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Sekhmet slipped into the apartment she shared with Marcus, sniffing the air cautiously. She couldn't tell if he was awake or not....
"Hello Sekhmet." Marcus said from behind her.
She jumped and turned to face him. "Hi, Marcus!" she smiled. "Where were you just now?" he inquired curiously. "I went out for a walk," she replied easily. "I see." He replied, smiling fangily. She reached up to caress his face, then she hugged him tightly, almost desperately. He hugged her back, a little confused at first. Sekhmet's grip only tightened as she hid her face in his shirt, inhaling his scent. If she makes me hurt you... I'd kill myself first!
he held her, concerned. "Is something wrong?"
"Don't let go? Please?"
He held her tighter. "Never."
Sekhmet pressed herself against him, scared at the choice she had just made. If it came down to her and Marcus... well, Marcus came first.
***
The Merovingian sat in his library, reading a paper from the nearest town casually.
Rafe slipped inside, hunting for Molly. He wanted her protected as soon as possible. The Merovingian spoke without looking up. "I trust ze Oracle told you some good news?" Rafe jumped and gulped. Of course, he'd expected that the Merovingian would find out, just... not this quickly. "Umm..."
"You can tell me, of course." He stood. "Or, should I say, you 'ave to tell me."
Rafe nodded. "I did it for Molly," he said quietly.
"And what, exactly did you do for Molly?"
"I discovered a way to protect her from Agent possession."
"Which is?"
Rafe took the syringe from his pocket. "The Alchemist gave it to me. He said it would scramble her code enough to make it null against agents... but...."
"But?"
Rafe sighed. "He said it would make it impossible for her to ever leave the Matrix; but more importantly, there's a chance it could hurt her."
"but more importantly, who is ze boss of Hippocrates ze Alchemist?"
"You...."
"Zen, I wonder...who could you 'ave gone to in place of ze Oracle for such a treatment?"
Rafe winced. He really hadn't thought this one out.
"I would dock your pay....but was your payment not a certain little girl?"
The angel's eyes widened as he looked up at the Merovingian, shock and what could have been fear on his face. "zo then tell me, Rafael...what do you think your punishment should be?" The angel swallowed, mind racing for an option that didn't involve Molly.
"I'm waiting."
Rafe thought, starting to sweat a bit. Sure, now his mind failed him.
The Merovingian stood, smiling as he put his paper on the table. He started to leave the room, putting his hand on Rafe's shoulder. "You have one day to think of an appropriate punishment. Then, I zink of one for you." The frenchman then left the room, and Rafe collapsed into a chair. Fuck.
***
Red leaned back in the operator's chair, thinking that he had been an idiot to take first shift on screening for a phone call. There was nothing to do but look at the Matrix code and sing, and he'd been forbidden from singing because he always did so loudly. Defiantly, he hummed The Fields of Athenry.
Suddenly, there was a ringing noise.
Startled, he nearly fell out of the chair but recovered himself and flipped the proper switch. "Substitute Op'rator."
"'Ello, Poitin."
Startled both by the voice and the use of his actual alias, Red actually did fall out of the chair this time. Ignoring that blow to his dignity, he rallied himself and demanded, "Is Angel all right!?"
"For ze moment."
That sounded ominous. "What is it ya want?"
"I think you know."
"Marcus an' his kitty."
"Yes."
Red scowled; he was no negotiator. If he didn't know better, he'd say that Merv had planned the timing of his call. "I'm s'posed t' ask 'when an' where,' right?"
"And I am suppos'd to say, "ze restaurant, 9 p. m. No weapons."
"Okay. I'm gonna assume that means with th' runaways, aye?"
"Oui."
Red ran a large hand through his hair. "Anythin' else?"
"Yes. Do not think about bringing reinforcements."
Too late. Ah, well. Rules that out. "Well, I'll try t' be punctual. Might be a bit on th' hard side, though, seein' as they're both of 'em programs and I'm jus' a human."
"I'm sure you'll figure something out." Click.
"Fuck," Red commented to the empty air, then raised his voice. "Oi, Poni!" he called. "What is it?" She called from down the hall. "Frenchie called with 'is terms," he replied. Poni walked casually into the room. "Meeting at the restaurant, around nine-ish, one person, right?" She smirked.
"And weaponless. Hacking the transmission, Cap'n?"
"Not at all." Poni said with a smile. "First rule of warfare, Red--know your enemy."
Red blinked. "I'm missing somethin', ain't I?"
"It's a lot harder for people to shoot up a fancy restaurant in the middle of business hours than it is to shoot up, say Club Hel." Poni replied matter-o-factly. "In the club, you kin easily assume everyone's against ya... in the restaurant, there's not tellin'."
"True. Wasn't in the Matrix long enough t' get a real job, so I dunno about business hours."
"And his little assumption's gonna be his downfall." Poni smirked. "Get evry'one ready and call the escapees. I'll tell you my plan once we've contacted them."
Red was uncertain, but he trusted his captain. "I'm on it," he said, rising from the operator's chair and heading for Pyre's room.
Sekhmet blinked as the cell phone on the table rang. "Marcus, who has this number?" she asked. "The rebels, I believe."
Sekhmet picked it up... then handed it to Marcus. "I don't trust myself," she said with a weak smile. "Hello?" Marcus asked.
"Oy, vamp," came Red's unmistakeable accent. "Poni's havin' me make this call to ask a favour."
"What sort of favour?"
"Um, due to minor Agent intervention, Angel got hisself captured by Merv. Merv wants you in exchange for him, but Poni's got some sort of plan she won't tell me 'til I've contacted you."
"Hmm....what should we do?"
"Gimme a sec... Oi, Poni? What th' hell am I s'posed t' tell 'em?"
"Tell 'em not to tell Sekhmet a thing, and keep her constantly in the house all day. Don't let her near any phones, cellular or otherwise."
Red repeated the message, along with an apology. "It is alright." Marcus responded. "I'm honoured to repay my debt."
"All right, then... this'll come out okay. Hopefully."
"Fare well, Red. I wish you the best of luck."
"Thanks. See ya later."
Red sighed as he hung up. "Now what, O Mighty Leader?" he asked, a shadow of a grin on his face. He was scared. "Now, all my years of drama school pay off. Get Salvo, we've got alot of work to do and not much time to do it in."
He nodded, running off to grab their operator.
It had been nearly twenty-four hours. Rafe couldn't think of anything suitable for punishment that didn't involve Molly. He smiled at the child, who had settled down with a book after playing with Cain and Abel for hours.
"Zey are zo cute when zey are young, are zey not?" came a French voice behind him.
Rafe nodded, rising and turning to face the Frenchman wearily.
"Ave you found out a punishment?"
He looked at Molly, but she was hyper-focused on her book, then shook his head. "Truthfully, I can't think of any punishment worse than the loss of my wings that does not involve Molly in some way..." He turned his eyes on the Frenchman. "All I ask is that you not harm Molly to punish me."
"Ze twins have been failing badly lately. You are to inform zem, in person, that they are receiving a 50% pay cut and are not to leave ze château under any circumstances."
The looks on Rafe's face flickered between 'you have got to be joking' and 'oh, dear Source, I am going to die.' However, pale as he was, he nodded his assent.
"Unless you 'ave a better idea for punishment?"
Rafe's brain worked rapidly, then he remembered the rebel in the basement. "There's always making me guard that winged kid," he said softly, his jealousy undisguised. The Merovingian thought about this a moment. "Keep going."
"I was mainly thinking about the angst it will undoubtedly bring out in me. I lose my wings, this kid GETS them from the bas-- idiot who took mine."
"'Ow much of your pay are you willing to part with?"
"Everything I won't need for her," he nodded to Molly.
"Well, considering she is given all necessities on the house, you will be working pro bono."
"I figured."
The Merovingian started to leave the room. "Now get to work, before I change my mind."
Rafe hastened to obey, pausing only to catch Molly's attention and let her know he was working now.