Bad News From The Zones, Tumbleweeds

FG Star? Can you hear me?
You are crying hysterically and clinging to Jet.
PP Fuck, this isn’t going to work.
Poison reaches down and grabs you by the shoulders and pulls you up off of Jet, Ghoul kneels down to face you.
FG Star? Can you hear me?
You struggle to touch Jet as Poison holds you away from him. Ghoul looks to Poison.
PP Just do it.
Ghoul reaches back and slaps you hard. You look at him and try to reach for your gun which is missing from its holster.
OC Leave me alone!
FG Star, we have to get Jet in the car. Can you help us take him home?
OC Hmm?
You ask struggling to comprehend what’s going on. Ghoul reaches down and pulls Jet up by reaching under his shoulders.
FG Grab his feet Star.
You slowly move to pick up his feet and Poison rushes to the car and opens the door, pushing the seat up.
PP Crawl in the back, you can hold him on the ride home.
You follow orders but as soon as you are in the car cradling Jet you begin to cry again.
OC Oh God, this can’t be happening.
You hold Jet close to you and plant kisses on his face and bury your face against him.
FG Well, I guess it could’ve been worse. You gonna be okay to drive with those two?
PP Yeah I think so. Just stay close in case I need to pull over for a break.
FG I won’t let you outta my sight. Come on, let’s go home.
Poison climbs in one car and Ghoul in the other. Poison sighs as you continue to weep against Jet. The cars roar to life and pull away from the building, leaving the dead Dracs to rot where they lay.

Ghoul’s POV
I look over at Kobra Kid lying in the seat next to me. A peaceful expression on his face, he looks so young.

I remember when you came up with your handle, Mikey. I think we harassed you for a week solid. You were so afraid of snakes it was ironic. Jesus, I can’t believe you’re gone. I can’t believe I’m talking to you like you aren’t dead. I don’t know how Gee is gonna get thru this, me either. Jet would’ve been inconsolable. He really loved you Mikey. I love you too.

Ghoul begins to cry.

At least the two of you have each other on the other side; I guess that’s a good thing. I don’t know if I could go on without Gee. Looks like Star isn’t handling this very well. We still don’t know what happened and I’m not sure if we ever will. Depends on if she comes out of this, Fuck this sucks Mikey. I hope you didn’t suffer. I love you brother.

Poison’s POV
I take a deep breath as we start the drive home. How can it be home when the two people you love won’t be there? I try really hard not to think of Mikey dead in the other car. My baby brother, I’m supposed to protect him. How could we be so careless?

Star? I know you can hear me, I know you are heartbroken but you HAVE to tell me what happened. I can’t live not knowing how my brothers were killed. Do you hear me?! If I lost Ghoul, I’d probably be in worse shape than you are in now, but we need to know. You have to tell us. I have to bury my baby brother today and my best friend; I need to know why. Do YOU HEAR ME?!

Star looks up at me for the first time, she looks confused.
OC W-wh-what?
Jesus, I said you have to tell us what happened!
OC What, what happened?
Yes to Kid and Jet.
OC they died Poison; Jet said he’d never leave me and now he’s gone. I’m alone. Is this a nightmare?
Star? Star?
Star buries her face in Jet’s shoulder and sobs.
Fuck!
I can hear her muttering to Jet, “Wake up, wake up, wake up”

Star’s POV
I can’t think coherently. I can hear voices but they are far away. I can’t process what’s going on. My mind wanders from thought to thought. When Ghoul took Jet from my arms, I just followed him. I couldn’t let him go for a moment. I had to touch him, know he is still here.

Every time I look at Jet my heart breaks again, like it’s the first time I see that he’s dead. How can he be dead? How did I let this happen? I’m the deadliest person in Batter City; I never miss a shot; I’ve even killed people so quickly you can see the surprise in their eyes as they died. Have I gone so soft so quickly? Is it the tablets, or the emotions?

The guys will hate me, blame me, may be try to kill me. I deserve it, and more. If they only knew who I was before I met Jet – they’d kill me instantly. I keep reaching for my guns, I want to be dead too. They aren’t there. Maybe I can tell them the full story when we get home. They can shoot me and bury me with Jet. My Star Killer,

Oh GOD this can’t be happening. I spend the ride with my arms around him. Kissing him and holding him; inhaling his sent – it’s like motor oil and cologne and dirt. It’s so sexy. I play with his hair, brushing it from his face, running my fingers through it and twirling it. I love his curls. I’ll never hear his voice again; hear him say he loves me; hear him moan my name as we make love. I look at the rings on our fingers; was it just earlier this morning he placed this ring on my finger?

This is torture, worse than anything Korse ever did to me in training. Korse. This is his fault. If he wasn’t so obsessed with the Killjoys, they wouldn’t be hunted. I wouldn’t have been sent out here, they wouldn’t have been in danger. That motherfucker is gonna pay for this; I’ll kill them all. I promised Jet I’d keep Poison and Ghoul safe, and I will make good on that promise. And if I end up dead doing it, then all the better.

I whisper in Jet’s ear, I’ll be with you soon baby. Wait for me.

Ghoul pulls off the road and onto the shoulder, stopping his car. Poison does the same.
PP Star? I’m going to check on Ghoul. Stay here.
He laughs then mumble to himself; yeah like you gonna leave.
Ghoul doesn’t get out of the car and as Poison approaches, he can see Ghoul is crying uncontrollably now.
Poison yanks the door open and grabs Ghoul’s jacket pulling him out of the car and into his arms.
PP Baby, what is it? Are you okay?
Ghoul shakes his head no against Poison’s chest. And cries harder; Poison holds him tighter and lets him cry, silent tears running down his cheeks too.
FG I-I’m sorry Gee.
PP Sorry for what baby?
Poison is rubbing his back gently trying to soothe him.
FG You are always the strong one, the leader, our leader and I – I want to be strong for you baby. He’s your baby brother and I – I can’t…I can’t fix this.
Poison’s tears are still falling but he manages to pull away from Ghoul and gives him a weak smile and a small laugh.
FG What?! What’s funny? Are you making fun of me?
PP Frank, I love you with all my heart. But you are a complete dork.
Ghoul steps back away from Poison and gives him a look, ‘proceed cautiously Poison’.
Poison smiles bigger.
PP Are you actually apologizing for crying? For not being strong enough to not cry?
FG No! Well wait, maybe? I don’t know.
PP See? Dork!
FG I just want you to be able to lean on me, like we lean on you.
PP I have and I am and I’m barely holding my shit together right now. This break down of yours has made me feel needed. I love you for that.
FG Breakdown?! I’m not having a breakdown. I just needed a break from driving. Sun was in my eyes, I saw an animal on the road, and a road runner was being chased by a coyote…
PP Really? A road runner?
FG Shut up and hug me!
PP Only if you kiss me.
FG Oh if I must.
They hug tightly, each trying to comfort the other without trying to lose sight of the long drive that is still ahead of them. Ghoul pulls back from the hug and strokes Poison’s cheek before pulling him into a chaste gentle kiss.
FG How is she?
PP She mumbles. I’m not sure I’ve understood a thing she has said.
FG She is probably not talking to you anyway.
PP How are things in your car?
FG Quiet, too quiet; but Mikey was never much of a talker.
Poison releases Ghoul and slowly drops to his knees crying and Ghoul realizes his mistake. He kneels and pulls Poison into his arms.
FG Christ Gee, I’m sorry that sounded … I don’t know…I’m a dork. I shouldn’t have said it.
PP What am I gonna do Frank?! What are we gonna do? We’ve lost half our family in one afternoon. I can’t bury Mikey. I- I can’t.
Ghoul pulls him into his arms and slowly pets Poison’s hair.
FG Listen to me babe, we will find a way. Isn’t that what you always say? We are Killjoys, we find a way, and we make a way. Right now, we have to get home. I need you to be able to drive. Can you do that for me baby?
Poison nods. Ghoul lifts his chin so he can see Poison’s beautiful hazel eyes.
FG Need another kiss?
Poison nods again silently. Ghoul kisses him again. Gentle and chaste at first but Poison grabs his face and presses against him demanding the kiss go deeper. After a few minutes of heated need; Poison releases Ghoul and smiles weakly.
FG Better?
He asks breathless.
PP Much, let’s get home.
They stand, hug and return to their separate vehicles. The engines roar to life and Ghoul peels out onto the road with Poison close behind him.

Notes

Still more story to come; stay tuned Killjoys be patient and most of all thank you for all the views!