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Next one Gerard thought.
Gerard Way, also known as the good one, never wanted this life. He had a better one, with his parents, his Grandmother and his brother and he was happy.
Of course he had his moments where he just wanted to disappear… but not this way.
But even if he wanted, he couldn’t blame his brother for the life he got. He had gone with Mikey to ask for this in that rainy night seven years ago. They both wanted to save his grandmother, she was what kept their family together for the most part, the one who they could trust the most and that grandmother sweet and loving that would stand for them no matter what. They had already tried everything to save her… and this one was the option they would’ve never thought they’d choose.
They had made a deal. They gave their souls to the Devil for ten years and do whatever task was commanded to them. Their grandmother would live as long as they did their job.
But there was something that they didn’t realize until it was too late. Never make a deal with the Devil. You’ll always lose. And the Way brothers weren’t the exception.
Their grandmother survived through her terminal illness to the surprise of the whole family and doctors, who couldn’t explain even to themselves how could that happen. But the brothers just disappeared on everyone’s eyes. Nobody could see them, they were just ghosts for the time their grandmother was alive. Before it was her time to die, Mikey and Gerard could magically go back to their home to spend her last few days with her.
Mikey Way, for most people, the evil one had the worst part of it all. He, as the one who asked for it in first place, had to make the bad part of their job. Although they jobs were quite the opposite, at the end, what they both did was put together with a common porpuse.
Each of them carried a basket with them. They were full of little pieces of paper with names on them. The task that the Devil had given them was to work for the Death for those ten years, carrying the souls to the right place. Every ten hours they had to pick a paper from their baskets.
Mikey’s task was easy. He just had to take the life away from that person. It was the worst part, but it eas an easy job after all. Those lives were the ones that would keep their grandma alive, and those people wouldn’t survive anyway. The more alive that person’s soul was, the better his grandmother would live.
And there was where Gerard came in. His job was a little more difficult and sometimes painful. He also had to take one of the names out of his own basket, but in his case, his task was to make that person he picked happy; he had to make their biggest dream come true so that their soul would be more alive.
However, the Devil wasn’t going to make their task easy and make all the names match so Mikey could get the souls in a complete state of bliss. Hardly ever the names they picked matched, which was good for their mental health, though. Gerard just had to make that person happy without that little voice on the back of his head telling him that that person he was making happy was going to be taken away by his brother as soon as she or he had reached the highest point of satisfaction. He felt as he was betraying that person, even though he didn’t even know most of them.
But when he did know those people… it was even harder. It happened about eight weeks ago. One of the worst things that had ever happened to the Way brothers. That time, the names they had picked matched. Ray Toro it said. Mikey’s best friend and Gerard’s biggest advisor. Gerard cried a lot, but a little part of him told him not to. At least, his friend had died happy. But Mikey didn’t have that little comfort. He had to kill his best friend and that person who had been with him all those years. Even though all those years had made Mikey’s heart almost as cold as the Death’s itself, nothing could make him forget the fact that the one who was killing now was the person who stuck by his side just like his brother.
“It’s time, Gerard” Mikey said, sitting beside his brother on a rock. They were on the beach, staring at the sun setting behind the sea. The way the light hit the water was something that had caught Gerard’s attention since he was really little. It changed its color and the sun made the water look like it had little sparks all over it. This was one of the few things that brought him peace in the past few years.
“I know, Mikes. But… I don’t want to do this anymore. I still can’t even think of forgiving myself for what we did to Ray… Don’t you get it? We killed Ray; Ray, Mikey! We can’t do this anymore. What if… what if it is mom next? Or dad? Or… Alicia? Or Bob?” Gerard was on his feet now, screaming at his brother who just looked at him with his poker face that he knew way too well. They had had this discussion more than once. “Mikey, we have to stop this. Now”. And it only lead to the same point over and over again.
“We can’t, Gerard. Think about Grandma Elena, please! You know it better than I do. If we quit, she dies. No way back. At least, once we’re done we’ll have ten days with her before she leaves! I want to be with her at least those few moments. You know she’ll die before we make it home if we quit now.” Mikey said, standing up too. He knew that if they keep talking and didn’t do what they were supposed to, things were going to be… bad.
“Mikey, please, underst-“
“No, Gerard. We’re doing this for Elena. I started this for you. I know how fucking much you love her, just like I do, so pick one goddamn paper and do what we have to.”
So they did. Mikey got his piece of paper out of the basket first. There were even less papers every time… there were just few left.
He took it between his fingers and read the name.
“Oh, fuck. I’m so sorry, Gerard” Mikey mumbled just as Gerard was looking as his own paper.
“No… this can’t be true…” the older one said as looked up to see his brother.
He looked to his paper again, just to be sure that this wasn’t just a nightmare or a sick joke.
No, the name scribbled on the paper didn’t change.
It still said Frank Iero.
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“C’mon, Gerard. We have to do this. I know this hurts bu-“
“No, Mikey. You won’t have to fool the love of your life and then kill him” Gerard growled.
They were both in front of Frank’s home. At his early twenties, and with the help of his parents, Frank could afford an apartment for himself, a place where he could hang out with his friends like Gerard.
The thing that hurt Gerard the most was that he wasn’t planning on seeing him again. Not ever. After all those years of hiding his feelings for him, he just got used to the idea of knowing that he was alive somewhere. And now, Gerard had to go to Frank’s apartment, after seven years of not seeing him, just to make him happy for a few hours until everything was ready for his brother to proceed. Just perfect.
He knocked Frank’s door three times and after a second he hit the door once more; just as he used to do before, when he still visited Frank on the afternoons to watch movies or play a whole rock show in Frank’s living room before laying on the floor together in silence with a big pizza between them.
He heard something falling and making a loud bump from the other side of the door and right after that, a person swearing. It sounded like Frank, Gerard thought, but it was different. Surely these seven years had changed something more than his voice. And he just hoped that everything would go fine, or as fine as it could be considering the situation.
Just before he heard Frank yelling an “I’m coming!” from inside, Gerard took the little paper again from his pocket.
The name, of course, was still there; he tried to ignore it and he flipped the paper. Usually, on the other side of the papers, he could find something written that would help Gerard figure out what he had to do to make that person happy. It wasn’t something that was very important in the life of that person; it was something that would make them extremely happy for just a few minutes.
Sometimes it was the illusion of someone who has died talking to them; other’s biggest dream was to have a “proof” that the person they loved, loved them back; the pet they have always wanted… things like that. Most of them were easy to please.
With Ray it was hard. His friend wanted to know where his two missed friends had been. And Gerard told him everything, just before Mikey came in and… took him away.
This time, Gerard was confused. On the other side there was something scribbled, as always, but it wasn’t a word. It was like a circle with something on it… maybe it was a “6”… or a “G” but he couldn’t be sure, since the little paper had been trapped in the tight grip of Gerard’s hand for a really long time.
The door opened and Frank’s face appeared in front of Gerard. He looked older, of course, but… worse. His eyes were dull and his bread showed him that his friend hadn’t shaved in a few days. It also looked like he had gained some weight, but it was still fine.
“G-Gerard?” he said, letting the hand that was still on the door, fall to his side to hang there almost lifeless “Is… is that you?” he mumbled, shocked, titling his head a bit to the side.
“Uhm… hi Frank” Gerard said awkwardly, still taking in the new image of the Frank in front of him “May I come in?”
“Uh, ye-yes, sure. Come in.” Frank said slowly before opening the door all the way so Gerard could get in the apartment.
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“Well, this time was faster than others, Gerard” Mikey said as he saw his brother on the couch with Frank asleep, resting his head on Gerard’s chest.
As soon as Gerard had entered the house, nothing was awkward anymore. It seemed that they were back to the times when they would just hang around each other as easily as breathing and everything just went smoothly. They had talked, a lot. Gerard didn’t tell him why he had gone away all those years, though.
They talked about how much Frank had missed him, and all those times that he felt empty because he didn’t know if his best friend was alive or dead or just gave up on everything - on him- , and most of all, about how much he regretted not having told Gerard about his feelings. And Frank even kissed him, the best feeling for both of them, after seven years of not seeing each other, both of them needed this.
“I didn’t do anything yet, Mikes. I don’t even know what I am supposed to do with him” he whispered, running his fingers through Frank’s hair, not wanting him to wake up.
“Well, whatever you did with him was good enough to make him the happiest he’ll ever be, bro” Mikey mumbled softly with a small smile on his lips; and with that Gerard realized that the thing on the back of the paper was definitely a “G” of… Gerard. He was enough to make Frank happy, just like the younger boy was enough to make Gerard content, and now he felt horrible for betraying Frank.
Slowly, Gerard got up, not wanting to wake Frank, but he did give him a kiss on his lips and Gerard was delighted to see a small smile forming on thin his lips.
“Well, Mikey, do what you have to. I’m out of here.”
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“How are you, Gee?”
“How do you think I am? The only person who I loved and actually loved me back has just… died. You don’t know how hard it is, Michael.” Gerard hissed as a solitary tear ran down his cheek. He quickly whipped it away, not wanting his brother to see it. “I’m done, Mikey. Just… do the rest on your own. I can’t do this anymore”
“Gerard! You can’t just give up. Remember, we’re in this together.”
“I know, Mikes… but… Frank… he meant too much to me… I don’t know if I can stand the next three years… or my whole life living without him, knowing that he’s not even breathing anymore” Gerard said, lowering his voice as he spoke and Mikey could see his brother’s bottom lip start to quiver.
“Ok. Just… take a break or something and we’ll talk later. We still have two hours to the next one.” And with that he walked away, leaving his brother alone in the beach with his thoughts.
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“Gee, this isn’t supposed to be this way. I’m really sorry, brother”
“This had to happen someday. We both knew it. But now I’m glad, I’m gonna be with Frankie, you’ll end this and you’ll see grandma again. Everything’s gonna be fine, Mikey, trust me” Gerard muttered as he hugged his brother for the last time. Mikey hugged him back tightly as a tear dropped to the ground.
He hated that idea, but he knew that he didn’t have a choice.
After some minutes, Mikey Way watched as the lifeless body of his brother fell from his arms to the ground, as well as the little piece of paper he had taken a while ago from his basket, which said Gerard Way scribbled on that handwriting that he had seen so many times.