We Can Run, Or We Can Die [Frerard]

Nineteen|Don't You Dare

Ryan sat beside Frank in the dark of the night, with Ray, Bert and Gerard asleep scattered around them, and Frank would be lying if he said he hadn't been expecting this from the moment Ryan joined their group.

Back when he'd been in Lindsey's 'clan', a couple named Brendon and Ryan had passed through, offering food in return for a bed for the night. They'd kept much to themselves, but Lindsey seemed to like them, even if Frank didn't. They'd ended up staying a week, to Lindsey's delight, and when they'd gone, Frank had hoped that he'd never have to see them again. He'd been wrong.

"So, I heard you killed the Way kid." Ryan said, and the younger sighed. "I must say, that was cold, even for Lindsey's right-hand man. How'd she take it?"

"She tried to kill me." Frank hissed in return.

"Understandable. She is a life for a life kinda girl."

"You don't get it."

"Oh, I get it pretty fucking fine, actually."

Frank glared at him with his single working eye, his jaw clenched almost painfully. "Everyone was planning on killing your bitchy ass, you know that, right?" When Ryan looked stunned, he nodded smugly. "Yeah. They all pretended to like you, but we all just wanted you gone. The only reason you stayed was because Lindsey wanted you there. If you'd been there any longer, you'd either have turned into a test subject or dead bodies."

It took a moment for the elder to speak. "At least I'm not a murderer."

"At least I'm not going to die alone."

And then came the slap that woke Gerard, and Frank, with a stinging cheek, got up and left the moulding house they were staying in, not even giving the slightest shit if there were zombies outside. Ryan just couldn't handle the truth. Ryan couldn't handle shit.

~

"Frank fucking Iero." A wicked grin spread over Lindsey's face, and she folded her arms, the murderous, manic look in her eyes almost turning the irises red. Neither Ryan not Ray had ever seen her look so delighted. Frank had.

"Lindsey." He swallowed heavily, glancing at Ryan's mutilated hand, which he'd noticed seconds before he'd turned to leave. "That wasn't your doing, was it?"

She snickered. "Oh, you think so little of me, Frankie. No, that was his zombie boyfriend."

"Zombie...I don't understand." He turned to Ryan. "What's she on about?"

The elder stayed silent, so Lindsey sighed in exasperation, answering for him. "I found Ryan's boyfriend in the middle of a horde of zombies and brought him here. Ryan wants to make him human again."

Frank stared incredulously at Ryan. "Are you fucking nuts?!"

"No, I just...I know I can do it, Frank, I -" with a wave of Lindsey's hand he shut up, clamping his lips together, and Fangy Ray stood by his side, licking his lips every so often.

"Come with me, Frankie. I want to have a little word." She said, leaving the room, and Frank, against his better judgement, followed her.

What was the worst she could do?

~

It turned out, the second he was locked in the lab with a gun pointed at his head, that this was probably only the least she could do. There was blood everywhere; on the walls, staining the tiled floor, on the freaky operating table in the middle of the room - even on the ceiling. He didn't want to know how it got there.