Welcome To the Black Parade

“Go away!” Crystal called, her voice strained from tears. Brian just opened the door and silently walked in, closing the door behind him. Crystal wasn’t aware of him entering the room until he sat on the bed next to her.

“I said go away,” Crystal groaned, looking up with a tear stained face. She looked into the eyes of her brother, to many emotions in her eyes.

“Hey,” Brian said gently. “Look, I know I was an asshole to you, and I’m sorry.”

“No,” Crystal said, sitting up and looking at the ground. “I knew you would end up being pissed off.”

“I was,” Brian admitted. “But I should of known better than to think you would do something like this on purpose. I knew you would do whatever it took to protect everyone you loved.” Crystal didn’t reply, she didn’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry,” she finally came up with.

“You have nothing to be sorry about.” Brian said, grabbing her hand. “I was the asshole, I was the one who yelled at you when you did nothing wrong.” Crystal smiled and squeezed his hand back.

“Can I finally get a hug from my brother?” Crystal asked, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. Brian laughed and wrapped his arms around her neck, Crystal returning the hug with as much strength as she could muster.

“Everything okay in here?” Frank asked, peeking around the door.

“Fine,” Crystal said, smiling at her brother. She then frowned. “What if Anderson finds out?” she asked Frank, worry in her eyes.

“He won’t, if they refrain from talking to each other about us out in public.” Frank said, leaning against the door and crossing his arms. “And we hide them if he comes here while they’re here.”

“Where the hell will you hide us?” Brian asked.

“Crawl space, or the woods even.” Frank said, looking thoughtful.

“What if catches us hiding them?” Crystal asked.

“Crys, stop worrying so much. If it comes down to it, we’ll take whatever he dishes at us.” Frank said.

“And we’ll be here with you as well.” Brian reassured her. Crystal smiled and leaned into her brother, finally relaxing completely.

“Want to go join the others?” Frank asked. “Zack’s awake now, but he might freak out a little on you once you get out there.”

“I’ll go out there, but I don’t feel like getting lectured or anything right now.” Crystal said, standing up. When she swayed, Frank and Brian was at her side in an instant.

“I think you should lay down,” Frank said, grabbing her arm. “Don’t forget you just got out of the hospital because of a snake bite.”

“I know, I’m fine.” Crystal said, shaking off both their arms. She took one step before stumbling and nearly falling to the floor. Frank and Brian both grabbed her just in time.

“Rest,” Brian demanded, he and Frank leading Crystal to the bed.

“Fine,” she mumbled, laying her head on the pillow. She was asleep within minutes.

“I hope she was ready to get out.” Frank muttered as they walked down the hall.

“Will you explain to us what happened?” Brian asked.

“What more do you need to know?” Frank asked as they walked into the living room. Conversation ceased at once.

“Just, everything. How you two survived these last two years. I was about to die thinking we lost the two of you,” Brian continued. “I fucking yelled at my parents and blamed them for your deaths, and I’ve just felt…” his voice trailed off.

“Guilty?” Frank asked, sitting on the floor of the cabin. Brian nodded, sitting right next to him.

“Exactly,” he said, picking at his fingernails.

“There was no reason for it,” Frank muttered.

“I feel even more guilty now knowing I hated you for leaving us, even when we thought you was dead,” Mikey said suddenly. “I was pissed and felt betrayed.”

“There was talk about replacing you in the band,” Bob spoke up.

“Why didn’t you?” Frank asked, looking up at them. “You didn’t have to give up your dreams because I was gone.”

“It wasn’t that simple for us Frankie.” Gerard said, sighing. “You wasn’t just a part of My Chem Frank, you was, er, are a part of our families as well. You know when we told our parents, Mikey, Mom, Dad, and me staying the same room all night, crying and thinking of you two?”

“No, I didn’t.” Frank admitted.

“You’re way more important to us than being our rhythm guitarist.” Ray said.

“Avenged was close to ending things as well,” Brian said. “I couldn’t continue thinking I’d just lost Crystal forever.”

“I don’t really want to ask this, but I need to know, did you get the note she left for you?” Frank asked Brian, glancing toward him. Brian was picking his nails again.

“Yeah, I got it.” Brian muttered darkly. “That’s what I yelled at my parents about. I confronted mom on it and dished everything out to Dad. I was still pissed at him for not helping when she was in the coma.”

“How’s my family been?” Frank asked, looking around. “Does anyone know? Jamia?”

“Jamia moved to California. She couldn’t take living here, reminded her to much of what she lost.” Ray said, scratching his chin with his thumb.

“I kept in touch with your parents and Brianna,” Gerard said. “They’re slowly getting grips on things, but Brianna was terrible.”

“How bad?” Frank asked, almost dreading to ask the question. He knew how unstable his sister could be.

“She was a mess Frankie,” Gerard said. “She’d ask me everyday for a memory that she might of lost of you, but it was from before I knew you so I couldn’t tell her. She wanted so badly to remember most of what she forgotten, but she couldn’t ask anyone.”

“Why not?” Frank asked.

“She was to upset.” Mikey said. “We didn’t know and your family refused to talk about you.”

“They said they lost the heart of the family when they lost you.” Bob said. Frank sighed, resting his hand in his hands.

“We need to get a hold of Armstrong.” he said, staring at the ground. “We need to try to convince him that we’ll be safe with Marvin in jail.” He looked up at the others. “He won’t let us out until he’s absolutely sure Marvin won’t be able to come after us, even though Marvin thinks we’re dead.”

“I could go talk to him,” Gerard said.

“No you can’t Gerard!” Frank said. “I told you before, if he finds out you know, it’s trouble for all of us. We’ll just have to wait until…”

“I’m not talking about talking to him like I know you’re alive.” Gerard said. “I’ll just get him paranoid and call in to check on you, and you can try to convince him you’ll be fine going back to your lives.”

“Gerard, there’s no possible way for you to get him to come out here without him realizing you know we’re here.”

“Not unless I plant something in his brain to come here to check on you. I could say there was a bear or animal seen at the graveyard, or that a lot of people are getting bitten by snakes.” Gerard said.

“It’s to risky Gerard.” Frank said, rubbing his hands over his face.

“Frank, it’s even riskier staying here. Look how close Crys…”

“Shut.” Frank snapped suddenly. They listened before hearing footsteps in the grass, walking toward the door. “Fuck,” he muttered. He quickly grabbed his gun and peeked out the door. “Fuck,” he whispered sharper. “Crawlspace.” he said to everyone. They didn’t need telling twice. As quietly as they could, everyone went into the crawl space, or packed themselves in there. It was made for Crystal to hide in, so it wasn’t that big an area.

“Frank, Crystal!” Armstrong’s voice called. Frank hoisted the gun just as he walked in. “It’s me.” Armstrong said, drawing his own gun. He walked past Frank and toward the crawl space, opening the door. “And no need to hide. I already know. Out.” Everyone grumbled as they climbed into the kitchen one by one.

“How did you find out?” Frank asked, putting the gun in a drawer.

“Well, one I heard them from my car.” Armstrong said. “And second, I seen you two in the hospital, and seen them going into the room you were in. What happened?”

“Crystal was bitten by a snake.” Frank answered.

“I know that one, I’m talking about how they found you.”

“It was me detective.” Gerard spoke up. “I was walking through the woods and found the cabin by mistake.”

“They saw us at the fake gravesite.” Frank spoke up. “Gerard realized it was possibly us, so he came up to the cabin to see if it really was us. Then Crystal got bitten and Ray, Bob, and Mikey was looking for Gerard, so we had no choice but for them to see us.”

“And the others?” Armstrong asked.

“We’re getting tired of hiding Armstrong!” Frank said. “We want our lives back. You have him, you
can let us go now.”

“So, this is the thanks I get for saving your miserable lives.” Armstrong said. “I always knew you wasn’t to grateful, Frankie Boy.” Frank heart froze. Frankie Boy. One person ever called him that. Armstrong pointed his gun to Frank and reached for the base of his own neck.