Chapter Text
Teen Night at the Inventory
Tournament 1:
Read 'Em and Weep... I guess(Part 1)
It's funny how life can lead to plenty of strange places. Such as college, the hospital, a Bar Mitzvah, but for you tonight? Eltingville, Staten Island.
You sat on the nearly empty bus, the pitch black darkness of the night as young as a newborn was kept away by the dim, humming blue hue light. The low rumbling of the vehicle served as white noise as it steadily drove to your destination as you paid no mind to the elderly lady who sat a couple of evergreen, plush lined seats in front, groceries in hand, or the dirty bum who slept at the back. You kept your hands in the pockets of your worn hoodie, feeling for the flyer and some pocket money that your dad gave to you.
Your dad… led quite an eccentric lifestyle. He used to go traveling around the world, sticking his nose into all the secrets it had to offer. It was both a blessing and a curse, and it was something you inherited proudly on your chest.
So it was rather fitting that on your 17th birthday, your old man told you about this one place he used to frequent whenever he had the chance.
It was then, he told you about the Inventory.
And you didn't even believe him at first.
Of course, your dad didn't even blame you. Naturally, if someone were to tell you that they used to play in illegal, well kept poker tournaments which included an anthropomorphic dog in a suit with a child sized rabbit as his sidekick, robots, a man with a metal arm who fought demons, and some weird nerdy guy who was definitely into animals way too much, you'd automatically assume that the person escaped from the psych ward.
So it served as a shock when your dad handed you a bright red flyer which didn't have any words nor images… that was, until you realized that your aunt gave you a black light as a gift. Was it weird? Yes. Did you question it? Nope.
So as you shined the black light onto the flyer, it revealed the following words:
Teen Night at the Inventory!
For the first time in over 60 years, the Inventory will be opening its doors to any willing minors under the ages of 13-19 in the heart of Staten Island!
*Games, Amusements, Food and Refreshments will be provided, as well as our famous high stakes poker games, which will include the grandest of prizes!
And don't worry, your child will be under the greatest of protection the Inventory will provide!
So come on down!
The grandest of times awaits!
*ID bracelet required for entry
Huh.
Okay, that was way too elaborate for a prank, even you had to admit.
So with the well fitted rubber ID bracelet your dad passed to you, and a surprise large amount of pocket cash, you were well on your way.
The bus slowed to a halt, arriving at your destination. You gingerly exited into the night, the cool, humid air kissing you like a forbidden lover as you walked across to where the flyer said. Yeesh, talk about a rough looking neighborhood. The whole block was filled with litter, graffiti, and the sounds of broken glass and far-away car alarms. You even saw a couple of homeless people hanging around a drumfire.
Yeah, you were beginning to doubt that this kind of place was safe for teenagers. Hell, it might not be safe for anyone, period.
Jeez, where is this place?
You take a pause to check your surroundings.
Aaaaand… There's an old looking comic book across the street. It looked small, well smaller when you consider it's nested in front of a large junkyard that was filled to the brim at the corner, like it was proud of it. Its beige yellow walls and grayish green edges highlighted the light blue sign with an almost purple looking font that read:
Joe's Fantasy World
Joe's Fantasy World?
Hey, that's the place! Good thing too, you felt your feet getting sore from all that walking.
You jogged over there, and pushed the door open, the light jingle of the door bell rang as you took the place in. It was rather quaint for a comic book store, if it weren't for the smell of loneliness and nerdy perspiration that flooded your nostrils. The shop was empty, probably because it was late, and had everything someone who was into geek culture ever wanted. Comic books of all kinds, figurines, trading cards. You read a couple of Marvel Comics growing up, so there was a sense of sentimental value. You were always a Spider-Man fan of heart, that was until One More Day. Ugh, the mere mention of that made your stomach crawl.
You glance over to the counter, and you see a man hunched over the cash register, arranging a couple of trading cards for display. He appeared to be in his mid to late forties, slightly overweight, and balding save for a few patches of brown hair on the top and back of his head. He was wearing a light blue shirt with the Superman symbol printed on it, brown cargo shorts, and a pair of black Nike shoes.
You headed over towards the counter, and the man glanced up slightly, noticing you.
“Oh, sup kid,” The man who you assumed was Joe greeted you, sporting a toothy grin. “Welcome to Joe's Fantasy World! How can I help ya today?”
Okay… what did your dad say to do again? Oh, right!
You slid up the right sleeve of your hoodie, and showed the ID bracelet to him. It was a neon orange rubber one with the words ‘Inventory Admission’ emboldened on it.
Joe leaned in to get a better look at it. “Hmm…” After a few beats, he straightened up and smiled at you. “Ah, you're here for that too, huh? Come on then.” He got up from the stool he sat down and made a gesture to follow him as he walked from the counter to the back. You kept the pace, trailing him as you wandered into the shop.
“When those Inventory guys said that they wanted to use my shop for their little shindig, I was against it, y'know?” Joe explained, as he led you down some stairs towards the basement. “A whole lotta time and money was spent getting this place up and runnin’. It's like my baby! I didn't want to deal with the cops if they found out about this. But when they showed me how they were running things, and slipped me some… funds for my shop, I knew I had nothing to worry about. Hell, with these kids coming here for the joint underneath here, that also meant more customers for me. So it's a win-win, and hell, you don't see me complaining about that!”
Joe made a right turn, and soon enough he made a stop in front of an old brick wall. “Okay, here we are! Now where…?” He lifted his right hand, and felt around the wall, squinting his eyes in search of… something. It lasted for a few seconds, until he felt the latch that blended into ever so well.
“Aha! Found it.” He slid it down, and revealed a scanner of sorts. It looked sleek, almost pulled out from a sci-fi movie. Joe moved out of the way. “Just scan that bracelet you have on, and you should be on your way down!”
You crossed over to the scanner, and held the bracelet on your wrist towards it. It hummed over it with a red light, and let out a couple of beeps as the brick wall hissed open down the middle and slid apart, revealing a large, oval elevator decked out in golden yellow and cherry red. The elevator opened with a chime, and you made your way inside.
“Just press that button with the ‘I’ on it,” Joe instructed, and waved goodbye in a two lingered salute. “Have fun, kid! And when you're done, make sure to come back up and buy some stuff at my shop on the way home!”
You glance at Joe walking back to his store upstairs from the corner of your eye as you pressed that ‘I’ button, and the elevator door closed, and you felt it make its slow descent.
And it went down… and down… and down.
Man, it felt like an eternity going down there.
After what felt like forever, the elevator stopped, and opened once more. You stepped out… and the sight of the whole place just steals your breath.
From where you stood, you overlooked what it appeared to be a teenager's paradise. You saw hundreds- no thousands of adolescents buzzing around, indulging in all kinds of arcade games you didn't even know existed. You saw others riding in a huge go kart race track with sharp turns that made you head swim, some that were dining at a large food court serving every kind of fast food restaurant you named on the top of your head from McDonald's to Cinnabon, even rare and exotic spots. You saw some just hanging out in spots made for simply relaxing from all the stuff they already did. Hell, you even spotted some old fashioned carnival games and prizes.
You descended down a large set of stairs leading to the main area, admiring the joint that felt lively, on the crisp of chaotic. Yet, it felt fancy and well managed, almost spotless with bright red carpets lining the floor, and walls of aqua blue painted on, like it was just another bright, sunny day instead of the cool night outside. You just stood there taking it all in, the endless conversations and the sound of games buzzing in your ears and some kids passing by trying to move past you.
To think, some people just built all of… this.
It was… extraordinary.
You thought about the times your dad told you about his experiences with the Inventory. They were laid-back in comparison.
You smiled.
Oh, you were going to have a hell of a time.
…Wait, did that guy that just passed have gray skin and… were those horns-
“Breathtaking, isn't it?” An older English voice asked you.
You turned around, and saw a distinguished looking man standing next to you a few steps away, a smile glued onto his tanned, mustached face as he held his hands behind him. He appeared to be wearing a red smoking jacket, a brown formal waistcoat, a crisp looking dress shirt, brown traveling pants, and a pair of fancy looking shoes. On his head, he adorned a white captain's hat.
You simply nodded your head at his question.
“I would agree with you,” The man said as he approached. “Even now, the Inventory sure knows how to pull out all the stops to provide the greatest of entertainment for their guests, no matter how big or small! I've noticed you arriving. I take it that it's your first time involving yourself in the Inventory?”
You shook your head yes.
“Splendid!” The man clasped his hands together in a jovial manner. “Let me introduce myself. I am Reginald Van Winslow, the host and overseer of this fine establishment. Are you simply here for the various arcade games that caught your eye? Or you'd rather head over to the food court first? I've heard that the strawberry lemonade over there is quite wonderful!”
You leaned back in thought. While some strawberry lemonade did sound a bit good right about now, and those arcade games did look appealing, you found yourself feeling… a bit disinterested.
It must have shown on your face, because Reginald spoke up once more. “...Or maybe you were here to play in our famous high stakes card games?”
Now that? That definitely made you intrigued, your eyes lighting up.
That made the host bark out a laugh. “I see that I caught your attention! It's nice to see someone taking an interest in good, ole fashioned card games. Especially when it's someone as young as you.”
Reginald grinned again, before it fell slightly and he narrowed his eyes. “Wait… you look… quite familiar. Just a quick question, if you don't mind. Did one of your parents ever mention playing in our games in the past?”
You hesitated for a bit, before answering yes to the question.
The man's eyes widened in surprise. “My word… You must be the Player's child!” Joy quickly filled the gentleman. “Oh, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Your father always talked about you all the time!”
You bashfully rubbed the back of your head, a small grin melted onto your face. Geez, looks like your dad made you a little celebrity of sorts.
“Please, if you can just follow me…” Reginald turned, and walked to the other side of the place. You followed, the sounds of the main area fading into the background as you were led to somewhere quieter, the soft clanking of the man's boots echoing in the hallway.
“The first spot the Inventory opened was by Mr. Dixon Kent back in 1919, in response to an early draft of the 18th amendment, which not only banned libations, but games and amusements. So, the Inventory created a place where game enthusiasts would go without worrying about any headaches caused by the people upstairs, which is still open to this very day!” Reginald explained, making a left turn, and walking down some steps. “And when the 18th Amendment was repealed in 1933, the place flourished. The money was flowing, the liquor was flowing, everything was going smoothly!”
Then, the face of the old man fell.
“...That is, until the full effects of The Great Depression crept onto the Inventory. The well had dried, and everyone was feeling the economic struggle. Things were so dire, the Inventory nearly closed its doors for good! Can you even imagine that?” The mere thought made Reginald shivered in fear.
“But yet, Mr. Dixon Kent wasn't planning on going out without a fight. He then spent those following years taking on a different approach: Why not include the whole family? So, with the last few funds he had, he opened the Dixon Kent Amusement Park, a place where both kids and grown-ups alike can have all the fun and joy they can possibly ask for. And it worked!”
Reginald paused in his tracks, and turned towards with his trademark smile and his arms held up in pride.
“The place brought both prosperity and great fortune for the Inventory, and it was so effective, they decided to emulate the same success the park had, and it resulted in the very same place we stand here today! And what better place to build on Mr. Kent's foundations than in Eltingville, Staten Island!”
Then, a young female voice cut through Van Winslow's history lesson. “And yet, they decided to build it underneath a junkyard!”
The two of you spun around, and saw a girl perched on by an open window, with a lit up joint in hand. She looked slender, and tall even though she was sitting, her long legs clad in a pair of ripped bluish-gray jeans and black mid-calf boots dangling idly. She brought the joint to her lip and took a puff, tilted her head slightly upwards and exhaled the smoke out the window. Doing so exposed the white t-shirt displaying a half skull with a spiked up Mohawk she had on, four stars and a banner that said ‘Misfit skull’ underneath. The sleeves of her dark brown leather jacket were rolled up slightly, showing off some of a tattoo on her right.
The girl tilted her head at you, with slightly lidded blue eyes and a grin that just screamed ‘mischievous’ on her face. If you searched up the definition of the word ‘Punk’, the image of her would pop up, along with her dyed blue hair and beanie.
“So much for family friendly fun.” The girl quipped.
Chloe Price
Life is Strange
“Oh, I didn't expect you to pop up here Ms. Price,” Reginald greeted, before taking on a reprehensible tone. “Although, I do remember seeing several signs that clearly stated ‘No Smoking’.”
The blue haired girl sighed dramatically, resting her head back against the wall. “Oh, come on man. I'm not even doing it in front of the other kids! Can a girl medicate in peace?” She pointed to the opened window with an open palm. “See? I'm doing it by the window!”
“I'm sorry, but the rules are the rules. I don't make them, I just enforce them when needed.” The host stated.
“Ugh, fine!” The punk girl swiftly put out the joint and stuffed it into the front pocket of her jacket, and got off from the window, and paced forward to the both of you. “There. Are you happy now, Captain Buzzkill?” She said, stopping near Van Winslow. She then nodded in your direction. “So, who's this dude?”
“They're just someone who will be participating in tonight's game,” The overseer answered. “I take it you're also joining in as well?”
“Eh, I dunno.” The punk crossed her arms. “I'm ain't exactly the poker playing kind of girl.”
“Nonsense!” Reginald countered. “In my opinion, I believe anyone can be quite a great player! Take Jennifer Tilly for example. She used to be quite the card shark during her time at the Inventory.”
“No fucking way!” The girl gasped, shock resonating in her. “The Jennifer Tilly? The Bride of Chucky herself?!”
“The one and the same!” Winslow said. “Tell you what, if you join the game tonight, I'll allow you to… medicate to your heart's desires!”
“Hmm…” the girl rubbed her chin, pretending to be in deep thought. “You're driving a hard bargain here, Cap… Okay, fuck it. Count me in!”
“Wonderful!” The man clapped his hands happily for a brief moment, before guiding the way. “We're almost there. Just follow me.”
The girl tagged along as you followed the host deeper into the hallway. She turned to you casually. “I'm Chloe, by the way. This whole place is hella sweet, right?”
You just simply answered with a nod of your head, and continued walking.
“Geez, silent much?” Chloe said, a soft snort of laughter escaping her lips.
“Don't give them too much grief now,” Winslow stated, stopping in front of a door. “I find myself to be familiar with this kind of silence. I'm sure you'll get used to it as well. Ah, here we are!”
You and Chloe peered at the cherry red door, the number 127 embroidered onto it in eggshell white. The overseer clasped the long doorknob and opened it with a light screech. Both of you were ushered in, and you heard the sweet sounds of smooth jazz flooding your ears as you scanned the room. It was pretty decent and well kept, the mahogany floor smooth and swept and the sunset yellow walls giving it a nice and warm glow. A large TV was attached in the middle of a wall on the right side, a large open cabinet filled with game consoles and a DVD player stood under it. A dark brown, large sized couch with small pillows on it, and a couple of chairs that stood on each side was facing towards it. On the left stood a mini bar of sorts, with a bench and a couple of stools, and behind it lay a bunch of snacks and other foods packed neatly and organized.
And in the dead middle of the room, the large green poker table was set, with five seats surrounding it and what appeared to be the chips were already placed down in rows.
Though, you weren't the first ones to arrive, as there was the dealer, a rather slim, tall looking man with black hair that flowed back and apart from his face, an medium sized mustache and weird looking sideburns that leaped down from the bottom of his eyes to each side of his mouth etched with focus as he shuffled a deck of playing cards. He wore a light red vest with printed spirals with matching pants, a light blue-ish white dress shirt, a dark tie, and brown Oxford shoes.
And, hunched over in one of the seats near the table with an opened comic book in hand , was another teen. He wore a bright orange blazer, a black shirt with a StormTrooper helmet on it, simple blue jeans, and similarly bright colored striped sneakers. The sounds of the three of you drew the boy's attention, and he glanced over. His hair was brown and unkempt, his Caucasian skin blemished with acne, and his brown eyes were protected by a pair of glasses.
His eyes narrowed. “Seriously? What's a girl doing here?” The disgust in his voice was made very apparent, him abandoning the copy of Emerald Twilight he held. “I thought this was going to be an all boys game!”
Bill Dickey
The Eltingville Club
Wow.
Yep. This guy wasn't giving you a first good impression.
Chloe was unimpressed, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms again with a look of steel. “Great. Just walked in, and I'm already dealing with a fucking misogynistic asshole. Joy.”
“Hey!” The boy shouted. “Who the fuck are you calling an asshole?! I was just saying. No need to be all bitchy about it.”
“Mr. Dickey,” Reginald sternly addressed the nerdy looking guy. “While most of the games hosted here were played predominantly by males, I was hoping that a little diversity will hopefully spice things up for tonight. So, please refrain from insulting Ms. Price or any of the other players. Unless, you'd rather want a lifetime ban from this place with your other friends.”
“Ha, you tell him Reggie!” Chloe barked out a laugh. “You heard that, dork muncher? No funny business!”
The brown haired boy slid back in his chair and bit his tongue, grimacing and mumbled as you and Chloe took your seats. You took notice of the chips in front of you. There were three rows of them in the order of red, green, and blue that had the numbers ‘100', ‘500’, and ‘1'000’ respectively.
“Whatever, I don't really care who's playing. All I know is by the end of this, you're all gonna be bowing down as Bill Dickey takes all of your cash! Oh man, I can just taste that vintage Cobra Commander figure a mile away!” the nerd proudly declared.
“Cash?” Reginald raised an eyebrow, before letting out a deep set of belly laughter. “You're quite mistaken. You're not actually using real money for tonight's game!”
“Wait, we're not?” Bill confusedly asked. “Then what's with the-”
“I'm here!” A lisp-filled voice burst out by the front door, drawing the attention from you and everyone else.
A small boy leaned by the doorway, catching his breath from possibly rushing over here. He was possibly around three feet, almost toddler sized with near tanned skin. He was wearing a purple hoodie that was wrapped around his small waist, a white long sleeved shirt with thin lavender stripes, beige shorts, and a pair of white sneakers.
He seemed normal… unless you count the orange sized purple balls that were shaped like a Mohawk on his head.
“Uh… you guys are seeing this right?” Chloe blurted out, her eyes nearly bulging out of her head.
“...Holy shit. Now, that is an awesome cosplay!” Bill complemented.
The purple ball haired looked up with a puzzled look, his dark black eyes narrowed slightly. “...Cosplay?”
Minoru Mineta
My Hero Academia
“Yeah, how long did that take you?” Bill asked the small kid.
“Uh, dude… I don't think he's cosplaying.” Chloe pointed out.
“What? Bullshit! Nobody goes out of their way to make that good of a My Hero Academia cosplay!” Bill countered.
You saw the small guy get even more confused. “My Hero wha-”
“Ah, there you were Mr. Mineta,” Reginald welcomed him warmly. “You're just on time! We were just getting started. Please, make your way to the table!”
The small boy, Mineta, hesitated for a bit, before closing the front door and walking over to take a seat right next to Chloe.
“Alright, we almost have everyone,” The host said. “Now hopefully we don't have to wait for the last person to make their-”
There was a sound outside the room, a muffled boom, before the front door was nearly blasted off his hinges as something- no, someone- soared right over the host and made a crash landing at the mini bar with the sounds of glass breaking and a meaty thud. Everyone around the table, and you even though you didn't realize it at first, shouted out in surprise and shock.
“...Grand entrance.” The host finished.
You wanted to stand up and check out the crash, before a little girl popped out from behind the counter. She had short and unkempt straw blond hair, with a weird looking mask strapped to the side of her head, icy blue eyes, and yellowish white skin. She wore a short pink and brown apron dress with a white rabbit doll head on the skirt part. Below that she had on a pair of orange and brown shorts that came down to her knees, with mismatched socks with a white one on the right with pink rings on the right and a pink knee-high sock on the left foot.
“Yes, that was awesome! I wanna do it again!” Shouted the girl with the least amount of sanity.
Tiny Tina
Borderlands 2
The small girl skipped over the poker table, and jumped on the last seat between the dealer and Bill. “Who's ready to get this mother humpin’ game going, now that Tiny Tina is in the building!” Tina shouted. “This girl is ready to make some money~!”
“Now, that's the spirit!” The host smiled as he moved to look at the group surrounding the table. “But to repeat what I said to Mr. Dickey-”
Laughter rang from the manic filled Tina, interrupting Reginald as she held her sides. “H… His name… his name is Dickey?!”
“Oh, laugh it up, you little shit!” Bill gritted through his teeth.
Reginald continued regardless. “-Tonight, you will not be betting with real money whatsoever. Gambling involving minors is quite frowned upon by… the people upstairs so to speak. Dixon Kent himself realized that himself, so to counter that, he had the idea to use something else to simulate currency during the Depression era. The five of you will be betting with-”
Mineta held up one of the ‘chips’, a blue one, closely for examination. “...Bottlecaps?”
“Correct! But fear not, you will be able to exchange those for the Inventory's complementary tokens, which will be used to buy all kinds of prizes over at the main area! So with that out of the way…” The host turned to the dealer “Mr. D'arby! I'll trust you to take it from here for now on?”
D'arby nodded, before reaching for a handheld scanner he had clipped onto his belt on his left side. “Please hold out your ID bracelet for registration.”
You held out your right arm, as did everyone else, as the dealer swiftly scanned it.
“Alright, the players are registered, the stakes are set, let the tournament begin!” The host announced with showmanship.
D'arby shuffled the cards once more. “The name of the game is Texas Hold ‘Em. May the best player win.”
The man dealt two cards to each player, and you caught them as it was slid towards you. You tilted the edge of them, making sure that no one was peeking. Hmm… Two of Diamonds and Six of Spades. Not a bad hand, decent chance for a Straight. You can make it work if you just played it coo-
“I'm all in!”
You would've thought that everyone had whiplash the way Tina made their heads turn towards her as she pushed all of her bottlecaps to the center of the table.
“D…Did you look at your cards?” Mineta asked, sweat running down his face comically.
The small psycho tilted her head to the ball headed teen. “...You're supposed to look at them?”
You just held your face with the palm of your hand.
Yep. This was going to be a loooong game.