Faith Is Unavailable

Poison stood staring down, jaw set hard, at the two prone shapes on the mattress in front of him. He knew Sands had some anxiety about this sort of thing happening, but Poison knew the pieces had been set in motion the second Jet-Star laid eyes on their rescue. There wasn’t much anyone could do now to prevent anything from unfolding so they all might as well embrace the new girl as their own. If they didn’t they would only be alienating one of their own who seemed to put all his faith in her.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he simultaneously kicked Jet-Star’s boot clad foot. Jet-Star woke with a start and Twelve opened her eyes a few seconds later. It took Jet-Star’s eyes a moment to focus and adjust to the mid morning sun.
“What’s up?” He asked yawning.
Twelve rolled away from Jet-Star and buried her face under a pillow.
“We’ve got shit to do. Pony’s takin’ care of her today. Get yer ass up.” He said gruffly and then walked off.
“Must be a bad day.” Jet-Star mumbled to himself as he sat up.
He gave a glance to Twelve who was now pretending to be asleep. Jet-Star reached out and shook her shoulder to ‘wake’ her.
“What?” She grumbled into the mattress.
“Pony is probably waiting for you outside. He’ll be skating in here any moment and drag you out behind him if you don’t go now.”
“I don’t want to go shopping. I’m not that girly.”
“Well I think Girl is going with you. Besides, there ain’t much shopping you can do in the zones.” Jet said running an encouraging hand up and down her back.
“Great, more to witness this torture.” Twelve said getting up from the mattress and walking to the kitchen adjacent to the dining room-turned-bedroom.
As if on cue, Show Pony came rolling in with Girl jogging right behind him. “Come on! Daylight is wastin’. It’s a bright and sun shiny day with only the minor threat of sun damage and poison air!”
Girl’s curls bounced furiously along as she nodded and jogged to chase after Pony on his skates.
“Gotta eat first.” Twelve said walking through the open door of the kitchen.
“Tell the cook to get it to go! Sun’s climbing higher, Dracs are getting lazy, poison air is being stirred.” He was way too enthusiastic for the morning and Twelve resented it.
Girl grabbed a can for herself and Pony before leading Twelve to the van bouncing as she went. Sands caught sight of the bouncing brown curls from her position of the roof. She was out of sight gritting her teeth knowing exactly what was going on.
She had seen this scene when it was her and when they had added every other member of their tight knit family. Only this time she didn’t smile, she didn’t even want it to be happening. Twelve hadn’t proved herself trustworthy enough for a gun and the title of Killjoy. However, everyone thought so-including Dr. Death Defying-and so Sands had to allow this to happen. She just refused to go with them into town.
She watched as the van shrank in the distance towards the west. She wasn’t too happy that Twelve was going to be closer to Battery City even if it was by just half an hour. There was nothing she could to about it. She had been staring at the place the van had disappeared on the horizon. Party Poison was standing behind her hating that he was forced to be on day watch as well due to the loss of three of their team for the day. Fun Ghoul’s genius idea.
“Coming up on our right is the cactus that was planted in 1942 along with a whole bunch of other things that died in the radiation from the Wars of 2012. You’ll see out in the distance through those wobbling heat waves-” Show Pony was rambling on just to entertain himself but he had said these things so many times that his speech had been committed to memory.
He tried the radio without much hope cursing the van for having a broken CD player. It wouldn’t matter if it worked though. Dr. D never let a CD or vinyl out of his sight. The heat alone in the van would destroy the plastic disk. Nothing but static came through the speakers as usual.
Girl kicked one of the Power Pup cans and looked out the windshield. Nothing but dirt all the way up to the point where it met the sky. She longed for trees and grass, for flowers and living things. She’d only ever heard Party Poison describe them to her. She couldn’t remember them.
Pony floored the gas longing to see the frames of the buildings resurrected in the form of a small town on the horizon. He heard Poison’s voice warning him in his head about conserving gas and how they never knew when their next fill up would be. He slacked off and glanced at his roller skates in Girl’s lap. It felt so weird to be barefoot, but he couldn’t drive with wheels on his feet.
Hyper-Thrusts was the first building to come into view. Even if it wasn’t night-time and the building wasn’t lit up in all it’s neon glory, Pony would know that building one-hundred miles off. It had a very distinct shape rising off to a point on the left with a deeply slanted roof dipping into a shallow v on the right. The facade was painted with all kinds of robots and androids but the paint was fading and it was taking a beating from the recent sands storms that had been rolling through the renegade town.
In fact the whole place was covered in a player of brown dirt and it looked as though no one had been outside in months. Pony would believe that based on the weather reports Dr. D had been issuing lately. Who would want every orifice of their body filled to the brim with sand like dirt?
There was a tiny feeling of caution growing in Show Pony’s stomach. The windows to the buildings were all shut up and locked down tight. None of the doors were open and the distinct thudding bass line always more or less forcing it’s way through the walls of Hyper-Thrusts was absent. He pulled the van into a parking space in front of Tommy Chow Mein’s glorified pawn shop and turned to look at Girl.
“You know the protocol. Don’t let Tommy talk you into selling anything to him. We ain’t here to sell. Just to get news and perhaps buy somethin’ if he has what we need. Goes for you too Rescue.”
“Understood Captain!” Girl said saluting Pony before hoping out the side door.
“Blow a week’s worth of dirt on that van and get inside now!” Shouted a man from the doorway of the pawn shop.
He looked tired, frazzled even. His glasses sat low on the bridge of his nose as he looked over the top of the round lenses at them. His hair was wild and his beard unkempt. Pony noted all of this quickly thinking to himself that nothing seemed out of place with the man other that the look of fear painted on his features as his eyes darted up and down the main drag.
“Why?” Pony asked walking towards him.
“Do it.” The man said handing him a leaf blower and then turning back into the shop.
Show Pony gestured for Girl and Twelve to go inside while he took care of the van. Girl skipped along happily while Twelve followed a little more cautiously, taking in all the details of the strange town as she could. She understood that something was not right here but how could anything be right in this place?
With the van covered in dirt and foot prints blown away, Show Pony stepped into the shop and looked to make sure his two shadows were in the building before he shut and expertly lathed the complicated looking door from the inside. Girl was in her own element exploring the store and picking up new items asking what they had been used for before the world ended. She thought the concept of a leaf blower was absolutely ridiculous but no where near as funny as a lawn mower.
“What’s going on T?” Show Pony asked lacing up his skates while sitting on an old wooden trunk.
“Not too sure myself. Seems The City lost something and thinks it’s here. Wants it back real bad it does.” He spoke taking note of the woman exploring the shop that he’d never seen before.
“Wonder what it is.” Pony said throwing a quick glance at Twelve to gauge her reaction. She was surprisingly calm and calculating. Pony turned his attention back to Tommy but Twelve spoke before he could get a word in.
“How long has this been going on?” She asked eyes flitting around the shop.
“Bout... month an a half.” Tommy said taking in the new woman.
Pony was sure he knew what-or who-they were looking for.
“Just started doping sweeps out of the blue?” Twelve asked.
“I never said nothin’ about no sweeps. How’d ya know ‘bout them?” Tommy said narrowing his eyes at Twelve. “Ain’t never seen you ‘round here before.”
“She’s from outta town. Rescue.” Show Pony said. “She’s the reason we’re here. Got any new merchandise we’d be interested in?”
Tommy Chow Mein hadn’t yet taken his eyes from Twelve. He wondered what Pony meant by ‘rescue’. No one was rescued these days. Not since the aftermath of the Sector F Revolt was cleaned up. There just simply wasn’t anyone to rescue anymore. The Rebels were a dying breed and any new face should be taken with caution.
“Got some new things. Whatcha lookin’ for?” He spoke finally looking to Pony.
“Guns and leather jackets.”
“Few in the back. Might as well follow me. Gunna be here a while. Sweep starts in twenty, but you might know that already.” Tommy said throwing a pointed glance at Twelve.
“I may know the habit of the City, but I do not know the exact schedule.” Twelve said not at all bothered by this new man’s suspicion.
“Guns to the left. Jackets straight ahead.” Tommy gestured stepping out of the way.
He went back to the front of the shop to check the shutters on the window and turn the lights out, hoping Show Pony did a good enough job covering up the van and their foot prints. He didn’t want anyone knocking on his door.
“Pick your shit and then join me upstairs.” Tommy said re-entering the room and heading for the stairs in the back left corner. “We’ll conduct business there. Don’t like being on the ground when they come by. Can feel ‘em through the energy waves.”
Girl raised an eye brow and then continued on sorting through the ray guns Mein had piled in a trunk as if they were mere toys. She pulled out a pair of twin blue guns and walked up to Twelve. Twelve had already fitted herself with a pair of orange silicone thigh holsters so Girl slid the guns into the pockets and then started looking at the jackets Twelve had ruled out. Twelve looked down to see Girl’s addition and smiled before patting the little girl on the back. She’s picked out a good set of guns.
Show Pony spotted something with enough luster to grab his attention and pulled it out from under a pile of other used clothing. He tossed the black leather jacket to Twelve who held it at an arms length examining it.
“I like it!” Girl smiled enthusiastically and grabbed a sleeve. “Needs some modification though.”
“Agreed. Something on the back. It’s too plain.” Twelve said.
“All fixable. Try it on.” Pony said impatiently.
“Seems like I’m done here.” Twelve said shrugging into the jacket. “Let’s go have an inquisition.”
“I think T’s attitude will change once you buy something from him.” Pony said. “Man’s loyal to nothing else but money one the one handing it to him.”
“Doubt it. Think the guy’s been sucked into a caffeine vortex one too many times.” Girl laughed.
When they reached the top room Tommy was standing at the window looking down at the road. There were a few Dracs below checking out the van and looking around. Tommy wished they didn’t wear those masks so he could see their faces. Then he would at least have a clue as to what they were thinking.
“Get what you wanted?” He asked.
“Yeah, how much?” Pony asked.
“Don’t worry about it. The Dracs leave us untouched and you can take that. Don’t want a crash queen defenseless in this world.”
“What’s gotten into you, T? Used to have a price for everything.” Girl said walking towards the window to look down at the van.
“They did.” Tommy said solemnly stepping away and sitting in an old chair that creaked from his weight. “They did kid.”
Girl narrowed her eyes seeing the first evidence of a sad broken man that his appearance suggested. She always held him in her mind as a great man, but he was starting to look a lot like everyone else in this town. She wondered what he meant by ‘they did.’
“How long do they usually hang about?” Show Pony asked kicking one skate against the floor boards.
“Should be out soon. Sweeps are coming less and less. Town’ll liven up once they’re gone. I’ll make some coffee while we wait.”
The wait was pretty silent. Not much was to be said. Twelve’s eyes kept darting to the window. She was worried about the Dracs but she was assured that she was safe in the loft of the building. The Dracs never bothered to ask questions-they didn’t speak at all-or investigate any further than what was in plain sight.
Within the hour there was the loud throbbing beat from Hyperthrusts creeping through the town. A beat that throbbed its way into your body and wouldn’t let you go until you went inside the building. Show Pony was feeling it start to creep into him and he looked at the oddly slanted roof.
“Well, my mouth’s as dry as dust despite that coffee. Who wants a few Slam Chasers at Hyperthrusts while we’ve got some time?” Show Pony asked standing up from a pile of old magazines.
“I wanna go talk to some people.” Girl said following Pony’s lead.
“Thank you for the jacket, guns, holsters, and coffee.” Twelve said standing and following the other two.
“No problem rescue. You’re hanging out with them, you must be alright.” Tommy said eyeing her carefully.
There was a reluctance in his gaze. He seemed to not really mean what he said. Twelve smiled weakly at him and left.
Girl and Twelve went ahead while Show Pony took a moment to take off his skates before going down the stairs and back out into the sand. Girl didn’t mind the wait and bounced into the front of the store to rifle through the new things in the shop she hadn’t had the chance to.
“Hey look at this Mad Gear poster! Is this new?” She asked excitedly.
“Looks like it.” Twelve said coming closer.
“I wanna get this for Poison. He loves them.” She said rolling it up and tucking it under her arm. She pulled some money out of her wallet and placed it on the counter. Show Pony walked out of the back room with shoes on looking quite grim. Girl and Twelve pegged it to him feeling out of place in shoes.
By the time they were in Hyperthrusts, Show Pony was skating around the place gathering all the news he could while drinking water and Slam Chasers. Girl was just sitting at the bar talking to a rough looking group that seemed to not be that bad. Twelve sat next to Girl and sipped her water looking around the place.
It wasn’t long before they were off back towards the diner. Twelve was behind the wheel because Show Pony had unexpectedly gotten himself sloshed and was no longer making any sense as he talked to his own helmet like it was an old friend. Girl was making sure he drank plenty of water as she listened to his unedited stories of the world before it ended. He started to speak of a past boyfriend and Girl looked at him strangely. She’d never heard him talk of anyone else other than the Doctor in that way.
Twelve easily found her way back remembering the markers in the desert that Show Pony had highlighted on his brief tour guide stint on the way into town. Jet-Star was outside with Fun Ghoul when they arrived back.
“What happened to Pony and why are you driving?” Fun Ghoul asked flicking the ash from his cigarette.
“Drunk. He’s in the back. I’m the only one left that can reach the pedals.”
“I can reach them!” Girl yelled from the back of the van.
Fun Ghoul and Jet-Star laughed and then Jet-Star opened the van up and said, “But can you see over the wheel at the same time?”
“Kinda.” Girl smiled sheepishly.
Show Pony refused help and stumbled into the diner with his skates tied together by their laces and slung over his shoulders. He tried skating but his bare feet met with resistance as he went straight for the broadcasting room stumbling over himself. Kobra Kid pulled him back and sat him in a booth. “Remember the last time you went on air drunk?”
Show Pony nodded and sank into the seat. A second later he put his head on the table and passed out. Girl started explaining what happened to Kobra and Ghoul while Jet-Star and Twelve slipped out through the kitchen.
Twelve leaned up against the back of the building and rested one foot against it. Jet-Star placed a hand on either side of her above her shoulders and started up a conversation. She reached out and played with the zipper on his jacket and smiled at him while noticing a slight tremble in his arms from nerves. She could see it in his eyes.
“Spiffy new jacket you got there.” He said giving her a lingering once over.
“Pony picked it. Girl picked the guns.”
“Guns?” Jet-Star asked looking down.
He had not noticed the two holsters strapped to her thighs. He was glad she pointed them out because it gave him an excuse to stare. She laughed and lifted his chin up with her finger before pressing her lips to his. Jet-Star was caught by surprise. They had never kissed before and here she was just doing it so causally and simply. He had been thinking of a way to work it in the whole conversation and he didn’t even have to.
Twelve pulled back and smiled. She kicked the conversation back up about what they saw at Tommy Chow Mein’s. She even gave him the details about the sudden Drac drop in and how that had been a recent regular occurrence.
“No doubt Girl has just climbed the ladder to tell Poison and Sands about it and to give Poison the poster she bought him. How are Sands and Poison doing by the way?”
“How’d you know she went up there? And we haven’t heard any shots so I assume the best.”
“Training. There isn’t anything I don’t see.”
“Amazing.” Jet-Star said looking into Twelve’s eyes.
“Not really, I was trained to kill you.” She smiled thrusting a finger into his chest like a gun.
“That’s why it is.” He said wrapping his hand around hers and pulling it from his chest.
“Imagine if you hadn’t decided to keep talking to me despite my lack of response.”
“You’d be cuddled up to Ghoul by now.”
“I would break him. He’s so... small.” Twelve laughed pulling Jet-Star closer by his jacket.
Jet-Star caught the cue and pressed his lips to Twelve’s. At that moment Silver Sands leaned over the side of the building to find Jet-Star but saw him and Twelve kissing instead. She stood back up and glanced quickly at Poison and then away with a cross look on her face.
“What?” He spat thinking the look was aimed at him.
“Everything I feared is happening.” She said walking off to the other end of the roof.
“Bad day?” Girl asked.
“Elevate that to awful.” Poison said looking down. “Let’s go inside. I don’t have to be on the roof anymore since you’re back.”
“Bye Sands!” Girl chimed as she climbed down the ladder before Poison.