Chapter 51 - The Treasure Box (Epilogue)
SUN SHORT #1 - Gaining Info
“So your dad started Club Azure?” Alex asks surprised, “Just how awful is your family!”
“Woah woah, I already told you that it isn’t like that, from what I found he didn’t seem to be involved in any of the…y’know illegal things,” Ronnie says.
Ronnie, Alex, Elizabeth, & Marcus are standing in an empty classroom with Ronnie telling them all he learned in the past few days regarding his dad and Club Azure.
“Still, we should try and keep an eye out for those Club Azure guys,” Elizabeth responds, “We don’t want to get involved with that just yet.”
“I agree, but shouldn’t we tell Cameron?” Marcus asks.
“He doesn’t even know about what we learned at the tour, so it’s best to just keep this away from him,” Ronnie suggests.
“Yeah I agree,” Alex replies, “But there is something I think we should do.”
“What’s that?” Ronnie asks.
Alex responds by showing them all an email from Starlight High regarding an upcoming match between Seastar High & Starlight High’s basketball game and saying, “Get ready for this shit storm.”
“....crap,” Ronnie groans.
SUN SHORT #2 - Threats
In the park in Starlight City, MSA members Ronald Sampson & Terry Boats are walking down enjoying their day when they come across the arrow of Club Azure Li-Wei Zhang & the head of Club Azure’s security Martin McBride.
“Do my eyes deceive me or are those Jerry’s lackeys,” Ronald remarks as he walks over to them.
Li-Wei looks up at Ronald and smirks, “Nice to see you too Fashion Man. I see that it’s only a matter of time until we see you go gray.”
“I’m only 33,” Ronald replies, “And hey are you trying to pick a fight with me? You do know we’re your superiors.”
“While that is true,” Martin says as he starts to stand up, “things will change real soon with The Crescent Articles.”
Ronald looks up towards Martin and asks, “Crescent Articles? Is that a newspaper or something?”
Li-Wei smirks as he lights a cigarette and answers, “We’re a business and a very good one at that, so we have some money to throw around. So much so that you might be seeing our name appear under several other restaurants across the city. Not to mention, our boss owns more shares in your company than your own president. So if you don’t mess with us then he won’t tank your stock price.”
“Stock price? Business buying? I’m not good with all this company bs,” Ronald replies as he starts to walk away, “all I like to do is pet my cat, kick things, and design clothes. So if you wanna threaten us, at least do it to someone who can understand it.”
As Ronald & Terry walk away, Li-Wei smirks to himself as he remarks, “So how many weeks do you think it’s going to be until they start to panic?”
SUN SHORT #3 - Seastar Arguing
“WHAT THE HELL BLANKO?!” Draco yells, “WHY DID YOU FIGHT US!”
Blanko is in the middle of the hallway in Seastar High as a bruised Draco Maleby yells at him. Blanko yawns and explains “I already told you that you could’ve just taken it outside and I wouldn’t bother you.”
“Why you…” Draco says ready to swing at him but he stops himself and sheepishly replies, “S-sorry.”
Blanko is confused as Draco walks away, that is until he turns around to see Vanessa there.
“Hey,” Vanessa says.
“Hey,” Blanko replies as the two start to walk down the hall, passing by Blobby The Blobfish as they do so.
Blanko leans back to stretch and he spots that Vanessa’s hair is in a ponytail and comments, “I like the new look.”
“Thanks but why was that guy bothering you?”
“Draco? Don’t worry about it, he isn’t going to start any shit with you around because even that guy knows just how strong you are compared to me.”
Vanessa smiles at the compliment before she says, “I still need to make up for a ton of missed classes so for now it’ll just be you and Graham running The East Side Express.”
“Oh that’s fine,” Blanko says, “Hopefully we can go to the basketball game against Starlight High though.”
“Yeah, that would be… nice,” Vanessa replies.
As the two walk down to their next class, Blanko realizes he hasn’t seen Graham in a while and is wondering where he is now.
SUN SHORT #4 - A Meeting With Dirty Fang
At the top of a penthouse located in the east side of Starlight City, four people look out on the city below them. One is Graham Dirt, who is wearing a black durag instead of his usual red one. Another is Andy Nibble, the second-in-command of the gang Dirty Fang, and he has a white bucket hat on instead of his usual blue one and has his dreads in a hair tie. One of the other people there is a person with white skin, a teardrop tattoo underneath his black eyes, black hair in a perm, and several scars all over his hands. The man is wearing a purple handkerchief covering his mouth, a black leather jacket over a purple t-shirt, bleached jeans, and black air force shoes. The final person is covered in shadows.
“So, tell us what you said again,” Andy Nibble remarks.
“Sure,” Graham replies, “I got a call from Thomas Dolby of The Three Ts, he talked about how the head of his crew, Tim-Tom, learned some information regarding Club Azure. They plan on taking over every gang in the city with some sort of plan. Currently, they’re on step 2, but step 5 is taking Dirty Fang out.”
“That’s just great, what do you think about all this Purple?” Andy Nibble asks the third-in-command of Dirty Fang, Purple.
“I don’t think we should be concerned, this is Club Azure we’re talking about. Leave it to me and I’d be able to wipe them out by the end of tonight,” Purple, the man with the teardrop tattoo, remarks.
“No, let them be,” the head of Dirty Fang remarks as he holds a glass of scotch, “Let them come for us, they’ll realize how foolish they all are once the oxygen in their lungs runs out as the bricks tied to their legs plunges their bodies deeper into the lake.”
“If that’s what you want then we’ll do it,” Andy Nibble remarks, “After all, I think it’ll let The Massachusetts Boys remember why you’re called The Most Feared Man in Starlight City.”
SUN SHORT #5 - Teachers Talk
In the teacher’s lounge of Starlight High, Amnestor is printing off some worksheets in the copy machine when a fellow teacher walks over to him. The teacher is the math teacher, Wilsten Jefferson. He has white skin, balding gray hair, green eyes, and is wearing a simple blue button-up and black dress pants along with a fancy watch on his wrist.
“You’re still printing things?” Jefferson remarks, “You do know the school board wants us to move over to more digital work.”
“I like handing out paperwork, it reminds me of just how many students I teach,” Amnestor replies.
“See that’s the problem with you Amnestor,” Jefferson says as he pours himself some coffee from the coffee machine, “You always try to connect with your students when you should be more worried about the principal.”
“You really care about what the principal wants, huh?” Amnestor asks.
“Of course, he’s the one who hands out my raise,” Jefferson adds as he walks over and mentions, “Which is why I don’t go around digging up resolved issues.”
“That’s strange, I don’t really remember that being resolved,” Amnestor replies as the copy machine finishes, “you just stopped talking about it.”
“Be careful Amnestor,” Wilsten says as he nudges Amnestor with his coffee mug, “you're a history teacher, you of all people should know what happens to those that step out of line.’
“Step out of line? Hardly,” Amnestor replies as he picks up all of the worksheets, “I’m just doing my job.”
“What a coincidence? So am I,” Jefferson says as he sips coffee.
Amnestor nods as he opens the door and leaves the teacher’s lounge, carrying the huge stack of worksheets with him. A few moments later, Jefferson leaves too. Sitting at a table nearby are fellow faculty Ray Ramirez, Sam Penningberg, & Zesti Champion.
“What the fuck did we just watch,” Ray asks as he eats his bagel.
“I guess those two have their history,” Penningberg remarks.
“I don’t know if it’s just a simple teacher squabble Pennies,” Zesti says as she slowly starts to connect the dots.
SUN SHORT #6 - Step Two
“Thanks for the new piercings, they’re great!” Tim-Tom says as he looks in the mirror.
“Don’t thank me, I’m just doing my job,” Sally Everst replies as she rings up Tim-Tom’s total.
The two are in The Everst Tattoo Parlor and Tim-Tom hands her the cash for the piercings as well as a tip. After that he steps out and onto the street. As he walks down the street, he notices a lot of other small-owned businesses nearby are getting foreclosed.
“Looks like you’ve already been making your move over here, eh old man?” Tim-Tom thinks out loud to himself, “You should stop while you’re ahead though. You don’t want to desecrate her memories any further, so leave the parlor alone.”
SUN SHORT #7 - Quite A Mess
With class done for the day, The Miracle Clinic is heading to their go-to meetup spot outside of school, Burrito Bistro.
“Hey you should have told us you were turning 16,” Alex says, “then we could have done a bigger celebration than this.”
“Yeah, if we knew we could’ve helped get you your license,” Marcus says.
“I still need my permit,” Ronnie groans.
However, as they get to the restaurant, they notice that the closed sign is up yet the door is still slightly open.
“Ah man, I guess we can’t go here,” Cameron sighs, “You wanna try the bookstore?”
“Or we could go to Alex’s house,” Ronnie suggested.
“No!” Alex says embarrassed of the last time they went there.
“Okay, we can try Elizabeth’s apartment,” Marcus suggests.
“Oh god no,” Elizabeth groans, also embarrassed by the last time the group went there.
“Then I guess it’s my house-” Ronnie begins to say but is interrupted by loud crying coming from inside the restaurant.
Concerned, the group enters the restaurant as the cries become louder the closer they get to the kitchen. The group bursts into the kitchen ready to stop whatever horrid thing is going on in there.
However, when they get into the kitchen they see Mesto-Presto standing next to a table awkwardly looking at them. He has black earrings now and his hair is spiked up, though a bit of it is still down on his face. He’s wearing a black crewneck sweatshirt but the sleeves are rolled up along with brown sweatpants and black slip-resistant shoes. On the metal table next to him are two crying babies, a baby bottle with formula in it, and a box of diapers.
“Uh, I’m kind of busy,” Mesto remarks.
“Who’s kids are those?” Alex points at the two twin babies.
“....mine,” Mesto says.
“Oh okay,” Alex says before remembering Mesto’s almost 17 and saying, “WAIT WHAT?!”
As The Miracle Clinic freaks out, the two babies begin to cry louder, Mesto-Presto groans as he says, “I should’ve locked the door.”
See You Next Chapter!~