So look me in the eyes

Tell me what you see

Perfect paradise

Tearing at the seams

I wish I could escape

I don't wanna fake it

Wish I could erase it

Make your heart believe

But I'm a bad liar

Bad Liar - Imagine Dragons

"We're screwed!" Todd said while hiding his face in his hands "We can't find him!"

Hector and Todd had been looking for Miguel for at least a few hours with zero luck, they weren't even able to find Dante who had also presumably run off with Miguel. Currently, Todd and Hector were sitting on a bench catching their breaths.

"Calm down Casco," Hector said while patting Todd's back "He probably went to the party"

Todd looked at de la Cruz's Tower "Yeah and how do we get in?"

Hector thought about it for a moment before perking up "I've got it!" He said whilst getting up "Come on we have to hurry!"

Todd quickly stood up and ran after Hector.

After a while, they found themselves back at the Department of Corrections. Todd stuck into the cubicle where Hector was questioned and took back his Frida Kahlo outfit from earlier. He gave it to Hector who quickly went into phonebooth and quickly changed into it.

"Okay, how's this going to help us?" Todd asked as Hector adjusted his frock.

"Every year de la Cruz always invites Frida to his party, but she never attends, this is our best shot" Hector explained

"Alright then..." Todd held out his arm, Hector looked at him with a dumbfounded look on his skull "We have to make it look convincing"

Hector relented and took Todd's arm and began to walk. They took a trolley to the tower thankfully, not many skeletons were on it

Todd stared out the window and admired the beautiful city once again, it never got old or uninteresting.

"Hey Casco?" Hector suddenly spoke up.

Todd turned to look at him "Yeah?"

"Why did you stay behind?"

Todd looked at him for a moment and took a deep breath before explaining "Well, I was told if we don't get out of here before sunrise, I will disappear from this world, I will essentially die. I can tell you are going to be forgotten. Now I don't know why you want to go to the Land of the Living so badly and quite frankly that's none of my business, but my instinct tells me you deserve to get over that bridge, and to this day my instincts have not failed me. Miguel and I made a promise and I intend to fulfill it, it's the least we can do. And if the worst happens, let's fade away together"

Hector gave Todd a heartfelt smile, feeling very touched by Todd's kind words. he then let out a small chuckle "Your a good kid Casco, your parents are lucky to have you"

"Thanks" Todd replied with a sad smile, he then saw the trolley coming to a stop "Ooh! we're here!"

They stepped off the trolley, Hector holding Todd's arm, and walked to the red carpet "Look! it's Frida!" one lady exclaimed.

Hector let go of his arm and waved to the cameras. 'I can't believe this is actually working' Todd thought to himself as he stood to the side and put his hands behind his back.

Both Todd and "Frida" then walked to the bouncer and just let them through, just like that. They got on the tram and took a seat near the back "Wow that actually worked" Todd whispered to Hector. He then noticed the false unibrow falling off and in reflex slapped his face, luckily no one noticed.

"Ouch! What the hell!" Hector whisper yelled

Todd pointed to his brow "It was going to fall off" he explained.

Once at the top, Todd and Hector wasted no time in finding Miguel, luckily many of the patrons were moving to Sunrise Spectacular's venue. Todd looked in a window of the grand hall in the center of the tower.

"Hec-! uh, Frida!" Todd shouted, "He's in here!"

Both ran up to the doors Todd taking the right door and Hector took the left. Todd then counted down:

"Three

Two

One"

"We had a deal, Chamaco!" Hector shouted as he and Todd entered the room

"Who are you?" the tall skeleton dressed in white questioned, Ernesto de la Cruz no doubt "What is the meaning of this?"

Todd and Hector emerged from the shadows and into the light.

"Frida! what a surprise, I thought you couldn't make it!" De la Cruz then looked at Todd "and he must be your bodyguard"

Hector rolled his eyes and threw off his costume, while Todd threw off his robe.

"Todd?" Miguel said with wide eyes, while de la Cruz put his hands on his shoulders

"Good to see you too Miguel," Todd said flatly

"Do you know these people?" de la Cruz asked Miguel

"Well, that's Todd, he's my friend," Miguel said pointing at Todd, he then pointed at Hector "and he says he knows you..."

Hector pulled out the picture and knelt down "Miguel, please put my photo up, please..." Todd could feel the pain of his words, making his heart ache.

De la Cruz then takes the picture and stares at it "Hector..." he said, realizing who he was "Mi amigo, you're being forgotten"

Hector stood back up "And who's fault is that?!" he snapped at de la Cruz

"Hector..." de la Cruz attempted to calm him down

"Those were my songs you took! My songs that made you famous!" Hector shouted voice laced with venom

Miguel and Todd stared in utter disbelief, but Miguel just shook it off "That's insane! de la Cruz wrote his own songs!"

Todd didn't know what to say, he just stood there, his fists clenched as if something was about to happen.

Hector glared at Miguel "You want to tell him or should I!"

"Hector..." Ernesto said softly "I never meant to take all the credit. We made a great team, but you died, I only sang your songs to keep a part of you alive"

Todd didn't believe any of the words he just said, he felt disgusted.

"Oh!" Hector said sarcastically while throwing his hands in the air "How generous!"

'They did really play together' Miguel thought to himself

Hector regained his composure "Look I don't want to fight about it, here's your chance to make it right. Just let Miguel put my photo up..."

"Hector" de la Cruz attempted to reason

"... so I can cross over the bridge and-and see my girl" Hector finished, almost breaking down in tears.

All the while Ernesto looked at the picture, wondering what to do

"Ernesto" Hector said softly "Remember the night I left?"

"That was a long time ago..." Ernesto said

"We drank together, and you told me you would move Heaven and Earth for your amigo. Well this is your chance to do so"

"Heaven and Earth?!" Miguel suddenly spoke up "Like the movie?"

"What?" Hector turned to Miguel

"That's what mentioned in one of da la Cruz"s movies: "El Camino a Casa"

"I'm talking about my real-life Miguel," Hector said sounding slightly offended

"No!" Miguel then pointed to the movie clip being projected on the wall "There!"

Miguel, Hector, Ernesto, and Todd turned to the film. It showed Ernesto's character talking to another man: "This calls for a toast! To our friendship! I would move Heaven and Earth for you mi amigo! Salud!"

The two men drink but Ernesto spits out his shot "Poison!"

Hector pondered what he had just seen as he tried to make up a response, He turned back to Ernesto, That night... the night I left..."

Flashback:

(Hector voiceover): We've been performing on the road for months, and I was getting homesick, and I was packing up my things

"You want to give up now?" Ernesto said as he watched Hector shove various items into his suitcase "When we are so close to achieving our dream"

"This was your dream" Hector shot back as he closed his suitcase "You'll manage"

He walked toward the door only for Ernesto to grab the handle of his suitcase "I can't do this without your songs! Hector!"

Hector pulled his suitcase away and turned around "I'm going home, Ernesto! hate me if you want, but my mind is made up!"

Ernesto glares at him for a moment before he relents "Oh Hector I could never hate you" He said, "If you must go I'll send you off with a toast!" Ernesto then filled up two shot glasses with tequila, offering one to Hector.

"To our friendship!" Ernesto declared raising his shot "I would move Heaven and Earth for you mi amigo! Salud!"

Hector downs the shot of tequila without hesitation. Ernesto glared at him before downing his own.

Hector with Ernesto then began to walk to the train station, suitcase in hand.

You walked with me to the train station... soon after I felt a pain in my stomach

Hector then doubled over clenching his stomach

At first, I thought it was something I ate..."

Perhaps it was that chorizo, my friend" Ernesto said while taking Hector's guitar case.

...Or something I drank"

Hector took two steps, before falling onto the ground.

When I woke up I was dead..."

Present time:

Todd took a moment to take in everything he just heard, he pieced it together causing him to feel sick to his stomach as he stared at Ernesto "Did you..." Todd couldn't even finish

"You poisoned me..." Hector said in utter disbelief

"You're confusing movies with reality, Hector," Ernesto said trying to calm his nerves

"All this time, I thought it was bad luck..." Hector said softly, although Todd could hear a slight edge in his voice "I never thought that you might have ... have..."

'Aww Hell...' Todd thought to himself

Hector then let out a furious cry as he turned around and lunged at Ernesto, pinning him onto the ground "HOW COULD YOU!?"

"Hector!" Miguel shirked, he then turned to Todd "Todd! Do something!"

Todd glared at Miguel before nodding. He calmly walked over to Hector and Ernesto and stepped hard on Ernesto's arm with the heel of his boot.

Miguel then ran up to him and pushed him away "What are you doing?!"

Todd was now at his breaking point, he pushed Miguel onto the floor and shouted in a fit of rage "I NEVER SHOULD'VE HELPED YOU!"

At that moment three security guards ran into the room, Two grabbed Hector from Ernesto and pulled him away. "YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME YOU RAT!" Hector roared

Just then a security guard grabbed Todd from behind. Todd's voice took a dangerous edge

"Don't. Touch. ME!"

Todd then performed a reverse head butt as he still was wearing his helmet causing the guard to let go, Todd turned around and kicked him hard in the ribcage. The entire time Hector, Miguel, and Ernesto watched.

Todd then felt a hand grab the chin of his helmet from behind and lifted it upward and out of the corner of his eye noticed a handheld taser "NO!" he protested as the taser made contact with his neck. Todd's entire body convulsed as he let out a pained cry.

"CASCO!" Hector shouted in concern

Todd's body went limp as two pairs of arms grabbed him and pulled him away.

Ernesto brushed himself off "Have both of them taken care of, they are not well" He said with no remorse in his voice

Todd was barely conscious as he felt the guards drag him away, to his side he heard Hector saying something to him he only could make out that he was very concerned, although he couldn't quite make it out what he was saying.

...

'Why?

...

Why did I have to win that competition?'

Was the only question on Todd's mind

Todd's world then went dark...

The truth has been revealed.

I hope you enjoyed it. and I do hope the dialogue isn't too messy, It was a mission to write not going to lie.

You guys and gals rock! See you soon!