This has been on FF.net for a while, but since we have the new chapter function I decided to archive it using that.
Nemex
The trio exited the castle through a large steel drawbridge, which opened after a motion sensor detected them.
Logan noticed that there was no water under the bridge, but the moat was turned into a garden with all kinds of exotic flowers and plants.
They stepped off the bridge and onto a long wide brick pathway that stretched as far as his keen eyes could see.
"We followin' the Yellow Brick Road?" he mumbled.
"Don' be surprised if de munchkins show up singin' a creepy lil' song." Remy laughed.
Logan was surprised that the man 'got it', but Logan didn't 'get' his joke, not entirely.
"I guess we should give you de rundown on this place while we take you on 'dis tour, no?" Remy said, he was walking a few steps in front of the two of them.
"I come to 'dis place first. I come t'rough an entrance in N'awlins. Some folks want 'ta get rid o' me. Try to drown me, chain me to a lead pipe. T'row me in de water, and leave me. The mermaids come along, and bring me 'ere."
Logan took in the scenery and listened at the same time. The road now ran along side the creek.
"When I got here I made a name for myself introducing the residents to our way of life."
"You showed them how to make laptops?"
Remy turned around to face them and was now walking backwards, "Non, This place come a looong way from when I first arrive here."
"I tell dem stories about our world. You know dese people not even know dat dirt cause disease? I tell dem about boiling water."
Logan nodded. This man was full of himself, but he seemed to be telling the truth so far.
"I make a living explaining modern things to 'dem. I get attached to de people, want to show dem how to make these things 'dat I explain to 'dem. So Remy announce that he be going away for a while, but he be back. So I go back t'rough de entrance. I begin t'ieving t'ings to bring back t'rough with me. You know like books on how t'ings work, a small TV, a radio, food, t'ings like dat. All 'de time Remy no t'ink ahead." He tapped his temple, "After a few weeks, Remy meet chere." He looked into Ororo's blue eyes, touched her face and smiled at her.
Logan didn't know much about her yet. He wondered if she belonged to Remy or if she was royalty or what. Whatever she was, he could see that she and Remy were close. The question was: What kind of relationship?
"When I met her she was a tiny lil' t'ing. T'ievin' to get by. No more than thirteen years old. I save her life she save mine. Back and forth, y'know... Come t'think chere I t'ink y'been stalkin' me back in 'dose days."
She shot him a wry look.
"Anyway, 'ventually we team up. We be inseparable. I bring her back with me t'rough de looking glass. Even though de residents here couldn't use de tv and radio here, dey still appreciate 'de gifts-de technology. They make me king, and worship me, and let me make all dere decisions."
"Remy." Ororo chided.
"Okay, okay, nuttin' gets by this one."
"The natives paid Remy in gold for his treasures making him a small fortune. Soon after we got here another man, the "Maker", came through one of the entrances. He had lost his leg and hand in an accident. He had tried to drown himself, and ended up here. This man also has 'gifts'. This place made him want to live, and he used his gifts to create modern devices for the populace. Together, he and Remy and some others made Nemex what it is today. Remy is rich because of this. He bought the old castle and fixed it up. Then, he appointed himself 'King Remy' and named this land Nemex."
"You have your version I have mine." He grumbled.
"So what are you?" Logan asked Ororo.
"Heir to the throne." Remy responded.
"I just live there."
"She jus' happen to be home 'cause her man been outta town for a few weeks."
The two looked to Ororo, expecting a response, but she was in her own world staring at a large house that sat off the road.
"'Dat's his house." Remy said amused.
"Jeez, his folks must be loaded."
"Non, he's loaded."
A short walk later they came to a fork in the road with four different paths. A small hut sat in between the paths. Remy opened the door and Logan and Ororo walked through.
" Henri, Cece. You here?"
A woman looked up from behind a desk.
She stood up.
"New guy in town, hunh?"
"Cece, this is Logan. Logan this is Doc. Cecelia Reyes. You have any trouble you come to her or-"
"Remy is that you?" A blue furred man came up from what Logan assumed was a basement.
" You're blue?"
"He's observant, Remy." He said, looking at Remy as he shut the basement door. "I like that." He said. Then the blue man smiled showing large sharp teeth.
"Dis be Henri McCoy. He's a doc too. Hank, Logan, Logan, Hank."
"Hello, Logan. To answer your question, I am human like you."
~I'm far from human.~ Logan thought.
"However, when I came here I didn't have someone like Remy to show me around. I ran into a witch, angered her and she gave me blue fur." He shrugged. "I kinda like it."
"How long will you stay?" Cecelia asked. Logan saw them all exchange knowing glances. He honestly didn't know the answer to the question.
"I barely know where I am, let alone understand it."
"There is not much to understand, my friend. You are a mutant and now you are where you belong."
Logan's head snapped to look at Hank, "What?"
Hank began, "The scientific ex-"
Cecelia sighed, "Long ago and far away a man named Charles Xavier discovered he was a mutant the next step in human evolution. He tried to help humans and mutants live together in peace and harmony with the help of his
X-Men , but it didn't work. His group of X-Men were hunted and killed one by one." Cecelia walked around the desk and sat on it. "After the X-Men died the rest of mutant kind followed. Professor Xavier was helpless. He laid low and met up with an old friend, Erik Magnus Lensherr. With the help of alien friends Charles and Erik traveled back in time, but instead of undoing everything that went wrong they brought together seven mutants to carry out their plans.
"These mutants were brought together to create another...world. Each mutant added their own touch to make the world as real as possible. Reality, Fantasy, Physical, Cerebral, Order, Chaos, Life. After the world was created Erik and Charles made seven entrances in honor of the seven creators. Only mutants will find the entrances. Of course, a mutant can show a human the entrances. However, a human will not get passed the mermaids. They can get vicious. Every once in a while one of us goes into the old world for a few weeks to bring back mutants and supplies and the latest technology."
"Oh sure if you want the simple version." Hank mumbled.
Cecelia picked up a stack of floppy disks. She thumbed through them then, handed one to Logan. "Here, take this. Use one of the computers in the castle."
~~
Logan's thoughts were interrupted when his door opened. A short woman walked in. Her hair was blonde, her ears pointed. She held a stack of what Logan could see were the clothes he wore when he came to Nemex.
"Thanks." Logan said.
She jumped, "I didn't mean to wake you." Her voice was high pitched.
He held up a hand, "I was about to get up."
She nodded and left.
Logan stood up and changed back into his clothes. They had given him some clothes to wear while his clothes were washed. They had also given him a room.
Logan opened a drawer in the nightstand and took out the disk that Dr. Reyes had given him. He slipped it in his back pocket and left the room.
The hall outside his room was empty.
He passed the woman who had brought him his clothes.
"Where is everyone?" He asked.
"The king went into town. He would have brought you along, but he didn't want to wake you. Ororo is most likely in her room."
"And that would be…"
"Go to the end of the hall make a left, go up the steps."
Logan nodded, "Thanks."
"You may want to knock first." She called back over her shoulder.
Logan followed the elf-like woman's directions. As he walked down the long hall he passed door after door on each side. A few of the doors were open and the rooms were empty. His senses told him that most of the rooms were occupied.
Logan went up the steps and knocked on the very heavy looking double doors.
"Come in!"
He grabbed the door handles and planted his feet. When he pulled on the door handle the doors swung open and smashed painfully against the stone walls. Ororo stared at him like she wanted to laugh.
"Sorry."
She smiled and went back to tending to her plants.
"Sleep well?"
He grunted
"I will take that as a yes."
Logan looked around the room. There were plants everywhere. A walking stick and a large knife were hanging over another staircase directly in front of him. He noticed that she had a lot of things like that in her room. Things that looked like they had some sentimental value.
"I will be with you as soon as I am finished here."
"Take your time." Logan said. He was admiring a pair of crossed swords that were mounted on a wall. [A/N: ~shrugs~ I like swords.]
"You can take them down if you like." She said over her shoulder.
Logan hesitated, then carefully took one of the swords down.
He unsheathed it and inspected it.
Ororo walked over to him and took the other sword.
She smiled mischievously.
"I couldn't, not with these."
She cocked her head, "Why not?"
"They are-."
"Collectibles, memorabilia? They will still be that after. These were made to fight with, were they not?" She raised an inquisitive eyebrow, twirling the still sheathed sword in her hands.
He went into fencing stance. She smiled again and unsheathed the sword like she'd been born to do this.
"I'm not gonna hold back." He warned.
~clang~
"I prefer it that way."
~clang~
"Big talk."
~clang~
Ororo blocked and swiped downward.
~clang~
Logan blocked the blade that was going for his knee.
"Where did you get these from?"
~clang~
"Something I...acquired while with Remy."
~Clang~
"How long have you known him?"
~Clang~
"Five years."
~Clang~
Logan firmly slashed upward at the blade coming for his shoulder. Ororo's blade clattered to the floor out of her reach.
Before Ororo could try to get it, Logan had his sword pressed against her neck. "Yer eighteen?"
"Yes."
"Still a little green."
The sword that had been knocked from Ororo's hand skidded back over to her. Then, it jumped back into her waiting hand.
He looked at her, "So, you move things with yer mind." He said matter-of-factly.
"No, I can manipulate the weather."
~clang~
"Neato."
Ororo slashed wildly.
Logan blocked.
~clang~
Ororo twisted her wrist to knock Logan's sword to the floor.
She mimicked him, putting her blade to his throat.
"Green am I?"
~snikt~
He grinned.
She looked surprised for a second (but who wouldn't be).
She slashed at him, as he used both sets of claws to block and strike. She led him over to where his sword fell, using her own sword as a shield from his claws. She picked it up and began to slash wildly again.
~clang~ ~clang~
Ororo held both her swords out to the sides holding Logan's claws out in the air. She was going to pretend gut him but he did just that a second before thought translated to action.
Logan retracted his claws as his fist connected lightly with her stomach.
"As grass."
"…"
"Excellent show." Ororo and Logan looked at the door to see a man standing there. He clapped slowly.
~snikt~ Logan popped his claws, going on guard.
"What are you doing back so soon?"
"How long did you expect me to be gone, Windrider?"
Ororo turned around, "This is Logan. He arrived this morning. Logan this is Forge. "
Logan looked the man over. His long black hair was tied back. Logan retracted his claws and held out a hand. Forge looked at Logan's hand then after what seemed like contemplation he extended his own gloved hand. Even though the man wore a glove he could still feel that there was not flesh and bone underneath. The man wore a plain T-shirt and a pair of shorts that showed off his bionic leg.
"Maker?"
"In the flesh."
Logan nodded.
"I was just dropping by to see if you wanted to go out Ororo, and to show Remy the things I got while I was away."
"Whad'ja get?"
"You wanna see?" Forge asked, coming alive, and suddenly forgetting his animosity.
"Sure." Logan answered
"Mind if I tag along?" Ororo asked.
"Not at all." Forge called over his shoulder. The two men were already out of the door.
So what do ya'll think of part two? I already have part three almost done.