Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 22

Chapter 5: So Dead and So Grounded

Remy wouldn't have expected Carol Danvers to go to the club known as Asylum. He'd thought it was the last place on earth she would have gone to and yet, he'd traced her there, and spent the whole time hiding in the shadows brooding about it as he watched her dance. She'd dressed in some of the clothes Rogue used to wear, although now they looked several times tighter than they once had. A short PVC skirt, and fishnet stockings, leather platformed boots and a small fishnet top over a black push up bra – which left almost nothing to the imagination.

Remy despaired as he watched her dancing amongst the crowds of Gothic and Punk – half of the people she danced with were barely older than twenty. Carol had pulled Rogue's hair into a tight ponytail that swung in a sexy sway as the danced. Remy tried to not let it get to him but couldn't deny the fact that it enticed him. But despite it was Carol he was watching, it was Rogue he was aching for.

Come back, Rogue. Come to life, push her out of your mind, take control, it's not too late, I know, Remy thought dully as he quaffed beer, swathed in the shadows near a corner of the room, barely visible unless you looked hard enough.

The offer Betsy Braddock had made seemed more and more inviting than it had the first time she'd asked him. He didn't like to admit it – even to himself – but over the past week, he'd thought about it a great deal. He wished he hadn't been thinking about it at all. The idea left him feeling sullied…tainted by Betsy's cruel immoral nature.

Remy leaned into the wall, he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to clear his mind of it all. The constant concern and stress of everything going on around him – not to mention the loud industrial music that was blasting across the dancehall – had brought on a thumping headache that he couldn't seem to force away. He wished he had it in him to just not care anymore and walk away – not just from the nightclub but from Rogue, and from everything in his life. His heart was too involved to just walk away now. He could feel his heart tightening within his chest every time he looked at Carol Danvers using Rogue's body the way she was.

He opened his eyes again, but Carol had disappeared. Remy groaned to himself, and reminded himself how sloppy he'd become as of late. Note to self, he thought coldly, when following someone, you don't close your eyes for five minutes.

Remy glanced around the nightclub, trying to locate Carol Danvers. The white streak in Rogue's hair usually would have made her easy to pin point even in busy places such as this, however, tonight, several of the patrons of the nightclub had hair so white blonde or with similar streaks to Rogue's, that it made it impossible to spot Rogue's body at all.

Maybe she's at the bar, Remy thought, and he headed off in that direction. However, it was not Carol Danvers he found there, waiting to be served. Someone caught his eye, a familiar young woman with blonde hair streaked with lighter shades of blonde that seemed to almost glitter in the discotheque lights. Her vibrant blue eyes were ringed with sparkling blue eye shadow, and fake eyelashes exaggerated her own. Her deep red sparkling lips curled into a smile as she was served two Budweisers, and two bottles of alcoholic soda's.

I know her face, Remy thought frowning, why do I know her face?

Remy stood, staring at her, she looked almost old enough to be twenty one, although her figure was somewhat more boyish than it might have been. When she moved, a few random sparkles of light caught his eye, almost like falling glitter just around her.

She's a mutant, Remy realised, and as he watched her walk over to some other young people of the same age, he realised at once why he recognised her. He saw her almost every day, although she certainly never looked like this, but it was definitely her. Holy shit, he thought, She's one of Rogue's danger room students…from the institute.

Still clutching his bottle of beer, Remy decided to approach, he wasn't sure whether he'd be recognised at all, the students didn't tend to pay much attention to the adults of the institute at all – unless it was regarding various rumours about them. Remy pushed his sunglasses up his nose a little, to hide his eyes, and wandered over ever so casually, and tapped the young blonde on the shoulder, "bonjour," he said softly, deciding to catch her off guard.

The young blonde turned, smiled, "heyyyyyyyy," she said brightly, she looked him up and down.

"I haven't seen you here before," Remy said, he decided to play a character, to see what her reaction might be, he had to know how weary these kids were. The other kids were all from the institute, there were three of them, the two boys looked tipsy, he hadn't seen them much, but he recognised them instantly, and the other girl – also a blonde – looked slightly familiar to him also, she had a resemblance to someone he knew, he just couldn't place it.

"We come here sometimes," the young blonde replied, she put her hands on her hips, she was sporting leather pants, and a small dark red bustier which was trying to make something out of her nonexistent bust.

"What's your name?" Remy asked casually, sipping his beer.

"Alison," the girl replied, "these are my friends…Rusty, Rictor and Paige," she introduced. Rusty was smoking a cigarette – although he did it awkwardly, suggesting he didn't smoke very often.

"Cool," Remy replied, he made a note of their names just in case he should need them later, "This place is pretty dead tonight…I know a better place, wanna tag along?" he asked.

Alison glanced over at her friends then shrugged, "sure…" she smiled.

Remy nodded towards the door, "c'mon." Remy led the way while the four teenagers followed him, finally outside, where Remy could think again, he heard the teens whisper amongst themselves thinking he was out of earshot.

"Who is this guy?" asked Paige, she had a southern accent, and Remy realised at once she must have been Sam Guthrie's little sister, for she resembled him remarkably.

"I don't know, but he's cute," Alison whispered.

Remy turned to them all once they were half way up the dark street, "so…no one going to ask me my name?" he asked casually.

"Uhm…sure," said Rusty, "What's your name?"

"Remy LeBeau, AKA Gambit from the X-Men Gold Team and you all are SO busted," he said folding his arms.

"Aw fuck!" Alison blurted with a frown, "I don't believe it…"

"What the hell are you kids DOING going to that place…what ages are you? Sixteen?"

"I'm sixteen," Paige put her hand up in response, "they're fifteen," she pointed to Rusty and Rictor, "and she's fourteen."

"Lovely," Remy uttered, "do you KNOW how dangerous that place is?" he demanded angrily, feeling quite a bit protective all of a sudden, this unnerved him but he wasn't about to let it show.

"How dangerous can a nightclub be?" Rusty shrugged, "we're mutants."

"That place is nothing but a meat market for Goths and punks," Remy pointed towards the club, "anything could have happened to you, ANYTHING. You were about to walk away with me – a total STRANGER, for all I know you could have been ambushed…you could have been raped."
"You couldn't rape us, we're guys…" Rictor rolled his eyes.

Remy shook his head at the boy in disbelief, did Xavier's institute teach them nothing these days, "Yeah, you think guys don't get raped, kid? Try going to PRISON," he uttered coldly, he looked at the four teens who looked positively horrified, "I knew a woman who was sixteen who went into that place, was drugged and raped in a bathroom," Remy said, he deliberately left out the fact that it was Rogue he was talking about. "It's something she NEVER got over," he added.

"But we're MUTANTS!" Alison pointed out.

"So was she," Remy said, "and it didn't stop it from happening…" he said, he took his cellphone out of his pocket.

"Who are you phoning?" Paige's eyes widened.

"Someone to come pick you dumb kids up," Remy responded.

"Like you never did something wrong in your life just once?!" Alison demanded upset.

"Yes, I did, and that's why I'm the authority to cut your little clubbing session short," Remy dialled the number of the mansion and waited patiently for someone to pick up. Finally, an answer came.

"Xavier's institute," it was a woman's voice, "Jean Grey speaking."

"Jean, it's Remy," Remy sighed into the phone, he glanced over at the kids who all looked so crestfallen at being caught. "Can you come down to Rutland street?" he asked softly.

Jean hesitated on the line for a moment, as if confused, "Rutland street? Why??? What's wrong…?"

"I caught four of your students partying with booze and cigarettes," Remy replied, "in Asylum."

"Asylum?" Jean asked, "you're not talking about the place where—" she was about to add the words 'where Rogue got Raped' but Remy cut her off before she had the chance.

"Yes…" Remy answered.

"What students? I better inform the professor," Jean explained.

"Alison…Rusty…Rictor…and Paige," Remy named them, "and that's not the worst part, Jean," he sighed, "they didn't know who I was when I came up to them so I said I was going to somewhere more exciting, they were all ready to tag along – without knowing who I was."

Jean sighed, "they are so dead and so grounded," she said, "the Professor isn't going to like this…at all."

"Not at all," he said, he glanced to the students, they all looked so desperate and sad that he'd reported their mischief.

"I'll be there shortly in the van," Jean sighed, and hung up.

"Jean's coming to pick you guys up," Remy said, "I'll stay with you until then," he added, "just to make sure you don't make a run for it…"

Alison pouted, "are we in trouble?" she asked, although it seemed a stupid question to be asking at such a time.

Remy smirked, "Jean reckons you'll be so dead…and so grounded."