Trip to Crystal Mountain

Fugo sat in the van with the rest of the gang, including Trish and Sheila, bored on their way to Crystal Mountain. The trees were pretty, and so were the patches of grass and wildflowers. Giorno and Trish would agree.

“Are we there yet? We passed a bunch of trees. How many more are there?” Narancia complained. He was listening to music with Mista. “And who would choose to live in the woods?”

“We’re not there yet,” answered Bruno, the driver.

“Wish we were, though,” complained Abbacchio, who sat in the front seat. “This drive is so boring. I’m surprised you haven’t fallen asleep, Bucciarati.”

“We’re almost there, everyone. Don’t worry.”

Fugo looked out the window and saw snow on the pine trees. The brightness of the snow made him smile, but it didn’t entertain him. He looked at Giorno, who struggled to stay up.

“Giorno”—he grabbed his hand—“most of those trees were Western redcedar.” He hoped that impressed him.

“Oh, yes, those beautiful trees. They are nice, don’t you agree?” Giorno asked.

“Yeah, a shame we don’t have those trees at home.”

“We don’t have any trees at home,” Narancia commented.

“What are you talking about?” Mista questioned. “We have trees.”

“It’s not the same, though!” He looked out the window. “Hey, no trees! Are we there yet?”

“Yes!” Bruno replied. “Alright, everyone, before we get out, make sure to put on your snow gear.”

Everyone put on their snow gear inside the cramped vehicle. Bruno wore white, Abbacchio wore black, Mista was in red, Narancia in orange, Trish in pink, Sheila in green, Giorno in yellow, and Fugo in purple.

Fugo thought his snow gear was a hassle to slip into since he had another layer of clothing. By the time he finished changing, he was hot and sweaty, but that changed once he stepped out a few seconds later, mountain air caressing and cooling his face.

“Hey, Fugo,” Narancia spoke, “where are you going to do?”

“Ski with Giorno. You?”

“I’m going to build a snowman. I always wanted to build one. No, I’ll make snow angels! Uh, I don’t know! Wait, an igloo! Mista, do you want to help me build one?”

Fugo believed an igloo would be too complicated for him to build. “Maybe you should—”

“Yeah, I’ll build an igloo with you!” Mista agreed.

“ I’ll help you, Narancia,” Trish said.

“If she’s helping, I’m helping,” Sheila said.

Narancia looked at Bruno and Abbacchio. “What about you guys?”

“I’m going to take skiing lessons,” Bucciarati answered. “I asked Abbacchio if he wanted to come with me.”

“I said yes,” Abbacchio spoke. “I’m going to spend most of my time with Bucciarati, and remember to return in about an hour so we can head to the restaurant.”

“Fugo,” spoke Bucciarati, “you and Giorno never skied before. Are you sure you don’t want to join us?”

“We both seen videos of people skiing,” he answered.

“You two are the smartest in our group. I guess you two will be fine.”

Bruno, Abbacchio, Giorno, and Fugo headed to the plaza, where the builds were. They needed to rent equipment. Once they got their ski boards and poles, Giorno and Fugo decided to go up the slope while Bruno and Abbacchio took a class. However, the two blonds didn’t take the lift.

“Maybe we should go up a bit before going all the way,” Fugo suggested.

“I’m fine with that,” Giorno replied.

They went slightly uphill with their skis on, having to move sidestep. They could see Mista, Narancia, Trish, and Sheila starting their igloo.

“You think they’ll finish before we go to the Summit House Restaurant?” Giorno asked.

“I don’t think so. Mista and Narancia would hold them back,” Fugo answered. He got into a position, bending his knees slightly. “So, ready to slide down?”

“Yeah!”

They slid down to where the others were building their igloo. Fugo didn’t think it was that thrilling.

“Guys, we should roll a ball of snow,” Trish suggested.

“That’s too much work!” Narancia complained. “My hands are cold!”

“That’s cause you’re not working hard enough,” Sheila said.

Mista noticed the blonds and waved. “Hey, I thought you were going up the slope.”

“We are. We just went down,” Fugo replied. “Narancia, you should listen to Trish. It’ll be easier if you do.”

The 17-year-old boy pouted. “Fine. I don’t see how this will work, but whatever.” He rolled a ball of snow.

“So,” Mista continued, “trying to build the courage to go up the slope.”

“Yeah,” Giorno answered. “I want to get used to the skis. Want to do that five more times, Fugo?”

Fugo was ready to slide halfway down the slope, but he could wait. “Sure.”

Giorno and Fugo went up the hill again and down at least five times. Narancia’s igloo had a few snow blocks stacked in a large circle with the help of a few kids.

“It’s looking nice,” Giorno commented Narancia.

“Hehe, thanks! But I’m going to take a break. My hands are freezing.” Narancia headed inside.

“Are you kidding me?” Sheila responded.

“I don’t blame him,” Trish said. I’m getting cold.”

The two girls hugged each other. Watching them caused Giorno to snuggle against Fugo. “Ready to go halfway up the slope?” Giorno’s turquoise eyes met Fugo’s purple, causing the golden blond to blush.

“Yeah.”

They headed halfway up the slope, where Abbacchio was. Before either of them could ask where Bruno went, the capo slid and crashed into Abbacchio.

“Are you alright?” Giorno asked.

Bruno and Abbacchio got off of each other. “Yeah,” they both answered.

Abbacchio brushed the snow off Bruno and himself. “Hey, you two want to see who will get down first?”

“A race? Sure!” Fugo said. “But does Bucciarati want to do this?”

“Yeah. Giorno’s here to heal us if we get any injuries.”

“Alright,” Abbacchio interrupted, “let’s do this!” He slid down.

“Seriously?” Fugo commented. “At least count down!” He went down, trying to go faster than him.

Bruno and Giorno followed.

Fugo was the first to reach the bottom of the slope, wanting to do that again. Abbacchio came in second, bumping into Narancia’s unfinished igloo and causing distress for the builders. As for Giorno and Bruno, it was hard to tell who came last since they were neck and neck. However, when Giorno reached the bottom, he did not stop as gracefully as his boyfriend, but Fugo caught him. Their faces were an inch from kissing.

Giorno brushed a hair behind his ear and blushed. “Sorry, I saw what happened to the igloo and got distracted.”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine!” Narancia sobbed. “Bucciarati, look what Abbacchio did!”

Abbacchio got up. “Quit laughing, Giorno!” His face was red and angry.

“I’m not laughing,” he replied. “Are you injured?”

“No, I’m fine. Bucciarati, when can we go to the Summit House? I want to go. Now!”

“We head there in 35 minutes. So, everyone, do what you want until then.”

Bruno wasn’t sure if they should take the chair lift to the top of the slope, so he and Abbacchio skied halfway while Narancia, Mista, Trish, and Sheila built snowmen. Fugo wanted to use the lift, and Giorno joined him despite almost crashing into him.

“This is such a nice place.” Fugo admired the scenery. Seattle was interesting, but it was constantly cloudy and cold. Here, it was freezing, but the brightness of the snow brought him joy. Then Giorno wrapped an arm around him, bringing him closer and kissing him.

“We probably won’t have any privacy when we take the gondola,” Giorno said.

“Yeah, and it feels weird having others look at us while we kiss,” Fugo replied.

He kissed him back, making it last longer and holding him tightly. Once they let go, he longed for more. It was time for them to slide down the slopes.

They skied down, the wind howling in their ears and blowing their hair. They were going fast, and Fugo felt the adrenaline running through him. He didn’t know any tricks, but he made a couple of turns, but not enough to slow him down. Fugo reached the bottom of the slope and went back up with his boyfriend. They did this constantly until it was time to head to the restaurant.

-

Bucciarati’s group arrived at the gondola, waiting for a cable car to take them to the restaurant. An empty cable car came, and all eight of them got inside. The car took them upwards to the Summit House. On the way, the group felt the ride sway.

“That makes me nervous,” Sheila commented.

“Don’t worry.” Trish tried to comfort her. “If we fall, Spice Girl can turn the cable car into a parachute.”

Fugo looked at the breathtaking view of the forest and mountains. “Beautiful.”

Trish took photos with her camera.

“Are we there yet?” Narancia complained. Everyone sighed. “What?”

“We just got on!” Mista replied.

“Well, I’m hungry. I already know what I’m going to get. I want that root vegetable pastry.”

“You already know what’s on the menu?” Abbacchio asked.

“Fugo and I searched online.”

“Dude, can you stop talking about food,” Mista complained. “I’m getting hungry.”

And like that, everyone shut up and enjoyed the view until the ride stopped at the destination. The group poured out of the cable car and into the restaurant. They sat near a window with a view of Mount Rainier. Fugo sat with Giorno, as usual, and they gazed at the scenery. The clouds had already broken, and the blue sky shyly showed itself.

Fugo closed his eyes and took a whiff of the air, smelling the bacon aroma. Their waiter, a redheaded woman, handed them a menu, and they examined the entrees. The bacon aroma must be from the smoked pork chop. Perhaps he’ll get that.

The waiter returned, asking what they wanted. Fugo wanted the pork chops, while Giorno wanted the Alaskan halibut. Narancia ordered the meal he wanted, and Mista got the New York steak.

“I’ll have the pasta Aretine,” Bruno said to the waiter.

“Really? Pasta?” Abbacchio questioned.

“I like eating prosciutto.”

“Alright, suit yourself. Oh, waiter, I’ll have the grilled lamb chops.”

“You’re not going to have any wine?”

“Someone needs to drive, and it’s my turn.”

“Braised short ribs for me,” Sheila ordered.

“Line caught Alaskan king salmon,” Trish told the waiter.

She went away.

“Oh boy, it’s going to be a while for our order to arrive,” Giorno commented. He looked at his boyfriend and smiled, grabbing his hand under the table. “Fugo, you seemed to have fun while skiing.”

“Yeah, and I enjoyed my time with you too.”

Abbacchio stuck his tongue out, pretending to gag. “Narancia, what made you decide to get what you ordered?”

“Well, everything else was meat,” Narancia answered. “I could’ve maybe gotten the soup or mushroom toast, but that won’t fill me up. Of course, I could’ve gotten a chocolate mousse, but that’s dessert and also won’t fill me up.”

“You could’ve ordered maybe two or three,” Mista responded. “Wait, why didn’t I do that?”

“Too late to change your orders,” Bruno said. “Anyways, Abbacchio, did you enjoy skiing?”

“Not really.”

Mista giggled. “You’re just mad because you lost to Fugo.”

“And you destroyed our igloo,” Narancia reminded him.

Trish sighed. “We’re heading to Bellingham tomorrow, right, Bucciarati?”

“Yeah, you wanted to see the Mount Baker Theatre,” he reminded her. “Did you change your mind?”

“Well…” She looked at Sheila.

“We heard there were ghosts,” Sheila said.

“Ghosts? Yeah, right,” Abbacchio commented. Bruno elbow-jabbed him in the stomach. “Ow! I mean, that’s interesting.”

“Agreed,” Fugo said. “Giorno and I searched for ghost stories. I heard of a girl in Morioh, Japan became a murder victim and now haunts a convenience store. They say some people see a path to a neighborhood that isn’t on the map.”

“What? No way!” Narancia sounded scared.

“Oh yes, and I read that a lot of people disappear. Two years ago, a kid named Shigekiyo Yangu disappeared.”

“Someone has to be looking for him,” Abbacchio said. “Did you read about what happened to this kid?”

“His parents couldn’t find him,” Fugo answered.

“He’s probably dead,” Mista said.

“Mista!” Bruno raised his voice.

“What? That’s probably true.”

“Sorry, but a serial killer probably killed him,” Giorno added. “I read that majority of the missing people in Morioh were women. This kid probably saw the killer.”

“Then what happened to the killer?” Abbacchio asked.

“I want to say this killer was probably a stand user. Stand users attract other stand users, so somebody probably stopped them.”

“Fugo, what do you think?” Abbacchio continued to question.

“I think the same thing. Anyways, we chatted long enough. Our food is here.”

The waiter placed their food down.

“Wow, this is a lot of food,” Trish commented. “Wait, guys! Don’t eat yet. Let’s take a picture!”

Narancia was about to dig in. “Aw, come on. Now?”

“It’ll take a few seconds.”

Trish took out her camera and took a photo of the group with herself included. “There, done! That didn’t take too long. Once we finish eating, does anyone want to take a group photo with the mountain?”

“Why not,” Bruno responded. “Let’s create more memories.”

Trish smiled.

-

Once everybody finished eating, they headed outside to the outdoor dining area, where nobody could photobomb them. Trish took photos of everyone individually and then herself. Giorno was the one to take a shot of her. Next, Giorno handed Trish the camera and photographed Bucciarati and Abbacchio hugging, then Fugo, Narancia, and Mista together soon after. All of them had a smile in the photo.

“Fugo, step aside,” Narancia said. “I want Trish to take a photo of me with Mista.”

The golden blond obliged and stood next to Giorno, who stayed away from the shot.

Mista gave Narancia bunny ears before Trish could take a photo, causing her to giggle.

Trish handed the camera to Giorno again. “Take a photo of Sheila and me together.”

Trish and Sheila held each other tightly, their cheeks touching and lips puckered. They both had one of their legs sticking out in the air. Giorno took the photo and returned the camera.

“Now, Giorno, pose with Fugo. Get close,” she requested.

Fugo and Giorno stood together. On the chair lift, Giorno surprised him with a kiss. It seems fair to return the favor. Abbacchio must’ve noticed because he turned around. He did this when he thought the two were going to kiss. While Giorno was smiling at the camera, Fugo turned his head and kissed his cheek.

“Perfect!” Trish cheered. “Beautiful.” She handed Giorno the camera, so he and his boyfriend could look.

“Can I turn around now?” Abbacchio asked.

Bruno sighed. “Yes. Alright, everyone. We’re going to head back down. Make sure to use the restrooms before you go.”

Everyone went away except for Giorno and Fugo, who wanted to spend more time alone together.

“I had fun skiing,” Fugo said to Giorno, hugging him again. “Did you?”

“Yeah, I want to do that again,” he answered. “I would convince Bucciarati to let us stay for a while, but the drive back is two hours. I’m getting cold, and we should go before they forget us.”

Giorno tried to walk away, but his boyfriend grabbed his hand, stopping him.

“They won’t forget us,” he said before embracing and kissing him deeply. “Warm now?”

“A little. We can cuddle a bit more when we get to the hotel.”

Liurnia's Burger King

It was a quiet day at the world’s biggest Burger King, which was strange because it was the only Burger King in Liurnia. Sellen stood behind the counter, waiting for somebody to open the door. Latenna usually worked at the counter, but she died. Funny but scary enough, if Sellen died, Rennala, the manager, would have to drag her body outside and bury her. Normally that would scare possible new hires, but it didn’t stop people from applying.

“Quiet day,” a voice behind her said.

She jumped and turned around. It was Seluvis, the cook. His mask was different than the rest of the employees. All of them, except for Thops and Ranni, wore a giant Burger King headwear. “Yeah.” She didn’t like him.

“At least Radahn isn’t here. If I have to flip 50 burgers, I’m going to lose my mind.”

Seluvis returned to the kitchen, leaving Sellen alone. Except she wasn’t going to be alone for long.

Jerren entered the Burger King and stared at her, furrowing his brows.

She sighed. There is no such thing as a quiet day, she thought. About a week ago, Sellen had given Jerren the wrong order. He asked for no pickles, but when he noticed there was a pickle in his burger, he had a tantrum and threw his meal at her. The ketchup and mustard ruined her dark blue uniform. Angered, she threw a book she was reading at him, and a fight started. Her co-workers assisted her in getting rid of Jerren by hitting him with books. Poor Thops had to clean the mess up.

The old geezer stood on the other side of the counter menacingly.

“W-welcome to Burger King. What can I get you?”

In other Burger Kings, there would be a menu above the cashier, but this was Liurnia. The ceiling was too high, so people had to look through a worn book on the counter.

“I’ll have the Italian Royal Crispy Chicken,” he said.

“Will that be all?”

“I’ll have the sweetened iced tea.”

“That will be $7.28.”

He handed her some cash and sat down somewhere.

“Did you hear that, Seluvis?” she asked into the headwear’s mic.

“Yes, yes, I heard you.”

-

At the Lake-Facing Cliffs, three people stood near the site of grace. One wore a pot on his head, another wore knight armor, and the other wore a war surgeon set.

“Alright, guys,” the one wearing the war surgeon set said, “it’s Take Your Children to Work Day at Burger King, and Rennala brought her kids to work. So, you guys know what to do, right? We’re—”

“Going to beat the shit out of them,” the other two shouted, their fists in the air.

“That’s right! Because I love beating the shit out of children. Alright, gang, let’s beat up some Burger King employees and children!”

-

Seluvis sweated behind his mask and looked at his creation. “Ah, the perfect chicken sandwich.”

Then he heard Ranni through the headset under his mask. “It’s Radhan. He’s back, and this time he wants 51 triple Whoppers.”

He sighed. “Thops, give this chicken sandwich to Sellen.”

Thops stopped sweeping and looked at him. “But I don’t want to go down the water wheel.”

“Then look at your map and teleport to the grace in the Church of Cuck or whatever. I got burgers to flip.”

“The Church of the Cuckoo.” The bald man took the sandwich and sighed, teleporting to Sellen’s location. There, he gave handed the chicken sandwich to her.

“Sir, your order is here,” Sellen alerted Jerren.

Jerren got up, took the sandwich, and headed for the exit.

“Have a nice day.”

Thops teleported to the schoolhouse classroom site of grace, hoping to stay away from Seluvis.

It was back to being quiet in Burger King until three people opened the large door.

“Clear the path for me!” the surgeon yelled.

A couple of marionette soldiers and Burger King employees tried to stop them, but they were no match for the three. The pothead cast magic while the knight swung his magic sword around. The surgeon touched the site of grace. Luckily for Sellen, she knew them and wasn’t harmed, but she did feel the searing heat of the knight’s magic sword.

“Go, go, go!” yelled the surgeon. “We have to get past the graveyard and up the wheel.”

The three left, leaving a shaken Sellen all by herself. They avoided the undead Burger King employees and hopped on the water wheel. Once they jumped off, they noticed a sleeping Thops but ignored him and rushed to the kitchen.

On the way to the kitchen, the cookbooks on the shelves distracted the knight. “Why do they have so many cookbooks?”

“Because they’re nerds,” answered the surgeon.

After slicing and dicing more employees, they reached the debate room where Seluvis cooked. The knight took off his helmet and started fanning himself while the surgeon looked at his map to figure out where to go. The pothead, enticed by the warm freshly-made burgers on the table, took off his pot and chowed down.

After eating all he could, his stomach growled. “Oh, I think I’m going to regret that.”

“We have to take the stairs on the right,” the surgeon said. “There’ll be a boulder, so watch out.”

They ran out of the kitchen right when Seluvis turned around to notice the lack of burgers on the table.

“Goddamn it! I’m losing my mind! Ugh, I should’ve just made questionable potions for a living.” He turned on his mic. “What the hell is going on? Which one of you ate the burgers?”

“Okay, I can explain,” Sellen spoke through the mic. “Three guys came in and slaughtered everyone. I think they were trying to speak with the manager.”

“Wait, why would they want to speak with the manager?” Ranni asked. “Unless—oh no!”

“Ranni? Ranni!” yelled Seluvis. She didn’t reply. “Damn it! Thops? Thops! Someone answer me! Somebody needs to work at the window. Sellen, nobody goes to the counter anymore, right? Could you head to the window and give Radhan his burgers once I finish cooking?”

“Alright, but you owe me.”

Sellen couldn’t help but smile evilly behind her headwear. With Rennala indisposed, she could become the new manager and hire Azur and Lusat. Then Sellen would have control of Liurnia’s Burger King, and nobody will stop her. She turned off her mic to laugh evilly.

-

The three stood in the waters of an unknown place with the moon in their view. The surgeon removed his mask to wipe the sweat on his face and then quickly put it back on, turning around to face his comrades. “Excellent work, you two! After this, want to head to the Grand Dick of Dectus?”

“Lift of Dectus,” corrected the knight. “I have the halves to the lift.”

“I have the left side of the medallion,” said the pothead. “But I don’t have the right. Where do I find that?”

“Have you checked in Fort Faroth?” asked the knight. “If not, I can help you locate it.”

“No, I haven’t. I’m not sure where it is.”

“We’re fading away! Head to the Third Church of Markia in Limgrave. I’ll show you.”

The knight and pothead faded away.

Neon Blue and Purple - Chapter 5: Cluster Fuck

Kirsten and a few gang members cleaned the mess up at the garage.

“Did the zombies kill Lucas, or was it the Saints’ boss?” one asked.

She sighed. “It doesn’t matter, but they couldn’t have gone far.”

“I’m sure one of the assassins will get their boss,” a different gang member said.

“Not just their boss, Matt too. The boss will chase after Matt, but what if he dies before he can save him? Do you want to know the funny part? The Saints have a list of assassination targets, so I hired them to assassinate the boss.”

“Seems like he’s screwed.”

“Oh, he’s definitely screwed because I’m going to make sure he dies! I am one of his targets, after all.”

-

Dan drove at max speed, rushing to get into the penthouse before Matt could get caught in his shitstorm. They were currently downtown.

“I think I saw a VTOL outside,” Matt warned.

“STAG isn’t welcomed in this city anymore. I know we just heard the news about people wanting them back, but isn’t there some process or some shit for them to come back?”

Laser beams came out of the sky, destroying anyone and anything in the way. To add more of their troubles, one of Oleg’s clones charged at their car, stopping it.

“I am Brutus,” he said. “I help. Must stop the bad guys!”

“Wait, I know you!” Matt said. “He’s friendly, too friendly. I’m surprised he wants to help. Barry wanted him dead.”

“You hear that, Brutus?” Dan asked. “Matt thinks you’re too nice. Show us what you got!”

Luckily for Brutus, a police car with its sirens on approached. A policeman stood outside the vehicle, opening his door, taking cover, and pointing his gun at them.

“This is Lieutenant Gorshin,” he spoke on the loudspeaker. “Step out of the car, now! Hands up where I can see them!”

Brutus leaped and landed on the car, squishing the police officer with his large body.

Dan clapped. “Well done! Welcome aboard. Sorry, we don’t have any room, though.”

Then another person showed up. He wore a superhero costume.

“You’re no match for Blaize!” he said, charging towards their car.

Dan shot him in the head, leaving him dead.

“What was that?” Matt questioned, almost laughing.

“I think Pierce told me about this guy once.” Dan was about to drive off when he noticed Brutus missing. “Where did he—”

The clone placed a pickup truck in front of them. “Drive,” Brutus ordered.

They got out of the car, but someone tried to snipe at the boss before they could enter. Panicking, Matt got behind the vehicle. The three struggled to find the sniper until they listened to their surroundings. A helicopter flew around, despite the chaos in the city.

“Fucking hell!” Matt whined. “That’s Grigor! Oh shit!”

Brutus got a look at the pilot. “Barry!” He then picked up the car Dan previously drove and launched it at the helicopter. It exploded upon impact.

“My ride!” Dan yelled.

Matt scurried inside the truck, sitting in the passenger seat. “Can we please just fucking leave?”

Brutus got in the back, and Dan drove to the penthouse. Once there, everything was calm. Matt sat on the couch, watching the destruction unfold, and Oleg’s clone sat with him and watched the television; a show targeted towards small children was on. Its theme played, and he clapped along.

“Who’s driving that VTOL?” Matt asked, looking at Dan.

He looked at his phone. “Sergent Steiner, I think.”

“There have to be more assassins. Do you think they will come?”

“Judging from the mayhem that VTOL is causing, I think some of them might be dead. That, and it’s been two years. Some of the targets are probably dead and rotting.”

Matt brought out his phone, looking at the security footage. “Maybe I’m a bit paranoid. You surprise me, Dan. You’re impossible to defeat. Loren didn’t know who he was fucking with.” Something fast moved in the camera. “Shit, Kirsten is here!”

Dan approached him and looked at the phone.

“She’s not in that footage anymore!” Matt said. “She probably took the stairs.”

The security cam Matt was looking at was on the first floor. Strangely, Burt Reynolds was there with a rocket launcher. Someone probably sent him to deal with the VTOL problem. Right now, they had to take care of their uninvited guess. Dan searched through every camera in the building, but there was no sign of her.

“Looking for me?” Kirsten commented.

Dan looked away from his phone. She had a pistol pointed at Matt’s head. Brutus was too busy watching his show to do anything.

“Kirsten,” Dan said, “don’t do this.”

She slowly backed herself to the helipad. “Tell me why.”

“I’ll fucking kill you if you do.”

“I’ve seen you tried to kill our specialist. Your aim is shit, but me? I won’t miss.”

Next to Dan’s face was an arm holding a pistol. The stranger fired, shooting Kirsten in the forehead. Dan turned around to face who did it.

“I don’t miss either,” Burt Reynolds said. “How are you doing?”

“I—I’m doing fine,” Dan replied, flabbergasted.

“Oh my god,” Matt said, walking up to him. “You saved my life!”

“Yeah, well, there’s a VTOL looking straight at us.” Burt held his rocket launder. “Can you two move?”

Matt and Dan moved over, letting Burt target the aircraft. Once the Steiner realized what was up, he tried to fly away, but the rocket launcher had a targeting system. It took down the VTOL.

“Thanks,” the two said.

“No problem. I’ll be on my way.”

Dan’s phone rang. He picked it up.

“Boss,” Shaundi said, “Killbane dead.”

“Shaundi! I thought I’d never hear your voice again. I heard Viola getting kidnapped on the phone, and I thought the same happened to you.”

“Oh, it happened, but I took care of it.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that. I’ll make sure Pierce gets rewarded.”

“Pierce? He didn’t do shit!”

“Yeah, and I’m supposed to believe you did it?”

“You know what? I’m tired.”

Shaundi hung up.

“Good news, Matt, Killbane’s done and dealt with, finally. We have the whole city to ourselves!”

Dan held Matt close, hugging him from behind, and admired the view of the city. Some buildings in the distance were on fire, and a skyscraper collapsed.

“What the hell was Steiner even aiming at?” Matt commented.

Neon Blue and Purple - Chapter 4: Lucas and Pr0tip

Earlier before.

Pr0tip and Lucas were on the helipad, watching the sunset and letting the breeze caress them. Two Specters were with them. Pr0tip approached one of them, hands touching to admire. It was clean and shiny.

“We should’ve had something like this long ago,” he commented.

“With Kirsten as our leader, she’ll help us reclaim territory and more,” Lucas said.

“Yeah, yeah. Enough about Kirsten. I want Matt with me.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Why?”

“Because I like him. I like him a lot.”

“I don’t understand why.”

“I don’t have to explain why I like him. Can we keep him?”

“Yeesh, you make it sound like Matt’s a dog. Kirsten’s fine with him, so long as he’s not a part of the gang.”

Pr0tip checked his smartphone, looking at Matt’s location. “He just got out of the hospital. I think their boss is taking them to the penthouse.”

“Alright, at night, we’ll strike,” Lucas said.

“And then we’ll take care of the boss?”

“I don’t know if I can do it myself. He’s a one-man army. Wait, what if we got one of the zombies to do it?”

“But he survived on that island! He’ll just wipe out the rest of them!”

“Except he was only fighting zombies, not gang members. I doubt he could handle both.”

-

Matt awoke on a couch, touching the spot where he got bonked. “Where am I? Dan?”

“Dan?” said a familiar voice. “Is that the boss’ name?”

Shit.

He looked around him, realizing he was in the nuclear reactor. Lucas and Pr0tip stood in front of him.

“Oh, Matt, you’re awake,” Pr0tip said. His smile made Matt uncomfortable. “A shame you prefer Dan, but he’ll be gone soon.” He then sat next to him.

“I’ll be in the garage, trying to tame the zombies,” Lucas said. He left the two alone and headed to the elevator.

“Wait, Lucas, come back!” Matt cried out.

“No, Matt, Pr0tip cared about you, but you cared more about our rival’s boss,” he said, not looking at him. “We could’ve done some gangster shit, but all you care about is your Nyte Blayde fanfiction. Seriously, Matt, grow up.”

That hurt Matt. Instead of trying to insult him, he sat in silence.

“Matt,” Pr0tip called out, “you can’t be in the gang anymore, but I’m still here. I care about you.” He placed a hand on his cheek.

Matt brushed him away. “But I don’t want you. I want Dan.”

Pr0tip furrowed his brows. “Fuck Dan!” He brought out his gun and shot the ceiling, causing Matt to bounce from his seat. “I’m here now! Pay attention to me! Dan is dead! Or he will be once he gets here. Do you understand?” He pointed his gun at Matt’s head. Beads of sweat began to form, and Matt’s heart pounded.

-

A few minutes after the kidnapping.

“Oi, Matt,” Dan called out, holding some popcorn, “I hope you like cheddar.”

He walked back into the living room, but Matt wasn’t there. Then he saw two Specters fly off.

“Aw shit.”

Dan headed to the elevator, went to the garage, and drove one of his fastest vehicles, chasing the Specters. They were flying northwest to the nuclear reactor.

After speeding past red lights, driving on the wrong side of the road to avoid traffic, and shooting Deckers in their territory, he made it to the reactor.

Dan parked in their garage, but something felt off. The parking lot was empty except for these cages with people in them. He approached them closer and realized they were bloodied and rotting but still moving.

“Shit, zombies?” Dan’s voice echoed.

An undead brute started banging on the cages, making Dan run to his car.

Then the elevator dinged, and somebody stepped out. It was Lucas, but he wore a Deckers uniform instead of purple.

“Hey, calm down,” Lucas said to the brute. “Don’t damage the cage. Pr0tip wanted you here, and I’m not letting Kirsten have our heads for this decision.” Then he looked at the car, curious.

Dan continued hiding. Those names rang a bell in his memory. On a day he couldn’t remember, Kinzie argued with him about the assassination targets, saying they needed to die as soon as possible. He looked at his phone, checking to see if he had killed any of them by accident. All 36 targets were alive and well.

Suddenly, the brute busted the cage, grabbing and pounding the traitor to the ground. His screams echoed, but the brute’s roar was deafening. Seeing no other option, Dan shot at the brute.

The brute charged at him, but he dodged. It then picked up the car, swinging it around aimlessly until it threw it at the cages, freeing the other zombies.

Before the crowd of zombies could separate, Dan threw a grenade and then focused on the brute. He made sure to aim at the head. Bang! Bang! Bang! The zombie brute was relentless, but it fell. The whole garage was a bloody mess.

Dan was unsure what the Deckers had in store for Matt, but he knew he couldn’t waste time. He regretted upgrading the nuclear reactor. Matt could be anywhere.

Then he got a text message.

-

“You can stop pointing your gun at me,” Matt said to Pr0tip.

They were in the bedroom. Matt sat on the bed while Pr0tip sat on the chair.

“No, now take off those pants,” he demanded.

“What? No! What the hell? You’re sick!”

“I’m sexually frustrated, Matt. You don’t know what it’s like! I’ve been with you ever since you formed the gang. You’ve been ignoring me for too long! You’re no longer the leader, and I have a gun to your head. Give me what I’m due!”

Matt couldn’t believe it. Pr0tip was going to rape him. “C-could we at least kiss first, please?”

Pr0tip giggled and put the gun down. “You like it nice and slow, huh? Alright, I’m down for a slow fuck.”

Matt’s heart raced as he placed a hand on his thigh. Pr0tip’s other hand pushed him down into the bed. Then he began kissing his neck, making Matt feel violated. Tears gathered around his eyes until he spotted Pr0tip’s phone in his butt pocket. Matt quickly swiped his phone, texted Dan’s number where he was, and slid it back into his pocket. You’re going to regret this, fucker! Pr0tip withdrew from the kiss and noticed his tears.

“Don’t be sad,” he said. “You can call me Nyte Blayde.”

I wanted to be called Nyte Blayde, he said internally. “Could I go to the bathroom, please? I look like a mess.”

“You look fine the way you are.”

“Bullshit. Please, let me clean myself up. Let me go to the bathroom.”

Pr0tip had an angry look and pouted. “Fine.”

Matt went into the bathroom and checked himself in the mirror. His tears from before had caused his eyeliner to run down his cheeks. He washed it off, feeling refreshed. He should wash his face more often. Dear heavens, he looked like pepperoni pizza.

Before Matt could return to the bedroom, he heard gunshots and screams. That had to be Dan. He slowly creaked the door open and spotted Dan standing next to Pr0tip’s bullet-riddled body.

Matt opened the door, mortified at the scene. “Jesus!” he panicked. “Such brutality!” He wanted him to pay, but he was unprepared to witness death.

“Matt,” Dan said, grabbing his attention, “let’s go!"

The former Deckers leader stood in shock. Dan had to grab his hand, taking him to the elevator. He sighed. “I don’t know how someone like you ended up being a gang leader, but get a grip! There’s a more gruesome scene in the garage.”

“Killbane,” Matt responded.

Dan stopped. “Don’t worry. My gang will take care of him. Why did you mention him?”

“Oh shit, your gang is fucked! Did you ever completely take over the city?”

“Well, since you fled the city, your territory was easy pickings. Viola turned into a traitor, so removing the city of the Morning Stars became a lot easier. The Luchadors were tougher to handle, but we took care of them.”

“Some of us were still here. There could be a chance that the Morning Stars and Luchadors are still present.”

Dan sighed. “Gosh, you sound like Kinzie and Viola. They keep nagging me about the assassination targets.”

“Can we just—can we head home, please? I want to sleep for three days.”

He chuckled. “Sure.”

They headed to the garage and drove back home. While on the road, Dan had the radio station tuned to 106.66, but then breaking news interrupted his music.

“I am standing outside the airport, dressed in police gear, as multiple gunshots go off in the distance. Witnesses said soon as Eddie Pryor’s plane landed, a gang rolled up and shot at his private security. Others have speculated this is gang activity, shouting a return for STAG. I’m Jane Valderamma, Channel 6 News.”

“They still haven’t killed them?” Dan commented.

“I should’ve stayed out of Steelport,” Matt responded, sinking in his chair.

“Don’t worry, Matt. I won’t let him harm a single hair on you.”

Dan’s phone rang, and he picked it up, hearing an explosion.

“Kinzie, if this is about Killbane, I know you haven’t killed him already,” Dan said.

“Well, gee, hi to you too,” she replied. “You know Kirsten, the one I asked you to assassinate two years back? She wants you dead and hired some people to do it for her. I told you to take care of those assassination targets!”

“This is not a good time.”

“Is it ever? Boss, you should’ve taken care of that. It’s your fault things got the way they are.”

Before he could reply, she hung up.

“I’m taking you to the penthouse,” Dan said to Matt. “I got business to take care of.”

-

After Dan and Matt left.

Kirsten drove to the nuclear reactor’s garage. She would’ve skated there, but she was tired. As soon as she saw blood and pieces of bodies scattered around, she was on edge. Lucas’ mangled body lay in front of her car. Panicking, she dialed Pr0tip, but he didn’t answer. She checked the security cameras for footage of what happened, finding Dan killing her gang members.

Angered, she dialed some numbers.

Neon Blue and Purple - Chapter 3: Movie Nyte

“Dan Alec Adcock?” Matt giggled.

“Shut up. I should’ve never told you my last name.”

The Deckers continued shooting at their Emu, eventually popping one of their tires. Acting quickly, Dan drove the car into the highway.

“Damn it!” Dan yelled.

The car could still move, but sparks started flying where the tire got popped. The rim grated against the asphalt, irritating Dan and Matt.

“God, I hate that sound,” he complained.

“I’d close my ears if I could lift my other arm,” Matt commented.

Dan looked at his shoulder. Too much blood had escaped from his wound.

“I’m taking you to a hospital first.”

“I thought you were taking me to your penthouse first!”

“It’ll be quick!”

Matt sighed. “There’s one in Loren Square.” But before he could relax, he noticed the Deckers’ roadblock ahead. “Dan!”

“I see!”

He drove on the other side of the road, driving on the wrong side of the lane. A few drivers got pissed at him and honked their horns. It looks like he was going to Loren Square, considering the Deckers never had that territory in the first place. Matt kept holding his shoulder, still panicking. Dan picked up his phone while driving and called Shaundi.

“Hey, Shaundi,” Dan greeted.

“This Viola. Shaundi is busy at the moment.” He could hear gunshots in the background.

“Is Killbane dead yet?”

“No, not yet.” She sighed. “Could you get over here? We need your help!”

“Um, I’d come, but—”

“Let go!”

The call ended, and Dan facepalmed.

“Not again.”

Matt looked at Dan, concerned. “What happened?”

“I think Viola got grabbed. Someone probably kidnapped her. I don’t know. I’m just guessing here.”

“Do you think STAG will return?”

“Nah, doubt. If so, I bet Monica won’t be pleased.”

“Well,” Matt continued speaking, “everything seems calm.”

“Yeah,” Dan agreed. “After this, you want to join the gang? Maybe once I take you to the hospital and take you back to my place, do you want to—”

“I think I know where this is going.” Matt smiled. He was sure he was talking about sex. “The answer is yes.”

Dan smiled also. “Lovely.”

-

Kirsten was at the nuclear reactor, helping the other gang members clean up.

“I thought the explosion would’ve been bigger,” Lucas said to her while sweeping the floors.

“Are you out of your mind? Did you think I wanted the entire thing to blow? We don’t need another Chernobyl.” Kirsten then looked out of the window, through the side not covered in plastic. A bunch of Specters was outside. “Excellent.” She smiled.

Lucas took a look outside. “Wow. We’re getting shit done faster than when we were with Matt.”

They heard the elevator. Pr0tip was there.

“Yo, Kirsten,” Pr0tip said, “you wouldn’t fucking believe what I found from searching the STAG database! We can have freaking zombies, man! Please, can we do it? Can we have zombies in our gang?”

Kirsten looked at him. A wide smile was on his face. “No, look at what STAG did to Arapice Island!”

Pr0tip frowned.

“How about we use them as a last resort,” Lucas suggested.

Pr0tip smiled again. “Come on, Kirsten! They can be useful, please!”

Kirsten sighed. “Fine, we’ll use them in an emergency.”

Pr0tip cheered, but then he looked at the covered hole in the window. “Is Matt still alive?”

“Yeah, but we’ll get him,” Kirsten told him.

“You’re not worried he’s going to hack us?”

“Didn’t you want him alive?”

“Yeah…but could he be a part of the gang again?”

“Hell no!” Kirsten stopped sweeping the floors and glared at him. “And don’t beg! I already gave you your zombies.”

“So, you aren’t going to kill him?”

“I kept my word. I won’t kill Matt, but I will defend myself if he tries anything.”

“Can I keep him around?”

“Look, I don’t care what you do with Matt, but he’s not one of us anymore.”

Pr0tip had his phone number and could track him.

“Hey, Lucas,” the gamer said, “are those Specters difficult to fly?”

-

Matt watched Nyte Blayde with Dan, who dozed off. Matt had his clothes on while Dan was in the nude. According to Dan, he occasionally walks around naked around the penthouse. It wasn’t his first time seeing naked, however. He wasn’t going to tell him that, though.

Then Matt’s stomach grumbled.

“Hey.” He poked Dan awake. “You don’t mind making popcorn, do you?”

“Sure, I don’t mind.”

Dan got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen. Matt continued watching the TV until he heard a bottle breaking. It sounded like it came from behind. He checked, but nobody was there.

“Dan?”

Somebody bonked Matt in the head, knocking him unconscious.

Infiltration Day 7 (Bad)

Day 7

Doppio left the hotel earlier than usual to meet Risotto at a parking lot. Once he entered his car, Risotto drove to an apartment vandalized with graffiti, which looked run down.

“You live here? Is it safe?” Doppio asked.

“Safe for me,” he answered. “People know not to bother me. Keep close to me. My apartment is on the fourth floor.”

The two got out of the car, and Doppio followed Risotto closely, but the other residents intrigued him. A couple argued in their home, unaware they were being loud, someone sat on the dirty floor next to a used needle, and a crying child was left unsupervised.

“Charming place,” Doppio commented.

“I could always move. I saved enough money, but I’m used to places like this.”

They stopped at the door, and Risotto unlocked it. It was a tidy studio apartment. He kept a few band posters on the wall.

“Has anyone broken into your apartment?”

“Yes,” he answered and plopped himself on the couch, “and they paid for it. There haven’t been any attempts since. I also don’t keep anything valuable except for the TV, but I doubt anyone would want that old thing.”

Doppio sat down with him and looked at the band posters again. “You like Metallica a lot, huh?”

“Yeah, named my stand after them. I don’t think you’ve told me your stand’s name. What is it?”

“It’s Epitaph. I named it after a King Crimson song.” Doppio’s had started pounding. “Excuse me. I need to use the bathroom.”

“Is it another headache again? Maybe you should—”

“I got this!”

He got up and headed to the bathroom.

-

Something wasn’t right with Doppio. Although Risotto barely knew him, Doppio was kind and almost reminded him of Pesci. He didn’t expect him to snap like that, and his expression was so angry.

Risotto got up from his seat, turned invisible, and tried to eavesdrop outside the bathroom.

“Are you trying to blow my cover?” Doppio whispered loud enough for him to hear. “Let me spend more time with him, please!”

“Doppio,” said an unknown voice, “I have warned you time and time again to stay away from Risotto!”

“Boss, just pay them. They’ll leave you alone!”

Shit, Prosciutto was right! Risotto thought. We do have an infiltrator, but that voice. Why does he sound like he’s right there?

“My adorable Doppio, your usefulness has come to an end. I can no longer rely on you.”

Risotto couldn’t believe it. He has heard of Multiple Personality Disorder and didn’t expect the boss to have it. He should’ve been wary, but he’ll fix this somehow.

“Metallica!”

-

“Risotto’s not picking up his phone,” Prosciutto said.

“This isn’t good. The security cameras are destroyed!” Melone panicked. “Shit, Prosciutto, you were right to be cautious around Doppio!”

“I doubt a little guy like him could defeat Risotto,” Illuso commented.

“Hey, don’t underestimate the little guy,” Formaggio replied.

“Quit talking about Doppio like that!” Pesci said. “He’s nice to me.”

“He had to be nice to all of us. That’s what infiltrators do!” Melone said. “And Ghiaccio, didn’t you say Doppio had green eyes?”

“I made a mistake,” he said.

“You didn’t. I saw it too! I think he might have Multiple Personality Disorder. There’s more to him that we don’t know!”

“I think Risotto can handle himself,” Prosciutto said. “But to make sure, Illuso, Ghiaccio, you should head over there.”

Infiltration Day 7 (Good)

Day 7

Doppio left the hotel early to meet Risotto at a parking lot. Once he entered his car, Risotto drove to an apartment vandalized with graffiti, which looked run down.

“You live here? Is it safe?” Doppio asked.

“Safe for me,” he answered. “People know not to bother me. Keep close to me. My apartment is on the fourth floor.”

The two got out of the car, and Doppio followed Risotto closely, but the other residents intrigued him. A couple argued in their home, unaware they were being loud, someone sat on the dirty floor next to a used needle, and a crying kid was left unsupervised.

“Charming place,” Doppio commented.

“I could always move. I saved enough money, but I’m used to places like this.”

They stopped at the door, and Risotto unlocked it. It was a tidy studio apartment. He kept a few band posters on the wall.

“Has anyone broken into your apartment?”

“Yes,” he answered and plopped himself on the couch, “and they paid for it. There haven’t been any attempts since. I also don’t keep anything valuable except for the TV, but I doubt anyone would want that old thing.”

Doppio sat down with him and looked at the band posters again. “You like Metallica a lot, huh?”

“Yeah, named my stand after them. I don’t think you’ve told me your stand’s name. What is it?”

“It’s—turururu!” Fuck, not right now!

Risotto tilted his head, trying to understand him.

“I, uh, need to go to the bathroom. Somewhere. Anywhere.”

Doppio ran to the bathroom, closed the door, and used the soap bar as a phone.

-

This was the second time Doppio had done this. Something was going on, and Risotto started to regret inviting him into his home. He could kill him, but he believed he should try to understand what was going on first.

Risotto got up from his seat, turned invisible, and tried to eavesdrop outside the bathroom.

“Are you trying to blow my cover?” Doppio whispered loud enough for him to hear. “Let me spend more time with him, please!”

“Doppio,” said an unknown voice, “I have warned you time and time again to stay away from Risotto!”

“Boss, just pay them. They’ll leave you alone!”

Shit, Prosciutto was right! Risotto thought. We do have an infiltrator, but that voice. Why does the boss sound like he’s right there?

“I need you to put the scissors down!” the boss quietly shouted. “What are you doing?”

“Cutting you off, Diavolo.”

“What did you say?”

Curious, Risotto opened the door. “Are you—” Pink hair was on the tile floor. “What did you do?”

“I had a headache and cut my hair,” Doppio answered, touching his hair. His hair was now shoulder-length. “My headache is gone now, and I feel much better. But were you listening to the conversation?”

“With the boss?” Risotto answered.

Doppio’s mouth frowned. “I’m sorry for lying to you and your squad.”

Risotto should be mad, but he wasn’t, as if his problems had just vanished. He wasn’t sure what happened, but he believed Doppio had Multiple Personality Disorder and might’ve “killed” the boss. That would explain why Doppio’s muscles seemed to expand when he and Melone talked the day before yesterday.

“I’m scared,” Doppio admitted, hugging him. “I don’t want to die. You’re going to kill me, right? We’ll stop the boss somehow. Please, just say something.”

Risotto hugged him back. “I’m not going to kill you. Don’t tell anyone about what happened, though. As for the boss, I don’t think he’ll bother us.”

“What? What makes you think that? We need to go after him!”

Risotto's phone rang.

“Shit, it’s the boss!” Doppio panicked.

“Relax, the boss only calls you. It’s probably Prosciutto.” He picked up the phone. “What is it?”

“Melone has been asking if you’re okay,” Prosciutto answered. “He said Doppio had been acting strangely in your bathroom when he last checked.”

Right, he forgot about the security cameras. “He’s fine. No need to worry.”

“One more thing, the boss has a daughter.”

“If you’re thinking about kidnapping and questioning her, forget it. The boss would want all traces of his past eliminated. He has no connections to her.”

“We can’t say no to this!”

“I think we can.” Risotto covered the phone with his hand. “Doppio, the boss trusted you. What could we do to earn some money?”

“We could ambush the narcotics division, but the boss might call L’Unità Speciale on us. Carne, Cioccolata, and Secco might give us trouble.”

Risotto uncovered the phone. “How about we attack the narcotics division? Let’s see how the boss reacts.”