Detonators (Gerard Way/Party Poison)

Chapter 17

Song to listen to while reading: Memories by Panic! at the Disco.

Toxic Torrent's POV:

The small diner I was in seemed loud. The four boys who lived in it were nice to me, but I couldn't figure out why I was here. The redhead kept saying something about how he would 'get me back,' but I was already here. It was all quite confusing.

Something about them seemed familiar, but I couldn't figure it out. I felt like I had known them, but I didn't know anything about them-I could barely remember their names. Of course I kept my mouth shut about all of this, as they would think I was crazy if I told them. Maybe I was.

They tried telling me different stories and getting me involved in conversations, but for some reason I couldn't do it. It seemed like there was a block in my brain inhibiting me from feeling emotions or getting attached to anything. Part of it was nice, as I was always happy and couldn't really be bothered by anything, but it was also quite annoying.

I looked up into the eyes of the one named Fun Ghoul, who was handing me a bottle of water. I gave him a small thank-you and he continued joking with the other three. Party Poison looked at me and motioned for me to follow him. Mechanically I got up and walked outside beside him.

"I have something of yours," he said, and a gave him a questioning glance. "You're becoming a bit more aware, so I think it's time you have this back." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bright blue ray gun, complete with black and red biohazard symbols spray-painted on. It was worn in most places, but still seemed beautiful.

"This is mine?" I asked, taking the gun. It felt natural in my hands, as if it was always meant to be there. My eyes widen as I realized, "This is mine." I couldn't remember everything that I had done with it, but I was as sure of the fact as I was that I was breathing. This was my ray gun, and it was somehow a part of me.

"Do you want me to show you how to shoot it?" he asked as the rest of the boys walked out to meet us.

"Shooting practice?" Kobra Kid asked, and Party nodded. "I'll set up the targets."

Once the five targets were set up, we each found a spot. Jet, Ghoul, and Kobra began shooting while Party showed me the different parts of the gun. Once he had thoroughly explained the dynamics, he asked, "Do you want to shoot?" I nodded eagerly, and he stood behind me, so close that he body was molded to mine, and loaded the carbons into the gun.

He set the gun in my hand, and then lifted my arm up, aiming it at the target. His hand grabbed mine, and something about the action felt right. Familiar, almost. I breathed in his scent of old coffee and sunshine and sweat.  Something about the scent was appealing, and stirred some sort of emotion inside of me. What was going on?

"Ok," he whispered in my ear. "You aim with your dominant eye," I closed one eye, and nodded. "Aim for the center of the target," I maneuvered the gun with his help, so that it was pointed directly at the bullseye. "Pull the trigger on the count of three, okay? One... Two... Three."

I pulled the trigger and felt the recoil as the beam exited the barrel of the gun, and shot straight into the center of the target. I felt a smile overcome my face, and it was a real smile this time, not because of whatever was wrong with me.

"That was great, Toxic!" Party said happily. "Ready to try it on your own?" I nodded.

Party Poison stepped back, and I took my aim. Looking down the sights, I was ready to take the shot. I pulled the trigger, and again got the bullseye. I looked over to the redhead, "How did I do that?" The only reason I had done so well the first time was because he had helped me. To get two perfect shots was nearly impossible.

Party had a huge smile on his face when he answered me. "You've always been a great shot, and they can't take that away from you. You're the best, actually. I mean, besides me," he laughed.

I still thought it was a stroke of luck, so I shot again. It hit the bullseye. "How am I doing this?" I asked myself under my breath before a searing pain split through my head.

I dropped to the ground, the gun skidding away from me as a slideshow of what seemed to be memories played through my head.

I was driving along the dusty highway of Route Guano on my old motorcycle when a pristine white car pulled up beside me. Three men in Dracula masks shot at me. Draculoids. I dodged the beams before shooting them all in the head, one by one, while the car spiraled out of control. I slammed on my breaks, stopping by the car to retrieve the guns from their bodies before speeding away on my bike.

I opened my eyes to see Party Poison and Jet-Star rushing towards me and kneeling beside me, calling out my name. I struggled to say something, but not before I was pulled into a memory once again.

"Toxic! Get down!" A deep voice yelled as I fell to the floor to avoid a beam coming towards me. I looked to where the boy stood, and shot down the drac behind him.

"Blood Beam!" I yelled. "There's two more, we can do it!"

The boy, Blood Beam, looked at me and smiled. He was tall, with bright red hair, brown eyes, and a voice like honey. "We've got 'em, Tox!" he yelled back triumphantly, killing another drac.

I shot down the last, and Blood Beam ran over to me, throwing me over his shoulder. "Ten draculoids down, only an entire company to go!" He said, and our laughter echoed into the approaching night. "What do you say we eat some dog food and call it night?"

I nodded before jumping on to his back. "Onward!" I screamed through a fit of giggles, as we ran back to our base, another day of fighting behind us.

 "Toxic?" I heard a voice say as my hair was pushed off of my face. I opened my eyes to find a mop of bright red hair.

"Blood Beam?" I asked. my voice weak.

"No, it's me," the voice said, sounding pained. "Party Poison." That's when I realized I was in my bed. I was at the diner, with the Fabulous Four.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You blacked out. You're okay now, though," he explained before hugging me. I flinched from the sudden contact, but played it off with a shrug. "You had me worried again, Tox!" Party said with a smile.

"I-I saw things..." I tried to explain. "I killed these men! They wore white and these horrible masks, but I KILLED them! I-I'm a murderer!" I screamed, a few tears falling down my face. I didn't know who those people were, but those memories had shown that I had taken their lives, and I was happy about doing it. It all seemed wrong. So, so wrong.

"Toxic Torrent, look at me," Party said heatedly, lifting my face up to his so that he was looking in my eyes. "Whatever you saw, whatever you killed, those were not people. They're called draculoids, and they are mindless creatures whose only goal in life is to kill you, okay? We kill them for survival, and to take down BL/ind. Now get some rest."

And with that he got up and left, leaving me in an even more confused state than I previously was.

A/N: I'm not too sure how I feel about this chapter, hopefully it isn't too bad-I wanted to show some of Toxic's memories before she joined the Fab Four.  

And if you're wondering why I have Memories as this chapter's song, since I did that a few chapters ago, I switched them.  So that chapter has a different song now, as I felt it fit better.  Not that it really matters, but whatever.

I want to say a massive thank you to every single one of you. Whether you simply read the story, or are constantly voting and commenting-thank you.  This is my first fan fiction, and I'm really glad you like it so far!  So thank you!

~S