The day was like any other in Watts City. The rain had been coming down at its steady pace with the gay children running the puddles in the afternoon hours. Rush hour had the citizens on the move with reckless abandonment to the rain. For what was Watts City without the rain? As always every shade of the rainbow was out with the umbrellas. Not to even forget, the latest in raincoat fashion of happily yellows and crimsons coats all about. The rainboots would have been to dazzling with their colors of every shade. The sidewalks were living pieces of art with swirls of dragons moving with the rain drops and countless fish paintings moving the small puddles. The neon signs shined brightest in the dull of the rain clouds. Each tall building with the largest and cheerful display scene about the newest what-what on its channel. The lively sounds of the top new recording artist drown out the usual patter of rain.

Breathless peered down from her room in the back of the club with a meek smile. She would be waiting for a call from her gal. If things worked right and proper, Breathless and her little lovely Kid would be out of this city by next week. Together they would leave the rain and the rainbows of umbrellas for somewhere sunny. Breathless remembered the sun from the rare trips she made out of the city for tours. She took a deep breathe as the sigh let out a robotic sound. She covered up her neck for comfort as her necklace rested on top of it. The doctor always reassured her that the scarring would go away with more treatment. The accident at the Top Idol had been a soul breaking experience.

But with Kid, the scars hardly mattered. Together with Kid, Breathless remembered what it was to laugh and smile again. Breathless nodded to herself as she heard a knock at the door. A voice from beyond it cheerfully said, "Miss Breathless, five until showtime."

"Thanks, Igor," Her voice said sweetly, the tin notes in it were hardly noticeable. (Or so people told her.)

 Breathless stood up to her full height and slipped on her heels. Normally she would have been practicing her scales and everything, but that had been years. Not it was just songs at the Glass Slipper. A low-key jazz bar that Igor and Mister Parallax managed to get her into. Mister Parallax had decided that his favorite singer should keep going, despite only having an artificial voice box. Damaged vocal chords were not easily to fix in the doggy eat doggy world of Top Idol. No, Mister Parallax had the money to bring Breathless back to the top. Yet she didn't have the heart to deal with it anymore. (Although many accused her of dropping out for a sum of money and an agreement not to sue over the accident. Others said it was because she was terribly ill and couldn't perform anymore. Who didn't want to be a Top Idol.) She just wanted Kid.

Breathless bushed her auburn hair up into a loose bun. Her deep crimson lipstick was on just so. Breathless straightened up her long black dress and picked up her wrap. Her voice may sound like tin. Her singing may have had to change to a different tune completely. But she still have the oldies and her patrons. Igor would keep her feed. Mister Parallax would keep her off the street. She just had to sing and she would. She would sing well for her patrons. Then she would collect all her penny and dimes. It would be time for her date with Kid at the park. A nice stroll out there and time to get some hot chai.

After all of it was done, then it was off to Sunnydale. No more old men listening to her voice. No more rain and the cold. Just blue skies and green countryside. No more questions about her singing career and where it was all going. Breathless beamed at herself as she nodded her head. She walked over to the door and happily went out to the stage.

Just as she held the microphone in her,  Breathless saw the breaking news from the bar area. It was about one murdered student and a missing student, Kid. Breathless felt faint and her heart fell into the pit of her stomach. She was shaking as she spotted Mister Parallax in the shadows of the bar. She begun to sing.