Danger Days

Turn Away

She sat in bed, fuming, for a good ten minutes.

Then the anger faded, replaced with guilt and shame.

"They're just looking out for you, you moron." she muttered to herself, "It's what family does."

After all, Kobra hadn't done anything wrong. He'd opened up, re-lived the pain of his past for a breif moment. Sure, he'd been terrible to Ghoul, but forgiveness for that was between the two of them.

"You damn fuck-up." she continued talking. Was she going crazy? "Why would he ever forgive you? You're just an immature kid. You don't deserve it."

A light knocking. "Can I come in?" It was Jet Star.

"Sure," she called, "It's unlocked."

He shut the door lightly behind him.

"Kobra feels like a total ass," Jet said, "so could you come out here and talk to him? He's kind of having an emotional breakdown as we speak. It's not going to get any better if you keep ignoring him."

Diamond nodded. "I feel terrible."

Jet pulled a small smirk, "Great. So does he. Now make-up already so we can get out of here."

Diamond managed a sad smile and followed Jet out the room.

Ghoul was already with Kobra, who was still sitting at the table, bent over, his head in his hands.

"Kobra, calm down."

"No! I c-can't lose them again. I just c-can't! I don't want to see it again!"

"You don't have to. You don't have to see it again. Just calm down." Ghoul coaxed, his hand on Kobra's back.

Diamond hurried over to Kobra, kneeling next to him.

"Kobra. It's okay. Calm down."

Kobra looked up, his eyes wide and full of pain and blind fear. Diamond stepped back, shocked at the wildness of his eyes. They scared her.

"I-I'm sorry Kobra." she whispered.

He said nothing, just returned his head to his hands.

"What happened after I left?" Ghoul asked her.

"H-He told me about..." she couldn't say it.

"About what?" Jet tried to get her to continue.

"About...the past. About y-your families." Diamond looked at her shoes. Kobra shuddered.

"Oh. That." there was something about Ghoul's voice, a firmness. Suppressing emotions that he didn't want to admit he had.

"I guess...thinking about that...and how everyone was mad at him...just made something snap."

"Yeah." Jet nodded.

"Kobra. I-I'm so sorry."

"I can't." he insisted, "I can't lose them again. I don't. I don't want to see!" he was getting hysterical, his breaths were coming in quick gasps. An anxiety attack.

"Snap out of it!" Ghoul yelled. Kobra looked up again.

"Just calm down! You're safe! It's all going to be okay! You're not going to lose them!"

Silence. Something had gotten through to him. Kobra nodded shakily.

"Y-You're right. I'm s-sorry." he looked over at Diamond. "F-Forgive me?" he smiled weakly.

"I-" Diamond wanted to protest, to apologize, but Ghoul just shook his head behind Kobra. Arguing would get them nowhere. "Yes. I forgive you Kobra."

The fear and sadness seemed to pass as soon as it had come. All was calm.

_________________________________________________

Another hour passed. They were finally ready to go.

"Good luck out there," Emerald hugged Diamond.

"Come back sometime soon! It gets boring out here!" Candy smiled.

"Thanks for being so awesome about this. Especially after this morning..." Diamond looked back at the Trans Am where Kobra sat in front, talking to Jet.

"No problem. I'm sure he's just so stressed right now. It happens." Emerald shrugged.

"Well, that's the last bag!" Ghoul announced from the back of the car. "Diamond! Let's go!" Ghoul called, closing the trunk.

"Bye guys." she smiled, waving to the girls before turning around and getting in the car. Ghoul joined her in the backseat.

She saw them waving back at her. The car backed up and onto the road.

"It's not too late, you know." Ghoul said, "You could still go join them. It would sure as hell be safer for you."

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Kobra. You guys are my family. I'm not leaving you. Especially not until we get Party back."

Ghoul nodded. "Okay."

Diamond looked at him. "Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay. You want to stay with us? Awesome." he shrugged, smiling. "What do you want me to say?"

"Well...aren't you going to tell me I'm a child? That it's dangerous out there?"

"Well it is dangerous out there. But it's also dangerous everywhere else. And I'd rather have you here with us than send you back to Battery City. As for being a child, well..." he paused, thinking over what he was going to say, "you've had to force yourself to grow up. I think you're pretty mature for your age. Definitely not a child."

Diamond nodded. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

_____________________________________________________

"Does everyone understand what we're going to do?" Jet asked, after going over the plan. They all nodded in response.

"Good. Stick with each other, don't get separated under any circumstances. This base is bigger than the last."

They nodded again grimly.

They neared the base after an hour of driving. Diamond felt a little sick.

"You okay?" Ghoul asked, concerned, "You look like you're gonna lose your lunch."

"I'll be fine." Diamond nodded her head. "I'm just a little nervous."

"Don't be." Ghoul smiled. "We'll kick some ass, check out the base, search for any sign of Party, and be at the next safe house by sunset."

Diamond managed a weak smile in response.

"Do you think he's in this base?"

"Honestly?" Ghoul sighed. "I really don't know. Korse could have anything up his sleeve at this point."