Scarecrow and the Rainbow Solution

“When we left you we went to Vegas. Contrary to what you hear some of it is still standing but its what’s underneath that’s interesting. We started scavving abandoned military bunkers under the remains of the strip and were making a good living out of it. Enough to eat and not attract attention anyway.”
Rainbow stretched her legs out with a grim smile.
“There are some interesting weapons still in those places, some of which are in the back of the car. You guys are gonna love trying them out and we have a map of bunkers around here too.”
Crimson risked checking out Party’s reaction, seeing a mix of annoyance and grudging curiosity. He had never been able to resist when it came to new ways of poking the bear that was BLI and he wouldn’t be able to resist this, she could guarantee it.
“It was fine until we hit one really hidden place and ran into BLI Vegas branch. They were testing out a weapon. We don’t know if they found it down there but…”
Rainbow’s voice faltered and Crimson swallowed nervously. Neither of them really wanted to think too much about what they had seen, it had been just a precursor to the true horror that followed. Party didn’t like the way both had gone pale and knew the others had seen it too, neither of the women were amateurs and Crim in particular had done some brutal things in the course of their time together. Jet leant forward, his voice soft.
“What was it ?”
Rainbow glanced over at Crimson who was staring at the floor, all trace of the familiar carefree attitude gone. She stared at Jet, attempting to smile.
“I don’t know. It’s a gas of some kind but nobody we know got the chance to find out what. We were just lucky that we were in a gantry above a secure room and not in there when they set it off. There were four killjoys in there, people we had seen around and some Dracs lurking outside. Crim was all for taking them down but it was too late for that. This gas…..it dissolves you from the inside out from what we can tell. Slowly. Over the course of ten to fifteen minutes and you’re conscious and screaming the whole fucking time.”
Her voice broke as her head dropped and instantly Ghoul pulled Rainbow into his arms, his face seeing the words sinking into his friends and mirroring their horror. Only Kobra remained impassive, his mind already calculating what this could mean for them. Crimson met Party’s eye, something passing between them that cut through the hostility. She half smiled before picking up the story.
“Needless to say we got the fuck out of there. Those bodies were nothing more than blood and pus by the time we got out that gantry and man, I’ve seen some shit but that’s like nothing any of us have ever come up against. We considered leaving but word got back to Fire Raider and the killjoy leaders over there and next thing you know, we’re pulled right back into the war.”
Party looked at Ghoul who was still comforting Rainbow.
“So why are you back here ?”
“Because every single Killjoy in Vegas is dead. Bar us and one doctor who is now on his way to a Bunker in zone four. We need your help Party, we need you guys because Korse is on his way back here with that weapon and we have maybe three weeks in which to stop him.”
Now they were all staring at her and both Rainbow and Crimson were aware that they had dropped a bombshell into the war that was already a fight to the death. This wasn’t something that any of the boys had anticipated and until they had seen it, neither had the two women. An additional pressure but there had been nowhere else to turn. That and the thought of harm coming to these men, even after all this time, was too much for them both.
Kobra put a hand through his hair and considered things before he spoke again.
“How did they kill everyone with it ? Something like that takes a delivery system.”
“The killjoy underground was much like the Crater Club. Mostly underground so they could pump it in the airvents. The rest they mopped up on the surface in all the confusion. We had a heads up it was coming but Raider wanted us out and on our way to you. The doctor had a sample of the stuff and map says there is tech in that bunker that he could use.”
Party stood up and started to pace, his face a mask of concentration. There was no way that his resources would stretch to an all out war, worse if they had a way of killing his people in the very places that they felt safest. He knew they were all watching and waiting for him to say something. His voice was somewhat bitter.
“How come it was you that got out Crim ? Always the survivor, how do I know you didn’t just cut out and run. Leave them all to die ? Surprised you managed to get Rainbow to do it a second time.”
Crimson was on her feet in a second, fist already clenched and for a second he thought she would hit him. They had fought physically before and he knew he would come out on top but the pure animal rage in her eyes made him step back before she stopped herself. Crim couldn’t quite believe Party would stoop that low despite everything and now she wished she had stayed in Vegas and not bothered to traipse all the way back to save his lousy ass.
“Fuck you Party. If that’s how you think it happened then fine but you really should know me better.”
Crimson shook off the hand that Rainbow put on her shoulder and disappeared back out of the wooden slats, the harsh sound causing all of them to flinch. Rainbow looked back at their erstwhile leader and motioned for him to sit down. After considering whether to go after Crim he acquiesced and earned a slap around the head from Jet. Rainbow grinned and continued.
“We left because we were told to. There was a second experiment before they attacked in full force and I was part of it. Crim and I were scouting when we were ambushed, she was hurt pretty bad and I ended up in a test lab.”
Party put his face in his hands as Ghoul closed his eyes. Already the harsh words of seconds before were hanging back in the air and Kobra quickly got up and headed outside to make sure that Crim hadn’t just driven off again. This time Party’s voice was softer.
“I didn’t mean….”
“I know. I should be dead and probably so should she but that’s where we got lucky. I was put in a room with four others and they pumped that stuff in there. I thought that was it, I thought I was going to die.”
Tears ran down Rainbow’s face, her shoulders shaking at the fresh horror of the pictures in her head. A teenager, no more than fifteen that begged and screamed and clung to her as her body started to melt, the men throwing themselves at the walls and windows in an effort to escape the seeping death that was flowing through every cell in their bodies.
“Only I didn’t die. Nothing happened despite them all falling down around me. I am immune, so far I am the only immune person we have found. It even stunned the Dracs themselves and it wasn’t hard to get the drop on them when they finally opened the door. I managed to get the sample and leave.”
“So there is a hope ?”
Ghouls sounded a little hopeful despite the crack in his voice. Party had stopped his pacing and resolved to find Crimson and apologise after he figured out just what they were going to do. They could all hear the wind rising outside as a sandstorm blew in. There would be no moving from this spot until it died down, being stuck outside in razor sharp one hundred mile an hour winds was a death sentence/
“Yes but we have to act quickly and it’s going to be a fight to the death. BLI know this stuff works and we know Korse was on his way there as we left. He’s going to be well on the way back by now and we need Dr D to keep track.”
Party nodded to Jet who went to the smaller room in the back of the diner to fire up the radio set. Ghoul got out all the maps of Zone Four that they had and Rainbow pointed out the bunkers on the matching map from her jacket. He paused to smile at his brother and Crimson as the storm forced both back inside. Only Kobra smiled back.
“We need a strategy. I take it the doctor will need you if he is to find a cure ?”
“Yes and we need to make sure that Korse doesn’t get that weapon back here.”
Party nodded, Kobra was checking out all the routes in and out of the Zones to find the likely route in as Crimson joined Rainbow at the table. She was still smarting from Party’s words although Kobra had done his usual trick of talking her down from getting in the car and just leaving. Her voice was still somewhat angry as she traced a finger down the main route to Battery City.
“We have two options here. Either we find a cure and neutralise the threat before Korse gets to use it or we ambush him and take it off him altogether.”
Party reached out to fold down another portion and their fingers brushed on the faded paper. Both pulled away but Rainbow noticed how they also blushed before he raised his eyes to meet hers.
“We would then have time to find a way to stop it. That has to be our best option.”
Crimson smiled, whatever issues they had between them had to be put aside to fight this common threat and that also gave her time to persuade him that if they couldn’t stop it then there was another way.
“Or we put it into a dancing demon and send it into the heart of the city.”

Notes