Danger Days

Planetary [GO!]

"Damn radio..." Kobra Kid smacked the old satellite radio with the back of his gloved hands.

"Be gentle!" Jet Star nagged.

"Dr. D is gonna think we were dusted back there. We gotta make contact, fast!"

"Patience is a virtue!" Fun Ghoul smirked.

The girl giggled.

"Shut up!" Kobra snapped, "And what are you laughing at?"

Her expression was immediately solemn.

"Kobra, calm down. You're scaring her."

"Well excuse me if I'm a little on edge after my brother just got fucking kidnapped!" Kobra yelled. Jet continued driving, oblivious to the outburst. Ghoul was frowning, but there was still mischief in his eyes.

"We're all a little on-edge, Kobra. That's no reason to be yelling at a little girl like that."

Guilt crept into Kobra. He looked back at the girl. "Jet's right. I'm sorry." he turned around and began fiddling with the radio.

After a few minutes of silence, other than the static of the radio, Fun Ghoul piped up, "So, what are we going to call her?"

The girl looked at him questioningly.

"Well it'll need to be something girly..." Jet Star suggested.

"Diamond, maybe?" Kobra shrugged.

"I like it, but it's missing something..." Ghoul thought for awhile.

"Dahlia?"

Kobra and Ghoul turned towards her. She could see Jet looking at her through the rearview mirror. It was the first thing she'd said the entire car ride.

"Diamond Dahlia..." Ghoul said it a few times, testing it out. "I like it! Why Dahlia?"

"They were my mom's favorite flower." she smiled sadly, still remembering that after all those years.

"So it's settled. Diamond Dahlia, I now pronounce you an honorary Fabulous Killjoy!" Fun Ghoul clapped loudly and Kobra soon joined it. Jet let out a whistle in approval. Diamond smiled and laughed.

She looked out the dusty windows, the sun breaking across the horizon. It was so beautiful...and only a few hours ago she had been sitting at home, packing her bags. Things had happened fast, much faster than she'd intended. But she was happy. Maybe she could finally have a real family...

"I GOT IT!" Kobra's outburst jolted her out of her thoughts. The smooth voice of Dr. Death Defying was being played on the radio. Jet whooped in approval. Ghoul and Diamond high-fived Kobra.

"...traffic on Route Guano, probably caused by the mass of dracs being sent from Zone 5 to BLI HQ. Not sure why, but we'll keep you motorbabies updated as the story develops."

"Do you think he knows we're alive?"

"How could he?"

"Shut up, both of you!"

Diamond intently listened, trying to drown out the bickering in the background.

"Now that morning news is out of the way, I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news, Killjoys. Earlier today it was confirmed that the Four Fabulous Killjoys: Party Poison, Jet Star, Fun Ghoul, and Kobra Kid were ghosted in BL/Ind HQ."

Silence as he paused. Diamond suspected he was crying, she heard sniffling.

"Just know that they will never truly be gone. Their shadows live on without them in all of you. So go out there and kick some Draculoid ass for them, motorbabies. This one's an oldie but a goodie. I'm playing this for them, it's a lovely little song about dreams. Here's 'Disenchanted.'"

As the song began to play, Kobra flicked the volume down.

"Does that answer your question?"

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"...it's a lovely little song about dreams. Here's 'Disenchanted.'"

Party Poison felt hot tears of rage and sorrow sting his eyes. If Dr. Death said it, it had to be true. They were really dead. His best friends, Ray and Frank...Mikey, his baby brother...and Grace. Though Dr. Death hadn't mentioned her, did that mean she was ok? He could only hope...

He willed himself to stay strong. He wouldn't break down, not in front of Korse.

"So they think you're dead?" he heard the cold voice ask him. He wouldn't answer. He hadn't spoken once since waking up.

"At least they got some of their facts right. All of your other little friends are dead."

Party's fists clenched under the ropes binding him to the seat in the van. His fingernails dug into his palms.

"And soon you'll be hunting down the rest of your good-for-nothing group. I can't wait to see the look on that hairy DJ's face..."

Disgust for the man sitting next to him rose inside Party Poison, making him feel sick. His head spun.

"Soon you'll be under my thumb, you and all your little friends. But until then, I think we'd better keep you under control." He heard someone snap their fingers. A needle was shoved into his neck.

Fear gripped him for a few seconds, he was terrified of needles, but then cold drowsiness began seeping through him. He felt his eyes droop, his body go limp, and then darkness closed in on him for a long time.