A/N: These scenes are so cut up, designed to irritate the most avid of readers. Good luck with piecing everything together. Decided to go a different way from originally intended, so whatever I promised last chap no longer applies…
The explosions wouldn't stop. Remy tried to breathe deep and relax, but he couldn't stop the flow of energy from his fingertips. It felt like it was ripping him in two. And his father's face clouded his vision. The bastard was pleased. He felt like his body was burning from the inside out, and the bastard was pleased. Remy blew up his cape.
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Marie walked out of the gates. Nobody stopped her. No one even made a half-hearted protest. She turned the corner and began to relax. Her backpack seemed to get heavier as she moved further and further away from the Institute, and she glanced sadly back. Add to that the strangest feeling of being watched, and Marie was tenser than a bow string. She wasn't scared. She was bloody terrified.
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Remy slipped out unnoticed. The explosions had decimated the lab and it was pandemonium as they tried to put things back together and clear out the space. His father was no longer pleased at the transformation. He had ordered Remy out of the way. Remy figured across the country should be far enough. He whistled happily as he wheeled the motorcycle from the garage.
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She wasn't quite sure of where she was going to end up. She was pretty sure that Jean was going to flip once she realized that she had cleaned out their savings. Marie hugged her knees to her chest as she waited for the bus to arrive.
Why was she going? It's not like Remy was anything special. It's not like he even needed her help. It's not like… There were a million reasons of why she should stay at the school, mindlessly going about her business and not one good reason of why she should go. Marie sighed. She had to go if to do no more than shut the voice in the back of her head up.
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Ororo groaned as she read the email. What rotten timing! She began pulling out her duffel bag as she sent off a reply. Trust Remy to make things so complicated.
Thanks 'Ro! Y' know I can' do anyt'ing wit'out y'
Remy! Where are you?
Not in Kansas anymore, t'at's for sure.
She rolled her eyes and began throwing clothes into the bag. Insufferable brat. God, she loved him.
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Scott rubbed his eyes. His father was pretty pissed. It seemed that Remy had disappeared again, and he took off before Dr. Essex could replace the tracer at the base of Remy's spine. He could be anywhere. Somehow that meant that Scott had to hear about it. Never mind the fact that he was supposed to be under his father's supervision.
"How am I supposed to know where he went? Remy's the one with the telepathy!" Scott heard his father mutter that he knew that was a bad idea.
"Just inform your brother that when I get him in my hands again, he's in for a behavior modification experiment." The phone slammed down in Scott's ear. It seemed his father was capable of an emotional response. Scott carefully replaced the receiver. He then dragged his suitcase out from under his bed and began to pack.
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It was quiet in the dining room. Jean sat with Theresa and Tabitha, discussing the schoolwork due in the next few days. Jean kept an eye out for her sister or Scott, missing them all of a sudden. She hadn't seen Marie since she'd climbed out of bed this morning and Scott hadn't shown up to walk her to class after lunch.
Dinner tasted like dust and Jean became aware that she was gripping her fork so hard her knuckles were turning white.
"Have you guys seen my sister today?" Jean interrupted, standing abruptly. The girls shook their heads and Jean ran down the hall.
"Ms. Grey!" Logan called, bringing her to a screeching halt.
"Is she hurt?" Jean asked, gripping his hand unconsciously.
"No. Professor Xavier wants to talk to you." He awkwardly patted her shoulder as he steered her towards the office.
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New Orleans. Remy vaguely remembered his life before things got…confusing. He remembered the way that Scott couldn't have been further from the image of the knight in shining armor. He remembered the smells, the sweat, the feeling that you've entered another land. The Big Easy. He loved it and hated it with a passion. And now, he had come full circle to the beginning.
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"Get out of here, kid," Scott said, prodding Remy's shoulder. He really didn't have the time to clear the area, but he hated to think of what Jack and Brad and the rest of them would do if they caught him after dark.
Remy could barely open his eyes. They were swollen. He hadn't eaten all day and it was hard to focus. "'Kay," he mumbled, before turning over to go back to sleep.
Scott was mildly surprised at the damage to the kid's face. Sadly, it no longer shocked him, this brutality. And then he heard the heavy footfalls. He flung the boy over his shoulder and headed for the swamp.
Remy groaned as he was bounced around. He had no idea what the kid was going to do with him. His vivid imagination had him squirming in Scott's arms, desperately trying to get out of his grasp.
"Stop it!" Scott hissed, slowing. A misstep in the swamp could mean life or death. He put Remy down and dragged him along. "Ever run into Jack Diamond's gang?"
Remy nodded slowly, his hand going to his face.
"Well, if you don't want to meet them again, get you ass moving!"
Remy moved. Suddenly this raggedly kid, standing a scant two inches taller than him, looked more and more like the knight in the aforementioned armor. Even with the torn shirt and flapping sneakers.
Scott looked at the runt of a kid he dragged with him. Arms were gangly and thin, hair was hanging in his face. He must have been nuts to drag him along. This was going to give him a bad reputation, saver of street rats.
Remy clung to his hand. They had climbed a tree and watched the gang create a mess in the swamp below them. Remy didn't think that he took a breath the entire time they were up that tree.
"Come on, Rem. Tante Mattie is gonna kill me for being so late…" Remy shuffled closer to Scott, suddenly terrified of the woman who filled the doorframe, hands on her hips, looking ready to take on the world.
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Ororo threw her bag down in the hall, heading towards the kitchen. She was starving and whatever Remy had thrown together smelled delicious. What she didn't expect was the large woman stirring the pot of gumbo.
"Y' must be Marie? Or Ororo?"
"Tante?" Ororo ran to the woman who had been like a second mother to her despite the fact that they had never met. Mattie hugged her tightly before ushering her to sit. A big bowl of gumbo was placed in front of her.
"'Ro, chile, Remy said t' sit tight here, he'll be back. Eat!" Ororo dug into the food, finally taking the time to look around her. The house was still bare, but she could see the potential.
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"So you see, we're very concerned. This isn't the first time your sister has taken off and after the attack on the school…Well, we want to make sure that no harm comes to our students. Anything you can tell us could potentially save Marie," Professor Xavier said, flanked by both Ms. Braddock and Logan.
"I don't know where she went. She wiped out our entire savings. I don't see how I can help. If she's blocking you, Professor, then I don't have a chance," Jean said, concentrating on keeping her shields up.
"We fear that she is just out of range. Did she say anything about the last time she disappeared?" The professor's exchanged a look as Jean shook her head.
"I was too upset to ask her any questions. I just can't help you, I'm sorry."
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Marie felt completely lost. In both directions all she could see was a dirt road and a couple of stumpy buildings. They'd dropped her off in the middle of nowhere.
"'Bout time y' show up, River Rat," Remy said, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He grinned as Marie jumped in surprise.
"You don't seem hurt. What the hell did I come all this way for?" she tossed her bag to him to carry.
"T' save me from a fate worse t'an death. Boredom." He led her to his motorcycle and tied her bag to the back. "Ready?"
"You expect me to trust you with that thing?" Marie said, walking around the bike and scrutinizing it carefully.
"Scared?"
"No." She climbed on as if the thing was going to explode. Remy shot out of the parking lot with Marie squeezing his ribs so tightly he was sure he was going to have bruises. She was cursing up a storm as she closed her eyes.
"It's a damn good t'ing I haven' kissed y' yet. Next t' t'is little ride, a kiss from me will send y' int' a swoon."
It did what Remy intended. Marie was no longer cutting off his circulation. She was sending him a glare hot enough to battle the Louisiana sun.
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Scott's eyes began to cross. The child wouldn't just keep her butt in the seat.
"Where are we going, Scotty?" Kitty asked for the twelfth time. She was swinging her legs and pressing all of the buttons on the seat.
He wanted to scream. Instead, Scott said very calmly, "First we're going to Georgia to see a doctor I know, then we're going to see Remy."
"Can we go see Remy first?"
"No." That wouldn't work. He had to get the damn tracer disabled before he went to New Orleans.
"Can I have another ice cream?"
"No."
"Scotty?"
"Hmm?"
"Are we there yet?"
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"Stormy, mon petite!" He pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek. Marie stumbled into the room, obviously a little shaken from the ride still. "'ave y' met Marie?"
"Hi," Ororo said coolly. She still had to figure out if the girl was good enough for her best friend.
"Hi," Marie said, equally guarded. She slipped an arm around Remy's waist protectively. He rolled his eyes at the girls.
"Did Tante feed y'?" he asked Ororo, sliding fluidly into the kitchen, following the trail of heavenly scent.
"Yup. She had to start another pot."
"C'mon Marie. Y' 'aven't lived until y' taste Tante's gumbo." There was no need to tell her twice. Marie flew into the kitchen behind him.
"I was gonna wait 'til Scotty got here, but he's gonna be delayed. Jus' wanted t' let y' know t'ere's no pressure t' stay. Jus' wanted y' t' know t'at t'ere's a lot of work t' do here." Remy looked over the girls, making sure they were paying attention. "T'is house is our little refuge. Paid it off last month. We're hopin' it will let us get away from…everyone for a while. We talked it over, and wanted t' invite y' guys t' stay."
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To: Jean reddHott.xavier.edu
Fr: Marie unTouchable1.xavier.edu
Left a ticket for you at JFK. Be there by noon tomorrow. Hugs and kisses.
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A/N: Okay, so now what? Umm…as soon as I figure it out, you'll know. Until then, please review, give me some plot ideas, and I need a good adult figure to pull into this.