Tales from the Zones

Things Start to Worsen

Just as the man had predicted, Jet's health quickly dwindled.
Dr Death had come round with Cherri Cola to take some blood in order to try and find out what antidote to use.
"Then let's hope and prey to the Phoenix Witch that Tommy's got some"
"And if he doesn't?" Fun Ghoul asked from the couch, Death grimacing.

"Then he's in the Witch's hands"

***

Cherri sat at one of the booths in the diner, watching The Girl play on the floor with Party Poison with some old toys when a furry shape pushed it's way into the diner, walking over The Girl's set and making a bee line for him.

"Oof!" He exclaimed as the dog jumped onto him, wagging their tail happily, Cherri looking at Party confused, "Since when?"
"Found him the other day. There's a cat somewhere as well" They explained, looking around.

"Ok," Cherri sighed, examining the dog, "Well, she looks healthy enough."
"She?" Party thought, "Damn, didn't mean to assume your gender miss." they joked, The Girl laughing.

The dog turned around to face them, biting her lip and whimpering.
"What's wrong girl?" Cherri asked, the dog jumping of him and walking to Party, placing her head on their lap, whining softly.

"I know. I've been sat down here too long?" They laughed, getting up, complaining at their joints clicking as they walked to the kitchen area.

But as they went to get a glass of water, their bison split, shaking slightly as they felt the dog paw at their leg.
"Party?" They heard Cherri's blurry voice, "Party! Are you ok?"

Their vision completely blacked, and they felt themselves fall, hearing everyone's panicked voices.

***

Ghoul was about to ask Death a question when they heard a massive this from the diner, followed by Cherri and The Girl call for Party in a panicked voice.

Ghoul jumped up, rushing into the diner.
"What's going on?" It wondered, finding Cherri on the floor with an unconscious Party, "Fuck sake! What happened to them?"

"They fainted," Cherri explained, "They got up for some water, then they just... went. I think the dog was trying to tell us.. where's Kobra?"
"Down at the race track" Ghoul told him, taking Party from his arms, "Hey, Party, Party? You ok? Oh shit!" He tried to bring them too, Cherri getting up.

"I'll go find their brother. He might know what's wrong" he rushed out, The Girl coming over as Party began to come out of it.

"Party? Oh thank the Witch? What happened?" Ghoul watched in worry.
"I don't know" they whispered, "I just got up for some water, and then I just... fell.."
"Cherri's gone to get Kobra," Ghoul explained as Death wheeled into the room, followed by Jet.

"You ok kid?" Death asked, Jet gasping.
"Oh titan you've hit your head," he rushed over, Party feeing their head, looking at the blood on their hands.
"Are you okay? Do you feel dizzy? Sick? What's my name?" Jet got some wipes and started cleaning their head, Party chuckling.

"Jet-Star, and I'm okay, I promise. Just... felt a little weak" they convinced, Jet sighing in concern.
"Someone pass me the Band Aids quick," He ordered, Ghoul going to retrieve them.

"Here you go Mom" It joked as he handed them over, Concentration spread over Jet's face.
Party seemed to regain full consciousness, but Death watched with concern. He always knew that Party had something, but fainting? That was new.

"Ok ok," Party laughed, "I'm fine now, I promise ok? Please go sit down Jet you don't look good at all,"

If Jet and Party entered a competition on who was the most sympathetic, neither would win because the judges wouldn't be able to tell.
Jet stared down Party like they'd just insulted him, frowning.

"You clearly need my help right now" he argued, placing a band aid over the small cut.
"Man. You are literally DYING." Party joked, before going silent. The whole room went silent.

"Well, on that note, I'd better go," Death announced, "I'll try and find out what to do." He wheeled off, closing the door behind him.
The dog wimpered as the door closed, before laying her head back on Party's lap.

"He'll be back soon... Sparks," Party assured.
"Sparks?" Ghoul raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah that's her na-"

"OH MY GOD NIB!" Kobra bust through the door, throwing his helmet down, "Cherri told me everything are you ok?" He rushed over, in a panic.
"Yeah. Everything's good now," They confirmed, Jet sighing again.

"Cherri said you fainted! Wait- did you got your head as well? Oh Witch, oh god," he panicked more, jolting his head to the side.
"Yeah, but I'm fine now."

Kobra's face creased in worry still.

***

Death groaned as he picked himself from his wheelchair, walking to the desk chair and sitting down gently.
Taking the blood sample, he began testing.

He tested far into the night, until he got the results he needed.
"Ha. Gotcha. Korse thinks he can hurt my Jet-Star. Well he couldn't be more wrong. I'll let Tommy know right away."

His mind wondered to the first time he'd seen Jet.
Cold, alone, and scared in that abandoned shed.
His family had been cruelly ripped away from him at the young age of seven.

Cherri has still been a kid himself then, just at the age of twelve. And he'd immediately took to Jet as a younger brother.

"A sister?" Cherri had exclaimed excitedly.
"No. I'm a boy," Jet had explained, shaking his longer hair.
"A brother?" Cherri grinned, "Even better!"

In short, Death had raised him. The other three were awesome, but Jet was special to him.
He didn't like to call it favoritism, but it was.

He tried to hide it,  but that day he showed up with blood dripping from a makeshift bandage over his where his eye had been had been a hard sight to see.
Even more so when he returned a few weeks later dying in Party's arms.

Death didn't know what he'd do without these kids. They meant the world to him, and there wasn't much in this world anymore.

Booting his system up, he got to work sending the private message.
"Hey Tommy. Yeah I've got the cause.."