December Desolation Chapter 38

"Ah Athos, how nice of you to finally join us. I was beginning to wonder if we would have to start the party without you, but we could not have you missing all the fun. Poor Aramis here cannot cope with all the excitement, I mean look at him, he is practically dead on his feet"

No one but the deranged nobleman laughed at his sadistic and extremely weak attempt at a pun, merely serving to infuriate Porthos even more and set Athos' teeth on edge. The fact that there was no answering snark from Aramis just reinforced the anger rushing through their veins, set to erupt like boiling lava from a volcano and destroy everything in its path. Preferably the smug idiot.

"End this nonsense, you will not live but at least your death will be with honour and I shall be more lenient with your punishment. Or continue with this folly and regret the day you were born" Athos' tone was so sharp it could almost cut

"Oh Athos, now now now" the man shook his head in exasperation "you know me well enough to know that is not how it goes."

"I do know you indeed Francois Acy, or should I say Alec Albert." His tone was measured and even, a far cry from the fury in Porthos' body language.

"Ah, I had wondered how long it would take you to figure that old chestnut out." The young man laughed with delight, "My father spoke about you all the time Athos, so when I was given the opportunity to join the Musketeers, I leapt at the chance. Meeting the great Olivier De La Fere, how could I resist"

"I wasn't aware that your father thought so highly of me, the last I knew he would have seen me dead for rejecting your dear sister"

"Oh yes, he was fuming for a very long time but he also admired your gumption, no one has dared to defy him in such a manner before. You became an object of fascination for him, an obsession." Alec spat with no small amount of bitter feeling.

"What has this got to do with Aramis?" Porthos cried, "I can understand a vendetta against Athos if your father obsessed over him and not you but why drag us into this?"

"Well you see, that would be my partner Frederic's input." The noble began, pacing back and forth before his four captives, gesturing towards another young man who stepped forward from the shadows where he had been lurking silently. "Besides, what better way to hurt this seemingly invulnerable man than target his beloved brothers?"

"I could think of a few" D'artagnan murmured in exasperation.

"Enough with this chit chat!" Frederic screamed pounding his fists in the air, "I want to destroy him!"

"Not on my watch" Porthos roared back, struggling once more against his bonds.

"Oh calm down you brute" Alec sighed, "there is not really much you could do about it in your position now is there" he cast a cursory eye up and down Porthos suggestively "Frederic won't touch your precious little Aramis until I tell him to, ergo, keep me happy and your brother will live" he smiled sweetly.

"And how exactly do we achieve that?" Athos asked, aware of the fact that they held none of the power in this situation, therefore the best way to ensure survival was to comply with the crazy man's demands.

"You hand yourself over to me, without protest or resistance, for me to do with you whatever I wish."

"Agreed"

"What Athos no!" three voices cried simultaneously.

"I was not expecting this to be so simple" Alec murmured bemused, "I at least thought there would be some resistance, some swordage, a few tears maybe more"

"Athos" Aramis cried weakly, managing to raise his head and fix his gaze with Athos' blue, "I am not worth it, don't ruin your life for my sake."

"It is my life and I shall do with it what I wish my friend" Athos responded gently, taking a step forward in surrender.

Suddenly Athos had his sword in his hand and had separated a man's head from his body, pressing the point to Alec's jugular.

"No one, and I mean no one… hurts my friends" he whispered menacingly in the other man's ear.

Alec shivered at the hot breath on his ear, and the manic glint in the steely blue eyes of his opponent.

The battle was on.

A/N: Sorry for the really short chapter and so much dialogue! I don't know when the next update will be as I am getting ready for Uni but hopefully you guys won't have to wait too long!