The Collector

“Jet?” Red began, pausing, waiting for some sort of response – it was already the second time she had said his name. “Jet!”

“Red?” he replied, his tone somewhat clipped.

“Is there a reason why we’re not red lining this bucket?”

The pair had left Dust Bowl far behind them already, but still only at the borders of Zone Two. Whilst hardly travelling slowly, Jet was keeping the Trans Am within reasonable speed limits. It didn’t seem to make any sense, if they floored the pedal, they could catch up with Sorby and rescue Party before they even reached the museum, but Jet seemed reluctant. Yes, they were his friends, but they were also the legendary Killjoys – she had met most of them and had grown surprisingly attached in a very short while, especially to this curly-haired irritating man.

“Yes,” he replied, without further elaboration.

“Care to share?” Red poked him in the ribs only to cause his body to crease to the right as he tucked his elbow in protectively. “Ticklish, eh?” she smiled.

“Have I told you you’re annoying?” Jet frowned.

“Yes,” Red sighed, “but what you haven’t told me is why we’re going so slowly.”

“Multiple reasons,” Jet shook his head.

“What?” Red cried, exasperated. “Have I upset you or something?”

“No,” he sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging as he released the tension he hadn’t realised he’d been storing up.

“What’s wrong?” Red asked quietly, her tone edged with concern.

“Honestly?” he asked, more to himself than to Red.

“No, lie to me!” Red replied exasperated. “Of course, honestly!”

Jet gave Red a sidelong glance as he drove; somehow he felt comfortable opening up to her.

“I’ve known Candi for years,” he exhaled deeply. “I thought I could trust her with my life. You know?”

“I can’t even imagine what it must be like to trust someone so much and be betrayed like that,” Red replied, thoughtfully. “The shock alone…” she allowed her words to taper off into the silence that hung in the car for another few minutes.

“I didn’t know if I could do it, you know,” he whispered. “Everyone thinks we’re these tough heroes, but, when it came down to it…”

“You don’t think you’re a hero?” Red asked, tilting her head and staring at the uncertain man seated beside her.

“Me?” he laughed. “No, Party’s the one with the hero complex.”

“Yeah, I get that, but don’t you think it took courage to do what you did today?”

“It took something,” he replied wistfully.

“Jet,” Red began tentatively. “It took guts, determination and strength.”

“Red, killing someone you know… or at least, that you think you know, takes a piece of your soul.”

“I’m sorry,” she reached over and squeezed his forearm.

Jet followed suit and patted her hand, grateful for the contact.

“Jet? When was the last time you slept?” Red asked, looking up and noticing how pale and tired he seemed.

“Let’s not go there?” he gave a hollow laugh.

“Should you even be driving?” she asked, poking him in the ribs again and getting the same response as earlier.

“Okay, so keep me awake then,” he chuckled. “Tell me about you.”

“I thought you said you wanted to be kept awake?” she offered a broad smile to accompany the self-deprecating joke.

“Very funny! Come on, what’s your story?”

“You pretty much know it,” Red shrugged. “My family were killed by BLI when I was four and I escaped a few years back.”

“Do you remember them?” he asked, uncertain if it was a fair question to ask.

“I made sure I did,” Red replied with a stern, almost cold tone. “Well, yes and no. I remember bits, not so much faces, but details. Like I know there was quite a gap between me and my brother. He was about seven or eight years older than me. I mean, I know he’d only have been about twelve when I was taken by BLI, but he might as well have been an adult.”

“Do you remember anything about him?”

“He was kind,” she tilted her head as she remembered. “Funny, always laughing,” Red took a deep breath. “He always looked out for me. And I miss him. What about you?”

“I don’t really remember,” he shrugged. “All I know is my dad taking me out of Battery City one day and heading for Overmorsen in Zone One.”

“What happened?” Red asked, cautiously.

“The car hit a mine, or we were attacked or something. I really don’t know. I woke up in the desert, couldn’t remember anything for ages. Never found my dad.”

“How did you survive?” Red asked concerned.

“Doctor Death Defying found me. I owe him my life. He took me into his camp with a bunch of other medics and refugees from the Helium Wars.”

“But you eventually remembered everything?”

“No,” Jet shook his head. “At least, I don’t think so; I’m pretty sure I should have more memories than I do. The hardest part is not knowing.”

“Do you even remember your original name?” she asked, heartbroken by the tale.

“I do now, but I was twenty-two by the time I recovered what memories I have.”

“Oh, Jet, I’m so sorry,” she breathed.

“How about you? Do you remember your original name?”

“Only my first name. It’s Scarlet.”

“Ah, that’s where you get Red from?” Jet beamed a smile at her.

“My brother had trouble with S’s when we were kids, so he called me Red.”

Jet smiled at the story; a touching commentary on a sibling relationship before BLI took over and left the world scared and broken. He shook his head sadly before sighing heavily a few times to forcibly calm himself.

“We can’t go fast this close to Bat City.”

“Sorry?” Red asked, confused by the statement.

“Your question – why am I not red-lining the car.”

“Oh!” Red smiled broadly. “That was a bit of a long-winded route! Why not?”

“Do you see those cameras?” Jet asked pointing to a small grey innocuous looking box at the side of the dusty Route Guano.

“Yeah?”

“They’re measuring speed and emissions. If I gun the engines we attract attention. I know it’s slow but it’s safer. Besides, if we catch up with Sorby, we might get Party back but I don’t want him to get word back about us. We’ll only put Ghoul and Kobra in danger.”

“So, we take our time,” Red sighed.

“We take our time,” Jet checked the battery level on his gun. “We get new batteries, maybe a few guns, for the guys for when we get them out.”

“A few?” Red’s eyes popped wide at the idea. “They’re fifteen thousand carbons each!”

Jet laughed and flipped open a secret compartment underneath the dashboard. Withdrawing a bulky piece of equipment, Jet handed the gadget over to Red.

“No, they’re free,” he chuckled. “We have to reconfigure this every now and then, because BLI will insist on trying to stop us stealing from them, but Ghoul keeps on top of it. Handy with electronics, is Ghoul.”

Red stared down at the device in her hands.

“Vend-O-Hack,” she laughed. “He has a sense of humour too.”

Jet briefly turned a serious expression toward her.

“Once we’re equipped, we go in and rescue them. Scope it out, wait for darkness, if possible.”

“If possible?” Red queried, picking up on Jet’s uncertainty.

“I don’t know,” Jet frowned. “I’ve got a weird feeling this is going to turn into a firefight.”

“Well,” Red tipped her head, “we make sure we’re ready then.”

Jet offered an appreciative smile to the younger woman seated beside him. She didn’t have to stay, she didn’t have to help and she certainly didn’t have to risk her life, but she had already and seemed willing to do it again.

“Why did you stay?” he asked, without a hint of malice in his voice.

“What?” she chuckled in reply. “You don’t think I’m a BLI spy?”

“I never did,” he returned.

“Yeah, right!” Red rolled her eyes, remembering him and Ghoul practically playing pass the parcel with her.

“Seriously, why did you stay?” he repeated.

“Well, someone’s got to make sure you don’t get ghosted,” Red stuck her tongue out at him and laughed.

Jet laughed as he turned his attention back to the road. But despite the flippant nature of the reply, it could easily have been the case that all four of them might have been museum exhibits by now. Their natural cautiousness around Red had kept them apart and in other circumstances, because of the trust they all had for Candi and Ice, they may well have all been picked off by now.

*

“Are you okay, Party?” Ghoul asked tentatively.

Party lowered his eyes and sighed, licking his dry lips as he wondered what to say. More than that he wondered what he had said.

“You… you were dreaming about your dad’s murder?”

Party looked up at Ghoul, alarmed by the words. He had to know, he just had to.

“Wh-what did I say?” he asked, appearing uncharacteristically vulnerable and turning his attention between Ghoul and Kobra.

“You didn’t say anything,” Ghoul replied slowly – this was a conversation they were going to come back to at some future point when Kobra wasn’t around. “You seemed to be fighting someone, then you shouted ‘dad’ and you woke up.”

Party swallowed and took a deep calming breath. Nodding he seemed to be allowing his heart rate to return to normal. He wanted to quiz Ghoul more about his exact words, whether he had given anything away but he knew that firstly, he wouldn’t do that in front of his brother – it was bad enough that his secret about his nightmares was out – but he also didn’t want Ghoul to realise the significance of any of the things he might have said.

“Are you okay, Party?” Kobra repeated Ghoul’s question quietly.

Party pulled his lips into a thin line. He felt he knew what was coming – Kobra was worried about him certainly, but for the moment there would almost certainly be condemnations for his having kept his nightmares a secret in the first place.

“I’m fine, Kiddo,” he nodded to emphasise his words.

“Party?” Kobra began tentatively, before pausing. “You never told me you had nightmares.”

“No,” Party replied, uncertain where Kobra was going.

Ghoul looked from one brother to another as if watching a tennis match. Both voices were subdued and nervous. Ghoul chewed his lower lip waiting for the explosion – but which one would snap first?

“Ghoul knows,” Kobra lowered his eyes. “He’s seen it before. Many times, apparently.”

“Kobra,” Party licked his lips nervously, “is now…?” he paused; what was he going to say?

“I got my arms around you. It’s okay, baby.” Kobra quoted, earning a deep worried frown from Ghoul as he spoke the words slowly and deliberately.

“What are you asking, Kobra?” Party replied hesitantly, pushing his hand nervously through his fiery red hair.

“What do you think I’m asking, Party?”

Ghoul let out a breath suddenly, not realising that he’d been holding it. Looking down sheepishly and trying not to make eye contact with either of the brothers, Ghoul finally looked up as Kobra began to chuckle as he pushed himself to his feet.

“Oh, you two are a picture, you know that?” he smirked.

Ghoul’s face softened and an unexpected smile formed on his face. Party appeared agitated and his expression lay somewhere between indignant and confused.

“Okay, Party,” Kobra’s smile broadened. “I’ve made you squirm enough. Jet and I both know about you and Ghoul. But I’m concerned about the nightmares.”

“I…” Party, now also standing, “I’m not sure I want to discuss it.”

“Party, it’s upsetting you! I’m your brother, let me help.”

“You can’t,” Party appeared uncomfortable, and unable to look Kobra in the eyes.

“What’s going on, Party!” Kobra snapped. “Why don’t you ever trust me? First it’s missions…”

“Well, see how that worked out!”

“Hey!” Ghoul intervened, leaping up to literally and metaphorically stand between them. “That wasn’t Kobra’s fault and it’s not like we did any better, is it?”

Party banged a fist against the Perspex and sighed heavily.

“I can’t believe Candi did this to us!” he complained loudly. “I just hope they didn’t get Jet and Red.”

“Don’t be changing the subject!” Kobra replied, determined to stay on track, but almost immediately, he reacted to Party’s last comment. “Who’s Red?”

“Oh, you’d like her,” Ghoul smiled. “She’s just your type.”

“What’s my type?” Kobra asked suspiciously.

“Female and breathing,” Party quipped.

“Funny!” Kobra frowned.

“Seriously,” Ghoul grinned. “She’s feisty, tiny and she kicked Party’s ass,” he beamed a cheeky smirk at the red-head.

“I was ill!”

“Why were you fighting a little girl?” Kobra raised an eyebrow.

“You should ask her exactly that question!” Ghoul’s face lit up with mischief, knowing what Red’s response would be to those two words she seemed to hate so much.

“Why don’t you ask her on a date, Ghoul,” Party pouted. “You’re single now!”

“Ah, you love me really!” Ghoul’s smile was irrepressible and no matter how hard he tried, Party could not remain angry.

Kobra took a deep calming breath as his face grew serious once more.

“You still haven’t told me what your nightmare was about. I heard you call out Dad. Do you know who killed him? How he died?”

A loud crashing noise drew their attention and all three turned to the entrance to the exhibit as the doors were flung open dramatically.

“Well, well, well,” the man smirked triumphantly. “Party Poison, Fun Ghoul and Kobra Kid, trapped like rats.”

“Korse!” Party growled almost spitting the word in distaste and drawing himself up defiantly.

Notes