𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 | 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐨 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 {𝚁𝙴𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙴}

𝟐𝟑 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 (𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐎𝐕, 𝐓𝐖 ⚠️)

(Mild Schizophrenic Episode and Angst Warning!)

The trio had arrived to Pico's apartment on the fourth floor. The soft, lilac and peach hued skies that once joined them on their ventures were now turning into grey and navy blue as the clouds were becoming much fuller. Sounds of nearby Latin music and car engines were the only things that filled the Earthy void as the ginger pushed open his apartment window. Stepping into the dimly lit room, Pico noticed a couple silhouettes sitting by his bed. He stumbled his way into the room, reaching for his UZI. Only to stop when he recognized the bright attire.

"Nene, Darnell!" He exclaimed in astonishment, rushing over to his friends and firmly embracing them. "I... How did you two get here?" "I texted them." Cherry responded, closing the window behind her. "I figured we'd need all the help we could get in order to save [Y/N]." Pico looked back to Cherry as she spoke. Her expression calm yet a sense of uneasiness lingered as the couple approached him, taking a seat in front of the lifelong friends. Pico nodded in agreement as he released the hug, taking a seat crisscrossed on the wooden floors beside Darnell. The room stayed relatively silent, as no one knew what to say exactly. Neighboring noises filling the silence.

"So, you going to fill us in or what?" Nene spoke up bluntly, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she picked at her nails. "I didn't cancel my 8:00 services for nothing." "Right..." Pico let out a dismaying sigh, pushing himself up steadily from the ground. He took deep, steady breaths to calm his nerves as he strolled to the kitchen. Hoping if he kept calm, the indistinctive voices would go away once more. Pico opened the faded fridge, grabbing a water bottle from inside. Taking a sip of the already open bottle as the fridge door closed itself.

"[Y/N] said she was going to meetup with Keith this morning. Never explained why." He begun, picking up a pastel pink paper from the countertop. Pico gazed down at the handwritten note, rereading the short letter nervously. "Hey; I didn't want to wake you up. I'm going to be meeting Keith at a café not too far from here. I should be back in an hour or two." At the bottom was signed with [Y/N]'s name a little heart next to it. "I didn't think anything of it, so I just went about my day..." Pico continued quietly, choking on his words. "I-I should have known something was up when she wasn't back yet... Dammit!"

Pico slammed the bottle onto the counter, the liquids flying out of the bottle and onto the surface below. "Shit! Dammit, shit!" He muttered shakily, leaning his trembling body against the counter. Watching through blurred vision as his tears hit the beige, laminate countertops. "I thought things were going right in my life... And now this?" He sobbed, grabbing his head with both hands.

Nene got up from her seat, about to comfort the distraught ginger. Only to halt to place when the abrupt sound of nearby shattering glass filled everyone's ears. Pico jerked his head up to the now gaping hole in the fire escape window, sprinting to it as if on instinct. He whipped his UZI out from his pants pocket as he approached the window trim, managing to get a glimpse of a red silhouette rushing around the corner of the neighboring brick building.

Pico stepped in front of the window, surveying the nearby area with a shaky groan. He turned away from the opening as he put his gun back in his pocket, watching as Keith picked up a glass covered brick from the middle of the ground. "What's that...?" He asked hesitantly, cautiously stepping to the cyanette. Keith carelessly dumped the tiny shards of glass onto the wooden floors, flipping it around to find a white envelope wrapped around matted rope. As Keith pulled the envelope out with ease, he turned it around to face the front. Reading it, Keith's facial expression dropped in fear. "Shit..." He muttered loudly, unknowingly dropping the brick in the process.

"What, what is it?" Pico asked hastily, ripping the envelope from the other's light grip. As he flipped the letter to face him, the ginger's eyes widened as he recognized the all-so familiar nickname written in blood. Pico scrambled to open the casing, small pieces of paper flying onto the floor. With a heavy heartbeat, he flipped open the letter. Revealing a lock of [H/C] hair attached with tape to the bottom of the paper and a short message:

"You left us there to die. Unless you want to be behind bars, comply or the girl gets it."

Pico's hands shook uncontrollably, crumbling the blood-written paper in his grip as he stumbled backwards. His chest tightening further. "Oh god... No! NO!!" He cried in horror, voice cracking with dread. Nene rushed to the ginger, catching him before his knees buckled into themselves. She held Pico close as he sobbed into the crook of her neck, rubbing his back steadily. Keith joined them on the ground, placing a hand on his ex's shoulder. "It can't be..." Pico muttered through sniffles, embracing Nene. "[Y/N]..."

As he opened his tear-filled eyes, Pico's vision was filled with red clouds floating at eye level, raining bloody droplets onto the floors. The tears that once streamed down his cheeks eventually dialed down as he stared off to the plain walls in front of him. Holding onto Nene close as they stayed in one another's embrace for moments time.

"Hey guys?" Darnell said, glancing at the brick he had picked up moments prior. Pico peeked over his shoulder to the African-American with puffy, red eyes. "Yeah...?" He asked tiredly, sniffling. "I think I know where yo girl is." "Wait, you do?" Keith exclaimed, jumping up from the floor. Darnell nodded, further examining the brick with his functioning hand as Keith ran to his side.

"I recognize this brick from a factory not too far from here." Darnell explained, turning the brick over carefully. "I haven't been there since my accident, but if I remember correctly it's by that bridge with the river running through it." "No way..." Keith muttered in awe, gazing down to the block. "You're saying it's nearby then?" He asked, looking up to the taller male.

"Yeah, we should be able to-" Darnell stopped mid-sentence, watching as Pico pushed himself off of Nene. Stumbling with each step as he rushed to get his other gun from the kitchen counter. "Dude, where the hell are you going?" Darnell asked in disbelief. Pico hurried to the window, flinging the window upwards as glass shards flew to the floor. "I'm going to get [Y/N] back!" He declared intensely, jumping out the window.