Summary : What happens when you cram nine people into a tiny space and leave them there for a while? Sooner or later, someone's secret gets out! Part five of my Kimble series. This is part five of my Kimble series, you will need to read the others before starting this. See my profile for details.
Notes : Rated M for language, violence and sexual situations.
AU but only because I chose to change a few things in my dear friends' histories for simplification, nothing drastic so please forgive. I wrote this for a friend who didn't read the comics so there is a bit of back history and explanation on who everyone is and what their powers are. I've been working on this story for years so I do ask that you don't use any of my non-Marvel universe characters without my permission. I love my Siskans as I do my children.
Still with me kids? Well for those of you who haven't given up on me yet, here some news. I did more than just write this story, I illustrated it and now, my good friend Diena has built a webpage for me so you guys can have a peek at the art if you like. It's only just gone up and right now it only has art for Taken but we're going to try and catch things up and hopefully keep the art up at the same pace as my story. Take a peek if you like, the link is: or go to my profile to click there.
Wyndsong, just how long is this story? Too long, I am beginning to wonder. I had waited so long to post this on fanfiction for two reasons - 1) I thought some of my later parts would be too smutty, silly me. This would not be so after reading what others have posted. 2) It's long. You see, most of you guys post on this site what I would call 'one shots'. Individual stories that finish after just a few chapters. This monster I've written plays out more like an ongoing series. It has a series of story arcs. First you had the Clan where Kimble is introduced, now you have a second arc where all these poor souls are stuck on a ship for five days and we get to find out about Fallen and just who and what Kimble really is. Looking forward, there's Kimble at the Institute trying to fit in, then Kimble sneaks off and has a series of adventures, making his way through two other mutant factions. It's not all about just Kimble either - Remy and Rogue have issues, Logan gets a girlfriend, Henry cures a virus, and Sabretooth discovers there was more to him than he thought. The X-men do a search and rescue for Kimble that has some twists, I present my version of Wolverine's Origins and do a brief walk through the Thieves' Guild. The whole gist of this twisted tale is that Kimble starts off broken and ends up more or less fixed, but it's a journey that takes longer than just a few days. (Clearly I've had waaaay too much time on my hands!) After the last set of reviews, I am sitting here a bit perplexed, wondering just how much of that – if any - I should hack off to streamline this pig to move things along. I've had fun with it, but it's not my intent to put you all to sleep, either. I will have to give this some thought. I did edit this next post of some content, hope it's still okay. Sq.
10-13-13 - Updated to add (break)s as needed and to fix some punctuation errors.
(One)
Day two
Remy couldn't sleep. Everything that was going on since they had been stranded was rolling around in his head and he wanted nothing more than some kind of distraction. He got up and wandered into the galley but no one else was there, they were off getting some well deserved rest. He felt nosey and poked around in the cupboards, checking out Fallen's supplies. He liked what he saw and started pulling out some jars of food. He was bored and figured he may as well cook something, he had always loved to cook and found it very relaxing, just what he was looking for.
He was pleasantly surprised when he also found a stash of packaged, salted meat. It was some kind of red meat, deer perhaps, sliced into steaks. He opened the package and sniffed at it. He couldn't tell what kind it was, but didn't really care. He took out a pan and plopped the steaks in. He next went through Fallen's dusty supply of spices and groaned when he saw how neglected they were. Jeez, these Clan folks just didn't know how to cook right, he thought to himself. He seasoned the hunks of meat the best he could with what he found and started them marinating in some wine he found nearby on the counter. The smell was already making his mouth water and he hadn't really even started yet. He drank from the bottle of wine (Chef's privilege) and started cutting up some vegetables.
The smell of food began to lure the others in one by one. Wolverine, Beast and Maylee sat at the table in eager anticipation, reminding Remy of the audiences he used to get back home. He loved the attention and couldn't stop himself from smiling just a little. Maylee was smiling, too. She happy to see someone else cook, it was usually her job.
Gambit worked with a contented grace. The only thing better than cooking was cooking for an appreciative crowd. He noticed Valentin and Joseph lurking in the doorway of the barracks.
"Dogs is 'ungry, boss," he said to Logan.
Logan leaned over on his bench, looking out the galley door across to the barracks. "Guess it'll be all right ta take 'em out so long as they're quiet," he said loudly enough for the Clansmen to hear.
Henry and Wolverine went out and brought the prisoners into the galley. Once more, the Clansmen were tied to the benches. Logan noticed that of the three men, Bruce was the only one who'd taken the time to shower while they'd been locked up. The others stank and Logan wondered how long before he would have to drag them in for a bath. Their hands were left free on their good behavior.
Bruce remained imprisoned with the others because it still wasn't clear which way his loyalties lay. Logan had said, "Keep him with the others and we'll straighten it all out when we get home," and no one had argued. If things dragged on for too long or if he got too harassed, they would take him out.
Gambit finished cooking and served the crowd. The Clan looked at the food with greedy eyes, Remy hadn't been the only one in need of a diversion and everything smelled so good. It wasn't a bad thing having somebody different cook, they now had something new to try.
Bruce dug in and being the most polite, smiled broadly. "This is really good!"
"Merci beaucoup. Glad you likin' it," Gambit replied with a bow, beaming now.
"Looks like you might be out of a job, May," Henry commented with a grin.
"Fine by me!" she replied. Cooking was not her favorite thing to do.
Logan looked up as Kimble came in next, Fallen in tow. Kimble was plainly still tired, but Fallen was worse. She walked like a zombie, hardly picking up her feet. Kimble had given her another shot and she was a little out of it. The Siskan sat her down on a bench and smiled up at the galley screen as Seth popped up from the control room. Seth waved at Fallen, but she was too doped out to notice him just yet.
Kimble went to the stove and looked over Remy's offerings with obvious interest. He smiled at the Cajun and put some of his cooked vegetables on a plate for Fallen. He sniffed at the meat, but knew Fallen wouldn't eat it. Too bad, it looked tasty.
Kimble was a full service hologram. He could eat and drink even though he wasn't real. The water he needed for the hologram components, but food was a luxury. Just the same, his whole existence was about pleasure and he loved to eat, to taste. Fallen had given him a few treats since she'd started restoring the hologram, but none of them smelled as wonderful as what he saw before him now. He moved away with some reluctance, he was here for her and not himself, and set the plate he'd made in front of Fallen. She picked up her fork and began to eat numbly without comment.
Remy had noticed Kimble's interest in the meat. "I seen you drinkin', mon ami. Can you eat, too?"
Kimble sat down at the table next to Fallen. "Yeah, I kin eats a little."
"Den try dis."
Gambit put a small piece of seasoned steak in a bowl and set it in front of him.
Kimble picked up the meat and slowly put it in his mouth, wanting to savor it. He shivered and moaned in ecstacy as the spices exploded on his tongue, the flavor of it a bright new experience. As nice as it was to smoke for real again, eating was better. He laughed and smiled up at Remy, thrilled by the taste and unable to hide it. He hadn't eaten anything like this in ages.
Gambit watched Kimble with amusement and laughed. "Dat good, huh?" He took Kimble's bowl and gave him another piece.
Logan watched Kimble without smiling. Kimble's childish reaction disgusted him. His biggest problem with Kimble was not that he wasn't organically alive, but that he had no emotional control. Just as he was quick to anger, so too, his reaction to a simple piece of meat seemed exaggerated. Not that Remy seemed to care, Logan could see. The thief was indulging him as if he was some kind of new toy. Maybe to Remy he was. Wolverine shook his head and turned away, not wanting to watch any more.
Fallen gradually became more aware of what was going on around her. She watched as Remy set the bowl back down in front of Kimble and then saw what was in it. Her eyes opened wide in horror and she covered her mouth with a trembling hand.
Henry saw her reaction and moved away from her a little on the bench, uncertain what it meant.
Valentin sat very still, watching her from across the table like a cat does a mouse before it pounces. His eyes betrayed the fact that he knew full well what her reaction meant and he was ready to see it played out.
Kimble was enjoying himself much too much to notice. He ate the steak, chewing slowly so he could maximize his pleasure of the flavor of it. He looked up at Fallen, his eyes full of delight. "Ya gots ta try this, baby doll. Maybe you just ain't found anaone what could cook right."
Fallen coughed loudly and vomited explosively, catching most of it in her hands.
Joseph pushed his bowl away, disgusted. "I'm done!"
"Hey!" Seth shouted, standing up in the control room. "What's going on?" He hated how helpless he was trapped in the system. The frustration was unbearable.
Fallen staggered away from the table and over to the sink, coughing and retching the whole way.
A shocked and frightened Kimble followed her. "You okay?" he asked in alarm.
Fallen didn't immediately answer and Kimble rubbed her back as she continued to vomit in the sink, frustrated that she was so slow to respond. He couldn't help her if he didn't know what was the matter. He glanced up at the screen to his brother, worried. Valentin was snickering now and Kimble had a feeling that more was going here than he realized.
Fallen turned the water on and began to wash her hands and face. She rinsed out her mouth and spat before rolling her eyes up at Kimble, her mouth twisted in a furious sneer.
"What's wrong?" Kimble asked her again. "What did I do?"
"How did we get meat on board? I didn't order any with the supplies!" she demanded.
Valentin spoke up. "I did. I changed the supply order before we left."
Fallen's eyes ripped into Kimble who squirmed under the heat. "And you guys okayed it?"
"We didn' have no choice. Technically yer his wife. Lucky's his ship now."
"Never!" she snarled viciously, charging Kimble.
He backed up, unafraid. He just wanted to give her some space so she would calm down. They'd fought so many times before this, he knew how to handle her. He would just let her vent and then he'd try to reason with her some more.
She continued to advance, growing more out of control. "Lucky is my ship! I built it! He's mine! I decide the supplies, not him!"
Valentin and Joseph laughed, enjoying the confrontation. It seems they'd gotten a little more entertainment than just a free meal. Unlike his compatriots, Bruce had paled and looked frightened. He clearly found nothing funny in this.
"This ain't about no supplies, is it?" Kimble said defensively, growing angry himself. He'd done his job as he always had, she was his Mistress and he obeyed her unquestionably. There was no reason he should believe he'd broken any orders. Something else was going on.
Maylee moved to say something, but Logan shook his head at her. "He wanted to be Second so badly. Let him handle it."
Fallen was spitting now, she was so enraged. "I am your Mistress! I am First Captain of this ship! I am in charge! I decide things here! You will do as I say! Do you understand me!" Furious beyond measure, she grabbed the pan of meat from the stove and flung it at him, wanting to make her point clear by any means at her disposal.
Kimble reacted quickly and knocked the pan away with his hands before it could hit him, but was splattered with it's contents. He growled in pain as he was burned and raised his fists, his own fury fast matching the pace of his hysterical Mistress.
Gambit was standing next to him and dove out of the way. His clothing gave him better protection than the Siskan hologram, the juices from the pan weren't hot enough to burn through his sleeves, but still warm enough to hurt. He wasn't too happy about being so close to Kimble's fists, either. He didn't know if Kimble would lash out at the nearest target.
"Now that was really fuckin' stupid," Kimble said, opening his fists in an effort to calm himself and wiped at his chin. His hands were trembling as he tried to control his traitorous wrath.
"Not as stupid as you forgetting who's in charge!" Fallen snapped, finalizing this, and snatched a whiskey bottle from the counter before stomping out in a huff.
Kimble stood up straight and shook with rage. He snarled an order at Seth in Siskan and Seth nodded, his fear obvious. The screen blacked out, he'd gone to follow Fallen.
Kimble was panting, trying to decide what to do. He'd clearly made a serious error but wasn't sure what it was. He knew Fallen didn't eat meat, but since she kept her secrets, he'd always thought it was a matter of preference. Obviously he'd been wrong. He closed his eyes and swallowed as the acid rose up his throat again. He wasn't used to all the pain and anger coming his way like this. He did not understand or deserve the treatment he'd just received. He and Fallen had fought before, but she never once had struck him physically like this, their arguments had been exclusively verbal. Scathing and explicit, to be sure. But never physical.
"Deep breaths, boy. Deep breaths," Logan advised, speaking from experience. He tossed Kimble a towel, eyeing him with distrust.
Valentin was still laughing, amused. "Looks like she's got you whipped pretty good, son."
"Sure you can handle her, freak?" Joseph added.
"Don't make him angry!" Bruce hissed. "You don't know what he'll do!"
Kimble ignored the Clansmen and started wiping off with the towel, calming down a little. "I kin handle her just fine. Been doin' it a long time already," he said after a moment.
"Not quite the same thing in the real world now, is it?" Valentin sneered, unafraid.
"Must be the Lightening making her crazy," Maylee interrupted. She was still upset over Kimble's decision and wanted him to know it.
Kimble shook his head in irritation, he couldn't believe she was actually going to bring that up again. Clearly she wasn't going to let it go, the little bitch. Like he really needed this right now. "No. This's sumpthin' else," he insisted impatiently, aggravated that he had to keep defending his decision.
"How do you know?" she challenged.
"'Cuz I know Fallen!"
"I know her, too."
"Not like me," Kimble snapped. "I'm with her all the time, yer not cuz a yer schoolin'. She's got sumpthin' on her mind she don't wanna talk about."
"Maybe you just don't want to admit you made a mistake."
Kimble flung the towel into the sink. He grabbed a piece of fruit and began to peel it quickly, angrily. Fallen would need to eat and he was going to follow her whether she wanted him to or not. He wasn't going to leave without making his point first, though. "I didn' make a mistake! I made the right decision!"
"For her or for you?" Maylee questioned, angry.
"What th' fuck is that suppozta mean!" Kimble snarled, furious again.
"Watch yer mouth!" Logan warned. He moved closer to the girl.
"I don't think it's a coincidence that you took all the files you needed to stay out," Maylee continued to accuse. She was emboldened by the presence of the X-men, she knew they would protect her from Kimble enough that she could speak her mind. "You made this happen on purpose and then you addicted her so you could keep her for yourself!"
Kimble froze and looked at her stunned. He knew she disliked him, but had no idea of the depth of her hate. "Are ya sayin' I deliberately made her try ta kill herself? That alla this is from me?" he asked still in shock from her words.
"I think you would do anything to stay out. You knew she was going to use the hologram for Seth so you did this to take it from him."
"Dat's some cold cold shit, chere," Gambit said softly. He didn't believe what she said was true.
Kimble swallowed the hard lump in his throat and tried to stay calm. He really didn't need this on top of what Fallen had dished out for him already. He grinned angrily and shook his head. "I know yer disappointed it wuz me an not Seth what got left out, but he woulda let her die. He wuzn't ever good enough ta do what needed ta be done. Yer young, but you ain't a child no more, baby doll."
"Don't you call me that!" she hissed.
Kimble grunted sarcastically. "Huh. Just think, ya got a whole life of disappointments in front of ya. This is yer first one. Boo fuckin' hoo, darlin'! Welcome to the real world. Life just sucks most of th' time. Ya cain't handle it? Too fuckin' bad! It only gits worse from here!" he said bitterly. "I don' know what I done ta make ya thinks so bad of me. Right now, I don' much care. I know what I done wuz right cuz Fallen's still alive. We're all still alive. You wanna be dead so damn bad, jump out the fuckin' airlock. I could give a shit less!" he snapped and walked out.
Maylee stood still for a moment and then burst into tears. He frightened her for reasons she couldn't explain. She only believed half of what she'd said, but couldn't stop herself from saying it. The truth was she was disappointed that Seth wasn't the one out here. She loved him best and knew Fallen was in love with him. Now Fallen and Seth were separated forever. It just wasn't right that Kimble was free and Seth was not, this whole thing was so unfair. She fled the galley, too embarrassed by her outburst to hear Remy as he called out and reached for her, and escaped down to the lower level. She went into the small lav and locked herself in so she could be alone.