Appetite for Success

[bunny killightly]

*I come out of the crack in the wall and notice the darkness setting in quickly. The lights suddenly flicker on and suddenly the mechanical lights outshine the stars* I run through the street, carefull of the cameras on street corners. A noise approaches in the form of a car. I run into a side street as the Crow Car slowly cruises by. I hide behind a dumpster and mutter to myself* If that car stops, I'm dead! Keep going, please keep going... *The car screeches to a halt* Crap

What are you doing here? Don't you know there's a curfew!

yes sir, yes sir. i'm sorry mister dracloid sir. but i don't have a hous- *the sound of a slap and the homeless man falling to the floor. Several people laugh. I clentch my fists but I remain hidden

[glow=red,2,300]Oh your sorry *mockingly* you're sorry, hear that? he's sorry, he's homeless but he's sorry... You're not half as sorry as you're going to be *There is a scuffle, the car doors close and the car screeches away.[/glow]

*I stand up and dust myself off. I hold back on punching the wall and sneak back to the corner of the alley* Gotta stay focused...

[bunny killightly]

*The lights are so bright the heat can be felt beneath them* How is anyone supposed to get some sleep in this cit-?! * I stop dead in my tracks at the corner of the street. I see a beautiful, familiar house but torn apart. The windows smashed the door broken in. I wander over towards the house in a stunned silence, not even noticing that I'm moving. I whisper as I touch whats left of the door* Darwin... *I suddenly feel a sharp pain, like my head is about to explode. I fall to the ground. I fight to keep consciousness but fail*

[bunny killightly]

*I start to come around. I'm blindfolded so I can't see. My head feels like its on fire, a new sensation on my wrists makes me gain full consiousness again, quick* What the hell? Darwin? Darwin is that you? Come on, speak to me...

Sorry bunny *Finishes a knot at around the ankle* They'll kill me if I don't

WELL THEN DIE WITH HONOUR, GODDAMMIT! *the anger boils my blood. I try to calm down* How many, Darwin? How MANY have you sold out? How MANY GOOD KILLJOYS HAVE YOU MURDERED?!

*Grabs her face and twists it til she's facing me* You better behave now or I'm gonna have to sedate you again. Now, they saw you walking around, they know who you are, they know you're not dead. Although that explosion all those months ago, was genius but you should have stayed out of the city. They dont want to kill you, so dont give them a reason to

*A car stops outside and i hear the doors slam. My heart sinks as the sound of boots is the only noise to fill the room. Its all over. I gulp as the nausea begins to fill the pit of my stomach*

[bunny killightly]

Well now, isnt this interesting?! You finally did something right

I-I told y-you smashing up the house would attract a killjoy. They just can't stop themselves from trying to help

*Walks over to the killjoy in the chair. Kneels down and takes off the blindfold* I hope you enjoyed the sun girly, I'll make sure you never see it again. Locked up in the tower, where you belong. That is unless you agree to... how do I say, come on board again. What do you say?

*I sit in silence, staring at the wall directly in front*

I'm not kidding around. Now I'm gonna ask you one more time before I start loosing my patience. What will it be? Join us or else *killjoy doesn't respond. Sneers* you asked for it. *stands up and goes to walk out of the room* Put our friend here in the boot and lets go. You will be rewarded for your loyalty Darwin. Sedate her too. She can be a headache and I'm in no mood to deal with a headache. And you, send out the Crows to pick up that kid.


*I feel the needle in my neck and star to drift off* What kid?

Oh now you wanna talk? Well you're too late. Have a nice sleep *she falls asleep* Get her to the tower. Floor 17 room 321.

[bunny killightly]

*I wake up. The room is dark. There are voices on the other side of the door. They laugh about a killjoy being targeted by the full scraecrow unit. I go for my radio but its gone. They must have taken it. I take out a mini flashlight from somewhere they wouldn't look. I glance around the room and find a computer* Please work, come on, come on YES!*It switches on and I send out a general message to killjoys* ATTENTION ALL KILLJOYS! ATTENTION ALL KILLJOYS! IF THERE IS A KID OUT THERE CALLED 'ANGELIC EXPLOSION' RUN! THEY ARE COMING FOR YOU. RUN, KEEP RUNNI-SYSTEM ERROR......... No, No, No *The door swings open and I'm dragged down a corridor of the BLI tower*

[bunny killightly]

*I'm dragged down the corridor by the hair, kicking and screaming* You don't wanna do that *The elavator doors open and thrown down in front of them. I am now at the feet of a man most killjoys fear. He goes up to the drac and grabs him by the thraot, as I run for the elevator. I'm too slow and caught by the other drac* I said floor 17 not 5. If she were to escape, I'd have to kill you and that would make a mess. *He turns back to me* Shall we then? *He holds his hand out towards the elevator. My hands are still bound, I hesitate. I know what awaits me on floor 17.* why so shy? you were darting for the elevator a few seconds ago *nods to the guard and he guides the killjoy inside forcefully* We'll get you fixed up, good as new

What are you doing? *he glares at me. I glare back with a look of hatred* Why are you here? I mean, you did your job why are you still here? why am I being escorted by the head of scarecrow and not to my execution?!

You think we're going to give you any oppertunity to escape? No . I've been ordered to stay here until you're... *hesitates, looking for the right word* ...better

[bunny killightly]

*There are no further words spoken until we emerge from the elevator. The music is torture enough. I light 'ding' tells us that we are have arrived on floor 17. My head becomes light and the nausea returns to my stomach*

This way. Put her in there and tie her up. Stay in there and dont move! Cant risk a killjoy running around up here. Not with..... well, I'll return as soon as possible

*I Gaze up at the numbers on the door, slightly horrified. "321". I am pushed into the room across the hall and tied up. I sigh with releif and wonder how to get out. There is a drac in the corner sitting on a stool, playing cards as my original minder ties me to a chair. I don't struggle* Your plan will fail you know. * The drac looks me square in the eye. I whisper* The neklace wont work, you're just gonna have to kill me coz I'm never gonna help you! Tell your masters that. *he gets up and walks out. I sigh again. The view I can see from the window show me half of the city and extends into the zones. I can see where I left Poison, Retro and their friends. I can see the direction of my safehouse and look back down at the floor*

[bunny killightly]

*I look over at the guard playing cards. He's younger than I am. I see that he has my radio* hmm... I find that cards are no fun alone. What do you think?

Oh no. I'm not letting you out. I wasn't born yesterday

Haha Who said anything about letting me out?! *He looks up puzzled* Sit on the floor, I'll tell you what card to put where. Simple. Oh come on, where am I gonna go anyway?!

Uh... I dunno about that. I shouldn't. You need to be quiet now

Oh come on. No need for us both to be bored out of our minds. I'm tied to a chair. How much damage can I do?!

Erm... OK then. We'll play All Around The World. Its where you have to guess 2 of the same cards. *he puts the cards on the floor and I take a laser scissors from a concealed pocket in my back pocket. Pick 2 cards *I nod at 2 of them and he turns them over Nope, not the same hahaha My turn

[bunny killightly]

*My hands slip out of the ropes. I keep my hands behind my back and pick another 2 cards. The guard turns his back again and I free my legs. i jump out of the chair and hit him over the head. I take the radio and switch the frequency to the one that Poison Shot usually uses. I radio him before the guard wakes up (The Only Hope). I look at the door as the guard starts to come around. There is no way I'm getting out. I run and sit on the floor*

Wha appened?

I don't know. You just, fell asleep. *I pick up a card*

How'd you gerrout?

*I look at him innocently* You let me out... to play cards. Don't you remember?

[bunny killightly]

*When he goes for a card, I switch frequency on the radio to a general transmission so that every Killjoy can hear. I'm very cautious in case the drac turns around. I hold in my laughter at how thick he is. I have a job to do now to get as much info about the kid on the drac list as possible. I sit there hoping the kid is listening* So... This kid that the crow unit is going after must be a serious danger then

*Looks up at the killjoy who seams to be bemused* How'd you find out about that? Thats confidential!

Ah I heard it in passing *I pick up another two cards* Come on, who am I gonna tell?! *I press my thumb down hard on the button behind my back* Whats her name? Angelic Explosive or something?

Explosion, stupid!

My mistake *i try hard not to laugh at the irony* I've been around the zones for several years and never heard of this kid, can't be THAT important if I havent come across her

*Looks at the door, than back at the killjoy. Lowers voice* They think the kid has important info. Her dad was an important killjoy once and her uncle is still on the run. We torched their house a while back but she escaped. We got a message that she was with two killjoys attacking a food truck. Scarecrow are sending their top people. Waste of time if you ask me. How much trouble can one kid be?!

Do you know how she was with?

Oh yeah, we know. Some girly called Arson Anthem and a dude, Funhouse gear. 3 for the price of 1 I guess.

*I try keep a straight face but my heart drops when he says Arson's name. I think of the bowling alley and what's waiting for her to come home. She's still aive anyway, thats good* You said she had information? About what?

That I have no clue but its supposed to be important anyway

*the door opens and the head of the crow unit walks in He is furious to see me untied but holds his temper* I thought you had gone to hunt your dinner.

Funny. *growls* I have a present I've been asked to pass on to you

*I'm caught offguard.* A present? For me? I dont want it. Nothing that is considered a present from BLI can ever be good * A figure walks into the room and my eyes widen with a mix of fear, anxiety and disbelief* Impossible!

[bunny killightly]

*With every step the figure takes towards me, I back away. I'm backed against the wall as she moves closer. Tears stream from my face* Can't be you. You died. Burbank... he.... I saw you! You were... WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!

We fixed her, after you abandoned her

They made me better and they can make you better too

No, listen to me... They haven't made you better. I-I dunno what they've done to you but its not better.I swear.... I-I'll make it better. I dont know how yet but I'll get you out of here.

Isn't that touching. You won't be going anywhere. And Vespa here doesn't want to leave. Vespa, start the processing. *looks at the killjoy* The faster you do it the easier it will be. *Turns to the drac with the cards*Get up! Lets give these two time to catch up. Maybe then Miss Faith here will do the smart thing and rejoin us *walks out of the room and locks it*

[bunny killightly]

*I glare at them as they leave and hear the lock. Vespa sits on the chair that I had been sitting on. Everything about her seams wrong. There is no energy, no speck of who she was* What did they do to you? *she stares up at me*

I don't know what you mean. Shall we get started then?

No! I'm not staying here and neither are you. We have to go, come on, we gotta go home

Home? This is my home. Why would I want to leave. Better Living brought me back from the darkness. They healed me and made me better.

No They reanimated you in a sleeper cell that they control. This isn't the real Vespa, you just have her face.

*Smiles* Silly Bunny. I am me. I still have some of my memories. I am better. I don't have to worry about running or hiding. I dont have to worry about where the next meal is coming from or where I'll be sleeping tomorrow night. Everything is ok here. Don't you remeber how it was before you found that letter? Don't you remember waking up somewhere safe, a normal Job, a normal life?

I remember. Its all a beautiful lie but a lie all the same. I'd rather live the harsh truth, than the safe lie. Art, creativity, love, loss excietment, depression, fear, sadness, happiness! They're all part of being human and they don't come from a pill.

[bunny killightly]

You don't have to take the pills *She pulls out the necklace* You know you don't need to take the pills

I made you a promise. I promised you I'd never leave the killjoys. I promised I would never be part of this hellhole again, no matter what. I can honestly say I'm able to keep that promise now *she gets slightly irritated at this news*

What did you do?

I made myself... oh how would bli put it...... better? And I'll never be sick again. Never! Not even for you.

You promised you wouldn't leave me again. I don't know what you did but I know you can reverse it. We can be here, we can be safe forever. You have to want to. You swore you'd protect me. Are you really going to leave me here on my own? We can erase it all, make it like it was before all this. We can bring you home. Just say the word and you'll forget the zones even exist!

*I turn to the window. A chill runs down my spine. I refuse to speak anymore dispite her several attempts. Vespa gets up and knocks on the door. The door opens and she disappears behind it again. It slams shut and I sit at the window, looking out at the zones*

[bunny killightly]

*After several hours there are noises out in the hall. I glance at the hall and then back out the window. The handle is shaken a few times before its opened. Vespa returns with a tray of food and places it on the floor in front of me*

You're not a prisoner here, you know

*I laugh* Thats a good one. You're not a prisoner, you just cant leave. *I stare at a shadow of someone I once knew* You said you had SOME memories. How much do you remember?

Back to the theatre. When you came back. You told me to go somewhere but I didn't go... I was angry, ended up here. I was so angry but I don't know why. Ran into Burbank and challenged him. He won.

Oh I know all about the fight.... Have you told THEM about this?

Of course I have, why not?

*I fight back tears. Her voice is lacking any expression* You better hope no killjoy has been picked up from that theatre coz if they were.....

Have some food, its-

I know what it is and I'm not eating anything out of this place. I'd rather starve! *She goes to say something but I interrupt* You can go now!

[bunny killightly]

Oh, I'm not leaving you. *There is a gentle knock on the door* Its time to go.

*I look over at her* Go where?

Across the hall, of course. You can't stay in here. We need you working. We need you better.

I'm not going, You can't make me go. I won't.

Don't be difficult. I wouldn't want to have to induce you. You know you will be going either way.

Oh I wont make it easy for any of you. *I push her of the chair and back up against the wall. I start shouting* Bring it on! Come on! Give me all you've got coz I'm not going without a fight. *The door opens and Vespa runs between me and the dracs*

You're not gonna win with just a chair

No I'm not! *I throw the chair at the doorway were the dracs are. I grab a pocketknife that falls on the ground and hide behind Vespa. I put it to her throat* Tell them to drop the guns. I know where to slice so they can't reanimate you again. DROP THE DAMN GUNS! *They stand there staring. I put pressure on the knife* Tell them.

Lower your weapons. She's not a real threat. What are you going to do? Hold me hostage all the way out of the building? You wouldn't really kill me, would you. I'm your best friend.

No. You're just a sleeper cell that was given her form. Her brain is wired into you. You're fake! You're nothing! Now lets go. Walk! *We get to the hall. The elevator opens with more guards* This way. *I back down the hall towards a fire exit*