Disclaimer: Marvel owns all. I just invited them over to my house to play.

WARNING: this chapter contains multiple triggers including but not limited to: references to incest, references to sexual abuse of a minor, sexual assault, violence and brutality, references to physical and mental abuse of a minor, and graphic depiction of medical emergencies. Reader discretion is advised.

Thanks to everyone who has patiently waited. Updates will occur more quickly and regularly.

Chapter 37

The eighteen-hour flight home felt like no time at all for Rogue. Fortunately, her access to either family's assets hadn't been frozen, and she was able to charter a private jet back to Louisiana. After giving the tipoff about Saunders' son to the police, she mentally pushed aside the self-pity and focused her energies on what she would do next. Losing Remy meant she had no home with the LeBeaus, but she'd never really been a Boudreaux either. Both the life she once knew and the one she had come to love were in shambles and there was only one man to blame for it all.

Marius.

Who knew where Rogue might have been, who she might have been, had it not been for his interference and manipulations? She certainly wouldn't have ruined Remy's life. She never would have even met him! That maudlin thought had given her pause. Was her little bit of happiness with Remy worth all the pain leading up to that tiny slice of perfect time? Was it worth it knowing she would still lose him anyway? To answer that question, she had to evaluate her life before Remy, after marrying him, and the future she now faced.

As an assassin, Marius had locked her in a cement room the majority of her life, forced her to eliminate his enemies through various modes of butchery, and punished her disobedience by using her mutation to murder her Aunt Carrie.

As a thief, she'd experienced the first taste of any kind of freedom, met (and lost) the only person in all her life she could call a friend, seen the bonds of a caring family, and fallen in love with a man who, despite their rocky start, had cherished her above anything else.

As an outcast, she would be constantly on the move, trying to fly under the radar and evade the latest threat on her life. While she was confident that Remy would insist on exile, the same couldn't be said of Marius. In fact, her adoptive father probably already had the contract waiting as a backup for the failed damnatio memoriae, considering the real target was and always had been Remy and she refused to erase him.

So, was all the pain, anguish, and loneliness worth that brief moment in time when she and Remy had been blissfully happy?

Yes. Yes, it was.

That meant there was only one thing left to do. Rogue was hellbent on making Marius pay for all his sins, not just those committed against her. That meant on the flight back when she hadn't taken the time to sleep and recharge, she had planned and calculated every move.

Now that she was stepping across the threshold of the Boudreaux family manor, the decision to walk up the long, winding gravel path to the front door of the Assassins headquarters had indeed been her best bet. No one ever used the modern façade that greeted the unsuspecting world and therefore was always manned by only one guard. It had definitely been a gamble, but she had figured the events in Geneva hadn't reached Marius yet. As a former "daughter", one part of the duumvirate of the Unified Guild, and with no active contract against her, getting past the guard had been a breeze.

Stalking down the hall like an apex predator, it was no surprise that Rogue encountered very few along the way to Marius' office. Due to the late hour, few were awake to see her disgracing their holy ground and those who dared to look toward her were met with a snarl to "move outta the way." As she rounded the last corner before the innermost chambers, Julien stepped into her path.

"So, de rumors are true. Had t' see it fo' myself. Didn't believe y' was canaille enough t' show yo' face 'round here after yo' spectacular failure killin' LeBeau." His hooded eyes darkened with menace as he blocked her path. His arms crossed over his chest in arrogance, but his gaze perused her battered body with nothing short of licentiousness. "'Course by de looks, I think y' might like it a little rough, neh?"

Rogue's hands balled into fists, refusing to back down. It wasn't the first time Julien had been openly crude to her.

"Move, Julien, or Ah'll move ya the hard way." Her brow furrowed, her body tense for the fight she knew was coming, but he didn't even flinch.

"Funny y' should mention hard," Julien answered, adjusting his posture before grabbing his crotch. The movement drew her attention to the bulge in his pants. "That was my sentiment exactly."

Quicker than Rogue anticipated, he charged forward. His bare hand clamped around her throat as he used the hold to push her back into the wall. The force combined with the death grip knocked her breath away. Her fingers clawed into his hand, but it was already too late. Rogue's eyes widened as she realized Julien hadn't even hesitated to touch her exposed skin.

"Come now, don't look so surprised, petite sœur. I know y' and that sale chien have been fuckin'," He lifted her off the floor in the one-handed grasp around her neck before neatly stepping between her dangling legs. The hard length of his erection dug into Rogue's pubic bone. "That means he figured out a way 'round that poisonous skin. Either that, or y've been lyin' this whole time. Either way, it's my turn t' finally have some fun."

With a melodramatic flourish, he grabbed the thin fabric of her convenience store shirt and ripped it apart in one swift tug. While her bra was still intact, the molded form didn't stop Julien from grabbing a handful and squeezing as he forced his tongue passed her lips. Rogue struggled against both his advances and the vice-like grip on her neck, kicking and scratching anything she could reach. Unfortunately, it only seemed to spur him on.

Breaking the unwanted kiss, Julien pressed his cheek against hers as he whispered in her ear, "Please, keep fightin'. It makes everythin' that much sweeter."

In her attempt to get away, she hadn't felt him unzip his pants or press his bare cock against her crotch. It wasn't until she felt something wet between her thighs that she realized he was stroking himself against her. Pre-moisture from his arousal had leaked onto her pants. With renewed energy, Rogue tried to knee the sensitive member. As if sensing her intent, her adoptive brother blocked the attempt before tightening his grip on her neck in crushing hold.

The glee fled his eyes as it was replaced by a loathing she had never before witnessed. "There'll be none of that. I can fuck y' dead or alive. Either way is fine by me."

Realizing there was only one thing left to do but dreading the idea, Rogue gave herself over to her mutation. As the black, spidery veins stood out on Julien's face, his memories spilled into her head in equal measure to his life force draining away.

At first, it was just a trickle. A flashbulb of a fantasy involving Bella Donna after he accidentally walked in on her climbing out of the tub when she was thirteen. From there, his perversions only grew worse. Another featured Belle on all fours as he roughly took her from behind. A third was her pretty red lips wrapped around his cock as her head bobbed up and down.

But then the still images gave way to more sadistic, grotesque imagery of his biological sister. And when it became clear that Belle was head over heels in love with LeBeau and had given him her virginity, Julien's lust turned to wrath against the Prince of Thieves while his lecherous needs focused on his not-quite-sister as a substitute.

Rogue's stomach churned as she "watched" his waking dreams of sneaking into her cement cell block on one of the nights Marius had chained her to his enemies. She was already subdued and submissive. It wouldn't have taken any effort to force his will on her if not for her deadly skin. The mutation she had grown up hating saved her from repeated violent violations. Still, it hadn't stopped Julien from fantasizing about lubricating himself in blood from a shallow knife wound or coaxing her into sitting on his lap without any clothes on before he forced himself into her.

As the onslaught of Julien's memories poured into Rogue's mind, his physical grip on her body eased enough that she was able to break free. With a swift knee to his groin, a jab to his gut, and a roundhouse kick to his head, she knocked her almost rapist away. A final shove unbalanced him until he fell sideway. A sickening crunch from his skull catching the corner of a marble pedestal echoed through the otherwise quiet corridor.

Walking up to his prone body, Rogue hovered over him as her hands grabbed each side of his head. Blood poured through an open wound, but she was set on her mission whether he lived or died. Giving his cheek a good slap to make sure she had his attention, she watched Julien's eyes roll around for a moment, unfocused, as he tried to clear the effects of both her mutation and a concussion from his system.

When his dilated eyes finally landed on her face, Rogue said, "What were ya sayin' 'bout my mutation? That ya could fuck me now that ya knew all 'bout it?"

Nearly paralyzed by the effects of said mutation, Julien only mumbled incoherently as his eyes started to roll back again. Pushing him away, she left him in a rapidly spreading pool of blood. It was only a short matter of time before his injuries overtook him, but that was someone else's concern.

"Guess ya didn't figure it could fuck ya right back, did ya, frère?" She answered, straightening up and flexing her neck.

Pushing Julien's sick fantasies to the back of her mind, Rogue's original intent returned in full force: Marius' office door was straight ahead. Tying the torn bits of her shirt together, she strode the short distance to the only barrier standing between her and long-awaited revenge. A deep breath filled her lungs before she pushed it out with a forceful shove against the French doors. The heavy structure gave way under the power of her attack, slamming into the wall and sticking where the knob broke the drywall. One side broke away from the bottom hinge and dangled from only the top one. The light from the brighter hallway formed a halo around her silhouette, like an avenging angel reigning fire and brimstone down on the sinful.

Marius, who had been reviewing and signing paperwork, was taken completely by surprise. It was only decades of training and quick reflexes that had him calmly capping his ridiculously expensive fountain pen and setting it aside before languidly looking up at her.

"What business do y' have here?" He coolly responded.

Little did Rogue know, but the contract he had just signed was the one on her life. The papers before were the affidavits of her 'loving' family declaring their concern over manic episodes, followed by the certificate of mental health describing her diagnosis, and the court ruling finalizing the order of extended commitment. Also in the stack was the formal withdrawal of the Assassins from the Unified Guild, as well as declaration that any peace between the guilds was null and void by the violation of a rogue thief and the dissolution of the unification.

"Ah'm here ta do what Ah shoulda done a long time ago." His adopted daughter announced but gave no further explanation.

Taking the bait, Marius half rolled his eyes at her dramatics before unconcernedly asking, "And what is that?"

"Killin' you." Rogue seethed, poised to attack until Marius' sickly guffaw kept her muscles tensed in place.

The former patriarch of the Assassins continued to laugh, a resonance that gurgled deep in his belly. When at last he could catch enough breath to speak, he gasped out, "That would be treason! Mais s'il vous plait, add another reason t' de list." He held up the papers damning her very existence.

"It's no more than what y'all had planned fer me." Rogue confessed before Marius could object. "Ah've known all 'bout yer 'morning after' machinations since the weddin'. Why do ya think Ah never got 'round ta killin' Gambit? What point was there when it meant my own death the second it was done."

"Then y' also know that y' were always just a pawn t' be sacrificed." Marius remained unfazed by her revelations.

This time Rogue did move, but instead of pouncing forward like a lion, she prowled along the edges like a jaguar. "Yer right. So what's one more sin in the grand scheme of things? Ya already ruined everythin'. That seems ta be all ya can do."

"What is it I seem t' have ruined fo' une fille pourrie ingrate et gâtée, hop?" Marius spat in her direction, rising to tower over his desk. His face was an ungodly shade of burgundy as he shouted, "De opportunity t' live as royalty? De pleasures of de wealth amassed by this glorious guild? De birthrights of not only my firstborn and heir but ma précieuse princesse? Fille, y' lived in de lap of luxury!"

Rogue drew closer but remained out of his reach. Her nostrils flared as her eyes narrowed. "Funny, Ah didn't know that physically and mentally abusin' a child is a luxurious life. Or purposefully handin' 'family' over ta yer sworn enemy constitutes indulgence. But I most certainly count the life ya stole from me after that enemy made me one of their own was somethin' worth treasurin'. If all that is what you consider 'luxury', then yer gonna hate my definition of slow and torturous."

With the speed of a viper, she chocked Marius' neck. As her adoptive father gasped for air, Rogue reflected that maybe she hadn't put Julien as firmly away as she had thought. Or maybe the little bit that was running rampant in her head had as many daddy issues as he had incestuous fantasies. Regardless, it was the crumpling of papers Marius had been holding that snapped Rogue's attention into focus. Her expectation for choking and a desperate need for air turned into a ghastly chuckle.

Around ragged breaths, Marius wheezed, "Y' think y' can kill me that easy? Fille, I know all 'bout yo' li'l secret."

"And what secret is that?" Rogue clenched down on his larynx, dragging his face closer to hers.

"Those anomalies in yo' DNA that make y' a freak? They're so weak they couldn't hurt a flea." He gloated, seeming to have figured out how she could touch LeBeau without instantly killing him.

Marius clearly remembered watching the surveillance of each and every one of her marks. Every single one of them started with a tactical choke hold or hit to a sensitive pressure point. Sure, there were those weird black veins at first, but they quickly faded, and her victims always lasted long after any 'deadly' mutation should have drained a life. Her assassination methods were no different than what the other apprentices were taught. She was just as weak as any other insect to be crushed under his boot.

"Let me show ya just how wrong ya are." Finally, Rogue tasted the sweet tang of vengeance.

Between her death grip on his neck and the first spidery fingers of her mutation, the burgundy in his face quickly turned to a sickly purple. Rogue caught and held his eyes as they became cloudy and unfocused.

"Ah've had full control over every aspect of my mutation since Ah was sixteen. Includin' how deadly it is."

As Rogue let her abilities take over, she felt more than saw Marius flopping around like a dying fish. The papers scrunched and scattered before floating to the floor in a delicate waft contradictory to the violent exchange, but she kept her concentration firmly locked on him. There was no way she was going to miss the last seconds of his life fade away by her hand. Unfortunately, her revenge blinded her to something nearly as lethal as her skin.

With her attention focused squarely on Marius' bulging eyes, raised veins, and puffy face, she missed when his sporadic floundering turned into movements as second nature as breathing. With a swift jab, he unseeingly punched right above her pelvic bone between her hip and groin. It wasn't until she felt the sticky of warm liquid and the searing hot pain as he withdrew the short switchblade that she realized he had stabbed her.

Releasing her hold, Rogue dropped Marius and staggered backward. It wasn't so much the sharp needling that tingled over the wound more than the act itself that had startled her. She felt like she was moving in slow motion as her neck tilted down and her right hand staunched the flow of blood. Not knowing how deep the blade had penetrated or what veins or arteries had been hit, she tore off scraps from her ruined t-shirt to create makeshift packing. A glass of bourbon on Marius' desk served as antiseptic as Rogue tossed it into the wound and gritted her teeth against the intense burning. It was nowhere near sterile and certainly not the appropriate medical procedure, but it would do until she could seek proper treatment.

Rogue turned back to Marius, surprised that he hadn't rushed forward to attack her again. Instead of the look of triumph she had expected, the Assassin leader was in desperate need of medical attention himself. The all-over ruddy color in his face had drained into a mottled, ashy blue. Veins that had been standing out earlier were now profoundly twisted. The knife he'd used to stab her clattered to the desk, her blood staining the few intact papers that comprised her death warrant.

As he gasped for breath, Belle's screech echoed from down the hall. "Père!Somebody! Come quick: Julien's dead!"

Looking up from her brother's prone body surrounded by his spilled blood, she had a perfect view into her father's office since the doors had been knocked off their hinges. When she realized her father was struggling to survive as well, she rushed to his side to perform emergency aid. Instead of accepting her help, Marius waved toward Rogue's direction.

"Kill her." He commanded, regaining some semblance of health.

It wasn't until Marius had spoken that Belle scanned the rest of the room and immediately zeroed in on Rogue.

"You!" Her eyes narrowed as she stalked toward her. Remy had called her as soon as he'd landed in Louisiana. It wasn't difficult to piece together his version of events in Geneva plus her brother's lifeless body, and now this likely attempt on her father's life. "It's all your fault. It has been since de very start. And now, I'm gon' enjoy tearin' y' apart."

"Ah'd like ta see ya try." Rogue taunted.

Before Belle was even within range of her enemy, she lunged. Rogue's wound combined with the unexpected appearance of her adoptive sister left her dazed as their bodies collided. A loud smack resounded as her head hit the wall. Stars burst into Rogue's vision, triggering a rush of adrenaline to her shocked system. She barely cleared the confusion in time to narrowly block Belle's sucker punch.

Keeping her arms up to protect her head, Rogue quickly shifted from a standard boxing defense to a savate chassé latéral attack Remy had taught her. The kick intended for Belle's midsection barely landed as the movement tore healthy skin from Rogue's wound. With the knock to her skull, she had temporarily forgotten about being stabbed by Marius. Limited to low foot kicks, Rogue knew she would hardly be effective considering Belle was already playing dirty.

"Y' think yo' de only one Remy taught savate?" The blond laughed as she switched to the chosen fighting style with a revers interne kick toward her head.

Only a well-timed duck and dodge saved Rogue from the knockout kick. Her thoughts were sluggish, and she could barely think to defend herself, much less attack or respond to the verbal jabs. Belle swooped in with a crochet punch, but Rogue caught it with a right hook of her own. Chaining her elbow to the assassin's, she immobilized her in a one-handed bent armlock that brought them face to face.

"Who said he taught me anythin'?" Rogue verbally sparred. "Dambe's not far off from savate."

"So maybe he used it as a pretense t' get y' into bed wit' him, hein? Wouldn't be de first time some pétasse fell fo' it." The knowing smirk in the blonde's eyes matched the spiteful grin on her face. "Perhaps like de one in Atlantic City. Y' should ask him 'bout Vivienne sometime."

"Wrong again, Belle." Rogue's expression didn't give anything away as she added, "Ah'm his wife. His bed is my bed."

She didn't have time to internalize the rest of what the assassin had said, not that it mattered anyway. There wasn't going to be an opportunity to confront Remy, so what did it matter if he had been unfaithful? It wouldn't have been the first time he chose another woman after they had married.

As if reading her mind, Belle added, "Then why did he rush t' me when I got back from Africa? Or before de Cotillion? Or even just a few hours ago after he returned from yo' failed damnatio memoriae contract?" She gloated, triumphing that Remy was still under herenthrall. "He'll always come back t' me."

Rogue shrugged the emotional blackmail away. Now wasn't the time to focus on anything other than survival. "That's old news. Tell me somethin' Ah don't know."

The antagonization worked as Belle screamed in ruthless fury. With a quick spin, she broke free, briefly pressed her back against Rogue's, and came around the other side to elbow her in the face. Knowing that eventually Belle's jealousy would get the better of her, Rogue anticipated the move and slapped the hit away with the flat of her forearm. She turned the attack against her adoptive sister and crunched her elbow into the assassin's nose.

Blood poured from the break, dark bruises blooming under her eyes as Belle screeched, "Espèce de salope! Yo' gon' pay fo' that and every other thing y've done t' me and Remy. And then I'm gon' feed ya piece by livin' piece t' de gators."

"Good luck. Even on my worst day, yer best can't touch me." Rogue taunted, her hand gesturing a snap-quick 'bring it on.'

For the first time since they started fighting, good sense seemed to take over Belle's thoughts. The emotionally reckless reactions morphed into a cool, calculated strategy. Even with the bloody, bruised face, Rogue could tell she had poked a sleeping dragon as a pale blue glow emanated from her nearly violet eyes. The effect wasn't unlike when Remy used his mutation, which meant that she was about to blast an unexpected hit. The problem was, Belle had never exhibited any kind of mutant abilities before.

"Yo' not de only one keepin' secrets. Or wit' 'special powers'." The assassin's smirk turned wicked.

Behind her, Marius, who had been morbidly watching the exchange, questioned, "Bella?"

"Later, père. Let's just say I got a li'l External help." Belle answered over her shoulder, never taking her eyes off her prey.

Unaware of what could be coming, Rogue tried to keep her body loose to roll with the impact. Tensing up now could mean life or death. Belle extended her arms, her hands forming a loose, large round shape. In the space between her spread fingers, a faint blue orb materialized from nowhere. Only milliseconds passed as the light grew brighter and larger. Satisfied with the mass gathered in her hands, Bella Donna drew back only enough to push power into her throw as she aimed toward her adversary.

As soon as Rogue realized what was coming, she dived toward a heavy bureau away from her assassin family. It took a lot to wedge behind the solid wood cabinet and even then, she wasn't fully protected. Looking back, she assessed where the ball of energy had smacked into the wall, leaving a smoldering, blackened hole in its place.

"Run all y' like petite lapin, but I will succeed where Gris Gris' cunja failed." Belle revealed, forming another orb and throwing it at Rogue's makeshift shield. The bureau shook, the contents rattling. It clearly would not withstand another blast. Rogue's gaze darted to the doorway, but the distance might as well be a million miles away. There was no way between Belle and Marius that she would be able to make it, being injured as she was. From the corner of her eye, she could see the telltale glow of Belle's mutation, but it was the familiar figure appearing in the doorway that held her focus. His presence alone would seal her fate.

"What de hell is goin' on?" Remy exclaimed, dashing further into the room to shield his wife from his ex. His hands rose in a soothing gesture toward the irrational assassin while his back was turned against the woman he'd grown to love.

After Rogue's attempt to kill him, he had called Belle to tell her the whole sad story. He'd had time on the flight back to realize some key pieces of information were missing and he probably (no, definitely) had made the worst decision of his life by leaving Rogue behind. His call to Bella Donna was an attempt to ferret out that information, but she had consoled him instead and convinced him he had done the right.

The whole conversation had occurred when he was too tired and jet-lagged to process what he had seen versus what he had heard from Belle. Rather than make any additional rash decisions, he had agreed to this late night assignation at the Assassin Guild headquarters. Remy knew the arrangement was dangerous, violating the peace terms his marriage to Rogue brought the two guilds, but he really needed answers only the assassins could provide. What he hadn't expected was to find Julien dead in the hall, Marius agitated to the point of medical intervention, or Bella Donna revealed as a mutant with astral projectiles.

"Nothin' of concern, cher. Just exterminatin' un cafard." Belle's words were sickly sweet as she batted her thickly mascaraed lashes at him. If her actions weren't enough to ruin the effect, her bloody face and bruised eyes finished the job.

"If a Unified guildmember has violated de vow of loyalty t' de Five Oaths, it most certainly is my concern. Even if that guildmember is one part of de duumvirate." Remy countered, not daring to look over his shoulder to assess Rogue's condition.

Before Belle or Marius had a chance to respond, a disbelieving "merde sacrée" was heard from the entrance. The door that Rogue had knocked off the bottom hinge had finally collapsed under its weight and crashed to the ground. Theoren jumped halfway across the room at its loud bang.

"Theo," Remy caught his cousin's attention, relieved to have some backup. "Get Rogue out of here. Take her t' de Unified Guild headquarters and call an emergency session of de Council."

As if just noticing his cousin and current patriarch, Theoren simply shook his head no. "Désolé, cuz, can't do that."

"L'enfer! What do y' mean, 'y' can't do that'?" Remy chanced a look over his right shoulder.

Collecting himself, Theoren calmly walked into the heart of the room. "Exactly what it sounds like. De Marceauxs take pride in their heritage and honor de ties of their loyalty."

Remy's desperation rose as he commanded, "Then do as I say!"

Theoren just clicked his tongue and shook his head. "See, that's yo' mistake. Y' assume de lies y' been fed are truth. Always has been yo' flaw, only this time it's gon' be fatal."

"Ça suffit!" Marius bellowed, reminding everyone he was still in the room. "Finish them both!"

"What!?" Belle and Remy simultaneously shouted while Theoren just shrugged and offered the weak explanation, "History repeats itself. A failed marriage in de name of peace a hundred years ago don't change centuries of purebred assassin blood."

Remy racked his brain, trying to pull out some vague recollection of the Marceaux family tree. He couldn't remember anyone beyond Rouler Marceaux, Etienne's and Theoren's grandfather, who was very much a devoted thief. Not that it really mattered at the moment. It was obvious his cousin had, at the very least, betrayed the guild in which he had been raised.

"I don't believe it. We grew up t'gether. Y' know me, Theo." Remy tried to reason, suddenly faced with potential enemies on two fronts.

Instead, Theoren's deep laughter echoed throughout the room. When he regained control, he answered, "Who? De snotty li'l rat Nonc Jean-Luc dragged in off de streets? Or how 'bout de spoiled brat he became? De one who was given a birthright that didn't belong t' him."

"Y' don't know what yo' talkin' 'bout." Anger bubbled up, giving Remy a confidence boost he needed.

By this point, Theoren swaggered forward, looking for an opening to take down his more powerful cousin. There was no way with Remy's mutation that he could win in a fair fight, so he came prepared with a multitude of secret weapons, not all of them physical. Seeing no obvious weakness in his cousin's stance, Theoren opted for an emotional attack.

"I think I know at least a few of yo' dirty li'l secrets. Like how y' violated de peace treaty by meetin' wit' Bella on not one, not two, but three occasions after y' were married." Theoren held the count on his fingers for emphasis. "Then there was that connasse stripper in Jersey."

Behind them, Rogue gasped in surprise. Coming from Belle, the news was just vitriol meant to shake any remaining faith she had in Remy. But for Theoren to bring it up too? If her heart wasn't already broken by Remy's abandonment, this revelation finished the job.

Neither man paid mind to anything other than their own resentment as Theoren continued, "Let's not forget poor li'l Etienne."

"I tried t' save Et." Remy was incensed now, beyond any rational thought and into reckless consequences should it come to blows.

"Peut-être," Theoren agreed, but quickly countered, "Peut pas être. Yo' femme certainly did a good job sleepin' wit' mon frérot. Un mari jaloux would certainly have motive enough fo' an unsolved murder. Nice setup if I do say so myself."

"NON!" Remy's eyes widened in disbelief. There was no way, "Y' killed yo' own frère?"

"Where weak links are concerned, losses are negligible." Theoren shrugged it off with a smirk, setting up his cousin once again for a big fall.

The mental jabs poked at unhealed wounds, sending Remy over the edge. With all the things his cousin had said, it was clear Theoren was the inside man, the Thieves' traitor. Forgetting everyone and everything in the room, he lunged after his cousin, intent on shutting him up. His shoulder collided into his new enemy's chest and knocked the wind out him. They tumbled to the ground, Theoren landing hard on his back and taking a second blow to his breathing. Remy landed with the upper hand while Belle and Rogue watched in abject horror.

"Yo' gon' pay fo' de sins y' committed. And de bonds y' broke," he seethed, wailing punch after punch on his cousin's face, shoulders, and sides.

Theoren kept his arms up high, deflecting the blows that came too close to his head. When he sensed Remy slowing down, he discreetly removed the concealed pistol that was never far from his person since resuming the Marceaux's rightful place.

"Remy, lookout!" Rogue shouted, seeing the weapon drawn against the man with whom she had fallen in and out of love. Remy maybe had betrayed her, but she didn't want to see him dead. Her declaration served as both a warning and a reminder that she was still a target for the other assassins in the room.

When Rogue tried to lunge into the foray even though her husband deserved no loyalty from her, Belle sprang forward and dragged her to the ground. "Oh no y' don't."

The four combatants jumped and dived, blocked and kicked well-timed, powerful hits. No clear winner emerged as the fighting continued across the room and even in between participants. Marius watched in sickly delight as assassins once again shed the blood of thieves.

"Yes! Yes!" he cheered his daughter and loyal sycophant.

His near-giddy chortling rose above the cacophony that had taken over his office, although those involved were not distracted from their opponent. It was not immediately noticed when his gravelly laughter turned into a rasping cough. Marius slumped down in his chair, unable to regain control of himself. In a desperate move to take a deep breath, he pounded his fist on his desk as if the violent gesture could force the air into his lungs. Each successive slam grew weaker and weaker, but slowly gained the attention of Belle.

Catching her father's slumping figure out of the corner of her vision, she turned a defenseless cheek to Rogue.

"Père?" she questioned, right before the outsider's fist landed squarely on her jaw.

The fact that Belle left her defenses open and didn't retaliate against a solid hit had Rogue re-evaluating the situation. The assassin abandoned the fight to dash to her father's side. This time, she was intent on not following his orders to leave him be.

"Papa?" She hadn't called him that since she was a little girl.

Marius was beyond all hope, but the devotion of his precious princess brought an infinitesimal crinkling to his eyes and quirk to his lips. As the darkness encroached, the last image Marius saw was his beloved daughter of whom he was so proud. With a final gasp, he collapsed onto his desk.

"Papa!" Belle shouted again, shaking his lifeless body before rounding on Rogue. "What did you do?"

As the only living heir of the Assassins, Belle momentarily forgot about resuscitation efforts and focused on the vengeance she sought for her father.

"It wasn't enough t' steal my man or kill my brother, but now y' have t' take my father, too?" Belle asked, her voice rising in equal measure to insanity.

Seeing the look in her eye and knowing what it meant, Remy yelled at Rogue to "Run, chère!"

"She ain't goin' anywhere." Theoren countered, but Remy quickly slapped his cousin's temple, knocking him out cold. As his opponent's body fell to the floor, Remy turned back to Rogue, "Go! Don't look back."

She hesitated for only a moment, watching as Belle continued her warpath and torn between listening to Remy or helping him. When her adoptive sister charged, Remy caught her around the middle. Rather than fight against her, he pulled her close and whispered something in her ear. Rogue couldn't be sure from the distance separating them, but she thought she saw remy place a gently kiss on the mess that was his former lover's hair and face. Her heart sank along with any remaining hope they could somehow work through this. Taking the opportunity Remy created, Rogue spun on her heel toward escape just as a few other assassins arrived on scene. There was nothing left for her now.

(X)

Canaille – (Cajun) sly or sneaky

petite sœur – little sister

sale chien – filthy dog

une fille pourrie ingrate et gâtée – an ingrateful, spoiled rotten girl

hop – (Cajun) I heard you, but in a negative way, as in: "I heard you. You may be right but you're probably wrong and I don't care enough to continue talking."

Espèce de salope – You bitch!

Pétasse – whore

Cafard – cockroach

merde sacrée – holy shit

L'enfer – the hell

Ça suffit - Enough!

Connasse – (really foul version of) bitch

Peut-être, Peut pas être – Perhaps, perhaps not

Un mari jaloux – a jealous husband