And We Go Cold...

Here we go again, the man thought bitterly, one hand gripping the steering wheel while the other rested out the window. His greasy, crudely dyed black hair brushed against his slightly plump cheeks, dancing in the wind. Lifting his hand, he scratched at the stubble forming on his face, the stubby fingernails hardly making a difference. He glared through the windshield, listening for the sounds of sirens.

Leaning back against the leather seat, Gerard Way glanced in the review mirror in search of a girl with gentle waves of ginger hair, sun-kissed skin, and a backpack full of stolen goods.

* * *

Avalon Harper was his partner in crime, best friend, and closest advisor. They had met in a bar in the shadiest part of New Jersey, a section riddled with crime and dangerous characters. With her childlike face and innocent manner, Ava stuck out like a sore thumb that one fateful night. Gerard could barely keep himself from laughing when he heard her order a Long Island Ice Tea from down the bar. She had stared at him with what he would later call you’re-such-a-dumbass-I’m-not-even-going-to-comment face, grabbed the drink off the counter the moment it was placed before her, and gulped it down. Ava then proceeded to drink him under the table and was sober enough to drag him back to her apartment when the bar closed.

The next morning found Gerard passed out in a strange bathroom, his head pressed against the toilet and the petit ginger from the night before vomiting into it. They introduced themselves (after cleaning up, of course) and started talking while nursing their headaches. The slight conversation turned into hours and hours of laughter, stories, and all around understanding of the other. Before long, the two were the best of friends, spending every waking hour together; where one was, the other was close by.

It was Ava’s idea to hit the road, to see the country and travel. It was Gerard’s, however, to rob stores in order to get money. He could still remember his first steal, no matter how simple it was. It was just a wallet, stolen from a wealthy looking businessman outside a gas station in Albany, New York. A simple leather folder, bound and weighted by credit cards, change, and paper money. The license read “Robert Bryar”, but the name meant nothing to him. He simple grabbed the fistful of cash and stuffed it into his pocket, heart beating rapidly. Dropping the wallet to the ground, he sprinted back to the car and jumped in, eyes wide and petrified over what he had actually just done. When Ava woke up later that night, he explained everything.

He could remember how her icy blue eyes lit up at the sight of the amount taken, how her breath had been sucked in through her perfectly pink lips as she counted slowly, taking everything in. Gerard had expected screaming, her demanding that he pull the car over so she could get the fuck away, her calling the cops, anything. Instead, Ava folded the money back up into its original bent position and slid it into his breast pocket, not saying a word.

They stole wallets, perfecting the art to such an extent that they could reach into someone’s front pocket and wiggle the wallet loose, steal the dollars, and place the wallet back in before their victim noticed a thing. After a few months of pick-pocketing, they grew bored of the simple steals and moved onto larger ones, much larger. Any store with small surveillance, they hit. And they were successful, getting hundreds of dollars after each robbery, the money going straight to their trip.

Like most robbers, Gerard and Ava started out with the typical ski mask and dark clothing look, something that got old quick. Later, they moved onto wearing wigs and clothes they could easily change out of, switching characters with ease. They led the cops on, changing their appearance so quickly it was hard for the law enforcement to keep track of the disguises.

They were the perfect couple when it came to crime, seeing as they had given up their old lives in search of excitement and thrill. For Gerard, he was leaving behind a family that loved him, as shitty-assed job, and a town that reeked of disappointment. For Ava, she was leaving behind a cheating boyfriend, disenchanted parents, and unemployment. There was nothing to loose, and life was just the way they liked it. They wouldn’t change it for the world.

* * *

There, strolling down the street was Ava, her navy blue backpack slung delicately over her thin shoulders, resting just above her blue-jean-clad bottom. She had threaded her thumbs through her belt loops, tapping her fingers every now and then to an imaginary beat. Ava tended to stand out of the crowd, but at the same time managed to blend in easily. It was like she was so out of place, she just belonged there. Ava had always amazed Gerard how she could do that. She was a splash of color in a black and white film, what with her vibrant red hair and tendency to dress in the brightest clothing she could find. She was like a chameleon, an animal of vibrant colors that slipped in and out of visibility with ease.

Ava finally made her way to the beat up car and slipped into the front seat, storing the bag at her feet. Gathering her long red hair into a ponytail and tying it off with a scrunchi, Ava was as calm as could be for a woman that just held up a store by herself and manage to get away with no problem.

“Hey Gee,” she grinned, grabbing the seatbelt and buckling herself in. “How was the wait?”

“Tiresome,” he muttered, twisting the key in the ignition and turning on the car. After a minute of sputtering, the car came to life with a cloud of smoke from the exhaust pipe. “Piece of fucking shit,” he barked, easing it out of his parking spot.

“Oh shut up, you’re the one that refuses to buy a new one!” Ava giggled, punching his arm gently.

“Just because we rob stores doesn’t mean we have enough money for a new car,” he retorted, letting the car pick up speed as he careened down the city street. “How long ‘till the cops show?”

“They should be here by now,” Ava shrugged as she squinted into the review mirror to check behind her. Clucking her tongue, she added, “Looks like the cops in this city aren’t able to keep up with the local crime rate.”

“Speak of the devil…” Gerard smirked. Blue and red lights flashed behind them while the siren added its screech to the already noisy evening air. He pulled the car over but it did no good. The cop followed them to the side of the road, lights still flashing. “Well, shit. What color wig had you used?”

“Blonde,” Ava informed him as she crossed her legs over the bag at her feet. Carefully, she kicked it further under the seat, keeping it hidden from sight. “What story do we go with?”

“I say deaf cousin,” Gerard suggested as the cop tapped on his window. Rolling it down, he squinted up in the sunlight at him. “Can I help you, officer?”

“Can I have some registration and license?” the cop growled. Gerard held up a finger and made a few quick hand motions to Ava, who nodded and sent an answer back to him.

“Sorry about that,” Gerard apologized, turning back to the cop and grabbing the registration from the side door. “My cousin’s deaf and gets worried when she isn’t caught up to date.”

The officer nodded, taking the registration from Gerard. “So…Mr. Daniels?” the officer questioned, looking from the fake ID to Gerard.

“Yup,” Gerard nodded, grinning slightly. “Emerson Daniels, at your service.” Ava elbowed him, and he quickly placed a hand on her shoulder. “And this is Hannah.”

“Very well,” the officer nodded, taking the registration and the license back to his squad car.

“Jesus, what the hell is this about?” Ava muttered, her eyes locked on Gerard’s. He gave her a half grin, trying to sooth her nerves. Taking her small, pale hand in his, he gripped the cold flesh tightly.

“It’s nothing big,” he murmured, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. “It’s nothing.”

“Sorry about that, Mr. Daniels, there has been a robbery down the street at BevMo! and the suspected car matched yours,” the officer explained, handing the papers and license back to Gerard, who took it with a all-knowing smirk.

“No, thank you, Officer,” he grinned. “We wouldn’t want those bad guys to get away. It’s nice knowing that the law’s buckling down and taking action. Keep up with the good work.”

“I’m just doing my job, sir,” the officer smirked, puffing up his chest. Rapping the top of the car, he told them, “Have a nice day!”

“You too!”

They waited until the cop drove away before bursting into loud laughter, tears caressing their cheeks as the slapped each other high-fives of celebration.

“‘I’m just doing my job’!” Ava mocked through her laughter while Gerard shook his head. “Goddamn, the police force has gotten, if possible, stupider over the years.”

“That was one of the easiest get-aways we’ve ever had, hands down,” Gerard agreed as he put the car in drive and pulled out of their parking space.

Leaving behind the nameless city, Ava curled up against the window, closing her eyes against the setting sun’s glare and fell asleep. Gerard stared at her, his eyes dancing over her face as she was bathed in golden light. Her red hair shone like rubies, while her skin glowed like pearls. She was a vision.

Ever since he saw her in that dingy bar in New Jersey, Gerard had fallen for her. She was a goddess, a siren, a princess, and a beauty queen. She was everything Gerard had ever dreamed of; fearless, witty, gorgeous, funny, and kind. Except, she wasn’t his. Ava had made it clear that they were just friends, and that was all she ever saw him as. She wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, let alone a relationship that could ultimately ruin the one good relationship she had left in her life. Loosing Gerard, as Ava had put it, would be like loosing her best friend.

That’s all she ever see me as, Gerard growled in his mind. No matter how hard I work to make her see me as something different than “Friend Gerard”, she always sees me that way.

Thumping his fist against the steering wheel, he barked out a few curse words. However, when Ava muttered in her sleep, he quieted down, chewing his lip. Sighing, he focused more on driving, trying to let the wishful dreaming of being with Ava be pushed free of his mind.

* * *

The next afternoon, Gerard glanced at the gas meter. Noticing that the needle was on empty, he dropped his head back against the headrest.

“Ava,” he moaned, shaking her slightly, as he took one hand off the wheel. His hand engulfed her shoulder, warming the exposed skin slightly. She groaned, wiggling her shoulder so his hand would flop off. “Ava, c’mon. The car is on empty and we need to go get some more money. Wake up!”

“Gerard, stop!” Her voice still groggy, Ava blinked heavily, glaring at him. “Lemme sleep.”

“Ava, I’m not doing this one alone. We need to keep suspicion away from you from today,” he explained.

“Yeah, speaking of which, why don’t we just use that money that I made?” she grumbled, rubbing her bleary eyes free of sleep.

“We need to save that,” he explained, exasperated. “That cash is going to be dinner. This cash is going to be gas money. You know it just as well as I do.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered through a yawn. “Can we at least do it later?”

“We’re not going to be able to last through to later.”

“Aw, fuck,” Ava snapped, stretching slightly. “Fine, I’ll get everything ready. Oh, and just for this, you’re going to be a blonde.” Wincing, Gerard shook his head while Ava unbuckled and crawled to the back to get the supplies needed.

An hour later, Ginger and Jeff Walters climbed from the black Ford, fixing clothes and hair while twin automatic rifles were stashed in their backpacks. Ava and Gerard had mastered the art of gun use easily, a still that had helped them out in many a robbery.

“You ready?” Ava muttered, brushing the black wig from her eyes as they headed towards the liquor store three streets over.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Gerard replied back as he hoisted the bag over his leather jacket-bound shoulder. Slipping rubber gloves over their hands so their finger prints wouldn’t be found, they picked up their pace. “Let’s get this over with.”

* * *

“Put your hands up!” Gerard bellowed, bursting through the door to the nameless liquor store, gun pointed and ready for use. Women started screaming while the cashier tossed hands in the air. “Anyone moves, and I’ll shoot!”

“Put the money in the bag,” Ava commanded, chucking her now empty bag at the man behind the counter, shoving the rifle under his nose.

“Everyone, hit the floor, hands behind your head,” Gerard instructed, pointing the gun at a particularly well muscular man. When they hesitated, Gerard shot a warning shot into the ceiling. “Do it!”

Mean while, the cashier, a tall man with a bright orange fro, shoved fistful after fistful of cash into the backpack, whimpering. Ava grabbed him by the collar, dragging his face to hers. “Faster!” she hissed, nose pressed to his. Glancing down at his name tag, she smirked evilly. “You wouldn’t want to be missing a few limbs, now would you, Ray?” Shaking his head, the man bent back over the cash register, grabbing more money. “Good job,” she nodded, turning to look at Gerard.

A shot broke through the small space, screams bouncing from the ceiling and echoing. One scream in particular caused Gerard to turn, just in time to see Ava tumbled to the ground, her hand gripping her upper arm while the cashier held a pistol in his shaking hand.

Gerard saw red as he pointed the gun towards the man, tugging his finger back. The bullets let fly over the counter, one striking the man in the chest while the others shattered the large glass window.

Jumping over the bodies of the customers, Gerard grabbed both the bag and Ava’s gun, shoving them into the same backpack, swinging the canvas bag over his shoulder, and stooping to scoop Ava into his arms.

Blood dripped over his arms as he sprinted from the store, not carrying how heavy his load was. All he could thing about was getting her to safety, getting her away from more danger, stopping the blood. He ran down the street, ducking through civilians on the street before turning sharply into an alley, hiding behind a dumpster.

Sirens were piercing the sky as Gerard ripped apart the buttons to Ava’s white blouse and tore off one of her sleeves. “This is going to hurt,” he muttered through clenched teeth.

Wrapping the cloth around her wound, he tied it as tight as he could in an attempt to stop the blood from gushing. Ava mewed pitilessly, tears leaking from her eyes. The once white sleeve was quickly turning pink, a sure sign that it wasn’t working as well as he had hoped. Cursing, Gerard tugged his belt free before he wrapped the leather around her arm as well. Checking to see if any cops had noticed them, he proceeded to slip a new black tee shirt over Ava’s head as well as his leather jacket. Sliding the wig off her head, he shoved that in his bag, the torn clothes and his own wig joining it shortly. He tossed the bag and the guns into the dumpster, but not before emptying Ava’s free of the money.

“C’mon, hun,” he grunted, lifting her weak body up. “We gotta go, the cops are here. We need to get back to the car.”

“It hurts,” she moaned, draping herself against him. “Gerard, make it stop.”

“Ava, babe, there’s nothing I can do,” he whispered, careful not to jostle her arm. “We have to go, now. I promise I’ll get you a doctor as soon as I can.”

“Hurry,” she whimpered, dragging her feet out of the alley.

“I promise, I’ll get you help.” Tears gathered in his arm as he thought of what had happened to her. I hope that sonuvabitch dies, he growled in his mind.

It took until they drove to the next hospital for Gerard to find a hospital. Snow began to fall, fat clumps of fresh powder that dusted the roads and piled up on the sidewalks. Ava’s whimpered had stopped long ago, while the jacket became drenched in blood, wet to touch and stained darker than any of the other patches. Her face had gone pale, paler than it had been before. Gerard knew there wasn’t much time.

“Wait here,” he exclaimed the moment the car parked in the diserted back lot. “I’m getting you a doctor.”

“No…” she breathed her voice faint. “Can’t…”

“Ava, sweetie, we don’t have a choice,” he explained. “I have to, or you’ll die!”

“No…”

Distraught, Gerard ran a hand through his hair, cursing. He needed to find someone, and quick. He had seen enough TV to know that Ava’s wound was not good, and the amount of blood she was loosing was not a good sign. He had no time left.

Just as he was about to say screw it, a short doctor walked out of the side building, a cigarette perched between his lips. Exhaling a cloud of black smoke, the doctor leaned against the brick wall, eyes closed. Gerard knew this was his only chance.

“I’ll be back,” he muttered, climbing from the car. He jogged to the doctor, eyes locked on the man. “Excuse me, sir! I need help, my wife, she’s been shot!”

The hazel eyes snapped open, searching Gerard’s face. “Excuse me?” the doctor coughed, dropping his cigarette to the ground. “Shot?”

“There was a robbery,” Gerard lied, letting his distress show. “She got shot, and we only just managed to get away! Please sir, you have to help me!”

“Where is she?”

Gerard led the doctor to the car, breathing a sigh of relief. He had gotten Ava help; she was going to be okay. Or so he hoped. Wrenching open the passenger door, the doctor dropped to his knees, tucking his fingers under her chin.

“I have a pulse, but it’s weak,” the man muttered to himself. Turning to Gerard, he said, “We need to bring her inside. She’s going to need an IV and surgery to get the bullet out.”

“No…inside…” Ava protested, opening her eyes a crack and grabbing the doctor’s arm. “No…inside…”

“Ma’am, I’m going to have to if it means saving your life,” the doctor frowned, standing up. “I’m going to get some help--”

“NO! NO!” Ava shrieked, shaking her head. “NO!”

“Ma’am--”

“NO!” Ava tried to shake herself away from the man, but was too weak to move. The doctor looked to Gerard for explanation.

“She’s terrified of hospitals,” Gerard lied. “Her mother died in one when she was fifteen, and she hasn’t been able to go in one ever since. Please, don’t make her go in one.”

“I…” The doctor looked down at Ava’s limp form and swallowed heavily. “I guess I can bring the supplies out here for her.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Gerard grinned, breathing a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Dr…”

“Iero, Dr. Frank Iero,” the man replied, shaking Gerard’s hand briefly before jogging back to the hospital. “I’ll be back!”

“You’re going to be fine, Ava,” Gerard whispered, leaning in to brush the hair from her sweaty forehead. “You’ll be fine…”

* * *

“All done,” Frank announced the moment he had finished sewing up her skin. “You can look now, Gerard.” Bashfully, Gerard looked back at the newly stitched wound, wincing at the thought of needle breaking the skin.

“Thank you so much, Frank. I don’t know how to thank you,” he grinned weakly. Frank turned from his work cleaning up the remains of the sutures, grim.

“You can repay me by turning yourselves in,” he snapped. “I know who you are; the Bonnie and Clyde Robbers. You’re Gerard Way, and she’s Ava Harper.”

Gerard didn’t even pause to think, he just acted on instinct. Bringing his fist up, he punched Frank in the face, forcing the back of his head to hit against the metal of the car. Frank’s eyes rolled up into his skull as he collapsed against the pavement, stunned.

Leaving the crumpled body, Gerard ran around back to the driver’s seat, stepping on the gas. He had to get out of there, to get away. He had to save Ava, again. Spinning the car into a 360, Gerard sped out of the parking lot, thoughts flying through his brain a mile a minute. They were going to get caught. He could see the doctor running towards the hospital, cell phone in hand, no doubt calling the cops. They were gonners, so he might as well make it last while he could.

“Wah’s goin’ on?” Ava slurred, drowsy from the pain meds that were slowly slipping from her system. “Why you driving so fast?”

“I punched out the doctor and he's calling the cops. The rat knew who we were,” he growled. That seemed to wake her up.

“Wha?” she screeched. “What you thinking?”

“See, Ava,” he spat. “I’m having another ‘it seemed like a good idea at the time’ moments!”

“Gerard, watch out!” she screamed, pointing to the car he was about to smash into. Cursing, Gerard swerved to escape an accident. Horns honked behind him while he tried desperately to gain more control of the car. Fish-tailing, he managed to force the car onto the highway, speeding down the pavement like a madman. Police cars filed onto the road behind them, the lights flashing.

“Fuck!” he snapped, cutting in front of another car. “Fucking damnit!” Another cop car joined the first, angry noises echoing towards them.

“Gerard?” Ava whispered, looking at him with her wide blue eyes. “We’re not going to make it out of this one, huh?”

He could see the tears of fear welling in her eyes, eyes the color of the ice that had frozen along the pavement they were tearing down. “Ava…I’m so sorry.”

She sniffled, nodding her head. “Okay,” she whispered, dropping her head. “Okay.” He grasped her hand tightly, not wanting to let go. He could count five cops trailing them now, as the windows rolled down on the first one. A gun stuck its way into the night sky, pointed towards their tires.

“Ava,” he said in a rush, causing her to look at him. “I just want you to know…Ava, I love you. I love you so much, and I wish I hadn’t dragged you into this. You deserved so much better than what I have to offer, and I wish you could have had that.”

“Gerard,” she cried, tears streaking her cheeks. “I…”

Bullets shattered the back window, causing them both to let go of their hands, shielding their faces. Gerard put his foot heavier on the pedal, praying that the gas wouldn’t run out on him now. He needed to try to get away, to try to be get Ava to safety.

“Gerard, I'm scared,” Ava wailed, looking at him. “I don’t want you to die. I don’t want to die!”

“I don’t either,” he whispered, a tear of his own falling as he thought of his younger brother back home. “But baby, we all have to go someday. Might as well go out with a bang.” She nodded after a second, staring him in the face as a second round of bullets flew through the night. One hit the windshield, showering them with crystalline glass.

“I’d end my days with you in a hail of bullets any day,” Gerard shouted seconds before the car flipped over, crashing into the barrier. They were trapped as the car skid across the cement, horrific screeches deafening them Ava’s head hit to side window, blood exploding across the glass like spider webs. Bullets continued to make holes in the car, a few hitting Gerard and Ava.

As the car finally came to a stop, crushed the cement wall, Gerard managed to focus on one thing alone through his blurry eye site; Ava’s blue eyes that were slowly being drained of life. Their lifeless hands flopped towards each other, the fingers brushing through the lake of blood, forming a clear heart into the crimson liquid.

I mean this, I love you, forever…