Little Killjoys

"Are you crazy Frank? It's one thing for us to be Killjoys but not our kids!" Gerard exclaimed, appalled that Frank would dare suggest to bring their children into this life of danger.

"Am I? Look around Gerard, look at what we've become." Frank answered in an icy calm voice. Gerard grudgingly swept his gaze about the tool shed and had to admit they had sunk far from how they had lived before.

The tool shed was just big enough to hold the three single mattresses. One was in front of the door with two against either wall. Gerard slept on the mattress in front of the door, Frank and Cherry shared the mattress to his right, with Bandit and Lily to his left. The space created by this incomplete rectangle of mattresses left a person only four paces before they ran into a bed.

At the moment the three children were outside playing, kicking up dirt, and just being children, something Gerard knew they could rarely be if they were Killjoys. Frank must've known what he was thinking for he asked "Remember what LynZ nearly did?" At this the vermillion haired man grimaced, her name bringing back the image of his dead wife. She wasn't dead in the bodily sense but in mental and emotional she was, for the corporation BL/ind had gotten a hold of her.

When BL/ind had first begun their invasion no one but Frank had believed it was true. It wasn't until Gerard and Frank's wives had been summoned and then returned to them in a glazed state did Gerard finally believe him. And so that very night when both women were asleep the two men fled with their children into the night.

The feeling of his jacket being tugged on pulled Gerard back from his reverie and was rewarded with the sight of Cherry staring up at him. The small eight year old had a bit of a chubby face, with freckles sprinkled across her cheeks and nose, which brought attention to her chocolate brown orbs, so much like her Daddy's. Cherry's long brown hair tumbling down her back made her look even more delicate.

"Up." she demanded holding out her arms to him. He obliged and swept Cherry up and settled her into the crook of his right arm, wondering what she would have to tell him. Cherry was the quiet girl of the three and when she chose to speak it was usually about something serious the adults had been squabbling about.

"Uncle Gerard I wanna be a Killjoy." The young girl stated gazing at him with those serious eyes. For a moment all Gerard could do was stare at her in shock before he gently questioned.

"Did Bandit and Lily tell you to do this?" Cherry shook her head and was just about to answer when Bandit spoke up.

"Lily and me want to be Killjoy too Daddy, we wanna help fight bad guys with you." He looked at his nine year old daughter, lanky with crow black hair tied into low pigtails, and for a moment choked up. She was the image of LynZ, himself and Mikey. Bandit had his hair and mouth, LynZ's nose and personality, and Mikey's lanky body.

"Sweetheart you won't like being a Killjoy. It means you would have to fight people like Mama." he answered trying to persuade his baby girl to not want the future he had. At hearing this Bandit faltered but only for a moment before replying with

"I want to save other people's moms too so they won't be like Mama."

It was then Gerard saw that Bandit had his determination and will to do good things and save those that she could. Looking to Lily he saw a similar fire in her eyes as did Cherry. The vermillion haired man looked to Frank, who had been silently watching the whole conversation, for his answer about his two little girls wanting to become Killjoys and fight. The short man grinned and stated

"We're gonna have to get you costumes and Killjoy names." To which all three girls cheered and Gerard sighed.