“You’ve got a point there,” Red told Mercy, ignoring Scrappy-Doo’s death. “Obviously we have different ideas of what the word ‘crime’ means. But here’s the problem:
your lot is powerless here.”
Red held out their hands.
“What do you plan to do?” Red asked. “Arrest me for burning up Diana Tower? Look around! The thing’s still here! You can’t arrest me for something that happened in another timeline. You can’t even arrest any of the mobsters for killing you!
“They've got a point,” Kolton said. “Because of your rules, there’s nothing you can do to us, but we don’t have those rules. We don’t need a
reason to kill you. So...you’ll be coming with us.”
Kolton rallied Uncle Sergio, Mona, and anyone who still had loyalties to the Lunetti family together, and they escorted Mercy and the other Cops away.
The Countess had managed to go through a complete costume change while no one was looking and now looked like a rejected Lady Gaga stage outfit. Unfortunately, she didn’t change her hair, jewelry, or other accessories, so Kolton easily caught her.
Meanwhile, Red disappeared back into the heart of the city. Kolton tried to track down Athena but found she had vanished into thin air as well. The mob doubted they would see either of them again.
That night, the Lunettis finally met the next morning. Something had killed the loop. Maybe Leon’s tech had run out of power, or he somehow knew that his last request was fulfilled. Or maybe his tech was a failure, and Scrappy-Doo was actually behind everything. Either way, it seemed now things would change.
...
......
Initiating ff.exe...
Loading Directory/Epilogue/RedBroadcast.m4a...“Greetings, Vista Del Luna! DJ Red here, wishing this godforsaken city a happy birthday. Call me a scab, but I might even be starting to like it here. Out of all the steel islands on this planet, I’m glad this one’s mine.
“
Next up, we’ve got some Glass Animals since I feel like dancing today. Let’s take time to reflect on our memories from these last twelve months, rather they’re all smiles or all shitstains.”
Three bodies lay in the basement of a tower. A man with glowing eyes blew on the muzzle of his gun and crushed sunglasses beneath his feet.
“Like I said. Get out, or you’re next.”
“Gladly.”
She lowered a hand from her whirring eyeball and stepped out the door onto a rainy street in front of a grim office building.
“Welcome to Channel 2000 VDL News. This just in—three bodies were discovered in Diana Tower, among them the chief of police. Heir to the Diantech Empire Kolton Lunetti was caught on camera committing the crime by his former fianceé and is now on the run.”Police cars blast through the street.
“This confirms suspicions that Leon Lunetti was behind criminal activities in the city. Join us after the break for more information, as well as an interview with rapper and gang activity expert Billy Crimshaw.”The rain turns inky black, pouring onto a sheet of paper on a cold iron desk.
“This is straight from the top, effective immediately.”
A delicate hand picks it up. Ashes from her pipe streak onto the paper.
“You can’t be serious. It was my information that took down the Lunettis!”
“But you got four of our best men killed in the process and even outed yourself. With the Decados aware of your betrayal, you’re just a liability at this point.”
The smoke drifts through the police station and in front of the roof of a building, coming from the scene of a crashed flying car.
“Gang activity has increased with the breakup of the Lunetti family. Without a clear leader, individual factions are fighting for control.”Inside the nearest building, guns and money are trading hands. The rear door opens, and a figure in a red hood approaches.
“In the face of police inactivity, a leftist extremist group has fought back against what they call ‘white collar criminals’ with unexpected success.”A heavy bass beat rises, and the dark warehouse is filled with flashing lights and dancing people. A group of four teenagers and a dog argue amongst themselves at a table. They stare in confusion at an upside-down amusement park map.
A girl locks up a guitar case and steps off the stage, entering a back alley cast in the light of a space billboard. Two figures enter from the street, blocking her path.
“You again? Who’s your friend?”
“This is Aqua. You shouldn’t be surprised to see me. I haven’t forgotten what you did. If you’re interested, we have a job for you.”
The girl places her guitar case on the ground and sits on it. Her red horns glow.
“I’m listening...”
The red light becomes unbearably bright. Two figures stand in its silhouette on a rooftop, aiming guns at each other.
“You ruined everything, Mercy.”
“You should have known better than to love me.”
A gunshot rings out.
“In the absence of its legitimate head, rumours abound as to who currently serves as Diantech’s CEO. An oddly high number of reports indicate that it may be a dog.”In a dark, hidden street, figures stand bathed in purple light.
“In other news, a new group of people with computer screens for heads has begun popping up around the city.”A building explodes. Then another, and another. Rats crawl through the flames, sniffing the air as if searching for something, before crawling into the sewers.
“Despite the resurgence of violent crime in Vista Del Luna, few casualties are reported, and the poverty rate is actually declining. It seems the majority of financial losses have been experienced by the richest percent of the population.”At the other end of the sewer is a dark passageway that leads into a packed nightclub—the Spine. A man gets up from his seat, drops a small toy in his pocket, and resumes wiping the counter when a figure approaches him, dressed in all black. He lowers his sunglasses, revealing glowing eyes.
“Uhh, Bones?” The janitor reaches for a communicator. “Prepare a V.I.P. room. And fast.”
The dance floor flashes its lights to the beats of the neon signs in Vista Del Luna. From the distance, flying cars zip about like bees and windows form a rainbow of hues. While a building burns, a baby is born. When one person screams, another cries in passion. The city is dirty and ugly and tastes like the first shot of vodka. But it hasn’t sunk yet.
“Red here. Don’t touch that dial.
“I know I said I liked this place, but that doesn’t mean I’m done trying to fix it. I just think there’s something to be said about perspective. There’s so much to hate here, but that makes the things I love shine brighter.
“So yeah, maybe we’re all on a sinking ship, but that doesn’t mean the string quartet ain’t ripping the hell out of that cello. And if we’re all heading for the ocean floor, at least I can meet you there happy, grateful, and right.”
E*N*D[Victors: Mona, Leo, Bones, Kolton, Deep Rat, Athena, Leslie, Sergio, Lancer]