"I believe our meeting was in the cards. I happened to be in the neighborhood to gather information myself, though my methodology is rather different. My intent isn't to torture people, my hope is always that I run to as little as possible. As I updated the facility's lack of an adequate exit, I saw you make your escape. From what information I gathered, you were the only prisoner left alive at that point. For someone to survive such an experience is rare, and when I watched you escape, I didn't feel I could leave you to die after escaping their clutches. You deserved a chance at life." V began talking and felt also beginning to share a little more candidly than he liked and gracefully stood up from the table to begin cleaning the dishes he had used to make breakfast.
"I appreciate that... it's certainly not what I would have imagined based on what I'd heard about you. I promise not to be too much of an imposition for very long, as soon as I'm well I will be out of your hair." Carly quietly stated and took another bite of her pancakes.
"The pleasure is all mine. I would rather you heal, and in time I may ask a favor in kind of you'll be so kind to indulge me when that moment comes. I'm certainly happy to hear that I am defying the image that the BTN is presenting." V smiled softly under his mask and turned to face her.
"Did you mean what you said on the TV?" Carly asked, putting her fork down to intently listen to his reply. She was excellent at gauging honesty through people's eyes but the mesh covering them made that impossible.
"Every word." V stated simply.
"You really think that blowing up parliament is going to make the country a better place?" Carly didn't quite understand the logic but did her best to be open minded.
"There is no certainty, only opportunity."
"Well I think you can be pretty certain that if anyone does show up Creedy will black bag every one of them."
"People should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people."
"And you're going to make that happen by blowing up a building?"
"A building is a symbol, as is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given power by people. Alone, a symbol is meaningless, but with enough people, blowing up a building can change the world."
"I wish I believed that was possible. Every time I've seen this world change it's always been for the worst."
"I am sad to hear that, but hope to change your mind over time was we get to know each other." V bowed his head graciously "Very well. I must leave to attend to some business, please feel free to explore within the confines of the Shadow Gallery. I ask you to stay within the rooms that have open doors, I shall show you others in time as trust permits. You should find everything you need to keep you occupied and more." V instructed before heading over to a large wardrobe that took up the entire space of the wall that was behind it. Inside was lined with various weapons.
Carly nodded, and called out to V as he was reaching the doorway to leave, "V, do you really think I will find my brother and get him out?"
"I have no doubt you will. But when and how will be mostly up to you. Remember one thing, it's not how we find someone that matters, but what we are prepared for when we do find them. Don't wander too far, I'll return soon." V switched his tone and gave a quick and small bow of his head before exiting.
Shortly after Carly found herself padding through V's secret, not so humble abode. It was littered with books and different things that had seemed to be lost to the world long ago. She couldn't help but wonder how V had obtained all of these things. It was clear that he was keeping them to protect them from otherwise being locked away or destroyed. Back in the main room she noticed a jukebox and read through the list. Many of the songs she read were unfamiliar to her but a smile graced her face when she spotted one of her favorite songs. Pressing B9 Louis Armstrong's La Vie En Rose started humming through the halls.
By the time that V returned it was late afternoon, he opened the door to the sound of Unforgettable. Much to V's surprise he saw Carly in the kitchen kneading what looked like to be bread dough and swaying to the music.
V's felt himself melt a little at the sight and his mind drifted from the carnage that he had witnessed before returning home. Breaking of bones and drips of blood replaced with the woman enjoying the music before him. He moved quickly to the cabinet and quietly opened, hoping not to ruin her moment or break her concentration. The gentle flutter of his cape caught Carly's eye and she jumped slightly when she realized that V had returned.
"My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you." V said, doing his best to keep his body facing away from hers to hide the mess that stained his clothing. Though Carly could see a small splatter of blood against the porcelain white of his mask that he had neglected to wipe away.
"Welcome back." Her eyes widened for a moment and quickly returned her attention back to her dough. While her focus was elsewhere V walked into his room to change out of his blood soaked clothes. Sitting down at his vanity to check his appearance, he noticed the blood and removed his mask. Running a cloth with disinfectant over it, he felt a strange sensation begin to rise within him. For the first time he had felt an odd sense of shame that she had seen evidence of his work. The feeling of shame did not stem from regret of his actions, but the fact that it seemed to have startled her and that she may disapprove of his actions. This was a new sensation for him, he had never cared whether anyone had approved or disapproved of her actions before this. With a frown, he made sure his mask was clean before putting it back on and fixing his wig over it.
"I trust that you had an uneventful and hopefully relaxing day. I'm happy to see that you've made yourself at home." V drawled with a smile as he entered the main room and sat on one of the living room couches.
"Yes, I did. And yours?"
"It was a typical day. I ran a few errands and had a few conversations with people to try and gather some information that was pertinent to your brother's capture."
"Conversations that involve...blood?"
"When they were reluctant to answer my questions or respond with violence, yes."
"Did they... give you the answers you were looking for?"
"Not exactly, when they opted for violence before I could ask for them to hand over that information willingly." V recalled with a small tisk. "Once I sift through all of that information. My hope is to find out which facility he is being held in and liberate those being held there as well. I am assuming that you would like to be part of the actual reconnaissance of finding and liberating your brother?"
"I'd like to help any way that I can." Carly's voice confirmed but the look in her eye was all the confirmation that V needed. It held an intensity that he hadn't come across in quite some time, it was one that matched his own.
"Good. In order for that to happen, and happen safely, we will need to take some measures to ensure that before we accomplish what we seek to accomplish. And I need certain things from you." V kept her gaze, wondering how she would receive his proposal.
"What do you need?" Carly sat back fully against the couch and crossed her legs in the space between the two of them on the sofa.
"I need time to prepare the plan before we execute it, and also time to make sure you can properly defend yourself. I cannot take you into these places without knowledge of self defense. Doing so would put both you and I in danger and compromise our goal." V stated simply. V could see her eyes dart back and forth for a moment as she processed what he was telling her. She would have to stay here longer than she had planned, which didn't thrill her but she would be a fool to discount and deny that she would have much more success in saving her brother without V's help.
V waited for her answer silently and couldn't help but observe how beautiful her eyes were as they moved in motion with her thoughts, and how her lips pursed ever so slightly as she pondered.
"What are we waiting for then?" Carly's answer sent a surge of excitement and surprisingly joy within V.
"Very well." Even though she couldn't see his actual face, she could hear the smile from beneath his mask.
