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Fun Ghoul’s fingers were deep in the engine of the Transam one afternoon, radio playing quietly in the background. He could hear the faint scratch of pencil on paper from Poison, who was sitting on top of the car, occasionally glancing around him and chewing on his lip, before going back to focusing. The desert heat had gotten to both of them, chasing them out of the diner and into the open garage.
Jet Star and Kobra Kid were out on a scouting mission, taking the bike since they didn’t really expect to find much. They wouldn’t be gone long, and it was a slow day, so both Ghoul and Poison were just laying around, entertaining themselves in anyway they could find. It had been a while since Ghoul had had the time to tinker around with the car, and he was taking advantage of the lazy afternoon.
Dr. D’s voice crackled across the hundreds of feet of space to the small radio, sparking the attention of both of them. Ghoul pulled his head out of the car, wiping his hands onto his jeans, the oil still staining his skin.
“Bad news from the zones tumbleweeds. It looks like Jet Star and the Kobra Kid had a clap with an exterminator that went all Costa Rica and, uh, got themselves ghosted-” Ghoul wasn’t listening anymore, staring up at Poison, whose face was currently going through many different stages of shock, finally settling on anger.
“What a cruel fucking joke.” He said, pushing himself off the roof of the car, walking over to the radio and clicking it off. “And from Dr. fucking D of all people. I wonder who's all in on it?” Poison turned his glare to Ghoul, who, to be completely honest, was shocked.
“Uh, Poison, I don’t think that was a joke.” He said, scratching at the back of his hand, a nervous habit. “He seemed pretty sincere when he said it.”
“Oh so you’re in on it.” Poison said, rolling his eyes, and mumbling something to himself that sounded like he was cursing. “Either way, you’re going to drive me to the station, because after I find Kobra my hands aren’t going to be able to drive because they’re going to be too busy throttling him. Fucking kid almost gave me a heart attack.” Ghoul didn’t reply, only nodding slowly.
Poison was in denial. Kobra and Jet were… dead. Ghoul knew that. They never joked about death here, because even though there was a chance you could come back, there was always people who didn’t. If they had come back, then they wouldn’t have announced the death on a public radio station.
Ghoul just got into the car, and started it without another word. Poison didn’t start a conversation, just threw his sketchbook onto the table, and got into the car.
They were at the station within minutes. Dr. D seemed to know they were coming, and was waiting outside as the Transam stopped, dust settling on the window. Poison was out the door before Ghoul could even turn the car off, and was striding towards him, not even waiting until he was sure that Dr. D was listening before starting to yell.
“You fucker! You think I would fall for this bullshit!? You don’t fucking joke about this shit anymore, asshole! Where the fuck is Mike- Kobra? I’m gonna fucking kill that little fuck!” Ghoul knew Poison was pissed, but he had no idea that it was this bad, that he almost gave away Kobras identity.
He was able to stop Poison from decking Dr. D, grabbing his hand as it raised up to get momentum. He pulled the taller man back, careful not to get hit by the flailing arms.
They didn’t need anymore enemies, not if Jet and Kobra really were gone.
“Poison, I don’t know what I can say to offer my condolences-”
“You can fucking tell me where they are! They’re hiding in there, aren’t they?!” Poison tore himself out of Ghouls grasp, and shoved past Dr. D, throwing the piece of wood that was the door to the side and striding in.
“Kobra you shit, get out here right now!” Ghoul could hear Poison yell, and Show Pony’s roller blades clacking across the floor.
“He’s not here Poison.” Ghoul tuned out the conversation, turning to Dr. D with a small frown.
“He thinks it’s all a prank.”
“Denial.” He hummed in response, nodding his head towards Ghoul. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what else to say. They were good people.”
“The best.” Ghoul replied calmly. He couldn’t be sad now, Poison would need him when he finally realized that this wasn’t all just fucking around.
“Ghoul, come on, we’re going to go look for them. Fuckers already left.” He was pulled back to focusing on the real world by Poisons voice, the piece of wood swinging to the side again. Poison walked out, and Show Pony came to the gap in the wall as well, watching as he walked towards the car. They shot Ghoul a sympathetic look, and disappeared back inside.
“Avoid route guano, I’m not sure if they’ve left the area yet. Don’t want to lose all of you.” Ghoul nodded, and waved slightly towards the radio host, and got into the car. Poison was staring out the front window, turning to glare at him when he got in.
“I’m pissed at you too, you know.”
“What, why?” Ghoul asked, glancing over at Poison, who was still glaring.
“Because you know where the fuck they are, and you’re not saying shit.” Ghoul let out a small sigh, looking back out the window.
“I’m not saying anything because I don’t know where they are.” He paused for a moment, swallowing past the bump forming in his throat. “I don’t think this is a joke, Gerard.” They were alone in the car, and no one could hear them. The name felt weird on his tongue, having not spoken it in almost three years.
Poison seemed to realize at the mention of his name that Ghoul was telling the truth. He crumpled in his seat, head dropping into his hands. “Fuck.” Was the only thing he said, and Ghoul hummed his response, starting back towards the diner.
The drive was silent, Poison managing to hold himself together until the car was stopped. He pushed opened the door and was gone before Ghoul could even say anything. He got out of the car, and pulled the door to the garage closed, shutting out the light and casting the room into complete darkness. He walked into the diner, and shut the makeshift door behind him.
The diner was bright, sunlight filtering in through the large window, but Ghoul just kept walking through until he got to the back, where he knew Poison would be. He got to the door to the room they all shared, beds shoved against the four walls and random bits of their lives laying everywhere, and knocked on the door.
He didn’t get an answer, and he let him be for a bit, knowing that when he needed him, Poison would find him. He walked back to the front of the store, sifting through the papers that were laying on the counter. He came across a sketch of Kobra kid, and smiled lightly, before setting it to the side.
It hurt, knowing that they were down to two. But they would get through this, they had to.
Fun Ghoul knew that Poison was strong, both physically and mentally, but he wasn’t sure if he would make it through this. The only person he knew his whole life in the past, suddenly gone because of some asshole’s who thought the world was better without any feeling, without individuality, without living.
And Ghoul had had enough of sitting by and waiting for them to come to him. He had had enough of his friends dying around him, and the ones who were left behind having their hearts shattered.
Except, there was nothing he could do. Maybe with Kobra and Jet around, they could have taken the city, but they were down to two, if that. At this point, Poison might be out of comission for months over this. Ghoul got it though, he understood. He wasn’t about to get angry that the guy couldn’t fight because his brother and friend were killed. No, that would be a shitty way of looking at it.
Ghoul could wait though. He would wait years. But he couldn’t die without knowing that the people who would live past him would be able to live, to breath. He hated knowing that people in the city, people he used to love, were stifled and useless.
He hated not saving people anymore.
Ghoul sat on the floor, back against the counter, facing the wall as he looked at the picture of Kobra. He knew that Poison wouldn’t be drawing again for a long time, he never did after a tragedy like this.
All he could hear was the blood rushing in his ears, heart thudding from even the thought of living again, instead of just surviving.
He closed his eyes, and put his palms next to the side of his face, trying to block out the rest of the world, even though it was already silent. He closed his eyes, and tried to imagine years ago. When it wasn’t banned to smile, to cry, to feel something.
Ghoul heard something. He opened his eyes, and it was dark. He had no idea how much time had passed, but it was night. The only light coming into the diner was the bright light of moon through the windows, just enough that Frank could see a figure standing at the door to the back.
Instantly his stomach churned as he rushed to grab his gun, still getting his wits about him when his hand was grabbed softly, warmly. He knew who it was almost instantly, and relaxed.
“Frank.” Poison whispered, all covers dropped, face broken. That was all that needed to be said, and Ghoul quickly pulled his best friend into a tight hug, letting him bury his face into the crook of his neck. “He’s gone…” Poison whimpered, his voice sounding even more shattered than his face, and Ghoul just rubbed his back in response, just being there, not adding anything, but listening.
They sat there for what seemed like hours, until finally Poison pulled away, holding himself at an arms length. “Don’t leave me.” He said softly, and Ghoul nodded once, a small movement, but that’s all that was needed. Poison took his hand, and pulled him up, his back and knees cracking loudly as he did. Ghoul winced only lightly, before letting himself be lead into the kitchen, which they had fashioned into a bedroom.
Three empty beds lay on the floor, blankets in various states of disarray. Poison tugged him over to their bed, and sat down onto the somewhat soft mattress, Ghoul plopping down beside him.
They situated themselves silently, the only sounds being that of their own breath when they settled, Poisons head on Ghouls chest, listening to the careful beat of his heart, assuring himself constantly that he was there, he was alive.
Sleep wasn’t an option, but it didn’t mean they couldn’t just lay, and remember that even though their numbers were dwindling, they had promised, one would always be there for the other.
The radio crackled to life a few feet away, and soft music began to play into the once silent night. At first, Ghoul thought he had fallen asleep again, but a glance at Poison told him that he wasn’t, he was fully awake.
When the world had gone to shit, Ghoul had been certain that every record of theirs had been destroyed, that no one could possibly have salvaged it.
Though, stranger things had happened.
“I hate the ending myself, but it started with an alright scene.”
Ghoul’s breath caught as Poison hummed softly along to it, voice breaking. He looked down, studying his face, and saw the water pooling in his eyes, as he felt the same in his own. All of the memories they had once shared with two other people, half of them gone, forever.
He reached down to where Poisons hand lay on his stomach, and took it gently, as not to start him, and squeezed it gently. A small squeeze back let him know that, yes, Gerard was still there.
Even if he was under a disguise, Gerard would always be there for Frank, and Frank would always be there for Gerard.