"Do it," Francisco said as he fell back, letting the soldiers move forward.
"Fire!" one of them commanded.
The bullets rained out like a storm...but they were fired into the sky.
The crowd went completely silent. Not a single person moved.
Dalgedo and Janquin froze mid-fight, glancing over at Francisco.
Francisco nodded slowly while locking eyes with them. Jose and Angelo sprinted toward Janquin and Dalgedo.
"Put the guns down, all of you! Just fucking do it!" the guards shouted as they advanced with their weapons.
One of the group members locked eyes with a guard.
"What the fuck are you looking at? I said put the fucking gun down!" the guard barked, slapping him across the face.
"Drop them. Drop….. drop..…" Slowly, the clatter of weapons hitting the floor echoed through the party.
"No more fighting. Hey, Dalgedo....never fight your allies!" Angelo yelled, grabbing Dalgedo by the collar.
"That was a fucking mistake, got it, Janquin? No more killing each other. That's it. Now.....shake hands. All of you. Just fucking do it!" Jose shouted, jumping up on the table to be seen and heard.
Dalgedo stepped toward Janquin. Their eyes met.
Janquin's throat went dry. He swallowed hard as Dalgedo extended his hand. Janquin looked down… and shook it.
One by one, the rest of the members followed after seeing their bosses do the same.
Dalgedo clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth. His eyes stayed locked on Janquin, though he tried to look away. Somehow, his gaze kept drifting back.
"Good. Now, let's get this party started again," Francisco said, clapping.
People were still panting. Some of the girls were crying, holding the lifeless bodies of their friends.
A staff member entered the washroom. He looked in the mirror, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. But it wasn't enough. He clutched the sink and let out a desperate, agonizing scream that filled the bathroom.
"Sir, the girl you asked about...… she's dead. Her whole family is gone too," one of the Snake members said to Jose.
Jose didn't respond right away. His mouth stayed slightly open for a few seconds. Then he smiled and gave a soft chuckle.
"Don't sweat it. Girls like her are all over Portugal. I can fall in love with a new one," he said, sitting in a blood-soaked chair.
The member laughed along with him.
Five Years Later
"Hey...… we should enter the game," Angelo said, swirling the wine in his glass.
"Do you have a death wish or something?" Francisco asked, setting his phone down.
"No. But you get what I'm saying, right?" Angelo said, walking to the window.
"No. Explain it properly," Jose replied, his curiosity piqued.
"The world's changing. Governments won't have any power against the players. Neither armies nor anyone else can hurt them.....only other players can. I'm sure within a month, a player will dethrone our government and take over. You've seen it. The game only started six months ago, and people still struggle to decide whether to join or not. You can't leave the game unless you reach a certain level," Angelo said, leaning against the wall.
"What are our chances of surviving and reaching that level?" Jose stood up.
"I don't know." Angelo walked over to Jose and Francisco.
"Then why risk it? If we're not even sure we'll survive, why not stay here in peace?" Francisco picked up his phone again.
"Peace? Ha….... you really are an idiot," Angelo scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"What's so funny? Why'd you laugh?" Jose asked, mirroring his stance.
"Why do you think we're safe? We've done horrible things...killed innocents, tortured women and girls. The gang members respect us for our power, not our money. Imagine what happens if one of them becomes a player. Do you really think he'll obey us? Hell, he won't even listen to his own boss. People respect power because it brings both fear and protection. Without it, we're just nobodies—easy targets for death, torture, or to be forgotten. I had my reasons for joining this gang. Jose did it for his parents. Nobody knows our secrets. Except for me and you, Francisco, no one knows where Jose's parents are after being discharged from the hospital. And it's the same with me.....only Jose knows mine. If one of our enemies becomes a player, we're screwed. They'll torture us first… then go after our loved ones. If we die in the game, we'll be forgotten. But if we survive, we can keep our power. Either way, our families are spared. So what do you want?" Angelo slammed his hand on the table.
Francisco and Jose didn't look at him. They had no answer.
"Fine. Then this is goodbye. I'm not sitting around doing nothing. I'm going in. If I die, my secrets die with me. If I survive.....we'll meet again." Angelo dropped his gun and walked out.
"He's right. We have two options...either die as kings or live like rats, watching ourselves rot," Jose said, eyes glassy.
"So this is it. I don't know what's on the other side… but I don't have a choice," Angelo muttered, taking a step back.
"Wait." Jose grabbed Angelo by the shoulders.
"We've thought about it. You made your point," Francisco said, stepping in through the door.
"You bastards," Angelo said with a grin.
They all took deep breaths, stepped back—then jumped into the gate together.
Six Months Later
A portal opened in the same room.
"Oh my… this place is a mess," Angelo muttered, scanning the now-wrecked room.
"Guess they didn't miss us after all," Jose said, stepping through.
"Then let's remind them who the bosses are," Francisco followed, pure Pbv energy surging through his body.