Jinpei found himself alternately surrounded by warmth, escalating to burning heat and back again.  The swirling mists kept him in a tight hold which he felt too weak to break.  At sometime he screamed... or did he cry?  He wasn't sure.  He was afraid.

He cried softly now, he didn't care that anyone could see him show his fear.  Escillis!  Death in two hours.  No mercy... no reprieve...  Death.

He didn't want to die.  He was away from--from--from who?  Someone who usually took care of him... wiped his fevered face when he was sick...  Who sat by his bedside when he was hurt...  Who?  Mother?  No--she was gone a long time ago.  At this thought, he felt tears fill his eyes.  She was dead.  He was alone.  No one loved him...  He felt a cool, wet cloth on his face.  There was someone with him!  He felt his breast swell with relief.  A soft voice enveloped him.  He was loved!  He was cared for.  It was--a man?  Who?

"A--a--aniki?"

<Here, Jinpei.>

Jinpei?  His name--yes that's right.  That was *his* name.  And the man was his brother.  He wasn't abandoned, he had family.  But weren't there suppose to be more of them?

<Rest...  sleep...  You'll be all right soon enough.  The fever's broken.  Sleep, I will protect you.>

The suffocating heat was gone... only cool blackness surrounded him.  Dream...

Silent as a shadow, Joe approached the row of gargoyles overlooking the courtyard of the hotel.  Artfully blended among them was a white winged figure that knelt just as still as those stone guardians.  Joe knew Ken wasn't going to be happy with his report.

<Nothing, Condor?>  Ken's voice drifted to him as he remained unmoving on the ledge.

<No.>  Joe tried to keep annoyance out of his tone.  He was so sure that he hadn't made a sound on his approach.  It was downright eerie that Ken's awareness of his surroundings seemed to border on the supernatural.

<Step down and take a rest.  Come back in another 5 hours.>

Joe felt tired, but he still hesitated at the command.  Ken had let him and Ryu search the city while he remained on watch through the last 32 hours.  Jun had tried to maintain her professionalism, but they knew that she was much too distraught over Jinpei's disappearance to give her complete attention to the mission.  All this meant that Ken had to compensate for the absence of nearly the entire team on the watch.

To Joe, Ken's activation of his bird style was significant.  As well as offering him greater personal security, the bird style also let him move easier and flit through the shadows in almost complete silence.  It also added to the danger of the Kagaku Ninjatai's presence being detected, but Ken must have accepted the risk in favor of the advantages the bird style gave him over their ordinary street wear.

<Ken, I can take the watch now.  You need to rest too.>

<You and Ryu have been moving through the city for the whole day.  I've only been standing and watching a finite area.  You need the rest more than I do.>

Joe winced at the tone.  It was Gatchaman's 'command voice', as they had come to call it.  The tone which Ken would use on contentious issues when he came to his decisions.  A tone that Ken seldom used, but when he did use it, he brooked no argument to his orders.  Joe knew that this was going to be Ken's only outward expression that Jinpei's disappearance was grating on his nerves too.

<Go.  You're wasting your rest time.>

There was no further use for him to stay.  Joe cast one last look over the city before he left his commander to return to the Motel.

#Jinpei, where *are* you?!  Damn it kid, if you're not in trouble somewhere, you just screwed up big time!#

Jinpei finally stirred and yawned as he stretched in the bed.

#It still can't be night.  I've been sleeping all night?# he wondered as he looked around the pitch black room.

Then little details started to register.  There were heavy drapes over the windows.  A glimmer at the edges told him that it was a lot later than he thought.  The room wasn't familiar... where was he?

"How y' feel, Cockerel?"

Jinpei swung his head sharply towards the voice and started cursing immediately.  His head still throbbed, but the pounding quickly eased.  He gingerly opened his eyes again to squint at the man who sat in the chair beside the bed.

"Geez, I think I feel better than you look... Remy?"

"Oui.  Dat's good, Cockerel.  Y' remember." He chuckled as he drew a hand down the stubble on his chin.  "Y' t'ink y' want t' get up?"

"How--how long?"

"Day an' a half.  This de second morning after we met."

"Aren't I suppose to be dead?"

"Y' want t' be, mon ami?"

Jinpei could sense the tight laughter in the voice.  It must have been close.  A chill ran down his spine.  He scurried out of the sick bed and reached for the clothes that had been thoughtfully washed and laid out for him on another chair.

Remy lent him an unobtrusive hand on the arm to walk to the door and out into the bright corridor.

"Salut!  So de Prince, he finally decide t' grace dis humble company wit' his presence, neh?" An old man looked up as they started down the stairs.  "Bien, de boy finally walks."

Jinpei's response was automatic.  "I'm not a boy!  I'm man enough to take on anything."

The white-haired veteran raised an eyebrow at this but didn't say anything to dispute the claim.  He only eyed his other charge critically.

"Look at y', chille.  Like somethin' de cat dragged in an' spat on.  Y' gettin' older dan Andre, Remy.  Can' handle stayin' up f' two nights?  How y' gonna be a thief?"

"Y' sound more like an old woman every day, Andre.  Soon Tante Mattie ain't got nothin' on y' for spoilin' a chille."

In the bright light of the morning, Jinpei turned to get a good look at Remy.  He barely withheld his gasp.  Remy really looked awful and it wasn't just because he had stayed awake for over two days.

"Enough, come t' de kitchen.  I have breakfast f' y'.  I have de maids clean y' room and draw y' a bath, Remy.  Den y' go straight t' bed.  Y' hear me?  Y' not too old I still can' take y' over my knee."

"Arret, Andre.  Y' not my maman.  Y' embarassin' me in front o' de Cockerel."

"*I* take care o' dis chateau, Remy.  And dat includes de occupants.  Or y' sayin y' want t' move out?"

"Maybe I should, t' get away from de 'old woman'."

"Y' not finished y' job, an' I know y' like de view o' de sea from de porch.  No threat." Andre laughed at him as he ushered them into the kitchen.  "Eat, eat.  Y' pere t'ink I be starvin' y' if he see y' now."

The table looked as if it was groaning under the weight of the food.  Jinpei was going to try his best to move that weight to a much more appreciative location.  Remy was relieved to see this.  If the boy was ready to eat, he was going to be fine.

<<You sent word down?>>  Remy asked softly as he settled into a chair while Jinpei tucked healthily into a plate of bacon, ham, eggs, and croissants.

<<Escillis.>>  Andre nodded grimly.  <<Your father knows and the Assassins?  The Grand Master, Marius, is not happy about this either.>>

<<When I saw the black scrap off the blade, I knew.  All the assassins here have them, Andre.  The Cockerel showed the classic symptoms.  I knew it as soon as I saw his face when he got that cut.  This isn't a simple warning or interference in their activities anymore, Andre.  The Guilds cannot ignore this flouting of the treaty.>>

The old man studied Remy's grim expression of eagerness before he spoke.  <<Remy, you did not know her.>>

Remy flushed at the statement, annoyed at how easily the old thief could hit the heart of the matter with such precision. <<*Someone* should have avenged her pain, Andre.>>

<<And so you decided that you would be the one to do this?  You would wrap the Guild's covenant around an O'merta order?  Gambit is not allowed to stoop to petty vengeance, Remy.>>

<<Call it what you may, Andre, the breaking of Guild rules demand that I destroy Lucian David.  Some may say I'm carrying retribution a little beyond what is absolutely necessary... but don't worry about me, Andre, I promise you, I will keep my head.>>

<<Do you need help, Gambit?  Marius is willing to lend you his trusted.  We are willing to set aside the feud for this.  This is too important.>>

<<No, it's best that I handle this alone.  I don't want to be confused by allied Assassins.  Be bad if I killed the wrong ones.  Pass the word to my father and Marius that I can handle this on my own.  If anything goes wrong, the Guilds are still protected.>>

"Excuse me!  But isn't it rude to talk in front of another person without letting him know what's going on?"

The two men turned towards Jinpei guiltily.

"Je suis desole, Cockerel."

"Huh?"

"I said, 'I'm sorry', Cockerel.  We just talkin' 'bout takin' y' back." Remy watched his face carefully, but Jinpei did not notice the lie.  "Soon as y' ready, we go look f' y' friends, neh?  Dey must be worried 'bout y." Remy reached over to tousle his hair.  "I'll take y' back."

Remy held up his hand, silencing Andre's protests that he should rest first.  "Y' remember where y' stay, Jinpei?"

Jinpei's hand trembled as he lowered his fork to lock eyes with the two men.

"I-I don't remember."

The Monistarial Entrebudanie.  One could get a breathtaking view from this Cathedral atop the hill that commands all of Marseilles.  But the sight this day was lost on a pair of green eyes.

<Apple?>  Ken waved the fruit in front of Jun as she leaned against a statue in the Monastery venue.

She shook her head dully.  Though she tried not to show it, they all knew that she hadn't slept well in the past two days from worry.

Ken bit into the apple and studied Jun for a while.  He warred within himself with a decision he had to weigh against their responsibilities.  He felt a certain amount of anger towards her little brother for being so irresponsible at times and putting her through hell.

<Hey, he'll be okay.>  Ken reached over to touch her shoulder.

Jun's response caught him off guard as she turned towards him and wrapped her arms around him.  Though it made him drop the apple, Ken held back his awkward rigidity at the body contact to wrap his arms around her in response to her need.  She started crying on his shoulder, more out of exhaustion than fear.

He held her gently, offering what comfort he could in their closeness.  It was at times like this that Ken could not deny the attraction and love he felt for the lithe figure in his arms, but he just couldn't allow himself to show it.  Joe had talked to him about it before but...  Fraternizing in the ranks was not only improper, it was also a court martial offense.  At least Jun wasn't looking for that love now.  He could push aside his feelings for another day... there was still the mission.

Gatchaman was professional enough to know he couldn't allow his feelings to take precedence over the importance of their mission.  Duty demanded he forget Jinpei's indiscretion, consider it a desertion of post and re-deploy their forces to compensate.  His heart told him otherwise.

Jinpei was a little brother to all of them, more so to Jun.  She was a sister to him from the moment he first appeared at the orphanage.  And Dr. Nambu had assured them that they would remain together when he applied to take them into his care.  If anyone needed support at a time like this, she did.  Cold military order wasn't what Jun needed now.

#Hell, you knew your decision before you even got here.  Stop stalling and let her go look for him, Washio.#

<Jun, Joe and Ryu have already searched the city twice.  He'll turn up.  At least he's not in a hospital or jail right now.>  He pushed her away gently and looked into her eyes.  <I need you, girl, I need your expertise and I can't afford to watch you fall apart like this.  I'm calling Joe and Ryu back and I want you to go around as a regular tourist, see what you can find.>

Jun tried to protest, but Ken cut her short.  <Look, if I know that little wiseass, he's in a bakery somewhere stuffing his face with cream puffs.  Either that or he's wandering around in a striped shirt and black tie posing as the French Kissing Bandit.>

Jun exploded in laughter at the mental image.  Ken gave her a good smirk as she gave him a punch in the chest.  <And another thing?  When's the last time you had a nice long bath?>

Jun pushed him back and gave Ken a reassuring smile as she left him standing alone, shaking his head.

<Jinpei, Jinpei, Jinpei...  I'll say this much, you little shit, you really know how to play matchmaker.>

Ken wandered off to resume his guard, cherishing the lingering warmth of holding Jun in his arms.  But it wasn't going to make things any easier on Ken when they finally caught up with Jinpei though.  Ken dreaded the possible consequence he'd have to bring down on the kid.

#Damn you, Jinpei.  You had better have a good reason for this stunt.  Two days!  I *can't* overlook this insubordination!  What are you up to?!#

"What am I supposed to do out here?" Jinpei asked the old man as they walked towards one of buildings on the huge property.

"Y' said y' serious about dis, cher.  Dis a test t' see if y' got de instincts dat will make y' worth teachin' t' be a thief.  Y' pass, Remy agree to teach y'.  Y' fail, maybe I just show y' some tricks instead...  Maybe."

"Why isn't Remy here?"

"Cause Gambit has research t' finish in de city.  He left de testing t' dis old thief." Andre's expression indicated his own displeasure over the situation.

"What's the test?"

"We already know y' can fight.  So dis is a test t' see how good y' are at observation, an' how good y' are at usin' y' brain." Andre made a derisive snort, which Jinpei ignored.

They stopped in front of an old shack.  At a cursory glance, Jinpei immediately noted that the door to the shack had a padlock on it and that the shack was raised off the ground by a foot.

"Now, tell me how t' break int' dis shack."

Andre's hand prevented him from moving closer.

"Y' not allowed t' approach it, homme.  Y' can walk around it, but y' go no closer."

"Break the padlock."

"In a good pinch, de mark not supposed t' know until long after the pinch is done.  No good."

"Well you could--"

"Dis is not a game of twenty questions, Cockerel.  Y' s'pose t' use y'r brain!  *Not* shoot off dat mouth."

"Look, how am I supposed to know how to break into something if I can't examine it, or get close to it."

"Y' t'ink de pinch just a game of trial and error?"  Andre sneered at him, "Dat y' got de time t' waste trying different entrances, or dat a *true* thief will just bash de door down and steal from de mark?"

Jinpei kept his mouth shut.

"What y' think y' hav' t' do when y' faced wit' de blue prints o' a high security buildin', heh?  Dere may be hundreds o' ways in and out, but maybe only three dat will not trip any alarms.  Y' can't find y' entrances on de job, y' got t' plan dese t'ings out.

"Dis just a shack.  Dere be three ways t' get int' dis shack wit'out leavin' any signs.  Find them.  When Gambit was a boy, he found a fourth.  M' only asking y' t' give me de three obvious ones.  If y' can' even carry out de simplest task, it no use t' teach y'!"

"Okay!"

Jinpei started to walk around the building, careful not to get any closer than Andre stipulated.  Hell, it shouldn't be difficult, he was a trained ninja!  He'd broken through tougher security than this.

Jinpei rocked back on his heels at the thought.  He had?  When was that?  Why did he just call himself a ninja?  The sound of Andre clearing his throat started him walking around the building again.

Why was Andre on his case?  He had to concentrate, think things through.  Jinpei let his eyes run over the shack in intense concentration.  There was one window, latched from the inside...  Yes!  Jinpei turned to see what was beside it.

"Up the tree and through the window.  It's a hook latch, if you use a bit of wire, you can unhook the latch and hook it back once you're done inside."

He was gratified to receive Andre's nod.  That was easy, one down, two to go.

Jinpei walked around the building again.  Only one window...  there was something he was missing.  Sweat started to bead on his face as he thought hard.  His eyes took in everything, the flaking paint, the boards, the nails...  Nails!

"Side board near the bushes has a crack in the seam.  Could be loose enough to pry open and nail back later."

Jinpei received another nod.  The last way in and it wasn't going to be as obvious.

Intense examination of the walls of the shack didn't given any more breaks.  The one window had already been covered.  Jinpei glanced at the bordering tree and received Andre's permission to climb up to see if there was a break on the roof.

Nothing.

Jinpei started to chew on his lower lip.  He stared intensely at the padlock.  No, it didn't look like it could be picked.  In all probability, it was rusted tight.  He'd break the lock before he could pick it.

There were four ways into the shack.  He dismissed the possibility that he could easily find Remy's fourth way in.  Jinpei was convinced that Remy's perceptions bordered on the supernatural.  He still had a vague memory of two nights ago, when he was spying on a confrontation between Remy and the Assassins.  Why he was there, he couldn't remember, but he knew he had hidden himself well in the shadows.  He would probably have sworn that no one could have noticed him.  Yet Remy had picked him out.

~"*If* y' know what t' look out f' y' c'n spot anythin'."~

#But, what *am* I looking for?!#

Andre's expression remained impressive as he watched the boy.  Inwardly he was cursing Remy for his soft heart.  They could have just dropped the boy back to where Remy first met him.  But 'no', what if the assassins got to him first?  They couldn't leave him wandering the streets and hope that his family discovered him before the revenge seeking assassins closed in on him.

#Pah, y' create trouble fer y'self in helping de boy, Remy.  Y' should have taken care of dat last assassin first 'stead o' rushing t' help de boy.  Now de whole o' Marseilles knows dat y' in de city.#

~"Andre, it's just a few days.  Let me at least find out where his family is.  I c'n drop him off in deir hands.  It's no trouble."~  Remy's words came to him again.

In a way, that was right.  What kind of trouble could a boy bring them anyway?  Still, he was a distraction for them when it was better for Remy to concentrate on the adversity he faced.

The O'merta order... Andre couldn't believe how blind he was not to see it from the start.  It would be so much like Remy to enact the O'merta for his predecessor... for a woman he did not know.

Andre could feel the twinge in his heart again.  The years had done little to lessen the pain of the loss, or the outrage he had felt when the guild chose not to avenge her death.  He had fled the city to retire at the chateau, disgusted by the politics which left her un-avenged.  He tried not to think of the remarkable woman who was the last Gambit.  But when he looked at Remy, he saw so much of her in the young man...  In him, too, shone that special spark which earned him the right to take the title of Gambit.

Unbidden, Andre's thoughts drifted back to the conversation they had just as Remy was leaving for the city.

~<<Remy, this is foolishne-->>~

~<<Though I never met her, I feel close to her, Andre.  I can feel her spirit.>>~  Remy's words echoed in his mind again.  ~<<You used to know her, Andre.  Tell me, doesn't the crime cry out for vengeance?

~<<Politics be damned, I am *guildles--*>>~

~<<Your father only banished you from New O'rleans, Remy.  You brought the severance of all ties upon yourself when you became Gamb-->>~

~<<'Only'?  You say 'only'?!  Cast out of my home guil-->>~

~<<Remy, your fathe-->>~

~<<I know, Andre.>>~  Remy took a deep breath to calm himself and to stop the tears from gathering in his eyes again.  ~<<He did it to protect me.  But what did staying a member of the guild mean... when I am not allowed to venture anywhere near the family that I love, or the home of my heart, Andre?  How can any punishment be greater than that?>>~

~<<It pains him too, Remy.  He does miss his little Prince.>>~

Remy's hand reached out to stroke the oiled leather of a black case that sat strapped to his Harley.  ~<<As Gambit... I am free.  I have no more fear of guild justice, Andre.  And even if I did not have this contract, I doubt there will be any who will demand my punishment for this.>>~

~<<Remy, you are not above the laws of the guild.  You take too many chance-->>~

~<<No, Andre.  My contract was to discredit Lucien David and oust him as Guild Leader.  Nothing was said about how I was to do this.>>~  Remy's hazel-red eyes had flashed at him in grim determination.  ~<<I carry this title now, Andre.  God rest her soul, I will avenge her.  And no one need be any wiser.>>~

#You play a dangerous and lonely game, Remy.  You can't let yourself be distracted by this one.#  Andre shook himself out of his reverie to study the boy who stood in front of the shack.  #One day, when you finally lay your own ghosts to rest, you will have a family, Remy.  I just wish you would stop flirting with the lost causes.  Even if this boy has no family, he will not stay...  He is no thief, and you have little else to offer him.#

Jinpei stole a nervous glance back at Andre.  The old man had said he might teach him if he failed the test.  #Unlikely, he doesn't want me around.  Anyway, I think I'd prefer Remy as the teacher.  So think!  Use your head!  Your--ears!#

Jinpei closed his eyes and concentrated, he let his perceptions reach out.  He tried to ignore the wind tickling his shirt.  #Wind!  That's the key.#

He listened, shut out all other senses and listened.  He could hear the rustling leaves, the slight whistling of the wind through the closed window.

Through?  Where did it come from then?  Where did it find entry?  The side board?  No, it wouldn't be whistling that loud.  There must be a larger entrance somewhere...  There was a louder sound.  Something he had almost dismissed because of the volume... Something quite big...

Jinpei's eyes flew open and he swung towards Andre.  "There's a missing floor board?  Climb under the shack and get in through the missing floor board!"

Andre almost looked disappointed as he gave him a curt nod, but Jinpei didn't care.  He passed the test, now Remy would agree to be his teacher.

As if thinking of Remy evoked his presence, they heard the roar of a bike as it pulled into the driveway.  Andre's hand caught Jinpei's shoulder before he could run for the house.

"Y' listen t' me, boy.  An' y' listen good." Andre brushed off his attempt to protest.  "When y' asked him t' be y' Master.  I could see he wanted to, Cockerel.  When he looked at y', I could read what he wanted most in his life.  A son!  A family!  Y' become all o' dat t' him if y' let him.  I rather he send y' t' de orphanage."

"No!  I'll run away.  I'll find my way back!  I want to be a thief like Remy!  I passed the test!  You can't lie!" Jinpei yelled at him.  "Why do you hate me?"

"I don', least not yet.  Y've been trained, Cockerel.  Man be blind t' miss dat.  Y' skills not somethin' dat can be picked off de streets.  Y' not a local kid.  Y' look Japanese.  Speak it too.  Y' already got family!"

"No, I don't!  I never had a father!  My mother died!"

"When?"

"I don't remember, or maybe I just don't want to."

"Y'll leave him."

"No, I won't!"

"De path o' Gambit already lonely enough.  When his pere had t' banish him from de Big Easy he came here first.  Stayed drunk f' three days trying t' drown de pain, knowin' he c'n never go back t' his home.  He traveled de world, didn' stay more dan a couplea months in each place.  He pushed everyone away from him, t'inkin it be safer alone.  Safer t' be wild and free, wit' no ties t' a home, no one t' love, no one t' worry about.  We know dat's a lie, but least de pain dulled.

"Den y' come here and de pain come back... Den de longin' f' a family returned.  But I t'ink y' come t' break his heart, boy."

"I won't hur--"

His words died in his mouth.  Jinpei couldn't move, he was locked into those old gray eyes that seemed to drill into him.

"I love de boy, Cockerel.  Love him as if he were my own son.  I won't see him hurt, by y' or anyone else!  Y' got me, homme!  Y' swear t' me now.  Y' swear t' me dat y' got no ties.  Y' swear t' me by everything dat means anything t' y'."

Jinpei's jaw dropped at the vehemence behind the words.

Andre let him go.  "If y' hurt de boy, Cockerel...  I'm not an assassin, m' just an old thief.  But I kill you."

"Andre."  Jinpei took a deep breath.  "Please believe me.  I won't do anything to hurt Remy.  I was rash when I jumped into the fight to help him, though he didn't need my help.  It was my fault that I was poisoned.  It was my fault that I nearly died and I'm sorry that I made Remy worry about me.

"He didn't have to, but he saved my life and took care of me.  He's even offered to take me in even though he doesn't know me.  I-I love him like a brother I have never had, Andre.  I love him and I won't ever see him hurt."

Andre's face finally softened as he studied the boy.  "I believe you, Cockerel.  Remy, he easy t' love.  He just don't know it an' he just can' accept it."

They walked back to the house together.

"Andre?  What was the fourth way in, that only Remy found?"

A sheepish grin spread over the old man's face as he thought about it.  "I always had a padlock on dat shack, Cockerel.  Never opened it.  Always used de other three other ways t' get in an' out... jus' for practice, y' know.  Keep the ol' bones from goin' brittle.  Used dat shack so long, I missed de most obvious an' simplest of de methods."

"And?"

"Didn't notice dat de hinges on de latch rusted off a long time ago.  If y' put some oil on the door hinges, y' can just swing de door open."