The car containing Gerard's group roared down the broken asphalt towards the city ahead. Gerard stared at the approaching city with growing nerves. What even was his plan? He didn't even know where the game master would be. He turned to the backseat.

Demonic wore an unreadable expression. He had an arm drapped around Northern's shoulders. Northern's expression was blank; he looked like he was staring forward without even seeing anything. Rebel looked fearful.

"I never thought I'd go back." She spoke softly when she met Gerard's gaze, "Never willingly."

"There are some real horror stories that come out of Battery City." Demonic muttered.

Gerard gulped. He should know. He wrote it to be that way. "Eta?" He asked Fun Ghoul, turning to face the looming city again.

"Minutes." Fun Ghoul replied.

Gerard nodded. It didn't make him feel any better to know, but he valued the information all the same. It gave him minutes to try and think over this stupid plan he had roped everyone into.

"I don't like it." Demonic suddenly burst through any thoughts Gerard had been trying to form. "Why haven't we seen any Dracs?"

"It looks so dead." Fun Ghoul nodded, adding onto Demonic's words.

Gerard bit his lip. What if the Game Master somehow knew? What if they were driving straight into a trap? "Weapons at the ready."

"Ay, captain." Fun Ghoul flashed a smirk before seriousness overtook his expression again.

The others in the back quietly followed the instruction, except for Northern. His gaze was still stuck ahead. Gerard wanted to reach out to him, but he wasn't sure if it would do any good... Especially considering where they were going.

"What's that sound?" Rebel asked.

There was a growing rumbling sound. Gerard shifted to look out the rearview mirror, but he only saw the other car speeding behind them. Disturbance drove, Silent sat beside him, and Jet Star poked between them from the backseat.

"Oh, shit."

Gerard spun back around in his seat. Just ahead, emerging from the city, were three solid white cars with dark smiling faces painted on the hood. Better Living Industries. Gerard's heart sank.

"S/c/a/r/e/c/r/o/w!" Rebel exclaimed with terror. "That's a S/c/a/r/e/c/r/o/w squad!"

"Take out the wheels." Demonic yelled, retracting his arm from a now blinking Northern. "Open up that roof hatch, Fun Ghoul."

Fun Ghoul shot a glance towards Gerard. "Do it!" Gerard nodded, reaching to his side for his own weapon. His character's own weapon. "Floor it!"

Fun Ghoul nodded, hitting a button on the door before pressing harder on the accelerator. Gerard turned to the group in the back seat. Northern now seemed in control of himself. He wore a look of determination as he readied his weapon and waited for the roof hatch to fully open. Demonic and Rebel were bringing their windows down in the same instance.

"Try not to hit me, yea?" Gerard grinned at Demonic.

The killjoy gave him a salute. "Ay, Party Poison."

Gerard spun back, preparing to roll his window down when the car veered off the road. Fun Ghoul swore beside him as the road that would have been just ahead of them exploded.

"They bombed the road!" Fun Ghoul yelled.

"They knew we were coming." Northern said before standing in his seat. The multicolored blasts of his laser pistol almost immediately followed.

Gerard composed himself and continued to bring down his window. Two of the cars had veered to follow their car. "Where are the Others?" Gerard yelled as another explosion sounded by the road.

"They veered left!"

Gerard finally got his window down. He leaned out, peeking over the roof. He could see the other car in the distance with a Better Living car right after it. Gerard didn't dwell on it that long, however, because his car had two Better Living cars on their trail.

Gerard fired his weapon like it was a second nature. He skillfully shot one of the oncoming vehicles front tires, sending it swerving before it jerked to the side. Someone else's blast shot through the windshield.

The second car was harder to hit. It swerved strategically and sent shots back at them.

"Get to the city!" Gerard shouted as he ducked back into the car to avoid a laser blast. "We're not going to die out here!"

"I'm trying, Party!" Fun Ghoul yelled, tuning the wheel back in the direction of the road.

"I can't hit him!" Northern yelled from where he was shooting.

Rebel pulled back into the car without her weapon. She held her hand close to her chest with a look of pain on her face.

"Were you hit?" Gerard asked.

She nodded. "Hit the gun, grazed me." She smiled through her pain. "Just a scratch."

Gerard frowned. His friends were getting hurt because of his stupid plan. He had to get everyone out of here.

The car jolted as it went back onto the asphalt of the road. Gerard took the following moments to lean back out the window and help Northern fire at their pursuers. Northern broke the windshield. Gerard shot out a tire. A few more well marked spots sent the car sideways, flipping off of the road.

"Eat shit!" Demonic yelled, firing one last blast for good measure.

Northern ducked back into the car, breathing heavy. He tore his bandana away from his face and panted. "Th-the others?"

"There!" Rebel pointed out her window with her uninjured hand.

They still had the Better Living car hot on their tail. Silent Strike and Jet Star were firing out each side, but the vehicle refused go give up its pursuit.

"What's the call?" Fun Ghoul asked, still on course to the city.

"No man left behind!" Gerard ordered, "We need to get over there and back them!"

Fun Ghoul didn't hesitate to change direction. In seconds they were barreling towards their fellow killjoys, readying themselves to aid the defense. The Better Living vehicle was nearly riding their fender.

Demonic traded places with Northern, rising through the roof's opening. "Still not close enough for a clean shot."

"Nearly." Fun Ghoul muttered, focusing on keeping the car steady.

Gerard leaned out his window. He could see Ghosted Disturbance at the wheel of the other car. He looked nervous, if not scared. His lips were moving, but Gerard couldn't read them from this far away. However, he could see Disturbance's hand reach for Silent's...

"Fuck!" Fun Ghoul covered his eyes as an explosion errupted before them. The car swerved, but Fun Ghoul quickly regained control.

"NO!" Gerard screamed. Parts of the other vehicle were flying as flames rose into the air. The vehicle that held his friends.

"Oh my god..." Rebel whispered in horror from the back.

Gerard's heart was in his ears. Each beat felt like the drum of a death sentence. The flames had gone so high. The explosion had been so loud. Gerard almost didn't notice that the other car had also been caught in the flames until it exploded as well.

Fun Ghoul brought the car to a hault. For a moment, no one could move. It was Demonic who finally broke the spell and pushed his door open. Gerard quickly, but shakily, followed suit. Once out of the car, they took off at a run. It didn't feel like it would help, but they had to do something.

"Jesus..." Demonic slowed as they approached the flames. He sheilded his eyes as the heat hit them.

Gerard felt vomit rising in his throat. It was too dangerous to go closer. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't hear his friends. He couldn't even see any trace of them. He could only see the burning fire.

The others came to a hault behind Gerard. He could feel them staring.

Despite his best instincts, Gerard stepped forward.

"Party." A hand clamped down on his shoulder, stopping him from going any closer to the wreakage.

"They can't be..." Gerard trailed off, feeling the words catch in his throat.

Demonic looked down, shaking his head. "Pray for the wicked." He said. Northern stepped over, linking their arms with a somber expression.

Gerard couldn't bring himself to look away. His friends were dead. It shouldn't be something that he said as a fact. His friends were dead.

Were they still alive outside of whatever this twisted reality was? Or would they be...

Gerard's hands clentched at his side. No. He couldn't think like that. He needed to get everyone else out before this could happen again.

"Three good men were ghosted." Somehow, Gerard's voice was strong. "We're getting into that city to end this. For them." His voice caught on the last words, but he pretended it hadn't. He had to be strong. He was the leader of these remaining renegades. He couldn't let the others see how broken he felt.

"For them." Fun Ghoul repeated, stepping beside Gerard. He grabbed Gerard's hand, and Gerard squeezed it.

"For them." Rebel repeated. She still held her injured hand to her chest.

"For the killjoys driving high in the sky." Demonic nodded.

Northern looked into the flames, nodding as tears leaked from his eyes.

Gerard forced his eyes away from the flames to look at Battery City. He hoped the Game Master was watching, because he was done playing into this fabricated world. No more.