Genard's Story: Part Two

FOUR YEARS LATER

The four years Emil was away at school went by faster than Genard thought they would. He missed his friend dearly, but there was still plenty to keep him and the other thieves occupied, not the least of which was Remy, the ten year old homeless mutant adopted by Jean-Luc six months before Emil was due to return home. Remy was the center of attention in the Guild, especially where Henri, Mercy and Genard were concerned, however when Emil came home from school, Remy found himself abruptly left, as the four young adults went to the movies and didn't take him along.

"Aw, come on, why can' I go wit' you?" Remy asked them, bouncing up and down around them as they got ready to go.

"It's not a movie for kids, Remy," Genard replied, putting his hands on the boy's shoulders to stop him from bouncing. "Besides, we haven' seen Emil in four years an' he's our best friend. We'd kinda like to spend some time wit' him."

"We'll take you wit' us next time, okay, kid?" Henri continued. Remy sighed in disappointment.

Emil leaned down to the child's level and said, "I'm sorry to take dem away from you, Remy, but we'll only be gone a couple of hours. An' tomorrow, I'll teach you how to play a really neat card game, okay?"

Remy's red and black eyes widened and he smiled. Nodding, he said, "Okay!"

"You ain' gon' teach my little brother to play poker are you, Emil?" Henri asked as the four got into Henri's Ferrari and headed to the movie theater.

"Nah, I was gon' teach him how to play slapjack," Emil replied. "We'll let Jean-Luc teach him poker."

As they walked into the theater, Genard suddenly stopped. "Look!" he said, pointing at something inside.

"Dat's Julian! What's he doin'?" Mercy wanted to know.

"I don' know, but isn' de girl b'hind de counter dat one who made fun of us in school a few years ago?" Genard replied. "An' it looks like a few of her giggling friends are here too."

"Let's go in. It looks like Jules is playin' bully. We can' let him have all de fun, not 'gainst dem anyway." Henri said, pulling open the doors.

After paying for their tickets, the four friends walked over to the counter, but not to get popcorn. Recognizing them, the girl and her friends froze, suddenly ignoring the guy who was picking on them. Julian didn't see them coming, and was quite surprised when he heard his name being called.

"Julian!" Mercy said. "What're you doin', hassling dese poor girls?"

Julian whirled around and saw the four thieves standing in a line, arms folded. "None of your business," he replied sharply.

"Seems to us like dey've never done anyt'ing to you, so why don' you leave dem alone an' go watch de movie?" Genard commented.

"Why do you care 'bout dem?" Julian questioned, facing them squarely. He was outnumbered, but he also knew his friends were already in their seats, waiting for him. They would even things up if needed.

"Let's jus' say we have to pay dem back for somet'ing dat happened back in high school." Henri grinned.

"Have it your way. I jus' wanted a coke anyway." Julian said, taking his coke and walked in to find his friends.

The four thieves walked up to the counter. The girl's friends stood there silently, but she was obligated to talk to them.

"Can I get you somet'ing?" she asked, looking extremely nervous. She remembered only too well what she had said to them back in high school and she was extremely nervous about facing them now. Now, they were actual members of the Thieves Guild, not just a bunch of teenagers whose fathers were in the Guild.

"We'll have two large popcorns an' four cokes." Emil gave the order. Then he said, noticing the ring on her finger, "Well now guys, look at dis. De girl graduates from a top university an' rather den getting a big, high-payin' job, she ends up workin' de candy counter at de movie theater."

"Scary, huh? Dat's why I didn' go to university. I couldn' bring myself to end up havin' to say 'Would you like fries wit' dat?' for de rest of my life," Genard joked. "No offense, Emil, but den again, you had your plans made long b'fore you even made it to university."

"Now, now, boys, be nice." Mercy said, taking one of the bags of popcorn and her coke, noticing the blush on the girl's face.

"Oh Merce, don' be such a goody-goody." Genard said, picking up the other bag of popcorn. "Dis is de same girl who called us losers back in high school, remember? I t'ink she d'serves what we're sayin'."

As the four thieves gathered up the rest of their stuff, Henri got in the last dig. "Seems to me dat it isn' us who are de losers. It also seems to me dat de real losers are you. Next time you feel like makin' fun of someone, maybe you should t'ink 'bout de consequences. Have a nice night."

SIX MONTHS LATER

"Papa!" Mercy screamed. The thieves and assassins were fighting in the streets of New Orleans, and Jacques Cordeau had just been shot by one of the assassins. Mercy dropped her knife and ran over to where her father had fallen. Kneeling on the ground beside him, tears running down her cheeks, Mercy knew there was nothing she or anyone else could do.

The fight ended and the rest of the thieves joined her. "Is dere anyt'ing we can do, Mercy?" Jean-Luc asked.

Mercy shook her head. "Non…he's dead…unless you can kill all de Assassins, dere is not'ing you can do."

The older Guild members took Jacques' body, and Jean-Luc promised to break the news to Mercy's mother. Mercy was left standing there, surrounded by her three best friends, who were there to give her whatever support she needed.

"You okay, Merce?" Henri, who was also Mercy's boyfriend, asked. Mercy shook her head and buried her face in his shoulder.

"We're sorry, Mercy. I know dat doesn' help, but…" Genard said quietly.

"Yeah…" Emil agreed. "For what it's worth, I kinda know what you're goin' t'rough so if you want to talk or anyt'ing…"

Mercy turned to her two friends with a small smile. "T'anks you guys. I jus'…I don' know what to do…"

"Right now? Be unhappy. But you'll figure out what to do when de time comes." Genard said as the four friends walked down the street.

"I'm so lucky to have you three, you know dat?" Mercy replied. "I don' know what I'd do without you."

"Papa, why do we react de way we do?" Genard asked his father two days later, after Jacques' funeral. Pierre looked at his son curiously.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"We grew up wit' de Guild around us, we know what can an' does happen, an' yet when it does happen, we react like we're not prepared for it. Mais, we should be, shouldn' we?"

"Losin' people, especially people you love, is hard, mon fils, no matter how prepared you is for it."

"Hey Papa? Could you do me a favor?"

"Of course, Genard. What is it?" Pierre replied.

"Be careful."

Pierre sighed. "We always are, Genard. But sometimes bein' careful jus' isn' enough. Now, don' you have to pack? I t'ought you an' Emil were getting an apartment together."

"Oh yeah! We've been focusin' on Mercy so much de past couple of days, I forgot. Could you help me?"

"I'd love to. Are you takin' everyt'ing you own, an' where do you want me to start?"

"Oui, an'…in de closet." Genard laughed as they went upstairs to his room to pack up his belongings.

PART THREE