Mad Gear

“Any killjoys out there?”

I turned my eyes to the radio and picked up the microphone.

“Mad Gear, reporting. Zone 3.”

“Kid. Any others with you?”

“Just me.”

I passed by the sign that introduced me to Zone 2 and hit the gas. Dracs at the gas stop. They seemed to be talking about something. I couldn’t stop here. I looked at the droopy needle on my meter and bit my lip. I had just replaced this engine. Forcing it wasn’t a good idea.

“We’re currently in the main BL/ind building.”

I nodded to myself and bit my lip harder. Going to see the real killjoys…. I twiddled my fingers in anticipation. If I was good enough… maybe I would be able to join them…. I nearly screamed at the thought.

“Calm down, Mad Gear…. Calm down. They might not want another member…. Even if you’ve wanted this for a long time, there’s a chance that they won’t take you…..”

I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel and turned up the music as Dr. Death Defying put a song. One of my favorites, actually. A girl. Her voice was insane as she screamed about the government and our shitty lives. Pink Insanity…. I heard she was actually living with the killjoys.

Some people get all the luck.

A small sound. My engine sputtered. I looked down at the temperature that was slowly rising. After confirming that I wasn’t being followed, I stopped the car and lifted the hood. Smoke hit my face. Overheating. I waited a few seconds until it was cooler and reached in towards the duck-taped wires that held the fan. Gosh. I took the tape out of my pocket and put some more on the wires until it was nice and tight. My stomach grumbled then. I looked down at my oily hands and the world spun a little. I hadn’t had contact with other killjoys in weeks. I had run out of food three days ago. I rubbed my eyes and felt some of the oil get on them. Dang it. I then reached into my car and pulled out a small rag to wipe my eyes. In a few seconds, the motor was cool enough for me to continue. I got back in the car and sped off. Closer. Closer. Soon, I was riding right through Battery City. I hadn’t seen it in ages…. The sight nearly brought tears to my eyes, but I forced myself to focus. I arrived at the main building and exited my car carefully. Someone was pacing. Someone tall and…. delicate.

“Hey?”

“Ah, hello.”

“I’m, uh, Mad Gear. Dr. Death Defying sent a message out to the zones….”

“Show Pony.”

We shook hands. His feeling soft and mine greasy. He didn’t seem to mind, though. He seemed to have a lot on his mind. I handed him the clean side of the rag and he scraped off some of the grease.

“Sorry…. I just get used to it.”

“Follow me.”

I followed him into the building and down halls. It seemed to be empty. Then, someone ran past. I blinked as we walked into a place where the hallways glittered with color.

“It’s so pretty.” I whispered.

Show Pony snapped out of his thoughts to give me a smile.

“Thanks! I had to practically re-educate them, but it’s worth it!”

“What’s the occasion?”

“Party’s getting married!” One of the guys holding the guys chirped “I’m Jet. Hi!”

I smiled brightly and then nodded to the silent blond boy. He didn’t seem very happy. I felt myself suddenly stumble back as another daze hit me. Pony's careful hands lowered me to the ground.

"What's wrong. Mad Gear, are you sick?"

My stomach growled and I tried to get up.

"Jet-" Pony said.

"Yup."

Jet disappeared and came back a few seconds later with a piece of bread. Actual bread. He handed it to Pony, who took a small piece from it and placed it in my mouth. Slowly, he fed me as I focused on keeping my eyes open. Finally, I felt strong enough and was able to take the food by myself.

Once I could see straight, Pony helped me up. I smiled gratefully and he led me into a room. A real bed. Real sheets. I gawked all over the place. He pushed me towards the bathroom.

"If you... uh... need anything else.... I'll let Dr. D know you're here."

"Yes. Thank you."

He looked at me for a second, then nodded and left the room. I opened the water and if came out hot. A girlish shriek. In a second, Pony was back. I was cradling my hand when he approached me. He laughed and adjusted the water. I watched him do it. When he finished, he took hold of my arm.

"So... get in."

"D-Do you mind going outside?"

He blinked.

"Ah! Of course. Sorry."

He left. I stripped of my clothes and into the shower. The water was perfect. I smiled to myself as the clear liquid washed away the dirt and grime of ages. My skin revealed its true whiteness when the dust left it. I shook the blood off my hair, revealing its natural, dirty golden color. Then, I just stood under the water; appreciating its warm its comforting embrace. How long had it been? Oh, God.

"Mad Gear."

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Y-Yeah?"

"Dr. D said to come when you're ready. For now, you'll need to wear BL/ind clothes."

"Yes. Of course. Thank you."

I stuck my head out of the shower to see him laying some clothes on the bed for Me. He looked back at me and nodded. I felt myself smile.

---

I got out of the shower when Pony left and put on the clothes. A little baggy, but that would be only until I gained some weight. A knock on my door. The prettiest little girl I had ever seen. She reminded me of my little sister in some way.

"I'm Missle Kid." She said, giggling "Nice to meet you."

"Mad Gear. The pleasure is all mine."

She strutted into my room and began jumping on the bed. I giggled and joined her. We were both being completely immature when Pony came into the room. I jumped off the bed and snatched up Missle Kid before she could hit the ground. She squealed and I placed her down gently.

"Pony! Come play with us! Mad Gear is so much fun!"

I smiled. Pony smiled. He then came closer and pulled Missle Kid in for a hug.

"Clothes fit?" he asked me.

"Yes. They do. Thanks."

Pony nodded and stood up. He took Missle Kid's right hand and I took her left hand. Then, they led me down a long hall and into another room.

"Mad Gear?"

I turned to see a man in a wheelchair.

"Yes sir."

He looked at me for a second, then smiled at Missle Kid. She beamed back at him and pulled me closer.

"Dr. D, Mad Gear was playing with me! It was so much fun!"

A door opened and a redhead came in.

"Dr. D I think that-. Who's this."

"New recruit. Party Poison, Mad Gear."

No way. I blinked and swallowed. THE Party Poison? I shook hands with him immediately.

"I've heard of you too," he murmured "they say your aim is something to boast about."

“It’s not THAT good.” I mumbled, looking down at the floor.

I could see my reflection in it.

I heard Party Poison give a soft chuckle. He yanked Pony away and put him all the way across the room. I looked up as he put a small bottle on top of his head. Pony trembled slightly, then stayed very still. Poison handed me a gun and stepped back. I knew the drill. I took one look at Pony and then turned my head away. A ray rung out and Pony gasped softly. I then turned back. The bottle, of course, was pierced exactly through the middle. I had been careful to not break it. Poison slapped me in the back.

“Welcome to the Killjoys.”

Was he serious? I looked around at all the faces. No sign of a joke. The silent boy entered the room.

“Kobra!” Jet screamed “Party accepted Mad Gear!”

“So that’s just it, then?” Kobra said in the coldest tone I had ever heard “We just forget about Fun Ghoul like nothing ever happened? You can’t replace him, Party. You might act like everything is just peachy, but it’s not. NOTHING is EVER going back to normal. Get that through your thick skull before you get another one of us killed.”

He shot a murderous look at me and left the room. Poison nodded to me and took off after him.

“He’s just being a wuss,” Jet said, rolling his eyes “He doesn’t like change.”

“Fun Ghoul…. He was killed by Korse.” I said softly “I heard about this…. Sorry. I didn’t mean to try to replace him….”

“You’re not.” I looked up to see a blond woman with glitter in her hair “Agent Cherri. You are?”

“Mad Gear.”

“Welcome.”

She went over to a small office and took a bottle from the cabinet. Then, she left as silently as she had come. Dr. Death also left. Missle Kid took my arm and led me down the hall. Pony followed.

“That was amazing,” He whispered “Not even Party can aim that well.”

We passed the room Dr. Death was in. I stopped to look inside. A guy. He was muttering obscenities as the doctor put a rag on his forehead. In that moment, Pony took hold of my hand and pulled me away from the scene.

“That’s John. He’s sick.”

We walked for a while with Missle Kid making conversation. It was a few seconds before I looked down to see that Pony’s hand was still holding mine. He noticed this and let go with an awkward cough.

“So….” I said, trying not to turn red “Party Poison is getting married? To who?”

“Pink Insanity. You want to meet her?” I nodded and followed Pony down the hall.

A door covered in pink butterflies that had just been freshly painted. Pony knocked on the door and told me to come in. I recognized the voice as the one that had been singing on my radio.

“Hi! I’m Pink!”

A slim girl with pink-streaked hair. Just as I had imagined her. She was wearing a beautiful makeup that made her eyes look incredible. For the wedding, I guessed.

“I’m Mad Gear,” I murmured.

She smiled and made her way back to her seat as my eyes followed her. There was nervousness in the air. That was no secret. She lifted the brush to her eyes and fumbled with it for a second before dropping it. I automatically picked it up.

“Use your thumb to guide it. That guarantees a softer stroke.”

I handed it back to her and she nodded. I looked back to Pony.

“That’s everyone.” he said softly “Would you like to help us with the preparations?”

“Sure! It would be fun. But first, can I have something else to eat? I hadn’t eaten in days.”

“Ah, yes…. sorry.”

Pony instructed for Missle Kid to stay behind as he led me to a storeroom. He then reached up to the shelves and took a can. He handed it to me before reaching for the can opener. I took it and soon was eating. He watched me silently for a few seconds before shaking his head and turning away. I then realized that my manners might not be the best.

“S-sorry.” I mumbled, with a mouth full of peas “I’m not used to being around… people.”

He shook his head again and a delicate giggle escaped him.

“Just enjoy it.”

I shut my mouth and focused on the food.

“You’re…. european?” he asked.

“My parents. I’ve never actually been to Europe. Not that I can remember anyways.”

He nodded and I continued eating. My parents would tell me stories about Europe. About how beautiful it was before the fires. I would laugh good-naturedly at their funny accents.

"You're really cute, you know."

His comment caught me off guard. I looked up to see him looking at the floor. His face was slightly red.

"You too." I answered.

We sat there in silence. Then, then he laughed awkwardly. I finished as soon as possible and stood up.

"Okay. You're the boss. What do you need help in."

He smiled.

"I need you to help me to localize someone."

A map. It was spread out across the tables.

"Yes." I muttered "I know the zone guard. That sonofabitch was the one to mess up my car. Took me a week to repair the damage."

I lifted the neck of my shirt slightly to show him a wound I had to treat myself. Hadn't closed though.

"How long have you had that. It's infected."

He was quick. In a second, there was something on it that nearly made me climb the wall. He held on to me and I felt the small tug of a needle on my skin. Slowly, and carefully he stitched me up. Eight in total.

"You're a doctor." I said, as he put everything away in the kit.

"Almost." He said "Dr. D trains me."

I lifted my hand to my neck. I could feel the perfection of the stitches with my fingers.

It was then that I felt the ground shake beneath my feet. Something being barked down the hallway. I didn’t understand it, but Pony did. He yelled back something else and nodded to me. I chased after him. Cherri met up with us on the way. Soon, we were all together. Another massive quake.

“A bomb just exploded in the side building!” Cherri screamed.

“They’re trying to drive us out!”

Party took off running down a hall with Jet and Kobra. Cherri took another way. Missle Kid instantly grabbed on to Pony and me.

“It’s okay.” I cooed, at the trembling little girl “Party’s gonna check what it is and we’ll keep you safe in the meantime.”

Another explosion. Pink, that was just coming down the hall, screamed as the floor cracked beneath her feet. Cherri kept running, but Pink stopped where she was. Pony handed Missle Kid to me and stepped outside. Another explosion. The floor rocked beneath our feet. A deafening sound. Pink ran back as the floor split.

We were trapped on one side, and she was trapped on the other.

I shielded Missle Kid from pieces of ceiling. She was crying. Footsteps.

“I want this area cleared. If you find any filth, kill it.”

Pink instructed us to hide. Pony pushed us into the room and closed the door quietly. Pink’s soft breathing. A few seconds of silence.

“Shirley? No, don’t touch her. I know this one.”

A scream and then a struggle. I opened the door just a crack. Enough to see a stranger grabbing Pink off the ground.

“Oh my…. We’ve been very naughty.”

“What’s going on?” Cherri and Pony whispered in unison.

“I don’t know… it’s-”

More footsteps. Then, Party’s voice coming closer.

“Dr.D The entire floor is-”

A pause. Other footsteps. Then, silence.

“Get your hands. Off my wife. You. DIRTY. CUNT.”

“That language. These aren’t the people you should be associating yourself with, Shirley. No worries now. I’ll break them soon.”

“I just gave you an order.” Party said, an edge of danger to his voice “Put her down. Right now.”

I put my hands over Missle Kid’s ears to find that Pony’s were already there. A moment of awkwardness. I nodded to him and removed my hands.

“I don’t have to listen to your order.” The man said smoothly “I’m not part of your group of imbeciles.”

A struggle, I opened the door further to see the zone guard smiling as Jet held on to Party. The floor was terribly uneven. There was no way he could get across it without letting his guard down.

“Party, calm down.” Jet was saying “He’s baiting you. Calm down.”

Another explosion. The floor shook again.

“PINK!”

Pink was reaching out to Party. So close…. So close! The guard snapped her up again. I could now see how huge this guy was. He could hold Pink down with one arm. He handed her off to two of his guards and pulled out a gun.

“LOOK OUT!”

Jet pushed Party out of the way before he got killed.

“KEEP YOUR HEAD STRAIGHT, PARTY! DON’T GET DISTRACTED ON ME!”

Party gave a brief nod before escaping another ray. The door to the room opened widely and I was grabbed out before I could speak. A gun pointed to my head. I sat very still as Missle Kid, Pony, Dr. D and Cherri were also pulled out. Party froze and the zone guard stopped firing.

“Sir.” Another guard said “There’s a guard that is sick. Should we-.”

“Kill him.”

“Yes sir.”

The guard left. A terrible scream and then silence. That guy I had seen earlier… was now dead. His last word?: Jenny. Crying out to a friend? Or perhaps a lover.

“Now. Killing you… would be too merciful.” The zone guard said, smiling wickedly “No. You’re going to suffer. Only this time, I’ll make Korse’s encarcelacion look like nothing.”

Party fired. The guard evaded and laughed. Missle Kid was picked up. She squealed. Party’s eyes flew to her.

“Now,” The guard said “Hands above your head and gun on the ground. Party Poison, you’re under arrest.”

Notes

TADAAAAAH *jazzhands* you... you dont like my jazzhands? *sniff* NOT MY FAULT YOU ASKED TO SEE THEM, PARTY!!

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