Two

There is a strange kind of bonding when you dispose of a body with someone. The morbid secret ties an invisible thread around the two of you. You can never forget.

We dumped the body in a ditch beside the highway. My chest twinged with pain. I fell to a crouch. Panting for breath.

"What's wrong?" Revenge called from a few yards away.

"My- chest-" I gasped. "Pain!" I added. My eyes squeezing shut.

"Uh, what can I do?" Revenge started to panic. I'm never ill.

Then as soon as the pain began, it ended. I held out a hand to Revenge. Showed her I was okay.

"I'm okay." I said, catching my breath. "We need to go on this suicide mission as soon as possible." I told her, making my way back inside the diner.

"Tomorrow." She said. Intensity to her mood.

We moved over to where we were to sleep. The kid, who Dr D. had nicknamed "Missile Kid", poked her head into the room.

"Uh, can I sleep in here? The diner is lonely at night." She whimpered. I saw a younger version of me in her. She didn't deserve this lifestyle.

"C'mere kid." I said. Revenge looked at me in surprise. I cleared a space between myy sister and I for the young girl.

"You've changed your tune." Revenge said to me. "Since when did you have time for children?" She asked.

"Since we are all this little girl has got." I snapped, sharing my blanket with the kid as she began to shiver when the desert temperature dropped. "Don't question my good deeds, sis." I told her, and she laid down, kicking off her boots.

Tomorrow.

***

"We need to go see Uncle Nick." I said. I tightened the laces on my boots.

"What, why? He lives in the middle of Battery City!" Revenge spluttered.

Nick wasn't really our uncle. He was a friend of the family. Our father's best friend. He is too old to run as a rebel, so he feeds the killjoys information on BL/Ind. Valuable information. I knew there was a huge risk by visiting his house in Battery City, but it's the only way we can rescue the guys.

"We need to blend in, if we have any hope of rescuing them." I said. She frowned.

"I never thought of that." She said. Brought her finger to her chin in thought.

"When should we go?" I asked her.

"As soon as possible." She said quickly, her eyes turning to me. She was attached to Kobra Kid. Attachment is dangerous. But, the longer we leave it, the less chance of them being alive.

"Now?" I suggested. She looked at the kid asleep. Pulled the blanket over her. She looked out to the rising sun. Nodded. "Then let's go." I said, helping her to her feet. She pulled her jacket tighter. I re-tied my bandana. We set off on foot towards the City.

***

Nick greeted us quickly. Pulling us into his house before any of the medicated neighbours saw us. In the living room, there was a young blonde girl of about 16 years old.

"Who is this?" I asked loudly. The girl's bright blue eyes widened. Well, I did have my ray-gun pointed at her.

"Don't shoot." Nick said, walking between my target and my gun. "This is my niece, Rose." He said. "These are two killjoys." He said to Rose.

"I can see." She said with a small smile. "Are you here to take me with you?" She asked, her voice quiet and hard to hear.

"No." I snapped. "We're here to talk to Nick." Her eyes widened. That seemed to be her only expression.

"Whatever you want to to say to me, you can say in front of Rose." Nick said, itching his short brown goatee, and leaning his hip against the bookshelf.

"We need your help." Revenge said. "We need to disguise ourselves to go undercover in the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W building." She said, frowning.

"Can you help us?" I asked. He narrowed his eyes.

"This time, I need a favor from you girls." He said. I sensed the danger in what he was going to ask us. I cocked an eyebrow in question.

"I need you to take Rose." I snorted, and Revenge denied it immediately.

"No way. She wouldn't last two seconds out there." I said.

"Sadly, I agree with her, Nick." Revenge said.

"That's my condition. The tablets have an adverse reaction to her immune system. So if she takes them, she'll die. But if she doesn't take them, she will be exterminated by BL/Ind. Please." His voice cracked. I glanced at Rose. I thought of Fun Ghoul, and Kobra Kid, Jet Star and Party Poison. To take a little more responsibility meant that we could attempt to save the boys. Revenge was looking at me for a response.

"Fine. We'll take the girl. Just don't blame me when she dies."