Evening My Lovelies
Sorry this is a little later than usual I kept rewriting sections hoping to improve how this turned out. As it stands I quite like it, hope you do to :D
On another note only need 2 more reviews to reach 700!
Notes On Reviews:
Deana: Thanks for the review - Glad you're excited :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Katie (Guest): Thanks for the review - I just wanted to say thank you again for the idea, I'm having so much fun working with it and I hope you like how its turning out. Enjoy the new chapter! x
pallysdeeks: Thanks for the review - Don't worry our rescue's coming though we have at least a chapter or two until our boys are safe again. Hope you like who it is and yet another great name :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
GoGirl212: Thanks for the review - Hopefully you didn't lose too much sleep worrying :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - Interesting ideas, read on to see if you're right. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Don't worry you'll find out right away who he's fighting, I wont keep you in suspense about that. Enjoy the new chapter! x
IsubiCraven: Thanks for the review - Glad you're excited :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
f1gymnast: Thanks for the review - Hmm is it bad that I'm a bit happy I was able to trick you? :) Interesting ideas as to who the 'champion' might be. Hope you like who it ends up being. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Maryg (Guest): Thanks for the review - Marshall quite the villain and it's probably bad that I'm enjoying writing him despite his short appearances. I'm glad you like the switching between our boys are we're sticking with that idea today and expect some whumpage! Remy and D'Art will briefly be showing up today. Enjoy the new chapter! x
WelshEssex (Guest): Thanks for the review - Don't worry too much as the rescue is on its way but yeah our boys are in for a spot of trouble before that happens. As for who our lovely medic will be fighting you'll be finding that out right away, I'm not going to keep you in suspense :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Issai: Thanks for the review - We'll be seeing who the opponent is right at the start of this one... Athos wont be watching the fight for reasons you'll see later on in the chapter. Glad you like the Porthos/Aramis moment. Enjoy the new chapter! x
MicheeO: Thanks for the reviews - (chapter49) So close to 700 reviews! Thanks for the cookie :D (chapter50) Oh you love the cliffys really. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Yay I'm really glad you liked Katie's idea too, I'm having so much fun writing it and am just hoping I can do it justice. The Aramis/Porthos moment was fun to write so I'm happy you enjoyed reading it. I'm looking forward to writing the next Aramis/D'Art moment which will be coming up soon. Should be good :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Cookies & Cream Cakes for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading
Love you all!
Enjoy!
xxx
Chapter Fifty-One: Fighting
Aramis stared wide-eyed at his opponent, his heart beating wildly in his chest as he took in the man before him. Blood stained almost as much of the man's skin as was covered in bruises and it near killed the musketeer to see his old friend in such a state.
"FAVIER!" exclaimed Aramis as he rushed forward, his medic instincts taking over when he saw how much pain his friend was in. So lost he was in his worry that he missed the look Marshall sent the injured musketeer until he saw Favier's expression harden as the man settled into a fighting stance.
"Favier?" he asked, confusion filling him as he took a couple of steps back. "What are you doing?"
Not able to look the man in the eye Favier glared hard at the ground, speaking through gritted teeth as he fought to contain his emotions. "What I have to do."
Aramis opened his mouth to question further when a voice he would very much like to silence permanently cut him off.
"Less talking and more fighting… Or did you forget our arrangement Favier?"
Aramis blinked, his eyes widening in surprise at Marshall's words as he stared hard at the other bloodied musketeer. "What is he talking about Favier?" he asked, his voice a mix of worry and anger and he couldn't help but hate himself for the anger, knowing just by looking at his friend that the man was not doing this willingly as self-disgust and hatred rolled off of the bloodied musketeer in waves.
Favier debated responding but then he noticed the cold hard look in Marshall's eyes and the image of his brother lying bloodied and beaten in his cell flashed across his mind. He had already been the reason for nearly all of his pain, he refused to be the cause of any more.
"Forgive me," he whispered before launching his exhausted body at the marksman.
Having not expected the attack Aramis had little time to block the array of blows the other musketeer was raining down on him and if it wasn't for the great sadness and defeat in the man's eyes he could have believed that Favier genuinely wanted to kill him.
"Why are you doing this!" he exclaimed, focusing on blocking instead of attacking at the moment, not wanting to further injure the injured man although it was becoming harder to do as his instinct fought to take over.
"I. Have. No. Choice," hissed Favier as he accentuated each word with a punch to Aramis's guard, doing his best to not think of all the history the two men shared.
"You always have a choice," snapped Aramis, throwing a punch of his own that knocked the wind out of the already weakened man and sent him stumbling back a few steps.
"…N…Not… this… time."
Aramis froze, his gaze locked onto the gasping man in front of him and then it clicked, why Favier was so willing to fight and follow the orders of a man he clearly despised.
"Favier," he said, his voice soft as he implored the man to look at him. "Favier," he tried again, concern filling him at the utterly lost and defeated look in the man's eyes.
"Favier, where's Issac?"
"Let me the hell outta here!" snarled Porthos as he pounded against the door to his cell. It was faint but he could hear the tell tale signs of the fight beginning and he hated knowing that Aramis was out there, fighting alone.
He had not missed the blood on his brother's bandage and knew that all it would take was one hit to tear the stitches and having him at risk of bleeding out again, something he strongly suspected their captors desperately wanted to see.
Despite knowing the chances of being let out were slim to none he had to try. It was killing him not to be by Aramis's side and so he was determined to do whatever he could to get there.
"LET. ME. OUT!"
After several long minutes Porthos's energy was spent and he sank to the ground. His head was still pounding from the hit he sustained when they were captured and now he his hands were bruised and bloody from pounding on the door.
HE strained his ears, trying to hear more of the fight, hoping that he might be able to gleam some sort of idea as to how Aramis was doing. From what he could pick out the fight was indeed still going on which meant his brother was still alive and that thought gave the man a small sense of comfort.
For the next few minutes he listened to the faint sounds of the fight, flinching every time the crowd cheered whilst simultaneously praying that it was Aramis who had landed whatever blow caused them to cheer and not that he was not the recipient.
It was a fool's hope he knew, but he forced himself to remember the hundreds of hours his brother had spent training and how much of a skilled fighter he was. Aramis wouldn't go down without one hell of a fight, of that he was sure, he just had to hope he wouldn't go down at all and the price of winning wouldn't come at too high a cost for his beloved friend.
He was debating resuming pounding on the door, or at the very least yelling for one of the guards he knew had to be around on the off chance they might enter the room to tell him to shut up and he could try his luck at overpowering them then he could search out his brothers and get the hell out of wherever they were and back to the garrison, when the sound of footsteps caught his attention. Whoever they belonged to was moving softly, almost like they were trying to be quiet and stealthy.
Despite being in a hostile environment Porthos felt himself relax slightly, something inside him telling him that whoever was coming was not a threat.
"Oh my… CAPTAIN!" hissed D'Artagnan, his eyes wide as he forced his exhausted body towards the bed, dropping to his knees with a noticeable flinch, his good hand hovering lightly above the bed occupant's face.
"What is it D'Artagnan?" asked Treville, his voice barely above a whisper as he raced into the room, his heart almost stopping at the sight in front of him.
They had managed to sneak into the property using a hidden back entrance that Remy knew of and Treville had to hand it to their new addition, without his help his men would never have gotten into the house without being spotted and potentially endangering the lives of the men captured inside.
He was even more grateful for the man's assist now as he joined D'Artagnan by the injured man's bedside. They had been sneaking through the house, everyone alternating between checking a room while the others guarded outside. He had been watching the around the corridor corner when D'Artagnan's voice caught his attention and straight away he knew something was wrong. The Gascon had been nearly silent since arriving at the property so for him to be speaking now something had to be seriously wrong.
"He's been tortured," breathed Treville as he took in the numerous wounds and bruises lining the man's skin. One in particular, a large gash on the man's thigh, looked in particularly bad shape, though it was clear someone had at least attempted to help care for the bleeding man.
Both Gascon and Captain were pulled from their thoughts when a soft groan came from the man in front of them.
"Easy lad," soothed Treville as the man's eyes fluttered open, full of pain, panic and worry. "We've got you, just relax."
"…C-C-Capt'n?" slurred the man, his eyes narrowing into slits as he tried to focus his vision on the man in front of him, desperately hoping he was not a dream or a figment of his imagination.
"Christ Issac what did they do to you?"
Issac tried to reply, he desperately wanted to warn them about who they were up against and to beg them to find Favier. He might have been unconscious for a lot of the time in the house but he knew what their captors were forcing Favier to do and just how much it was destroying him to do it. Unfortunately before he could even open his mouth to speak all his remaining energy fled from him and he fell unconscious once again.
"We need to get him out of here," stated D'Artagnan, worry clear in his voice. "He needs help as soon as possible."
Treville nodded and spared the injured man once last glance before seeking out Alain who had been on look out for any other guards. The younger musketeer blanched at the sight of their injured friend bleeding on the bed yet he responded quickly to Treville's request to get him out.
It was a risky move to split up, they all knew it, but after seeing Issac like he was Treville wasn't going to wait another second before finding the rest of his men.
"Your friend's going to die, you know that right musketeer?" sneered the guard as he pushed one of the swordsman's fingers back so hard the snap of bone resonated across the room.
"Go… To… Hell," panted Athos as he breathed heavily through the pain. He was trying to glare at the man but with one eye slowly swelling shut he imagined it negated the effect somewhat.
The guard smirked, moving his grip to the next finger, "But I'm enjoying myself right here."
Another snap filled the room and Athos couldn't completely muffle the sound of his scream that tore its way through his gritted teeth.
"Shame the boss wont let you watch the fight… Might be the last time you see your friend alive."
"C-Clearly… you don't… know Aramis," stated Athos with such conviction and pride in his voice it actually made the guard's expression falter for a second.
"You seem so sure of him."
Athos shrugged, pride burning brightly in his eyes, "He's earned it."
"We shall see about that…"
Aramis screamed and fell to one knee, his hand instantly moving to cradle his now dislocated shoulder, tears prickling in his eyes as he fought against the pain that threatened to make him pass out.
"I'm sorry Aramis," whispered Favier and Aramis both heard and saw just how much he meant it. They had been talking during the fight and the medic knew he couldn't hold any of what happened or was going to happen against the man when he was only desperately trying to save Issac's life, his brother's life… just like Aramis was trying to for Porthos.
"I need to protect him, he's my family," stated the musketeer, his voice taking on a cold and detached edge as he kicked the downed musketeer in the stomach, causing him to fall to the ground on his back and for the air in his lungs to be knocked out of him.
Moving to stand above the now gasping medic, Favier prepared himself for what he was about to do, though he could not stop the tears now streaming down his cheeks.
"F-Forgive m-me."