Alden sat on a couch in Adorabeezle and Nougetsia's home. He was reading at the 'Want Ads' section of the Sugar Rush Journal, their game's local newspaper.
"Hey Nougey, what do you think about me being a crash test pilot?", Alden suddenly asked.
Nougetsia, who was lying by his side with her head on his lap, shook her head. "Goodness no, Peanut! Why would you ever think of taking such an awful job?", she said with worry for the boy. "I mean...yes we do regenerate, no doubt about that...but still..."
"I know, but it pays well. They said they paid about 300 coins for every test I survive." Alden looked over to her and saw her worried expression. He sighed and tossed the paper onto the coffee table. "Sorry Nougey but I don't know what else to do. I need some cash quick."
Nougetsia sat up and looked him in the eyes, which were filled with concern. "Why do you even need to take such a job anyway? Doesn't your bar get you enough coins? And then there're the races..."
"I know. But none of that can cover the amount I need to pay for my copyright bills.", Alden said.
To most characters, the normal expenses they had to pay for were kept to a minimum. However, a special bill exists for those who were considered 'OCs' or 'original characters'. They often break the fourth wall and use references from just about everywhere. Alden's friend Barry didn't have such a problem, but he did.
Ever since he came to Sugar Rush, he had been using songs from multiple franchises and many of which is considered illegal. This was made worse when Jojo started doing the same thing. It doesn't help that the Airheads boy doesn't help pay the bills and Alden needs to pay everything himself or else he'll have to sell his bar.
"I know, Peanut, I know." She leaned in closer to him and felt just how stressed he was. Although he and his brother tended to act goofy, eccentric, and sometimes just plain weird around their friends, she could tell when Alden felt that he was in deep chip. "Maybe there's another job here that you can apply for, one that isn't as dangerous?" She picked up the paper again and found a relatively safe and good paying job among the more hazardous job openings on the paper.
"What about this? 'Repo man wanted. Needs to have: a driver's license, know how to operate heavy machinery, can handle 'unruly' clients. No further requirements needed'. That sounds doable."
"Are you serious?" Alden grabbed the paper from her and read the ad.
To him, it just seemed too easy. While there were plenty of red flags about the job, he did feel a bit tempted to check it out.
"Huh...It could work. And look.", he pointed to the last line of text on the ad, "They pay 150 coins per shift."
"That sounds great! Why don't you get a job there?", Nougetsia said.
Alden smiled, glad to see his friend finally being supportive. "I will, thanks. Now, where is this place?" He read the page again and found the address for the company hiring. "Hey Nougey, where's Brown Sugar Alley?"
The yogurt racer seemed perplexed. The place sounded familiar to her, as her sister had been there before for parts for her experiments. "I think I know where it is, but it's in the bad side of town."
"Are you sure?", Alden asked.
"Uh huh. Beezle told me she got some parts for her inventions there, but it's full of dangerous candy people.", Nougetsia replied.
"Oh.", Alden said, feeling down.
Nougetsia saw this and tried to cheer him up. "Well, if you want to, I can still take you there. You know, just to check it out. If it won't work, then we'll just have to find some jobs nearby."
Alden's mood began to change a bit. "Salamat Nougey. I don't know how I could have someone as great as you."
Nougetsia blushed a bit and giggled. While Alden wasn't the most charming racer of the game, that would be Larry, he still did have quite the way with words. "Th-thanks Peanut, but you're too much." She got up and grabbed the keys to her kart and began heading out the door. "Come on now. I'll show you where Brown Sugar Alley is."
Alden grinned and grabbed his keys, then began following the girl out the door and into their karts. They both got in and drove off.
Some time later, the Cloud 9 and the Frozen Yo-Kart arrived at a rather dingy and run down part of Sugar Town. The whole area was filled with candy people who didn't look to be in the best of shape, nor appeared to be one for a quick chat. It also had candy animals that walked around with various robotic suits and prosthetics.
They drove for a few blocks until they came across a shabby looking tow yard with the yard's logo "BB's Towing N' Recovery" on display.
The two got out of their karts and made their way to the front window. A 'help wanted' ad hung in the window as the two neared it. The knocked on the window and was met by a chocolate bunny.
"What is it? What do you want?", the bunny snapped.
The two were caught by surprise for a brief moment before Alden managed to gather up the nerve to talk to him.
"Um...yes. I came to ask about the job opening?", Alden said.
The bunny's expression softened. "Ah, yes...the job." He began to smile and adopt a friendlier look. "I assume you want to work here then?"
Alden thought for a second. "Well, I'm not yet sure. I came by to check out the place. The ad said you pay good money per shift."
"Indeed we do. If you want to apply, you can just fill out this form, show me your license, and we can get to work. It's that easy-" The bunny was about to hand the boy a form until tilted his head a bit and saw Nougetsia behind Alden and became shocked. Nougetsia looked the same. "YOU?!"
"YOU?!", Nougetsia exclaimed. She grabbed Alden's hand and tried to run. "I changed my mind, Peanut. We have to go back!"
At that time, as Alden was reaching for the form, the bunny pulled it back. "Sorry kid, but we're closed." He pulled down a metal screen in front of the window and locked it.
"Hey!", Alden said. He pulled his hand from Nougetsia's grasp and turned to her, looking annoyed. "Nougey, what was that about? I was gonna get hired."
Nougetsia turned around and tried to explain as fast as she could. "We have to get away from here, Alden. That bunny's no good. He has a grudge against Vanellope and us racers. He's-"
At that moment, the bunny came out with a plasma rifle and aimed it at her. "You won't get away so easily, girlie. I'm not letting any of you racers tell that no good ruler of yours where I am. I still have plans for her.", he said sinisterly. The bunny took aim and was about to pull the trigger when the gun suddenly disappeared from his paws. "Hey, what gives?" He looked to see Alden holding the gun. "Give that back!"
Alden turned the gun towards him with his finger on the trigger. "Not until someone explains what's going on. Who are you?"
The bunny smirked at him. "You got spunk, kid. I like that." He raised his paws in surrender. "Fine. My name is Bonbon. I was that glitch's pet before I tried to kill her."
Alden lowered the gun and looked him weird. "Really? How come I've never heard of you?"
Bonbon just scoffed. "Figures that glitch would keep my existence under wraps from any new characters."
"And why would she try doing anything like that?", Alden asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Because he's been after her ever since-", Nougetsia began saying when Bonbon cut in.
"Ever since she killed my family!", Bonbon spat.
Alden began to grow annoyed with this. He wanted to get a straight answer and he wanted it now. "Enough with this! Can't anyone just tell me what Vanellope did?"
"I'll tell you. It happened one fateful winter day a few years ago, back when King Candy ruled..."
"Turbo, you mean.", Alden said. Bonbon just gave him an irritated look.
"Do you mind?" Alden just nodded and gestured him to resume his story. "Anyway... My siblings and I were playing around in the snow, laughing as if it was the best day ever. Our parents were by us as we went to Diet Cola Mountain. We knew that there was a hot spring there and it would be a good place to rest and get away from the cold for a while.
My family and I entered the secret opening hoping to find shelter from the sudden mini blizzard that hit a few minutes before then. That was when we made the biggest mistake of our lives." His tone turned grim. While Alden seemed to be paying genuine attention to the rabbit's story, Nougetsia just rolled her eyes at how dramatic Bonbon was being.
"That was where we met...", Bonbon's face turned to that of rage and some slight fear, "...The Glitch!" "She attacked us, ravaged my mom before eating her up. She then did the same to my father. My siblings and I tried to run but she glitched in front of us and cut us off. I tried to help them but she kicked me through the secret opening. When I was outside, all I could hear were their screams begging for mercy. something broke inside me that day. I vowed to avenge my family and get back at that Glitch."
Alden watched Bonbon's reaction the whole time he told his tale. To him, it all seemed so genuine.
"Alright, that's enough! It didn't happen like that.", Nougetsia cut in. "Vanellope was a poor, starving glitch back in those days. She had no food for the winter and set some traps until she caught something edible. Do you have any idea how long she waited for something decent that wasn't entirely frozen to come by?"
Bonbon stared angrily at them. "It makes no difference. She still killed them and she will pay!"
"Alright, that's enough out of you." The plasma rifle began charging up Alden's finger was about to pull the trigger. "This is getting boring. If you're not hiring and just want to hurt my friends, then it may be better to just end you now" Alden didn't let up as his finger slowly began to pull the trigger.
"Wait, wait! Fine, I'm hiring! You're hired.", Bonbon quickly gave him back the form from earlier. Alden released the trigger, leaving a shocked rabbit and Nougetsia.
"Thanks, but seeing as how you treat my friends, I don't think so." Alden threw the rifle back at him and began walking away, seemingly not caring of the possibility that he might get shot. "Come on, Nougey. Maybe our friends can help out."
"Oh-uh...yeah." Nougetsia followed Alden but at a distance.
"Still, the position is open. I could use a guy like you.", Bonbon said as the two hoped in their karts.
"I'll think about it.", Alden replied before starting up the engine and driving off with Nougetsia in tow.
"You'll come back, kid. I know you will.", Bonbon grinned as he went back inside and opened up the metal screen on his window.
Meanwhile, as the two drove off to Sugar Town in hopes of finding Alden a job, Nougetsia couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the way Alden acted a while ago.
The two decided to stop by Crumbelina's cafe for a quick bite to eat first before looking for a job.
"Hey Peanut, can I ask you something?", Nougetsia said.
Alden sipped his almond frappe before looking over to her. He had his sunglasses on from driving. He took them off and said, "Yeah, sure. What is it?"
"Don't you think you were a bit too violent with Bonbon a while ago. I mean, I've never seen you threaten anyone like that before.", Nougetsia replied.
"Oh that. Well, he did pull out that gun on you. What else was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to let him shoot you?"
"I guess you're right about that. But still, you could've thrown the gun away, not point it at his face.", Nougetsia commented.
"Well, I was also trying to see if he'll still hire me or something. It was a 'hustle', of sorts.", Alden said.
"And who taught you to do that?", Nougetsia questioned.
Alden smirked. "A guy named Nick. He said that in this world, knowing how to hustle to make deals is a part of being a good businessman."
Nougetsia crosed her arms over her chests and gave him a look. "Oh really? And I'm guessing that this 'Nick' is such a success in Sugar Rush?"
"I didn't say he's from Sugar Rush.", he said slyly.
Before Nougetsia could question him further, Crumbelina appeared with the couple's second order.
"Here you are, guys. Can I get you anything else?", Crumbelina asked.
"Thanks, we're good. Actually, I was hoping to ask you if you have a job opening?", Alden said.
"Sorry, but no. But I think Ron might. He's been telling me how he needs help in filling up the pizza orders." Crumbelina pointed to Ron's Pizzeria a block away.
"Salamat, Crumbs."
The two finished eating and paid for the orders before making their way to Ron's, hoping to finally find Alden some work.
Okay, first off. Thanks to everyone for their OCs. Thanks to Smoke for Ron and Agent BM for Bonbon. I hope everyone supports their stories. Most of them have a better variety than mine.
Also, since Bonbon is your OC, then let me say Happy Advance Birthday Agent BM. Thanks for your help.
Also (again) , I have heard of TheDisneyFan365 writing a story called Armageddon. They claim it is a follow up story after the events of Ragnarok and that multiple writers' OCs will be included. I also hope you read their stories. If you've read Ragnarok, then you're in for a real treat for Armageddon. Also (enough with the also's), go read and review their Wild Worlds story. It's pretty unique.
So that's pretty much all I have for this chapter. If you like it, please review.
SALAMAT!