FicWad

Crowded.

Party and I weaved through the crowds of the Black, dodging waving merchant’s arms and slow walking couples. I smirked. They don’t have Party Poison, I sang in my head, tugging on Party’s arm so he would slow down a little. “Party, you’re literally running!”

Party glanced back at me, smiling. “Violet, you’re literally trudging!” he said in reply, scrunching his face up and turning back to the crowd, which seems to have come to a standstill. I felt Party stop in front of me, and I did too, looking around at the crowd of people all staring forward and up. I turned my head, expecting to see a man shouting or some fight, something that happens pretty regularly at the Black. A flash of red crossed my eyes, and I blinked, tilting my head down and putting my fingers on my eyes. I shook my head and blinked, looking up again.

A screen was floating, floating, above the crowd, the BLI logo on the lighted screen. I frowned as the Asian chick in Battery City appeared on screen, no emotions on her expressionless face. “Kon'nichiwa Killjoys, she said, a little translation at the bottom of the screen running across, saying ‘Hello Killjoys.’ “Batterī-shi koko de wareware wa hitobito ga wareware no sentō-ki no saikō no, mottomo wareware no buki no kyōryokuna, wareware no gādo no saikyō to anata no tame no junbi ga totonoimashita. Anata wa, ima sugu ni wa haiboku no mae ni bakkuappu shi tari, eikyō o ukeru.” The translation read ‘We people here in Battery City are ready for you with the strongest of our guards, the most powerful of our weapons, and our best of fighters. You can back down right now before you are defeated, or suffer the consequences.’ A few gasps ran out in the crowd, but most people yelled and shouted, raising their guns and putting their masks on.

I smiled at Party and let go of his hand. “I’ll be back, Party,” I said quietly, waving and walking to the front of the crowd. I looked around for something to stand on, smiling at a stack of boxes of beans. I climbed up to the top of the boxes, pulling my mask on and taking out my gun. “Killjoys!” I yelled, trying to get everybody’s attention and waving my arms around. The room’s noise died, and silence took its place. “We have suffered enough!” I looked over the crowd, opening my hidden eyes wide and nodding, getting a few nods and yells back. “We will not call this off for anything! BLI needs its downfall!” A chorus of cheers and shouting erupted in the room, and I waved my hands again, trying to bring the room back to peace. “We will leave in one hour for the city that has cast us out, marking us as bad and hunting us down to die! We will fight! And we will win!” More shouting and clapping than ever before sprang out of the quiet chatter, and I smiled, stepping off the boxes into Party’s arms.

“Well, that went very well,” he said, kissing me and pulling my mask from over my eyes to stare into them. “We need to hurry, though, if you plan to dye your hair in an hour.”

I smirked. “I’ve done it in five minutes, Party, trust me.” I began walking through the Black again, heading to the place where I got my color last time. I smiled as I walked into the shop, and made a bee line for the place it was last. “Aha,” I said, pulling the last box off the shelf and walking around the store to find the shop owner. I smiled as I paid the guy, a man with sandy hair and skin the same color, wearing neutral tones. I nodded to the guy and walked out of the store, fiddling with the box and hooking my arm through Party’s. “Ten minutes at the most. Time me,” I said disappearing into the bathroom I was in last time. I rushed to the sink in front of the dirty mirror, pulling out Ricky and grabbing a lock of hair, cutting it with the rusty blade. The piece of hair came out in a shit cut alone, but I judged it to look pretty good when it was all over. I hastily cut through the rest of my hair, sticking Ricky through the top of the hair dye box and pulling it out, opening the top while wetting me hair. I made some last minute adjustments and opened the hair dye, running my fingers through my hair with the dye on them. The dye ran out after a number of furious strokes, and I fingered my hair, rinsing it in the small sink. The water washed down the drain, leaving a violet ring around the side of the sink. I smirked and began shaking my head violently, trying to get my hair as dry as I could before I stuck it under the BLI hand dryer. I laughed as my short hair hit my face, lashing me but making me feel better at how light my head felt. Still shaking my head around like a wet dog, I walked over to the BLI hand dryer, trying to keep my balance and using the bathroom stall doors as a support as I walked. I stopped shaking my head, placing it under the hand dryer and turning it on. I put my fingers in my hair and shook them around, trying to get my hair dye quicker. Four more minutes, Violet, I told myself, standing back up and looking in the mirror, smiling at my violet-haired reflection. I ran a hand through my hair and smirked, knowing I was an easy target that would shoot before you realized I was there.

“Seven minutes. Nice,” Party said as I opened the door to the bathroom, standing up straight from leaning against the wall. “And you cut your hair, too.” Party pressed his head to mine, making me smile more and wrap my arm around him.

“C’mon, Party,” I said, walking. “We need to eat something.”

Party nodded, turning and walking the other way, me still with my arm around his waist. I looked up at him, confused. “I have a favorite place I like to eat at here, Violet. It’s quicker this way, trust me,” he said, turning and taking a narrow flight of stairs up through the Black, passing the second level without a step off, straight to the third.

“Whoa…” I said, Party taking my waist again as we reached the third level, coming out between a food shop and a café looking thing. “How can anyone have something besides a bar here?” I wondered aloud, passing a number of little café looking things.

Party looked down at me and smiled. “Oh, Violet, things such as restaurants do exist outside of Battery City…” Party said, kissing me and making me smile. “I want you to at least see the two places I like, though.”

“Oh really?” I asked, looking at him from the corners of my eyes. “I thought you were abducting me and I was going to have to fight my way out,” I said, raising my eyebrows and keeping a cool face.

Party smirked. “Do you want to be abducted, Violet? Do you want to fight your way out of it?” he asked, catching my drift.

I looked at Party and winked. He growled playfully and began attacking my mouth with kisses, me giggling and putting my hands on his jacket, not pushing him away, but not pulling him in closer. Party left my mouth and began kissing down my neck, stopping when my breath hitched in my throat. “Should I stop?” he asked, sounding worried and looking up at me with concern.

I sighed, not wanting the make out session to end. “Just stick to the face, Gee,” I said, pulling him back up to my level by his hair and kissing him, feeling his tongue over my bottom lip. I let him in, smirking as I remembered Ghoul. Okay, Violet, now you don’t wanna seem like a perv or anything, so we’re just going to push that thought out of you… I felt Party’s hand on my back, sending electric shivers throughout my body and making me moan silently into Party’s mouth. He smiled and pulled me in a hug, still kissing my lips, which were slowly turning red and swollen. “Gee…” I whispered, putting a hand on his head and lightly tugging at the red locks there.

“Hmm?” Party asked breathlessly, breaking away from the kiss only to stare into my eyes with such love and compassion that I smiled and rested my head against his chest.

“I’m hungry,” I said quietly, smiling at the fact that I let Party win this one. I felt Party’s face bury into my violet hair and I smiled even more, shutting my eyes.

“C’mon Violet, you need to eat if you’re hungry,” he said into my hair, taking his head out and walking, shifting me around so we could both walk like normal people. “Mexican or Italian?” Party asked, me looking up at him, confused. “Mexican or Italian?” he asked again, a smile dancing on those oh-so-kissable lips of his.

I shrugged. “I’m all for a good plate of Mexican,” I said, standing up straight and grabbing Party’s hand. He looked down at our hands intertwined with each other and smiled. “Can you tell me where we’re going, though?”I asked, partially whining.

Party shook his head, smirking. “Where’s the fun of abducting if you know where you’re going?” he asked, bringing up a very good point.

“True,” I said as we turned into a busy semi-large hole in the wall, where people were eating at a bar and scattered about tables, all eating my favorite. “I’m in love again,” I said, looking the place over, with its Mexican decorations, smell, and bar. “Where are we going to sit?”

Party put a finger to my lips and dragged me through a set of tables, coming to a little area full of booths, most unoccupied. “My favorite spot here,” he said, sitting down in an empty booth and leaning back. “I thought you might like it too.”

I nodded, looking at my surroundings like a little child. “It’s so awesome, I haven’t been to a Mexican restaurant since Tim…” I said on accident, bringing the small booth to an awkward silence. I coughed once, staring down at my hands on the table. “How long is this going to take?” I asked, looking up at Party.

Party shrugged. “If we get our food on time, about fifteen to thirty minutes,” he said, drumming his fingers on the table.

I smirked. “Nervous, Party?” I asked, watching his fingers pound out an easy beat. Violet, you might die, a voice in the back of my head said, and I shut my eyes, telling it to fuck off and go bother somebody else.

“More for you than me,” Party whispered, and I guessed he was thinking out loud. “I mean, you have a useless arm, bruises, and a tendency to scream without thinking about it. I’m worried for you, Violet,” Party said, making me open my eyes just to stare into his smoldering hazel ones. “I love you, Violet, and I don’t want anything bad happening to you.”

I nodded, a sad smirk on my face. “I have to worry about you, though. Earlier today you were losing your aim, Gerard,” I said, looking at my hands again, watching them as the unconsciously played ‘The Itsy Bitsy Spider’ with themselves. “Both Ghoul and I had to get you out of there, remember?”

Party sighed. “Yeah, I remember,” he said as a waiter came up to the table, wearing a navy blue pilot suit that I was extremely jealous of. Party looked up at the waiter, looking rather calm with something glinting in his eyes for a second. “Just a bean burrito, Mel, don’t have time for the usual.

Mel nodded once and turned towards me. “What are you going to be having?” he asked in a voice that reminded me of Moon.

I shrugged. “Taco?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mel rolled his eyes. “Hard or soft?” he asked, probably praying to God I didn’t come up with some follow up comment.

I smiled devilishly, looking at him with slightly narrowed eyes. “I’ve always heard hard are the best, but I’ve always liked soft. Give me a hard one though,” I said, watching as Mel’s mouth opened ever so slightly. He nodded and walked off, me turning towards a confused and amused Party Poison. “What?” I asked, looking at him and raising an eyebrow. “I never realized how much fun it was to make guys his age sweat a little.”

Party shook his head and smiled, looking at me with something glinting in his eyes again. “You’re all bark, no bite, you know that Violet? You need to start talking your own size…” he said, winking and making me laugh.

“Party, Party, Party…” I said, rubbing my face with my hands and looking up at him. “Don’t you know if I could I would?”

Party said nothing, shaking his head, as Mel came back with Party’s bean burrito and my hard taco. Mel set it down, giving me pleading glances, and I waved at him, using my fingers to shoo him off. “Heh heh, BLI is in for it…” Party said impishly, and I watched as he carefully picked up the bean burrito and took a bite out of it, chewing methodically.

I tilted me head, confused. “What?” I asked, looking at Party take another bite as I picked up my hard ‘un. “Do you get gassy or something when you eat bean burritos?” Party looked at me, his eyes a dead give-away of the answer. “Oh hell no, you are not riding in my truck, Gerard, not with you stinking the place up!” I said, waving my left hand, a little bit of lettuce and tomato falling out of the shell.

Party took another bite and said nothing, a smile playing on his lips as he ate. I shook my head and took a bite of the taco, marveling at how amazing it tasted, besides the fact that there are no good cooks out here in the Zones.

Ten minutes later, Party and I finished our food, Party already looking like he was having fun. “Thanks Mel,” Party called out in the back, leaving money on the table for Mel to get.

I looked up at Party, looping my right arm through his left, walking out of the Mexican restaurant. “I need to remember this place,” I said as we left the area in front of the restaurant, walking towards the front of the Black and passing empty bars. I peered into Margarita Alleyway, noting that even the bartender was gone. “Everyone must be outside already.”

Party nodded and kissed my hair. “All because of you,” he said, beginning the descent down the Black’s main wide stairs.

I punched Party in the arm playfully. “It’s not all because of me, Gerard,” I said, both of us turning with the Black’s stairs. “You were the one who told me about it.”

“Yes, but you were the one that literally stripped on air telling people about it,” Party said, turning towards me on the stairs and winking.

I scrunched up my face. “I was trying to capture everybody’s attention, Gee,” I said, forcing a little hurt in my tone. “I wasn’t stripping.”

Party’s face fell, and he nodded, hugging me. “I’m sorry, Violet, I was just teasing.”

I bit my cheek, still acting hurt. “Eh, it’s okay, I’ve been through worse,” I said, Party releasing me and the two of us stepping off the staircase and out of the Black, into the bright sunlight of early afternoon. “Do you think we’re ready?”

Party smiled and nodded, looking happy and proud. “I’m going to say it one more time, because of you,” he said, leading me through the crowds and groups outside to the Trans Am. “And just a quick question, Violet,” Party said, capturing my attention as I peered at a girl in all black talking to a boy in all white, “did you really fall out of love for the Death Machine?”

I nodded, smirking at him. “What are you trying to get me to say, Party?” I asked playfully, raising an eyebrow. “Are you trying to get me to say, ‘I love you, Gerard Way’?”

Party smiled and hugged me again, burying his face in my neck. “You just did,” he whispered in my ear, his breath hot against my skin and his head casting a shadow on my shirt.

I smiled and turned my head, kissing his forehead and pulling my Bans on. “You would think there would still people inside though,” I said, looking at the crowd around me from behind the darkened lenses. “I mean, everybody’s out here!”

Party nodded into my neck and stood up straight again as we reached the circle of ashes that was once the huge bonfire from last night. “Hey, guys,” he said, both of us looking around at the way Jet, Ghoul, Sign, Current, Kobra, Sun, and Fighter were bustling around, masks or scarves on and guns ready in holsters or in hand.

“Damn,” I muttered as Sign came up to Party and I, a navy blue mask with lime green zigzags sitting on her thin face.

“Hey Violet and Party, Scarlet, Fighter, and I are going to tag along with you guys. It’s okay with the guys, but is it okay with you two?” she asked, looking calm and happy.

I looked at Party and nodded. “We wouldn’t care one bit if you guys came with me. Party’s going to be in the Death Machine, though, not with me in my truck.”

Sign tilted her head, looking confused. “What? Why not?”

I smirked as Party chuckled darkly. “You’ll see,” he said, getting off me and stepping towards the Death Machine.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “I’ll try to get you, Sun, and Fighter in my truck if it’s possible. Party had a bean burrito, something I’m guessing that we’ll all regret later,” I said, Sign still looking confused. “Party’ll be worse than a landfill atomic bomb,” I stated, opening my eyes wide and shaking my head, moving it forwards a little towards Sign.

Sign shook her head. “I don’t get it. What’s happening?”

I sighed and looked up at the sky, begging for mercy. “Sign, Party will smell worse than sulfur, I’m guessing.” Stated frankly, Sign nodded and walked away, watching as the guys began yelling and Party smiled impishly.

“AWH, C’MON PARTY!” I heard Moon yell, and I smiled, shaking my head and walking towards my truck, a safe distance away from Party’s gassy self. I hear Party guffaw into the air, and I couldn’t help but letting my smile grow a little wider, knowing this guy was mine.

“Violet!” I heard a voice yell, and I turned to face a running Kobra Kid, looking excited. I raised an eyebrow at him as he came to a stop in front of me, huffing and putting his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. “I” wheeze “need to” breath “tell you something.” Kobra took another breath again, standing up straight and looking me in the eye, fiddling with his ‘GOOD LUCK’ helmet in his hand.

“Shoot,” I said, a little annoyed by Kobra’s presence. And just when I was cooling down…

“Violet,” Kobra said, looking at me with unreadable hazel eyes. He sighed. “I wanted to apologize.” I knitted my eyebrows together, thoroughly confused. “I’ve been an ass to you and Party, and a complete fucktard, not noticing how much he really loves you.”

I took a breath and nodded. “Just don’t do it again, Mikey Way, or I swear to god I’---“

“Violet, it won’t happen again,” Kobra said, cutting me off and smiling. “I’ll make sure of it.”

I nodded, faintly wondering if he was pulling some kind of joke on Party and I. “Pray to God for mercy from me if you’re lying?” I asked coolly, narrowing my eyes a little.

Kobra nodded. “Swear on my life.”

“Good.” I said, turning back to my truck. “Good day, Kobra.”

“Do you…” Kobra said, me turning my head to look at him. “Do you need any help?”

I blinked. “No, I’m good,” I said, turning back to my truck and opening the hood to check the new battery. Perfect. “You can go now,” I stated frankly, waving my left hand back and forth in air.

Footsteps walked away, and I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. Everything in check? Yes. Killjoys ready? Yes. Are you ready to fight Korse? The last thought stopped me as I had begun to close the truck’s hood. I should be ready, shouldn’t I? I mean, the guy raped me for three months… I thought, knitting my eyebrows together. A small voice in the back of my head asked, Violet, what if it’s the Tim thing, with the Stockholm Syndrome? I shut my eyes and shook my head, not wanting it to be. “No, it can’t be it,” I whispered to myself, shutting the truck’s hood and walking around to the driver’s side of the truck, opening the door and stepping inside. “You can do this, Violet,” I told myself, grabbing my gun from its thigh holster and looking at it in my hand. The colors were dirty, smudged, and there were grey lines on the handle from all the times my hand got sweaty during a fight, but this thing has killed Korse so many times it’s only logical to kill him one last time with it. I sighed and put my gun back in its holster.

My radio crackled to life in the silence of my truck, and I jumped out of my skin, shocked. “VR, almost time to go,” Doctor said on the radio, calling me out with my code name.

I picked up the radio and pressed the call button. “Death, I’ll call everybody now. Can you wave everybody telling them it’s time to go?”

The radio crackled in my hand and Doctor’s husky voice rose above the static. “Sure thing, VR. You ready to lead a revolution?”

His question stopped me. I pressed the call button again and nodded. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Alright, VR, good luck tonight,” Doctor said, and the radio’s crackling died down. I turned on the radio in my truck and flipped the station around to WXYL 109 FMX, searching for Doctor’s broadcast. ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’ was playing, and I bobbed my head in time with the music, mouthing the words, until Doctor’s broadcast came on after the song ended. “Hello you motorbabies and crash queens… It’s almost time for the rest of your lives. So say goodbye to the kids of yesterday, the memories of the past, and welcome a world where the shiny head and the Dracs are all gone, ghosted by your laser beams. Welcome to the new world, Killjoys, and let your spirits live on forever.”

I smiled at the broadcast as a new song came on the radio. “This song’s brand new, from long-lost 2010. It’s called ‘The Kids From Yesterday’, from the fabulous My Chemical Romance.” A guitar began playing a soft riff, and I couldn’t help but sway at the song as it continued playing for the next while of my time. The lyrics matched what Killjoys were about to do, and I could hear the song being turned up loud through the Black’s parking area. People were swaying, hugging, kissing, and laughing as the song went on, ending and starting again.

My radio crackled to life. “Hope everybody likes it, VR, good luck with tonight. Always know you have a home at the Diner with the guys,” Doctor’s voice said, making me tear up just a little.

I reached for my radio and clicked the call button. “Everyone loved it, Death, thank you. I hope to see you again,” I said quietly, ‘The Kids From Yesterday’ playing in the background and breaking the silence of the desert at noon.

“You’re welcome, Violet,” Doctor said, and my radio went silent again.

I nodded to nothing in particular and got out of the car, pulling my Bans off and replacing it with my mask. I climbed on top of the roof of my truck, standing well above everybody. “KILLJOYS!” I yelled out, waving my arms to get everybody’s attention. People turned to look at me, poking their friends and pointing to me. I felt self-conscious up there, on my roof, above the rest of the Killjoys. It doesn’t feel right, I thought, standing my ground. I shook my head and stopped waving my arms. “IT’S TIME TO GO AND RID OURSELVES OF THE TYRANNY OF BLI!” Cheers erupted through the crowd, even the people in the back. “REMEMBER, ONCE THIS IS ALL OVER, WE’LL STILL BE HERE, OUR SHADOWS LIVING ON IN THE DESERT, NO MATTER WHERE WE GO. YOU WILL LEAVE A SURREPTITIOUS KILLJOY, AND GO WHEREVER A CONQUERER. WE WILL DEFEAT BETTER LIVING INDUSTRIES!” A huge joyous uproar spread through the crowd, and doors to cars were being opened, people climbing inside and revving engines. “Good luck, Killjoys,” I whispered, looking at the brilliant blue sky overhead. And to think, I thought it was going to rain… I climbed off my truck and hopped inside, Sign, Fighter, and Sun walking over, masks or sunglasses on. “You guys ready?” I asked as they clambered inside, Sign next to me, Fighter and Sun sharing the passenger’s seat area.

Three heads nodded simultaneously, and I smiled, proud of the Killjoys. “Good. Let’s go and do this!” I started my truck up and began driving, off into the desert towards Battery City and D-Day.