(You get this virtual cupcake if you read and comment!)
Part 1: http://www.mychemicalromance.com/blog/zone-specter/apocalypse-part-1
The gang had all but made it to the end of the Zones within the two week margin. Along the way, Emily had explained everything to them via radio. She explained BLI's rise to power, the helium wars, Battery City, and all the horrors of the society. She also told them how the Killjoys had come to be. How a small rebel force had been hinted at before Iris and Micheylah became fed up with the lives they were living under BLI rule. How the girls had run away to discover that the rebels were real, and how Iris used her pent up anger against what BLI did, inflicting the same pain she'd suffered by accident...but this was intentional. She used that to organize the small group and multiply their forces and brand them the Killjoys. With Iris' great leadership, the Killjoys had become a standard threat to BLI, and were now in an all out war with one another for the right to be free of BLI.
Now, they were only a few miles from crossing into Zone territories, with the boys riding in the Trans Am, and the girls in the Bugatti.
"Alright boys, according to Lea we're coming up to the border to the Zones," Lynzie said…another thing they'd learned was to grow accustomed to the use of each others Killjoy names.
"Got it," Gerard said.
"So any new names to replace Geezy?" Lynzie asked, slightly giggling.
"Grand Masta Geezy is still in the house," Frank said, sounding like some hip-hop DJ.
"And our little comedian remains on the premises as well," came Alicia's voice in the background.
"I am not that short!" Frank retorted.
"Dude, you're like 5'4"," Mikey grinned.
"That's the same height as Neon!" Alicia laughed.
"So this is what it's come too," Frank said grimly, "I'm as tall as my younger sister." He lost it and broke down laughing halfway through his sentence.
"Pull over guys, we need to talk real quick," Em said breaking through their laughter.
"Can't we talk over the radio?" Gerard said, grin still spread on his face.
"No, because I need to stop at this gas station to get you guys something," Emily said, sounding serious.
"What? Something wrong with the Trans or your car?" Gerard said, grin slipping.
"You'll see, just follow my lead," Em said.
Gerard shared a confused glance with Steve, who sat in the front seat with him and Danny. Steve just shrugged his shoulders and Gerard turned his focus back to the Bugatti that was pulling into another abandoned gas station…they'd come to expect everything around them was like this, old and abandoned and completely open to their free use.
When they stopped, they saw Emily and Alicia get out of the car ahead and walk over to a dusty looking white thing that appeared to look like a vending machine. Gerard glanced back to everyone else, and got out to go stand next to a confused looking Lynzie a few feet back from Emily and Alicia.
"So what did you wanna talk about?" Danny asked as he came to join the fast forming group in front of Emily and Alicia.
"Survival," Emily said simply.
She then turned back to the white vending machine and pulled a machete out of her boot.
"Whoa! What's that for?!" Mikey shouted out pointing at the blade in Emily's hands.
She didn't answer, she merely shifted her grasp on the machete's handle and swung it down across the front of the vending machine like thing. She swung two more times, making a flap in the machine's surface. Emily handed Alicia the machete, and pried her fingers into the metal flap and began pulling at it.
She turned back to the group, "A little help?"
"Hang on," Gerard said stepping forward.
He came forward and pulled off his coat and wrapped it around his hands, then took hold of the edge of the metal flap. He gave a slight tug to test the resistance of the metal, then, with one pull at the flap he peeled it away.
"There," he said with a slight grin, "Now, what was the psycho slasher act back there for?"
"What was the Superman act back there?" Emily asked nervously.
"What?" Gerard grinned, shrugging his shoulders.
"He's always been able to do crazy stuff like that Em," Lynzie said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"So why did you cut this can of worms open again?" Gerard sighed jerking his thumb to the vending machine.
"To get inside the vending machine," Emily said stepping in front and carefully reaching inside it. "You need a special access key to use these things, and only S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W Unit and Dracs have 'em," she said pulling out several strange guns that the resembled the ones the others had seen her and Alicia carry, but these ones were bone white.
"Those look like your guys' guns," Danny said.
"They're rayguns," Alicia said taking a few of the guns from Emily, "Standard weapons of this generation."
"And now, you guys each have your own," Emily said about to hand one to Mikey. As he reached for it, she pulled it just out of his grasp and smirked, "After I remove their tracking devices."
"What?" Mikey said sounding confused.
"These vending machines are meant for BLI use only," Alicia explained, "But once they found out Killjoys were jacking them for the merch, they started equipping the guns with trackers."
"You guys can get them off yourselves," Emily said. "Just feel under the barrel and you should feel a little bump-that's it," she mumbled running her fingers along the underside of a gun's barrel.
She paused, like she'd found something, then she crooked her finger and scratched at the gun.
"There," Emily sighed, handing Mikey the gun.
He looked under the gun, but didn't see anything. Just as he was about to ask what she did, he saw a little blemish in the perfect white surface of the gun. A small scrape in the paint, like something had been picked off of it that had been painted over on the gun. When he turned his bewildered expression up to Emily, he saw a knowing smile cross her face. One that had always been his favorite, one that seemed like time would never change.
She held up her hand to him and he followed her gaze down to it. At the tip of her finger, was a small flat piece of metal with little flecks of white paint on one side and its edges.
"Easy peasy," Emily smiled.
"Pumpkin peasy," Alicia giggled from behind.
"Pumpkin pie mother effer!" Gerard shouted out.
Everyone laughed at the outburst, and Frank was rolling on the ground in stiches.
"Alright, everyone think they can clear their own guns?" Emily said, laughter still flitting through her eyes.
Everyone nodded in reply.
"Alright then, when you get them off hand'em to me, I gotta take care of them properly," she said.
Everyone did as she said, picking off the trackers from the bottom of their gun barrels. When they'd gotten them off, they placed them into Emily's open hand. Emily glanced down at the small chips in her hand, she stirred them around with her finger and counted them out.
"Seven, that's everyone with a new gun, yes?" she said looking around.
"Yeah, that's all of us," Ray said with a nod.
"Good," Emily said.
She walked over to the edge of the road and turned her cupped hand over to dump the chips onto the pavement. She looked back at Alicia and nodded.
Alicia gave her a thumbs up, then turned back to the others, "Alright folks!" she said with a big smile with her hands on her hips. "Time for 'How to Use a Raygun Lessons'…the crash course edition!" she said with a wicked grin.
"Why do I get the feeling you're up to no good?" Mikey mumbled with a small smile as he crossed his arms.
"Because that's your gut feeling telling you that I am up to no good," Alicia cackled.
There was a slight flash of light behind them and everyone turned in shock. The first thing to flash through their minds was that Emily had fired her strange gun at one of the horrible enemies she'd told them about…the Dracs and the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W Unit thugs.
They were only half right, but relieved that they were right on that one part. Emily had fired her gun, but at the ground, and not some dreaded attacker. When she turned and saw their stunned looks, she took them in stride with a gleaming smile.
"Shot the trackers, doesn't cut it crushing them to a pulp," she murmured just loud enough for them to hear. "Now, on with the lesson piggies," she smirked.
Within the course of a few hours, Emily and Alicia were satisfied that everyone was capable of shooting the broad side of a barn. But Emily assured Alicia a full course would have to be given to all once they met up with the others…well, all but Gerard that is.
Gerard had proven far beyond expectations, he was capable of shooting the smallest target from great distances. He had even shown potential of being able to shoot moving targets amazingly well for a beginner. Everyone was amazed and astounded by Gerard's talents, calling him wonderful and a destined sharp-shooter. Everyone but Emily seemed pleased with his show of excelled power with a raygun. Instead of being amazed…she was worried. But she brushed it aside with another good natured smiles and announced the time to be moving on once more.
As they walked back to their cars, Emily caught Mikey and Alicia talking together.
"So how'd you and Em get colorful rayguns?" he asked, wavering his own plain one.
"Whoa, you got that thing on safety right?" Alicia laughed placing a hand on Mikey's gun to point it towards the ground.
"Of course I've got it on safety!" Mikey laughed.
"Well then, me and Emmy used to have white ones just like that from the machines," Alicia said. "But some Killjoy set up a paint shack out in Zone 3 out west, and then-BOOM! Ya got paint shacks popping up all over the Zones," she grins, "Don't worry, we're bound to come across one at some point and you guys can paint them up nice."
Emily couldn't help but feel wonderful inside. Seeing Mikey so happy with her cousin, and Alicia too, happier than she'd seen the girl in a long time. She was glad to see that Mikey at such ease, with little thought of her. Yes, it hurt, to see the boy she once loved shy away from her now. But time had her outgrow him. She still loved him, but not as she did in yester years. She loved him as she did the others, like he was an addition to her family beyond the family that had been ripped to shreds by twisted fate.
Looking upon the young ones, she could easily see the blooming friendship springing forth. She was about to call Alicia over so they could get going, but she caught a glance at something in Mikey's expression…one she remembered well enough. It was the same one she'd seen him give her when they were both young. She wanted badly for Mikey to move on from her, but not like this.
"Static, c'mon we gotta get going," Emily said.
Alicia looked over to her cousin and saw the serious expression on her face. She frowned and gave Mikey a wave before walking back over to the car. Emily held the door open for her to get in, then Lynzie. When she closed the door, she could feel his eyes boring into the back of her skull. She turned around and saw his pained expression, and couldn't help but wonder if it was for her, or Alicia, either way she didn't want Alicia and him falling for each other. In a place like this a relationship couldn't last long, not with Dracs and BLI constantly seeking your death. And she didn't want to be there if it came down to the worst.
She turned away and walked around and got into the car. She started it up and didn't even bother to check and see if the others were following, she just peeled outta there like no tomorrow.
Part 16: http://www.mychemicalromance.com/blog/zone-specter/apocalypse-part-16
