Content Warning: This chapter includes attempted suicide. Read at your own risk.
A sigh escaped Ian's lips as he proceeded to wake up in an alleyway at night. As his eyes fluttered open, he could hear the sound of cars speeding by down the street that the alleyway he currently found himself in was connected to. "What have I done to deserve this...?" The thief asked no one in particular as he proceeded to get up from where he was laying, grabbed his duffel bag, slung it over his shoulder and proceeded to leave the alleyway he had slept in.
After Henry's funeral a few weeks ago, things didn't get any easier for Ian. Him and his surrogate siblings had lost their home because the police came in and put their home into foreclosure, and Ian and his surrogate siblings each went their own way after they had lost their home. Ian had been spending the last few weeks roaming around New York City and living in the streets, living off whatever food, beverages and money he could get his hands on.
Not only that, but because of his participation on Total Drama Arcade, he was recognized everywhere he went, which made it hard for him to steal from people anymore, which meant he couldn't live off petty theft anymore. Some of the people he ran into on the streets would even flip him off and insult him for his actions on the show. Ian didn't even have the energy to get mad at people for insulting him anymore, since his grief over losing Henry had been clouding his mind for the past few weeks, so instead of yelling back at those who insulted him, he just kept quiet and sucked up the insults.
As Ian continued to wander the streets of New York City, he looked up and saw a billboard advertising Total Drama, and another sigh escaped Ian's lips, wafting across the airwaves of New York City. "Curse this fucking show...I thought it would be able to turn my life around for the better, but instead, it only made my life worse..." Ian growled as he soon found himself walking across a bridge.
Ian proceeded to stop in the middle of the bridge and looked over the railing, seeing the deep hole below the bridge. "Well, seeing as I don't have anything else to lose, I might as well end it all...Goodbye, cruel world..." Ian spoke as he let his duffel bag slide off his shoulder as he proceeded to climb over the railing and prepared himself to jump.
As chance would have it, a white 1998-2004 Dodge Intrepid was driving down the road the same bridge Ian found himself on was located at. The car had tinted windows and blinded rear windows. Driving the car was a Caucasian male with blond hair styled in a pompadour and blue eyes wearing a pair of purple aviator shades along with a white dress shirt underneath a black three-piece suit with a black tie and dark brown loafers. His name was Mickey Leone.
Sitting in the passenger seat of the car was another Caucasian male, this one having a brown mullet like hairstyle and green eyes wearing a dark gray t-shirt underneath an unzipped black leather jacket with torn black jeans, a pair of dark brown combat boots and dark brown fingerless gloves. His name was Luigi Diablo.
Finally, sitting in the back seat of the car was another Caucasian male, this one having black hair styled in a neat combover with hazel eyes and an outfit consisting of a white pinstripe fedora along with a white pinstripe suit with a white dress shirt, black penny loafers and a red rose on the collar of the suit jacket. His name was Franco Bonelli.
Franco Bonelli was the Caporegime of the Boccino Crime Family, with Luigi Diablo and Mickey Leone both being Soldatos within the family. The Boccino Crime Family was a powerful Mafia gang within New York City, with them controlling a great deal of Brooklyn and Queens as well as part of the Bronx.
"So, boss. What's the plan for tonight?" Mickey asked Franco as he drove the car down the road and in the direction of the bridge.
"Dunno, Mickey. I don't really have a plan for the night, I suppose we'll just take a look 'round the city an' see if there's anythin' we could possibly get business outta." Franco shrugged before he saw Ian about to jump off the bridge.
"Mickey, stop the car! I wanna check this out!" Franco ordered Mickey, who did as he was told and he stopped the car.
"Hey, ain't that Ian Walters, Henry's kid who participated on that Total Drama show over the summer?" Luigi asked, surprised to see Ian around this part of the city at this hour.
"Sure looks like it, Luigi. I wonder what he's doin' out here when he's supposed to be at home 'round this time of day?" Franco wondered as well as he proceeded to get out the car to talk to Ian.
"Hey, kid! What are you doin' out here at this hour?" Franco asked Ian, who turned to look at Franco.
"Why do you fucking care? You don't even know who I am!" Ian firmly told Franco.
"I do, kid. You're part of the Walters Gang, aren't ya?" Franco asked Ian, which surprised the thief.
"How do you know?" Ian asked Franco back.
"Your pops, Henry was an ol' business associate o' the Boccino Crime Family. Plus, we saw ya compete on that Total Drama show over the summer, so you've got a pretty recognizable mug." Franco explained. "Now tell me, what are ya doin' out here at this hour? Ain't ya supposed to be at home with your pops?" He asked Ian again.
"I don't have a home anymore, nor do I have a pops...Pops died a few weeks ago..." Ian explained as tears began rolling down his cheeks.
Franco's eyes widened. "So Henry's obituary in the paper a few weeks ago wasn't a joke..." He muttered in disbelief.
"Yeah, he's actually dead...After he died, the police foreclosed my home, so for the past few weeks, I've been living out on the streets, and I can't live off petty theft anymore because I'm recognized everywhere because of Total Drama and people are giving me a lot of shit for my actions on Total Drama...So since I didn't have anything left to lose, I might as well end it all..." Ian explained, tears still running down his cheeks.
"Kid, listen to me. Suicide ain't the answer to, like, literally anythin'. I almost took my own life for the same reason you did; 'Cause of the stress caused by losin' everythin' I had. My ma an' pa died at the young ages of 46 an' 48, an' I was left roamin' the streets of the Big Apple. I tried findin' work immediately, but I had trouble holdin' down steady employment 'cause of how klutzy I was at any job I took. I almost took my own life on this very same bridge we're standin' on right now when the Don of the Boccino Crime Family came an' saved me by takin' me in." Franco explained to Ian.
Ian listened to what Franco told him, and thought it all through. "But where do I go from here...? I don't have anywhere to go..." He sighed, sounding bleak as he dried his eyes.
"Tell ya what, kid; If ya don't have anywhere to go, ya can stay with me. Me an' the rest of the Boccino Crime Family will give ya food and shelter in exchange for ya workin' for us. Does that sound like a deal to ya?" Franco then offered Ian, and Ian's eyes widened at the offer.
Ian thought about it. He didn't have much of a choice at this moment, and this offer sounded like it was just what he needed; A roof above his head, a new family...Eventually, the thief made his decision. "We have a deal, sir." Ian smiled as he climbed back over the railing and grabbed his duffel bag.
Franco smiled back as he was happy he saved Ian from suffering the same fate that he almost suffered himself. "Alright, Ian. Glad to hear that. Now get in the car, I'll be drivin' ya to a place where ya can stay." He told the thief as they both got into the car.
"Mickey, drive us to my place in Little Italy. I wanna show the new kid where he'll be stayin' from now on." Franco ordered Mickey.
"You got it, boss." Mickey nodded as he began to drive towards Little Italy.
"So, since we're gonna be living with one another, lemme ask you something, sir: Do you have a name?" Ian asked Franco as he looked at him.
"'Course I got a name, kid. Name's Franco Bonelli. I'm the Caporegime for the Boccino Crime Family. An' these fellas right here are Mickey Leone an' Luigi Diablo, they're both part of my crew." Franco told Ian as he also introduced Mickey and Luigi while he was at it.
"Nice ta meet ya, kid. We saw ya on that Total Drama show durin' the summer. Shame things had to end for ya the way they did." Luigi told Ian as he turned to look at him.
Ian sighed. "Yeah, it's a fucking tragedy, but what can you do about it? At least I'm gonna be trying to move on from the incident by living and working with you fine men." He replied to Luigi, who nodded in response.
"Yep, there's that. We do hope you'll find it to your likin' stayin' with us. Franco here does his best to look after those he cares 'bout." Luigi then told Ian.
"I'm sure I will." Ian nodded back. Before long, the group had made it to Franco's safehouse over in Little Italy, Manhattan.
"Here we are, kid. Your new home. Mickey, Luigi, I'll be callin' you guys if I need anythin' else from ya." Franco then spoke as him and Ian got out of the car.
"You got it, boss. We'll speak to ya soon." Mickey nodded.
"Yeah. And Ian, see ya around, alright?" Luigi chimed in.
"Alright, later, guys." Ian nodded as him and Franco proceeded to enter Franco's safehouse. Franco opened the door as him and Ian walked inside.
"Here we are, Ian. Come on in. What's mine is yours, ya hear?" Franco told Ian as the thief proceeded to look around the apartment.
"Well, it's not much, but it's home. I think I could get used to staying here." Ian nodded.
"Glad to hear that, Ian. Well, go ahead and unpack your stuff. Also, you could probably use a shower an' some clean clothes. Us Boccino folk try to keep a basic hygiene code, ya know?" Franco told Ian.
Ian laughed at that. "Yeah, when I was living with Pops, I was used to wearing dirty clothes and smelling like a dead fish, but I guess that now that I'm gonna be living with a new family, I'm gonna have to follow a new hygiene code." He agreed as he began to head towards his new bedroom.