Maybe You'll Live For Me Sometimes- Adopted by the Killjoys

Part Four

I knew they'd eventually find me. Because they did, about six months into my time with the guys and Kid. We were just taking a nice evening walk (I had my journal with me because that's my comfort object) when: "I knew we'd find you sometime, Adeline." All six of us turned to look back at my old mom and dad, and it was my old dad's low, intimidating voice.
          All I did was let out an "oh" after a scared hesitation. Then I confronted them. "How did you guys find me, Mom and Dad? Or should I call you that?"
          "We missed you, young lady. Why'd you run away?" Mom asked.
          "If you really missed me, you would've found me sooner. If you really cared about me, you wouldn't have made me feel like I needed to run away in the first place," I insinuated.
          "Oh, so we're the reason you ran away? We've been looking for you everywhere in the city! We didn't even think to look here," Dad babbled. Then he looked up at the other Killjoys. To my surprise, he recognized Gerard and Mikes. "Well, if it isn't the strangers who saved your petty little ass from the Fires? I never expected you to find them again! You ran away just for them, didn't you? Huh?"
          "Well, I did," I sassed, even though I was still scared of his tone.
          "Can't you just give her a break?" asked Mikes, getting visibly angry at them.
          "But apparently you're Amethyst Activator now? Some stupid made-up names you Killjoys have," Mom snapped at me.
          "Oh, so are you working for Better Living now?" Gerard asked them, a little mad.
          "No. We just submit to their rules because we don't want to be outlaws like you! We follow their orders, always!" Dad yelled. "You're coming back with us, young lady. We have a lesson to teach you."

He then grabbed me by the forearm and forced me into their white car. I tried to get out, but Dad just forced me there as Mom took the wheel and tried to drive away.
          "No! Set her free!" protested Kid from behind "mom" and "dad's" car. I looked behind and saw the other five running up to it and trying to save me. But then Mom hit the gas and zoomed me away. Meanwhile, Dad kept me in my seat and found ways to keep me from fighting it and even turning my head back. But I did hear the guys and Kid in the Trans Am driving behind us. Party drove fast to catch up to me, "Mom," and "Dad."

TW for this next scene w/ SA! Please skip if this makes you uncomfortable or triggers you!

The chase lasted for a while, even through the city, and "Mom" and "Dad" held onto my forearms and forced me through the door of my old apartment. Oh dear God. "Mom" even snatched my journal out of my arms and snooped through it while "Dad" restrained my freedom to move around. I made loud noises and yelled loudly words like "stop," "let me go," "help," "no," and "hey" to try to call out for help. I knew the Killjoys were coming for me, so I at least gave them clues to where I was.
          "What bullshit is this? We made you feel like you want to die? We traumatized you? Show me your wrists, please," Mom demanded after closing my journal.
          I obeyed her, even though I was hesitant. "Yes, it is your fault that I felt like doing this to myself."
          "You're just overreacting, young lady! If you keep getting lost from us like this, especially like you did when you ran out to the desert and never came back! We'll do everything in our power to make you stay here and never see those... Killjoys... again!" Dad shouted. And then he got more physical, pinning me down on the couch. No, not just physical. This has happened before, many many times when I was kid as punishment for being "bad."
          "This will surely make you stay, baby," Dad yelled with a sarcastic smile, continuing to hurt me. The word "baby" just made it worse.
          "No, it won't!" I protested.

Mikes's POV

Through the city, we followed the loud sound of screaming to try to find Adeline. We stopped at an apartment building, just a mile out from a side wall of BLI HQ. "This is where that screaming is coming from. It must be her screaming; I heard words like "stop," "no," "let me go," "help," and "hey!" The five of us ran through the halls and up many flights of stairs as the screams got louder. I heard the screaming through a door on the fifth floor, so we tried bursting through the locked door.
          "How are we gonna get in?" Jet asked us.
          "Ooh, I can shoot up the door with my gun and make an opening that way," Party whispered as he brought us all into a huddle.
          "Alright. Whatever is happening in there, we'll do anything to stop it and save Adeline," I replied. "Anything." I really meant it.
          "Even killing them?" Kid asked, worried.
          "Yes, even that," Ghoul answered. "This kid means that much to us. Everything to us. Especially to you, Kobes. She's kinda like a daughter to you."
          The other four all looked at me, nodding their heads with hopeful eyes and serious faces. In a way, she really was; I could always tell that she looked up to me in that way. I'm breaking in there. All five of us, then, shot through the door. After making our opening through it, we walked inside and all gasped in shock, as Jet covered Kid's eyes from the scene and took her to where she didn't have to see inside the room. I couldn't believe what I saw Adeline's "dad" doing to her.