The Sound Of My Vendetta (A Killjoy Stori/Fanfiction)

Save Yourself

     Before I could utter another word, Korse turned and shot at me. I cringed. It was only a stun gun. I tried to break its hold, but found that I couldn't. The more I resisted, the more I felt its grip on me. Korse stepped over and punched me in the stomach. My body naturally doubled over, and before I knew it I was receiving a full on beating. When there was no more resistance for the stun energy to feed off of, it released me. I collapsed, pain searing every inch of me.
     Korse stepped over me and looked down. "Shall we see if the Dracs think you're done?" he snickered.
     "No, please," I begged.
     "Alright. To the Dracs it is."
     "No! Don't! Please!" I screamed and he reached down and grabbed one of my arms. Korse dragged me out into the hall and demanded I stand up. I silently did as told, glaring at him. He tugged me down the hall and into a giant room. The sign above the door read 'Mess Hall'. When I saw all the Dracs in the Mess Hall, I didn't let my fear show in the grim expression I'd plastered onto my face.
     "Dracs!" Korse called out to the room. The buzz of chatter came to a halt as every head turned to look at him. "New recruit!" he declared, "Show her the ropes!" The room broke into a deep, husky laughter. Korse joined in as well. It all sounded so evil. Korse was still laughing as he threw me into the room and turned to leave.
     A Drac stepped up to me and looked down at me laying on the ground. He kicked my side. I rolled over onto my back. Everything already hurt. I stood slowly and held myself up weakly. The Drac swung at me and, wearily, I managed to dodge.
     I spun and kicked his legs out from under him. As he hit the ground, he kicked my shin, bringing me down as well. He crawled over to me and I punched him in the face, undoubtedly giving him a black eye. He swung and did the same.
     I could tell my second hit broke his nose through the mask. The recoil gave me enough time to jump to my feet. A group of Dracs was about to swarm me when the one I'd been fighting called them off. He kicked at me. I evaded his attack and hit his jaw with a high kick, mentally thanking my mother for making me take lessons in martial arts after Owen's death.
     He went flying. Other Dracs crowded me, teaming up and attacking. I'm not certain how long I was lost in that violent sea of Dracs, but eventually Korse came back. He watched for a few moments with a pleased smile splitting his face as I attempted to fight back.
     "Halt, Dracs!" Korse shouted. They stopped kicking and punching and tearing. My clothes were smeared and splattered with blood. Korse motioned me over. I didn't move. I knew one of my arms was broken. It hurt like hell, but I held back my tears.
     Korse nodded to a Drac behind me, and I was pushed forward, since I wouldn't move on my own. That's when I realized that my ankle was sprained. I stumbled multiple times as I continued forward. Korse seemed satisfied with my injuries and thanked the Dracs. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the hall. Once we got back to the first training room, Korse tossed some clothes at me and directed me to change into them. I did not argue this time. I changed in a closet.
     "It's good that you survived this long. Most people wouldn't last four hours with the Dracs. Even if Dracs are rather inferior."
     Four hours? Is that really how long I'd been in there? I scanned the room for a clock. He was right, approximately four hours. I didn't want to go on like this. It would kill me.
     "It was nothing," I gasped. It hurt to breathe.
     "Nothing, you say?" he challenged, raising an eyebrow, "Maybe tomorrow we'll face you against a Scarecrow."
     My eyes widened for a moment. I was about to plead him not to when I remembered my last experience with begging. "Alright," I sighed painfully, pretending that wasn't a challenge.
     At first he turned to me with shock. Then he grinned and laughed as he realized my ploy. He agreed and promised a Scarecrow. I glared at him. I was dead and we both knew it.
     I was escorted back to the white room. I stepped in obediently to avoid being thrown. I sat in one of the corners with pain. It felt like one of my ribs was cracked. Skylar stepped over to me silently and knelt down next to me. As I looked up at her, she asked if I wanted some help.
     "Help with what?"
     "I'm a nurse, remember?" she chuckled. I nodded and informed her of the injuries I knew of. She set the bone in my broken arm, causing me to yelp. Evangeline tossed her a roll of bracing bandage that she produced from a bag I hadn't noticed before. Someone had been sitting on it.
     "I don't know what else is wrong," I reported, "But it hurts to breathe." She checked my sides, tapping a little, and pressing once. I gasped in pain each time.
     "Not bad. Your rib cage isn't broken, but its bruised rather severely. You're going to get a huge dark spot on either side in..I'd say a couple of hours," Skylar informed me after the examination.
     "Thanks, Skylar," I whispered. We exchanged smiles and she left me to sit in my corner. I could see them sitting together, wondering amongst themselves what they were going to do to me next.
     "How are you?" the woman's voice sounded. I still didn't know her name, but the thought didn't occur to me before I answered her.
     "Scared," I admitted. She crawled over to me.
     "Why? You're a Killjoy!" she encouraged. I smiled faintly.
     "I'm going to see a Scarecrow tomorrow." The Sympathizers all fell hushed. I could feel their eyes on me. They all knew about Scarecrows. "I've experienced one before." I shrugged off my jacket to reveal the hand-shaped scar on my arm. Everyone got up to come look at it. The woman had a front row view.
     "Well that's kind of creepy," she mumbled. I snickered and then groaned. Laughing hurt. The woman looked at the Sympathizers. "We can't just let them take her, guys. We need to fight!"
     Sven shook his head. "We can't. Just because its in your blood, doesn't mean we can all do it!" he protested.
     I glanced at Sven and then at the woman. "What are you in here for?" I asked her.
     "I led an attack on BL/Ind a few months back. Dr. Death got some people out in time I think, but BL/Ind slaughtered just about everyone," she told me sadly, turning her eyes to the floor. It occurred to me that this might have been the attack my parents were involved in when they died, but I did not mention it. I couldn't. I could feel tears trying to come, but I choked them back. When she looked back up, there was a fire in her eyes that burned with such an angry passion I could almost feel the heat. "Which is why we have to fight! So she can get out and get back to the Killjoys!" she declared.
     I shook my head vigorously. "We can't beat them! Not on their home turf! They'll out number us in a heartbeat!" Of course, the other Sympathizers agreed with me. The woman was rejected and returned to her corner. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. Soon I was asleep.
     Party was in my dream. And the little girl as well. But the woman was nowhere to be seen. It was just the Killjoys and this girl. I groaned, tossing and turning. It was Cole that woke me up. He looked worried, but didn't ask about my dream. I didn't tell him.
     It was just morning. Cole, the woman, and I were the only ones awake. I smiled at Skylar and Edmund all cuddled up together. I glanced over at the woman. I could tell she was unhappy with last night's decision. Just as I was contemplating asking her what she was thinking, the door opened.
     She jumped up and rushed the officials that stepped in. I tried to call to her to stop her, but then I remembered I had never gotten a name. The officials called in some guards to help. The guards got a firm hold of the woman despite her kicking and screaming. She was dragged away down the hallway.
     By this time, the others were awake. The officials walked past them and over to me. One of them motioned for me to stand. I didn't want to. It hurt too much. Growing impatient, the official grabbed the arm that wasn't wrapped and dragged me out of the room. He tugged me to my feet and demanded I walk. I reluctantly obeyed.
     "I'm glad to see you've joined us this morning, Sonik," Korse greeted me as I was shoved into the room. "Your friend was foolish to try and defend you."
     "I know," I agreed weakly. Korse pointed to a door opposite the one I'd just come through.
     "Go on," he ordered. Naturally, I disobeyed. This angered Korse. He came over and punched me in the face before I could raise an arm in defense. He grabbed my arm, pulled me over to the door, tugged it open, and tossed me into the room with ease.
     "You're the scrawny little thing that killed a Scarecrow?" a voice hissed. I turned my head to look at it. This Scarecrow was taller than the one I'd encountered before, much bigger as well.
     "You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, huddling into juke position. I silently thanked Owen for making me practice his football moves with him.
     "This should be a piece of cake, Korse!" The Scarecrow called out to the mirrored glass that allowed him to watch the fight. "You should give her a raygun! I'd like some kind of challenge if you please!" he complained.
     Korse's voice crackled over the speaker. "Alright, Sonik, to the door," the voice commanded. This time I did as told, backing away instead of letting my eyes leave the Scarecrow. I was handed a raygun and shoved back into the room. Almost immediately, the Scarecrow came at me.
     Nothing that went on in that room was clear. I ended up with burns practically everywhere. However, in the end, it was the Scarecrow that collapsed. I'd run out of shots long before I'd killed him. The final trick that did him in was using the raygun as a club to the head. I managed to hit just the right spot.
     Korse entered the room as I lay on the floor gasping and shaking with pain. "Very good, Gingersnap," he complimented. I glared at him but could do no more than that. I hurt too much. Instead of taking me back to the white room with the Sympathizers, my escorts took me to a cooling chamber where my burns would be soothed enough to permit some form of rest. Every day after that, they would beat me during the day and return me to the chamber to cool at night. After almost a week, I was finally taken back to the white room.
     I immediately noticed that the woman was missing. No one said anything until the official left and the lock turned in the door. Everyone looked relatively unharmed.
     "What happened! We thought you had died!" Evangeline cried.
     "Scarecrows burn," I managed, still aching from the beatings and even still slightly from the battle with the Scarecrow. Luckily, I could still move efficiently. For weeks and weeks, the beatings continued. Before I knew it, a whole month had disappeared. The woman never came back. I could tell everyone was beginning to lose hope.
     "Someone, I need a raygun," I muttered, raising to my feet one day. Sven frowned as he handed it to me. He didn't have to tell me it was empty. I jammed the door handle with it. Everyone watched me, but no one said a word.
     I stepped over to the barred window and stared out casually. I appeared to be longing for freedom, but I was really checking the looseness of the bars. They were even looser than when I'd arrived. Time had decayed them further. I examined the surroundings outside. We were on ground level, and there were cars outside that were unguarded and could easily be hotwired.
     A song I'd heard on the radio ran through my head. It was one of the ones Dr. Death Defying played on his station. I knew it all. I knew that since Sympathizer headphones and radios had mostly been tampered with, there was a chance that the Sympathizers in the room with me knew it too. I smiled a little, sadly though, for what I was about to do.
     "You guys," I said. They all looked at me. "When you get out, would you tell the Killjoys that I love them? Tell them not to come for me. That I'm fine and I'll be alright."
     "What are you--?" Sven began. I cut him off.
     "Just promise you'll do it." No one said another word, but I could tell they were doubting they would get out alive or with their current souls. Still they all nodded. I was content with that. I leaned my head against the wall and grinned. "Are you guys ready?" I whispered mischievously.  Nobody knew what I was talking about. The music played in my head as I began to sing the song from the radio.
     "Are you alright about where you are? Are you alright about where you are? Are you alright about where you are? 'Cause they're coming for you now!" I pushed off the wall and faced them. "Right now!" I shouted, followed by more singing.
     "Nana na na na. Na na na na. Nana na na na. Na na na na. Right now!" I spun to address the camera in the corner, "I hope you're ready for a firefight! 'Cause the devil's got your number tonight!" I took out my empty raygun and threw it at the camera, smashing the spying device. I turned back to the Sympathizers and continued. I could see vague recognition of the song on their faces.
     "They say we're never leaving this place alive. But if we sing these words, we'll never die! Get off the ledge and drop the knife. Not a victim of a victim's life. Because this ain't a room full of suicides! We're believers, I believe tonight! We can leave this world, leave it all behind. We can steal this car if the folks don't mind. We can live forever if you've got the time!"
     Skylar caught on and joined me, singing back up. "Nana na na na. Na na na na."
     "If you save yourself tonight!" I sang.
     "Nana na na na. Na na na na," Edmund joined, grabbing his wife's hand.
     "If you save yourself tonight! I'll tell you all how the story ends. Where the good guys die and the bad guys win," I declared, still singing.
     "Who cares!" The three of us shouted at Sven, Cole, and Evangeline.
     "It ain't about all the friends you made, but the graffiti they write on your grave! For all of us who've seen the light, salute the dead and lead the fight!"
     "Hail, hail!" Sven cheered, standing and joining us. Cole glanced at Evangeline.
     "Who gives a damn if we lose the war? Let the walls come down! Let the engines roar! We can leave this world, leave it all behind. We can steal this car if the folks don't mind. We can live forever if you've got the time!"
     "Who-o-o-oah!" Cole cried as he joined the rest of us in song.
     "I'm the only friend that makes you cry," I sang to Evangeline, "You're a heart attack in black hair dye, so just save yourself, I'll hold them back tonight!"
     "Are you all ready where you are, now?" Korse's voice asked over the speaker.
     "If you save yourself tonight," I sang.
     "Cause I'm coming for you," Korse finished.
     "IF YOU SAVE YORSELF TONIGHT!" I screamed, tugging on, and then finally kicking out the bars in the window. "RIGHT NOW!" I held my hand out to the Sympathizers, "'CAUSE I'LL HOLD THEM BACK!" One by one, I helped each of them through the window, except Evangeline, who hung back.
     "We can leave this world, leave it all behind. We can steal this car if the folks don't mind. We can live forever if you've got the time, you motherfucker!" She stepped forward and I helped her through the window. I sang out the window as they hotwired one of the nearby cars and initiated escape.
     "You're the broken glass in the morning light! Be a burning star if it takes all night!" Dracs began pounding on the door. I knew the raygun wouldn't hold long. I turned to look, but continued singing, "So just save yourself and I'll hold them back tonight."
     Dracs broke down the door and flooded the room. I could hear the background vocals in my head, "Nana na na na. Na na na na." I was punched in the stomach.
     "If you save yourself tonight," I sang weakly.
     As I was dragged out of the room, still struggling to put up some sort of fight, I could still hear the singing in my head. "Nana na na na. Na na na na."
     "CAN YOU SAVE YOURSELF TONIGHT!?" I cried, punching at the air and kicking at nothing all the way down the hall and around a corner or two into yet another detention cell. As I sat alone in the center of the room, silence overcame me. The sound of the lock was the final word.