Ok this is my first Sweeney Todd fanfic so please no bashes or flames, thankku ^^
Sweeney Todd, Mrs. Lovett, Tobias Ragg belong to the genius mind of Tim Burton
Leonarde A. Fervute belongs to ME
-OwO-
Chapter 1: A Man Like No Other
-OwO-
It was the usual miserable late afternoon in London.
The skies were as usual, gray with looming clouds that seemed to rule the sky and block out the sun. If anything it looked like a storm of lightening's flash and thunder's roar would appear but then again many were used to that considering a storm appeared once in a while. The gloomy Heavens over London caused the streets to look darker and almost depressing, if it weren't for the one thing that kept it slightly cheerful. It could only be traced to the meat pie shop with a barbershop on top. The sound was nothing more than mere humming to a blissful little random tune that continued whimsically before -
"MRS. LOVETT WILL YOU STOP THAT HUMMING?!"
The action was obeyed in which the humming was silenced as well the slight cheeriness of London. It was gone like a disappearing act of magic but the owner of the little melody still remained cheerful in her own girlish way. The owner was known as the conveyor of meat pies aka Mrs. Lovett; a single yet strange woman who still had her youth and needed no make up or accessories to show it. She had hair of blood as it was messily formed into two pigtails that trailed along her ivory face. Her body was thin and magnificent in its' own dark way as her ivory skin stood out amongst her detailed outfit. Slender fingers were hidden underneath fingerless gloves as she poured her effort into her work. She had fierce, chocolate orbs that were sunken into her delicate skull as she was intent on creating better meat pies than Mrs. Moony. They were her prize despite the facts that their filling was made of someone else which didn't bother her at all yet the thought of making pussycats into meat pies did. It was uncanny yet understandable as she hummed softly to herself.
"Mum," a childish voice interrupted her work as she looked up to see a small boy standing before her. "Do you mind if I run out and get us some toffee?"
Mrs. Lovett smiled at the boy before her who had become like a son to her as he returned the smile. He was a kind young boy on his way to becoming a fine gentleman for a lucky lady someday or so thought of him as aside from her "son." His name was Tobias Ragg but Toby for short and once belonged to the demon barber's frienemy who was probably digesting in the stomachs of different people. Mrs. Lovett silently snickered to herself at the thought of that and nodded to him. Toby was just a boy who understood how to treat a lady yet was still too young for a little girlfriend. Nonetheless he was adorable for his age; he had soft brown hair almost like a lion cub's with gentle boyish eyes. He was always dressed nicely as seeing took him out shopping from time to time. Toby wasn't a pansy let alone a dork but a servant boy to 's business as well as Sweeney if he ever needed him (which was rare).
"Course you can, love. Just take a few from my purse and give me the change," Mrs. Lovett resumed to her work as she watched him take what he needed and leave the pie shop. Walking out amongst the streets he watched the top portion of the pie shop for the brooding barber of Fleet Street, Sweeney Todd. Sweeney Todd was possibly the last person Toby wanted to meet in a dark alleyway with no one around. Toby had partially feared Sweeney Todd but was also a bit brave upon crossing his path. He knew the demonic barber wouldn't harm him because Sweeney knew that needed Toby to run the shop. Without him, things wouldn't run as smooth as they did.
As the young boy walked on he saw him from the corner of his eye and sighed to himself. 'How can mum like someone like him,' he thought to himself. He knew how much she adored Sweeney and how she flirted with him on occasion. However, Sweeney didn't seem to give a damn let alone return his feelings for her if he had any. Nonetheless, Toby watched the barber for a few as he paced in his room. Nothing about him changed as he almost seemed routine day in and day out; he kept the same somewhat unkept onyx hair with the white streak and the same old expression unless something caught his attention. His eyes always seemed soulless and uncaring of life around him as they too were sunken into his skull like 's. Once again Toby sighed to himself about Mrs. Lovett's feelings for the barber and walked on into the streets of London.
-OwO-
The hours came quickly with the usual making of meat pies and the murders that made the said pies. Soon the gloomy clouds of gray were obliterated from the sky and replaced with the black velvet sky of night. Darkness enclosed upon the streets of London as the only thing that kept it somewhat beautifully bright were the dank street lamps and the full moon overhead. The moonlight glistened and glimmered in the windows of numerous estates and places in London, particularly the windows of Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pies.
Slit.
Blood shot out from one innocent man's thick throat and splattered into the air trapped within the room. It cloaked the silvery razor as the crimson gleamed wildly in the eyes of Sweeney Todd as well as the blade. There were small moans and whimpers of shock and pain that came from the dying victim as the barber didn't give a damn as he watched the man die before his eyes. Murder meant nothing to him let alone anything in life (save for his beloved Lucy and Johanna); the only murder that would mean everything to him was the death of Judge Turpin.
Judge Turpin ripped Sweeney Todd (aka Benjamin Barker at the time) away from his lovely life of a beautiful wife and a newborn child. At the time, Benjamin was nothing of a killer let alone one who would bring any harm to anyone. All he wanted was to be with his family in what seemed like a wonderful world until the Judge came and ruined everything for him. Benjamin was sent away to a prison in the outback aka Australia and treated like a dog while his wife suffered from the Judge physically and soon became insane. Their daughter was taken by the Judge and was now his ward in his house where he watch her and stalk her as she remained imprisoned in his room.
Because of his horrid life behind bars Benjamin morphed into a man full of revenge and only intent upon finding his wife who he had hoped was safe all this time. However when he returned to London, he found otherwise and swore revenge on the man who started it all, Judge Turpin. Sweeney knew that someday the Judge would come and sit in his trick chair and ask for shave to please a poor innocent thing on the streets. Knowing that the Judge would trust Sweeney, he would do it at the precise moment and slit him to bits. Sweeney smirked to himself as he thought of his plan as well as the fact that the Judge would make a Hell of a meat pie or two. He'd devour him until there was nothing left of the Judge in this life whatsoever except a memory and then he would live his life from there. Maybe he would resume the murders (after all selling meat pies was a Hell of a profit) or move with Mrs. Lovett to that seaside fantasy she was talking/singing about. Oh joy, that would be fun - a beautiful seaside paradise not with his Lucy but with his co worker. Maybe he would return to Benjamin Barker but it would mean nothing if he didn't have his Lucy let alone his Johanna.
Sweeney sent the corpse in his chair down to the bake house with a simple gesture as his chair was once clean again and hungry for its' next victim. Sweeney knew that the recent victim of his blade was the last for the night as he cleaned his razor before returning to the only glimpse of his previous life he had with him. On his bureau was a small box that opened up to two picture of his wife, Lucy and his daughter, Johanna set in two frames. Both were everything to him despite the change from Benjamin to Sweeney as he wished to see them let alone hold them in his arms again. For now all he could do was stare into the lifeless eyes of the pictures before him and remember how things were as he wanted them to return as if the imprisonment of Benjamin Barker never happened.
Lost in his fantasy of how everything was before the false crime, he didn't hear the door to his parlor open. A boyish voice of airy tones broke the surrounding atmosphere of eerie tranquility as Sweeney returned to his murderous reality.
"Pardon me, I notice everyone is closing up for the night but may I..," the accent was different from London's as it appeared to be something of Australian. Sweeney had recognized the accent and was instantly reminded of his cruel imprisonment. The numerous torments and beatings of the Australians compared to the numerous cruelties of men - it was a nightmare as Benjamin Barker but now he was Sweeney Todd. The very Sweeney Todd who had gained a slight lust for his own sick way of torment by using mere men's throats as practice to murder the Judge. How he instantly felt the urge to slit the man's throat on the dot like he wanted to do to Turpin but he calmed himself and nodded to him as if to accept him as the last person of the night despite his recent victim.
The man entered shop as Sweeney took his coat from him and gestured him to the chair. The coat was made out of black leather, something casual yet luxurious in London as the coat was adorned with gold buttons in the shape of what appeared to be a family crest. At that moment the barber thought he was about to slit the throat of a royal or someone of some higher power which was the last thing he wanted to do. Scandal and gossip would erupt and Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pies would suffer as well as Mr. Todd. Nonetheless, a royal in a place like this? Something didn't seem right as he out the coat down and prepared his victim for his slitting.
Upon closer inspection the man was very young almost like a teenager but at the same time on the brink of adulthood. He had short, almost curled brown hair as it led down into sideburns which connected to growing stubble. His aquamarine eyes glistened in the faint moonlight as he took his place on the trick chair of doom. There was something peculiar about him yet Sweeney couldn't place his finger on it. The boy was young and his figure was lithe with beauty that was hard to ignore, let alone murder. Ah well, what had to be done had to be done as Sweeney approached his next victim. For a moment, Sweeney eyed the boy's outfit as it appeared to be that of an entrepreneur. He must of been naive or flaunting his wealth or whatever as Sweeney didn't seem to give a damn.
After a few shaves, Sweeney went in for the kill and slit the young man's throat as no noise of pain or terror emitted from his throat. Sweeney smirked as he went to send the poor bastard into the bake house before he noticed something rather odd. Sweeney took a few steps back from his supposed deceased victim. The blood was released as it laid upon the white blanket that covered the boy's outfit yet he appeared to be....breathing? This wasn't right as Sweeney's eyes widened a bit. What the Hell was going on? This had never happened before as the blood slowly began to return to the deathly wound. Sweeney prepared himself for an attack as he lunged forward and continued to stab and slit the boy's body as blood flowed out then slowly returned to their cuts. This was strange and mortifying to Sweeney as he watched the boy. He wasn't human let alone normal as a low chuckle of hatred emitted from his fair lips. What was happening? The deathly pale skin on the boy's body started to return to normal as Sweeney acknowledged that he couldn't stop this no matter how many times he attacked the youth. The chuckle escalated into a demonic laughter which enticed Sweeney but at the same time terrified his soul as he watched the boy slowly stand before him as if no harm had been done to him. The boy watched Sweeney with a devilish smirk on his face. Confusion invaded and wracked the barber's head as the boy began to pace in a slow, tempting manner with a grin of demonic joy on his porcelain face. The sound of footsteps amongst the floorboards was enough to drive Sweeney deeper into his madness as the noise soon surrounded him. The boy wiped the cream off his face as if the murder never happened before standing behind the barber who was frozen on the spot.
"It's not nice...to kill people but then again," the boy leaned into Sweeney's personal space as he broke through the barrier that separated them and whispered lethally,"who am I to judge?"
"Who are you," Sweeney whipped around fast as he found that the boy wasn't in sight as his eyes darted about the room. Blast! Where did he go?! What was his motive and why was he able to recov- Sweeney's thoughts were broken by a subtle laughter behind him as he turned around quickly to see the boy standing on the seat of the trick chair. How did he get there so quick!?
"My name is Leonarde A. Fervute and I know who you are - the most innocent criminal of Australia's prison; Mr. Benjamin Barker," the grin became sly like a silver crescent upon Leonarde's pale face. Sweeney became a bit more horrified the fact his newfound enemy knew his old identity of the polite and innocent Benjamin Barker. Sometimes Sweeney wished to return to that identity but found it completely useless to his philosophy of death to all, especially Judge Turpin. However, there was no time to focus on that now as Sweeney watched Leonarde.
"However I see you've resorted to violence. Tsk,tsk,tsk Mr. Barker or should I say Mr. Todd - this is not how you treat your paying customers."
"Get out," Sweeney's voice was full of ice and danger as it reflected in his chocolate eyes as well as his weapon of choice. Leonarde was amused by this as he didn't move let alone budge. Sweeney repeated his warning as the volume rose a bit in his tone which caused Leonarde to vanish again like a stroke of lightening. Sweeney's eyes darted about the room as if he was the target of a manhunt as he became on his full guard. He was caught off guard as he found himself pinned to the wall.
With no time to think, Sweeney kicked Leonarde hard in the groin as his grip was loosened in an instant. Turning fast, the barber drop kicked Leonarde and ran past him. Leonarde cut him off with a right hook to the jaw which sent Sweeney back a bit. Leonarde was there behind him and kicked the small of his back hard so he flew forward into the trick chair. How ironic, first his victim was in the chair and now Sweeney himself was in the chair as a victim to this boy's assault. Sweeney turned quickly and dually kicked Leonarde in the chest which sent him back onto the floor. Sweeney took the chance and lunged so he was on top of Leonarde and brought his razor wielding arm down upon the boy. Leonarde grabbed the arm and twisted it hard as Sweeney grit his teeth to restrain the yelp of pain he felt from that. However, upon instinct Sweeney's arm went back from that as he found himself pinned into the chair. Blast! That damn chair! Sweeney jumped out of it quickly as Leonarde took the chance and slammed Sweeney's head against the stove,causing the kettle to fall the floor.
"What the bloody Hell do you want!?"
"What do I want, Mr. Todd," Leonarde questioned as he licked the side of Sweeney's neck. "Is your blood."