Bound by Deception

5.1 Prepare for Mission 2000

Margot Dupont was a woman of many talents, but her best was intimidation. An appealing woman in her late forties, she could send even the worst gangster crying for their mother just by looking at them. Her eyes had a certain majestic, fearsome appeal to them that could paralyze even the likes of Sterling, whose boyish charm had no effect on the war-hardened woman.

She was often sitting at her desk in her office, checking reports and conducting business inquiries. She also had regular conversations with the Prime Minister in order to preserve the secrecy of the syndicate and to gather information. Some of the agents liked to joke that she and the Prime Minister were in a secret relationship, but Margot paid no attention to those rumors. She allowed her agents to joke as they pleased, knowing that confronting them would only make the situation worse.

It was on a rainy Thursday afternoon that Margot, finding a rare opportunity to relax, noticed her two best assassins, the Gemini Killers, strolling into the office. Sterling, as usual, was smiling and laughing, teasing Aria as she tried to leer away from his tight grasp. They were both mildly wet, and Margot had no doubt that it was because of Sterling's childish behavior. She watched them with a placid smile as they walked to her office. Aria eventually cracked a grin and returned Sterling's jokes.

"Afternoon, Madame," Sterling greeted her with a wave and a bow. "Yohan said you had something for us?"

"I do," Margot replied. "However, I don't want to ruin whatever fun you're having already."

"Please, give us some work to do," Aria groaned. "Otherwise this idiot will continue to annoy me."

"Annoy you?" Sterling feigned offense. "My lady, I thought I was cheering you up! Madame, she always has a grumpy frown on her face. Like this." He mimicked Aria's poker face, earning a slap from his partner.

Margot watched them silently, waiting for them to finish. She studied the polished wood of her desk, then let her eyes wander to the small photos she had surrounding her laptop. Most of them were stock pictures, save the largest frame.

"Sorry, Madame," Aria said suddenly, bringing Margot's attention back to them. "What was it you said you needed us for?"

"As you might have heard, there's a ball this week," Margot said. "Our target is going there." She slid a thin file across the desk. "Duke Ulhed Gall. I assume you have some recollection of him...especially you, Sterling?"

Sterling's cheerful disposition faded to a stone-cold expression. "Yes, Madame," he said softly.

She nodded. "Since Aria is of nobility, you both will go to this ball and take care of Duke Gall. Please keep the damages to a minimum. I don't want to use all our resources, just as I almost had to do last time." She pinned Sterling with a fierce glare. "Do whatever it takes with minimal casualties. It's a masked ball, so we don't need to get rid of any of our witnesses."

"A suicide attempt is always my go-to," Aria said pensively. "But if another noble commits suicide then it'll look suspicious."

"Right." Margot nodded. "We don't want the authorities of Grandville getting suspicious."

"Is that where he's from?" Sterling was studying the document. "Grandville?"

"Yes. It's an attempt by the Prime Minister to marry off the single nobles and create connections," Margot explained. "You two will be playing a couple again. I don't need the extra drama of a master or lady picking any of you. The connection would be beneficial, but killing off another insignificant bystander is an act I don't fathom doing. Particularly because of the cleanup."

"Got it." Aria nodded seriously. "We'll take care of it, Madame." She bowed.

"Yeah...but what if there are hot girls there?" Sterling grinned. "Are you sure I can't bag at least one?"

Margot rolled her eyes, saying nothing, and Aria, despite being much shorter than her partner, reached up and grabbed Sterling's ear, pulling him down to her level.

"You're going to be married to me for a day again, partner," she teased. "I'm afraid Lord Lovegood doesn't tolerate affairs as well as Lord Sundance did."

"Spoilsport," Sterling grumbled, petulantly bowing to Margot. "Whatever. We'll get it done, Madame."

"Good." Margot nodded. "I expect nothing but success from the both of you. Go, my Gemini Killers, and take care of this nuisance."

~***~

"Do you know anything about this ball, Aria?" Sterling, sitting at the wheel once again in front of Aria's expensively large home, questioned his silent partner.

"Nothing much," she shrugged indifferently. "My aunt had told me a little bit about the ball, but all she focused on were the eligible bachelors that were going to be there." She snorted. "Imagine her surprise when I tell her I have a date."

"Do you think she'll mind?"

"I dunno." Aria gazed out the window. The gardeners and maids were clearing the front yard, no doubt for another party that her aunt was planning to throw. Aria hoped it wasn't an engagement party. She couldn't bear to disappoint her aunt again. "I think she'll like you. She likes funny, straightforward guys...it's a wonder she married my uncle, now that I think about it."

Sterling laughed. "Maybe I'll hide my tattoos. That should make her like me more."

Aria snorted. "Nah, leave them. Auntie doesn't like to admit it, but she had a bad boy phase where she loved guys with piercings and tattoos...at least that's what my mom told me."

"Too bad I don't have the piercings," Sterling mused. "Perhaps I should get one?"

"Hell no!" Aria shoved his side. "Don't even think about it, Sterling!"

"Why not?" Sterling shoved her back, grinning. "I think I'd look good with a septum piercing, don't you?"

"Absolutely not!" Aria giggled. "Don't ruin your perfect face, dude!"

"Perfect face, eh?" Sterling smirked. "Okay, what if a septum made me happy?"

"Huh..." Aria stopped laughing and frowned, thinking. "Well, if it makes you happy, then yeah, you should get it."

"Even if you don't like it?"

"It doesn't matter what I think, Sterling." Aria released her seatbelt and opened the car door. "Do what makes you happy. Life's already too shitty to care about others, anyway."

"I guess..." Sterling hid his surprise. He expected Aria to rebuff him like she usually did. Accepting change was something she hated, but to agree to something as minuscule as a piercing was major for her. He wondered if she was eating well.

"I'm gonna go break the news to my aunt," she said, leaning her arm on the hood of the car. "If she faints, I'll see you at the hospital. If she's alive, I'll see you at the party. Dress your best, okay? Black tie."

"Does it have to be a bowtie?"

"A tie is fine." Aria's lip lifted, and the shadow that often graced her face lifted ever so slightly. "Bye, Sterling."

"Bye, Aria." Sterling watched her run across the yard, gathering the maids and gardeners that were getting soaked in the rain with her and corralling them into the colonial home. She scampered like a cat, disappearing into the home without looking back, leaving Sterling in the soft tapping of droplets and a distant smile on his face.

"Bye...Aria," he whispered again, softer, so that only he could hear, and finally drove off, wondering what exactly a black tie event would entail. 

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unedited

We've got to learn a little more about Ms. Margot Dupont! What do you think about her? Is she hiding anything that our two assassins don't know? What will happen at this ball?

VOTE/COMMENT/ENJOY :D