Guild Life

Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the Marvel, I'm not making any money.

Part 2

Lapin burst into the room. "Hey Remy, where'd yo' take off to las' night?" he asked.

Remy groaned and pulled a pillow over his head. "It's too early for dis," he said.

"Mais if yo' if yo'd stuck 'round las' night I could of tol' yo' den," Lapin replied, unrepentant.

"Had bettah t'ings to do," Remy said.

"Hopefully not what 'm t'inkin'. Belladonna disappeared 'bout de same time yo' did. De girl's pure poison Remy, yo' don' want rien to do wid her," Lapin warned.

"De femme yo' were flirtin' wid came in wid ma Belle," Remy pointed out.

"Delores' Tante Mattie's 'pprentice, it's different. Belladonna she's... well... she be trouble."

"Leas' she admits she be keepin' secrets," Remy said.

"Come on Remy," Lapin cajoled "Yo' jus' met us, can't be tellin' yo' all de family's dark secrets. Yo' go runnin' for de hills 'fore yo' realize how much yo' like us."

Remy stared at his cousin, sensing a surprising amount of truth in what should have been a facetious comment as well as genuine affection. "So what be so important yo' got to wake me at de ungodly hour of..." Remy trailed off, looking for a clock.

"Half pas' ten," Lapin supplied helpfully.

"Dat early?" Remy groaned. "Got los' twice on de way home. Only got to sleep 'round five."

"Yo' own fault for being off wid de she-devil," Lapin replied. "Get dressed an' get a move on it. Yo' don' want to miss out on dis."

****** ****** ******

"It's good to have Remy back," Tante Mattie said, sharing a cup of coffee with Jean-Luc. "There's been too many los' an' too few come home."

"De Assassins been hit harder dan us by de Benefactress' demands," Jean-Luc said. "I t'ink dat be why Marius be willin' to ally wid me 'gainst her."

"Offensive mutations be more common in deir blood-lines dan in yours," Mattie said. "De Benefactress take dose eventually. I had a sense 'bout Remy, we would have had to send him 'way 'ventually, even if Josette's marriage had been 'pproved."

"Someone mention me?" Josette asked, coming into the house.

"Yo' talked to your fils yet?" Mattie asked sternly.

"Why yo' all bein' like dis?" Josette whined. "I ain't done anyt'ing to de boy, don' see why I have to make nice. Remy don' want rien to do wid me, if he did he wouldn' of run off."

"He ran 'way 'cause Armand was abusin' him, yo' too," Jean-Luc said quietly. "Why didn' yo' call me?"

"I didn' want to, 'kay!" Josette exclaimed. "I don' want to do dis either an' yo' can't make me!"

"No we can't," Mattie said disapprovingly. "But I t'ought yo' were raised bettah dan dis. He's your son, don' dat mean anyt'ing to yo'?"

"Non, it don'!" Josette snapped. "Dere ain't been one good part to bein' a mere an' I don' want nothin' to do wid it. Or him."

"Ma soer, I t'ink now be more dan a little late to be decidin' dis," Jean-Luc said. "I doubt dat Remy will evah look to yo' as a mother, but yo' bot' be livin', an' welcome, beneath dis roof, so yo' best make some sort of peace wid de boy."

****** ****** ******

Remy looked at the building then looked back at the other two boys. "Yo' want me to do what?" he asked skeptically.

"Distract de guard," Lapin repeated.

"Dey know us a'ready," Pierre said ingenuously. "Las' time Lapin didn' do so good of a job bein' de distraction."

"So what happened?" Remy asked.

"Spent de night in jail, got our hides tanned for bein' careless," Lapin replied cheerfully. "But don' worry, I got a back up plan dis time."

"An' dat be?" Remy asked. Pierre also looked curious.

"Run faster dis time," Lapin replied.

"Yo're kiddin' right?" Pierre asked. "A life time of prep an' yo' plan B is 'run faster', an' dey let yo' pas' de tillin'?"

Lapin glared furiously at Pierre who glanced at Remy and looked embarrassed.

"Lemme guess, yo' ain't goin' to 'xplain dat either," Remy said. "Don' worry, wid me as de distraction dat part of your plan be covered."

" 'Kay, den let's go," Lapin said.

"Why do I let yo' talk me into dis stuff?" Pierre sighed and followed after Lapin.

Remy gave them a few minutes to get into place then strolled over to the guard and struck up a conversation.

Lapin fired a grappling hook then he and Pierre used it to walk up the wall.

"Hope yo' got a bettah plan dan yo' tol' Remy, not to mention a bettah plan den las' time," Pierre said conversationally. "Dis is a military buildin' we're breakin' into an' if we get caught 'gain Jean-Luc'll kill us if our pa's don'."

"Course I do, 'm a professional, mais we can't let Remy know dat. Jean-Luc's de one who decides when to tell him 'bout de family business."

"I still t'ink we could of picked a bettah job to find out how he feels 'bout t'ievin'."

"How often do we get authorization to pick our own target an' 'have fun' on a job?" Lapin asked.

"An' he specifically tol' us if we evah got caught near dis place 'gain dey'd be usin' our fate as a cautionary tale for generations to come. Yo' t'ink takin' Remy 'long gonna win any points?" Pierre replied.

"We ain't gonna get caught an' dat's all Jean-Luc cares 'bout," Lapin assured the other boy. "I been wantin' to do dis forevah."

"Yo' t'ink I don' know dat?" Pierre said, locking down his climbing harness and starting in on the window's security system. "Why are we doin' dis at mid-day, 'gain?"

"Cause neither of us be a good 'nough hacker to get into de system. Gotta hope he jus' uses a locked screen saver durin' lunch," Lapin explained, gently lifting the window out of it's frame. "Don' worry de General takes long lunches."

Pierre unhooked his harness and climbed lightly through the window. Lapin handed him the glass then joined him inside.

Lapin seated himself at behind the general's desk and grinned triumphantly as he started typing. Pierre shoved a chair under the doorknob and started rifling through piles of loose paper. As the minutes ticked by on the clock Lapin's grin began to wilt.

Pierre paced nervously around the office after he finished going through the files and photographing a few relevant pieces of information. "Yo' done yet?" he asked.

"Dis takes time, Pierre," Lapin said. "Jus' relax. Did yo' relock de cabinets?"

"We're runnin' low on time," Pierre said.

"Dere's no one tryin' to break down de door so we ain't been caught yet," Lapin pointed out. "If we don' get any payoff it'll be harder to get Remy in on dis stuff 'gain."

Pierre watched nervously for a shadow outside of the frosted glass window, he wondered if the absolute lack of activity were a good thing or not.

" 'M in," Lapin exclaimed softly. "Now de real work. God bless weekly progress reports, dis has everyt'ing we goin' to need."

Pierre went to peer over Lapin's shoulder. "Dose night 'xercises gonna be perfect," he said.

"I tol' yo' dis would work," Lapin said, printing out copies.

Both boys hovered over the printer as it worked. Once the last page was safely stashed Lapin restored the computer to its original state and they slipped back out of the window.

Wandering back toward the complex's entrance they were amazed to see Remy chatting amicably with four security guards, an assortment of personnel and the very General whose office they had been ransacking.

A few moment after Remy spotted them the General glanced at his wristwatch then at the collection of people and frowned. A very short time later the gathering dispersed and Remy sauntered over to join them.

"If I evah here another complaint 'bout jobs, kids, spouses or lovers it'll be too soon," Remy said. "What'd yo' get?"

Lapin smiled and offered him a handful of printouts.

Remy looked over them, glanced up at Lapin and Pierre, read over a few more pages then said. "Yo' lookin' to borrow a plane?"

"Nope, an F1-50," Lain replied. "Yo' in or not?"

Remy glanced at the papers again. " 'M in, but yo' damn well bettah include me in de rest of de plannin'. Dis jus' a little outside de normal teenage stunts 'm 'magin'. I ain't gettin' in trouble cause yo' don' plan t'ings out."

Pierre and Lapin exchanged a smile. "Welcome to de family Remy, yo're gonna fit right in," Lapin said.

****** ****** ******

Henri frowned at the scantily clothed, buxom blonde leaning against his motorcycle. "Yo' waitin' for someone?" he asked.

"I'm waiting for you, Henri Lebeau, heir apparent to the New Orleans' Thieves Guild."

"Dat knowledge ain't for strangers," Henri said looming threateningly over the woman. "Where'd yo' come by it?"

"I am your Goddess Henri," the woman said. "I know everything about you and your father and the blasphemy he is engaged in. If you hope to have anything to inherent you will stop him."

"De Benefactress," Henri said. "I a'ways t'ought yo' be taller, mebbe have bettah taste..."

"Don't mock me!" Candra screeched.

"Why not, don' see any one else here stupid 'nough to t'ink I'd go 'gainst mon pere, an ' if dat get up of yours is meant to seduce me, yo've nevah seen m' Mercy. Oh an' speakin' of Mercy, how many times yo' turned down our petition to marry now?"

Henri was about to continue when he felt his feet leaving the ground, invisible bands tightened painfully around him.

"Do you think me some powerless charlatan?" Candra said, her voice low and furious. She hovered in the air slightly above Henri, her long hair whipping about her as if caught in a violent wind. "If you will not bow before me, you shall be the first example of my power!"

The twange of a crossbow sounded, the barded head of the bolt appeared protruding from Candra's stomach. Henri felt the bonds around him loosen and began to struggle. Moments later he dropped to the pavement.

Candra disappeared in an explosion of light and sound.

"Yo' own me Lebeau," a smooth cynical voice said.

Henri spotted a slender man approximately his age with dark hair, smirking down at him. "I t'ink I'd rather be dead," Henri replied. "What do yo' want Julian?"

"Jus' abidin' by de treaty. 'Gainst her de Guilds be one," Julian said. " 'Sides I like your style, it confirms your lack of brains. Nevah did see why yo' t'ieves want dis truce, widout de Benefactress sappin' our numbers we would of eradicated your Guild decades ago."

"We value our people for somet'ing more dan numbers," Henri said. "An' we have rien to worry 'bout from de likes of yo'."

" 'Member who saved who today," Julian said. "Someday I'll collect what I preserved dis time."

Henri waved off Julian's posturing, mounted the motorcycle.

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