The Kids From Yesterday ➸ Danger Days

eighteen • the politics of heaven and hell

As the woman left, Elton John-god had clapped twice, bringing back Brendon with ease as the taller man was already holding his car keys (hey, if he got the chance to, he was driving his goddamn Hellwagon) until he stood once again on the marble floors of heaven. 

"Give them a warning before you try to fix this... But for the love of all that is holy-"

"-so, basically for the love of you-" Brendon began, but shrunk back at the glare that the elder man (or god, he was figuring that all out) gave him.

"-be subtle."

- X -

Party Poison was running through the desert. The only thoughts going through his head consisted of getting there before it was too late; because he couldn't be late at all. He had to get to Frank, and get to him now, before the draculoids killed him. Fucking Lockdown...Party could kill him and not have a single twinge of regret or remorse in his heart. Because this was his fault; but Party supposed that it was as much Lockdown's fault as his own- he shouldn't have let Frank leave that morning.

This was what lead Party to be sprinting through the desert at five-thirty in the afternoon, gun in hand and sweat dripping down the back of his neck. There were a few times when he thought he was getting close, but then it would just prove to be other wandering Killjoys. It was busy for the desert at this time of day, especially when this was usually the time the scarecrows started scouring the first three zones.

But he found them. The draculoids. Hovering around a body that was unidentifiable from where Party was standing, but that didn't mean he didn't start shooting right then. He was a damn good shot, even if not as good as Ghoul, but that didn't stop him from killing every last thing in white that was beating the shit out of the body on the ground. At least have some respect for the dead; Killjoys had souls too.

Though maybe telling himself it was no-one important was a stupid idea.

Because he wasn't prepared for what he saw.

Blood soaked the small killjoy, smeared on his vest and shirt and still pooled, running down his torn jeans and to the ground. The dirt underneath him was just red, stained and soaked and covering the ground under him like a blanket. He was still, deathly pale and not even twitching. Frank looked almost appeared peaceful, his hazel eyes dim but nonetheless staring up at the sky from underneath damp hair. Part of his shirt was missing, but that only revealed a hole where the 'sea' part of 'search and destroy' was.

"I...Frankie...I...I fought them all off. Come on, I... I did it. For you." Party brushed hair from Frank's face, just revealing a split on his head that had been bleeding. He hadn't been entirely sure he could handle the blood pooling underneath the small man from his chest and stomach, but seeing that sent him over the edge. The trickle of blood coming from his mouth and nose was just making it worse. He'd been too late.

"Franke...Frankie please...I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry...Please, wake up. Wake up. Y-you can't be dead..."

He felt like a child as he repeated the words over and over, biting hard on his quivering bottom lip and choking on his sobs. Party hugged the motionless Frank to his chest, rocking back and forth and ignoring the blood that was getting all over him and smearing against his neck and staining his jacket; but the blood was cold and sticky, the warmth from it running out fast.

No matter what Party pleaded, Frank didn't move another muscle. Not a twitch, even. The redhead didn't want to accept this, or anything similar to this. Who would?

"Oh god, this is all my fault...fuck, fuck, fuck...I'm s-sorry..."

He couldn't contain the tears that mixed with the cold and slowly drying blood. Looking up at the setting sun, Party just mumbled to himself. "What's the..the worst that I can say? Thi-Things are better if I stay...so long, and good night...so long, and good night..."

- X -

Shots were fired. Very real shots fired from Jet Star's gun at the oncoming Draculoids. It had been a stupid idea to wander this close to Battery City, he'd known that from the start, but now? He was just being reminded of how much of a dumbass move that had been. The darkness outside enveloping the two Killjoys like a blanket. Kobra was scrambling up the hill, Jet heaving him up before continuing the run behind the now black-haired younger Killjoy.

Both of them knew that they were no match for this many, or the scarecrows in the car behind them.

Which led them to have a reason to keep running out into the zones, but unable to go home. They never could with Better Living on their tail. The night was waning, but with no Killjoys in sight that didn't exactly mean salvation either.

"Come on, Mikes," Jet said quietly as the two stopped for a moment. He tugged on Kobra's hand, pulling the younger back into the motion of running.

"It's useless," Kobra got out between pants, looking back at Ray with a sad expression between his exhaustion.

"No...we can do this. Come on, just a bit further..."

Allowing himself to be tugged along further, Kobra did his best to keep up. Even with the rain threatening to begin pouring and the cloud-packed sky, the two were running out in the open, ignoring the thunder claps to the best of their ability and doing their best to not think about either getting struck or dying in a flash flood. Or all of the above.

The rain started too soon, but with draculoids still in pursuit. The two Killjoys could do nothing but run through the pelting water, praying that the shots the masked people were firing wouldn't hit them. Jet Star had gone back to pulling Kobra along as best he could without hurting him, the lightning strikes illuminating the sky and the road behind them with the two cars and the small herd of persistent draculoids that kept on coming after them.

"Come on, Mikes, just a little bit further and then we can rest, okay?"

Kobra simply nodded, glancing back only to push himself forward again. Thunder was getting significantly closer, a loud clap jolting the two killjoys back into faster action but a shriek slowing them down to a halt. Kobra had stopped and turned, looking back towards the Draculoids and the gray figure that had appeared in front of him.

Cracking sounded, and that led the smaller to push Jet back and get the two to start running again. "Was that Satan...?" Jet had asked, his eyes still wide at the sight of the gray figure as Kobra shoved him along.

"Probably!" Kobra snapped, stumbling over himself and practically collapsing on Jet as blood seeped from his chest. He hadn't felt the shot, but his legs had given out as soon as it had gone numb. The taller looked down, his eyes wide as he just picked Kobra up without a second thought. If he was right, there was a small building nearby that he could leave Kobra in and go distract Better Living. What else could he do? Obviously, he was going to leave the younger behind.

- X -

Ghoul was hunched over the radio, oblivious to Party's dream as he tuned it to pick up Doctor Death's broadcast. Noon was apparent overhead as he worked outside, Lockdown's car parked underneath what little shade he could find.

"Bad news from the Zones, tumbleweeds..."

"Who died?" Lockdown asked, taking a seat next to Ghoul on the hood of the car with a sigh.

"Looks like Jet Star and the Kobra Kid had a clap with an exterminator that went all Costa Rica, and uh...got themselves ghosted. Dusted out on Route Guano."

Ghoul had frozen in shock. They couldn't be. No, no, no.

"Jesus Christ," Lockdown said quietly, getting off the car as Ghoul couldn't bring himself to move. Not even to scamper away from the gun that was being aimed. "Sorry, no hard feelings, just wasn't expecting this so soon."

He fired.

- - - - - -

so this chapter is sorta a mess lol but i really like it xD

i had writers block for the longest time then i was like 'hm... i should do something with satan brendon urie and god elton john' so i did.

<3 you guys, votes and comments are appreciated