The winding East Route 9 highway saw a white RV cruising at a steady speed.
Inside, loud rock music blared from the car stereo, and the passengers swayed to the beat, reveling in the holiday's frenzy.
"Hey Brad! This song rocks! Turn it up louder!"
"No problem! For this damn spring break! Let's get wild!"
Among the noise, Patty sat alone on a window-side sofa, feeling irritable.
She held her phone, staring at several photos she had sent that were stuck endlessly loading: "The signal is so bad..."
After waiting a few seconds, she swiped up and down on the screen, a trick Sephirot had taught her.
According to him, it was a matter of... mysticism.
And sitting directly opposite her, Scott held a glass of champagne, observing Patty covertly.
Seeing her displeased expression, he felt this was a perfect opportunity God had given him to showcase himself.
"Hey! Kevin!"
Scott abruptly turned his head and shouted at a guy curled up in the passenger seat: "Patty says the signal here is terrible. Didn't you boast about being some network expert?"
"Fix it quick! Don't let Patty wait."
The guy called Kevin was a skinny Asian with thick black-framed glasses.
He was huddled in the passenger seat, holding a hefty radio transceiver, intently tuning the frequency.
Hearing Scott call him, Kevin instinctively hunched his shoulders, timidly raised his head, and pushed his glasses up.
"The magnetic field around here is a bit strange, I can't do anything about it..."
"But I brought a high-power shortwave radio station. If something really happens, we can still contact the outside world."
"What? What are you saying?"
Seeing Kevin, usually so timid, dare to excuse himself, Scott felt his authority was being challenged.
"Bang!"
He slammed the table hard and stood up, looking like he was about to rush over and beat Kevin up.
"Enough, Scott."
Patty frowned, her voice cold, "Don't vent on Kevin. Sit down."
Looking at Scott's arrogant demeanor, Patty felt a wave of annoyance.
No one had invited him, yet he clung like sticky gum, shamelessly forcing himself onto the trip.
Out of courtesy for their fellow students, no one said much, but now he was throwing his weight around in the vehicle, bullying a classmate.
"Hmph, since Patty spoke up, I'll let you off today."
Scott snorted coldly, taking the opportunity to back down.
He turned his head, putting on what he thought was a deeply affectionate expression: "Did you hear that, Patty?"
"This remote place is too dangerous, but don't worry. With me here, I'll definitely protect you."
Kevin, sitting in the passenger seat, heard those words and instinctively looked up at Patty, his mouth opening slightly. But he ultimately lowered his head again and continued fiddling with his own equipment.
Patty didn't even bother replying. She turned away, propping her cheek with one hand, silently admiring the scenery outside the window.
The distant rolling mountains and blue sky, beneath which scattered houses could vaguely be seen nestled at the foot of the peaks.
Looking at this beautiful view, Patty's mood inexplicably felt somewhat agitated.
This sensation was like biting into an apple only to find half a worm wriggling out, instantly killing any enjoyment she might have had.
Her mind involuntarily recalled Sephirot's indifferent face when he refused her.
That bastard Sephirot... Probably lounging on the Agency sofa right now, legs crossed, eating a strawberry sundae.
If she'd known it would be like this, she wouldn't have come either!
Patty gnawed her lip, seething inwardly with frustration.
Her original intention was to invite him out to relax a bit.
After all, normally that guy either holed up at home or went out with Dante on those dangerous assignments.
Now she finally had a holiday, and he ruthlessly rejected her without any hesitation.
If he were here, he'd probably have thrown that insufferable arrogant jerk Scott out of the car already, right?
—--
Meanwhile, on the highway heading out of Los Santos.
"Achoo!!"
Sephirot, who was driving, sneezed several times in succession.
He rubbed his nose and tossed his phone aside; the still-lit screen showed a failed call.
Definitely Patty cursing me again...
The congested traffic ahead finally began thinning out.
Sephirot glanced at the speed limit sign overhead and decisively stomped on the accelerator.
"Vroom!!"
The speed instantly skyrocketed, the modified sports car shooting forward like an arrow released from its bow.
As for speeding tickets?
Sephirot had zero psychological burden. The car isn't even mine, what are you fining?
—--
"Hey, guys, don't be so gloomy."
In the front seat, the girl who was cuddling with her boyfriend, the driver, broke the awkward silence.
Minxie Hayes, captain of the school cheerleading squad and one of Patty's few close friends.
This spring break trip was originally proposed by her.
According to the original plan, she had invited Patty, her boyfriend Brad who was driving, the tech-geek Kevin in the passenger seat, and a few other classmates who were supposed to come.
Unfortunately, those others had last-minute cancellations for various reasons.
Coincidentally, Scott, who had been persistently pursuing Patty, showed up.
This rich kid, seeking an opportunity to get closer to Patty, not only privately gave her a large sum of money but also generously covered all travel expenses for her and her boyfriend Brad along the way.
For the sake of the money, Minxie naturally chose to ignore Patty's protests and tacitly allowed Scott to join.
Besides, in Minxie's view, she was agonizing over Patty's lifelong happiness.
Scott's personality might be rotten, but his family had money.
If Patty could end up with such a wealthy heir, not only would she be financially secure for life, she could directly leap across social classes and become a wealthy lady, something countless people dream of!
And as the best friend who facilitated the connection, she herself could not only mingle in upper-class circles then, but perhaps even meet more rich heirs through Scott's connections.
What a wonderful thing!
"Pop."
She burst a pink bubble and said, "Have you heard about the big news here a few days ago?"
"You mean that small-town police station incident?"
Scott seized the opening immediately, taking over the conversation with a mocking expression, "That's all fabricated by the media."
"My dad has dined with state senators; it's actually some kind of biochemical virus leak. The government is covering up the truth, deliberately creating panic to divert public attention."
"Uh, bro, not that one."
Brad, who was driving, interrupted Scott's lofty lecture.
Scott, cut off, stiffened visibly, but looking at the other's muscles, wisely chose to shut up.
Brad was Minxie's boyfriend and a key player on the school baseball team, his muscles straining the T-shirt tight.
(Translated by yourtl.app)
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TL NOTES — CROSSOVER GUIDE
The notes below are here to help readers unfamiliar with these universes follow along more easily.
CHARACTERS
Minxie Hayes — A character from Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003). In the film she is a student on a school bus that breaks down on a rural highway during the Creeper's feeding cycle. She experiences psychic visions of the Creeper's past victims, which help the survivors understand what they are dealing with. Her presence in this chapter alongside the East Route 9 setting confirms that the current arc is drawing directly from the second film.
Brad and Scott — While characters named Brad and Scott appear in Jeepers Creepers 2, the versions portrayed here have been significantly reworked to fit the story's existing cast dynamic around Patty. Their roles and personalities in this chapter do not map directly to their film counterparts.