Resurrection

Gerard sat on the end of the bed and considered things.
He felt better, the fever and chills finally clearing his system had made him hungry and Ray had brought him a loaded plate and they had eaten together before he disappeared back to help the kid they called Toxic with the radio. He no longer looked like the suited up scarecrow, his hair was back to a myriad of colours that Gee kinda liked and he thought again about his conversation with Ray as they had talked together.
“I can remember being….him.”
Ray nodded.
“Me too, I get flashbacks to it and then being in the city.”
“So it must be true, we must have died. Then been brought back and left in the city.”
They sat together in silence, the implications were not good for the still deep seated belief that BLI were the pure and honest ones. The killjoys were filth, scum that were trying to destroy the perfection of the city. That glaring contradiction was making both men feel a little sick.
“Doesn’t mean we have to be those people again. We could escape.”
Gerard glanced at Ray, confusion on his face at the broad smile on the other man. He hadn’t considered that, there could be a way to make it back and explain to Korse that they had been kidnapped against their wills. Ray had said that it could be done, they just needed transport.
“They talk about Crimson and a car. You could ask her.”
“N-no, I can’t. She wouldn’t tell me….”
Ray had told him to consider where his loyalties lay and left, if he could get control of the radio then maybe he could raise BLI. Gerard had stayed put, thinking through what Ray had said and why it bothered him to talk to the girl. She was beautiful, he knew that and knew that when he had been the other one they had been together. That made talking to her awkward (he was ignoring the desire that rose in him) and he could hardly just drop it into conversation that he knew about the car. Or could he? Did he even want to? His brother was here, he felt safe for the first time ever and felt that he belonged. Still he knew that BLI were right and order was needed, control….fuck, now he could feel a headache and at first didn’t look up when he realised someone was at the door.
“Hi…”
Crimson tried not to wince when he looked up.
“Hi. Thanks for lunch.”
She chuckled, coming to sit opposite him. Crim had decided they needed to talk so that at least they could look at each other and maybe the awkwardness would fade out. Gerard looked at her, a short girl with elfin features who didn’t look like the killer she was. He liked looking at her and smiled.
“I don’t remember the scars. Who did that?”
“Rainbow. We got in a big fight and I cut her, she shot me. Accidently she claims.”
Gerard gawped as Crimson giggled and the ice thawed a little.
“Remind me not to get between you two.”
Crimson nodded, almost feeling that she had seen a little of Party in him at that moment. He and Kobra had always been the ones to pull apart any altercations and they had pulled all of the others out of bar fights at one time or another. She felt the draw of the past again and looked back up into the familiar eyes.
“This is all a little weird.”
Gerard nodded, something like sadness flitting across his mind.
“You loved him.”
“I loved you. Long before you became Party Poison, back when it was just Gee and Lily. Then the war came along and everything changed for all of us. Looking at you now is like going back in time.”
He hadn’t considered this, blooming curiosity about the man before the killer. Was he more like that Gerard? Could he be that person and not kill but live free with his brother and the people he was coming around to seeing as friends? His mind flashed back to Ray and he nodded.
“They keep talking about you and my car?”
Crimson giggled and reminded herself to murder Mikey next time she saw him.
“Well it is unusual when a man loves his car more than the woman who sucks his dick.”
“Jesus what was wrong with me?”
Both of them were laughing helplessly, Gerard found he didn’t want to turn her in and made his mind up that he wasn’t going through with the plan. Ray could find them another way or go back to BLI under his own steam. He looked at the keys now dangling from her fingers and then back at the seductive smile.
“The others would kill me but you fancy going for a drive?”
He nodded and she grabbed his hand, the spark that went up her back at the contact made Crimson wince but all of a sudden all that mattered was getting out of the bunker for a while. Gerard followed her up to the main room and out, all of the others busy at various tasks. Crim sometimes scouted so Frank didn’t find it odd when the Trans Am pulled away. He didn’t see Gerard.
“This car is fucking amazing.”
The wind picked up as Crimson floored it, the desert opening up in front of them as the car roared and sped on. Gerard loved it, the feeling of wind in his hair and the sun on his skin was amazing. Crimson was only wearing a t-shirt, the heat baking into her was the greatest feeling and just to have him beside her was something she had never thought to have again. For an hour they just drove.
“I had forgotten this feeling.”
“Nothing beats this, the city can shove it. Live free Gee…”
She gave him a dazzling smile and he turned the radio on, music blaring out added to his excitement and she was right, this was living. He let himself remember this, the positions reversed and him driving as she sang along beside him, his hand on her thigh, hers on his and that thought made him swallow hard.
“Fuck!”
Crimson could see the patrol ahead and they were outnumbered, badly. If the dracs saw the car they would come after them and probably call reinforcements. Gee looked terrified, hanging on for grim death as she t-boned the car and sped back the way they had come. Her eyes remained fixed on the rear view mirror and her voice was tight.
“Back seat, in my jacket.”
“What?”
“Guns. If we want to get home we may have to fight.”
Gerard was shaking, reaching into the back for her jacket. It was heavy and held together by string, bandannas and bits of metal. He could see the black gun in there and put it on the dashboard, reaching back as his fingers brushed something else. He grasped it and pulled, his face paling as he looked at the object in his hand.
A bright chipped yellow gun, decorated and worn but comfortable in his hand.

Notes