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Nick continued to sift through the database, every so often sneaking peeks at the woman beside him. He didn’t know why she had to be so difficult sometimes; if she just went along with him more, things would go a lot smoother.

Looking down at his watch, Nick pulled up the picture that Pearl had sent to him.

“Here…” Diamond announced, taking the watch off him and holding it up so they could both see it better.

Nick looked the picture over. The person didn’t really look that familiar, no one special or out of the ordinary, really.

“Well, what do you think?”

He shrugged. “I dunno really; doesn’t look familiar to me. Then again, the quality isn‘t that great either.”

“Yeah, but it‘s the best we‘ve got right now,” Diamond sighed, turning back to the screen, typing frantically.

Nick went back to his searching, and a few minutes later, Diamond announced that the information had been received from Pearl.

“Look, there they are!” she announced, pointing at the screen.

Nick wheeled over, and they stared at the screen as the person made their way through the hall, obviously with a specific destination in mind.

“I’ve managed to track the exact location; we should probably get going,” Diamond announced, standing suddenly and hurrying to the door, Nick following her.

“Uhh, Di, not trying to be an ass here, but how are we supposed to find this person? Where the hell are we going?”

“I’ve programmed a copy of the layout that Pearl sent over, and I‘ve printed it out,” Diamond explained, holding up a piece of paper. “Give me a little credit,” she groaned.

“Shut up,” Nick mumbled.

They quickly made their way around, Diamond leading them into the auditorium.

“We have to cross the stage and head on back; it looks like the suspect is making his way towards the back of the auditorium. Hurry, Nick!”


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“We’ve got trouble.”

She looked at her superior, and when he glanced up, she pointed to what she had seen on the camera feeds. On one screen, the two blonde agents of Himitsu Takana, making their way into the auditorium. On the other, their man, already at the back of the large performance hall.

His brown eyes flitted between the two screens, watching the chase play out.

They were close, but he was moving fast. There was still a chance he could escape the agents. But if they caught him… if they caught him…

All Himitsu Takana agents were well-trained, in interrogation techniques and, well, everything. If they caught him, the two 00s just might be able to get important information out of him.

He leaned forward anxiously, drumming his fingertips together.

The two agents were scurrying across the back of the stage now, trying to get to the other side of the auditorium. He glanced to the other screen to see where their man had gotten to. Was he still in the auditorium? At first, he could not see the dark, grainy figure and thought, perhaps, that he had already pushed through the door in the far back corner and disappeared. But a follow-up sweep of the monitors revealed a hint of motion in the second to last row of seats. There, caught by the rear camera’s lens, a shadowy figure crouched, out of sight from the two agents.

Not taking his eyes off the monitor, he hissed to his female companion, “Get him back on the line, now.”

His pretty partner set to work at once, her long fingernails clicking away on the keyboard. Moments later, their blonde protégée’s face appeared on the computer monitor.

“In case you weren’t watching, your boy’s hiding in the back of the auditorium, behind the second to last row of seats,” he informed his agent in a low, deliberate voice. “Don’t attract too much attention to yourself, not with all these people around, but keep an eye on him. Don’t let him out of your sight.”

“I’m on it, boss,” the blonde agent nodded, sounding cocky and bored.

His brown eyes narrowed; he didn’t like the attitude. Maybe he’d been wrong to send Golden Boy on this mission. The latter was well-trained, and he was good; there was no doubt about it. But maybe he wasn’t yet in the right emotional state to serve the organization in this way. Maybe the young hotshot thought he was somehow above this, too good for this kind of mission.

He frowned. If there was one thing he hated, it was people who acted as if they were better than him, especially when it wasn’t true. He knew it wasn’t true. He was every bit as good as them, even if they had never seen it.

“Hm, look at this.” His companion’s voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts. “Saved by the judges, I guess?”

His eyes returned to the feed from the cameras. Nick had moved to the center of the stage, right out in front of everyone. He had a microphone with him. Apparently it was time for his “audition.” And there was no getting out of it if he wanted to look legit.

So one agent was temporarily out of commission, but there was still another. Diamond Divine had crept off the stage and was somewhere in the wings, out of sight.

Watching the cameras closely, he held his breath and waited to see what she would do.


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Diamond sprinted across the stage, Nick close on her heels.

“Next up is…Carter…Nick Carter,” one of the judges sitting in the audience called out just as Nick made his way across the stage.

Nick slid to a stop. “Huh?”

“Excuse me, are you Mr. Carter? Nick Carter?”

Nick grinned suddenly. “Why yes… yes I am. I’m Carter…Nick Carter.” Finally, someone had gotten it right.

Diamond rolled her eyes from her position offstage.

“Okay, you’re next then. Please make your way center stage, and when your music cues, you can start.”

“Uhh, I…I can’t right…”

“Please start the music for Nick Carter!”

Nick looked over at Diamond, who gestured for him to go on as she started to make her way around the auditorium slowly. Looking around as he made his way center stage, he took the mic from the stand in front of him and started to sing, keeping a watchful eye on Diamond.

Another night in any town, you can hear the thunder of their cry. Ahead of their time, they wonder why,” he sang

Turning, he made his way to the right of the stage so he could continue to watch Diamond. “In the shadows of a golden age, a generation waits for dawn. Brave carry on, bold and the strong,” Nick sang, his eyes widening when he noticed the suspect move from his hiding spot and head towards the exit of the auditorium.

Suddenly, Nick pointed towards the back of the auditorium, trying to get Diamonds attention, and then quickly looked over at the judges, who were starting to turn in their seats and look at the back of the auditorium. “Only the young can say, they're free to fly away. Sharing the same desires, burnin' like wildfire,” Nick sang as he executed a perfect dive roll when he noticed the person lift what looked like a gun. He could barely make it out, but it looked as if a silencer was attached.

Moving into a squat position, Nick started to crawl across the stage towards the edge. “They're seein' through the promises and all the lies they dare to tell. Is it heaven or hell? They know very well…” He stood suddenly, his eyes widening as a young woman, whom Nick assumed to be a stagehand, made her way behind him. She was holding some kind of prop. He looked over and noticed the suspect lift his gun again, aiming at him. Reaching out, Nick grabbed the girl suddenly; she dropped the cardboard cut-out and let out a soft squeal. Dropping down to one knee with her, Nick sang the next lines again.

“Only the young can say, they're free to fly away. Sharing the same desires, burnin' like wildfire,” he sang, winking at the girl before pulling her into his arms and standing back up, spinning them around so he could look back out at the auditorium. Diamond had managed to catch up with the guy, hiding behind him.

Nick quickly let the girl go. Taking her hand, he managed to lead her off the stage before heading back towards center stage, while still watching Diamond.

“Only the young can say…only the young can say… only the young can say…” Nick finished, as he set the mic back on the stand, his arms spread open wide.

There was dead silence in the auditorium before someone cleared their throat.

“I have to say, that that has to be one of the worst performances I’ve ever seen,” the British judge announced. “In any case, thank you, we’ll let you know.”

Nick, who was still watching Diamond, mumbled a distracted “thanks” before hurrying off the stage and all the way towards the back of the auditorium.

“Hold it right there,” Nick called, pulling his gun out and aiming it at the guy who was now trying to make his way out.

Diamond joined Nick, coming up beside him.

“Great performance. You’re such a Steve Perry wannabe.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Hey buddy, I said freeze!”

The guy turned.

“Who are you? Who do you work for?” Nick pressed.

The guy just stared at him.

Diamond, who also had her gun focused on him, took a step closer. “Look, you can make this easy, or you can make it hard; it’s up to you.”

The guy stared at them for a moment before responding, “I would think it quite obvious. I work for FANS; my name is DC.”

Nick glanced at Diamond and then back at DC. “DC, is it?”

“That’s what I said, didn’t I?”

“Shut up! Tell me…”

“Well, I can’t tell you if I’m supposed to shut up, right?” DC smirked.

Nick exhaled loudly, and Diamond cleared her throat.

“Anyway, what are you doing here? Why were you trying to kill Nick?”

“Hey, why are we assuming it was just me he was trying to off here?” Nick frowned.

“’Cause he couldn’t see me, Nick.”

“Does it really matter? In the end, you’re both gonna get it.”

“From who? And why?” Nick inquired.

“Simple, there’s…”

DC was cut short suddenly as his body jerked, and he slumped to the floor.

“What the hell?” Diamond called, backing up as someone emerged from the shadows, gun in hand, and into the light.

Nick gasped.

“It’s you!” Diamond cried.

He gave a single nod. “Diamond…” He looked over at Nick. “Nick.”

“Justin.”


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