Creds to Zack Black on Youtube for coming up with the story - I'm just writing it for him!

The water is red.

Michael isn't sure if it's the reflection of the police lights flashing or if it's blood, but either way, it hurts to look at. He's soaking wet in it, dripping the water all over the car seat in this SUV that was meant for more than just one person.

He's shivering, of course. It's a warm summer night - approximately 12:44, as it says on his dash - in Los Santos but he's shivering because of the ocean water. He's almost as cold as a dead body.

All of his friends are dead.

This isn't the way they were supposed to go out. Michael knows they weren't long for this world - as a notorious criminal gang causing havoc and committing major crimes all the time, casualties and accidents were expected. But somehow, now that it had happened, it felt like Michael thought they were going to live forever.

They should have had more time. Much more time.

"You're goddamn right about that, Michael." Michael hears the familiar voice and turns around to see Geoff, his arms crossed and leaning casually against the back seat of the SUV. He's alive, so Michael knows this isn't real. Michael isn't foolish. He knows that they're all dead and not coming back, so his hopes don't get up. "But who the fuck says we deserved more time, anyway? We're all assholes. Karma was coming for us eventually." Michael smiles gently.

"Hey! Even if I am an asshole, I'm a very attractive asshole. Karma would want to fuck me, not kill me." Michael turns to see Ray in the middle seat next to Geoff, but Ray isn't covered in bullet holes, so there's no point getting his hopes up with him either.

Michael hears a snort, and then on the other side of Ray, Ryan appears. "Please. Karma would shoot you right in the face if it ever saw your nasty asshole. So would I." Ray smirks, and Michael knows he's going to flirt.

"Ah, but Ryan, that's suggesting that you would one day see my asshole. You wanna fuck?" Ray winks at Ryan, and Michael hears a sigh. Jack pops up from the backseat and shakes her head.

"Ray, you need to tone it down. We all know you want Ryan in your pants, get over it." Michael smiles, and hears a chuckle to his left. He turns, and there's Gavin. His smile turns sad.

Gavin looks at the rest of the Crew, and then turns to Michael. "You guys all want in each other's pants. Isn't that right, Micoo?" Gavin nudges Michael with his elbow and Michael forgets for one second that all of this isn't real. He forgets that everybody else is dead, and that he'll be dead in a moment too. But reality hits him hard again in a second and stops whatever happiness he might be feeling.

Michael doesn't respond. "Micoo? What's wrong?" Michael doesn't hesitate in his answer.

"Because you're all dead, that's what's wrong! All of you are gone and I'm the only one left. I didn't... I didn't think this was the end. I didn't know this would be the end of the road."

Geoff leans forward to answer to Michael. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, bitch. You're gonna be dead in a second, and we get move on and cause havoc in whatever other world is out there." But Geoff's eyes are sparkling kindly, and Michael knows that he's only trying to assure Michael by treating this like it's any other scenario.

Jack adds on. "Don't worry, Michael. It'll be fine." Michael smiles at Jack, but it's hard not to break down.

Ray waits a moment before talking again. "Well, if you're gonna die, might as well make it a good death. I mean, who wants to die miserable and alone? I personally know what it's like, because of that stupid fuckin' asshole who screwed us over with the one-seater plane." Michael feels a pang of empathy, and decides that maybe he's right.

Gavin squawks and points out the window. "Micoo, why's the water red?" Gavin puts his hand on Michael's arm, and Michael blushes.

"Well, dumbass, it's the fucking lights on the cop cars. What do you think?" Ryan ends his question in a laugh, and Michael thinks it's almost like old times.

Gavin laughs. "Oh, I thought it was something else."

Geoff laughs too. "What? D'you think it's Kool-Aid or some shit?"

Gavin laughs once more, and Michael thinks it's the best sound he ever heard. "I dunno." His smile is cute and dopey, and Michael just wants to hug him because he'll never really smile again.

There's a comfortable silence, except for the gunshots and sirens in the background. A bullet hits the sideview mirror, and Michael starts but doesn't move. Ryan speaks first.

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe we're just figments of Michael's imagination, projected into reality by his subconscious to help ease his passing?" Michael sighs - of course Ryan would be the one to say it out loud.

Ray deadpans. "No, we're just fucking ghosts come back from the dead. No kidding, Ryan."

Michael turns to Gavin to see if he's laughing, but Gavin has disappeared. Michael frowns. Where did he go? In his last moments, he wants Gavin with him. He turns to Geoff, who is his go-to person for answers. But Geoff has his hand on the door handle, and he gives a small smile to Michael before opening the door. "Hasta la vista, motherfucker." Michael laughs, and Geoff seems satisfied before getting out and closing the door.

Ray sighs, and shifts around for a moment. He turns to Ryan and smiles, and then Michael. "See ya around." He flashes a peace sign and then leaves out of the door Geoff went out of as well.

Jack sighs. "I guess it's my turn. Bye, Michael." Michael gives her a watery smile, and she returns it. Then, she opens the trunk and hops out, and it closes with a small click.

Michael feels desperate - he doesn't want them to go. He reaches out for Ryan, but Ryan isn't really there. He gives a short salute to Michael, a slightly evil-sounding laugh, and jumps out of his door. Michael thinks he hears gunshots from beside the car, but perhaps it's just his mind showing him what Ryan would do.

Michael's alone in the car again, and the warm feeling that had awoken in his chest died down. He looked down, and another bullet hit the trunk and fractured the glass. Michael didn't even flinch - he just let a tear drop.

Michael turns back to the red water and sighs. There are tears streaming down his face, but he smiles. "Hell to it, fellas. We didn't make it, but we fuckin' made a shit ton of noise." He doesn't wipe away any of his tears - his face is wet anyway.

Then, he hears a voice next to him. Before he sees who it came from, he knows - how could he forget that? "Micool, don't cry."

Michael turns and sees an apparition of Gavin again. This one is soaking wet, like Gavin must have been when he died. Michael chuckles. "Don't worry, Gav. I'm okay." He leans back in his chair, and winces a little when a bullet hits the frame of the car, and another one.

Gavin leans over and brushes his thumb over Michael's cheek, wiping away a tear, but only makes Michael's cheek more wet due to the fact that Gavin is still soaking. Gavin laughs a bit, and then presses a small kiss to Michael's lips.

Michael smiles on Gavin's mouth, and closes his eyes. Gavin pulls away but puts his forehead on Michael's. "Listen to me, Micool. You might be scared, or you might not be, but it doesn't matter either way. You deserve to die on your own terms."

Michael feels warm, even though he is shivering. He nods slightly, and this time he is the one to press a kiss on the other's lips. Gavin then pulls away from him, but puts his hand on the back of Michael's neck. "I love you. Goodbye, Micool." When Michael opens his eyes, it's like Gavin was never there. But Michael still feels the warmth on the back of his neck.

Michael puts his own hand where Gavin's was, and lets out a small sound that could be a sob. He starts to cry again, a grim smile on his face and his laughs hysteric. "Goddamn right It'll be on my own terms."

He hears splashes, and knows the cops are coming in the water. He's going to die soon, whether he likes it or not, but he doesn't have to be the victim.

Michael reaches into his bag and pulls out the most destructive bomb he owns - the one he's been saving, waiting for the right time to use. It's got a three second countdown, and then it obliterates absolutely everything within a 100 meter radius. Michael figures that's enough to take down most of the cops here.

He lets out another choked sob, and rubs his face. A laugh escapes as he says... "How about one last pop... to finish it all off?" He waits a moment to activate the bomb. The cops have reached the van and he can see them in the windows. He picks up the bomb and waves it around, laughing hysterically again at the fear in the policemen's eyes. He looks at his dash again - approximate time of death is 12:45 a.m. for Michael.

His last words are ones he never thought they would be, but they're good ones. "You guys fucked with Mogar... ya shouldn't ah done that." He activates the bomb, the three last seconds of his life filled to the brim with some emotion he can't identify, but it's closest to anticipation.

He dies in red water, with the taste of Gavin Free still on his lips and a smile on his face.