Silence // Danger Days (Book 1)

27.

Alien's van was taken from BLI's repair center. It had been completely painted over with white. Her clothes had been put into a box, which had been put in a storage closet. Those were also retrieved.

But she didn't seem to care.

She walked with the others, not saying a single word. Her face was blank.

Hunter and Capricorn had voted to return to the Zones with the Killjoys.

Alien fell into Capricorn's arms when she saw him. She clung to her friend, because she felt that if she didn't, she would break.

BLI's prison building was completely annihilated. All that was left was ash and rubble.

The three prisoners who had also been in the high security section were all friends, who supposedly had formed a rebel group that they called Palaye Royale. They had caused a ton of problems for BLI, until they were captured. They all had fancy names: Remington, Sebastian, Emerson. They also said that they wanted to move out to the desert.

There were actually three rows of seats in Alien's van. The last row was able to fold into the floor to make room for supplies, however, so no one ever saw them. They were opened up to make room for the three new recruits, who rode into the Zones with the general and the MARS boys.

Hunter drove. He and Vendetta had been very good friends back when he and his brother had been in the desert. He wasn't showing it, but he was devastated. Sunset sat in the passenger seat. She was plagued with even more guilt than she was before.

Alien sat between Capricorn and Storm in the second row. She was still completely blank, but she clutched Capricorn's hand and leaned on him. He comforted her as best he could. He knew she needed that more than anything. Storm wanted to take her hand, but was afraid of her reaction.

The Fabulous Four sat in the Trans Am, completely silent.

Poison was longing to just wrap his arms around Storm and never let go. He felt terrible for Alien. She knew her emotions were completely different from any of theirs, so he couldn't imagine what she was feeling.

Kobra held his poker face, though on the inside, there was a black hole devouring him from the inside. He resisted the urge to take his brother's hand.

The Girl cried. When she heard what had happened, she had jumped into Jet's arms and hadn't let go. She didn't want to seem like a child, but she really didn't care.

Jet attempted to remain strong, but it was very hard. He and Vendetta had been very close, always working better together. He was trying to push the memory of his death out of his head, but he wasn't succeeding. Tears streamed from his eyes, but he held the Girl anyway.

Ghoul was angry. Angry at BLI, angry at the whole city, at what was left of America, at the whole universe, for hurting his friends. He wanted to storm into the city and slaughter every goddamn Drac, Scarecrow, Exterminator, and higher-up in the whole city. He wanted it all to burn.

Vendetta's body laid in the back of the van. He was positioned in a way that made him look like he was sleeping.

They had a sort of funeral for him when they got back to the Nest. They all worked to dig a hole that he would fit in, due to his height. Jet was the only one strong enough to carry him, and he laid him in the grave as gently as he could.

Cherri Cola had finally shown up to pay his respects and say a small prayer. The Suitehearts were there too. Kobra hung onto Sandman, and Sandman did the same. Benzedrine comforted Jet, but really, he needed comfort as well.

They found a small rock to serve as a headstone. Traditionally, a Killjoy's real name as well as their alias was displayed on their headstone, because one always returned to their original state in death. However, Alien was the only person who knew his real name, and when asked what it was, she refused to tell.

The Suitehearts, on their way home, took Vendetta's mask to the nearest mailbox. Killjoys believed that if an item close to someone's soul was put into one of these mailboxes, the Phoenix Witch would come pick it up and guide their soul to the afterlife. Masks are the most common items used, due to their role in hiding one's identity.

Alien didn't go to the funeral.

She sat in her and Vendetta's bed and looked up at the ceiling, numb.

The one thing that she wanted to do in that moment was cling to her love and never let go, but she couldn't.

She just hoped that the Witch would watch over him.

She had never been big on religion, and neither had he, but when they came to the desert, they regularly had dreams about a creature covered in feathers leading a shopping cart around the Zones, guiding people's souls home. And they would always have these dreams at the same exact time.

She was sad—no, that's not the right word. She was devastated. The one person she had been able to be herself around, who she cared for, who she loved, was gone in an instant.

But she could never show it.

She hadn't cried in years, not even when Myth had died, or when her parents were brainwashed. Her body had an interesting way of completely rejecting her mind's feelings.

She hadn't spoken a single word since it happened. She just couldn't find the words for what was happening in her head.

She was lost without him.