“Mom,” Angelica whispered.
“I know, kid.” Sapphire looked in the backseat at her. “Listen, Angelica. I'm going to leave you with my sister. I can't stay with you. I'll give you a Killjoy name, and you'll stay with them. Angel or Pyro'll take you in, as long as you don't tell them I'm your mom.”
“Why can't you stay with me?” she screamed.
“My sister and I don't get along well.”
“Why can't I go back with Daddy?”
“Because you can't!”
Because he can't take care of you and I'll most likely be killed if I go back, that's why.
She started sobbing. Sapphire pulled the car over. “I-I don't wanna live with your sister. I wanna live with you!”
“I'm sorry, sweetheart. It's just not safe where I'm going.”
“I'll tell them!” she shouted. “I'll tell them you're my mom!”
“Don't you dare, young lady.”
She shook her head. “I won't go.”
Sapphire picked her up, opened the car door, and snapped, “If you get back in the car, I'll get out and lock you in!”
She hiccupped. “It's not fair.”
“I know it's not. Now walk.”
She slammed the door shut and gunned the motor. Behind her, Angelica screamed, “I hate you!”
“Mom,” Venom said, “there's a girl outside.”
Angel strode to the window. A small, blonde girl Venom and Deviant's age was wandering down Route Guano. She opened the door and shouted, “Hey! D'ya want to come inside?”
She dragged herself to the door. “My name is Angel. What's yours?” she asked the little girl.
“I don't know. My mom didn't tell me before she left.”
Midnight looked up from the kitchen table, the blood running from his face. “She must be a drac dump. It's how they're punished. They dump the kids out in the Zones. It's weird she's here of all places. They usually aviod Killjoy hangouts.” Despite having paled alarmingly pale, his voice remained flat, emotionless. Angel cast him a wary look and bit her lip. The rest of the Killjoys became very interested in the floor and ceiling. Midnight coughed. “N-never mind.”
Venom walked up to her. “You kinda look like my mom.”
“Angel's your mom, right?”
He nodded. “An' Midnight's my dad. But he just got home today. He was with the people in masks.”
“BL/ind,” Echo corrected.
“BL/ind,” he amended, sighing.
“My mom 'n' dad are there,” she said, sighing too. “They fought a lot.”
“Come on,” Rush said, picking her up. “You're covered head-to-toe in dirt. And you're still in your pyjamas.”
“Oh, all right.”
“Angel, Midnight, I've been thinking,” Poison said.
“That's always a good thing,” she mumbled.
“Isn't it? Anyway, I was talking to the guys-- Kobra and Star and Ghoul-- and they were wondering if they had kids like you.”
“Like me how?” she asked, sounding slightly guarded. “Venom, Deviant, out.”
The two boys shared cross looks and stormed out behind Rush.
“You haven't told them?” Midnight asked.
“Well, they know he's my dad. I haven't told them about my mom or really mentioned my sister, either.”
Star nodded. “BL/ind obviously knew something about Poison if they caught him before he even started the band.”
“I was what, twenty-something? Like, Midnight's age.”
“I rest my case.”
Midnight shrugged. “I guess they might've seen you as a person of interest.”
“I did go to art school.”
“So I might have a son or a daughter Angel's age,” Star said. “We all might.”
“What'll that do to Ghoul?” Angel asked. “You know how badly he misses his kids and wife.”
Poison glanced out the window. “His wife and kids were very sweet. Thief was around the same age as his little girls. They were good friends. But they were so young--” His voice trailed off. “I think she only remembers them as imaginary friends.”
Ghoul wandered in from outside. “What are we discussing? And who is the kid I saw come in here earlier?”
“Kid we found,” Midnight said.
She appeared from the doorway and stared at the grocery bags on the countertops. “I... didn't have breakfast,” he admitted.
“You want something to eat?” he asked brightly. He grabbed an apple from the bags and tossed it to her. “I got a bunch! Mein had them on sale!”
She crunched down on it and grinned. “I like this a lot better than Power Pup!”
“That's not saying much,” Star sighed.
“Oh, stop it!” Angel laughed.
“What's your name?” the girl asked.
“Fun Ghoul!” he said. “My friends are Party Poison, Jet Star, and Kobra Kid.”
“I'm Poison's wife, Lethal Rush,” she called from the back room.
The girl bit her lip. “All right.”
“Midnight, Angel, take your sons for a drive,” Star suggested.
“You heard the boss!” Midnight said, grabbing Angel's hand. “Venom, Deviant! Come on, kiddos!”
The two boys grabbed onto his free hand. She grabbed their masks off the kitchen counter. “Have fun!” Kobra yelled.
“You took care of my car!” Midnight cheered. “Thank you!”
“Of course I did, dummy,” she said. She tossed him the keys from her pocket and smiled.
“Let's gooo!” he sang. “In the car, in the car! We're going on an adventure!”
