Scarecrow and the Rainbow Solution

Party couldn’t move, the betrayal was too much to take in as his friends staggered and tried to process what had happened. His woman was in the hands of the enemy, a close ally had turned and now it looked like he would watch Crimson die horribly. He raised a hand and the others fell silent as Korse continued to beam and talk to his empire.
“These killjoy filth have tried to spoil our utopia for long enough. BLI remains committed to keeping Battery City and inhabitants safe and so we have no option but to turn this terrible weapon on the very terrorists who intended to use it.”
The bald man reached into his pocket and withdrew a syringe, motioning to the dracs who dragged Crimson closer. Rainbow was shaking her head, the others furiously trying to turn away but helpless against the pull of the tragedy being played out before them. Only Party stood calmly watching as Korse plunged the needle into Crim’s neck.
Her eyes shot open under the bruising as the adrenaline in the shot hit her system hard. One twist and the drac on the left was on the floor, her boot slamming into his head so that an audibly loud crack was heard through the television screen. The other drac received a vicious headbutt as Crim lunged at Korse and was only stopped by his gun pressed against her forehead.
“Fucking shoot me you bald prick ! Do it ! Or ain’t you got the balls ?”
“You see what animals these people are ? How they can only threaten violence ?”
Crim spat blood at him as more dracs dragged her back a little. Korse looked even more pleased and walked to Midnight, slipping an arm around his shoulder. The other man was smiling too, sending smug glances at Crim as she panted and pulled against the two men restraining her. Every bone in her ribs felt broken and she could barely see but she knew full well where this was going and didn’t intend to go down without a fight.
“Traitorous piece of shit !”
Party and Rainbow shared a glance, even now Crimson just couldn’t keep her mouth in check. Both prayed that this was a show, something to pull them in and not a demonstration of the worst kind. Rainbow gripped Ghoul’s hand hard as Korse pulled Midnight forward.
“We have to wipe this stain once and for all and show the people of the outside just what is being done in their name. Make them see that BLI only wishes for them what it wishes for you. Obedience and peace from worry and fear. We are prepared to make sacrifices for this goal.”
Midnight didn’t see it coming, a second needle in Korse’s hand that was soon buried in deep as the contents spilled into his veins. The first flash of surprise and pain crossed his face, a grim smile crossing Crimson’s as she realised what Korse had done. Of course he would use her to draw Party and her friends into some insane rescue, made more sense but a demonstration was still needed and, frankly, it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Rainbow looked away as Midnight started to scream and thrash, falling to the floor as the virus started to work its way through the first cells in muscle and nerve endings. Only Kobra, Jet and Party could watch dispassionately, Ghoul pulling Rainbow back toward the car as Blood hid her face in Kobra’s shirt and Jet blocked Cascade’s view. It was every bit as brutal as the girls described, long lingering minutes of torment as blood began to stream from his eyes, nose and ears. Crim shut her eyes, trying to block out the sounds as Korse continued to strut the stage and espouse his philosophy like a man was not dying behind him.
Party timed it as the skin started to rupture and dissolve, the screams still echoing over the television pictures. He had never hated BLI more, no matter what the man had done there was not a creature left on earth who deserved to die in such agony and he knew it would have broken him if it was Crim left lying there in a pool for blood and fluid. He could see she was badly hurt and already his mind was working on ways that he could get into Battery City.
“I show you this, not to scare but to educate. Jared lived amongst the filth for years and was tainted by their words. He has chosen a great sacrifice to enable BLI to spread the benefits to us all and to save us from the killjoy disease.”
A wry voice echoed from behind Korse.
“Yeah, he looked like he was just begging to be made into soup.”
The sounds from the thing on the floor had stopped although the remains still twitched and steamed. The virus continued its unmerciful progress until Party had counted nineteen and a half minutes. He was past being able to feel and let the hate flow through his veins, warming him and sending fear into the back of his head. They would find the weapon and use it, there was now no doubt left in his mind.
Korse had turned his attention back to his audience, the broadcast was going out to every screen all over the city and outside areas as well as being beamed onto buildings and cars in the outer settlements. All of the Zones would be seeing this and seeing that BLI were now declaring an open war on the killjoys. It had become a basic message of join us or die and he rather hoped it would be the latter. He turned and stared to where Crimson was shooting him a venomous glance, he was looking forward to making that one scream.
“I am speaking to all killjoys and people of the Zones. Join us. Hand us your leaders and come under our protection or we will be forced to unleash this terror upon you. Give us Party Poison and his friends and none of you have to die. We can all live in peace.”
A huge digital clock appeared on the dome above the city. It was a countdown of exactly three days in hours, minutes and seconds. Korse waved at it and then at the audience. His face had become a mask of triumph.
“You have this length of time. Give them to me or I will unleash the plague. All food to the outside areas is now cut off. The persons handing over the criminals will receive a thousand credits and permanent citizenship in Battery City. Your choice is quite simple.”
He beckoned the dracs who dragged Crimson over to the front of the stage. Her eyes darted to the puddle that had once been her lover and then back to Korse. She shrank back as he ran a hand over the mass bruising along her shoulder blade before patting her face. His voice dropped to a whisper.
“They can watch you all die together but I will leave you and Gerard till last.”
“He won’t come for me bitch, it’ll just be you and me when I slit your throat.”
Crimson matched his smile as the dracs dragged her away and the camera panned into BLI’s logo before the broadcast ended. Party leant back against the car as his friends gathered around and tried to process what this would mean. There was now a danger in every safe port, this had all the potential to turn killjoy against killjoy and every opportunist into a rich man. Kobra looked at Blood and Cascade.
“You guys should go. We can’t ask you to come with us now.”
Blood glanced at her friend and shook her head, one hand reaching for the multi-coloured gun at her waist.
“No fucking way. We’re coming with you to get Crimson and end this.”
Party smiled, he was watching the concern on Ghoul’s face and the determination in Rainbow’s. His friends were ready to fight and die for him and he for them. The odds were basically suicidal but it didn’t seem like it was going to stop them. He did however have to make the offer.
“Ghoul, what he talked about…”
“NO. I told you then and I’m telling you now.”
“We are not leaving.”
Rainbow finished the conversation with a quiet authority. She knew that Party would go into Battery City alone if he had to but it wasn’t going to happen. They were going to go and Get Crimson and end the war by any means necessary. Party smirked and shrugged.
“I had to ask. I suggest we stop off at that last bunker in five and stock up before we hit the city.”
“How is this going to work ?”
Jet had an arm around Kobra, the two girls tucked in beside. It was a lot for anybody to walk into the bloodbath after what they had just seen. Even now it felt like someone could attack them at any minute and he wondered if they would have to kill their own kind now.
“We get in, find Crim and the weapon and use it. Getting out may not happen.”
Kobra grinned at his brother.
“We didn’t sign up to a retirement plan. Let’s make some noise.”
Party got out the map and they worked out the timing based on the clock that was now an ever present threat in the distance. It would take a few hours to get to five and stock up. A few hours sleep and then a twelve hour drive to the city. All in all if they got involved in a fight or something delayed them it could prove to be very tight.
Ghoul holstered his gun and threw the last bag into the back of the car, the half bottle of water was not helping his concern and deep anger. He was angry at Party for even thinking he would leave, angry at Crim for getting tricked and even angry at himself for not just taking Rainbow and running.
“Big question is how we get into the city itself. They are going to be watching every sewer and gate in Zone one.”
Party smiled, his face a mask of amusement and threat.
“That’s easy. We are going to hand ourselves in.”

Notes