For the next six days, as Spencer's body healed, he was a constant fixture in the Med Lab. Despite the fact that Hank would have cleared him to return to his room to heal after three days, Spencer stayed down in the lab. When asked about it by Jean, Spencer had simply said that he wished to stay here to make sure that everything healed correctly. Beyond that, he would say nothing more on the topic. He also, much to the worry of everyone around him, would say nothing about the memories he had regained.
After falling asleep surrounded by his parents and his love, Spencer had woken up entirely different than the sobbing man he had been when he'd fallen asleep. He refused to talk about what he had found in his mind, so much so that he would go entirely blank if pushed about it. Not just silent, but blank. His white eyes would take on this weird, hazy quality, and he would stare off into space, not hearing and not reacting to anything around him. The only people that got any kind of answer from him were Logan, Scott and Remy, and even then it wasn't much. To them he'd answered "I need time for this, guys. I promise you, when I'm ready to talk, I'll talk to you three. Just let me process it right now, okay?"
The two men were down almost constantly while Remy never left the labs at all. He would not be removed from Spencer. Only once did they manage to get him to step out of the room and then only by allowing him to watch through a window. When Jean and Ororo had stood with him, they'd asked him why he was clinging so tightly. Remy hadn't even looked away from the window to say "Don't know what he found in dere, but it aint good. He's scared, but he's determined bout something. I aint giving him de chance t' slip away on me. I aint losing him."
Yet, despite Remy's worries, Spencer stayed with them. He didn't plan on slipping away. No, he was taking advantage of every minute he had here. He happily spent his days with Remy, Logan and Scott, talking with the two men that were his fathers, growing the bond that had already been started between them. And his nights were dedicated to Remy. Though there was nothing sexual between them yet, they were closer than ever. Each night Spencer slept in Remy's arms and woke up to him every morning. He slept even better now that the hole in his shields had been closed; there were no more nightmares.
Though he wouldn't talk about his new memories, he did talk with them about their plan. He didn't waste the time he had down there. With the three of them, Spencer willingly sat and discussed different aspects of their mission. He gave Scott the coordinates of where they would need to land so as not to be detected. As his hands healed, he drew schematics of the cabin for them so that they could see what needed to be done. Once he had as accurate a map as possible, he showed them the general idea of what they would need to do. The internal lab, he didn't draw for them. It was the outside that the rest of the team needed to worry about. Once inside, Spencer would lead the way.
He was surprised that, when he mentioned the interior and that he would lead them through, Scott had nodded in understanding and told him "Once we're inside, I'll hand over control of the group to you. This will be your and Remy's area of expertise and I understand that. I trust you two to get us in." Then, with a half-smile, he added "But I reserve the right to veto stupid or reckless ideas." That trust was something that Spencer held close to his heart over the next few days.
Dawn of the six day since his accident found Spencer already awake in his bed. He knew that today would be the day he'd leave the Med Lab. Today would be the day they'd put the plan into effect. So long as Scott could deliver on the promise to secretly get them out of the mansion, Spencer would take them into Sir's labs. They would destroy what they found there. And then…then Spencer was going to hunt Sir down, and he was going to kill him. It was the only thing he could do.
He flexed his hands, testing the bones. There wasn't even a residual ache in them anymore. His injuries had healed with only a few additional scars to his body.
Though no movement came from Remy to show that he had awoke, his voice sounded near Spencer's ear suddenly, a low murmur that Spencer knew he could now recognize anywhere. "I can feel y'r determination, me. Today's de day, oui?"
"Yeah." Spencer answered.
"Y' gonna tell me de rest of de plan?"
He couldn't help but smile at that question. It didn't surprise him that Remy knew he had more planned than what he was admitting to everyone else. The man was exceedingly intelligent; more so than it seemed anyone else around the mansion gave him credit for. Out of respect for the man and his intelligence, Spencer answered as honestly as possible. "I don't know, honey. I can't let you stop me and I'm afraid you might succeed if you tried. This…it's something I gotta do. Something I know the X-men aren't going to approve of. But I have to do it." There was no choice. Not if he ever wanted to be free.
No recrimination came from Remy at all; just the same warmth as before. His voice stayed with that slightly sleepy, content sound it'd had before. "Not planning on stopping y', me. If dere's anyone in dis house dat's gonna understand what y'r gonna do, it's gonna be me, cher." Remy shifted a little, adjusting so that he was rolled on his side. Spencer did the same, letting their fingers link together between them. He looked into Remy's beautiful red and black eyes as the Cajun spoke once more. "Y' and I, we grew up in a different world dan dese folks here, yeah. Dey t'ink we can just shut dis homme down an t'ings gonna be okay again. But it don't work like dat."
"No, it doesn't." Spencer agreed softly. He felt his heart soften a little more. He should have known that Remy of all people would understand. "I've got to stop him, honey. Just frying his lab won't work. I've got to go after him, or draw him to me."
"If we destroy his lab, he's just gonna build a new one."
Spencer nodded. "Exactly. He won't stop in his plans, even if he loses me." Those new memories danced in Spencer's mind, the words playing for the millionth time. "It's become his life, his obsession, to destroy…" He couldn't make the words come out. Couldn't force himself to say what he'd avoided saying ever since the memory had returned. Yet, Remy again proved how well he understood Spencer and how quick his mind was. Apparently, he had managed to piece together quite a bit of this puzzle. "He wants t' destroy y'r Papas, doesn't he? Imagine dey done something t' him in de future and he wants t' destroy dem fo' it now."
"Yes." Spencer croaked.
Remy's hand squeezed his in a silent sign of support. "We'll stop him, cher." The words were delivered in a voice both steady and sure. "Together."
What else could Spencer do but agree? "Together."
Later that morning, the two men finally left the Med Lab for the first time in six days. Without even checking out with Hank, they quietly left the lab and made their way upstairs to their rooms. After each man showered in his own room, Spencer grabbed his bag with all his clothes that he had never fully allowed himself to unpack and he carried it with him over to Remy's room. Once in there, the two set about readying themselves for what was to come. Spencer pulled out comfortable clothes; battle clothes, he jokingly called them in his mind. Remy was doing the same thing. The Cajun was not going to dress in his X-Man uniform. He was not going in as one of the X-Men today. Today, he was going in as the old Gambit.
Remy didn't go for his usual armor that he wore on missions; he put on the lighter version, designed to protect while still providing him ease of movement. Spencer didn't have armor, but his clothes were special, a little more durable than most. Once they were on the two looked pretty close to the same. Form fitting pants that tucked into boots that cut off just below the knee. Remy's boots were black and reinforced over the shins while Spencer's were a dark brown and held on by straps along the sides. Remy had his lightweight armor for a top and Spencer pulled on a long sleeved shirt that hooked over his thumbs to hold the sleeves in place. They both wore gloves. Remy's, the usual gloves with three fingers open. Spencer's were completely fingerless.
The only obvious weapons that Spencer added to his outfit were the knives he always carried. These ones sat easily on the outside, held in by the straps of his boots.
Remy, of course, had plenty hidden in that trench coat of his, including his Bo. He started to move toward his tool bag before stopping and looking back at Spencer. "Y' need m' tools, or we gonna use y'rs?"
That was an easy answer. "Mine. I know absolutely that I have exactly what I need in mine. Plus, we won't need much." He took the small little cloth carrier that held the few tools they'd need. After a second's deliberation, he held it out to Remy. "Would you mind?" he asked. Smiling, Remy took it and put it in one of his pockets. After that, the two finished preparing by braiding back their hair and tying it off. When they were done, they looked at one another. Spencer couldn't help but snort. "You know, from a distance, people would probably think we were brothers."
"Hush y' mouth, cher." Remy gave a small shudder. "Dat's just wrong."
"You've got to admit, we're proving to share quite a few similarities."
"Don't care, me. We aint related. Merde, y'r gonna make me sick if y' keep talking like dat." Giving his head a shake, Remy stepped forward and took hold of Spencer's arm and started to pull him out of the room. "Come on, let's go do some warm ups till Scotty's ready fo' us. We can check an see how healed y' are and how much y' can move. Maybe dat'll distract y' from grossing dis po' Cajun out."
"Warm ups? Sounds promising." Spencer taunted him. "You gonna wrestle with me, honey?"
Remy winked at him and let a big grin grow. "Now dat sounds like one hell of a warm up t' me."
"Doesn't it just? It always leaves me feeling nice and…limber."
The two continued their teasing and flirting all the way down to the Danger Room.
That was where the others found them an hour later. From the control room the group of X-Men watched as the two, in a simulation of a simple gym with basic mats, sparred with one another. It wasn't a flirtatious playtime, or a laughing exercise. It wasn't even one of the standard training exercises. They both were calm and serious, yet they were running through the moves as if this were real. They were stretching themselves out and preparing for what was to come. No weapons, no powers, just simple hand-to-hand combat. The moves from Remy were familiar; though he didn't let go often, they'd all seen him really fight at some point or another. None of them had seen Spencer fight this way. He'd never showed them before; it hadn't been a part of his cover.
"Damn." Logan murmured. He couldn't help feeling proud as he watched his son hold his own against the Cajun. Though he and Spencer had sparred plenty of times, he'd never really seen the kid let go quite like he was now. The movements were very obviously deadly and yet there was a grace to them that was mesmerizing and that seemed so at odds with the kid they'd gotten to know.
Scott smiled at the two through the window. "Damn is right. How on earth do they manage to bend like that?"
"Hell if I know, but I gotta say, I'm damn glad they're on our side."
Logan's words were met with sounds of agreement from the other occupants of the room.
In a soft voice, Jean said "It is moments like this that remind me that Gambit had an entirely different life than us before he came here. That there are things he can do and a person he can be that is so very unlike the one we know." Her words had a slightly sobering effect on them all.
After watching for a moment longer, Scott shook his head. "Let's go gather our two fighters. If we're going to do this, we need to get it done."
The sudden end to the simulation had the two stopping their fight. Remy had been in mid roll and easily moved back to his feet. Spencer had been just about to land from a jump; he absorbed his landing on the hard ground, his body dropping to a crouch to lessen the impact. By the time the door opened, the two were standing side by side, waiting.
Scott stood in the door, his leader face on; no emotion showed through. "We're ready to go."
Reaching out, Remy linked his hand with Spencer's. "So are we."
Their serious mood seemed to be gripping not just them, but those around them as well. Spencer found himself wondering if they were unconsciously projecting it upon others. He checked his mental shields just to be cautious and found them strong. No, he wasn't projecting, and he felt no projection from Remy. Maybe it was that they all understood how important this day was going to be. He moved alongside Remy, their hands still linked, and observed the others.
Scott was there, as he'd known he would be. Spencer had known that, when Scott said he would choose the team, the fearless leader would be one of the ones going. Those with him weren't surprising, either. Logan, of course. Not just for his fighting skills, but because he wouldn't let his newfound son go into a dangerous situation alone. Neither of his parents would. Jean was with them as well, another practical choice. Her TK would be useful, as would her telepathy. That would allow wordless communication and would also give them a form of stealth.
But when they entered the hanger with the Blackbird, Spencer saw others waiting for them, dressed in uniform the way that Logan, Scott and Jean were. Spencer and Remy stopped, looking at one another in dismay. Warren, Hank, Bobby and Ororo were all waiting. Hank was a smart choice to bring; that, Spencer could admit. A medical professional was never a bad thing to have on a mission. Bobby, even, could come in handy, maybe, if he could get past his anger with Spencer to actually listen to him. But the others? Ororo's powers wouldn't be as strong in this lab setting and Warren was, in Spencer's eyes, a liability. He was too angry, too emotional. Spencer needed people who were going to listen to him and Remy and he didn't picture Warren being able to do that. Once they got inside the lab, he needed to know that he and Remy could direct people and their words would be listened to, not questions and potentially ignored.
"Non." Remy said to the room. He and Spencer were still standing at the hanger entrance, looking at the group. Remy's voice was firm when he said "We aint bringing all of y'. Dat just aint gonna happen, mes amis."
"I told you that I would choose the team." Scott said firmly.
Remy turned to glare at him. "And Remy thought y'd at least choose smart! Mais, y' aint thinking clearly, Scotty."
"Excuse me?"
Taking over, Spencer shook his head. "This is a lot of people to take. We have to be practical about this. Come on now, honey, think. I knew you and Logan would be coming. Taking Jean makes sense; her skills can add to our stealth."
"M. Bete is smart to take." Remy picked up the conversation. "Always good to bring a doctor, just in case, oui? But de others? No offense, mes amis, but dis mission is one dat's gonna take stealth. We be destroying his labs, oui, but we gotta sneak in dere. Dis many people on a stealthy mission? Dat just don't make no sense!"
Their words seemed to have no effect on Scott. He crossed his arms over his chest and simply stood there as they spoke. The battle visor in lieu of his glasses made it harder to judge his expression. When they were done, he spoke in just as calm of a voice as before. "I choose the team that goes and I say that we're going. I'll concede that we need stealth and, on that note, half will stay with the jet until clearance is given to arrive and to also act as a watch. But we all know there's the potential for Casey to be alerted to our presence and show up. Or for any other of his employees to be there. Can you say for sure if this place is going to be guarded or not?"
"Of course it's guarded, honey." Spencer let out a laugh. The idea of Sir not leaving guards on his most important facility was ridiculous! "How stupid do you think he is? He wouldn't leave it unguarded while he's gone. I didn't think I'd have to mention something that obvious to you."
"I knew which is why I brought this team. This is not open for debate. Now, Remy, do you want to grab your uniform? And Spencer, I'm sure we have one that would be around your size."
The two gave a resigned sigh. They were going to have to adjust to this change in their plans. Exchanging another look, a quick pulse of love and understanding, the duo started off toward the jet once more. "Non, merci, Fearless. Remy just fine like dis. More comfortable, yeah?"
"Same here, Scott, but thanks."
It was Logan who forestalled that conversation before it could get going. He reached out and put a hand on Scott's arm, shaking his head. "Leave it, Cyke. They know what they're doing here; we've got to trust that."
"I know." Sighing, Scott watched everyone boarding the jet. "I just wish this didn't feel like a giant mistake. Why do I feel like something's going to go horribly wrong, Lo? Am I just being paranoid? I feel like I should be taking him back inside and locking him up somewhere I can keep him safe. Him and Remy both."
Since the others were on the jet, Logan indulged himself by leaning in and kissing Scott. "Me too, darlin'. Me too."
Spencer didn't question how they were going to get a loud, giant jet out of the school without being noticed by anyone that Sir had set to watch. Scott had said that it could be done; therefore, Spencer put that worry from his mind. One thing he knew from working with Sir was that, when you hired someone to do a job for you, there had to be some level of trust that they would do the job. You could manage things, but micromanaging would only mess things up even more. With that in mind, he settled down into the seat Remy led him to, buckling himself in first before leaning his head back and relaxing. Now was the time to let his body be still, gathering energy for what he was going to do. His mind ran over the general plan as well as the private plan that he had, double and triple checking it for flaws. There was no accounting for every probability, but he was going to be prepared for as much as possible. And there were a few things that he had to mentally adjust now that he knew who was coming with them. Instead of sitting and sulking about the extra people, he tried to figure out the best way to put them to use.
If others spoke around him, Spencer didn't hear it. He felt Remy's warm presence beside him; both physically and emotionally. The man was as steady as a rock. A part of Spencer took a moment to indulge in those warm feelings that Remy created in him. Though he didn't deserve it, for some reason Remy loved him. Nothing Spencer had ever done was worthy of that kind of love and yet Remy gave it to him without reservation.
The beaten down portion of Spencer's mind, the part that still couldn't stop thinking of himself as a 'creature', wanted to deny that it was love that Remy felt. Lust, he was used to. But being an empath meant that he couldn't delude himself into believing one emotion was something else. How could he deny Remy's love when it flowed over their link, or radiated from Remy every time the Cajun looked at him? He couldn't deny the love he felt for Remy, either. It was bright inside of him; a flame in a place that had been dark for so long. It chased back the shadows. What was even more amazing was that Remy had been there to hear all the dark parts of Spencer's soul; he'd been there for the nightmares, for the confession about Sir, for the little bits of his past that he'd let slip to them, and still this love was there. Somehow, Spencer felt that, no matter what he showed him, no matter what he told him, Remy would still be there when all was said and done.
Shaking his head, Spencer drew away from those thoughts and back to the job at hand. Later he could indulge in feeling sappy. Right now, he needed to prepare to work.
At some point in their flight, Jean tried to say something to Remy, a casual comment about his lack of uniform. When she got no response, she leaned forward in her seat, calling his name.
Logan turned and flashed her a grin. "Don't bother, Jeannie. He won't hear you."
"What do you mean?"
"Can't you see it? Him and Spencer are pretty much meditating. Gumbo usually does it before a big job."
That had Bobby shifting in his seat as well so that he could look at them. "He's usually as hyper as I am before a job!" The young man contradicted with a grin. "I've seen him bounce off the walls in here and drive Scott bonkers."
Ororo smiled kindly at Bobby before turning a fond look to Remy. "My brother is energetic before our missions, yes, but this is not a mission. This is work. There is a vast difference between the two, young Robert."
The sound of Spencer's voice startled them all. By Spencer's calculations, they should almost be there, so he had slowly started to pull out of his thoughts and back into the present moment. As he did, he heard Ororo's last comment and he couldn't resist commenting on it. "A mission, you know you can be killed, sure. But missions are emotional things sometimes, from my understanding of what you all do." He didn't even open his eyes as he shrugged at them. "On a job, emotions can get you killed. You can't be energetic and bounce all over. You need to be steady and calm and above all, patient. Some things are all about the timing. If you're too eager, you can get yourself and others killed."
"When y' got a five second window to do what y' need to, y' can't be impatient and start early or late." Remy added in as he, too, drew back out of his thoughts.
Spencer's calculations had been correct. At just that moment, Scott was starting the process to stealthily land the jet. "Storm, a little cover." Scott called back to her. The whole jet fell silent as the weather Goddess called on the elements. A moment later a fog gradually started to build amongst the trees, looking natural from the already cloudy skies. It would provide just enough cover for what they needed. The jet was brought slowly and quietly down to the ground. Once it had landed, the team rose from their seats, most eyes going toward Scott. But Scott looked directly to Spencer. "This is your show. How should we do this?"
"All of y' are coming with us." Remy said. He didn't even look over to confirm his words with Spencer. "Leaving anyone here is too risky. Y'r gonna need us to get across without being seen."
Spencer nodded in agreement. "How we move is going to be very important. Y'all need to make sure you follow directions exactly. If you think you can't listen and trust us to lead you right, then just go right on ahead and stay here. I won't sit and explain everything I tell you to do. Now, Phoenix," and he barely remembered to use the codenames they used out and about. It wasn't something he was used to doing with them. "Can you do that mind link we talked about before? The sensors close to the house have audio wired in and I don't need whoever's on watch hearing us before I can disable the audio."
"I can, if everyone's ready." She agreed. After a nod from everyone, Jean closed her eyes to concentrate, setting up a mind-link with the group. Spencer fought the instinctive need to slam up his shields. Once the link was set up, he tested it out. /We all good here?/ he thought at them. There was a mental chorus of agreement from each member. Shaking his head, Spencer grinned wryly. That would take some getting used to. /We'll use this until we're inside. Once there, I'll have audio down and we'll be able to speak openly. Now, is everyone ready to go?/ Again, he got the chorus of agreement. /Good. Then let's get this show on the road/