DEMOLITION LOVERS

Won't You Come Back Home?

Fuck everything.

Fuck Fun Ghoul, Party thought.

He didn't care about anything anymore, he could die for all he cared.

Party had loved him so much, had taken care of him and helped him through everything. And all for what? So that he could go with Korse with the excuse that he was trying to save everyone. Not caring about how that would make him feel or that he'd leave Party alone. Not caring about everything he'd done for him. Fuck him and fuck Korse and fuck everything.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Party lay on the floor, giving up.

He had no energy to get up and get going. No will to live. Maybe if he just stayed there he'd starve to death at some point. Though, how long that would be? It could be hours or days, and he didn't have the patience, so he got up after a while and moved to his mattress to cry for the longest time.

Then, the memories haunted him. Meeting the lonely kid who had run away from Battery City. No One, he had said his name was. No One had no idea how miserable Party's life was before him. He was still struggling with the demons of his past, still had nightmares about his parents dying, and how the drinking got worse after that. About the things he'd done. Then, this guy showed up, and somehow Party felt at peace around him.

He still remembered how Fun felt next close to him, his lips attached to his, his warmth invading him.

And as much as he tried to forget him, and that he wanted some sort of revenge, Party still loved the motherfucker, and it hurt to know that he'd never see him again. And the worst, to know that most likely, Fun was having an even worse time than him.

And the pain was too much to handle.

He just couldn't do it anymore. So, after days of inconsolably crying in his bed, and yelling, and throwing one of the boxes wit Fun's belongings at the wall, he got up in the middle of the night, hoping the guys wouldn't see him, and walked out. He walked and walked, freezing in the cold desert air. It was miles before he saw a gas station. The store was barely functional, but they had what he was looking for. So he went to the back and grabbed a case of beer. The good old BLI brand, that was probably watered down, but there was nothing else anymore. And he didn't have any money, but it wasn't like he was planning on paying. 'Sir,' the kid behind the counter yelled as Party walked out, not giving a fuck. 'You have to pay!'

'No, I don't!' Party yelled back, and then ran back home. The adrenaline of stealing beer somehow made it easier to ignore the pain.

'Fuck it,' he said, drinking the first bottle. Fuck everything.

***

'How is he?' Jet asked.

'Drunk as hell,' Kobra Kid replied. 'For the second week in a row.' He threw the box he was carrying, and started going through it. 'It's worse than the last time, and I'm just worried there's no way out of this." Out of frustration, he throws a can at the wall and kicked the box. 'Fucking Ghoul!'

'Hey! Kobra, you know he did it for us. It's not fair. And he had no idea Party would take it this bad. It's not his fault.'

'Of course it's his fault. And I know it'd happen eventually, it was only a matter of when.'

'That's not fair,' the curly man said, trying to calm him down. 'Ghoul loved your brother more than anything else in the world. He would have died for any of us, not just Party. And if he did this, it was because he thought it'd be better for us.' Kobra had nothing to say. He knew Jet was right. Fun Ghoul had sacrificed himself for all of them, not just his brother. But still, he hated that he had left him alone.

'I'll go check on him,' Kobra said after he was more relaxed.

Grace had been staying with Maddie and Dr. Death for the past couple weeks, now that it was just Kobra and Jet, and a drunk Party Poison.

When Kobra walked into the back room of the diner, he found him passed out in his mattress, wearing nothing but his underwear and hugging an empty bottle of whiskey.

The younger brother hated what he saw. He'd seen that same scene all his life growing up. His older brother, and best friend, almost dying a couple times because of how bad it got. And every time, he'd promised him that he'd get clean and never drink again.

But here they were again.

And it infuariated him to see Party like that again. Giving up on everything.

Kobra couldn't help getting pissed at him. Party was their leader, without him, they had nowhere to go and their message got lost.

'Wake up, asshole!' he said, kicking the mattress in an attempt to wake him up, but nothing. So he kept kicking, He was raising his voice more and more as he continued, throwing himself on top of him, just like when they were kids and they'd play wrestling, waking his brother up at some point.

Party just stirred in bed, looking up at Kobra, confused. 'What the hell?'

'If you think this is how you get him back, it's never going to happen! And Grace needs you! No matter what Jet or me or any of us do, you and Ghoul were the closest to parents she had, and now with him gone, she needs you!'

'She's better off without me! He was a better dad than me!'

'You think she cares? She only wants someone to make her feel safe and at home and that's the last thing she can find here.' There was a long silence, and Kobra couldn't hold in the tears any longer. 'And what about me, huh? I need you too. We already lost our parents, and I need you. You promised me not to drink again, and that you'd look after me. I need you, Gee.'

He hadn't called him like that in the longest time. He felt like a whole different person. They both did. 'You called me Gee,' he said. 'You –'

'I know. And I miss you, Gee. Not Party. I miss my big brother, and I need him right now.'

'I'm sorry, Mikes.' And without any other words, they just hugged and let it all out. 'I miss him.'

'I know.'

'What am I going to do without him?'

'You have me.'

'I know.'

'Now get your shit together and do something about it.'

***

'Good morning! Welcome to Better Life Industries,' Frank said as the woman walked in the building. He helped her find where she needed to go, and then went back to his desk. Five minutes later, his phone rang. 'Better Life Industries, how can I help you to have a better day?'

'Citizen Iero?' the voice said on the other side.

'Yes.'

'Your presence is requested in the main office of Citizen Resources downstairs. You are to sign some extra paperwork.'

Frank didn't know what it was, but he walked to the elevator nonetheless, and went to the basement, where the Logistics offices were. He found the office where he needed to go, and walked in.

As soon as he walked in, he spotted the blond man who had tried to talk to him to other day, but he couldn't recall his name. 'Frank – I mean, citizen Iero,' he said. 'Take a seat, please.'

Frank did as he was told. He was scared but he didn't know why. There was just a strange sensation inside that told him that he should be scared, but he wasn't.

The blond man continued. 'Good to see you again. And I know you don't trust me, so I apologize.' Frank tried to say something, but words wouldn't come out. 'I know you don't believe me, but we used to be friends. It's Bob, dude. We used to be friends, and you let me live with you for a while.'

Frank was still confused. 'I don't know you.'

'Fuck, I knew this would happen. Fine – what I'm trying to say is – you are being brainwashed.'