“I was thinking of changing it to Red Star,” she ventured, chewing lightly on her lip.

Jet rested his fork down on his plate and raised his hand to cover his mouth, choked with bubbling emotion and delight. His eyes misted over until he could no longer see, but what he was missing was the newly developed worried frown taking over Red’s face as Jet seemed unable to answer.

“Dude,” Ghoul whispered. “Say something.”
“I can’t.”

Jet’s voice was subdued and cracked. Hurriedly placing his plate on the table, he scrambled to his feet and pulled Red from the couch; Kobra managing to grab her plate and fork before it was accidentally dropped or tipped. Jet held her arms almost at arms length, staring down with a quivering smile. Still uncertain, Red looked up as Jet’s tears began to roll down his cheeks.

“This is the second time in two days I've cried,” his voice emerged sounding scratchy and broken. “And on both occasions it's been because I was too happy to express myself any other way.”
“So you don’t mind?” Red asked with a little less hesitation in her voice.
“Mind?” Jet finally laughed, realising that she had been unsure. “Oh, Red, I love you! I couldn’t be happier! It means so much…” he paused. “It means everything to me that we’ve found each other again and… well, changing your name might not seem like a big deal to some, but it is to me. We’re a real family again!”

Red pulled him close, burying her head in his chest. It was almost as if she couldn’t quite get close enough to him, seeming to want to almost merge with him. Through his shirt, Jet felt the dampness caused by the spilling of her own tears. Moving one of his hands from her back, Jet placed two fingers under her chin and guided her head until she looked up at him, his smiling face a mere blur to her.

“Are you okay?” He asked gently.
“I’m good,” she croaked, giggling as she spoke the words. “Better than good,” she grinned, breaking into a laugh as she pulled him closer again.

Jet smoothed her hair, gently rocking her, as the pair stood, surrounded by their friends simply staring with huge silly grins at them.

“Jet?” Red whispered.
“Yeah?” He answered quietly, lowering his head to kiss hers and moving her hair from in front of her eyes.
“What’s our last name?” She spoke even quieter this time.

Jet gave a quiet laugh as he kissed her hair once more. She was clearly trying to maintain secrecy, but the decision to change her name had triggered questions that very suddenly needed immediate answers. Lowering his head to whisper in her ear, despite the fact that everyone in the room was aware of his name, including Kami.

“It’s Toro, sweetheart. Ray and Scarlet Toro.”
“Jet and Red Star,” she replied with a twinkle in her eyes.

Years without each other, even with Jet’s missing memories, had left them both feeling lost and as if a gaping void existed in their hearts. Now filled and overflowing with comfort and joy, brother and sister clung to each other in their happiness and revelling in pure delight.

“So, Kobra,” Ghoul raised an mischievous eyebrow, “what’s it going to be? Kobra Poison or Party Kid?”

Kobra scowled, unimpressed by Ghoul’s flippant question. In contrast, Jet and Red both grinned in Ghoul’s direction first, before turning to Kobra; their eyes lingering, waiting for a reply.

“Neither!” He grumbled, shaking his head in dismay, while smiling at the same time.

Ghoul beamed at him; equipped with an irrepressible and playful ability to tease, he often crossed a line and stepped a little too far but somehow his impish charm mostly saved him from angering anyone. This was one such occasion and Kobra was soon shaking his head with amused disbelief.

“I’ll ask you the same question if and when you ever make an honest man of my brother!”
Ghoul chuckled. “Oh, definitely Party Ghoul.”
“You’ve discussed it?” Jet asked.
“No need,” Ghoul shrugged. “He knows who’s in charge.”

Fun Ghoul gasped in disgruntled surprise as all of them laughed.

“Don’t let the food go cold,” Kami suggested with a light laugh, enjoying the good natured banter.
“Definitely!” Ghoul grinned as he sat once more and reached for his plate.

Jet gave Red a gentle squeeze as he released her from the hug. Settling down once more, the four found themselves letting go of much of the tension that had built in them over the previous few days. Kami smiled; they would need to be in good spirits and physically fit to attempt a rescue but they seemed well on their way. Now, they just needed to rest.

*

Doctor Fielding ran the length of the corridor towards Party’s cell. She had heard the screaming before she had even opened the door but now, even from this distance, she could hear the pain and terror in his voice. As she arrived, a BLI smiley-faced hooded guard blocked her entry.

“Open the door!” She insisted as the guard stood blocking her way.
“I’m sorry, doctor, I can't do that. He’s not to be disturbed.”
“Disturbed!” She yelled, shoving the guard. “'Can you not hear him? That is someone who is more than disturbed! He’s my patient, open the door, now!”
“I’m sorry, I…”
“Can’t? On whose orders? I'm not going to be the one to explain it to Korse if he dies in there!”
“It’s Exterminator Korse’s orders, ma’am.”
“And I have my orders from him too! I have to increase his medication! Do I have to go to Korse and tell him you're delaying his plans?”
“No, ma’am, but…”
“Look, I have his orders, right here!”

She reached into her medical bag and withdrew a pre-filled syringe, jamming it into the guard’s leg and quickly pressing the plunger. The guard turned, trying to pull her away from the door, but quickly realised that the drug was fast acting and he stumbled dizzily. Reaching for his belt toward an alarm, the guard found his arm yanked away and pressed against the wall. With her other arm, she landed as hard a blow as she could muster, winding him, and disabling him further. Watching him crumple to the floor, she punched in the code to open the door and gasped at the sight that presented itself.

Pulling the unconscious guard into the cell and closing the door, Fielding took in the horrifying scene: the hypnotic swirling patterns that made even her feel dizzy, the low rumbling sounds that seemed to cause everything in the room to vibrate, the overlying deafening high-pitched siren sound, the constant chant emerging from the porno droid who, apart from the movement of her mouth, was standing as still as a statue. Worst of all, the clearly drugged man with his eyes forced open, screaming and writhing whilst still restrained on the bed. The terror in his eyes and his desperation to escape from some unseen nightmare horrified her. Stepping up to the porno droid, Fielding yelled a command over the cacophony.

“Medical override, Fielding two two sixty-four F. Cease all action.”
“Medical override acknowledged.”

The room fell into silence in a moment, at least after the deafening roar that had existed only seconds before, it felt like silence. As Fielding’s ears adjusted, she began to hear a quiet whimpering sound coming from behind her. Turning, she saw Party still cowering as much as he was able on the bed, staring at an invisible figure on the other side of the room.

“Party?” She spoke soothingly. “What’s wrong, what can you see?”
“M-make him go away,” he replied in what sounded like a child’s voice, tears rolling freely down his cheeks.
“Party?” She worked quickly to remove the head and eye restraint. “Who is it, who can you see?”
“M-my n-name’s Gerard,” he replied still with a very soft and uncertain tone.
“Okay, Gerard,” she stroked his sweat soaked hair soothingly. “You’re safe now, he’s going to leave. Can you see him leaving?”

He nodded slightly, hiccuping as he released his fear and began to calm.

“Has he gone now?” She asked gently. “Tell me when he’s gone.”

Party paused for a few seconds before shrinking back into the bed once more, turning his head away and closing his eyes tightly.

“Make him go!” He wailed, more tears springing to his eyes.

Fielding frowned; whatever or whoever this was that Party could see, it was a strong and terrifying vision.

“Take a look, Gerard,” she cupped his cheek. “He’s gone now.”

Party looked up, barely daring to open his eyes, but when he did, the relief that settled over his face was obvious. Finally, she had convinced him that his nightmare had left.

“Who was it, Gerard?” She asked, curious as to what could have been so terrifying. “Don’t worry, he won’t come back.”
“Uncle Grant,” he whispered with a shake in his still small voice.
“Uncle Grant? Why are you afraid of him, Gerard?”
“H-he killed my dad a-and he took Mikey. I don’t know where he is. He w-won’t let me see him.”
“Who’s Mikey?” She asked softly.
“My little brother,” he hiccuped again.
“How old are you, Gerard?” She asked, frowning with concern.
“I’m ten, Mikey's six.”
“Where are you?” She continued to stroke his hair, it seemed to be helping the ‘boy’ calm down.
“He’s just brought us to a big building with smiley faces on the side, but I don’t know where Mikey is,” he replied, bordering on growing upset again.
“Don’t worry, Gerard, I’m sure Mikey is safe. You’re safe now too.”

Party managed a faint smile as he looked up at the doctor.

“He told me I had to call him Korse, but I don’t know why.”

Fielding wasn't sure how she managed it, but for the sake of the ‘boy’ lying next to her, she held her face in the same expression, offering a kind smile. Underneath, she was shocked by the revelation. Immediately it explained Korse’s obsession with the rebel. It also explained a great deal more - why he was going through a sham interrogation, why he was only loosely following BLI procedures pertaining to treatment of rebels and political prisoners. Most of all, it explained why he was pushing for Party's complete destruction. Finding him suffering hypnotic regression torture in her absence was clearly not something she was meant to do. Her minimal research had told her that Party wasn’t the monster he had been painted. Korse, on the other hand, was breaking what few rules there were. He had only made a show of trying to extract useful information from him, the rest was taking personal revenge out of bitter hatred.

“Don’t worry about him, Gerard. Why don’t you rest now?”

Party nodded and closed his eyes; for the first time in a long time, he settled back onto the bed and relaxed. Getting to her feet, Fielding approached Green.

“What is your current programming?”
“Hypnotic regression and suggestion.” Green responded.
“You took him back to aged ten?” Fielding asked.
“Yes, doctor.”
“And the suggestion?”
“Trust in the BLI mission statement.”
“What drugs was he given?”
“Apoxydiphyolate 50mg and Varsill 60mg.”

Fielding fumed at the reply. She had believed she had convinced Korse to allow her to increase the dosage of Varsill slowly, as it needed to be. But here he was having been given sixty milligrams already, with Korse under the full knowledge that she intended to administer another twenty. Continued doses along with the Hallsig being used to keep him awake would have driven him insane after only a few days. She was fairly certain that without further doses, Party would recover from this episode, but it would take some time. Time that she knew he would not have if he remained a prisoner. Her mind was made up.

“What was your previous programming?” She asked Green.
“Companion to Gerard and to protect him.”
“Revert to that programme, confirmation code Fielding seven nine zero two, emergency override.”
“Reverting.”

It was only a matter of moments before Green emerged from her fixed glazed expression and looked from Fielding to Gerard and back again.

“I want you to help me get him out of here,” Fielding instructed. “I’ll remove his restraints, can you remove the guard’s BLI uniform? We’re going to walk him out in plain view and with that hood on, no one will suspect a thing.”

Notes

Hello lovely readers! Poor Party, but at least he has two on his side now. Hopefully they can help him.

Thank you so much for all the reads! Nearly 3000! I can't quite believe it, I really can't! Also for the votes, comments and subscribers - you make me write faster and (hopefully) better. I very much want this to be a good story for you to read and this all helps, so thank you again!!

Sas xx