Encore :RepoGeneticOpera:

In the confusion after Shilo left the medical team rushed to Rotti's aid and his children continued to fight. No one really noticed when the body of rogue repo man Nathan Wallace vanished.

Graverobber was good at not being seen. The only set back was that Nathan was heavier than he had expected. Still, he got him out of the theatre and into his junker of a car, and down to the dump.

He hadn't always been a drug dealer. Once he had cared about people, but after Gene-Co had cornered the market in all things medical, he had been out of a job. After seeing so many vain and foolish people, he had grown hard.

He dumped Nathan's barely alive body on the table unceremoniously. It was a shot in the dark without proper equipment, and it had been years since he had done surgery, but he decided to try. Nathan had lost control of his own life seventeen years ago, although he had tried to do the best he could for his daughter.  He was going to give the former repo-man one last chance to take control of his life.

He pulled out a stone and started sharpening his knife. Worst case scenario, he'd get more Zydrate. Odds were good he'd be able to harvest from Nathan, one way or another.

---

Shilo was the last thing he saw. He liked that. Getting her forgiveness meant more than anything in the world to him. There was nothing more he could do for her. If she decided to accept Rotti's offer, he would never know.

Marnie. He would see her again. He could say he was sorry. Shilo forgave him. Marnie would too. Forgive him for all his sins.

It was very cold.

He wanted to tell Shilo not to cry, but he had no more words.

Then darkness.

The silence was shattered by someone screaming. He felt like he was on fire.

Then a jolt of lighting and the screaming stopped. The fire stopped. He slipped back into a soft hazy world.

---

He heard a soft groan and realized that it was his own voice. He opened his eyes. The room was dimly lit, so it didn't hurt his eyes. Dazed, he tried to sit up, only to discover he couldn't. By squinting, he could see that his wrists were chained to the sides of the bed.

For a moment, he just stared dumbly at his left wrist. Then panic set in and he started to struggle.

"Oh no you don't," came an unfamiliar voice, "Not yet."

He couldn't see the other person, just a small glowing blue light.

Lightning jolted through him again. His dazed mind had just enough time to process. Zydrate. Then he drifted off again on a drug induced haze.

Dreams and reality blurred together until Nathan woke properly. He was still restrained, but he didn't struggle this time. He took stock of his surroundings, now that the room was lighter. The place was run down, but at least it seemed clean enough.

"Welcome back," came the voice from before.

Nathan looked over at the speaker, a pale man with long hair.

"I thought I was dead..." he said.

"Nearly," the other man replied, "It would have been the blood loss that killed you. Rotti didn't hit anything vital. The bullet came out easier than I expected." He sounded pleased with himself.

Nathan blinked at him, "You..."

"Operated on you, yes."

He attempted to sit up, and then thought better of it as his body protested. He sank back down with a groan. "Who are you?"

The man gave a shrug, "No one important."

"No one important... who has the knowledge to remove a bullet... and a stock pile of Zydrate... and managed to get me out of the opera..." Nathan said.

"Yep," the man picked up the magazine he had been reading.

"Why?"

"I know that you were ready to die," the man said, "Having reconciled your past, and made peace with Shilo-"

"What do you know of Shilo?" Nathan demanded suddenly.

"Nice girl," the man said evenly, "Too nice to be a member of Rotti's family, even if she's not." He leaned back, "She walked away from his offer though, Gene-Co is probably going to die under the management of those three morons. Good riddance though."

He closed his eyes. "I wouldn't blame her if she took the offer."

"I don't like Rotti," he continued, "He has such a sense of entitlement. Always takes what he wants. I make it my practice to undermine his business whenever I can."

"You're a Graverobber..." Understanding dawned on Nathan.

He gave a bow.

"That explains the Zydrate... but it doesn't answer my question."

"Rotti stole your life, twice," the man said, "I think that's unnecessary - to steal the same thing twice. I thought I would get in on the act."

Nathan blinked as he processed this.

"Now then," the Graverobber continued, "If you're tired of this life that is fine with me. I can arrange several options for you, better than getting shot by Rotti or one of his minions. There are also places out of reach of Gene-Co, which is where Shilo is heading."

Nathan was silent as he processed this. To be with Shilo again... without the shadow of Gene-Co over his head. No one knew he was alive. They couldn't go back to the way they were, but they could try again...

Did he want to put her through that? Did he want to put himself through that?

"Did you want something for the pain?" he hopped off the counter he was sitting on and went over to a box.

"Not Zydrate," Nathan murmured.

"Nope," he replied, coming back with two pills and some water, "First two are free, and then I start charging. I'm not that charitable."

Nathan looked relieved. He didn't question the medicine, just swallowed it down when it was offered to him.

Graverobber waited until the medication had taken effect, putting Nathan back to sleep. He kicked the brakes off the wheels on the table and pushed Nathan and table out into the night. Even if Nathan was a fugitive too now, he wasn't about to let anyone know where he denned up. He hadn't made it this long as a Graverobber without being smarter than everyone else.

---

Nathan came to in his own bedroom. He would have thought all of this was a nightmare if it weren’t for the long haired man helping himself to food from the kitchen.

"Ah you're awake," the Graverobber said.

"What am I doing here? Where's Shilo?"

"She's not here," he said, "And this is the last place that anyone would look for you. Who would be dumb enough to hide in their own house?" he gave a shrug, "Besides, you're dead."

Nathan sat up - carefully.

"On your home ground, you have all the options you like," he said, "Shilo is with some friends of mine. They are..." he took another bite of his sandwich as he pondered his next words, "Going to make sure she gets her inheritance from you."

"Thank you..." he said softly.

"Oh it's been profitable," he replied, "I investigated your basement. I scored quite a harvest." He set a bottle of pills down on the table, "This stuff is high quality, quick, potent and painless. Take all five. If that's what you choose. Shilo will be home the day after tomorrow. Rotti is dead, Gene-Co is in disarray so there's no point in revenge. You have quite a collection of things that would sell well on the black market. Even your skills as a doctor."

"I'm glad I could help," Nathan replied, deadpan.

"There's nothing more I can do for you," Graverobber said, "Good luck."  

Without a look back, the Zydrate dealer let himself out of the house. His part in the story was done. Now it was up to Nathan.

Fin