The Two Kings

Minor Scale

A/N: Laughs in evil.

For the past few days, things have been oddly pleasant. To the point where everyone and their mother was talking about how long it's been since normalcy was in place. But for Pigsy and his noodle store? Oh, boy, it was a disaster. Apparently, there was a food critic coming over in half an hour, and Pigsy was handing it like any good chef would- He was panicking. A lot. 

Pigsy had forced MK to mop the floors for the tenth time in a row, and he made Parker wash dishes as if his life depended on it. Seriously, his hands were turning red, there was so much scrubbing. Pigsy's meanwhile, was scrubbing the walls that even the wood started to shine. Probably not a good idea in hindsight but oh, well.

"Look alive, kids," Pigsy said, scrubbing a picture of himself holding a giant noodle, "this place needs to be spic and span! I got a very special guest coming over!"

"Did someone say free noodles for a special guest?" Asked Tang, who appeared leaning on the door frame. He fixed his glasses, grinning like he'd just won a million dollars as he took a seat. "Ooh, fancy!"

"Beat it, Tang!" Pigsy yelled, "there's only one guy eating for free today, and that's-!"

"Would that be the food critic Golden Cicada yum yum?" Tang asked as he raised his brows and opened his computer. He typed on the buttons as Pigsy, Parker, and MK gathered around. The three gasped in awe as a picture of Tang dressed in a suit with fire on it and golden glasses appeared on the screen.

Pigsy closed the computer, and Tang struck the same pose as the picture. Pigsy screamed in horror, gagging and shaking as he turned blue. Parker and MK gasped in the same awe as they leaned forward. 

"Woah, I didn't know you did that Uncle Tang!" Parker said as he sat on the counter- only for Pigsy to push him off into a trash can. "Ow!"

MK went in for a hug, exclaiming, "what a twist!" Tang glared down at MK's hands, only to scoot away in disgust as MK fell on his face.

"Hm, staff hygiene leaves something to be desired," Tang said as he typed away on his computer. "Overall cleanliness needs improvement."

Pigsy stood in front of the man, glaring him down with daggers in his eyes. Tang slammed his computer down,  and also glared Pigsy down. This went on for a minute before Parker and MK took several steps back and turned away.

Pigsy appeared right in front of them, furious and angry. "Go wash your hands! Park, take out the trash! Now!!"

"On it!" They both saluted in fear before running in opposite directions.

"So, what's first on the menu?" Tang asked cheerfully as he clicked his chopsticks together.

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Parker hauled the last trash bag over his shoulder, muttering as he balanced the load. "Why can't I just burn this stuff? One little fire—problem solved."

Pigsy's voice echoed in his head: "It leaves a smell!" He'd practically thrown Parker out the door with the trash earlier, and the memory still made Parker scowl.

The alley behind the shop smelled exactly how an alley filled with garbage should—like stale noodles, spoiled broth, and damp cardboard. Parker wrinkled his nose, tossing the bags into the dumpster with a satisfying thud. "There. Done."

He turned to head back inside but stopped short when a muffled scream reached his ears. Faint but frantic, the voice sounded familiar. Parker's brow furrowed as he tilted his head, listening closely.