Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > The Midnight Troupe
Gerard’s feet crunched over the dirty hallway floor.
“What’s going on?” he asked, voice echoing through the hallway.
“Shh.”
Sid shoved Gerard forward, and the two of them walked up to a door.
“Open the fuck up,” Sid shouted, swearing unnecessarily. Gerard felt uneasy, like maybe, he should have taken the blue pill.
The door was wrenched open.
“Took your sweet time, didn’t you?” a girl with pale blonde hair snapped.
“That’s what your mom said last night. ‘Sides, I picked up a stowaway. He’s not tarot, mind you, but he’s staying,” Sid explained, cracking his knuckles. He’d even taken the time to tape his hands.
Glancing around, Gerard noticed that everybody had their hands taped. His stomach lurched. Oh, God, what was going on? What had he gotten mixed up in?
“CATHOLICS!” Sid boomed, standing up. “Friends! Countrymen. I’d like to think that all of you know why you’re here,” Sid finished, glancing around the room. The only light was from candles waxed to the floor, and it lit Sid up like a demon, highlighting his cheekbones and the shadows under his eyes.
Gerard’s throat felt dry, and he swallowed.
“You are here because you are angry. We, as a whole, are spit on, cussed out, and abused. Why? Because we’re different. Because we don’t agree with some of those ideals. But so what?”
Sid paused, then kept going.
“Just ignore it, and maybe you’ll get over it and end up in suburbia with an angry kid that doesn’t look much like you. But right now, we’re the nothings and nobodies. So we’re gonna get together every other night and beat the shit outta each other. Why? Well, the same reason we get the shit beaten out of us. Because we can.”
Sidney inhaled, eyes scanning the crowd, who by now was watching completely spellbound. Gerard, by this point, had frozen into a statue. Maybe if he didn’t move, this would all go away and Sid wouldn’t hurt him.
“So, those of you who are angry, those of you who are done with it, stand up. STAND UP!”
Sid shrieked, and the few who were sitting leaped to their feet.
“Who’s done with all this?” Sid demanded, his voice bouncing off the walls and low ceiling.
“I am!” a girl at the back shouted.
“Who’s here to fight?”
“WE ARE!” the crowd screamed back.
“SCREAM! SCREAM! SKA-REAHM!” Sid roared, laughing hysterically.
The crowd laughed and screamed with him, and Gerard covered his ears and tried to fold into himself.
“Now shut up!” Sid snapped, and everybody fell silent. Sid had them now, he had every last one of them in the palm of his hand.
“No shoes. To keep it fair, whatever you do to your opponent, your opponent can do to you. One fight at a time, girl-guy, guy-guy, girl-guy, whatever. There’s no sexism here.”
There were a few laughs at that.
“Now, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Midnight Troupe. Which one of you is first?”
A girl pumped her hand in the air. “Me! Me! Me!”
Sidney laughed, delighted at her enthusiasm. The girl bounced to the front.
“Ready?” Sid asked, raising his fists.
“When you are, hero.”
Sidney laughed a bit, then punched her in the stomach.
Gerard gasped. He hit her!
The girl took it in stride, and hit Sid in the mouth. Sidney grunted as his lips cracked, blood dripping from the cracks and onto his shirt.
The girl closed the distance, kicking Sid in the ribs. Sidney turned with the hit, then doubled back for an uppercut.
The girl’s teeth snapped together, catching the tip of her tongue. Blood sprayed, and she stumbled back. Eyes glinting, Sidney pulled closed, kicking her in the stomach.
Gerard watched all this, eyes wide. He watched Sidney beat that girl to the ground, opening up a cut on her face, and there was just so much blood...
“Alright, I’m done! Okay? I’m done!”
Sidney stepped back, letting her go. She stumbled out. Blood was dripping down her face, but she was smiling.
“That was so much fun!”
“I’m up next! Izzle, I’ll fight you!” a tall boy from the back said. A girl near the front with blue streaks in her hair balked, but nodded.
Sidney stumbled out of the centre circle, coming to stand next to Gerard.
“Can I go home?” Gerard whispered.
“Nope.”
Gerard watched, hearing the crowd scream at the two fighters. He watched as the girl kneed the taller boy in the groin, taking him down and stomping him out. Everybody screamed, and Gerard watched, wide eyed. He didn’t want to be here! He wanted to go back to the dorm! Oh, God, Oh, God.
The tall boy swung his arm around, and hit Izzle in the face. Her jaw cracked with the impact.
Gerard reached over and grabbed a handful of Sid’s shirt.
“Hey! Leggo of me!” Sidney snapped, shaking off Gerard.
“Let me go back! I’ve changed my mind!” Gerard howled.
“No! You’re not going anywhere, you’ve made your choice. And quit yer bitching, you’re embarrassing me!”
“Please!” Gerard hissed. He just wanted to get out of there, take a hot shower and try to get rid of all that blood...
“Ow! Bitch! I’m out!” the tall boy snapped.
“Gerard! Get in there. Showtime,” Sid hissed, hand clamping around the smaller boy’s bicep.
Gerard planted his feet, but was dragged in nonetheless.
“Sid, I don’t wanna-”
“Put your hands up.”
“Sid-”
“Put. Your fucking. Hands up.”
Gerard raised his fists, having no idea what to do. “You ever been in a fight before?” Sid drawled, blinking slowly.
Gerard shook his head.
“Just hit me as hard as you can.”
Gerard closed his eyes and swung. Sid blocked it easily and punched Gerard in the ear.
“Ow! Why the ear?” Gerard hissed, ears ringing.
“So I can do this,” Sid responded, clapping both his hands over Gerard’s ears.
All sound disappeared. Gerard shook his head, trying to clear the ringing in his ears. That bastard!
Fine. Fine. If this is how Sidney Gumb wanted to play, Gerard could do that.
Gerard turned rolling his shoulders, mouth disfigured into a snarl.
Sidney’s oh-so-confident smile faltered. Gerard sprang, managing to land a punch to Sidney’s eye.
Sidney swung his arm and knocked him to the floor. Gerard tried to stand up and was rewarded with a kick in the ribs.
Gerard felt Sid bend down, and fingers knot in his hair.
Is he going to....
He was. Gerard felt his head lifted up, then brutally smashed into the concrete.
Again.
And again.
Things were starting to get a bit fuzzy, but he still could win.
Swinging his foot around, he managed to catch Sidney in the back of the knee. Sid stumbled, and Gerard scrambled to his feet. He could feel warm blood running down the side of his face, and Sidney’s lip was still bleeding.
Gerard noticed his hearing was starting to come back. He wasn’t done yet.
Leaping forward, Gerard managed to get in two hits this time, one to Sid’s neck and on his shoulder.
Sidney whipped around, turning with the hits, and grabbed onto Gerard, holding onto the front of his shirt. Gerard braced for impact.
Sidney punched Gerard full on in the face, then threw hit to the paved floor.
Ahh. Gerard blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the pain. Sidney punched him again, slammed his foot into the middle of Gerard's back, grinding his heel into his spine.
Gerard tried to haul himself to his feet, and Sid pushed him down.
“Had enough?” Sid asked, leaning over him. Gerard grit his teeth, ignoring the pain and stood up quickly, smacking Sidney in the face with the back of his head.
“I’m out,” he snarled, while Sidney grabbed onto his now-bleeding nose.
After a while, Sid came over to sit next to Gerard.
“What time is it?” Gerard asked, holding his sleeve to his face to stop the bleeding.
Sidney shrugged. “Did you have fun? You’re actually pretty good, and with some practice, you’d be crazy amazing,” Sid told him, wincing when a girl took a hard hit.
“Come on, Apollonia, get back in there!” he called to her.
“You think so?” Gerard asked, watching Sidney.
“Absolutely. We should do this again sometime, yeah?” Sidney said, grinning over at Gerard.
Gerard nodded. “Yeah. We should.”
“What’s going on?” he asked, voice echoing through the hallway.
“Shh.”
Sid shoved Gerard forward, and the two of them walked up to a door.
“Open the fuck up,” Sid shouted, swearing unnecessarily. Gerard felt uneasy, like maybe, he should have taken the blue pill.
The door was wrenched open.
“Took your sweet time, didn’t you?” a girl with pale blonde hair snapped.
“That’s what your mom said last night. ‘Sides, I picked up a stowaway. He’s not tarot, mind you, but he’s staying,” Sid explained, cracking his knuckles. He’d even taken the time to tape his hands.
Glancing around, Gerard noticed that everybody had their hands taped. His stomach lurched. Oh, God, what was going on? What had he gotten mixed up in?
“CATHOLICS!” Sid boomed, standing up. “Friends! Countrymen. I’d like to think that all of you know why you’re here,” Sid finished, glancing around the room. The only light was from candles waxed to the floor, and it lit Sid up like a demon, highlighting his cheekbones and the shadows under his eyes.
Gerard’s throat felt dry, and he swallowed.
“You are here because you are angry. We, as a whole, are spit on, cussed out, and abused. Why? Because we’re different. Because we don’t agree with some of those ideals. But so what?”
Sid paused, then kept going.
“Just ignore it, and maybe you’ll get over it and end up in suburbia with an angry kid that doesn’t look much like you. But right now, we’re the nothings and nobodies. So we’re gonna get together every other night and beat the shit outta each other. Why? Well, the same reason we get the shit beaten out of us. Because we can.”
Sidney inhaled, eyes scanning the crowd, who by now was watching completely spellbound. Gerard, by this point, had frozen into a statue. Maybe if he didn’t move, this would all go away and Sid wouldn’t hurt him.
“So, those of you who are angry, those of you who are done with it, stand up. STAND UP!”
Sid shrieked, and the few who were sitting leaped to their feet.
“Who’s done with all this?” Sid demanded, his voice bouncing off the walls and low ceiling.
“I am!” a girl at the back shouted.
“Who’s here to fight?”
“WE ARE!” the crowd screamed back.
“SCREAM! SCREAM! SKA-REAHM!” Sid roared, laughing hysterically.
The crowd laughed and screamed with him, and Gerard covered his ears and tried to fold into himself.
“Now shut up!” Sid snapped, and everybody fell silent. Sid had them now, he had every last one of them in the palm of his hand.
“No shoes. To keep it fair, whatever you do to your opponent, your opponent can do to you. One fight at a time, girl-guy, guy-guy, girl-guy, whatever. There’s no sexism here.”
There were a few laughs at that.
“Now, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Midnight Troupe. Which one of you is first?”
A girl pumped her hand in the air. “Me! Me! Me!”
Sidney laughed, delighted at her enthusiasm. The girl bounced to the front.
“Ready?” Sid asked, raising his fists.
“When you are, hero.”
Sidney laughed a bit, then punched her in the stomach.
Gerard gasped. He hit her!
The girl took it in stride, and hit Sid in the mouth. Sidney grunted as his lips cracked, blood dripping from the cracks and onto his shirt.
The girl closed the distance, kicking Sid in the ribs. Sidney turned with the hit, then doubled back for an uppercut.
The girl’s teeth snapped together, catching the tip of her tongue. Blood sprayed, and she stumbled back. Eyes glinting, Sidney pulled closed, kicking her in the stomach.
Gerard watched all this, eyes wide. He watched Sidney beat that girl to the ground, opening up a cut on her face, and there was just so much blood...
“Alright, I’m done! Okay? I’m done!”
Sidney stepped back, letting her go. She stumbled out. Blood was dripping down her face, but she was smiling.
“That was so much fun!”
“I’m up next! Izzle, I’ll fight you!” a tall boy from the back said. A girl near the front with blue streaks in her hair balked, but nodded.
Sidney stumbled out of the centre circle, coming to stand next to Gerard.
“Can I go home?” Gerard whispered.
“Nope.”
Gerard watched, hearing the crowd scream at the two fighters. He watched as the girl kneed the taller boy in the groin, taking him down and stomping him out. Everybody screamed, and Gerard watched, wide eyed. He didn’t want to be here! He wanted to go back to the dorm! Oh, God, Oh, God.
The tall boy swung his arm around, and hit Izzle in the face. Her jaw cracked with the impact.
Gerard reached over and grabbed a handful of Sid’s shirt.
“Hey! Leggo of me!” Sidney snapped, shaking off Gerard.
“Let me go back! I’ve changed my mind!” Gerard howled.
“No! You’re not going anywhere, you’ve made your choice. And quit yer bitching, you’re embarrassing me!”
“Please!” Gerard hissed. He just wanted to get out of there, take a hot shower and try to get rid of all that blood...
“Ow! Bitch! I’m out!” the tall boy snapped.
“Gerard! Get in there. Showtime,” Sid hissed, hand clamping around the smaller boy’s bicep.
Gerard planted his feet, but was dragged in nonetheless.
“Sid, I don’t wanna-”
“Put your hands up.”
“Sid-”
“Put. Your fucking. Hands up.”
Gerard raised his fists, having no idea what to do. “You ever been in a fight before?” Sid drawled, blinking slowly.
Gerard shook his head.
“Just hit me as hard as you can.”
Gerard closed his eyes and swung. Sid blocked it easily and punched Gerard in the ear.
“Ow! Why the ear?” Gerard hissed, ears ringing.
“So I can do this,” Sid responded, clapping both his hands over Gerard’s ears.
All sound disappeared. Gerard shook his head, trying to clear the ringing in his ears. That bastard!
Fine. Fine. If this is how Sidney Gumb wanted to play, Gerard could do that.
Gerard turned rolling his shoulders, mouth disfigured into a snarl.
Sidney’s oh-so-confident smile faltered. Gerard sprang, managing to land a punch to Sidney’s eye.
Sidney swung his arm and knocked him to the floor. Gerard tried to stand up and was rewarded with a kick in the ribs.
Gerard felt Sid bend down, and fingers knot in his hair.
Is he going to....
He was. Gerard felt his head lifted up, then brutally smashed into the concrete.
Again.
And again.
Things were starting to get a bit fuzzy, but he still could win.
Swinging his foot around, he managed to catch Sidney in the back of the knee. Sid stumbled, and Gerard scrambled to his feet. He could feel warm blood running down the side of his face, and Sidney’s lip was still bleeding.
Gerard noticed his hearing was starting to come back. He wasn’t done yet.
Leaping forward, Gerard managed to get in two hits this time, one to Sid’s neck and on his shoulder.
Sidney whipped around, turning with the hits, and grabbed onto Gerard, holding onto the front of his shirt. Gerard braced for impact.
Sidney punched Gerard full on in the face, then threw hit to the paved floor.
Ahh. Gerard blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the pain. Sidney punched him again, slammed his foot into the middle of Gerard's back, grinding his heel into his spine.
Gerard tried to haul himself to his feet, and Sid pushed him down.
“Had enough?” Sid asked, leaning over him. Gerard grit his teeth, ignoring the pain and stood up quickly, smacking Sidney in the face with the back of his head.
“I’m out,” he snarled, while Sidney grabbed onto his now-bleeding nose.
After a while, Sid came over to sit next to Gerard.
“What time is it?” Gerard asked, holding his sleeve to his face to stop the bleeding.
Sidney shrugged. “Did you have fun? You’re actually pretty good, and with some practice, you’d be crazy amazing,” Sid told him, wincing when a girl took a hard hit.
“Come on, Apollonia, get back in there!” he called to her.
“You think so?” Gerard asked, watching Sidney.
“Absolutely. We should do this again sometime, yeah?” Sidney said, grinning over at Gerard.
Gerard nodded. “Yeah. We should.”
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