“Alabama.” Someone hissed my name quietly, shaking my shoulder. I shot out of bed, adrenaline fueling my startling wake-up, before I realized it was Disco.
“Come on, you need to get up. Don’t wake Babydoll and Mighty Mouse.” He led me quickly out of the room of sleeping Killjoys and into the diner. I hadn’t realized it had fallen dark, but since this storm started, no one could tell day from night. From the clock on the wall, it was about 2 am Battery City time.
“What’s going on?” I whispered quietly to Disco as we crept out to the main diner. All of the emergency don’t-use-these-unless-the-world-ends-again lights were on, causing me to shield my eyes as I crept into the diner, wearing only some black cotton shorts I’d picked up a while ago and my wife-beater. As my eyes adjusted, I saw six people in the center of the diner. Two I didn’t recognize. Four I did.
“The Fabulous Killjoys?” I hissed at Disco. “Thanks for the warning!”
“Is this everybody?” The redheaded man, named Party Poison, as I was quickly filled in, looked at Wasp.
“Except the two youngest girls, yes.” Wasp was obviously tired, but still almost regal, like usual.
“So who’s the one with the plans?” He was expectantly examining Wasp.
“He’s having a hard time getting here, he’s on his way.” She nodded.
“So basically, your clan has become drama-filled and petty and you let them run all over the desert doing whatever they want?” Party Poison was looking down, pinching the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. He looked up, waiting for Wasp’s answer.
“Well now-”
“I just drove halfway across the second Zone in the pouring rain in the dark at 120 miles PER hour to rush over here for these plans, and you have NOTHING to show for it?!” Party nearly screamed. “You let your clan run a-muck with no order, you let your diner go to shit-”
“Party, calm the fuck down-” A tall man with frizzy brown hair put a hand on his shoulder.
“I will not calm the fuck down!” He raged. “There’s no one responsible here!”
“Hey, you can’t just come in here and say-” I started before he turned on me.
“And you! You just run off into the desert for no apparent reason because your little boyfriend broke your heart? Seriously? We’re in the middle of a war, you can’t just run off-” and that’s when my fist connected with his jaw. It shut him up awfully well.
The infamous Party Poison fell down rather ungracefully as I was manhandled by Disco and Zebra, who locked up my biceps and held me back, even though it was unnecessary. I only needed one shot. Everyone started yelling as Party Poison spit out a wad of blood on the floor. The noise stopped suddenly, however, when we heard laughing. I didn’t find the source until my eyes landed on Party Poison, laughing his head off from the floor.
“Wow, I totally deserved that, didn’t I?” He looked at the his hand, which was covered in his blood, before looking back at me. “You have some left hook.”
“Thanks.” I smiled nervously from my captors’ arms, unsure if he was serious.
“You totally did deserve that by the way, dumb-ass.” The girl rolled her eyes while the frizzy-haired man and the tall, skinny one helped him up.
“C’mon, knucklehead, let’s go clean you up.” The shorter, dark-haired man led the way to the kitchen, rolling his eyes playfully. The guys let me down after he’d left the room, which is when we all merely looked at each other and started busting a gut, seeing as there was nothing else we could do.
After we’d all calmed down, we realized that the girl we’d seen earlier was still here. Her hair was a bright, frizzy red with neon green streaks, which framed a pale, freckled face. A long scar ran down one cheek, giving her elfish face a look of toughness.
“I would’ve done the same thing.” She grinned and held out her hand. “It was nice to see someone stand up to him for once. I’m Tear Gas Terror.”
“Alabama Napalm.” I eyed her carefully, shaking her hand. “This is Disco Destroya, Zebra Kiss, Raging Radiohead, Lightning Laserstrike, Solar Crash, Plasma Noise, Adolescent Suicide, and of course, Warzone Wasp.” I pointed to each one in turn as she shook their hand.
“But yeah, I promise, Party isn’t always such a hardass. He’s just stressed from... some stuff.” She looked away for a moment before turning back to us, her kind smile renewed. “I’m gonna go check on them.” She followed them into the kitchen quickly.
“Terror’s running with them again?” Zebra’s eyebrows went up. “Something big is up, that’s for sure.”
“Oh, quit gossipping and go back to bed. I’ll wake you when Ari gets home.” Wasp looked disheveled and exhausted.
“Wasp, you go get some sleep, you need it.” Solar nodded. “We’ll stay up and deal with the losers in the kitchen.”
“No, I’m fine.” She nodded, determined. “Don’t even bother arguing it. I’m fine.”
“All right then, if you insist.” Zebra shrugged.
“Everybody, grab a seat, we’ve got a wait ahead of us.” Wasp nodded as we dispersed to various parts of the diner. I grabbed Disco and sat across from him in a booth, folding my frigid feet underneath me.
“Now spill. What happened? Why are they here?” I nodded to the kitchen.
“Apparently, Arizona radioed in about finding some plans. I don’t know the whole story, but rumor has it,” His voice dropped to a whisper, making him inaudible to the rest of the diner thanks to the ever persisting rain. “it’s a mind control plot by BLI. It could enslave all the Killjoys at once.” ,
“But that’s-”
“The same as the pill.” Disco cut me off. “They mess with your brainwaves This is very possible and it could work on everybody.”
I was silent for a minute, contemplating this. “Do they have any sort of plan?”
“I heard they’re sending in one of their spies to take it down.” He shrugged, quiet for a moment. “Hes coming back soon, y’know.”
My jaw tightened at the mention of Arizona. “I know.”
“You’re not going back to that piece of shit, are you?”
Suddenly, the door swung open and who else but Arizona walked through the door, soaked and disheveled, carrying what looked like a body over one shoulder. Disco stood up quickly, as did everyone else. My eyes widened as he dripped on the floor, the stench of rotting meat and acid rain flooding the room.
“Uhm, he’s just sleeping, don’t worry.” He said softly, his voice throaty and obviously exhausted. Zebra strode toward him and took the kid, handing him off to Ado before starting to strip Ari, removing his soaked clothes.
“Dude, you reek.” Rage made a face. Arizona nodded, allowing himself to be stripped. I noticed Solar lurking near the door to the mattress room, watching from afar, her arms sleepily crossed over her chest, worry written over her face as she watched him. Arizona didn't notice as Wasp and Zebra fussed over him, seeming to be running on empty. I stood from my seat, catching Arizona's eyes. I eyed him hesitantly, skeptically, as he stood before me, his goggles and most of his clothes shed, leaving him vulnerable. His eyes showed just how sorry he was, how badly he wanted me back. His eyes showed me volumes, but then I remembered the way he’d kissed Solar, the way he’d lied and used me. I couldn’t forgive him, at least not yet. I bit my lip and looked down, turning and walking away.
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