A/N: ugh ok so I'm writing cause I feel bad that I haven't written in a few days but I've had graduation going on along with an art show and also trying to have a life so I'm a wee bit worn out and at the end of the day to try and brainstorm how to end this thing I can hear my brain sizzle…seriously it sounds like bacon on a skillet…Canadians idk how your flat ham bacon sounds in a skillet but I assume it's the same. Tssssssssssssssss. so if you don't like it, in the wise words of Alex Day/ Chameleon Circuit "The haters will hate and the owls will hoot". I just sorta wanna be done with this story, not that it hasn't been an amazingly fun journey with all of you, it truly has but I wanna write my asylum story sooooooooooo bad and I swore I wouldn't do it till this one is done! SO on with it!

"How the hell are we supposed to kill a fucking robot!" Frank shouted throwing his arms out as Gerard marched quickly for the car. Victory followed close behind him hand in hand.

"He has a core processor just like any other robot." Victory said turning back. The tears on her cheeks had dried and stained them. They just sort of looked at her. Through all they've known her she never really let on how technologically smart she was, then again she never really had a need to explain and her father was a scientist after all.

"If we can find a way to corrupt his core then his whole system will crash." Victory continued as she sat in the passenger's seat. Ray, Frank and Mikey got in behind her. Gerard walked around the front and into the driver's seat.

"And how exactly do we do that?" Frank asked annoyed as he sat down. The doors shut with a hard slam. It was quiet for a moment.

"I'm still working on that one…" Victory paused. Gerard started the engine and rolled out and into the desert.

They pulled up to the diner and hopped out. Victory sniffed the air. Smoke.

"Maybe Dr. D's cooking…" Frank said hopefully. They looked at the windows. Each one was broken and blackened. The door was half off its hinges.

Gerard cracked open what was left of it and stopped in horror. The room was covered with singe marks, broken glass. They all ducked back out as several lasers shot past their heads.

"STAY THE FUCK BACK YOU MOTHER FUCKERS!" Someone shouted and fired more shots. They were all shocked to discover it was Baby Doll.

"Easy! It's just us!" Gerard shouted holding his handkerchief in the doorway so she could see. He could hear her rustle.

"Is it really you?" It was Static Pyro. Ray stepped beside Gerard. His hair stuck out into the doorway a little.

"It's really us. Will you please put down the guns?" He said leaning in. Static jumped up from behind the counter and ran to him. She jumped up and put both arms around his neck.

"Oh Ray it was awful." She broke down in tears. He wrapped his arms around her waist and set her back on the ground. They all stepped inside and examined the scorched room a little better. Tables were flipped over. Glass littered the floor. Black soot covered every surface making it unrecognizable. The only hit it ever had color were the few chunks of table and chair lying around.

"What happened?" Gerard asked. He gripped Victory by the hand.

"About a day after you guys left the Dracs stormed the place. I've never seen anything like it!" Baby Doll emerged from behind the counter. She had a belt around her shoulder and hip loaded with guns and batteries.

Static looked up to Ray and then the others.

"You've been gone three days."

Victory put a hand over her mouth in shock.

"Three days?" Mikey repeated. Static nodded.

"Where are Helena and Boomer?" Victory demanded. Gerard winced as her grip tightened around his hand. A wave of panic washed over the two of them.

Baby Doll ducked back under the counter and lifted a secret panel in the floor next to the sink.

"It's ok guys you can come out now." Baby Doll shouted into the dark hole. After a few seconds Boomer appeared with Helena in her arms. Boomer set Helena on her feet and they both ran to Gerard and Victory.

"MAMMA!" Helena shouted as Victory lifted her and hugged her tightly. Helena had soot on her cheeks and nose. Her cloths had a few rips and tears. Victory squeezed her tight and then wrapped an arm around Boomer.

"I thought you were never coming back!" Boomer cried and buried her face in Victory's shirt.

"Me-too. Me-Too." Helena sniffled. Gerard came in front and took Helena, hugging her close.

"It's ok baby, mommy and daddy are back." Helena tucked her face into the cook of his neck.

"What happened?" Gerard repeated. Mikey stood next to Baby Doll and took her hand. She took her index finger and brushed some hair out of his face. She smiled lightly.

"After you guys left they invaded and tried to burn down the diner. We fought them off as long as we could but…" She stopped and looked to the others.

"You have some great friends…I'd kill to have had them on my team." Her eyes welled up. "Three days of war really makes you bond, ya know?" She chuckled and her voice cracked as a few tears fell.

Static Pyro held her hand and squeezed it. Baby Doll looked her in the eye and nodded.

"What do you mean…'had'?" Frank said feeling a lump build in his throat.

Baby Doll bit her lip.

"We tried to fight them off as long as we could…They were trying to take Cherri."

Frank froze.

"Dr. Death tried to fight them off. He showed us the secret cellar and put the kids in there. After that he went right up to them and tore them off of Cherri as they tried to carry her away. Well….you all must have known about his bad knee…well one of them gripped him by the jacket and tossed him back. Several others took out their guns….Static and I couldn't get to him in time and….." Baby Doll broke down into uncontrollable sobs. Mikey put an arm around her as she cried into his shoulder.

"The Doc…." Ray whispered. "Is dead?" Static Pyro nodded and bit her lip as tears fell from her cheeks.

"Show Pony tried to go after them but they just flicked him away like he was an ant. He was badly injured but he'll be ok in a few weeks. I've been taking care of him in the cellar." Static said in a soft voice.

"Cherri." Frank seemed to breathe the word out. His eyes were fixed on a spot on the floor. Static looked up then to Baby Doll. She then looked back to Frank with her mouth open.

"Where is she?" Frank asked stepping forward and grabbing Static by the shoulders. "WHERE IS CHERRI COLA!" He shouted and shook her.

"They took her back to BL/ind! I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" She sobbed. Ray pulled Frank off of her.

"Let her go man! Take it easy." Ray shouted and stepped between them. Frank's eyes went unfocused. He stumbled back.

"Cherri." He whispered. He kept stepping back. "They got her…they…" He dropped to his knees. His breathing quickened into a panic. His eyes were wild. As the seconds dragged on his breathing picked up pace.

"Frank." Mikey tried. Frank screamed at the top of his lungs and got to his feet. He shoved past everyone, gun in hand.

"FRANK COME BACK!"

Gerard handed Helena to Victory and they all chased him out the door. It crackled and snapped the rest of the way off as Frank jostled it open.

"FRANK!" Ray and Mikey shouted. Frank ignored their cries and headed for the car with murder in his eyes. He was shocked when something gripped him by the collar of his jacket and threw him back and into a wall. Gerard met his gaze and gripped his fingers around the front of Frank's jacket.

"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF ME!" Frank shouted. Gerard got right in his face.

"Now you listen to me Frank, and you listen good." Gerard whispered sharply through his teeth. "You want to go in there guns blazing, but I promise you that is the fastest way to get yourself killed!" He spat the last word. "If you die, she dies!"

Frank said nothing but his eyes spoke for him. His lips pursed.

"She is still alive. If we go in, we figure out a plan. We go as a team! GOT IT?" Gerard tilted his head.

Frank sneered and let out a quick and heavy sigh.

"Fine." He spoke through gritted teeth. Gerard let him go with a snap of his wrists and stepped away. Frank brushed off the front of his jacket and stormed back inside. Gerard turned back to the others. They all had the same fearful expression.

"Daddy sca-wy to Fwank." Helena whispered. Gerard picked her up.

"Daddy scary for good reason." He said kissing her on the cheek. "Come on. Let's get a little food and water in us, and then we'll discuss a plan." Gerard continued into the burned diner. They could all feel the dehydration after three days in the chamber without the same nourishment packs they would give patients.

They all went into the cellar and cracked open a few bottles of sterilized water and each got a can of Power Pup refried beans. Helena sat next to Boomer and held her hand. Victory couldn't help but notice how much closer they seemed since they had left. Boomer silently opened Helena's can and handed her a spoon.

"Be careful, Hel, it's got sharp edges." Boomer warned and pointed to the rim.

"O-tay." Helena nodded and stuck her child size spoon in awkwardly.

"'Hel'"?" Victory repeated and tilted her head with a hint of a grin. Boomer shrugged.

"It's was a nick name Doc…." She cleared her throat. "Any ways he picked it out and I thought it sounded…cool."

Boomer looked down to Helena with a fake smile as the little girl licked her spoon.

"Boomi, where Doc-Dee go?" Helena asked in an innocent voice. Boomer sucked in air and closed her eyes. She brushed a hand over Helena's dark black hair.

"I told you, honey, he was ghosted. It's ok though…he's still with us. That's why he's a ghost." Boomer gave her another fake smile. Victory held her breath and after a second of keeping it together she exhaled.

"Helena, sweetie, why don't you go see what daddy is up to?" Victory asked over enthusiastically. Helena stood up and wrapped a small arm around her can and stuck the spoon in her mouth.

"O-tay mommy." She said and wobbled off. Boomer kept her eyes on the floor.

"I'm very proud of you." Victory said and took Boomer's hand. "You've been through too much for a girl your age but somehow you've managed to turn out amazing. You're like a daughter to me, and kind of also like a sister. Best of both I guess. But most of all you've really grown up." Victory sat next to her and rested her head on Boomer's. Boomer cried into her shoulder.

"I know it's hard but I also know you're strong enough to get through it. It sucks now but I swear it will get better. The day will come that we will no longer live in fear. It's close." Victory whispered and kissed the top of her head. They stayed like that until Boomer drifted off to sleep. Victory lifted her onto one of the cots set up and covered her to her chin.

She then joined the others gathered around the rather drugged up Show Pony's cot. Static was wrapping one of his head wounds. Ray handed her what materials she needed. Mikey and Baby Doll went over they lay out of the building and thought out entries and exits. Frank sat unmoving next to Show Pony. Victory could see the whites of his knuckles as they made fists. Gerard sat next to him with a close eye as he pretended to play with Helena.

"When'll Show-py boo-boo go away?" Helena asked pulling on Gerard's hair.

"It's gonna take a while, sweetie." Gerard said pulling his hair back. "He's got really bad boo-boos."

Helena stood up on Gerard's lap and shot a finger towards Ray.

"Poof-poof, you gotta kiss-it-make-it-bedder!" She shouted at him holding her arm steady. They all looked at him. Static couldn't help but snicker.

"Yeah 'Poof-poof'." She smiled taping more gauze over a few stitches on Show Pony's arm. His shoulders slumped.

"I'm not kissing him…" Ray groaned. Helena crossed her arms and pouted.

"If you no kisses him, he no get bedder!" She finished with a "Hmph" and nodded her head.

Ray rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I'm not kissing Show Pony." Static nudged his shoulder.

"Oh come on. What harm'll it do and you'll make the girl happy."

Ray looked down to Show Pony who was out like a light. Ray groaned again and looked to Helena. Her bottom lip was brought up into a pout and her eyebrows were down low. Even though she was a toddler and at least four or five feet shorter than him standing he couldn't help but feel intimidated.

"UGH! Fine!" Ray put his head down in despair. "But on the head! Nowhere else!"

Static, Victory, and Gerard couldn't help but snicker as Ray bent down and kissed Show Pony on the forehead next to his gauze patch.

"Mmmm, now that's what I'm talkin 'bout! Some real medicine!" Show Pony smirked in a weak voice and tried to grab Ray by the back of the head and pull him in. Ray was able to pull away in time.

"Gah! Screw you dude! I hope those stitches screw up that pretty face of yours!" Ray shouted.

"See you make him all bedder!" Helena clapped her hands. "He awake!"

Show Pony giggled from the drugs Static gave him.

"Hmmhmm. Love is the best kind of meds." Show Pony smiled and then folded over into a coughing fit. Static pushed him back into his cot.

"Ok, Love Doctor, that's enough out of you two. You need your rest." She injected him with another shot. He smiled and shrugged.

"Relax, I'm not dying in a where the male nurses aren't even hot." His eyes dropped and he was back to sleep.

"I feel like I should resent that…" Ray said shaking his head.

After things settled Baby Doll and Static showed them where they buried Dr. Death Defy.

"Right behind the old diner." Mikey smiled.

"Ol' coot never had the heart to leave the place." Ray said. There was a large half of a table sticking out of the sand. The words

"DR. DEATH DEFYING

DJ, REBEL, FRIEND, FATHER,

BROTHER, KILLJOY."

Were etched into the plastic.

"Show Pony and Boomer picked the words." Baby Doll said biting her nails. Static nudged her.

"Go on, tell them." She urged. They all turned.

"Tell us what?" Mikey asked. Baby Doll swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I was there for his last words." She cleared her throat and pulled a small device from her pocket. "Before he died he wanted me to give you something. I'm not sure when he recorded this but he said he kept it in his pocket just in case of something like this happening." She held it up and pressed Play.

"Hey boys and girls…if you are listenin' to this it means I'm ghosted. First things first, just 'cause my name is Dr. Death Defying don't mean that title defines me. I'm kick ass but I'm mortal, so quit your bitchin' an listen up. The future is bulletproof. I've always said it but here's what it means. You can't set anything in stone. You make your own choices. The aftermath is secondary. You can't avoid it either. So live your lives and make 'em the best you can. Well…. It's time for me to say goodbye for a little while and i know you're gonna miss me so I'll leave you with this, It's like I always say, ' you know that big ball of radiation we call the sun? well it'll burst you into flames if you stay in one place too long so remember even if you're dusted you may be gone but out here in the desert your shadow lives on without you this is Dr. Death Defying signing off ."

The recording stopped. It was silent for several minutes before anyone spoke. The rustle of the desert whistled in their ears.

"We should make sure our guns are ready." Frank was the first to break the silence. The others nodded. Together they went to the cellar and loaded up.

Frank was loading batteries into his gun when he felt Show Pony's hand grab him by the arm. He pulled him in close.

"Hey man, you in pain? I can get Static to up your dose." Frank said getting ready to get up. Show Pony shook his head and pulled Frank closer.

"She's my sister….I know you lover 'er. Do everything you can to bring her back to me." Show Pony whispered.

Frank nodded.

"I'll do whatever it takes."

A/N: I know this chapter was really sad but i wanted to write it realistically and sometimes bad things happen to good people but don't worry it has a happy ending I swear! So please don't send me hate mail or like a dead fish. It'll get happy trust me. I never promised it was going to be sunshine, rainbows and lolly pop licking unicorns the whole ride. That wouldn't be Killjoy.