Faith Is Unavailable

Sands had a set destination in her mind the morning after the fight to get Girl back.

She rose first intent on leaving before anyone could tell her not to.

Her father was still waiting for the day she’d come back and be part of his perfect world, so no shots were fired at her as she blew passed the check point.

It had been years since she’d set foot in Battery City but she had to. She was living without doubts from here on out.

She still knew exactly how to find Korse’s building. The layout was the same since she had left that’s probably the only reason they’d put her at the wheel the night before.

With her bike parked against the now repaired glass wall next to the entrance in she walked, like her father owned the place.

Tara, the very same receptionist that had been there all those years ago still sat at her desk looking horrified as the girl roughly entered.

“Good morning Tara. I’m here to talk to my father.” She spoke in an awful attempt at courtesy. “Don’t let anyone touch my bike.”

The double doors were still just where she remembered and just as easy to throw open.

Korse looked up, a smile swept over his grey features. All his years of insanity drained him of his humanity and color. “Well, the prodigal child returns. I wondered how long it would take you Sandra.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not back, nor will I ever be. Keep on burning that candle. I just have one question,” She put both of her palms flat on the desk trying to convey she meant business. “Do you still have control over 12?”

He laughed like it was a ridiculous question. “Of course, although it seems as though she has learned her real name.”

“She’s been here with us the whole time and you were too stupid to do anything about it.” Her sister spoke entering the room behind her. She’d just come to update Korse on the matters at hand.

Sands looked over to her kid sister who stepped up to be beside her. She looked a lot like Sands, if Sands’ soul was sucked out of her body through her eyes. In the grey eyes so much like her own all she could see was the vacuous emptiness just like Korse’s.

“Not that it matters too much. I have three of my four Killjoy targets’ bodies. Would you happen to know the location of my fourth?” He asked leaning back in his chair.

“Which one are ya missin’?” She could guess.

He tried to think of a way to identify him from the other three. “The one who was in love with Suspect 12.”

“I’ll keep my eyes open.” She said insincerely.

“Don’t worry he’s got to be dead around here somewhere. I was assured of his extermination. He’s probably exactly where he’s supposed to be. More than likely it’s a clerical error.” He spoke dismissively just to mock her even though he knew full well what 12 had done. He only wanted to make his daughter believe he was in the dark.

“If I spot the body you’ll know.” She straightened herself up ready to skate.

“I doubt you’ll find it. From what I hear there aren't much left of the three bodies I have. I expect the fourth to be the same.”

Silver Sands’ teeth clenched. “I should dust you. Right now. You disgust me.”

“Now Sandra, you’re not still bitter about that Party Poison animal? Don’t look so shocked. Suspect 12 told me a lot. She said you seemed to displaying signs that you might have been falling in love with him.” He made everything sound so cold, analytically painful.

“I’m not in love with him.” She spoke stubbornly.

“Of course not, you were raised so much better than that.”

She scoffed. “Yeah, by mom. It’s a shame she died when you were still so young, Viktoria. Maybe you’d have a chance at a soul.”

Sands spun on her heel to leave.

“You know those eyes you said you’d keep open, Sandra? Remember who gave them to you.” The thick Scottish accent that was taunting her of her past spoke harshly.

Her teeth clenched tighter as he said this but she kept walking.

As she rode passed the checkpoint on the way out she made a decision. She wasn’t going to set foot back in Battery City until it was time to end this war and save the guys.

“Should we have let her go Father?” Viktoria asked still watching the doorway her sister blew out of just as quickly as she blew in.

“Don’t worry about her Tori. She will come back.”

“Fresh meat!” Silver Sands yelled dragging in a body behind her.

She had picked up a Drac on her way back from the confrontation with her father and sister.

“We weren’t supposed to bring any Dracs in until tomorrow.” Girl said kicking the body. “Is it still alive?”

“It should be.” Sands said. “Dr. D wanted a live one.”

“If Sands had it, probably not.” Show Pony said under his breath.

“Heard that.” Sands said shooting Pony a pointed glance.

“We all know about your temper.” Show Pony defended himself.

“It came out more when Party Poison was around.” Jet-Star noted.

“Because he drove me insane.” Sands said trying to sound more relieved than sad about Party Poison not being around.

“He said that about you too.” Girl said confused.

“Don’t worry about it.” Silver Sands said ruffling the girl’s hair as she walked past to get to Dr. D’s office.

She didn’t bother knocking and opened up the door. It wasn’t like she could walk in on anything that was inappropriate, Show Pony was sitting with Jet-Star at that moment. At any rate, if something inappropriate was going on it would all be due to Shoe Pony and most likely involve Dr. D trying to escape or swat him away.

“Hey baby.” Dr. Death Defying said leering at Sands.

“I’ve got a body for you.” She said nodding out the door at the Drac.

Dr. D chose to ignore the nod and said, “Oh I’m sure you have a great body for me.”

He pushed his wheelchair towards her with the same leer in his eyes. Silver Sands chose to play his game today and leaned down putting her hands on his thighs letting her face get very close to his.

“You have everything ready for that body I mentioned?” She asked tilting her head to the side.

“Just a moment. I’ll be ready soon enough, Motorbaby.” He smiled.

“I was hoping you were ready now, I am. I wanna know how this roller coaster rides.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you.”

“I think I can learn plenty from watching.”

For a moment Dr. D was stumped for what to say. Up until now this had just been between them. “Who do you want to watch me with?”

“Show Pony. He seems to have a steady hand for these types of things.”

“Nah, I was hoping you would just want to learn first hand.”

“Why?”

“I think you might have more experience in these types of things than you admit.”

“At being shot with these things. Not using them.” Sands said standing back up.

“Well don’t girls generally get shot by these things?”

“In my experience it’s all an internal thing... unless pulled out.”

“What ever you would prefer me to do.”

“What ever will make it work.” Sands said and then left the office.

Dr. Death Defying had to take a deep breath. “That woman.” He muttered.

He rolled out of the office, the modified sleeping darts in hand and now filled with what he hoped would reverse the Draculoid poison.

He took the homemade cap off the needle end and grabbed hold of the Drac’s left wrist. Before he stuck the needle in he took a deep breath hoping he would be right this time. The last five times they had tried this it hadn’t worked. He plunged the needle into the soft skin and let the contents drain into the Draculoid’s veins.

For a while nothing happened and it looked like it was going to be just the same as every other time. The antidote started to work and the Drac began to twitch. Show Pony grabbed the arms and Jet-Star grabbed the legs in case it got worse like it had before. Girl grabbed Silver Sands’ leg and his behind it peeking out to see what was happening.

The Draculoid on the table started to twitch more. This was at least a different reaction. Dr. Death Defying wished he had real medical equipment so he could monitor heart rate, blood pressure, and all other types of information that would make his next attempt -if necessary- less of a shot in the dark.

The trashing of the Drac got so bad that Silver Sands took Girl out of the room. She didn’t want the poor child to have nightmares.

All of a sudden the Drac was immobile. Show Pony and Jet-Star exchanged a look and then stared at the Drac.

“So much for that. It was worse.” Dr. D said starting to leave the room.

Jet-Star pulled the mask off the Drac wondering who had been under it. He knew about Sands’ warning. Show Pony didn’t really care though and Sands wasn’t around to stop him. He grabbed the awful matted hair and yanked the mask off. The eyes were open when the mask was pulled off.

“He’s alive!” Show Pony gasped.

Dr. Death Defying stopped and turned around. He looked at the man being half restrained on the table. He was trying to figure out where he was. Show Pony let go of him as did Jet-Star.

“Can you tell us your name?”

The man sat there thinking for a moment.

“It’s John Walker.” Dr. Death Defying said. “I knew him in the war.”

“Steve Montano?” The man on the table asked.

“Go by Dr. Death Defying now. Any shortened form of that will do. We’re not too into real names around here.”

“Man, what happened to me?” Walker asked running a hand through his greasy hair.

“You were working for the enemy.” Jet-Star said.

“Better Living Industries.” Show Pony clarified.

“Better who da what?” He asked not remembering much of anything except just before the world had ended.

“You need to get some rest.” Dr. D said. “Jet-Star will take you to the attic and get you something to eat and drink too.”

“Can you walk?” Jet-Star asked.

“I think so.”

The man slid off the table and stood on his feet. He felt like he had been spinning for years and was dizzier than he had ever been in his life. Jet-Star held his arm as they headed for the attic stairs. He made it into the space above the diner without a mishap. Jet-Star told him to wait there and went down to grab a lamp and some food for the man.

“Do you need anything else?” Jet asked when he had returned.

“I think I’ll be good for now, but later someone has to explain all this to me. The last thing I remember I was shot down on a battle field. Stuff is coming back slowly.”

“It’ll all make sense soon enough.” Jet-Star promised. “Just yell if you need us. Someone’ll be around.”

The man nodded and Jet-Star left him alone.

Silver Sands had gone out front of the diner with Girl and they were burning the mask the man had been wearing.

“It smells something awful.” Girl said holding her nose.

“I know.” Sands said wrinkling her nose. “But we gotta do it.”

When the mask was half melted Sands put out the flames by stepping on it and then waited for it to cool enough for her to pick it up.

“I’ll be back.” She said and went to get her dirt bike.

“Where are you going?”

“To send a message to Korse.” She said before kicking the engine over in her bike and taking off, blond hair flying out behind her.

Out in the middle of a usually high traffic area for Dracs and Scarecrows Silver Sands dumped the mask and headed back to the diner. She wanted one of them to find it and bring it back to Korse. She wanted Korse to know they were still fighting against him and they were still strong.

“Your message sent?” Dr D asked as Sands sauntered in after the burning of the mask.

“They should get it with no trouble.” She said with a satisfied look on her face. “Now all we have to do is talk about how we’re going to handle our cure.”

“What are you thinking?” Dr Death asked knowing she had an idea in mind.

“I’m thinking we should put it in a gun.” She said simply.

“Where are we going to get one of those?” Star-Killa asked.

Sands just laughed. “If there’s one thing I can build, it’s a gun sweetheart.” She paused, thinking. “Ok a gun and a flame thrower but flame throwers are really easy. All you need is some tape, an old lighter, and to build a water gun -unless you can just find one- and bing bam boom, flame thrower.”

Star Killa looked at her like she’d sprouted extra eyes. “I’m quite disturbed by the fact that you know this. Yet, I am not at all surprised.”

Sands just tossed her a wry smile with a slight shrug before turning back to Dr Death Defying. “If you can design the ammunition I can build you a weapon.”

“That I can do Silver Lady.” He started back toward his office to get designing.

Sands watched him roll away and started thinking about the supplies she’d need.

“Come on Girl grab the Vend-A-Hack we’re gonna go get supplies to build this thing.”

She had Girl on the back of her bike heading toward one of the vending machines out there for the Dracs. Much like most people she did a lot of thinking when she drove. As the old cracked roads passed before her eyes her mind raced.

A plan to get the guys out of the city came to her, one that wouldn’t have a lot of risk for anyone except her. She knew it’d leave her with a bad taste in her mouth.

They found a vending machine. Girl plugged in the Vend-A-Hack and Sands told her what to get. Four of BL/Ind’s white ray guns, eighteen batteries, and a whole host of other things.

They shoved all the stuff into Girl’s little shoulder bag before hopping back on the bike and riding back.

Arriving back at the diner Sands took the stuff out of Girl’s bag and got to work letting her plan stay in her mind rolling from corner to corner. Being thought about creatively, analytically, from the emotional part of her mind to the totally rational. No matter which part of her brain went to work thinking on it the plan still worked, the idea was solid. The only thing that told her it was wrong was her pride.

Everyone was doing other things mostly just to keep their minds off the guys stuck in the city.

It took her probably two hours and two guns before she had everything but the barrel and the magazine done, she had to see if Dr D had any ammo ready for her to change design around to make this a seamless gun.

She walked into his office hair pulled out of her face and looking slightly more haphazard than usual. It showed she’d been throwing herself into the task at hand.

“Here’s what I got Sands.” He said as he passed her one of the little darts he’d already made and had the perfect dose inside.

She took it between her thumb and index finger eyed it carefully not saying a word.

Dr Death knew there was something on her mind. “What are you thinking about Sands?”

She dropped the needle into her palm and held it tightly. “We’ll talk about it once I’m finished and we know this works.”

Then she turned on her heel walking out.

“Have I told you you have a nice ass lately?” He called out after her trying to lighten her mood.

“You too, babe.” She replied easily not even thinking about it.

Show Pony rolled in leaning in Dr D’s office door. “She’s not wrong.” He said tossing Dr Death a wink.

Dr D picked up just the closest thing to his hand and tossed it at Show Pony who dodged it easily.

“I love a man who plays hard to get!” Show Pony shouted back as he went back to whatever he’d been doing.

Dr. D only rolled his eyes.

Sands was opening up a barrel wide enough for a dart to go through. She was working in the kitchen putting the plastic on the flat bit of stove top that maintained even heat probably once used for making pancakes and things of that nature. Now she used it to soften the plastic so she could mold it into a perfect weapon.

Her leather gloves kept herself from burning her hands but she knew this wasn’t their intended purpose. These last two things took probably took just as long as the whole basic bit of the mainframe of the gun. It was dark by the time she was finished.

“I think we have a weapon!” She shouted to everyone picking the thing up walking out into the main room gun in hand.

It was nearly twice as wide as the typical ray gun but she kept the handle easy to hold.

They all looked at the thing somewhat impressed at how quickly she threw it together.

“Now all we’ve got to do is take this baby for a spin, see how she handles.” She looked at them all with a loopsided smile. “I’ll bring back another rebel real soon. Later days and better lays.” She tossed her helmet on and went out the door.

“Should someone follow her?” Star Killa asked eyebrow raised.

Dr Death Defying just watched her go. “Nope, the only person who ever balanced that girl out ain’t here. No one else has the credentials to deal with her insanity.”

So they were left there to wonder if it’d work... And what she’d do with the person who came out of it if it did.