killjoys never die - Still running (Danger Days)

Chapter 19

Pulling up to the diner she wasn't sure what to expect. She was confident that no one from BL/ind was following them anymore, which was something but this was a whole new ball game. She was in the zones, mixed up with the rebellion, and wanted by Korse.

Ghoul had regained consciousness on the drive but had been quiet for the journey, only whispers between him and, who she now knew as Kobra. Party had told her the curly haired man was Jet and they had another friend back at the diner called Diamond. None of the names sparked any memories in her and she caught the sad look passed around the car when she told them so.

Jet was injured, luckily a surface wound but and also been unconscious for a while and she wondered if this was how they lived their lives. A constant stream of injuries, running and fighting, she wasn't sure she was upto the task. She had no experience other than data entry, no fighting skills and she was already struggling I'm the unrelenting heat.

The desert felt so different to the city, the air much heavier and dense, the heat was almost unbearable unless you were in the shade and the amount of colour all around was almost overwhelming on the senses. Her apartment had been bare, but air conditioned and the air almost crisp unlike the dust she was inhaling out here making her cough.

Party helped Kobra to get Jet inside the diner, closely followed behind by Ghoul who was holding his head. She stayed put though, almost too scared to get out of the car, she didn't know these people even though they seemed to know her. She had only known Party for a few days and that was only brief, how was she expected expected just stay here with everything so alien to her.

Party returned quickly and slid back Into the car when he saw she hadn't moved at all. He sat quietly for a few moments watching her biting her nails, if anything it was making her more nervous with the silence.

"Come inside, Diamonds excited to see you again. This is your home Neon" He said touching her arm gently.

"Its not though, not to me I don't know this place. All these people I've never met, it's feels weird they know me more than I know them"

"It will take time to adjust, for all of us.You remembered my name before, being here might help other memories come through?" He said.

She looked behind him to the diner trying to recognise any of it, but none of it seemed familiar in the slightest. She wanted it to badly to feel something about the place, the people, they expected it of her and she was only disappointing them.

"I'm nervous, I've been alone for so long....Well it feels like that in my head anyway. I work alone, live alone, I'm not used to being in a group of people. I'm not quite sure how to interact and I'm worried you will all be disappointed I'm not the person you all risked your lives to save. I dont know how to be Neon, and this me, the new me, may not live up to her."

He seemed to contemplate her words for a moment, as if he was unsure of the right response. It was as if he hadn't considered this side of things before, maybe he expected her to suddenly have her memory restored and be his friend again once she returned. Instead she was this nervous misfit in the body of his friend.

"I will never be disappointed in you, none of us will. Even if you never remember everything your still our friend and we will help you, protect you and love you. You will always be you, it's just going to take time for us all to get used to this new dynamic."

"I feel like stanger who stole your friends body." She said quieter.

It did feel like that, even if they didn't say it the pressure was there and the expectations, whether they wanted to admit it or not.

"I...Well we have nearly lost you a few times now. You definitely keep us on our toes and this is no exception. If it turns out to be a body snatcher deal fuck it we will still want you here" He laughed.