Is... is this an update? Is that what these look like? It's been so long... Sorry if Joly's a little OOC... Anywhoodles. Enjy! (Most people say enjoy, I say enjy. Yes, I'm that weird.)
It took exactly two weeks to the day for Enjolras to decide what to do. As it happened, he didn't even decide, not really.
Joly did.
It was a Tuesday when the medicine student stormed into his room in a rage rivaling Enjolras' own-however, Enjolras directed his at the government. Joly seemed dead set on making Gavroche's gang of street urchins pay for what they'd done.
"Enjolras, if you don't do something, I will. I haven't slept properly in two weeks," were his first words as he strode directly to Enjolras and loomed over him, his fists on his hips. As this was pale, frail Joly, it was quite an amusing sight, but Enjolras dared not laugh.
"Why not?"
"I have been kept awake by paranoia. Those street urchins have kept me on edge!" Joly ran a hand through his hair and collapsed into a wooden chair. Enjolras sympathized, but was helpless against what Gavroche's gang of gamins could do. Unless...
"Don't worry, Joly. I have a plan."
Joly grinned weakly. "You always do."
*****
That evening, several students crept from their rooms carefully-they did not want to wake anyone. Joly, Enjolras, Courfeyrac, and Feuilly (Bossuet wanted to join them, but they wouldn't let him, for, as Courfeyrac put it, "We want to get out alive, and having you along won't help matters.")
They were halfway to the elephant when a voice called from the shadows, "Going somewhere, boys?" Eponine's skeletal figure and bleak appearance had blended with the darkness perfectly. Feuilly recovered first.
"Yes, do you know the way to the elephant in the dark?" he said, trying to remain smiling. The sight of Eponine's big eyes nearly glowing in comparison to the blackness was unnerving, to say the least.
"Of course," Eponine replied, stepping into the light from a streetlamp. "Better than I know the route in the day." With those words, she slipped back into the alleyway, motioning for the students to follow.
*****
"Okay, whatcha got," Gavroche called to his gang, standing on top of an old apple crate to assert his authority. The light from the escape hatch in top of the elephant shone down on him like a spotlight.
The children quickly stuck their grubby hands in their various pockets and pulled out whatever was inside.
"A half-eaten muffin!"
"Half a sou!"
"A puppy!" Marie called, revealing some sort of terrier mix from beneath her shirt. The little mutt yipped excitedly. All of the other children groaned.
"Marie! This is the third time this week! Go an' put the puppy outside," Gavroche commanded, pointing out another secret entrance. Stroking the puppy kindly between the ears, Marie meekly crept outside to let the puppy free. She turned back away from the secret entrance, crying quietly over the loss of her puppy, but she knew it was just another mouth to feed, and it would be all right on its own. She was so upset, she didn't notice the odd shadows nearby. She didn't notice the harsh, frantic whispering. And she especially didn't notice when the makeshift lock didn't click behind her.
*****
About an hour later, the small group of children were sleepily collapsing against walls and crates and even each other.
Proud of a good day's work, Gavroche smiled and reached behind him for the shelf that held his top hat. It was his favorite possession, after all... wait.
Gavroche leaped from his seat frantically, suddenly wide awake. The hat was gone, but the shelf wasn't empty. In the hat's place was a small piece of paper with some scribbled writing on it. Gavroche couldn't read more than a few letters, so he called over Jacques. The older boy could read fluently, and quickly relayed the message:
The hat will be returned in exchange for a truce. Meet me the cafe (you know the one) at noon tomorrow with your response.
-Your Fellow Prankster.
Gavroche's scream could be heard all through Paris.
"Are we going to get it back?" Jacques asked anxiously. He knew how much that hat meant to the gamin. But instead of nodding, Gavroche's face grew hard and he slammed a fist into the opposite palm.
"No. We're going to get even."
I'm sorry, I don't think this is as long as the last one, and I'm not as proud of it. But hey... it's an update! I promise I won't be as long for the next one.