Soon enough, Jet Star, Kobra Kid, Fun Ghoul, Crimson Pixie and Synthetic Flame were packed into the rusty car where the two girls had found Jet. They drove along through the silent night, not speaking. No one could believe that Korse had taken Poison, but they all knew it was true.
Ghoul suddenly broke the silence.
"Where are we even going?" he said, "Where would Korse go, with Battery City in such turmoil?"
"He'd go out to one of the Drac hideouts," Jet said from behind the wheel, "And when Battery City is back intact, he'll head back,"
"So what?" Ghoul said, "We're just going to check every Drac hideout until we find Korse and Poison?"
Kobra nodded instantly. Poison was his brother, and he was going after him, even if it meant alone.
Ghoul looked incredulously at the others.
"But-" he was cut off as Crimson gave a shout, pointing out into the vast landscape of the desert. On the horizon was a flickering light, like that of a bonfire.
"What the hell …?" Flame said as she squinted out through the darkness, "Is that fire?"
Kobra nodded, looking curiously out his own window.
"I think it might be," he muttered, "Hey, Jet? Start driving over there,"
Jet Star turned the steering wheel to the right, off the dusty path and onto the desert dirt.
As they drove closer and closer, the light became clearer, and soon they had no doubt in their minds that it was a giant bonfire.
"Who's setting up a bonfire so close to a Drac camp?" Jet asked curiously, "There's one only twenty miles away,"
They drove in silence for another minute or two until Jet finally parked the car, and the group got out. As their feet landed on the dry soil, clouds of dust floated up into the air.
They walked closer to the massive fire, shading their eyes from the light. Crimson's face began to sting as the heat-waves radiated over her, and everyone began to sweat in their heavy leather clothes. Kobra actually took off his leather jacket and placed it on the hood of the car. His arms were well toned, but his left still had the large gouge from the ray gun.
"We really need to clean that up," Crimson began, but he waved her off.
"We'll get it when we get back to one of our safe houses," he muttered, "I'm fine,"
As they got closer and closer to the fire, the heat intensified, and everyone's eyes began to sting from the blinding light, but still they continued to walk.
The desert was silent but for the crackle of the flames and the thump of their boots on the dust.
When they were about ten metres away from the fire, they heard a different noise. It was a sharp intake of breath and then the soft click as someone loaded a ray gun. The all took out theirs, Jet's blue, Ghoul's green, Kobra's red, Flame's purple and Crimson's orange, and pointed them in the general direction of where they had heard the breath.
Suddenly there was a movement, and they all fired, multicoloured rays filling the air.
"Stop, don't shoot!" came a voice, "I'm one of you!"
They stopped firing, but didn't lower their weapons. They made their way around to the other side of the campfire where a woman was standing. She was dressed in killjoy gear, and her ray gun was silver, and reflected the dancing flames beautifully.
"Who are you?" Kobra demanded in the same voice as when he had asked Crimson and Flame the same question,
"Beautiful Disaster," she said. She was around the same age as Flame, and had jet black hair that fell straight down her back. Her bangs hid her forehead and eyebrows, and her eyes were as black as the night.
"What are you doing out here?" Jet Star asked Disaster,
"Same as you guys, I guess," she shrugged, "Trying to survive,"
"Have you seen any Drac cars drive by recently?" Ghoul asked, putting his ray gun back in its holster.
She scratched her head, thinking. The crackling of the fire was the only sound that was heard for a few moments.
"I think one passed by maybe … five hours ago?" she said eventually, "The sun was just starting to set, and I was beginning to make this," she gestured at the bonfire, "And I heard the car coming. I thought I was done for! There was no where to hide, so I just stood there. Certain they were going to come and capture me, I got out my ray gun, ready to fight, but they just drove right on by! I've never seen anything like it!"
The group looked at one another, and they were all thinking the same thing. It had to have been the car that was carrying Korse and Poison.
They looked back at Disaster who was standing there, looking at them all curiously.
"Which way did they go?" Kobra asked after a moment,
Disaster pointed to the South.
"They were driving that way," she said,
"Thank you very much," Kobra said, and they all turned to walk away.
"Wait!" Disaster yelled after them. They turned, "You're just going to leave me here?"
They exchanged glances before Kobra sighed and motioned for Disaster to follow. She gave a little jump and jogged after them.
"So what's going on?" she asked once she had caught up to them, "Why did you want to know where the Drac car was headed?"
Kobra explained the whole story, how Korse had captured Party Poison and was currently transporting his dead body around the Zones.
"Hey, you forgot about how Crimson and Flame saved our lives!" Ghoul cut in, and Crimson blushed deeply, glad that her mask hid her as the blood rushed up to her cheeks.
They continued walking to the car. On the way, they found out that Disaster was a bit eccentric, but pretty good company. She asked a little too many questions, but then again, she had showed the other killjoys where to go, so it was the least they could to answer them.
Once they reached the car, they were faced with a problem. There were six people and only five seats.
"Shit ..." Kobra cursed under his breath, "I'd forgotten about that,"
"I'm sure we can fit four people in the back," Flame said.
And so, Ghoul, Flame, Crimson and Disaster squeezed themselves into the back of the car, while Jet and Kobra sat in the front. It was not comfortable, and it was not fun, but they were all in.
"Alright," Kobra said, looking at the squished passengers in the back, "Next stop, Drac hideout number one!"
Jet slammed down on the accelerator, and the car zoomed off into the night, leaving a cloud of ash behind them as they went.