Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 5
Chapter 2: Apprehended and Evaded
Rogue came through into the kitchen rubbing her throbbing head, "Oh my god, I'm never drinking again," she groaned.
"The infamous line," Kitty Pryde – who was sitting over a cup of coffee looking rather dismal – commented. "How many times in the last seven years have I heard that?" she asked rather loudly, then grumbled, "and how many times have you still drank after having said it."
Rogue looked as hungover as she felt, her eyes dark underneath, makeup that hadn't completely come off the night before. Her hair was in a loose ponytail, and she was clad in an oversized dark grey t-shirt that almost fell to her knees, it hung off the shoulder at one side giving her an even more dishevelled look than usual. Rogue yawned and headed over to the coffee pot. "It's good to see you back, Kitty," she yawned again, and found herself a mug.
"Thanks," Kitty nodded, staring down into her cup, her expression still extremely distant and dark.
Rogue poured some milk and sugar into the cup, "I…I'm really sorry to hear about your parents," she said very softly, she turned to see Kitty's expression, but Kitty shrugged as if she didn't want to talk about it. Rogue went on, "I'm sorry if I was a bit…uhm…insensitive last night," she admitted rather sheepishly, "Had too much to drink, you know how it is," she added.
Kitty glanced up to Rogue and nodded in acknowledgement but said nothing. She reached over to the radio that was sitting on the kitchen table, and turned it on, pushing the volume notch up so that the morning news was blasting in the kitchen.
Rogue's head felt like it rattled with the sound, and she groaned, "Kitty…please…" she poured herself a cup of coffee and she sat down at the table with an expression of disdain for the racquet. "My head feels like it's gonna explode already, turn it off…"
"Sssh!" Kitty pleaded of her friend, she always listened to the news, and she was pondering if perhaps it was possible Remy's capture might have made at on the news at all. She listened closely, frowning in deep concentration.
"-- was caught yesterday evening in Illinois," the Radio newsreader announced, her voice firm, almost urgent, "He was caught with an unknown woman trying to flee from his apartment building after a Neighbour reported a disturbance from the apartment he had been hiding out in. The woman – also a known mutant – escaped whilst he was being apprehended – he then later escaped from police custody—"
Rogue paid no attention to the story, and switched the radio off, her head still throbbing as if someone might be playing the drums inside her skull. Kitty's eyes were popping out of her head, her mouth hanging open. It had to be Remy, it just had to be. She hadn't heard any names mentioned, but she knew in her gut that it was him.
"What is it?" Rogue queried, noting Kitty's expression of shock.
Just then, Bobby Drake sauntered in, holding a newspaper. "Have you guys seen this!?" he demanded, he dropped the paper down on the breakfast table hastily for both women to view.
Rogue and Kitty leaned over to examine the newspaper, the front page was splashed with a very bad blurry picture of a man being apprehended by several police. The man was clad in an old looking brown trenchcoat, his long hair tied in a loose and rather untidy ponytail, his eyes dark and strange.
"Oh…my…god…" Rogue gaped, "it's Remy! It's REMY!!" her eyes were now almost as wide as Kitty's, her face twisted, aghast in horror.
The headline was in large bold print. MURDERER APPREHENDED AND EVADES POLICE.
"Oh my god…" Rogue could barely breath, "what's going on?" she demanded, she picked up the paper and began to read out the article.
"Mutant Remy LeBeau, guilty of murdering teenager Jared Rickman in November 2003, was apprehended yesterday evening in Illinois after neighbour Ms. Waterstone reported a disturbance from the apartment where LeBeau had been hiding out. LeBeau and an unknown young woman tried to flee the scene but were apprehended in the lobby of the building. The woman made an escape using mutant powers while LeBeau turned himself in – only to make an escape later. Police officials are not offering details as to how LeBeau escaped, only that he may be armed and extremely dangerous. LeBeau is not only wanted for murder, but several thefts. LeBeau's apartment boasted almost fifty-thousand dollars worth of stolen merchandise, as well as substantial evidence in his involvement in the Theft of several rare artefacts…" Rogue read out from the paper. She paused for breath, then continued to read on, "Also upon inspection it was reported that LeBeau had a number of prescription medications for various mental disorders."
Kitty put her hand to her face, "fuck," she whispered, this would have been the last thing Remy would have wanted anyone hearing about – especially not Rogue. Rogue looked quite taken aback.
"What…you were with him…what happened?" Rogue stammered emotionally, "what does it mean 'mental disorders'?!" she was starting to look quite panicked.
"Someone broke into his apartment," Kitty stood up, grabbing the newspaper out of Rogue's hands, "the neighbour heard and most likely complained," she headed for the doorway, deciding to ignore Rogue's query about the prescriptions, it wasn't her place to say.
Rogue read the last part of the article again, "what's Remy doin' with prescriptions for mental disorders…" she asked of Kitty, then raised her head, "Where are you goin'?!" Rogue demanded, watching Kitty make her way towards the door.
"I need to speak with the professor," Kitty sighed, she turned to leave the room, running into Scott Summers.
"Whoah there," Scott took a hold of Kitty's arms to steady her, she almost fell backwards after their collision, "what's the rush?" he asked.
Kitty pulled away, "I need to see the Professor – about Remy."
"Professor Xavier left for Illinois early this morning – along with Jean, Ororo and Logan," Scott said firmly, "he told me to tell you not to worry," he added softly.
"Not to worry?!" Kitty demanded, her eyes brimming with fresh tears, "I'm involved! How can I not worry!?" she demanded, her chest rising with heavy breath.
"Kitty, you're going through a rough time, focus on your own problems and not LeBeau's," Scott said sternly.
Rogue got up quickly, grabbed a firm hold of Kitty's shoulder and spun her around to face her, "what mental disorders!?"
Kitty broke into tears, everything beginning to weigh down on her, the stress of her parents death, the possibility that she could have somehow prevented it if only she'd gone to see them when her mother had asked, and of course, then the guilt of having made her escape without somehow checking with Remy what was going to happen. Now Remy was out in Illinois, alone, probably miserable, no home to go to, and suffering with depression. "Leave me alone, all of you," Kitty sobbed, shoved past Scott, and ran all the way to her room, slamming and locking the door behind herself.
Jean Grey leaned back in the co-pilots seat of the blackbird as the jet skimmed across the cloudy sky above Illinois, not too far from the area where Remy LeBeau had last been seen before his hasty escape.
Jean had her eyes closed, mind remaining focused, "Professor, I don't think this is going to work…" she voiced her concern as she pressed two fingers to both temples, pushing at those pressure points on her head always seemed to help focus her power more.
Professor Xavier was sitting behind Jean in the jet, he seemed troubled and edgy, "with both of us using our powers to find Remy, our chances are increased…"
Logan leaned forward in his seat, he was behind Ororo who happened to be in the pilots seat, "anything on the trackers?" he asked, his voice gruff. He could have thought of a hundred better things to do on a Friday morning than look for Remy LeBeau
"Remy has always been difficult to trace even using the sophisticated technology of cerebro," Professor Xavier reminded, "without proof it is hard to determine, but it maybe the cause of MutantX having been injected into his systems years previous."
Ororo shook her head, "Nothing is being picked up on our tracing devices," she announced.
Logan pulled closed his brown leather jacket, pulling the collar up, "let me go down there and try and trace him by scent, it hasn't been too long, his scent should still be lingering around."
Jean unhooked the seatbelt around herself and she climbed out of her seat, "I'll go also, maybe on ground I might be able to detect some psychic residue," she said, she grabbed a black leather coat from the back of the jet, and pulled it on around her uniform, this gave her the appearance of being clad gothic wear rather than her X-Men uniform, she zipped the coat up and strapped it at the collar, "we'll keep you informed if we find anything," she opened the hatch, and stepped to the edge, reached out and grabbed a hold of Logan's thick arm, "hold on," she instructed.
They leapt, at first, the speed was so incredible as they plummeted towards the city below. Logan felt the power of Jean's telekinesis slowing them, the sensations were like the air pushing against him. Now, they were slowly sailing towards an alleyway, unnoticed by the number of pedestrians and city dwellers below.
They landed softly upon the ground, and Logan looked around, "do you want to split up?" he asked.
"I think in this case, it would be a good idea to stay together," Jean advised, she let go of his arm, "are you picking up anything?" she asked, looking at him intently with her grass-green eyes.
Logan cracked his neck, rotated his broad shoulders and raised his head to the air, his eyes wandering to and fro from the surroundings, "this must be where Kitty and the Cajun were last night – I can smell 'em both," he said, "Kitty's trail is stronger than his, I can smell her perfume."
"Is Gambit's scent strong enough to trace?" Jean asked concernedly, tucking her flaming red hair behind her ears.
"Barely…best be gettin' a move on though, I can smell the rain comin'," he commented, frowning slightly beneath his bushy brows.
"Lets go."