Disclaimer: The story is mine…the characters belong to Marvel…got it?
Achieve: Sure, just ask me first at smokhea@aol.com
**Special Note** I would like to thank each and every one of you for the reviews. I really appreciated it. I was going to wait a couple of days to put this up, but decided not to because of the feedback. Keep them coming, especially after this chapter.
Continuity: This is set in Comic-verse. X-Xtreme X-Men has not happened. Scott is not dead. I guess you can pinpoint it as months after the Trial. Gambit is back and all is well…maybe…
Interactions
Chapter 2
Rhetorical Rhetoric
(Remy/Bobby)
Remy laid on the sofa in the dark Rec Room by himself. The darkness was always his favorite place to be. A thief, by nature, has no business being in the light. Remy loved the night. Nighttime to him was, secretive, enticing, alluring…all words he would use to describe himself.
His thoughts wandered briefly to his youthful days. He was the newly adopted son of the leader of The Thieves Guild. His new family blended right into what he was use to…darkness. The Thieves Guild loved the night; it was the time they did their best thieving. Remy's red on black eyes gave him the extra edge he needed to creep through the dark, able to see what others could not. His charm was strong enough to make even the devil blush, which was a really good attribute for someone in his line of work. Out of the entire clan he was the diamond in the ruff. His potential seemed limitless…though his rein as prince did not last long. Then again, that is a whole other story unto itself.
After the X-Men battle, Remy was so full of energy he couldn't wait to leave the mansion for the night and run-a-muck out in New York City. However, the speech Scott gave killed his plans. Now that the team was on permanent Red Alert, there was no way he could leave home base…without being disciplined.
He changed out of his combat clothes and was now relaxing in a gray sweat suit. In walked the man of the hour, Robert Drake.
"I see you're still alive." Remy uttered. Bobby swung his head in the direction of the voice. It was evident that he was caught by surprise. He quickly reached for the light switch.
"Shit! Can't you turn on a light or something? Why do you always have to be lurking in the dark? You're not normal, you know that right?" He was talking a mile a minute. Remy still laid, looking up at the ceiling.
"Is all dat you asked, 'rhetorical' questions, mon ami? What is dat saying? You learn somet'ing new everyday. Yeah, for me it's 'rhetorical'. After Cyclops said it in de War Room, I went searching for a dictionary for de meanin'. But you know what? I didn't find a ting. For a second I t'ought dat One Eye was yankin' my chain. But den I ran into 'Ro, she told me what it meant. 'A rhetorical question is one which is asked in order to make a statement rather than to get an answer.' Is what she said." He mocked Ororo's voice in perfect English. " 'Well how come I didn't find it in de dictionary', is what I asked her." He turned his head from the ceiling to Bobby.
"Did you know dat rhetorical has an 'H' in it? Yup, right after de first 'r'." He looked back at the ceiling. "Merde! De English language is really fucked!"
Without fully realizing it, Bobby was actually wrapped up in the story. For some reason this man's gripe of the English language fascinated him. Though the next part of Remy's ranting did catch Bobby off guard.
"So Bobby, you tryin' t' mess around wit' Rogue?" He asked as his glare was met with Bobby's. "And jus' so dere is no misunderstanding, it's not a rhetorical question."
"You've got to be shitting me!" He replied brushing his hands past his short blonde hair. "I thought you and Rogue broke up. Or have I been dreaming for the last month?" He shot the man a smile. "That was rhetorical."
"Cut de bullshit, Freezee." Remy said as he sat up on the sofa. "It's no secret dat we broke up, and it's no secret dat we will eventually get back toget'er. The last ting I need is you sniffing around her while our relationship is on a break."
"You have some nerve Cajun. I don't know when you got the idea that you have first dibs on Rogue. Hell, I've known her longer than you! I've actually had feelings for her longer than you have. Don't act as if I'm trying to steal her away form you, if anything, you stole her from me!"
"If dat is true homme, you have a shitty way of marking your territory. The only ting I ever got from you is dat you and her are good friends. Not'ing more, not'ing less!"
"You had one over me because you both shared the same team for awhile*. I guess that was enough time for you to crawl your way into her life. So now, I'm going to give you something you haven't had in a long time…competition. It's my theory that the only reason she thinks she has feelings for you is because you continue to pursue her like some zombie stuck on automatic! And you know as well as I do, that as soon as someone decent comes along her way, without all the thieving, fornicating, murdering baggage you carry, she starts to figure out how much of an asshole your really are! Does the name Joseph ring a bell! " To Bobby's surprise, Remy was up on his feet and mere inches from his face.
"Now you listen t' me and listen good." He said in a dangerous whisper. "I keep my cool wit' jus' about everyting. Magneto, Apocalypse, Sinister, I don't give a fuck! But if you really wan' t' push my buttons, and get me charged up, den say one more ting about Rogue." He paused for a bit. "I will do anytin' I have t' do to have her heart…anytin'." The last word was meant to draw fear into Bobby's eyes.
"What, am I supposed to be afraid of you, Cajun?" Bobby waited a couple of seconds for a response. Remy blinked a couple of times.
"Oh, you wan' an answer?" He asked confused.
"Yeah…I guess I should have been more specific. That was not a rhetorical question."
"Oh, okay….ahh, what was de question again?"
"The question was…umm, I don't remember…"
"Me either."
"Damn! This is gonna bug me all night!" Bobby tried to remember, then stopped short and threw his hands in the air. "Who the hell cares! All I know is that I don't have to listen to your threats. After all, it's the lady choice. Seems to me you know you don't have a chance." Bobby looked at the red eyes intensely; little did he know he was actually putting doubts in Remy's head.
"Ah-ha, just the man I was looking for!" Henry said as he stepped into the rec room. Both men swirled their head in the direction of the new voice. "Remy, Rogue has asked to speak with you. She is waiting in my Lab."
"Is someting wrong." Remy asked worried.
"Frankly, my honest thief, I do not know." It was at that moment when Remy noticed the smile that was on Henry's face earlier was now replaced with a grim look.
Remy brushed past Bobby and headed for the door. Bobby gave a tired look to Henry and sat down on the couch.
"Was it just me, or could you have cut the tension in here with a knife?" Henry pondered out loud.
Bobby doesn't look up to acknowledge the doctor; for he knows without really thinking, it was a rhetorical question.
******
* When the new X-Men book first came out in the early 90's, the teams were spilt into two sections. Bobby was on the Gold team while Remy and Rogue were on the Blue team.
Author's Note: Way-to-go! You've just completed another chapter!
I hope I didn't go a little too 'Melrose Place' over the top drama for your tastes, lol. That was never my intention.
I wanted the scene to begin with some character development of Remy. The things that I write about him here will relate to him throughout this story. Pay attention!!!
I like Bobby, but I'll admit that I don't know that much about him. For all the Iceman fans, how do you feel about the way I depicted him? He will have a chance to explain how he feels about Rogue in another chapter.
I know this chapter was short, the next one will have more depth.
Again, please tell me what you think so far. And as always, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.
Next Time: Remy and Rogue get a chance to talk (any guesses on what will happen) while Scott lets Henry in on a secret about Rogue (what do you think it is)…