The Collector

“Found them!” Kobra announced triumphantly, as he crushed the microphone and tracking device underfoot. “They can’t hear us now.”
“Kinda late though, isn’t it?” Red commented. “They’ve got us pinned down in here.”

Kobra turned a deflated expression toward the young woman who immediately regretted her words.

“Yeah, but we’ll find a way out of this,” his eyes made an automatic glance over to Party as if he were expecting a brilliant plan to form any moment. “We will,” he insisted, seeing Red’s uncertain expression. “And they won’t hear our plan,” he added, his voice quieter and unsure.

Staring at the floor, Kobra grew concerned; their predicament was dire. Trapped in one room of the hospital, surrounded by three draculoid squads with no plan, Ghoul injured and limited firepower. He almost gasped as Red pulled him suddenly into her arms; uncertain if she needed comfort or she was offering. Closing his arms around her and pulling her close in an almost smothering embrace, Kobra didn’t even notice the look of concern on Jet’s face.

Turning to look around the room, Jet saw only troubled expressions and the weight of sheer exhaustion on both Party and Ghoul’s faces. His eyes caught sight of the door to the adjoining door. Crossing the floor to stand next to Dr Hawes, he pointed in the direction of the closed door.

“Do we need to worry about them coming in that way?” He asked with concern.
“No,” Hawes shook his head. “I doubt it. The outer door is locked and they won’t know that this room adjoins it.”

Jet nodded. He had no particular plan of action in mind, but he felt drawn to the other room. Perhaps it was purely that he knew that nothing in the room they were in could help them, perhaps it was simply curiosity or desperation, but he headed towards the closed door to the operating room and headed through.

Party frowned; his brow deeply furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he looked around the room slowly. His gaze fell on the two draculoids that had previously held him. Pointing at them, his finger rocked up and down as he considered something.

“What’s up, Party?” Fielding asked, moving closer as she noticed his obvious concern and puzzlement.
“Where are their guns?” He asked with a confused edge to his voice. “And Korse’s for that matter.”
“Oh,” Red replied, pulling back from Kobra’s comforting embrace. “I picked them up. Four in all. And Jet has Korse’s knife.”
“So there are enough guns for all of us?” Party nodded thoughtfully.
“Yeah, but against three whole squads and Ghoul’s pretty much...”

Kobra stopped short suddenly, blushing as Ghoul stared open-mouthed at where he knew the sentence was heading.

“Go, on,” Ghoul pressed, his voice crushed under the weight of his indignity. “Go on, say it,” he grumbled, “Ghoul’s pretty much useless.”
“I didn’t...” Kobra began in his defence but his tone betraying the guilt he felt.
“Yeah, but you did, didn’t you!” Ghoul pouted unhappily.
“Stop it!” Red insisted, placing a hand on Kobra’s arm and pointing accusingly at Ghoul.
“Don’t tell me, tell him,” Ghoul grumbled. “That is what he was...”
“Stop it!” She hissed once more. “Ghoul, I’m sorry to break this to you, but right now, yeah, you are pretty much useless and Kobra didn’t mean anything but just that. Don’t get angry with him for being right, just because you don’t like it.”

Ghoul stared, open mouthed at the blunt statement; even Kobra’s eyes widened at the words.

“I’m not useless,” Ghoul muttered, lowering his eyes and staring bleakly at the bed sheets wishing he could simply sink beneath them and disappear.
“Hey,” Party began softly, walking to his bedside and cupping Ghoul’s cheek and turning his head gently. “Baby, look at me.”

Ghoul tried to look away, but was distressed to find he was weaker even than the dangerously starved Party. Either that, or the red-head had found strength in determination.

“No, you’re not useless, babe. You’re injured. It’s not the same.”
“But... b-but she...”

Party climbed onto the bed and pulled him close. There were no sounds emerging, but Red could see Ghoul’s shoulders shaking and that he had buried his face in Party’s neck as the older man stroked his hair and whispered comforting words and sounds as he held him.

Red turned distressed eyes toward Kobra; it was obvious to the young Killjoy that she knew she had said something to upset him, but had no idea what or how. Draping an arm around her shoulder, Kobra guided her gently to the opposite corner of the room.

“What did I do?” She whispered, distraught to have caused the usually joyful and lively young man such distress. “I didn’t mean to upset him,” she added, looking back towards the bed, desperate to see some sign that he was playing with her. “Mikey, what did I do?”
“It’s not your fault,” Kobra replied, cupping both her cheeks and staring into her eyes with both pity and affection. “You couldn’t have known. If anything it was my fault, because I almost said it. I put the words into your mouth.”
“He’s upset that I said he was useless?” Red shook her head lightly, still confused; it seemed a harmless enough statement given his current situation.

Kobra lowered his eyes and sighed. It wasn’t that simple; nothing was ever that simple.

“You know about Party and my...” he paused, at first unsure how to phrase it. “Our family situation.”

Red glanced at Korse before returning her eyes to Kobra and nodding silently, willing him to continue.

“When we were in BLI, you know that Ghoul was Party’s best friend?”
“Yeah,” Red nodded.
“And you know that BLI orphans are housed in group accommodations.”

Red nodded again. She knew that they had all lost family and that most had been taken in by BLI. Not for altruistic reasons, but to be indoctrinated. To be absorbed into the BLI machine that churned out loyal drones. Of all of them, she believed that only Jet had evaded that particularly unpleasant experience.

“Well,” Kobra continued, “what you don’t know is that when Ghoul was young, he was really prone to illness. Because of that, instead of the group housing, he was allocated a guardian. He was supposed to look after him, make sure he took his medication, keep him safe and healthy.”
“He didn’t?” Red asked quietly, certain of the answer.
“No,” Kobra shook his head sadly. “Far from it.”
“What did he do?” Red asked barely above a whisper.
“Beat him, starved him, sold his meds to fund his own addictions. Basically terrorised him, all the while telling him he was a useless, worthless runt, not fit to be kept alive. If he was going to live, he’d have to manage it himself.”
“But... but he did,” Red gasped, amazed he got through such terrible treatment.
“He kept running away, but BLI would always return him to that guy and he’d suffer all the more.”
“Why?” Red asked, both angry and distraught. “Why didn’t he just let him leave?”
“Frankie was a ward of BLI. The guy was being paid to take care of him, and he was paid well. He wasn’t giving that up, not for Frankie’s benefit.”
“But... what? He got away somehow?”

Kobra shrugged and shook his head.

“It took a long time. Even we didn’t know what was going on for a long time. I guess he was too ashamed to tell us.”
“Ashamed?” Red’s eyes widened. “Why should he be ashamed? It wasn’t his fault.”
“Oh, that guy really did a number on him.” Kobra growled, his eyes darkening at the memory. “Frankie’s a loyal, sweet soul under all that bravado and he wanted to be a good boy. He desperately wanted his guardian to love him. Every rejection and beating just made him want to try harder. He blamed himself and his guardian blamed him too.”
“That’s disgusting!” Red growled angrily, feeling suddenly protective over him.
“Yeah,” Kobra nodded. “It wasn’t until one day, Gee saw the bruises and welts all over his back.”
“What did he do?”
“Do? He flipped!” Kobra replied, now struggling to keep his temper in check as he recounted the terrible tale. “Wanted to go straight down there and give the man a thrashing of his own.”
“Good!” Red nodded decisively. “Then what happened?”
“That didn’t happen,” Kobra sighed. “Frankie freaked out. Made him promise not to do anything.”
“Why?” Red gasped, surprised by the words.
“Can you just imagine the beating he’d get in response to that?” Kobra tipped his head meaningfully, causing Red to lower her eyes and nod sadly.
“So, what did happen?”
“Somehow,” Kobra drew the word out meaningfully, “the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W unit heard that he was selling drugs to rebels.”
“You? Party?”
“Might have been,” Kobra shrugged.
“Was he?”
“Might have been,” he repeated, a darkness once again moving across his eyes. “Needless to say, he was arrested.”
“And Ghoul?”
“Somehow managed to carry on without being allocated another guardian. He was too young to fend for himself, but he got around it somehow.”
“You don’t know how?” Red asked, sneaking a quick glance over to Ghoul, glad to see he was now sitting talking with Party. He still seemed pale, but it was difficult to know how much of that was from his painful flashback or from his post-operation exertions.
“Well, I have my suspicions,” Kobra smirked, his eyes glistening with mischief.
“What?” Red grinned back, poking him in the chest to continue.
“Well, you know he invented the Vend-A-Hack?” Kobra began in a conspiratorial tone.
“Yeah?” Red replied, with a small chuckle and more than an inkling of where the conversation was heading.
“Well, that was nothing for him,” Kobra beamed. “Electronics, computers? Ghoul’s your man.”
“He hacked the BLI computer? Set up his own Guardian record?”
“That’s my theory,” Kobra winked. “Had his own apartment and got paid to look after himself.”
“Definitely not useless!” Red nodded, impressed at his ingenuity. “So, what do I do? How can I make it up to him?”

Kobra smiled, his eyes resting on hers, his arm gently stroking her shoulder. He couldn’t help but reflect on how she was so caring, so lovely - how had he been so lucky?

“Just... just be yourself,” he replied before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. “That’s all anyone needs.”
“Oh, I’m really starting to see why he calls you the snake charmer.”
“What? I’m serious!” Kobra gasped pulling back in surprise.
“So am I,” Red returned the kiss. “I think you’re very charming too.”
“Er... in a good way?”
“Is there a bad way?” She smiled.
“Only that one,” Party suddenly appeared beside them, jerking a thumb at Korse, still slumped on the floor. “Ghoul wants to apologise to you. I don’t know why, but he does.”

Kobra’s eyes widened at the seemingly harsh and accusatory statement.

“Hey!” He called as Party turned away, grabbing his arm before he could walk back. “It wasn’t her fault.”

Party looked back, first at Kobra, then at Red and it was immediately obvious to both of them that Party was either confused or angry. Red remained silent; it hadn’t been intentional, but Ghoul had been upset and she understood why Party might blame her. He was desperately hungry, tired, weak and worried - anyone in his condition might jump to conclusions.

“I know,” Party finally replied, glancing at his arm as Kobra released him. “We saw you filling her in and how upset she looked. Ghoul wants to say he’s sorry for upsetting her. Like I said, I don’t know why, it’s only going to upset him more.”
“Oh,” Kobra frowned and offered a light shrug. “Sorry, bro, I thought...”
“I know,” Party replied, pulling his brother into a brief hug as his voice tapered off. “We’re all a bit fried.”

Stepping back from the hug, Party turned to Red, only to find her gone. Turning around, they both saw she was already at Ghoul’s bedside.

“You’re wonderful, you know that?” Red began before Ghoul had a chance to speak.
“I need to...”
“What would we do without you?” she interrupted.
“Red, I...” Ghoul began again, his throat almost closing as the apology he wanted to give almost brought the tears back to his eyes.
“Sweet Ghoul, you don’t have to apologise,” she smiled kindly, smoothing his hair. “What did I tell you at Kami’s?”
“That you didn’t mean to wake me?” Ghoul replied, finally finding some of his playfulness.

Red’s cheeks flushed at the reminder that her and Kobra’s intimacy had not only been enough to wake Ghoul from his sleep but that he had made mental notes on Kobra’s technique.

“Not that!” She pouted, punching him lightly in the shoulder.
“I know,” Ghoul nodded lightly. “Come here, sweet lady, give a guy a hug.”

Jet returned from the operating room with Doctor Hawes. Even if he hadn’t already been smiling, the sight of Red and Ghoul comforting each other would have been enough to draw smile to his tired face. As he moved to the centre of the room, something about his demeanour drew everyone’s attention. His smile immediately broadened.

“I think we’ve worked out how to get out of here,” he announced.

Notes

Hey lovelies, I have a new chapter for you. It might be the last for a while as uni is about to get crazy busy for the next 6 weeks. I might need to schedule in some downtime to get through it and if I do, I’ll write something. But, if I can’t, please bear with me.

Hope you like this chapter - came a bit out of left field this one, but, hey, that happens.

Take care and thanks for reading

Sas xx