A/N: The next few chapters will be dealing a lot with Merrick and his past. Yeah, I know it's boring, but bear with me, plz?
XXIII
She sighed as she sat at his bedside, her eyes downcast.
'"No, Train!"'
It was so very strange to see him lying there...defeated. Hades had been reduced to nothing but a hilt. She lowered her head; her hands wrung together in her lap,
'You...you idiot...'
Grinding her teeth together, Rinslet growled softly; a tear rolling down her cheek,
"You're such a fool. A stupid, stupid, fool...!"
~ø~
Leon leaned back against the wall of the hospital; his gaze locked on the sky. It was brilliantly blue without a cloud to mar it and it deeply contrasted the mood in the air. The wounds in his arms and legs stung only a little. They were nothing compared to Train's injuries. He narrowed his eyes,
'I don't get it...'
The image of the chestnut-haired man sailing off the side of the building entered his mind and he grit his teeth together,
'He defeated Creed with no problem...so how...!'
He remembered lowering him to the ground. He'd been beaten so badly...
'How could you lose, Black Cat! I don't understand!'
Angrily, the boy balled his hand into a fist and slammed it back against the wall.
~ø~
He stood in the centre of a dark room. His eyes were having a hard time adjusting to the lack of light and he glanced around furiously; trying his best to see in the darkness,
"Hello? Is anyone here?"
No answer. A cold breeze swept through and he shivered; frowning,
'Where the hell is this place? And why is it so cold here!'
He heard a giggle behind him and straightened; still unable to see,
"Eve? That you?"
Another giggle. He shook his head and took a step forward,
"Hello?"
Upon feeling something soft under his boot, he silently glanced down. His eyes widened.
'"If you loved me Blanchett...then why didn't you say so!"'
'"Would it have even made a difference?"'
'"The poor girl was head over heels fer you and whaddidya do? Y'left her cryin' in the middle of that high school dance and faked yer own death just to get away from her."'
Merrick took a few steps back; his eyes widening as he gazed at her lifeless corpse,
'"Blanchett...if I could...I would take it back. I would take it all back! I wouldn't have run that night...I would've come back for you-!"
'"If ya took it all back...then you'd'a never met li'l Miss Sweeper over here. Tell me, Merry...could'ya honestly say that ya'd take back that night, knowing that?"'
He clamped his hands to his head and fell to his knees. He hadn't meant for any of this to happen. He hadn't meant to kill Blanchett.
"You really are clueless."
The lights in the room suddenly clicked on and he gasped; his heart stopping. The body lying before him was not that of his childhood friend, but instead a beautiful blonde-haired girl with gorgeous ruby eyes. He straightened; shaking his head,
"No...no! I-I didn't...! It...it wasn't my fault!"
"Of course it was."
He spun around, spotting Blanchett standing behind him. Her violet eyes were blank and blood oozed out of the hole in her temple. Her skin was completely ashen. The muddy-haired boy stood; turning to her slowly,
"Blanche..."
The woman stared back at him unforgivingly,
"Don't you remember, Merry? You're a demon."
He froze at her words; a heavy weight falling upon his shoulders.
"Everyone you've ever gotten close to...everyone you've ever loved. They're all dead, thanks to you."
"Th-That's not true," he stammered; his mind racing,
"I...I never killed anyone!"
"You killed me."
He swallowed hard; bowing his head,
"That was an accident. I didn't mean to-"
"Then, what about Maggie? Wasn't that your fault?"
"I-I-"
"And all of those people who tried to adopt you. They died as well."
He silenced.
"She'll be subjected to the same fate if you stay with her."
He glanced back at Eve's body; tears welling in his eyes as Blanchett stepped up beside him,
"You're a curse, after all. A kiss of death for those closest to you."
Suddenly, the blonde's body began to decompose and Merrick straightened; shaking his head furiously,
"No..."
He watched in horror as he body collapsed on itself; eventually disintegrating completely.
"EVE, NO!"
Merrick shot up in bed; gasping for air. Sweat covered him completely and his body shook violently. Taking a deep breath, he ran a trembling hand through his hair and glanced over at the bed beside his. Eve was sleeping peacefully; Sven's fedora cradled to her heart. Wincing from the wound in his stomach, he laid back in bed and sighed deeply. It had been a week since Blanchett's death. His nightmares were getting worse. He closed his eyes and rested a hand on his forehead. There she was again, that familiar red-head; beckoning him to sleep so that she could drag him back into hell.
He couldn't stand it.
Sitting up again, he clambered out of bed and staggered to the bathroom. Maybe a hot shower would cure him of these horrible visions. Either that or make them worse. After letting the water warm up a minute, he carefully took off his bandages and climbed into the shower; the hot streams stinging his tattooed back.
'"Blanchett...if I could...I would take it back. I would take it all back! I wouldn't have run that night...I would've come back for you-!"'
'"What about her? If ya took it all back...then you'd'a never met li'l Miss Sweeper over here. Tell me, Merry...could'ya honestly say that ya'd take back that night, knowing that? Knowing you'd never see her bat those pretty li'l eyelashes at ya...that ya'd never hear her beautiful voice again?"'
'"Everyone you've ever gotten close to...everyone you've ever loved. They're all dead...thanks to you. She'll be subjected to the same fate if you stay with her."'
BANG.
Slamming his right hand against the wall, he swallowed hard and covered his eyes with his left. His bangs hung down in sopping strings before his face; blocking his features from view. He grit his teeth; his face contorting in pain. Again he hit the wall, his hand balling into a fist. After a few seconds, he smashed his hand against the wall a third time and slowly fell to his knees. He bit his lip and took a wavering breath. A single tear slid down his cheek...
~ø~
She could hear him sobbing from the other room. Closing her eyes, she tightened her hold on the fedora in her arms. It was so strange to see him like this; to hear him so sad. She could feel her heart breaking with his every cry.
~ø~
"So, where are we headed?"
Merrick sighed as he walked beside the blonde; his hands behind his head. Eve had been awake when he'd come out of the bathroom that morning, and after having a little bit of breakfast, he'd decided to help the girl run a mystery errand.
When she didn't respond, he glanced down and offered her a small smile,
"You gonna tell me where we're going or am I gonna have to guess?"
The girl glanced up at him; swallowing hard. His sadness was plainly etched on his face, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
Coughing shortly, she nervously began rubbing at her arm,
"I got a call this morning...from the sweeper office."
The boy straightened as she continued,
"They asked us to pick up Blanchett's bounty."
She bit her lip as they reached the office building and looked up at him,
"Merrick, I-"
"Do you think you can pick up the bounty yourself?"
She nodded shortly; straightening as he turned and walked away,
"Wait! Where are you going?"
"I need some air."
"But what about the bounty?"
He stopped after a few steps; not even bothering to look back at her as he answered,
"You keep it. I don't want anything to do with it."
He then continued away from her; Eve sighing deeply as he disappeared into the crowd,
"Merrick..."
~ø~
The muddy-haired boy rested his arms on the stone wall; gazing out at Gilmore Bay in silence.
'"If you loved me Blanchett, then why didn't you just say so!"'
'"Would it have even made a difference?"'
She had been so angry. The image of her lying on the floor came to his mind; her lifeless eyes staring out into eternity.
The clock tower loomed in the distance; it's recent song marking the time.
'Two' o'clock...'
The sound of a dinging bell caught his ears then, and he glanced behind him. It was the trolley. It sped down the hill at about 20 miles an hour; making it's way to the station up the road.
With a sigh, he jogged after it, and as he reached the station, pulled the hood of his shirt up. He'd soon be entering familiar territory and it would be bad if anyone were to recognise those around him board first, he silently stepped onto the vehicle and grabbed the nearest pole.
~ø~
The skies were steadily getting darker as the trolley reached it's destination. Merrick sighed, silently wishing he'd brought an umbrella as he stepped off the contraption and into a down pour. Pulling his hood further over his head, he started down the street at a brisk walk. During his stroll, he caught sight of a few familiar faces in the crowd; faces from his past. One man in particular caught his eye and he raised an eyebrow in surprise.
'Wow,' he thought, his eyes following that of a dark-haired police officer,
'Of all people...I never thought he'd become a cop.'
'"What? You ain't gonna steal tha' cah?"'
The 25-year-old man shoved the muddy-haired boy back against the little blue vehicle; glaring down at him angrily,
"Seems' like somebody needs ta teach ya some respect!"
He motioned over to the group behind him; smirking,
"C'mon, boys! Let's teach this brat a thing or two about obeyin' tha rules!"
He hurled the twelve-year-old to the ground and kicked him in the gut; the boy gagging for air. The others soon chimed in; dealing kicks and blows to various sections of the boy's body. The boy closed his eyes tightly; tears threatening to spill forth from them. If they saw him cry, it would only make things worse. A gun shot sounded through the air suddenly and the men began to scatter. His eyes widening, the boy quickly climbed to his feet; spotting someone standing in the doorway of a nearby house.
"Who's out there?"
They shouted; starting down the front walk. As they reached the light, the boy panicked. He'd only caught a glimpse of their cream-coloured suit before he'd frantically fled down the street.
Merrick snorted as he watched him hurry over to a couple of kids who were playing too close to his motorbike. The officer began scolding them and the kids seemed to be very disconcerted by it.
'"C'mon, boys! Let's teach this brat a thing or two about obeyin' tha rules!"'
'Hopefully, he doesn't decide to beat them like he did me...'
He quickly turned away as the man turned back in his direction and continued down his path. He idly wondered how much longer it would take for him to run into more people from his past life.
~ø~
Eve sighed as she headed back toward the hotel; a slight frown on her face. She'd taken a couple of hours to explore the town by herself. She'd been hoping to find Merrick during her walk, but he was nowhere to be found. Glancing down at the envelope in her hands, she sighed.
'"You keep it. I don't want anything to do with it."'
Her eyes softened as she gazed at it. It wasn't like she had wanted Blanchett to die. A bounty was a bounty and they sure needed the money. Still, she couldn't help but feel guilty for actually accepting it. Blanchett was the victim of a horrible disorder. She'd needed help; not a bullet in her brain! But...Merrick hadn't meant to kill her, either. Something had come over him as well.
'"If ya took it all back...then you'd'a never met li'l Miss Sweeper over here. Tell me, Merry...could'ya honestly say that ya'd take back that night, knowing that? Knowing you'd never see her bat those pretty li'l eyelashes at ya...that ya'd never hear her beautiful voice again?"'
The girl stopped in her tracks. What had she meant by all that? And Merrick...it was like he had shot her on pure instinct. Maybe he wasn't the person she thought he was after all. She quickly shook her head. Merrick had been heartbroken after that night. He was still heartbroken, now. It was clear that what had happened with Blanchett had been an accident. Sighing, she walked over to a bench nearby and sat down. The sky churned angrily overhead and rumbling could be heard in the distance. Turning her gaze upward, she frowned,
"A storm's coming..."
~ø~
The down pour only worsened as he walked. He trudged down the busy streets silently; glancing up only briefly as people pushed passed him. Upon seeing a nearby street sign, he turned right and into a residential area. It took him only a few minutes to reach it.
He stopped as he reached the front walk; his heart sinking into his stomach. The corner house, 312 Mayberry Boulevard, was nothing but charred remains...
-Three Years Prior-
"The case of a former IBI agent who went missing one year ago came to a startling close today. IBI Inspector William Smith, who was in charge of the investigation, said he was 'reluctant to close the case so early, but with so little to go on, the team had no other choice'. The case closed with no suspects and no leads. Vollfied was 31 years old at the time of his-"
A sixteen-year-old Merrick sighed as he turned off the TV, shaking his head,
"Geez, the news is so damn depressing these days."
He straightened upon hearing the door click open, glancing behind him with a smile,
"Hey, you're back!"
A little laugh rang out from behind a pair of tall paper bags, and the boy jumped up out of his seat, hurrying over to her,
"Here let me help you."
He grabbed both bags, the little old woman behind them smiling gratefully,
"Thank you, sweetheart."
He took them on into the kitchen as she closed the door, sighing deeply,
"I tell you, those bags just keep getting heavier every time I go shopping."
"Nah, you're just getting weaker."
"Hey! Just because I'm old doesn't mean I can't whip you a good one."
He laughed as she continued to grumble about her age, shaking his head with a sigh,
"Aw, Maggie, you crack me up."
She hobbled into the room, promptly whacking him over the head with her cane. His face hit the counter and he yelped, glaring back at her angrily,
"Ow! What was that for!"
"For calling me weak. You should know better by now."
The elderly woman grabbed a carton of eggs from one of the bags and stepped over to the refrigerator, sighing,
"Anything good on television while I was away?"
"Nah...just the same old stuff."
"I see," she said, grabbing a few more items for the refrigerator,
"Did Blanchett call?"
The boy began to stutter, blushing furiously,
"Wh-What makes you ask?"
Maggie turned to him, smirking wildly,
"She did, didn't she?"
"...yeah so?"
She let out a squeal, and shut the refrigerator door. Taking his hand, she lead him back out to the living room, the two of them sitting down on the couch,
"And what did she call about?"
He began to scratch nervously at his neck, his face burning,
"She asked if I wanted to go to her junior prom..."
"And...?"
The muddy-haired boy glanced over at her from the corner of his eye. She sat there waiting for him to say something, much like an expectant puppy waiting for a treat from its master. He could've sworn she was a giddy teenager and not the 59-year-old sweeper that she actually was. She certainly acted like it. Clearing his throat, Merrick sighed, folding his arms,
"I..."
"Yes?"
He bowed his head, closing his eyes,
"I told her no."
"What!"
He yelped as she whacked him again, rubbing the back of his head sorely,
"OW!"
"How dare you tell that poor girl 'no'. I thought I taught you better than that!"
"But, Maggie...you know I can't go-"
"And just why not?"
The muddy-haired boy paused, sighing deeply after a few moments,
"Because...I-I've got a bad feeling about it."
"About what? What could possibly go wrong at a high school dance?"
"It's not about the dance."
She straightened, raising an eyebrow at him,
"Then what?"
Merrick sighed,
"It's...it's about you. I'm afraid that if I go...something bad is going to happen to you."
Maggie let out a laugh, slapping him on the shoulder,
"Don't be silly, sweetheart! There's no reason for you to worry about me. I can take care of my-"
"The last time you told me not to worry you wound up in the hospital after some perp shot you in the hip...or have you forgotten why you need that cane, now?"
The elderly woman stopped, sighing deeply,
"Merrick...you can't keep blaming yourself for that. It was my fault that I got shot, not yours."
He nodded, pushing himself up off of the couch,
"Yeah...that's what you always say."
She opened her mouth to say something as he headed to the stairs, the shrill ringing of the phone interrupting her. Sighing, she stood and hobbled into the kitchen to answer it as he went up stairs to his bedroom. The woman shook her head, forcing a smile as she answered the phone,
"Satcher residence."
"Hello, Margaret."
Her face darkened, and she glanced around the corner. Merrick was nowhere in sight.
"What the hell do you want?"
"Oh, I believe you know what I want, Margaret. You remember our deal?"
She ground her teeth together, her grip on the phone tightening,
"You can't honestly expect me to go through with it, now-"
"I expect you'll do as we agreed to. You know what will happen if you don't."
"I swear," she began, glancing around to make sure no one was around. Her blood was burning,
"If I so much as see you...if you come anywhere near here...you stay away from my boy, do you hear me? If you come within so much as a mile of him, I swear, I will hunt you down and I WILL kill you."
Slamming the phone down, she took a deep breath. Her entire body shook. With a trembling hand, she covered her mouth, her eyes beginning to glisten as she hobbled back into the living room. With a deep sigh, she trudged upstairs, and started down the hall to her room.
~ø~
The muddy-haired boy sighed as he laid back on his bed, hands behind his head. He gazed up at the ceiling blankly, his eyes narrowing,
'"Oh, c'mon, Merry! I already got a dress and everything!"'
'"Uhh...yeah, about the dance...I can't go, Blanche. I'm sorry-."
'"What! What do you mean you 'can't go'! I already got tickets for us!"'
'"I'm really sorry...I just...I can't. Maybe next year?"'
He sighed deeply, closing his eyes. She'd sounded so upset. Jumping at the sound of a knock at his door, he sat up quickly, forcing a smile,
"Come in!"
Maggie poked her head in, smiling,
"Sweetheart, can I talk to you for a minute?"
The boy nodded, raising an eyebrow as she came into the room with a large, black bag in her hands,
"You need me to help you bury whoever that is in the bag?"
The woman laughed as she sat down beside him, whacking him softly on the back of his head,
"No. Smartass."
Taking a deep breath, she sighed,
"You know...I remember on your very first day of school, you came home in a tizzy about a little girl who told you that you smelled of cat pee and ate glue for breakfast. The two of you clashed quite a bit during the years...and now that girl is asking you to be a part of one of the most important nights of her life..."
Merrick groaned, shaking his head with a sigh,
"Maggie-"
"Let me finish."
She began to unzip the bag, her eyes welling up with tears,
"My husband, Henry, wore this at our wedding. We were married in the summer of '67...he died that winter."
The boy smiled a little, biting his lip,
"You were both sweepers together, weren't you?"
She nodded, pulling the suit out and patting off the dust,
"We were. We started off as business partners...but it turned into so much more than that. He was the toughest sweeper I know...but he was always a perfect gentleman. And he looked so handsome in this suit!"
The woman giggled quietly to her self, a few tears splashing onto the jacket. The boy swallowed hard and put an arm around her silently. Wiping her eyes, she turned to him, smiling,
"I think...you would look wonderful in it..."
Merrick shook his head, sighing deeply,
"Maggie, I couldn't-"
"Now, stop that. The man's been dead for 40 years, he won't mind."
She stood and wiped her eyes, the muddy-haired boy watching her carefully. Turning as she reached the doorway, she smiled again,
"I know how important this night is for you, sweetheart...and I'd hate for you to miss it on my account."
Without another word, she left the room, heading downstairs in silence. Merrick sighed and glanced down at the suit in his arms. Placing it on the bed beside him, he leaned forward, burying his face in his hands...
~ø~
Maggie sighed deeply as she gazed at the aged photo, the young brown-haired man in the picture smiling brightly up at her. Her hands began to tremble slightly,
"Oh, Henry..."
A cough brought her attention to the stairwell, where the muddy-haired boy now stood. The suit fit him perfectly. She set the picture down as he came down the rest of the way, and he took a deep breath, shoving his hands into the pockets,
"So...does it look okay?"
The elderly woman clasped her hand together joyfully, tears streaming down her cheeks as she embraced him,
"It looks wonderful, sweetheart! Absolutely wonderful!"
She pulled away after a few seconds, her smile spreading from ear to ear,
"You have no idea how proud I am to see you in that..."
Jumping suddenly, she hurriedly hobbled to the kitchen, Merrick raising an eyebrow,
"Maggie? You okay?"
She came back out with a bouquet of flowers she had taken from the vase on the table,
"Give these to Blanchett when you see her. She'll love them, I'm sure."
He took them, laughing a little as the woman gave him another hug,
"And you have fun at that dance, child. Don't worry yourself over a little old dame like me. I'll be fine on my own for a few hours."
The boy nodded, pulling away with a stern look on his face,
"I'll have my cell with me, Maggie. If you need me to come home just call and I'll come running-"
Maggie laughed at that, smacking him on the arm,
"Oh, now stop your worrying. I told you, I'll be fine..."
She ushered him to the door, giggling as he stepped out onto the porch,
"Make sure you tell Blanchett I said hello."
"I will, Maggie."
"And don't worry yourself too much."
"I will, Maggie."
"And HAVE. FUN."
"I will, Maggie."
"But not too much, now. You don't want to wind up with a baby at your age..."
"I will-Maggie!"
His face turned beat red as she cackled and he quickly turned away from her, marching down the front walk,
"I'm leaving now!"
"Have fun, dear!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
She sighed as he began to jog down the street, disappearing from her view in a matter of seconds. Her smile fading, she closed the door and stepped over to her writing desk where Henry's picture sat. Opening the drawer, she pulled out her pistol and some ammunition and walked to the couch. Sitting down, she loaded the barrel and spun it, her eyes narrowed.
'"I expect you'll do as we agreed to. You know what will happen if you don't."'
She growled, biting her lip,
'I don't care who you are...you bastards are never going to lay a hand on my son!'