Chapter 9

Part I

"Hey, Remy. 'Member me?"

Remy looked up at the guard who'd spoken. "Oh, yeah. I remember you, Brick. Why you working for this scumbag, homme? I thought you was smarter than that. Obviously no." Remy snorted. "I shouldn'a overestimated any of you fellas." This apparently angered Brick's companions. One of them put a steel-capped toe in Remy's ribs.

The ensuing round of fun gave Dice a chance to pull herself together. She got to her knees and closed her eyes, shoring up her shields and figuring out just what she could do with the collar around her neck. She reached out tentatively with her mind; she could feel Remy's psyche, but her control felt imprecise. He had shut down somehow, and was oblivious to the beating he was taking.

Finally their tormentors grew tired of kicking Remy around. His lip was bleeding, and he wiped it on his shoulder with a look of disgust. They dragged him to his feet. Brick, who had stood apart while his two compatriots enjoyed manhandling Remy, was looking at Dice. Dice avoided his eyes, looking instead at Remy. He noticed her eyes for the first time, luminescing from their sockets. //Can you hear me?//

She nodded slightly, masking the motion as dizziness. Remy looked at Brick, who smiled wickedly. "So, Remy. Tapping the new girl. Nice work. I'll bet Bobby's jealous."

"Non. He don' care so much. He can find it wherever he wants, neh?"

Brick nodded. "I'll bet. Your girlfriend's cute."

"Yah, she's okay. I've had better."

//I know what he's going to do,// Dice thought, broadcasting as best she could.

"Mm." Brick walked over to Remy. "So you won't mind sharin' for a few minutes." Remy felt cold; he met Brick's eyes defiantly. Brick laughed. "Hold him," he told the others as he walked back towards Dice. She took a deep breath. Remy struggled against the guards' arms, cursing softly in French.

The sound of tearing fabric met Remy's ears and he turned away, his gorge rising. One of the thugs grabbed his chin and turned him back. Anger lined his face, and tears stood out in his eyes. But he watched. Dice willed her shields into place, and for the first time Remy felt the absence of her mind. He wasn't sure which was worse: being without her presence, or feeling what was happening to her. When Brick had finished, he stood.

"Yeah, you're right, Remy. She's okay." Remy looked at Dice's eyes for the first time and felt the shields drop.

//I am armed.//

Remy shifted his gaze to Brick. //I'll distract them.// "You're an animal, Brick. She's just a kid." Brick laughed and punched Remy in the gut. Dice struggled off the floor, fighting pain and shock. She had struggled out of her bonds, and her wrists were bleeding, but she held Brick's throwing knives. While the three guards were distracted, she took aim. In rapid succession, three whistles and three thumps met her ears. Remy fell forward slightly but caught himself, and in a moment his hands were free. Brick was still alive, despite the blade emerging from his spine. Remy grabbed his chin and twisted hard. The crunch was satisfying.

Part II

"Dana. Dana." Remy fell to the floor beside her.

"Hey, Remy," she said softly. She was hyperventilating; shock had set in. Remy flinched at the sight of the blood between her legs. "They're dead, right?"

"Yeah, don't worry. Don't worry about anything. It's alright." Remy stripped the trench coat from his shoulders and wrapped her in it. "Let's get out of here, cherie." He bundled her into his arms and staggered to his feet. He made it to the door and fumbled with the plate; it finally slid open and he all but fell through it. A patter of footsteps sent him back through the doorway, peering around the frame. His relief flowed over Dice and she sighed. "Mon Dieu, it's good to see you guys," he choked, stumbling towards the other X-Men.

Kurt took Dice from him. "I'll get her back to the Black Bird," he said, vanishing in a puff of smoke. Logan went over to Remy, who fell onto his friend.

"There be three dead men in the other room," Remy said.

"We'll clean it up."

Remy choked back a sob. "Monsters. It was Daniel, Logan. Tortured Dice in front of me so I would tell him what he wanted to know." His eyes blazed. "I want him dead, mon ami. I want him dead." Logan could not help but agree.