[ i'm back on this bullshit yay

anyway this is gonna be highly inaccurate bc there's hardly any worldbuilding info that i can find for the zones?? but hey this features some of ur fave mlm characters in formfitting and shiny clothing so??

warnings: language and ray guns ig?? also there's a blatant author insert character so

technically it's supposed to be S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W/S but that's too much effort to type every time so it's just in all caps without the forward slash

stay safe,
lew. ]

———————

"Dude, how many times do we have to tell you? You can't be sneaking out! The Zones are dangerous -and fuckin' freezing- at night, and we don't want anything to happen to you!"

Bailey, better known as Bulletproof Kid (a stupid name, but codenames were important out in the Zones. You never knew who you could trust.), just sat there and picked at his blue vest as his friend berated him.

Chaos Vines (or Lewis) was just an anxious guy, considering his brother and his old best friend both got ghosted while doing stupid shit like that. The green he always wore only made the redness of his eyes stand out more. "Kid, buddy, just... Be careful, okay?"

"Lay off of him, Vines. He's probably just restless as fuck, it's boring around here."

That voice belonged to Logan (aka Neon Suns), the leader of their little resistance unit. He was shirtless, the fabric bunched in his hands as he entered the room, probably drawn in by Lewis' yelling. Bailey blushed when he spoke, focusing his gaze on the table again.

"I'm sorry that Kid and I don't fuck someone to alleviate the boredom," Lewis snapped, "I just want everyone to be safe, I... I dunno what I'd do if something happened to you guys."

"Gods, dude, chill. We'll be fine. No one's seen any Dracs or SCARECROW units out this way for a week or two. King's got connections in Battery City, they're ignoring this Zone for now." Logan pulled his shirt on, then nudged Bailey and grinned. "Wanna go on a supply run, Kid? Get out of here and let Vines cool off?"

(Draculoids were pretty much soulless soldiers with the same fucked up mask, and SCARECROWS were Better Living Industries' elite killers. Not people you wanted dropping by your house unannounced.)

Bailey nodded and grabbed his sticker covered blaster from the seat beside him. "I just gotta get my boots back on and find my mask."

"Take your time, buddy. I need to go tell King what's going on anyway," Logan dismissed, reaching out to ruffle the the youngest's faded pink hair.

Lewis' jaw dropped, arms crossed over his chest. "Neon. Are we just gonna ignore the fact that he keeps sneaking out?"

Logan shrugged. "Yeah. I mean... That's a normal rebellious teen thing to do."

"Whatever. I'm gonna go visit the Nest while y'all are doing supplies. Unless you're taking King with you, let him know he's home alone." Lewis looked about two seconds from pulling his blaster and shooting something or someone, and Bailey was honestly glad to watch him go.

Bailey slipped his mask over his eyes, then headed down the hall to Logan's room. He knocked and got an answer before he went in, perching on the ramshackle dresser by the door. "Morning, King!"

Harry, or Killer King (also: Logan's boyfriend), gave him a little wave instead of a verbal response. It looked like he had just woken up, thankfully sleeping through Lewis' meltdown.

Logan grabbed the rest of his own gear and got ready, telling Harry, "Me and Kid are going on a supply run. Vines is taking a bike to the Nest. You can come with us, but I'd prefer it if you stayed here and got some more rest. That blaster burn looks painful, baby."

Harry looked at the wound on his shoulder, then gave Logan a smile. "It's not too bad. But I'll stay. No use in going if I can't help."

He returned the smile, leaning down to give his boyfriend a kiss goodbye. Bailey stared down at his hands until Logan cleared his throat. "C'mon, let's get going before the sun gets too high."

——

Lewis pulled his helmet off once he was inside, running his hand through his wavy hair. The Nest was a bustling place, from the traders and informants to the hungover kids draped over couches.

A person bounded up to him, greeting him with an awkward smile and wave. "Nice to see you ain't been dusted yet, Vines. How's the rest of the crew?"

He smiled back out of habit. "Same, Cell. Me and Kid got into it this morning, and Neon decided to get involved. An' King's still dealing with that raygun burn from that last run-in."

"It'll all work out, buddy." Cellophane Exploder, or Cell to their friends, was a (kind of shitty) replacement for Doctor Death-Defying, the radio host of hope for the Killjoys. They tried their best, but they just weren't as poetic and inspiring.

"I hope so. Anything interesting come up today?" He asked, following them behind a curtain into a separate room.

They shrugged, running their fingers through the cotton candy-colored mess atop their head. "Route Guano's dead. No Dracs, CROWS, or Killjoys. An' BL/ind isn't focusin' on the inner Zones right now, makes me think they're gearin' up for somethin' big."

"I'll ask King if he can figure anything out. We'll keep you updated. I'll bring the guys by tomorrow or something," Lewis promised, drawing a quick 'x' over his heart. "I should probably head back. As much as I don't like King, I still don't want anything to happen to him."

"May death never stop you, dude. Don't let your shadow get you, and all of Doctor D's other sayings."

——

In Battery City, midday wasn't as brutal as it was for the Zones.

Ronnie yawned as he got up and got ready, still not used to the quiet in the apartment once Ezra left. But Ezra got his important job back, and that meant he needed to keep Ronnie a secret for their safety.

Today, Ronnie had a little mission of his own, a little bit of charity work, if you will. Once he was ready, he slipped out of his building and headed downtown.

When he reached his destination, his skin was crawling. But still, he pushed on.

The girl standing along the wall looked perfectly normal, but the slight jerkiness to her movements and the glimpse of blue peeking from underneath the blonde wig told him otherwise.

Not even ten minutes later, the two of them were briefly checking into a seedy motel room. As soon as the room door closed behind them, her hands tugged at her dress, that is, until he stopped her frantically.

"That's not why I'm here, trust me! I just want to help you."

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