Pretty poison

by inlovewithaspiderguy

Summary:

Fed up with the others’ concerns, Party Poison goes their separate way and ventures alone at night in the desert. Korse finds them asleep and vulnerable, and just can’t pass on this opportunity to teach the killjoy a lesson.

Notes:

I’m ace and a virgin so this is probably inaccurate.
The other day I was thinking “What would be the worst thing ever to happen to my blorbo?” and my brain made this up and I found it horrifying. Then I wondered if I was able to write smut in English. Apparently I am.

Chapter 1: 1

Ten Dracs were walking in a straight line towards the diner, a stupid plan which would’ve gotten them killed one by one if the killjoys hadn’t used up all the energy in their ray guns. They had, though, and those damned Dracs knew it. Who would’ve thought they could form a good strategy.

It wasn’t a problem for most of the guys, as Jet was rushing to his room to get a rifle. Holding wires in his mouth, Ghoul was making up a bomb on the fly and hadn’t been scratched up too badly. But Party wasn’t looking at either of them. Their eyes were fixated on Kobra, hiding behind the Trans AM, with nothing but his fists to defend himself.

Party got that this was also part of the Dracs’ plan. They’d fired after the others as they ran into the diner, and covered the doormat in well-aimed shots that made it clear Kobra could not get in if he didn’t want to meet the Witch sooner than intended. How were those things getting smart?

The line of Dracs was six feet away from Kobra. Party could see him cracking his knuckles. They already knew that this would end in a blood bath, and they’d rather it wasn’t their brother’s.

“Five second bomb?” they asked rhetorically as they snatched the explosive from Ghoul’s hands.

They rushed outside, leaving behind their boyfriend who seemed to scream back a different number, and pressed the button as they headed for the Dracs.

“Hey, fuckers!”

BLI’s goons tightened their ranks seeing Party run past the Trans AM.

They threw the bomb at the Dracs.

Three seconds, not five.

The explosion blew them away. They landed on their side. The sand and rocks dug deep scratches into their skin. They waited until they could hear themselves coughing their lungs out again to look up.

At least Party hadn’t been blown apart. The car was colored an unusual shade of red.

That was gonna be a bitch to wash away.

Their brother ran quickly and helped them up. Party shook the dust out of their hair.

“You okay, Kobes-“

Kobra slapped them.

Party stumbled back, more from the surprise than the actual slap. Their cheek turned red. Kobra had lost his sunglasses, and Party could see how mad he was.

Shit.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Kobra yelled.

“I beg your damn pardon? I just saved your life!”

“You almost died is what happened! What were you thinking?! Do you have a deathwish?”

The last shot of the battle rang through the air. Jet had used his rifle to finish off a Drac that hadn’t been completely annihilated by the blast. Kobra didn’t even blink, he just kept screaming at Party.

“Why did you even do that, I was fine!”

“Well you must not have seen how many Dracs were about to fucking ghost you, then,” Party replied, irritated.

They didn’t like being lectured, especially not when it was from their brother, and even less when they didn’t think they had done anything wrong. Jet and Ghoul walked up to the argument. Their faces seemed to indicate they were siding with Kobra.

“Hey, don’t you ever pull shit like that again, Ghoul started. We’re getting real tired of your reckless act.”

“What reckless act, I saved Kobra!” they said, gesturing at the latter with their right hand.

“Saved me? From ten Dracs I could’ve taken out easily?”

Kobra pushed their hand away, which Party didn’t feel, and whipped out a fully charged gun.

They’d forgotten about Kobra getting a second raygun from the market the other day.

“Ah, fuck. Well, I still got the job done, so no need to treat me like I’m a fucking kid, okay?” they said, bitterness dripping from their words.

Jet shook his head and sighed. “Look at your hand.”

The right one, which had been holding the bomb, was looking pretty ugly, they had to admit it. They pinched their arm, the numbness went pretty far up. Well, it would resorb quickly.

“When we say you almost died, we mean it, Party.” Jet’s tone was angry, for maybe the first time since they knew each other. “Your arm is a mess, your sides are all bloody, and I don’t think you got a 20/20 hearing right now.”

Ghoul snapped his fingers on each side of their head. They flipped him off, but they hadn’t heard the sound well on the left side.

“Isn’t the important part that we’re all here and alive?” Party snapped back.

“No it’s not. You always do shit like this and you don’t even realize it! It’s like you don’t even think!”

“Well I’m thinking that you guys are assholes who can’t even say thank you properly!”

They’d had enough of this. They pushed the others away and walked back to the diner.

“Thank you for trying to kill yourself and blaming it on us? Sorry Pois, not interested!” Ghoul followed them.

“Isn’t the whole point of being a killjoy that death doesn’t stop us?” they replied through gritted teeth.

“You are reckless, Party, and maybe you don’t give a damn about your life but you should watch out. You’re gonna hurt others too. Kobes was really close to getting blasted away with you.”

That last sentence from Jet was the tipping point. Party turned back. “Fuck off, I had it under control! I saved him, and the two of you as well; if I hadn’t thrown that bomb we would all be dusted now! You know what, since I don’t do anything right by you, I’m out. Go get killed by Dracs without me.”

They grabbed their Mousekat head from their room and stormed out of the diner. The guys, first perplexed, tried to talk them down by telling them not to be “so fucking stupid”. Surprisingly, that didn’t help.

Party hopped on their bike and made the engine roar. Not feeling anything in their hand was making the ride dangerous, but apparently that was their thrill.

They drove away to the next Zone, leaving their “friends” behind.

 

It was twilight now. Party stopped at an abandoned building that didn’t look like a place Dracs would camp at. Could’ve been an old factory. The ground was made out of concrete. They sat on their jacket, eating a can of expired Powerpup they found in the desert. Tasted like rat shit, probably for a reason, but it wasn’t that different from their regular meals at the diner.

They had no idea where they were exactly. Hadn’t thought to take a map with them. They’d always followed the same direction, they could still easily find their way home. If they wanted to.

Candlelit dinner. They broke three out of the four matches they’d gathered, but the fourth time was the charm. Gave off a little light to fight off how dark the room was getting.

The flame hurt their fingers after a while. They were getting back sensations. Proof that it wasn’t that bad and that Kobra, Jet, and Ghoul had overreacted.

Party finished their meal and kicked the can away. They moved the jacket under a window oriented to the east, so that they’d still wake up in the morning even without Ghoul pushing them off their shared bed.

They put on the Mousekat head. It wasn’t anything like the statue part they’d stolen from Battery City all those years ago. Party turned this propaganda mascot into their trademark. They’d fitted it over a biking helmet, and added a two-way radio inside. It was always set on their crew’s channel, so they could communicate with the Trans AM and Jet and Kobra’s helmets.

They turned the receiver on. Static filled the inside of the head, echoing around them. Then they heard Jet’s voice.

“Hey, Party, we’re recording this so we can play it for whatever long it takes you to tune in. You gotta come back. This is a stupid fight, we shouldn’t all be yelling at each other and moping around like teenagers. I think we can work it out. I gotta go now, we’re going to the Zone 5 market to get new batteries for the guns. See ya soon.“

Static. “Hey, Party, we’re-“

Party moved the switch to start transmitting. Their mouth stayed open for a while.

Their brother had slapped them.

Their best friend had said they were gonna hurt people.

Their boyfriend asked them if they wanted to kill themselves.

Party turned the radio off. They took off the Mousekat head and set it next to them.

At least the broadcast got them to remember that their raygun was near empty. There didn’t seem to be any batteries around. Shame.

They took off their shoes and laid on their jacket, the persistent heat pricking their skin with beads of sweat. They felt better in their low-cut armhole shirt.

They blew out the candle and stared at the moon until their eyes closed by themselves.

Chapter 2: 2

Notes:

Graphic depiction of rape, non-consensual somnophilia, and suicide ideation.

Korse resisted the urge to take out his gun and empty the ammos into the Draculoids around him. While they were raiding this ghost town in Zone 4, a rebel had sneaked past them and sabotaged the engine of their vehicle. Korse had shot her on sight of course, but the damage was done. They’d only managed to start back the van fifteen minutes ago. Now they had to cross four Zones at night.

Killjoys reveled in the night, like the animals they were. The way back to Battery City was already risqué enough. Korse wished he had real SCARECROWS with him. The soldiers he trained himself would never have been so stupid. Korse hated Dracs, killjoys, and the desert. An explosive combination.

He tapped on the shoulder of the driving Drac. Its predecessor lay in the ghost town, its brain blown out.

“We won’t do all that road tonight. Find us some place to rest. Make it quick.”

The Drac nodded.

In front of them, sand, dust, and faraway mountains. The moon was out, shining down blue light on the barren land. Korse sometimes had trouble believing the rebels were actually happy to live there. Must be the brainwashing. At least he could see that there was no trace of life around them. Maybe the killjoys had retreated to their lairs.

Flickering warm light on their right. Korse gripped the seat. “What is that?”

He pointed at the light as he spoke. The Drac followed the direction.

The light soon died out but Korse’s curiosity was piqued. He’d be happy to release his bloodlust on filthy killjoys.

An ancient metallurgy. The machines had probably been taken out and the place left to rust after the killjoys started attacking BLI’s out-centered factories. The walls outside were covered with obscene graffiti.

Korse had the Dracs stop the van half a mile from the factory. They didn’t know how many enemies were inside or if they’d been noticed. Better sneak up on them if they could.

Korse almost smiled when he saw a lone motorbike parked by the doors. Three or four max. Easy slaughter.

He sent a couple of Dracs to round up the place and led the others inside, leaving a Drac to watch the van.

The doors slid open without creaking. As he thought, the place was empty. Just a gigantic concrete slab, a Mousekat head, and…

Korse actually smiled. Jackpot.

Party Poison, the most wanted killjoy of all seven Zones, lay still by the door. He would’ve mistaken them for a dog, were it not for their defiantly red hair. He took a step towards them. The killjoy did not move. They were asleep.

Korse notified his Dracs to surrounder the building. No one getting in or out. He kept only two Dracs by his side, just in case.

Poison. This bastard had been a thorn in Better Living’s plans for years. And now they were so vulnerable. Korse just couldn’t miss this opportunity.

He crouched above the ‘joy. His gun almost touching the skin between their eyes. Good riddance.

But Korse wasn’t contempt with that. Poison wouldn’t even know they’d been sent to this supposed ‘witch’ they believed in. That wasn’t an appropriate punishment for the disturbance they had caused.

Korse used the barrel of his gun to push red strands away from their face. They were quite pretty.

He slowly put his hand on Party’s hip. The killjoy didn’t react.

He had an idea.

Korse put away his gun so that Party couldn’t grab it if they woke up. Their own was in the hands of the Dracs. Said Dracs watched quietly as Korse undid the belt of Poison’s jeans. They had no opinion or vocal cords to voice them out. Korse didn’t mind them watching. He’d show them how to tame a killjoy.

Party moaned in their sleep when Korse slid the jeans off. He stopped for a second but it didn’t seem to have woken them. The moan sounded like a name.

Whore.

Korse undid the fly of his own jeans. He was harder than he thought. The opportunity of putting this brat in their place was a turn on for him. That wasn’t a surprise. For years he’d wanted to bend the killjoy over and make them beg for forgiveness.

He spread Party’s legs around him to get better access. Party let themselves be manhandled, they even moaned again.

“Ghoulie…”

Fun Ghoul. Korse would remember that.

He caressed the rim of Party’s asshole, willing it to open up a little more. He had no interest into making this easier for them, but he wanted it to be enjoyable for himself. Party could make an effort.

He aligned the tip of his cock with Party’s hole and slowly thrust in, inch by inch, until he was totally inside them.

Fuck. The killjoy was impossibly tight, it did wonders to his cock. The thought of the arrogant Party Poison, used in their sleep by Korse himself, made him incredibly hard.

He bottomed out and thrust back in just as quickly, ripping a whimper out of that pretty mouth. As he set an aggressive pace, liquid started covering his cock and leaking out of Party. Blood. Good.

His hands gripped their hips tight enough to leave marks, and he could feel their legs tremble every time he entered them. The sensation was overwhelming. He could see Poison’s own dick hardening, and he smirked.

 

Something hurt. It wasn’t their injuries from the battle, although the ribs were still a little sore. Their shoulders and spine, from sleeping on concrete. Sharp pain came from tiny spots on their hips. And their lower back.

They felt movement. On top of them, around them, inside them. Ghoul didn’t tend to do that.

They still moaned their boyfriend’s name as their eyes fluttered open.

“It’s not Ghoulie, Poison…” replied a taunting voice they were too well-acquainted with.

And suddenly everything was wrong.

Sleep left them instantly. It was Korse, the moon shining off his stupid bald head gave it away. He was smiling like a shark. His hands drawing blood from keeping their hips in place.

And his…

His cock slamming in and out of Party.

They screamed and trashed, trying to push Korse away. He snapped his fingers, and two Dracs behind them pinned their wrists to the ground.

“Get off of me!!”

Their feet couldn’t get a grip on the ground, it was covered in a dark sticky fluid. Party almost sobbed when they realized it was their own blood. All over their legs and ass.

Korse was having the time of his life. Party tried to headbutt him but the Dracs pulled them back. Their head hit the ground harshly, and nausea overcame them, killing off their fighting spirit.

“Enjoying yourself, Party Poison?” Korse leaned down to whisper to their ear. His languorous tone made them sick.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you!” they yelled back.

Until the explosion in their head stopped, that was all they could do, yell.

Korse pounded all the way into them, and Party actually felt their insides ripping apart. They bit their lip not to cry. So much for Party Poison the invincible killjoy.

“Are you crying, Party? Do you want me to make you feel good?” Korse’s lovey tone clashed with his predatory smile as he wrapped a hand around Party’s dick.

“No! Don’t touch me!”

The tears on their cheeks encouraged Korse who gave them a quick tug, but it almost made Party spasm with pleasure. It wasn’t enough to black out the pain but when Korse started to jerk them off, Party couldn’t fight it.

It was all too much. Every inch of their body was on fire, screaming at them to make it stop, and all those screams came out as chocked sobs that fell into deaf ears. They were a wreck. Korse got off on that.

Eventually the thrusts slowed down a little, but Party knew this wasn’t the end of their ordeal. Korse was not pitiful.

They’d closed their eyes a long time ago, not willing to see how exactly they were being destroyed, and it was a shock to them when Korse’s lips crashed against their own.

Not there. That was the only part of them the head of the SCARECROWS had not defiled. It was Party’s, and Ghoul’s.

They tried to fight back, screaming as best they could, while a voice at the back of their head wondered if Ghoul would still want them after that. As if he’d read their mind, Korse pulled back.

“You’re a good fuck, Party, if one knows how to make you obey. Do you whore yourself out often?” he asked, running his fingers on Party’s chest.

They did not reply and tried to pretend it hurt their scratched ribs more than it make them feel good. They were close.

Korse didn’t mind. “Once I’m done with you, I’m gonna turn every single Zone upside down until I find where your friends are hiding. I’ll tell them all about this and how you were such a whore for me. Then I’ll fuck them into submission too.”

Party shook their head, every thought in their mind had turned into an uninterrupted string of no.

“First your best friend.” Thrust in. “Then your boyfriend.” Thrust out. “And finally your brother.” Thrust in.

“Please don’t, they didn’t do anything to you, they were just following my lead, please leave them alone…” Party begged.

“You whine just like a Pornodroid… maybe I’ll keep you around and make you watch as I take them, so you don’t forget that this is all your fault… fuck!”

Korse threw his head back and came inside Party. They felt it fill them, revive the pain of their ripped insides. Korse jerked them off one last time to make sure they followed him in orgasm. It washed over Party, short-lived pleasure staining their shirt and changing something in them. Maybe forever.

Korse slowly pushed out of their damaged asshole. The come leaking out made them want to throw up. They curled up in a ball, not even registering that the Dracs had let go of them. Handcuffs were slapped on their wrists, and just feeling someone else’s hands on their skin made their whole body shake with fear.

“Such a pretty view,” Korse cooed from above them.

Party heard a camera clicking in the distance. Korse waved the photograph around until it was fully developed, then produced a pen and wrote a caption.

“What do you think?” he asked them.

Party didn’t even open their eyes. They wanted it all to disappear; Korse, the Dracs, the whole Zones, themselves.

They wished they were dead.

Korse didn’t take kindly to their silence. He grabbed a fistful of their hair to lift up their head and punched them straight in the jaw. It was supposed to only get their attention but Party’s body had had enough of the abuse. They passed out.

Chapter 3: 3

Notes:

Depiction of self harm.

The bright light came from above, like the building’s roof was no longer there. They watched, motionless, as white figures that were probably Dracs got shot and fell down. No noise whatsoever. By the end of it, more than fifty bodies littered the ground.

The man walked in, discarding his gun, and rushed to Party as soon as he saw them. They smiled.

It was Jet. Had to be. His clothes, his reassuring height, the way he held out his hands for Party to grab. His face was blurry, but they knew the outlines of him. It didn’t matter. They could get Jet’s face back once they were out of here.

Party tried to take Jet’s hands but was stopped in their movement. Their wrists were cuffed now.

Party woke up to a ray of sunshine on their eyes. Dracs were sitting in silence eating their BLI rations, forks scratching the plates.

They wished they’d stayed in their dream where they couldn’t hear their enemies so close, or feel that pain inside of them. Both figuratively and literally.

Every part of their body was fighting over which could hurt the most. Party did their best to sit up against the wall without letting out too much of a scream. Their legs were still naked, stained with a mix of blood, their own come, and Korse’s.

Korse…

A shudder ran through their entire body. They hid their face in their hands, trying to muffle a whimper. The noise of the chain alerted a Drac, who slowly got up and walked to Party. Its hand was nonchalantly on the holster of its weapon, like it didn’t think of Party as a threat. Party supposed this was true.

They ignored it and tried to grab their clothes. The Drac pulled out its gun. They leaned back, raising their hands.

“Can I put my pants back on?” they asked, biting the inside of their mouth.

The Drac didn’t move.

“Can I please put my pants back on?”

Their shoulders were hunched. They wondered how much of their dignity they had left.

It stayed still for a second, then held its arms in front of it. Party mimicked the gesture. The Drac used the key to uncuff their left hand.

Party squirmed away from its touch. For all they knew, this could be one of the Dracs that had held their wrists down. They couldn’t shake the feeling off.

Their boxers and pants hadn’t been thrown far and had soaked in blood all night. Both were now as rigid as wood but it was all they had. Their white jeans, for fuck’s sake. Party tried to make it their biggest concern and block out the rest, fingertips-shaped bruises on their hips. As they tied their shoes, as they put on their jacket. Fucking white jeans. Never mind the Dracs watching, or the reason why exactly their jeans were ruined.

It hurt to stay on their feet, but at this point it hurt to be alive. In other circonstances Kobra would make fun of this walk of shame.

Korse’s threat came back to Party’s mind. They pursed their lips. They would not cry, or beg, or do anything that would show Korse that they were afraid of him. Because they weren’t.

And yet hearing his voice made them flinch.

“We’re off to the city. All of you get in the van.”

Korse looked around as his soldiers obeyed him. When his eyes fell on Party, they did their best to hide the goosebumps his smile gave them.

He walked in their direction but stopped in front of the Mousekat head. Party willed themselves not to take a step back, no matter how much they wanted to turn around and run. In the best scenario, Korse would shoot them. They didn’t even want to think about the worse.

Korse picked up the Mousekat head, examining it. Party hadn’t done much to the outside, just stuck a tube between its lips; the rest of the damage was from falling off bikes and dodging blasts.

“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for doing this?” Korse asked, showing the head.

That wasn’t worth a reply, but if Party could say something, they’d ask the same thing.

Korse had a Drac handcuff Party again, this time with their hands behind their back. They all went outside, the BLI van was waiting for them. Korse tossed the Mousekat head in the back and climbed in.

Party realized they had no idea what was going to happen to them once inside. The idea of trying to escape and getting killed seemed to be the better prospect again, but the Drac behind them pushed its gun in the small of their back and forced them to climb too.

There was no room on the benches nailed to the walls. Korse’s nod was clear enough. Party kneeled on the ground next to him. Sitting down would only hurt and damage them more.

A thought came to their mind but they pushed it away violently. Their stomach was already twisting itself enough.

The van drove away.

 

“It’s probably a venue. Or it should be. Maybe the acoustic is great inside.”

Jet looked at the building again and made a face. Kobra didn’t seem convinced too.

“Well, it’s far from everything, I think too much people would get lost trying to find it.”

“But do we still check it out?” Ghoul asked.

“Why not. We could use a quick break.”

“Oh yeah, I definitely need to stretch.”

Ghoul was behind the wheel since dawn. Cruising the desert for Party had been a fruitless search for now, and despite the banter, everybody was getting tense.

A tension that shifted when they recognized Party’s bike parked by the doors.

The engine was cold. They must have stopped there last night. And now?

First thing that hit them when they walked in was the smell.

“Did something die in here? Or got laid…”

Kobra and Jet rolled their eyes in unison. Ghoul went straight to the middle of the room and observed the trash around them.

“Well, if it isn’t a BLI squad’s littering,” he said.

“Probably why Pois is not here,” Kobra thought out loud.

Jet nodded, and noticed something shining on the ground by the wall. It stank.

Ghoul eyed a rodent making its way to the food left on the plates. “How much would you give me to catch a rat?”

“You’d do it for free. I’d rather I got a well-cooked one in Zone 6.”

“You’re so weird. I’d get it as a pet, or just to snap its neck. No one but you eat rats willingly.”

Ghoul kneeled to watch the rat better, but scared it away.

“Cobras eat rats and mice,” Kobra said.

Jet saw a small thing stuck by the pipes on the wall. He managed to grab it without walking in the stuff.

“That’s taking the bit too far, even for me. And it’s mouses, smartass.”

“Oh my God.”

Ghoul and Kobra turned around. Jet believed in Destroya and the Phoenix Witch, had so ever since he left Battery City. He only slipped back to his old saying accidentally, when he was in shock. Something was wrong.

He was holding a picture in one hand. The other covered his mouth. He looked at them, no, at Kobra specifically, with a horrified expression.

“Jet?”

“What is it?”

The boys walked up to Jet. Ghoul snatched the picture from him, and stilled. The smile on his face dropped instantly.

That was when Kobra’s concern turned into fear.

“What is it, guys?” he asked.

Ghoul shook his head. “It’s…”

The end of his sentence got lost somewhere. He put the pic back into Jet’s hand and walked out of the building. Kobra watched him sit down in the sand, take off one of his gloves, and bite down on his hand. Kobra knew that behavior.

He was trying not to scream.

Kobra turned back to Jet, who’d turned pale. “Give it to me.”

“You don’t want to see this, Kobes.”

“Don’t try to protect me or some bullshit like that. I can take it.”

Jet’s eyes said sorry.

It was taken by night. In the corner over there. His sibling, he knew that by the hair, because their face was hidden in the shadow. They were crying.

Their hands were cuffed.

They were naked from the waist down, covered in blood. And more.

It smelled of sex in the room.

Kobra wiped his eyes aggressively, but it didn’t stop the tears from coming. Blurred out his vision. He could still see the caption, though.

Such a pretty view - K

“I’m going to kill him,” Ghoul said as he walked back inside.

His voice shook. Jet noticed his bleeding hand.

“I’m going to find Korse and I’m going to fucking kill him.”

“Ghoul, please. We need to stay calm and-“

“Stay calm? Oh Jet, I’m so calm right now, and I’ll still be calm when I’ll be ripping his fucking heart out!”

“Ghoul.” Kobra’s voice was just as unstable. “Please. We need to find Party.”

Ghoul nodded vigorously, rounding up his shoulders. “I’ll start the car.”

“Are you okay?” Kobra asked Jet as they watched him go.

“No. And I don’t think I need to ask it back.”

Jet took out his lighter and set fire to the picture. They left the building without looking back.

“What do we do with their bike?” Kobra asked. Anything to busy his mind.

“One of us could ride on it. Saves time from having to go back here later. I volunteer unless you want to.”

“I’m good in the car.”

“Okay. Kobes, listen, I think it’s better if you drive. Ghoul is on edge. I don’t trust him not to do something dangerous.”

Gotta make sure he’s protected from himself. “Sure.”

Kobra wanted to scream too. He wanted to go down the warpath. Spot already taken, apparently. Couldn’t have too many breakdowns at once.

“They saved my life, Jet.”

Jet stopped three feet from the bike and turned back to him.

“They saved me. They always do that. And I yelled at them and now… Why couldn’t I just say thank you?”

Waves of ‘it’s all my fault’ coming out of Kobra like radiations. Jet held him close and tight as his shoulders shook. His tears wetted a spot on Jet’s jacket. The latter could not give less of a damn about it.

Ghoul watched them, sat on the hood of the Trans AM. He didn’t think Kobra wanted emotional support from him. If Party was here, they’d tell him to open up to the others, but they weren’t. That was the whole issue, wasn’t it?

He pretended to check the battery level of his gun until Kobes got in the driver seat.

“Where are we headed?” he asked, sitting shotgun.

“I have no idea. For now I just want to get away from here.”

The car and bike started.

Chapter 4: 4

Notes:

I hope no one reading this knows anything about two-way radios and CB and all that crap.
Depiction of rape.

Uninterrupted parasites on the radio. They wanted to catch any possible transmission from Party. Didn’t dare switching for Dr D’s frequency and have a search order launched, what if they missed Party’s broadcast?

They were driving towards east Battery City. Sounded logic that the BLI patrol would head back home. Maybe they were driving farther away like that, they had no idea.

They weren’t going fast and could talk to Jet without having to use the radio. Not that they had much to say.

“How’s your hand?” Kobra asked after a while.

Ghoul shook it. The blood had coagulated. “Hurts. I’ll be fine though. I just hope it won’t mess up my aim. Should’ve used the other one.”

Kobra nodded. The sun was shining down on the dust and sand before them. Too bright. He wished he’d gotten his sunglasses back but he hadn’t managed to find them after the battle. Maybe they’d exploded along with the Dracs.

Thinking of that, they hadn’t had time to wash the huge red spot off the hood of the Trans Am. Water cost a lot in the Zones. Maybe they could go to the bath house in Zone 2 and make a deal with an employee. Two gallons, 60 carbons.

“It didn’t even help.” The hand. The scream. Party. “I’ve never wanted to murder someone that badly.”

“I don’t think any of us will rest before Korse gets a bullet between his eyes.”

Ghoul nodded. Kobra was making a promise.

He looked around. They were in Zone three now, according to the map.

Those parasites on the radio seemed to get louder and louder, driving him mad. He turned back to his friend.

“Kobes, Party is not broadcasting anything. Let’s talk to Dr D, he can help-“

And then the static stopped.

“ -platoon has been nothing but sorry excuses for Dracs. I’ll have you all sent to reprogramming. Those who can no longer serve Better Living will be terminated. ”

Korse’s voice, unmistakable although it was hard to hear, far from the microphone maybe. Ghoul’s jaw clenched.

“Jet! Party is on the air!” Kobra shouted at the other man.

Jet made a thumbs up and lowered his visor. He was tuning in too.

“My superiors would have me lead useless but replaceable Dracs rather than my SCARECROWS. They cost more but they’re terribly efficient. Last month with only fifteen of them, I managed to level down an entire refugee camp in west Zone 4. You just can’t get the same results with those cretins. ”

Kobra raised the volume on the car radio. He was desperate to hear from his sibling.

Ghoul couldn’t bring himself to be as happy as Kobes. They had no proof that the transmission was Party’s doing. The radio in the Mousekat head was getting old and malfunctioned sometimes, it could’ve started up by mistake.

“ I guess it is to be expected when we brainwash society’s rejects into mindless fighters. And by rejects I mean killjoys too. I like the irony. Your kind fighting itself. Shows well that Better Living will always win. What do you think?”

The volume was high enough that they could hear someone breathing. It may be Party. For Destroya’s sake, let it be Party.

Korse got tired of the silence too. “Come on, cat got your tongue? ”

“Go fuck yourself. ”

Kobra had a shaky sigh, but it was relief. They were alive. He hadn’t even tried to think that they might not be, but the proof calmed them for good.

Ghoul pressed on the “push-to-talk” button to get through to Jet. “Man did you hear that?!”

“Yeah! We gotta listen carefully, pick up on anything that might tell us where they are!” Jet replied.

He turned back to receiving mode just in time to hear a thud and Party groaning in pain.

Korse’s voice had lost his good mood.

“ You’re the one that got fucked. Don’t test me. ”

Oh. Jet felt a shiver run down his spine. They’d celebrated too quickly; Party was not out of danger.

Following his word, he turned up the volume until the white noise and talking filled his helmet. It felt like he was in the BLI vehicle with them. But he wasn’t, and had to concentrate on staying focused on the road as well.

“ You don’t want me to act on my word, Party. Or maybe you do, and you’re a terrible friend and leader. ”

“ I won’t let you touch them. ”

Kobra gripped the wheel tighter. Of course they would say that.

Maybe Party’s recklessness that he hated was caused by their devotion in all of them. They’d do anything for their family. And most of the time, like right now, it worked against them.

He definitely didn’t flinch when Ghoul put a hand on his shoulder.

“You don’t have to listen, Kobes. Just drive.”

He nodded and changed gears. Going faster when they still didn’t know the right direction wasn’t the smartest of moves but it kept his hands and mind busy.

Ghoul grabbed one of his “projects” from the backseat. Tinkering away while he had to listen to Korse.

“ -kill me? That’s original. I’d like to see you have at it though: one broken and powerless killjoy against a SCARECROW and ten Dracs… ”

He really wanted to throw his bomb at the first BLI car he’d see. Useless move because it could very well not be Korse’s, and if it was, Party could be inside.

Ghoul hated that Jet, Kobra, and him were so powerless. There was nothing they could do to help Party for now, they were stuck. It was killing him.

“But maybe that’s not what you meant. Are you gonna behave, Party? ”

Korse was suave now. Disgusting.

“I could treat you right if you do. Fix you up, keep you with me. You won’t ever have to go back to the desert. Do you know how good things can be in Battery City if you have my protection ?”

“I am not your fucking pet.”

Oh no.

A slap. Party let out a whimper.

“Haven’t you learned your lesson, you little brat? ” Korse groaned.

And then Ghoul distinctively heard a fly unzipping, and his heart stopped.

“ Open your mouth. ”

“ Ghost yourself. ”

“ It would be more intimidating if you weren’t covered in blood and come. Now open your mouth, and don’t even think of biting. I’ll dislocate your jaw and do it anyway. ”

Followed by a choking sound.

Followed by Kobra turning off the radio by pulling the switch so hard it broke in his hand.

Ghoul felt like he was going to throw up any second, but he had to push his feelings (and the content of his stomach) down. Kobra was wiping at his eyes aggressively, as if no one would notice he was crying.

What the hell was he supposed to say? “It’s okay”? It fucking wasn’t.

“We’re gonna find them, Kobes. I promise.”

Kobra shook his head and tried to keep his voice from shaking. “Shut up. You don’t know shit.”

Ghoul could see the awful scenario playing in his friend’s mind. Party being taken to Battery City, locked up in the holy of holies of the BLI headquarters. Korse would be allowed to do whatever he’d want to them… Even considering a rescue mission would be insane.

Well then they were all insane, because there was no way they would let that happen to their friend. Ghoul would rather die. He knew the feeling was shared.

Jet drove close to the right side of the Trans AM and pulled up his visor. “You guys okay?”

“What do you think? Kobes can’t listen to that. But someone’s gotta try and get a clue of where they are.”

“Hey, I don’t wanna listen to that shit either!”

Jet looked inside the car to Kobra. He was pretending not to be crying but the red eyes gave it away.

Jet swore under his breath, pulled down his visor, and raised the volume on his radio again.

Ghoul made quick work of whatever nails he had left while Kobra stared at the bloody spot on the hood. They must have waited a few minutes. Felt way too long. They only breathed right when Jet drove by their side again.

“I heard Sweet Rage playing in the distance, I think they must’ve driven by the show!”

“Sweet Rage are doing a show today?” Kobra asked.

“Yeah, by the nest in Zone 2!”

“Fuck, that’s close to Bat City!”

The Trans AM jumped forward when Kobra cranked up the speed. Jet’s bike quickly caught up and they rushed to the next Zone.

Ghoul messed with the wires until they got their radio back. He immediately changed the frequency to Dr Death’s shack and took out the CB.

“This is Fun Ghoul from the Fab Four, anyone home?” he asked.

“I hear ya Ghoul, how’s it going?” Show Pony answered.

They must be running the shack when D wasn’t on the air.

“Not good at all, Pony! I need you to broadcast us on D’s frequency, we gotta contact the most people we can, it’s an emergency!”

“As you wish. You’re on.”

Kobra grabbed the transmitter from Ghoul’s hand. “This is Kobra Kid asking every ‘joy in Zone two to be on the look out for a BLI van that just drove past the Sweet Rage show. They have Party Poison, do not engage! Report sightings back to us and let us deal with them. Signing off.”

“I hope some people were listening,” Show Pony said after turning off the broadcast. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

Kobra pursed his mouth, but now he was filled with determination instead of sadness. Ghoul considered that a good trade-off.

Nothing came in through the radio as they drove past the show. Maybe the van had been too far and everyone was focused on the band playing, not the desert around.

Then another car drove up to them.

“It’s Freak Out!” Kobra said as he rolled down his window.

Rory waved at them from the passenger seat, Mr Jackson driving closer so he could talk to Kobra.

“We saw that van, they were heading straight to the Eastern gate of Battery City!” Rory yelled, gesturing in the right direction as he spoke.

“Thank you so much! If anyone follows us could you keep them away as best you can? We need to do this privately. This is important,” Kobes replied.

Party would not want to be seen in their current state if they saved them.

If? When.

Rory nodded and told Mr Jackson to turn around. They were alone again.

Chapter 5: 5

Notes:

Graphic depiction of rape and suicide ideation. Character death.

Party didn’t want to cry because of Korse again. Their aching body wasn’t listening. Korse had a strong grip on the back of their head and forced them to take all of his cock. It hit the back of their throat and made it so hard to breathe. They wanted to gag.

Korse moaned and talked to them, looking down at Party with a sick grin like they were just a toy for him. And they were. The killjoy leader once feared by BLI, reduced to nothing but Korse’s prey.

Party made no effort to make this feel good for him. Korse used them, face-fucking them, but in their mind it was better than giving in completely and finishing him off. They would not pretend anything and make Korse forget he was raping them. Unfortunately Korse had no problem with that.

He thrusted faster into their mouth and Party started to choke. The thought of him coming down their throat made them panic even more. Their hands were still cuffed behind their back, so they couldn’t grip onto anything. They resolved to hitting the floor with their foot to get his attention.

Korse groaned, annoyed, before pulling back. “What is it?”

Party panted, trying not to swallow whatever Korse had left in their mouth.

The exterminator rolled his eyes, before he spotted something that made him smile.

“Oh, I see. Do you need to be relieved, Party? If you beg really nicely I might help you,” he said, kneeling down to their level.

Party stared at him, the urge to fight back coming in strong. They settled for the next best thing.

They spat a mixture of saliva and precome at his face.

Korse clenched his jaw. He slowly stood back up, wiping the spit away, and tucked his dick in.

In the fucked up world Party now lived in, this was a bad thing.

Korse grabbed a shock baton from the Dracs, activated the taser, and struck Party’s shoulder.

They fell backwards. With the next blow came out a scream. The electricity surged into them, invading their whole body. Everything hurt. Korse brought the baton down again and again and again until Party was sure their screams could be heard from outside the van.

There was no one listening.

They curled up in a ball, as far away from Korse as they could, not enough. Korse shocked them at a higher voltage. The electricity traveled through Party and into all they were touching. That included the Mousekat head.

Party sobbed, dreading the next strike that would shake their body. It never came. Korse had stopped his gesture, alert. Listening.

There was nothing but Party’s breaths and the sound of the engine. Well that’s what they heard at first. Their senses then perceived another quiet sound, voices. People talking.

The radio that was faulty already and got messed up by the electricity.

Korse grabbed the Mousekat head before Party could stop him. He examined the inside, almost impressed.

“-don’t know why it stopped like that, maybe the batteries were low! It doesn’t have to mean something happened to them! ”

Ghoul. Party was not relieved.

“ Did you hear the same thing as me the last five minutes? I’m not gonna calm down, ” Kobra replied.

Korse smirked. “Cute.”

“Hey, right there, I think that’s them! ” Ghoul said.

Korse turned to the glass panels in the door. “That’s them, alright.”

He toyed with the settings of the radio and spoke in the mic. “Didn’t your parents teach you not to eavesdrop?”

He then opened the doors and threw out the Mousekat head.

The Trans AM was following them. They were gonna be saved.

They changed their mind when they saw Korse’s face as he closed the doors and walked back to them. Maybe there wouldn’t be enough time to be saved.

Korse brought his boot down on Party’s right ankle, hard, and something broke.

 

Ghoul let out a string of swears as the wires of the radio burned his fingers. They lost definitive contact with the van. Mere seconds later, something fell out of the open doors. Jet managed to catch the Mousekat head and handed it to Ghoul.

Jet sped up and drove past the van. He turned the bike, sliding to a stop right in front of them. Three precise shots rang out. Front tire, driver, and the dashboard. The van zigzagged to a halt.

He dodged the blasts coming his way, but almost froze hearing Party scream. Almost.

The Dracs rushed out to attack them. Kobes stopped the Trans AM and Ghoul threw his bomb just before the doors. The explosion shook the van, killing half the Dracs with one stone. He liked those new odds better.

Kobra and Jet covered him as he ran to the van and forced the doors open.

He aimed at Korse’s head. The exterminator didn’t return the favor, instead pressing the barrel of his gun against Party’s temple. Ghoul did not look at them because he would get distracted, and it would give Korse an opportunity to shoot him.

He could still see them, how they were covered in red. He pretended it was the dye on their hair.

“It’s over, bastard. Step away from them and give me your gun,” he ordered.

“I know it’s over.”

Korse was calm, too calm. It was unnerving.

“Shoot me and I’ll shoot them,” he added.

“Shut up. The gun.”

Korse shook his head, as if scolding a child. “Oh, Ghoulie…”

Ghoul’s eyes widened and he glanced at Party.

They were injured. Blood on their jeans, mostly the back. Swollen ankle. Nasty bruises on their exposed arms. The scars were lightning-shaped. Their arms cuffed behind their back.

Party was looking down, and he though he saw tears falling off the tip of their nose.

“That’s what they moaned last night. In their sleep, when they thought it was you. I couldn’t get them to moan my name. What a shame, I bet it sounds beautiful in their mouth.”

“Stop it,” they both said.

Party’s was a whisper, while Ghoul reaffirmed his grip on his gun as he ordered that. Korse smirked.

“You should have seen them, Ghoulie, they were so… eager … it was such a pretty view when they came. Best fuck I’ve had in a long time. They’d put every whore of the city to shame.”

“I’m gonna kill ya!” Ghoul yelled, taking a step towards him.

“Be my guest,” Korse replied as he removed the safety notch.

It was still pointed at Party. Ghoul understood the provocation then. Korse knew he was not going to make it, and he wanted to take Party with him as he went.

Ghoul didn’t trust himself to shoot faster than him.

Korse pulled on Party’s hair with his free hand, forcing them to look up. “Come on, Poison, tell your boyfriend how you begged for my cock…”

Party frantically shook their head, before mouthing something to Ghoul.

Shoot me.

He’d turn the gun on himself before that.

The doors opened again.

“Shitty last words.”

That got Ghoul and Korse’s attention. The latter changed his target. Kobra counted on that.

The two shots echoed in the confined space of the van. Korse fell backwards, hit between the eyes. The other blast scratched Kobra’s shoulder and blew a hole in the wall. Kobra didn’t even register it, he ran to his sibling and knelt to give them a bone-crushing hug.

Party burst into tears.

Ghoul stayed frozen for a moment, staring at the corpse of the exterminator and the Venom siblings.

Dead. After all those years and especially the last hours of hell.

He snapped back to himself when he heard his name. Kobra was looking at him.

“The key for the cuffs,” he repeated.

Ghoul nodded and went to search them on Korse’s body. He was still warm. He had lots of stuff in his pockets: three different BLI access cards, 20 carbons, a folded map of the Zones, a serrated knife, his ID. A camera.

Such a pretty view - K

Ghoul cast that thought aside and got his hands on the key. He unlocked Party’s cuffs. They rubbed their wrists and hugged their body. Then they latched onto Ghoul, holding him close and tight.

He kissed the top of their head. Party was crying a little less. Kobra went outside after he was reassured his sibling was okay. Ish.

“Breathe in with me, Pois. In and out,” Ghoul said gently.

Party put their hand on Ghoul’s chest, over his heart, to calm themselves. Eventually the hiccups stopped.

“You’re here,” they whispered.

Ghoul nodded. “Of course.”

Their hazel eyes were not as bright as they should be. A familiar spark was missing. Ghoul told himself that would take time but it would come back. Right?

Jet entered the van and went for Party, who hugged him.

“Hey,” they said softly.

“Hey. We have to go, there’s not much time until this place is stormed by ‘joys. Can you walk?”

With help from Ghoul, Party hesitantly stood up, but their leg gave out. He caught them before they fell.

“I think he broke my ankle,” they said.

He , who laid next to them, his brain blown out. Ghoul wanted to honor his promise of ripping the man’s heart out but he wouldn’t leave Party’s side.

Jet picked Party up bridal style, trying his best not to hurt them more, and they exited the van. Ghoul grabbed Party’s jacket and followed them out.

In the distance they could see bright colored cars driving towards them. Jet noticed how the three first cars tried to slow down the others, keep them from coming any closer. Freak Out!, Sweet Rage, and the Suitehearts. They would be thanked later.

He helped Party on the backseat, where Kobra waited for them, and got in the driver seat. Ghoul hopped on Party’s bike.

“Are we going home?”

Chapter 6: 6

It took some time for Party to understand the question was for them. It felt ridiculous. How were they in any state to give directions?

They looked around. Their head was on Kobra’s lap. Jet, Ghoulie, and him were looking at them, waiting for an answer. Like they still thought of Party as their leader, despite having seen them so weak.

They thought their friends were really stupid or really loyal. It was more comforting to pick the second option.

They moved slightly and felt both the pain in their flesh and the stiffness of their blood-caked clothes.

“I need a medic. And a shower,” they replied, not looking in anyone’s eyes.

“The bath house is not that far. We could ask Cherri or Benz to come and take a look at you.”

“Cherri, please.”

Party felt terribly tired. The low sound of the engine as they started driving and Kobra playing with their hair lulled them to sleep.

 

They weren’t at the right angle to get an accurate reading of the sun’s location but they estimated it was around 3pm. They hadn’t dreamed.

They were alone in the Trans AM, but they could see the guys outside, bargaining with the owner of the bath house.

This killjoy was a con artist. They’d built their business above a Bat City water pipe and charged exorbitant prices to desert dwellers who wanted to clean themselves or just buy drinking water.

Party needed to wash the blood away.

They sat up as best they could and looked through the window.

“-more than enough, Kobra said. Ok, new deal: 100 carbons so they get one room all to themselves with unlimited water, and you let me phone in Cherri.”

“C-Cherri doesn’t need to get involved,” the owner said, nervous.

He’d scammed him too much and Cherri may or may not have pulled a gun on them at one point.

“Relax, it’s got nothing to do with you. Now take the damn carbons.”

The ‘joy nodded, grabbing Kobra’s money, and went inside to give instructions to their staff.

Ghoul walked back to the car and knelt in front of Party’s window.

“Slept well?”

“It was okay.”

He helped Party out of the backseat, acting as a crutch. They gave a small smile at Kobes and Jet as they went inside the building.

The owner raised an eyebrow seeing Party’s condition but did not comment. He led them to a small room. The walls and floor were covered in mosaic, and the bathtub was sculpted into the ground. It was made to look like pre-war style.

The killjoy closed the door behind them.

“Even before the war, I never went to places like this,” Party said.

“Too expensive?”

“No. I had a shower in my apartment, so I didn’t see the point.”

Ghoul knew that. Party knew that Ghoul knew that. They were beating around the bush.

He turned the water on and set it to the hottest temperature. Party liked it best when it almost burned their skin. They sat on the edge of the tub, wincing.

“Do you want me to help you?” Ghoul asked.

Help them get naked.

Party squirmed. “I can do it alone.”

They silently thanked Ghoul for averting his eyes as they undressed. They had to be slow, all their muscles protesting at every move. They tossed their shirt behind them.

“My jeans are ruined”, they said as they took the white and red mess off.

Their ankle hurt too much, and Ghoul eventually gave them his knife so they could cut the pants leg off.

“I’ll buy you cooler ones,” he replied.

They discarded their boxers and lowered themselves into the bathtub. The pain in their foot spiked up but overall it felt good.

The water instantly turned red. Party gasped. It was that bad.

Ghoul gave them the shower gel. “We’ll keep the water running. It should clear up soon enough.”

They nodded.

Ghoul had a solution for everything. Maybe he knew how to fix the shudder Party had when he touched their skin.

Maybe Party had to do the work for that one.

They held out their hand for Ghoul to take. He hesitated just a second but took it.

“Do you wanna join me?” Party asked.

They immediately felt stupid for asking. It was a literal bloodbath.

But Ghoul was on board. He took off his jacket and noticed how Party’s face slightly twitched. They weren’t that comfortable with the both of them being naked for now. It just… they were a little scared of what could happen next.

Ghoul would never, though. He wasn’t like that, like him.

Their boyfriend had read all of that on their face and decided to compromise.

“What are you doing?” Party asked, confused, as Ghoul put a clothed leg in the water.

“Taking a bath, isn’t that obvious?” he replied, sitting down next to them.

The water and blood soaked his clothes, tainting them.

“Don’t do that, you’re gonna be all wet!” Party protested.

“Have you seen how hot it is outside? I’ll be dry in under a minute,” he joked.

They rolled their eyes, before resting their chin on top of Ghoul’s head. He accepted the hug.

They both stayed in silence for a couple of minutes. The running water slowly cleared most of the blood, bubbles of soap covering the rest. They only heard the squeaking pipes and some people talking outside.

Party breathed in Ghoul’s scent. It was calming. A constant in this weird life that tossed them around like rag dolls. He gently caressed their hands and they could pretend it was a normal day in the Zones.

A date. They should wash each other’s hair.

Ghoul didn’t get the memo about Party’s normal day fantasy.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he whispered.

Party shuddered, and tightened their hold on him. “Not unless I have to.”

Moving was painful again. They couldn’t stop staring at the bruises and scars on their arms. The shock baton. The little bubble of peace had bursted.

A knock on the door. “Guys, Cherri’s here.”

They thanked Jet and got out of the water.

Chapter 7: 7

Notes:

Humiliation, revenge porn (kinda), misgendering in one sentence.

The Exterminator Korse was replaced by the Exterminator Flare. Not much changed. Some said the SCARECROWS weren’t as loyal to their new leader, but in the end the killjoys got killed all the same.

Party’s broken ankle healed in a few weeks. Everyone was all over them, after all, they’d managed to kill Korse. Party tried to deny it but Kobra said he didn’t care about the credit. They’d managed to keep most of what happened a secret, only trusted friends knew. No need to change the story now. Party wasn’t having nightmares about it anymore.

And then people started snickering.

Party first noticed it at the market. Same killjoys they never liked were looking at them weird. Like they were laughing at them.

They didn’t give it much of a thought. There had always been rumors of poor taste about them. Whatever their detractors had come up with this time, they weren’t interested in knowing it.

But then it was everywhere. People in the crowd at a Suitehearts show. When they bought food and gas in Zone 3. Getting looked down at in the warehouse nightclub. Basically everybody who’d ever had a reason to dislike them had a smirk on their face. They convinced themselves it was paranoia.

Until that night at a party, when a guy ran into them and whispered “such a pretty view” as he went.

Party freaked out. They were aware that it had been an overreaction, no matter how much the guys said it was normal to be triggered. He had said that.

But it surrounded them. People telling them they were “such a pretty view,” with poison dripping from their mouths. And Party realized that they knew. All of them.

The final nail in the coffin was once again at the market. Party was buying engine parts for the Trans AM when they heard a raygun going off and Kobra screaming. Well, more exactly yelling.

They ran for their brother and found him aiming at a killjoy whose arm was already bleeding. Kobra was a good shot. This was a warning.

“Hey, I’m not the bad guy here, I gotta make money just like everyone! Go shoot my customers!” the ‘joy said.

“They’re next,” he replied.

“Kobes, what’s going on?” Party asked.

Kobra looked at them, surprised and seemingly distressed. “Nothing. You can wait for me in the car.”

Someone in the crowd laughed. “I thought it was the big brother’s job to protect the baby brother.”

Kobra turned his gun on her. “First of all, not my brother . Second, if I ever catch anyone with anything like that in their possession, they’ll be getting more than just a taste of my gun.”

“Kobra, what-“

Before Party could go on, a snickering rebel gave them a picture.

“Who knew you looked so hot all chained up and crying?” they smirked.

It all faded away. Party didn’t need to look at it to know what it was. They remembered the camera, the caption, Korse eager to show them his work.

Kobra was sorry. It was written all over his face. He knew that the pictures were out.

Plural. And the ‘joy had mentioned customers.

They were selling the pics.

The rest of the day was a blur. All a sudden Party was in their room, sat down on their bed with their arms circling their knees, and the guys were talking in the kitchen.

“Apparently it was Salob. When all the joys arrived at the van, he got his hands on the camera. There was already one picture with that phrase, so he got the negatives developed in Bat City and started selling them,” Kobra explained.

“I should’ve taken that fucking camera and broken it to pieces. Now I’m definitely gonna do that to Salob’s face.”

“Murder isn’t gonna fix that, Ghoul. We should destroy all the remaining photos, and then we’ll fuck him up.”

Wasn’t in Jet’s ways to suggest violence. They were all different now.

Party heard Ghoul asking Kobes how they were doing. Like the answer wasn’t obvious.

Everyone in the Zones knew what Korse had done to them, and they were laughing. Party could feel his hands on their shoulders, on their thighs…

This nightmare would never go away.