Remy awoke from his drug induced slumber to find himself collared, and alone. He was in a very small, very dirty cell. There was only one small window, it was in the middle of the door and provided almost no light. The cramped cell was not large enough for him to stand, or to even stretch his limbs. The floor was dirt, and the walls were rough cement.The air was stale and smelled damp and musty, as though it were underground. Remy's mind tediously processed all this information. His brain remained befuddled by the drugs he had been injected with.
He began to search the small cell for a way out. He tried desperately to think around the pounding in his head. Who were those men? What did they want? And, most importantly where was Anna? His last question was answered when a blood curdling scream pierced the oppressive silence. He had an ominous feeling that was Anna screaming. A frantic feeling of panic overcame him as the screams continued, escalating, as though the pain that was causing them was increasing.
Remy went to the door and looked at the lock, he could pick it, but what if there was a guard? He tried to look out the small window, he didn't see anyone but he couldn't see very much. He reached into the pocket of his trench cote and pulled out a playing card and tossed it out the window. He waited, but nothing happened. Either no one was there or, they didn't care.
Abruptly, the screaming stopped. This troubled him more than the screaming had. At least the screaming assured him she was alive, but now.....he stopped that thought dead in his tracks and decided he couldn't wait any longer. He reached down and pulled off his boot, all the while thanking God his captors didn't have the good sense to change his clothes. His sock then followed the boot. He then pulled a long, thin, strip of metal that had been sewn into his sock. Praying no one was on the other side, he picked the lock on the door. Opening the door a crack, he peered out. Seeing no one he crawled out.
There wasn't a person in sight, but there was a chair. Which led Remy to believe someone would be back soon. There was only one door, and he was sure there were people on the other side. He tried to think quickly. He saw a vent on the wall opposite the door, he walked over to it and pried the cover off. It was cramped but, he was sure he could fit. He squeezed himself in feet first, replaced the cover on the vent, and began shimmying through the vent, glancing over his shoulder to see where he was going. He continued in this manner until he came to large opening in the vent to his right. This led to a larger ventilation system, so Remy climbed through the opening. He was now able to crawl an his hands and knees, facing forward. He stopped when he heard a mans voice.
"That's the wrong girl you idiot! She has no information to give us, because that's the wrong girl. For the past three days you've been torturing the wrong girl. I knew I should have come here sooner. I said take the teacher, the teacher, with white hair. Instead you bring me a child with a white stripe. How are we going to get the information we need now? How are we going to keep the X-Men out of this. I'm sure they're looking for those kids. You do realize this will make infiltrating Xavier's school that much harder," the man stared at another man standing before. The momentary pause in his tirade gave Remy a moment to consider the mans words. They answered many of his questions but left many more in their wake.
"I'm sorry for the mix- up sir, I take full responsibility,"
"Well you damn well better. I expect you to take of this problem,"
"What should I do with the prisoners sir?"
"Take care of them,"
Remy's breath stalled in his chest at the implication of the mans words. He had to find Anna and he needed to find her quick. He crawled through the maze of vents, when he heard another scream. He followed the sound when he saw Anna through one of the vents. She was tied to a chair, the collar that was inhibiting her powers, still circled her neck, like a serpent constricting the life out of its victims. Black and purple bruises covered her face and body. Blood flowed from her nose and from thin cuts that marred her porcelain-like skin. She was dirty and there were dark circles under her eyes. Small clips, that looked suspiciously like the kind on jumper cables, pinched her skin in four spots. Attached to the clips were long wires. Remy had only a moment to wonder what they were when his question was answered by a man flipping a switch. Anna screamed and her body convulsed violently. The man flipped the switch again, interrupted by a knock.
"Alaster wants to see you," a voice called from the door. Anna's torturer left, leaving her alone.
Remy quickly climbed out of the vent and ran to her. She looked worse now that he could see her up close. Her eyes were closed and her head lolled to the side. He took the clips off and untied her, her limp body fell to the floor.
"Anna? Wake up petite," Remy implored her. Her eyes opened the tiniest of cracks, before her eyes rolled back into her head and shut again. Remy lifted her into his arms and carried her to the still open vent. He climbed in and pulled her after him. He had to drag her unconscious body through the labyrinth, as he had come to call the vents. He followed the inflow of air, all the while searching for a way out. He eventually came to what he thought was a dead end, but proved to be their salvation. They had come to a large fan and, upon closer examination, Remy found he could see sky on the other side. He pulled his pick out again and removed the screws holding the fan in place. After kicking the fan out, he clambered out of the vent. He pulled Anna out and, carrying her, he began walking.
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Anna woke with a start. She looked about frantically, not knowing where she was or how she had gotten there. The memories of the past days flooded her brain, and panic overtook her. She was alone, in a cave. How had she gotten there? She tried to stand, but her legs were to weak. She realized she was wearing Remy's coat and started looking for him frantically.
"Remy! Are you here? Remy!" she cried. He came back into the cave, upon hearing her cries.
"Remy, thank the lord you're here,"
"How you feelin'?"he knelt down beside her. She leaned into him sobbing, let all her fear and pain come out. He stroked her hair as she buried her face in his chest. Her sobs racked her battered body sending stabs of pain through her.
"Shhh. You're all right petite," Remy soothed.
"Thanks Remy," she said when she calmed down. "I'm feelin' a little better, but where are we?"
"I'm not really sure. Did they say anything to you?"
"No. They just kept asking me about the mansions security. I kept telling them I didn't know but they didn't belive me. I told them even if I did know I wouldn't tell them anything. That's when they stopped asking me questions, but they kept the torture up,"
"I overheard some of them talking. They had grabbed us by accident. They were supposed to get Miss Munroe. They said something about infiltrating the mansion, but that's all I heard. There's a camp not to far from here. I was able to nab some supplies, but they wont last long. From what I heard we're on some kind of island in the South Pacific. But that's all I could gather,"
"So what do we do now?"
"I haven't figured that out yet,"
"So, do you know what's with the collars,"
"They inhibit your powers,"
"That explains a lot,"
"I got some food and some canteens of water you should have some, it'll make you feel better. I'm going to go look around some more,"
"Do you think the X-men will find us?"
"I hope so,"
"Thanks for saving me Remy,"
"Anytime chere, anytime," and with that he left her alone. Anna ate the food he had given her and reflected on their predicament. If only she had her powers she could fly them off this island. She felt helpless, and she hated feeling that way. Maybe they could swim for it, but she had no idea how far away the mainland was. Maybe they could get these collars off. Anna gave herself a headache trying to think of a way home.
She smiled as she fingered a card in Remy's pocket. He had saved her, despite what she had said to him before. She regretted her cruel words, just like she regretted so many other things. Regret seemed to be a prominent factor in her life. She decided she would apologize to him. Just not right now, now she would rest.
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Early the next morning they were making slow progress through the jungle. Remy was pushing them with an expeditiousness that, even in their current situation, was uncalled for. He desperately wanted to keep moving. Not only to find someplace safe enough for them rest, but also to avoid idle time with Anna. Every time he looked at her he felt the overwhelming need to hold her, kiss her, touch her. Memories of their kiss haunted him. He couldn't just forget what had happened, even though he knew that was what Anna wanted.
Remy glanced back at Anna only to see her struggling to keep with him. A perverse kind of pleasure filled him as he watched her stumble and gasp for air. He wanted her to struggle after him, as he had struggled after her. His momentary pleasure was quickly replaced with anger at her stubbornness. Why didn't she just ask for help, or tell him to slow down? This too was replaced by guilt. He looked at her bruised and battered face and knew he should help her.
"Remy?" she abruptly called. "I.....can't...... breathe.....," she gasped before collapsing. Remy ran to her side, cursing himself for his callous actions. He picked her up knowing he had pushed her to hard. He tried to justify himself, they needed to keep up that pace for their own safety. She didn't even let him know she was having a hard time. Remy sighed, none of that changed the fact that he should have remembered her injuries and taken it a little slower. He carried her until they came upon a small clearing. He laid her down and scouted the area. Satisfied that everything looked safe he returned to Anna's side.
"Remy," her voice was so weak he could barely hear her. "I'm sorry," she moaned, not louder than a whisper. Her eyes were closed and Remy wondered if she was talking in her sleep.
"Shhhh," Remy soothed, pushing a lock of hair out of her face. "It's alright. You don't have anything to be sorry for. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you so hard," Anna opened her eyes and turned to look at him. A mischievous smile played at her lips, and her green eyes sparkled sardonically.
"Of course I'm not sorry about that swamp rat, so don't go putting words in my mouth," she laughed, but she quickly sobered. "I'm sorry about something else,"
"What do you have to be sorry about?" Remy questioned taking her hands in his. She looked down and a sense of foreboding crept over Remy like a shadow.
"I'm sorry cus, I lied to you,"
"When did you lie?"
"When I said I wanted to forget about what happened between us. When I said I didn't have feelings for you. I don't ever want to forget, I care about you so much. I was just so afraid of getting hurt and I thought you would just hurt me, but now I know how wrong I was. Those weeks when you weren't talking to me were hell, and I'm sorry for lying to you and if I hurt you,"
Remy sat there stunned, wary of her sudden declaration. He lifted her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, he tried to read the tempest of emotions that swam across their surface. They held him mesmerized, but when he saw the genuine regret he was broken from her trance.
"If you don't feel the same way anymore, I understand. I just wanted you to know hoe I feel,"
Remy sighed and pulled her to him. He took her chin in his hands and lowered his lips to hers. Slow and tentative at first, he kissed her, reassuring her of his feelings. But soon he needed more, he deepened their kissing, plying her mouth open with his tongue. He kissed her with a ferocity he had never felt before. A desperate feeling of urgency compelled him on. He let his tongue dart in and out of her mouth,and when she whimpered it was like fuel to the flame of his already smoldering passion for her. He buried one of his hands in her hair and let the other roam her body. Her skin felt like silk beneath his fingertips. She met his kiss with a fervor that rivaled his own. She shyly placed her hands on his face. It wasn't until he ran his hands up her ribcage and she cried out that his reverie was broken. He broke away from her, gasping for air.
"Ma cherie," Remy whispered tenuously, placing a hand on her cheek. She turned her face into his hand and nuzzled his palm "I want you so bad I can't think straight,"
"Do you forgive me then?"
"Of course chere, of course,"