The Big Bad Wolf

Chapter 5: Unlikely Alliances

Four criminals, three disguises, two lovers, and one very large dog.

That was the scene inside Arny's van as he and his acquaintances traveled down the freeway on their way to make mischief. They'd left the house after forty-five long minutes of debating who would wear which disguises. There were only three of them which was okay considering William wasn't being targeted as much as the other three. Two of the outfits were intended to be matching couples outfits and the other was all black from head to toe.

"Alright, Red. Which of the boys are you matching with?", Will had asked as he laid out the outfits. The dark-haired girl raised a ruffled brow and picked up the all-black fit. "Neither. I don't do relationships, real or fake.", she simply said before walking upstairs to change. Arny opened his mouth to argue but a warning growl from Nix was enough to shut him up. Danny and Arny stared at each other before simultaneously shouting, "YOU HAVE TO WEAR THE CROP TOP!". Arny scoffed and shot him an incredulous look. "Hell no! I'm older!", he said while crossing his arms across his chest. Danny rolled his eyes and replied, "And I'm the Pope. Do you think I give a shit? No, no I don't.".

The two continued back and forth like that until Red came downstairs dressed and ready to go. Seeing that they were still arguing like children, she sighed and whistled twice. Nix barked loudly effectively shutting the two of them up. "Just play rock, paper, scissors. Whoever loses has to wear the crop top. Solve it or Nix will.", she spoke before sitting down and resting her eyes. The two boys glowered at each other before raising their hands and preparing to face off. Three seconds passed, the air filled with thick tension. A war cry of, "ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!", filled the small living area before Arny cried out in anguish. Danny cackled and snatched up his outfit before racing upstairs. "Damn it!", Arny cursed before grabbing his clothes and stomping upstairs behind him.

A couple of moments later the two of them made their way downstairs together. Danny draped his arm across Arny's shoulders as they crossed the last step and smirked. "Isn't my baby just gorgeous?~", he teased, earning a sharp glare from Arny. Red cracked an eye open and looked over the two of them. Although he was mad about it, Arny was wearing the top pretty well. He definitely had the body for it. Red smirked and stood before stretching. "He is!", she agreed and walked toward the door.

The four of them exited the dusty, old house and made their way to the bullet-riddled van in the driveway. Arny tossed the keys to Danny and slid open the side door. "If you kill us, I will haunt your ass for the rest of your days.", he warned before getting inside and shooting him a dirty look. William snickered while helping Red into the van and getting in himself. Nix barked twice from the front door before backing up and nudging the door shut. William closed the van's doors as the vehicle started. Soon, they were pulling out of the driveway to start the day ahead.

*TIMESKIP TO LATER BROUGHT TO YOU BY BRANDON'S CAT EARS*

Red glanced around a corner before creeping into a back alley. She cringed a bit at the various piles of trash and boxes but said nothing as she moved closer to her destination. For this little mission, she'd traded in her basket for a backpack. The gold weighed heavy on her shoulders now, but she knew what she'd be carrying back would be much heavier. Little Red turned a corner, then another corner, and another after that until she reached a dead-end.

At this dead-end was a bright yellow door just big enough for her to fit through. In the center of the polished wood was a figure of a man and woman carved onto the surface. Red heaved a sigh and looked around her for any possible exit in case the deal she was about to make went sour. The people on the other side of the door had never given her any trouble, but she had no idea who could be trusted given her current situation.