There was a dream. He rarely had any dreams, but tonight he actually got one of those frustrating night movies. He didn't remember it though, because something woke him up. A gunshot to be exact. Ah, yes, he'd heard a gunshot in his dream either. What was it all about, anyway?
Graverobber opened his eyes. Had he fallen asleep in this dumpster ? Bluh. But that aside. He'd heard a gunshot and the source was rather close. Peeping carefully from his hideout, Graverobber scanned a dark alley. No one screaming or running for it. No one there to shot a gun. Nobody nearby at all. He hadn't heard gunshots on street for years actually, it's out of age nowadays. Where did that one come from then?
The Zydrate dealer got out of his rest place and stretched. His neck ached. Bluh! And that very moment he heard another gunshot. What the hell? He rushed to the end of an alley, where the sound came from, and almost got there, when he heard another sound. A sob. Oh, great! Another zaddict in agony for The Glow. Graverobber looked down to see his potential client. But he didn't. It was not a junkie. It was a kid. A girl. She was sitting there on her knees facing the wall. Graverobber took a better look. The kid he'd seen earlier this couple of days. Interesting, what was she doing here, when everyone was at The Opera?
"Hey, kid!" Graverobber greeted. "Why is it whenever I see you, you're always on your knees?" It wasn't entirely true, bur he liked his own joke.
The kid turned her face to him. Her eyes were red and swollen. So swollen that became ugly, though Graverobber remembered that she was rather pretty. And her face was all wet from tears. From the looks of it she was still crying but had no tears anymore.
"Kid, is that you?" Well, Graverobber was a bit surprised to see her in this state. He'd seen her scared twice, but she didn't cry back then. Though any girl in those situations would. "What happened to you this time?"
"Haven't you seen that bloody opera?" was her answer followed by another session of sobs.
"Was it that bloody?" Graverobber chuckled. He new that The Opera was going to be a mess like everything, where Amber Sweet participated. But to be crying over it?
The kid sobbed and turned her right side to him. Well, anyone would gasp or even yelp at the view of blood and pieces of flesh on a shoulder of a teenager, but Graverobber wasn't even bothered.
"Bloody enough?" asked the kid and sobbed again.
And then another gunshot followed. Graverobber knew the source of it now. He ignored that the kid started to hick hysterically, and looked at the giant screen that'd been seen even from here and broadcasting – well, re-broadcasting – The Opera.
Graverobber had never been a good guy. He was a real villain sometimes actually, and maybe even worse than all Repomen all together. He could come to do anything to destroy, to humiliate his enemies – well, anyone – but even he would never do something like what he'd seen on the screen.
Those Largos! Who do they think they are to do something like this? It would be nothing really if not broadcasted worldwide.
Graverobber looked at the kid again. She was there, sitting and sobbing and crying, miserable as she was. Somebody would pity poor thing, an orphan now. Somebody would try to help and comfort her. But not Graverobber.
Being the Zydrate dealer he was, he felt no pity or urge to help to anyone anymore. He would not earn his reputation – or any money at all! – if he pitied all of those junkies he sold Zydrate to. For a long-long time his heart had been an ice covered with a stone of his soul. And though he didn't approve what the Largos had done to little girl, he will just leave her here. Maybe she would die, maybe she would become someone's pray – he didn't care.
And so Graverobber gave the kid one final look – she hadn't seen it though – and turned to go away. He was passing the dumpster he woke up in when he heard a loud crack. He stepped on a piece of glass and naturally it broke. Graverobber stopped in frustration – his heart skipped a beat to that sound. Bluh! His heart never skips a beat! He made another step – CRACK! This one was louder and this time Graverobber's heart ached. He looked under his feet to see an empty can. Graverobber shivered. Damn this can, he never shivers! Another loud sound followed – sobs of the kid at the end of an alley.
Graverobber shook the frustration off and walked as fast as he could. CRACK! CRACK! CRAK! It seemed as if all the ground was full of cans, pieces of eggshells, plastic or glass that threw themselves under his feet on their own. By the time Graverobber reached another end of an alley he'd heard the gunshot two more times and even more of sobbing and crying, though he was sure he'd been too far already to hear the kid's voice. And also his heart was in such a physical pain that he could barely breath. He tried to calm himself with a thought that he was just tired of fast walking but it didn't do any help. When he decided to stop and rest a bit he'd heard one final crack. And that did it!
Graverobber turned again – this time to go back to where he'd left poor little girl. The pain in his heart started to ease with every step he'd made. And the ground wasn't cracking anymore. Or had it ever cracked at all? Graverobber looked under his feet one more time. No, there wasn't any rubbish to crack on the ground. So when he reached the kid, he had already been sure that those were sounds of ice in his heart and stone cover of his soul cracking. No really, what the hell was going on with him? Damn those Largos!
Bluh! It was even worse than Graverobber thought at fist. He wasn't even blaming the kid who moved his – BLUH! – feelings. He blamed those who made her do this to him. What a drag!
"Kid," Graverobber called out. "Hey, wanna follow me and let your life be a dream?" He didn't know what he wanted to say with those words but it sound rather nice. Wait, what? Nice? Bluh!
"What?" The kid looked at him, shocked as if she'd seen a ghost. Another gunshot from the screen followed. When will they turn it off anyway?
"It's not too late, you see. From what I've learnt now you're free to chase the morning." And this was even more strange thing to say. But, well, it's almost dawn, isn't it? The best time to do exactly as he'd said.
Graverobber helped the kid on her feet. And he had to support her for she could barely stand.
"You're beautiful, kid. I wanna chase the morning with you." He squeezed her hands in his as if really willing to comfort. The girl was looking at him, fascinated, her eyes big and surprised and still swollen but at least she wasn't crying anymore.
"And yield for nothing," she whispered. Graverobber looked up and down at her and smirked.
"Well said," he patted her head. "I'm gonna like you, kid," he added simply, smiling this time.