We Taught Ourselves to Smile

Part 12

Psycho

"This is too easy." Benze grabbed Psycho's arm, his knuckles almost white. "Something's going to go wrong."

"It'll be okay," he reassured the smaller boy, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and ruffling his hair. "We'll make it out of this."

When the Dracs started pouring out, Psycho's heart stopped. Everyone scattered, splitting off into groups of two or three. He was pushed into a corner with Kobra, and could just barely see Sandman's pink hair through the bodies of the Dracs. The Killjoys they had rescued started to make their way out of the building, covered by the ones that had managed to grab blasters.

Was all of this worth it? They were really only here for that girl. Everyone had gotten out at this point, it was just the eight of them now, slowly retreating toward the doors. They were risking so much to get one kid out, though if it were his kid... if she was important to the cause, it was good enough for him.

Psycho couldn't help but let his mind wander back to the Underground. The family he had waiting for him. His girlfriend, the beautiful Silver Bullet and his daughter, Evelyn. They were the reason he was as passionate about the revolution as he was. He needed to help fix the world for his family. For his daughter, who deserved a better life than this goddamn dump of a world than they were living in. The last thing he wanted was for her to grow up in a world like this. If he could fix it, even just a little, make BLI's reign of terror just slightly shorter for Evie... that would be enough.

They were walking down the streets of the Underground, Evie perched on Psycho's shoulders. It was just after her seventh birthday, and she laughed, her fingers curled into his hair to steady herself. Silver Bullet smiled at him and wove their fingers together.

"We're doing it," she said, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "That life you've always talked about wanting for us? We may not be able to have exactly that but we're pretty damn close if you ask me."

Psycho sighed, squeezing her hand. "You're right. Not exactly domestic, but domestic enough for us."

He reached to take one of Evie's small hands in his free one. "Love you, pipsqueak," he said to his daughter softly. She giggled, almost falling back off his shoulders. She was so young, so innocent. Psycho was gonna give her the world someday. If anyone deserved it, his little girl did. "You're getting so heavy, I'm not gonna be able to carry you anymore pretty soon."

"I'm not heavy, you're just weak ," Evie said, leaning her head down to look at her father. "I'm gonna have to replace you in your crew soon!!"

"Find your own crew!!" He reached his arms to pick her up and swing her down off his shoulders. "You hear this girl, Sil? She's turning out just like you, with all that sass."

Sil laughed and smiled, running fingers through her daughter's hair. "Someone's gotta put you in your place."

Psycho leaned against a wall, his radio squeezed in his hands tightly. He looked at his friends, all having fallen asleep around him but he couldn't sleep. He could only think about his girlfriend and his daughter. How much he missed them. How badly he wanted to go home to them.

"Sil? You guys there?" he said quietly, careful not to wake up the guys. "Hey, I have some time before I need to sleep... I wanna hear your voice."

"Psycho?" He heard his girlfriend's voice ring through the radio. "Holy shit, we miss you so much. Do- do you know how much longer until you'll be home?"

Psycho bit his lip and ran fingers through his hair. "I don't know... Probably a couple more days. I miss you guys too..."

Sil sighed heavily. "Evie misses you like crazy. She keeps asking when daddy will be home. Please be safe, she's too young to lose you."