Disclaimer: I do not own Repo! The Genetic Opera I am just temporarily borrowing the characters to alleviate my own psychotic muse who keeps shooting out ideas every time I watch the movie.
And a big thanks to my wonderful beta dustyashes without her none of this would be possible!
"I have a rare blood disease," Shilo began. "Rotti Largo said he knew how to cure it and after I was healthy I would become a spokesman for that department. Before I could get the cure, I have to pass his tests. This was the first test. He said that to get my cure I had to light up a dark place, to bring illumination to my situation."
Graverobber's eyes widened in realization of what was happening, Rotti had planned everything out.
"Graverobber?" Shilo questioned softly. She didn't know him well but she could tell something was wrong.
"I think we've been set up," Graverobber explained slowly. He looked up at Shilo, "Rotti has had all this planned for awhile. He had me captured last week and struck a deal with me. In return for giving me a free pass with the GenCops when I'm harvesting, I had to go to a certain house and steal a preserved 17-year-old corpse then bring the body to this tomb and wait. I didn't know who was coming for the corpse. I was surprised when Amber and her guards knocked me out. When I came to, I was hanging from the ceiling. I barely managed to get my bearings before you came in to carry out Rotti's test. And he knew full well that in order for you to light up the tomb, you would have to extract Zydrate from your mother." He could see the disbelief in Shilo's eyes as he explained. "Sorry Kid, but Rotti must have really hated your mom to do something like this." Graverobber could see the pure panic in Shilo's face.
Shilo couldn't believe everything Graverobber was telling her. But he had never lied to her before and all of his reasoning made sense. She could feel her breathing speed up in disbelief at the simple fact Rotti Largo had used her. The tears began to well up and she began to hyper-ventilate. Her wrist communicator chimed out, "Blood pressure warning, blood pressure warning, medicate immediately!" She lifted up her bag and dug for her pills. She pulled out the vial filled with little blue pills and took one. Once her system had calmed down, she looked up to see Graverobber's curious gaze.
"When all this is over," Graverobber said, filing the pills for another time. "We will come back here and return your mother's body to where it belongs." He stood and slipped on his coat before putting out a hand to help her up. Once they were both on their feet, he bent to pick up the vial of Zydrate Shilo had extracted. "I won't sell it," he explained. "I'll do something special with it for you though."
"Thank you," Shilo responded softly.
Graverobber smiled wryly at Shilo, he took her hand in his. "I don't trust Rotti and whatever plans he has for you tonight. So wherever you're going next, I'm going with you."
"But-" Shilo started.
"No arguing," he told her. "This way you have someone at your side that is actually on your side. If it helps, think of me as your bodyguard."
"I'd rather think of you as my friend," Shilo responded with a soft smile. "You're one of the only people I know apart from my father, and I don't even know you that well." She looked up at him and their eyes locked.
"Friends then," Graverobber agreed. It had been years since he had, had a real friend. "Friends don't let friends confront psychotic CEO's on their own. So anyway you look at it I'm going with you."
"All right," Shilo responded. "Rotti's driver is waiting for me outside, he should know where we're going next."
"Shall we?" Graverobber asked her, he squeezed her hand tighter.
"Yes," Shilo answered, but she sounded unsure.
"Don't worry," Graverobber assured her. "I'm not going to leave you to face GeneCo alone."
"I'm glad that I have someone to depend on," Shilo told Graverobber.
"I promise that I'll never lie to you," Graverobber explained. Then he smiled brightly. "It's much more fun to tell the truth anyway."
Shilo laughed with him, leaning against him as they left the tomb.
The driver was waiting for Shilo when they exited the tomb; he was surprised to see Shilo holding Graverobber's hand. "Miss," he began sternly. "We must be on our way. Leave the criminal here and we shall go."
"She's not leaving me anywhere," Graverobber told the driver. His voice said he wouldn't take no for an answer, and he tightened his grip on Shilo's hand. "I don't trust GeneCo and I won't leave her to face the Largo family on her own." He turned his gaze to Shilo, "I will protect her with my last breath."
Shilo opened her mouth in surprise, but decided to confront him about it later. She watched the driver nod his head in agreement and open the door for them.
Graverobber released his grip on Shilo and unceremoniously pushed her into the car before stepping in himself. He slid silently in beside Shilo just as she settled onto the seat, glaring at him. "I can't always be nice to you," he stated with a laugh. "Seriously, it will ruin my image."
Shilo responded by sticking her tongue out at him, then she remembered what he told the driver. "Would you really risk your own life for mine?" she asked him softly.
"I would," Graverobber responded without hesitation.
"But why?" Shilo questioned. "You don't even know me."
"No, I don't," Graverobber said with a sigh. He put an arm around Shilo's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "But you're pure, and that's rare nowadays." He looked down and caught her eye, "Plus you make me feel things I haven't felt in years. I'm feeling very protective over you and I can't figure out why. After we first met in the graveyard the other night, I can't seem to get you out of my head. You're right Kid, I don't know you, not really. But I think I might want to get to know you."
Shilo smiled up at him and he forgot how to breathe. "I'm Shilo," she introduced herself. "Shilo Wallace."
"I'm not even sure I remember my name anymore," he explained. "I've been going by Graverobber for almost 10 years now; almost no one calls me by my name anymore."
"Graves," Shilo murmured.
"I like that," Graverobber whispered into her hair. He pulled her onto his lap and wrapped her arms around her. "Nobody has ever called me Graves before, so that name is all yours Shilo."
Shilo blushed brightly but snuggled back into his arms. Even though he was a thief and a drug dealer, she felt safe in his arms.
Neither one of them noticed the driver watching through the rear-view mirror, a smile on his face.
Both Graverobber and Shilo stayed silent for the rest of the car ride. They took comfort in each other and tried to relax, both anxious to find out what Rotti had planned next.