Volume 5's POV: Third Person POV

The weekend had passed and school went into session just as usual. This Monday however would not be the same Monday as the previous. No longer was it the first week of school, the true curriculum for every single class in the school building was expected to be taught by now. Assignments have been made, due dates scheduled, and the typical routine of the school year is now in place. Some students were excited to get the year rolling, others not so much. One thing was for sure though: Maguro High was buzzing and alive. When the school was alive, that meant the I-35 business was as well.

It was a few hours before the school day started. While most schools had their doors locked at this hour, Maguro High's was open 24/7 to let in visitors. What is a seemingly normal functioning High School run under the power of a looming gang, that very same gang is what makes the school come alive before and after its typical school hours. Lights filled the cafeteria of all kinds of colors. Doors were wide open for students to come by. The cafeteria tables were still out, each chair filled with members young and old, Junior High through College, friends and family all grouped together and trading casual conversations as they waited for the day to pass.

Music played in the background while free breakfast meals were prepared in the kitchen by striving-chefs in training. To make sure what they prepared was safe to eat, well paid veteran chefs were always on standby to supervise.

While food was prepared, some students sat by a rolled-in TV. Each of the members sat in front with gaming controllers, taking turns playing competitive multiplayer in all kinds of games one could imagine! Racing games, first person shooters, platformers, and even simulators! The video games were always a hotspot for this hang out, so much so that the gang even hosts their own make-shift E-sports event every month!

For those who aren't enticed by the food, music, and video games, there are also other spots that are popular to visit. In the gym there are dances year-round! The dance club is a sight to behold: Each member helps each other practice, or just put on freestyle dances with unique pieces of music! The gym isn't only restricted to dance club members though, everyone is allowed in to have a good time! While the cafeteria is a place to relax and have good food, the gym exists for those who wish to get out and let themselves loose with their friends! Whatever one's choice may be, there is always a spot or an activity to fit the tastes of the members of this massive community.

If the visitor isn't feeling in the mood for the excitement of the gym or the food in the cafeteria, there is always a room set up on the top floor where the visitor can just relax quietly. There are beds set up in this large room for those who don't have a home or need to spend the night somewhere away from home.

Everyone who is a member of I-35 has this open space to just live to their free whim. It's a place where school stress comes to die. Friends can be with friends, money flows in fair and regulated trades, and everyone just fulfills what their young hearts desire. This is the foundation of what I-35 was built on: Making the best of the younger years.

A large portion of the members who come by the hangouts are unaware of the 'dirty work' that The Boss has done. Aside from on-campus fights and muggings, all of the knowledge of mass robberies, house torchings, murder, and other criminal actions caught under the unscrubbed moat of this community are never noticed. Even if they knew, majority of the members wouldn't even want to think about those dark corners of this group, because who would want to think about the bads when they have such an exhilarating and free community like this? Every member agreed as part of their oath to I-35 that they would lay down everything to ensure their freedoms are untouched. Most didn't even feel the need to worry about the gang falling apart anyways when they know their mysterious 'guardian angel' that will keep all of them safe, 'The Boss'. The only ones aware of these undiscussed dark corners of the gang are the captains of each ruling branch: The Captain of the Baggers, The Captain of the Truckers, The Captain of the Vaulters, and every member of the fourth branch, The Barricades.

Unlike The Boss, everyone knows the identities of the branch's captains. Actually, two of them have the 'spotlight' in the hangouts so often that people have dubbed both of them as 'Captain Showstopper 1 and 2'. Enter Kokotaru Itoh, 'Captain Showstopper 1' and the Captain of the Truckers, and his best friend 'Crazy Billy', also known as 'Captain Showstopper 2', and the Captain of the Baggers.

Itoh, or more commonly known by the preferred nickname 'Light Guy', is known for his astounding skills in the gym. Though he is only fourteen years old (despite being a third year in Maguro High), whenever he enters the stage, not even the oldest of dancers in the room are as much of a show as he is! He always has the 'spotlight' on him, ripping up the newest breakdancing skills in such fine precision that many wouldn't believe that he wasn't in the dance club.

Then there is Crazy Billy, who may not have Light Guy's dancing ability, but what he lacks in moves, he makes up for with his big appetite! He's open about his dream of succeeding the Hot Dog eating world record, though often forgets how to make a hot dog. He's notorious for being eighteen years old and still held back to his first year. Despite being so mentally behind in class, his ability to put away food while still staying relatively skinny has those who watch in awe. He's also very big on doing games like truth or dare, but he tends to 'chicken out' on a dare if it doesn't involve food. Whenever someone gets dared by him though, every player will hold onto the edge of their seat knowing that he will choose something so spicy that it will make the 'dare-ee' sweat pools. The only one that has been able to stand up to the craziest of dares from Billy was Itoh. Whether it be sticking their head in the toilet, chugging a bottle of Texas Pete, attempting to give his partner a kiss, punch someone in the face, or stay locked in the janitor's closet for an hour, Light Guy has always been up for a challenge... though Light Guy has admitted defeat before. There was this one dare given by Billy that was too tough for anyone, even himself. Light Guy was dared to do the unthinkable: break dance in front of everyone while wearing his sister's prom dress...

... yeah that didn't go well for him! It was the first challenge that Light Guy turned down with embarrassment, but both had a good laugh about that day even weeks later.

Needless to say these two were close, which everyone was aware of by how often both captains sit together during breakfast and dinner time sharing stories about their days at home, at school, and while on the job. On this Monday morning things were no different. Both were eating bowls of today's freshly made meal while they discussed what was on their mind.

"What's poppin' on your mind today, Billy? You've been a bit quiet" Light Guy asked in a very casual tone.

"Huh? O-oh, nothin'. I'm just tired is all, man. I ain' wantin' to sleep on those beds again, they suck!" Billy tiredly complained, his hands resting on his sore back.

"I know, right? They're el' cheapos, they're gonna break one 'a these days and I'm just gonna laugh, you know?" Light Guy chuckled, taking a sip of his glass of water on the side. "Fundin' is a little tight though, The Boss man's has been using a ton of funds, my paycheck's even been cut in half!" Light Guy says, though he didn't sound mad. It was more like he understood but still had some questions on his mind.

"Whatever they need it for I guess is important, right?"

"Yeah, you're right there. It's them that allows us to meet here, so I can't be too mad. I get to hang out with my broskis and be chill. It's like heaven here, right?" Light Guy smiled, using a hand to adjust his shades that he always wears (simply because to him, he looks cool)

"Yeah, it be like heaven. I ain' got nowhere to go, man, this place is my home" Billy smiled, then beating his chest for a moment and letting out a loud belch. "Hehehe, compliments to the cheeeef!"

"Ayo, two can play at that game!" Light Guy would say, taking Billy's action as a declaration of a challenge. He would do the same thing.

"Hah hah! Puny belch, you're weak!" Billy laughs

"Hey, ya' can't call me puny! Just cause I'm about three-quarters your age doesn't mean I'm 'puny' ol'boy" Light Guy smirks, then places his elbow on the table and raises his hand. "Stick'em up!"

Billy would smirk, doing the same thing. Light Guy had declared an arm wrestle with Billy, so the other captain would oblige and clasped his hand with Light Guy's.

"Alright, when I say three. One, two– hey that's cheating!"

Billy pushed anyways, getting a headstart on the arm wrestle. His hand would begin to glow just a little, then Light Guy's arm glowing as well. Just the struggle of these two's power had caused the table they were sitting at to get cracks. For a little while it looked like Light Guy was gaining traction with this struggle between the two mysteriously glowing Captains, but he could only get the struggle just back to the starting position of the arm wrestle, but unable to turn the tides in his favor before his friend's might overpowered his own.

"Ahhh damnit! Good game broski, I guess that's what I should expect from the king of arm wrestles, aye?" Light Guy laughed, then hopped to a different topic while he finished his breakfast. "How's business been in the last week?"

"Ehh-uuh, it's been pretty nice, I guess. I got tons of candy! I ain' got no more though,'' Billy explained, sounding a little disappointed.

"I got myself quite a bit too, the deals are crazy, but the selections are even crazier! I got me 10 packs of candy for half the price of what you can get at the dollar store! Knowing you though, that's only enough for a single day, heh. You're gonna rot your teeth out one day with all of the candy you eat"

"Heh heh. Yeeeaaaah...."

"So you guys got that new stache of those chocolate truffles I saw. Well, my guys were able to head to the mall this weekend and hit us all up with some new shirts. Sailor Luna T-shirts have been selling like hot-cakes since that show's last episode premiered! 'gonna make us a fortune with these. Adjust to the demand, that's business, baby." Itoh smirked

"I ain' know why Sailor Luna is so popular. It's dumb." Billy groaned emptily.

"I don' like it either, but people do and it makes us that dough, so who's to complain about it?"

"Yeaaaah..."

"Speakin' of dough though, remember when I brought up The Boss, right?" Light Guy asked, changing the topic once more. "I don' get why they're usin' so much of our funds. You think it's for that necklace thingy they were on about?"

"Maybe, I dunno" Billy responded, shrugging. "What good is some dumb necklace thingy anyways?"

"... bro, it's what makes us unique? Do you forget that badly? But you do make a point there, what good is a necklace if it is the same one we used?"

Billy would simply shrug, having no answer to the question, because it also baffled him just as much as it did Itoh.

"I don't got a clue, but I wanna know about that necklace. I wonder if The Boss 'a give me a raise for finding it, hehe" Itoh chuckled, clearly joking because he knew very well that asking for a raise from the boss would be seen as nothing more than that. A joke. "Didn't Stronzo say that Miyuki was out of the hospital early or something?" Itoh asked, thinking back to that meeting that Friday night every Captain had with The Boss.

"I think so, yeah. Miyuki's hot." Billy randomly added, chuckling.

"Ay ay woah there hot rod, she gonna turn you into a cold rod if you try anything with her. She's giving everyone a frozen shoulder these days." Itoh teases, slapping his friend on the back in a playful manner. "But, I'm gonna do 'ya a favor. I'll thaw her frozen shoulder off for ya. I need to speak to her anyways if I wanna get close to findin' The Boss' necklace, aye? No promises she'a fall for you though." Light Guy would respond, then suddenly looking behind him. "Though, finding her would be tough considering she was given a Hot Tamale..."

"Yeaaaah, Hot Tamale happened to me! It isn't fun."

"Yeah, that's because you called the fuzz to settle a problem without The Boss' permission. You were a good supervisor but always resorted to the damned coppers when something went wrong, so that's why they promoted you to Captain." Light Guy then stood up, taking his empty breakfast bowls to the dirty dishes drop off. It wasn't unusual that people paid attention to Light Guy and Billy's conversations, considering both casually passed information to one another about the gang. It's like tuning into a news channel centered on I-35, both sharing the recent events involving the state of their beloved community. Today though, it was strange. It felt like he had more eyes on him than usual... or more so, unpleasant eyes. This extra set of hostile eyes made Itoh feel the need to check behind him once, twice, maybe even three times while he waited in line to turn his bowls in.

"Lookin' good ladies!" Light Guy said, pointing finger guns to the group of girls that were standing in front of him. "Mind if your man of the spotlight passes through, huh? I'd thank you all personally, but I'm actually running a pretty busy schedule today." The young man would say with a contagious smirk that struck the hearts of the girls in front of him, the ladies giggling and stepping out of his way so he could cut through to the front. Once Light Guy got to the front of the cafeteria line, he looked behind once more. It wasn't at the same spot he looked earlier, but right at those beautiful ladies. He'd lower his sunshades so they could see his glimmering and handsome amber eyes, before giving a single charming wink, then turning in his breakfast bowls.

Once the bowls were finally turned in, the short young man at last walked out of the cafeteria. Now, it was time to look for the first person on his 'hit list' for finding that necklace: Miyuki Sekken. He had doubts that she was here this early in the day, but he was well aware that the Hot Tamale that The Boss ordered would throw a wrench into that possibility. Miyuki with no home, it was only school or the homeless shelter she could go to now. She had to be alive anyways, because The Barricades weren't ordered to dispose of Miyuki. He had to be on guard.