I wake up and head over to my locker to change my clothes. I'm not going anywhere for a while so I leave my jacket, blaster and mask inside. I head upstairs to the diner. Ray was at the counter talking to Helena. I grab a can of food off the shelf and Ray hands me the can opener. Mikey and Frank come up and I pass them their breakfast. There's some toast and jam, a luxury only in the diner. As we finished up I see Mitch in the corner of my eyes. I tense up as a reflex. Frank looks at me, raising an eyebrow. I point with my eyes in Mitch's direction. Frank sees and tenses up too. Mitch was with Justin, another annoying Killjoy. It makes sense those two are best buds. Mitch is a douche bag and Justin is a whiny brat. I don't typically hate people. There are enough hate and suffering going on with the battles we fight, but man, I hate those too. They play off of each other and just make everything worse. Whatever.
The two come up behind us. "So, what are you girls up to now?" Mitch says, draping his arms over Frank and me.
"Get a life," Frank says throwing off Mitch's arm and shoving it back at him.
"Like you have one?" Justin laughs. He takes a look at my attire. "Well, Gerard, what's with this emo get up?" he sneers.
"Excuse me?" I ask, jerking back my shoulder so Mitch stops touching me.
"You're all emo! Do you cut yourself for attention?" Justin laughs. Heat rises to my face. This bitch has the nerve.... He snatches my wrist and yanks me forward. Before I can pull my arm back, he rolls up my sleeve. Of course, there are no scars, though.
"Freak!" I shout. I push him away from me.
"Why you girls wearing all black?" Mitch asks. "Whose funeral you going to?"
I swear, if one of them says any name of someone we lost, I will strangle them until they stop twitching helplessly on the ground. But before they can say anything and before I can attack them, Frank growls under his breath. "Yours, you dumb ass," he spits. Mitch and Justin look at Frank, a little lost for words. Frank takes out his blaster from his upholstery and places it on the counter, the barrel facing them. "Watch your six." Frank turns his back to them and takes a sip of his coffee.
They shuffle away. I take a breath now that they left. I loathed those two with every fabric of my existence. Of all the Killjoys we lost, why couldn't they be among the fallen? It would have done a lot of people a favor. I don't shoot them because they are not worth the repercussions.
Of course, those to blithering idiots didn't leave the area. Mitch was a few feet over hitting on Helena. I think it's safe to say we have drilled into her head not to tell anyone else about her identity. Mitch puts a hand on her shoulder. Helena stands up and backs away. "What are you doing?" she asks.
"Oh, don't worry," he says.
Ray grabs Helena's arm and moves her away. "You're unwanted here," he says.
I lose my temper. I get out of my chair and smack my hand on his shoulder. I whip him around and grip his collar. Mitch stares at me. "The hell you doing?" he asks. "Back off!" I don't budge. I stare right through his eyes, which could pass as mine. He looks way too much like me. I might as well be staring in a mirror. I can only see myself, which give me another reason to hate him. My eyes widen as I imagine the different way I could make him bleed. He tries to get me off but my fist is locked on his collar. "Why are you looking at me like that? You psycho!"
"Wha? Me? Oh no, no. I am not psychotic. I just like psychotic things." Mitch tries to one up me but it's a little hard when we are the same height. I stand firm. Mitch tries to escape my grasp again. He retracts back, and I know he's going to use a lot of force to be released. As he whips back, I let go of his collar and he flips backward, his feet going over his head. Success! I let out a boisterous laugh. I turn around and Frank walks with me downstairs proud. Mikey, Ray, and Helena follow after us as we leave the diner and head downstairs.
"I do not like those two. They make me uncomfortable," Helena says.
"No one likes them," Frank blurts out. "Sadly I think Mitch fancies you." Helena's eyes widen. She runs her fingers through her hair and adjusts her red headband.
Frank heads over to the technician's lab and we all kind of follow him there with nothing else planned to do. He starts teaching Helena how to use his tablet. In the corner of the room, I see Alec and Steve hovering over the radio station, both intensely listening into the headphones. They keep muttering something around "I didn't copy that, repeat". I slide in my rolling chair over the Alec and Steve. "What's going on?" I asked.
Alec glances at me but returns back to concentrating on the radio. Steve looks at me. "There's something seeming wrong with our tech but only with a certain frequency. The other Killjoys call in fine but no one can hear the message from some Scouts."
"Scouts, what is your location? Do you copy?" Alec tries again.
"We're out*****attacks****loids*****many***" there is way too much static, but not the normal radio static you get an ear for being a Killjoy. It's a high pitch frequency static that sound almost science fiction like. It's an interference.
"Can anyone pick up on the Scouts location? Alec asks. There are multiple collectives negatory that follow.
The Scout's voice comes in. It sounds like a girl or a young boy. The voice is quite gender neutral. I imagine a girl. She seems quite frantic and scared, also out of breath like she's running. "***help us-**we're******en*wes**plea*" the Scout manages to get through. The same nasty static breaks through and there is a faint trace of blasts firing.
"These Scouts are attacked and need help but they can't get through for some reason. No one can reach them. I am pretty sure that it's just 2 out there and they are surrounded by Dracs but there's nothing else we know," Steve says.
I turn around and realize Helena is standing right behind me. I startle a little bit. "Oh, Helena, I didn't hear you come up," I laugh. Her face is serious. "You good?" I ask.
"That noise. I know that sound, that specific static." She closes her eyes and concentrates. "Yes, that's a Killjoy's radio interfered with BL/ind tech."
This grabs Alec's attention. "Helena, what do you mean?" he asks.
"I have told you that BL/ind can't overpower the Killjoys, who have claimed the Zones under 22, except for 2 hot spots, which are all certain death traps for unsuspecting Killjoys."
"Those Scouts are in the Hot Spot, is that what you're saying?" Alec asks nervously.
"No, those Scouts can't be in the Hot Spot, otherwise you wouldn't their voice at all, but they are fairly close. Although in order to hear the interference, the Hot Spot would have had to be activated. So either they or someone else is there," she says.
"Helena, you said there were 2. Where are they on the map of our Zones?" Steve asks, quickly throwing open a map.
Helena leans over the book and points to a specific spot very close to BL/ind. "There are two, one here in Zone 21. There was a chase 14 years ago and a guy was shot, he took his life," Helena says trying to remember the pieces. My heart drops to my stomach as the dots slowly connect as Helena explains. That Killjoys was Frank's dad. Helena slides her finger down the map and stops in a different area. "And the other Hot Spot is located in Zone 10. Nearly a decade ago, there were 2 killjoys living in a small house together. They tried to keep hold off the Dracs but we're overpowered. They put up a fight but they were executed."
Alec stands up. "I doubt anyone would go into Zone 21. It's way too close to BL/ind and a death sentence itself. It has to be the one in Zone 10." Alec calls on the radio. "Anyone in proximity to the west side of Zone 10?"
"I'm out in 27," someone replies.
"You're closer than us; we're in 53."
"I've got two but we're in 29."
They Killjoys out are nowhere close to Zone 10. If the closest team is 27, then that means the ones at the base are the closest. Alec knows this too. "Alright Killjoys, don't rush over. We're sending help from the base," He calls. "Scouts? Hang in tight. Do you copy? We're sending help?"
The Scouts breaks in. "Swarm**Drac****house***-other Killjoys at**house**" There she tries to come through exasperated and panting for air.
"I think she's moving away from the Hot Spot. The frequency is starting to clear up just a little," Helena says. "But why is she out of breath? Is she running?"
"It means she's being pursued," Steve says. He looks closer to the map where the Hot Spot is in 10. His head snaps up and he looks at the Dr. "Alec, you don't think..." he trails off.
Alec's eyes widen. "No, she shouldn't be. Unless they stopped at-Helena, in 10, you said there was a facility or something."
Helena nods. "Yes, a house. Very small and quaint." Steve and Alec lock eyes. "Why would that be a concerning problem?" Helena says, slowly turning to me worried she said something incorrect.
Alec looks like he had just been shot. Without saying anything, Steve takes out a hand radio and starts tuning in. He hands it to Alec, who starts walking away frantically. Mikey notices and comes over to me. "Is everything okay?" he asks. "I don't mean to pry."
Steve tries to find the words. "There might be some trouble. I am hoping it's not true," he says. "There was a scout report and-" Alec plays a recording of the Scout. "Swarm**Drac****house***-other Killjoys at**house**" it plays.
Mikey concentrates and listens closely as the recording loops. "Wait, I know that voice. Who is that?" he asks.
"We can't find out. The Scout and their partner are getting interference. We're trying all we can. There seems to be an awfully large amount of activity and we're trying to isolate their location before we send a team out," Steve explains.
"Who is that? I know that voice from somewhere. It's distinctive. I know that Killjoy. Who is it?" he mutters, rambling to himself. He closes his eyes trying to figure out the voice frustrated with himself for not being able to recall.
Alec shouts and cusses out, sounding both distressed and panicking. He runs over to the station and slams his hands on the table. I scoot back in my rolling chair and Mikey moves Helena out of his way as he frantically works at the station. He's trying to contact the Scouts. They don't respond. Their interference breaks through and all that is heard is rapid blasts firing and shouts. Alec changes the frequency on the handheld. "Test! Please come in," he shouts at the radio. Silence. "Do you copy?" he voice trembles. I have never seen him so scared and angry, let alone both at the same time. No one replies on the radio. "Damn it!" he shouts. He doesn't have to say anything to Steve. They both know what to do.
"Bring your teams!" Steve shouts at the three of us. "Mitch, take over the station while we're out! If anyone tells responds from Zone 10, anyone, you report it to us!" Steve and Alec run up to the diner.
Whatever the hell is going on, I don't think waiting around here is going to be the answer or very helpful. "Guys! Let's, we got a mission!" I shout.
"What's going on?" Frank says, packing away his blaster. He and the Ray join us and Helena goes and get's her team.
"We don't know, we just got to get up and go!" Mikey shouts. We run to our lockers and throw on our gear. As we make it back upstairs to the base, Luke, Melanie, and Helena head down to their lockers. "We'll meet you out," I call to them. I push past Mitch going up the diner as he run down to the radio station. We don't acknowledge each other. Whatever is going on, our differences need to subside.
I make it to the garage and see Bonnie getting into a car with Steve, Alec and another Killjoy; they start driving out. Mason sees us and gestures over where Kemia is. I get in the car and fumble with the keys. I hear the three other doors slam shut and take off. In my review mirror, Galaxy, Melanie, and Helena make it to the garage.
I step on the gas and the engine revs picking up speed. Going 130 mph, the base fades to the distance but I'm not catching up to Alec and the others. They are going much faster than us. Whatever's happening with the Dracs, it seems to be a lot more than just some Scouts trying to call in for help. 160 mph and they still are speeding away. Whatever it is, Alec is desperate to get the West bound of Zone 10 fast.
I finally start pacing with Alec close to 235 mph. Mikey holds onto the handle bar over the door for dear life. The others do there best to not be tossed around. I like fast but this is a whole new level of it. I didn't even know Alec can drive like this. I guess a desperate man is capable of doing a lot of things.
Frank works on the radio. Steve comes through. "Mitch, any reports from Zone 10?" he asks.
"Negative," he replies. The outside blurs by as I focus on driving. At a speed like this, overcompensating will result with flipping the car over and we won't be able to survive the impact.
"Firebird, we got a still scene ahead of us in 60 seconds. Check out what's gong on. There will be another team meeting you here in 5 minutes. Killjoys driving the van, stick with us. We've got 4 more miles."
"Firebird copy," Franks says.
"Van copy, over" I hear Melanie say. I see what Steve was talking about. A few still Draculoid cars are sporadically parked around and there are a dozen bodies scattered.
"Gerard, we're approaching the site, slow down; you're freaking me out," Mikey says. He's pushing himself against the seat and his knuckles are white from gripping the handle so tightly.
"If my velocity starts to make you sweat, then just don't let go," I reply. I hit the breaks and the seat belt locks me in place. The others knew better to wear one for this ride and they remain in their seats. The needle falls fast as we get closer to the site. I turn towards the site getting out of the way as the van speeds past us and Alec drives away. I come to a complete stop and we get out of the car with caution, our blasters drawn.
There are white suits lying everywhere stained with blood. Some of the cars are smoking or burning while others are fine with the doors wide open. We spread out looking at the wreck. Whatever happened here, someone did a lot of damage. There's about a dozen Dracs lying dead and shot up. The Scouts put up a great fight. A part of me believes they are capable of still being alive but I don't see any Killjoys in sight. Walk around, there's only desert and bloody Dracs.
"Guys!" Ray calls outs standing on a small steep hill. He climbs down to the other side of it and disappears from my line of sight. "Oh my god, guys! Quickly!" We all start running over to him. He must've found the Scouts. Mikey and I climb up the incline and look over to the edge. No, it can't be...
My instincts take over and I grab Mikey as falls to his knees clutching his chest. He fights to get down next to Ray, who kneels next to the Scouts. They used the little ledge of a the hill for cover while shooting at the Dracs but they were out numbered.
My eyes sting but I mange to hold on to Mikey, wrapping my arms tighter around him as hold him back as he tries to lunge forward. I pull him back and he starts crying. "Oh my god, Addison! Cole!" he shrieks, reach for his friends, who lie in the dirt. They still hold onto their ray guns, their masks and scarfs have shifted and don't conceal their face. Mikey tries to get to them but I need to hold him back while Ray checks them. After Woody died, Ray took it into his own hands to study medicine. Since, we didn't have a knowledgeable field medic with us, we would run the risk of some injuries being a bigger problem than they used to be. Ray knows as much about medical treatment as Woody did.
"Mikey, it's going to be okay. They're still alive," he says. Mikey cries out still panicking. I slowly let him go so he get get down next to them. He crawls over to them but I hold his shoulders back so he doesn't throw himself on his friends. As the shock passes through him and he slowly starting calming down, I let him go. He moves Addison's blonde hair. The blood has plastered it to her neck. He wipes the blood off her face.
Cole opens his eyes and bolts up. He fumbles with his blaster, not sure where to point it at. "Cole! Autumn Wisp!" Mikey corrects himself. He already said both their names but I doubt there's a threat around us. Blood cakes his face and he quints trying to see who's talking to him. "Autumn, it's okay, it's me. It's me Kobra Kid," Mikey says, slowly he takes the blaster out of his hand.
"Kobra K-" Cole slurs. He looks down and holds his stomach. More blood was coming out of him.
"Hey, Autumn Wisp, look at me. I need you to lie back down," Ray commands. He places a hand on Cole's shoulder and guides him back on the ground. "You have been shot up, we need to stop the blood flow."
Mikey takes Cole's hand as Ray starts applying pressure to his wound. Addison hasn't responded yet. Mikey looks at her, giving her a nudge. She doesn't react. "Nightingale," he whispers, his voice cracking.
Car tires come speeding along. A Killjoy van in the distance nears us. "I'll flag them down," Frank says. He runs out and gestures the van to head over where we are. The other Killjoys get out of the car.
"We need immediate medical treatment on these two. Get them back to the base quickly. Time is of the essence." The Killjoys carefully lift Addison and Cole into the van and they turn around and start heading back to the base.
I put a hand on Mikey. "How are you doing," I ask.
He looks at me, his face stained with tears. "I-I don't know," he whispers. His shoulders sink low. I comfort him, putting his head on my chest. "We need to go help the others," he stutters to say. We stand together and head back to Kemia. Following the direction the others went, the radio gradually becomes harder to read. The nasty interference takes over to the point where we don't receive anything.
The closer we get to our destination, the more it feels like I've been here before. It's like a forgotten dream and the landscape is something I can almost remember. Mixed emotions crowd my head as I try to piece together everything. A little under five minutes, we reach the Hot Spot. Bounty Hunters and Draculoids swarm the area as if we have entered BL/ind itself. There are many teams of Killjoys fighting the the goons, everyone running around, dodging blasts. People are more concentrated on taking cover than accuracy.
A blast skims over the windshield, leaving a small crack. I pull over next to the other Killjoy cars and we get out crouching behind a van. I lean against the side of the door, blaster drawn. There is something so familiar about this location. I know where we are but I don't know why. The radio is pure interference and at this point useless. Frank turns it off and clips it to his belt. We start making out way to the front of the line. "Boys, I hope you're ready for a firefight," I say as we make it to the edge. The rest of the Killjoys are about 40 feet away from us taking cover behind a small ledge. There are a few that have advanced about ten more feet behind a half fallen tree. "Killjoys, let's make some noise." We get up and sprint across the land towards the ledge with the others. The Bounty Hunter see us and start firing at us. We hold out our guns and shoot the closer one but the main focus is running for cover.
In the center of this massive gun show, there is the house that Helena was talking about. I realize why everything is like a distant dream. I've been here before. As I slide on the ground barely dodging a blast, I crawl to the side and I have to stare at the house again. My mouth gaping open as the house stands right before my eyes. It never occurred to me that I would see this place again. The place where Mikey was born and where we grew up. The zones that we used to play in as kids. And the place where we ran away from just the two of us as our parents were executed.
It's the house. It's unmistakably the house. BL/ind did a good job making it seems untouched, a perfect death trap for unsuspecting Killjoys. "Alright Killjoys, let's not get ourselves ghosted. Stay out of the light. You can say a prayer if you need to. Make some noise!" Alec shouts. With that, we turn around and starts firing. We start running forward and firing at the white suits. An ancient fear rises up inside me mixed with the overwhelming amount of adrenaline. The only thing stopping myself from fainting is self-preservation.
The white suits starts falling down. Not all of them are shooting at us. Some are aiming at the house. There's someone inside. Frank stays at my side. There's a container of gasoline sitting next to a BL/in van. Frank takes a shot at it and it explodes, blowing up the van and any white suit around. Bonnie and Steve run towards the other BL/ind vans and cruisers shooting the goons. Alec starts running to the house with Galaxy several feet behind. Ray grabs my shoulder and points ahead where there are Bounty Hunters with javelin missile that is aimed towards the house. That will level the building and anything 30 feet of it.
"Dr. Crash Pilot!" Ray shouts. He runs after them. I grab at his sleeve but he tears away from me. As the missile launches over head, Alec makes it into the house. Galaxy steps onto the porch. Ray is already too close when the missile breaks through the front of the house and goes off. Galaxy flies off the porch when the flames erupt, smothering and concealing him in the fiery furnace. The force of impact rings out and debris goes airborne.
Ray gets knocks back on the ground and debris come raining down on him. Ray cries out as in comes pouring down on him and embeds into his flesh. A Killjoy drags him back to cover near myself and the others. Half of Ray's face is gushing blood. His hands cover his eye. Mikey tries to wipe the blood but more just keeps gushing. "Jet Star, are you okay?" Mikey asks him. "JET STAR!" He doesn't respond. He stares at him incoherently. His ears are probably ringing.
The house is completely flat. The explosive fire burned out and the pile of wooden planks flickers with large flames. Black smoke rises into the sky. Staring at the ruins, my eyes catch a notorious neon blue. I bolt towards what's left of the house. I hear Frank scream my name, straining his voice but I don't have time to stop. Someone takes a shot at me just as I cross in front of a tree. The bark explodes off and the singes piece fly into the air. Other Killjoys behind me start firing again at the white suits. I make it to the remnants of the porch and lift up the wood. I scream out as it burns my hands and I throw it off of him. "Galaxy, come on. Galaxy Globe, stay with me," I coax. I find his arms and drag him out of the ruble. Ash covers his body and blood trickles from his ears. Another shot flies at me but it misses and hits Luke in the leg. He lets out a scream as it burns him. I get the rest of his legs out and start run carrying him back. 'You're good. Let's go," I say.
Ten feet away from the mound, I lose balance and topple over. We both fall to the ground. Steve and Melanie run over. Steve drags Luke the last ten feet and Melanie helps me up. "Oh my god, thank you, Party Poison. Thank you so much," she repeats. We take cover, Melanie places her hands on Luke's face. "You're okay, look at me. You're okay, baby. It's going to be okay." She lifts his face up and kisses him on the cheek. Resting her forehead against his, she holds him. "It's going to be okay."
I look back at the house. Alec is still in there and who ever he was trying to save. I stand to my feet but Frank snags my hand. "Party, please. Don't," he begs. I turn around and pull away. Frank surprisingly keeps hold of me and we both trip and smash into the ground on the other side of the hill. "I can't lose you again," he says latching onto my jacket.
I know that no one can see us. I find his lips and give him a quick peck. "You won't lose me," I promise him. He loosens his grip and I break away. I kick off the ground and break into a sprint. I make it to the font of the house and kick some boards away. Shoving my hands into my gloves, I find an opening and crawl through.
Insane heat surrounds me. The first floor collapsed into the cellar and I can stand up. It's as if it's still a room. "Crash Pilot!" I call out. I find a pair of legs lying on the ground. I get on my knees and remove what was a table top. It's a woman. I lift her up off the floor and carry her back to the tunnel I made. I see Frank has made it outside. I send her through the tunnel head first. "Ghoul, get her out of here. I need to find the DJ." Frank half carries and drags her out. I take a breath of the clean air and go back into the house.
"Pilot!" I call out. Where would he be? Perhaps by the entrance, but that's not existing anymore. Maybe he made it next to the woman. There's nothing here besides fire and ruble. I hear his voice call out. I snap around and barely make him out. His jet black hair matching his jacket conceals well in all the smoke. I make it to him. "Alec, I got you," I say. I lift his arm up and put it over my neck. I try to stand with him but he doesn't move.
"Stop! No," he winces in pain. I look down and see a wooden beam sticking out of his gut. The front is dark with blood and it goes through his back and it's stuck in the wall. Something inside me drops. No... The realization that I can't get him out of here hits me. I fall to my knees. The burning sensation in my eyes starts blinding me. It's too hot in here for tears. My eyes keep drying up. "Gerard, get out of here," Alec whispers. I nod my head solemnly. "Save her," he mutters.
"I-I did I got the woman out, Frank is taking care o-"
"NO!" he cuts me off. "I saw you get my wife out," he trembles. Alec was married? I never knew that.
"I got your wife out of here. She's safe."
"I know, " he winces, "but my daughter." I look at him in bewilderment not sure of what to say. I didn't know he had a wife, let alone a daughter. "Please, Gerard. She-she doesn't know about any of this. Save her," he says, he's eyes begging. Save her, get her out of here, away from the danger. I can see there's more to what he's saying. Save her, save her innocence. Get her out of here with a stable mind.
"I will, I'll keep her safe," I promise Alec. My voice trembles.
Alec rests his head against the wall. "Your just like your parents. You and your father are the best shooters I've ever known, and you are the only one faster the your mother," he says. Even though I don't have any tears, I cry at his words. "Gerard, they loved you so much. You and your brother. Don't let yourself think otherwise. Get yourself out out of here. Don't be ghosted."
I tear away from Alec. He reminded me of my father. I'm at this old place and I feel like I'm losing my parents all over again. I go back over the table his wife was under. I lift it up all the way and see a young girl who had to be 8 years old lying further back. I didn't see her the first time. I scoop her up in my arms and start carrying her out. The amount of smoke I've inhale starts getting to me. The girl stirs and her eyes open. She winces from the smoke and rubs them. "Daddy, what's going on?" she asks confused.
I bite my lip. "It's okay, sweetie. You're going to be okay," I cough out.
The girl opens her eyes as we walk past Alec. She let's out a raspy scream. "Daddy!" she cries out. "No!" She thrashes around in my arms flailing for him. I'm already lightheaded and dizzy. Her moving around knocks me off balance. Her legs slip out of my arms and I end up start dragging her away, her feet draping on the ground, her face burries in my jacket. Her screams for her father fade in the flames. I make it to the small tunnel. I push her out and Frank takes her from me. The girl continues to scream out. Taking two steps on solid land, the world spins too fast for me to hold onto and I collide with the ground. Everything's spinning around. Bonnie comes running over and picks up the girl to comfort her. The girl seems to know her because she hugs Bonnie tightly.
Frank stands over me. He kneels in the ground, putting a hand on my back. "Gee?" he asks concerned.
"Too much smoke," I wheeze. My stomach start lurching and my gag reflex sounds. There is a good chance I'm going to throw up. Frank sits me up and helps me breathe.
"You'll be okay. We'll get back to the base and you'll be okay," he says. Frank moves my hair out of my face and bites his lip. "Listen, I don't want you to waste your air or suffocate so I talk and you listen," he says. I nod in agreement, struggling to inhale fully. "We killed all the Dracs but they did do their damage. Remember, I need you to breathe, Gee. Okay?" he pauses. My vision struggles to see around me. I focus on Frankie. My eyes are so dry it burns but they can't water. Frank holds my shoulders somewhat cradling me while I exhale. My head rests on his lap and I stare up at him. "The right side of Ray's face is torn up from the debris, which acted like shrapnel. He's going to lose his right eyes. Galaxy not responding well. We don't know if it's just because he's stunned. Melanie was thrown from a blast and he hit her hit hard. Steve got shot in the back. He's stable now but it might have hit his spinal cord because he can't move from the waist down. A Killjoy named Rule Fire was killed and his partner Wind Chime just died from her wounds." I sit and listen to the damage down. Those bastards hurt us good. "I assume that Alec didn't make it?" Frank whispers, afraid to ask. I nod my head. Alec's dead. He's dead. "I can't believe that," Frank whispers. "It seems wrong, he's been the Dr. since I got here, when I was a little kid. The woman you got out, she's been neutralized. It's 50-50 if she'll make it. Her name is Parker and you also got her daughter out."
"Parker," I speak. My voice is practically gone, each syllable burns in my throat. My stomach still lurches. "Alec's wife," I manage to speak. I close my mouth as a small amount of acid boils in the back of my throat. I lean to the side and spit it out. I need to drink something and probably get some oxygen.
Frank looks at me funny. "Alec was married?" he asks.
I give a nod. "The girl's his daughter," I struggle to say between heaving. Pressure builds up in my head. I can feel my face turning red, right now, I'm willing to bet it's a shade brighter than my hair. "What's her name?" I struggle to say.
Frank looks worried at me. He helps me get on my hands and knees, leaning over the ground. I cough out and choke for air. "That's his daughter? Her name's Grace-Jeanette."