Scarecrow and the Rainbow Solution

The quiet desert air was broken by the sound of punches landing on skin and bone with a frightening ferocity. Voices were added into the mix, laboured shouts and the scuffling of boots on sand and rock.
“I’m going to fucking kill you.”
“Party, this is not helping.”
“Get the fuck off me !!”
Kobra and Ghoul pulled Party off, physically throwing him to the ground and standing in front of the wounded doctor to stop another assault. Jet was holding Rainbow up, she had come around during the long trek through the service tunnels before they finally found an exit back up into the night air.
First light was showing on the horizon and in the far distance they could see lights which they knew was the enemy at the bunker. Party had been dragged nearly all the way, alternating between cursing them all and begging to go back for Crimson. He was a mess of rage and fear, almost crazed and Kobra had to punch him hard to split his lip and make him regain some calm.
“She will find a way out. Crimson isn’t stupid enough to kill herself over this.”
“The place was fucking crawling, if she falls into their hands…”
“PARTY, STOP !”
His fingers flew to his lip as Rainbow staggered over to shake him by the shoulders. Her eyes were still clouded and she was struggling to fit together what had happened to her. Enough had sunk in to know that Mayhem had betrayed them and now Crimson had done something completely insane even by her own standards. Just showed what happened when she wasn’t around to supervise the children.
“Crim’s a survivor. We need to do the same and get the fuck out of here. What’s the plan ?”
Party felt his breathing calm at her steady words. He glanced around and took in their surroundings. Both cars were well hidden but back at the bunker so they needed to walk to one of the drop points and keep out of sight until they could get word to the underground killjoy network. There were many points over the zones that linked back to Dr D and once they found one then a rescue would be certain.
“Head towards The Grove. It’s a good six mile trek though. Do we have water ?”
“Enough plus we can use the new radios once we’re sure we’re not being followed.”
Ghoul looked over at Rainbow and worried that a mile would be too much in her current condition. She looked deathly pale and still struggled to walk as they set off. Jet and Kobra guarded the doctor, their backs loaded with the weapons and supplies. Party walked on ahead, a purpose to his stride that showed that the anger was still just under the surface. He refused to believe that Crim was dead but the possibility of capture was somehow even worse. She had survived it once but nobody’s luck held forever.
They trudged through the sand in silence, pausing only for water until the sun was starting to get warm and Jet reckoned enough distance had passed for them to use the radio safely. Party searched the frequencies until he managed to reach Show Pony. Within minutes Dr D had been roused from his bed and came on the line.
“Party ?”
“Fucking medic brought Scarecrow down on us. We got out but Crim got left behind and we have no transport. I reckon we’re close to the border of three. Can see the hills and The Grove about two miles ahead.”
There was more static and again they all wondered about the surveillance that the enemy had all over the zones. Kobra used the excuse to kick Mayhem hard again, determined that the doctor would know that he was going to be held responsible if anything bad happened to Crimson or themselves.
“Midnight is in the area. I will get him to pick you up and bring you here, we can discuss next moves once you’re safe.
“Got it.”
Party hung up, he wasn’t in the mood for a lecture or comforting words. Instead he helped Ghoul to support Rainbow and they got on the move again. All of them had loved The Grove until an air strike by BLI had blown it apart. They had lost friends that day and it had become a shrine to the dead, to be headed there now seemed somehow appropriate.
“I….I wasn’t lying about Korse. I can help you.”
Party ignored the medic, aware that his face was a mess and his broken nose was dripping blood into the sand with every footstep. His knuckles ached and he knew that he couldn’t risk throwing another punch.
“You can tell the Doc. I don’t want to hear it.”
“This wasn’t my fault.”
Party gritted his teeth as Kobra stuffed a red hankie into the Doctors mouth and tied it firmly in place with a second bandanna. He shoved the man at Jet and trotted to catch up with his brother and Ghoul.
“Are we still going to try for a cure ?”
“No. We go to plan B.”
Rainbow lifted her head and stared at Party. His face had no colour, the red hair luminous against his skin. The tan hid a pale sickness that reminded her of the days before the war when depression would claim him for months at a time. If he fell into that state now they might never get him back.
“You seriously want to do that ?”
Party shrugged and picked up the pace.
“We can’t trust Mayhem now and there isn’t another bunker with that tech so we don’t have much choice.”
“It means killing a lot of people.”
Again Party shrugged and kept walking. Soon the blackened ruins of The Grove were in sight, the area still littered with mounds of bone and cinder. Posies of desert flowers and faded letters littered the ground but there was at least shade from the now burning sun and a chance to pass around the water. Kobra leant back against the rocks and pointed at Mayhem.
“No reason to keep that fuck alive then.”
“I can still help !”
Three guns were now aimed at his head and the beaten man piped down, ragged breathing filling the air as for the moment it looked like they would shoot. Finally Party put his gun back down to his side and accepted a flask of water from Rainbow.
“He’s going to stay alive until I get my girl back and then I’m going to let her kill him.”
“Good plan.”
“I thought so.”
Kobra smirked as the sound of a car in the distance brought him and Ghoul to their feet. It only took a quick glimpse through the ruins to recognise the beaten up Mustang that Midnight Ride lovingly nursed through countless breakdowns. Right now it looked as good as the Trans Am and meant that they had a chance to get back on the offensive.
“Dr D told me. Is she still alive ?”
Midnight stared at Party, both knew they loved the same woman even if she only loved the red head. Strangely they had never let it get in the way of their friendship and Party had a powerful ally in the big man with the Mohawk. Next to him was Neon Viper, eager to get in on any action that might come his way.
“No idea but you know Crim, the odds have to be good.”
“The radio station is listening out for news and we have units on the ground trying to pull the heat that way.”
Party nodded, as always his soldiers were out there supporting them. They loaded all the gear into the car and squeezed aboard, the sounds of Mad Gear blaring from the radio as Midnight swung the car around and headed back out into the sand. They needed to get back to the Crater where Dr D had taken up residence and was broadcasting out over the wastes. If Crimson had fallen into the enemy’s hands it wouldn’t be long before they heard about it.
“Party ?”
“Yeah ?”
“We will get her back or at least, get revenge for her ?”
He glanced down at Rainbow and nodded, his face a mask of savage intensity.
“Or die trying.”

Notes