Evening My Lovelies :)
We're getting close to some more whumpage now... Only one more chapter to go!
Notes On Reviews:
Tidia: Thanks for the review - Yeah that chapter, and this one i suppose, can be seen as the calm before the storm because this are about to get pretty bad for our boys. D'Art's full on believing this is all his fault and his guilt's only going to intensify as things go from bad to worse. Enjoy the new chapter! x
romirola: Thanks for the review - I'm glad you liked it, we have a bit more in the way of brotherly moments as well today before things get bad again in tomorrow's chapter. Enjoy the new chapter! x
pain in the mikta: Thanks for the review - Good to know :D We'll see a bit more of what Ortiz has planned for them all in tomorrow's chapter which is when the whumpage is starting back in full force. As for getting out of there... still have several more chapters before that's going to happen. Enjoy the new chapter! x
A reader (Guest): Thanks for the review - That wasnt the chapter I was having trouble with... that one I wrote on the train back home after christmas and I had to force myself not to 'aww' at it when I read it back so I didnt get any weird looks from the person sitting next to me lol. As for the writers block, I'm going to have to wait till tomorrow to find out as I didnt get the chance to do any writing today :( But I have a good idea as to what I want to write so I'll just have to see if I can actually write it. Haha I would love a cliff-hanger award... Updating daily does make me feel a little bit better when I leave you with a cliff-hanger as hopefully as there's only one day to wait you wont all hate me for it lol :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
CaroH: Thanks for the review - Oh yeah that's REALLY all about to end :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
Deana: Thanks for the review - Glad you think so :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
ploiuiu: Thanks for the review - I'm glad you think so. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - There's going to need to be a serious chat between them all later on to help get rid of D'Art's guilt and I promise I wont rush over it like I did the D'Art/Athos talk at the end of my last story. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Issai: Thanks for the reviews - (chapter 12) D'Artagnan pushes through the pain for his brothers :) I would have loved to have seen a similar scene in the show too... Who know maybe we'll get lucky whenever season 3 starts :) (Chapter 13) D'Art's really suffering at the moment, he's going to get a teeny tiny bit of help in chapter 16 but generally he's really not doing too good. Yeah Porthos is going to have to handle more than just D'Art in serious condition before this is all over. I had to force myself not too 'aww' at their goodbye once I had written it as I was on a fairly busy train lol. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - I figured considering what I'm about to put them all through :D they needed a moment to just be with each other. Glad you liked cute D'Artagnan, I thought you might :) I think that both Athos and Aramis where hating not being able to reach him for slightly different reasons but still yeah it definitely killed them not to be able to comfort him. Luckily I'm not evil enough to leave him without any source of comfort so he gets the lovable Porthos. We get a bit more banter from Porthos and Aramis today which I quite like so I'm hoping you'll enjoy it too :) D'Art's guilt is only going to increase in the coming chapters and he really doesnt believe his brother believe that it's not his fault so he's going to have a lot of trouble accepting that fact for a while. I'm glad you liked the end bit, hopefully this is a good follow on to it. Enjoy the new chapter! x
As always many thanks to everyone who follows/favourites/reviews/reads this story, you're all awesome!
Enjoy!
xxx
Chapter Fourteen: Angering The Tormentor
As soon as Ortiz began to saunter into the small cell Porthos's grip on D'Artagnan's shoulder intensified, the larger man shifting slightly so his frame covered more of his friend. They may have all have accepted death but that didn't mean they were going to go down without a fight.
"So tell me D'Artagnan" Ortiz sneered, a smirk fighting to form as he noticed Porthos's attempt to protect the young man from him, "Are you going to choose the smart option or do I get the pleasure of killing one of your beloved 'brothers'?" he asked, spitting the word brothers as he spoke.
Athos could see the pain on his protégé's face and knew that he was fighting with himself to not just give the man the information he was after.
"I believe he has already given you your answer when he told you to go to hell" snarled the swordsman, taking the decision away from D'Artagnan. It was a small thing in the scope of everything else but if him speaking up saved his baby brother from the pain verbally sentencing them would bring then he would do it a thousand times.
"Aint his fault 'Thos" jested Porthos with a dangerous smirk on his face, "He's spent his time around cowards who do nothin' when a girl's abou'ta be raped. The prissy Spaniard probably aint used to people tellin' him no" Porthos took immense pleasure in the angry tomato-red colour Ortiz's face turned at his words. He figured if he was dying it sure as hell wasn't going to go with the man thinking he'd broken them.
"Him being prissy has nothing to do with him being Spanish" Aramis defended in mock offence to the mention of his homeland. "Besides" he smirked, adopting his brother's 'what the hell' mentality, "I think pompous is a better word for him"
"Coward?" Porthos suggested with a grin, almost forgetting the serious situation they were in as he and the marksman bantered
"Arrogant?" Aramis supplied, waggling his eyebrows at an amused Athos and sending a wink D'Artagnan's way, though the boy's eyes hadn't left Ortiz since he entered the room so he didn't notice it.
"Delusional?"
"Pretentious?"
"Annoying?"
"Stup-"
"ENOUGH!" roared Ortiz, cutting the pair's bantering off before they could go any further.
"Really boy?" scoffed the Spaniard as he turned to face a slightly confused D'Artagnan. "These are who you chose to 'look out for you'?" he scoffed, gesturing to the chained men before him.
"What do…?" D'Artagnan whispered, confused at Ortiz's choice of words, his eye's narrowing into a fierce glare after a flash of recognition flickered within them
At the glare the three musketeers shared a quizzical look between them, ensuring they hid their confusion as much as possible from their captor as they did so. They had no idea what was going on but it would not do them well to appear out of the loop
"You've had… People… Follow Me," snarled the pained Gascon, his anger at the man's actions clear in his words
"But of course" admitted Ortiz offhandedly before his tone took a much more serious feel, "You left the village. I needed assurances that you would not speak of my… activities to anyone of import in the city."
"Y…You" spluttered D'Artagnan; "I was an orphan… new to… the city… who had… just accused… one of… the … best… respected musketeers of… cold blooded… murder… Let alone the fact… that no one would… 'ave believed me… Didn't… you think… I had… more important… things on my mind" snarled D'Artagnan with so much hatred and venom in his voice that even his brothers were surprised.
"You know things Charles," sneered Ortiz, his voice not unlike the one someone takes on when explaining something simple to a child. "Your family has been a thorn in my side for years and now you were loose in Paris, away from my control? It was not something I could risk"
"So you… follow me to… my father's grave?" spat the Gascon, his anger clouding him from noticing anything but the man before him. As such he missed the similar looks of anger that appeared on his brothers' faces.
Ortiz shrugged, not at all bothered by the injured man's anger, "Who would disturb someone standing over a grave? It's an ideal meeting place… Though imagine my surprise when instead of confirmation, all my source sends back are the sappy words of a French mutt-" the three elder musketeer's glared at his words but kept their silence, understanding that for now this was D'Artagnan's fight. "-Who spouted such nonsense like how he wasn't alone anymore and that he had brothers who would look out for him so the dead man could relax and didn't need to worry about him and other such rubbish"
Whilst the three musketeer doubted D'Artagnan had the strength needed to launch himself at Ortiz like he appeared to very much want to do they couldn't help but feel their hearts swell with love for the boy at his words.
"Well as entertaining as this chat has been" smirked Ortiz, ignoring the glares he was receiving from the wounded Gascon. "If you wont tell me where my documents are then you shall be one brother short" he shrugged, alternating who he pointed his pistol at before settling on Athos, the musketeer merely sat straighter and kept his face as expressionless as only one born to nobility could ever muster. He refused to give in to his body's natural instinct to fear death. He would not let the last thing his brother's saw of him be fear.
D'Artagnan who had sagged against Porthos could not hide his own fear and watched with widening eyes as Ortiz primed the gun with agonizing slowness.
"Kill any of them and I'll never tell you where I sent them!" exclaimed D'Artagnan, his heart in his throat as he watched Ortiz freeze at his words.
"Sent?" Growled Ortiz, lowering his arm from where it had been pointing at Athos
Despite his atrocious condition D'Artagnan pulled off a defiant smirk, "You didn't think I was… dumb enough… to leave them here did you?" he asked, hoping to God that he's next words were true otherwise he was about to lose his friends. "You aint found… my horse yet 'ave you?"
The three musketeers reigned in their confused looks quickly when D'Artagnan spoke. They had no idea where their brother was going with this but they knew it to be a dangerous lie and one that would have devastating consequences should Ortiz find out.
"My men have the roads to Paris watched" snapped Ortiz smugly as he placed his pistol back into the holster on his belt. "Your beast would have been caught by now if that was the case and nobody here would ever help you"
The three senior musketeers felt their rage to the townspeople of Lupiac rise within them again at Ortiz's words. The knowledge that their beloved little brother was completely alone and hated in his own hometown was something that didn't sit right with any of them. Even Porthos who had grown up in the Court of Miracles, who had grown up receiving looks of disgust or was simply ignored, had at least had people to have his back, to support him. His heart broke when he realized that by simply having Charon and Flea who stood by him that he had more then his youngest brother.
"I know you. Remember?" smirked D'Artagnan and though outwardly he was a pillar of confidence he was shaking like a leaf on the inside. Ortiz had always scared him in his childhood but now… after everything he had suffered the Spaniard terrified him. "I know there are many people… who hate that… you've made them complicit in your crimes… who seek redemption… The roads to Paris might be watched…" As D'Artagnan took a breath to steady his thundering heart he allowed is smirk and air of confidence to grow bigger, "That only matter's if it's heading to straight to Paris"
Ortiz let out a low growl of frustration before storming over to the wheezing Gascon. Making sure he stopped just outside of reach of the angry, protective musketeer guarding the boy he drew his sword, the tip of which was pressed right against D'Artagnan's throat.
"Where. Is. It?" he growled, pressing the blade further against his throat.
"Kill any of them and you'll never know," snarled D'Artagnan with as much strength as he could muster.
Closing his eyes Ortiz let out another growl of frustration, though his look of annoyance quickly disappeared and was replaced with the smirk D'Artagnan had come to associate with a great deal of pain. As such he couldn't stop his body's instinctive flinch against it, though Porthos tightening his grip on his shoulder steadied him.
"Very well" Ortiz agreed, slightly stunning the men before him, "I wont kill them"
Before D'Artagnan could snap himself out of the surprised stupor Ortiz's words had put him in, Ortiz had grabbed his arm, by his broken hand which made him scream out in pain, and had pulled him out of Porthos's grip. Unfortunately for the young musketeer, the force of the pull was strong enough that it popped his shoulder straight from its socket, drawing another cry of pain as black spots danced across his vision. He was dimly aware of his brothers screaming his name and he knew he should react in some way to let them know he was okay but his whole body was an inferno of pain at present and all of his attention and focus was being spent on not giving Ortiz the pleasure of seeing him pass out.
"Let. Him. Go!" growled Athos almost sounding feral as the musketeer pulled at the ends of his chains trying to reach the injured brother that was once again in pain. Such was his focus that he didn't even notice that his efforts on the chains had caused both of his wrists to start bleeding.
"Oh don't worry" smirked Ortiz as he threw D'Artagnan into the waiting arms of one of his guards, who in their focus on D'Artagnan the musketeers had missed entering the room.
As soon as his battered and bleeding body collided with the guard D'Artagnan's pain reached new heights and he lost the battle to stay conscious, instantly crumpling into the guards overly tight grip as everything went dark.
"D'ARTAGNAN!" Cried the three musketeers, each now tearing at their chains trying to get to their injured brother.
Ortiz paid neither Porthos nor Aramis any mind and strolled casually over to Athos who was busy glaring daggers at the man holding his brother. Realizing the musketeer was not paying him any attention Ortiz backhanded the man across the face before quickly gripping him, tightly, by the throat.
"ATHOS!" screamed Aramis and Porthos in pure panic as they saw their beloved friend and leader struggling to breathe.
Leaning close into Athos's face and tightening his grip on the musketeer's throat, Ortiz spat, "You're coming too" before using the pommel of his sword to knock the musketeer unconscious.
Both Aramis and Porthos watched in horror as another one of their brothers crumpled to the ground. They both tried to break free of their chains but even when they were uninjured they had failed to break them and now with both of them weakened by what they had suffered the day before they had no chance of getting out.
"Bring him," ordered Ortiz, gesturing to Athos as he and the guard carrying D'Artagnan left the room. Leaving the two remaining musketeers to crumple to their knees in helplessness as they were forced to watch their brothers being carried away, knowing full well that nothing good awaited them.