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Angels From the Neon by the9thdoctor (Mature)
Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Frank/Gerard
Length: 44,790 words
Author on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
the9thdoctor
Author on AO3:![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/232260-5719910/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
The9thDoctor
Why this must be read: Mikey stops taking his pills the day after Gerard takes all of his at once. It's a beginning of sorts.
This is a great story with an intriguing take on the Killjoys universe. I've read it several times now and every time I discover new things to appreciate and think about. Like Gerard and Frank's backstories and the way they're interwoven and the way this influences their developing relationship. And I really like the Mikey characterisation and the way his relationship with his brother is written. In addition to this, it's also a fast-paced and entertaining adventure story with plenty of well-written action.
You should also check out the art for the story byreflectedeve. I love her style and the comic format is so right for this story. Her illustration of one of the key scenes has become an integral part of the story to me.
Excerpt from the story:
When the smoke clears, Ray is standing on the bartop, raygun smoking in his hand. The only other movement in the bar comes from Poison and Kobra.
Poison is crouched behind an upturned table surrounded by bodies of Dracs and runners. His red hair is smoking slightly as though the colour has set itself on fire. Kobra is kneeling down by the body of a Drac lying in the blasted open doorway, fiddling with its raygun.
"Where's Grace?" Ray demands. "Where the fuck is she!" He stares around at the ruin of the bar again, hoping for her to pop up grinning from somewhere or to hear his voice from wherever she'd cleverly hidden and come running back inside, but nothing happens.
Kobra looks out into the desert and shakes his head. "Dracs." He mutters, mostly to himself.
"What?"
Kobra finally looks at him. "The Dracs took her, Jet. Grabbed her into the back of their van... Shit."
Ray can't seem to process the info for a moment, but he can't see that there's any reason for Kobra to lie about it. He likes Grace, he knows that for sure and Ray's pretty sure he's friendly enough with him for Kobra not to fuck him around like this. "The Dracs took Grace?" he repeats dumbly. "Why?"
Kobra takes a step towards him, strapping his gun back into its holster. He holds out a hand. "Jet..."
From the corner, Poison starts laughing; rocking backwards and forwards on his knees crouched over the dead body of a Zonerunner and cackling wildly. It shocks Ray into movement, jumping down off the counter. His gun is still in his hand from the firefight and before he knows what's happening it's pressed against the side of Party Poison's head. "What the fuck?" he demands as Poison covers his face with his gloved hands, breathing deeply in between great heaving bursts of laughter. "You think this shit is FUNNY!?"
Ray is pretty sure that his finger was just about to tighten on the trigger, that he was a split second away from ghosting Party Poison right there in his bar when Kobra's hand clamps down on his wrist and drags his hand away.
"Don't you fucking threaten my brother." He says in a low voice. He sounds more dangerous than anyone Ray has ever heard. Somehow though, neither that nor the gun held to his ribs by Kobra's other hand is what makes him flip the safety.
"Brother?" he asks, "He's your brother for real?" He's never heard of ‘runners having family. He grew up in a place out of the way in zone four, sharing the floorspace of an abandoned Pegasus with eight other people, any or none of which could have been his parents. People don't have ties like that out here. You have a crew, not family.
"For real." Kobra says, still menacing. "You okay, Poison?"
His laughter is starting to sound more like tears now, but his face is still hidden by his hands so Ray can't tell for sure.
Kobra turns his attention back to Ray, "You don't want to get into this with us." He says. "The Dracs took Grace, and we know she's your crew and we're sorry she's gone, but we're not the enemy here. Okay?"
Ray holsters his gun and takes a step back. Even through the thick leather of his jacket he thinks he might develop a bruise in his side from Kobra's threats. "What's his problem?" he asks, nodding his head at Poison. Kobra ignores him.
"It's not safe here anymore. We've got to go."
Angels From the Neon (on AO3) or here (on LJ)
This is my last rec for the month and also the last I'm doing for the Van since I'm mostly active over on DW these days.
Pairing: Frank/Gerard
Length: 44,790 words
Author on LJ:
the9thdoctorAuthor on AO3:
Why this must be read: Mikey stops taking his pills the day after Gerard takes all of his at once. It's a beginning of sorts.
This is a great story with an intriguing take on the Killjoys universe. I've read it several times now and every time I discover new things to appreciate and think about. Like Gerard and Frank's backstories and the way they're interwoven and the way this influences their developing relationship. And I really like the Mikey characterisation and the way his relationship with his brother is written. In addition to this, it's also a fast-paced and entertaining adventure story with plenty of well-written action.
You should also check out the art for the story by
reflectedeve. I love her style and the comic format is so right for this story. Her illustration of one of the key scenes has become an integral part of the story to me.Excerpt from the story:
When the smoke clears, Ray is standing on the bartop, raygun smoking in his hand. The only other movement in the bar comes from Poison and Kobra.
Poison is crouched behind an upturned table surrounded by bodies of Dracs and runners. His red hair is smoking slightly as though the colour has set itself on fire. Kobra is kneeling down by the body of a Drac lying in the blasted open doorway, fiddling with its raygun.
"Where's Grace?" Ray demands. "Where the fuck is she!" He stares around at the ruin of the bar again, hoping for her to pop up grinning from somewhere or to hear his voice from wherever she'd cleverly hidden and come running back inside, but nothing happens.
Kobra looks out into the desert and shakes his head. "Dracs." He mutters, mostly to himself.
"What?"
Kobra finally looks at him. "The Dracs took her, Jet. Grabbed her into the back of their van... Shit."
Ray can't seem to process the info for a moment, but he can't see that there's any reason for Kobra to lie about it. He likes Grace, he knows that for sure and Ray's pretty sure he's friendly enough with him for Kobra not to fuck him around like this. "The Dracs took Grace?" he repeats dumbly. "Why?"
Kobra takes a step towards him, strapping his gun back into its holster. He holds out a hand. "Jet..."
From the corner, Poison starts laughing; rocking backwards and forwards on his knees crouched over the dead body of a Zonerunner and cackling wildly. It shocks Ray into movement, jumping down off the counter. His gun is still in his hand from the firefight and before he knows what's happening it's pressed against the side of Party Poison's head. "What the fuck?" he demands as Poison covers his face with his gloved hands, breathing deeply in between great heaving bursts of laughter. "You think this shit is FUNNY!?"
Ray is pretty sure that his finger was just about to tighten on the trigger, that he was a split second away from ghosting Party Poison right there in his bar when Kobra's hand clamps down on his wrist and drags his hand away.
"Don't you fucking threaten my brother." He says in a low voice. He sounds more dangerous than anyone Ray has ever heard. Somehow though, neither that nor the gun held to his ribs by Kobra's other hand is what makes him flip the safety.
"Brother?" he asks, "He's your brother for real?" He's never heard of ‘runners having family. He grew up in a place out of the way in zone four, sharing the floorspace of an abandoned Pegasus with eight other people, any or none of which could have been his parents. People don't have ties like that out here. You have a crew, not family.
"For real." Kobra says, still menacing. "You okay, Poison?"
His laughter is starting to sound more like tears now, but his face is still hidden by his hands so Ray can't tell for sure.
Kobra turns his attention back to Ray, "You don't want to get into this with us." He says. "The Dracs took Grace, and we know she's your crew and we're sorry she's gone, but we're not the enemy here. Okay?"
Ray holsters his gun and takes a step back. Even through the thick leather of his jacket he thinks he might develop a bruise in his side from Kobra's threats. "What's his problem?" he asks, nodding his head at Poison. Kobra ignores him.
"It's not safe here anymore. We've got to go."
Angels From the Neon (on AO3) or here (on LJ)
This is my last rec for the month and also the last I'm doing for the Van since I'm mostly active over on DW these days.