The Future Of Fabulous Killjoys

12

Kobra Kid's POV

Party Poison thought it would be nice to have a little barbeque get-together in the backyard. You know, in celebration of Girlie being an official killjoy now. Dr. Death stayed around for a while and insisted on inviting Show Pony.

Party Poison didn't like the idea but they called up Show anyway. She of course turned it down and said she was too busy to come to the zones for this. That was fair, to be honest, we aren't the most fun and she was pretty far from the zones.

Jet and Party were working the grill, as Ghoul, Dr. D, and Girlie played football or something together. I just sat by myself under a tree reading a new issue of a comic I liked. It was intriguing for a while until the interest slowly started to fade. My eyes got heavy, and suddenly I couldn't hold them awake anymore.

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I'm not sure what happened but, I started hearing muffled voices. I slowly opened my eyes and everything was blurry.
That was until I noticed. This was a dream.
But this dream was an exact reliving of the Route Guano incident. Why was I reliving this through a dream? "Kobra? Kobra?" Kobra Kid!" A younger Jet from that moment ran up to me, shaking me awake.

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"Kobra! Kobra?" I snapped awake to the present day as real present Jet-Star was shaking me awake. "Wha-" I looked around in fear. "Ko! Are you okay? What happened, Kobra?" he asked concerned. "I was just reading. And then I fell asleep I guess." I muttered to him. "That isn't all though is it?" he asked.

I scoffed. "It's not even important." I rolled my eyes. He proceeded to shuffle to sit next to me under the tree, and slide his hand over my trembling hand. "Talk to me about it anyways. It's good to get this stuff off your chest," he said anyways. I blushed, opening my mouth to give an argument back, but I just didn't and gave in. As hot-headed as I can get at the others, I can't seem to stay mad at Jet.

"I saw the Route Guano incident again. Through the same eyes, I did when it happened years ago. I don't know why I'm reliving it, but I hate that. I fuckin hate it so much. Except you were waking me up in reality. Maybe that's why it happened."
Jet grew concerned.

"Maybe. I'm sorry you're dealing with this again." he sighed. "It's okay." I huffed. "Honestly, I won't lie. Every time I have to wake you up and it takes you a while, I immediately flashback to that moment," he tells. That makes me unreasonably upset.
"I'm sorry." I burrow my head down in pent-up anger at myself.

"This isn't your fault. It's anyone's trauma if they lived it. If it makes you feel any better, I'm glad you told me. Honestly, I'm just glad that you feel comfortable talking to me. I notice you usually give the others an attitude or the silent treatment, but you seem at home talking to me." Jet remarks. "Thanks, but you don't have to lie," I say with wit. "I'm not!" Jet exclaims. "Yeah." I scoffed sarcastically.

"Why won't you believe me?" Jet asks. "Because you're trying to make me feel like I'm not a total jerk! I know I am and I know that the only reason I get flashbacks to Route Guano is that it tries to haunt me for my actions and stupidness!" I snap. "Stop beating yourself up!" Jet worries. I stop and almost break down, but hold myself up.
Jet proceeds to hug me and I just stiffly stay unreactive until it renders to me what he's doing.

I redden and hug back in the embrace and wanna lash out. "What-" I murmur. "Kobra, Who was at Route Guano with you?" he asked. "You." I sighed. "And who got you into that mess and saved you from it?" he kept going. "You, Jet." I sighed once again.

"Exactly." we stayed in the embrace. "Forget about the incident for the love of god, Ko. I know it's hard but you gotta let go. It's anyone's mistake and you've grown a lot from then." he encourages me. "For crying out loud, you are The Kobra Kid! You are a martial arts killjoy master. You were only a kid back then who couldn't hold a gun right? Now, you're an icon!" He rants.

My eyes water and I cry, grabbing onto his hair in the embrace. "Thank you, Jet." I sniff.
"Of course, you big softie." he chuckles. "...Your hair's really nice," I say as I couldn't help to play with it in the embrace. "Awh." he laughed.

Jet's the one that understands me most, I won't lie, I can be a punk but it's only because I'm misunderstood. Jet's the only one who makes me feel understood.