Tales from the Zones

The Good Leader

  "Can I pleeease come?" The Girl begged over and over.
"No" Jet-Star said once again, packing a few supplies, The Girl groaning.
"Ugh! Why not?"

"Because. It's dangerous," Jet simply put, the young child rolling her eyes.
"Well duh. Everything here is," she sighed as Jet just shrugged at her and walked out to the Trans AM.
What she said was true. The bandage covering half of Jet's face told the tale of a missing eye, a price to pay for protecting fellow Zone-Runners.

"It's just risky this time Kiddo" Dr. Death rolled out from his radio room.
A call for help had just been broadcast to him, sounding urgent. Tracing the call back, it came from an old shack out in Zone 4, near absolutely nothing.
He's alerted the Fabulous Four and told them to tread carefully. And to not bring The Girl, no matter how much she begged and cried.

***

"You guys ready now?" Party Poison asked as Jet got into the passenger seat, nodding.
"Yeah. Just best to go with supplies, especially with how sketchy this one is,"

The drive was, unusually, in silence, as to not make a massive entrance if this was just a BL/Ind trap as they pulled up.
"Okay. We go in, check it out and see what we find. Everyone grab you guns. The call sounded urgent, so that probably means there's Dracs here. And Jet, bring that First-Aid kit." Party instructed as they all got out and creeped towards the building.

Fun Ghoul peered through the windows, nothing. Seemed strange, but a sudden 'HELP' raised their attention, Kobra Kid kicking the door down.

"It came from that back room," Ghoul realized, as the group ran into the small bedroom to find...

... absolutely nothing.

"Where?" Kobra wondered, before jumping in shock.
"HELP HELP!"

The distressed sound was coming from a small box on the middle of the floor, Party inspecting it.
A speaker, reading BL/ind on it, the iconic smiling face staring mockery at them.
"We got to get out of here, now," they announced, looking around. They only saw two others.

"Oh DESTOYA where's Jet?" They realized, the other two now alerted as a shadow emerged from the door, blocking them in.

A tall bold figure, wearing a grey suit with white frilly cuffs.

"Korse," Party growled, staring him right in the eye as a Dracloid walked in, holding tight to Jet-Star, the Killjoy struggling to get free.

"Let him go, NOW!" Party's anger got worse, Korse laughing as he grabbed Jet by an arm and neck.
"Oh you want him back?" Korse gripped him harder, "Tell me where your hideout is, or else," a Drac held a gun to Jet's head, "Curly-Locks here gets it"

Jet laughed nervously "Oh come on you wouldn't hurt a Killjoy with one eye would y-"
"Yes I would" Korse spat
"Oh okay he would."

"Korse. Last warning." Party held his gun up, "Let him go. I will never tell you where we live,"
"Fine you asked for this," Korse sneered as they all heard the cock of the gun.

"NO!" Party screamed, launching themselves at the Drac, pushing them to the floor just in time and shooting it in the head, instantly killing it.
Party stood up, turning to Korse, who still gripped Jet so hard he could barely breathe.

"Now," Party smirked, holding his gun back to Korse "You're going to let my friend go. Or else"

Korse turned to outside the door, nodding at some more Dracs.
"Fine then," He dropped Jet, "I appreciate our talk. Maybe work on those manners tho, hmm?" He laughed, turning dramatically and leaving, slamming the door and locking it.

"Shit!" Party realized, trying to pick the lock, "Oh crap!"
The whole building suddenly felt warm, as flames engulfed it.

"We gotta get out of here!" Kobra yelled, looking around. Nothing. No window, no door. Just the one Korse had locked.

"Ah!" Party screamed in annoyance. It had been a trap all along, and they'd led their team straight into it.
"Party. It's ok," Jet smiled, still holding his arm, "You didn't know"

"I think I could probably kick the wall down, just give me a few minutes" Kobra decided, giving it a good kick.
The wall started to creak, one of the wall supports swaying in the heat.
"No! I'll give us more time!" Party rushed over, back against the wall, supporting it. It hurt like hell, having your back against burning wood, but they'd be dead if not.

Kobra became more desperate, and with one last kick of adrenaline, the wall broke away, the three piling out, Kobra holding a hand out for his sibling to grab, pulling them out just before the whole thing collapsed.
"That... was too close that time.." Party breathed the fresh air, "Is everyone okay?"

"You seen your back?" Kobra pointed out.
"At least I left my jacket in the car," They laughed a little as Kobra gave them a concerned look.
"Come on, I'm sure Korse is probably spying on us right now" they said nothing else, heading towards the Trans AM.

***

Back at The Diner, The Girl complained to them all about how unfair it was that she wasn't allowed to go.
"We was in a fire," Ghoul reminded again, just as Death came around the corner, "Oop"

"You think I didn't know that tumbleweed? I've seen Party's back," Death shook his head, "Well at least you got out of there."
He chuckled, shaking his head again, "I hope that wasn't a Killjoy hideout, otherwise someone's coming home to a nasty surprise"

***

Sonic Speed walked back through the desert, excited to get back to home. He'd been out all day with some other Zone-Runners at a gig, and he was exhausted.

He stroked the cat on his shoulder, the fuzzy creature purring, "Almost home now Sunflower..." he cut himself off. There, right in ground for his eyes, lay his shack, burned and flattened to the ground.

"OH GOOD CHAOS PHOENIX WITCH WHY ME??!!"