Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 23

Chapter 6: The Deal

Remy found Betsy Braddock in the Japanese gardens of the estate, her hair knotted behind her head and hidden beneath an extremely large yet attractive straw sunhat, a soft breeze making her dress sway around her legs. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, casting beams of light across the grounds, the ponds glimmered like mirrors, birds fluttered and swooped around the trees, chirping and singing.

Remy made a face, it was strange how it was always on the most beautiful days that he had the worst decisions to make. He remembered the last time he'd made a decision to leave, it had been a day such as this.

"So you've found me," Betsy's face didn't betray her surprise as she turned to look at him, having heard his footsteps upon the pathway, "how ever did you accomplish that, my dear?"

"Your communicator has a tracking device implanted within it, enabling a visual tracking system to pinpoint you throughout the estate," Remy replied.

Betsy raised an eyebrow, this seemed far too descriptive a comment for Remy LeBeau to have made.

"What, surprised that I'm SMART enough to have replied in an intelligent and articulate way?" he folded his arms.

Betsy smirked, "a little," she turned and began to walk ahead, "so I trust you've made a decision regarding the proposition I put before you? I can only assume that's the only reason you'd come tracking me down, it sure as hell cannot be an attempt to get me into bed as you know that your chances of that are extremely slim to none."

"I have made a decision," Remy stated coolly, he followed her slowly, he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You've taken your sweet time," Betsy replied, "two weeks," she added, walking along the path almost like a model on a catwalk, the click of her white stiletto slip on shoes in perfect rhythm almost as if she'd practiced it all her life.

"Around ten days, actually," Remy said, "Hasn't been an easy ten days either."

"I'm sure it hasn't been. Although to be honest, I don't think this Carol thing can be truly bothering you as much as you convince yourself it does. You've been terribly distracted with worrying about young Kitty, haven't you. I'm almost convinced the baby could be yours."

"It's not," Remy said, "and who the father may be still isn't any of your goddamn business anyway," he added coldly.

"If you say so," Betsy turned and looked at him from beneath the rim of her sunhat, "so," she tilted her head a little to give herself an almost noble air, "your decision is…?"

"Why don't you tell me, since you're the fucking telepath," Remy remarked bitterly.

"I'd rather hear you say it," Betsy replied, "verbal contracts can be binding – at least with me," she batted her eyelashes in a dreamy way towards him, and he turned away, even more furious with her than he'd ever been.

"Fine," Remy said, "BUT—"

"Oh, there's a 'but'?" Betsy asked, "or is that a 'butt' as in ass, which you no doubt fit into the category of."

"But," Remy clenched his fists, he took a deep breath to try and calm himself, "I want a month with her."

"A month?" Betsy raised an eyebrow, "are you completely taking the piss?"

"A month," Remy repeated, "in which I can wind the relationship down gently so that I can separate from her without hurting her and at least somehow maintain the friendship I have with her so that – in the very unlikely event that I do survive this 'mission' that you have your heart set on – I can easily return and try to pick up the pieces of where I left off."

"I don't trust that," Betsy replied, "no."

"And I don't trust you to fix her completely," Remy said, "At least a month will give me time to confirm that she's alright after what you already did to her," he retorted.

Betsy shook her head.

"It's this or nothing, Betsy. I could so EASILY go to the Professor and tell him what you did to her," he stated. "You'd be out of here so fast your feet wouldn't even hit the floor," he added, frowning.

"Then why don't you?" Betsy raised an eyebrow with one of those ever so knowing yet secretive smirks of hers.

Remy knew why he didn't, she had a lot of information on him that even the others hadn't managed to piece together. She knew things, things about his personal life that he never wanted any of them to ever know. Things that would cause them to look at him in a completely different light than they already did, and he didn't need more of their strange glances, their questions or their pity.

Betsy chewed her lip for a moment, "Ahh, I see you already know what consequences might be if you did," she folded her arms primly, but continued to walk.

"All I'm asking for is a month," Remy stated, "it's not like we're going to leave tomorrow, Betsy," he reminded, softening his tone, his coldness towards her only seemed to cause her to become more aloof, that had always been her way. "We need to make preparations, plan things, we can't just run off into the unknown without any kind of idea what we're doing," He said.

Betsy stole a glance towards him, "I suppose you're right," she confessed, "although it's not often you are," she sighed.

"Are we in agreement then?" Remy asked.

"Yes," Betsy replied, "we are in agreement. You can have your month with her, but by the tenth of June, you HAVE to be ready to leave, and must be separated from her completely. I must warn you if you double cross me, I will permanently destroy Rogue's persona. And I will know if you tell her of what has gone on and about this…arrangement."

"I won't double cross you," Remy sighed, he could tell she wasn't kidding either. "now can we please just…fix this whole mess?"

"Fine…" Betsy turned to head back to the exit of the gardens, "let us do this now."

Carol Danvers had just woken up, and the feeling of exhaustion from her late nights seemed to be catching up to her as she leaned up, looking around the bedroom, she thought she'd heard a noise, but it may have just been a bird outside landing on the windowsill, or someone out in the hall passing by, she wasn't sure.

She sat up and stretched, and rubbed her eyes, she'd been out late the night before, and it had been five am when she'd staggered home, singing merrily, drunk and ever so slightly disorderly. She didn't care. She would only live once, and she'd spent so much of her life living behind the eyes of someone else that now she wasn't going to let anything hold her back from doing what she wanted.

A sudden shuffling noise alerted her, and she glanced up to see Betsy Braddock standing cat like upon the study wooden headboard of the bed frame, hand outstretched, an incredible glowing light seemed to shoot from her fist, and Carol felt a jolt of panic flow through her as she felt Betsy's other hand grasp tightly around her hair and pull her to her.

Then there came only pain. Pain like Carol Danvers had never felt in her life.

Betsy let go of the now unconscious Carol's hair, and leapt down from the bed, she frowned, closing her eyes, "I'm bringing Rogue back now," she murmured, to Remy, who had also crept into the room when Carol was asleep.

"Betsy, I want to know something…before you bring her back I mean…" Remy said whilst she was working.

Betsy stopped for a moment, and turned to him, "what?"

Remy paused, "How…did you…I mean…I saw Carol touching a guy…and…Rogue can't do that…how did you make Carol do that?"

Betsy raised an eyebrow, "you think I did that? I can assure you I didn't," she replied, "it could be that Rogue's problem simply is psychological, perhaps she just isn't ready to use her powers in ways she didn't know she could. Perhaps Carol had a better working knowledge of how to use them. It could be that…maybe Carol wasn't afraid to let it hold her back, and Rogue is just…too afraid of what her powers might do to let her move forward. Who knows…" Betsy shrugged, "now please be quiet, the bringing back is a little more difficult than bringing Carol forward was," she sighed.

Remy remained quiet, deep in thought. He'd sincerely thought that Betsy might have controlled Rogue's powers somehow. This left a lot of questions, or hope, when Rogue was brought forward again did it mean she might be able to touch?

Remy frowned, it was probably too much to hope for, "just so we're real clear, all of the stuff Carol did to Rogue's body, you can't tell her, I need to break it to her gradually," Remy said.

"Shut up, will you," Betsy uttered.

A few moments of silence passed. Betsy moved away, and turned to Remy, "she'll sleep for a while now, it's almost like a comatose state, it'll last as long as the previous coma did. Her mind needs to connect to all her senses permanently once again and that can take it's time, but when she awakes, she'll be alright."

"And she won't remember a thing?" Remy asked.

"Nothing," Betsy said, "it's like she was put in a little black box in her own mind, she didn't see, hear or sense anything. She slept through it all. Now she has to reawaken herself."

"How can I trust she really is coming back?"

"I guess you can't – you just need to wait and see the results."

Remy looked towards Betsy, "I'd thank you," he replied, "except…since you caused it all in the first place I'm not sure that response is particularly appropriate."

"Probably not," Betsy made her way towards the door, "just remember. You have only a month to break up with her, and to prepare for the search for Sinister. I suggest you ready yourself."

Remy watched her leave, and shut the door behind herself, he moved over to Rogue, she looked so peaceful, sleeping. Soon she'd be awake, and the hardest month of his life would begin.

THE END (or is it – dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn)

Okay, so it's sort of cliffhanger-y. But let's face it, they're fun, hehe. Props to everyone as usual. I want to write down everyone's names who are nice to me and review but I'm tired and wanna go to bed so I need to upload this now or else it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

- Ash