The Black Parade: Death Marches, Hell Hounds And Other Mishaps

''I so did not commit suicide!'' Tom yelled in his own defense.

He wasn't even sure he knew what suicide meant, but it must be bad 'cause the guy at the front of the big black and red float in front of him was fixing him a look of death.

''How do you explain your being here in the first place, then?'' The white-haired guy at the front of the float asked, his face showing no expression whatsoever.

There were five of them on the float, but even more seemed to have gathered around it now, all wearing what looked like some sort of uniform which pretty much consisted of a black jacket with white stripes on it, the stripes seeming to vary in number with each different ''recruit'' or whatever they were.
The guys on the float seemed different though. The three blokes behind Lead Guy were all looking down at their feet, all of them leaning on the handles of their guitars and there was one other one at the very back who seemed to be standing on an elevated part of the float. Either that, or he was just really tall because Tom could see him clearly behind the other three.

Tom shrugged at Lead Guy's question. ''I told you; I jumped off a bridge. I couldn't think of any other way to get here.''

That's right: Tom was dead! And he was happy as heck about it, because he knew - just knew, that the float and all it's followers belonged to The Black Parade. He'd found them! And he'd brought a camera too (which was hanging from some string around his neck), to take a picture back to Max so she'd finally see they were real!

Lead Guy looked like he was trying his best to be patient with Tom. '''So you committed suicide.''

Tom sighed in frustration. ''Can somebody please tell me what the heck that means?''

He looked around hopefully at the float's followers, but it was one of the guys on the float that answered.
''It means you killed yourself'' The guy that was stood beside Lead Guy said, barely lifting his head to look at Tom.

Tom looked at him in surprise. Considering that everyone except Lead Guy had been quiet all this time, he had started to doubt they could speak at all.
Lead Guy glanced at the boy who'd spoken, looking just the slightest bit annoyed.

''Well, duh, of course I killed myself!'' Tom said, catching Lead Guy's attention again. ''I'm not going to go go up to some guy on the street, hand him a knife and go ''Hi, I'm trying to get to The Black Parade, can you please kill me?'' am I?''

''So you did commit suicide.'' Lead Guy said, fixing Tom a piercing stare.

Tom cocked his head to one side, wondering how to respond. ''Um... I guess.''

The boy - he didn't seem old enough to Tom to be a man - who had explained about the suicide thing looked at Lead Guy, waiting for a reply.
Tom frowned at him. He almost seemed worried about the outcome of things.

After a moment of staring at him, Lead Guy finally looked away from Tom and started to stare at his own feet for some reason. ''Then I don't want you in my parade.'' He said simply.

Tom's eyes grew wide - not because he was being refused entry to the parade, but because he knew who Lead Guy was! If it was his parade, anyway.
''Wait! Are you Gerard?'' Tom asked Lead Guy, trying his best to not look as exited as he felt.

All four of the guy's heads shot up to look at Tom. Lead Guy just continued to stare at his feet. ''I am...'' He started.

Tom looked up at him expectantly. But when Lead Guy looked up from staring at his feet, Tom held back a yelp. Lead Guy's eyes had suddenly gone black all the way around, making him look like a possessed panda in a way and he didn't look at all friendly.

''...Your worst nightmare.'' Lead Guy finished off, fixing Tom with the kind of freaky mad grin that sends you screaming from a night-scare in the middle of the night.

Only this wasn't a night-scare and Tom couldn't wake up screaming from it. So instead, he let out a yell and turned and ran. He ran down the dirt track without looking back, his heart thumping fast in his chest - which he found odd, seeing as he was dead and all. But that wasn't what he was thinking about at the time. He didn't know why he'd found Lead Guy so scary with those eyes and the mad grin but... He shivered. He never wanted to see him again.

Reaching the end of the track, Tom saw that the road lead into what looked like a forest, except every single plant was dead. He skidded to a halt in front of the opening of the trees and thought about entering, puffing and panting from his long run down the trail. He turned around. He could no longer see the float or it's many followers.
''Wow.'' He muttered to himself. ''Don't know my own speed.''

He almost managed a smile at that thought while deciding to enter and tak cover in the forest. He turned and ran into the trees and away from the dirt track and, surprisingly he found himself hoping, The Black Parade.

The state of greenery was no different on the inside of the forest either; everything in site was dead and everything was a dark shade of gray. Everything seemed a blur to Tom as he ran through the long dead forest, but he felt like he must have tripped on a loose root or something because he suddenly found himself falling. No, he was being dragged to the floor. He struggled to get free, but he was dragged behind one of the dead trees, a hand over his mouth, muffling his cries for help. He landed with a thud on the floor, struggling to get free.

''Whoa, whoa, calm down. It's not like you can be murdered or anything!'' A voice hissed in Tom's ear as he continued to struggle against his captor.

Tom suddenly stopped struggling and looked up at who had dragged him down. Relief washed over him as he realized it was the boy from the float. Not Lead Guy - just the other guy who had explained what suicide was to him.

Relieved that Tom had stopped struggling, the boy smiled at him. ''See? Just me.''

Tom smiled at him. ''Yeah, I can see that. But why did you drag me down like that?''

The boy let Tom go and he sat beside him. ''Well, you shouldn't be running around the forest on your own. You could get lost.''

Tom shrugged. ''Not like it matters anymore. I'm dead; Who's gonna miss me?''

The boy looked st him for a moment and sighed. ''Well, I would. A bit.''

Tom smiled, surprised that he seemed to actually give a damn about him. The boy was about the same age as Max but he was taller than her. ''So, what's your name?'' He asked.

The boy glanced at Tom. ''Mikey. Your's?''

''Tom.''

''Well, Tom, I think I have something you might like.''

Mikey started rummaging around in his trouser pockets for something. He pulled ut what looked like a photograph. Mikey stared at it for a moment, almost acting as if he was surprised to see it himself, then handed it to Tom.
Tom looked at it for a moment, then his eyes widened in sudden realization. He was staring at a picture of the float and on top of the float were the five guys he'd seen before, including Mikey.

''We're called Organizers.'' Mikey explained, watching Tom stare at the photo in wonder.

Tom looked up at him, a questioning look on his face.

''Well, except for... You know, the white haired jerk at the front there.'' He pointed at Lead Guy in the photo and Tom laughed.

''We're the one's that sort of make sure that everything's up and running around here.'' Mikey continued. ''There is more to it... but I'm not going to tell you.'' He smiled at Tom's ungrateful frown. ''I will, however, let you go home and show that photo to your friend.''

Tom shot him a questioning look. 1: How the heck did he know he wanted to show the photo to a friend? 2: How was he going to get home if he was dead?

''That's what you came here for, right?'' Mikey said.

''Well, yeah, I guess.''

''OK. So, I'll let you take that home on one condition: You don't tell anyone except your friend. OK?''

Tom nodded in agreement. ''Sure.''

''Good. Because if you do, my dear leader will be paying you a visit.''

Tom flinched. If he meant Lead Guy, he was never going to sleep easy again.

Mikey seemed to catch his worried look and nodded in understanding. ''You're scared of him, aren't you?''

Tom didn't say anything but that was enough for Mikey.

''Don't worry about it. Tell you what, I'll even send your friend a little something to show her that we're very real, OK?''

''But how did you know I wanted to prove to a friend you exist?''

Mikey shrugged. ''You'll figure it out. Now, get going.''

All Tom could remember after that was everything suddenly going white and a sudden warm and tingling feeling run through him.