Post by Arson Anthem on Mar 2, 2011 13:31:03 GMT -5
I grew up in an orphanage on the outskirts of Battery City. It was dingy and cramped and always had that acidic lemony smell from the cleaner. Cracked linoleum, thin mattresses, bland food – a five star hotel it was not. I don’t remember much of the Helium Wars. Our routine didn’t change much – the lower floor was underground and as safe as any bunker, so we just got moved down there when there was a bomb warning.
When I was older, after things had settled down a bit, I’d sneak out with my friends at night. We’d go dumpster diving, spy on the rich city folk, tag walls if we could get paint. I had a talent when it came to setting fires, too, and only got caught once. Luckily it was a small one in a vacant lot, and I could claim it was an accident.
Anyway, by the time I was 16 word had spread about the killjoys out in the desert, and runs to the city had been shut down a long time ago. My friends and I made a plan, starting with hiding the pills at breakfast instead of swallowing them. A strategically lit kitchen fire and a broken window latch was all it took – we were out for good this time.
We wouldn’t have lasted a week on our own. Three days into the Zones, we were out of food and water, and two kids went back. The rest of us were holed up in an abandoned house when the Dracs came. We hadn’t even considered the idea that the other two might talk. We had no weapons and wouldn’t have known how to use them if we had – the Dracs either stunned or tied us up within five minutes, and we were being dragged to the van when THEY showed up: the killjoys.
I know now they were no one special, just three friends who’d seen the van and come to investigate. But at the time they were larger than life to me. Long story short, they killed the Dracs, took us to their safehouse, and taught us how to survive. Samantha Wheeler was replaced by Arson Anthem. I stayed for a year, then started Zone Running. Set up a safehouse of my own, but had to leave after a few months when SCARECROW stopped by.
I've had a few adventures since then - most notably being captured and "treated" by BLI. I made it out and survived the aftereffects with the help of some friends and an... ally, for lack of a better word. Later I went back to BLI under the assumed identity of Jenny Whitmore and led a rather successful revolt. It was short lived, but the killjoys gained a few dozen members and we did some damage to Battery City and the Tower.
As far as I know, I’m the only one from the orphanage left. Mostly we’ve just lost touch, but I saw two die myself – Jack O Lantern and Spring Loaded were their killjoy names. Time and Katy. I haven’t gone back to the place I grew up, and I don’t want to – the desert, the open sky, and room to run are all I need now.
When I was older, after things had settled down a bit, I’d sneak out with my friends at night. We’d go dumpster diving, spy on the rich city folk, tag walls if we could get paint. I had a talent when it came to setting fires, too, and only got caught once. Luckily it was a small one in a vacant lot, and I could claim it was an accident.
Anyway, by the time I was 16 word had spread about the killjoys out in the desert, and runs to the city had been shut down a long time ago. My friends and I made a plan, starting with hiding the pills at breakfast instead of swallowing them. A strategically lit kitchen fire and a broken window latch was all it took – we were out for good this time.
We wouldn’t have lasted a week on our own. Three days into the Zones, we were out of food and water, and two kids went back. The rest of us were holed up in an abandoned house when the Dracs came. We hadn’t even considered the idea that the other two might talk. We had no weapons and wouldn’t have known how to use them if we had – the Dracs either stunned or tied us up within five minutes, and we were being dragged to the van when THEY showed up: the killjoys.
I know now they were no one special, just three friends who’d seen the van and come to investigate. But at the time they were larger than life to me. Long story short, they killed the Dracs, took us to their safehouse, and taught us how to survive. Samantha Wheeler was replaced by Arson Anthem. I stayed for a year, then started Zone Running. Set up a safehouse of my own, but had to leave after a few months when SCARECROW stopped by.
I've had a few adventures since then - most notably being captured and "treated" by BLI. I made it out and survived the aftereffects with the help of some friends and an... ally, for lack of a better word. Later I went back to BLI under the assumed identity of Jenny Whitmore and led a rather successful revolt. It was short lived, but the killjoys gained a few dozen members and we did some damage to Battery City and the Tower.
As far as I know, I’m the only one from the orphanage left. Mostly we’ve just lost touch, but I saw two die myself – Jack O Lantern and Spring Loaded were their killjoy names. Time and Katy. I haven’t gone back to the place I grew up, and I don’t want to – the desert, the open sky, and room to run are all I need now.
Yes, I'm still running - sort of. But it is lonely out here. Haven't seen anyone else for a while.
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