"Alright, start talking, Mudak," Strelok spat out. "Where the hell are we?"
It had been a few minutes since Strelok, and the woman, who he learned is named Undyne, captured the goon. By now, they got tied down from a rope with elastic material. How or why Strelok had it with him, he had no clue.
"W-we're in the road leading to-"
"We're not talking about what destination we're in!" Undyne cut in, interrupting the goon. "We're talking about what this place is!! I recall entering a home just before waking up here, dammit!"
"Wait, y-ya mean the Dark World?"
"Dark World?" Strelok questioned. "That's what this place is called?"
"Y-yeah, you got that right," they explained.
"Dark World..." Strelok heard Undyne repeating the words. "Why the hell does that sound familiar?"
"Can you elaborate on what this place is?" Strelok said.
"W-well, it's a place inhabited by Darkners," the goon said. "You know, l-like me and the others."
"I said elaborate," Strelok deadpanned. "Not add more shit that I don't understand."
"Hold on!" Undyne suddenly yelled out, causing the goon to flinch in fright. "I think I know what a Dark World is!"
"Wait, you do?" Strelok asked.
"It's something Asgore's kid mentioned," Undyne said. "Right before I, uh...nevermind."
"Can you tell me?"
"I don't know much. But, from what I heard, it's something along the lines of an alternate world." Undyne said. "Kid even mentioned one of them appeared in the Librarby."
"Who's this kid?" Strelok said.
"Human kid," Undyne explained. "Lanky, always wears a sweater, messy hair..."
"Does this kid go by the name Kris?" Strelok asked, garnering the monster's attention.
"How the hell do you know?" she questioned, glaring right at him.
"The kid visited my place," Strelok answered. "Along with their mother and friend."
Undyne continued looking at him, her face remaining skeptical. Eventually, though, she dropped her expression before looking at the goon once more.
"Speaking of which, you mentioned they were taken by this Big Mike guy, right?" she said. "Now tell me, where the hell did you take them?"
"I-if you're talking about yer Lightner buddies, they're taken into Mike's mansion up north," said the goon. "But it's a long way to get t-there. That's not even mentioning the others you'll face."
"In that case, we just have to be careful," Strelok said. "Right, Undyne?"
"Yeah," Undyne nodded.
The goon looked hesitant at the two before speaking.
"I-is that all you want?" they said. "C-can I leave? Please?"
"Not a chance," Strelok immediately responded. "You think you could run from us that easily?"
Strelok quickly took hold of the goon's shirt as he lifted them and leveled his face at theirs.
"You're going to help us get to the mansion by any means, or so help me I will shoot both your legs and leave you crippled here!"
"W-wait! Please don't!" the goon yelled out. "I-I'll make an arrangement for you, guys! T-there's a vehicle rental shop in town!! I-I can get you guys a car!!!"
Strelok looked at the goon with skepticism. But with little few options the group had, he knew it was a risk they were willing to take.
"Fine," he said. "But if I ever caught you trying to lure us into a fucking trap, you're dead! Got it?"
"C-crystal!" the goon yelled. "Crystal as ever!"
"Good," Strelok nodded before letting go of the goon's shirt, dropping them to the ground.
"Well, now that you're done playing bad-cop with this jerk, can we go to the town already?" Undyne cut in. "This heat's somewhat getting to me."
"Well, at least it's not that bad," Strelok commented.
---/-/---
It took a while for the group to reach the town. By then, the group was getting exhausted from walking. The goon was fairing well despite their outfit not particularly equipped for a desert-like area. Strelok was working up a sweat, but he at least still had a leveled head and kept an eye on his current prisoner. Sadly, it wasn't the case for Undyne.
Her armor made her sweat up a storm, and the fact she was weak to heat made it more difficult to travel. Strelok even caught her a few times from nearly fainting during their trip.
"Are we there yet?" Undyne huffed out, her face nearly red from the heat.
"W-we're just about entering the town," the goon said.
"Thank the Angel," she groaned. "Damn, I hate this friggin' heat!"
"I'm with you on that," Strelok said. "So, where the hell's the rental place?"
"The, uh, owner usually goes to the saloon during this time of the hour," the goon said. "I'll try and negotiate with him for a car."
"You better," Strelok muttered.
The town consisted of many buildings connected by sand-dusted roads. Some of the buildings were themed around the Wild West. Other buildings, however, were a mess of tropes and ideas clashing with one another.
A large building stood out the most. The building had a swinging door entrance and a Wild Western structure. But it was heavily contrasted by the 80s aesthetic. A neon sign with the letters "SALOON" glowed brightly above the entrance.
"This is the place," the goon said before looking at the group. "J-just a word of advice. Please, don't cause a scene."
"No promises," Strelok said.
"Just as long's there a bloody AC in this place," Undyne said, pushing past the goon and entering the building.
Inside the Saloon was a bustle of activity. Waiters from different shows and cartoons weaved through crowds of tables, serving food and drinks to customers. Nearby was a bar with a few people. Manning the bar was a rubberhose-styled bartender, serving drinks and chatting with some individuals. Slow, melodic music played in the background from an old jukebox sitting in the corner, with a greaser leaning onto the machine, nodding to the music.
However, the bar's bustle was interrupted when the trio entered. All eyes were slowly on them, and the music suddenly paused.
A few seconds later, the music returned.
"Oh, hehe, they're...heh, they're looking at us," the goon nervously said. "U-uh, you guys find a seat. I'll go look for the owner."
Strelok remained skeptical but nodded to them. The goon scooted away before making his way to the bar, getting the bartender's attention. Strelok gestured Undyne to follow him to a nearby empty table.
"Ugh," he groaned, sitting on a chair. "That's much better."
Undyne sat opposite to him and sighed happily.
"Finally," she said. "My legs were killing me."
"More like your armor was," Strelok remarked. "I almost thought you were going to have a stroke."
"I nearly did," Undyne admitted. "At least, I think so."
Any further conversation was interrupted when the goon returned. The goon took up a chair nearby and sat with the two.
"G-good news, the owner's here, along with his buddies," the goon said. "Bad news, w-we have to wait for him 'cause he's on the second floor."
"What's in there?" Strelok asked.
"Nothin' much, other than a game room," the goon said.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Strelok turned to see an anthropomorphic cartoon bunny wearing a waitress outfit.
"Hello," she said in a friendly tone. "May I take your order?"
"I'll have a milkshake, please," Strelok turned to look at the goon with a questioning gaze. The goon reacted as expected. "O-oh, w-what do you want, then?"
Looking at the goon for a few seconds, his attention returned to the waitress, who gave him a nervous smile.
"Just some water," Strelok answered.
"Okay..." the waitress said, startled from Strelok's gaze while writing down the order on a notepad. "How about you, ma'am?"
"Me?" Undyne asked. "Uh, I'll just have anything that's cold."
"We have cold beverages, like sodas, iced tea, and many more," the waitress said. "We also have ice cream, if you want."
"Make it vanilla flavor," she ordered.
"Alright," the waitress said. "One milkshake, one water, and one vanilla-flavored ice cream coming right up."
With a short bow, the waitress walked away from the table. Strelok's attention returned to the goon once more.
"You're buying for us?" he questioned.
"Eh, hehe, It's either that or you guys shooting and tearing me apart because I didn't buy you stuff," the goon said before quickly adding. "N-not because you have a gun or anythin' on ma' head. Hehe, t-that's for sure."
Strelok let out a chuckle, which made the goon more uneased.
A few minutes passed as the waitress returned with the ordered beverages and ice cream. By then, the group indulged in their time of rest. Some Darkners stole a few glances at the group, more specifically at Strelok and Undyne, and even started talking about them. But the two paid no mind to them.
Then, hearty laughs slowly filled the room as several individuals walked down nearby stairs. Many of them were in different art styles. Some were in a rubberhose style, others were a more Disney-like design, and many more were in different styles.
One individual stood out amongst the others. He was a middle-aged man in the style of anime, with a well-fit body to boot. He wore a sleeveless shirt with jumper pants, and on his waist was a utility belt filled with tools.
"Same time next week, gents?" the man said in a gruff and somewhat dubbed voice.
"Absolutely, Tobias!" a cartoon cat straight out of the 30s said. "See ya around!"
"I, too, shall seeth thee, Tobias," an old English knight waved. "Doth take care."
The man smiled before his eyes wandered for a moment. It was until his gaze met the group, more specifically at the goon.
"Well, if it isn't one of Mike's goons," the man commented. "Good to see you around, Nick."
"Hehe, same with you, Tobias," the goon, Nick, nervously replied.
"Nick?" Strelok questioned, garnering Nick's attention.
"E-eh, yup!" they said. "That's my name."
"Anyway, why'd you call me down here while I was in the middle of a game?" Tobias questioned. "It better not be another deal about customs. I swear, I already told you I'm taking a break from that."
"I-it's not that," Nick stuttered. "Well, we were-"
"We need a vehicle," Strelok cut in before Nick could explain. "One that can take us to Mike's mansion quickly."
Tobias gazed at Strelok before sighing. He glanced at a nearby empty chair before moving it and sitting with the group.
"I should've expected that," he said. "I'm guessing you're here to save your Lightner friends, correct?"
"You got that right!" Undyne proclaimed.
"More or less," Strelok answered with a gesture.
"Look, I get that you want to save them," Tobias said. "But I'm gonna tell you this, traveling up north is no-go at this time, even with a vehicle."
"Why's that?" Undyne asked.
"Let's just say he has a bounty on every Lightner that enters this place," he said. "Everyone's probably gonna hunt you down, and I mean everyone."
"So, you can't help us?" Strelok said.
"I didn't say I wasn't going to help you," Tobias shrugged. "I'm just saying that it's going to be difficult going up north. Unless, of course, you like a challenge."
"It's not the first time I've fought a large group," Strelok said. "I think I can manage."
"Heh, fighting's my thing," Undyne commented. "Besides, I'll just beat them to the ground if they get the jump on me."
"Like last time when I found you?" Strelok questioned.
"That doesn't count, Pav," Undyne growled, glaring at the man.
"Sure, sure," Strelok shrugged.
"If you're that eager, let's head to my shop," Tobias said. "You already out-stayed your welcome here. Too many eyes, if you know what I mean."
"Hmm," Strelok nodded. "I know the feeling."
"And you," Tobias then pointed at Nick. "You're coming with me."
"W-what?" Nick looked at him. "Why?"
"Don't play dumb. I know you'll find an opportunity to call Mike the moment we turn our backs," Tobias said. "But I ain't gonna let it happen."
Nick looked at him before looking at the other two. Seeing the determined glares he was receiving from them, he defeatedly sighed.
"O-okay," he said, raising both hands up. "I'll come with."
Unbeknownst to all individuals, a lone figure sitting in a corner pulled out a small phone and whispered to it.
"Sir, I found more Lightners in the Saloon, south of the city," the person said. "And from the looks of things, one of 'em fits the description of the sharpshooter you gave. I might need more backup for this, however."
<Very well. You'll receive one immediately.>
---/-/---
"I appreciate your support, boss."
<Just don't disappoint me.> Mike ended the call before letting go of the phone and letting the cord pull it once more.
In front of him, several armed characters stood. Many of them held guns and ranged weapons, while others used swords, maces, and other melee weapons. All of them wore determined looks.
<Well, everyone.> Mike commented with a grin. <It seems you might have an early payday after all.>
---/-/---
(Hey, everyone. I know, it's been a while. But I finally made the chapter. I know it ain't much, but I do hope it's enough to tell you this fanfic's still alive. Anyway, leave comments below the chapter if you find any errors. Until then, I hope you enjoyed. V 0-1, signing off.)