Scarecrow and the Rainbow Solution

The early morning air was rent open by the sounds of a violent explosion.
Ghoul leapt up, his eyes forced open by the noise and Rainbow’s movement as she staggered to her feet. They glanced at each other quickly, clothes half thrown on and guns in hand as they headed up the stairs and back out into the diner. Jet was right behind them, his face set in a determined glare. There was no further noise but it could be anything, an attack from either side or even a drone. Sparkles of dust shone in the swirling light beaming in through the slats and Rainbow caught a glimpse of Kobra’s red jacket disappearing out the diner door as they struggled to gain an understanding of where the noise was coming from.
“What the fuck ?”
Kobra lent against the doorframe, the usual poker face now showing an amused anger that lit it from within and made him even more attractive than usual. He felt a bump on his shoulder as Ghoul connected with it and pointed before reaching into his pocket.
“I owe you five bucks.”
Ghoul looked over and a huge smile broke out as he saw that the back of the Camaro was open and the explosion that was still scattering debris on the earth had been caused by an impressive looking weapon that was making Party grin like a small child. It was a rocket launcher of some kind that he had balanced on one shoulder while his other hand was clearly resting on Crimson’s ass. Rainbow rolled her eyes and pushed past the men as Kobra gave Ghoul the five bucks.
“You could have warned us before getting the toys out.”
Crimson turned, the familiar smirk that always mirrored his was in place and she was balancing one of the laser rifles that they had recovered on her hip. It felt as though time had skipped over the last four years and things were finally back as they should be. Rainbow recognised the map of Zone 6 that was pinned down on the roof of the car as both her friends laid the powerful weapons back into the trunk of the car.
“You sleep like the dead. We got bored of waiting.”
“We also have a plan.”
Party sounded determined, removing the map and walking around the powerful car until he could lay it across the one of Zone 4 that was already held down by rocks. All of them crowded around as he started pointing out icons on both maps.
“Dr D reckons we have two weeks until Korse makes it back to the edge of Zone 6. Doctor Mayhem is going to reach the bunker in four tomorrow. I suggest that Rainbow and Ghoul head there and meet him to do whatever research you can help him with. Jet, there is good tech in that bunker too so go with them and see what you can salvage for us.”
Kobra looked at his brother and then at Crimson.
“What about us ?”
Crimson smiled, the excitement in her friends eyes told her that Kobra was up for a fight and knew exactly where to go to get one. The three of them had always been reckless together, pulling off raid after raid that had seen the rest of the guys scream at them and she knew he would love what they had been planning.
“We go to these two bunkers. Zone 5 and Zone 6. Again they are packed with old tech and we can use it to make some waves. Pull all the attention towards us so that the doctor can work on the cure without outside interference.”
“Fuck yeah.”
Party grinned, his arm slipping around Crim’s waist as he noticed that Ghoul and Rainbow were holding hands and his other two buddies had the biggest smiles. Together they could do this, despite the odds and the grim reports he had received from Dr D. It had been confirmed that there was nobody left in Vegas, that radio signals had stopped from three other settlements and, worse, some well known killjoys had disappeared from the outer edges of their own zones. He knew how Korse worked, he would need test subjects.
“Stay in radio contact at three and nine each day. Any sign of trouble, head for the normal rendezvous and send the SOS.”
Rainbow looked at Ghoul, this wasn’t going to be the easy option despite the opportunity to lie low. They had talked long into the night about what had happened out there and here while they had been separated and she knew that it was worse than both she and Crim had thought. The boys had managed to keep things together only by superhuman effort and by taking risks that would ultimately end in someone dying. It had made her think more seriously about Crimson’s proposal to send the toxin into the city to end the war once and for all.
Ghoul had been appalled by the suggestion although he knew that Kobra at least would consider it. Party probably wouldn’t, he had retained his sense that there had to be some rules to this and that they couldn’t sink to the same lows as the opposition.
“If we do, we are no better than them.”
Rainbow had looked up at him, positioned across his bare stomach in the half light of the box room under the diner.
“Who says we are ? One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.”
“BLI kills people or drugs them into submission. We have to fight.”
She loved the certainty in his voice, he had never lost the zeal for the cause and his loyalty to Party and his best friends. Rainbow was almost jealous of the moral tone, she had never been able to see it in such black and white terms. They killed people, plain and simple, they took lives in the name of being able to live how they wanted and it wasn’t always pretty. Her own decision to run had been partly based on that, was it really so different to what Korse and his people were ding to them.
“It’s an option.”
“That Party won’t take.”
They had agreed to disagree but she could see that the discussion would be repeated and wondered if Crimson would bring it up with Party. Rainbow watched them dividing the weapons between both cars, helping to fill the gas tanks before they all headed back inside to eat and make even more coffee. There was a reluctance to finally part as it felt so good to be together and to be working for the same goal.
“Listen up people. We have major sad man activity zones four through six. Do not go out without your mask on and your gun fully loaded. All access to Battery City is heavily guarded through zone two and best avoided. On a lighter note, all the sexbots at Pink Palace on the East Street Crater just got new batteries and all systems are a go-go. Enjoy my children !”
Jet grinned at Kobra as Dr D crowed further on the subject of just what delights could be had and Kobra knew his friend was remembering the two rather beautiful killjoy girls they had spent the previous week with while Ghoul and Party had been off playing their own games. Kobra was pretty sure he could talk Crim into going there again at some point and decided to find out the girls name this time so his buddy could score again.
“You girls would looooove East Street these days.”
Crim smiled lazily, accepting more coffee from Party.
“Why settle for a bot when you can get the real thing ? Damn Jet, I remember the days when I had to pull you out from under six women.”
Jet accepted the applause and pointed at Kobra.
“Your boy there got a taste for Mr Fisto so we just have to keep going back.”
Kobra spluttered coffee across the table as Party roared with laughter and tried to keep Ghoul from having a convulsion. It was true that the two single men had got quite a reputation as love them and leave them lotharios but nobody could turn down a sexbot from East Street when they had been drinking and a cold bed was the only alternative.
“Don’t worry Jet, I’ll keep him warm for ya.”
Rainbow lost concentration as Ghoul’s hand crossed her lap and she leant to whisper a promise in his ear that would take some considerable altitude to keep. She intended to make the best of the enforced rest that this mission would take although letting Crimson, Party and high explosives out of your sight for more than a day was asking for trouble.
“Just make sure you don’t blow the place up and I’ll be happy.”
Crimson painted on an innocent face and stood up, grabbing more supplies and her jacket to put in the car. She had her own plans now that she had Party back as a lover and ally, there was a way to end this shit and she was determined he was going to take it whether it was morally right or not. Let all of them in the city die, it would stop more of her kind being slaughtered and a contained area was perfect for the virus to spread without killing the innocents outside. A cure would be fine but as a weapon, it was perfect.
“Stay in radio contact and for fuck’s sake be careful. Keep the doc in the loop about what we are doing and we will keep Dr D supplied with diversions.”
Party gazed around, the familiar fear of never seeing any of them again was heightened now he had his woman back and there was more to fight for. As they all embraced and donned their masks, he knew that there was a chance that death would call for them all today or in the days ahead. All they could do was face it head on. There was a war to be fought, more losses and more pain but now the chance that even more was at stake.
If they failed, there would indeed be no more colour in the Zones forever.

Notes

I need names for Jet and Kobra's sexy ladies....any suggestions gratefully received :)