21 Jump Street: Vault

Chapter 8: Rocket

This one takes place during the season one finale, "Mean Streets and Pastel Houses." I will hopefully have the next two chapters up by tomorrow.

Probably our most adventurous song for "Hysteria." A cool video and my favorite live song. (Phil)

Why did I agree to take on this assignment? Tom Hanson thought in dismay as he studied the mob of punk-rock gangs about to enter the club. For once, he agreed with Doug Penhall: his partner should have gone under as the full-out punk instead of playing backup as a dorky stepbrother. Although Tom did like the clothes . . .

Anyways, he chewed the piece of gum in his mouth one more time, then decided to just suck it up and go inside. Almost insantly, he regretted it: there was too much noise and lights for his taste. Well, not so much the lighting as the music. Tom kept to the shadows until he was pulled into the mob of kids by a girl with blue-streaked black hair.

Onstage, the band, KKK, finished their song, took a few moments of rest, and launched into a cover of Def Leppard's "Rocket."

"Guitar, guitar, guitar"

Enter intro music and snatches of the launch of Challenger here, as well as random vocals. Hanson stood in the center of the crowd of kids, chewing his gum, and tried to listen to the song. For a cover, they weren't half bad, from what he'd heard so far.

"White light, strange city, mad music all around

Midnight street magic, crazy people crazy sound

Jack flash, rocket man, Sgt. Pepper and the band

Ziggy, Benny and the Jets, take a rocket

We just gotta fly

I can take you through the center of the dark

We gonna fly

On a collision course to crash into my heart

I will be your, I will be your

Rocket, yeah, satellite of love

Rocket, yeah, satellite of love

Rocket, yeah, satellite of love

Rocket, baby, c'mon, I'll be your

Satellite of love"

The girls in the room were clearly loving it, and Tom was almost shoved off his feet as a teen slammed into him. He recovered quickly, only to find he was now caught up in a mosh pit. He had to fight just to be able to stand up. It was exhausting, but kind of fun too.

When Tom caught a glimpse of the stage, he saw that the lead singer had collapsed to the floor, then jumped up to his feet even as Tom watched, coming in for the next verse:

"Spotlight, magnetic razor rhythm lazor love

Guitar, drums, load up, stun!

Jet black, Johnny B., jean genie, killer queen

Dizzy lizzy, major tom so c'mon

We just gotta fly

I can take you through the center of the dark

We gonna fly

On a collision course to crash into my heart

I will be your, I will be your

Rocket, yeah, satellite of love

Rocket, yeah, satellite of love

Rocket, yeah, satellite of love

Rocket baby c'mon we're gonna fly"

There was an instrumental break, and the KKK's lead guitarist jumped forward, looking like he was having fun as his fingers flew over the fretboard. A couple kids even climbed up to the top of the speakers and leapt off into the crowd to be caught by their friends. It looked like fun, so Hanson gathered up his nerve and tried it. These kids were total strangers, but they lowered him safely to the floor, with Tom still in one piece. Now the the undercover cop had relaxed a bit, he was beginning to enjoy himself, moving to the music.

The lead singer smiled a little as he launched into the song's final chorus and verse:

"We just gotta fly

I can take you through the center of the dark

We gonna fly

On a collision course to crash into my heart

I will be your, I will be your

Rocket, yeah, satellite of love

Rocket, yeah, satellite of love

Rocket, yeah, satellite of love

Rocket baby guitar drums sight up

We gonna fly—rocket, yeah

Satellite of love—we gonna fly

Rocket yeah—satellite of love

Rocket—yeah"

The drummer played the last note, and it finally faded away. Again there was a slight break inbetween songs as the lead singer gulped down some water; then the Klean Kut Kids began playing one of their signature songs, "Too Young to Die" . . . and Hanson, along with the kids, let the music take him away.