Crab Cakes & Flashes

The next day, Flash and Crab Cakes were going about their normal routines, about as normal as a routine you can do on Saturday is anyways, when for Flash during one of his walks in the city bumped into Sunset, who actually called his name and went over to him...

"What do you want." Flash asked Sunset

"Flash, I think you might've forgotten something when you went off on us on the Dazzlings." Sunset said

"Oh, I didn't forget. They feed off negative energy. But that doesn't change the fact that's still feeding, and you STILL starved them to death."

"And about Gloriosa-"

"Camp Everfree being her home, where she grew up? That's her bad luck. I know you're doing charity events for her, but that doesn't change the facts that this is reality Sunset. Your charities are good and all, but you've got to understand that what you and your friends did by sticking your nose in someplace it didn't belong is only gonna make you different enemies. And if there's anything I've learned about life from Crab Cakes during his drug problem, is that doing certain things will reward you, different enemies and different allies Sunset." Flash added, "It doesn't change the fact that you meddled in someone else's affairs that you shouldn't have messed with in the first place, and sooner or later you're gonna pay the piper for what you and your friends did."

"Flash they were going to tear down her home-"

"What makes you so certain they would've?!" Flash asked, "For you know and all she knew Filthy Rich could've been talking about another part of the Camp as an extension of it! You don't know the full details of Filthy's story! Neither does Gloriosa, so what makes you so certain that Gloriosa wasn't just demonizing Filthy to make her look more like a victim rather than part of the real shades of grey the story probably is!"

"I guess you have a point there-"

"Me and Crab Cakes talked about it this morning and were heading on down to Filthy's offices to get his side of the story."

"What makes you so certain he won't just lie to you?!" Sunset asked as Flash began to walk away

"Having a friend with a wife who's got connections helps." Flash explained before leaving Sunset's view

"I... why..." Sunset said to herself, "What have we ever done to deserve this...."

Flash and Crab Cakes soon arrived at Filthy Rich's man offices, with Crab having arrived very early in his car.

"Flash, what kept ya?" Crab asked as he got out of his car

"Let's just say I ran into an old friend..." Flash explained

"Say no more Flash." Crab explained as they began to head into the building

Eventually, the duo arrived at Filthy Rich's office after he just got done talking to someone over the phone... and it sounded like it didn't go well.

"Bad time for us to arrive?" Crab asked

"No, it's alright Mr. Cakes. Just another case of fake lawsuit threats against me."

"Jeesh. You think people would grow up." Crab Cakes groaned

"Indeed. I take it you wanted to discuss something?"

"We came to get your side of the Everfree story." Crab Cakes explained

"About time someone asked me about my side of the story."

"Wait. So you mean NO ONE tried to get your side of the story once the whole thing was done and over with?!" Crab cakes asked, "What a bunch of assholes... They only understood HALF the story! But anyways, just what IS your side anyway?"

"To be rather honest, I too grew up with fond memories of Camp Everfree. My father took me there when I was quite small. He figured it would build character for me. He was right. Not only did I leave Camp Everfree with fond memories, but it also helped me build some character."

"Then why was Gloriosa saying you wanted to tear down Camp Everfree and build a resort over it?" Flash asked

"Tear it down!??! Flash Camp Everfree is a national landmark! I wouldn't touch it at all! I was always in such a rush, being a businessman and all, that my choice of words ended up being poorer than a North Korean's health and only made me look like a bad guy as a result!"

"Then why was Gloriosa, at least from what Flash told me, saying you were gonna build a resort there if you say you wouldn't tear it down?" Crab Cakes asked

"The resort was suppost to GAIN attention to Camp Everfree. It clearly needed repairs, and I was willing to offer a way to help them get money with the price of me holding some control over the camp."

"Uh...." Flash and Crab Cakes went

"Relax. I wasn't gonna have TOTAL control. More like act as an advisor on what we could do to make Camp Everfree a better location for fond memories to grow and nurture." Filthy Rich explained, "Unfortunately she was too stubborn and stuck in her old ways to accept my help, so, even though I didn't want to, I gave her the ultimatum you all know into scaring her into talking."

"So... you purposely did the action of a well-intentioned extremist... just to get her to talk about a deal?" Crab Cakes asked

"When you put it that way? Yes."

"Jeesh. It is true what they say about businesses. There really is no low they won't go to just to prove a point." Flash said

"Sometimes you have to teach people that you just won't take no for an answer. It wasn't up for debate. They NEEDED the money. I could tell they were struggling, and I was willing to help them. And what did they do? They turned their back on me due to how stuck they were in the mindset that they didn't need someone like me to earn money. Even though these Rainbooms are doing charities for them, which while noble and well-intentioned, can only get you so far if the PEOPLE wanna get involved in them. And from what I hear, outside of a few successes here and there, they've been struggling quite a lot in trying to make enough money with these charities they've been doing. I really wish I had the guts to tell them this, but people are losing interest in their charities."

"Yeah, I've begun to notice that as well recently." Flash admitted, "I don't wanna tell them that what they're doing is a lost cause but-"

"-it really is with the fact people rarely show up for any of their charities?" Crab Cakes finished

"Right on the money." Flash replied

"I say if they want nothing to do with you then Mr. Rich, I say wait for THEM to come crawling back to you and BEG you to help them. You shouldn't try to give in and got to them. That's just proving their point that their half-truth of a story is THE truth. History is written by the victor Mr. Rich. How this whole Camp Everfree fiasco escalates is in your hands. Just whatever you do, DO NOT try to contact them. That's only giving them strength. You need to mentally show them that THEY need YOU, not YOU need THEIR land."

"Wow. That's pretty harsh." Flash said

"Flash, we need to show the Rainbooms as well as Gloriosa and her creepy brother Timber Spruce that they need him more than he needs them and their land. And more specifically, we have to show the Rainbooms that their charities are NOT gonna do much in the grand scheme of things if they plan on keeping the small charities thing up and running."

"How? Flash asked

"Mr. Rich? Are the strong believer in the belief that people change because over time the times change and new ideas replace old ones?" Crab Cakes asked

"I am. It's how my business has thrived for so long. People are like Internet trends. They can change at the drop of a hat. And people change to better suit the environment and blend in with many others. I honestly believe that's going on with the Rainbooms right now. Thanks to the madness that was the Election and currently the whole FCC Net Neutrality thing going on, money's been jumping back and forth between worthless to being as valuable as a diamond at the drop of a hat as people scramble to prepare for the worse outcomes. It might be because of this that people are just no longer interested in charities anymore. And the few who still are only give so much because they fear the worst outcome every time something like these things, like the Election, happens and think that every cent should count towards preparing for the inevitable outcome be it good or bad."

"If the Rainbooms heard this they'd be jumping all over you and call you a hack and thinking you were telling them nothing but lies." Flash pointed out

"I know. Which is why I'm glad to have told this to you boys. You boys are the only real ones close to them that could get them to understand."

"In terms of me? Nope. I just wanted to get your side of the story. I've practically burned nearly all my bridges that connect me to CHS in any way. After all the shit they threw at me I want absolutely nothing to do with that school anymore." Crab Cakes explained, "I may not be able to rely this harsh reality onto them, but maybe Flash will be able to."

"Trust me, it's more than just the harsh truth dude. It's the real truth." Flash said