After the End

Chapter 8

"Are you insane? Didn't you just say there was a crazy inspector after my head on the loose and you want me to go out there?" Enjolras said trying to keep the mood light. He couldn't let Marius know how much he was dying inside, he had already expressed too much emotion for a lifetime in one afternoon. Enjolras wanted to go out and find this new inspector. He wanted to give himself up, end the mental torture he's been enduring since he had woken after the barricade. He wanted the guilt, the flashbacks, the anger to end and he knew it would take ages if he stayed with Marius and others. No one could save him, so he needed to die.

Marius's laughter pulled him from his thought. "If you don't want to come you don't have to, I just wanted you to come so she could also apologize to you" he said.

"Well I'm not going to promise to go find Éponine with you, but I think it's time I went home and got out of your hair. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and you can come check up on me whenever you want" Enjolras said hoping Marius would agree.

Suddenly Marius got a worried look in his eyes, "No, you can't go to your apartment!" He said frantically. Enjolras looked at him confused and Marius collected himself, "I mean, you can't go there without me. I-I'll be there to help you get readjusted, you know. We can go see Éponine and then go back to your place, maybe she can come too I mean who knows" he said with a nervous laugh.

Enjolras sighed, "Marius".

"Yes" Marius responded all too quickly.

"What is really going on here?" Enjolras interrogated.

Marius sighed and stood up. He began to pace around the room. "Okay so you know how Éponine loved me, like a lot, and I just kind of ignored it?" He asked and Enjolras nodded. "Anyway when she was dying, well when I thought she was dying, I told her I loved her-"

"Marius!"

"I know but I thought she was dying so what harm could it do? But then she appeared in the market place and well, she kissed me" Marius said and he stopped pacing.

"Well what happened?" Enjolras asked intrigued. He had to admit he felt bad for the girl but going up to him in public and kissing him was bold.

Marius sighed, "I pushed her and scolded her. She had been so happy to see me and I just pushed her away. Then Cosette came and it just got extremely awkward. I didn't want to shut her out so I invite her to the house, and well you know what happened after that" he said. "I want you to come with me to find her so that I don't have to do it alone. She is really hurt and I think if she sees me she'll just run away. I think your presence will maybe-"

"Make her not hate you as much?" Enjolras asked.

"Yes-er, no, I mean kind of. Look I just really need your help" he said sitting down on Enjolras's bed.

Enjolras sighed, "Fine, I'll help you, as long as you help me go back to my apartment".

"Deal" Marius said as he held out his hand.

Enjolras laughed and shook it.

The man sat in the dark room twisting his knife around. The sharp silver blade sliced through the air, going so fast it was a blur. He had just been named Inspector of the police force and he was ready. His cruelty and severity were already known thorough out the town and he was ready to further continue his rein of terror over the unrighteousness of Paris. The previous inspector had been soft, allowing himself to grow soft which ultimately lead to his demise. Now, with him in charge, nothing would go wrong.

Suddenly he heard a knock at his door. He flipped the knife into it's sheath and turned to face the door. "Come in" he said in his cold deep voice.

An officer entered the room with a file of papers, "Sir, these are the descriptions of the presumed leader of the uprising. They're drawn according to the National Guard who fought at the barricade" the officer said standing a few feet in front of the doorway.

The inspector beaconed him to enter and the officer dropped the file on his desk before turning and leaving. He inspector opened the file and took the drawing out. He flipped his knife out once more and began to spin it again.

He stood and walked to the board positioned on the far wall of his office. He posted the drawing onto it and looked closely at it. "So you're the one causing trouble in my city. Not for long" he said turning around a cool smile spreading across his face. "Do you know why that is, Monsieur?" He asked the picture as he turned around to face it again. He let the knife fly from his hand and it hit the target, the forehead of the drawing. "You're mine".