The Only Hope for Me Is You

I ran behind the boys, wondering where the hell Joker could be. We managed to shake off the Dracs a few corridors back, and we slowed down to a fast walking pace, guns still raised. The, I heard it. A single gunshot, followed by a familiar voice, screaming.

"NO!" I looked at Gerard.

"It's her!" I said, and began running towards the scream, turning the corner to see Korse walking the other direction, and Joker leaning over a lifeless Atomic. Immediately, I ran over to her, and got on my knees.

"Fuck, what happened, Joker?!" I said, hearing the others run in after me. Joker didn't say anything; she was still trying to pump air into the dead Atomic, crying. I took her arm.

"Joker, it's too late--"

"NO!" she screamed. "THIS CAN't HAPPEN!" She started pounding on the floor, and I stood up, and let her get her anger out, turning to Frank and the others.

"What happened....?" Frank asked, looking over my shoulder at Joker. I shook my head.

"Fucking Korse happened."

"No...Korse shot Atomic?" Ray asked, and I nodded.

"How could Korse shoot a defenseless little girl?" Mikey asked. "That's disgusting!" Gerard nodded, a tear falling down his face.

"She was so young..." he said quietly, and I wrapped my arm around his, and we watched Joker let her anger and frustration out, sobbing over Atomic's lifeless body. After a few more minutes, Mikey couldn't take it anymore and shoved his way past, between me and Frank, and walked over to Joker, getting on his knees, wrapping his arms around Joker, putting his head on her shoulder, and she sobbed uncontrollably. They didn't even speak...Mikey just held her close, and eventually Joker calmed down, and kissed him on the mouth, and Mikey kissed back, holding her chin up with his thumb. Seeing this, I knew what they had was real. Much more pure than what I had with Frank and Gerard. I put my hands on my hips, realizing that I really did have to choose eventually. But until that day came, I would back off everything sexual, and focus more on the actual relationship I had with my two men. Because thinking about it, I wanted what Kobra and Joker had. They were so perfect...

"Cy, you okay?" Frank said, rubbing my back, and I nodded, realizing I was crying. I smiled, wiped the tear off my face, and looked at him through watery eyes.

"Yeah, Frank, I'm fine..." I said. "Except for the fact that Korse is a fucking psycho..." Poison grabbed me by the shoulders and massaged them lightly, and leaned forward to kiss my neck, and I smiled. This was going to be a harder decision than I thought...

"Babe...Sometimes people have to die," he said. "In order for things to work out in the end." I sniffled, and turned around and wrapped my arms around him, putting my head on his chest.

"She was too young to die, Poison," I said, and he held my head in his hands and pushed it closer to his chest; I heart his heart beat. Mikey and Joker had stood up, hugging each other, and I saw Ray walk over, pick up Atomic's lifeless corpse, and we all gathered together again.

"Proper burial when we get back?" Frank asked everyone, and we all nodded, and I felt the tears swell up again, and Mikey led the group through the empty halls, to the side entrance, where the car had been parked. Poison let my hand go, kissed the top of my head, and walked over to the car, inspecting it.

"Kobra, you managed not to destroy my baby," he said, and Mikey's face didn't even budge. I know Gerard was trying to lighten the mood, but now wasn't the time.

"Bro, bad timing," Frank said, walking up and patting Gerard on the shoulder, and Gerard hung his head.

"Shit, I know..." He lifted his head back up and ran his hand through his hair before putting it on his hip.

"So who's driving with me back to HQ?" he asked. We all looked around, and I spoke.

"I will, and I'll take Atomic too..." Ray handed me her body, and I tried so hard not to cry as I carried her in my arms and lied her in the back seat.

"You guy's gonna be okay by yourselves?" Gerard asked the four of them. Frank nodded.

"You just worry about getting back safe," Frank said. "We'll be fine, the four of us." Gerard nodded.

"Be careful," he said. "And die with your mask on if you've got to. You hear me?" He said, getting in the driver's seat, and I saw Frank nod, and wave his arm at the others, and they turned the corner to make the long journey back to the shack. I got in the car, sat down and buckled up, feeling worried for the others. They had to walk through six Zones, at night, of all times, where Dracs and Scarecrow numbers were doubled. I looked at Gerard, who started the car before looking at me, and pulled down his mask.

"Cy, they'll be fine..." He said, leaning over and kissing my mouth gently before driving off, waving at the others as we passed them. I hung my head, and turned around to look at Atomic, eternally at rest in the back seat.

"I really hope so..." I said.