FicWad

In her excitement, Mother War stood up and paced the room, watching from behind her mask the confused expression on the Leader’s face. The Leader, in turn, crossed his arms in indignation. He too stood up, not allowing himself to be befuddled with the nonsense that seemed to come from the woman’s mouth.

“Killjoys? Who are they?” asked the Leader, ashamed he did not know.

“Why, don’t you know?” Mother War replied, “I’m surprised by your ignorance.”

The Leader shrugged. He approached the window and tried to look out through the foggy glass; but it was so bleary, the window now looked opaque.

“I don’t know many things anymore” he replied, a tinge of sorrow in his voice, “You threw me into prison.”

“Forgive me then, my dear. You know I put you in prison out of my outrage” she said sincerely, “But I had to find someone to blame… for the death of the Parade.”

“And you blamed me?”

“I did, but I don’t anymore. I used to think it was your lack of good leadership; that the blood of the Parade was on your irresponsible hands. But no matter, for I have found someone else to blame. I have not forgotten, you see.”

“What do you wish to accomplish?”

She paused before answering, “Revenge.”

“For what?”

“For the Black Parade, my dear.”

For a while, neither of them spoke. He contemplated on her words. Everything she has told him reminded him of that bitter defeat – the downfall of the Black Parade. He, as well as she, remembered the last moments of their time together as a parade.

There used to be hundreds, no, thousands, of them in the Parade. Men and women, children, and other creatures, marched the City streets, for they represented the victory from war. Those were their glory days. That is, until they were sought out in the City and were killed almost one by one, by four masked men. It was a massacre. Only a handful managed to escape – among them Mother War who had her own home in a different dimension, and the Leader.

“I assume then, that these Killjoys were the four masked men who massacred our Parade?” asked the Leader, feeling strange as he used the word ‘massacre’.

“Yes. And with the help of some…certain people, I was able to find them” she said proudly, “In the other dimension. A gang of misfits…and they are forming an army. I’ve seen their weapons.”
The Leader flinched at the mention of weapons. How could Mother War talk of such things? The City was decimated by weapons of mass destruction. Thousands in the City were killed because of weapons. The Black Parade wasn’t even spared from these destructive weapons. Doesn’t she realize that by exacting revenge on these so-called Killjoys, she would be…

“You can’t start a war!”

“Of course I can. I’m Mother War.”

“One war was a desolation to thousands. Look what had become of our City! Ruined and reduced to rubble – “

“Listen” she said, silencing him with the grave seriousness in her voice, “Don’t you want to exact our Revenge on these men? These men are killers, remember that. These men killed our beloved thousands – the men, the women, even the children. Don’t you want them to pay for that injustice?”

Strong words from Mother War, and they took its desired effect on the Leader. He was gripped with silent anger – the same old grudge that gripped him after knowing of the murder of the Black Parade.

“Is that why you took the Reverend?” he said, suppressing his strong emotions.

Mother War was silent for a while. She approached the fireplace and fed pieces of dry wood and moss into the dying fire. After watching the fire resurrect itself, she turned to the Leader and nodded.

“I have to admit” she began to say, “I am not a master of the art of Revenge. No one in this realm knows Revenge better than the Reverend does.”

“But how do you expect him to help us seek that Revenge? What’s in it for him?”

All of a sudden, they heard a loud noise coming from upstairs. They heard the scampering footfalls of Fear and Regret on the stairs. And then they heard a loud scream coming from an upstairs room.

It was the Reverend, and he has awakened.

The Leader and Mother War made their way out into the anteroom and looked up at the room where the commotion was taking place. They saw Fear and Regret being thrown outside the room. They got up slowly, only to be pushed back onto the floor by the Reverend who by this time was standing by the door. He caught sight of the Leader and Mother War downstairs. With quick movement, the Reverend placed a hand on the railing and pushed his body over so he would fall from the second to first floor. He landed on his feet in front of them.

“Reverend” greeted Mother War with a slight curtsy, “Glad to make your acquaintance. We – ”
But the Reverend was too quick for her. Mother War felt the vampire’s hand slide into her small neck, attempting to do what he failed to do with the Leader, who stood casually aside to enjoy the scene. It was a delight to see Mother War in a tight fit for once, even for a moment.

Fear and Regret were able to recover quickly from their fall, and came to their Master’s aid. With an effortless pull at her bowstring, Regret sent on of her arrows straight into the vampire’s arm that held Mother War. She let another arrow pierce one of his legs when he started to come at her. The arrow crippled him, but everyone knew it was only temporary.

Mother War turned to the Leader. He knew she was giving him a nasty look for not helping her. She praised Regret for her quick thinking.

The Reverend writhed in pain, and as Mother War drew closer, he tried clawing at her with his good arm.

“If you don’t behave I’ll tell Regret to send one of her arrows into your heart. She did so effortlessly some time ago, you know.”

The vampire can only pull away the arrows that inflicted him and throw them at Regret’s feet.
“Fear, pull him up and bring him into the parlor. Near the fire, please. That’ll give him time to recover.” Mother War said, and saw her order being followed.

Having the vampire well behaved and sitting by the fire, Mother War made sure she fell into his good graces.

“Forgive me, Reverend, but it had to be done, you know. We need your help.”

The vampire spat in reply. Mother War sighed from beneath her mask and turned to the Leader, “You. Be useful and talk to the fellow.”

The Leader went to sit on another armchair opposite the crippled vampire. Having settled himself, and that he gave a small laugh and loved to see his face. He was laughing so hard.

“What’s so funny?” asked the vampire.

“Nothing, really” the Leader said, turning his laughter into a smile, “But weren’t we in this similar manner back in the prison? Me and you, sitting like this.”

The vampire didn’t find it funny. He scowled even more and massaged the bloodless wound on his arm and leg. The Leader didn’t say anything for a while, waiting for the Reverend to ask the questions himself. And after a great deal of waiting, plus impatient sighs from Mother War, the Reverend looked up from his wounds.

“What do you want?” he asked. The question was more directed to Mother War, and so Mother War did the talking.

“We need your help” she said, “as I tried to tell you before you almost strangled me to death.”
The Reverend looked at the fire. “I find myself in prison, remembering nothing…” he groped, bitterly, “and seeing no one around but Blondie here.”

He threw a thoughtful look at the Leader and then at Mother War, and receiving no reply, he looked again at the fire, “My line of business is difficult. And I’m hard to deal with, usually. So tell me, now that you got me…what is it?”

Mother War was relieved to have the vampire finally come around, and being unable to wait any longer, she spoke to him in anticipation.

“We seek Revenge.”

The Reverend’s eyes flicked with surprise, but he could not stand up in his bewilderment, because of his bad leg. He turned to the Leader who remained sitting calmly across him, and then to the woman wearing the gas mask.

“What’s this?” asked the vampire in feigned disbelief, “The Black Parade has enemies?”

“Doesn’t everyone?” mused Mother War.

“And who are these enemies?”

“A gang of misfits, who call themselves the Killjoys, I’m ashamed to say” she said, turning to the Leader, “The blood of the Parade is on their hands.”

The Reverend laughed wickedly, “The mighty Black Parade…defeated? By a group of renegades?”

The Leader shifted uncomfortably in his seat as Mother War solemnly paced the room, her metal skirt rattling. As the Reverend’s laughter subsided, she drew near him and asked, “What do you say? Will you help us?”

The smile faded off the vampire’s face, and without considering the matter to heart, told her a firm “No.”

And then there was silence in the room. The Leader eyed Mother War from where he sat. How he wished he could see her expressions under that gas mask! But Mother War paced the room again.
“I thought you’d say that” Mother War said stolidly.

The Reverend sensed there was more to the deal, and so he casually asked, “What’s in it for me?”
The Leader too was interested. That was the unanswered question he had asked minutes ago. And as he watched Mother War pace the room, he perceived an excited air about her. But the two men waited for the woman to speak her mind.

Mother War stopped and stood before them, as if to make an announcement. She turned to the Reverend.

“I understand you’ve been searching for someone” she said knowingly, clasping her hands together in a modest position.

The Reverend did not reply. The Leader saw that same flick of sorrow in the vampire’s eyes. Perhaps a painful memory had befallen him. The Reverend looked to the fire and as if in deep thought, heaved a sad sigh, closed his eyes, opened them, and turned again to Mother War with a mystified look on his face.

“Yes. I have been looking for someone. For many years now, actually” was the Reverend’s response.

“Good” said Mother War, “Does she go by the name “Helena”? Because I know where she is.”

The Reverend looked at her with disbelief, and being unable to stand up to wriggle the truth out of her himself, he kept his silence and thought.

From that moment on no one spoke, for they knew the Reverend’s answer. He may be a strong man, but he had two weaknesses – Revenge, and the love of his life, Helena.

The Leader covered his smile with the hand he placed upon his chin. It looked as if Mother War had done a good job after all. He was surprised at himself for being pleased with all this, but he had to be. War was bitter, but Revenge was sweet. What have they got to lose?

And with the Reverend finally on their side now, this war could be won.

And Revenge exacted.






I wouldn't be posting for a long while. Hope you enjoyed it so far.