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Ichimatsu - A Winter Carnival

𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳!𝘐𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥!𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

DISCLAIMER: Our reader is not in a relationship, she is just the child of Ichimatsu. There is no romantic relationship between these characters and others.

"Papa!" you called from the front door, your small hands struggling to pull on your shoes. Footsteps sounded behind you, and you heard a soft chuckle.

"Papa, my shoes won't get on!" you cried, cheeks puffed as you pouted. You felt his large hands lift you up from the floor, standing you upright and taking your shoes from you, kneeling down.

"You've got them on the wrong feet, kitten," Ichimatsu laughed, guiding your tiny feet into your boots. You pouted, muttering about how shoes didn't make sense. After securing your shoes, he adjusted your coat and scarf, making sure you were nice and snug in your warm clothing before heading out into the winter air.

The front door slid open, a similar looking face peeking through the doorway.

"Are you guys ready yet?" Karamatsu called, smiling softly down at his niece. A bright smile broke out onto your face at the sight of him, quickly running over into his arms.

"Karama-chan!" You squealed as he lifted you up, resting you onto his hip. Ichimatsu frowned slightly at the attention you had given his shitty brother instead of him, but refrained from saying anything.

"Yeah, we're coming.." he grunted, standing up and following his brother out the door. His other siblings stood in a small group, attempting to warm themselves against the chilly air. Spotting you both, they all broke out into smiles.

"Little [Y/N]!" Todomatsu cooed, taking multiple pictures of you. Osomatsu came over and patted your head with a grin.

"Are you ready for the best time with your favourite uncle?" He teased, earning a jab in the ribs from Choromatsu. Jyushimatsu took you from Karamatsu's arms and places you onto his broad shoulders, securely holding your small frame in place before lightly jogging around, his contagious laughter filling the air.

Ichimatsu watched on with a small smile before shuffling along with his brothers, muttering to Jyushimatsu to "be careful."

With the extra height you were given, you could make out the faint lights of the carnival a few roads down, eagerly exclaiming to the sextuplets about it.

"That time of the year already, huh?" Osomatsu mused, walking alongside Ichimatsu and Karamatsu, whilst the other three stayed close to you. "The winter carnival is back again."

"Time has flown fast indeed, burazza," Karamatsu agreed. "It seems that [Y/N] is also growing up quite fast. As expected of Ichimatsu's fatherhood!" He pointed with a flourish to his brother, who only rolled his eyes.

"We all know I have no idea what I'm doing," he watched you carefully. "It's all thanks to mom. She's better at this than any of us could be, seeing as she raised six of us."

"Man!" Osomatsu cried out. "I still can't believe you've got a kid first! This is totally unfair.. I'm the eldest, dammit!"

The air around then grew slightly chillier, a cold breeze wafting by the small group. Ichimatsu's hands dug deeper into his coat pockets, his head hanging lower. The elder two glanced at each other before sighing.

"...Are you gonna visit again today?" Karamatsu asked cautiously, his hands unsure of wether they should pat his younger brother or keep them to himself. The silence was stifling, even if it was brief.

"...Yeah..." Ichimatsu finally answered. "But afterwards. I don't wanna ruin the mood." Your bright laughter carried over to him. "Maybe I'll leave [Y/N] with you guys while I go..."

"Let's all go together."

Both heads snapped towards Osomatsu, who had his hands casually folded behind his head.

"I mean, why not? It's been a while since the rest of us have been, anyway. Might as well go while we have the chance."

There were only a handful of times when their shitty eldest would speak something sensible, and every time, it would leave whoever had heard him in shock.

Ichimatsu was the first to snap out of it, huffing out a smile as he glanced from you to the full moon above him.

"Do whatever you want."

»»-----　♔　-----««

"Papa! We're here, we're here!" You yelled excitedly over all the chatter, your legs kicking about as Jyushimatsu placed you down on the ground. You quickly ran over to your father, hooking your smaller hand into his larger one.

Soft fairy lights were strung around the carnival area, leaving a dim glow over each stall and pathway. Decorations of snowflakes and angels glittered from above, filling your eyes with fragments of light. Few piles of snow were scattered along the ground from previous snowfall, adding a sort of mystical touch that you loved.

It was already bustling with crowds of people, flitting from stall to stall like moths to a flame, eager to take a look at what had been brought this year, excited murmurs drifting through the air.

"Can we get the candy apples again? Please please please?" You pointed at the stall, the enticing scent of caramel and sweet apples luring you in.

"Only if we share it," he replied, allowing you to tug him over to the stall.

"I want some too!" Jyushimatsu joined in, bouncing alongside you. You giggled as the others also chimed in, seeing your dad's brow twitch.

The candy was placed into your hands, the weight of the apple making the stick wobble in your hands.

"Don't drop it now," Ichimatsu warned. He swiftly placed his hands over your own, guiding the apple into your mouth. You could only take a few small bites though, with most of the caramel smearing onto your lips and cheeks.

"Aww, that was so cute!" Todomatsu squealed, already taking a wipe and gently smoothing it over your face and hands. You squirmed at the sensation, giggles spluttering from your lips at the ticklish feeling. Choromatsu bent down next to you.

"Do you wanna try catching some goldfish?" He gestures to the next stall. "It's really easy. I can teach you!"

You nodded instantly, already running ahead at the mention of the golden fishes. You peered into the tub, awing at the clusters of shimmering fishes glistening in the stall's lamp light, the water enlarging their size.

"Papa, I really want one!" You bit your lip, eyes widening into what they called your 'kitten eyes,' hoping Ichimatsu would give in. It seemed all too easy as the man blocked his eyes after a moment.

"Only if you catch one. Then you can keep it, okay?" He watched as Choromatsu taught you how to guide the fish gently into the net, muttering soft words of encouragement after you failed the first few times. Eventually, though, you were able to successfully catch one, shouting happily as your fish was placed into its water filled bag.

"Well done, [Y/N]!" Choromatsu patted your head as a reward, allowing you to run over to your father and jump into his arms.

"Did you see me, Papa?!" Your arms waves around in exaggeration as you explained in oh-so-much detail how you caught the goldfish. Ichimatsu placed a chaste kiss on your forehead.

"I saw. I'm really proud of you, kitten."

His heart warmed at the sight of your joy, knowing that his daughter was as happy as she could be. The others watched from the side, identical smiles on their faces as they watched their brother be the father he truly could be.

You all spent a good few hours at the festival. Whether it was enjoying the tasty delicacies and sweets from almost every stall — thanks to Osomatsu and Jyushimatsu's cravings — or when you had all bought your own masks delicately painted to look like youkai from urban Japanese legends, you all had fun all the same.

However, being the young child you were, you didn't have the energy to keep going for much longer. You rubbed your eyes as you yawned heavily, clutching onto Ichimatsu's clothing as you started to sway a little. Noticing this, Ichimatsu knelt down in front of you.

"Tired?" He asked, moving your hands away. You shook your head, adamant on staying awake.

"I wanna stay longer! I wanna play more..." you yawned, "...more games with you and everyone!"

"I think we should head back home, [Y/N]." Ichimatsu was not deterred by your pouting, although he felt a jolt of pain as your eyes started welling up with tears.

"But I don't wanna..!"

"Is your Papa being mean again?" Osomatsu wandered over, picking you up and holding you. "Seriously, Ichimatsu. Stop making the kid cry!" There was teasing glint in his eye as he made sure your head was buried into his shoudker before winking at his brother.

"C'mon, little [Y/N], cheer up! Osoma-chan is here to rescue you!"

Ichimatsu sighed, walking away from the group for a moment to slip to another stall. He eyed the large displays of flowers and bouquets, before settling onto a tall bunch of purple hyacinths and soft pink camelias, all fully bloomed and vibrant.

"Can I help you, sir?" The florist beamed. Ichimatsu pointed towards the flowers he had seen, watching idly as the woman picked them up and began wrapping them in a nice bouquet, complete with a purple bow.

"Have a nice evening!" She had called out as he made his way back, surprised to see that Choromatsu was holding his sleeping daughter against his chest.

"Ah, you're back, burazza!" Karamatsu oatyed his shoulder. He eyed the flowers for a moment before grinning softly. "It seems [Y/N] has fallen asleep whilst you were gone. Perhaps we should hurry to our next destination?"

Ichimatsu only nodded, his grip on the flowers tightening slightly as he began leading the group down a different path home. Only, they weren't heading home.

The journey was mostly silent, with each brother either making quiet conversation with one another, or simply admiring the night sky. Your sleeping form was passed between the six, each one carefully cradling you until someone else offered to hold you, eventually settling into Ichimatsu's free arm. You grumbled, burying your face deeper into the crook of his neck.

A stone arch came into view, a set of iron gates still open. Ichimatsu held no hesitation as he walked through, his brothers falling silent behind him. A small cat scurried over to him, winding itself gently around his legs before trotting ahead, glancing back as it waited for the group to catch up.

They passed rows of tall gravestones, intricately decorated with Japanese writings and fresh flowers, before stopping at a certain one. The cat had laid itself down beside it, curling up comfortably after nudging it's head lovingly over the stone.

A familiar name was engraved onto the stone; a name that the Matsuno family would never forget. A flash of memory ran through Ichimatsu's mind as he took a deep breath. It never got easier, not matter how many times he came by.

He placed the bunch of flowers onto the flat platform before kneeling down, making sure you were comfortable before speaking softly.

"It's me again... And I've brought [Y/N], too."

A breeze swept by. He swore it was warmer than before.

"My shitty brothers tagged along, too. Sorry about them."

"Hey!" A few exclaimed, although there was no anger behind it.

Ichimatsu continued his conversation in silence, all his thoughts, happy or worrying, coming to the forefront of his mind. He snapped out of it briefly when he felt you shuffle in his arms.

You raised your head, drowsily rubbing your eyes again as you glanced around, your shimmering gaze finally settling on the grave in front of you. A tired smile broke out onto your lips.

"Mama..." you mumbled. Your eyes still felt heavy as you reached out, fingers barely brushing over the stone. "I love you, mama..."

You fell back to sleep, leaving the others in silence once more. They all gazed at you with adoration, exchanging smiled with one another as Ichimatsu stood up.

He muttered something under his breath before turning, his head low as he made his way back to the entrance, his grip on you a little tighter than before.

He had lost his wife too soon. But, he had been left with you, the most precious gift he could ever ask for. At least you had her eyes, he had always thought, big and bright, full of wonder. He couldn't lose you, too. He would care for you with all the love he had in him.

The warm breeze swept by again, rustling through your hair and wafting over Ichimatsu's face. It carried a whisper of a voice that made him pause.

'I love you, too.'

[WARNING: This fanfic contains elements of horror, blood and gore, if you feel sensitive to this don't read it! this fanfic also has no connection to any of my other AU's!]

New world no second chances

Chapter 1- Escape from the Prison of the Dead

Henry always got away with trying to steal something, this time he wasn't so lucky. He was caught just trying to steal a safe in the middle of the Arizona desert!(by the way, who builds a safe in the middle of the desert??)He sat in his prison cell, watching the guards passing in front of his cell for 5 months. marking the days on the wall until he could finally get out of there and go on with his life as a thief.

________________

in one of the precinct rooms were three long-time friends, Dave, Johnny and Rupert. the three were talking about donuts and a movie nine that was coming out next week. "I'd love to go, but I think I'd be too busy so you two can go without me!" says Johnny leaning back in his chair eating a donut,Rupert stares at him questioningly, "Okay, what are you doing next week on Opening Night of the movie ham?" Price asks raising an eyebrow, Johnny opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out, the same snort crossing his arms, "I just don't feel like it!" he says rolling his eyes and looking away from the other two.

Dave laughed scratching his cheek with a finger, "I think it would be nice to go just you and me Rup." he replies shyly looking down, Rupert feels his cheeks getting red before he sighs smiling and laughing, "sure! I just wanted to go with my two best friends anyway!" Dave and Johnny look at each other and smile and laugh beside Rupert. Dave gets up, "I'm going to get a coffee, would you like it?" he asks the two of them, Johnny shakes his hand in denial and Rupert nods.

Dave goes to the coffee maker, he hears the tv in the corner of the room talking about something a little worrying. "breaking news! downtown Phoenix Arizona is undergoing a quarantine, a strange infection seems to have affected part of the city. We advise everyone to stay in their homes and not leave until further notice!" Dave tries to ignore it, but the thought that downtown is going through something so terrifying is enough to frighten him.

Dave picks up his coffee cups and turns to go back to the other two but ends up accidentally bumping into another policeman. "what the fuck!! don't you know how to look where you idiot???" annoyed the cop grabs Dave by the collar of his uniform, Panpa keeps his hands up nervously, he notices some bloody bandages on his arm, the cop shakes Dave, "you will learn "you will learn not to mess with me!!" Dave closes his eyes prepared to take a punch

"oi!" Rupert pulls the guy away from Dave, he pushes him to the ground he pushes him to the ground, which he holds tightly to the bandaged arm. he grunts, gets up angrily and goes to the nearest bathroom. "what an asshole..." Rupert looks at Dave worriedly and holds out a hand, "are you ok Dave?" Dave accepts to hold Rupert's hand looking down. "don't blame yourself man, he's been acting like this since he arrived..." says Johnny looking at the door. "I-I... sorry about the coffee..." he says looking at the broken cup, "Nah, it's okay!" Rupert responds. "I really didn't want to."

Dave smiles, the two leave the room and continue walking through the police station. while Rupert is talking to another colleague, Dave finds a box in the middle of nowhere. on the box was a note saying "for Henry stickmin" Dave takes the box in his arms gently, "oi Dave!" Rupert catches Dave's eye as he turns and follows him, "Hey, I found this box here, for Henry Stickmin?" Rupert raises an eyebrow, "If I'm not mistaken, it must be that guy who tried to rob a safe! haha! come on give it to him, whatever it is." rupert puts his arm around Dave smiling heading towards the cells on the fifth floor.

while the two were leaving, a policeman hears something abnormal coming from the bathroom, a little curious he goes in to see what it was, opening the door... for the nightmare to begin...

________________

Henry was sitting on his cell bed, uncomfortable being made of stone, he hadn't slept in months just waiting to finally be released. "Oi!" Henry looks in front of him, two policemen, Dave and Rupert were outside, "you can leave now!" Henry flashes a smile with his shoulders shrugged, but rupert laughs with a hand on his belly pointing at Henry, "haha, not really," Henry's expression changes to irritation. "You should see your face! but hey, you got a delivery! " he shoves the box through the cell's food entrance, "don't get super excited ok? we checked what we had to be sure right Dave?" rupert looks at Dave with a confident smile, Dave breaks into a nervous sweat and smiles nervously, "of-of course I checked, if I didn't check I'd lose my job, I'd lose my job!" he says scratching the back of his neck nervously.

the two move away from the cell, allowing Henri to see what was inside the box. a cake?well, apparently not, the cake opens and Henry sticks his hand inside to see what he has. he pulls out a nail saw and with a smirk he already knows how to escape.

Dave and Rupert continue talking when a scream from downstairs alerts them. "what the fuck was that???" rupert asks, already preparing his pistol in hand, Dave hears the sound of metal letting go of himself turning to see Henry outside his cell holding a metal bar in hands. "Rupert!" Price looks towards Henry already getting annoyed but then they hear another scream again, this time they hear several screams coming from downstairs, Henry stops, listening to the screams very confused.

the elevator doors open, revealing what looked like some police officers, "Hey! what's going on down there??" the cops were on the ground, but as soon as they hear rupert's voice they turn around. the police officers were in a decrepit state, their eyes lifeless almost as if they were dead, some had bites on their body parts, blood all over the uniform but mostly around the mouth. in his hands were live chunks of flesh, and on the floor at his feet... another policeman's body, cut open in the stomach with its innards sticking out. the decrepit cops were feeding off each other...

Dave covers his mouth at the sight, almost wanting to vomit at the disturbing image he saw, Henry grips the metal bar tightly in his hands feeling the cool surface. rupert points the pistol at the direction of whatever those things are. "stay away from us!!!" rupert grotto, this only makes those things if they get up and walk limping towards them, one of them runs at an absurd speed. before they got close to them Henry lunges forward, hitting the thing with the bar right over the head, splattering blood on the floor and wall.

Dave screams, falling back, tears in his eyes and covering his mouth in horror. "to the closet, NOW!!" Rupert warns pulling Dave by the arm and taking him to the closet while Henry hits the other policeman with the iron bar and punches the skull in which he makes a disgusting sound. Henry enters the closet before it's closed, his face covered in the blood of the thing he's just realized he's killed.

"WHAT WAS THE—" Dave almost screams but Henry covers his mouth as rupert continues to peer through a crack in the door. the shouting drew the attention of more of those things."Agent is going to die, I don't want to die!!" Dave was crying covering his mouth so as not to attract more attention. rupert makes a sign of silence blocking the post with his chair, "we have to think about what to do..."

Henry was standing back in a corner and he stared at the metal bar he was still holding, his hands trembling at the blood that still trickled down to two of his hands. Henry's eyes widen in terror and he throws the metal bar heavily to the ground covering his head with his hands. he starts hyperventilating one hand to his heart and the other trying to clear the blood from his face. he feels some tears of fear running down his face, in all his life he never needed to kill to get what he wanted. at least a few punches here and there, but killing was one of the things he didn't do, didn't fit his moral sense.

Dave feels sorry for Henry and tries to calm down even against Rupert's opinion. "Hey, calm down, w-we're going to get out of this ok?" he puts his hand on Henry's shoulder but the thief slaps him away with a look full of Panic. "no need to be rude to him!!" rupert defends, he looks up seeing a vent, "We can use this to get out of here!" he says pointing to the vent, "but how are we going to open it...?" the question was quickly answered by Henry himself standing up a little wobbly and picking up a screwdriver from the counter.

Rupert sees it in Henry's hand and agrees, "ok, first we have to see who's still normal, Johnny has the keys to our police car! he can help!" rupert says taking his cell phone and has trying to call Johnny. I meanwhile Henry starts to open the vent with the screwdriver without a single complication. "wow, you're good at that..."Dave complements him but Henry seems to ignore him by finishing opening the vent and removing the lid without making too much noise, a moment later he looks at the metal bar, and reluctantly he picks it up and puts it in the vent before starting to climb..

"Shit!" the call goes to voicemail, "he's not answering!" Dave and Rupert are more worried, Panpa hugs her legs in the fetal position crying very nervously. "hey! let's go for the vents! we have to go to the first floor which is where we last saw him!" Dave, who had tears spilling on the floor, agrees cleaning them and getting up with the help of his friend.

Henry offers a hand already inside the vent, rupert helps Dave to be pulled by Henry, rupert is about to enter when the three hear the door slamming and aggressive groans coming from outside. Henry panics and pulls him heavily into the vent at the exact second when the door is burst open by the creatures that can barely be considered human anymore. the three silently begin to crawl through the station's vents.

the three crawl through the vent trying not to get lost, rupert looks through the doorways seeing more of those things below them. Dave hears a voice from other police officers trying to run, slipping and screaming for help before being caught by the creatures and torn apart. Dave covers his mouth to keep from screaming in terror and follows Rupert and Henry.

after much crawling the three stop at an entrance where Henry couldn't see anything under them. he kicks the vent cover hard until it falls to the floor, he throws the bloodied metal bar to the floor making a metallic noise and damaging the floor before going down and picking it up in his hands. rupert gave before Dave to help him down who was still scared. after the three descend, rupert arumã his pistol ready for anything, Dave was very scared and can only grab a tazer with trembling hands. Henry extends an open hand above his head, glancing up and down the hallway they've fallen into to make sure they're alone.

after looking both ways in silence, he arrows his hand and points to the left where he could see a staircase. the three stay alert running towards the stairs, blood could be seen on the walls and floor. they head downstairs until they find more of those things clustered on the floor, Henry keeps the two of them away while he sticks his head out to get a better look. he could see those things consuming the guts of another dead cop, Henry covers his mouth in disgust and horror gripping the metal bar tightly in his other hand.

gritting his teeth Henry grips the metal bar tight and runs towards the creatures, "STICKMIN!!" rupert cave. one of the creatures turns towards them but Henry asks for his head with the metal bar and violently pulling out of his skull with a disgusting hole in the middle of the head the other creature tries to attack Henry but the meso dodges back and slams the slash into the thing's head hard again and again. rupert loads his weapon and shoots one of the creatures several times. the shots seemed to have no effect and Rupert panics, he fires more and more and the creature continues to run limp towards them and Dave is still hiding behind the wall crying. rupert closes his eyes shooting the creature in the head which stops running and goes to the ground motionless.

rupert iperventbtilando starts shooting more times at Panic until the bullets run out. he searches his pockets for more cargo but those were his last bullets. another creature was about to attack him but Henry saves him at the last second by driving the metal bar into the thing's chest and sending it to the ground holding the bar firmly to the ground and I get it in the head forcefully with the foot until the brains burst.both breathing heavily, rupert looks behind Henry seeing that he had killed all those things and saved him.

Henry extends his hand to Rupert who accepts to get up, "thank god you're ok!!!" Dave cries hugging tight rupert,"hey, it's ok Dave..." rupert check out his scared friend, "I'm fine..." he looks at Henry who was wiping his bloodstained face, "thanks..." Henry looks at Rupert with a blank look. "for saving me..." rupert lets go of Dave and the two continue walking.Henry looks down and then at the two of them before walking away with them.

the three finally reach the first floor. rupert goes into shock and Dave covered his mouth, the whole police station was dominated by these things...colleagues and superiors either Turned these things over or were consumed and torn apart by them. there was blood and chaos everywhere, how did this start? how does this happen?? Why did this happen??? the questions that surrounded the heads of the three stopped when they heard a familiar scream coming from another room. "STAY AWAY SON OF A BITCH!!!" the two friends look in the direction of the shout, "Johnny!!" the two say running towards where the screams came from with Henry the seconds and looking to see if they were followed. to make sure they don't get near them, Henry picks up a mug he found on the floor and throws it as far away from them as possible. the mug breaks on the wall next to a horde which runs towards the noise if moving away from the trio.

finally they arrive at the source of the screams seeing Johnny being attacked by one of the creatures, the same policeman who bumped into Dave earlier! "Johnny!!" Rupert gropes for his friend, grabbing a chair and slamming the creature hard and knocking it off him. Henry finishes the job by crushing his head with the metal bar. Johnny was hyperventilating on the floor until rupert helped him up, "thanks man..." he says with a tired look and being seated in a chair. "John what do you hear??" Dave asks already in Panic as Henry blocked the entrance with a closet with difficulty, Rupert joins in to help.

"II have no idea... I remember a colleague walking into the bathroom where he was..." he looks at the dead body. "then we heard a scream and went to see." he chuckles, "bad idea..." he responds by covering his arm on which it looked injured. "you're hurt??" Dave asks worriedly holding his friend's hand. "yes," he replies, looking away rather blankly, "after that thing ran out the bathroom door, it was a matter of seconds before it started attacking everyone..." he says in a melancholy tone. "if they bit, scratched or caused deep wounds, they quickly turned others into these things..." he points to the door where those things were outside.

"we need the car keys!" rupert responds if moving away from the barricade, Johnny takes the keys out of his pocket and throws it to him, "it's already done.." Henry gestures to the window heading towards it to see if there were more of these things out there, he could see three of them. "let's go John!" rupert tries to help him but Johnny slaps his hand, "I can't go with you..." he replies with a low head. "w-why not??" Dave asks. John sighs uncovering his injured arm and showing it to them. the three go into complete terror in shock.

he was bitten...

"I can't risk hurting you..." he replies lowering his arm and head even further. "THERE HAS TO BE A CURE!!" rupert screams, forcing himself not to let tears fall down his face. "the only way not to risk it is to leave me or..." Johnny looks at Henry's metal bar, in which rupert shakes his head in denial, grabbing Johnny's shoulders aggressively "NO!! THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY!!" he cries, not wanting to believe that he was just that way.

Johnny smiles putting his hand over Rupert's, "It's ok..." He replied looking into Rupert's eyes. "Do you know the movie?" he recalls the conversation before me in a calm and serene tone, "I said I didn't want to watch with you..." rupert doesn't understand why he mentions this. "I just wish you had some time to spend with the person you really love..." he looks at Dave who was opening the window carefully, Rupert finally got it, he wanted him and Dave to have a moment to themselves, Johnny was always the third wheel and always wanted to see the two of them together soon.

Rupert can't help it, tears start to fall down his face. he hugs Johnny tight, "I'll miss you brother..." he says crying, Johnny hugs him back holding back tears. "my father called me, he said the government would be downtown looking for survivors and resources..." he lets go of Rupert, "if you see him... tell him I love him... that he's a better father of the world..." he smiles weakly holding up a picture of him and his father from the day he joined the police academy. Henry looks at him as he approaches, "come on... get it over with!!" he closes his eyes, waiting for Henry to kill him.

Henry glares at him, lifting the metal bar to face him and staring at the photo.

[kill]

[spare]

...

Henry lowers the metal bar, putting his hand on Rupert's shoulder and heading to the window where he breaks it to pieces with the metal bar and exits through it towards the creatures outside. Johnny looks at him confused and laughs weakly, "What an idiot..." his eyes were almost dead... rupert couldn't look at his friend anymore and if he walks to the window, "goodbye friend..." he wipes his tears and helps Dave out and leaves together giving Johnny one last look in which he gives one last smile...

Rupert leaves the window and makes his way to the parking lot pressing the car keys button in which they hear his signal the three of them drive away with Henry removing the metal bar from the head of a creature he has just killed. the three of them get in as fast as possible, with no time to buckle up and just follow the road ahead of them with Rupert at the wheel.

Dave looks back at the police station one last time and then closes the car window. the three survived...

the only ones who managed to escape that hell alive. each with a new trauma in their lives.

rupert has just lost someone he considered a brother, he didn't even know what he would say to his father when he saw him. Henry felt the rush of killing, even if it was for his survival, he was no longer in the best state of mind, it would only get worse... and Dave... never seen death or tragedy so close, he was very sensitive, he was crying with his head against the car window, Rupert looked at him worriedly.

now they would have to trust each other in this nightmare... in this world of dread and fear...

In this new world with no second chances...

[to be continued...]

A Chance Meeting Chapter 1: Something New

On the planet of Mobius, mobians and humans lived together, but what if I told you there were other species that co-existed alongside them? Little creatures, scurrying under your eyes, taking little things you wouldn't notice like sewing pins, crumbs of food, bottle caps, left-out tape, whatever they need to survive, and unnoticeable to the beans they stole from. Miles Prower is one of these tiny creatures. He's a borrower, doing whatever it takes to survive in this big, unpredictable world. After witnessing his parents get caught and never seen again, he vowed to never trust a bean, to never let them see him. He stayed away from beans, living in the forest and away from the other borrowers that would mock him for his two individual tails.

So far, he's managed for years, now eight years old and living in a small cave he made in a burrow under a tree. He's lived long enough to know what to do with different predators, know where to find food, and also has a hobby of inventing on the side. That all changes however when a blue hedgehog in a red plane crashes onto the island.

(Or I just had to create a Sonic Borrower crossover because it is a crime that there is a shocking lack of any I could find)

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Mobius was a beautiful planet. Beautiful forests and nature-filled lands covered practically all of the planet. Fresh lakes and oceans were filled with lush and colorful sea life, filling the fresh air with the calming scent of fresh or saltwater. On this planet, there weren't only humans living here, but anthropomorphic animals as well.

They were called Mobians. Animals who would walk on two legs, act exactly like humans, and wear clothes. Humans and mobians lived happily co-existing among each other, seeing each other as equals. But what if I told you another race lived among humans and mobians? Little critters that scurried underneath your own eyes, taking things you wouldn't care to notice, just to survive.

Tiny people who could also manage to talk, cloth themselves, and act exactly like a mobian. They weren't shrunken, they were just born that way, tiny warriors born to survive. These were borrowers. Tiny people who lived underneath the floorboards or lived in secret tunnels made in walls of humans or mobians and took small things like forgotten sewing pins, bottle caps, ripped cloth, and whatever else they could use for survival. They lived off of many rules, all of them to ensure they could be safe and stay alive.

One of them was the most important: never be seen by a bean.

That was what they called both humans and mobians alike. It's quite odd they were called that, perhaps it was a mistranslation from the word 'being', or maybe someone mistook it for that. Nonetheless, that was what the bigger people were known as. Beans were dangerous. There had been many horror stories passed down on what happened to creatures like them who were seen and caught.

Extermination, domestication, bodies ripped open and studied, and many more could make the bravest adult of the race shudder in terror. Because of that, they vowed down generations to never be seen or caught by humans or mobians.

Borrowers weren't limited to one animal, there were many borrowers of different species, dogs, cats, wolves, tigers, bears, birds, foxes, hedgehogs, and many more. The many differences were that they were tiny beings, the tallest adult being 7 inches tall. Another thing that they had that mobians didn't was certain features of their legs, nose, tails, and ears of that of a rat or mouse.

An odd mix of features if seen by a bean, but to another fellow borrower, it's natural. However, while having mouse features on some that are quite odd, having multiple limbs is odd even for borrowers.

That's what Miles Prower knew his whole life.

Just a tiny genius kid living on his own in the deep beautiful but dangerous forest, under the safety of an abandoned bunny burrow dug in the base of a tree. It was a nice and quaint little home, with many things he either kept for survival or collected along the way. Another thing you might notice is the many blueprints and inventions he created, made out of used bottles, bottle caps, balloons, paper, and even gears!

Miles had a gift for inventing, having been fascinated and passionate about the subject. He tinkered and made many kinds of inventions that would help him. Like a dome made out of several sand-filled straws, kept together with ducktape coloring the surface so he wouldn't see roots or dirt thrown on him every time a bean walks by, a makeshift lightbulb made by what once a broken nightlight before Miles came upon it. He took care in fixing it, separating the bulb from the power block and adjusting it so it functions like a normal lightbulb so things wouldn't be dark all the time.

He made a whole grappling hook, made of fish wire, a hook, a broken piece of plastic, and an engine he stole from a little toy car. He even made a device that helps crack open walnuts with just a paperclip and a pair of tweezers. Scattered all around his home, small blueprints were scattered about the tiny domain, blueprints of things he had thought of to help him and were yet to be made.

Truly Miles Prower had a gift. However, no matter how innovative and helpful these creations made were, there was one thing that always cast him out from the other borrowers:

Miles Prower had two tails.

He had the typical characteristics of his fellow borrowers, small mouse ears, long legs with padded feet like that of a rat, and a narrow snout. He even had bandages, made from leftover pieces of cloth, wrapped around several different places of his body from encounters with other predators. He was a little fox, having bright orange and white fur, and sharp predator-like teeth he made sure to chew hard foods like apples or seeds to keep his teeth from overgrowing his tiny body, and the orange and white tail. Or in this case, tails. They were long and skinny with short stubby orange fur ending in soft, fluffy white tufts at the end, like the other borrowers.

Nobody knew why he had two, he was just born with them. Other borrowers would constantly mock and make fun of him for them, calling him a freak or calling him 'Tails', which he absolutely hated. They were already weirded out by his inventions, seeing them as 'dangerous' and 'unnecessary'. But no matter how much trouble his inventions caused for the weekly portions of the clan he resided in, his parents never blamed him or pushed his dreams down. His mother and father always used to tell him to ignore these kids, that he would create something that would change borrower kind.

How he missed them.

If someone were to ask where his parents were he would simply reply that they were gone and that they had been a long time, but he wouldn't tell you what happened if asked, he'd simply walk away and ignore the rest of the conversation, not wanting to open up old wounds. It had been four years, Miles was eight now. He had managed on his own for a long time, making sure to stay far away from beans. 

Back then he had been innocent, happy, and carefree. Now he was focused, serious, and constantly cautious. He knew the dangers of beans now, and the high stakes of his kind were always in. That was part of the reason he left and ventured out into the forest, so he wouldn't put the others in more jeopardy. He was only four back then when he went on his own but somehow managed on his own against the wild.

Now he knew more than how to survive. He knew where the best place to view the star was, where the fullest berry bushes were, how to tie a double knot when climbing, how to bandage and treat wounds and cure infections that may be caused by a bite from a critter with possible rabies or neglecting to clean the wound properly at first. He still had a bandage on his right arm from being attacked by a bird for stealing some worms.

Yes, he grew and matured, but that didn't mean he was happy. He was satisfied at best. Long days of surviving became nothing more than dull and empty. Miles Prower wasn't lonely, however. That was ridiculous, he was doing just fine on his own. He didn't need someone around to be another mouth to feed, a dependent weight to carry. He was perfectly fine on his own!

He just wished there was something more exciting out here. Something other than trees, berry picking, lizard skinning, or gazing at the endless white dots in the sky. He wanted something new . Something exciting.

Miles was bored, to say the least. He needed some excitement. Some adventure. Miles didn't exactly see wishes coming true, his past wishes of being accepted and not having his food stolen by the other kids. They never came true until he made them by leaving.

So imagine his surprise when one day, while he was carrying a lizard he killed back to his hut, a rising of smoke in the direction of the beach. At first, he was confused, as hardly anyone went there. Next to come was heart-pounding curiosity. This was something new.

What was out there? What was causing that smoke? He was just brimming with all sorts of questions related to the mystery smoke. All of them were itching to find out. He should really go back to his home and do what he normally does; focus on getting through the day and surviving. But his curiosity was overriding his survival instincts, nobody ever came out here, no beans or other borrowers. Nobody did other than him or his fellow critters.

Fear began to take hold of the little fox, as suspicions began to rise in his mind.

What if it was something dangerous? Maybe if he found out what it was he'd know what to do later. If it was something that threatened his home or his territory he'd know to move. The thought of moving made his heart pang, but it was always better safe than sorry. The now-forgotten lizard fell to the ground as the fox began to move toward the direction of the mysterious smoke, both excitement, and uneasiness beginning to bloom in his chest.

 --------------------------------------------------------

Bright blue eyes stared in both awe and brimming excitement at the machine before him. It was a plane! A big beautiful red plane. He had heard and read about the beauties, but had never seen one in real life. Not until now. It was as amazing and huge as he thought it would be. Sleek metal. Big wide wings. It was everything he ever dreamed up beside the fact that it was currently in disrepair. Smoke seemed to be coming from the engine, perhaps there was a new need for an engine, or perhaps something was busted. He had read plenty of books about planes, including reading and studying how planes work, he could probably repair himself if he had the right tools...

and had the right height.

While the plane was beautiful and amazing in every way, there was just one problem. The plane belonged to a bean. A bright blue hedgehog with white gloves and red and white shoes was glaring at the plane, muttering something. He seemed to be mad and Tails made sure to stay out of sight. A mad bean was dangerous. Most prone to violence. Most prone to death. As lovely as the plane was, nothing was worth dying for. The hedgehog seemed to be mad at the plane. Seemed to be... talking to the plane?

Ok. That was odd.

The hedgehog looked at the engine, waving away the smoke from his face before glancing at it. He groaned in annoyance before slamming it back down. Jumping off the plane he appeared to be pondering something, his hand on his chin and his foot tapping abnormally fast. He took a glance at the forest, Tails ducked behind a bush for cover, and his eyes lit up. He turned back to the plane, smiling, and turned back towards the forest, newfound determination in his green eyes.

Before Tails could even blink, the blue urchin suddenly shot off in a blue blur, causing the small fox to yelp out in surprise, hanging onto the bush to avoid being blown away. When the backlash died down, the fox was left in utter shock and confusion. Eyes wide he murmured out one question.

"W-what just happened?"

That was impossible. Nobody could go that fast. It was impossible. But that hedgehog just did it right before his eyes. A shiver went down the borrower's spine. He would have to stay far away from the bean. If he was that fast, the fox didn't stand a chance. And sadly away from the plane. He looked back at it with sadness and longing. This was the first time he's ever seen a plane up close. He was hoping it would be abandoned or unoccupied. But no, it was used by the most dangerous species to borrower kind. 

Wait.

This was pretty close to his home, wasn't it?

Yeah, this wasn't too far. It was in his territory. In fact, this was extremely close to his stargazing spot. This wasn't good. He loved watching the stars, not to mention, he needed to stay far away from beans. He saw what happened the last time he was caught. He saw what happened if borrowers were seen and caught. His mind began to come up with different ideas. He couldn't torment the bean. It'd only make him angry and possibly more dangerous. He couldn't let himself known to the hedgehog so he couldn't leave any notes asking him to move. Not to mention the plane was even bigger than the urchin, he probably wouldn't be able to lift it.

Wait, the plane.

He looked back at the plane. The perfect plane save for certain smoke coming from the engine. Someone would fix it eventually. After all, it looked like the hedgehog crashed on here or was forced to land because of the broken engine. Once it was fixed the bean would leave. He just had to wait.

He sighed sadly and looked at the plane one more time before turning and beginning to head off to his burrow. 

What a shame. He just wished he could see and explore the plane. Well, he can't stay too long, the bean would probably come back with another bean. No matter what he couldn't be found out.

It was too dangerous. He just hoped the hedgehog would leave soon.

The Mystery and The Isosceles

Ch 7: This Is Gravity Falls

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Also on AO3

It was beautiful, really. The clouds were painted in warm reds and yellows like the skies themselves were aflame. Through the dark sooty clouds that choked and blanketed the ground below the full moon was shining down despite it all, watching them like one giant singular eye in the sky: Quiet and knowing. Despite the moon clearly telling him otherwise, the port was bright as day.

It was beautiful.

It was horrific.

The earth was cracked and dry under his feet as Fiddleford ran stumbling down the main street. The hot earth burned his feet through the soles of his shoes. He couldn't breathe through the smoke crawling down into his lungs. He was coughing so hard it felt like hacking up the lining of his own throat.

Everything burned.

Distantly, but still far too close, there was the sound of cannons firing intermittently. Barely audible through the metal clangs and the sound of screaming and splintering wood. His heart beat painfully to the tune of his feet pounding the earth. He’d recognized the ship floating almost serenely at the docks, the sight of it’s blood red hull and glinting gold details making him feel sick to his soul. How could he ever forget? It had taken his best friend, and now, it was taking his home.

They—he and the rest of their canceled research mission—had gone out on the ocean in a small boat late in the evening, the absence of one of their number weighing heavily on their minds. They had no body to bury, but everyone’s best guess was that Ford was somewhere in the sea. It was the only memorial they could give him. Flowers and well wishes offered to uncaring waves.

The solemn thoughtfulness of that excursion went up in smoke the second they returned to shore and spotted the Isosceles once again. Now, there was no thoughts in Fiddleford’s brain other than a desperate prayer that his family would still be there when he reached the house, and the venomously spiteful wish to see the one eyed devil burn in his own fires.

The noises and the lights and the panic were disorganizing. Weaving in and out of the rubble of homes and buildings and fighting to not be seen by the crew gleefully tearing everything to pieces, he ran blindly towards his own house.

But he didn’t reach it. The world turned to dark in front of his eyes as the smoke choked him into unconsciousness despite his pleas to stay awake just a little longer. Everything faded out and blackened as his legs failed him and he collapsed. Someone was shaking his shoulder. He had to get up. He had to get home, find his family and get them to safety. He couldn’t lose them. He couldn’t let the demon take them too.

But his muscles were steel and wouldn’t move. A bone deep exhaustion set in as breathing grew harder and harder through the black smoke. He felt the heat of the flames raining sparks down on his face. Still, there was someone touching him. Firmly and insistently pushing at his limp arm. He thought he heard his son cry out for him.

Fiddleford opened his eyes, only to be met with a pleasant bright bedroom instead of a dingy burning street. There was no smoke in the room, only the smell of fresh cloth and salty sea air.

“Morning.”

Tate nodded briefly to his father, before righting himself and walking off to pull the curtain from the window and let the morning light into the room. Fiddleford blinked at him, wiping at his own eyes and trying to will the dredges of the dream away. White hair fell over his eyes as he sat up in bed. His hands were covered in wrinkles and age spots.

“Sorry, guess I was sleepin pretty deep.” He said. “Ya headin off to work?”

Tate nodded at him once, resolutely. He took a pair of green-tinted glasses from the dresser and handed them to Fiddleford before leaving out the door with a small wave.

He looked so different from that small child Fiddleford had found cowering in a cupboard the morning after Gravity Falls burned.

He still remembered all of it clear as day. In the aftermath of the attack, he'd hoped and prayed and bargained for some way to forget. He'd spent days in and days out wracking his brain for some kind of solution. But there was nothing he could come up with that would make the memories go away, save for drinking himself into oblivion. And he couldn't do that. Not with a child to raise alone.

Tate was all he had left.

He remembered waking up in the morning after the world burned, miraculously still alive. Cipher's crew must have mistook him for a corpse. He walked through the ruined town as everywhere around himself people were digging through the rubble to see what could be salvaged. Everything felt unreal as he walked down the street, people he'd just days before been talking to never to speak again.

The house still stood, and for a second that gave him hope. He almost wished it hadn't, having hope for a second only for the rug to be pulled out from under you was crueler than no hope at all. The front door was broken, the house ransacked, his wife dead. He could find Tate anywhere, and at that moment, he broke down and cried.

But he didn't cry alone. He heard choked, muted sobbing from somewhere, echoing his own.

Tate was alive, hiding behind sacks and crates in a cupboard where his mother had made him swear to stay quiet. His son was alive, and Fiddleford clung to that knowledge like a drowning man clinging to a piece of driftwood.

Tate never talked much after that. He still didn't.

Fiddleford pulled himself out of bed, looking out the window as he passed. The port was so different from the way it had been before the attack that on some days it didn't even feel like the same place. He walked down the stairs to make himself something to eat and start looking over his blueprints for the day.

Down in the port The Mystery was peacefully bobbing up and down on the water. They'd just finished getting her moored to the dock, and already people were spilling out from the ship and splitting off every which way. They chatted happily to each other, glad to be back on shore-leave earlier than expected. Nearly every ship parked outside the dock flew black flags or none at all, but despite them all being bitter competitors had they met at sea there was no fighting on land. The port was loud, but it wasn't the sound of violence or arguing. It was the sound of shipbuilding and lumber, of sailors bartering with merchants and flirting with ladies.

Mabel hopped off onto solid ground, wobbling slightly.

"My balance is all off." She heard Dipper complain behind her. Wendy laughed as she passed.

"Course it is, you've gotten your sealegs. Did you two get seasick when you first set out?"

"Yeah. What about it?" Mabel asked.

"Oh, now that you've gotten used to it, chances are you'll wind up landsick instead." She grinned at them, somewhere between sympathetic and teasing. "Don't worry, I stopped throwing up after my fourth voyage or so."

"Ugh!" Mabel groaned.

"Hey!" Wendy paused, her attention drawn to somewhere behind the twins. The playful expression turned more genuine, first with surprise and then happiness. "Dad!"

She rushed past them throwing herself around the neck of a man the size of a bear with bushy red hair. He laughed a big deep guffaw and picked her up bodily with no effort at all. Three boys, closer to Mabel and Dipper's age, came up behind talking over one another energetically.

"There's my strong girl!" The man who had to be Wendy's father shouted, almost squishing her. Wendy laughed as her brothers swarmed around, the younger two firing off question after question, asking if she'd gotten to fight anyone, asking if they'd seen Bill, if they'd met mermaids, and whether or not she'd gotten them any souvenirs.

Soos was likewise happily talking to an elderly woman with an apron and a generally unbothered expression. She nodded along as he spoke enthusiastically.

Dipper felt the tiniest bit of a knot form in his stomach, watching the rest of the crew return into the arms of waiting family.

A strong hand fell on his shoulder.

"Alright kids, I've told everyone to meet back by nightfall." Stan told them, jaw set in determination. "Most of em are gonna be off spending the day with folks they know or stocking up on personal items or whatever. We're heading out to find Ford's old pal. That is, uh—"

His hand dropped off Dipper's shoulder again and he looked away uncomfortably.

"—If you wanna stick around, that is. I told ya I'd take you to the nearest port, but—you know…" He coughed awkwardly.

Dipper looked past Stan's legs at Mabel standing at his other side, then said plainly:

"We'll stay."

"You will?" Stan sounded stunned, before recovering quickly and gesticulating wildly to cover it. "I-I mean, of course you will! I'm a great uncle, who wouldn't want to stick around?"

Mabel smiled wide at them both.

"Excuse me?" A lanky man with brown hair and eyes hidden by the rim of his hat walked up to them, drawing Stan's attention from the kids.

"Oh, hi? I thought I sent Soos to fix the docking fee?"

"Yes. I was just wondering." He began. "Any luck this time?

Stan frowned, shaking his head.

"Sorry, nothing this time either."

"Understood." He nodded. "There's been a man asking around the port about Bill. Might wanna talk to him."

"A man asking about Bill?'

"Don't know the specifics. Didn't ask, that's not in the job description. The guy is in nice clothes and carrying some documents, probably one of the governor's men."

"Fair enough." Stan agreed. "We might be coming around your place later, by the by, if your old man is in the workshop. I was thinking of asking him a few things."

The younger man gave another stoic nod, before wandering off down the crowded dock.

"That's Tate." Stan explained, turning back to the kids. He's the harbourmaster, and just so happens to be Fiddleford's kid."

"Any luck? Did he mean with finding Bill?" Dipper asked.

"Yeah. Look, I'm pretty sure you won't find anyone here who doesn't hate Bill, but for most it's sort of diluted. Wendy, Soos, and the others were affected, sure. Soos' grandpa died—though I'm not sure anyone was too upset over that one—and Wendy's family almost lost their livelihood. They were hurt, but they weren't alive back then. The hurt isn't as raw." Stan paused, watching Wendy and Soos happily talking to their families further off.

"Fiddleford and Tate, they're not like that. They both lived through what happened, and they both lost someone important to it. Pretty sure they're the only ones here who really hate Bill as much as I do."

"He didn't seem too mad." Mabel piqued up.

"He never does. Still, I'm pretty sure he would've been on the crew already if his pa wasn't so terrified of letting him." Stan shrugged. "He would've been a good boatswain."

Mabel's eyes fell, staring forlornly at the worn wooden planks under her feet. It was her fault they didn't sink Bill's ship; her getting caught and thrown overboard was what forced them to stop and save her instead of pursuing. There was a thick lump in her throat, and the humid air felt stifling.

"Hey, don't worry about it, pumpkin. He'll be fine, he always is." Stan returned a hand to her shoulder supportively.

"Yeah!" Dipper said, smiling with encouragement. "Next time, that jerk won't stand a chance. Not with us added to the crew."

"That's the spirit!" Stan punched Dipper's shoulder playfully, almost knocking him over. Then amongst the people in port something caught his eye. His attention locked into a man in a white wig and clothes that looked far too formal in the sea of ragged pirate crews. "Speaking of Bill."

Stan started down the length of the port, long strides determined. The children were caught off guard before scrambling to follow.

The formal looking man was speaking to someone whom Mabel assumed was the captain of the ship they were standing in the shadow of. The captain shook his head, empathetically saying something she couldn't make out through the clamor of the port. Whatever he said, apparently it signaled the end of the conversation as the well-dressed man slumped and took his leave.

"Hey!" Stan shouted loudly in the same authoritative voice he'd use to give commands on the ship. The man jumped, turning to look at them so abruptly his wig turned askew. "You the one asking about Bill Cipher?'' He stopped in front of the man, crossing his arms over his chest and looming tall over the other.

"Y- Yes." He answered flustered, fiddling with his glasses. "Governor Northwest has tasked me with finding a crew willing to go after this 'Captain Cipher'. Might I sense you would be interested?"

"Might be." Stan gave a noncommittal answer. "Why though? The governor's never cared about the threat before. He decide to take an interest in his ports safety for once, or does Bill just owe him money?" He spat the word 'governor' like it was an insult.

"Your attitude could certainly stand to improve, but it's not like anyone else has been willing to take the job." The man opened a thick leather bound book he was carrying, some kind of registry or something. "It's the governor's daughter. About two weeks ago she was due to return from a socialite event in London. Her return was intercepted just off our shore, and she was abducted by pirates. The crew said they'd fought back, even claimed they'd manage to shoot the captain. But clearly not."

"Why'd they take her?" Dipper asked breathlessly, having barely recovered from the sudden sprint. The man looked at him unimpressed.

"Ransom."

"That doesn't make any sense." Stan interjected. "He has more money than he knows what to do with already, and if he wanted even more there's easier ways to go about it. He wanted something specific."

"The specifics don't matter." The other fired back frustratedly. "Who do you think you are?"

"Stan Pines. Captain of The Mystery, and just about the only person who regularly clashed with Bill and lived to talk about it."

"Captain Pines?" The man blinked. "No, never mind! Out of the question! I am not hiring you, the governor has made his feelings towards you explicitly clear."

"Fine." Stan huffed "If you'd prefer to look for someone else who's willing to actively go looking for the most feared man in this port's history, then be my guest. Come find us once you realize that's not happening. I have other things to do. Come on kids."

Mabel and Dipper followed him away from the port, soon falling into a more comfortable tempo as they entered the town proper.

"What now?" Mabel asked.

"We go talk to Fidds, and we wait and see if Preston's wanting to get his kid back alive outweighs his not wanting to work with me." Stan said nonchalantly.

"I mean…" Dipper began hesitatingly. "We can't just leave her. We're going to save her anyways, right?"

"Probably, but I'd prefer to be paid for it. Plus, we kind of need the specifics if we want to have even the shadow of a hope of finding them. The ocean is a big place."

"What's your deal with the governor anyways?" Mabel asked, looking back from the rows of homes and market stalls full of shiny baubles that had caught her attention. "Sounds grudge-y."

"Eh, don't worry. He can't do anything to me and he knows it. That's probably part of why he's so pissed off, actually." Stan laughed, putting his hands in the pockets of his long black coat. "He's supposed to be the authority here, he's from old money and got handed the position on a silver platter. But people don't like or respect him, at least the 'common folk' don't. Me though? Everyone loves me."

Dipper rolled his eyes.

"He's got power with the big-wigs back on the mainland, I have power with the normal folk here, and he doesn't like sharing. Still, we're pretty much deadlocked. Suits me just fine, I don't want his bureaucracy."

After that, the conversation petered out as the kids got distracted by their new surroundings. Most of the permanent residents were nice enough they learned, if a bit odd. It was the people laying over you had to be more weary around. The port had two constables, but they hardly seemed to do anything. As far as Dipper could tell, that was less a matter of being in the pocket of the illegal businesses and more a matter of just being plain oblivious. Discounting the blatant piracy, it honestly just seemed like a normal little port town. At least it did, until Mabel began cooing over a family of ducks outside the baker's and Dipper noticed their faces were situated on their stomachs.

Stan just shrugged, and told him that 'they do that sometimes'.

It didn't stop Mabel from wanting to keep one.

The McGucket home was on the outskirts of the port, at the edge of the pine forest that didn't seem to match either the region or climate. The house was older than the ones in the town centre with the stone showing scars of a fire.

A simple stone cross surrounded by flowers sat under a tree that couldn't have grown naturally from the coniferous forest—it was a fruit tree, carrying what looked to be peaches.

As a backdrop to all the trees were towering cliffs and roaring waterfalls cascading down into unseen rivers and underground pools. It was peaceful, the urge hit Dipper to go into the forest and explore the seemingly untamed wilderness. But now wasn't the time. Instead, he waited patiently with the other two as Stan knocked on the door and stepped back.

"Yello?" The door opened to an old man with a long white beard and a pair of green glasses. "Oh! Visitors! Ah didn't expect cha to be back in port so soon, come on in."

The trio were led into a messy workshop that was a far cry from the neat and proper garden. Machines of wood and steel were crammed in every corner, strange tools covering the table surfaces. There was a bookshelf lined with papers and heavy tomes, and a blueprint on a nearby workbench caught Dipper's attention as Stan and the other man—Fiddleford—caught up.

"So, who are these two?" He asked after a while.

"I'm Mabel, and that's dip-dop." Mabel cheerfully poked Dipper on the cheek, snapping his attention back to the conversation at hand.

"Um, it's Dipper."

"Might be hard to believe, but I'm related to these gremlins." Stan straightened proudly. "They're my big brother Shermie's grandkids."

"Gran'kids? You're an uncle?" Fiddleford asked.

"Yup!"

The bearded man looked both children over, his expression dumbstruck. Mabel smiled widely at him, while Dipper fought not to fidget under the scrutiny. Closing his eyes and slumping, Fiddleford smiled sadly.

"Stanferd would've absolutely adored the two of ya, I just know."

At that utterance, the comfortable silence turned tense. Dipper and Mabel looked at eachother quietly and Stan scratched at the back of his neck. Fiddleford seemed to catch onto the shift in atmosphere.

"Ah- sorry, it's a heavy subject, ah should 'ave-..."

"No actually, that's…" Stan interrupted, dismissing the apology with a wave of his hand. "That's actually what we came here to talk about."

"Oh?"

Stan looked at Dipper, who nodded and took the worn journal out of his jacket.

He'd offered to give the book back to Stan after they realized what it really was, but he'd declined. If the supernatural was the sort of thing that Dipper was fascinated by, then Ford would have wanted him to have the book. It was just painful memories to Stan. Even if the story depicted in it was tragic, the trauma the book represented wasn't as deeply ingrained in Dipper. To him, it was mostly just fascinating. A mystery, a story, and an opportunity to learn.

Stan just hoped that by the time Dipper was old enough to understand the words fully, he would also be old enough to handle the harsher passages Stan had glossed over.

A small gasp escaped Fiddleford as Dipper held the familiar book out to him. He looked the boy in the eyes, as if silently asking for permission, before gently taking the book.

"Three…" He whispered. "Ah thought I remembered there being three, but I-..."

Fiddleford carefully pressed the palm of his hand against the golden imprint on the cover, like trying to hold a dead man's hand through the pages.

"They gave me the task o' clearing out Ford's belongings when we hit port. I kept tellin' myself I was just keeping them for him until I could give them back, but… God, where did you get this?"

"It's a long story." Stan answered for him, which Dipper found himself immensely grateful for. "I met these two after they'd been stowing away on a merchant ship. They were found, and Dipper was marooned on this tiny island about a week's travel from here. On that island, he found Ford's journal. But—look—turn to the last page and read it."

Fiddleford did as he was told. His face turned the colour of dried grass, and he slumped.

"He's… He survived?" He looked like he was going to be sick. "But I… How!? Where is he now!?" Fiddleford's voice rose frantically.

"We don't know." Stan said softly, more placating than they had ever heard him. "That's… Kind of what we were hoping you could help us figure out."

"I…" Fiddleford buried his head in his hands, pulling his hair. "I tried to get folks to go after him once we made it back to port, but they wouldn't. Said that if he'd really had gotten taken by Cipher, he was almost certainly dead and it almost certainly wouldn't 'ave been quick. Told me the best thing we could do was honour his sacrifice by not runnin off on some fool's errand for revenge."

"They were wrong." Stan said.

"I should have kept insisting." Fiddleford whispered. "We could 'ave saved him."

"Look." Stan interrupted, taking it upon himself to pull everyone back together. "We still can. He's out there, we know that now. We just have to find him."

Nobody pointed out the obvious, that even if Ford had survived his encounter with Bill, there was no telling what might have happened in the thirty years since then. They couldn't think about that, they had to stay hopeful. For the first time in thirty years, there was hope.

"Did you ever talk about what you would do after that trip? Anything about things he wanted to do or places he wanted to see? Me and him didn't see each other for ten years before he… Disappeared. We just need something, a starting point, anything. I know you weren't exactly stoked on the idea of coming with me before, but you don't have to come, just any leads you can give us are enough."

"Ya know very well the only reason I didn't go was because ah had Tate to look after. Bill took my best friend, took my wife, and took my home. I hate him just as much as you do, and ah don't hate many people."

"I know. You understand, you're one of the only people here that he hurt just as bad."

"Doesn't matter who suffered more or less." Fiddleford chided. "Bein' a victim is never a competition. But, yes. Ah wanted revenge just as bad as you did. The only reason I didn't come was because if I died, then Tate would've been alone, and neither Emma nor Stanferd would've wanted that."

"I know." Stan insisted. "I know, and I don't blame you for it. I get it, hell you just helping out with upgrades on The Mystery has been more than enough. I'm not asking you to come, I'm just asking you to help."

"No, that's not what I mean." Fiddleford stood up, taller and more determined than the hunched man who'd met them at the door. He handed the journal back to a stunned Dipper. "I'm coming with ya, this time. Tate isn't a child anymore, I didn't think there was any point before but… But now there's hope. Ah wanna help. Ah wanna see him again."

"Ah want Bill to pay."

They spent the remainder of the evening intermittently helping Fiddleford gather up the essentials of his research to bring onboard, and trying to figure out what Ford's next move those thirty years ago might've been. They left him to speak to his son and explain what was happening, and headed for the town centre to run errands getting the ship ready and restocked.

When they returned to the docks late that evening to meet up with the crew and head out again, the same well-dressed man from earlier was standing in the shade of The Mystery looking defeated. Quietly, he informed them that they'd gotten the job, and relinquished the book he'd been carrying containing ship schedules and the ransom note they'd been left in the wake of the abduction.

Like Stan had suspected, Bill wasn't asking for money. Though his actual request left him feeling even more baffled. All they had asked for the safe return of the governor's daughter was a single family heirloom. Some dusty old tapestry, a relic left by the original inhabitants of the island.

All of this for a piece of art? For a—not even shiny!—trinket?

Nobody ever really knew Bill, but Stan could at least claim the rare accolade of being knowledgeable about him. But this still made no sense to him.

As the well-dressed man walked away from the rude, unkempt pirates, dreading the prospect of having to tell the governor whom exactly he'd had no choice but to give the task, he was interrupted by a stranger stepping out from the forest and stopping him just outside the manor walls.

He'd taken the man for a vagrant, or perhaps a highwayman about to rob him. He was dressed in dark clothes with a heavy cloak over his mouth and nose, his eyes were shielded by half-moon glasses, and were just about the only part of him visible. He had clearly taken great care to stay out of sight against the darkened forest.

Everything was quiet. Save a singular gull perched in a tree overlooking them, there was not a living soul in sight.

"I'm just a servant at the manor, I don't have any money."

"I'm not asking for money. I just want information." The hooded man told him guardedly.

"I hear the master of the house ran afoul of Captain Cipher."

The bird screeched hoarsely.

No One Lives Forever- CH9

(AO3 link)

Stardust Crusader Wolf Pack AU

[From the beginning- CH1]

<Previous Chapter   Next Chapter>

AN: warning- mentions of smoking, blood, fighting and injury/death in this chapter

As the rest of the pack clears the table of the hunters’ things and makes their way to the lounge, Joseph steps outside to the back porch to make his call. It doesn’t take more than a few rings for Caesar to pick up, “Hey! Caesarino! How are you and Suzi getting along without me?”

“Jojo! Checking up on me? Everything is under control! No need to worry!” Caesar greets, his accent thicker than usual and Joseph can tell he’s stressed about something.

“Under control? You mean it was out of control before I called?” Joseph frowns and stares out into the surrounding woods. “Never mind that for now, listen; we’ve had an… incident out here. We’re going to be cutting the trip short.”

“Jojo, tell me this is one of your idiotic jokes. Suzi already told you, didn’t she?” Caesar’s accent is even stronger now and Joseph can tell he’s made a face and pinched the bridge of his nose from his tone alone.

“I’m completely serious Caesar. What happened? Is everyone alright there?” Joseph can feel himself growling and his hair stand on end.

“Si, yes. Everyone is fine. We had an incident here as well. Frankie and Lucky caught some idioti sniffing around the main office. They put up a fight when the boys confronted them. Jojo, they were carrying silver weapons.”

“Shit. Are the boys alright?” Josephs eyes widen and he runs a hand through his hair.

“Yes, they’re fine. You know we Zeppelis don’t go down easy. Anyway, we covered up the issue from the police for now, but there was something else. Frankie said they both had a strange smell to them. Like nothing they’ve ever encountered before.” Joseph nearly drops his phone at this new information. “What happened to you guys out there. I thought it was just a vacation for you?”

“You’re not going to believe this Caesar. We ran into a group of werewolf hunters. Silver bullets, armed to the teeth, the whole she-bang. They weren’t after us though, they were chasing a girl through our territory. Jotaro stepped in and tool them out and looks like we gained a packmate from the whole situation. But Caesar,” Joseph leans forward on the porch rail and grips it with his free hand. He suddenly seems much older as he hunches over, “they were here to take her alive. Someone is trafficking wolves, not just near the city like we were worried about. And one of them, he smelled like magic.”

“Magic? You’re sure? The last time we encountered anything magic was…”

“I know. The Proto-Fae. Its not the same, similar but not the same. We’ll have to discuss this more in person though. We’re going to leave the cabin tomorrow, is it safe to meet at the main office?”

“No, best to stay away from that for now. But we did just close on that apartment building you had your eyes on for a while. The penthouse is vacant if we want to use that as a meeting point?”

“Perfect! Yeah, gather everyone there. Zeppelis and Joestars. Call up the furnishing rental place too, I want it set up before we get back in town.”

“So bossy.” Joseph hears Caesar sigh, “Alright, we’ll get it set up. See you soon Jojo. Ciao!”

“Ciao, Caesar.” Joseph takes a moment to compose himself. An attack in the city on their turf? At the shared headquarters with the Zeppelis no less. He has to get his emotions under control, if the others see him stressed its just going to cause more stress. Jotaro may be the alpha now, but the pack still takes cues from him as well. With one last fortifying breath he stands up straight and marches back into the cabin. “Jotaro, can I speak with you?” Joseph hovers by the back door, invitation open to take the conversation outside. Jotaro just nods and follows him out.

Jotaro wastes no time waiting for his grandpa to start, “What’s wrong? I assume Caesar had bad news?” He pulls a cigarette pack out form his pocket and lights one before offering one to the older alpha. Joseph surprisingly accepts, he quit years ago but maybe it will help calm his nerves. Or at least hide his stressed scent from the others until they could put their plan in motion.

He takes a long drag and leans over the rail again. “Caesar’s boys caught some guys around the main office. Get this, they were also armed with silver.”

“Shit.”

“That’s exactly what I said!” Joseph exclaims and throws his hands in the air. “Everyone is fine, but we gotta get back. Caesar’s setting up an apartment to crash in instead of going to headquarters or our own places. On the bright side, it looks like the building on Broadway finally closed.” He takes another long drag of the cigarette and flicks his ash over the rail.

“We’ll have to leave tomorrow then. Weather is supposed to turn to shit here anyway.” Jotaro finishes his own cigarette and stomps it out on the cement stair pad. He tugs his hat to cover his eyes and says, “And thanks. For getting this set up.” Joseph can read between the lines, getting an outright thankyou from Jotaro was rare enough but expecting him to just blurt out ‘thanks for respecting me as an alpha and guiding me through this’? Impossible.

They head back inside and quickly get the pack’s attention “We’re going to head back to the city tomorrow. We don’t have all the details yet but there was an incident at the business main office.”

Jotaro pauses for the gasps and exclamations, “Everyone there is alright, but we are concerned the issues we had here are connected. We’ll discuss with the Zeppelis what the plan is when we get there. Tonight we’ll prep the cabin and head out first thing tomorrow.” Everyone nods in understanding and gets to work with preparing the cabin for an extended leave.

You aren’t left with much to do as the guys divide up the various tasks until Joseph suggests you go through your car for the things you’ll be taking with you. Polnareff adds to take out any identifying effects or papers in case the cops do decide to investigate the van left parked down the road. By the time everyone is finished with their tasks its time for dinner, Jotaro and Joseph taking their turn to cook the rest of the food in the fridge so it wont spoil while the cabin is vacant.

Everyone winds down for the night and you are both relieved and dreading the fact that the number of beds hasn’t magically changed. Jotaro seems to feel the same way as you are both the last two remaining in the lounge for the night, trying to avoid the awkwardness that was to come. You eye the couch before he sighs and stands, offering you a hand up from your seat in a silent invitation to join him and share the bedroom again. You smile as you take his hand and head down the short hallway with him.

You quickly get changed into your own pajamas for the night. It’s a relief to not be swimming in extra fabric and fighting to keep from tripping over pants three sizes too big. Sitting on the edge of the bed you wait for Jotaro to finish his nightly routine and join you. Now is going to be the perfect chance to talk to him one on one, you noticed he was almost avoiding you while in the company of the rest of the pack.

He sees you waiting for him when he enters and for a moment looks like he’s going to turn right around and head for the lounge for the night. But he braces himself and sits stiffly next to you on the bed, back straight and not looking at you. “So…” you try and think of how to break the ice, “You’re the alpha, right? I’m guessing Mr. Joestar handed down the position?” He seems to relax slightly as he leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees.

“Yeah, the old man decided to step down a couple of years ago. He’s still helping me get the hang of this, it’s still strange to be the one making the final decisions.” He’s more and more relaxed as he faces you while he talks, still bent forward over his legs.

You pull a pillow to your chest as you cross your legs on the bed. “Can you tell me more about everyone’s dynamics? I’d like to know what I’m getting into a little better…” you trail off as his expression becomes more solemn and you subconsciously copy his furrowed brow.

“Listen, about that. It looks like things are going to get worse before they get better, but as soon as it’s safe you’ll be free to go as you please again.” Even in the dimmed lamplight of the room his blue eyes are electrifying and cutting with his serious expression.

You lean back in surprise “’Go as I please?’ Listen, if you don’t want me around just say so Jotaro, I can take care of myself with the exception of trained wolf hunters. So drop me off in the next town and I’ll be out of your hair.” You stand up and toss the pillow while moving towards the door.

“Wait- that’s not…” he huffs loudly as he stands up and grabs your arm to stop your retreat, “I didn’t mean it like that. We do want you to stay. I… When Polnareff mentioned your car not being drivable, you had this look on your face like you were planning on riding off into the sunset and now you were trapped.” He lets go of your arm and you turn back to face him. “I don’t know what I’m saying anymore, I just want it to be your decision to stay, not because you’re stuck with us. Pretty useless to save you from being trapped by hunters to trap you in a pack instead.” He tangles his hand in his hair as he looks down at his feet, waiting for your response.

“I… that makes sense. Sorry, I thought you were…” You trail off as you think how to ease the misunderstanding. “I guess, I just feel like part of the pack already? You all remind me of my family – you’re a mix of serious and goofy guys.” You sit back down on the bed and reclaim your pillow. “I get what you mean though. I guess we’ll just have to see when this is all over, right?” You smile at him and the tension in his shoulders eases as he gives a small smile back.

You pat the empty space next to you, inviting him back to the bed. “You can still give me the rundown on the rest of the pack though, I’d like to get a feel for my place here.”

Instead of sitting back down next to you, he circles to his side of the bed and sits up with his back to the wall. “Why don’t you tell me what you think? I’ll tell you how close you are.”

You lean back next to him and count off on your fingers, “Well, Mr. Joestar is the previous alpha, Avdol I think is a delta, but I can’t tell between Polnareff and Kakyoin who is your beta.”

“Polnareff does a lot for us, but he tends to go back to his lone wolf tendencies a lot. It took a long time for gramps and Avdol to convince him to join up permanently. Kakyoin is my beta, we’ve been friends since college and I’d trust him with anything.” You nod and he looks at you, “Why don’t you tell me about your family, you said we remind you of them? Serous and silly?”

You laugh quietly and dive into your favorite memories of your parents and siblings and their shenanigans. Slowly you find you’re both laying down in the bed and can barely keep your eyes open as you talk and share stories. The last thing you remember before finally succumbing to sleep is Jotaro’s hand holding yours on top of the sheets as you both drift off.

 You are both woken up the next morning by Jotaro’s phone alarm. Not being much of a morning person you stubbornly keep your eyes closed even as you shuffle to the bathroom to brush your hair and teeth. Splashing some water on your face manages to wake you up fully so you grab your bag and make your way to the lounge. One by one the guys arrive with their own bags and the pack is ready to head out. Joseph sighs wistfully as he locks the front door and you reach out to put an hand on his arm.

He smiles at you but it’s a bittersweet expression, “Sorry, (Y/N). I was just really looking forward to staying in this place. I’m getting too old to be running all over the city anymore!” He laughs and reaches a hand behind his head.

Jotaro appears from behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder, “You’re not that old yet gramps. But I get it. It was nice while it lasted though.” Joseph just nods and you all make your way off the front porch to the grey Suburban waiting in the drive way. Your car had been hidden around back and covered with a spare tarp to further dissuade nosey troopers if they came out this far. Polnareff had been careful not to leave prints on the hunters’ van while he searched it so it was decided to leave it where it was.

Polnareff hops into the driver’s seat and Jotaro claims shotgun, Avdol and Kakyoin in the back leaving the middle row for Joseph and you. As soon as you are all settled the journey begins. Joseph immediately turns to you and asks, “Say, (Y/N), you said you’ve been traveling for a while now. Have you ever been to New York City before?”

You shake your head no, “I’ve been around it, through some of the boroughs, but never downtown and not for very long when I was close. I’m excited to see it up close though!”

“You are in for a treat young lady! Caesar’s getting it set up for us, you’ll get to meet him when we get there. We’ll all be staying in a downtown penthouse apartment my realty company recently acquired. The view from up there is just fantastic!” Joseph’s excited volume is a little loud for the small space but it’s endearing to see his arms wave about in his excitement.

“Do you guys normally all live together?”

Kakyoin speaks up from the back seat, “No, we all live in separate apartments on the same block, with the exception of Mr. Joestar and Jotaro live in the same building.” You nod and make a noise of understanding. That seems like a pretty good set up to not be constantly on top of each other from what you’ve heard about the size of New York apartments.

You’ve been traveling for about an hour down rural roads, chatting mostly with Joseph and the guys in the back seat when Polnareff announces you’ll be stopping at the next gas station before getting on the highway. “Great! That will give us a chance to get snacks for dinner and breakfast tomorrow. We’ll have to order some groceries to the apartment or something later.” Joseph says as he pulls out his phone, presumably to check which stores could fulfill the quick order. Soon the gas station comes into view and Polnareff pulls up to the pump. You unload yourselves and stretch out as you make your way inside for bathroom breaks and -as instructed by Joseph- ‘all the snacks you can carry’ as Polnareff fills the truck.

The guys automatically pair up and head for the bagged snack isles, so you grab a shopping basket and head back to the drink coolers. Kakyoin is about to walk down the chip isle when Avdol’s arm shoots out in front of him blocking his path. He’s startled by the abrupt action and turns to question Avdol, but he’s focused and staring at a point in the ceiling, specifically the air vent. “Avdol? What’s wrong?”

“Shh… Listen,” Kakyoin obeys and focuses his attention to the sounds coming from the vent. Tapping and scratching? It was faint though, “Hmm. Perhaps I’m just being over cautious. Sounds like this place has a rat problem though. Better check the packaging of what we buy is still intact.” The scratching fades, whatever it was probably using the vents to get around undetected.

There is a sudden shout and a loud thud from the isle between Kakyoin and Avdol and the others. The entire store goes silent as everyone stops to look around for the cause. Avdol gives a small nod to Jotaro and then to the isle between them. They both move to the opposite ends of the isle in a pincer movement to investigate whatever had happened. The smell of blood suddenly permeates the air and they rush to the isle, another customer is laying prone in a pool of their own blood either unconscious or dead.

On top of them though sits a small creature with comically large ears, bulging yellow eyes and protruding teeth that vaguely resemble some sort of predatory fish. It shrieks in glee at the sight of them and rushes behind the products on the shelf in an incredible burst of speed.

“Hey, is everything OK over here?” One of the other customers, the old man who was checking out hesitantly walks a few steps towards them. The cashier leans over the counter to get a better look as well.

“No! Stay back!” Is all Jotaro can get out before the creature has scurried through the display racks sending products flying in its wake. It leaps and aims at the old man’s face to attack with its teeth. The old man screams as he flails and falls backward managing to push the thing off but loosing a chunk of his cheek in the process. The cashier screams out a curse as he reaches for the gun under the counter. In a blink the little gremlin has disappeared again into the shelving.

The pack is on high alert, you are all vulnerable in your human forms, but it’s not worth the risk of transforming in public with witnesses present just yet. Even if the cashier seems too busy trying to drag the old man behind the checkout counter for shelter. Joseph runs to help them and the creature sets its sights on him, lunging out from the isle way. It gets distracted from its target when Avdol rushes it instead. Cackling, it launches itself at Avdol this time, swiping with sharp claws at his arms leaving bloody streaks as it attacks but thankfully not doing much damage.

Jotaro tries to intervene next and it zips away from Avdol to confront him. “Eeeeehhheeeee! Too slow! Too slow! You have no hope of catching me so just give up now!” It swipes at Jotaro’s leg as it passes him. You become its next target as you also move closer to try and help but it suddenly changes direction again when it sees Joseph moving the cashier and old man out the side door to safety. It swipes at him before turning back to you as you advance. Kakyoin can see that though it is very fast it is also not doing much damage when it gets within range before jumping to the next target. In fact, it seems to be easily distracted by the nearest moving thing.

Kakyoin tests his theory and throws a packet of candy at the gremlin and it immediately turns his way and advances. Avdol catches on as well and throws more junk food at it and causes it to turn yet again. “Heehehe! Just wait your turn! I’ll kill all of you so fast you won’t know you’re dead!” it shouts in its screeching voice before angrily shouting as Kakyoin hits it hard with a soda can. Enraged, it leaps in his direction again but you and Jotaro have caught onto the plan now and Jotaro hits it before it can get halfway to Kakyoin. You are all pelting bags of food and drinks at it when Kakyoin yells, “Now, Avdol!” From behind the creature Avdol jumps at it holding open a large travel cooler. It screeches in surprise but it is for once too slow to escape the trap set up for it. The cooler snaps shut with a bang and Kakyoin grabs the roll of duct tape he spotted earlier, going over and securing the lid to prevent the gremlin’s escape.

The cooler rattles and shakes as the gremlin throws itself against the walls of its makeshift prison. “Impossible! Let me out! LET ME OUT!” it howls and screeches and you’re glad the cooler doubles as a sound insulator as well.

“Looks like all that speed is useless if you can’t focus on a target.” Kakyoin laughs as he holds the container steady from the creature’s thrashing. It continues screaming gibberish, what you can safely assume are curses in its native tongue.

“Good job Kakyoin, figuring out its weakness so fast.” Jotaro praises as he walks up and leans against one of the shelves to keep off his wounded leg. You stand next to him as Joseph returns from helping the employee drag the wounded old man outside. The shaking of the cooler is starting to lessen, the thing either running out of energy or out of air.

“Wait! Wait! Please!” It wheezes and gasps, “I’ll tell you everything, just let me go and I’ll tell you who sent me!”

“Sent you? No deal, tell us who sent you first and then we’ll talk.” Joseph crosses his arms and glares down at the box.

It doesn’t hesitate before spilling its secrets. “If you promise to release me, I’ll tell you! It was Lord Dio who sent me! The hunters, they were under his command and failed him.” The pack looks at each other in shock for a moment then back at the box when the gremlin continues. “Lord Dio sent his scouts to investigate- imagine my luck and surprise when the Joestars turn up!” it cackles and thrashes some more, “Now release me! You promised! We have a deal!”

“We didn’t promise you shit. You just spilled your guts for nothing.” Jotaro scoffs before tuning out the enraged screams and turns to the pack. “Grab whatever is salvageable and some first aid stuff.” You all nod and start picking through the debris of the fight. “Kakyoin, you’re good with computers. See if you can delete the security footage.”

Avdol stands from where he had been kneeling next to the gremlin’s first victim, checking if there was anything he could do. But the surprise attack had hit a major vein or artery and they bled out quickly. “To think such a small creature was able to do so much damage in such a short amount of time.” He shakes his head and carefully wipes his hands of any of the victim’s blood. His own wounds on his arms still dripping but thankfully shallow enough they would only require bandages overnight before they healed completely. He looks around at the damage before picking through he items, searching for a decent first aid kit and extra bandages for the trip.

“What are we going to do with that thing? We can’t leave it for the humans to open up later.” You ask as you toss some packs of jerky into a shopping bag.

Jotaro takes over holding the cooler still by sitting on it while Kakyoin moves to the back room of the store. You shudder as you get a whiff of Jotaro’s blood for the first time, your senses zeroing in on the smell overpowering all the others in the store. You suppress a growl and feel your hair stand on end as you glare at the cooler.

“We’ll have to take it with us. It will run out of air eventually- especially if it keeps shouting like that. We’ll see if we can get any more info out of it and burry it.” You nod at his reasoning. It would be too dangerous to just leave it but the new detour puts your travel plans in a bind.

Kakyoin emerges from the back room and nods to Jotaro, “They were still using an old tape system. I took care of the footage.” Jotaro sighs and nods, then motions the beta to help him carry the cooler. They each grab a handle and lead the pack back outside where Polnareff is waiting, bored in the driver seat. There is no sign of the cashier and old man, now is the time for a clean exit.

“Jeeze! What took you guys so long? You fall into the toilets or something?” Polnareff mocks as the rest of the pack load the snacks into the car. He does a double take and gapes at the fresh wounds you are all sporting. “Guys?”

Jotaro just gives the cooler a little shake while loading it into the back and the gremlin screeches and rocks its makeshift trap. Polnareff jumps back in alarm as Jotaro says, “We ran into one of Dio’s scouts. We’ll fill you in on the way but we have to take a detour.” Polnareff just gulps and nods. Soon the pack is pulling out onto a side road, passing the ramp for the highway and heading back into the woods.

<Previous Chapter  Next Chapter>

Author’s Note:

I’m so proud of myself, actually keeping to my weekly schedule! Here we are, the first not-stand battle featuring the Tower of Grey! All the battles are going to be cryptids and mythical creatures and I figured a gremlin was perfect for this one. 1: he’s an ugly gross guy. 2: biggest influence I had for gremlins was the old episode of twilight zone where it is messing with the plane. 3: he somewhat follows cannon plot of showing up and causing an immediate detour.

The California State Fair|T|850 Words

Read on AO3

Fandom: 9-1-1

Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz

Characters: Evan "Buck" Buckley, Eddie Diaz

Tags: Whumptober 2024, Amusement Park, Amusement Parks, Mentioned Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Emotional Whump, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, california state fair, mentioned Devon (9-1-1 TV), Emotional Conversations, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Canonical Character Death, Eddie Diaz Takes Care of Evan "Buck" Buckley, can be read either Pre-Relationship Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz or Established Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Roller Coasters

Summary: Chris is excited about possibly riding the roller coaster at the California State Fair. Buck is thrown back to Devon.

Whumptober Day 2: Amusement Park