"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to." said the Cat.

"I don't much care where—" said Alice.

"Then it doesn't matter which way you go." said the Cat.

THE INTERSECTION OF Crenshaw Boulevard and Florence Avenue was live. A crowd gathered around the cars, the four revving their engines and preparing for the circuit in the late night hours.

They all soon stepped off and stood on the sidewalks. Applause and shouts were heard, along with the continuing roaring of the vehicles. It was loud but to one man inside one of the cabins...all was deafened.

Y/N revved the engine of his 2001 Nissan GT-R, gripping the wheel and looking out at the drivers ahead of him. He was last in the formation, but that didn't matter to him.

A tanned-skinned girl wearing baggy faded jeans and a sports bra came out onto the middle of the street. She held a rag in one hand and held it like a flag. The racers all watched her and waited for the signal.

Finally, she brought it down.

The cars sped past the girl and down the road. Y/N immediately passed two other vehicles and got in third place. He made a sharp left into Victoria Avenue and got close behind the second-place vehicle.

The next turn was ahead, and the racers quickly made a right. Y/N was behind a red Honda and stayed close. The speed and distance caused a slipstream, opening up a chance for Y/N to act. He moved the shift to the next gear and turned the wheel, speeding past the red Honda and now taking second place.

He made a left into the next street and was behind the first-place black Toyota. They both created a good amount of distance between the rest of the racers and it basically became a battle between the Toyota and the Nissan.

Both racers sped down the road. They then had to make a quick left turn, then a right turn, before committing to a sharp left into the next street and then another turn. Y/N kept shifting the gears of his six-speed transmission.

It was going to be a straight shot into the next checkpoint, which they knew would be the next turn. The Toyota was still ahead and was ready to make the turn. Y/N was prepared, too...but downshifted earlier than his opponent.

The Toyota turned a couple of seconds later. The racer expected to see the Y/N behind him through the rear-view mirror but, to his surprise, saw no one. Instead, his opponent was already ahead of him because of the sharper turn he committed to. Y/N looked back at the Toyota through his mirror with a smirk.

"Too wide!" The twenty-two-year-old exclaimed in his car. "Eat dust, motherfucker!"

He moved the gear and sped up down the street before quickly downshifting again and drifting back into the street. He upshifted once last time as he started speeding down the road.

His heart was beating, his face was hot, and he felt total elation. He knew he was going to win. He would cross that line in a few moments and show everyone he was the best.

He made the final turn and expected to see the crowd around the finish line, but to his shock, the sea of people was replaced by police cruisers and flashing red-and-blue lights.

"Oh, shit!"

Y/N braked hard, and the tires screeched to a halt. The cars behind him stopped, too, and saw the authorities ahead. They all decided to race away, and some police cruisers sped away to chase after them.

The young man was frozen for a second until he decided to reach for his gear. Before he could speed away, a couple of officers pulled out their guns and aimed them at him.

"Don't you do it!"

"Out of the car!"

Y/N sat there and let out a sigh. He took his hand off the gear and put them up. The cop continued to order him out of the car, and the young man diligently obeyed.

He got out of the Nissan with his hands still up. One of the officers came over with his gun still drawn and pinned him to the side of the vehicle.

"Argh!" Y/N reacted. "Easy!"

The cop holstered his weapon and started to cuff him, reading him his Miranda rights as he did. All the young man could do was huff as he was pulled away from his car and toward one of the police cruisers.

Y/N sat in the cell alone, his hands clasped and elbows at his knees. He looked down at the beige concrete floors and was silent.

Moments later, an officer came by and unlocked the holding cell. Y/N looked up and saw the familiar face.

"Up, L/N." Officer Evan Hurst spoke sternly. "You've been let off with a warning."

Y/N was quite surprised. He slightly smirked as he got up from the bench.

"Oh. That's dope." He started making his way out. "It was nice seeing you, Evan—"

The older man immediately stopped him by putting his hand on his chest. He kept staring at him with the same stern look.

"What's up with you, man?"

Y/N didn't initially respond and just shrugged at his question. Evan continued.

"You can't keep doing this, thinking you can do anything without repercussions. Be serious. Do something better."

"Don't lecture me, man. I'm not a kid." Y/N butted.

"Well, you sure act like one."

That statement had quieted Y/N. The officer kept his stern gaze on the young man, one of the sons of his late partner in the force.

"Your dad saw a lot in you. Many people have and still do. You have so much to give. Question is...how are you going to do that?"

Still, Y/N was quiet. He didn't know what to say. Honestly, he was pretty annoyed at the mention of his late father. It was something people often used to get a reaction from him or to make a point. And if he had to admit...it would work.

With nothing else to say, Officer Hurst stepped aside and made room for Y/N to go. The young man let out a sigh and walked out of the cell. The officer shut the door and escorted Y/N down the hall.

The two made it to the police station lobby, where Y/N saw yet another familiar face: his older brother, Scott.

He let out an exhale of relief but also dreaded what the man would have to say to him.

Scott was driving his younger brother home. It was quiet most of the ride, with Y/N just staring out the window. Scott had one hand on the wheel and gazed ahead at the road.

Finally, the eldest brother decided to speak.

"So you're just stupid, huh?"

"What?" Y/N asked, his eyes still directed out the window.

"You're an idiot. You don't think."

Y/N scoffed. Scott glanced at him and continued.

"Am I wrong? Tell me I'm wrong."

"No, you're right," Y/N said in an obvious sarcastic manner. "Scott is always right. He's never wrong. He actually is incapable of doing wrong."

Y/N shook his head. Scott was calm and collected. He always knew what to do. He was the responsible one. Hell, in some cases, even their youngest brother, Jonny, showed initiative and was, too.

Scott had served in the army and was still in the reserves. He worked a good-paying job as an EMT and was currently in the process of getting a place to live with his girlfriend. He had goals and plans for his life.

The same seemed to be going for Jonny. The nineteen-year-old had just completed flight school and received his pilot license. He had an outlook for his career and such aspirations. He was set to do those things.

Then...there was Y/N.

The middle child.

The hothead.

The slacker.

The irresponsible one.

The student-athlete whose life seemed to peak during high school.

After graduating, he only stayed in a college for a year before basically dropping out and was stuck doing odd jobs that didn't last. He wanted to enjoy the fruits of life before committing to anything full time. He was currently unemployed but wasn't really in a rush to look for another job as he still had some money thanks to his family's financial stability... primarily thanks to his father's life insurance.

So, with this so-called freedom after college, he lived a relatively carefree life, having fun and enjoying any leisure he could. In the last year alone, he registered for six skydiving trips, two parasailing, four mountain climbing, and seven snowboarding. Oh, and then there's the three street racing meets he's been two in the last month.

So yeah, Y/N was quite the daredevil.

His personality paled in comparison to his two brothers. But that's what made him unique and he loved how he was more daring than the both of them. Although, even with these traits and talents, he didn't really impact anything with them. Not like Scott or Jonny have been. Y/N thought back to what Officer Hurst had said.

Your dad saw a lot in you. Many people have and still do. You have so much to give. Question is...how are you going to do that?

The two brothers had sat in silence for a moment after Y/N's sarcastic response. Finally, Scott spoke and snapped his younger brother from the thoughts he was having.

"Talking to you is such a hassle, bro. I don't know how Dad did it."

"Whatever."

Scott sighed. "Look, I told him I'd take care of you. That I'd take care of you and Jonny. And we have to be there for each other and for Mom, most importantly."

"I—I know that..."

"Then be serious about it." Scott interjected.

Y/N swallowed, glancing at Scott and then looking back out the window. Scott kept his eye on the road.

"I get it, man. Right now...you're finding yourself. You're trying to figure stuff out. But you just got to think for once, dude. Life's not all about fun. It's not all about money. It's not about reveling in all this YOLO bullshit."

"Come on, you know this. Hell, you've said it. We only got one life, and we gotta make the best of it."

"Dad said that to me," Scott replied. "And I told you that because it had meaning. I knew what he meant."

Y/N didn't reply. Scott continued.

"We only got one life. And we use what we are good at to make the best of it. Not only for us...but for others especially. You make sure you make your mark, preferably in a good way."

Y/N did not react, albeit with a simple nod. He had a point, as much as he hated to admit it. Dad's lesson resonated with him. The late Matthew L/N was a respected police officer who used his talents for the benefit of the city. A lot of people loved him not only for that but also because he was such a wonderful man in general.

Y/N missed him. Y/N wished he could be like him. Respected. Endeared. Successful. Like how his two brothers were currently. But, as Scott said, he was still finding himself. He wasn't sure what to do with his life except bask in its pleasures.

Scott took Y/N's silence as a form of understanding. The man let out a sigh and kept driving.

"Think about what you're going to tell Mom. She went crazy when she got the call from the station about you."

Y/N replied rather lowly. "All right."

Scott nodded. There was a beat before Y/N spoke again.

"Uh...what about my car? We gonna get it back?"

Scott let out a slight chuckle.

"I could've." He replied. "But I told Officer Hurst that we'd keep it in the impound for a couple of days. See it as...a timeout of sorts."

Y/N groaned. His annoyance soon changed to amusement, and he chuckled.

"Fuck you, man."

Scott let out a quick snicker and continued driving.

The two brothers entered the home. Inside were their mother, Anne, and youngest brother, Jonny. Despite it being almost 1 AM, they were awake and worried about Y/N's situation.

Their mother and Jonny stood up from the sofa and looked at them. Y/N, not knowing what to say, just chuckled and put his hands in his pockets.

"Uh...I'm home." He said with a weak smile but got no response. "I'll just go to my room."

He went to the hallway, but his mother immediately called out to him.

"Stop," Anne said. "Look at me."

Y/N internally sighed. Her tone made him recall the times years ago when she would scold him. The way she called out made him feel like a punished child again.

He turned around and faced her. Anne crossed her arms, standing there in silence before glancing at Scott.

"Thanks for bringing him. You can go home now."

Scott looked at his mom and then at Y/N. He nodded and looked down at the keys in his hand.

"Okay. Good night, Ma. See you tomorrow."

Anne nodded as Scott turned around and left the house. Next, she looked back at Jonny.

"You can go to your room. Let me talk to your brother. Alone."

Jonny obliged as well. He glimpsed at Y/N for a second before leaving the living room. Now, it was just Y/N and his mother.

They stood there silently for a time, which immediately made Y/N uncomfortable. Getting the silent treatment from his mother was not something he was fond of. She knew what to do to make things uneasy for him.

Finally, the young man broke the quiet in the room. And in doing so, he spilled it all out like a faucet.

"Look, Mom, I'm sorry. I was a knucklehead. I wasn't thinking and did something stupid. I know. I'm stupid. Scott's right about that. I'm—I'm not like him. Or like Jonny. I'm not responsible. I don't have my mind set on anything. I'm just...going with the flow. And I know you might not be proud of that. I...I'm not sure Dad would've been too."

Anne stayed quiet, but a somber look appeared on her face amidst the dimly lit room. The young man continued, sighing as he looked down.

"You deserve to have a better son. I wish I could be that for you."

Y/N kept looking down, rubbing his arm as he did. Anne reached out and touched his forearm, which brought his gaze back up at her.

"Sit." She said softly, gesturing to the sofa nearby.

Y/N obliged and sat down. Anne took a seat beside him. There was a beat before she finally spoke again.

"Scott is his own man. The same goes for Jonny. They are on the path they set for themselves. You are on one, too."

Y/N scoffed. "What path is that exactly?"

"Only you know." She replied.

The young man just looked at her. He let out an exhale. Despite her response, he didn't know.

Or did he already? Will he know eventually?

"It takes a young man some time to know what kind of person they want to be. These years will form what you will become. And what you turn out to be will be who others will see."

Y/N took in his mother's wisdom. She was like that. Both her and his father were good with their words that way.

"Your Dad was just like you." Anne added.

"Really?" Y/N asked with a chuckle, not believing it initially. "People we know always said Scott was a spitting image of Pops."

"Well, they didn't know him like I did." She replied.

Y/N was intrigued. Anne continued.

"You know we met toward the end of college. He was rather outrageous. Spontaneous. After graduating, all he wanted was to travel the world. Go where the wind takes him. Go with the flow. He said he wanted to find his calling. But me? Well, I wanted to continue pursuing nursing. I didn't really have much time to travel. I honestly thought your dad would leave me at that point...but he didn't. He stayed."

Y/N continued to listen and was attentive. Her mother kept speaking.

"He worked some jobs while living with me. During that time, he found an interest in the police force and ended up getting in. And he loved it. He enjoyed public service and helping people. I remember he told me not long afterward how glad he was knowing he was making a difference. It meant a lot to him."

"Wow." Y/N finally replied. "This is the first time I've heard about this."

"I've never really brought it up, and your Dad was never one to recall the past. He was always about living in the now. Enjoying days as they come." She touched his shoulder. "Like you do."

Y/N lightly chuckled. He really was similar to his Dad, especially in his younger years. He just never knew nor noticed. All the talk about Scott looking and acting like Dad seemed to override Y/N's thoughts about it.

"I don't deserve a better son." She added. "You're already the perfect gift for me. You and your brothers. I can't ask for anything else because anything more than what I have is impossible to get."

Hearing that from his Mom made him feel many emotions: guilt for having her worry that night about his arrest, regret for thinking and saying that he wasn't worthy enough for his own mother, and gratitude for the words she told him.

Y/N reached out and grabbed her hand, nodding and smiling softly. He was close to tears, and Anne could immediately tell, so she reached out with her other hand and touched his cheek.

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the top of it. Y/N continued smiling at her.

"I love you, Mom."

Anne smiled back and hugged her son.

Unbeknownst to them, Jonny, who didn't actually go to his room, was eavesdropping on their conversation in the hallway. The twenty-year-old was also smiling, endeared by the heart-to-heart his mom and older brother had.

• • •

THE YOUNG MAN knocked on the door. Holding a plastic bag in his right hand, he waited for the person he came to see to answer.

After some time, the door finally opened. On the other side, the twenty-two-year-old Vincent Parada was in his lounging wear for that Friday. Y/N grinned at his best friend.

"Hey."

Vincent rubbed his eye and smiled back but was surprised to see him. "Hey. What's up?"

"Can I come in?"

"Uhhh." He looked back for a moment. "You came at a random ass time."

He held up the bag and presented it rather dramatically.

"I got wings from the place we always go to. I got buffalo, lemon pepper, atomic. You know how much I like atomic."

He chuckled. "Yeah."

"I ain't really doing anything today. And I know you're off from work so you aren't either. I'm thinking we can grub and like watch—"

Suddenly, someone came from behind the door and appeared.

"Vince? Who's...?"

Y/N saw who it was. The young blonde woman was in lounging wear too and her hair was a bit messy. Y/N took in a breath through his nose as he looked at her.

"Oh." She reacted upon seeing him. "Hi, Y/N."

Y/N feigned a smile. "Ally. I—I didn't think you'd be here."

Vincent pointed at her. "We...uh...went out the night before. She decided to stay the night."

Ally nodded but gazed down. Y/N simply nodded too.

He understood that the two were dating. Still, seeing them felt icky. He always felt some type of way but never really brought it up. Why would he? Vincent was his best friend and he knew that he really liked her.

Besides, it was Y/N's fault that he allowed it to happen. The bro code somewhat forbade your best friend from dating your ex-girlfriend, but Y/N wasn't going to be petty and not let Vince be happy. He just had to move on...

And he tried. But nothing was the same. No girl was like Ally. She was the one who got away...and it was all his fault that he let that happen. He was immature, stupid, and ungrateful with what he had in her.

"Oh, I see," Y/N spoke rather lowly, then reached inside his bag. "Well, hey...you guys are probably hungry so I'll give you a box."

"Dude, no. That's fine—"

"I insist. I'll take my atomic flavor."

He handed him the box of wings, still with a feigned smile. Vincent nodded and looked at the styrofoam box.

"You could come in man, eat with us." He told Y/N. "Like you said, we can grub and watch a movie. Ally's been wanting to see 22 Jump Street."

He looked at Ally, who finally looked back up at her boyfriend and then back at Y/N.

"Yeah." She cleared her throat and nodded. "My friends keep saying how funny it is and I haven't gone to watch it."

Vincent smirked and turned to Y/N. There was a beat as he simply stood there without saying anything. He wasn't sure whether to decline or to accept. It'd be weird to just barge in and their alone time and hang out with his best friend and ex-girlfriend. He'd basically be the third wheel.

But then he turned to Ally and saw her once more. Again, her eyes seemed to draw him in and do something to the young man. He took in a breath, and in a moment of selfishness, accepted the offer.

"All right." He smiled again. "Sounds fun."

Y/N and Vincent sat on the sofa. The styrofoam containers containing the wings were on the coffee take in front of them, already halfway done. Ally had excused herself for a moment and was currently in the bathroom.

Vincent was always relatively tidy. Everything was clean and placed well, and he was very organized. He could see the pictures of himself and his friends hung on the wall, a couple of them including him from years past. His various academic trophies were on a shelf nearby.

It all paled in comparison to Y/N's abode. His room was often messy and disorganized, but he just got used to it. Besides, he was out and about most of the time, so he rarely stayed in his house except to sleep there.

As the movie played, Y/N told Vincent about his situation with the police the night before.

"Yeah, it was pretty stupid." Y/N said.

"You're lucky they let you off." Vince replied.

"Officer Hurst there again to save the day."

"But you gotta realize it won't be like that forever."

Y/N nodded. "I know."

He scratched his chin and let out a sigh, looking ahead at the television.

"You know, I talked with my mom. It really...brought things into perspective. I always tried to compare myself to Scott...but I get now that it's pretty stupid."

Vince nodded, understanding what he was saying.

"It's obvious man. I could've told you that." He replied.

"Right," Y/N said with a chuckle. "I guess I was so stuck aimlessly trying to figure myself out that I didn't really realize."

There was a beat before Vince responded.

"I get that Scott's the sort of role model. But you also got to think about what Jonny sees as one...you."

Y/N turned to his best friend. He continued.

"Jonny's your little bro. He looks up to you. Likely more than Scott since you two are closer than they are, in my opinion."

There was truth to what she said. Not only were Jonny and him closer in age, but also relationship-wise. Scott, having been in the armed forces, moving out of the house, and settling into adulthood, left Jonny and Y/N under the same roof.

"You're right." Y/N replied with a nod.

He smirked as he took a bite of a chicken wing.

"I always am. I'm the smart one, remember?"

Y/N scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"Who carried your ass during that science fair we paired up in?" Vince shot back.

"And who carried your ass when we were down 10 points in that championship game?"

The two laughed. Their bond was always strong and has been since they first met in middle school. It was a bond that was going to stay that way for the foreseeable future, and they both appreciated each other.

Moments later, Ally came out of the bathroom and entered the living room. She had tidied up a bit, now with her hair straight and with a new top, displaying her toned abdomen. She pulled up her shorts and tied the waistband string below her belly button. Y/N caught a glimpse of this and swallowed.

"What did I miss?" Ally asked about the movie.

Vincent pointed at the screen. "The Captain just found out Schmidt is dating his daughter."

"No, shit." She chuckled and she finished tying the pants string. "Really?"

Ally turned to Y/N, catching his gaze on her where he quickly looked away. He nodded as he looked down at his hands.

"Uh...I—I just remembered that I had to do something for my mom." He lied. "I gotta get going."

"Really?" Vince asked.

"Yeah. Sorry. It slipped my mind." He stood up. "You know me, I forget shit."

He dapped up Vince who was still sitting on the couch and a bit confused. Ally kept staring at him as he basically went to the door without saying goodbye.

"I—I'll talk to you later." He opened the door and turned around, finally seeing Ally again, who was somewhat expressionless.

"All right, man. Thanks for the food." Vince bid farewell.

Y/N simply nodded and shut the door, leaving his best friend and ex-girlfriend in the living room. Vince turned to Ally and shrugged.

"Wonder what that was all about."

He picked up another wing and bit into it. Ally didn't respond, simply looking at the door Y/N left out of as she bit the tip of her fingernail.

• • •

THE FINAL SHOT rang out inside the range but was deafened by the earmuffs the three wore. Scott toggled the mechanism that brought the target back to him.

"This motherfucker hand no chance." Scott remarked as he chewed his gum.

Y/N and Jonny were with him. Scott brought his younger brothers to the shooting range for bonding time. He felt like he hadn't done so in a while.

"Here you go again, flexing as always." Jonny replied.

Scott chuckled and faced him.

"Well, come on, little bro. Please show me what you got. I'm sure all those hours on Black Ops 2 did something."

Y/N laughed at the remark. Jonny scoffed and took the challenge. He went up to the booth and was ready to demonstrate, but Scott showed him proper gun etiquette beforehand.

Afterward, Scott stepped back and let Jonny shoot.

The youngest brother went through the entire magazine of the Glock 19 rather diligently, taking his time with it. Scott and Y/N watched from behind as he tried to hit the center of the target.

When he was done, they brought the target back to the booth and examined his hits. They were pretty sporadic, with only one hit close to the center.

"I forgot to tell you that Jonny only plays COD with Aimbot." Y/N joked.

"Hilarious, dude." Jonny replied.

Scott laughed before turning to Y/N and pointing the empty mag at him.

"Your turn."

Y/N shrugged and stayed at the booth while Jonny stepped back a bit. Scott loaded the handgun, handed it to Y/N, and began to remind him about safety.

"I get it, man," Y/N said. "I heard you before."

Scott put his hands up. "All right, bro."

He stepped back and stood with Jonny. Y/N had the gun on the table. He took a breath and let it out slowly. Y/N then picked it up and started firing.

Scott and Jonny watched as he fired the gun. He was a bit faster than the latter but close to the speed of the former. Y/N was calm and collected as he fired the weapon.

When he was finished, he placed the empty handgun down and called back the target. Jonny and Scott joined him and examined it, leaving the two impressed.

"Damn," Scott remarked. "What were you afraid of before? You're a natural with a gun."

Y/N just shrugged. Jonny looked at the target and saw a good number of hits at the center of the target with the rest around it.

"How'd you learn to get so good?" He asked.

Y/N looked at the target and shrugged again.

"I guess I'm a better Call of Duty player than you."

Scott, Y/N, and Jonny were driving down the highway. They wanted to get something to eat before going back home.

As the eldest brother drove, Y/N was in the passenger seat, changing the radio. Scott didn't mind him doing so but often found it annoying. Meanwhile, Jonny was on his phone looking through Twitter.

"Dude, did you guys hear about Christopher Mintz Plasse?" He asked.

"Who?" Scott asked.

"The dude from Superbad?" Y/N replied.

Jonny nodded. "Yeah."

"Uh, what?" Scott asked again.

"Oh, right. You never watched it." Y/N said. "He played this kid called McLovin."

"Okay..."

"Anyways..." Jonny interjected. "He's missing. He was doing some show overseas and him and the crew like...vanished."

"For real?" Y/N asked.

"Yeah."

"Damn..." Scott remarked. "I guess no Superbad 2?"

Y/N just looked at him and scoffed. He then added a quick chuckle.

"That's messed up, dude."

Finally, Y/N tuned into 102.7 KIIS FM and heard a song he liked. It was Young, Wild, & Free by Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa featuring Bruno Mars. Y/N made sure to raise the volume.

So what we get drunk
So what we smoke weed
We're just having fun
We don't care who sees
So what we go out
That's how it's supposed to be
Living young and wild and free

Y/N began to sing along to the track.

"Yeah, roll one, smoke one. When you live like this you're supposed to party. Roll one, smoke one, and we all just having fun—"

Scott ended up changing the station. Y/N was caught off guard and shot a glare at him.

"No singing about drug use in my car." He said semi-jokingly.

"Come on," Y/N replied. "You hate fun."

Scott snickered. He mostly changed it because he hated his brother's singing.

"Besides, I needed the car quiet to tell you guys something."

They were both intrigued. Scott continued.

"Mia and I are planning a trip. Not just us, though, but Ally, Vince, Chris, Trent...all included."

"Shit...really?" Jonny asked. "For what?"

Scott looked at him through the rearview mirror.

"For your flight school graduation, man." He replied. "That's a big thing."

Jonny was taken aback. Y/N was also surprised but felt like his younger brother deserved to have his accomplishment celebrated.

"Really?" Jonny was elated. "Wow!"

"Yeah. Surprise!" Scott replied. "We're thinking of leaving this Wednesday. We got a few days to get things set."

Jonny was excited, and Y/N was, too, and could not wait to start the trip. But he wondered where the destination was going to be.

"What's the plan?" Y/N asked Scott. "Where are we going?"

"We were thinking an all-Asian thing. All are culminating in one big night in Thailand. Bangkok, to be exact."

"Going out with a bang in Bangkok," Y/N said gleefully. "Awesome!"

Scott held up his hand and dapped up Y/N. Once Scott reached behind him, Jonny did the same. Scott then changed the station back to KIIS FM and Snoop Dogg's track was still playing.

"Let's rock out!" He cheered. "Woo!"

The trio continued through the highway as the music blared, excited and looking forward to their upcoming trip.

Meanwhile, on a remote island, a camera turned on, and the video star finished eating his banana. The man, Vaas Montenegro, tossed the peel aside and chewed his food.

"Hello, internet peoples." He walked toward the camera. "Between you and me, you should be outside, playing in the sunshine, instead of watching this bullshit."

He slapped his knees and shrugged. Vaas began to walk away as the camera followed him.

"Since you're still here, welcome back to my show." He gestured toward the foliage and blue sea behind him. "Take a look at my island."

He then yelled and called out to someone.

"Christoper Mintz Plasse! Where are you?"

Vaas chuckled, doing a spin before pointing downward at the ground. He went on his hands and knees and laid beside a head that was sticking out of the sand.

It was Christopher Mintz Plasse himself, now in the clutches of the pirate leader.

"Chris, say hello to the internet peoples." Vaas said.

"Fuck you, you psycho!" Chris shouted, spitting sand out of his mouth.

Vaas shifted a bit and took out the pistol from his holster. He cocked it and pointed the gun at Christopher's face. He immediately panicked.

"I'm sorry, what did you say, Chris? What the fuck did you say?"

"N—Nothing." Chris breathlessly replied. "Nothing."

Vaas smiled, picking up a pinch of sand and pouring it on his head. He got up and continued speaking to the camera his pirate colleague was holding.

"Okay, I did not decide if I want to kill Chris or not..."

"What?!" Chris exclaimed, but Vaas kept talking.

"I want to know what you people think. What you really think. I want you to comment life if you want him to live..." Vaas holstered his handgun. "...death if you him to die."

"Life!" Chris yelled from off-camera. "Life!"

Vaas ignored him and continued his charade.

"Take a look at my tripod. I built it myself."

He walked over to a rock in which a makeshift tripod made of rope and sticks was placed. Vaas grinned and leaned on it as he called out to Chris.

"Looks like a Hollywood thing, no, Chris?"

"Y—Yeah, yeah, yeah! Y—You're great, man."

"Put the camera on the tripod," Vaas ordered the pirate and walked back toward Chris. "Thank you, thank you. I appreciate it, my friend."

The pirate set the camera down on the makeshift tripod. As he did, Vaas sat cross-legged beside Chris, the buried Hollywood star crying and still begging to be let go.

"Ladies and gentlemen..." Vaas spoke to the camera, his gun back in his hand. "Don't forget to tune in to our daily tortures—"

Chris reacted. "What?!"

"While I teach Chris how to be a man."

"Torture?! What are you talking about?!"

Vaas grinned, waving at the camera gleefully.

"Thank you. Bye-bye."

With that, the camera shut off.