Ammunition To Be Had (Ponine)

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

Night had fallen over Paris, and even in the liveliest districts where one said the city never slept, slowly things started to settle down. In those parts of the city where it was calmer anyway, the streets were eerily void of voices and people now the dark had come, and those who were outside had a brisk pace on them, determined to reach their destination as soon as possible. There were however those whose working hours just began at this time of night, and it was not only the thieves and cutthroats. While Paris attempted to sleep, those who made their living from the filth the daylight people left behind on the streets, came crawling out of their holes and hidings to collect it. Nothing was rotten enough to not be sold somewhere to those who couldn’t afford better. And if the streets were at least partly cleaned that way, no one would ever truly complain, as long as they didn’t have to go near those people who stank as much as the filth they collected: the ragpickers.

A single ragpicker, guiding a wheelbarrow through the streets that almost seemed too much to handle for her lithe figure slowly made her way onward. Two middle-sized barrels where on top of her barrow, and from within one you could hear the sloshing of water. It was also the one where the strongest stench came from, indicating that she might have taken it from the sewers to neutralize extremely filthy and greasy things – without much success. On her back there was another, smaller-sized barrel and a similar one, with leather cords attached to it, she had propped up on top of the two barrels on her vehicle, indicating that she might not want to make these rounds alone. She walked at a steady pace, occasionally bending down to take a piece of rotten cabbage or the cadavre of a rat, examining it and either tossing it in the water barrel or kicking it aside for some other ragpicker to claim as his. A man with a cane and an expensive coat changed the road side as he saw her and his face contorted in disgust. She didn’t seem to care.

In fact, Mylène was glad for his show of indignation, it told her that her disguise was working. No one really wanted to go near a ragpicker, so they hopefully would not be stopped and searched on their way back from the storage house. Her face was unusually greased with dirt and as she had looked into a little makeshift mirror – a water bassin – she had felt reminded of her old self before she had even joined Les Corbeaux. Always dirty, just not caring to keep clean when the places you roamed where not exactly to be called clean either. And yet she was a different girl now, and right in this moment she wished not to have been so long out of ‘business’. While she was steering the barrow towards her meeting place with Eponine, she fervently hoped her friend could give her the mental strength she lacked right now. Where was her optimism when she needed it most? Yes, so many things could go wrong, more than one outcome would be absolutely deadly. But… she had Ponine. With Ponine she could do this and actually hope to survive.

When she came to the annointed meeting place, she did not yet see Eponine, but that didn’t have to mean anything. This girl was good at hiding after all.

[EPONINE THENARDIER]

Eponine had settled into an abandoned nook between two buildings earlier in the evening. The blankets and hoods she'd gathered up over the last few days were bundled and tied together, fashioned into a pack that sat on her back. A hood pulled low over her face and a few well-placed coughs and wheezes kept most of passers-by from venturing too close to her, fear of catching what was drifting through the city keeping them back. Eponine had to keep herself from smiling each time someone crossed the street rather than walk close to the "sickly" gamine huddled in the corner. It gave her hope this whole plan might actually work.

As the hours ticked by, Eponine's excitement grew. If they pulled this off, they might not only save the students' lives, but turn the tide of their revolution. They just might see the world Enjolras and the others spoke about, a free and equal society. She knew they had a chance, a slim one, of getting caught, but that was only in the back of her mind. She ran over the plans in her head a dozen times again, leaving nothing to chance or luck. She'd run the paths they had chosen the night before, making sure one last time they were all clear. Now she just had to wait for her partner in crime to arrive.

And she didn't have to wait long. Down the street she could see a figure pushing a wheelbarrow with several barrels balanced on it. Eponine knew her friend's gait anywhere and waited until a couple random strangers had hurriedly cleared the area before pushing herself up the wall. She leaned against the building, letting out a body wracking cough and sliding her hood back an inch or two so Mylene could see her face. Her face was covered in the grime of the street, even more than usual and she had ditched her usual outfit for something a little easier to hide behind. For the briefest of moments, she smirked at her friend before letting her eyes zip around the gates, keeping watch for anyone who didn't think this might not be just a random meeting of an infirmed street rat and a ragman, the lowest of Paris.

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

A movemeent at a housewall and an unhealthy cough alarmed Mylène to a certain presence in her vicinity, but she did not stop in her tracks. The coughing – as odd as that itself might be – had sounded far too familiar, and the shape likewise looked like the one she had expected to see, even though the enormous bundle on her back contorted her figure somewhat. That must be the things Eponine had agreed to bring. Very good! So far, really everything was going to plan, but then they had hardly started. The real difficulties would come once they reached their destination, when everything depended on their swiftness, but also on a great portion of good luck. Well, if anything, Mylène was able to count on that same-old guardian angel that had kept her company since she had been little and kept her from dying as a mere six year old and all those rough years later. Though if things went wrong this time, no one would really know. She would not make the mistake again to leave Courf a message, what kind of lunatic idea had that been! He could have gotten himself killed! And all for nothing, not even for the greater good, just to save Mylène’s miserable hide. And yet, he HAD saved her then… pulling her out of harms way. She still felt guilty for it, she had never wanted to come between Courf and his great ideals, since they were her own. Nothing was more important than that now, that was after all why both Ponine and her risked their lives and limbs to get the lads more powder.

Bringing the barrow to a halt, Mylène acknowledged her friend with a nod and the barest flash of a smirk. Right now, there was no one on the street who could overhear them after these few people had rushed by, but it was still better to be safe than sorry. Therefore, she did give no real inclination of knowing Ponine as well as she did, but acted like she was nothing but a rough acquaintance, a partner in misery. “My, dun’t ye look particularly dashin’ tenight, chérie”, she murmured in a hoarse, rough voice, glad for her overall deep speaking voice. “Wanna earn a few extra sous by helpin’ me wi’ me round tenight? Won take much longer I hope, bu’ could get ye some nice lil trinkets.” Trinkets in powder form more like, but only they knew that.

Now it was time for the last minute preparations and then they would approach the storage building, Ponine openly, Mylène slipping away earlier to climb the roof and drop logs on the guards while they were hopefully suitably distracted. Then the most tricky part would begin… actually entering the storage and operating in there AND getting their load back on the wheelbarrow, all without being seen. It was possible, yes… but so much could actually go wrong and ANY little slip in the system might be their undoing.
“Shall we?” she asked, forcefully pushing back the nervous thoughts. She would feel better during the operation, she knew that. It was the thoughts bringing her down, not the action.

[EPONINE THENARDIER]

Eponine smiled as she slung the pack off her back and onto the wheelbarrow, adjusting her hood so it wouldn't slip off her hair with the slightest breeze. With a curt nod, she picked up one of the free barrels, situating it on her back, mimicking the way Mylene carried hers. "If you'll have me along. Could always use the extra money." Eponine let out another cough, bending under the weight of the barrel as a man in a threadbare coat passed by them, causing him to slide to the other side of the street with more haste than Eponine thought possible. As he hurried away, Eponine chanced a smirk at her friend and a quiet laugh. Perhaps this just might work after all. No one was certainly giving them more than a cursory glance before deciding they didn't want anything to do with the pair. They might actually make it all the way to the storage without incident.

As they rounded a corner, Eponine checked around them to be sure it was clear before turning to her friend. Quietly, she indicated the bundle she had placed on the barrow. "There's a hood if you want it, and blankets to cover the barrels afterwards. To keep them dry," she whispered, knowing she was taking a chance. But she needed to be sure the last minute preparations were in place, as the storage was only blocks away. She leveled her eyes at Mylene, adjusting the straps of the barrel on her back. "Don't take route C if you can help it. It's still a clear shot, but the lovely ladies are out in force there tonight, and no doubt the police will follow." The last thing they needed was to be careening through the street and have a whore trip them up and turn them in to save her own hide.

The rest of their approach was fairly uneventful, and ahead she could already see their destination. This was what she had been building up to all day, from the moment she woke up, going through her scant waredrobe to find the appropriate outfit, scouting their routes and finally settling in for the day. While they were still out of sight of the entrance, Eponine turned to Mylene, finally removing her hood. "Guess that's my cue." She tossed the hood onto the wheelbarrow, running her hand through her hair to tossle it about her face. Her shawl followed the hood as she wiggled and squirmed, adjusting her corset and belt to reveal as much cleavage as she could without the danger of outright exposing herself. All her womanly wiles to distract the guard from the danger above him. "You ready?"

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

In all honesty, Mylène hadn’t expected their cover to be so succesful, but it was probably also Eponine’s coughing that added just the right edge to it. Those that had survived the first wave of cholera were now mortally afraid of catching any disease at all that would make them weak enough to maybe succumb to it after all in the following weeks. Paris was often called Vieille Catin, the Old Harlot, because she was vain and painted with the shrill layers of high society, but had a rotten breath and teeth and aging bones, illnesses and everything nasty you could think of underneath that colorful and feigned surface. And the people Mylène and Eponine posed as right now were counted amongst the lowest children of this catin, those who were even shunned by many of the beggars and thieves. Everyone needed them, everyone knew them… but no one wanted to get close to the dirtiest creatures Paris had to offer.

With a thankful nod and another cursory glance around, Mylène took the hood Eponine offered her and placed the blankets losely on the barrow for now. “Good thinkin’, at least it doesn’t look like rain in the next hour.” Mylène might not be the best in reading the nightsky, but she, like Ponine probably as well, had learned to read at least a few basic signs. You just did that when your life depended on not catching a deadly chill in a rainstorm, because you didn’t have a warm room and a fire to dry again. Rolling her eyes, she bit back a curse at the ‘lovely ladies’ Eponine spoke of. They had it tough of course, but many of them were syccophants and obnoxious shrews that looked down on each other and especially any gamine that did not belong to their squad. If things came thick and short, they probably couldn’t count on their goodwill. “Follow for wha’ reason I wonder… outwardly te bring ‘order’, but ye know these men… why not take sumthin’ with ye while ye’re at it.”

They were nearing their destination now, and Mylène’s heartbeat started to pick up again. It wasn’t so much anxiety but a heightened awareness which she almost appreciated. It would make her more alert and faster in what she needed to do. Mylène did not believe in cold blood, she was best when she could feel energy and life coursing through her veins, just like now. Chuckling lowly, she watched Eponine ‘prepare’ herself, and allowed herself a low, teasing whistle. “Mon Dieu… have no doubt at all they’ll get goggle-eyes as soon as they see ya. I could play a shawm behind them an’ they wouldn’ hear it!”
Then she reached for the small cloth package she had prepared earlier at home, containing two wooden logs she could fasten to her belt like this, so she would have both hands free for climbing. On their inconspicious tours around the area, she had already chosen the best way upwards with her eyes, and she hoped everything would go according to plan here. They would leave the barrow unguarded for a short moment, but no one would want to touch it anway.

”Ready when you are… c’mon Ponine do yer worst”, she whispered, then slipped away around the corner so she could climb the buidling from behind and come forward on the roof.

[EPONINE THENARDIER]

Eponine rolled her eyes as Mylene whistled at her, smirking and laughing quietly. She draped her shawl lazily over her arms and gave herself a once over, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, that's the idea. But let's try to keep the noise down anyway," Eponine whispered, grinning. "Never know. I might not be his type. Maybe he likes them tall, dark and handsome." She snickered a moment and took a deep breath, suddenly very aware of how close she was to becoming very indecent. She made a note to control her breathing, hard as it was with the mission the two of them had set for themselves. Already, the anxiety was beginning to creep in, a million scenarios playing out in her head. Eponine forced them to be silent, to wait their turn, after the job was done, before they could have their say.

As Mylene secured the logs and started up the wall, Eponine crept to the edge of the shadows. She wanted to be sure Mylene was in place before approaching the guard. Too soon and she risked having to do more than just flirt to draw his attention. Too late and Mylene risked being discovered. So Eponine started humming quietly to herself. It was an old tune, one she had learned in her childhood. Of course at the time, the lyrics meant nothing to her innocent ears. Now however they carried a different, less wholesome, meaning. "But here's a knock at the door, I believe it is the husband; I believe, yes, yes, yes ... If he is, the devil take him because it disturbs my pleasure; For he comes, yes, yes, yes ..." Once she had made it through a full verse in her head, she grinned from ear to ear, sauntering out of the shadows. She let her hips swing a little wider than normal and she lazily zig zagged her steps, moving towards the man at the storage. Huskily she continued singing, her eyes on the guard as she approached. "The moral of this story, It is to drink before you die; Is that you, yes, yes, yes ..." She stopped just short of the young man by the door, her eyes heavily lidded as she looked up at him. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she smiled. "Bonsoir, monsieur. Looking for some company? I always did like a man in uniform."

[LA MORT]

There were two entrances to the magazine; and a soldier stationed at each. Just in case. This tended to be a quiet, safe area of town relative to some of the others, and this particular soldier had no fear of being ambushed and having any ammunition stolen from the small building. Perhaps he should have, but he did not. Once, the National Guard had been intended as a noble and chivalric group, the people's militia, who were formed by the people, for the people; they would keep the interest of the common man at heart... in theory... even though they belonged in the most part to Louis-Philippe. The paintings had made a picture which was idealized and not entirely true. This soldier cared for commoners in some sense, but not in a way that was at all honorable, as he had a tendency for taking harlots.

That, of course, was when he was off duty. And at the moment, he was very much on-duty. The man had some scruples. Or at least that was what he told himself. He had heard the girl coming, singing as she came, and was standing at attention. That did not mean that her exposed skin did not earn at the least a cursory glance from him. He grinned slightly at her comment before composing himself once more, glancing straight ahead. Perhaps this was only a facade and he was going to give again; time would tell. “Forgive me, mademoiselle, but as you see, I am occupied in the very important business of guarding this building,” he said proudly, sparing her another glance. His gaze swept over her briefly before he looked ahead again. “And there isn't anything that's going to distract a hardened soldier such as myself, not even a handsome girl such as yourself.”

This was said rather self-importantly, as he considered himself to be a worthy-specimen. It was no wonder, really, that she had sought him out. She had probably seen him here, guarding the place, other nights, and knew that he was a faithful civil servant. Not to mention he was good with his weapon, though he hadn't had a chance to prove it yet.

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

Swift and hopefully inconspicious like a shadow, Mylène crept towards the sidewall of the building she could reach, a narrow passage between two houses of roughly the same size. Perfect for her. Now the best part of the evening would begin for her. It wasn’t long since she last had been climbing, the incident with Feuilly and Javert was still fresh on her mind, but that didn’t mean she had lost the fun for it. Climbing and balancing was what she loved most, more than juggling, more than acting, it was the epitome of freedom and independence for her. Keeping your balance on a tightrope or on the crest of a roof, having the whole of Paris at your feet… it almost was like flying. Now she did not do it for pleasure however, but for necessity and therefore she would have to be quick, effective and hopefully soundless. Her strong arms and legs were pushing her upwards and she did not need more than half a minute until she could grasp the roof edge and pull herself up.

There she paused for a moment to gather her thoughts and decide how best to operate. She could already hear Eponine’s voice from below, singing a bawdy song that made Mylène smirk. That was just … perfect in a way! Then she started to crawl over the roof, hesitantly and slowly so she would not make any loose tiles rattle and betray her presence. Peeking down into the backside of the alley, she saw the back door… and a guard standing before it. Biting back a curse, Mylène paused, her thoughts racing. Of course, they were smarter than they had hoped they would be. One guard for each door… instead of two at the main door. This could make things extremely risky and difficult. She had to put this one out first, since he was not distracted… but if she failed with him, Eponine would be too far away to interfere and jumping down from this height was more than possibly suicide. She only had one chance… at least the back alley was less likely to have anyone coming through now than the other street Ponine was in.

Slowly and with nimble fingers, she fiddled the cloth package from her belt and untied it, bringing out the first heavy log, then crept towards the roof edge again, peeking down. He still looked forward into the alley, shifting a bit uncomfortably it seemed. From the other side of the house, she could hear the faint voices of Ponine and the guard. It was now or never! Raising her arm slowly and carefully, she sent a quiet prayer upwards to any God above that might look down on her, took her aim and threw the heavy wooden piece down on the lonely guard’s head with all the force she could muster.

[EPONINE THENARDIER]

"Guarding? Is there something important in there? Oh, does that make you a very important person too?" Eponine asked huskily, feigning ignorance. She hadn't expected the guard to be so resistant to be perfectly honest. Not that she thought all men melted at the sight of her, she knew better than that. But she had seen the effect bared skin and a pliable disposition had on men plenty of times. She would just have to turn up the flirting a little, and hope it worked. Even just a little, enough to distract him from the girl she hoped was getting into position on the roof above them. She didn't dare look up to see if Mylene was there, fearing it might draw the attention of the guard before her. She just had to trust that her friend was there, waiting for the right moment. Briefly she listened for the telltale scraping of tiles on the roof, but heard nothing. Mylene was good, maybe even better than Eponine at moving through the city quietly, so that came as no surprise. Between the two of them, they could move quiet as church mice and people would never know they were even there. Unless of course, there was a guard in the way.

Eponine saw the guard's eyes glance over the exposed skin above her bodice and she smiled. So he wasn't as resilient as he let on. She just had to crack his resolve a little more. Stepping up closer to him, she stuck her lower lip out, turning the edges of her mouth down in a insincere frown. "Oh come on. Who would know? I won't tell." She tilted her head at him, brushing her hair back off her shoulder. She took another deep breath, watching the young man before her, looking for any signs of a weakness she could exploit. There. The way he puffed out his chest and raised his chin, the pride in his voice. If she could play on that...

"I bet you are important. A hardened soldier? Is that it?" She swirled her skirt around her legs, cocking her hip to the side as she let her gaze obviously wander down his body before staring up at him through her lashes. "Why, a hardened soldier such as yourself must have built up so much... tension. With such a large duty to bear. Tell me..." Her eyes glinted up at him in the moonlight, her smile returning. "Would I not be doing my country a service by relieving you of that tension?" She leaned over, giving him a full view of her cleavage as she whispered. "I do like doing my part for France."

[LA MORT]

The soldier grinned slightly before composing himself once more. “I'm afraid I can't tell you that – all due respect, mademoiselle,” he returned, though he sounded haughty rather than dismissive. He felt that what he guarded was very important, and he did not make as much effort as he should have to hide it, because guarding something important was what made him important. And women liked important men. It was obvious; the girl was fawning over him. He still stood at attention, but her voice warmed something in him, and he swallowed and licked his lips – a crack in the facade.

As she stepped closer, he took in his breath almost imperceptibly at the sight of her pouting. He could smell her, could feel the breath, and was painfully aware of her proximity to him. “Oh, I don't know, miss...” It wasn't that he wasn't going to say no. There was no one else out here, except for his fellow soldier, but he was all the way standing at the other side of the building, and he knew better than to come over if he heard the sound of a woman. It was something they had agreed upon. He would do the same for his friend. He'd just had the better luck tonight, clearly. And he wasn't thinking about his friend now, or anything besides the woman in front of him.

“Y-yes,” he managed, the words coming with a bit more effort as she looked at him with big brown doe eyes, her husky voice making his breath catch in his throat. His eyelids fluttered. “Everyone should do their part for France.” He might have better heard the soft sound of a brick, muffled by cloth, dropping and hitting its target at the other entrance to the magazine, if he had not been overwhelmed by the sound of his own pulse pounding in his ears, and the sight of the pretty girl in front of him. It did not strike him immediately that something was amiss; the soft thump might have been anything. He lifted his head just a little, though quite reluctantly. "Did you hear that?" he asked, pausing briefly.

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

Thankfully, her aim was true. The heavy log fell down on the unsuspecting guard’s head, and with nothing but a low sigh, his knees buckled and he slumped to the ground. The log clattering on the cobblestone and bouncing a few yards into the shadows. It hadn’t been completely soundless, but with the amount of metal that man was wearing that would have been too much to ask for. For a few heartbeats, Mylène froze on the roof, waiting for some cry of alarm to be sounded, from the other guard or from any law-abiding citizen there could be, but the only thing she heard was a muffled: “Did you hear that?” from the other side of the house. And if you listened closely, he sounded more distraced than alarmed, so Mylène hoped with all her might Eponine could convince him to disregard the noise as negligible.

On the other hand, she also could not really force her friend to play the hussy in front of the guard for much longer, or else she would have to go farther than had ever been intended. She would feel shabby if her own dawdling caused Ponine discomfort, and she already had made her wait longer because of the unforeseen dealings with the other guard at the back door. So, when nothing else could be heard, she decided she would have to take the risk and leave the guard lying there, if they could work swiftly enough, they would just drag him inside through the backdoor later so he was out of sight for any passerby. The backdoor being void of any guard would be far less conspicuous than the front door. With one last cusory glance down, she took hold of the remaining log inside the cloth and made her way over the tiles of the roof towards the front edge.

The closer she came, the better she could understand their voices, and she realized that Ponine had gotten very far already. In the pale moonlight, her eyes glittered seductively, and even though Mylène could not see those of the guard, she was all but sure his would burn with lust and greed already, however much he pretended to be the one playing coy. When it came down to these things, men were just all the same, and that was why it was so easy for a halfway cunning woman to prey on these weaknesses. If the lads had tried to stage such a coup, they would have never gotten so close to a guard without arousing suspicion and making the matter highly difficult. They could have caused a loud commotion that would alarm patrolling guards and other people, so even if they could grab some powder, the manhunt would be on immediately. Of course, their own plan here was far from flawless, but they had just to hope for the best.

Looking down at the guard and Ponine as she was, Mylène’s figure could be made out as an odd shape against the nightsky if one looked up. Now she could only hope the guard would not see any reason to look up, and that Ponine would always not be tempted to, since she knew Mylène was there. Her arm raised and her muscle tense, she waited for the right moment, knowing her aim here would have to be even better, to not accidently hit Ponine.

[EPONINE THENARDIER]

"Aww... Not even a hint?" Eponine fought the urge to roll her eyes and ruin the whole operation. This soldier was pathetic, his refusal cracking more each time she smiled or bat her lashes at him. She smiled crookedly at him, trying to keep the triumph out of her voice. "So what do you say? You and me?" She chanced a finger caressing his cheek for a moment. She had really hoped she wouldn't have to get so close to him, but the thought of the precious stock behind the door he was guarding and how much her friends needed it propelled her forward. If it meant getting those crucial supplies to the Amis, there wasn't much Eponine wouldn't do, even if it meant she could be identified later. "Do our duty? You are a dutiful soldier after all."

Men were so predictable, so easy to manipulate. A few well placed eyelash flutters, a couple husky deep breaths and she was sure she could have fired a cannon next to him and he wouldn't have noticed. Or would he? His eyes darted up from her at the soft sound of a thud. Mylene must have taken out the second guard. Brilliant girl. Eponine hardly even knew she was there and likely wouldn't have if it hadn't been for the guard asking about it. "Hear what?" Eponine pretended to look over her shoulder for a moment. "I didn't hear anything." She slipped next to the guard, dropping her voice again. "There's no one here but us." At that, she stepped back again, daring to glance up, just in time to see Mylene let go of the log. "Just us."

[LA MORT]

The man cracked a smile. “It's important enough alright,” he replied, but of course it had to be important, or he wouldn't be guarding it. And anyway, he clearly didn't have to try to impress her anymore; she was already in his hands. That had been easier than he thought. Clearly, he was doing his job well. Well, he would be doing his job better if he was still more focused on guarding the ammunition, but this was just a street girl; it wasn't like she was going to do anything with it. Everyone knew that women couldn't be revolutionaries; it was just unnatural. She wasn't here to steal anything; she was here for him. Why wouldn't she be? He was a fine male specimen, and a National Guardsman to boot. She couldn't have ideas. And anyway, he was hardly thinking about such high philosophical ideas at a moment such as this. He wasn't really thinking at all.

He smiled stupidly as she traced her fingertip over his cheek. “You and me,” he repeated lowly, giving a slight nod without being aware of it. He was reaching to touch her when the sound distracted him. It didn't take much, however, to draw his attention back to the girl. He followed her gaze when she glanced over her shoulder, but then she moved, and his attention was focused on another parts of her anatomy besides her shoulder, and then suddenly she was even closer. He gave a slow smile when she reminded him that they were alone, and he didn't have time to do much after realizing they were not in fact alone. As she stepped back and looked up, he was confused as to why she had moved away from him, and he looked up as well. Of course, it was too late, and his shout of surprise was rather cut-off and muffled as the log hit its target and he landed soundly with a thud on the slick pavement.

Whether anyone else had heard the shout or the thud, he would not be able to tell, as he was quite unconscious, and so was his comrade – at least for the moment. What they would do when and if they woke would be another matter.

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

It felt like a huge load was lifted off Mylène’s heart as the second log hit home and the soldier fell. Now one of the most dangerous and difficult parts was over and they could start to dream of this actually working out in the way they hoped. They could not waste much time on the feeling of victory however, she could not tell how hard the logs had hit the men and when they would be coming around again. They also had to bring the barrow into place, break in, grab enough powder and bullets to use up all the space they could possibly get out of their resources and then destroy the rest with water. Bullets of course could not be destroyed that easily… but powder gladly could. It was a bit relieving to see that something so deadly could also be so fickle in use. It blew up at the tiniest spark, but no spark would get it to explode when the tiniest hint of dampness came to it, even so much as morning dew could do the trick as she had heard, how much more would a real souzing affect it!

“Sorry tha’ took so long”, she called out in a hushed tone, waving down at Ponine with a helpless rolling of her eyes that might not even be seen in the dark. “Bu’ there was ‘nother one at the back, had to take him out first. Comin’ down now!” Quick like a lizard she made her way down the front façade of the house where Eponine was standing and took a cautious look around, but the streets seemed as empty for now as they had been from above. Still, time was wasting. “How ‘bout I get the barrow, an ye try to get us in there? Hopefully he’s got the keys!” she whispered, and then, remembering something they had talked about in the early stage of the planning, added: “An ‘m pretty sure he’s got some nice trinkets, too. Dun wait fer me on tha’, have it all!”

Then she slipped back around the corner to where they had left the barrow. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw a small shadow moving on the barrow, but then her eyes adjusted to the form and she gave a relieved laugh. “Begone, minette or… minou, or whatever”, she hissed and made a shooing gesture with her hand at the cat that had gotten comfortable on the cloth covering the two barrels. Biting her lip, she tried to move the barrow as soundlessly as she could.

[EPONINE THENARDIER]

Eponine's heart jumped into her throat when the man started to cry out in surprise, only to have it cut off by the log connecting with its target. She had rather hoped they could get through this without the alarm being raised, even the short strangled one the guard had started. Her eyes traveled up to Mylene, giving her a wave to tell her it was clear to come down. Mylene confirmed her suspicions that there had in fact been another guard at the back. That complicated things slightly, but not much. Just another step they had to take. Pull the rear guard into the storage and prop this young man up out front. Eponine added the new developments to the plan already running over and over in her head, making sure to add in the possibility of someone having heard the guard's cry before he was knocked out. Her heart was racing as Mylene scrambled down the side of the building next to her, each second ticking away as if it were an hour. Her eyes danced along the street, searching for any bystanders or advancing patrols. Thankfully there were none.

Eponine nodded to Mylene and turned to the unconscious man as her friend went off in search of their wheel barrow. She couldn't help but smirk as she dug through his pockets. Despite his initial hesitation, it had been almost insultingly easy to distract him. She chuckled and muttered under her breath, "Doing my part for France. Please." Did people really talk like that? She had been afraid she might have gone just a little too far with the line, but it had it's desired effect as the man was now good and out at her feet. Her nimble fingers glided over something cold just inside his jacket. She gripped the iron ring and her face lit up as she pulled the keys off him. "Ah ha." Slipping the ring over her wrist, she continued through his pockets, finding a few coins - which found their way into her bodice - and a couple hand rolled cigars - which she thought very hard about just tossing before sliding them between her corset and belt.

The ring jingled on her wrist as she stood, pulling the man with her. He weighed a considerable amount more than she was used to lifting but by leverage the wall behind him she was able to work him up and seated precariously into the corner, his head resting on his knees. Hopefully any passers-by would simply think he'd fallen asleep on watch. Knowing that time was running short, she didn't wait for Mylene to return before slipping the key into the lock and opening the door. Once inside, she first set eyes on their target. While it was by no means the largest store in the city, this one building had more than enough powder and bullets for the boys. More than just the two of them could carry. Eponine thanked the heavens Mylene had thought to bring water to ruin the rest. She shook her head to pull herself out of the distraction the powder had caused and reminded herself there was a job to do. Silently she made her way to the rear door, unlocking it with the keys round her wrist. When she peeked through the open door, she spied the second guard, sprawled out on the ground. He looked a little heavier than the one she had encountered and Eponine feared she wouldn't be able to lift him into a sitting position. Sighing she grabbed his wrists and grunted as she drug him across the stone pavement and into the darkness of the storage, closing and locking the door behind her. Maybe no one would notice a missing rear guard.