To Err is Human

By Todd Fan

Disclaimer: "Confused, perplexed, bewildered, mystified - a thesaurus of emotions"

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Chapter 13 - Trial by Fire

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Sidney was awoken the next morning by the sounds of shouting....angry shouting. She jolted awake, jumping from her bed, running off down the tunnels. Callisto had been VERY angry when she was shown the playing card, and had sent off a group of Morlocks to aprehend the Cajun in question...now, it seemed, they had caught him. She made it into the mian area of the Alley, where a large group of Morlocks were surrounding Gambit, who was tied up in the middle.

"Remy LeBeau", stated Callisto, from where she was standing in the centre, by the tied up mutant, "you are brought here for crimes linked to the massacre of the Morlock people. You care telling us exactly HOW you were involved?"

"I don't know what you're talking about", said Remy, frowning, "I didn't do anything"

"You're lying, Gambit", said Callisto, "I can hear it in your heatbeat. I'll ask you..One. More. Time. What were you doing with the Marauders?"

Remy glared up at her, before sighing.

"Sinister, he....persuaded me to give the location of de tunnels so Morph could move in to play mole", he said, "den I was dere to create a diversion, dat is all".

"So, you willing let Sinister know where we were", said Callisto, sneering, "and did you know what he was going to do? And I remind you, I know if you're lying".

"Qui", said Remy, hanging his head, "but I didn't WILLINGLY tell him. He gave me no choice".

"Whether it was willingly or not, you still did it, when you had a chance to refuse", said Callisto, "for that, you will pay"

"You gonna kill me?", asked Remy, tugging at his restraints...too far from his hands to charge and break free.

"Oh no, Morlocks don't kill", said Callisto, then gestured a young man of around twenty in a postal uniform, "Postman here is going to wipe your mind completely clean. Like a wet sponge over chalk".

"Is this completely nessercary?", asked David, frowning, "I really don't like doing..."

"After everything he did to us, he deserves it. No one will look down on you for it", said Callisto, nudging him forward.

"WAIT!. You can't do that!"

The Morlocks turned to look at Sidney.

"After all he did to us?", snapped Callisto, "he gave Sinister the location of the tunnels!"

"He was just a pawn....like Kevin was", said Sidney, sighing sadly, "he didn't kill anyone"

"You mean unlike your Uncle?", hissed Tar Baby, a mutant covered in a sticky tar-like substance.

"Hey, low blow", said Evan, narrowing his eyes, "we're not turning on each other, here".

"Evan, please", said Sidney, "you and I both know that doing this to Gambit won't change anything....we'd be just like Sinister. Come on, Evan, you fight for what's right...you should know this ISN'T right".

Evan frowned, looking at her, before sighing, hanging his head.

"She's right".

There was a general murmer of discontent through the Morlocks, before Evan looked at Callisto.

"It's Sinister we want...not Gambit", he said, "I don't know about you, but I'm not lowering myself to his level".

Callisto looked between Evan and Sidney before giving a defeated sigh.

"So be it", she said, before looking at Remy, "you will still pay for you crimes, Gambit. Do not believe you are getting away THAT easily. You will stay imprisoned in the Alley until you have paid your pennance".

With that she walked away.

"I'll try to smoothe things over with her later", said Evan, "she's a soft touch, really"

"Uh..huh", said Sidney, walking over to where Hemmingway was dragging Remy to his feet, pushing him along.

She sighed, walking over.

"Merci, chere", said Remy with a smile, "Gambit owes you one".

"You don't owe me ANYTHING", said Sidney with a hiss, "just because I saved you from a fate worse than death doesn't mean I think you're completely inocent. Enjoy you life here, LeBeau. You're going to be here for a long time".

----

Meanwhile, the Xavier Institute was not a happy place for it's youngest resident. Jamie Madrox was sitting dejectedly in the kitchen, reading over the letter that had been left for him in the mornings post. It was in Gina's handwriting, he'd recognise it anywhere, but he was still having trouble digesting all the information it held. She had told him that she and her grandmother had moved back to Italy, as Rosetta had decided it was no longer safe for her to live in New York......that didn't make any sense. She'd faced alot of danger and still stayed...he let out another long, sad, dejected sigh.

"Oh, geez, Pipsqueak, will ya stop that?", said Logan, peering over his paper, "it's distracting".

"I can't believe she's gone", said the thirteen year old sadly, "I mean...she didn't even say goodbye. She just....went".

"Yeah, that's women fer ya", said Logan, earning himself a GLARE from Jean.

"Don't be insensitive, Logan", she said, then smiled at Jamie, "I'm sure she would have said goodbye if she could. And I bet she'll come over to visit"

Jamie, as he tried so many times to tell his fellow students, was NOT a naieve kid. Not by a long shot. That sort of talk wouldn't satisfy him. Nope.

"She's gonna go to Italy and meet some, hot, firey Italian guy named Luigi and then it'll be 'James? James who?'", he said.

"Who is this James guy?", asked Bobby, furrowing his brow.

Jamie blinked at him for a moment.

"I'M JAMES!!!"

"Nah", said Bobby, waving his hand, "you're Jami....oh".

Jean rolled her eyes at Bobby, before patting Jamie on the head.

"Awww, that won't happen, Jamie, a girl never, ever EVER forgets her first kiss, or the person she shared it with"

"Oh, that makes me feel better", said Jamie, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "everything is just hunkey dorey now".

Bobby wrinkled his nose

"....I don't like broken-hearted Jamie......he's weird!".

Jamie groaned, banging his head on the table. A clone popped out instantly, giving the original Jamie a poke, before shrugging.

"If you want me, I'll be eating ice cream", he said, walking off.

"See?", said Kurt, "Even your CLONES don't want to be near you!"

Jamie didn't even register his words, standing up and plodding off out of the room.

"I'm going up to my room to wallow in dispair and self-pitty", he said with a sigh.

"Oh man", sniffed Rogue, watching him go, "it's like watching a hurt puppy. You just want to shoot him to put him out of his misery".

"He is WAY too young to be wallowing in dispair and self pitty", said Jean, shaking her head.

"It's usually the very first heart break that hurts the most of all", said Shortpack, "It's the first time you really use your heart, and it's completey unperpared and unshielded from the pain heartache brings. Through time...it builds up a little more defense against heart break...unfortunately, that makes you more wairy of using it.....I guess that's what makes first love the most sweet of them all, when your heart is still an inocent".

Everyone in the room blinked at him.

"Yeah", said Shortpack, "the little guy knows stuff!"

"Okay, as...bizare as this is", said Kurt, "I've got to go. I'm going on a date vith Amanda"

Bobby blinked at Kurt.

"I NEVER thought you had it in you, Kurt", he said, aghast," How COULD you cheat on Amy?"

Kurt's brow furrowed.

"Vho's Amy?"

Bobby looked HORRIFIED.

"Oh my Gods, you forgot her already!"

"You.....are very strange today, Bobby", said Kurt.

BAMF

And he was gone.

"Bobby", said Jean calmly, "I really think you need to talk to a specialist about your problems with remembering peoples names".

"What?", said Bobby, indignantly, "I remember peoples names just fine, Jane".

"I rest my case", said Jean, shaking her head.

--

Meanwhile, Sam was getting some rare 'quiet time' in his room. As seen as his room mate was off doing something that 'involved butterflies' (as far as Sunspot would expand on the matter) with Dani, he had the place to himself. It also meant he was faaaaar away from his sister, who seemed to be developing a deeper and deeper resentment for him...though he wasn't exactly sure what he had doen to deserve it. However, whenether anyone seeks 'quiet time' in the mansion, it is the law of nature that states it will soon be interupted...and it was.

"SAAAAAAAAM!"

Sam winced as Kitty began yelling at the door, loudly.

"What is it?", he called back.

Kitty's head poked through the door, she was grinning like something possesed. Sam felt a small twinge of fear. THAT was the smile normally reserved for when she was offering baked goods.

"I know something that will make you haaa-ppy", said Kitty in a sing-song voice.

"Was Lizzie swapped for a sister without a death-wish on me?", tried Sam hopefully.

"No, even better", grinned Kitty, phasing out of the door and skipping off.

"Why do a'h have a feelin' ah'll regret this?", muttered the Southerner, following after the hyper Kitty.

He got as far as the bottom of the stairs when something jumped at him, knocking him on the ground. A brown, furry something.

"Gah?"

Before Sam could react more said brown furry something snuffled his hair, before giving a delighted yip, licking the side of his face. The brown furry, and obviously hyper thing then bounced off, him letting him to sit up and focus properly. Sam's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the brown furry something was, in fact, a brown, furry wolf.

"Rahne?"

The metamorph gave a wolfish grin, before transforming into her human form, barreling him over with another hug.

"Told you it would make you happy", said Kitty smugly.

Sam laughed, hugging the Scots girl back.

"When...how...?"

"Moira decided that it was high time I came back", said Rahne happily, "she got sick 'o my mopin' around the island".

"It's great to see you again", said Sam, unable to stop smiling, "a'h missed you".

"I missed ye too, Sammie-boy", said Rahne, standing up, helping him to his feet, "come on, I caught a whole bunch 'o new smells in here, you have tae fill me in on the details"

Xavier chukled as she dragged him off, before looking at Kitty.

"Could you go put Rahne's bags in the double room Elizabeth has, please?", he said with a smile.

Kitty paused half-way through picking up the bags.

"...Wait, you're putting Rahne AND Sam's sister in the same room...together...what did Sam do to you?"

"I just think Rahne has the right personality to....calm Elizabeth down", said Xavier, smiling, "and Elizabeth may bring Rahne out of her shell a bit. They are well suited as room mates....it worked for you and Rogue".

"Yeah, I guess", said Kitty, picking up the bags, "I still say it's mean on Sam"

"That's what he gets for stealing my heli-jet", said Xavier under his breath with a chuckle as he wheeled off.

---

Down in the Morlock tunnels, Remy LeBeau was already trying to figure a way out of his predicament. He had been dragged, rather roughly, to what appeared ot be an old circus cage, which had brickwork built around it, making it part of the tunnels. He sighed, as least his hands weren't tied anymore. His red-on-black eyes flitted to the archway that led to the room in which his 'cell' was kept. Hemmingway, a huge powerhouse of a mutant was still guarding it vigilantly. He checked his pockets, two cards and a pen...not a whole lot, but enough. Of course, Remy had been in situations like this alot worse, with the Assasins Guild. [1]

He glanced up, noting Hemmingway moving out of the way slightly. A smile spread across Remy's face. He knew all he had to do was bide his time until their was a slip-up. He took hold of the bars and concentrated, kenetic energy flowing into them, causing them to glow slightly.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you".

Remy jumped, but didn't let go, he looked up as Sidney padded in, carrying a tray.

"Why not?", he said, narrowing his eyes.

"That cage, as you must be able to see", said Sidney, rolling his eyes, "is built into the tunnels, you blow up those bars, and this whole cave'll tumble down on top of you. Not a wise move, LeBeau"

Remy frowned, looking around, seeing she was right. He gave a defeated sigh, channeling the kenetic energy back into himself, releasing the bars.

"That's better", said Sidney, opening a slat in the bottom, pushing the tray through, "here, eat something".

Remy wrinkled his nose at the offered goods, a half-eaten Gut-bomb burger, some soggy fries and some rather brown-looking water in a dirty plastic cup.

"Dat's it?".

Sidney crossed her arms.

"Hey, Callisto wanted to have you eating rats", she said, "I gave you MY food. That's about as ritzy as you get down here".

Remy blinked at her.

"Why did you give me your share?".

Sidney gave a shrug.

"I felt sorry for you", she said, then gave a feral grin, "besides, I prefer the rats".

"Too much information, Mon Ami", he said with a shudder, then smiled at her, "hey...err..thank you...for speaking up for me today".

Sidney sighed.

"Yeah, well I didn't want you to end up a vegatable for the rest of your life", she said, "they'll let you out...eventually".

Remy nodded, giving a bow.

"Well, Remy LeBeau is in your debt", he said, "you need any'ting, you just call".

"I'll remember that", said Sidney with an arched brow, "eat your food, LeBeau"

With that, she morphed into a cat, padding off into the tunnels.

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[1] - Yes, I called them the Assasins Guild, I refuse point blank to call them the 'Rippers', geez, what moron came up with THAT idea? If the 80's cartoon can call them by their true name, so should Evo.

Oh boy, I bet the Remy fans are after me now, heh heh heh .I brought Rahne back, though! All the Morlocks, again, are real ones. Postman was part of the Chicago Morlocks. Ahh poor, dim Bobby. Do review. Until next time...