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snorky · 11 months

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Desert Drifting

Hey y’all! This piece is more experimental in my opinion since I tried to merge this story with an existing fictional universe, so I apologize if the quality isn’t the best. The universe is the Danger Days/True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys Universe, written by Gerard Way and Shaun Simon, which is a lovely comic series you should check out. All credits go to those folks for anything relating to that universe in this story! Flashbacks are in italics. I hope you all enjoy this, and take care of yourself!

Pairing: Vince Dunn x GN!Reader

Word Count: 3.2k

Warnings: Mentions of sci-fi weapons, Some violence + hurt (slight blood); (Let me know if I need to add anything)

—

—

“Dunn! Slow down!”

He drifted his old Mustang Fastback down the desert road, kicking up a cloud of dirt in the process.

“No way, darlin’!” He laughed maniacally. “You’ll live!”

The sky had an array of golden and burnt orange hues as an aftermath of the Helium Wars. Radiation occasionally fizzed from the carcasses of poor animals that didn’t escape the firefight in time.

His curly hair seemed to glow in the sun, his face darkly handsome when the shadows of his face were apparent. A soft smile was on his face as he maneuvered the car in sharp curves and turns at high speeds, quite the opposite of their scared expression.

Vince, or his new nickname he took on after he fled from Battery City, Dunn, lived in Zone 6, far enough that he didn’t have to worry about getting caught by Draculoids sent out by Better Living Industries, but not far enough where he could keep his guard down.

“Dunn! We’ve got to get back before sundown, the Dracs are probably on our way from Route Guano!” They stuck their head out of the car window frantically, checking for any Dracs out on the horizon.

“Just one more loop, promise,” Dunn spoke softly, catching their attention.

They sighed, “Fine, but if you get caught in a fight, I’m not helping you tonight,”

Dunn looked over at them, smirking. He knew well that they would help him anyway. After all, they’ve known each other for the past two years out in the Zones.

Grabbing the steering wheel, he quickly turned his car around and then switched into the highest gear possible. The engine seemed to roar around the both of them, like a beast trying to fight for its life. As he drifted his car to go back to their quarters, they spotted a couple of Dracs on motorcycles heading their way.

“Dang it, grab your blaster!” They quickly pulled out theirs and leaned out the window to aim at them.

Whips of rays came hurling towards them, causing them to duck back into the car for cover. Dunn grabbed the steering wheel with one hand, while the other held a ray gun pointed at the Draculoids.

After firing a couple of shots, hitting one of the five Draculoids, he pulled over on the side and got out of the car quickly. They followed suit, staying low to the ground to avoid getting hit.

Looking over the top of Dunn’s Mustang, they could see the Dracs aiming for them rapidly, firing one shot after another without remorse. His car was getting pelted with each laser that struck it, dents and burns evident.

Each close call came buzzing past them, one after another, the zap of the lasers burning the air. They could hear each missed shot hitting the ground, displacing the sand and gravel right next to them.

Quickly standing up, they fired a few shots at the Dracs, some completely missing and some hitting them directly. Dunn did the same, with a few of his shots grazing a Drac’s shoulder or leg.

As he stood up, trying to fire the final shot at the one remaining Drac, he was hit in the calf, the whir of the laser sounding past him. He dropped to the ground in pain, taking his bandana to wrap around his leg for a temporary solution.

“Damn it!” he hissed.

They quickly looked over at him, and then turned their head back towards the Drac, pulling the trigger to seal the fate of it. When the final Drac dropped to the ground, they quickly ran over to where Dunn was and checked on him.

“Dunn! Get in the car!” They slung his arm over their shoulder, helping him to get back into the car. When he tried to get into the driver’s side, they stopped him. “I’m driving, get in the backseat.”

He hesitantly limped towards the rear of his car and opened the door. Sliding into the backseat, he rested his injured leg onto his jacket that he set down so as to not get blood on the interior of his car.

They turned on the ignition and quickly shifted gears to get back to their quarters before more Dracs could arrive. The sunset seemed to fade quicker as the night sky began to loom over in the opposite direction. The Mustang sped down the road, wind rushing past them through the open windows.

Just in a few minutes, they arrived back at their quarters. It was an abandoned convenience store, considering that after the wars, no one needed groceries in this area, besides those who decided to move into the desert. Dunn’s group that formed out in the Zones spruced up the run-down place well with some trinkets and furnishings they found on the side of the road.

“Lars! Cann! We need backup!” They shouted as they got out of the car.

The two men came rushing out of the front entrance, running towards the car that was haphazardly parked in front of the building. They opened the back door and helped Dunn out of the car, leading him back into the building.

“Sit down right here,” they said as they set Dunn down on a booth chair. “I’m going to get a med kit, so don’t you think about getting up,”

“Ouch, grouchy, huh?” He chuckled as they walked away.

“I swear Dunn—”

“Hey, hey,” he laughed. “Can’t an injured man joke a bit?”

They shouted from the back storage area, “No.”

“Take it easy on Dunn,” Lars sighed. “The pain hasn’t settled yet,”

They came back out from the storage area carrying the medical supplies needed to help Dunn with his wounds.

“Do we need any more supplies like aid kits or general things?” Cann asked.

“Yeah we do,” they sighed.

As they knelt in front of him to be level with his leg, they tapped on his knee to get his attention. “Take your pants off,”

He looked at them in false offense, “My, my—” he placed his hand on his chest. “Not even going to take me out for dinner first?”

“No, Dunn.” They looked at him with a stern face. “So that I can stop you from getting an infection.”

He sighed, sliding his pants down his leg, careful not to further injure his wound. They inspected the area of injury, and luckily for Dunn, the wound wasn’t too serious.

“Okay, good news,” They said looking up at him, making eye contact, “you aren’t bleeding out severely! The heat of the laser essentially cauterized your wound as it made contact,” they explained. “Bad news, I’m still going to need to clean the wound and surrounding areas to prevent an infection.”

His smile disappeared as fast as it came. “Oh,”

“And you probably shouldn’t go on supply runs or drive for the next few days,” they added.

His shocked expression turned into sadness, “But, what am I supposed to do for the next few days? Nap? Stare at the empty desert?” he listed.

“Oh, I forgot to mention that you can’t go and fight either, that’s a high-risk activity.” They inspected his wound, still slightly bloody.

Taking an alcohol pad, they started to clean the surrounding area of the wound as Dunn started to complain and groan. “Booooring—ah!” He hissed as the alcohol grazed the wound.

“Doctor’s orders, Dunn,”

“You’re not a doctor,”

They looked up at him, a cocky smirk drawn on his face. “Neither are you,” they shrugged. When they finished cleaning and bandaging Dunn, they got up and walked to their bunk, which was just a mattress on the ground behind the counter.

“Going to sleep already?” he loudly spoke as they walked.

“Yeah, we need to go on a supply run tomorrow since we are going to be out of food here.” They turned around to look at him. “And by ‘we need to go on a supply run’ I mean I need to.”

He frowned, “You got my hopes up, darling.”

“Deal with it.”

Silence hung in the air between the both of them, with Dunn sitting in the booth all by himself, and them standing, leaning against the counter. He looked at them with the saddest eyes he could try to make, in an attempt to make them feel guilty.

“Okay you can come along but I’m driving and you are going to be the passenger princess,” they sighed caving in, resting their head in their hand.

“You’re the best.” He grinned. As he tried to get up, he limped slightly as he tried to walk to his bunk.

“Dunn—” They quickly walked over to him to help him walk.

“I’m okay, I’m okay.” He chuckled as he tried to reassure them.

They scoffed. “Like hell you are,”

He hesitantly put his arm over their shoulder, allowing them to help him walk to his bunk. The night was settling down and it remained quiet outside. Once Dunn was sitting on his bed, they got up and walked to their own bunk.

He watched them as they were walking, and spoke out, “Rest well, okay?”

Turning around, they looked at Dunn, looking back at them, “You too,”

The next morning, Lars and Cann went out on a supply run, leaving a note on the counter for Dunn and them to find. They found it before he did and disappointment filled them slightly.

“Damn, should’ve let them known,” they sighed.

Dunn peeked out from the corner of his bunk, “Known what?”

They jumped at the sound of his voice, not expecting him to be up at this time of morning, “Dunn, what the hell—”

“I’m hungry,”

“Well yeah, that’s why the other two are on a supply run at the moment.”

He grumbled like a moody teenager, walking out the front door.

“Hey!” They whistled at him. “You’re injured—”

“I’m not going on a drive or anything! ‘Doctor’s orders!’” He mockingly said.

They followed after him, in case of an emergency where Dunn couldn’t defend himself. He well could, but his injury hindered him slightly. He was strong, quick-witted, and could fight a couple of Dracs on his own pretty well.

As they stepped outside, the hot desert air mixed with the radiation became slightly unbearable, their sweat sticking to their skin and clothes.

“Dunn, it is hell out here what are you doing?” They looked around, trying to spot where he was.

He stood in front of his Mustang in a white tank top covered in car oil and dirt, shirt discarded somewhere nearby. The hood of the car was propped up, and it was apparent that he was trying to work on something within his car.

“Car’s acting up, sounded a little off last night when you drove me back.” He looked up at them as if they were the cause to blame.

They stuck their hands up beside their head as if to plead innocence. “Quit lookin’ at me like that, for all I know it could’ve been the fact that some blasts smoked your car,”

Dunn looked up from under the hood of his car, his sweat making his hair stick to his forehead slightly, “That’s not how cars work,” he chuckled.

“Your car is from like what, 1967?”

“1967, but with maintenance and repairs to keep it running smoothly.”

“High maintenance,” they added. “Last time your car completely broke down was a couple of days ago near Zone 4.”

“And so did you, you’re pretty high maintenance,” he laughed.

They rolled their eyes at him and stood against the wall, watching him continue to work on his car. Dunn stood there, the sun gleaming on his skin, muscles flexing as he worked under the hood of his car.

“What’cha starin’ at?” he said teasingly.

“Making sure you don’t injure yourself again.”

“You sure that’s not just an excuse to look at me in a tank, darling?” He winked.

They groaned in annoyance while Dunn just laughed at them. “Be grateful I haven’t tried to beat some sense into you,”

“You wouldn’t do it anyway, I’m too precious to you.” He was right, and both of them knew it.

He continued to work on the car as they talked mindlessly about whatever was on their mind. Topics ranging from random anecdotes from the Zones, campfire stories and legends, to more serious things, the ‘what ifs’ of their lives.

“Remember that time you decided it would be funny to try and fight Larsy while we were out camping?

“Pfft—” He wiped his hand on a rag. “No, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied. “But I do remember that time where you tried riding Cann’s motorbike and fell,”

They cringed as they thought back about it. As they turned the motorbike, their center of balance was thrown off and they ended up on the ground with some scrapes on their hips, dust and dirt covering their clothes. Their body ended up being slightly bruised at the area of collision with the ground and they were sore for the next few days.

“Jeez, that was terrible,” they laughed awkwardly. “But I’m better at riding now.”

“Yeah, but can you drag race?” Dunn asked quizzically.

“Yeah, of course.” They kicked their foot into the ground idly, bringing up dust. “How else did I get the fifty-dollars for us a few months ago?”

“I don’t know,” he looked up at them, “you said you were going on a supply run? I thought you traded a crap ton of scrap metal for that,”

“No? I was racing,” they stated. “Someone bet fifty that I couldn’t beat them,”

—

It was a late summer evening that day, the sun still up in the sky pridefully. Plenty of people were racing, lined up on the side of the road, watching as fast cars and motorcycles whipped past them.

“Hey you, in the navy jacket,” someone shouted at them.

They looked over, spotting the person yelling at them. He had mid-length messy black hair, a yellow shirt, and a ripped up black jean jacket. His stature was shorter than average, but he looked to have a larger build, mostly muscle. “Yeah, you alright?”

“Me and you, race? I’ll bet fifty,”

Looking at the man in front of them, they put on a confused expression. “Why?”

“You look confident,” he shrugged.

“Alright.” They stuck out their gloved hand for him to shake. “Fifty it is.”

He shook their hand firmly, sealing the deal. “I’ll go notify Show Pony, they’ll set us up for the next race.” They nodded and waited as he walked away. Shortly after the last race finished, he ran up to them. “Snagged us a spot, follow me.” He waved his hand as he walked in the direction of the start.

Once they were at the starting line, the tension was high. They got on top of their motorbike and put their helmet on. Grabbing the handles, they leaned forward, maintaining a steady balance. Their mind raced, wondering how they were supposed to give a stranger fifty dollars if they lost the bet.

He looked over at them, as if it was going to be an easy win. “Don’t stress it, I’ll take it easy on you,” he chuckled.

They turned their eyes onto him in annoyance and returned their attention back to the stretch of road in front of them.

“Three—” Silence enveloped the desert air.

“Two—” The wind rushed past both of them, rustling the dirt.

“One—” They both revved their engines, anticipation boiling the air like the sun.

The revolver rang in their ears, signaling the start of the race. They twisted their throttle, sending them forward on the motorcycle. As they continued to accelerate, they kept their eyes forward, focusing on the end.

People cheered loudly, clapping and hollering as both vehicles ripped down the road at an insanely fast speed, most likely gaining the attention of people passing by.

The desert scenery seemed to fly right past them, disappearing and coming quickly. Adrenaline coursed through their veins as they continued down the road, engine growling beneath them. The hot sun started to make them sweat, causing their jacket to stick to their skin uncomfortably.

However, they didn’t allow that to distract them as they continued to speed up, lowering their body to reduce air resistance. As they both approached the finish line, the crowd became more loud within the final meters.

When they crossed the finish line, it seemed like he crossed it as well at the same time. Their vehicles came to a stop and they both stepped off and out of them.

Silently, they both walked back to the finish, Show Pony standing there. “I am proud to announce,”

Nervousness seeped into them. If they didn’t win then they’d owe that guy fifty dollars, which was much more than they had at hand at the moment.

“The winner of this race is—” They grabbed their hand and raised it high in the air. The crowd started to roar, hollering all sorts of complements and congratulations as he handed the money to them.

“Good one, kid.” He walked away towards his car and drove off, and they couldn’t tell if he was upset or not.

—

Dunn closed the hood of his car as he finished repairing it, listening to them telling their story. “Damn, you did all of that?” He leaned against the car, crossing his arms in front of him.

“It wasn’t much, plus we were tight on money that month,”

He looked at them with a genuine smile, “Thank you.”

They smiled back and hummed, allowing silence to overtake the both of them. The scorching sun stood at midday, beaming downwards.

“Car should be fixed now,” he broke the silence. “Should we take it on a test drive?” He asked, looking up at them.

“Yeah, let’s see how good you fixed it for now,” they chuckled.

They both got into the car, Dunn on the passenger side, and them on the driver’s. As they drove off, the car seemed to run smoothly without any strange sounds or noises coming from the engine.

“Sounds pretty good so far, right?”

Nodding their head, they continued to drive down the road. “Yup, pretty smooth.”

The slight breeze that came as they drove was refreshing compared to the sun, which seemed hotter than ever.

“I’m going to turn back,” they spoke as they turned the car around. “Don’t want to waste gas,”

He nodded in agreement as they continued to drive back to their quarters. The drive back was mostly silent, but it was quickly broken by him talking. “What if I never tried to run away? What if I stayed in Battery City?”

They turned their head, looking over at Dunn, who was sitting comfortably in his tank, now mostly covered in dust, oil, and sweat. “I don’t know,” they whispered, barely vocal over the sound of the car. “I just know that you wouldn’t be out here today.”

“Well I’m glad I ran then.” He smiled.

#nhl #hockey #nhl hockey #nhl writing #nhl fic #hockey fic #hockey imagine #seattle kraken imagine #seattle kraken #vince dunn x reader #vince dunn imagine #vince dunn #danger days au

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hairasuntouchedaspartoftheamazon · 2 years

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i listen to a bit of mcr but i was not aware there were characters?? and a plot? and it sounds intriguing 👀

I am not the best person to ask about this as I only started really getting into the lore about three weeks ago, also I'm really only familiar with the Danger Days/Killjoys lore and stories, I'm vaguely aware that there's some level of lore for the other albums and performances because MCR are nerds like that. but if you want Danger Days lore, lore you shall receive. Below the cut because this is allowing me to ramble about my current hyperfixation:

@ryebreadlord this is also for u bestie

Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys is MCR's fourth and as of yet final studio album released in 2010. it's also a concept album, set in the distant year of 2019 in the irradiated nuclear desert of Southern California where Better Living Industries (BLind) has built up a fascist and repressive regime in Battery City. (If Battery City is supposed to be a particular city in California I'm not aware). There's a lot of lore that was explained both through the two music videos for the album(which I'll get to later), the band commentary, and Gerard Way's later comic book series that explores the world.

The album was hugely controversial among fans when it came out because it's a STARK departure from MCRs previous albums and sound. Where many had previously dubbed them "emo" "vampiric", etc. this album came out and said "no, we're fucking pop punk and we're going to kill you with color". For this reason among others it is my favorite.

Lore-wise, there's a lot of content but not a lot of info as to how it all fits together. The main points are thus:

SETTING

-There's Battery City(Batt City), controlled by BLind through a combination of propaganda, military force, and heavily drugging the populace with 'voluntary' medications that can fix anything. Things BLind thinks need to be fixed include emotions, personal expression, and anything that is non-conforming. Citizens wear white, are incapable of showing strong emotion (or any emotions at all), and essentially work as wage slaves to BLind to create their entertainment, propaganda, supplies, and medications. City mottos include ‘keep smiling’ and ‘we can fix you’ and ‘the aftermath is secondary’. When citizens show deviation from the expected norm, they are either given more medications and ‘re-educated’ (implied to be brainwashing/torture techniques that erodes people’s personalities and emotions) or turned into Draculoids.There's a Chairwoman who rules over it all, with the police force being separated into two parts. There's the Draculoids (Dracs), which are bodies who, yes, wear vampire masks that control their brains and put them under control of higher ups in Battery City and the Scarecrows. I say bodies because afaik Batt City can reanimate dead bodies with the use of the masks, and also if a living person has one of the Drac masks put on they will lose their free will and operate as a Drac. Now Scarecrows (Crows) are experienced fighters who typically lead squadrons of Dracs. Scarecrows have their free will, but are utterly in service to BLind, spending most of their time in a sleep stasis and awoken when deemed necessary by the Chairwoman/BLind officials. They're fucking terrifying and if one is after you, you're in deep shit. Scarecrows, afaik are also called Exterminators. Where Dracs are mindless muscle (picture Stormtroopers but in bad prom suits and vampire masks), Crows are the brains. They usually have specific missions and targets. Weapons used include laser guns and rifles. They also have trucks and motorcycles, all painted white.

-There's the desert, which is irradiated and fairly inhospitable after the vaguely referenced "Analog Wars" and "Helium Wars"(may be the same thing with different names or two different series of wars). The place is split into (depending on who you ask) 6-8 Zones, (Zone 1 being the area directly surrounding Batt City, and the rest being arranged around it. No, they are not in concentric rings.) The Zones are connected by a variety of roads in disrepair, with one of the biggest and best maintained being Route Guano(also referred to as the Getaway Mile). Crows regularly lead patrols of Dracs around the Zones. The inhabitants of the Zones fall into two groups, the Neutrals and the Killjoys. Neutrals do not care about the politics/policies of Batt City, they just wanna be left alone to live their lives. Neutrals typically dress sensibly for the desert and move out fast when they hear trouble is on the way. It's left unclear whether these are people who were living in the area before everything went to shit or if they're wanderers from outside the Zone or if they're refugees from Batt City. The comics and fanon imply that they have semi-permanent settlements throughout the desert. and finally, what you've been waiting for, there's the Killjoys.

-Killjoys are comprised both of people who've never lived in the City, and those who escaped the City somehow. (there's a lot to say about that, I'll get to it). The Killjoys have two missions: to live fucking fabulously and to take down BLind. They dress impractically and colorfully and uniquely, steal weaponry and supplies from BLind and co-opt it for their own use, and regularly fight against Dracs and Crows for both survival and fun. Killjoys run in crews of 3-10 (but sterotypically 4) people and typically have hideouts/homes throughout the Zones. They're very good at scavenging, and make most of their living by stealing from BLind, scavenging old gas stations and other buildings still left standing, and (for the sake of my trained city planner heart) probably doing small amounts of gardening when they stay in one place long enough. (I include that point because I understand that 80% of the shit in this album is fun set dressing but the part of me that is a TRAINED ENGINEER(@ryebreadlord understands) knows that like you can't support a society on scavenging like that they have to be producing SOME of their own supplies. I've seen a few fics deal with the realities of a society like this really well and it heals my heart. moving on) Weapons used include stolen laser guns that are painted obnoxious colors, various self-made bombs, fucking bazookas, and a lot of being obnoxious and willing to fight dirty. They have a combination of old cars/vehicles from pre-Batt City (the titular Fabulous Killjoys drive a 1979 Trans Am, no it doesn't make logical sense pls roll with it), and vehicles stolen from BLind and souped up/painted. Killjoys do live fabulously, not only being dangerous rebels in awesome outfits but also holding concerts, creating zines, and basically being an explosion of artistic creativity as a huge fuck you to BLind. They are not a unified fighting force, just many groups of people with similar goals and attitudes. Can work together though.

This is where we pause and I ask you to go watch the NA NA NA music video with this new context, and also because it's a good intro to our main characters.

CHARACTERS

There are a bunch of named characters(mostly throughout the comics), but as someone who has only partially read the comics, I'm gonna focus on the ones that are explicitly present in the events of the album/music videos. also, heads up, Killjoys choose names for themselves that sound cool/dangerous/fun. if you liked this album when you were 15 you probably picked a killjoy name for yourself.(I did) The Fabulous Four are the characters that MCR play in-universe, one crew of Killjoys among presumably many.

-Party Poison: Played by Gerard Way, generally assumed to be the leader of the Fabulous Four. Distinctive for their bright red hair, bright yellow domino mask, and bright blue jacket. Generally the driver of the Trans Am. Confirmed non-binary.

-Jet Star: Played by Ray Toro, generally assumed to be the sharpshooter/medic of the Fab Four(based on a bit of info from the comics and music videos, this is likely more fanon than anything but I like it). Distinctive for his long curly hair, spaceman helmet with a lightning bolt on it, and black leather jacket with the American flag covered by a spider(as seen on the Danger Days album cover). Over the course of the album events, he gains an eyepatch over his right eye as a result of a fight with BLind. Previously wore black sunglasses.

-Kobra Kid: Played by Mikey Way, generally assumed to be the close quarters/heavy hitting fighter of the Fab Four. Distinctive for his bleach blond hair, red leather jacket, and motorcycle helmet with 'GOOD LUCK' written on the visor. Because of band interviews we have learned that not only is he British(???), but he also knows karate and rides a motorcycle. (This is your periodic reminder that MCR is comprised entirely of weird nerds).

-Fun Ghoul: Played by Frank Iero, generally assumed to be the detonator of the Fab Four a.k.a. the one creating and setting off bombs. Distinctive for his black dyed hair, bright yellow shirt, Frankenstein mask, and (for some reason) unanimously fanon-adopted Chelsea smile. (genuinely no idea where this came from but I'm not opposed to it). Funnily enough, the only one of the Fab Four not mentioned by name anywhere in the album.

-The Girl: Played by Grace Jeanette, her story is not explored directly in the course of the album but she is the main character of the later Killjoy comics. No she does not have a real name, partially because she is (via comics lore) basically the messiah who with her electricity manipulation powers is fated to someday bring down Batt City. Generally assumed to be under the protection of the Fabulous Four. Distinctive for being a) the only eight?(her age is inconsistent throughout the lore) year old girl in a group full of teenage/twenties rebels and b) her blue puffy vest and gray helmet with a STOP sign on it. (this is also where I state that we're not sure of the Killjoys canon age. could vary from teenagers to early thirties based on MCRs age when filming. fanon goes in different directions for this.) point being, the Girl is one of the few characters we got a canon age for.

-Dr. Death Defying: Played by Steven Montano, the radio DJ speaking during the 'Look Alive Sunshine' and 'Jet Star and the Kobra Kid/Traffic Report' tracks. Dr. D is a radio host that disseminates information among the scattered Killjoys, tipping them off to danger and possible supplies, as well as playing some kickass tunes to keep the revolutionary spirit pumping. Travels in a wheelchair due to injuries sustained during the Analog Wars. Distinctive for his long hair and headband as well as probably never leaving the radio station.

-Korse: Played by Grant Morrison, the head hitman of BLind's Scarecrow division. Leads squads of Dracs into the desert in pursuit of Killjoys to kill or 're-educate' in Batt City. Distinctive for his frilly vampire shirt, gray trench coat, and baldness. Pursues the Fab Four on a regular basis, both because he hates them and because Batt City wants the threat the Girl poses to be eliminated.

Named characters from the comics that I’m aware of include fellow Killjoys Show Pony and Cherri Cola, DJ Hot Chimp, salesman Tommy Chow Mein, and the fictional band Mad Gear and the Missile Kid. Also every fic writer out there has created Killjoy OCs. It’s lovely.

PLOT

The two songs that have music videos and therefore are technically the only ones with plot are 'NA NA NA' and 'SING'. (Fun fact, on YouTube, the teasers of the characters released before the album in Nov. 2010 have one of those two songs playing in the background). The rest of the songs tie into the themes/ideas of the album and the surrounding world (Bulletproof Heart, Save Yourself I'll Hold Them Back) or explore various facets of the world (S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W/, DESTROYA). The exception is 'Jet Star and the Kobra Kid/Traffic Report', which is practically a timestamp for the universe and takes the form of Dr. D giving announcemnts over the radio. They're very much set in the Killjoys universe, and there's been a LOT of good meta written about this. I’m probably gonna make another entire post on that.

But to the point.

NA NA NA sets us up with the Fab Four living out of their base, which is an old diner/motel, hanging out with The Girl, and periodically getting into kickass firefights as they rebel against BLind in various ways. However, by the end of the video, a fight lead by Korse goes badly, resulting in all the Fab Four being incapacitated and The Girl being kidnapped by Korse. It’s in this fight that Jet Star loses/seriously damages his right eye and Fun Ghoul (probably) gets his Chelsea smile. The Girl is taken into Batt City, presumably to be studied/brainwashed. Remember, Batt City is aware of her abilities and obviously never wants her to take them down.

The SING music video opens up with the Fab Four storming BLind so they can get The Girl back. The entire video is a rescue mission and SPOILERS AHEAD the entirety of the Fab Four die by the end of it. Yes, you heard me right, the Killjoys die three songs into the album, protecting the Girl as other Killjoys (Dr. D, Show Pony, and probably Cherri Cola) get her out of Batt City. (This is where I take a brief pause to say that the song Save Yourself I’ll Hold Them Back actually fits the plot of this video so much better but that is probably part of the point, I am going to make a post about this later). The video is high key depressing, as you can see in the Fab Four’s faces that they know they aren’t going to make it out of this fight alive. And they don’t, but the Girl is saved from the control of the Chairwoman and makes it out of Batt City.

And then this is where shit gets weird.

‘Jet Star and the Kobra Kid/Traffic Report’ is a track about halfway through the album that takes the form of Dr. D updating Killjoys on the state of the Zones. In this update, he states that Jet Star and the Kobra Kid have gotten in a fight with an Exterminator and gotten killed. “But Seb!” you might be saying right about now, “How can Jet and Kobra die two songs after the entirety of the Fab Four have already died in SING?”

The answer is I don’t fucking know. What we do know is that Danger Days as an album is non-chronological, and does not form a complete story. Like folk songs, some events are immortalized, but the tracks do not form an entire narrative, mostly just giving us glimpses into the world, introducing our heroes, and detailing two or three events that would be important to the Killjoys in this world, i.e. The Girl being kidnapped and later rescued, as well as the deaths of the Fab Four. So it makes sense that contradictions exist. In the real world, when folk stories are being told (and yes Danger Days functions as a folk album in-universe, FIGHT ME ON IT) things get mixed up and only the really important bits are consistent.

My personal theory, one very similar to some popular fanon theories and that somewhat lines up with comics lore, is that after their deaths in SING, the Fab Four became the faces of a revolution/movement against BLind. For all the anarchist/punk spirit of the Fab Four, you’ll notice that none of their activities in the music videos are coordinated at all. Like, they don’t have grand plots to take down BLind, they’re just trying to survive and inconvenience the pigs where they can. The rescue mission for the Girl is laughably simplistic, they literally just blast their way in and out again. They weren’t rescuing her as a ‘fuck you’ to BLind, it’s a very personal rescue mission for someone they care about.

So they probably weren’t very important while alive, but after their deaths their actions became legendary and more stories got told about them, with events changing from telling to telling. Thus multiple deaths, weird inconsistencies, and non-chronological storytelling. So yeah, the lore breaks down a lot, but that’s the main plot points of the album. I’m not fully going to get into comics lore here, because again, I haven’t finished them!

ASSORTED LORE

This is where I link to my Killjoys bible, a.k.a. a very nice list of all the slang terms/assorted bits of lore from this universe. I've gone over some of it but if you want more, here it is. Some of this is fanon, other bits are straight from the comics or album.

also here's a link to the Killjoy comics, which I haven't finished yet.

That’s all I got for right now, at least in terms of what is mostly canon. There’s a LOT of really good fanon and meta out there, which I definitely wanna expand on at a later date, but hopefully this is a good launching point into the world of the Killjoys.

Keep your boots on, keep your gun ready, and die with your mask on if you’ve gotta. This has been the traffic.

-Seb

#Sebastian speaks #Sebastian loves MCR #i may have gone overboard here #NO REGRETS #danger days the true lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #danger days #MCR #party poison #jet Star #Kobra Kid #fun ghoul

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