The sun hadn't fully risen yet and Monster Mash was already moving.
After an hour of driving down a tree-lined highway to get to the wealthiest city in Transylv Island, nervousness hadn't subsided, but the six members of Monster Mash got out of their respective cars and entered the studio wearing their most convincing masks of confidence.
Everett had driven with Laska, and she had been assigned to a dressing room that the six boys were supposed to share.
There was still a lot to do and nothing ready for the show.
The place was huge. Two aisles between the seats formed a triangle towards the diamond-shaped stage, and from there, it looked like it extended out into space. It was all lit up with a thousand fairy lights creating an almost ghostly scene.
"Remember guys," Zeth whispered as he walked down an aisle followed by his boys, "No matter what, we'll just pretend to rehearse and stick to the plan when the show begins, got it?"
All the boys murmured yes.
"Glad you are here," Anton said, standing on the edge of the stage. Behind him, Deadgar, Damon, Boomer and Kato looked at them with angry, careless, worried and happy faces. The voice of this damn boy echoed in the empty place. "You know? Boomer just brought up a documentary he watched about Neanderthals and I just thought of you!"
"I didn't say anything," Boomer said.
"You were actually telling us about your cassette collection, Anton," Kato said.
"Why are you lying, Anton?" Deadgar asked.
"This is stupid. You're all stupid." Damon said.
"Wow! You all threw me under the bus," Anton rolled his eyes.
"I didn't. I just said you're stupid," Damon said again.
Standing in the left aisle, the Monster Mash members glared at their rivals. They did not care how nice these kids looked in tailored suits; they just wanted to kick their collective asses.
"We finally meet, Anton," Zeth spoke up. And oh! How he wished he had a dragon right now, a dragon like his ancestors, so he could put an end to all of this, but burning people alive with dragon fire wasn't legal now.
And he did not have a dragon.
"We're here to rehearse," Zeth said, "So get off the stage."
"You won't give me orders," Anton said defiantly. "You are all a bunch of apes, I am a homosapiens. A man does not kneel before beasts."
"Stop salting our intelligence," Everett growled.
"You meant insulting, Big Guy," Finn said, face-palming.
"Well, I'm not asking you to get off the stage, I'm ordering you," Zeth raised his voice, "Get down from there, or I'll make you," and his eyes flashed in a golden colour.
"That's how you deal with a stuck-up brat," Alex whispered.
"W-We haven't started rehearsing either," Anton gulped, "I don't m-mean to be rude, M-Mr. Rahman, but..."
"I was hoping you'd show up," said a voice that Zeth and Draco immediately recognised.
A crimson-haired man (Although already almost bald) in a black tailored suit was sitting in one of the armchairs. They used to call him 'Death Head' in college, and now that he was older, his eyes were sunken but still glowed yellow so he definitely looked like a slender skeleton in fancy clothes.
"Faltom Operman," Zeth crossed his arms, "Long time no see. I still wonder if you eliminated Monster Boys and Super Mash out of spite or if it was because of our blinding talent."
"You weren't lacking in talent, Zeth," Faltom stood up, limping slightly as he walked closer, "My wife and I don't hold any grudges against you. But we didn't want monsters in the spotlight for security reasons."
"Thank you for worrying," Zeth nodded, "Well, what do we do, Faltom? It's your stage, you're the boss. Not your son."
"You said it," Faltom said, pointing at the stage, "I would love to see you perform together and I think it would be good publicity for both bands."
"I'm not going to sing with those Neanderthals!" Anton exclaimed. What a way to talk to his father!
"But this was your idea," Faltom said.
"It wasn't your best idea, Anton," Boomer said.
"But it was Rubinstein's idea!" Anton shouted.
"I think this was a great idea, Rubinstein," Faltom told Frank.
"Thank you, Mr. Operman."
"But it was my idea!" Anton shouted.
"Anton, wow!" Deadgar rolled his eyes, "I'll never forgive you for this."
"Next time you should ask for our opinions," Kato said.
"Because of you I'm having trust issues now," Boomer said and Kato gave him a light hug.
"But I..."
"Shut up, Anton," Deadgar said, "You never let anyone speak. You are so selfish!"
"But I didn't say anything!"
"You've said enough," Faltom hushed his son.
There was an awkward silence afterwards.
"Karma alert," Damon said.
"Okay, let's ignore my son's negativity," Faltom replied, "I think it would be nice if my boys opened the show, then Monster Mash sing their song and we finish with everyone singing the end of my boys' song. What do you all think?"
"Sounds good to me," Deadgar nodded, but Anton turned to look at him over his shoulder with angry eyes.
"All this was unforeseen so we must hurry." Faltom put a hand on Draco's shoulder, "Please, Monster Mash, choose your song soon so I can finish the remix."
"We have no doubt which song we will sing," Zeth looked at his companions, and they all nodded.
"I've Seen The Darkness," they all said in unison.
"Oh! Ah! Okay! It's a hard song to sing, lots of high notes," Faltom said as he turned to see his son and his friends. "Remember, Anton, there is a difference between singing and yelling. I want you to sing 'Phantom' with your friends as best as you can to live up to your rivals' song, understood?"
"Yes, sir," he saluted.
Faltom waved a dismissive hand.
"Let me know if you need anything. I need to get back to work. I'll have your song mixed with my son's in half an hour so you can rehearse."
And just like that, he left.
Both bands took a few deep breaths.
Anton and his bandmates had been under pressure for months, and this would be another stone in the shoe that they had to face. They needed to find their place in the music industry. But this sudden decision had taken them by surprise. No, it wasn't a surprise. That was exactly what they needed to get rid of Monster Mash. This was a new world, and it was entirely unexpected.
Anton was very strict with his partners, and he was pretty sure none of them, not even Kato, liked him, but this business wasn't about friendships, it was about survival. Their professional lives depended on this success. And they would be damned if they failed.
"How will Faltom get the song ready so quickly?" Finn asked.
"My father is a descendant of House O'Pry of New Shacklesack," Anton explained, "A kind of spectre capable of creating music with his hands, like Ariana Grande's gloves, but without the gloves. But you already knew that, didn't you?"
"Araña Grande is just as talented as Ariana," Everett said. "But she's not famous among humans because she has six arms."
"I don't want to be a know-it-all," Zeth said, making Anton grumble, "But you're wrong. House Operman were not inhabitants of New Shacklesack, they were pure-blooded phantoms of Old Shacklesack, specifically? From Epollo's Artistic Village."
"Who's the ignorant ape now?" Alex chuckled.
"That means I'm more special than I thought," Anton laughed, "My family comes from the place where art was born."
"Yes, but that doesn't make you pureblood," Zeth replied, "You're an Operman on your father's side only. And there will never be any more pureblood Opermans because, unfortunately, Epollo's Artistic Village is under boiling waters nowadays because of the Cataclysm."
"Whatever! We'll start the show with Fifth Octave on stage, and I'll whistle for you guys to come up from behind," Anton said.
"Do you think we are dogs?" Alex growled.
"You are," Anton said with a maniacal laugh. Kato nudged him, and Finn guessed that maybe this pair didn't get along very well because Anton nudged back and it wasn't friendly.
"When 'Phantom' starts, you guys go to the back, and you won't sing anything. It's our song and ours alone, got it?" Anton said, pointing to the back of the stage. "You'll make shocked faces when you see us dance, and clap for us... On your knees."
"What if everyone sings a part of the rival band?" Kato asked, smiling, "That would be fun!"
"In that case," Zeth spoke up, "Draco will sing Kato's part, and Frank will sing Deadgar's. I think Everett and Boomer have similar voices so they could trade some of each other's parts. And what if Damon and Alex also trade? Your song is not very complicated, the highest note is Boomer's B4 if I'm not mistaken?" Zeth asked Anton, who nodded with an eye roll.
"Have you heard the song yet, boss?" Alex asked.
"I asked my chauffeur to put the song on loop on the way here while I took care of a thousand and one pending tasks. I already know the lyrics. " Zeth replied, "I did find it odd, however, that I only heard five voices, not six, and one of them sounded very familiar. Specifically? It sounded like Paul's voice."
"Shut up! And pay attention because I will choose who will sing what," Anton clapped once and rubbed his hands together. "We'll sing your parts and ours and you'll just join us in singing the choruses, got it?"
"I don't think so." Zeth replied, "None of you have the voice or technique to sing our song. No offense, but let's be realistic."
"I think Mr. Rahman is right," Damon said, "Anton, I think you should be more like him. I mean you should be more realistic and stop being a fucking crybaby."
"Well," Anton replied, "I guess we'll listen to the man who doesn't pay your wages, Damon."
"If we're done with whatever this is, let's get to work." Zeth said, rubbing his hands together, "Let's talk about our positions on the stage. We can do this based on our heights. I propose that Kato and Draco be at the front because they are the shortest. Deadgar and I centre stage with Finn and Anton flanking us. Behind us will be Everett, Boomer and Frank, being the tallest and most robust members of our respective bands. And flanking those three will be Alex and Damon. That way we will all be visible to the cameras."
"Well, then I want to know where Rubinstein will stand to stand on the opposite side," Deadgar said, looking straight at Frank who was checking his phone with a worried look on his face, "Rubinstein! I am talking to you!"
"Frank," Draco nudged his friend, who was typing furiously, "They're talking to you."
"Oh! I'm sorry... What are we talking about?" Frank asked, putting away his phone.
"We're talking about positions," Alex said, rolling his eyes.
"Positions? Isn't that a little personal?" Frank asked, looking at Zeth.
"I don't see any problem with us talking about it, Frank," Zeth crossed his arms, "In fact, I think it's crucial to talk about it."
"And who came up with this brilliant idea?" Frank raised an eyebrow.
"Zeth," Finn replied.
"Oh! Ah! Okay. Well, Zeth always has a good reason for everything he does so... I guess this is a trust exercise or something?" Frank cleared his throat and blushed, "Well I... Ummm... I like... Oh Jesus... I like doggy."
And then there was a long, long awkward silence.
"WHAT?!" Draco started laughing, doubling over, "Oh God! Frank! We're not talking about that!"
"Stage positions, Frank! Stage positions!" Zeth shouted, throwing his hands into the air.
"Oh! I... I'm sorry I... I didn't understand the question, I was setting up a romantic date for Evie at the Hallow Inn after the show and you caught me off guard," Frank didn't know where to hide his head, "Ummm, behind everyone on the right side of Everett, that's always my spot. God, this is so embarrassing."
"Okay," Deadgar said, "I'll be on the left side then."
"Frank," Zeth said with a commanding tone, "I don't want to see that phone in your hands again. We're working."
"Yeah, sorry," Frank pursed his lips.
"I was expecting more professionalism from Monster Mash to be honest," a female voice approached to the beat of stiletto heels. Everyone turned to see the six-foot-one woman with perfectly coiffed red hair and a tailored suit. "Nice to see you again, Zeth and Draco."
"Cadence," Zeth nodded, "You look elegant."
"And you and Draco look exactly the same as years ago," Cadence replied with a graceful smile.
"We really do," Draco flexed a bicep. "Anyway! How have you been?"
"Great, actually," Cadence replied, looking around at everyone. "Just great."
There was an intense silence.
Nobody knew what to say next, nobody knew where to look.
"I assumed my son would act like a total crybaby, and knowing that Zeth is a control freak, I will decide who will sing what." Cadence said, breaking the silence. She smiled politely and turned to look at her son.
"I want to..." Anton spoke, but Cadence raised a hand.
"Anton, be a good son and let mommy talk, okay?" Cadence patted him on the shoulder. "I admit it was a good move to choose 'I've Seen The Darkness' if you know what I mean," Cadence stared at Monster Mash with half-shut eyes.
"We don't know what you mean, ma'am," Alex replied, crossing his arms and cocking his head.
"The key is C Major like most of your songs, the lowest note is Everett's E2 and the highest is Finn's D6 and the most frequent note is D5 which you and your friends belt during the choruses. It is impossible to sing for amateurs. You are cheating." Cadence giggled sarcastically. "I suppose you want to test my son and his companions."
"You guessed right," Zeth said, immovable and imperturbable as always. "I don't think it's a problem for your boy."
"How about I sing your part, Methuselah?" Anton dared with a raised eyebrow.
"Do not underestimate Zeth's parts," Draco immediately had flashbacks, "Learn from my mistake. It's not the note, but the power that Zeth gives it that's difficult."
Anton must have been very brave or very stupid.
"Zeth is the kind of man who can sing Adam Lambert and come out of it smelling like roses, son. Your voice isn't good for that. I think it's better for each group to sing their respective songs, okay?" Cadence said with her hand up. "I don't want us to make fools of ourselves at your first live performance."
"Please! As if shouting were that hard," Anton said, crossing his arms, "Any idiot could sing what these apes shout."
"Then do it," Cadence told her son, surprising everyone, "Sing one of their songs."
"Fine! I will sing 'I'm Just a Clown' because it suits me," Anton said.
"I agree, you're clown," Everett said.
"Will you shut up?" Anton fumed, "I'm just saying that I like pop-punk and rock, that's why I say that the song suits me. If you guys sang that kind of music, I might consider trying to pretend I half-like your music."
"Monster Mash Reva-aaamped," Zeth said to Alex and Draco in an 'I told you so' voice and they both nodded with a groan.
"Now, I'll sing," Anton said, clearing his throat... "I'm just a clown and what I want is to haunt your dreeeeeeams! I'm a crazy freak! Laugh at meeeeee! Screeeeeeam! I'm causing trauma with my smile and my twisted schemes! You think I'm wicked but I'm so sick! Sick!"
"Why does your voice sound so different live than on the radio, Anton?" Zeth asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because he didn't sing. He just shouted," Cadence said, looking down at her son, "You embarrass me, Anton."
"Don't be so cruel, Cadence," Zeth said, "Now I see your son is quite the jerk because he has mommy issues, no pun intended."
"I think he did pretty good," Finn said.
"Whose side are you on, Finn?" Draco asked.
"I'm surprised you know a song of ours, Anus Openhole," Alex said with a smirk.
"My sister was a Masher until she got her heart broken by you and your friends, bag of steroids," Anton replied, "And I only know the song because I liked Terrifrighter 2, it's an iconic movie, ruined by the soundtrack that you apes are a part of."
"But you sang it thinking that the melody was a slight suggestion." Said Draco with a pout. "It's supposed to sound like the circus theme. I tried very hard to make the lyrics fit that song... It goes like this." Draco cleared his throat and began to sing, "Black and white, is all my circus, Baby. I've become a piece of... Whoopsie-daisy!" He smiled, blinking rapidly, "See? Circus theme!"
"It's not called 'circus theme' you illiterate dwarf! It is called 'Entry of the Gladiators' damn it!" Anton rebutted, turning red.
"Anton! Enough!" Cadence yelled, "You embarrass me as a mother! You make me look bad! This is not how I raised you!"
"Whatever!" Anton pouted like a little boy. "But I want to prove that I have the voice of an angel."
"And you have limits too, you and your friends," Cadence looked over her shoulder at Fifth Octave. "You will sing your song and Monster Mash will sing theirs, period."
"I can sing Frank's parts," Deadgar said. "Or at least some of them."
"We won't take any chances" Cadence said, looking down at Deadgar. "We'll do as I say, you understand?"
"I do, ma'am," Deadgar nodded.
"Excuse me, ma'am, but I would like to prove my worth on stage," Kato said quite adorably, "With some effort I may be able to hit Finn's high note. Please, listen." He crossed himself and then sang, "Now I feel like a... Mo-oh-Oh-OH-ONSTER! RAAwr! Argh!" Kato tried, but it sounded like a scream that cracked. He couldn't do it, his voice had disappeared in an attempt to get past the fifth octave. Kato held his throat as if it hurt, and then he started coughing miserably.
"Yeah. You fell short. And it was more falsetto than belting. Okay?" Cadence said with a passive-aggressive laugh.
"Hey Cadence," Zeth spoke, "Even when the guy didn't hit Finn's notes, he's definitely a very talented singer. Sounds like Logan Henderson from BTR, a bit louder actually. I think Draco's parts would suit you better, Kato."
"But I would like to push my limits and sing Finn's part," Kato said.
"No, no. Zeth is right." Said Cadence, "Your voice doesn't compare to Finn's. You're a stool, he's a throne, okay?"
"But..."
"Finn sings his part and that's it, okay?" And Cadence laughed passive-aggressively again.
"Fine, I guess. My throat hurts," Kato said.
"Oh! OH! Try some propolis," Draco said with a cute smile, "It helps me when singing like Finn hurts your throat."
"This is ridiculous," Deadgar said, "I wouldn't share the stage with these guys if my life depended on it."
"You've changed, Deadgar," Frank shook his head with a disappointed face.
"You always ruined our harmonies, Frank," Deadgar replied. "I hold a grudge because it's your fault we were kicked out of this competition!"
"Yeah, right," Alex grumbled, "I think you're forgetting that you're in a band with a huge marketing team behind you now, Greyston."
"A boy band with potential musically speaking," Zeth said, "Your song? It's pretty catchy. But I think you could be great if you stop trying to imitate us."
"Speaking of which, what's the chingada song about, Zeth?!" Alex asked.
"Here, I have it," Cadence took some sheets from her purse and handed one to each member of Monster Mash. "I'd like you to learn the chorus so you and my boys can sing the final part together. It would be good for the image of both bands, don't you think?"
"You're right about that. It will be an olive branch. And we can give the impression that both of our bands are on good terms." Zeth said, looking at Cadence, "My boys and I will have the final chorus of the song memorized by tonight, that won't be a problem."
"Okay, wait a minute, hold on." Alex said in a bewildered and angry voice, "Is this it? Is this what you ball-squeezing-fancy-pants sing about? The SIMPS anthem?!" Alex slapped the paper, "No voy a cantar tremenda mamada! Voy a parecer arrastrado! This is worse than 'Black Cat' and 'Monster In Love' by a mile! Somos monstruos, chingá! No conejitos caga-bolitas! We don't beg to be loved! We make people love us! Who the hell wrote this crap?!"
"I did," Cadence said with her arms crossed, raising a thin, perfectly groomed brow, "It's a cute romantic song I wrote based on the novel by the French author Gaston Leroux. Y para que lo sepas, yo hablo español."
All the Monster Mash boys turned to see Alex in a rage, but he didn't even take his eyes off the paper.
"My friend didn't mean to insult your obvious talent, Mrs. Operman," Frank said, discreetly pushing back Alex, who continued to read the lyrics, grunting a little with each verse his eyes passed.
"It's Mrs. Christensen, okay? I'm keeping my maiden name."
"Okay," Frank turned bright red, "Sorry, I guess."
"Well, I hope you act like professionals," Cadence turned to see Zeth and Draco, "Act your age, boys. I'll let you work. I hope you have fun."
"And please change your clothes before we start." Anton said, pinching his nose, "I don't want to be smelling your stinky shaved armpits while we dance! Put on something with sleeves, y'all!"
"The only thing that stinks here is your attitude, Anton." Cadence said, turning to face Monster Mash then, "Pay no attention to that. Just dress appropriately for the show."
"But mum! Look at them! Everett is wearing a tank top so baggy I can almost see his belly button! Just like Alycandro! I mean, Zeth, Draco, we know you guys have toned arms but there's no one here to impress, same for you fish-boy-whose-name-I-don't-remember. And you too, Frank! Nobody is interested in seeing that you polished your metal arm! Nobody cares if all of you spend hours at the gym! Nobody cares about your muscles!"
"Anton! I don't want any silly drama. Behave!" Cadence ordered, "Zeth, I trust you to keep your boys in line. You are their boss, act like it. Put your subordinates in their place if..."
"Sorry to correct you, Cadence," Zeth cleared his throat, "But I'm no one's boss. I'm the leader of the band, and they're not my subordinates," then he turned to look at his friends and nodded, "They are my family."