The Famous Living Dead

Gerard Way had died many many years ago, forty seven to be exact. Though he had always wanted it to be a natural death, that was not the case. My Chemical Romance, along with Green Day, were on a flight for their joined European tour. It was expecting to be smooth sailing, however, it was anything but. A technical situation occurred within the plane and the aircraft came crashing down. It was hectic and chaotic, and ended all but a few lives, Gerard's to be included. It was a tragic ending for the two bands, and a tragedy for millions of fans across the globe. Devastation set into the dead Gerard Way. His lover, though after the trauma to the head, he couldn't recall the name, survived the crash and went on with his life. Gerard felt like a traitor for leaving him behind like that. But thankfully, Gerard wasn't the only one living in the underground.
Life in the underground wasn't exactly what the living mind would expect. It was lively and somewhat entertaining, not just some pile of dirt with dead bodies lying everywhere. There were neighborhoods and colonies, get togethers and gatherings. It was like another world under there, only not the same. There were limbs scattered everywhere, and blood on everything, but other than that, it was very similar to the surface world. Gerard tried to keep as normal of a life as possible, doing his best to keep the band alive, though they were dead and many of their body parts would fall off. Live performances proved difficult when there was a missing member. Also, Gerard tried so hard to keep in touch with the surface world. He would often dig himself up and wander through groves and alleyways to watch the living. He tended to find himself lurking through New Jersey, the home state to him, his brother, and his best friend. And... it was there that he found him.
He was wandering around a small town in New Jersey, a town he hadn't been before. The town seemed kind and happy, a place that Gerard found to be strangely safe for New Jersey. A couple people spotted him, but brushed him off as just some special effects punk. He was about to turn into the next alley when he saw him. His old band mate walking into a music shop. It couldn't have been anyone else. The piercings, the tattoos, the general look of attitude, and the height all seemed to be exact. How could it have been anyone else? Gerard considered following him, but stopped himself in the fear of being questioned. So he waited... waited for about a half an hour before the man came sprinting out. He had been moving so fast, it was unbelievable. What had made him move at such a speed? This, Gerard had to find out for himself. He quickly vanished, an upside to being dead, and followed his lover through town.
Gerard followed as secretively as he could until the man came to a stop in a thickly wooded grove. Gerard stared in confusion as the man cried for hours upon hours. Why was he crying? Did he not want to live? Of course! The man must have been in so much heartache at the loss of Gerard, he couldn't contain it! Gerard stared at the man until he was only seen by the dim moonlight. Oh, he looked so beautiful like that. Gerard wanted ho mak his love happy again, perhaps bringing him to see his old friends would cheer him up. But just going up to him, being in the physical state he was, would surely scare the man away. Gerard took a deep breath and softly began singing a song he knew his lover used to enjoy. "I never... said I'd lie and wait forever... if I died we'd be together now... I can't always just forget her... but she could try..." Gerard continued singing as the man searched for the cause of the voice.
Gerard sighed and continued to sing softly. He grew closer and closer to the man. And once he was close enough, right behind him, he knelt down, and sang gently into his ear. "Ever... Get the feeling that you're never... all alone..." The man spun around and Gerard vanished, giggling happily and singing his song. He watched as the man grew more and more confused. He wanted to come up to his lover so badly. He continued on with his song and slowly approached him. As soon as he was in sight, he quickly came forward, pushing his lover against a tree. "If I fall.... If I fall... Down..." Gerard sang gently. The look of fear was painted all over the man's face. Oh if only he knew. Gerard sang lovingly throughout the rest of the song. By the end, the man looked like he was about to scream, so Gerard gently pressed a finger to the man's warm pink lips as Gerard finished with, "For all the ghosts that are never gone..." The man couldn't hold it back, he moaned and fell forward, passing out.
Gerard took the man in his arms and lifted him off of his feet. The man's head fell softly onto Gerard's unbeating chest. Gerard sighed happily and started humming. He looked around, making sure no one was around as he slowly sank his lover and him deep into the underground. He looked around, seeing the dead that he knew somewhat well. He'd been around underground New Jersey so often, that many knew him. One turned to him and smiled. "Hey, Gerard, did you find a freshy?" They asked. Gerard only smiled in return. He couldn't tell them yes, he hadn't lied to them before, but he couldn't tell them the truth. To be honest, the dead weren't allowed to bring the living down, it was just against everything the dead knew. He didn't respond, only ran off again, on with his long journey to underground Europe.
Once he was there, he smiled as he came up to the outskirts of his dead hometown. Once you die somewhere, that becomes your home, sad to say for some. He sighed nostalgically and made his way to his cruddy shack of a home. It was run down and old, but some place to go to call home. He let out yet another sigh and laid his lover out on his creaky bed. He smiled and knelt down beside him, taking his hand. "Oh... you'll love it here, I promise." He whispered. He giggled and sat up straighter, watching with hope as his lover shifted on the bed, opening his eyes.
Frank woke up in a strange place that felt cold yet hot, cozy yet uncomfortable. He groaned and held his head. "What happened?" He mumbled. A voice suddenly asked, "Did you sleep well, sweet heart?" Frank turned around and gasped. There it was, that thing that was singing earlier in the grove. So it wasn't just some crazy dream... Frank whimpered and shook his head. "Who.... what are you?" He asked. The thing only stared at him with a soft smile. "Don't you remember me?" He asked. Frank shook his head and felt hot tears in his eyes and sweat trickle down his face. "No!" Was his only response. The thing frowned and stood up straighter.
Frank couldn't believe what he was staring at. This thing... was dead. He could tell. It had a giant gaping hole in it's side... his side, and gashes all across his body. His skin was deathly pale and sunken in. He was skinnier than humanly possible, and his eyes... dead, yet full of energy. The dead man knelt down in front of Frank and took his icy cold hand in Frank's warm one. "I'm Gerard... you must remember me... you loved me once. Then the plane crash happened." He said to him. Frank yanked his hand away and shook his head. "No, I don't know a Gerard, and I don't know about a plane crash. I've never been in love and I.... what is going on?!" He cried. Gerard frowned again, this time looking more hurt than anything else.
He didn't say anything to Frank, only leaned closer. "You must remember me. Do you remember My Chemical Romance at least?" He pressed. My Chemical Romance? Frank remembered looking at the cd, but other than that, knew nothing else. "I saw something about it today...." Frank replied nervously. Gerard sighed and sat on the edge of the band. "You were in that band. I know you were. You played guitar, along with Ray, we had the best of times. You have to remember." Gerard said. Frank shook his head and felt tears spill down his cheeks. "No! I was never in that band, I don't know who Ray is, and I just want to go home!" He screamed. Of course, this was all just a dream. He must have fallen asleep at the grove and this was all just some fucked up dream! Frank instantly started slapping himself, and slamming his head against the wall.
Gerard watched in confusion as Frank did this. "I'm sorry, but what are you doing?" Gerard asked. Frank slammed his head on the wall again and again. "Waking up. This is a dream. Dead people don't live, they're dead, they should be in coffins and shit! They can't talk, or sing, or kidnap living people! This is just some freaky dream!" Frank said with another slam to the head. Gerard grabbed Frank's face in his hands, staring at him with his dead hazel eyes. "I know this must be hard for you, honey, but really, it's going to be okay. You'll remember soon, and you'll remember me. We'll be just like we were before, and it will all be okay." Gerard said soothingly.
Frank gasped and pushed Gerard away. "No! I want out of here! I don't know who you are!" He shrieked. He stood up and bolted out of the shack, despite Gerard's cries to stop. Frank was terrified, confused, lost. But stopped as soon as he hit city streets. Even more of them. Dead people everywhere. They all looked sick and repulsing, skin falling off, revealing decayed and yellowed bones. They were dead eyed, if they even had eyes, and moping around with a zombified step. Frank screamed loudly and ran. Gerard sped after him as fast as he could, but being dead, your speed decreased greatly. "Hey! Come back!! I'll explain this! You can't go off on your own like this!!!" Gerard called out.
Ignoring it, Frank sped up, running into dead person after dead person, knocking them over. He didn't apologize though, it didn't matter, it was just a dream. Frank stopped when he ran into someone that didn't fall over. He stared at this person in horror. They had one eye and the creepiest grin on his face. "Hi there!" He said, tilting his head to the side. Frank watched, disgusted as the one bright blue eye rolled from one socket to the next. "Um... I-I.... uh..." Frank stuttered. Two others came up behind the smiling one. "I'm sorry, I believe his brains decayed faster than the rest of him." One said. Frank shook his head and walked backwards. He tripped over something, sending him falling to the ground. He looked at what he'd tripped on, and nearly threw up. A leg, a bloody leg lying on the sidewalk.
Frank looked around in confusion until someone said, "I'm sorry, could you hand me my leg? It fell off." Frank looked at the blonde decayed man sitting on a park bench. Frank was in so much shock that all he could do was grab the leg and hand it to him. The blond muttered a thank you before shoving it back on with a sickening sound. Frank couldn't contain in this time. He stood up and ran to a dead bush, vomiting his guts out. Once he was done, he spun around to see the blonde staring at him. "What are you doing down here?" He asked. Frank wiped his mouth. "I... I'm dreaming, I can be down here if I want." He replied. The blonde laughed and shook his head. "You're alive! Fucking alive! Oh man, well this isn't a dream. This is actually happening, bud." He said, getting slowly to his feet. He wobbled over and stuck out his hand. "I'm Bob Bryar." He told him. Frank nervously grabbed the hand. "If this isn't a dream, is this just some really fucked up dress up party then?" Frank asked.
Bob stared at him with wide glazed eyes. "You really don't know what's happening, do you? You poor thing. Well, come with me, and I'm sure my friend will explain everything. You know... you look kind of familiar." He said, putting a hand to his bearded chin. He shrugged. "Oh well, just come with me, I got to go somewhere anyway, I'm positive that he'll be there." Bob told him. He turned around to another man sitting on a bench. Frank examined the other, this one seemed more like a brain dead zombie. It would make sense too, there was a giant bloody hole on the side of his head. Bob sat next to him and put an arm around his shoulder. "Come on Mikey, we have to go to practice." Bob coaxed gently. Mikey turned his head slowly, moaning something uncomprehendable. "Yeah, I know, let's go, the others must be waiting." Bob told him.
Frank watched in confusion as the two men stood up and started walking. "Come on!" Bob said. Frank hesitated, but found himself following the two. It confused him, if all the other dead people were all so lively, why wasn't Mikey? Frank brushed it off and followed again until they came up on the same shack that he ran away from. Bob opened the door and smiled. "Gerard! We got a live one!" He called. Gerard instantly ran out the door and wrapped his arms around Frank. "Don't run away like that! I can explain everything." He said. Bob eyed Frank, making the man uncomfortable, then he gasped. "It's Josh, isn't it?" He asked. Gerard let out a yelp and smiled. "That's his name! I forgot... haha. I missed you Josh!" He said, hugging Frank again. Frank pushed Gerard off of him, something he found himself doing often. "My name isn't Josh, my name is Frank!" He shouted.
Gerard stared at him, then laughed. "No, I remember, your name is Josh. Where are you getting Frank from?" He asked. Frank shook his head. "I think you have the wrong person. It was nice meeting you all, but really, I need to go home. How do we get out?" Frank asked. Bob looked at Gerard, who looked back at him. "There is no way out." Bob said. Gerard bit his lip and looked down. "Hey, how did you get down here? I asked you before." Bob said to Frank. Frank looked at him and pointed at Gerard. "He... He brought me here, so he must know the way out!" He cried. Bob spun around to Gerard with wide eyes. "You brought him here? Gerard, you have to know how to bring him up, and you have to do just that! You can't just bring some stranger down here.. a living stranger! You know better than to bring the living down!" Bob said, slightly raising his voice.
Gerard stumbled backwards a little, sitting on his bed. "I know! I know... but.... you..." He began, walking to Frank. "You must remember me... you must. You're not Frank, you're Josh, you're the one that I love, and the one that loved me too! You have to remember!" He cried desperately. Frank stared at him and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but you have to understand this, I'm Frank Iero, not who you think I am. I've never been in a band, and I've never fallen in love. You have to understand this. Please, I've never met you before in my life." He said. Gerard felt tears roll down his eyes. He gasped, touching his cheeks. The dead weren't supposed to cry, it just didn't happen. Once you're dead, you can't cry anymore. The underground was a place to be happy all the time, and to never feel pain again. "F-Frank... I'm sorry I've done this, I'll bring you back. I swear. I'm so sorry." Gerard whispered, sitting back on his bed.
Frank stared at Gerard and shifted uncomfortably. Bob stared at Gerard too, only in total shock. He knelt down beside Gerard and wiped his tears. "Gee... you're crying." Bob whispered. Gerard bit his lip and nodded, his face contorting in pain. "Yeah... I know.." He mumbled. Bob hugged him and looked at Mikey. "Mikes... can you get Ray for me?" He asked. Mikey stood there for a little before very slowly nodding and limping out of the house. "Why does he act like that when the rest of you act normal?" Frank asked. Bob looked at the door, then at Frank. "He didn't die the same as we did. We all died from the plane crash... but he didn't. He lost Gerard, he's his little brother, and he lost me, we were getting married, and um.... well, he suffered from insanity from the loss so fast, and ended himself by suicide... a bullet to the brain." Bob explained.
Frank frowned with sympathy and rubbed his arm awkwardly. "Oh um, I'm sorry to hear that.." He mumbled. "Yeah, well, suicide does more to you than it does if you die naturally or accidentally. When you purposly do it, the effects stay there. He had a bullet lodged in his brain, so he ended up more of.... of a zombie than anything else. It hurts to see him in such a condition, but I love him anyway, I take care of him the best I can." Bob said. Frank nodded and Gerard stood up. "Instead of talking about my brother, why don't we get you back up and to your normal life again, huh?" Gerard asked, smiling softly. Frank smiled back hopefully and nodded. "Yes, that would be great, thank you." He said.
Gerard wiped more tears from his face and smiled again. "Okay, lets go." He said, heading for the door. As he was about to do that, the door opened, showing a stone faced Mikey and another man with wild curly hair. "You guys wanted me?" The other asked. As soon as he asked that, he noticed the tears on Gerard's face. "Oh my.... what the fuck is going on?" He whispered. Bob motioned for him to come over, and soon explained everything. The man - Ray - gasped and hugged Gerard. "Oh my gosh! It's okay Gerard, he's out there somewhere, I promise. You'll find Josh before you know it." Ray said comfortingly. Gerard hugged back and nodded. "Yeah, I know, but for now, let's just bring Frank back." He said.
Ray released his grip and the group of five men headed off for the outskirts of town. "Gerard, where did you get him?" Bob asked. Gerard laughed nervously. "New Jersey..." He muttered. The others gaped at him, then Ray said. "What the hell were you doing in New Jersey? You know we aren't supposed to leave! Then again... you did go to the surface world and brought back a live person, so I guess it's not the end of the world." He said. Gerard glared at his friend and they stopped far away from town. "Here will be fine." Gerard said sadly. The others agreed and all but Frank and Mikey soon began to dig a hole up above them. Frank watched as they dug for what was probably hours. So many things ran through his head. Where were they now? How would he get back? And when? What would happen when he got back home? Would the wedding be back on... or would it all come crashing down? What would his parents think? A frustrated growl brought Frank from his worry. "What's going on?" He asked. Gerard turned around and shook his head. "I can't get up there! I don't know what's happening!" He said.
The others stopped and frowned. "How long would it take you to get up?" Bob asked. Gerard turned to them and moaned. "Maybe five minutes, but it's been two hours!" He said. Suddenly, something started showing up from the darkness, it appeared in the underground moonlight, revealing a skeletoned man in a wheel chair. "Dr. Death Defying." One of them mumbled. The man nodded and made his way to Gerard. "Dr. what's going on?" Gerard asked, worried. The man stared at him through sunken eyes and said, "I know you've been going to the surface world, and I will not let that happen again. You, and the rest of you, all of us, are not allowed in the surface world again. Life up there is finished for us all, we are meant to be down here now. Life there stopped the day your heart did." Dr. Death said. Ray stepped forward. "But this man, we have to bring him up." He said sterntly. Dr. Death looked at Frank and said, "It looks like he's stuck down here forever."

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