Party Games (Frerard)

Eighteen

The car containing Gerard's group roared down the broken asphalt towards the city ahead. Gerard stared at the approaching city with growing nerves. What even was his plan? He didn't even know where the game master would be. He turned to the backseat.

Demonic wore an unreadable expression. He had an arm drapped around Northern's shoulders. Northern's expression was blank; he looked like he was staring forward without even seeing anything. Rebel looked fearful.

"I never thought I'd go back." She spoke softly when she met Gerard's gaze, "Never willingly."

"There are some real horror stories that come out of Battery City." Demonic muttered.

Gerard gulped. He should know. He wrote it to be that way. "Eta?" He asked Fun Ghoul, turning to face the looming city again.

"Minutes." Fun Ghoul replied.

Gerard nodded. It didn't make him feel any better to know, but he valued the information all the same. It gave him minutes to try and think over this stupid plan he had roped everyone into.

"I don't like it." Demonic suddenly burst through any thoughts Gerard had been trying to form. "Why haven't we seen any Dracs?"

"It looks so dead." Fun Ghoul nodded, adding onto Demonic's words.

Gerard bit his lip. What if the Game Master somehow knew? What if they were driving straight into a trap? "Weapons at the ready."

"Ay, captain." Fun Ghoul flashed a smirk before seriousness overtook his expression again.

The others in the back quietly followed the instruction, except for Northern. His gaze was still stuck ahead. Gerard wanted to reach out to him, but he wasn't sure if it would do any good... Especially considering where they were going.

"What's that sound?" Rebel asked.

There was a growing rumbling sound. Gerard shifted to look out the rearview mirror, but he only saw the other car speeding behind them. Disturbance drove, Silent sat beside him, and Jet Star poked between them from the backseat.

"Oh, shit."

Gerard spun back around in his seat. Just ahead, emerging from the city, were three solid white cars with dark smiling faces painted on the hood. Better Living Industries. Gerard's heart sank.

"S/c/a/r/e/c/r/o/w!" Rebel exclaimed with terror. "That's a S/c/a/r/e/c/r/o/w squad!"

"Take out the wheels." Demonic yelled, retracting his arm from a now blinking Northern. "Open up that roof hatch, Fun Ghoul."

Fun Ghoul shot a glance towards Gerard. "Do it!" Gerard nodded, reaching to his side for his own weapon. His character's own weapon. "Floor it!"

Fun Ghoul nodded, hitting a button on the door before pressing harder on the accelerator. Gerard turned to the group in the back seat. Northern now seemed in control of himself. He wore a look of determination as he readied his weapon and waited for the roof hatch to fully open. Demonic and Rebel were bringing their windows down in the same instance.

"Try not to hit me, yea?" Gerard grinned at Demonic.

The killjoy gave him a salute. "Ay, Party Poison."

Gerard spun back, preparing to roll his window down when the car veered off the road. Fun Ghoul swore beside him as the road that would have been just ahead of them exploded.

"They bombed the road!" Fun Ghoul yelled.

"They knew we were coming." Northern said before standing in his seat. The multicolored blasts of his laser pistol almost immediately followed.