This is part two of an SBI musketeers AU I'm writing based on the BBC show 'The musketeers'. I highly recommend reading my other fic 'friends and enemies' before reading this one, as you probably will miss some vital context if you don't.

Early mornings were the best time for a duel.

Most men would still be sober at the first cry of the rooster unless they were experiencing a severe hangover from the night before. Techno spoke with some experience in those matters, he could hold his liquor remarkably well. Phil and Wilbur were not the same, and they hadn't tested Tommy's resilience quite yet. Techno kept saying they should, if they wanted their younger member to truly feel like he belonged with the musketeers. Any soldier in the regiment was only as good as he was trusted. Techno trusted a man who could drink three cravats of wine and walk straight the next day.

But one thing Tommy did provide more than sufficient evidence for already was his hotheadedness. Which is what led them to this situation.

Techno wasn't sure that was the best trait for a musketeer to possess. Discipline was a coveted virtue for them. Though so were honesty, integrity. And Tommy had those in spades.

The location they had picked for the duel was secluded, a patch of ground near one of the musketeer training grounds. Snow dusted the road, cradled between a grove of trees. While Tommy's opponent put on his armor, Techno watched as Wilbur squeezed Tommy's shoulder.

"Remember the most important part of a duel," he said. In the last few weeks, he had really taken a shining to the lad even more so than Phil had. Wilbur was always a people person, but even Techno didn't expect him to slip into the mentor role that quickly.

"Fight with honor?" Tommy asked, sounding slightly sarcastic about it.

Techno clapped Tommy's other shoulder roughly. "Not getting killed."

Phil laughed behind him, short and sudden. Techno continued unbothered.

"There are many ways to win a fight. Kicking, biting, scratching." Obviously, a lot of those were techniques Techno had left behind him since his younger years. A sword was much more effective anyway. But he'd be amiss not to mention them as an option.

Tommy frowned a little. "I was raised to fight like a gentleman," he said softer. His dad was still a sore spot, Techno presumed.

"Were you raised to die young?" Wilbur inquired. This time Techno chuckled.

"You truly don't have to do this," Phil put in, taking a step forward. As the highest-ranking member, it was technically his job to act as arbiter. A role he did not usually mind. He seemed mildly concerned with this particular duel, however.

Tommy took off one of his gloves and handed it to Phil.

Phil sighed, weary and with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Or perhaps he was the one who wasn't entirely sober yet. He walked the length of the dirt road toward Tommy's opponent, a man of middle age with shaggy brown hair and a nasty snarl. When he was about halfway between the two duelers, Phil extended his arm. Techno saw Tommy brace himself, displaying no nervousness about the fight that would commence. That was good.

Then the glove was dropped to the ground.

The other man rushed forward first. Tommy waited, allowing them to approach him. Smart, no reason tiring yourself out running when the enemy came toward you. When he got closer, Tommy raised his sword.

Techno was impressed, since Tommy was not fighting in a style he was used to. In one hand he was wielding the musketeer's typical weapon: a rapier of medium length. But in his other, he had a small dagger. The idea was that the dagger could be both used to stab but also to serve as a shield, as it had a more reinforced crossguard than the rapier and deflected with quick, upward strikes. Techno remembered how hard it was to master when he joined. It allowed more agility, swiftness being the main goal. Drawn-out battles were dangerous.

And it would allow you to take on an enemy physically stronger or taller than yourself.

Tommy sidestepped a swipe of the sharp blade, hitting the man's elbow with his fist turned upward. The man cursed and slashed again. Tommy had to stumble back, tripping over his own feet and falling to the ground. Techno heard Wilbur take in a sudden inhale. Phil's body tensed in anticipation. Despite the rules, he would probably not hold himself from stepping in if needed.

But then Tommy rolled sideways and in one fluid motion, kicked his leg up so it made devastating contact with the man's groin. The strangled yelp of pain made every other endowed person in the vicinity hiss out of sympathy.

"I taught him that move," Techno said proudly.

Not wasting the opportunity he had given himself, Tommy followed through with a swift strike sideways. The man's sword flew from his hand, clattering down several meters away in the undergrowth. Tommy held up his rapier, dangling the edge inches from the man's throat. The clear victor.

Something Phil was probably about to announce when the sound of horses interrupted them.

"Red guards?" Wilbur said in dismay. As if any of them could have mistaken the bright cloaks these newcomers were wearing.

Or the shout of "lay down your weapons!" what with dueling being against the law and all.

"Red guards!" Wilbur warned louder, already wrenching on Techno's elbow so they could take off. Phil followed suit, boots slapping against the leaves and throwing them up in currents as they tried to go where people on horseback could not easily follow. Tommy scrambled to pick up his dagger, but by the time he could manage the red guard was already upon him.

Sheltered by the trees, Techno came to a sudden stop, crisp morning air stinging at his lungs. The other two did the same, so they watched as the red guards circled Tommy.

"Nothing more we can do for him," Phil said with a casual shrug of the shoulder. There were a few people around still, so they had to keep up the ruse.

"No point in all of us getting arrested," Techno agreed.

The red guards did stand above the musketeers in a legal sense. While the cardinal kept them from abusing their power (most of the time anyway), they could still see themselves thrown in jail if they weren't cautious.

"He knows the musketeer moto," Wilbur said solemnly, "every man for himself."

Phil huffed but kept his silence. They stayed long enough to watch Tommy be run down, kicked to the ground by one of the riders. Not a pleasant sight, though it was a necessary one. How else could they know the charade would have worked?

When the chains were put on Tommy's wrists, they took off back to the barracks.

Techno was not scared of Sam.

He was not scared of much at all, really. It was one of many things he prided himself on. However, even he could admit that having Sam yell at them in front of the entire musketeer regiment was… not great. Yeah, Techno didn't like it.

"He was partly your responsibility," Sam was saying. "You knew the dangers of provoking a duel. You know the penalty."

Techno kept his back straight, his shoulders pushed back as the blame was thrown at their feet. All the other soldiers were called into the courtyard first, to watch the display. To watch them be reprimanded for betraying a friend and abandoning him to such a terrible fate.

"I'm not used to being this unpopular," Wilbur muttered beside him, low under his breath.

"Try being me," Techno hissed back. This was bringing back some rather unpleasant memories.

Sam took a step forward, getting in their faces more.

"Thanks to your foolishness, Thomas is in jail. Alone. Your selfishness may cost him his life. Think on that, before you do something so truly heedless next time." The captain stared at them, letting the disapproval sink in for a few long seconds that felt like they dragged out into minutes. The noon sun was high, Techno's skin tight and uncomfortable beneath the leather armor. He could feel the eyes of the other musketeers burning holes in his back.

Bruh, definitely not a fan of this part.

"Dismissed," Sam said curtly. The tension in the air broke and the other soldiers wandered off, back to their duties or to enjoy their downtime. One of them harshly bumped into Techno in passing, surely no accident. He glared at the other man's back but decided not to comment, especially as this was when Sam invited them into his office.

Phil waited at the door, allowing Wilbur and Techno to pass through first before closing it with a heavy thud.

"That was some impressive work," Sam said immediately. "You almost had me tricked and I was in on the scheme." He put his sword against the wall next to his chair before sitting down.

"We definitely fooled the rest of the men," Wilbur said ruefully. Showing about as much enthusiasm as Techno felt. "They all fucking hate us now."

"Well, they do think we betrayed a friend," Techno said. He was not enjoying the unpleasant ramifications of the ploy they were setting up. But it was a necessary evil.

"Getting Tommy arrested for dueling was a brilliant idea," Sam said instead. "The more people believe it's a genuine arrest, the better."

"I still think one of us should have done it," Phil said. He was near the door, leaning against it. So that even now he could glance through the window and out into the courtyard, keeping an eye on things. Keeping his guard up, just in case. Like Techno knew him to be.

"Going undercover is rather dangerous for a first true musketeer mission," Techno agreed.

"But Vadim would never trust any of you," Sam said. "It had to be somebody he doesn't know."

Vadim - the man they had been running into trouble with for a while now. A radical who had stolen too many explosives to count, so the threat of what he would do with them hung heavy over Paris. Even after being arrested himself, Vadim had kept his mouth shut through the most thorough of tortures, refusing to sell out his gang and their plans. Which meant the stolen gunpowder might still be used, and it was the musketeer's job to find out when and where.

"There's just too much at stake," Phil added. He pushed off the wall to walk towards them.

Techno had known Phil for a long, long while. And he could recognize anxiety when he saw it in the other man. Phil was so good, so careful at covering it up.

Phil hated that they had sent somebody so young and inexperienced into such a risky position.

"He has to prove himself somehow," Sam said. As usual, his pragmatism meant he was trying to see the good in an objectively kind of terrible situation.

"He'll be fine," Techno said casually. Only half a lie. He didn't think Tommy was gonna drop dead or anything, that kid was very resilient. Also, his own flavor of pragmatism - much different from Sam's - meant that Techno was firmly of the opinion that they could cross any bridge when they got to it. For the moment, it was better to believe Tommy could make this little secret operation go off without a hitch. They could worry about what to do if things went wrong, if they went wrong.

"Vadim stole enough gunpowder to start a small war," Sam said. "As long as we don't know where it is, everybody is at risk. If Tommy has to put himself in a treacherous predicament to find out, that'll be a small price to pay." After a moment of silence, all three of the other men had to relent and murmur their agreement. It was their job, after all. To give life and limb for France. Didn't mean they had to like it. "Tomorrow is Good Friday," Sam continued. "The queen will go down and pardon a select few prisoners. I have arranged for you to be on her guard detail, so you can check in on Tommy while you're there."

"Sam, you magnificent bastard," Wilbur said sincerely. It made the captain scowl at him, just a little. Techno grinned.

After being dismissed, they stepped out of the office onto the wooden walkways again. Techno saw one of the soldiers in the courtyard quickly duck his head at the sight of them. While the ruse was solid, perhaps it had worked almost too well. It was going to be a long few days for them if all their usual allies hated them.

Techno was used to it, he had grown up being hated by every person this side of Paris and all. Didn't mean he had to like that either.

"I know why they're pissed, but I still hate that they're pissed," Wilbur said, verbalizing exactly what Techno was thinking.

"We'll have to cope," Phil said mildly.

"And they're not the only ones either," Techno said. A familiar woman clad in a long dress was walking into the courtyard.

She met them as they came down from the stairs, crossing her arms with purpose. They'd seen Niki around on occasion, what with Tommy ending up living with her. Unlike Wilbur, Phil, and Techno himself who all lived in the musketeer's barracks. Tommy could get a spot there too, but Techno didn't blame him if he preferred to live in the spare room above the bakery, considering how terrible the barracks were and how little privacy they offered. Phil had his own quarters due to rank and Wilbur shared the bed of somebody else more often than he slept in his own bed. And Techno… well, once you've slept on the streets of Paris for enough nights, the barracks started to feel like a luxurious palace. His standards were below the ground at this point.

But Niki had taken to watching over Tommy like an older sister would. Come to think of it, maybe the farmer's boy had that peculiar effect on everybody. Even Techno himself couldn't deny he was fond of the kid, in his own way.

This also meant that Niki was - at the moment - very angry with them.

"I hope you're proud of yourself," she said, voice pitched a little lower. "He's in jail now. Is he going to be executed?"

"Tommy sent a message out?" Phil asked.

"The entire district knows, I'm being accused of harboring a criminal," Niki spat back. "And it's because of you three."

"Have you considered maybe Tommy makes bad decisions all on his own," Techno said. Niki reared her arm back and he barely blinked when the flat of her palm made contact with his cheek.

Looking around, there were a lot of people watching, some hiding chuckles behind their hands. Grown men acting like little children. Techno rolled his eyes, knowing he probably deserved that. Deceiving Niki was a pain, but it was better for everybody if the truth remained hidden a little longer.

"You better get him out of there somehow, or there'll be hell to pay," she said.

Somehow, it was scarier than Sam yelling at him.

"Noted," Phil said. "We're working on it."

She turned to him, nodded once, then promptly turned around and walked out of the courtyard again. One of the other soldiers wolf whistled after her and Niki flipped him off.

"Love that in a woman," Wilbur commented behind him, to which Techno glared at him and Wilbur shrugged innocently.

The sooner they could get this mission over with and absolve both Tommy and themselves, the better.

Phil was not looking forward to this outing.

Any mission with the queen's presence was already one that severely tested his patience and sanity. Her safety - and that of every member within the royal family - was the truest goal of the musketeers. Other tasks paled in comparison, all pursuing the same goal of keeping the country safe. Whether that was stopping terrorist attacks, guarding events, or simply keeping criminality as low as they possibly could. Bringing the queen into a prison… not very good for his nerves.

And that was without the added stress of knowing that several feet below them, in the carved-out dungeons of stone, Tommy was engaged in a battle of wits of his very own. They could not check on him in any obvious ways. If Vadim suspected even for a second that Tommy's arrest wasn't genuine and he was working with the musketeers, the entire plan fell through.

Phil was just worried. He honest to God was.

"A few fortunate souls will be granted their freedom today," the warden who greeted them said. He was dressed opulent, honestly quite an eyesore and Phil had to hide a little laugh. Some people really thought meeting royalty meant they had to pull out all the stops.

The queen extended her hand for the warden to kiss, trying not to cringe as his lips met her knuckles. "I wish I could pardon all your prisoners today."

The man's brow twitched, not looking very glad for the comment. The queen was known for her immense empathy and compassion, especially to those less fortunate. The people of France loved her for it, there was no woman more adored than Queen Sally. Yet Phil could see why a prison warden might not share those ideals.

As it was, the Queen could not pardon all of them anyway. A select few criminals had already been chosen by those responsible. Low-risk cases with less serious records and little chance of causing trouble again. The queen would pardon the rest of their sentence and give them a small bag of livres to start a new life with.

Despite his tendency to be rather pessimistic, Phil sincerely hoped they would grasp the chance offered to them with both hands.

The warden bowed without comment, starting to lead them further through the winding open passages where the prisoners would often enjoy the few minutes of sunlight they were granted each day.

"Your majesty should not waste her mercy on men so unbecoming of it," Captain Sam commented. A mission of this importance, naturally he had joined. Phil only did not know if his coldness was the right attitude for this endeavor.

"All men deserve hope," the queen answered. "Otherwise, why would they lead a decent life?"

Sam hummed non-committal in answer, but could not rebuke her.

A group of seven prisoners was led before them, their clothes reduced to rags and their arms still chained together. Phil caught the queen visibly recoiling a little, not used to a sight so abysmal.

"They look half dead, poor things." Her lip twitched down, the display almost comical considering her fine jewels and a dress made of the most precious silk and velvet. Sam stayed his tongue some more. Phil thought about Tommy.

Three days had passed since the initial arrest. It certainly did not look like this prison treated its residents with a lot of dignity or care. Phil would admit, he was scared for what state they might find Tommy in. After all he had already endured. After Phil's own stay in-

No. He would not think of it. Phil refused to acknowledge how mere weeks ago, he had been staring the firing squad in the eye.

Especially not when distraction could cost them the queen's safety.

"In his great mercy, and in the name of God, the king has granted you clemency," the queen started, voice ringing out clearly like bell chimes over the open space. She stepped forward, to start handing each prisoner their small allowance. Money could make the difference between freedom or falling back into crime. "I hope this small gift will help you in your new life." Phil couldn't help but notice the sincere smile she was offering to every single one of them.

Sam looked at Phil over his shoulder and nodded. A signal they had discussed before arrival.

Phil turned around, whispering into Techno's ear while passing him by. "I'm going to check on Tommy."

His impatience had only grown in the last few minutes. He heard some snippets of the conversation behind him as he made his way to the heavy oak door that would lead him into the bowels of the prison.

"Did you see the gratitude on their faces, captain?" That was the queen again. "Mercy is more effective than any whip or gallows."

"Most enemies would think your Majesty's gentle nature a weakness," Sam answered. "Some men are just born evil. Including a lot of those in chains here."

Ah, the dramatics of their captain. If Phil hadn't been close friends with Sam for several decades, he'd find this more taxing.

The door was opened upon his request, a guard with keys turning the lock. Phil was hoping for a quick trip down, only wanting to assure himself Tommy was healthy and not actively fucking dying or anything.

His wish would not be granted so easily.

When the door opened, a ruckus could already be heard further down the hallways of the underground cells. Men screaming in disarray and the unmistakable clamor of fighting. A moment later, several prisoners ran by, improvised weapons in hand. Something was very wrong here.

Phil sighed, drew his pistol, and shot it in the air to warn the others.

"Prisoners escaping!"

Why could a simple mission never remain just that?