Back to Bayville – Part V

Remy sat on the steps of the gazebo located on the backside of the mansion, clad in jeans and an unbuttoned shirt. A month had passed since Rogue had woken from her self-induced coma and so much had changed in that short span of time. After about a week of what seemed like constant surveillance by the other members of the household, Rogue had had enough. When Kurt had teleported in one morning she was already waiting. Immediately she grabbed him in a headlock and held on tight. In panic Kurt teleported both of them into the kitchen where everyone was already having breakfast. In a not-so-nice tone she ranted for five minutes straight about all of them being 'too damn paranoid' about her sleeping situation and that they were worried over nothing because 'it's not like we can do anything anyway.' The adrenaline from her tirade had given her enough energy to stomp back up to the room and go back to bed. From that point on Remy had gotten to sleep in until noon and no one came in without Rogue's permission.

Their link was indeed getting stronger, as Xavier had predicted. They could not yet 'talk' to each other but sometimes, if they concentrated enough, they could hear each other's thoughts like a whisper in their ear. Their emotions were more easily transmitted between one another but they didn't really notice much. Both had agreed to work with Xavier on strengthening their shields after Rogue's attack so if either one were ever targeted again, the other wouldn't be so distracted by the onslaught of emotions or feelings that passed through the link. It had taken three weeks for Remy's shoulder to heal from his spill in the Danger Room, proof that their connection could be harmful. They would not be kept out completely, but at least the person on the receiving end would only feel a dull throb and not an intense pain.

They still shared dreams, sometimes on a nightly basis. None of it still really made much sense to them as to their meaning or purpose, but they were lasting longer and now they were able to determine that their dreams were usually based in one of three time periods. Often times various occupants of the mansion would show up in the dreams, as well as Remy's father. They couldn't really understand what was going on in each of the time periods but one constant seemed to tie all three of them together: everyone always managed to imply that Rogue and Remy were romantically linked. They had never actually seen themselves in the dreams so they couldn't verify if it was really them that the dreams were referring to but to Remy it seemed completely obvious that it was. Why else would her friends and his father show up so often? Why else were they never seen? Why else did they share a unique mental bond?

This new information is why Remy was currently outside in the middle of the night, blankly staring at the item resting in his palm. It was really nothing special, just an Italian charm bracelet that seemed to be all the rage lately. Since Rogue was no longer restricted to the grounds, Remy had asked permission to take her out for a little bit earlier that day. The professor had agreed and Rogue had reacted to the news as if he had told her she had just won a million dollars. He treated her to lunch at a small café she said she dined at often and then had driven them to the mall so she could walk around and pick up a few items for herself. The first item on her agenda was to replace all her discarded makeup. With Remy having a comment for every selection her hand hovered over, it took them nearly an hour before finally leaving with just a black eyeliner and soft burgundy shaded lip color. They visited a few other shops, picking up various items, and saved the music store for last. While Rogue was sampling what seemed like a hundred CD's, Remy had wandered outside the store and browsed the kiosks that lined the center of the mall. He glanced at the charms in the case at one booth and promptly bought a bracelet and three charms to give to Rogue. She had a wide variety of jewelry and he didn't remember seeing this among her collection. At the time it seemed like a good idea but now he wasn't so sure, which is why he was now sitting outside. The bracelet had only one charm on it currently: a gothic cross. The other two charms, a playing card with ace of spades on it and a simple gold heart, laid in his hand along side the bracelet. He looked at the balcony doors that led to the room they shared and sighed, running his free hand through his hair. His feelings towards Rogue were one of the many things that had changed. Despite his vow to not get involved with Rogue, he couldn't fight his feelings anymore; he was falling for her and it scared him to bits. It wasn't because they spent so much time together, he knew, since they hardly spent the majority of the day together anymore. It was during those times apart when he missed being with her that clued him in. He missed her smiles, sass and sarcasm. He didn't care that she could go from being ice cold to sweet and almost innocent or the fact that they could not touch made any sort of physical relationship nearly impossible. When he tried to charm the other girls in the house for fun she told him to have fun. Every so often he would flirt with her just to try and get a rise out of her but she not only played along, she upped the ante to a point where sometimes he had to back down. She was the only person who met him challenge for challenge and the sheer fire in her soul drew him to her like a moth to a flame. She was the light in his life but he didn't know if she felt the same way. They had built a solid friendship together and he didn't want to jeopardize that. Plus, he didn't want her to think that he only liked her because their dreams seem to be implying that they should be together. These feelings had been stirring in his heart since day one. As much as he wanted to admit them to her, he didn't want to risk making things awkward between them. He didn't know if he could handle her being uncomfortable around him.

Getting to his feet he sighed again, this time out of frustration. Pocketing the jewelry he started for the house when he was suddenly stopped in his place by a mental cry of anguish. "Rogue!" he cried out, racing for the back door. He was almost to the door when it suddenly slammed open and Rogue came flying out. He skidded to a halt and watched as she ran into the woods surrounding the property. Switching directions he followed her, buttoning up his shirt and he went. The wooded area was a bit dense and Remy was thankful that his strange eyes gave him the ability to see in the dark. He didn't know how far she had gone therefore forcing him to rely on the emotions she was emitting and his own spatial awareness to try and pinpoint her location. Staying as quiet as possible so he could hear the faintest noise, he walked through the forest searching for her. It took him a couple of minutes but he finally found her under a cluster of trees. She was sitting on the ground with her arms wrapped around her legs. Her back was to him but he could tell she was crying. Her body shook as she tried to calm herself. He knelt down behind her and laid a hand on her back. Thankfully, she had worn a long-sleeved shirt and pants to bed. "Chére, what's wrong?"

Rogue turned around and he noticed that her eyes were closed but tears still streamed down her cheeks. "They're gone, Remy. Gone. Kurt, Katherine, Logan, Ororo. My only family! And now I'm on the run." She buried her face in his chest.

Instinctively, Remy held her tight but his mind was spinning. *What de hell was she talkin' 'bout? An' what happened to her accent?* "Rogue, it's okay. Y' safe."

She pulled back, her eyes still closed. "How? I'm a sorceress; you're a prince. You have your duties; I'm a wanted woman! There is a bounty already on my head no doubt. What can we do?"

Remy was at a loss for words. *A sorceress an' a prince . . .?*

"Gambit! What's going on?"

He whirled around but figured he may have done so too fast since it made him momentarily dizzy. He blinked his eyes and when his sight came to focus he saw Xavier standing at the end of the courtyard. Raw anger exploded within him and he let three charged cards fly straight at Xavier.

Charles raised his arms to shield himself but it was not necessary. Magneto reacted quickly, erecting a shield around both of them.

"He seems quite angry with you," Magneto said as another volley of cards hit his shield.

"Yes, he does, but I am not sure why. His mind is completely blank."

"Y' killed her!" Remy stood, hands glowing and eyes blazing.

"Killed who?" Xavier called out.

"Y' killed her." Remy looked down at Rogue who was lying on the ground. Suddenly, his head snapped up and a fan of cards appeared in each hand. With a pained cry, Remy let them fly.

Eric grunted with effort as the impacting cards exploded against his shield once again. "You must do something, Charles. He is pouring more energy into his attacks. I do not know how long I can withstand a continued assault."

"I understand." Charles had already tried to calm Remy mentally to no avail. His shields were at their strongest and his current emotional state seemed to reinforce them. He turned to his alternative. Rogue? Rogue, I need your help. You must wake up.

Rogue visible stirred. Wha-? Professor? Her mind was hazy with sleep but she still heard his call. Opening her eyes, she saw Remy towering over her. His entire body seemed to be glowing. Through her own shields she could feel his pain, his grief. Professor, what's wrong?! Why am Ah outside? Why does he think Ah'm dead?!

Rogue! Thank, goodness. Remy is not himself. He does think you are dead. We must convince him otherwise. Do not stand up or you might get hit. Can you reach him through your link?

She watched as Remy threw a wave of cards at the professor and Magneto. The force of the blow hit what Rogue assumed was a magnetic shield but it caused Magneto to fall to one knee. Ah'll try. Concentrating hard she sent a thought through their link. Remy! It's me. Stop!

Remy's arm froze in mid throw. He thought he heard a voice, her voice. "Chére? Is dat you?" His arms fell to his sides but he did not let go of his cards.

Rogue stood up slowly until they were face to face. She saw his face go from confusion to shock. "Remy, it's okay. It's me. Ah'm not dead. See?" She hugged him tight to show him she was real. When she pulled back, she could see traces of disbelief cloud his eyes. She watched as he tossed away one set of cards and tried not to flinch as he reached his free hand towards her and captured a lock of her hair. Rolling the strands between his fingers for a moment, he then dropped the hand to her shoulder and looked at her. "Remy, it's really me. Ah'm alive."

In an instant his face crumbled with emotion and he pulled her into a fierce hug, sobbing into her shoulder. "Oh, God. I t'ought y' were dead. I t'ought he killed y'."

Rogue rubbed her hands up and down his back in comfort. "Shh. It's okay. No one killed me. Ah'm still here. It's alright."

Remy held onto her like a lifeline. "I love y' so much . . . I promise no one will ever hurt y' . . . I'll protect y' . . . I love y' . . ."

Rogue's heart had started to pound at the first admission. *Calm down, girl. The professor said he's not himself. Calm down.* She put it out of her mind and tried to send soothing feelings through their shared connection, while Charles and Eric looked on, unsure of it they should approach.

Soon Remy had quieted down but remained embraced with Rogue. "Chére?"

"Yeah, sugah?"

"What jus' happened?"

**********

Very early the next morning, Remy and Rogue found themselves seated on the sleek black leather loveseat in the professor's office. The professor sat behind his large mahogany desk and Eric stood to his right. Ororo, Logan, Hank and, for reasons unknown, Warren Worthington III were also in attendance. Despite the perceived seriousness of the meeting, Remy was leaned back into the couch with Rogue's head resting on his shoulder, both still exhausted from the night before.

Charles cleared his throat. "Thank you all for being here. I know the hour is quite early, but I wanted to conduct this meeting before the other students awaken. As you all know Remy and Rogue have somehow developed a unique mental bond. Hank and I have been researching how such a phenomenon could have occurred considering that they have really known each other for little over a month and the bond was already in existence prior to their second meeting when Eric and his associates agreed to reside here temporarily."

"T'ird."

All eyes shifted towards the loveseat. "I'm sorry?" the professor asked.

"Movin' here was de t'ird time I saw Rogue. Saw her at school once."

Everyone just stared blankly at him for a moment until Logan spoke up. "Was there a point to that, Cajun?"

"Not really. Jus' wanted to keep the prof accurate."

"Ugh." Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Um, thank you, Remy. As I was saying, Hank and I have been searching for a possible cause and as of yet have no conclusion. Neither one are related in any way nor do they possess any telepathic powers. The true potential of their link is unknown but we have been noting its capabilities. At first, it allowed for both of them to enter each other's dreams. It was then discovered that they could feel each other's feelings, as was evident in Remy's first Danger Room session. It seems that they do not physically manifest the injuries felt by the other since Rogue did not have any shoulder pain after Remy was injured. In the same sense, Remy sustained no damage to his mental shields after Rogue's attack. Now they are able to hear each other's thoughts to some degree. We believe that at some point they will be able to communicate mentally." He took a sip of his coffee before continuing. "A month ago Rogue was attacked by two telepaths. Eric and I have been able to uncover their identities. The first, Emma Frost, was a former colleague of mine. The second, Elisabeth Braddock, is her protégé. Both are also known as the White Queen and Psylocke respectively. With the help of Warren, we were able to learn that both are part of the extremely elite Hellfire Club. Since Warren is a member himself, he was able to explain to us the inner workings of the organization. To the public, this association is nothing more than a formal gathering of world's most wealthy and influential individuals. Several charters are in existence, including one in New York. From what Warren has told us, the club has what is called an 'Inner Circle' composed of the clubs most powerful members, including Emma Frost. These members also happen to be enhanced with super powers but are not necessarily all mutants. According to one of Warren's contacts, this Inner Circle can be hired to perform various high profile 'jobs'. They are the least likely to be suspected and have the power and financial means to carry out such orders. One such order happened to be the attack on Rogue. Through our combine sources, Eric and I have discovered who sent out the contract. It was Mesmero."

Without thinking, Remy wrapped an arm around Rogue's shoulders. Rogue was a bit surprised at the gesture but did not comment. Logan emitted a small growl, which Ororo tried to calm by placing a hand on his shoulder as she spoke. "Is it safe to assume that Mesmero would like to employ Rogue in uncovering the third key?"

"It would appear so but I am not so sure. According to Jean and Remy's recollections, Psylocke had said that she was originally after Rogue but that Remy would do just fine. That leads me to believe that either Rogue or Remy would be useful in retrieving the third key. Therefore, I think that it would be in our best interest to let Rogue return to school next week as we had originally forecasted and instead keep them both on the mansion grounds as much as possible. An adult must supervise any more trips out. No going out with the other students. I know that you both do not like being confined here, as you have been for the past couple of months, but until we figure out how to handle what is being held behind that third door we must take precaution. Is that clear?"

Both nodded in agreement. It wasn't as if they could say no.

"Good. Now, in addition to gathering information on our mysterious attackers, Mr. Worthington has been conducting his own research to try and discover Mesmero's purpose for these keys. His findings have been less than comforting. According to ancient legend, the dawn of a new age will come will the resurrection of the Great Apocalypse. With his rise to power the world will be purged of those unworthy of life. Mass destruction shall reign supreme and the elite few shall pave the way to a new era in which Apocalypse will as a god. If Mesmero is successful in his quest to release this abomination, the world as we know it will cease to exist. However, all hope is not lost. The law of nature requires a balance between what is good and what is evil. Apocalypse's rise to power is limited in two ways. First of all, Apocalypse requires a host body in order to transcend to our plane of existence. Not just any body can be used. There is a Chosen One, only one person who can contain such an immense power. There also exists a Supreme Guardian who is the only one who can prevent Apocalypse's rise to power."

"How do we know that this guardian isn't dead already? Or the chosen one for that matter. Hell, it sounds like all we have to do is kill the host and the world is saved." Logan interjected.

"If only it were that simple. Both the host and the guardian are protected until the third door has been opened. They could not be killed if we exploded a nuclear bomb on them."

"Ah, yes," said Hank, "the ever present 'catch'."

"'Catch' indeed. Remember this is merely a legend and only one possible lead, which is why I am informing you all first. We have not uncovered any other evidence supporting this theory."

"Charles, if I may interrupt." Ororo stood and addressed those in the room. "I believe that I may be able to support your theory. When I was serving as high priestess in Africa I was told many stories. One of these stories was of a creature of immense power that would one day come and claim the earth as his own. I always dismissed the story as a means of scaring children into being thankful for what they had but one day I stumbled upon a cave. It was located high up on a mountain range, making it impossible to get there on foot. The walls of the cave depicted a mural of the story and appeared quite old. I remember it showing a being coming through a portal and taking over a body left in sacrifice. A great warrior was drawn defeating the creature and sending it back through the portal. I believe that your legend and my story are one in the same."

The room sat silent after Ororo's admission. The professor was stoic in his seat, hands steepled, brow furrowed in thought. All eyes looked to him for direction, even Eric. After a moment he spoke.

"Thank you, Ororo. What you have said gives us all a more solid starting point. Eric had previously decided to take Jean, Scott and John to investigate the area from which Warren's findings originated. In addition I would like to send a small team to Africa to try and find this cave. It may hold more answers to our questions. Ororo, take Kitty and Piotr with you. Kitty's knowledge of computer technology would be helpful in documenting evidence and her phasing ability would be an asset. Piotr would provide any strength you need. Logan, I would like you to take Ray and Kurt and seek out a mutant named Caliban. He has the ability to seek out other mutants. Hank, Warren here would like to go over some of his findings with you. Remy, Rogue, I'm going to have to cancel our appointment for today so instead I have scheduled a mild Danger Room session for the both of you. Ororo will supervise which means it must be done before she leaves. Other than that you have the rest of the day to yourselves. You are all free to go but please report back to me if you discover any more leads. Everyone shuffled out of the office except for Eric, closing the door behind them.

"You did not tell them about the events that transpired last night," he stated.

"I did not feel it was necessary."

"Unnecessary? The boy tried to kill you last night."

"Yes, but I also know that he was himself. When I scanned him his mind was like a blank slate. When Rogue ran out of the house her was the same. Yet, they were able to communicate with one another. I also noted that their link strengthened tremendously last night. I suspect that these dreams are what fuel the link between them and I believe that their actions last night were actually them acting out their parts in their dreams."

Eric looked puzzled. "I still do not follow your reasoning."

"Both of them are being targeted for some unknown reason. The only link to each other that they have is the bond they share. Their's is a mystery that requires time to unravel and no disturbances. A new presence takes away from the interaction that they share with each other."

"I see. So this is why you are sending us all out of the mansion."

"I am not sending everyone out," Charles protested.

"Fine. Just those who have been watching them like a hawk." Eric managed a rare smile.

"No. Just those who have appeared in their dreams frequently."

Eric looked serious once more. "And what about you Charles? You have no means of defense against them."

Charles handed him a piece of paper. "I will not be here the entire time. I, too, have my own research to conduct."

Eric looked at the note in his hands. It read:

Charles Xavier,

I may have some of the answers you seek.

Irene Adler

**********

Thanks again to all those who have stayed with me this long. I'll keep writing as long as I know someone is enjoying this. Happy reading!