//------------------------------// // In the desert // Story: Stick Up Artists // by A Pony Typewriter //------------------------------// Rockford Hills, Los Santos It was another lazy afternoon in Los Santos for Michael De Santa to enjoy. The now retired bank robber was enjoying the warm sun of the west coast, there was nothing to worry about, his family's back, he got financial security from the business he owns and he don't need to worry about Merryweather or the FIB going after him along with the Chinese organized crime, it was smooth sailing till the end for him. Michael walk out of his house with nothing but his short and a cold whiskey in hand to the pool on his back yard, he set down his whiskey on a nearby table, lie down on the chair, and pulls out his iFruit phone then plugged in a pair of ear buds to it and insert the hearing apparatus into his ears. He selected a song to listen to, sit back, took a sip of whiskey and enjoy the sun. "Ahhh... another beautiful Los Santos day." Sandy Shores, Blaine County In the rundown trailer on the edge of Sandy Shores, Trevor Phillips wakes up in the most surprising of places, his bed. He uncover himself from the blanket he use, to reveal that he was in his underwear, again and had no recollection of the events of the previous night. Trevor then got out of bed and put on his usual attire. "Ron! make me a coffee before I give you a home vasectomy!" "Coming Trevor!" Trevor walked out of his bedroom and to the trailer's porch, as his friend and business partner, Ron, ran towards him "Here you go T," said Ron, "just the way you like it." Trevor grab his cup coffee out of Ron's grasp and took a sip, he made the sip stay in his mouth for a little longer, savoring it's taste. It was warm, and with the right amount of cream. With the first sip entering his system, it took another three gulp for him to finish his coffee, he then toss the cup away and turn to Ron. "After all these years you finally make it right," praised Trevor "T-T- thanks Trevor," stuttered Ron "Alright, what's the agenda for today my good man?" Trevor asked his assistant. "Uh-uhm we got several arm drop to pick, and uhm-uh..." "My God Ron, how did we became friends again ?" the man with receding hair asked. "I'm sorry Trevor, I really am," Ron apologized. "Alright what else ?" "Uh.. the Aztecas have been intercepting our gun packages lately." "Tell me something that I don't know Ron !" Trevor shouted. "Sorry Trevor," whined Trevor's business partner, "well this means they have been intercepting our radio traffic." "Euurghhhh...." Trevor growled, "I hate it when the competition gets smart." "Uh... T," Ron said, " when you were in LS, with Wade." "Yeah what about it ?" the Canadian asked. "Well..... he tells me that his cousin went missing," Ron said sheepishly, "while you were covered in strawberry syrup." "Hmmmm.... Wade cousin gone missing and I'm covered in strawberry syrup," said Trevor, "what could've happen before?" Trevor remembers, the memory of how Wade's cousin and his wife, Debra. How Debra pulls out a gun out of the kitchen drawer in her apartment, and Floyd brandishing a knife, and the moment when he grabbed the knife out of Floyd grasp then slit his throat, threw the body to Debra then grabs her gun, put two round into her then left, leaving the bodies to rot. "FFFFFUCK!" cursed Trevor. Trevor jumped over his porch and get into his car with haste, then took off, leaving in the dust, a very confused Ron. Trevor speed through the rural town and make his way to the freeway, heading to Los Santos. Entering the freeway he pulls out his cellphone and began texting. Rockford Hills, Los Santos Michael was on his second glass of whiskey, and an hour into his sunbathing, the list of songs in his phone was entering it's second loop. The sun was beginning to set, and yet there's nothing to stop him from enjoying his day. He turn his head towards the house, seeing that Jimmy is still in front of his laptop looking for a job, and he could see Tracey watching TV. Michael decided that it's time to end his laying in the sun, he got up and put his shirt on and went inside. As Michael enters the house, his phone began to vibrate, it was a text, from Trevor, he opened it. Mikey, what about we go out for a drink ? just you and me like the old days. Michael was surprised, that Trevor actually text, he usually just call him directly, either about a job or hanging out. Michael threw away the thought and gave Trevor a reply text, saying that he agree on going out to drink. A few moments later his text receive a reply. Okay, bring over some bleach and an overall, meet me at Vespucci Beach -T Looking at Trevor's reply, Michael was now confused, first he asked him to go out drinking and now he wants him to bring bleach and overall. "What are you up to T" Michael thought to himself. But he already agree to go out drinking with Trevor, and don't want to break his promise, if Michael did, Trevor would probably get emotional on him, and there's a likely chance that Trevor would tried to kill him, again. "Hey Jimmy I'm going out for a while and your mom ain't be back for a while," said Michael. "Where is mom anyway ?" asked Jimmy. "I don't know," Michael stated, "she said she's going out with her friends ?" "Friends ?" Jimmy questioned. "Our neighbor," Michael told him. "Oh okay," Jimmy said, "so where are you going ?" "Uncle T called, he wants me to go out drinking with him," answered Michael, "don't tell your mother about this just say that I'm at the studio." "Kay dad." Michael than went upstairs to change to a more appropriate clothing, then went downstairs grabbing the bleach from below the sink, with everything prepared, Michael take his car key and made his way to the garage then took of to meet Trevor. An hour later, Vespucci Beach, Los Santos Michael pace back and forth on a parking lot near the beach, waiting for Trevor to come, and there is still no text or e-mail confirming his whereabout. The ex-bank robber reached for his phone, and called Trevor. "Hey T where you at ? I've been waiting here for half an hour ?" questioned Michael. "I'm on west Vespucci," said Trevor over the phone. "Where exactly on west Vespucci ?"inquired Michael. " Behind the weed shop, just go there my car parked right next to an apartment." " What the hell are you doing there ?" he asked. " Just get here Mikey ! You want to drink or what ?!" "Alright, jeez I'm coming." There was a beep on the phone, signaling the end of their conversation. Michael walked back to his car, start the ignition, and immediately he drove to where is Trevor supposed to be. After about fifteen drive to the other end of Vespucci Beach, Michael finally find what he was looking for, well the half of what he was looking for, it was Trevor red truck, park on an apartment parking spot, but nonetheless Trevor was absent. He glanced at the interior of the car, there was a 12-pack of beer, shovel, mop, a bucket, cans of white paint and trash bags. Seeing the items in Trevor's car, Michael scratch his head. "Hey Mikey !" Michael turn around to see Trevor approaching, wearing an overall with a taco in hand. " Hey T" greeted Michael, "what's up with the overall, I thought we're going out drinking ?" "We are, but not yet," Trevor continued, "there something we gotta do first, you bring the bleach ?" "Yeah it's in the trunk," Michael said. "Get in your overall we got some cleanin' up to do," "Cleaning what exactly ?" "Questions, questions, questions, just get in your overall." "Alright, alright." Michael opens his Tailgater trunk to change into the overall he brought, then he fetch the bleach and follow Trevor. Both men went up a stair and enter an apartment building. When they both open the door, a vile stench of two decaying bodies greet their nostrils. "Auughhh... what the hell is that smell," said Michael while covering his nose. "Michael, meet Debra and Floyd," Trevor introduced, "the late Debra and Floyd." Trevor introduced the couple by pointing their remain it to Michael. The body was badly decomposed and there was flies buzzing around them, they were pale and already becoming a home hundreds of maggots that seems to surround the wounds. The apartment itself wasn't in a much better state, items was strewn across the floor, there was a broken laptop and a lot of blood on the floor, carpeting and wall. "What happened here ?" Michael asked. "Well they were such a happy couple," Trevor explained "but they get into fight and I can't see such thing happening to a couple so I stop them before it got out of hand." "You know what, I don't wanna know." "Suit yourself." After the explanation both men started cleaning the apartment, Trevor took care of the bodies, inserting them to the plastic waste bag he brought with some unusual methods, that includes separating some of the parts from the bodies, meanwhile Michael clean the floor and walls of blood of the couple. Somewhere in the Equestrian Badlands The place was dark and damp, stalactites and stalagmites jutted out from the surface and lines of left over Limestone lined the wall, not many ponies come to this place, yet it is a home to few. Some were outcast, some were drifters, some were just trying to find home, some were just lost soul, here they find enlightenment. Ponies would called them a wrong religion, an anarchist group and even a cult, but these ponies didn't care. Unlike most, these ponies doesn't bow to Celestia nor Luna, they bow to something more darker, a tyrant exiled from his domain, a dangerous pony that few knows that he still exists. In the many spaces of the cave, there was a place big enough to fit about a hundred ponies, to the inhabitant this is their place of worship, a sacred shrine dedicated to their king. A unicorn, covered in a brown cloak with a hood, move to the far end of the shrine, following the unicorn was ten other ponies dressed in the same manner. All of the ten ponies plus the unicorn was standing around a pedestal carved out of one of the stalagmites surrounded by candles, on top of it was a wooden box that seems to be engulfed in a dark purple and red flames. One of the cloaked ponies uncover himself, revealing an old unicorn stallion, with a beige coat and wine red graying mane with a strake of lighter red, which was also graying. "The king is calling," said the aging unicorn, "it is almost time." There was silence among the crowd. "My child, it is your time," pointing to the cloaked unicorn,"to answer his call." "At once master," said the unicorn. The unicorn answering, uncloak herself, revealing a young mare with covered in yellow fur, and mane of red and yellow, her horn glow opening the box with her magic. The mare stopped and stare at the object inside the box, it was a unicorn horn, with a curved design, in color of black and changing red onward to the tip. Her magic made contact with the horn, instantly she was encircled by a beam of dark magic coming from the floor of the cave, the mare began floating, her eyes became green with silted red pupils, then the beam shot upward breaking the cave ceiling and leaving the mare unconscious. Gran Senora Desert, Blaine County, San Andreas The sound of Trevor's truck filled the night as he drove through Route 68 in the Senora Desert, beside him was his buddy Michael, and behind them was Debra and Floyd. They both journey in silence, Michael being a little upset of having to cleaning up Trevor's mess. Trevor turn his truck into a rural road leading into the desert, his head was going left and right looking for sheriff's cruisers. After a while Trevor stop his truck and get out, he grab a shovel from the bed and start digging a hole ten feet away from his car. An hour passed, and hole dug, it was time to lay Debra and Floyd in the ground. "Michael grab the bag and bring it here!" Trevor shout from the hole. Michael comply by grabbing two waste bag of what remain of Debra and Floyd, he brought them beside the hole and get ready to throw it in. "Whoa, whoa whoa wait," said Trevor, "open the bag then throw it in." "You serious ?" "Does my face look like I'm joking to you?" Trevor asked. "No," Michael answered. "Then open it." Michael opened the bag, and again the horrid stench of rotting pieces of flesh greet his nostril. "Fuck T! " the family man cursed as he back pedaled from the odor of the dead. "Stop yammering and throw it in,"Trevor told Michael. Michael swing the bag and body parts fill the hole, they were unrecognizable, he then proceed to throw the second bag. "With that over let's go drink." "Finally." The family man and the entrepreneur walked back to the red truck, Trevor grab the 12-pack in the rear, he threw one for Michael and open one for himself. They both cheer, after the clang of beer bottles, they both start drinking in the desert night, with only the sky, the coyotes and themselves. "When was the last time we were out in the wilderness like this ?" Michael asked. "Are you getting into me ?" questioned Trevor. "What ?! No!" Michael said. "Hey I'm maybe crazy but I also need some loving ya know." "Yeah..... I got a wife and two kids," Michael stated, "I think I'll pass." Trevor let out a sigh as he stare into the night sky. "Last time we were in the wilderness was in '89," Trevor recalled. "How'd that happened ?" asked Michael. "Oh you remember Mikey!" shout Trevor. "Remind me." Michael said. "We were on the run from the cop when we rob that fast food join," explained Trevor, "and you just had to turn for a deer." "Now I remember." Both men continued to drink as they stare at the star littered sky, accompanied by the sound of coyote's. Suddenly a light came from the trail leading to the main road, and heading towards them, It come closer, the sound of an engine becomes audible, and seems to be heading towards them. "Get down!" Trevor commanded. Michael comply, and both men take cover beneath the truck. The sound of engine get closer and closer as the light from a head lamp come closer. It stops, the engine come to a halt. Michael and Trevor could see a pair of leg from beneath the truck, they were expecting a park ranger, or a deputy coming to check the area. "Trevor !" shouted a familiar voice, "Where are you T?!" "What the fuck are you doing here Ron!" shouted Trevor, as he crawled out from beneath the pick up. "Uh-uhm...." Ron stuttered. "SPIT IT OUT GODDAMN IT!" Trevor yelled. "So-sorry Trevor," Ron apologized, "I-I've been listening to The Aztecas radio traffic." "AND ?!" Trevor shouts. "They're going to move a truck load of meth through the desert," Ron continued, "they're moving it from Paleto Bay." Satisfied with Ron answer, Trevor walked to the pile of dirt and sand he removed from digging the hole, he grab the shovel planted on the pile and hand it to Trevor's Phillip Enterprises CEO. Ron gave him a quizzical before he point out the hole,Ron immediately understand and start putting the dirt and sand back into the hole covering the remain of Debra and Floyd, while Trevor went back to drinking with Michael. "Don't you think you went to hard on him ?" Michael asked. "Nah," Trevor answered, "the man need to learn, he used to be an accountant for Christ's sake !" "How the hell did he end up with you ?" "His wife left him, drained him of everything he got," Trevor explained, " Then I found 'em in a car in the desert." Michael and Trevor continue to drink down their beer, enjoying the desert night while watching Ron slowly filling the unmarked grave. Unseen above, clouds began moving, circling above the truck where Michael and Trevor were sitting. As the clouds accumulate, thunder rumble and lightning flashes. Ron look up into the sky to see what's happening, he see a what look likes a storm cloud and a plane overhead. Slowly the cloud formation made a gap in it's center, for a light beam to come from the sky and engulfed Michael and Trevor. In a flash of light, they disappear along with the truck, leaving black crystals on the ground.. Ron's jaw hangs in horror, as he just witnessed his boss, and his boss's friend disappear to a beam of light, he drop the shovel and run back to Sandy Shores. "THEY'RE REAL! THEY TOOK THEM! THEY TOOK TREVOR!" screaming as he runs.