Eleven: The Sequel of AlterMyth

And Hell Froze Over

She knew that this was going to be one for the history books. - the first acapella performance for both sides of the Iron Curtain. This wasn't lost on her.

"Thank you, everyone." Irys spoke graciously to the crew, "Please - let's get started."

With that, Irys was led into the recording booth behind the sound control panel. It was a brightly-lit, soundproof room with a stool, a microphone stand and a window into the main studio. There was even a GKTV-5 television camera set up behind that window too.

Irys brought out her crystal microphone and set it on the stand. She took a seat on the stool and gathered herself for the performance that lay ahead of her. She looked out the window and watched the crew scramble over their equipment. Then, she looked at her reflection on the lens of the television camera.

C'mon Irys. You can do this. You're a recording artist - this ain't your first rodeo. It's just another recording session. It's just another recording session!

Irys closed her eyes and focused her thoughts. She thought about her songs, going through the chords and melodies piece by piece. She took long, deep breaths and prepared herself to sing a medley just like she did during her battles with the Horrors.

However, once the soundproof door of the recording booth closed, the sudden silence gripped Irys. The din of the crew beyond the window disappeared, replaced by stark, deafening silence.

Irys found herself alone with her thoughts. She could hear her own heart beating against her chest. Her hands trembled. Cold sweat formed on her brow.

Her two-colored eyes shot open, searching for Bae. Instead of the red rat-girl, however, Irys saw the red light of the television camera flicker on beyond the window.

The camera was rolling

The microphone was live.

The world was listening.

Irys froze. Her mouth creaked open ajar, but no song emerged. Only faint wisps of magic gathered around her - barely enough to crystallize even a measly Type A Horror.

Irys gripped her kneecaps. The bright lights hanging overhead in the booth threatened to blind her. She felt the eyes and ears of the world regarding her, scrutinizing her. The false, shadow-twisted words of Calliope Mori reared its ugly head in her mind once more.

A shadowy image of Calliope Mori manifested beyond the window of the recording booth. Irys saw that mirage frowning at her, showing their disappointment and displeasure clearly. The silence in the booth persisted, but Irys could read the words that Calli's mirage mouthed.

It was the same scathing tirades that she heard on the battlefield just minutes ago.

Irys' grips on her kneecaps intensified. The shadow that Irys cast started to stir. Five seconds of global dead air became ten, then fifteen, then thirty. Then, all of the sudden, Irys found her voice and her song.

She opened her mouth in earnest and started to sing into her crystal microphone.

Wisps of radiant maroon magic manifested around her, swirling around inside the studio like it always did in battle. The crystal microphone absorbed Irys' maroon magic, amplifying it many times over. However, the broadcast tower of the GKTV-5 television station amplified Irys' powers exponentially more!

Irys' supercharged magic flew through the airwaves and were carried throughout the world by the Telstar and Sputnik satellites, activating the SSS network. TV and radio stations tuned in to the SSS picked up the signal and broadcast the Nephilim's song.

The world was flooded with Irys' magic. Wisps of Irys' magic emerged from the speakers of radios and televisions sets. They also emerged from the invisible radio waves emanating from broadcast towers carrying the Nephilim's song.