(Long Lost Friends)
By Rags
Jules sat at his desk going over a familiar problem, how to start his newest play.... He chuckled to himself; you'd think that after having done it a couple of times it would get easier. He went over some possibilities in his mind: action, adventure, romance.
*Romance,* he thought, *that's a joke. What the hell do I know about romance?* Sure he he'd been in love, the feelings hadn't been returned, did that still count? There had been a few girls who'd seemed interested. Though for the most part they had been evil, and that was never good.
Adventure, well he'd had his share of late, but still he was more of an audience. Meaning he was always the rescued, never the rescuer. Not that he needed that, but still. It was starting to get ridiculous. He felt as much the child as he was often treated.
Action, well he'd seen some. Seen in the sense of having watched, not having engaged in it. He let out an exasperated sigh. *This isn't working*, he thought, *unless I plan on a play about a whiney little law student.* Then he realized for the first time that he hadn't eaten yet that day.
Jules looked out his window, it was dusk. He contemplated going out for a quick bite. Rebecca's voice flashed in his head. Something he had almost forgotten her saying. "Do please try to avoid those dark allies Jules. They tend to get you into trouble." He went over to his window. Dark allies, spreading in every direction. *I should stay in,* he said to himself. His stomach immediately growled in protest. *My friends will be here in the morning. Passepartout will have made something delicious. It's safer to wait.* Again he felt hunger pangs urging him to reconsider.
Jules finally decided to throw caution to the wind. He grabbed his jacket and headed out. Really, what were the odds of him getting kidnapped again, and from another dark ally? Besides, he was an adult. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He didn't need anyone to watch his back
Thoughts like that made him angry, they always came back to haunt him. He knew perfectly well that under ordinary circumstances he was capable of protecting himself. He also knew that nothing had been ordinary for a while now. Jules could put up little resistance against a well-trained fighter. So, when one grabbed him on the way back from the cafe, he shouldn't have been so surprised when he lost. All Jules could do was think,* Dammit, not again!,* as the hand clamped over his mouth and a sharp pain in his neck sent him into blackness.
***
Rebecca Fogg let herself into Verne's garret. It was early and she guessed that he was still sleeping. She loved to watch him sleep. He looked even more innocent then when he was awake, if that was even possible. To her surprise Jules wasn't in his bed. *Drat,* she thought. She'd come up with a perfectly wonderful way of waking up her young friend and he'd gone and spoiled it. "No catchy sayings this morning", she said quietly. She looked around, his coat was gone. That was odd. Where could he have gone? Rebecca was quite anxious to see him so she decided to wait and find out.
***
A few hours later Phileas Fogg and his valet Passepartout stepped into the garret. "What in God's name is keeping the two of you?" Fogg questioned, in a voice Rebecca recognized as highly agitated. She was about to snap at him, but that would just delay what had to be said. "Not the two of us Phileas. Just me.". "What the devil does that mean?" Fogg asked, rather confused.
***
Jules woke up. He slowly opened his eyes, only to find that there wasn't much to see. He squinted a bit, then realized that he'd have a better vantage point if he weren't lying on the floor. As Jules moved to sit up, he gasped at a sudden pain in his head. It made him close his eyes and caused a grimace to appear on his boyish face. After a few moments the pain subsided and Jules mind started to clear. *The ally, someone had....* His hand flew to the back of his neck. Everything seemed fine.
Verne stood up, and turned around full circle. He decided to push self-pity to the back of his thoughts and concentrate on more important things:* Where am I ?* The room was completely barren, without even a bed or a stove, which explained why it was so cold. *How long have I been here?* Verne felt in his jacket for his watch, it was missing. "Oh, so they kidnapped me and stole my watch.", he said, mostly to himself.
***
"Are the boys secure?", asked Sir Warren. The group of league henchmen nodded it unison. "Have they been kept separate?", Warren inquired. He was honestly afraid of what the two young men might do if they were prematurely brought together. "Mr. Verne must be kept unawares of the others presence here. Is that understood?" He was again rewarded with the nods of those simpletons. He highly doubted their ability to function without Gregory.
As they left Warren found himself alone with his thoughts. *How did I ever get myself into this? Me, Sir Walter Warren.* He had expected better from himself then to become an evil Counts pawn. *But then, I have failed at everything else, haven't I?* He walked in grim procession to the bar and poured himself a drink. *You can't help who you are, * he thought smugly as he downed the alcohol in a single gulp. He quickly headed towards the door. There was work to be done.
***
After a while Jules started to become accustomed to his dark prison. At least he was able to see a bit better. He had taken a seat on the stone floor, huddled in the corner for warmth. Through his protests, sleep was creeping in on him. For some unknown reason the young author found himself unable to turn away its advances.
***
Sir Warren walked down a long, narrow, stone hallway. A step behind him were two of the Leagues goons. They never gave him a moment's peace. Warren's footsteps slowed as he reached his destination. He gestured for one of the men to hand him the key, once they had he slowly unlocked, then opened the door.
He was not surprised by what he found. A young man, slightly over twenty, crouching in the corner. Trying to conserve body heat, he guessed. Well, he had heard they were both very clever.
The figure was short yet had an appearance of strength. His curled brown hair fell just over his forehead, almost trying to hide his pale gray eyes. Warren tried to hold back a scoff. They even looked alike. If he hadn't known better he might have guessed them as brothers. *Not really that far from the truth, * he thought, *they were connected, for better or worse. Just like a family. *
"Have you heard the good news Marius? Your friend Jules arrived yesterday."
***
Marius looked up at the man. He had seen him several times since his abduction. However the one encounter most burned in his memory was when he came to the cell with a different set of "good news"- His sister had come for a visit.
Marius thought back on the events of the last few weeks in shame. *I had no choice!, * He screamed inside. He knew he lying to himself, but that was the only way to justify his actions. He'd betrayed one of his best friends. There had been a choice, and he'd made it. Now he had to live with it.
Warren spoke again, derailing Marius' train of thought. "Would you like to check in on him? Make sure he's safe?" Marius seriously considered spitting on the man. "I'll assume your answer is yes. Guards escort Mr. Bimmes to Verne's cell.". The two guards rushed from behind Sir Warren and roughly grabbed Marius by his shoulders. "And for Gods sake be gentle. We still need him!"
At this point Marius was content to be lead through the maze of hallways to his friends cell. He'd expected them to open the door. When they didn't it dawned on him that something must be wrong. Since he was short the guards had to lift him up a bit so he could see through the window on Jules' door.
Jules appeared to be asleep. He looked almost peaceful. Marius couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, a mistake which he came to regret. It allowed Sir Warren to shatter any of his tender illusions. "He's been drugged. Don't worry it's only until the procedure, and that is coming soon enough."
***
Phileas paced on the deck of the Aurora. Verne had been missing for two days, and Phileas had no idea what had happened. It pained him, not knowing where the young writer was. Fogg had come to see Verne as a son. Phileas truly loved the boy, and would do anything, anything, to protect him. Not only his life, but his innocence and his vision of the future as well.
Fogg stopped in his tracks and sighed. Rebecca came up behind him, hugging him, and said, "We will find him Phileas, we have to."
***
Rebecca hoped that her comment had come out more optimistic then desperate. For desperate was what she was. Two days. Jules had been gone two days and they were no closer to finding their friend then they had been when he was first discovered missing.
Jules' sudden disappearance had taken its toll on the Aurora. Fogg had spent the better part of his time on board aimlessly pacing and cursing under his breath. The rest of his time was spent angrily questioning anyone who might have seen Jules. Rebecca hated to see her cousin in this condition.
Even Passepartout seemed to be unraveling. It was obvious that he was extremely worried about his young friend. Rebecca thought of all the time he and Jules had spent together, discussing things most people would never understand. Rebecca almost smiled; they were both absolutely brilliant.
Rebecca herself had been falling apart. She often found herself wishing that Jules were there to reassure her. She had taken for granted the comfort his mere presence could bring when she was troubled. Whenever anything went wrong Jules was always right there, ready to listen, or help in any way he could. But now, he was gone, and there wasn't a particularly compelling reason to believe they'd ever find him.
***
After being returned to his cell, Marius sat there thinking over what had just happened. In sudden fear for his sister he used his mind to search her out. She wasn't there. He wanted to scream for joy. She was safe. If he couldn't communicate with her that meant that she was at least a hundred miles away, maybe more. Content with the knowledge that his twin sister Claret was safe, he settled into sleep. Sleep brought him no comfort, for his dreams were plagued with guilt.
***
Claret felt herself being carried. There was some sort of cloth wrapped around her head. The events of the past couple of days had made her too afraid to ask where exactly she was being taken. She wasn't a coward, far from it. She would readily give her life to protect her friends and family. She was afraid because she couldn't find Marius. She'd been searching with her mind, and he was nowhere to be found. Had they taken him away? He had promised her an explanation for their imprisonment. She would beg her brother everyday to tell her what was wrong. Who these people were. Why they had been taken. Marius had dodged her questions, assuring her that once it was over he would tell her everything.
Claret felt the men holding her stop. She heard a sound like that of metal scraping stone. A rush of cold air made her shiver. Then....... Thud, they dropped her carelessly on the floor. She heard one of the men speak, "Why do we need her Warren?".
"Because, you fool, we will need her energy."
"I don't understand..."
"You don't need to."
"But why with this boy?"
*Boy? * thought Claret. She continued listening to the conversation.
"This is the only safe room. It was specially made to block Mr. Bimmes powers. They can't be allowed to communicate. At all."
Claret had to fight to hold in a gasp of surprise. They knew about Marius' power. Did they know about her? Since her head was bound, not her hands, she guessed the answer was no.
Waiting until she was sure they were gone, Claret carefully unwrapped her head. Her new cell was dimly lit. It was light enough, however, for her to see another presence in the room.
From this distance, it almost looked like.... but no, it couldn't be. She would have sensed it the moment she entered the room. This was someone else, yet she felt a recognizable force radiating from him.
Claret slowly crawled over to the huddled figure in the corner. She carefully touched his cheek to guide his face into view.
She was surprised to see familiar features. *No*, she thought, * not him too*. She shut her eyes tightly, and then opened them again.
The face was still there. One similar to her brothers, yet so very different The soft, curling, chocolate hair, just managing to fall in his eyes; Differed only slightly in hue from that of her brother. The eyes. That was possibly the biggest difference. Her brother's shallow gray eyes couldn't even compete with the soulful green eyes of the man she now had cradled in her arms. Those eyes were shut now, but she remembered them well enough. In her mind they had always been Jules Verne's defining trait. Just like her own eyes marked her. The two young men's facial features were similar enough, though Jules had a much more attractive visage. Clarets features, along with her brothers, were angular. Not in an UN-attractive way, but she preferred Jules soft features any day.
She shook him softly in an attempt to rose him. When this failed she gently lifted his eyelids. "You've been drugged." she said to no one in particular. "I might not know what's going on, but at least I am not useless.", she whispered. She kissed Jules on his forehead and laid him lightly on the floor.
Placing one hand over his eyes and the other over her own, Claret set to the job of healing him. When she was finished she leaned back against the wall and waited for her long lost friend to wake. *Not quite the reunion I would have wanted* she thought to herself. Claret would normally have been ecstatic to see him, but this was different. This was dishonest, dangerous. She was sure something was very wrong now. Who would know about the link between Jules and Marius? The two hadn't seen each other in at least six years, of this she was sure. That this was no coincidence, she was sure of as well.
***
Passepartout was just about to leave the kitchen with tea for Miss. Rebecca when he heard his Master shout: "For the love of God Rebecca your friend is still missing! Or have you forgotten?"
"Of course I have not forgotten Phileas! But I don't see myself having a choice about the matter. Chatsworth said that it very important. He seems to think I am the only who can do it."
"Well, what exactly does he want you to do?"
"He hasn't told me, exactly."
"Oh, and let me guess, he did suggest that you take the Aurora..."
"It was mentioned..."
"And what about Verne? hmmm? Do we simple pretend he hasn't been kidnapped, so you can go gallivanting off running errands for Chatsworth?
"Really Phileas, we are at a dead end. There isn't anything here to follow. Perhaps if I ask Chatsworth, well, he might have some information about the Leagues activities."
"And what makes you so sure it's the League that's taken Verne?"
"We'd better pray it was the League that took him. Otherwise we'll never find him..."
***
Jules awoke to find himself sprawled on the cold stone floor. As he maneuvered himself into a more comfortable position he became aware of a pair of eyes watching him, taking in his every movement. He could see a figure hidden in the plentiful shadows that encompassed a large part of the cell. "Who's there?" he asked. The shadow moved toward him, the first thing he could make out were her eyes. Those unmistakable eyes.
"Now don't tell me you've forgotten me already.", she teased in a sweet voice.
Verne couldn't stop a wide smile from spreading across his face. "Claret?", he questioned, "Is it really you?"
"It is unless you're dreaming..."she replied, a wide smile now claiming her lips. Jules found himself blushing, and despite the darkness, he was sure Claret could tell.
***
Claret smiled wider. *Have I ever made him blush before? *
No, not that she could recall. She felt her own cheeks flush. They'd always been pretty relaxed around each other, never giving cause to blush. Jules had always treated her like any of his other friends. She'd enjoyed not being kept separate just because she was the only girl. When they`d gotten a little older that hadn`t changed, except that he`d been all that much more polite. *It's probably just the effects of the drugs, or maybe the healing*, she thought to calm herself. Besides, this wasn't the time or the place to think of such things.
***
Marius couldn't help but think of Jules, locked away and drugged. He could still remember the day they met; it didn't seem so long ago.
He and Claret had been sitting across the street from the house when a strange carriage had pulled up. Being curious children they had given the carriage their full attention. *Another new kid? *, they had wondered. They'd seen a pretty middle classed lady exit the carriage followed by two boys. The boys, obviously brothers, possibly even another set of twins, immediately caught their fancy. As they entered the building Claret had already moved to follow them. "Don't!" he'd called after her. "Chicken!" she'd teased. That's the way it had always went. He'd tried to be responsible and she would goad him into doing the opposite of what he'd planned. That would be one of the few times he was glad he'd listened to her.
They'd waited in the hallway outside Miss. Marla's office. They sat in chairs on the opposite side of the wall. After what seemed like ages the three figures from the carriage emerged. *Now came the goodbyes. * They'd seen the scene often enough. To their surprise after kissing her first child on the check the mother moved to leave. The second boy started with her but then doubled back to hug his brother before rushing off to leave with his mother. The boy stood there for a moment looking forlorn before he even noticed the twins. Claret had rushed right up to him, "HI! I am Claret. What's your name?". The boy had answered shyly, offering his hand, "I am Jules. Jules Verne."
***
Phileas sat in his favorite chair trying to read the new mornings paper. Or more truthfully he sat worrying about Verne and waiting for Rebecca's return. It seemed like he had been waiting an eternity for his cousins return from that meeting with Chatsworth. Luckily he did not have to wait much longer.
Rebecca burst into the room, apparently with good news.
"Whatever is the matter with you?", Phileas asked in an incredulous tone.
"My new mission Phileas. It's a dream!", she replied looking far too pleased with herself for Fogg's liking.
"So, you've decided to take on a mission? Really Rebecca, three days isn't all that long a period of time. Verne might still need some help."
Rebecca bit her lip a little and looked him straight in the eyes before answering, in a strong, demanding voice, "Not only am I taking on a new mission, but I am taking you and Passepartout with me."
"Maybe I am not quite ready to abandon Verne."
"Maybe it would have been best to inquire about my mission before suddenly deciding to get self-righteous."
"Excuse me Rebecca. But I cannot think of a mission more important than the life of a friend."
" Honestly Phileas. Manners would dictate that you ask me for specifics before you judge my loyalties."
"As you wish, dear cousin. What is this mission then?"
"I am to save three missing people."
"Three people, well, that certainly out does one friend, does it not? Who are these people?"
"I don't know, not really."
"You don't know them? Not even by name?"
"Our contact was only able to tell us initials before he..." she trailed off. Thus indicating the untimely demise of said contact.
"Initials. Wonderful, and they would be...?"
"M.B., C.B., and...." she paused to give him a significant look to alert him to the gravity of what she was about to say.
"Well Rebecca if it's so important get on with it."
"...and J.V."
***
Jules sat staring at Claret in awe. How she had changed. He vaguely remembered playing childhood games with a more awkward version of the beautiful creature in front of him, but he could barley connect the two. The girl, no the women, in front of him wasn't awkward at all. She was beautiful. Her bright eyes as entrancing as ever, her dark hair framed her unique face in a very favorable fashion, and her lips were a new and tempting shade of cherry. She had definatly changed, and he definatly approved.
After a few moments of extended quiet, Jules felt an urgent need to say something, anything, to break the silence. "So........any idea where we are?"
That seemed to break them both out of their spell.
"None whatsoever."
"Oh... how long have we been here?"
" I am not sure how long you've been here. They brought me in yesterday though."
"Yesterday? I........"
"As best I could tell you'd been drugged."
Jules looked down and nodded. "So, does that mean you healed me? Or did it just wear off?"
"You would have come out of it on your own, but I did not feel much like waiting."
"Thanks" he said, studying the floor.
" Any idea what they want from us?", she questioned, hoping to distract Jules from whatever was troubling him.
"I am sure I know much less than you do."
She loved the fact that he had managed to stay modest, even with his gifts.
"Maybe in this situation, but as I recall, you were always pretty far ahead in the knowledge department."
With that the two young people settled into a pleasant conversation about their past, all awkwardness forgotten. They spoke of the summers they had spent together (all three of them-including Marius). Joking about the past, and having more fun than two people in a cell have any right to. They fell back into their friendship as if no time had passed at all.
***
Marius finally found the courage to reach out to Jules. But he wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere. Had they moved him as well?
Then he was struck with a truly terrible thought. Maybe he was with Claret. That would mean that they hadn't released her as they had promised. That not only had he failed his best friend, he had failed his sister as well. He wanted to cry. To let go of all the emotion that had been bubbling up inside of him ever since he had heard what they wanted from him. Ever since he saw the price he would pay for noncompliance. Ever since he had agreed to give in to them.
How had he ever believed he could make it out of this. That he was somehow in control. They had used him. He had given them everything they wanted and more, and he had done it with a song of denial in his heart. He was truly beaten, they had truly won.
***
As soon as Rebecca had finished explaining the details of her mission Passepartout began to ready the Aurora. "So Verne is in Austria?" Phileas asked, perplexed.
" I am not sure, but its our best lead yet." Rebecca responded distractedly.
"And we are having plan, yes?" Passepartout interjected.
Rebecca sighed "Not really Passepartout. We don't have enough information to make any definite plans."
"Passepartout is not understanding this." the valet complained.
"Well, we hope that Verne is one of the three people being held by the League in Austria. However, even if this is a correct assumption, there is still so much we don't know. For example where he's being held. What kind of security they have assigned to guard him. What kind of weapons they have. Their intentions regarding Verne. If he will be capable of leaving on his own, or if he will need to be assisted..." Fogg stopped that wave of though before it got any more disturbing.
Rebecca rubbed at her temple, hoping to relieve some of the tension in her mind. She took a deep breath before speaking, "I've got a plan."
"Don't keep us in the dark cousin."
She looked Phileas in the eye and the corners of her lips tugged up into a devilish grin. "I say that we burst in, grab Jules, shoot the bad guys, and bring him safely back aboard the Aurora."
"And what about the other peoples?" Passepartout asked.
"If we can manage it." Fogg said, returning Rebecca's smile.
***
Sir Warren walked down the now familiar hallway to relieve the guards posted at the cell shared by Jules Verne and Claret Bimmes. After the previous League agent had left Warren remained standing directly across from the door, staring. He heard the sound of laughter emanating through the walls. *Are they enjoying themselves? They truly are strange children!* Warren to a step forward and peered through the small glass slit in the metal door.
He smiled at what he saw. The two of them sitting cross-legged on the floor facing each other. They appeared to be deep in some enjoyable conversation, which made the faces of both the lovely young people shine. They seemed unaware of the fact that they had been kidnapped. He also *knew* them to be unaware of the plans that had been made for them.
For a moment Sir Warren even felt sympathy for the poor fools. Though he wasn't able to catch himself before silently wishing that his own children turn out to such fine young men and women. He shook his head. *Best remind them where they are*
***
Claret looked up in shock as the cell door quietly opened. A tall man in an expensive suit blocked any escape through the door way. "You, girl, come here.", he ordered. It had been an order she could tell by his tone of voice.
She felt more than saw Jules move to a defensive position in front of her, her eyes were glued to the man- who looked very familiar though she couldn't place him.
"I said: come here!", he again ordered.
"Stay where you are Claret. Whatever you want from me, leave her out of it. She has nothing to do with this", Jules said.
"This.", Warren stated. "And what do you think *this* is Mr. Verne?"
"I assume that you work for the League and you want me to do something to help you. If that is the case, let her go and I'll help you. Hurt her, and nothing you can do will ever get me to help."
" Very close Verne. But I am afraid she is what could be referred to as a necessary causality."
"Causality..." Verne and Claret whispered. The old friends for the first time considering that one of them might not survive.
"What are you going to do!", Jules demanded, stepping even closer to Claret.
"Not to worry, it isn't yet her time. Remember, I will be back for her.", with that the man turned on his heels and left.
Claret, now pale as a ghost, closed the distance between them even further and hugged Jules. "Who was that?", Jules wondered out loud. Clarets memory had cleared enough to allow her to answer, "Sir Warren. He's the one who brought me here."
***
Rebecca stood waiting in the parlor of a lavishly decorated estate in Austria. She turned her head as she heard the sound of footsteps descending the main staircase. Finally agent Bixby had agreed to see her.
"Miss Fogg, what a pleasant surprise. I do hope I haven't kept you waiting too long."
"Not at all Bixby." Rebecca said, just managing to keep the frustration out of her voice. She'd come to him for information before and he had never once kept her waiting this long.
"Well, my dear you certainly don't look any worse for wear. What can I do for you this time?"
Rebecca forced a smile as she took in Bixby's appearance. He certainly did look worse for the wear. It seemed his years in the service of her majesty had begun to take their toll. Bixby was a sad specimen with his hunched shoulders, spectacles, and now balding head.
"Oh you flatter me too much Bixby." She said, her smile now more genuine.
Bixby, now joining Rebecca at the bottom of the steps gently kissed her hand.
"As much as I would love to believe that you are simply here to see me, I am afraid I know better. What is it that you would like to know?"
"You know me to well. Have you heard anything about a triple kidnapping?"
"Ahh, yes. I've heard some rumors. Three French people, if I remember correctly."
"Yes, that would be them."
"And you would like to know what exactly?"
"Everything. Any details about the victims, where or how they are being held. Anything." Rebecca said, slightly embarrassed about how obvious her concern was.
"Did you know these people", he probed gently.
"No, just one them. A nice young Frenchman by the name of Jules Verne."
"I did hear the name mentioned. Along with two others, Claret and Marius Bimmes. They sound as if they are all under heavy guard. I haven't heard anything about why they have been taken, but I do have an idea of where they are being held."
Rebecca held back a sigh of relief. "Where."
"There is a large castle, just beyond Santon Hill."
Rebecca couldn't help but hug Bixby, "Thank You!", she half yelled over her shoulder as she ran back to the Aurora.
***
Sorry If it isn't very good. This is my first attempt at any kind of fanfic so be gentle. Remember I was trying my best! I hope to have the next chapter up soon, but I wont if I don't get any reviews. I only stopped here cause of writers block. (The last section was a desperate attempt to get the plot moving)... so feel free to give suggestions!
By Rags
Jules sat at his desk going over a familiar problem, how to start his newest play.... He chuckled to himself; you'd think that after having done it a couple of times it would get easier. He went over some possibilities in his mind: action, adventure, romance.
*Romance,* he thought, *that's a joke. What the hell do I know about romance?* Sure he he'd been in love, the feelings hadn't been returned, did that still count? There had been a few girls who'd seemed interested. Though for the most part they had been evil, and that was never good.
Adventure, well he'd had his share of late, but still he was more of an audience. Meaning he was always the rescued, never the rescuer. Not that he needed that, but still. It was starting to get ridiculous. He felt as much the child as he was often treated.
Action, well he'd seen some. Seen in the sense of having watched, not having engaged in it. He let out an exasperated sigh. *This isn't working*, he thought, *unless I plan on a play about a whiney little law student.* Then he realized for the first time that he hadn't eaten yet that day.
Jules looked out his window, it was dusk. He contemplated going out for a quick bite. Rebecca's voice flashed in his head. Something he had almost forgotten her saying. "Do please try to avoid those dark allies Jules. They tend to get you into trouble." He went over to his window. Dark allies, spreading in every direction. *I should stay in,* he said to himself. His stomach immediately growled in protest. *My friends will be here in the morning. Passepartout will have made something delicious. It's safer to wait.* Again he felt hunger pangs urging him to reconsider.
Jules finally decided to throw caution to the wind. He grabbed his jacket and headed out. Really, what were the odds of him getting kidnapped again, and from another dark ally? Besides, he was an adult. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He didn't need anyone to watch his back
Thoughts like that made him angry, they always came back to haunt him. He knew perfectly well that under ordinary circumstances he was capable of protecting himself. He also knew that nothing had been ordinary for a while now. Jules could put up little resistance against a well-trained fighter. So, when one grabbed him on the way back from the cafe, he shouldn't have been so surprised when he lost. All Jules could do was think,* Dammit, not again!,* as the hand clamped over his mouth and a sharp pain in his neck sent him into blackness.
***
Rebecca Fogg let herself into Verne's garret. It was early and she guessed that he was still sleeping. She loved to watch him sleep. He looked even more innocent then when he was awake, if that was even possible. To her surprise Jules wasn't in his bed. *Drat,* she thought. She'd come up with a perfectly wonderful way of waking up her young friend and he'd gone and spoiled it. "No catchy sayings this morning", she said quietly. She looked around, his coat was gone. That was odd. Where could he have gone? Rebecca was quite anxious to see him so she decided to wait and find out.
***
A few hours later Phileas Fogg and his valet Passepartout stepped into the garret. "What in God's name is keeping the two of you?" Fogg questioned, in a voice Rebecca recognized as highly agitated. She was about to snap at him, but that would just delay what had to be said. "Not the two of us Phileas. Just me.". "What the devil does that mean?" Fogg asked, rather confused.
***
Jules woke up. He slowly opened his eyes, only to find that there wasn't much to see. He squinted a bit, then realized that he'd have a better vantage point if he weren't lying on the floor. As Jules moved to sit up, he gasped at a sudden pain in his head. It made him close his eyes and caused a grimace to appear on his boyish face. After a few moments the pain subsided and Jules mind started to clear. *The ally, someone had....* His hand flew to the back of his neck. Everything seemed fine.
Verne stood up, and turned around full circle. He decided to push self-pity to the back of his thoughts and concentrate on more important things:* Where am I ?* The room was completely barren, without even a bed or a stove, which explained why it was so cold. *How long have I been here?* Verne felt in his jacket for his watch, it was missing. "Oh, so they kidnapped me and stole my watch.", he said, mostly to himself.
***
"Are the boys secure?", asked Sir Warren. The group of league henchmen nodded it unison. "Have they been kept separate?", Warren inquired. He was honestly afraid of what the two young men might do if they were prematurely brought together. "Mr. Verne must be kept unawares of the others presence here. Is that understood?" He was again rewarded with the nods of those simpletons. He highly doubted their ability to function without Gregory.
As they left Warren found himself alone with his thoughts. *How did I ever get myself into this? Me, Sir Walter Warren.* He had expected better from himself then to become an evil Counts pawn. *But then, I have failed at everything else, haven't I?* He walked in grim procession to the bar and poured himself a drink. *You can't help who you are, * he thought smugly as he downed the alcohol in a single gulp. He quickly headed towards the door. There was work to be done.
***
After a while Jules started to become accustomed to his dark prison. At least he was able to see a bit better. He had taken a seat on the stone floor, huddled in the corner for warmth. Through his protests, sleep was creeping in on him. For some unknown reason the young author found himself unable to turn away its advances.
***
Sir Warren walked down a long, narrow, stone hallway. A step behind him were two of the Leagues goons. They never gave him a moment's peace. Warren's footsteps slowed as he reached his destination. He gestured for one of the men to hand him the key, once they had he slowly unlocked, then opened the door.
He was not surprised by what he found. A young man, slightly over twenty, crouching in the corner. Trying to conserve body heat, he guessed. Well, he had heard they were both very clever.
The figure was short yet had an appearance of strength. His curled brown hair fell just over his forehead, almost trying to hide his pale gray eyes. Warren tried to hold back a scoff. They even looked alike. If he hadn't known better he might have guessed them as brothers. *Not really that far from the truth, * he thought, *they were connected, for better or worse. Just like a family. *
"Have you heard the good news Marius? Your friend Jules arrived yesterday."
***
Marius looked up at the man. He had seen him several times since his abduction. However the one encounter most burned in his memory was when he came to the cell with a different set of "good news"- His sister had come for a visit.
Marius thought back on the events of the last few weeks in shame. *I had no choice!, * He screamed inside. He knew he lying to himself, but that was the only way to justify his actions. He'd betrayed one of his best friends. There had been a choice, and he'd made it. Now he had to live with it.
Warren spoke again, derailing Marius' train of thought. "Would you like to check in on him? Make sure he's safe?" Marius seriously considered spitting on the man. "I'll assume your answer is yes. Guards escort Mr. Bimmes to Verne's cell.". The two guards rushed from behind Sir Warren and roughly grabbed Marius by his shoulders. "And for Gods sake be gentle. We still need him!"
At this point Marius was content to be lead through the maze of hallways to his friends cell. He'd expected them to open the door. When they didn't it dawned on him that something must be wrong. Since he was short the guards had to lift him up a bit so he could see through the window on Jules' door.
Jules appeared to be asleep. He looked almost peaceful. Marius couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, a mistake which he came to regret. It allowed Sir Warren to shatter any of his tender illusions. "He's been drugged. Don't worry it's only until the procedure, and that is coming soon enough."
***
Phileas paced on the deck of the Aurora. Verne had been missing for two days, and Phileas had no idea what had happened. It pained him, not knowing where the young writer was. Fogg had come to see Verne as a son. Phileas truly loved the boy, and would do anything, anything, to protect him. Not only his life, but his innocence and his vision of the future as well.
Fogg stopped in his tracks and sighed. Rebecca came up behind him, hugging him, and said, "We will find him Phileas, we have to."
***
Rebecca hoped that her comment had come out more optimistic then desperate. For desperate was what she was. Two days. Jules had been gone two days and they were no closer to finding their friend then they had been when he was first discovered missing.
Jules' sudden disappearance had taken its toll on the Aurora. Fogg had spent the better part of his time on board aimlessly pacing and cursing under his breath. The rest of his time was spent angrily questioning anyone who might have seen Jules. Rebecca hated to see her cousin in this condition.
Even Passepartout seemed to be unraveling. It was obvious that he was extremely worried about his young friend. Rebecca thought of all the time he and Jules had spent together, discussing things most people would never understand. Rebecca almost smiled; they were both absolutely brilliant.
Rebecca herself had been falling apart. She often found herself wishing that Jules were there to reassure her. She had taken for granted the comfort his mere presence could bring when she was troubled. Whenever anything went wrong Jules was always right there, ready to listen, or help in any way he could. But now, he was gone, and there wasn't a particularly compelling reason to believe they'd ever find him.
***
After being returned to his cell, Marius sat there thinking over what had just happened. In sudden fear for his sister he used his mind to search her out. She wasn't there. He wanted to scream for joy. She was safe. If he couldn't communicate with her that meant that she was at least a hundred miles away, maybe more. Content with the knowledge that his twin sister Claret was safe, he settled into sleep. Sleep brought him no comfort, for his dreams were plagued with guilt.
***
Claret felt herself being carried. There was some sort of cloth wrapped around her head. The events of the past couple of days had made her too afraid to ask where exactly she was being taken. She wasn't a coward, far from it. She would readily give her life to protect her friends and family. She was afraid because she couldn't find Marius. She'd been searching with her mind, and he was nowhere to be found. Had they taken him away? He had promised her an explanation for their imprisonment. She would beg her brother everyday to tell her what was wrong. Who these people were. Why they had been taken. Marius had dodged her questions, assuring her that once it was over he would tell her everything.
Claret felt the men holding her stop. She heard a sound like that of metal scraping stone. A rush of cold air made her shiver. Then....... Thud, they dropped her carelessly on the floor. She heard one of the men speak, "Why do we need her Warren?".
"Because, you fool, we will need her energy."
"I don't understand..."
"You don't need to."
"But why with this boy?"
*Boy? * thought Claret. She continued listening to the conversation.
"This is the only safe room. It was specially made to block Mr. Bimmes powers. They can't be allowed to communicate. At all."
Claret had to fight to hold in a gasp of surprise. They knew about Marius' power. Did they know about her? Since her head was bound, not her hands, she guessed the answer was no.
Waiting until she was sure they were gone, Claret carefully unwrapped her head. Her new cell was dimly lit. It was light enough, however, for her to see another presence in the room.
From this distance, it almost looked like.... but no, it couldn't be. She would have sensed it the moment she entered the room. This was someone else, yet she felt a recognizable force radiating from him.
Claret slowly crawled over to the huddled figure in the corner. She carefully touched his cheek to guide his face into view.
She was surprised to see familiar features. *No*, she thought, * not him too*. She shut her eyes tightly, and then opened them again.
The face was still there. One similar to her brothers, yet so very different The soft, curling, chocolate hair, just managing to fall in his eyes; Differed only slightly in hue from that of her brother. The eyes. That was possibly the biggest difference. Her brother's shallow gray eyes couldn't even compete with the soulful green eyes of the man she now had cradled in her arms. Those eyes were shut now, but she remembered them well enough. In her mind they had always been Jules Verne's defining trait. Just like her own eyes marked her. The two young men's facial features were similar enough, though Jules had a much more attractive visage. Clarets features, along with her brothers, were angular. Not in an UN-attractive way, but she preferred Jules soft features any day.
She shook him softly in an attempt to rose him. When this failed she gently lifted his eyelids. "You've been drugged." she said to no one in particular. "I might not know what's going on, but at least I am not useless.", she whispered. She kissed Jules on his forehead and laid him lightly on the floor.
Placing one hand over his eyes and the other over her own, Claret set to the job of healing him. When she was finished she leaned back against the wall and waited for her long lost friend to wake. *Not quite the reunion I would have wanted* she thought to herself. Claret would normally have been ecstatic to see him, but this was different. This was dishonest, dangerous. She was sure something was very wrong now. Who would know about the link between Jules and Marius? The two hadn't seen each other in at least six years, of this she was sure. That this was no coincidence, she was sure of as well.
***
Passepartout was just about to leave the kitchen with tea for Miss. Rebecca when he heard his Master shout: "For the love of God Rebecca your friend is still missing! Or have you forgotten?"
"Of course I have not forgotten Phileas! But I don't see myself having a choice about the matter. Chatsworth said that it very important. He seems to think I am the only who can do it."
"Well, what exactly does he want you to do?"
"He hasn't told me, exactly."
"Oh, and let me guess, he did suggest that you take the Aurora..."
"It was mentioned..."
"And what about Verne? hmmm? Do we simple pretend he hasn't been kidnapped, so you can go gallivanting off running errands for Chatsworth?
"Really Phileas, we are at a dead end. There isn't anything here to follow. Perhaps if I ask Chatsworth, well, he might have some information about the Leagues activities."
"And what makes you so sure it's the League that's taken Verne?"
"We'd better pray it was the League that took him. Otherwise we'll never find him..."
***
Jules awoke to find himself sprawled on the cold stone floor. As he maneuvered himself into a more comfortable position he became aware of a pair of eyes watching him, taking in his every movement. He could see a figure hidden in the plentiful shadows that encompassed a large part of the cell. "Who's there?" he asked. The shadow moved toward him, the first thing he could make out were her eyes. Those unmistakable eyes.
"Now don't tell me you've forgotten me already.", she teased in a sweet voice.
Verne couldn't stop a wide smile from spreading across his face. "Claret?", he questioned, "Is it really you?"
"It is unless you're dreaming..."she replied, a wide smile now claiming her lips. Jules found himself blushing, and despite the darkness, he was sure Claret could tell.
***
Claret smiled wider. *Have I ever made him blush before? *
No, not that she could recall. She felt her own cheeks flush. They'd always been pretty relaxed around each other, never giving cause to blush. Jules had always treated her like any of his other friends. She'd enjoyed not being kept separate just because she was the only girl. When they`d gotten a little older that hadn`t changed, except that he`d been all that much more polite. *It's probably just the effects of the drugs, or maybe the healing*, she thought to calm herself. Besides, this wasn't the time or the place to think of such things.
***
Marius couldn't help but think of Jules, locked away and drugged. He could still remember the day they met; it didn't seem so long ago.
He and Claret had been sitting across the street from the house when a strange carriage had pulled up. Being curious children they had given the carriage their full attention. *Another new kid? *, they had wondered. They'd seen a pretty middle classed lady exit the carriage followed by two boys. The boys, obviously brothers, possibly even another set of twins, immediately caught their fancy. As they entered the building Claret had already moved to follow them. "Don't!" he'd called after her. "Chicken!" she'd teased. That's the way it had always went. He'd tried to be responsible and she would goad him into doing the opposite of what he'd planned. That would be one of the few times he was glad he'd listened to her.
They'd waited in the hallway outside Miss. Marla's office. They sat in chairs on the opposite side of the wall. After what seemed like ages the three figures from the carriage emerged. *Now came the goodbyes. * They'd seen the scene often enough. To their surprise after kissing her first child on the check the mother moved to leave. The second boy started with her but then doubled back to hug his brother before rushing off to leave with his mother. The boy stood there for a moment looking forlorn before he even noticed the twins. Claret had rushed right up to him, "HI! I am Claret. What's your name?". The boy had answered shyly, offering his hand, "I am Jules. Jules Verne."
***
Phileas sat in his favorite chair trying to read the new mornings paper. Or more truthfully he sat worrying about Verne and waiting for Rebecca's return. It seemed like he had been waiting an eternity for his cousins return from that meeting with Chatsworth. Luckily he did not have to wait much longer.
Rebecca burst into the room, apparently with good news.
"Whatever is the matter with you?", Phileas asked in an incredulous tone.
"My new mission Phileas. It's a dream!", she replied looking far too pleased with herself for Fogg's liking.
"So, you've decided to take on a mission? Really Rebecca, three days isn't all that long a period of time. Verne might still need some help."
Rebecca bit her lip a little and looked him straight in the eyes before answering, in a strong, demanding voice, "Not only am I taking on a new mission, but I am taking you and Passepartout with me."
"Maybe I am not quite ready to abandon Verne."
"Maybe it would have been best to inquire about my mission before suddenly deciding to get self-righteous."
"Excuse me Rebecca. But I cannot think of a mission more important than the life of a friend."
" Honestly Phileas. Manners would dictate that you ask me for specifics before you judge my loyalties."
"As you wish, dear cousin. What is this mission then?"
"I am to save three missing people."
"Three people, well, that certainly out does one friend, does it not? Who are these people?"
"I don't know, not really."
"You don't know them? Not even by name?"
"Our contact was only able to tell us initials before he..." she trailed off. Thus indicating the untimely demise of said contact.
"Initials. Wonderful, and they would be...?"
"M.B., C.B., and...." she paused to give him a significant look to alert him to the gravity of what she was about to say.
"Well Rebecca if it's so important get on with it."
"...and J.V."
***
Jules sat staring at Claret in awe. How she had changed. He vaguely remembered playing childhood games with a more awkward version of the beautiful creature in front of him, but he could barley connect the two. The girl, no the women, in front of him wasn't awkward at all. She was beautiful. Her bright eyes as entrancing as ever, her dark hair framed her unique face in a very favorable fashion, and her lips were a new and tempting shade of cherry. She had definatly changed, and he definatly approved.
After a few moments of extended quiet, Jules felt an urgent need to say something, anything, to break the silence. "So........any idea where we are?"
That seemed to break them both out of their spell.
"None whatsoever."
"Oh... how long have we been here?"
" I am not sure how long you've been here. They brought me in yesterday though."
"Yesterday? I........"
"As best I could tell you'd been drugged."
Jules looked down and nodded. "So, does that mean you healed me? Or did it just wear off?"
"You would have come out of it on your own, but I did not feel much like waiting."
"Thanks" he said, studying the floor.
" Any idea what they want from us?", she questioned, hoping to distract Jules from whatever was troubling him.
"I am sure I know much less than you do."
She loved the fact that he had managed to stay modest, even with his gifts.
"Maybe in this situation, but as I recall, you were always pretty far ahead in the knowledge department."
With that the two young people settled into a pleasant conversation about their past, all awkwardness forgotten. They spoke of the summers they had spent together (all three of them-including Marius). Joking about the past, and having more fun than two people in a cell have any right to. They fell back into their friendship as if no time had passed at all.
***
Marius finally found the courage to reach out to Jules. But he wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere. Had they moved him as well?
Then he was struck with a truly terrible thought. Maybe he was with Claret. That would mean that they hadn't released her as they had promised. That not only had he failed his best friend, he had failed his sister as well. He wanted to cry. To let go of all the emotion that had been bubbling up inside of him ever since he had heard what they wanted from him. Ever since he saw the price he would pay for noncompliance. Ever since he had agreed to give in to them.
How had he ever believed he could make it out of this. That he was somehow in control. They had used him. He had given them everything they wanted and more, and he had done it with a song of denial in his heart. He was truly beaten, they had truly won.
***
As soon as Rebecca had finished explaining the details of her mission Passepartout began to ready the Aurora. "So Verne is in Austria?" Phileas asked, perplexed.
" I am not sure, but its our best lead yet." Rebecca responded distractedly.
"And we are having plan, yes?" Passepartout interjected.
Rebecca sighed "Not really Passepartout. We don't have enough information to make any definite plans."
"Passepartout is not understanding this." the valet complained.
"Well, we hope that Verne is one of the three people being held by the League in Austria. However, even if this is a correct assumption, there is still so much we don't know. For example where he's being held. What kind of security they have assigned to guard him. What kind of weapons they have. Their intentions regarding Verne. If he will be capable of leaving on his own, or if he will need to be assisted..." Fogg stopped that wave of though before it got any more disturbing.
Rebecca rubbed at her temple, hoping to relieve some of the tension in her mind. She took a deep breath before speaking, "I've got a plan."
"Don't keep us in the dark cousin."
She looked Phileas in the eye and the corners of her lips tugged up into a devilish grin. "I say that we burst in, grab Jules, shoot the bad guys, and bring him safely back aboard the Aurora."
"And what about the other peoples?" Passepartout asked.
"If we can manage it." Fogg said, returning Rebecca's smile.
***
Sir Warren walked down the now familiar hallway to relieve the guards posted at the cell shared by Jules Verne and Claret Bimmes. After the previous League agent had left Warren remained standing directly across from the door, staring. He heard the sound of laughter emanating through the walls. *Are they enjoying themselves? They truly are strange children!* Warren to a step forward and peered through the small glass slit in the metal door.
He smiled at what he saw. The two of them sitting cross-legged on the floor facing each other. They appeared to be deep in some enjoyable conversation, which made the faces of both the lovely young people shine. They seemed unaware of the fact that they had been kidnapped. He also *knew* them to be unaware of the plans that had been made for them.
For a moment Sir Warren even felt sympathy for the poor fools. Though he wasn't able to catch himself before silently wishing that his own children turn out to such fine young men and women. He shook his head. *Best remind them where they are*
***
Claret looked up in shock as the cell door quietly opened. A tall man in an expensive suit blocked any escape through the door way. "You, girl, come here.", he ordered. It had been an order she could tell by his tone of voice.
She felt more than saw Jules move to a defensive position in front of her, her eyes were glued to the man- who looked very familiar though she couldn't place him.
"I said: come here!", he again ordered.
"Stay where you are Claret. Whatever you want from me, leave her out of it. She has nothing to do with this", Jules said.
"This.", Warren stated. "And what do you think *this* is Mr. Verne?"
"I assume that you work for the League and you want me to do something to help you. If that is the case, let her go and I'll help you. Hurt her, and nothing you can do will ever get me to help."
" Very close Verne. But I am afraid she is what could be referred to as a necessary causality."
"Causality..." Verne and Claret whispered. The old friends for the first time considering that one of them might not survive.
"What are you going to do!", Jules demanded, stepping even closer to Claret.
"Not to worry, it isn't yet her time. Remember, I will be back for her.", with that the man turned on his heels and left.
Claret, now pale as a ghost, closed the distance between them even further and hugged Jules. "Who was that?", Jules wondered out loud. Clarets memory had cleared enough to allow her to answer, "Sir Warren. He's the one who brought me here."
***
Rebecca stood waiting in the parlor of a lavishly decorated estate in Austria. She turned her head as she heard the sound of footsteps descending the main staircase. Finally agent Bixby had agreed to see her.
"Miss Fogg, what a pleasant surprise. I do hope I haven't kept you waiting too long."
"Not at all Bixby." Rebecca said, just managing to keep the frustration out of her voice. She'd come to him for information before and he had never once kept her waiting this long.
"Well, my dear you certainly don't look any worse for wear. What can I do for you this time?"
Rebecca forced a smile as she took in Bixby's appearance. He certainly did look worse for the wear. It seemed his years in the service of her majesty had begun to take their toll. Bixby was a sad specimen with his hunched shoulders, spectacles, and now balding head.
"Oh you flatter me too much Bixby." She said, her smile now more genuine.
Bixby, now joining Rebecca at the bottom of the steps gently kissed her hand.
"As much as I would love to believe that you are simply here to see me, I am afraid I know better. What is it that you would like to know?"
"You know me to well. Have you heard anything about a triple kidnapping?"
"Ahh, yes. I've heard some rumors. Three French people, if I remember correctly."
"Yes, that would be them."
"And you would like to know what exactly?"
"Everything. Any details about the victims, where or how they are being held. Anything." Rebecca said, slightly embarrassed about how obvious her concern was.
"Did you know these people", he probed gently.
"No, just one them. A nice young Frenchman by the name of Jules Verne."
"I did hear the name mentioned. Along with two others, Claret and Marius Bimmes. They sound as if they are all under heavy guard. I haven't heard anything about why they have been taken, but I do have an idea of where they are being held."
Rebecca held back a sigh of relief. "Where."
"There is a large castle, just beyond Santon Hill."
Rebecca couldn't help but hug Bixby, "Thank You!", she half yelled over her shoulder as she ran back to the Aurora.
***
Sorry If it isn't very good. This is my first attempt at any kind of fanfic so be gentle. Remember I was trying my best! I hope to have the next chapter up soon, but I wont if I don't get any reviews. I only stopped here cause of writers block. (The last section was a desperate attempt to get the plot moving)... so feel free to give suggestions!