Alex's POV

"Soooo, there may or may not be a ruthless killer in the apartment..."

"And you tell me this now?!" My eyes widen. "You know there's a difference between secrets and information about a possible murderer!"

"So you're suggesting we don't go in and take a look?" Maddie asks, her eyebrows raised in a quizzical fashion.

"Obviously(!)"

I mean it's just the smart thing to do.

Maddie suddenly hugs me, wrapping her hands around my waist and putting her head on my chest.

"I'm sorry Alex..." She hugs tighter, and I hug her back. "But this needs to be done.."

Her right arm leaves my waist and shoots towards the door lock. She unlocks the door quickly and opens it.

It was at this moment I realised...

We're dealing with an absolute psychopath.

...

Maddelena's POV

There were cactuses everywhere...

They were all over the tables with some on the sides of the room standing tall. We had just stepped into the most dangerous place in the world.

But really I'm thinking about the fact that someone wasted time and money setting this whole thing up.

I'm about to step in but Alex's hand pulls me back quickly. His brown and blue eyes church's over my body state.

"Be careful.....you might prick yourself on a needle..." He mutters, fiddling with some of his hair between his fingers.

"I don't know if you're aware of this but I'm quite petite."

"Really? I had no idea that in our few months of companionship that you are shorter than I am."

"Whatever.." My eyes roll to the back of my head.

I step backwards out of the room closing the door once again. Alex looks at me quizzically. I've just had an epiphany... technically we don't have to go inside. It's not like they have a gun to our heads.

I grab Alex's hand and pull him down the hallway with me. He looks hella confused but I'll explain it later.

He yanks my hand back quickly. I let out a little yelp, nearly losing my balance as I wobble on one foot.

"What was that for?!" I hissed, taking my hand away from him.

"You have a red spot, right here." He says cautiously, his finger pointing directly between his eyebrows.

"Wow(!) Thanks for pointing out my biggest insecurity...What a gentleman(!)" I glared at him, a hand subconsciously reaching for my forehead.

"NO. No..not like that. It's like a red sniper dot that you see in action movies."

There's a sniper dot....on my forehead!

I notice a little red dot on the side of Alex's forehead as well and I follow the direction so I can find the owner. I reach the end of the hallway standing in front of the large window. I blink as the red Lazer light hits my eye for a second.

For a second I couldn't believe what I was seeing, yet after staring at the masked figures on the rooftop and the object in his hands it all made sense.

They were a bunch of  Sniper fakers....
Snakers....

"Alex...they're not really snipers. Its just idiots wearing masks.... trying to scare us with Lazer pens..." I roll my eyes.

He looks closer out the window, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Oh..."

"I mean talk about murder on a budget...but this is just embarrassing. Like imagine spending all the budget on cactuses just because you want to be a creative villain." I giggle quietly, it's quite funny actually.

"So are we going o-" Alex starts, but he is is cut off by an angry male voice.

"OH MY DAYS! Can you two just follow the rules of every stupid teen horror movie and walk straight into the room?!" A blue haired guy popped his head round the door frame.

"Nope...we're busy." I stated, crossing my arms over my chest and staring directly into his cold blue eyes. But I was kinda tilting my head up in an awkward position, because... well... short people problems...

"If you don't get in here, I will order all my guys on the roof to shoot!" He growls, trying really hard to look threatening.

"Lol....with what guns?" I retort.

Alex sniggers from behind me. I grab his hand and we run down the stairs, laughing like toddlers.

—-

Alex's POV

"Are the pineapples supposed to be pink?"

"Yes, for alliteration purposes. There's Keppel Kiwi, Sapphire Strawberries, Rainbow Raspberries, Magenta Mango, Galexcias Grapes, Bronze Blueberry, Wisteria Watermelons and of course Orange Orange." Maddie reads off the menu, smiling at each alliteration.

Fancy Fruits is the first fruit salad cafe in the world with weirdly coloured alliterative fruit. They are famously known for making people have Rainbow coloured Unicorn poop after a visit to the bathroom.

People think it's so cool. I think they need to see their doctors.

A chair is pulled up beside our table, a familiar blue haired villain had reappeared.

"Well...well..well. Look who I happened to bump into." He sneered, stealing a Magenta Mango from Maddie's bowl and biting into it like a vampire.

Maddelena slapped the fruit out of his hand and pulled him by his tie.

"Don't. Touch. My. Fancy. Fruits." She snarled. He quickly pushed her away, making her squeal in surprise as her chair wobbles.

All the workers of Fancy Fruits abruptly stood on their feet. Bringing out handguns and aiming under his bright blue locks. He raises his hands in a surrender position smiling sheepishly.

"Be careful Ghost boy. Unlike you I have backup with loaded guns and perfect aim. Cactuses prick the skin, but bullets rip through the body and come out on the other side." Maddie taunts, her eyes dark and empty.

Beads of sweat start to travel down Casper's face. He starts sidestepping toward the glass door.

"Touché little one. But don't forget... you're not the only one with a family behind you..." He pivots on one foot and walks out.

Everyone resumes like nothing happened.

"What the hell was that?" I asked, watching Maddelena in disbelief.

"The Esposito family are all around the world. Fancy Fruits are my fathers associates. And I am naturally terrifying when I need to be"