The Wall (CLOSED)

Canvas kept looking around like him, and every few seconds she would turn her head and look at either him or directly at a specific place to her left. At first Vincent thought that perhaps the girl was seeing ghosts, she sure looked crazy enough to do it, but as soon as a man in his early twenties, perhaps one or two years younger than himself. Vincent was obviously not supposed to notice, but as he passed by Canvas, their hands met for what seemed to be less than a second, and a tiny note was passed from one to the other. He couldn't see who received it though, but as his gaze followed the man down the street only to see him bump into another and shake hands with this other person, he realised that something really iffy was going on.

Why would Canvas be handing out notes to people passing by?

Strange as that little thing had made him stop thinking about Olivia. Perhaps that saying was true then? 'Out of sight, out of mind.'

"Maybe we should get going?" Canvas then said, breaking his train of thought. He was stunned for a moment, which he spent just on looking extremely dumb. She looked a little annoyed when he didn't answer right away, and now turned her entire body to face him. "You still alive or what?"

"Yeah, sorry. Go to where?" He asked her in response. The he remembered that it was getting a little late. He glanced down at his wrist to figure out what time it was, but found that his watch was missing. He furrowed his brows and groaned slightly.

"What the hell? Where'd it go?" He mumbled, and Canvas followed his lead and looked at the same as he. "What is it?"

"It's gone," He said, sounding more and more angry for any second passing. "My watch is gone. Shit!" The last word came out as a loud roar, one that made people stop and stare at him. He had no problem glaring back, as he in his head tried to figure out when he had lost it. Or maybe it had been stolen? Anyhow, he wanted it back, immediately. The question was just where to look.

Canvas rubbed her unpainted cheek for a second before looking over her shoulder. "Look, where is it you usually find what you need? Just go there, and you can probably find a new watch." He instantly knew what she meant, and nodded. Everybody that one place which some said contained one example of everything that had ever been. Of course that was just a children's saying, but it was an interesting thought.

Canvas then took a few steps away from him, and as she had her back turned to him, she raised her hand to wave back at him. "I have to go, I think. Mom's gonna be mad if I'm late again." He nodded and gave her a simple bye, and to that she just told him that she would catch up with him the next day. And just seconds later she was on her way, and turned a corner so he could no longer see her.

He snickered, and then started to make his way to his new destination. He had a feeling that it would be time consuming, and he was right. People didn't feel like leaving him alone, no matter how angry he looked.

Olivia followed Lucy down a few of the streets. It was like they were weaving in and out of a maze that Olivia felt so unfamiliar with now. So much had changed and she knew that at least for the first few days she would be lost. It then occurred to her how lost she would be with everything. She didn’t know anyone up here and she didn’t know how to act to fit in. So many things were changing so quickly that it was starting to scare Olivia. She wished that she had someone there to hold her hand, someone to whisper in her ear and tell her that everything was going to work out. She wished that she had Vincent here with her but she knew that she needed to move past him and learn to rely on herself.

Eventually they reached a nice two story house. Whoever owned it seemed to have a lot of money and it was in a really nice area. Olivia couldn’t help but feel intimidated by the size. Her house underground would most likely fit inside this one fifty times maybe more. However she didn’t share her fears. Olivia knew that she had to get used to all of this and she wanted to show Sam that she really was ready for this.

Lucy opened the front door for Olivia once they reached it and once Olivia was inside Lucy followed, closing the door with a sigh. “Well that was cutting it close, love” Lucy said with a smile. “We can do more proper introductions here since the streets are not safe, especially until you are given your papers” Lucy explained. To Olivia she seemed like a really nice lady.

“So this will be where you will call home for the next little while. I live here with my husband Andrew and our son Greg. They are both out at the store but will be home soon and you can meet them then. We don’t expect much from you, just that you listen and learn what we have to teach you because if you don’t then you could expose the whole family” Lucy said still talking as she walked towards the stairs and Olivia followed.

“Yes, Alright I understand. Sam went through all of that with me” Olivia said with a small smile. She was glad that Lucy was such a nice person because if she wasn’t then this would have all been so much worse.

“Yes I know but Sam is constantly leaving things out. Another thing, we may have other people coming and staying with us at times as well, like you. Some will be staying here permantly and some will be moving to another house but needed somewhere inbetween. We just expect you to make them feel as welcome as you would want to feel” Lucy said as she walked down the hallway and opened one of the rooms.

Inside it was beautiful. There was a huge double bed all covered in white sheets that just looked so inviting. There was antique white furniture around the room in the form of a closet, a small desk, a window seat and a full length mirror. For the moment Olivia avoided looking towards the mirror since she knew that she looked horrible.

“This will be your room. Just through that door is a connecting bathroom and in the closet are some clothes. I think most of them will fit you, if not we can go shopping for some” Lucy said as she watched Olivia curiously as the girl just stared around the room. It wasn’t that it was so different to where she had been living. It was that it was so similar to her home before all of this. Her bedroom had been so similar. Pretty and perfect.

“Thank you Lucy. I am sure everything will be fine. Ummm… it’s been a long day though. I was thinking maybe I could just go straight to bed?” Olivia asked. She knew that she was meant to meet Andrew and Greg but she just needed some time.

“Sure love, just call me if you need anything alright” Lucy said with a smile before leaving. Lucy had watched so many people come into her house and leave again but Olivia seemed different. It was like she was going to need a lot more than the sunshine to cheer her up. Lucy wanted to help her, she just didn’t want to force it. For now she just let her settle in and get used to everything.

Once left alone Olivia just stood there for a few moments. With a sigh she then went into the bathroom. It was here that she spent the next forty five minutes scrubbing and washing her body. She wanted to get all of the yuck and dirty off her skin and she even got to shave her legs. Olivia also washed her hair three times to try and get it to shine a little. Eventually when she got out of the bathtub she walked over to the mirror and looked at herself.

She looked clean.

Olivia hadn’t really seen much of her reflection while she had been underground. However when she looked in the mirror, she looked like her old self. She looked a little older but her hair was still a bright blonde and her skin, underneath all the dirt was still a light cream. Her face though held most of her sorrow.

Turning away from the mirror she walked out into the bedroom and to the closet where she picked out a nightgown that looked like it would fit. In fact it turned out to be about two sizes to big but she didn’t care. Olivia turned the lights out before getting into bed.

It was here that her composure fell. She cried. Olivia couldn’t hold it in any longer. She was already missing Vincent and it hurt so much knowing that she would never see him again. Olivia had been doing so well up until this point to keep herself from crying but now, she just couldn’t stop the tears as she trembled in the bed before eventually falling asleep with tear stains still on her cheeks.

He wrinkled his nose a little. He had an idea that it was getting really late, but still there were plenty of people around. perhaps, one too many for his tastes. It wasn't that he was one of those wierdoes who got scared and paranoid when surrounded by people, he just hated how they got in the way. Everybody got i his way, and if they didn't hurry up and fuck off, he would hit them. Either with one of the crutches or just his fist. Although both things would turn out the same way; he would lose his balance, and then get his ass kicked. Sometimes it was just smart to keep a low profile, something that would be so much easier if people would just stop calling him out in the crowd and say something that was either straight up stupid, or just not as funny as those who spoke intended it to be.

He was sure that even if he had been completely wasted when giving his speech, it would've been a great deal more humorous than the lot of these passers-by people. Never the less, without stopping too often, and after a more or less exhausting walk, he had reached the building. He could easily feel that in his current condition, he wasn't up for much more of this constant moving around. He promised himself that this would be the last thing he did before he went home and got some more sleep.

With quite some trouble he pushed the door open, and peeked inside. It was just as tiny and dark as he remembered it to be, and after having slithered inside, he put his scariest and most threatening face on. No way that this guy should get the idea that he was a push-over who would trade whatever little things he had for a watch.

The man behind the counter looked up from a bow he was sorting trough. He instantly saw and recognized Vincent, and greeted him with nothing more than a respectful nod. Manly, and to be expected. Vincent returned the greeting and got himself to the counter.

"What can I do for you?" The man said, his voice sleazy and lacking of the usual 'customer is always right' ring that most people would address their... costumers with. But then of course, he didn't need it. He could be a jerk to every person he didn't care about, they would still have to treat him fairly good, since he was the only one who owned a place like this. Trade good things, for something better. Or get you leg pulled with such force that it will be ripped off, and leave you leg-less for good. That was pretty much the basics of doing business with this guy.

"Have any watches?" Vincent asked, trying to keep an edge to his words, so that this person perhaps (but unlikely) would give him one for free. The man nodded and remained silent as he pushed the box, he seconds before had placed on his laps, across the counter. "Be careful with that. It's some new stuff I haven't had the time to sort trough yet. Both some watches and some jewellery in there."

Vincent replied with a kind of disheartening "Uh huh." and then he let go of the right hand crutch and stuck his hand down to further investigate the contents of the box. He spent some time scrambling around, and with a few seconds interval he pulled up three different watches. He placed them out on the counter, not really seeming interested in any of them. Then, as he went back to focus on the things in the box a single little thing caught his attention.

He knew that necklace from somewhere.

One of a kind, super rare. Or maybe it had just hung around the neck of a one of a kind, super rare girl. Slowly with a look on his face, as if he was falling into vertigo, he pulled it loose from the rest of the tiny chains, lockets and whatnot that was laying down in the box. He looked at it for a long time before he looked at the guy behind the counter again. "What is this doing here?" He asked, sounding like he would bite the man in the nose if he didn't answer like Vincent wanted him to. Sadly this man was not easily scared, he just stared on back, and with a grin he said that a pretty girl had walked in, looking kinda sad. She had asked for pain killers, and had given him that thing in return. Personally he didn't like it, sure it was pretty and all, but it looked like it wouldn't suit anyone but that girl.

Somehow this angered Vincent. Had this man no respect? Even if he did, Vincent now cared as much about watches as he cared about endangered animal species. Which meant that the I-care-o-metre was in minus at this particular point in time.

"I'm taking this." He said. The man behind the counter nodded, and for the first time smiled a little at Vincent. "Sure, what do you have to trade it for?" He sounded much more interested in doing business with Vincent now that he had confirmation that they were about to trade, but his enthusiasm disappeared quite quickly as Vincent simply said that he didn't have anything, and he wasn't going to give anything for it. It belonged to him, and had been taken away, unrighteously. He would not stand for that.

Of course the man behind the counter didn't believe Vincent, and that was the sole reason as to why Vincent broke his deal with himself, and smacked the man across the face with a crutch. Of course something like that hurts, and the guy acted on pure reflex, and covered his face for a few seconds as he waited for the immediate pain to subside.

Vincent wasted no time in threatening, and that was how he, a few minutes later moved out the door and away with a necklace, a bruise on his right cheekbone, and terrible pain in his foot. But he had the necklace, then it didn't matter if he had resorted to brutality and smashed a vase on the guys head. He had looked like he could take it. Yes, he had. And he was not going to tell anybody what had happened, the two of them had a deal about that.

It had been four months since she had rejoined the people of above and Olivia was slowly getting used to it. She was relearning how to act socially and learning the rules that had been introduced in her absence. There was a lot to learn, like the fact that she couldn’t be out any later than 8 o’clock or that she could be stopped in the streets at any time and be questioned and asked to present her papers. Of course her papers were not real but they were such good fakes that no one knew the difference.

For Olivia it was like she was having to reteach herself everything. However one thing would not go away. Her longing to be back with Vincent. Olivia didn’t want to be back underground. She wanted him up here with her. She missed him like crazy and at night she would cry herself to sleep. However during the day she came across as strong and independent.

Olivia was still seeing Sam. He was sweet and kind and would come to see her as often as possible. However things with him were complicated. She could never make a life with him because of his job. It wasn’t steady or stable and she never knew when she would see him again. Olivia was really starting to like him yet it always came back to Vincent and Sam knew this. He knew he was only a substitute but he could handle that since he was the one with the girl and not Vincent.

Sam never told Olivia about what was happening underground although he had a fairly good idea. He told her that he was trying to keep her distant from it so she could start a new life. However that didn’t stop Olivia from knowing that something was happening down there. That they were starting to fight back. This both scared her and excited her.

For the past few months things had been happening and as much as the government tried to keep it out of the news, people talked. They were saying that there was a terrorist group that had started up. One that believed violence was the answer to their salvation.

People were disappearing or worse turning up dead. These were not just normal people but important people. There had been a few attacks on buildings as well. The most important being the blowing up of one of the important government buildings in the centre of town. No one was killed yet it had left the public shaken and scared.

The government were not explaining it. Just telling the people that now more than ever they had to stick together and expel those from society that didn’t fit the shape they were creating. This scared Olivia since with the attacks things were only getting worse, however she knew no more about this than anyone else.

Olivia was still living in the house she had first moved into. She didn’t feel ready to move out on her own yet and enjoyed the company. In exchange for a place to live she cleaned the house. Olivia also had a day job at one of the banks in the city. It was easy work, all she had to do was take in money and give money out to the right people.

Today she was working as she heard some of the people around her talking about the latest kidnapping. Apparently it was one of the government members son who had been taken. So far he had not been found yet the chances of him still being alive were slim and it sent shivers down her spine as Olivia thought about how horrible the people behind this must have been.

What was going on? Was it them? He had heard about them, they had already abducted three of four people, if not more. What were they going to do to him? He couldn't see, he couldn't talk, and all he could smell was the heavy air, damp and somehow it felt like it was trying to strangle him. He was blindfolded, he was gagged. They had made sure that the only thing he would feel was pain. Pain and fright. And oh god, he feared for his life!

Because when they had found congressman Williams he had been dead. And when they had found Anchorwoman Betty Sunderson she had been dead. Both of them shot in the neck, just like he had sentenced the outcasts to be. Left in the middle of the streets to rot.

They hadn't found the first abducted yet. There was at least three politicians missing as things were now, although they couldn't be certain. They just hadn't shown up for work the last week or so. But he couldn't worry about them now. If what he feared was right, then he was much better off with fearing for his own life.

And as he was pulled down two flights of stairs by the two who held him by the shoulders, the two that dragged him along halfway behind him, the air got warmer. As if he was getting closer to a place of fire. Purgatory perhaps?

He was sat down on a chair, his two caretakers not very gentle. He was an old man, had youth no respect any more? But as they removed the bonds tied around his head, and and as he could feel the air on his dry lips again, as his eyes slowly got used to the strange blend of shadows and light in the room, he saw him. The leader.

Vincent looked up from the table, and his eyes met with the eyes of the man who sat opposite of himself. Light streamed from the lamp above their heads, and it was easy for both of them to see the face of the other. Vincent wanted it like that, he wanted them to know who he was so that they didn't die unknowing of who their murderer was.

Canvas on the other hand just stayed out in the shadows in the corners of the room. She was one of those who planned how things went down, and she knew exactly how this old ugly son of a bitch was going to die. He had in the years passed developed a fancy to little girls, and she knew that he found it amusing to put out cigarettes on their skin when he was trough with them.

Now it was his turn to burn.

She quickly turned her face to look at Clarence. Somehow he had in his life gathered knowledge on bombs, and they had already put it to use, the court building down town was gone now. It hard been a strange and unpleasant thing to be near back when Vincent and Clarence had made up. Or, it would be more correct to say 'back when Vincent tried to apologise to Clarence'. It had take five attempts, but lastly, Clarence had just smacked Vincent in the face, and then things were fine between them.

From the table in the middle of the room a voice could be heard. It was calm, and sounded a bit like it belonged to a man who was watching one of his dreams come true. And oh, how Vincent had wished to see this man burn. He had destroyed the life of so many good people, so now he had to face justice.

Vincent stopped fidgeting with the tiny chain around his neck as he talked. It had been four months since he had acquired it, and he had only removed it from his neck once or twice since then. Those who had known Olivia, probably knew why it was like that. Vincent hadn't talked about it himself, he just buried himself in the workings of him and hid comrades.

"Hello, Judge." He said to the man across from him. "I'm sure you are wondering what you are doing here? If so, we will gladly explain to you why you are here, and if you do know what you are doing here, feel free to tell us. It's always nice to have two sides on each story, right?"

The old man whose eyes slowly had adapted to the light looked at Vincent for a long time. He wasn't sure if he should try and intimidate this young man in front of him, or if he should beg for mercy from him. "Terrorists! Let me go! I have done nothing wrong, you are the criminals!" The old man spewed out his meaning about Vincent and his associates, and it got him exactly no where. When sourrounded by people who will gladly kill you, it's not very smart to go and insult them.

"Oh, you wanna talk about terrorists, do you? We can have a mighty long chat about that, but first, I think you should know what you are on trial for, Judge. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. This isn't a fair trial, there's nobody you can bribe to sympathise with you." Vincent held a short break, he leaned back, out of the light, and then he began talking again.

"You are on trial for murder, molestation of children, torturing animals, taking away the freedom and free will of the public, and so much more I didn't even bother to memorize it all." He laughed at the old man's cowardice. He was almost crying, how funny.

"Are you ready, judge?" A voice then whispered from the dark. And then the same words were spoken by a person on the opposite side of the room. The somebody spoke, a new person this time... And the others just laughed. The snickered in the darkness, only because they wanted this revenge.

“Olivia?”

It was a voice from across the bank that caught her attention, calling out her name. Olivia looked up from where she had been working and saw Sam walking over to her. Quickly she got up and walked over to him, instantly flinging her arms around him as he picked her up and spun her around in his arms. The two of them were smiling as Olivia clung to him like a child would to their teddy. She didn’t want to let him go.

It was hard for her. She never knew when she was going to see him again, if ever. Before it had only been a matter of time yet now things were so uncertain. Sam was a key figure against the underground, working with people to get them to assimilate. Anything could happen to him and then Olivia would never see him again. She was constantly worrying about him since he really was the only thing that was keeping her together at the moment.

“Miss me?” Sam asked Olivia with a smile as he set her down on the ground again and lightly kissed her lips. To most people around them it would have seemed like an extreme display of public affection which wasn’t exactly seen as being a good thing. However as of yet it was only discouraged and there were no laws against it.

“Yes, like crazy” Olivia said as she stayed close to him. For Olivia physical contact always made her feel better and feel safer. It was just who she was. A simple hug could put an instant smile on her face. “Think you could get out of work this afternoon, maybe spend it with someone who has been dying to see you?” Sam asked with a smile as Olivia smiled back. “I can ask. You stay here and don’t move” She said laughing a little as she walked away to go and speak with her boss.

Her boss was a fair man. If you worked hard then he was kind, if you slacked off he had a tendency to yell. However Olivia knew that she had been working hard all day and all week actually so she hoped that he would let her have the next three hours off work. As it turned out he was in a good mood and wished her the best for her afternoon of freedom. Although she wasn’t going to be paid for the hours she was absent. Olivia didn’t mind this, she got to spend the afternoon with an amazing guy. Not the guy she loved but he was close enough.

Walking back over to Sam her smile said it all. “Come on then, lets get out of here” Sam said as he took her hand and they walked out of the bank together. It was a nice afternoon and Olivia was looking forward to it now. Five minutes ago it had looked boring and dull but now it was turning out to be fantastic.

“So… what have you been up to?” Olivia asked Sam as they walked down the street towards home. She knew that was where he was taking her. It was where they always went to reconnect before they did anything else together. Olivia knew that they often didn’t have much time together.

“You know I cant tell you anything Olivia” Sam said with a smile as Olivia frowned. “But Sam… so much is happening. I mean someone new is kidnapped every day. You have to tell me something” Olivia complained as she looked up at him with a cute puppy dog expression hoping that he would give in just this once.

Sam leant in and kissed her. “No Olivia. It is better that you are kept out of all of this” Sam said with a firm expression. “Now cant we just forget about all of this and have a good afternoon? I have to put up with it all while I am away, I just want to relax, forget about it and be with you” Sam said in a romantic way as Olivia nodded her head.

“Alright then…” She said with a sigh. Olivia still planned to ask him later but she let the subject drop for now. The last thing she wanted was to make him angry or upset with her for pushing the topic.

"I hate how burning flesh smells." Canvas said calmly as she flipped trough some pieces of paper she had been holding in her arms for a while. She looked like she wanted to say something more, but she didn't. Who was she to complain when she had been the one to propose of this? She had been the one to say that he deserved to burn. But this was a kidnapping unlike the others, this was the second to last, because now they had reached the point where the end-game would soon begin, and so, this would soon be over.

And the judge? He was still alive. Vincent had just entered the room where Canvas had been waiting, him now dressed in a filthy apron holding a wrench in his right hand. She had noticed that he was limping a bit actually. Not that it mattered, he was just as mobile as he always had been. And that was evident on the bodies.

He wiped his face with a hand protected by a once-white pair of gloves, some that had been used for manual labour. His face didn't get any cleaner, if anything, it was just covered even more in filth and halfway dried blood. It wasn't because he found much pleasure in torturing these people, he had just realised that words could rarely teach anybody a lesson. But repeated punches to the face could. It was at least pretty goddamn sure that those people who had underwent treatment were not going to hurt anyone. Ever again.

"Yeah, yeah... Anyway, he's not going to cause any mishaps. As soon as we let him loose in the upside, he'll hurry to all his little fat bureaucrat buddies, and let them know how evil we are. But he knows my face, he knows my name, so by tomorrow, they'll have to make it public, unless they want us to invade the radio-tower, and make ourselves public."

She looked up at him with a sceptical look on her face, as he place the wrench down on the table, and took off the gloves to leave them next to the tool. She wasn't going to ask what exactly that thing had been used for. "Can we do that?" She asked instead, since she had heard nothing about this radio broadcasting tower being involved in their plans.

"Not really, but he doesn't know that. If I went back in there," Vincent said nodding his head to the door he had just closed behind him, "and told him that I was a pile of used rubbers, he'd believe me. He'll believe anything I say, and he'll do anything I order him to, because his enemy has a face and a name, and he does not want to lose his left arm too."

Canvas looked at him, unknowing if she should laugh or cry. Things had gotten out of hand long ago, and now there was no way back for any of them. All of the involved people could never wash their hands clean of this, and they knew it. But maybe this could all be history, after they had finished? If only it could...

In that moment, Clarence entered through another door. His face and posture had changed much over the last couple of months. What had been one of the sweetest and most accepting men ever, had turned into one who could almost be called a recluse. He spent most of his time tinkering with whatever little exploding things he could create, since the girl he had been with had left him. Or rather, she had been fooling around with some drugs she should've stayed far away from. Then she had went off the the smoky heavens. Clarence hadn't been dealing with it well, just like Vincent hadn't been dealing with Olivia leaving very well, but they were men. They couldn't talk about it, they could only just figure it out on their own.

"I just wanted to let you know that we're going to be done with rigging the north and north-east sides by this evening. All in all, I think we can be done with this in three days, max." Vincent smiled at him, "Thanks dude, you're doing a wonderful job."

Clarence just turned to walk out again, but he did not leave without speaking a few words more. "Anything to take down the wall. Even if I die... Then there'll be someone who can carry on my work. It's like that for all of us, isn't it?"

"Yes. It is." Vincent replied, before Clarence left again. He slumped over in the chair he was sitting in, and hid his face away. He sighed, and for a second sounded like he was crying. If he was, he was quick to wipe away the tears. Instead of speaking, his fingers began playing with the chain around his neck once more. It had become a habit for him lately.

"Canvas, I'm really happy that this will be over soon." She was silent for a moment before nodding. "Me too, Vincent."

Then he got up, he took the gloves and the wrench from the table and walked back into the room from which he had exited before.

A few hours later Olivia was sitting in bed beside Sam. They were simply just lying in one another’s arms and enjoying the closeness that they were now sharing. Olivia loved this part of Sam coming home. It was at this time that they could just be together like this quietly. She could be in his arms and feel his strong chest rising and falling with each deep breath. For her there was nothing better. It was like just for a moment, everything was perfect. There was no outside war or outside pressure to fit in. It was just the two of them.

However in the back of her mind and in her heart it would always be Vincent. He would always be the one she would long to be with even after all these months apart from him. He was the one that would always hold onto her heart even though he had been the one to crush it.

As she was lying there Olivia decided to bring up the topic of the war again. Normally she wouldn’t want to break the silence and comfort of being with him but she didn’t know how long he would be here for. He could be leaving in the next twenty minutes and she wouldn’t know until right before he left. She wanted to make sure that they had time to talk.

“So who is the leader of the terrorist group?” Olivia asked in a whisper, getting straight to the point. She saw Sam’s expression change to one of concern as he went to sit up and move away from her. “Olivia please…” He said in an exhausted and worn out tone.

“Come on Sam. Why cant you tell me? Its not like I am going to tell anyone who it is and I am positive you must have some sort of idea who it is or have heard it from somewhere” Olivia said to him. “Please… I keep going over and over in my head who it could be that I knew down there. I just keep going over it, it is driving me crazy” Olivia said to him in a desperate voice.

“No Olivia!” Sam said in an angry tone. It was the first time that he had ever raised his voice with her and Olivia sat there stunned. “I am not going to tell you. It is better if you don’t know” Sam said as he got out of bed and moved over to the chair on the far corner where his clothes were and started to put them on as if he was leaving.

Sam didn’t want her knowing that there were theories that Vincent was involved. Sam was jealous of Vincent. He knew that Vincent still had a huge effect on Olivia and was afraid that she would go running back to him if she knew what he was involved in. Either to join him or try and stop him, however both ways would result in her getting hurt. Sam had heard about the changes to Vincent and knew that he was not the same person anymore.

“Are you leaving?” Olivia said in a quiet voice as she watched as Sam dressed. “Yes…” Sam mumbled under his breath and Olivia frowned. “Please… don’t go” She said submissively. Olivia really didn’t want him to go. She had been hoping that this time he would be able to spend a few days with her, not just a few hours.

“I have to” Was all Sam said as he walked over to her and kissed her forehead before quickly leaving the room. Olivia sat there for a few moments, trying to think of what just happened. Sam had taken her question a lot more seriously than what she had thought he would. He had over reacted in her mind and Olivia wished that he hadn’t left.

It was then that she remembered that she hadn’t told him her news. Olivia had been meaning to tell him yet she had totally forgotten about it when her mind had been thinking about the terrorists. It was important that Sam knew and Olivia quickly got out of bed and slipped her clothes back on. Once she was dressed she rushed out of the bedroom and down the stairs and out the front door.

Olivia looked both ways down the street but didn’t see him. He had disappeared. She frowned as she decided to just look left. Olivia had seen him walk off in that direction many times before and simply began to walk. It was getting quite dark out but she didn’t bother with this. She needed to find Sam and tell him.

She needed to tell him that she was late.

((Oh god, I hadn't seen that last part coming. So surprised! Love it. ))

Vincent rubbed his cheek lightly as he took another sip from the vodka bottle he had been holding on to for the last couple of minutes. Olivia used to have a fondness for vodka... He had often thought about that, and so it had become his favourite drink.
My god, he needed a shower, he just hadn't had the opportunity since he had either been stoned out of his mind, drunk or just busy with trying to tip the world around. It wasn't easy being him, but sure, it wasn't any easier being any of his victims. Not much was making sense any more, things were just fragmented these days, and he was just trying his best to keep it all together.

"You ready Vince?" Clarence asked him. The man was looking at Vincent from across the room, it was the same room Canvas had been in some time ago, but she had left now. She didn't like seeing any of the victims, despite the fact that she perhaps was the only who was more hungry for revenge than any other. There was no direct person she could blame, so she blamed the system, the government above all other things.

Everybody who has a shady past, need someone to blame, right? and when they refuse to blame themselves, they have to take it out on somebody. She had even tried persuading Vincent into abducting her older brother, but since she couldn't remember the guy's name, nor how he looked, it had been a dead plan from the beginning. Vincent, also, hadn't really been listening to her, like he hadn't been so many times. But when she had come up with something he could actually use, he was all ears, and gave her all the attention in the world.

But now, they were wrapping up, and getting ready to call it a day. They only needed to do one more thing before they could spend some time relaxing. He knew that this was probably one of the last opportunities he had to have some fun for the next while. If things went as they expected, then all of them would be really busy from tomorrow. Clarence had to supervise how things went with the explosives, and if everything was rigged correctly and all that. Canvas had to go trough everything again, John, Carl and some others had been charged with the task of getting hold of a civilian. Canvas had been so brilliant as to suggest that they took one of those too, to tighten the grip they had on the upside world. If the commoners knew that they were targets too, it would spread the fear, and so, it would be hard to keep control of the masses.

When the seed of doubt and fear had been sowed, its roots would grow deep into the earth quickly, and it couldn't be taken out of the soil that easily.

But that was their business. He'd take care of the victim the next day, and they'd go get it tonight. He hadn't bothered to find out who it was, but odds were that they just pulled some random person out of their home, or just off the streets. It could be anyone.

"Yeah, what about you?" Vincent said, not to Clarence, but to the judge sitting on a chair by the table. The man was in horrible condition, and not very likely to answer right away. After all, who would have the guts to talk to a man who had removed one's right arm, to toes and so many teeth you had lost count of them..? Vincent had for some strange reason wanted the man to be just a little comfortable, that was why he some time ago asked if he was interested in a drink. After that, Vincent had poured some vodka up in a glass for the poor man. He had even held it to his lips in order to help him a little. The judge had emptied the glass with no second thoughts, perhaps he had hoped it was poison? In truth, it was probably only Vincent's way of showing mercy. Or perhaps, it was Vincent's way of saying sorry?

Over the course of the last four months, he had changed a lot. He hadn't really noticed it himself, but those who had been close to him, knew. Four months ago, he wouldn't have hurt anyone unless obviously provoked. Now, he pulled strangers down into a world where they didn't stand a chance. Whether it was a form of cowardice, or a freedom fighter in disguise, he held little love for who he was. All he could do now, was to devote himself to this cause, and give his people a chance to live on the upside again.

The judge didn't say anything. He just breathed weirdly, and sort of slumped over. Vincent worked his arm down under the judge's injured one, and Clarence followed Vincent's lead, and did the same on the judge's other side. Together, they pulled the man to his feet, and held him up. They dragged him along, back the way he had been dragged down, and soon, after walking up some stairs and trough a damp hallway, the stood in the sewers of the city. They were in the part of the system that had been closed, and now was out of use, since there, right above where they were, was nothing. It was one of those large areas of town that was abandoned, and many of the buildings had been removed. Some of them had been museums, galleries, theatres, cinemas, all sorts of those things.

"This way, over here." Vincent whispered to the old man between him and Clarence. Clarence furrowed his brow, and didn't quite get why Vincent was talking to the guy. But well, insanity comes in many shapes and forms. Slowly, they moved in the direction Vincent had indicated before. All the way, Vincent kept talking to the man, telling him many different things. He didn't care if the guy was still concious, he just didn't want silence to fall over them again. He had become scared of silence lately.

"You know what? I'm not gonna say you brought this on yourself. I mean, sure you made some stupid decisions, but you were never the one to hurl them into those tiny, dark cells so many of them died in. You were never the one who pointed the gun at someone innocent. You were just the one who told other people to do it. You never got your hands dirty, and you've even profited from it! I must admit, you did a good job. You were selected to be the judge, and you handled that job very well. If I could, I'd applaud you, give you some roses, maybe even ask you for an autograph. But I can't. In the long run, none of it matters. What I think you forgot is, that you can never hold anyone back. We kept still for a long time, we gave you time to wipe us from the face of the planet, but you didn't. Now, you probably regret that... Sorry, I should shut up." His stream of words were stopped as they reached some more stairs. This was the exit they used now, not the ladders any more. He couldn't remember who had discovered this exit, but it was convenient for them. It was only a short trip up those stairs, and then they were practically out.

Moments later, they stood outside. Both Clarence and Vincent took a deep breath to get a proper feel of the air in this most beautiful moment of falling darkness. This was the time in which the world was best, this, and in the rain. Sadly, there was not much time to wallow in this feeling, they had to get a move on. Only a few metres from the exit, was a blue van. It was their most used form of transportation, and after a few minutes, Vincent and Clarence had managed to get the old man in back of the vehicle. With that they were soon off, Clarence was driving since Vincent never had learned how to drive a car. Well, he knew the basics, but not enough to actually put it to use.

They drove for about 30 minutes, just turning randomly in whatever corner they happened to come across. Soon, they had found a location that seemed just right. Quickly, after checking that no one was near, Vincent jumped out of the car, after it had come to a stop, and pulled the old man out on the asphalt. He slapped the face of the man lightly, just to be sure that he was alive. He was. Vincent then pulled the blindfold of the guy, and stepped back.

Then Vincent got back in the van, and signalled for Clarence to hurry up and get away. All in all, that tiny operation had taken about 30 minutes, and 20 seconds. They were now on their way back to the underground, sure that they hadn't been seen. Another day well spent.

(Lol really? It sort of just came to me and I wasn’t sure to include it or not but I thought that it might have a good twist to it)

Olivia had only found out a few days ago. She had begun feeling really tired and worn out and had been feeling sick in the mornings. She was lucky that she had only thrown up a few times and the morning sickness wasn’t too bad yet, although there was still time for that to change. It had come as a surprise to her. Olivia hadn’t even thought about it until Lucy had suggested it. Sure, she had been late with her cycle but Olivia had just put that down to all the stress of the new environment and the fact that there were terrorist activities going on.

It was something she couldn’t keep hidden forever and she needed to tell Sam. He was the father and Olivia had wanted to tell him as soon as she had seen him yet she had forgotten. It was so new to her that it hadn’t sunk in yet. Olivia had the whole thing planned out in her mind. She would tell him at the perfect moment, maybe after cooking him something nice and a romantic setting. She would tell him and he would be so happy, that smile she loved spreading across her face. Yet she had gone and spoilt it now. He had gone and she had no idea when he would be back.

That was another thing that Olivia had been hoping that they could talk about. With a baby on the way she wanted him around. There was no way that she could do this on her own. Olivia was scared yet excited about this. As a little girl she had always wanted to have a child, yet these past few years she had become convinced it wouldn’t happen. The underground was no place for a baby.

As she wondered the streets she couldn’t seem to find Sam. He had disappeared in a way that Sam was known for doing. One minute he would be there and the next he would be gone. It was something that made her feel a little bit better about because it meant that if he ever got into trouble that he would be able to maybe get away. Him getting into trouble though was not something she wanted to think about.

Wondering she came across one of the holes in the ground. It was the same one that Olivia had used with Vincent that last time they had come above ground together and he had been shot. It was always Vincent’s favourite one to use since it was easy and had a fair amount of space on the up side to move around once out. Olivia stood there for a few minutes wondering what she should do.

The chances of Sam being underground were high. That was where he always went. He had a place down there in the tunnels somewhere and Olivia wondered if she would be able to find it. Maybe she could even go and talk to Jane. The idea of going down there was seeming more and more appealing. That was as long as she didn’t run into Vincent. Olivia didn’t want to see him. Seeing him was way too hard and especially now with how things were going with Sam. Come to think of it, Olivia didn’t even know if Vincent was still alive.

It was decided then. She would go in search of Sam.

Olivia took a few steps over to the entrance underground and went to try and pull the top off. It was heavy and she had always had trouble moving it herself. However as she moved she heard a sound that chilled her to the bone, a sound that indicated that she was in trouble. It was the sound of movement. No one should be around at this time of night. If they were, it was for only one purpose. To cause trouble.

They sat in the car together, none of them talking. Vincent stared out the window, seeing the houses, the stores, everything he remembered from his childhood hiss by in an instant. These last few months he had been spending more time on the upside, than over the last few years, and it had made him miss it a little, if he were to be honest with himself. But being the self-deceiving man that he was honesty to just about anything, was a village very far away, in Russia to him. Blocking off his thoughts, he started to feel a little sick. He probably would've felt that way no matter what, it wasn't because he refused to let those memories from back then surface once more.

Running around in the streets, dinner with his family, his friends from back then, Vera Lynn.. Wait, who?

Right, that name he couldn't connect to a face. That name from that song, he had heard when he was younger. His dad had perhaps been a man unfit to have a family, his dad probably should have shot his brains out years before he had met Vincent's mother, and maybe Vincent had hated the man since he himself had been a kid, but at least Vincent's father once had an exquisite taste in music. He couldn't speak about it now, since he hadn't had any contact with the man for years, he didn't even know if the guy was still alive. Knowing his father, the man probably was, and still torturing his surroundings.

He should have killed the man when he'd had the chance.

Clarence glanced over at Vincent, wondering about why his 'friend' had become so silent all of a sudden. True that everything had changed, but Clarence really hadn't expected things to change this fast, and this much. Clarence moved his eyes from Vincent, and chose to ignore him. It was, after all, obvious that the guy was far away in his own thoughts. Clarence ended up trying to keep his focus on the road before him, but time and time again his gaze drifted from it, and down to his hands. On one finger, he wore two matching rings. He had never even had time to give her hers. He had wanted to ask he to marry him, but time had run out for them. They had gone from Clarence and Alicia to just Clarence, and god... It pained him.

Now he wore both rings, and each time he looked at them, he was either reminded of her alive, or her dead. How pale her skin had been, her veins clearly visible, almost glowing beneath the thin cover. Even in death, she had been so beauti....

Krrtzz... "Clarence? Vincent? Found a target, we're going after her now. She's on her way down underground, but she looks an awful lot like a really fancy lady, so I don't think she belongs there. We'll make sure she doesn't have time to even know something happened before she wakes up again. Talk to you later, ok?"

A transmission from those out looking for the final target. Vincent had payed only the slightest of attention to what was being said, and Clarence hadn't been much more interested in it either. He just picked up the walkie-talkie from the floor beside his seat, pressed the button to say something back, but spoke only one word. "Okay."

Vincent looked over at Clarence, his attention shifting away from himself for once. He watched as Clarence dropped the thing back on the floor, and how he, in the same motion, sighed so heavily that one should think he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

He was about to open his mouth to speak, but Clarence cut him off, and spoke first.

"I want to die." He said. Vincent's reaction to this was similar to how those who take a sip of very warm coffee. At first he looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his head, then as if someone had bit off his tongue, and lastly he let out a loud "WHAT?!" He could not understand why someone would just say a thing like that.

Even so, to reply with "what?!" isn't much better, now is it?

That was probably also why Vincent instantly replied with a hesitant "..Why?" Clarence just shook his head, and didn't say anything. Vincent knew this. It wasn't something Clarence wanted to talk about, he just wanted Vincent to know. On some level Vincent understood it, but that didn't seem to matter. Clarence had one more thing to say.

"But not 'till after we've smashed the wall. I want to at least know that there is something outside before I die." Wit that, he stopped the car, and Vincent realised that they were back at their entrance. Both of them got out, and entered the old sewers once more. With fewer words than before, they made their way back home. Vincent had to go meet up With Canvas again. Tell her that everything was okay, and that it would all be over soon.

Olivia stood frozen as she counted the seconds... one... two... three... four...

It was like there was a huge ticking clock over her head counting out the seconds slowly as the time ticked by and she waited for the sound of movement again since everything had gone still. But it didn't come. Everything had gone silent and for a split second Olivia thought that she had imagined the sound and that it was just her nerves trying to think up a reason to go home and not confront Sam and to not go back underground. Sighing she began to pull at the hatch again, trying to get it up and struggling.

It was then that she heard a crackling sound. It almost sounded like a transmitter or some sort of walkie-talkie. Olivia knew that she wasn't imagining things now. This was all too real. However before she could run or even move she felt the presence of someone behind her, grabbing onto her waist and pressing something to her mouth. Olivia screamed and tried to kick directly behind her at the man who was holding her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see another man standing there watching, holding some sort of weapon that she didn't have time to understand what it was.

The cloth had been soaked in chloroform and it didn't take long for it to take effect on Olivia's small body. She struggled against it, trying to pull her mouth away from the cloth and to keep her eyes open as she drowsily stood there in the mans grip. The last thing that went through her mind before she lost consciousness was that she was going to die and that Sam would never know about the baby.

Her body went limp as one of the men held onto her by the chest and the other went to pick up her legs. It didn't take them too long to maneuver her body down the ladder, having done it quite a few times before. She wasn't the first to be taken. However they didn't take much care with her, letting her body bang against things as they walked and it was obvious that she was going to have quite a few bruises on her body, that was if she survived long enough for them to show up.

When Olivia finally began to wake up her head hurt as she groaned a little in protest. The groan was muffled though since once of the first things she noticed was that there was duct tape over her mouth. This caused Olivia to wake up quicker and with this she noticed other things. Like the fact that her hands were tired with more duct tape to the two sides of the wooden chair she was placed in and that her legs had the same done to them with the two legs of the chair. Olivia also noticed her surroundings. She was in a small dark room. The only light source was coming from a single light bulb above her head that was faded and was in need of replacing. There was a table in front of her and another chair and off to the side in one of the dark corners there was another table with a few items on it. It was too dark for Olivia to make those out though and just settled with thinking that she really didn't want to know what they were.

The most important thing she noticed was the blood on the floor. There was the occasional dark red stain on the ground around her. This freaked Olivia out a little as she just sat there. She was in shock. Olivia had thought that the men who had approached her in the alley would just rape or kill her. However now it looked like she had been taken captive. Who would want to do that? Olivia thought as she sat there and then realized who it must have been.

The Terrorists.

At this Olivia felt tears running down her cheeks. There was no way she would get out of this alive and if she did, then there would be no point in living after what they would do to her. Olivia had seen some of the people that had returned to the upside and they had never been the same. One of them had even killed themselves.

Olivia just couldn't believe that this was happening. She had suffered like these people had. She had been with them for years. Yet she needed the sunlight and she needed the security that being above could give. Olivia also couldn't believe that they had taken her. She wasn't anyone special. She wasn't involved in the government or anything.

She was just Olivia.

They had somehow gotten back to a more usual conversation than before. For a few minutes as they walked beside each other in the sewers it had been like a short trip back in time. Back to the days where they could've just walked around, talking about the future, tomorrow and how drunk they had been earlier, how drunk they would be later, how drunk they were now. They had even found the time to joke around a bit, one of those things that had disappeared lately.

It wasn't that the jokes were particularly funny, it was just nice to be talking to someone like in the old times. But the old times would return soon, indeed they would. And if things went as planned, which Vincent was quite sure they would, it wouldn't take more than two or three days, tops. You see, Vincent had said something to the judge, which he very nicely had asked him to pass on to the leader. The leader would then panic, but he would have no choice but to accept Vincent's demands. And then it would be over.

The cold of the sewers got to them both as they walked. The sound of droplets of water falling from the stone above them quickly got on Vincent's nerves, and the constant reminder of what Clarence had said nagged him. Without his love, Clarence had faded, and it made Vincent think... Had he faded too, now that he had lost his love? Undoubtedly, he had not. but that was what he thought. He had no idea that he was nothing without her, nothing without Olivia by his side.

They reached the same door they before had exited trough, and soon found themselves on more stairs. After that, they finally found themselves back in the room with the desk in the middle, and Canvas on a chair by it. She was sitting reading trough something, or possibly just sleeping. It was hard to tell since her hair had fallen down in front of her face, despite the fact that she had put on a hat that very morning to try and keep it back. The blue locks of false hair and plastic obscured her eyes, and somehow made her seem like a mannequin doll. Both Vincent and Clarence approached her, Vincent with an attempted smile on his face. Canvas simply looked up him and tilted her head, still with that ever-present childish look on her face. There were some sort of joy in her eyes, like she just had gotten what she wanted the most. And she had, for she had instantly recognised the woman that had been brought in. She had even taped her to the chair herself. Canvas had never forgiven Olivia for hurting Vincent.

"Hey." She said, a spark of held-back excitement breaking trough. She pointed to the door, where she knew Olivia would be right behind. She opened her mouth to speak, unable to keep herself from smiling. "They got one. Civilian, right in there. A real pretty lady. Well-fed, well-clothed, everything. It's a woman, but you don't usually hold back just because of that, I know."

Vincent nodded, and glanced over at Clarence. Both of them had felt that something was odd about this. Canvas had never before been so happy that Vincent was torturing people. This was certainly weird. But none the less, he pushed it aside. Maybe it was just because she had been stealing some of his pills again. Damn, he'd been pissed when he had discovered that she'd been in his stash. But she'd learned her lesson, that he was sure of.

"Really. Good. what does it look like?" He asked, the false enthusiasm he felt clearly exposed for all to see. He was tired, too tired for all this now. He needed some sleep. But he knew that Canvas wouldn't let him get any until he had taken care of this last victim.

"Take a look for yourself. I Think you'll find it just as funny as I did!" Her words were followed by an out-of-place giggle, and once again Clarence and Vincent stared, first at her, then each other. What was going on..?

"You know, maybe he shouldn't. Vince needs his rest too, and so do you. It won't hurt if this waits 'till tomorrow." Clarence then said, for the first time in a while offering his opinion about something. Canvas, however, was not late to snap and break him off. "Yes it will! That means everything gets pushed several hours, and that's not good!" She said, her joy now exchanged with an emotion close to anger. Vincent held his hands up, and took two steps away from the table, he looked at the other two, and shook his head. "It's no big deal."He was lying, it was. "I'll just take care of it now." He then mumbled as he turned to face the door behind which the, for him, unknown victim was.

He walked up to the door, his steps giving the impression that he was much more up to this task than what he actually was. He almost hammered his hand down on the doorknob, and pulled the door open. He didn't even bother to look up at the other person in the room, he was much more busy with staring at his feet. The sound of the door closing behind him was loud in the silence, and after the sound was gone, he sighed, and to the darkness he mumbled a few words followed by a hoarse laugh.

"Man, I need some vodka."

Olivia continued to sit there, frozen to the seat. She was terrified and knew that she probably wouldn’t live to see the morning. This upset her more than anything. She would never see the sun again. She would never see the beautiful rays of light filling up the sky in the slow creeping way that they did every morning. Olivia craved the sunlight. It warmed her insides in a way that nothing else did. Nothing except Vincent.

She hadn’t been sitting there long though when she heard the door open. Instantly she closed her eyes. Olivia wondered if she pretended to be asleep that whoever it was would come back later. There were still tear stains on her cheeks yet she had stopped crying. Olivia wanted to at least try and be strong. However she was more than aware that at the first instant of pain she would be in screaming for mercy.

With her eyes screwed up she sat there in silence. Olivia listened as those few seconds ticked by before the person spoke. As the words left his mouth, since it was now apparent that the person was a male due to his voice, Olivia’s eyes opened wide in shock. Olivia would know that voice anywhere. What was it doing here though? What had Vincent got himself into?

Opening her eyes Olivia looked up at the shadow of the man she used to know. Even in the dark she could see who it was. He was the love of her life and he was standing there in the position to kill her. With a confused expression Olivia spoke.

“Vincent?” Olivia said in a whisper. She didn’t want it to be him. How could Vincent be involved in all of this? Had things really been that bad after she left? Olivia didn’t want to think about Vincent being involved in all of this as she shook her head, trying to shake the thoughts from her mind. However the more she thought about it the more it made sense. He had always been against the wall and the government. He had always spoken with such hate in his voice. Olivia just didn’t want to think of his hands so covered in blood. How could he do those things to another person?

That voice...

He knew that voice, and he recognised his name being spoken, even though it was only a muffled sound. His heart skipped a beat, and for a moment he didn't move, didn't breathe. What was this? A joke? Some stupid joke?! 'Cause if it was, he would go right back through that door, and slam somebody's head into the nearest wall. What was the point of this? How the fuck had they managed to get a girl who sounded just like her? He hadn't the courage to open his eyes and look at the person. If it was her, he wouldn't know what to do, and if it was her, he still wouldn't know what to do!

"Olivia?" He ended up asking the darkness. "Is that you pretty Olive...?" He didn't know why he had to ask twice, but it had been so long since he had last spoken her name and it had probably been even longer since he had used her nickname. His voice was still hoarse and now it was close to just breaking. He cleared his throat, he took a stumbling step forward. What had they done to her, was she hurt?! He instantly panicked at the sight of her, sitting there in the middle of the room, thoroughly tied to the chair by duct tape. At once he assumed that she had been hurt, and without spending one single thought on it, he almost ran to her, wanting to free her, but he stopped before he even got started.

Because then he remembered what she had done. She had left with that white-trash boy, Sam. She had left Vincent for the upside. In a single second, the deepest, darkest, and most murderous and evil part of him wondered if she perhaps regretted that decision now. Now, when she was in the room where the most part of those who had been in there had died as a direct follow of their short stay in that particular room.

Then he probably asked the most stupid question possible. "What are you doing here?" He shook his head almost as if he thought it could make the words disappear from the air. Then, he took those few steps needed to reach her. He moved his hands up to er face, as if he wanted to remove the tape from her mouth, and that was when he noticed the streaks on her cheeks. She had cried. Had she even cried up there, on the upside in the sunlight, or had she only shed tears when she had been forced to return to his darkness?

casting that thought, and the sound of his steps through that ever so shallow pool of blood aside, his fingers found the edge of the tape, and ripped it from her skin. The movement had even surprised him, and he stepped back again, wanting the distance to return. What was he supposed to do? It was her, and not a look-alike, not an imposter, it was just Olivia.

And he felt nothing at the sight of her. He was blank.

Olivia watched him and in the darkness she could see the realisation hitting him as he realised who it was that was taped to the chair. She heard him speak her name, his voice sounded odd, strained and different. Although it was still his voice. She would have recognised it anywhere even if it had changed slightly.

As she watched him Olivia tried to decide if seeing him here was a good thing or not. If he was here then it meant that he was involved in the terrorists and Olivia didn’t want that. She didn’t want him hurting people the way that those people had been hurt. She was all for standing up for change but there were ways of doing it that were more peaceful than this. There had to be! This couldn't be the way it ended. After everything all of the people had gone through underground there didn’t deserve to be more blood.

Despite this Olivia was a little glad to see him. She could now see that he was alive, if that is what his present state could be described as. He looked a little off his face, whether it was drugs, alcohol or even tiredness. It also gave her a little hope that she could get out of this alive. This was Vincent and she was Olivia, he couldn’t hurt her. Well at least that was what Olivia was trying to tell herself.

When he spoke again Olivia didn’t even bother to answer him. It was obvious what she was doing here. She had been kidnapped. It wasn’t as if she had just decided to pop in for a visit and tied herself up to the chair. Also her voice probably wouldn’t be able to portray all of that through the muffled sound of the tape. As he stepped closer Olivia heard the sound of his foot in the blood and cringed. Olivia had never been a fan of blood and it had been hard enough for her when Vincent had been shot.

As his hands touched her face her eyes were looking up into his. Wondering what had changed in him because something drastically had. Olivia couldn’t help but scream as the tape was ripped from her skin. She had a red mark there from where the tape had been sitting and it hurt like crazy, some of her skin had even come off with the tape since the person who had tied her up obviously put it on very well.

Olivia sat there in silence, looking away from him now as a tear or two ran down her cheeks from the pain. In the back of her mind Olivia was thinking about the baby. Olivia didn’t know how Vincent would react to that but she didn’t want to tell him. Maybe no one would ever know. However Olivia was going to try everything to keep this baby safe. Sam deserved to see his baby. She took a few deep breathes as the silence continued before Olivia looked up at him again.

“Are you going to kill me like all the rest?” Olivia asked in a whisper. She wasn’t so sure now that he wouldn’t hurt her. She had left him. Olivia had hurt him and by the way he was just standing there, not even asking if she was alright it was as if he didn’t even care. Olivia wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one to kill her. It would defiantly be a brand new twist to their tale.

His mouth was dry, but still he tried to swallow his spit. He could hardly breathe, she looked just like he remembered her, but she was so different now. She wasn't as thin as she had been four months ago, her skin looked better, she wasn't as pale as back then. And that dirty-blonde long hair he'd thought smelled so good was more shiny, and now, instantly, he felt an urge to smell it again, just to find out if it was still the same.

That was until he noticed and understood her words. Why did she say that, the Olivia he knew and loved wouldn't speak to him like that. But... Was the Olivia he was so in love with perhaps a dream, just a memory? It could never be. ".. I could never hurt you." He whispered, staring at her. His face was hidden in shadows, and he thought it to be best like that. He wouldn't want her to see the tears in his eyes.

That was when he remembered what state he was in. He literally had blood on his hands, and he had to be looking horrible, she had never sympathized with his ways, but she had accepted them anyway. Maybe because she, as far as he knew, never had experienced them up close like this. This was not meant to happen, why was she here?! Canvas...

"That bitch!" He balled up his hand in a fist, wanting to hammer it into somebody's face. No, not somebody's, Canvas' face. He stared down at his hand, and almost grunted in anger.

He stood like that for a second before something on the ground caught his eye. It was a hammer that he'd probably just left there earlier. He tilted his head and stared right on through. Then slowly he knelt down and picked it up. He glanced at Olivia for a short second, and then his emotions got the best of him. He grabbed the hammer tightly, turned halfway around and in that same movement he hurled the hammer across the room. It hit the wall on the other side with a loud sound, but Vincent wasted no time with listening, not even breathing.

"Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you, you bitch! Who do you think you are?! I'll kill you!" He yelled out in the air. His voice was no longer thin and worn down, now it was stronger than ever, just like his anger. Someone was going to pay for this, and they would pay with their life.
Then his anger faded, just as fast as it had surfaced. Slowly, almost so slow it looked like he didn't even move, he looked over at Olivia. His lips shaped the words he wanted to say, but there was no sound. He tried again, but this time he didn't say what he wanted.

"I'm so sorry pretty Olive, I'll make it up to you, I'll do whatever you want me to, I'll give you anything you want, I'll kill whatever stands in your way... I love you, I love you, so please smile at me. Please smile at me, and I'll do anything."

Instead his words were harsh and cold. There was nothing left any more. He so wanted to free her, but he also wanted her to stay right where she was. That way, nothing could reach her, only him. "You're not supposed to be here. You weren't supposed to see my work yet. I don't know what went wrong." he then continued, not really wanting to leave any room for conversation.

He wiped his face with the back of his hand. He turned to face her, knowing that whatever happened now, would be painful for at least one of them.

Olivia squinted her eyes to see him but it was hard. He was standing just on the edge of the shadows where she was unable to see anymore than an outline. However she could tell that he had changed. His whole stance had changed although Olivia couldn’t quite put her finger on what the change had been. He was different and Olivia was yet to decide if it was a good different or bad different.

His words consoled her a little at first. She knew that back when they had been together he would never have hurt her, yet times change, people change. His words sounded true enough, yet Olivia wasn’t one hundred percent sure that she could trust him. After all he had made no promise of helping her and he hadn’t even made a move to free her hands or to help her out of the chair, or even to attend to some of the bruises and cuts that had appeared on her slender frame. His words though did fill her with a slight hope that maybe things would be alright.

However what little hope that had risen inside of her vanished quickly when he next spoke. Olivia sat there, unable to move as she watched his anger growing. His words came across strong, stronger than anything he had said to her so far. She had no idea who he was talking about. Who ever it was though it sounded like they were in a lot of trouble when Vincent got his hands on them.

It was then that Olivia remembered some of the guys she had been with in the past. More than once or twice they had come back covered in their own blood, limping and badly hurt because Vincent had seen to them. Deep down she knew that he was capable of things, things she didn’t want to think about, but she would never admit this. He was her Vincent, the Vincent that looked after her and made sure that she was safe. Not the Vincent who hurt people and who was standing here yelling at the top of his lungs.

Olivia screamed as the hammer hit the wall. It was more from fright than anything else. However something that surprised even her was that her hands flinched. In that instant they had gone to cover her stomach, to protect her unborn baby. Her hands didn’t even make it a centimeter before they were stopped by the tape that held them tightly to her chair. Olivia’s eyes were glued to Vincent, watching him. He was the one with all the power in the situation and all she could do was sit and watch him and wait for him to calm down.

It didn’t take long as she watched him almost deflate. It was like all the strength had gone out of him with those last few words and they left no doubt that Vincent was serious about them.

“You think I want to be here?” Olivia said with an edge of sarcasm in her voice. She didn’t know where it came from but it was like the old her was resurfacing. The one that would fight back when spoken to harshly or a stupid question or statement was made. On the up side she had to hold all of this back. It wasn’t something that was tolerated and Olivia had learnt to hold her tongue. However Vincent was bringing the worst out in her. Well, what was considered worst by the authorities.

A moment after she spoke though it hit her. He had said his work. HIS! The colour drained out of her face as she trembled a little, looking up at him with an almost terrified expression. “You… you mean this is all yours? You are responsible for all of this? You are the one organising the killings of people? Spreading terror through the streets to the people who are innocent of all of this” She said in a whisper as she turned her eyes away from him, the hurt and disappointment evident in her eyes. Olivia couldn’t believe that Vincent had taken it this far. She knew he wanted change but never thought that he would go this far to get it.

She blinked to hold back tears at the shock of his involvement. He was the one that the authorities were talking about. He was the one that she had grown to fear.

Oh, her words of sarcasm, why did they make him feel so at home again? It was as if his new-found alienation from everything simply went away as soon as she talked to him like that. He was so used to it, that tone, and how he loved and adored it. How many times had she not completely destroyed his arguments, his reasoning, his logic with just that sarcasm? How many times had she not brought him down to earth after he had allowed anger to take control? Why was there no home, no comfort without her...? He could never not miss her. She was everything, and had been for years, and he could not bear to see her walk away again. But he could also not bear having her near him. Already now, she was messing up his mind, her questions making him doubt.

Why did she make it sound like he was such a bad person? He was just fighting for freedom and justice. He had never thought that he could be wrong in this. And of course he wasn't! Sure, he had sacrificed some, but they deserved it. They really did. Their crimes was worse than his, he was absolutely convinced of this. He would allow no one to tell him any different.

"Don't say that. I'm not a terrorist, they are, you know that!" He said, almost sounding like a kid being accused of smashing something they really hadn't ever touched. Emotions was running trough him at such a quick pace, he couldn't keep any of them apart. The only thing that shone trough in his confusion was the anger and despair. That was what he had become, and he didn't even care. "You must understand that it's their own fault! They never did anything for us, so this is payback! I may be the leader, or whatever you wanna call it, but we're all in this, all of us. We want the sunlight too, just like you, but we won't conform to their rules! We want the old times back. We want everything to be like when we were younger, I don't want this darkness for anyone any more!" He continued, the strength of his own conviction growing within him. "...No one is innocent in this. They got what was coming to them."

But then he came to think about how he was standing here, trying to justify himself and his beliefs to her. "..Pretty Olive.." He muttered, looking to the blood-stained floor. "I won't discuss this with you. You'll just make it all worse. I can't keep you here, you have to go away."

With that said, he backed slowly to the door, looking at her unwaveringly. He had so wished to lay his eyes upon her again, but he did not want her to see how his eyes was filling with desperate tears. The core at the whole thing was one simple thing. Vincent was broken inside, and since he couldn't fix himself, he turned on the world. It was in fact the same with Canvas and Clarence, it was like that with all of them.

For a wise man said that you can never hurt anyone, unless you have been hurt yourself.

They had been hurt.

You can never make another shed tears, unless you yourself have been taught to cry.

They had been taught to cry.

And you can never make the hurt and the tears go away unless someone loves you.

They had been loved. And they had loved.

So when did the love end, and when did the hurt begin? Impossible to tell, really. With that single thought in the back of his mind, he opened the door and left it open as he walked out into the room with the desk and Canvas. Yes, the poor girl had not been smart enough to run away while she had the chance. As soon as he saw her, the rage filled him once more. She had been playing him for a fool, and she needed to learn a lesson. She only had very few seconds to react before Vincent was over by the desk, standing with his back to Olivia and across the table from Canvas. The girl only just looked up into his eyes before his fingers found the edge of the desk, and he flung it over, with a roar like a beast.

Papers, blueprints, empty bottles and any other thing that had been on the table scattered everywhere throughout the room. Canvas screamed, and backed away, the colour draining from her face. The fear she felt for the Vincent she knew could, and would had he the chance, hurt her completely took over, and she lost control. She screamed as she crawled to a corner of the room, curling up to try and protect herself. Vincent was right behind her, and with no second thoughts, he kicked her.

He hit her in the stomach, and she immediately lost all air, screaming in pain. He knelt beside her, and after a very short struggle, he folded his hands around her neck. Her fingers quickly grappled at his wrists, but it was no use. He was just too strong, and now, the world was fading before her eyes. She would die, just because she had dared playing mind-games on Vincent. Had it been Clarence who'd had the chore of binding the victim, he would have released Olivia right away. He wouldn't even have dared to consider putting her in that chair.

But Canvas had.

Tears began silently running from her eyes, it was just a single, lonely tear on each cheek, and she didn't even know how she had the strength to cry. maybe it was because Vincent was hurting her? But what difference did that make now? She was going to die, and she wasn't nowhere near ready.

But she was lucky. Clarence had heard her screams, and now he came almost flying through one of the doors to the room, and without saying anything, he ran to Vincent and got a hold of the guy. Slowly he was able to pull him away, not without Vincent fighting the best he knew though. As soon as Vincent's hands had released the hold of her throat, Canvas rolled over on one side, coughing for air. Never before had the air of the underground tasted so sweet and fresh. It almost felt like being reborn.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Clarence asked Vincent, still holding him so he barely could move. First, Vincent refused to answer, he just yelled fragments of sentences while every few words were just more curses for Canvas. But then as Vincent realised it didn't help one bit to struggle and yell, he slowly calmed down again. He began breathing more regularly and soon he could gather his thoughts on one thing again. Olivia.

He looked around on the floor, and to his right, not that far away, he saw a knife. The blade was rusty and looked very dull, but otherwise it seemed fine. Other than it was completely covered in blood. But bloodshed could not be avoided when limbs had to be amputated.

Clarence waited 'till Canvas had calmed down too, and then he asked Vincent one more time. "What the fuck was that about?!" Vincent took his sweet time to answer, as he didn't really feel like letting Clarence know exactly what had led Vincent to the assault on Canvas. "... She put Olivia in there." He finally just said, and at once, Clarence turned his head only to see that it was in fact Olivia sitting right there, in the chair. "Oh god.." was his only comment.

Vincent waited a few seconds before looking at Canvas again. Then, with his eyes staring coldly into hers, he spoke to Clarence. "Get her out of here. I don't want to look at her anymore." Clarence nodded, and waited until Canvas had gotten up and walked to the door Clarence had entered trough. Then he released Vincent, and hurried over to Canvas. Vincent looked at him, but turned his face away when she spoke his name. A few seconds later, Clarence closed the door and locked it behind them.

Then Vincent leaned slightly over, and felt his way to the handle of the knife. Holding it in his hand, he got up from the floor and soon found himself back in the room with Olivia. He looked at her again, and once more felt that wave of numbness washing trough him. There was nothing inside him any more.

His steps made almost no sound, but when he reached the chair and knelt, when he looked up at her and spoke, he broke the silence that had been since the screaming had stopped. "Tell me, am I a demon for killing those who deserve it, or am I a saint for saving you now?"

Olivia watched him. His words were spoken as if they had been spoken many times before. They were well rehearsed and came fluently from his mouth. Yet to Olivia this did not make them true. It sounded more as if Vincent was trying to justify what he had done than explain it to her. Almost as if he was the one that he was trying to convince and not her. Olivia knew that it was her effect on him. She had always been able to make him see another side to most stories, yet it had always been the same. Vincent was stubborn so rarely would he change his view but for just that spilt second she used to be able to make him see the views of others.

As he spoke Olivia picked up on the anger. There was a deep anger inside of him, one that Olivia had never seen so strong before. Sure, during her years down here she had seen him angry yet this was different. Before there had been some happiness inside of him, some hope. Now it was as if he was full of anger. But at what? The wall. The government. The people who stood by and did nothing. Maybe even her for leaving.

However Olivia was not about to bring that up. She wanted to make it out of here alive. If not for herself then for the unborn baby that was inside of her. Sam’s baby. When Vincent mentioned no one being innocent she thought about speaking out. She wanted to tell him that there were so many people above who were willing to help people from the underground, you just had to know where to look. She wanted to ask him no one was innocent did that make her guilty? She had been captured, hurt and was being held prisoner yet she didn’t believe she had done anything wrong. Olivia had just tried to do what was best for her and at that point in time when she had moved above it was to get away from Vincent.

His final words hurt though. It was like he was closing down the whole conversation as if he was the only one that was allowed to talk. This annoyed Olivia. She would have liked to have at least spoken on the topic and maybe tried to change his mind. Something which she was quickly seeing as an impossible task.

Olivia didn’t speak a word. She felt torn. She wanted to talk to Vincent like they used to, find out what was on his mind and help him. Yet Olivia knew that she couldn’t do that while he held so much power over her. He had yet to untie her from the chair and quite literally her life was in his hands. Olivia had to do what he wanted and at this moment she chose to obey him and stay silent. Her eyes didn’t leave him though as he backed out of the room.

It surprised her when he didn’t close the door and Olivia saw the girl who had been with Vincent the day she had left. The girl was sitting outside the door at a desk and Olivia watched as Vincent approached. Olivia didn’t know what he was about to do anymore than the girl did and when the girl screamed at the upturned desk so did Olivia. She had never see Vincent so violent. Her mouth opened to scream at Vincent to stop but no sound came out. It was like watching some sort of horror show and not being able to respond. Olivia was in too much shock.

The colour had drained out of her face and although the incident only lasted a few minutes it felt like hours. Olivia watched as another man came in and tore the two apart before Vincent could do any permanent damage to the young girl. Olivia was still watching, eyes wide open and face pale as she realised who the other man was. Clarence. Olivia couldn’t believe this. The two of them were involved. It made sense to her now why Sam never wanted to speak about what was going on down here. He knew how it would effect her and Olivia understood this now.

Olivia watched as the girl was taken from the room and it was just her and Vincent again. Her eyes widened when she saw Vincent picking up a knife from the ground. Olivia wondered what he was going to do with it. He had said that he wasn’t going to hurt her yet Olivia wasn’t so sure about this. He must hate her for leaving him and for giving in. There were so many scared thoughts that ran through her mind as he approached her and once again her hands strained against the ties in an effort to try and cover her stomach. However yet again there was no point. She couldn’t move her arms at all.

His words confused her. Olivia sat there for a few moments looking into his face before turning hers away from him to look over at the side of the room. Olivia so much wanted to tell him the answer that he wanted to hear, yet she couldn’t. Olivia could not condone what he had done to those people. He mentioned innocent yet not all were. She was proof of that.

“Vincent… I can not thank you enough for saving my life but my life is not worth more than any one else’s. Saving one life does not cancel out what you have done to those others. Guilty or not what power do you have to decide what is right or wrong? You are not a God Vincent” Olivia said shaking her head.

“That girl out there… you were going to kill her” Olivia said, gulping uneasily as she remembered the fear in the girl’s eyes. “For what? Because she tied me up in here? It wasn’t her that captured me. Plus as you say, no one is innocent so why don’t you just kill me now if that is the case? At least it would get it all over and done with” Olivia said. She was hoping that he wouldn’t and that her words might just be enough to change his mind about what he was doing. It was a dangerous game but it was the only way she could think to change his mind about everything.

“Nothing has changed Vincent… you still don’t want me so why are you doing all of this?” Olivia asked quietly as she turned to look at him. Olivia wanted Vincent to forget about all of this and tell her those words that he had neglected to say before she left but she knew better. He would never say them.

Olivia knew that she wasn’t really in a position to judge what Vincent was doing. Yet she could tell that he had gone too far. It is one thing to challenge authority but another to hurt people in the way that Vincent had done. In one sense she would never be able to look at him in the same way again now that she knew what those hands had done.