Part 21: Arizona

After this Arizona mounted his bike, revved the engine and drove off in the direction he assumed was home. But before long he learned he must have gone the wrong way. He couldn’t see anything ahead or to either side. In fact, all he could see was a solid white structure. Arizona looked around then jogged towards the wall. As he got closer he could see it was the Battery City wall, the one that protected the suburbs.

By now his skin was really starting to burn. Upon closer examination he could see the wall was but 7 feet tall. About a foot taller then his head. Unusual, but in this day and age, 6’0” was an abnormal height. He reached his hands up and jumped grabbing the top. There was no barbed wire, it made no sense to have any; Killjoys didn’t want to get in, and citizens didn’t want out. His hands clung on as he pulled himself up. It was rather easy but made difficult do to the rain. He perched himself on the top of the wall for a few moments surveying the area before him.

Rows and rows of small, off white buildings which must have been houses lined neat, orderly streets. The lights were off in many, meaning it was late at night. He sat there for a moment, thinking over his options. He finally settled on the one that was the most appealing.

He slid to a seated position with his feet dangling before dropping to the ground then fell to one knee silently and scanned the area, the rain was showing no signs of letting up and was really starting to irritate his skin. He ran towards one of the houses and peaked in a window.

It was low to the ground and looked like it lead into a basement area. He tried to the window, it was locked but not shut all the way leaving it vulnerable. He hooked his foot in one of the off corners and pushed. A loud pop/crack and the window gave in and swung in. He went in feet first unsure of how far from the ground he would be. He wasn’t to far and managed to land with out a sound. He stood and listened for any noise from above.

“Alright rats... Sorry to do this, but my people deserve the food way more than you do.” He mumbled to himself and grabbed a towel, starting to pat dry himself, beginning with his face. After that he tossed it to the ground and walked around the small basement, examining everything. There was a laundry section and a section that held two white boxes. He immediately assumed them to be fridges and possibly a freezer. He opened one to find it piled with clear glass mason jars of fruit, frozen to make them last longer. He grinned. Fruit was good for anyone to be healthy, he would certainly take all he could.

He closed the freezer and opened the other one. Inside was piles of packaged and frozen meat of all kinds. He grinned and pulled one out. Pork Chops. He put it back and closed that freezer then pulled out his raygun and turned to the stairs that led up to the closed door. He ascended the steps slowly and soon learned they were concrete, so they wouldn’t creak.

He soon reached the door and tried it, but he found it was locked. He grumbled and pulled one of his spikes off two spikes from his goggles, jamming them both into the keyhole and jiggling them. Shortly after there was a small click. He smiled and put his spikes back into their places then grabbed his raygun again and opened the door slowly. It moved inwards silently and he soon squeezed himself into the room. He looked around the large space. It was a living room. A medium sized tv was perched on a white wooden stand. The screen was dark and directly in front of the tv was a dark brown couch. The whole room seemed to follow the brown theme, aside from the tv stand.

“A Rebel!” Came a shocked but almost excited voice from behind him. He wheeled around, his gun point blank in a small kids face. The little boy looked shocked for a moment, then a small grin crept onto his lips. “A real life Rebel. Let me start by saying, I think the things you are doing are so heroic.” The little red headed boy stuck out his hand. “Name’s John.” He said.

Arizona was really shocked. This boy wasn’t afraid and he didn’t seem to be under the influence of the pills. Arizona blinked and lowered his weapon and took the kid’s hand and shook it once. “Arizona. Uhm, so what, you respect a Killjoy?” Arizona asked really confused.

“I stopped taking my pills after I read some of my dad’s papers. They are doing some really bad things.”

“I know it. But papers?”

“Yeah, are you hungry?” He asked, then turned and disappeared through a swinging door. Arizona followed slowly his gun still in his hand. He followed into the large, completely white kitchen and squinted his eyes against the light. He sat where the little red head John told him to and looked around. A clank on the table and he looked down to see two brown balls and a spoon.

“What’s that?” Arizona asked eyeing it uneasily.

“Ice cream!” John said excitedly.

“No way?” Arizona asked excitement bubbling up in him. He set his gun down and put a huge spoonful in his mouth letting the delectable taste spread over and freeze his tongue. He smiled and took another big bite. The little kid smiled then disappeared through a different door. Moments later he came back with a thick stack of many manila folders that were thick with white papers. He set them down then took his seat.

“My dad works for the high men of B.L.ind. so he brings work home.” Red Head explained leaning on his elbows. Arizona took another bite then opened the top manila folder.

Better Living Industries.

Jonas Graham.

Former countrymen. Future citizens. I welcome you here, to the future. To our future. In this city, this battery-powered city, all will be perfect. And all you need is this one little pill...

He shut the folder, disgusted already. It was a speech from back in 2012. “Jonas Graham... That sadist pig... as bad as Eldriege himself..” Arizona said.

“Who?” Red Head asked.

“Eldriege was the reason the US got bombed - you know, the United States of America from back in the day. Back after he was elected, he signed a paper saying we were at war with a communist country called North Korea. He bombed them, which had made a lot of Americans mad, and made the East even madder, so they attacked us back, and so on, everything East is basically gone. Same with here, minus Zone 6 and all the other zones including Battery City.” Arizona explained.

“So, what’s your story?” The kid explained then leaned more over the table as if eager to learn.

“Uhm, my story?”

“Yeah, who were you before you became a Rebel?”

“Please. Killjoy.”

“Sorry, before you became a Killjoy.”

“Well, before the Takeover I was a normal teen. Living in Arizona.”

“I thought that was your name.” He said skeptically.

“Oh hush, I’m getting there. Arizona, used to be a state. But anyway, I went to a tiny school in Fountain Hills. Fountain Hills High School. Only 881 of us. So it was pretty tight nit. My name back then was John Allen Van Halen Jr.” Red Head smiled, obviously glad he shared the name of a Killjoy.

“Anyway, I lived there with my parents, my dad, being the Senior to my Junior, and just before we moved here my baby sister Sarah was born. Then we moved because of the radiation that was spreading and because my dad got a job as a Draculiod.” He gave a shrug then spooned some of the near-melted ice cream in his mouth.

“Then what?”

“Well, I went to school here for about a year, before my dad brought home the pills. Mum didn’t wanna take them, so, she took me, and Sarah and we left. Almost a year later,” He stopped and wiped his nose. “The dracs found where we were hiding out, I guess they followed me home. But uhhm, they blew the place up.. Ki-” He stopped and shook his head. “Killed my mum and Sarah. Almost killed me. I was found by the leader of my Killjoy family - thats what we call our small groups that go and ruin plans of dracs. Warzone Wasp, she, well, she told me she found me on my stomach with my jacket facing up, and it says Toxic, so she asked who I was, but I guess I thought she asked where I was from and I said Arizona, so from then on I was known as Toxic Arizona.” He gave another shrug. “Not that cool of a story, there are others out there -”

“What? That’s awesome! I mean, I’m sorry you lost you mom and sister, but either way, I bet you’re a hero.” Red Head said smiling.

“Yeah, if the explosion didn’t kill my mum, her being sick surely would have eventually. Hey, thanks for the ice cream, but I really need to get going, I’m sure its done raining.”

“What? No, I wanna go.”

“Not a chance kid.”

“Please? I will let you keep those documents, there is loads of things you Reb- I mean, Killjoys- could use.” The kid made a face his bottom lip protruding out.

“How old are you?”

“13!” He said excitedly. Arizona chuckled then grabbed the pile of folders. “We steal my dad’s car.”

“Won’t your folks mind?”

“They won’t notice. They don’t notice anything on the pills.” The kid looked away bitterly.

“Fine, kid. But I’m gonna need lots of room.”

“What for?”

“I’m jacking your meat and fruit from the freezers in the basement.” The kid seemed suspicious, but then nodded.

“What else would you need? We have lots of things.” He nodded.

“Gas? Soap? Combs? Anything.” Arizona said already headed to the basement. Red head nodded and took off down the hall a smile spread across his face. Down in the basement he grabbed several black duffel bags and opened the first freezer and started tossing packages of meat inside it. More than half the freezer was gone before the bag was full. He grabbed another and filled that one up. By the time he finished that the boy was back and had a duffel bag himself.

“I grabbed all the towels, and soap and toothbrushes and tooth paste and soap and all sorts of soap I could find. I also got some plates, plastic of course, and all the silverware.” He said with a grin.

“Great. I took all the meat, carry it that car while I put the fruit in bags?” Arizona said opening the next freezer.

“Ok.” He said before grabbing both bags. They were obviously heavy but he said nothing as if trying to appear tough. Arizona set about putting mason jars into the next two duffel bags before he picked them up and carried them up the stairs. He entered the Kitchen to find the kid motioning to him from another door. When the light flicked on Arizona sighed and laughed at the vehicle before him.

“A sedan?” He asked as he inspected the vehicle. It was white and as he got around to the back where he was going to load the bags, the words indicating the model were in silver. Sienna XLE. “Not only that, its a sissy Toyota.” He sighed and opened the back. “Don’t worry, I’ll fix it up, make it more my style.” He said setting the bags down.

“John, dear, what are you doing up so late?” The words of a tired woman shocked Arizona into freezing. He glanced over to the kid who looked equally shocked. Arizona’s mind jumped into high gear as he tried to think of how to get out of this.

“I’ll distract her, you go behind her and grab her...” John suddenly said and walked out to meet his mum before Arizona could say anything. He rolled his eyes and went around the other side of the sienna at a squat pulling his raygun out. Soon he was in the position so he waited until John had the woman thoroughly distracted.

“Mum, sorry, I had a hard time sleeping, and you know, I just...” He fumbled trying to find words to say but was saved just as a large hand clamped over her mouth and pressed the raygun to her temple.

“Say a word and your brains are gonna be melted all over your pretty little nightdress.” Arizona said. The woman tensed and shook in fear. “C’mon,” Arizona said and steered the woman up the stairs and into the kitchen. John followed a serious worried look plastered to his young face. He sat the woman down on a chair still holding the gun in her face.

“John go get some rope or tuck tape or something.” Arizona said not moving his green and blue flecked eyes from the woman who sat terrified before him.

“What are you gonna do?” He asked.

“Just tie her down and gag her so we can get out of here with out anymore interruption. I don’t want that meat going bad.”

“Johnny? Baby?” The woman said in a shaky voice.

“Hush!” Arizona said. “John, go, I wont hurt her, I promise.” He said and after a moment the boy too off to look for something to tie his mother down with. Soon he came back with a roll of silver Duct Tape. Arizona took the tape and began to tape the woman’s hands together. She didn’t struggle simply glared with hatred and occasionally shot a sad look to her son.

Soon they were done and had returned to the garage and were climbing into the Sienna everything packed. The boy John was sitting in the passenger seat eagerly waiting to leave but Arizona pulled out the folders and started to open them. He saw many things that made him mad. He opened one that made him stop. They were blueprints to something that once used to be a cellphone tower, only it was different, a little more ominous. At first he wasn’t sure why it was even inside the pile until he started reading the bottom.

Due to the recent, and alarming rise in rebel resistance, I propose a tower. Not an ordinary tower. Far from. With this tower we will be able to not only control our people with the current pills, but we will be able to regain the control we lost with the rebels, therefore leaving none.

He didn’t read anymore. Anger, hatred, rage and a number of emotions rose up in his chest. Instead he pulled the keys from the ignition, got out of the Sienna and threw the door open. There had been a small radio set up inside the basement that he needed to use right away. He flicked on the switch and waited while the static settled down before he turned the dial a few times.

“Toxic Arizona to the Basket. Anyone, come in” He waited a moment, knowing it was late before a tired sounding Adolescent Suicide answered.

“Arizona? Where are you.” He asked groggily.

“I’ll explain in a moment go get Wasp.”

“She won’t be happy that you woke her-”

“She won’t care after I tell her what I just found.” He said interrupting Adolescent. There was silence then a very pissed off sounding Wasp came in through the transmission.

“Arizona, what the hell are you doing? No. Where the fuck are you?” She asked her southern drawl thick.

“Wasp shut up and let me talk.” Yeah, he was going be in some serious hot water for that when he got home, but this was far more important.

“Boy, you had better have a damn good reason for stepping out of line like this.”

“I do, I found something that demands the attention of not just us, but the Big 4.”

“What is it?” She asked, the anger still there though curiosity was winning.

“A tower. But, not like the normal beat down ones. I mean, this tower, it.” He paused thinking. “This tower is like the pill, but worse.”

“Worse how?” She asked all anger gone now.

“It does what the pill does, only, it-” He paused again and closed his eyes. “It transmits a wave length that gets in everyone’s mind, even us Killjoys and does what the pill does, only, its stronger, they’ve already tested it on some killjoys.” He finished then waited for a response that was slow coming.

“Get home now.” She said with a new urgency. “How long before you are here?”“Well get going.” She said before the other end was completely silent.

“Within two days if I speed a little, but let me shower before I show you anything, I,” He glanced down at his bloodstained and reeking clothing. “I stink.” He said, though he couldn’t really smell his stink anymore.

Arizona knew he shouldn’t, considering he had no right, but that pesky conscious of his wouldn’t let the matter drop.

“Hey, Ado?” Arizona paused, waiting.

“I’m here.”

“Did you- um - Is Alabama okay?” Arizona bit his lip, worried.

“Yeah, they just got here a few hours ago.” Ado paused. “Dude, you really fucked up this time.”

Arizona sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know. She was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I fucked it up again.”

“Hey, are you ok? They may all be pretty pissed at you, but, doesn’t mean we weren’t worried. What happened?” Adolescent asked.

“Karma kicked my ass. Now get some sleep.” Arizona said before he turned the dial a few times then switched the radio off. The next thing he did was head back for the Sienna but stopped in the kitchen, grabbed a spoon and the tub of ice cream from the freezer then climbed into the vehicle and slipped the keys into the ignition.

He started the Sienna and backed out of the garage at a speed that was not advisable. They tore down the empty and poorly lit streets putting his goggles on.

“Arizona? Whats going on?” The kid asked giving him a worried look. Arizona said nothing as he navigated the streets. Before long he began to wonder why it was so simple to him, then it clicked when he saw the name of a street. He used to live in this very neighbor hood so many years ago. He slows for a moment then remembers that he needs to get back right now so he speeds off again. Soon they are leaving the walls behind and entering the zone.

In the zone the clouds had faded away leaving the half moon shining brightly. He slowed to a more advisable speed watching the road his knuckles white around the steering wheel. The boy John had lapsed into a silence as he gazed at the moon.

“It’s so pretty out here, seems more bright...” He said after a while not tearing his chocolate colored eyes from the moon. “I sometimes wish I was a bird, you know, the kinds we read about in the school books. Big, majestic and beautiful. I would love to fly up by the moon on a night like this.” He said then sighed and leaned his head against the window.

“That’s a good name.” Arizona said a few minutes later. He glanced over at the boy who looked to be on the verge of sleep. “How’s that sound?” He asked a bit louder.

Startled he sat up again. “How does what sound?”

“A name for you, a Killjoy name.”

“Really? That would be cool!” He exclaimed hyper and awake again.

“Well, how about Lunar Flight?”

“I like it!” He said grinning.

“Good now get some sleep.” Arizona said and sped up a little, wanting to get home as soon as possible.