Danger Days

Brainwashed

Party walked confidently towards them, his hands in his pockets. His smirk was friendly.

"P-Party…" Ghoul repeated, "What did they-"

"Do to me?" Party finished the sentence. His voice was hard, emotionless, even with the smirk on his face, "They helped me Ghoul. They can help you, too."

"No…" Diamond whispered. Ghoul stood up in front of her, almost protectively. She stood up too, her back against the wall.

"Don't you see? We don't have to fight with them anymore! Everything can go back to the way it was…"

"What did they do to you, Party?"

"My name is Gerard."

Diamond couldn't see Ghoul's face, but she was almost sure he was angry.

"What did they do to you, Gerard?" Ghoul spat the name, venom dripping from his voice.

"They showed me everything I wasn't able to see before. How peaceful a world without color is. How safe it is if everyone is equal."

"Very funny Party, good acting. Now come on, let's go."

"I told you Fun Ghoul, my name is Gerard."

"It's the medication talking, not him." Diamond placed a hand on Ghoul's shoulder; he looked back at her, sadness and anger in his eyes, "Don't blame him for what they did. Now let's just get him out of here."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

They both looked at Party. He had withdrawn a white ray gun from behind him. Diamond figured he had been hiding it there the entire time.

"Why not?" Diamond calmly asked.

"Stay out of this," Ghoul hissed, but she ignored him.

"Whether you go willingly or not, we are going to help you." Party smirked again.

"It's not helping, it's destroying." Ghoul glared at Party.

"Maybe in your eyes," Party scoffed, "But your eyes are clouded by useless emotions. Once those are gone, and you're thinking clearly, we'll see how you feel."

"I won't be feeling anything; I'll just be another useless robot! God Party, what the hell is wrong with you!"

"My name isn't Party!" he screamed, aiming the gun at Ghoul's head, "That part of me is dead. Gone. Erased from existence. And I'm glad it's gone."

"You don't know what you're saying," Ghoul muttered.

The next few seconds seemed to last a lifetime for Diamond. She heard the door open next to her, saw Kobra and Jet enter. They took in the scene in front of them, Ghoul and Diamond, backs against the wall, Party aiming at Ghoul's head.

Party swiveled around, gun turned to Jet and Kobra. In his shock, he didn't recognize who it was in front of him. His brain, and the medicine affecting it, just said that colors meant enemy, and an enemy had to be destroyed as quickly as possible.

He fired.

All Diamond could do was scream as Kobra was blasted back, shot by his own brother. He fell back like a broken doll, shock and sadness written plainly in his sharp features.

Jet caught him before he hit the ground. Immediately Kobra lurched forward, his body tensing as he began coughing up bright red blood. His sunglasses slid off his nose, clattering to the floor.

Crimson colored the white floor at his feet. He was bleeding fast from the deep wound in his stomach. Blood trickled fast down his shirt, onto his pants.

Onto the floor.

Diamond felt the tears fall. She covered her mouth with her hands, the smell of fresh blood hitting her hard, making her stomach twist.

Ghoul turned around, pulling her into his arms. He looked at Kobra, at his limp, bloody body, and felt the tears fall, fast and hard.

The gun dropped from Party's lifeless hands. It fell to the floor, clattering loudly. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead; his eyes were wide with shock.

His mind raced through the drugs, trying to break free from the poison keeping him from remembering.

He shouldn't have shot him...but why? The Kobra Kid was nothing to him...just another outlaw...right? It made his head hurt.

He just wanted to go back to sleep. Back to bed, where nothing hurt. He held his head in his shaking hands. He needed some more pills, that was what he needed...he needed to forget everything...

Jet kneeled down, Kobra's trembling upper body in his lap; his legs sprawled on the now-red floor. All he did was look from Party to Kobra, too shocked to even cry.

Kobra stared at his brother, his heart breaking as he felt himself growing colder. He had stopped coughing, but his lips and chin were still vivid red. A tear slipped down the side of his face, dripping to the bloodstained ground.

From the hallway, they heard a slow clapping. Everyone looked over besides Kobra, who simply closed his eyes and cried.

Korse stepped out of the doorway, crossing the room in wide, slow strides. His smile was wicked, and his eyes gleamed with pleasure as he surveyed the scene in front of him.

"Excellent work, Gerard," he put a hand on Party's shoulder. Party just let his hands fall, staring at Kobra with wide eyes. "You made a bit of a mess, but you did your job well."

Party looked at Korse, then at Kobra and Jet, then back at Korse. He composed himself before replying,

"Thank you, sir."

Ghoul hung his head.

Diamond sobbed.

Jet looked down at Kobra.

Kobra felt consciousness finally leave him. He welcomed the calming darkness as his body shut down.