Playtunez' Finest

Jim had decided he would attend the concert, but not just because of those little kids. His band career had ended three years ago, and it wasn't because of some tragic incident that ended the band forever, but something else.

As their fame further grew, greed began to set in, the desire for more.

_______

Three years ago, the Air Heads we're at the peak of their career. Various record labels wished to sign them, but the band leader, Riley Hawk, had declined them all. Everyone question her choice, but he simply stated that their group shouldn't be bound to some rich fool.

Everyone seemed to agree with her, since the purpose of them forming the group was because they wanted to be free from the will of their parents. Still, they were lucky that their parents allowed them to be in a band and perform in so many concerts. Most wouldn't even listen to such an idea.

Even Jim had to admit that Amanda was quite understanding of his desire to be in a band the day he had told her. It was a rainy day, and Amanda had just come home from school. With pleading eyes, he presented his case, and after hours of resistance, she finally said yes.

Amanda wasn't someone who you could take for granted. Which was why getting her to agree to him joining the band, he valued the band even more than he did school, and he was still a straight A student.

Tonight, they would be playing as usual. There was nothing new. They were used to the rowdy crowds, the paparazzi, and even the deranged fans who wished to meet their stars.

So of course, the group had used some of their funds to hire a couple bodyguards. With their safely ensured, they were able to play freely to their adoring fans.

Once the concert was over, everyone gir ready to headed back home. Well, all except the band leader herself. Waiting behind, it wasn't long until a man dressed in a nice suit had stepped into the backstage area, wearing a bright smile on his face.

Standing beside him we're two bodyguards of his own, who constantly scanned the area for any potential threat. Seeing as who she was waiting for had arrived, she quickly propped herself from her slanting position.

"You finally made it," Riley said. "For a second there, I thought you were gonna be a no-show. Guess I was wrong."

"A businessman always keeps his word," she said, maintaining the smile. "I've been monitoring you guys for a while. You have what it takes to become a world sensation. Heck, you guys could become A-list celebrities in just a few years."

The man seemed to have a lot to say about Riley and her gruop, which just made the teenager girl blush. Although she tried to hide it, it wasn't working out for her.

She was a sucker for sweet works, especially from people who were loaded, like the man who had stayed behind after the concert to meet her.

"Enough games, let's just get this over with," she said with a smirk.

"Of course, my apologies for wasting the time of a rising star," the man said, motioning for one of his guards to bring out the documents. Contrary to what she had told her fellow band mates, Riley didn't want to rise on her own. That was simply what she told her gang mates so they would stop pestering her to sign them under a popular label.

The truth was, she already had her eyes set on this particular person. Lucas Dane, a famous musician who had recently retired, but started a record label not too long ago. With it, his career lived on, through the success of the people he had mentored. Everyone who he signed ended up a world sensation.

However, there was a reason why she didn't want the band to know about the man beforehand. That was because Lucas was one who was involved in the underworld. Not hell, the other one.

He is publically known as the purple viper, because he is a high ranking member of the Shadow Gang. Due to his constant public appearances, he had been a major Target of the police for years. However, due to certain legal mumbo jumbo, he had a level of immunity against the law. As long as he wasn't cut doing criminal activity, the police cannot appreciated him.

Under this freedom, he was able to run his regular business without any form of external interference from the authorities. Although everyone knew about his other job, that didn't stop people wearing for fame to come to him for help.

Plus, he never got those he had signed involved in his gang business. He always managed to keep his gang life and his music life completely separate.

Which was why, Riley had no qualms about working with a gang member, so long as her parents or other people she cares about don't find out. She had already discussed that aspect with Lucas prior to their current encounter. So, to keep their partnership secret, he had used one of his alias on the documents instead of his real name, one that most people didn't know.

The next day, she planned on surprising her crew with this good news. It was break time, and everyone was in the school cafeteria enjoying their breakfast.

Suddenly, Riley stood up onto the table, trying to catch everyone's attention.

"Everyone, listen up!" she yelled. "I have some good news!"

Everyone stopped what their doing to see what was going on. It wasn't always that Riley had something important to say, so they all decided to pay attention, since she was the leader of their favorite band.

"The Air Heads have signed and joined Alonso's Records! You guys, we're going global!" she nearly burst out screaming.

There were cheers from everyone upon hearing the good news. After so many years of solo climbing the ladder to success, they had finally seemed help. Fortunately, everyone knew Alonso Records, it was one of the top five music record labels in the world.

Even her band mates we're shocked upon hearing this. Although they were upset because she didn't tell them that she would be signing a deal, they couldn't stay mad at her because she had just done something almost miraculous.

To celebrate, the group decided to head to the movies and pay for the best seats. That day, everyone was in a good mood, and they couldn't wait for the day that they would finally meet the owner of Alonso Records.

__________

"Those were the good old days," Jim muttered to himself as he decided to continuing jogging. Those were the times when his mind was still innocent. Not long after then, the realization that the world was a miserable place had set it. Although there were people like Blake, Tyler, Amanda, June, Kevin, and even his girlfriend who made him see things differently.

Noticing that it was starting to get dark outside, Jim decided to head back inside, seeing as it was going to rain, and not long after, it started raining cats and dogs. The storm was vicious, causing a power outage due to a fuselage getting struck by lighting.

There was a fire outbreak, but fortunately, firefighters arrived just in time to take care of it. Not long after, the storm had subsided. Checking the time, Jim realized that the concert would be starting very soon.

Getting ready, he headed straight for DreanLand, located at the centre of Memph City. This place housed the ancient monuments regarding the city's history. Things such as artifacts, skeletons, and even fossils could be found there. However, it was also a major spot where bands chose to play their music, and since they would usually play outside, the owners decided that there was no trouble with that.

_________

Meanwhile, the new Air Heads we're getting ready for their concert. A lot of preparations had been delayed, meaning everyone was in a rush to get everything set for their performance.

"Sophie, hurry up, we need those microphones!" one of the little kids yelled.

"Shut up! I'm coming!" she yelled back. "Gosh... why is everyone putting so much pressure on me?" she wondered. This wasn't her first concert. In fact, it was more than her tenth. But still, everything seemed to be out of control today of all days.

"Having some trouble?" a teenager asked. Turning around, she recognized who it was, rushing to give her a tight hug.

"This is really stressful!" Sophie said, pressing her face against the latter clothes.

"I know it is. It was the same thing I went through when I left the band," Riley said, patting the girl on the head.