First off, I don't want any flames or hatemail calling me anti-muslim. There is anti-muslim talk in this chapter, but it is NOT my viewpoint. Personally, I don't hate or promote ANY religion. It's all illogical superstition anyway, and has caused nothing but war, hate, the bogging down of rational, scientific thought and the segregation of mankind for millenia. And don't flame me on that either. Also, don't send heated rants my way, calling me "Anti-American", or "racist", or anything else. Once again, those are NOT my views, and are used only to show the type of society I portray. Anyway, this is the first real chapter, and if you'll notice, it does follow the "V for Vendetta" storyline rather closely. It will veer away a bit in later chapters, so don't think I'm just rewriting "V" with the cast of Invader Zim. I don't own Invader Zim or V for Vendetta.
CHAPTER 1: A Stranger Named V
"I'm late. I'm late." Tak muttered as she finished rimming her dark purple eyes with black eyeliner. She looked at the clock. One minute until nine. Shit. Tak quickly pulled on a black tank top to match the black miniskirt and knee-high combat boots she wore. She was supposed to have been at her boss, Skoodge's already. Tak's T.V. droned loudly in the background.
"The Middle-Eastern Coalition has continued to appeal to the Irken Order for aid." Said Mr. Smakey, the so called 'Voice of Earth'. "They have offered up unlimited access to their oil reserves. Let us not forget, that these are the people who were embroiled in a centuries-old war when the Irkens came. These are the countries that bred nothing but hate and terrorism until the Irkens came to power. Until the embargo that continues to slowly erode their filthy, warlike kind from the face of our great world. The Almighty Tallest didn't want their barren wasteland then, nor their useless oil, so why should we bother with them now?" Tak took a moment to admire the cunning in selecting a human to be the voice of the Irken government. "The arab countries, which Irken-kind has ignored like the bugs they are should realize that..."
"So full of crap." Tak commented, turning off the T.V. She took a final look at herself in the mirror before leaving her apartment.
"Code yellow curfew is in effect." The P.A. speakers throughout the darkened city announced in a cold, automated voice. "All unauthorized persons found breaking curfew will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Tak walked briskly down the sidewalk, trying to stay in the shadows. Though she herself was Irken, and at one time had trained to be a member of the Irken army, here she was just another civilian, no different than the millions of humans, and thousands of Irkens under the new regime. At times, she detested her present state, another mindless drone suffering under the weight of a tyranical government. She always felt as if she were meant for something more. But life goes on. It was better to keep your mouth shut, your head down, and hope that somebody doesn't call you a troublemaker anyway. With that in mind, Tak looked around the empty streets, and kept walking. That is, until she felt two hands grab her arms from behind.
Tak suddenly felt herself being pulled into a darkened alley. The hands that held her released her from their grip, and she turned to see three Irkens, all dressed in rather ragged clothing. One was a couple of inches taller than the others, one was shorter but more muscular, and the one of medium height wore a faded khaki trench coat. The tallest of the three was undoubtedly the one who had manhandled her into the alley, as he was the closest. He slowly drew even closer to Tak, who began formulating any possible way out of the situation. The Irken cocked his head slightly, and stared at her studiously for a few moments.
"What are you doing out after curfew?" The taller Irken finally asked. "Needed some... fresh air, I suppose?"
"I'm late for a very important meeting." Tak replied. "I should get going. She turned to find her way blocked by the shorter Irken, while the one in the tan trench coat stood nearby with his arms crossed. She swallowed nervously. "Really, I'm expected, so..."
"A lady like you shouldn't be out at this time of night." The shorter Irken said. "Alot of...animals out."
"I can take care of myself." Tak said dryly.
"Oh, no doubt." The Irken in the tan coat remarked. "Who'd want to hurt a pretty little thing like you?"
"Yeah," The taller Irken replied with a sly smile. "But I still think you could do with some chaperoning. Or maybe, you could accompany us for a while." The three moved slowly toward Tak.
"I'm not interested." Tak remarked, trying to mask her fear. She knew well the intentions of these three. They wore it in the open.
"What's wrong?" The shorter Irken asked, pacing behind Tak like a predator ready to pounce. "I'd think a lovely young Irken girl like you would be honored to pleasure a couple of guys like us. The taller Irken ran his fingers across Tak's antennae.
"Yeah," He said lowly. "We can show you better ways to spend a night like this."
"Get off of me!" Tak yelled, throwing a punch at the nearest assailant. Her fist contacted his face, and he stumbled backwards. She turned to engage another, and found herself staring at a silver badge pinned to a black leather pad, which the shorter Irken held in her face. Tak trembled fearfully. The three Irkens were fingermen.
"You just assaulted a member of the Irken secret police." The red-eyed Irken said matter-of-factly, gripping Tak's arm hard. "And you know what that means, don't you?"
"You act against us, you act against the Irken Order." Another fingerman said malignly
"Please." Tak gasped. "I'm sorry. If I had know you were..."
"Heh heh, don't sweat it." The first Irken fingerman smiled. "In a few minutes, your little fuck-up will be the least of your worries. Right guys?" The other two Irkens chuckled evilly. He slipped a finger underneath the right strap of Tak's shirt. Tak cringed. "Just think of it as your punishment for being...naughty."
Suddenly, the Irken howled in pain, letting go of Tak, and falling to the ground. Tak saw that the fingerman had a large dagger portruding from his back. The other fingermen were as surprised as their would-be victim, and drew their pistols, scanning the night for the source of the knife.
"Crime and punishment work best only when you let the punishment fit the crime." A voice said, echoing through the alley. Tak's eyes widened as she saw a figure step slowly from the shadows. A tall figure dressed all in black, with a flowing black cloak, and a tall, wide-brimmed black hat. A mask hid the figure's face. Tak recognized the mask from her studies of Earth history. It was a characture of Guy Fawkes, the orchaestrator of some type of attempted rebellion centuries ago, Tak couldn't remember the details, and now was no time to try. The ghostly figure stepped closer, holding a lengthy dagger in his left hand. Tak now realised that this phantom-like figure was the one who had killed her attacker.
"Come on, maskman." One of the Irken fingermen said, brandishing his pistol in one hand and a small knife in the other. "You think you stand a chance?" The masked figure pulled another dagger from underneath his cloak, and twirled both weapons on his fingers.
"Lay on, lay on, MacDuff." The stranger said theatrically. "And damned ye who first cries 'hold, enough'." The Irken who had spoken ran toward the masked assailant, who blocked his stab with one of his daggers, disarmed him with the other, and spun the Irken around, using him as a shield as the third Irken fired into his own comrade. The dark figure let the Irken fall to the ground, and before the last fingerman could react, the costumed man had let both daggers fly. Both knives found their mark, sinking deep into the Irken's chest. He slumped to the ground dead.
Tak picked herself up off of the ground, and staightened her clothes. She glanced at the black-clad figure who stood silent, almost as if her were studying her. She looked around at the three dead Irkens, their blood pooling around their bodies, and then back to the figure.
"Thank you." Tak said nervously.
"For what?" The masked figure asked calmly.
"You...you know, saved me."
"Really?" The masked man spoke with a slight cock of his head. "Saved implies that one has delivered another from an undesired or dangerous situation into a better situation. Ergo, the real question is, what did I deliver you into?" Tak stared at the man questioningly. He let out a quiet laugh. "You see, those men would have killed you, probably not before helping themselves to you. I did, in fact rescue you from them, but now if you are free to go, you must query if you are trully free. If we weren't seen by a surveillance camera, then the least you have to worry about is returning to a life of fear and servitude as these times would have it.
"Who are you?" Tak asked. She could almost imagine the figure smile behind the ever-smiling mask.
"Who is not as important as what." The man said. "First," He said with a gesture of his hand, "We can deduce that which I am not. I saved you from agents of the Irken Order, therefore we can conclude that I am not a member of the Irken Order. That, I suppose is the most pertinant of answers for your question. Secondly, if you wish to know the title or name with which to address me, then..." He frourished his cloak dramatically. "Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you, and you may call me V."
"V?" Tak asked, her head still slightly spinning from the assault of v-words..
"Indeed. And what may I call you?"
"Tak."
"I see." V said, slightly perplexed. "Why does that sound so familiar?" Tak cleared her throat.
"I...uh, I should go now." She said.
"Why so soon," V said. "We've just met. Do you, by any chance like music?"
"I...guess so," Tak replied suspiciously. "Why?"
"Well, I would be delighted if you would accompany me to a brilliant concerto I am conducting tonight. In fact, it would be an honor."
"I..." Tak muttered, looking around, still unsure of whether or not to trust the strange masked man who had rescued her. "I suppose I could."
"Good." V remarked. He took Tak's hand lightly in his, and led her through a series of dark alleys. It seemed that V had most of the alleys and backstreets committed to memory. She wondered who conducts an orchastra donned in such a costume, and furthermore, why alleys were the quickest way to get to the orchastra to be conducted, not to mention why a music conductor stalks the night, saving women from Irken agents. Before she could ponder upon the situation any more, Tak was led up a fire escape to the roof of a tall building
From the roof, Tak could see out over the entire city, the dark buildings fading into the dark sky near the horizon, the lights bespeckling the city like stars.
"Yes." V said, as if reading her mind. "It's kind of nice, huh?"
"You said you were conducting a musical piece." Tak said, a hint of impatience in her tone.
"So I did." V replied. "May I direct your attention to that particular building." He gestured toward a large grecian structure.
"The House of Law?" Tak asked. "The old Supreme Court building?"
"The same." V said. "What was once a symbol of law and justice, now a vile mockery of what it once represented. Do you know what today is?
"Uh," Tak replied. "The fourth of November?" A beep broke the silence of the night. It was Tak's wristwatch. As with all Irkens living on Earth, Tak's watch was set according to the always accurate atomic clock. It beeped, indicating that it was now midnight.
"Ah, The fifth." V said, picking up a long, black stick, and tapping the lip of the building. "Remember, remember the the 5th of November The Gunpowder Treason and Plot. I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot. Now, Tak, it begins." He gently waved the stick rhythmically, while Tak looked at him with confusion. She was beginning to completely call his sanity into question, when she heard a gentle melody floating through the air, barely audible through the night.
"Music...but...how," Tak muttered.
"And now the brass." The music became louder. Tak peered over the edge of the building. She realized that the music originated from the P.A. speakers that stood at each street corner. As the music became louder, windows began to light up, and people of the city wandered onto the streets, curious about the reason and origin of the classical melody, which Tak recognized as the 1812 overture. She looked back to V, who still stood, pretending to conduct the music.
"And the crescendo!" V announced. To Tak's surprise, the House of Law errupted in a series of loud colorful explosions. The roof exploded in a bright ball of red flame, and with a concussion, the walls imploded in a flash of yellow and orange. V laughed as the building thudded and shook with each new explosion. Fireworks streaked into the sky, forming a large red "V". Tak was speechless. She could only stare wide-eyed in awe as the last of the large structure collapsed into the fire that had destroyed it. She realized finally what V really was. A revolutionary. She knew she should be afraid, just as she knew being here and seeing this was wrong. Illegal. Yet, something inside her seemed to stir. Something caused her to smile a little.
What did you think? I told you it would be close to the plot of the movie "V for Vendetta", didn't I? And don't even ask about the Tak thing. Yes, I've always liked to write her all "gothed up", so don't say a word. I'll try to get chapter two up soon. I've had the worst case of writer's block for about a week now, which is why my zombie story went on hiatus. Reviews and advise might help save this one. Well, till chapter 2, cheerio.