In a small bar in Texas, Axel Steel took another swig of beer and flipped the page in his journal. It was a shabby place, smelling of tobacco and with only a crackly TV for entertainment, but Axel liked it that way. It was mostly empty, with only a small group of guys playing Blackjack and the bartender breaking the silence. The bartender picked up a glass and began polishing it, while squinting at Axel. Axel shifted uncomfortably. He never liked attention, and had escaped from the road crew to come here and think.

"You're that rock star, ain't cha? Alex or something?" The bartender questioned.

"Uh, I get that a lot." Axel replied, leaning forward so his hair would cover his face. The bartender just leaned back and studied him some more.

"You are, aren't cha? Don't be lyin' to me, my daughters a fan." He pointed to picture on the wall of him and his daughter.

Axel sighed, and shut his journal.

"No offence, but I kinda want to be alone right now, okay?"

The bartender considered for a moment than said, "Autograph?"

Axel growled but scrawled his name on a napkin. The bartender shoved the napkin in his pocket and joined the game of Blackjack. Finally alone, Axel reopened his notebook to the page he was looking at. It began the notes from his recent trip to Egypt with his friend Marcus Fretshredder. He grinned and picked up a photograph they took in front of the Sphinx. We look like the craziest archeologists of all time, he thought. Even in the hot desert, they both had to keep some element of rock with them. Marcus had his long blond hair braided, (To which Axel had said, "You girly son of a b*tch!") was shirtless, wore a pair of ripped up jeans, and a belt with crossed guitars to match. Axel was wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a white muscle tank the read "MEGADETH". Axel stuck the picture back in-between the pages and began reading over his notes. He had copied down the various symbols they had found, but had yet to find a book to translate them with. Suddenly the glyphs became blurry, and Axel squinted to see them. The goddamn Dyslexia has to kick in NOW? But as fast as it started, it stopped. Axel leaned back, stretched, and rubbed his eyes. He picked up and began to read once more, but all the symbols were replaced with words. Ones he could read.

"What in the hell kind of a joke is this?" He yelled. All too soon, he realized the whole room was silent. He looked over to the guys playing Blackjack, who were staring at him, dumbfounded,

"WHAT!" He yelled again. Listening to the ringing of his yell through the bar, he froze. That…wasn't English… He quickly flipped to the beginning of his notes and read the first lines of glyphs. They weren't the funny pictures they once were. Axel now read clearly "The Might of the Demi-God".

xXx

Thousands of miles away, outside a club in downtown Chicago, Casey Lynch leaned against the brick wall, pulling out a lighter and a pack of Camel's. It was a misty night, with a full moon reflecting in the shallow puddles in the alley behind the club. It looks like a f*cking horror movie out here, Casey thought, lighting up a cigarette. She had only been here a couple days, touring with an all girl band of Echo Tesla, Pandora, and Judy Nails. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a shuffling noise at the end of the alley. A dark figure in a cloak and brimmed hat was coming towards her. Thinking fast, Casey jammed the lighter back in her pocket and flicked the cigarette into a puddle. The figure now loomed over her.

"Casey…"

"HY-YAAAA!"

Not knowing what to do, she unloaded a full roundhouse kick into the attackers face. The stranger fell back into a patch of moonlight, the hat falling off his head.

"AUSTIN!" Casey yelled, rushing to help him up. He got to his feet and put one hand on the wall for support. Casey finally got a good look at his face, now covered in blood. She took a few steps back, horrified at what she had done. Austin Tejas pinched the bridge of his nose and began blowing blood onto the cobblestone.

"Lynch," he mumbled, wiping the last of the blood into his sleeve, "You suck."

"I swear I didn't know it was you! I'm really sorry." Casey said sadly.

"I know Casey; it's not your fault." Austin replied. Casey helped him in through the back entrance into the now empty bar. Only the quite shuffling of the stage crew setting up broke the steady silence. Casey sat Austin down at a stool and ordered the bartender to get some ice for Austin's swelling nose.

"So," She asked, trying to sound friendly, "What brings you here?"

Austin laughed. "I'm your biggest fan." He said, and gave her a kiss.

G-Dammit Austin, she thought. I kick you and you kiss me? How in the hell do you do that?

Austin sat back and held the ice pack to his nose. Casey just awkwardly blushed and stared at her hands.

"Actually, I'm kinda here to give you a message." He whispered, pulling out his cell phone.

"Mmm," Casey said, nodding to the phone, "Cryptic remains ya got there."

"Oh ha ha." He said, rolling his eyes. He brought up a list of names and handed it over to Casey. "Know any of these?"

Casey scrolled down the list, and realized she knew all 4 names.

"What's up with the list?" She questioned, handing him back the phone.

Austin took a deep breath.

"You know Johnny Napalm?" Casey nodded. "He's been calling around. Asking if any weird sh*t has been happening. And it has, to those dudes."

"Like, what kinda stuff?"

"Well, Johnny's passed out multiple times, and it's not from the booze. Axel is suddenly speaking Egyptian, and Lars is having violent mood swings."

"But you're on this list too!" Casey exclaimed. "What's wrong with you?"

"Bats," Austin sighed. "There's always one following me. Watch this." He looked up at the rafters of the club and made a funny clicking noise with his tongue. A bat flew down and sat on his shoulder. He ran a finger down its back, as if petting it. Casey gave it a pat too, and smiled.

"So," he said, stroking the sad creature. "Anything weird been happening here?"

Casey considered for a moment, and then dropped her head in close.

"Well, Pandora's totally into these creepy old magic books, and not in the Pandora kinda way. Echo made me help her with this f*cking crazy lighting experiment the other day, and Judy pulled an Ozzy last show and bit some kid. And…I guess I've been on the bit of the defensive side lately."

Austin frowned, clearly trying to come up with an explanation. He pulled out a slip of paper and a pen from his pocket and wrote down some notes. The then took her hands in his and folded the paper in.

"Be there." He whispered, and set the bat on her shoulder. He left before Casey could say anything. Casey set the bat on the top of a napkin holder and read the note.

O'Hare Airport – 3P.M

Using Lars' bus, take the girls with you.