Deadbeat

It's a lazy Saturday afternoon at your apartment. You're playing video games on the couch in your underwear, when you hear a loud knock on the door. What do you do? [[Answer the Door]] [[Grab Your Baseball Bat]] [[Go Out the Window]] [[Inventory]] (set: $HasGun to false) (set: $HasGun1 to false) (set: $HasGun2 to false) (set: $HasGun3 to false)

You get up and go to the door. But before you can answer it, you're knocked back onto the floor by two large men busting into your apartment. The men introduce themselves as Michael and Sonny, before demanding the $40,000 you owe them. When you tell them you don't have it, Michael and Sonny start violently vandalize your apartment in search of anything valuable they can find (though they're probably doing it more to make a point). After grabbing your wallet (which only has $13 in it), your five generations old iPhone, and your crappily kept Xbox 360, Michael says that you have 3 days to pay what you owe or they'll be back for your organs. [[Continue]]

After grabbing the baseball bat leaning against your TV stand, you take a batting stance on the side of the doorway. When your door is bust open, you take a wild swing at the two large men who busted it open. Though you manage to brain one of the guys, the other guy (who's named Sonny) takes out a gun and fills you full of lead. While you bleed out on the floor, you look over at Sonny, who's sobbing over his brother, Michael's body. The last thoughts that you have before you die is, "at least I took one of those assholes out before I died." (text-colour:red)[[You Died->Title]]

You make your way down the fire escape and out the alleyway. Upon hitting the street, you're spotted by a man (named Fredo), standing next to a car in front of your building. What do you do? [[Rush Fredo]] [[Go Down the Alley]] [[Run Up the Street]] [[Inventory]] (set: $HasGun to false)

When Fredo attempts to take out his gun to shoot you, you disarm him by knocking him to the ground. As you stand over Fredo, you look over at the glass doorway of your apartment, where you notice two large men (Michael and Sonny) emerge from the elevator and make their way over to you. What do you do? [[Take Fredo as a Hostage]] [[Take Fredo's Car]] [[Inventory]] (set: $HasGun to false)

You make your way back down the alleyway, only to find that it's blocked off. When you turn around, you see Fredo and two large men blocking the alleyway entrance. The leader introduces himself as Michael (the other guy's Sonny, by the way) and tells you that they're there to collect the $40,000 that you owe them. When you tell them you don't have it, Michael says that if you don't come up with it in 3 days, you'll pay with your organs. After the three men leave, you return to your apartment. [[Continue]]

While running away, Fredo and two large men (who're named Michael and Sonny) jump into the car to chase after you. The car quickly catches up to you and Sonny shoots you in the back from out the car window. As you lay dying on the pavement, listening to Michael yell at Sonny for killing you, something comes to mind. "What the fuck was this about anyway!?" (text-colour:red)[[You Died->Title]]

You grab Fredo's gun and pull Fredo up off the ground. While holding the gun to Fredo's head, you warn Michael and Sonny that if they don't let you go, you'll shoot Fredo. In the blink of an eye, Michael takes out his gun and shoots Fredo in the heart. He then tells you that if you don't pay the $40,000 that you owe them, you''ll end up like Fredo. [[What Will You Do Next?]] [[Inventory]] (set: $HasGun to false)

You grab Fredo's keys and hop into the car, just as Michael and Sonny run out of your apartment building. You quickly start the engine and speed off up the road. As you're driving, you think to yourself, "I wonder who those guys were and what they were after. Regardless, I definitely need to make myself scarce." After driving out of town, you grab yourself some clothes from a homeless shelter and sell the car for a decent amount of cash. To make sure no one's following you, you take a few Greyhound buses to different locations, before settling in sunny SoCal, where you live as a beach bum. (text-colour:yellow)[[You Won->Title]]

Fully dressed, you brainstorm the different ways you can get of your precarious predicament from your couch. After a few hours of thinking, the possible options that come to you are: [[Steal the Money]] [[Off Yourself]] [[Fake Your Death]] [[Skip Town]] [[Inventory]] (set: $HasGun to false)

(text-colour:red)[DEADBEAT] (text-colour:white)[by] (text-colour:white)[Taran Caparoso] [[START]]

You call up your friend, Johnny, and ask if he's got any scores lined up. He tells you he has a big one set up for the day after tomorrow and asks if you'd like to be the getaway driver. You tell him you would and he tells you when and where to meet up with him and his boys. On the day of the job, you park a car on the opposite side of the street of a bank. While Johnny and his boys go into the bank with their bags and guns, you wait in the driver's seat of the car. After several minutes of waiting, you hear a loud alarm go off in the bank, followed by several gunshots. Moments later, you see Johnny run out of the bank and towards the car, carrying two packed bags and a gun. You also see a security guard with a gun, following behind him. What do you do? [[Drive]] [[Inventory]] (set: $HasGun to false)

I'll spare you the gruesome details, but the long and short of it is that you're dead. The last thing that comes to mind before you go though is, "At least I got to have a little fun before I bit the big one." (text-colour:red)[[You Died->Title]]

After thinking about the various ways someone can fake their death, you settle on two options: [[Immolation]] [[Poison]] [[Inventory]] (set: $HasGun to false)

Unfortunately, you don't have a car to skip town in. So the only ways you can skip town are to either [[Take a Greyhound Bus]] or [[Borrow Your Friend, Johnny's Car]]. [[Inventory]] (set: $HasGun to false)

You packing your bags and collecting what's left of the money you borrowed, which you had hidden between pages of your books. You then go to the bus station, where you buy a ticket and wait for the bus to start boarding. While waiting, you feel a sharp pain in your back. Turning around, you see a large man walking away from you. You touch the painful spot and see that you are bleeding. After collapsing to the ground, the thoughts, "Fuck! I was almost out!" come to mind before you die. (text-colour:red)[[You Died->Title]]

You call up your friend, Johnny, and ask if you can borrow his car. Johnny responds by saying that he'll call you back in a few mintues. A few minutes later, he calls you back and says that you can. When you go to Johnny's place to pick up his car, Michael, Sonny, and Fredo are there waiting for you. After restraining you, Michael says that he contacted Johnny earlier and told him to call him if it looked like you were trying skip out on paying the money you owe. While Michael, Sonny, and Fredo carve you up in Johnny's dingy apartment, you continuously yell "FUCK YOU, JOHNNY!" at the top of your lungs. (text-colour:red)[[You Died->Title]]

You call up your friend, Johnny, and ask him to come over to your apartment. While waiting for him, you pack your bags and collect what's left of the money you borrowed, which you had hidden between the pages of your books. When Johnny arrives, you choke him out. As you're doing so, you say to him, "Sorry, dude. It's either me or you." After grabbing Johnny's car keys and laying his body on the couch, you rig a gas explosion. You jump into Johnny's decrepit car and take off just minutes before your apartment goes "Ka-Boom!" After driving Johnny's car as far as the ol' girl can take you, you sell her to an old guy for what amounts to the price of a decent dinner. You then take a few Greyhound buses to different locations. You finally settle in sunny SoCal, where you straighten out your life by getting a legitimate job, getting married, and having a couple kids. You name your son, Johnny. (text-colour:yellow)[[You Won->Title]]

You call up your friend, Johnny, and tell him about your plan to make it look like you poisoned youself. A few minutes later, Johnny calls you back and tells you that he knows a guy that can give you just enough pufferfish venom to make it look like you're dead. While waiting for Johnny, you setup a scene in your dining room, that will make it look like you OD'd on painkillers. Johnny arrives at your apartment with his guy, and the three of you get to work making it look like you're dead. Afterwards, Johnny calls the police and tells them that you told him you were committing suicide. The police and ambulance arrive at your apartment, where they pronounce you dead at the scene. At the morgue, a physician fills out the paperwork that declares you legally dead. All of a sudden, Michael, Sonny, and Fredo enter the room and payoff the physician. After the physician leaves, Sonny and Fredo start preparing the surgical tools (which are already laid out), while Michael goes over to your body. Though you can't see him, you hear Michael tell you that Johnny sold you out and his guy was really their guy. Michael then thanks you for setting this up, as harvesting the organs of a dead man is less likely to draw the cops attention. As Sonny and Fredo surgically remove your organs, the only thing that runs through your mind is "FUCK YOU, JOHNNY!". (text-colour:red)[[You Died->Title]]

Hearing the sound of police sirens approaching in the distance, Michael and Sonny jump into their car and leave. You quickly assess your situation. You're holding a loaded gun. You're half-naked in the street. And you're standing over a dead body. What do you do? [[Run to Johnny's Place]] [[Take the Gun and Fredo's Jacket]] [[Wait for the Police]] [[Inventory]] (set: $HasGun to false)

Your Inventory: (if:$HasGun is true)[[Gun]](if:$HasGun1 is true)[[Gun ]](if:$HasGun2 is true)[[Gun ]](if:$HasGun3 is true)[[Gun ]]

When you get to his place, your friend, Johnny, provides you with a shirt, some pants, and a pair of shoes. After telling him your situation, the two of you brainstorm different ways you can get out of this. The ideas the two of you come up with are: [[Steal the Money ]] [[Skip Town ]] [[Fake Your Death ]] [[Inventory]] (set: $HasGun to false)

You put on Fredo's jacket and stuff the gun in it's pocket. What Next? [[Run to Johnny's Place ]] [[Wait for the Police]] [[Inventory]] (set: $HasGun to true)

A couple cop cars roll up in front of you. The four coppers inside rush out, point their guns at you, and tell you to "Freeze!" What do you do? [[Let Them Arrest You]] [[Inventory]] (set:$HasGun3 to true) (set: $HasGun to false)

After three days in jail, your cellmate suddenly starts strangling you with his bedsheet. While strangling you, your cellmate says, "Michael says time's up." As you start to lose consciousness, you think to youself, "I wish I'd never borrowed that money." (text-colour:red)[[You Died->Title]]

Feeling that paying off your debt isn't worth the hastle, you decide to pop yourself. Given that they tend to travel much faster than thoughts, the only thing that goes through your head when you die is a bullet. (text-colour:red)[[You Died->Title]]

The two large men come at you. You respond by whipping the gun out of the jacket pocket and shooting them. You then walk over to Johnny, who's cowaring in the corner. In a whiny voice, he says, "I'm sorry, man! I had to do it! It was either me or you!" You coldly respond, "Fuck you, Johnny," before shooting him in the head. You take Michael and Sonny's car out of town, before selling it and buying youself a Greyhound ticket. After switching locations a few times, you finally settle in sunny SoCal, where you straighten out your life by getting a legitimate job, getting married, and having a couple kids. You name your son, Bobby. (text-colour:yellow)[[You Won->Title]]

Before the security guard can shoot Johnny, you shoot him with the gun in the jacket pocket. Johnny jumps into the backseat of the car and the two of you drive away. You drive to the place the heist was planned and Johnny gives you one of the bags of money. The two of you then get into two different cars and drive off in different directions. The next day, Michael and Sonny come to your apartment. After you hand them the money you owe them, Michael says that you and them are "square." After the pair leave, you relax on your couch and think to yourself, "Maybe I should get a real job." (text-colour:yellow)[[You Won->Title]]

After the security guard shoots Johnny, you attempt to drive away. However, the security guard shoots you too, which causes you to drive into another car. As you breathe your last breaths on the steering wheel, you think to yourself, "If only I had a gun." (text-colour:red)[[You Died->Title]]

You agree to be the getaway driver for Johnny's bank job. A couple days later, you park a car on the opposite side of the street of a bank. While Johnny and his boys go into the bank with their bags and guns, you wait in the driver's seat of the car. After several minutes of waiting, you hear a loud alarm go off in the bank, followed by several gunshots. Moments later, you see Johnny run out of the bank and towards the car, carrying two packed bags and a gun. You also see a security guard with a gun, following behind him. What do you do? [[Drive]] [[Inventory]] (set: $HasGun to false)

Though Johnny tries to talk you out of skipping town, you insist on it. Johnny disappears into another room for a few minutes. When he comes back, the two of you play video games together. About an hour later, the two of you hear a knock on the door. Johnny opens the door to reveal Michael and Sonny. What do you do? [[Fight Back]] [[Inventory]] (set: $HasGun to false)

Though Johnny is initially against this, he changes his mind after going into another room for a few minutes. Back at your apartment, you, Johnny, and Johnny's guy, make it look like you OD'd on painkillers, when you've only been injected with a controlled amount of pufferfish venom. Afterwards, Johnny calls the police and tells them that you told him you were committing suicide. The police and ambulance arrive at your apartment, where they pronounce you dead at the scene. At the morgue, a physician fills out the paperwork that declares you legally dead. All of a sudden, Michael and Sonny enter the room and payoff the physician. After the physician leaves, Sonny starts preparing the surgical tools (which are already laid out), while Michael goes over to your body. Though you can't see him, you hear Michael tell you that Johnny sold you out and his guy was really their guy. Michael then thanks you for setting this up, as harvesting the organs of a dead man is less likely to draw the cops attention. As Sonny surgically remove your organs, the only thing that runs through your mind is "FUCK YOU, JOHNNY!" (text-colour:red)[[You Died->Title]]

You quickly go for the gun in your jacket pocket. But the cops light you up like a Christmas tree. Before the lights in your eyes go out, you think, "At least I went out in a cool way." (text-colour:red)[[You Died->Title]]

Though you try to fight back, the two of them prove too much for you to handle. Having overpowered you, Michael and Sonny drag you off kicking and screaming into the kitchen, where they proceed to tie you down to a table. Noticing Johnny nervously standing back and watching this all go down, you say, "Fuck you, Johnny," to him. After successfully tying you down, Michael and Sonny start grabbing knives and tupperware. Before he leaves the apartment, Johnny says, "Sorry, man. It was either me or you." As the two large men cut you open and remove your organs, you continuously yell, "FUCK YOU, JOHNNY!" at the top of your lungs. (text-colour:red)[[You Died->Title]]