Jenskott: Nope, this act Sinister is the big bad and in act three that will be the final battle. Yeah I can get that but I'm Canadian you'll have to ask Slickboy since he's the American LOL.
Sparky Genocide: Well, what man isn't nervous when they are with the women they are serious about? We just wanted to show that. And Rahne didn't have an orgasm you read too much into that she just enjoyed it. And by then Jamie is nearly 14 but almost 15, but they won't have sex in this. I didn't know that about Jamie and Rahne in the comics.
japanesegirl101: You never heard of X23? Sorry but that's kind of a shocker, she was in the show twice, has her own mini-series and is now in the X-Men comics, I have to ask…where have you've been?
Aaron: Yep, we wanted to have Gambit just as nervous to show how much she means to him and vice-versa. I love writing Emma this way it's just so much fun, yeah we plan to have the Selene/Slayer fight a really good one.
Cold queen: Yeah we're taking it slow with Rogue/Remy.
Silver Warrior: Sorry never saw that anime, plus the fact Vince has a regular samurai sword in his room.
Ruby631: Amara will have things work out for her later, Sage/Hank will be closer later on too.
Mark C: I'll do more male bonding later and I'm glad you like how Ororo effects Logan and the Remy/Rogue relationship.
Doza: Glad you liked the scenes and X23 will be up in this chapter with more Romy.
GothikStrawberry: Well, more Romyness is to come in this and the next chapter.
Thanks to: X00001, Simba317, Wen1, LadyDeathStrike1, misspresh, Silver Warrior, The Uncanny R-Man, Coldqueen, Bensbrokenbones, morning star,
Hellfire and BrimstoneCHAPTER 39: SINISTER'S GRASP
Xavier's Office
Professor Charles Xavier was working on his fifth straight hour sequestered in his study as he looked over the ancient book that had been given to him by the mysterious mutant warrior they knew only as Slayer. This book and the mysterious things that it spoke of had consumed him…That much he could not deny. Beast had been in and out of his office, helping him was needed, but he mainly did that out of concern…For he and the rest of the institute was beginning to worry.
Professor Xavier had mountains of manuscripts scattered all throughout his office, many of which were old Latin scriptures that he was using in hopes of decoding some of the more ambiguous text from this book. As proficient as he was in Latin, there were so many other complications that it seemed as though the book was intentionally made to be difficult…A notion that he became all the more sure of the more he read into it. Keys, sacrifices, demonic minions, heaven and hell…It all seemed so dark and sinister. However, this only pushed the crippled man further to learn the secrets of the Gates of Hell that the text so frequently spoke of.
As Xavier continued to work without fatigue on translating page after page of text, Hank entered once again, carrying yet another tray of tea and bearing yet more concern as he saw him hunched over his desk as he had been for five hours now.
"Charles?" he said, somewhat startling the Professor from his focus as he saw his friend enter, "It's been five hours you know…"
Looking at the clock on the wall, Professor Xavier was somewhat shocked to see that he was right…But it didn't seem to faze him as Hank made his way over to his desk and sat the tray on desk after having to cleared off some of the papers that now riddled the whole area.
"No rest for the weary old friend," said Xavier as he let out a deep sigh, "There's still plenty more of this book to translate and even more to decipher."
"Well I wish you'd at least heed the concerns of both myself and the rest of the staff and get some rest," said Beast, sounding both worried and frustrated that the Professor had been pushing himself so hard when he knew it wasn't healthy for a man in his state, "This book has become an obsession."
"It IS an obsession now my friend…" said Professor Xavier with a somewhat disheartened tone, "The more I read…The more I translate…The more questions I find. This book speaks of forces so dark and events so terrifying that it demands more study."
"But you must remember, Charles…You're only human," said Hank as he poured the Professor a cup of tea and gave it to his friend, "Here…Ororo made it. She says the students need you in this anxious time and I am in full agreement. Word that the Hellfire Club is back has been causing a lot of stress…Especially among those who were left deeply scarred from their last encounter."
Professor Xavier took a weak sip of his tea as he let out a deep sigh, feeling somewhat angry at himself that he wasn't there for his students when it was clear that they all so sorely needed him. He knew full well the grave impact the Hellfire Club had left on some of the victims. He still headed the therapy sessions with them and he saw just how much it had impacted them on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. In addition, his telepathy still picked up certain images and projections that some of the students had about the ordeal and despite much improvement, this reemergence seemed to only cause those wounds to fester.
"I know, Hank…Believe me, I know," said the Professor as he looked back down at the book that had consumed him so much, "Nightmares and projections have been bombarding my mind with increasing regularity since word got out. But feeling this only seems to make what this book has to say all the more important and if we are to protect the students from horrors far greater than even the Hellfire Club could muster, then we must know what we're up against."
"Greater horrors?" asked Beast as he poured himself a cup of tea and sat down in the chair at the front of Xavier's desk, "You mean there could be a force other than the Hellfire Club out there that this Slayer character was talking about?"
"No…Not quite," said the Professor cryptically as he looked over some of the papers he had of translated text, "I'm beginning to suspect that the forces described in this book are somehow connected to the Hellfire Club. I've translated several sections concerning the Gates of Hell and in each part, it speaks of an immortal mistress of darkness that will come from the corrupt power echelons of the mortal realm and use the black arts to inflict great pain and suffering to further add to her power."
"Immortal mistress…You mean, Selene?" said Hank, growing somewhat intrigued by this revelation.
"I'm not sure, but I'd say it's a pretty safe bet if what this book says is valid," said the Professor as he took another sip, "The pain she's inflicted…It has only fed her and made her stronger. And all that strength is leading up to something…Preparing for what I fear to be something that has to do with the Gates of Hell…Bringing forth the darkness and sorrow that this book so vividly speaks of."
"And there is more Hank," Xavier pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him, "I've found other prophesies that talked about the end of the world…I think I've found a few of them."
Hank looked at one of them and he would have paled if he could with all that fur on his face. "The Dark One, born as En Sabah Nur will be betrayed and sealed. His minions will release him and his power will be great, he will walk into the eye of ages, and be reborn a dark god. Only those chosen few will stand against him and only the one who released him…The one who takes the life of others will seal him again."
He looked up at Xavier knowing it was a telling of how Apocalypse had been released and how Rogue had been used to seal him again. He read another passage about a self proclaimed king with a fortress in the sky who will use the brothers of summer and there was also a reference that he thought was the chamber Magneto used on Asteroid M years ago. All of these weren't exactly clear, but knowing what had happened he saw how they were references to things they had already seen and done.
"My God…" said Hank as he set his cup of tea down and tried to process this grave revelation. As a man of science, he was never one to fully embrace the paranormal…Yet never doubted for a moment that it existed. Now, if what Xavier was saying had any validity with this book and of what they knew about the Hellfire Club…A true embodiment of pure evil was now walking upon the face of the planet, trying to bring forth he pain and suffering of Hell to every soul on the face of the planet. "Have you found anything else that could tie in the Hellfire Club?" asked Hank, now somewhat eager to know more.
"Unfortunately no old friend…" said the Professor in a deep, monotone voice, "However, I did find one more disturbing little piece of information that may prompt further concern…"
"What is it?" asked Hank, not knowing if he really wanted to find out.
Xavier then proceeded to turn to a marked page in the old book that looked like a star map of sort. There were many Latin captions and pretenses, but it was without a doubt a map of the heavens and along with it came a message at the bottom that Xavier had only recently been able to decipher.
"This one page took me three hours to translate…" he said in a somewhat tired, exasperated tone, "It's an old star map that I had to read and reread more times than I care to recall…But through the use of a few other more modern star maps, I have determined that what you see is a map of celestial alignment between several key planets and stars that were of great importance to the Romans, the Egyptians, and the Chinese. The text says that this alignment happens only once every twenty million years…But when it does, the mystic energy that drives both light and dark forces is at their greatest…And through this energy, the Gates of Hell can either be opened and forever assimilated into our realm."
It was a disturbing image…The Gates of Hell opening to their world, forever bringing pain, sorrow, and despair to all the souls in it. Now Hank was beginning to understand why Xavier was pushing himself so hard with this, for in wake of such overwhelming darkness it was hard not to get sucked in by the ominous warnings that seemed to be staring them in the face so clearly.
"And when exactly is such an alignment supposed take place?" asked Hank as he took a closer look at the map.
"Soon…Very soon," said Xavier grimly, "I don't know the exact date…But through the comparisons I've done with recent star maps, I know it's about to happen. I just need more data so I can know when…"
As Hank looked back at the tired, exhausted Professor that was the mentor and guide for everybody at this institute, there was little doubt to his great concern for the events that this book foretold. He had only read a fraction of what Xavier had…And that alone was chilling enough. Now, it seemed as though time was a factor given that this alignment was the signal that would bring the mortal world and the mystical world together in a hail of fire and brimstone. And as Hank McCoy looked down at the book that Professor Xavier had been working so adamantly to decipher…He made a choice right then and there to do something about it.
"Then I guess there's only one thing to do now…" said Hank, drawing Professor Xavier's full attention, "I'm going to have to help you."
This triggered a smile from the Professor the likes of which he hadn't felt for some time now as he set his cup of tea down and took the book once again and opened it to a marked page.
"I had a feeling you would my friend, maybe we can also have Sage involved in this. I know that she is still having a hard time dealing with some of the students and this could help her feel a bit more useful," he said, feeling somewhat rejuvenated now that he had another brilliant mind to help him with this sinister enigma, "Now then…Let's get to work."
Rogue
"Dang it Emma, will ya stop with the wrinkles already?" said Rogue for what felt like the thirtieth time as she, Emma, and Kitty helped her fix her dress for her big date with Remy Lebeau, which was set to begin in a mere half hour.
"Well if you would just…Hold…Still," said Emma as she struggled to make the dress accentuate the curves of Rogue's body perfectly, "We would have been done with this fifteen minutes ago."
"Ugh…" said Rogue as she looked at herself in the mirror, "Who would've thought gettin' ready for a date would be just as nerve racking as the date itself?"
"Hey, come on Rogue. Stay positive!" encouraged Kitty as she worked on Rogue's hair to make it flow and shimmer as beautifully as possible, knowing this was a big deal for Rogue and Remy, "I know you're nervous, but you and Remy are already, like, so in sync that you've got nothing to worry about! The whole institute knows you two are crazy about each other."
Rogue just let out another groan, feeling her whole body tense up as the time for her date drew nearer and nearer. Since she had never really been much of a date freak, she had enlisted the help of Kitty and Emma, two of the most fashionably astute members of the institute for help. But after over an hour in her room of meticulous preparation that never seemed to be good enough for either of them, Rogue was beginning to question whether she should have gotten them involved in the first place.
"It's too long…" said Emma as she looked at her work on the dress from afar, "I think we need to make it a little shorter."
"Emma, you think all dresses should be shorter," said Kitty, rolling her eyes as she finished up Rogue's hair.
"Oh come now darling," said Emma in response as she made a few more adjustments on the lower part of the dress, "Rogue clearly has a lot to show off and if she's going to give the Cajun something to think about whenever he goes to bed at night, we need to maximize potential and harness every ounce of fabric we can!"
"Yer havin' way too much fun with this, ya know that Emma?" said Rogue, shaking her head at the young blonde as she made what must have been the millionth adjustment.
"What can I say? I have a knack for fashion and all things related to making a woman look enticing to a man," she smiled as she and Kitty made their last adjustments and took a step back to view the fruits of their work.
Rogue was still a bit uncertain as she turned to face them, for this was going to be her first date ever and it was with a guy she had harbored long growing feelings for. If this date didn't go well, she risked driving away the one man who ever saw past her inability to touch and liked her for who she was. She was no longer able to deny that she had serious feelings for Remy…Feelings she had not felt with any other man before. She was still weary about touch and intimate contact, but she wanted this so much…She wanted to move past it and build something more meaningful with the gift of touch that she now wielded. And for that reason, she was extremely nervous.
"Well…How do Ah look?" she asked wearily.
Emma and Kitty simply exchanged approving grins and looked back at the beautiful southern born woman with great enthusiasm.
"Darling…I have to say, this has got to be one of my favorite projects," said Emma as she looked at the image of Rogue in the elegant green dress that she had so meticulously worked on.
"Ooh, I bet you'll give Remy a heart attack the moment he lays eyes on you!" said Kitty, her voice brimming with excitement, making Rogue blush somewhat since she never really considered herself so drop-dead gorgeous.
"Ya really think so?" she said, still full of doubt.
"Darling…Any man who doesn't look twice at you now is either blind or gay," assured Emma, "Trust me…You look fabulous. Now come…Your date awaits."
Remy
Remy Lebeau was waiting nervously in the foyer waiting for Rogue to come down as the hour of their date drew nearer and nearer. He was dressed in a nice black suit and had his usually unruly hair neatly combed as he was casually handling a deck of cards to occupy himself, but that did little to make him feel any easier as his eyes wearily darted towards the clock ever couple of seconds. Both Piotr and Vincent were there to wish their friend good luck, but from the looks of it their presence wasn't doing much to ease the Cajun mutant's state of mind.
"Gambit, come on…You have to stop doing that," said Piotr with a grin as he took in just how nervous his friend was.
"Doin' what?" he asked, his eyes once again darting to the clock.
"Shuffling those cards like you're about to deal a hand to save your soul," answered Vincent.
This got Remy to stop and place the cards back in his pocket as he took a few deep breaths to mentally prepare himself for the task at hand.
"Sorry homme…It helps Remy relax," he said.
"No, it makes you look like a nervous wreck comrade," said Piotr with a smirk.
"Well dat's probably because Remy is nervous," he admitted, even though he was never usually one to allow himself to be weakened by anything…Particularly women. Then again, this was no ordinary woman he was about to take on a date…This was Rogue.
"Hey, just be cool man," assured Vincent, speaking in a more serious tone, "Be yourself, be understanding, use what you know about her to have good conversations, and above all…Just find a comfort zone with her."
"Comfort zone?" said Remy skeptically as he looked back at Vincent.
"Yeah, you know…That one mode of communication that you can have with her that's comfortable and relaxed," explained Vincent, "Believe me, I know what it's like. When I first went out with Emma, I was practically sweating bullets. But once we started talking and found an easy exchange of words and conversation, it really grew from there. Just let it evolve naturally…I mean, it's pretty easy to see that there really is something between you two."
"You really t'ink so homme?" asked Remy, still uncertain in many ways.
"Of course my friend," said Piotr, "I know you have been obsessing over this girl for so long that it's almost redundant to think that you two have something special. Like Vince just said, be yourself and let it evolve and you'll be fine."
"I hope so mon ami…I really hope so," he said as he checked the clock again, seeing it was just about time for them to depart.
Then suddenly, Rogue appeared at the top of the staircase and Remy froze at the beautiful sight. Time itself seemed to slow down in his mind as his heart began thumping incessantly with each step she took. Hugging her sexy, enchanting body was a long flowing green dress that went down just below knees in a slanted seam that gave an enticing show of her sexy legs. There was a small, light green sash that went over one of her shoulders that accentuated the overall color of the garment, which seemed to perfectly complement her face and eyes. Her arms were completely exposed, a gesture that she once thought unimaginable a mere couple of months ago and she actually wore something that showed off her cleavage. Remy Lebeau wasn't usually rendered at a loss for words, but the sight of this beautiful, elegant woman descending the stairs and capturing his heart left his mind reeling for a way to process what he was seeing. She was so beautiful…So stunning. He wanted to forever remember this image…He wanted to forever capture this moment in time as he took in the sight of this woman as she left him at a complete and utter loss for words.
"Good God…" said Remy as Rogue made the final step and approached the flabbergasted young man before her, "Cherè…You look…Amazing."
Both Kitty and Emma smiled inwardly as they high-fived each other for their accomplishment. Even Vincent and Piotr were impressed with what they had done with Rogue as they got out of the way and joined the other two girls as they watched Remy try to pick his jaw up off the floor.
"Thanks…You look nice too, Remy," said Rogue with a smile.
It was official…He was in the presence of an angel. There was no more doubt…There was no more uncertainty. Remy Lebeau may have been an expert thief, but he could not stop this woman from stealing his heart.
"Well den…Shall we?" he said as he extended his hand to her.
"Lead he way, Cajun," she said with a smile that only made Remy's heart jump once more as they both took in the moment.
Rogue knew that once she stepped out of that door with him, there was no turning back. She would be on her first date with this handsome man that had captivated her for so long and helped her through so many tribulations. It was a scary thought, but knowing that now she was no longer confined to her own prison…Forever doomed to be alone…It offered her hope that maybe she could find love in a world she had seen so much darkness in…Maybe she could move past what happened to her and build something profound, deep, and meaningful. Knowing it was now or never, the southern born woman took a deep breath as she took the hand of Remy Lebeau and followed him out the door and into the unknown.
-Outside-
Emma in a white karate gi fell onto her back hard on the grass, "Ow! Fuck!" she shouted out at herself. Her hair was in a pony tail, but a few strands got lose and she blew them out of her face as she got back up to face her boyfriend in the same clothing only with a black belt with red strips on it and had a headband with the clan symbol.
She had been taking martial arts lessons from him and soon a few others had joined in. Betsy was there in a black gi her hair like Emma's, but teaching a few of the younger students. Logan had said that a few more hand to hand combat lessons would be best as he over looked the Danger Room sessions. Both Vincent and Betsy, being the best hand-to-hand experts other then Logan, were in charge of it.
The current class was for the beginners such as Emma, Jubilee, Bobby, Tabitha, Roberto, and Ray. Each of them had three and even match for sparring.
Emma stood up and faced Vincent yet again as the others watched on as Vincent made comments on Emma's fighting so her and the others would learn at the same time. "Okay, that was good, but you overextended yourself. Only do that if you're sure your attack will work or what just happened will happen."
Emma nodded her head and got into a ready position. She had to admit, he did take this very seriously and already she learned a few things to help her out in a tight spot, but she wanted to learn more. She threw out a left strike making sure her arm was straight as he taught he of course blocked and countered like she knew he would. She took a step back and then made a high kick with the foot going over her head in a high arc making him move back a bit and he smiled.
"I didn't know you could kick like that."
She grinned at him, "Well first off, there are still a few moves and positions we haven't tried in bed."
"Ewww!" Jubilee said making a face, "Too much information please!"
"Oh I don't know…I think we could learn a few things for when we're ready," Tabitha said with a wicked grin, "Don't you want to melt the Popsicle when you two are ready for that?" Jubilee just turned a deep red, as did Bobby a bit. Tabitha nearly laughed, for she loved getting that kind of reaction out of people it was just too fun to watch.
"Anyways, I also took ballet since I was eight," Emma continued on, "I learned to be very flexible."
"Yeah, that should help with your body since you're used to the exercise and exertion over the years," Betsy said nodding her head, "How long did you do it for?"
"About until I was fourteen, at one point I really wanted to be a dancer, but my father…Well let's just say he crushed those dreams for me. But I'm a little out of practice."
"That's so cool," Jubilee said to the older woman, "I'm into gymnastics and maybe hoped to one day compete."
"Well then this should help you later on then," Vince said to the young Oriental girl from California, "Martial Arts also helps to keep you healthy and in shape. With this not only will you be able to defend yourself, but keep you in top shape."
Then he looked at them all, "Okay then, let's go over your katas and then a little simple back and forth sparing."
Everyone got up and went into a single line as Betsy went through the moves and Vince went through the people checking them out and helping them to improve here or there. It was a bit warm so everyone was getting a bit a sweat worked up but not too bad. Roberto was fine since the sun gave him enough energy to spare. Although he was starting to work a kink here or there by using a few muscles that he hadn't known were there before.
"When do we get to the cool things like with weapons and ass kicker moves?" Ray asked them both.
"Ray," Vince said in a serious teacher tone of voice, "I had to train for years to use weapons and before I handled the real ones, I had to use the wooden ones. Now you all have the basics, but we're going to improve on that and train you with non-lethal weapons first."
"Yes, but first we're going for a run and with some special equipment," Betsy said with a grin as they stopped and she went over to a bag. She had gotten these on special order and they had finally come today and she wanted to see how they did with it. She pulled out blue straps that had small lead weights in them and threw on to Ray.
"Whoa…What are we supposed to do with these?"
"You put them on your wrists and ankles as we go for a jog then some practicing with them," she returned.
"What? You serious?" he asked testing the weight of the thing it was kind of heavy and he doubted he could go for a walk much less with a jog with three more of these things on.
Vince started to hand them out, "These will help you strengthen your limbs also if you can move at a normal pace with these on, just imagine how you'll be without them." They all considered that and a few of them saw the point in it as they all placed them on. Vince turned to Betsy, "You think we can get them all into shape in time?" he asked in a hushed tone.
She shrugged, "I don't know luv, we don't know when the next time will happen, but I sure as bloody hell hope so."
-Gym-
Jean was in a tank-top and sweet pants doing bench presses alone. She was all covered in sweat and was lifting weights that she normally would think might be too much, but she needed to feel her muscles burn with effort. She wanted to be stronger and tougher then before. She felt weak because they had broken her and she was determined not to have it happen again. Every time she thought back to being turned into that Red Queen she felt like such a failure. She wasn't sure what was worst them taking her body or her mind from her, both her violations that she had never thought she would have to face.
She had gotten over the worst of it, but now that she knew they were still out there she knew they would be coming for them and she wanted to be ready. She was struggling a bit with the weights as her shoulders were starting to cry out in pain, but she needed to go on she needed to push herself. She had gotten soft since Apocalypse and Magneto went into hiding and the Brotherhood disbanded. She should have known better then to assume it was all over.
"Urrrgghh!" she grunted out with effort as her arms wavered and shook as she tried to push the weights up one last time, but she couldn't do it, "AH!" She felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and nearly dropped the bar on her chest, but with her powers she stopped it and placed it back onto its resting place.
"Jean what are you doing?" Scott's worried voice called out to her as he entered the room. He had been looking for her since he had been thinking of taking her out for the night seeing as she rarely left the mansion to find her nearly killing herself in the gym. He quickly got over to her as she sat up and was rubbing her shoulder.
"I just need to be stronger," was the only thing she said as he examined her shoulder.
"By killing yourself?" He looked at it and figured that she strained the muscles if not pulled it.
"Scott…I don't want to be as weak as I was when they're still out there," she told him hanging her head.
"Jean, you're not weak. I've seen the way you've had to handle your powers. The headaches and migraines not to mention how hard you've pushed yourself both in and out of school. You're one of the strongest people I know," he told her gently rubbing her shoulder.
"I'm not as strong as you think…I failed Scott. I gave up and they won, they beat me," she sighed, "I saw real strength in there Scott, I saw it in Emma and Vince. They've been through so much and held on the longest."
Now Scott thought he saw part of the reasoning behind all of this…She was trying to hold herself up to them, "Jean…You've had a nice and normal life. The worst thing you've ever had to have was with…Anne."
Jean remembered that day…The day she watched her best friend as a child get struck down by a car, holding her close and actually feeling her death when her powers activated. She later went into a coma from the overload of thoughts she was feeling and later she was taken out of it thanks to Xavier. Years later her powers went out of control like in high school, but once again Xavier had helped her and it was then that she came here.
"Jean from what I've heard, guessed, and seen in their eyes, hardship has been a way for life for them. They've struggled with things that I don't think either of us can fully understand and it has made them stronger, but I see in them that they never wanted any of it to happen. You've led a different life then them and you're not them, so don't compare yourself with them Jean." He came in front of her and knelt down cupping her face in his hands.
"Jean I love you so much and I know you're strong and I know that next time we'll all be ready, but you can't kill yourself like this."
"Scott…I…I just need to feel stronger."
He nodded his head, "I know…Believe me I know…I went through the same thing when they took you. I felt so weak and helpless…I felt like if I had been stronger or faster then maybe they wouldn't have taken you."
She smiled a bit and with one hand gently placed it on one of his on her face, "Then I guess we both feel the same way."
Scott sat down next to her wrapping an arm around her waist, "Well let me tell you something. I'm at my best my strongest when I'm with you. You're my strength Jean and I know that together…We can face anything."
She thought about that for a moment, and gave a smile. She felt stronger with him there as well she just hoped that they would be together this time while facing whatever evil that was coming. She sensed the fear, the apprehension, and the tension that was going around the mansion and it hadn't been helping her…But Scott's presence always helped her in the past as it did now and she truly felt better with him there.
"Come one, let's get that shoulder looked at, okay?"
"Alright, I think that's a good idea," she told him, getting up and feeling a little stupid for working out alone like that, feeling her sore shoulder as Scott led her away, but also feeling a bit better at least on the inside with Scott's little talk, for only he can make her feel better like this and she was glad to be back and to have him in her life again.
The Date
Needless to say, it was a little awkward at first for Rogue and Remy as they drove to the restaurant in relative silence, still taking time to process this whole ordeal, but once they sat down and got situated it did get a little easier. Rogue was pleasantly surprised as she saw Remy do many gentleman-like things such as holding the door and pulling her chair out for her. It helped lighten the mood and showed that he had a sense of romance even if Rogue did find it somewhat cheesy at times. Nevertheless, she wasn't complaining.
They had chosen to dine at a pretty fancy restaurant that was famous for serving Cajun and southern style food. It may not have been elaborate or over the top by any stretch of the imagination, but it was still a nice setting for a date and since Remy had eaten here before, he knew the food was good. As they began to lightly converse, Remy gradually managed to find the 'comfort zone' of communication that Vincent had told him about earlier. Since he already knew Rogue and her personality so well, he was able to keep it casual while also knowing what to avoid, such as the Hellfire Club or her mother. In addition, this new stream of communication helped them learn more about each other. From the movies they liked, to the music they listened to, to the books they read, it was a time for them to learn more about each other, working beyond the major details of their mutual attraction to one another and delving deeper into what made them tick.
Rogue was somewhat surprised to learn that Remy was a pretty easy guy to talk to and a good listener. His charm was often mixed with a sweet sense of humor that made her laugh with his witty comments on this and that, which was not unlike her own brand of wit. It helped her feel more at ease, being able to laugh again when she had so much to cry about in her past.
For Remy, he too was immensely enjoying Rogue's unique and special company. She was very different from the other women he had wooed in the past, for she was smart, sassy, and knew how to respond to each comment in a manner that made it almost like a game of sorts that added new dimensions of fun and excitement to their conversation. They touched on things such as Remy's life back in New Orleans, Rogue's life with Irene, and how things were going at the institute now that Remy was officially on the team of regulars. Rogue was glad to hear that Remy was enjoying it so far and was even happier to hear that he had made a few friends like Vincent, Scott, and Warren. It was good to see that he was fitting in and was connecting with others, especially after being on the opposing side as she once was to some extent.
Even after their food arrived and they finished their meal, they continued to converse until they realized that they were late for the movie. Upon paying the check, they made their way to the cinema. There wasn't much playing so it wasn't too crowded, but as they waited in line their luck so far seemed to take a turn for the worse as a few nosy men began sneering at them from behind.
"Hey…Ain't those the muties from the news up ahead?" said one of them in a low tone that both Rogue and Remy could clearly make out despite the background noise.
"I don't know…I think so," said the other who seemed to be eyeing them closer, making Rogue feel somewhat sick inside and causing her dinner not to sit right.
"Damn! Why do they let these freaks run amuck anyways? They're a danger to everybody," said another somewhat husky man who was holding a big bag of popcorn and a couple of large sodas.
"I don't know man," said the first guy who was reaching over and taking handfuls of popcorn from his friend as they waited to enter, "For all intensive purposes, I think they outta lock em all up and throw away the key. Although I gotta admit…That chick is pretty fine for a freak of nature."
"Hell yeah," said the husky one, "I wouldn't mind a piece of that!"
Remy saw the look on Rogue's face cringe as she prepared to turn around and tear these ill-mannered punks a new one, but a gentle hand upon her shoulders from Remy stopped her before she could do so.
"Easy cherè…It ain't worth it," he said softly, "Just let them be assholes…Cause dat's what dey are."
After a few deep breaths, Rogue managed to regain her composure and Remy removed his hands, knowing she was still a little jumpy when it came to contact. But despite this, she still held onto his hand, which spoke volumes in of itself as the line finally began to move. Then, as the three men who had been snickering at them once again let out a round of laughs, Remy secretly took out one of his cards that he always kept handy, gave it a quick charge, and flicked it over towards them. He made sure he did it discretely so no one would notice and as he had hoped, no one did as the card neared the feet of the husky man carrying the drinks and pop corn and exploded right at his feet.
"What the!" he yelled as a sudden mini-explosion knocked him off his feet, spilling popcorn and soda all over him and his friends.
"You asshole! This is my favorite shirt!" yelled his buddy who had been caught by the soda and pop corn.
"Hey, it was an accident man! I don't know…"
"Oh shut it fat ass! You're paying for this shit!"
Looking back at the commotion, both Rogue and Remy couldn't help but laugh at their misfortune. But upon hearing that little explosion that Rogue knew so well, she turned to her date with a curious look.
"Remy…Was that you?" she said in a low tone so nobody would hear.
"Hey…Nobody talks shit about my cherè and gets away wit it," he said with a cocky smirk that so prominently defined him, "Besides…Dey needed a little lesson in manners."
They both held back their laughter as they found their seats and waited for the movie to begin. And thankfully, those guys that had just experienced their own misfortune of not speaking quietly enough around mutants decided that they were no longer in the mood for a movie and left. With a fairly empty theater, both Rogue and Remy were left to enjoy the movie in relative comfort, not having to contend with too many people nearby ruining the romantic setting.
As the movie progressed, Remy extended his arm towards her, but was careful not to try his usual ploys for intimate contact since he did not want to rush Rogue with touching. Nevertheless, she was quick to embrace his hands in hers despite all the lingering feelings she still harbored and it was more than enough to express volumes for the both of them.
By the time the movie ended, Rogue had a smile on her face as she came to enjoy the warmth of Remy's hand in hers. Touching was still somewhat alien to her, but the more she experienced it, the more she found to like about it. Touching Remy Lebeau was warm, gentle, and enticing in many ways. She may have still been weary about doing anything too heated, but she had to admit…Feeling his skin come into contact with hers was quite arousing and sent a few rather hot sensations through her body as she entertained thoughts of feeling more of his skin against hers…But not right now.
As they made their way out, Remy was surprised to see that she was more willingly embracing him, clinging to his arm and leaning into his warmth without fear or anxiety as she so often did around close contact. It made butterflies do cartwheels in his stomach the closer she was to him, but he fought that off and simply reciprocated by holding her close and allowing it come naturally. Rogue was just so different and he didn't want to rush it…He didn't want to complicate it.
Having her like this gave him a high few other things in life had given him. He never thought in a million years he would fall so hard for a woman like this…But he had and the feeling it offered was beyond anything he could have ever hoped for. He had nearly given his life for this woman and now that he had connected with her on this fateful night…He'd willingly do it again in a heartbeat.
After a long walk around downtown Bayville, the late hours of the night set in and it was time for them to return. The drive back to the institute gave them both a lot to reflect on. For Rogue, it made her remember that queen of hearts she still kept at her bedside and sometimes slept with under her pillow when the going got tough. The first time she had seen this man he had been an enemy…Yet he had captured her imagination. Now he had captured far more than that with everything he had done for her. He had given her something to hold onto…Something to experience that she never thought she'd ever get a chance to. She knew the more she let him in her world the more she fell for him…But at this point, she was beyond caring. If this night had shown her anything, it was that many beautiful things could come about if she simply allowed them to…And if doing so was only making her fall more in love with this man…So be it.
For Remy Lebeau, the night was a culmination of everything he had been fighting for since he left New Orleans. He came to Bayville to make amends with her, but it ended up leading to more than he ever could have imagined. He nearly died saving this woman that had stolen his heart…That had accepted his queen of hearts. Few women were as strong, driven, and precious as the one right next to him…And now he knew for certain that he was falling in love with her now that they had used this one fateful night.
By the time they got back it was around 1:30 AM and the mansion was pretty much silent all around. Both Rogue and Remy returned with smiles on their faces as they made their way up the stairs arm and arm, knowing they would soon have to part…Ending this wonderful night together, yet forever committing it to memory.
"This was a really nice night Remy…Ah can't thank ya enough for everythin' you've done for meh," said Rogue as they stopped near her door.
"It was my pleasure cherè…" said Gambit in a deep tone as he held onto her hand, "Remy had a nice time to…"
A heavy silence fell over them as Rogue found herself clinging to his hand even tighter, almost desperate not to have this night end so soon. There was more she wanted to say…But she just couldn't get the words out as she looked back into his dark, red on black eyes. Gently, she raised a hand and lightly traced down his somewhat rugged face, relishing the sexy, manly feel upon her skin.
"Ah…Ah'm sorry Ah was so scared earlier…" she said, finally breaking the silence.
"Scared? 'Bout what?" said Remy with a perplexed look.
"About not lettin' ya in…About not lettin' myself get too close," she said with a slight strain in her voice, "Ah just…Ah never thought Ah could ever…Be with anyone. Because of mah powers…Because of mah curse…Ah was doomed to always be alone."
"But you're not alone cherè…" said Remy as he gave her hand a slight squeeze, "Ya never were…And ya never will be. Ya know how much Remy cares about ya…Ya know how much Remy's always cared about ya. A lot of thing's just…Got in da way. But dey ain't in de way anymore…"
"Ah know…" she said, once again finding herself focusing on sheer power that the sensation of touch brought, "Ah guess…Ah guess Ah'm still stuck in that state in many ways. But tonight…Ah think Ah'm startin' to understand. Ah like ya Remy…Ah like ya a lot. Ya nearly died for me."
"And Remy would do it again…" he said in a deep tone that brought a smile to Rogue's beautiful face that warmed his heart.
Rogue didn't know how to react to such kind words…For nobody had ever given her what Remy had. Soon, she began to react in her own way…Not with words, but with actions. Her usual fears and insecurities about contact went out the door as she drew her face closer to his and captured his lips in a deep, passionate kiss. Such a reaction surprised Remy to the point where he thought his heart would explode, but he quickly found himself returning the kiss, taking her in his arms and holding her close as they both took in this deep, profound moment together. This night had caused them both to open up in ways neither of them ever had before…Yet now, they could safely say they had no regrets about doing so.
The kiss sent their minds into a state of profound euphoria, relishing in each sensation it brought, capping of the end to a truly wonderful night that neither of them would soon forget.
When they finally parted, Rogue did not feel weary, anxious, or uneasy about what she just did or the memories it could have triggered. What she just felt was something completely new…Something strong…Something profound for both her and Remy. They both had warm smiles on their faces as they gazed back into one another's eyes, knowing that this night had brought forth so much for the both of them and it was an experience that could only grow with time as it had evolved right before their very eyes.
"Thanks again for such an amazing night Remy…Ah'd love to do it again sometimes," said Rogue, a smile never leaving her face.
"Yeah…Remy would like dat too," he said, as they finally let go and headed off to their respective rooms, looking forward to what the new day would bring for both them and their blossoming relationship.
"Goodnight Remy…"
"Goodnight mon belle cherè…Sweet dreams."
-Sinister's Base-
X23 was sitting in her cell/room. It was all metal, but there was a nice bed and facilities and they gave her some decent food as well as something she had never had before, a piece of chocolate now and then. It was sweet and tasted good, but she had to wonder if that was just another little manipulation of his to win her over. She found herself being treated harshly, but when she obeyed they showed her kindness that was different than Hydra, but she saw it for what it was…Conditioning. They were trying to train her to obey them at all times and she didn't want to, but it was either that or suffer the device.
She tried to pry it out of her neck when she was alone with one of her claws, but it activated as soon as the metal touched and she had spent the next hour on the floor in pain.
Any further thoughts were interrupted as her door a thick piece of steel slide open and Sinister was standing out there with that grin on his face that she hated to see. "Well now, we're going to put you to the test 23. You'll be going with the others to acquire a few test subjects for me."
He strolled in like he was lord and master and in his own way he was. "Now you will listen and obey to them or you know what will happen." She glared at him, knowing full well. "Good then, just remember you can't escape and you can't fight us. The sooner you accept it the better it will get, trust me on this." Again he showed her that grin of his and again she hated it and wanted to rip it off his face.
"Come along now, we don't want to keep the others waiting," he said pleasantly and walked out, she wanted to leap on him from behind, but knew she couldn't so she just stood glaring at his back walking behind him planning and hoping and also watching for an opening she could use against him and when that presented itself she would take it.
NEXT UP CHAPTER 40: A SINISTER ATTACK