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When Valentina retreated back stage, everyone was in shock. Surprised comments swirled around her wildly as everyone tried to comprehend what she had done. No one was exactly sure... except for Valentina. She knew what she had done, exactly: she just stole the show and put her name in everyone's mouths.
As Valentina was passing through the backstage halls to go back to her dressing room, she spotted Mylene. Mylene was breaking down in tears in Ezekiel's arms. Valentina wanted so badly to go over there and ask what was wrong, but she knew that Mylene was about to go on stage and she didn't want to make her late.
Once Val entered the dressing room, she found Joelle and Michael sitting in there with the widest smiles plastered on their faces. "You stole the show... then you kissed Misty Holloway and stole Mylene's spotlight. No one is going to be paying attention to her because everyone is going to be talking about you while she performs!" Joelle exclaimed.
And then, for Valentina... it clicked. She realized why she saw Mylene crying earlier... it was because she knew that she wouldn't be able to top her.
* * *
After Mylene's cute performance, the crowd was still cheering for Valentina. Mylene's performance was good, but not better than Valentina's. Val's exquisite choreographer, vocals, stage presence, production and shock factors made her the star for the night. Valentina soon joined the crowd and spent the rest of the night dancing, drinking, being congratulated by Misty Holloway and being celebrated with sparklers and sweets.
* * *
The next day, Shaolin invited Joelle to join him and the Get Down Brothers to visit the Zulu Kingdom in order to get allies to protect them from Fat Annie. Joelle had already asked Valentina to put in a good word about them to her mom, who was almost the most powerful drug lord in the city once again, for more backup. Makayla was already making big bucks with her new distribution of cocaine, and her legendary name "Lil Kay" was growing in popularity among the drug users in Chicago again. Makayla already had her team set in in Chicago... all she had to do was sent them their first batch of dust to start selling. Because of this, many people had Makayla's back... and if Makayla needed help for herself or someone else, there would always be someone nearby to help.
As Joelle walked beside Shaolin, RaRa, Boo Boo, Ezekiel and RaRa's new girl, she carefully watched her surroundings as a couple of Zulus began shouting at the invaders. "Come in piece or leave in pieces!" She heard one of them shout.
Joelle wasn't the only one terrified for her life, for the other boys were tense too. "Yo, we really safe out here?" Zeke asked RaRa's girl and he simply received an eye roll in return.
Ra's girl, Tanya, led them into a Zulu get down dig. The music and transitions were the same as any other Get Down, but the people and the rhymes were drastically different. "Z-U-L-U! That's the way to say Zulu!" The crowd chanted along with the beat.
What's the name of this nation? Zulu! Zulu! And who's gonna get on down? Bambaataa! Bambaataa!
The MC and the crowd worked together to proudly show off their nation. "The nation of Zulu is no gang. It is an organization of individuals in search of success, peace, knowledge, wisdom, understanding and the righteous way of life. Negative actions are for the unrighteous." One Zulu warrior spoke with great motivation to his fellow people as the Get Down Brothers, Tanya and Joelle drifter through the crowd to the other side of the room.
"Mind fucking blown, right?" Ra exclaimed.
Shaolin nodded slowly. "Yeah... it's all good." He told, the looked at Joelle with an expression of confusion.
Joelle simply shrugged at him and shot him a look expressing that he was the one that got them into that situation. "Where Aftika Bambaataa at though?" Shaolin asked as he readjusted the crates filled with records in his arms. The records were a peace offering, hopefully to allow the Get Down Brothers and the Zulu nation to become allies.
"Digging for rare symphonic treasures. Zulu skulls brought him a shipment of new crates, a few from Manhattan... and one all the way from Connecticut. Come on. He's been expecting you." Tanya explained as she pointed to Bambaataa digging around in a ton of crates filled to the brim with records. Tanya then continued to lead the small group up to the Zulu's DJ, Bambaataa.
* * *
"A band?" Bambaataa inquired after Shaolin had explained everything to him (Fat Annie, her contract to produce a record of the Get Down, and how they needed to get out of it before she destroyed the Get Down.)
"Yeah. With guitars and drums and everything." Ra elaborated.
"She says she don't need no DJ." Ezekiel pitched in.
"No DJ..." Africa Bambaataa scoffed.
"The beats that make up the Get Down... come from all nationalities, all races, from all over this planet. The Get Down ain't got no prejudice. If the ingredients is right, it don't matter where it come from. The DJ conducts an orchestra of interplanetary, international, universal human soul. You understand me, young brothers? How in the the hell a little four piece band gonna replace all that?" Afrika rambled angrily.
"Annie says she gonna simplify it." Zeke said.
Joelle rolled her eyes. "Nah, what she meant was... she gon destroy the DJs... and kill the Get Down." Joelle scoffed.
"Were asking for your help, Mr. Bambaataa. Not for our sake, for the sake of the Get Down galaxy." Ra pleaded.
Afrika huffed. "You have a plan in mind?" He asked.
"Any chance you seen Star Wars?" Ra inquired.
Afrika shook his head. "Nah, but I heard it was good." Afrika began to listen.
"Well, in the movie, there's a band of ancient warriors called Jedi. There's this thing called the Force." Ra began to explain.
Afrika cocked his head as he began to connect this fiction to reality. "You mean the unstoppable flowing energy field of truth? Carrying all human and extraterrestrial kind to their one true destiny, which is unity. That Force?" He asked.
"Unity. Yes. The way I see it, every DJ, every MC... and every B-boy and B-girl... were all Jedis. And the music? It's our Force. It unites us, we wanna summon every Jedi from every corner in every kingdom in the galaxy. Zulu warriors, Flash's Caesars, Herc's heavies and every B-boy and B-girl. And together, we will have a show. A big drug free show. And when Annie shows: boom! We ambush her, and tell her not only is the Get Down Brothers not gonna make your record, the Bronx ain't gonna make your record. Our music is ours. Fuck your contract, if you don't release us, you're just gonna get fucked yo by the greatest Jedis the Bronx had known." Ra hit his chest respectfully.
"And I mean fucked up." Shao added, but then Afrika's guards stepped forward intimidatingly.
"The Zulus will offer you sanctuary and records. And if can create the unity which you speak, then we, too, will join your rebel alliance." Afrika subtly agreed.
Joelle shot Shaolin a cheeky, and accomplished smile. And Shao returned the look as he quietly cheered.
