(Four)
A few hours later, Kimble was once again dozing lightly in the laundry room, way up warm and high as he waited. He liked it over the dryers because of the warmth they gave off. He had discovered this wonderful hiding spot only this morning and loved it. He had figured out how to use the dryers and sometimes turned them on with no clothes inside, letting their gentle rhythm rock him to sleep. Tonight, he didn't have to, Warren had just been here and dumped in a load of clothes. Kimble scrunched way in his crack, deep and quiet, and wasn't seen. Angel came and left, never knowing he had been spied on. After he left, Kimble stayed where he was, warm and comfortable once more. The gentle tumbling of the big rollers was like a heartbeat in his mind, making him feel less alone. He had been hiding out while Remy was gone and since the thief had gone straight to bed, didn't know his friend had returned.
Kimble had done his best to combat his loneliness, even venturing to ask Logan if he could visit Bruce down in the holding cells. He had been refused. Logan said he was some kind of security risk in his gruff and arrogant way, walking off with his usual macho swagger that made Kimble want to just strangle him. He tried to phase his way down to the holding cells in an act of defiance, but that area was protected by some kind of barrier shield that wouldn't let him pass through. Frustrated once more, he returned here to stew until a small glimmer of an idea had come to him. Now that it was late, he decided to put his latest scheme into action. If he was careful, no one would ever find out and if they did, so what? They all hated him anyway. He had nothing to lose.
Kimble eased himself out of his crack and dropped lightly to the floor. His body was distorted from being crammed into such a small space, but he shook himself and his body reformed itself quickly. He stretched and snuck out of the laundry room, peeking both ways down the hallway. All clear. He crossed the hallway and boldly phased into the Danger Room. He paused, waiting for the security devices to come on, but nothing happened. The security computers didn't pick up his presence.
He chuckled softly and spoke using Remy's voice. "Codename: Gambit. Computer, run holographic image Gambit."
Kimble retained enough computer components within him to record and playback a quick file he had made of Remy commands to the computer when they had come here before. He hadn't known for sure if this was going to work, but was pleasantly surprised with the result. There was a whir and a hum and then a holographic image of Gambit presented itself in front of him.
Kimble smiled as he touched Gambit's face and wondered at the warmth and realistic feel of it. He knew it was a false image and not sentient like himself, but it still amused him. "Still sorry ya said no ta me, huh? You ain't felt nuthin' till ya had me all fer yerself," he promised with a confident grin. He brushed Gambit's cheek and kissed him, trying to put forward as much of love and passion he felt for his friend in the hope that the hologram would respond.
It didn't, it wasn't real like he was. Disappointed, Kimble tried another tactic.
"Computer, activate hologram image Phoenix."
The image of Gambit melted and became that of Jean Grey. Kimble circled her slowly, touching her here and there. He tugged on her costume and smiled when he felt it give way.
(break)
Warren walked down the hallway on his way upstairs. He had moved back into the Mansion with his new appointment and was now catching up on the last of his laundry, he had one last load in the dryer to finish up. Now, basket in hand, he made his way down the hall to the upstairs elevators. He paused when he saw the flashing light on the Danger Room security screen and cocked his head puzzled. Who would be running a program this late?
He pressed a button on the screen. "Codename: Angel. Computer, who's running in the Room?"
"Codename Gambit."
"Really?" Warren mumbled to himself, setting his basket down on the floor. He opened the door for the Control Room to the Danger Room and went up the stairs. The Control Room had a large glass window that looked out into the main room. Warren peeked out the window and his jaw dropped in shock. He wasn't seeing Remy at all, no it was someone most unexpected. It was Kimble and he was behaving in less than a PG-13 manner. Angel recalled Logan saying Kimble's libido was in hyperdrive, but this?
Kimble had wrestled the Jean hologram to the floor and was laying down on top of her, groping her breasts and kissing her luscious red lips. Warren could see her torn and ripped costume off to one side. Kimble had shivered off his own clothes and was visibly aroused. He couldn't actually have sex with the hologram, but he making a real effort to get as close as he could.
Warren grinned. "So ya wanna play, huh? Try this." He clicked a button on the console.
(break)
Kimble was having a blast. Getting nowhere, but having a blast none the less. It had taken a monumental effort, but he had managed to undress the uncooperative hologram and was happy to see the 'gram had all the right things in all the right places. He was fondling Jean's oh so lovely breasts when he felt the hologram change. He jumped back in shock when the image of Jean melted away and he was confronted with the visage of an outraged Wolverine.
"Wanna fool around, boy? You can have some fun with me if ya like!" Logan growled and lunged, claws out.
Kimble screamed in genuine terror and flew away. His mind was telling him that this wasn't real, but his heart refused to believe it. He threw up a shield, but was bowled over when the ersatz Wolverine toppled him and pinned him down. The hologram was very realistic and Kimble was flooded with panic. This hologram was clearly different and wasn't as cold and lifeless as the others he had been shown. This one seemed all too real. He could feel the heat of Logan's breath and the spit that flew from his mouth as he growled down at him in full berserker mode. Kimble closed his eyes and let out a huge telekinetic pulse, throwing Logan off of him and buying him a few second's time.
He dashed away quickly and tried to phase through the door, back out the way he had come in. He was momentarily dazed as he smashed into the door without passing though. Somehow he had been blocked inside the same way he had been unable to travel down to the holding cells. He screamed again when the hologram rushed him, slashing out with its claws.
Fight him! Zander shrieked inside of Kimble's head.
"How! It's too fast!"
Then slow it down!
(break)
At that moment, Logan and Remy were walking down the lower level hallway. Gambit had woken up a short while ago and had a shower. He felt mostly human again and begged Henry to discharge him, he had never made the best of patients. He was still tired but had gotten enough rest for now. He wanted to go upstairs and type up his report on Jael and get it over with. Henry understood Remy was impatient, but wanted someone around in case he passed out or got dizzy from his head injury. He called Logan down to come and get him, Beast knew Logan was often up late and would be around.
Logan had come down as requested and invited Remy up for a Coke and a game of cards, not letting on that it had been Henry's idea. As it was, Logan wanted to talk to him some more and compare what Bruce had said about Jael to what Remy remembered. They really needed to learn as much as they could about the guy. He figured now that Gambit had rested, he might remember more than what he had said earlier. He gathered his charge and they left for the upper level.
When they passed the Danger Room door, Logan saw Warren's laundry basket abandoned in the hallway and sniffed at it. Why was this out here? He glanced up when he felt a low rumble come from the Danger Room and a loud scream of terror from behind the door. Logan clicked the box. "Codename: Wolverine. Computer, who's runnin' the room?"
"Codename Gambit," the computer chirped for the second time.
Logan sniffed at the door, smelling faint traces of skunk and glared at Remy. "Kimble."
He punched a code and opened the door. A horrific sight greeted them.
Kimble had the body of the Wolverine hologram pinned to the Danger Room wall, held in place by spikes created from a splintered telekinetic shield. Kimble stood in front of the hologram, exhausted. He had been hurling spikes at it but was only barely holding it back. The hologram was ripped and torn, bleeding its false blood in a torrent as its entrails hung loosely about its legs. It was duplicating Logan's healing factor and repairing itself almost as fast as Kimble could keep it down. Kimble had used a lot of his power and could barely stand. Still the hologram kept coming.
"Stay away from me!" Kimble screamed hoarsely in complete terror. He had tried to run and phase through the walls, but Warren had activated a shield there, too. Kimble hadn't been able to escape the room. He was untrained and had resorted to this grisly method of holding the relentless hologram at bay. His naked body was splattered with the blood from the hologram and his arms were cut and bleeding. He had barely kept one step ahead of the all too realistic metal claws.
"Computer! Codename Wolverine. End program!" Logan snarled.
His holographic double fizzled out and Kimble fell to the floor quivering and whimpering in terror. Remy ran over to him, but didn't touch him. He could guess that Kimble would be exhausted from creating so many spikes and he didn't want Kimble to take a big draw of power from him. "You okay?"
"He wuz gonna kill me!"
Logan looked up to the control room and saw Warren standing there. He had been frozen in terror, shocked by Kimble's violent response. He figured Kimble would just try to run or fly around. He never expected Kimble to lash out with such gruesome ferocity. He saw the real Wolverine looking up at him and fled.
"Paisible maintenant. Calm down, Kimble. Easy," Remy was soothing the stricken pilot. He hadn't seen who had was on the control room, Kimble was his only concern.
Kimble shook and released another telekinetic pulse without thinking. It wasn't as strong as the first, but it was enough to push Gambit back a pace. Kimble's eyes were half closed as he trembled in hysterical shock, barely registering that he was now safe.
Logan turned as a shadow crossed the open doorway of the danger Room and he saw Rogue come in. "What's goin' on, boys?" she asked.
"The Cajun's new toy got in trouble again. What a surprise. I'm gonna go find Warren, find out just what that little shit was up to," Logan grumbled and walked out. Kimble's gruesome form of defense hadn't rattled him, but he did catalogue it for future reference. He knew no small part of it had come from the pilot's rage against him.
Remy didn't watch him go, he was concentrating on Kimble. He crouched down and charged a card, waving it in front of Kimble's face. "C'mon, Kim. Take dis. See me."
Kimble stared vacantly at the ground. He was trembling and could barely hold his head up.
Gambit slid the card under Kimble's hand, taking his hand away the moment he saw the Siskan's body start to absorb the energy he had changed it with. Kimble shuddered, but didn't otherwise move.
"What are ya doing?" Rogue asked, crouching down next to him.
"Feedin' 'im my power. It'll heal 'im."
He charged another card and slid it under Kimble's hand again. Remy wouldn't look up at her. He could already feel himself tremble with love at the idea of her being so close and didn't want to see her beautiful face. He didn't trust himself not to make a fool of himself. She was still with Manny and hadn't come to her senses yet. She had hurt him so deeply...again. How long was she going to make him pay for the web of lies he had strung more to protect his sanity than to deliberately fool anyone? He had paid, oh yes. He had paid so much for his crime already. He didn't want her to see how much pain he was in.
"I thought only Fallen could do that," Rogue said, confused.
"Non. When 'e got 'urt so bad on de ship, when Joey dere stabbed 'im, I touched 'im and fixed it. Dat's how we come to be so close. But Gambit won't touch 'im again, neh? Not like dat. 'E took Gambit for de ride of 'is life, man. Gambit ain't so stupid as to take dat trip again. I feed 'im de cards, Gambit stays right 'ere, safe 'n sound."
"What happened between the two of you? Henry said you saw his files. What does that mean?"
"Gambit saw 'is life an' who 'e is. It was very real, chere, too real. Now 'is memories are Gambit's memories. We almost de same person. Dat's how I always know what 'e needs and how to talk to 'im. Almost a shame it wasn't Logan. 'E's de one dat needs de understandin' of Kimble, not me. I took one look at dis guy an' knew what he was all about. 'E's a child dat plays at bein' a man, just like me," he joked pleasantly, loving himself and who he was just as much as he loved Kimble. He didn't know if she understood that, but at this moment, he didn't care.
"Ah think Ah can relate ta havin' too many thoughts in your head that ain't y'own," Rogue said softly, letting him know she understood that at least. When Rogue touched people, she absorbed their memories. On more than one occasion the transfer had lingered, making her almost a split personality. It hadn't been pleasant.
Remy nodded at her words and charged another card, but this time held it up to Kimble's face again. "Come on, buddy. See me."
Kimble looked up at the card and locked in on the glow. He reached out with a trembling hand and took the card. It crumbled to ash as he absorbed the Ristle and he shuddered and took a deep breath. Some of the cuts on his arm faded and disappeared, repaired by Gambit's small sips of Ristle.
"What you doin' in 'ere, little brother?" Gambit asked him, having an idea what the answer might be already. Kimble's nudity was enough.
"I wuzn't doin' nuthin' bad. I wuzn't doin' nuthin ta nobody real," Kimble said, his voice little more than a hoarse whisper.
"You ain't supposed ta be in 'ere. You know dat. It's dangerous."
"I wuzn't doin' nuthin'!" Kimble blurted out after taking a rapid, hysterical breath. "I was just here and than it changed! It changed all by itself an' come after me!"
Gambit charged another card. "Easy, now. It's gone. It's all done now."
Kimble took the card and the Ristle. He was still shaking and put his head down, bumping it against Remy's shoulder. "It wuz gonna kill me...I couldn't stops it."
Gambit put his arm over Kimble's shoulder, seeing no other way to calm him. The moment he felt Remy reach out to him, Kimble turned into the embrace and flung himself against his friend. He was trembling violently now, undone by his harrowing experience. He squeezed Gambit without mercy, almost climbing up into his lap. He broke down into sobs, becoming the child he truly was.
"Oh, non, cher. Shh, shh. It's all right now," Remy soothed, holding the pilot close and rocking him now. He was suddenly swamped with Kimble's terror from the close contact, his bonding with this strange creature still firmly in place. He fought back his own tears, brought on by his friend's fear. He hoped the bonding went both ways and did his best to think of warm comforting things. He felt such love for his friend and wanted only to keep him safe and soothe away his pain.
Rogue watched Remy comfort this bizarre winged man, a curious look on her face. She had no real explanation for why Gambit spent so much time with this pilot or why he was so intimate with Kimble, but was painfully aware of the love there in his touch and in his voice and the jealousy it brought out in her. It was almost like Remy didn't see Kimble as a man at all. She didn't buy his remark about Kimble being a child and thought about Kimble's ability to change skins. She had learned that Remy was really good at not giving out the whole story about something, especially if it was something he might get in trouble for. Maybe he and Kimble were closer than anyone thought. The idea of that was easier for her to accept than the idea Remy actually felt something real for this artificial being. She loved him, but she could never really trust him. She hated to admit to herself just how relieved she had been when she found out he was gone. Now she was back to feeling all mixed up.
Gambit felt Kimble calm and relaxed, happy now that he had achieved his goal. He let Kimble cry a minute longer, then gently coaxed him to his feet. He noticed Rogue watching them, a perplexed look on her face, and was painfully aware that Kimble was still naked. "Put some clothes on, buddy. Dere's a lady 'ere."
Kimble turned to look up at her and Rogue was saddened by the look of horror that was still there on his face. He was just too tired to express it in any other way. He shivered and dressed himself numbly, covering most of the fake hologram blood that was splattered on his body. Remy put Kimble's arm around his neck to help steady him and they walked out to Henry's lab and the infirmary. Remy laid him down on one of the beds and covered him up.
"Stay wit 'im, s'il vous plait," he said to Rogue. "Don' let 'im go anywhere. I'll get 'Enry."
She nodded and he left. She sat next to Kimble. He had curled up and covered his face with his hands. She put a gentle hand on her shoulder and he took a hand down from his face to look at her. "I'm so sorry..."
"It's okay. Now you know why we call it the Danger Room."
(break)
Logan was furious. The fact that he disliked Warren intensely didn't help matters. Yeah, Logan wasn't thrilled much with Kimble either, but he was still a newbie and untrained. Logan was protective of everybody within his domain and he was outraged that Warren had waltzed in here and started fucking around with Kimble like that.
Logan tracked down Warren by scent and found him in the gym locker room white as a ghost. He had just been sick and was washing up in one of the sinks. Warren saw him coming and cowered. "Look, Logan — I had no idea he was going to do what he did. I mean, Jeez! I didn't know he could throw spikes like that!"
Logan grabbed him and smashed him into a wall, crushing his fragile avian teammate down with his weight. He was furious and wasn't going to be satisfied until Warren was thoroughly humiliated and trembling properly in fear.
"You shoulda known better than ta fool around with that stupid 'gram, fly boy!" Logan bellowed, spitting in his rage. "You don't know anything about him or what he can do. He's fuckin' dangerous! That's what I keep tellin' folks – not like they ever listen ta me — now there's yer proof! But besides that, he's a guest in this house! He coulda been killed or injured! What didja think you were doin' anyways! What gave you the right ta screw around with him like that!"
Warren squirmed, knowing he wouldn't be freed until he showed the proper amount of submissive fear. He'd lied with Wolverine too long not to know what would get the guy to back off. "I didn't mean anything! He was fooling around with a hologram of Jean and I just thought I'd teach him a little lesson, that's all."
Logan cooled a little and grinned, showing his teeth in a wicked sneer. "He was doin' what exactly with the Jean hologram?"
"Let me go and I'll show you."
Moments later, Logan stood in the Danger Room control room and watched the playback with white knuckled rage. He rolled his eyes and sneered at Remy who had just come up the stairs.
Remy had just left the infirmary after seeing Kimble safely into Henry's care and now he had come up to see what had started this whole thing. One look at Logan's face went a long way. He slowed his stride and smiled sheepishly. "Okay, what did 'e do now, eh?"
"Take a look, Gumbo."
Remy watched the playback and laughed. He thought Kimble was hysterically funny as he fumbled about with the uncooperative hologram. He snickered, "Least 'e's stickin wit 'is own kind now!" He laughed at his joke, but quieted when he saw the black rage on Logan's face. "Easy, now, Wolvie. You know Jean wouldn't go along wit' 'im for real. She'd send 'im on a nice flight into next week."
"I want this room programmed so Kimble can't get in here. I want it done now," Logan ordered through tightly clenched teeth. He clicked a switch, deleting the file of Kimble's encounter, and walked out, leaving Remy wincing from the vibration of hate and rage that rippled off of him.
"Should have known he'd get into trouble after hanging around with you," Warren scolded, happy that Wolverine's ire had been deflected from him to where it belonged. He sniffed arrogantly and walked out, shutting the door behind him.
"Stupid assholes," Remy muttered to himself and sat in the control chair. He rebooted the system, cracking his knuckles and loosening up his fingers while he waited. When it was ready, he got busy. He didn't bother to program Kimble out of the Danger Room, that wasn't really his job. For reasons he couldn't explain, he wanted a copy of the file Logan had deleted. Recovery was part of a thief's stock and trade and he wasn't one to let his skills grow lax. He succeeded in his mission and burned the file onto a CD before deleting it far more efficiently than Logan had. Into his pocket the CD went and he walked out, a smug smile on his face.