Scarecrow and the Rainbow Solution

The Crater Club was killjoy central.
Literally the remains of an underground military bunker that had been abandoned in the first days of the war, it now housed the biggest club, rallying point, hideout and home for the rebels in all six zones. It was impossible for BLI to hit from the air and while they might try an occasional incursion, a full frontal assault would be suicide. Most people dossed there for a few weeks and kept moving or hit it when they had credits and wanted to relax. It had become a legend.
The sun was starting to set when Crimson and Rainbow pulled down the ramp and stashed the car. Crossing Zone Four had taken several hours and it would be good to rest up before hitting Zone Five. There were serious radiation pockets in that zone and the mutated creatures that went along with it. A straight aim and watchful eyes were needed, neither of which were currently available. Plus there was always a possibility of finding old friends.
“Fucking kids get younger every year.”
Crimson felt old, true it was rare for any of their kind to survive long term but there were some here that were barely in their teens. Kind of narrowed the field for the kind of fun she was looking for and both women got the feeling that they would lose even more ground to BLI if there was nothing to put out there but inexperienced fighters.
“Jailbait was never your thing. We need to ask around. Which floors do you want ?”
“I’ll head down to Hedonism.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes at the smirk on Crim’s face. Hedonism was the bar where all the worst people tended to gather and it had been her friend’s second home. Rainbow herself had preferred the cosier Dungeon Bar right at the bottom and decided to head there first. Business could surely be mixed with a little painful pleasure if the right company was involved.
“Meet at the main bar in an hour ok ?”
Crimson nodded and they halved the credits Rat had given them before going their separate ways. Crimson soon lost sight of her friend and spent a while talking to some old acquaintances at the large main bar three floors down. Many that they had known well were confirmed as being dead or gone to other places but all said that the boys still came to the Crater and all seemed pleased to know the girls were back in town.
Three drinks in and Crimson was hazy enough to want to go find some fun that didn’t involve listing dead friends. She pushed through the crowds of various bright colours and loud voices and headed downstairs. No sign of Rainbow but no sound of trouble either so it seemed ok to score another drink and relax.
“Straight up bourbon. Decent measure as well Midnight, I know you.”
The man behind the bar turned, his face breaking into a grin. Midnight Ride was an old friend, a beautiful man with a Mohawk and amazing cheekbones that both she and Rainbow had spent some very erotic nights with.
“Well now, didn’t think you’d be back. Where’s Rain ?”
“Downstairs finding ass probably. We’re looking for Party.”
The whiskey glasses on the table filled and both took a shot before Midnight leaned in. Crimson always looked good and four years hadn’t erased the memories of sharing a bed. He wondered whether it might be on the cards again.
“They may drop in, hard to tell .”
“Nothing changes, they still remember us ?”
Midnight winced. Party Poison held a grudge and he had loved Crim more than was healthy. While Rainbow might find Ghoul ready to forgive it was very likely that there would be some harsh words exchanged. Leaving in the middle of a war had not exactly made the girls popular even if their reasons had been valid.
“Oh they remember. Hope you have a good reason for coming back.”
Crimson shivered, not wanting to dwell on that topic for long.
“Yeah we do. Not that they are going to like it. When do you finish shift ?”
Midnight leant over the bar and grabbed another man by the hair. The guy was about to shriek in protest when he noticed who had grabbed him and very wisely shut his mouth again. Midnight wasn’t above leaving him in the worst of company just for pissing him off.
“Watch the bar Neon, I’ll be down in Hedonism.”
Neon Viper flashed Crimson a smile and was rewarded with a smirk and the woman patting his boss on the behind. Crim reckoned the guy was just above her age limit.
“You can bring that if you don’t mind it getting broken.”
“Fuck off Crim, he’s not your type. He’s a nice guy.”
Midnight grabbed her arm and the pair headed out and down, going deeper and deeper until the music started to boom and the air got hot. People staggered in and out of various rooms, the large bar area crowded as the two killjoys pushed their way through. Mid only had to nod and a bottle of vodka was passed over, the table in the corner providing a little privacy.
“It’s bad ?”
Midnight’s handsome face was sober, Crimson only able to swallow uneasily. Her recklessness and almost complete lack of fear were always infectious and he knew it had to be pretty damn bad to make her look this serious.
“It’s about as bad as it gets and I know things aren’t going that well here anyway.”
“Party does his best, its not easy being a god.”
Crim looked away, she wanted and needed to see him but there was a lot of distance to be made up and not much time to do it. She raised her glass to Midnight, enjoying the burning alcohol before smiling and running fingers down the bare chest hidden under his vest.
“You got any drift ?”
“Sure. Thought you came here to find the boys.”
“I did but I do it better high and I haven’t had a cute man in months.”
Midnight started to laugh, checking around before pulling a bag of angeldrift from his pocket. The drug had long been a favourite with both of them. Not addictive, not too harmful apart from enticing trouble but the high was like nothing else. Every twist, every movement was enough to send pleasure through every inch of the body. If you wanted to fight or fuck there was absolutely nothing better.
Crimson loaded the edge of her switchblade and inhaled, enjoying the buzz and watching the sparks fly. Rainbow would find Party and Ghoul if they were nearby, she could put of the inevitable a little longer. She didn’t protest as Midnight pulled her up and onto the dancefloor, his arms around her waist causing her to gasp as they moved to the beat. It was good, good enough to remind her why they came back and the life that she had known before. If only Party would listen then nothing could spoil this, death could be avoided again.
Midnight was kissing up the side of her neck, whispering all kinds of promises to her that he couldn’t possibly keep but the lie too was good. Crimson finally met his lips, the kiss as burning as the air around them. The music was louder and more insistent, both of them unable to get any closer until they were bumped harshly by another couple who seemed intent on fighting rather than loving.
“What the fuck is your problem ?”
The man was large, tattooed and probably not a killjoy, just one of the people attracted both by the reputation of the club and its comparative safety. Midnight let go of Crim, annoyed that the buzz of chemical and attraction was being interrupted. He opened his mouth to tell the guy just what the problem was only to be stopped by the spray of blood Crimson caused by slamming a fist into the guy’s nose. He stared at her as the man reeled.
“Did you have to ?”
“Well……yeah ?”
She flashed him the brightest of smiles before smacking the man again and then being landed on by his screaming girlfriend. Midnight tried to pull the woman off only to be tackled by the enraged man and slammed into a nearby table. He lost touch with the fight for a moment, fists beginning to fly in all directions before wading back into the fray. The place was filled with screaming and laughter, fights had never been anything new down here and a lot of the brightly garbed patrons were already placing bets.
Crimson wiped blood from her nose and launched herself at the latest man to be trying to break Midnight’s pretty face. He wasn’t expecting it, another table send flying as Crim used teeth and fists on his head and neck before he managed to launch her over the bar. Midnight broke his knuckles on the guy’s teeth and swore as he saw his playmate sneakily downing gulps of whiskey before climbing on the bar and throwing herself at the nearest fighter.
The bar shook as laser blasts punctuated the ceiling, the sound ricocheting off the walls and bringing everything and everyone to a standstill. Awe forced people back as Rainbow settled against the doorframe to watch what would happen next. The four men she had found downstairs had been unwelcoming but insistent as she knew they would be. Now Party, Ghoul, Kobra and Jet had come to claim the last member of the group before a trip to the desert to settle some very old scores.
The killjoys in the room stared. Not too many had seen these men up close although they had been known to come here, a glimpse occasionally but few in the inner circle enough to get close. Party Poison was not a man to be messed with, the shock of red hair and impossibly sharp hazel eyes made him beautiful, the charismatic if dangerous mind made him famous. His brother Kobra at his right shoulder as always, hot tempered and bold in every way that mattered. Fun Ghoul already unable to keep his eyes from the woman at the door, loyal but deadly despite the face of a man who should be kind and sensual. At the rear, the organiser and enigma Jet Star, his face softened by his fear for his leader’s sanity now that his ex paramour had reappeared.
“Crimson.”
“Party.”
Crimson was wary, gaze flitting between Rainbow and the four men. She wanted to run to him despite the cold glare, the part of her that had been missing had now walked through the door and the gang was all here. It was all too familiar, the bar fight broken up by harsh words but humour taking over and turning into something more. She attempted a smile.
“You look good. Guess we have a lot to catch up on.”
Party didn’t return the gaze, looking her up and down and trying to see where the years had been added. Crimson never changed, never took anything seriously despite what they were trying to do and what was at stake. He would never admit to himself just how much he had hurt since she left and refused to acknowledge the pain in her eyes.
“You could say that. Rain told me there’s trouble coming.”
“Of the worst kind.”
A silence had fallen over the room that was bad for all of them. Rumour in such an enclosed community carried fear, fear made people restless and that got people killed. Party turned his gaze on the room and felt the weight of responsibility weigh on him worse than ever. They couldn’t talk about such a sensitive subject with so many ears listening.
He didn’t wait or hesitate, patting Midnight on the shoulder and flashing him a cheeky grin before grabbing Crim by the arm and pulling. All of them turned as one, the bar patrons left to glance at each other and murmer as the group exited. Rainbow held her breath again, her hand brushing Ghoul’s as they started the journey back up to the surface. She knew Crimson was back on the drift and started to doubt that the meeting would go any better at the diner. This would end in a fight, one which could potentially bring death on a scale which hadn’t been seen since the bombs fell. This time a fight to the death, a trip to the worst recesses of hell.
Well, it still beat the sexbots.

Notes