The Black Parade

LAUREN’S P.O.V.

“She disappeared!”

“She’s gone!”

“She just vanished!”

Were what many of the people at the courthouse said when a ferocious killer evaporated right in front of them, one single moment she was there, disgusting us all with her insane speech, the very next she was no longer among us. Many people, including the judge himself, made a symbol of the cross in front of them, fearing for their lives, now that the killer was, once again, out on the loose. A woman walked in, it was the nurse from the hospital, she looked at the scene of confusion, but recognizing me, walked fast to where I stood.

“Excuse me, officer, I see you have a situation here, but there was something that I needed to tell Miss Walters about her condition, I was about to tell her that she was pregnant when she was arrested. The jail hadn’t asked for her records yet, so she didn’t know. Thank you for your time.”

The plump woman waddled out of the courtroom, and I wasn’t in the least concerned with the killers’ pregnancy. All I knew, or cared to know, was that:

The hunt was on again.

MARY JANE’S P.O.V.

I huddled on the balcony, as I heard the drums approach, they pounded in my head as if they were inside of my brain, pounding against where my ears met my cranium with the heavy drumbeat. It wasn’t the Black Parade that I knew, though. There was no singing, there was no guitar to accompany the base and drums, and it was a marching band, consisting of the dead who could play an instrument. It was nothing special; it wasn’t My Chemical Romance. I only then realized that not only was I in danger of being torn apart by Mother War, but the guys were!

And it’s all your fault… Spoke the voice of regret and guilt in my tormented mind. I rattled the handcuffs that still encased my wrists, shaking at my head, to be rid of the ¾ drumbeat and the haunting essence of consciousness…

“Mary, Mary!” I heard a seemingly distant voice yell, I couldn’t bring myself to respond, thinking that it was the devil, calling me to his fiery embrace. I won’t go! I screamed to the voices and thumping and chaos in my unworthy head, but to no avail. The screams of my victims continued to underlay the echo that filled me with remorse, whilst the drumbeat remained prominent among the three abrading and discordant sounds.

I tried my hardest, again and again, screaming at it to leave my head, whether I screamed aloud or quietly, either way; it only seemed to increase exponentially. No matter how many times I told myself that I was not crazy, the only part of my mind that was left began to believe it, and then it was all bedlam, if one looked into my eyes, all they would see is the grey, reflecting in the darkness of the Grey City, no difference would be seen, no flash of color, no pain. I was a blank slate, I was only the pounding drumbeat, I was only the screams of hapless victims long gone, and I was only the voice, telling some murderer what to do, playing with their strings, which already seemed to be cut.

I would never wake up, because there was nothing of me to awaken.

GERARD’S P.O.V.

“Mary! Please, wake up, I love you, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry.” I pleaded only barely aware that tears were beading on my face.

“You’re going to be sorry.” Said a wintry voice, which was muffled slightly by a gas mask; I turned to see Mother War gliding towards us, followed by the horrified members of MCR, who just stared at the monster blankly, not even realizing that they were looking for trouble, as if they were brainwashed or hypnotized.

“I already am, I don’t know who told, but…” I stammered, hiding Mary Jane from view, just hoping more for her safety than mine. I heard a repetitive clapping sound from behind me, I could almost hear the sarcasm dripping from the hand movements, I pivoted to see the Elders walking up to the congregation, with smirks decorating their normally emotionless faces.

“Since only the girl slipped up, and she just sounded insane, we’ve decided to let you boys live. We need to liven up the parade again, it’s been getting quite dull in your absence, and we have yet to find new caretakers, anyways, you are stuck here for the rest of eternity… Mary Jane Venin, however, is no longer there, she’s a vegetable, and in a few minutes her body will entirely shut down. I guess that revenge is a dish best served cold, like most good vegetables are.” They began to walk away, their expensive looking shoes clicking on the pavestones and clouding some dust.

Mother War walked towards Mary, hand outstretched, muttering some nonsense about putting her out of her misery, I really couldn’t understand properly. All I knew was that the only love I had ever really known was about to die and either way I was helpless to halt it.

The big-eyed and big-haired war-starter touched Mary’s stomach and retracted her hand almost immediately, she shouted, as loud as she could at the retreating footsteps of the Elders:

“She is with child, let her be!” They turned in shock, but only smirked, as if it were part of their plan, but Mother War would not let them get away with it. A gust of wind seemed to rip open the air around them and the Elders were tossed about in a small tornado of unmatched proportions. Frank sniggered when he heard the screams as that pleaded for their life, I was still numb from what Mother War had stated. Mother War let them down, a fury still enclosing her masked eyes. The female Elder, with her now wind blown hair just snapped her fingers, which happened to get a particle of dust in her eye, making them water, and Mary Jane was no longer asleep, she was, in fact, blinking wearily and attempting to stand.

The Elders retreated, which made the band cheer in victoriously, but all I could do was stare apprehensively at Mary’s stomach, or what could very well be her womb, which could contain a child… But was it mine?

Somehow I doubted that it was.

Mother War held her hand to Mary, steadying her stance, and she breathed out, “You will be a mother, just like I am, though your child and children to come will be much more benevolent, I believe.” Jane looked at the softening figure in surprise, wondering just what she was talking about. Mother War turned to me.

“Don’t abandon your child, father.” Mother War was calmly led back to her enclosure by Bob, who I suppose was assigned to being her keeper, again. Frank and Mikey decided to go see Fear and Regret, as they were old friends. Ray let us be, claiming that he had work to do.

“What was she talking about?” Mary asked, with the signature cute frown of her eyebrows, I just smiled and kissed her, missing the feeling of her lips on mine, missing her warm skin on mine. I whispered softly into her silken black hair:

“We’re going to be parents.”