FicWad

"No" Gerard whispered as he looked at the burning desert. His skin and clothes were warmed by the flames that danced hauntingly around him. He was lying on the sandy ground. The wind was blowing dust on his clothes. He couldn't move his body. Every time he tried to lift himself, he couldn't do it because he seemed so heavy. He made an effort to yell for help but his mouth was dry and ended up letting out a groan. There was a strong wind and it just made the fire grow. The flames scathed everything including the Black Parade float where they used to play on in their golden times. It seemed like yesterday that streets where smothered by the black paraders and spectators would cheer on...but all faded. Fear, Regret, and even Mother War left them. Nothing from the Black Parade was left but the band, and they were all dying of depression and despair...literally.

"It's gone" Gerard whispered as he looked at the burning float. The Black Parade props and decorations were melting away in the burning furnace and there was nothing he can do about it.

In a distace, he can hear someone say, "there's Gerard!". He recognized it as Ray's voice. Footsteps and some dragging sounds were heard.

"Gerard, are you all right?" Ray asked. Gerard looked up to the weary face of his friend.

"You look terrible" Gerard managed to whisper to confirm that he was all right.

Ray grinned. "So do you". Ray helped him up. A second hand also helped him to his feet. They were the hands of Frank.

"Is everyone fine?" Gerard asked softly.

"Bob's leg is bleeding and Mikey broke an arm" Frank answered and he pointed towards Mikey leaning over Bob who was lying on the ground.

Gerard was limping. "My ankle hurts" he said and when they tried to help him walk, he signalled them that he can do fine. "Bob are you okay?" he asked the figure lying on the ground beside Mikey.

"Yeah" Bob said quite casually, pointing at his injured leg which was wrapped around with a piece of clothing. He seemed fine.

"It's over Gerard. We better run before they get us" Ray told him. He looked weary. In fact, they all looked weary.

"Run?" Gerard faced Ray with a serious face, not believing that Ray wanted to run like a coward away from their death "run, Ray? We're done here. They're going to finish us anyway."

Ray glared at him. His hair flew with the wind and dark circles were forming around his eyes. No way was it eyeliner.

"I don't want to die in their hands, Gerard"

Everyone looked at Gerard. Frank didn't look at him. He sat there looking at the ground.

Gerard continued to gaze at the burning float. He squinted his eyes. But he continued to gaze anyway as if everything burning was a long lost lover.

"These bright lights have always blinded me" he whispered to himself. He was always used to a dingy and dark atmosphere. He didn't mind everyone who was looking at him.

"You're insane, Gerard. You've been in it for a long time..." Ray said. It seemed that Ray was the only one that could speak to Gerard.

"No" Gerard said stubbornly. "I'm staying here"

They looked at each other. Frank continued to stare at the ground.

"But they'll get you" Ray insisted.

"They'll try" Gerard said.

Ray went silent.

"Gerard, time is running out" Mikey said in a broken voice, "we have to do something"

Gerard looked at his brother. "We can't do something. We can't do anything. They're coming to get us. Even if we run away, they're still going to get us, Mikey"

"But why do they have to come back?" Bob said.

It took moments before Gerard answered him. "Revenge", he said. Gerard looked at the burning float again, "Revenge for stealing their place that they say is rightfully theirs."

"But why so soon?" Bob asked again.

"They don't like our ways."

Everyone was silent. Gerard looked at everyone. Fear was getting him. He was going to die soon. But which of them is going to die first? Bob was looking at the starless night sky. His once blue eyes didn't look as if they were blue anymore. Mikey was watching everything burn down. His broken arm was lifeless...paralyzed. Ray was hiding his face in his arms. And Frank...he was drawing circles on the sand.

Suddenly, Ray stood up. "I'm going. I don't want to die that way..."

Everyone looked at him. Ray stared at the burning float. "I want to go. If no one wants to come with me-"

"Ray" Mikey interrupted, "they're still going to find us"

"Ray, you don't know what you're saying..." Bob began.

"We're not cowards, Ray" Frank said and he stood up too.

"Are you calling me a coward, Iero?" Ray said. They knew that if Ray called someone by his last name, he was starting an argument.

"We're not going to run like cowards. I'm staying here...with Gerard." Frank defended himself.

"Staying here is like killing yourself" Ray said, "We can't fight them. We know that they're too powerful. Th-they've got guns, Frank. I'm really going"

Ray took one last look at them and began to walk away.

"Ray!" Gerard yelled, "I know that we can't make you stay...but where's your heart man? We're your friends and you're going to leave us here? We are going to face them. We're not cowards, Ray"

Ray stopped in his tracks. He turned around and looked at Gerard. Tears started to well up his eyes.

"You're not like this, Ray" Frank said.

"He's in disturbia" Bob whispered.

"W-we can't stand up against them" Ray said.

"I know that we can't. We're weaker than them. They've got guns and we don't. If you leave us, there will be four of us left and there are five of them. If we die at least we did it because we tried our best to face them" Gerard said. Ray looked down at the ground; he regretted what he had said a while ago.

"I am not afraid to keep on living...and I am not afraid to die. Life is beautiful, so is death" Gerard said. He went towards Ray and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Forgive me" Ray whispered.

"If you stay, you'll be forgiven" Gerard whispered back.

The fire roared as it ate the last parts of the float up. Now that everything was eaten by the fire, the fire began to die out. It had nothing to eat anymore.