The Punished Branch

The alternate timeline described here is never featured in the story of Petty's Pizzeria, but exists within the DecoSoluverse as a whole: it is the definitive outcome of Lopscotch’s own failure state and Ratkind's subsequent lack of presence on Kepoa, and it is the definitive precursor to Vanguard Party’s setting. See Lopscotch’s own account of Punished Casey for how that failure begins, and The DecoSoluverse for how the whole chain connects.

The Divergence

In main canon, Felix is not alone at Petty’s the night the tornado hits. In this branch, he is, closing or cleaning up late by himself, and the tornado kills him. Main canon’s tornado is a disaster the family survives and rebuilds from; here, it is the night that breaks them.

What Follows

Charlie falls into a deep despair and soon separates from Ambrose. The family, rather than being sobered by grief, doubles down as business owners, chasing brand deals and aggressive expansion in its wake. Sam dies mysteriously some time later; suicide is never proven, but never ruled out either. Robin drives themself and Neil into the lake. Charlie and Piper end up together, in a relationship that has curdled into something abusive. Eventually, Ella becomes a communist leader, her firsthand experience of business-driven tragedy fueling her contribution to revolution in the Continental Union.

Why This Branch Exists

This is the same failure timeline that runs through Lopscotch: the LS6 fail, Felix and others die, Casey travels back to become the Scotch, the Havens fall, and Rabbitkind never Breaks. Without Rabbitkind’s Break, Ratkind never occupies Kepoa and initiates the Scattering for the purpose of war (also resulting in the non-existence of Verity), and humanity is able to find its own way to Symmetry Break. Humanity eventually plays Symmetry Break on its own terms, and the result of their attempt is what Vanguard Party’s own setting is built out of.