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Description
Chivalry
An Adventures of Tintin Fanfic by SouthernImagineer
(A Modern Retelling)
Prologue.

~

"I want you to leave."

"What?"

"Go back to Belgium. To your life. Save your job. Go back to writing articles on crime lords and drug cartels and—"

"Annalise."

"What?"

"I'm not leaving."

"And why is that? You don't—"

"I saw the note, Anna. I saw what it said. I saw the threat they left you. And because of it, I'm even more resolved to stay here than before. I will uncover the murderer's identity, whether you like it or not."

"Tin…"

"They could kill you, Anna. I won't let that happen. You read the note. The only thing standing between you and the barrel of a gun is me, and it's going to stay like that. I'm not moving. I'm not leaving."

"… Tin… "

"You saw what they did to Noah."

"… Don't bring him up."

"You saw the blood. It was all over the bed."

"Tin, I'm serious. Please stop."

"He was tortured, Anna. Tortured. That can't happen to you. I won't let it. I did not come all this way to give up, to let my client throw in the towel. I did not come all this way to see you killed like he was. That was never part of our agreement."

"And what was? To have you slaughtered instead? You've already been shot in the leg for me, Tintin. You've traveled across America for me. Our agreement was to find my fiancé, to rescue him from whatever mayhem he'd gotten himself into. And guess what? We found him. We found him in my hotel room, bloodied and dead as a doornail. Isn't that enough for a story? Isn't that enough to satisfy your loyal fans?"

"My fans are not what's important, Anna. Bringing the murderer to justice is what matters. Uncovering the truth behind your fiancé's death is what matters. And now that they're going after you, you expect me to just walk away? What kind of a person do you take me for, Annalise?"

"You're a journalist, an objective writer, a man that has never been candid with his emotions until now. You've given me no reason to take you as anything but impartial, Tintin. What if this sudden dedication to my case is all a ploy?"

"You can't credit me with a bit of chivalry?"

"Chivalry is dead, Tintin. It's been that way for a long time. It's not a valid excuse."

"What, then, do you want me to say? If I begin broadcasting how I really feel, you'll accuse my emotions of being synthetic."

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I just don't want you here in the first place?"

"A false declaration to try and make me leave."

"What makes you think that?"

"You told Captain Haddock. You told him you had feelings for me. I'm not a fool, Annalise. We've spent an entire month together on this. You don't actually want me gone. You just don't want to see me hurt."

"… Tintin, I want you to leave."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do. I want you out of here, Tintin. I want you back in Belgium. I want you back to your job. I want you as far away from me as possible. Do you understand?"

"You're making a mistake, Anna."

"Am I now? Is this really the mistake I made? Or maybe it was a mistake to have even asked for your help in the first place."

"…"

"What?"

"You don't mean that."

"I do. Noah is dead. The other company took over his job. They won. There was no point in our efforts, Tintin. Nothing changed. I shouldn't have taken up your time with this."

"Don't say that."

"We didn't even make a dent in their plans. It was useless. Tintin, you need to go home. It's over."

"It's not—"

"It's over, Tintin. Go home."

Description
Chivalry
An Adventures of Tintin Fanfic by SouthernImagineer
(A Modern Retelling)
Prologue.

~

"I want you to leave."

"What?"

"Go back to Belgium. To your life. Save your job. Go back to writing articles on crime lords and drug cartels and—"

"Annalise."

"What?"

"I'm not leaving."

"And why is that? You don't—"

"I saw the note, Anna. I saw what it said. I saw the threat they left you. And because of it, I'm even more resolved to stay here than before. I will uncover the murderer's identity, whether you like it or not."

"Tin…"

"They could kill you, Anna. I won't let that happen. You read the note. The only thing standing between you and the barrel of a gun is me, and it's going to stay like that. I'm not moving. I'm not leaving."

"… Tin… "

"You saw what they did to Noah."

"… Don't bring him up."

"You saw the blood. It was all over the bed."

"Tin, I'm serious. Please stop."

"He was tortured, Anna. Tortured. That can't happen to you. I won't let it. I did not come all this way to give up, to let my client throw in the towel. I did not come all this way to see you killed like he was. That was never part of our agreement."

"And what was? To have you slaughtered instead? You've already been shot in the leg for me, Tintin. You've traveled across America for me. Our agreement was to find my fiancé, to rescue him from whatever mayhem he'd gotten himself into. And guess what? We found him. We found him in my hotel room, bloodied and dead as a doornail. Isn't that enough for a story? Isn't that enough to satisfy your loyal fans?"

"My fans are not what's important, Anna. Bringing the murderer to justice is what matters. Uncovering the truth behind your fiancé's death is what matters. And now that they're going after you, you expect me to just walk away? What kind of a person do you take me for, Annalise?"

"You're a journalist, an objective writer, a man that has never been candid with his emotions until now. You've given me no reason to take you as anything but impartial, Tintin. What if this sudden dedication to my case is all a ploy?"

"You can't credit me with a bit of chivalry?"

"Chivalry is dead, Tintin. It's been that way for a long time. It's not a valid excuse."

"What, then, do you want me to say? If I begin broadcasting how I really feel, you'll accuse my emotions of being synthetic."

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I just don't want you here in the first place?"

"A false declaration to try and make me leave."

"What makes you think that?"

"You told Captain Haddock. You told him you had feelings for me. I'm not a fool, Annalise. We've spent an entire month together on this. You don't actually want me gone. You just don't want to see me hurt."

"… Tintin, I want you to leave."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do. I want you out of here, Tintin. I want you back in Belgium. I want you back to your job. I want you as far away from me as possible. Do you understand?"

"You're making a mistake, Anna."

"Am I now? Is this really the mistake I made? Or maybe it was a mistake to have even asked for your help in the first place."

"…"

"What?"

"You don't mean that."

"I do. Noah is dead. The other company took over his job. They won. There was no point in our efforts, Tintin. Nothing changed. I shouldn't have taken up your time with this."

"Don't say that."

"We didn't even make a dent in their plans. It was useless. Tintin, you need to go home. It's over."

"It's not—"

"It's over, Tintin. Go home."