Throttle The Ignition

7. You Know That Big Ball Of Radiation We Call The Sun?

The car pulled up by an old diner - dusty, dirty, but somehow still homely.

"This is your..." I struggled to find the right words, "House...?" Ghoul nodded, grinning at my puzzled expression,

"Yep."

"Our residence." Chimed in Jet. I nodded slowly,

"Okay...but what about Dracs and that? Don't they attack you here?" Ghoul shook his head,

"They never come out this far of the zones."

"Ah. No wonder it's so hot." I muttered. Ghoul and Jet cracked a smile,

"You'll get used to it." Jet said, opening the car door and letting the small amount of cool air outside rush in the car and ruffle his 'fro. "Now come inside, we have to show you around and all that stuff civilised people do." Ghoul let out a bark of laughter,

"Nobody's civilised in this life anymore!"

"Hmm..." Jet mumbled, getting out the car, Kobra Kid and Party Poison also opening their doors and stepping out into the beating sun. I also opened the door on my side of the car and after unbuckling my seatbelt, stepped out into the warm desert, the crunching sound of the sand foreign to my ears. I looked around the massive sand dunes and dying cacti and plant things in awe. I'd never been anywhere so hot in my life. I was mesmerised by the endless bright blue, cloudless sky, the hot sand under foot, the way no breeze rustled any living thing, and the way the sky seemed to ripple with the heat of the (literally) burn-you-to-a-crisp sun.

"Come on, Chris!" I heard Jet cry, and I looked around in time to see the diner's door swing shut. Quickly I jogged after them and opened the huge, paint-peeling door, stepping inside the messy, and slightly un-kept, diner. I looked around with my mouth wide open as Jet showed me through the entrance kind of bit and into a big room squashed with sofas, chairs, tables and...ray guns.

Must be their 'hanging out' room, I thought as Jet showed me to a seat and sat down on the worn out couch next to me.

We sat there for a little while in awkward silence. It was like I was in presence of a God! I practically was!

Then the rest of The Fabulous Killjoys trooped in, Fun Ghoul plopping down on the couch the other side of me, Kobra Kid sprawled out in a large armchair with a glass of water and Poison hovered anxiously by the door, looking out for enemies like a hawk stalks his prey.

"Just sit down, Poison." Ghoul coaxed, "Dr D is keeping an eye out." Poison reluctantly agreed and sat on the edge of a hard wooden chair surrounding a big table laid with maps, ray guns, and other weapons and devices.

"Who?" I blurted before I could stop myself. I mean, yeah, I knew about The Fabulous Killjoys - who doesn't? But I didn't know all the details, if you did, well, you'd be a killjoy and Korse would be out to kill you. Just like my position at the moment, I guess.

"Dr Deathdefying's our kind of..." Jet looked thoughtful until Poison butted in,

"Radio."

"Radio?" I asked curiously, looking at Poison through my lashes, embarrassed to even talk to him - he was always my favourite out of The Fabulous Killjoys (and the hottest).

Poison cleared his throat,

"He keeps us updated when we're in the Trans-Am," (that confirmed my suspicions about what type of car it was) "on the radio station he tells us what's going on and that. He's very helpful." I nodded in gratitude,

"Thanks...Poison."

"No problem." Poison ducked his head, "I'll get him now to introduce you two." I nodded as Poison walked of sassily, trying to be cool I suspect.