(Seven)
That same night, a meeting had begun at the Xavier Mansion, a Kimble status report. It was long overdue. Logan had organized all the materials and made slides, working to take his mind off the inevitable. After this meeting was adjourned there would be another, a much smaller one with the Professor himself and Gambit to discuss the big brawl they'd had this morning. For now, he was in the large War Room filled with the Blue squad, impatient to get this over with. The whole crew was there – Scott, Jean, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Bobby and Warren. Fallen and Seth had been invited as well.
Gambit had taken a place along the back wall. His hands and wrists had been taped and bandaged, his self inflicted wounding on display, but he looked much better. He had slept all day and the long rest had healed him somewhat. He didn't recall his dream exactly, but had felt Kimble's presence there. It gave him a sense of peace and it showed in the passivity in his eyes. For the first time in a while, he wasn't angry.
The Professor noticed and was pleased. He started the discussion by tossing out this question. "Tell me, Fallen, tell us all what is a Courtesan really? I know some of this is redundant information, but indulge me. I have a purpose here in asking."
Fallen nodded and replied, "A Siskan Courtesan is a pleasure program designed for one or more users. It provides companionship, entertainment. Sometimes, in the case of Sheyman and myself, actual medical care and looking after."
"Kimble is different from a normal Courtesan because he is empathic?"
"Yes. We heard the two Siskan Council members say so."
She went on to give a quick review of what she had seen in Kimble's files. When Kimble's memory files had been replayed, part of his life on Siska had been reviewed for all of the Lucky Dragon's passengers to see. They saw Kimble's first years as a possession of Sheyman, his creator. Even on Siska, Kimble was different and his willfulness hadn't gone unnoticed. Neither had his ability to read his clients and influence them with his empathic gifts. The Siskan Council had been in charge of hologram behavior and they had been overheard discussing Kimble's fate, even going so far as to consider destroying him.
"Are you empathic?" the Professor asked Seth, startling him a little. Seth hadn't expected to be anything besides an observer.
"I don't know," Seth replied honestly.
"What you feel when you lovin' Fallen? When you intimate wit' 'er." Remy asked, startling more than just Seth this time.
"How is that relevant, Sugah?" Rogue wanted to know.
Gambit ignored her, he was too busy pinning Seth down with his eyes.
"Uh...I don't know. Her heart beating, I guess. I hear that."
"Non, fils. What you feel."
Seth was quiet for a moment before answering, seeking something from Remy's face. It seemed as though the thief had something on his mind, but Seth wasn't sure what he was seeking. Eager to please his friend, he offered, "I feel her love like a real thing. Is that what you're looking for? Yes, I enjoy what she does to me, but it's more than that. It's real. It makes me feel strong and alive."
"If her love was gone, what would you feel?" Charles asked, having an idea of what Remy was getting at even if Seth didn't.
Seth put his head down and replied with complete honesty, "Nothing. I wouldn't feel anything ever again because I'd want to be dead."
Fallen took his hand and held it to her face, struck by the tone of sadness in his voice.
"Would you try to find another Mistress?" Charles asked, inspired by Seth's melancholy response.
"I am not Seth's Mistress!" Fallen snapped, insulted at the suggestion. Of course she was, but she was uncomfortable with it spoken out loud like that, especially since the title of Master had been so corrupted by what Kimble was going through now.
Charles looked at Seth, willing him to answer the question.
Seth squirmed, uncomfortable with the concept of Fallen being gone.
"What is the point of this, Professor?" Cyclops asked, perplexed. He didn't understand any of this or why it was even relevant. These things were private and personal and shouldn't be spoken of in a room full of people.
"The point of this, Scott, is that while Kimble claimed he didn't want to return because he had found acceptance elsewhere, I think what he really found was new ownership."
"New ownership?" Cyclops snorted. "That's absurd."
"Is it?" Charles responded, directing it at Seth.
"No," Seth replied softly, keeping his eyes down. "No, it isn't."
Charles turned to the group. "What I have to say may make some of you uncomfortable, but after a long conversation with Remy and some soul searching on my part, I've come up with this. I believe that Kimble takes his being a Courtesan very seriously. It's what he is. On some deep level, he regards himself as a possession and isn't happy unless he belongs to someone. Because his first owner loved him so much, he sees ownership as love. They are the same to him. When Sheyman died, he had no owner and was lost. It was even worse on Station Nine because of the abuse.
"When Fallen resurrected him, he had ownership again, and so found himself loved. He cared for her and now had value. When you arrived here, Fallen, you devoted your time to Seth -"
"But-" she started to protest, but he silenced her with a finger.
"Let me continue, Fallen. This isn't about assigning blame. This is about discovering Kimble's way of thinking. When we understand Kimble, we'll understand why he has done what he has."
Fallen was quiet, but she put her head down.
"When you began your work with Seth, Kimble found himself left on his own. I see now that his getting into trouble was a cry for help. He was seeking someone who would devote themselves to him fully and give him the love he was missing. He was sending out overtures and they were all refused, even from the one he wanted and needed the most."
"Who was that?" Rogue asked, already knowing the answer.
"Me," Gambit answered honestly with a small smile. " 'E and me, we real close 'cause of de files, but it more dan dat. No we ain't ever done nuthin' physical, but Gambit was lookin' after 'im jus' de same."
"How's that?" Rogue was a little put out, feeling jealous.
Remy counted down on his fingers, "Gambit played wit 'im. Gambit danced wit 'im, took 'im out. Gambit was lovin' 'im all de time de rest of you pushed 'im away."
"I didn't push him away!" Fallen continued to protest.
"Non?" Remy asked a little sharply now. "What you do besides ignore 'im all de time?"
"That's not true!"
"What 'is favorite color den?"
"What?"
" 'S simple question, chere."
"Um, I don't know. He likes so many things."
"It's red. What 'is favorite t'ing to drink?" Remy continued to challenge.
"Whiskey."
"Non. It's Coke. What 'is favorite t'ing to eat?"
Fallen was silent.
"Chocolate. Ever since 'is firs' night here. What is' favorite game?"
Fallen refused to answer, but a tear leaked out of one eye.
"You understandin' me now?" Remy asked a little more gently. "Don' be t'inkin' dis is Gambit sayin' dis all your fault cause it ain't. Kimble still went out lookin' for sumptin' 'e wasn't gettin' 'ere, even from me. Dis as much me as you. Gambit wasn't understandin' 'im any better, chere. Gambit was all messed up t'inkin dat Kimble was a fool for some good Cajun lovin' but 'e was lookin' for more dan dat. I let 'im go, just as sure as you. Now Gambit gonna find dis boy, bring 'im 'ome no matter what."
Charles cleared his throat. "The point of all this is that I think Kimble has found new ownership in a most unlikely place. We've been wasting a lot of time chasing down Jael, but we now have good reason to believe Kimble never changed hands after he was taken from Kyle Franks and Cameron Bishop. He has a new Master now."
"Who's that?" Scott asked.
"Sabretooth," Logan answered, speaking for the first time.
Bobby started to laugh until he saw the hard look on Logan's face.
Wolverine stepped up and addressed the crowd. He gave them the run down on the previous night's events, starting with Kimble's phone call. He went through what they had seen and found at Sabretooth's penthouse, going on to speak about what Leon had told them of Kimble's life with the Freedom Kings. Kimble had been melted and couldn't shift. He had received some combat training and had pulled some kind of trick with a sword, a Channeler thing no one could clearly understand yet. It was a powerful weapon, Zander had used it to kill.
Kimble had next been taken by Sabretooth, but not turned over to Jael. Creed was waiting for some reason, biding his time. Wolverine mentioned the tape they had found, but said only that it was of Kimble's being abused. Seth was here and he just didn't want the kid to hear about all that. He could see already the meager facts he'd doled out were upsetting the young Siskan, he was sitting quietly and trying hard not to cry. Logan had no idea Seth already knew and it was the truth that was making him suffer.
Logan finished up. "Creed was hired by Jael ta take Kimble from Kyle. He grabbed this kid, Leon, 'cause he makes the plasma. Kimble's been feedin' off a plasma fer a while now. It changed him somehow. I got reason to think that the plasma makes him high, screws with his head. He was high when we spoke in the warehouse and again with the Cajun on the phone."
Henry interrupted him with a raised hand. "Plasma energy is dangerous to normal Siskan hologram components. It would kill Seth in his present state, but Kimble isn't the same as Seth. He was chemically altered in the Ristle power surge. It's possible he is now receptive to plasma energy on some level, but it may be slowly destroying him. You said he can't shift his skins. That's a clear sign of damage. There's no way to know for sure how bad the damage is without having him here in front of us."
"His inner core can't take the constant heat," Fallen added. "I used high quality components, but that doesn't mean they won't degrade over time. We have to get him away from the plasma, it'll kill him eventually. I have no doubt of this."
Seth squirmed in his chair, not happy. It seemed like Kimble's situation never got any better.
Wolverine nodded, but continued on his own track. He reviewed some of the facts. "Fer some reason, Creed let this Leon kid go. Remy an' me caught up with him and he said Kimble was still with Creed. Creed's got him livin' with him, passin' him around the crew like some kind of fuckin' party favor. Leon said they were callin' him Creed's Whore."
"Jesus..." Cyclops whispered.
"Yeah, only Kimble don't seem to be mindin' too much, even when Creed beats the snot out of him."
"Creed hits him?" Fallen asked, a look of concern on her face. She knew as well as most of them that he shouldn't be able to stand up to the abuse. It never took much to make him cry.
"Creed hits everybody, darlin'. He don't discriminate. Anyhow, it looks like Kimble's got himself a good case of Valentin Syndrome," Logan joked humorlessly back at her. "Somehow he likes it now or somethin'. Leon said he heard Kimble with Creed several times and that Kimble wasn't fighting him and that he thought Kim was actually liking it. Kim was upset that Creed was pissed at him fer callin' Remy. Not just scared at gettin' hurt, but really upset like he didn't want Creed to leave him. Creed's got that boy all bent out of shape."
"Are you telling me Creed's...gay?" Scott couldn't help himself but ask. He just couldn't picture it, not that monster.
"No. He ain't gay. He just gets off on rapin' an killin'. He don't care who it is. I saw what was left of some of his fun and games when we used to work together. He mostly kills off whoever he takes down, but for some reason, he's keepin' Kimble alive."
Remy took a step forward and said, "Gambit's got an idea 'bout dat. I'm t'inkin' mebbe 'e usin' Kimble de way 'e used to use dose telepaths. De ones dat could stop all de screamin' in 'is 'ead. Creed's guys wanted Kim ta give dem de 'glow' just like he done wit de Master. Sound familiar?"
Some of the older crew members nodded, and for the rest, Beast gave a quick review on the time that Sabretooth had stayed here, seeking release from his rages. He didn't go into depth, most of the people who were here had lived through it. He explained how the telepaths could offer temporary help for Creed by altering the chemical imbalance he suffered from, but it had never lasted. Creed was beyond any kind of permanent help, he was much too ill.
"That being the case, is there a way that Kimble could help Sabretooth like that?" Xavier wanted to know. He had an idea already, but was prompting Remy to elaborate. Details on this matter had been withheld from him by the thief. Now was the time to get Gambit to cough up all he knew.
For the first time in front of the whole team, Remy explained how Kimble was using his empathy to help the Siskans who were so gravely ill and in pain back on Siska. "Hayden was usin' im like a drug for de pain. Gambit's t'inkin' mebbe Saby be doin' de same. Leon say dat when Saby was done wit Kimble, 'e look like 'e was high. 'E wasn't 'urtin' him no more. I'm t'inkin' Kimble knew 'xactly what 'e was doin'. 'E brought Saby down to stop de pain from de rape, but it wasn't like didn' get nuthin' out of it." Remy paused here, his hands trembling slightly. He would never get the sight of that tape and Leon's hard words out of his mind. "Leon say Creed kept comin' back for more. Kimble gonna see dat as acceptance, dat he have purpose. Dat 'e have value. He gonna t'ink Creed mebbe love him just a little. If Creed does 'love' Kimble on some level on account of dis backwash, Kimble's gonna know it an' feel it. It'll bind Kimble to Creed."
Warren started to snicker in exasperation. He shook his head and ruffled his feathers a bit. "I think you guys are reaching here. Sabretooth's a monster, incapable of loving anyone."
"Mebbe de Creed we use' to know. Leon say 'e all different now. Kimble changed 'im."
"Creed can't be changed, not fer long," Wolverine said softly. "His beast'll come out and Kimble's gonna pay fer it hard. We gotta get 'im back."
Remy was in full agreement. "D'accorde. Anya say dat Kimble gonna find 'is angel. Dis de one t'ing y'all keep forgettin'. Dis what all of dis is about, de mos' important t'ing, mes amis. Everyt'ing she say gonna 'appen been comin' down just like she promise. Got no reason not to believe dere ain't no truth in dis as well. She say what 'is condition is when he find dat angel matters. P'etetre, de Quitter not so good wit dis angel, eh? We all seen she how violent she is. Zander ain't much better. De Lover's gotta be de one in charge. He's out now, workin' wit Saby. It sucks, but it's also good. We gotta get Kimble now while he's de one in charge. We gotta bring Kimble back so Jael don' get 'is angel and use dat power to 'urt anyone, comprenez? Anya been right 'bout everyt'ing else, got no reason to doubt 'er now. Dis ain't about whether you'all like Kimble or not, it beyond all dat. Anya, she say all dis like mebbe Jael gonna kill a whole lotta people if de bastard get de chance. Gambit would do it for dat reason alone' but 'e don' need it. Gambit let dis boy down. It ain't gonna 'appen again."
"And if Kimble don't wanna come home?" Logan asked knowing the question had to be asked. "He turned ya down once already."
"Gambit's gonna make 'im an offer he won't refuse," Remy said quietly, daring him to argue. "One he mean dis time. I'll be his Master if dat's what he needs to fix all dis. Cameron and Saby done it. Dey walked up and say 'I'm yo' Master' and de fool Kim just dropped down and say 'okay.' If dey done it, I'll do it, too. No more askin', I'll make Kim come 'ome, whatever it takes."
"Excuse me?" Rogue asked sharply, not liking the way this was going. If Remy took Kimble for his Siskan, where did that leave her?
Remy looked up at the group. "When Kimble comes back an' unless he say otherwise, he's mine. I'm de only one dat really knows what's goin' on inside dat boy's head now. Dis is me officially tellin' all of you dat I'm gonna be 'is Master, de one lookin' out fo' 'im an' makin' sure he gets everyt'ing he needs to be right, to be okay again. Anyone got a problem wit dat, speak up."
"You were lookin' out for him before. It didn't work out so good," Rogue challenged.
Remy squared off with her, his grin less than pleasant. "Bien sur. Dat's 'cause Gambit had 'is priorities confused. Dat ain't a problem no more."
Rogue froze, her face flushing. She didn't want to hear what he was saying, but wasn't about to make a scene in front of the group. He was telling her they were all done, that she had been the one in the way. She was being dismissed, he had made his choice and it wasn't her.
"Kimble will know it if you don't mean it for real," Seth said in his soft Siskan, turning Gambit's head. "I would."
"Mebbe Gambit does."
Seth smiled sadly, shaking his head. "No you don't. You don't understand possession. Not like this. Not like Kimble will want. You made that offer when you thought he could still shift, right? That he would be a woman for you. He can't do that now. He'll want you as a man and you can't do it. You won't own him the way he wants."
"Stop it!" Fallen hissed, rising. "I won't hear talk of this. No one owns anybody!"
"What's going on?" Bobby complained. It was so unfair that Remy was the only one who could speak Siskan.
Gambit stood and sighed, his hands on his hips while he met Seth's knowing eyes. "I'll do what I have to fix my mistakes. Kimble's comin' home, mon petit fils. Dat's one promise Gambit will keep."
Seth dropped his eyes and said nothing more. It was so difficult to sort all of this out. These feelings swamped him, some of which he didn't understand. Gambit's body spoke to him of love, of a love for Kimble that was pure and strong, intensely real. But it existed on a another level than where Kimble's heart lay. Gambit might possess Kimble, become his Master in a feeble attempt to save him, but he would never lay with him. Seth didn't think it would be enough to keep Kimble here and heal him. He himself was a living fragment of Kimble's mind, a part of Kimble's ability to love that had been stolen from him. He vaguely wondered if his true name wasn't Seth at all, but "Kimble's Happiness". It seemed as though his brother had never been truly happy, not since he'd been ripped from the system and left to flounder on his own. A tear escaped him at the thought of Kimble's pain, it was always too easy for him to lose control.
"Mon fils, don' do dat," Remy said softly, cupping Seth's chin to raise his eyes. His thumb wiped the tear away. "Gambit understands more dan you t'ink."
"You're going to help him. Make him well again. No one else can do it because they don't love him like we do."
"I'll do whatever I have to put all dis back to rights, I promise." Remy readdressed the crowd. "Anyone else? 'Fessor?"
"No, I do not object. It's been made clear to me long ago that the two of you are bonded. You will be needed to help him once he returns."
"Fallen?"
"No one should own anybody. I don't own Seth."
"Kimble needs a Master, he been screamin' it an' no one's been listenin'. You gonna fight me on dis?" Remy asked, not backing down. He was asking her since Kimble had been in her possession when they had arrived, it was only polite.
Seth gave her a nudge and whispered up at her in Siskan.
She frowned, but said, "No. I won't fight you over him. If you say you love him that much, then take him. Better luck than me." Her face was tight with hurt and anger but she stayed as she was.
Scott scowled, not understanding. He would never be comfortable with all of this emotional crap. "That's nice, but he's not here. So what's the plan?"
"De plan? Gambit's gonna steal 'im back. No more goin' in guns blazin'. Gambit's gonna hunt Saby down, take back what's mine."
"Kimble's not yours, he's not anybody's," Scott challenged again. He was in agreement with Fallen that no one possessed anybody and didn't like what Remy was saying. Scott perceived Kimble as sick, as mentally ill. It seemed as though poor deluded Remy had no problem indulging Kimble's perverted beliefs.
Gambit just gave him an arrogant, cocky smile, putting this idiot in his place. "He is mine, an' I will bring 'im home. Count on it." He snorted and walked out, shutting the door behind him. He had said all he needed to and was finished now.
Seth watched him go, uncertain.
"If getting Kimble home is that important, I say give Remy free rein," Karen said speaking for the first time.
"How's that, darlin'?" Wolverine said, curious what she was after.
She smiled at him. "Well, for all his posturing, I think it's very clear Remy's relationship with Kimble is quite deep. If he's confident he can turn Kimble's head enough to bring him home, I say let him do as he wants. We can work out the rest of it once Kimble is here. He has both Remy and Seth here." she said, giving Kimble's brother a nod. "It will be enough. Think of Kimble as one of those guys lost to a cult. Most times, once you get them away from the source of the corruption, they can be healed if they are given enough love and understanding."
"I agree," the Professor said. "I can't emphasize enough here that once Kimble comes home, we will have to be very accommodating, more than we were before. He can't be allowed to wander off. The stakes would appear to be much higher than before."