The Collector (MCR Killjoys fanfic)

Heading for a Showdown

"What's the problem, Party?" Ghoul growled, emphasising his name. "Surely once all the drugs are out of your system, you'll be fine again."
"I'm fine now," Android Party replied, turning back to face him adopting a slight air of irritation.
"Yeah, you're fine," Ghoul scowled.
"All the same," Jet reasoned. "It's best to check."

Android Party nodded; there was very little he could do. Opening the car door, he stepped out into the bright sunshine closely followed by Ghoul, emerging only seconds later and taking a deep breath. After the stifling air in the car, he almost felt like he was stepping out into a spring day. Compared with Zone 6, the temperature in Zone 1 could be considered moderate, but the harsh glaring brightness of the sun was just as unforgiving. Reaching for his sunglasses, as Jet, Kobra and Red stepped out of the car, Ghoul stared again at Android Party and frowned deeply. He wasn't squinting. Party always squinted in the sun. He had surprisingly sensitive eyes and usually opted to wear visors that reminded Ghoul of swimming goggles, which was particularly amusing to him, because he knew full well that Party couldn't swim.
What was the point of learning to swim? Party would argue. We live in the desert!
Even the excuse that he was protecting his eyes seemed ludicrous as Ghoul would often wake in the night and find Party hunched over a table, screwing his eyes up, trying to draw by moonlight. Party often complained that he didn't like wearing his mask because he couldn't wear his visors underneath it but Ghoul would tease him about the real reason - his eyelashes were so long, they would brush against the molded leather and make him blink constantly. Ghoul loved Party's eyelashes. Ghoul loved Party's everything.

Now, as he thought about all this, his eyes fixed on the imposter, wide-eyed in the mid-day sun, Ghoul's short and fiery temper flared. Moving quickly past Kobra around to the opposite side of the car, Ghoul grabbed Android Party's jacket and shoved him up against the Trans Am.

"Who are you?" He demanded.
"Ghoul?" Android Party gasped with assumed innocence, infuriating him even more. "You know me!"
"I know Party," he growled, his eyes narrowed with fury. "But you? No, I have no idea who you are!"
"Ghoul!" Kobra shouted, slamming his hand down on the hood of the car to get his attention.

Jet rolled his eyes; the pair were way too volatile. This whole thing could probably be settled very easily with a simple visit to one of the doctors. They had visited this particular hospital many times before, the doctors knew Party and if this was someone else, a very quick test would tell them. But, Jet thought, he seemed to be the only one with enough patience to wait that long.

"Jet, what's going on?" Red pulled at his sleeve, willing him to answer with inquisitive eyes. From the look of her, she had been trying to get his attention for a few seconds.
"We need Party to see a doctor," he replied quickly, starting toward the small gathering as Kobra headed briskly in Ghoul's direction.

Red felt that she could see it coming - another fight. What was it with these guys and their testosterone levels? Fast cars, guns and fights! But this was a new one. She had seen Ghoul in many different moods - and he had many moods - happy, mischievous, thoughtful, playful, scared and sad, but she had never even suspected that he was capable of getting this angry. He looked ready to kill and kill Party at that. She didn't know what they were keeping from her but she would find out but above all, she would stop this inevitable fight.
Running forward, she pulled on Ghoul's arm.

"Ghoul, what's going on?" She demanded, trying hard to pull him away, but finding him surprisingly hard to move. "It's Party! He's just..."
"He's not Party!" Ghoul insisted, looking back into the android's eyes, his own eyes narrowed into a harsh glare.
"Well, who am I then?" Android Party returned aggressively, shoving Ghoul backwards.
"You're not helping, Party!" Red snapped. "Do I have to kick..."