Remy repeated his cry, this time quiet and hoarse. He rushed to his father's side, his mind still in denial about what his eyes were perceiving. He clenched his strange eyes in grief, feeling his world break apart. The body was still warm, but even with shut eyes the horrible metallic stench of blood was undeniable.

He tried to lift his head, or check for a pulse, anything but stand around and helplessly stare at the horrid scene. Quiet taps started to appear nearby. Soon after Thieves spilled into the room, among them some heavily armed guards, but mostly higher ranked Guildmembers, who had previously most likely been working in their offices. One such man's fell onto the mutant teen.

"You!" Yelled Constantin Guillory, a member of the council. Remy looked up, tears welling in his eyes. "I knew that freak street rat was bad news! Get him, he killed the Guildmaster!"

Most onlookers were confused by that unexpected development, but two guards who immediately believed the Councilmember were more than enough to apprehend the teen.

"What, *non*, I -" Remy's protest was cut off by the two adults yanking him up. More Thieves slinked into the room, among them Remy's older brother, Henri.

The ageless thief may not be the warmest of personalities, but he still loved his family dearly. And now, he was confronted by a nightmarish picture, his father dead, lying in his own blood, and his little brother, tears glistening on his cheeks, captured by two furious guards.

"What happened here?" He growled, putting all the authority he could muster into the words. His brother's cry had woken him from an unacknowledged half-nap he had accidentally succumbed to while filling out paperwork for the upcoming 'rite of passage'. Some of the Thieves that had hindered his way jumped aside, intimidated by the man's sudden appearance. Anybody who didn't was stared into following the other's example. Through gnashed teeth he once again bellowed "I. Repeat. What happened here!?"

Finally one of the gawkers spoke up. It was some councilmember's pre-teen son. "M-Mr. LeBeau, th-there was that sh-shout, and then we c-came and M-Mr... the Guildmaster was d-dead and-" The stuttering boy was cut off by Guillory.

"The mutie killed him."

"No, I didn't, I swear..." Henri's brother whimpered.

"Now wait a minute" A girl's voice. Henri quickly recognized her as Marie-Claire Landry, Armand Landry's daughter and one of the only two mutants in the New Orleans Guild, the other one being Remy.

"Quiet brat, adults are talking." Guillory would have nothing of her interruption. For a split second, the girl seemed to levitate, but then she settled for glaring at the councilmember.

For this argument Henri would have to keep himself cold and reasonable. Guillory's accusation was a grave one, and in Henri's eyes, one that was most likely false. Remy hero-worshipped his adopted father and would never kill him, not purposefully. And as Henri hadn't heard an explosion of any sort either, Remy's volatile powers were equally unlikely to be at fault. He took a deep breath, rubbed his eyes and prepared himself for an argument. "Do you have proof for your words, Councilmember Guillory?"

"The mutant was the first at the scene and I saw him standing over the Guildmaster's still warm body."

That wasn't proof. But that was enough to get the gawking Thieves in the doorway whispering. He saw a child break free from the the commotion and take off in the stairways direction. He could imagine what gossip it wanted to share with its friends. 'The Guildmaster's adoptive son, yes, the red eyed mutant, killed him.' If he didn't resolve this quickly, the truth wouldn't matter anymore.

The Landry girl was clenching her fists and biting her lip, words most likely waiting to burst out of her, but she was old enough to know that simply yelling out of turn would tarnish her credibility.

Henri gave her the word.

"I was here before Councilmember Guillory. I didn't see Remy kill him. And why on earth would Remy raise alarm if he was the assassin? Just think about it! Doesn't make sense, huh!" She glowered at the gawkers, obviously hoping that somebody confirm her statement.

In the crowd somebody muttered "The guilty dog barks first."

Most looked uncertain. Her logic was sound, but not everyone knew Remy well enough to be able to recognize him by his voice and of the ones that did, most weren't too fond of him. Henri suspected that some may see this as an opportunity to get rid of the mutant and move one step up on the line of succession.

Henri groaned. If he wanted to be taken seriously by the council, he would have to let them lock up his little brother until he was proven innocent, which might take a long time, if it din't prove entirely impossible, as the odds were already stacked against the mutant teen. If he wanted to protect his brother, he would have to use his authority to free him, and such an action would certainly cost him dearly. He took one look at his brother's terrified face and the the protective sibling won out over the responsible heir.

"Let him go." He told the guards.

"But-"

"No." Henri cut off the furious Councilmember.

Henri glanced over to the crowd in the doorway. Was it just his nerves or had it increased in size since his arrival. It must have. Thieves are a gossipy breed. Just as he had expected, many looked outraged at his abuse of authority, as he would have in their place. He disregarded them for the moment, first wanting to comfort his brother.

"Remy, come here."

The guards finally completely let go of the teen. He quickly threw himself at his older brother and buried his face in the others chest. Henri held him close and calmingly stroked his hair.

"Cormier, Hubbard, take my father away from here," he told the two guards that had just moments ago constrained his brother "Potier, Marceaux, Lapin, no Clarence, not you, I mean Guiseppe, you three make sure we won't have to deal with any overly nosy police officers. Bordelon, Clarence Lapin, yes, now I mean you, make sure to get our own internal investigation started. Everybody else, scram and don't spread panic."

He watched the thieves leave, some throwing glances at him and the teen still sobbing in his arms. As the room emptied he nudged his little brother to leave the blood-stench filled room. Remy looked up and wiped his face on the sleeve of his sweater. -Remy can afford to break down- Henri mused -I can't. I have to take over. I have to stay strong now.-