The Black Parade

“Gerard Way.” The thing, as I’m not going to describe it because it is very hard to describe and appears differently to each person in turn, so I’ll probably describe it when someone is in the room with it because on it’s own it’s form isn’t exactly real, if you get my drift, read off the memo in front of it. It tapped its fingernails, yes it did have fingernails, against the mahogany top of its desk impatiently. This certain person had caused it a lot of trouble, and it looked like he was about to cause some more. “What will it be this time?” It huffed, yes it did have a mouth, it could communicate that way, and yes it did huff. It had every right to huff. There was a knock on its door. “Come in.” It surveyed the man who walked in, good height, good build, bleached blonde hair, that even scared the thing at the table, and dark hazel eyes. “Gerard Way,” it muttered again.

Gerard Way was used to its mood, actually it was mostly Gerard Way that gave it its moods. Though as Gerard was in the room it had a shape and I think it only fair to describe it to you now. To Gerard it appeared as a middle-aged man with black hair and a rather harsh looking face, lot’s of sharp angles and deep lines, with dark soulless eyes, dressed in a dark purple pinstriped suit.

“What could it possibly be now?” The man huffed.

“You got my memo?” Gerard questioned as he casually took a seat opposite the man.
He nodded. “Indeed.”

“I want to quit.” Gerard replied firmly.

“Are you quite sure about this?” The man asked, a waver of worry to his voice. “I mean the trouble you went to getting this job…”

“You did approach me.” Gerard cut in.

“Yes but you so obviously thought you could do it better,” the man huffed, again, Gerard Way made him huff too much.

“And did I not?”

“To a degree,” the man answered in a cold voice. “If it wasn’t for all that trouble.”

Gerard nodded knowingly. “All that trouble.” He echoed.

“I seemed to underestimate your popularity,” the man sighed, shaking his head slowly. “Who would have thought they’d start committing suicide in grief at your loss? And then I don’t understand how they managed to communicate to all the rest of the annoying brood that they could meet you in the end.”

“I guess there was a problem in administration,” Gerard replied in a bored drawl.

“And the way they clung to you!”

“You understand why I started refusing those jobs?” Gerard asked calmly.

“Well, you caused a major backlog, but I can look past that as you are so good at your job, are you really sure you want to quit?” The man asked desperately, not at all keen on losing Gerard Way.

“Pretty positive, yes.”

“But your idea has yielded the most positive results, people accept it much quicker and calmer when greeted with your idea, and the people you have chosen and trained are brilliant. Do you not think maybe you could wait a little longer?”

“I have business to attend to, it has been ten years.”

“And they’ve flown past so quickly,” the man replied sarcastically, sarcasm was also something this thing could do, and he quite enjoyed it too, come to think of it. “Does this business have something in particular to do with a certain man called,” he paused to check the many papers on his table, “Michael James Way?” he asked in a satisfied tone.

“Yes,” Gerard replied in a clipped tone.

“Cancer, isn’t it?” The man inquired as he checked his notes. “And he gave us such scares with all those failed suicide attempts, but I’m sure this is definitely his time, yes pretty positive. So I suppose you’d like to spend eternity with your little brother?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you want to give up?”

“Pretty sure.”

“Could you not do part time? Job sharing perhaps? I’m sure your brother would understand.”

“I want to be with him.”

The man sighed again, another thing that Gerard Way made him do too much. “Always?” He asked almost desperately.

“I owe it to him, I shouldn’t have…” he trailed off not wishing to remember that certain episode just yet, but don’t worry, it will be revealed in the course of this story, I’m not that mean.

“Fine, but we’ll be losing one of our best.”

“I know.”

The man sat and thought silently for a moment before an idea came to him. “I will let you quit, no strings attached, if you do me a favour.”

“Which is?” Gerard asked warily, knowing the man’s track record with favours.

“I want you to pick and train a replacement, do you understand?”

“A replacement?”

“Yes.”

“Anyone?”

“Anyone suitable of your choosing. I leave it up to you. But if it doesn’t work out I will hold you solely responsible for this, do you understand?” Gerard nodded. “Good, failure means consequences Gerard, I’m a very busy man and I can’t possibly put up with such things. So we have a deal?”

“We have a deal.”