The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks

Nate Colton was known for following the rules. And, to those who were privy to the book his father gave him, The Rules.

Some were harder to follow than others. Such as…

Rule #19: Save money however you can. This won’t last forever.

Especially when other Rules contradicted it.

Rule #20: Don’t cheap out on important things.

Like so many pairs of Rules, it made for an interesting tightrope that Nate learned to walk through trial and error.

Until recently, his living arrangements fell under the purview of Rule #19; an apartment designed to serve one person who spent very little time there. But the new place, one that he shared with Kohime Mori…that was going to be a home. Definitely a Rule #20 situation.

After accommodating their requests–Deku’s safety was a priority, and Nate shot down any property in Spring Valley or Paradise for reasons he refused to explain–their realtor found them a modest condo with a patio and an exquisite view of the mountains. They filled out paperwork, made a down payment, hired a moving crew on various levels of meth, and started planning their first gathering.

It was supposed to be a housewarming party.

Friends and family of a happy couple who had finally moved in together. Food, drinks, music, laughing…a good time, and a celebration of the next phase of the Colhime relationship.

But fate loves to twist the knife, and Nate’s entire life twisted with it.

It was supposed to be a housewarming party.

It became a war room.

Ten people stood or sat, mostly watching or tapping their phones. The yakitori Kohime made sat in the fridge, in favor of delivery pizza. The alcoholic refreshments, swapped for coffee.

They still had food and drinks, after a fashion. Music too, but only some tuneless humming from one of the guests.

No laughter, though. No celebration. And decidedly not a good time.

“I’m sorry, babe,” Nate murmured into Kohime’s ear for the seventh time since the first guests arrived. “We’ll do a real one soon, I promise.”

“You do not have to apologize,” she said, resting a hand on his arm and quelling the tremor in his hands…mostly. “I am scared for Jennifer too. We will find her.”

He nodded, and the hint of a smile curled up one corner of his mouth. “Thanks.”

The couple walked out of the kitchen, Kohime’s hands wrapped around Nate’s left, and joined the others in the living room. “Status report?” he called out.

“Nothing so far,” Ria Lockhart said from her position on the far side of the couch. “Has she ever gone this long without posting?”

“Not that I can think of,” Nate answered. That was worrying enough; Jennifer had a well-established online presence, and while she occasionally ignored her brothers for weeks at a time, hardly a day went by without content on a half-dozen sites.

The New World Trash filled out the rest of the couch, with Benny sitting on the armrest. Nate noticed the slightly increased distance between his brother and Bex Savage; their situationship must be at low tide again.

“Lotta folks in her mentions asking where she is,” Bex muttered.

“She ain’t in Texas, that’s for damn sure,” came a thick drawl from the easy chair. “Mama and Daddy woulda heard somethin’.”

The voice belonged to Zoe Clark, who along with Melissa Talamantez and Seong-Jae Lee, formed Nate Colton’s first and tightest group of friends. Zoe and Jae’s fathers were a formidable tag team in their day, and it was no surprise that their children developed a different kind of chemistry together.

Zoe looked up from her position on her husband’s lap and stared into Nate’s concerned eyes. “Don’t worry, Nater. Jenny’ll be just fine.”

Jae added, “Max is, like, super arrogant, right? He’s gonna screw up sooner or later, and when he does, we’ll make him pay.”

Nate Colton nodded, but wasn’t convinced. “I hope you’re right. Blake, what’s Dad say?”

From his position on the stairs, Blake shouted into the main room. “He’s talked with his guys in New England, eastern Canada, New York, and [REDACTED]land. Nobody’s seen her, or Sutler.”

“All right. Well, all we can do right now is put the word out there and hope something pops up.”

“The word’s definitely out there,” Denny said, resting on one of the dining chairs. “Blasted all over the socials for a few days now.”

“Tell her I appreciate that,” Nate said…then added under his breath, “Finally, I get what you see in her.”

It wasn’t under his breath enough, because Denny looked up. “Coulda kept that to yourself, cousin.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean–”

“‘Cause you’ve done the Big Dummy Dance over a relationship more times this year than I have, ever.”

“Aw, shit!” Zoe piped up, desperate to break the tension and lighten the mood. “They made you do the dance again, Nate?”

“Like, you gotta tell us what happened!” Jae added.

“No.”

Nate’s veto was forceful, mostly because it was echoed by both the Lads. The eldest Colton turned his eye to the stairs, where he couldn’t see his younger brother, but could feel the bright shade of crimson he’d just turned.

“Jeez, ‘scuse us for livin’,” Zoe said, and settled back into her seat.

“I’m sorry,” Nate said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This has just been…fuckin’ heavy, you know?”

“Yeah, bro,” Benny told him, his words a lot sharper than usual. “We do. We’re all as fucked up over this as you are, so maybe stop flashing your dickhead license, all right?”

“...yeah. OK. Sorry.”

His own face red with shame, he staggered out of the room and back into the kitchen. He half-heartedly reached for the last slice of supreme from one of the pizza boxes when he noticed Deku staring at him from on top of the fridge.

“Mrow.”

Roughly translated, How dare you touch anything in my home with thine grubby fingers? I should kill you where you stand, cur.

Roughly.

Nate took a bite, then dropped the rest of the slice on a paper plate.

You scoundrel, you absolute knave! That sustenance is mine by right, for I have made it so! Return it at once or suffer the consequences!

Screw you, cat, Nate thought. You didn’t pay for it. He nearly gave Deku the finger, but thought better of it. Kohime could join him at any moment.

This is getting us nowhere, he thought. Just staring at our phones instead of getting out there and finding her and fucking up Kael and anyone who stands with him

Sounds easy when you put it like that, his more rational mind replied. But you still don’t have the first clue where they took her.

Thou art a fool and a dunce, and thy sister would be better off dead than having you for a brother, Deku added.

FUCK YOU! he shouted inside his head, hoping he could at least give the cat a psychic headache with his thoughts. Deku seemed unfazed as he hopped to the counter, then down to the floor, and walked toward his food bowl.

I cannot even bear to look at thee. Begone, whelp.

Forget the cat for a moment, Rational Nate thought. Focus on what you can control.

We can control how much longer Max Kael draws breath, once we get to Long Island

OK. The online search was always a hail mary anyway; getting answers the hard way was always Plan A.

So?

So…time to plan Plan A.

He rejoined the party–such as it was–and looked around. He didn’t know the full extent of Plan A yet, but at least he knew the first step. That had been drawn up long before the party started. “Hey, Blake?” he called out.

The youngest Colton didn’t answer right away. Nate shot a glare at Dennis–why’d you have to bring up the fucking Big Dummy Dance?--and called again. “Blake? You there, bro?”

“...Yeah…” Blake said, haltingly.

“Can you do me a solid and look for Deku? I don’t see him down here; he might have gone upstairs.”

“He hasn’t. I’ve been here the whole time.”

“I know, but…can you look, at least?”

A sigh. “Fine.”

Kohime leaned in towards him, whispering as Blake walked up the stairs. “But…Deku is in the kitchen. You must have seen him.”

“I know,” he whispered back. “I just need to keep Blake occupied for a bit. This is that thing we talked about.”

“Oh! Right. Yes.” She peeled away, then headed for the stairs herself. “I’ll give you a hand, Blake!”

Nate held up a hand, quieting the others until they heard the creak of a door. “OK,” he whispered. “Battle plan for 88.”

The room’s tone shifted as the remaining guests leaned in. This was what they were really here for.

“Hot–” Zoe started, then suddenly remembered to whisper. “Hot damn! Darlin’, this is gonna be the best anniversary yet!”

“Too true, punkin,” Jae answered, grinning just as widely as his wife. “We get to kick someone’s ass and, like, rescue someone? Way better than any escape room.”

“Yeah, about that,” Nate said. “The boss has kept a really close eye on who I bring to shows, after the Sammy Broadway disaster.”

“Probably more the Savannah Scandal thing,” Benny added, drawing a fresh round of middle fingers from everyone in attendance.

“I heard Jenny dogwalked her boyfriend before she dis–before all this,” Zoe said. “Is that true?”

“Hell yeah it is,” Benny said. “Uncle Roy said it was the god-awfulest beating he ever saw, and that includes what the bulls did when he worked as a rodeo clown.”

“God damn, I love Jenny.”

“That’s how I know she’s at least somewhat OK,” Nate said. “None of Kael’s mob have broken thumbs. But I still need you two in on the plan, ‘cause this isn’t just about kicking ass. It’s about sending a message.”

Zoe grinned, a flash of her mother’s beauty with her father’s malice. “Whatcha thinkin’? Biloxi?”

“Cheyenne.”

“Ooohhhhhhh–” Jae said, his excitement raising his voice to dangerous levels. “Y’know, Dad and Darryl still aren’t allowed back there?”

“What the fuck happened in Cheyenne?” Angel asked. The answer would usually be “nothing,” but not according to smiles from those in the know.

“Long story short, some guys acted tough in front of our dads,” Nate said.

Zoe added, “Figured out quick, there’s a big difference between an act and the real thing. Now, we’ll have to shake it up ‘cause New York’s got laws and stuff. But I got an idea…”

They hashed out the plan, assigning roles to everyone in attendance. All the while, Nate half expected someone to speak up for his baby brother, asking why he wasn’t part of it.

But they never did.

And he knew why.

His mind turned back toward the article. The hit piece Tanner Quest wrote about the family, which had already damaged their reputations and put a strain on all of them.

It was full of half-truths, untruths, and factually correct statements that missed the whole point.

But the parts that hurt the worst?

The ones where they absolutely nailed it.

# # #

Excerpt from “The Colton Family, Reexamined” by Tanner Quest:

“Every other member of the Colton family reached Night Three of the Belmont Classic, so Blake’s first-round loss in 2025 came as a complete shock. But should it have been? Outside of the family, only one other Colton Academy graduate ever reached Night Three (Matt Gallagher in 2019) and only a handful have survived to Night Two. Most of Colton’s students are technically sound, but lack the skills for a deep run.”

“It was quickly evident that Blake would not measure up to the standards set by his family members. He had the physical tools, and showed flashes of solid psychology, but hesitated at the worst possible times.”

“Some of this can be traced to 2024, when he was hospitalized by Ivan Stanislav. That set his training back by at least six months, but it seems the emotional toll was far greater.  While he might–debatably–be physically ready for competition, he is nowhere near mentally ready. One has to wonder when, or even if, he will be.”

# # #

Once the plan was in place, the gathering felt more like a party. Coffee was traded for beer, cold pizza for hot yakitori. Benny played DJ, filling the house with music.

Still no laughter, but Nate felt like he could breathe again.

The party wound down, as they must, and the crowd dispersed, all in better spirits than when they arrived.

Except one.

One person, who mostly kept to himself on the stairs, nursing the same beer for several hours.

One person, who now stared at Nate like he was one of the Children of the goddamn Damned.

“Hey, buddy,” Nate said. “You OK? Get enough to eat?”

Blake just kept staring.

Every few seconds, his face would flash red, or he’d open his mouth like he was about to say something. But mostly, he just stared.

“You’re freaking me out a little, bro.”

“Is…” Blake faltered. Silence hung in the air, broken only by the sound of the Lads bickering from the kitchen as they helped with cleanup.

As much as Nate wanted to force his brother into action, he gave Blake the time and space he needed to get his thoughts out.

“Is this really what you think of me?”

“Whaaaaat are you talking about?” Nate asked.

“You’re all shit at whispering. And I could hear the cat in the kitchen.”

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUUUUUUUUCK

“You don’t think I’m good enough,” Blake said with a surprising lack of emotion.”

“Buddy, that ain’t it at all–”

“Then why don’t you want me to help? She’s my sister too!”

“Blake…”

Nate trailed off, suddenly finding himself on a new tightrope and struggling to find the balance between the truth, and what he could say that wouldn’t make his brother melt down.

The fact that I gotta consider this at all pretty much sums it up, don’tcha think?

“Blake…this isn’t gonna be the same as Newark. Max will be waiting for us, and the man’s an absolute monster. I won’t be able to look after you–”

“I can handle myself!” he hissed, and it took a Herculean effort for Nate not to roll his eyes.

You lost at the Belmont and wouldn’t leave your room for a month

“I know, buddy. But this is gonna get bad. Maybe even worse than Portland.”

An involuntary shudder racked Blake’s body, but his eyes stayed laser focused at his brother. Talking to the kid when he was in this kind of mood was like walking into a mine field; you never knew what was going to set him off.

And he’ll blame me for it

“But it’s okay to get other people involved and not me?”

“Ria’s been through all kinds of shit, Blake. The Trash too. I like the confidence you’re bringing here, but this is way bigger than anything you’ve dealt with.”

“I’m not scared.”

“Fuck, I am. I’m terrified out of my goddamn mind. I gotta talk like nothing bad will happen to Jenny, ‘cause if it does…fuck, man. I gotta push that thought out just to do anything. I can’t do that and worry about you at the same time.”

Was he getting through? Did the kid soften a little bit? Nate couldn’t tell, at least not right away.

Blake’s breathing was steady. His face wasn’t flashing red anymore. But he was still staring.

“Nathan?” he asked.

“Yeah?”

“Fuck you.”

Nope. Hadn’t gotten through.

Nate felt a flare of anger, but held his tongue. Blake clearly had something to say…and anyway, he liked the defiance.

“You never want me make a choice for myself. None of you do. You always think you know better, and what I can handle. Well, I’m making this choice. So fuck you, and double fuck you if you try to stop me.”

Who the fuck do you think you are, talking to me like that?

“Double fuck me? That’s pretty severe, kid.”

“I’m a pretty severe kid.”

“No, you ain’t. You’re a pretty severe man.”

Blake chuckled, and finally the housewarming saw some laughter.

“All right, bro,” Nate said, knowing that he’d lost the battle against superior stubbornness. “You want in? You got it.”

He held out his hand, and Blake grabbed it in one of those sweet action movie handshakes. All that was missing was a voice saying, “You son of a bitch!”

Instead, Nate got his own voice inside his head, echoing the words of Tanner Quest.

…he is nowhere near mentally ready.

One has to wonder when, or even if, he will be.

# # #

“Scott, I’ll owe you an apology when this is all over.”

“What’s about to happen…I don’t want it, and you don’t deserve it.”

“But it needs to be done.”

“I hate the situation we’re in. Any other time, I’d love a fight like this. You’ve leveled up in a big way since you joined up with Vae Victis…and I don’t think you’re done yet. Still got a lot to prove to yourself, and to everyone. Fights like that are what I came to PRIME for, and under normal circumstances I’d relish the chance to tear it up with you in that ring and show the whole world what we can do.”

“Nothing about this is normal.”

“I don’t know where my sister is, Scott.”

“Haven’t heard from her in weeks. That ain’t the problem; she’s done that before. No, the problem is she’s tied up with Max Kael somehow, and if you don’t know what that bastard’s like you can ask…God, any number of people. Crash. Dawk. Blaze. Half the people in VV, probably.”

“He can not get his claws into her, Scott. I will not allow it.”

“As soon as I get to Long Island, I am going to find Max Kael and beat every last ounce of shit out of him until he tells me where Jennifer is. Then we’ll go get her, and as a family, come back and commit sins against Max that he’s never even dreamed of. Because what he forgets, what everyone always forgets, is that there is nothing I will not do for the people I love…and nothing I will not do to whoever hurts them.”

“You’ll get a taste of that yourself on ReVival. And I know that ain’t fair of me, ‘cause you had nothing to do with this.”

“You just happen to be standing in the worst possible place on earth.”

“In the way.”

“I’m gonna bring the kind of fight I reserve for the worst of the worst, the absolute scumfucks, the people who’d make the business–and the world–better if they just dropped dead. Because every second you stand against me is another second that she’s in danger. Another second that I can’t spend punching that creepy motherfucker until I get answers or he runs out of teeth. It’s a waste of time that I can’t afford.”

“So, like I said. I’ll owe you an apology when this is all over.”

“But I won’t be the only one.”

“Because I’m gonna do my level best to destroy you, just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“You might wanna ask our boss, and your stablemate, what you did to deserve that.”