Conventional Weapons

When I think about my past, I often think about where I came from. Not the zones, but Los Angeles. The place Battery City became. It might have been shitty, but it was my home. I remember how life was, too. I was only 23 years old, I had a girlfriend. We almost had a baby. Imagine how life would be if I still had her and I was a dad now. But then in had to imagine a life without my zone family. Dr. D, Grace, Ghoul, and Dolly. Especially Dolly. In honesty, I'm really thankful that I had her.
It's been a year and a half. Eighteen months since the siege on Battery City. I haven't seen my friends in eighteen months. I still didn't know if they were dead or if they were still DESTROYAs. I could only hope that they were okay. That's the main thing I think about when I thinking the massive change we've all gone through. My best friend and my younger brother, Jet star and Kobra Kid. That's what I was consistently thinking about.
"Hey," I voice said, bringing me out of my thoughts. I looked over to my right and spotted the short creature I had really fallen in love with. Miss Dolly Pop.
"Hi" I replied. She sat across from me at our dining room table. Things had really changed. Batter City was no longer controlled by Better Living Industries, although they still existed, and everything was being cared for in a civic manner. So much so, that killjoys throughout the zones moved into the city. They found houses, condos and apartment, settling down and actually having a place to call home. This included Me, Dolly and Grace.
"So, I have to run down to Dr. D's. He said something about airing a message."
"Cool." I replied, "Need me down there too?''
"The King of the Killjoys? Going on air" she joked
"Ha ha"
"Of coarse you need to come. Everyone loves Mr. Party Poison."
"Guys" Grace called, peeking her head from her bedroom. "You may want to see this" Doll shot me a questioning look, which I responded to with a shrug.Standing up from our chairs in our dining room, we made our way to the very purple bedroom Grace decided to reside in. She had grown up so much. She was twelve now, and still the smartest person in the room. The kid sat at her black, wooden desk where she had set up her computers screens, a keyboard, and a small two way radio. The room was still pretty girly, something I would never expect Gracre to display. She had become so girly, that she was wearing a pair of rolled up skinny jeans, a tank top and a light green sweater.
"What is it?" Dolly asked, walking into the room.
"I'm getting reports of exterminators in Zone Four." She replied.
"I'll call Val Velocity. Doll, get Ghoul."
"Guess I need to cancel with Dr. D"
"Yeah"
"Better go change" she sighed, turning to leave the room. It was actually smart that she did change. She had been wearing a pair of tight, high waisted pants, a flowing white shirt and cardigan. And let's not forget the high heeled ankle boots.
"What kind of Exterminators are they?" I asked.
"Not a clue" she answered. "But, I will say their readings are nothing like I've ever seen before"
"Do you think...?"
"I don't know"
"Okay. Stay here. Keep in radio contact. I want to make sure this isn't something that can fuck us over.'' I said, adjusting my black leather jacket.
"Got it"

The ride down Route Guano was smooth. So much so, that Dolly was able to guide ahead on her old dirt bike. This was what we called the 'damsel formation'. Dolly Pop would ride a head, as the attention getter. Followed by me and Fun Ghoul in the Trans Am. And bringing up the rear with Val Velocity, a killjoy we had met after the destruction of BL/Ind. We called it the 'damsel' formation only because Dolly jokingly called herself 'the damsel not in distress'.
"I can't get any readings" Grace said into my two way radio.
"Thats weird." I heard Val say.
"There's usually some kind of sign when exterminators show up"
"Like that?'' Dolly asked. Looking a head of her bike, in the distance on Route Guano, there stood two very familiar forms. Both dressed in black. Both two people that should be dead.
"Fuck!" Fun Ghoul exclaimed, "Dolly, be careful! It's....'' His train of thought was disrupted when one of the forms raised their hand, and shot something from it. Dolly was hit, sparks flying from her front tires. I could tell she was losing control of her bike, and she began to swerve. She was actually coming extremely close to hitting the car.
"I can't get control!" She yelled, panic in her voice.
"Ditch it!" Val screamed
"My bike"
"Your fucking life is more important then your bike!" I exclaimed "fucking ditch it". Almost immediately , I watched Dolly turn the handles on her bike and begin to aim herself down, so her bike was practically laying on the road. She pushed herself off the bike, and landed on her side, propelling her into a roll out on the road. It was with such force, that her purple helmet fell off came off her head. She stopped rolling, and laid still in the road. I pulled the car over with a screeching halt, and didn't even bother to turn it off. I was too concerned with Dolly, to care. I climbed out of the car and ran over to her. I helped her up to her feet and begun to look her over.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine" she replied, "just messed up my shoulder a bit."
"She alright" Fun Ghoul asked, as he and the white haired Val ran over.
"She's okay"
"We have a message from Korse." One of the figures shouted from it's place. "Keep Running."

Notes