“Do it, feed me.” The unseen voice whispered as glowing red predatory eyes looked down at the street punk cowering on the floor, a dark grey blade pressed against his throat. “Feed me, get revenge for both of us.”
“Non, this is not the path I chose, you will have blood but never death, not from me.” A female French voice stated as the eyes blinked and the blade was removed. The punk on the floor breathed a sigh of relief, but the look of worry didn’t leave his face, the woman dressed in the blood red tunic and grey plate mail was still mad and talking to herself.
“You always give in, always give me what I want.” The unseen voice stated as the woman sheathed her sword. “Be it for good or ill, your family has always made sure I’m fed well.”
“Times have changed.” The woman announced as she looked down at the punk. “As for you, I know you’re running with the Jugend-Kruez and Oskar Mors, if you want to avoid weeks of blood transfusions I suggest you tell me where they will be in the next twenty-four-hour period?”
“Th…they are gathering under the Hotel Luteria tomorrow night, something about transcending into something greater.” The punk stuttered before cowering in fear as the woman reached for the hilt of her sword. “I swear I don’t know what they are transcending to, just that it involves settling an old debt”
“You have been very helpful.” The woman replied as she slammed the pommel of her blade into the punk’s face, knocking him out and causing a slight spray of blood to cover the hilt of her sword. “There are you sated?” She asked coyly as she walked deeper into the alleyway before climbing up the fire escape and onto the nearby roof.
“You must have thought that was funny?” The unseen voice stated. “Like you I can only feed the way I know how, that was humiliating and degrading. The Fleur de Mal blade deserves more respect then what you show me.”
“Then leave me, I never wanted to continue the blood curse of my family.” The woman snapped as she took a run-up and leapt to the next.
“But then who would you be without me, I have made you special, made you the Guillotine,” The sword whispered. “Jeannine Sauvage some helpless pedlar on the street, I make you special, I uplifted your family. You need me, we are symbiotic, you feed me and I make you whole.”
The bell above the door rung and Jeannine Sauvage looked up as a customer walked in. He was well built with short dark hair dressed in jogging clothes, sweat dripping off of his brow as he looked around at the bouquets of roses that were laid out on display.
“Looking for something special?” Jeannine asked as the man turned to face her. “Or for someone special?”
“Yeah for my wife, I need…need something that reflects who she is I mean was.” The man replied as he took a deep breath. “My name’s Marc, sorry if that sounded weird, my wife’s funeral is next week and I’m looking for the right bouquet.”
“No, it’s not weird at all, I’m sorry for your loss.” Jeannine replied. “We have a lot of bereavements come through here. May I see a photo, it may help me make a custom arrangement.”
“Uh sure.” Marc replied as he removed his wallet from his trouser pockets, flipped it open and pulled out a picture of him and a young tanned woman. “This is Ann-Marie, we were married for three years and dated for another three before that.”
“Where did you meet?” Jeannine asked as she was handed the photograph.
“In Algiers, we were both on vacation down there and met rock-climbing, I literally feel for her.” Marc stated giving a slight chuckle as he remembered what was an amusing and obviously treasured memory. “We met again a little later back home in Paris, she worked as a financial planner.”
“I’m thinking a bay wreath with statice, corn buttercups and amaryllis blooms twisted among the branches. The buttercups represent charm, the amaryllis beauty and the static deep remembrance. If you want I can mock up a demonstration by the end of the day and send you some photographs.” Jeannine offered as she handed the photograph back.
“Uh sure, here’s my email address.” Marc stated as he was jerked out of past memories. “And here’s the address of the undertaker where the flowers need to be delivered to.” He added as he took the photograph back and pulled out a business card with an address hastily scribbled on the back.
“Once again I’m sorry for your loss.” Jeannine stated as she watched Marc leave her store. Taking a moment, she walked into the back room and shot a dirty look at the Fleur de Mal lying sheathed on the table before talking a long look in the mirror, the red-haired woman in jeans, a striped T-shirt and an apron looking back at her with light brown eyes.
“If you are interested I could tell you how his beloved died.” The Fleur de Mal purred as Jeannine shot it another look. “After all it’s more than one kind of blood I need.”
“If you think I’d give you another life to corrupt then you are gravely mistaken.” Jeannine replied as she went over to the table and put the sword in the corner of the room. “Still since you are being so talkative maybe you can shed some light on what this transcendence is?”
“Since it will be the only blood I have, I may as well tell you what little I know of such things.” The Fleur de Mal whispered as Jeannine placed a wreath of bay-leaves on the table. “It will mean summoning one of your ancestors though, they may remember more of what happened then I did.” It added as a single drop of blood escaped the scabbard and ran down the sheath.
“Which one?” Jeannine asked as she removed some of the excess foliage from the wreath.
“Odette Sauvage, your grandmother. She always fed me well despite her noble attentions.” The sword stated as Jeannine removed the blade and looked at the blood red skull mounted just under the guard.
“She was in a war fighting for a nation’s freedom, it is very different to what I do.” Jeannine replied as she placed her hand on the skull, the slightly raised teeth biting into her flesh. As she pulled away she saw a figure dressed in a red hooded cape holding a copy of the Fleur de Mal, the blade dripping in blood.
“Jeannine you’ve called me again?” The figure stated in a sombre tone.
“I have, a group of neo-Nazis calling themselves the Jugend-Kruz are planning something called the transcendence.” Jeannine stated as she tried to look for any sign of humanity in her grandmothers hooded face. “I know where they are, I just want to know what to expect.”
“You allowed the Nazis to regain a foothold in Paris!” Odette hissed as she lifted her hood to reveal a transparent skull with gleaming red eyes. “You are a disappointment to the Sauvage line, to the name Guillotine itself.”
“She is more than that, she still refuses to kill, refuses to let me feed fully.” The Fleur de Mal stated in a conniving wicked tone. “She’s a poor Guillotine, of that there is no doubt.”
“My humanity is not for sale.” Jeannine told the blade before looking her grandmother in the eyes. “Be disappointed all you like, but right now you are preventing me from stopping them. What is the transcendence and how do I stop it?”
“The transcendence was something different when I was Guillotine, it was a Hydra ritual, one I and the Fleur de Mal stopped by ourselves.” Odette explained. “It was one of the few things that we both agreed on. The Hydra agent in charge planned to transcend his body, become more than human like you and I are.”
“This is where she’ll say she’s just like everyone else.” The Fleur de Mal hissed. “The ritual never passed and while the agent Otto Vermis escaped, your grandmother and I made sure that the artefact, a Teutonic brand forged of star metal, needed to start the ritual was destroyed.”
“Hence why you believe this transcendence is something different.” Jeannine stated as she put her free hand on her chin. “The agent in charge of Jugend-Kruz is a man called Oskar Mors, a former historian from Munich, could he have recreated the brand, presumably the brand would be easy to recreate.”
“Yes, we knew that might happen, we witnessed a similar ritual years later with an identical brand but the transcendence failed.” Odette announced. “We came to the conclusion that it was the metal and the symbol working in concert, and that a simple iron brand would be ineffective.” She added as she raised the Fleur de Mal she was armed with and carved a symbol of a cross with a ring arching from the brand hilt encircling it.
“So, star metal?” Jeannine asked. “Are we talking about something like Iridium or another metal found in meteorites?”
“No, the metal came from a star.” The Fleur de Mal stated, a slightly pompous edge to its response.
“The Fleur de Mal is right, the metal was terrestrial but came from a star.” Odette added as she covered her face with the hood before fading out of existence.
“Well that was helpful.” Jeannine stated sarcastically. “I wish you and my ancestors would talk straight and avoid all this riddle stuff.” She added as she placed the sword back in the corner of the room before picking up a bucket of freshly picked buttercups.
“And I wish you’d fully embrace what you are.” The Fleur de Mal hissed. “But I doubt either of us is going to get what we want anytime soon.”
“You like him?” The Fleur de Mal hissed as Guillotine paced the roof of the Hotel Luteria impatiently. “You couldn’t wait to send him those photographs.”
“He’s a customer and he’s recently widowed.” Jeannine replied as she shot a look at the door down to the hotel interior. “And even if I did like him it wouldn’t act on it, not if it leads to a continuation of this lineage.”
“You think that would stop us? How do you think Jean Desmarais came to be in my service?” The Fleur de Mal asked as the door opened and a blonde-haired woman in a maid uniform appeared. “There will always be someone in line for the Guillotine, of that I can assure you.”
“We’ll continue this later.” Jeannine hissed as she walked over to the woman, a determine smile on her face. “Clare thank you for getting in contact with me.” She stated as Clare gestured for Jeannine to head inside.
“I’m just surprised Guillotine has a phone or knew my number.” Clare replied as she walked Jeannine into one of the maintenance corridors before coming to stop in-front of a freight elevator. “This is going to be as terrible as it was last time isn’t it?” She asked as she handed Jeannine the key to lock down the lift.
“Probably.” Jeannine replied.
“Hopefully.” The Fleur de Mal added, unheard by the person who had asked the question. “We need to move, there is much blood to spill.” It added smugly in the hopes of getting a rise out of Jeannine as she entered the lift, Clare’s worried face cut off by the doors. “You know we may have to kill down there, even part way through the transcendence Otto Vermis had incredible powers beyond what I’d ever seen.” The sword informed its wielder as a bead of blood ran up the blade.
“We won’t be killing anyone.” Jeannine whispered as the lift slowly made its way down to the basement and pinged open to reveal a long corridor with a light off to the left-hand side. “Especially innocent civilians.” She added as she crept up to the door that the light was shining out of before looking inside to see three figures in black AIM uniforms and a man dressed in a green jumpsuit over metal armour. Strapped on the table was Oskar Mors the leader of Jugend-Kruz dressed in a hospital gown, a respirator fitted over his mouth.
“Definitely not what happened last time right?” Jeannine stated as the man in the jumpsuit turned to the side to talk to one of the AIM agents, revealing an eye patch and a scorpion tattoo on his bald head.
“Agreed, you can ‘incapacitate’ the four standing, I will feast on the sleeper.” The Fleur de Mal suggested as more beads of blood began to run down the blade.
“You will do neither of those things.” The man in the room stated as he turned back to his patient. “Your sword speaks louder then it thinks it does.”
“You can hear it?” Jeannine stated as she walked into the room cautiously, the AIM agents training their weapons on her.
“I can, my name is Dr Evald Skorpion and I assume you are here for my patient.” The bald man stated as he picked up a scalpel as he prepared to begin his surgery. “Once I am finished I will release him into your care, that is assuming you don’t want some upgrades yourself.”
“The Transcendence.” Jeannine growled through gritted teeth as she looked around at the range of cybernetic implants loaded on the trolleys around the room.
“Of sorts.” Skorpion replied as the AIM agents he had under his control advanced on Guillotine. “We at Radically Advanced Ideas in Destruction prefer not to dabble in religious metaphors.” He informed her as one of the RAID agents slashed towards Guillotine with a baton, only to lose a hand as Jeannine slashed out to block the weapon. Spinning round Jeannine severed the ligaments of a second agent sending him crashing to the floor. The third agent levelled his weapons and fired a quick salvo of rounds that did no damage to anything besides the floor. Grabbing him by the throat Jeannine knocked him out with the flat of her blade.
“Stop what you are doing Doctor.” Jeannine ordered as she pressed the sword against Skorpion’s neck.
“Do it, become the true Guillotine.” Fleur de Mal hissed in a seductive voice, a strange light feeling entering Jeannine’s hands. Pausing for a second Jeannine snapped out of the blood thirst that was beginning to overtake her as Skorpion grabbed the blade of her sword and pushed it away giving him space to turn around and with his free hand lash out with the scalpel, the tiny blade slipping between the plates of Jeannine’s armour and biting into her arm.
“You fight what should be better nature.” Skorpion hissed as he let go of the scalpel and grabbed a handgun from the table next to his patient and opened fire, the bullets cracking on Guillotine’s armour harmlessly but doing enough the keep her off balance. “Although I am grateful you didn’t.”
“You may not be.” Jeannine hissed in a voice that wasn’t quite her own as she thrust forward with her sword, the steel of the blade slicing through Dr Skorpion’s armour and the muscle under his shoulder causing him to drop the handgun noisily to the floor. “I hunger.” She added as Skorpion grabbed a bone saw connected to a battery and swung it at his opponent, who retaliated with her own blade, the Fleur de Mal easily cutting through the revolving saw blade and the fingers holding the surgical tool.
“Please I beg you!” Skorpion gulped as he pushed a trolley between him and his attacker, only for her to cut through it with ease. “I will bring you more to kill, ones deserving of death.”
“Do you think us lame, we can hunt for ourselves, now stop whimpering and except what happens next!” The Fleur de Mal ordered as Skorpion backed himself into a corner, the red glowing eyes of the Guillotine boring into him with a malevolence he had never seen before.
“Guillotine?” A small voice cried causing the heroine in question to turn and look at who was addressing her. “What are you doing?” Clare asked in a voice that was equal parts disappointed and fearful. “Your meant to be a hero.”
“I am a hero.” Jeannine answered as she lowered her sword. “Call the police and an ambulance and thank you.”
“Yes, thank you.” The Fleur de Mal replied sarcastically. “You were so close to becoming who you were always meant to be, one life may have been saved but hundreds will be ruined by his continued existence.”
“Perhaps.” Jeannine sighed as she mentally kicked herself for even considering that the sword was right. “But as I said earlier, my humanity is not for sale.” She added as Skorpion covertly picked up a scalpel and lunged at her exposed back. Spinning round she placed the skull on the sword against her adversary, the doctor screaming as he fell back, the mark of the Fleur de Mal emblazoned on his face.
“What is this?” Skorpion asked as he clattered into the table where Mors was laying. “Why does it hurt so much?” He cried as the mark faded away so that it was under the skin.
“You can hear my blade, you know the nasty things it wants.” Jeannine announced as she towered over him. “That mark will hurt every time you do something against the nature of the blade.” She stopped as she removed the scalpel from her armour and bent the blade against the wall. “So, I expect you to be in great pain until your dying days.” She added as she walked away from the room and headed to the lift.
“That cruelty was surprising.” The Fleur de Mal commented as Guillotine headed back to the roof. “Perhaps there is something of your ancestors in you after all.”
“Of course, there is or how would I be able to wield you.” Jeannine answered as the lift crawled upwards, stopping at the roof level. Stepping out Jeannine looked across the ‘City of Lights’ especially the red and blue sirens that were weaving down the avenues towards the hotel. As the first police officers arrived Jeannine stalked off into the darkness.
“It is perfect.” Marc stated as he looked at the bouquet that Jeannine had created before looking at the woman with tired hooded eyes. “Not only that it’s beautiful just like her.”
“Thank you it’s some of my best work, I can send it to the address you supplied if you like.” Jeannine replied as she smiled slightly.
“That would be most appreciated.” Marc answered as he straightened the jogging clothes he wore. “I had a late night yesterday, you know that Guillotine vigilante that’s been seen in the last few weeks? Well last night we almost caught her.”
“You did?” Jeannine asked as the smile faded.
“We saw her leave the scene of her latest crime where she took down one of Interpol’s most wanted.” Marc stated as he fished his wallet out and removed a credit card, briefly flashing the badge for the Préfecture de Police de Paris as he did.
“You don’t think she’s trying to help this city?” Jeannine asked as she took the card and rang up the bill for the flower bouquet.
“Look if you knew the history of the six Guillotine’s before her,” Marc stated as he took the receipt and his card and walked out of the store, “then you would know nothing good can come from Guillotine or her actions.”
“Non, this is not the path I chose, you will have blood but never death, not from me.” A female French voice stated as the eyes blinked and the blade was removed. The punk on the floor breathed a sigh of relief, but the look of worry didn’t leave his face, the woman dressed in the blood red tunic and grey plate mail was still mad and talking to herself.
“You always give in, always give me what I want.” The unseen voice stated as the woman sheathed her sword. “Be it for good or ill, your family has always made sure I’m fed well.”
“Times have changed.” The woman announced as she looked down at the punk. “As for you, I know you’re running with the Jugend-Kruez and Oskar Mors, if you want to avoid weeks of blood transfusions I suggest you tell me where they will be in the next twenty-four-hour period?”
“Th…they are gathering under the Hotel Luteria tomorrow night, something about transcending into something greater.” The punk stuttered before cowering in fear as the woman reached for the hilt of her sword. “I swear I don’t know what they are transcending to, just that it involves settling an old debt”
“You have been very helpful.” The woman replied as she slammed the pommel of her blade into the punk’s face, knocking him out and causing a slight spray of blood to cover the hilt of her sword. “There are you sated?” She asked coyly as she walked deeper into the alleyway before climbing up the fire escape and onto the nearby roof.
“You must have thought that was funny?” The unseen voice stated. “Like you I can only feed the way I know how, that was humiliating and degrading. The Fleur de Mal blade deserves more respect then what you show me.”
“Then leave me, I never wanted to continue the blood curse of my family.” The woman snapped as she took a run-up and leapt to the next.
“But then who would you be without me, I have made you special, made you the Guillotine,” The sword whispered. “Jeannine Sauvage some helpless pedlar on the street, I make you special, I uplifted your family. You need me, we are symbiotic, you feed me and I make you whole.”
The bell above the door rung and Jeannine Sauvage looked up as a customer walked in. He was well built with short dark hair dressed in jogging clothes, sweat dripping off of his brow as he looked around at the bouquets of roses that were laid out on display.
“Looking for something special?” Jeannine asked as the man turned to face her. “Or for someone special?”
“Yeah for my wife, I need…need something that reflects who she is I mean was.” The man replied as he took a deep breath. “My name’s Marc, sorry if that sounded weird, my wife’s funeral is next week and I’m looking for the right bouquet.”
“No, it’s not weird at all, I’m sorry for your loss.” Jeannine replied. “We have a lot of bereavements come through here. May I see a photo, it may help me make a custom arrangement.”
“Uh sure.” Marc replied as he removed his wallet from his trouser pockets, flipped it open and pulled out a picture of him and a young tanned woman. “This is Ann-Marie, we were married for three years and dated for another three before that.”
“Where did you meet?” Jeannine asked as she was handed the photograph.
“In Algiers, we were both on vacation down there and met rock-climbing, I literally feel for her.” Marc stated giving a slight chuckle as he remembered what was an amusing and obviously treasured memory. “We met again a little later back home in Paris, she worked as a financial planner.”
“I’m thinking a bay wreath with statice, corn buttercups and amaryllis blooms twisted among the branches. The buttercups represent charm, the amaryllis beauty and the static deep remembrance. If you want I can mock up a demonstration by the end of the day and send you some photographs.” Jeannine offered as she handed the photograph back.
“Uh sure, here’s my email address.” Marc stated as he was jerked out of past memories. “And here’s the address of the undertaker where the flowers need to be delivered to.” He added as he took the photograph back and pulled out a business card with an address hastily scribbled on the back.
“Once again I’m sorry for your loss.” Jeannine stated as she watched Marc leave her store. Taking a moment, she walked into the back room and shot a dirty look at the Fleur de Mal lying sheathed on the table before talking a long look in the mirror, the red-haired woman in jeans, a striped T-shirt and an apron looking back at her with light brown eyes.
“If you are interested I could tell you how his beloved died.” The Fleur de Mal purred as Jeannine shot it another look. “After all it’s more than one kind of blood I need.”
“If you think I’d give you another life to corrupt then you are gravely mistaken.” Jeannine replied as she went over to the table and put the sword in the corner of the room. “Still since you are being so talkative maybe you can shed some light on what this transcendence is?”
“Since it will be the only blood I have, I may as well tell you what little I know of such things.” The Fleur de Mal whispered as Jeannine placed a wreath of bay-leaves on the table. “It will mean summoning one of your ancestors though, they may remember more of what happened then I did.” It added as a single drop of blood escaped the scabbard and ran down the sheath.
“Which one?” Jeannine asked as she removed some of the excess foliage from the wreath.
“Odette Sauvage, your grandmother. She always fed me well despite her noble attentions.” The sword stated as Jeannine removed the blade and looked at the blood red skull mounted just under the guard.
“She was in a war fighting for a nation’s freedom, it is very different to what I do.” Jeannine replied as she placed her hand on the skull, the slightly raised teeth biting into her flesh. As she pulled away she saw a figure dressed in a red hooded cape holding a copy of the Fleur de Mal, the blade dripping in blood.
“Jeannine you’ve called me again?” The figure stated in a sombre tone.
“I have, a group of neo-Nazis calling themselves the Jugend-Kruz are planning something called the transcendence.” Jeannine stated as she tried to look for any sign of humanity in her grandmothers hooded face. “I know where they are, I just want to know what to expect.”
“You allowed the Nazis to regain a foothold in Paris!” Odette hissed as she lifted her hood to reveal a transparent skull with gleaming red eyes. “You are a disappointment to the Sauvage line, to the name Guillotine itself.”
“She is more than that, she still refuses to kill, refuses to let me feed fully.” The Fleur de Mal stated in a conniving wicked tone. “She’s a poor Guillotine, of that there is no doubt.”
“My humanity is not for sale.” Jeannine told the blade before looking her grandmother in the eyes. “Be disappointed all you like, but right now you are preventing me from stopping them. What is the transcendence and how do I stop it?”
“The transcendence was something different when I was Guillotine, it was a Hydra ritual, one I and the Fleur de Mal stopped by ourselves.” Odette explained. “It was one of the few things that we both agreed on. The Hydra agent in charge planned to transcend his body, become more than human like you and I are.”
“This is where she’ll say she’s just like everyone else.” The Fleur de Mal hissed. “The ritual never passed and while the agent Otto Vermis escaped, your grandmother and I made sure that the artefact, a Teutonic brand forged of star metal, needed to start the ritual was destroyed.”
“Hence why you believe this transcendence is something different.” Jeannine stated as she put her free hand on her chin. “The agent in charge of Jugend-Kruz is a man called Oskar Mors, a former historian from Munich, could he have recreated the brand, presumably the brand would be easy to recreate.”
“Yes, we knew that might happen, we witnessed a similar ritual years later with an identical brand but the transcendence failed.” Odette announced. “We came to the conclusion that it was the metal and the symbol working in concert, and that a simple iron brand would be ineffective.” She added as she raised the Fleur de Mal she was armed with and carved a symbol of a cross with a ring arching from the brand hilt encircling it.
“So, star metal?” Jeannine asked. “Are we talking about something like Iridium or another metal found in meteorites?”
“No, the metal came from a star.” The Fleur de Mal stated, a slightly pompous edge to its response.
“The Fleur de Mal is right, the metal was terrestrial but came from a star.” Odette added as she covered her face with the hood before fading out of existence.
“Well that was helpful.” Jeannine stated sarcastically. “I wish you and my ancestors would talk straight and avoid all this riddle stuff.” She added as she placed the sword back in the corner of the room before picking up a bucket of freshly picked buttercups.
“And I wish you’d fully embrace what you are.” The Fleur de Mal hissed. “But I doubt either of us is going to get what we want anytime soon.”
“You like him?” The Fleur de Mal hissed as Guillotine paced the roof of the Hotel Luteria impatiently. “You couldn’t wait to send him those photographs.”
“He’s a customer and he’s recently widowed.” Jeannine replied as she shot a look at the door down to the hotel interior. “And even if I did like him it wouldn’t act on it, not if it leads to a continuation of this lineage.”
“You think that would stop us? How do you think Jean Desmarais came to be in my service?” The Fleur de Mal asked as the door opened and a blonde-haired woman in a maid uniform appeared. “There will always be someone in line for the Guillotine, of that I can assure you.”
“We’ll continue this later.” Jeannine hissed as she walked over to the woman, a determine smile on her face. “Clare thank you for getting in contact with me.” She stated as Clare gestured for Jeannine to head inside.
“I’m just surprised Guillotine has a phone or knew my number.” Clare replied as she walked Jeannine into one of the maintenance corridors before coming to stop in-front of a freight elevator. “This is going to be as terrible as it was last time isn’t it?” She asked as she handed Jeannine the key to lock down the lift.
“Probably.” Jeannine replied.
“Hopefully.” The Fleur de Mal added, unheard by the person who had asked the question. “We need to move, there is much blood to spill.” It added smugly in the hopes of getting a rise out of Jeannine as she entered the lift, Clare’s worried face cut off by the doors. “You know we may have to kill down there, even part way through the transcendence Otto Vermis had incredible powers beyond what I’d ever seen.” The sword informed its wielder as a bead of blood ran up the blade.
“We won’t be killing anyone.” Jeannine whispered as the lift slowly made its way down to the basement and pinged open to reveal a long corridor with a light off to the left-hand side. “Especially innocent civilians.” She added as she crept up to the door that the light was shining out of before looking inside to see three figures in black AIM uniforms and a man dressed in a green jumpsuit over metal armour. Strapped on the table was Oskar Mors the leader of Jugend-Kruz dressed in a hospital gown, a respirator fitted over his mouth.
“Definitely not what happened last time right?” Jeannine stated as the man in the jumpsuit turned to the side to talk to one of the AIM agents, revealing an eye patch and a scorpion tattoo on his bald head.
“Agreed, you can ‘incapacitate’ the four standing, I will feast on the sleeper.” The Fleur de Mal suggested as more beads of blood began to run down the blade.
“You will do neither of those things.” The man in the room stated as he turned back to his patient. “Your sword speaks louder then it thinks it does.”
“You can hear it?” Jeannine stated as she walked into the room cautiously, the AIM agents training their weapons on her.
“I can, my name is Dr Evald Skorpion and I assume you are here for my patient.” The bald man stated as he picked up a scalpel as he prepared to begin his surgery. “Once I am finished I will release him into your care, that is assuming you don’t want some upgrades yourself.”
“The Transcendence.” Jeannine growled through gritted teeth as she looked around at the range of cybernetic implants loaded on the trolleys around the room.
“Of sorts.” Skorpion replied as the AIM agents he had under his control advanced on Guillotine. “We at Radically Advanced Ideas in Destruction prefer not to dabble in religious metaphors.” He informed her as one of the RAID agents slashed towards Guillotine with a baton, only to lose a hand as Jeannine slashed out to block the weapon. Spinning round Jeannine severed the ligaments of a second agent sending him crashing to the floor. The third agent levelled his weapons and fired a quick salvo of rounds that did no damage to anything besides the floor. Grabbing him by the throat Jeannine knocked him out with the flat of her blade.
“Stop what you are doing Doctor.” Jeannine ordered as she pressed the sword against Skorpion’s neck.
“Do it, become the true Guillotine.” Fleur de Mal hissed in a seductive voice, a strange light feeling entering Jeannine’s hands. Pausing for a second Jeannine snapped out of the blood thirst that was beginning to overtake her as Skorpion grabbed the blade of her sword and pushed it away giving him space to turn around and with his free hand lash out with the scalpel, the tiny blade slipping between the plates of Jeannine’s armour and biting into her arm.
“You fight what should be better nature.” Skorpion hissed as he let go of the scalpel and grabbed a handgun from the table next to his patient and opened fire, the bullets cracking on Guillotine’s armour harmlessly but doing enough the keep her off balance. “Although I am grateful you didn’t.”
“You may not be.” Jeannine hissed in a voice that wasn’t quite her own as she thrust forward with her sword, the steel of the blade slicing through Dr Skorpion’s armour and the muscle under his shoulder causing him to drop the handgun noisily to the floor. “I hunger.” She added as Skorpion grabbed a bone saw connected to a battery and swung it at his opponent, who retaliated with her own blade, the Fleur de Mal easily cutting through the revolving saw blade and the fingers holding the surgical tool.
“Please I beg you!” Skorpion gulped as he pushed a trolley between him and his attacker, only for her to cut through it with ease. “I will bring you more to kill, ones deserving of death.”
“Do you think us lame, we can hunt for ourselves, now stop whimpering and except what happens next!” The Fleur de Mal ordered as Skorpion backed himself into a corner, the red glowing eyes of the Guillotine boring into him with a malevolence he had never seen before.
“Guillotine?” A small voice cried causing the heroine in question to turn and look at who was addressing her. “What are you doing?” Clare asked in a voice that was equal parts disappointed and fearful. “Your meant to be a hero.”
“I am a hero.” Jeannine answered as she lowered her sword. “Call the police and an ambulance and thank you.”
“Yes, thank you.” The Fleur de Mal replied sarcastically. “You were so close to becoming who you were always meant to be, one life may have been saved but hundreds will be ruined by his continued existence.”
“Perhaps.” Jeannine sighed as she mentally kicked herself for even considering that the sword was right. “But as I said earlier, my humanity is not for sale.” She added as Skorpion covertly picked up a scalpel and lunged at her exposed back. Spinning round she placed the skull on the sword against her adversary, the doctor screaming as he fell back, the mark of the Fleur de Mal emblazoned on his face.
“What is this?” Skorpion asked as he clattered into the table where Mors was laying. “Why does it hurt so much?” He cried as the mark faded away so that it was under the skin.
“You can hear my blade, you know the nasty things it wants.” Jeannine announced as she towered over him. “That mark will hurt every time you do something against the nature of the blade.” She stopped as she removed the scalpel from her armour and bent the blade against the wall. “So, I expect you to be in great pain until your dying days.” She added as she walked away from the room and headed to the lift.
“That cruelty was surprising.” The Fleur de Mal commented as Guillotine headed back to the roof. “Perhaps there is something of your ancestors in you after all.”
“Of course, there is or how would I be able to wield you.” Jeannine answered as the lift crawled upwards, stopping at the roof level. Stepping out Jeannine looked across the ‘City of Lights’ especially the red and blue sirens that were weaving down the avenues towards the hotel. As the first police officers arrived Jeannine stalked off into the darkness.
“It is perfect.” Marc stated as he looked at the bouquet that Jeannine had created before looking at the woman with tired hooded eyes. “Not only that it’s beautiful just like her.”
“Thank you it’s some of my best work, I can send it to the address you supplied if you like.” Jeannine replied as she smiled slightly.
“That would be most appreciated.” Marc answered as he straightened the jogging clothes he wore. “I had a late night yesterday, you know that Guillotine vigilante that’s been seen in the last few weeks? Well last night we almost caught her.”
“You did?” Jeannine asked as the smile faded.
“We saw her leave the scene of her latest crime where she took down one of Interpol’s most wanted.” Marc stated as he fished his wallet out and removed a credit card, briefly flashing the badge for the Préfecture de Police de Paris as he did.
“You don’t think she’s trying to help this city?” Jeannine asked as she took the card and rang up the bill for the flower bouquet.
“Look if you knew the history of the six Guillotine’s before her,” Marc stated as he took the receipt and his card and walked out of the store, “then you would know nothing good can come from Guillotine or her actions.”