Atrium I
"Hush little baby, don't say a word"
No one noticed the elder woman in the midst of all the chaos. Panic created stampedes of people, desperate to survive. Feet trampled forgotten trinkets and the rubbles of once grand buildings.
"Momma's going to buy your a mocking bird."
The smell of blood was thick in the air. Her cracked voice was like the haunting melody to the harmonic shrieks of fear and torturous pain.
She rocked back and forth slowly, staring with a somewhat off glimmer of love at the minute bleeding body of the boy she caressed. Blood and puss oozed from the burns and sores the scoured her arms and face. They called it the return of the Black Plague, but the citizens of the tiny town knew better.
Whatever it was, it was from the pits of hell, sent to terrorize them. To abolish them.
"If the mocking bird don't sing, Momma’s going to go and break its wings."
A gnarly claw whipped out and dug their nails into the arms of a passing boy. His hazel eyes were alight from the blazing fires around them and widened with disgust and fright at the old woman. His clothes, burnt and bedraggled, were falling off his bruised frame and in his tightly clenched fists was a golden chain.
"Hello little birdie, don't you want to join us?"
"Let go of me you old hag!" The boy screeched, but as he attempted to wrench his arms free, her grip only tightened.
"You know Him, don't you little birdie? One of his crows, aren't you?"
"What are you talking about?" His eyes darted nervously and rested on the small boy curled at their feet. Each breath cost the young child, forced out in ragged huffs. Dried blood covered his hands and face. The elder followed his stare and cackled.
"Wont' you take him, little birdie? Won't you take my burden?" Her mad smile fell to a tilted frown like a gap across her cruddy face. The boy gave a mew of pain as she nudged him with a blackened foot. The flames the had been eating the town now roared, prowling like a predator and the trio felt waves of heat bid beads of sweat.
"Save him!"
Trapped and scared, the boy she had cornered wrapped his arms around the blood-slicked waist of the dying boy. The child seemed to weigh no more than a small dog and he carried him with a certain degree of ease.
"Frank! The boy's name is Frank Iero!" He scrunched his nose with disdain against the stench of blood and weeks of illness and dirt gusting onto him and her wrinkled sooty face leered in front oh him.
"Don't forget to mention that!"
He fell back and nearly tripped when the ancient being pushed him away from her. Frankie's head bobbled against his chest as he darted off. As distance passed, her could still her cry
"Fly away little birdie, fly away!"
His arms began to feel like lead, his lungs crackling and chocking from the smoke. In the distance, his brother watched anxiously. Knees locked and both children fell to the floor.
"Gerard!" Footsteps chucked dirt and Michael Way sprinted forward, dark hazel eyes like his brother sparked with fear behind cracked glasses.
"Mikey help me with him!"
Together they dragged little Frank as gently as possible trailing blood behind them.
"Who's this, Brother?" Mikey was wiping his hands and staring at the boy with a look at which you would look at a stray pup in the streets. Gerard felt a churning in his stomach as he watched the pale face twitch in untold pain. It did not take an adult to understand that whatever happened from now on, he would play an important part in this child's life.
Bending over, he brushed the fringes of hair from Frank's face and pondered.
"His name is Frank Iero. I'm calling Adrian. He'll know what to do." He stated. His brother nodded slowly as he clasped the golden chain around his neck and stared at the sky vaguely.
"I've heard you got company." The rumbling voice came from everywhere and no where.
"Hello Adrian. He's dying."
“The crowns are coming with medications, they should help."
"Thank you Adrian."
"I see all has gone as planned. The crows have a...gift, if you will, on doing so well with the elimination." There was a pause before he continued.
"The boy should've died with rest of those creatures, but no matter. I will let you keep him. If he's intelligent, we'll teach him our ways."
"Yes sir. Thank you Adrian."
"You do realize that this one is your responsibility? Every mistake it makes will fall to your shoulders."
Gerard paused and inwardly sighed.
"Yes Adrian."
"Good. Remember Gerard. He is not your equal. You are not one of them. Your one of the Chambers. If he hinders your missions that he will be eliminated like the rest."
Another pause and sigh. He glanced at the boy on the floor, oddly seeming more at peace than before and felt a burn of affection in his heart.
"That will not be an issue sir."
"Such sureness in a thirteen year old." Silence and an intake of breath.
"The wounds are deep the crows are telling me. He won't live long."
Gerard cursed under his breath. There were always crows watching from somewhere.
"Either way sir."
"All right. Do you know how to get back to home?"
"Yes Adrian"
"Good. Anything else?"
Gerard fiddled with the chain before opening his mouth.
"Sir, why did we have to set off that disease? Why did we have to kill so many people?"
"Gerard Way you should know by now. You saw them. Festered with disease and sin. It was a blessing what we have done. Erasing their sins with the fires from Hell!" At that, he chuckled.
"What makes us so much better?” Gerard cut off angrily. His nails were digging into the palm of his hand, but he ignored the small twinge of pain. There was a bitter silence after his out burst.
"Remember your place, Gerard Way." Adrian responded in a low growl.
"I apologize, sir."
"No matter." His tone reverted to its normal slightly cheery note. "I'll dig it into your brain eventually. A gift has been given to us, my boy. A gift no one else had. Shouldn't we take this to full advantage?"
"Yes sir." Gerard turned his attention back to the sky, absently tuning out the lecture he had heard so many times before.
"Of course we should! Never forget who we are, Gerard ."
"Yes sire. May I go know now Adrian? The crows are near to landing."
"Yes yes, of course." In the background, there was a loud clash and a yelp of pain.
“Oh, and Pierre sends his regard.”
The gold chain slid into his hand as Gerard signed off. A large crimson crow made its way across the rubble to him.
“Atrium One.” It announced, and he nodded in response.
“Any news, Ine?”
“.Ventricle Two was slightly successful I n their mission. None were injured, save for Mr. Lef.”
Gerard nodded that off and as he began to phrase his next question, he was interrupted by a shrill yell.
“Gerard! Gerard get over here!”
Mikey was pointing in wonder at the boy who a moment ago had been bleeding everywhere. Crows crowded and cocked their head in curiosity. They took off screeching as Gerard barreled through, knife in hand.
“What’s-“
He stopped and his jaw hung loose.
“Where am I?” Frank was rubbing his head and starring around with large emerald eyes.
“He can heal.” Mikey whispered, adjusting his glasses in awe.
“He can heal.” His older brother repeated, and dropped besides the boy.
“Adrian will want to hear about this.” Ine ruffled his feathers and took off
-x-
“Frank, tell Mikey to put his chain back on.”
”What am I, Messenger boy?”
“Just do it.”
Rolling his eyes, Frank Iero rolled between his fingers a small gold bead.
“What do you want Frank.”
”That’s not a great way to treat your Brother.” There was a pause and a sudden out burst of laughter.
”Yea let Adrian catch you saying that.”
Frank frowned and rolled the bead again, tuning Mikey out. It hurt whenever the Way sibling mentioned that. For 10 years, he had been told that the only reason he was kept around was his rare ability to heal. He had been an official member of the Chamber since, but to an extent. To everyone, he was still human with no actual reason for existence.
“Don’t let him get to you, Hun.” Gerard cooed. Smiling, Frank was glad that Gerard was at the other end of the building, unable to see the bright red blush creeping up his face.
A loud roar of applause cut off his thoughts and Gerard let out a low growl.
“I’m bringing Mikey in.” Frank let out a groan.
“He’s my brother. I’ve got to know what is going on, just in case.” Gerard explained, but Frankie tuned him out.
”Cross hair set.” Mikey’s voice sounded through the air, only audible for the trio.
“Cross hair set.” Gerard repeated, and with a flick of his thumb, Frank looked through the lens, focusing on the President of Venezuela.
“Cross hair set. “He mumbled, one eyes scrunched shot for complete concentration.
“You’re not going to miss this time Frankie?” Mikey’s voice taunted and he felt his finger favor the trigger.
“Shut up Mikey.” Gerard silenced with a hiss, and the crown fell silent as the leader began to rant.
“Atrium.”
”Atrium.”
Frankie whetted his lips and muttered the code word.
”Atrium.” And simultaneously the triggers were pulled back, and two bullets thudded in the subjects body; the third rebounding back.
“Shit!” Mikey ducked when he heard the ping of bullet hitting metal, and Frank looked over at Gerard.
’Get Down!’ he mouthed, and before he plastered his body against the metal walkway, the bullet dug itself into his chest.
He never felt pain before. Not like this.
Arms flailing, his body twisted from spasms of pain.
”Gerard!”
10 years ago, that boy had saved him from his death. Now he just stared hopelessly, scared numb.
“Frankie heal yourself!” he pleaded; grabbing the line of is collar.
“We need to get out!”
Orders were being sent form below, and among the shrieks of fear from the crowd, soldiers could be seen carrying rifles going up to the metal walkway dangling above the stadium.
“Mikey, get us out!”
”I don’t know if I can transport Frank, I’ve never really done it before when people are thrashing around like that.”
”Well try goddamnit!” He roared, and holding tight to each other, Atrium 1 team held tight and disappeared as the first soldier’s metal soles tapped on the walkway.
-x-
Frank was still withering as they fell to the floor, but the blood was slowly dissipating.
“Why didn’t it heal as fast, Gee?” Mikey lifted his hand to his face, temporarily forgetting the absence of his glasses.
“I don’t know.” Atrium’s front man was wondering the same thing. Never had Frank rebound taken less than 3 minutes. At most. Now he had fallen to a deep sleep, the wound mostly gone but bits of blood still clinging to his clothes.
“When Adrian finds out-“Gerard yelped as the chain around his neck spiked to a burning degree.
”Gerard Arthur Way you had better give me a damned god reason why the person I sent you to execute isn’t dead now.”
”He’s not dead?” Gerard feigned, though he knew it himself. Frankie’s shot had been the killing shot.
He gave another cry of pain when the necklace heated up dangerously.
“Don’t play dumb with me boy.” He heard the hidden rage in Adrian’s voice.
”It was my fault. My gun slipped and floor we were elevated on shifted. Frankie’s grip-“
”Damn it, I should have known. Your pet.”
”Sir-“
”No. For ten years, I have let you keep your pet. However, it is long enough. When you two have recovered, I want you to come straight back to the Chambers. I’ll send the Ventricle team to clean after you.”
”But sir-“
”No buts, Gerard. He has become a nuisance. Time for him to join his lesser relatives.”
The chain fell without warning, and Gerard stared at the glittering necklace with horror. Frank Iero was not just a pet to him, but his lover. Forever they had been together since that day. And just as easily as they were together, they were going to be torn apart.
“Gerard.” Frank’s lip turned into a small smile, his eyes glowing with love.
Affection and sorrow twisted his heart.
“Frank” He slid into his arms, wrapping them tightly around his small frame.
“Are you okay babe?”
Sobs were overwhelmingly close, and Gerard chocked them back with difficulty.
“Yea. Yea I’m fine.” He lied and looking up he saw he failed miserably.
Lips brushed and cheeks blushed, and with a gentle smile, Frank asked,
“They’re going to kill me, aren’t they?”