When The Sunlight Dies - Human Wreckage Sequel -

Chapter Seven

Bellamy's P.O.V

"Wait... Dawn?" She said her name in surprise, her eyes squinting through her mask until a smile lit her face, "Oh my god!" She shouted again, yanking me to my feet before pulling me into a bone crushing hug.

"It's Bella... actually," I corrected, feeling a pang of guilt for ruining a reuniting moment with a girl I barely remember.

She looked to Cornelius and then back at me, changing the subject, "Right, well... where the hell have you been? The Black Parade... it-it's-"

I cut her off, "I know. I heard. Do you know where Gerard is?" I asked, not wanting to come off as rude but also not wanting to waste another second with pitiful and unnecessary conversation.

She scoffed, "Of course I do!" I sighed in relief, "Wait... How long have you been out here? What happened to you? And what's up with your accent?"

"One question at a time," I half heartedly joked, "We left Battery City last night after Cornelius told me the truth about what happened to me. Apparently the Director wiped my memory clean of my previous life. Well, tried at least." I confessed, running a hand through my light brown hair.

"Wow... I'm so sorry. I fucking hate that bitch. C'mon, get your stuff. We are leaving."

I nodded, following her orders and grabbed my bag as Cornelius jumped into the pocket he was in the previous night. I slid it over my shoulder and followed Adele.

"What happened?" I quietly asked after a few moments of silence.

She glanced over at me with sad eyes, "They came through the portals and burned down the entire parade. It was so awful. The Director wasn't even there, just her little minions doing all the dirty work for her. When we escaped through the portals ourselves, the Director was waiting for us on the other side with her dracs. The injected us and brought us back to life. We were no longer phantoms and held hostage. We fought back before they could kill us. Gerard has been different ever since. Now instead of phantoms, we're known as Killjoys."

"Killjoys..." I said, the name slipping off of my tongue. I had only ever heard that reference a few times but never really understanding who had given us the names.

"Yup, that's what everyone without a brain in Battery City calls us. We're the 'enemies'."

The enemies, I soon realized. The former members from The Black Parade, the Killjoys... they were the enemy. These people were the 'threat' they drilled into our heads.

As if Adele had read my mind, she answered my unspoken question, "That whole place is a setup. All of the teachers and faculty know and only a few choice kids know what happened that day. They all have a part in this. The Better Living Industries plays as a false hope for the danger days era that the Director claimed to make her look more worthy," Adele rolled her eyes, "We're the rebels, the ones who didn't want to be like them... they're all brainwashed. Taking medicine to forget."

"'Didn't want to be like them'... as if you had a choice?"

"We did... there were a few traitors. Those are the ones who knew what happened on the inside. They'd rather comply than live out here with their people. Sometimes, our story gets leaked and it's up to the kids to decide whether they believe it or not."

 "How many of them are you?"

"Well, the kids who do believe in the story set off towards the zones and try to find and join us. They risk their lives, hoping that the stories are all true because they don't want to stay there but if they leave then they can't go back. On occasion, we find their bodies half buried in the sand."

Adele rolled up the sleeves on her red leather jacket that held a bat design on the back, it resembled something like mine and Cornelius's jackets.

Off in the distance, an engine rumbled, the sound growing as it moved closer. I stood in defense mode, my gun pointed in the direction the sound was coming from. But the motor echoed through the desert, making it come from all over. Adele laughed, placing a hand on my arm, "Relax, it's just one of my friends."

I relaxed my stance, pointing the gun to the ground. When the car pulled up next to us, I immediately recognized the device as a car. The people in Battery City weren't allowed to have cars, only the dracs. They drove around the city in their motorcycles every night for curfew, making sure that everyone was inside their homes, if not... well, you'd be turned in to the Director. It all depends if you have a valid enough excuse to deserve a punishment.

"What's up E.S.?" Adele beamed, her hand never leaving her belt that held her gun. Just in case, I guess.

"Yeah it's me, I figured you would need a ride."

"E.S.?" I asked.

"Electric Smoke, pleased to meet you," he said.

I nodded, a smile never meeting my face, "We need to get to the diner. Electric, this is..." she pondered, gesturing towards me, "... New Dawn. She's an old friend of mine."

I raised an eyebrow at her. New Dawn? Electric Smoke? What was up with all of these weird names? She saw my confusion and whispered, "Killjoy names, another way to where the dracs won't be able to identify you by using your real name. That and the masks," she explained, grinning.

"Oh. But why New Dawn? My name is Bella," I asked, wanting to know where the inspiration had come from.

"Your name isn't Bella. It's Dawn, get over it. Besides, I believe that you are going to bring something new into this world. A new beginning... New Dawn," she shrugged. I liked the meaning behind it but I didn't like the fact that my previous name was my new identity. I was still adjusting and would prefer Bella.

She smiled at my over thinking face, "C'mon," she hopped in the back of the Trans Am through the window. I slung my bag through the space carefully and followed.