The world changed me, now I’m returning the favor one person at a time. My motive? While all of us have the same goal in mind our motives differ. My motive is to end suffering by getting out of the streets narcissistic, cold, calculating, and hateful people like most of my family members. The manipulators, the greedy rich people, the opportunists, and all other garbage that’s roaming freely in this cruel world. I try my best alongside my crew mates to spare as many people from pain as possible which is what brought me to them in the first place. With their athletic abilities, sneaky ways, and mission I felt at home with The Nocturne Guild even if it all happened by accident.
I first saw them perform at a college Halloween party in my freshman year of college. All I knew about them is that they were supposed to be some sort of new “slider” performers which I didn’t know what the hell that was but I stuck around in hopes of making friends. I was expecting some fraternity guys doing some stupid show to show off and get girls' attention but I knew I was wrong when I saw them for the first time.
Their faces were hidden by black and white makeup, some simulating skulls and others had dark scary clown makeup. They were all dressed in black and white suits while wearing special gear that allowed them to do their performances as well as some other activities I learned about later on. They walked around the party at first where they would slide across the floor and scare people before getting up and pretended to bite them or some other scare tactic. Then the show started which is where you really got to see them in action.
While the “sliding” was a huge part of their performance, there was way more than that. They would backflips, jump over obstacles as well as over each other, slide under one another, and even pretend to fight each other to then perform more tricks. They did it all so confidently which made them even harder to ignore and I wasn’t the only one captivated by them. The crowd was cheering on them and some girls were even calling them “hot” and trying to get their attention. While the performers did acknowledge the crowd they paid close attention to one guy in particular. A man, an older man that seemed out of place at a college party but I ignored that fact and focused on wanting to know why they were keeping a close eye on him.
The show was over but they stuck around taking pictures with guests and signing stuff for people. They messed around with the crowd again and I couldn’t help but follow them around. One of them eventually scared me by sliding towards me and grabbing my leg.
“You’re coming with me, boy,” he said while laughing creepily and sped off to scare more guests I suppose. While following them I came across the guy they were staring at during the performance. He was there with two other girls that looked to be around my age and way too young for him.
“I really like your costumes, ladies. Especially your cat costume. Can you meow for me, kitty?” He told them, making me cringe as well as the girls. The girl wearing the cat costume laughed nervously.
“Um, no. Not for you. But thanks for the compliment,” she said and tucked her red hair behind her ear.
“Aw, why? Does she have an owner?” I hope he didn’t mean it like I think he meant it. The girls just let out another nervous laugh and got closer to each other.
“Well, she’s my kitty,” the other girl said but the man didn’t seem to leave them alone yet.
“I meant like…wait, are you two dating each other?” He did mean it like I thought he did. I was starting to get pissed off by the scene. I was hoping one of them would say they were even if it was a lie so he’d leave them alone but it didn’t happen.
“Uh, no. We’re not dating. We’re just friends,” the girl with the cat costume said.
“I just didn’t want to make assumptions, you know? It would’ve been totally fine if you were but I just wanted to know. Are you ladies single then?” If I said I wanted to hit this man it’d be an understatement. I wanted to go up to him and tell him they weren’t interested in his old ass before making him leave them alone. I didn’t get to do that because one of the performers slid over to him and stood tall in front of him. He was quite tall in comparison to the old jerk in front of him. His skull makeup made him look even more intimidating.
“Bryce, I guess we’ve finally met,” he said, making the old guy tremble.
“H-h-how do you know my name?” He stuttered. The girls stood back but still observed the scene.
“Oh, Bryce, I know all I need to know about you and soon you’ll know all you need to know about us.”
“Us?” The man asked.
“Yes. All of us.” He kept staring down at him which was so satisfying to see.
“What do you want from me?”
“I’m sure those poor girls want to ask you the same thing.” I barely knew him but I already had a lot of respect for him.
“Why are they poor girls, huh?” The tall man just smiled and looked at the girls.
“Don’t worry ladies. I’m going to make sure he doesn’t bother you or anyone else ever again,” he said with a slightly aggressive tone which was very understandable why.
“Thank you,” the girls mouthed before the skeleton guy grabbed the man’s arm tightly, making him try to pull away.
“Take your hand off me, sir.”
“Wow. You’re quite respectful for someone who taunts young women in college. Wait, that might be because I’m a man and you respect men more,” he said while still holding a tight grip on his arm.
“What are you even talking about?”
“I told you, sir. I know everything about you,” he said and laughed.
“Let. Me. Go.”
“I unfortunately can’t do that right now unless you come with me, mister,” the skull guy said, staring into his eyes.
“For what? What are you going to do with me?” At that moment another guy with jester makeup told the girls they could leave before sneaking up behind the harasser.
“Just do what he says,” the new guy said after putting his hand on the scared guy’s shoulder.
“Will I be ok?”
“Your fate is sealed, my guy. It has been for so long,” the guy behind him said. The mention of his “fate” intrigued me.
“Ever since you started messing with girls that were clearly not into you. You like making them all scared, don’t you?” The guy in front of him added. I started to see the guy in the middle slightly starting to shake.
“I…I don’t do that,” was all he said but they had enough.
“Cut it off, bro. We already told you we know. Quit making this more complicated than it really is,” said the guy in front of him while looking aggravated. I noticed the other performer pulled something out of his pocket and then held whatever it was close to the guy they were taunting. I started to get scared too but I couldn’t stop looking at the scene. Bryce stopped resisting and started to shake even more which could mean many disturbing things. They were making him feel what all the girls he ever harassed felt. That’s why when they started walking away I discreetly followed them.
They went all the way to an empty alley. As soon as they got there the taller guy kicked Bryce in the stomach making me flinch. He let out a cry as the performers (if I could even call them that at this point) just laughed.
“I’ve been dying to do that,” said the guy that kicked him while laughing. The other didn’t wait and just joined in.
“Please stop,” the guy cried out on the floor before they picked him back up again.
“Didn’t those girls from tonight try to tell you to stop talking to them in a nice way?” The guy with the skull makeup asked him as the other grabbed Bryce’s arm.
“Please stop. This is too much,” he cried and I was able to see his face covered in blood.
“I would if I didn’t know you literally had to leave another college before you got in trouble for the same twisted behavior,” the guy grabbing him said. Bryce screamed in pain but they didn’t stop until he went quiet. All I did was stare as I was so lost in the scene and overwhelmed with emotions. While the scene was intense and disturbing I couldn’t ignore how fair it felt to see someone like Bryce pay for his actions. He was obviously a disturbed person and it was clear the guys knew about more disturbing things about him.
“Is he out?” They asked one another.
“Yeah, looks like it. Let’s take him out of here,” one of them said and they turned around facing me. My knees felt weak and standing started feeling like a struggle. I just put my hands up to show I wasn’t going to do anything against them.
“I…I didn’t mean to see that but I won’t say anything about it,” I said while breathing heavily.
“And why should we trust you?” The taller one asked me.
“Because I know why you did it and I…I agree with you guys.” They looked at each other and I started shaking again. I was close to starting begging them to let me go but I also trusted them to some extent at the same time.
“Are you serious, dude?” The shorter one asked.
“Yes. It was good to see actually. Good to see a disgusting pig like him pay,” I said and started walking up to them. They smiled right after I spoke.
“I mean…that’s why we do what we do. This is the first time someone sees us in action though,” The taller one explained. Now that I’m actually talking to them they feel more human than earlier tonight. Like actual chill guys.
“That’s why we have a problem here. We’ve always had a rule in case something like this ever happened,” the shorter one said. That didn’t sound good.
“And that rule is?” I asked.
“Whoever sees us do our dirty work has to either join us or they will face a similar fate as our actual targets,” the guy with the skull makeup said. While it was shocking I wasn’t afraid anymore.
“Now, innocent people aren’t really our style which is why we’ve been grateful it had never happened before. Until today and we really don’t want to do that to you because I can tell you’re a good guy,” they other said but I was quick to respond.
“I’ll join you guys. I like your mission and…I want to be part of it,” I said though I took a pause not to overshare so early on. While I did feel like I could trust them I’ve learned to never tell my story to people I’ve just met or even people I thought I knew.
“You do?” They both asked me at the same time. I stood confidently in front of them before answering their question.
“Yes I do.” That’s how I later became Principe Muerte. The Death Prince.
~
I dropped everything to join them and be on the road. By everything I mean college and my roommates that I didn’t even get along with which came easy to me. Since then I started living with the guys from the guild. The first part was getting to know the guys of The Nocturne Guild and starting training which was tricky at first. I often ended up covered in scratches, bruises, and scrapes somewhere on my body. The guys didn’t let me down though. They always checked on me when I had accidents while learning to “slide” and even picked me up when I’d fall.
“You good, Mauricio?” Asked me Valenor when I’d fall. Valenor was the one that first approached Bryce the night we met.
“Yeah. It just hurts a little but I’m fine. Thanks,” I responded as he gave me his hand so I could get up.
“That’s all part of the process. You’re doing great so far.” I don’t believe I was that great but I appreciated the efforts of making me feel better.
Valenor, also called “Vengeance,” was the son of a former governor that still holds a lot of power in his state’s legislature. He wasn’t a good man and he made Valenor’s family’s lives miserable. Not only was his mother ten years younger than his father but he also met her because their families knew each other and Vengeance’s father practically begged them to date their daughter. Only two months after dating they got engaged and married soon after. He made her quit school, her job, her charity, and soon enough isolated her from basically everyone. To make matters worse, he had two daughters with her other than Valenor. Vengeance had to witness all the pain his mother and sisters endured until he turned eighteen. By then he helped them escape his father. According to him, his father was the first person he “took care of” and led to the formation of the guild.
The second guy I met the night of the party was Ian, also referred to as “Kosto.” Revenge. He was Valenor’s best friend who helped him form the guild. Unlike his friend, Ian actually had a good life at home and was quite privileged. What altered his life was his older sister getting in an abusive relationship that ended with his sister having to go to the hospital. Even after the relationship was over he says his sister has never been the same. According to him she rarely smiles or goes out unless she really needs to. Her family tried to help her which made her feel somewhat better but she didn’t feel like herself anymore which broke Ian to the point he now wanted to do everything he could do so no one else had to go through what his sister and his family went through. That’s what made Valenor and Ian the perfect people to start this operation.
After I got more confident with my abilities I was finally sent to fully participate on a mission and not only perform which was also very nerve racking to do. Sergio was the one to find this mission which made sense because it involved people that were more recognized by Spanish speaking individuals. Sergio, nicknamed “Relámpago,” was the son of a well known Puerto Rican music producer that often had run-ins with the law for various reasons. He was caught participating in illegal gambling, rooster fights, and was even sued by a few artists he worked with because he would take most of their earnings. Relámpago’s mother was one of the female artists he worked with whom he dropped once she got pregnant. After that he continued his criminal activities while never acknowledging Sergio’s existence even after he got a DNA test as proof. It is alleged he had multiple relationships with other artists he worked with. Sergio couldn’t avoid seeing his father since he was on the news often which made him who he is today.
I’ve always thought the guy we took down that day was related to his father as he was a new singer just starting his career. This individual was probably one of the worst people I had ever met. While he didn’t do the actual dirty work he hired a hitman to do it for him. Why? He wanted to get rid of his wife to start a new life with his mistress instead of just getting a divorce. What also helped him get away with it was that he constantly gave money to corrupt politicians and police stations. That’s why they didn’t investigate any further but everyone knew he was involved because there were leaked screenshots of him talking to the hitman as well as clear references in his songs. Nobody was buying it but it’s incredible all the things money does in this world. Fortunately no money was going to hold us back.
We found a way to get hired at his album release party. The place was intimidating as it was full of artists, celebrities, and rich people. To think we got hired to work here was crazy but it made me realize that our show was kind of a big deal outside of our mission. I actually recognized some of the people in the crowd which made me feel really nervous and out of place. There were going to be so many eyes on me that could expose us if we made a single mistake during our mission.
“Mano, it’s going to be alright. We’ve done this before and nothing has happened,” Sergio told me as I sat down to take in everything.
“Yeah. This is just too much for me. I’m overwhelmed, that’s it.” I tried to take some deep breaths but it did nothing.
“You’re going to be great. I just know it and I think she does too,” he told me and pointed at a woman that was staring at me while her friends danced. I panicked even though she was smiling.
“Oh my God. Does she know what we’re going to do?” Relámpago just laughed.
“No. She wants you, Mau,” he replied, making me blush not because of her more so because I didn’t want anyone in my life in that way.
“No thanks,” I said and looked down.
“For real? You’re not going to do anything about it?” I tried not to cringe.
“Ew, no. I’m not into that stuff right now.”
“That’s such a shame because las babies love us when we’re in costume.” I couldn’t help but laugh. We didn’t really wear a costume, just suits, ghostly face makeup, and our gear but it did alter our appearance a lot though.
“If you say so. How would I even date while doing all this?” I asked him because that was such a foreign topic for me.
“We could make it work. It’s not like we’re constantly on the road doing all of this. Late September to October are the only time we’re super busy. I mean, I’ve done it before, it just hasn’t been like long term or anything.” That was the first time I heard any of the guys talking about dating which felt like we were getting closer to each other. Almost like the siblings I never got to have.
“Sheesh, didn’t think Relámpago had it in him,” I joked and we shared a laugh before things got real.
While I was already somewhat used to performing what we were going to do afterwards was what scared me. According to Sergio the artist actually wanted to meet us after the show which made the job easier to some extent. Vengeance and Kosto had already found an isolated area we could take Martinez, our target, when the time was right. Meanwhile the crowd cheered on us unknowingly as we did our tricks. The same woman from earlier couldn’t take her eyes off of me and was basically screaming everytime I did a trick which was very annoying. She looked to be in her late twenties which was even more off putting for a nineteen year old me. I still finished my show with the guys which went well and I could tell I was already gaining somewhat of a fanbase. The guys cheered on me for that.
“You’re only making our team better, boy,” Valenor told me and patted me on the back.
“He is! He’s like a king right?” Added Ian, making me laugh.
“No way. I’m not the king of anything,” I said and laughed shyly.
“Then you’re a prince. Un principe. That sounds right,” Sergio added and threw his arm around me as we got off the stage.
“Whatever you say, dude,” I just told them as the reality was starting to sink in. I was going to help take down a despicable man. I didn’t care about Martinez but I was worried about myself and what I was about to do. As if he knew about my concern, Valenor came up to me before leaving Sergio and I alone.
“You got this, Mauricio. I believe in you,” he told me before leaving.
Kosto and Vengeance headed backstage where they’d meet up with Martinez to then lure him to the isolated area we had found. We waited for Martinez at the location which made Sergio and I get nervous when time kept passing. We hid behind some trees ready to strike at any moment. It was mostly dark but some moonlight let us see if anyone was there. After what felt like an hour Kosto and Vengeance arrived with Martinez.
“Why are we here? This place looks sketchy,” said Martinez.
“We have a private show for you. Right, Kosto?” Asked Vengeance in a mocking tone.
“We sure do but we’re going to let the stars take over. Come out boys,” Kosto prompted us to come out. We came out from behind the trees and then slid on the concrete towards Martinez making sparks fly.
“What kind of joke is this?” Martinez said before I stood in front of him. I was taller than him standing at 6’3 while he was slightly below average. Kosto got behind him therefore it would be hard for him to escape.
“See you later, guys,” said Vengeance as he left with Kosto. I waved at them with a smile.
“What is going on?” Martinez just asked in a confused manner instead of a scared one. I didn’t like that.
“Jocelyn Sanchez. Sounds familiar?” I asked him in a serious tone.
“That was my wife. She passed away. End of the story.” He wanted to act tough and I wanted to see how long he was going to keep up the act.
“She didn’t simply pass away. She was killed by a hitman you hired,” I said and he let out a laugh to keep up the act.
“I guess you guys are just some conspiracy theorists too. I get that a lot but it’s all a made up story by people with no lives.”
“Monday March 11th 2024 you wrote in a text to Joaquin Sebastian who’s currently charged with the murder of Jocelyn Sanchez, ‘Is fifteen k enough to get rid of that b,’ which I won’t finish that sentence as what follows is too disgusting to repeat,” Relámpago added making me smile.
“You do know those messages are fake, right?” Martinez said in hopes we’d believe him. He finally started trembling.
“Really? What about this then?” I clapped back and showed him a picture where you could clearly see him giving money to Joaquin. He finally looked scared.
“What…what is that?” Martinez asked stupidly.
“You and Joaquin. Let me guess? This was a musical collaboration?” Relámpago added, making Martinez curse under his breath.
“It has to be. Maybe years ago and that’s why I can’t remember.”
“The date it was taken says it was March 13th 2024,” I said and he just stood there trying to avoid my gaze. That’s when Relámpago grabbed him.
“Lying is completely useless now and we’ll not accept any money like everyone you’ve paid to stay silent,” he said when he grabbed Martinez.
“What are you guys even talking about?” He asked again and I just slapped him right in the face.
“Shut up! You’re done, Martinez. We got you,” I said and went again. I could feel the adrenaline rush hit and I was just in the moment. After we were done the guys told me I did great and how proud they were and that’s when Sergio gave me my nickname.
“I told you he was a prince. You’re Principe Muerte, Mau.” It grew on me eventually, especially after fans started using it too. That’s how I became the man I’m today and it’s how I met Madelaine.
To be continued…
El Principe Muerte. I wonder if the name came from the fact that he was to die for…