After waking in an unfamiliar bed, Suicidal Smile almost broke out of her room before remembering what had happened the day before. She’d been taken in by and spent the night with Dr. Death Defying and his crew. She’d be spending today with them, too, then hit the Fever Fest with them tomorrow.
The girl sheathed her ray gun at her side, pulling on her helmet before slipping out of her room, towards the kitchen. Since she refused to take her helmet off around the other Killjoys, she hadn’t eaten anything since she’d met them. Hopefully she’d be able to grab some food and hightail it back to her room unnoticed so she could eat in peace without seeming rude.
Silently pulling some beef jerky out of a drawer, Smile turned around only to see Dr. Death Defying sitting right behind her, having somehow rolled into the room as quietly as she’d snuck. The girl stopped short and stared at the man in surprise before glumly sitting at the table and toying with her jerky, wishing she could escape without coming off as rude and ungrateful.
“Don’t worry about it, Smile.” Dr. Death Defying waved his hand carelessly as he rummaged through cupboards for his own breakfast. “Show Pony doesn’t eat with us, either. At least, not usually. He’ll sit down with us on Christmas, now.”
Smile nodded her thanks when Dr. Death Defying glanced over his shoulder at her, then slid out of her chair, ghosting off down the hall back to her room, where she locked her door and ate in peace.

“C’mon Smile, please?” Boom Box batted her eyelashes adorably, begging shamelessly. She’d never been on a motorcycle, and really wanted to try it out. Dr. Death Defying had said she could ride on two conditions: 1) it was okay with Suicidal Smile and 2) she was riding with Smile.
Heaving a sigh behind her helmet, Smile nodded once, then followed the ecstatic girl outside, where she was bouncing and cheering excitedly. Smile studied the younger girl for a moment, realizing she wouldn’t be able to hold on tight enough if she rode in the back. So when Smile climbed onto the bike, she sat Boom Box carefully in front of her, making the small girl wear the aviator goggles that went with her own brown helmet.
Once the girls were settled in securely, Smile kick started her bike, and the two tore off across the desert, raising a cloud of scarlet fallout dust behind them. Dr. Death Defying watched them go, hoping they’d be alright; there was no guarantee of anything out in the Zones.
The two girls finally skidded to a stop pretty far out in the Zones, both of them laughing from the exhilaration.
“That was so Alaska!” Boom Box yelled, jumping off the bike. “Like, completely icy!”
Smile just nodded, grinning behind her helmet as she and her young friend sat in the dust. Boom Box started chowing down on the picnic of beef jerky she’d brought, but Smile just sat next to her, leaning on the bike as she relaxed.
The two girls sat in peace for a few moments before they heard an approaching engine, both of them leaping up to meet whoever was coming.
It took a while to be able to see the approaching vehicle through the heat waves and dust clouds, but there was no mistaking what it was. A black muscle car with a white smiley face printed on the side, the slogan ‘Everything is perfect’ emblazoned on the front bumper.
Before the girls could get on their bike and ghost, the car had skidded to a stop in front of them, three of the Dracs inside climbing out, leaving only the driver.
As the three Dracs advanced, Smile stepped forward, pushing Boom Box behind her, towards the bike as she drew her gun and shot down the first Drac before they could pull their own weapons. Dragging Boom Box with her, Smile dodged a laser beam and took out the second Drac, leaving one standing (and firing) and one sitting passively in the car. Smile pulled Boom Box out of the way of another blast, getting slowed down just enough that a beam caught her arm. Grimacing behind her helmet, Smile took down the last Drac before Boom Box even had time to grasp the fact that her friend had been shot.
The last Drac in the car finally turned to face the girls, and Smile found herself frozen in shock, glad that Boom Box was hidden behind her. Even when wearing a vampire mask and the white uniform, that afro was unmistakable, whether you’d seen it in person or just on the extermination posters.
Jet Star turned to stare at the girls for an instant, then floored it, peeling out across the dust, barely surviving a sharp U-turn before shooting off the way he’d come from.
Smile blinked in shock behind her helmet, then turned and lifted Boom Box onto the bike, knowing she had to get back to the Lair ASAP. Things were going Costa Rica pretty fast, and she knew she had to talk to Dr. Death Defying.