Sunburn 1/2
Title: Sunburn Part 1
Author: kannibalkilljoy
Pairing: Frank/Gerard, Mikey/Ray
Rating: NC17
Warning: Violence, adult themes, language, sex.
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Summary: There was no sign of Frank except for the slightly smoking cigarette butt that was on the floor and the scuffle marks in the sand.
A/N: This is the first fic I've posted so feedback would be welcome XD.
Frank had said he was going to stay outside to smoke then come back inside over half an hour ago after getting back from a raid.
Gerard had been watching the beat up clock on the crumbling wall tick away the minutes but had been distracted by Grace falling over as she ran into the room. But now that Grace had a plaster over the cut on her knee thanks to Ray, he now wondered what he could be doing that would take so long.
Gerard slipped outside with a mumbled “I’ll be back in a minute” and walked to where Frank had been leaning against the back smoking. There was no sign of Frank except for the slightly smoking cigarette butt that was on the floor and the scuffle marks in the sand.
“Shit,” he spat, sprinting back inside and checking the store room where they all slept for Frank. He wasn’t there and was about to run back out when he ran straight into Ray’s chest. Ray grabbed Gerard’s arms and steadied him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Frank’s been gone for too long and there’s sign of a struggle in the sand outside,” Ray dropped his hold and grabbed his gun that way laying on the diner counter then ventured outside, pulling Mikey with him.
“What’s wrong, Gerard?” Grace asked, coming to stand in front of him and look up to his face with innocent eyes.
“Frank’s gone,” he didn’t feel the fear that started to crawl up on him until he admitted it and his hand twitched for his gun that was in his holster, “wait here,”. Gerard went back outside and saw Mikey crouched down and examining the floor.
“If this is Dracs, then why didn’t they get all of us?” Ray questioned.
“If it’s them that’s taken him, they’re going to use him as bait because Korse knows we’ll come after him,” if it is Korse that’s taken him, he doesn’t want to imagine what he’s going to do to Frank to make him spill about the Killjoys.
Gerard barely registered going back inside, sitting on a bar stool and watching Ray call Dr. Death Defying to ask Killjoys in the surrounding areas if they had seen Fun Ghoul, he was lost in his own head thinking about how Frank will have been shot with a sedative gun while Dracs covered up his mouth, trying to stop him breaking free until he dropped unconscious. He thinks how Frank will fight when they lock him in a room, kicking and biting the Dracs that guard at him. He stops thinking after that, knowing they will torture him until he gives in or until they decide to kill him for not cooperating.
“Gerard.”
Gerard turns on his chair to see Mikey frowning at him.
“You okay?” Mikey asks, hesitant.
“He’s gone, Mikey” the tell tale sting of tears is the only notice he gets before he’s crying buckets into Mikey’s dusty shirt as he hugs him.
Mikey’s arms encircle his waist, holding him close and kisses his forehead. To Gerard, Mikey’s familiar smell of grease, gas and one only to be described as Mikey overwhelms his nose that is buried in Mikey’s chest so much that the tears start to ebb after awhile and is left feeling exhausted. He faintly hears Mikey asking Ray to help him lift Gerard to the Trans AM and falls asleep as soon as his head hits the back seat.
000
Frank leant back on the wall, sucking in a large drag off his cigarette then coughed when it went down wrong. The silence in the desert no longer scared him now that he had people around to watch his back but he was still on edge, scanning the bleak plains for Exterminators. The stars that seemed to multiply whenever he looked twinkled in the indigo sky. Sometimes Frank missed the old black night sky, but the radiation from the bombs changed that a long time ago. He sighed, taking another drag from his cigarette when pain shot through his neck.
He lifted his hand instantly to his neck where there as something sharp sticking through his skin. He pulled it out and paled when he saw it was a needle. Frank looked up to see two S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W’s coming for him; one with a cloth he guessed was doused in chloroform.
Whatever the fuck was in that needle had started to blur his vision. He blinks, trying to clear it when he feels the cloth over his mouth and his arms being wrenched behind his back.
“I’ll fucking kill all you motherfuckers,” he whispers angrily and lashes out, catching the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W holding him in the face with an elbow. The soldier recovered quickly, driving the butt of his gun into the back of Frank’s head with one swift move.
The only thing Frank remembers after that is being thrown into the back of a white van with the black face on and being locked in the dark while he slipped into unconsciousness.
000
Gerard could tell he was dreaming because he was in an interrogation room with Korse. The plain white walls made the room feel smaller and although he couldn’t see if anyone was on the other side of the window, he still felt the hairs stand on his neck with the fear of being watched. Just because he was dreaming didn’t mean it wasn’t real though. He could smell a faint hint of bleach and cleaning products which he guessed was from interrogations gone violent.
Korse was sat across from him, hands creating a steeple on the steel table. He was still wearing the grey coat and the shirt with the ruffles, a smug smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
The TV that was hung in front of Gerard but behind Korse on the wall was showing nothing but snow, but Gerard wasn’t a fool as to think it was going to stay that way.
“It’s good to see you again, Party Poison.”
“Where’s Fun Ghoul, Korse?” Gerard grits out, pulling against the restraints on his wrists that he didn’t know was there.
“Now, now. I’m the one giving the orders in here. But if you must know Fun Ghoul’s been participating in... Endurance tests,” Korse’s evil smile makes fear creep into his stomach but he keeps a straight face.
“Stop fucking around Korse, what are you doing to him?”
Korse pulls out a remote from his pocket and comes to stand behind Gerard, leaning in to whisper in his ear “What I’m going to do to you and the rest of you Killjoys.”
Gerard hears a button being pressed then the TV picture changes to a white room twice the size of the one he’s in with a steel table. Next to the table is a machine, hooked up to a motionless body.
The body had restraints across his torso and legs and blindfold over his eyes. Gerard could tell it was Frank by the scorpion tattoo on his neck.
“What are you-“
“Shhh, just watch.”
He knew watching it would make him sick but he couldn’t take his eyes off Frank. Seeing the way that he was just laid there made Gerard think he had given up and confessed. But Frank must have been fighting for them to use chains over his body.
A Drac appears on screen, whispering in Frank’s ear before twisting dial on the machine that makes Frank writhe and scream in pain. Gerard barely feels the restraints digging into his wrists as he lashes out, trying to break them.
“Ghoul! I’ll kill you Korse you motherfucker!”
Korse laughs, grabbing a fistful of bright red hair exposing Gerard’s neck before plunging the needle through his flesh.
“Gerard!” he bolts upright, panting and frantically feeling his neck for signs of being stabbed with a needle.
He calms when he doesn’t find one and the fear starts to fade, leaving him looking at Mikey in the passenger seat and seeing Ray give him scared glances in the rear view mirror while he drives.
Gerard ignores the questioning looks Mikey’s giving him and clears his throat, sitting up properly in his seat and looking out the window into the sunrise over the vast desert.
“Where are we going?”
“We needed to move out since they know our location. We’re going to meet up with Show Pony at a deserted gas station in Zone 2. We’ve been driving for about 5 hours and have about another half an hour till we get there,” Mikey explains. He looks at Gerard for a few more minutes then turns back around in his seat, leaving Gerard in his own head with Frank’s blood curdling screams.
000
The blinding light that made his eyelids red was what roused him from whatever the fuck they put in his body.
The pain in the back of his head where he remembers being hit was sore and made his head spin when he opened his eyes.
The room in which he was sat was sparkling white and a table and chairs bolted down to the floor. A TV is on the wall but it isn’t turned on. The reflective glass window looks innocent but Frank knows that Korse is there, waiting for him to wake up.
He goes to rub the back of his head but looks down and see’s he’s bound to the chair by leather straps pinning his wrists to the chair arms.
He feels the claustrophobia set in and lashes out, trying to break free from the chair. The leather cuts into his wrists and feels the blood start to trickle, the warm liquid dripping off his fingertips.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Fun Ghoul,” Korse’s voice warns over the intercom.
“Fuck you, motherfucker!” he replies, tugging harder.
A door that blends in with the wall opens and Korse strolls in with two Drac’s behind him.
“Killjoy’s never learn do they,” Korse shakes his head and comes to sit across from Frank, leaning forward and making a steeple with his hands on the table.
“Funny you say that since we’ve evaded you for a long time,” Frank says, looking Korse dead in the eye.
“You say that, but here you are. And Party Poison, Kobra Kid and Jet Star won’t be able to help you now,”
“Oh yeah, why not?”
“Because the diner you were squatting in went up in flames last night and 4 bodies including a child’s were found,” Frank keeps his expression the same. Gerard’s too smart for that. He’s tricking you. He leans as far forward as he can, about a foot away from Korse’s face.
“You know what?” he says, voice neutral.
“What?” the devilish grin slips away when Frank spits straight in his eye and recoils out of his chair, wiping his face on his sleeve.
Frank laughs, ignoring the pain in his head and enjoying the moment while it lasts.
He’s still laughing when the Drac’s take him into another room and bound his wrists to the table he’s being laid on.
000
“Gerard?” he starts, turning away from looking outside the window to see Grace kneeling next to him in the back seat.
“Yeah?” he croaks. He clears his throat, “yeah?”
“Are you okay?” Grace sits down next to him and Gerard puts his arm around her shoulders, holding her there.
“I’m fine kiddo. I just want to get Frank back, you?”
“I want him back too. Who else will teach me ninja fighting skills?” Gerard laughs.
“Hey! I thought I did a pretty good job.”
“Nah. I only said that to make you feel good about your non existing skills. And what kind of ninja can’t do cartwheels?” he see’s Ray smile at him in the mirror briefly.
“Ninja’s don’t do cartwheels, Grace.”
“Fine. You have to be flexible, and when you tried, you somehow made Mikey fall over too,”
Gerard thinks back to that day, chuckling when he tried to do a running cartwheel and caught Mikey in the stomach with his legs and went crashing to the floor. He can remember Ray running over to Grace to cover her ears when Mikey started swearing at Gerard to get off him while Frank lolled about on the floor, clutching his sides in laughter.
“Looks like it’s our top priority to get him back then so you can carry on your training,” she grins, snuggling closer and putting her head on his chest while he stroked her hair that was poking out from under her helmet.
Gerard looks out the window again, fighting against the images of Frank’s torture and see’s a gas station coming up ahead, “Is that the place?”
“Yeah,” Mikey answers.
A few minutes later and Ray is parking the Trans AM round the back of the station where Show Pony is leant against the wall, one roller-skate leaning on it.
Grace runs out the car and goes over to hug Show Pony, nearly knocking him over in the process.
“Steady on Grace, you’ll get my polka dots dirty,” Grace grins, running over to Ray who had just got out the car and is walking over with Mikey.
Sometimes he wonders if Ray had a kid he didn’t know about and found her when the world went to shit. Ray and Grace seem to be more like father and daughter with the way they act and gravitate toward each other. Gerard shakes his head, climbing out the car and stretching his aching muscles from being cooped up too long.
He reaches the others just as Ray is asking if there’s been any news but Show Pony shakes his head and they follow him inside.
The dirt and the debris inside the station make it seem like it had been hit with an earthquake which Gerard thinks isn’t far from the truth. The bombs did some serious damage.
Show Pony skates over to what seems to be the old cashier counter and uses an arm to clear it of empty boxes.
The guys crowd round, Grace in the middle like glue tethering them together.
“Dr. Death hasn’t got any replies yet to if they’ve seen Fun Ghoul but the word is that BL/ind has a hostage so that’s probably him.”
“Do they know which building?” Ray asks, getting out a pen and paper to take notes.
“Apparently it’s the Exterminator building but I wouldn’t go until we know for sure.”
“When we’re ready, we’ll get in touch before and meet just outside Battery City in Zone 1. Get Dr. D to put out a transmission asking for any Killjoys that want to help” Gerard says, slipping on his mask and going out back to start bringing in their sleeping bags and supplies.
He was leaning inside the boot, grabbing the last sleeping bag when arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him against their body.
Gerard lifted an arm to flip the stranger over and pin-
“Don’t! It’s me,” Show Pony turns him around and Gerard could see his smile where the visor was lifted up.
“How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me?” he sighs.
“I’ve lost count. But the fact that you flipped me once and I continue to do it means you shouldn’t waste your breath,” he smiles fondly then he turns serious, “Mikey’s worried you know.”
“I had a nightmare in the car,” Gerard looks down at his boots, caked with dust and oil.
“What about, sugar?” Gerard always found Pony’s campiness funny and reassuring because it meant he could forget, even just for a minute or two that Frank was in Battery City all alone with the enemy.
“They’re going to torture him and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“Poison, listen to me. Ghoul’s a big boy, he can fend for himself. And don’t think he wouldn’t feel the same if your positions were reversed?” Gerard shivers, “so buck up and get your shit together because you’re the leader of your little bunch of Killjoys.”
“... I guess you’re right.”
“Honey, I’m always right. You just don’t listen to me sometimes because you’re stubborn. Which is the best trait a Killjoy could have,” Gerard looks back up and smiles, hugging Pony for a few minutes before someone clears their throat behind them.
“I don’t wanna be a Drac, but I’m knackered and you two standing there ain’t going to bring the stuff in,” Mikey walks past them, grabbing the sleeping bags that Gerard had dropped when Show Pony scared him.
They disentangle and grin at each other, getting the rest of the stuff and heading back in.
The crap that was on the floor has been brushed to one side since he was outside and he drops the bags in the middle.
“Where’s Jet Star and Grace?” he asks casually, unrolling his bed.
“There in the next room looking for anything useful. She really needs a Killjoy name. I know she’s only 10 but the shits already hit the fan and we’re lucky the Drac’s don’t know,” Show Pony brushes past him, swerving around pebbles to the back room.
He looks to Mikey who’s just put the radio on the counter and their eyes lock.
“Do you want me to sleep next to you?” Mikey asks tentatively. Mikey knows no matter how much anyone tells him that Frank will be fine, it won’t keep the nightmares away. The little things Mikey does for him might only be small, but they mean so much to Gerard he wonders how only child’s cope.
“Please.”
Mikey nods, unravelling his bed next to Gerard’s then putting Grace’s on the other side so Ray can sleep next to her.
Ray emerges from the other room a few minutes later with Grace on his back, laughing at a joke she told.
“How many times do I have to tell you Pony, cut down on the language!” he lets Grace down onto her sleeping bag and crawls underneath it.
“Can’t hear you, Jet” Pony’s singsong voice calls out.
Ray flips him off when Grace isn’t looking and settles down on top of his bed, putting his arms behind his head and crossing his ankles.
Pony emerges a few minutes later carrying a crow bar which is always handy and places it next to the radio.
“Well, it’s 11 o’ clock so I’m gonna take off. See you in a couple of days a guess,” he skates out, the door backwards, blowing kisses then closes the door after him.
“Such a character,” Ray mumbles, getting in his bed and wrapping an arm around Grace to hold her close.
Mikey shrugs, getting in his own bed and laying on his side which faces Gerard’s.
Even though Gerard slept earlier, he feels drained at trying to keep the images at bay and sinks to the floor, pulling the cover over himself and faces Mikey, closing his eyes bracing for the onslaught to come.
000
“Have you got a masochistic side you haven’t told me about?” Korse laughs, nodding for the Drac to send another shock through Frank’s body.
The shocks had been increasing in power every time Frank answered back with “I ain’t telling you nothing motherfucker,” up until the point where his body was growing tired and weak.
He’d lost count around 10 shocks mark and he guessed that was about an hour ago.
“Why put yourself through this when you could just say a few words telling me your name and the rest of your Killjoys' names?”
“Because your mom didn’t need to know it when I fucked her so you don’t need to know either,” Frank was shocked again, this time a lot stronger than the last one. He screams, back arching off the table and gasping when it stops.
“I can do this all day Fun Ghoul and these shocks aren’t going to get any better,” Korse moves from where he’s been occupying the corner on a chair with delight evident on his face.
“Then do it, I’m not afraid to die,” at this, Korse stands, looming over Frank’s shaking body.
“You’re going to wish you never said that.”
“Oh yeah? Why-“a needle was jammed into his neck, silencing him.
It only took a few more seconds before he could feel his already droopy eyes falling shut against his will.
“Rest your body while you can Fun Ghoul, because this is the last you’re going to get for a long time.”
000
Gerard was in the interrogation room again, sat in the same seat, still tied to the chair but the TV wasn’t on and Korse wasn’t there.
Frank was sat across from him, his face void of any emotion and his eyes were blank.
“Fun Ghoul?” Gerard asks hesitantly.
“Stop with the stupid names, Gerard. They already know.”
“H-h-how do they know?” he couldn’t believe that Frank would sell them out but maybe the torture was becoming too much-
“I told them. I don’t know why I didn’t take these pills before, they’re amazing,” Frank smiles a bit at that, barely moving his mouth but it’s still there.
“Frank, why would you do this to us? To me?” he’s never felt more betrayed in his whole life that Frank had told BL/ind their identities.
“Because you’re in the way of the world becoming a better place for everyone.”
“You don’t believe that,” Gerard says quietly, looking down into his lap.
He hears Frank get up and walk over to him “Don’t tell me what to think Gerard, I don’t follow your lead anymore,” he shouts. Gerard feels a sharp pressure on his throat, digging into the skin.
“My life was so much better before you and your brother showed up. Before you made me forget Jamia to be with you. A life for a life seems appropriate, don’t you think?”
Blood trickles down Gerard’s throat, soaking into his shirt. His breathing becomes laboured from the knife being pushed against his windpipe.
“Please, don’t do this,” Gerard sobs.
He hears Frank laugh, loud and dark before his body goes limp from his throat being slit deeply with the knife.
Luckily, the screams that are erupting their way up from Gerard’s chest are muffled by pressing his face into his pillow when they make their way to his mouth.
He breathes heavily, trying to slow his frantic heart.
Mikey moves next to him. Please say I haven’t woke him up-
“Gee?” Mikey mumbles, reaching out for Gerard’s hand. Gerard starts when Mikey finds it but calms and laces their fingers together.
“Yeah?” He winces when Ray’s soft snores break out of their pattern but relaxes when they carry on. Toro could sleep through a fucking bomb.
“Did you have another nightmare?”
“... Yeah.”
Mikey shuffles forward, his back hitting Gerard’s chest. He wraps his arms around his little brother and mumbles “thanks” into the silence.
It had been years since him and Mikey had slept like this. When Gerard was younger, he suffered from nightmares and Mikey’s familiar scent chased them away. Since BL/ind took over, Gerard barely had them. But Mikey knows when his brother needs him. He drifts off quickly, forgetting all about his nightmare.
“Come on get up you two,” Ray’s booming voice rouses him out of the dreamless sleep he was thoroughly enjoying.
“Five minutes,” he mumbles, snuggling closer into Mikey’s neck.
Ray’s boot to his ass makes him sit up and glare sleepy daggers at him.
Mikey sits up slowly, running a hand through his dishevelled blonde hair. He bumps his shoulder against Gerard then takes Ray’s offered hand to help him up. They walk away, chatting quietly about today’s plans.
Gerard presses the palms of his hands to his eyes, giving a yelp of surprise seeing Grace knelt on Mikey’s bed when he lowers them.
“Morning, kiddo” he yawns, stretching.
“Morning Gerard! Did you sleep okay?”
“Yes thanks, you?”
“Great, like always. Ray keeps the Drac’s away. Does Mikey do the same for you?” sometimes Gerard forgets that she’s only ten. Her inquisitiveness and genius would strike him for a teenager.
“Yeah. Yeah, he does the same,” he admits in a small voice.
“Anybody want a tin of the finest Power Pup kibble?” Ray pipes up, throwing a tin directly into Gerard’s stomach.
“Yum. “ Gerard manages to catch the tin opener Mikey throws him, opens his tin and eats the kibble, trying not to grimace at the taste.
They eat in silence, Grace asking Ray to open her tin in case she gets it everywhere silently with expectant eyebrows and her outstretched hand. Ray rolls his eyes and opens it, smiling like an idiot when she grins back.
“So what we got planned for today?” Mikey asks, shovelling in the last of his kibble then throwing the can in a rubbish bag. Can’t leave behind any DNA or signs of activity.
Gerard chews thoughtfully, “Strategy. We need to get in and out of Battery City as fast as possible. I’m thinking we go straight for the road that leads to BLI and storming the front. No fucking around. Kill the Dracs on border control so they don’t sound the alarm.”
“When we dust the Dracs, we should get their uniforms and put them on,” Ray says excitedly.
Mikey punches his arm, “Then what about the Trans AM? We can’t just leave it and we can’t drive it in.”
They sit quietly, eventually chucking their cans in the bag when Gerard has a brainwave.
“You’re both geniuses!” Ray jumps about a foot, his hair flying across his face. Grace coughs, trying to cover up her fit of giggles.
“I know I am. But why?” Mikey enquires, a small smile on his face from watching Ray’s growing annoyance.
“Ray, you said we should dress up like Dracs and Mikey, you said we can’t just drive in.”
“But how does saying “we can’t just drive in” make him a genius?” Mikey punches Ray harder.
“Because we can drive in. We’ll say we found the Killjoys car and park it out front, walk in and ask where Frank is and if Korse is with him so we can tell him we got the car. But instead we’ll get Frank, put a light ray through Korse’s head then tell the guys downstairs that we’re moving him locations because the Killjoys have found out. It’s brilliant!”
Gerard retreats into his head, tweaking the plan to make it perfect and running over the possibilities of what they would do if they got caught. He doesn’t miss Frank while he’s doing this; he only feels anticipation and usefulness. He just wants to get up and go, get Frank now while he doesn’t have the doubt he’ll feel when they actually put the plan in motion. But he knows they need to wait for any extra help Dr D can find so the plan has no loop holes.
Ray and Mikey’s bickering snaps him back to reality and he yawns tiredly, wiping a hand over his face slowly.
“...you don’t know that! We have to be ready for the worst!” Ray shouts.
Gerard looks up to see Ray and Mikey glaring at each other, Ray’s hair seeming to float in anger.
Grace is sat on the floor frowning up at them but staying quiet. What the hell did I miss? He thinks.
“Does he Gerard?” he looks up to Mikey whose usual poker face is slipping away.
“Erm... what?”
“Haven’t you been listening?”
“No, sorry. What’s up?”
“Tell Ray that we don’t need Rabid Rabbit and Co to help us save Frank’s ass.”
Rabid Rabbit was a Killjoy they met a few months ago whilst out on a raid. They were getting fuel from an open Dead Pegasus gas station and were naturally on high alert in case the workers told BL/ind that the My Chem Killjoys were at their station. Frank had been filling up the Trans AM while Grace (the least conspicuous looking) went in to buy some chocolate since they never got to eat treats like that anymore and Ray, Mikey and Gerard were in the car when Rabbit tapped Frank-who was filling up the car- on the shoulder. Gerard could hear them through the open window.
“Well well, if it isn’t Fun Ghoul! Seems you don’t want anyone to know you were part of LeATHERMOUTH do you Pencey Prep?” Frank had had grabbed the guys shoulders and threw him on the hood of the Trans AM and pinned him there.
“Shut the fuck up Dewees,” He hissed.
“Tut-tut. You know the first rule of being a Killjoy is not using before names in public,” Frank had just growled and slammed him against the hood again and Dewees breath flew out of him.
“What do you want?”
“I don’t want anything Pencey. I was just filling up the GT. Since your here, fancy leaving these goody two shoes and kicking it with our crew again? The guys miss watching you burn down BL/ind brainwashed humans houses,” Frank had kneed him in the stomach and threw him to the floor and stood over him snarling a “tell them fuckers I got wise. And if they don’t want to die, they should do the same or I’ll kill them myself. You too.”
Grace walked out the shop at that moment and barely gave the scene a glance before she got in the back seat with Mikey and Ray. Frank had spit on Rabbit’s face then jumped in the car, kicking up as much dust as he could before screeching out the station.
Only then had Frank told them about what he did before Gerard, Mikey and Ray met him in an alley.
“Mikey’s right. We don’t need to get him involved. Too much bad blood. We need people who will get the job done, nothing more nothing less. LeATHERMOUTH might give away our cover,” Ray nods, defeated.
“Ray don’t get yourself down, it was a good suggestion. But I don’t think Frank would enlist their help to save Jesus so we need to play it safe,” Ray nods at Gerard again but brightens up, asking if anyone was up for a game of Blackjack to lighten the mood.
Thank god Ray was Ray.
000
Frank faintly hears the door open and after a few seconds of advancing footsteps feels Korse’s icy fingertips coaxing his chin up from where it hangs from exhaustion.
“These conditions wouldn’t be necessary if you told me what I want to know.”
Frank pulls himself into a sitting position using the chains attached to the wall to look into Korse’s humour laced eyes.
“You really don’t understand do you, Korse? I’ve told you once, so I’ll tell you again since you seem to have trouble remembering,” Frank says furiously, gathering spit on his tongue before launching it into Korse’s eye again. Frank laughs darkly but starts to cough when the pain from the shocks stab painfully in his lungs.
Korse recoils, wiping furiously at the spit then grins maliciously.
Frank feels the fear settle in his stomach at the sight but plasters a weary smirk on his face. Frank knew rebelling against Korse would result in pain, but he wasn’t going to give up since he’d got this far. The guys were going to save him. Gerard would save him he thinks, a more genuine smile forming at the thought of seeing Gerard again. The Gerard that saved Frank from destruction. The Gerard that showed him that compassion within fighting exists.
“It seems shocking you doesn’t work. I think it’s time to step it up a little,” Korse produces a needle, but instead of the normal clear sedative Frank had been expecting, its filled with a bright red liquid.
“Maybe a long term form of torture that you can’t escape will work,” he goes to put it in Frank’s neck but he scrambles back, straining against the chains to get away. Thank fuck it’s me instead of Gerard.
Frank’s voice quivers, “What’s in it?” he mentally punches himself for showing weakness.
“Something very rare and powerful in the wrong hands.”
“Then why are you giving it to the enemy?”
“Because I don’t plan on letting you out of here and this disease will work in my favour while you’re in containment.”
“...Disease?” Shit he gulps.
“A blood disease. I’m guessing you participated in watching ridiculous films before BL/ind changed things for the better so you would call someone with this disease a vampire,” Frank feels the colour drain form his face and shivers. Gerard would handle this better. Frank wants to know when he started thinking about Gerard constantly in his head. Not that he minds, he just finds it weird that he’s not thinking about Ray, Mikey or Grace. Shit! Who’s going to teach Grace to be a ninja?
“The amount of diseased blood in this syringe is as strong as if you were born with it, meaning your tolerance of sunlight when exposed will burn your skin without wearing sun lotion. And since there isn’t any kept here, you can’t escape,” Korse snaps his fingers, ordering in two Dracs to hold him down.
Frank fights, biting one of the Drac’s arms when he grabs his neck and exposes his jugular.
Korse laughs loudly and wraps his fingers around Frank’s neck and squeezes; cutting off the cursing hi didn’t know he was spouting.
Frank protests lose steam from lack of oxygen, half hearted strikes through the air making Korse cackle louder. The Dracs successfully pin him down and Korse pushes the syringe into his neck, laughing at Frank’s lame attempts to move away.
Frank screams, feeling the tainted blood cells take over his blood stream. His back arches, growls ripping up his throat and his teeth snap together audibly against the searing fiery pain.
“Enjoy your pain,” Frank faintly hears Korse over the blood pounding rapidly in his ears and snarls back trying to through off the restraints.
000
When Frank wakes up, he’s laid on the floor face down with a soaring pain in his throat. His face is cool from the cold linoleum and saliva drips from the side of his slack mouth. He swallows but doesn’t feel any satisfaction from the action.
He rolls over; hissing at the bright light overhead and quickly covers his eyes. He tries to pull himself up using the chains but when he gives a sharp tired tug, the chains rip from the wall. He falls back to the floor and groans.
What the fuck was this shit? It felt like he’d gotten no sleep even though he was out for at least twelve hours. Their sedative was a strong motherfucker that messed with his reflexes but that’s probably the desired effect, keep the prisoner tired so he can’t fight back.
Frank wasn’t in pain anymore thank god he thinks, wincing when he remembers feeling like he was being burned alive. The burn in his throat reminds him of the sweltering days he spent in Zone 7 where the radiation made the temperature shoot up to almost unbearable. He wants a drink to cool the skin of his oesophagus but doesn’t long for water when he thinks of it.
Blood and meat. His mouth starts to water involuntary but he recoils at the thought, thinking about all the reasons he became a vegetarian in the first place. His only warning is the acid feeling rising from his stomach before he’s hunched over, spewing up what little food the bastards had give him to keep him only just alive until it’s just dry retches.
“I should have done this on the first day.”
Frank whips around to stand in a split second and growls at Korse who’s leant against the closed door, palms pressed backwards against it.
“Fuck. You,” Frank seethes, clenching his fists so hard his nails dig into his skin to fight the urge to punch Korse until his face was completely smashed in.
“Ah ah, less of the language or this goes down the drain,” Korse produces a vial of blood that Frank can faintly smell through the glass.
Frank snarls, darting to grab the vial the retreating back to his place, frantically ripping off the cap. The scent assaults his nose and his brain goes into a frenzy blood! So wet and warm! Drink it! Imagine the taste! There’s a sharp smell that warns him not to drink it but his senses take over, guzzling the tantalising yet repulsive liquid down. The taste explodes on his tongue and he moans, the sensation so sweet his knees feel weak.
When he finally remembers that Korse is still in the room and could do anything to him while he’s distracted, he stalks towards Korse, feeling the power in his muscles with every step. He grins darkly I’m in charge now.
Korse pales, shouting for the Drac’s to get their fucking asses in here. He tries to open the door but Frank slams it shut with his palm and wraps his hand around Korse’s neck and holds him up against it.
“What’s up, Korse? The sedative you put in it not working?” he doesn’t reply, just looks into Frank’s eyes blankly. Frank smells something rolling off Korse in waves and when he tightens his hand around Korse’s his neck, the smell spikes higher. He realises that what he smells is fear.
I can smell fear? Frank smiles. Cool.
He leans forward, putting his nose against Korse’s jugular and inhales deeply. The sweet aroma of blood he smelt earlier is nowhere to be found. Frank thinks back to when he first noticed Korse in the room and doesn’t remember smelling anything apart from the vial.
“You don’t have blood.” He says. “You’re not human.”
Korse stiffens.
Frank pulls back, looking up and smiles at him. He uses his free hand to pluck Korse’s gun out of the holster on his hip and presses the barrel against Korse’s temple.
There’s a bang on the door but Frank doesn’t react.
“You put medication in the blood didn’t you?” Korse nods slowly, “That must of been what that tangy smell was,” there’s another bang on the door accompanied by a shout and this time Frank does react.
Please say vampires are bulletproof he thinks, dragging them both into the middle of the room, Korse’s body pulled against him with the gun still against his head. Three S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W’s come thundering through the door and train their assault ray guns on Frank.
“Let him go or we’ll shoot,” a voice says behind a mask.
“Drop your weapons before I blow his fucking brains out,” he presses the gun harder against Korse’s head, emphasising his point.
“Last chance,” a different voice deadpans.
“Oh fuck this,” Frank mutters, shooting all three S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W’s in the chest before they could act.
“Let’s go.”
He pushes Korse forward, putting the gun against his back to keep him moving. The corridor outside is dark with a flickering light at the end which Frank thinks is way to cliché.
The room Frank had been holed up in is the middle and is the only door in the corridor.
They set off, Frank prodding Korse when he walks too slow. When they reach the corridor end, the only way they can go is left.
“Which way is out?” Korse starts but Frank just pokes him with the gun again to make him carry on.
“How do you know I won’t lie?” Korse looks over his shoulder and grins at him. He has some fucking nerve.
“I smell your fear so I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to tell if you’re lying.”
They continue walking in silence, Korse starting to relax the further they walk.
“I wonder where the guys from Beta squad are” a voice comes from an open doorway. Two Drac’s wonder out and turn in Frank’s direction. He shoots them before they notice him and picks up one of the Drac’s guns to put in his empty holster.
An alarm sounds and Frank curses, dragging Korse along by the arm.
“What did you do?” Frank spits, shooting another Drac between the eyes as it came around a corner, blood bursting out the back of its head before falling limp to the linoleum.
“I called for backup on my phone.”
Frank stops, pushing Korse against the wall and puts the gun under his chin, “wrong choice” he says then pulls the trigger, marvelling at the sight of a beam of light burning through Korse’s head forever etched gleefully into his mind.
Korse’s body slumps to the ground and Frank feels like he should say something like “whose laughing now?” but doesn’t. He sees smouldering metal in the burn hole but doesn’t stick around to look closer, running faster than he ever had.
Vampire he thinks bitterly.
He hears footsteps in the distance and pulls out the other gun from his holster to point in that direction. Frank remembers back to when he was at home playing on Modern Warfare 2 on Playstation using Akimbo weapons to kill the motherfucking enemy. Except now it’s real and he can't respawn.
The first S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W that comes around the corner is dead before he tells the others about Frank’s presence. Frank fires rapidly, moving forward but ducking shots like a fucking pro.
He feels a blow to his shoulder and looks down to see smoke coming from the blistering hot wound.
Frank sees red, darting forward and snapping the enemies’ necks apart from one. The one in question cowers against the wall.
“Do you know where my gun is?” the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W nods. Frank hurls him forward, “How close are we to the exit?”
The S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W doesn’t speak at first, “You need to go down 2 levels to the ground floor. Your gun is still at the front desk,” a deep voice under the mask monotones.
They get to a lift but before the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W can call for it, Frank yanks him down the fire stairs.
“Where’s everyone else?”
“We were given the order to investigate, the rest were ordered to wait in the lobby to ambush you.”
“Why are you telling me this? Thought you Ritalin Rats were against people like me,” he wonders why the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W is so willing to give him the answers he needs. He thinks he’s going to be led into a trap but all BL/ind workers take pills that make it impossible to lie.
“Because you asked. It’s impolite to ignore you.” Frank stares at the masked man and shakes his head in disbelief, running down the rest of the stairs to the bottom and looking through the little glass window on the double doors.
The large lobby is filled with Drac’s and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W’s armed and ready to shoot, covering all entrances.
Frank ducks out of sight and curses, running a hand through his hair and feeling the knots pull against his scalp in a good way.
“Right. Take your gear off,” the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W does what he’s told, stripping down his suit and leaving it in a puddle at his feet. He pulls off the mask and is about to reach for the waistband for his boxers but Frank stills his hand quickly and shakes his head.
Fucking BL/ind taking away choice. He pulls on the uniform over his dusty clothes and tucks his bandana and mask under the collar. Frank wondered why Korse hadn’t taken them along with his gun. He shrugs it off, putting on the mask, trying not to gag at the funky smell.
“What’s your name?”
“Robert, but I prefer Bob,” Frank looks up at Bob’s towering frame and instantly wishes he didn’t have to do what he had to.
“Thank you for the help, Bob,” Bob nods, his blonde hair falling slightly over his blue eyes.
“You’d of made a good Killjoy,” Frank walks behind him and snaps his neck in a flash. He lowers Bob’s limp body to the floor, laying him flat with his arms crossed over his chest.
Frank pushes down the guilt and the images of doing the same thing to his old girlfriend Jamia. They had just been to an underground rave when Drac’s had started to open fire on the crowd. Jamia had been hit in her stomach and Frank had carried her as far as he could, staggering to his knees and laying her on the floor. She died a few minutes later, the stomach acid leaking out of her stomach and dissolving her from the inside out. He crossed her arms over her chest and bowed his head, crying out his anger. And that’s when Dewees clapped him on the shoulder.
Focus fucker, the past ain’t gonna help. He takes a deep breath and swaps the normal ray guns for Bob’s assault rifle.
He pushes open the door; just enough to not let anyone see the body and all the guns lock onto him. They lower them instantly and nod. Frank nods back and strides over to the desk.
He searches the draws and checks to see no one is looking when he slips his gun into his holster under the suit. He looks for things that could be useful and he finds some car keys. He does a fist pump in his head then shuts the draw.
He taps the closest Drac on the shoulder and holds the keys up. The Drac points outside and Frank nods, slipping out the front glass doors without anyone giving him a glance. It’s dark outside, the only illumination coming from the few street lamps dotted down the walkway.
The hairs on the back of his neck prickle at having his back turned so he surges forward, using the new raw power in his legs to pump them faster.
When he gets to the main road, a car is sat in a parking spot and Frank instantly recognises it as Korse’s car.
“This is too easy,” he says incredulous. He unlocks the car, slides over the hood and gets into the driver’s seat swiftly. He feels elated at finally completing his wish. Since he had seen the Trans AM, he had wanted to slide over the hood nearly every day but Gerard had said no saying “I swear to god if you even put your ass on the hood, I’m dusting you myself” in a serious voice. Frank had steered clear of the hood since then.
He puts the key in the ignition, takes off the handbrake, and then floors the gas pedal, heading for Zone 1 on the Getaway Mile.
The Drac’s on the border simply nod when he flies past and Frank laughs loud and carefree, the wind from the open window whipping his hair across his face.
He reaches for the radio, switching it to WKIL Slaughtermatic Sounds.
“...So as I said before motorbabies, any Killjoys in and near Zone 1 willing to break out the infamous Fun Ghoul should start making their way to the rendezvous point I told you about earlier. As some of you may know, Drac’s took him a few days ago and it’s time to save his ass by storming BLI. If you’re willing, radio in. Stay safe, Killjoys.” Dr Death’s voice fades out as he plays The Mad Gear and the Missile Kid.
He drives for the next half hour, head banging to the beat when he feels an itch under his skin. But when he scratches, it doesn’t fade. He sees the light of the sun, not far from the horizon and knows that the itch is telling him to get to cover. He tries to go faster but he’s already pushing the cars limit.
He sees a familiar car in the distance, driving toward him. He slams on the brakes, body nearly going through the windshield, and jumps out. The itch intensifies now that he’s out in the open but he doesn’t waver. He runs onto the other side of the road and waves his arms, praying to god that it’s who he thinks’ it is.
Author: kannibalkilljoy
Pairing: Frank/Gerard, Mikey/Ray
Rating: NC17
Warning: Violence, adult themes, language, sex.
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Summary: There was no sign of Frank except for the slightly smoking cigarette butt that was on the floor and the scuffle marks in the sand.
A/N: This is the first fic I've posted so feedback would be welcome XD.
Frank had said he was going to stay outside to smoke then come back inside over half an hour ago after getting back from a raid.
Gerard had been watching the beat up clock on the crumbling wall tick away the minutes but had been distracted by Grace falling over as she ran into the room. But now that Grace had a plaster over the cut on her knee thanks to Ray, he now wondered what he could be doing that would take so long.
Gerard slipped outside with a mumbled “I’ll be back in a minute” and walked to where Frank had been leaning against the back smoking. There was no sign of Frank except for the slightly smoking cigarette butt that was on the floor and the scuffle marks in the sand.
“Shit,” he spat, sprinting back inside and checking the store room where they all slept for Frank. He wasn’t there and was about to run back out when he ran straight into Ray’s chest. Ray grabbed Gerard’s arms and steadied him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Frank’s been gone for too long and there’s sign of a struggle in the sand outside,” Ray dropped his hold and grabbed his gun that way laying on the diner counter then ventured outside, pulling Mikey with him.
“What’s wrong, Gerard?” Grace asked, coming to stand in front of him and look up to his face with innocent eyes.
“Frank’s gone,” he didn’t feel the fear that started to crawl up on him until he admitted it and his hand twitched for his gun that was in his holster, “wait here,”. Gerard went back outside and saw Mikey crouched down and examining the floor.
“If this is Dracs, then why didn’t they get all of us?” Ray questioned.
“If it’s them that’s taken him, they’re going to use him as bait because Korse knows we’ll come after him,” if it is Korse that’s taken him, he doesn’t want to imagine what he’s going to do to Frank to make him spill about the Killjoys.
Gerard barely registered going back inside, sitting on a bar stool and watching Ray call Dr. Death Defying to ask Killjoys in the surrounding areas if they had seen Fun Ghoul, he was lost in his own head thinking about how Frank will have been shot with a sedative gun while Dracs covered up his mouth, trying to stop him breaking free until he dropped unconscious. He thinks how Frank will fight when they lock him in a room, kicking and biting the Dracs that guard at him. He stops thinking after that, knowing they will torture him until he gives in or until they decide to kill him for not cooperating.
“Gerard.”
Gerard turns on his chair to see Mikey frowning at him.
“You okay?” Mikey asks, hesitant.
“He’s gone, Mikey” the tell tale sting of tears is the only notice he gets before he’s crying buckets into Mikey’s dusty shirt as he hugs him.
Mikey’s arms encircle his waist, holding him close and kisses his forehead. To Gerard, Mikey’s familiar smell of grease, gas and one only to be described as Mikey overwhelms his nose that is buried in Mikey’s chest so much that the tears start to ebb after awhile and is left feeling exhausted. He faintly hears Mikey asking Ray to help him lift Gerard to the Trans AM and falls asleep as soon as his head hits the back seat.
000
Frank leant back on the wall, sucking in a large drag off his cigarette then coughed when it went down wrong. The silence in the desert no longer scared him now that he had people around to watch his back but he was still on edge, scanning the bleak plains for Exterminators. The stars that seemed to multiply whenever he looked twinkled in the indigo sky. Sometimes Frank missed the old black night sky, but the radiation from the bombs changed that a long time ago. He sighed, taking another drag from his cigarette when pain shot through his neck.
He lifted his hand instantly to his neck where there as something sharp sticking through his skin. He pulled it out and paled when he saw it was a needle. Frank looked up to see two S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W’s coming for him; one with a cloth he guessed was doused in chloroform.
Whatever the fuck was in that needle had started to blur his vision. He blinks, trying to clear it when he feels the cloth over his mouth and his arms being wrenched behind his back.
“I’ll fucking kill all you motherfuckers,” he whispers angrily and lashes out, catching the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W holding him in the face with an elbow. The soldier recovered quickly, driving the butt of his gun into the back of Frank’s head with one swift move.
The only thing Frank remembers after that is being thrown into the back of a white van with the black face on and being locked in the dark while he slipped into unconsciousness.
000
Gerard could tell he was dreaming because he was in an interrogation room with Korse. The plain white walls made the room feel smaller and although he couldn’t see if anyone was on the other side of the window, he still felt the hairs stand on his neck with the fear of being watched. Just because he was dreaming didn’t mean it wasn’t real though. He could smell a faint hint of bleach and cleaning products which he guessed was from interrogations gone violent.
Korse was sat across from him, hands creating a steeple on the steel table. He was still wearing the grey coat and the shirt with the ruffles, a smug smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
The TV that was hung in front of Gerard but behind Korse on the wall was showing nothing but snow, but Gerard wasn’t a fool as to think it was going to stay that way.
“It’s good to see you again, Party Poison.”
“Where’s Fun Ghoul, Korse?” Gerard grits out, pulling against the restraints on his wrists that he didn’t know was there.
“Now, now. I’m the one giving the orders in here. But if you must know Fun Ghoul’s been participating in... Endurance tests,” Korse’s evil smile makes fear creep into his stomach but he keeps a straight face.
“Stop fucking around Korse, what are you doing to him?”
Korse pulls out a remote from his pocket and comes to stand behind Gerard, leaning in to whisper in his ear “What I’m going to do to you and the rest of you Killjoys.”
Gerard hears a button being pressed then the TV picture changes to a white room twice the size of the one he’s in with a steel table. Next to the table is a machine, hooked up to a motionless body.
The body had restraints across his torso and legs and blindfold over his eyes. Gerard could tell it was Frank by the scorpion tattoo on his neck.
“What are you-“
“Shhh, just watch.”
He knew watching it would make him sick but he couldn’t take his eyes off Frank. Seeing the way that he was just laid there made Gerard think he had given up and confessed. But Frank must have been fighting for them to use chains over his body.
A Drac appears on screen, whispering in Frank’s ear before twisting dial on the machine that makes Frank writhe and scream in pain. Gerard barely feels the restraints digging into his wrists as he lashes out, trying to break them.
“Ghoul! I’ll kill you Korse you motherfucker!”
Korse laughs, grabbing a fistful of bright red hair exposing Gerard’s neck before plunging the needle through his flesh.
“Gerard!” he bolts upright, panting and frantically feeling his neck for signs of being stabbed with a needle.
He calms when he doesn’t find one and the fear starts to fade, leaving him looking at Mikey in the passenger seat and seeing Ray give him scared glances in the rear view mirror while he drives.
Gerard ignores the questioning looks Mikey’s giving him and clears his throat, sitting up properly in his seat and looking out the window into the sunrise over the vast desert.
“Where are we going?”
“We needed to move out since they know our location. We’re going to meet up with Show Pony at a deserted gas station in Zone 2. We’ve been driving for about 5 hours and have about another half an hour till we get there,” Mikey explains. He looks at Gerard for a few more minutes then turns back around in his seat, leaving Gerard in his own head with Frank’s blood curdling screams.
000
The blinding light that made his eyelids red was what roused him from whatever the fuck they put in his body.
The pain in the back of his head where he remembers being hit was sore and made his head spin when he opened his eyes.
The room in which he was sat was sparkling white and a table and chairs bolted down to the floor. A TV is on the wall but it isn’t turned on. The reflective glass window looks innocent but Frank knows that Korse is there, waiting for him to wake up.
He goes to rub the back of his head but looks down and see’s he’s bound to the chair by leather straps pinning his wrists to the chair arms.
He feels the claustrophobia set in and lashes out, trying to break free from the chair. The leather cuts into his wrists and feels the blood start to trickle, the warm liquid dripping off his fingertips.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Fun Ghoul,” Korse’s voice warns over the intercom.
“Fuck you, motherfucker!” he replies, tugging harder.
A door that blends in with the wall opens and Korse strolls in with two Drac’s behind him.
“Killjoy’s never learn do they,” Korse shakes his head and comes to sit across from Frank, leaning forward and making a steeple with his hands on the table.
“Funny you say that since we’ve evaded you for a long time,” Frank says, looking Korse dead in the eye.
“You say that, but here you are. And Party Poison, Kobra Kid and Jet Star won’t be able to help you now,”
“Oh yeah, why not?”
“Because the diner you were squatting in went up in flames last night and 4 bodies including a child’s were found,” Frank keeps his expression the same. Gerard’s too smart for that. He’s tricking you. He leans as far forward as he can, about a foot away from Korse’s face.
“You know what?” he says, voice neutral.
“What?” the devilish grin slips away when Frank spits straight in his eye and recoils out of his chair, wiping his face on his sleeve.
Frank laughs, ignoring the pain in his head and enjoying the moment while it lasts.
He’s still laughing when the Drac’s take him into another room and bound his wrists to the table he’s being laid on.
000
“Gerard?” he starts, turning away from looking outside the window to see Grace kneeling next to him in the back seat.
“Yeah?” he croaks. He clears his throat, “yeah?”
“Are you okay?” Grace sits down next to him and Gerard puts his arm around her shoulders, holding her there.
“I’m fine kiddo. I just want to get Frank back, you?”
“I want him back too. Who else will teach me ninja fighting skills?” Gerard laughs.
“Hey! I thought I did a pretty good job.”
“Nah. I only said that to make you feel good about your non existing skills. And what kind of ninja can’t do cartwheels?” he see’s Ray smile at him in the mirror briefly.
“Ninja’s don’t do cartwheels, Grace.”
“Fine. You have to be flexible, and when you tried, you somehow made Mikey fall over too,”
Gerard thinks back to that day, chuckling when he tried to do a running cartwheel and caught Mikey in the stomach with his legs and went crashing to the floor. He can remember Ray running over to Grace to cover her ears when Mikey started swearing at Gerard to get off him while Frank lolled about on the floor, clutching his sides in laughter.
“Looks like it’s our top priority to get him back then so you can carry on your training,” she grins, snuggling closer and putting her head on his chest while he stroked her hair that was poking out from under her helmet.
Gerard looks out the window again, fighting against the images of Frank’s torture and see’s a gas station coming up ahead, “Is that the place?”
“Yeah,” Mikey answers.
A few minutes later and Ray is parking the Trans AM round the back of the station where Show Pony is leant against the wall, one roller-skate leaning on it.
Grace runs out the car and goes over to hug Show Pony, nearly knocking him over in the process.
“Steady on Grace, you’ll get my polka dots dirty,” Grace grins, running over to Ray who had just got out the car and is walking over with Mikey.
Sometimes he wonders if Ray had a kid he didn’t know about and found her when the world went to shit. Ray and Grace seem to be more like father and daughter with the way they act and gravitate toward each other. Gerard shakes his head, climbing out the car and stretching his aching muscles from being cooped up too long.
He reaches the others just as Ray is asking if there’s been any news but Show Pony shakes his head and they follow him inside.
The dirt and the debris inside the station make it seem like it had been hit with an earthquake which Gerard thinks isn’t far from the truth. The bombs did some serious damage.
Show Pony skates over to what seems to be the old cashier counter and uses an arm to clear it of empty boxes.
The guys crowd round, Grace in the middle like glue tethering them together.
“Dr. Death hasn’t got any replies yet to if they’ve seen Fun Ghoul but the word is that BL/ind has a hostage so that’s probably him.”
“Do they know which building?” Ray asks, getting out a pen and paper to take notes.
“Apparently it’s the Exterminator building but I wouldn’t go until we know for sure.”
“When we’re ready, we’ll get in touch before and meet just outside Battery City in Zone 1. Get Dr. D to put out a transmission asking for any Killjoys that want to help” Gerard says, slipping on his mask and going out back to start bringing in their sleeping bags and supplies.
He was leaning inside the boot, grabbing the last sleeping bag when arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him against their body.
Gerard lifted an arm to flip the stranger over and pin-
“Don’t! It’s me,” Show Pony turns him around and Gerard could see his smile where the visor was lifted up.
“How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me?” he sighs.
“I’ve lost count. But the fact that you flipped me once and I continue to do it means you shouldn’t waste your breath,” he smiles fondly then he turns serious, “Mikey’s worried you know.”
“I had a nightmare in the car,” Gerard looks down at his boots, caked with dust and oil.
“What about, sugar?” Gerard always found Pony’s campiness funny and reassuring because it meant he could forget, even just for a minute or two that Frank was in Battery City all alone with the enemy.
“They’re going to torture him and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“Poison, listen to me. Ghoul’s a big boy, he can fend for himself. And don’t think he wouldn’t feel the same if your positions were reversed?” Gerard shivers, “so buck up and get your shit together because you’re the leader of your little bunch of Killjoys.”
“... I guess you’re right.”
“Honey, I’m always right. You just don’t listen to me sometimes because you’re stubborn. Which is the best trait a Killjoy could have,” Gerard looks back up and smiles, hugging Pony for a few minutes before someone clears their throat behind them.
“I don’t wanna be a Drac, but I’m knackered and you two standing there ain’t going to bring the stuff in,” Mikey walks past them, grabbing the sleeping bags that Gerard had dropped when Show Pony scared him.
They disentangle and grin at each other, getting the rest of the stuff and heading back in.
The crap that was on the floor has been brushed to one side since he was outside and he drops the bags in the middle.
“Where’s Jet Star and Grace?” he asks casually, unrolling his bed.
“There in the next room looking for anything useful. She really needs a Killjoy name. I know she’s only 10 but the shits already hit the fan and we’re lucky the Drac’s don’t know,” Show Pony brushes past him, swerving around pebbles to the back room.
He looks to Mikey who’s just put the radio on the counter and their eyes lock.
“Do you want me to sleep next to you?” Mikey asks tentatively. Mikey knows no matter how much anyone tells him that Frank will be fine, it won’t keep the nightmares away. The little things Mikey does for him might only be small, but they mean so much to Gerard he wonders how only child’s cope.
“Please.”
Mikey nods, unravelling his bed next to Gerard’s then putting Grace’s on the other side so Ray can sleep next to her.
Ray emerges from the other room a few minutes later with Grace on his back, laughing at a joke she told.
“How many times do I have to tell you Pony, cut down on the language!” he lets Grace down onto her sleeping bag and crawls underneath it.
“Can’t hear you, Jet” Pony’s singsong voice calls out.
Ray flips him off when Grace isn’t looking and settles down on top of his bed, putting his arms behind his head and crossing his ankles.
Pony emerges a few minutes later carrying a crow bar which is always handy and places it next to the radio.
“Well, it’s 11 o’ clock so I’m gonna take off. See you in a couple of days a guess,” he skates out, the door backwards, blowing kisses then closes the door after him.
“Such a character,” Ray mumbles, getting in his bed and wrapping an arm around Grace to hold her close.
Mikey shrugs, getting in his own bed and laying on his side which faces Gerard’s.
Even though Gerard slept earlier, he feels drained at trying to keep the images at bay and sinks to the floor, pulling the cover over himself and faces Mikey, closing his eyes bracing for the onslaught to come.
000
“Have you got a masochistic side you haven’t told me about?” Korse laughs, nodding for the Drac to send another shock through Frank’s body.
The shocks had been increasing in power every time Frank answered back with “I ain’t telling you nothing motherfucker,” up until the point where his body was growing tired and weak.
He’d lost count around 10 shocks mark and he guessed that was about an hour ago.
“Why put yourself through this when you could just say a few words telling me your name and the rest of your Killjoys' names?”
“Because your mom didn’t need to know it when I fucked her so you don’t need to know either,” Frank was shocked again, this time a lot stronger than the last one. He screams, back arching off the table and gasping when it stops.
“I can do this all day Fun Ghoul and these shocks aren’t going to get any better,” Korse moves from where he’s been occupying the corner on a chair with delight evident on his face.
“Then do it, I’m not afraid to die,” at this, Korse stands, looming over Frank’s shaking body.
“You’re going to wish you never said that.”
“Oh yeah? Why-“a needle was jammed into his neck, silencing him.
It only took a few more seconds before he could feel his already droopy eyes falling shut against his will.
“Rest your body while you can Fun Ghoul, because this is the last you’re going to get for a long time.”
000
Gerard was in the interrogation room again, sat in the same seat, still tied to the chair but the TV wasn’t on and Korse wasn’t there.
Frank was sat across from him, his face void of any emotion and his eyes were blank.
“Fun Ghoul?” Gerard asks hesitantly.
“Stop with the stupid names, Gerard. They already know.”
“H-h-how do they know?” he couldn’t believe that Frank would sell them out but maybe the torture was becoming too much-
“I told them. I don’t know why I didn’t take these pills before, they’re amazing,” Frank smiles a bit at that, barely moving his mouth but it’s still there.
“Frank, why would you do this to us? To me?” he’s never felt more betrayed in his whole life that Frank had told BL/ind their identities.
“Because you’re in the way of the world becoming a better place for everyone.”
“You don’t believe that,” Gerard says quietly, looking down into his lap.
He hears Frank get up and walk over to him “Don’t tell me what to think Gerard, I don’t follow your lead anymore,” he shouts. Gerard feels a sharp pressure on his throat, digging into the skin.
“My life was so much better before you and your brother showed up. Before you made me forget Jamia to be with you. A life for a life seems appropriate, don’t you think?”
Blood trickles down Gerard’s throat, soaking into his shirt. His breathing becomes laboured from the knife being pushed against his windpipe.
“Please, don’t do this,” Gerard sobs.
He hears Frank laugh, loud and dark before his body goes limp from his throat being slit deeply with the knife.
Luckily, the screams that are erupting their way up from Gerard’s chest are muffled by pressing his face into his pillow when they make their way to his mouth.
He breathes heavily, trying to slow his frantic heart.
Mikey moves next to him. Please say I haven’t woke him up-
“Gee?” Mikey mumbles, reaching out for Gerard’s hand. Gerard starts when Mikey finds it but calms and laces their fingers together.
“Yeah?” He winces when Ray’s soft snores break out of their pattern but relaxes when they carry on. Toro could sleep through a fucking bomb.
“Did you have another nightmare?”
“... Yeah.”
Mikey shuffles forward, his back hitting Gerard’s chest. He wraps his arms around his little brother and mumbles “thanks” into the silence.
It had been years since him and Mikey had slept like this. When Gerard was younger, he suffered from nightmares and Mikey’s familiar scent chased them away. Since BL/ind took over, Gerard barely had them. But Mikey knows when his brother needs him. He drifts off quickly, forgetting all about his nightmare.
“Come on get up you two,” Ray’s booming voice rouses him out of the dreamless sleep he was thoroughly enjoying.
“Five minutes,” he mumbles, snuggling closer into Mikey’s neck.
Ray’s boot to his ass makes him sit up and glare sleepy daggers at him.
Mikey sits up slowly, running a hand through his dishevelled blonde hair. He bumps his shoulder against Gerard then takes Ray’s offered hand to help him up. They walk away, chatting quietly about today’s plans.
Gerard presses the palms of his hands to his eyes, giving a yelp of surprise seeing Grace knelt on Mikey’s bed when he lowers them.
“Morning, kiddo” he yawns, stretching.
“Morning Gerard! Did you sleep okay?”
“Yes thanks, you?”
“Great, like always. Ray keeps the Drac’s away. Does Mikey do the same for you?” sometimes Gerard forgets that she’s only ten. Her inquisitiveness and genius would strike him for a teenager.
“Yeah. Yeah, he does the same,” he admits in a small voice.
“Anybody want a tin of the finest Power Pup kibble?” Ray pipes up, throwing a tin directly into Gerard’s stomach.
“Yum. “ Gerard manages to catch the tin opener Mikey throws him, opens his tin and eats the kibble, trying not to grimace at the taste.
They eat in silence, Grace asking Ray to open her tin in case she gets it everywhere silently with expectant eyebrows and her outstretched hand. Ray rolls his eyes and opens it, smiling like an idiot when she grins back.
“So what we got planned for today?” Mikey asks, shovelling in the last of his kibble then throwing the can in a rubbish bag. Can’t leave behind any DNA or signs of activity.
Gerard chews thoughtfully, “Strategy. We need to get in and out of Battery City as fast as possible. I’m thinking we go straight for the road that leads to BLI and storming the front. No fucking around. Kill the Dracs on border control so they don’t sound the alarm.”
“When we dust the Dracs, we should get their uniforms and put them on,” Ray says excitedly.
Mikey punches his arm, “Then what about the Trans AM? We can’t just leave it and we can’t drive it in.”
They sit quietly, eventually chucking their cans in the bag when Gerard has a brainwave.
“You’re both geniuses!” Ray jumps about a foot, his hair flying across his face. Grace coughs, trying to cover up her fit of giggles.
“I know I am. But why?” Mikey enquires, a small smile on his face from watching Ray’s growing annoyance.
“Ray, you said we should dress up like Dracs and Mikey, you said we can’t just drive in.”
“But how does saying “we can’t just drive in” make him a genius?” Mikey punches Ray harder.
“Because we can drive in. We’ll say we found the Killjoys car and park it out front, walk in and ask where Frank is and if Korse is with him so we can tell him we got the car. But instead we’ll get Frank, put a light ray through Korse’s head then tell the guys downstairs that we’re moving him locations because the Killjoys have found out. It’s brilliant!”
Gerard retreats into his head, tweaking the plan to make it perfect and running over the possibilities of what they would do if they got caught. He doesn’t miss Frank while he’s doing this; he only feels anticipation and usefulness. He just wants to get up and go, get Frank now while he doesn’t have the doubt he’ll feel when they actually put the plan in motion. But he knows they need to wait for any extra help Dr D can find so the plan has no loop holes.
Ray and Mikey’s bickering snaps him back to reality and he yawns tiredly, wiping a hand over his face slowly.
“...you don’t know that! We have to be ready for the worst!” Ray shouts.
Gerard looks up to see Ray and Mikey glaring at each other, Ray’s hair seeming to float in anger.
Grace is sat on the floor frowning up at them but staying quiet. What the hell did I miss? He thinks.
“Does he Gerard?” he looks up to Mikey whose usual poker face is slipping away.
“Erm... what?”
“Haven’t you been listening?”
“No, sorry. What’s up?”
“Tell Ray that we don’t need Rabid Rabbit and Co to help us save Frank’s ass.”
Rabid Rabbit was a Killjoy they met a few months ago whilst out on a raid. They were getting fuel from an open Dead Pegasus gas station and were naturally on high alert in case the workers told BL/ind that the My Chem Killjoys were at their station. Frank had been filling up the Trans AM while Grace (the least conspicuous looking) went in to buy some chocolate since they never got to eat treats like that anymore and Ray, Mikey and Gerard were in the car when Rabbit tapped Frank-who was filling up the car- on the shoulder. Gerard could hear them through the open window.
“Well well, if it isn’t Fun Ghoul! Seems you don’t want anyone to know you were part of LeATHERMOUTH do you Pencey Prep?” Frank had had grabbed the guys shoulders and threw him on the hood of the Trans AM and pinned him there.
“Shut the fuck up Dewees,” He hissed.
“Tut-tut. You know the first rule of being a Killjoy is not using before names in public,” Frank had just growled and slammed him against the hood again and Dewees breath flew out of him.
“What do you want?”
“I don’t want anything Pencey. I was just filling up the GT. Since your here, fancy leaving these goody two shoes and kicking it with our crew again? The guys miss watching you burn down BL/ind brainwashed humans houses,” Frank had kneed him in the stomach and threw him to the floor and stood over him snarling a “tell them fuckers I got wise. And if they don’t want to die, they should do the same or I’ll kill them myself. You too.”
Grace walked out the shop at that moment and barely gave the scene a glance before she got in the back seat with Mikey and Ray. Frank had spit on Rabbit’s face then jumped in the car, kicking up as much dust as he could before screeching out the station.
Only then had Frank told them about what he did before Gerard, Mikey and Ray met him in an alley.
“Mikey’s right. We don’t need to get him involved. Too much bad blood. We need people who will get the job done, nothing more nothing less. LeATHERMOUTH might give away our cover,” Ray nods, defeated.
“Ray don’t get yourself down, it was a good suggestion. But I don’t think Frank would enlist their help to save Jesus so we need to play it safe,” Ray nods at Gerard again but brightens up, asking if anyone was up for a game of Blackjack to lighten the mood.
Thank god Ray was Ray.
000
Frank faintly hears the door open and after a few seconds of advancing footsteps feels Korse’s icy fingertips coaxing his chin up from where it hangs from exhaustion.
“These conditions wouldn’t be necessary if you told me what I want to know.”
Frank pulls himself into a sitting position using the chains attached to the wall to look into Korse’s humour laced eyes.
“You really don’t understand do you, Korse? I’ve told you once, so I’ll tell you again since you seem to have trouble remembering,” Frank says furiously, gathering spit on his tongue before launching it into Korse’s eye again. Frank laughs darkly but starts to cough when the pain from the shocks stab painfully in his lungs.
Korse recoils, wiping furiously at the spit then grins maliciously.
Frank feels the fear settle in his stomach at the sight but plasters a weary smirk on his face. Frank knew rebelling against Korse would result in pain, but he wasn’t going to give up since he’d got this far. The guys were going to save him. Gerard would save him he thinks, a more genuine smile forming at the thought of seeing Gerard again. The Gerard that saved Frank from destruction. The Gerard that showed him that compassion within fighting exists.
“It seems shocking you doesn’t work. I think it’s time to step it up a little,” Korse produces a needle, but instead of the normal clear sedative Frank had been expecting, its filled with a bright red liquid.
“Maybe a long term form of torture that you can’t escape will work,” he goes to put it in Frank’s neck but he scrambles back, straining against the chains to get away. Thank fuck it’s me instead of Gerard.
Frank’s voice quivers, “What’s in it?” he mentally punches himself for showing weakness.
“Something very rare and powerful in the wrong hands.”
“Then why are you giving it to the enemy?”
“Because I don’t plan on letting you out of here and this disease will work in my favour while you’re in containment.”
“...Disease?” Shit he gulps.
“A blood disease. I’m guessing you participated in watching ridiculous films before BL/ind changed things for the better so you would call someone with this disease a vampire,” Frank feels the colour drain form his face and shivers. Gerard would handle this better. Frank wants to know when he started thinking about Gerard constantly in his head. Not that he minds, he just finds it weird that he’s not thinking about Ray, Mikey or Grace. Shit! Who’s going to teach Grace to be a ninja?
“The amount of diseased blood in this syringe is as strong as if you were born with it, meaning your tolerance of sunlight when exposed will burn your skin without wearing sun lotion. And since there isn’t any kept here, you can’t escape,” Korse snaps his fingers, ordering in two Dracs to hold him down.
Frank fights, biting one of the Drac’s arms when he grabs his neck and exposes his jugular.
Korse laughs loudly and wraps his fingers around Frank’s neck and squeezes; cutting off the cursing hi didn’t know he was spouting.
Frank protests lose steam from lack of oxygen, half hearted strikes through the air making Korse cackle louder. The Dracs successfully pin him down and Korse pushes the syringe into his neck, laughing at Frank’s lame attempts to move away.
Frank screams, feeling the tainted blood cells take over his blood stream. His back arches, growls ripping up his throat and his teeth snap together audibly against the searing fiery pain.
“Enjoy your pain,” Frank faintly hears Korse over the blood pounding rapidly in his ears and snarls back trying to through off the restraints.
000
When Frank wakes up, he’s laid on the floor face down with a soaring pain in his throat. His face is cool from the cold linoleum and saliva drips from the side of his slack mouth. He swallows but doesn’t feel any satisfaction from the action.
He rolls over; hissing at the bright light overhead and quickly covers his eyes. He tries to pull himself up using the chains but when he gives a sharp tired tug, the chains rip from the wall. He falls back to the floor and groans.
What the fuck was this shit? It felt like he’d gotten no sleep even though he was out for at least twelve hours. Their sedative was a strong motherfucker that messed with his reflexes but that’s probably the desired effect, keep the prisoner tired so he can’t fight back.
Frank wasn’t in pain anymore thank god he thinks, wincing when he remembers feeling like he was being burned alive. The burn in his throat reminds him of the sweltering days he spent in Zone 7 where the radiation made the temperature shoot up to almost unbearable. He wants a drink to cool the skin of his oesophagus but doesn’t long for water when he thinks of it.
Blood and meat. His mouth starts to water involuntary but he recoils at the thought, thinking about all the reasons he became a vegetarian in the first place. His only warning is the acid feeling rising from his stomach before he’s hunched over, spewing up what little food the bastards had give him to keep him only just alive until it’s just dry retches.
“I should have done this on the first day.”
Frank whips around to stand in a split second and growls at Korse who’s leant against the closed door, palms pressed backwards against it.
“Fuck. You,” Frank seethes, clenching his fists so hard his nails dig into his skin to fight the urge to punch Korse until his face was completely smashed in.
“Ah ah, less of the language or this goes down the drain,” Korse produces a vial of blood that Frank can faintly smell through the glass.
Frank snarls, darting to grab the vial the retreating back to his place, frantically ripping off the cap. The scent assaults his nose and his brain goes into a frenzy blood! So wet and warm! Drink it! Imagine the taste! There’s a sharp smell that warns him not to drink it but his senses take over, guzzling the tantalising yet repulsive liquid down. The taste explodes on his tongue and he moans, the sensation so sweet his knees feel weak.
When he finally remembers that Korse is still in the room and could do anything to him while he’s distracted, he stalks towards Korse, feeling the power in his muscles with every step. He grins darkly I’m in charge now.
Korse pales, shouting for the Drac’s to get their fucking asses in here. He tries to open the door but Frank slams it shut with his palm and wraps his hand around Korse’s neck and holds him up against it.
“What’s up, Korse? The sedative you put in it not working?” he doesn’t reply, just looks into Frank’s eyes blankly. Frank smells something rolling off Korse in waves and when he tightens his hand around Korse’s his neck, the smell spikes higher. He realises that what he smells is fear.
I can smell fear? Frank smiles. Cool.
He leans forward, putting his nose against Korse’s jugular and inhales deeply. The sweet aroma of blood he smelt earlier is nowhere to be found. Frank thinks back to when he first noticed Korse in the room and doesn’t remember smelling anything apart from the vial.
“You don’t have blood.” He says. “You’re not human.”
Korse stiffens.
Frank pulls back, looking up and smiles at him. He uses his free hand to pluck Korse’s gun out of the holster on his hip and presses the barrel against Korse’s temple.
There’s a bang on the door but Frank doesn’t react.
“You put medication in the blood didn’t you?” Korse nods slowly, “That must of been what that tangy smell was,” there’s another bang on the door accompanied by a shout and this time Frank does react.
Please say vampires are bulletproof he thinks, dragging them both into the middle of the room, Korse’s body pulled against him with the gun still against his head. Three S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W’s come thundering through the door and train their assault ray guns on Frank.
“Let him go or we’ll shoot,” a voice says behind a mask.
“Drop your weapons before I blow his fucking brains out,” he presses the gun harder against Korse’s head, emphasising his point.
“Last chance,” a different voice deadpans.
“Oh fuck this,” Frank mutters, shooting all three S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W’s in the chest before they could act.
“Let’s go.”
He pushes Korse forward, putting the gun against his back to keep him moving. The corridor outside is dark with a flickering light at the end which Frank thinks is way to cliché.
The room Frank had been holed up in is the middle and is the only door in the corridor.
They set off, Frank prodding Korse when he walks too slow. When they reach the corridor end, the only way they can go is left.
“Which way is out?” Korse starts but Frank just pokes him with the gun again to make him carry on.
“How do you know I won’t lie?” Korse looks over his shoulder and grins at him. He has some fucking nerve.
“I smell your fear so I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to tell if you’re lying.”
They continue walking in silence, Korse starting to relax the further they walk.
“I wonder where the guys from Beta squad are” a voice comes from an open doorway. Two Drac’s wonder out and turn in Frank’s direction. He shoots them before they notice him and picks up one of the Drac’s guns to put in his empty holster.
An alarm sounds and Frank curses, dragging Korse along by the arm.
“What did you do?” Frank spits, shooting another Drac between the eyes as it came around a corner, blood bursting out the back of its head before falling limp to the linoleum.
“I called for backup on my phone.”
Frank stops, pushing Korse against the wall and puts the gun under his chin, “wrong choice” he says then pulls the trigger, marvelling at the sight of a beam of light burning through Korse’s head forever etched gleefully into his mind.
Korse’s body slumps to the ground and Frank feels like he should say something like “whose laughing now?” but doesn’t. He sees smouldering metal in the burn hole but doesn’t stick around to look closer, running faster than he ever had.
Vampire he thinks bitterly.
He hears footsteps in the distance and pulls out the other gun from his holster to point in that direction. Frank remembers back to when he was at home playing on Modern Warfare 2 on Playstation using Akimbo weapons to kill the motherfucking enemy. Except now it’s real and he can't respawn.
The first S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W that comes around the corner is dead before he tells the others about Frank’s presence. Frank fires rapidly, moving forward but ducking shots like a fucking pro.
He feels a blow to his shoulder and looks down to see smoke coming from the blistering hot wound.
Frank sees red, darting forward and snapping the enemies’ necks apart from one. The one in question cowers against the wall.
“Do you know where my gun is?” the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W nods. Frank hurls him forward, “How close are we to the exit?”
The S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W doesn’t speak at first, “You need to go down 2 levels to the ground floor. Your gun is still at the front desk,” a deep voice under the mask monotones.
They get to a lift but before the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W can call for it, Frank yanks him down the fire stairs.
“Where’s everyone else?”
“We were given the order to investigate, the rest were ordered to wait in the lobby to ambush you.”
“Why are you telling me this? Thought you Ritalin Rats were against people like me,” he wonders why the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W is so willing to give him the answers he needs. He thinks he’s going to be led into a trap but all BL/ind workers take pills that make it impossible to lie.
“Because you asked. It’s impolite to ignore you.” Frank stares at the masked man and shakes his head in disbelief, running down the rest of the stairs to the bottom and looking through the little glass window on the double doors.
The large lobby is filled with Drac’s and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W’s armed and ready to shoot, covering all entrances.
Frank ducks out of sight and curses, running a hand through his hair and feeling the knots pull against his scalp in a good way.
“Right. Take your gear off,” the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W does what he’s told, stripping down his suit and leaving it in a puddle at his feet. He pulls off the mask and is about to reach for the waistband for his boxers but Frank stills his hand quickly and shakes his head.
Fucking BL/ind taking away choice. He pulls on the uniform over his dusty clothes and tucks his bandana and mask under the collar. Frank wondered why Korse hadn’t taken them along with his gun. He shrugs it off, putting on the mask, trying not to gag at the funky smell.
“What’s your name?”
“Robert, but I prefer Bob,” Frank looks up at Bob’s towering frame and instantly wishes he didn’t have to do what he had to.
“Thank you for the help, Bob,” Bob nods, his blonde hair falling slightly over his blue eyes.
“You’d of made a good Killjoy,” Frank walks behind him and snaps his neck in a flash. He lowers Bob’s limp body to the floor, laying him flat with his arms crossed over his chest.
Frank pushes down the guilt and the images of doing the same thing to his old girlfriend Jamia. They had just been to an underground rave when Drac’s had started to open fire on the crowd. Jamia had been hit in her stomach and Frank had carried her as far as he could, staggering to his knees and laying her on the floor. She died a few minutes later, the stomach acid leaking out of her stomach and dissolving her from the inside out. He crossed her arms over her chest and bowed his head, crying out his anger. And that’s when Dewees clapped him on the shoulder.
Focus fucker, the past ain’t gonna help. He takes a deep breath and swaps the normal ray guns for Bob’s assault rifle.
He pushes open the door; just enough to not let anyone see the body and all the guns lock onto him. They lower them instantly and nod. Frank nods back and strides over to the desk.
He searches the draws and checks to see no one is looking when he slips his gun into his holster under the suit. He looks for things that could be useful and he finds some car keys. He does a fist pump in his head then shuts the draw.
He taps the closest Drac on the shoulder and holds the keys up. The Drac points outside and Frank nods, slipping out the front glass doors without anyone giving him a glance. It’s dark outside, the only illumination coming from the few street lamps dotted down the walkway.
The hairs on the back of his neck prickle at having his back turned so he surges forward, using the new raw power in his legs to pump them faster.
When he gets to the main road, a car is sat in a parking spot and Frank instantly recognises it as Korse’s car.
“This is too easy,” he says incredulous. He unlocks the car, slides over the hood and gets into the driver’s seat swiftly. He feels elated at finally completing his wish. Since he had seen the Trans AM, he had wanted to slide over the hood nearly every day but Gerard had said no saying “I swear to god if you even put your ass on the hood, I’m dusting you myself” in a serious voice. Frank had steered clear of the hood since then.
He puts the key in the ignition, takes off the handbrake, and then floors the gas pedal, heading for Zone 1 on the Getaway Mile.
The Drac’s on the border simply nod when he flies past and Frank laughs loud and carefree, the wind from the open window whipping his hair across his face.
He reaches for the radio, switching it to WKIL Slaughtermatic Sounds.
“...So as I said before motorbabies, any Killjoys in and near Zone 1 willing to break out the infamous Fun Ghoul should start making their way to the rendezvous point I told you about earlier. As some of you may know, Drac’s took him a few days ago and it’s time to save his ass by storming BLI. If you’re willing, radio in. Stay safe, Killjoys.” Dr Death’s voice fades out as he plays The Mad Gear and the Missile Kid.
He drives for the next half hour, head banging to the beat when he feels an itch under his skin. But when he scratches, it doesn’t fade. He sees the light of the sun, not far from the horizon and knows that the itch is telling him to get to cover. He tries to go faster but he’s already pushing the cars limit.
He sees a familiar car in the distance, driving toward him. He slams on the brakes, body nearly going through the windshield, and jumps out. The itch intensifies now that he’s out in the open but he doesn’t waver. He runs onto the other side of the road and waves his arms, praying to god that it’s who he thinks’ it is.