Her Queen of Hearts 7
"Alright, freak," A new guard-face opened the cell and walked in. "You're gonna get your phone call."
"To anyone I want, right?" Gambit was still drugged with the power neutralising liquid and watched the soldier set up a wireless webcam and screen onto a stand. The fantastic four that had watched him for what seemed to be overnight remained as keen as mustard. That reminded him; he had no meal since they brought him in.
"Yeah," the new face answered. He adjusted the functions and turned to the mutant. "Who'd it be."
"Just call the Mansion. They're waiting for me." He was slumped to the most comfortable extent possible against the chair, his hands, feet and torso still clamped. It had been a most uncomfortable night. He blinked slowly – he was sleepy.
The screen was blank and the speakers buzzed as the call was sent. Almost immediately the answer came and Professor Xavier's face came on screen.
"How're you doin' Professor?" Remy smiled.
"How are you doing, Gambit?" was the professor's concerned reply.
"Powerless and surrounded by guards who won't lend me a bathroom pass. Could you tell Rogue I know how she feels under the drug?"
"I'm right here, Remy." Her red head and her beautiful white streaks came within range of the screen.
"Cheré." He smiled to see her on her feet again. "D'you know the government's been takin' pictures of you?"
"We'll be seein' you soon, you stupid Cajun." she snapped to the point.
He saw her lower lip tremble. "I'm alright, Rogue. How're you feelin'?"
"Better. And without that stupid antidote nonsense!" She put a gloved hand by the side of the screen. "I love you, Remy. You come back soon, okay?"
"We'll see."
She had to part with the screen and the professor came into view. "We have made arrangements to physically meet with you earliest tomorrow afternoon. McCoy and I will personally see you sometime before your court case next Monday. Please don't keep anything from us at that session. I believe you are being watched at the moment?"
"They allow you to meet me?"
"It's permitted for lawyers to meet their clients before the trial." The professor gave a kindly smile. "We'll try our best."
"Good luck." replied Gambit.
"Hang in there."
The guard hung up the call on his behalf and dissembled the set-up.
"You're not getting out." the guard stated.
"Maybe."
"You should've just told that girl to forget you."
"She won't."
"Even for a mutant, that's cold." He shook his head.
"You have a girl too, eh?"
"Left her for the job."
"Now, who's cold?"
The guard left without a remark and the four remained with their rifles poised. Remy Lebeau closed his eyes. The photograph of her plastered on his cell flashed itself in his head as his head began to nod.
***
"No offence." Remy apologised. "Doesn't even convince me, Professor."
"Well," replied Professor McCoy, "We can always use reverse psychology."
"Alright." He fidgeted in his chair.
"You're still not convinced." remarked Xavier.
"They barely listened when you tried to defend us in that court case more than a year ago. I was an Acolyte, watchin' it on the news."
"Perhaps, but they did listen."
"Alright."
***
"ORDER IN COURT! Damn it." The judge cursed quietly to himself.
The scene was a riot.
People had crowded into the courtroom and filled every row meant for defendants, except for the first three rows on the right of the judge. The mutants from the mansion, who had previously promised Professor Xavier to remain gracious, sat together in two rows the people avoided, taking only half a row each so they could gossip together.
People had begun to raise their voices in fierce protest and jeering since Gambit had entered, handcuffed. A dripper on rollers followed closely behind him, keeping his powers at bay. His eyes encircled with sleeplessness and body weakened by the side effects of the drug, he looked pathetic and completely defenceless. But his eyes shone with a resolution that sparked the reporters and jury into crazed suspicion.
"Freaks!"
"Get the shit out of here!"
"Damn you!"
"Go fuck your mothers!"
The Xavier kids sat in forced silence. Logan snarled and Rogue put a hand on his tensed shoulders, although she herself felt like bringing the house down on their ignorant heads. People waved their arms in the air and hollered at the top of their lungs. The shouts and curses subsided at last when the judge hammered his undeniable authority through the courthouse. But as the trial continued, as Professor Xavier fairly pointed out his facts and the accuser pointed his vicious fingers, the scene became violent enough to have triggered World War Three – the war where it was humans versus mutants.
As predicted by all persons in the court, mutants and ordinary humans, Gambit lost the consolidate case and was sentenced for theft, physical assault, murder, vandalism and violation of human rights. Gambit kept his head up, facing his adversaries without blinking and turning to his fellows with a shrug of his shoulders. The judge ordered for silence as he was led out of the courtroom.
From the silence, a threatening hiss settled in his ear. "Might as well lock him up forever for bein' a mutant."
He spun on his heel to grin at the source. "They hope to, cheré. Je'taime!" They led him away at last.
***
"You can't be serious about the box, monsieur." Gambit groaned in his transparent cell. "A lifetime? Here?"
"You'll miss it soon enough, boy." replied the agent.
"Where am I goin'?"
"Where it all begins for mankind..."
"And it all ends for mutants, eh?"
***
"He won't be havin' much time left, Charles." reported Wolverine. "They'll be tranferrin' him in a few days. I know them."
"Then you must see him tomorrow, Rogue." Xavier instructed calmly. "He will have at least two guards with him, so the statistics say there's a chance one of them would know where he's going. If there are guards around you as well, the better the chances. Try to keep the conversation going without betraying yourself."
The gothic mutant nodded her red head. "No problem on the talking, Professor. But I need help on the powers."
"Ah, yes. I'm aware of that. Why not we start your lessons now?"
As she tapped the Professor's forehead lightly, the awfully familiar sensation of absorption throbbed into her skull. Stumbling backwards, Logan balanced her onto her feet as she placed a hand on her temple. She shook the dizziness away and heard the professor groan. He looked up, awake and alive, and asked her to focus on him. She looked into his eyes. Almost immediately she heard his replying thought echo in her head.
Argh! Rogue, relax. Relax. I can sense your presence clearly.
Sorry, Professor. How do I know I am actually sending anything?
You focus on the person you are looking for. I wanted to start you off by looking into the person's eyes – it is easier. But you are not to transmit thoughts besides, you need to practice mindreading.
Alright. Let us start before it wears off.
Look into my eyes. I am going to pull my presence from your mind and you attempt to put yourself within mine.
How?
Imagine you are stepping into a house, or entering a room of some sort. As long as you can envision yourself going into a place, psychic powers will take you there.
Imagination? Seriously?
It is almost like believing you can bend reality to your own will.
You probably can.
Many psychics think so, that is why many do not last very long.
Rogue noticed his eyes had become hazy, as if he were suppressing a very strong emotion from her.
Can I, Professor?
Go ahead.
She felt a burden lift from her mind as the professor left her head. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to imagine herself stepping into his head. In her mind, she was coming closer and closer until the world around her vaporised. She appeared in a black space. It was terrifyingly black and she began to panic in the sudden bare lonliness.
Well done, Rogue!
Where are you?!
Do not fear. I have only cleared my mind so you may not be troubled by unnecessary visions. Any trouble finding your way? Do you know, you are actually very fast for a first-timer?
Er, thanks. No, not much trouble. But it is kind of awkward here.
Yes, a common first-timer syndrome. Now, are you ready to actually absorb memories?
Let us try this out.
Do not recoil or act in defence to any of these images, lest it critically damages both our minds. It will seem very real and make you think what you see is truly happening, but take control of the power, not let it control you. I will flash a few sequences.
The most uncomfortable feeling grabbed at her mind and she wanted to throw it out. Although the memories he had brought forth were from ten minutes ago, she found the images force feeding themselves into her brain space. She saw herself, a desk, the office, Logan standing with his arms folded, a bird chirping in the tree next to the window and a black fountain pen. She let a pained groan escape her lips. The images stopped and a soothing black emptiness enveloped her presence once again.
Are you alright, Rogue?
Yeah. I am good. Whoa. Now I know why Jean feels so tired so easily.
It takes a lifetime of practice.
I do not got a lifetime if I am gonna be saving Remy.
Then let us practice this again.
Logan had seated himself in a chair and watched over the two psychics in their silent conversation. This girl loves that Cajun with her heart and soul. He had better be loyal to her, or there will be hell to pay – Logan's hell. Or maybe, just maybe, there is a side he himself has not seen of Gambit, former enemy and fluent thief, but she has. Maybe it was when he kidnapped her? Took her to Louisiana and on that Blood Moon bayou excursion? What did he say? What did they do? He ought to ask, but he knew Rogue to keep these moments to herself. A lone wolf she is, just like him. He wished he could do more for her.
He believed himself to understand her better than anyone, until this swamp boy swooped in out of nowhere. He admitted to himself he was jealous of the man, not in the weepy romantic way, but the fact that another person is able to comfort and console a confused soul like his. They had a connection, some sort of close relationship, which he found beautifully special and worthwhile. He did not want to lose it, lose her. It was almost as if he were afraid of the possibility of losing her, like a loving father hearing the news of his daughter's decision for her first boyfriend.
I should have made him sign a contract with his blood or something.
A voice descended into his mind. I heard that, Logan.
Glad you can mind read now, Rogue. So when is this party starting?
***
Remy Lebeau was transferred to another temporary holding, this time with a pleasant but hard bed and a toilet set! There was no mirror however, but he made do with the metallic toilet bowl, although it was an awkward and disgusting thought to look into a toilet bowl every morning and night. He slept well at least, but his mind had begun to reel and his body twitched for minutes on end from the after-effects of the drug. They now pumped in the liquid drug from an air moisturiser that sprayed every nine minutes – he had the free time to count second by second to come to that conclusion.
They fed him like a dog. A tray would slide in from a latched slit along the floor at breakfast time, lunchtime and dinnertime. When was that? It was up to them. The fantastic four was loyal and dedicated to watching him, although they had shifts and switched at irregular intervals with another boy band. There were the first annoyed instances when he had to piss and eight eyeballs were focussed on his every move. Then he needed a shit and asked for a book, they still did not smile. He was thoroughly convinced they were brainwashed soldiers doing their job.
Sleeping was far more comfortable and he could not care less about those creatures watching him. But the headaches started and he began to toss and turn, the pain intensifying with every headache. He would often throw the pillow over his head and groan loudly when things became too bright; the prison wardens refused to switch off the lights for any reason.
He could not tell how many days have passed. One blessed moment in time, he was having a bland meal of potatoes and strange chunks of someone's meat when a six-man troop came by with their reflective helmet visors concealing their identity. He lowered his Spork and paid attention like a good prisoner, not wanting to be beaten the shit out of.
"You're coming with us." A womanly voice came from the foremost soldier. "Someone's here to see you. A Rogue, from the Xavier Mansion for the Gifted, Bayville."
"You're a woman!"
"Put your hands out behind you through the hatch." There was no humour in the lady either.
They handcuffed him and blindfolded him then led him though the dim corridors. He walked blindly with the dripper by his side, stopping for what he guessed were security checks before he sensed himself in a very different place. He could smell a less sanitised air and an uncomfortable, piercing silence. They sat him down and removed the handcuffs to lock his wrists to a surface. The shackles had a short chain that allowed him to fidget comfortably, but not enough to reach each other.
They removed his blindfold. Blinking through the sudden flash of light, he began to recognise the familiar features of his girl who sat on the other side of the glass with a telephone end by her ear. Two guards stood at her sides.
"Hey cheré." he smiled.
"Remy, they treatin' you, okay?" Her voice spoke though a pair of speakers above him, behind where the fantastic four stood. A voice receiver protruded out from the surface at his lips.
"Well, I've got a nice bed, nice open-faced bathroom, weird food... I'll live."
"I wanna love you, Remy, really, it's gettin' crazy without you."
"How crazy?"
"I wanna hear you talk."
"I wanna hear you talk. I miss you. I wanna hold you again, touch you, feel you, have you with me, and kiss you even with a cloth between us."
"You have no idea about me. School's been harder with everybody knowing what's up, who's been doing what and the whole court case is being recited everywhere. I skipped school today anyway 'cause the professor let me. Logan still thinks you're an idiot but he's okay with you now. I donno, I overheard him talking and he thinks he should've made you sign a contract about dating me, signed with your blood or something."
"Oh yeah, he's okay with me, eh?" he smiled sadly. "Cheré, I'm sorry."
"Don't apologise. You tried to help me."
"I could've gotten you somethin' else, we wouldn't be like this."
"I enjoyed it, you enjoyed it, don't say that! What else would you've gotten me anyway?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "A new bed to move into my room?"
"And what?"
"Grope all night long without anybody watchin'."
"I think our kisses were better."
"Alright, a vacation to nowhere, just the two of us."
"And grope all night and day long?"
"In a private room, a deserted beach, lying side by side, skinny dipping."
She rested her head on her fist. "That's all you think about me, huh?"
"Only 'cause you're so special to me. You're beautiful, inside, outside. So untouchable, so temptin', so wonderful. So brave, so believin'." He paused. "Cheré... I'll find us a way. Don't you go runnin' tryin' to find a way to bust me out. They'll kill you if you're not careful. Don't forget me, don't come after me. I'll watch over myself and over you. I'll always be watchin' over you. I'm not givin' up on us or on the X-men yet. The world is nonsense. I'll be back for you. Someday. You'll find me waiting."
She had watched him, her eyes dazed and faraway. Did she listen?
"Cheré? Rogue."
"Yea-Yeah?"
"Did'ou hear me?"
"Uh-uh huh."
"Don't you come for me. Understand?"
"I'll be waitin', Remy."
She blinked suddenly. She leaned onto the glass and fogged it, tracing a sweet heart toward him and pasting a kiss inside it. He grinned. He pushed himself toward the fading doodle and fogged it from the opposite side. He pasted the shape of his own lips, as if receiving her kiss.
"Come closer." he whispered into the receiver, wiping the glass.
She did. He lunged toward her and their lips met on the same area of glass. Their own warmth was reflected back to them, thrilling their starved senses with the heat. She laid her hands on the glass where his chest would have been, pressing hard. She moved her hands up and down excitedly. Her legs clambered onto the surface to bring herself closer to him. She held the telephone to her ear and moaned into the receiving end, hearing a responding groan from him. It was such a strange sight that she heard the guards murmuring to each other in the background. They could go through the motion of a hot kiss without actual contact.
She caught a peculiar sniffling sound coming from him. Opening her eyes, she would have burst out laughing if his manner was not so passionate. She joined him in tonguing the glass and enjoying every moment. If he were right beside her, she would have crashed into his mouth and licked every tooth he had, running the wet organ into the deep spaces behind. She clawed the glass in delight and finally banged her fist on it.
He pulled away gradually, his eyes full of vigour and adoration. She held the telephone close and her palm on the glass. He laid his hand on hers.
"They say I need'a go. Hate it. Je'taime, Remy."
"Je'taime toujours [I love you forever], Rogue."
She left a longing hand imprint before pulling herself away.
***
He found himself in his cell, lying on his back and thinking about the kiss, licking his lips in the memory, when the agent popped in.
"Must've been some kiss."
"Hot."
"You're being transferred tomorrow."
"The faster, the better."
"Suit yourself."
As he left, Remy rolled over. Don't come for me, Rogue. Please.
***
Rogue was sitting down with the Professor and Logan, the trio discussing the execution of their next move. She had scanned all the guards' minds for information while he had gone on his monologue. Sure she missed hearing his beautiful voice riveting her emotions, but this plan needs to work out.
"Okay," she began, "The guards on Remy's side knew everything 'cause they're the ones gonna move him out tomorrow. The agent that came over here is one of them and has been making all the arrangements, but who runs the place, they don't know. Anyway, that's not important – "
"All facts are important, even if they are trivial details." replied Xavier. "Continue."
"Right, so they're taking him to a dumpsite in Virginia. Underground is their second HQ, the main one is 243 miles south-southwest from the nearest beach, underwater. They're told it's either one, but since Remy trashed the dumpsite, I think it's gonna be the real deal. They're gonna bring him straight to the Anti-Mutant Experiment Containment cells, on the west wing, not the regular Mutant Cells, to test him straightaway. But nobody knows which cell number."
"What's the security like?" Logan queried out of experience.
"Stiff. There's no way in except for three sets of hatches: four small openings for divers, two main for underwater vehicles and one large for resources. Each set's at the East, West and Centre wings of the place. They're monitored 24 hours by sensors and soldiers behind a camera. Inside there's sensors, cameras and guards walking about, plus a three-part scanning system to enter rooms."
"Not bad."
"Anything else you can tell us, Rogue?"
"They're gonna keep him even after experimenting, like for a few months, to see what side effects come up."
"When would they start?"
"A few days after he comes in, 'cause they need to run some tests on his body. To research his physicality, something like that. His allergies, stamina, medical history and stuff."
"Then two days from today, you and Logan will try to recover him. If you succeed, remember you must not bring him to Bayville or any other area in New Jersey, Mississippi, Louisiana and the surrounding states. You must exile him for his safety, and yours."
Rogue glanced aside.
"Rogue, this will be hard, but you must forget him for a few months, at least. If the government finds you guilty – "
"Then he'll come to save me."
"It's gonna be a vicious cycle, kid." Logan was stern. "It's not worth it. Just listen to the Prof."
"Alright." she stated sullenly. "Can we just dump him in China? Maybe Singapore. Just somewhere on the other side of the globe so I'll just give up hope, you know!"
"Rogue, enough." growled Logan.
Rogue bit her lip and stared away from her makeshift father.
"Look, in time, you'll feel differently about this." said Logan, knowing her sombre moods. "After breaking him out, you two will see each other. It'll seem like a few days, I promise you. Take it from me."
"Will. I. Ever. See. Him. Again?" She looked into his eye.
"Yes. You will." He replied without blinking, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Rogue put her hand on his as thanks.
The professor put his fingertips together.