The Vengeance Chronicles

The Vengeance Chronicles Birthday Edition:

VT hurried up the stairs and knocked on the door of VE’s apartment. There was no reply. He checked his watch to make sure he was not early, and then knocked again. There was a shout of ‘coming’ from inside, then the door was opened by VE, looking uncharacteristically feminine in a long red dress and an apron. VT, who was more used to seeing her encased in titanium nanoscale armour, was not sure this was a good look for her. Wisely keeping his mouth shut, he followed VE into the apartment, noting with mild amusement the smell of burning that permeated the air. VE had obviously noticed it too, for she dashed back into the kitchen, swearing loudly. VT started to follow her, then his self preservation instinct got the better of him and he sat down on the sofa. This was obviously a wise move, as no sooner had he done so, than there was a yowl from the kitchen and he was joined by a rather disgruntled looking Siamese cat. VT grinned, deposited the cat on the sofa, and went into the kitchen. VE, looking extremely harassed, was fanning a smoking cake tin with a dishcloth, while at the same time stirring a wok, which was hissing dangerously. Seeing VT standing in the doorway, she attempted to hide the cake tin under her apron. VT smiled sweetly and asked ‘Need any help?’ A flying spatula was his only answer. Cautiously, VT came further into the kitchen and put his arms around VE, who wriggled frantically for a moment, then surrendered. ‘I’m sorry, love, I need to concentrate right now...’ VT nuzzled his face into her neck, ‘relax, you don’t need to do this’
‘But it’s your birthday,’ wailed VE, ‘and I wanted to cook you a romantic meal...’ VT stroked her hair, making soothing noises, tactfully keeping his eyes away from the cake tin. Whatever was in there obviously didn’t want to be disturbed. ‘You know,’ he said, keeping his voice as neutral as possible, ‘we could always just go out somewhere’
‘Well if you got out of the kitchen and let me get on with it, this would be done a lot quicker’ countered VE bitterly, brandishing the cake tin menacingly ‘and take that cat with you.’ VT withdrew quickly, and spent the next half hour commiserating with the cat.

At last VE emerged from the kitchen, her battle with the cake tin apparently won. VT stood up and walked over to her. ‘It’s a lovely night, why don’t we take this up to the roof to eat?’ he whispered in her ear. ‘You never were any good at subtlety were you?’ growled VE, but her eyes belied her outraged tone. VT was tempted to grab her then and there, but she was still holding the cake tin, and although it was now empty it was still a hefty chunk of metal.

As it happened, VT was right. It was a lovely night; the city seemed almost peaceful under the neon glow of the street lights. If he hadn’t had first hand experience of it, VT could almost have believed that nothing stalked the night more dangerous than cats and the occasional raccoon. For tonight, he would try to believe that it was true. The food was better than expected, considering how stressed VE had been, and of course, the company was excellent...just for tonight, he would relax.

As he finished his sweet and sour pork VT became aware of VE’s eyes on him. He stretched luxuriously, pretending not to notice, then leant over. ‘Nice dress you’ve got there, but you’d look better without it...’ VE looked shocked, ‘You haven’t even cut your cake yet!’ VT took her by the wrists and slowly pushed her down onto the roof, ‘There’ll be plenty of time for that later...’
‘but...’ VE’s voice was abruptly cut off as VT covered her mouth with his.

Suddenly ‘OH FUCK’ screamed VE, pushing VT off and leaping to her feet, nanoarmour rippling up her body. The air was filled with the sound of rotor blades. VT whirled around to see a stealth helicopter descending towards them. Quicker than thought, his twin pistols appeared in his hands, already aimed at the helicopter’s fuel tanks. He was about to fire when he noticed something strange was happening. The helicopter seemed to be breaking apart...’Glider troops’ called out VE, and fired at the nearest enemy. The soldier, part of an elite unit trained to deploy by glider to carry out stealth attacks, seemed slightly perturbed by the sight of a woman he had just seen having her dress ripped off by her partner, soaring towards him like an angle of death. As the irony hit him, so did the bullets. All around the air was filled with the sounds of gunfire, and the hiss as VT’s nanoblade ionised the air. One by one the glider troops fell to the ground, screaming as their useless gliders crashed into the concrete of the apartment block, or dying in silence, their voice boxes crushed by a hail of bullets. VT dropped the trooper whose wind pipe he’d just crushed and surveyed the carnage. All was quiet; at last they could get back to the matter in hand...Then from behind he heard the roar of an engine. The helicopter had returned. It was bearing down on VE, both miniguns pointed straight at her. VT acted on instinct. Bending down, he snatched up the cake from its plate and threw it as hard as he could. The cake flew through the air and crashed into the helicopter. It tore into the fuel tank, Avgas spurting everywhere. Seeing her chance, VE aimed both pistols, and sent a round from each into the rupture then dived to the floor as the helicopter exploded. VT listened carefully. There was nothing else. The night was quiet once again. VE had dissolved her nanoarmour and was looking in disgust at the tattered remains of her dress. VT sauntered over to where she was sitting. ‘Never mind, you look better without it on anyway,’ he said as he pulled her down on top of him, ‘Now, where were we...?’

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