Fall was ending and giving an opening to winter. The leaves on the trees were falling and browning. It was the season of thanks and the khaotic crew sat around with their legs crossed inside of Bob the Base. They all went around giving thanks.

"I'm thankful for Bob," Asor said. "He is a faithful hideout and has provided safety from the police numerous times."

"Amen. We can't forget about this piece of ham that we have been blessed with," Larry added.

"What ham?" Mya asked.

Larry's brow furrowed. "It was right here a second ago!"

They all moved their gaze towards Aaron. He silently scarfed down the piece of ham. "That was delicious! Maple honey smoked ham-"

"That was our only food, now we're going to starve! You know what I'm thankful for now," Asor said. "Fists to pummel you with!"

As Aaron ran to hide behind Mya, Larry stepped in front of Asor to stop him. "Hey, now is not the time to fight! We have to be ready for the Black Death- I mean Friday."

"He's right, we need to beat you-know-who to those deals," Mya said as she swatted Aaron away.

"Fine, but this isn't over, Aaron," Asor said, as he pierced Aaron's soul with his eyes.

The crew prepared for one of the biggest nights of the year. They sharpened their weapons and practiced their war cries. Then the clock struck at seven o'clock. Thirty minutes before the great stampede.

"Okay, time to go through the check-list! Weapons, check. Boots to trample the weakest of the weak, check. Garbage bags to clear shelves, check. Getaway driver?" Asor said.

"Check!" Mya said, dangling their principal's car keys.

"How'd you get those?" Larry asked.

"I broke into his house, duh," Mya said, nonchalantly.

Larry was in awe because Mya was a professional at breaking and entering. They were getting ready to pounce as soon as the doors were opened.

"In three," Asor began clenching his fists.

"Two..." Larry said.

"One!" Mya and Aaron said at the same time.

The crew threw themselves at the double doors the moment they were opened. Weapons were loaded and they were ready, adrenaline pumping through their systems hard.

Asor came to a stop, the heels of his shoes screeching as they halted. "What's the big idea here?"

"Yeah," Larry said lowering his ax. "This isn't the right place."

Mya stomped over to the sales cashier. "You better tell me where you're hiding those sales or you might be looking at the end of your career!"

The sales cashier simply raised his arms slowly and began to back away into the back room, never breaking eye contact with Mya.

The crew realized that they were in the wrong store at the worst time imaginable. A small refrigerator that held fish bait near the register hummed quietly, Asor kicked it in frustration causing it to stop.

"Which one of you programmed the GPS?" Asor commanded.

No one said anything, all kept their eyes cast at the floor.

"Oh wait, I did," Asor said sheepishly. "Let's move out soldiers!"

The crew stood outside while Asor tried to think about how they ended up at the local bait shop instead of where the hottest deals were being held. Asor looked closer at the GPS and found a very small sticky note.

"What the...?" Asor said as he peeled it off.

This caught Aaron's attention. "What's that?"

"It looks like a note," Asor said.

Asor read the note aloud: "Think twice before leaving your gadgets unattended. Those Black Friday deals are ours! Signed, Parlous Punks."

Mya groaned. "Of course, Noremac and his goons would do this."

"At least we have a valid reason to beat them up," Larry said.

"Let's go, I need that seventy percent off that deep fryer!" Aaron shouted.

The crew made their way back to the car. Before they drove away, Mya made eye contact with the cashier as he was about to dial 911. She gave him a vicious, warning glare. The phone suddenly made its way to the trash and the cashier faked a smile. Mya nodded and floored the gas pedal.

They arrived at a Walmart and were relieved to find that doors haven't opened yet. But they noticed the huge line. And to their dismay, the Parlous Punks were at the front of it.

The crew marched to the front of the line to confront their competitors.

"Hey! Get to the back of the line," an old woman yelled.

"Shut it or I'll break your hip granny," Larry said.

Noremac turned his head at the threat. "Look who decided to show up."

Asor got into Noremac's face. "Who do you think you are, hijacking our GPS, Noremac? Stay in your lane pal, unless you want to get run over," Asor spat.

Noremac scoffed. "You guys aren't popular anymore. Your time of being the most wanted criminals is over," he said sharply.

Aaron felt himself almost faint, Mya caught him before he hit the ground. Larry cringed inside at Noremac's words.

"Parlous Punks are the new, baddest group in town," Noremac declared with his arms crossed.

Asor and Noremac started to yell at each other, spit flying in both directions. Asor was this close to ripping Noremac's neck off when Larry stepped in.

"Guys!" Larry yelled.

Asor and Noremac paused to look at Larry. "What?" they both said in unison.

"I think there's only one way to settle this," he paused for dramatic effect. "We have a contest. First, you have to capture the Walmart manager when the doors open and you have to duct tape him to the top of Mount Trashmore before sunrise."

Mya gasped, stepping closer to Larry. "Are you crazy? Also, when did you have time to think about all this?"

Asor cut in. "Continue, I think he has a good idea."

"And the losing team has to disband forever," Larry finished.

"Nevermind," Asor said. "Excuse us, Larry was probably dropped at the head at an early age-"

"I like it!" Noremac said.

"Yeah!" One of Noremac's minions said.

Noremac turned, narrowing his eyes. "Did I tell you to speak?"

"N-no," Brad quivered.

"Good," he said. "You speak when told."

"Jeez," Aaron said munching on a bag of chips. "I wouldn't want to be that guy."

"Ladies and gentlemen! We have sixty seconds until the doors open," a Walmart employee said.

The crew tried to get as close as they could to the doors while simultaneously shoving the Parlous Punks.

"Get out of the way, cutters!" Noremac said.

"Who are you calling scissors?!" Aaron shouted back.

"That's not what-"

The doors were opened. The crew dashed past the threshold leaving the Punks in their dust.

"Minions, eliminate them by ANY means necessary!" Noremac commanded.

The crowd of elderly people and parents filled every corner of the store looking for the best sales. Asor accidentally ran into the baby section while Aaron lost track of the mission and started eating food. Mya got distracted by a pair of designer shoes that were being eyeballed by a middle-aged woman.

Mya snatched the shoes. "Get your own shoes! I saw them first!"

The lady tried to snatch them back. "You little brat, taste the leather of my purse!"

The lady smacked Mya with her knock-off Gucci purse. Mya turned bright red with a flaming rage. "It's on!"

As they fought, Noremac and his goons ran past them looking for the manager's office.

"Brad, go interfere in that shoe fight and Sydney go distract Asor in the baby aisle and for Aaron..." Noremac looked over to Aaron in the food aisle.

"Oww, I shouldn't have eaten the whole pack of Oreos," Aaron said clutching his stomach.

"Nevermind, he's covered," Noremac smirked. "Bob, you come with me."

Mya noticed Brad charging with a plastic bat. She let go of the designer shoe and used the lady as a human shield.

"Haha, the shoes are mine - OW!" The lady yelled.

"Whoops, sorry lady," Brad said.

Mya kicked Brad in the knee and knocked him over. "Tell me where the office is!"

"Or what?" He chuckled. Mya readied her fist to punch him.

"NOT IN THE FACE! OKAY, OKAY! Go past the TV section and make a right," Brad said.

"You're too easy." Mya laughed.

Meanwhile, Asor was somehow still stuck in the baby section surrounded by sale-hungry parents.

"Help! I can't see past these middle-aged faces!" Asor yelled.

"Over here, dimwit!" Sydney the Snitch said, aiming a nerf gun at Asor.

Asor's eyes widened in fear. He looked around for any possible weapons that he could use. Sydney was inches away from an unarmed Asor.

"Prepare to taste rubber, kid!" Sydney cackled, firing away bullets.

Asor ducked behind a crib and looked hastily for a weapon. Asor's lips formed a familiar smirk.

"That'll have to do," he said stepping out from behind the crib. He grabbed a display baby tub, waiting for the right moment.

He counted the seconds in his head. At the same time, Asor chucked the  tub while Sydney fired her last bullets. But surprise - she was empty.

Sydney was knocked out by the pearly white tub. A nearby parent glanced at Sydney lying unconsciously on the floor.

"Kids are so extra these days," he commented.

"Ha," Asor said. He picked up the Nerf gun. "I'll be taking this."

Asor ran out of the baby section and found Aaron half asleep on a chair. "Wake up, dude!" he said shaking Aaron awake.

"Huh?!" he said groggily. Aaron rose and rubbed his sore stomach.

Asor tried to suppress a grin. "Ate too much, didn't you?"

Asor and Aaron found Mya near the self-service area.

"That filthy liar!" Mya spat. "The manager isn't here."

"What a surprise. Where's Larry?" Asor said looking around.

Larry suddenly emerged on a moving lawnmower with the manager strapped on the front. He struggled and had tape covering his mouth. Larry stopped a couple of feet away from them.

"Need a lift?" Larry grinned.

"I knew I could count on you!" Asor said.

"Alright, you guys better get on. Noremac's right behind us-"

"Drop the manager and no one gets hurt," a voice said.

Everyone stopped and turned. It was Noremac. He was angry and armed. The crew exchanged nervous glances at each other.

"Or not," Mya smirked. Larry pulled the lawnmower out of the double doors with the crew hanging on.

"We might actually make it!" Aaron said, beaming.

It wasn't even a minute later that Noremac and his gang emerged on a lawnmower of their own, right behind them.

"Go faster!" Mya screamed.

"This is the fastest it can go!" Larry yelled back.

Both machines went into proceeding traffic. Larry dodged cars while cars swerved out of the way to avoid him. A series of beeps and sirens filled the air.

One of the swerving drivers was Petunia, Larry's mom. As she was swerving left, she saw Larry.

"Why are you driving a lawnmower into oncoming traffic?! When you get home you're groun-" Her eyes weren't on the road and she drove up the ramp of a tow truck and barrel-rolled off the street.

"Welp, let's hope that concussion lets her forget my grounding," Larry said, shrugging.

"I see Mount Trashmore! Right behind that Taco Bell billboard!" Aaron shouted.

"Of course you would look there," Asor said. Aaron crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out.

"Step on the gas pedal! They're on our tails," Mya said, looking behind them to see the Parlous Punks swerving through traffic with ease.

"Asor, take the wheel, I'll hold them off," Larry said, putting on a bandana.

"No! You won't make it back alive!" Mya said, trying to hold back tears.

"It's a necessary sacrifice to keep the crew together. You can have my custom-made ax if I never return."

"But-"

"No buttcheeks! It must be done. Never forget me..." Larry jumped off the lawnmower.

"Stop the mower! I have to save him!" Mya screamed at Asor.

"You heard the man, we have to keep going!" Asor yelled.

Larry stood in front of Noremac's lawnmower.

"Move it nerd, or I'll run you over!" Noremac threatened.

Larry took out his secret weapon: a confetti bomb. "Sayonara, dorks.."

Larry threw the confetti bomb into the lawnmower engine causing a massive explosion. Aaron covered Mya's eyes. The Parlous Punks and Larry were knocked unconscious in a cloud of color.

"Guys, we're here, let's get the manager to the top of the trash mountain ASAP!" Asor commanded.

Mya, Aaron, and Asor carried the overweight manager to the top of the crumbling Mount Trashmore. The boys were breathless and seeing stars while Mya was blinded by tears. Would they make it?

After what seemed like ten years and too many burgers later, they finally made it to the top.

Mya dropped to her knees. "We made it, Larry... I wish you could see us now."

Asor put a hand on her shoulder. "He would have been proud. His sacrifice was not in vain."

Mya smiled weakly at Asor. The manager was set on the top of the mountain. The sun rose behind him, a tie-dye of orange, yellow and hints of a shy pink. Their work was done and they would remain together as a team. But what would it mean without Larry?

Mya choked back tears. "We should probably get going now."

They made their way down the mountain leaving the manager on the top, still struggling. They walked home sadly. They had won but lost something in the process. So was it really a win after all?

As they walked back, they saw the parlous punks scrawled over the sidewalk. Larry was sitting there on the ground. He was alive!?

The crew flung themselves at him, tears streaming down their faces.

"Don't scare us like that, man," Asor said.

"Yeah, especially me!" Mya punched him in the arm.

"Glad to have ya back," Aaron said. "Now we should totally go trash their hideout and use my new air fryer that I got seventy percent off on!"

"I have some fries we could use," Larry said. They walked home together talking about the air fryer.

Noremac lifted his head weakly off the ground, muttering. "This isn't the end of the Parlous Punks... You'll see..."