Queen Of Diamonds
Part 2
Remy angrily stormed into the Guild Hall back in New Orleans and sat down at the Guild databank. "André!!" he yelled as he sat down and
began to feed the computer the description of Jubilee. André Fontaine, one of the Guild council members rushed into the Hall.
"Oui mon prince?1." gasped André slightly out of breath as he bowed.
"Gather 50 o' de best t'ieves in de Guild 'ere. Nous allons rencontré ici dans une heure!2." Remy snapped going back to the computer.
André stood up and glanced curiously at Remy. "Why do y'want dem?"
"I don' need t'explain myself t'you. Do y'question my aut'ority?"
"Non," mumbled André as he backed out of the room.
Remy sighed and went back to work. Le's see, blue eyes, black hair, 5'6". What was she wearin' again? Oh right… Remy thought to himself
and finished imputing the data. Dere dat's 'er. He pressed the print button and printed 50 copies of the picture.
André came back into the room. Remy got up and surveyed the obese council member. I got t'get de council back in shape… just 'cause
dey're high ups don' mean dat dey won' need t'be fit t'pull pinches. "Did y'find dem all?" he demanded coldly.
André nodded as a few of the members that had been near by filed in. Slowly 49 members filed in. Remy looked around and counted the
heads. "I t'ought I told you t'get de 50 best… I only see 49, where's de 50th?"
"Ici.3. Y're de 50th."
"Imbiclile! I mean' de 50 best not includin' me!" Remy snapped as Lapin entered. "Oh well, Lapin will 'ave t'do." Lapin looked confused and
was about to ask but Remy stepped up on a chair and looked around. "I called y'all 'ere 'cause I want you t' go t'Manahatten, an' find dis girl,"
he began holding up Jubilee's picture. "I want you t'consider 'er dangerous. Don' approach 'er… jus' follow 'er an' see where she lives, goes
t'school, what she does for fun, etc. I want t'know evert'ing 'bout 'er. I don' care 'ow y'get t'New York, teleport, drive or fly it's your choice but I want reports every two days." He got
down off the chair and passed around the pictures. Dat works, maybe now I know de name o' de girl who 'ad de nerve t'can me. She got
farther den de others too… she's jus' what de Guild is lookin' for…
André looked at Remy after all the others had filed out. "Why are y'so eager t'find dis petite fille?"
Remy spun around on his heels, his red on black eyes glowing brightly. "Dat's none o' your concern!"
"Isn't it? Y'send de best members o' de Guild out after 'er an' y'say it's not de concern o' de council? Y'may be de Prince o' T'ieves but y'don' rule
de council."
"Au contraire André, y'know as well as I do homme dat Papa gave me almos' full rule over de Guild an' dat includes de council! He's de only
one who can counter my orders an' he only gets involved if it's somet'ing serious dat effects de w'ole Guild… dis doesn't!" Remy thundered as
he backed André into a corner and charged a card.
André was visibly trembling but his face was set in a stubborn, angry look. "Y'wouldn' dare."
"Wouldn' I? 'ow can y'be so sure?"
"I know dat y'wouldn' risk gettin' banished from de Guild an' from… New Orleans," André retorted his voice revealing his fear.
Remy smiled viciously and stared hard at André making the older man shudder and look away. "Get down," he demanded. André slowly got down on his knees and looked up at the Prince of Thieves, his eyes full of terror.
"Y'can't. I've…family…s'il vous plait…" he cowered as he looked down and noticed that he had wet his pants. Remy threw the card just over André's right shoulder and watched the small
explosion on the wall behind the other man. Then he slowly lowered his gaze to the sniveling man in front of him. "Y'be lucky dis time homme. If y'ever
t'ink o' questionin' me again dat card will be goin' straight t'your heart. Understand? Bon. Now get out o' my sight 'fore I change my mind," he growled menacingly.
André stood up and ran out of the hall as fast as his stubby legs would carry him. Remy looked coldly after him and as soon as he shut the
door he burst out laughing. Dis is de best laugh I've 'ad in years! André is a coward who let 'is power go to 'is 'ead… I wonder what de rest o'
de Guild will t'ink when dey finds out 'e pissed 'is pants in front o' de Prince o' de Guild…
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jubilee snuck quietly into the house after making sure that Remy hadn't followed her. Oh my God! I can't believe I was so stupid! I fell right
into his trap! She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Scott standing quietly in the shadows with his arms crossed and an
impatient look on his face.
"Do you know what time it is young lady?" he asked stepping out of the
shadows.
Jubilee was so startled that she nearly screamed. "Don't scare me like that!" she exclaimed jumping back.
"Do you realize how late it is?"
"Listen Scott, I'm sorry I broke my curfew… it's just that I met this really cute guy who asked me out to a late movie and I forgot to call."
"You're sure?"
"Yeah, I swear! If you're going to nag me can you at least wait 'till tomorrow morning after my training session? Then you can get all the
nagging out of your system at once," she said faking a yawn. "I'm supposed to be up at 6, that gives me only six hours to get caught up on my
beauty sleep so if you'll excuse me…"
Scott looked sternly at the youngest member of the X-men. "Good night Jubilee," Scott interrupted and Jubilee quickly bounded the stairs.
When she reached the top she turned to see him looking at her. "By the way, as punishment for braking your curfew, you have dish duty for all
three meals tomorrow."
"Aw come on Scott… I was only a half hour late!" Jubilee groaned then quickly retreated up to her room to hide her backpack until she could
get to a bank and deposit her money.
A few minutes later as she changed into her pajamas she thought about what she was going to do. I was such a moron! He's seen my face!
What if he goes to the police? What if he finds out who I am and tells Scott and Xavier? I'm dead meat if the team finds out! She grabbed her
teddy bear and flopped into bed. What a haul! I don't believe I got away! Jubilee chuckled softly remembering his face and all the cash she
managed to grab. I'll have to put it in the bank a little by little otherwise someone may get suspicious… she thought as she slowly drifted off to
sleep.
I've got it! Jubilee woke up with a start a half-hour later. I'll see what I can find out from Cerebro…there has to be some record of him. With
that thought she jumped out of bed and snuck down to the sub-basements into the War Room. Bishop was on duty but he routinely patrolled
the grounds during his shift and watched the security monitors from the Briefing Room a floor up. He wouldn't be back inside for another
half-hour… plenty of time for Jubilee to by-pass the War Room's security cameras.
Cracking her knuckles Jubilee sat down and put her hacking skills to work with the Sh'ar technology to see what she could come up with on
one Remy Lebeau. "Money get back I'm all right Jack…keep your hands off my stack…" sang Jubilee as she worked and thought about how
much Pink Floyd's song made sense. Hm…where to check first? she thought as she got into the government computer files. Social security! She typed in a few commands and inserted her encryption breaker into Cerebro. "Money it's a hit
don't give me that do goody good bullshit I'm in the hi-fidelity first class travelling set and I think I need a Lear jet."
Cerebro hummed and beeped for a few minutes before it managed to break the
encryption codes around the government files. That was easy! Government files are a synch when you have the right connections. Let's see
what secrets this dude has up his sleeve. She typed in another command and called up Remy's social security number and file. After reading
through it she made a face and called up his driver's license records. "Money, get away get a good job with more pay and your O.K.…" she began to
sing the song over again when his driving records appeared on the monitor. "Now this is more like it!" Let's see, name: Remy Etiene Lebeau;
age: 27; sex: male…well duhh! Hair: Auburn/brown; height:6'2"…o.k…this is really not useful…eyes: blue... Blue?!?!?! But they were red
when I saw him! What is he? A mutant?!?!? Oh crap! I know… he was wearing contacts…that must be it! But how did he know I was there?
I disabled and bypassed every security device! Unless… he's telepathic or empathic or…a precog… He could always just be lucky. Yeah
right! Lucky my ass… nobody's that lucky unless they're a mutie… Jubilee read through this information.
"O.k. now for the police and FBI files… Money it's a gas grab that cash with both hands and make a stash…" said Jubilee mainly to herself.
Okee dokee…no police files…not even a speeding ticket…this guy is cleaner than Scott! Residence: New Orleans…all right…that explains
the accent…what was he doing here? Jubilee's mind drifted back to her work. As she read on she became more freaked. WOW! This guy is
RICH! He's like worth ten times more than the prof! Why didn't he go to the police if he's so clean? Something isn't right… maybe the money's fake… maybe it's rigged to explode
on me or led the police to me… maybe he's some psycho-mutant murderer… that would explain the eyes…
Jubilee looked up at the clock and decided that it was late and she wasn't going to learn anything else. Getting up she made her way back to
her room but her mind was still on Remy. I think I'll hang low for a couple days just incase this guy is a cop or something…what if he's FBI
or… or… Oh my God, what did I get myself into? 'It's the root of all evil today'… figures, the biggest pinch of my career and it's rigged
money with a psycho-mutant murderer like Sinister after me…she thought as she finally drifted off to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Rogue yawned and shut off her computer. What was Jubilee doing on the internet so late at night? she thought sleepily. She got home so late
and then not long after she was doing heavy duty research on the internet on Cerebro… something smells fishy… then again maybe it's just the
fish I ate for supper… Rogue decided to ask Jubilee about it later, so she pushed it out of her mind, shut off the light and fell asleep.
* * * * * * * * * * *
So… dis girl is as curious 'bout me as I am 'bout 'er. Lapin was right… she's a 'acker for sure… t'ank God she didn' try t'get into de t'ieves
database… mind y'nobody knows 'bout it 'cept for de Guild so I suppose it's safe… What kind of technology could get into de government
database dat quickly? Could she 'ave a government connection? Remy thought to himself later that day… nobody had found anything out
about this mysterious thief.
Then it hit Remy… he knew her name!
Hositlle! Je suis un idiot! 4.I could find out 'bout her from 'er name… would make 'er easier to track too… I t'ink dat I'd better 'ead back
t'New York an' see what I can find out myself. If I don' find anyt'ing out den at least I'm dere when de others find 'er… Remy thought as his
mind moved on to other matters.
Whatever…1
Crystal: You know… stealing is bad… they shouldn't do it.
Kristi: Um, but our favorite Cajun is a thief!
Crystal: True… but he doesn't HAVE to steal…
Kristi: Sure he does, how do you think he makes a living! He would be a poor man if not… Besides, what else could he do?
Crystal: Well for starters he could go to school… preferably university or college. He could get a decent job like an engineer or… super hero.
And if he failed at the super hero business he could always work at McDonalds. You know… you can never have enough MickyD workers.
Kristi: Are you insane!!! Remy working at McDonalds! Eww! Gross! Besides, he's not going to turn his back on his family right as Prince of
Thieves. Therefore, he has to be a thief! 'Nuff said.
Crystal: Nope! He could always turn the whole Guild into another fast food restaurant chain. Besides what about Jubilee stealing?
Kristi: I'm sorry… the guild into the food business… it's just doesn't sit well. Where is the mystery in a fast food chain???
Crystal: Simple… the dreaded health inspectors!
Kristi: (rolls the eyes) This is getting pathetic! Let's get back to the story…
Remy: (pops his head out of the pages of #350) I agree. Crystal, go back
under de rock from where y'came from.
**Back to Queen of Diamonds…**
"Fighting an army of unlimted numbers is like mining a pile of sand; one who strieves to do either is inevitably buried." Diggerspeak Proverb.
French Terms
1. Oui mon prince? Yes my prince?
2. Nous allons rencontré ici dans une heure! We'll meet here in one hour!
3. Ici. Here.
4. Je suis un idiot! I'm an idiot!
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