Sadie's P.O.V

"Are you sure that you wanna go through with this?" Kiki asks.

"Yes, I'm sure" I nod confidently, "Because it's the only way I know I'll feel safe and feel like the rest of you will be safe too".

Townsfolk move around us, some carrying boxes while others are adjusting lights and setting up the stage off to our left. I had discussed this with my friends already once before, but after the most recent news, I felt it was necessary to bring it up again. To put it simply, I wanted to put on a show, or a concert for that matter, and have it be our last show in Beach City before the four of us move away. Sure, our parents would miss us, but we're all of age as to where we can legally be out on our own. I had tried to convince Mom to come with us, but she said no. Why she doesn't see that the rest of us are in danger if we continue to stay here, I don't know, but I wasn't willing to argue with her if she wasn't showing any signs of changing her mind. The plan after the show, which we'll put on tonight, is to drive home, pack up our stuff, meet at my house, put it all in a moving truck, and leave Beach City. We had also discussed buying a house together as a group and all staying in it, pooling our incomes together along with the money we'll make from shows to pay for it. Under normal circumstances, we wouldn't have ever thought of this option, but, as it is painfully obvious, these aren't normal circumstances.

"But I won't force you guys into this if you aren't comfortable with the idea" I continue, "After all, this is a fairly big deal we're talking about".

"I understand that, Sadie, I really do" Sour Cream agrees, "But you're my friend and friends look out for each other. Besides, if you hadn't suggested it, my mother would've encouraged me to do the exact same".

"My dad too" Buck adds, "With all the carnage and murder happening within the confines of town, Dad was all for the idea of me heading out with you guys and living on my own, in a sense. Though I think that's what every mom or dad wants their kid to do when they reach our ages anyway, so who knows?"

"Yeah, who knows?" I say rhetorically, turning and seeing the stage now loom over me. Kiki, Buck, and Sour Cream copy my actions and gaze at the stage for themselves. There's an air of reminiscence around us, as if all the shows we've done in this city are playing through our minds when simply glancing at the platform.

"I really am gonna miss this place, though, you know?" Buck admits.

"So am I, buddy" Sour Cream agrees, kindly nudging him with his elbow, "Lots of memories here".

"And we might as well go out on a high note, at least in regards to here since we're not done being Sadie Killer and the Suspects by a long shot" I state, my hands at my hips, "By the way, Kiki, are you sure you want to take your sister's place in the band?"

"I do, yes" Kiki confirms, "I just....want to remember her beyond the restaurant and I feel like this way is the best. Besides, I did play some musical instruments through middle school and high school, so I can say that I have some prior background knowledge and experience with it".

"Ok, good, just wanted to make sure" I say, feeling a bit more sure of myself.

"A couple questions, though" Buck speaks up, "What songs are we gonna perform and is this going to be a publicly known concert?"

"Well, I made a list of the songs we've done and I was hoping to go through them with you guys so we could decide together" I reply, pulling out the notepad from my pocket, "As far as publicity goes, yes, I am planning on it being for anyone to come if they want to".

"Anyone?" Kiki says, her tone hinting at a specific someone that I'm sure we were all thinking of.

"Yes, Steven could come too if he so wishes. In fact, I want to see him try" I say, sounding a bit cocky, "After speaking with the Mayor, I got her approval for security around the stage, front, back, and both sides. Nobody's getting close to any of us while we're performing on stage. If he tries, he's gonna have to deal with more than he's used to dealing with".

"So, it's like a trap?" Sour Cream guesses.

"No really, no, but Steven can make it one if he chooses to" I shrug, folding my arms over each other.

"Ok, then, so how are we going to advertise this if it's happening tonight?" Kiki asks.

"Social media, of course" I say, pulling my phone out of my other pocket while my friends huddle close by, "It's how anything is spread these days. And judging by the responses I've gotten already, even though this was posted only an hour ago, it seems like our venue will be plenty busy".

"Ms. Miller, the fireworks are all set up" One of the helpers says.

"Thank you, Tanner" I respond, the man nodding and going off to work on something else.

"Fireworks?" Buck questions.

"Yeah, c'mon, I'll show you guys" I say, waving my hand for them to follow as I begin walking around the side of the stage.

I ultimately circle around to the back of the stage, weaving past a couple of people working back there and stop by where one of the two sets are rigged up.

"See here? This is what I'm talking about" I point, gesturing to them, "There's another one on the opposite end and once the last song is finished, these fireworks will go off and be our grand finale".

"Sounds like quite the spectacle" Sour Cream comments.

"And it will be" I nod, walking up the steps leading onto the stage.

I walk to where our instruments are set up and look out onto the sandy shores beyond. Though it's still day time, I can already feel time slipping away. I then feel one hand on my shoulder and then another one, Kiki being the one on my right while Buck is the one on my left. All four of us have our arms over each other's backs, smiling being another consistency between us too. They know just as well as I do that this is our moment to shine brightest and maybe give some hope to the people of this city while we're at it.

All that's left now is to wait.

Steven's P.O.V

Standing in front of the window in the bedroom Alesha and I share, I gaze out at the streets and people below, thinking over everything that happened with Lapis and Peridot. And I'd be lying if I said that I didn't feel a bit conflicted on choosing to help them with this plan they're concocting. Alesha's behavior has gotten a bit darker as of late, but flat out killing multiple people? Ugh...I just...have trouble fully grasping that. However, it was nice to see the two of them again, especially Lapis. She really looked like, despite knowing full well what I've done, that she liked having me around. Should I have perhaps gone to her after breaking out and convinced her to run away with me? Too late to know and it probably wouldn't have been right to put her in that kind of situation if it happened anyway.

Sighing to myself, I cross my arms and continue to think. Peridot had said that she wanted to trap Alesha in the act and that that would be the ultimate factor of getting me on board with their story. I didn't feel comfortable if the plan she had in mind would cause Alesha unnecessary pain, but I asked what Peridot had in mind. She, of course, referred to her tablet and said that Sadie and the Cool Kids had announced a concert later tonight and that it would be their last before they left Beach City. Peridot then continued by saying that she wanted me to suggest to Alesha that we should attend together and that if something goes wrong that ends up killing one or all of the band members, it would solidify Alesha's "guilt". When I asked her how she would prove it, Peridot explained that Doug had a camera set up in his room and that since it wasn't going to be of much use to him anymore, she would recommission it at a point that's close enough to the stage and high enough to get a decent view. How it would then play out is that I take Alesha to the concert and if she is seen tampering with things backstage on the camera by Peridot, who will be watching the entire time, she'll tell me immediately. And while all of this is happening, Lapis will fly to where Alesha and I are holding up and search the place for the missing drive from Doug's computer. And since both of them wanted to know right then and there where I was staying, I complied and said it was the next house over. Needless to say, they were both shocked and speechless.

Looking away from the window, I open up my right hand and peer down at the small device I'm holding. It's a very small earpiece that has its exterior colored to match my skin, which won't give me away when I'm wearing it. It's also only one way, meaning that Peridot can talk to me, but I can't talk back to her. Just looking at it reminds me of when she came by so unexpectedly earlier.

~~ Earlier That Day ~~

"Hey, babe, I'm heading out to the store! Do you want anything?" Alesha calls to me from the door.

"No thanks, I'm good!" I call back.

"Kay, then, see you soon!" She concludes, heading out the door.

It's been only an hour since I found Peridot and Lapis next door and we had that big sharing fest. And they'd probably scold me for letting Aleshs go without following her, since I agreed to keep an eye on her. But, we discussed a plan of action and I'll use that to determine whether I'm still on board with aiding them after already saying I would. Loyalties can certainly change and I don't want to lie to either of them if I don't have to, but I also need to come to conclusions on my own. If I don't find their claims to be valid, I might just assume that they're trying to manipulate me, which may be cause for re-evaluating my stance on sparing their lives. But, tonight will ultimately seal the deal one way or another.

Something then hits the back door window, causing me to turn my head at the sound. After a short pause, a tiny rock/pebble plinks against the glass, which, in any case, is a sign that someone outside is trying to get the attention of somebody inside. Seeing as I'm the only one inside, I get up from the living room couch and walk over to the door to see who's outside. And after opening the door ajar, I see Peridot standing there, a bit hunched over.

"What are you doing here, Peridot?" I question, keeping my voice low despite not having anyone else around to hear me.

"Sorry for showing up without notice, but I needed to give you something for tonight, assuming you still plan on going through with it" Peridot says, that last bit coming off as more of a question.

"Yes, I'm still going to do it. Now, can we make this quick?" I confirm for her, not wanting to say that Alesha is gone, but still true in my sense of urgency.

"Yes, yes, of course" Peridot nods, placing a very small device in my hand, "Here you go. This is going to help me stay in contact with you later. Place it in one of your ears and I'll be able to speak to you. You won't be able to speak back, though, but seeing as such behavior would probably make you appear suspicious to Alesha, it works fine either way. And you do remember what's going to happen, right?"

"Yes, yes, I got it, Peridot" I reply, sounding a tad annoyed, "I'll take Alesha to Sadie's concert after being the one to mention it to her and you'll keep an eye on her with the camera you've placed while Lapis comes around here and searches for that drive from Mr. Maheswaran. I've got it handled".

"Good, just wanted to make sure" Peridot accepts, "Well, I gotta go. Bye, Steven".

And with that, she turned and left, walking away as I closed the back door and watched her go.

~~ End of Flashback ~~

And since that time, I was able to successfully instigate the first part of the plan, Alesha accepting the idea of going to the concert pretty easily. She did ask, though, if I was really ok with going out into the open since that address from the Mayor this morning probably is going to have more people looking for me. In response, I said that I wasn't going to let fear or hesitance prevent me from going. Alesha nodded and said that she was excited, because she had never been to a rock concert before. I told her we're lucky, since it was apparently their last show here in Beach City. Alesha then murmured something under her breath, something that I didn't inquire about. It was a bit sketchy, though, so maybe Peridot and Lapis are on the right path.

We didn't talk about it anymore for the rest of the day until it was about time to go, or at least when Alesha and I thought it would be good to go. Just before we left, though, I spotted her in the kitchen, barely getting a glance of a longer bladed kitchen knife being placed in her jacket pocket. She didn't notice that I saw her doing that and walked over to me all nonchalantly. I began feeling even more skeptical of her, the image slowly replaying in my mind as she took my hand in hers and we both walked out the front door together.

I'm now at the point where I'm more willing/less hesitant to follow through with Lapis and Peridot's plan. And as we're treading lightly along the outskirts of the neighborhood, I close my other hand, that's inside my jacket pocket, more protectively around the earpiece device that Peridot gave me. I also think to myself that tonight will be Alesha's test. She either shows herself to be who Peridot and Lapis say she is or she remains to be the trusting, loving, sweet girl I thought her to be. But if Alesha proves to not be who I thought she was, I won't be able to look at her the same after tonight. I won't be able to love her or be with her anymore or even keep all those thoughts of a future together in my head. All that will be gone, because I can't and I won't love a heartless, lying monster who killed my friends, my father, and sister figure.

I spare a glance at her while she's not looking and she looks like what an innocent girl would be like. But that knife was no illusion or my mind playing tricks on me. I know I'm putting a lot of faith in her, even without her knowledge, but I'm just hoping things won't turn out like I think they will. I'm hoping I won't have to stand in a crowd that's gone up in flames with Sadie, Buck, Kiki, and Sour Cream dead on stage. It's this hope that comes from loving someone like how I love Alesha. But I also have to ask myself if this is really love. Is it? Or just infatuation and attachment from a sexual encounter? Lots of things feel up in the air, many questions being asked that aren't being spoken out loud, but if it is love that Alesha and I have and I see her pulling out that knife on so much as a single one of my friends on that stage, heartbreak will certainly ensue immediately afterwards.

And, just as I'm concluding those things to myself, I see that we're finally walking into the beginnings of the concert crowd, nighttime having settled in and the concert itself already in full swing. The area is pretty packed and I take advantage of this to slip the device out of my pocket and into my left ear, pressing the little button on the side to turn it on. Alesha then tightens her grip on my hand and turns to me smiling, excitedly pulling me forward so that we can get closer to the stage. To see her looking so excited, so happy, and so beautiful really tears me in two with the possibility of her being a mass murderer. But, I play along and let her pull me through the crowd after her.

"Testing...testing..one, two, one, two. Can you hear me, Steven?" Peridot's voice says in my ear, a tiny bit of background noise following, "Oh, right. I just remembered that this is only one-way, hehe. In any case, just get Alesha close to the stage so I can get a clear shot of her".

Seems like my job is easy then since Alesha is doing that for me all on her own. The crowd does get a bit densely packed when we're getting close to the stage, Alesha gripping my arm so tight that she might draw blood if her nails got involved in any way. But, fortunately, it didn't last long and the two of us were able to squeeze our way to the front of the stage. And since we're so close, I doubt Sadie or anyone else on stage will see me. They're too focused on what they're doing and the masses surrounding us are just here to have a good time. That all could change, though, if Alesha climbs up on stage and starts killing them one by one. But that's too obvious and conspicuous for her, if it's really her that snuck into Doug and Peedee's homes, killed them, and left without anyone knowing about it.

"Ok, ok, I have a clear visual of you and Alesha" Peridot reports, "Lapis just left a moment ago and should almost be at your place by now if she's not there already".

"Yeah, I'm there" Lapis chimes in, apparently having an earpiece of her own and one that allows her to talk back to Peridot, "Just now entered through the back window. Did have to shatter the glass to reach inside and unlock it, but it won't matter. Urgh..not when I'm...done here".

"Are you ok, Lazuli? You sound like you're having some trouble" Peridot inquiries.

"I'm fine...just had to squeeze through the window" Lapis sighs, "But let's keep things quiet for a while, huh? I need to focus if I'm going to find this hard drive. Alesha would not have made it easy to locate. Actually, do you have any ideas where it might be, Steven?"

"He can hear you, Lapis, but he can't answer. He can't speak to either of us" Peridot pointedly reminds her.

"Ugh! Why did you give him a one-way and not a two-way, Peridot?" Lapis grunts in annoyance.

"You and I both know why, Lazuli," Peridot replies in her natural snarky tone of voice, "His cover can be blown too easily if he's caught talking to us. Alesha is literally right next to him and I can see them on my screens over here. Just pipe down and get to work while I keep an eye on them".

"Fine" Lapis grumbles, "But as soon as I find this thing, I'm outta here".

"Fair enough" Peridot says, the both of them then going silent.

Peridot hasn't given me any further instructions regarding Alesha, so I guess I should just try and seemingly enjoy myself so I don't appear too out of place while, at the same time, keep an eye on her. And right now, she's just dancing along with the song, not being the least bit sketchy at all. So, in the meantime, I just match the vibe that everyone else is giving on and try to blend in. One song after another passes by and Alesha doesn't go anywhere, Peridot and Lapis also staying silent. I begin to get a little worried due to the lack of input from either of them, but then something happens that turns my thoughts away from them. Sadie and the band reach the end of the song playing and the crowd cheers before Sadie goes on to say something.

"Thank you, Beach City!" She says enthusiastically, "This has been a wonderful concert and I hope each and every one of you guys have been having a great time. We've now reached the final song of the night. And let's end things off with a bang, shall we? Hit it, Kiki!"

There's a tiny buildup and then the song starts in full force. I was so busy watching Sadie's little speech, though, that I didn't look to see if Alesha was still standing near me. So, when I turn to my right and see that she's missing, I feel a mixture of shock and fear. I look around to see if I can spot where she went, but there's too many people around to see anything from where I am.

"Good news, guys, I found the hard drive" Lapis announces, taking this moment to speak up, "It was hidden underneath the floorboards beneath the bed".

"That's great news, Lapis, but we have a more pressing situation at hand" Peridot also comments, "Alesha left Steven and I'm watching her right as we speak. She's gone around the side of the stage and is heading for the back entrance. Now, she's...oh no".

"What? What's happening?" Lapis questions urgently.

"She's pulled out a knife on two security guards guarding the back entrance and is stabbing them relentlessly" Peridot dreadfully reports, my heart sinking.

"And you're sure it's her?" Lapis asks.

"Yes, of course, I'm sure" Peridot huffs, "She's in Steven's pink jacket, which is the same one she came here in. It's her".

My stomach then drops, my worst fears being realized. Alesha really is a monster, one that took advantage of my kindness and used it to get me to love her while doing these things behind my back. Peridot and Lapis were right.

"Well, keep going, what's happening now?" Lapis says.

"The guards are dead and now she's fiddling with the fireworks set up behind the stage. If I had to guess, she's going to redirect them at Sadie and the audience when they're scheduled to go off" Peridot articulates.

"Well, tell Steven to stop her or something!" Lapis exclaims.

"It's too late, Lapis. The song is nearly over and Alesha is just about finished. There's not enough time to do anything" Peridot gravely explains.

"Then get Steven to warn Sadie and the audience!" Lapis urges anxiously.

"Do you really think they'd listen to him? After everything he's done? If they see him, they'll just start attacking him relentlessly and still get caught in the explosion" Peridot argues, "Steven, get out of there. There's nothing you can do. Lapis, get out of Steven's place and hurry back. I have a hunch that once Alesha's done with Sadie, she'll be after us next".

"Alright, I'm out" Lapis agrees, the sound of the door opening and closing in the background.

But the song then reaches it's energetic ending and I hear the fireworks being shot. I instantly get down and not a moment too soon since the explosives hit the stage and fly through, striking the beach and the audience standing on it. Burned and partially deformed bodies then fly off the stage next, one of them landing frighteningly close to me. To my despair, I see that it's Sadie, her right arm and right leg missing with her skin burned black and her hair gone. What's worse is that, despite the concert audience fleeing the scene, the fireworks still hit a great too many of them.

"Steven! Get out of there now!" Peridot almost shouts at me.

After murmuring 'rest in peace' to Sadie's charred and deformed corpse, I keep my head down and work my way around the front of the stage towards the right side. The fireworks are still going, so when I run out of stage to crouch under, I stay low to the ground and use my hands and knees to crawl towards the buildings a short distance away. I don't let up for a second and only get up when I touch cement, rising to my feet and running behind cover. I then, not being able to help myself, look out from behind the building I'm at and see the carnage unfolding. People are running for their lives, the stage is burned and in shambles, and explosions are happening all over the beach. And to think that it's all Alesha's fault. Making myself turn away from the sight and look towards home, I sigh and pull myself together, setting off in that direction.

If Alesha comes back to 'our' house, she and I are going to have a talk.

Alesha's P.O.V

Who knew fireworks could be so beautifully destructive? And, better yet, could eliminate four targets at once? Sure, the people in the audience weren't who I was aiming for, but they were going to get killed anyway with what I had planned. Shit, did Steven get hurt? My heart skips a beat at the thought of accidentally hurting the one I love. No, no, it can't be. He would've heard the fireworks going off and gotten away safely. Yes, yes, that's right. He's fine. And when I come home, I'll make it up to him with some spicy apology sex. He can even take me from behind.

Peering around at the flaming remains of the stage and the people near it, I take it all in, even walking up the backstage steps leading onto the stage itself. The fireworks have run out and those that were able to run away from them have long since escaped. I step around the flames and trot past the damaged band equipment. I do happen to spot about two of the band member's bodies lying around the platform, giving me the chance to kneel down next to Kiki's destroyed corpse and kick Buck's dead body off the front of the stage. Seeing the flames both around me and in front of me with nobody else around, I breath heavily and feel invigorated. Just imagine how many more people I could kill tonight. In fact, that gives me an idea.

Smiling, I turn and walk off the stage, going down the backstage steps as the lighting and platform itself caves in and collapses on itself. My gaze then turns toward the west, where Peridot and Lapis are surely hiding. That day at the Temple, they talked about going to a "barn" and their flight path was in this direction. Barns are known to be in rural type settings and I know that trees and grasslands are west of Beach City. Pulling the knife out of one of the two security guard's necks, I flick the blood off and grin, gripping the handle and looking to where I know I'll be going tonight.

Looks like the night is still young and there are two more people I need to deal with before it's over.