DANGER DAYS: THE TRUE LIVES OF THE FABULOUS KILLJOYS

Chapter One: Look Alive, Sunshine

“Look alive, Sunshine!”

“Hey, Mikey, come here! Dr. D is on!” A figure, whose vibrant red hair and bright blue leather jacket were dulled by a thin dusting of desert sand, gestured to an equally dirty boy – his brother – who was sitting a few yards away, tinkering on the engine of an old car with the sleeves of his dusty scarlet jacket pushed up to his elbows. The tall, skinny boy hopped up, smearing the grime on his hands with a greasy rag, and joined the red-haired boy. His blonde hair flopped in his face over his black sunglasses, and he attempted to tuck it behind his ear before giving up and ignoring it.

“One-oh-nine in the sky, but the pigs won’t quit! You’re here with me, Doctor Death-Defying-” As the radio droned on, the two boys mouthed the familiar intro. While they listened, another boy ran up, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead and his curly hair bouncing with each stride. He wore a black eye patch over his right eye and a black jacket with red embellishments, the sleeves also pushed up past his elbows. It was a hot day out in the Zones.

“How much have I missed, Gerard?” the new boy asked, panting as he sprawled next to the red head, who he had addressed. Gerard held up his hand and hushed him, leaving the newcomer to look towards the other boy, who was again struggling with his hair. He gave up again, looking at the curly haired boy from the corner of his eye. “Mikey?” Mikey sighed before shaking his head, smiling slightly at his friend.

“You always do this, Ray. You go out on your runs three minutes before the radio’s gonna start and then miss the beginning! Don’t worry, he hasn’t said anything new yet.”

“-louder than God’s revolver and twice as shiny.” Gerard leaned over to snatch Mikey’s glasses off his face, leaving the younger brother to reach for them with an indignant look on his face. Gerard just cleaned the engine grease off them with his sleeve and returned them. Ray untwisted the cap off a battered water canteen and swigged from it, a little bit of the water trickling down his chin and leaving tracks in the dust on his skin.

“The future is bulletproof; the aftermath is secondary. It’s time to do it now, and do it loud. Killjoys, make some noise!” The radio hummed as ‘Dr. D’ yelled through it, and the three boys whooped, smiles stretching across their faces. A guitar riff rang out, and they jumped up, dancing around and singing along to the familiar song. Their boots disturbed the dust that had been tracked into their living space, causing little clouds of it to billow up with each footstep and jump, and soon they had another coat of dirt and grime covering their lower halves.

Once the song ended, they collapsed back onto the old couch they had been lounging on, laughing breathlessly and wiping the sweat from their foreheads. Each left a smear with his hand.

Dr. Death-Defying talked about the known groups of survivors, called Killjoys, out in the desert that were running from the Exterminators – like the three boys. When he mentioned the three of them (Gerard had known Dr. Death before the fallout, and they kept each other updated about the Exterminators), they cheered.

“Last but not least, Party Poison, Jet Star, and the Kobra Kid are alive and well. We thank you boys for your last raid on Battery City – Scarecrow is still pretty hot about it. Tune in next week for the weather report. This is Dr. Death-Defying, and you’re listening to 109 in the sky.”

Gerard shut off the radio once Dr. D had stopped talking, grinning at his friends. They went by their code names everywhere but their base; Gerard was Party Poison, Mikey was the Kobra Kid, and Ray was Jet Star. These names were sown on patches that they had each fixed to their jackets, and their “symbol” was a giant spider with a lightning bolt on it; Gerard had used the last of their black paint to draw it on the hood of their old car. It was outdated, but ever since the Helium Wars the hover cars that had been popular couldn’t fly anymore. Apparently the bombs had upset the magnets, and the only way around anymore was by antique car. They had one of the last few remaining models that were still running; an old trans-am, Gerard told them. It had various colors of paint on it, and the spider took up most of the hood.

With the radio off, the silence grew heavy and the boys grew restless. Mikey wandered back over to the car, finishing off the last of his repairs with the tightening of a few bolts. He grabbed a scraped up red can and filled up the gas tank, flicking the door shut and then cleaning up after himself. Ray went back outside, wheeling his old motorbike back in. He also lifted the backpack off of the handlebars, unpacking a few cans of food, a pair of boots, and two canteens.

Meanwhile, Gerard walked over to the makeshift kitchen area of the base, pulling together a few protein bars and accepting the canteens from Ray when he brought them in. He also took the backpack and packed the few things he had in his hands into it, and then Gerard walked across the base to an inconspicuous wall. He pressed on one of the panels, however, and a table swung down, covered in various weapons that were strapped to it to keep from falling. Gerard picked out a butterfly knife and three weapons that were rather peculiar; they appeared to be guns, but not the antique kind. They were brightly colored, and had embellishments on them. Gerard holstered his own, a flashy yellow gun with the words “give me money” written on the side in Japanese. He tossed Ray the blue gun, which had “because I said so” inscribed on the side, and handed Mikey the red gun, which read “deluxe.”

Mikey and Ray grinned at Gerard, reaching past him to pick up their masks. Ray pulled on his black helmet that was reminiscent of the old astronauts that used to fly up into space, and Mikey donned his yellow helmet with “Good Luck” painted (by Gerard) on the visor. Gerard tied on a yellow masquerade mask, threw the backpack over his shoulder, and then led the other two to the car.

“Where are we headed today?” Mikey asked Gerard as they pulled away from their base and towards Route Guano, the main highway that ran through the Zones all the way to Battery City.

“Back to Battery City,” Gerard replied, pushing a beat up tape into the tape deck. Rock music rang out, and they turned up the volume as high as it would go as they tore down the highway, chasing the sun.

Chapter Two: Na Na Na

When they rolled into Battery City, Gerard, Mikey, and Ray were met with a ghost town. Gerard just smiled; he had timed it perfectly so that they would arrive in the city during the hour that everyone was supposed to be in their dwellings. Since the Helium Wars, many people had been struck by what the leaders of Battery City liked to call ‘Zone Sickness.’ Gerard knew it as it really was. In the early evening, in the hottest part of the day, prolonged exposure to the sun caused radiation poisoning, and even the mighty leaders of Batter City hadn’t found a cure yet.

They stuck to the outskirts of the city, where even the most diligent cleanup crews could not keep the children off the streets or the garbage from blowing down the gutters in the stifling breeze. Their first stop was at the Juvenile detention center, where they always visited with food, water, and little gifts for the kids who had been locked away and forgotten. Mikey especially always insisted that they stop there, since they had once liberated a kid that they had nicknamed Destroya, and who hung around with the other kids when she wasn’t wreaking havoc deeper into the city.

Destroya and Show Pony, Dr. Death Defying’s right hand man and information collector, together roamed the outskirts of town most days, scavenging for food and lighting little fires to piss off the Exterminators. They always got out of conflicts easily because one day, while out searching for news and new boots, Show Pony found an abandoned pair of roller skates and hadn’t worn shoes since. Destroya was small enough for Show Pony to easily carry her, and they always managed to avoid serious trouble.

They were an interesting pair to see; Destroya wore a leather jacket two sizes two big with a pilot helmet, her filthy face peeking out from the large hat. Show Pony was quite a sight as well; he wore a tiny with ‘NOISE’ written on it, showing off half of his pale torso. He also wore blue polka dot tights and a space helmet that hid his face. When Gerard had first met him during a meeting with Dr. Death, he had assumed that Show Pony was a woman, and had not been corrected until a few months later, when Ray hit on the skater and Show Pony whipped off his helmet, winking at all of them and then skating away.  Ray, of course, denied all accusations.

Destroya was a special child. At just over four feet tall, she was a scrawny thing; they guessed she was about ten or eleven. Always a blur of activity, she was one of the last kids with an old affliction, what they used to call ADHD. She was the reason that every kid in the cities stuck in the Juvenile Halls was forced to take Ritalin every day. Because of her ‘affliction,’ she was considered dangerous; people with ADHD, tests had showed, used a significant percentage more of their brains than regular people. Because of this, the condition had been all but eradicated to ensure the simple, uniform society Battery City stood for.

When they showed up to the detention center, Destroya and Show Pony were racing in the street out front. The kids still inside the deteriorating building were hanging their heads and arms out the barred windows, cheering them on. Gerard pulled to the side of the road, and the three boys got out of the car and joined the few kids on the curb. Show Pony easily won, although Destroya had given him a run for his money. As soon as she saw Mikey, however, she abandoned the race and ran over, jumping into his arms and resting her chin on his shoulder.

“Hey, kid!” he said, hugging her close. When they had accidentally rammed into the Juvenile hall while attempting to escape from Exterminators, they had busted a hole right through the walls of Destroya’s solitary cell. Mikey had been driving, and he was the one who came back later that day on the motor bike. He had found her playing among the rubble, and he gave her the nickname. They had been fond of each other ever since.

Gerard and Ray walked over to the open windows, handing out bread and little canteens of water to the outstretched, dirty hands reaching out for them. Once everyone had gotten a bit of food, they spent the next half hour telling them stories about life out on the Zones and playing games with the kids.

At almost noon, they headed out again. Mikey gave Destroya another long hug, clapped Show Pony on the shoulder, and then joined his brother and his friend at the car. They drove off, honking back at the building, and Mikey watched as Destroya got smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. She waved as long as Mikey could see.

Now they were on their true mission: to raise some hell. They headed a little farther into Battery City, towards the industrial area. They were set to do the usual damage; usually they came into the city to set fires in the warehouses and distribution plants of Dead Pegasus Oil Company and Better Living Industries, or BLI as they were more commonly called. Ray held a large gas can in his lap in the back seat, flipping a lighter through his fingers. They had taken off their helmets to talk to the children, but now they were on again.

Halfway through their sabotage, things went south. Ray had just finished pouring out the last of the gas on a pile of merchandise and Gerard was striking his last match (a habit he had; he liked the symbolism of striking a match against the ‘enemy’) when a team of Exterminators came tearing down the street in a big white van. Gerard just laughed when he saw them, throwing down the flame and watching it billow away from him, but Mikey grabbed his arm and began tugging him away, back towards the car.

On the side of the van was a logo: a green figure with the words ‘Scarecrow Unit’ stamped around it.

When Gerard noticed, he grabbed Ray and they began to sprint.

Chapter Three: Scarecrow

Flames plumed behind them and glass shattered as they ran the opposite way; the van grew closer by the second. Gerard slid across the hood to the driver’s side and slammed the door after him, briefly checking to make sure Mikey and Ray were with him. Once he was sure everyone was inside the vehicle, he peeled out and tore down the middle of the street, dust spitting out behind them and creating a dense cloud. The dust blocked out the sun, and suddenly it was dark, like the sun had died.

The Exterminators in the van were leaning out their windows, shooting at them with their laser guns. Ray and Mikey leaned out their windows, returning fire and yelling insults back at the Exterminators. One of the errant shots from Ray’s gun hit the van, and it fishtailed towards the side of the road before regaining traction and continued in hot pursuit. The van, which had been white and tidy at the beginning of the chase, was now streaked in dirt and the windshield was covered in splattered bugs. The Exterminators chased them all the way to Route Guano, where the van tailed their trans-am, firing lasers at them until they reached Zone 2. They lived out in Zone 4, so they had a way to go to get home.

Once they had gone far enough to relax without the threat of the Exterminators coming back for them, Gerard pulled the car over to the side of the road and they sat there for a minute, catching their breath. When they had sat in silence for a few minutes, they all looked at each other and burst out laughing. They had survived, which was a feat not too many Killjoys were able to boast with that close of an encounter with Exterminators, especially not with the Scarecrow Unit. They all understood that Scarecrow himself, the nickname the Killjoys had for the head Exterminator, was in that van. That he had let them go without destroying them was practically a miracle.

When Gerard pulled back into their base, they all sat for a second, hearts still pumping quickly from the adrenaline. They had not done quite as much damage as they had set out to do, but all in all they had wreaked enough havoc for the week. The Exterminators would be patrolling more heavily for a while, as they always did when a rebellion group did a run, but they would slack off again. And the Killjoys would be back.

Mikey and Ray got out of the car and headed into the house part of the base, but Gerard stayed behind. He hopped up onto the hood of the car, lying out under the sky. It was nearing dark, but the clouds were lit up by a remnant of the sun that was still peeking over the horizon. The sky, having been pumped full of pollution from factories and wars and bombs, was a strange shade of yellow. The atmosphere was made up of much more methane than was safe for living conditions, but the base had its own life support system and you could breathe the dead air for a while before feeling ill.

Gerard knew he had his friends right there, just inside the base, but he had never felt more alone in his life.

Chapter Four: Sing

Early the next morning, Gerard packed a few things in a backpack and then headed out on the motorbike. He had found a small, rechargeable radio that he was able to take with him, so he tuned into Dr. Death-Defying’s station and turned it up as far as the speakers would allow as he rode. A mellow song was playing, one of Gerard’s favorites. It was a sort of call to arms, encouraging Killjoys everywhere to keep helping people and fighting against the leaders of Battery City – to keep singing in the face of the silent, cold government.

Gerard rode out towards Wolfblood Beach, a rather ironic name for the town, since it was in one of the driest parts of the desert. He had quite a few friends who lived there, and he enjoyed visiting to see how the other Killjoys (who were living normal lives to avoid discovery) were holding up.

As he got closer, Gerard could tell they were not holding up well at all: Wolfblood Beach was on fire.

Fire, Gerard found, was dangerously beautiful. As he rode, he watched the orange and yellow flames licking the side of buildings stained black by the smoke. From a distance, he could see beams and ceilings collapsing, sending fountains of sparks and cinders shooting up into the sky.

He drove up as far as he dared, stopping in the middle of what used to be the busiest street, always teeming with merchants and people gambling, talking, and socializing. Now, there was debris everywhere, and a fine rain of ashes and embers was coming down on him. The flames danced delicately, some burning out; this had happened recently, but not recently enough for Gerard to have done anything about it.

Gerard breathed in, looking down at his arms. They were covered in silt from the fire that was airborne, and he couldn’t help thinking about how much of the ash used to be his friends. He shook the thought out of his head and parked the bike and pulled on the gas mask kept on the bike. Time to salvage.

After about ten minutes of crashing into collapsing buildings, Gerard began to understand the gravity of the fire. It had not been set on the ground; he found a crater near town center, the remnants of a fire bomb scattered around the area. This worried him; if the Exterminators were starting to drop fire bombs again, he would have to tell Mikey and Ray so they could better camouflage their base. He would tell them when he got back.

For now, he had a salvage job to do.

Chapter Five: The Only Hope For Me Is You

As he was sifting through the last of the ashes in the building he was in, Gerard heard a whimper and sobbing behind him. He turned slowly, pulling out his laser gun, but he was met with a pathetic sight; a boy who looked about as old as Mikey (two or three years younger than Gerard) was pinned under a beam that had fallen from the ceiling, and he had a deep gash running down the side of his face. Gerard put his gun back into his holster, leaping over a fallen bookcase, and went to the boy.

“It’s okay, I’m gonna get you out of here. Don’t worry,” he told him, pushing his gas mask up before hooking his gloved hands under the beam and heaving it up, off the boy’s legs. The boy, who had long, matted black hair and was unusually short, latched onto Gerard’s arm once he had moved the beam away, and he began to cry, shaking violently.

“Oh, Christ – hey, come on, let’s get out of here before anything else falls,” Gerard groaned, hauling the boy up and onto his feet. As soon as he put weight on his left leg, however, it buckled, and he clutched the older boy. Gerard gritted his teeth and threw one of the boy’s arms over his shoulder, helping him. They stumbled out of the building just as another board came down, sending up a cloud of cinders that chased them away from the fire.

“M-mama,” the boy whispered, his face going white as he looked around at the devastation. Tears ran down his face, mixing with the blood and sweat already coating his face. Gerard led him over to the bike, propping him on the seat and taking out a canteen and a rag. The boy timidly reached for the canteen, and Gerard handed it over, watching him gulp down half of the water. When he had finished drinking, he handed it back to Gerard, who wet the rag and began to clean his face.

“What’s your name?” Gerard asked, trying to divert the boy’s attention from the massacre around him and the pain of the cut on his face.

“Frank,” he replied quietly, cringing as Gerard dabbed at the blood. Another building collapsed and Frank began to hyperventilate, his eyes going wide and his hand curling around Gerard’s wrist.

“Okay, Frankie – I’m gonna call you that, alright? – Frankie, you’re okay. I’m Gerard, and I’m gonna get you out of here. Everything is going to be okay. You’re safe now, and you’re my only hope right now because I’ve got to clean you up and see if I can salvage anything, and you’ve got to keep watch, make sure no more Exterminators come. Can you do that for me?” Gerard looked Frank directly in the eyes, raising his eyebrows. Frank nodded, his breathing going back to normal, and he kept an eye on the road out towards the Zones while Gerard finished cleaning his wound.

“Thank you,” Frank said weakly, shyly looking up at Gerard with a slight smile. Gerard grinned back, nodding as he poured out a little bit of water onto the rag.

“I never thought I’d be this good at saving people,” Gerard joked, chuckling a bit as he rung out the rag and patted Frank on the shoulder. “There you go, all cleaned up. I’ll just put a bandage on that cut-” he began, but he was cut off when Frank started frantically shaking his arm and pointing back at the Getaway Mile, the road Gerard had come on.

Gerard frowned, digging around in his backpack for the bandage, holding up a finger to say ‘one second.’ Frank just kept tugging, whimpering now. Finally, he groaned and spoke up.

“Gerard, Exterminators!” 

Chapter Six: Planetary (Go!)

Gerard’s head whipped up, his face paling. He stopped rummaging in his backpack and practically threw a helmet at Frank, muttering a quick apology as Frank hissed when he pulled it over his cut. Gerard tugged his own helmet on quickly, looping the backpack straps around Frank’s shoulders and then swinging a leg over the bike.

“Get on,” he said to Frank, jerking his head back behind him, “and if you feel like I’m going to fast, just don’t let go. Don’t let go, whatever you do. We need to get out of here.” Frank nodded quickly, clambering onto the seat behind Gerard and wrapping his arms gingerly around Gerard’s waist. Gerard revved the bike and opened up the throttle, shooting forward and away from the Exterminators.

They went back through town, zigzagging through debris and bones. Frank closed his eyes tightly and squeezed Gerard, resting his head between the older boy’s shoulders. All around Gerard, the world was a strange shade of gray; ashes were floating down through the air serenely, and what few buildings that were still standing were covered in the stuff or charred to crisp. The streets were eerily quiet aside from the sounds of the motorbike and the Exterminators. It was a miracle Frank survived, he thought to himself, surveying the damage as he maneuvered around an old car. By the way almost everything was incinerated, the heat must have been immense.

As they rode, the Exterminators began to shoot laser beams at them. Gerard unholstered his own gun, handing it back to Frank. He had to nudge him a few times to get him to open his eyes, but eventually Frank understood and began to fire back.

The town was small, and they reached the other end in no time at all. Gerard swerved around the last corner before they were back on the Getaway Mile and almost slammed on the breaks. In front of them, a large beam from one of the buildings had fallen and was blocking the road completely. Gerard threw a quick glance back at the Exterminators, who had blocked the way they had come. He yelled a quick, “Hold on!” to Frank before putting his head down and gritting his teeth, and they used a charred chair that had been blasted out into the middle of the street as a ramp. As they soared narrowly over the beam, Gerard whooped and started laughing, bracing himself as they bounced back down and rode on.

Ten miles later, running dangerously low on gas, Gerard and Frank rolled up to the base. As soon as Gerard parked the bike, Frank slumped sideways off of it. Gerard rushed around to make sure he was alright, and was glad to see that the battered boy was still breathing. He yelled for Mikey and Ray, and then began to drag the newcomer towards the base.

Mikey ran out first, eyebrows knitting together in a frown of confusion before he hurried over to help Gerard. Ray came out as they reached the door, and he held it open before clearing off the couch. Gerard and Mikey hauled him onto the cushions, propping his head up with an old, ratty pillow. Ray grabbed a canteen and a rag, and when Gerard pointed to the first aid kit, he grabbed that too.

“What happened?” Mikey asked, taking the canteen and rag from Ray and handing him the helmet Gerard had pried off Frank’s head. Mikey poured out some water and began dabbing away the blood, sweat, and dirt that Gerard had been unable to get off, and he pulled out the disinfectant for Frank’s cut. Gerard sat back on the arm of the couch, wiping his forehead and sighing.

“Wolfblood Beach got ghosted,” he said, earning surprised gasps from both Mikey and Ray. “Exterminators dropped a fire bomb. This kid was the only survivor. I tried to salvage what little I could, but everything I found was incinerated and the Exterminators showed up before I could check any other buildings. His name is Frank, and he’s very shaken up.”

“No kidding,” said Ray, letting out a humorless chuckle. “Almost five hundred people lived there. How many were Killjoys?”

“Around a hundred,” Mikey replied, taping gauze onto Frank’s cheek. He looked up at Gerard and Ray, sorrow in his eyes. “I think one of us should either go see Dr. Death or find Show Pony. Everyone has to know that they’re bombing again.”

“I’ll go,” Ray spoke up, grabbing his helmet and two laser guns. “He knows you, Gerard, and if he wakes up at least he’ll have a familiar face. And Mikey needs to stay and tend to him, because we’re shit at first aid.” Gerard and Mikey nodded, and Ray headed out, shoving his helmet over his curly, bushy hair.

Frank came to about an hour later, just as Ray arrived back. He sat up quickly, hand flying to his bandaged cheek and eyes darting around wildly. As soon as he saw Gerard and Mikey he cowered into the couch and pulled his legs up in front of him defensively.

“Frankie? It’s Gerard, we met back at Wolfblood Beach? You’re safe now,” Gerard said, cautiously reaching out towards Frank and smiling timidly. “This is my brother Mikey, and outside with the bike is Ray. We’re Killjoys, and this is our base.” Frank looked around curiously now, more at ease. He put his legs down off the couch and nodded slowly, swallowing thickly a few times before opening his mouth to speak.

“Everyone… back at Wolfblood Beach… they-they’re d-dead, aren’t they?” he asked, looking up with sad eyes at Gerard. Gerard just sighed and nodded, biting his lip nervously and gauging Frank’s reaction. A few tears slipped past Frank’s eyelashes, but he nodded back at Gerard and stared at the ground in front of him, his lip quivering. Mikey sat down gingerly next to Frank and put his arm around the boy’s shoulder, hugging him carefully. Frank leaned into Mikey gratefully, burying his face in Mikey’s shoulder and shaking silently.

It had been a long day.

Chapter Seven: The Kids From Yesterday

They went to bed early that night, exhausted and shell shocked from the events of the day. Frank slept curled on the couch, holding his jacket tightly and twitching every now and then. Gerard didn’t sleep much at all, upset over the loss of his friends and worried about the new addition to their group. He spent the time with the small lamp by his cot on, sketching out ideas for a new mask and doodling ideas for a code name.

Outside, out in the Zones, he, Mikey, and Ray all went by code names to protect their identities. Gerard was Party Poison; Mikey was the Kobra Kid and Ray was Jet Star. After half a night of brainstorming and different ideas, he fell into a fitful sleep with the name Fun Ghoul underlined twice on the page, surrounded by drawings.

The next morning, Gerard, Mikey, and Ray decided to stay in for the day, recuperating and getting to know their new friend. Frank didn’t wake up until the sun was high in the sky, and when he did he was just as confused as when he first awoke in the base. Gerard talked him through his fear again, and soon he was relaxed enough that they could sit down with him on the couch and tell him about their lifestyle.

It turned out that Frank was well suited for the Killjoy life. Born and raised in Battery City, he had been kicked out of multiple schools for being too rebellious and different. His family had relocated to the Zones when the Exterminators burned down their house because they were not complying with city-wide curfews and regulations. There, he had gotten into just as much trouble, enjoying the freedom the Zones represented. He had been interested in joining the Killjoys, but because the danger of being “dusted” by Exterminators was so high, people were paranoid. He was told to stop asking, and mind his own business.

“Look what good that did me,” Frank said bitterly, finishing his recount. Gerard then began to tell Frank all about the life he and Mikey and Ray led. They were all born out in the Zones, in a town long eradicated by Exterminators or Zone Sickness. None of them even remembered their families, let alone what life was like in a town or a city. They had been born in the Zones, and they had been raised by the Zones.

At noon, they tuned in to Dr. Death’s radio station to hear any news about Wolfblood Beach. After listening to a few songs that were playing, Dr. D started to talk.

“We’ve got a new Zone Report for all you Killjoys out there; I’m sad to say that yesterday, Wolflood Beach was dusted. Our friend Party Poison surveyed the site and the report is that there was only one survivor. Wherever you are, kid, we’re rooting for you. I sent Show Pony out there this morning, and he tells me the place is flattened, ghosted out on the Miracle Mile.

“A warning to travelers to steer clear for a while, because Exterminators are blasting anything that moves. Route Guano is safer than any alternatives, but be safe rock-n-rollers, because Scarecrow is cracking down on us. And now, the weather-”

Gerard flicked off the radio and sat back on the couch, sighing. Frank just stared numbly out the window, his long black hair brushing his chin as he rocked slightly. Ray turned on the television, but immediately turned it off in disgust when a BL/ind commercial came on with a morbid smiley face that read ‘have you smiled today?’ Mikey picked at his fingers for a while before getting up and breaking the silence awkwardly.

“We, uh – we should go for a cruise,” he suggested, grabbing the keys to the trans-am and twirling them on his finger. “Like we used to before, just for fun.” Ray nodded at Gerard, discreetly jerking his head towards Frank, who was dejectedly shuffling his shoes. Gerard got the memo and shot up from his seat, startling everyone.

“I’ve had a marvelous idea!” he proclaimed, grinning as he proudly stood with his hands on his hips. “Let’s go for a cruise!” Ray laughed loudly, Mikey only rolling his eyes and tossing the keys to Gerard. Frankie smiled faintly at them and sat back, watching them gather their things.

“You guys have fun,” he said quietly, leaning forward so his elbows rested on his knees. Gerard just scoffed, walking back over to him and gently grabbing his arm.

“Oh no,” he said, pulling Frank to his feet. “You’re coming with us.” Mikey grabbed a green army jacket with an archaic flag with stars and stripes on it, throwing it to Frank, who slipped it on over his yellow and black shirt. Gerard threw him a bandana to tie around his face and a Frankenstein mask.

“Wh-what’s all this for?” Frank asked, shoving the mask in his pocket and tying the bandana around his neck.

“You’re one of us now,” Mikey said, heading out the door. Ray was already leaning against the car, his astronaut helmet already on but the visor flipped up. Gerard motioned Frank to follow his brother, taking up the rear and closing up behind them.

“Yeah, and since you’re one of us, you’re going to need a code name,” Gerard spoke up, walking around to the driver’s side of the car before stopping and looking back at Frank. “How do you like ‘Fun Ghoul’?” Frank grinned, wincing slightly at the pain that shot through his cheek before replying.

"I love it.”

They decided to visit Dr. Death as they drove, taking a turn onto Route Guano and heading towards Zone 2. Ray and Frank shared a can of BL/ind’s Power Pup Pre-Moistened Kibble. Although they hated almost everything BL/ind stood for, their products were the only thing available out in the Zones. When they were almost there, they noticed Show Pony skating down the middle of the road at full speed, heading the same way they were. Gerard slowed down a bit to match his pace as they drove, and Ray stuck his head out the window.

“Why such the rush, Show Pony? Where’s Destroya?” he asked, yelling slightly to be heard. Show Pony shook his head and kept skating, bending his knees and speeding up.

“They’ve got her,” he yelled, pulling ahead and swerving straight into Dr. Death’s station. Gerard slammed on the breaks, turning in sharply and parking the car. As soon as he stopped, they all jumped out and ran into the station after Show Pony, although Frank was more than a little confused about the whole thing.

“Who is Destroya?”

Chapter Eight: Party Poison

Inside the studio, Show Pony had taken off his helmet and his face was ashen. He was still on his skates, pacing restlessly in tight circles behind Dr. D, who was in the middle of a radio report. He was seated in his electric wheelchair, his legs long injured; Dr. Death-Defying was one of the last veterans still alive from the Helium Wars. Miraculously, he had not contracted Zone Sickness.

Once he had finished, Dr. D spun around and surveyed the room, taking in everyone’s presence. His eyes stayed on Frank for a second longer than anyone else, since he had never seen Frank before, but Gerard was standing protectively next to him, and Dr. D didn’t ask. He did, however, question Show Pony after picking out a record to play on the radio.

“What’s going on?”

“They’ve got her,” Show Pony blurted, his words a rush and his hands moving nervously. “They kidnapped Destroya and there were too many of them and I couldn’t save her and it’s all my fault,” he ranted, tears gathering in his eyes. “She was so important to me and so unique and now they- they’re just going to medicate her personality away and make her fit in.” Show Pony was full-on crying now, his legs giving out as he sobbed. He fell ungracefully to the ground, his thin legs stretching out in front of him, his polkadot tights dusty and ripped in places.

“I’m going to get those bastards,” Mikey snarled, tugging his helmet back on and tightening his hands into fists.

“Not so fast,” Gerard, Dr. D, and Ray all said at the same time, looking to each other. Gerard spoke up, as Mikey's brother.

“By now, she’s probably in Battery City,” Gerard began, cut off by a particularly pathetic wail from Show Pony, “and there are far more Exterminators than any of us are able to handle. But-” Mikey began to interject, but Gerard just put his hand up. “But, I think it would be a good idea for you and Ray to take the car and go on a recon mission so we can begin to plan how to get Destroya back. Because there is no way I’m leaving her with the Exterminators for any longer than I can help.” Dr. D nodded, his hand consolingly placed on Show Pony’s shoulder as he spoke up.

“I think that would be the wisest course of action. We can’t get all hot headed and make a bunch of mistakes and end up ghosted. There have been far too many casualties this week. Just now I finished a new broadcast about some psycho who’s been traveling the Zones from the west, leaving a ridiculous body count. The Zones aren’t safe anymore – or, they’re more unsafe than they’ve ever been. No one should be traveling alone.”

After his speech, the group fell silent. Although the new threat coming towards Battery City from the west was certainly concerning, it was nothing against the fact that the Zones that they had roamed so freely for so long were no longer safe to explore alone. Times were changing, and it scared all of them. Well, except Frank. He was more confused than anything.

After staying a while longer, consoling Show Pony and checking the latest reports coming in with Dr. Death, Gerard, Frank, Mikey, and Ray headed out. Mikey was practically bouncing off the walls, he was so amped up and ready to go out after Destroya, and Gerard sped back to base as quickly as he could. As soon as they arrived back, he and Frank were practically kicked out of the car before Mikey slid over to the driver’s seat and Ray took Mikey’s place shotgun. They peeled out, shooting up a plume of dust behind them, and they were off.

Back at base, Gerard sat down with Frank and began to explain everything: Destroya, the Zones, the Exterminators, the Scarecrow Unit. It took a while, but soon Frank was up to date and understood everything that was going on, and he was just as concerned as the rest of them.

Gerard was nervous; he had a bad feeling about Mikey and Ray going out. He was uneasily pacing around once he had finished explaining everything to Frank, who had gone outside and was tinkering with the motorbike. Little did either of them know, at that moment Ray and Mikey were using the trans-am as cover, surrounded by Exterminators.

Scarecrow killed both of them personally.

Chapter Nine: Bulletproof Heart

Show Pony came and delivered the news. He told Frank first, who was outside. Frank buckled next to the bike, falling to his knees in the dust. Tears fell down his face silently; he had only known Ray and Mikey and Gerard for a little over a day, but they had been his friends and he knew a bit too keenly how the loss would affect Gerard.

Indeed, Gerard did not take the news well. He broke half of the breakable things inside, the crashes causing Frank to cower behind the bike and cover his ears, rocking as his body was wracked with sobs. Show Pony sat next to Frank for a while, comforting him, but soon the grief was too strong and Show Pony skated forlornly off, his usual vigor and excitement dulled. It had been a hard few days for him, and he had the feeling it was only going to get worse.

About an hour after Show Pony left, Gerard stormed out of the base, his face stony. Frank was still in the dirt, curled up in a ball. His tears had stopped but he was terrified, and when Gerard went to help him up he cried out loudly and flung his arms out wildly in an attempt to protect himself. Gerard just patiently wrapped up the smaller, younger boy’s arms and waited for him to calm down before speaking quietly.

“I’m going to go get them. I’m taking the motor bike. I’d like you to come with me so you can ride the motorbike back. You’ll need a gun.” Gerard didn’t leave any room for protestation, and Frank didn’t attempt any. He just walked into the base, gingerly avoiding the aftermath of Gerard’s destruction. He grabbed his gun, which Gerard had decorated with stickers and words, the most prominent one reading ‘horror’. Walking back outside, Frank clambered onto the back of the bike; Gerard had already started it and was staring straight ahead with his yellow mask and bandana covering his face. Frank pulled on the Frankenstein mask Gerard and Mikey had made for him, blinking back tears again.

They found Mikey and Ray out on Route Guano, disturbingly close to their base. It was still a bit of a ride to get out to the bodies, but it was too close for comfort. As soon as Gerard saw Mikey, his helmet blown off and eyes still open, Gerard hopped off the bike and instructed Frank to go back to the base. Frank tried to protest but Gerard turned around, his eyes rimmed red.

“Go home,” he repeated. Frank turned the bike around and sped off.

The Exterminators were long gone, the only aftermath left the lifeless bodies of Ray and Mikey and the old trans-am, scarred by laser blasts but still completely intact. Ray was slumped over the hood of the car, his black leather jacket singed and his helmet still on. His gun had fallen from his hand to the ground in front of the car, so Gerard collected it before pulling the helmet off his friend and closing his eyes.

Mikey was next to the driver’s side door, propped up against the vehicle. His gun was a few feet away from him and there were footprints in the dust all around him; Gerard guessed he had died after Ray, and that he had put up quite a fight. He smiled proudly through his tears, sitting down next to Mikey and pulling the younger boy’s head into his lap.

“So brave,” he whispered to his little brother, the tears flowing freely now. Gerard smoothed Mikey’s hair down, rubbing a bit of dirt off his nose. He closed his vacant eyes gently, pressed a kiss to Mikey’s forehead, and then hauled his brother up onto his shoulder, laying him carefully in the backseat.

Ray was a bit harder to drag into the backseat, as he wasn’t a skinny little runt like Mikey was. Gerard managed, however, crying for his friend as he hauled him next to Mikey. The Exterminators were long gone, so Gerard sat there for a while, eyes closed and hands gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles were white and his hands began to cramp.

Mikey was Gerard’s last living relative, his only tie to the world, it seemed. Now that he was gone… Gerard wasn’t sure how he was going to live. Of course, he had Frank, and he needed to stay strong for Frank. Gerard may have lost his one last relative, but Frank lost everything. His house, his family, his friends, his way of living. Granted, he had adjusted fairly well to his new life, but Gerard easily forgot that Frank had not been with them but two days. It had been two days since Wolfblood Beach had been eradicated.

Back at the base, Frank was sick with worry. He had grown accustomed to the comfortable, if not a bit cramped, living space, but not to being alone. He lay on the couch, surrounded by a suffocating silence that only made him remember lying alone, encircled by fire, listening to the sounds of the people he loved and hated crying out. His hands shook, and then his arms began to shake, followed by his torso and then his legs, and then all of him was shaking and he was crying. It had been an hour and Gerard still wasn’t back, and Frank knew deep in his heart that he was alone again.

So when he heard the car bumping over the rough ground outside, Frank shakily took a breath and grabbed his gun, grasping it tightly with both hands and pointing it straight at the door. When Gerard nudged open the door, carrying Mikey, Frank shot wildly at him, hitting the door frame and scaring the daylights out of Gerard, who fell to the ground with his brother on top of him. Frank jumped to his feet, dropping the gun in terror.

“Oh, my God,” he exclaimed, hands shaking and the color draining from his face. “Oh, no. I’ve killed him.”

“Not dead yet,” Gerard remarked dryly, peering at Frank from under Mikey. “Care to give me a hand?” Frank nodded, jolted out of his stupor. He went over to Gerard, pulling up Mikey and gently laying him down on the couch. Gerard went out to the car and heaved Ray out, carrying him inside and laying him on the metal table that doubled as a bed occasionally. Once both of the bodies were inside, together Frank and Gerard went outside with two shovels and began to dig.

Chapter Ten: Jet Star And The Kobra Kid/Traffic Report

About two hours later, they had dug two almost identical holes side by side. Frank’s was slightly smaller, but then again Frank was slightly smaller and so was Ray, so everything worked out. Somberly, the two boys went inside to carry out their friends. Gerard had found bed sheets to wrap them in, and Frank carried out their helmets to place on the graves.

It wasn’t a conventional funeral; neither Frank nor Gerard talked, but it wouldn’t have been right. Frank didn’t know either of the dead boys well, and Gerard couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge the fact that his little brother was six feet deep.

Once they had finished filling in the graves, Frank gave Gerard a hug and then went inside, tuning the radio to Dr. Death-Defying’s station. Gerard stood out by the graves until the sun went down, looking out at the Zones and humming a song Dr. D used to play that was Mikey’s favorite. Inside, Frank listened closely to the radio; when Dr. D was out, a record of his choice played until he got back in. Finally, the familiar voice crackled through the speakers and Frank walked to the doorway, poking his head out.

“Hey Gerard?” he called softly, now only able to see the silhouette of his friend. “Dr. D is on.” Gerard turned slowly, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking towards Frank.

“Thanks Frankie,” he sighed, following the shorter boy in to the couch where they sat. Gerard perched on the edge, uncomfortable with resting his bones when his baby brother was resting his eternally. They sat side by side, listening to the radio report.

“Bad news from the Zones, tumbleweeds,” Dr. Death began, and Gerard deflated. This was it.

“It looks like Jet Star and the Kobra Kid had a clap with the Exterminators that went all Costa Rica and uh, got themselves ghosted: dusted out on Route Guano. So it’s time to hit the red line and up-thrust the volume out there. Keep your boots tight, keep your guns close, and die with your mask on if you’ve got to. Here is the traffic-”

Gerard switched off the radio, standing abruptly. He paced around the base for a minute, and then went to a drawer over by the weapons stash. From it he pulled out two old pairs of outdated headphones, a little gadget to split the headphone jack, and a little portable music player. He had been saving it for a special occasion, since the charger had been broken in a brotherly scuffle. The memory weighed heavily on Gerard, but he closed his fist around the player and walked over to Frank.

“Let’s go on a ride.”

Chapter Eleven: Summertime

Frank obediently followed Gerard, grabbing bandanas for both of them. When he got outside, Gerard was already on the bike, plugging the headphones into the player. When Frank slid onto the bike behind him, Gerard handed back one of the pairs, motioning for Frank to put them on. Frank just looked at them in confusion and then up at Gerard, getting the memo when he noticed Gerard shove them into his ears.

Gerard started the bike and they rode off, the dusty headlight bathing only a few feet ahead of them in a dull yellow light. The roads were so familiar to Gerard that he could ride them blindfolded, but for Frank’s sake he kept his eyes open. It was easy to forget that there was still purpose in his life, something to live for. He kept his mind on Destroya as an old song from his childhood played in his ears. Frank was able to close his eyes though, and he rested his cheek between Gerard’s shoulder bones. The song Gerard had chosen was foreign to Frank, but he enjoyed it, and the melody began to lull him to sleep. He jerked awake a few times and then stopped leaning on Gerard, instead looking up and around at the Zones.

The flat expanse of desert they called home was desolate, all the animals dead from the Helium Wars. The only thing that grew was the sparse brush that attacked your ankles and left debris in your shoes as you walked. It was getting colder, as it does in the desert with nothing on the ground to retain heat. Frank began to shiver slightly, returning to his position closer to Gerard’s body heat.

Gerard was relishing the stinging wind attacking his face, keeping him awake. Reminding him that he was alive. He wasn’t sure that Frank understood that he was the only thing keeping Gerard alive at the moment. Of course, he needed to be strong for Destroya, but because he had Frank he wasn’t blazing into Battery City at that moment, guns firing and a death wish in place of his heart.

He had to be strong for Frank, and he didn’t know how to express how grateful that made him. So Gerard took a hand off the handlebars carefully, squeezed one of Frank’s hands that was entwined around his torso, and grabbed onto the handlebars again. Frank turned his head so his nose was pressed to the back of Gerard’s jacket, and he leaned in to let Gerard know he understood.

They rode aimlessly, heading away from Battery City and towards Zone 4. Once they were far enough away from any sort of civilization to see even the faintest glow of manufactured light, Gerard stopped the motorbike and stepped off after letting Frank dismount. Frank was confused and disoriented, so he stood there helplessly as Gerard propped up the bike and untied his bandana. Once he was finished, he looked over to Frank and then sighed, walking over to the younger boy.

“Can we just lay out here for a while and look at the stars? Mikey and I used to do it all the time when we were younger,” he explained softly, meeting Frank’s eyes in the dark tentatively and then looking down at his hands. Gerard was so vulnerable and so broken that Frank couldn’t even speak; he just took Gerard’s hand and led him over to a flat area and sat down. Gerard followed silently, sitting down next to Frank and then laying his bandana behind him and then placing his head on it. Frank followed suit, and together they gazed up at the heavens.

Minutes went by.

Hours went by.

And when Gerard finally went to get up, the horizon was pink and the sun began to appear, a golden sliver peeking over the earth. Frank had fallen asleep long ago, his head resting on one of his palms and his mouth ajar slightly. Gerard blinked a few times and realized that he hadn’t slept at all. He had just watched the stars and hoped that somewhere out there, one of them was Mikey, shining down on him and watching over him.

When the sun had clambered halfway up the horizon and was sending rays through the dusty air towards Gerard, he turned to Frank and shook him awake. Frank opened his eyes groggily, shivering slightly and shaking his long, greasy black hair out of his face. He lay there for a second, looking around at his surroundings and then up at Gerard. Gerard was watching the sun steadily creep higher into the sky, which had turned an unhealthy-looking pale yellow. He clambered dustily to his feet, brushing off his pants and then holding his hand out for Frank. Frank took it gratefully, letting Gerard haul him up. Frank too dusted himself off, stretching to crack his back and work the pain from his shoulders out. He wasn’t complaining about coming out with Gerard, but sleeping on the hard ground didn’t do him any favors.

They rode back to the base slowly and silently; the music player’s battery was dead.

Chapter Twelve: Goodnight, Dr. Death

They arrived back at the base just in time for Dr. Death-Defying’s final radio report. Frank had, out of what was becoming habit, turned on the radio as soon as he had walked through the door, and as he was listening, the music that was playing abruptly cut off. There was a second of static, and then Dr. D began to speak.

“Alright children,” he began. Frank hurried to the door and stuck his head out. Gerard was sitting on the bike, staring at the horizon.

“Gerard, Dr. D is on.” Gerard joined him.

“The lights are out and the party’s over. It’s time for me, Dr. D, to start running and say goodbye for a little while.” Gerard and Frank looked at each other; Gerard’s face was blank but Frank’s was knit into an expression of surprise, confusion, and worry.

“And I know you’re gonna miss me, so I’ll leave you with this: you know that big ball of radiation we call the sun? Well it’ll burst you into flames if you stay in one place for too long. That is, if the static don’t get you first. So remember: you may be gone, but out here in the desert, your shadow lives on without you.

“This is Dr. Death-Defying, signing off.” An archaic tune began to play a few seconds after Dr. D finished talking, a song Gerard recognized as the old National Anthem of the land before the Helium Wars, before the Pig Bomb. Before the Zones.

“America,” he whispered, remembering the foreign name. Frank glanced at Gerard and then back at the radio, jolting in surprise when the song was cut off with static and then the radio went silent. They waited a moment, stunned into silence.

“Better Living Industry: have you smiled today?” the radio blared. Gerard shut it off.

109.1 was no more.

After spending a while idling around base, Frank restlessly pacing and Gerard staring out one of the Plexiglas windows vacantly, Frank went to the paneled wall and let down the weapons mount. Gerard looked over at him slowly, his eyebrows knitting together as he followed Frank’s activity with his eyes.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice soft. Frank shot him a look over his shoulder, his eyes filled with determination.

“We’re gonna go get Destroya.” Frank threw down a roll of paper he had found, assembling all of his supplies on the metal table. When Gerard saw the table, the first thing he saw was the memory of Ray’s body, sprawled on the cool surface. Lifeless and pale. Gerard shook his head and walked over, the light returning to his eyes – if only slightly.

They spent the rest of the day plotting and planning, assembling weapons and tidying up the base. Gerard knew in his heart that he and Frank were probably not going to be returning to what had become a new home to the both of them, so he spent extra time stashing things better left unfound (in case the Exterminators came snooping). By the time they had finished talking and loading up the trans-am, it was either very late at night or extremely early in the morning. Gerard finished tossing the last gas can in the car, and when he returned, Frank was crashed on the couch, out cold. Gerard grabbed a blanket and threw it over Frank, feeling slightly guilty. This was the second night in a row he had kept Frank up until unreasonable hours.

Gerard decided to let him sleep late into the morning, keeping watch over the desert as he sat in the doorway with only his laser gun for company.

Chapter Thirteen: Save Yourself, I’ll Hold Them Back

Frank didn’t wake up the next day until well past sunrise; by the time he began to squint his eyes open, it was just shy of midday. Gerard had finished the last few preparations, including a full inventory of the car and a quick technical survey of all the bombs they would be setting in the outskirts of Battery City as a diversion. He had also prepared breakfast, using up the last of the precious rations left over from the Helium Wars. There was juice, reconstituted fruit, and power bars; much better, in Frank’s opinion as he wolfed them down, than Power Pup. 

Once Frank had eaten – Gerard claimed he had eaten much earlier, but he lied – and the car was sufficiently packed, they grabbed their masks, bandanas, and guns, and headed out the door. Frank was optimistic, a slight bounce in his step and a ghost of a smile on his lips. Gerard prided himself on being ground in reality (or so he liked to tell himself). He walked out the door slowly, trailing his fingertips over the familiar walls and shelves he had been living with for over twenty years. He made no warning to Frank, but something told him he’d never see the base again.

The drive to Battery City was silent, a silence Gerard was unaccustomed to thanks to Dr. D. Not listening to the radio reminded Gerard about what must have happened to the studio, and he hoped that Dr. D had gotten out in time. Without weather reports on Exterminator activity, he and Frank would be riding blind into Battery City.

Gerard did not like that one bit.

Luckily for them, however, it was just approaching five in the evening and the streets were clear. As they drove by the Juvenile Hall, no hands or faces were at the windows, and no one was waving from the curb. Destroya’s cell had finally been repaired, and the Scarecrow Unit emblem had been painted on the side of the building. Gerard closed his eyes heavily for a second before focusing back on the road ahead of him.

Frank, on the other hand, did not remember Destroya and did not think anything of the Juvenile Hall. He was mesmerized by the city, his head turning in every direction as he tried to take in as much as he could. Frank had heard of Battery City before, but it had always been a bit of a myth; something far away, exotic, and out-of-this-world. Now that he was here… it was disappointing. Everyone who ever talked about it made it sound like a paradise; it seemed like more of a shell, empty and hollow. There was no life. The streets were identical to one another, and the buildings had the same shape and construction. There was no color, just various shades of dull grays and whites.

Gerard took no time getting to the heart of the city; at the center, there were large buildings that served as headquarters for the oppressive government and the Exterminators. Gerard knew that Destroya would be held in the Scarecrow Unit, since he and Frank posed a threat to be reckoned with. That threat would keep Destroya close to Scarecrow until both of them were dead.

Once they were deeper into the city, they set their bombs in important buildings that had been (stupidly) left unattended. They were able to crumble a major plant for the Dead Pegasus Oil Corporation before the sirens began to wail.

Once the peace of the city had been shattered by their bomb blasts and the ensuing alerts, Frank and Gerard wasted no time. Their presence had been noticed, and they were going straight to the Scarecrow Unit. Strangely enough, no Exterminators met them on their route towards Battery Tower, the biggest, tallest building directly in the center of Battery City. And also where, Gerard was certain, they were keeping Destroya.

At that moment, a woman with short black hair that framed her face and a serious disposition stood on the fifth floor of Battery Tower, looking out on the  the glass wall in front of her and occasionally glancing down. Destroya was at her feet, playing with a few blocks quietly. She had been put on Ritalin, so she was subdued and well-behaved, although she knew that the Killjoys were coming to save her and she couldn’t help but smile when she heard the sirens. Destroya sat there, content and happy, imagining Mikey bursting through the doors and taking her away. Everything would be alright.

Meanwhile, Frank was less than convinced that everything would be alright. He was holding his gun tightly, no longer enwrapped in the scenery and now glancing around nervously, looking out for Exterminators. The fires and bombs he and Gerard had set off had reminded him of Wolfblood Beach, and he was slightly shaken up by the whole thing. It’s just PTSD, Frank, he told himself, shaking his head slightly. There were bigger things to worry about.

Like how they had just reached the front of Battery Tower and Gerard was stopping the car. And getting out.

Gerard motioned for Frank to follow him, and they marched up to the doors of the tower, shooting down at least five Exterminators on their way in. The lobby was a firefight, Frank and Gerard having to use the main desk as cover as they were fired at by at least twenty more Exterminators. Somehow, they miraculously managed to navigate the pristine lobby and make it to the stairwell, blasting their way through the doors and then sprinting up to the next floor. After a quick sweep and two more Exterminators added to the body count they had begun to stack up behind them.

Up the next flight, the body count was at twenty five.

On the third floor, it went up to thirty.

Fourth: thirty three.

When they reached the fifth floor, they were met by ten more Exterminators right inside the door to the stairwell, all of whom they ghosted. Both Frank and Gerard were sweating, and they were both running on high levels of adrenaline. The serious woman abandoned her place beside Destroya, retreating to the roof of the building to her escape pod. It was an archaic machine once called a helicopter, left over from before the Helium Wars. The strange aircraft’s blades spun, lifting her out of harm’s way.

On the fifth floor, Frank and Gerard were getting closer and closer to Destroya, and they were beginning to realize that they had found her and they had a chance of getting out alive.

Until Scarecrow stepped out from a chamber for those suffering with Zone Sickness.

Frank shoved Gerard towards the hallway they had been headed towards; down the hall, they could see Destroya still playing with her blocks through a glass wall.

“Go, Gerard! Get Destroya and get out of here!” Frank ducked down the hallway slightly, peeking his head out and shooting at the Exterminators. Gerard hesitated until Frank yelled for him to go again, and then he ran towards Destroya unsteadily, looking back at Frank. Destroya was waiting for Gerard, her arms up and open, asking for him to pick her up.

“Where’s Mikey?” she asked him innocently. He closed his eyes tightly and then opened them, smiling uneasily.

“I’m gonna get you out of here,” he replied, dodging the question. He began to carry her out the way he had come, but they came out into the hallway just in time to see Frank getting blasted into the wall, a laser beam hitting him straight in the chest.

“NO!” Both Gerard and Destroya yelled at the same time, staring in horror at Frank as he slid down the wall, his body limp and lifeless. Gerard set down Destroya and staggered towards Frank, but he froze when Scarecrow stepped around the corner and faced him.

“Run, Destroya,” he said, backing slowly the way they had come. On the other side of the floor was an identical stairwell that would take them back to the lobby and out to the car. “I’m right behind you.”

Chapter Fourteen: Destroya

Sweat. Nerves. Heavy breathing. A heartbeat pumping erratically, then two, then three, then many. Feet pounding down a hallway. Laser blasts. Yells and curses. Flashes and lights and sounds and everything overwhelming.

Gerard was running now on pure adrenaline and nothing else. He was vaguely aware that the only reason he wasn’t turning around and committing suicide by direct conflict with Scarecrow was the little girl, sprinting in front of him. Her little arms pumped, her helmet’s chin strap flapping, undone, against her shoulders. Her jacket was too big for her and the arms were flopping as she went, and she didn’t look back.

Scarecrow was running after them, but his Zone sickness made him slower than them. They made it down to the lobby and almost out the front doors when Exterminators poured into the lobby, firing at the pair of them and stopping them in their tracks. Gerard almost began to cry in relief when he looked outside and saw Dr. Death-Defying’s van parked just behind the trans-am; Show Pony was shooting down Exterminators that were outside, between Destroya and safety. He had more pressing matters on hand, however.

Like the fact that he was vastly outnumbered and Scarecrow had just come out of the stairwell. And how Scarecrow was walking directly towards him. Gerard ducked behind a desk, shoving Destroya towards the doors and then springing up to shoot at the Exterminators. She made it to the doors just as Show Pony rolled up, and he picked her up smoothly and then raced back to the van. Dr. D peeled out, and they were gone.

Gerard watched them, hunched behind the desk, but when he looked up to begin to fire again, Scarecrow met him. Gerard stood up slowly, the barrel of Scarecrow’s laser gun nestling under his chin. He gulped carefully, and quietly brought his gun up to Scarecrow’s stomach, keeping it so that Scarecrow wouldn’t notice until after he had fired. They looked each other in the eye for a second, silently contemplating one another. Scarecrow’s eyes were dark, the outer edges of the irises tinted red from his ailment. They stood there frozen for what seemed to be an eternity, until they both simultaneously decided to fire.

Gerard collapsed slowly to the ground, his eyes open and vacant. Scarecrow stumbled back a few paces before falling to a knee and then forward onto his face. As Exterminators crowded around, they were both found to be dead.

The original Fabulous Killjoy was no more.

Chapter Fifteen: Vampire Money

Dr. Death had always said that there were multiple types of “dead.” Gerard guessed he hadn’t found the “dead” dead level yet, because when he opened his eyes, Mikey, Ray, and Frank were all there with him. He blinked, confused, staring around himself in bewilderment.

“Where am I?” he asked, blinking a few times more and taking a look at the room they were in. Everything was white, and it seemed there were just four walls and a door. No explanation, no direction, just a door and his three friends. They were all wearing different clothes as well; when Gerard looked down he was wearing a strange jacket with buttons down the front. It was black and silver and had a high collar; Mikey, Ray, and Frank were all dressed similarly.

“Welcome to the black parade,” Frank joked, gesturing to his outfit. Mikey and Ray chuckled at him, and Mikey walked over to Gerard, holding out his hand. Gerard took it and let his brother help him up, and then he hugged him tightly.

“I appreciated my funeral,” Mikey said, patting Gerard on the back. “Although there could have been a little more weeping and lamentation, I mean, come on. You only lose your brother once, right?” Gerard laughed, shaking his head.

“I guess you can lose your brother more than once, because here we are. I missed you guys,” Gerard said, looking at the other two over Mikey’s shoulder. He had to stand on his toes a bit to see over the shoulder, and he smiled to himself. It was so good to see them.

They caught up with each other for a while; apparently, Mikey, Ray, and Frank had been here ever since they died. The door had been locked, but Frank had tried jiggling the handle when Gerard arrived and it had moved. They didn’t want to see what was on the other side until Gerard had woken up, however. Gerard told them about killing Scarecrow and saving Destroya, and he filled Frank in on what had happened immediately after Frank had been shot down.

Once everything had been said, they began to glance at the door. Finally, Gerard got the memo and stood, walking over to the mysterious gateway of sorts. He looked back at them, pausing a moment.

“Well, are you ready, Ray?”

“Yeah…”

“How about you, Frank?”

“Oh, I’m there, baby,” Frank winked, nodding at him to open the door.

“How about you, Mikey?”

“Fucking ready!” Mikey grinned, raising his eyebrows at his brother.

“Well, I think I’m alright,” Gerard said, sticking his tongue out at his brother. After a dramatic pause, he flung the door open and together, they walked into their new life.