| Chapter Seven: The Venture Forth |
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| Disclaimer: As usual, I don’t own anything. If I did, I would give V a cookie. He looks like he could use one. Or a dozen. |
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| The voice of London was dead.
It had been on the news all week. They said it was heart failure and a public memorial service would be held in a couple of days for his many mourners. So why was I having trouble shaking the feeling there was something more to it than that? I stood in the dark doorway, watching V sleep. I took comfort in the gentle rise and fall of his chest, and couldn’t help but smile as a soft snore came from behind the mask. He had been mostly sleeping since he returned home injured, only eating and reading those few hours he was awake. His wounds were healing remarkably fast and he was getting restless, but I kept him in bed despite his insistence that he was fine. I wasn’t going to take any chances, though I had the sneaking suspicion he only humored me while I was awake. Who knows what he did in the dark of the night if he woke up while I still slept? But I wasn’t going to bring it up as long as his wounds stayed closed. Problem was, we were out of food. V was supposed to get groceries the day before he was shot but had been too busy to go out. Now everything was completely gone. I still was able to make V sandwiches, but I didn’t tell him it had been over two days since I had last eaten. He needed nourishment more than I did, but it was getting harder to ignore the pains in my stomach. V was in no condition to get out of bed, let alone venture up to the surface world. But he would never allow me to leave the Shadow Gallery. My stomach clenched painfully as it growled demandingly. I looked V over critically. He had eaten the last of the bread about thirty minutes ago for dinner, and would probably remain asleep for a couple of hours, if not through the whole night. It wasn’t like I would be gone long, he would never know I was missing. There had to be a market close by, and I would be in and out in no time. Plus, not many people would be out at this time, so I wouldn’t be seen by too many people. What was the worst that could possibly happen? My mind made up, I quietly closed the door to V’s bedroom and walked quickly to my room to grab my coat. I’m not sure how V pays for food when he goes out for groceries, if he pays at all, but I still had some money from the night I had gone out with Susie. Good Lord, was that really only three months ago? I pulled the notes out of my purse and stuffed it into my jean pocket before throwing a heavy jacket on that V had given me along with some other winter clothing once I started venturing onto the roof. I looked at myself in a mirror and frowned. If anyone was still looking for me like V feared, they would recognize me in an instant. I looked around and noticed a couple of hats mixed with the jackets and scarves V had brought down. I pulled out a pretty blood red one and expertly twisted my hair so it was concealed underneath the fabric. It made the hat bulge strangely, but at least it kept my locks hidden. I rummaged a little more through the clothing and found the matching red scarf. I wrapped it tightly around my face, covering the bottom half so only my eyes were visible. I wouldn’t be able to wear it into the market, but at least no one would notice me walking down the streets. Thank goodness for the cold weather, no one would give a second thought to a shopper wrapped up tight against the chill. Before turning away from the mirror, I tucked my diamond necklace underneath my shirt. I had worn it every day since V had given it to me, but I didn’t want to tempt any would-be thieves. Stopping by V’s room to check he was still asleep, I made my way to the front and paused in front of the door leading out into the world. I had never tried to leave before, I had always just assumed it was locked tight, and realized I didn’t have a key for the door. I had watched V leaving plenty of times and never saw him locking or unlocking the door. I walked up slowly, gripping the handle tightly and turned. It opened effortlessly. It had been unlocked this whole time. The knowledge gave me a very strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I stepped out of the Gallery and found myself in a long, dark tunnel. I looked both ways and saw nothing but shadows. Something on the ground caught my eye and I smiled in relief. There was a small lantern tucked behind some rubble right where the light from the Gallery fell. I picked it up and turned it on, a yellow beam piercing the darkness ahead of me. I swung the beam around and saw tracks surrounded by rubble. The Gallery was located on an abandoned tube line. For some reason, I wasn’t surprised. The door closed soundlessly behind me as I turned left and began to walk. I had read somewhere that if you are ever in a labyrinth, you should always keep your left hand on the wall and eventually it would lead you out. Maybe it would work here as well. I walked quickly, keeping my pace brisk, ignoring the scuttling sound of rats as they scurried away from the light. I walked for about fifteen minutes until I saw some sort of light ahead of me. I admit I was surprised. I expected there to be a couple of turns before reaching the way out so it would be harder to find V’s lair. But I guess no one really comes down to the tube lines anymore, and may God have mercy on anyone who enters the Shadow Gallery uninvited. I moved toward the light and climbed the multiple flights of stairs that led to the outside world. The gate was chained but hung slightly open, just wide enough for me to slip through once I was certain no one was around watching. I quickly moved away from the tube station, turning left and walking away briskly. I didn’t want anyone asking any questions. After a few minutes past, I allowed myself a moment to pause and look around. I didn’t recognize this area of London, but I could tell it was a bit shadier than what I was used to. All of the buildings loomed overhead. The windows that weren’t boarded shut gazed out at the streets like empty eyes. There were only a handful of people walking around, but all of them kept their heads down and moved without acknowledging anyone else. I lifted my eyes to the heavens and saw rays of pink streaking the sky. It was dusk. I felt a bit of unease creep into my stomach and started walking again. I just wanted to get some food and get back to the Gallery. No problem. It took another ten minutes before I found a small market on a street corner, a couple of punks leaning and smoking against the wall. The windows had bars on them and the man behind the counter glared at me suspiciously as I walked into the place. I pulled my scarf off of my face, ignoring the man completely as I walked past him, and heard him mutter something angry under his breath. I finished my shopping quickly, grabbing only bread, margarine, eggs, and meat. Just enough to get us through until V could go out again. Every minute that passed made the unease in my stomach grow until it was practically making me sick. I dropped my selections in front of the man behind the counter, and he growled me the total. I handed him the money, took my bag, and hurried out of the store. I couldn’t get out of there quick enough. I made my way back toward the tube entrance, night gathering around me. There was a gust of wind that bit into my bare skin, since I didn’t tie my scarf back around my face in my haste to get out of that market. It was getting dark faster than I had thought it would, and picked up my pace, praying I would get back to the tube entrance before night completely fell. I paused at a road, looking both ways, when I saw them. The punks from the market. They were a couple of yards behind me, but there they were. Both were wearing dark jackets, but one had a red bandana on his head and I could see the other had a cigarette hanging from his lips. The unease in my stomach melted away into fear. I crossed the street as fast as I could without breaking into a run, keeping my face forward, my head up high, trying to convey confidence that I didn’t feel while my ears strained to hear the sound of two pairs of feet coming closer. I searched around with my eyes, looking for someplace to lose them before reaching the tube entrance, unwilling to lead them to the gate of V’s home. But there was nothing around, just abandoned buildings. No shops to go into, no homes to beg sanctuary in. I chanced a look behind me and was surprised to see the punks were gone. For some reason, that made my stomach tighten anxiously instead of relaxing in relief. Biting my lip anxiously, I slowed down my steps, the entrance to the tube station coming up, looking around to see if I was truly alone. Night had finally fallen, and it was hard to see since most of the streetlights were broken. I let out a gasp as I was yanked roughly into an alleyway between buildings, my head slamming against the bricks as I was pushed against the wall. A hand ripped my scarf off and then gripped my neck tightly, painfully digging into the soft flesh. “Hello, beautiful.” His breath smelt like stale alcohol and smoke, and I almost gagged as I felt him press up against me, effectively pinning my arms between his body and the wall. “My mate here and I were just wondering what a pretty thing like you was doing out all alone after dark.” The fingers around my neck tightened a bit as the grocery bag was ripped from my fingers. “It’s not safe, don’t you know?” A voice came from a bit further off. “That’s right, Jack. Who knows what kind of trouble you can run in to around here.” My eyes were finally able to focus and I looked right into the chilling blue eyes of my assaulter. It was the bareheaded punk, the smell of cigarettes lingering on his clothing. My mind whirled around, trying not to panic, trying to think of a way out of this. “What’s this, beautiful?” Jack’s fingers moved a bit higher on my neck, exposing the gold chain of my necklace. He lifted his other hand, trailing a finger underneath the chain, and pulling out the large diamond that had been hidden beneath my shirt. He let out a low whistle as he fondled the pendant before yanking at it, breaking the chain. I let out a small yelp as he examined the stone. “You shouldn’t wear such pretty things. Someone might get the wrong idea. Whatcha think, TC?” He tossed the stone over his shoulder and my eyes followed it through the air as the guy with the red bandana caught it smoothly. He turned it over in his hand, his eyes growing wide. “Shit, where did you swipe this from? We better hold on to it so no one tries to take it from you.” Jack let out a cold laugh as TC tucked the stone in his pocket. My eyes narrowed angrily. My voice was harsh from the pressure Jack was putting against my vocal chords, but I was able to rasp out, “Give that back.” “Don’t worry, beautiful. We’re just holding on to it for you.” He gave my neck a hard squeeze, causing my eyes to grow wide in pain. His laugh was low and full of meaning as he leaned closer. “Don’t fight. We don’t want to hurt you, do we TC?” “Of course not, we just want to talk. You see, Jack and I are feeling a little lonely. Hoping you could make us feel better.” Jack’s fingers bit into my neck again and I let out a small gasp of pain, but with the pain came a surge of anger. Why do these bastards keep coming after me? God damn it, I was not going to be raped and probably killed in a back alley! I had to get back to the Gallery. I had to get back to V. The thought of the masked man made my head clear and filled me with a surge of determination, fear leaving me completely. I had to get back to him. Jack leaned forward and whispered against my ear, “What, no struggle at all, beautiful? Are you a whore or something? Do you enjoy this?” He rubbed his body up and down mine, his excitement pressing revoltingly against my thigh. I shuddered in disgust and he let out a sickening peal of laughter. “You do enjoy this! You slut! I bet that’s how you got such a pretty necklace. Well, plenty more where that came from.” He stepped back away from me and began to undo his belt with one hand, his other hand loosening a bit on my neck. “Hey, Jack, you said I could have this one first!” TC walked closer to us, shoving Jack a bit off of me. Jack’s eyes never left my face as his buckle came undone. “Fuck off, TC, the slut is mine.” Jack’s focus was torn off of me when TC gave him a hard shove in anger, pushing him far enough off of me so I could ram my knee hard into Jack’s groin. He let out a howl of pain, his hand releasing my neck, and I turned and began to run out of the alley. I had only taken a few steps before I felt TC grab onto my jacket. I struggled against him, my eyes searching the ground frantically for a weapon, something, anything. My eyes fell on a length of pipe sticking out from under a pile of garbage. Perfect. I slipped my arms out of the jacket and made a dive for the pipe, picking it up as TC grabbed my shoulders from behind. He spun me around, a sneer planted on his face. I flung my pipe around, and it connected squarely with the side of his face. He recovered slowly, blood pouring from the gash in his head, and I was able to swing it back around, nailing him in the stomach. He doubled over and I landed a blow onto his back, sending him to the ground. He stayed down. My heart was racing as I stood over the man. The pipe in my hand was covered in blood. Anger and my survival instinct kept me going when I felt hands grabbing my shoulders and flinging me hard against the wall, my head bouncing off of the bricks, a jutting rock cutting deeply into my skull, causing me to cry out in pain. I flung my pipe blindly, Jack catching the offending metal and throwing it behind him, his hand coming up and gripping my neck again. I grabbed at his hands, scratching and drawing blood with my nails, but Jack held me against the wall, his eyes glaring at me cruelly. “You fucking whore! You’ll pay for this, you slut!” He threw me to the ground, the pain in my head causing me to stumble. A knife appeared in his hand and he flicked it open, the blade sharp and deadly. He lunged for me, the blade glinting dangerously in the night, and I lifted my hands, fighting until the end. I wasn’t going down without taking a piece of him with me. He jerked to a stop before he reached me, his face turning from anger to confusion. I stared up at him, too shocked at the sudden change to move out of the way. He began to shudder and I watched in horror as he let out a cough, blood sputtering out of his mouth. I scrambled away as Jack fell to the ground at my feet. I stared at the lifeless body in front of me, those chilling blue eyes staring into nothingness now. He was dead. It took me a minute to tear my eyes away from the growing pool of blood beneath the punk and to lift them to the man standing over the body, a bloody knife held calmly in his hand. “V…” My voice was barely above a whisper. The knife was sheathed smoothly as V stood over me, looking down at me without moving. A full minute passed, the two of us staring at each other, neither of us moving or making a sound. “Thank you, V.” My voice was barely above a whisper and shook more than I would have liked it to as I stared up into the black abyss where his eyes should have been. He didn’t move, just looked down at me, and a very uncomfortable feeling began to grow in my stomach. Suddenly, without a word, V turned away from me and started walking. I was so surprised at the sudden movement and the fact he didn’t offer a hand to help me up, he was normally such a gentleman about such matters, that it took me a second before scrambling up onto my feet to go after him. “V?” I called out to him. My voice made him pause, but he didn’t turn toward me. “V, what’s wrong?” He stood there silently, as coldness began to spread into my blood. “I’m sorry, V, I know I shouldn’t be out – ” He interrupted quietly in a controlled voice, “If you wanted to leave so badly, you should have just told me.” “What? No, V, I was just getting some food. We were out – ” “Don’t lie to me!” V spun toward me, his cloak lifting in the air, the knives hidden there glinting in the little bit of light that entered the alleyway dangerously. Anger seemed to radiate off of V, hitting me in waves. Even if I couldn’t see his eyes, I knew he was giving me a look that would fill the bravest of men with fear. “I don’t need your lies, your pity, or anything else from you. You want to leave and get yourself black bagged? As you wish. Go.” His voice grew quieter, harder, deadlier. “Leave. Leave me and don’t ever return.” “V, no – ” I reached a hand out to him, desperate to make him understand. V sidestepped my hand easily and spun away, throwing a knife that had suddenly appeared in his hand down the alleyway, where it landed with deadly perfection in the forehead of a poster of Chancellor Sutler. I stared at the knife for a long moment, unable to move, fear gripping at my heart at the blatant reminder of how easily and precisely he could kill. He slowly turned back, taking a step closer to me. I instinctively stepped back, for the first time afraid of the man I had fallen in love with. I was more afraid of him than the two men whose bodies littered the ground around us. He took another step forward, and I matched it, until he had forced me back up against a wall. He was so close to me, I could hear his harsh breathing beneath the mask, his body language reminding me that I was in the presence of a dangerous man. His voice was soft, nothing more than a whisper, but it was razor sharp and cut me to the core. “Do not tell anyone about me, Veronica, or about the Shadow Gallery. I no longer exist to you. Because when they come for you, and they will come for you, they will ask you about me. And if I learn of your betrayal, a couple of Fingermen will be the least of your worries.” I stared into the blackness where his eyes should have been. I couldn’t breath, I couldn’t think, I could only stare up at him, my heart racing in my chest and aching with pain. “V…” It was more like a breath of air than any sort of word. For the briefest moment, his body language changed. His shoulders sagged down, his head tilted downward and toward me, his entire posture crumbling, as if under a great weight. He moved from being the dangerous predator, to an injured man. In the split second before he turned away from me for the last time, I saw his heart break, could sense how betrayed he felt, and knew that no matter what he had gone through at our government’s hands, this was the worst pain he had ever felt. Before I could protest, before I could say anything else, V spun away from me and melted into the shadows after retrieving his knife with a flourish of his cape. After a startled moment, I was able to regain control of my body and chased after him in the direction he had disappeared. “V! V, come back!” I yelled, my heart breaking a bit as I ran. Tears sprang into my eyes as I ran deeper into the darkness, almost colliding blindly with the wall at the end of the alley. I spun around, looking frantically the way I had come, but there was no sign of him, nothing to hint that he had ever been there except for a hole in Sutler’s head and a body on the ground. He was gone. I stood there, my heart shattering in my chest, tears rolling down my face. He thought I had left the Gallery in hopes to escape. He thought I wanted to return to the outside world when all I wanted was to stay with him. He didn’t know how I really felt. He didn’t know that I love him. And then he had threatened me. He reminded me that he could be a killer with painful clarity. He banished me, threatening me if I ever dared to return. I fell to my knees, the pain overwhelming as I buried my face in my hands, the sobs ripping through my chest as the shock of the attack and the pain of V’s dismissal really hit me. I don’t know how long I wept, the pain washing over me in waves, my heart feeling like it was in pieces at my feet. After a while, my tears slowed, then stopped. I sat on the cold, hard ground, dead inside. But the chill in the air began to creep under my jacket and I began to shiver. I had to find someplace warm. Someplace to stay for the night. Sadness filled me all over again. Because I was no longer welcome in the place I had called home for months. I stood up carefully and made my way back to the street. After a while, I numbly stepped over the body of Jack, not even noticing the pool of blood that had formed beneath him. A few steps later, I stopped and stared down at the unconscious body of TC. I felt no sympathy as I looked down at the broken boy. I knelt down beside him, rummaging through the punk’s pockets until I found my diamond necklace. I examined the stone carefully, unable to feel any more pain or remorse. I raised myself back up slowly and walked out of the alleyway, scooping up my bag of groceries and scarf without a second thought. I looked around the darkened street without really taking anything in, the empty buildings looming menacingly above me. With a deep breath, I took a left and walked slowly down the road, going wherever it would lead me. |
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