Guldrin’s Gluttony: Family Bound by Speed & Food

Letty gave a sharp nod to everyone in the shop as she noticed Mia's arrival, taking stock of the tension radiating from each of them. 

Revy leaned back against the wall, one boot propped up, cleaning her nails with a knife that looked more suited for slicing throats than her current task. She raised an eyebrow at Letty but didn't say a word. 

Alisa, ever the silent observer and exquisite maid, gave a curt nod. Shiro looked calm on the surface, but her eyes, those sharp, all-seeing gold and purple eyes, followed every movement in the room. Guldrin stood quietly next to his mother, his expression distant, as if already preparing for the next step.

"Don't worry mother-in-law, we heard everything, and I took the liberty to route the conversation to Alisa and Big sister Revy." Shiro spoke as she wanted to expedite this a bit.

Letty wasn't one for small talk, not when things felt this wrong. "Big sister Revy… Hmm…" She tilted her head feeling it was… odd, but that wasn't important right now, "Okay… You all heard?" she asked, her voice low but firm.

Revy grinned, but it wasn't a friendly one. "Every damn word. You want me to go put a bullet in this, Brian's kneecap? Just say the word, and I'll make sure he doesn't walk anymore, no charge."

"Miss Revy," Letty warned, but there was a glint of dark amusement in her eyes. "This isn't a hit job, at least, not yet. I'm not ruling it out if things don't start making sense soon."

Skye, sitting awkwardly near Guldrin, fidgeted with the hem of her oversized hoodie. Her face was still as red as a brake light, and she barely met anyone's gaze. "I'm not... I mean, I'm here for moral support. Not that I'm any good at it. But don't leave me out, if you guys are leaving, I am following, I won't be left behind or returned… again." Her words were a nervous jumble, but Letty appreciated the sentiment and guts it took to speak her mind.

Mia dropped her duffel bag on the floor. "Brian crossed a line. Whether he knew it or not, I don't care anymore. What I do care about is keeping this family safe. I might not understand the fullest extent of what happened, but finding out my family was in danger is enough for me."

Letty took that as gospel. When Mia made her mind up, there was no swaying her, and Dom had always trusted Mia's instincts just as much as Letty trusted her own. 

That didn't mean Letty's blood wasn't boiling beneath the surface. Brian's absence when they needed him the most was more than a red flag, it was betrayal, plain and simple… Again. It would be the last betrayal; if she had anything to say about it.

"We pack and leave," Letty announced with a tone that left no room for debate. Her eyes scanned the room, meeting each of their gazes with the fire that had carried her through countless experiences. "Take only what we need. Dom's already on his way, should arrive a few days or weeks after us, and Vince has his place ready for us. It's off the grid, and safe. We're not sticking around to see how deep this mess goes. For all we know, Guldrin might be public enemy number one soon, if he isn't already."

Everyone nodded, the weight of her words settling like a thick fog over the room. The garage, usually alive with the hum of engines and laughter, now felt ready for evacuation.

Letty wasted no time. She grabbed a large duffel bag from the nearest shelf and began stuffing it with essentials, clothes, weapons, tools, spare parts, and enough cash to get them through any unexpected stops. Also known as, every dollar they had.

Her hands moved with the efficiency of someone who had been preparing for this moment for far too long.

Mia followed suit, her face set with determination. There was no trace of the worry that had plagued her earlier. She was in survival mode now, every motion deliberate and practiced.

The exfiltration drills her father used to put them through, a family tradition Dom kept up, really seemed to be helping.

Together, they cleared out Letty's room, packing everything that couldn't be left behind. Old photo albums, a few keepsakes from Dom, and even some of the family's racing trophies, Mia made sure nothing sentimental was forgotten.

Meanwhile, Shiro and Guldrin worked quietly in the background. Shiro's sharp eyes darted around the room as she cataloged her belongings. She moved with precision, loading her inventory when no one was watching. 

Guldrin mirrored her actions, his own inventory filling up fast. Nothing was left behind that could be used, and if they ran out of space, they quickly opened a portal to the HOTD World, sending it all their way. 

They would figure out something to do with it.

Revy, sprawled across one of the workbenches, lit a cigarette as she watched the frantic packing with a raised eyebrow. "You know, for a family that's been through hell and back, you'd think this was just another Tuesday."

Alisa, standing against the wall, gave her a half-smile. "You're not wrong. But Tuesday's not over yet. It is, in fact, 10:30 pm" Revy just rolled her eyes and spun one of her Berettas effortlessly, while complaining about being bored.

Skye was the only one who still seemed caught off guard, though she quickly masked it with action. She disappeared briefly, only to return with a packed duffel filled with her gear. Laptops, custom PC, gaming headset, everything Skye couldn't live without. She hadn't been part of the group long, but she was learning fast. 

Survival, it seemed, had no patience for hesitation.

Letty's phone buzzed on the table again. Brian. For the eleventh time. She glanced at the screen but didn't bother answering. 

Too little, too late.

"Let him keep calling," she muttered, tossing the phone onto the nearest counter.

By the time they were done, the garage looked like a shadow of itself. Empty workbenches, stripped shelves, and a lingering smell of gasoline were all that remained. Letty scanned the space one last time, her heart twisting with an odd mix of nostalgia and anger. This place had been their home, their fortress. But now it was just another memory left behind.

The sound of engines revving outside broke the silence. Jesse had pulled up, his car rumbling to a stop just outside the bay doors. He stepped out, wiping grease off his hands with a rag.

"Sorry I couldn't come sooner," Jesse said, his eyes flicking nervously to the packed bags. "I've still got loose ends to tie up before I can head out. You know how it is. I am a business owner now, and all the fun that comes with it. It will take me a few weeks to get things in order before I can join you… But I brought gifts…" He popped the trunk of his car, "Here are some parts I have been working on to take with you." He began unloading multiple boxes and loading them into the van Mia would be driving.

Letty nodded. Jesse was family, no questions asked. He'd show up when it counted, even if he was late to the party. What it was that he was bringing wasn't important, she knew it would be useful, as it always is. 

As everyone gathered their things, Shiro shot a look at Guldrin. "You ready?"

"Always," he replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder. His eyes were sharp, calculating. Whatever danger lay ahead, Guldrin wasn't about to be caught off guard.

Skye hesitated by the door. "Is it really this bad?"

Letty turned to face her, hands on her hips. "Bad doesn't even begin to cover it. But we'll be fine. We always are. And you are family now, so, get used to it." Skye didn't know how to react to hearing Letty's words, so she pulled her hoodie's hood and began mumbling quietly to herself.

They filed out into the night, one by one. The air was heavy with the scent of rain and asphalt, the distant city lights flickering like tiny beacons. Letty took a deep breath, letting the crisp night air calm her nerves. It was time to move.

Dom would be there for them at Vince's place after a week or so. He'd know what to do. He always did.

As they loaded up the cars, the silence was broken only by the sound of zippers closing and trunks slamming shut. There was no time for second-guessing. Every second wasted was a second too long.

Mia climbed into the van, giving Letty a final nod before turning the key. The engine roared to life, a sound that had always been music to Letty's ears. 

Letty slid into the driver's seat of her Plymouth Road Runner, gripping the wheel like it was the only thing tethering her to reality. She felt the weight of the past pressing down on her, but she pushed it aside. 

There was no room for doubt. 

Not now.

Her family was on the line now.

As they pulled out of the lot, Letty caught one last glimpse of the garage in her rearview mirror. A part of her wanted to stop, to turn back and give it one more look. But there was no turning back. They were done with this place for now, if they would ever come back at all. The last thing she saw was Jesse peeling out of the driveway, as they all left the shop in the rearview.

The convoy of cars sped down the empty streets, headlights cutting through the darkness. Letty led the way, her Road Runner eating up the miles like a beast unleashed. She didn't know what lay ahead, but she knew one thing for sure.

They were moving forward. And nothing, not Brian, Not the CIA, not betrayal, not the ghosts of the past, was going to stop them.

—

–

-

The journey across the border had been going smoothly, well, almost. There had been a bit of a hiccup when border patrol decided they didn't like the idea of Revy driving Guldrin's Chevelle, which was, on paper, registered to Letty. 

Apparently, a heavily armed woman with a devil-may-care attitude behind the wheel of a muscle car screamed "criminal activity" to them.

It took a good ten minutes of back-and-forth, a lot of impatient sighs, and some very creative explanations before they finally decided that, no, none of them had active warrants, and yes, the car was indeed legally owned. After some stern glances, a few skeptical looks at their IDs, and what Guldrin suspected was a half-hearted attempt to intimidate them, they were let through.

The moment they hit the open road, the tension dissolved. Mexico stretched out before them in a vast expanse of asphalt, dust, and sun-baked horizons. The ride itself was a dream. Long, open highways with barely any traffic, and no cops trying to tail them. Just engines purring like content beasts under the hoods, and the occasional roar of acceleration when one of them felt the need to remind the others who had the fastest machine. 

Revy, of course, was having way too much fun in the Chevelle, occasionally pushing the speed limit just to make the others nervous. Letty, who was leading the convoy in her own ride, had to threaten bodily harm over the radio more than once when Revy decided tailgating at 100 mph was an acceptable risk.

They drove for hours, cutting through the land like ghosts on the wind, until finally, the GPS directed them into a region that wasn't exactly what they had envisioned. 

Vince had mentioned the town they'd be staying in, swore it had a name, but also admitted he couldn't pronounce it properly. 

That should have been the first red flag. 

The second? The further they went, the more rundown everything became. What had started as relatively well-kept rural roads quickly morphed into cracked pavement, potholes deep enough to swallow small dogs, and neighborhoods that had clearly seen better decades?

Guldrin, cringing in the backseat of the Chevelle, petting Emily absentmindedly, was starting to have some second thoughts. The streets weren't lined with picturesque little houses like he'd expected. Instead, it was block, after block of what looked like city projects crammed into a smaller town, homes stacked almost on top of each other, balconies held up by rusted beams, laundry hanging out like flags. Community parking lots were littered with broken-down vehicles, stripped for parts, with groups of people loitering around in a way that suggested they weren't there to enjoy the fresh air.

Then came the guns.

The deeper they went, the more weapons he started spotting. Not just the occasional armed security guard or an old-timer holding onto a rifle for home defense, no, these were people actively carrying, walking down the street with AK-47s slung over their shoulders like backpacks, pistols casually tucked into waistbands, some even sitting on stoops with shotguns resting against their knees. And unlike most places, there were no cops in sight. Either law enforcement didn't exist here, or they had the common sense to stay far, far away.

Guldrin found himself grinning.

Sure, from a normal person's perspective, this was a terrible place to live. Crime-ridden, dangerous, full of people who'd probably rob you for a few pesos. 

But from a tactical standpoint? 

This place was pure potential. 

If he were playing an RTS game, this would be the perfect zone for expansion. A community filled with fighters, people who understood survival, and most importantly, people who, if given the right opportunities, could be turned into something greater. 

The entire area was just waiting for someone with money, vision, and the ability to bring order out of chaos.

And wasn't that exactly what he could do?

The thought of carving out his own little empire here made his fingers twitch with excitement. Money could fix a lot of problems. With enough investment, he could turn this place into something better. 

Buy up the real estate, offer jobs, get people on his side, establish control. Before long, he wouldn't be staying or hiding here, he'd own it.

Emily, curled up in his lap, let out a soft huff, clearly unimpressed with his scheming. She had a way of knowing when he was thinking about something ambitious and mildly insane, and as usual, she seemed to be judging him for it.

His musings were cut short as they rounded a corner and were abruptly met with a very unfriendly welcoming committee.

A blockade of locals stood ahead of them, forming a human wall of firepower. Rifles, pistols, shotguns, even the occasional machete glinting under the harsh sunlight. The group had stopped just shy of the inner part of town, and apparently, that was as far as they were getting without permission.

Revy let out a low whistle from the driver's seat. "Well, this is a warm welcome."

Letty, having pulled up alongside them, sighed in exasperation. "This was supposed to be a low-profile move."

Vince's voice crackled over the radio from his truck, which had just conveniently arrived in town at the same time. "Relax. I told you this place runs differently. They don't trust outsiders, so they're just making sure we're not bringing trouble."

"You mean besides the heavily armed woman driving a stolen-looking muscle car?" Guldrin mused.

Revy shot him a smirk. "It's only stolen if they catch me taking it. Besides, I didn't steal it, you were punished and had to watch me drive it as a punishment."

The situation had the makings of a classic Mexican standoff, and for a moment, the air was so thick with tension it felt like a bullet could cut through it before anyone had the chance to pull a trigger. The locals weren't standing around staring at them; they were reading them, analyzing their every move like seasoned predators gauging new prey. 

Weathered faces, sharp eyes, fingers hovering near the triggers of old but well-maintained weapons, these weren't amateurs. Okay… Maybe that wasn't true, but well-maintained for the area would be more accurate.

Then, like the parting of storm clouds, one man stepped forward. He was in his late forties, his tanned skin lined with deep creases that told stories of battles fought and won. A jagged scar ran from his temple down to his jaw, a stark reminder that he had walked through fire and come out the other side, alive. His gaze flicked over the vehicles, stopping on each one like he was deciding whether they were worth scrapping or letting pass.

Then his eyes landed on Vince. Recognition flashed, but it didn't soften his expression.

"Hey, Vince," the man spoke in rough, broken English, a voice as dry as gravel. "This you?" He flicked his chin toward the convoy, his suspicion as obvious as the weight of the rifles still aimed at them.

Vince took a slow breath, stepping forward with both hands raised, not in surrender, but in that universal 'let's all calm the hell down' gesture. His posture was relaxed, casual, like he wasn't staring down the business end of half a dozen firearms.

"Yeah, it's me," Vince answered, but his Spanish flowed smoother, natural. "Told you I was bringing my family." His tone was easy, but there was steel underneath, the kind that said he wasn't asking for permission.

The scarred man let the words sink in before his gaze moved again, this time taking them all in, one by one, like he was stripping them down to their core. He wasn't looking for weapons, Guldrin could tell, he knew they would have them. This guy had been around enough to know that a gun in the wrong hands wasn't as dangerous as the man holding it. He was reading their stance, their confidence, their ability to react under pressure. Or at least the best he could, since everyone but Vince was still in their vehicles. 

If he was going to allow them inside, then he needed to know what kind of people they were, Guldrin assumed.

Guldrin met his gaze without flinching, his fingers lightly tapping against the grip of his handgun, not out of nervousness, but in measured patience. Emily, curled in his lap, flicked her ears, watching the whole thing like she was deciding whether this guy was worth the trouble.

A long silence stretched between them, heavy and unspoken.

Finally, the man gave a curt nod. "Alright," he said, stepping back. "But if they cause problems, it's on you."

Vince smirked, all cocky bravado. "You know me, I'm always on my best behavior."

The scarred man let out something between a scoff and a chuckle but didn't argue. He lifted his hand, signaling to the others. One by one, the rifles lowered, men stepping back to clear a path.

Just like that, the moment passed.

'I think I am going to love this place.' Guldrin thought to himself, only to receive a snarky remark from Shiro, 'Yeah… If they don't sell us out the first chance they get.'

'Isn't that where the fun comes from?' Guldrin replied, earning a scoff from Shiro over their mental link.

They drove forward into the town, deeper into the belly of a place that felt like it had been abandoned by the world. Buildings that had once been bright and colorful now wore years of hardship in their peeling paint and crumbling edges. Power lines drooped overhead, strung together in a haphazard web that barely clung to functionality. 

The streets were alive, though, not with the careless energy of tourists and passersby, but with eyes that watched from behind cracked windows and shadowed alleys.

Guldrin glanced at Revy, who had one hand draped over the wheel, like she wasn't at all concerned about the fact that they had just been moments away from a firefight. If anything, she seemed amused.

"Nice welcoming party," she muttered.

Vince, now back in his own truck, chuckled over the radio. "What'd you expect? A red carpet? Who the Hell are you anyways?"

"No, but I was hoping for something with a little more flair. Maybe a mariachi band. Name's Revy by the way, Guldrin's big sister…"

Letty shot her a look, but Guldrin found himself smirking.

At least someone else had to deal with this level of crazy.

Shiro and Skye didn't seem to care, riding with Mia in the van, not a single care in the world about what was happening around them after her mental conversation with Guldrin.

Despite the roughness of the place, Guldrin couldn't ignore the little spark of excitement curling in his chest. 

This was the kind of place that thrived on unwritten rules, where power shifted not because of laws, but because of influence, respect, and the willingness to push harder than the next guy.

It was raw potential, just waiting for someone to take it.

He was rich and had the means to fix things up, to create a stronghold that no one could touch.

The question was, did he want to?

Emily stretched in his lap, yawning, and he absentmindedly ran a hand down her fur.

Yeah. He wanted to.

If he were going to survive in this world, then having a base of operations that could fund their expenditures would be a key part of his plan.

The sun hung low in the sky as their convoy rumbled deeper into town, casting long shadows across cracked pavement and weathered buildings. The air carried the scent of dust and gasoline, mingled with the distant aroma of sizzling meat from roadside vendors. The streets were alive and tense, the kind of place where people knew better than to stare for too long but still watched from the corners of their eyes. 

This was a town that had seen its fair share of trouble, where loyalty was earned through blood and reputation, not just words.

As their convoy rumbled deeper into town, the landscape shifted from the open road to a dense, chaotic sprawl of streets lined with sun-bleached buildings, half-finished construction projects, and improvised homes cobbled together from whatever materials people could find. Laundry hung between rooftops, fluttering in the warm breeze, and the distant hum of everyday life, the clatter of dishes, the shouts of children, and the occasional bark of a stray dog, mixed with the ever-present undercurrent of tension. It was the kind of place where people kept their heads down, where trust was a currency even more valuable than money, and where survival meant knowing which alleys to avoid after dark.

As they neared their destination, Vince's villa finally came into view. It stood out, not because it was fancy or luxurious, but because it was built to last in a place where permanence was a luxury. The structure was solid, the kind of building that had seen its fair share of hardship and still stood tall. 

The walls were a mix of concrete and patched-together metal sheets, reinforced here and there with whatever Vince had been able to get his hands on. The windows were painted glass, giving the illusion of something more refined, but they weren't fooling anyone. 

A makeshift gate, rusted but sturdy, marked the entrance. It wasn't Fort Knox, but it was home, or at least the closest thing Vince had to one out here.

As they approached, the gates groaned as they swung open, the hinges protesting from years of neglect. They pulled into the courtyard, the sound of their engines filling the space before finally dying down one by one. Dust settled in the air, and for a brief moment, everything was quiet.

Vince was the first to climb out, stretching like a man who had just finished a long shift and was ready to kick back with a cold beer. He turned to face the others with a grin that was equal parts pride and mischief. "Welcome to paradise," he announced, sweeping his arms wide as if presenting some grand estate. "Or at least what I've managed to carve out of this place. Mi casa es su casa."

Letty, ever the skeptic, stepped out next, her eyes immediately scanning the area. She took in the walls, the jury-rigged fortifications, the sheer patchwork effort that had gone into making the place livable, and then turned back to Vince with a deadpan expression. "If this is paradise, I'd hate to see what hell looks like."

Vince just laughed, unfazed. "You get used to it," he said with a shrug. "A couple of nights here, a few good meals, and you might even start liking it."

Guldrin slid out of the vehicle, landing lightly on his feet. His gaze drifted around, taking in every detail. The courtyard was spacious enough to fit their convoy, but it was clear that Vince had prioritized security over aesthetics. Potted plants sat on the porch, a weak attempt at adding some life to the place, but they were outnumbered by the thick steel bars over the windows and the reinforced doors.

Inside, the villa was simple but functional. The walls were thick, not for insulation but for protection. There was a rugged practicality to everything, furniture that looked like it had been salvaged, a kitchen that had just enough modern conveniences to keep it from feeling like a survivalist's bunker. A ceiling fan hummed overhead, stirring the warm air lazily.

As the others settled in, Guldrin found himself leaning against the doorway, looking out over the streets beyond the villa walls. 

The town stretched out in front of him, a maze of narrow alleys and tightly packed buildings, all of it humming with an unspoken tension. He could still see figures moving in the distance, the barely concealed glances of those who knew better than to approach, but weren't about to look away either.

This wasn't some backwater town trying to survive. No, this place had a heartbeat, a pulse that thumped beneath the surface, heavy with the weight of past conflicts and present dangers.

Vince had built himself a home in the middle of a powder keg.

And Guldrin had just arrived with a box of matches.

Guldrin smirked but didn't say anything just yet. He let the others drift into the villa, taking stock of their surroundings, while he remained where he was, eyes locked on the outside world. The silence out there wasn't natural. It wasn't peace, it was the kind of stillness that came before a storm, when even the wind seemed to hesitate.

After a moment, he finally turned to Vince. "Uncle, so this is where you ran off to…" His voice was casual, but the weight behind his words made Vince straighten slightly. "Tell me honestly, how bad is it here? If someone didn't have your protection, your name backing them up, how long would they last before they got robbed? Or worse?" 

He let the question linger before continuing. "Are the people here trained? Thugs? Workers? Just trying to survive in a world set up to make them fail? And what exactly is your place in all this?"

His eyes narrowed slightly, the way they always did when he was sifting through truths and half-truths. "And lastly… where's this girlfriend and son you're always so damn proud of?" He chuckled, the idea of Vince having a long-term relationship seeming impossible to Guldrin, "When do I meet my cousin and my Aunt?"

For the first time since they arrived, Vince hesitated. It wasn't obvious, not to most people, but Guldrin wasn't most people, not anymore. He caught the way Vince's jaw tensed for a fraction of a second, the way his usual easygoing expression flickered into something more guarded before smoothing back into place.

The Vince he remembered back home had always been tough, sure, but he was also an open book. 

This Vince? 

The one standing in front of him now? 

He had layers. 

Walls that hadn't been there before. He'd been through something, several somethings, probably over the years, and it had left marks that even a grin couldn't hide.

Finally, Vince exhaled, running a hand through his hair before resting it on his hip. "Damn, kid," he muttered. "Didn't realize I was walking into an interrogation."

Guldrin just shrugged. "I like to know what I and our family are walking into."

Vince studied him for a beat, then nodded, as if accepting that the brat he left behind had grown into someone who didn't take things at face value anymore. "Alright, seems like these years have done you some good," he said, cracking his neck like he was about to launch into a long story. 

"You wanna know how bad it is here? Let's put it this way, if you don't know the right names, don't walk with confidence, or don't have the right kind of rep, you're a walking paycheck for the first guy desperate enough to roll you. And trust me, there's always someone desperate enough."

He gestured toward the rundown town beyond the walls. "People here? They're a mix. Some are just trying to keep their heads above water, do honest work, and keep food on the table, even if it is meager, it is still survival. Others? They're the ones making sure the first group never gets too comfortable, a give and take. The whole place runs on a system, some call it protection, some call it extortion, but either way, it's the way things work here."

Guldrin nodded slowly, absorbing the information. He had figured as much. Places like this were always a delicate balance of power, too much control, and people fought back; too little, and chaos took over. 

He had seen too many of these kinds of situations from the memories he had of Big Boss.

He didn't like it, but given where they were, it was a way to survive.

"And you?" Guldrin asked, narrowing his eyes. "Where do you fit into all this?"

Vince shrugged, the smirk still on his face but with something harder lurking underneath. "Me? I'm the guy who makes sure things don't get too messy. I keep the peace when it's worth keeping. I make sure the wrong people don't get too comfortable, and the right ones know whose side they're supposed to be on. It's a balance."

Guldrin raised an eyebrow. "So, you're not running the place, but you're not just another guy in the crowd either."

Vince chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Nah, I wouldn't say I run things. I know people, though. Got connections. Earned some respect. That's enough to make life a little easier."

There was something unspoken in Vince's words, something between the lines. He wasn't just some guy who found himself in a tough town and decided to roll with it. 

No, Vince had carved out a space for himself here, built something, maybe not an empire, but something solid. And that meant he had people who answered to him, people who depended on him.

"And how did you pull that off?" Guldrin asked, arms still folded.

Vince chuckled. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you."

Guldrin tilted his head, waiting.

Vince sighed and leaned back against the side of a dusty muscle car parked near the villa's garage. "Showed up here with nothing, right? No money, no contacts, just a bad attitude and a past I couldn't go back to. But I met a guy, just an old man, who happened to be a big name around here. He took me in, gave me a place to crash, and showed me the ropes. Turns out, he wasn't just some local big shot. He ran things. Not the whole town, but enough of it to make a difference. I did some jobs for him, and made myself useful. Handling Americans mostly, not many people out here can speak English. You know how it is, people looking for trouble, thinking they can throw cash around and act like they own the place. My job was to make sure they understood the rules, and if they didn't… well, they left with a new understanding."

Guldrin let out a small, knowing chuckle. "So, you're the guy who deals with outsiders."

"Exactly." Vince smirked. "And let's just say, the time I spent with the crew? That came in handy out here. A few jobs, a few favors, and suddenly I wasn't just some random gringo trying to get by. I had a place. Made friends. Made allies. And now, I've got a family of my own. Not to diminish old bonds, but I found someone, someone I can truly say I love and would do anything for, and now she blessed me with a a son."

Guldrin studied him for a moment, trying to decide if Vince was just putting on a show or if this was real. But something about the way he spoke, the way his voice shifted slightly when he mentioned his family, made it clear. 

Vince had built a life here.

"And your family?" Guldrin finally asked.

Vince's expression softened just a bit. "Inside. You'll meet them soon. I wanted you to get a feel for the place first." He paused, running a hand over his face as if shaking off a thought before adding, "My son, Nico, he's still small. Less than a year old. Tiny thing. Fragile. But he's mine. I named him after Dom."

"Nico?" he repeated. "What does that have to do with Dad's name?"

Vince's grin faltered for half a second before he let out a short laugh. "Man, you really don't know Spanish, huh?" He shook his head, amused. "Nico comes from 'Dominic.' It's like a shorter version, kinda. A way to honor him without making it too obvious." Vince nodded to himself as if his explanation would solve all Guldrin's confusion as he reiterated his reasoning. 

"Yeah. Short for Dominic. I couldn't exactly go around shouting 'Dominic' out here without raising questions, this isn't as backwater as it appears, people know some names and important things, so I shortened it. But it's for him. Dom was, is, a brother to me. Saved my ass more times than I can count. Naming my son after him? That just felt right."

Guldrin considered that, rolling the name around in his head. He supposed it made sense in a way. It wasn't like Vince would just name the kid 'Dominic' outright, too on the nose. But this? This was subtle.

Guldrin leaned back slightly, resting on his Chevelle, absorbing the weight of that. For all his bluster, Vince had always been loyal. And this? This was proof of it. He might be miles away from where they started, in a town that played by its own set of brutal rules, but some things never changed. Vince would always be Vince.

Not like, what was his name again? Meh, didn't matter, he showed his true colors when everything went down.

He glanced back at the town again, watching as a pair of men shuffled past a dimly lit alley, their conversation hushed and urgent. This place… it had a heartbeat. A rhythm. And Vince had made himself a part of it.

"You know," Guldrin said after a moment, "for a guy who used to talk about how much he hated being tied down, you sure seem to have settled in."

Vince laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, well… life's funny like that. I thought I would marry Mia, was convinced of it, so blinded by what I wanted, that I didn't see she considered me nothing more than a brother… I guess it is true what they say. You don't always end up where you think you will. Sometimes, you just land where you're supposed to be."

Guldrin smirked. "And sometimes, you just make the best of wherever you end up."

Vince gave him a look, then grinned. "Yeah. That too. At least she didn't end up with the Buster, I can take comfort in that, I guess. I wouldn't trade my wife and son for anything, I am right where I was supposed to be."

The two of them stood there for a long moment, letting the quiet hum of the town settle between them. The night air carried distant sounds, music from a cantina, muffled laughter, and the occasional shout in Spanish as someone haggled over a deal that might've been fair or a scam, depending on who you asked. 

It wasn't the kind of place that ever truly slept. The people here lived on the edge of something, not quite lawlessness, but not exactly order either. It was a balancing act, a system built on favors, power, and the kind of loyalty that could shift like sand in the wind.

For Vince, though, this was home. Or at least, it was the closest thing he had to one now. Guldrin could see it in the way he stood, how he leaned against the car with a kind of easy confidence, like he had carved out a space for himself in this world and knew exactly where he fit. It wasn't the kind of life they used to live back in L.A., but it was something. And for a guy like Vince, something was enough.

Guldrin took it all in, filing away details like pieces of a puzzle he was still figuring out. The town, the people, the way everything seemed to move with an unspoken rhythm. It was rough, sure, but that didn't mean it was weak. Vince had found a way to survive here, to thrive even. That meant something.

He exhaled slowly, nodding to himself. He would make do with what he had. There was potential here, a way to build something stronger, something more than just a local mob skimming money off desperate people. But that was a plan for the future. For now, he'd play along, watch, learn. That was how you survived in places like this.

—

–

-

Vince took a final drag of his cigarette, flicking the butt onto the ground and grinding it out under his boot. Then, with a clap on Guldrin's shoulder, he jerked his head toward the building behind them.

"Come on," he said. "Lemme introduce you to my family."

Guldrin followed him inside, stepping into a space that felt both lived-in and fortified. The walls were thick, the furniture sturdy, built for function over fashion. The scent of home-cooked food lingered in the air, mixing with the faint traces of engine grease and cigarette smoke. It was the kind of place that spoke of long nights, deep conversations, and the kind of love that didn't need to be spoken aloud to be understood.

Inside, Letty, Mia, Shiro, Skye, Revy, and Alisa were deep in conversation with Vince's wife. It was girl talk, the kind that involved a lot of laughter, exaggerated expressions, and the occasional glance toward the men as if to make sure they weren't eavesdropping.

Vince led Guldrin forward, his voice carrying a note of pride as he gestured to the woman beside him.

"This is the love of my life, my wife, Rosa," he said. "She doesn't speak much English, but I've been trying to teach her." He glanced at Rosa with a fond smile, the kind that softened the rough edges of a man like Vince. It blew Guldrin's mind to see this side of his Uncle.

"And this little one," he gestured toward the crib where Rosa was carefully rocking a tiny bundle of blankets, "this is my son, Nico. My pride and joy."

Guldrin's gaze dropped to the baby, his expression unreadable. Nico was small, and fragile in a way that made Guldrin uneasy. He had never been around kids much, especially not ones this tiny. 

In both of his lives.

The baby let out a small noise, shifting slightly in his sleep, and Rosa adjusted him with a practiced ease that spoke of sleepless nights and endless patience.

Vince turned back to Guldrin, his grin widening. "Rosa, this is my nephew, Guldrin. I told you about him over the years. The one who tried to steal tuna under Dom's nose and got caught." He let out a chuckle. "Led to him joining the family in the end." He explained in Spanish, and Rosa nodded before trying to greet him in horribly broken English.

Guldrin met Rosa's gaze, nodding slightly in greeting. She smiled, warm but reserved, studying him the way a mother might size up a stranger near her child. "Es n- nice du meat you." There was no hostility, just quiet assessment, and slight pride that she nailed the introduction which she had been practicing prior to their arrival.

He looked back at the baby, watching the slow rise and fall of his tiny chest. Life really had continued out here, far from everything they had known. People moved on, built new lives, found ways to survive.

And in that moment, something settled in him.

Maybe they weren't home. Maybe they never really would be again.

But this? This was close enough. 

Still, there was work to be done. He could see it in every little detail of this place, the way the people here operated, the gaps in security, the untapped potential. This town was rough, no doubt, but there was room for something more. They had resources, knowledge, and money. They could turn this into something no one expected, something they could be proud of. A real home.

Of course, there was one immediate problem.

Across the room, Skye was staring at her phone screen, her expression twisted into something between horror and existential dread. Beside her, Shiro looked equally disturbed, her fingers twitching as if resisting the urge to start dismantling something on the spot.

Vince, noticing the shift in their energy, raised a brow. "Uh… what's with them?"

Skye slowly looked up, her voice flat and lifeless. "There's… no good internet here."

Silence.

The weight of that statement hung in the air, thick with unspoken devastation.

Then Shiro let out a dramatic sigh, as if the news had physically wounded her. "We're living in the dark ages," she muttered. "How does anyone function like this?"

Skye shook her head, still staring at her screen like it had personally betrayed her. "I don't think you understand," she said. "This isn't just 'bad' internet. This is, this is… unspeakable."

Guldrin resisted the urge to laugh, though he did smirk slightly. "So what you're saying is… you're dying?"

Skye shot him a glare. "Yes."

Shiro crossed her arms, already slipping into planning mode. "We need to fix this. Immediately."

"Agreed," Skye said. "I mean, seriously, how are we supposed to do anything here? Research? Communication? Hacking into-" She stopped herself, and cleared her throat. "I mean… normal internet things?"

Vince gave a short laugh, shaking his head. "You two are acting like you just found out we don't have running water."

"That would be preferable," Shiro deadpanned. At least that was a solvable problem,

Rosa, who had been watching the exchange with mild amusement as Vince translated, chuckled softly and muttered something in Spanish. Vince glanced at her, then translated with an exaggerated smirk. "She says you all are too dependent on technology."

Skye gasped scandalized. "How dare-"

But before she could finish, Shiro cut in, already pulling out a notepad and scribbling something down. "Alright, here's the plan. We find the highest point in town, get the best equipment we can find, and set up a relay system to boost the signal. If we can't get good service, we make good service."

Skye nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. "We'll need hardware. Something strong enough to punch through all this interference. And we'll need to figure out the power situation-"

Vince held up his hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You two are seriously about to set up your own damn internet?"

Shiro and Skye exchanged glances, then looked back at him.

"Yes," they said in unison.

Vince exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I swear to God, you nerds are something else."

Guldrin, meanwhile, was just amused. He had seen them pull off crazier things before, so honestly? This didn't surprise him in the slightest. Hell, he had done crazier things himself, all in the name of creating new inventions.

With a final glance toward baby Nico, he let the warmth of the moment settle. This place, this life, it wasn't perfect. But damn it, it had potential. And if there was one thing their family knew how to do, it was taking something rough and turning it into something great.

Later that night, the dry wind carried the scent of dust and sunbaked earth as Guldrin stared out at the vast landscape stretching before them, Shiro right next to him. He had spent a lifetime, several, depending on how he counted, adapting to new places, learning their rhythms, and bending them to fit his needs. This would be no different.

Just another experience.

Or so he thought.

A sharp, intrusive Ding resonated in his mind, followed immediately by the now-familiar sensation of Shiro tensing beside him. That specific chime had only ever meant one thing, something was about to get chaotic.

"Congradulations, your 1-Year Cooldown is over."

[New Quest Available!]

The words formed in his and Shiro's shared consciousness, crisp and clear as if the universe itself had leaned in and whispered directly into their skulls.

It was clearly Emily playing with the volume setting again.

Quest Name: "Into The Land Of Ninja and Politics."

Objective: Enter the portal leading to the designated dimension. Survive. Time will stop in the origin world until return.

Requirements: Survive, Remain Sane, Escape. Two users may enter.

World Level: ?

Destination: AU Naruto.

World Details: A world ruled by blood, secrets, ninja, and fat politicians, fraught with schemes, prophecies, betrayals, and squandered potential.

Remarks: Don't die. Like really, how did you roll this world already? It had a 10% chance… Things will not match what you know, while some will. Emily and the entity known as Alisa are permitted to accompany the users, but must wait until Objective One has been fulfilled before assisting in any way. All other worlds traveled will be available for users to utilize. Good Luck.

Guldrin's eye twitched.

A slow, creeping sense of 'why does this kind of thing always happen' to me slithered its way through his head. He didn't even need to glance at Shiro to know she was already analyzing every possible angle, calculating their survival odds, and debating whether to strangle fate itself.

"Are you kidding me?" Guldrin muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples. "Naruto? As in Naruto, Naruto? That ninja show you told me about, saying it was a relic of anime history for you? The same one you have had me watching since it came out?"

Shiro exhaled sharply through her nose, her gaze already narrowed. "AU Naruto." She emphasized the AU, which meant Alternate Universe, which also meant all bets were off. "That's what worries me. Not to mention how crazy the power system is in that world."

Guldrin groaned. "Oh yeah, because the original world of Naruto was such a picnic. I haven't even seen all the anime? IT ISN'T RELEASED YET…" He let out a dry chuckle, his mind already racing through the hundreds of ways things could go wrong. 

This was a world where people could split mountains with their bare hands, where wars were fought with illusions so terrifying that grown men lost their minds, and where every single important person had at least a 50% chance of being secretly manipulated by some long-dead schemer.

"Blood, secrets, ninja, and fat politicians." Shiro read from the quest notification again, unimpressed. "What a combination… Who knows, AU could mean anything…"

"You know what? Maybe it won't be so bad," Guldrin said, immediately regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth. Because of course, Fate heard that and was probably sharpening a kunai just for him.

Shiro gave him a blank look. "You do realize we're being thrown into a world designed around betrayal and people holding grudges for literal centuries, right? Though, depending on many factors, and if you can replicate the technology from this world, in that world, then maybe?"

He sighed. "Yeah. But at least it's not a world where I have to fight eldritch horrors every five minutes."

Shiro tilted her head slightly, considering. "Depends on the AU."

That did not comfort him.

Still, there was no point in complaining. The quest notification had made one thing clear: they didn't have a choice, they never did. They were going whether they wanted to or not.

Guldrin tapped the edge of his boot against the dry ground, glancing back at the others. The group was still caught up in the domestic moment, Vince introducing talking with the family, Rosa trying to say something in broken English, baby Nico being obliviously adorable. This was home, or the closest thing they had to it.

And yet, the system had already decided to rip him away again.

"Alright," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Guess we're doing this." 

Emily meowed and leaped onto his head.

Alisa, sensing something was amiss approached and replicated her consciousness and entered Guldrin's smartwatch without his knowledge. Or so she thought.

She didn't trust her little master… It was smart of her.

Shiro didn't respond at first. She simply closed her eyes for a moment, as if mentally preparing herself for whatever fresh Hell awaited them. Then, with a slow exhalation, she met his gaze and nodded.

"Let's just try not to die in the first five minutes. I don't think we have extra lives… Yet? I still don't understand my Gamer class enough to say for certain."

"Yeah… I don't plan on dying, nor allowing you to die… Not that you would need my help after your own Alisa brand of Hell training." Guldrin quipped, but there was a grin tugging at the edge of his lips. "Now, where's this damn portal? Oh Yeah, I need to take my Chevelle… Let me swap out the charger I store for the Chevelle."

Making sure no one was looking, Guldrin pulled out the black Charger and quickly stored the Chevelle before anyone could notice.

Now he just needed to remember to replace it when they returned.

Thankfully, Revy had taken this chance before the emotional situation could evolve, to slip away and try to make a call to Mama Goldblood and give her a full update on the situation.

But Guldrin wouldn't know this for a long, long time.

After walking around the area and finding a nice hidden location, they both nodded and prepared their minds. As if on cue, the air in front of them shimmered, distorting like heat waves rising from a desert road. The space twisted and bent unnaturally, until finally, with a deep whooshing sound, a swirling vortex of dark blue and black light burst into existence.

Guldrin barely had time to process it before another notification popped into his mind.

[Portal to Destination: AU Naruto has opened.]

[Enter?]

[YES / NO]

He turned to Shiro, eyebrow raised. "Last chance to back out."

She shot him a deadpan look. "You think I'd let you go alone? In a world full of ninja babes? Not a chance in Hell"

He smirked. "Fair enough."

Taking a deep breath, they both reached out, and stepped forward.

The world lurched.

For a brief, nauseating moment, there was nothing but cold, weightless emptiness. No sound. No light. Just the sense of being torn away from reality itself.

Then… Impact.

Guldrin had hit the ground with all the grace of a sack of bricks, landing flat on his stomach with an undignified grunt. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and for a moment, all he could do was lie there, staring at the dirt, contemplating the series of choices that had led to this exact moment. He groaned, spitting out a mouthful of soil, and rolled onto his back, glaring up at the swirling remnants of the portal above him before it vanished into nothingness.

Where the hell were they?

A soft thud signaled Shiro's landing beside him, far more graceful, of course. She crouched instantly, her head on a swivel, scanning their surroundings with the same sharp intensity she always carried. Guldrin swore he could feel the smugness radiating off her without her even saying a word. He already knew what she was thinking: 'Another flawless landing.' Must be nice.

This was a clear bias from Emily, she even switched resting places to Shiro knowing Guldrin was going to eat shit upon his exit…

With a deep sigh, he shoved himself up onto his elbows, his muscles aching from both the rough arrival and the realization that Emily, the system's mischievous AI or whatever she was, Cat girl wife? Had undoubtedly rigged their entry to ensure he hit the dirt while Shiro landed like a damn ninja.

"That was some bullshit," he muttered, dusting himself off as he took in their surroundings.

They were in a forest, dense and humid, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and foliage. The trees stretched unnaturally high, their thick, gnarled branches intertwining like grasping fingers, blotting out most of the sky. The only light that managed to filter through came in sickly greenish hues, casting eerie shadows that moved even when the wind didn't. There was something wrong with this place, something unnatural. The silence was suffocating. No birds, no insects, no rustling leaves. Just stillness.

A familiar Ding echoed in their minds.

[Objective One: Survive.]

[Time Until Completion: 3 Years.]

[Reward: ???, One Free Random Ability, next chain quest.]

[Additional Note: Good luck. You'll need it. Don't resist, it will be easier.]

Guldrin exhaled through his nose, clenching his jaw. Three years? The words sat heavy in his mind. Three years in a world he barely knew. A world full of Shinobi, assassins, warlords, and god-like beings who could obliterate mountains with a bad temper.

"Well," he said dryly, pushing himself to his feet and brushing off his pants. "This should be fun."

Shiro didn't acknowledge his sarcasm. Her fingers twitched slightly, an unconscious habit of hers when she was calculating their odds. The fact that she was already on edge was all the confirmation Guldrin needed that this world wasn't going to give them a warm welcome.

"We need to move," she said, voice low but urgent. "Now."

She had barely finished speaking when it happened.

A blur of motion, silent, efficient. The air around them shifted, and suddenly, the clearing wasn't empty anymore.

Guldrin felt it before he saw them: the unmistakable presence of killers, the Anbu, or at least something similar. His body reacted on instinct, but before he could so much as tense, he felt the cold, unmistakable press of a blade against his throat. Shiro was in the same predicament, though she remained eerily still, her golden eyes flicking between their attackers.

They were surrounded.

Ten masked figures, clad in dark Shinobi gear, their weapons drawn and their postures screaming lethal efficiency. They moved like shadows, each one positioned precisely to cover every possible escape route. But the real problem wasn't them. It was the man standing at the center of it all.

He was older, draped in a heavy cloak, his arm and face partially obscured by bandages. He leaned casually on a cane, but Guldrin didn't buy the frail act for a second. 

The air around him felt different, calculated, oppressive, like he was already several moves ahead in a game they didn't even know they were playing.

"My, my," the bandaged man mused, his voice carrying a dangerous amusement. "And what are a couple of non-ninja civilians doing outside my base? No one should be able to cross this barrier unless I had allowed it… So, who are you two?"

Guldrin forced himself to stay relaxed, despite the very real danger of getting his throat slit before he could finish a sentence.

Shiro, however, remained unreadable. Her golden gaze locked onto the man, unwavering, measuring, planning.

The grip on Guldrin's shoulder tightened, and the kunai against his neck pressed slightly harder, it was a clear and concise warning.

His mind raced. Danzo Shimura. He wasn't your everyday-old Shinobi; he was one of the most dangerous political players in the world of Naruto. A man who operated from the shadows, pulling strings with no hesitation, no remorse. A man who saw people as assets or liabilities, never anything in between. 

The show didn't explain much about the man, but Shiro filled him in on who Danzo was when they were watching the anime in the past. 

She even told him about the crazy fan fictions she had seen giving Guldrin a true fear of this Hokage-obsessed, Uchiha-hating, all for the good of Konoha man.

And they had landed right in his backyard.

Just their luck.

Shiro finally spoke, her voice calm. "Who are we?" she repeated, tilting her head slightly. "Shouldn't you be more concerned with how we got past your barrier?"

The amusement in Danzo's expression didn't waver. "Oh, I have every intention of finding that out." He gestured lazily with his cane, and one of the Shinobi holding them tensed, as if waiting for an order. "But first, I'd like to know what you two think you're doing here."

Guldrin had the distinct feeling that 'wrong place, wrong time' wasn't going to cut it.

"Well," he said, flashing a grin that was only half-forced. "Believe it or not, we didn't exactly plan for this. One minute we were minding our own business, and the next, boom. Here we are. Crazy how life works." 

It works for Kakashi, why not him?

Guldrin was trying to stall for time to figure out some way to escape, even if it wouldn't work, but that hint to not resist kept surfacing inside his mind.

Danzo didn't look impressed.

Shiro sighed, clearly unimpressed by his lack of subtlety but knew there was no right answer.

Guldrin continued. "So, how about we all lower the murder vibes for a second? We're not exactly a threat to you, are we?"

That earned him a chuckle, dark and humorless. "That remains to be seen."

With a flick of his wrist, Danzo gave a signal.

Guldrin barely had time to register what was happening before something slammed into the side of his neck. His vision swam, his body went cold, and the last thing he saw before his knees gave out was Shiro's Golden eyes narrowing in a flash of fury as she received the same treatment.

Neither could react fast enough.

Then everything went dark.

(I appologize for the delays, life has been hectic, I didn't have time to work on this, and then to top it all off, my girlfriend, now ex, deleted all my chapters and notes associated... So now I am playing catch up, and will most certainly have to revieve all my posted chapters to fill in what is lost. Anyways... I should start posting more frequently but it won't be every day unless I Deathmarch my way through it.)

(Give me your POWER, Please, and Thank You! Leave reviews and comments, they motivate me to continue.)