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"You replaced me?" Remy stood in the kitchen, staring at his father in disbelief. The girl he had tackled minutes earlier, sat on a wooden chair looking both tired and annoyed. He gestured her. "With a girl?" She rolled her eyes at the comment.
"We didn't replace you." Jean-Luc said with a heavily sigh. "We just needed someone to take your place while you were away."
"That's replacin'!"
"So." The girl stood up, rubbing the abrasion on her elbow. "Do you always attack people when they're takin' out the trash?" She had a light Southerner accent and two distinctive white stripes framing her faces. She had shoulder length brown hair pulled up into a ponytail.
Remy ignored her, mentally noting to apologize for that later—maybe. He looked at his father. "Did you give her my room too?"
"Well, Remy, I'm willing to share your bed with you." She sounded as if she were talking to a five year old.
Remy sat down, mumbling things in French. A loud smacking sound was heard when he let his head drop onto the table.
The girl winced. "That's gonna leave a mark."
_____
"Her mother was an assassin. Trained and brought her up the same way she had been."
Remy was sitting with his father in the living room. He sat on the couch, a bored expression written on his face. "Ain't she special."
"I don't like that attitude, boy. Didn't they teach you any manners in that school you went to?"
"I went there because you wanted to make sure I didn't end up blowin' off my hands. You know I ain't useful to you if I can't steal anything."
Jean-Luc's dark eyes flashed with anger. "You know that ain't true. It was hard watchin' you head to some school where your talents are a waste."
Remy grunted. "Did you forget why I went to some school?" He glanced up at his 'father.' "You're just ashamed that I'm a mutant."
Before Jean-Luc could respond, Rogue appeared in the doorway. "I moved into the guest room so the Swamp rat here could have his little room."
"Thank you, Rogue." Jean-Luc said sharply after inhaling deeply.
Remy sat up, "Good. Then I'm goin' to bed." He walked out of the room, lightly bumping into Rogue on the way. "'Night Rouge."
Her eyes practically shot daggers at him as she twirled around. "That's Rogue, Remy." Short pause. "Hey, isn't that a girl's name?"
"Rogue?" He called back in a beat. "Isn't that an elephant?"
Rogue shot a look at Jean-Luc. "Cute son."
_____
Remy was used to early training sessions every morning so it wasn't a big
surprise to him when he woke up early the next morning. He felt a ping of
regret for coming back as he recalled what had happened last night. Like he
really wanted to see his two faced father and that—that—that river rat!
He was the Princes of Thieves! He was a grand master thief! He was a skilled fighter. Within two years there was no way he could be so easily replaced, especially with some girl!
He pulled himself unwillingly out of bed. When he stood up, he sighed heavily and collapsed back onto the bed. It was useless. There was no point.
After laying there for five minutes he could only feel self-pity for himself. He then decided he needed a cigarette. Once again he dragged himself out of bed, grabbed his trench coat and hesitantly walked out of the room that once was his.
_____
"Mornin' sleepin' beauty." Outside, Rogue was doing kick/punch/block combinations on a kicking bag that was bolted to a tree stump. She was wearing a green tank top underneath a sweatshirt and black pants with white running shoes. He found it to be odd that she was wearing gloves while working out.
Remy merely grunted as he took out his pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He took one out before putting it back. After that, he took out a lighter and lit it.
"I'm surprised you can stand being within several feet of me." She stopped what she was doing and turned around to face him.
"Me too." He mumbled, taking a drag from his fag.
"Do you want to play?" She walked up to him, a serious look set upon her face.
He exhaled the smoke into her face. "Excuse me?"
"You know, do you want to fight?" She took the cigarette from him and took a drag from it before flicking it into the grass. "O' are ya afraid t' fight me?"
"I ain't afraid." He snapped down at her. "You'll probably just scratch at me and pull out my hair."
"Sugah, if I was goin' to pull out anything it'd be the peach fuzz growing below your lips."
"Touch." Without realizing it, he reached up and rubbed the ugly fuzz. How dare someone threaten it! Now he shall blast her with his ray gun! Or not.
"C'mon Rem. I've been compared to you so much and heard so much about you. I want to see how good you really are."
He wanted to fight her. But it just felt so odd. Would he just come right out and hit her? Would he get into a stance? If he were fighting anyone else, he would know the answer. Why was this so different?
Apparently, Rogue answered his question because before he knew it, her fist was sailing at his face.
______
Back at Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters..
Kitty walked down the hall in her uniform ready for the day's training session. "You think Remy is having fun back in the Big Easy?"
Jubilee shrugged as she pulled on the yellow gloves. "He's probably having the time of his life."
"Lucky bastard." Amara, who looked like she woke up on the wrong side of the volcano, snapped as she hurried past the two.
_____
It was almost as if they were dancing. Of course, one wrong movement out of pattern they were going in could be proven fatal. Well, maybe not fatal but it would hurt.
The harder Remy would punch, the faster Rogue would block.
"Not bad." Rogue said right as she ducked to avoid a face height outside crescent kick. She dropped back and in a beat, she swept his legs out from under him.
_____
Back at Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters..
"Scott, Jean, you both look like you stepped foot in a land mind!" The students
laughed at their instructors. Bad move, if I might add. Laughing at the ones in
charge of your training session? Ah, so young; so inexperienced. So much they
needed to learn about life.
_____
Remy's Tante Mattie stared out the window as she dried a dish with a dishtowel. "Twenty minutes later and they'll still at it." She glanced back at her brother. "You and the boy talk about it?"
Jean-Luc grunted taking a sip from his drink. "He's so mad at me for "replacin'" him he won't even look at me."
"You should have told him about Rogue while he was in New York." She placed the dish in the rack and moved onto the other wanting to be dried dishes.
"It was too soon to talk to him then. With his powers goin' haywire an' everything."
"Excuses, excuses." She looked out the window to see the two Southerner's still at it. Both were breathing hard. Rogue was pined underneath Remy and struggling to kick him off. "What are we goin' to do about them?"
Jean-Luc sighed and walked over to the door. "I'll go pull out the hose."
_____
Back at Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters..
"Did you see Wolverine?"
"I heard there's no hair left on his head."
"I heard he took off to kill Remy."
"I guess we'll be paying attention to the news."
"And watching for the headlines in newspapers, 'Bigfoot kills a demon.'"
"I didn't think his feet were that big.."
"Headlines tend to exaggerate."
Ah, rumors.
_____
"C'mon love birds, not in the backyard." Jean-Luc sprayed the two with the
hose. Remy yelled curses in French, and Rogue just yelled the non-lady like
words as they scrambled to get onto their feet.
"Do you mind?"
Rogue ringed out the bottom of her sweatshirt. She shot a look at Remy. "Can't ya blow 'im up o' something?"
The hose was immediately shut off. Remy just looked at as loss for words as he turned on his heel and quickly went back in.
Rogue's brows arched up. "Was it something I said?"
_____
"I don't want no more of that fightin' between you an' Rogue." Jean-Luc said to Remy later that day. "You two are goin' to get along."
"Don't hold your breath."
"What don't you like about 'er?"
"What do you like about her?" That was when it finally dawned on him. "She's a mutant. You're usin' 'er like you used me."
Jean-Luc sighed. "Once you see what she's compatible of.."
"This is sickening." With those words, Remy got up and left the room. I should have never came back 'ere.
_____
Rogue was sitting on her bed, in dry clothes, reading a book.
She didn't even bother to glance up when she heard heavily footsteps walk into
her room. Although she looked up when she heard the locking sound of the door.
She raised a brow at Remy. "What are you doin'?"
He leaned against the door, folding his arms over his chest. "Tell me about yourself, Rogue."
_____
Just thought I'd leave it off there. It's a better place to pick it up for
the next chapter.
Thanks for reviewing y'all. =)