Three killjoys scanned the desert near the neat and monochrome city; they had been there a good fifteen minutes which was a lot considering the proximity of their vehicle to the enemy's doorstep. A young pink haired girl sat in the passenger seat tapping away at a computer screen in her hands; she was checking perimeters on the markers they had set a few weeks prior. Every now and then the tech geek would throw a glance around and to the back of the stolen and stripped industry van, checking on just how worried Murder Monkey was. In the back, a man in his late twenties clad in a pair of grey cargo pants and a sleeveless camo-green shirt seemed to be using taking inventory as an excuse to fidget and twitch while one of their own was out there on the road side. He picked up cans and put them in boxes, his hands in fingerless gloves with metal plates along the top, the children that had escaped the city called him a ninja because of them. With an anxious sigh he sat down and stilled his leg as it bounced, the buckles that held his boots closed jingled slightly. Those light grey boots with once upon a time shiny steel toe and the gloves where the only pieces of his old SWAT red alert gear he had left. Well those and a few trinkets he had managed to sneak out with.

Kicking bags and shoving a few captured cases of BL/ind's best boom makers the rebel fished around for his head gear. Vi, as he called her, had managed to fix up some old helicopter head phones which they used while scouting areas and on runs for the good old doc. By sheer muscle memory he plugged in "Can you get your ass back in the van" he asked to their friend who was probably a good fifteen yards away. A sigh was heard on the other end before the voice buzzed a little in his ear. "Fuck no, Party's gonna be bringing swarms. As B.A. as he can be too much suckers after ya is just too much" the azure haired woman said with a dark undertone. They never did find out if it was her normal speech or if Ghoul and Party knew something the killjoys in the van didn't. "Crazy mofo better be right or we're good as ghosted" he said with a furrowed brow and rubbing his forehead. All he got was an amused snort of laughter "You know we'd gladly get dusted…" she stopped short and he could here her running as her breathing came shorter "Party time" before he could reply Retro Viral called his name.

"Monkey, lets go!" and they drove to the spot the pinkette had located their comrade.

The blue haired bandit had taken down a few dracs by shooting at the front wheel of the motorcycles. The duo in the van stopped behind her and feared she had gotten hurt since she was down on one knee. Taking down two draculoids with one pull of the trigger she backed up into the van without missing a beat due to practice, they kept the slide-able door open and used the handles screwed to the roof to hang on while firing at the vampire masked henchmen. Between the chase and trying not to fall or get shot, a sinking filling started to build in the pit of her stomach. The signature Trans Am they traveled in was nowhere to be seen. It was only Dr. Death's van and she hoped to the deaf heavens that the four guys that managed to kick start her heart were in there, bruised and beaten bloody didn't matter as long as they were there. These thoughts made her lose her focus and she missed a drac who nicked her in the leg. She screamed at it and with just twitch if her index finger he was falling to his knees. "Faded, you okay?" Monkey called back trying to dodge the kamikazes that got in his way only making the road a little bumpier. "Keep fucking on the road, fuck!" the last swear came out breathless as the pain sunk in.

She sat down behind the passenger seat where Retro Viral was talking to Dr. Death, the pinkette let out a frustrated cry and climbed to the back. The blue killjoy alternated between shooting, cursing at the pain in her leg and looking at her friend who was digging around the weapons stashed in a crate. One downed white clad goon and a missed laser beam later the hacker had emerged with something that resembled a bazooka. It was painted hot pink and had the words 'Bang Bang" in bold black letters. Her female companion chuckled and cheered with her own choice banned words, a drac tried to crawl into the moving van and she kicked it away with her good leg another laugh spilling as it fell awkwardly. Next to her Rerto Viral was already aiming the large projectile launcher at the second white van. The makeshift skirt wearing rebel was usually calm and didn't raise her voice much "Suck on this motherless fucks!" those words made even the focused and swearing driver laugh heartedly. "Oh shit!" Monkey cursed as he swerved away from the exploding industry vehicle.

They meant to work out a smooth get away and had driven for a few minutes, "Nice shot, pinky pie, cooked those suckers on the spot." The good doctor's voice came through the speaker the killjoy in question had left open on purpose. She climbed back into the seat and put her headphones on. She pulled down the old gas mask that covered her nose and mouth before answering with a lopsided smile "Couldn't have them frying up my favorite DJ now could I, Doc?" she chuckled a little breath less. "You're right there little sis, any one needing my services in the old bazaar car?" his voice was stripped of the accent he held when on the air, no rock rap tone clung to the words. Just the simple words of a concerned friend, the blue hair woman made her presence known. "Pain killers would be nice, like the hole in my thigh, its looking pretty colorful." She hit her head against the soft back of Retro's seat with a groan.

On the other side Dr. Death heard the sound of ripping fabric and a few swears that sounded pretty creative, the mood in both vans was pretty much the same. Pain, adrenaline, fatigue and that feeling none of them wanted to acknowledge that hole that had formed in their guts and the tight grip in there chest. He wished he could cry, he wished the kid was crying and her tiny back should twitch and shake with sobs, instead of the being this still form looking into the night next to him. He blinked as his eyes stung out of frustration more than the loss. If they'd just made it sooner maybe just maybe, Party would be belting out F.T.W.W.W. and he'd hear Fun Ghoul's high pitched a bubbly laughter interrupting, infectious as it was he had his own theory about its tone. A theory he'd never confirm. He'd miss them, they all would and there would be trouble times ahead for them if they kept their heads in that direction. He took one breath and pressed the button on the radio, before he could say anything he heard something fire against the van behind them. Show Pony was driving and the blonde with them stuck herself out side the window to take a better look, the mirror proving itself useless. She ducked back in and looked at them with a fear marking her beautiful features. "Korse" His eyes widened as he pressed the radio's button again "Retro, we got an exterminator at our heals" he fought every urge in him to stop the van get off and gun the agent down. "Electric's got it… the cock sucker!" Retro screamed the last part as the ray gun's blast hit inside the van by the sound.

Faded Electric was standing with the back door open, her hair whipped around her head as she raised her red gloved hand gun clutched in tight fingers. The cold look on her uncovered face seemed to hit the exterminator while she made quick work of the goon hanging out of the window. With a defiant glair she shot at the wind shield and it fell making the car swerve, but the exterminator got it under control and took out his gun. She was holding on to a small notch where the door closed, the van hit a small dent and she lost her balance and the beam caught her shirt around the midsection. She took her gun and shot three rounds, one charred the dashboard, and the other hit his shoulder earning her a howl of pain. Not looking too surprised by the smirk on her face, worthy of the deadliest undead and definition of predatory. The last round missed his head by a fraction, leaving a hole in the head rest. She'd never question why, maybe the grin made him feel fear or he wanted to keep this chase going, but the exterminator stopped dead in his tracks and made a u turn back to the city. She closed the door and told the two in the seat, the shot that burned her shirt nicked Viral's arm. The younger female was already tying a light blue band around it with wide white striped. Sitting down she examined her shirt, it was ruined; she ripped the bottom half off and used it as a fresh bandage for the gash on her thigh. If anyone said anything about the extra bits she'd show them just how handy the weight came in when you had to squish someone's face into the dirt.

The way back was quiet, only Retro Viral and the Doctor exchanging information and theories as to Korse's retreat. "He was outnumbered and alone in the car. Fucking chicken shit can't take on the enemy one to seven; we live for those odds against us." Show Pony making weird noises in the other van brought a smirk to the cerulean woman, it hit her then. "I used his smirk." Her heart sank in that black whole her stomach had been harboring since the chase started. "Huh?" Monkey said as he rubbed his chin. Retro just looked back and they could all picture the DJ's face of confusion. "If you see him, put on a cocky smirk and look him dead in the eye. He's used to fear. No fear and scare the crap out of the sick fuck" she quoted the words of advice "Poison told me that when he was training me to take on bigger fish." Her stomach tugged at her, remembering the cat food in the boxes. "Who's got a smirk cockier than Party, I used it and it freaked Korse out." She called from between the seats, still facing the doors, the scene playing in her head over and over again. Everything around them had vanished and time stood still as she felt nothing but anger, the wanting of ridding this world from one more tumor and the need to avenge her fallen friends. The people she loved; the ones that shouldn't have died and the one that had died for her a good two years ago.

They heard the Death Defying sigh on the other end and Retro just looked down to hide the sorrow in her eyes. "He'll be fixed on you, Korse was obsessed with Poison and destroying him. Since he pretty much taught you everything you know, terminator Korsie sees you as Party Poison living on." Running a hand through electric blue strands she held back the need to scream at their friend. She was not like Party Poison; she was so far from ever measuring up to the man. Her hands clenched and she pulled a little, her mouth stretched into a frown as she clenched her jaw and looked up to the roof of the van lit with an old mercury light bulb on a garage lantern. She swore in that moment that she'd never let Missile Kid feel what was going on inside her. The girl had lost the people she looked to as fathers; she was going to raise the kid like her friends would have wanted. By the time they got to the old gas station the little one had fallen asleep and Show Pony carried her out. Dr. Death came over to the van; Faded sat in his lap and he wheeled both of them in. She lay against him and he pressed a kiss to her head, the twenty year old hugged him and buried her face in her untamed raven mane. "We should hit up Sleep in the morning, see if he can arrange a little transport for 'em." Death whispered, the other killjoy just buried herself deeper as a sob wracked her body.

It would be hours before any of them got a wink of sleep; even Missile Kid was wide awake. She clung to the wounded woman who was sitting a booth on the dinner portion of the gas station opening a can of cat food; thankfully Power Pup wasn't all that they found on raids. Her lips became a thin line as she thought of the child in her lap and she picked up the fork. "Here kid you need to eat something before you hit the hay" She said in a soft voice as she offered the utensil. When the girl looked at her with a worried 'are you serious' look about the cat food she couldn't help but laugh a little "I swear it's a lot tastier that it smells." The wild haired girl took the fork and dipped it into the stringy mystery meat. "That's was Jet Star said about Power Pup" her curls block her view of the surely doubtful expression but the frown was audible. Putting her arms around the nine year olds waist she put her head over her shoulder. "Fine fine, if you don't like it gimme." She made to bite the young ones neck making all sorts of growling noises never actually biting her, the kid squealed and laughed at the tickle. She squirmed and took a mouthful of the cat food; it was quickly followed by four more. Faded laughed and laid back still hugging the child, she looked around the room self-consciously and caught Show Pony and Dr. Death's eyes. Show Pony smiled at them his made up eyes a little watery while the older man nodded his head and raise his cat food.