night…" he uttered. "Only thing missing is some real cuisine here."
A beep from my device. I pulled it out to find a quick text notification from Breezie.
Me and Shard are in the crowd. See if you can find us~!
That was strange, I thought. And quick! Guess that me and Antoine weren't the only ones wanting to return to this festive celebration. I thought of trying to find them but decided to let it go. They should be fine since they must have better experiences in these kinds of concerts. My attention was even drifted away by the crowd growing louder.
I barely recognized the performers on stage. One was on a large table with a set of…buttons and black discs on top? It was a little hard to explain, especially since this person wore a neon blue motorcycle helmet with purple stripes and a multicolor mohawk.
A singer was in front of the massive table with a contrasting outfit. The female human had dyed pink hair in a wavy bob hairstyle, dark skin and wore a white puffer jacket, a white shirt, white jeans and white platform boots. She raised her microphone upwards, embracing the applause from the crowd.
"Yes!" she cheered. "Now, you're feeling good. Aren't you?"
She was met with a loud agreement from the excited audience.
"Already wasted for tonight?"
The audience cheered again. I chuckled. That was an odd sayng. To my surprise, Antoine whooped blankly with his fist in the air.
"Alright!" said the singer, rubbing her hair. "Gonna be burning a few more calories. We're keeping this up until midnight, everyone! So, dance as hard as you can for this next song!"
The audience cheered once again and the background monitor transitioned to a new background. This one showcased a dark room with reflective walls. There was no life or color in this background, left in static.
That was soon to be changed when the helmet guy pressed a button on his table, emitting a deep bass sound.
"You all know it!" shouted the singer. "You've seen it online! Let's do this! DJ Crush Crush, turn it up!"
- Wear My Crown -
Mixing with the growing deep bass, a lighthearted piano sound played by DJ Crush Crush, the helmet guy. Like the song 'Existence', it had a fast pace but with a more carefree and high tone. The background resonated with this feeling, neon stripes appearing on those digital screens. As the singer slowly raised her hands upwards for dramatic flair, a couple of unknown people marched onto the stage.
I didn't really expect more performers to be singing along. None of them seemed to have any microphones with them. They were all dressed differently, not having a speck of white or black. With a confident strut, they got into position from each side of the singer, their eyes hidden behind shiny shades for a cool appearance. This should be interesting.
On initial thought, it felt it wouldn't be deepful art.
The crowd began clapping to the song's rhythm. Now, this was much easier to understand their excitement for this. DJ Crush Crush noticed, clapping along as well. After letting the sweet piano play out for a while, he pressed a couple of buttons on the table and the singer began singing.
"In the neon lights, I find my way,
In the neon lights, I find my way,
In the neon lights, I find my way…"
The singer held on to the last word on a really long note. That sparked a loud cheer from the audience, encouraging her first belting in the song. As synthesizers were added, I noted that her voice was glitching. For a moment, it was normal until it became distorted…in style. I turned to the DJ on stage. His table seemed to be doing this!
"Is that guy's weapon powered by you?" I asked randomly.
My ruby hummed, confirming it wasn't the case.
Antoine shook me by the shoulder, a giddy grin of a child. "Nah, that's a turntable. They're using computers and digital effects to do these things! Popular with kids these days in the techno section."
I raised an eye in intrigue. I must have forgotten that those devices could be instruments themselves. The keyboards I saw from previous bands should have told me, but I guessed it didn't come to mind since I knew what a piano looked like. This felt really new. This resembled the city in a lot of ways.
DJ Crush Crush pressed a button, swaying his arms upwards dramatically. A cinematic drum beat shook the stage, keeping the melodic instrumental at a minimum. At the same time, the dancers got moving, swinging their arms upwards in slow motion.
"The past is a chapter, not my whole book,
Gonna rise, gonna shine, with every look,
Electronic vibes, lifting me high,
I'm dancing to the rhythm of a new sky."
The singer's raspy voice carried a crispy sensation yet never lost touch with the harmonic melody of the song. Once again, I focused on the lyrics, wanting to understand them further. The tone of the singer's voice brought an image of a jaunty yet strong energy.
The piano instrumental returned and finger snapping was included. The dancers then moved around gracefully, snapping their fingers as well. A few of them were either moving up or down. A good number already got close to the singer, circling around her.
"Through the glitches of life, I'll pave my way,
Pixel by pixel, come what may,
The melody of hope, it guides my soul,
With every beat, I'm taking control."
What I didn't expect was the syllable 'trol' to be repeated many times in an autotuned filter. I thought it was coming from the singer, but she was already punching her fist upwards to join her fellow dancers. It was from DJ Crush Crush again. He kept pressing a button on his turntable, raising the pitch of the repeated term. Adding fuel to the fire, a beat was added.
Before long, a new snare layer was included at a climbing pace. My first instinct was to cover my ears, thinking it might reach a crescendo. Antoine was grinning, clapping to the beat. The audience was jumping in an early hype. A huge amount of energy buzzed from those folks, getting ready for something that might feel…spectacular?
My theory came true when the repeated word and intense snares reached a point when there was no sound until the DJ slammed both hands onto the discs. A colossal beat drop burst from the stage and the crowd followed that up with a chant that somehow matched the rhythm. A grand choir of synthesizers, piano notes and rumbling beats took over. Without needing the words, the synthesizers created a unique and addictive melody.
The singer and her dancer were already killing their dance. I don't know how to describe it, but their arm movements suddenly became a helicopter blender. Their footwork was complicated since they were kicking them forwards, backwards and spin-around like they were in a battle. The background's dark look was suddenly filled with bright neon stripes flying through.
My ruby was already beeping to the melody playing. These lighthearted synthesizers sounded similar to video game beeps and boops. A friendly earful of a celebration to a victory of some sort. It was a wave crashing in that would still allow you to swim through it with no worries of anything.
It was cathartic.
I bounced a little on my heels, trying to get into the mood of jumping up and down like the crowd. Antoine wasn't jumping, unfortunately, but he continued clapping. A bright smile over his muzzle, removing any previous fears or triggers from before. His eyes concentrated on the light show with loud music to enjoy.
The singer stopped dancing, but kept moving around slightly to sing without losing breath.
"In the neon lights, I find my way,
A brand new dawn, a brighter day,
The echoes of the past may try to pull me down,
But I'm breaking free, gonna wear my crown."
From what I could sum up, this song was a motivational track. Like the many songs I heard here, this one was also poetic while being bold in its meaning. That being said, I found it hard to close my eyes and think since the upbeat energy got me wanting to feel its speed!
Fortunately, when the following verse came, the instrumental's high melody was dropped and overtaken by a lower-stake instrumental that continued with its thumping beat. The dancers got close to the singer, hitting their hips with their fists. The singer grinned, moving her body around. To my shyness, it was in a…sensual way.
"Let the beats ignite the fire within,
Shedding old skin, letting new life begin,
I'm rewriting the story, a canvas so clear,
No longer defined by doubt and fear."
I tried listening again to understand the lyrics. While nearly lost in enjoying the sound, I used enough willpower to stop hopping around and just listen. These lyrics embodied the positive and happy energy of the audience; an anthem of unity. I was starting to get why there were so many neon colors used in this performance.
The singer sang the chorus again, but the DJ didn't change the instrumental yet. But if anything, it was suitable for this moment in the song since the dancers took the time to spread out on the stage.
"In the neon lights, I find my way,
A brand new dawn, a brighter day,
The echoes of the past may try to pull me down,
But I'm breaking free, gonna wear my crown."
In the last line, high-tone synthesizers were added at a fragmented pace, resembling a shorter version of the beat drop. This time, I could hop and down more enthusiastically, like the audience. The high-tone melody returned, the many layers cementing its victorious tone. A smile grew over my muzzle, enjoying the simplicity of the shared feeling in this stadium.
In the midst of my euphoria, I found the lyrics as a reassurance to the future. It didn't take long for me to see how I resonated with them. How I enjoyed the colorful spotlights, even though I wasn't born under them. How I moved on with my life by coming here. It felt like a brand new day for better adventures.
That must be why the audience jumped around to this track. Guess that must be how people living in the city felt when really young.
"In the neon lights, I find my way,
In the neon lights, I find my way,
In the neon lights, I find my way…"
The audience cheered loudly as the singer belted out the last word once again. I was focused on the high note she held on. A thrill went down my spine, well, a good kind. Nearly emotional as well.
The coyote beside me shared the same sentiment, carrying a wistful smile of satisfaction. A brief worry about if he would be triggered again, but he was enjoying himself. I wished for the song to inspire me to find some way to be free from his bad habits.
The instrumental came to a lower volume where we could only hear the thumping synthesizers and the drums. It still carried a similar beat-drop sensation. The singer marched forward across the middle platform connected to the stage. Her dancers remained behind, taking it slow in their choreography to match the climatic point of the song.
"So here I am, breaking through,
The beat of my heart, forever true.
No longer defined by what's been,
In this electronic symphony, I begin again."
Man, she was singing those words really fast in a half-rap, but I was able to catch them to know the story. And I could feel the beating of my Phantom Ruby prototype pleasantly. A contrast to my view from before. A literal breakthrough from the past with open arms to the present.
"So here I am, breaking through,
The beat of my heart, forever true.
No longer defined by what's been,
In this electronic symphony, I begin again."
The high-tone synthesizers returned at a fragmented pace, kicking off the beat drop again. And right on time when the singer got to the very middle of the stadium and jumped upwards. DJ Crush Crush mirrored her movement while flicking a switch. At the same time, an array of fireworks went off from the stadium's top. Bursts of green and purple flashed in the sky, reflecting the unrestrained glee from everyone.
"In the neon lights, I find my way,
A brand new dawn, a brighter day,
The echoes of the past may try to pull me down,
But I'm breaking free, gonna wear my crown."
The music slowly ended with a final loud drum thump and the piano instrumental playing once again. I was unable to halt jumping, much like the excited audience. Even as the outro was soft, I was grinning widely, wanting more from this.
"In the neon lights, I find my way,
In the neon lights, I find my way."
The song might be ending, yet the audience's enormous roar kept the night longer than on a usual day.
"In the neon lights, I find my way…"
AN: Confession, the pesky pigeon returning is for two reasons: 1) I was looking for a way to get it back into the story, so I ended up literally pigeonholing it to making an interference to Team Blood before they could consider going. 2) The original scene was Shortfuse just breaking his Blocker Rings and turning their hostage into mush, but I feel that the running gag is nearly at its peak, so I decided to cut that out for now. They already gutted Ice, so enough blood for today.
The illusionary world Obsidian took Antoine and himself into was actually an imaginary vision I once included for the scrapped draft for the Forces United sequel! Originally, this 'sunset ocean world' would be through Molly's imagination with her going to have powers.
As you can guess, that scrapped draft won't see the light of day and Molly doesn't have powers here. However, I decided to include the imaginary world back here to allow Antoine a space to think away from the established chaos. Even if it's illusionary as Obsidian suddenly acting calm at the start.
I did want to tell more of Antoine's past here, but I decided not to for narrative purposes, especially since Antoine is older than Obsidian in terms of mentality. It feels like a waste, but necessary to deliver the emotional moment and distinctive personalities. It may come back to light, but the imagination is up to you to decide exactly what his former mercenary squad and family was. It's a lot scarier if there's no truth revealed.
The second original song written for the story is created by Assassin's Creed Master! The song titled 'Wear My Crown' is an upbeat, electronic song with some inspiration from past Sonic songs, mainly how the lyrics are written. However, I ended up arranging the verses in certain positions. Assassin's Creed Master wanted to create an uplifting message reflecting Obsidian's adapting to the city after leaving behind his past.
For some reason, I imagined the song taking instrumental inspiration from 'Infinity and Beyond' by Emi Jones feat. Silva Hound, 'I'm Good (Blue)' by David Guetta feat. Bebe Rexha and 'Baby Don't Hurt Me' by David Guetta feat. Anne-Marie and Coi Leray. Coincidentally, I had Anne-Marie and Bebe Rexha in mind when creating the look for the female singer. For the helmeted DJ, consider it a reference to the 'Animals' coaches from Just Dance 2016 and his name is a reference to Cash Cash!
Once again, thank you Assassin's Creed Master for writing this song! Make sure to check out his stories as well!
Now, the question remains: what's next? I still have a plan and will be trying to touch back on concepts and arcs that I hinted at in the first half of the story (looking at you, Agent Stone). As mentioned in the last chapter, I'll be in a long hiatus since I have been preparing for an upcoming story. Though, it seems that the circus card has something and this one will probably be one of the funniest arcs guaranteed!
Thank you for reading this chapter! We'll be heading straight to the next chapter since this will be when everything settles down. If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite. Prepare for more updates to come! Make sure to leave a review with your overall thoughts. Constructive criticism is needed for improvements, but if any flames, then you'll end up being the fool.
Until next time, keep on rocking!