FicWad

Dracs.

What the hell

“C’mon, Party, jump in the truck!” I screamed, shooting the Dracs clad in black with my left hand to make them back away from my beloved truck from the inside of said truck. One thought was running through my mind; What the hell?! Dracs were ghosted long ago! I shifted into gear with my right hand, pocketing my gun and revving the engine.

Party Poison jumped into my truck’s passenger side, shutting the door and running a hand across his face, leaning out of the passenger’s window and shooting the Dracs away as I fled towards my tree. He pulled back in when we couldn’t see the Dracs and sighed, leaning back in the seat. “I thought they were gone a long time ago…” he said, shutting his eye and knitting his eyebrows. He opened his eyes and looked at me. “Violet, did you know they were still here?”

I shook my head, growing worried for the first time in a few years. It was early 2022, or so I thought, and the Dracs and Better Living Industries have been gone for quite a while now. “Did you know, Gerard?” I asked, shifting gear and speeding up as night began to fall on the desert. Dracs… In the Zones… Zone 1, to be exact… BLI’s gone… Korse is dead… What the fuck?!

Party chuckled, which broke the tension, and sat up as my tree came into view of the headlights. “That’s why I asked you, Violet,” he said, smiling into the dark. “I thought you would know.”

I scrunched my face up and stuck my tongue out at Party, swatting at his left arm. “You don’t think…” I said, growing serious again.

Party shook his head. “No. No, it can’t be. BLI’s been gone for a few years now, at least in Battery City, and nobody BLI-related made it out of there… Right?” he asked, growing just as worried as I was again. “I mean, you killed Korse, didn’t you?”

I nodded, watching the shadows move around inside my tree. “The tree’s getting too small for us…” I said, looking into the darkness, deep in thought. This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening, this can’t be happening…

“Violet,” Party said, waving a hand in front of my face. “You might want to turn your truck off now.”

“Oh,” I said softly, shutting off my truck and shaking my head to clear my thoughts. “It’s not BLI, is it, Gerard?” I asked quietly, staring up at the stars out of the windshield.

Party pulled me into a hug, his signature cigarettes/coffee/dust smell going to my nose. “Don’t worry, Violet, I won’t let them hurt you,” he said, nuzzling his head into my violet hair. “Not again.”

I nodded, sighing and shutting my eyes. “I just hope it’s not them…” I whispered, taking a breath and biting my lip. It can’t be Korse, because he’s dead. It’s not a Drac, because they’re not smart enough. It’s not Tim, is it?! I thought with rising panic. It can’t be Tim! No! Violet, he’s… You killed him! A number of times! It’s not him, it’s not him, it’s not him…

“C’mon, Violet, we need to go inside,” Party mumbled into my hair, releasing me and pulling his blue jacket tighter.

I nodded and wrapped my arms around me, wishing it wasn’t so cold in the winter. “Should we tell the guys?” I asked, opening the driver’s door to my truck and stepping out onto the dusty ground. My feet are cold, I thought, and I looked down at my feet to see a hole in my boot. “Aw, shit,” I said, squatting to examine the hole. “Damn it.”

Party walked over to my side of the truck and squatted down too, hugging me, which gave me a cold chill and made goose bumps rise on my arms. “We’ll buy you a new pair, Violet, don’t worry,” he said, standing up and pulling me up with him. I nodded, sighing and watching my breath puff out of my mouth in a cloud. “We’ll tell the guys, too, and head to the Diner to tell D to broadcast this tomorrow. I’ll never let them hurt you.”

I smiled and nodded, recognizing the My Chemical Romance lyric in a heartbeat. “Been doing a bit of My Chemical Romance homework, I see,” I said teasingly, walking and wrapping my arms around Party. “All for me?”

Party chuckled as we neared the entrance to my tree, with the shadows of everyone inside dancing around and hushed voices sounding excited. “All for you,” he whispered, then placed a finger on my lips. “Well, Violet,” he said loudly, trying to keep from laughing, “that was fun, wasn’t it?”

I bit my lip and nodded subtly. “Oh,” I said softly, then nodded my head, making a show out of it. “Yes, it was, Gerard, and I do hope we go on another adventure in a while,” I said just as loudly as Party had done, stepping towards my tree. The voices inside the tree shut up, and the shadows stopped moving. “I do wonder where everyone is…” I said, walking through my tree’s canvas entrance to an empty room. I felt my smile fall as I looked around the room. A beer can was on its side by a crate, and I walked over to it, scowling. “Damn pussies never pick up any of their shit,” I mumbled, picking the can up and tossing it outside into the night.

Party walked over to me and put his hands on my shoulders, warming me up. He kissed my bare shoulder, and nuzzled his face into my neck. “I guess we get your tree all to ourselves,” he said seductively, kissing behind me ear and sending shivers up and down my back.

I heard a huff from behind a crate, and a slow smile spread across my face, half because Party was moving up my neck, and half because I knew Fun Ghoul was the only one who was jealous of Party and I. “Guys, you might as well come out now,” I said softly, rolling my eyes. “Frank just gave everyone away, with their hiding places.”

A number of groans and angry mumbles greeted me, and I watched the room come alive with the group. Kobra Kid came from underneath a crate. Mr. Moonstruck and Scarlett Sun rose from behind an overturned table. Shockwave Current and Jet Star merely stood up from behind two particularly large crates. “Good to see nobody’s dead yet,” I said, watching everybody stretch and shoot hate daggers towards Ghoul.

Ghoul stuck his tongue out at them and folded his arms, pouting like a little kid. “It’s not my fault that I can’t help but gag at the sight of them kissing,” he said, motioning towards Party and I. “You guys were the ones in the first place who wanted to surprise Violet anyway.”

Kobra flicked Ghoul his middle finger and turned to face Party and I. “Violet, happy birthday. Gerard, you and I need to talk,” he said quickly, shoving his hands in his pockets of his jeans. I looked at Party, who had poked me in the side, and shrugged, indifferent on whether he went or not. Party nodded and followed Kobra outside, letting me go.

“Sooo…” I said, walking to an unopened beer sitting on a crate and cracking it open, “another party? Haven’t you guys learned surprise parties don’t fare well with me?”

Current ran over to me and gave me a hug. “We know. But you only have your birthday once a year, and this makes up for all those years you spent as a hermit,” she said, her electric blue hair flopping in front of her face as she spoke. “All because of those Dracs, too…”

I sighed, set the beer can down on the ground beside the crate, and stood up, out of Current’s reach, looking her in the eye. “Current, they’re not gone. Or so Gerard and I think. We had to fight some off coming back from Trader in Zone 1,” I said quietly, shaking my head. “We thought that stopped in 2019, but they’re back, and we’re worried if Korse is back.”

Current shook her head and sat down on a crate behind her. “That’s not possible, Rage. You killed Korse, remember? You chopped off his head and arms and stuff, and threw the head at some guy. I wasn’t there, but I heard about it.”

I looked at the canvas wall of my tree, shaking my head and shutting my eyes. “They’re back, wearing black. Gerard and I are thinkin’ it’s just a group of Dracs that are stragglers, but these guys looked fresher, newer, and could fight like no tomorrow,” I said quietly, plopping on a crate behind me and putting my head in my hands. “And just when it became beautiful…” I whispered, remembering old words.

“BLI wants it perfect, Violet,” I heard Jet say, and I shut my mind off, just wanting to drink myself senseless, like I’ve done the past few parties all of us have had before. “Who do you think it is this time?”

I shook my head, shrugging. “I don’t remember leaving anyone alive since the last major fight Killjoys had…” The word ‘killjoys’ felt foreign on my tongue, seeing as there haven’t been true killjoys ever since three years ago. Get used to it, Violet, instincts said to me. You’ll need to begin calling yourself that all too soon. I groaned and shook my head again, sitting up and opening my eyes. “Can I just get a beer or my tequila and get fucked up?” I asked the air, looking around the room for my latest tequila bottle.

Sun walked over and gave my bottle to me, but not before drinking some of its contents for herself. “You need to get more of this, Vi,” she said, looking at me with devilish blue eyes. “I want a crate of that.”

I rolled my eyes and waved her away, taking a drink and passing the bottle to Jet, who took a drink and passed it to Ghoul, thus starting the beer circle game we play. The first person to hurl loses. We were all pretty good at holding our alcohol in, so every time we all got very drunk before we passed out. Nobody’s ever barfed at this game, not even Sun or Current.

“Violet,” I heard Ghoul say after about five rounds of the game with quiet chatter, “happy birthday.” Ghoul didn’t sound tipsy, but I knew better than to trust that.

“Frank,” I said, trying to sound posh, “are you drunk?”

“Oh no no no no no…” he said, waving his hands and laughing. “Not I!”

“Not I!” Current repeated, faking shock and hiccupping slightly.

Moon was drumming out a beat on his legs. “Can’t possibly be me,” he said during what I assumed was a snare solo.

Jet rolled his eyes. “You know it’s not me.”

We all turned to Sun, who was downing the rest of the half-empty bottle of tequila. She was just chugging away, probably not remembering the game we had going. She removed the empty bottle from her lips and wiped them with the back of her hand. “It’s never been me,” she said loudly, swaying just a little bit on her crate.

I laughed at the scene of it all, and we continued to play the beer game. Party and Kobra finally walked back into the tree, Kobra a little ashen and Party looking worried. I pulled him down to the crate to my right and hugged him. “Don’t look worried, Gee, what is it?” I asked, hoping I didn’t smell like alcohol.

Party mock frowned. “You guys started the game without Mikey and I? Shame on you Violet,” he said, making me smile. Party’s frown then morphed into a real one. “Mikey’s been hearing on D’s station that there are Dracs popping back up all around Battery City and Zone 1, all fighting every Killjoy they can get their hands on and normally winning.”

I shut my eyes and nodded, opening my eyes back up and feeling my smile fall. “They’re that bad?” I asked, looking up at Gerard from his neck.

Gerard looked down at me and smiled sadly. “That bad. At least we can run through the desert again, Violet. Wasn’t that so much fun last time we did?” he asked, only half faking enthusiasm.

I rolled my eyes and punched Party lightly in the stomach. “I swear to god, Gerard, if you break my arm or nose again…”

Party chuckled and kissed me lightly. “Now why would I do that?” he asked quietly, nuzzling his face in my hair. “You having your broken arm was a liability.”

I punched Party in the stomach again, just for good measures. “A liability? I was not! I happened to shoot better than you, thank you very much. You being deathly thin and weak didn’t help, either.”

Party rolled his eyes and encased me in a coffee and cigarette scented hug. “I promise not to tackle you again, Violet,” he whispered in my ear, giving me slight chills.

I breathily chuckled and closed my eyes. “I promise not to run away from you again, Gerard,” I said wanting nothing more than sleep right now.

A bottle nudged my side, and I looked up to see Moon poking me in the side with another bottle, full of what looked like vodka, with a frown and a determined look on his face. “New game, Violet. Start us off,” he said, slurring his words a little.

I rolled my eyes and snatched the bottle from his hand. “Be glad I don’t kick your ass,” I said, opening the bottle’s twist top and peering inside the bottle. I looked up at everyone, each one a different expression of either impatience or drunkenness. I smirked and put the bottle to my lips, beginning my chug-fest. By about half the bottle everyone’s mouth was open at a different level, and I finished the bottle with everyone but Party and Sun cheering.

Sun frowned. “I wanted some vodka…” she said, scowling and reaching for a beer can on a crate by her.

I stuck my tongue out at her and turned towards Party, who was chuckling. “Whaa?” I asked, now fairly drunk. “Didn’t expect me to drink that much in one sitting?” I felt myself swaying, but I didn’t care. My mind had gone numb after a quarter of the bottle.

Party caught me as I leaned into him, falling forward. “C’mon, Violet, you need sleep,” he said, wrapping his arms around me and smiling. I nodded and stood up as Party stood, picking my feet up as we left the tree to go to the back of my truck, which all of us had cleaned out and organized during the summer so there was space in the center bed for people to sit or lay down in.

I climbed up the little ladder my truck had and stepped into the cleaned out area, laying on my back and wrapping my arms around myself to stop from shivering. Party followed me up the ladder and laid down beside me, hugging me close to his body in the chilled air. “You need to stop chugging all the alcohol,” Party joked, his breath heating my hair up. “You make us run out.”

I nodded and shut my eyes, hearing Party’s heartbeat and easy breathing. I sighed and let my mind drift. “I love you, Gerard.”


Fun Ghoul
Jealous.

I just couldn’t help but feel a little jealous as Gerard walked outside, toting Violet with him. I huffed, like I did earlier, and turned to face everyone, who had begun another game called, “pinch me silly.” I rolled my eyes but joined in, pinching Bob’s nose, which happened to be the closest thing to me.

“OW!” he said, and pinched my thigh. I hit him upside the head and pinched his ear. I know, so very adult, but hey, when you get drunk, nothing matters.

I felt a pinch on my hand, and I turned to see Scarlet sitting next to me, pinching me repeatedly, looking fairly determined. I laughed and pinched her foot, which was bare at the moment. We began pinching each other, and somehow we both ended up on the ground, me on top of Scarlet.

“Wow,” I couldn’t help but breathe as Scarlet pinched me off of her and to her side, where she sat up and began pinching my stomach. I scrunched my face up and pinched her cheek, trying not to leave a red mark. I didn’t want to hurt her, but I could tell she wanted me to react to the pain she was giving me.

Scarlet stuck her tongue out and pinched my stomach again, using her other hand to pinch my nose shut. I began breathing through my nose as she leaned forward and kissed me lightly on the cheek. I couldn’t mask my confusion as she pulled away slowly, looking me in the eye and standing up. She winked after she stood up to her full height and sauntered out of Violet’s tree to the night.

I watched her walk outside, looking very sober at the moment, with growing confusion. “What the hell?” I whispered, sitting up and looking around. Bob, Jet, Mikey, and Shockwave were all chatting about the plural form of ‘moose’, and Scarlet was gone. I put a hand on my head, placing the other on my head also, and began patting myself down to make sure it really happened. I’ve had feelings for Scarlet for a while now, but I thought I was keeping them well hidden. It’s not like they were strong feelings. I shook my head and stood up, groaning as my back cracked. “Goddamn,” I grumbled, scratching the back of my neck and walking outside. “I’m so fucking old.”

I heard quiet snoring, but I shook my head, knowing that was probably Gerard and Violet. A small tug happened to my heart, and I frowned. I was still jealous, of course, but what just happened in Violet’s tree confused me about who I liked, for once. “Frank, stop it,” I said to myself, looking around for Scarlet. “You like Gerard. You have for quite a while now. Not Scarlet.”

“Are you sure about that?” Scarlet’s voice said behind me, and I turned to see her looking at me with big, blue eyes. There wasn’t any way she was drunk. “Do you still like Gerard?”

“I...” I said, not knowing the answer to that question. I shook my head and walked past Scarlet to the Death Machine, where I normally slept to avoid Mikey’s demon snoring. “I’m going to sleep,” I grumbled, shoving my hands in my pockets and tucking my chin down.

“Sweet dreams,” Scarlet said behind me, and I paused for a moment before twisting my head to clear my thoughts and continuing on.

What the hell was that about? I asked myself, not knowing the answer. What the hell was that? I don’t like her, do I?

And here it is! Grace and Rage is on hiatus, until I can get this finished. Good luck with that wait if you were anticipating it!