Give Me a Shot to Remember: An MCR Tribute

iii. Never Let Them Take You Alive

"Be yourself, don't take anything from anyone, and never let them take you alive."

-Gerard Way

::

California, 2019

The apocalypse had come just a few years before.  The world was torn apart, and somehow one of the few inhabitable places left to live in was California.  That's when the Better Living Industries took over.  Creativity was forbidden, emotion was forbidden.  It wasn't too bad, but then the vampires appeared.  There was suspicion that BLi had created them, but it was only a rumor. 

The Better Living Industries had said, "Vampires Will Never Hurt You as long as you give them their Vampire Money. They live The Sharpest Lives and Sleep all day, and sometimes they might give a Cemetery Drive or two if you give them Blood." 

The people living in Battery City practically saw the sarcasm that bathed the statement. 

What the BLi didn't say, however, was that all could change in a moment. The Early Sunsets Over Moneroeville came and that meant the vampires turned into a House of Wolves. Everything turned into a nightmare at the drop of a hat.

Dead bodies had been found outside the limits of Battery City, so no one dared leave.  But one day, vampires stormed the city along with Draculoids, clones made by the BLi.  People began to figure out what truly was happening--the vampires were made to keep people in line by scaring them.

Your Mama had once told you, "Just remember, if anything happens, Look Alive, Sunshine, and say 'Goodnite, Dr. Death' if you ever run."  But you had forgotten to do that. 

Someone had yelled at you, "Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back," so you grabbed your keys to your truck and ran, never looking back.

Pass the Skylines and Turnstiles and Cubicles, you press down the accelerator as hard as you can, trying to go as fast as you can.  Once you can't see Battery City in your rearview mirror, you turn on the radio and roll down the windows.  No one seems to have followed you as you left Battery City behind. "So This Is How I Disappear," you think to yourself. You smirk. "Thank You for the Venom... not."  The Summertime wind blows by and ruffles your short dyed-blue hair--you had dyed it just a few days before, so no one from BLi had caught you with your streak of rebellion.  Aviators hide your eyes from the harsh Californian sun. 

Soon you pass a sign that says, "Welcome to the Black Parade."  All you can see, though, is chain-link fence and rundown buildings on the other side.  With your window down, you hear voices of Teenagers as they SING their Famous Last Words of Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) as you drive by.  Out of nowhere it seems, someone steps in front of your car, clothed in a blue jacket and a yellow mask.  Red hair like warning lights on an AMBULENCE makes you slam on the brakes.  Your tires screech as you come to a stop.  Getting out, you yell, "What the hell was that?!  I could have killed you!"  Slamming the car door, you walk around to the front of your car to confront him.

The guy grins and pushes back his mask so you can see his face... he has a nice face, you have to admit to yourself.  "I doubt if I tried to stop you any other way it wouldn't have worked."

You snort in disbelief, crossing your arms in front of your black tank top clad chest.  "Why did you stop me then?  I was just passing through."

"I thought I could try to recruit you.  I'm Party Poison."  The male stuck his hand out for a handshake.