The Only Hope for Me Is You

I didn’t bother going back to headquarters, I decided to wait for Pony. I sat on the ground, my back up against a boulder opposite the road he was on. I had been drawing for around half an hour with the BL/ind pen and pad. I had drawn me and Mikey, holding hands, walking into the methane skies together, tears staining the pages again. I wiped at my eyes, and then at the page, smearing the pen slightly.

“Fuck…” I sighed, trying to correct it.

“I thought you went back?” I jumped as a voice disturbed me from the drawing, sending my head shooting up towards the silhouetted figure in front of me, the figure of Show Pony.

“Pony!” I shouted, putting the pad and pen down and throwing my arms around him again, he hugged me close before pulling away and retrieving a note from his pocket.

“You gave it to them?” I asked, looking up at him, smiling. He nodded, pushing up his visor to look at me.

“Yep, they said it’s all fine and they’re glad you’re alright, I’m going to be taking all the information back to them, passing messages and what not.” He said before handing the note to me, I took it from him, opening it up.

“Mikey and Gerard wrote a few bits down for you.” He said. I nodded before tucking it away in my pocket, saving it for later.

“I better get back.” I sigh, looking behind me.

“They keep you well there?” he asked, looking slightly concerned. I nodded, running my hand through my hair.

“Yeah…I’ll be fine Pony, don’t worry.” I smile lightly.

“I know, the guys say you’re the best at these kind of missions.” He smiled back, patting my arm lightly. I chuckled at this, “Yeah, I am pretty good, being sneaky and all.” I laugh before pulling up my bandana.

“How’s your leg, by the way?” he points down to my leg, which I had completely forgotten about, and I soon discover why. I pull my trouser leg up, but there’s not a trace of a gun shot wound, nothing but pale white flesh.

“Okay…that’s weird. I had a huge fucking hole in my leg.” I pat the area of skin, looking bewildered.

“They must have cleaned you up…” he mumbles before shaking his head, “corporation process...." he frowned, then continued. "Anyways, you better go before they suspect anything.” I nod.

“Yeah…thanks a lot Pony, for doing this, for everything.” I say, putting my hands in my pockets.

“No trouble at all, you take care." He said, giving me a small smile. "I’ll meet you back here tomorrow morning?” he asks, putting his visor back down.

“Tomorrow morning.” I nod and we both turn away from each other, waving as we do. I walk back to the headquarters, a huge smile on my face as I arrive through the doors of the HQ, only to have Exploder run straight up to me.

“Where did you go?” he asks, “you missed dinner.”

“Oh…sorry I went for a walk…” I say, fumbling my fingers around in my pockets, gripping the note.

“It’s fine,” he smiled, “We’ll have one tomorrow, together. Just you and me, I’d like to talk about a few things with my sister. But for now, I’ll have some food sent to your quarters.” I nod, turning to walk to my room, but I am stopped by Exploder grabbing my arm, pulling me to a halt.

“Be polite, sister.” He said, not looking at me before turning his head, that smirk on his face.

“Thank you…brother.” He smirks again before letting my arm go and walked away, arms behind his back, disappearing through a door behind a desk.

“Dick head…” I mumble under my breath, making my way down the corridor and entering my quarters, throwing myself onto the bed, bouncing once before settling on it, sighing. I pull my hands out of my pockets, bringing the note out with it, opening it and reading it under my breath, I read the bit from Gerard, which was written on the outside of the note.

“Don’t forget to find the boxes and have Pony bring them back to us. Stay safe you nutter.” it read, and I laughed at the last bit; I miss them so much. I go straight to Mikey’s bit.

“Just wanted to say I’m sorry I doubted you, Lauren...I thought you’d given up. Cy helped me see that you hadn’t, that you had this crazy, fantastic plan, and that you’re still one of us. Of course you are, I don’t know how I could have ever thought otherwise. I’m just so glad you’re okay, Lauren. Please...PLEASE stay safe. We’re gonna be coming up with a plan with the information you give us. I miss you, so so much and…have a surprise for you when you get back. I love you. – Your Mikey xxx”

I put the note down before I tear stain it anymore, crying into the pillow. I sniff, sitting up and wipe my eyes and nose, falling back onto the bed, jumping back up as a small section of the wall opposite slides open, revealing a tray of food.

I fold up the note and kiss it before putting it into the drawer on the bedside table. I get up from the bed, wiping at my face a bit more before pulling out the tray, watching it slide back into the wall. I sit back down on the bed, poking at the BL/ind labelled food, knowing it has to be riddled with drugs, and sigh. I’m fucking starving, but I can’t eat it; but I need to make it look like I ate it.

I frantically look around the room for somewhere to hide it, looking everywhere, then spot somewhere as I look up. The air vents. I smile before climbing up on top of the side table and sliding the hatch open, throwing the food in there. Luckily, it’s nothing that will stink the place out if it goes off, besides the drugs take away the taste and the smell anyway.

I put the containers back onto the tray before walking back over to the door and patting around the area the wall slid open, before hitting the hidden button as it slid open again, and I placed the tray back in and it closed again.

I looked down at my empty stomach as it rumbled. I groan before slumping back onto the bed and taking out the note again, reading it over and over again before falling into a deep sleep.
_______________________________________________________________________

The wall woke me this morning as it slid open, louder than last night. I jumped awake and sighed, stamping over to the wall and pulling out the tray, climbing on top of the table and opening the hatch once again, throwing the food in amongst last nights food.

I clamber back down before throwing the tray back and slumping back onto the bed, my stomach starting to experience hunger pains. I look up to the vent again, figuring that it’s a way to get to the boxes. I saw one down the corridor earlier; they seem to be scattered all over the headquarters...but why? I saw it on top of a BL/ind vending machine, just above a hatch, which is perfect.

I sigh before climbing up again, but pulling myself up into the vent, narrowly missing the pile of food. I crawl through it, throwing my elbows forward to drag me through the thin space, until I eventually peer through the right hatch and I’m above the box. I look through the hole, looking for any sign of Dracs or Scarecrows, ducking as a pair of Dracs walk past the vending machine, but rise again as they disappear out of sight.

I slid the hatch open and poke my head out, looking side to side before leaning half my body out and leaning down to grab the box. I grip the side of it and lift it slightly off of the machine, straining my body against the vent, I gasp as I loose grip on it and falls back down with a thud and I freeze in my place, expecting to be confronted, but no one comes. I take both hands onto the box and haul it up into the vent, closing the hatch behind me.

I sigh with relief as I lean back, wiping my forehead of sweat before looking down at the side of the box, seeing the logo of Jet Star on there, the blue star with the smile on it. It’s Ray’s box.

I jolt slightly as I feel cold embrace my nose and I wipe at it, looking down at a drop of dew on my finger and I look up to see that a hatch above me is letting in light, which means it leads to the roof. I need to get this to Pony as soon possible so I try to open the hatch, having to kick it open with my foot, sending the screws flying. I take the box and slide it onto the ceiling before pulling myself up and out of the building. I grab the box and crawl on my knees along the ceiling, squinting into the bright daylight as I reach the edge of the roof. I look down, seeing nothing to help me down and I know I have to jump.

“Great…” I sigh and throw the box down before throwing myself down, landing on my feet but falling over anyway, coughing in the dust.

“Shit, are you okay?!” I feel arms pulling me up as I clamber to my feet, turning to the person behind me.

“Pony? What the fuck?” I say, grabbing his arm and the box before running away from the building, taking him with me.

“Do you have any idea what they’d do to you if they found you here? I thought we were meeting at the road?” I say, stopping as we get a fair distance from the HQ.

“I was worried.” He said, taking the box from my arms and looking at Jet Star’s logo.

“What…why does this have Jet Star’s logo?” he asked, showing it to me.

“Long story and thanks.” I sigh, “Oh wait!” I say, stopping him as he turns and I grab the pen and pad from my pockets, writing a message back to Mikey and putting the drawing I did of the two of us with it and putting it on top of the box.

“Thanks Pony.” I smiled, he nodded before rollerblading back to the shack.