Thanks to everyone for their reviews.
Some of you may have guessed Remy's secret, but I'm mixing up the comic plot lines a bit to try and keep thing interesting.
Chapter Ten
"Sentinels?" Rogue asked.
They'd only been back at the school for a week and already they were having briefing in the War Room. Maybe the respite they'd had since Alcatraz was over.
"It was before you came to the school, Rogue," The professor explained and after pressing a few buttons, a hologram of a sentinel appeared in the middle of the table.
"That looks like the giant robots we train against," Bobby said.
"Indeed," Storm smiled. "Did you never wonder where they came from?"
"I just thought someone liked robots," Bobby confessed with a shrug.
"And so they do, mon ami, but it was an anit-mutant scientist named Trask who liked them."
"I'm confused," said Kitty. "I haven't seen any three story high, flying robots with energy blasters. Surely something like that would make the news?"
"They were a prototype," the professor explained. "Designed to capture or kill mutants but in order to do so, they needed an awful lot of hardware and power, hence their size. Only three were ever made as they were unwieldy, not to mention costly."
"We broke into the base," Remy explained. "Destroyed the prototypes and thought that was that."
"Until now," the professor said. "Magneto sent me this footage earlier today."
He pressed a few more buttons and the screens around the war room filled with what looked like twin mutants fighting. The fight was brutal, both opponents formidable but it wasn't until the end of the clip, when one mutant fell, that they saw it's insides.
"It's a robot!" Bobby cried.
"Indeed," the professor said. "It seems they have managed to miniaturise their technology and fit it into a human sized shell."
"But how?" asked Pete. "That kind of power does not come cheap, or small."
"What about Iron Man?" Kitty said.
"Iron Man is hot!" Rogue felt the need to add.
"He so is," Kitty agreed with a smile.
Gambit shot Rogue a funny look.
"What?" Rogue shrugged. "He is."
"Iron Man is a person in a suit," Bobby interrupted their conversation. "He makes the decisions. A computer to make those decisions would be huge, like a super computer or something."
"Except at the Stark Expo, there were drones there that fought with Stark, remember?" Kitty said. "Maybe Trask got his hands on some of the parts. Or maybe he teamed up with Hammer Industries or something."
"The how is not important at the moment," Storm said. "The who and the where is what matters."
"Yeah, but why make them look human?" Rogue asked. "Unless... I don't know about y'all, but I thought that was two mutants fighting."
"Yes," the professor said gravely. "Not only can these sentinels capture or kill mutants, any damage they do and human casualties they cause will most likley be blamed on mutants. A double edged sword, if you will."
"What do we know?" Gambit asked.
"Very little, I confess. Erik has provided me with what he believes to be their base of production, but even he says that the information may be incorrect."
"What's the deal with Magneto?" Rogue asked.
"I cannot say with any certainty. We know the cure is wearing off but we do not know how quickly or what individual factors might affect it. Magneto was also given a much larger dose than normal so I'm afraid that, unless Eric decides to share, we will not know how much of his powers have returned."
Everyone was silent for a few moments.
"So, I'm guessing that's my cue to case this joint?" Remy asked.
The professor nodded. "If you can get in and retrieve any information, then do so, if not, bring as much information back as you can."
"What about Logan?" Rogue asked the professor. "If these things are as fearsome as the ones in the danger room, won't we need him?"
"Yes, once we know the situation, I'll contact him through cerebro."
"Should I blow the base up?" Remy asked.
"Only if casualties can be avoided," the professor advised.
Remy nodded.
"I want to go too," Rogue said.
"Chère, you're hardly trained in breaking and entering."
"No, but the professor can't read your mind, remember, so he won't know if you're in trouble. Plus I can float, I'm like the stealthiest thief ever!"
"I was going to send Kitty as backup, but if you two believe you can remain professional, I have no problem with Rogue accompanying Gambit."
Rogue and Remy both nodded their agreement.
"Good, that is settled then. We will reconvene when you return."
The others wondered what was meant by 'remain professional' but no one mentioned it until after the meeting.
"So," Kitty said, sidling up to Rogue with a smile as she headed towards the kitchen. "You and Remy finally got it on?"
"What do you mean 'finally'?" Rogue bristled.
"Oh come on, you could cut the sexual tension between you two with a knife."
"All right, fine, we had sex."
"You had sex? That's it?"
Rogue didn't like this conversation but she also didn't want to be overheard, so she grabbed Kitty and pushed her into an unoccupied class room.
"You were away for two weeks, there has to be more to it than that," Kitty continued. "So come on, are you dating now?"
"I don't know, we haven't really talked about that."
"But he really likes you!"
"Kitty, he likes all women, or hadn't you noticed."
Kitty looked shocked.
"Look, I'm not saying that he doesn't have feelings for me, I know he does, but that doesn't stop him catting around, does it?"
"Rogue-"
"I mean he's out at least two night a week."
"But-"
"What if I'm just another flash in the pan and he'll get tired of me after a month?"
"Rogue!" Kitty finally yelled. "Will you just listen? I've seen Remy about town over the past few months and believe me, he used to get about but these days he just sits in a corner nursing a few beers, maybe he'll play a few rounds of pool or poker, but that's it. He even turns away women who try to chat him up."
"What?"
"I know, I couldn't believe it myself, but I've seen him a couple of times now and never with a woman. Well, unless you count Storm."
"Wh- when did this happen?"
"I don't know, it's not like I stalk him or anything. Well, maybe I did a little when I was still a student, but... I don't know, I suppose it would have to be about the time that you started to get your powers under control."
"But why?" Rogue asked. "He kept telling he we couldn't be together, so why'd he stop dating other people?"
"Maybe because he's such a ladies man, he was worried he wasn't good enough for you and needed to prove himself?"
That didn't sound right to Rogue.
"I guess if you want a real answer, you'll have to ask him." Kitty finished.
Rogue looked terrified.
"He's not a monster, Rogue."
"I know that!" Rogue snapped. "It's just... well..."
"You're new to this whole relationship thing?"
"Well, yeah."
"Oh Rogue, I don't think it matters how much experience you have, you never have all the answers. Or even most of the answers."
"Really?"
"Really," Kitty assured her. "And I know this may sound crazy but Remy being older is probably a good thing. Boys my age are just... Ugh! They don't know what they want, they don't know how to behave, they just grope and say they love you, when you know they don't and really just want to get into your pants. I'm probably making it sound worse than it is, but they are completely clueless. Remy might not look his age, but at least he has some life experience under his belt."
"And a little black book to rival the White Pages." Rogue was only half joking.
Kitty laughed. "I'd be willing to bet that that little black book only has one name in now."
Rogue liked that idea.
"So, was he good, you know, in bed?" Kitty wanted to know.
Rogue blushed. "I don't exactly have much to compare it to but I'd have to say, yes."
Kitty squealed.
"Hush!" Rogue admonished. "Now that's all you're getting out of me, Remy and I have to plan for the mission."
"We can put a bed in the Blackbird for you!"
"Kitty!"
The sentinel base was in the middle of the Rocky Mountains in Montana, well hidden from prying eyes.
Rogue navigated the Blackbird close to the base in stealth mode so they were undetectable, and landed on a plateau.
"Okay," Rogue said once they were settled. "What now?"
"Now, we hack," Remy said, bringing up a computer screen.
"What? No casing the joint or anything?" She came to stand behind his chair so that she could see the screen.
"Maybe in time but right now, we don't have a clue what we're dealing with. We have no plans or blueprints, nothing."
"But you can hack?"
"Personally, no, but I know where to get top notch hacking programs from."
"How did I not know this?"
"I haven't needed to use it for the X-Men yet, chère."
"So where did you learn how to get this stuff?"
Remy gave her a pointed look.
"No!"
Remy nodded.
"But you're an X-man, not a thief!"
"I'm both, chère. I told you I was no good for you, didn't I?"
"But why?"
"Simple, I took a few years off while Stormy was in college and realised I was getting rusty, nearly got caught on a mission because I wasn't up with the latest technology."
"I don't believe you."
"No? Then when we get back, look up these thefts and you'll see they coincide with my vacations or missions. Senator Kelly's journals-"
"The ones that were sold to a national newspaper?"
"That's the ones. Then there's the Hope Diamond-"
"That was you?"
"Oui. Next was the Turner painting-"
"But that was in England!"
"I caught a flight. Next came the Dead Sea Scrolls, then the Great Star of Africa, which was mounted in the Sceptre of the Cross-"
"Stop!" Rogue cried. "Remy, why would you take those things?"
"Different reasons. The Turner was a paid job."
"Who paid you?"
"The original owners."
"What?"
"The Nazi's looted a lot of artwork, chère, some of the descendants want their families possessions back."
Rogue didn't suppose that was so bad.
"What about the diamonds?"
"There was a rumour that they were both the right size and clarity to be used in a super computer, so I stole them and replaced them with cheap glass replicas."
"What did it matter to you if they were used in some computer or not?"
"Doesn't really, but it all depends on who's designing the computer. This one had Senator Kelly's backing, and I just didn't trust anything that guy was involved with."
"So you stole them to slow him up?"
"Exactly."
That made sense, but it still didn't fit with her image of an X-Man. Then again, Logan didn't much fit with that image either. Rogue turned away from Remy.
"You upset with me, chère?"
"No, not upset, exactly."
"Got a good price for the diamonds too, once I'd cut them up of course, couldn't risk them being sold on to Kelly."
Rogue had been a little blindsided by this development, but nothing he did sounded too awful. And weren't they here to steal, even if it was only information?
"Ah hah!" Remy cried. "We're in."
"That didn't take you long." She didn't mean to sound defensive but she couldn't help it.
"Their firewall is beyond rubbish. I guess they thought that secrecy and the cover of the mountains was enough protection."
"But surely you can't just hack straight into their system?"
"No, but a lot of people in there have internet access on their personal computers. I just followed them in until I found a computer that was also connected to the main terminal. Now it might take a few hours before this Dr Thornton connects his laptop to the base servers, but in the meantime there's a lot of data still on his machine."
"Like what?" she asked, despite herself.
"Well for one, he watches a lot of porn."
Rogue thumped his shoulder.
"Easy, chère, you've got to remember that you can crush me like a bug now," he said, rubbing his shoulder.
"Sorry." She looked contrite. "So did you get anything useful?"
"Well, he has some design schematics which I assume are for the sentinels, but just a few circuits, not the whole thing."
"Can you send them back to the X-men?"
"Already done. Now we just have to wait until this Thornton uses the mainframe."
"What do we do until then?" Rogue asked.
Remy raised an eyebrow. "I can think of a few things, chère."
"Remy! We're on the Blackbird!"
"So, no one's watching us."
"Is that all you think about?"
"When you're around, of course!" he teased.
"That's not funny!"
Remy sighed. "What's eating you, chère? You've been in a funny mood since we left the mansion."
"Nothing," she said, turning away.
"I can tell that you're lying, and I can tell that you're scared."
"You and your empathy," Rogue spat. "Have I told you how annoying that is?"
"Don't need empathy to read you. So come on, what is it?"
"I..."
"I won't bite."
Rogue took a deep breath. "Do- do-you-really-like-me-or-am-I-just-another-conquest-for-you?" In her haste, the sentence came out as one long word.
Remy got up from his chair and came to stand behind Rogue, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder.
"I should have guessed you'd feel insecure," he sighed. "I suppose I have earned something of a reputation but, chère, I will never hurt you. You know that, right?"
"I know you wouldn't mean to hurt me."
"You don't trust me?"
Remy grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him. He took her hand and placed it against his cheek.
"Then absorb me, become me, no secrets, no shame, so that we can get past this and move on the way I want us to, together. It's your choice."
It was a risky move, he had secrets that would make her current nightmares look like a walk in the park, but if she wanted complete honesty, he would give it. He felt the slightest tingle against his cheek before she pulled her hand away.
"No! We are together, Remy, and we always will be."
He pulled her into a hug, almost sorry that she hadn't chosen not to absorb him, then at least this interminable weight would be lifted. It would destroy Rogue though, and her love for him.
When they finally had the data connection that they needed, Remy downloaded what he could and forwarded it all to the X-Men.
"Now what," Rogue asked. "Do we break in and steal the files?"
"Not much point in that, chère."
"Why not? You can't have gotten everything."
"No, not everything, but the computer core is massive and well protected, in fact I'd be willing to bet that this is Senator Kelly's super computer. Plus, they have over 50 sentinels ready to deploy. We just can't get to the computer without someone setting off the alarm."
"Really, even you can't?"
"Given a month of planning, sure, but we don't have that kind of time right now."
"So what do we do, blow the joint?"
Remy brought up the blueprints for the base.
"Can't. This base is massive, it would take an explosion akin to a small nuke to eradicate it. Now that's no problem for me but if I give any warning, they'll unleash those sentinels on us. I don't like odds of 50 to 2."
"And if we don't give any warning, everyone on the base will die."
"Exactly." Remy sighed.
"So what do we do?"
"Their cameras are fairly easy to access but on an independent circuit. I think our best bet is to break into that system and send as much data back home as we can."
"What good will that do?"
"First, it will give us their daily routine, plus things like security codes, so if we do decide to break in at a later date we'll have a much better picture of what we're facing. We'll get to see parts of the base that we could never hope to see otherwise."
"So we can see this super computer?"
"Exactly, chère."
"Okay, so what do we do?"
Remy explained his plan and to her delight, included Rogue heavily in it.
"You're only taking me with you because I can fly," she teased.
"Why would I cut through fences and risk triggering silent alarms when we can just fly in?" he answered with a smirk.
"You just like using me as your taxi cab," she said as she picked him up in a fireman's carry.
"There is something very sexy about a girl who can pull her own weight, and mine. Just make sure you let me do the carrying when it comes to thresholds, okay chère?"
"Whatever you say, sugar," she said as they left the Blackbird and she took off into the air.
"Sugar?" he asked. "I suppose it's better than 'swamp rat'."
"I still reserve the right to call you that."
Remy smiled but they both shut up as they approached the edge of the base.
"Keep low," he whispered. "Skim the top of the buildings and head for that four story one."
Rogue did as he said and they lightly touched down on the flat roof.
"Now what?" she asked softly.
"Now you lower me into that ventilation shaft."
"But you always say ventilation shafts are only used in the movies."
"That's normally the case because they can't hold a person's weight, but you're going to be holding my weight, chère."
He began unscrewing the plate over a vent shaft and when he was finished, tied a rope around his ankles.
"Here," he handed her a small ear bud. "So we can talk without needing to shout. Sound travels well in vents."
She put the bud in as he did the same, then she slowly began lowering him into the shaft.
"Little more... little more. Stop!"
She did. Then she seemed to wait forever as he placed a transmitter onto the camera circuits. All she could hear through her ear piece were faint sounds, which she assumed was him attaching the transmitter.
"Okay, Rogue, reel me in."
Rogue began pulling him up and once he was out, she was surprised when he began screwing the vent cover back on.
"Shouldn't we get out of here now?" she asked.
"The mark of a good thief is that you never know he's been there. Only amateurs panic and leave behind signs that they were there."