Let Art Be Our Weapon: Frerard/Killjoys Epic

Phase I

        "Go! Run!" my mother shouts, pushing me back. "Take your brother and don't ever look back." My father leans against the door trying to hold it close but he couldn't hold it forever. At some point, it would open and they would come in. They would come in and kill us. That's what we are told our whole lives anyway. Better Living Industries is not for Better Living. It's complicated and the explanation is above my head for me to understand but I do know that they are bad. They somehow found our hideout and the little peace we had is over. It's time to go. My brother and I are unregistered. They don't know my parents had two boys three years apart. If we all tried to escape, they would never stop looking for us and the more likely they would find out about my brother and I. Right now, it could only be me and Mikey. My mother lifted me into the cupboards and then Mikey. "No matter what you hear or see, don't stop. Keep running," she told us. Tears drip off her face and she kisses my forehead and my brothers. "We love you both. Remember that," she trembles, closing the cupboard doors and locking them. Her footsteps leave the cupboard and I hear my father scream her name. Shouting. Clambering. Arguments. Screams. Guns blasting. Thuds.
I push my brother forward. "Let's go, Mikey," I whisper. I do my best to keep down my sobs. It's dark so he can't see me. He doesn't really know what's going on. But I do.

We have been down here quite often. We were told where to go in case of a need to escape. I just never thought I would actually have to use the tunnels for a real situation. It's a precaution. It's 100 feet or so away from their house. When I make it towards the exit, I speak out. The Draculoids were surrounding our home, paying no attention to our direction. I grab Mikey's hand and we run through the desert, taking cover with the dry shrubbery.
"Where are we going?" Mikey asks. How can I answer this?
"Uh, we're going for a walk," I reply.
"Gerard? Why was mommy crying?" he asked.
I don't answer him. How could I? He's only seven. I didn't have time to answer his little questions. I needed to figure out what we are going to do. We need a new shelter, a supply of food and clean water. Probably more things I'm forgetting. We never went over what to do after we got out of the house. Just get out and don't ever look back. This should have been established. The only thing we can do is continue forward.

It's been a long time since we left. The sun has moved from high overhead to hovering over the horizon. The patrol will soon be out. We must find a place to camp. I find a small crevasse that Mikey fits well in and a nearby tree with a sturdy branch I can rest in. My aching feet dangle over the branch. It's been a long day. I think about tomorrow. Should we stay or keep going? Where would we be going? How long can I keep Mikey going? He's stubborn and will only come willingly for so far.
That is a problem for tomorrow. I will deal with it then. Now I'm getting my rest. But when I wake, it feels like I only closed my eyes for a moment. I wake to my brother screaming out and being carried away. They've found us. The man throws Mikey over his shoulders and carries him off to some van. No... I weigh two things in my head. Self-preservation and the love for my brother. A pang of guilt hits me for being selfish enough to think of leaving him. I jump from the tree and land hard on the ground. I pick up a stick and chase after the man. I had no plan. I blindly run into danger with one task. Get my brother back.

          Mikey screams out for me. Nothing audible. Just babble to get my attention. I hear him loud and clear. Just as I catch up to the man, he turns around and faces me. He was tall and had dark shades on. He makes it to the van and the door slides open. A blonde girl with a green scarf over her face take Mikey and brings him into the van. He kicks at her but she ignores his tantrum.
I ready my stick to slug him but my hit is ineffective. He grabs the stick from me and throws it behind him. I did not think this plan through. He grabs my wrist and hoists me into the van too. If I were alone, I would've put up the fight of my life. I wouldn't have left my tree if they hadn't saw me, but I was with Mikey and I wasn't going to go abandon him. I could never do that. When he slides the door closed and the van moves forward, I accept that we were taken. I sit solemnly, it's all over.
"It's okay, kids. You're safe now that you're with us. We are going to take care of you," the man says.
Sure you will. Like how you took care of our parents. I don't look at him. Mikey stops fighting when I sat next to him. Why did they make an effort to bring us in the car? They would've shot us already. "Are you guys injured? Has anyone seen you around? You two aren't registered with BL/ind so if they saw you, you should tell us. It's okay if they did. We just need to know."
I think about this for a second. He is addressing BL/ind as someone else. Is this not them? Is that why we are still alive? They haven't shot us because they don't want to kill us and they mean what they say about taking care of us.
"Um, no. No one saw us. Who are you guys?" I ask nervously.
"I'm Steve. It's okay. Your mother sent a message right before you guys were attacked. We were scanning the approximate area of where you could have been and we found you two."
They were going to help us. This wasn't the end after all. "Steve, where are we going?" I ask.
He smiles. "Someplace safe. Did your parents ever tell you what they do for a living?" I shake my head. They never talked about where they went. Usually, they would alternate who would go and who would stay with us. There were some occasions at night where they tucked us into bed and told us they needed to go but would be back soon. They always came back. Now, they wouldn't...
"Gerard, do you know who the Killjoys are?" I do.
"Yes! Yes! I do!" Mikey says excitedly. "They are so cool. They protect us from BL/ind. They keep us safe." His eyes gleam up and then he snapped in realization. "Are we going there?"
"Yes we are, little buddy," Steve says ruffling his hair.
Mikey was bursting with excitement. We have seen the Killjoys doing their work once. We were at home when there was a loud explosion in the distance. It was at night and both of our parents were home then. They told us to stay in the house. They put on some masks and their jackets. They ran outside to see what was happening. That was about two months ago. We were almost discovered then. BL/ind found out where we were and came to get us but the Killjoys picked up the message. Thank goodness they did or we would have lost those two extra months of peace. Mikey and I were behind a desk. A few Draculoids made it inside the house but the Killjoys got them and we were okay. Mikey was moved by them and started imitating their moves. I didn't know what to put it. It was the first time I saw what was happening in the world close up. I considered it to be fictional. Something not actually true. The Killjoys are rebels. They are the greatest of the great. I didn't consider it to be something I could be a part of. It's a dream. Now, here I am on the way to the Killjoy Rebel Base without my parents.