Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 19

Chapter 5:  Revenge I Seek

          "I want to know what the hell is going on, and right now," Scott slammed his hands on the counter top of the round table of the war room, where the X-Men were all meeting.  Everyone was confused, the scene that had played itself out in the Hospital Wing had settled, but there were so many questions and it seemed as if Psylocke was more in the mood to answer some of them than Remy was.

          "I don't blame you," Psylocke said, "how long has the sneakthief been KEEPING these secrets from you?" she snorted, "a life time more than likely."

          Remy was sitting silent at the table, he'd been staring into space for some time, no one was sure if he was listening or not.  Kitty had tried to ask him if he was alright but he didn't answer, he just ignored everything completely.

          "How do you know him?" Scott asked of Psylocke.

          Psylocke was sitting in a prim fashion, she had her arms folded neatly, her expression stern, "he," Psylocke nodded in Remy's direction, "came looking for me around six years ago.  I was in Japan at the time.  He told me someone was coming to get me – I believed him.  Naïve as I was, I believed," she shook her head.  "We worked together for a while – along with my twin brother, Brian – trying to avoid our capture.  We ran into a mutual enemy of yours," she raised her eyes to Scott, "Sabretooth – who we defeated numerous times.  Sabretooth was apparently contracted to find me AND Remy by a man known as Nathaniel Essex.  A extremely talented geneticist who had a laboratory on the Island of Genosha."

          "I remember hearing the stories of the Scientist who would snatch children from their homes to use in experiments, but I had always just assumed they were modern urban legends," Ororo said.  "Everyone who ever visited Kenya somehow came across the tale.  It was always assumed that the missing children were taken to be sold to a child prostitution ring, or that they might be runaways."

          "No, it was quite real," Psylocke said, "I saw it for myself…" she sighed.

          Remy finally spoke, "me and Psylocke figured out the connection – even saved a lot of children from the fate the children before them had suffered…we worked together as a duo…tracing the children beforehand, and saving them from Essex."

          Kitty looked at Remy, "how did you trace what children he'd planned to take?" she asked curiously.

          "It wasn't too difficult.  Mutants.  Always mutants…and in Kenya it isn't too hard to know a mutant family by the way they're shunned by the rest of society.  Rumours spread, follow the rumours and the pointed fingers, and you're sure to find something," Psylocke responded.

          "So…how does this lead to Remy's working for this…Sinister…guy?" Kitty asked.

          "I'm getting there…" Psylocke said.  "What he NEGLECTED to tell me at the time was he'd been following Nathaniel Essex – AKA Mr. Sinister – and his research for a while.  His older sister Chantal was involved – apparently the lover of the geneticist…"

          Everyone was listening closely, a strange hush fell over the room despite the hundreds of questions they all had.

          Remy interjected, "I'd been on the streets not long after I left here after the accident with Jared Rickman.  I found out kids were selling MutantX again to mutants…I followed trails for weeks and found Chantal.  I followed her, traced her back to Genosha through a lot of hard work."

          "Why would you do that?" Kurt asked.

          "I wanted to stop the stuff being made," Remy said, "because of MutantX…Rogue was hurt…it caused so much pain that I just wanted to try and make it right somehow, even if she'd never know."

          Psylocke snorted, "At the time, I didn't know everything that was happening – I didn't know Remy had already been captured by Sinister a few times before…and I didn't know his sister was involved in their schemes.  That was even long before Magneto got involved.  Remy found out that Sinister was going to kidnap a politician – going to force him to set certain policies which would ensure the Genoshan Mutant Containment Facility would be funded, and supported by the government.  Remy convinced me WE should Kidnap the politician ourselves only it turned out that was what Sinister wanted, he had it set up so that we'd be caught!  Me and my brother got thrown in Genosha – Remy was never seen from again.  He's been working for Sinister all along."

          "That's NOT true," Remy spoke up, "You know I'd never work for him."

          "Then where WERE you all this time, LeBeau?!" Psylocke demanded.

          "In a solitary cell!!!  I escaped and got caught, and repeated it all over again…" he looked away.

          "What happened to your brother, Psylocke?" Scott asked.

          "Murdered quite recently by the clones of Remy LeBeau," Psylocke uttered.

          Remy sighed, "can I go…I want to be by Rogue," he said to Scott.

          "No, you'll sit there until we sort all this out and find out WHO'S side you're on."

          Remy stood up, "I'm on the side of the X-Men.  My intentions were for nothing but to get MutantX off the street – it turned into trying to save everyone from Genosha but behind it all Avenging Rogue was ALL I EVER wanted to do!" he yelled. 

          Professor Xavier had been sitting in silence for so long.  "I believe him…I remember how things were before, when the incident with Rogue first happened.  He was like a mad man, set on revenge."

          Kitty nodded, "I know…I was there, I saw it happen."

          Psylocke stood up, slamming her hands down on the countertop.  "You're all soft in the head if you believe this good for nothing Thief.  He's working for Sinister, I tell you."

          "I never worked for Sinister of my own accord...there were times when things would seem hazy…" Remy looked away.

          Psylocke frowned, "did you tell them of how Sinister set it up so you'd meet with the X-Men to steal the research from them so Sinister could mutate his clones further?" she was shaking with anger.

          Remy's eyes darted to her, then away nervously.  "That was never the intention."

          "What are you talking about…?" Kitty asked. 

          Psylocke smirked, "oh yes…" she said smoothly, "I just saw it all in his mind…Sinister tracked Remy down months ago…you see, Remy worked for Sinister periodically for a time..."

          "I was only pretendin' to be on his side!" Remy yelled, "I was plotting his downfall the whole time!"

          Kitty placed her hand on Remy's arm, "it's not true…is it?"

          Psylocke snorted, "I think it is.  You see, when Sinister tracked Remy down, he TOLD Remy where you would all be…and what would happen.  He knew of the research that would transform his clones into fully powerful mutants…Sinister wanted Remy to steal it!"

          Remy felt tears stinging his eyes, "Alright, so I knew.  Big deal!  I did the wrong thing for the right reasons…only I didn't intend to take Sinister the research."

          "So WHY DID YOU?!" Psylocke, she was staring right in his face so intently, her violet blue eyes cold with fury.

          "I didn't!  He stole it!  I took it from the institute but I hid it…"

          Kitty sat up straight, "under the floorboards of your apartment."

          Remy gave a slow steady nod, "I didn't KNOW that when I got back from the Funeral they'd have broken into my apartment – that's when everything went from bad to worse…"

          "We…never did…exactly find out what happened to you, after that, Remy…" Jean said softly.

          "I ran, escaped to the roof, and ran into Sinister, and a clone.  Sinister attacked me before I'd even knew he was there, and knocked me out…only thing I can ASSUME happened is he swapped me over with the clone and passed it off as me – took my clothes.  THAT'S why I was naked in the cell when that Algerian student girl found me."

          Psylocke sighed, "why you would want him on your team is beyond me," she sat back down primly, "you had the right idea by wanting him dead," she glanced over to Bobby Drake, who was still seemingly dazed, they'd found him out in the hallway outside the cell earlier although he claimed she'd escaped of her own accord.

          "What are you talking about?" Scott asked.

          "He let me out – wanted me to kill LeBeau."

          Ororo frowned in Bobby's direction, "I will have words with you later regarding this," she uttered coldly.

          "Back to the subject," Remy stood up slowly, "Betsy, I'm sorry, but Brian was NEVER meant to get involved in this at all, you knew that when I told you that you were being hunted, it was him who wanted to protect you and that's how he got involved in all this in the first place."

          "And that's how he died – protecting me from you," Psylocke sucked in a breath.

          "Protecting you from a CLONE of me, it's quite different," Remy frowned. 

          "You've saw it in my head I had nothing but good intentions except towards Sinister, how can you still blame me?!" he demanded.

          "Because if you hadn't gotten us involved in the first place, it might never have turned out this way!  You used me and Brian."

          Remy couldn't deny this, for it was true.  He'd known the minute he'd found out Sinister had been hunting for Psylocke that she might be useful in helping him on his quest to avenge Rogue and make sure that MutantX stayed off the streets.  "Fine.  I used you, but I NEVER meant for anyone to get hurt…especially your brother.  He was a good man."

          "As I thought you were, but I guess I was wrong!" Psylocke frowned, "and for that…you will pay.  Just wait until you turn your back, LeBeau, 'cause I'll be there."

          "Threats are not welcome in this Mansion, Psylocke," the Professor warned, "although I sense your frustration, I do believe that somehow you do not truly intend to harm him."

          Psylocke looked away, "I'd still like to cause him some pain."

          Remy sighed, "if you want revenge, then maybe I'm not the man you should be looking to…"

          Psylocke's eyes found Remy, "what are you suggesting?  That I just let it all go?!"

          "No, I'm saying Sinister is STILL out there, he was there that night…and if you hadn't attacked me, we probably COULD have found him," Remy responded.  "We COULD have beat him together…"

          Psylocke's glare was cold, "fine, then," she stood slowly, "until Sinister is dead…I'll be staying here," she said, inviting herself upon the mansion and the X-Men, "and unless you help me get the revenge I seek," she looked at Remy sternly, "it'll be your life I take."