Right. Next chapter.
I have received complaints. I sorreh. Remy -must- go through with the whole Morlock Massacre. Otherwise... it wouldn't be my fic. Meh. I'm not a huge fan of it either. So you are not alone.
Anyway. Without further adieu, the next chapter.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Yes,
Pete... I b't'inkin' dat dis femme be d'one..."
"Ah hear
divorce bells..." Remy glared. "G'hack up a fire ball..."
"Very original, mate..." Remy growled, and sighed, tilting his head back in his spot. It was a lazy day, and while he could have spent it with Rogue... Remy almost felt he was neglecting his friends and partners. So he would spend at least a day with them.
A deck of cards was settled in his hands, and he shuffled them nonchalantly, staring down at the wood of the table before him, as if the small crevices and oddly colored pieces completely fascinated him.
He was brought out of this reverie when the phone rang, making him jump slightly, and glare at it as if it had done this on purpose. Then he realized he must have been insane... as if he'd hurt the phone's feelings for glaring at it. Yes, sleep would have been nice...
"I'll get it..."
"Non, I'll get it," the Cajun muttered, standing quickly and walking to the phone. ".. 'Lo?"
"One hour. Do not forget..." Click.
"Rogue 'gain, mate?"
"Uh... yeah," Remy replied as he hung up the receiver. "Look... m'sorry, mes amis," he said softly, smiling as he turned. "But m'gon' need d'day t'..."
"Ve know," Piotr said, smirking a bit. "Need zhe day to spend vith Rogue." The Cajun nodded slowly. "It is all vright. Go on now. Ve'll just... have to make you do somezhing vith us later..."
"T'anks," Remy said, smiling as he turned... yeah, smiling guiltily. Not only was he bailing on them... he was lying to them...
But he would be back. For both Rogue, and for Pete and John... he couldn't exactly push them out of his life. That would just kill the Cajun...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fifteen minutes to get to the hotel.
He rode his snazzy motorcycle to the spot, trenchcoat flapping in the wind, fingers gripping at the handlebars. He leaned forward in his spot, the large, perfectly clean building coming into view. Thank the lord... he wouldn't be late...
As he came into the parking lot, he skidded to a halt, pushing down the kickstand and jumping off in one smooth motion, even managing to turn the engine off in the process.
"Impressive, my young Cajun thief," Essex said, arching an eyebrow slowly. Remy jumped. "Oh... t'anks... just..."
"Trying to stay on time. I like your style. Come," he said, beckoning for Remy to follow. He did as he was told.
Before leaving, Remy had equipped himself, of course. He wore his normal, Acolyte uniform, several compartments about his belt for his cards and... well, whatever else he happened to get his sticky fingers on. He even stuffed an extra deck of cards into his boots, and of course... gum.
He was quitting his smoking habits. So, he chewed gum. Made him feel better... like... a security blanket.
He chewed a piece now nervously, reaching into his coat for his bo staff, extending it in his hands as he followed after Essex, glancing about. He was brought to 12th Street, to a manhole cover that would lead them directly into the Morlock hideout. As they entered, several more people met them there. One was recognizable... the others, not so much. One thing all had in common? All were indeed mutants.
"Gambit, meet Sabretooth..."
"Already ha' d'pleasure o'meetin' him, m'sieu..."
".. Scrambler," he continued, obviously irritated that the Cajun had interrupted. "Malice, Scalphunter, Vertigo, Harpoon, and Riptide."
"Lovely names..." He paused. "So. What's m'assignment?"
"You know every nook and cranny about these sewers. You know every passage, and you even know several Morlocks."
"Y'done y'homework, Doctor."
"Yes. You are to lead the team to the main area in which the Morlocks stay. There, Sabretooth will negotiate with their leader, Callisto, and I in turn will come up with a cure, so that while they still have their powers, they will no longer have their grizzly appearances, and therefore, are able to come to the surface with the others..." Remy nodded slowly, shrugging his shoulders.
"All righ', Doc. You be accompanyin' us?"
"No, no. I will wait here."
"Suit yaself," the Cajun replied, beckoning for the mutants to follow him.
Tunnel after tunnel, box after box, trash and sewage... He waded through all of it, all along his "team" staying silent, and merely trusting Remy to their destination. Finally, the Cajun spoke.
"S'furball," he said, looking toward Sabretooth. "Essex dun' seem d'type you'd b'hangin' 'round wit'... what'd he offer you?"
"Nevermind that, thief," Sabretooth snarled in response. "Just do as your told, and you'll figure out the rest..."
"Sensitive nerve. All righ', Gambit shuttup..." And he did. The rest of the trip was silent.
Finally, they reached the main area. Gambit looked rather proud, and raised his hand slowly to cup around his mouth. "Calli..."
"Get'em, boys!" Sabretooth howled, running forward. "WHAT!" Remy shouted in turn, spinning around with wide eyes and a wildly beating heart, watching as they ran into the sewers and began to find the Morlocks, pulling them out and killing them. Mutant after mutant, screams, howls, curses...
Remy watched in horror, and dropped to his knees, curling into a ball and covering his head with his hands, pulling at his hair... no... What had he done? It was -his- fault. It was -Gambit- who led the team. -Gambit- who fell for the rouse...
Essex chuckled madly as he saw the Cajun, leaning against the filthy brick wall.
"What? ... you didn't really expect what I said was true? ... What kind of thief are you? Trusting a complete stranger..."
".. Fuck you," Remy said, gritting his teeth and shaking his head, eyes shut tightly. "Jus'... jus' fucking stop..."
"Oh, but it's done," Essex said, grinning maniacally. "It's all over. They're dead, Gambit. My perfect thief, my gullible Cajun. Gone."
"NO!" Remy shouted, gripping at his hair a bit tighter. "No... it can' be... it's just... NO!"
"Get off of the ground, Cajun," Essex snarled, kicking Remy in the lower back. The Cajun's body stretched out, and he landed on the ground without a sound, a single, silent tear running down his face, despite the fact that his eyes were shut.
"Y'can' do dis... y'can'..."
"But I didn't, Gambit," Essex replied, crouching down and lifting Remy's head, his eyes opening to look up at him. ".. You did."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
".. He shoulda been back bah now," John said, obviously worried but not admitting it. "He... he wouldn' be this long... not even with Rogue..." Strangely... Piotr had to agree. It wasn't like Remy to simply leave, and not even call to let them know that he was all right...
"Vell... let's... call Rogue," the Russian said, moving to the phone. "I'm sure everyzhing is just fine..."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rogue was still awake, despite the late hour.
She sat on her bed, arms wrapped about her knees, bent to her chest while her head rested atop them.
Remy hadn't called. Remy hadn't come. She was worried sick... what if something happened? ... what if he was sleeping around behind her back?
No...
Remy wouldn't do that to her...
As the phone rang, she leaped forward and picked it from the receiver.
"H... hello?"
"Rogue?"
"Oh... hi Pete..."
"Rogue... Remy is zhere vith you, da?"
"No," Rogue replied, her heart begining to pound in her ribcage, almost rising to her throat to choke her to death. "He's not with you?"
"No... he said he vas going vith you..." Rogue could hear the Russian scold John quietly as he began to say, "Tha's it... he's gone... POOR REMY!"
".. Tell John ta stop that... he's making me nervous..." The next thing heard was the yelp of the Aussie as Piotr lifted him by his shirt, and tossed him into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. "Sorry. He's gone now..."
"Okay. So tell meh... anything odd going on with Remy lately?"
"Vell... he has been getting many calls lately... but, not from you, apparently..."
"That worries me," Rogue said softly, hugging her stomach lightly. "Pete... we have to go find him. Tonight." She hung up, and went to change into her X-uniform, headed to the garage after to hotwire one of Logan's bikes as Remy had taught her.
She was going to get to the bottom of this...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Author's Note:
Yus. Morlock Massacre. XP DAMN!
Anyway... next chapter coming to a near you!
