How do I love Thanksgiving break? Not as much as Christmas, mind you, but quite a bit. Gives be a time away from rehearsals, away from school…and more time to write! Yay!
todd fan—I'm glad you're not the only reviewer any more, too! ^_^
Neva—Yup. Ryo was friends with Wanda…and Pietro. Now what-oh-what am I to do with this interesting development…*grins evily*
ishandahalf—Let's put it this way…you're not right, but you're not wrong either. That the only hint I'm gonna give for now. But until then…I give you chapter 4, staring Rogue and Remy!
Lady MR—Of course I know Remy's an empathy. What kind of Gambit fan would I be otherwise? Glad somebody picked up on that.
gambitgirl—Remy's personality is gonna be based on something a little different, but every once in a while you should definitely see some Acolyte influence thrown in there. Hey, at least he still has his Cajun accent…*glares accusingly at KidsWB*…unlike in some instances I can think of….
Sabrin—Glad you like! *proceeds to join her in cheering on Remy*
Chaos—Soon enough update for you? *looks nervously at an evilly-grinning gambitgirl* You're all ganging up on me, I swear! Anyway, Remy's not living with the X-men. That's why they were so surprised to see him at the infirmary doorway. Hey, he is a master thief…
[Random Quote: "During the break, I installed some new safety features on my S.U.V. Yeah, I took off the tires."]
Time seemed to move painfully slow that afternoon for Remy as he watched the resident doctor scramble back and forth between rooms in a feeble attempt to bring down Rogue's fever. He was hesitant, at first, to let anyone near the girl, especially after his earlier confrontation with Xavier. But it wasn't long before Hank's gentle nature and winsome personality had proven him worthy of the Cajun's trust, an honor he respected well.
The past few minutes, however, he had been over on the other side of the curtain to check on the other girl's bandages, leaving Remy a moment alone with Rogue. For someone whose life revolved around danger, excitement, and the unexpected, he found himself strangely content just to sit by his love's bedside, occasionally toying with a few strands of her uniquely colored hair. So much, in fact, that he hardly noticed when Hank returned.
"I'll be with you in a moment, my friend." He called out before turning to the wash sink. Remy noticed a few traces of blood on the doctor's hands, wincing at the thought of what kind of wound must've been inflicted to still be bleeding that much.
The room seemed unusually warm to Remy, and it took him a moment to realize why. Because of the nature of his powers, he had always made it a habit to wear gloves, much like Rogue did, though his intentions were to protect objects rather than people. He smiled at the sight of their clasped hands, this time separated by the material covering his hand rather than hers.
No need for dese t'ings, he thought to himself with a smile, temporarily realizing his hold to remove the gloves. Once her hand was back in his, he brought it to his lips for a tender kiss. It never ceased to amaze him how, even in her sleep, Rogue seemed to glow with radiance…
Hol' de phone… Remy's eyes narrowed, then went wide with realization: She is glowin'!
"NON!" Remy stood up in a panic, knocking his chair over in an attempt to back away. The noise drew Hank's attention immediately; he turned to see Remy a good distance away from the bed, breathing heavily and staring at Rogue as if she had suddenly sprouted wings. (Then again…) He hurried over to the young couple, wiping his hands on what looked like a dish towel before tossing it aside.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
Remy saw the glowing subside when he ended their contact, fading away before Hank could even notice. He managed to regain control of his breathing, closing his eyes to regain composure before calmly responding. "Not'ing's wrong, Henri." He swallowed once before continuing, feeling his heart rate drop back down, "Je suis désolé for de scare."
Hank was about to question the boy further when a sudden groan coming from Rogue's general area caught both of their attentions. "Ugh…could y'all keep it down a bit? Ah'm tryin' ta sleep over hea'!" Remy was at her side in an instant, finding a smiling Southern Belle there to greet him.
"How y' feelin', p'tite?"
"Better, Ah guess…an' don't ya dare say 'Ah told ya so,' Remy Lebeau."
"Moi?" He asked, feigning innocence. "Nev'r!"
Hank watched the exchange between them, a sense of fatherly pride washing over him. He'd grown very fond of Rogue in all the time he'd known her, and was elated at the thought that she had found somebody who made her as happy as she appeared at that moment. Remy was starting to grow on him a little, as well. He almost hated to spoil the moment, but there was a task he whished to address while Rogue was still awake.
"I was wondering…could I have a word with the two of you?"
"Sure, Mr. McCoy." Rogue cheerfully responded for them both, sitting up in bed so she could see him better. "What about?"
"Well, my dear, I'm rather curios as to the cause behind your surprising ability to make skin contact with Mr. LeBeau here." He explained as Remy sat on the bed beside her. When it was apparent he had both of their undivided attentions, Hank continued. "I do have a theory revolving around the nature of both your powers, that somehow his mutant abilities may play a key role, but I would have to see it in action for myself to be absolutely certain."
"In ot'er words, mon ami, y' wan' a demonstration." Remy stated.
"Yes, if you don't mind."
Remy was more than happy to oblige to the good doctor's simple request. Having played this scene (or some variation of it) numerous times before, Remy stood at the center of the room with his trademark smirk appearing. This earned him a roll of the eyes from Rogue, but Hank eagerly motioned for him to continue. With a snap of the fingers, the every-respectable Ace of Spades appeared between his middle and index fingers, acquiring a glowing charge almost instantly. As his minor audience watched intently, the edges of the card began to char from the developing flames before Remy smoothly tossed it over to one corner of the room, where it was able to explode without doing much harm.
"Fascinating." Hank commented once the show was over, placing a hand to his chin in deep thought. An idea came to him. "Would you mind repeating your performance so that I might capture it on film this time?" Remy simply shrugged. Hank left the room for a few moments, returning with Evan's digital camera. Once more, Remy charged up another card in front of a zoom lens, discarding it in the same manner as before.
"What are ya tryin' ta do, Mr. McCoy?" Rogue spoke up when the curiosity got the better of her.
Hank was in the process of fiddling with a few of the camera buttons. "You'll see in a moment, my dear." He then turned to Remy without lifting his eyes from their current task. "Now then…Remy, if I may call you that," Remy nodded his approval, "How would you describe your mutant powers?"
"De short version: I blow merde up."
A chuckle, then, "I don't suppose you would care to elaborate?"
Remy though about it for a moment. What was that explanation he had been given a while back, when his powers had first manifested? "Remy t'ink it be somet'ing t' do wit' turnin' de potential energy of an object t' kinetic. Occurs t'rough de skin, like ma belle cherie here." Rogue blushed slightly at the name, but covered it up by lightly smacking Remy on the arm.
Hank smiled at the couple before eventually discovering the buttons he was looking for. "Aha! I should really have Spyke show me how to use this thing some time…" he murmured to himself before turning the small screen around for Rogue and Remy to see. "Now then; observe the screen very closely." He played the tape at normal speed.
"Ah still don' see what the big deal is." Rogue said as soon as it finished.
"Ah, but wait!" He played it again; this time, in slow motion.
The action occurred much too fast for the normal eye to see, giving the illusion that the object appeared to charge itself. Under slow motion, however, it was just barely possible to see Remy's hands glow for a split second before the energy was transferred over to the card he was holding. With this new development, the two younger mutants eagerly turned to their elder for further explanation.
"It would seem that Remy does not actually 'charge' objects, at least not in the way we originally believed. Rather, he passes on the kinetic energy created beneath his own skin." He paused, searching for the simplest wording to explain it. "Rogue, we've always classified your power as absorbing the life force of a being, is that not true? Well, consider if you will, the possibility that you absorb the person's energy—kinetic energy—upon contact. This would also explain the draining feeling one experience immediately following."
Rogue grew more and more excited with ever word he uttered. "But how does that explain the memories Ah get with it? Or mutant powers?" Only a few more pieces of the puzzle….
Hank smiled knowingly. "Memories are technically images encoded in the brain, much as a scanned picture would be in a computer hard drive. If part of the kinetic energy you absorbed came directly from the brain, it would be entirely possible that you connected with the energy flow of that person's memories, therefore drawing pieces of them out as well. The same idea would apply to a mutant power; you absorb the memory of said power, thus giving your own mind the temporary belief you possess it yourself. Almost like a form of self-hypnotism."
"Dat would make sense." Remy commented, nodding in understanding.
"However," Hank continued, barely able to contain his own excitement at such a revelation. "Remy's powers consist of creating excess kinetic energy, and through the skin no less, passing it on to any object he touches. Therefore, your own absorbing powers must trigger a sort of self-defense mechanism where his skin creates the energy necessary to take the place of what you would normally draw out from another person…"
"…canceling out mah powers!" Rogue finished enthusiastically, eyes sparkling like a child's at Christmas time.
"Precisely!"
Remy voiced his own opinion, sounding more relieved than anything else. "Oui, dat would explain everyt'ing." His tone did not go unnoticed by Rogue.
"What are ya talking about, Rem?" She asked curiously.
In response, he wordlessly took her hand in his, both of them lacking in their usual gloves. Giving her a quick squeeze, she smiled at the touch. Within seconds, however, her expression turned to one of shock as she watched her pale skin take on a glowing, reddish-golden hue. It wasn't until Remy let go that the luminosity faded away, leaving both Rogue and Hank (who was also witnessing this for the first time) with their mouths wide open.
"What…was that?" Rogue managed to choke out a few seconds later. Hank was still speechless.
"Not sure exactly. First time it happ'ned, I t'ought I had somehow charged y' up!" He gave a lighthearted chuckle, receiving nothing in response. "…Chere?"
But Rogue grew suddenly distant, her eyes focused downward as she tried to absorb everything in. She had been so excited—elated, even—at the though of finally being able to touch someone, make physical skin contact, without the fear of hurting him. It was almost a reflex to grow as close to that person as humanly possible. The fact that she had unexpectedly fallen in love hadn't hurt either. Now, for the first time since she and Remy had shared their first kissed, Rogue was beginning to feel an uneasiness about the situation.
Ah knew it was too good to be true…
"P'tite?" She faintly heard Remy calling out to her in a gentle tone, turning to meet his gaze with a vacant expression. "Y' feelin' okay?"
"N-no…Ah'm pretty tired, actually." She answered, her voice sounding unusually timid all of a sudden. "Could Ah have some privacy ta go back ta sleep?"
If he was hurt, Remy didn't show it. "O' course. Remy needs t' be somewhere, anyway. Glad y' be okay, t'ough, Chere…y' give Remy quite a scare for a bit dere." He bent down to kiss her goodbye, but she turned away. This time, the hurt did show. Rogue refused to look at him anymore, so instead he stood up and softly whispered to Hank: "Take care of her f'r Remy, mon ami, all right?" The doctor gave a quiet nod, and the two of them left the room together; Hank towards where his other patient rested while Remy towards the mansion exit.
Once she was positive there was no one else left in the room, Rogue wrapped her arms around herself for comfort. Finding the need for something to hold on to, she grabbed on of the spare pillows, holding it tightly in her arms and rested her chin down on top. Ah know it's not fair to Remy right now…but I just can't face him. Not yet. Not now. She closed her eyes to keep them from tearing up. Ah guess it's true what they say…
"Even the best things in life aren' free…"
TO BE CONTINUED…