𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐒 ➤ [ 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑚𝑟 ]

XX| ROSE TOOK MY NOSE

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VENUS WAS WALKING NEXT TO THOMAS, FOLLOWEDby the rest of their friends. Gally was leading the way, explaining as to how he got where he is now.

  Venus didn't pay much attention to him. The only thing on her mind now, was that, if Gally was talking the truth, they's actually have a real shot at getting Minho back.

   "This group has been at war with WICKED, ever since they took control of the city. WICKED can't hide behind those walls forever." Gally spoke. Venus didn't really take anything in at what he was saying, her attention was not on the run down building that they were walking through.

     Seeing the hopeless looking people scattered around made her heart ache. It was all Venus has ever seen — hopelessness. And Venus hoped that in the near future, this would not be the case. She hoped that there would be hope, that these people would get a second chance at  life.

Venus snapped out of her thoughts as Gally came to a halt in front of her, with her coming to a stop as well. "Listen — he doesn't get a lot of visitors, so let me do the talking, and try not to stare."

   Venus gave a glance over at Thomas at Gally's last word, a frown creeping onto her face as Thomas only shrugged at her expression, both of them now going to follow behind Gally.

The room where Gally led them was dark, the only source of light coming from a small lamp, and some rays of the sun sneaking in through a window.

  Books were scattered across the room, and pot plants filled the empty spaces. A man stood in front of one of the wooden tables in the room, rose bushes scattered behind him as the sun shone directly onto him, making it difficult to capture his appearance. "Rose took my nose, I suppose." Venus heard the man mumble over and over, almost like a chant, and she tilted her head to the side, inspecting the odd person that Gally has taken them to.

"Gally! Glad to see you made it back. Jasper told me what happened." The man spoke. "It was a slaughter — there's nothing we can do against those guns." Gally had informed him.

Venus only now noticed that the man had some sort of makeshift IV line inserted, and she came to the conclusion that he must be ill.

  "No, but you can only poke a hornet's nest so long before they get stung." Venus watched the man intently as he snipped off a rose, pressing it against his nose and smelling it.

It was a red rose, and the image of the flower gave Venus a sort of nostalgic feeling, and oh, how she wished that she could remember who she was before all of this.

  "Now, who are those people? Why are they here?" The man questioned, and Thomas didn't waste a second as he stepped forward, "We need to get into WICKED. Gally said you can get us through the walls." And at Thomas' words, it was the first time that the man had looked into their direction "Gally should know better than to make promises he can't keep."

   A heavy feeling manifested inside of Venus at his words — they needed to get into WICKED, and if Gally bullshitted them with this, and wasted their time, Venus would be heavily pissed off.

"Besides, that wall is only half your problem, getting inside WICKED is impossible." Venus could now see that the man was missing a nose, and now she realized why Gally had told them not to stare.

   At the man's words, Venus bit down harshly on his lip, the anger bubbling inside her. "There might be a way now." Gally said, and Venus' attention now snapped toward him, "but it doesn't work without Thomas."

  Venus' eyes glanced over at Thomas, him also heavily confused at Gally's words. "Is that so." The man questioned, now nearing Thomas as he stepped into the light, and Venus could now clearly see how the man actually looked.

     He was a crank. That was his disease.

He neared Thomas, and Venus tensed up, "I'm a businessman." He informed, "which means that I don't take unnecessary risks. Why should I trust you ?"

  Venus took a step forwards, her arm pressed against Thomas', as her eyes intently stared at the man.

"Cause I can help you, you see, if you can get my through those walls, I can get you what you need." Thomas' voice was low as he spoke, and he shook off the intimidation of the man.

"And what is it that you think I need ?"

   "Time — " Thomas' eyes shifted to the IV the man was hooked on, "— every last drop of it."

   "Is that what I need?" The man scoffed, but Venus could see that he took in Thomas' words, and knee that Thomas was indeed correct.

"WICKED has something we both want." The man stares straight at Thomas with his ghostly eyes, taking a second before he gripped at an answer, "I'll tell you what, two can go for now. The rest stay down here with me. Just a little insurance to make sure you find your way back."

  Venus gulped, the uneasy feelinf creeping down her spine as she looked at Thomas in a rather panicked state.

She watched as the man held out hit hand for Thomas to shake, and close the deal.

With hesitation, Venus knew that Thomas didn't really have any other choice and she watched as he shook the man's hand.

"Gally, show them the way."

   Venus turned toward Thomas, grabbing him by his arm, "I'm coming with you." She told him, her persistance not going unnoticed, as her eyes locked with his.

    Thomas took a second, gaze travelling downward before he made eye contact again, a worried expression plastered on his features.

  "Vee, I — it's too dangerous."

He cares. Venus knew he cared. But this was her own choice, and she wanted this, she wanted to help.

   "Listen, I — this entire time, since you rescued me from WICKED, I've felt absolutely useless. I can't remember shit, and I've done nothing to help. I need this, Thomas, I need to do this, I need to help." She hoped that he'd understand, that he would get where she was coming from, but when he shook his head, her heart dropped.

   "Venus, you're not useless, don't ever think like that, okay ?" Venus only stared at him with her ocean blue eyes, her heart hammering as she awaited his next words.

"You just have to understand that I want you to be safe, and going into the city, that's everything but safe."

Venus groaned loudly as she ran her hands through her hair out of frustration. "And I'm supposed to just let you go down there without me ?"

    Thomas now gripped her hand, he could see the anger boiling inside of her, and he wished that she'd understand how important she was to him, and how he couldn't even think of losing her.

"Vee, please — I need you here, with the rest, you have to understand. I don't — I don't want to lose you."

  Her eyes softened at his words, and when she wrapped her fingers around his hand as well, Thomas felt the butterflies going crazy in his chest.

   "Promise that you'll be safe ?" Thomas nodded, "promise."

Venus knew that Thomas wouldn't let her go with him, no matter what she did or said, thus, she had to take matters into her own hands — and no matter what, she'd get into the city and she'd help save Minho.