Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 17
Chapter 2: Out of Control
"I am TELLING you, Hank," Kitty said that next morning after two math classes during a break when she'd found the time to see Hank McCoy about the incidents from the morning earlier, "He was way out of control…I'd never seen anything like it before…at least not on Remy. I just…had no idea he had that kind of power…" she stammered, trying to explain the details of the early morning fiasco on the basketball court.
"What exactly happened?" Hank asked, he was checking over some of the students tests from earlier that morning.
"I don't know what happened exactly…he looked scared…and angry…he was screaming 'go away', but I didn't see anyone else there besides us, and if he meant it towards us why didn't he just look at us. He started charging up this piece of glass…and we tried to stop him…" Kitty explained quickly, "Hank, EVERYTHING around us was exploding practically – you saw the mess of the rec room widows, and the back door – even that Corinthian pillar on the back porch – he did that!"
"Without even touching them?" Hank asked.
"Yes!" Kitty explained, "Hank, I'm really worried, he's never shown this kind of power before…and this…this sparking thing happened again when we touched him…it's obviously some kind of manifestation of his powers…"
"Perhaps I should examine him – physically and genetically," Hank suggested.
"Maybe," Kitty nodded, she looked at her watch, "crap, I gotta run, I have to take over Rogue's danger room serssion."
"Did Rogue hear about the incidents this morning?" Hank asked as Kitty was heading through the door.
"She was away on a mission last night with Kurt and Jean…she isn't back yet," Kitty replied.
"Do you think this should be kept between us?" Hank asked.
"The rest of the mansion knows, someone's sure to mention it to her at some point," Kitty shrugged. "I feel so bad for him, what can I do?"
"Be there. That's all you can…and if he wants to tell you exactly what happened…he will when he's ready."
When Rogue arrived home from her mission the first thing she wanted to do was see Remy. Despite the exhaustion that had settled over her during the night, she still wanted to stay awake long enough to see him. She had barely seen him the night before and missed him already. After leaving the blackbird jet amongst the others, she headed off on her own finding Kitty coming down the foyer staircase just as she had been coming out of the elevator.
"Hey," Kitty said softly.
"You don't sound very cheery," Rogue said as she approached the staircase.
"I'm tired…there was an…incident, earlier this morning at about four am," Kitty sighed. She decided it might be best to tell Rogue straight up about the incident, after all, she was bound to find out from someone, just like she'd told Hank.
"What happened?"
"Remy flipped out – and so did his powers," Kitty replied.
"Is he alright?" Rogue gasped, feeling panic setting in. Whenever something happened involving Remy, it always meant trouble ahead. Just as usual when things were getting good, they began to fall spectacularly apart.
"As far as I can tell he's fine…at least physically," Kitty shrugged, "but mentally…"
"What happened exactly…?" Rogue asked, beginning up the stairs, Kitty followed quickly.
"I found him out on the basketball court at 4am screaming 'go away'…he tried to charge up this piece of broken bottle – he'd definitely been drinking…" Kitty stated as she followed on. "Everything around us – the basketball hoop, the bench, the basketball, windows, the pillar out back--"
"I noticed that the pillar had collapsed when the blackbird was flying in," Rogue confessed.
"It all exploded…he did it Rogue, without even touching it."
"But he has to touch things in order to charge them up with kinetic energy…"
"Something about his powers last night was no way purely kinetic…" Kitty stated, "there was something else…remember those sparks…it's happened a few times…he was shocking me and Logan, sparks were definitely flying – not metaphorically. I mean literally," Kitty explained quickly.
"Where is he now?"
"In bed…more than likely hung over," Kitty responded, "I just checked on him, he's sleeping."
"Did he say anything about the incident?"
"He's slept since I made him lie down when I took him upstairs around four fifteen this morning. When I asked him who was there…all he could say 'he was'…no indication of who 'he' might be…"
Rogue stopped outside Remy's bedroom door.
"Rogue, there was no one there, seriously. What he was seeing wasn't there."
Rogue stood, deep in thought. "What do you think it means?"
Kitty stood looking at Rogue. Rogue looked too tired to be able to deal with this, Kitty wished she'd kept it quiet until Rogue was a little more prepared. Rogue's expression was full of apprehension, green eyes dull and lifeless with exhaustion.
"I don't know what it means. I can only hope it doesn't mean he's going mad," Kitty said. "I'd tread carefully with him anyway, he looked a bit fragile."
"He's been fragile since we came back from Genosha," Rogue sighed, "I can't help but worry there's more to this whole thing than he's letting on…"
Kitty nodded, "I know what you mean…one thing has been bothering me," Kitty leaned close so she could whisper just in case they were being overheard by one of the students or other instructors in another room, "who made the clones."
"What do you mean?" Rogue asked, "obviously Magneto did…"
"Magneto doesn't have the smarts for that, Magneto is an amazing inventor and he has an advanced medical knowledge, but…we're talking with someone with more knowledge than either Hank, Professor Xavier OR Magneto…and that's kind of scary someone having that much knowledge…"
"So who is behind it then?" Rogue shrugged.
"Remember that name that showed up on the records of that conference? Nathan Xiessel or something…I think it might be that person."
"But two names appeared on those records…" Rogue reminded.
"Elle Muir," Kitty responded, "I think that might have been Chantal LeBeau, Remy's older sister. Let's face it…there's no way Magneto would have gone to that conference, Hank would have instantly spotted him. It had to be people he wouldn't know – faces he wouldn't recognise."
Rogue sighed, "can we talk about this later? I really want to see how Remy is doing."
"Okay," Kitty sighed, "By the way, I took over your Danger Room sessions for the day."
"You're a great friend, Kitty," Rogue smiled faintly.
"I know," Kitty smirked, "too damn good," she added, then left.
Rogue entered into Remy's bedroom quietly. The drapes were pulled and the room was dull and almost lifeless. The smell of drink was strong, and Rogue noted a stain on the carpet – it had most likely been spilled there. Whiskey probably, judging by the colour. "Terrific," she uttered under her breath.
Remy was sprawled over the bed outside of the covers, his hair mussed, his expression troubled as he was deep in sleep. He was clad in dirty looking jeans and a t-shirt, sleeping on his stomach. Rogue moved over and sat on the side of the bed. She moved his hair away from his face, looking at him.
Remy stirred, his eyes fluttered open lightly, then he winced, "Rogue?" he leaned up, putting a hand to his head.
"Hey, sleepyhead," she rested her back against the headboard of his bed, and stroked his hair with her gloved fingers, "how y' doin'?"
He didn't answer for some moments, he curled up against her, his head on her lap, "hung over," he groaned.
"Isn't it my job to drink too much and bitch about it?" Rogue smirked a little.
Remy sighed, "change of roles, I guess."
Rogue brushed her fingers against his forehead, "I heard about last night."
"I don't want to talk about it," he said quickly, he got up, rubbing his head, "I was just drunk."
Rogue didn't think so. By the seriousness of Kitty's expression, it seemed that Remy must have been more than merely drunk. She knew Kitty could sometimes be overly dramatic, but this time, she didn't feel that was the case. "Okay," Rogue decided to drop it for the moment, it was clear he was not in the mood to discuss it and she didn't want to push it. Their relationship was hanging on a thread enough as it was, she didn't want to test the strength of it just yet.
"Where were you last night?" he asked, looking at her.
"I was out on a mission," Rogue sighed, "I haven't slept yet. Just thought I'd come see you before I went to my own bed."
"Stay here…for a while," he said softly, he rested back down on the bed, on his side, looking up at her.
There was something strangely childlike about the way he said it, as if he were scared to be alone. Rogue lay on her side beside him, and he slid his arm over her, pulling her a little closer, so that her head pressed against his chest. Rogue closed her eyes, "your heart is beating irregularly, Remy," she murmured, she could feel the pulses, it wasn't a relaxed beat.
"It's fine," Remy assured, "it's the hangover, that's all."
Rogue sighed, did he take her for an idiot? Still, if he wanted to make excuses for now, there was nothing she could do about it, he was a grown man – a grown man obviously troubled by something.
Rogue wished he'd become just a little more open and tell her what was going on in his head. It was the one part of him she'd never really been able to reach since meeting him. He'd always had his secrets, and no matter how much questioning and probing she'd tried to do in the past, it got her no further than now. Mere accidents seemed to be the most revealing, but she couldn't wait forever for the next accident to arrive to reveal his little enigmas.
"Remy…" Rogue murmured softly.
"Hmm?" He asked.
"I love you," she breathed softly, just hoping that those words might ease the strange beating of the uneasy heart behind his chest. Soon, it calmed, and she heard the soft breathing as he drifted into sleep, holding her close, as if she were the only thing that would keep him safe.