Part 1: http://www.mychemicalromance.com/blog/zone-specter/apocalypse-part-1
When Emily awoke it was with gray light streaming through the smog on her face…and the sounds of screaming. Alicia's screaming.
She'd know her cousin's own cries of horror and fear anywhere, after hearing them so much when they escaped. She ripped open her door and pulled out her raygun from its holster attached to her calve. It was the new standard weapon of their war, used by both BLI and the Killjoy rebels. Emily still questioned why Iris had named the rebels after the made up rebel force from her father's old stories, but it was better than just "The Rebels".
Emily raced up to the door of the house, knowing Alicia had to be in there. She didn't even bother trying the door. Her protective instinct to get to Alicia had her kicking down the door from its old rusted hinges. She tore through the decrepit house following the sounds of Alicia's screaming to the old stairway to the basement.
"Static I'm coming!" Emily shouted as she stormed down the stairs.
She nearly ran into Alicia when she reached the bottom, looking pale and shocked at something on the other side of the room.
"Static," Emily panted, "Static look at me! What's wrong?"
Alicia didn't say a word, she merely lifted a shaking finger up to point at something behind Emily. Emily furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, and she slowly began to turn around.
What she saw was impossible and shocked her still.
Emily gulped the fast forming lump in her throat and managed to whisper out only one word, "Mikey?"
"Who are you? How do you know my name? Where are?" a young boy with glasses asked Emily, looking frightened and confused.
Another boy, a few years older than the other stepped forward and pushed the other behind him, "Who are you? And I want the truth," he said in a harsh voice.
Emily couldn't help but smirk, "Well nice to see you too Gerard."
"Would you stop that!" he snapped, "Now who the hell are you?!"
"What? Don't recognize your brother's old girlfriend Gee?" Alicia laughed, easing out of her shock now that Em was.
"What?" Gerard said raising his eyebrows.
The boy behind him stepped out from behind him then, looking taken aback, "Emily?"
Em gave him a sad smile, "Hi Mikey."
"What happened?" he asked.
"Time," she whispered. "My guess is that the accident brought you here, in the worst possible time to come to," she sighed.
"Em, where are we?" Gerard said.
"You're in the Montanos' old house in what is now called the wastes," Alicia said.
Mikey looked confused for a moment before recognition crossed his face, "Alicia?!"
"Nice to see you again," Alicia grinned.
"So how old are you guys now?" a short boy with a wicked grin said stepping forward.
"Nice to see you too Frankie," Emily smirked.
"What?" he laughed shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm sixteen and Em turned twenty-three and a half last week," Alicia said.
"Thanks for the specifics," Emily grumbled.
"Whoa, so you're really twenty-three now?" Frank asked.
"I believe Alicia said and a half," Emily said.
"Emily?" suddenly a young girl stepped forward, clinging to Gerard's arm.
"Hey Lynzie," Emily smiled.
"Where's Iri?" she asked nervously.
"It's kinda a long story Lynzie," Emily mumbled.
"Emily, please, where's Iris? Lucinda and Julian? The rest of our families, where are they?" a man said stepping forward, Steve.
"Most of them are back out west," Alicia said.
"Why are they there?" a tall guy with an insanly messy afro said stepping out, Ray.
"Everyone's been heading out for Battery City or the Zones lately, especially once the helium wars started," Alicia said.
"Wait, what are you talking about? Battery City? Zones? What is all this?" Gerard said starting to get agitated.
"It's a place out west, used to be California," Em said.
"What happened to Cali?" Frank laughed, "Separate from the states?"
"More like it was taken over then separated from what was being bombed," Alicia grumbled.
"Alright can someone start from the top please? This is getting confusing," another tall boy with loosely curled hair, Danny.
"Cool it Danny, I'll explain everything," Emily, taking on a somber look. "The only way I think I can start is with one thing," she muttered.
"Em no," Alicia mumbled.
"They all need to know Licia," Emily murmured.
"Know what?" Mikey asked, turning frightened eyes to Emily.
Emily sighed before turning to the others, "I'm so sorry, for all of you," she whispered. "Most of your families are gone," she said sadly, "BLI hasn't been very kind to anyone, not even its own clone citizens."
"Whose BLI?" Steve asked.
"BLI, short for Better Living Industries, they took power around the turn of the century, tried to lure people into their new government in Cali," Emily muttered, "They took over and started saying they would bring in more one way or another. So they started bombing a year after they seceded from the old US…a lot of people died then."
"Wait, Em, please telling me you're not saying what I think you're saying," Frank said starting to lose his calm.
"Yours and Danny's mom are gone Frankie," Emily whispered, "I'm so sorry."
Frank went pale for a moment, and Emily could tell he was going to collapse any second. She quickly moved over to him and wrapped him in her arms before he could drop. As his tears began to flow, she gently rocked him back and forth in her arms as if he were a small child…which he was.
"She's really gone?" he mumbled.
"I'm so sorry Frankie," Emily said as she cradled him and petted his hair soothingly.
Suddenly Frank was once again alert, and he took a firm hold of Emily, "What about Michi? Where the hell is my baby sister?!"
"I wouldn't call Neon a baby anymore," Emily smiled.
"What?" Frank said, sounding confused.
"Remember the old stories?" Emily asked.
Frank slowly nodded his head.
"She's part of it now, the Killjoys, we all are, ever since BLI came out. Iris leads them now sorta, but it's all a bunch of teenagers and a handful of young people like me," Emily explained. "It's the danger days Frankie."
"So she's alive?" Frankie said, a small smile returning to him.
"Very much, and causing more chaos than you ever did," Em laughed.
"Dang, how old is she now?" Frank laughed.
"About the same as Gee and Lynzie, same for Iris too," Emily said nodding over to Steve, "She's safe, so are Lucinda and JuJu."
"What about the rest of us, and you?" Danny cut back in, looking hurt from the new knowledge but still managing to keep his bearings.
"Ray's family all made it to the city, but I don't know what happened to them after that," Emily sighed. "As for my parents, they're dead too," she muttered.
"They killed them when they tried to take us," Alicia mumbled, "Em managed to get us away to Lucinda's, that's when we found Michi after she'd ran away and she took us to the Zones, we've been with her and Iri ever since."
"Em, what about our parents?" Gerard mumbled. "Whatever happened to them?"
Emily looked away, back to Alicia, who nodded. Em had delivered enough bad news already. Alicia walked forward and looked to Gerard and Mikey.
She took in a small breath before she went on, "They're both gone too, but it wasn't because of BLI."
"Why?" Mikey mumbled.
Alicia paused before going on, "They both died of broken hearts," she whispered, "Losing their sons, it was just too much."
"Is anyone left of our family?" Gerard hissed.
Alicia only shook her head, "No."
"What about Grandma Elena? Is she gone too?" Gerard asked icily.
"She stayed when the rest of us left," Em mumbled. "I tried to get her to come, but…she said she didn't have much time left anyway," Emily said. She then reached inside her bomber jacket and pulled out an old and yellowed envelope, "She said that if I ever found you boys in the future, that I should give you this."
Gerard snatched the letter from Emily, "That's all?!" he said harshly. "You knew she would die if she stayed but you let her just because she told you to!" he yelled brandishing the letter. "Why didn't you just drag her with you? At least then Mikey and I would have somebody then!" he shouted.
"You don't think I tried?" Emily hissed, "That woman was all I had of you two when your parents died! And I miss her just as much as you do."
"Then why did you let her go?!" Gerard said angrily.
"Because she died the day I left!" Emily shouted. She collected herself then, "I went to her the day we were gonna leave, the door was unlocked so I went in. I found her in her rocking chair with a picture of you guys in her hand," she whispered, looking at the ground. "The only thing I could do for her was wish her luck," she mumbled.
"Luck with what?" Gerard grumbled, still seething.
"In the greatest adventure the world has to offer," Emily whispered.
"So why did you go then?" Gerard pressed, "If it's as bad as you say why didn't you stay and go on the world's greatest adventure'?"
Emily glowered up at him, "Because I promised that woman I'd never give up til it was my time."
She turned out and walked back up the stairs, leaving the others behind.
"What was that?" Mikey whispered.
"We've all lost so much," Alicia murmured, staring after her cousin. "She doesn't like when people give up hope, after they have ever reason to keep holding onto it for the better," she said looking down at the floor. "The reason she and I came was because she does this every year," she mumbled, "She always comes here alone, makes the two week drive for a moment of remembrance of her friends, then drives back only to come back to a world in war."
"I didn't realize," Gerard whispered.
"It's not your fault," Alicia said with a small smile, "There's just a lot weighing down on her, and the older girls too, what with running and organizing the downfall of the thing that brought so much of our pain." Alicia laughed then, "That and she's gotta take care of a little punk like me."
Mikey laughs a little, "I guess that is a lot to happen in…uh, how long have we been gone again?"
"Seven years toady," Alicia replies.
"So Em has this little anniversary thing?" Gerard asked.
"Mm-hm, this is the first year she's ever come with somebody," Alicia says looking back to the stairs. "We should go, Iri will be getting worried if we're not back in two weeks," she sighed.
"And I think I owe Em an apology," Gerard mumbled.
"None of us knew Gee," Lynzie whispered softly. "Oh, I don't feel so good," Lynzie said, sounding sick.
"You alright Lynzie?" Gerard asked worriedly.
Lynzie covered her mouth and ran off to a corner of the room, only to vomit a few seconds later.
"Lynzie!" Gerard shouted, running over to her.
"Lynzie sweetie, are you alright?" Steve said walking over to his daughter and patting her gently on the back.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Lynzie sniffed, "Just a lot to take in."
"Anxiety sickness," Ray says, "Happens a lot in situations like this."
"Med school was paying off after all," Frank says lightly.
"Oh yeah," Ray grinned. "Sure you're gonna be fine Lynzie?" he asks.
She nods her head and leans on Gerard for support as they followed Alicia up the stairs. As the came to what once was the kitchen, Steve and Lynzie couldn't help but look around them with somber expressions.
"Em must be outside," Alicia said moving on.
They continued through the house, through the old living room and out the broken front door.
Part 13: http://www.mychemicalromance.com/blog/zone-specter/apocalypse-part-13
