Chương 229

"Motokoooo!" I was nearly attacked from behind as Hiromi charged up to the bar and against me.

"Hey Hiromi."

"Are you ready? Are you feeling sick? I brought a towel I could go wet down and-""I'm fine!" I laughed at her mother henning, as I looked around her and waved at Ichi who had followed her in.

"Motoko. How goes?"

"I'm fine!" I responded huffing a bit, he was looking worried for me too!

"Okay so Rebecca said she's coming, and Malcolm is outside of course."

"His car again?"

"Yes." Hiromi said, rolling her eyes.

"He's going to get his car klepped."

"Hopefully not. Chasing down car thieves is a lot of work."

"Profitable!" Hiromi argued, poking me, looking pleased.

"That too."

"And, there is Jared." Klein called out and I looked up to see the Bass player walk up. Jared, like Klein, had a very Rockerboy inspired outfit. Where Klein went for lighted clothing, Jared showed off his body. No shirt, open jacket, Plastic abs, and chrome glowing up and down his chest.

"So do you turn the lights off most of the time?" I couldn't help but ask, as I remember he had glowed in our last gig too, but I didn't see it otherwise.

"Sup Motoko. Yeah the lights get annoying trying to chill out. I look down and end up half blinding myself. Need to get anti-Dazzle on my optics. But I just turn them off when I'm not on stage." I just nodded, but couldn't help but notice his muscles he showed off were all fake, and he wasn't the buff guy that his clothes showed when he wasn't dressed up for it. Might need to start exercising my Rockerboys too at this rate. Why was everyone so lazy in Night City? Oh right, exercise sucked. Yeah fair.

We all settled in, the other band was still on stage, and playing as loud as they could, but, the audience was mostly just drinking rather than listening. Sorry guys. Finally Alice came in, carrying her gear and joined us nodding at Jared and Klein, giving me an up and down, and then looking at Hiromi.

"Everything good?" She asked Hiromi a moment later.

"Everything good." Hiromi confirmed with a shark-like smile.

"Great. We need to go all out tonight then." She said, looking over the rest of us.

"Why what's up?" Jared asked, looking away from the bartender as he turned back to the group.

"There's a producer here. We go just before the band he's looking into. If we do well we can steal the hype, and interest." Alice offered smiling evilly, Hiromi's own smile matching.

"Wait… Did you plan this?"

"Of course! I was looking into things, and got a bit of a tip off that this producer was looking into a band. So I checked on when they would next play, and set up our set before them." Hiromi said her head practically tilted back as she spoke as her ego grew larger and larger. I felt like if I poked her head, she'd pop with how inflated she was. Oh well. Hiromi was cute when her little plots worked out.

"We'll play the best we can and see what happens. No stress." I decided to say looking at everyone. But the others were definitely looking stressed, but not in a bad way. Jared's face shifted into a serious look, and Klein, who had already known about the producer from Dino, nodded with his buddy. Well I guess I was outvoted.

"Well if Faint doesn't catch their attention. I don't know what will." I offered and Alice smirked evilly.

"Exactly."

"We got this. Hell yeah." Jared whispered, pumping himself up. I just wanted to sigh, but it's okay. Hopefully everyone just had some fun. I shook off my thoughts and focused as the other band finally seemed to be wrapping up. A few minutes later they headed off stage taking off their equipment, and Dino pointed at us, while the music of a radio kicked on to cover the wait. We all got to work, taking stuff up to the stage, then heading outside to grab drum sets, and other equipment. Ichi and Malcolm helped out.

Malcolm pulling himself away from a much older woman who'd been a little too interested in him, but we got everything set up and we were ready to get started. We all did a check, making sure everything was good, and a nod at Dino was all we needed to get the music to stop. Then… I realized I needed to talk. My throat clenched, but I opened my mouth anyway.

"Hello! We're Stand Alone Complex, and we're going to start with Smells like Teen Spirit!" I instantly started the power chords to the start of the song. Letting my hands soar over the strings as the song began, and brought the others into my momentum.

"Load up on guns, bring your friends." I sang, my voice husky, crooning into the mic, but I needed more than that. This was important to the band. My fingers danced, my voice boomed over the crowd, and more and more of them were looking up. Their eyes caught mine, and when they did, I dragged them into my rhythm too. Playing, singing. Those were only a part of what being a Rockerboy meant. I flashed, smiles, winked, moved around, and let the energy of the song flow from not just the music but my performance.

"Ooh well, whatever, nevermind." I crooned, rolling my eyes visibly, letting that teenage angst flow through me. And the crowd was liking it. I played around when Jared flubbed a chord, making it seem normal. I altered the rhythm when Alice needed, or as Klein got into his drum solo, I didn't just repeat a song verbatim. I played the song along with a band. And at the end, I shifted to Alice, and she figured out what I wanted, and we both dueted the last loong line.

"A Deniiiiial!" Her voice would have ruined it solo, but the electronic quality of her singing voice worked with me dueting against it. I stepped back as the song ended, and Alice was absolutely thrilled. I could see the way her eyes lit up as the crowd reacted, plenty of stomping feet, and whistles and shouts.

"Oh you liked that? We'll I think you lot will like this one even more. Come with me and RISE!" I turned and the sound played out, as the electronic part of the song went over, and everyone took their positions. We played through RISE, and as expected, the song was well liked, the crowd was getting into it, I could see people scanning me, wanting to find out who it was, but that was fine. Hiromi was actively walking through the crowd passing out shards of some sort. I didn't want to know. So I wasn't going to ask.

But I needed to be more than just someone playing a song. This was a gig, a stage show. I roared as I roamed the stage, I got the crowd sticking their fist up when I yelled Rise, the crowd roaring along with me as they fell under the spell of a good song. And then it was time for something new. As Rise ended I checked on the band and they were definitely into it. Jared was playing up the crowd, his Bass guitar's strumming drawing the eye of some of the women in the crowd.

Klein though was already sweating, but in a good way. He was absolutely in the groove. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Good. I nodded to Alice and she nodded back. Time for the big reveal.

"Stand Alone Complex is showing off something new this time! I'd like everyone to enjoy, because I know you're all just, Heathens!" I shouted out, and then the stage went silent for a moment. I was smiling because I wasn't playing an instrument this time. My guitar was on a stand, and instead a guitar case was next to my feet.

"All my friends are Heathens, take it slow." I crooned, capturing the audience as the music came out. Whether because no one had heard this before, or because people liked it, they listened as the melody started, the quiet lyrics, the faint sound of something wrong slowly getting louder. And while I sang I moved along the stage, I kneeled down, sang to the small dance floor in front of the stage getting them in close, letting them think everything was normal. Then it was time.

"But after all I've saaaaid!" And I kicked out, Mic slipped back into the stand, just as the case popped open, and yes I may have practiced this a few times while we tested things for this song. My Carnage, the Shotgun flipped up and into my arms.

"Please don't forget!" I cocked the Carnage, the grinding metal ran right through the mic, and everyone flinched, the people rocking out the chillers, the producer at the bar, even Dino who had been head bobbing to the song flinched. The rest of the band took over. Alice's voice was perfect to sing the heavily electronic bits, I reached out for the flying shotgun shell, grabbed it and in one movement underhanded it right towards one of the people closest to the stage.

The guy reacted snagging it out of the air and then looked down at the very life shotgun shell he now held.

"Watch it!" The distorted voice of Jared echoed out as I cocked the Carnage again. The second shell flew out and I threw it again. Again it was caught, and the crowd was reacting. This section of the song was the fastest, the hardest pace, everything had been brought up to this point, and the appearance of a shotgun, cocking over the room had only added to the theater of it all. I went back to the mic as the section ended and waved behind me with the shotgun in one hand.

"All my friends are Heathens, take it slooow." Klein got his moment a few lyrics later, slamming the drums as the song picked back up again. Alice singing into the mic, her electronic throat working perfectly for this section, while I hyped the crowd,"WATCH IT!" Jared roared, and I once again cocked the shotgun, another shell racing across the crowd as hands were rising up for it now. Cries were heard. Then again, I was playing it up. The crowd was loving it.

Rebecca I noticed was cackling like a maniac from the bar, her legs waving in the air. Rebecca's leg thing was so funny, but I didn't have time to process it. The end was coming! The last crescendo, the last shell thrown out, and I turned back to the mic.

"I tried to warn you just to stay away." I crooned, as the song mellowed down.

"And now they're outside ready to bust." I teased them moving like I was going to cock the shotgun again.

"It looks like you might be one of us." I crooned out the last line and then flipped the Carnage, sending it spiraling forward. Right into the arms of one of the Girls I'd had my eye on the whole time. I'd played her up. Singing to her at the start. Then threw the shells around her, but never at her, despite my eye grabbing hers and drawing her in. Then the heavy carnage landed in her shocked arms, as I sang right to her. That she had been the one the song was about all along.

Instant quiet as the lights cut off, and the band were silent, giving the room that moment of shock to breathe. I stepped back without a word, as the girl, her eyeliner glowing, looking around, everyone looking back at her, with massive whiplash, as I simply sauntered away pulling on my Guitar, the lights still out. I got back to my position, and just ignored the girl who was calling out about the Carnage wondering what to do with it.

"This Ffffire!" I roared, the lights came back on, and Klein started the cymbals, as I joined him moments later with the guitar. And soon everyone forgot all about it. Carnage Girl was soon shouting one hand raised up in the air while the Shotgun was wrapped in her other arm. There was no longer any question about whether the audience was into it. Once the beat and song got started, I had the crowd yelling out the chorus back at me and hyping everyone up.

By the time the song ended, I was feeling it, and of course Hiromi was there tossing up a water bottle for me, and the towel for some reason? I chugged the water as I ran the towel over my head, cooling off a bit and then tossing both to the side.

"The Pretender." I spoke almost soothingly as I introduced the next song. We had this down. There was no hesitation, as the band played, there was too much energy. Klein was hammering the drums, as I kept the lead guitar, just tearing through the song as I roared.

"What if I say, I'm not like the others!" I roared out over the crowd, noticing that even Dino was fully into it behind the bar. He was bouncing, along with the roaring vocals. So I went even harder.

"Yeah who, are you!?" I roared, putting as much energy into it as I could, and in turn the crowd ate it up. The song ended and I backed away from the mic breathing a bit heavily just because of how much I'd been roaring. I checked on everyone and nodded. Yeah. Everyone was good.

"We got another new song for you tonight." I said almost coyly into the mic.

"Do you think you're ready for it?" I asked, and held out the mic.""Yeah!"""Yeah you sound ready." I repeated back smiling as I looked over the crowd.

"But you aren't." I added almost sinister, as I turned and flipped on the music box.

"This is Faint." I whispered, as the sound began. The electronic intro wailed, giving me a few moments, before the song blew up. A power chord and then Klein slammed into the drums full bore, and the energy that had been spiking up from The Pretender instantly returned. Alice stepped up, as I stepped back, hammering the guitar as she opened up, covering Mike Shinoda's vocal parts. I could have done both, but this was perfect for her her electronic vocals fitting the Cyberpunk era.

We shared Guitar as well, letting me really hammer away while she was rapping, and then when it came to my Chester solo's I could give it my all. The vocals were the heart and soul, messing them up was not allowed. Plus, no one else had ever heard Chesters screams in this world. I was the only person alive to know what it sounded like. My love of Nirvana was a childhood sound, but my love for Linkin Park was all my teen angst, and I was going to let it all out. Alice was loving it.

All the eyes were on her, as she rapped.

"But I'll be here, 'cause you're all that I got!" Alice called out, and I could hear the joy in her voice as she was able to rap this part of the song without her vocal issues.

"I CAN'T FEEEEEL THE WAY I DID BEFORE!" I let it all out. My voice crashed down on the crowd the sudden change, something they couldn't have expected practically causing the mob of bouncing faces to stutter.

"Don't turn your back on me, I WON'T BE IGNORED!" I dropped down to crowd height and roared and the crowd reacted. Carnage girl screamed right along with me. Yeah I thought she had a bit of Heathen in her. Alice jumped in, more energetic than I've ever seen her taking on the rap sections and blazing, throwing all her energy into it, and that energy was magnetic. Switching in and out, Alice and I played through the crowd.

"I WON'T BE IGNORED! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I belted it out, anger frustration and everything tearing out of my vocal cords splashing across the crowd.

"Hear me out now! You're gonna listen to me, like it or not, RIGHT NOW! HEAR ME OUT NOW!" There was howling in turn, the crowd roared back, the walls felt too small, and I knew that this was a song meant for larger crowds, and someday it'd get it.

"Don't turn your back on me! I won't be ignored!" And the sound stopped. Everyone was breathing heavily as I looked over the band, and the crowd was screaming. Linkin Park was my favorite band after all. I smiled and laughed, my throat was okay, I knew exactly how to scream my heart out without messing with my voice, but I still felt voiceless as the noise of the shouting crowd just didn't let up. I held up the mic and the crowd screamed louder. Huh.

—-- Eventually we managed to get everything to calm down, but there was no doubt that Faint was a new favorite for a lot of the crowd. Hiromi, Malcolm, and Ichi I noticed were going through the crowd selling shards. No doubt Hiromi had dragged them into it, and where before the little bar had seemed more of a place to hang out and drink, now it felt like an actual concert. There was an energy to the room.

And Carnage Girl was standing right up at the front, in her neon glowing eyeliner, and glowing fishnet stockings clutching the old Shotgun like she was the winner at life. I was flattered honestly. We'd obviously been given a flag to play more, but I shook my head. Let you Down would not be the right song to play right now. Definitely not, and we'd already dropped two new songs tonight. I'd just brought up the energy to an insane level. Let You Down would do just that, let the crowd down after that level of energy.

Besides… It was the next bands problem now. We started breaking things down, and eventually the Bouncer had to step up, the massive black man standing in the way of the crowd to give us a way off the stage and let us start taking our equipment off stage so the next band could get up there. I felt bad. We mostly ran in circuits throwing things into the back of Alice's little Mahir Supron, throwing things inside, and then rushing back to get the rest.

Malcolm thankfully joined us, keeping an eye out so no one klepped anything, and we managed to secure all the equipment off the stage without more than a few grasping hands.

"Hey." Alice called out to me as she slammed the back of her van closed and looked at me.

"That…"

"That was awesome." I decided to say. Sure I felt like I wanted to puke, but with getting the equipment off the stage there hadn't been time for it to hit me yet. I was riding that wave that would eventually lead me straight into a freakout, but for now I was good.

"You did perfect. You hit the lyrics perfectly."

"I-Thanks, you really went all out. Holy hell." Alice whispered, running a hand through her sweaty hair.

"That song means a lot to me." Was all I could really say and she nodded.

"I felt it." She agreed, a fire in her eyes as she looked at me.

"Everyones going to hear about that song after this!" She wiggled, pumping her arms, unable to keep the energy in.

"I'd like to think so." A new voice cut in and we looked over at the man that approached us. He was getting looks from everyone, but the fact Dino was walking with him, meant the Bouncer didn't intrude.

"Charles Davis, CCT Records." He pulled out a business card and offered it to me, but before I had to do anything Hiromi popped up beside me.

"Hiromi Mitsunashi, Manager of Stand Alone Complex." Hiromi offered, pulling out her own card and offering it to the man. He only took a second to change tracks and smiled at Hiromi.

"A pleasure. An indie band with a good Manager only makes them more valuable." He offered and Hiromi smiled at the flattery, but she looked like a shark.

"Ah, Mr. Davis… The reason you are speaking to us, is it because you're interested in signing our band?" Alice cut in, getting to the heart of the matter, and I noticed Hiromi glance at her, but she didn't tell Alice to be quiet.

"CCT would be interested in discussing the possibility. I can't deny that it's rare to see an unknown band bring that much energy into such a small stage." Alice I noticed was practically buzzing, but I noticed Dino was side-eyeing me and I jerked my head to the side and he nodded. I broke off as Hiromi started grilling-I mean discussing things with Charles Dino and I walked around a bit around the back of the building getting some quiet from all the talking.

"Before we get into the bizz kid, let me say. Hell of a show. I was halfway to ducking under the bar when you flipped up that Carnage. Turning the thing into an instrument? Rockerboy as hell. I dig it."

"Thanks." I couldn't help but smile a bit at his words.

"The cocking sound was always part of the song, but for the live performance, I figured I might as well integrate it a bit into the show."

"Heh, it fucking worked. Those kids going home with a round are going to remember that shit for a long time. Preem shit." He looked around after that checking on things.

"But I wanted to talk to you about biz. Got a gig, something difficult, need it done clean, no one sees, and no flatlines."

"Stealth Op?"

"Yeah, need something picked up and replaced. Just a shard, nothing big. Gotta be done within the next few days, and I hear you're the girl to reach out to if you need something done sneaky. You interested?" I shot him a message, with my contact information.

"I can't promise, but if you throw me the deets, I can confirm I'm able to do the gig, and we can hash out the details."

"Heh, not confident you can do it?"

"I'm capable of a lot of things, but I'm not perfect. I can't tell you if I can do it without the info."

"Fair enough. Alright. I'll forward some data, and we'll talk." I nodded, turning to look as he walked away to see Hiromi and Charles speaking hurriedly about all sorts of things. Seemed serious, but that was a worry for another time. I was tired and still felt like my stomach was going to decide to rebel. I wanted a quiet drive away from everything.