Danger Days

We had trained for hours the next day. Party Poison and Jet Star had woke me up bright and early; taking me out to some kind of obstacle course complete with cardboard cut outs of Draculoids.

“We’re gonna be up there,” Poison said, pointing to the tower at the very end of the course. “All you have to do is complete the obstacle course and hit the button on the tower when you finish. We’ll be recording your progress. If you feel you need to stop just signal us, okay?”

I nodded my head, trying to mentally prepare myself for whatever this course could possibly throw at me. I wanted them to know that they had made the right choice by adding me to their team; this meant failure wasn’t an option.

I waited for Poison and Jet to give me the signal before I took off; hopping over plastic gates with electric barbwire and dodging blades and razors. This obstacle course was the real deal.

“Okay, listen up, Killjoy,” Poison’s voice instructed over the loudspeaker attached to the tower. “I’m gonna bring out the Draculoid robots. This is one of the final tests. You’re going to fight them just like you would the real deal,” I nodded up at him; giving him a thumbs up.

“But be warned, motorbaby,” Jet Star added gravely. “Because they’re not gonna hold back a thing.” I’d be a liar if I said that didn’t make me nervous. Of course I had fought off real Draculoids and even though I made it through; it was just barely. And the night they took my mother away…There were so many of them.

Thinking back on it now, I can’t believe I had made it. The first Draculoid came charging at me, a white ray gun in hand. I reached down and grabbed my fully charged gun and shot immediately, aiming for the chest and achieving my goal.

One down.

The next one didn’t come armed and was a lot bigger. He was wearing a bulletproof vest and was approaching me at top speed. Thinking quickly, I threw a sharp right and got the hell out of the way. Then when I was behind him, I shot him in the back of the head.

Two down.

I could see Ghoul and Static hopping up and down on the side of the course, cheering me on. I gave them a thumbs up. “Go get ‘em!” Ghoul was cheering.

“You go, girl!” Static clapped her hands. I smiled at them; they were just the boost I needed. I was feeling a little light-headed and the heat pounding down on me from the desert sun was not helping at all.

“Alright, Danger Heart,” Jet Star’s voice boomed from the loudspeaker. “Here comes the monster. This won’t be easy…”

“Just send him down here, Jet,” I called, reaching for my ray gun. “I can take him!”

Little did I know that he wasn’t kidding. My smile from earlier had wilted away and was replaced by a look of fear. My hands were trembling and my heart dropped into my stomach.

This Draculoid was one I had seen before…

“Kimberlee, go!” she cried out to me as our home was invaded.

I was powerless.

I didn’t have my ray gun with me because it was charging in the back and there were too many of them for me to fight off physically. I could only watch with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach as the biggest Drac shoved his gun against the side of my mother’s head. She had her eyes squeezed shut and she was sobbing; pleading with them to let me go and do what they wanted with her.

“Shut up!” he demanded, roughly dragging her to the side before turning to look at me with glowing red eyes that peeked out from behind his hideous mask.

“You’d better listen to your mommy, girl,” he sneered, his tone taunting.

“Get bent!” I spat, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. He let out a dark chuckle before yanking my mother out the door. “Kimberlee, I love you, sweetheart!” I could hear her screaming. I had finally gotten enough feeling back in my legs to stand and rush toward the door.

They shoved my mother into a big white van with the Better Living Industries logo on it before speeding away. I tried to run after it…I really tried...

I must’ve zoned out because next thing I knew, I was being knocked to the ground by the Draculoid clone that looked exactly like the one that had taken my mother.

“No!” Static called. “Get up!”

I stared up at the Draculoid, who was hovering over me with a ray gun pointed down at my face. I wasn’t going to let him win again…I quickly kicked him in the shin before getting back up on my feet.

He had shot at me several times; electric white bullets flying in every direction of the course. And I fired back; neon pink charges flying in his direction. Every time I looked at him; at those glowing red eyes peeking out from that disgusting mask, I got angrier.

I wasn’t going to fail for a second time…

-x-

The boss Draculoid and I had fought for at least thirty minutes. All the while, I was getting knocked on my ass. “Come on!” Static cried, always cheering me on; even when I had hit the ground. “You can do this!” And on that note, I shot the Draculoid in the back, watching him fall to the ground and finally stay there.

I had won.

Kobra Kid, Fun Ghoul, and Static Monster all broke out into wild cheer. “I knew you could do it!” Kobra praised. Static was hopping up and down, clapping her hands.

“That was awesome!” Ghoul exclaimed. I gave them all high fives before making my way to the tower and slamming my palm against the button. The gates opened and I was allowed out. I was instantly tackled into a hug by Static, who had warmed to me quite nicely. She was like the little sister I had always kinda wanted.

“You were great in there!” she gushed. I put an arm around her, leaning down to kiss her forehead lightly. “Thanks, little monster,” I smiled. Jet Star and Party Poison made their way over to us with huge smiles on their faces. “You did amazingly,” Jet Star said, giving me a hug. I hugged him back tightly before letting him go and standing before Party Poison.

I was most anxious of his response because he was the leader and his decision was final. He was the one that could save me from having to struggle back out in the desert. He was the one that could help me save my mother…

As I waited for some kind of reaction from him, I turned around to see the other Killjoys; all wearing similar worried expressions. I guess they knew that this was a make or break moment as well. I turned back to Poison to see that his steel expression had gradually melted into a smile.

“You were awesome out there, Danger Heart,” he smiled. “I’m proud to announce you an official member of the Fabulous Killjoys. We’ll get your uniform tomorrow.” I hopped up and down excitedly. It was as if I had just received my diploma on graduation day. I threw my arms around him tightly and he immediately returned my embrace.

“Thank you so much! I promise I won’t let you guys down!” I cried happily. He rubbed small soothing circles on my back and whispered in my ear. “I know you won’t,” he said and my cheeks flushed.

I pulled away from him and he winked at me before heading back toward Headquarters. For some reason, that small playful gesture sparked a flutter in my chest. What it was? I have no idea…

I shook my head lightly before following the rest of the gang into the building. But this time, as an official member of the Killjoys.