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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
- 8
- 9
- 10
A/N: Hey guys. Sorry for the very long delay. My muse kinda left me for a while. Anyway, my primary plot point is going to show up in the next chapter, so I'm really excited. Also, many thanks to Kittynater for my first and only review! I hope I didn't lose you.... Sadly, I don't see an end to this story for a very long time. So, if you're willing to stick around, thank you very very much. I hope I don't disappoint. Enjoy!
Fun Ghoul gripped the radio mic. "This is Fun Ghoul. Can't provide backup. We are completely surrounded. We're code: red. I repeat, we're code: red. Hold out as long as you can. We will come for you as soon as we can." Static crackled, but otherwise, the radio was silent. "Poly?" Nothing. "Poly!"
"-n -oul?" The radio popped and fizzled. Fun Ghoul could only catch a few syllables here and there. "We've be- trapped! -completely surrounded! We're gon- hold out as- can! -fifteen -ty units!" The radio crackled and fizzled into silence.
"I don't know how much of this you're gonna get, but hold out as long as you can. We've got about twenty units of Dracs heading our way. When this fight's over, we're gonna come to you!" Fun Ghoul started putting the radio away only to stop and pick up the mic again. "Good luck Poly."
As he stowed the radio away, Party looked at him, still firing his raygun out the window. "They're being hit too?"
"Yeah," Ghoul sighed as he turned his attention back to the fight. "From what I could tell, they're getting slammed by the same amount of Dracs that we're getting hit with."
"We need to radio Dr. D."
"Party, we've got them held back to a decent distance! If I stop firing to radio Dr. D, they're gonna get too close on this side!"
"And if we don't radio Dr. D and tell him we're both getting slammed at once, we may not last the night. We may be fighting twenty units now, but who knows how many reinforcements Korse has lined up for us? We need to radio Dr. D and have him start gathering reinforcements now."
Ghoul picked up the radio again. "Dr. D? This is Fun Ghoul. Can you hear me?"
"-can hea- You g-… -rouble?"
"Yeah. We need reinforcements to both stations."
***
Dr. Death Defying stared at the radio in horror. "Both stations?"
"-es."
"How many units?"
"Twenty. We do-… -ow long- hold out."
"I'll get the word out." Dr. D hung up the mic and started broadcasting. "Listen up, killjoys. We have an emergency. As many of you know, the last few weeks have been spent protecting our fuel and supply stations. We've saved quite a few, but we've also lost some along the way. Right now, forty-eight fellow tumbleweeds are defending two of our primary stations in Zone 4. The stations belong to Panicked Joy and Silent Fury." Dr. D sighed heavily, the only sign of emotion he ever showed. "They're outnumbered. Korse is hittin' 'em hard. If there are any killjoys in the area, back 'em up. They need it." Dr. D shut off the broadcast mic and began playing "Breaking The Law" by Judas Priest. He leaned back in his chair whispering, "Good luck out there."
***
Korse sat in a BLI Security Forces car, listening to the broadcast. "Hm. It appears I have hit a nerve. Time to strike fear into the hearts of the fearless." Without a word, the Drac started the engine and they rode off into the darkness.
***
Serene's eyes widened in horror. "Joy!"
Panicked Joy turned just in time to see the blast that killed her. She fell back, legs folded beneath her, with her raygun still clutched in her fingers. Mad jumped from the window to kneel by her side. With shaking hands, she inspected the wound. The Drac had aimed too low; the shot missed her head. Instead, the blast hit Joy in the throat, severing the brain stem. Mad frantically searched Joy's body for some sign of life.
"Stay here!" Lost shouted to Poly. He rushed over and dragged Mad back to the front of the station. The more she struggled, the tighter he held on. For five minutes, the rest of the killjoys defended the station as Mad calmed. "Are you done now?"
Mad tightened her grip on her knife sheaths and reached for her gun. She leaned forward and grabbed Joy's gun from her dead hand. "Static."
Static turned his head to the angry killjoy. She glared out the window into the night. "Yeah?"
"Let's give 'em hell, kid."
Static smirked. When Mad got like this, she scared him, but he always made sure to tell her he liked it when she went a little crazy. She never liked it, but it was who she had become. Static was half her age and he could already see she needed help accepting herself. "Absolutely."
Together the two killjoys plowed through the front line. Every time a battery would drain, Mad would send Static to get a fresh one and charge the old one. They slaughtered more Dracs than any other killjoy from either station. Nothing stood in their path.
It began to look like the tables had finally turned. After hours of fighting, the Dracs began to dwindle in number. When the last one fell, the killjoys in the station began to cheer- except for one.
***
"Where the hell is the backup?!" Party shouted.
"Dr. D said he'd put the word out!" Ghoul hollered his reply. "I don't know how many killjoys are in the area!"
"Guys, we're gettin' swamped!" Kobra yelled from his position in the back of the station. "Anyone got any bright ideas?!"
"No," Pony started, "but I've got some bright headlights in the distance!"
Party glanced at Pony, curiosity and fear in his eyes. "Killjoys or Dracs?"
"I can't tell. But there's about six cars heading our way." The closer the vehicles got, the wider Pony smiled. "Guys, listen."
As the first vehicle made it's approach to the station, the killjoys could hear faint music floating through the air. The closer the vehicles came, the clearer the music, the more obvious the source. "Well, this should make Cy happy," Jet smiled. "She loves this song."
***
Serene squinted out the window toward Battery City. The remaining killjoys at the station celebrated their victory, but to Serene, it felt incomplete. Something was missing. Something wasn't right. As she stared out the window, small dots of light appeared on the horizon. "Quiet!" she shouted, running out the door with a pair of binoculars in her hand.
Eighteen killjoys stood in fear as they watched Mad scan the horizon. Lost set about covering up their dead. Two had fallen from the roof, blasted in the chest while replacing their batteries. One had fallen from the back, leaving behind a wife and two sons in Battery City. He dragged Joy and the other three dead killjoys into the bathroom. He carefully removed their jackets and placed them over their faces.
When he emerged, Mad was already back inside. Her face showed anger, fear, and suffering. This fight was taking its toll on their leader. "What?"
Mad shut her eyes for a moment, steeling her emotions. "No less than fifteen coming from the front. Definitely more Dracs. They're close enough for me to tell." Her voice grew thick and raspy. "There are more coming from the back, but I can't tell if they're killjoys or Dracs."
"How many?"
Mad shrugged. "I don't know. Six. Maybe more."
Lost and Mad looked at the twenty faces in the room. No one showed more fear than Poly, but what else Mad saw in Poly startled her a bit. Poly was afraid- of capture or death, Mad couldn't be sure- but she was also curiously looking at the back door. She looked at Mad questioningly and ran out the back when Mad nodded.
"Mad?" Cy's brows were furrowed in confusion. "What is she doing?"
"I'm not sure, but I wanna find out." She stalked toward the back door. When the rest began to follow her, she held up her hand. "Only me. Everyone get back to your stations. We've got one helluva fight comin'. We need to be ready." As she stepped out the back door, she noticed Poly had her hands cupped around her ears. If she wasn't so curious as to what the young killjoy was doing, she'd laugh at the sight of her.
"Can you hear that?"
"Hear what?" As much as Mad hated standing that way, she too cupped her hands around her ears and strained to listen. She could just faintly hear music playing, but the cars weren't close enough to make out the song. "I hear it." Smiling, Mad pulled a flashlight from her pocket and signaled the cars- three flashes for company coming. "Come on." As Poly and Mad turned to walk inside, the cars picked up the pace to the station.
Mad and Poly took their stations and prepared their rayguns for a fight. "Are they killjoys?" Cy asked.
Mad nodded. "Yeah. And they're comin' in fast, so they might get here a bit before the Dracs do." She put a new battery in Joy's gun. "If we're lucky." She stared at Joy's gun for a moment, then jerked her head to Lost. "Do the other dead killjoys have their guns still?"
"Yeah. Want me to hand them out?"
"Just to the front for now. I think most of the fight is gonna be concentrated out here."
"Alright."
"And give one to Poly." Lost cocked his head to one side. "She needs to learn how to shoot two handed. This fight just might give her that experience."
"What do you mean, two handed?" Poly blurted. The more the two talked, the more it scared her.
Mad looked at her and spoke gently. "Some fights, you may need to wield two rayguns at once. Now, you know how heavy they are. Imagine fighting with one in each arm for hours on end. It wears you out after a while." Poly nodded. "Now, for now, you're going to only use the second gun as a backup. We're staying inside the station as long as we can. If the station gets too bombarded, then we'll head outside."
Poly nodded. The music from the killjoys cars reached the station. Dr. D's broadcast was playing and she could make out the song she first heard the day Cy made her a killjoy. Cy squealed in excitement. "He's playing 'Na Na Na'!"
"Yes, Cy," Mad laughed. "Now, focus please." She looked at Cy and continued her laughter. Cy was at her station, gun raised, bouncing to the music. Mad shook her head and looked at the back door as the first killjoy stepped in. "Hey, Fantasy."
Electric Fantasy walked up and kissed Mad on the cheek. Poly had never met him, but she'd seen him talking to Mad in the store. He had dyed his hair purple, but his natural blond peeked through at his roots. He wore a dark blue denim jacket with matching jeans, a purple shirt and blue converse.
"Nice outfit," Mad complimented. "I see you replaced your old one."
"Yeah and it's high time you replaced yours."
Mad shook her head. "Until it falls off me, I'm not replacing it."
Fantasy laughed. He had pulled back a little, but he still leaned over her, flirting openly. "It's already falling off you."
Mad smirked playfully. "That's a matter of opinion."
Before either killjoy could say anything more, a woman burst into the room. She too wore a purple shirt and blue jeans, but they had faded in the desert sun. "He must really love you guys!"
Mad looked at her quizzically. "Why?"
"He's been playing music nonstop for two hours."
Electric Fantasy leaned in close. His voice was husky when he spoke. "He's playing all your favorites."
Mad smirked at him. She was enjoying herself. "You're just jealous he thinks I'm prettier."
Fantasy stepped back and clutched his heart. "Ouch. That was low, Mad."
"You're one to talk," she laughed.
"Yeah, Fantasy." The woman shook her head. "You really should've learned by now that you're never getting into her pants."
"So, what's he played, Violet?"
"He's played 'We're Not Gonna Take It' twice. This is his third time playing 'Na Na Na.' You just missed 'Dr. Feelgood' and 'Knives and Pens.'"
"Seriously?!" Mad looked shocked and heartbroken. "Dammit! He always plays the good ones when I'm not near a radio."
"Well, why didn't you bring one?"
Not one to be left out, Fantasy added, "Yeah, what if he had to relay information to you guys through the broadcast?"
"He knew we had the two-way." Mad looked at Fantasy and began talking to him like she would to a child. "Besides, we were trying to keep quiet so we could catch the Dracs before they got here." She liked Fantasy. He was a nice guy, but sometimes he just didn't use his head.
"Who's the new girl?" Fantasy was quick to change the subject when the pressure was on him.
"Smooth," Mad chuckled. She turned to Poly and introduced the two killjoys, gesturing to each. "Poly, this is Electric Fantasy and Violet Mercy. Guys, this is Polyphonic Arrhythmia."
Fantasy winked at Poly, "You're cute."
"And she's off limits," Mad stated firmly.
"Dammit."
Violet smiled at Mad, then turned her attention to Poly. "Don't mind him. He's a horny little bastard, but we keep him in line."
Poly's eyes widened at her bluntness. "Okay…."
Mad chuckled. "So, where's Bleach?"
Violet rolled her eyes. "Putting together his new toy."
Mad cocked an eyebrow. "New toy?"
"Someone," Violet jerked a finger in Fantasy's direction, "thought it would be a great idea to give him a bazooka."
Mad paled. "Oh god. He knows he's gonna be on the roof with that thing, right?"
"I've already told him."
"Good."
"Hey!" A boy about Poly's age burst through the door. "Look what I got!" He started waving the bazooka around. "It's shiny and new!" His hair was the same brown as Poly's, but it was short and relatively clean-cut. He wore blue jean shorts and tattered running shoes. His knees were scarred from scrapes and fresh bruises blossomed on his tan skin. He wore a faded red t-shirt and a jean vest. A "Battery City Class of 2017" class ring sat prominently on his right hand ring finger. It brought back memories of the school Poly left.
Mad slapped a hand to her forehead. "Poly, this walking disaster is Bleach Warfare. Bleach, wave that thing around like that much more and I'm gonna shove it down your throat." Bleach paled and put the bazooka on a nearby shelf. "This is Polyphonic Arrhythmia. She's new. Please try not to kill her."
"I wouldn't do that!"
"Bleach, remember what you did to Neon Nights the last time someone challenged you to a duel?"
Cy turned and glared. "I had to completely redo the paint on her!" Bleach quaked and nodded.
"Alright, now go to the roof. Warped will tell you where to go."
As Bleach ran up to the roof, Mad took her station at the front, next to Static. Electric Fantasy filled the empty station in the back and Violet Mercy took her place where Joy used to be. Mad looked out the window. The sky had turned crimson with the coming dawn. "Guys, they're almost on us."
The song on the broadcast ended. Dr. Death Defying's voice came over the station. "Nice red dawn we've got." Mad smirked. She could almost see his face. She thought about how worried he was sitting there broadcasting to no one. Just because the man didn't show his emotions, it didn't mean he didn't have them. "Time for a little Priest."
Mad smiled as "Blood Red Skies" began to play. "I love it when he plays my favorites." She stopped and thought for a second. "Violet, if we're getting the broadcast loud and clear, why is the two-way so full of static?"
"Korse is jamming it. We've got a couple killjoys looking for the jammer now. They're gonna radio me if they find it."
Serene nodded. The front of the gas station was bathed in the glow of headlights as the Dracs pulled up. The rest of the killjoys arrived and took cover behind their cars. "Here we go."
***
"Pony," Party started, "where are they now?"
"They're about to pass us."
"What?!"
The sound of roaring engines reverberated through the station. Kobra Kid jerked back in surprise as the Drac reinforcements were uncovered. The entire desert was masked in white uniformed soldiers. The killjoys plowed through the front line, mowing down any Drac that stood before them.
As if controlled by a single mind, all the Dracs turned their attention to the first car and fired. Raygun blasts melted into the sides of the car as the kill shot hit the driver in the face. Five killjoys rattled like marbles as their vehicle rolled.
***
Poly screamed in horror at the carnage before her. The station had begun to be overrun. For every Drac they took down, it seemed ten took its place. Bodies littered the ground around the station as the killjoys were forced outside.
"Poly!" Cyanide screamed. "Behind you!"
Poly felt her left arm scream in pain as a Drac wrenched it behind her back. Her body tensed and she squeezed the triggers on her rayguns. The gun in her right hand fired wildly into the night while the one in her left shot the Drac in the foot. Unhindered, the Drac tightened his grip. Cy scrambled to get to her, but every step she took, a Drac stood in her way.
Tears streamed down Poly's face. She watched her best friend fight tooth and nail to get to her, but it was too late. She was going to die. She felt the Drac's gun at her temple. She heard the shot. Her eyes widened as she looked at Cy. The blue-haired killjoy's eyes widened and she smiled in sheer joy.
Suddenly, Poly was jerked around by an angry Serene. She lifted Poly off her feet by the collar of her jacket. "This is war. Quit screaming like a little girl and fight." She let go of Poly's jacket, throwing the rayguns at her. Poly barely caught them before she added, "Or I'll shoot you myself." She left a dumbfounded Poly gaping like a fish. She walked to one of the abandoned killjoy cars and cranked up Dr. D's broadcast, fighting to her own soundtrack.
***
The fighting dragged on for another hour without any signs of stopping. Suddenly, as the sky reached a brilliant blue, the Dracs returned to their vehicles and drove off toward the city. Instead of cheers, the desert was filled with silence. Why had they gone? With the death toll at more than half the killjoys present, their was no indication the Dracs had been outnumbered.
Serene and Party led their stations in the clean up. Bodies were burned and killjoys were returned to their zones to be buried. It was late evening before Dr. D greeted ten tired fighters. Before they could report anything, he ushered them to bed. In the morning, he would listen to them, but for now, they needed rest.
***
"They hit us both, Dr. D." Mad looked on the verge of tears. "They hit us both and I should've seen it coming. And Joy's dead. This is all my fault."
"This isn't your fault, Serene. This isn't anyone's fault."
"I've written situations like this! I should've thought of this!"
"Mad, that's enough!" The look in Dr. Death Defying 's eyes made Serene quail. "If you think you could've avoided this, you're an idiot! There is nothing any of us could've done to prevent this! You want to run through every scenario and beat yourself up over the outcome, be my guest!" He leaned in close and growled, "But if you think, for one second, I'm going to sit here and listen to you whine, you better walk out that door. I'm not going to deal with you falling apart whenever we lose someone. You're better than that and you know it. And if that's all you're going to do, then I have no use for you. You may as well just leave and not come back." Serene hung her head in shame. She was angry with him, but deep down, she knew he was right. Seeing the change, the older killjoy continued, "Now that we're done feeling sorry for ourselves, I need that writer's brain of yours."
Serene sighed heavily. "What do you need?" she drawled.
"Alright, you're Korse. Why would you call a retreat?"
"Well, there are several reasons…" Serene thought for a moment. "Um… Well, I'm not sure… He could've been told to order the retreat, but that doesn't make much sense. BLI's been giving Korse free reign of the zones, so why would they crack down so suddenly…?"
Dr. D rubbed his forehead. When he needed a creative solution, he could usually rely on Serene for an answer. However, the younger killjoy had an annoying tendency to ramble when she thought out loud. "Just get to the point, Mad."
Serene glowered. "Alright. I think he's got something planned. Something big."
"Explain."
"If he was testing our defenses, he could've just blasted his way through them. He had more than enough Dracs at his disposal. He had the advantage and we were almost defeated. Over half of us were dead and there were still enough Dracs to fill all of Cali ready to beat us to death." She paused, waiting to see his response.
"Go on."
"We fought them for almost sixteen hours. And then he just, suddenly, pulls out. If he was testing our defenses, the fighting would've only lasted a few hours, not almost a full day. I think he was trying to rattle us- get inside our heads."
Dr. D sat in thought for a moment. He ran over every possibility he could imagine. "Your theory seems to be sound…"
"Okay, so what do we do?"
***
A month passed and no changes were made in the Dracs' movements. They kept close to their outposts or lingered in Battery City, never venturing into the outer zones. The killjoys found that the desert no longer held the mild peace they'd grown so accustomed to over the years. Where they once felt safe, they kept watchful eyes. An overwhelming sense of dread filled the air.
Poly and Cyanide frequently returned to the store to replenish their supplies. The activity served more as a reminder than a pastime. Rather than conversing jovially with Serene, they made plans. The group rarely laughed together, fearing the slightest sense of joy would summon Korse's wrath.
On one such visit with Serene, Cyanide's mood darkened when they spoke. "Poly, can I have a minute alone with Mad?" Her face was gaunt and her eyes were haunted. "I have some information she needs to hear."
Poly looked at her friend with worry, but decided it best to let it go. "Alright. I'll be around if you need me."
Cyanide hugged her tightly and smiled wanly. "Thanks."
When the young killjoy left, Cy began, "I think I know why we haven't heard from Scorch."
Serene paled. "Why? He's not…"
"No, I don't think he's dead," Cy blinked sadly, "although, if I'm right, you're probably going to wish he was."
***
Poly found an old television in the store and hooked it up. She tuned to BLI and watched all the news reports. She needed to know where they were and what they were doing. She needed to know.
The news anchor's ridiculous smile reappeared on the screen signaling the start of the next news story. She hated that smile so much. "An update has come in on the whereabouts of wanted fugitive Christine Ward." Poly's heart stopped. "Reports indicate she has been sighted murdering Security Forces personnel in Zone 4. Ward's father, Jonathan Ward, is the current head of the Better Living Industries board of trustees. When asked about his daughter's behavior he stated he will attempt to make contact, taking every precaution necessary. Ward stated that his daughter has become mentally unstable and urged citizens to avoid her presence at all costs. Efforts are underway to capture the fugitive alive, but Security Forces officers have been given orders to shoot to injure if necessary."
Anger boiled when Poly switched off the television. She stormed out of the store, ignoring the startled looks of the other killjoys. She walked back to the diner and headed to the firing range. She pulled out her unpainted raygun and began assaulting the mannequins.
Zone 4? Those dirty, rotten, lying fucks! She hasn't left Zone 6 in weeks! How many of those reports have been broadcast? How many people have seen them? They're making her look like some sort of psycho killer! What's her body count supposed to be, anyway? Twenty? Thirty?
She kept firing, unleashing her anger on her faceless foes. Each shot brought her comfort. Each hit brought her a little peace. By the time she felt drained and numb, the mannequins were riddled with holes and barely recognizable.
Poly admired her work for a few moments, then casually strolled back to the diner where she grabbed paint and a brush. She wanted to paint. She was tired of having a white gun and she needed something colorful for what she was about to do.
***
Cy stepped out of the store. She hadn't been able to find Poly. She was by the tv when she left, now she was nowhere to be found. She drove to the diner thinking she'd ask the guys if they'd seen her. However, when she got there, Poly was painting her raygun.
She looked relaxed, but not in the normal sense. She looked simultaneously determined, angry, and murderous, but she looked completely relaxed as well. It was chilling.
Cy stepped up in front of her friend. "Hey, Pol. You ran off."
"I came here." She never looked up from her gun. "I had things to do."
"I can see that." She pointed to the gun. "I thought you weren't going to paint it until you got your aim down."
"I have it down. Now I'm painting it."
Cyanide sighed in concerned frustration. "What's wrong Pol?"
"Nothing's wrong." Her face never left her gun, never changed at all. "I'm preparing."
"For what?" Cy asked, head cocked to the side.
"I have business to settle in the city."
"What?" Did she hear that correctly? The city? "What are you talking about?"
"I'm going to Battery City."
"When?" Cy was starting to panic. She'd never seen her like this. Something was definitely wrong. And for her to talk about going back to the city?
"Tomorrow."
"No." Cy shook her head. "It's too soon. We're not prepared."
Polyphonic's head tilted in concentration. "You don't have to be. I'm not bringing you."
Cy's jaw dropped. "What?" She was beginning to hate how often she was asking that question.
"You heard me. I'm going alone."
"You're insane!" Cy shook her head violently, eyes widening with fear. "Please tell me you're not serious!"
"I am serious," Poly responded, still painting her raygun.
Cy paced angrily about the diner. "You can't! It's suicide!"
Poly never looked up from her weapon. "Cy, it's something I have to do."
"Poly, please." She didn't get a response. "Poly?" She watched as the brunette decorated her raygun to tie her mask and her outfit together. She stamped her foot, "Chris!"
Poly looked up, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape. She regained composure and growled, "Don't call me that."
"Then listen to me!" She stood across from her friend, hands flat on the table. "You barely made it out of there alive. You haven't told me how you escaped, but I've caught on to that much. I don't know why you're going back, but whatever the reason, it's pointless going back this soon. Give us more time, help us a little longer and we'll have a secure way inside."
"That would take weeks, maybe more. I can't wait that long." Poly turned back to her raygun, ignoring any further protest Cyanide might have made.
But the fight wasn't over. Cy was not about to let it go. She stormed out of the diner and tracked down Party Poison and Fun Ghoul who were at the firing range. "Party!" she shouted, stomping her way towards them. She was not surprised to see the mannequins in bad shape. After talking to Pol, she'd kind of expected it.
Party Poison looked confused. "What's up, Cy?"
"Did you know about Poly?" Her fists were starting to clench. If they knew and didn't tell her, she was going to hurt someone.
"What about Poly?" Fun Ghoul asked, worry creeping onto his face.
Cy never took her eyes off Party. He still looked confused, but she still wasn't sure that he didn't know. "You know what she's planning on doing? What she's getting ready for right now?"
"No," Party replied. "What's she planning?"
"She's getting ready to storm the city!" she shouted, arm fully extended, pointing back at the diner. "She's painting her raygun now!"
Party and Fun Ghoul broke into a run, Cyanide right on their heels. The girl was crazy! She couldn't possibly storm the city by herself! She'd never survive!
When they made it to the diner, Polyphonic was putting the finishing touches on her raygun. She didn't look up when the door slammed open, nor did she look up when Dr. D asked, "What the hell is going on?" He had emerged from the broadcast room and stared at the four killjoys in the room. Party and Ghoul were staring at Poly with shocked faces, Cyanide looked ready to kill, and Poly wasn't looking at anybody, just her gun. "Ghoul, do you mind explaining to me why you nearly broke the damn door down?"
"Poly, is it true?" Party ignored their mentor. "Are you really planning on going to the city?"
Poly never looked up as she spoke, "Cy already tried to talk me out of it. It's not going to work. I'm going."
"Poly, don't," Fun Ghoul pleaded. "It's not safe yet. We're in the middle of making preparations for a killjoy invasion. We're almost there. Please wait and help us."
"No." Poly's jaw was set as she continued to paint. "I have business in the city that can't wait."
Dr. D moved so he could see Poly's face. Her jaw was set in determination, but she looked like she'd gone mad. She looked ready to kill.
Cy stepped up closer to the table. She wasn't as angry anymore, but she was worried. "Poly?" When she didn't get a response, she tried again, a little more softly. "Poly?"
"Hm?"
"Is this about what you saw on the news?" God, Cy was just a kid herself, but she talked to Poly like she was her mother. Poly's jaw clenched tighter and her knuckles went white as she gripped the brush harder. She stopped painting for a few seconds, took a deep breath, then continued. "What did you see?" Her voice cracked a little. She hated seeing Poly like that.
"I don't want to talk about it," Poly spoke through clenched teeth.
Dr. D tried to get her attention. "Poly." It sounded more like an order than anything else, but she still didn't look at anyone. "Polyphonic Arrhythmia, you will look up at me right now or I'll break your legs so you can't do anything."
Four pairs of eyes stared at Dr. Death Defying in shock. He'd never really threatened anyone before. Sure, he could be a grouch sometimes, but he never threatened anybody. And he certainly never sounded ready to hurt anyone. He looked like a grumpy hard-ass- and he was to some extent- but he was really just a big old teddy bear when you got to know him. He looked at the killjoys like they were his family. He'd never dream of hurting any of them.
With Poly's eyes on his, he saw something- something no one else did. It was fear. She wasn't afraid of him though. It was something else. "What did you see?"
"I can't stay here. They're looking for me." She shook with the strain it took to keep her emotions in check.
"I'm not letting you go." She looked wide-eyed at Dr. D. He thought vaguely that she looked like a cornered mouse. "Not without a plan."
It was Cy's turn to look shocked. "What?" she screamed. "You can't be serious!"
"If she wants to go, we can't stop her," Dr. D sighed, turning to the other three killjoys. "The best thing we can do is formulate a plan that will make the best of the situation and ensure the safety of us all."
"Use me." Poly had regained the strength in her voice. She was glad Dr. D was behind her. It gave her confidence. "Use me as recon."
Party nodded. "It's a good idea. It'll give us more information to plan with."
"And it'll give Poly what she wants," Dr. D added. He turned back to Poly. "Rest today. Plan tomorrow. Leave tomorrow afternoon or the following morning. Got it?" He left no room for discussion.
Poly nodded sharply. "Got it." She didn't like it, but she let it slide.
"Now, I'm going back to the broadcast. Hopefully Show Pony has kept everyone entertained."
The four remaining killjoys all stared at one another as their leader dismissed himself. Music could be heard from the broadcast room as he walked inside. He was going to tell Show Pony the plan. There wasn't anything that boy didn't know.
"Guys," Party Poison began, "could you give me a few minutes with Poly?"
Fun Ghoul looked at the red head, but didn't question it. He grabbed Cyanide by the shoulders and gently led her out toward the firing range.
When the two were out of earshot, Party Poison pulled a chair up to the table in front of Polyphonic Arrhythmia. She stared at him, mouth shut but relaxed. Party grabbed a sheet of paper and a pencil and began to draw. "What was it?"
She knew what he was talking about, but Poly still asked, "What?"
"What was it that made you so angry?" He glanced up and gave her a knowing look. "I saw your handiwork at the firing range. Violence like that only comes from anger." His gray eyes bored into her cerulean ones. "So, what was it?"
Polyphonic sighed. "It was a news report." She concentrated on her raygun, a haunted look in her eyes. "They're spreading lies about me, trying to get the public to fear and loathe me."
"Why?" Party Poison treated this like any normal conversation. It was a trick he learned a long time ago. It alleviated their fears enough to open up to him.
Poly shrugged. "I guess they're mad that I left."
"Yeah, but you're one citizen in a city of thousands. Why should they care?"
Poly remained silent. She didn't want to tell him anything. She didn't want to drag them into this. She sighed. She could feel his eyes on her. He was studying her. If she didn't tell him something- anything- he would find out on his own. And she probably wouldn't like what he found. At least, if she told him, she could control what he knew. She could dictate how involved he became.
She glanced up to see Party Poison was still staring at her. She sighed a little. "They want me back because of who my father is." She watched as Party waited for a response. He wasn't going to make her tell him any sooner than she wanted. "My full name is Christine Celia Ward. My father is Jonathan Ward, head of BLI's board of trustees." If Party Poison was shocked, he wasn't showing it. "I ran because I saw what BLI was really doing and they want me back so I don’t go around telling the resistance. Hell, what I know probably doesn't even matter anymore. I've been gone for so long, they probably already changed things."
"Why didn't you tell us all this sooner?"
Poly looked at him incredulously. "Just how was I supposed to tell you in a way that didn't make you think I was a spy?"
Party gave her that one. After all, he had thought that when she first woke up. "So, what are they saying about you?"
"They said I killed 6 Dracs when I escaped. They're also saying I killed Dracs in Zone 4 recently." She deliberately left out the kidnapping charge.
"You haven't been to Zone 4 in weeks."
"Exactly." She hung her head. "They're saying they have surveillance footage. They actually showed surveillance footage of someone that looked an awful lot like me."
Party shook his head. "It's BLI. They doctored it. They had to have. They want you captured. They're going to use everything they can to make sure you are."
"Captured," Poly began, "or killed?" She looked terrified. She'd run this far and, deep down, she knew it would only get worse.
"I won't let that happen." His voice was resolute and his eyes told Poly that he would let nothing turn him into a liar.
Poly nodded her head and went back to painting. She stared at her raygun with vacant eyes as she put on the finishing touches. She absently retouched thin sections of paint when she spoke, "They'll be coming after you too, you know?" She looked up at her friend. "For helping me."
"They're after us anyway," Party Poison shrugged. "What difference does one more reason make?" Poly allowed a half smile to grace her features. He had a point. "Now, set your gun aside. You're starting to paint it to death."
Poly smiled her first genuine smile in days as she pushed her raygun to the other side of the table. Party slid a sheet of paper and a pencil in front of her and she eagerly began to draw. The two artists worked in a comfortable silence. Pencils scratched and paper rustled. Neither looked up to see what the other was drawing, opting to maintain each other's much needed privacy.
After half an hour, Fun Ghoul poked his head through the door and checked on them. They were both working intently, but Poly would steal glances at Party's face. Neither of them noticed when Fun Ghoul walked up to the table. He took the opportunity to sneak a peek at the artists' projects.
Party Poison was working on one of his comics. Fun Ghoul was used to seeing them lying around, so he wasn't surprised. He looked at Poly's picture and his jaw dropped. First, he was surprised to see it was a drawing of Party Poison, but he was struck dumb by the detail she'd managed to capture. Party Poison was drawing, as he was in front of her, but where Fun Ghoul had seen a calm, peaceful look on his face, Poly had seen pain and suffering.
The more Ghoul looked at Party and his paper counterpart, the more he noticed it. How could he have missed it? He'd known Party Poison since before the disaster. He should've seen the pain and suffering he was going through. He should've seen the constant worry in his eyes. Why hadn't he?
He looked back at Poly. She was staring at him. Suddenly, the answer hit him like a ton of bricks. He hadn't noticed because Party didn't want anyone to see. Poly's eyes showed the same fear and agony. They were so alike, it worried Fun Ghoul. He realized then that he would have to be hyper-vigilant around those two when it came to sensing their feelings.
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Senseless Indulgences