Notes to the reviewers~
EddieChoseLife~ No she won't! Thanks for your comment and the tip on punctuation. I'll check up on that and try to improve. =D
Triality~ Oooo, well we'll have to wait and see. *grins*
Kit19~ Thanks a lot. *smiles*
Kyrillia ~ It's such an honour to be visited by such a great writer and to be left such a nice review, double the honour *bows* You'll soon see who Estelle is and yes, those were two of my favourite parts as well. I passed on your 'hello' and it was received with open arms. Again, thanks and good luck with your fics. (When will Twilight be updated? Hint, hint!)
Karina of Darkness~ He is isn't he. Oh well, what would we do without them?
To all those who weren't mentioned personally, thanks for your reviews, they are all appreciated and all points are taken to heart and thought about seriously. *Hands all the reviewers cookies* If you want a cookie and you haven't reviewed yet, you know what to do! *grins*
Now on with the story. . . . .!
Chapter 7.
~~*Recollections and Revelations*~~
Two sped along the upper floor cursing himself at every opportunity for being so careless. Finally, the shop in question honed into view and Two ran all the more fast for it. He skidded to a halt outside the shop, shoes screeching on the polished floor. His heart did a tremendous leap inside his chest when he saw that the shop was not closed, but plummeted right down into the pit of his stomach when he saw the lights inside switch off.
He scanned the windows for any sign of life nearby. He could see none and his eyes had never deceived him, well apart from that one incident in the cinema with the two brunettes. . . Two shivered at the mere memory and so pushing that disconcerting thought to the back of his mind, he ventured forth into the murky shop.
Back at the bottom of the escalator, One was feeling annoyed. No, more than annoyed. He was seething.
"We finally get the opportunity to kill someone and what does he do?" he muttered under his breath "He goes and messes it all up. I wonder sometimes if we really are related."
A cough sounded from below and One looked down.
"Did you know that talking to yourself is the first sign of madness?" said Estelle with a raised eyebrow.
"That would explain a few things" replied One.
"Like what?" she asked.
"Like why I let that so-called brother of mine come with me all the time and why I'm stuck here with you and not him."
"Am I really such bad company?" she said "I don't talk much or pester you either."
"Yes, and it's a good job you don't otherwise I might be tempted to spoil my brother's share of fun." Replied One.
"Oh!" she exclaimed "Are you two brothers then?"
One looked at Estelle, a mixture of surprise and annoyance on his face.
"You mean you hadn't realised?"
"No, I thought you were just following a fashion or something." She admitted.
"Oh" was all that One could think of to say. A long silence followed this then Estelle spoke again.
"Why are you here?"
One sniffed loudly, a sign that his patience was beginning to fray. "I would have thought you'd have guessed that by now." He said, not looking at her.
"Well, yes and no. I know you are here on the Merovingian's orders and-"
"Hold on a minute!" said One in surprise "How do you know the Merovingian?"
"I used to work for him" she replied.
"And you don't now?"
"No. You see before I left, I was given an assignment to kill two people that were endangering the Merovingian's secrecy. So off I went, with a few colleagues. We arrived at the people's house and broke the door down as usual. As soon as we were inside it hit me like a bolt of lightning. It was my parent's house. Can you believe that?" she sobbed "He wanted me to murder my own parents!" a tear ran down her cheek and she wiped it away hastily. "Anyway, the others did the job while I stood crying, against the wall of the living room. When we got back to the Merovingian, the others told him of my failure to act on orders. I have never seen the Merovingian look so happy. He told the others to leave and then he -he. . ."
"What?" pressed One "What did he do?"
"He raped me."
"He what?"
"That's right. His wife stood in the corner, watching with a kind of vindictive pleasure while he did it. When he'd finished she came over and slapped me hard around the face and said 'You see what happens when you stray from your work?'"
One stood in silence, watching Estelle dry her eyes on her sleeve. Waves of horror and disbelief swept over him, numbing his body with shock. He knew that his boss was a snide, pathetic little man but never did he think that he would do that.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked a bite of suspicion in his voice.
"Because you need to know. I have to tell you of what he is truly capable of." She explained "If any human fails him, they are shamed beyond repair, emotional and mental state broken and are left feeling meaningless, filthy and insignificant. To those programs that he 'employs' that fail him, they are removed as though they never existed. You believe that you can only be sent back to the source. In truth there is a far more 'effective' way of disposal that the Merovingian prefers to use. I have seen it used many times."
"And why should I believe you? How do I know that any of this really happened?"
"Would I really lie about something like that?" she said, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. "Look, get out while you still can" she carried on, urgency in her voice. "I know why he wants me dead. There is an inquest into my parent's death and he's afraid that I'll tell on him."
"Why does this involve me and Two? And what exactly did you mean by 'get out while you still can'?" asked One.
"It involves you more than you could ever perceive. You have two choices. The first is to kill me. If I disappear then the Merovingian will be hunted down and everyone in his employment will be destroyed, one way or another. The second is that you leave me alive and you two will be deleted as though you never were."
"Why will he be hunted down?"
"Because I've left a record of the events and where he is based." She replied.
"Where have you left these records?"
"In my apartment, that is the first place they will look." She continued to sob into her sleeve as the memories of her past came flooding back in.
One swallowed hard and his breathing rate increased as his heart pounded with anxiety in his chest. And something sank into his mind. Something that he had before never thought possible for himself to feel. He had thought it totally irrational and impossible for him to ever feel fear.
"Come on Two." he thought frantically "Hurry up!"
EddieChoseLife~ No she won't! Thanks for your comment and the tip on punctuation. I'll check up on that and try to improve. =D
Triality~ Oooo, well we'll have to wait and see. *grins*
Kit19~ Thanks a lot. *smiles*
Kyrillia ~ It's such an honour to be visited by such a great writer and to be left such a nice review, double the honour *bows* You'll soon see who Estelle is and yes, those were two of my favourite parts as well. I passed on your 'hello' and it was received with open arms. Again, thanks and good luck with your fics. (When will Twilight be updated? Hint, hint!)
Karina of Darkness~ He is isn't he. Oh well, what would we do without them?
To all those who weren't mentioned personally, thanks for your reviews, they are all appreciated and all points are taken to heart and thought about seriously. *Hands all the reviewers cookies* If you want a cookie and you haven't reviewed yet, you know what to do! *grins*
Now on with the story. . . . .!
Chapter 7.
~~*Recollections and Revelations*~~
Two sped along the upper floor cursing himself at every opportunity for being so careless. Finally, the shop in question honed into view and Two ran all the more fast for it. He skidded to a halt outside the shop, shoes screeching on the polished floor. His heart did a tremendous leap inside his chest when he saw that the shop was not closed, but plummeted right down into the pit of his stomach when he saw the lights inside switch off.
He scanned the windows for any sign of life nearby. He could see none and his eyes had never deceived him, well apart from that one incident in the cinema with the two brunettes. . . Two shivered at the mere memory and so pushing that disconcerting thought to the back of his mind, he ventured forth into the murky shop.
Back at the bottom of the escalator, One was feeling annoyed. No, more than annoyed. He was seething.
"We finally get the opportunity to kill someone and what does he do?" he muttered under his breath "He goes and messes it all up. I wonder sometimes if we really are related."
A cough sounded from below and One looked down.
"Did you know that talking to yourself is the first sign of madness?" said Estelle with a raised eyebrow.
"That would explain a few things" replied One.
"Like what?" she asked.
"Like why I let that so-called brother of mine come with me all the time and why I'm stuck here with you and not him."
"Am I really such bad company?" she said "I don't talk much or pester you either."
"Yes, and it's a good job you don't otherwise I might be tempted to spoil my brother's share of fun." Replied One.
"Oh!" she exclaimed "Are you two brothers then?"
One looked at Estelle, a mixture of surprise and annoyance on his face.
"You mean you hadn't realised?"
"No, I thought you were just following a fashion or something." She admitted.
"Oh" was all that One could think of to say. A long silence followed this then Estelle spoke again.
"Why are you here?"
One sniffed loudly, a sign that his patience was beginning to fray. "I would have thought you'd have guessed that by now." He said, not looking at her.
"Well, yes and no. I know you are here on the Merovingian's orders and-"
"Hold on a minute!" said One in surprise "How do you know the Merovingian?"
"I used to work for him" she replied.
"And you don't now?"
"No. You see before I left, I was given an assignment to kill two people that were endangering the Merovingian's secrecy. So off I went, with a few colleagues. We arrived at the people's house and broke the door down as usual. As soon as we were inside it hit me like a bolt of lightning. It was my parent's house. Can you believe that?" she sobbed "He wanted me to murder my own parents!" a tear ran down her cheek and she wiped it away hastily. "Anyway, the others did the job while I stood crying, against the wall of the living room. When we got back to the Merovingian, the others told him of my failure to act on orders. I have never seen the Merovingian look so happy. He told the others to leave and then he -he. . ."
"What?" pressed One "What did he do?"
"He raped me."
"He what?"
"That's right. His wife stood in the corner, watching with a kind of vindictive pleasure while he did it. When he'd finished she came over and slapped me hard around the face and said 'You see what happens when you stray from your work?'"
One stood in silence, watching Estelle dry her eyes on her sleeve. Waves of horror and disbelief swept over him, numbing his body with shock. He knew that his boss was a snide, pathetic little man but never did he think that he would do that.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked a bite of suspicion in his voice.
"Because you need to know. I have to tell you of what he is truly capable of." She explained "If any human fails him, they are shamed beyond repair, emotional and mental state broken and are left feeling meaningless, filthy and insignificant. To those programs that he 'employs' that fail him, they are removed as though they never existed. You believe that you can only be sent back to the source. In truth there is a far more 'effective' way of disposal that the Merovingian prefers to use. I have seen it used many times."
"And why should I believe you? How do I know that any of this really happened?"
"Would I really lie about something like that?" she said, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. "Look, get out while you still can" she carried on, urgency in her voice. "I know why he wants me dead. There is an inquest into my parent's death and he's afraid that I'll tell on him."
"Why does this involve me and Two? And what exactly did you mean by 'get out while you still can'?" asked One.
"It involves you more than you could ever perceive. You have two choices. The first is to kill me. If I disappear then the Merovingian will be hunted down and everyone in his employment will be destroyed, one way or another. The second is that you leave me alive and you two will be deleted as though you never were."
"Why will he be hunted down?"
"Because I've left a record of the events and where he is based." She replied.
"Where have you left these records?"
"In my apartment, that is the first place they will look." She continued to sob into her sleeve as the memories of her past came flooding back in.
One swallowed hard and his breathing rate increased as his heart pounded with anxiety in his chest. And something sank into his mind. Something that he had before never thought possible for himself to feel. He had thought it totally irrational and impossible for him to ever feel fear.
"Come on Two." he thought frantically "Hurry up!"