Chapter 2 - Epic journey

* The scene is long hairs bed room. He lays there sleeping the day away as the clock reads 12:00 noon. A banner reading " Happy 18th birthday " hangs over the bed. Light peaks into the room slightly from the top of his curtains. But because of the curtains and the fact that there aren't any other Windows, the room is mostly dim. Long hair lays in his bed, dreaming of recent events. A white flash occurs in order to indicate the transition from life to dream.

* The scene is a medium sized stage set in the middle of a court yard. The stage has a machine in the middle of it. A teacher stands behind a podium on the left side of the stage. A few rows of chairs are in front of the stage, and long hair sits in one of those chairs. He is then called to the stage by the teacher.

Teacher: Here is your license. Congratulations on passing without cheating this time.

Long hair: Thanks I guess.

* The machine then proceeds to scan him. After the scan, the screen reads " processing " as they wait for the results. Eventually the machine dings with the outcome. The teacher then eyes the machine.

Teacher: Hmmm. Interesting, there's never been a name this....unique before.

Long hair: I think it's perfect.

Teacher: Okay then. Mr. Ramirez, your new name is.... Dragon! Congratulations sir, you've truly earned it.

Dragon: Thanks teach.

* Suddenly, the sky turns gray and black. Rain begins to come down without hesitation. Dragon finds himself alone on the stage. All of the audience members and the teacher have suddenly disappeared. Dragon begins to panic as he vigorously looks around for everyone. But to no avail he doesn't see anyone. Then suddenly, the five music council members appear before his eyes. They all stand together looking at dragon. However, they don't look like they did before. Their clothes are stained with a variety of bloody patterns. Their skin is as white as snow. They don't even have eyes, only big dark holes that appear to be dripping something inky and black. They begin to speak to dragon.

Council member 1: What are you doing on that stage!?

Council member 3: Yes, you should be studying right now.

Dragon: But why!? I passed, I'm done.

Council member 5: Don't give us that shit!

Council member 2: You have passed nothing! You cheated, so now you have to re-do everything!

Council member 4: * nods silently in agreement *

Council member 1: You haven't learned a single thing!

Dragon: But I have...

All council members: Liar!!!

Council member 3: You have only just started.

Council member 5: And we're gonna make sure you finish!

* All the council members begin to head straight for him with their long claw like hands. And attempt to drag him to the nearest classroom.

Dragon: No! Stay back! NO! NO! NO!.....

* The dream ends, dragon wakes up immediately. He sits up and is sweating. Because of his hair, you can't see the expression on his face. But he sits their with an almost emotionless stare. Due to still being half asleep. He yawns and seemingly brushes the dream aside like its nothing.

Dragon: 12:30, well I guess I better get up. I gotta get ready.

Narrator 1: In case you haven't figured it out, yesterday was dragons 18th birthday. And the day before, he finally became a musician.

Narrator 2: His party ran late last night, so he slept in for a bit. You would think for someone with a goal like his, that he would wake up early.

Narrator 1: True, true.

Dragon: Would you guys keep it down! I have a monster headache!

Narrator 1+2: Sorry!

Dragon: I've got a big day ahead of me.

* Dragon sniffs the shirt he's wearing

Dragon: Eww! But first I better shower up. No one will take me seriously if I stink.

* Dragon goes and takes a shower and proceeds to make himself a late lunch. Then he gets dressed, deciding to wear a slipknot shirt. His usual blue jeans, some chains, and his black high top converse. After grabbing his guitar case and phone, he hops into his 1972 gran Torino ( painted hunter green) and drives out of his apartment complex and into the city.

Dragon: I got sick of my bike, so I saved up and traded it for a car. Also, a couple of weeks ago I decided to move out of my parents place. I found a pretty good sized apartment to live in. But I couldn't afford it all by myself. So I got some of my friends to move in with me, so I could split the cost. After finally getting my musician license a couple of days ago, I decided to start my own band. My former friends band is number one in the world right now. So starting my own band and climbing the fame ladder is the only way I'll be able to bring him to justice. And show people what real music is, not like the trash he calls music that he plays.

* After driving for some time, dragon finally arrives at a local club. A regular stomping ground for up start musicians.

Dragon: If I'm gonna rack up fame points and recruit members for my band, I gotta start small and work my way up.

* Dragon gets out of the car and grabs his guitar from the trunk. After locking up his car, he walks into the club to find the manager. The club is your average everyday dive bar. Along with a few muscle bound bikers as its patrons. After taking in the scenery, dragon finds the manager. He finds him talking to the bartender about the kinds of drinks he should serve. A few minutes pass by and the manager looks away from the bartender and in dragons direction instead.

Manager: Hey, what can we get cha?

Dragon: Nothing right now, thank you. I'm not here to drink, I'm the musician whose scheduled to play here today.

Manager: Oh yea, you must be the up start that the owner booked. It's only 2:00, your not scheduled to play until 6:00.

Dragon: That's fine, I can wait.

Manager: Alright then, help yourself to some pool or darts.

Dragon: Thanks.

* Dragon turns to leave, but the manager stops him

Manager: Hold up a second, what's your name?

Dragon: It's dragon.

Manager: Tell me son, how do you think you got your name?

Dragon: I'm not sure really, but I do know one thing.

Manager: Oh yea, what's that?

Dragon: I'm not afraid to burn anyone who gets in between me and my goal.

Manager: Well then, I guess your name suits you well then. Have a good night. Also, there's something you need to know.

Dragon: What is it?

Manager: The last time an up start played here, they didn't do so good. The audience practically ripped them apart after giving a bad performance. Be careful up there.

Dragon: Thanks, but don't worry. I got this.

Manager: If you say so.

* Dragon finally walks away and sits in a chair with his feet up on the table. 5:50 rolls around so he decides to get his stuff set up early. When he finishes, he goes and sits down for a few minutes. Then the manager walks on stage and talks to the audience.

Manager: Okay ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for our newest act. He hails from right here in our small modern town. Give a warm welcome to, dragon!

* The audience gives a low but polite clap as dragon walks on stage. He adjusts the dials on the amplifier slightly before letting out the most incredible and heart warming ballad that you've ever heard. Even some of the muscle bound bikers lost their composure and cried a little. After the song, the crowd gives dragon a loud and encouraging applause. Then he packs up his gear and goes back to his seat. He proceeds to check his phone, and finds that some people are talking about his performance. Someone even posted a video of it. And it completely blew up! Even though dragon appreciates the recognition, he doesn't see it as that big of a deal.

Dragon: I'm heading in the right direction, but this is only the first step to accomplishing my true goal.

* For the next half hour, dragon sits at his table and thinks about what his next move will be. Then, around 6:50. The manager comes on stage again.

Manager: Alright everybody, please give around of applause for another up start musician whose also from here. Give it up for, M.L. Starr!

* After that, a girl with black hair with slight hints of light brown and blonde steps on the stage. She wore some slightly ripped jeans, and a gorillaz t-shirt with murdoc in the middle. She also had black slightly pointed acrylic nails. She was 5"9 with a completely flawless complexion. Her instrument of choice was a red axe bass. She didn't sing at all. All she did was play a two minute bass solo. But it was incredible, the audience gave her the same applause they gave dragon.

Dragon: Hmmm, not bad.

* A while later, M.L. Starr is just standing around leaning against the bar. Along with her bass case, and a glass half full of whiskey in her hand. Intrigued by her performance, dragon decides to go and talk to her.

Dragon: Hi.

M.L. Starr: Hey.

* She greets dragon with a light, enthusiastic, friendly smile

Dragon: Nice performance up there.

M.L. Starr: Thanks, you too. You have a very powerful voice.

Dragon: Thanks, so what brings you here.

M.L. Starr: Oh, you know. Just trying to play some music.

Dragon: Kool, you interested in joining a band?

* Starr whips around and chugs the last of her whiskey before slamming the glass on the bar.

M.L. Starr: Not sure, not many people would wanna join a band with a cheater, (she says in a playful tone). I know you, everyone's heard about you.

Dragon: Maybe so, but I didn't get my musicians license for nothing. I'm looking for people to join my band.

* Starr goes back to leaning against the bar

Dragon: I have vocals covered, but I still need a bassist. And you have the skill I need to form the worlds greatest band. So, what do you say?

M.L. Starr: ( she starts off with another playful smile) Give me one reason why I should join.

* Dragon then turns to her, and looks down at her shirt. Then goes back to looking at her face, which is still sporting a playful smile.

Dragon: Murdoc....is God.

* Starr then gasps at dragons words and gives him a huge smile.

M.L. Starr: I'm in!

* With that, they exchange contact information. And not long after, dragon begins to leave.

M.L. Starr: Wait!

* Dragon stops and looks over his shoulder

Dragon: What is it?

M.L. Starr: What's your name, your real name I mean.

* Dragon faces forward

Dragon: Sorry but....my real name doesn't suit me. I never really liked it. So I told myself that I would never say it again.

* With that, dragon gives a back hand wave and heads home.

M.L. Starr: That guy sure is a mystery, but I can tell. As long as he's around, big things are gonna happen.

* Starr turns to the bartender.

M.L. Starr: Another glass of whiskey please.

Bartender: Coming right up.

* The bartender hands Starr her drink. She then proceeds to raise it.

M.L. Starr: Here's to you.......dragon.

* Starr takes a big sip of her drink, then puts the glass down hard. Causing some of it to spill. We then change over to dragon, who is driving back to his apartment.

Dragon: Looks like I've begun a new chapter in my life. Hopefully all will go well. Especially if I want to take HIM down. There's only a few months before the big competition. During this time I have to find more band members, all while racking up enough fame points to qualify. This won't be easy, then again. No one said it would be.

* After some time, dragon finally gets back to his apartment. When he walks through the door he's , greeted with a violent but friendly pat on the back from his friend Nando.

Nando: Hey bud! Me and jordy saw that clip of your performance, it was amazing.

Dragon: Thanks, is Damon around?

Nando: Na, he went out with his girlfriend. He won't be back for a while. Jordy and I were just watching some anime, wanna join us?

Dragon: Sorry but I'm tired, I'm gonna go to bed.

Nando: But it's still early.

Dragon: I know, but my performance tired me out.

Nando: Alright then, anything interesting happen?

Dragon: Yea, I finally found a bassist for my band.

Nando: Dude! That's awesome.

Dragon: Yea, just a few more people and my band will be complete.

Nando: Kool dude, see ya tomorrow.

Dragon: See ya.

* Dragon then walks away and enters his room. He takes off his shirt and changes into a pair of black basketball shorts. He then plops down on his bed and falls asleep. A few hours later, dragons phone goes off. Beep! Beep!

Dragon: What the hell!?

* The clock reads 2:00 am

Dragon: Who the heck is texting me at this hour?

Text: Hey dragon, it's Starr :) I just wanted to text you to see if you got my number. And I have some big news! I think I found us a potential drummer. I'll give you the details later and we'll meet up. See ya :)

Dragon: A drummer eh? Wow, this band is growing fast. But that all depends on whether or not this person can really drum. I'll just have to wait and see.

* Dragon puts his phone down and goes back to sleep. Hours later, dragon and Starr are standing in the parking lot of a club across town. They're standing by dragons car while he looks up at the clubs fifty foot neon sign.

Dragon: Remind me again why we are at this club at 1:30 in the friggin morning. I should be in bed right now.

* Starr turns around and tries to give dragon a serious look, but it ends up turning into a playful smile.

M.L. Starr: Because, my friend is performing tonight and I think he'll make a good addition to the band.

Dragon: I'll be the judge of that. I mean, I care about music. But he has to have really amazing drumming skills in order to be in the band.

M.L. Starr: Trust me, he can drum like there's no tomorrow.

Dragon: Alright then, let's head in.

* Dragon and Starr head into the club. Unlike the dive bar that dragon played at, the club is vastly big and modern. The dance floor is brightly colored with a variety of lights. The bar is practically a battle ground for people who are trying to get drinks. The stage is set with a variety of equipment that's ready to go. Including amps, two guitars, a bass, and a drum set. Dragon and Starr stand just before the dance floor and take in the scenery. All while some electronic music thumps throughout the club with some very heavy bass. A few minutes later the music fades out and the DJ playing the music comes on the microphone.

Club Dj: How's everybody doing tonight? (said with an enthusiastic tone)

* The crowd responds with a positive cheer

Club Dj: Kool, Kool. Well we have a special treat for y'all tonight. A rock band will be playing a set for you guys tonight!

* The crowd responds again with an almost deafening cheer. A few minutes after the announcement, a sound technician goes up to the Dj and whispers something to him. Afterwards, the Dj comes on the microphone again.

Club Dj: Sorry folks, but there's gonna be a slight delay on tonight's performance. For now, let's enjoy some more music.

* With that the Dj puts on some more electronic music, and it drowns out a few boos from the crowd. Then, Starr tugs at dragons sleeve.

Dragon: What is it?

M.L. Starr: I just got a text from my friend, let's go.

Dragon: Go where?

M.L. Starr: Backstage.

* After that, dragon just shrugs and follows Starr backstage. Once they get there, Starr spots her friend.

M.L. Starr: Digit!

* A slightly dark skinned guy with black hair and a mustache, turns around and sees Starr. Immediately afterwards dragon and Starr walk over to him.

Digit: Hey Starr.

M.L. Starr: Hey, what happened?

Digit: A member of the band got stuck in traffic. We can't go on without a lead guitarist. Whose this?

M.L. Starr: Oh, right. This is dragon, I think he can help out.

Digit: Really?

M.L. Starr: Yea, he's a guitarist. Dragon, this is j dog digit. He's the one I told you about that plays drums.

Digit: Sup dude

Dragon: Sup

M.L. Starr: Anyway, dragon can help you guys.

Digit: Can you?

Dragon: Yea, just show me the music and I'll be able to do it.

Digit: Kool, follow me.

* Digit leads dragon to the rest of the group. After introductions, he shows dragon the music and they get ready for the show. Once they get on stage, they play the most amazing show ever. After the show, dragons phone blows up with notifications from social media. A little bit later, digit, dragon, and Starr are hanging out in the parking lot.

Digit: Dude, that.....was the most amazing show ever!

Dragon: Yea, it went pretty well. You got some pretty good drumming skills.

Digit: Thanks, and you can really shred on the guitar.

Dragon: Thanks, you know. I don't know if Starr has told you yet but I'm trying to start a band.

Digit: Yea, I heard. I am so In!

Dragon: Really? What about that other band? Aren't you with them?

Digit: Na, I was just standing in as a favor to a friend.

Dragon: So, you wanna join my band?

Digit: Hell yeah dude! Let's rock.

Dragon: Kool.

* After that, they chat for a bit and exchange contact information. And eventually they part ways. A little later, dragon gets back to his apartment and goes strait to sleep. Around 10:30 am, dragon wakes up and does his usual routine. While he eats breakfast and watches anime, he gets a text.

Text: Hey dude, it's digit. Just wanted to say, can't wait to get this band going. Also I talked to Starr , and I'll be on the look out for potential band members. I'll let you know what I come up with. Also we should all hang out some time, and maybe practice a bit. Catcha later dude.

Dragon: Great, everything is coming together nicely. He makes a good point. We need to start practicing together so that we can build up some fame points. We're gonna need them if we're gonna get into battle of the bands.

* After a few texts and a well deserved breakfast. Dragon, Starr, and digit meet up for lunch and discuss their future as a band.

Dragon: So, any luck finding other members?

M.L. Starr: None so far, but don't worry. I'll keep looking.

Digit: I understand that your trying to form a band, but what kind of band? I mean, you have to figure out what kind of music you want to play.

Dragon: Well, I was thinking of making this a punk metal band. You know, with meaningful lyrics but awesome occasional screaming. Because that's generally what it is.

M.L. Starr: Kool, I think we can pull this off.

Digit: You had me at punk, now we need to figure out how many more people we're gonna need.

Dragon: Well, so far. We have vocals, bass, and drums. We still need lead guitar, back up guitar, key board, and a Dj. I knew a key board player once, but she joined a different band.

M.L. Starr: That sucks.

Digit: Yea.

Dragon: We might be able to find two guitarists. And we could convince a classical to turn modern for our keyboard player.

Digit: True.

M.L. Starr: Hmmmm, this is gonna be tough.

Dragon: Yea, but I think our biggest challenge will be finding a Dj. Most of them these days either play in clubs or don't care about rock music.

Digit: Damn.

M.L. Starr: * nods silently in agreement *

Dragon: This is gonna be a challenge, are you guys really sure about joining me.

Digit: Yea dude, I mean sure this will be difficult. But that doesn't mean it's impossible.

M.L. Starr: We trust your judgement, we're behind you 1,000 percent of the way.

Dragon: Alright then.

* They all pick up their glasses from the table and clink them together. And with that, they seal their promise to stick by each other. They finish their lunch and head to dragons apartment. They enter the place and are greeted by dragons friend Nando.

Nando: Hey bud, who are these guys?

Dragon: Oh right, these are my band mates.

* Dragon then proceeds to introduce them

Dragon: This is digit, he's the drummer.

Digit: Sup.

Nando: Sup.

Dragon: This is M.L. Starr, she's our bass player.

M.L. Starr: Hi.

* She greets him with her usual playful smile

Nando: Hey, so what are you guys up to?

Dragon: We're gonna spend the afternoon on social media, looking for leads on more potential band members.

Nando: Kool, good luck.

Dragon: Thanks, where's Damon?

Nando: He's with Harley.

Dragon: Figures, and jordy?

Nando: Well, me and him just finished watching a movie not too long ago. After that, he went to the mall to do a bit of shopping.

Dragon: That sounds like something he would do. What about you?

Nando: Me? I don't have any plans.

Dragon: Wanna help us out?

Nando: Sure.

* With that, dragon, Starr, digit, and Nando spend the afternoon online. Looking for people to join dragons band. After some time, digit surprises everybody by gasping.

Digit: * gasps *

Nando: What is it?

Digit: I think I just found us two new band members.

M.L. Starr: Really!? That's awesome.

* Digit then shows everybody the screen of his phone. After a few seconds of looking at the screen, dragon stands up and turns around while facing down.

Nando: Oh shit.

M.L. Starr: What's wrong?

* The room is silent with anticipation.

Dragon: There's no way....there's just no way. I AM NOT GOING BACK TO THAT HELL HOLE EVER AGAIN!!!!