Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann Fan Fiction / Crossover With Non-anime Series Fan Fiction ❯ Factory ❯ The Last Days of Eric ( Chapter 65 )

The Last Days of Eric

I: Beginning:

Eric was born in California. He always wanted to be a star. His mother humored him while his father wasn't in the picture. Still, Eric lived a charmed life. His mother was an artist. She wanted love and to be loved. Her son came second in one sense. Eric didn't mind. Los Angeles was his playground.

Just like the good old story goes, Eric wasn't like other boys. He liked dresses and make-up. His mother didn't mind it. She encouraged him, in fact. When he was a baby, she dressed him up like a girl Sometimes, she would call him her daughter. Eric didn't mind it. He grew to love it. This boy was destinate for an amazing future.

II: Star Boy:

By the age of eighteen, Eric was determined to become a star. LA had too many stars. He needed to go out and shine. The boy raised the money and bought a plane ticket to go to Japan. The destination came at random. His mother didn't stop him. She kissed him on the cheek before he left their condo. That would be the last time she would see him alive.

Eric did drag shows when he was LA. He had been doing this since he was twelve. His mother humored him on this. After all, she was the one who got him started on his path. She didn't care if he was gay or not. In fact, she already knew that he was gay. Maybe this was good for him to get out and become a star.

“Call me when you get there,” she told him. Eric made that call from a payphone at Narita Airport. The call didn't last long.

“I'm here,” he said.

“Good luck,” his mother said.

Becoming a star in a foreign land isn't easy. Sure, they did like blonde and foreign. But they liked their own stars more. That didn't sway Eric in anyway. He was determined to be a star one way or another.

Enter Andy Teach.

III: In Andy's Arms:

They met at an underground gay club. Eric was doing a drag show at the time. He looked beautiful enough to pass as a woman. High heels, red lipstick, ripped up fishnets, red leather miniskirt, and a black leather vest. His act was an Amy Winehouse-like character who was drunk and high. Eric would sing “Back to Black” on stage. That night, he was performing his act as usual.

Andy came in with Ian on the same night. They sat in the back corner. Eric came on stage and told a couple of jokes. Andy couldn't take his eyes off of him. A waiter came by their table.

“Excuse me,” Andy spoke up.

“Hm?” the waiter asked.

“Who is that on stage?” the director asked. He pointed towards the stage. The waiter turned for a look.

“Oh, that's Christina,” he said. “She's new here.”

“Ah,” Andy said. He had that look in his eyes again. Ian could see where this was heading.

After the show, Andy got up to follow Christina backstage. Eric was about to go into the dressing room when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

“Yes?” he asked.

“I really liked your show,” Andy said.

“Thank you, uh…” Eric said. The director smiled behind him.

“Andy,” he said. “My name is Andy Teach.” The drag performer smirked to himself.

“Is that right?” he asked. Eric slowly turned around. One look into Andy's eyes was all it took.

Eric ended up spending the night in Andy's hotel room.

IV: Problems Underneath:

Breath the glamor and charm, Eric had his own problems. At the age of seven, he diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His mother didn't believe it.

“What do those quacks know?” she asked. “They just want to stick you on pills you don't need.” From then on, Eric had neve been on any medication.

For the most part anyway.

Some of his teachers tried to get him to do right with his mental health. That guidance didn't last long. By his senior year, they had all but given up on him. It was a miracle that he managed to graduate from high school.

By his twenties, things got worse.

V: Drugs and Partying:

Factory Life just made it worse in the long run. Andy showered him with attention and movie. Eric did get to act in many of his movies. His was pretty enough to be in the effeminate roles. For every movie he was in, Eric got to treat himself to a night out on the city.

It started off causally. Friday nights with the Factory stars and his drag friends. He had to be the queen of the club. Before, Eric didn't really drink that much. He first had alcohol when he was sixteen. At first, he didn't really like the taste. Eric wouldn't try it again until he went to Japan. In fact, it was during a New Year's Party. By then, he had gotten used to the alcohol.

That party introduced so many doors for him.

One of the queens came to him with white powder on a mirror. Eric looked down at said powder.

“What is this?” he asked. The queen gave him a sly smile.

“Just a little pick-me-up,” he said. Eric raised his eyebrow. He wasn't stupid. He knew what it was.

“You sure?” Eric asked.

“Yeah, go ahead,” the queen said. He did a line himself as if to show that it's okay. The other queens were getting high at the club where he worked. Why not him?

“Alright,” he said. Eric did a line. The other queen watched him.

“Well?” he asked. Eric lifted his head and grinned.

“Great!” he shouted. The queen broke into a grin. The group ended up dancing the night away.

Eric loved that high so much that he had to chase it.

VI: Fading Star:

Three years. Three years and he already started burning out. Eric tried to keep up the star life, but time, his mental state, and the hard life was catching up to him. Over time, Andy lost interest in him. Eric couldn't handle this. Andy was his first love after all. Sure, they both had affairs but they always came back together. This time was different.

“Why won't you talk to me?” Eric pleaded in bed on one summer night. Andy looked at him. The drag actor tried to reach out to him, but the director pushed him away. He got out of bed. Eric watched him walk to the door.

“Where are you going?” he asked. Andy didn't say anything as he walked out of the room. The door slammed behind him. Eric's heart dropped.

His roles started to dry up as well. Not just with the Factory, but with the drag shows. They viewed him as “too old”. Still, he couldn't give it up. Things started to get worse when the police were involved. Two DUI's and three drug busts. His old friends started to distance themselves from him. Still, the show had to go on.

He had one more act for his final role.

VII: The Death of a Star:

After April seventeenth, Ian was on his way home after a long night of filming and partying with some old friends. The director just wanted to go to bed and sleep it off.

On his way home, Ian noticed police and people gathered around yellow tape. As if in a trance, he walked over for a look. We he got closer; he saw a man's bloody body lay on the ground. His head was busted wide open with brains everywhere. Yep, he was done. Ian was too high out of his mind to grasp what was going on. Despite this, he could see who it was.

“Hey, that's Eric,” he said. Eric taken a swan drive off of the apartment complex roof that he lived in.

VIII: Gone Too Soon:

Thirty years old. Eric only lived for thirty years. He was born, lived, and died. In between, Eric was a star. Now, he would be remembered as legend among his drag community and the Factory stars.

Black Drag