Disclaimer: I own nothing about Repo! The Genetic Opera except this fan-fiction and another entitled 'The Magic Bracelet'. That's about it. :3
Author's Note: Thanks to MagzandLillie, Liesie, and Ooihcnoiwlerh for leaving feedback for Chapter 9. I realize that I may or may not have problems with Graverobber's characterization in that installment, but I would also like to add that none of us have probably seen him sad or disappointed before, so this is definitely new territory to explore. Hopefully I have it right on that subject, if not very close. :D
And now, for my next trick…
Chapter Ten: Three Months Later
The chill of winter arrived early in the month of December, and with it, a flurry of activity in the retail world. Clothing sets in various shades of red, green, blue, and white were set on display within the walls of various shopping centers. The autumn-themed decorations from Halloween and Thanksgiving were locked away until the following year, and in their places, up went snowflakes; snowmen and snowwomen; evergreen trees; candy canes; Santa Claus, reindeer, and elves; manger scenes; and every other decoration imaginable that had to do with the Christmas season. Gingerbread men, gingerbread houses, peppermint sticks, and decorated sugar cookies started appearing in the windows of candy stores and bakeries alike. Recordings of carols both old and new played over the radio stations at regular intervals, and the usual advertisements and posters issued by GeneCo were replaced by messages that read:
Holiday Sale: 25% off All Lungs and Livers
No Payments Necessary until January 1, 2057
Hearts at Half-Price: Get 'Em While They're Fresh!
In the midst of all this festivity, a small, bundled-up figure darted out from behind a stack of boxes, looked around at the empty alley before her, and then dashed behind an abandoned car. Nearly four months had passed since Shilo Wallace had last seen this alley; yet somehow she managed to remember every faded poster and cracked brick as though she had visited it only yesterday. Perhaps she could use this memory to her advantage, for there was one part of it she had not seen, and yet would still have to discover on her own—the dumpster.
Within the three months that Graverobber had gone missing, Shilo had searched dozens of dumpsters in the hope of finding him; but every time, she came up with nothing. Sometimes there would be discarded food and drinks, other times, wastepaper and other materials no longer needed by their owners. She had looked inside them all, only to miss both the smirking face and the mischievous eyes that would tell her she had been successful.
In spite of her failure, however, the teenage girl pressed on, eventually coming back to this place. It was one of the few places on the island she had not checked yet, as well as the first place she came to right after sundown. After a good, long look and a few right turns, she finally discovered it—the gray, metallic box shaped almost like a trapezoid and large enough to hold a person—or, in her case, large enough to hold a grave robber. She walked up to that box and rapped a few times on one side with her fist; then moved away quickly as the lid rose to reveal the head of a skeleton, its skull barely covered with a wig of long, black hair. Someone had a hand or two up there to control it, for a few seconds later, the skull began to speak.
"Password?"
"I don't know any passwords," said Shilo, trying to peer around the skull and see who else was inside the dumpster. "Are you in there, Graverobber?"
"No password, no admittance!" the skull cackled, letting the lid fall shut with a bang.
"Oh, for crying out loud…"
The girl let out a small sigh before trying again.
"…All right. What about 'please'?"
No response.
"Okay, what about, 'your friends are worried and need to see you'?"
Still no response.
"How about, 'Amber Sweet'?"
At this, the lid rose once again, only this time, it was Graverobber who stared at her instead of the talking skull's head. Shilo had to take a deep breath and rub her eyes before she could see him clearly, for she had to make sure she wasn't dreaming first. When his face didn't disappear, she let out a small sigh of relief and took a small step forward.
"There you are," she said quietly, glad that he hadn't wandered off or been shot during the months they had been apart. "Isn't it freezing in there?"
"Not really," he rasped, shaking his head. "I spent some time by a trash fire right before I dived in."
The last time she saw him, he'd appeared to be in good health, well fed and rested, even in high spirits. This time, there were traces of a beard on his face, dark circles under his eyes, and the smell of old wine on his breath. Shilo could only imagine what he'd been up to these three months past, let alone if he'd tried to take care of himself or not.
"Do you need an extra blanket?"
"I've got three of those with me already."
"What about something warm to drink?"
She watched him move instinctively to the right; then heard the telltale clink of two empty bottles knocking into one another.
"I meant tea or soup, not a '32 burgundy!"
" 'S none of your business what I drink, lady," Graverobber snapped. "An' anyways, s' not burgundy, it's merlot. Y'know what a merlot is, don't ya?"
"I know it's something to be avoided in cold weather," Shilo said defensively. "Are you out to give yourself hypothermia?"
The scruffy man said nothing, but instead took one look at her and burst out laughing.
"It's not funny, Grim! People get admitted to the hospital for this sort of thing!"
"Who the hell do you think you are, my doctor?"
"I may not be a trained professional, but my father was a doctor. I happened to learn a thing or two from him, at least."
"Yeah? Well, you can tell your dear old dad to—"
Before he could speak further, his words were interrupted by a sudden fit of coughing.
"There! You see? I had a feeling something was wrong!"
Shilo reached inside and took hold of his left hand; then withdrew it once she felt how cold it was.
"You know, you will freeze to death out here unless you put those bottles away and come inside. Do you want to see my new room?"
"Room…?"
"Yeah. Your friends found an unused attic in a nice apartment block down the street. It was the perfect place to hide someone who didn't want to be found, so…I said 'yes'."
"Huh. That must have taken an arm and a leg."
"Actually, it took two credits and a promise that I wouldn't give the landlady any trouble."
"Is that so?"
"M-hm."
She fiddled nervously with the edge of her sleeve before continuing.
"It's also good for helping a friend warm up and making sure they get cough medicine. What do you think?"
Graverobber took a good, hard look at the girl's face to check for any signs of lying. Her dark eyes didn't show any hidden mischief, nor did they twitch by accident. She also didn't hesitate to make eye contact, and the tiny smile she gave him definitely looked natural. Maybe it was time to leave this trashcan behind and see just what she had been talking about.
"All right," he said slowly, pulling himself up and pushing the lid out of his way. "Lead the way, kid. I'll be right behind you."