>>5228958You nearly leap out of your skin! Whipping around towards the voice, your eyes widen and Jed’s jaw drops as Gus stands awkwardly behind you alongside a crowd of at <span class="mu-i">least</span> twenty maimed, but still-living hostages! Holy <span class="mu-i">crap</span>, you mutter as the refugees, security goons, and other unlucky contestants bask in the ash-choked sunlight, did this jackass really grab this many people?
“More than this.” Gus shrugs as he wraps Marcie into a hug. “They uh… they didn’t all make it, though.”
“That bastard took us apart!” Roars a security mook missing an arm! “An’ he made us <span class="mu-i">watch</span>, too!”
“<span class="mu-s">STANLEY!</span>” Shrieks a high-pitched voice from amidst the crowd! Before you can react, a red-haired blur tackles you with the force of a meteor and refuses to let go!
“I <span class="mu-s">KNEW</span> you’d come save us!” Squeaks your #1 fan and Vent Urchin In-Residence. “Th-they thought I was crazy, b-but… but I was <span class="mu-i">RIGHT!</span> a-and now I’ll never leave the vents again!”
There, there, you interrupt, giving Sandy’s head a calming pat, she was right and they were wrong–she just needs to hold onto that fact and never let it go… <span class="mu-i">ever</span>!
“Y-you betcha!” Sandy giggles, face still buried into your side! “D-did the <span class="mu-g">DOLL</span> I gave you give you luck?”
Yea, you shrug, sure it did! Gently passing the orphan off to a bewildered Talbot, you turn towards Art and frown–how the heck did they know to meet you here, anyways?
“Oh, uh…” Art replies as Sybil pours a few water bottles out on her boots, “Your <span class="mu-b">VICE OFFICER</span> made the call.” Following his finger, your eyes lock with <span class="mu-r">LIL’ STANLEY’S</span> as she continues to hang from Denise’s invention. Giving you a wink, the raccoon bends over to gnaw on a five-scoop ice cream cone held in Denise’s trembling hand! <span class="mu-i">SHE</span> did that?!
“Nah,” Mitzi grunts, lounging atop the van with an ice cream in one hand, magazine in the other, “Pretty sure she wanted ice cream. Worked out in the end though, huh?”
Yea, you frown as you glance between your <span class="mu-b">VICE OFFICER</span> and the popular frozen treat establishment, <span class="mu-g">CREAM DE LA CREAM</span> just across the street, it sure did… but you ain’t dead yet, damn it, and that means <span class="mu-i">you’re</span> taking charge!
As your <span class="mu-b">VICE OFFICER</span> shakes her paw at you menacingly, you watch as Tucker emerges from the back of the van with both Cal and Teddy–both security goons looking a bit better than they were before!
“Ho-lee shit, Stanley,” Teddy remarks as he limps forward using Tucker’s shoulder for support, “When I asked ya’ to keep an eye out for my missing pals, I never thought you’d be pulling <span class="mu-i">my</span> ass outta’ the fire!”
“You mind callin’ Ponderosa?” Asks Cal from Tucker’s other shoulder, “They’re probably wondering where some of us went…”
>CONTD. 