{"id":219,"date":"2014-12-30T03:09:26","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T03:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=219"},"modified":"2021-10-21T16:30:04","modified_gmt":"2021-10-21T21:30:04","slug":"part3","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode2\/part3\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 2: \u00a0Idolize Me<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 3<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Diamond bounded out of the room and quickly ran to Nick. \u201cI get to go to the next round!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick crossed his arms as a scowl covered his face. \u201c\u2018Hey Nicky,\u2019 huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you it was Lancy\u2019s idea. I should text him and tell him how much Paulette loved it!\u201d Diamond chirped. \u201cHe\u2019ll be so excited!\u201d She pulled out her phone and proceeded to type on the keypad.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were flirting with other men while singing my name!\u201d Nick spat, his blood boiling as his muscles tensed. After pulling her phone from her, he put his hand on her shoulder.<\/p>\n

Diamond looked up into his eyes. \u201cYou said to focus on the things I\u2019m good at. If flirting with you would help me get to the next round for our mission, I\u2019d do it in a heartbeat.\u201d She leaned close to his ear, lowering her voice to a whisper. \u201cI\u2019m sorry\u2026 Nicky.\u201d<\/p>\n

The brush of her breath on his skin made the hair on his neck stand up as the anger subsided.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter your first audition,\u201d she continued to whisper, \u201cI\u2019ll take you upstairs and blow your mind too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDesiree\u2026\u201d Nick whispered, leaning toward her as he snaked his hand up the back of her head, threading his fingers through her hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cEntry number 006980,\u201d the same production assistant called.<\/p>\n

Nick remained still, leaning closer to Diamond. \u201cThink they\u2019ll wait a minute? Or twenty?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEntry number 006980,\u201d the male voice called again.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust go.\u201d Diamond kissed his cheek. \u201cYou\u2019ll do great. You\u2019re always singing at headquarters and on missions, now K\u2019s letting you do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick grumbled, slowly removing his hand from her head and phone. He stuck his hands in his jacket\u2019s side pockets as he shuffled toward the open door.<\/p>\n

Once he reached the stage, Nick faked a smile for the judges. \u201cMy name is Nick Carter, and I will be singing\u2026\u201d He paused momentarily; Lancy had given Diamond an idea, but he had no plan at all! He put his hand to his head and spit out, \u201c…an original song.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInteresting\u2026\u201d murmured the heavy judge, studying him carefully through his glasses.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well. Off you go,\u201d came the British judge\u2019s curt command.<\/p>\n

Nick searched his head for the first line that came to mind. \u201cIf you want it to be good, girl, get yourself a bad boy!\u201d Nick paused momentarily and then began doing some sort of pop-locking dance with pelvic thrusts. Something he found to be truly ingenious for having just come up with the song he sang. \u201cIf you want it to be wild\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cGotta know just who to dial, baby… that\u2019s me.<\/em>
\nIf you really like it hot<\/em>
\nGet someone who hits the spot, honey\u2026 oh yes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Nick spotted a folding chair leaning against the wall. He strutted over to it as though he had planned to grab it all along, then unfolded the flimsy metal chair and gave it a swift kick. He then started a dance that involved a little kicking the chair, and a little picking up the chair, and a little walking away with the chair. At one point, he even humped the chair. \u201cAnd if you want it to get done\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBabe, you gotta get the one<\/em>
\nThe one who\u2019s got it goin\u2019 on<\/em>
\nIf you wanna make it last<\/em>
\nGotta know just who to ask<\/em>
\nBabe, he\u2019s gotta be the best\u2026 tonight it\u2019s me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The judges stared at Nick, completely speechless.<\/p>\n

Seeing their impressed — disgusted was probably a better word — reactions, Nick continued his impromptu song and dance. \u201cIf you want it to be good, girl, get yourself a bad boy!\u201d He then walked over to the female evaluator and leaned against her section of the table. \u201cIf you really want it good girl, get yourself a bad boy\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cGet it like it could be, would be<\/em>
\nYeah, like it should be<\/em>
\nIf you want it to be good, girl<\/em>
\nGet yourself a bad boy.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The British critic put his hand up to stop Nick\u2019s display.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow\u2026 I dunno, dawg,\u201d said the first judge, shaking his head critically. \u201cThat song was just weird, man. But look, man, check it out — the singing actually wasn\u2019t too bad. I kinda like your voice; I think you\u2019ve got some talent, dawg. I\u2019ll say yes, but pick a better song next time, dawg.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick smirked to himself. How had he managed to pull that off? A slight motion in the back of the room caught his eye: a shadow near the sound control panel behind the judges. Nick opened his mouth slightly, beginning to pull his gun from his pocket before remembering that he was trying not to not draw attention to himself. The only good part about pulling out that gun would be that he would have plenty of time to finish his domino project back at Himitsu Takana. Nick turned back to the judges, keeping the figure in his peripheral vision as he nodded at their feedback.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I thought the whole performance was fantastic!\u201d exclaimed the female judge, her dark eyes shining as she looked upon Nick in admiration. \u201cYou have a real talent! You\u2019re a natural performer; I loved the choreography! And your voice is just orgasmic<\/em>\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Paulette!\u201d interjected the British man loudly, his eyes widening. Chuckling, he shook his head at Nick and said, \u201cIf this were a dancing competition, it\u2019d be a no from me. The choreography reminded me of some horrid boyband from the late nineties. If it were a songwriting competition, it\u2019d be a definite<\/em> no. The song was appalling<\/em>. But\u2026 it\u2019s a singing competition, and you can sing. So it\u2019s a yes. And I\u2019ll agree with Randolph — you\u2019d be smart to pick a much better song for the next round.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once they finished their critique, Nick bolted out of the room to find Diamond.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cStill got an itch down there?\u201d she asked as she tinkered with a new weapon, having set aside the in-progress automatic bra due to a mental block on how to fix a problem. Instead, the female agent worked on a stylish hat that belonged to one of her superiors. She tapped her fingers against the shimmering metal desk before her, wondering how she would accomplish the image she had in mind.<\/p>\n

The male agent turned away from the screen with a raised brow, and she smirked in response. He was far too entertained by the images before him.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not anymore. Heh, man has his needs too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAny sign of the figure you thought might be the guest our lovely blond duo are looking for?\u201d<\/p>\n

He chuckled as he scratched his arm before rubbing the goatee he had growing. \u201cFunny you tease them about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cException here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFunny, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh shush, at least we know they\u2019re in.\u201d<\/p>\n

He snickered to himself. \u201cAnd how they got in. Did you see her?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her blue eyes focused once more on the object before her. \u201cYes, but I didn\u2019t stare like you did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNah, you looked at Nick more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, did not. Out of concern, purely. Also I didn\u2019t know he was so talented at songwriting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTalented\u2026 right… change the subject.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHeh.\u201d Her gaze went back on the hat. She picked it up and started turning it around in her hands. Now, how to get a razorblade discreetly in the bill area of the fedora…<\/p>\n

Jay\u2019s voice got her attention. \u201cIsn\u2019t that one of mine?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl grinned, still examining the black fedora hat before her, the flawless white feather tucked along the side of it sliding against her slender fingers. \u201cGot an idea for it. Any sign of the company you spotted yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

The dark-haired superior agent shook his head as he turned his attention back to the monitor. \u201cNot yet. Could have been seeing things; I don\u2019t think our agents spotted it either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou likely did see something; you\u2019ve been in the game longer, trained us…\u201d<\/p>\n

He tapped his fingers against the metal of the table, much like she had been doing moments before. \u201cThat, or I\u2019m worried.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s natural. Trust me. I\u2019m like that right now too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou? You\u2019ve been like that since the incident. You and Nick both.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you haven\u2019t?\u201d she pointed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot as bad,\u201d he retorted.<\/p>\n

She shook her head and got her tools out, again unwilling to discuss it. \u201cLet\u2019s just focus on what needs to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cDi–\u201d Nick stopped himself abruptly. \u201cDesiree!\u201d<\/p>\n

Diamond looked up from her phone, seeing Nick\u2019s energetic running and shouting. She gave him a gleaming smile. \u201cYou made it too! Let\u2019s get drinks and a room to celebrate!\u201d<\/p>\n

Thinking back on where they left off before his audition, Nick wrapped his arm around her waist. \u201cNow we have two things to celebrate…\u201d Nick started leading her away from the audition and toward the reservations desk, then abruptly smacked himself in the forehead. Ditching the mission to spend time with Diamond would also land him straight back at HimTak with his dominoes. \u201cWhat am I doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBuying me dinner,\u201d Diamond piped up.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, afterward\u2026\u201d Nick held his head in his hand. \u201cSomeone was messing with the sound panel!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sound panel?\u201d Diamond gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. \u201cYou mean the people that are infiltrating the competition have struck?\u201d When Nick nodded, Diamond looked around. \u201cHow do we sneak in?\u201d She then pointed to a second door beside the one Nick had run from. \u201cThere?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cQuietly.\u201d Nick nodded. \u201cAs much as I miss my dominoes, I\u2019m not going back to HimTak.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou played with dominoes?\u201d Diamond squealed.<\/p>\n

Nick put his hand over her mouth and shook his head. \u201cI\u2019ll explain tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn bed?\u201d Diamond\u2019s muffled voice broke through his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWherever you want,\u201d Nick whispered, winking as he pulled his gun from his pocket. His other hand remained over Diamond\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a nice fantasy,\u201d she mused, \u201cbeing whisked away for interrogation by Agent 008. Can we play this tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and it\u2019s 00Carter!\u201d Nick hissed, letting go of her mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t wait.\u201d Diamond winked as Nick pulled the door lightly, and the two stalked through the shadows. Inside, the current audition was ending poorly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat<\/em> was that?!<\/em>\u201d the dry, English-accented voice sputtered. \u201cThat was quite possibly the worst audition I have ever witnessed. Are you serious?\u201d<\/p>\n

The poor girl on stage began bawling; it was painful to watch.<\/p>\n

Nick looked up to where he had seen the shadowed figure. Nothing. He clenched his jaw, baring his teeth. Where could the shadow have gone? His fist shook. This mission was his chance to prove himself, and he was already getting distracted by playing sex games with Diamond or posing as an idol. He had even gone so far as composing and choreographing a song while he was in the process of singing it! K would love this; he\u2019d call him a disgrace for sure. And then he\u2019d be stuck back at Himitsu Takana trying to line dominoes all through the building. Of course, K would have discovered the dominoes by then, and Nick would have to find some new activity to occupy his time! If they didn\u2019t lock him in his office while wearing a straight jacket first\u2026<\/p>\n

When the next contestant began, Nick silently dragged Diamond toward the sound system and ducked behind it. Once hidden, he frivolously checked the time on his watch. After remembering it was incapable of telling time, he managed to find the communicator once more. \u201cPearl!\u201d he whispered harshly. \u201cPearl, what\u2019s the time?!\u201d He hit his head again. \u201cI mean\u2026 Pearl, we have a problem!\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

She glanced up from her work as her superior tapped a few keys to switch the monitor back to a split-screen of Nick and Diamond staring at each other in the sound system\u2019s shadow. After all, they were the main focus at the moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean\u2026 Pearl, we have a problem!\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl touched her headset idly. \u201cRelax. Oh, and it\u2019s 9 p.m., by the way. What\u2019s the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey struck, or at least started to,\u201d Nick replied as he looked around, wondering how they had possibly tampered with the system. Had the figure had actually done anything, or had it run off when it saw them coming?<\/p>\n

Diamond stood, smirking as she ran her hand along the complicated sound system and scanned the shadows. Nick chuckled at her smirk, wondering what could have been running through her head. They made the phrase \u201cif looks could kill\u201d with her in mind, so maybe she\u2019d show him in their room later after some interrogation. Diamond glanced down at him, catching him staring, and ran her tongue over her lips seductively.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, focus! When did this happen?\u201d Pearl asked, bringing the attention of both agents back where it should be.<\/p>\n

\u201cTowards the end of my audition,\u201d Nick replied as he stood to check out the sound device more closely. \u201cI tried to tell you, but my watch doesn\u2019t tell time, remember?\u201d A cocky smirk crossed his face.<\/p>\n

Jay snickered as he heard Nick. \u201cWatch that doesn\u2019t tell time, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl glared at both of them, wiping the amusement from their faces. \u201cShush, Blondie. Jay, don\u2019t even go there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can a watch not tell time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Diamond raised a brow as she listened to the noise emitting from the watch. \u201cYour watch doesn\u2019t tell time?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we lay off the watch? It does everything else under the sun and isn\u2019t the issue here!\u201d Pearl pouted. \u201cWere you facing this direction when you saw the enemy strike?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick nodded. \u201cYeah, which wasn\u2019t easy while I was supposed to be paying attention to snotty judges.\u201d<\/p>\n

Using Pearl\u2019s computer, Jay pulled up the feed from Nick\u2019s bug. Luckily, he and K both knew the basics of Pearl\u2019s surveillance system even though she had done a complicated and extensive upgrade after taking over the science department. He started skimming over the rewound footage from Nick\u2019s bug and paused when he thought he saw some sort of figure beyond where the judges were sitting. He waved Pearl over. \u201cLooks like that\u2019s him.\u201d He had the computer zoom in on the image, but, unfortunately, it couldn\u2019t make out the features because Nick had been too far away. However, it did reveal the time: 8:35 p.m. \u201cThink you can hack into their camera system and find him?\u201d<\/p>\n

She stretched, cracking her back against her chair. \u201cI can, but it might take a few. With this contest, they probably have more security walls than the CIA does for their entire system.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

She rolled the chair back to her own computer and started typing furiously. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of sad, really, since it\u2019s a TV show made to mock everyone, and they protect it more than governments protect their secrets. \u2019Cause we all know knowing the winner too soon will cause the end of the world sooner than secret locations of weaponry and terrorist bases.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick snickered. \u201cOr instructions on how to make watches that don\u2019t tell time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWatch it, or you can walk home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay chuckled. \u201cYou two keep an eye out. Diamond, go back to where the other contestants are and see if you can find anything. We\u2019ll send you the information as soon as we get it. Nick, look for abnormalities. Any new CDs in, any new songs programmed, anything new or different, point it out and make sure your camera takes the entire sound system in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl was silent except for the sound of her slender fingers tapping against the keys of her keyboard. Her eyes focused on the screen, decoding as fast as she could so she could hack into the MGM Grand Casino\u2019s camera and security system. Despite Global Idol<\/em>\u2019s security for spoilers, they might not have covered every camera in the casino, and that was what she was counting on. If they had, that meant more work trying to drill a hole through the many protective walls they undoubtedly had guarding recordings of the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see anything different. I think they caught my gaze earlier and split before changing anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, 008–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c00Carter!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you catch any details on him that might be useful?\u201d Jay scratched his tanned arm, knowing they had to nip this operation in the bud, and quietly as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think they had short blond hair.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that narrows it down,\u201d Pearl quipped as she kept typing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t done; probably a guy, blond hair, skinny frame, sort of like…the old 009\u2019s, but this guy looked uglier from a distance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl winced at the mention but continued listening to Nick as she got further into the system. \u201cContinue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMight have been wearing blue, not sure; it\u2019s pretty dark back here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay jotted Nick\u2019s description down. \u201cIf nothing else, this is a start. Have you seen him audition yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick paused before part of the audio controls. \u201cI didn\u2019t recognize him, so I don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, watch the rest of the–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGot it!\u201d Pearl exclaimed, turning the screen towards him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that clear.\u201d Jay frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlame the lighting. It\u2019s better than ours, and you get a better idea of the features here. I can start running scans to see if it matches anyone signed up to audition at Global Idol<\/em>, if I can ever get into their files. The casino is one thing; the Global Idol<\/em> database might be harder. I\u2019m sending the picture to the watch, which should print out a picture that\u2019s about half the size of a wallet size. Another feature that\u2019s more important than a clock. Diamond will get a copy through her phone. I\u2019m focusing it as much as I can, but it\u2019s still a bit blurry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have your suspect; now get to it,\u201d Jay commanded before Pearl shut off her communication link.<\/p>\n

She continued typing, already trying to see if she could get into the show\u2019s system, knowing the time it would take her. Meanwhile, Jay dug through the files on their own database, seeing if it matched anyone the agency had encountered before. They were determined to help their agents find their man, no matter who tried to stop them. They were going to eliminate anyone who wanted to get in the way. Anyone.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 4<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 2: \u00a0Idolize Me Part 3   Diamond bounded out of the room and quickly ran to Nick. \u201cI get to go to the next round!\u201d Nick crossed his arms as a scowl covered his face. \u201c\u2018Hey Nicky,\u2019 huh?\u201d \u201cI told you it was Lancy\u2019s idea. I should text him\u2026<\/p>\n

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