Disclaimer: Marvel owns all X-Men related things, though I own this fic and the general concept for it.
Rating: Rated M for language and mature subject matter.
Enjoy the chapter!
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"Make a left," Rogue commanded.
The pair drove down the long stretch of dirt roads, far off from the city core, in the swamps of rural Louisiana. They were headed to the Assassin's stronghold. Rogue had intimate access to the location through Remy's memories. As they drove through a Spanish moss lined road, they saw the small spec of the house near the end of the road. Logan pulled over behind one of the massive trees and switched off the bike.
Rogue and he dismounted, undoing the helmets and getting a feel for the landscape.
"How's their security?" Logan asked.
"Wouldn't be able tah tell ya anythin' that was recent. Remy's memories are, at best, 6 months old information," Rogue replied.
They could spot jeeps making their way around the complex, someone riding up top with a machine gun.
"They're probably on high alert, knowing they have an infamously exiled thief in their possession," Logan snarled.
"Do they really think The Thieves would come for him? They don't know he's back in the city, " Rogue stated.
Logan replied, "Depends on how much information on him they have at the time."
They leaned back and kneeled to each other behind the tree, hatching the best plan of attack, "We need to make sure Remy is safe. That's top priority, so stealth is gonna be our best option."
"But they've got guards patrolling the grounds. How are we supposed tah get in quietly?"
Logan grinned at Rogue, "By gettin' caught."
Rogue looked puzzled for a moment, wondering what Logan meant, "How's that gonna help?!"
"Cuz even if they do have information on you, almost no one knows about your recent upgrade in power," Logan replied.
Rogue suddenly liked the idea Logan was putting forward. The Morlock incident was recent, and no one other than the X-Men knew about Rogue's new abilities thanks to her absorbing Ms. Marvel. And her previous experiences with the Assassin's guild only meant they knew about her ability to absorb others.
"So I could pretend to get caught, get inside, make sure Remy is safe, then break us out usin' mah strength!"
"My thoughts exactly," Logan agreed.
Rogue stood and peaked around the tree again checking to see where the patrol was, "We'll need a quick ride out of the city. Maybe call the X-Men, we can get on the Blackbird and back to New York before they have a chance to follow."
"I thought you were done bein' an X-Man," Logan quipped, giving Rogue a sideways glance.
She grinned back at him, "Guess there's no such thing as retiring from the X-Men." Logan smirked as they turned their attention to the task at hand.
The jeep drove down the road they were off of. Rogue nodded to Logan, who quickly replied, "Good luck, kid."
xxx
Remy had fallen asleep at some point, a combination of sleep deprivation the night before, and being unable to detect time in the cell There were no windows to the outside, and no visible clocks. The cells were kept dark, though that never effected Remy much. He always did better in the dark. But he was losing track of time. It hadn't been very long since he was there, in comparison to when he was held for his trials, but he knew there wasn't going to be much longer if Logan didn't step in soon. There would be no debate or negotiations this time around, no bargaining for his life. This was his second chance, and it had been blown.
Remy was a dead man.
He started to contemplate all the wrong decisions he made to end up at this point in his life: to stay with the Thieves as long as he did, agreeing to marry Belladonna, nearly killing Julian going to Sinister rather than the X-Men when his powers were out of control. But the one thing he did not regret doing; coming back to New Orleans after being exiled, and being able to see Rogue one last time. She may have turned him away, and rejected his offer to come home, but being near her again after nearly dying in the tunnels was the blessing Remy was most grateful for.
He began to replay memories of her in his mind. The time she kissed him in the warehouse when she was under Mesmero's control. The time she managed to kick him and nearly drop him out of the boxcar coming to New Orleans, threatening him in only the way she could; ferociously and beautifully. The first time they were intimate with each other, that night Rogue awoke from a nightmare and the bourbons they drank to calm her nerves led to the most beautiful moment Remy could imagine. He cherished every second he was with her and wished he could relive them all. He would take a thousand deaths at the hands of the Assassin's if it meant he could see Rogue's shining emerald eyes again, or touch her smooth pale skin, or even have her yell at him for being a low-life swamp rat.
Remy never was the type to fear his own mortality. He knew he was not going to live a long full life a long time ago. But after joining the X-Men, and being with Rogue, he almost started to fear death. He had something to lose now. But with Rogue's rejection of the life came back the ability to deal with mortality. He could die content knowing Rogue was safe and happy, whatever form than took.
He was shaken from his existential crisis when the lights brightened and the holding cell main doors opened. Julian approached with three men in tow. Remy barely acknowledged them as they approached. He assumed it was time for the execution, "I guess it be time, non?"
"Not just yet, LeBeau. But in the meantime, you've got a friend to spend your last few hours with," Julian replied smugly.
Remy opened his eyes and turned to Julian's thugs who were in the middle of chaining up his new cellmate, "Rogue?!"
She was unconscious, lying limp on the floor across from Remy and wearing an inhibitor collar, "What did you do to her?!"
Julian laughed, "She was the one tryin' to get in here. Probably tryin' to rescue you. Poor little cunt, she's just put herself in the same boat as you."
Remy lashed against his restraints, attempting to find any kinetic energy he could to blow apart his chains, "Bâtard!"
"Now now, Remy. That's no way to talk in front of our new guest," Julian sarcastically replied, "You know, she's the reason we knew you were back in town."
Remy stopped struggling, listening intently to every word Julian said, "What do you mean?"
"You t'ink a city full of Assassin's wouldn't recognize her after that stunt you two pulled last year? My guys found her serving tables at Tujague's and followed her every night until, BAM! We bagged ourselves the infamous Remy LeBeau!" Julian scoffed at the sentiment, "She led us right to you, LeBeau. Now I can finally get the revenge I deserve."
Remy lashed against his restraints, the cuffs pulling at his wrists, causing them to bleed. The three assassin's left the cell, Julian following the before stopped at the door, "Enjoy your last night alive, Remy!"
Julian slammed the door shut, latching it closed. The lights dimmed again, though it as just enough to see.
Remy glowered at the door before turning back to the woman across from him. He began to call out to her, "Rogue?"
He could hear a groan of discomfort after a few moments. She was slowly regaining consciousness, "Chere! You alright?"
"Remy? You there?" she responded, slowly pushing her self up off the floor. Her hands had been shackled in front of her, and they had given her more slack to move around the cell.
"Oui, chere. I'm here," Remy replied quickly, "Did they hurt you?"
"Ugh, nothin' a Tylenol won't fix," she replied, "Are you alright?"
Remy thought back on what was about to happen to him, but it wasn't worth talking about at the moment, "I'm fine. How did they get you? Why did you come here?"
Rogue slowly stood from the floor and quickly evaluated her surroundings, "Ah came to get you outta here."
Remy was stunned by her response. He didn't expect her to come to his rescue after the way things ended last night, "You did?"
"O' course! Logan came to the house and told me what happened. No one touches a hair on your head without answerin' tah me!" Rogue retorted, still surveying the cell, looking for a way out. The room wasn't terribly big, no more than 7 feet across by 10 feet deep from the door. No windows, no other doors. Her belt, boots and bomber jacket had been taken by the patrolmen who captured her. She was only in her yellow and green uniform.
Remy suddenly had a renewed vigor, "So what's de plan?"
"Well, we had to make sure you were still alive, so I got captured to get inside. Logan's bringing the cavalry, and once Ah break us outta here, we'll be back in New York before the day is ova," she explained, pulling at her shackles and finding resistance.
"And how were you gonna break us outta here?" Remy asked, feeling like he was already going to be saddened by the answer.
"Easy, Ah'd smash through the walls usin' my strength I got from Danvers," she said smugly, "Speakin' o' which, why can't Ah seem to break outta these shackles?"
Remy shook his head, realizing that Rogue may have just doomed herself to the same fate as him, "Dey have the inhibitor collars."
Rogue stopped what what she was doing and looked at Remy, "What?"
Remy straightened up and explained, "The collars Sinister used on us back in de Morlock tunnels, the Assassin's have access to dem. It's the only reason I haven't broken myself free." He raised his hands from the side to show his own restraints.
Rogue, looking baffled, tugged even hard at the cuffs around her wrists, attempting to pull the chain from the wall itself. She let out grunts and strangled cries of frustration as she tried to break free, realizing she may have just added to the tragedy of the situation.
"It's no use, chere," Remy said quietly, Rogue slowly starting to accept the circumstances.
"There has tah be another way out," she said confidently.
"Oui, dere are. But only if we weren't shackled," Remy stated. Rogue fell to her knees, realizing the plan was a bust.
She quickly responded, "The X-Men'll come fo' us. They always do."
"I hope so, Rogue," Remy trailed off. He didn't want to worry Rogue as to what the full extent of being locked up here meant. Hopefully he could play his cards right and make sure she got out okay, even if he didn't.
xxx
Logan had already called the X-Men by the time Rogue had been taken by the patrolmen. They were on their way down, but would they be there in time?
As time passed, Logan became more and more concerned that they may have done something to Gambit, maybe even Rogue. An hour passed, and still no sign of their escape. Maybe she had been knocked out, or maybe Le Beau was already dead. The X-Men would arrive in 4 hours, hopefully they could hold out until they arrived. But Logan wasn't so sure.
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An hour had passed in the cell. Silence filled the air. The two former lovers having no idea what to say to each other. Acknowledge their coming fates? Build up false hopes to comfort the other?
Remy spoke up, asking something that was burning in his mind, "I thought you don't love dis Cajun no more, chere."
Rogue lifted her head silently, looking at Remy like as if he was joking.
"Why'd you come for me? Why put yourself in danger?" Remy asked, a tang of bitterness in his voice, remembering how the end of their conversation resulted in him being turned away.
Rogue smiled at him, "Stupid swamp rat. Ah always loved you and Ah'll always come for you."
Remy's eyes looked like he was about to burst, hearing such beautiful words come from her.
"Besides," Rogue continued, "Ya put yourself in danger to bring me home. Had you not come for me, you would still be in New York, livin' your life as an X-Man. Ah figured it's the least Ah could do."
Remy let out a strangled chuckle, the tragedy of the situation combined with the overwhelming happiness he felt to know she still loved him left him in a state that Rogue had never seen him in before. She had never seen Remy this scared before.
"I was so scared… that I was gonna die without ever seein' you again, chere," Remy choked out.
Rogue's eyes softened. She stood from the floor and made her way to Remy, as close as she could get to him with the slack she was given. She made it just close enough that she could lean her head against Remy's shoulder. Remy leaned into the gesture, resting his cheek against the top of her head.
Rogue could smell his familiar scents, more the cigarette smoke than his cologne. But it was uniquely him. Rogue knew the severity of the situation they were in. She was just hiding her fear well. She retained hop that the X-Men were coming. Logan would have called for them, and they'd come for them. But would they be in time?
Rogue pressed into Remy's chest, inhaling his scent, calming her nerves, "Ah've missed this," she said quietly.
Remy kissed the top of her head and said, "I've missed you so much."
Rogue tilted her head up to look into his eyes, "Ah didn't leave because Ah hated you, Remy, or things you did in your past. Ah left because Ah couldn't stand to see how much Ah hurt you. Ah'll always love ya, ya crazy swamp rat."
Remy, dazed in the sentiment, leaned down and pressed is lips to Rogue's. She responded in kind, pulling her hands as far as they would go, and gently caressing Remy's chest.
The two broke apart after a few moments, staring into each other's eyes, even in the dark room. A few streams of tears came down from Remy's face, exposing himself in the most vulnerable way. Remy never cried, but feeling her touch again, her kiss, he felt blessed by God himself. Even if they didn't make it out of there alive, he had his love by his side, knowing she loved him, and that he loved her. It was all he could have asked for.
Rogue tried to wipe away his tears, though the chains made that difficult. She choked when she attempted to speak again, "Hey, when we make it outta here, whaddya say about us going back to the Institute, rejoining the X-Men, and we pretend this whole thing never happened?"
Remy chuckled as she smiled at him. She pressed her lips to his again before saying, "Everything's gonna be fine, Remy."
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Whoa… hello! Long time since I've updated this story. Had some renewed vigor to continue this story, especially after writing a few chapters for MYITRR a few months ago.
So please expect updates for this and my other ROMY fic, Meet You in The Red Room, in the near future.
Hope you guys are still with me and this story, and hope you enjoyed this chapter!
I'd love to hear your comments and reviews of the story.
So…
Until next time…