"When you're scared but you still do it anyway, that's brave." ~Coraline by Neil Gaiman
It was at 4 p.m. on a boring, typically hot Tuesday that the Killjoys made yet another life-changing decision.
Most of them were hanging out in various stages of half-napping, and Party Poison was lying in a booth and contemplating the benefits and drawbacks of expending the effort necessary to get some juice, when Jet Star announced that he and Fun Ghoul were going to start a band.
"Well, not really a band," Jet explained, "but something like that, 'cause we're gonna play our guitars and sing and stuff…"
"Basically," Fun chimed in, "he's writing songs and I'm helping him with making them sound good."
"Well, could we hear one?" Show Pony asked from his perch on the edge of Dr. Death Defying's desk. "I mean, we've got nothing better to do."
"Ooh, yeah!" The Girl, who had been sitting next to Kobra Kid and listening eagerly to him as he invented a bizarre story about unicorn assassins, agreed. Kobra chuckled at her short attention span, and watched the two guitarists settle into chairs beside their amps and prepare their instruments.
As they tuned their guitars, Jet Star glanced at Party Poison, who was now sitting up expectantly, and said, "I think we'll start off with 'Na Na Na', then." The Girl giggled as she recognized the title. "Party, I'd invite you to sing along, but seeing as how you've never actually heard us play this song before, it might mess up the timing…"
"That's okay," Party replied easily. "I'd like to see what you've done with it." He smiled, and then added, "Oh, but the title needs a bit of work. It really should have like forty-seven na's in it."
"Well then, we'll have to fix that, won't we?" Fun Ghoul grinned, and then announced with mock solemnity, "By the powers vested in me as the rhythm guitarist, I hereby rename this song…" He paused dramatically, before bursting out, "'Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na!' There. Now it's got twelve. Is that good enough?"
Party Poison, who was chuckling too hard to speak, gave a thumbs-up. Over in the next booth, the Girl was cracking up and Kobra was smirking, one eyebrow raised as if to say, Really, guys? "Oh, this is gonna be good," Show Pony said.
Dr. Death Defying stared at them for a few seconds in bemusement before stating calmly, "What the hell," which made everyone laugh more.
When they had all settled down and Jet Star and Fun Ghoul were ready, the song began. Party Poison was impressed; it actually sounded very good. It was upbeat, extremely catchy (he couldn't resist singing along with the choruses), and not once did it seem to drag on, not even during the slow, dreamy bridge section. And, in typical Jet Star fashion, the solo was both complicated and incredibly shiny. When the solo finished on a high-pitched vibrato and both guitarists yelled, "NA NA-NA-NA NA-NA-NA NA-NA-NA NA!" Party Poison nearly collapsed from laughter and an unexpected feeling of victory: His song did sound exactly like a bunch of kids screaming, and it was awesome. When the song ended, he gave a fist pump and called, "YEAH!" before applauding enthusiastically with everyone else.
"That was amazing, you guys!" Kobra Kid exclaimed.
"I still don't get it, but that was pretty cool," Dr. Death allowed.
"Cool?" Show Pony shot back. "Are you kidding? That was hilarious and shiny! It can't get much better than that!"
"No, it can't," Party Poison agreed. He hesitated, and then asked, "Jet Star? Fun Ghoul? I know this'll sound kinda stupid, but…"
"Go on," Jet encouraged. "The last stupid idea you had gave us that song, after all."
"Okay, well, could I join your band? Like, would you mind?"
"Of course you can!" Fun replied. "We were kind of assuming you would, actually. It's not all that easy to sing and play guitar at the same time, you know."
"Shiny," Party grinned. "Thanks, guys."
"Ooh! Can I join, too?" The Girl piped up. "I can play piano!"
Fun Ghoul looked a little pained. "Well, kid, I'd say yes, but I don't know if you're good enough to- "
"No, she is," Jet Star interrupted. The Girl's face, which had grown more downcast with each of Fun's carefully selected words, brightened again. "She actually wrote her own part for 'Na Na Na.' I helped her a bit, but it was mostly her. Would you like her to show you?"
"Yes, I would," Fun replied. He turned to the Girl. "Not to be mean or sound like I don't trust you or anything, you understand, but I just want to make sure you can handle it."
"I can!" she said defensively. She jumped up and ran over to the electric keyboard they kept in the corner. Jet helped her move it over near the amps and plugged it in for her.
"Just play the first verse," he suggested. "That should be enough."
"'Kay," the Girl chirped. She played and sung the intro and first verse of "Na Na Na" very clearly, and what few mistakes she did make, she glanced over and kept going so that no one but Jet Star noticed. When she finished, she rested her hands against the base of the keyboard and smiled shyly around, waiting for someone to say something.
There was a shocked pause, and then everyone started clapping for her. She blushed, not used to this sort of reception, as Show Pony whistled and Jet Star cheered. After the noise died down, Fun Ghoul told her, "Well, I was definitely wrong. I'm sorry. And you can totally join the band."
"Yay!" The Girl exclaimed, skipping back over to Kobra Kid. Still blushing, she leaned her face on his arm.
Then Show Pony asked, with an affectionately mocking tone and an overenthusiastic grin, "Can I join the band, too, you guys?"
Dr. Death glared at him. "And you play what instrument, exactly?"
"My beautiful voice is the only instrument I need," Show Pony simpered. Then he added, more seriously, "Or I could always learn to play drums. You guys do need a drummer."
"Aw crap, that's true," Party Poison muttered, his forehead creasing in concern.
"I can help with that," Dr. Death said. Party looked at him quizzically, and he explained, "I can mix drum tracks for you on my computer. Then we can all decide what it should sound like, so we don't have to worry about anybody learning to play drums, and we don't have to screw around with lifting heavy drum sets in and out of the van at concerts."
Kobra Kid frowned.
"Ooh! That's it!" Show Pony beamed with real excitement this time. "I can be a stage ninja!"
"A what?" asked Jet Star.
"The people that wear all black and run around onstage to help with set changes and carrying stuff." Party explained.
"Yeah," Show Pony smirked. "I'd be totally awesome at that."
"Except for the part where those guys are supposed to be inconspicuous," Fun Ghoul smirked harder. "And you're definitely not."
Show Pony snorted. "I'm not really sure what your big, fancy, smart-person word means, but you're just jealous 'cause you know I'd be the best stage ninja ever."
"What the hell, why not," Party said. "We'll have a flashy stage ninja. That could be like a calling card or something."
Show Pony cheered, Fun Ghoul sniggered, and Kobra Kid walked over to Party and asked quietly, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Party Poison nodded, and the two went out to the patio. The Girl stared after her friends, worried, until Jet Star complimented her again on her piano playing, and everyone started talking about how great she had been.
Outside, Kobra leaned against the wall and ran his fingers through his hair before Party Poison asked, "What's up?"
"I-I don't think it's a good idea for us to hold concerts," Kobra Kid replied, staring at the cracks in the sidewalk.
"Why not?" Party asked, and then added with a grin, "We do have an excellent stage ninja now."
"You know why," Kobra glared briefly at him, his teeth clenched, before returning his gaze to the ground. "Or did you forget what happened at our last concert?"
Oh, Party thought. He's still upset over that. But he couldn't really blame Kobra for being unsettled, even six years after My Chemical Romance's final and undoubtedly worst performance. After all, none of them had expected, even with BLI's threats, that such a shaky, just-established government could not only cut off his brother's medication but also throw all four of them in jail.
"Kobra, it'll be different this time," Party reasoned, trying to convince himself as much as the former bass player. "We don't have to worry about BLI screwing us up now; they have no clue where we'll perform. They don't even know we have a band yet."
"We don't have a band yet," Kobra pointed out. "And- look, I'm sorry, but if you guys decide to do something as dangerous as grouping everybody in our resistance movement in one room and then advertising it, you can count me out." He crossed his arms.
Party sighed. He had hoped that six years would be long enough for all of them to get over the one awful week following their final concert, but he understood Kobra's hesitation: He didn't want anything like that to happen again if there was any way he could prevent it. So he said, "All right. No concerts."
"You sure the rest of your 'band' will be okay with you making a decision like that?" Kobra Kid challenged, still tensing his jaw.
"Oh, Show Pony can find something else to do. And I'm sure that every one of our friends would object to playing without you," Party Poison replied. "We all need you, you know."
"I know," Kobra said quietly. He lifted his eyes back to Party, who recognized in his brother's face something he hadn't seen there in six years: fear. "But I don't know if I can do that for them, for you. Concerts or no concerts, I just…"
"Kobra, I got your back, man," Party reassured him, wishing he could find better words to convey what he meant. "I'd never ask you to do more than I think you're capable of and I totally trust that you'll do awesome if you decide to join. Plus, all of us will completely support you." He smiled warmly. "Remember 'Famous Last Words?'"
"Yeah," Kobra responded, and though his voice sounded disinterested, Party could see him break into a tiny smile. "Yeah, okay. I'll give it a try."
And with that, Party Poison put his arm around Kobra Kid and the two walked back into the diner to restart their careers as musicians.