Take No Prisoners

Tensions were high when we set off, it was thicker in the air than the desert heat and I was almost chocking in it. I could bare it, I had been through worse but we are a new group now and no-one shared anything mutual anymore.

I had been promoted to Angel’s car; a promotion I had not particularly wanted. Especially since the car continued Shadowed as well and I had been kicked from the shot gun to the backseat where I sat amongst the guns and knives that we carried.

And now we had another added to our already dysfunctional team. A skinny, brunette with haunted eyes and tanned skin that looked as though she had been battling the elements for months. What scared me was not the timid girl herself but how quickly and easily she had become a member of our team. I had become use to confrontation in our messed up group that it was almost a way to gain trust but she didn’t seem brave enough to battle against us. Yet the thing was I wanted her with us. Not because I am a nice person, not because Sunshine is injured and we need an extra gun, but because she seemed weak and I needed someone to make myself feel better.

Shallow, I know, but this planet is a dog eat dog world and I spend all my time caring for others and not myself, so I need to, especially since nobody cares enough to look after me.
But I’m mothering all over again. Sunshine is sick and I cannot have her dying on me. She surprisingly is the nicest one here and through all that hate she throws my way I can tell that she still has feelings beneath it and she acts so defensively because she has been damaged in the past.

I was terrified when that yellow laser went flying into the blackening sky. That was her color, something had to be wrong.

“Angel, turn round!” I hissed, leaning forwards and grabbing the back of her seat.

“Why should I?” She hissed back. “We may not be living in a democracy anymore but I still work that way and so you’re out voted.”

I glanced towards Shadowed who had not moved or showed any response that might suggest that she wanted to stop or carry on.

I laughed heartily, pulling my guns from my pocket, “Oh, this is grand.”

I held the guns against the two girls’ heads, smiling sweetly as I did.

“Turn around, Angel.” I growled with that sweet smile still plastered on my face.

“You wouldn’t dare.” Angel replied evenly but the car slowed dramatically.

“Maybe I would not kill you, but Shadowed’s life is up for debate.”

Angel took her feet off the accelerator and slammed them both onto the brake. I did not drop the guns like I knew she expected me to do and I could see the anger and disappointment flash across her face, but she got out of the car and stormed towards Sunshine.

“Why have we stopped?” Angel demanded.

Somehow that hurt. I was perfectly capable of controlling her the way I willingly let her control me yet she was not ready to bow down the way I had in the past. She had to be the leader, she always had to.

“I can’t drive anymore, I’m tired, and even though I’m sure you’d rather I passed out at the wheel and killed myself and our new companion, I’m not too fond of that idea.” Sunshine said with a wicked grin that was obviously trying to hide the pain she was feeling.

It made me smirk, the way she spoke and had that attitude; she was capable of knocking Angel off her pedestal. Maybe we had not bonded like Angel and Shadowed had but if we worked together I know that Sunshine and I would be capable of outdoing them. The way I was thinking was beginning to scare me, I was starting to resemble some sort of evil genius not the sweet, caring girl I normally pride myself on being.

“Fine, we can set up camp here. Shadowed and I will keep watch.” Angel angrily said. I was not sure if she was angry because of me or because we did not reach the goal we had set ourselves.

I did notice though how she stated that she wanted Shadowed there, not me.

When she sent a filthy look Sunshine’s way I realized that she was angry because of our unreached goal, not me, or if she was angry towards me she was not letting it show. When Angel disappeared I walked over to Sunshine, fueled on the adrenaline caused by my brave confrontation. I could see the weakness that her searing pain had caused.

“You can pretend all you want Sunshine, but you are going to get ill, hell, you are ill. Let me clean your wound properly.” I demanded somewhat harsher than I intended, but I did not want another death on my hands.

“Dusty, we might be allies, but we’re not friends. Please don’t bother yourself with my health. I’m sure Angel would much prefer it if I were dead. It would save her the job of killing me.” Sunshine snapped back, turning away from me and stalking off.

That hurt. Knowing that she would judge me so because Angel was becoming such a horrible person and she instantly presumed I had to bow in Angel’s wake. Maybe I had when we had met her merely a few days ago but I change quickly, maybe too quickly on occasion, but I know where I can lay my trust and Sunshine is gaining more of that than anyone at this moment in time.

“You are wrong Sunshine. We are friends. It is just that you cannot admit that you have feelings.” I shouted to her.

I wanted to add much more but it was stupid to even say that much. I may trust her more than anyone else in time but that does not mean it as a whole lot of trust.

“I’m tired and I’m going to sleep.” She muttered, barely audible.

“Do not blame me if you die in your sleep.” I retorted, instantly regretting it. I clapped my hand over my mouth to suppress the gasp of surprise I could not help. I am definitely changing too fast and it is not for the best.

“You’d think I might care? This life is a load of rubbish, it doesn’t matter to me whether I live or die anymore!” Sunshine snapped.

When she stamped off I swiftly turned and walked the opposite way. My mind was changed though when I saw Angel and Shadowed laughing lightly as the both kept their eyes focused into the distance. I could not sit to the East or the West now, Sunshine was passed out one side and Angel and Shadowed were guarding the other. I turned towards the North to see the scrawny silhouette of the new girl, Ghosted if I remember rightly. She was more focused than the others, staring intently, her hand resting lightly on her gun.

I did not want to talk to her; I was not ready to try making friends. Turning in the opposite direction I crouched down to the position that I had become so used to that my knees did not creak or lock up. It was the position I used before battle as I could easily drop to the floor or jump to my feet.

Bright lights bathed my frame as the floor began to shake. I dove to the side as a car flew past me, skidding to a halt and spraying me with dirt. Rolling amongst the dust I ended up round the back of the car, my Taurus already out of my pocket and loaded. My breathing was surprisingly even and when the dust began to settle I was nudged slightly as Shadowed appeared at my side. She did not seem as relaxed as me with the gun but she looked confident enough to be scary yet that long blade strapped to her back was terrifying.

“Where is Angel?” I whispered, already knowing that she would be up that tree with the perfect look out of this entire area.

“Up the tree.” Shadowed replied.

I nodded slowly then shuffled to the right, peering round the edge to spy on who I was going to be fighting.

The doors flew open and two men stepped out. Both were reasonably tall, maybe taller than average, but I find it hard to remember anything about men. The only ones I have ever met besides my father and brother were the ones on the boat across from England but that was so long ago that I had forgotten much of the details. The taller of the two had immensely curly hair that was uncontrollably messy and the other had slicked back shorter hair but that was all I could see in the dark. I tapped my foot on the floor hoping that Shadowed understood the signal.

I leaped up quickly, kicking out with my right leg which knocked the curly haired one into the other sending them sprawling onto the floor with a loud flump followed by swear words. From the same sound on the opposite side I knew that Shadowed had understood the signal.

“Get round the front of the car.” I shouted.

I saw their hands grab for those brightly colored guns similar to the ones Sunshine and Ghosted had.

“Touch those guns and it will literally be the last thing you do.” I growled, desperate to sound as tough as Angel could be without even trying.

“Say literally again.” A voice laughed lightly, and despite the dark I could sense the smile. “You’re accent is pretty sexy.”

I glanced towards the left where Shadowed had dragged across the other car passengers. Two more men and despite one being slightly crouched I could tell he was probably the same height as me whilst the other did not seem that much taller.

“You’re seriously attempting to flirt with her when she’s pointing a gun at you.” Shadowed said bluntly and I could not help but smirk.

The car lights flashed on and the four men were lit. They were brightly clad with hair in brown, blond, black and bright red and the clothes that they wore were just as vibrant. Nothing like the white clothed Dracs.

Angel rose from the driver’s seat of the car, obviously the one to turn on the lights.

“Who are you?” Angel asked surprisingly calm.

“We could ask you the same thing.” The one with shocking red hair replied back.

Angel laughed lightly and twirled her gun round her finger. “I’m the one with the gun so you will answer me.”

“I’m Party Poison,” he said and pointed to each of his companions in turn. “Fun Ghoul, Kobra Kid and Jet Star.”

“Angel of Anarchy.” Angel spoke then nodded towards Shadowed as if she was passing on the torch to speak.

“Shadowed Nuclear.”

“Ghosted Stardust.”

I was hesitant to say my name but it was not my real one, it was merely a nicknamed disguise. “Dusty Sunset Voltage.”

We stopped.

“Sunshine.” I whispered. “Oh God.”

Everyone would wake up in the noise that car had made, trained or not, and Sunshine was trained. My stomach dropped as did my gun. I rushed towards where she had set up her bed, to see her red hair stuck to the ground, her skin was dripping with sweat. The bandage on her arm was redder than her hair, smothered with blood from her wound and she was panting heavily.

I could hear footsteps coming towards me and the scared voices and murmurs.

“Is she dead?” Ghosted asked, her hand resting on my shoulder. I shrugged her off.

“She is breathing, she cannot be dead.” I hissed.

I was pushed aside and Sunshine was scooped up by the blond man, and then placed her in the backseat of his car. That was when she started screaming.

“Put her down!” I screeched, desperately grabbing for her. “Let her go!”

I managed to snatch onto the man’s jacket but again he pushed me away as if I was light as a feather. I could barely breathe; they were going to kill her. They were the enemies and no one was stopping them except for me. If Angel wanted her dead I recon nobody would be brave enough to argue so they were letting them take her. I would not though.

My hands were shaking as I aimed the gun at the blond man but as I shot my hands jerked violently and I fired far to the left of them, putting a bullet hole in their car.

“Someone calm her down!” I heard a voice shout but I could not process who it was.

I screeched as I was picked up, my voice suddenly muffled as they shoved their gloved hand over my mouth. Kicking, punching I did everything to make them put me down but I was shoved into the back of a car with no effort on their part. The car set off and I jerked forwards then pain erupted in my forehead. A little blood crept down the side of my face. I had knocked my head hard on the Bor Sniper Rifle and I could see the splash of red on it from where it had caught me.

“I knew we should have got rid of that.” I managed to choke out before my eyes began to blur and the world starting spinning.

The last words I heard were “Shit, she’s fainted.”

* * *

It was the silence that woke me. In my sleep I could hear the banging of doors, the constant talking, and the scampering of feet. It was comforting, it sounded like safety did and as soon as it stopped I felt that security vanish.

Wherever I was, was small. Well, this room was but I had no idea what the rest of this place was like. The walls were multicolored, one plain brick, another breeze blocks, one red and the other white but all of them were smothered with posters. There were two beds in the room, the one I was lying in and another about a meter away from my own. The sheets were messy, someone had slept there recently or maybe they just did not like to make their bed. Asides from that there was very little furniture. The light was supplied by a single bulb hanging from the ceiling and there were no window. My eyes scanned the room once more. The door was blended into the white wall, it had been smothered in posters much the same as everything up.

Rising to my feet I walked over and grabbed the handle. Twisting it I tried to push it open but it refused to budge so I tried pulling. Again, nothing.

I was too calm; they had done something to me that was why I was not panicking yet. My heart began racing quickly and my hand slipped from the metal doorknob as I had begun to sweat. Thumping my fist against the door I began shouting.

I had barely begun screaming when the door opened and one of the men from last night stood there. He had black hair that was messily hanging and was surprisingly long; it reached just above his shoulders. Longer than Angel’s hair.

“Hey Sleeping Beauty.” He said with a grin.

I took a step backwards away from him, something about his demeanor simply did not seem right.

He slipped into the room and shut the door behind him. “You gonna let me sort out that wound?”

I reached up to my forehead to feel a bandage wrapped round my skull. I had completely forgotten about that.

He took a step towards me, reaching out a hand. I knocked his hand back.

“If you do not let me out this instant I will kill you.” I growled as maliciously as I could muster. “If you have hurt my friends in any way it will be the last thing you ever do.”

Again a grin spread across his face and a laugh escaped his lips. “Do you really expect me to take you seriously with that posh ass accent of yours?”

With one swift movement I grabbed his hair, kicked him in the crotch and pulled my knife from my back pocket with my free hand then held it against his neck as he cowered in pain.

“Can you take me seriously now?” I spat, pressing the blade ever so softly against his skin so he knew that I was serious. It would not even cut him but how was he to know that. He had one of those stupid laser guns in his pockets so proper weapons would be lost on him.

“Dusty, please let go of Ghoul.”

Standing at the door was the red haired man; his arms were crossed as he leaned casually against the door frame as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

“Not till you let me out of here.” I retorted.

He shrugged. “Whatever you want but we were willing to look after you and your friends till you all were well again but if you want to get of here sure thing. I won’t stop you.”

Hesitantly, I let go of Ghoul who jumped back; obviously I had knocked his confidence down a peg or two. “Where are they?” I inquired, pocketing my knife but keeping one hand resting on my Taurus.

The red haired man smiled politely then moved aside from the doorway, letting me pass. Swallowing my nerves I walked quickly through the poster smothered door into a much larger room. It was just as disorganized as the other but it was more furnished with a kitchen, table and sofas. Angel was in the kitchen, her back was turned but her green hair made it obvious.

“Dusty!” I twirled round to see Ghosted standing in another doorway, her brown hair scraped back from her face in a pony tail and her forehead sprinkled in sweat. “She’s in here.”
I hurried into the room to see Sunshine sat cross-legged on a bed looking perkier than usual. Her arm was freshly bandaged and the room smelled slightly of antiseptic.

“I’d be careful with her. We gave her some painkillers but I think we gave her a bit too much. I didn’t realize how light she was.” The blond one said. He looked similar to the red haired one but only a little.

“Not enough to overdose?” I gasped, sitting down next to Sunshine and pressing my hand against her forehead to check for a fever.

“Unfortunately, no.” He replied sulkily.

“What-“ I began to speak but was quietened when Sunshine pressed a finger to my lips.

“Shh,” She hissed with a giggle. “He’s just annoyed because he can’t get none of this!”

She bit her lip and winked at the blond boy. “Kobra Kid totally has the hots for me.” She whispered in my ear then began laughing hysterically.

“What did you give her?” I demanded as Sunshine began growling like a lion and making clawing motions.

“Something brilliant!” Sunshine shouted, making the l’s go on for far too long.

Her face suddenly lost its perkiness and she became angry, grabbing onto my shoulders and shaking me violently.

“It’s not dog shit, its pie!” She screeched then she was happy again and murmuring about pop tarts.

Cautiously, I lay her down on the bed and tucked the quilt around her.

“I’m not sleepy!” She complained, kicking out her legs and arms.

I quietened her by shushing and stroked her hair softly. “But you have got to go to sleep now, darling. It is bedtime.”

Sunshine nodded and curled up in tightly. “Night, night.” She managed to whisper before her breathing deepened and I knew she was asleep.

“How did you do that? I’ve been trying to get her to sleep for hours.” Kobra Kid complained.

I shrugged. “I guess I am simply used to mothering. I have enough siblings to know how to do so.”

He nodded, obviously unsure of what else to say besides that.

“Best leave her be. If she wakes up anytime soon she is likely to be grouchy.” I said with a smile. It was something that my nanny had said to me many a time whilst growing up.

Kobra nodded and left the room and I followed, tapping Ghosted lightly on the shoulder as I did. My apology for the way I had shrugged her off last night.

“It’s nice to see you awake, you’ve been passed out for at least twenty-four hours.” Ghosted said, going over to the fridge and grabbing me a drink which I declined. “We thought you were in a coma.”

The way she said ‘we’ was worrying. Was she meaning ‘we’ as in our group which she had only recently become a member of or ‘we’ as in the men as well? From the nodding around the room I knew that she meant ‘we’ as in all the people in this household. It was way too casual.

“Pardon me, but I would like to know where on Earth I am.” I spoke out to the whole room.

“California, Babe.” Ghoul replied, his confidence back to its previous level.

“I know that.” I shot back. “Where within the state?”

“Zone six.” Angel explained to me, her voice sounding the same as when we were back in school together simply chatting. “Don’t worry yourself, Dusty. I’ve asked all the necessary questions.”

“I am worried, Angel, so do not tell me to not be so. How can you act so casually when we have just met these strangers and Sunshine almost died last night?” I questioned with brutality. My anger against her growing.

“I’m acting casually because we’re perfectly safe here. If they wanted to kill us they would have done it long ago. We’ve been here over a day. Whilst you were napping we formed a truce and decided to work together to infiltrate Better Living Industries. In return for our help they’re letting us camp out here with them.” Angel continued in what resembled a calm voice but I knew all too well that it was the tone she turned to when she needed to remain structured as she wanted to flip out.

“Napping? You think I was napping? I was knocked out by that God forsaken Rifle that I have wanted to have rid of for so long and you claim that I was merely napping!” I retorted. “How can you lay your trust in these men so easily when you still refuse to trust Sunshine? You barely trust me so and I hardly get the impress that you trust Ghosted that way either. Yet I see you can happily accept that Shadowed and these men are to be trusted. Is that because they will follow what you say? Is it because you think that they are the perfect warriors you dreamed of to fight against Better Living Industries? I have tried so hard to fit that perfect mold and you shoot me down every time! Am I worthless to you?”

“Dusty, it’s not like that, just let me explain.” Angel had rose from her seat and was walking towards me.

“I know what it is. You do not trust me because you blame me for Skippy’s death.”

Angel stopped short.

That hurt immensely, but I would never show it. I had to brave now. It seemed as if I was fighting by myself. “I knew it.”

Turning on my heel I stormed into the room I had woken in and slammed the door shut. I fell against the door, my eyes desperate to let the tears flow but I refused to let it happen. I was not going to be so weak ever again.