DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters they belong to Marvel. The general idea for this fic I got off a book written by Sandra Hill.
CHAPTER TWO.
Remy LeBeau was a man on a mission. After what had happened three years ago, he'd promised never to return to his beloved home in the Thieves Guild. That stupid idea to unite the guilds through his marriage to Belladonna Bordeaux had failed and had ended up with Julien, Bella's brother; critically injured and him kicked out of his home. But now, he was back.
About two months ago he'd received a letter from his adoptive father, Jean-Luc LeBeau: Henry, the rightful heir to the Thieves Guild, his one and only brother had been killed. He'd been tortured and then shot in the head execution style by no other than Julien Bordeaux himself. Now, that the war between the Assassins and the Thieves was inevitable he'd decided it was time to return. There was no reason for him to remain in exile. Julien was alive and his brother dead.
Remy had been plotting his attack to the Assassins since his return a couple weeks ago. With the help of the entire guild members there was absolutely no way his plans were going to fail. He unrolled and spread down the map over the rustic oak table and motioned for the crew of men to gather around him.
"'Kay, lets go over dis one more time. We all know dat Julien has been spotted several times at his cousin's estate close t' de lake. Mais, wut we didn't know was dat his hideout was only miles from dere, past de swamp. So dis is wut we'll do… First, we go t'rough de woods, den across de swamp and finally int' deir hideout which should be right 'ere." He said pointing to a little red x on the map.
A communal groan resounded through the room. They'd gone through this map of Julien's hideout a hundred of times already.
"How far is de startin' point from where Julien is stayin'?" Etienne, Remy's cousin and loyal thief guild member asked while taking notes on a small pad.
"'Bout five miles. Dere's a mountainous area around de swamp, which we would have t' go t'rough in order t' get t' Julien's hideout." After reviewing the geography one last time, Remy reminded them "Hommes dis be a very important mission. Our goal 'ere is t' kill or capture Julien and any other assassin dat crosses our path."
"I can't wait t' kill de bastard. I hope I get t' do de honors." Etienne said with disgust.
"We've got t' be extra careful, our informant called me dis mornin' sayin' dat Julien's mistress is stayin' wit' him at his hideout. We don't want t' hurt her, mais, bring her in anyway she might have valuable information."
They all nodded.
"Her name is Madrene. Not sure if she's Cajun or non."
"Do y' have a physical description on dis femme?" One of the men asked dryly.
Remy shook his head. "Just dat she's très belle et jeune."
"Oooh I'd like t' volunteer t' interrogate de belle femme." Lapin, another of Remy's cousins and active guild member said cheerfully.
"Get a life!" Etienne told him.
"In conclusion," Remy told his men. "Be careful and don' forget who we dealin' wit'. Dis is a very important op. Stay alive!"
"Hoo-Yah!" all the other men yelled back at him.
SHE WOKE UP FACE DOWN ON WHAT IF FELT AND SMELLED LIKE A PILE OF MUD. She wiped her face with her hand and tried to get up. Huge mistake. Pain hit her like a hammer in the back of the head. She winced and gritted her teeth. For more than five minutes she tried to remember where she was and why she was so sore. Then it hit her, and she smiled to herself in remembrance.
She had never been one to believe in luck, but that was the only way she could describe all that she had escaped. Her capture by that brute sultan, and her many attempts to escape. And now, after two years and five different harems, MariAnne D'Accanto daughter of Ronal the Vicking and noblewoman in Nortist knew, that one day she'd find freedom again. And that day had finally arrived.
She found herself alone, in a secluded area, she couldn't remember where she was, or why she was wearing this strange clothes but she didn't care either, all she wanted to do was find a place to hide and rest the night.
She dragged herself to the skirt of a tree and sat there for about two minutes taking in her surroundings. This looked like a swamp. Trees and mud everywhere. Then she spotted it. About half a mile from where she was sitting was what it looked like a cave. If she could only get up and walk there.
She tried to stand but the pain in her head was too great. She sighed, and took a minute to check out her attire. She was wearing the strangest of clothes, what it looked like a broken fisher's net covered her upper torso and some sort of harness was hugging her breast very tightly. Her bottom and legs were covered by a very tight and long piece of dark cloth that looked like an armor of sorts. And her feet! What was that covering her feet? She touched the material, sleek but hard and very comfortable.
She tried to recall what had happened before she appeared in this swamp, but everything seemed like a puzzle in her mind. She could clearly recall praying though.
Flashback:
MariAnne found herself on her knees right after feeding the camels, "Dear God… I beg you for your help. Two long years have past and I've suffered. Please deliver me from this captivity."
End Of Flashback
She looked up at the skies. Stunned she whispered, "Thank you, God." then she remember her mother's words "God works in mysterious ways. Dont question his miracles, accept them."
She shook the memory off and tried to pull herself together. Where the hell was she? She knew she couldn't just sit here and wonder she had to get going, even thought she'd seen no one so far, they would come after her eventually. She started to drag herself until she reached the cave, there she settled into the darkened chamber, which was luckily empty of any wild animal, MariAnne laid her head down to rest. She was not back home, not even close, she had to find a way to get back to Nortist. But for the first time in several years she felt save.
A deep sleep overtook her then, and in her dreams she was back home, with her family and in her land.
THE ENTIRE GROUP OF MEN HAD CROSSED THE SWAMP without anyone spotting them; Remy looked over each of his men. Satisfied that they were as prepared as they were going to be, he said. "'Kay, let's Go, Move, move, move!"
With those words and a directional signal from Etienne, who had a compass in hand, they moved off silently toward their target zone. They were silent as shadows, barely discernible even to themselves. Not a sound could be heard.
When they'd traveled about half a mile, Remy stopped and put up a halting hand. His men looked at him. "I noticed some movement up dat hill." He said. "I'll go check. Keep movin'." It was probably just an animal but just in case he pulled out a card and kinetically charged it using his mutant power.
"Y' sure y' don't wan' us t' come wit?" Etienne asked.
Remy shook his head; "We go t'rough everything as planned. Y' go ahead and keep 'em movin'. I'll catch up."
Etienne nodded.
When his men where gone and out of sight, Remy spoke softly into his headset. "Any problems?"
"None," someone answered.
"Nothin' here either," Etienne said.
Remy crept up the hill slowly, hidin' behind the bushes. Nothing. But wait. That looks like a cave up there. Into his mike he whispered. "Found a cave, I'm goin' in."
"Be careful," Etienne warned.
Stepping into the dimness of the silent cave, Remy withdrew the charge from the card. He didn't want to alert anyone of his presence, but it was too late. By the time he glanced over his shoulder and saw the figure in the dark with a rock raised high in two arms the creature was already only inches away and had hit him in the back of the head; he fell forward to the ground and lost consciousness.
Remy didn't really know for how long he'd blacked out but when he finally opened his eyes he was lying flat on his stomach, arms stretched on his sides, his card had flew a couple feet away from his reach and the creature that attacked him was still circling him tentatively. He decided to stay still, to closed his eyes to small slits and pretended he was still out of it.
The creature slightly kicked his arms as if to check for signs of life, but he didn't move. Then the nutcase pinched his butt…he remained still. He only caught a glimpse of it before being struck again. It was a woman.
Some wild woman that reeked and could scare the bejesus out anyone in the darkness. He could easily take her down but decided to wait and find out who she was and what she was doing out here hiding in a cave.
"Gambit. Come in Gambit. Are y' okay?" Etienne kept asking into Remy's earphone.
When the woman moved to his legs, he decided to answer his cousin with a very low whisper that could barely be heard. "I'm 'kay."
"Gambit? damn homme y' scared de heck outta me. Y' wan' me t' go dere?"
"No" Remy quickly answered in another whisper. "I'm 'kay. I found somet'in' 'ere. Y' better stay wit' de group and try t' watch out fo' de ot'ers I'll be fine."
"Are you awake?" the woman shrieked and moved back to his head area.
He made a soft groan to cover up. Then went back to silence.
"Damn. I'd best hurry up afore he wakens and tries ta escape." The woman said in a very strange and odd accent.
Remy decided to play it cool and remain quiet. He was determined to find out what was going on.
Rogue started to drag the intruder farther into the cave by his outstretched legs, he was still facing down. She felt exhausted "Holly Mother! He weights more than a bull. Must I be weakened by my escape and lack of food." It took her several minutes to move his body from one end of the cave to another, she kept on huffing and puffing the whole time.
The intruder seemed to be very tall and muscular, but he wasn't wearing any tunics nor furs, instead his entire body was covered by a very weird brown fabric and underneath he wore what it looked like a smooth looking black body armor that fitted his whole body very tightly. His hands were covered with fingerless gloves just like hers
Oh! I should just kill him now. She stared at him and wondered if he was one of the sultan's men. Was he sent after her? I should turn him over and see if he has any hidden weapons. Nay, I must needs restrain him afore he awakens. She thought.
She looked around but found nothing to use as straps, so she decided to take off her top, why did she need a fisher's net anyway? She thought while ripping it in half. Wrenching the intruder's arms behind his back she bounded his wrists tightly and then she did the same for his ankles. Then she rolled him over with her foot.
His eyes were still closed, his auburn hair falling over his forehead. He was a looker she thought and immediately regretted it. What was that appendage coming out of his ear? Just then his eyes shot open, which made his appearance even more bizarre. They were black where they should be white and ruby red was the color of his iris.
"Eeeek!" she screamed and jumped back. It was a monster! The devil himself!
He tried to lurch upward but soon realized that he was restrained hand and foot. He fell back to the ground and looked up at her. He seemed just as surprised and repulsed at her appearance as she was at his. "Mon Dieu… Who are y'?"
"Nay, I'm not Mon Dieu" she said very slowly and took another step back.
"Mon… Wut?"
"I…Am…Not…Mon…Dieu," she took a deep breath and practically spelt out her statement.
"Hell. I know y' not Dieu. Who are y'?"
"MariAnne" she said before she could hold her tongue.
"Madrene?" he repeated mishearing her. His eyes went wide with wonder.
"Yea, that's my name. Madrene" she lied What an idiot. She thought
"What is your name?" she asked him.
He hesitated at first but then he disclosed and waited for an attack. "Remy LeBeau."
She stared at him for a couple seconds then sent him a disgusted look. "A Frenchman! I should have known."
He thought about correcting her but thought best of it."Wut's wrong wit' Frenchmen?" he asked as he sat up resting against the cave wall his long legs outstretched.
"Hah! Sneaky thieves. That's what they are! Always stealing cattle and such."
He shook his head as if to clear it. He couldn't believe what this nutcase was saying. "Are y' de one who knocked me out?"
She nodded.
"Why?"
"I had to attack you afore you attacked me."
"Wut makes y' t'ink I was gon' attack y'?" he asked intrigued.
Now that was a very stupid question. "Why else would you be here. In this cave?"
He looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. "Let me go" he ordered.
"Are you demented? Nay, I will not let you go, in fact I think I'm going to kill you."
He arched his eyebrows. "Wut's stoppin' y'?"
"You ask too many questions." She replied in a hurry. "Don't you fear death?"
He thought about her question for a moment. "I'm not afraid t' die if dats wut yo' askin'…Mais, I don' want t' die."
A logical answer she decided.
"Yo' English sounds…odd." He stated.
"Nay, Your English sounds odd." She remarked.
He sniffed several times, then looked pointedly at her. "Wuts dats smell?"
Her face heated with embarrassment. "Well you would smell too if you would be swimming in a swamp for several hours, and would have been crawling on the dirt and mud in this heat."
He stared at her for several seconds in silence.
"Were you sent by Jamal?" she asked intrigued.
He frowned in confusion and just then she heard talking and a buzzing sound coming from his ear/mouth appendage. She decided he really wasn't human then. "Are you a bug?"
He looked at her for several seconds not saying a word. Then he realized her question was serious. "No. I'm not a bug." He replied trying not to laugh.
"This is ridiculous" she said and shook her head.
"No more ridiculous den y' askin' Remy if he be a bug."
She huffed in disgust. "You buzz like a bee. You have a buglike appendage sticking out of your ear. You're eyes are strange. And you are ugly like a bug."
"Are y' fo' real?"
"What? You think you're dreaming me? Me thinks you might be an idiot" she said and crossed her arms around her chest.
"Wut?… Listen femme, dere's only one idiot 'ere and it's not Remy." He exhaled and silently counted until ten. "How long have you been living in this cozy cave?"
"Not long." She answered.
"Are y' alone."
"Dost see anyone else?"
He greeted his teeth at her sarcasm. "Why are y' 'ere?"
"I'm running away." Now, why did she tell him that? Why is she telling him anything?
"From whom?"
"That barbaric man, that murderous brute who calls himself my master."
"Really? So yo' not with him by choice?"
"Of course not. Do I look like a harem houri?"
"Not like any other whore Remy's ever seen before" he said in a not complimentary way.
"I don't appreciate your insult." She said placing a hand on her hips.
"Wut' insult?"
"You calling me a whore!"
"Hey, y' were de one dat mentioned a whore in de first place."
"You halfbrain! I said houri not whore!"
He grinned widely. "So, why would anyone wan' t' make y' into a harem femme?"
The Pig! Apparently he'd known what a houri was all along.
"Pfft! Four men tried these past two years. But none succeeded. I have powers you see?" She said in a threatening way.
Remy's eyes went wide. So she's a mutant as well. "Oui? Wut be yo' power. Can y' read mon mind?" he was trying to be funny she knew.
Maybeifyou hadone! She thought to say but didn't "I can make a man's part, wilt just by wiggling my fingers"
Remy stared at her for a goodfourty seconds then erupted in laughter. "I must tell y'. Dis be de most incredible conversation I've ever had wit' a femme." He then paused and took a deep breath. "So, let me get dis straight. Yo' escaped from yo' master?... who tried to make y' into a houri… as a matter in fact yo've escaped from more than one—,"
"Four"
"Stop interruptin'."
She stared at him with deadly eyes and just then she heard laughter coming out of his appendage.
"How did y' escape?"
"It's a long story"
"It doesn' seem like I'm goin' anywhere soon?"
"I'm a noblewoman in my own land."
He drooped his jaw in astonishment. How crazy was this woman?
"Where y' from?"
She thought for a long moment and then said. "Nortist"
"Y' from de Northeast? Wut part? New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York?"
She looked at him as if he'd just shot somebody, and then she heard more noise coming out of his appendage.
She didn't want to give him much information about her true identity. Best if he believes she's someone else, from the New land of York. "Yeah. That's my homeland." She lied.
Remy took one last look at the screwball in from of him, then turned his attention to his headset. "Etienne, Do y' hear me?"
"Damn Remy wutsgoin' ondere?"
"Where are y'?" asked Remy ignoring Etienne's question.
"We're set up about 50 feet from de target. Mais, we haven't seen any activity nor movement yet. I doubt deir still 'ere. Do y' wan' us t' come get y'."
"In a while. Fo' now, just hold dat position."
"Are y' sure yo' not in trouble?"
"I'm in a lil' bit o' trouble."
"A little bit?" Madrene exclaimed from across the cave. "You're in big trouble, I can assure you of that."
"Wut's goin' on?" Etienne asked.
"I'm still in the cave, and I've found a friend 'ere."
"A friend? Are you referring to me? I'm not even close to being your friend," Madrene huffed.
"I t'ink I better go over dere and get y' out o' dat cave." Etienne said.
"No, it's 'kay mon ami. I assure y'... Dis I can handle."
"You'd better not be planning on handling me. Dare touch me and I'll chop off one of your body parts and feed it to a wild animal." Her voice was serious. Blood thirsty witch, no doubt her and Julien were lovers.
"Why are you talking to yourself, are you dumb or demented?"
"Who is that looney?" Etienne inquired.
"Get dis, she might just be our big rat's cheese. And she's from New York."
"Are y' serious?"
"Me thinks Ishould warn you that I'm closer to killing you now." She said in a deep threatening voice.
"Is she as pretty as your informant said she was?"
He looked over at the glaring woman, she was tall, probably 5'8. He wasn't sure of the length of her hair since it was tied in a very messy pony tail. Her hair seemed dark, although it was full of mud and three leaves, her bangs seemed lighter than the rest of her hair, he wasn't sure what exact color they were.
The dirt in her face and in her entire body was too much for him to be able to appreciate anything about this girl. All he could see was her beautiful curves but that alone didn't make this woman appealing enough for him to consider her to be part of any harem. Her eyes were pretty though, emerald green. And her mouth. Holy shit! Angelina Jolie had nothing on her. But even with those eyes and that mouth, she was not a babe in any means.
He laughed out loud before speaking into his headphone. "Belle is not the word I'd use to describe her."
"If you're talking to yourself about me. Stop it! Or I'll just put a gag on you." she ordered.
"Merde! Did she just say she was going t' put a gag on y'? How can she do dat?"
"She has me tied up. She knocked me out with a rock den tied me at my ankles and at my wrists." He said rather amused.
Etienne laughed. He knew Remy could've just ripped the thing off or simple blow them up. If he was tied up it was because he was enjoying it.
"Y' goin' t' get some action tonight aren't y'?"
"I don' t'ink Sex is on dis femme's mind."
Madrene's mouth dropped open. "You can be certain of that. Remember what I said about my power." She said and waved her fingers at his crotch.
"This is not fare. We have to be out here and you get to have all the fun."
"This is no fun at all. Believe me, she says she's been kicked out of four harems."
"Harems?" Etienne sputtered.
"Oui, she says she has a talent for turning hard-ons into wet noodles."
"Wut?" Etienne asked confused.
Remy glanced over at Madrene who was moving fast toward the exit of the cave. He didn't want her to leave without him getting some more information about the Assassins.
"Gotta go," Remy said hurriedly. "Tell de others t' hold deir positions, if Julien is really dere. He'll make a move."
"Got it. Out."
"So, Chere." He drawled out then, causing her to stop on her tracks and without much effort broke free of his restrains.
She turned and saw him get up and with every step he took forward she took a step back. Once she was out of the cave she took off like a deer. He threw himself in the air and caught her ankles they both went down with a thud, faces in the dirt.
Then he turned her over onto her back and lay on top of her. His eyes were hard. And he looked very angry.
"Get your damn body off'a me, you stinky animal."
"I don' t'ink so." Remy said laughing, despite his anger. "And who are y' t' talk 'bout stinkin' animals. Yo' hair is full wit' mud and grease, yo' face is grimy, and y' stink worst den a skunk."
The woman bucked up against him with uncommon strength, but she wasn't able to move him off of her. He was impressed and just a tiny bit aroused. How pathetic was that?
She made a disgusted sound of distress, having noticed his arousal. "You wont take me, you brute! I wont let you."
He was offended by her statement. "Remy's not a rapist."
She made an Oh-really? Gesture.
"I'm not a brute, as a matter o' fact…I'm de prince o' t'ieves." Usually women were very impressed to find out he was the famous Diable Blanc. Remy LeBeau, The Prince Of Thieves. Not this woman.
She stared at him in surprise . "You're a prince? Of what land?"
Remy stared at her for a moment. "None, I'm de prince o' thieves."
She erupted in laughter. "A prince without lands? Ha ha ha."
He sighed. "Listen, lets make a deal. I'll get off y', mais, promise me. Y' wont try t' run away."
"Why not?"
"'Cuz I'll catch y'."
Rogue dropped her gaze down to the bulk on his pants. "Stop poking me with your…Poker!"
He grinned. "Sorry about dat."
"Make it stop!"
"Dere isn't any man alive who could talk down a hard-on…when he's lyin' on top o' a soft body."
"Get offa me you pig. You're as heavy as a bull."
He laughed.
"Damn you to hell." She swore and turned her head sideways. There he spotted a cut, right between her temple and hairline. It looked deep and was covered with dry blood and mud, it will get infected if she didn't get that cleaned up soon.
"Wut happened t' y'? how did y' get dat cut on yo' temple?"
She didn't answer. She didn't know the answer.
That son of a bitch. He thought "Did Julien do dat t' y'?"
She frowned. "I know no Julien."
Remy huffed. "Wutever y' say, Chere." Even now she protects the bastard. Was she in love or did she just fear him?
They stared into each other eyes for a couple seconds, until she turned her face away. "Were you able to escape my ties from the beginning?" she asked breaking the silence.
"Oui."
"Much as I try to be a leader to my people in Nortist, I'm not a warrior. I must learn to do better for when I return." She exhaled with disgust.
Remy had no idea what she was talking about.
"Are you going to gett offa me or not?" she asked changing the subject.
He stared. "Promise me y' wont try t' run away."
She didn't respond.
"Listen, don' y' t'ink dat if I wanted t' hurt y' I would've done it by now?"
She thought about it for a minute then sighed. "Okay. I Promise."
A couple minutes after, back in the cave. They were sitting down across from one another resting their backs on the wall. "I'm going to close my eyes for a moment…are you going to ravish me while I sleep?"
He laughed. "No."
"Do you promise?"
He stared. "I promise."
"Good." She said and fell into an instant deep sleep. She must have been exhausted. Probably hadn't slept at all, hiding out here, worried about being caught.
Remy sat back and just studied her. She was a mess. Dirty, bruised, disheveled. There was nothing attractive about her. And yet…
Remy's heart squeezed and he felt breathless just looking at her. What did it mean?
Shaking his head to clear it, he stood and prepared to leave, he was here on a mission and that couldn't wait. Not even for a woman who might very well be the lover of his brother's killer.
A/N: I'm sorry if it seems confusing. I promise I will explain things as the story develops.
I still haven't been able to come up with a title, do you guys have any ideas? If you're reading this, Please review… Let me know if I should even continue.
