Chapter 34

The Morning After
Axel 1st POV

I splashed my face with water as I looked at myself in the mirror while standing shirtless in the steamy bathroom after taking a shower. Bags hung under my eyes as I scanned my body’s new scars from last night. What I had witnessed was something I could not unsee. Lord knows I wanted to say something to stop him but I just…remained silent. The I could still feel my skin crawling uncomfortably when I recalled Dante using Bio Leech on those poor bustards. The feeling of their life essence seeping into my core was like getting an energy boost in the most unnatural way. I pinched my eyes and tried to suppress the events from last night. However, the only saving grace was what happened between Dante and Alduck, despite the circumstances.

Flashback
Dante 1st POV

I sat on a chair in Alduck’s office with a stiff drink in my hand. A doctor was checking my body for my mostly healed wounds and was putting bandages on my shoulder. Alduck, Stone, and Fuse sat on the other side of the table while watching me.

“So…you killed Nacho?” Fuse asked.

“Yep,” I said, sipping my drink.

Alduck took a sip of his whiskey before speaking. “His uncle will not take too kindly to this. Retaliation will be met in kind. But you did good, kid.”

“If I may be so bold, boss, I don’t think Serrano will make any moves against us,” I said.

“What makes you say that?” Stone asked.

“Simple,” I said, waving the doctor off. “The Pepper Cartel struck first. We were the ones who retaliated. If Serrano even thinks of striking back, that’ll make him look petty.”

“If it was an underboss or a soldier, then he would look petty. But this is his nephew. And even though he was a bastardo, family is still family,” Alduck countered.

“Then we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?” I shrugged. A servant walked in with a change of clothes.

“We had them tailored and made by your directions, sir,” the servant said.

“Thanks, I’ll change later. Once I do, burn the ones I’m wearing,” I said, and he nodded. “By the way, boss, there’s something I’d like put in a request for.”

“Such as?” Alduck asked with an arched brow.

“As a high-ranking associate of your gang, I am allowed to claim territory under your name, right?” I asked.

"Only if it benefits us, and I approve it. What did you have in mind?" Alduck asked while the butler topped off his drink.

“Ponyville,” I answered, making everyone look at me, wondering if I was serious.

“Ponyville?” Fuse snorted. “That small hick town?”

“The very same,” I said, giving Fuse a look.

Alduck took a moment and finished his drink. “Consider it done.”

“Thank you,” I said with a curt nod. “And just to be clear, since Ponyville is now my territory, that means no one else will try to do something stupid like try and cause trouble?”

“Woah! What do you mean by that?” Fuse asked, looking all offended.

“You won’t get any trouble from us or anyone for that matter. As long as there’s no trouble on your end,” Alduck said.

“Of course, and thank you again,” I said.

The sounds of someone screaming were heard outside. It sounded like a woman as she pleaded for her life.

“About damn time,” Alduck said with a calm tone.

As the screams got louder, I soon recognized who the voice belonged to.

“Oh, this should be good,” I said as the doors flung open.

Two officers, who I recognized as Alduck’s soldiers, brought in a screaming Sandy as she tried getting away from them. “Let go of me, you pricks!”

As soon as she laid eyes on me, her face went pale, and her eyes shrunk down to pinpricks.

“We meet again, ma’am,” I said with a mock two finger salute.

“R-Red Hawk…” Sandy trembled. “N-No…! Wh-What are you doing here?!”

“I work here,” I answered. “But I’m not the one you should be worried about.”

“Sandy,” Alduck’s voice brought her attention over to him. “Care for a drink?”

“Donald…” Sandy said and gulped. “Look, whatever you heard, it’s bullshit!”

“Do you take me for a fool?” Alduck asked without raising his voice. “I knew you were sleeping around. I don’t blame you for that, it’s in your nature. But when you slept with Nacho, it became a conflict of interest.”

“He…I…no! I was playing him!” Sandy pleaded. “Yeah! I was trying to fool him! For you! I got a bunch of dirt on him and his uncle!”

“Lady, come on, this is just pathetic,” I rolled my eyes.

“Shut your fucking mouth!” Sandy roared at me.

“Enough.” Alduck got up from his chair and went over to Sandy. Sandy flinched when he cupped her chin. “My sweet, Sandy.” Sandy started to gain some hope. “You know that I still love you.” Sandy was overjoyed to hear that as she stood up and the two came into a kiss. When she sat back down, Alduck pulled a gun on her. “But this is strictly business.”

BLAM!

As the blood leaked down Sandy’s face from the wound in her forehead, Alduck took out his handkerchief and wiped the droplets of blood on his face. “Buona serata, amore mio.” Sandy’s eyes rolled back as she collapsed to
The floor. He tosses the cloth onto her breast before taking his seat.

I was about to say something but judging by the look on Alduck’s face I felt it was best that I kept my mouth shut. Stone tapped my shoulder and gestured me to follow him out of the office.

“We’ll call you soon,” Stone said as I walked out. “Things are gonna get a little crazy, but we’ll handle it.”

Present
Axel 1st POV

I knew Alduck was cold, but I didn’t expect him to be that cold as well. Even though it might sound hypocritical when it comes to Dante. At least now I can find some sort of solace since Dante kept his word by claiming Ponyville as his territory. Now I won’t have to worry about any thugs storming into town to call me out.

After mulling over last night’s events, I stepped out of the bathroom and got dressed in my new clothes to head out. They looked similar to my old ones, and my vest was still intact.

“Just don’t think about it…” I said to myself as I tied my shoes. “Tomorrow’s the last day. Then you can just move on…”

I grabbed my pack and reached for my Amp. Even though it was made of gold, I could see some minor dings and scratches along the coils. I even took notice of my chain around my wrist that also looked slightly nicked on some of the chain links. I shook my head and strapped my Amp on my pack before heading out.

I was told by Diamond before she headed out that she and her dad wanted to spend some quality time together. I respected it since they deserved it, so I decided to also spend the day on my own.

“Merow!”

Just before I closed the door to my hotel room, I looked behind me to see Nala sitting on the bed. I smiled at her and tilted my head at her.

“Come on, girl, let’s go for a walk,” I said.

“Mroow!” Nala leapt off the bed and glided right into my chest and started licking my cheek.

I chuckled a bit as I scratched behind her ears and walked out with her in my arms. We exited the hotel and made our way downtown. The streets of Manehattan were hustling and bustling as per usual, and the people were all going about their days.

“Hehe, look at all the little ants, going about their day in this giant ant hill.” Nala let out a small growl. “Well, let’s see you come up with a better metaphor.”

“Aw, damn!”

I walked by an alleyway to see a guy standing in front of a wall. He wore tan overalls with a white shirt underneath, tennis shoes, and a pair of clear goggles on his face. His sky-blue hair was tied up in a bun with several multicolored pins in it. I also noticed splotches of different colors of paint all over his clothes. On the ground were a variety of supplies ranging from spray paint, duct tape, and pieces of cardboard. I glanced at Nala, and she looked back at me before I decided to give this guy some attention.

“Hey man. Whatcha up to?” I asked curiously.

The guy was a bit startled before looking at me and breathing a sigh of relief. “Sorry. I thought you were an officer.”

“An officer?” I looked down at my clothes and back at him. “Nah, ain’t nothing like that. You an artist?”

“Hardly. I have all this stuff, a blank canvas, and no idea where to start.” He slumped against the wall with a defeated look.

I scratched my chin and looked at his supplies and the wall. I had a few ideas of what he could do.

“Who says you need to start anywhere?” I spoke.

“What do you mean? Every artist needs to start somewhere. It’s all about the outline and how you picture it,” the guy said.

“What’d you say your name was?” I asked as I grabbed some scissors and a piece of cardboard.

“Paint Brush. Though everyone calls me Spray Paint. At least I’d like them to call me that. I hate my name ‘cause I can't make jack shit with a brush!” Spray Paint shouted at the wall.

“Easy, man, I get it,” I chuckled as I started cutting. “See, there’s a difference between painting on a canvas with a brush and spraying on a wall. You don’t need to really think about it. Just go with the flow of your artistic mind.” Once I was done cutting, I got to work. “Observe.”

I taped up the pieces of cardboard and began spraying some paint. I made sure to be careful as I sprayed as Spray watched me. Once I was done with one section, I moved onto the next and put up more pieces of cardboard. My actions were beginning to attract some people’s attention as I worked, and Spray looked like he was in awe of what I was doing. Once I put the finishing touches, I wiped my brow and tools a step back.

“Ta da!” I said with glee. “I call it: Straining Wheels.”

Spray laughed at the imagery and admired it. “Nice title. Hey, that gives me an idea.” He took one of the cans and cardboard and got to work. I noticed a magical horn appear on his forehead, which told me he was a unicorn-human. The way he used the spray cans with his magic and hands was a sight to see since he was working so fast and articulate. After an about an hour, and a few mistakes, Spray stepped back and marveled at his masterpiece. And I gotta say, it looks beautiful.

The crowd around us all clapped with applause.

“Damn, makes me look like an amateur,” I joked.

“You gotta show me more!” Spray told me. “Yours is simple but makes up for it with your clever titles!”

“Is that right?” I glanced down at Nala, and she was just licking her paw. “Well, I suppose I got time for a couple more.” I grabbed a bunch of his supplies and headed out as the crowd gave me some room. “Follow me.”

Spray picked up the rest of his supplies and followed me. We walked for about a couple blocks until we came across a building that looked like a small bank. An idea struck in my head as we set the supplies down and I got to work. I cut, measured, and taped the pieces of cardboard to my liking and sprayed the paint where I needed to put certain colors. Once again, my work attracted a crowd. As soon as I put the finishing touches on, I took a step back and set the spray can down.

“A man, a plan, and an aerosol can,” I said. “I call it: When Toddlers Attack.”

Spray smiled at my art before he bobbed his head and started spray painting with his magic. “I think all I needed was to see someone else do it first.” After another hour or so, he had completed another masterpiece.

“Woah!” I exclaimed and soon the crowd got bigger and applauded us for our work. Mostly for Spray. “Got time for one more?”

Spray smirked before holding up two cans, kinda like how someone would hold two guns before he went to work. After yet another hour, he was finished with a beautiful yet odd art.

“You always aim to impress now, huh?” I said.

“I got you to thank for getting my spark going!” Spray said and shook my hand. “Thank you! I owe you big!”

“Then allow me to leave you off with one more of my pieces.” I spotted a store that sold television sets in the window. I grabbed the supplies and got to work with my next piece. After about half an hour later, I finished up and took a step back.

“And there you have it,” I said. “I call this last piece: T.V. Repaired.”

“Very nice. It’s original and makes sense.” Spray got his supplies and took in a fresh breath of air. “I love the smell of art in the morning.”

“Don’t let that spark fizzle out, man,” I said and gave him a fist bump. “Make sure you spread that creative mind of yours throughout the city. Besides, you already have a big fan base.” I gestured to the dozens of people who were eagerly waiting for his next piece of art.

“Oh, trust me. The next time you see me, the whole city will be my canvas!” He patted his bag before we fist-bumped. “Take care.”

I waved him goodbye as Nala flew next to me and I continued my stroll. Spray painting made me remember all those tags I did back in high school with some of my buds. It also was one of the things I liked doing in order to forget about the constant pressure from my overzealous parents.

“Maybe I should start picking up that old hobby of mine again?” I said to myself.

I was so lost in thought that I accidentally bumped into someone while walking.

“Oh! Sorry, man, didn’t see you there,” I said and looked up.

Lo and behold, it was Marshall Avalon and a couple of his guys standing outside of what looked like a jewelry store. My heart stopped for a moment when he turned to look at me. The events of last night were still fresh in my mind as sweat dripped off the side of my head. I honestly didn’t know what to expect but I knew I had to act dumb and innocent like usual. After swallowing a huge lump in my throat, I gave him the best smile I could possibly procure.

“Well, what’s up, Marshall!” I spoke in a friendly tone. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“The princess is inside doing some shopping. You?” Marshall asked unaware that it was me he was hunting down for the massacre of those gangsters.

“Ah, just passing by,” I said, scratching the back of my head. I noticed some bags under his eyes. “You good? You look like you haven’t caught any shuteye.”

“This new vigilante, who calls himself the Red Hawk, is giving me a run for my money. Saffron thinks I should take a vacation,” the tired knight captain said just as one of his men brought him a giant cup of iced coffee which he greedily chugged down right in front of me. “I promised her if I don’t find any leads, I’ll take her and Clove to Las Pegasus.”

“I…I see,” I said. “That what I read in the paper? Heard it was quite the gnarly sight. And one of those cartel members was a big shot-.” I quickly looked away and covered my mouth.

OH FUCK. FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! ME AND MY STUPID FUCKING BIG MOUTH! I screamed in my head.

“That…was not in the papers yet, how did you know?” Marshall turned to me with a suspicious gaze as I tried to stay calm.

I took a deep breath and turned back at him. “Oh…I…uh…I-I have an informant!” I blurted out without even thinking.

Informant? Really? Dante said.

SHUT THE FUCK UP! I screamed at him.

“Y-Yeah! An informant! I heard the gangs in this town have been making moves lately, so I sought one of them down!” I tried my absolute best to play it cool. “But I promised him I wouldn’t reveal his name, I don’t even know his face!”

“Must be a pretty good informant if he was able to get dirt on the cartels and keep his tongue. You should introduce me some time.” Marshall almost sounded impressed but was still suspicious of me after I had practically blurted out that it was me, he saw last night. Before we could delve into our conversation any further, the bells of the front door rang and Celestia appeared with her signature warm smile when she saw me.

“Axel!” Celestia beamed. She walked up to me and wrapped me in a hug. “What a pleasant surprise!”

“Y-Yeah…pleasant…” I said with my voice cracking.

“Merow!” Nala meowed up at Celestia.

“Oh, and hello again, little one!” The sun princess picked her up without hesitation and began to cuddle her to her heart’s content while Nala purred in her embrace.

“You remember Nala the manticore cub, from the party?” I reminded her.

“Of course I do!” Celestia smiled while Nala began to rub against her cheek. “Such a cute little thing.”

“Oh sure, until they hit eight months,” Marshall said while looking at the little cub.

“Doing some shopping, Celestia?” I asked, noticing a new pair of diamond earrings and a rose gold necklace shaped like a heart. “They look good on you.”

“Oh, just thought I’d look my best and these are designed by the top jeweler in Canterlot. It’s my duty to add these to the royal collection.” She explained while holding up the pendant that I found it rather hard not to look at her chest as well as the gold.

I don’t know what exactly came over me, but I once again was lost at the sight of her beauty. The way the sun shined down on her made my once anxious heartbeat calm immediately, almost like how it calms whenever I talk with Moon.

“Can I take you out to lunch?” Everything around me froze. Marshall, his men, and Celestia all looked at me as my face went pale. Without thinking, I had just asked out the freaking princess of Equestria on a freaking lunch date!

“Why Axel, are you asking me out on a date?” Celestia teased while Marshall and his men raised their eyebrows at me with smug looks on their faces.

I was at a loss for words. I know she was teasing me, and I wanted to say I was kidding, but something inside me told me to…go through with it. It was an unexplainable phenomenon that made me just go with the flow. Stealing my resolve, I held my right hand out while holding my left hand behind my back and looked at her dead in the eye.

“Yes.” I spoke softly. “Princess Celestia, I would like to take you out on a date.” Marshall and his men were taken aback by my sudden seriousness. “Would you do me this honor?”

“I would be delighted.” Celestia accepted my invitation with the usual regality befitting a royal all while letting Nala continue to cuddle her. “On the condition that I get to watch this little cutie pie for the day.” She winked, catching me off guard.

“That’s fine,” I said and even went and offered her my arm. “Shall we?”

“We shall.” She hooked her arm around mine. “Sir Marshall, you’re dismissed for the day.”

“Uhh, your highness, I must object-.” Marshall said with a finger raised as we walked off but before they could say anything else we were already down the street and on our way. “-and…they’re gone.”

I could feel the stares of almost every pedestrian we walked by. I honestly couldn’t blame them since I had one of Equestria’s rulers was on my arm. Nala was being carried by Celestia’s other arm as she purred contently.

“So, Celestia, what’re you in the mood for?” I asked. “We could go to a nice brunch place. Or perhaps a fancy café?”

“Actually, I was thinking something more along the lines of the local food vendors,” Celestia requested.

“Wait, you mean like…fast food?” I asked in surprise.

“Yes, that’s it! I heard from Twilight that burgers are quite the delight amongst the people,” she said with enthusiasm, eager to try something others of her class considered a low-class dish.

“Uuuh…” I was a bit unprepared at her request but decided to oblige her.

I looked around and noticed we had arrived in a large area surrounded by buildings, magical billboards, and dozens of carriages and people passing by. To an extent, the area reminded me of Times Square in New York back home. Sure enough, I spotted a guy standing in front of a food cart with a grill in front of him as he was cooking up some meat for sandwiches.

“Yo buddy!” I called out as we made our way over to him. When he looked up, he visibly flinched when he saw Celestia.

“Ohh uhh…what can I get ya folks?” He asked while nervously flipping the burgers he had on his grill.

“Two burgers for me, no pickles,” I ordered.

“And for the princess?” He asked sheepishly.

“I’ll have the same but with pickles and what are these fries on the menu?” Celestia asked when the chef looked at her in surprise.

“You mean to tell me you’ve never had one of the greatest snacks ever created in the history of fast food?” He chuckled before preparing our meal. “Your majesty, I will serve you only the freshest burgers and fries my stand has to offer!”

“I look forward to it,” Celestia smiled.

“Merow!” Nala meowed.

“Oh, and a little slider for my furry friend here,” I said and leaned in to mutter at him. “I’ll throw in some extra bits for your trouble.”

“Comin’ right up!” He chirped.

We watched as the chef eagerly prepared our meals while onlookers watched us in surprise like we were on a freak show at a circus, among the crowd were some nobles who seemed shocked that their princess was trying commoner cuisine.

“What on Equis…? Is that princess Celestia?”

“What is she doing with that street urchin?”

“Is she really going to…partake in that greasy slop?”

“Oh, the horror! A matriarch like her should never!”

The princess simply rolled her eyes before catching the aroma of fresh burgers and fries being served after the chef had completed our orders.

“And some complimentary sodas, on the house.” He winked before I gave him his rightful payment and we sat ourselves at the nearest table.

“Thanks, man!” I handed him the bits and even threw in a gem. “For your troubles, like I promised.”

“Whoa! This’ll help cover my rent!” The chef said while quickly putting the gem away, much to the shock of the nobility.

“A gem…for that…garbage?!”

“Such foolishness.”

“Oh for…” When I set my tray down on the table, I turned to face the nobles and flipped them off. “SIT ON IT, AND FUCKING SPIN! YOU UPTIGHT JACKHOLES!”

After being shocked by my sudden outburst, the crowd quickly dispersed with some giving me a round of applause for sticking it to the upper class while Celestia was unable to hold back her laughter as we resumed our meal.

“I can’t recall the last time someone yelled back at the nobility but then again…such actions would end up getting you beheaded back in the day,” Celestia informed me.

I bent over and exposed my neck. “I await my fate proudly and without regret.”

Celestia could not help but laugh even louder before we were finally able to enjoy our meal and while it tasted like your average burger to me, to her it was like biting into the food of the gods as her face lit up the moment her lips met the soft juiciness of the burger.

“Oh, my heavens! This is so delicious, the juiciness of the meat blends perfectly with the tanginess of the ketchup and the vegetables give it the perfect crunch!” She then immediately took a bite of her fries and let out a squeal equal to that of a teenager at a boy band concert. “So crispy and just the right amount of salt!”

“Meow!” Nala meowed as she happily ate her little slider.

“Am I right to assume this is better than the usual bougie meals you have back at the castle?” I asked before taking a bite.

“I will say their meals are exquisite, but I have them almost every day. I might have to ask that chef to come work for me!” Celestia beamed before taking a sip of her soda which seemed to delight her even more. “Mmm, so fizzy and sweet! I can see why children love this beverage so much!”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it, Celestia,” I said as Nala happily ate her burger slider. “Y’know, back where I’m from, people eat like this all the time. We got burgers, pizza, burritos, tacos, and so much more types of fast foods.”

“Oh my. It sounds like your people eat well,” Celestia commented.

“You’d think that, but it’s caused a huge obesity problem in some parts in my world.” I chuckled as I popped a few fries into my mouth.

“I see. Well, I best watch how much I partake of this fine meal,” Celestia said while taking another big bite of her burger.

“Naw, you got nothing to worry about. You got a great figure,” I said then went immediately rigid as I drank my soda. “Uh…that came out wrong.”

“My, such a bold statement, Axel~,” Celestia cooed flirtatiously while giving me The Look. “Rest assured, I’ve had many suitors compliment my figure before.”

“Th-That’s not what I meant!” I stammered, making her look at me as if she wasn’t expecting me to take back my statement. “I just meant you look healthy! You’re so pretty, after all! Ack! Wait! That’s not what I want either! I meant you’ve got a warm aura that’s easy to be around!”

“Thank you,” she said, immediately stopping my yammering as we finished our meal. “This was the most fun I’ve had in a while.”

“Merow!” I looked down to see Nala had finished her slider and was staring up at me. Not so much at me, however, but more so at my fries.

“Hey, no,” I said. “These’re mine.” Nala stared at me, and I swear those eyes suddenly became bigger as she begged for my fries.

“…no.” Nala then raised one of her paws while looking up at me and leaned it against my leg.

“…mew!” She meowed softly, tearing at my heartstrings.

“…not fair,” I grumbled and tossed her some fries, which she victoriously ate.

Just then, we heard some music coming from a small crowd. I glanced over to see a guy playing an electric guitar in between these two speakers. He was pretty good but wasn’t drawing too much attention from the crowd. I then saw another guy doing what looked like breakdancing, which was also pretty good but nothing to look twice at.

“Lotta street performers out here,” I commented.

“Oh yes, we are in the entertainment district after all,” Celestia smiled almost as if she was recalling a memory. “I remember when these streets were gloomy and dark when I took the throne but since that time, it has become a place of joy and amusement.”

“Beware! Beware!” I saw a crazy guy painted in red and held up a sign that had a crude painting of a bird. “Beware the Red Hawk! Equestria’s newest scourge! He’ll come for us all! He’ll devour your very soul! Beware! Beware!”

“What’s that crazy crackpot spewing this time?” One of the passersby’s asked as he continued to rant and rave while waving his picture around.

“Ah, some weird story about a red bird or something that hacked up those gangsters. My opinion, it was a baby Roc gone feral,” another pedestrian dismissed.

I couldn’t help but cringe at the crazy guy’s words and how the people tried passing it off as nonsense. I knew full well what he was talking about, which is what I was afraid of happening. Dante’s reputation was beginning to make itself known to the public, and not in a good way. I should be thankful that the only ones who know about Dante are Orion, Moon, and Twilight and her friends. I shook my head to try and shake away my growing anxiety. I stood up from my seat and gave Celestia a smirk.

“Hey, wanna see something entertaining?” I asked. She nodded with an intrigued smile as I walked over to the guy playing guitar.

“Hey buddy. Can I use your speakers?” I asked, holding out a gem to him.

“Uhh, sure?” The guitarist took the gem and unplugged his guitar from the speakers.

I plugged my phone in and stood between the speakers. While holding my phone, I held it in front of me while activating Video and materialized a familiar toy that I used to play as a kid.

“Hell yeah.” I kept using my power as I set my phone down in front of me to make a mini digital screen appear above it. “Alright, Manehatten, here’s a little number from my neck of the woods!”

At first, the beat seemed strange to some of the performers but then sure enough they began to feel the rhythm and began to do a group dance for the crowd that cheered and took photos while handing out their bits to us. I made the digital screen in front of me to mimic the game’s buttons as I scratched the disk and pushed the buttons accordingly. The whole crowd was eating it up and danced along with the beat until it ended, and I started a new song.

“Let me see y’all bust a move!” I shouted as I scratched to the beat.

What followed next was a group dance battle that the audience ate up as they cheered for both sides and when the song came to an end, a round of applause was given for both groups and me as I handed back the guitarist his speakers.

“That was sick, man! You do parties?” He asked as we shook hands.

“Nah, not really. This was just a one-time thing,” I said.

“I must say, Axel, that was a stupendous performance,” Celestia said. “You truly are a gifted individual.”

“I agree with her majesty!” The guy said. “I’ve never seen or heard that kind of DJing before!”

“Encore! Encore! Encore!” The crowd suddenly chanted for me to do one more song.

“Well, who am I to disappoint the crowd?” I shrugged. “Gimme some room.”

The two nodded and took a step back. I took my phone and deactivated the turntable and focused my Video power again. I held it in front of me and I summoned a variety of different Singing Monsters, like the ones I used back at the park with Diamond. The crowd was a bit put off by the sudden appearance of these creatures, but I quickly got their attention.

“Ready everyone?” I said to the monster, and they nodded. “These are our drums!” The monsters began beating their instruments to sound a musical tempo. “This is our melody!” Thinking quickly, while also testing a hypothesis I had a while back, I used Video on my own vocal cords to help my voice sing. I sang a small melody with some of the monsters, which caught everyone by surprise. “Now listen closely, as our drums become our melody!” The monsters drumming and the monsters singing played together. “And…here’s our song!”

As if acting as a conductor, I waved my hands at the monsters as they played and sang. I also sang along with them thanks to my newly auto tuned voice. None were more excited to see the performance than the children who were in the crowd as they watched them dance and sing. One could say I was giving a live performance of a kid show. When the song was reaching its end, I activated my digital wings and flew up over the crowd and unleashed a bright light that literally lit up the area. Everyone was blown away from my singing and my singing monsters as they played and sang along as hard as they could, matching my energy. I didn’t notice until now that my performance was being projected on the big magical screens surrounding the Square. I spun in a circle when the song reached its apex-like end. As soon as it did, I landed back on my feet in a dramatic fashion.

“Bravo!” Celestia applauded along with the rest of the crowd with some photographers taking pictures.

I deactivated Video, making the Singing Monsters disappear as I got flooded with words of praise and adoration. I eventually made it back to Celestia who immediately gave me a big hug and big kiss on the cheek.

“GET THAT!! GET THAT!!” A reporter shouted to his crew as they began recording us while I just stood there completely dumbstruck by her highness’s sudden display of affection.

“You were absolutely marvelous, Axel!” Celestia beamed. “I’ve never seen such a spectacular ensemble in a very long time!”

“Uh…y-yeah, my pleasure,” I said sheepishly, not knowing she had left a big kiss mark on my cheek, and I was blushing like a fool. No doubt I was as red as a tomato. My eyes squinted a bit from the influx of flashing lights from the cameras. The crowd wouldn’t stop cheering and asking for my comment for their cameras, which got a little overwhelming.

“Wanna get outta here? It’s getting a little hectic,” I said to Celestia. I unfurled my digital wings, ready to take flight.

“After you.” The princess smiled as she followed my lead and opened her wings, looking like an angel.

My breath hitched a bit as we both took flight, and they were still trying to get our picture taken.

We eventually made it to the big park I was at with Diamond where I had slumped on one of the benches to catch my breath while Celestia sat next to me. Nala was playing in the grass in front of us and rolling around.

“Man…I never was much of a performer,” I breathed out. “I just did small gigs here and there for extra cash but nothing this extreme. How do those pop stars do it?”

“You’ll have to ask one when you get the chance,” Celestia joked while using one of her wings to gently fan me. “What you did was truly spectacular. Perhaps I’ll ask you to perform at my next charity event.”

“Oh, don’t tempt me,” I said back. “I might start charging for my entertainment services.”

The two of us shared a laugh while enjoying the serenity of the park until Celestia saw the time and realized it was time to lower the sun and allow her sister to raise the moon.

“Never saw you do it before,” I said, making her glance at me. “Y’know, lower the sun?”

“Is it so strange?” She asked while finding a good spot to use her magic.

“Well, where I come from, the planets orbit each other through gravitational force. Of course, when that was first discovered, the people in power tried to cover it up and claim it as heresy,” I explained while tapping my chin as I remembered my old science lessons from high school.

Celestia let out a small laugh before she began. I watched her hold her hands out and reach towards the sun. Her golden magical aura covered her hands and I saw a magic silhouette of her horn appear on her forehead. I was at a loss for words as I watched her literally lower the sun as she unfurled her wings. No wonder people worship her not only as their ruler but as their goddess, because she is one.

“…beautiful,” I muttered as the sky soon was adorned with several stars and the moon took its place where the sun was.

“Isn’t it?” Celestia asked as we watched the city light up while watching others pass us by, some even giving us surprised looks and waving hello.

“I was talking about you,” I said, making her look at me. “And this time…I mean it.”

Smooth, Dante said smugly in my head.

“Oh. Well, I don’t know what to say.” She blushed and looked at me bashfully. “I can’t remember the last time someone was so honest with me.”

“Hold up, you tellin’ me those snobs who present themselves like a bad white elephant gift just throw compliments your way and they don’t even mean it?” I asked.

“More than you know,” Celestia sighed. “Centuries, I’ve had many suitors and all of them were fake. Not one has been a genuine gesture of affection, each of them only saw me as a new conquest or a quick way into the high life.”

“Hmph, their loss,” I snorted. “Any man would be lucky to be with you. But all they see is that crown on your head. Bunch of entitled douchebags…”

“And…what do you see?” Celestia asked while leaning forward.

“Me? I see a woman who is misunderstood,” I shrugged. “A woman who hides her loneliness behind her motherly smile because she too wants as much affection as any woman. But she’s kept such a strong public figure for so long that she buries her personal feelings for the sake of others.” I blinked when I realized I was running my mouth at Celestia. “Er…sorry. That might’ve been too harsh.”

“No…what you said was the truth,” Celestia smiled at me with a real genuine smile. “You know about me, tell me about yourself.”

I was hesitant since my past didn’t have any happy moments. But since it was her wanting to get to know me better, I couldn’t just turn her away.

“Growing up…I didn’t have the best childhood,” I said, leaning forward and resting my elbows on my knees. “Even at a young age, my parents always expected perfection from me. Grades, manners, discipline, you name it. However…I wasn’t born how they wanted, and I messed up a lot in their eyes.”

“I know parents expect the best from their children but expecting them to be the best? They sound almost unhinged,” Celestia commented as I continued.

“You wanna know something interesting that I’ve only told Moon?” I said to Celestia, and she nodded. “My name…isn’t actually Axel.”

“It isn’t?” She spoke.

“Nope,” I said as I leaned back. “It’s Alex. Short for Alexander. Lazy thinking, I know, but it was my way of rebelling against my overzealous folks for giving me a mouthful of a name.”

“I take it, that must be a common name then?” Celestia asked while leaning back.

“It was the name of one of our history’s greatest warlords,” I explained. “My folks believed that if I was named after a great man then I would become a great man myself, you can guess how that went.”

“That sounds admirable,” Celestia said.

“Yeah, well…” My mood turned bitter as I looked away. Memories of those sleepless nights started to come back as I clenched my fists. “As great as they wanted me to be, me being good enough was never enough…”

“I see. Did you move out?” Celestia asked.

“Oh yeah. Once I saved up enough, I hightailed it outta that hellhole the first chance I got,” I said with pride.

“Must be nice having such freedom,” Celestia said.

“It was…until…” I trailed off, feeling a little on edge. “That…terrible night.”

“What night?” Celestia asked when she noticed I was clenching my fist and gritted my teeth.

“…I…” I closed my eyes as that night burned my vision. “I…I killed someone…”

Celestia of course was shocked when she heard this and could see that the memory pained me greatly and I had tried to keep it buried for a long time.

“It was just another night…” I began. “College, school night. My roommate asked for a snack when I left to go to the convenience store. I barely had anything on me anyway, and my relatives were paying for my tuition while I worked part time. On my way back to the dorm, a hooded guy came up and…pointed a gun in my face.”

I clutched my arms as I began to tremble. “I was so fucking scared…so scared, I could barely speak. I just wanted a quiet college life and now I’m getting mugged. However…something happened that I still can’t explain to this day. There was a split moment when the guy got distracted by a noise. As if on impulse, I lunged forward and tackled him. We both struggled with all we had to gain control of the gun in his hand. We rolled around on the wet cement, my face got scraped a bit, and he kneed me in the gut a few times. I managed to bite down on his arm, which made his grip loosen enough for me to get a better grip.”

My vision grew blurry, and I began to hyperventilate. “But…b-but my f-finger…slipped against the gun’s trigger.” I rocked back and forth, hearing that god-awful loud noise. “It happened in an instant…my ears were ringing…so much. By the time I regained my senses…the guy…h-he had…a h-hole…i-in his…h-head…”

Celestia could only cover her mouth as she let out a short gasp while I continued.

“Soon, the cops came, and I thought for sure they would suspect me of being the mugger but as it turns out the guy I just killed was a wanted felon they had been pursuing for months…” I explained.

“Then you did nothing wrong, you only defended yourself,” Celestia said, hoping to comfort me.

“Doesn’t change the fact that I killed someone…after that, things were never the same,” I said solemnly.

More memories returned after that night. “I had to take an entire semester off in order to mentally recuperate. I was in therapy, they put me on antidepressants, and…”

I slowly reached for my chain wrapped around my wrist. I hesitated but I felt like I needed to show her what was underneath. I slowly pulled my chain down my wrist to show a scar I try to pretend isn’t there. A scar that looked like something was cut across and was deep enough to cause some serious bleeding.

“I…I got low,” I said, my hand shaking. “Very…very low, due to the guilt and trauma.”

“Oh Axel…” She took my hand out of pity.

“By the time my roommate found me, with a bloody empty pill bottle beside me to boot, I already had one foot in the grave and couldn’t even see straight,” I said as I pulled my chain back up my wrist.

I chuckled at myself as I rubbed my face with my hand. “You must think I’m pretty pathetic. I wouldn’t blame you. Everyone else has after they saved me from myself…”

There was no response save for the gentle embrace she gave me as she wrapped her arms around me like a mother would for her child and her wings added a certain comfort as I felt them drape around me like a blanket. They were so warm and soft, I felt…safe like she would let nothing harm me.

I just sat there, embraced by Celestia, as she caressed my head. Nala hopped up next to me and crawled into my lap to try and comfort me too.

“It’s alright, you’re safe now.” She said with a warm smile that seemed to wash away all my worries.

“…you’re the second person, like Moon, to show me kindness after telling you all that,” I said quietly. “Remember when I once said how I was considering wanting to find a way home?” He nodded as I looked at her in her eyes. “I don’t. I want to stay. This, Equestria, this is my home. Now and forever.”

“Then I gladly welcome you to your new home, dear Axel.” Celestia smiled at me and hugged me even tighter like I was a lost child who finally found his way home and then before I knew it, a single tear fell from my eye.

I was about to thank her for her kindness when something caught the corner of my eye. From within a cluster of trees, I caught sight of something poking out at us. It wasn’t until I saw it pull back a little that made me realize it was the tip of an arrowhead!

“GET DOWN!” I yelled and pulled Celestia out of the way. Sure enough, it was in fact an arrow as it shot right at us, and it hit me in the arm. The arrow pierced my skin all the way through the other side of my limb.

“FUCK!” I cursed.

The assailant gave an annoyed grunt as he broke cover and began to run through the brush in an attempt to escape while I made sure the princess was unharmed.

“Hissss!” Nala hissed at the fleeing assailant.

“Are you hurt?!” I asked while pulling the arrow out.

“I’m fine, go!” Celestia said, urging me to pursue.

I nodded and activated my digital wings. I cured under my breath from the arrow in my arm but gave chase anyway. I flew after him just as Celestia called for backup.

“You ain’t getting far, asshat!” I called out.

“Damn creature!” the assassin insulted me before firing another arrow, not caring for the innocent bystanders flying by. It was clear that this was no run of the mill assassin as he began using the alleyways and busy streets to his advantage.

“He’s planned this.” I said as I increased speed and tried my best to keep up. For some reason I wasn’t flying as fast as I wanted to but couldn’t dwell on it at the moment.

Just as I was about to catch up to him, I instinctively ducked out of the way from a sharp blade almost cutting my head off. I somersaulted on the ground and back in my feet but grunted in pain from my wound. Just then, dozens of men came out from the shadows and surrounded me.

“Northerners…” I growled as I held my bleeding arm.

“Finally, our prey has appeared.” One of them smirked when I realized that the attack on Celestia was the bait and like a fool, I took it and fell right into their trap. “Our orders are to take him alive, clip his wings and break his legs!”

“Oh, you shit-heads are in for a world of hurt!” I snapped and unraveled my chain. My arm throbbed as the Northerners advanced on me.

“TAKE HIM!” The ringleader shouted as they pounced.

Three of the men charged at me with bladed weapons while I summoned my digital sword with my chain and my digital combat armor. I tried raising my arm to fire Torrent Shots at them, but I couldn’t raise my arm at all. The wound was still fresh, and my fast healing still needed time. I jumped out of the way and blocked another’s strike. I swung my blade horizontally, but they dived out of the way as well. My moves were sluggish and uncoordinated since I was fighting one-handed. I flapped my wings to evade another’s hammer to my head.

“Fuck! I need some altitude!” I said to myself and flew up high.

“Oh no you don’t!” One of them grinned as he managed to put a chain around my ankle. “You didn’t think we prepared for this; you freak of nature?! Our king will pay us handsomely to have you hauled back in a cage!”

I was about to make myself tangible but for some reason I couldn’t. I was yanked down to the ground and crashed right as more Northerners tried to get the drop on me. I grit my teeth, ignoring the pain in my arm, and used my powers on my feet to activate my thrusters to push me out of the way.

The fuck’s going on here?! Why’re my powers tapped?! I thought as I punched a Northerner as hard as I could, sending him flying towards a couple others. Are my reserves almost dry from last night?!

“Now’s our chance, haul him in!” The ringleader ordered.

Even under their hoods, I could see the manic grin on their faces as they pulled me in ready to hogtie me like a pig at a rodeo.

“FUCK…OFF!” I screamed as I quickly switched to Concrete and slammed my fists into the ground.

Large slabs of concrete shot from the ground around me, hitting some of them in their guts and sending others flying. I breathed heavily while coating my arms and legs under a layer of concrete to protect myself. The archers aimed inflamed arrows at me and fired. I blocked a couple of arrows but one grazed my leg, which hurt like hell. The rest of the arrows that missed hit some foliage that caught on fire.

“Are you nuts?! You’ll burn the whole park down!” I barked.

“Consider it a preview of what’s to come,” one of them said with a sadistic grin as they removed their hoods, no longer needing to hide themselves. “We will burn this country to the ground and establish a new kingdom for our clan! But first we gotta make sure certain obstacles are removed.”

“You sick psychos!” I shouted and fired Concrete Shrapnel at them.

Suddenly, a big bruiser came barreling out from the crowd with a large war hammer. I quickly wrapped my chain back around my wrist and coated my Amp with a thick layer of Concrete, creating a sort of stone club of my own. We both swung our weapons at the same time, clashing together that sent out a mini shockwave. The impact made me cry out in pain from my arm, making me drop my Amp.

“Shit!” I jumped back as he slammed his hammer a couple feet by me into the dirt. The flames were burning more of the grass and trees as innocent bystanders ran for their lives.

“Now you die…” The hulking brute was prepared to give another swing when we suddenly heard another voice.

“Chevalier Sword Art.”

SCHWING!!

“GUILLOTINE!!”

Before we knew what happened, my opponent’s head suddenly fell to the ground with a clean cut through his neck before blood started to spray everywhere.

“Marshall?!” I called out as the knight captain appeared out of nowhere with his squad.

“Men, get those fires out and evacuate the civilians! Axel, where's the princess?” Marshall asked me.

“She’s back over by a park bench over there!” I shouted as Marshall’s squad engaged the Northerners. “Nala’s with her too!”

“Sir! The fire’s spread too much! And the firefighters won’t get here in time!” One of his men cried.

“Damnit! Evacuate the civilians! Take care of the remaining Northern invaders!” Marshall ordered.

I looked around frantically as Marshall easily dispatched a couple more Northerners. A feeling of helplessness washed over me as Marshall so easily was dealing with them and was even trying to get the fire under control as it spread rapidly. I wanted to help but it seemed like Marshall had it under control.

…

“Ain’t no way I’m sitting on the sidelines…” I said to myself. I then hatched an idea that was a huge gamble. “Marshall! I can put the fire out!”

“How?! Can you control water?!” Marshall asked.

“No, but I can absorb smoke,” I explained.

“Smoke and fire are different things!” Marshall barked.

“Maybe, but I can try to absorb the fire too!” I said back. “I’ve never done it before, but I know it’ll work! Trust me!”

“STOP HIM! Don’t let him snuff those flames out!” The ringleader barked at his men as they charged forward.

“I’ll handle them, take care of the flames,” Marshall said to me as he stepped over the dead brute and gripped his sword, but nothing could prepare me for what came next.

“Chevalier Sword Art: Swaying Grass!”

Even with my keen senses, I could hardly believe what I saw. He swayed left and right, past his attackers like they were stiff as statues before each was suddenly struck with a huge gash in their arms or legs.

“That was a warning, surrender or it’ll be an execution,” he warned, giving them a predatory look as he showed his sword drenched in their blood.

While Marshall held off the Northerners, I stood in front of the roaring flames as they consumed multiple trees and foliage. I switched to Smoke as I sheathed my Amp after in my pack after picking it back up and held out both my hands. I focused my power as smoky wisps and small cinders danced up and down my hands and shoulders. As if reacting to my power, the flames all began to flicker towards me as I attempted to absorb them. The heat of the flames was almost too much to bear as I winced from the exposure. But I did not relent as I kept my power focused. I watched as the flames formed a sort of funnel in front of me and flew right in between my hands. The feeling was almost indescribable as a rush of energy filled me.

“FIRE! FIRE AT WILL ON THAY FREAK!” Their leader ordered.

Before Marshall could stop them, a few archers and one aiming a magic pistol fired at me. The arrows stuck into my back and the bullet hit my leg, which both hurt like fucking hell. I grit my teeth hard as I kept my stance and continued absorbing the flames, which was a spectacle to behold.

“Dammit!” The knight captain cursed and rushed to my side before narrowly dodging the next few shots.

“Where the Tartarus did you brutes acquire that magic firearm?!” He shouted at them while ducking for cover behind an overturned bench.

“Let’s just say we’re well connected,” the one with the magic gun shouted back as he took a few shots at Marshall.

“Come on…come on!” I grunted as my wounds ached and bled.

“It’s too much, Axel! Stand down!” Marshall warned me.

“Fuck that!” I snapped. “I refuse to let these fuckers destroy whatever they want! I won’t let them! This is my home! And I will protect it with my life!” My body suddenly burst into flames as more of the burning flames funneled into me more and more. “THAT’S A PROMISE I WON’T EVER BREAK!”

“Oh, I’ve had enough of these fools. Finish him off!” The leader ordered before Marshall suddenly leapt from his hiding spot, his sword put into a thrusting position.

“Chevalier Sword Art!” He called out just as the barrel of the gun bared down on him.

“CHAMPION’S LANCE!”

In one powerful thrust, a sonic boom was created followed by a strong gust of wind that sent the rest of the goons flying, allowing me to finally get the flames under control as the last of the citizens were evacuated.

“You are all under arrest!” Marshall announced.

Just as Marshall finished off the rest of the invaders, I managed to absorb all the flames that burned the surrounding area. I breathed heavily as my own flames flickered off of my body and I felt very hot as the ground singed under my feet.

“Axel!” Marshall called out as he approached me.

“DON’T! Don’t Touch me!” I warned him just as he tried to reach out to help but even from a short distance, he could feel the heat coming off my body.

“Are you alright? Does it hurt?” Marshall asked.

“I-I’m okay…I just need to cool down…” I panted when Celestia came on the scene, rushing to my side and looking worried.

I breathed heavily with deep breaths as I tried desperately to condense my power. Everyone watched as the flames flickering off my body slowly dwindled until they were replaced by heavy smoke wisps and cinders. This went on for a couple more minutes until there wasn’t even the tiniest cinder left and I was back to my base form. Miraculously, my wounds had healed up completely due to my fast healing getting the power boost it needed.

“Get this man a medic! NOW!” Marshall barked while Celestia helped me to stand.

“Are you in pain?” She asked out of concern for me.

“No, I’m fine,” I said. “And no medic needed. I’m completely healed.”

“Better safe than sorry my friend,” Marshall insisted before going to pick up the magic gun as the assailants were hauled away into the prison wagon. “Hmmm…standard issue but it’s been reduced to a smaller scale making it easier to conceal. This is the version nobles usually carry in case they need to defend themselves and they’re cheap too.”

I glanced at Celestia as Marshall’s men brought forth the leader and forced him to his knees. The woman looked like she wanted to knock his jaw out of his socket and pluck out his eyes.

“You Northern brutes have crossed the line,” Celestia growled. “For months, I’ve heard nothing but incident after incident of you terrorizing my people across the country, and your actions have only become more violent and dangerous! Despite my sister and I repeatedly rejecting your desire to open our borders, you still refuse to listen!” Celestia then fanned open her wings, giving herself a royal presence as Marshall and his men bent to their knees. “By royal decree! I, Princess Celestia, hereby declare any and all Northern invaders forbidden from ever entering or even stepping foot in Equestria! I also order any and all of my soldiers and any officers of the law to subdue and deport any remaining Northerner back from whence they came!”

“You just made a dangerous move, lady…” The leader hissed in defiance. “When our king hears of this, he’ll bring the wrath of ALL the clans down on you and the next time we see you, you’ll be on your knees and in chains while we take turns humping you ‘til you’re popping out little bastards nonstop~!”

Celestia said nothing as she waved her hand to Marshall for him to take the scumbag away.

“Let us return to Canterlot, I must call for an emergency summit,” Celestia said.

“I’ll make the preparations at once,” Marshall saluted as he left with his squad to prepare for our journey home.

I stood by Celestia and sighed. “Well, that could’ve gone better.”

“On the contrary,” Celestia said to me with a proud smile. “You’ve done something extraordinary, Axel. You saved this park from total destruction. I would even go as far as to say you saved the city too. If not for you, that fire would have completely destroyed this wonderful park and perhaps spread to the buildings nearby. Not to mention, the civilians are safe as well.”

“Eh, it’s no big deal,” I shrugged but paused. “Well…actually it was. I was outnumbered and outskilled.”

“Be that as it may, it’s a good thing Sir Marshall showed up when he did,” Celestia smiled as we approached the royal carriage that was waiting for us. “But why were they trying to take you alive?”

“Who can say?” I spoke. “But at least now that they got the official royal boot up their butts, we won’t have to worry about them anymore.”

“For now…” Celestia said with a foreboding tone. “In my anger, I may have made a rash decision. Many of the Northerners have found homes here and have opened up trade, I fear these actions will have consequences.”

“You’ll be fine, Sunny,” I said, making her look at me.

“Sunny?” Celestia gave me a smirk when I realized I called her by a nickname.

“Yeah, Sunny,” I said as I leaned on her carriage. “Matches your bright personality and warm nature. Do you approve?”

“Hmmm. I do but only you may call me that.” Celestia gave me a boop to the nose before boarding the carriage as we headed back to the hotel to pack our things. “Axel, I want you at the summit.” She said to me while looking out the window.

“The summit? What’s that?” I wondered.

“It is a meeting of all the leaders of Equestria. Every nation will be gathered there, and I fear we were not the only ones struck by the Northlanders underhanded tactics. Make no mistake, there will be talk of war and I hope to avoid such an outcome, if possible,” Celestia explained calmly but I could tell she was worried. “It’s been almost two thousand moons since we waged a war and I hope to never repeat that bloodshed again.”

“I see…” I said, crossing my arms. “Sure, I’d be down to go.”

“Wonderful,” Celestia beamed. “And it also is the day when Shining Armor’s wedding is.”

“What?! No way!” I said with a wide grin. “Shining popped the question to his girl?! That’s awesome!”

“Isn’t it? And I’m sure Twilight will be surprised as well.” Celestia beamed with excitement, a quick mood change from our earlier conversation.

“Well, remind me to send that guy a bottle of champagne,” I said with satisfaction. “I knew he had it in him.”

We eventually made it to my hotel and pulled up to the front entrance. The valet opened the door for me as I turned to bid Celestia farewell.

“I’ll see you later, Sunny,” I said with a mock two-fingered salute. “I had a good time, despite the circumstances.”

“As did I.” Celestia surprised me with a peck to my cheek that made me freeze up as my face turned bright pink. “Good night, Axel.”

I shook my head and dreamily walked out of the carriage. The carriage then pulled out of the hotel driveway and down the street before it was out of sight.

“Wow…what a woman,” I sighed.

Good for you, Dante spoke in my head. You went on a date with a princess. Now, can we switch already? I got business tonight.

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah sure…” I replied not really focusing on what he said as I walked back into the hotel in a daze.

Later That Evening
Dante 1st POV

An hour after switching minds, I headed for a small diner Stone and Fuse asked me to meet them.

I eventually made it to a diner just outside of the restaurant district. When I arrived, I noticed the UV sign had a letter glitching on and off as I walked in. I looked around to see only a couple people sitting at the bar and saw Stone and Fuse sitting in a corner booth.

“Stone. Fuse.” I greeted as I walked over to the booth and sat down.

“How you doin’, kid? How’s it feel to be a made man?” Fuse asked.

“Pretty good,” I nodded. “I’m probably the first in the business to make it this high up in such a short amount of time.”

“Possible.” Stone shrugged. “Now, as to why we asked you here.”

“The Don was asked for a favor by his Godson, an upcoming star on the big screens of Applewood. Goes by the name of Silver Screen.” Fuse said while playing with his saucer.

“Didn’t know you guys had movies around here,” I said to myself. “What’s the problem?”

“The owner of the studio. He won’t give him the lead.” Stone gave me a folder for Silver.

“Any particular reason why?” I asked, opening the folder and seeing a picture of the godson. He had a slick smile with combed back hair.

“Not sure. It might be about some dame,” Fuse said as a few more patrons came in.

“Of course it is,” I sighed. “What’s the end game here? Why does the boss care about his godson’s getting this part so much he called me in for it?”

“When a favor is asked and the Don sees an opportunity, he takes it. And again, it's his godson,” Stone answered.

“Fair enough,” I shrugged. “So, where’s the kid?”

“He’s most likely still in his trailer next to the studio itself. Kid likes to brood in there a lot of the time,” Fuse waved down the waitress for more coffee.

“Then I’ll be on my way,” I said and stood up. “By the way, any word on Serrano after last night?”

Before Stone or Fuse answered, the new patrons locked the door and pulled out a few firearms. “Alright! Empty your wallets and give up your jewels!” One of the lanky ones said.

A burly-looking guy grabbed an attractive waitress. “Come on, mama. We’re gonna have us a little party!”

I glanced at Fuse and Stone, to which they just nodded at me. I nodded back with a grin and turned back to face the robbers and crossed my arms.

“Hey!” One of the thugs called out while charging at me. “Didn’t you hear!? Give us your fucking money!” When I felt the barrel of the gun was jabbed into my back, I spun around, wrenched his gun from him, and slammed his face onto the table where a fresh pot of coffee was waiting for him. “Gyaaaaahhhh!”

The other robbers took shots at me, and I retaliated by aiming my fingers at them while activating Concrete. I fired back at them with concrete shrapnel that were fired the same as actual bullets. A few shots took out their weapons while a few knocked them out cold. Feeling a little blood thirsty, I aimed at the unconscious one’s heads and fired at their heads, killing them instantly. I spun around to see the last of the thugs holding the waitress hostage while aiming his gun at her head.

“You goddamn freak! Stay back! Or I’ll blow her fuckin’ head off!” The robber barked fearfully.

“Ha! It’s funny that you think that's gonna stop me from blowing your brains out,” I smirked before firing one right between his eyes.

The robber managed to blink as blood seeped out from his fresh head wound before his eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor. The waitress was now having a panic attack as Fuse and Stone stood up from the booth.

“I’ll be heading out, boys, make sure to leave a good tip after cleaning all this up,” I said as I left.

“Putts.” Fuse smirked before fishing out a few bucks and handing it to the waitress.

After a short walk and asking for a few directions, I made it to a place called Silvermoon Pictures.

“Wow. Fancy,” I nodded.

The whole place was a collection of buildings and studios with bright lights that lit up the area. I noticed many people walking up and down the strip. Either crewmen carrying stuff for movie sets or directors walking with their assistants to drum up notes for their next movie. I ignored a lot of them as I made my way to the center of the strip where I saw a big fancy trailer parked outside of a studio building. There were a couple of beef head security guards standing in front as I walked up to the trailer.

“Sorry, kid, private property,” one of the men said.

“Alduck sent me,” I said immediately and showed my ring.

The two guards looked at each other before one of them knocked on the door. “Mister Silver. One of Alduck’s men is here for you.”

“Tell them to screw off! I told the old man I don’t need any more muscle!” A voice barked from the side of the door. “I need a miracle worker!”

“That’s what I'm here for. I’m here to perform the favor.” I waited a moment before the door opened.

The young man looked just like in the photo. Slicked back black hair, sharp jawline, brown eyes, and wore a white dress shirt, black suspenders, and slacks.

“You must be Mr. Silver Screen,” I greeted. “Heard you got a problem with landing a main role in a movie.”

“Yes, I am. You must be the made man my godfather sent,” Silver observed.

“Dante. A pleasure,” I said as he invited me in. His trailer looked more like a glorified mini studio apartment than a trailer. “So, what seems to be the issue? From what I can tell, you’re a pretty big deal in show business.”

“That’s an excellent review, thank you. But the part that I wanted, neigh, deserved, was thrown out the window when Set Action, an associate of Don Serrano,” replaced me with a talentless hack!” Silver told me.

“Serrano?” I chuckled darkly. “Oh, this got even more interesting. But continue. Why else did he give you the boot?”

“Besides working for Serrano, you got me. I suppose you'll have to ask Action about that,” Silver said while mixing a dry martini.

“Is he still on set?” I asked.

“He should be on Lot 12 right outside. He’s overseeing the movie, Return of the Moon Queen,” Silver said.

Return of the Moon Queen? Axel spoke. That better not be satire.

Either that or a horror movie, I spoke back.

“You let me handle this, Silver,” I said. “I’ll make sure he gives you the part you deserve.”

I stepped out of his trailer and into the studio building. Inside, there was a massive movie set with backdrops, cameras, lights, and a bunch of staff members scurrying around to get into position. Sitting on a chair in the middle of it all was a lanky guy that was reading over a script. He had these big dumb reading glasses and wore a leather jacket with blue jeans.

“Wrong!” The guy snapped and shoved the script in his assistant’s face with his magic, indicating he was a unicorn-human. “Can’t you write properly?! How old are you?! There’s so many punctuation mistakes that it’ll be a miracle that anyone can read their lines! Do it again! And if I see so much as a comma out of place, it’s your ass!”

This has to be the guy, I thought.

I approached the man as his assistant ran off with tears in her eyes. I cleared my throat to get his attention.

“Pardon me, sir, I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time,” I said in a polite tone.

“Unless you have my damn coffee, you can hop on a pole,” Action told me while not even looking at me.

“Serrano Pepper sent me,” I said, hoping he’d take the bait.

That seemed to pique his interest. “About time. I was wondering if I’d have to bump Silver myself.”

“There’s no need for that,” I said, paging it off. “In fact, Seńor Pepper wants me to give you some files on Silver that could potentially freeze his career as an actor. I have them in my carriage outside.”

“Whatever.” Action waved me off and went back to what he was doing.

“Seńor Pepper explicitly informed me that only your eyes are to view them,” I insisted. “You’ll have to come with me, Mr. Set Action.”

“Celestia’s fat ass, does Pepper not pay you enough to just hand me a piece of paper!?” Action threw his coffee across the room, damaging a cloud set. “Get that cleaned up while I take care of this!” He roared at a few teamsters before heading out. “Any day now!”

I led him out of the building as he grumbled to himself about his employer’s incompetence. I had to stifle a laugh as we exited the building and I led him around back where there weren’t any witnesses.

“Well?! Where’s your carriage?! I’m a busy man!” Action snapped.

“Yeah…about that.” I turned around and grinned wickedly at him.

Before he could say anything, I activated Video and summoned my digital wings.

“The fuck?!” Action shouted when I shoved him around and grabbed the back of his shirt collar.

I flapped my wings and took off as fast as I could up in the air so that no one would notice. I kept climbing and climbing up into the sky until we were as high as the clouds themselves.

“Don Alduck doesn’t appreciate you screwing his godson out of a part he so rightfully deserves,” I said darkly. “So, why don’t we discuss an alternate solution so that everybody wins?”

“And what if I refuse?!” I answered by dropping him. After a couple of seconds, I went after his screaming carcass.

Once I had him again, I held him by his ankle. “Then you’ll paint the pavement red.”

“Okay! Okay, I’ll change the casting!” Action screamed in fear.

“Might need a change of pants as well,” I told him when I noticed a wet stain on the front of his pants.

“Just set me down already!” Action begged.

…

“I got a better idea.” I let go of his ankle and made him fall again. As he fell I deactivated my wings and fell with him. I stayed completely calm as I watched him flail about in the air. “Y’know, the kid was pretty torn up that he was disrespected by you. I’m starting to wonder if you’re even worth it.”

“SAVE ME! SAVE ME, PLEASE!” Action begged.

“Save you? Well, there’s a thought,” I said, tapping my chin as the ground got closer. “Although you’ll have to make it worth my while. How about from now on, you’re at Silver’s beck and call. Whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, you’ll do it. Furthermore, I believe the kid’s due for a heartfelt apology, don’t you?” I asked as we were almost at the point of no return.

“I’ll do it! I’ll do it all! I'll get him laid, just save me!” Action begged.

The last moment before he hit the pavement, I grabbed his ankle as he covered his face with his arms. He slowly pulled his arms away to see he was still alive and I dropped him on the ground.

“All right, you’ve twisted my arm. We got a deal,” I said as I touched down beside him. “Now, we’re going to go see Silver right now and you’re going to say the following: I’m sorry about any misunderstandings we had. It was my shortsightedness that made me forget how good of an actor you are. I respect you and your godfather very much. Please forgive me. Think you can remember that?”

Action just nodded before we headed for Silver’s trailer.

“I…I’m sorry about any misunderstandings w-we had. It was my shortsightedness that…um, that made me forget how good of an a-actor you are,” Action said as we stood in front of Silver, who had a smug grin on his face. “I respect you and your g-godfather very much. Please f-forgive me.”

I patted Action on the back with satisfaction. “Job well done.”

As Action left without a word, Silver gave me an approving nod.

“You work well, very well,” Silver said.

“That I do,” I acknowledged.

“Oh, I wish I could see that old crow’s face when he finds out we screwed him over again,” Silver said with glee. “But he’s off at that fancy dinner downtown.”

“Dinner? What dinner?” I asked, now curious as to where I’d find the man in question.

“A funeral,” Silver answered. “For his nephew.”

I walked into the lobby of a fancy-looking hotel where Nacho’s funeral was being held. There were dozens of men and women dressed in black but surprisingly didn’t pay any mind to me being there. Probably because my face wasn’t known to them…yet. I scanned the area to try and see if I could spot the old Cartel boss until I saw him sitting at a table with a woman that looked about his age. The woman was also dressed in black and had on a black shawl that went over her head. The woman looked like she was crying her eyes out as Serrano consoled her. I waited from a distance until the woman got up and stepped away. That’s when I approached Serrano to speak with him.

“Excuse me,” a guard said, placing his hand on my shoulder. “No one outside approaches Seńor Pepper.”

“I’m just here to pay my respects,” I pushed past the guards and headed for the table.

When I made it to the table, Serrano spotted me and tried to play it cool. “S-Sit down. Champagne? It’s imported.” He offered a glass to me.

“Not necessary,” I said, looking him dead in the eye. “You have my deepest condolences for the loss of your nephew.” I made sure to rub it in by cracking a smirk at him.

Serrano chuckled back before pointing right at me. “I knew the moment I saw you, you’d be a thorn in my side. One that proved deadly for my nephew.” He leans forward to look me straight in the eye. “You’re a fool for coming here.”

I also leaned forward to get in his face. “You wanna know how he died?” Serrano’s eye twitched. “I drained him. I grabbed him by the throat while he was holding his bleeding face that I smashed in with a heavy punch and dangled him over the edge of the shattered window.” Serrano started breathing heavily as he glared at me. “Your nephew was a fat, pathetic excuse of a man. He rode on your family’s coattails for years and abused his influence. I stripped him of all that.” Serrano clenched his fist as he tried his best not to cause a scene. “And when I drained him of his life force, he dried up like a piece of meat. I could’ve dropped him back in that bloody hotel but I didn’t. Instead, I dropped him out of that window for him to splatter all over the pavement, and you know why?” Serrano began to sweat and I could see a blood vessel pulsating on the side of his head. I leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. “Because I wanted everyone to see what happens when they cross the Red Hawk. And soon…the rest of your fucking family will be next on the chopping block.”

Serrano got up and reached for me, but he stopped and clutched his chest.

“Y-y-you b-bas-bas-basta-.” He couldn’t finish since he fell on the table and everyone started to crowd around him.

“¡Don Pepper!”

“¡Seńor Serrano!”

“¡Dios mío!”

“Call a doctor,” I said as I backed away. “Don Pepper is having a heart attack!”

I had to suppress a laugh as I made my way out of the lobby while everyone else came to his aid. I stopped and turned to one of the staff members of the hotel.

“It doesn’t look good,” I said to him.

"What happened?" The staff member asked.

“Someone grabbed their chest. Must’ve seen the bill,” I told him before heading out.