Hello All! This is my first debut as NomzDePlume! This is a little fic I wrote awhile back. All of this is mine, aside from several My Chemical Romance references, those dudes really inspired me. I hope you guys enjoy, and let me know whether or not I should continue it, cheers! :)
The familiar white case with the crimson and black stars called him. Gerard stared at it for a moment, then reached a finger out, slowly, falteringly, as if it would bite him. He was mere millimeters away from touching it, hesitating. I can't go down this path again, he thought, as he got up to walk away. He was almost to the door when he paused. It felt so good to release the endorphins, purge the stress.. With the look of a druggie who has found his poison of choice lying around for free, Gerard spun and pounced upon the case. He ripped it open in one skillful swipe, revealing the sugary goodness inside! Gerard gobbled it down greedily, relishing the taste of the tootsie rolls and the sweet tarts he had shoved into the chasm of his mouth.
His sugar addiction had gotten out of hand. Though he had an athletic build, Gerard was diabetic, and thus, was not supposed to have candy. His friends and family constantly checked his pockets and room for sweets. He even had the foods he wasn't supposed to eat pounded into his brain.
He remembered the time about three days after he'd found out about the need for his lifestyle change, when Axel had come home to find Gerard hunched in his room, shrouded in darkness, as usual. But Ax heard the telltale crunch. He flicked on the light to find Gerard hissing about the brightness of the room around the apple clenched in his jaws. Ax had jumped on him and tried to pry the apple from Gerard's teeth, but it was like trying to get a pitbull to release a tasty bone. As he was pulling with all his might, Gerard began growling at him, eyes narrowed against the light. Finally, he tried distracting Gerard with a bubblegum-flavored lolly he had nicked off of Killjoy, their mutual friend. She'd be pissed later, but for now it didn't matter.
Gerard released his viselike grip on the apple for the fraction of a second Axel needed to yank it free. Axel, whooping in relief and pride at being able to fool Gerard, dashed to the bathroom with the lollipop and apple held tight in his capable fist and slammed the door just in time. He popped the candy in his mouth and threw the apple out the window. There was a yell and, poking his head out the window, he realized he had hit Fitzgerald, the boys' older partner in crime, squarely in the center of his peroxide-topped head. He had finished being bewildered was now glaring angrily up at Axel, rubbing his head and muttering obscenities. "Oops" yelled Ax, "Sorry Fitzy!" Fitz yelled back some choice words before storming through the door downstairs.
Gerard, who had given up pawing at the door, now sat staring at it deplorably bemoaning the loss of his apple. Axel emerged cautiously, "Gee? You ok?" he stepped out. "You're not supposed to have sugary things, and apples count as sugar, remember? If you want fruit, you have to clear it with one of us, so Fitz can plan your dinner accordingly. This is serious!"
"It was one lousy apple!" Gee sulked. "You know better," replied Axel, "You could have-" BANG! the door to the apartment flew open cutting Ax off mid-sentence, and in strode an angry Fitz, quickly followed by an equally furious Killjoy.
The latter stomped over to Axel in her clompy combat boots and promptly grabbed a fistful of his cherry-dyed hair in her black, fingerless gloves. "WHERE'S MY LOLLIPOP?" she thundered. Pointing to his stomach, he said, "About here." At the sound of the word "lollipop" Gee wailed miserably. "Oops, sorry Gee-Gee, I forgot!" she chirped, her girly voice returning after remembering his unfortunate situation and resolving to punish Ax later.
Fitzgerald, now comforting a sobbing Gerard had softened his murderous look to a less upsetting, yet still vaguely terrifying simmer. "Why exactly did I get hit on the bonce with a half-eaten granny smith?" he questioned the pair. Gee pouted, but said nothing. Axel looked up, fidgeting in his spot. "Well, uh... I came home and Gee was chewing on that thing like a rabid squirrel, so I distracted him with KJ's lolly, then got to the bathroom and dumped the apple out the window. I put the lollipop in a safe place, unless he (he gestured to Gerard) wants a regurgitated bubblegum monstrosity." Gee looked up, trying to seem indignant, but the effect was lessened by his black hair flopping into his face when Fitz moved his hand away from the boy's head.
He muttered something about drawing on the fire escape, as was his custom when he was in a foul mood. The raven-headed teen stalked grouchily off to his bedroom to get his pencils and pad. KJ and the boys started after him, Axel apologizing for his barb, but he held up a hand, telling them he needed time to himself. Muted for the moment, they watched him grab his sketch pad and the items he needed and climbed out of the window onto the old but sturdy fire escape. He watched them leave the room out of the corner of his eye. He dropped his pencil case and cursed loudly as it broke upon the concrete 12 floors away from him, when an idea sparked in his brain.
Quickly, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure they weren't going to come back to check on him. The coast was clear. He made his way cautiously down the fire escape until he was at the final rung of the second floor's fire escape. He couldn't risk releasing the last ladder, the noise would be too loud. So, he did the only thing left, he jumped. He could've broken a foot, but lucky for Gee, a dump truck with an open top went by underneath him as he fell.
Unluckily, his black attire was now covered in god knows what and he was sure he reeked to the high heaven that was now drowning him in rain. It stung when the acidic drops hit any exposed skin, but he like the rain because it always brought thunder. Picking a banana peel off his head, he half-crawled, half-swam to the side of the truck to see where he was. The speeding truck had already swept him away from home, and he could tell it was headed downtown. Perfect! Gee knew that area like the back of his pale, often graphite-covered hand. He was headed there anyway, he wanted to stop off at BLInd Art Supplies to get himself a new pencil case with a hidden compartment for yummy treats to be stowed in.
BLInd stood for Better Living Inc, Notebooks and Drawing Supplies. They left the "A" in "and" and the "S" in "Supplies" out because the name wouldn't've been as catchy. Nobody really understood why it began with "Better Living" anyway, but the customers and locals always put it down to the eccentricity of the owner, a tall, eerie man in his late forties.
His name was Mr. Angus Kraus, an odd name that matched his strange personality. He was an old german artist. He loved Gerard, and as the boy was always in his shop, they became fast friends.
Angus was the teen's exact opposite in many ways. They were both pallid, true, but where Gerard had long, shoulder grazing black locks, Angus' head was completely barren, devoid of any follicles that might possess even the slightest fuzz. The cancer he once battled had taken care of that. Gee, who was terrified of needles, had no tattoos, but Angus had a massive serpent slithering along the length his right arm. Kraus also had piercing blue eyes that put Gerard's hazel peepers to shame. Gee's long, dark lashes swept his cheeks and Kraus' lashes were so short, one could barely see the little flecks of blonde hair. Kraus' brow, unlike his eyes was very prominent, along with his nose, but the hairs of his brows were so pale, one might think they were pure white. In stature, they varied greatly. Gerard stood about 5'6, a respectable height for a 19-year-old, and Kraus towered over him at 6'4.
He wandered about the store, trying to seem aimlessly looking, allowing his fingers to sweep over the beautiful, untainted sable brushes, the satin backdrop fabric, the rough canvases and the boxes of the evil that called itself watercolor. Finally, he stumbled upon a selection of pencil cases. He was drawn to one red, white, and black box, with many hidden compartments. Perfect! he thought, This should fit at least twenty small candy bars. Where I get them will be the issue..
In a post apocalyptic world, chocolate was hard to come by, but it was Gerard's favorite sweet. Other things, like lollipops or hard candies were easily made due to the abundance of chemicals, but if you bought the wrong pack, you could end up glowing in the dark at night, which was not the best idea in a zombie infested area whenever there was an outbreak. That was a risk he and KJ both took willingly. KJ was known for her love of lollipops throughout their neighborhood, and when someone needed something from her, they all knew how to bribe her.
Deciding hard candies would suffice, he bought the case and new pencils at one of the self-checkout kiosks. Putting the pencils in the case, he began to make his way to the door. Suddenly, the lights went out. There was a fizz in the back room as the energy died there as well. S***t. Now he was locked in. And what if there were zombies outside?
The power hadn't failed since the last outbreak 17 years ago, when he and Axel were one. Fitzy had been five, and their parents were heroic guardians, but their grandparents were no match for the walking dead. His mind replayed the image of Grandma staggering towards him, with only half a head and bitemarks everywhere. His mother shot the grandma-monster in what was left of its face. It hit the floor and she shot the monster-in-law in the back until it ceased to exist. "Always wanted to do that when she was alive," his mother had said, blowing the smoke from her gun. She then tried to help daddy fight off Grandpa, but it was too late. Daddy was one of them now. He turned on her, and just in time, Fitzgerald grabbed his mothers backup pistol from above the liquor cabinet, twisted in midair as he jumped down and shot Daddy between his dead, white eyes.
Mentally, he shook himself, he had to be alert now. He needed his candy. Looking around the room, he spied a gumball machine standing beside the door. He put in his 25 cents and waited. And waited. Nothing happened. Gee shook the machine angrily. "Either gimme my gumball, or gimme back my quarter!" he said with a manic edge in his voice, as he paced away from it a few feet. When he turned to charge at it, he stopped. There was a disembodied, decaying hand slapped up against the blast-proof door. He gasped in horror and seizing his precious gumball machine, he tried to drag it away from the door with him. He tugged it about ten feet away before giving up. He began whacking it with his hands, then his fists, then one of his steel-toed boots. Finally, he gave up using bodily force, and began to beg it. When the inanimate plastic went on separating him from his quarter and his gumball, he cast about for something heavy to hit it with. Seeing a box of easel parts, he snatched up one of the largest pieces and swung it as hard as he could, hitting the gumball machine repeatedly to no avail. He was about to try again with the fire-extinguisher when he realized he was being watched.
Kraus stepped out of the back room holding a bat. "Good thinking, boy," he said, "The override key is in the bottom, but how you knew it was there, I'll never guess." Confused, but pleased to appear brilliant and heroic, Gee took another swing with the bat Kraus had been holding. He missed completely and smacked his knee so hard, there was an audible crack.
Kraus sighed and went to find some strips of canvas to bind it as Gee hopped around like a deranged, one-legged rabbit screaming obscenities. As he sat while Kraus immobilised the wounded leg, Gerard thought of other ways to destroy the gumball machine and settle his vendetta. At last, he realized he had blow it up if he wanted to live to chew another candy bar. Spying a Turpentine can on one of the shelves, he remembered the time he and Axel had blown up their G.I. Joes with one of those.
Turpentine is a flammable paint-thinner, and he always carried his "incense" lighter. If the outside of the globe piece was coated in it, he could light a piece of canvas and throw it. The pressure inside would become unstable and it would explode. However, he would be making the ultimate sacrifice... his gumballs would be destroyed. Their multicolored beauty would change to a disgusting pink mass. The key would be safe, as it was a titanium alloy and most of the gum would fly out with the explosion. His mind recoiled, what was he thinking? Destroying his gumballs? That was ridiculous. But if he died from going so long without his insulin or at the teeth of a zombie, he'd never have another sweet. He would have to do it. After telling Kraus his plan, Kraus swept around the store gathering the supplies they needed. When he finished, he gave Gerard the cloth to light. Gee took it ceremoniously and raised it above his head. He lit it. This was it, if he didn't throw it it would burn him. He blinked furiously, fighting back tears. "Now!" cried Kraus. He released it and ducked behind their easel-blast shield. There was a flash and it was over.
Gerard hurried over and used a clump of un-charred canvas to grab the key, sobbing as he saw chunks of the poor confections all over the place and on the key. Kraus tried to comfort him as best he could while taking the key and trying to open the door. There were bits of flaming gumball on the floor, wafting the smell up to his mourning nostrils.
Key in the override unit's main console, Kraus turned to see Gee trying to eat some of the gelatinous, flaming masses of confections, getting burnt in the process, but not caring enough to fast, he grabbed the fallen fire-extinguisher and blasted the entire area. A very foamy Gee stared up at him sulkily. "You made it worse!" he grouched, looking quite comical with the bubbles on his head and soaking his clothes. The sullen expression just made it harder not to laugh, as he resembled a small child taking a bath it didn't want.
Back at the house, Axel and the others saw the lights flicker. Then, like a candle winking out in the night, everything went black. The first person to snap into defense mode was Fitz. From his pocket he produced a small flashlight with a strong beam. He found the larger ones and handed them to Ax and Killjoy, who took them shakily. They all knew what the darkness could mean, unless Gee was trying to shock himself again and blew a fuse... Gee! Axel mentally kicked himself for not checking on Gee the moment the power cut. He crept cautiously towards the window, when he realized Gee wasn't there! He ducked his head out the french window, and peeking into the courtyard below, he could discern Gerard's (former) pencil case. Sadly, he closed the window, and turned to face KJ and Fitz. His cherry-red hair seemed to droop with the rest of him, so that he looked much like a wet cat that had lost its prey. They looked at him questioningly, wondering why Gee hadn't swooped in behind him. With a baleful moan he told them what he thought had transpired. "No!" cried KJ, as she ran to the window. She looked out as Ax had, moments ago, when she started to chuckle giddily. "She's lost it, off her rocker, that one." said Fitz. He went to see for himself, and he too came away with a smirk. Greatly disturbed and rather confused, Axel slapped the two of them. they stopped and looked at each other. "Ax, your 'keen detective skills" appear to be almost nonexistent! You know zombies never carry off live prey, they can't climb and at last, you should've checked for blood! Even the most fastidious brain muncher would leave plenty behind!" KJ explained "What if it was vampires?" Ax mused, "We haven't seen them for quite some time, not since the first wave of zombies. What if the zombies bit vampires and made vampire zombies?"
"Dude, that's the most idiotic thing you've ever said. Undead can't kill undead, and thus cannot infect them. That's nearly as preposterous as your astro zombie idea in third will never hurt you, they all died out in the last outbreak, when we simulated a solar flare, remember?" "Oh." Ax mumbled sheepishly.