It was a searing hot summer day in New Orleans. The kind of heat that is so heavy with humidity that the instant you step out of the cool interior of your home, your clothes are already sticking to you and the deodorant you put on is instantly rendered useless. But then, that's the price of living in Louisiana with its muggy summer afternoons.

Of course those not familiar with the climate would be miserable unless they were sprawled out naked under the AC. The natives were the ones who were out roaming the streets and enjoying the day as only they could. Others just couldn't understand how they not only survived, but thrived in such conditions. Though to be fair, the inhabitants of the swamps couldn't understand how those further north could enjoy the harsh winters they had come to associate with Dante's seventh circle of hell, frozen lake and all.

Today just happen to be one of those famous sticky days with the sun bearing down and humidity so thick you could almost swim through it. Julian took a deep breath of the morning air and smirked when he heard a couple of tourists, who had already sweated through their clothes, complain about the temperature being well over a hundred before even ten in the morning. But that was life in the great city of New Orleans.

Julian and his father, Marius Boudreaux, Patriarch of the Assassin's Guild, were out in the Garden District on business. An ally of the Guild had once again returned to New Orleans and as Guild Master and Future Guild Master, it was only proper to pay a visit and welcome her back. After all, the mutant Mystique was a valuable ally to have no matter the circumstances.

The two Assassin's walked down the sidewalk amongst the old homes until the got to a green mansion that had been built antebellum. Hell, Raven had probably grown up in the home as a child for all he knew. He hadn't seen the shape shifter since he was a child but knew that her mutation afforded her the ability to regenerate her cells continuously. He had even seen records during his studies of her work with the Guild dating back to the 1800's. The patriarchs of both Guilds had been after her hand in marriage for years, though none were succesful, the reason being that she would produce mutant offspring with mutations valuable to the Guild.

Julian would not be trying his hand at wooing the woman who had probably been around longer than America had. When he found himself a wife, they would be on even footing with each other for the most part. He needed a woman capable of dealing with the worlds deadliest assassins but not one who would view herself superior to him as Mystique undoubtedly would.

Julian waited patiently on the grand porch of the mansion with his father. It wasn't a moment later that an older white woman with dark and grey hair answered the door. She was wearing a shapeless brown dress with an apron on signaling that she was the hired help.

"Yes'sur, may Ah help ya?" She had probably been a child from a poor family with little to no education and had most likely been with the family for years.

"Marius Boudreaux." He said in way of introduction. "Ah've come a callin' on Raven." The drawl that slipped from his lips made the old maid pause with a catch in her breath before she let them in and led them to the drawing-room. His grandfather had always said that you weren't a true southern gentleman unless you could make a woman of any age or status pause when you spoke to them.

The room was tastefully decorated and Marius took a seat in a high-backed, gold and creme arm-chair. Julian decided to stand by one of the floor length windows so as to view the garden in the courtyard. Having a greek revival mansion like this in the city was different from the plantation mansion he lived in out by the swamps.

A moment later Raven Darkholme walked into the room in her true blue form. Thankfully, she was wearing pants as her dresses tended to have high slits. He had even heard of instances where she ran around fighting naked and only just barely covering up the important parts with her mutation.

Marius stood and greeted Raven with a peck on her cheek. "Raven, ya look ravishin' as always."

Raven allowed him a polite smile. "Always the charmer."

"Product o' my raisin', Ah'm afraid." He turned and gestured to Julian who offered a polite half-bow to the mutant woman. "Ya remember mon fils, Julian."

Raven turned and gave him a nod of acknowledgment and an appraising once over. "Yes I remember. I believe you were ten last time I was in town, around Anna-Marie's age."

That's right, she had a daughter. He tried to dredge up memories of the scrawny skunk haired girl who had given his sister Bella a black eye. He had only known the girl for a month or so maybe, but all the memories he had of the girl was of her and Bella fighting like two wild cats over a slab of meat. Hopefully the two women wouldn't pick up where they left off.

He could hardly bear Bella's bitching as it was now. If she wasn't complaining about not being treated like a princess, then it was about Remy LeBeau. Gambit was the adopted mutant son of Jean-Luc LeBeau and a complete and total pain in Julian's ass. His only redeeming quality was that he wanted nothing to do with Belladonna or her delusions of marriage.

"That's right, she's of the age of marrying now." Marius said smoothly bringing his attention back to the present.

Julian should have known better. Ever since he had turned twenty-one four years ago his father had been on the hunt for potential wives for him. So far nothing worthwhile had turned up, not that he had been trying especially hard.

Even now, in this modern-day and age, the Guilds still held to the old ways of marriage and courting. Sure there was a certain dramatic flare to it that Bella got excited about, but he never saw much point in all the effort of it. He was a good-looking man by anyone's standards and had never had a problem getting a date in or out of the Guild. But tradition dictated that he choose a wife that was approved by his father and his father would never approve of a civilian woman.

Raven smiled. "Going after my daughter now?"

Marius returned the smile shamelessly. "She is unattached?" Marius was showing the side of himself that was reserved for certain people only, people who he needed to be on the good side of. Mystique just happened to be one of those few people. Personally, Julian prefered his normal cold and calculating persona that was befitting of the Patriarch of the Assassin's.

"She is." Raven conceded. "But she is not of your, or any other Guild and will not recognize your traditions."

Marius waved off the caution. "She knows o' our customs an' 'll be fine." He said and then glanced out to the hall where the maid had rushed by with a stack of linens. "Is ya fine daughter here taday, or is she out an' about enjoyin' the sights?"

Raven finally took a seat on a love seat and both men took this as their cue to take seats themselves across from her on the couch.

"Neither, I'm afraid. She won't arrive until Thursday. She's been in Madripoor for the last few weeks."

A different maid came in with the same shapeless dress and apron. This one was younger, maybe in her thirties, and carrying a tray of ice-cold sweet tea and lemon cookies. The woman's eyes continually strayed to him and he offered her a smirk that caused her to blush several shades before scampering out.

"Ahh!" Marius said brightly and thumped Julian on the leg. "She'll be jus' in time fo' the Annual Guild Ball. Ya are comin' aren' ya, Cher?"

"Yes, I received the invitation this morning." She said before pouring both men a glass of tea and then one for herself.

The Annual Guild Ball was held once a year and was a chance for the Guilds, their allies and clients to all come together and socialize and make new contacts. As much as Julian disliked the Thieves Guild and all its member's, he saw their use. People as a whole, were hesitant to hire assassins to do their dirty work. The Thieves drew clients in like flies to honey and thus the Assassin's were able to broaden their client list.

"Did you say Anna-Marie was in Madripoor?" Julian asked. "Rumor has it, that Viper has holed up there and SHIELD is gunning for her." As future Patriarch of the Assassin's, he needed to be up to date on the latest news of the underground.

Raven turned her yellow and black spotted eyes to him. "Yes, Anna-Marie is exceptionally good at gathering information that's best kept secret. Nick Fury occasionally likes to hire her to do things his agents can't."

"Ah, so ya fille mus' be a mutant too?" Marius said with delight. The prospect of his father trying to set him up with Anna-Marie just became a reality. The look on his face made it clear that Julian was expected to court this girl and bring her into the family to make lots of mutant children. "A telepath perhaps?"

Raven chuckled and set her glass of tea down. "Far worse I'm afraid. There are various measures one can take against a telepath, none of which will hold Anna-Marie back."

Just what the hell was this girls mutation? By the way Raven kept teasing Marius, it didn't look like she was going to tell any time soon. His father looked equally parts frustrated and delighted as he and Mystique continued to talk, he about her daughter while she would change the subject.

Julian snatched a cookie off the serving tray and took a bite. Hopefully Anna-Marie wasn't the same scrawny, hard-headed tom boy as she had been as a six-year-old. With any luck, she wouldn't be interested in him and they could part ways before his father got too many ideas about them in his head.

XxX

Remy glanced at the reflection of the glass of a local store front to see that he still had the blonde harpy stuck to his shoe. What would it take to get Belladonna to take a hint that he just wasn't interested in her. Sure they had played together as children, but one puberty hit she had lost her fucking mind.

Belladonna had started stalking him when they were teenagers until he turned eighteen while she was sixteen. Then, she had upped her game to murder, blackmail, sabotage and lies that no one believed. Thank God Julian and Marius didn't believe any of the times she tried to convince them she was pregnant with his child. That could have incited an all out war between the Guilds.

Remy of course understood her fascination with him, he was a good-looking guy, beautiful even as some had said. And she was a beautiful girl when her crazy wasn't showing, she could probably have any number of guys at her beck and call. But somewhere between playing tag in the swamps and Remy's first lay at thirteen she had snapped. Belladonna had got it in that pretty little head of hers that the two of them were destined to marry and unite their Guilds.

Everyone else was of the opinion that the Guilds were fine the way they were and that Bella needed therapy. Marius had actually sent her to a couple of psychiatrists but she had killed them all at some point. Remy had suggested she get a hobby or a boyfriend. Bella had then pulled out a binder completely devoted to their imaginary wedding and told him she wouldn't allow any man but him to touch her. Needless to say, Remy was thoroughly creeped out by the Assassin.

To make matters worse, the Annual Guild Ball was in a few days. Every year since they were twelve, Belladonna would follow him around like a lost puppy. This year promised to be no different. In fact, she had been such a hassle and embarrassment to her family last year, that he had been praying for weeks this year that she wouldn't be permitted to attend. Though chances of that were slim as she was the 'Assassin Princess' as she liked to remind everyone.

Remy turned down an ally before using the enhanced agility that his mutation afforded him to quickly scale the building and escape the clutches of a horny and crazed assassin. If he was as lucky as Henri always claimed he was, then Marius would marry her off to the first available suitor and he could finally wash his hands of her.

A/N

I have absolutely no self-control. I should probably be on Adderall or something but I'm not so y'all must suffer from my dysfunction that is fan fic ADHD. Its sad really, out of the 51 stories I have published only 25 are complete and most of them are one shots. Hopefully I'll get my shit together soon but I don't have very high hopes. Anyway please review the latest idea my brain spat out.