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We are all wearing our lenses Through thelass doors, while a Warcross logo hovers over the top of the building The sidewalk’s pave colors The club’s naiant, glowing logo Even fro music from inside--the deep beats of a DJ Ren track

The only people allowed inside the club tonight are the official Warcross players, the e of Warcross fans ere picked by a lottery system to attend Now they’re clustered outside in a haphazard line, waiting for the security to let them in As our team approaches the entrance, the fans let out a chorus of screa black face , and full, her outfit a yellow-and-white dress paired with black heels Asher co sleek in a bold red suit, while Roshan is dressed from head to toe in black

My hands fiddle constantly with the hem of one of my new dresses It’s layered in soft white chiffon, which contrasts nicely with her than I thought it would I’ve never been inside an upscale club like this one, and as alk past the crowd of fans, I wonder if maybe I should’ve picked a different outfit Hideo will be here tonight, after all The last thing I want to look like in front of him is uncomfortable

A commotion farther down the fans’ line h, Hideo is there, flanked by a bevy of bodyguards They’re giving hih, and when I look closer, I realize that he’s kneeling to sign a poster for a little girl She says soh I can’t h in return The sound surprises enuine and boyish, so unlike his distant de there for a moment before I finally turn back around and follow round As we step out of the elevator, theo, taking off her faceit away in her purse I follow her lead "Sound Museuot the best sound system in the city!" she shouts "All custoo, too--it’s double the size it used to be"

We reach the bottouards lets us in I step into a yawning cavern of darkness, flashing lights, and a pounding bass that shakes me deep in my chest

Even withoutis at least three floors high, and lights of neon blue, green, and gold strobe the roo us with color A sea of people fills the roo wildly A fainta surreal haze Enor line the walls, as well as the backdrop of the h an animatic of each Warcross team

But with ical The ceiling looks like a night sky covered by a sheet of stars, with green and red streaks of what look like Northern Lights dancing from one end to the other So us with sparks, as if stardust is raining over us Every tiht Official players on the floor shine in the dark, their outfits lit up in neon, their na over their heads like golden trophies Around theet a moment of their ti, I remind myself Maybe the other bounty hunters, too

My eyes dart to the stage itself The space is enor as a concert hall, and a live orchestra is sitting in the pit right below Against the stage’s backdrop is a towering screen with an ice-blue dragon’s head breaking out through it Fire appears to shoot out from its mouth in a spectacular display It takes on itself is also virtual--itits head at every dropped beat, its growl echoing fro in front of the dragon’s er with short, artificially blond curls and clothes in neon shades of blue Frankie Dena! She’s singing the chorus to one of her collaborations with DJ Ren: "Hey Ninja / Gangsta / Dragon Lady / Hey, where you from, no, where you really from, baby / Hey, how ’bout / you cut all that shit out / Yeah!" Dancers pump their arms to the rhythm

Then she sees us and pauses

"The Phoenix Riders are in the house!" she shouts The strobe lights shoot toward us, and suddenly we are drenched in a red glow Cheers erupt around us, loud enough to shake the floors Frankie grins and points up to a figure standing high at the top of the dragon wall "Show your teaure at the top looks up only briefly froold bars He is decked out in his classic DJ attire--a black, well-tailored suit, gold shades, a gold face old er god Herrave;s The track shifts in one smooth measure--the sound of electric violins, cellos, and a deep, reverberating beat fills the space At the saon head on the wall asp as the floor see away to reveal ht as each of the in the lava

DJ Ren bows his head over his instruh as the music’s tempo increases to a fever pitch, until I can hardly bear it Then he brings a punishing bass down on our heads The roo limbs Music fills me to the brim