Dangerous Possibilities

Liquid burbled and flowed past as Xavier made his way through the tunnels. The smell caused him to gag half of the time, but he was getting used to the horrid odor of the sewers the longer that he had to traverse them. 'This is just revenge for never getting my father a Christmas gift.' he inwardly grumbled as his feet splashed in something foul. Rolling his eyes, he turned the corner to see the glow in the distance. 'Ugh! I hate coming here!' It took only a minute for him to reach the hole in the tunnel, the sight in the rounded room causing his stomach to twist into knots worse than what the stench was doing.

Xavier stood at the entrance of the Alchemist's sanctum. Human cadavers were everywhere; either on a table, or hanging from hooks on a wall, their blood and bodily fluids drained. The room smelled of mold, a sharp acidic scent he couldn't place, and yet it managed to push away the godawful stench of the sewers behind him. Looking around the lab, he didn't want to know what horrible things were in those filled glass jars on her shelves, or why the abdominal cavities and skulls were cut open. He really didn't want to know any of that. On the walls, etchings and sketches of everything from the skeletal structure to the musculature, placement of the organs, and images of specific body parts were so exact to include the striations of said muscles.

Even with the creepy atmosphere, the place was well organized and relatively clean with an abundance of tables, cabinets and small chests filled with ingredients around the area. Upon taking a single step into the Alchemist's lab, he saw the woman in the corner, using a mortar and pestle to grind up one of her ingredients for one of her many potions, and concoctions. There were times that he wished he could sneak up behind the woman, wrap his arms around her head, and twist until he felt her vertebrae snap, but there were two things wrong with that particular thought. The first was that he and his father needed her creating those concoctions, the second was that as he took a second step inside she spoke. "I was wondering when you would be back, Xavier."

'Damn it all!' he shivered involuntarily. 'How the hell did she know I was here?'

Setting her utensils down, she turned around, keeping her small hand mirror slightly hidden from the younger man. Her purple hair was spiked to the side while a pair of goggles with a leather strap wrapped around her head, in order to keep them on. A pair of leather gloves covered her slender hands and arms up to her elbow, while a leather apron covered much of her front, a few splotches of colored liquid on the top and near her waist. Aside from that, she wore a loose fitting purple blouse, and a pair of dark brown breeches, a pair of black boots completing her outfit. "Come. Come. I have the next batch of "Servile" for your father, and have already received word my next shipment of ingredients have arrived from La Rochelle."

He watched as she removed her gloves, dropping them on a side table. Afterward, she pulled up her goggles, so that a pair of deep blue eyes stared back at him. "One of the pouches was lost." he admitted as he approached where she was heading. She had just picked up a small box roughly six inches long, four inches wide, and four inches deep while its top was open. Inside he could see more than a dozen vials, each one with that same light purple liquid.

Those blue eyes narrowed. "How many vials?"

"Four."

"A full pouch? That's not good. At least tell me they were lost in Rossi's domain so we can at least recover some of them." she urged.

Looking at the woman, he gave a non-committal shrug. "They were lost... in Agreste's district."

The look on her face caused him to take a step back."Shit!" Sasha looked around at her lab. "I need you to tell your father I may have to relocate... again..." Her hand curled into a fist, clenching it hard. "I'm starting to detest this arrangement as of late." She then glared at him. "What amoeba brain lost those vials?!" At the sight of Xavier's scowl, she had her answer. 'Of course... why am I not surprised? Hopefully he learns from this experience.' She saw the defiance on his face. 'Or he could just be an arrogant ass, and continue to be an accomplished screw up!'

"It doesn't matter. Now, listen." Xavier looked around. "We'll get you set up next week. My father had me scout out a place after the last time, just in case something unexpected happened, and I'll tell you right now that very thing did happen. Paris has a couple of traveling warriors, one who can extend his staff out at least twenty feet, and took down two of my men in less time than it took for me to tell you."

Narrowing her eyes, Sasha shook her head. "Do I look like an idiot?" she asked. "We don't have the necessary level of technology to create a staff that's capable of doing that... and I don't believe in magic, so..."

"Regardless, that's how he took out two of my men." Crossing his arms, he leaned against the wall. "They managed to kidnap a girl for me, but... he stole my prize."

"Your failure is inconsequential, that you lost the vials isn't." Turning to look at her concoction, she grimaced. "I'll need to get my shipment tomorrow night rather than at the end of the week." Rubbing at the bridge of her nose, she gave a groan of disapproval. "In the meantime, you and your father are going to need to pay extra for this problem."

"How?" Xavier blinked at the woman.

Bringing her hand up, she rubbed at her rounded chin. "I'm going to need two new test subjects to try my newest batch of "Servile" on. Female. Strong and healthy." She then narrowed her eyes at the young man. "Can you handle that, or should I ask a trained monkey instead?"

Xavier growled, taking the box of vials, glaring at her. "You'll get your subjects."

"Good." she then pulled a needle out from behind her back, jabbing it into his arm. "Now for your personal punishment." From that point forth, Xavier's mind went blank. This was the second reason why he hated to see Sasha Mendeleiev. There were times when he lost hours of his life, only to find his mind coming back with him slumped against a side passage wall close to the exit he used to leave. He didn't know what she did with him once he lost all focus, but he was sure he didn't want to know. Either way, he picked himself up, and proceeded to stagger into the light, his head pounding from the use of the "Servile".

'I hate that cow, although I'm glad I don't remember anything that happens!' Rubbing at his head, he groaned. 'She says the girls see, hear, and feel everything, but don't have the ability to refuse an order, which would've been perfect for that little baker girl.' Another spike of frustration caused his jaw to clench at the loss of two men, and his prize, before he started to ascend the ladder. "Later... I'll get her, and when I do, she'll be the crown jewel in my own harem."

oOo

At the cathedral of Notre Dame, it took longer for Ladybird Beetle to ascend the towers than her partner, and yet she still managed to get there first after her meeting. When she heard the sound of Black Cat landing behind her, she turned to regard him. Although her news wasn't good, the look on his face told her his might be far more critical. "I've spoken with the militia guardsmen, and we have our work cut out for us." he stated with a scowl.

"Tell me everything you know." she offered, hoping that him going first might shed some light on some of her information. What she didn't expect was a verbal diatribe that confirmed much of what she already heard about, outside of the Alchemist's crimes and potentially long stay within the town's prison. At the mention of some of her crimes, Ladybird Beetle's blood ran cold, as if someone had pumped ice water into her veins. Initially, she thought his pale complexion was just from the scant moonlight that filtered out through the clouds, but when she felt the color drain from her face, she understood everything. "Okay... I don't need to know much more..." she countered, feeling queasy.

Black Cat nodded. "Thankfully, they've put in a request for an interview with the Alchemist... but it could take days."

'Could it be possible they don't know?'

He must have noticed the look on her face because his eyes grew concerned. "What's wrong?" Over the course of several minutes, she relayed every bit of information she had gleaned from Anarka about the shipments, surmising that she may have escaped prison, and how difficult it could be to find her.

"Clearly the only chance we'll have of finding this Alchemist is if we stake out Anarka's place, to catch the courier."

"What if the courier manages to lose us?" Black Cat asked.

"How good is your night vision?"

Looking around, he noticed that with only a quarter moon, and the stars, nearly covered by half of the sky filled with clouds that he could see as clear as a summer's day, he smiled at her. "Better than good. I can see as clearly as if it were mid-day. Why?"

"Most people aren't that gifted." Ladybird Beetle smiled at him. "You will be our last resort, and with your ability to leap across rooftops, you can span this town in a matter of minutes. Just as long as you keep your eyes opened, and your mind focused on the courier, we should manage to find the Alchemist."

Nodding, he smiled back. "Alright. I guess the only thing to do is wait for the courier, and make sure not to lose them as they lead us to this Alchemist person." Black Cat sighed as his gaze took his attention across the river. She could tell that he was looking at her parent's bakery, his eyes narrowing at the sight of people wandering the streets.

"Should we patrol?" Ladybird Beetle suggested. "We could see if there are others in trouble to help." That brought Cat's eyes back to her, and he nodded stiffly.

"I'm still worried about the young woman that was nearly kidnapped last night."

A small smile spread her lips. "Don't worry," she soothed, "I'm sure she's alright. Besides, if her father's size is to be believed, I'm pretty sure anyone attempting to hurt her will be taken care of in short order." Deep down, she knew her father was a big cuddle bug, a man with the size and strength, but not the heart to use them to hurt others willingly.

Black Cat seemed to regard what he knew of her family, and nodded. "I have seen him, and yet I feel her mother might be the more deadly of the pair."

'How can he tell that?' She blinked at Black Cat. "What makes you say such a thing?"

"Four reasons." he explained, "The first is that a mother's protective instinct can override anything. Second, the way that she regards her customers. I've seen her kindness, but when her daughter goes to give a hug, or hand over their food, her eyes are sharp and her hands move ever so slightly as if ready to lunge like a tigress about to protect her cub. Third, it's always better to err on the side of caution, just in case your instincts are correct." He seemed to stop the conversation there.

"You said "four reasons", what's the fourth?" she asked.

"The fourth is something intangible, but because I'm a warrior." he reasoned. "I can practically feel her aura... that of protectiveness and violence waiting to be unleashed given the right conditions." His eyes narrowed. "Although I wouldn't want to face off against her father, it's her mother I truly fear."

Marinette had never heard someone talk about her mother in that manner, and she wondered if she should feel honored, worried, or foolish not to have seen it herself. "That's... interesting."

She watched him turn away from the bakery. "I'll head East, see what I can see, and then head South." Black Cat offered.

"Understood. I'll head West and North. Afterward, let's just head home so we can get some rest? I know I have to be up early tomorrow." Part of her wanted to visit her beloved's room, but she knew it wasn't permitted as the pair leaped off of the cathedral. Luckily, and yet unluckily, the pair never saw the young man in the hooded cloak come out from around the bakery, having failed to find his quarry. Xavier leaving after failing to find Marinette, was the only thing that kept him from getting caught.

It was minutes later that Marinette returned to her room, the sounds of her parents soft snores filtering in through the doorway. A smile creased her lips as she removed her bodice and dress, only to slip into a sleeping chemise. She had barely slipped into bed when the tell-tale sound of someone landing outside caused her to sit up. The sight of Black Cat caused her to smile, then bite her lower lip. 'I guess it's now or never...' she slipped out of bed, feeling guilt eating at her very soul. "Black Cat?" her voice was soft as he leaned into her window.

"Hello, lovely lady. Are you doing alright this evening?" a blush flowed across her cheeks, causing her freckles to stand out more.

Worrying her lower lip with her teeth, she nodded. "I... Black Cat, I'm sorry..."

Cocking his head to the side, he blinked. "What do you have to apologize for, milady?"

"I... I promised that I wanted to take things slow because my heart was conflicted, but... today I was visited by Baron Agreste, and he..." Reaching up, she touched her overheated cheeks, "his words were so passionate, so romantic that I felt my heart might burst if I let him continue to talk... so I... I kissed him..." She couldn't even look at Black Cat, "I'm sorry. I feel like I betrayed you, and I... I didn't mean to..."

Reaching out, he lightly caressed her cheek when her hands dropped to clutch at each other, while tears glistened in her eyes. That brought her head up to look into his green eyes. "You didn't promise me anything, milady, only an option." The sight of his small smile caused her to breath to hitch.

"But..."

Shaking his head, he smiled. "Are you happy?"

"More than happy!" She smiled, nuzzling against his palm, her hand coming up to caress the back of his. "I feel like I could fly if it wasn't for my home keeping me here."

"Then be happy, Marinette, and I'll be happy for you." Leaning in, he lightly kissed her forehead. His lips didn't linger, but he did press his forehead against hers. "You deserve to be happy, and I will make sure nobody disrupts that as long as I live."

Reaching up, she wiped away the moisture in her eyes. "Thank you, Cat. I don't know what I would do if you hated me for potentially leading you on..."

Black Cat shook his head with a Cheshire grin. "I could never hate you, Marinette." Retracting his arm, he gave her a gracious bow. "Sleep well, dear lady, and I shall see you each chance I get."

She watched him go, her bluebell eyes smiling along with the rest of her face. "Good night, my kitty."