The speakers crackled to life, and Joe's voice boomed across the arena with the kind of confidence only a true performer could muster. "Ladies and gentlemen!" The crowd's roar was deafening. "Welcome to the New Light Concert!"
As the cheering died down, Joe's expression hardened with fierce determination. "The Sundering Flames thought they could take our light away! That they could turn our day of celebration into mourning, but they were WRONG!" He thrust his fist skyward. "Dead WRONG!"
"To think this was actually his idea," Angelo muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "And free of charge."
Blue's scholarly voice rippled through their shared consciousness with unusual pride: "I believe I can take credit for that inspiration."
The crowd went wild as Joe introduced each performer. First came Starlight, sliding across the stage with effortless grace. Then The Phoenix literally exploded onto the scene in a ball of flame, materializing as a sharp-dressed man who oozed charisma. But when Joe announced Michela Jackzen as "The Queen," the sonic boom of cheering actually made Angelo wince and cover his ears.
Michela silenced the crowd with a single raised hand, her presence commanding absolute attention. "Thank you, thank you," her voice carried warmth that reached even the back rows. "But honestly, none of this would have been possible without a certain someone." She turned with theatrical flourish. "Let me introduce the one who will seal the show: Joe Blackstorm!"
After setting Starlight up to perform first, Joe made his way to Angelo in the VIP section. Sweat glistened on his face as he ran a hand through his carefully styled hair. "Phew, talk about pressure, eh Angel?"
Angelo had to raise his voice over the pounding music. "You'd think you of all people would be used to it by now."
"Here's a performer's secret," Joe leaned in close, his visible eye twinkling. "You never get used to it. It's awesome every time – every crowd is a new crowd."
Neiva squeezed between them, practically vibrating with excitement. "How do you know Joe Blackstorm, Angelo?"
Before Angelo could answer, Red materialized in a swirl of crimson smoke, his predatory grin wider than ever. "We saved his sorry rockstar behind, that's how!"
Joe's trademark smirk twitched before he caught Red in a playful headlock. "Ah, there you are, Blood Red! Gotta hand it to ya, your performance put mine to shame, you tragic clown."
"Eh heh heh," Red's satisfied chuckle carried genuine pleasure at the recognition.
Angelo watched the performers cycle through their songs, each one drawing massive cheers from the crowd. But just before Joe's turn, the rockstar caught Angelo's arm.
"Hey Angel," Joe's voice carried unusual weight. "Make sure you listen to the last two songs. Afterwards, come meet me in my dressing room." He walked away without waiting for a response, leaving Angelo with an uneasy feeling in his gut.
Joe took the stage like he owned it. "Oh yeaahh! Are you ready to rock?" The answering roar shook dust from the stadium's repaired walls. "Lately I can't sleep well, got this static that just won't end. Give it up for 'Midnight Static'!"
As Joe worked through his set list, Angelo found himself actually enjoying the music. But when Joe announced his new song, something in his voice made everyone go silent.
"This next one came from recent experience," Joe's usual showmanship softened into something more genuine. A knowing smirk crossed his face. "It was inspired by a particular local urban legend. This song is all about Judgment – the same judgment the Sundering Flames are about to taste. Give it up for 'Wings of Judgment'!"
Angelo dropped his face into his palm as the music started, remembering how Joe had provided the perfect backdrop for his Angel of Death performance. Beside him, Neiva's knowing looks only made him sink further into embarrassment. But deep down, a tiny part of him had to admit – it was kind of cool having your own theme song.
As the music started, Joe's voice filled the stadium with the first verse of "Wings of Judgment":
Stalking through the city's veins
Where darkness comes to hide
A messenger of heaven's wrath
Won't let the wicked slide
They say he wears a holy crown
While dancing with the damned
Offering salvation's choice
Before he shows his hand
Judgment spreads its wings tonight
Heaven's wrath has come to call
Choose your path toward the light
Or let your empire fall
Death becomes divinity
When justice finds its way
So kneel before your destiny
Or fade into the grave
"Oh man, he really got your thing there, eh, Angie?" Red snickered in response to the chorus, making Angelo grumble and sink lower in his spot. Whispers rippled through the crowd as people started connecting the lyrics to stories they'd heard about the Angel of Death.
The song continued, each verse making Angelo want to disappear more:
Not every soul can be redeemed
When sins run far too deep
Some choices can't be taken back
Some promises can't keep
But even in your darkest hour
When shadows cage your heart
He'll give you one last chance to change
Before he tears your world apart
Judgment spreads its wings tonight
Heaven's wrath has come to call
Choose your path toward the light
Or let your empire fall
Death becomes divinity
When justice finds its way
So kneel before your destiny
Or fade into the grave
They call him death's messenger
Walking sacred ground
Where mortal laws surrender
And sinners can be found
His mercy is a blessing
That some don't live to taste
When judgment comes collecting
No evil goes to waste
Judgment spreads its wings tonight
Heaven's wrath has come to call
Choose your path toward the light
Or watch your empire fall
Death becomes divinity
When justice claims its due
So kneel before your destiny
Or let it kneel for you
When the final notes faded, the crowd erupted in wild cheers. Angelo's face remained firmly buried in his palm while Neiva giggled beside him, clearly enjoying his embarrassment. Through their mental link, he could feel Red's endless amusement at the whole situation.
Joe gripped the microphone with both hands, his playful attitude suddenly dropping away. "Thank you, thank you!" His voice grew serious, carrying a weight that made the whole stadium go quiet. "This next one is for all the Luminians out there. The Sundering Flames' attack was honestly devastating. I'm shaking with rage just thinking about it. All this death and destruction..."
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
You could hear a pin drop as he continued, "Honestly it's overwhelming. It's easy to fall into the darkness after losing your house or worse, your friends and family..." His voice cracked with real emotion before suddenly strengthening. "But we are Luminia! We are founded by light! The Sundering Flames cannot and will not dim this light of ours, this ETERNAL LIGHT!"
Music filled the air as Joe launched into his next song, sending chills down Angelo's spine:
Born from darkness, forged in flame
When hope seemed lost, our light remained
Through endless storms we made our way
Till dawn broke on that sacred day
They tried to break our spirit's core
But light shines brighter than before
No shadow's deep enough to hide
The flame that burns in us inside
We are the light that never fades
A flame that darkness cannot break
Rising higher through the haze
A destiny they cannot take
Let our light shine through the night
Till every shadow burns away
We are the dawn that ends their night
The light that leads us to our way
They thought our spirit they could tame
By bringing shadows back again
But every child of light still stands
With fire burning in their hands
Our legacy was built on hope
When light cut through the darkest rope
Now stand together, burning bright
As children of the new born light
We are the light that never fades
A flame that darkness cannot break
Rising higher through the haze
A destiny they cannot take
Let our light shine through the night
Till every shadow burns away
We are the dawn that ends their night
The light that leads us to our waayyy YEAHHHH
The music gotten quiet and started to build up.
Let them come with all their might
They'll never dim our sacred flame
For every shadow of the night
Just makes our light burn wild again
As Joe sang, his yellow aura began to glow softly, perfectly timed with the building music. Light Aurons around the stadium joined in, creating patterns that danced through the air like the Zypherian lights. Their powers turned the music into something you could see as well as hear:
We are the dawn they could not break
The hope they tried to steal away
Now watch our light begin to take
The darkness from their hearts away
As Joe delivered the second to final chorus, his aura began to shift and evolve, only completing the transformation before the final chorus.
We are the light that never fades
A flame that darkness cannot break
Rising higher through the haze
A destiny they cannot take
Let our light shine through the night
Till every shadow burns away
We are the dawn that ends their night
The light that leads us to our way
He crashed his mic against the floor and kicked it aside – his evolved powers letting him project his voice naturally now. With both hands free for his guitar, he threw his whole soul into the final verses:
We are the light that NEVER fades
A flame that darkness CANNOT break
Rising higher through the haze
A destiny they cannot take
Let our LIGHT shine through the NIGHT
Till every shadow burns away
We're gonna make our own way right
The light that leads us through these daaaayyys
The last note hung in the air as Joe stood with his fist raised high, his evolved aura blazing around him like captured lightning. The crowd's response wasn't just cheering – it was like a wave of sound and emotion, releasing everything they'd been holding inside since the attacks.
Looking around at the tears and smiles on people's faces, Angelo came upon a realization. Maybe music could heal wounds that medicine couldn't touch.
Angelo found Joe's dressing room after what felt like forever, having to show his VIP pass to about a million security guards. His knuckles rapped against the door, heart beating faster than he wanted to admit.
"It's me," he called out.
"Come on in!" Even through the door, Joe's voice sounded completely drained.
The dressing room looked exactly like Angelo would've imagined – makeup scattered across counters, clothes thrown everywhere, and Joe sprawled in a chair looking like he'd just run a marathon. His fancy clothes were stuck to him with sweat, and his perfect hair had given up the fight to stay styled.
Angelo shuffled his feet, feeling completely out of place. "That was... better than I thought it would. Never been much for concerts..."
"Yeah?" Joe's visible eye sparkled with something that made Angelo nervous. "Funny thing about you, Angel – I've finally cracked your code."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Angelo crossed his arms, defensive walls shooting up instantly.
Joe leaned forward, all traces of his stage persona gone. "First time we met, you were all 'grr, fear me, I am darkness.' But that's not the real you, is it? It's armor you put on."
"Back off," Angelo growled, but his heart wasn't in it.
"Hold up, let me paint you a picture," Joe held up a hand. "Little kid, probably got picked on a lot. Didn't have many friends because..." he gestured vaguely at Angelo's whole situation with Red and Blue. "Sound familiar?"
"You don't know anything about—" Angelo started, but Joe's next words hit like a thunderbolt.
"Actually, I know exactly how it feels. Because that used to be me." All the rockstar swagger was gone, leaving just raw honesty. "But here's where our paths split, and I'll tell you why if you want to hear it."
Angelo's mouth opened and closed before he managed, "Why?"
"Because you're still letting that hurt kid call the shots." Joe's words were gentle but they still stung. "The Angel of Death? That's him trying to fix an unfair world the only way he knows how."
"Hold up," Angelo thought back about Wings of Judgement's lyrics. "You only saw what happened with those terrorists. I wasn't giving speeches about redemption – I had a clear order to kill on sight."
A knowing smile played across Joe's face. "Yeah? Then my song got some details wrong? Funny, since I did my homework after hearing your little performance. Talked to a lot of people who've seen the Angel of Death in action."
"Tch." Angelo looked away. "So what, you're here to tell me to stop?"
"Nah, that's not my style. Your methods might be up for debate, but your heart's in the right place." Joe stretched, bones popping. "But as someone who crawled out of the same dark place you're in, I thought maybe I could help you see something important."
Angelo's whole body radiated 'leave me alone' energy, but Joe pressed on anyway.
"Fair warning – this is gonna make you want to punch me in the face." He took a deep breath. "Yes, you got hurt. Yes, bad stuff happened to you. But staying hurt? That part's on you."
"EXCUSE ME?!" Angelo exploded, eyes flashing orange dangerously. "How DARE you?! You think I asked to be different? To have people think I was crazy? To grow up without parents to help me know any better?!"
Joe didn't even blink. "Tell me something – when's the last time you gave someone a chance to actually know you before assuming they were against you?"
The question hit Angelo like a physical blow. Images flashed through his mind – all the times he'd pushed people away first, convinced they'd hurt him eventually anyway. Even Neiva and Bill, he remembered not being thrilled about any connection with them.
"See, you were a victim," Joe's voice was soft now. "No question about that. But you're the one choosing to stay a victim. And that's the real prison."
Angelo stared at his feet, voice barely a whisper. "Why would anyone choose that?"
"Because it's safe." Joe sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "When you're the victim, nothing's your fault. Nothing's your responsibility to fix. But it means giving up your power to change things."
As Angelo's breathing slowly steadied, Joe added, "Want to know the real kicker? You probably could've connected with some of those kids who seemed against you. But you never gave them the chance, did you?"
"How..." Angelo's voice cracked. "How do you know all this?"
"Told you – I lived it. But one day I decided to stop being Timid Joe, always waiting to get hurt." A fierce grin spread across his face. "That's the day Joe Blackstorm was born."
He stood up, guitar slung across his back like a weapon. "Think about it. The minute you realize you can change your own story – that's when you'll really start to soar." Their eyes locked. "That's what you want, isn't it? To reach the top?"
Angelo managed a small nod, still processing everything.
"Here," Joe pulled out his phone. "Let's trade numbers. Something tells me you're going to be one hell of an inspiration. The Angel of Death's story is just beginning."
After they exchanged info, Joe headed for the door. But Angelo found his voice at the last second. "Hey." Joe paused. "I... thanks."
Joe just gave a casual wave and disappeared, leaving Angelo alone with his thoughts. And with Red and Blue, who for once had nothing smart to say.
Wings of Judgement "
Eternal Light"