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Senseless Indulgences	By : Solariel89 Category: My Chemical Romance > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 1385 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This story is pure fiction. I do not profit from this story monetarily or otherwise. I do not know MCR, nor do I own the Danger Days universe. I do however own my OC's, so no stealing them, please.

Chapter List
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Party Poison drove the Trans Am down the dusty road to the nearest town. Fun Ghoul and Kobra Kid sat in the back with Chris in between them, chatting about the store. Jet Star eyed Party's face with a quizzical expression. His jaw was set, but his posture was relaxed. He was pondering something, but he didn't want to alarm anyone. Jet Star was concerned, but he honored his friend by keeping his silence. There is a day for every fight, today was not the day for that one.
The three in the back laughed and talked cheerily as they rode, oblivious to the silence and tension in the front. They were laughing about a time when Kobra Kid lost a match of wits with the cashier when they arrived at the town. "Look alive, guys," Party warned. "Dr. D says there was a unit of Dracs sighted here last night. They may still be here."
Kobra Kid and Fun Ghoul looked shocked. Chris looked scared. "A whole unit?" Fun Ghoul asked. "What the hell is a unit of Dracs doing out this far in the zones?"
"I don't know, but they seemed to be looking for something." Party drove around back streets until he came to a killjoy-friendly house. He pulled the Trans Am into the garage and closed the door after everyone got out. They walked through the town, keeping to back roads, and stopped at a school. There were six entrances to the store dotted all across town. The school was the closest one. "Alright, careful guys."
Party opened the side door and they all filed in, Fun Ghoul keeping hold of Chris' hand. He had told her what to expect, but the knowledge that there might be Dracs nearby had only fueled her fears. He squeezed her hand and urged her forward, keeping his other hand on his raygun. Chris stared around the school with wide eyes. It should've been a place of learning and innocence, but BLI's essence permeated the walls, corrupting the building. It felt more like a prison than a school.
The killjoys and their charge crept through the building and ducked into a storage room. Kobra Kid looked out the tiny square window of the door while Jet Star and Party Poison moved a heavy filing cabinet. Fun Ghoul briefly let go of Chris' hand to open the trap door, but reached for it again after he was done. She squeezed his hand until her knuckles were white. He looked at her face and saw it was just as pale. He turned her frightened eyes his way and held her gaze. "We'll be fine," he said. "It's alright."
He flashed a smile and Chris relaxed. She loosened her grip on his hand and noticed she had turned his fingers purple. "Sorry," she blushed.
"It's alright." He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. "I didn't need those fingers anyway." Chris was still smiling when they entered the long dark tunnel that led to the store.
At the end of the tunnel, a single light shined on a rusty metal door. Party rapped three times and the small window slid open. A green mask with red stars over the eyes peered through at the killjoys. The amber eyes grazed over the five of them, stopping on Chris. "Who's she?" a deep male voice asked. A thick English accent dripped from each word.
"A refugee," Party said. "We need to get her some clothes."
"She got a name?"
"Her name's Chris."
"Ah." The man sounded surprised. "Not enlisted?"
Party's reply was gruff. "Her choice." He didn't like this particular guard.
"She clean?"
Fun Ghoul's face twisted in frustration. "She's fine, just let us in, Rad."
"Alright!" The guard opened the door and let them in. He towered over them all, but backed away from them when they walked past. "No need to get testy."
Fun Ghoul started to round on the guard, but Party stopped him with a hand to the shoulder. "Save it, Ghoul. You can kick his ass later. Right now, we need to get Chris some clothes."
Chris shivered as they kept walking. She could feel the guard's eyes rake up and down as she was pulled past. When she dared to glance back at him, he was sitting in a chair by the door, pretending to read a magazine. Fun Ghoul gently dragged her through the store to the clothes while Jet Star, Party Poison, and Kobra Kid perused the rest of the merchandise.
Chris stared blankly at the clothes racks. Where should she start? Hell, she didn't wear any of this stuff. She always used to wear business attire. She didn't feel comfortable in anything else.
Party and the others joined Fun Ghoul and Chris after fifteen minutes. "Find anything?" Kobra asked as he fingered a leather jacket with interest.
"No." Chris looked utterly and completely lost. "I don't wear any of this stuff."
"None of it jumps out at you?"
"No." She shook her head. "None of this really suits me."
"Well, what did you used to wear?" Jet wondered.
"Designer suits and dress clothes." At the men's confused looks she added, "My family always bought me clothes that showed off our status as wealthy businessmen. They all suffer from hereditary hubris."
Fun Ghoul smirked, but hid behind Jet so Chris couldn't see it. Party opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out as a high pitched squeal cut him off. They all turned their eyes to see who it was and the four men winced.
A rambunctious young woman ran through the store. "Kobra!" she screamed before tackling the poor man to the ground.
"Hey, Cy," he groaned painfully. "What's up?" He managed to peel the woman off him and helped her stand.
She smiled brightly. "Just got back from Zone 5! What are you guys doing here?"
"Getting clothes for Chris," he gestured to the girl in front of them, "so she doesn't have to wear those beat up BLI rags forever."
"Oh! You must be the new refugee!"
Chris looked at her, worry clearly in her eyes. "Just how many people know about me?"
"Oh, don't worry. I only found out because I stopped by the diner. I was expecting to see these cuties there, but Dr. D told me they were here getting clothes for a refugee." She gave Chris the quick once-over. "What's your name?"
"Chris."
"No, I mean your killjoy name."
"She doesn't have one," Party Poison interceded. "If she doesn't want one, we're not going to force one on her."
"Okay. I get that." She took a step toward Chris and extended her hand. "I'm Cyanide Extasy, spelled with an 'x', not 'cs'."
Chris shook her hand and smiled timidly. "Nice to meet you."
"Cy, I think you're going to shake her arm off," Fun Ghoul joked.
Cy laughed and took her hand back. "Sorry."
Chris didn't say anything, deciding to observe the girl in front of her. Cy had full pink lips that lent themselves well to excited, happy expressions. She had the energy of a Chihuahua and the brute force of a Doberman. She seemed to be a very happy person, but a closer look at her gray eyes revealed she'd seen more horrors than she'd care to remember.
"So, did you get a look at everything here?" Cy asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Yeah, but I don't really wear anything here." Chris looked cautiously at Cy. She was wearing a black leather jacket with purple tiger stripes. Underneath, she wore a bright red halter top. She wore faded gray jeans and bright pink converse. She was looking between Chris and the clothes racks. The look on her face was unsettling. She was plotting something.
"Come with me!" Cy grabbed Chris' hand and dragged her off into the clothes muttering something about a woman's touch.
The first place they stopped was the pants section. "Okay, first thing you want is practicality," Cyanide Extasy explained. "You want to be able to move just in case you get in a jam and have to run. Okay?"
"Okay," Chris acknowledged.
"You also want to look good for the guys. There are more men in this zone than women right now, so it'll start to feel like you're under scrutiny. You want to look good, but you also want to feel good. If you don't like what you're wearing, they'll notice."
Chris nodded, taking everything in stride. She looked at Cy as she perused the blue jeans and the leather pants. "Cy?"
"Hm?"
"Fun Ghoul said that killjoy names were for protection."
"Yeah?"
"Protection from what? And what is there to protect? The fires of 2012 wiped out everything. Everyone's lives were destroyed. Why hide your names? Why fight at all?" She didn't ask out of ignorance. She knew why she was going to fight, she just wanted to hear someone else's reason. She needed to know she was justified in leaving. She needed to know she was not alone.
Cy's hands hovered shakily over the pair of dark jeans she had just been about to grab. She exhaled softly, snatched the jeans and continued scanning the shelves. She never looked at Chris when she answered, "You're right. 2012 destroyed everything we held dear. But people still had their families." Her eyes closed briefly as she sighed. "In the chaos, people were being snatched into BLI before they knew what was going on. Families were split apart, not knowing if each other were alive. There were families that were half in BLI and half out in the zones fighting for survival." She looked at Chris and stared her hard in the eyes. "Many of the killjoys out here have family in Battery City. We fight to take down BLI. The names we've assumed aren't just for our protection. If BLI finds out our identities, they'll go looking for our families in Battery City and use them against us." She snatched another pair of jeans from the shelves. "That's why we fight, die, and live in the zones."
Chris stared resolutely at Cy. "I need a name."
Cy smiled. "We can fix that."
The two girls perused the clothes more eagerly as they quickly grew accustomed to each other. Chris told her a little about her family, though what she told her was nondescript. She mentioned she had several brothers and sisters and that she came from a wealthy family, but any more than that was left for another time. She told Cy of her love for animals and her passion for music. She had no talent when it came to creating music, but her parents used to replace her worn out cd players regularly before the great fires.
Chris did learn a bit about Cy as they shopped as well. Cy confessed she had always been hyper and immature, but deep down Chris could see she was streetwise and courageous. She had survived out in the Zones for three years on her own. Dr. Death Defying had been moving from one broadcast station to the next when he crossed paths with her. He had found Cy sleeping in a small shed, resting from killing a group of Dracs; she still had their blood all over her. She didn't trust him, but he wouldn't let her stay out in the zones by herself. He introduced her to the boys but tensions remained high between them for nearly a year.
She didn't trust people easily, but Dr. D and the boys were patient and worked hard to gain her trust. Over time, Cy began to look up to the older man. He acted as the hard-ass father to the other killjoys. He was the voice and brain behind the resistance. If anyone could find a way to take down BLI, it was Dr. Death.
Anything else of her past was kept secret; only Dr. D and Party Poison knew what had happened to her before they met. She, like so many other killjoys, had told the two of them everything. They had acted as the group's therapists. No one kept secrets from them. If someone didn't want to tell them everything, the two men waited patiently until they decided it was time. They never fished for information unless it jeopardized the safety of the group. But, even if one of the killjoys didn't want to reveal their past, they still talked out problems and stresses with the two leaders. Dr. D and Party Poison were everyone's comfort.
Chris was contemplating whether or not she would tell the two about her plight when Cy turned and looked at her expectantly. "What?"
"I knew you weren't paying attention," Cy giggled. She was holding two pairs of jeans, a pair of leather pants, several different colored shirts, a jean jacket, and a leather jacket. "I picked these up while you were off in Lala Land. I don't know what you like and don’t like."
"Um…" Chris looked at the mass of clothing and shrugged. "I don't know…."
Cy sighed playfully. "So helpful." She gave Chris a goofy smile and held the clothes tight to her chest. "Okay, let me make this simple. What's your favorite color?"
Chris thought on how to answer that. "Well… that sorta depends on the mood I'm in."
Cy nodded. "Okay. How many do I have to choose from?"
"Usually, four."
"Okay. List 'em."
"I like green, red, blue, and black. Occasionally I'll go for purple, but not nearly as often as the others." Chris thought it over a bit. She hadn't thought about her favorite colors in a while and at BL/Ind, they didn't really give you very many options. "I think I prefer the darker, more vibrant tones."
"Okay." Cy grabbed a few more shirts and some thread. "Hold these," Cy ordered, handing the pile to Chris, who stared confusedly at her as she followed her through the store. Cy marched her straight over to the shoes where she grabbed a pair of black combat boots. She told Chris to stay where she was and disappeared for several minutes. When she returned she said, "Alright, I've got permission from the guys to borrow you for a couple of hours. I'll go pay for these, and then I'll meet you back here, okay?"
"Um…" Chris shifted from one foot to the other. "How are you going to pay for those?"
"Barter system," Cy cocked an eyebrow at her new friend, "but that's not what you really wanted to ask is it?"
"No. Not really, but it's stupid, so never mind." Chris spoke so quickly and so quietly Cy almost didn't hear what she said.
"No. Tell me. What were you going to ask?"
Chris shuffled her feet again. "Could we get me some art supplies?" She shook her hands defensively and added quickly, "Paper and colored pencils will do! I don't need much, I've just been itching to draw all morning!"
Cy looked confused for a moment then laughed. "I can get you art supplies. Just wait here and I'll get them and pay for everything, okay?"
"Okay."
Chris waited for Cy to return. She didn't know why she was being 'borrowed' for a couple hours, but she wanted to know how the killjoys lived. She was tired of the secrets BLI kept. She was tired of taking pills everyday. She found freedom and truth in the killjoys, even through the pain and suffering they obviously felt. They were real- more real than BLI.
When Cy returned, she was followed by 'the boys.' She was carrying a Yuengling box under her right arm and Party Poison was holding a bag of art supplies. "Here," he said handing them over to her. "I wasn't sure what you used so I got you everything I could find."
Chris took the bag, her eyes wide and apologetic. "Thank you. You really didn't have to! I could've gone without!"
"No," Party Poison said sternly. "The most important thing we have is what keeps us different. If you want to draw, you find a way to draw. This will help get you started."
She hugged Party Poison gratefully. He patted her awkwardly on the back. "Uh… You're welcome."
Cy pulled her hand and dragged her out the nearest door giggling, "Before Party has a heart attack and things get any more awkward, you and I have a lot of work to do. We'll meet you guys back at Dr. D's!" She dragged Chris through town and into an abandoned barn. "This whole town used to be a cattle ranch," Cy explained. "Better Living built it up just after the disaster." She led Chris to the very back where a red Ford Mustang sat waiting. "This is Neon Nights," she beamed. "She's my pride and joy." The two girls got in the car and Cy started the engine. The car fired up effortlessly. She navigated her way out the back of the barn and headed for the back road out of town. "She was a mess when I found her. The poor girl had been abandoned, just sitting covered up in some jerk's garage. She was torn up, more out of a lack of compassion for such a beauty than just being abandoned. Whoever had her before 2012 didn't know the first thing about cars." She rubbed the steering wheel lovingly and looked at the dashboard as a mother would look at her child. "I fixed her up myself. I broke into auto parts stores, distribution centers, even a Ford dealership. I completely stripped what I needed from one of the newer models, just to fix this baby up. There's just something about fixing up an old abandoned car that you can't get with a brand new one." She chuckled and looked at Chris. "You know, I just thought of something."
Chris tilted her head quizzically. "What?"
"You're name's Chris, right?" Chris nodded. "Would it happen to be short for Christine?" She nodded again. Cyanide Extasy burst into a fit of giggles. Chris looked at her like she had three heads, wondering what was so funny. When she calmed down and settled herself, Cy glanced at Chris then concentrated on the road. "My attitude toward Neon is the same as the guy in the Stephen King novel Christine." She giggled for a moment. "I miss that book."
Chris nodded solemnly. She didn't know the book Cy was referencing, but she knew the feeling- both feelings. There were a lot of things she missed about her old life- books, movies, songs- all her old hobbies. Before her grandfather had passed away, he and Chris would fix up old pieces of furniture. She would ride with him as he went to yard sales and junkyards in search of run down antiques. They took hours- even days- fixing each piece. He would buy them cheap and sell them for a higher value. One piece, in particular, though, he kept. It was an old walnut wardrobe- the first piece they ever restored together. Chris was so proud, her grandfather refused to sell it. He kept it in his living room, where she could always see it. He used it to hang up jackets when he had visitors. Her father sold the wardrobe the minute he took charge of his father's estate. He never even asked.
Chris was roused from her thoughts when Cy pulled into the garage of an abandoned house. Cy started getting out of the car. "A quick stop before we go."
Chris stepped out of the car and followed her cautiously. "Where are we?"
"A makeshift bath house a friend and I set up." She pulled a rock out of the garden and grabbed the key that was inside. "We tapped into BLI's water supply. I even ran it over the Geiger counter. It's clean." She led Chris to the basement. "We keep it in the basement so the sound has less chance to reverberate into the open air. You can shower and change into some of the clothes we picked out. Make it some of the stuff you wouldn't want to wear as much because I plan on using the ones you would." Chris looked at her curiously. "You'll see. Just do it." She turned and made to leave then spun around as if she remembered something. "I almost forgot!" She walked over to where she had placed the Yuengling box. "I picked these up for you." She showed her a black lace bra and matching panties.
Chris looked horrified. "I can't wear those!"
"You can and you will." Cy laughed at the look that crossed Chris' face. "Look. Rule number one is to dress practically, so you need these. Rule number two is to look and feel good in what you're wearing. That starts with what's underneath- what the guys don't see. Just try them. I guarantee you'll feel better once you put them on." She set them down on a shelf near the shower and turned to leave. "I'll let you shower in private."
"Um…" Chris started, but abruptly stopped.
Cy turned. "What?"
"I really don't like being alone."
Cy's electric blue hair covered one eye as she sighed. "You want me to stay here?" Chris nodded. A slight blush crept over Cy's face. "Alright. I'll sit over here and talk to you while you shower, okay?"
"Thanks." As Chris showered, she and Cy talked about each other a little more. They talked about places they frequented before the disaster, friends they hung out with, schools they went to, even guys they'd dated. Chris learned that, at one point, Cyanide had experimented with a girl and that had altered her perspective on the nature of love. As she stepped out of the shower to dry off and get dressed, she said, "I had a lot of friends that used to get picked on for being gay. People used to tell them they were broken, twisted, whatever horrible things they could think of. I never saw anything wrong with them. Yeah, I'd always been taught that it should only be a man and a woman together, but people aren't perfect. Since when do people know how the world should work? Just because we're taught to believe that a man should only ever fall in love with a woman, it doesn't mean it's right. Hitler taught the German youth that blond hair and blue eyes was godly. He wasn't right. The Greeks encouraged the men in their armies to sleep with other men to ensure they would fight their hardest. They reasoned you were more likely to fight and win if you were in view of your lover than if you were only in view of an ally. Just because we're taught something, doesn't mean it's the absolute truth."
"My thoughts exactly," Cy smiled as she handed Chris her clothes.
After Chris dressed herself, she and Cyanide left the bath house. They passed the time talking and listening to Dr. Death Defying's broadcast. Cyanide sang along to the music while Chris contented herself with merely listening. She missed the music she used to listen to, but she relished in the new sound she was being shown. A new song played and Chris stared in awe at the radio. "Is that… Party Poison?"
Cy smiled brightly. "Yup! He and the rest of the boys sort of act as the battle cry of the resistance. They started all the new music. Everyone else followed."
"Huh. I'm impressed." She listened intently to the song. It made her heart race. The energy behind it made her feel like she could do anything. It was exactly the feeling she needed.
After some time, they arrived at an old warehouse. Cyanide drove the mustang through the stacks of boxes and the two got out. After covering the car and shutting the door, she led Chris to the office in the back. Under an old filing cabinet Chris noticed there was a trap door. Cy opened it to reveal an underground passage. She led Chris down the steps into a small work room. Mannequins stood in one corner, wearing various unfinished articles of clothing. Cy put the Yuengling box down on the work table in the middle and picked up a tape measure.
Chris stood motionless as she was measured. Cy muttered under her breath as she worked. "I'm not going to do anything to the pants," she finally said loud enough for Chris to hear. "One, we don't have time and two, they don't really need to be altered." Chris nodded. "You like to draw, right?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Start drawing something for me to put on the jackets. You can have the same thing on both, or something different for each. I've got more than enough material for whatever you need. What I don't have down here I have up there," she pointed straight up at the warehouse above them. "I don't know what this room used to be for, but now, it serves as my Alteration Room. Whatever you draw, I can make."
"Alright," Chris replied, her voice leaking skepticism. She sat down and pulled out the paper and some pencils. She sat and thought for a minute. When she finally had an idea, she sketched two designs. The first, she intended for the leather jacket. It was a Bengal tiger. It's claws were extended and it was standing defiantly. It was roaring with blood dripping from it's teeth. The second design was a phoenix. It rose majestically out of the fire, singing. The detail involved in both designs surprised her. She had only meant them to be simple. "Can you do these?"
Chris started worrying when Cyanide's brows furrowed. "It'll be interesting, but I can do it. Just sit back and watch me work," she smiled.
Chris watched as Cy decorated her jackets. She decided the girl was a genius with a sewing machine. She used white, red, and orange leather for the tiger. She sewed it together first, then applied it to the jacket. The phoenix, however, was sown directly onto the jean jacket. The red and orange flames danced around the crimson bird, contrasting beautifully with the dark blue of the denim. She had even added a ribbon of music that twisted and curved behind the phoenix's head in violet thread. Both were so real and life-like, it was as if the designs leapt off the paper and imprinted themselves on the jackets.
When Cy was finished, Chris ran her hand over the jackets lovingly. "These are amazing," she whispered. She couldn't speak any louder than that.
"You made the designs. All I did was sew them on."
"Yeah, but they were so complex."
Cy shrugged. "I live for a challenge." She moved the unused materials to a scrap box under the table. "What do you want on the shirts, or do you want them left alone?"
Chris tore her eyes away from the jackets. "Um, I guess just leave them blank. I don't really have any ideas for what to put on them…."
"Okay." She shrugged. "We can always put designs on them later on if you want." She shuffled her materials around and handed Chris her shirts. "You need a name." It was a statement. She'd seen the look on Chris' face when she said the very same statement in the store. She was going to join the resistance. "Any ideas for that?"
"Not really." Chris shrugged. She changed out of the yellow shirt she was wearing and put on the crimson one she had in the pile. She was wearing the dark blue jeans, so she put on the jean jacket. She instantly felt her heart swell. The feeling was short lived as she felt a heaviness settle on her. She placed her hand on her chest above her heart and quickly sat back down. She was breathing heavily.
Cy jumped from her seat the minute Chris' face showed pain. She helped her to sit and knelt in front of her. Her friend's eyes were closed, her breathing labored. "What's wrong?"
Chris struggled to get her words out. When no words came, she fought to take two deep breaths. She patted her chest with her fist saying, "Heartbeat." Her breathing eased a little, but she still struggled to regain control. She forced her words out. "I have... an irregular... heartbeat." She took a deep breath as the episode passed. "Usually it's fine," she explained, her strength returning, "just a flutter or two, you know? But sometimes, like just now, it knocks the wind out of me. Mom used to call it my 'little monster'. She used to say that it liked to cause trouble, but sometimes it was too lazy and just slept." She smiled at the memories as they returned. Her face went cold when she remembered why they were only memories. "It hasn't done it in years. I guess the BLI meds kept it asleep." She took a deep breath and looked Cy in the eyes, making sure she saw that she was okay. "I guess it woke up."
Cy's gray eyes relaxed in relief then lit up seconds later. "I think I know what your name could be, if you like it!"
Chris' brow raised skeptically. "Oh, really?"
"Yup." Cy smiled triumphantly. Chris thought she took off ten years of her maturity when she did that. "Polyphonic Arrhythmia."
"Polyphonic-"
"Arrhythmia," Cy finished, grinning like a loon. She could barely contain her excitement at how perfect it was. "So, what do you think?"
"Strangely enough- even though it's an obvious play on a health issue that has plagued my family for generations- I like it." Cy squealed and hugged Chris tightly. Her long drawn out approval had been killing the poor girl. Chris smile and hugged her back.
Cyanide pulled back abruptly, still gripping her shoulders. "You need a mask!" She leapt off the floor and ran over to a box in the corner. "Okay, first we need to see what works best with your face."
"That sounds a little weird, but okay." She walked cautiously over to where Cy was kneeling, rummaging through the box. They tested several different masks- full face masks, masks that covered one side or the other, and masks that covered the top portion of her face. Three quarters of the way through the box, they found a simple white masquerade mask that covered the area around her eyes. It covered from her forehead down to her nose, but didn't cover her nostrils. Chris eyed it with intense interest. "I might have an idea…." She grabbed Cy's hand and led her back to the work table. "Do you have paint?"
"Psh!" Cy waved her hand dismissively. "Of course I have paint! I'm ashamed you even thought to ask!" She winked earning a giggle from Chris. "What colors do you need?"
She eyed the jackets and the mask together. "Green and red."
"Comin' right up!" Cy disappeared upstairs for a few minutes then returned with two bottles of art paint- emerald green and ruby red. "Party occasionally gets the urge to paint something, so I keep some handy in as many colors as I can find," she smiled. "Here's some brushes too."
Chris immediately set to work on her new blank slate. She painted diligently and methodically while Cy cleaned up the other masks. After the masks were all back in the box, Cy made herself scarce, busying herself with other responsibilities. Chris didn't notice. She concentrated on the mask. When she finished, she examined her masterpiece. It was now emerald green with ruby lightning spreading from her eyes. It was a simple design, but effective.
She left the mask on the table to dry and joined Cyanide upstairs. She spotted the blue haired fireball busily rearranging boxes in the main room of the warehouse. "It's finished. I left it drying on the work table."
"Okay. It shouldn't take long to dry. That's a quick drying paint and I doubt you globbed it on," Cy smiled. "I've got one more thing I've got to do downstairs, so if you wait here, I'll get that taken care of, then we'll head out." Chris nodded. "It'll take me about as long as it takes your mask to dry, so just stay here and I'll bring it up when I'm done, okay?"
"Okay."
"Tv's in the office. Just keep the volume kinda low."
"Will do." Chris reached out and switched on the television when Cy was downstairs. It was tuned to the BLI station. She watched shameless commercials as they advertised the newest devices the public 'needed.' The news anchor for fact news reported something about cameras on flies and other nonsense- things that depressed her- but he always kept that damn smile on his face. Even before the disaster, Chris had always hated the news. They never showed any real emotion. She always thought news anchors and reporters should show emotion so that maybe people would actually pay attention to what they were saying.
Chris was just about to turn the television off when she got a funny feeling it would do her good to watch the next story. She didn't like those feelings- they usually didn't mean anything good- but she obliged it nonetheless.
"In other news, Better Living Industries Security Forces are still on the hunt for wanted fugitive, Christine Ward." She stared at the television in horror. Her photograph appeared on the screen next to the news anchor's face. "She is wanted for the murder of six Security Forces officers and the attempted kidnapping of Zachary Ward. Surveillance footage shows Ward entered Zone 3 two months ago. Her current location remains, as of yet, unknown. She is considered to be armed and extremely dangerous. All citizens are advised to notify your local Security Forces Captain should you hear or see anything regarding Ward."
Chris shut off the tv when the screen shifted to the weather. She stood as Cy emerged from down stairs and stepped up beside her, mask in hand. "Ready?" Cy asked.
Chris put on a mask of her previous excitement. "Yeah!"
"Good! Here's your mask. It's dry so you can put it on, which I do advise. And I also made you this," she produced a green bandana from behind her back. She had embroidered the BLI logo on front with a bloody dagger stabbed through it. Chris snatched it from her hands excitedly. "I thought you'd like it," Cy giggled. "Come on. The guys are probably wondering what happened to us."
The two girls got in the mustang and left the warehouse. "Anything good on the news?" Cy asked, glancing over at her friend.
"Not really. The usual. Death, destruction, buy this, buy that, all with a happy stupid smile on your face." Cy giggled. "He did say something about fly cameras or something, but I didn't really care."
"Oh, the camera flies. They've been talking about those for a while now. Basically, don't swat any more flies. You'll get ridiculous fines and jail time."
"Good to know." Chris stared out the open window of the mustang. She couldn't get the news report out of her mind. How dare they? How dare he?! Kidnapping?! Murder?! She didn't kill anybody! Shit, she almost died! And what the hell was he doing saying she attempted to kidnap Zach?! He's her brother for fuck's sake! He's just a kid! BLI is no place for a child!
As the diner came into view, Chris steeled her nerves. Her eyes fixated on the diner, she pulled her mask on. It was finished. She was no longer Christine Celia Ward. She was now, and forever more, Polyphonic Arrhythmia.
***
Kobra Kid turned and watched the mustang drive up. "Neon's here," he warned. Everyone knew Cyanide treated her car like a person. Anything bad said about Neon was a cut to Cyanide. She was very sensitive about that car.
"About time!" Fun Ghoul stood and stretched. "What took them so long?"
Kobra sighed. "You know Cy." No further explanation was required.
***
Cyanide stepped out of Neon Nights and gently shut the door. Chris followed suit. "You excited?" Chris smiled and nodded. Cy flashed a bright smile of her own. "Good. You should be."
***
The killjoys heard Cyanide and Chris get out of the mustang but only Cy entered the diner. Dr. Death Defying looked at her, clearly confused. "Hey, Cyanide. Where's Chris?"
Cy beamed at them all. "Gentlemen," she'd always had a flare for the dramatic, "I present to you, Polyphonic Arrhythmia."
Poly stepped into the diner and everyone froze. To say she had changed would have been an understatement. She hadn't changed, she'd completely transformed. Kobra Kid let his feelings be known, "Wow!"
Everyone else- too stunned to speak- nodded in agreement. Poly smiled. "You like it?"
Another nod. She smiled again, but this time Party Poison noticed it was a tight smile. He shot a glance to Dr. D who shook his head. Now was not the time to have that discussion.
Cyanide was chatting happily with the rest of the killjoys when she pulled out the other jacket. "And because we're girls, we always have to have two outfits!"
"Two?" Fun Ghoul snorted. "You have at least ten."
Cy ignored him and flipped the leather jacket over so the back was visible. She also took the time to grasp Poly firmly by the shoulders and spin her around so they could see the back of the jean jacket.
"Did you draw those?" Party asked, pointing to the tiger and the phoenix.
Polyphonic nodded, "Cy added the music notes in the background on the phoenix, but I drew the designs. I wasn't expecting them to turn out so complicated." She pointed at her newest friend. "She's a genius with a sewing machine."
"And you're a genius with a pen," Cy countered.
"I see you made good use of all that extra paint," Party Poison pointed to her new mask.
"Yeah. I had every color except green. I didn't want to leave it out."
"Wait 'til you see the bandana!" Cy was bouncing on the balls of her feet. She'd helped create the looks of a lot of the killjoys, but none of them had turned out so well. She was extremely proud.
Poly pulled the green fabric from her pocket and held it up so they all could see. "Cy made it." Everyone grinned at the little design. Poly grinned at their faces. "I told you she's a genius with a sewing machine."
"I am thoroughly impressed," Party Poison praised. The rest of the guys looked a little shocked. Such a statement from Party was rare. The two girls beamed at him and tackled him in a group hug. "I think letting her spend two hours with Cy was a bad idea."
They giggled and let go of him, kissing his cheeks. "You wouldn't know what to do without me," Cy laughed.
"So, how's it feel to be a killjoy?" Kobra interrupted before Party and Cyanide got into verbal fisticuffs.
"Pretty good." Polyphonic shrugged, "It's different, but good."
"Good." Kobra smiled.
Party cleared his throat. "Now that you have clothes other than those beat up BLI rags, we need to figure out who's going to take you on missions."
"They'll be minor, right?" Cy asked.
"Yeah," Poly nodded. "I'm not allowed to carry a raygun until I can shoot and I'd be in too much danger around a Drac fight…" She let the rest hang in the air around them, increasing the tension Party had already created.
"Why don't I take her?" Poly perked up. "I don't have anything special going on and I could really use some downtime from that last mission. I could drag her around."
Party looked at the rest of the killjoys. When they all nodded, so did he. "Alright. You guys start tomorrow."
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Senseless Indulgences