Letters from the Vault (Jean Luc LeBeau, Alistaire Shaw, Reiko, and Steve Coulson)

[alisa_lebeau_v3]

After the chaos Alisa caused, SHIELD had her sent away to "The Vault", a prison for super human villains in Colorado. Already, she had not done well while in custody. Her powers were currently being suppressed, but word about her quickly spread. She had to be sent to the infirmary six times within her first week at the Vault. Not because she started fights, but because other prisoners wanted to fight her.

If the inmates were not bad enough, some of the guards were worse. It was clear that without all that anger, rage, and hate flowing through her from her powers... she was weak and vulnerable. Alisa LeBeau was not cut for High Society, much less prison. God, she hated when Brooke was right about things.


For the time being, Alisa was placed into an isolated cell, away from the other prisoners. No doubt they would return her to general population within a few more days. Then the cycle would start all over again. By this point, she had stopped trying to fight back.

After all the pain and misery she had caused the people in her life, it was time she had done some penance and be on the receiving end of the chaos and hate she caused. She decided that if people wanted to hurt her, to make her suffer for their pain, so be it. She had done the same to people for years, and it was about time she felt what she had done to others.

With her hand shaking, she started to pen the first of several letters to be sent out of this place. Perhaps she would be fortunate and get a return letter from someone...

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Letter to Jean Luc LeBeau

[alisa_lebeau_v3]

Dear Father,

I have been a terrible daughter. I allowed my powers to control my actions, my feelings, and hurt so many people. No doubt I hurt you most, and I am sorry.

Prison is no place for me, nor is High Society. You were so right, and I was too filled with pride and power to realize it. Filled with some stupid fantasy that I was better than everyone else, and where I came from... and how I was raised.

Part of me wishes to scream and yell, to blame the world around me. But the fault lies on my shoulders, and mine alone. I abused my powers, my connections, my friends, and now there is nothing. It is like that old saying... power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Father, I do not know where to go or what to do once I leave this place, if I leave this place. All I know for certain is that I will be agreeing to have my powers shut down. They are too dangerous, and I am too dangerous with them. I do not want to hurt anymore people or remain on an emotional roller-coaster that has no brakes or controls. I do not want to make life an utter hell for those I care for. This has to be done.

No doubt I will need a care-taker should I go this route, and due to me taking a nuke and vaporizing any bridges I had left. I have no right to ask you for anything, so I would understand if you refused to help aid me in any way.

Father I just... I am so sorry. Please forgive me.

Love,

Alisa B. LeBeau
Prisoner #1198B

Re: Letter to Jean Luc LeBeau

[ngm_parents]

Jean-Luc read the letter several times as he sat inside his study in his home in New Orleans. On one hand, he was glad to hear from Alisa in any fashion; she spoke to him because wanted to and not because she had to. On the other, she was writing to him from prison. He'd known it would come to this. But he hoped she'd prove him wrong.

Things with Remy were on a downswing. It had been his dream to see Alisa and Brianna working together to bring the Thieves Guild even greater prominence. But Remy refused to let Brianna even explore that part of her life. It pained Jean Luc but that didn't mean he'd let it lie.

He took a fresh piece of paper and began to write.


Alisa,

I warned you, child.

You've always measured yourself against other people. You've sought approval from everyone but the one person that truly matters: yourself. Where you come from is no better or worse than anyone else. I taught you and your brother to steal, to part fools from their money and to always find opportunities even in the worst situations. You both learned those well.

But the two of you never learned to accept what you were made to be. You both run from who you are so you can fit into worlds you don't belong in. Why? Wolves don't lie down with sheep. They eat them.

I taught you and your brother to be wolves.

I taught you both to hold close to your family. Your real family.

Above all, I taught you and your brother to survive.

Your words tell me that you've given up, Alisa. I never taught you that. They put you in a cage. Very well. Every cage has a lock. Every lock has a key.

Forgive yourself and then stop feeling sorry for yourself. Then find the key, get out, and rebuild. Don't do it for me. Do it for yourself. But if you that doesn't motivate you, then do it for your niece.

She needs to know where she comes from, too.

Love,

Father

Re: Letter to Jean Luc LeBeau

[alisa_lebeau_v3]

Alisa sighed. Jean Luc's letter was the first to come to her at the Vault. It had been read by staff before being handed to her. The joys of prison... rarely any privacy. With her hand shaking, she wrote her Father another letter.

Dear Father,

You taught me to steal, to pull the wool over the eyes of others, to adapt... but the Enforcers Guild taught me to hurt and bully others. To separate all my feelings of disgust and shame, and just destroy everything in my path to feel "better". In the end, I learned to destroy myself, as well as my enemies. I was taught to become a monster.

I was stupid to have even joined that branch, and hate to admit I only did so to get out of Remy's shadow. Everyone knew I was his replacement, and I hated it! I wanted to be seen as myself, but everyone hated who I was... because I was not him.

If I am allowed access to my powers, I will absorb every bit of hate, anger, and rage near me. It will consume me and my thinking, and I will separate myself from it out of habit and let it run wild. I would hurt anyone and anything... and I do not want that! I never have. I just wanted a normal life, and to follow my dreams like every other child out there.

Do you not think it pains me to give up like this? I cannot be allowed to hurt anymore people! It is why I have made the choice to just be shut down. It is not because I feel sorry for myself, it is to prevent the people I care about most from being hurt further.

Father, I am begging you to respect this choice I am making. Some locks should never be picked and some cages should never be opened. All I am asking is that I finally get to rest, to have a care taker as the shut-down may make me... somewhat different. Slower and more child-like come to mind. But I need to be caged, for the benefit of everyone.

As for my Niece, do you think she truly needs to know the pain of this life, Father? To be forced into her Father's shadow as I had been? To always be looking over her back for enemies she made and the loneliness it brings? The shame? I do not want her to turn into something like myself. I may never have met her, but I love her enough to know that.

Please, Father. I am begging you for help and understanding in this situation. What I have done, cannot ever be forgiven, not by me. This "wolf" needs to be put down, before she hurts anymore people.

Love,

Alisa LeBeau
Prisoner #1198B

Re: Letter to Jean Luc LeBeau

[ngm_parents]

Jean-Luc didn't like this letter's tone anymore than he'd liked the last. Everything about his girl seemed to be burning away. Remy wanted nothing to do with the Guild. Alisa seemed to hate everything about her upbringing.

He wasn't getting any younger.

There was only one way left to secure his legacy.

Alisa,

Do not blame others for who you are. I taught you first. I trained you to replace Remy. I created the shadow you labored under. If you take issue with anyone for that, do so with me.

I disagree with your path. I think you're giving up and that you're being less than you are to please people who don't care. That being said, I cannot stop you. My resources are busy elsewhere at this time.

It pains me that you write of yourself with such disdain and disgust. I do not know when this happened but I hope the Alisa that raised, that I know, will find her way back to me someday.

Regarding your niece, I think she deserves the chance to know the whole of where she comes from and choose. You and your brother have made your choices. She should be allowed to make hers. Her mother has controlled her long enough.

If I cannot sway you from this path, then this will be my last letter for a time. I will write again when I can but there are other matters to attend to.

Love,

Father


Jean-Luc folded the letter and had it sent. Then he sat alone for a time to think about everything.

Re: Letter to Jean Luc LeBeau

[alisa_lebeau_v3]

This letter is written less hastily as the last two. It is also coded to get by the Prison guards and officials, something Jean Luc once taught her.

Dear Father,

Fine. I shall agree to come back to the Guild, once I am released from SHIELD custody. Do not think I am happy about such a choice. I only do this so my brother will not have to, and so my niece will have a choice... where as I do not.

It is apparent my misery is somewhat beneficial to the Guild, along with my powers. While I do have friends who would agree to help me, to care for me when my powers would be shut off... you tell me I am giving up, and desire the monster I have become. So be it, you shall have the monster you raised. I will be "Le Diable Blanc", just as you desired.

God have mercy on those who cross me in your Guild, for I shall have none to give.

-Alisa LeBeau
Prisoner #1198B

Re: Letter to Jean Luc LeBeau

[ngm_parents]

Jean-Luc hadn't expected her to write back, but when he received the letter, he didn't open it right away. He wanted to be in the correct frame of mind to consider Alisa's words. Finally, two days after receiving it, he broke the seal and read the letter.

The words did not comfort him, as Alisa's reasoning for her choice didn't sit well with him. Still, it was better than he might have hoped. He might still be able to reunite his family yet.

Alisa,

I am glad to see that you've reconsidered your stance. This is excellent news. One day, you will see that this was all for the best, though I know you don't feel that way now.

The Guild is a family. We take care of each other. We always have and we always will. When you get out, let me know and we'll start you back to work. In the meantime, just survive and the rest will fall into place.

Love,

Father

Now it was definitely time to bring Brianna into the fold. She needed to know about her heritage and this was the perfect moment.

Remy wouldn't like it but he'd understand someday.

Everything Jean-Luc did for his family was for the best.