Evening (or technically morning I suppose) My Lovelies
Sorry this is later then usual, I didn't end up starting work on this chapter until like 2am (courtesy of a slightly longer than expected nap) but I didn't want to leave you all without an update like I did the other day so here we go :)
Notes On Reviews:
Deana: Thanks for the review - Hmmm He's not going to react well I can promise that :) Aramis and Athos will probably find out what's going on in the next chapter... or the chapter after depending on how evil my mind wants to be :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Katie (Guest): Thanks for the review - I think he's that in general, not just to Treville. I know I'm so evil :D Should be a good read providing I can get it to translate from my brain to the word document properly :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Guest: Thanks for the review - Gotta love whumpedD'Art :D God I've missed whumping him :) we've got a little more whumpage today and expect more in the coming chapters :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Tidia: Thanks for the review - Ah but they have the added numbers of the returned regiment so that'll help a bit with the rescue. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - I think calling him a brat is being too kind for how he can be sometimes lol I felt really bad for Treville when I had Louis ranting at him yesterday but luckily he wasn't alone, Anne was looking out for him the best she could. D'Art's in for a bit more pain (as are the others) before this is over :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
pallysdeeks: Thanks for the review - Can't guarantee the rescue will be easy but neither Treville nor the rest of our boys will give up... though Aramis and Athos have to learn the truth about what's going on first which should be interesting mwhaha :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - I loved writing Anne in that chapter and I definitely think she'll be a big part of Louis seeing sense. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Helensg: Thanks for the review - I'm really looking forward to our boys learning about their missing friends... this will probably happen in the next chapter or at the very beginning of the one after depending on how mean I'm feeling when I start work on the next one. Needless to say our boys are going to be pretty pissed and Treville's going to be feeling the guilt. Enjoy the new chapter! x
f1gymnast: Thanks for the review - Yeah but it kinda fun writing someone like that as I get to let out my inner petulant toddler whenever Louis needs to have a hissy fit lol. I loved writing Anne in that chapter so I'm glad you liked her. With what I have planned for how this is going to end... Yep Marcel's going to regret not running when he had the chance. Enjoy the new chapter! x
watlocked: Thanks for the review - Yeah Louis's interesting to write, I get to channel a toddler when he's having a hissy fit and kinda hate him for it but then he turns around and shows some signs of being a decent human being and I feel bad for hating on him (course he ruins that before too long by ranting again but thats besides the point lol) Yay glad you liked how Anne turned out I loved writing her :D I'm really hoping I can do your idea justice when I get around to writing it, fingers crossed :D I think all our boys are going to need a long rest once all this is over. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Issai: Thanks for the review - Yeah god knows how long it's going to take that hand to heal with all the extra damage it keeps sustaining. Yay I'm glad you liked both Anne and Porthos as I had the most fun writing them in that chapter :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
MicheeO: Thanks for the review - Hmmm I think he may end up needing it to be a full fledged musketeer at some point lol. You may have told me to leave Corbett alone but all I can promise is that he wont die I'm afraid :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - How poor Anne deals with Louis on a daily basis I will never know, poor woman deserves a medal or something lol. Yeah unfortunately Richelieu is pretty untouchable... though I am thinking that maybe he wont be able to resist making some comment to Treville which will lead to our lovely Captain punching him. I loved writing protective Porthos in that chapter so I'm really glad you liked reading it :) Unfortunately for him though things are going to get worse before they get better. Aramis and Athos are going to learn the truth soon and I'm soooooooo excited to see what you all think about their reactions when they do :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
As always much love and many thanks for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading. Love you all!
It's 5am now so I'm going back to bed now the chapters up *waves sleepily* night!
Enjoy!
xxx
Chapter Seventy-Three: Pushing Limits
At Marcel's words Porthos allowed his attention to be pulled from where he was trying to comfort D'Artagnan as a scoff left his lips before he could stop it.
"Something to say musketeer?" sneered Marcel as he moved back to the larger man, a smug look on his face that sent chills down Porthos's spine.
"It'll never work," spat Porthos defiantly. "We stopped the last two of your plans, this one wont be any different.
"Yeah?" smirked Marcel, seemingly amused with the musketeer's conviction. "And how do you plan to do that from in here?"
"…'Thos … 'Mis… The Captain and everyone… They'll stop you," spat a weak but determined voice as all eyes turned to D'Artagnan, the boy struggling to push himself up into a seating position with only one shaking arm, while valiantly trying not to show just how much pain his body was in.
"Such confidence for someone who's not even a proper musketeer," mocked one of the men who had accompanied Marcel into the room.
Turning on his best attempt of Athos's unimpressed look D'Artagnan turned to face the man, "Who the hell are you anyway?"
"He's the man that's going to make you bleed I'm afraid boy," stated Marcel with small shrug.
During this exchange both Porthos and Corbett watched with growing pride and worry. D'Artagnan continued to hold his own verbally against the two men, throwing veiled insults against their captors and appearing unaffected by the obvious ones thrown his way. Both musketeers knew it was only a matter of time before the Gascon pushed his luck too far and could only watch and hope that he had enough skill to tell when he needed to stop before he pushed things too far.
Unfortunately it seemed like D'Artagnan lacked that particular skill, or was stubborn enough to ignore the warnings, as he continued to press his luck, his insults getting more brazen and less veiled until Marcel's accomplice decided he had finally had enough and punched the Gascon in the face.
"D'Art!" exclaimed Porthos as he watched his friend's face snap to the side, blood coating his lips both from his nose and from cut on the inside of his cheek from where his teeth had been caught.
"I would watch what you say boy, my friend here has a bit of a temper and considering what's coming it might be wise not to incite it just yet," remarked Marcel with a smug smirk.
D'Artagnan returned the smirk with a harsh glare as he spat out a mouthful of blood. Porthos and Corbett's eyes never left the younger man as the worry in them grew, the hit no doubt jarred more of the Gascon's injuries and if the shaking was anything to go by then the boy was in a lot more pain then he was letting on.
"So we're bait?" questioned Porthos, eager to get the attention off of D'Artagnan, he could tell the boy was trying to compose himself to not appear weak in front of both his friends and his captor but Porthos knew the boy was also hot-headed and stubborn enough to push himself well past his limits if the situation came to it.
When Marcel did nothing but nod once and raise a questioning eyebrow at him the larger musketeer took that as leave to continue his questioning, "How's that gonna work exactly? 'Mis and the Captain aint stupid and they aint gonna be distracted easily."
At this Marcel's smug grin returned with a vengeance as he took a few steps closer to the musketeer, not missing the way the other two chained men tensed at his proximity to their companion.
"Just how long do you think you've been gone for?" he asked innocently, his head nodding up to the small window behind the musketeer, whose eyes widened in surprise at the same time a whispered curse fell from his lips as he noted the darkening sky.
"I really didn't think we hit you that hard," shrugged the man who kicked Corbett and otherwise remained silent up until this point. He appeared amused by what he was saying and was enjoying mocking the captives. "Seems musketeers are made of weaker stuff then we thought."
"You jumped me when my back was turned," growled Corbett, already hating himself enough for the fact that it had been his fault they had all been captured in the first place.
He had been walking behind them, enjoying listening to the two of them banter like old friends despite the newness of their friendship, when a sound in a nearby alley caught his attention. His nerves had been on high alert since they had found out Marcel was missing so he wasn't just about to let the sound go uninvestigated.
Turning towards the alley and putting his back to his still walking friends, he had been about to call them when a blinding pain erupted at the back of his head sending him tumbling into the alley. Whilst not enough to completely knock him out it was sufficient enough to heavily disorientate him, allowing his attacker to punch him in the stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs and preventing him from calling about before the same attacker followed that up by hitting him in the head, effectively knocking him out.
The next thing the musketeer knew he was waking up chained to see his friends in a similar state, only unconscious, near him.
"Fight me now and I guarantee you wont be so smug when we're done."
"Confident are we?" smirked the man as he rolled his shoulders back, eyeing the chained and glaring musketeer with no small amount of amusement.
Corbett scoffed, "Against a coward like you? Always."
It should have been obvious that the man wouldn't take too kindly to being called a coward but it still came as a bit of a surprise when he launched another powerful kick to Corbett's torso, a sickening crack filling the air followed moments later by a breathless cry of pain from the musketeer as his body was assaulted by the pain of having his ribs broken.
"Corbett!" exclaimed Porthos, now slightly worried about who he needed to protect more. Part of him knew that, should push come to shove, Corbett had the skills and the training to take care of himself and that because of that, he should focus his attempts of protection on the hot-headed Gascon who seemed to attract trouble like nothing he had seen before… But that idea didn't sit well with the solider part of him, he couldn't just ignore a brother-in-arms when they were in danger.
"Are we done yet?" sighed Marcel, "No doubt the musketeers have realized these three are missing by now and every second we waste is another that they get closer to finding us before I'm ready."
The two men accompanying him seemed to restrain themselves at Marcel's words and Porthos realized that he had probably paid for their loyalty. The two men weren't familiar to him but the way they were dressed and how they acted was and it worried him.
If he had to guess Porthos would have said that the accomplices were from the Court Of Miracles. He knew the type of men they were now dealing with, desperate and angry… never a good combination. Life in the Court was never an easy one, you fought tooth and nail to keep what you had and hated anyone in the position to take it away, like soldiers and guards. No doubt Marcel appealed to both the desperation and anger when he found them, offering them money to help him capture and torture several musketeers. The money alone would have been more than enough to buy the loyalty from most of the Court.
"Oh I don't know boy," mused Marcel, pulling Porthos from his worrying thoughts and sending the musketeer into a silent internal tirade over the Gascon's seemingly inability to keep his hot-headedness under control in situations like this, something he and his brothers would have to work with him on should they get out of this.
Oblivious to the larger musketeer's thoughts Marcel continued, "I could always send one of my friend's here to go and collect that lovely red head of yours," Porthos tensed at this, his eyes locking onto D'Artagnan's now paling form. "It'd be interesting to see if you were still as cocky and confident then."
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" roared D'Artagnan, ignoring the pain of his injuries as he tried to launch himself at the man kneeling down close to him.
Scowling Marcel wiped away the spit that had landed on his face before backhanding D'Artagnan hard enough to send him flying to the ground, a cry of pain tearing from his throat as he landed.
Ignoring the protests of the remaining captives Marcel moved closer to D'Artagnan who now had his eyes scrunched shut in pain. Stepping now on the young man's unbroken hand Marcel glared hard at him, "I make the rules here boy. I may have been lenient last time we met but that was before, don't expect the same now."
"…Go near her…" growled D'Artagnan through gritted teeth and even Porthos had to admit he was slightly unnerved by the fury in his friend's eyes. "Go… near her… and I'll tear you apart."
Corbett blinked, surprised by the anger and fury in the young man, he knew the Gascon had a thing for the Bonacieux woman, hell he wouldn't be surprised if the whole of Paris knew by now, the young man wasn't anywhere near as subtle as he seemed to think he was but still, he hadn't expected such a reaction, clearly he cared a lot more than the musketeer had realized.
Marcel even seemed a little unnerved by the promise of pain in D'Artagnan's eyes, which sent a burst of pride through the two musketeers as they watched with inwardly smug expressions as the amusement drained from their captor's eyes while he moved his foot off of the boy's hand.
"I told you once before boy," growled Marcel, "I have no intention of harming those not involved with this," his expression grew dark as he replaced his foot on D'Artagnan's hand, "however I will not hesitate to bring your lady into this if you continue to test my patience."
"Now then," he stated, once again releasing the pressure on D'Artagnan's hand as he stepped back, "Time's of the essence, lets get started."