You did the only thing you've been doing since the very start of this madness.

You ran.

You abandoned your comrades- your friends. The people that loved you more than anything in the world.

You kept telling yourself it was for the better. You said that if you didn't run, 'then your friends would be slaughtered in some horrific way.'

You wished you would have stayed. You longed for the way things were before the attacks. You longed for the endless goofing around, bonding, and safety.

Especially safety.

You were huddled up in an alleyway looking at a poor drawn-out map you acquired at a gift shop. You've been on the streets for what you assumed to be over a week.

"God- has it been a godawful week." You mumbled out. Straining your eyes to stay focused and not cross after staring at the map for fifteen minutes straight.

You've been utilizing a lot, especially. He's been stealing food, beverages, and anything else you may need.

It was tricky at first.

Everyone was out looking for you the same day you left. You spent the entire afternoon hiding in alleys; and back alleys to those alleys.

The second day was exceptionally as hard as the first. La Squadra kept themselves together (for the most part) while searching for you. But Bucciarati's team was a different story.

You've seen Narancia trying to hold himself together while Mista joked about the lecture you'd probably get later from Bucciarati. Mista said one joke too many, and Narancia practically pounced on him and proceeded to scream at him.

"Can you go ten minutes without joking, and take this seriously?! (Y/n) is gone and has been gone for over a day, and we have no idea where she could be! So, for ten-fucking-minutes can you be quiet and be serious?!"

You used the shadows of the alley; to watch Narancia slouch onto Mista and cry.

It didn't take a genius to know how utterly heartbroken the boy was.

Mista patted his back and apologized, holding tears of his own back as they continued walking.

You saw other interactions similar to theirs' unfold with other team members. You felt conflicted. You wanted to reach out and comfort them and tell them everything was 'okay' and that you were 'okay,' but you'd know they'd involve themselves more and risk their lives for you.

You didn't want anyone else to die because of you.

You wouldn't know how to carry on with your carefree attitude if you knew someone else died because of you.

So you kept 'running.'

You were huddled in this alley corner, still. You just kept marking blocks off your map with a pencil, that has nearly been sharpened to death.

You felt a hand land on your shoulder, causing you to nearly jump out of your skin as you whirled your head around to see your stand looking down at you.

"Jesus, , don't do that shit. I could've died from a heart attack in this heat, ya know."

Your stand stared blankly down at you before pointing at your map.

"What about the map?"

He reached forward and gently took the map out of your hand. You watched as he began to fold it up and tuck it into his inner breast pocket.

"Hey! Give that back! I still haven't marked off all the blocks we've walked through yet!" You stood up to try and grab at his shirt.

He gently grabbed your hand and looked at you. You couldn't see his eyes clearly behind his shutter glasses, but you could tell they were begging you to stop struggling.

You knew he could feel your emotional, physical, and mental pain. And he knew that you knew he could.

You were worn-out, hot, smelly, and tired. He knew how desperately you missed everyone; and how much you loved everyone individually. Your heart ached every time you heard your name being called: from half a block away. How every time the sunset, one of them was quietly crying in their room, knowing they couldn't help you.

You used your other hand and quickly reached inside his shirt to snatch the map out of his pocket. In doing so, you knocked a tape out of his pocket.

You watched as the tape clattered to the ground and pop out of its busted case.

You looked at the poorly taped-up case on the ground and recognized the particular cassette.

It used to belong to your father.

It was your favorite tape out of your whole collection because it had so many of your childhood songs. Songs your father raised you on. But most importantly, it was your favorite because it belonged to your father.

You gingerly picked up the tape and popped it back into its case. You were gazing at your father's handwriting on its case.

'Fire Mix Tape'

As cheesy as it was, it was the best name the two of you could come up with, with you being in Elementary school at the time. But it was a fire mix tape, nonetheless.

Music was one of your and your father's greatest strengths and weaknesses.

You handed the tape back to and watched as he put it back in his pocket, where his heart resided.

"Sorry about that, buddy. I know how much that tape means to the both of us." You scratched the back of your head with your free hand before looking at the folded-up map in your other hand.

"But we can't risk wasting any more time. The sooner we pinpoint her location, the sooner we can finish this and go home." You winced at the last few words, feeling a bit of guilt. You knew you'd be leaving them without a trace, but it was for the better.

You quickly unfolded the map and laid it on the ground to get a full view of the city. You quickly; marked off the surrounding areas on the map. You were slowly narrowing down your search but had no clue if you were narrowing it down fast enough.

You bit at your nail slightly as you lightly circled the next couple of blocks you needed to explore before the end of the day.

God, was it going to be a long day.

"Okay, , I think we both rested enough. Time to keep moving." You got up with a heavy sigh and stretched.

You stand face palmed before disappearing back into you.

Your goal was to search the next few blocks quickly without being caught. You may have been on your feet all day, but so were your friends. You knew they were looking for you still, and it was only a matter of time before they narrowed down their search.

All they had to do was ask the right people...

"Do you think we'll ever find her?" Abbacchio looked at Bucciarati from across the table with tired eyes as they both ate their lunch.

Bucciarati swallowed his lunch and looked at Abbacchio with the same tired eyes.

"Do you really want to know what I think?" Abbacchio tapped the wooden table with his finger quietly. He stared out of the window in contemplation.

"Yeah..." He finally breathed.

Bucciarati took a small sip of his espresso, trying to save it for the end of the meal, but feeling the hands of tiredness itching at the back of his head was starting to get unbearable.

"I think; that we'll find her when she wants to be found." Abbacchio frowned at his response but didn't say anything, knowing that Bucciarati had a point.

He remembered the first time you two met. How you were as slippery as an eel, tricking him into your dancing curse. You knew how to evade people to your fullest extent.

"But-" Bucciarati continued, "I also think we'll find her when she needs us the most. Because deep down, she would want to be found." He stabbed at a piece of pasta before continuing to eat.

"You think she's alright?" Bucciarati hummed for a second before chewing and swallowing his food.

"I'm sure where ever she may be hiding, she is alright. She's more than capable of taking care of herself." Abbacchio let out a sigh before looking at Bucciarati.

"You're right. (Y/n) is a smart kid. A smartass, but smart." They both chuckled, but the air was stale with worry.

The two quieted down before Abbacchio returned to looking out the window. Hoping to catch a glimpse of you in the passing crowd.

was the one that picked the song as it faintly emitted from you. Of course, a nonstand user wouldn't be able to hear the music, and any ordinary person that could; would think it was coming from something that was playing on your person.

You think him playing 'Village People' was his idea of cheering you up. You'd admit, 'Village People,' had some of the catchiest songs you've ever listened to.

You wondered if someone like Prosciutto or Risotto would listen to 'Village People's' songs. You also wondered if they'd specifically dance to one of their songs with you.

You had a feeling Prosciutto might, but Risotto, on the other hand, would be a different story.

You surveyed your surroundings as you walked, quietly with your head down.

The street looked similar to the last few you've been down already. A couple of restaurants, shops, and apartments.

The aroma coming from the restaurants was causing your mouth to water. You swallowed back your hunger and tried to stay focused on the task you laid out for yourself.

It was definitely around lunchtime.

You wished you'd thought to grab some cash, at the very least, before leaving.

You didn't grab your phone, flip phone, cash, or a change of clothes.

The only thing that kept you from smelling horrid was stealing other people's clothes off clotheslines and washing up in restrooms.

You shuddered at the memory of almost falling off a balcony after finally finding a way up there.

Suddenly, something caught the corner of your eye. You turned your head slightly to see what it was.

You looked across the street to see two familiar faces. A ravenette was sitting across from a silver-haired male in a restaurant.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit-" You quickly picked up the pace to a fast walk.

You studied the two males in the restaurant as they appeared to be deep in conversation about something important.

They both seemed to be worn out. Abbacchio idly moved the food around on his plate as Bucciarati continued talking.

You felt a pang of guilt in your heart as you rounded the corner and out of view.

It was a welcomed sight to see the two of them together, but some part of you wished you were there to comfort them.

You inhaled deeply and let your mind drift away into the music as you continued to walk, not looking back.

'Coward.'

That word silently rang in the back of your head before it became unbearable.

You tried to justify your actions of running away by telling yourself it would be safer for them.

But even you knew you were running away only to run away from a threat from the past.

Your eyes darted from building to building as you tried to find a specific bar hidden in plain sight.

'Why do you always do this?!' The voice in the back of your head screamed.

You flinched at the nagging inner voice as you continued walking. "There's no point, (Y/n). They would only get hurt themselves." You muttered to yourself.

You didn't know why you were reassuring yourself like this. You knew a part of you needed their help, but you couldn't risk it.

You stopped. Your internal dilemma was becoming too much to bear.

You looked back in contemplation.

"Don't you fucking dare (Y/n)... stick to what you've been telling yourself this whole time." Your foot took one step forward as you tried to fight the urge to run back.

You took another step towards the corner you just came from.

"I swear to fucking god, (Y/n)... you're going to regret this if you ask for help."

You rotated your body around as you tried to get yourself to walk in the opposite direction.

You were seriously starting to get weird looks as you internally fought yourself.

manifested himself and stared down at you with crossed arms. He looked like a parent lecturing his child with the vibe he was giving off towards you.

"Don't give me that look. You know how hard it is for me to move on." You crossed your arms and stared back up at him.

Now people were starting to stare at you. You looked like a clinically insane homeless person.

He moved his hands to his hips and cocked his head to the side. You mimicked his movements and stared back up at him with annoyed eyes.

"I'm not doing it. I refuse." His mouth quickly opened and shut like he was snapping at you to listen to your heart.

You covered your ears and walked around him. Acting as if he could verbally lecture you.

You felt a hand land on your shoulder and jerk you back. You stumbled over your feet and whirled around to see your stand staring down at you.

"I said 'no,' . N. O. No. Respect the word." You tried to walk away again, only for him to tug at your shoulder again.

"I'm not going ! If you want me to go back so badly you're going to have to drag me kicking and screaming the whole fucking way!" You screamed at the humanoid with your face turning a warmer shade.

He stared at you blankly for a second, processing your words fully, before straightening up.

"Wait- no!" grabbed your arms and began slowly dragging you back towards the corner.

You thrashed your arms wildly in his hands before getting a small opening and kneeing your stand in the gut with all your strength.

You recoiled at the pain and fell to your knees, gripping your stomach. "That wasn't very smart..." You gasped your words out.

But at least he let you go.

You looked up at your surprised stand as he held his stomach lightly with one of his hands.

"I'm sorry, but I'm still not going..." He started approaching you again, causing you to get on your feet and turn tail.

You bolted as your stand skated after you with the fury of a thousand suns.

He wasn't happy being punched by his user.

"I said I was sorry!" You screamed.

"What was that noise?" Prosciutto doused his lit cigarette in the car's ashtray before turning around. He glared at the sight in the backseat of his car.

Pesci quickly looked at the rearview mirror for a split second before settling his eyes on the road.

"Oh, you know, just Melone being an absolute degenerate of a person!" Illuso roared the last few words before trying to punch the lilac male.

Melone was swatting away his hands and pushing the long-haired male away with his foot.

"I'm only stating the facts! Your sign isn't compatible with (Y/n)'s! Mine, on the other hand..." He could practically foam at the mouth with the amount of astrological info he had on you.

Asking Risotto when your birthday was, was one of the best choices in his life.

Prosciutto could feel a groan rumbling from the back of his throat as he stared at the two in dismay.

"You two!" He pointed at the two of them before continuing. "Are arguing about stars and shit while (Y/n) is probably in a dumpster somewhere! She could be dead for all we know!"

"Uh, big bro-" Prosciutto hushed Pesci and continued his rant.

"You two are the most unprofessional, inept-"

"Big bro-" Prosciutto hushed him once more to continue.

"vulgar teammates on the whole team! And while she is, out there, probably fighting for her life, you two had the audacity to talk about your shitty planet signs!"

"Sun signs, actually-" Melone tried to correct him before getting cut off again.

"Shut. Your. Fucking. Mouth." Prosciutto hissed.

"Big bro-"

"What, Pesci?! What!" Prosciutto directed his anger towards the smaller male.

"We passed (Y/n) two blocks ago..." Pesci quietly squeaked out.

That was Prosciutto's last straw.

"God damn it, ! Respect my damn wishes!" You were starting to wheeze a bit from all the running.

The good news to you was that he was feeling the same exhausting effects you were feeling.

Your stand was struggling to push his feet as he skated towards you. He reached out towards you with outstretched hands, his fingertips grazing the back of your shirt.

You quickly maneuvered to the side into an alley, dogging his hand as he struggled to grab at you.

You watched as he skitted a few dozen feet away before hitting his maximum range. He whirled around and looked at you. You could feel that he was not happy with you being difficult.

You threw him the finger and ventured down into the alley.

Being around your stand was like being around a neon sign displaying: '(Y/n) is this way! Come and find her!'

You let out a loud groan before turning around to go grab your stand before he waved someone down.

You quickly exited the alley and looked around for him. You looked at the spot you last saw him.

He was faced away, waving his arms in the air wildly. You tried to look past him to see who he was waving down, before realizing he was waving someone down.

"Oh, shi-" You rushed back into the alley and hoped he would go out of range and unmanifest or get pulled by your limited range.

"(Y/n)! If you keep running, we will tackle you!" You could hear the familiar voice of Illuso as you ran further into the alley.

You didn't dare be snarky in case it gave away that you just ran into the nearest alleyway.

You could hear the clacking of skates behind you. You quickly made a sharp right turn into a smaller path in the alley in an attempt to lose your stand.

made the same sharp right turn as Prosciutto and Illuso trailed further behind.

"Stop leading them to me, you dick!" You ran past a dumpster and grabbed the nearest trash bag laying next to it.

You struggled to carry the bag as you ripped it open and dumped its contents.

The worst thing any skater can go through is trying to skate on littered pathways. You looked over your shoulder and watched as unmanifested to avoid falling.

Illuso and Prosciutto, on the other hand, just ran right through the trash and were catching up quickly.

"For fuck sake!" You huffed and looked around for a potential escape route to get away from the two.

You spotted a few bags of trash piled next to a dumpster. The way the bags were arranged was almost perfect enough to be a staircase. You could see a low-level balcony just above the dumpster and decided to take your chance, knowing that it may be slightly too high for your tired state.

You ran up the bags of trash and onto the dumpster before preparing yourself to jump towards the balcony.

"Oh no, you don't!" Illuso yelled. He scrambled up the bags of trash after you.

You made the leap of faith and caught the balcony, narrowly being missed by Illuso as he tried to grab onto you.

You watched as he fell and rolled a few feet away. You could feel your grip losing fast as you hoisted yourself up the balcony's rails.

"(Y/n), get down from there!" Prosciutto holared as he helped Illuso up.

You looked down at the two males and yelled back, "No! I'm not coming back!"

"Stop being difficult!" Illuso yelled.

You flipped him the bird before getting up on the railing. You reached as high as you could; for the next balcony before firmly grasping the bars above your head.

Prosciutto quickly lifted himself on the dumpster before running and jumping to grab onto the balcony. He almost missed if it wasn't for his stand, grabbing onto the bars for him.