Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Title: "Cubic Zirconias Are Forever" - from track 3 of Hopesfall's Magnetic North

Tunes: Same as before. Only this time, there's Willie Nelson.

People: Same wonderful folks as before.

Author's Note: Nothing I can think of to say that I haven't said already. I'll probably kick myself when I remember something later but, whatever... I apologize in advance for the crap you're about to read.

Jay sang, knowing it pissed Alex off. Taking obscure pleasure in the way she gritted her teeth and made fists out of empty hands.

"The life I love is makin' music with my friends…"

She closed her eyes and began mumbling to herself. Probably vows of vengeance or something like that. He sang louder.

"Oh, I just can't wait to get on the road again!"

"Ja-"

"On the road again! Goin' places that I've never been!"

"Jay Hogart, I swea-"

"Seein' things that I may never see again!"

"Damn straight you might never see them Corpses can't fucking s-"

"And I can't wa-"

She slammed the heel of her boot into the dying radio embedded in the ancient dashboard of the truck. The music faded out with a pathetic whine.

"Hey!"

Alex drew her legs back up to her chest. "You had it comin'"

Jay sighed, "Dammit, Alex, now what am I supposed t-"

"We oughta ditch the truck."

"Why bother? We're only like, an hour out of TO. We'll scrap it there."

"Jesus, Jay, you're such a crackbaby."

"Whore."

"Prick."

"Demon-wench."

"Ass-monger."

"Skankbitch."

"Bastard."

"Succubus!"

Alex blinked. "S… Succubus?"

"Uh…"

She snorted and began to laugh unabashedly. "My, my, Jay… didn't we learn some big words in that motel dictionary?"

"Shut up."

"You're still an ass-monger."

"And you're still a succubus."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You could tell how close you were to Toronto by the state of the road. No government funds went anywhere near the city. Not for civil reasons, anyway. The conditions of the streets faded gradually, potholes increasing in size and number. Dented stop signs, broken traffic lights, weeds sprouting up through cracked concrete. There was a stretch of land roughly three miles in diameter circling the city. Almost a moat. No housing, stores, factories, or warehouses were left inhabited. A ring of abandonment. Patrolled by a few sporadic branches of Toronto gangs, stray animals, and packs of rats. Creatively titled De Grassi's Halo - named for the only remaining street sign that hung lonely and discouraged from a single erect post at the most southerly entrance to the city.

As they passed by the post and Alex's eyes raked over the familiar faded wording and dust-colored background she was surprised at the lack of emotion she felt. Maybe it was the almost-certain death awaiting them. Maybe it was repressed fear and guilt and God-only-knew that had built up since she left the city. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't got very much sleep and even with the goddamn radio broken Jay was still humming country songs.

They drove on for several minutes in utter silence. Jay had stopped humming. The only noises was the hiccupping growl of the truck's engine and the dull, rapidfire sound of gravel and crumbling asphalt under worn tires. Alex amused herself by picking at the crumbing vinyl of the dashboard and stared straight out the window at the miles of… nothing.

De Grassi's Halo: nothing, after nothing, after nothing.

The buildings were falling apart, some windows boarded up, some hadn't been bothered with. Shattered glass and faded spray paint. Bricks smashed to sand on colorless concrete. Occasional tufts of weeds or the barley-there movements of small animals in the dark spaces between buildings were the only signs of life anywhere in the Halo.

A sudden hail of gunfire shattered the carefully constructed silence that engulfed the ghost town. Jay slammed the break pedal into the metal of the floor with such sudden ferocity that the vehicle lurched forward sickly and the back tires screeched. Loose gravel and chunks of pavement were propelled in all directions by slick tires trying desperately to find purchase on the almost sand-like surface of the streets. Jay reached under the chair, grabbed his Glock 22 and tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. He made sure the safety was on. Didn't want to blast off his dangly bits. Well, not bits. "Bits" implied they were small and Jay-

"Yo, assface."

Jay looked up at Alex. Her black hoody hid the eggshell bandage wrapped around her bicep. She slipped the hood up over her face tapped her cheek bone and made the shape of a gun with her fingers. She pointed them at him and mimed shooting. Jay nodded.

They emerged from every dark corner and empty building. A sea of nobodies and felons. Gun-toting, wild-eyed, bloodthirsty children. The blue and yellow shields stitched onto their sleeves told Jay and Alex everything they needed to know. Hatzilakos men. Alex sighed, half-relieved. Could've been worse. Could've been Del Rossi's Lakehurst Boys. Even Jay's shoulders dipped slightly.

But the relief didn't last long. Shit like that could get you killed and neither of them were ready for that just now. Jay reached for the door handle but a stern shout from the kid that looked in charge stopped him.

"Hey! Stay the fuck in the car and put yer goddamned hands up!"

Jay smirked. Oh, Irony…

"Okay, man. Be cool," Jay was glad his voice came out as level as it did. His heart was pounding in his chest. First impulse said to trick the dumb fuckers because he knew he could. Trick them and blow their idiot-fuck brains out. He and Alex could take them together. It's how they did everything. They could-

No. Killing a troop of Hatzilakos employed punks wouldn't be the best way to roll back into town. Especially when Toby advised they keep a "low profile." So, Jay sat patiently and forced himself not to take advantage of every stupid mistake the boy made.

He observed the troop. They were all kids. Really young. Ages maybe… twelve to nineteen. The kid leading them looked about seventeen. Thin, almost to the point of emaciation. Ringed eyes, dirty mop of reddish curls spilling down around his gaunt features. A small, greasy goatee clung limply to his chin. There was a scar, roughly two centimeters across over his right brow. From the scabs on his lips and neck Jay guessed he was on something. It showed in the nervous way he walked, subtle swinging of arms, the way his finger twitched over the trigger of the nondescript handgun that he kept in a too-tight clutch in front of him. Dirty plaid overshirt, a thin cotton tee riddled with holes underneath, baggy hand-me-down jeans with ripped cuffs and grease stains that fell over his frayed sneakers.

He looked almost exactly the same as all the other boys. All thin limbs and tough talk. But Jay could see the mild fear in the boy's eyes. Maybe he recognized them…?

"I said I wanna see your fucking hands!"

"Okay, Okay, man," Jay lifted his hands, palms out, and spread his fingers. "I'm cool, dude. You're the boss."

Red looked slightly placated.

"What the fuck are you doing here? This is Hatzilakos turf."

He gave a wry, tight smile, "I know that."

"Then what the fuck a-"

"I'm trying to get to TO."

Red paused, frowning. "Not just everybody gets in, you know."

"I know."

His brows furrowed, "Are you…? You're with Del Rossi!"

At the sound of the powerful name all the otherwise bored looking boys snapped to attention. They leveled their guns at the truck. Jay saw Alex out of the corner of his eyes: a picture of relaxation. He sighed and shook his head.

"We're no-"

"Like hell you're-"

"We're not," Jay looked back at Alex surprised. She rarely engaged in these exchanges. She claimed them a waste of her breath. "Look, you know we're not. If we were rolling with Del Rossi you'd know it. Is this about the fee? You don't think we'd try to get in without paying the toll, now, did you?"

Red's brows furrowed again: confused. "Fee…" he had no clue what they were talking about. Which was all well and good because it was something Alex had pulled out of her ass at the last moment. "Yeah, the fee."

Alex nodded, "Yeah. C'mere."

He approached her side of the car cautiously. Alex smiled flirtatiously and pulled down her hood when he was just outside her window. He gulped and rand his gaze up and down what he could see of her. "We'll go over there," she motioned to an empty alley with a quick jerk of her head, "and I'll pay you your… fee."

He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, uh, pay. Yes."

Alex smirked. Jay blinked confusedly. The last time a guy came on to her, Alex's exact words were "I don't drive stick anymore, ass," before she smashed a mostly-empty beer bottle over his head. That had been a month ago. Alex slipped out the door and caught Jay's eye. She winked. He raised his eyebrows. She blew him a kiss.

She let the overeager boy lead her by the hand into the alley.

There was no noise except a few random snickers from the various boys collected in a semi-circle around the pickup. Suddenly there was a yelp and the boy came limping out of the alley. One hand cupped his crotch, the other he threw backwards, middle finger raised. His gun was tucked into his pants. Alex followed grinning.

"Let's get the fuck out of here."

The other boys started laughing but stopped after he fired a few shots in their direction. "I said let's fucking go!"

He disappeared into the shadows once again the reluctant group of boys trailing after him.

Alex slid back into her seat and drew the hood around her face once again.

Silence.

"What did you do?"

Alex's only reply was a grin he couldn't see.

End Notes: Thanks for reading. Please review.

-Orange