Sing

Chapter 10: Look Alive, Sunshine

I inspected the radio Steve had handed me before we went to bed.

"Just put that away for now," Gerard said. He gently took the thing from me and set it aside. "We can look at it tomorrow. It's late right now. Nothing but BL/ind broadcasts and brain-washing sounds."

I nodded, knowing he was right. But it was a radio!

"Can you turn the light out?" Grace asked as Ray walked in. He nodded and flicked the switch on the wall. She mumbled a thanks, and Ray went to sit down beside her.

I laid down on the twin mattress I'd been stuck with. I wasn't really tired, but I'd have to sleep anyway. Steve said he was going to start filling us in on LAS in the morning, which Gerard had been happy about.

I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. I jumped when Mikey whispered his brother's name. There was no response. I was expecting that. Gerard and Grace were always the first ones asleep and the last ones awake.

I was the opposite.

"Grace." Nothing.

"Frank?" I stayed silent. I didn't know what to do.

"Ray?" Mikey whispered. There was a tired, "What's the matter?"

"Come over here," Mikey said. I heard shuffling, and I could just barely see Ray and Mikey moving into the corner of the room in the moonlight.

"What do you need?" Ray asked. "I want to talk to you about something."

"Go ahead," Ray mumbled, rubbing his face tiredly.

"I was being a jerk to you earlier, and I'm really sorry," Mikey said. He started again, but Ray cut him off. "Wait wait. Slow down there, Mikey. What are you on about?"

"I don't know," Mikey whined. "But I'm sorry!"

"I still don't understand, but okay," Ray said. "I think."

"Thank you," Mikey said. He reached out and hugged Ray. "You're welcome?"

Mikey laughed quietly. "Whatever. But I have a question."

"Ask away," Ray said.

"Are you and Ricky-"

"No!" Mikey shushed Ray, covering his mouth. "We aren't anything," Ray whispered. "I mean, Ricky had a thing for me at one time, but now I think he's moved onto Steve."

Mikey nodded. "Okay." Then, in one smooth motion, he had tucked himself into Ray's side in a hug. I would have to learn how to do that. It looked pretty cute when he did it. I wondered if I could pull it off.

Maybe I could pull it off with G-

I mentally slapped myself.

Don't you fucking dare. You know how Gerard would react. He'd probably leave you here with Steve and Ricky. So stop even imagining your little "What if?" notions. It's never gonna happen.

I sighed. Why did I even attempt these things? I didn't even know his sexuality. Why did I bother wondering? I was only hurting myself.

Damn.

Maybe there was a reason Killjoys were supposed to work alone.

~

"Frank. Frank, wake up."

I groaned and rolled over to find Gerard crouched down beside me.

"Do I have to?" I asked. He grinned and nodded. "Look, Steve's going to tell us about LAS, then you can come back in here and sleep all you want."

I sighed, and he helped me to my feet. "Come on," he said. "It shouldn't take long."

His hand brushed against mine and I blushed. He made no attempt to move away from me.

"Ah!" Steve said, looking up from Grace. "There they are! Okay, now we can start this."

He stood up, and Ray, Mikey, and Ricky came in from the kitchen. I noticed Ray's hand on Mikey's waist for a split second, but I wasn't going to say anything.

"So, what LAS, or 'Look Alive, Sunshine' is is just a basic plan to infiltrate BL/ind headquarters, several towns over. We kidnap Korse, and then we force BL/ind to surrender."

The four of us looked around at each other. Gerard was the first to speak. "Kidnap Korse?" he said. "Just the six of us?"

"Seven," Grace said. "Six," Ray said firmly.

"Yes, just the six of us," Ricky said. "We'll do fine! If everything goes according to plan."

"How exactly do you plan on doing this?" Mikey asked. "By sneaking in-"

"Sneak?" I said. "Into BL/ind headquarters? No way. Absolutely impossible. Besides, if we're all over there, where's Grace?"

"Grace will stay here," Ricky said. "With me."

"So you expect five people to sneak into BL/ind, casually steal Korse from the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W unit, then hold him until they give up?" Ray asked. "That's never going to happen, Stevie."

"Yes it will!" Steve cried. "Look, you guys just gotta trust me."

"But what if we die?" Mikey asked.

"Well, hasn't that been a possibility since say one?" Ricky asked. Mikey was silent.

"Listen, it's going to be done in pairs," Steve said. "There's going to be me and Ricks, hiding around with Grace. We'll be broadcasting any news we get to that radio I gave you last night."

"Who's going to have that?" I asked. I couldn't help myself; I hadn't handled one properly in so long.

"You and Gerard."

Mikey and Gerard were arguing with Ricky before I could even open my mouth.

"HEY!" Steve shouted after several attempts to quietly calm the brothers. "Shut up for a second!"

"Why are you splitting us up?!" Mikey asked.

"What the fuck did I just say?!" Steve cried.

"Hey," Ray snapped, putting hands on a shoulder of Mikey and of Steve. "Both of you: calm the fuck down."

Everyone took a deep breath, doing a mental reset.

"I'm splitting you up because everyone knows the brothers would always be the ones to die. One gets into a bind, the other one tries to help, boom. They're both taken out."

Mikey and Gerard exchanged glances. Steve was so right it hurt.

"So," Ricky huffed. "Me and Stevie with our little angel, Mikey and Ray-Ray, and Frank and Gerard. Got that?"

We all nodded.

Because what else could we do?