CHAPTER 3: Broadcasts and Reunions
It's becoming increasingly difficult to stick close to V for Vendetta without rewriting the bloody thing, but I continue to do my best. In this chapter, there will be talk of insurrection and rebellion. This is a fictional story, and I don't condone treason. I also don't condone the type of government depicted in this story, so...
Anywho, Enjoy, and please review. I don't own Invader Zim, or V for Vendetta.
Tak stood in the break room of the Irken Broadcast Network. A job at the IBN as a P.A. of Mr. Skoodge was the best job she could get, and it had its benefits. She was able to witness firsthand the fabrication of news and the spin of current events, as only the Irken government could do. She now watched just such a lie, as the news anchor spoke.
"The explosion was a result of a large leak in one of the building's underground gas mains. Apparently, a guard's desire to smoke a cigarrette while on watch touched off the violent explosion. To raise awareness for the dangers of tobacco use, and to fund a rebuild of the Justice building, The Almighty Tallest have instituted a new tobacco tax of twenty percent per pack"
"Damn lies." Tak hissed under her breath.
"Tak?" A human woman said impatiently through the door of the room. "I didn't know Mr. Skoodge paid you to sit around watching the T.V. all day." Tak sighed. "Tak, Mr. Skoodge wants to see you in his office, that is, if you're not to busy to work." Tak walked past the woman without a word, inwardly seething at the insults, but she was no longer a soldier, and she had to simply bite the bullet and go on.
Detective Bill and his partner, the ever dutiful sergeant Iggins walked with authority through a set of double doors. Bill pulled a photograph from the inside pocket of his long coat, and showed it to the sergeant.
"Remember, her name is Tak." Bill stated. "I want her alive, okay?"
"Got it, chief." Iggins replied. "But her file said she's ex-Irken Military. What if she puts up a fight?"
"She won't. I have a feeling that Miss Tak isn't the troublemaking kind." Bill paused for a moment and sighed. "At least...not yet."
"Tak." Mr. Skoodge said, walking from behind his desk. "You look well today."
"Mr. Skoodge,"
"Oh, just call me Skoodge, Tak." He replied. "We're kinda from the same mold, so being all formal with me probably feels as strange to you as it does to me." Tak had never had any problem with working for Skoodge. They were both Irken, both ex-soldiers, and though she could never figure out why, Tak always felt that Skoodge resented the government as much as she did. He gave her a questioning look. "I missed you last night..."
"I meant to come by last night." Tak said. "But with the curfew and all, you know."
"Yeah." Skoodge said with a small smile. "Don't want to disobey the Tallest, do we?"
"No." Tak said dryly.
"I just wanted to say that Mr. Larb has pushed our show back thirty minutes, so there will be a few small changes around, as always."
"Again?" Tak asked. "Why this time?"
"Why, to give Mr. Smakey more time for his rants, as usual." The short chubby Irken said, smiling.
"Figures." Tak said, pinching the area between her purple eyes. "So, what do we need?"
"I need you to go downstairs and inform the lighting crew of the new schedule, alright?"
"Sure," Tak replied, starting to leave. "Anything else?"
"Yeah," Skoodge replied. "Could you get me a soy mocha latte with foam?" Tak smiled, and left the office.
The main elevator doors opened into the lobby, and V stepped from the lift. A human guard at a nearby desk stood, placing his hand on his holstered pistol.
"Alright, Michael Meyers." The guard said. "Freeze where you are." V stopped in his tracks, and stared silently at the guard. "Take off the mask, and put your hands up."
"And how can I do that," V asked. "If I am supposed to freeze?"
"Don't get smart with me." The guard stated, walking toward V. He had no sooner grasped V's wrist, when V spun around, landing a right hook on the guard. He swept out a hevy-booted leg, sending the guard onto his back.
The doors to the news room flew open, and V strode in.
"Hey," An Irken called out. "We need to see some I.D. if you're gonna be on the set." V theatrically threw open his cloak, revealing enough C-4 strapped to his chest to turn the building into a crater.
"I trully don't want to have to destroy what I don't have to, or kill who doesn't deserve it." V said calmly. "I simply wish to ask for a little air-time."
"N...no problem." The set director stammered.
Tak walked down the hall to the elevator. She pressed the button, but all she got in return was the "Out of Order" message flashing on the LED screen.
"My luck." She muttered, and headed for the stairs. She glanced up at a television on a wall mount, and noticed that the signal had been cut.
"What's going on around here?" She asked with suspicion.
Bill and Iggins opened the stairwell door, and peered down the hall. Bill glanced at the photograph, and back to the figure standing at the other end of the passage.
"Iggins," Bill said. "It's her." The two detectives began jogging down the hall.
"Hey, you!" Bill called. Tak turned to see the two men approaching, and bolted through the doors. Bill and Iggins broke into a run, and reached the landing in time to see Tak two flights below them.
"I hate chasing Irkens." Bill muttered. He drew his Glock 9mm from it's holster, and with Iggins close behind, began running down the stairs, two at a time.
Tak slammed through a door opening onto the main floor, and dashed accross the lobby to the breakroom. She flew in, quickly closing and locking the door behind her. She looked around the room, which fortunately was deserted. Bill reached the lobby, with a panting Iggins arriving after a few moments.
"Split up." Bill said. "With luck, she's still in the building." Bill dashed down a corridor, and Iggins walked up to the breakroom door, tried the knob, shrugged, and walked on.
Tak sighed with relief, and dropped into an office chair. Catching her breath, she looked up at the television. Suddenly, to her surprise, V appeared on the television monitor, sitting behind the desk used by the news anchors. She realized that if he were on these televisions, there was no questioning that he was on every television and radio in the world. In a nearby hall, Bill stopped to watch another television monitor as V begin to speak.
"Good evening, good citizens of America, citizens of every country of the blue planet." V said cheerfully. The use of the name "America" was strictly prohibited, and the ring of the familiar name caught the ears of millions of viewers. V continued. "As you may well know, today is the fifth of november, a day which I'm sure, has passed you by many times, without your giving a second thought to it. But this is a special day. On November fifth long ago, a man stood up for what he believed in. A man stood alone against oppression, though the oppressors were more powerful than he. He attempted to destroy the english parlaiment in defiance of the intolerant government of that day. This day used to be known as Guy Fawkes Day in honor of the brave man and his noble sacrifice. Now that you know the history, which is always a prerequisite to knowing the present, I can enlighten you as to the mode of the festivities." Around the country, indeed, around the globe, millions of humans, and a fair share of Irkens now listened closely. No one had ever spoken so freely, at least not since the Great War, and to hear someone doing so seemed to ignite something within them.
"God." Mr. Larb, the Tallest-appointed network president moaned, watching the monitor in the building's meeting room. "He's on every set in the world." The other Irkens and humans of rank in the broadcast network stood idly for a moment. Mr. Larb glowered at them. "Find him! Now!" he commanded. Meanwhile, a squad of soldiers had already been dispatched to the studio by Zim, who watched the broadcast angrily from his posh home. There was something familiar about this man. Something that made Zim cringe with pure hatred. His red eyes were narrowed with anger, and his two thin antennae lay back across his head. He wanted this masked buffoon's head on a platter.
"Freedom. Liberty. Choice." V continued. "Things taken for granted by so many for so long, now relics, words forgotten amid the persecution and tyranny that has befallen every man, woman and child of Earth. Words that used to mean so much, before words like fear, destitution, war and oppression became the ideals of the age. As I speak, those who would seek to end this little infomercial are no doubt coming to stop me. Coming to stop the truth. The truth, it used to be said, will set you free. And the truth is that people should not be afraid of their government. The government should be afraid of it's people. As you may have guessed, it was I who was responsible for the destruction of the House of Justice. And a year from today, If you believe in freedom, if you believe in hope, if you agree with me, I want you all to stand by me as the symbol of government known throughout the world, the House of Rule, once a proud building housing the great leaders of this country in a better time, now a house of debauchery and fascism, is razed to its foundation. What will it be? Treason. Insurrection. But those are merely words meant to frighten us into never speaking against the crimes we are subjected to. But I can name a few traitors and insurrectionists from the past. Washington. Franklin. Revere. Jefferson. And let us not forget...Fawkes. It is time we stood together to bring definition and meaning back to the word freedom. Farewell for now, my friends, but worry not. You will hear from me again. Remember, remember, the fifth of November." The figure was replaced by a black screen with a red "V" inside a circle.
Bill stared at the blck screen for a moment. The words provoked a feeling in him. A feeling he had only felt long ago...
"Sir?" Iggins said, breaking Bill out of his reverie. "She's gone, sir. She must have gotten out of the building."
"Alright." Bill replied. "Pack it up. Maybe we'll have beter luck watching her apartment."
"Yes sir."
The 8-man squad of soldiers, five Irken, and three human, took position around the door leading into the set. Mr. Larb stood nearby, a small laser pistol in his hand.
"Get it open." Larb ordered. One of the human soldiers prepared to kick open the door, when suddenly, it exploded outwards, the door flying accross the hall, knocking two of the soldiers unconscious. V stepped from the smoke, grabbing one of the Irkens by the wrist, and pulled a long dagger, plunging it into the soldier's body. He withdrew the blade, which he sailed through the air, into one of the human soldiers' chest. V drew two of the daggers, and utilized them to hook the last human soldiers' rifle, throwing it into the air, striking an Irken soldier in the face, and knoking him out. The soldier was then nearly decapitated by V's twin knives. V spun quickly as the two remaining Irkens began to fire, and let his daggers fly, dispatching both of the soldiers. V turned to see Mr. Larb standing in a stunned silence, his pistol at his side. V held out his hand toward the weapon, which Larb fearfully placed in V's palm. V tossed the gun to the floor, and with a solid punch, Mr. Larb was knocked out cold. V quickly retrieved his three daggers, and ran down the hall.
V was nearing the rear exit, when he heard a click behind him. He froze, certain of the origin of the sound.
"Turn...around...slowly." An Irken guard ordered, his pistol leveled at V. V obeyed, raising his hands as he turned to face the guard.
Tak peeked around the corner to see V slowly turn to a guard with his hands raised. Her mind told her to let it go, but her heart argued otherwise. He had saved her. The least she could do was repay the debt. Tak crept from around the corner, quietly picking up a small wastebasket. She slowly walked up behind the guard.
"Alright," The guard said. "We're gonna wait right here until backup arrives. Or, on second thought, I could shoot you now, and become a hero." V noticed Tak approaching the guard.
"Heroes aren't born from cowardly actions." V said. "But from acts of willful selflessness."
"Huh?" The guard asked. Tak acted quickly, shoving the bin onto the guard's head. He instinctively spun about, striking Tak with his gun, knocking her to the floor. V grabbed the guard by the collar, and slammed him into the wall repeatedly, until he ceased to move. He let the guard fall to the floor, and strode over to Tak, laying unconscious on the tile.
"A rescue for a rescue, for a rescue." V muttered. "What a cycle it is." He picked up Tak's limp form in his arms, and exited the building.
I know I kind of rewrote V's speech, but I meant to. It's more relevant. I'm actually surprised at the length I was able to make this chapter. Anyway, I'm quite angry at the moment, and not feeling too chatty, so give me reviews, and I'll keep the chapters coming. Cheerio.
