Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 18

Chapter 1: A New Man

          Rogue stood from the control annex of the danger room staring down at the holographic projection.  Ororo Munro, Kitty Pryde, Piotr Rasputin, Jean Grey and Remy LeBeau were in the training session, moving back and fourth with precision, expert timing and sometimes sheer luck, ducking obstacles, battling holographic images of their worst enemies.

          "The Cajun is showin' some progress," Logan mused, he pushed the lever controlling the session difficulty, increasing it by five percent, "lets see how he copes when we turn up the heat."

          Rogue smiled as Remy faultlessly dodged everything that came at him, flying razors, cannons, lasers.  He coped so expertly it was almost impossible to believe that two weeks ago he'd been claiming he was too inadequate to ever rejoin the team.  His hair was soaked in sweat, his muscles were taught beneath a temporary black spandex uniform that clung to every contour of his svelte but developed body.  Rogue almost felt like swooning. 

          "You're right, he's really improving," Rogue nodded.  She remembered the first training session two weeks ago, the day after he'd rejoined.  He'd been in there struggling.  He was still moderately talented, but at other times he'd lose his confidence and end up getting hurt.  He still had a small cut on his head where a razor had nicked him.  Rogue was frantic.  It could have been his eye. 

          It was strange.  The past two weeks had gone by so quickly.  She'd barely seen Remy at all though.  As they were in different teams, this meant they did not train together.  Rogue would often find herself on the opposite side of the glass, she'd be in the annex helping Logan or Hank with the session control while he'd be on the other side fighting for his life.

Rogue knew it should have bothered her, but realised this was out of her control.  He had so much training to catch up on that everything he was doing and all the time he was spending away from her and in the danger room or the war room was absolutely necessary for his placement in the team.  He'd sit through briefing on tactics, enemies, weaponry, protocol and all of the things the X-Men, or the institute was affiliated with. 

The first week, Rogue had found it disconcerting that he had no time to be with her, but now she didn't mind.  It filled his days, gave him other reasons to be living and she felt this was what he'd needed.  He was good in there, better than he'd thought he was, and once he'd fully gotten up to speed, they could resume everything again.

          "He picks up quick, doesn't he?" Logan asked.

          Rogue nodded, "Yeah…" she nodded, "stuns me, really," she said, "this was the guy who – two weeks ago – thought he'd be a liability to the team.  Jesus, look at him…he's amazing in there…I wish I was half as skilled."

          "It's like he's a new man," Logan admitted.

          "Yeah, it is," Rogue smiled, "or rather…an old one…the one that I remember."

          Remy spun around to find a new opponent awaiting several feet away, one he didn't recognise for a moment, although it seemed it should have been familiar.

          "Omega Red," Ororo called to Remy, she swooped down from the air, "don't get too close," she warned.

          "Omega Red," he said to himself, he dodged out of the way as a lethal metal coil shot out of Omega Red's wrist and headed for him.  He remembered being briefed about this one.

          "Watch out!" Kitty cried, grabbing Remy's wrist and phasing him with her as a very large razor shot towards them, "eyes open!" she warned him.

          "I don't have EYES on the back of my head," he reminded, he ducked another one and pulled her down with him as another one came hurling past.  "Now who should keep eyes open," he mused, rolling out of the way as a cannonball fell from the sky. 

          Kitty yelped as one of the coils from Omega Red caught her ankle and pulled her into the air, she phased herself out of the grasp and landed to the ground, her shoulder thudding against the hard floor.  "Ow!"

          Remy grabbed a handful of throwing spikes from the pouch on his belt, charged them up and sent them flying towards Omega Red.  Several of them missed, one hit one of the coils, a small explosion echoing over the large hall.  The others that had missed the mutant hologram hit the wall behind, and exploded, sending Omega Red flying forward. 

          Remy rushed over to Kitty while the others were dealing with Omega Red.  He tried to help her up, "get up off your ass, no time to be sleepin' on the job, petit" he remarked.

          Kitty winced trying to get up but her ankle wouldn't allow it, "I've twisted my ankle, you have to leave me, I'm out of the session!"

          "The rules are you're only out of the session if you've been hit," Remy pulled her arm over his shoulder, "you fell…it ain't the same thing," he assured.

          It was almost twenty minutes later when the session finally ended, and the room died down, lights dimming, the hum of machines droning softly to silence.

          Remy pressed his back against a nearby wall and slipped down it, exhausted, soaked with sweat.

          Kitty limped over, "still convinced you're not X-Men material?" she asked tiredly, she dropped to the floor on her backside accidentally.  She took a deep breath and swept her sweat soaked hair back from her face.

          "My heart is beating SO fast," he said breathlessly.  Indeed, Kitty could see his breathing was so fast that he was close to hyperventilating, and yet he seemed calm and composed.  Just…exhausted. 

          "Well done, Remy," Ororo walked over, she reached out her hand to take his.

          Remy took her hand and let her help him up, "for?"

          "Taking the initiative to help Kitty – when your own life was in Danger."

          "This was a hologram," Remy reminded, he reached out his hands to pull Kitty up, "it isn't like we were in real danger of dying or anything."

          "There's always a certain amount of Danger," Ororo reminded, "and you know this already," she smiled a little, "when the Professor told me he was assigning you to my team I was a little weary…I know you work better solo," she admitted, "but I see I was very mistaken.  Your teamwork this week has astounded me…"

          Remy faintly smiled, "you're flattery is more than I deserve," he glanced up to the control annex to see Rogue staring down at him with a strange pleased smile upon her face.

          "Do I have anything scheduled tonight?" Remy asked.  Ororo was in charge of his training for the next month, and her schedule was one to live by until he was up to scratch physically and mentally.

          "Enemies briefing at seven," Ororo replied.

          "Can't I reschedule?" Remy asked leaning against the wall looking at Ororo hopefully.

          Ororo seemed displeased, "This IS important."

          "I know, and I'm not sayin' I won't deal," he sighed, "it's just…I've spent so much time this fortnight bein' GAMBIT, I haven't had enough time to be REMY," he reminded.  "Rogue and me ain't seen each other much this last two weeks.  Not one night at all have we spent time together.  We see each other at dinner and that's it."

          Ororo made a face, she apparently wasn't very pleased with Remy's wanting to reschedule but she could see where he was coming from.

          "Look, you're the boss, okay, the leader – the big cheese – and if you want me to do it, I'll do it, but I just thought I'd ask anyway?" he put on a charming smile. 

          "As long as you understand that you must make up for the time later," Ororo said.  "But you have been…exceptionally wonderful on your training these last two weeks," she smiled again, "you've been resilient and tiresome, and I think you should take a night off, for rest and relaxation."

          Remy grinned, "you're an Angel in black leather," he took her hand and kissed her knuckle, this made Ororo give a soft laugh and Kitty giggled behind her hand.  "A true Angel in black leather," he repeated again, and then walked away.

          Rogue had come down to the Danger Room exit to meet Remy, she hadn't had much chance at all to speak with him and thought it might be her last chance to speak with him today.  Dinner was always such a chaotic experience with all the students at the large dining table, it was always impossible to get in a conversation with the man then, and he'd sleep through the night, exhausted from the training during the day.

          "Chere," he looked at her as he left the room, he was smiling brightly, a very genuine happy smile.  He was soaked through with perspiration, yet he still maintained his attractiveness – something that always astounded Rogue was how he could look so appealing soaked and stinking of sweat.

          "Hey," Rogue smiled, she didn't want to hug him with so much sweat on him.  She had no intentions of changing her clothes today.  "Just thought I'd come say hi before dinner," she admitted.

          Remy walked with her towards the elevator, "guess what?"

          "Hmm?"

          "Got tonight off," he said, "convinced ol' Stormy to let me out of enemy briefing – I'll make up for it tomorrow or something," he explained.

          "That's great," Rogue admitted, she looked at him.  He seemed so completely cured of his depression that she had lost all concern over him for the time being.  "What've you got planned?"

          "Something with you, I hope, unless you're busy?"

          "I keep my nights free," Rogue said softly, "Unless I have a mission…if I have a mission I could always try and worm out of it…"

          "You can't do that," Remy sighed, "but hopefully the world of evil will maintain it's enigmatic business for the time being, and let us have one night together," he got into the elevator. 

          "How is everything, Remy?" Rogue asked, following him in, she hit the button to send the elevator up to the mansion foyer.

          "It's normal…as you'd expect," he shrugged, he was almost acting like nothing had ever happened.  As if he'd never had these outbursts and problems with his powers.  Rogue wasn't sure she should query it, but she was curious. 

          "What about your new powers?"

          "No signs of it showing up again," Remy shrugged, "I haven't blown up anything I didn't want to…or anything without touching it."

          Rogue nodded, "you haven't been as emotional these past two weeks, that's probably why," she tucked her hair behind her ear looking at him.  She could feel her cheeks flushing pink as she examined his perfect features.

          "It was probably a fluke."

          "Maybe, but we still have to be careful," she reached out with her gloved fingers and brushed a lock of sweat soaked hair away from his eyes, "so what do you want to do tonight."

          "Take you in the shower, take you on the bed, take you in every room in the mansion not carin' if people are watchin' or not.  Now ask me what I can actually DO."

          Rogue folded her arms and smirked, "what can you actually do?"

          "I can take you to dinner, treat you like a lady, quietly murmur several innuendos and euphemisms to you across the table, and once we're done I'll streak naked down Bayville Avenue if I'm drunk enough – but streaking is optional," he grinned. "So…how does that sound?"

          Rogue smirked, "sounds fine by me."