Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 8
Chapter 2: Secrecy
Kitty Pryde sat down at the edge of Remy LeBeau's bed, "okay, well, if nothing else is helping you remember, maybe these things will," she said, dropping a slightly muddy clear plastic bag into his lap. She sat watching him hopeful that seeing these items would trigger a memory.
"What is this stuff?" Remy asked, staring down at the items in the bag, he reached out and unzipped the bag with a careful caution as if he were afraid something in the bag might be a bomb.
Kitty chewed her cheek for several moments, watching him curiously pick at the items in the bag, "they belong to you…things you had on you when we found you with the bullet wound," she finally explained.
"Why is the bag dirty?" Remy asked absently, he took out a long leather wallet and opened it up, examining the strange shaped tools inside.
"Uhm, it got accidentally thrown out in the trash," Kitty lied, and smiled, Rogue had already told her all about the closure-attempt by burying Remy's objects.
"What are these things…" Remy took out a small tool and examined its triangular head carefully, holding it up to the light.
"A lockpicking tool," Kitty said, "you always carried those…" she explained, "you were…" Kitty sighed, "Look…I don't think you're really ready to know all this stuff, Remy, but nothing else is working…" she sighed and stood up, "You're a Thief, Remy, a damn good one," she turned away from him, she didn't want to see how he'd react, he'd already been reacting strangely to other things she'd told him.
"I…don't understand…what do you mean by Thief?" he asked, his voice sounded almost panicked.
Kitty turned back towards him, she sat down on the bed again, this time a little closer, "You're not just a Thief, you were probably one of the youngest master thieves in the world, Remy, we're not talking about petty crime here like stealing VCR's and DVD players," she explained, although wanted to laugh thinking of the pile of boxes containing such things in Remy's apartment.
Remy's dark eyes were wide, his face seemed to grow paler with every word she spoke.
"You stole high-value, exquisite paintings, jewellery, antiques, things like that," Kitty explained, "far as I know, you never actually stole from banks…you never stole actual money…" she explained.
"Oh, and that makes me feel so much better!" he pulled himself out of bed, nearly collapsing at the pain that shot through his wound.
"Remy!" Kitty gasped, grabbing a hold of him, "calm yourself!"
"Calm myself?! I wake up, I don't know who the fuck I am, where the fuck I am or who the fuck any of you are and now you're telling me I'm a fucking criminal!! How did I get this wound, Kitty?! How!?!" he demanded.
Kitty drew her breath, "the police…they chased you, shot you…they didn't understand…they don't know you…"
"That doesn't make it okay!" Remy pulled away, he crossed the room, bare feet slapping on cold floor tiles, "god, this whole thing is like a nightmare…mutants, thieves, guns! And amnesia to boot…and I feel like I'm trapped! You are all keeping me here as a hostage or something – until what, you can hand me over to the police?"
"Don't be stupid," Kitty looked away, "If we wanted to hand you over to the police we could have done it years ago…" her thoughts instantly swept back to the memories of Jared's death, this was definitely not the time to tell him these things also.
"What else are you not telling me?!" Remy insisted.
"Kitty…" a familiar voice broke through their words between each other.
Kitty and Remy both turned towards the door, tall and handsome Piotr Rasputin stood in the doorway, his expression rather confused at the situation as Remy seemed rather angry and Kitty distressed.
"Pete…this…" Kitty swallowed, "this isn't a good time…" she put a hand to her head, grief of the situation bring a tension in her forehead, "Can you wait outside?" she asked, rather coldly without meaning to.
"Right…" Piotr nodded and slipped out of the room, closing the door behind himself.
"Who is that?" Remy frowned, "Another one of these 'mutants' Jean spoke of?"
"We're all mutants, Remy," Kitty sighed, "even you," she sighed,
"Yes, well I have YET to see proof of this," Remy squinted in anger.
"Look, don't take your anger out on me, alright? I'm the one telling you what you want to know," Kitty headed for the door, "I'll be back in five minutes, I suggest you calm yourself."
Kitty left the room, still pressing her fingers to her forehead, "god," she uttered.
"I am sorry to have interrupted," Piotr said, he'd been standing waiting for her patiently, his cheeks slightly red from the embarrassment of disrupting the argument.
"It's alright, it wasn't interrupting, I just…I don't think Remy can handle much more right now…" she said, "and you coming in…don't take it the wrong way, I didn't mean to jump down your throat and ask you to leave like that…I'm just stressed…" Kitty shook her head at herself, she pressed her back against the wall, closed her eyes and sighed.
"I am sorry to have heard about your parents, Kitty," Piotr said softly.
Kitty pressed her hand to her eyes, "so was I," She forced back the tears and swallowed any other emotion she was tempted to let herself feel, she then forced a smile, and looked up at him, "its good to have you back," she said.
"I am glad to be back…but I may not be here long," Piotr said, "I am just visiting Ilyana briefly, I have other business to take care of," he explained.
Kitty nodded, and looked away, "so…did you come down here to see Remy?" She asked.
"I…thought perhaps my connection with him may help him with this amnesia? After all, I did work with him when we were many years younger," Piotr reminded.
Kitty glanced towards the door, "I think I should stay out here for a few moments, after all…I think he's kind of mad at me for not having told him all these things before…he's been here a few days now like this and…well, y'know…I've been trying to help him remember and its not faring well."
"I will do what I can," Piotr said, "perhaps having a man to speak to might help."
"That might be true," Kitty shrugged, "I'll be out here, alright?"
"Alright…" Piotr smiled, touched her shoulder firmly in reassurance, then slipped into the room without another word.
Kitty stood out in the hallway, tears welled up in her eyes and burst the moment Piotr was gone and she sobbed into her hands for a few moments. After the tears came and went, she began to feel better. She quickly dried her eyes on her sleeve, sniffed, tried to think positively and pushed the door open.
She stopped to listen to what Piotr was saying, letting the door swing back towards her, letting it hang slightly ajar.
"Gambit - you better be genuine in your illness – if not, and you are seriously trying to hurt them as I suspect you might – I may have to take measures to ensure you do not succeed."
"Look, I don't know who you are, or what you're talking about," Remy sounded panicked, confused and restless.
"Then I will hope for your sake that this is the truth…"
Kitty stepped into the room slowly, "hey…" she said, trying to sound enthusiastic, but the misery in her voice was quite apparent to Remy and Piotr.
"You have been crying…" Piotr stood quickly.
"I'm fine, I have allergies to the flowers on the table in the hall," Kitty lied quickly, "did you help Remy remember anything?" she asked, knowing quite well what the discussion seemed to have entailed.
"Not yet," Piotr sighed, "but perhaps…maybe I will try again later…"
Remy looked quite apprehensive where he lay, Kitty drew her breath and looked at Piotr, "y'know, maybe that isn't such a good idea…I mean, Remy knows me, so…hey, it might be better if I just deal with him alone," she explained.
"Alright," Piotr nodded, although looking quite vague about why Kitty had suddenly changed her mind, Piotr left the room, the door creaked closed quietly behind him.
Kitty waited a few minutes until she heard Piotr's heavy footsteps descend down the hallway and finally were gone. "Don't worry about him," she said, "He's a big guy, but he's just a big old cuddly pussy cat, wouldn't hurt a fly…" Kitty explained, "and…he definitely wouldn't hurt you…"
"I'm not so sure about that," Remy leaned back, finally relaxing since Piotr's departure.
"You guys used to work together, you know," Kitty said, fixing Remy's blankets back over him.
"I don't remember," Remy uttered.
"At least you've managed to settle back down a bit after…what I told you," Kitty chewed her cheek, "how you feelin' now?"
"Tired…so exhausted, more exhausted than I think I should be considering all I do is lie here…" he sighed.
"The stress…it does exhaust you," Kitty admitted. "I just…recently lost my parents to a fire…I've felt so tired ever since…stress, I guess."
Remy looked at her, "recently?" he asked, "How long ago?"
Kitty was hoping perhaps this might have reminded him, but it seemed to gain to recognition with him, "a week ago," she sighed, she felt more tears seep from her tired eyes, she wiped them away carefully, trying not to smudge her mascara, "you were with me…you were…taking care of me."
Remy snorted, "you don't strike me as the kind of girl who needs taking care of, Kitty…"
"I know," Kitty smirked through the tears, "but I was a mess, and you helped me through it a lot…" she reached over and put her hand upon his, "and now I'm going to do the same for you, I WILL get you through this, I promise."
Remy nodded, "Alright, I trust you."
"Coming from you, that means a lot," Kitty smirked, and stood, "get some sleep right now, I'll be back later, I have a lot more things to discuss with you…"