Exclusive Delta Warriors mini story: Apartment Complications

Everyone decided to go to Berdly’s apartment after school. Nobody really understands Berdly’s situation at home

How it is… Quiet in there. How he has a family yet his parents never interact with him. How they are always locked away in their office working

Berdly could realistically do whatever he wants at home. But never does. It took a lot of convincing that he should let his friends hang out for a few hours after school

They promised they’ll be respectful, keeping the noise to a minimum and leaving

Susie drove her truck from the store to the other side of town by all the apartment complexes

“*Why do you think they call em that?”

Susie asked unprompted

“*Call them what?”

Noelle puzzled in the front seat

“*Complexes. It’s just a big building with closed off rooms that’s easy.”

Susie replied

…

“*Kris you want to info dump about this?”

Noelle asked looking into the backseat

Kris sat there gently sharpening their knife and responding with a gentle “No.”

“*That's not like you at all Kris, usually you’d jump at the chance to talk about some trivia shit.”

Susie said looking at Kris though the rear view

“*I am more concerned about Berdly. He doesn’t invite people to his home often. I wonder if the stress is getting to him.”

Kris spoke

“*We gave him 2 hours to fix the place up like he insisted, I really don’t understand why it’s so stressful.”

Noelle said

“*We all have our own version of a broken home.”

Kris replied

The drive was quickly over as Susie pulled in and stopped the truck

She hoped out and reached into the truck bed with their goodies, bags of chips and two liters. And of course a six pack.

“*You’re really gonna be drinking?”

Noelle asked

“*Why should I not?”

Susie said

“*His room is gonna smell like beer!”

Noelle continued

“*Please, I smell like beer enough already.”

Susie snarked

“*Leave the beer.”

Kris said walking towards the apartment

Noelle quickly followed Kris leaving Susie behind

…

“*Eh ghe LEave the Bee-Er grr grumble grumble.”

Susie snarled tossing the six pack back into the bed

Kris walked up to the door and knocked on it a few times

Berdly gently opened the door

“Hey…”

Berdly said through the small crack in the open door

“*Ready?”

Kris asked

…

“*Yeah alright…”

Berdly said opening the door completely

They wandered inside

Berdly lived in one of the nicer apartments, it was a touch bigger and had more rooms, being on the second floor. Not having a proper dining room table. Having no need for one as everyone in Berdly’s family would rather just eat their meals separated from everyone else in their own rooms.

The first room was more like an enlarged living room with a very basic kitchen attached, but even this living room was barren

No real decor on the walls, a small shelf with old family photos that they don’t really remember taking. An old couch and TV place where an old TV used to rest. Now relocated to Berdly’s room when he wants to use on of his older consoles that needs a proper input

Nobody said anything. The silence was loud and apparent

Finally entering Berdly’s room there was a shift in atmosphere, there was a sense of life. Shelves littered with old games and their respective consoles. A bin of old controllers with the cords wrapped tightly around them, other nerdy memorabilia like kinda crappy vinyl figures and vaguely risqué statues from movies, games and other media. A few model kits of old planes, trains and automobiles. Two old CRTs blanketed in dust, a full sized bed with boring plain sheets with no prints or patterns

“*So uh, Yeah I don’t really know what you guys are really feeling but I do obviously have a decent collection of movies here.”

Berdly said taking out a plastic tub out from under his bed showing off cases of DVDs

They searched through the tub of films

“*Sci Fi?”

Noelle asked holding a DVD with a weird alien guy riding a even weirder alien steed

“*Nah let’s watch this one.”

Susie says picking out a DVD with a warrior with a sword

“*This.”

Kris said popping in a DVD

The TV lit to life as a bunch of puppets walk on stage singing and dancing on stage

Kris was enjoying themselves swaying their head to the music

A bear puppet rolled onto the stage

“*Hiya everyone I’m gonna start with a few yuks! So what do you get when you-“

The Bear spoke before immediately getting shot live on stage

Noelle and Susie were slack jawed in horror as the bear is dragged away while he gives a massive thumbs up

Then it cuts to two older gentleman in the audience staring blankly at the screen uninterrupted for a whopping thirty seven seconds.

A sniper rifle in a seat next to them still has smoke pouring out from its barrel heavily implying that it was these older men who shot the bear.

There is no sound. No jokes. No banter. Just the artificial lungs of the puppet inhaling and exhaling quietly.

Kris’ eyes were glued to the screen enthralled

…

“*It’s an acquired taste in terms of comedy I admit.”

Kris said pausing it and ejecting the disc

“*Did you watch this growing up or something?”

Susie asked

“*Yes.”

Kris answered

“*(Well that explains a lot…)”

Susie mumbled

“*Oh look these puppets made a rom com! Let’s watch that!”

Noelle said putting in the disc

The film opened up with a toad and a hog puppet getting married

“*Woah we’re starting at the wedding?”

Berdly chirped

“*Maybe the story is gonna be told in reverse or something.”

Noelle said

As the toad and hog made said their vows the camera pans to the bear in the audience wiping his eyes with a handkerchief

“*Thats so beautiful.”

The bear said as he sniffled

The bear was then immediately shot.

The camera panned over to two older gentleman in the audience staring blankly at the screen uninterrupted for a whopping thirty seven seconds.

The sniper rifle next to them was adorned in a bow tie.

“*Okay what the fuck do they have against this bear!”

Susie shouted

“I want to know what their deal is did they ever get their own movie?”

Susie asked

“*No.”

Kris answered

“*So what the hell is their deal do they want to like… eat him or something? Are they trophy hunters?”

Susie asked

“*The bear is unfunny.”

Kris said

“*So they want him dead because they personally don’t find him funny?”

Noelled questioned

“*The bear is unfunny.”

Kris continues

…

*I’m going to get those beers.”

Susie said walking out the room

She closed the door behind her and found the kitchen in complete darkness until a few candles all simultaneously lit up

Maggie, wearing her nicest dress laid on the couch with a flower in her mouth

Spitting it out she says to Susie

“*Bring me mys Krissy.”

Maggie said

Susie just stood there before turning back around and walking back into Berdly’s room

“*Did you get your beer?”

Berdly asked

“*Wouldn’t be strong enough for tonight.”

Susie replied