Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 9
Chapter 5: Shocked
Kitty Pryde went down the direction of the hospital wing and stopped in front of the door leading into the infirmary where no doubt, Hank would have taken Remy's corpse. Hank was nowhere to be found in any other room in the mansion and it seemed plausible that he would be in the hospital wing with Remy, waiting patiently. Kitty hoped she wasn't too late to stop any autopsy from being carried out. She couldn't stand the thought of letting Rogue down again.
Kitty stood in front of the door staring at the wooden panels, there was a glass panel on the door gazing in, but it had been long since painted over as to protect privacy of any patient who might be recovering within. Kitty drew her breath, trying to tell herself it would be alright, and that going in wouldn't really affect her at all.
She knocked sharply on the door three times and waited patiently, she heard the footsteps within and the door opened ever so slightly, Hank McCoy's indigo eyes stared out at her, curious and tired.
"Kitty, I'm surprised to see you down here at this time of night, why aren't you in bed…?" he asked.
Kitty looked at him, "do you honestly think after what happened tonight I'd be able to sleep like everything is peachy?" she asked softly, "what are you doing in there anyway?" she queried, voice tired and dry.
"Just…standing by," Hank replied, "I don't feel comfortable leaving a corpse alone in here," he said.
Kitty frowned, "not just 'a corpse', Hank, it's Remy. He's STILL a person," she reminded.
"I know, I'm sorry," Hank sighed, "I'm very tired, I'm afraid it's taking its toll on my way of thinking," he explained.
"You're not…" Kitty trailed off, a vision of the journal in her dream earlier flashed back into her mind, the bullet glinting in the wound in the pages, "cutting him up, are you?" she finally continued.
"What a preposterous thought," Hank replied, softening his expression, "do you really think I'd defile his body? I think he deserves a bit more respect than that, even if has done some pretty horrendous things in his past."
"Horrendous?" Kitty raised an eyebrow, "Oh come on, his Thieving wasn't that horrendous, and from what I could gather, they were usually people who could afford it and were well insured."
"See, I'm perhaps a little judgemental when I've had lack of sleep," Hank apologised, "I'm sorry," the door swung open, and Kitty stared in, Remy's cadaver was draped over with a plain white sheet, Kitty felt a gasp catch in her throat, and she moved away from the door, "I don't want to see him…" she whispered, "I can't look I can't look."
"I'm sorry," Hank said again, he stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind himself, "Kitty, a few moments ago, you looked distant, as you were thinking about something, just before you asked me if I was performing an autopsy on the corp—I mean Remy," Hank frowned at his own lack of sympathy, knowing his exhaustion was causing him to be very insensitive, "What was on your mind."
Kitty shrugged, "I don't know…I just…look, I know this is going to sound weird, because you and me both know there's NO way I'm psychic or anything, but I had a weird vision just now…the…bullet?"
"The bullet…" Hank's eyes lit up a little, "yes, the bullet!" he said, he took a key out of his pocket and locked the door of the hospital wing infirmary and began to head towards his laboratory, urging Kitty to follow him, "come with me."
Kitty followed him into the lab, watching as Hank turned the lights on and walked over to the counter, a small glass container was sitting upon the countertop. "Is that the bullet in there?" she asked, she approached and stared into the glass container, the bullet was inside.
"Yes," Hank said, "I was overlooking the bullet just before you came and found me, remember?" he held the container up, rattling it a little within the container as if to confirm it were still there – although clearly through the plain glass, it was present.
"I didn't notice, it all went by so fast when I saw Remy hanging…" Kitty tried to block the mental image of him swinging from the rope out of her mind, "Anyway, what did you find out?" she asked.
Hank opened the container, "Hold your hand out…" he said softly.
Kitty held her bare hand out, palm upwards, looking curiously at Hank, wondering what he had in store for her.
Hank raised the container above her hand and tipped it, the bullet fell out into her bare hand.
Upon instantaneous contact, Kitty felt a very real short electrical surge – she saw the small flicker of thin threads of electricity jolt form the bullet to her flesh and this made her drop the bullet and grab her sore palm with her free hand, "OW!" she yelped, "what the hell--?"
"Fascinating, isn't it?" Hank asked, he crouched down and put the bullet back into the container, scooping it in using the lid, "it gives off an electric shock upon contact…"
"I don't understand the significance," Kitty admitted, still holding her hand,
"Apart from causing the victim – i.e. Remy – extreme discomfort upon impact, I can't imagine what this would be for…" Hank explained, "but I'm still working on it," he added.
"But you picked that bullet out of the plastic bag it was in, it didn't shock you."
"Yes, I know," Hank nodded, "that's a very fascinating thing, really," he said, "it wasn't until I was properly examining the bullet that I felt a very small shock when I touched it with the tweezers. What I've come to understand is that the chip here on the bullet," he gestured to the tiny little chip which to the naked eye seemed no more than a scratch, "can build up a charge of electricity from the touch of metal and store it until impact with flesh."
"That's…pretty impressive," Kitty raised her eyebrow, "who would have technology like that? Magneto?"
"Magneto is master of all metals, and yes, he has been known to design some high-tech guns in the past, but this…this cannot be his work," Hank sounded contently sure of this.
"How can you be sure?" Kitty asked.
"Magneto has designed guns that are all lasers, guns that are self-charging, automatic and do not require ammunition to run…" Hank explained, "whatever gun this came from would be a standard gun, and this would be from a clip," he gestured to the bullet, "as you know, guns that require clips have to constantly be reloaded – that's not Magneto's style – it would take too long for any damage to be done that way."
Kitty chewed her lip, "so…if it's not Magneto – who's smart enough to make something like this – and more importantly, why did they make a bullet that electrocutes people…"
"More importantly," Hank said, "WHO was it who shot Remy?" he asked, "because right now the police are the least likely to have done this…and if it had been the police they would have certainly taken the body with them…"
"But that doesn't make sense," Kitty said, "if he'd been shot with that thing, he'd have fallen right away, right?"
"Most definitely," Hank nodded, "the build up of the charge from the tweezers hurt your hand – by the way that WILL stop hurting in a while – the build up from the gun would be a thousand times worse, probably kill him, only it didn't."
"It's weird Hank…" Kitty said, "Logan said he found a stain of blood on the roof a little bit AWAY from where he was found…so either he was moved after shot or he was still awake…"
Hank looked at Kitty, "How unusual…" he rubbed his chin, "but I suppose there's no way of testing this theory…"
"We could ask Logan if he wanted to," Kitty made a half joke, trying to lighten her own mood.
"Logan's healing factor would be an advantage to testing the theory but at the same time, he'd heal too quickly and recover to give us an idea of how Remy could recover enough to move from an electric shock of that magnitude."
Kitty nodded.
"This may remain a mystery we might never know the answer to…" Hank stressed, he pushed his hexagonal glasses back up his nose, "I'll discuss it with the Professor in the morning, perhaps he will have some theories of his own – after all my mind is not so alert right now, I could use a good sleep – I think we all could."
"I don't think many of us in this mansion will be sleeping tonight," Kitty explained, "After seeing Remy like I did…I don't know if I'll ever sleep again…" she sighed, "I feel so bad for Rogue…I think she saw him jump."
Hank looked at Kitty, "if you need some sleep I can give you a sedative to induce sleep and relax you?"
"No…" Kitty shook her head, "I know if I sleep I'm going to have nightmares…I'll sleep when this is all over…if it ever is," she said.
"I suppose I should go back to the hospital wing…keep an eye on Remy," Hank sighed, "I hate being amongst the dead," he said quietly, "I also have nightmares…"
Kitty touched her arm, "do you want me to sit with you?" she asked quietly, she hoped he'd say no, but she thought it might be polite to ask anyway. The thought of sitting in that horrible clinical smelling room with that body under the white sheet made her very skin crawl. Only hours ago he'd been Remy LeBeau and now was nothing more than a cadaver under a sheet.
"I…don't think that would be a good idea," Hank said, but smiled, "go get some rest, and I'll be fine, really…"
"You're sure?" Kitty asked again, yet again praying he'd say that he would be alright on his own, she crossed her fingers behind her back.
Hank nodded once more, "I'm sure."