One Small Spark 07 - I-B-Y-D-I-Y-B-M-A

            ‘Keep running, rabbit,’ the words repeated in his head as he ran in search of safety, an eye out for his savior. Korse was on his tail but moving slower being that he had a hole in his side and had blown up. Poison had retrieved his pistol miraculously and was checking it over in his hands. It was chipped, possibly broken. Things couldn’t have gotten much worse.

            He ran back into the alleyways across the narrow street and dodged between buildings in the direction the rocket had come from. Apparently more had been fired. He could hear the Dracs searching for the person who had fired them. Poison searched the alleys for a door to cut through the buildings, pistol in hand.

            The door before him opened and he was shoved back as a small-statured woman came rushing from within, black hair with red stripes pulled back lazily, bright red and orange jacket catching his eye. It was her! She’d completely ignored him as she rushed down the alleyway, no gun in hand; awfully bold for someone in the middle of a firefight.

            It was definitely her. She’d saved him more times that day than she knew.

            “Hey! Addict!” He shouted and then mentally cursed at himself. Why? Why did he immediately shove his foot down his throat? She stopped, stiffened up and turned to face him. He’d thought for a second that she was happy to see him but he was very, very wrong.

            “You.” She narrowed her eyes and instead of telling him to run or being relieved he was safe, since she had saved him and all, she lunged at him.

            “Holy shit!” His gun flew from his hand and the woman knocked him onto his back. “What the fuck?” He hadn’t expected her to pack a punch being as petite as she was.

            “Where is it? Where the fuck is it?”

            Poison coughed as she punched him twice hard in the gut. He grabbed her wrist to prevent a third but she wasn’t so easily stopped. She twisted his arm and pinned him to the ground. He, again, wished he didn’t think it was hot.

            “I said: where is it?” She released his arm and then patted down his jacket pockets and when she didn’t find what she was looking for she groped his back pockets before reaching around to the pockets in front.

            “Whoa! Hey!” Poison grabbed her hands to stop her and nudged her off, rolling onto his back but she climbed atop him and made to punch him hard in the face. He barely moved his head out of the way in time and her fist smashed into the ground. Yelling in anger, she shook out her hand but then made to strike again. He’d had enough of being smacked around. He grabbed her arm, sat up, and then threw his weight toward her to knock her beneath him. Then he stumbled to his feet and searched for his gun.

            Dust had been kicked up around them which hindered his search. Cursing himself mentally, he opened his mouth and spoke before thinking. “At least buy me a drink first…”

            “Do you ever stop thinking with your dick? You fucking thief!” She got to her feet and Poison snapped his mouth shut. “Hand over my lighter or I blow your fucking brains out against the goddamn concrete.” He stiffened up as she aimed her orange pistol at his head.

            “You’re fucking crazy.” Poison stared at her in awe. Kobra had warned him she’d react that way and yet he hadn’t expected it. In fact, he’d mentioned the word ‘crazy’ several times and Poison had chosen to ignore it. Somehow, he’d gotten it into his head that they shared a common bond or something. If they did, she did not seem to agree.

            “I’d love it if you tested me.”

            Party Poison didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t bluffing, he was sure of that. In the distance a figure lumbered toward them through the dust. How had he made it to them in one piece? The fucking Scarecrow. He wasn’t much human at all anymore, Poison guessed.

            “We can’t argue about this here, we have to go!” He shouted and the woman looked confused.

            “I just threatened you! I’m not going without my lighter and if you keep yapping, I’m going to kill you!”

            “If we don’t go now then Korse is going to kill us both and it won’t be pretty. Something tells me it’s not the way you want to go! Die here and your lighter won’t matter.”

            “Give me my lighter and then you run from Korse. He’s not after me.”

            Party Poison was panicking, finally. He ran his fingers through his messy red hair. Die because this crazy bitch wanted her lighter and he was an idiot or die because the Scarecrow caught him. He could, of course, give her the lighter, but it was his only bargaining chip. Besides, he’d grown quite attached to it.

            She wasn’t killing him though. She talked a big game but she hadn’t pulled the trigger. He believed she was a killer, he could see it in her eyes, but there was something else there. He knew she wouldn’t pull the trigger.

            “He’ll kill you too. It’ll be slow and painful. No amount of drugs will help with that.” He ducked suddenly at the sound of laser fire. Korse had shot at them but he was wounded and his aim was off. “Could you at least pretend to care that he’s coming for us?”

            “I said don’t fucking move.” She stepped closer. Poison grabbed the barrel of her gun and moved it to the side, feeling the barrel hot as she fired twice. His hand burned and he let go of the gun.

            “You shot at me!”

            “What part of I’ll fucking kill you weren’t you understanding?” She aimed at him again but the Scarecrow was close and he wasn’t aiming at Poison anymore. He was aiming at her. He did the only thing he could think to do. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her out of the way of the blow and the laser shot by them, just barely.

            She smashed her fist into his ribcage and he coughed then stepped back and retrieved his gun. They couldn’t fight about this anymore! He aimed at the Scarecrow and fired but the gun didn’t go off. Shoving it into the holster, he grabbed the addict around the waist and threw her over his shoulder.

            “Oh, you are asking for it,” she snarled.

            “I’m saving us both, so shut up and aim!” He yelled and then took off at a run, rushing around the corner and through another alleyway.

            “Put me down or I shoot you in the ass!”

            “Do it then! You want your lighter too badly so shut up and shoot at the Scarecrow!” He wished he could gag her, just for the moment, but there was nothing he could do. If she didn’t stop yelling then they’d never find a place to hide. “He won’t spare you just because I’m here.”

            “The Scarecrow.” She seemed calmed by that and Poison thought that was the wrong response, absolutely. “Fuck, he’s seen my face.” She muttered and finally she took aim. The Scarecrow killed Killjoys for fun. Not only had he seen her face now, but he’d seen her face right alongside his which made her a target. “You should run faster.” She had apparently agreed not to shoot him in the ass which he appreciated.

            She shot at the ground behind them, kicking up dust with each shot.

            “I said shoot at him!” Poison tried to peer over his shoulder but he could only hear the chaos behind them. “You’re just pissing him off!”

            “Shut up and get us out of here, I’m blocking his vision, dumbass.” She kept firing at the ground and then at several things that crashed behind them. Poison knew they had precious few seconds to find shelter and then they’d have to stay hidden for hours until the danger passed. Poison racked his brain for hiding spots that hadn’t been discovered in the second zone.

            He knew just the spot. The Scarecrow was coming for them and they had to go. It was much easier to run with the addict cooperating rather than fighting him at every turn. Poison kicked the door on the building around the corner and fled inside. They’d gotten some distance on the Scarecrow thanks to her carefully aimed shots. It wasn’t much of a hiding place. He shoved the door closed and then ran through the building, arm securely around the addict. He could, of course, let her down, but he was already moving.

            “I’ll close doors.” She seemed impatient and uncomfortable, stiff and annoyed in his arms. If the Scarecrow hadn’t been chasing them then he was almost certain he would have lost a hand through the process. She shut the doors behind them as he rushed through the building.

            They ran through the factory that had been abandoned throughout the chaos. The sirens were still ringing and the citizens of the zones feared it. He opened another door that led into an adjacent alleyway that backtracked from where they’d been pursued and when it was clear he stepped outside. She shut the door behind them.

            He ran across the alley and into the next building where he carefully closed the heavy metal door to keep it silent. Then he carried her down the stairs in the backroom that led into the basement. There was a trapdoor there hidden in the floor that he’d had built when the riots had been particularly bad a few years back. He hadn’t had need for use of it since and as far as he knew it had never been discovered.

            He set the addict down. The basement was musty and stunk of water damage. Hopefully the room beneath it hadn’t been washed out. She turned to him and Poison placed his hand over her mouth before she even had a chance to open it to object. She narrowed her eyes at him and he pulled his hand back carefully then searched the floor, careful of pipes and old tools. He pushed a heavy box aside and then swept his foot over the floor to obscure the drag marks.

            There it was, beneath the dirt and dust. It was difficult to spot, even for someone who had used it before. He grabbed a rusted pipe from nearby and then slipped it beneath the cracks and pried open the trapdoor. There was a ladder that led down into the darkness below.

            “Ladies first.” He urged and she shook her head to object. She adjusted furniture in the basement, further obscuring their hiding place. At least she wasn’t fighting him anymore and if anything, he admired her survival instincts. “Come on, we have to go,” he whispered and then climbed down the ladder. She followed him and carefully allowed the lid of the trap door to close without so much as a sound.

            The hiding space smelled worse than the basement above it. A layer of water coated the floor but it was only a centimeter or two. The addict’s boots made a splashing noise as she touched down and then moved to the far back corner. She held her gun still and had it aimed at Poison but didn’t fire. He checked the edges of the door and shifted it and then all he saw was darkness.

            His fingers wrapped around the lighter in his pocket as he listened. That was the reason she’d been harassing him in the first place. He pulled it free and flicked the lid open, striking the fire. There should have been rations and a lantern in there for long haul reasons.

            “Don’t move,” she hissed, stepping closer in the dim light of the flame of her lighter, holding the barrel of her gun against his neck as he bent over to light the wick in the lantern. He sighed and lit the lantern anyway before flicking the lighter closed. The lantern gave them enough light to see their tight hiding space.

            “This again.” Poison rolled his eyes but opened his mouth in a silent cry as she smacked him in the head with the butt end of her gun threateningly. “God, you’re just as bad as the Dracs. I should have left you to rot.”

            “Why didn’t you?” She curled her lip in annoyance. “My lighter. Now.”

            “Same reason you didn’t just kill me, I’m guessing.” He frowned. She was intimidating in the dim light, her blue eyes blazing with the kind of rage he’d only ever felt and not seen before. Venom practically dripped from her. Even the Scarecrow didn’t look at him the way that she was. So much for getting laid at the end of this. “Fine. If you would just,” he began but then Frenzy aimed the barrel of her gun right between his eyes, “…calm down.”

            “Stop wasting your breath and give me my fucking lighter.” She put her finger on the trigger. Any favor he’d earned during their race away from the Scarecrow had been lost. She looked as though she was struggling with the idea of killing him and leaving him be. She blinked her eyes closed tight and muttered to herself. “Quiet.” Party Poison’s eyebrows shot straight up on his forehead. Uh oh, she was talking to herself. That couldn’t be good.

            “…I was being quiet,” he said when she didn’t continue.

            “Enough. Give me my lighter.” Her hand shook as she stepped closer. “Now. I’ll sit in here and hide with a corpse if you don’t. Give it to me.”

            “Hey.”

            “Stop talking and give me my fucking lighter.” Her blue eyes reflected the fire from the lantern in a manic fury that Poison recognized. He held out his hand and unfolded his fingers from around the lighter. She snatched it up from him and turned away, holding it to her chest like something precious. Her rage melted into quiet desperation as she cradled it close to her.

            Flick, flick, flick. Poison could smell the sulfur of the lighter sparking, something he’d done many times. He watched as she held the lighter, admired it, like a lover she’d not seen in months. Maybe Kobra Kid had been right. He was an idiot. She’d called him a thief, accused him of the same, but she had robbed him just as much as he had robbed her. She’d conned him. Then again, she had told him to get lost. He’d kept playing with fire, he supposed.

            “Why’d you save my life if you were so eager to kill me?” He was there, talking, again without the permission of his brain.

            “Hmm?” She seemed surprised that he was there. Her shaking had stopped and the rage had melted from her eyes. She slipped the small lighter back into the pocket on her corset but kept her hand over it as if protecting it.

            “You saved me from Korse earlier. That rocket. It had the same art that’s on your lighter.” He gestured to the lighter and she covered it further, protecting it.

            “You used a lot of the butane.”

            “You were hellbent on killing me when you caught up to me so why waste your ammunition saving me from the Scarecrow?”

            “I didn’t.”

            “Oh, yeah you did, actually. Korse was about to rip my throat open and you shot him all to hell. Great shot, too by the way. Good timing with the explosion. Kept me safe.”

            “I was saving it not you. My lighter. You had it.” She looked around the cellar as though she had just noticed it was there, lifting her shoes in the water in surprise. There wasn’t much down there. A few old crates filled with supplies and that was pretty much it. Blankets if they got cold. He sighed. She was nuts. That was it. At least she’d been a good shot. She also hadn’t killed him in spite of threatening to do just that a thousand times. She’d given him good advice the night before too. He should have taken it.

            That was right. She’d stolen from him. He grabbed her arm as she made to sit on one of the crates. “You stole my fucking pills.” Much to his surprise, she smiled but didn’t respond. She even laughed.

            “And?”

            “You’re a fucking hypocrite!” Poison hissed though he wanted to yell. He wanted to shove her but instead he tightened his grip on her arm and tugged her close, making her feet splash in the water. “You hunted me like prey for a damn lighter when you stole my stash which was worth way more, I’m pretty sure.”

            “It’s not the same and you know it.”

            “Oh, enlighten me. You had that whole speech about not sleeping with addicts and then you steal my pills because you’re a fucking addict. All in the same breath you criticize me for being a dealer?”

            She shoved at him but he tightened his grip. “First of all, dealer, I stole something that you stole from someone else. You stole something very personal and important to me. Do you see how those don’t weigh evenly against each other? I don’t owe you shit. Consider my payment to you the fact that I didn’t shoot you in the fucking face for stealing my lighter.” She twisted her arm free of his grip. “You’re nothing more than a peddler of candy to children and I’m too old for this children’s game. I’m no hypocrite either. You twisted my words. I don’t sleep with addicts or dealers. Didn’t say I wasn’t one. I stand by that.”

            Party Poison was in awe that she was justifying being an addict, a thief, and a hypocrite all in one breath. He was wildly irritated and yet shocked that she was cunning enough to make him believe her. She’d never claimed she wasn’t an addict, that was true. She’d even outright rejected him several times. She had, also, kissed him though. Or had he kissed her? He couldn’t remember anymore. He’d mixed up the truth with the fantasies he’d played in his head. It didn’t matter. A kiss had happened, that much he was sure of, so he could stand by that.

            “Yet you kissed me,” he argued. “You kissed me after saying you didn’t sleep with dealers.”

            “You’re dwelling on that? I just wanted your pills,” she laughed, stepping away from him and leaning against the cool, damp wall. Poison’s face turned red. She’d used him just like he’d used countless women many nights before. He didn’t feel guilty about that but he was a little embarrassed. She’d kissed him just to steal the pills. It had never occurred to him that it hadn’t been attraction that had driven her to it. Was it just him then? Drawn to her?

            He folded his arms across his chest and slumped against the wall, watching her. The light flickered in the lantern and her silhouette was shrouded half in darkness. She fiddled with her lighter without looking up at him.

            “Fucking addict.”

            “One of us should go. You don’t want me around and I don’t want you around either. You think you know everything because you used to use? You don’t know shit. I’m happy to leave. The Scarecrow doesn’t want me.” She suggested. Poison had to unpack all of that for a second. How did she know that he had been addict? And she was wrong. The Scarecrow had seen him carrying her. He’d hunt her down just to get to him.

            “H-how?” His mouth would not say everything he wanted to say.

            “Come on, only someone who knows what those things do to a person would be as angry with me as you are. Really. I’ll go. I’ll be fine. I’m good at hiding.”

            “Thanks,” Poison was struggling with words which wasn’t usually a problem for him. It wasn’t what he’d wanted to say but he couldn’t think of a reason to tell her to stay. Why should he? She’d done nothing but try to kill him, lie, and steal from him! Yet he wanted her to stay. She’d pushed and he wanted revenge. At least he thought that was what he wanted. There was a ton of mixed up nonsense going on in his head.

            “For what? Not killing you or volunteering to leave?”

            “Don’t go. Look, you may have done it to save your lighter but you also saved me and I’m more important than you realize.”

            “To you, maybe. Don’t thank me for that. I don’t want your gratitude.”

            “God, you just can’t take a compliment, can you? Fucking stubborn.”

            “This is exactly why I’m trying to give you an out.”

            “Don’t. I could use your help.”

            “Yeah, that’s not happening.”

            “Just hear me out.”

            “Like I have a choice.”

            “Some people I know told me to meet them at Turn Back. You know it?”

            “Last safe bar in the zones.” She shrugged and averted her eyes. He smirked. Of course, she knew it.

            “When it’s safe to go I need you to take me there.”

            “Am I your babysitter now?”

            “No, not like that,” Poison chuckled. He needed to talk to Tiger Beatdown and if that was where he agreed to meet then he’d do it. The owner of that particular bar was a hard ass. He rarely let him even come in half the time. Someone had lied to him and to Tiger and they had to get to the root of it. His head was buzzing. Kobra had said he’d gotten his information from Death-iNation, one of his most trusted sleeper cells and probably the most successful. Was it possible that Nation had turned? Many sleeper cells had fallen prey to drugs and money but he had never expected it of Death-iNation. He was truly a good man.

            “Then like what?” She sighed heavily. “I don’t want to help you. I want to get as far away from you as I possibly can and then never see your face or those eyes again.” Poison shivered. Why had she said it like that?

            “Why? What did I do besides buy you a drink and steal your lighter? I didn’t force any of what you did on me that night. Does that make you uncomfortable?” Party Poison stepped closer to her again. His eyes, huh? What did they have to do with anything? Maybe he wasn’t imagining that tug to her after all. “I’m not convinced you hated every bit of that.”

            “Wow, your ego is amazing. You’re a thief. You’re a liar, and you think more with your dick than with your brain so I’m pretty sure you won’t get anything accomplished with both a chip on your shoulder and dick in hand. I already told you. I don’t sleep with dealers. So, this won’t end how you want it to end.”

            “You need to stop calling me a fucking thief. And I’m not a liar. Look, I’m not fucking perfect, I know that. I just… ugh.” He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Why was he explaining any of this to her? “Sometimes I like to take little trinkets from a particularly fun night so I can look back on it fondly. Usually it’s something small and pointless like a pen or perhaps a lighter from their pocket. If I had known who you were or that you were a drug addict then I would have been more careful about what I took. It was a cute lighter. And yeah, all I saw were tits and ass so, fuck me, right?”

            “No, not fuck you.” She shook her head and he laughed and hated that he thought it was funny.

            “I learned my lesson, alright?” Poison pointed to the bump on his forehead from her gun.

            “I’m not convinced.” She laughed much to his surprise. “I’ll leave.”

            “What if I pay you?”

            “I’m an addict, buddy, not a whore.”

            “Not for that. To get me to the bar.”

            “Why is it that I should help you? You keep calling me crazy and an addict and a thief.”

            “Well, you have tried to kill me a handful of times and you keep calling me a peddler and a liar and…other things.”

            “A horny moron?”

            “Yep, that’s the other one.”

            “Am I wrong?”

            “I’m not a liar.” Poison argued and she laughed again but was looking increasingly uncomfortable. “Remember the story I told at the bar?”

            “I do. It was mildly interesting.”

            “Well, it was true. I didn’t lie. I’m the leader of the Killjoys.” He held out his hand to shake and she just stared at it. “Party Poison. Last night I received word that my friend that I put in charge of the western faction of Killjoys turned. I sent an assassin to clean up the mess. Turns out he was told that I turned. Something else is happening, something bigger. There were Killjoys hunting me out there, Killjoys that I didn’t recognize.” She merely stared at him so he put his hand down since she wasn’t going to shake it. He sighed. “My gun is busted. I can’t go walking around the zones without a gun. I hear you deal in weapons. I need your help.” He nervously pushed his red hair out of his face but it fell right back into place.

            She didn’t seem happy. He couldn’t decide if that was because she was annoyed with him or considering helping him.

            “You’ll need a weapon.” She avoided his gaze. “The Dracs will patrol for twelve hours before going back to their posts. The Scarecrow doesn’t sleep and boy does he seem to want you so it won’t be safe for a few days.”

            “I don’t have days.”

            “I know. We’ll have to be careful.”

            “Thank you.” Somehow, he’d managed to talk her into it. He wasn’t sure how he’d done it but she’d agreed. Kobra hadn’t told him her name and she hadn’t ever offered it so he figured it was a good place to start. “What’s your name?”

            “Fire Frenzy. Though I think you knew that given you know I’m an arms dealer.”

            “What’s your real name?” He smirked. “You know, the one you had before all this. I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.” His confidence was back. It was a high to have convinced her to stay.

            “I don’t want yours so that’s not much of a trade.” Party Poison made to object but she spoke over him. “We should wait for sundown at least. Easier to sneak around. Gives us time to wait out the Drac patrols too.”

            “Yeah, you don’t have to tell me twice. Not eager to be running from their guns again. Honestly, I’m a bit on edge.”

            “Oh? I couldn’t tell.”

            “I’ve had more people try to kill me today than I have had in a long time.”

            “You’re so charming, I can’t imagine why so many people would want you dead.” Sarcasm dripped off her every word. “Let me see your gun.” She held out her hand expectantly.

            “Oh? If you insist.” Poison reached for his belt and unbuckled and she made a sound of disgust.

            “Unless you want me to shoot it off, I suggest you reconsider.” Frenzy tapped her gun in its holster. “This is the whole horny moron thing again. Don’t mistake my not trying to kill you for something other than what it is. I’m still pissed.”

            “This is going to be the longest wait.” He fixed his belt and then pulled his gun from its holster. It sparked as he examined it and burned his finger. He hopped in frustration and much to his surprise, Frenzy caught it before it fell into the water. “Son of a bitch…”

            “Huh, it’s broken.”

            “Wow, thanks, Columbo. Didn’t take a fuckin’ arms specialist to realize that, now did it?” He slipped his singed thumb into his mouth.

            “You’re such a baby.”

            “It burned, so fuck you, Frenzy. Fix the damn thing.”

            “You know, you just handed over your gun so I could leave you here unarmed, Party Poison. I suggest that you be a little nicer and maybe hold up the light so I can see better.”

            “I’m not getting any of what I want here so excuse me for not being fuckin’ polite anymore.”

            “Wow, do women really fall for you?” She rolled her eyes. “It’s still too dark.” She examined the gun and reached into her pocket before pulling out a small thin wire that she bent and used to unscrew parts of the gun. He chose to ignore the dig and held the lantern a bit closer, leaning over her shoulder so he could watch her work.

            She smelled nice, which for some reason surprised him. He expected her to smell like fire. For some reason he’d gotten this mental image of someone incapable of taking care of herself. Apparently, he was wrong.

            “I can’t fix it here.” She turned toward him and then stopped upon realizing that he was so close. He hadn’t expected she’d turn either but much to his surprise her cheeks flushed under the lamplight. She turned back and scooted further on the crate so she wasn’t so close. A smile crept over his face and quickly turned into a shit-eating grin. “I need better tools and replacement wires. It’s fried. Shorted in your hand. Won’t do that anymore since I pulled it off the starter.”

            “It has to wait then. I guess you’ll just have to protect me.” Poison sat next to her on the crate and she made an obvious noise of disgust. He took the gun back from her once she’d screwed it back together. “You know… we have some free time.”

            “You are the worst.”

            “I think you like me.”

            “You have absolutely no idea how to read the room, do you?”

            “I think I got a pretty good read on you.”

            “I liked you better when you were afraid to talk to me.”

            “Sorry, doll.”

            “I feel like I’m going to have constantly remind you that you’re unarmed and I’m not afraid to kill you no matter who you are.” Fire Frenzy stiffened up then pulled her lighter from her pocket and tilted away from him, flicking it to life. Her fingers brushed through the flame, unharmed. It seemed like it calmed her nerves.

            Watching her, he felt guilty for taking the lighter. What was wrong with her, anyway? The drugs? They didn’t usually make a person act like that. It was more than that. What had driven her to it? Everyone had a reason. Addicted to pills and clinging to a small metal trinket filled with fire to comfort her. That was no way to live. He decided to ease up a little for the time being.

            Minutes faded into hours between casual conversation. It turned out that Frenzy was rather interesting in spite of her incredible skill and ability at avoiding talking about her personal life. She was good conversation on many other less personal topics, though. Poison discovered that they had quite a bit in common even if Fire Frenzy scoffed at the idea. They both liked similar music and art. She was still short with him as though talking to him was like pulling teeth. He recognized it. She’d built up a wall brick by brick and built it faster when she’d realized that she’d liked talking to him.

            Joke was on her. There was no wall he couldn’t scale. Frenzy closed her eyes and counted; he could hear her under her breath. “Sun should be long gone.” She stood up and made her way to the ladder in the small cellar. Poison watched her go, leaning back against the wall. The next few days would be difficult. The Killjoys, if they didn’t disband, would need an overhaul. That was all if he didn’t die in the process. Still, he smiled.

            She pushed up the trapdoor and seemed satisfied by what she saw and heard.

            “Safe?”

            “Yeah,” she whispered. “Still have to be quiet.”

            “Okay. You’ll have to cover me. I’m unarmed. What happened to your rocket launcher, anyway?”

            “Discarded. Too heavy to keep carrying.”

            “Seems like a waste.”

            “The ones I build are meant to be discarded. Not exactly easy to hide carrying that thing. Too impractical to dismantle.” Frenzy shrugged. “Besides, I can build another. I have plenty.” Frenzy climbed out of the cellar and waited for him to follow. It was quiet. There was no sign of Dracs and the sun was long gone. Better than that, there was no sign of the Scarecrow.

            “Feels too easy,” Poison muttered as they walked. He guessed that his car would likely be surrounded too by either Killjoys or Dracs so they would walk to where they needed to go. It would take ages but Frenzy didn’t complain so neither did he. They’d taken the blankets with them to cover them. They were both way too bright and outlandish to make a proper stealthy getaway.

            “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

            “Never understood that turn of phrase, but yeah, still seems suspicious.” Poison followed her, making it seem like it was because he wanted to stay behind someone armed but that wasn’t the case. Might as well enjoy the view on his walk.

            After what felt like an eternity, they reached a bunker well past the bar that they’d return to later. He stopped before it. He’d seen it before and had assumed it was abandoned. It looked abandoned. Windows were boarded up and the only thing out of place were some stones laying out in the dirt nearby.

            “This is where you live?” Poison tapped the front door that led to a set of stairs that went underground.

            “Yep.”

            “Doesn’t look very inviting.”

            “Doesn’t have to be.”

            “My house is kinda the same. Means to an end.”

            “You talk too much.” She led him down the stairs and waited for him to close the door to the outside before opening the door at the bottom. She flipped on the lights and walked inside.

            “Holy shit…” Party Poison froze in the doorway. The walls were lined with weapons hung over beautiful colorful graffiti. On the desk beneath a line of rifles hung on the wall were schematics, neatly rolled up with the exception of one that looked like a gun she hadn’t built yet. There was a workbench nearby covered in tools and a small, uncomfortable looking, cot that was covered in more supplies. It looked like it hadn’t been slept in for some time.

            Fire Frenzy sat at her workbench and organized the tools before clearing a space for his gun. “Gun?” She tapped the bench when he didn’t give her his weapon. He walked, slack-jawed, over to the bench and set the gun in front of her, staring at the walls. There were rows and rows of shelves filled with grenades, bombs, scopes, armor, triggers, detonators and more. Anything he could imagine? It was there.

            “I think I might be in love,” he joked, walking carefully along the rows of shelves. “Mind if I take a look around?”

            “Yeah, just keep your love in your pants.” She remained hunched over the workbench, pulling pieces apart from his gun. He laughed. She got up only once to get some replacements. “And don’t touch anything.”

            “Oh, come on. That’s like putting cake in front of me and telling me not to eat it.”

            “Don’t eat the cake. Don’t touch my stuff.”

            “Yes, mom.” Poison whined and rolled his eyes but kept looking over the shelves. “I’ve got my hands in my pockets so don’t worry.”

            “That does not make me feel better. Don’t touch anything.”

            “Someone’s cranky.” He teased but it only made him more curious. He turned a corner and found more shelves filled with more weapon parts. Genius. This woman was a mad genius. He skipped the row and walked to the final one and chuckled. “Beautiful.” There were paint supplies on another shelf back there that looked like they hadn’t been touched in some time. There was an old radio nearby. The bunker was surprisingly large. There was something else back there, another room perhaps?

            Two shelves were turned to line the wall in the opposite direction that the others faced. He figured that perhaps it was to make them easier to move. It was easy to slide the one shelf out of the way even though she had told him not to touch anything. She knew damn well he wouldn’t listen.

            Frenzy was busy working anyway so he figured he’d check out the cool secret room. Carefully he moved the other shelf and winced at the sound it made but Frenzy didn’t admonish him for it. He carefully peeked around the corner and saw her still working so, more confident, he traced his fingers over the seams of what was definitely a big heavy steel door. His fingers searched and he found a handle hidden flat against the door. He pulled the ring and began to tug but then felt something cold, and now familiar, against the back of his neck.

            “I told you not to touch anything.”  Her voice was low. “If you pull that handle then your brains will be the newest art on my wall.” While he had earlier been certain that she wouldn’t pull the trigger, he was now very certain that she would. He had to listen for now and let his curiosity go.

            “Right, definitely. Forgot. My bad.” He pulled his hand back and showed her both his hands. She pulled the gun back but still aimed it at him as he turned to face her. What was she hiding that she was willing to kill him for? “I’m sorry. Out of line.”

            “I fixed your gun.” She was aiming his gun at him which was somehow more insulting. Sweat was dripping down her cheeks and they were rosy, her hands shaking. Ah, yes, the addict. She hid it well at times but there it was, plain as day. She needed pills.

            “I see that.” He took a risk and grabbed the barrel of his gun, pulling it slowly from her grasp and then breathed a sigh of relief. She was different than before. Darker? Quieter, for sure. She’d joked with him in spite of her objection to him but now she looked very serious. Whatever secrets she had were only that much more interesting now. “Thanks. This place is a work of art. You’re an artist.”

            “Uh huh. Pick another gun just in case. Probably something with a bit more firepower than a pistol. If you want to go small, take a revolver. Bigger? Shotgun. I’ll give you a knife too. Keep in your boot. Never know when you need to stab someone.” She made to move the shelves back to their place. He went to help her and she shot him a warning look so he backed off.

            “I could use something a bit longer range, I think.”

            “Rifles are big. That’s up to you. Shotgun’s got more punch but better at closer range. Big spread if you take some explosive rounds.” Frenzy made a tempting argument but he was leaning toward a rifle anyway.

            “I can see why Kobra comes to you. These are amazing.”

            “Take this one.” Frenzy walked past him and pulled a large rifle off the wall. She aimed it, checked the mechanics of it and they made a satisfying and sexy sound. He did his best not to shift uncomfortably but he was definitely, at the last, making a face. “Long range, good scope, laser sight if you want it. If you’ve got a steady hand then you’ll make your shot. Can’t account for user error. I can’t make you any good with a gun. About six rapid bursts and it overheats so you need to either count to five before each shot or let it cool down. Strap comes with it.” She offered it to him and he took it carefully, familiarizing himself with it. “You can take a few practice shots outside to get used to it.”

            “Oh, I will.”

            “Knife. Strap it to your leg and hide it in your boot. Keep the sheath on unless you wan to bleed out into your boot.” She handed him a modest-sized dagger without looking at him. Her patience had run thin but she spoke like a professional. Her breathing was faster and now she was shivering and sweating. She hid it well but Poison knew what to look for.

            She hid a knife in the lining of her holster for her gun which she checked before replacing. Then she took a second to grab another gun and turned away from him. He knew what she was doing. Poison knew she didn’t want him to see but he watched anyway, reminded of himself a few years prior, trying to manage a habit that was slowly killing him.

            He felt guilty. Those were his pills. The pills he’d been planning to sell to make some cash. The pills he would sell to someone suffering the way she suffered. If he hadn’t taken them in the first place then she wouldn’t have them. At least not from him.

            “You don’t need them.” He grabbed her wrist before she could take them and they fell to the floor. It had to have been some time since she last took them. Just twelve hours off of the pills and withdrawal would kick in. The symptoms were written all over her. She was already there. She’d worn it well, like someone who had been poisoning herself for years.

            “You don’t know me, Poison.” Frenzy avoided eye contact with him. He held her wrist tight and she didn’t fight him like he expected an addict to. “We both know I can’t afford to go through withdrawal right now. Just let me take them. It’s not your problem. I would have found them one way or another. It’s not on you.” Poison grit his teeth. It was like she’d read his mind. She was right, though. He didn’t know her or what else she was on, if anything. Stopping her from taking the drugs would cripple her and make her useless to him. He let go of her wrist and walked away. He wouldn’t watch her poison herself.

            He walked out of the bunker without another word and practiced with the rifle. It was beautiful. Her talents were wasted to those damn drugs.

            “Come on. Before sunrise.” Frenzy locked up her bunker. “Turn Back isn’t far from here. Harvey doesn’t let most people in at this hour but he’ll make an exception for me.”

            “Harvey? You know the guy?”

            “Yeah. Nice guy. Told me how to find you.”

            “Asshole.” Poison laughed. She was still avoiding his eyes and he tried to shake his frustration. That was a conversation they would have a different day. If she thought he was going to leave her be after all was said and done? Then she had another thing coming.

            “Get walking.” Frenzy started away from the bunker without him. Party Poison watched her go before taking off at a run to catch up. With any luck he’d unravel the tangled web that had been woven over the past few days.