One day after the disappearance of Djamor and Xanthodermus...
Only a few families of aliens remain, having missed the first return or avoided it as they had good lives compared to the eaten ones... unfortunately.. they still aren't welcomed, and are hunted out. Humans who tried to protect them were also persecuted.........
In Houston: Quince had tried to speak to Mina and confess his mistake, but upon learning Champi lied, saying something fell on her: he continued with Tito and his gang. Deciding it would still be better if the mushroom aliens simply weren't there in the first place...
Tonight; the masked-gang have driven down random streets most of this evening and haven't found anything.. "This spot's probably clean.." Tito sighs, another gangster replied in anger "Don't punk out, the cops found a few the other day RIGHT here! They always live in big disgusting groups; that was fungul infections do!". "You're right! Let's go up to tha park! Nobody searched it because it's too open, but they might be stupid enough to try hidin' in plain sight!" Tito agreed with him and they speed up their pickup-truck down the road!!!
The group then reached the park, and get out... Quince gets off the back as he asks "We really going in?", "Yeah man, they're real monsters! Hidin' out in the dark, then coming to take our crap and spread those creepy spores everywhere!". "Stop, I'm gonna vomit!!" another gangster said with a gag.. then notice lights "The cops!?" he yelled in a whisper.. "You'd think they'd be on our side: we all want th' same thang!" Tito growls, then sighed in anger... "Forget 'em, they got orders, we're free to do what's right!". They took out their guns and machetes, Tito grabs the torches "Don't light the mother fucking things until we find their homes first this time!" he warned angrily! Quince sighed uncomfortably, until his friend gives him a torch "Come on, you go first; you havva sixth sense or something!" Tito said. "Fine, but it ain't no different than jus' gettin' a pig to sniff out truffles and shit..." Quince jokes. One of the gangsters laughed some, but.. the search is mostly quiet, as they go under trees, around dead wood and by bushes... they find a few earth mushrooms.. but nothing alien yet; Quince though, remembers what the Aliens say they like about Earth at meetings he went to with Mina, and goes to obvious and somewhat not too obvious places the aliens would live or hide....
A few feet away... a family of mushroom-aliens hide under a bridge "Daddy, I'm scared..." an girl says in fear "Why didn't we leave with the others??". "Because we have friends here, there's humans we can trust and would miss us!" her dad explains with hope "We have to stay, unity with this world wasn't just a social project; if we can unite with humans despite everything: it would be great for all of us!". His wife smiles at her brave husband, this IS dangerous but his faith in optimism was always inspiring to her... until...
Light suddenly shines on them!! "Found some!!!" A gangster shouted! "Run!!" the dad yells, the mother and daughter snuck away opposite of the where the humans were looking, as the father peaked from the underside of the bridge... while the gangsters lit torches, "They'll just burn them anyway..." he realized out loud, and tried running with his family until he's shot! The soft mushroom's legs fell to pieces and he dropped! "Aah!" he shouted, "Rimmz!!!!" his wife shouted as she looks over her shoulder, "RUN!!!" he commands angrily, so she picks up the child and ran! "Go get 'em!!!" Tito shouted, the others ran after them! While he and another gangster walks up on the writhing father "Heheh, if it can bleed it can die!" A gangster laughed, and stomped his head! "Make sure you get the part under th' cap, these damn things probably get up if you don't!" another warned. "Seriously? I thought you burned them!?" Tito asked angrily. "Hell naw, I was chasin' kids, then when I come back, some of 'em be gone, unless something else eats them too!" the gangster reveals... "Let's just turn 'em to mush!" Tito said, then they stomp the body to nothing but fungus and jelly blood...
They then go from under the bridge "Let's get the truck, those idiots probably lost 'em!" Tito suggested, then they go back ...though, Tito stops one of the other gangsters via grabbing his coat collar, causing him to look over his shoulder "Wh,what? You see one??!" he asked. "Go ahead, I hafta piss.." Tito lied.. They go ahead, but the Hispanic man goes away to find Quince!
Meanwhile: the Cowboy stands under a tree, waiting for the truck to come around... but noticed when Tito stomps up to him angrily "What the hell hermano!?" he shouted and snatched off his mask "Where were you!?". "I was watching the thing go down, I was gonna shoot the others, but those idiots got in the way.". "Uh huh!" Tito retorted "You NEVER do shit during a cleanse! I thought you were on our side?! Wha' happened!?". "I'm STILL am! I'm just not runnin' up on them thangs; they got weapons and crap like us!" Quince replied angrily "You idiots gonna get shot the hell up!". "I ain't afraid of that shit!!" the Hispanic man retorted in rage "Stop being a punk ass bitch and...". The truck comes around before he finished: "Hurry up, they cornered them at the ol' casino!" one gangster yelled from within, "Shit! Let's go!" Tito yelled and jumped in the back of the truck, as does Quince! The gangster speeds up to the abandoned casino downtown! They stop upon seeing the others surrounding the building, everybody leaves the truck and nears their comrades...
"What the fuck?! Something happened?" Tito asked, thugs come from from another side of the building "I jus' gotta text that this thang's full of mushrooms!" one warned. "Why didn't you just burn it down then?" Tito asked in annoyance, "Where am I gonna get THAT MUCH kerosene, dumbass?!" the thug replied in anger. A gangster then asked "So we got no choice but to get in there and flush 'em out?". " Yeah, but not halfassed, we go in through the back, you idiots go in first from the front!" another thug commanded. "We ain't takin' orders from your stupid ass!" Tito shouted, "What the fuck's wrong with you!? If ya havva better plan let's hear it; we have less shit so we hafta get the leftovers, yall need to jump in first!" an thug added in anger. "Fuck that! You just a punk!" Tito retorted, until bright lights suddenly blind them!
Everybody turns around to see Cordell getting out of van "This is illegal assembly and disturbing the peace; get out of here while you can!" he warned as he holds his gun at his side.. "Shut the fuck up, bitch!" one of the gangsters laughed, "Yeah! We ain't listening to a fungus hugger!" Toto added! "Then maybe you'd listen to the rangers? Mushrooms or not you're all wanted for multiple accounts of destroying public property while looking for them.." the cowboy explained, as many police vehicles surround them! "Go!!" A thug shouted, causing wild shooting to happen! Many were injured, but Tito and few others escaped!!
The law enforcement follows them, but Cordell sneaks away... Similarly... Quince noticed as he stayed behind too; he then follows his friend from afar. Quince hadn't seen his friend for a more than a werk, and suddenly seeing him here made him curious... but he didn't want to be associated with the gangsters... he then stops as Cordell approaches the back of the building... "Hey.. they're gone..." he says calmly "Y,you have no reason to trust me, but it's safe now... They're taking them away.". An mushroom alien suddenly bursts out and asks "Really!?" in relief, "St,stop that!" another whispered loudly "Ma'am, you have nothing to worry about.." Cordell assures her "I came here to clear them out.. I.. I can't make it everytime, but I did this time!". Quince awes as the mushrooms from earlier gets out, the daughter still has tears in her eyes from what happened... "Look, it's going to be okay, alright? If, if you need another home; go north of here; the Mideaters gang just stormed that place and they're coming here, I heard. It should be safe for a while, but don't stay too long..." he warns... The mother smiles wryly and leaves with her daughter, as does few other mushrooms... Quince himself can't speak to his friend now...not when he chose what he did out of fear and confusion, while Cordell's helping people... So...... he leaves, walking back home most of the night, and getting home late...
Tomorrow night, he's roped back into the gang's activities again; unable to say anything about his having a change of heart to his friend or the violent strangers with him.... So Quince leads them to another abandoned area "They have to be a bunch in there.." he says, "They like wet shit, so they might have a while bed of fungus in there!"! The gangsters all run into a previously flooded building... as he stopped halfway to it, then started to run.... until.. he noticed the sky; it's VERY cloudy.. no stars can be seen, nor the moon.. it's also tinged red as it looks before it rains... " Shit.. what the hell am I gonna do??" he thought out loud... Then hears "Mr Morris?"...
The cowboy looks down again and sees Champi standing before him! "Ch, you?? Champi???" he asked in surprised gasp and staggers backward.. "Yes, I finally caught up to you!" she exclaims with relief.. "B,but you.. you were dyin'!!!?" he asks with confusion and fear.. "No, I was hurt badly.. but we can always regrow.. I'm better, see?" she says somewhat cheerfully! He walks to her, and rubs his hand gently across where the injury was: her body's healed completely.. Had he not hurt her; he wouldn't of guessed anything happened.. "B,but how!??" he asked... "We're different from you humans.. Earth fungus grows in damp wet places, right? Even if you break them down, they'll grow right back later..." Champi reveals "And as for me personally, my partner and a few human doctors nursed me back to health. See?!". Quince awes at her. Champi had a crush on him and Quince nearly killed her; he thought for sure people would find out and face the hatred and pain he put on the mushroom aliens, but she kept him safe....
Quince stares at her in surprise, her black innocent eyes now hurt to look into.. and he fell to his knees slowly "You.... saved me? Why?" he asked breathlessly, "Why are you so fearful? You didn't mean to, right? I understand that you were upset over whatever's keeping you from being with me too, so I had to make sure you could have the time to sort out your feelings!" she replies. Quince is too flabbergasted, the mushroom didn't take her own horrible experience seriously...
He then puts his hands together and replies "I, I can't take you for granted.... Some people around here are as protective of you guys as much you were with me: ..so I would've been ruined if I was found out, thank you... I.. can't leave my wife, she loves me as much as I love her... but I... I can't forget this or you..." with a soft and endearing tone... "Awww.. Me aside, I had suspected you would've been in more trouble, right? I can't help but think that Mina would be one of those people you'd be afraid of if she knew what really happened..." Champi replies, then adds in a dark tone (which sounded scary as compared to her original near childish one) "But speaking of those who would've harmed you... You need to hide, there's something coming.. And I ..Need to know you'll be safe!". "W,what are you talkin' about!?" he asked in fear. "I can't explain it all now, but you have to trust me.. You have to, no matter what; even with the Earthly bonds that's holding you down, I need you to ..at very least be able to accept my feelings.." she explains semi-clearly.. "Wh,what are ya talking about??? I just said thanks or somethin'.." Quince asked curiously... "Please, trust me... I need you to, no matter what; I need you to accept that I want you safe, and trust this.. please!" she begs... This was scary and strange, but Quince couldn't forgive himself for nearly killing her; so he agrees "I accept ya, I accept you have feelin's for me... which are scarily stronger than Mina's at the moment...". She smiles in relief and shakes her cap; causing spores to fall all over him!!!
Quince quickly jumped up and spits some "Wh,what the hell did ya do to me!?" he asked in annoyance! "I'm keeping you protected from what's coming! No matter what, don't clean it off until after that day." Champi started to instruct, but she looks up in surprise... Quince notices, and does too... the clouds above get much bigger, and thundering can be heard very loudly and almost constantly...
Before he could look back at her again, Champi left... Quince looks around for her for a while, then goes back to his home... wondering what happened when she threw spores all over him....
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