Hopeless for You

After meeting the Killjoys, Zone 6's radio DJ, Dr. Deathdefying, offered s food. We happily obliged seeing as we haven't eaten in a few days. We mostly make sure Grace had enough to eat everyday. After finishing our breakfast, we showered, redressed, and set up in our given rooms. Grace automatically shared a bed with me on the bottom bunk. Destroya took the top.

Once Grace had eaten lunch an hour later, she went down for a nap. The girls and I joined the Killjoys in an open field, yards away from their underground bunker to practice shooting ray guns. Ray guns were never used for violence when they were developed in 2016. They were used for shows and only professional shooters could use them.

"Your dominate foot will be out in front of you, your elbows will lock, and your knees will lock." Party Poison explained. "Shooting ray guns is almost like shooting an actual gun. Just replacing bullets with plasma beams that shoot at an extremely at high velocity."

"Revenge, how 'bout you go first." Jet volunteered her. Revenge took the stance Poison explained and without his cue, shot at the DANGER: ZONE 6 sign half buried in the ground. She caught us all by surprise. Especially Destroya because she jumped and covered her ears as soon as the ray gun shot off and the beam bit the metal sign, burning a hole into the 6.

"Good job." Poison chuckled. The boys clapped their hands at her. Revenge faced them, smiled, and winked as she took her place beside me.

"Stop showing off." I scolded her. She frowned and rolled her eyes at me.

After three more hours of shooting, running laps, and learning a few combat moves, which was fun, we all gathered in the underground bunker for dinner and showers.

"You did really good today." said one of the Killjoys to me, Fun Ghoul, I think was his name. He had tan skin covered in tattoos, shoulder-length, black hair, and dark green eyes. He was wearing a loose black t-shirt and khaki shorts. "I'm sure your family would be proud of you."

I rolled my eyes ans scoffed. "Thanks, but, no, they wouldn't. If my parent's saw me acting as a hood rat, they'd have me exorcised."

"Religious people?" he chuckled, following me to a table.

"Extremely. And they were very into death. Hence the reason they became morticians."

"That's a little...morbid." I nodded in agreement. "Did you have a family?"

"Like, a husband and kids of my own?" I questioned. He nodded and shoveled a spoonful of coyote jerky and onion roots into his mouth. "Nope. I never thought of having a family. I guess I'm one of those girls who have their minds set on school and income rather than cooking, cleaning, and children."

"Education comes first, I understand that. You're a smart girl." Ghoul said smiling and nodding.

"What about you?" I asked. "Did you have a family?"

He didn't answer right away. For a second, he smiled and then his expression turned grim and he looked like he was lost in his thoughts.

"I did." Ghoul said slowly. "I lost them the day the war began."

"They died?"

"I..." he shook his head. "I don't know what happened to them. I literally lost them. Don't know if they're dead or alive."

I laid my hand on his and stroked his callused knuckles with my thumb. "Wherever they are, they'd be so proud and happy that you made it. You're still here. You're a survivor."

"How did you make it out alive?" he asked me, staring deeply into my eyes. It was a story that haunted me every day and night.

"I was in an airplane coming to Battery City. I'm from Washington, so, yeah. While the plane was flying into California, I guess some bombs were dropped. There was a panic. The aftershock of the explosion hit the plane and we went down." I paused, remembering the feeling of true fear. Fear had a bitter taste. Facing the fact that this was how I was going to die; this is what Death had planned for me. "Only three died. A lot were injured." I paused again.

"You don't have to finish." Fun Ghoul began.

"I know you have a story to tell." I replied abruptly. "You have 'haunted past' written all over you."

"My world ended the same time yours did.'

"Come on, if you're gonna make me relive my nightmare, you gotta return the favor."

He thought about it. In the midst of his thinking, Kobra and Jet decided to join us. Soon, all of the Killjoys, my girls, and Grace crowded the table we'd been using.

"Tell me later." I mouthed to Ghoul. He nodded in agreement.

Everyone conversated, getting to know each other pretty well. I didn't join in. I wasn't here to make friends. I came to make our gang larger, learn combat, and save the world. For Grace, for the girls, and for everyone who lost their life during Project Doomsday.

Korse owed us his life.