Chapter Text
“Where’d the name Party Poison come from?” Ghoul asked. The two of them were sitting in the diner, on the floor near the seats. Party was smoking a cigarette, breathing deeply outwards and inwards.
They shrugged. “Well, first time I got to The Zones, some guy gave me weed at a party, and I smoked so much I got paralyzed and everyone thought I was gonna die or somethin’.” They took another puff. “Some girl said I had like, ‘poisoned the party’, and I dunno, I liked it. Made it my name.”
Ghoul looked over at his crewmate. “How old were you? When you arrived at The Zones?”
“13. You?”
Ghoul thought for a moment. “I dunno. It's hard to really count since I used to be a drac. Think I was….14 or so?”
Party looked a bit surprised. “And how old were you when you were transformed?”
“9 or 10.”
Party let out a long sigh and chuckled nervously. “9? You got turned when you were 9? ” Ghoul nodded. Party chuckled again. “I didn’t realize they’re willing to transform people that young.”
“It's BLI. Doesnt matter what age you fuck up, you still fuck up.” Ghoul sighed. Party glanced over.
“I know that. I was a burn out, yknow that? My dad like…before The War, he wrote this big book warning about BLI and letting companies rule us….so like, when BLI took over, they watched him, and then our whole family.” Party stated.
Ghoul titled his eyebrows. “Wow. I don't remember my parents. I don't remember nothin’ from before they put the mask on me. It's all blank.”
“Shit, man. I can't imagine.”
Ghoul leaned his head back against the wall. “I know.”
They sat there in silence for a few moments before Jet walked in from outside, his shirt still covered in oil from fixing up the trans am. “Dr. D wants us.” He stated.
Party looked over at the taller killjoy. “Why?” They asked.
“I dunno. Something about a ‘joy in need of a gang. Kobra-what's-his-face from the crashtrack.” Jet took a cigarette from Party and lit it as he said this.
Ghoul’s eyes widened and he shot up. Jet had never cared about the crashtrack, but Ghoul followed the Zone sport closely. Kobra was like some prodigy. 2 years ago, he came out from nowhere and almost instantly became the lead in the lineup. He was cold, kinda quiet, but definitely pretty rad, atleast to Ghoul. “Kobra Kid? The Kobra Kid?”
Jet nodded. “I think so.”
Ghoul smiled widely. “And he needs a crew?”
Party chuckled. “I think he said that already.”
Ghoul quickly grabbed the keys to the ‘am and headed out to the car, the other two following. Jet got in the passenger seat and Party layed down in the back, now chewing gum.
Ghoul drove about as fast as Party did, but with the same amount of carefulness as Jet. He learned to drive pretty young, thanks to being a drac, but still after most others who had been transformed at his age due to not being able to reach the pedals.
Ghoul sped up a bit once he was on Route Guano, Jet turning the radio on. Dr. D was playing Misfits, and Party sang along in the back as Ghoul and eventually Jet joined in. No dracs or anyone else bothered them on their way to Dr. Death’s, and it felt genuinely peaceful for the first time in a while.
The WKIL station was a small building out in Zone 5. It was a former motel, and obviously so, as it still had the old signage up and everything. According to Dr. D, the old WKIL station from the 90s had been destroyed during The War, and so he and Hot Chimp had taken refuge in the motel instead.
The station itself was long and tan, with a green-ish roof and the individual rooms trailing behind reception. A long strip of roof with the word MOTEL on it separated the motel side from the station side. The WKIL crew- Dr. D, Hot Chimp, Newsagogo, Show Pony, and Cherri Cola- lived in the rooms, some of them anyways. The three got out of the car and into room 15- Dr. D’s room, where Jet told them in the car he and Kobra were.
The room was decently sized, with a large blue bed and a good look of Zone 5. The walls were stone, and there on Dr. D bed, talking to the DJ, was Kobra.
Party had never seen him up close, and seeing him this way made Party realize just how young he was. Party had always assumed that he was 19 or 20, but they were now guessing 15, fuck, maybe even 14. His baby fat clung close to his face, and well he was certainly taller than Party, he was sort of gangly, clearly not confident in his height the way say, Jet was. His face was covered in acne, probably the biggest giveaway to his age. He had his sunglasses off, and was now casually talking to Dr. D, who sat in his wheelchair, facing away from the trio. Kobra looked over, and Dr. D spun around.
“Took you all long enough. You're lucky I know The Witch, otherwise I would’ve thought you all dusted.” Dr. Death said, Ghoul bending down a bit to hug him. Kobra got off the bed, standing behind Dr. D, clearly a little nervous.
Jet waved a bit at Kobra, Kobra waving back, staring downwards at Dr. Death instead of at the three.
Dr. D looked up and smiled. “Don't worry kid, they don't bite.” He paused for a moment and shrugged. “Well Ghoul might, but only if provoked.” That earned a giggle out of Fun Ghoul.
Kobra approached the trio awkwardly, the three introducing themselves as he walked around, eventually going back to behind Dr. D. He didn't make eye contact once.
“Well, I wanted you all here because Kobra here has been a motorbaby for the past two years and I was thinkin’ it might be nice to get him in a gang.” Dr D told them.
“Does he want that?” Party asked. They weren't trying to be rude or sarcastic, but Kobra clearly seemed either uninterested or scared of them.
Kobra nodded shyly.
“How do you guys know each other?” Asked Ghoul.
Dr. D looked back at Kobra, who was fiddling with his gloves. “Well, Kobra here is an ex-juvie, both in slang and in truth. Being BLI though, they put him with the adults, and one of the guys there, an old friend of mine, told him to come here when he got out. Been keeping in an on him for a little while, making sure he didn't get lost in the static, or y'know, the crashtrack fame, and when he asked about if I knew any gangs lookin’ for new members I immediately thought of you three.” He smiled.
Party nodded slowly, thinking about it. Kobra was shy, shyer than most killjoys. Jet was quiet, yeah, but he certainly wasn't shy . Kobra seemed about as hesitant as Party felt. Maybe that was good, to have a crewmate who was open about their emotions.
“If he talks, we let him in.” Ghoul piped up before Party could even think more. Kobra shot him a glance.
“I can talk, it's just like unlike some people here, I only talk when I have something to say.” Kobra stated, eyeing Ghoul hard. His voice was honey-like, not in a sweet way necessarily, but it was thick like it.
Party certainly didn't like the obvious tension between Ghoul and Kobra, and shot ghoul a look. “Ignore Ghoul. He talks before he thinks.” They smiled at Kobra warmly.
Kobra dropped his look and went back to staring at the ground.
“Well, I think we can try it out. You seem pretty cool, and assuming Ghoul isn't gonna be a bitch…” They eyed him again “I think it’ll be okay.”
Kobra nodded and walked back over to the three, clearly unsure what to do now. They all said their goodbyes to Dr. D, and drove off.
—
“So…you gonna keep actin’ like you’re better than all of us?” Ghoul asked from the backseat once they were all in the car and on Route Guano
Kobra looked back. “I don't think I'm better than you.”
Ghoul nodded. “Right, right, you know it or whatever.”
Jet sighed and put his face in his hands. “Can we not do this right now?” He asked through his hands.
“No, I want to know what his fucking deal is,” Kobra told him. “I'm sorry I don't want to talk to you all a lot. Any of you, for that matter. It's just that I met you all about 10 minutes ago and the only one who’s tried to be nice is Party, so forgive me if I come across as a little cold.” He said before turning back around. Party looked over as they drove, eyebrows raised. Ghoul didn't talk after that.
They all got out once at The Diner, and Party showed Kobra to his room. It was tiny, basically a large closet, with a mattress and a lamp. In their defense, it was their spare room for any guest they might have. It didn't need to be nice. Kobra gave a soft smile and thanked them.
Once alone, Kobra unpacked onto the floor. He didn't mind the size of the room- his cell had been smaller. He got everything out- his spare pants, his comb, his Delatestryl, probably the only medicine he was willing to take nowadays. He sat down on his mattress and sighed.
He was here to stay, wasn't he?