Keep Running | Frank Iero

11

// Sophie //

The drive back to base was long and tiring. Frank held me in his arms the entire time, gently rubbing my back to calm me down. I had been quietly crying for hours and my eyes felt raw.

"Here we are." Gerard announced as the truck came to a stop. Frank helped me up out the car and into the base.

We had a meal of simple baked beans that evening. Nobody spoke much, we were too exhausted. I didn't bother asking where Ray was because we all knew the answer; BLI will have stripped his brain down by now.

"I'm going to hit the sack," Frank told us. He turned to me. "You coming?"

"Sure." I smiled quietly, picking up my bag from the floor. I followed him into our room. It seemed so different now.

"I'm just going to go get my stuff, I'll be right back." He shot me a steady smile. I starred up at the ceiling.

That night, all I could see was Megan. All I could feel was the heavy wood against the palm of my hand. All I could hear was the glass smashing as she fell down, down, down.

I sat up panting, sweat pouring off me. The base was quiet, all I could hear was the occasional gentle snore from Frank. I couldn't take it anymore; I grabbed my packet of cigarettes and went for a walk.

—

// Ray //

The gun pressed into the back of my neck as we drove. I couldn't believe I was being made to do this.

Ahead of me, the base I knew too well came into view. The lights inside were off, meaning they must be sleeping.

"Have you got the gas?" Grace hissed to me. My hands shook as I held up the canister to show her. "Good. This won't take long."

We stopped at the bottom of a sand hill and began to trek up to the base. In my head all I could hear was Dr. D's voice.

Traitor. Traitor. Fucking traitor.

I had been captured by Korse weeks ago, and ever since I've had to perform little tasks which would bring them closer to finally catching the Killjoys.

One example was, they had put toxins in the cans of beans we were given as rations, in an attempt to wipe them out. I had also been forced to take Mikey, which had hurt me more than any of the electric chairs they hooked me up to at night. He had escaped though, and BLI were pissed.

Not only were they pissed about that, they were also furious about Sophie. She had killed off Korse and Megan. I have no fucking clue how she did it.

Grace was thirsty for revenge, which is why on this cold winter night, I was to kill my only friends.

The Killjoys.

We reached the top, and I followed Grace around the side of the building where she continued to tell me what was to happen. The plan was that I would gas them, wait a few minutes and blow the place up.

Traitor.

I felt the cold metal move away from my neck and I had to physically stop myself from breathing a sigh of relief. Grace led me behind the diner to where an air vent was situated.

"You know what to do." She told me. She raised her gun again, aiming it at me to let me know she wasn't kidding around.

I took the gas canister and hooked it up to the tubing we had brought. I began to feed it through the vent, tears welling up in my eyes.

I was going to kill my best friends.

"Good job, Raymond." Grace grinned, dropping the gun. She advanced towards me and grabbed my face, kissing me. My body seemed to scream inside but I stayed still, her lips moving on mine. No, no, no.

I grabbed her gun, shooting her in the stomach. Grace yelled out, dropping to the floor. "Fuck!" She screamed.

I began to ran, as fast as I fucking could. Maybe I could get help before she managed to kill everyone.

Just then, a jolt of pain shot through me. I moved my hands down to my back and felt dampness growing. Blood covered my hands and my eyes widened in realisation. I fell backwards onto the desert floor, turning the golden sand crimson red. My head pounded as I yelled out.

"Party! Fun! Pixie! Kobra! Fucking run!"

—

// Sophie //

I heard shouts from near the diner and I began to run. Ray was lying on the floor, soaked in blood.

"Ray!" I screamed, running forward.

"Sophie, oh my God.." He whispered, "You've got to save the others.. They're going to... kill......"

His eyes flickered shut. My body froze, grief settling over me. Ray was dead.

"No!" I yelled into the night air. I bolted back to the diner, into each bunker. "Get up! Get up!" I was screaming.

I began to drag each heavy body outside, my shoulder screaming out with pain.

"Frankie! Gee! Mikey! Please wake up!"

"So we meet again," a familiar voice chuckled. I froze as I was met face to face with Grace. "Such a shame it has to end this way."

Fear pulsed my body as Mikey stirred and sat up.

"What the fuck.."

"Sleep well, darling." Grace giggled as she raised her gun, shooting Mikey straight through the head.

"Mikey!" I screamed. He lay face down in the sand, blood covering him. "You bitch!"

"Oh look, Gee Gee has joined the party." She clapped her hands.

"Gerard, no!" I was screaming with all my might. Grace raised her gun yet again, placing a bullet through his head. I started pulling at Frank.

"Come on Frankie," I was crying now, my vision blurred. "We gotta go."

"Hello Frankie dear," Grace smiled. "I guess I never told you what I do for a living."

"No!" I yelled. The gunshot rang out into the cold night air, and Frank slumped down against me. A pain greater than any I had felt shot through me.

Grace moved over to me, cocking her head to the side. "How does it feel?" She asked. "Losing everyone you ever cared about?"

She shot me in the stomach, and pain filled me, making me bite my lip to avoid screaming. I began coughing up blood.

"Pathetic." She laughed. "Because at the end of the day, Killjoys really do die."

I looked up at her, blood running from my lips. Her gun pressed against my head and my mouth stretched into a wide smile. "See you in Hell." I spat.

Bang.