DEMOLITION LOVERS

And Never Go Home

'So – here's the plan.'

The four Killjoys were sitting at the table with Dr. D, while Grace was sleeping on the couch. They'd been going to his house every morning, helping him sort everything, and start planning their comeback.

'We're infiltrating Battery City,' Dr. Death said to his audience.

He set a map of the city on the table for them to see. This was a more detailed one that the one Frank had stolen from Korse the day he escaped, but it still reminded him of that night. The fear. The uncertainty. The need to be free.

And now he was planning to go back.

He wasn't sure he was ready.

'I have contacts in the city,' Dr. D continued. 'They'll help us spread the word from inside. They have a projector, too. In the meantime, you'll get in and add some color to their precious city.'

Party seemed the most excited about the whole plan, almost jumping on his seat.

'What about Grace?' Fun asked out of nowhere.

'What about her?' Dr. Death asked, confused about the question.

'We're not taking her, are we? I don't want her to be in danger, or Korse taking her from us.' Party noticed how his tone got angrier, and his mood changed, so he reached for his hand.

'She can stay here with Maddie and me. We'll keep her safe.'

'Where?'

'We have a hideout ready. In the desert. A friend of the cause, Show Pony has it ready for us.'

Fun just nodded, granting them permission to take his girl.

'She'll be safe. And as soon as you are too, we'll take her home to you.'

They went over the rest of the plan, and how they had vans ready to infiltrate the city incognito. Recruiting more rebels while in the city. The escape route.

They were supposed to leave in a couple days.

***

'You can't sleep?' Party asked, noticing Fun was up, staring at the ceiling while Grace slept in his arms on a sleeping bag.

They had been helping Dr. D pack all his records into boxes all day, while Party used his art skills to draw flyers for the future killjoys, so Maddie told them they could stay the night there, so they could finish the following day.

Fun just shook his head.

He hadn't slept for days.

But today was even worse. Now that the day was closer, the fear was taking over him, and he suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe.

He was having a panic attack.

And he didn't know how to tell Party. He didn't know how to tell him that it used to happen a lot when he was younger, especially after his dad died, and that the only thing that made it better was music. Then his mom tried to make him take the magic pills.

She said they were supposed to make everything better, forget about everything that made his life miserable. But he wasn't sure. So his mom drove them to California. To this city of hope, as some called it. Everything was perfect there.

No worries, no pain.

She thought that was the solution to both Frank's and her problems.

And for a while, it seemed to help. At least his mom. She started taking the pills, and Frank noticed she seemed calmer. She wasn't angry or sad anymore. But she forgot things. She forgot about his dad. And she didn't sing while cooking anymore.

In the meantime, Frank had to pretend to follow the rules at school or they'd find out he wasn't taking the pills. He saw what they did to his mom, and the last thing he wanted was to forget about his dad.

But as his mom got worse and turned into one of them, Frank started to rebel more. He knew of a kid at school who lived in the slums and they'd go there after school to smoke. Eventually, his mom got so addicted, she had weird reactions, like depressive episodes. She'd be late to work because she'd get lost. And after the second warning, they fired her and took her apartment, so they had no choice but to move to a small room in the slums.

Then, one day she just wasn't there when Frank came home from school.

He figured she found someone who gave her pills. Maybe found a new job or a way back to a normal life.

And in less than one year, Frank had lost both parents.

He soon quit school, and would help sell cigarettes to the dracs and agents who wandered around the slums. Some of the pornodroids who worked there took care of him, especially Blue. And a couple years later he was already working with them because it was the only way to survive.

For Frank, Battery City only brought bad memories.

And he had sworn to himself that once free, he'd never go back.

But now he had no choice.

He didn't even notice when he started crying, but now Party was holding him in his arms, and running a hand up and down his back. 'You're okay. I'm here with you,' he kept saying.

'I don't want to,' he said, sobbing.

'It's okay. You can stay with Grace and Dr. D.'

He didn't say anything else, and soon, he fell asleep in Party's arms.

***

The day had come.

Between Jet Star and Mr. Williams, the town mechanic, had fixed an old SUV from the junkyard. And now they were packing Dr. D's boxes in it, as well as some of their own stuff, and lastly, the wheelchair in the backseat.

'I guess we'll see each other in the desert,' Dr. D said, as the guys reached for a hug. 'Follow us.'

They nodded and got in the Trans Am, with Grace cuddling in the back with Kobra.

'Are you ready, guys?' Poison said.

Jet and Kobra agreed, and Fun didn't say a word.

He stared out the window looking at the desert pass by.