Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 23

Chapter 2: The Behaviour Within These Walls

That next morning, the weather was somewhat Scorching, and down in the second subbasement of the mansion, where the war room was located, the heat seemed even more oppressive. Remy didn't mind it though, he was used to unbelievable heat having lived most of his life in the South.

He slipped through the door of the war room two minutes later than everyone else had. He'd woken up late, forgotten to have set his alarm, and by the time he'd showered and pulled on some clothes, he'd arrived in the war room at 9.02am.

Jean eyed him as he entered the war room, she didn't look pleased at all. "As I was saying," she said, clearing her throat a little. She'd already been talking for the past two minutes before Remy had interrupted by arriving late. "Such behaviour just cannot be tolerated anymore…"

Remy took a seat between Scott Summers and Hank McCoy, he noted that Kitty had managed to drag herself to the meeting, despite a broken ankle.

"What behaviour?" Remy asked impudently. He was tired, and it did nothing for his mood.

"If you'd been here two minutes earlier, Remy, you might have heard my explanation already," Jean retorted.

"Wow, you're in a bad mood," Remy uttered, "I guess you woke up on the wrong side of a lonely bed this morning."

"Quiet, LeBeau," Scott warned.

"The Professor left me in charge and told me to deal with the situation however I see fit, and the way I see it is that this just cannot go on. Going in and out of each others bedrooms at all hours of the night. Arguing, not just in bedrooms but in the middle of hallways…oh, and sleeping naked is also a big no-no."

"Excuse me, but you're telling us we can't sleep with how we're comfortable now?" Remy asked.

Jean ignored him and continued with what she was saying, "I walked in last night to Betsy's room to find Remy and Betsy arguing – but not only that, the door was wide open, and Betsy was wearing not a thing at all, sitting there naked. If one of the students had saw this—"

"They would have gotten quite a thrill, I expect," Betsy smirked.

A round of chuckles followed from everyone at the table, except from Jean and Remy. Remy looked at Betsy, she threw him a look and just kept smiling all the while, in that knowing way. Remy wondered if he should just bring it out now what she'd done to Rogue. She'd certainly be kicked out of the X-Men if they found out. But then…if that should happen, how would Rogue ever be brought back to them again?

"It wouldn't be appropriate for the students to see a nude woman, Betsy," Jean advised.

"I do know that, of course," Betsy was filing her nails with a red emery board, she was leaning back comfortably in her chair, "however," she began, "the adult quarters of the mansion are restricted at all times, are they not?" she asked in a very light and nonchalant tone, yet everyone could tell she had a point to make.

"Forbidden," Jean nodded, staring over at the woman in curiousity.

"Then if a child should happen to wander into the adult quarters and just happen to see me naked – or not – then that child is the one who should be punished, not I," Betsy decided, she raised an eyebrow and looked over at Jean.

"That's a good point," said Bobby, he threw Remy a strange hateful glance, and then looked away again.

"If you MUST sleep nude, or in your underwear, fine," Jean then decided, "however, doors MUST be locked."

"Sometimes doors are locked," Betsy sniffed indignantly, "some people in this mansion like to ignore locked doors quite frequently. Let us forget, not all of us can walk through walls and pick a lock with perfect ease," she pointed out.

"Hey, wait a minute," Kitty sat up a little straighter, wincing from the jolt it gave her ankle, "Just what the hell are you implying?!"

"I think you know," Betsy tapped her long fingernails absently on the tabletop, "you do have a habit of just wandering into Remy LeBeau's bedroom without notice of a locked door, do you not?" she smirked.

Kitty frowned, "A: That is none of your business. B: It's probably happened all of three times in the nine years I've KNOWN the man, and C: You're just a shitstirring bitch, so shut up!"

"Language, please," Ororo said calmly.

Jean sighed, "Kitty…"

"My, my, my, Katherine," said Betsy in a tone of absolute relish, "what a temper you have, I guess you're arguing for two, eh?"

Kitty's cheeks flushed crimson, her eyes widened.

Remy glanced over to Kitty, she looked positively petrified, "Betsy, shut up, just because you have a problem with me doesn't give you the right to start going off at my friends."
"I thought it was more than that, Remy. The amount of time you two spend together, makes one wonder what you two are getting up to…" she smirked, "well, it makes the others wonder, I already know," Betsy flashed a wicked smile.

"You said nothing was going on!" Piotr bellowed at Kitty.

"Nothing IS, it's HER," Kitty pointed to Betsy, "she's shitstirring. You know I'd never sleep with him!"

Jean put her hands to her head, "people, please!"

"You slept with Remy?" Logan asked directly to Kitty, who flushed even more crimson than before.

"No!" Kitty yelled, her eyes glistening as if she were ready to cry.

Kurt shook his head, "I do not believe you could be so stupid…" he looked at Kitty, "as to sleep with HIM," he pointed coldly towards Remy.

Remy gaped, he couldn't believe this was all happening. Every time Betsy opened her mouth, everything seemed to go haywire. And what seemed so amazingly strange about it was the fact that despite that Kitty was trying to make them see that Betsy was the one causing all the arguments, no one seemed to pay any attention.

"Hey! Quieten down," Jean said, raising her voice, her vocal pitch was very high and stressed, unlike it's usual warm and breezy tone.

The arguments died down to a murmur, and then silence.

"The rules we need to get out here are as follows," Jean sighed, rubbing her temple with one hand while she read from a list. "Number one: male and female sleeping quarters must remain that way, no sneaking into anyone's bedroom for late-night cuddling or anything else. Number two: like I said, if you sleep with no clothes on, keep your door locked. For that matter, keep your doors locked at all time if you're not in them or if you're sleeping. Number three: Keeping to the dress code is a must – sorry, Betsy, but the way you dress is a bit too promiscuous for our students to see. That includes your uniform."

"What about the way Rogue dresses?" Betsy raised, "oh, ahem," she glanced over to Remy pointedly, "I mean Carol."

"That'll be dealt with," Jean advised. "Rule Number Four: No using the mansion computers to download pornography."

"Who does that?" Logan laughed, a slight dry cough followed it.

"Bobby," Remy uttered under his breath. "He's the only guy around here who doesn't get laid."

Bobby frowned at Remy with an icy stare. Remy felt an icy chill touch his fingers and he looked down to see frost gathering on his hands.

"That does it!" Remy pulled his hands away from the table, he felt the frost crunch as he curled his fingers, "What the fuck is your problem, Drake?!" Remy kicked his chair away and leaned over the table grabbing Bobby Drake by the collar.

"You," Bobby uttered.

"One move and I'll slice the both of you a new naval," Logan unsheathed his claws, his eyes were cold and dangerous beneath his thick brows.

"Are things always this hectic in the morning?" Betsy asked of Ororo casually as she leaned back folding her arms over her stomach.

"I do not know what has gotten into everyone today…" Ororo admitted in a curious tone, looking at amazement at the scene, "can we stop all this arguing?" she asked loudly.

"He started it!" Bobby cried.

"Stop this childishness at once!" Ororo stood up, slamming her hands on the tabletop, "Remy, let him go, that is an order!"

Remy let go of Bobby's collar with a slight push that sent him back in his chair a couple of inches, "I'm through with this meeting," he said, he spun around and headed for the door.

"Me too, actually…" Kitty got up limping, trying to walk with a cast on her foot. "This thing is just way too weird, and I'm not going to sit here and be subject to the stares you're all giving me because of what that British stuck up toffee nosed bitch is making up about what me and Remy supposedly did – but never," Kitty frowned and glanced over her shoulder.

Remy was halfway down the hallway and heading towards the elevator when Kitty called out to him.

"Hey, wait up!"

Remy turned and looked at her, "I don't want to stand here and talk to you when it's going to cause anymore rumours about what we did or didn't do," he sighed.

"Remy…I don't give a fuck about what they're saying. If Piotr doesn't trust me, that's his problem. The rest of them will eventually believe me, I've known them like, forever."

"I hope so," Remy said.

Kitty chewed her lip, her young features made her seem even more childlike than usual when she did this, "Remy…is she…like…messing with everyone's minds or something?"

"Is their any doubt? NO ONE paid any attention to the fact that she started all these arguments. No one turned and told her to shut up apart from you and me…it's like she's gotten them all under a spell or something," Remy flicked his hair back from his face.

"What are we going to do?" Kitty asked, sounding perhaps a little panicked at the situation.

Remy sighed and looked away, distant. He didn't have an answer for her, although he wished he had. "I don't know, Kitty…I don't know."