level_act15d5_st02

On the endless barrens, a red-haired Vulpo man squats on the ground, concentrating hard on something.

Not far behind him is a car, undergoing inspection from a Lupo with white hair and a Feline in black.

The three of them seem like companions, and their ride, broken down.

Hey, Aosta, come over here.

What?

Look at these bugs.

See what they're doing? All walking in a line.

And their group's pretty long too. Let me see where they're heading.

Looks like you're charged back up.

Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better now!

I don't put too much stock in your own self-reports, though.

What are you, my mamma?!

You were coughing blood half an hour ago.

Ha ha, but I'm not now.

Ah, shit. I spent too long talking to you and now the bugs are gone.

Forget it. I'm going back to fix the car again.

Hey, have you guys figured out what's wrong with the car yet? Want me to come help?

The tubing's busted in places. The engine won't start.

Me and Broca can deal with it. Just stay in one place, okay.

Not like I've got anywhere to go. There's nothing out here, and nowhere to run to.

Following a rumble, the engine comes to life again.

Phew... Broca, go and call Chiave back here.

Alright.

Yo, Broca, why don't we see who can piss farther!

My bladder is empty.

You don't give him straight answers to these, Broca.

Damn, that's a shame! This is perfect weather to piss to!

Aside from polar wastes, I don't think there's any weather bad for p... for relieving yourself.

You just don't get it, Aosta. It's all about a feeling!

Ah, a perfect arc—che cazzo!

What's wrong?

The wind just blew my perfect arc onto my shoes! Tch, what a bummer.

Just leave it, we're gonna go. If we can't find a rendezvous before sundown, we'll have to sleep out on the barrens tonight.

What's wrong with the barrens?

Look at it this way, I've never been camping before! Let's camp out today!

The barrens are a death trap, and realistically speaking, this jacked ride doesn't even have any camping equipment in it. Our only place to sleep is inside.

Also, fuel is another problem.

Cheh. The last owner just didn't get it.

I don't think the average city car owner would have any camping stuff prepared, let alone additional fuel.

Who knows if one day someone'll borrow your car to go camping, eh? It doesn't hurt to prepare!

And would you?

Eh... no.

Then shut up and get ready to leave.

Aight.

Are we off now?

Mm-hm. Let me drive.

Whaaat? Isn't it my turn?

You just relax.

Aosta, you know something? You get more and more like a mamma every day.

Hey, Broca, you get where I'm coming from?

A little.

It's because both of you have Oripathy.

I hear good life habits help keep illness in check. You should go to bed earlier every day, Chiave.

God, y'know, Aosta? My own mamma never told me that.

Sticazzi... just shut up.

Aosta says as he starts the engine.

What's some good tunes to put on...

*Clicks tongue* Respect to the owner, they listened to a lot... Ah-ha, I like the look of this sleeve. Put this on!

Chiave inserts his newfound record disc into the car's hi-fi system, and lively music bursts from the speakers—

'♪Saturday's coming, wanna ride my beast far'

'♪To your apartment with a present like a star'

(Whistle) Not bad.

For sure. Okay, on we go.

By the way, Aosta.

Mm?

Where are we heading right now?

I should've answered this before we set off.

I forgot.

I bet you weren't even listening in the first place.

I nabbed a map while were slipping out. For now, we're heading towards Locomotiva City, since it's closest.

They've taken a rocky road with our family. As long as we're lucky, we can join up with them.

If not, at least we have somewhere to stop over.

Hey, I used to hear about this weird village in the west of Siracusa. It was all haunted inside. Let's go take a look.

Keep dreaming. We don't even know where it is. You don't even know if someone just made that up.

Then how about we go see a city one of the other Twelve Families runs?

Hey, y'know, the Sicilia Legale counts as one of the Thirteen Families, but they fight each other plenty. Some alliance, hah!

The Sicilia Legale don't organize like all the actual Families. After all, it's made up of tons of families, big and small.

Nobody from the big Families would give a shit about our Sicilia Legale nobodies.

Pff. They'll come begging for me to join them one day, no doubt about it.

In any case, there's no heading back to Vite City for now... no, maybe we can never return.

And we've offended the Trin Famiglia. We've got no place in Vite anymore.

Ha ha. We caused a shitstorm, after all. I kinda wanna see my old capo Layton. *Hack*—*spit*! See what his stupid face looks like right now.

For sure.

Ha. Too late for regrets at this point.

Regrets... I wouldn't go that far. Layton was a real son of a bitch, after all.

Sold us out and still wanted us to count his money. Wasn't happening.

Mm-hm. No regrets here either.

Hey, take your mind off it. Look, there's still some families who treat coming out of jail for the first time like an initiation, and you're not a real member until then.

And yesterday, we defied our Family and hightailed it out of the city.

So I now declare, you are true members of my Chiave Famiglia!

Aosta, you're the family's consigliere!

Haha.

Broca, you're the family's underboss!

Heh.

'♪But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell—'

'♪You don't know—'

'♪You don't know you're disgusting!'

By the way, we've been driving for ages without seeing a single guy, eh.

Apart from a couple gathering spots and settlements, there wouldn't be any lone travelers outside the cities in the first place.

Because there's a few families who couldn't stick it in the cities and spread out to the barrens to wreck shop. I've been with the family's caravans a few times before, and every time we'd make the right preparations.

Anyone like us, running off into the wild without a second of prep? Probably cruising down Death Road.

Ha, Death Road. I like that.

But yeah, back in the garage, I saw plenty of guys prepping themselves a hell of a lot of stuff to head out with.

Egh, if we coulda brought a little more to eat when we escaped, that woulda been good. Aosta—

Forget about the food in the trunk. That's for emergencies.

Tch.

I'll take the fact we escaped at all.

If we weren't lucky enough to have Mandel on guard that night, we'd probably be tied to chairs blindfolded in a dark closet right about now.

Broca, next time something like this happens, remind me to bring more food.

Alright.

You... whatever.

Man, this is boring, though. All this land forever and no way to use it.

Look, over here, we could set up a garage THIIIIIIIIS big, and then we could pimp rides inside. Wouldn't that rule?

And what about Catastrophes? We'd have no way to stand up to one.

Egh. Catastrophes, Oripathy—nothing's ever good in this whole stretch of world.

Broca, I'm begging you, you got ANYTHING interesting?

Want to take a look?

What's this?

A book I just finished reading.

About what?

A novel about a pair of lovers who were broken apart in the end due to the conflict between their two families.

The ending is very moving.

Forget it. Whaddaya even doing bringing that kinda book?

Because Aosta said the journey would be incredibly boring.

Yo, Broca, I've been pretty curious for a while now. You like reading those?

Not 'like' like. I just read them when I have nothing else to do. They're alright.

I gotcha. Yo, that reminds me, Aosta, you ever get a girlfriend before?

No.

You, Broca?

No.

Pfft. Me neither. I don't get what's so fun about dating.

Hey, Aosta, I'm guessing you like that kinda book too?

I prefer political and historical titles more.

Tch, I shouldn'ta asked. Those two words make me fall asleep.

'♪She played mouth harp in a Victorian band,'

'♪But she fell in love with a Columbian man.'

Yo, can something just happen already—huh?

Hey, Aosta, look over there.

That's...

I'm begging you, my mother's growing old and my children need me...

Outta my face. I'm feeding my old and my young just the same.

Now be nice and shut up. You piss me off and I'll open you a few new breathing holes!

*whimper*...

Hey, Aosta, Broca, I've got an idea.

Don't tell me you wanna play robbers with them.

Eh? I'm saying we scare the robbers the hell outta here, and then we ask these merchant guys for some supplies. How about it?

Yo, but your idea's not bad either.

No. Actually, let's go with your plan.

For sure?

For sure.

And if they don't cough up the goods, we just have to make them.

I like it! C'mon, full speed ahead, let's knock those morons into next week! Broca, get ready to fight!

Alright.

Hey, look over there!

What?!

Ha! Get down!

Hmph!

Tch.

(Whisper) I'll give you an opportunity. You take it...

(Whisper) Got it, got it.

Also, Broca, you...

Alright. I'll do my best.

What're you mumbling about over there!?

Out!

Tch. You're a pretty tough guy. All of you, over here! Deal with him!

Got it!

Hmph!

Hey, pretty boy, where you going!?

Now!

Right, right!

With Aosta acting as bait, the bandits have momentarily overlooked the merchants' presence, and on Aosta's signal to seize this chance, they jump aboard the car.

After that, following a fit of rumbling, the car vanishes into the dirt and dust.

Cazzo, you three sons of bitches!!!

Wait, what about our supplies now?

Just stay alive!

As the merchants draw the bandits' attention, Aosta jumps aboard the gang's own ride and revs the engine up.

Chiave, get on!

Yeah!

Without waiting for Chiave's response, Aosta first drives the car straight into the throng of bandits.

But Chiave's known how things roll for forever now, and after dodging two guys, he grabs onto the door handle while the ride's still accelerating, and clambers aboard.

You're not getting away!

Broca!

Here!

Broca brandishes a drill bit out of nowhere at the bandits to push them off, and the moment the car passes him, Aosta putting pedal to the metal, he turns and jumps inside.

Hold on tight!

Tch! Don't let 'em get away!

The bandits attempt to stop the three's car, but stopping a vehicle that's already going ain't easy. Their ride breaks out of the bandits' encirclement without a hitch, and races towards the horizon.

What are you doing staring at them?! You, you, and you, pursue the merchants! The rest of you, after those three assholes!

They WILL die in this wasteland today, you hear me!?

Got it!

Whoaaaa, Aosta, look, they're catching up to us!

I know! Fasten your seatbelts, I'm shifting this thing up!

'♪Con las manos arriba, cintura sola'

'♪Da media vuelta y sacude duro'

'♪No te quites ahora, que esto solo empieza'

Even as Aosta takes it to the redline, the bandits bite ever closer at their heels.

These jokers just don't give up, ha—*cough* *cough*.

Chiave, don't stick your head out at them. Close the window.

What—did—you—say? I can't hear you over the wind!

Broca, pull him back in.

Alright.

*cough* *cough* *hack* *cough*—What the hell are you doing?!

Aosta told you not to stick your head out.

Chiave, what's wrong? What's the coughing for?

I don't know. Probably caught too much wind in my mouth?

Hopefully that's it.

I have good news and bad news. Which do you wanna hear?

Bad news first.

We're almost out of fuel.

Ha. What's the good news, then?

The good news is, it looks like we can shake them off before we run empty.

Whoa, I can see the wall of a nomadic city from here!

Yep, that should be Locomotiva City now.

Yo, doesn't look half bad. It's got more style than old Vite—*cough* *cough*.

Seriously, Chiave, are you okay?

I'm okay, I'm okay.

Then you're gonna help push the car with us. It looks real close, but if that's where we're going, we're not gonna make it today.

The car's out of fuel, c'mon. What are we still doing with it? It's gonna be faster just to walk.

There's actually still just a little fuel left. I'm leaving it for either when we get close, or when they catch up to us.

Also, this is the most valuable thing we have right now. Are you seriously gonna go into a city with empty pockets and try to make a living?

(Whistle) Fine.

Even as his face says he couldn't care less, Chiave still wanders over to one corner of the car, and starts pushing it with the other two.

Hey, Aosta, I can turn the stereo on for some tunes, right? Not like it'll waste much fuel.

...You can have that.

Awwrighty, ha, lemme see—let's put this one on now!

'♪Hello, brightness, my old friend'

'♪I've come to talk with you again'

—Tch, this song doesn't get me pumped at all.

I think it's pretty nice to listen to.

Same here.

Fine, you both like it anyway. This works.

Yo, say, Aosta, you remember how we met each other, right.

Hm? Yeah.

You were still a mechanic at the time, and then you beat the shit out of my family's people. I got sent in to clean you up.

Ha, and then us two fought, and then we were best friends forever.

Heh.

*cough* *cough* *cough*.

Hey.

I'm fine. Broca? You still remember?

Of course. I'll never forget. You two saved me.

Ha ha, damn right. You really were a goddamn lunk, getting sold out by your family without even realizing.

But rest assured. I'll never deal you away.

Mm.

...Thinking about it, we really have known each other for a while now.

Sure have—*cough* *cough*.

Chiave, I'm vetoing you. Just rest in the car, no acting strong. Me and Broca can push just fine.

Hmph. I'm not acting strong.

Broca, I think we both got Oripathy together, right?

I don't know.

I think probably not. You just got examined at roughly the same time.

Broca's should be from that time with the fire, where someone gashed him with that Originium thing.

And as for you, you never normally protect yourself against anything. I wouldn't be surprised no matter when you got it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

*cough* *cough* Aosta, you spend the whole time with us, and you're gonna get it too one day.

Perhaps.

But even if I do, something tells me it won't be that bad.

Eh? Why's that?

It'll be better than me watching you two suffer.

Ha ha ha, now that's my good brother right there.

You've been talking endless crap today. Just lie down inside and relax yourself.

*cough* *cough*.

Aosta, I've decided what's going top of the list of things I hate.

What is it?

It's Oripathy.

Broca, carry Chiave into the car.

Alright.

Broca, taciturn the whole journey through, goes over as he's told and picks Chiave up in his arms, putting him into the car's back seat, before moving right back to his original position and continuing to push the car.

As Chiave lies on the back seat, he's dazzled by the sunlight, and he brings up his arm to shield his eyes.

Heh. We got this disease, and that asshole Layton threw us out like we were disposable 'cause of it.

Hated me to the point it got hard to even breathe.

Aosta, the day we become heads of the Thirteen Families, I'm gonna find some way of settling this Oripathy thing, once and for all.

Mm-hm. When the time comes, we'll get a whole taskforce of doctors just to research the disease. Or maybe those real mighty hospitals. Give them some cash and get them studying.

Ha, damn right. And then I'm gonna set up this whole big hospital. Gonna find every single guy the world hated 'cause of their disease, and I'm gonna throw 'em all in there and cure 'em.

And I'll clean up every single person who hated 'em.

I'll help you out.

Ha, of course you gotta. Aosta, you too. Don't forget, you two are my consigliere and underboss.

Mm. Chiave, you'd best stop talking now. Just rest nice and easy.

*cough* *cough*...

Hey, Aosta.

What is it?

What do you think about dying out here on the barrens?

Huh?

What are you talking about.

Weren't you gonna be head of the Thirteen Families? What the hell are you dying in a place like this for.

Ha, yeah.

But I thought about it kinda carefully just now. And nothing seems too bad about just dying here in the barrens, really.

All the big cheeses are gonna go in the ground someday. What's the difference between death in a wasteland and death on a bed that cost a couple million, huh?

Find a couple stones, dig a hole, lie them down in it, and then close their eyes.

Pow—one person's dead.

Not so bad hearing it out loud, right.

Hold on, Chiave, what the hell are you saying?!

I'm saying, the sky today—cazzo, it's so blue—

'♪Seppellire in terra sconfinata.'

'♪O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella—'

Perhaps it was the battery that exhausted itself, as with little fanfare at all, the car stereo's music comes to a halt.

Chiave? Chiave?!

What the hell are you dying in a place like this for?!

Broca, get in. I need to find some kind of rest stop somewhere. Hopefully I'll find someone...

Zzz... zzz...

Aosta, he just fell asleep.

Goddamn you.

But... we still can't be hopeful about Chiave's illness. Our best option remains to find an Infected doctor who's willing to treat him...

Hey, you look like you've got car problems. Do you need some help?

Here, three portions of sashimi.

Ha ha, about time.

Thank you.

Thanks.

So, when you and the others got rescued by Rhodes Island, Chiave, that was when you joined them?

Not at all. That operator, codenamed Straightedge, brought us all the way to the Rhodes Island office in Locomotiva, and then asked the medical operator stationed there to give Chiave some treatment.

Eyo, Jaye, you've got some real skill.

Much appreciated. See, I always thought that was how you joined Rhodes Island.

How? We didn't know them from Adam yet, and besides, Aosta gave the car over in exchange for the medicine. At the time, I actually thought Rhodes Island was pretty lousy.

Haha.

But Rhodes Island's medicine's pretty effective, right, Broca?

I can confirm.

As for why we joined Rhodes Island, to put it simply, it's because Chiave offended one of the big family heads in Locomotiva, and we had people out for our blood again.

That time, Straightedge saved us again.

And then, under his referral, we just straight-up came to Rhodes Island.

Got it.

Heh. For the record, Aosta, that one was never my fault.

I know.

It sounds like another new story all of its own.

Heh, you got time, Jaye, brother? I'll tell it to you, in all its glory.

It's already past midnight, and there's no missions tomorrow. I'll go get some Lungmen wine. We can drink and talk.

Ha, now that's a plan.

That evening, me and Aosta were gonna go see...

The men share their stories on into the dead of night in the empty cafeteria...