Evening My Lovelies
We're back with Porthos and Athos today and thinks aren't looking good.
I'm hoping Marcel in this chapter will still make sense and wont seem as a complete role-reversal.
Notes On The Reviews:
Deana: Thanks for the review - Glad you liked it :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Katie (Guest): Thanks for the review - There's not really a cliffy today so that's good. You'll have to wait till tomorrow to find out about D'Art. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Guest: Thanks for the review - You'll have to wait till tomorrow for some more D'Art but you'll be pleased to know he'll probably get hurt again before all this is over. Enjoy the new chapter! x
FierGascon: Thanks for the review - There's no cliffy today so hopefully no pouting. We'll be needing the hate-o-meter today and we have someone new to use it on. Aramis is definitely impressed... or he will be when we get back to him. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Tidia: Thanks for the review - The suspense is only going to get worse as I'm going to keep you all waiting until tomorrow :) I think D'Art would be scared of Aramis's reaction if he did messy stitches lol. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Not like Aramis had much choice but yeah he had faith :) though he might be giving the pup some medical training when all this is over. Enjoy the new chapter! x
SunnyFreckles (Guest): Thanks for the review - Welcome :) I hope you enjoyed your binge of the story so far :) Unfortunately it's none of the people you guessed though I am seriously considering having Milady appear in my next story (which i may or may not be already planning despite this one being nowhere near finished) Well we're getting an Athos moment today so hopefully you'll like that (though he is getting hurt). I have plenty Athos moments planned so worry not :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
authorwannabe101: Thanks for the review - Unfortunately you'll be waiting until tomorrow to see Aramis's reaction. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Jmp (Guest): Thanks for the review - Catch up is good as you can binge :) hope you enjoyed it. Viv will be coming into the story soon just trying to get to the right moment. Some more whumpage today :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Helensg: Thanks for the review - I know I promised so here it is. Theres some Athos whumpage as well, just for you :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - Yeah our musketeers will not be impressed. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Zoe (Guest): Thanks for the review - Yeah a lot of time lost which is not good for our boys and even more times going to be lost while they deal with D'Art tomorrow. Aramis's guilt is definitely growing. Enjoy the new chapter! x
watlocked: Thanks for the review - I know I'm mean for making you wait and I'm doing it again today by making you wait for D'Art new :D Aramis will be having a rant, gotta love Aramis rants. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Issai: Thanks for the reviews - Hopefully today will clear up some of your confusion with Marcel. I have a plan in mind for Marcel so I'm hoping its coming across that way. Aramis said shoulder more so D'Art wouldnt worry as much but I've realized it probably didnt come across that way so sorry! Treville will be having words with them when they eventually get back. Enjoy the new chapter! x
MicheeO: Thanks for the reviews - torment coming to an end? Hell no! I'm far to evil to end it so early on mwhahaha. D'Arts definitely a magnet for trouble. We'll be learning who the mystery person is today so hopefully that'll end some of the confusion. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Oooooh I DO love having you all pulled in two directions which is why I've done it again today mwhahaha :D I loved writing panicked D'Art though I'm think Aramis might be inclined to give the pup medic training (at least basic stuff) once all this is over. We had emotional whump yesterday and now we we have physical whump today. Enjoy the new chapter! x
As always much love many thanks for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading
Enjoy!
xxx
Chapter Fifteen: New Arrival
"ENOUGH!" bellowed Marcel, having finally reached his limit at watching his companion work over the now bloody musketeer.
When the newcomer refused to even acknowledge hearing him Marcel gripped the man by the arm and pulled him away from his victim.
"Marcel," growled the man, his anger now being directed at him instead. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Look at him Daviau!" Marcel exclaimed, gesturing wildly to the seemingly unconscious musketeer. "Do anything else and you risk killing him."
Daviau calmed slightly at Marcel's words and turned to better observed the man he had been working over. The musketeer was a bloody mess, at least one of his eyes were swollen shut, both his nose and lips were coated with blood, the awkward way he was standing spoke to several, if not more, broken ribs and that was only the beginning.
"I suppose it would be difficult to get answers from a dead man." Daviau mused with a coldness that set Marcel on edge.
"Answers? You haven't asked him anything!"
Daviau scoffed, "He knows what we wish to know, musketeer's don't take on idiots… just stubborn fools apparently."
"Why do this?" Marcel asked, the whole situation not sitting well with the man.
"Why?" Daviau mimicked turning around to face Marcel, his expression both dark and questioning. "You know full well why. My brother had just turned eighteen when he was sent on that farce of a mission! Barely out of his childhood and his life's over. I refuse to live any longer without bringing those responsible for that to justice!"
Both men were so into their argument that neither noticed Porthos's eyes crack open slightly nor the broken smirk that tugged at his bloody lips at the clear evidence of the pair's discourse.
"I know that!" snapped Marcel, now practically standing chest to chest with Daviau. "But the Spaniard – "
Daviau scoffed, his voice thick with condescension, "The Spaniard is playing you for a fool and you're letting him do it."
This stilled some of Marcel's burning anger, seeing this Daviau continued.
"Twenty men massacred and only two survived and you're telling me that only Marsac had the initiative to search for answers?"
Shit! Swore Porthos internally. He knew that at one point Aramis had gone searching for answers but it was so soon after the attack and the man's mental health was in such a fragile state that both Porthos and Athos had convinced him from searching further. To the larger musketeer's knowledge their attempts had been successful and the medic had focused on healing and moving forward and hadn't considered delving deeper into the matter until Marsac showed up again.
The fact that this newcomer seemed to have been on friendlier terms with Marsac worried Porthos. If the former musketeer had shared his suspicions on the truth behind the attack before searching for Aramis then he and his brothers were in a lot more trouble than they had originally thought.
"If you're so sure that whatever the Spaniard is going to bring back is false, why let him go in the first place?"
"Call it an experiment," shrugged Daviau, picking up a rag and wiping away the drying blood from his knuckles.
"An experiment?" snarled Marcel, anger rising to the surface once again, "You play on my grief and desire for justice, a desire we both share, for an experiment!?"
Irritated by the man's tone Daviau sighed, dropped the now bloody rag and punched Marcel in the stomach hard enough to knock the air out of the man and have him curling in on himself.
Gripping Marcel by the shoulder with a vice-like grip Daviau dipped his head down so he was speaking directly into the man's ear.
"You wouldn't even have a chance to see justice done if it wasn't for me," growled Daviau darkly, his voice sending shivers down even Porthos's spine. "If it hadn't been for me you would still be wallowing away in grief while trying to raise that orphaned nephew of yours. This plan was my idea and based off of my information. I wont let anyone, not even you, stop me from getting what I want." Tightening his grip on Marcel's shoulder, drawing a hiss of pain from the still slightly breathless man, "Question me again and I wont hesitate to end you, remember that."
Marcel gasped in pain as Daviau released the grip on his shoulder, waiting until the man had left the room before collapsing against the wall as he tried to regain his composure.
"He'll kill you before this is over," grunted Porthos, startling Marcel whose head shot up to stare at him. "I've seen people like 'im… Once you've outlived your purpose you're dead."
Marcel's eyes hardened at the musketeer's words but Porthos could see the doubt in his eyes.
"He'll end you and your friend's before even thinking of me," spat Marcel embarrassment at being seen in such a state flooding into him and making him more vindictive.
Porthos attempted a shrug, it was barely noticeable given the man's condition but Marcel noted what it was. "We've dealt with worse."
Marcel scoffed, shaking his head at the bravado the musketeer was showing even now as bloodied and battered as he was.
Porthos was silent for a moment as he observed the man, his head tilting to rest against his raised arm. "You're scared of 'im"
The musketeer's words drew an immediate reaction from Marcel, the man letting out a low grow and glaring daggers at him.
"You seem quite confident in you and your friend's ability to get out of here alive," remarked Marcel, attempting to draw the conversation away from his apparently easily noticeable fear of Daviau.
"They aint let me down yet."
The nonchalance with which the musketeer was speaking, despite the pain doing so seemed to cause him, irked Marcel to no end but eventually his curiosity won out over his irritation.
"Even if half of your group is dead?"
Porthos felt his blood go cold and with a renewed strength powered by his fear he forced himself to stand up straighter, his mind not even registering the shakiness of his legs as they struggled to hold his weight or the relief his arms felt at no longer carrying it all.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me."
"What. Did. You. Do?" growled Porthos, somehow managing to sound almost feral with his anger despite his broken appearance.
Marcel smirked, though it didn't reach his eyes and there was a hint of guilt within them that only fanned the flames of Porthos's anger.
"Men were sent to… delay, their return to Paris."
Porthos opened his mouth to respond and no doubt threaten serious bodily harm to the man before him but before he could there was a sharp, sudden pain to the back of his head that had him plummeting into unconsciousness.
"D-Daviau…" Marcel stuttered, surprised he had been so focused on the musketeer that he hadn't even noticed the return of the man.
"They're here to answer my questions and to pay for the faults of their pathetic excuse of brotherhood," snarled Daviau as he stalked up to Marcel. "They're not here for you to engage in idle chitchat."
Marcel hid his glare at the man's tone by lowering his head in a subservient fashion.
"Now then," remarked Daviau, seemingly pleased with Marcel's behavior. "This one was too stubborn to do what was best for him but maybe the other will be more agreeable, especially now he's had some time to consider his position."
Both men turned then to face a glaring and gagged Athos. The man was barely conscious, blood staining each of the cuffs keeping him locked in the chair and sweat drenching his face but despite all this the musketeer had put up a valiant fight when the assault on Porthos began.
Both Daviau and Marcel had been slightly impressed by the threats and curses that had spewed from the former noble's mouth when Porthos was attacked but Daviau had eventually gagged him as he claimed he was distracting him from his work. Since then Athos's pain-filled eyes had never stopped glaring at the two men causing his brother pain.
"So," drawled Daviau casually as he swatted down in front of Athos, slowly tightening one of the vices as he spoke. "Feel like talking yet?"
Athos could feel his bones straining against the pressure and the agony of it made him want to scream. It was only his own stubbornness and the anger he felt for his brother's treatment that had him using all his remaining strength to not show just how much pain he was actually in.
"Musketeers sure like their stubborn men," remarked Daviau, a dangerous glint entering his eyes that would have sent warning bells off in Athos's mind had he not been fighting against the overwhelming pain his body was in. "I wonder how long that stubbornness will last."
With that Daviau sharply turned the cuff, a sickening crack piercing the air, as the bone was no longer able to handle the pressure. This was followed immediately by an excruciatingly painful sounding scream from Athos, the musketeer's head sharply turned skyward and his whole frame went rigidly tense as the pain shot through him.
Giving the musketeer no time to recover Daviau ripped off the gag and stared expectantly at the swordsman.
As the pain shot through him Athos allowed himself a moment to try and compose himself, his breathing was fast and shallow and there were black spots dancing across his vision which should have been further cause for concern but despite all this he remained defiant, bringing his head back level with Daviau's before spitting harshly into the man's face, relishing in the outraged look on his face as the spit hit him right in the eye.
"…Go… To… Hell!" rasped the musketeer with the very last of his quickly fading strength.
Daviau's anger only grew at Athos's words as did the dark look in his eyes and the last thing Athos heard was "You first musketeer."