The Lone Killjoy (Party Poison/Gerard Way fanfic)

Power Pups Aka Yuck As Fucks

When i get back to the main part of the old diner everyone is already starting to gather around the counter. I can see Jet starting a fire out the window, and i assume that's what we'll be cooking on. Power pup tends to be better when it's cooked and some of the flavour's been burnt from it's disgusting tin, so i hope that's the plan. 

"Hey" Ghoul smiles at me from where he's reading a magazine. "How's the hand?" 

"Fine" I shrug, pulling my jacket back on. "I'm going to go help with the fire, Party's still back there" i jab my thumb in his direction before heading out the door. At first Jet doesn't notice me, too busy tending to the fire, but as i get closer he finally looks up. 

"Hey Spark" He leans back and runs a hand through his hair. "How are you feeling?" 

"Not the best" I admit, sitting down on the dust next to him with a light thump. "Are we cooking on this fire?" 

"Probably, you any good with this stuff?" 

"Yeah, pass me the poker" he does so and i start to gently prod the wood, watching transfixedly as the fire consumed the pieces whole. "I've always loved fire, even before Bl/ind took over, so i know how to keep one going." 

"You're like Party" he chuckles, earning a scowl from me. "What? It's true! He stares at the fire for hours, lost in his own little world. And he always keep it going in the evenings when the rest of us are too tired to remember." 

"Just because we both know basic survival skills doesn't mean we're at all alike" i prod the piece of wood a little too hard and it falls into two, most of it just disintegrating into ash. Even thinking of Party makes my motions more violent. He just winds me up and makes me want to hiss in irritation. I don't regret saving him, but i do regret him ever seeing me do so. 

"Right" Jet smirks. "Anyway, enough about Party. Can you watch the fire whilst i go get the power pup cans? I'll tell Ghoul to grab the drinks whilst i'm at it, although if you don't want to get drunk then tell him now otherwise he'll probably hand you something loaded." 

"Thanks for the tip" I nod, watching him disappear inside. Jet seems like a nice guy - he's not cocky or clumsy and he doesn't try to push for information. I decide that i like him. He would be a good friend if i was interested, but then i know that becoming friends with him would only make me more vulnerable to Korse. 

Still, i'll try not to be a complete ass to him. 

It's not long until the four of them all come piling outside. Party of course takes the opportunity to sit down next to me, although i do shuffle up a little further in an attempt to distance us, but Kobra has already sat down on my other side so there isn't very far i can go. 

"You got a preference, Spark?" Jet asks, showing me the array of cans they had brought outside. 

"Nah, they all taste crap. Just give me whichever one's left over" I shrug, watching them all pick up their own cans and forks. Kobra hands one to me and i thank him with a quick smile, before opening the tin and holding it close to the fire. 

The others do the same, some being more daring about how far into the fire they place their cans. I watch for a while, already a third of the way through my food, as Ghoul starts to pass around cans of beer. 

"Spark?" he offers and i take it quickly, knocking back a long swig. I'm not going to get drunk - i know how much i can handle and going over just wouldn't be worth it - but one beer would probably help me lighten up. 

"Don't get to wasted" i warn "you're helping me get my bike back tomorrow and you're not going to want to face dracs with a hangover." 

"Tomorrow?" Ghoul frowns. "I dunno about that, we've got to go see Dr D and report back about today, plus the car needs the windows replacing and the engine needs another tank of fuel. You might have to stick around a little longer." 

"What?" i practically spit. "No, you were going to take me back there tomorrow, you can't just turn it around now." 

"We never agreed to go back tomorrow" Party speaks up. "We agreed to go back and get your bike, but we never said when. You just presumed that we meant as soon as possible. And tomorrow just isn't possible for us." 

"Oh come on. I don't even need you to go with me, i just need some way to get there. Don't you have some other sort of car that i could use whilst you run about on your errands?" 

"Nope" Ghoul finishes his can. "Look, it's only one day. Just come with us tomorrow and then if all goes well we can pick up your bike the next day. It's not like you have a lot of choice here anyway, you can't exactly walk to Battery City." 

"Fine" i grumble, not seeing any way around being stuck with them for longer that i had expected. I was just going to have to grit my teeth and bare it. It would be worth it to get my bike back in the end, and after that i would be free of them. "But if that's the case then i'm probably going to go to bed already, i want to get up early so we can get all these jobs done." 

"You sure you don't want to stay up with us?" Jet asks, but i just give a small shake of my head and stand, turning back towards the diner. 

"I'll show you where you can sleep" Party stands up with me, and although i would rather have Jet or Kobra, maybe even Ghoul, show me, i'm tired so decide not to complain and just follow him inside in silence. 

"You know" he chuckles after a moment, lingering by the door that leads to the corridor. "If i didn't know better i would say you couldn't wait to leave us." 

"Yeah well it's nothing personal, i just like to be by myself" i try to move around him but he reaches out and grabs my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. I stand still, unsure what exactly he wants, as he looks into my eyes. 

"Why are you like this?" he asks. "What happened? What made you hate the idea of any sort of friendship so much that you push anyone and everyone away without even giving them a chance? Because it must have been something pretty big." 

My breath catches in my throat, my eye contact breaking as my gaze drops to the ground. I don't want to think about my past  - those memories are pushed to the back of my mind where i intend to keep them suppressed. 

"I..." I swallow hard. "I don't want to talk about my past. Now can you just show me where i'm sleeping and leave it?" 

"Okay" he surprises me by talking in a soft tone, like he's trying to comfort me. I just follow numbly behind him as he shows me a spare room near the end of the building, vaguely listening as he shows me the bathroom and tells me that he's just up the corridor if i need anything. 

"Thanks" i sigh, watching him linger in the doorway. "I'll be fine now." 

"Okay, well you know where i am" he closes the door then, leaving me on my own again. I don't have long to appreciate it though because as soon as i've taken off my boots and jacket i'm falling back onto the bed, my heavy eyelids rolling closed. 

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