As the girls made their way through the crowd, they were bombarded with relentless questions from the press. The reporters closed in, eagerly seeking answers. Suddenly, Gale Weathers, microphone in hand, stood before them with a self-assured smirk. Anika rolled her eyes at the sight of her.
"Gale Weathers, Channel 4," she introduced herself, her tone dripping with a mix of curiosity and accusation. "Do you ladies believe you're the reason the killer has come to the Big Apple?" she inquired, expecting a reaction.
Anika scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. Fueled by frustration, she made a quick attempt to punch Gale, but the seasoned journalist skillfully evaded the blow. "Nice try, sweetie. I've danced this dance a few times-"
Before Gale could finish her sentence, Amber, wearing a frown of determination, delivered a swift punch to Gale's face, catching her off guard. "Stay away from us," Amber warned sternly, her message clear.
Anika and Amber resumed their walk, determined to escape the intrusive press. However, their attention was swiftly diverted as a car pulled up in front of them. To their astonishment, Sam and Tara emerged from the vehicle, their expressions mirroring a mix of surprise and concern.
Gale trailed behind the two girls, attempting to address the lingering animosity between them. "Are you guys really still mad at me?" she inquired, her tone tinged with a mix of curiosity and concern.
Anika turned to face Gale, her expression firm. "You said you wouldn't write a book, and then you wrote a book," she reminded Gale, the disappointment evident in her voice.
Gale countered, her defense laced with a touch of exasperation. "Oh, come on. Someone was bound to write a book about what happened. It's what I do. True crime is all the rage these days!"
Anika's tone grew sharper as she responded, "After everything we went through together? What would Dewey think?" Her words carried a hint of betrayal.
Gale looked at Anika, her eyes showing a flicker of hurt. "Low blow," she muttered, acknowledging the pain caused by the mention of Dewey, her former partner.
Anika didn't back down, her stance unwavering. "Well, so was your book," she asserted, reminding Gale of the hurtful impact her actions had on their relationship. "You called me unstable and a natural born killer."
"That's taken out of context," Gale shrugged, attempting to downplay the significance of her actions.
Anika looked at Gale, her annoyance evident in her expression. "It's literally a quote," she retorted, her tone conveying a mix of frustration and disbelief, as if she couldn't fathom how Gale could deny the direct representation of her own words.
Gale shared the news with them. "I talked to Sidney," she revealed, her tone tinged with a mixture of relief and concern.
Amber, looking hopeful, asked the question that lingered in the air. "Is she coming?" she inquired, searching for reassurance. Gale shook her head, her expression reflecting a mix of understanding and sympathy.
"No, she and Mark have taken the kids somewhere safe. Sidney deserves her happy ending," Gale explained, her voice laced with admiration for her longtime friend.
Amber nodded, a sense of agreement settling between them. "Something we can all agree on," she remarked, acknowledging the importance of Sidney's well-being. With that, Anika and Amber made their way to the waiting car, quickly climbing inside. Sensing the urgency, Amber signaled for Sam to start driving, prompting Sam to comply without delay.
➩➩➩➩➩
The following day, everyone gathered outside, ready to delve into the intricacies of the movies and unravel the mystery together. Mindy, determined to redeem herself, took charge.
"Listen up, nerds," Mindy began, addressing the group with a hint of self-deprecating humor. "As terrifying as it is, I'm glad I have the chance to make up for not calling out the Killers last time. From what I can gather, it seems like they're making a sequel to the requel."
Curiosity sparked within the group, and Breann raised her hand, seeking clarification. "What's a requel?" she inquired, eager to expand her understanding.
Mindy nodded appreciatively. "Thank you for asking. Let's hold off on questions for now, and I'll explain it all in due time," she said, clapping her hands together to emphasize her point.
Amidst the anticipation, Amber voiced her own question, pondering the motivations of the Killers. "Do you think they are trying to copy the movies?" she asked, her tone reflecting a mix of intrigue and concern.
Mindy confidently addressed the group, gesturing to each person as she spoke. "Yes, the heroes have transitioned to college. We have new faces to round out the suspect list and, unfortunately, potentially increase the body count. Check, check, and check," she remarked, ticking off the points on her fingers.
She paused, her expression growing serious. "This can't be just about 'Stab Two' anymore. We're not dealing with a requel here. We're in a franchise," Mindy explained, her tone carrying a weight of realization. "And with a continuous franchise, there are certain rules that come into play."
"Rule one: with a bigger cast, bigger budget, bigger body count, longer chases, shoot outs, beheadings. you gotta top it up if you want the fans to keep coming."
"I'm sorry beheadings?" Chad asked confused.
"Beheadings." Mindy confirmed. "rule two: whatever happened last time, expect the opposite. Franchises. If the Killers last time were snow flakes with Letterboxed accounts, you can bet the opposite. Rule three: no one is safe Legacy characters are expendable, brought in just to be killed off in some cheap bid for nostalgia, not looking good for Kirby and Gale. And that's not even the worst part!"
"This is where she tells us the worst part." Amber said pointing.
"The worst part is.. franchises are just continuing episodic instalments designed to boost an IP. Which means main characters are completely expendable now too, Laurie Strode, Nancy Thompson, Tony Stark, James Bond, and Luke Skywalker, they all died so their franchises could live on. That mean not just the friend group. Any of us could die doesn't matter especially Anika and Amber." Mindy finally concluded. The two sister's gulped at that.
Ethan's voice carried a mix of surprise and uncertainty. "Wait, you mean any one of us could be targeted?" he questioned, seeking confirmation.
Mindy nodded, affirming his suspicion. "Yeah, that's right."
Ethan's insecurity surfaced as he hesitantly asked, "Am I even considered part of the friend group?"
"mhm"
Feeling a wave of vulnerability, Ethan blurted out, "Am I going to die a virgin?" The room fell silent as everyone exchanged bewildered glances, unsure how to respond to such a personal question.
"Dude," Amber scoffed, her expression a mix of disbelief and slight disgust. She couldn't relate to Ethan's concerns.
"I could always help with that," Breann teased before laughing under her breath.
"Well that was a weird overshare which brings us to our current suspects Ethan! The shy dorky guy who no one suspects because he's so shy and dorky." Mindy told every one.
Ethan, feeling defensive, raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Why am I a suspect? Just because I randomly ended up as Chad's roommate?"
Mindy leaned in, gesturing towards Ethan and Chad. "Roommate lotteries can be duked you know. You could have fixed it," she suggested, raising the possibility of Ethan intentionally orchestrating the living arrangement.
The spotlight shifted to Quinn, and Mindy continued with a mischievous grin. "And then we have Quinn, the slutty roommate. A horror movie classic," she said, playfully emphasizing the description with a chef's kiss gesture.
Quinn responded with a hint of uncertainty, their voice slightly questioning. "Sex-positive, but thank you?" they remarked, acknowledging Mindy's comment while also hinting at the complexity of their character.
Mindy turned her attention to Quinn. "So, how did you end up living with Amber and Anika?" she inquired, her tone filled with curiosity.
Quinn replied, "I answered their ad online."
Mindy swiftly interrupted, putting a halt to Quinn's response. "Stop right there, you've already implemented yourself." she pointed out, her tone slightly accusatory.
Amber, feeling the need to defend Quinn, started to speak up. "We posted an anonymous ad, and we went through a thorough vetting process. Besides, her dad is a cop," Amber explained, attempting to provide reassurance.
Mindy abruptly cut off Amber, frustration evident in her voice. "And that's precisely why she could be more likely to be the killer! Don't you remember how these movies work, Amber!?" Mindy exclaimed, getting up close to Amber's face. Amber, unimpressed, rolled her eyes in response.
Quinn turned to Sam, seeking some clarity. "Is she always like this?" Quinn asked, gesturing towards Mindy. Sam simply shrugged, implying that Mindy's behavior was not entirely out of the ordinary.
Mindy's attention shifted towards Breann, who appeared visibly nervous. "And last but not least... Breann," Mindy declared, her voice tinged with intrigue. "The flirty, ever-present friend who seems to be getting quite cozy with someone." Mindy discreetly gestured towards Amber, attempting to hide the fact that she was singling her out.
Mindy leaned in, her tone dropping to a hushed whisper. "You know, one can never fully trust the non-official love interest," she cautioned, subtly alluding to the potential significance of Breann's connection with Amber.
Sam took a moment to pause. "Okay, so we have our rules in place, and we've identified our suspects," he confirmed, emphasizing the progress made so far.
Ethan leaned forward, his expression curious. "What about you guys? Shouldn't we consider you as potential suspects too?" he inquired, his eyes shifting between Sam and Mindy.
Mindy crossed her arms, a hint of amusement flickering across her face. "Well, I think it's safe to rule out the six people who went through this exact same thing last year in Woodsboro," she responded confidently, highlighting the fact that their previous experience could exclude them as suspects.
"Agreed" Chad nodded.
Quinn quickly interjected, halting the conversation. "Wait, hold on. Not agree," she objected. "Just because you guys went through this before doesn't automatically exclude you from suspicion. It's entirely possible that one of you could have snapped and wanted to partake in the killings yourselves," Quinn argued.
"Or the fame made you thirsty for me, the stuff about Anika are-" Ethan was quickly cut off.
"If you finish that sentence i will fucking cut you" Amber threatened him with a glare.
Breann chimed in, nodding in agreement. "okay they're right, face facts if we're suspects, you're all suspects too."