So this is a story I wrote for Ignorant Chaos upon her request.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Danger Days album, or anything affiliated with My Chemical Romance.
Review, flame, whatever.
TB
DEADLY HAVOC'S POV
I blinked, my sapphire blue eyes adjusting to the dim light of my bedroom. I suppose you could call it a bedroom, but it was mostly just a closet with a small cot on the floor. A pile of rumpled clothes sat in the corner, reeking of sweat and desert dust. I would ask Truthful to clean those later, when we got the water working again. I was a Killjoy, a member of the resistance to Better Living Industries. At one point we had all been American citizens, but that was years ago before the fires of 2012. I sat on the edge of my cot, looking through a pile of clothes for something to wear. I chose a red shirt with the "AC/DC" logo paint-splattered across the chest. I slipped into my blue jeans and tennis shoes, striding for the kitchen. When I arrived, I found that my two best friends had already woken up and began to eat. Vindictive Melody sat on the counter, a can of Power Pup held firmly in his hand, the other shoveling it greedily into his open mouth. The familiar sight made me smile. This was our morning ritual in Zone T3.
"Use some manners," Truthful Blasphemy scolded, slapping his knee. She was the mother to us all, although she wasn't very much older. Only a year separated her from the rest of us. Vin (my friend's shortened name) just stuck his tongue out at the purple-haired girl. She rolled her eyes and noticed me standing in the door.
"Come get some breakfast sleepy head," she called, laughing. I smiled and walked in. There was a comfortable air in our safe house. No one even guessed that the rundown factory housed three little Killjoys. Of course we decided it was the 'haunting' rumors that surrounded the old place like an aura that kept predators at bay. No one came near someplace haunted.
"Thanks Truth," I accepted the can of food she handed me, not really noticing the taste after two small bites. I turned to my friends and leaned against a dilapidating chair, "What's the plan?"
"I say we take the car out for a spin and visit Party," Truth suggested, blushing. She had the biggest crush on Party Poison, although he was probably three years older than her. Vin and I nodded, not really caring what we did. Dr. Death Defying had run out of missions based in our end of town. (If that's what you could call the four empty miles of highway that stretched between Dr. D's hideout and Route Guano)
"Let's finish up and head out," I stated. We cleaned up our breakfast mess and grabbed our accessories. I pulled my red-and-black-checkered kerchief up over my nose and mouth, shielding me from the constant dust bellows. My trusty red ray gun rested in it's black holster, which I snapped on to my thigh. I watched as Truthful the same with her purple ray gun and Vin with his blue one. Red, Blue, Purple. We the inseparable three friends. We raced out and jumped into our red Mustang. It was pretty beat up, but had a giant red-white-and-blue flag on the hood. In the center was a purple thunderbolt. We sped down the open road with Vin in the driver's seat and Truth and I in the back. If you looked out either side window, the robin's-egg blue of the sky blurred edges with the golden sands of the desert. Everything became a stinging, spinning, inferno of color. That's what life was, an inferno that burnt you up in a second if you didn't know how to avoid it. I snapped to attention as one of my favorite songs began playing on the radio, "Carry on my wayward son. There will be rest when you are done."
We arrived at the old diner in just enough time to catch the four Fabulous Killjoys leaving. "Hey Party," Truthful blushed, pulling her bangs out of her face. Party walked over and lifted her out of her seat and over the door of the car in one easy movement. She giggled her thanks and they started talking, her smile was enormous.
"I'm going in to talk with Show Pony," Vin said, stepping out of the car and walking towards the sliding wood door of the pirate radio station. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder at me, "You coming Havoc?"
"Yeah sure, one sec," I unbuckled slowly and opened my door. Fun Ghoul and Kobra Kid were chatting nearby, leaning against the side of their Trans Am. I strode over to Jet Star and struck up a conversation with him.
"How's Grace?" I asked.
"Oh, hey! She's doing great," he beamed. He had found the little girl a few years ago, her mother died in childbirth. He had sort of adopted her as his own, and she was the unofficial fifth Fabulous Killjoy. She didn't even have a nickname yet.
"That's good," I shrugged. "Any missions for you guys?"
"Naw. Party Poison requested a week off for us. Any for you?" he asked.
"There isn't much action out our way," I rubbed the back of my sweaty neck with my hand. My brown hair fell into my eyes and I blew it out of the way. Jet shook his head apologetically.
"That's too bad. I have heard about a couple of rogue Killjoys with no homes who've been showing up in the most random places. Do you think you'd take one on?"
"It's Truthful's decision. She pretty much runs our little household, so I couldn't tell you," I chuckled and glanced over at my friend. She twirled a piece of purple hair around her finger as she gazed up at Party Poison in absolute adoration and wonder.
"How long until they get together, do you think?" Jet Star asked, nudging my arm. I flicked my head to the side in an 'I-have-no-freaking-idea' gesture.
"Party! Let's go!" Kobra shouted from his position next to the car. His eyebrows were pulled together in a sign of sheer annoyance.
"Fine, I'm coming!" Party called back, glaring at his brother. Truth looked disappointed, but hid it when Party turned back to face her.
"I guess we'll be seeing you later," she so quietly I had to strain to hear her, even from only a few feet away. Jet Star had gotten into his seat in the Trans Am, leaving me on my own.
"Why don't you come along? We'll return you to your home before dark," he glanced over at me. I waved Truthful on. I didn't care where she went as long as she was safely with one of them at all times. Her face lit up and she grabbed his hand, pulling him into their car. Whenever she went along, she got shotgun. It was Party's rule. How long would it be until they got together? How long until Vin finds somebody? What about…me?
I meandered into the safe house, absently looking at the poster covered walls. Bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden, Tokio Hotel, My Chemical Romance, and one I liked called Coldplay. I didn't notice Vin walking down the hallway towards me.
"Havoc?" he waved a hand in front of my face, "Deadly Havoc?"
"What?" I jumped a little. He smirked in self-accomplishment and walked towards the door.
"We're leaving. Where's Truthful?"
"She left with the Fab Four," I said.
"Figures," Vin sighed and got into the car. I opened the sticky passenger-side door and heard the warm leather seats groan under our weight. He started the sputtering engine and we drove for home. I was listening to the radio and watching the side of the road pass, as always, when something colorful caught my eye.
"Stop the car!" I shouted. Vin slammed on the breaks, jerking us forward in our seats. I dashed out of the car and over to the limp feminine body. It was obviously a girl, but she was thin. Too thin to be healthy. She was wearing a bandana and had a ray gun strapped to her arm. Obviously a wounded Killjoy. I lifted her skinny frame easily up into my arms and carried her to the car. I clambered into the backseat, careful of her limbs and head. "Hurry home!"
"Got it," Vin floored the gas and we sped home as fast as possible. I looked down at the girl in my lap, inspecting her closely. She had brown hair that fell to just below her shoulders, right now it was splayed around her face. Her tanned skin was smooth and old tear stains made themselves known in her dusty makeup. She was kind of short for her age, which I guessed was around seventeen from her figure. Her hands were small and delicate although calloused. Like mine. It is true every rebel in the world's hands are rough from fighting and wielding guns. It was then that we pulled into the small shed where we kept our car. I was pulled from my reverie. I dashed into the factory, the girl still in my arms.
"Take her to Truth's room," Vin called.
"Not allowed. I'm taking her to the infirmary!" I shouted back. I ran into the gray room and set the girl gingerly down on a clean white cot. The most comfortable one we had. I plumped the fluffy down pillow under her head and smoothed her hair out of her face. I pulled the blanket over her middle and folded her hands across her stomach. We had stolen everything in this room from a broken down Battery City Emergency Vehicle a couple years ago. We just now needed to use it, for which I was grateful. I hope she's comfortable.
I didn't know why I was so worried about the complete and utter stranger, but something deeper drove me on. I got the small collection of pain pills out and poured a glass of cool, clear water from a tin pitcher into a mug. I heard a groan from behind me and spun to face her. Her eyes blinked open, squinting like mine had this morning.
"Where am I?" she croaked, her voice barely audible. It sounded like sandpaper.
"You're in safe hands," I said, walking to her side. She looked doubtful until she saw my outfit, taking in the large amounts of color and the ray gun.
"You're a Killjoy too?" she asked. I nodded. Her gaze drifted around the room.
"Why were you on the side of the road?" I asked.
"A S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W unit caught up to me and my friends. They took off in the car and left me behind. Something we swore never to do to each other," tears filled her beautiful brown eyes. I reached my hand out to clasp hers. "The S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W shot my left leg and drove on, leaving me for dead on the side of the highway."
"Let me see your leg," I hadn't even thought of her injury until now. She flinched as she reached to pull the covers down and reveal her leg. On the back of her calf was a scorched black hole in the skinny-jean's material. Underneath it you could just barely see the blistered red skin. I grabbed a switchblade from the cupboard and cut her pant leg off just above the burn. I treated it with some healing salve Truth made from cactus juice. Truth made nearly everything from the natural resources. They were free and easy to obtain, better than relying on Better Living for our medication. Throughout the ordeal, the girl flinched but didn't cry out.
"What's your name?" she asked, wiping a tear from her eye when I finished.
"Deadly Havoc," I said, "Yours?"
"I'm Ignorant Chaos," she introduced. I pulled her to her feet, careful to keep the pressure off her wounded leg. She thanked me and hobbled out of the room, supported by my arm. I half-dragged her to the "living room" where we spent most of our free time during the day, passing the time. She began absently humming as I sat her down on the holey couch and ran off to find Vindictive. He was milling around the kitchen waiting for me. "There's a girl in the living room. Don't pull a move, and don't scare her off."
"Protective much?" he asked, before slinking off in that direction. I stirred up some Power Pup for our guest and jogged back to the living room. Upon my entrance I observed Vin and Chaos laughing on the couch. Chaos was holding a piece of paper and a pencil. "She's an amazing artist!"
"You draw?" I cocked my head to the side, looking down at the paper. Chubby little characters with rounded figures trundled about the white page happily. They were so…innocent compared to the harsh background they were displayed on. So unaware of the real world just off that small square of safety.
"It's called chibi, and yeah."
"Cool," I sat on Chaos's other side. We talked until the sun began to set through the cracks in the wall. Sooner than later, a squealing was heard outside and the Fabulous Killjoys returned my friend to me. Truthful rushed in, her cheeks flushed.
"He's so amazing and perfect and oh-" she noticed Chaos on the couch. "Who's this?"
"Ignorant Chaos of Zone F4. She was injured by a SC unit and we found her on the side of the road," I explained. Truth just nodded and headed to her bedroom. She was an early sleeper. I called after her. "Where's Chaos gonna sleep?"
"With you, duh," she chuckled from the other room. I widened my eyes and looked at Chaos. She didn't seem fazed.
"Do you mind sharing a room with me? It looks like Truth is on her own," I said, embarrassed.
"No problem. I'm really kind of tired, can we sleep now?" she asked. I helped her up and to the other room. She laid down on the cot and I made a sort of bed on the floor. I mostly cushioned myself on old, dirty clothes. "Thank you, Havoc, for adopting me so quickly into your group of friends. I never want to see mine again."
"It's no problem. We're really loyal to each other here."
"It looks like I've found a family," I could hear the smile in her voice. Through the quiet darkness of the night, I felt something bloom deep within me. Something warm and soft and beautiful.
Over the next few weeks, the feeling grew and Chaos healed.
Over the next few months, the feeling grew and Chaos learned to drive.
Over the next few years, the feeling grew and Chaos and I had a child. She was twenty and I was twenty-one. We named our lovely daughter Julia Marie, but we called her Deadly Chaos. We loved her with all our hearts.
