it's a small world after all (2/2)- Professional Griefers/Danger Days/etc., g3rard/deadmau5, R.
Part One
During
Gerard shoving Joel was just like the kind of thing he'd done in the old arenas, when his opponents had contested his victories or gotten in his face. Just because he didn't wear a mask didn't mean he wasn't into the theatricality part of the fights. But being put into a headlock was crossing the fucking line, and Gerard didn't feel guilty in the slightest about punching Joel in the gut. Maybe it was because he couldn't get a good angle on it, so the blows weren't hard.
The announcer pulled Gerard back, and Gerard kicked for a moment before going back for his chair. It was perfect, really; while Joel was getting chewed out for starting the squabble, Gerard could get the jump on the next round.
And he did: punching, headbutts, tackles, he had it all. Joel got a couple hits in, sure, but Gerard couldn't stop smiling just a little bit.
It wasn't over, of course. But if it kept going this way, Gerard had it in the bag.
-
Before
The match where Gerard clinched his championship spot wasn't exactly thrilling. B1ndi was a good opponent, but her 'bot snapped a cable through no fault of hers, and the arms stopped working completely. It took Gerard less than a minute to get a KO, and the crowd's disappointed groaning felt like what echoed in his chest. He'd take the win, but it still felt shitty.
The deadmau5/4ngel match was the one where Joel clinched, and Gerard watched round one from the ground. Months of exposure had made sitting at the bots' feet no less ridiculous, but the rush disappeared the second he looked up at the VIP box, and it was full of faces that weren't Korse's. Korse hadn't missed a single fight since Gerard had moved west.
Gerard pulled Mikey out with him; they had the bike that night, and Mikey was a lot more cautious than Ray, who had driven Frank in to second for Joel. Mikey still didn't waste time driving back to the park, and it wasn't quite as bad when Gerard couldn't really see the road around him.
He did get a little sick when they got close enough to see smoke rising from the walls. But that wasn't because of the bike.
It was a stroke of brilliance, blowing a hole in the concrete. The shield wasn't meant to keep people out, but most people didn't know that; the ruse was why Dracs manned the tunnels going into Battery City. Still, the shield was up, so at least the park wouldn't be lost to the elements. Even if Gerard could see what looked like fire flickering through the wall.
Mikey pulled a gun from his hip after he parked. Gerard hadn't even noticed him strap it on.
"It looks deserted," Mikey said.
"But you don't have any backup."
Mikey squeezed Gerard's wrist. "Go back to the city if anyone else shows up. I'll be fine."
With that, he climbed over the hole and into the park.
It was the longest hour of Gerard's life, watching the wind blow the dust around the parking lot and hearing no sign of Mikey. It wasn't hard to choose between watching the roads and watching the park: his eyes never left the hole in the wall.
When an hour passed, Mikey still hadn't appeared. It was probably the bare minimum of time that Mikey would need to check the whole park, but Gerard swung off the bike and made for the hole. He grabbed a chunk of rubble - there weren't really any good makeshift weapons until they made it to the tools in the back, and Gerard couldn't wait that long - before slipping into the park.
The power was off in the whole place, and fire licked the buildings in the front, as if the blaster that had destroyed the fence hadn't just stopped at the concrete. Gerard only had orange light to go by at the front of the park, and he only had the softer blue from the shields - which were on different generators - in the middle. He reached the center pavilion, stood with the Mousekat statue at his back, and looked around the place.
"Mikey?" he called. No one answered.
Gerard waited another couple minutes, breathing hard. He was ready to give up when a barrel slid against his temple. He sucked in a shaky breath.
"Jesus, Gee." The gun lowered, and Mikey appeared in front of him, eyes wide. "Why didn't you stay by the bike?"
Gerard dropped the rubble to the side and hugged Mikey hard. "I couldn't leave you behind."
Mikey tensed, but he didn't pull back. "Is there anyone outside?"
"No."
He relaxed, and Gerard let him go. "I think they're gone. I didn't see anyone."
"The 'bot?"
"Fine. I don't think they even touched it."
Gerard rubbed his fingers over his hands. "We should get the power back on. We can't call Joel otherwise."
"I told Ray there might be an emergency before we left. They'll skip all the press and head straight back."
The generator was the only thing in the place that was completely trashed. It looked like most of the pieces were still scattered around, so maybe someone could fix it, but neither Gerard nor Mikey had that kind of know-how.
They could put out the fires, though. By the time those were out and they'd climbed back out of the wall, Joel and Ray were driving up. Frank had his own blaster in hand as he climbed off the bike, and Gerard swallowed. He'd never seen Frank packing before.
"What the fuck happened?" Frank said.
Gerard shrugged. "Someone broke the wall, destroyed the generator, and left. We don't know besides that."
"The robot?" Ray asked. Joel was already climbing over the wall.
Mikey nodded. "Not even touched."
"So it wasn't sabotage," Frank said. He holstered his blaster. "Not for the fights, anyway."
Ray scratched his head. "Maybe they wanted parts off the generator. That can be harder to find deeper in the zones."
Making it back to the generator didn't tell them anything. Not because there wasn't anything to discover - Frank and Ray only got to sift through the wreckage for about five minutes - but because Joel appeared, face pale.
"Who was it?" he said in a low voice.
"Who was what?" Frank asked, rising from a crouch.
Joel raised a gun. Everyone took a step back, and Mikey and Frank reached for their holsters.
"Whoa!" Gerard stepped between them. "We don't know what you're talking about."
Joel's jaw set. "Korse took you in. That's when it happened, isn't it?"
"We didn't say anything," Mikey said, coming up around Gerard's shoulder. His hand was still on his gun, but Gerard pushed it away. "Wouldn't something have happened months ago if we had?"
"Get out."
Gerard flinched. "What?"
Joel pointed the gun in the direction of the theater. "Take your 'bot and fucking go."
Without thinking, Gerard took a step forward. He heard everyone behind him inhale hard, but he let go of his own breath and stepped forward again.
"Are you going to stay here alone?" Gerard asked, hopefully too quiet for everyone else to hear. "You'll be vulnerable."
Joel's eyes met Gerard's without blinking. But he didn't lower the gun, and after a second, Gerard eased back, hands up.
"That's my fucking problem," he said. "You've got an hour, or I'm blowing your 'bot up."
A lump rose in Gerard's throat as they went to collect their things. The lump was still there by the time they climbed in the supply truck and drove away.
-
"I found this place when I got caught in the dust storm a few weeks ago," Ray said, shoving a board aside. "What do you think?"
As Gerard ducked under the board and went inside the diner, it was hard to tell. It was still the middle of the night, and the only light in the place was from the headlights of the empty supply truck. They'd had to leave the 'bot in the silo Mikey had found in the same dust storm, which was miles away, but at least it was covered. They would just have to hope no one else would find it.
"It'll work," Mikey said, brushing dust off one of the booths. "At least to get a little sleep before we make any decisions."
"Lots of scavengers out here," Frank said. "Do you think we should keep watch?"
Gerard snorted, but Ray nodded seriously. "Everyone who can shoot. We'll rotate."
As Ray and Frank argued about who would go first, Gerard leaned toward Mikey. "Am I the only one who doesn't have a gun?"
"We couldn't risk you blowing your hands off," Mikey said. "You use those to fight."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Mikey shoved him a little. "You never came out here. You didn't need to."
"I need to now." As Mikey's smile faded, Gerard stood in front of him. "You'll teach me when the sun's up tomorrow, won't you?"
It took Mikey a second, but he nodded.
-
Gerard hadn't woken up at dawn in a long time; he usually went to bed around that time. But a booth wasn't very comfortable to sleep in, and the whispers that came every couple hours for people to switch watch woke Gerard whenever he dropped into a light doze. By the time the sun came up, he gave up and found Mikey leaning against the front wall.
"Target practice?" Gerard asked.
Mikey put his sunglasses on. He was wearing his red leather jacket and his gun on his leg, and he looked absolutely nothing like the slouching, layered kid who'd come out with Gerard the year before. But he didn't look like Battery City, either. He was something else entirely, something that belonged out here.
For a second, Gerard missed Mikey like he wasn't in front of him.
"I found some old cans," Mikey said. "Come on."
Two rocks had a can each on top of them, not a few feet from the building. Gerard frowned as Mikey handed him his gun. "Won't we need more than that?"
"You think you'll actually be able to hit them?"
"No."
When Gerard tried, he was proven right. The blaster bolts hit the dirt more often than not, and one time, he even set some of the brush on fire. Mikey stamped it out with his foot before it could spread.
"You're holding the gun too tight," Mikey said, tapping Gerard's trigger hand with a finger. "It's more of a squeeze than a pull."
But Gerard hadn't thought that was the problem. No, it was that he was shooting at a can. He stared until he could see Korse's face grinning back at him, and then...
"Whoa." Mikey retrieved the can and held it up. The sun went right through the middle of it.
Gerard laughed. Not because he was excited. He'd pictured killing someone, and just like that, he'd been able to fire the way he wanted.
"Maybe we can get back to this later," he said.
Mikey nodded. "I have some friends coming anyway. I managed to get in touch last night."
He slung his arm around Gerard's shoulder, and together, they walked back to the diner.
-
A wheelchair whirred up to the door about an hour later. The owner had mirrored sunglasses and a grin on his face.
"You're looking good, Kid," he said to Mikey. It sounded like he was addressing Mikey without actually using his name. "And who are the other party animals?"
Frank shoved his hand out. "Mikey didn't say he knew you. I listen to your show all the time, dude."
The man shook Frank's hand, and he shook Ray's hand when Ray stuck his out eagerly. It wasn't until he turned to Gerard that his face solidified and he dropped his hand. "And you're the one who goes around without a mask."
"Yeah." Gerard crossed his arms. "That a bad thing?"
The man didn't have a chance to answer. Someone in polka-dot tights and roller skates came up behind him, skidding to a stop as he flipped up his motorcycle helmet. "Food's out in the van, babies. And we've brought the router, Kid."
Gerard grabbed his computer and joined the other three outside. Ray was sitting inside the van already and opening a can, and Gerard couldn't blame him; he hadn't eaten since they'd left for the fight nearly a full day ago, and it was probably just as long for everyone else.
Mikey snagged the tablet from Gerard, and after he poked around for a few minutes, he whistled under his breath. When Gerard craned his neck to look, he paused the vid on a frame of a robotic cat.
Joel's robotic cat.
"No wonder he thought we gave him up," Gerard said. "Shit."
Mikey rubbed circles on Gerard's back with his free hand and played the rest of the video. A Japanese woman was speaking, and Gerard couldn't understand her. Unfortunately, he understood the man next to her just fine.
"Better Living Industries is committed to further improvement of your home life," Korse said in a smoother tone than Gerard had ever heard come from his mouth. "With this, we hope to further expand access to services for the average resident of Battery City and beyond, and once that's finished-"
Mikey turned off the vid with a rough poke.
"You'll make everyone who doesn't listen disappear," Frank said around a mouthful of food. He nodded at Pony. "This is some high-quality pup."
"I only get the best contraband," Pony said with a smile. "Just because we don't have permits to live doesn't mean we can't eat like we own the place."
"So what now?" Ray asked. "Joel was our only friend out here."
Mikey patted Pony's shoulder. "We've got a few more."
Everyone looked at Gerard. They still saw him as the leader somehow, even though they'd all moved past him months ago. Either way, there was only one path that Gerard could see from here.
"We have to win," he said.
-
During
The points were in Gerard's favor. The round was going his way. And then his controller just stopped working.
It wasn't a coincidence. It couldn't be. But there was no blaster fire from around the canal, even though tonight had to be the night that Korse was going to strike. Everything pointed to it: the relaxed clothing standards, the exposed setting, the lack of safety checks. And then the controller failure.
His robot tumbled on its face, arm gone, dead as a doornail.
Gerard crossed his arms and slumped back in his seat. Joel was too busy gloating to look around him, but Gerard wasn't. Frank and Ray had fought their way to the front of the crowd, and they were screaming at Gerard and Joel and pointing up.
Up at Joel's robot. The joints were glowing blue-green, just like the cat that BLind had stolen, sold, and recalled for the faulty logic chip.
Korse hadn't come personally. Why bother when he could use Joel's own tech to bring him down?
Gerard took off his sunglasses as it tipped. "Fuck," he whispered.
There was no time to run, even though Ray and Frank were pushing the crowds back as best they could manage. Gerard assumed Mikey was rallying the other zonerunners at the top of the canal, not to fight Korse and the Draculoids like they'd originally planned, but to get as many people to safety as they could.
Gerard covered his head with his arms just as he saw Joel do the same. The robot crashed into the dome.
And then everything went black.
-
Before
"But if you want me to bribe you..." Joel stepped closer. Gerard resisted the urge to scramble backward. "You might like the next part."
He pulled out a tablet and pushed a couple buttons until a BLind ad started to play. A woman spoke in Japanese, but Joel talked over her.
"They've taken control of Battery City in all but name," Joel said. "I moved out there from Canada a few years ago with a couple other guys who thought it would be an interesting place to rebuild. Then BLind patented their radiation recovery pills."
"And then what?" Gerard asked, crossing his arms as a family went frolicking through a grassy field. Typical pill ad, really.
"And then all my friends disappeared."
Gerard frowned. "Did you check with their other friends?"
"I tried, but they were gone, too. And so was everyone else in the city who wasn't a builder, health professional, or someone who could keep their mouth shut." Joel smiled tightlipped. "They brought survivors from the other regions to fill the gaps."
"So what," Gerard said. "You want to do the same thing?"
"Exactly." Joel tapped the tablet until robot blueprints showed up. "We've got a league of these bad boys kicking the snot out of each other. I'm funded by the people who live outside the city. I'm sure you're not surprised there's a lot of dissenters who don't want to live inside the walls."
"Not really," Gerard said, smiling a little.
"You come in, bring a team who can help me stay in touch with the 'runners out in the zones, and get rich in the process. Sound good?"
Gerard rolled his lips into his mouth for a second. He spun the blueprint of the robot for a second.
"It sounds like you want anarchy," he said.
"No. Just for the public to see what's happening." Joel gestured at the empty arena around them. "Nothing out here works because no one gives a shit. You think BLind will stop in Battery City once they get it right?"
Gerard turned to Mikey, who was staring at the ground like Joel and Gerard weren't even there. "You're being awfully quiet."
"I heard this a couple days ago," he said quietly. "He tried talking to the other seconds, and everyone else blew him off."
Joel nodded at Mikey. "He said he was up for it, that he could get others on board, and that you would be the right guy to really make something happen. Was he right?"
Gerard would have liked to say he felt something soar in his stomach. Something brave. But all he saw was the pleading look on Mikey's face turn into something longing when he looked at Joel, and Gerard knew Mikey would go with or without him.
Maybe it was the impulse to stay with his brother that made Gerard say yes. But as they went to find Ray and Frank and double-check to make sure they were still in - Mikey had been busier this week than Gerard had suspected - it didn't feel that noble.
He couldn't lose Mikey. Not when he'd lost everything else.
-
Gerard didn't see anyone wriggling or unhappy in the lobby of the arena. He just saw tufts of fake black hair heading straight for the front doors, and the way the crowd parted to let the block of white suits through. There was no sign of the man of gray, though; obviously, the girl in the neon-green shirt had tripped over some rule, and her friends would probably never see her again.
The elevator dinged, and Mikey tugged at Gerard's army jacket until he climbed on.
"Why did you do that?" Gerard said.
Mikey put a finger to his lips, and it was fair; they were in the middle of an elevator with a bunch of strangers who could do anything to them.
Gerard dropped his voice. "We could have helped."
"We would have gotten arrested, and it would have been over before it started."
"Because it's better that we survive than that kid?"
Mikey's eyes were miserable behind his glasses, but he said, "We have the connections and a distraction. Korse knows you're here for a reason, and it's better if he keeps thinking that way."
Gerard wanted to kick the side of the elevator. He didn't, but the fact that Mikey was right didn't make the anger go away. It only made it worse.
-
"Ray thinks we'll be up and running in two days," Mikey said. "Think you can come up with some kind of mask in three?"
Gerard grinned. "Absolutely."
He followed Mikey out of the game room and into the park itself. "You get in touch with who you needed?"
Mikey nodded. He was knocking sand out of his hair as he walked. "Joel was right, though. Gary fucked up that interview on purpose. All the big spots past Route Guano got hit, and nobody out there was happy to see me."
Gerard swallowed. Gary had been Joel's second, and during a solo interview, he'd dropped the f-bomb more than once. And then he'd had the nerve to show his face back at the park like he wanted to be around for the next fight.
"Fuck that motherfucker," Gerard said. "He'd better hide behind fucking Korse, or-"
"Or nothing."
Gerard did his best not to scowl, but it probably wasn't working. "If he'd pissed off the wrong person, you would be dead, and not because of the dust storm."
"I can handle myself, Gee." Mikey stopped in place, a shower of dirt falling to his feet. "If you're going to be like this..."
"I'm worried about you. You think Mom or Grandma-"
It was Mikey's turn to scowl, and he balled his fists. "I love you, but shut up."
Gerard sighed. Don't talk about what came before. It was etched in every survivor's bones. "Sorry. I...I just can't, you know? I need to do something."
Mikey nodded a couple times. "You're right. I'll stop talking about my stuff."
"That's not...no. You should tell me."
Mikey stepped closer. He looked around like they weren't alone in a mostly-abandoned amusement park, the street lights buzzing in harmony with the weather shield.
"I don't want you to be like before," Mikey said quietly. "I got you into the fights so you wouldn't do this to yourself. It's not your fault you survived and they didn't."
Gerard's eyes stung, and he swallowed hard. Mikey saved Gerard, and he kept saving him. He had been too young when he'd started doing it, and he was too young to keep doing it.
But Gerard couldn't make the words come out, so he hugged Mikey hard instead.
-
After
Something was scratchy against Gerard's cheek. A seat, probably. He bounced a couple of times, but his head didn't go free of the chair; he was sticking to it for some reason.
He opened his eyes enough to drag his fingers against the part of his skin that wouldn't move. His fingertips came back bloody.
"Kobra Kid said not to touch."
Gerard blinked. A girl's head bobbed into view, her curls framing her dirt-smeared face. She smiled.
"Who..." His voice creaked out.
She reached out a finger and put it over his lips. "Go back to sleep."
Gerard's lids were heavy enough that he couldn't help but comply.
-
Before
"I've been meaning to ask you about the mask thing."
Gerard looked up from the hologram of his character to where Joel was leaning on his chair. "Mask thing?"
Joel flicked the ear of one of his mouse heads. "I killed a lot of time in the early days making these. I thought you would have wanted to do the same. It's not like you have to help me with my server."
Gerard quit the game for a minute so he could look at Joel more carefully. "It's training. I thought that was the point."
"Part of it. But dude, the first month I was here, I nearly stripped out of my clothes and went streaking in the desert just to see if it would get the itch out of my skin." Joel smiled. "The mask doesn't have to cover everything. You saw what ba7 does."
Gerard shook his head a few times. He opened his mouth a few more times, and then closed it again. Finally, he said, "They go out there every day. Frank nearly got killed at a concert the other day, did you know that?"
"No."
"The Dracs are going further out. They're looking for my friends. My..." No one said the word anymore because so few people had biological kin. But Gerard wasn't just talking about Mikey when he said, "My family. They can't even use their names. I figure going by mine in the ring is the least I can do. That I can show my face when they can't, and I can be me when I'm arrested, strategically or not."
"Die with your mask on," Joel said quietly, nodding. Then he straightened and said, "You want to borrow one of mine, just let me know."
Gerard laughed despite himself. "So you can get one of my wins? Thanks."
"Hey, if I want to win, I've got a PvP server right here."
Gerard gestured to Joel's chair. "Let's go."
"Nah, it's too easy to pick up each other's moves. There should be something new when we fight again."
"But we're in different tiers," Gerard said. "We'd only meet in the finals."
Joel grinned. "Someone's getting ahead of himself. I think you have a goblin quest you need to finish first."
"Nothing wrong with a little co-op!" Gerard yelled as Joel left the room. Gerard snorted and spoke a little quieter. "Nothing at all."
-
Joel started to lean forward, and Gerard met him the rest of the way, letting their lips brush together. It didn't make anything jolt under Gerard's skin, and choirs of angels didn't sing, but for the first time in years, it felt like Gerard's shoulders were free of weight.
They kept kissing, and when Joel reached into Gerard's pants, he didn't stop him. He arched into his touch, giving Joel some friction for his own boner, and rocked until he came in his jeans. Joel was just moments behind.
Gerard flopped onto his back, and they laid in silence for a while.
"Don't say thank you," Joel said finally.
"I wasn't going to."
"Good."
Another few minutes of silence followed. Gerard had never seen so much of one ceiling in his life.
"I lost it." Joel rubbed his face. "Kat got arrested, and it wasn't her fault, but...fuck, all I could see was Gary, and I went off on her about the plan, and..."
"It's okay."
"No. It's not."
Gerard rolled over and leaned on his elbow. "Maybe it's better. You don't want her around in the canals, do you?"
"We don't even know that we'll make it to the championship yet. It could be 4ngel and B1ndi."
"Because we'd leave the kids alone if it was?"
Joel shook his head. It had been Joel's idea to have the championship more open, more accessible. The UFC had loved it, and on top of their national broadcast, they were letting the kids in for free. In a place where there could be no protective shields to block the robots.
"I can't stand it," he said, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes. "That all this shit happens, and all we can do is wait."
"Yeah," Gerard said. "I know."
-
A lump rose in Gerard's throat as he went with Mikey, Ray, and Frank to collect their things. But Joel also followed. He didn't keep the gun trained on them, but Gerard's eyes kept falling on it.
While the others hitched the 'bot up to the truck, Gerard moved closer to Joel. Gerard couldn't say much - who knew what kind of bugs Korse had left behind - but he said, "If you need anything, I'll be there. You know that, right?"
"I don't want your fucking help." Joel's voice cracked.
Gerard's eyes stung. Everything had gone to plan so far. Why would Joel change his mind like this and not even tell him?
"Just so you know," Gerard said, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
The lump in his throat was still there went he went back to the truck. Mikey raised an eyebrow, but when Gerard shook his head, he just helped him inside the cab.
-
After
Gerard's face stung. He winced as pressure increased with the stinging, and when he let his eyelids flutter open, he couldn't see out of one of his eyes.
"Easy." Something moved, and light streamed into both eyes, making them water. It was only when a hand cupped over Gerard's eyes that Mikey's shape came into focus. "You're okay. You just got a few cuts we have to take care of."
Before Gerard could so much as nod, Mikey grabbed a bottle with a straw and put it to his mouth. "Sip."
The water was so cold it hurt his teeth, but it felt amazing on his throat, so he sucked until he could hear nothing but slurping. Mikey continued wiping at his face with the cloth, and trickling water tickled Gerard's face.
"There," Mikey said. "It's not so bad."
"What happened?"
"After the robots?" Gerard nodded. "We got as many people out of the wreckage as we could until S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W showed up. We barely got you loose before the laser bolts started flying."
"Joel?"
Mikey paused, mouth screwing up.
"Is he..." Gerard couldn't make himself finish.
Mikey sighed and jerked his head to the side.
Joel was on a cot next to Gerard, hooked up to an IV and some kind of respirator. He was as pale as a ghost.
"They don't have him," Mikey said quietly. "They don't have any of us."
Gerard squeezed Mikey's hand. Mikey squeezed back.
-
"In light of the recent accidents, the Battery City Council is suspending all non-essential recreational activities." The suit took a break to wipe sweat away from his forehead. "After a probation period of one month has passed, interim activities and city security will be outsourced to Better Living Industries. The company has long been known for its exceptional operation practices..."
The camera cut to a wide shot, which showed the real reason the mayor of Battery City was sweating. It was hard not to when Korse was standing over your shoulder.
A beer bottle shattered on the screen over Korse's face.
"Drink this, motherfucker!" Frank yelled, giving the TV the finger.
The rest of the 'runners in the room rumbled agreement. Gerard couldn't help but smile. After weeks of knowing Korse was watching him and not really having anyone to talk to about it, it was nice to see he wasn't alone.
Mikey eased through the crowd and tapped Gerard's shoulder. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. Gerard went behind the counter of the diner immediately and went back to what used to be the kitchen and was currently a makeshift hospital. Mikey didn't follow.
All the cots in the back were empty except one. The occupant of it was sitting up, an oxygen cannula under his nose.
"Victory's mine, motherfucker," Joel said, a quiet wheeze in his voice.
Gerard laughed. "It was your fucking faulty cat that crashed your fucking robot, asshole."
Joel's smile was a little sad as Gerard sat down. "I guess that's something to keep in mind. Stick to one sabotage project at a time."
As Gerard sat, Joel coughed a little. He thumped his chest. "Something else to keep in mind, recently reinflated lungs fucking hurt. Shit."
"It isn't your fault," Gerard said. "There was no way to know that they would figure out the logic chip problem the same day as the match."
Joel waved a hand. "I paid a lot for this fuck-up. I won't beat myself up too much about it."
Gerard doubted that. But he said, "I really wasn't the one to leak the cat thing early. It wasn't any of us."
"Does that really matter now?" But when Gerard kept staring at him, Joel said, "I figured out it was Kat a week before the championship, man. She got arrested again right after we broke up, and it was the way she got out. She didn't get the message to me in time to plant it in the city."
"Shit. Really?"
Joel nodded. "I treated you guys like crap. Why would you ever come back?"
"I told you we would," Gerard said. "I would. You're my family."
"Only family I got left," Joel agreed. Then he started coughing again, and he reached for his water. Gerard handed it to him.
"Guess I'd better let you rest." Gerard got to his feet.
"You'll visit?"
"You can't go anywhere for a while, and we're coming up with our next move." No need to tell Joel that Gerard was still healing stitches on the back of his head. It didn't really matter, anyway. "I think we'll run into each other."
-
The Trans Am was at the front of the diner, solid as a fucking tank. The paint could use some work, but Ray had just finished putting it together. It wasn't like Gerard didn't have time.
"What are you thinking?"
That came from Grace, the girl who Gerard had met in the van. All the other people that had been rescued from the fights had gone back to their friends. But Grace had been with her mother when the robot fell, and her mom hadn't walked away. One of the few people with blood ties left, and Gerard was part of the reason she didn't.
He swallowed away the tightness in his throat like he did every time she spoke and said, "You ever play fantasy games? You usually have to kill a lot of spiders, but they always come back."
"So?"
Gerard spread his hands so they spread over the hood of the car. "So I'm thinking a spider with really big legs. Something you can't ignore."
Grace grinned up at him. "Can I help?"
"Totally. Painting's a big job."
"I'll go get the paint!"
"Not now! I-" Gerard dropped his hand as Grace ran inside. There was no point in trying to stop her.
"Can I help, too?"
Gerard grinned and turned to Joel, who had come out on his crutches at some point. Most everything had healed except for his broken leg. "Can you hold a paintbrush?"
"Fuck you." It came out mild and with a half-smile. He walked forward. "So you're really doing it?"
Gerard fussed with the collar of his leather jacket for a second. "I have a 'runner name now. Can't back out."
"You think it'll work better with you guys as the target?"
"We'll stay out in the 'zones for the most part. Keep away from the civilians." He nodded a little to himself. "Maybe S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W's influence in the city will lighten up, too."
"Dream on." But Joel sighed. "It's a better plan than mine."
"I don't know. We'll probably all end up dead."
"Yeah. But you'll get to shoot shit up before you do." Joel nodded toward the trunk. "Did you see my present?"
Gerard laughed. "Seriously?"
Joel's smile faded. "I had to go to the park to pick up my heads. I got lucky; the 'runners only trashed the front."
"Sorry, dude."
"It's fine." Joel pointed. "Seriously, go look."
Gerard did. He laughed with surprise as a Mousekat head stared up at him from the trunk. He lifted it and looked back at Joel incredulously.
"I had to estimate the fit, but if it's wrong, I can fix it."
Gerard tipped his head over and slid Mousekat over it. It was perfect. The rebreather on the inside didn't even make him feel claustrophobic, and he loved how squeaky his voice came out when said, "Mine now, motherfucker."
Joel laughed and reached out a hand to help balance the head when Gerard pulled it off. "Maybe I should write your new name in it, Party Poison."
The wind ruffled Gerard's hair as he grinned back. He touched it just as Mikey yelled, "Gee! You ready?"
"Yeah!" he called back. When Joel raised an eyebrow, Gerard said, "My hair isn't bright enough. We're fixing that."
As Gerard started to go inside, Joel hurried to catch up. He swung on his crutches like a pro. "Can I help?"
Gerard smiled. "Definitely."