Let you guys know this my first ever pizza tower content, as I recently got into the fandom so there might be some mistakes,and also my first language isn't English so you might find some errors, I couldn't have enough angst pizza tower fanfics so I wrote my own I hope you like it
It was so intense, he ran as fast as he could, getting away from the crumbling tower, dragging its residents behind him.
Finally they made it to the bottom floor, finally he was free, he could go back to managing his pizzeria and paying off the debt.
Unfortunately he made just one mistake , just as he was about to dash past the exit he tripped falling on his face, before he could even register what happened he was deeply buried under the purple bricks and his vision immediately faded to black.
And meanwhile the inhuman residents of the place they used to call home, watched it crumble into bricks, even though they were working for some lunatic this place had good memories.
"Finally we're free! Isn't this great.." The shorter man with a bushy mustache stopped mid sentence as his oversized rat looked at him friend in confusion.
Wait a minute….
Where's Peppino!?
"Peppino!?" The man looked around rather quickly and his worry started to grow, where is he!? Considering the fact he was dashing forward he'd be the first one out.
However there was no sign of the Italian man, other residents seemed to notice Gustavo's growing worry.
"Hey Italian man! This isn't funny!" The gremlin in yellow jumpsuit exclaimed in hopes he'd come out and surprise them with a silly prank.
"Peppino!!" Gustavo exclaimed, riding on Brick's back and started to wander around the remains of the tower. God please please don't let it be, please let him be far somewhere resting or maybe he just passed out of exhaustion?
Sure running around that tower should have taken a heavy toll on him, the other residents started to grow worried and started searching the remains calling out the Chef's name heck even the Noise was searching.
"Italian man! This isn't the time for a hide and seek game!" The mascot said in irritation as he picked up some rubble his voice had a hint of..worry.
"Peppino!?" The cheeseslime looked around thanks to his slimy form he could squeeze through narrow spaces to look around but the chef wasn't in sight.
"Hey Peppino!? Make a sound at least!?" The giant pepper picked up some rubble looking around quickly with no Peppino in sight.
"Peppino!!" The beloved girlfriend of the Noise dressed in Pink, Noisette yelled in worry moving some rubble.
"onippeP!!" The slimy clone called in his distorted voice looking around until he spotted something under the rubble
A hand
A human hand
The clone cautiously approached the rubble's, please let it be another clone's, please let it be another clone's, please let it another clo-
The clone slowly lifted up the heavy rubble, only to freeze in shock…and his expression changed to rather a sorrowful one letting out an upsetting croak, he turned around to call the others.
"...syug" a distorted voice called everyone immediately stopped the search and looked up.
Gustavo instantly stopped his search and looked up rather quickly.
Fake Peppino he was standing over something or rather…someone?
"Did you find him!?" Gustavo rushed to him with a hint of relief however the relief didn't last long when the clone silently pointed at something.
The Gnome's eyes widened, gasping in shock covering his hands with his mouth. It can't be…
"Did you fi-" The Noise stopped mid sentence freezing in shock.
The other residents soon came into the scene only to go silent in shock.
Peppino…laid there in front of them, limp and mangled. He was broken and heavily bruised, covered in blood, and he had his arms over his head protecting himself from something and his head was buried into the ground, however…he wasn't making a sound nor moving.
They could only stare in shock trying to register the sight In Front of them.
"Pep…" Gustavo could only mutter looking down at the body of his friend, it's true they didn't know each others for long but they were best friends.
The Noise stared in disbelief and let out a little nervous laugh.
"C-come on people.. he's been breaking walls and kicking ass you think some bricks would end him?"
He walked towards the corpse holding the white tank top tightly looking down at Peppino's face covered with dirt. His eyes were shut and his mouth was slightly open but…no breathing.
"Hey enough with the dramatics already, wake up!" He exclaimed, shaking Peppino's limp form but no sound or movement.
"H-Hey come on this isn't funny anymore Italian man! I said wake up" the mascot started to panic, shaking him more violently but nothing.
"Theo..I don't thin-" his beloved said in sadness only to be interrupted.
"NO! He can't be dead! He can wake up! He has to! Wake up! Wake up Peppino!" Noise shook him more, getting some tears in his eyes for the first time ever calling his rival by his name.
"That's enough! Let the man rest in peace!" He was pulled back by Pepperman.
"This can't be happening! It shouldn't be happening!!" The Noise could only yell in denial and agony.
Gustavo just stood in silence looking away from his friend's messed up body tearfully, his rat friend just patted him on the back silently.
The vigilante cheeseslime only took off his hat, holding it close paying respect to the man he once considered a criminal.
Noisette could only tear up at the scene in front of her, her boyfriend just yelled and flailed in denial convinced this is some kind of a prank or Peppino is just unconscious until he finally broke down into tears despite their rivalry he didn't want Peppino to die.
Fake Peppino just stood in silence with a sad expression on his face only letting out sounds.
Pepperman just tried to comfort the Noise silently with sorrow on his face but he didn't say anything.
The janitor Gerome watched in sorrow, putting a hand on Gustavo's shoulder to console him, the little toppings could sadly gather around the man's dead body.
"It's not much…but we could do a proper burial for him if that's okay…" the janitor said solemnly.
Gustavo sniffled, wiping away his tears; however, more tears just kept falling.
"At least he's free on the other side.." Gerome said In attempt to comfort the shorter man.
"Y-yeah..he wasn't..that happy alive…" he sniffled sadly to lessen the pain of losing his best friend but deep down he'll miss him dearly.
Brick squeaked gently nudging his friend's shoulder to comfort him.
The shorter man looked at his friend's body and slowly walked to him, Gerome put a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey I know this is hard on you you don't have t-" the janitor was interrupted.
"N-no.. it's okay he was my best friend.." the Gnome said smiling sadly picking his friend's body bridal style, he looked really peaceful as if he was asleep.
Soon Gerome called out for everyone to arrange a funeral, they were deeply upset and finally faced the fact that Peppino Spaghetti was dead.
It took a while but they managed to make a decently sized wooden casket and put Peppino's body inside, Gustavo was the one who did it, it was kinda surprising he was strong even though he was smaller than Peppino.
The man was struggling really hard not to break down; this was the last time he'll ever see him. He looked away in sadness slowly closing the wooden box.
They soon made it deep into the forest and they started digging a decently sized hole to fit the wooden frame.
And soon they started the funeral everyone who once resided in the tower attended.
And even the enemies in the tower who just wandered around to hinder Peppino attended standing in silence.
Each one of the residents gave a little speech.
Pepperman talked about how despite his interactions with Peppino beginning and ending with violence he wished he could know more about him and see more of his non violent side and get to know his view on art (if he had one).
Vigilante thought that despite their interaction beginning in violence as well he admired the chef's fighting spirit and determination and how he regrets being misled believing he's an outlaw.
The Noise was the most heartbreaking, even though he hated Peppino's guts and mocked him, he'll never find another rival who would give him the most fun experience and reactions and he ended up breaking down again with Noisette dragging him away.
Fake Peppino, despite his distorted speech and backwards talk, they could understand him, he wanted to be just like Peppino and admired him and wished to be friends.
Gerome will always be thankful to Peppino for going out of his way and collecting the treasures and thanks to him he gets to reunite with his brother.
Brick even though he talked in well.. squeaks, Gustavo translated for him saying he didn't know much about the chef but he seemed like a cool guy when not angry or anxious.
And Noisette mentioned how he would visit the cafe and sometimes talks about the stress in his life and even though he didn't smile much when he did it was the prettiest (even though he could barely keep it up) and he was sometimes generous enough to tip.
And finally Gustavo he didn't know Peppino for long the two worked together for quite sometime before the tower fiasco but he loved the guy (platonically) despite Peppino's grumpy or anxious attitude he had a softer side he wouldn't show it to Gustavo but he watched him from far,like how he saw him feed the cats that wander around his pizzeria.
It was upsetting that the poor man never got to live peacefully. He was always dealing with anxiety and trauma and dealing with debt and financial instability. He was even overworking himself, but he was passionate about his craft and they hoped he'd be at peace and happy in the afterlife.
Now for the hardest part.
"Goodbye Peppino…" Gustavo muttered in sadness watching as the coffin was put inside the grave.
With heavy hearts they filled it with dirt while putting some flowers on it and there was a tombstone with Peppino's name engraved on it.
And this was marked as Peppino Spaghetti's grave.
Gustavo and Brick and the former residents of the tower just stood in silence In Front of the sorrowful sight.
Few months had passed since Peppino's death and the crumbling of the tower, every resident went on with their own lives.
Gustavo and Brick took over the pizzeria along with Fake Peppino to keep Peppino's memory alive and the residents would sometimes visit and even help with promoting the shop.
Gustavo was really grateful and Peppino would have appreciated it.
Even though he was gone, Gustavo felt deep down that his friend was finally at peace.
And as for the main cause of his death he was hiding in the shadows knowing that if he dared to show his face he'll be met with a brutal beating even more than the one Peppino gave him.