The Black Parade

Roger. That was his name. I’d found at least that much out, and I’d managed to get him back to the City of the Dead and managed to get him to meet up with his brother, all good, go me! Though still grrr Gerard, what was his problem? Melodramatic twat!

“Hey Gwen.” It was Frank. He walked over to me with his hands safely in his pockets. “I come with special orders from Him.” I think maybe after all that singing and sexual dancing mere minuets ago my brain was frazzled because that sounded really dirty to me.

“Who?” I questioned as I fell into step with Frank.

“Umm…” he actually didn’t seem to have an answer for this one, “Him.”

“You’re all really informative around here,” I muttered.

“We try to keep everyone clued up,” Frank grinned. Maybe he just had aversions to sarcasm? Again, debating how much of his brain he was actually buried with. Actually… thinking about it, how much time had passed since I died? Was I buried yet or did I have that lovely little party to look forward to? I was going to question Frank about this, though I doubted I’d get much out of him, when he grabbed my hand.

“Err… Frank?” I looked at our joined hands quizzically.

“Don’t want to lose you in the crowd,” he grinned wickedly at me.

I just rolled my eyes but allowed myself to be dragged through the crowds in the opposite direction he’d dragged me before. “Frank?” He made some odd sound, which I was just going to take as his sound of acknowledgement. “Where are you taking me?”

“To see Him,” he answered blissfully unaware of the real world around him.

“That makes so much sense to me, Frank, thanks for clearing that one up.”

“Glad to be of service.” Sarcasm doesn’t come across well to this boy.

We headed to wherever Frank was taking me in silence. I followed obediently as Frank led me into another one of the nice tower block things, Frank had said that there were more Portals into the Land of the Living so I automatically assumed that’s where Frank was taking me. I was nearly overjoyed when we got into the elevator.

“Woo, no stairs!” I declared. My feet were really starting to hurt in these damned shoes Gerard had put me in. Who gave him the authority to just dress me up like a Christmas turkey anyway? What was with this dress? Strange man. Frank actually had the nerve to shoot me a weird look for that one. “What?! The shoes hurt!” I whined.

The elevator came to a stop on the twelfth floor with a pretty little ding and as the doors slid open I got my first glimpse of a long wooden panelled hallway with one single dark door at the end. I was going to ask Frank what this was about but he grabbed my hand- why did everyone feel the need to grab my hand?! –and started dragging me towards the door. He knocked and gave me this really scary knowing look.

“What’s that look for, Iero?” I inquired.

“You wait and see.” And with those words he pushed the door open.

The room was relatively large, the opposite wall from the door was taken up mostly by a giant window that looked out over the City of the Dead, this wasn’t by far the tallest building around but it had a pretty view considering. I could make out a river somewhere on the horizon before it rose into towering mountains thick with trees. This was an odd place, I think it was made up of people’s favourite bits of life, probably behind me there was a beach or a rain forest or something as equally as weird.

The room was light and airy and rather cheerful and the main attraction seemed to be the man sitting behind the desk in front of the large window, who did not fit with the inviting room one bit. He looked rather solid, like a man you wouldn’t want to mess with, and he had dark, greased back hair and a rather noticeable receding hairline, but he looked like the kind of man that if you mentioned his unfortunate hairline he would deck you without blinking an eye. He had dark, black eyes, with heavy lines around them. He was old, no doubt about that.
He stood up and offered me a weathered hand when I entered the room. I stood shocked just staring at him until Frank poked me in the small of my back, rather painfully I must add, and I took a few tentative steps forward, for some reason I didn’t really like this man, this Him they had all been referring to him as. His handshake was a little too ‘masculine strength contest crushing your hand’ type thing for my liking.

“Miss Jones…” He smiled, and it seemed to take years off him, I think perhaps he just had a rather stressful job, and you know how bad prolonged stress is to your looks, not good. “She’s doing rather well, so far.”

“Umm… yeah, hate to be a pest, but who the Hell are you?”

He chuckled but proceeded to ignore my question. “Take a seat Miss Jones.”

“She’ll keep bugging you for a name, you know,” Frank added from behind us. I see he didn’t want to come any closer himself. Annoying bastard.

“I did not ask for your opinion Mr. Iero.” The man said as he sat back down in his comfy looking leather chair. “You can sit down, Miss Jones, or you can not, I do not mind.” Okay, pride was telling me to stand now, my feet were screaming at me to sit down.

“I think I’ll stand, thank you.” Damn, why must I be so proud?

“Suit yourself,” he replied calmly as he leant back in his chair to survey me better. “Has Mr. Way explained what position you are in yet?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“He was going to wait for the opportune moment again,” Frank added as if that was hilarious.

“Ah, always the opportune moment,” the man said knowingly. I hate being out of the loop, I really do. “So you understand that you are to replace Gerard?” I nodded. “Such a shame to see him go.”

“Fucking stupid idea to let him go,” Frank snorted.

“Again, I’ll remind you to keep you opinions to yourself, Mr. Iero, that’s if you value your afterlife. Do you wish to be demoted to floor scrubber again?” Frank was suddenly very quiet indeed. I wonder what he meant by ‘again’? Ooo, I might get to use that one on Frank later. “As I was saying, Miss Jones, before Mr. Iero interrupted.” Frank really did seem to have a habit of doing that to people, I wonder if he was like that when he was still alive? “You will be taking a prestigious place in The Parade, do you understand the implications of this?”

I had to think about that one for a moment. “Yes.” I settled on. “I’ll be completely, utterly lost and confused for the rest of my life- I mean afterlife.”

“Gerard was right when he said you believed you were funny.”

“Yes, but you are smiling,” I pointed out.

“I guess there is very little left to do,” the man mused, “we are just waiting now for things to fall into place.”

“Any news yet?” Frank asked, sounding almost desperate for an answer.

“As unstable as ever, I am afraid, could be today, could be next year, who knows.” The man answered.

I turned to look at Frank to see he looked quite distressed but he just nodded and turned to admire a potted plant in the corner, his hands in his pockets once again. I kind of had a revelation then, remembering what we’d caught Gerard doing and what Frank had said. “Are you waiting for Gerard’s little brother to die?” It sounded pretty distressing to me.

The man nodded, a sympathetic look on his strong features. “We are.”

“Why is Gerard leaving?” I asked.

“Personal matters,” the man answered.

“Because he’s a selfish bastard,” Frank snapped suddenly.

“I’m what?”

We all spun around to witness Gerard standing in the doorway to the room with a not too pleased look on his face.

“A selfish bastard!” Frank repeated with a bit more feeling.

“Mr. Iero,” the man started warningly. Frank shot him a look before turning back to the amazingly interesting cheese plant. “Is there anything you want, Gerard?”

“Just the usual,” Gerard answered.

“Wavering somewhere near the middle,” the man answered.

Gerard sighed and turned as if to leave.

“Wait,” the man called out and Gerard turned. “There has been a slight mix up that I’d like you to fix.”

“Again,” Gerard huffed, but he walked further into the room, shutting the door behind him.
“Another drifter,” the man said.

“Who?” Gerard asked.

The man looked around the room at as all, thinking his answer through thoroughly before answering. “An army general by the name of Daniel Abbott.”

“Okay,” Gerard replied in an almost defeated voice, he just didn’t seem to care. He turned without another word and headed towards the door.

“I think you should take Miss Jones with you.” The man suggested, which didn’t seem to go down too well with Gerard.

“I’d rather be alone on this one.”

“I advise you to take her with you.” The man sounded like he shouldn’t be messed with. Gerard turned to share a stern look with the man but it seemed the man won and Gerard nodded and began walking away again. I wasn’t quite sure what to do but from one look from the man I hurried after Gerard. “Miss Jones?” I stopped suddenly and
turned. “Welcome to The Black Parade.”

“Um… thanks.” I waved, I don’t know why, it just seemed to be my response to everything, and ran out after Gerard. I wasn’t even sure why I was going after him, considering what he’d just done with the last pick up, but I feared the man just that tiny bit more than Gerard. Well really the only threat with Mr. Gerard Way was that he was probably going to succeed in seducing you. Not a happy thought. I caught up with him in the elevator, which he was not holding for me, and stood there glaring at him while trying to catch my breath. Damn these fucking shoes! “What… what’s a drifter?” I finally managed to ask.

Gerard shot me this look as if I was stupid for asking. I seriously considered punching him. How could he annoy me so much without me even knowing him? “A drifter,” Gerard started explaining in a superior ‘I know everything’ tone, “is a soul that wasn’t collected, for any number of reasons, and is therefore left to wander around the Land of the Living, commonly known to most as a ghost.”

“Oh, okay a ghost.” That was easy… wait, we’re all kind of ghosts...

“If anyone’s said they’ve seen a ghost they’ve seen one of the drifters… or they’re having a nervous breakdown.” He smiled then. Wow, Gerard Way can crack jokes, who would have thought?

“So what do we do? Is it anything different to the usual souls?” I asked.

“They’re usually much more disorientated, its harder to convince them to come with you, but besides that there’s very little difference.” You know what? I think that was actually a straight answer for once.

Instead of heading to the building we’d used before Gerard got off on the second floor and lead me through a maze of corridors to a room that held one, probably very special, portal. I was really starting to get confused by these portal things, how are you supposed to know which one you’re supposed to use?

Gerard touched his hand to the mist and it began to clear like it had before. The scene revealed was of a peaceful looking cemetery, there was a thin layer of snow over everything, so it was obviously still Christmas back in the Land of the Living then. There was a decorative pond in the background with a small white bridge over it and standing on the bridge were six men in dress uniforms with rifles over their shoulders.

Gerard led me through slowly and the shock of the warmth of the portal and then the sudden chill of the winter wind made me gasp, lucky they couldn’t hear me. There was about forty white chairs surrounding a gaping hole in the ground, and mourners in black filled them all up, their faces melancholy and icy.

I spotted Daniel Abbott easily, he was the one standing by the graveside and staring into the dark abyss with a terrified look on his face. He had thick white hair, and an air of command and power around him, even with such a look on his face.

Gerard touched my arm softly and led me around the grave to get a better look at what I assumed was a friend saying fond things about Daniel’s life. It was rather distressing actually, the look on Daniel’s face, the pure terror and confusion. How did they manage to let him wander? Daniel turned to the coffin and I did too, noticing that the American flag was draped over it, a proper military funereal.

Suddenly piano filtered from somewhere as the man stepped down from the podium and Gerard took his place, a rather self-important look about him, egotistical jerk. What the fuck did he think he was doing? “When I was a young boy my father took me in to the city, to see a marching band.” That was really nice to know, Gerard, we’re so grateful you’d tell us something like that, it made my day so much better. “He said,” I suddenly noticed a procession of men in dress uniforms with snare drums as they started up a military beat. Had they been there before or had Gerard somehow made them appear? “‘Son when you grow up would you be the saviour of the broken, the beaten and the damned?’” Well that was a very interesting thing for your father to say Gerard. “He said, ‘Will you defeat them, your demons and all the none-believers the plans that they have made.’” There was guitar lightly in the background. Where the fuck did that come from? “’Because one day I’ll leave you, a phantom to lead you in the summer, to join The Black Parade.”

Oh, another guitar riff, someone couldn’t get enough.

Gerard was almost conducting the military drummers as they did some very interesting marching formations, which included hitting each other’s drums when it wasn’t really necessary. Show off’s.

“When I was a young boy my father took me in to the city to see a marching band. He said, ‘Son when you grow up would you be the saviour of the broken, the beaten and the damned?” Did he have to ‘sing’ it in such a way that hurt my ears? And with such emotion? Where the fuck did that come from? And what did this have to do with poor Daniel Abbott?

And then the song really kicked in. Jesus Christ, could he do this? Where were the Musical Rights police or whatever that could stop him bursting into song whenever he damned felt like?

Gerard approached Daniel, who had been watching Gerard with wide eyes, probably very confused about who this bleached blonde maniac was and why he was gate crashing his funereal. “Sometimes I get the feeling she’s watching over me,” okay was his father a transvestite or did I just miss hear him turning into a woman there? “And other times I feel like I should go.” Yeah, we all feel like that about you, Gerard.

He took Daniel’s arm and led him away from the gaping hole in the hard packed earth. “And through it all, the rise and fall, of the bodies in the streets,” he sung to him as they walked slowly among the mourners as they began to stand, “and when you’re gone we want you all to know.”

Gerard turned to Daniel. “We’ll carry on, we’ll carry on and though your dead and gone believe me your memory will carry on, we’ll carry on and in my heart I can’t contain it, the anthem won’t explain it.” He sung as he gestured to all the mourners around him. Daniel was just looking at Gerard as if seriously distrusting his sanity, I was thinking along the same lines.

“A world that sends you reeling from decimated dreams.” Gerard continued. “Your misery and hate will kill us all.” That didn’t make any sense, but please, do continue. “So paint it black and take it back let’s shout it loud and clear.” Oh, please do. “Defiant till the end we hear the call.”

“To carry on, we’ll carry on.” Holy crap! He was doing that whole controlling the living thing because they all joined in with the chorus. “And though you’re dead and gone believe me your memory will carry on, we’ll carry on and though you’re broken and defeated your weary widow marches on….”

“On and on we carry through the fears.” Again I think they were just changing things here to confuse me. And why did he have to go and ‘oh’ some more? “Disappointed faces of your peers.” Gerard motioned to all the mourners once more, Daniel looking at all of them with a sort of lost look. “Take a look at me coz I could not care at all.” That was really sensitive Gerard, the man’s fucking terrified and you tell him you don’t care.

“Do or die,” Gerard sung. “You’ll never make me.” We weren’t trying. He had to go and make it about himself once more, didn’t he? “Because the world will never take my heart.” He put a hand to his heart in quite a meaningful pose. Go him. “Go and try,” he really looked like he was getting far too into this, “you’ll never break me,” again no one was trying. “We want it all we want to play this part.” Selfish buggers. “I won’t explain,” no one bloody asked you, “or say I’m sorry.” For what? “I’m unashamed. I’m going to show my scar.” What the fuck are you going on about now you jerk? “Give a cheer for all the broken listen hear coz its who we are.”

Another pointless guitar riff. “I’m just a man, not a hero,” wow, finally some modesty, “just a boy who had to sing this song.” You didn’t have to do anything, Mr. Way, you just chose to start singing, like you always bloody do. And why do you feel the need to contradict yourself? You’re a man and then you’re a boy? You’re having a few issues today, aren’t you? “I’m just a man not a hero.” Okay, I think we got the point.

“I don’t care.” Frankly, neither could I.

“We’ll carry on, we’ll carry on,” Gerard led Daniel through the arch of decorative swords his battalion were holding out in salute, “and though you’re dead and gone believe me your memory will carry on.” The soldiers on the bridge fired their rifles into the air and I jumped in surprise. “You’ll carry on and though you’re broken and defeated your weary widow marches on.” Gerard clicked his fingers and The Black Parade turned up, this time playing this song rather then the usual ‘Dead’ song. If Daniel wasn’t dead I think he would have just had a heart attack and died from shock.

“Do or die,” the mourners again took up singing backing vocals. “You’ll never make me because the world will never take my heart. Go and try, you’ll never break me, we want it all.”

“We’ll carry on.” Gerard declared loudly, cutting through the backing vocals.

“We want to play this part. Do or die you’ll never make me because the world will never take my heart. Go and try, you’ll never break me, we want it all we want to play this part.”

“We’ll carry on!” Gerard drew the note out as the song finished.

The music filtered out to just the drums again and I was left rather confused. Though I do believe that Daniel actually understood what was going on now. How in Hell did that one work? He didn’t even protest as he was led into the parade, I followed without thinking, again I hadn’t really been paying attention, this didn’t seem different from any other collection. Let’s see. Gerard sung a pointless song, somehow able to make someone else’s death all about himself, scared me slightly, had a bit of fun manipulating the living and then left me confused to follow him. That sounded about right. God, I hated my afterlife.