Chapter 3
My uniform had a full face mask that matched the black and navy body suit. The nave ascents where keenly placed and made me look good. The stealth abilities honed into my mind from childhood coupled with the suits technology made it so that I was undetectable to most security personnel and electronic devices. The visual dampeners in it were unparalleled even among the guild. Once I was suited up and stashed my pair of tonfa along my belt I was ready to head out.
I snuck out of the bathroom into the air vents that went through the house for training purposes. The ducts were all of the size of corporate buildings or military installations. I always enjoyed going through them once I was in uniform. I had an alternative motive for taking the vents besides the fun of it though; Jean-Luc was meeting with a delegation of rippers. I found my father waiting for me in the backyard.
Once I got to the backyard my father was there with a boat tied off at the pier. I boarded the boat quickly followed by my father we cast off silently. My father started to brief me as we went. "As you know tonight will be an official test and it will require you to get into the most dangerous house for you to break into in the city." He explained to me patiently. I nodded my understanding but I knew not to speak during a briefing from a master even one with as poor standing as Remy LeBeau. "Your target will be the knife of the heiress of the Assassin's guild. It is located in the safe off the study behind the desk of the guild leader. You only have three hours from the time I drop you off to be back in the boat." He continued to tell me about the mission as I rechecked my equipment for a silent stealthy break in and get out safely.
We stopped a little over a mile away from the seat of the Assassin Guild. "I will be back within two hours so relax and keep the engine primed." I said calmly. I hopped from one branch to another quickly and quietly moving without being seen or heard was something I prided myself on. I was at the house within thirty minutes of leaving the boat. I quickly climbed the side of the house to the only window without a lock it was an oversight by the family that owned the house. Over the years I have made use of this window to torment Belladonna's daughter. The security here had become lax and I exploited it often. I mean to me they may have rolled out the welcome mat as if they wanted me to come in and take the things they owned. Before tonight I never took anything from them because it was one of the rules set down in the peace treaty that I agreed with. Thieves will not steal from assassins as long as assassins do not kill thieves. It was an arrangement that suited my taste just fine especially with a certain cosmic being that wanted me as the next head of the thieves' guild since my father could no longer fill the role. I focused on my task and climbed into the house. I knew that this was one of the rooms with no security and that there were no cameras in the house because they required people to watch and could not be automated. I was thankful that the new suits that absorbed thermal and audio signals. It was perfect for beating motion and thermal detectors something that made every thief worth their snuff happy but also board out of their minds on heists. It took a ton of skill out of the art of thieving.
I used the suit to climb the walls and crawl along the roof. Avoiding the patrols was simple as stopping and controlling my breathing while I went. I was fully alert and on guard. I would not let my mind wander from my task at hand. My target for breaking in here was on the ground floor I knew how to handle the situation. I used the walls and roof to slowly climb around the mansion. It was a simple matter to get close to my target. From my previous escapades here I knew that the new renovations to this place meant more floor sensors than I wanted to deal with. Using the tried and true minimum three points' method to move along the walls roof and rails of the staircase I made it to the door of the office that housed the vault inside. I checked for light coming from inside the study upon seeing none I opened the door. I was thankful that it had been cleaning day and the hinges made no noise at all.
My picks were faster than anyone else in the guild to the leader's knowledge. My quick scan of the room revealed a little girl about my age sleeping on the couch in front of the master assassin's desk. I had to resist the urge to laugh as I was going to steal her mother's knife from right under her nose. I went to the picture that hid the vault door and released it to swing open reveling the easiest door in the house for me to crack. All new vaults that are produced are embedded with a secret code that opens the door but left the other security on. My full eight digit birthday opened the door every time and it left only the trace of a normal opening. I knew full well the pattern that the laser grid would be displaying. It was quite useful that a member of the family was in charge of making the programming for the high-end safes. He never made it too easy for us but he did save time for us. The fact that it never made sound when it opened was helpful in keeping the annoyance from waking up. I squirmed and flipped through the prism of lasers in the vault landing lightly in front of my target an ornate display case. The little lock gave me no trouble at all. I was watching for any extra traps or sensors as I opened the case. I removed the knife along with the Assassin Guild history book. I made sure the jack of diamonds, my own personal thieving mark, took the place of the knife I stole along with an expense report for the book.
Jean-Luc always wanted more information on the history especially if it related to the guilds. This book in particular was one that he had never been able to see. Both he and I loved history books so when I did a job I would keep an eye out for them. I silently ghosted my way back out of the vault relocking it as if it has never been opened tonight. I noticed that the annoyance actually looked peaceful and almost angelic. Grabbing a blanket I tucked in the little terror before I left the mansion the same way I came in. "Sleep well petite princesse mignonne démon." I made my way back to the extraction point. I silently climbed into the boat where the lazy fool waited for me playing solitaire of all things. "Oui, old man can you get dis boat on de move so dat I can get some sleep sometime before I have to make my way with you to the frozen wastes of the north." I said as I sat down on the bench of the skiff without making any other noise.
He looked up letting out a sigh as he picked up his cards. "You got it?" He asked as he tapped out the ash from his cigarette on the side of the boat.
I scowled at him even deeper. "I am considering giving it to de patriarch bloody if you don't hurry up you may end up seeing another boat man yourself pops, so to avoid that fate let's get going." I hissed becoming increasingly angry with the man whose seed brought me into this world. He made his way back to the helm of the boat before he started to steer the craft back to the LeBeau estate and the future of cold in the north with my strange family. We arrived back at the guild seat fairly quickly. I took off right away headed straight for the office of Jean-Luc to give my report and then get to bed. As I neared the door Henri was coming out of the study he stopped and motioned me to wait before he went back into le bureau du grand-père. My formerly absentee father came up and stood beside me as we waited to be called in to see the head of the Thieves' guild. It was only moments before Henri came out and waved us into the study.
I of course was the only one in the room who had not yet received their master's mark and as such was required to bow and wait for a signal from the patriarch before I could rise. I did as was customary for all thieves and those that had not yet been recognized as a member of a guild. My father merely nodded to his father seeing as even though he was officially not allowed on guild sanctioned jobs he was still a master thief. A frown adorned the leader's face as he addressed his son. "I see you have finally met our rising star in the family, Rems." I instinctually stiffened up upon hearing the firm yet casual tone of me grandfather.
"Oui, it only took him twenty minutes for him to get in and get out of the place. He was completely undetected by anyone else leaving no trace." The devil explained to his father in a monotone voice.
He nodded and sat back. "Very well then has everything been packed for your trip?" The old man asked the devil making me cringe as I remained bowed.
"Oui, everything is in de car but de boy's suit and a change of clothes." The Cajun Casanova replied casually to our guild master.
"That is good to hear once we are finished with the ceremony here take it and pack it away in the car that will take you to the airport. The jet will be standing by in the morning to take you out of the city." Jean-Luc explained to his son before he turned to me and his tone lightens considerably. "You who would claim to be a thief rise and show me what you have brought to display your skill and mastery." The head of the guild of thieves declared in a light yet formal tone. I rose from my bow before approaching the desk.
I set both the tome and the blade that I had pilfered from the Assassin's stronghold onto the dark polished wood surface. I come to you with the knife of the Assassin princess as requested but this book of the history and prophecies of the assassin's guild. Both items come from their vault inside the guild seat of the assassins. The vault was located behind their patriarch's desk." I said in form with the rite of tilling.
A smile crossed my grandfather's face briefly before his expression returned to the formal facade that was required for the time being. "Who told you to take such a tome?" He asked once his mask of leadership was in place.
"No one ordered me to remove it from their keeping. I desired to gleam knowledge from it and felt that you the head of all thieves would appreciate the gesture and enjoy perusing its pages." I defended myself in a formal manner. "As is custom I left an invoice for the item not requested by a client and made certain my own mark was left for the item that I was sent in for along with advice on upgrading their security."
Both of Jean-Luc's sons chuckled at my response. They were silenced with one look from their father though. "You have performed well and are hereby recognized as an official member of the guild of thieves. Moreover in recognition for your constant performance and skills I award you the rank of Master thief. Remove your shirt and be prepared to receive your reward." I did as he instructed me to do and unzipped my uniform revealing my bare chest. Jean-Luc approached me with my own mark on a branding iron with a razor edge and silver coating that was garneted to leave the mark on my skin permanently marking me as a master thief. The brand was a J beside a fleur de lis inside and a diamond. "You must remember to keep your skills sharp and stay in touch with the guild. The New York chapter will be expecting you to make contact with them shortly after you arrive seeing as how every master should be polite enough to say hello to their host upon arrival." I nodded my acceptance of the leader's statement as I did not yet trust myself to speak from the searing pain that still resided on the left side of my chest just above my heart.
My father had to ruin the moment by interrupting. "He will be too busy to perform anymore jobs since he still needs to learn to control his gifts." My anger flared up surpassing the pain I felt.
Raged freed my tongue to speak. "I will seek him out shortly after I arrive in his jurisdiction." I spoke calmly to Jean-Luc preventing an argument from elevating between all of us I continued to speak. "Now Master LeBeau may I be excused, I require some rest before my journey with the outcast to see his home and learn what others may teach me." I somehow kept the pain out of my voice as I spoke.
Jean-Luc waved me out of his office. I quickly left but lingered at the door long enough to hear my father being addressed by the leader of all thieves. "The council has agreed with your request and will allow you to take both of your children north to be trained in the use of their powers. Leonie's training will be postponed indefinitely until she has control then she will have the choice of remaining on her path to become an assassin or she may turn and become a thief as her brother is. His path however is already set before him. Virgil shall continue to be viewed and honored as a master thief because that is what he wishes." Jean-Luc explained to both his sons.
My father's reply was firm. "I will help them both and show them that there is life beyond the guilds."
"You may show them that but to keep the peace they are to at the very least be trained and become members of a guild that will satisfy the council. If they choose to they will never have to perform any work for any guild once they are both members." My uncle explained as they neared the door I took off silently making my way up to my room and changed into the traveling clothes set out for me after bandaging my chest then I fell into bed and proceeded to pass into the world of dreams.