Guild Life

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

Part 3

The next few weeks passed quietly.

Remy, Lapin and Pierre worked out the details of their plan and collected supplies. Josette went to visit an old High School friend. Jean-Luc, Marius and the Guilds prepared to fight Candra, scowering all their histories for clues as to her powers and hints of her weaknesses. Remy and Belle continued their pursuit of each other.

This time she'd caught him, technically, cornering him in one of the city's numerous cemeteries. "The femme had an unnatural fondness for knives," Remy had decided. He'd barely gotten out of his coat fast enough to keep her from cutting it off him. The shirt was a lost cause, but at least he still had his jeans to wear home.

"Still a good time had been had by all," he thought lazily, one arm propped behind his head as he traced circles on Belle's bare back. She peered up at him from where she lay, half sprawled across his chest, her hands crossed beneath her chin.

"So yo' like me well 'nough to start spillin' m' family's secrets now?" Remy asked.

"Mebbe a few," Belle hedged.

Remy waited.

"Yo' heard of the Illuminate or de Masons?" Belle asked.

Remy nodded.

"Well our families, de Guilds, make dem look like amateurs," Belle said. "In one form or 'nother we been 'round longer an' how can dey call demselves a secret society when everybody knows 'bout dem, I'll nevah know."

"We out to take over de world or anyt'ing dramatic like dat?" Remy asked.

"Non, too busy tryin' to kill each other," Belle said. "Now mebbe de Benefactress have somet'ing big brewin', but it hardly mattahs now. Ma daddy and you Onlce done joined forces to oust her, dat's why everyone be so edgy dese days."

"So we've got two secret societies who's whole purpose is to fight wid each other?" Remy asked. "Sounds a little, I don' know, dumb."

Belle giggled. "Now dat's de really big secret, even mos' de Guild members don' know dis one, but dere's only one secret society, two factions, but we're all part of de same whole."

"If dat's such a secret how yo' know it?" Remy asked skeptically.

"Ma ami, 'Lores, she wants to be de Guilds' healer. She's studyin' as Tante Mattie's 'prentice, but she also be studyin' to be a doctor at Tulane. Got interested in de genetics of isolated societies for de obvious reason an' she realized we be an oddity in dat don' have de problems wid hereditary illness dat we should. Dat got her interested in genealogy an' dat's when she realized 'bout two hundred years ago dere was only one Guild, or if dere was two dey certainly intermarried often 'nough dat dey had to be on good terms."

"So why don' yo' have de diseases?" Remy asked.

Belle shrugged, "De Benefactress arranges all de marriages an' she brings us chilen to 'dopt. Figure de trials we have to pass weed out de bad genes, dose born widout de Benefactress' blessin' a'mos' a'ways die durin' deir rites of passage."

"How is it your friend be de first to realize dis?" Remy asked.

"Remy, we're only de second generation to be schooled outside de Guilds an' genetics ain't really a part of Guild teachin'," Belle said.

While Remy consider that, Belle shifted to curl against his side. "Next time someone should bring a blanket," She muttered, pulling her shirt over her shoulders.

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

Henri walked into the front hall, concerned and curious about the raised voices he'd been hearing ever since he parked his motorcycle in the driveway.

Jean-Luc's office door was open so he cautiously poked his head in and found his father sitting at his desk looking tired. "What's de fuss?" Henri asked.

"Josette came home an' decided to talk to Remy," Jean-Luc sighed. "Dey been screamin' at each other for neigh on two hours now."

"Why didn't yo' break dem up?" Henri asked.

"I t'ought if dey get it out of deir systems den mebbe dey learn to deal wid one 'nother widout me mediatin'." Jean-Luc replied. "Den I t'ought if one of dem would bring up a grievance or jus' be a little reasonable I could mediate, but dey haven't run out of names to call each other yet."

Henri listened more closely to the stream of invective for a moment and winced. "I had no idea Josy knew language like dat," he said.

"Yo' missed Remy's Aramaic rant awhile back," Jean-Luc said. "I wonder where he picked dat up, it was... creative."

"Mais at leas' dey're talkin' to each other, its more dan dey were doing before," Henri said.

"Yo'd t'ink dey would have hatin' Armand in common," Jean-Luc said. "But dey nevah even mention him."

Henri shrugged uncomfortably. "When dey get done, tell Remy he was pretty smooth tryin' to lift m' keys, but he's goin' to have to practice if he t'inks he's gettin' ahold of m' bike."

Jean-Luc's expression perked up. "How good is he?" he asked.

"He could make a livin'," Henri said. "Even outside of tourist season."

"Mebbe tellin' him won' be so bad," Jean-Luc said. "I was a bit worried, what wid findin' him livin' wid a bunch of would-be heroes."

"What does Lapin say?" Henri asked.

Jean-Luc's expression darkened. "I t'ink dat boy is getting' carried 'way. He ain't sure yet. I tol' him take Remy one somet'ing dat could look like a High School prank if he reacts bad, not to break into Fort Knox, but de 'mount of plannin' suggests de later."

Henri shrugged. "Remy might be nervous, pickin' pockets ain't de same as breakin' an' enterin', an' his new friends might of been puttin' ideas in his head 'bout dis stuff bein' wrong or somet'ing."

"Can't 'magine why dey might t'ink dat," Jean-Luc said wryly. "But knowin' Lapin I got m' concerns. De boy's a good 'nough t'ief but he ain't got a bit of common sense."

A particularly loud and inarticulate screech rent the air followed by the sound of a door being jerked open and violently slammed. Jean-Luc and Henri came out in the hall to see Remy open the door again and lean nonchalantly against the frame, smirking as he watched Josette storm up the stairs and slam her bedroom door behind her.

"I win," he said, sounding satisfied.

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

Belle breezed into the warm aromatic house, brushing aside a bundle of herbs hung in the doorway to dry. "Bon Martin, Tante Mattie, Hey Delores yo' learning' anyt'ing femme?"

Mattie rapped the blond girl's knuckles sharply. Belle jerked her hand back with an injured yelp. "What'd yo' do dat for?" Belle demanded.

"Dis game yo' playin' wid Remy. Cut it out! He don' understand de stakes," Mattie snapped.

"Come on Tante," Belle cajoled "What girl doesn' want to play Romeo an' Juliet?"

"Mos' don' have de families to make it real," Mattie said disapprovingly. "Yo're playin' wid dat boy's life."

" 'M an Assassin," Belle replied. "What other stakes are wort' playin' for? 'Sides I did warn him."

"Yo' tol' him dat your daddy, not to mention de bettah part of your family be world class assassins an' yourself in trainin' to become de same?" Mattie asked. "Don' try to lie to your Tante."

"I did tell him dat m' daddy would kill him," Belle protested.

"An' a normal person goin' to believe dat literally?" Mattie snorted. "Yo' back off 'fore de boy gets hurt. Do yo' hear me girl?"

"I hear yo'," Belle said sulkily. "Come on 'Lores, lets go get lunch. Not like it's any fun here today."

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

"Henri's goin' to offer me some pointers on liftin' stuff," Remy muttered softly, picking through the bundle of wire that led to the motorcycle's starter. He quickly crossed two and then blinked at the bike in disbelief when it failed to start.

A few moments examination revealed the problem. "Dat connard took de spark plugs," Remy exclaimed.

He glanced around the garage, spotting Josette's car then smiling, he popped the hood. Shortly there after he returned to the bike tossing a couple of liberated spark plugs from hand to hand.

From his office window Jean-Luc watched the bike's tail lights disappear into the night, a fond smile on his face. He would have been less pleased if he'd known Remy's destination.

Remy stopped the bike outside of the wall surrounding Belle's home, a few moments later the blonde Assassin girl dropped soundlessly beside him.

"Yo're late," she said.

"Henri decided to be clevah," Remy said. "Only cost me a few minutes."

"He's protective of de bike," Belle said, climbing on behind Remy. " 'M impressed dat yo' got it at all."

"Den don' complain 'bout me bein' late chere," Remy replied. "Don' worry, we'll still make your movie."

"But I like de previews," Belle pouted. "Yo' good 'nough driver for a bit of a short cut?"

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

Josette woke up as a flash of light filled her room. One hand slipped beneath her pillow as she blinked sleep out of her eyes.

"What would you give to have your wishes fulfilled?" Candra asked seating herself casually on Josette's dresser. "A chance to go back and do it all again?"

"All I have to do is betray mon frere," Josette said. "I don' give a tinker's damn 'bout de demon an' I wish I'd nevah met his pere, but yo' t'ink 'm goin' to hurt de one person who has a'ways tried to take care of me?"

"How much do you want your old life back?" Candra asked.

"Not dat much," Josette said drawing the gun from beneath her pillow and firing.

The bullet hovered in the air between them, then reversed it's path. Jean-Luc arrived moments later to find Josette bleeding on the floor.

"I can't kill you," Candra said. "Your people would never obey me again if I did, but Josette's been gone for too long, and quite frankly she's a pain in the butt. She left in defiance of me. Except for you, no one will miss her, not even her son. Speaking of him, Remy hasn't been around long enough to form any strong ties to the Guild. You've got three days to break your alliance with the Assassins and submit to our old arrangement."

"Get out of m' home," Jean-Luc said threateningly.

"Until later," Candra said. "Good luck saving your little hostage to fortune. I mean if she makes it who knows what I'll do to her next time."

Jean-Luc ignored Candra's flashy exit, grabbing a sheet off the bed and using it to staunch Josette's wound.

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

"I ain't ready to go home yet," Belle yelled in Remy's ear, trying to be heard over the motorcycle's engine.

"Where to?" Remy asked letting the wind carry his voice back to her.

Belle pointed to a side road, they were coming up on fast, then shrieked with delight as she helped Remy lean into the curve. If they hadn't known it already their wild trip to make it to the theatre on time would have confirmed a mutual love of adrenaline.

Several more sharp turns and Remy found himself racing across the long bridge out of the city.

"Stop de bike!" Belle yelled. As soon as the bike skidded to a halt Belle swung herself off it and started undressing.

"What are yo' doin'?" Remy asked.

"Don' get left behind," Belle said with a challenging look as she stuffed her shirt in one of the bike's saddlebags.

Remy shook his head, his expression one of admiring disbelief and hurried to catch up.

Remy had just started unlacing his boots when Belle climbed up on the railing and jumped. A loud splash followed. "Come on, de water's nice," Belle hollered.

Remy vaulted over the railing, twisting smoothly in mid-air to break the water cleanly. He resurfaced a few moments later, shaking silt laddened water out of his hair.

Belle's slender hands clamped on his shoulders pushing him back under. Remy caught her wrists and pulled her down with him. Both were laughing like children when they came up for air.

Home

Next

Please Send Feedback