Tell Me I'm A Bad Man
Newcomers and Old Stories
Mikey’s point of view.
My brother led me down the hall, because I wanted to see his suite. I walked in, and it was somehow nicer than mine! “Gerard, how can you afford all this?” I asked him.
“Haha. The Black Parade. Together, we somehow got enough money to get this place. I’m not sure how exactly, Toro’s really the one who handles all the financial stuff. Freakin genius,” Gerard responded.
I just stood there. “So do you like, have one of those ‘no questions asked’ foreign bank accounts or something?”
“Yeah. We have a few, actually. The main one is in my name though,” Gerard said.
”Can I ask a question?” I asked.
“You just did. But okay,” he answered.
“How much are you actually worth?” I said.
“Um, a few million dollars,” my brother said simply. “I’m nowhere near Bill Gates, but I’m doing pretty good.”
“Wow. Do you have a will written?” I wondered, not really meaning to say it out loud.
“Yeah. Why, you gonna kill me and collect your money?” Gerard said smirking.
“No. Wait, you left me money?” I said, not sure of whether I had heard right or not.
“Duh. You’re my brother. And soon, you’ll be a cult member. And so you get more cause you’re both combined,” Gerard stated.
*****************************************************
Ray’s point of view.
”Mikey? Bob? Mo?” I said, sticking my head into Bob’s suite door where they were all hanging out. “The ceremony is going to start in about fifteen minutes.”
They nodded. “We have to go wait in the lobby, right?” Bob asked.
“Yes,” I answered. “Someone will be there to take you where you need to go.”
I walked back to my suite that I share with Kelly. When I opened the door, I had to duck because of the shoe that came flying at my head. “Ray!” she yelled at me. "Go get changed! Your tux and cloak are in the bedroom.”
Kelly, Nicole, Peace, PJ, and Adele were sitting in the living room, already dressed. They were all wearing floor length black dresses and were doing their hair.
“Hey Ray,” Nicole said. “Want some help doing your hair? We could straighten it if ya like.”
Peace held up the hair straightener menacingly. “No thanks,” I said and went to go get changed.
When I walked back out through the living room, wearing my tux and holding my coat, I was ambushed. “Ray! Your bow tie skills suck!” was the kind of thing I heard as all the girls were suddenly flocked around me, fixing my tie, brushing my hair, and basically adjusting my entire outfit.
Finally, my bow tie was tied, my clothes adjusted to perfection, and my afro was slightly under control.
So, I decided to go to Gerard’s room.
“Gerard,” I said when he answered the door. "Why is the initiation ceremony such a big deal?”
“Because,” he answered while scrutinizing his face in the mirror. “It has to be important. To make people realize that The Black Parade is serious. Is this enough eyeliner?” He turned to face me.
I shook my head. “For most people, yes. For you, and your eyeliner obsession, no.”
He started applying more black liner and I just waited. Then he started putting on red eye shadow all around his eyes. I’ve never met a man who wears as much make up as Gerard. Except the drag queen I met once in Las Vegas. But that doesn’t count.
“Want some?” Gerard said, holding up the eyeliner pencil.
“Ew, I don’t want your diseases,” I said, not quite jokingly. He shrugged.
So a few minutes later, we put on our black hooded cloaks and went downstairs. Everyone went down to the basement except for me. I went to the lobby to wait for the new members.
The three of them we pacing around nervously when I got there. I had my hood up so they couldn’t tell who I was at first.
“Are you the Grim Reaper?” Mo asked nervously.
“No, it’s Toro,” Bob said. “Can’t you see the hair?”
I pulled the hood so it covered my whole afro. I looked at the three of them, dressed in the same way the current cult members were, except without the cloaks. I motioned for them to follow me and started towards the basement.
“I can’t run in heels!” Mo said from behind me. I hadn’t realized that I had been walking that fast. We slowed down when we got to the basement stairs. I opened the door and started descending the stairs.
“There’s no light,” Mikey whispered in the darkness. “I can’t see.”
“No, it’s light,” Bob lied. “Your glasses are just so dirty you can’t see anything.”
“Really?”
“No.”
I continued to lead them in silence. It was a long walk to the room where the ceremony was going to be, and we were walking through the darkness at that point. I was kind of lost in a daze when I smacked directly into a wall.
But it wasn’t a wall. It was a door. A huge, heavy, iron door. I reached into my pocket and found the big, old fashioned key to open it with. The only problem was that I couldn’t find the keyhole. I bent down to look for it, and took my hood off so I could see better. Well, as well as anyone can really see in total darkness.
Finally, my fingers found the piece of metal that went over the keyhole. I pushed it back, and there was light coming through it. The key fit perfectly into it, and when I turned it, I could hear the soft click inside the door of it becoming unlocked.
I forced the massive door open and leaned against it so the rest of them could go through. We were in a long narrow hallway lit by torches placed every few feet on the wall. This part of the basement was not under the hotel anymore. It was somewhere out under the grounds.
“It is Ray,” Mo muttered. And I remembered that I hadn’t put my hood back up. So I put it back up and we went on down the hall. I opened the next door more easily, because I could see this time.
The room we were in was definitely the weirdest in the whole hotel. It was huge, sort of like a coliseum, except underground. There were rows of seats surrounding three sides of the room, a few thousand, and every one was filled by someone wearing a black cloak with the hood over their face. We were standing at the top of the seats, a long stone staircase in front of us. I started descending the stairs, and everyone in the room was watching us.
Looking down, there was the circle of floor with three ornate chairs in it. Two of them were filled, and the third was mine. Gerard’s was the one in the middle, and he sat there watching us with his face still hidden by the cloak. Frank sat in the one on the side opposite mine.
The floor was marble with mosaic tiles forming a sword in the middle of the circle. It was the symbol of The Black Parade. When we got down there, I went over to my chair and sat down. Gerard motioned for the three newcomers to turn to face the crowd. He then stood up and began to speak.
“My friends, my family, my fellow marchers in The Black Parade,” Gerard said loudly without the help of any microphone. Other than his voice, the room was silent. “Tonight, we are congregated to accept three newcomers to the Black Parade. These newcomers are Marilyn Cullen, Robert Bryar, and my very own flesh and blood, my brother, Michael James Way.”
I saw Mikey turn to look at his brother when he said that. But Gerard continued to speak from inside the cloak. “While our Black Parade has only existed for a short period of time, we have all been anticipated for centuries. A prophecy predicting the formation of a community such as ours has been around for years, ever since the first Black Parade.”
With this, the emotion in the room changed. There was another Black Parade? Even I hadn’t known that, and I’m one of the second in commands.
“Yes, there most certainly was a Black Parade of the past,” Gerard continued, seeming to read everyone’s mind. “And that is why all of you were invited to this particular induction. Currently, The Black Parade has three thousand nine hundred ninety seven members. With the addition of these three individuals, we shall be four thousand strong.”
A low murmur passed through the crowd. Usually, when people were initiated into the Parade, there was just a ceremony down here with everyone who lived in the house, and then the new member would live in one of our ‘bases.’ The bases were where there were collections of our cult members living near each other. But, I realized, this ceremony was very different from the rest. Every single member was here tonight, and Gerard was acting very differently. He was speaking more than usual. And he was telling us about what we really got our selves into when we joined.
“Four thousand is an important number to The Black Parade,” Gerard continued. “And you probably don’t know why. But now, is when the Parade will truly start to thrive. But first, before I tell you all about the legacy of the Parade before us, and the prophecy controlling our fate, I would like to induct our new members. The three of you, please kneel.”
They obeyed as if in a trance. The three of them turning to face him and kneeling in front of him. Slowly, he removed his hood, his black rimmed eyes glinting unnaturally and his hair practically glowing in the light from the candles and torches. Reaching into an inside pocket of his cloak, Gerard pulled out what looked like a rosary. He put it on, and I realized that it wasn’t a rosary at all. There was no cross, only a sword that was slightly smaller than his hand. He turned around and nodded, first at Frank, then at me. I turned to look at Frank, but I couldn’t see his face. “Remove your hoods!” someone hissed. It sounded like Gerard, but his lips hadn’t moved.
I pulled my hood off as Frank did the same. He reached into a pocket inside the cloak and pulled out the same sword rosary as Gerard. I found one in my pocket too, but I hadn’t remembered it being there before.
Gerard strode over to Bob. “Robert Bryar,” he said. “I request that you repeat after me.” I could feel the excitement building in the room. The vows were about to start.
“I solemnly vow,” Gerard said, one hand clutching the sword, and the other on Bob’s shoulder.
“I solemnly vow,” Bob said, barely above a hiss, looking up into Gerard’s face.
“To march in The Black Parade.”
“To march in The Black Parade.”
“And to live within its limits.”
“And to live within its limits.”
“I vow to proudly receive the sword.”
“I vow to proudly receive the sword.”
“And to heed the call.”
“And to heed the call.”
“When the Conductor beckons.”
“When the Conductor beckons.”
“I promise with all my heart.”
“I promise with all my heart.”
“And I swear with my mind, soul, and existence.”
“And I swear with my mind, soul, and existence.”
“To faithfully march alongside my peers.”
“To faithfully march alongside my peers.”
“My family and my friends.”
“My family and my friends.”
“I swear on my own grave.”
“I swear on my own grave.”
“To carry on.”
“To carry on.”
“When my brothers in arms are gone.”
“When my brothers in arms are gone.”
“I will not be afraid to keep on living.”
“I will not be afraid to keep on living.”
“I will not be afraid to walk this world alone.”
“I will not be afraid to walk this world alone.”
“Because I am now.”
“Because I am now.”
“A member of The Black Parade.”
“A member of The Black Parade.”
And with that, Bob’s vows were done. He was almost an official member of The Black Parade. I could see in his face the relief, he was glad he didn’t have to stare into Gerard’s piercing eyes any longer, and he thought he was done.
But, silly Bob. You’re never done when you think it’s over. Little did he know the worst was yet to come.
Gerard walked back to his throne. Well, it seemed like he floated there. He gets creepy like that at official ceremonies.
He picked up a silver goblet, adorned with blood red rubies and midnight black onyx stones. I knew immediately what was in it. I had, after all, been initiated, but not with every single person there. In the goblet was a black liquid. In the dark, it looks like wine, but it isn’t. It’s very deceiving. When you smell it, it smells like a sweet wine, but that isn’t anything near what it tastes like. It tasted horrible, and made me feel momentarily drunk. People say that its dragon’s blood, but I don’t actually believe them.
Gerard pressed the goblet into Bob’s shaking hand. “Take a sip,” Gerard said softly. He did, and it was almost scary to watch his reaction. Bob’s entire body started shaking violently. He dropped the goblet, and the liquid spilled out in all directions. Gerard went back to the throne, and picked up another goblet. Taking a sip, he made a face. He took an unlit candle out of his pocket and held it in the flame of a nearby candle. When it was lit, he pushed his left sleeve back. When I looked at his wrist, it looked normal, but then again, so did mine. He then took the candle and held it to his left wrist. Mikey and Mo exchanged looks of horror, but Frank just half smiled at me.
Gerard placed the candle carefully on the floor and touched a finger to his wrist. I could see it now, the black sword that was somehow on his skin. Bob had stopped shaking at this point, and Gerard took Bob’s left hand. Pressing his wrist to Bob’s, Gerard muttered something in a language that I didn’t understand. After he let go of Bob’s wrist, Bob’s mouth fell open in astonishment. There was now a black sword on his wrist.
“Please rise,” Gerard said to the crowd. Everyone did, and Frank went behind Gerard’s throne to get the cloak. I walked forward with him and we stood behind Gerard and Bob who was now also standing and facing everyone.
We put the cloak on him, helping him get his arms into it. “I would like you all to welcome Bob Bryar to our family,” Gerard said. Then turning to Bob he said, “Welcome to the Black Parade.” I pulled the hood onto Bob’s head, covering his face. He went and sat down in one of the chairs in the front row.
The same procedure was repeated for Mo, but she didn’t react as violently to the ‘dragon’s blood.’
Once Mo was seated in the crowd, Gerard turned to Mikey. “Michael,” he whispered. “You are different.”
I could almost see Mikey shiver when Gerard said that. “Please stand and face everyone,” Gerard said softly.
Mikey obeyed, and stood next to his brother. He scanned the crowd, and looked nervous. I was confused. Gerard had never done this with any other member.
“Ladies and gentlemen of The Black Parade,” Gerard said slowly. “I would like to introduce to you someone who is possibly the most important person in the room. He is my brother, Mikey Way. He is who we have been waiting for.”
When the whole room appeared confused, Gerard sent Mikey to sit in the crowd without inducting him first. Gerard himself sat in his throne. “I am about to tell you the entire story of The Black Parade. My brother is not yet a member, this is because I want to tell you this first.”
I looked around at the crowd. The only face I could see was Mikey’s. He looked scared and confused. “You may remove you hoods,” Gerard said.
Everyone did. Gerard took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair.
“A long time ago, in about 1550, there was a group of people,” Gerard began his story. “They lived in Europe, and they were sort of outcasts. Because no one wanted to have anything to do with them, they got together and formed a group. Their group would wear black cloaks, like the ones we all wear right now, and they would march the streets. They did this to scare people, to warn them that those they cast out would stay and haunt them. The townspeople were afraid of them, and gave them the name The Black Parade.”
My brother led me down the hall, because I wanted to see his suite. I walked in, and it was somehow nicer than mine! “Gerard, how can you afford all this?” I asked him.
“Haha. The Black Parade. Together, we somehow got enough money to get this place. I’m not sure how exactly, Toro’s really the one who handles all the financial stuff. Freakin genius,” Gerard responded.
I just stood there. “So do you like, have one of those ‘no questions asked’ foreign bank accounts or something?”
“Yeah. We have a few, actually. The main one is in my name though,” Gerard said.
”Can I ask a question?” I asked.
“You just did. But okay,” he answered.
“How much are you actually worth?” I said.
“Um, a few million dollars,” my brother said simply. “I’m nowhere near Bill Gates, but I’m doing pretty good.”
“Wow. Do you have a will written?” I wondered, not really meaning to say it out loud.
“Yeah. Why, you gonna kill me and collect your money?” Gerard said smirking.
“No. Wait, you left me money?” I said, not sure of whether I had heard right or not.
“Duh. You’re my brother. And soon, you’ll be a cult member. And so you get more cause you’re both combined,” Gerard stated.
*****************************************************
Ray’s point of view.
”Mikey? Bob? Mo?” I said, sticking my head into Bob’s suite door where they were all hanging out. “The ceremony is going to start in about fifteen minutes.”
They nodded. “We have to go wait in the lobby, right?” Bob asked.
“Yes,” I answered. “Someone will be there to take you where you need to go.”
I walked back to my suite that I share with Kelly. When I opened the door, I had to duck because of the shoe that came flying at my head. “Ray!” she yelled at me. "Go get changed! Your tux and cloak are in the bedroom.”
Kelly, Nicole, Peace, PJ, and Adele were sitting in the living room, already dressed. They were all wearing floor length black dresses and were doing their hair.
“Hey Ray,” Nicole said. “Want some help doing your hair? We could straighten it if ya like.”
Peace held up the hair straightener menacingly. “No thanks,” I said and went to go get changed.
When I walked back out through the living room, wearing my tux and holding my coat, I was ambushed. “Ray! Your bow tie skills suck!” was the kind of thing I heard as all the girls were suddenly flocked around me, fixing my tie, brushing my hair, and basically adjusting my entire outfit.
Finally, my bow tie was tied, my clothes adjusted to perfection, and my afro was slightly under control.
So, I decided to go to Gerard’s room.
“Gerard,” I said when he answered the door. "Why is the initiation ceremony such a big deal?”
“Because,” he answered while scrutinizing his face in the mirror. “It has to be important. To make people realize that The Black Parade is serious. Is this enough eyeliner?” He turned to face me.
I shook my head. “For most people, yes. For you, and your eyeliner obsession, no.”
He started applying more black liner and I just waited. Then he started putting on red eye shadow all around his eyes. I’ve never met a man who wears as much make up as Gerard. Except the drag queen I met once in Las Vegas. But that doesn’t count.
“Want some?” Gerard said, holding up the eyeliner pencil.
“Ew, I don’t want your diseases,” I said, not quite jokingly. He shrugged.
So a few minutes later, we put on our black hooded cloaks and went downstairs. Everyone went down to the basement except for me. I went to the lobby to wait for the new members.
The three of them we pacing around nervously when I got there. I had my hood up so they couldn’t tell who I was at first.
“Are you the Grim Reaper?” Mo asked nervously.
“No, it’s Toro,” Bob said. “Can’t you see the hair?”
I pulled the hood so it covered my whole afro. I looked at the three of them, dressed in the same way the current cult members were, except without the cloaks. I motioned for them to follow me and started towards the basement.
“I can’t run in heels!” Mo said from behind me. I hadn’t realized that I had been walking that fast. We slowed down when we got to the basement stairs. I opened the door and started descending the stairs.
“There’s no light,” Mikey whispered in the darkness. “I can’t see.”
“No, it’s light,” Bob lied. “Your glasses are just so dirty you can’t see anything.”
“Really?”
“No.”
I continued to lead them in silence. It was a long walk to the room where the ceremony was going to be, and we were walking through the darkness at that point. I was kind of lost in a daze when I smacked directly into a wall.
But it wasn’t a wall. It was a door. A huge, heavy, iron door. I reached into my pocket and found the big, old fashioned key to open it with. The only problem was that I couldn’t find the keyhole. I bent down to look for it, and took my hood off so I could see better. Well, as well as anyone can really see in total darkness.
Finally, my fingers found the piece of metal that went over the keyhole. I pushed it back, and there was light coming through it. The key fit perfectly into it, and when I turned it, I could hear the soft click inside the door of it becoming unlocked.
I forced the massive door open and leaned against it so the rest of them could go through. We were in a long narrow hallway lit by torches placed every few feet on the wall. This part of the basement was not under the hotel anymore. It was somewhere out under the grounds.
“It is Ray,” Mo muttered. And I remembered that I hadn’t put my hood back up. So I put it back up and we went on down the hall. I opened the next door more easily, because I could see this time.
The room we were in was definitely the weirdest in the whole hotel. It was huge, sort of like a coliseum, except underground. There were rows of seats surrounding three sides of the room, a few thousand, and every one was filled by someone wearing a black cloak with the hood over their face. We were standing at the top of the seats, a long stone staircase in front of us. I started descending the stairs, and everyone in the room was watching us.
Looking down, there was the circle of floor with three ornate chairs in it. Two of them were filled, and the third was mine. Gerard’s was the one in the middle, and he sat there watching us with his face still hidden by the cloak. Frank sat in the one on the side opposite mine.
The floor was marble with mosaic tiles forming a sword in the middle of the circle. It was the symbol of The Black Parade. When we got down there, I went over to my chair and sat down. Gerard motioned for the three newcomers to turn to face the crowd. He then stood up and began to speak.
“My friends, my family, my fellow marchers in The Black Parade,” Gerard said loudly without the help of any microphone. Other than his voice, the room was silent. “Tonight, we are congregated to accept three newcomers to the Black Parade. These newcomers are Marilyn Cullen, Robert Bryar, and my very own flesh and blood, my brother, Michael James Way.”
I saw Mikey turn to look at his brother when he said that. But Gerard continued to speak from inside the cloak. “While our Black Parade has only existed for a short period of time, we have all been anticipated for centuries. A prophecy predicting the formation of a community such as ours has been around for years, ever since the first Black Parade.”
With this, the emotion in the room changed. There was another Black Parade? Even I hadn’t known that, and I’m one of the second in commands.
“Yes, there most certainly was a Black Parade of the past,” Gerard continued, seeming to read everyone’s mind. “And that is why all of you were invited to this particular induction. Currently, The Black Parade has three thousand nine hundred ninety seven members. With the addition of these three individuals, we shall be four thousand strong.”
A low murmur passed through the crowd. Usually, when people were initiated into the Parade, there was just a ceremony down here with everyone who lived in the house, and then the new member would live in one of our ‘bases.’ The bases were where there were collections of our cult members living near each other. But, I realized, this ceremony was very different from the rest. Every single member was here tonight, and Gerard was acting very differently. He was speaking more than usual. And he was telling us about what we really got our selves into when we joined.
“Four thousand is an important number to The Black Parade,” Gerard continued. “And you probably don’t know why. But now, is when the Parade will truly start to thrive. But first, before I tell you all about the legacy of the Parade before us, and the prophecy controlling our fate, I would like to induct our new members. The three of you, please kneel.”
They obeyed as if in a trance. The three of them turning to face him and kneeling in front of him. Slowly, he removed his hood, his black rimmed eyes glinting unnaturally and his hair practically glowing in the light from the candles and torches. Reaching into an inside pocket of his cloak, Gerard pulled out what looked like a rosary. He put it on, and I realized that it wasn’t a rosary at all. There was no cross, only a sword that was slightly smaller than his hand. He turned around and nodded, first at Frank, then at me. I turned to look at Frank, but I couldn’t see his face. “Remove your hoods!” someone hissed. It sounded like Gerard, but his lips hadn’t moved.
I pulled my hood off as Frank did the same. He reached into a pocket inside the cloak and pulled out the same sword rosary as Gerard. I found one in my pocket too, but I hadn’t remembered it being there before.
Gerard strode over to Bob. “Robert Bryar,” he said. “I request that you repeat after me.” I could feel the excitement building in the room. The vows were about to start.
“I solemnly vow,” Gerard said, one hand clutching the sword, and the other on Bob’s shoulder.
“I solemnly vow,” Bob said, barely above a hiss, looking up into Gerard’s face.
“To march in The Black Parade.”
“To march in The Black Parade.”
“And to live within its limits.”
“And to live within its limits.”
“I vow to proudly receive the sword.”
“I vow to proudly receive the sword.”
“And to heed the call.”
“And to heed the call.”
“When the Conductor beckons.”
“When the Conductor beckons.”
“I promise with all my heart.”
“I promise with all my heart.”
“And I swear with my mind, soul, and existence.”
“And I swear with my mind, soul, and existence.”
“To faithfully march alongside my peers.”
“To faithfully march alongside my peers.”
“My family and my friends.”
“My family and my friends.”
“I swear on my own grave.”
“I swear on my own grave.”
“To carry on.”
“To carry on.”
“When my brothers in arms are gone.”
“When my brothers in arms are gone.”
“I will not be afraid to keep on living.”
“I will not be afraid to keep on living.”
“I will not be afraid to walk this world alone.”
“I will not be afraid to walk this world alone.”
“Because I am now.”
“Because I am now.”
“A member of The Black Parade.”
“A member of The Black Parade.”
And with that, Bob’s vows were done. He was almost an official member of The Black Parade. I could see in his face the relief, he was glad he didn’t have to stare into Gerard’s piercing eyes any longer, and he thought he was done.
But, silly Bob. You’re never done when you think it’s over. Little did he know the worst was yet to come.
Gerard walked back to his throne. Well, it seemed like he floated there. He gets creepy like that at official ceremonies.
He picked up a silver goblet, adorned with blood red rubies and midnight black onyx stones. I knew immediately what was in it. I had, after all, been initiated, but not with every single person there. In the goblet was a black liquid. In the dark, it looks like wine, but it isn’t. It’s very deceiving. When you smell it, it smells like a sweet wine, but that isn’t anything near what it tastes like. It tasted horrible, and made me feel momentarily drunk. People say that its dragon’s blood, but I don’t actually believe them.
Gerard pressed the goblet into Bob’s shaking hand. “Take a sip,” Gerard said softly. He did, and it was almost scary to watch his reaction. Bob’s entire body started shaking violently. He dropped the goblet, and the liquid spilled out in all directions. Gerard went back to the throne, and picked up another goblet. Taking a sip, he made a face. He took an unlit candle out of his pocket and held it in the flame of a nearby candle. When it was lit, he pushed his left sleeve back. When I looked at his wrist, it looked normal, but then again, so did mine. He then took the candle and held it to his left wrist. Mikey and Mo exchanged looks of horror, but Frank just half smiled at me.
Gerard placed the candle carefully on the floor and touched a finger to his wrist. I could see it now, the black sword that was somehow on his skin. Bob had stopped shaking at this point, and Gerard took Bob’s left hand. Pressing his wrist to Bob’s, Gerard muttered something in a language that I didn’t understand. After he let go of Bob’s wrist, Bob’s mouth fell open in astonishment. There was now a black sword on his wrist.
“Please rise,” Gerard said to the crowd. Everyone did, and Frank went behind Gerard’s throne to get the cloak. I walked forward with him and we stood behind Gerard and Bob who was now also standing and facing everyone.
We put the cloak on him, helping him get his arms into it. “I would like you all to welcome Bob Bryar to our family,” Gerard said. Then turning to Bob he said, “Welcome to the Black Parade.” I pulled the hood onto Bob’s head, covering his face. He went and sat down in one of the chairs in the front row.
The same procedure was repeated for Mo, but she didn’t react as violently to the ‘dragon’s blood.’
Once Mo was seated in the crowd, Gerard turned to Mikey. “Michael,” he whispered. “You are different.”
I could almost see Mikey shiver when Gerard said that. “Please stand and face everyone,” Gerard said softly.
Mikey obeyed, and stood next to his brother. He scanned the crowd, and looked nervous. I was confused. Gerard had never done this with any other member.
“Ladies and gentlemen of The Black Parade,” Gerard said slowly. “I would like to introduce to you someone who is possibly the most important person in the room. He is my brother, Mikey Way. He is who we have been waiting for.”
When the whole room appeared confused, Gerard sent Mikey to sit in the crowd without inducting him first. Gerard himself sat in his throne. “I am about to tell you the entire story of The Black Parade. My brother is not yet a member, this is because I want to tell you this first.”
I looked around at the crowd. The only face I could see was Mikey’s. He looked scared and confused. “You may remove you hoods,” Gerard said.
Everyone did. Gerard took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair.
“A long time ago, in about 1550, there was a group of people,” Gerard began his story. “They lived in Europe, and they were sort of outcasts. Because no one wanted to have anything to do with them, they got together and formed a group. Their group would wear black cloaks, like the ones we all wear right now, and they would march the streets. They did this to scare people, to warn them that those they cast out would stay and haunt them. The townspeople were afraid of them, and gave them the name The Black Parade.”