Authors Note: This little piece here came from me trying to figure out the next chapter of Fortunes Fool so you know it's bond determined to be different, it's a bit of a darker view of Remy's past. Hope you like it! Disclaimer I don't own X-men Evolution!
Origins of My Heart
Feeling the familiar icy feeling of winter dance up my spine, I involuntarily shuddered. Being on these streets, my point of living revolved on one thing. One thing that kept me hanging in the balance of life and death, that always had me dancing on the edge taunting faith with a desired essence, my soul, this sport was called thievery. It was something that had long been a part of me, something that ran through my very blood. Suddenly I felt a familiar smack on my shoulder, looking up I saw the dark eyes of Vulcan, a local hobo, and a close ally, but nothing more.
Friendship was unheard of from where I came. He motioned another familiar object, a metal container towards me, I shook my head declining the offer.
He snorted. "One drink never hurt anyone, kid." I laughed in spite of myself. One look at him and it told you other wise. As he began to banter on I pushed the words from one ear out the other, I had a task at hand and had no intentions of destroying it due to the carelessness of drinking an ounce too much of liquor. I could here him mumble something incoherently before taking a swig of the forbidden fruit known as whiskey. Poor fool.
Brushing the dust off of my collar I watched in quite desperation wishing the any possible victim would magically appear soon, it was chilly out and to be quite frank I hated the cold it always left me with the feeling of death at the pit of my stomach. How could it not have? From the things I had witnessed over the past decade plus three known as my life it was hard not to. Living in the dark part of a wishy-washy city didn't help matters any, and add being an orphan onto that, it just added that extra topping. Though I couldn't really myself an orphan anymore I had a home, though it wasn't what I would have called ideal seeing my mistrust in them, but it made due.
Having my wishes answered suddenly I watched as a tall man draped in fine clothing waltz down the street, one woman on each of his arms. Disgusting, I thought as I took in the disfigured appearance of the man, but it would have to do.
He was huge, and not just in height but in width as well, almost so much that you could have called him an evenly portioned circle. He smelt heavily of the forbidden fruit and it made me gag on my own breath, how I hated that poison. It was something that I had seen consume even the best of men, well best of thieves if I may say. It was something that once you got the taste for it never faded.
Though before I let my thoughts distract me any longer, I shot out from under the alley alcove and snaked behind the man keeping a decent twenty foot distance, being too close meant getting caught, and getting caught...well I'd rather not go there. I followed behind him with lithe grace, fading into the surroundings like a shadow. Vulcan was nowhere to be seen, go figure, he had quite the talent of disappearing when their was the possibility of being caught anywhere near a crime. Coward no wonder he lived off of the simple 'grace' of innocent civilians feeding his dark cravings.
Truth be told I lost myself in thought so quickly I didn't know how many blocks I followed behind for before he stopped. With ease I threw myself into the side panel beside the building a poked my head out around it watching the moves of the obese man. He made an attempt at trying to escort, though it would have been more properly defined as was drunkenly stumbled, the women to the front of a building before clumsily tipping his hat and passing an evelope to the women. Dark smiles played at their heavily painted faces as he proceeded back down the stairs and took off sauntering into the cold night.
I watched the two women closely as they turned, entered, and locked the door behind them, no doubt going to count their earnings for the night if you catch my drift.
With ease I turned my attention away from the building. Once I was for certain the coast was clear I shot off towards the fat man lumbering down the streets humming an old song that only one from that era would recognize. Reaching out mentally, I let my eyes trail over his coat til I spotted my target. Time to put it in motion.
"Hey! Watch it runt."
"Oh pardon moi Moisuire." The man looked at me with suspicious, a young boy no older than thirteen, wrapped in a tattered coat, sunglasses perched on his nose and messy auburn hair tossed carelessy into his face, that had 'clumsily' bumped into him, was all that he saw. Deciding it was nothing he then averted his glazed eyes back to the road way where his concentration was needed most seeing as he had managed to stumble a good fifteen feet to the left after the encounter.
Smiling I bowed politely before taking off running, my heart beating in time with the constant fall of my steps. Even though there was no need for the fleeing it just set me at ease. The prize was sitting in my pocket eagerly wishing to be counted and cherished. I ran for a good twenty blocks til I was certain I was away from prying eyes before slipping around a corner. Stealing underneath a fire escape ladder I shimmed my way up before stoping at the top and over looking the glowing city before me. I held my breath for a time and waited to see if anyone had spotted me. None I let my breath escape in a slow whistle.
I withdrew the wallet and took note of the detailed designs that embroidered it, the wallet itself would fetch a hefty price, but what laid inside was the real treasure. Pulling open the folds I couldn't help but gawk, there were rolls of hundreds and fifties carelessly shoved in there, I silently whistled and began counting. I let a small grin caress my lips as I saw my earnings, I had lucked out. Shoving the wallet into one of the many small pockets on my jacket, I jumped up onto the railing and looked down. I stood there for a moment before I heard a loud scream echo behind me, merde. Before I even knew what I was doing I clumsily jumped down and landed on feet. A sharp pain shot up through my left leg but I expertly ignored it as I took off sprinting in an eastbound direction, not taking note of the broken glass I had left in my wake.
I ran until legs couldn't carry me any longer and I collasped in an alleyway hid between several metal garbage cans. Allowing myself a moment to breathe I felt that sharp pain shoot up my leg again. I resisted the urge to hiss and bit my lip forcing back the tears that threatened to fall, thieves didn't cry it wasn't in their nature. After sitting there for a time I finally decided to brave up and pull up the pant leg on my left side. I felt the material rub against raw flesh and I barely managed to hold back the scream that had made it's way into my throat. Looking down I saw something that I knew as a bad omen, as something that meant infection and sickness, I saw caked blood. Merde, merde, Merde!
Feeling a sudden wave of dizziness and nausea come overcome me I barely turned my head in time to avoid releasing the contents of my stomach on myself. I sat there for a few moments my head propped up against the side of the cool stone building, trying to ignore the alarms of panic and fear sounding in my head. It didn't matter at that moment in time all I felt was the need for sleep, lots and lots of sleep and before I could debate with myself I was out cold, oblivious to everything in the world for just a moment, it was such a blessing.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
I could feel the constant blows being laid way to my body and I couldn't do a thing to stop it. So instead of fighting or fleeing I rolled my knees to my chest and let the tears fall, it hurt.
"Ah look boys we made de freak cry." The largest of the group, and obvious leader stated a low throaty chuckle coming to surface. I felt another kick land on my ribcage, yep it was definetely broken there was no denying it. I forced back the whimpers and lay there, hoping they'd think I'd died or atleast passed out and would leave me be. At that moment though death didn't seem that bad of an option.
"Hey Quince I dink we killed de poor bastard." A tall gangly boy said, his oily hair falling into his mud colored eyes.
"No, he be plenty alive, look he's still breathin'" I cursed myself when those words left his mouth. I cursed the trait about myself that had led me towards this sort of treatment. My eyes those god forsaken eyes, why me? Why an innocent ten year old boy left to die on the streets, only to be cursed with such eyes? I laughed wickedly at myself I don't know if it was aloud or not but I defenitely heard it. Who was I fooling? I was far from innocent, I stole everyday of my damned life! Trying to live on these cruel streets, I staid to the shadows, but in the moments that I was required to emerge this is what always awaited me, pain, rejection, hatred.
Suddenly though I felt another pain shoot through my body, this time far worse than any of the others. I screamed so loud that I scared myself. The pain shot strait up through my arm, it felt as though someone had taken a hot knife and had slowly hacked at the bone. I could here the dark laughter of the boys in the background, and the sound of their shuffling feet. Atleast they were gone maybe I could have atleast died in peace, but no as faith would have it that was far from the case. The man I had managed to pick pocket earlier had wondered into the street. I could tell it was him from the way he moved, with lithe grace and footing that spelling thief.
I closed my eyes waiting for the finishing blow to come but it never did, instead I felt gentle hands run over my face and body. I forced my eyes to remain shut and held my breath hoping he'd take me as dead, but instead I felt a hard slap against my back causing my air supply to rush out suddenly as pain to shoot through me, I managed to hold back a sob and instead only let out a tiny whimper.
"Damn kid, your gonna kill yourself doin' dat." With sudden carefulness I felt his fingers reach into the side pocket of my jacket and withdraw what was his. Ha for a second I actually thought he had shown me some sympathy, guess not. Though much to my surprise I also felt him lift me with care, unable to fight or protest I just let him carry me and welcomed the overbearing darkness when it came to me.
&&&&&&&&
I woke with a sudden start every muscle in my body reacting at once. The move soon proved to be foolish though when I felt the sharp pains of my injuries shoot through my body. I yelped in pain before feeling a gentle hand force me back down onto the bed.
"Hush up now, jumpin' 'round like dat is only gonna make it hurt worse," I looked up shocked into the eyes of a woman with long hair, instincts suddenly kicked in though and I immediated slammed my eyes shut, even though I already knew the damage was done. I heard a slight chuckle and a soft hand rubbed my face, but I still refused to respond.
"Mattie did de boy wait up yet?" It was that man's voice, oh no what did he want with me, forcing my panic down I kept my eyes pinned shut and listened as the womans soft alto voice responded.
"He did but I think I scared him back to sleep." The womans laugh was almost, what was the word? comforting. I heard a low groan come from the man and something incoherent was mumbled.
"We're not gonna hurt ya boy," he heard the mans voice calmly state, there was no way he must of been lying "If I was trust me I already would have, now open dem eyes and stop actin like we're gonna kill ya." Something in that voice, what it was I'm not sure caused me to have a sudden dim spark of trust and I immediately opened my eyes.
"Dere now," I heard the woman almost purr her voice was something I just wanted to grab onto and never let go, "ya know ya have some real pretty eyes dere." I couldn't help myself I gawked at her pretty? Now they were just toying with me.
"What? Dey are! I don' know why your ashamed to show dem." The woman smiled suddenly and I felt my lips suddenly pull into a similiar shape. So what they were lying to me? I could atleast enjoy the fantasy before they destroyed me.
"Now dat your awake what is your name?" The man asked off handedly I looked at him perplexed, what was my name? I sat there for a moment dumb folded.
"Well?" the man questioned impatiently, the woman shot him a glare.
"It's alright no need to rushed into introductions, I'm Mattie," She once again sent that smile that made a part of me jump to life, "And dat cranky ole man be Jean-Luc." The man rolled his eyes and shot a glare at the woman.
"My name is Remy, I think." My voice sounded so foreign, had it really been that long since last I had spoken?
"See now dere we go," Mattie said and ran her finger through my hair, "Now Remy do ya have any family of your own." I shook my head, last 'family' I had, they had through me out on the streets to fend for myself hence forth my current circumstance.
"Well den it looks like you belong with us now, Remy." Jean-Luc said, "Now ya get back to sleep ya almost died on me and I ain't havin' that happen again understood?" I nodded my head numbly there were still things had should have questioned but did not, I didn't feel threatened I felt, safe and I wasn't willing to put that on the line. So I let my mind sink into a dark stupor, where for once I was not fearful of my life.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
I felt a rough hand shaking me, I didn't want to wake up so I ignored it. Suddenly the shaking became harder and harder until suddenly it stopped. Then it was replaced with a feeling I didn't want.
SMACK!
I just got smacked in the face. My eyes shot open and I took in the worried sight of my brother Henri a look of pure relief prominant on his face. Why that sorry son of a bit...
"Remy your alright, ya had me worried dere for a sec." He held out his hand and attempted to help me up. All went well until I put weight on my left leg, then I felt myself falling again. Henri caught me but not before specks began to fly before my vision. I felt him balance out the weight of my bad leg against himself and felt him pull me on to follow. but I couldn't. The nausea was still there. So instead of following I allowed myself to fall backwards but not before he caught me once again, this time though my arm slug over his shoulder.
"What did ya manage to do to yaself, Remy?" He asked, worry now returned to his voice, "You had us all worried las' night, poor Tante, I coulda swore she wore a hole in de floor with trotten." At this I laughed. I saw the relieved smile come back onto Henri's face.
"Come'n we'd better get ya back before tante has a fit," His smile genuine, yet somehow years of mistrust doubted it, "She'll patch ya up but not without a good lecture non?" I nodded my head and tried to focus my weight of the left side of my body on Henri. As soon as it was even we began our long trek towards the center of town. During that time though I let my mind wonder from thought to thought barely paying attention to out surroundings til I heard the relieved whistle of Jean-Luc.
"Well Remy way to give us all a good scare, I'm tempted to let Mattie tear you apart." With that he led us over towards the car and held the door open as I slid in, favoring my hurt leg. Once settled and the car was moving I felt the drowsiness overcome me again, but before I let take me I dug through my pocket and tossed the wallet at Henri. He let a low whistle escape between his teeth.
"Looks like ya had good huntin'." I merely grunted in reply, it was all that I could force myself to do. I let the talking of Jean-Luc, my father, and Henri, my brother lull me to sleep. Even false Illusions are better than the truth that lies just beneath.
.
Author's Note: The Italics were Remy's dream while he was unconcious. Woot! Really lame one shot that came from a certain plot bunny driving me nuts. Love it? Hate it? Let me know! I know its not perfectly written, but alas none of my work is. R&R!