Chapter 9 - CHAPTER 9: RAP BATTLES

One fine day you might be the one

trample on the Blood

of the one we call the Son

Don't wanna kill your dead past

you're the only one who never ever

wanna know your last

but I hate your laugh

and I hate your path

and I hate the way that you react

You're on your own trip,

and broke the friendship,

and played the cheap tricks,

and acrobatics know your tactics,

and hate the waiting,

I know you're faking

and patience breaking, you're calculating

you took no warning, and now you're wanting

Now you see, one two three

set you free, it may be,

things like that can't be bad

you feel sad, makes you mad

lay your crown, let's bow down

at his feet, feel the heat

for your loss, paid the cost

at the cross, broke the flaws

Hey, why you pointing your fingers at me, bro?

Step up to the microphone and show me what you got, yo!

Hey, you there! I see you pointing your fingers at me, bro!

Stand up to the microphone and show me what you got, yo!

Hey, you there, pointing at my gun,

crumbled down the gates of the one who's on the run

con-artists of your own types never wanna face the music,

Jayden never liked your vibes

and I hate your knack, and I hate your flack

You're such a laid-back; you're off your track

you sang your own lies, and said your bye-byes,

and while your heart cried, and now you feel dry

and got your hands tied and you're just conning, and so confusing,

it's compromising, you're agitating

and you've been losing, and options closing

Now you see, one two three

set you free, it may be,

things like that can't be bad

you feel sad, makes you mad

lay your crown, let's bow down

at his feet, feel the heat

for your loss, paid the cost

at the cross, broke the flaws

We go where no man goes, we cry out where the streets are dry

People, they cry for help

Is there no one to lend a hand

Transitpoint, "Microfone"

Cain called his latino friend Andreas, who was one of the most deadly rappers at Murdutch whom nobody wanted to mess with. He was vicious with words and used to have his own group of ten rappers. Because the guys were hotheaded and always ready for a fight, they had gotten into a physical altercation with Cain and his gang, but Cain and his gang had busted them up really bad in a fight. So now they recognized him as top dog ,their leader and joined him. Then Cain had gone ahead and chose thirteen good rappers from Andreas's group and another rival group he had beaten to form the group that he named Bite Force 13. Cain discussed the problem of the newly rising rapper on campus with Andreas, and they began plotting together.

* * *

One day, Jay was walking around campus with Duke and another guy named Dan. Dan's parents were from the United States but moved to the UAE to work in a private firm in Dubai. Jay and Dan had become best friends over the second term.

Suddenly, Andreas walked up to them. He draped a shirt over his tight tee to cover his , tattoos and knife marks that spread all over his arms and body. He wore gold earrings, rings, a silver chain around his neck and a goatee. He was a student of business management , was serious about his music but an average rapper who was overconfident.. "Hey, you!" he said to Jay. "I heard you're a rapper, but I wanna see what you can spit, so tomorrow at lunch break, you and me in the corridor, okay? Gonna get a small crowd of my friends, and let's see what you got."

Jay didn't know if this was a joke, so he asked, "Is this for real?"

Andreas stepped right in front of Jay. "Yeah, for real, punk," he said and walked away.

Duke and Dan had stood by Jay to prevent any altercations from arising. As the three continued walking, Jay caught sight of the lean, muscular frame of Cain.

He was watching and chuckling to somebody. But when Cain made eye contact with Jay, his face changed. Cain 's eyes were evil as he stared into Jay's .

Jay looked away to avoid confrontation.

Duke and Dan went off to their classes, and Jay went to the university library. He pulled a dictionary off a shelf and started working on his vocabulary and brushing up on his rap lines.

When he was done with his classes, Jay rode home and continued to work on some rap lines until he fell asleep.

The next day, Jay parked his Harley on campus and walked up to his building. Duke, Dan, Ash, and Stan were waiting for him.

"' Greetings brethren," Jay said as they did their personalized handshakes.

Just then, Andreas, and a few of the guys from Bite Force 13 walked up to Jay.

"Today as I told u in the corridor, you and me, we battle," Andreas said, pointing at Jay's chest. "Okay?"

Jay was calm. He nodded and then continued walking to class. His boys were around him.

After Jay and his friends went into the building, Dan was the first one to speak. "Dude, are you serious about this? They want to battle you.These guys are good rappers."

Jay smiled and said, "The Emperor is my strength."

Jay concentrated in class as he scribbled notes in his notebook. After his morning classes were over, he packed up his bag to go to the cafeteria.

Duke, Ash, and Stan were with him. Dan had called a few more friends to accompany them, just to make sure they had no altercation. Jay had to cross the corridor, and as they did, they saw that there was a small crowd waiting with Andreas. They saw Cain and his friends leaning on the wall and laughing in the back.

When Jay approached them, Andreas stepped up to Jay and began freestyle rapping:

Who is this newbie on the turf?

He looks like a skinny ass dolphin washed from the surf

It's time to remind yourself your rap gun ain't gonna work,

I'ma cock my rifle and blow your brains out

Wanna see me land you like I land a trout?

Something tells me this boy is gonna end up in a clout

My vocab is higher level

So if you think you're an angel, then meet the devil.

The crowd cheered for Andreas.

Cain and his friends were laughing as they walked up front to watch. "He is going to kill you, lil' man," Cain said to Jay.

"Andreas and Bite Force 13 to the win," called out a few members of Bite Force 13 .

As someone began to beat box, all eyes were on Jay. Jay glanced at Dan and then at Duke. They stood in full support, showing thumbs-up. Stanley and Ashley clapped for Jay.

Then Jay freestyle rapped back at Andreas:

I'm a whale in this pool of sharks

Your rap lines

are like old rhymes

You cock your rifle

but I'ma lock you and have you stifle

Listen, your head is missing a brain

That's why your hands are working overtime like Cain

You might be a devil

But ima rebel and you still ain't on my level.

Jay's friends were cheering, and the bystanders were laughing at the way Jay replied.

Cain was angry.

Andreas couldn't believe his ears. He hadn't expected Jay to be so spontaneous. He walked up to Jay and asked, "Are you trying to challenge me?"

Jay was composed. "No. You were the one who wanted this."

"I don't like you and your rap lines," Andreas said.

"I don't want any problem here, brother," Jay said. "You asked me to rap, so I did. Just being professional."

Then Cain spoke up. "You gotta lay low here in Murdutch. You don't want to face confrontation."

Jay faced Cain. "I have as much rights as you guys have."

"You have no rights here when Bite Force 13 walks the corridors of Murdutch," one of the boys from Bite Force 13 said.

Cain and the members of Bite Force 13 stepped forward, but their friends pulled and held them back, while Jay faced him with Duke, Dan, Stanley, and Ashley standing with him. Suddenly, the bell rang, and they had to break it up. Fireball had jay covered the entire time.

Cain said, "We will have another battle. I have thirteen of my boys, so we go rounds."

Jay gave a thumbs-up. "Sure," he said and walked to his class.

Cain stood staring at Jay.

Fallen Angel walked out of Cain and growled at Fireball, who had been standing guard near Jay. "Keep off our turf. The music here is mine."

Fireball restrained himself from reacting. Fireball walked away with Jay. He was fully aware of Jay's weakening prayer life. It was getting harder for Fireball to sense the enemy, but the Emperor had commanded him to protect Jay regardless.

The next morning, Andreas met Jay outside his classroom and told him there would be a battle in the music classroom at the end of classes.

Jay told his bandmates and Dan that he had been challenged again. They called most of their friends and classmates.

When Jay got to the classroom with his group, there was already a crowd waiting inside. There were mics set up in the room. One guy was there to be the emcee and another guy to handle the boom box, which had a mix tape with lots of different beats on it.

"Check your mic before you start," the emcee said.

Andreas blew into the cordless mic. Then he looked at Jay and said, "You go first," as he pushed the mic into Jay's chest.

The emcee announced, "You got thirty seconds to deliver, and you time out after that. Then neatly pass the mic back to the opponent, okay?" he said with a smirk.

Jay pondered for a moment as the beat started playing. All eyes were on him, including Cain's, his girlfriends', and the rest of his bandmates'. Then he started to freestyle rap:

"I'm a newbie in the crowd, I'm a newbie in the crowd.

Now that I told you all, I'ma make myself loud

You wanna battle me?

Then let's take it out to sea of vocabulary

This guy has a Bite Force 13 gang of rappers tryna be mean to me

But I'ma clean this racket

Like I brush my jacket

Till you say, "Stop it."

You dragged me into this, Andreas

Now I put my rap lines out like dagger into your pancreas

This is all for now

I take a bow

So bless you

This is Jay saying, "I hope you get hit with the flu."

Jay took a deep bow as he handed the mic to the stony-faced Andreas.

The crowd was awed at the Flow.

"That was good," the emcee said. "Now, deejay, spin that." The emcee looked at Andreas. "Andreas, it's your turn, ma man."

Andreas rapped:

I hate you to your face, Jay

I'ma take you down any given night or day

Bite Force rules the hood, baby

So next time we won't have any mercy on you maybe

Where did you learn to rap?

You sound like a dying ape smoking crack

I am the devil, and if you're the angel, don't mess with my knowledge of words

'Coz in this war of words, I win both the worlds

Step up to me, punk, if you got the guts

I'ma kick your butt

And slam dunk your face to your grave, you lame rapper

And I'm the one who got the swagger.

The crowd cheered for Andreas as Cain smiled he liked the comeback.

Andreas's friends began to taunt and boo at Jay, saying, "Lil' man Jay! Lil' man Jay!"

They started getting louder and louder.

The emcee spoke up. "Okay, everyone, we want quiet here. This is the final round. Can Jay finish this off, or is he finished?"

Some people in the crowd cheered, but others booed Jay so loudly that the emcee looked at Jay and whispered, "Can you do a comeback, or should I declare Andreas the winner?"

Without a word, Jay took the mic from the emcee.

The crowd roared in anticipation, while Cain jumped off his seat and looked intently at Jay.

Andreas's face tightened as the deejay put out the beats.

Jay looked at his friends and then gave his comeback:

All hands on deck for lil' man Jay

Now listen carefully to the things I'm about to say

Bite Force 13 is full of steam

Grown men in age

But y'all look like teens

You got thirteen of them lined up against me for a fight

But as the saying goes, barking dogs seldom bite

I learned to rap before you put your legs in your pampers

Which your parents won as a gift hamper down Dubai Centre

You and your hood sound like a broken tape recorder

Like a record with the name, "Babies

Got hit with rabies"

You can't slam dunk in this rap battle, boys

'Coz I smacked, dunked, and flunked you like broken baby toys.

I hope y'all ain't feeling sad

'Coz Bite Force 13's gone mad

They bare their teeth at me

But I'll muzzle you guys and make a wreath

And hang it on my door for all to see

Do you see Andreas with a lump on his trachea?

He's out cold in this bout like I foretold ya'

The devil lost

Now pay the cost

Angels win

And it ain't no sin

I'd like to end this with rolling Andreas and throwing him in the dustbin.

The crowd roared for Jay.

Jay threw the mic to the emcee.

"Well, we have to admit. Hands down, we have a winner here. It's Jay! More battles to come, and the next location will be announced to you all soon.See you all and have a nice day

The people in the crowd walked up to Jay and congragulated him.

Jay looked up to Blue primus and smiled, saying, "One of us can put a thousand to flight and two of us the legions fleeing."

Andreas stared at Jay for a few seconds and then turned away and walked off. Bite Force 13 left the classroom, one by one. Cain was the last to leave. He stared at Jay with his fists clenched, but then he walked away.

Fireball grinned at Fallen Angel.

Jay and his boys headed home safely, while Cain and Bite Force 13 met in the parking lot to plot their retaliation against Jay.

JAY VERSUS CORBY

The next day, Jay ran into a couple guys he had seen with Bite Force 13 the day before. They told him to come up to a club called "Cyber Wasp" that would be hosting a freestyle rap battle the next night.

Dan, Duke, Ashley, Stanley, and twenty of their friends showed up at the club with Jay, just for his support. The whole place had rappers of different races battling with each other. The place had a crowd of a hundred young people from all over who had come to see.

Corby was a black American based in Dubai. He was five feet ten and wore a white tee shirt with a black cap turned backwards, a fat, gold bracelet, and a bullet on a chain around his neck. He and his girlfriend Tonya had been with Bite Force for a few years.

Tonya was the event's organizer at the Cyber Wasp. She hailed from the Ivory Coast and was a huge fan of rap music. She wanted her boyfriend's group to win all the events. She walked up to Jay with her hair all in corn rows. "So you are Jay. Welcome to our event. Today, we have a few battles, and we will host your battle with your opponent Corby."

"Okay sure" Said Jay

The emcee for the night, Emcee Machete, got onstage. "Hey, everyone, we got a new rapper who had beef with Bite Force 13, so he's been invited here to the club to battle our very own Corby. Let's do this! Deejay, spin that wheel."

As the beats dropped, Corby took the mic. He walked up to Jay and glared at him as he showed him a middle finger. "Andreas was a lil' easy on you, but I'm gonna kill you, lil' man Jay. Don't mess with my boys in Bite Force 15... I mean Bite Force 13."

When Corby looked up to the balcony, Cain gave him a thumbs-up as he sat down with his friends to watch. Cain lit a cigarette and grinned at his lead guitarist Judas. "I wanna see this guy destroy Jay."

The beats rolled and Corby started strutting around confidently:

'Who is this guy having beef with my hood?

Once I'm done with you, boy, Bite Force 13 is havin' you as food

Aren't you even scared to come into a club like this?

What did you expect, my girl Tonya to give you a little kiss?

Listen up, kid, you're on the wrong block

You'll be lucky not to eat a bullet from my Glock.

You see the size of this hand?

I'll choke you till you die and take over your band.

I heard the dis at the college you spat

Good the mic was not with me; I'd hit you out flat.

I don't need your thirty seconds to beat this guy

Hands down I'm a bigger legend, baby, so look me in the eye

This guy is dead, he got nothing in him

Let's see in this pool of sharks if he can really swim.

Corby flipped the mic in the air, and Jay caught it.

The crowd roared, "Corby! Corby! Corby!" as Tonya hugged Corby from behind.

Cain high-fived his friends and looked at Jay, who was staring at the floor. "Look at him," Cain said. "He is done!" Cain's friends laughed.

Emcee Machete picked up his mic and made his presence known. "Thank you, Corby. Yes, no doubt a killer delivery from the man himself. Now let's see if Jay's got something on him. Deejay, spin that song."

As Jay got ready to begin, the deejay started playing a different beat. Jay knew it was suddenly switched up on purpose to throw him off. He saw Corby give him a wicked smile and a wink.

The crowd pressed in to hear Jay's response. Most of the people gave Jay a thumbs down.

Dan, Duke, Stan, and Ashley stood right in the front with their twenty friends cheering for Jay.

Jay saw a look of concern on Dan and Duke's faces. Jay could feel a demonic presence trying to mess up his flow of thoughts. "I can do all things through the Prince who strengthens me," he reminded himself.

Jay walked up to Corby. He waited for the start of the beat sequence and then he went:

Hey yo, what's up with you and your interest with my beef?

I never saw this cat stepping up on my street

He's the beef in my club sandwich, which I eat

I don't need to get kissed

By your girlfriend you just dissed

You're a bully, Corby, 'coz that's your hobby

I drag your cheap diss down the lobby

I saw you at ma battle in the classroom the other day

Blinkin' like a crack pot 'coz you can't get past Jay

Your passion got no fire

I just gave your rhyme truck some flat tires

You can't join my band

I'll make you understand

'Coz you're so slow

You lost your mojo

You can't even count numbers; that's why you got a low blow.

Those hands can't swat a Florida fly

My words so fast, and I just hit bullseye

While you stand here knocking knees and shaking in fear

I'm the one who gassed you out and kicked you in the rear

'Coz you're the shark just got caught in this net

And I'm the whale that you just met.Wolf whistles rang out from the crowd .

Tonya looked at the judges and looked at Corby.

Corby was out of words, but he asked for the mic.

Emcee Machete was all pumped up. "Oh my! Oh my! Look at the way Jay countered that! Looks like Corby wants revenge. Let's see what he's got this time. Deejay, up with the beats."

The deejay scratched and put out a beat, and Corby rapped his comeback.

Say a word about my girl, I'll bust you

You have no clue

Wanna take this outside the club, the beating I owe you?

I've been in this game a long time, fool

I'm a war ship if you're a whale

Your lame jokes—don't crack 'em; they're stale

I'm the king of this club jungle

And I'm in for a royal rumble

Stay back, band singer, this ain't yo field

Now I'm done with you, and your lips are sealed

You would do nothing to me with a mic

'Coz my words would get you paused and make your lips stick tight

Get a kick on your rear end for the disrespect

Jay take time and just introspect.

The crowd clapped hard and cheered for Corby, as he send flying kisses to his girlfriend

Jay took the mic and spat:

"In this relationship, your girl is more the boy

And you're a decoy

She got more brains

To accept the fact that you're the one who's gonna get drained

I'd bet she can beat you easy

If you had a rap battle with her; you're cheesy

Why would you wanna battle me?

When you can't battle your own girly

This guy wants to fight me outside the club

But if that happens, I'm still a lion cub

Tough as a wooden club

I'll beat you so bad,

Get you killed in or outta this pub,

Ima drown you with a plugged toaster in your own bathtub;

the venue is yours to choose

But either way you're gonna lose

My fingers get tight around your neck

When I hit you to the deck

And have you roll out like Royal Rumble

Down to the depths of the ocean, I'd see your body crumble

Now you stumble

This is sure to make you humble

By the way, did you mumble?

Jay put his hands to his ear as he spoke the last line.

Corby bristled in anger as he walked backstage. His girlfriend ran behind him to attend to him.

EMCEE MACHETE VERSUS JAY

Emcee Machete was hand in glove with Bite Force 13. They motioned to him to go next.

Machete got on the mic and spoke to the crowd. "Hey, everyone! Okay, accept it–Jay won. But now I have to get on this mic and take control of this situation. My name is not Machete for nothing, being a good friend of Bite Force 13. Looks like I'll battle you next, Jay," he said before he started rapping:

I go on easy on you, dear fella

My rap lines are nothing less than stellar

I heard you on the mic screaming like a Power Ranger

With Emcee Machete around, boy, you're in grave danger

I'ma shock this ground and make you feel the g-force

You can't handle it when I'm a speed horse on the race course

My moves are like a ninja

My words chop you like a katana

I use my hands and legs and my tongue to cut ya

I'm an ace on the microphone

I'ma pick you apart like Megatron

I'm the bully you're a hillbilly

So you should quit; don't be acting all silly.

Jay took the mic, looked at Machete and let loose:

"You go easy on me?

That's cheesy

Your rap lines sound like you ripped lines

From a scroll in a treasure chest of old times

You're like a one-eyed pirate

And that one eye is busted; you're a blind tyrant

Your shocks are zero volts

And the only g-force you have is the echoes

Of my words in your brain to your loss

Your words sound like lettuce stuck in your teeth, dawg; you need to floss

Whether you use a katana or a machete

Man, I take pot shots on the stains on your teeth of your coffee latte

You're a billy goat that got slaughtered down the hill

At the people's will

As I look at the carcass lying all over from my windowsill

All I can say is your comeback for this delivery will be nil.

The crowd cheered for Jay it was obvious who was winning. People began to boo Emcee Machete when he picked up his mic again.

Machete was smiling. He actually liked Jay's comeback. "Serious talent here, guys, serious talent. I guess, Jay, I have to give it you. You win, boy!"

Jay won the battle, but he also knew he made lots of enemies. Jay took the mic and said, "Hey, you all, this is just a performance, so please don't take any of this personally."

Most of the crowd applauded, but the members of Bite Force 13 were not happy.

After the rap battle was over, Cain met with the members of his band and said, "I need some background information on this guy. That's the only way we can bust him. I hate the way he walks around with his winning streak."

Cain began to meet up with his bandmates to do some heavy research.

Meanwhile, Sheyon had just arrived in the UAE. She was going to study in France but had come to the UAE on vacation for the summer. Sheyon's parents were good friends with Cain's folks, so Sheyon was to visit Cain.

When Cain spoke to Sheyon about college and the recent incidents he mentioned Jay to her, He found out that Jay was her ex-boyfriend who dumped her. She spilled the facts that he wasn't a good student at Logwood High, his grades were low, and that he was a bit churchy. She also told him that he was a formidable rapper in school.

Cain needed more information on his weak spots. "What's Jay's Achilles' heel?"

"He sucked at his studies, man. He was really bad. So hit him on that. He will give in."

Cain high-fived Sheyon. Sheyon told him not to mention her name. Cain rewarded her with a treat at a fancy restaurant for the information. He starting crafting a plan to crush him.

NEW VENUES

Route No. 7 continued performing at Lanz Stand through the summer holiday. The crowd was getting bigger, and Scott had been a regular customer. He often sat at the very back, always unnoticed by the band. He talked more with Lanzon. After seeing several of the band's performances, he said he would like the band to play at the Jumeirah beach side, where there were clubs, cafés, and flea markets that were looking for some fresh bands to rock the scene.

One night after the gig was over, Lanz talked to Jay about the proposal to play at the Jumeirah beach side. "This might mean you have to start from scratch. The crowd may not be as big as it is in Lanz Stand. New place, new crowds, they've got to hear you once, twice, thrice, maybe a few times to get used to what you guys are bringing to the table. The crowds will like it. I'm positive. But just be patient, which I know all of you guys are," Lanzon said.

"That's okay," Jay replied. "Exposure is most important, so we're ready to go at it, grab the new challenge, grab the bull by its horns on this new venture. We desperately need some street credit with our band in these unchartered terrains, so I hope they bite the hook."

"By the way," Tasha said, "we're making sure you get a better pay after you've toured there a bit, and we will also put you into new venues."

So Route No. 7 loaded up their instruments in a minivan with just enough room left for the boys to squeeze in and sit. Duke drove, and they went up to the Jumeirah beach clubs.

The band was very focused and hardworking as they played gigs at different venues. They kept playing a lot of originals and also wrote and performed new songs. They wrote about real-life situations, personal incidents, and their faith in the Emperor.

The Emperor was preparing Jay to move into any situation and wisely speak about his beliefs. Most times in the venues, Jay would sense evil spirits. He would also sense if someone had a breathing problem, bodily pain, or if someone was battling depression, but he didn't realize these were the Wise One's signs for him to pray for those people.

One day, when he was performing in a club called Armando's, he sensed that people needed love and someone to show them the way, but he had been warned not speak about anything religious onstage. The owner had told him, "The authorities can kick you out, so be careful." So Jay went into a private room, got on his knees and prayed, "Might Emperor, I feel the presence of enemies, but I need you to be with me when I speak the good news about the Prince to your people and to protect me in this business."

Jay knew that spending time with the Emperor was his power grid and that success came from him alone, but right now, he was completely immersed in the music scene. Jay and his band were learning the market and the industry as the Wise One guided them. Jay was praying, but not in the intensity of his high school days. He felt a small prick in his heart as he remembered the words of Earnest, "Your lifestyle has to reflect your faith."

Jay knew he had to work hard to get to the top. He would rehearse many times with the band. He would practice his facial expressions, his walk, and his moves in front of the mirror. He knew that one day, camera lenses would be in the place of the mirrors he was looking at to shoot his videos. He would jog in the early mornings on the beach side and sing at the same time to improve his singing.

The clubs had tie-ups with each other, so Route No. 7 was playing in front of new crowds every week. In some places, the crowd would stare for the first few minutes, but before they knew it, the whole place would be dancing, headbanging, and jumping around. The band would also mix cover songs with originals in their set list as the crowds still had to get acquainted with their music, but they would do their own versions of the covers, which the growing fan base welcomed with open arms. Over the few months, they played in most of the clubs in Jumeirah.

They even started getting gigs in Abu Dhabi, which was a long drive away. The boys would go over the weekend, play, and drive back. But Jay and the boys would never miss a church service. They would find a local church and make sure they would attend the service once a week.

They began to gig five to six times a week. A ready flow of cash and a great fan base was beginning to form. There were some who didn't like their music, but they continued. Route No. 7 was very approachable, so many became friends just by hanging out with them.

Scott followed every move of the band without the band knowing. He was aware of every show the band played. Lanzon would call them every week for a review of their progress as a band and have them back at his café to play once a week.

One day, Lanz got a call to have Route No. 7 play at the JBR Walk. It was a popular club that had a congregation of bikers and tourists from all over the world. So, from Deira to Jumeirah and all the way to Abu Dhabi, Route No. 7's street credit was increasing.

At the same time, Fallen Angeline was also playing in the same area, and it did not take long for Cain to find out when and where Route No. 7 was being scheduled to play.

When he heard that Route No. 7 and Fallen Angeline were both playing at JBR Walk the same night, he was having a problem with it. Cain was devious, and he decided that because his band was really famous and he had a lot of influence, he would sabotage Route No.7's gigs at JBR. He said to the club's booker, "I don't want our band to play with these newbies. We've been around longer than them and our music is more popular." It was noted and granted to Cain's wishes, so whenever Fallen Angeline was scheduled to play, Route No. 7 would have to play elsewhere.

Cain did this with the other clubs so that their bands would never play in the same club on the same day.He was a bully and his whole band supported his outrageous behavior.

FAHIM VERSUS JAY

It was September. University classes were back in session, and the rap battle season was beginning in the club circuit. Rap battle event posters had gone out, and several rappers from several countries were battling against each other.

Bite Force 13 had a meeting with Cain, and the plan was to take Jay out cold in battle by hook or crook. Jay received a text that there was a big rap competition called "The Tunnel Survivor" coming up at the Cyber Wasp. There was a large cash prize for the winner. Jay was interested but hadn't decided if he wanted to register.

One day, as Jay was looking at a book in the Murdutch library, he was approached by Fahim, who was another member of Bite Force 13. Jay had already heard about him. Fahim was another notorious rapper. He was born in Oman and raised in Dubai.He was one of Cain's main guys to cause all kinds of ruckus. He was violent and had verbally and physically beaten most rappers who challenged bite force 13 . He came to challenge Jay to a rap battle.

"I know you," Fahim said in an arrogant tone. "I saw you battle my friends. Your name is registered for "The Tunnel Survivor" at the Cyber Wasp. Meet me there in the next two week s for a battle. I'll see you there in the cage, dawg!" Fahim said as he walked away with his head held high.

Jay wondered to himself, "How did my name get registered?"

Later that day, he received a call from Tonya, who notified him that the last rap battle he had won at the Cyber Wasp was a preliminary round. He was now qualified and entered in for The Tunnel Survivor, in which all the winning rappers from a few different battles would be pitted against each other. She also mentioned that Bite Force 13 had just battled some of the best rappers and won the morning and afternoon slots.

Jay raised his eyebrows. "Wow, that's great. I'll be there," he answered.

For the next two weeks, Jay spent most of his time rehearsing. He practiced rapping with a stopwatch, worked on increasing his vocabulary, and made a mix tape of random beats to see if he could rap on top of randomly changing beats. He set his mind on taking down Fahim, and his eyes were on the prize—getting more exposure and recognition.

On the day of the big rap battle, Jay arrived at the Cyber Wasp with Dan and his bandmates midway through the competition. Jay had braided his hair tightly into corn rows. A group of angels walked into the club with them to protect Jay.

There was a huge poster in the lobby with "The Tunnel Survivor" written across it, with a picture of a angry Alabai biting a microphone that was wrapped up in a chain. The club was packed with a couple hundred young people, including lots of students from Murdutch.

Jay went into the large main hall and stood in the back with his friends. Jay's friends had rounded up as many friends and supporters as they could, and Jay saw them now in different sections of the hall. The stage was dimly lit, except for the spotlights on the performers. Bite Force 13 was onstage, strutting around and calling out for anyone in the crowd to challenge them.

Cain clapped his hands from the floor to get the attention of the Bite Force 13 members. He pointed to Jay.

Fahim nodded and then shouted to the crowd, "Let's get that guy with the corn rows up here!"

Even though it wasn't Jay's slot yet, the crazed crowd picked Jay up, passed him over their heads so that he surfed the crowd to the front, and they let him down on the stage. When Jay turned around, he saw a huge crowd that looked like at least three hundred people. The room was getting hot, though the air conditioners were working.

Fahim gave an evil smile to Jay. He looked at Cain, and Cain gave him their "slay him" sign—he made a fist with thumb extended and drew his thumb horizontally across his neck.

The emcee for The Tunnel Survival, Emcee Angelo, got onstage and said, "Hey everyone, today we got a whole lot of rappers who have been spitting onstage from 10:00 a.m. this morning, and we have winners in individual categories and we have other winners for groups, and I have to say Bite Force 13 killed everyone today. They are gonna go freestyle now, and they've asked to battle Jayden Hayath or Jay. Yeah, this guy right here is the singer and rap rocker from the band Route No. 7."

The crowd began to boo as they looked at Jay, standing with his hands deep in his pockets.

Emcee Angelo continued, "So this is gonna be long, and it's gonna be hard, so I'ma let our boy, rapper Fahim from Bite Force 13, take on Jay. My goodness, I feel the stage is getting hot! Who is gonna win this? Three rounds each, so that's fair. So you go first, Fahim. Deejay, spin that wheel, babaaay!"

Jay said a prayer with his eyes closed and asked the Emperor for his power on him.

Fireball and a group of angels went onstage, and a few vicious muscular demons were surrounding Fahim. The angels and demons faced each other, brandishing their weapons.

Fahim took the mic. He wore a white wife beater, silver dog tags, and a silver chain bracelet, which traveled up and down his wrist as he moved his muscular arms around. He had a toothpick in his mouth as he walked up to Jay and told him to his face, "I'm gonna send you six feet under. You dissed my rap group, so I'm gonna put a stick in the wheel of your winning streaks. This is the spot where I end you and your so called rap career fool."

Fahim spat out the toothpick. He put his hands up and began:

Everybody in the house, put your hands in the air. Come on! Come on! Yeah.

Lil' man Jay is getting all famous

Ever since my tribe called him out from his old school bus

Look at the way he's dressed up

His hoodie is over his corn rows—he looks like a tea cup

I know the last time he had a breakup

He thinks he's a lion, but he sure looks like a wolf pup

What kinda music did you grow up on?

Grandmas' songs, old wives' tales? Come and sit on ma' lap, son.

I listen to Offspring, Foo Fighters, and Fat Boy Slim.

Nah, maybe this Church boy needs to hear me sing him some hymns.

I can't do that for you, boy, 'coz I'm a Muslim.

Did someone say this guy's got a good flow?

You're all flaws, man; you look like a freaking scarecrow.

I got the whole crowd laughing as I'm joking

But you're all teared up and choking.

Your disses went too low

'Coz your style has gone old.

I can rap at any speed

I say it like I read my creed

I'm a different breed

And I ace in this field; you see me take the lead?

Your success in this battle looks grim

'Coz you thought you could take on rap leader Fahim.

That's what I got in the first round for you.

Do I wait for a response, or are you heading to the loo?

The crowd cheered, shouting, "Fahim! Fahim!"

Many booed at Jay

Fahim flashed his friends their hand sign as he looked at Jay, which meant, "I just jacked this guy up."

Emcee Angelo tried to quiet the crowd down. "Okay, okay! That was a super-fast, crazy, knockout delivery by Rapper Fahim the Eagle in our midst. But hey, everyone, let's give Jay a chance."

The crowd began to boo harder at Jay.

Dan, Duke, Stanley, Ashley with a pack of their friends supported him, shouting, "Come on, Jay, you can do it!"

As the beats went on, Jay picked up the mic and rapped:

Everybody in the crowd, put 'em paws in the air! Put 'em paws in the air! Yeah, yeah.

Here we got the fat boy Fahim

His rap lines are so bad, I think the lights in his brain's gone dim

He looks like Casper the Friendly Ghost

And I'm here to make you toast

I'm a Ghostbuster

And you're a damaged boat in the harbor

I can see the chinks in your armor

Wahid, itnan, talathah, arbah (Repeat that!)

Wahid, itnan, talathah, arbah

It's all lies till now, what you boasted

I'm about to have your lame brain roasted

Your earrings looks like hoola hoops from the clowns in the circus

He's a rundown tramp from his rap group; he's lost his focus

My rap bombs are like ballistic missiles coming right at ya' hoops and bling

You're shell-shocked by the moment; all you can do is stand there and blink

You're a pen without ink

A boat about to sink

You ain't no different breed

You're neither here nor there; you're hybrid

Your style is so confined, you're a speed train coming off the grid

So shut yo' mouth and take a seat, kid

Now talk about the fool

Who needs to use the loo

It's you

Somebody, get a doctor; he's turning blue.

Fahim walked away, throwing his hands up in defeat—he couldn't think of anything. He was busted. He yelled out excuses that he should have gone second.

Jay just smiled at Fahim.

Then Fahim tried to rush at Jay, but a bouncer caught him and pulled him away. Fahim tried to throw punches at Jay, but two more bouncers came to help restrain him. Then Fahim walked out of the club, cussing and punching the window of a parked car on his way, leaving a spiderweb crack.

Just before Fahim rushed at Jay, Fireball had already seen that one of Fahim's demons wanted to take a cheap shot at Jay. The other angels who had come in with Jay caught the demon, bound him, and kicked him out of the club. Then Fahim's other demons had tried to attack the angels, but Fireball and the angels were too strong for them, so they just blasphemed as they walked out.

Emcee Angelo tried to calm the crowd. "Hey guys, I have to hand it over to Jay. Rapper Fahim is angry, and he's gone offstage. Fahim, you wanna finish this?" Emcee Angelo asked, trying to see across the dim room, but there was no answer.

The members of Bite Force 13 were angry. Their group had been legendary for destroying rappers for years, but the crowd was beginning to reconsider the popular opinion, now that everyone saw that Jay was a formidable opponent. Bite Force 13 wanted a taste of revenge. They tried to get their next guy to go on.

Tonya jumped up onstage because the crowd was going crazy. She grabbed the mic from the emcee and quickly said, "Okay, as organizer of this event, I'm gonna do something to save time. Since Jay is pretty good, I'll put him in front of the firing squad. I'll choose a few rappers from Bite Force 13 to go one or two rounds against Jay. So basically, each rapper gets one chance with Jay, but Jay stays till he's taken down. Are we all good with this?"

The crowd roared as many began to chant, "Bite Force 13, Bite Force 13!" while some chanted, "Let's go, Jay! Let's go, Jay!"

Jay was trapped. This was not fair on him.He could feel the hate filling the room. He motioned to his friends to pray.

Jay began to throw the mic up into the air and catch it to ease his nerves, hoping he appeared confident on the outside. He threw it again and caught it a second time. By the third time, five of the Bite Force 13 rappers had gotten onto the stage.Jay began to jog lighly to ease himself.

There was a spiritual force field around Jay, and the demons knew the Emperor's hand was upon him, and they couldn't touch him, but nevertheless they wanted to have a go.

VIC VERSUS JAY

Rapper Vic was the first to go. He was a very tall and lanky lad, and his body looked like the aftermath of heavy drug abuse. He had a tattoo of a vulture on his right shoulder and wore a labret ring that showed just over and below his lower lip.

Emcee Angelo took to the mic. "Okay, so the rules are changed. Jay, you okay with this, right?"

Jay nodded he had no choice.

"We have Rapper Vic going first," Emcee Angelo said. "Deejay, spin that wheel and drop some hot beats, yo."

Vic took the mic, rubbed it on his tattoo as he stepped up to Jay. Vic said in his ear, "You picked Vic the Vulture." Then he stepped back, gave a mocking wink and then started to rap:

Hey, what's with all the flipping and jumping?

Your rap lines are nothing

You ain't even dissing

My name is Vic

I'm a rapper who's about to leave you sick

Don't tick me off, you toddler

I'm gonna send you to the broiler

I've had enough of your ranting and raving

In the end, you're the one who'll need a saving

It's time to go on a rampage

And break into your rib cage

So let me see what you got

You think your rap comebacks are hot

But guess what? I think not.

Vic tossed the mic to Jay.

"Stay on the same beats," Emcee Angelo said to the deejay. "Let's go."

Jay breathed a sigh of relief, a little surprised at the gesture of fairness. He spat his comeback:

Ho! Ho! Ho! Sick Vic is here, everybody

This guy looks like a dead body

Were you dropped on your head when you were born?

Man, your vocabulary is all gone

These words coming from my mouth got the mojo

Listen to my words: you're slow, I got the flow

I've tried my moves before; about the mic flipping—I did that in my leisure

Hey, sick Vic, can you feel the pressure?

The crowd began to chant for Vic.

Vic scowled at Jay and rapped:

Stop! Let me pop a champagne and say,

"Are you in in some kind of pain, Jay?"

You can't do this today

You're losing, lil' man

'Coz I just popped a can

Of worms and germs

So you come into my terms

This is my turf

I'm the shark beneath the surf

Did you say you do mic flips?

That's a lie coming from your lips

You said mojo and flow

In the same line; homie, that's slow

Now that I caught you in this bait

You can have the mic back, mate.

Jay shot back:

Do I consider it my fate

To keep beating you down? It's getting late

The only thing you be popping

Is prescription pills for your heart to be beating

Sick Vic is a dry, dead stick

A circus clown with no tricks

I pop da champagne, I play the same game,

Keep popping rap candies like Willy Wonka's walk to fame

Sick Vic, you are lame—you lie through your teeth

That's why you can't talk, you can't rap, man, you can't even breathe

Like it or learn it

Leave it or dis' it

Freestyle it the way you see fit

Any time I exploit you with my rap kit

Somebody from Bite Force gets badly bit.

Vic turned around and left the stage, disappointed.

Angelo pulled the mic out of Jay's hand. "Gotta give it to Jay as Vic conceded defeat!"

FLAIR VERSUS JAY

Flair, a freckled, British rapper, took the mic next. With a bottle of beer in his left hand and the mic in the other, he stepped up. He was a resident of Dubai from childhood. He had been inducted into Bite Force 13 after they had heard him maul somebody in a rap battle in the lobby of a hotel. Flair high-fived people in the crowd. He drank from his bottle and asked for applause before he spat:

Hey hey, hey, listen up, lil' man Jay

Let me just say

I've got the swag that's gonna make this crowd sway

I'ma poke you in the rib and trip you to the floor

Don't wanna hear you crib no more

'Coz I'm taking yo soul; You can call me Flair

'Coz once I beat you, you'll know my style is rare

Go on and take this note

I rock the Middle East, every single boat,

From Britain to LA and from here to the Ivory Coast

Can you stop thinking that you're dissing?

'Coz all that sounds like a snake that's hissing

I'm a British bull dog in Bite Force 13

About to rip you to shreds, and I'm not even joking

We the army that's coming on horseback to kill your mommy and daddy

And throw you in a can of trash with your nanny

Take you captive

You better be receptive

I'ma chew you like bubble gum

'Coz you're dumb

You pose no threat

'Coz you ain't on ma standard yet

'Coz that's something I won't let

And that's something you can bet

You're brain dead, tongue-tied

No one's taking your side

'Coz though you're living, in your heart you died

It's making you feel so bad, right now you wanna hide

Pull that hoodie over

'Coz it's game over

Time for me to take over

This is cold-blooded murder

Don't play with Flair; I'm on fire

You can call me sire

I'ma take this higher

You're a wimp who's limp

A decade from now, you'll be a fat blimp

With a gang of Oompa Loompas

Doing Zumba, watching Simba

From Lion King, but in this ring

You can't rap, you can't sing

So get your butt outta here, you're a dead man,

You tin can

I stop here

Jay, wanna have some beer?

The crowd laughed as Flair poured beer down his throat.

Cain was laughing hard as he and his guys cheered Flair.

Emcee Angelo began his commentary. "Oh my gosh, I didn't see that one coming! I think Jay's gonna have a problem. That was crazy awesome. Jay, is that enough for the day? You need a break, man?"

Jay was calm as he stared at Flair.

Flair stepped up. "What you looking at, huh?"

As Jay stepped up, Angelo separated them. The beats went on. The crowd was getting wilder, and they continued to cheer and applaud for Flair.

Jay looked at Dan and smiled, saying, "Hey, Dan, check this out." Then he fixed his eyes on Flair and released his comeback:

Yo, Flair, this one's a long reply

But once I'm done, you're the one who's gonna cry

Homie, you got no swag

You sound like a nincompoop with jet lag

You're staggering

'Coz you're drinking so much beer

Don't know what your blabbering

You're full of fear

You're stammering

This guy is pissed drunk

His ship's sunk

He said he's rocked from LA to the Ivory Coast

Get lost—you're about to crumble in pieces and fall like bread toast on pot roast

He never rocked on every boat

Your guy's got socked on every slot

And now, go home and rot on your broken cot

You're a weasel face

Your speed's worse than snail pace for many days

A year from now, you're still in the same place

His brain

Got washed off in the drain

When he blew his blocked nose

In the sink; he seems overdosed

He feels the pain

'Coz of drinking the cold beer

He holds so dear

Bloodshot eyes, hair filled with lice

I could see the whites of your lies, your low price

I'ma roundhouse kick you and send you rolling like dice

In the world of men, you are all mice

You said you're a bull dog

So are you a bull or a fat dog who needs to jog?

Another hybrid like Fahim

Gosh, you're just like him

Make up your mind, drunk boy

I don't know if he's human

You're a decoy I'm about to destroy

You're just smoke, no fire, you liar

You're grumpy,

Old fat Humpty Dumpty,

Who fell off the wall, broke your crown,

You freckle-faced clown

You're just a sellout

Who lost this rap bout

You can't take my soul, shorty

Are you standing in a hole, froggy?

Now you'll recall this day as the day I murdered you

All outta the blue

Someone tell this to his mommy, daddy, and his nanny.

The crowds almost went out of control as they cheered for Jay but the also loved Flair

Bite Force 13 was beginning to feel fear because the comebacks were so hard.

Flair exited the stage as he was out of Ammo .He earned the respect but Jay was clearly the better man.

REUL VERSUS JAY

Reul adjusted his nerdy-looking glasses and walked up to Jay. As he blew on Jay's face as an act of disrespect, Jay and Emcee Angelo both noticed a horrible body odor exuding from Reul. Reul took the mic, and after an introduction from Angelo, he fired off:

"Yo, I always stand up for my guys.

It's my time to roll my dice

You'll need a rap dictionary to battle me, homie

Considering you, Jay, as my worthy adversary

I'ma see you as a controversy

Are you a rapper, a singer, a rocker, or a sinner? You're a mystery

I'ma your adversity

You lack the vocab that I have

You're stuck in the mud

You use the same lines like the cow chews the cud

I choose to refuse to be hurt

By the words you assert

I'm diabolic

I'm an alcoholic

I spit venom

In yo' system

I'ma Excalibur

You can never pull off 'coz I'm high caliber

Your disses are ludicrous

I'ma school you, foolish vocalist

You're oblivious

About the stylus that I write with

The wit that I hit you with

Will make you sit like a dim wit

I'll torture you bit by bit

You're a fish without gills

A bird without wings

You're a skinned mink

Someday you'll be linked

To the saddest rappers

That got chewed and thrown like sweet wrappers

In bargain bins

In yo' head, the lights gone dim

Your chances of a comeback are slim

Now give me a high five, Fahim!

Reul proudly lifted his hand and looked into the crowd, expecting Fahim to come give him a high five. Little did he know that Fahim had left the club.

The bouncers began to laugh among themselves, while Emcee Angelo was laughing with the crowd.

Jay missed the joke because he had his eyes closed and was concentrating on his words to hit back. Jay was beginning to feel the pressure. He was thinking to himself, "This is a dog fight," but then suddenly remembered the story of how the Emperor helped a boy named David slay the lion and the bear.

Cain and his buddies were giving Jay a thumbs down, chanting, "Hang it up."

By now, the crowd was packed to capacity, and the whole place was smelling of cigarettes, and beer. Because of the wildness of the crowd, the guy shooting the event on a video camera had to shift to another spot.

"Okay, okay!" Emcee Angelo shouted over the crowd. "This is getting really crazy. Jay, you ready to take this on?"

Jay pressed his hand flat against his cornrows and nodded.

"Beats, pleeeease!" Emcee Angelo said to the deejay, who then pumped the beats up. The crowd began to cheer.

Jay saw a drop of his sweat fall and hit the stage at the same moment the bass dropped in the track. He took a deep breath and took his turn:

I need no dictionary to battle you, homie

I open my mouth and spit; you'll stay stationary

Your aim is so bad you shot yourself in the foot

You Lilliput

You smell like an otter

From the gutter

Are you desperate to win a lottery?

You're a truckload of tomfoolery

You're a comedy

I'm a sinner saved by grace

You're a wannabe stuck in a maze

You're a viper spitting venom that has no power

In this, your darkest hour

I'm a singer, a rapper

And now I'm your teacher

You're a dunce in my class

You can't pass

As much as a piece of information from your brain to your mouth; you're trash

This guy is hilarious

And I'm gonna leave you delirious

You're just sacrilegious

You're a disease about to get destroyed by the vaccination

Through my administration

Of combat rap medication

Into your situation

I'm a higher up; my street cred's in this hood

From this neck of the woods

You're a descaled fish

In a burned dish

A snake without a head

A soul that's dead

A zombie on crystal meth

Dang, you got bad breath

You're not a rapper

You sound like a broken-down tractor

You need to improve your grammar, you no good jester

You smoked up paper wrappers

So much that you sound like a hamster from a dumpster

You ragamuffin

Stop huffin' and puffin'

'Coz your rhymes are nothin'

I'm your arch nemesis

And you're powerless

Before my vocal prowess

From the time of Genesis

I'm the Prince Charmin' about to steal your princess

I don't learn from hopeless rappers of your origin

You're a bell without a clapper

You're a wannabe blabberer

You're a scroll with wasted ink

You're gone in a blink

You're a waste of words

From the race of nerds

You're like a dead species of wingless birds

From a netherworld

I cut this guy loose

He's just full of juice

Just another fluke

So gimme a high five, Duke!

As Jay finished, he crouched down at the edge of the stage with his hand raised up, and Duke jumped up into the air and gave him a high five.

Reul shook hands with Jay, saying, "Yo, that was dope." Then he walked off the stage.

RICH VERSUS JAY

Rapper Rich was a fat guy wearing a fake Tommy Hilfiger tee shirt, fake Versace pants and shoes, and gold earrings. He got on the mic and rapped:

Hey, everyone, put your hands together!

This guy Jay is just a fake rapper

You don't want me to act like Jack Black

You know that

I don't need no braided hair

Or the jeans you wear with bottom flair

We know our alphabets, birds, and animals

Those that fly and that walk on fours

It's time you learned your metaphors

The pop icons Britney, Christina, and J. Lo

Got a better chance than you, yo!

I've got more words than you think I do

But maybe I shouldn't really waste it on you.

Jay took the mic to finish it off, once and for all:

No words go wasted on me, homie

Every time you pop one, I'm loaded, reloaded, and shoot it back to you, A to Z.

I picked up the mic while you took a hike

When I was a kid with my bib

Spit rhymes back in bus Route Number Seven

Came back home and practiced rap till half past eleven

We knew what it is to battle with ease

When you couldn't even spell "cheddar cheese"

I love my braided hair

It's the way I wear

It makes you wanna go cop my style and flair

My pants are one of a kind,

Not like your cheap ones from any thrift shop you can find,

For guys like me who are born to go rare

That's why I got style, swag, just ask Flair

Ma metaphors rock and rhyme

Yours not worth a dollar, a dime, or even my time

About Christina Ag, J. Lo, and Britney Spears

They would be here to sing me cheers

While you lookin' at me with a stye in your jealous eye

And facial tissues contracting into a frown

While I be king, sitting here with my crown

I'm sick of you clowns

So as my comebacks go from good, better, best

You be like dumb, dumber, dumbest

I beat you in this feat and dropped you on your feet

So you should save your life and make sure you retreat.

As soon as he was finished, Some people from the crowd rushed the stage and lifted Jay. He was hailed as the champion for single-handedly destroying the Bite Force 13 members. The remaining ones were scared and backed off.

Suddenly, Tonya appeared onstage and took the mic from Emcee Angelo. She announced Jay as the winner of the first half of the battle. She tried to quiet the crowd while the Bite Force 13 members made their way out to the parking lot for a smoke. The bouncers were all over the stage. The situation was very tense, with lots of enemies looking at Jay. Jay kept his composure.

Tonya said, "The championship round will be Jay against Cain. This will decide the winner for the evening. The one who wins this round gets a fat, cash prize. Who's gonna bag that? Jay has been the challenger who just won all the rounds. And you probably know that Cain is the reigning champion in the city-based rock competitions, but he is not just a singer. Bite Force 13 is his brainchild, and he won a lot of rap rounds back in the day. So I have to say this night is not over till these two champions get to lock horns. We are gonna have some hip hop dancers and freestyle dancers burn the stage, and after twenty minutes, this battle is on."

Jay was ushered into a green room backstage. He freshened up for the final round and then sat inside with Dan, Duke, Stanley, and Ashley.

After some time, Emcee Angelo stopped by. "Jay, it's time. Get ready; you're on in five minutes."

Jay got into a huddle with his bandmates and Dan. They prayed for the Emperor's help and strength because the battle was getting fierce.

Outside the building, Fireball stood with the other angels, listening to the trinity's instructions. They had just roughed up Bite Force 13's demons and denied them access to the stage area. Then the angels secured the entrances.

The demon Fallen Angel, however, had hidden himself. He now came out again and walked up to Fireball, looked at him and shook his finger. Smirking, he said, "Don't even think of trying to win around me."

Fireball raised an eyebrow and pointed to Blue primus.

Fallen Angel grinned as he got into Cain.

All eyes were on the lead singer of Fallen Angeline as he walked from the back of the main hall towards the stage. The crowd began to cheer for him. Cain was six feet two, an imposing figure. He wore a black leather jacket, several dog tags, black wrist bands, and biker gloves, which he removed to reveal nails painted black.

As Jay walked in from the other side of the stage, Cain's eyes were riveted on him.

During the break, the venue security had been tightened and the bouncers on duty doubled. Several demons descended upon the crowd, but there were angels at every corner and at the front of the stage. There was a mix of fear and excitement in the crowd. The air was electric as the deejay started playing beats.

Tonya was back onstage and spoke into her mic. "Alright, everybody, I'm Tonya, an event organizer of this epic rap battle. We have a whooping crowd. It's a packed house, and nobody seems to be leaving. So here are the rules: both contenders can take a longer time on the mic, but the beats are gonna get changed whenever the deejay feels."

Cain shot a quick glance at the deejay, as if to say, "You know what to do." The deejay nodded back.

Jay was meditating on a Primus Script Scripture from Psalms: "Though an army surround me, I will not be afraid."

Cain looked straight at Jay. Then he gave an evil smile.

Emcee Angelo got on his mic and announced, "So as these best rappers battle it out, keep in mind that a few things could disqualify. No altercations, no sabotaging mics or any of the stage instruments, and when the time finally runs out, you get ten seconds as grace time, and then you have to stop. We have judges from the music industry for this contest, and their decision is final. May the best rapper win."

The crowd clapped and began to chant names. Clearly there were lots of Cain fans.

Cain looked at the crowd and blew kisses to all the girls and high-fived a few of the guys.

Suddenly, Sheyon walked into the main hall, dressed in gothic style with dark lipstick. She made her way through the crowd and stood in the front.

When Jay saw her, he couldn't believe his eyes.

Sheyon called out, "Go, Cain! Go kill it!"

When Cain saw Sheyon, he hugged her.

Jay looked away. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly.

Tonya asked Cain, "Is it heads?"

He nodded.

"Okay, everyone," Tonya addressed the crowd. "Cain says heads, so let's toss." She watched Emcee Angelo toss the coin. "Heads. Cain, it's you on first round."

The crowd roared for Cain.

FINAL BATTLE: CAIN VERSUS JAY

Cain picked up the mic and confidently walked onto the stage to face Jay. He began:

I've been watching lil' man Jay for the past few weeks

Yeah, he's been on a few winning streaks

But it's all gonna stop 'coz with me

You hit a wall; I'm tall

And this is the beginning of your downfall

Fallen Angeline's vocalist is not someone who you wanna mess

You should make the sign of the cross and ask for a "God bless"

If these boys gave you trouble,

I'm gonna make you humble

I'm the biggest trouble of them all—I'm the daddy

And you're gonna killed badly

This guy is a bailout from Logwood High

He's a muscateer; what ya' doin' this side?

I'ma swat you like a Florida fly, you bragger

I proxy souls, I'm a swapper

I'm on fire in this game; you ain't no rapper

I'ma kill your talent, loot your house, rob your bank

You showed up here to get smacked, get roughed up, and spanked

This is my battle, it's my pay day

You're a deadbeat; you're wasting your time, Jay

You know size does matter; it's not a myth

I'm the bigger man here you're dealing with

I'ma six feet two

I'ma kill you

This is gonna be a novel for my girlfriend who likes books like Nancy Drew

The police will look for ya' body, but they won't have no clue

When I came onto the stage, I brought a dark hue over you

Don't ask why, but just ask, "Who?"

Cain put the mic in his back pocket, cracked his knuckles and then handed his mic over to Emcee Angelo.

The crowd cheered at Cain's dis. The tension was mounting. The Bite Force 13 gang snaked through the crowd in the back, getting the girls to cheer for Cain.

Emcee Angelo spoke into the mic. "Great job! Great job! A good start for Cain the champ. Those rap lines were like bullets piercing the chest. I'm so glad I'm not his opponent! Okay, Jay. Here is the mic. Let's see you do this."

Jay saw Cain give Sheyon a high five as she gave him back an evil grin. Jay took the mic and shot back:

I got it right when I passed out from Logwood High

In this town, it's your crowd, but this battle is my ride

Hey, truth hurts, reality bites

I know you got some info on me by taking sides [Jay looked at Sheyon.]

That's okay, but I'll win this fight

But tonight you're in darkness, but I see light

You're a fallen angel; you're not the best

Your soul is made of Teflon vest

I'm a chain gun aimed at your chest

I shoot till you fall from the sky and die

You'll keep swatting while I keep flying

Out of reach till the day you be dying

He says he's a singer

Now he wants to be a rapper,

Next he's a scrapper

Going home after a few rounds crapping in his diaper

He's a big baby,

But he thinks he's a daddy

He needs a pacifier, 'coz he's lost already

Somebody give him a piece of candy

Maybe you should hear a lullabye from this little lady? [Jay pointed to Sheyon.]

Cain immediately took his second turn:

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Someone thinks he's in full form, trying to bring the heat on

In this group of rookies, I'm the big, bad Don

You're about to get skinned alive, Jay jerked chicken

This looney is gonna be chopped, dried, seasoned, and about to stiffen

I'ma throw you in prison

I take you through hell

In this jail cell

Your rap rock songs are outdated

You're just overrated

My band's taking over, and you all are gonna be hated

Better quit your performance in this city, bro

We're already on the wheel; we've been rocking this floor

May I be the one now to lead you to the door?

'Coz a tenderfoot like you has never seen hardcore

My bow is made ready; I'm gonna shoot my arrows

Shoot till I mess up your corn rows

Slap your head from side to side till you die from these blows

I'm on high force

I beat you in your own game

You can tell it to your dame

I'm an open book, while your chapter's closed

You need your Holy Ghost

I'm the truck with the big horns blaring, about to mow you down

And have you drowned

So don't be daring.

Why you glaring?

So I'll sit back

And wait for you if you have a comeback!

Jay spat back:

This guy's pants are on fire

He's all talk, just a bare-faced liar

From dawn to dusk, I'm the top rookie

You hang with street urchins who wear face masks of a kabuki

You can't beat me in a rap game

You can hardly even dis, Cain

Your rhymes are so weak; you're lame

I stole the crowd from you, now you're a hater

Your insolence to me is not what I cater

Your aggression is more like that of a prankster

From round one to the last bell, you act like a gangster,

But hell, you're slow as a snail in a seashell

You're a rotten corn on the cob

By the time you're forty, you'll be a fat blob

You can join Tekken and be fighting like Fat Bob

Your words make no sense; you're a nuisance

My rap game in the past is faster than your future tense

You can't even rap to save yourself from losing

So this is my two cents.

Cain rapped:

I got my two dukes up to put you to silence

I'm good on the mic, but my hands and feet speak violence

Your words get tangled

When I pick you up by your collar and see you dangle

In this angle

I'm getting sick of your bragging and parading

Your talent is not as much—it's like a comet that's fading

I say this as my own quote:

I formed my band way before you sang a musical note

You just locked horns with the toughest bull in this corner

I'll fight you so bad till you're ripped to shreds; you'll need a blood donor

I'm a sledgehammer in the streets of Mirdif

Don't be rubbing me off, or you'll have a bad tiff

I don't ever wanna see your baby face in Murdutch

'Coz the next time you meet me, you be walking away with a crutch.

Jay rapped:

This guy raps like he's a champion boxer

He's got two dukes, and now he's even a mobster

He is so shady; he must be a lobster

He's a bottom feeder

He ain't no leader

My rhythm is right when I'm rapping

You're losing the beat, dude; get down and start tapping

He thinks he's a martial artist

But I think he's more of a con artist

You're a student; you ain't a master yet

You and I have a lot more to learn—now this is something I can bet

The musical notes you sing are all flat

We boys put up a band, and now soon enough we'll be the top cat

You're gonna be nailed down to the ground by my hammer

Stop sabotaging my band; haven't you got any manners?

You ain't no king of Murdutch

There are bigger things in this city about which

You don't know much

You're a hobo out of ammo dying in a stretcher

I'm locked and loaded; this is just the beginning of the lecture.

Cain rapped:

How were your grades when you were in school?

This guy was a flunker—he's a straight fool

Comes to Murdutch acting all cool

You'll be dead soon and floating in this club pool

So I hear you're a good Church boy; he prays all the time

He thinks his God hears him, sends him messages to beat my rhymes

I'll tell you the story

The ending is gory

I'm Goliath, and you're the David

But in this story, you're the dead kid

I chop your hands, your tongue, hang you upside down, drain your blood

The birds peck at ya'

The animals eat ya'

And you get drowned in a flood

Now back to the school with this fool

I'ma teach you something soon

He was weak in math

But after this round, he's weak in everything that's an aftermath

I see your loose lips

Sink your ships

I'm the strong ship in this ocean

In this Street Fighter game, I'm M. Bison

You can't recover from this fight, son

I'm a Vanilla Ice about to freeze you, baby

You're gonna get smacked, you're scared, you're looking like a lady

I'm like Batman; I'm a night prowler

I catch you walking these streets, I'll turn you into powder

There ain't no man born of a woman in this room who can beat me

That's when a wimpy kid like you thinks he has a chance against me

I'm gonna feed you some poison, make you sick to your tummy

You're a guinea pig; you look like a test dummy

This joke is about you, and I think it's quite funny.

Jay rapped:

Thanks, Cain, for the background check on my grades

But since you got straight A's

How come you still don't have a real date?

I'm a rock phenom 'bout to roll you over and cause a ruckus

I'll have you and your band sweating buckets

God's giving me the rap rhymes to spit

I'll break you down bit by bit

And make sure it's you I hit

Rap in summer, rap in the snow

I'm an informer, ready to rock and roll

Yo, Goliath, I floored you years ago

Five stones in my sling, one stone I throw

You fell down like Bam Bam Bigelow

David became king and killed all your bros

As the rounds keep moving, I see you're crazy

It's one, two, three, and I go free

You just flap like a chimpanzee

I count money, I cash checks

I use math to count how I caused you many shipwrecks

You're full of poison; you're a viper

He's toxic—that's why he's all hyper

Well I'm here to reduce you to a cipher

The joke is on you, 'coz I took you out with my sniper.

Cain rapped:

Hey kid, don't be talking loud.

I'm a singer who's been around and been rocking crowds

We took awards on a rock stage; we'll fling you around like a rag doll

I can rap, sing and I can growl

I've been on this since I was small

You don't want come up to me; you're getting into a brawl

From rap, rock, to metal—you name it, I sing 'em all

Rap is a hobby of mine—I still ace in it

You been rapping from when you were a kid

But on any given day, I'd say I'd be a better fit

I've got a larger fan base now than what you'll ever have in your lifetime

You will soon see that your music is not worth a dime

Throw in the towel, lad, it's game over

I'm a celestial being, I'm a supernova.

Jay rapped:

Your loudmouth talking lots of words but no action

The words you say now is not up to the mark; it's dissatisfaction

I'm a newbie in this uni,

But still I'm the main attraction

All your trophies and awards are of the past

Now it's me who's taking this generation and the next; that's what's gonna last

You dug your own traps that you'll fall into

Every time you rap, I use these lines at you

You've been around music since you were kid

You marred the rap genre, I'm about to flip yo' lid

You talk like you won the Grammys,

Putting every band down; you need a slap from your granny

Your rap bars are so sloppy

They're like a three-legged horse ridden by a jockey

I'm about to kick start my career

And once I'm halfway through, I already kicked you in the rear

In this galaxy of music, you're a fallen star

With this blasphemous music of yours, I can tell ya' you ain't going far.

Cain rapped:

You ain't no Indiana Jones of the Last Crusade

My combinations are so brutal, you'll need medical aid

I see you and your career fade

Fallen Angeline just took over the house; we're on a raid

I'm the devil's advocate, and I'm gonna win this case

I'm gonna drop you so hard that you'll never see the sunrays

Route No. 7 is the fast bus carrying this band

I'ma dig a pit for y'all that you'll disappear into like Alice in Wonderland

I'm the Moby Dick who killed the Captain Ahab

Gonna mess with your mind so bad, you will need to go to rehab

I'ma fire six rounds of my rap gun like Billy the Kid

No misses, only kills; the bullets so fast you won't even know what I did

Jay rapped:

I'm the good; you're the bad and the ugly

I draw my words and shoot you with poison ivy

You're getting mashed,

You piece of trash

Your mouth can talk, but your talent can't cash

Your music is a bowl full of gravy

It's just soup, no meat—this is what you bring to the table daily

They may find the planes that disappeared in the Bermuda triangle

But once I'm done with you, they won't be able to recognize your body from any angle

I'm the tycoon in this music business

I'm a typhoon and you're all a witness

I'll blow you up before you even cock your gun

I duck all your bullets, shoot an "X" into you like a hot cross bun.

The crowd was now at its peak noise level with a mix of boos and cheers.

Cain turned to the crowd, walked to the edge of the stage and motioned for the crowd to get even louder. Several hands stretched out from the crowd, and Cain high-fived a few of them, feeding off of their energy. Then he pointed at Jay, raised a thumbs-up sign and then suddenly turned it upside down.

Then all of Cain's friends and most of the crowd followed suit by giving a thumbs down towards Jay. Somebody threw a beer can onto the stage, and it hit Jay's shoe, but Jay didn't flinch nor budge.

Emcee Angelo swept onto front stage and addressed the crowd. "Alright, everybody. This is the final round and the decider of who wins this rap battle. I wish Cain and Jay the best of luck, and may the best man win. Let's get the beats pumped louder for this last round." Then he asked emphatically, "Are you ready?"

The crowd roared as the beats began to thunder. The vibrations could be felt on the stage.

Emcee Angelo threw his mic towards Cain, who caught it in midair. Cain wiped his finger across his brow and flicked the sweat towards Jay.

Jay looked at Cain right in the eye as he thought, "His ego is his Achilles' heel. That's where I need to hit for a technical knockout."

Cain walked up to Jay, just inches from his face.

Jay got a strong whiff of Giorgio Armani Classic mixed with cigarettes. The combination perfectly symbolized Cain's charisma and evil.

Cain began his final turn:

Alright, alright, I've just about had enough of this guy

Now I'm the judge, they're the jury, and I sentence you to die

The trap is set, you're heading for the gallows

Your time is up and your defense is shallow

Your battle performance from one to ten is a zero

I told you from the beginning: I'm the real hero

I'm a Macbeth with blood dripping and staining my hands

I kill anyone who stands up to me, wipe out your people, and take over your lands

Like in The Merchant of Venice, a pound of your flesh I demand

I'm a spinning revolver

I'm a dancing Travolta

I'm The Last Action Hero, the T-1000

I'm about to terminate you, Running Man

I'ma slice, dice, and mince you like Edward Scissorhands

You're scared, abandoned and trying to hide your feelings like Kevin in Home Alone

I'm your horror flick, the gunned Al Capone.

I'm elusive as Escobar

I'll fight you on the streets, in a club, or even a bar

Cruel as Hitler

Deadly as Jack the Ripper

I'm baying for your blood, gonna take your soul like Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat

I'm gonna break your head with a ball bat

Or shoot you down with a loaded gat

I got you in a death lock

I'm rowing to victory like Rasputin the warlock

You're numb, you're paralyzed, and shaking with fear

While I watch you fade away, I'll be drinking my beer

There is no "Return to Innocence"; I tell you an Enigma:

If there is a return of your Messiah

He ain't here; then who's gonna save ya'?

I'll bet you wanna grow up someday and be a preacher

But after this round, you won't even see a living creature.

Jay stepped up and gave his final comeback:

Last round for you, Cain

You talked too much; now I'm gonna cause you some real pain

You're not a fair judge

You're just a bare-faced liar holding a grudge

In this rap race, I'm already at the finish of this final lap

At the end of this round, I'm sure I'm gonna hear the crowd clap

You're a Judas who stabs from behind

You tried to loot us—I read your dirty mind

I know when you're out of ammo—you sweat like Winchester from M*A*S*H

While you see me at the tightest fights humming a tune of Johnny Cash

You're a growing pain about to get stopped like T-1000 by a termination

How's that calculation?

For you, this is a bad situation

Looks like your band will need consolation

Because I'm the soldier killing you, our Predator from another constellation

This is the final countdown as you fall like you slipped on grease

You're a shot-down jet from Top Gun; I take your breath away, if you please

You can team up with Scorpion, Shang Tsung, or Goro

I'm a Liu Kang who will end you with a fireball, a roundhouse kick of Johnny Cage to your rib cage, you bozo

You'll soon be a tramp walking around Deira like a hobo

I'ma cut your pound of flesh 'coz this is war, and I'm like John Rambo

All roads may lead to Rome

But in this escapade with me, you got no home

You're just a dice on Ludo

I'ma slice you in two with my judo

You tried, cried, and then got your lips fried

You're a monkey on a live wire with comebacks that are so dry

I'm the Ace of Base in this music; you got bad taste

Haven't you heard the saying, "Haste makes waste"?

You're lost for words like the last team who got lost in Crystal Maze

I tell ya' don't look back when I give the chase

I'm a Duke Nukem with the RPG in this real-life game

My gun's so powerful, I promise you your face and base will never look the same

You're black-bagged and you're derailed like a train running off its track

Rap rock ain't yo' game, brother; you just got viciously attacked

I'll be a rap rocker, singer, and preacher and make sure you hear it too

I hope someday you'll pay attention and receive the good news that can save you and your crew

I end this with a "have a good night" and a "God bless you."

The deejay continued the beats, but Cain had completely lost it at this point. The reality of his defeat hit him as several empty beer cans came flying at him from the crowd.

Emcee Angelo tried to take control of the situation by saying, "Hey, you guys can't throw stuff onstage like that! Take it easy! There's expensive equipment onstage! You want the show to go on? Then act like grownups, people."

Cain lunged forward in an outburst to get at Jay but was stopped by the barbacks who had been walking by and a few bouncers. The demon Fallen Angel, who was inside of Cain, made him very strong and aggressive, and now he was angry because of Cain's defeat by Jay. Because of the demon, the bouncers almost couldn't handle Cain, but they somehow contained the situation.

Meanwhile, Jay just stood calm and composed.

Fallen Angel lunged at Jay, but Fireball stomped the demon on the chest with his foot, throwing him several feet backwards across the stage.

Cain shoved the bouncers aside as he walked out of the club. Fallen Angel followed him out.

After the commotion was settled, one of the judges announced that the winner of The Tunnel Survivor was Jay. They awarded Jay with an envelope with the big cash prize as his bandmates, friends, and people in the crowd cheered, while there was silence in certain pockets of the crowd of those who couldn't believe Cain had lost. The Bite Force 13 members started to search for the Route No. 7 boys to fight them, but the angels of the Emperor had blinded their eyes so that they couldn't spot them in the crowd.

Jay, Dan, and his bandmates were escorted to their vehicles by the bouncers and angels.

As they were leaving the club, one of the angels asked Fireball, "Hey, so what did you think about Jay's rap flow?"

"I had my fingers in my ears most of the time, so..." Fireball said before he quickly got into the car behind Jay.

The other angels started laughing.

The boys took off to a resort to enjoy their victory.

* * *

Bite Force 13 and Fallen Angeline met at a party that night. Nobody talked about the battle. It was a crushing defeat for Cain and Bite Force 13, and they were angry and ashamed. They decided in their minds to sabotage Jay's band someday.

Late at night after the party, they were at Cain's house. The wooden floor was strewn with horror movie videotapes and several of his girlfriends and bandmates who were drunk had passed out. An Ozzy Osbourne song was playing in the background.

In Cain's bedroom, several empty bottles lay strewn on the floor. Sheyon was asleep on the bed. His walls were covered with the most blasphemous band posters, along with several antiques he had collected from his trips to Europe—medieval torture equipment, swords, and katanas. In his bathroom, several pages of song lyrics that Cain and his bandmates had written in red ink were stuck on the walls. They would leave pages like this all over the house for later inspiration.

Cain sat on a couch, throwing darts into a poster, imagining it was Jay. He was wearing skinny jeans and no shirt, revealing the dragon tattoo that stretched from the nape of his neck down his back. His eyes were red from the coke he had smoked. Hate filled his eyes as he lit a cigarette.

Cain could not accept the fact that he had been defeated. Cain was a child prodigy and had played and sung on big stages and was used to winning every competition against very talented bands. Being very handsome and charming, he was used to people praising him from his childhood days.

And now this rap battle was the first defeat Cain had faced in many years. Throughout his long winning streak, he had beaten every band and sabotaged many. He had even caused many bands to break up when he had put their vocalists to shame. But for the first time, he realized Jay and his band was a force to be reckoned with.

He also hated the fact that Jay believed in the Emperor. Coming from a family of staunch atheists, he also developed into an atheist and came up with his own philosophies. He hated anything to do with Christians.

He was also very vengeful against any band that was more talented than his. If he couldn't get them onstage, he would get them in the streets or in a back alley, where he and his friends would beat them up and threaten to kill them if they made their complaints known.

Right now, all he could think about was getting revenge with Jay and his band.

During the following week, a few members of Bite Force 13 gave Jay threatening calls, telling him that he should never show his face in these clubs again.

Cain continued working against Jay and his band. He began to notice Route No. 7 on the poster of many of the clubs in the area. Since he knew the owners of the clubs he frequented, he successfully manipulated them. He got them to fill slots with other bands he had introduced so that Route No. 7 was overlooked. And if Route No. 7 was booked at all, they were scheduled as one of the last acts of the night so that they ended up losing their slots altogether as time ran out. Over the next couple of months, they only were able to perform a few times at JBR Walk.

DIRTY POLITICS MADE CLEAN

In the meantime, construction was being completed for the White Diamond Mall, the richest, most luxurious mall in Dubai. It was a world-class mall with an open-air amphitheater that could seat eight hundred. For the grand opening, the mall was hosting an expo, including a traveling art exhibit by a famous Italian artist and a huge rock performance. Cain's band was invited to be the headliner.

The week of the event, the opening act had canceled, and the event organizer, Belladina Bakir, was frantically trying to book a replacement. She and her husband Stephen had a friend with a lot of connections in the music business, so she decided to call and ask him for help.

Scott Nelson's phone at home was ringing off the hook. He reached out through the bubbles in his white marble bathtub to pick up his cordless landline phone receiver from the wall. "Hello?"

"Hi, Scott. This is Belladina. I'm so sorry to trouble you right now."

"Hi, Bella! What's up?"

"I've been rummaging through all my contacts to get the right opening act for the White Diamond Mall grand opening. By the way, I sent you an invite about a month ago—you and your wife are also invited to the dinner."

"Oh, yeah, it's on my calendar."

"Well, my scheduled opening act had to cancel, all the other bands I contacted are booked, and it's just three days away. I need a new face for this event. Do you have anyone in mind?"

"Don't worry about it. Hey, I've been following this band in Deira called Route No. 7. I can bank on these guys."

"You know when it comes to music, you're the man we trust," Belladina said. "They will have forty minutes to perform."

After they ended the call, Scott contacted Lanz to schedule the band for the opener slot. He told Lanz not to mention his name to anyone.

The day of the mall opening, Cain and his band came in proudly and sat in the front row of the packed amphitheater. They received complimentary mocktails, which they sipped as they waited for the opening act to begin.

Belladina got on the mic and introduced Route No. 7 as the opening rock band. Jay and his bandmates walked up onto the stage, and the crowd roared, while Cain suddenly spat out his drink, leaving some drops on his shirt.

Cain and his bandmates stared in shocked disbelief. "What the heck are these guys doing here?"

Jay looked at the crowd. At first, he couldn't see because of the spotlights on his face. As they dimmed the lights, he was able to see the people in the audience. To his disbelief, he saw Cain and his bandmates. Jay looked at Duke, who was tuning his guitar with a perplexed look.

Jay and his bandmates knew they had to keep their focus and started playing. In no time, they were rocking the amphitheater.

Cain and his bandmates wanted to run out, but Belladina's muscular husband Stephen was standing right in front of the exit. They couldn't miss him because the neon lights bounced off his shiny, bald head. There was no way they could escape anyway because they were sitting right in front of the cameras. They were forced to drink their mocktails and watch the entire performance.

When Fallen Angeline got onstage, a light rain started falling steadily. The people in the audience started rushing out of their seats, the remainder of the three-hour event had to be shut down, and the band was not allowed to play. Cain and his bandmates were upset again. There was no way they could console themselves.

As Cain was walking out of the amphitheater, he saw a large poster of the concert next to the entrance. He took his lit cigarette and burned a hole into the name "Route No. 7."

As Jay, Duke, Ashley, and Stanley were getting into their van in the parking garage, they caught Cain, Judas, and the others staring at them from one of the floors above. As Jay and his friends drove away, they started to realize that God wanted to show the world that he was with them and all who call on the name of Yeshua.

THE GUN

One evening the next week, Jay returned home from classes, tired from the long day and the 40-degree weather. He had a cold shower and then went into his room for a nap. The moment he laid his head on the pillow, he drifted into a deep sleep.

Jay suddenly found himself wearing an army uniform and a gas mask. He was carrying a huge gun. In the midst of the smoke all around, he could see battle tanks burning, other wrecked vehicles, and bodies lying everywhere. Everywhere he looked, there was blood spilled on the ground. He saw that his gun was firing. There were some crowds of people yelling, but he saw mostly dead bodies of young people.

As he kept walking, his gun was smoking. As he kept seeing more bodies, he looked closer. He couldn't believe his eyes—it was the bodies of his friends. He was tearing up. As he continued on foot, he saw little children, both boys and girls—all dead.

"Who could have done this?" he asked angrily.

All of a sudden, he sensed movement behind him. He turned around to attack, but he saw there were people following him. They were his army and wore the same uniform as his—the same boots, the same helmets, the same masks—but their guns were different. Jay was a more decorated soldier and had a huge gun, a deadlier one than any of them had.

As he turned around and continued walking, he came to a huge clearing. Through the dust and smoke, he could see another army facing him. The soldiers looked grotesque. Then he realized it was a demon army. They wore another uniform, and they had different weapons.

Jay took aim, but as he raised his gun, he noticed something written on it: "Rap." He was shocked. His gun began to fire, but an evil power made him turn around and to his shock he was firing at his own people. He couldn't stop it; the trigger was stuck to his fingers. Then he realized he was the one who had killed his own people. The rap lines that had come out of his gun had destroyed many youths.

He realized that he now had to channel the power to build lives back up, and to do that, he needed to surrender his gifts to the Emperor first. He finally said a simple prayer: "oh Emperor, I surrender." The gun stopped firing.

He turned to face the enemy, huge demons with deadly weapons, running towards him. Jay pulled the trigger again. This time, every one of the demons were getting blown to smithereens. He wiped out an entire army.

Then he heard a voice from the sky saying, "Use your gift wisely."

Jay reflected on the rap battles he had had over the past several weeks and months. Although the Trinity had helped him stay strong in the onslaught and had enabled his mind to be quick, Jay had made the choice to be harsh with his words. He knew he had been hard on his opponents. He remembered feeling a bit uncomfortable about being so rude after the last big battle.

Sometimes he did not realize that he was dealing with demons. He just attacked the people on an earthly level, which later moved on to a more emotional attack. The result was that he ended up only creating more enemies, getting threatening calls, and feeling reluctant to do any more rap battles.

Jay realized he had to start making up lyrics that would build up, instruct, and equip. He had to make a conscious effort to not tear people down but to encourage and exhort them. He was not the kind who would fight until he was dragged into it, and he was always careful not to use profanity on a stage, but he knew that at times, he had still gone off the board. He prayed to the Wise One for guidance.

The Wise One answered, "The same power that ended your enemies can end you if you lose character. I gave you a gift so that you would look after it, use it, and always be a man of character before you wield it. Whichever way you look at it, you are influencing lives."

As soon as he finished speaking, a powerful light hit Jay, and the gun dislodged from his hand as he fell face down to the ground.

"Rise up and pick up the gun," the Wise One said.

Jay looked at the gun. It was now shining with fire around it. As he picked it up, he felt new.

Suddenly, he saw another demon army marching on land and flying in the sky towards him and his army.

The Wise One said to Jay, "Fight using all the skills I taught you and restore your brothers and sisters."

Jay began to shoot his gun again. The demon army's attack was heavy, but he was able to shoot down the numerous demons, and they began to disappear as they fell to the ground. He turned and looked at the children who had died.

"Lord, what about those who died?" Jay asked. "Lord, please give them one more chance!" Jay wept and fell to the floor on his knees.

"I will give another chance, my son," the Wise One said. "They were young when they heard the negative words. Those words poisoned their souls, and they lost me. But now as you keep fighting the enemy, watch and see that I am also a God who can resurrect, who can give them a second chance."

Jay wept as he laid the gun on the floor.

"Look behind you," Wise One said.

When Jay looked, he saw that all the children who had died were alive, standing with guns.

Then the Prince suddenly appeared as the captain of the armies. He said, "This is the way. Walk in it by following my lead."

Jay and the armies followed the Prince, and together they began to rout out every demon.

Then Jay opened his eyes. His body felt numb. He knew that the dream had a deep meaning and that God was teaching him his ways. Jay reached for a packet of M&M's on the nightstand, his thoughts elsewhere. He rolled the candies around in his mouth and dissolved them under his tongue as he replayed the dream again and again in his mind. His tears streamed down as he realized the responsibility that was placed upon him.

DREADLOCKS

A few weeks later, Jay had another dream. In the dream, he saw his hair being dreadlocked by his friend Layo Walsh. The Emperor was showing Jay that he was going to use him wearing this hairstyle for a very, very long time to impact many young people. He wanted Jay to be a connecting wire for those who would never hear a preacher.

Jay's thick, wavy hair now reached below his chest. He had long felt he was a Nazirite. He had read in the Primus Script that Nazirites were ancient Jews who would not cut their hair for a specific amount of time as a sign that they were to be used by the Emperor for a special purpose. He would only trim his hair from time to time.

One day after church, Jay ran into his Irish friend Layo, who was a drummer in a punk rock band. It had been quite some time since they had last met, and Jay saw that Layo had just gotten dreads. He worked in a company editing movies, but his real passion was music and other creative work. He painted shoes and made customized clothes. He could make awesome accessories using junk. He wanted to work one day as a full-time tattoo artist and loved doing dreads.

Looking at Jay's hair, which was braided into cornrows, Layo said, "You should totally get dreads, man. Love your cornrows, but you need to keep getting that done for every show of yours. It's best you get dreads once and for all, and that will keep it in ship shape."

Then Jay remembered the dream he had many months ago. He felt that it was a great suggestion. "Really? But how do I have a bath? he asked.

"It's just strands that are super thick, so it's no biggie," Layo said. "You drench your hair under a shower and then put in some dread shampoo, lather it, and wash the dread shampoo out. You have to lather it real good and work it into your roots. Then wash it out and dry yourself squeaky clean."

"Sounds like a plan. Where do I get these done?" Jay asked.

"I can do it for you. Well, you've got to get the dread kit that comes with a fine-tooth comb, some locking powder and a spray with locking accelerator, a few of those long sewing needles, and loads and loads of black rubber bands. It will take me about ten days to finish your dreads because you have pretty thick hair. I'll be doing your hair from 10:00 a.m. to say 5:00 p.m., and I'll load my laptop with some movies for you to watch," Layo said.

Two weeks later, Jay had received his dread kit by mail from the US, and colleges were on winter break. So at the beginning of the week, Jay went to Layo's home.

When Jay reached Layo's home, he had just finished his breakfast and was getting together all the tools. Layo introduced Jay to his Australian girlfriend Laira, who was visiting that day.

"Hey, can I help?" Laira asked Layo.

"Yeah, that would be great," Layo said.

They combed out Jay's beautiful, thick, wavy hair and tied it into little pony tails. After that, they took him outside the house to the terrace and sprayed it with locking accelerator. After drying it up, they put on something that smelled like pain balm.

Layo took the super fine-tooth comb and said, "Dude, this is gonna hurt real bad, but don't be crying. I'm going to give you breaks as I hammer on each individual pony tail. You have thirty-nine pony tails."

Jay thought, "the Prince took thirty-nine lashes on his body. That was a crazy number."

"What do you like to watch?" Layo asked. "Action, adventure, comedy, chick flick, sci-fi, documentaries?"

Jay, Layo, and Laira selected a lot of movies. They started with a comedy, but it was no comedy for Jay. Every time he would laugh, the next twenty minutes was non-stop pain as Layo worked on his soft, wavy hair, back combing it with the fine-tooth comb and turning it into thick dreads. They worked from morning to afternoon. Finally he said, "Lunch break."

Layo turned Jay's revolving seat and made him face a mirror and showed him the back of his head with another mirror.

Jay felt sore on the back of his head. There he could see about four dreads done up. When he touched them, they felt like little ropes. "Dude, this is looking good!"

That night, Jay wore a beanie as he rode back home. He didn't want anyone on the road to think he looked weird.

For the next few days, Jay watched three movies every day and chewed on chocolate bars to take his mind off the pain.

Towards the middle of the week, the back of Jay's head was almost done, and Layo wanted to work into the night to gain more ground. They kept going, listening to their favorite music between movies. Layo had similar tastes as Jay—he was a huge fan of '80s and '90s music.

Fireball watched Jay's head. He looked at the angels behind and gave them a thumbs-up. He told them, "It's looking the bomb, guys! Just as Jay would want it!"

Layo knew his craft. He was a hard worker and a perfectionist. He believed in his work and was very passionate. He worked like a robot and had gotten into some kind of beast mode—he never paused till a dread was done, and he was completing each lock faster than before. Sometimes Layo would get so tired that Jay had to crack his back.

As the days went by, Jay had to push past his threshold of pain tolerance. The side of his head was the most painful, especially near his ear and side burns. At first, the pain was so unbearable that Jay had to take a break every ten minutes of back combing. But after a few breaks, Jay got used to the pain and began to sit it out.

At the end of the day Saturday, Layo told Jay that he would take a day's break. They continued the next week, and by midweek, Layo was done.

Jay looked in the mirror. His head looked like a tarantula. He loved the way his dreads looked. "Dude, you are brilliant!" Jay said as he gave Layo a warm hug. "I love the work! I'm gonna keep it this way for a very long time"

"You're looking great," Layo said. "I can't wait to see you rock your stage, hommes. Hey, by the way, remember to wash your hair on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and also use a stocking to cover your head for the first few washes so that the dreads don't come loose. They need to mature to lock and become hard," Layo said, handing him his mother's stocking. They laughed.

Layo was to be Jay's dread doctor for a few months till he got the hang of it.

The next day, when Jay was walking down the street in Mirdif, he saw two Iranian girls staring at his head.

"Oh my gosh! Look at his hair!" they said.

Jay smiled as he walked to his home. The dreads were a huge attraction.

Jay found that there was good and bad attention with dreads. On the road, cops would stop him most times and ask him all sorts of questions. In church, the parents would never allow their little kids to sit next to him. A whole row would be empty next to Jay at times because nobody wanted to sit with a dreaded guy. Jay would laugh to himself about their ignorance. But Jay's band loved it, and so did all his friends. When he got onstage, all eyes were on him—he was a great showman, but the dreads enhanced it even more. Jay also noticed that many people walked up to him and talked with him just because he had dreads. They really helped him connect with more people.

The Trinity also loved Jay's dreads.