"Sister, I'm not much a poet, but a criminal," Gerard Way said to the slightly over-enthused, yet tolerable, fan. She hadn't tried to physically attack him, maul him, or steal his possessions, which put her up a notch on his good list. The girl beamed as he scrawled out his signature, a flourish of x's and o's following his name and the sentiment, "to Piper." He quickly took a picture with the girl and her shorter friend - Suzy, she'd said her name was - before the all-too-popular rockstar was rushed away by security. A shiny black limo pulled up a few yards away, and he was ushered inside, where his bandmates were already seated. Just as he made it in, a small mob of prepubescent girls rounded the corner of the venue. "So long and goodnight!" the duo yelled to him, eyeing the horde of youngsters running in their direction. The back window of the limo rolled down slightly, and Gerard answered their sentiment. "We'll meet again, when both our cars collide." Suzy and Piper watched the limo pull away before leaving hurriedly; they had no desire to fight a losing battle with security, or the teeny mob, at that. The two got into Piper's car and left the venue, still excited from the concert and their chat with a certain lead singer. They were staying at a local hotel, since they didn't really feel like driving the few hours it would take to get home this late at night, especially through an unfamiliar town. It wasn't the best hotel around -those were all booked up- but they would only be there for one night, and didn't think that the cruddy little hotel could change their fate too much. Boy, were they wrong. They pulled into the parking lot, and began to search the backseat for what they had to have for the night. After each had gotten the few articles they required, they headed towards the small hotel, weary of the dark, surroundings. They assumed the office would be on the first floor, since they couldn't see any other buildings, and the only light around other than from the rooms themselves appeared to be coming from a small fixture near a worn door. They crossed the tiny parking lot at a brisk pace, and Suzy was calmed by the beeping of Piper's car as it locked. Piper opened the door, which they could now clearly see bore a sign with the hotel's hours and rates, and Suzy followed close behind. A ringing sound, no doubt made by the bell hanging from the door they'd just opened, announced their entrance. As they waited for an attendant, the two surveyed the shabby lobby, wondering if they'd made a mistake in their choice of hotels. The rooms had been fairly cheap, but the building wasn't at all welcoming. Poor lighting half-illuminated the red walls, the paint of which was slightly faded and peeling in places. A large crack ran along the wall diagonally, from the ceiling near the door to just a few inches above the service counter, revealing the white drywall beneath. A look at the carpet revealed it was at least clean, though stained in places, and the lobby itself didn't look dirty - just a bit worn. Suzy leaned against the counter as Piper impatiently tapped her fingers against its dark, wooden surface. A few moments later, a hotel employee appeared behind the counter, looking both angered and saddened. The tall, dark-haired man apologized for his less-than-prompt attendance, muttering something about his insufferable father. His hair fell slightly into his face in his disheveled state, crossing his prominent, yet suiting nose. "Check into the hotel Bella Muerte?" he asked, turning his scowl into a small smile as he addressed the two girls at the counter. Suzy was silent as she watched him converse with Piper about their reservations, never really being one to talk, herself. As she listened to the conversation, Suzy recognized his accent as Spanish, though he spoke English as if it were his first language, and was quite a bit paler than the typical Spaniard. He was dressed in black pants and a black button-up shirt, and a long frock coat was draped across one of the chairs behind the counter. The tag on his shirt read Vincent, in faded and worn letters, though the rest of his attire was immaculate. A wave of empathy rushed over Suzy. It seemed as if he didn't belong in the dump of a hotel he was working in, but Suzy merely continued to shyly stare instead of commenting on the matter. Piper nodded, and the clerk removed their room key from it hook on the wall. Walking around the counter, he took Piper's bag, and approached the dazed Suzy. She jumped as he put a hand on her shoulder, causing him to apologize profusely and motion to her bag. She handed him the small burden, offering him a forgiving smile as he took it. After their bags were taken, the girls were lead up several flights of stairs. Their guide stopped once they reached the seventh floor, leading them down a faintly lit hallway. There were several rooms on each side of the narrow hallway, as well as an elevator at the end of it. There was an "out of service" sign posted on the elevator's doors, though its lights were still on. The clerk paused at room 73, unlocking the door before hurrying the pair inside. He quickly introduced himself as Vincent Emilio Gaspar Cáliz, telling them to call the office if they needed anything at all during their stay. He apologized for their long walk, but assured them that it was worth it; the rooms on this floor were far safer than those on lesser floors. He nodded and smiled briefly before returning to his post at the hotel office. After inspecting the room, Suzy discovered that, thought it was clean and homey, there were no towels, and she needed a shower, badly. She contemplated calling the office, but decided against it, her social anxiety overpowering the realistic voice in her mind. She didn’t want to leave the hotel room, either; you never know what kinds of crazy murderers stay in hotels, after all, especially when the staff warns you about certain floors not being safe. She asked Piper if she would call instead, or possibly even go down to the office to get some towels. "You'll never make me leave," Piper responded, when asked to go on the towel-seeking endeavor. She planned to stay on the bed, staring at the picture Gerard had written his beautiful name on, or so she informed her anxious friend. Rolling her eyes, Suzy left the room, heading down to the office. The small girl walked cautiously down the dimly lit hallway, glancing over her shoulder periodically to make sure she wasn't being followed. She had a bad feeling about things, and was feeling even more paranoid than usual as she cautiously made her way down the stairs. By the team she reached the office on the first floor, she was close to having a panic attack. ***Vincent's POV*** Vincent sat quietly behind the counter, watching the clock tick away seconds in a torturously slow fashion. After half an hour with no check-ins, he decided business would probably be minimal, if not nonexistent, for the rest of the night, and retrieved his CD's from their hiding place at the back of a desk drawer. He pulled out Disintegration by The Cure, and slid the disk into the small CD player that was kept behind the counter. After skimming to Lullaby¸ a song which had always calmed him, he lay his head down on the counter, facing so that he could see both the stairway and the door. He was alarmed when, seconds later, the small girl that had checked in earlier stumbled down the last few steps. She righted herself, though she appeared to be visibly shaking. Vincent got up immediately, his quick strides enabling him to cross the room in a matter of seconds. He led the shaking girl to the seat behind the counter and sat her down, wrapping his coat around her and pulling up a stool to next to the chair. "Starless eyes for heaven's sake, but I hear you anyway," he said, tucking a lock of hair behind the silent girl's ear. She smiled, commenting that the song he was listening to was one of her favorites, and that it always helped calm her down when she got like this. She told him how her quest for towels had gone askew. "Well I'm a total wreck and almost every day," Vincent empathized. He couldn't believe all the truths he told the girl; he'd never told anyone else about his snobbish jerk of a father, and how he was forced to work at the crummy hotel as a "punishment." He told her of his family's wealth, and how they only let him associate with certain families, and others of his social class or higher; how they'd punished him for socializing with people who were "beneath him." He told her of his love for the simple things in life, how, unlike his father, he believed that money couldn't buy happiness. He thought maybe he'd over-shared and scared the girl until she looked up ate him, beaming. "We could be in the park and dancing by a tree," she said, "kicking over blades we see, or a dark beach with a black view, and pin-pricks in the velvet catch our fall." Vincent smiled, rising from his seat to get what she'd mentioned earlier. The silence was filled with melodies from The Cure until he returned, helping Suzy up before handing her a small stack of fluffy, white towels. She gave back his coat, and he draped it in its customary place on the back of his chair before walking her to the stairway. She declined being escorted further, smiling as she hugged him, and thanking him for the towels and for taking care of her. He blushed after she'd turned around, watching her practically skip up the stairs. Vincent hadn't been on the receiving end of many hugs, and he decided he rather liked them, now. ***Suzy's POV*** Suzy happily took the stairs two at a time, cheered up by her chat with the amicable hotel clerk. They'd talked for quite some time, and she didn't know how late it was, or if Piper had worried about her absence. She steadily made progress to the seventh floor, though she was starting to grow a bit tired. After what seemed like hours, she finally arrived at the seventh floor landing, and paused for a moment, setting down her towels on the banister. She rested her head against the towels, wishing she were already back in her room, showering. After a few moments, she picked up the towels and started down the dim hallway, towards room 73. Suzy, however, wasn't even halfway down the hall when she noticed an all-too-familiar figure. She sighed, watching as Ralph fidgeted with his room key, yelling at the door when it wouldn't open. Her timing was impeccable. Why couldn't she have just stayed and talked to Vincent for five more minutes? Now she would have to walk past the person who hated her most in the world. Maybe he would talk to her, since he was obviously distracted, or she could at least help him get into his room. Suzy walked up beside him, carefully trying to not get in his way and not look too interested. Noting who she was, he didn't even look up, but sighed angrily, though she wasn't sure if it was because of her presence, or his frustration at the locked door. After shaking the doorknob quite violently, he said, in a tone that failed to suppress his anger, "Don't stop; bury me, and fade to black." Suzy held back the tears that were already threatening to spill over. He wouldn't even look at her; he just stared at the door the entire time. She'd give anything in the world for him to just look at her, just once, the way he used to. "I miss you more than I did yesterday," she said in an almost nonchalant tone, somehow managing to keep her voice from breaking. "Don't look back," her ex-lover replied, half-heartedly. He cursed the door, leaning his head against it as he put one hand on the wall. The other tucked the unusable key away into his pants pocket. "I miss you so far," the saddened girl pleaded, her voice shattering and skipping over the words so that they were barely intelligible, "and the collision of your kiss, that made it so hard." Ralph punched the wall in anger, resulting in a sickening snap in his hand. He looked at it curiously, grimacing in pain as he flexed the damaged muscles repeatedly. He'd never been one for bright decisions, especially when they involved pain. After stalling as long as humanly possible, he finally looked up at Suzy, though his face bore no emotion. "Brought you to tears again," he remarked sarcastically, noticing the vitreous streams running down her face. He'd seen her cry before, but this… this was different. He knew he needed to leave, and he needed to leave now. He couldn’t take much more of this, there was no way he could deal with her crying all over him again, and trying to work things out. He didn't want to work them out; he just wanted to never have to look at her again. He stepped forward slightly, intent on walking away, but stopped when Suzy spoke to him. "Can we settle up the score?" the girl asked in a malicious tone, her eyes gleaming with the prospect of something not even she could quite place. Ralph looked up in surprise, studying Suzy's features. In all the time he had known her, not once had he heard her speak like she was now. The unsettling look in her eyes was also new to him, even thought he thought he knew every emotion she possessed. He leaned his head against the door once again, but returned his gaze to Suzy after hearing her move. She was lovingly looking at a gun, which was held in her left hand. Its polished surfaced shone, even in the poor excuse for lighting in the dreary hallway. The dark mahogany handle had a matte sheen to it, and the grain stood out; you could tell the little gun was old, yet well cared for. Its barrel bore the inscription, "F LLIPIETA – MADE IN ITALY," and a second inscription on the chamber verified that it was made in May of the year 1843. Suzy shifted the gun to her right hand, and looked up at Ralph, smirking. "And if I had the guts to put this to your head… but does anything matter, if you're already dead?" she questioned, almost talking to herself. She lifted the gun, contemplating the kaleidoscope of colors it reflected in the dingy hotel lighting. Her glasses caught tinges of red, causing Ralph to be even more unsettled. "Your life will never be the same," he said in defense, as she leveled the gun. That's all he could say – no apology, no explanation for his actions, no final words. Suzy was infuriated. The gun clicked, as a bullet shifted into its appropriate chamber. "A pretty face, but you do so carry on," she said maliciously, her features showing her anger in all its glory. She'd loved the person he used to be, but not the person he'd become – or the person she'd become because of it, for that matter. He looked straight into her eyes as she pulled the trigger. Click. The chamber was empty. Fate wasn't done with Ralph just yet. Suzy closed her eyes, still furious, though rethinking the situation. She took a deep breath, and then lowered the gun, looking up at Ralph. "Another line without a hook," the lucky imbecile sneered, mocking her for all he was worth. For that cutting remark, Suzy's fist collided with Ralph's unsuspecting smirk, and the untactful jerk lay sprawled on his back amidst the faded shag carpet. She'd contemplated hitting him with the gun, but decided that she didn't want any blood on her pretty little friend, even though she knew Ralph's would be gorgeous. She now held the gun in her left hand, having hit Ralph with her right. He groaned in pain, or anger, she wasn't sure which, though she assumed it to be a bit of both. "What's life like bleeding on the floor?" she inquired snarkily, kneeling down so that she could talk to him. He didn’t attempt moving; he was still in shock from being hit, and could see the gun that was still clearly in her hand. Her expression softened, and her entire demeanor changed for an instant. "I'm trying," she said quietly, her eyes shining with unshed tears, "I'm trying to let you know just how much you mean to me." The fingers of her right hand found their way onto his face, tracing the outline of his jaw, until they tangled in that beautiful auburn mess of curls. However, those of the left had a different agenda, as they raised the gun to Ralph's opposite temple. She ran her thumb across his cheek, though he showed no emotion other than disgust, with a hint of fear and anger. "Before I pull this trigger, your eyes vacant and stained…" Suzy said, trailing off as tears now flowing freely down her face. She leaned in to kiss him one last time, knowing the only reason that he allowed it was her cordite friend. "The riddle of revenge, please understand it has to be this way," she said softly, before brushing her lips slightly against his. She ran her fingers through his hair one last time, fixing it just so, before pulling away. "If this is what you want, then fire at will," he dared, his tone not deceiving his pain and anger. He knew he couldn't talk her out of it, but he also knew that the guilt of her actions would kill her. As much as he'd hurt her, he didn't want it to end this way. He knew she would only suffer more for her actions, and he didn't want her to be in any more pain. Suzy looked wistfully at the gun, transferring it to her right hand. It had never been fired before, and would probably never be fired again – this would be its moment of glory. She knew she had to do it soon, or she'd talk herself out of it, if for nothing but the sake of the pretty little gun. She raised it once again, putting the tip of the barrel against Ralph's right temple. She sniffed, wiping away the tears that had run down her nose with the back of left hand. "For what you did to me, and what I'll do to you," she said, reaching forward to close Ralph's eyes. She closed her own, her hand lingering on his face. After a few seconds, the girl took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger. The gunshot was heard through all the thin hotel walls. ** Suzy sat in silence for a moment, dazed and slightly in shock. It was eerily quiet in the hotel – too quiet. She entertained the thought that maybe the gun had malfunctioned, killing her instead of Ralph. The thought fled her mind after a few seconds, when she noticed the warm sensation on her left hand. She looked down. Ralph's blood was flowing freely into her hand, and starting to make its way past her wrist, trailing down her forearm. Time began to blur as the crimson liquid pooled around them, and Suzy was aware of a rush of noise, thought she couldn't be bothered to care. Wiping her bloody hands on the carpet, she stared blankly at her victim. Her eyes welled with tears once again as she studied the corpse of the boy she'd loved more than anything in the world. Suzy sat back, hugging her knees to her chest, gun still in hand. Her body convulsed as she shook uncontrollably, too upset to even cry anymore. Devoid of emotion, she faintly took notice of sirens, the sound of breaking glass, and hotel guests fleeing past her, screeching in their fear and confusion. Her glazed eyes lifted when she realized that someone had stopped in her vicinity, instead of running with the rest of the crowd. She watched as Piper gasped, covering her mouth in shock and disgust. The color drained from her friend's face as she stared at the scene before her in horror. She looked at Suzy, still not quite believing her friend has done something so atrocious, and then back to the lifeless form of Ralph. Suzy could tell that her friend was still in the first stages of shock – the tears hadn’t come yet. She stood up, still shaking slightly, and proceeded to clean the blood spatter off her precious gun, wiping it down with edge of her shirt. Piper opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted as the police arrived. Several armed officers were now standing down the hallway, a few yards from Suzy, with more waiting near the stairway. Suzy and Piper shared a look; Suzy would make sure Piper wasn't blamed for this in any way. "Come with your arms raised high!" the officer nearest the front yelled, his gun aimed directly at Suzy. The other officers raised their guns, pointing them at the girls. "She won't stop me, put it down," Suzy said calmly, as she gestured to Piper, pointing the gun first at her friend, then at the police officer, for effect. The officer, who lacked a bulletproof vest, blanched. For a mere moment there was a standstill. Piper looked nervously from her friend to the collection of policeman. She could see that Suzy was thinking furiously, trying to get them out of this situation, though she knew it just looked like a blank expression to the untrained eye. No one moved. The entire room looked up at a soft 'ding' was heard. The elevator's lights lit up, and its rusty doors slid open, ripping apart the 'out of order' sign that had been previously taped there. "Let me break this awkward silence," Vincent said dramatically, as he stepped out of the elevator. Several of the policemen turned their guns on him as he stood by the elevator, holding its doors open. He smiled at them broadly before turning his gaze to Suzy, nodding slightly. Suzy looked down at the lifeless form of Ralph for one last time. "You're beautiful," she said, wiping away a tear from her cheek. She turned to the police officer, twirling her gun mockingly. "Well, they're never gonna get me; I'm like a bullet through a flock of doves," she sang, pointing the gun directly at her friend's head. A few of the officers winced, two cursed, and she distinctly heard one gasp. She waved, wiggling her fingers mockingly at the police as she gestured Piper towards the elevator. Suzy followed her friend, never turning her back to the police, of course, and giving them her most sinister smile, keeping the gun continuously aimed at Piper. When they reached the elevator, Suzy stopped beside it, motioning Piper inside. Piper stepped in, stepping to the side, and out of the vision of the police officers. It was clear, however, that Suzy still had her gun trained on the girl, or so it looked from the angle of the officers. "This is how we like to do it in the murder scene," Vincent said theatrically. On the last word of his proclamation, he released his hold on the elevators doors. In one swift movement, the doors were freed, and he and Suzy entered, each moving to their respected sides of the elevator and pressing themselves against the walls. A few bullets hit the closed doors, and they heard the police officers rush the elevator, cursing when they couldn't get in. "This elevator only goes up to ten," Vincent said, his foreign voice oddly comforting, even though the phrase was not. He looked at Suzy questioningly. "Let's go down," Suzy said decisively, before her countenance changed to one of worry. Vincent pushed the faded button marked lobby, as his newfound friend rushed across the small compartment. She hugged Piper tightly, speaking thousands of words without making a sound. Letting go, she turned to Vincent, looking at him for a moment before repeating the process. He picked the small girl up, spinning her in a comforting hug while stroking her hair. She calmed visibly, and collected herself just as the elevator stopped, making a small 'ding'. The three figures stayed cautiously pressed against the sides of the elevator, not wanting to be shot if the police had already made it down to the floor they were now on. After a few seconds, Suzy slid out, gun raised, and motioned for the others to follow. Vincent smoothly hit the button marked 10 as he exited the elevator; those pesky police would just have to take the stairs. The three walked down the hallway, stopping at the corner as Suzy peeked around it. Once the coast was clear, they stole down the right hallway, Vincent in the lead. He knew everything there was to know about this building, not to mention his father's connections. The trio made a left turn at the next hallway, which seemed to lead to nothing but a vending machine. Vincent, however, knew better. He fished in his pockets as they walked hurriedly towards the end of the hallway, procuring a key from within the depths of his coat. Just as they were safely behind the glowing Coke machine, they heard the officers running down the hall, shouting, no doubt brandishing their weapons. Vincent unlocked the door, which neither Piper nor Suzy had even seen in the dark corner, and ushered them through it. He then slammed the door, locking it. The officers yelled, running towards the sudden noise. Vincent wasn't worried about them getting in; he had the only key, and it was a solid door. For once, the hotel clerk was grateful of his father's miserly overprotection of his wealth and assets. Suzy and Piper had jumped as Vincent slammed the door, and now were looking curiously at the room they were in. It clearly used to be a kitchen area, a place for employees to take their lunch breaks and such, but now was used for storage. Cardboard boxes were stacked on the counters, the table, and the floor. Vincent walked past them, opening up a box that was sitting near the sink. After a few seconds of rummaging, Vincent pulled out a small black shirt and pair of pants. He handed them to Suzy, turning around and searching his pockets while she changed, smiling when he pulled out a lighter. After she'd put on the fresh clothes, Suzy approached Vincent, looking at him questioningly. He smirked, taking the clothes from her, and placed them in the sink. He held up the lighter, flicking it and watching as the flame grew, before lowering his hand into the sink. After a few seconds, Suzy's clothes were ablaze, and the smell of charred material filled the room. Suzy and Piper commended Vincent on a job well done, as he returned the lighter to its hiding place, now pulling out a small, white handkerchief. He handed it to Suzy, motioning to her fingerprint-ridden gun. She took the handkerchief and meticulously wiped down the gun before wrapping it in the small cloth. Suzy then looked lovingly at her cordite friend, before handing it to Vincent for safekeeping. He tucked the weapon into an inner pocket in his coat, returning to the sink. He turned on the faucet, washing the ashes of the evidence down the drain. They could now here the police approaching, looking for the source of the sound they'd heard. Vincent smiled, closing the box he'd opened earlier, and motioned for them to follow him out of the room. The three traveled down a short hallway before Vincent stopped, holding up a hand to his friends. They stayed where they were, as he walked ahead a few steps and kicked open a door. Moonlight flooded into the dark, narrow hallway as they made their exit. Suzy blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the light, trying to make her way to where Piper was vomiting. She stumbled, but was caught by two strong arms, which steadied her. Vincent looked down at Suzy, and noticed her panic-ridden expression. He pulled her against his chest, wrapping his coat and arms around her, tucking her head underneath his chin. He hugged her as she cried, smoothing her hair down and rubbing soothing circles on her back. It hurt him to see her suffer the way she was; he didn’t care what she'd just done. A few feet away, the toll of events had finally set in on Piper. She was retching violently, her hair held back by none other than Gerard Way, the man she'd been pining over the entire night. A shiny, black limo was parked in the alley they had exited to, with one of its passenger doors still open from Gerard's hasty exit. He was now patting Piper's back, urging her to get it all out so that they could leave. After a moment, the girl straightened up, wiping her mouth on her shirtsleeve. The frontman hugged her before ushering her into the waiting limo, and motioned to the remaining two fugitives. Vincent hushed Suzy, telling her of his intentions before scooping her up into his arms and carrying her to the limo. Leaning down, he handed her to Ray, who pulled her inside the limo and steadied her in the seat. Frank sat on Ray's other side, with Bob and Mikey in the seat across from them. Also on the other side of the limo was Gerard, who had his arm around Piper, consoling her as she nursed a Diet Coke. Vincent took off his coat and climbed in the limo, shutting the door and pulling Suzy in his lap. He covered her with the coat, wrapping his arms around her once again and nodding at the band members. They knew what she'd just done, which explained why she was having an emotional breakdown. Bob tapped the front window, signaling for the driver to leave. Vincent's father had arranged a safe place for the three to hide, and for the band to finally get some sleep that night. They just had to get past the police – and boy, were there a lot of police. "On your mother's eyes, say a prayer," Gerard said, as the limo made its exit. Frank and Mikey exchanged worried glances, but the singer shook it off. They pulled out of the alley and drove past the hotel front, where the police had put up crime scene tape to hold back the crews of reporters that were gathered. No one looked twice at the black limo.
