The Kids From Yesterday ➸ Danger Days

Prologue

Kobra Kid sat on the hood of the Killjoy's car, the Girl in sight a few feet away. As he flipped through an issue of Murder magazine, the blonde saw Fun Ghoul come from the diner dressed out.

"I'm here!" Ghoul exclaimed in a sing-song voice. He had greasy black hair, and frankly always smelled of cigarette smoke. Kobra was often trying to get him to share.

"What took you so long?" Kobra asked. Ghoul laughed.

"You know they sell action figures of us?" Ghoul asked without responding to Kobra's question. "And posters, apparently. But people actually buy 'em."

"Without burning them? I would be lying if I said I wasn't shocked," the 'Kid replied with a lighthearted chuckle.

"Look alive, boys, we're about to head off." Party Poison stepped out next, Kobra touching his brother's shoulder once in an odd form of an affectionate greeting as he passed.

Jet Star, the oldest of them at about thirty seven, jogged out after Poison and climbed into the car before Ghoul could open the door fully. The Killjoys had known each other for thirty years, it would seem now. Jet had been seven when the six year-old traumatized Party Poison brought his little brother with him in seeking of shelter. The three had met Ghoul three years later- they only knew because Jet had been ten at that time.

After the Girl climbed in the car, Kobra took his usual seat of shotgun and watched Poison start the machine up. The blonde flicked on the radio, tuning into some music before staring ahead with his usual blank expression. For once, Fun Ghoul didn't light his cigarette. Dracs roamed the desert; so much more often nowadays than they had even ten years ago. Better Living Industries was getting more bold, or perhaps more desperate to rid the world of the Killjoys.

Sameness.

That's all Better Living wanted.

"We've got a tail!" Party exclaimed, looking through the rearview mirror at the car that had begun to follow them. It was black, carrying a few Draculoids inside. Ghoul leaned out his window, grabbing his gun and shooting as the car got closer and closer. The black-haired Killjoy hesitated, waiting for the Dracs to roll down their window before he began to shoot again. As soon as Ghoul was back inside the Trans Am, Party stepped on the gas.

"Why doesn't Kobra smile?"

Just the other day, the Missile Kid had asked those words.

"There's been a lot of debate on that," Ghoul had started to explain, "Some people think it's cause he felt he had to take care of us dipshits and never had a real childhood. Personally I don't think he was ever the same after he lost the guy he loved. He was hot..."

The Missile Kid just looked confused. "Didn't you say that was when you got this car?"

Jet Star laughed loudly. "Yeah! Ghoul totaled the one we fixed up for Party's fifteenth birthday." A loud huff was heard from Party, who sent a glare in the rearview mirror that connected with Ghoul's gaze. He smiled sheepishly, earning an eyeroll from the redhead.

"So when did you guys meet?" The Girl had asked, surprised with herself about how little she knew about these people.

"A very long time ago." Jet was often the one that answered her questions- mainly because he was considered the wisest among all of them. Why? Nobody was exactly sure.

"No need to be so vague, Princess Fro Fro." Ghoul laughed as Jet glared daggers. "Remember when Party almost got ghosted because he tried to get it on with an android girl? And she was an agent for Better Living?"

"Shuddup, Ghoul!" Party glared through the rear view mirror at the black-haired Killjoy. Ghoul put on the most angelic face he could, earning an eyeroll.

"So when did you really start being Killjoys?" Missile Kid pressed.

"I was about twenty..." Jet began.

"Oh shit, here we go." Ghoul groaned, leaning back further into his seat,

"Ghoul?"

"Yes?"

"Shut the fuck up and let Jet talk."

A very long and exhasparated sigh followed the response of "Fine..."