Unholyverse

~Part 7~

The next day, they were speeding down the highway when the van started making some really unpleasant noises.

"For the love of God," Bob complained. He poked at the dials on the dashboard, then sighed and announced, "There's a truck stop up ahead. We'll have to pull in."

"But we're making such good time," Brian argued. "Can't we push it a few more miles?"

Bob shrugged. "We can try, but I'm not scraping your charred remains off the highway when this thing explodes, okay?"

Brian sighed. "Fine, fine."

Mikey was secretly pleased. They'd been in the van for hours and his legs hurt from being folded up, plus he liked truck stops. There were always interesting people to watch, and arcade games.

"Arcade games," Frank said in his ear, and Mikey grinned at him.

As soon as they'd parked and used the bathroom and badgered Brian into letting them go to the Smoothie Hut, Mikey made a beeline for the games. He missed videogames so much, it wasn't even funny. It was just so therapeutic to mindlessly kill pixilated stuff, plus it was normal. Mikey had never thought of himself as someone who was particularly wedded to the idea of normality, but it turned out to be something you could have cravings for, when your life was one long deleted scene from The Exorcist.

He was this close to making the next level when a voice at his shoulder said,

"You should use your turbo power center."

Mikey was startled, and he tended to stop moving when he was startled, so his guy walked into a wall and proceeded to get eaten by the dragon.

"Awesome," said Mikey. The dragon flapped its wings and blew a celebratory gust of fire into the air, setting off giant flames which spelled out 'GAME OVER'.

Mikey sighed, grabbed his smoothie off the top of the machine and turned around.

Pete Wentz was standing there, drinking a smoothie of his own through a straw. He was wearing a hoodie drawn up over his head, and he had on giant sunglasses pulled down to the end of his nose. He was peering over the top of them at Mikey. He was really short.

"Sorry," said Pete Wentz.

"You're Pete Wentz," Mikey said, even though Pete Wentz probably knew that.

Pete Wentz nodded solemnly. "I am."

They regarded each other over the tops of their smoothies for a while.

"You can tell me who you are," Pete Wentz said eventually. "That might get us on more of an even footing."

"Mikey Way," Mikey said.

"It's nice to meet you, Mikey Way," Pete said, smiling a smile so big it took up half of his face, and most of the room they were standing in.

Mikey gave Pete a smile in return. He knew it wasn't as impressive, but Pete looked pleased anyway. "I bet you say that to all the strangers you meet at rest stops."

Pete laughed and shook his head. He fished in his pocket and dug out some coins. "Wanna play again?"

Mikey looked around. He could see Bob and Brian having a serious conversation which involved a map. Ray was trying to win something on the grabby machine, and Frank was sitting on the floor next to him, scribbling in his journal. Gerard had pulled the lid off his smoothie and was staring into the cup like it contained the answers to life, the universe, and everything. As Mikey watched, he stirred with his straw, raised his eyebrows, then frowned.

Pete's hand waved around under Mikey's nose. "C'mon, there's a two-player option," he said. "I feel bad that I made you die. Best of three?"

Pete was pretty fun to play video games with. He wasn't very good, but he made up for it by yelling hilarious things when he died.