(Five)
The days passed and the time for the Games Master arrival drew ever closer. The time did not pass peacefully. Karen had come to see Kimble to try and talk with him, but so far only Lin would come out. He had taken firm control of the body and wasn't letting the others speak. Lin was much too shy for Karen to get far with him. He only spoke in Siskan, prompting her to have to take something of a crash course in the language and most of the time, all he wanted to do was try and warn her off. He wasn't the least bit violent, but he wasn't co-operating either. Until one of the others was back in charge, Karen wasn't going to get far.
As much as he was able to keep the others from working with Karen, Lin did not have as much control over 'Shay as Remy had hoped. It didn't take long for the troublemaker to rear her ugly head, taking advantage of the X-men's lack of knowledge about what had happened to Kimble while he had been gone. Her secrets were vast and she had kept them all, hiding her crimes so that none of the X-men might discover them. That very thing had often been on Remy's mind and he had every reason to be concerned about it. He feared it would come back and bite them in the ass like the thing with the phone - and he was perfectly justified in thinking so.
Remy had been doing his best to lure his broken Siskan from the holding cell, hoping some outside time might get Kimble to push for freedom on his own. However, all the pilot did was sleep and stare off into space when he was in his cell. He was turning into some kind of zombie, he needed to move around. Beast and Karen managed to get SHIELD approval for Kimble to come out on a very limited basis and everyone went along with it, seeing that it might help. The deal was that Remy was supposed to be on hand if and when Kimble actually came out in case anything went wrong.
Lin didn't exactly co-operate. He was determined to stay in the small spaces and was quite the pain in the ass. For the first few days he would go no father than the showers inside the holding area. Any attempts to draw him out of Security only made him collapse into tears, fierce wailing of curses, and thrashing about. Remy gave up on taking him out of Security so he tried working on making him more active in there instead. He moved Kimble from the padded cell back to a regular cell and brought in a computer to Lin's small prison with the express purpose of playing games. He had been inspired by the playroom at Trishnar's and thought it might come to good use here. Everyone thought he was nuts until they saw how the colorful games caught Lin's attention. His co-ordination was too slow and poor from his lack of energy to play the more sophisticated games, so Remy brought him games for beginners or simple puzzle games. Lin's face lit up with joy and soon his tiny laughter could be heard trickling out of his cell.
Given these small signs of hope, Remy wasn't the only one trying to lure him out, Henry and Seth were doing their best as well. They had some success, Seth and Beast were able to get him to come as far as the Lab, drawn out by a promise of hot chocolate and a new computer game. He had a good visit, drank his cocoa and everyone was pleased.
The next morning, Lin amazed them again by agreeing to come out once more. Lin had just had a very good visit with Remy, playing computer games for hours. Gambit had fallen asleep on Lin's bed, tapped out from a terrible flu bug that was making its way through the complex. This was the real thing and not a designer virus, Beast was sure to confirm it to allay everyone's fears. Lin was playing on the computer, oblivious to his Master's soft, congested snoring, when Beast and Seth came to visit. Henry entered the cell, wanting to see if Lin would come out. Happy now from playing games, the Confessor reluctantly agreed.
Beast wasn't about to let the opportunity go to waste. Lin was brought upstairs to visit with the Professor in his study, something that was only supposed to take a couple of minutes. Charles had wanted to visit with the Siskan and see how he was doing and was hoping that a session outside of the holding cell might do him some good. Charles' study was bright and warm, a seemingly safe environment for Lin's first visit out of the lower level. No one thought to wake Remy, he was clearly feeling ill and they thought it would be best to just let him rest. It would prove to be a mistake.
Henry and Fallen had brought Lin up to the Professor's study with Logan as an escort in case there was any trouble. Wolverine was the only dissenter when it came to moving Kimble about. He distrusted the Siskan's wild personality swings and thought he should be locked up for good. As much as he insisted that Kimble was nothing more than a broken machine, the others kept treating him like a kid who just needed a hug. He knew it wasn't that simple. Logan was nervous about the whole thing and being outvoted, refused to have the Siskan walking about without his tagging along to make sure nothing freaky happened.
Charles was happy to see the shy Siskan come up for a visit and tried to make him feel welcome. "Well, Kimble. You look better," he commented as soon as everyone was settled in his office.
"We done the baddest things," Lin confessed, always the first words out of his mouth. Even though he had been brave enough to come out, he still had a blanket wrapped around him, his shroud. The only part of him visible were his hands and part of his face. He was very nervous and fidgety, looking around the room nervously, thinking this might have been a mistake. He was fretful of the windows and sat the furthest away from those dangerous openings to the outside world. "Gots to be vera careful. Don' wanna be hurting nobodys."
"Yes, I know," Charles agreed gently after Fallen had translated for him. "That is why we are looking after you."
Lin just sat quiet now, his eyes low with shame.
"I'm sure you'll understand that we are all concerned about your welfare. We care very much about you and are happy you are finally coming out to visit with us. Because of this, we feel it's best if we can keep track of your whereabouts for a while," the Professor explained. He handed him a bracelet and Lin took it automatically. It looked like a watch, but he knew better. "You should wear this at all times. It's another tracking bracelet. Please, put it on."
Lin put it on in a trance. He didn't want it, he had no intentions of going anywhere that would put others at risk, but didn't have the will to fight over it. If they wanted him to wear this, he would. It beeped once he had fastened it and had an orange glowing light on it that was flashing now. His eyes locked on it and he was off somewhere else, dreaming about someplace wonderful and warm.
Fallen snapped her fingers in front of the pilot, but he was gone. "He's been doing this," she complained sadly.
Even though Kimble had been repaired by Neal's influx of plasma, he was still running on minimum power once the boost had worn off. Neal was still around, if Kimble got too low like before, then he would be called upon to recharge the Siskan — under much more controlled circumstances, of course. Zander would not be allowed to ravish the poor boy like he had that one time. In the meantime, the Siskan was very low on energy and as the days passed he sometimes stuttered or stalled, freezing in place for a moment or two. Nothing could rouse him but he always came back to himself eventually. It had been frightening at first, but the others here were growing used to these hiccups in Kimble's operation. It was just spooky how he shut off sometimes, especially if it happened in the middle of a conversation. They would just wait for him to come back and finish where he had left off.
"He'll get better," Henry reassured Fallen. He spent more time with Kimble than she did and had become used to this. "Being out here is only the first step."
One of the Professor's cats, Trixie, came silently into the room. She was a sleek grey tabby, an overly friendly creature who loved attention and wasn't shy about asking for it. She boldly jumped up onto the couch where Lin and Fallen were sitting, walking across laps until she finally settled in Lin's, attracted by the blanket. She rubbed up against him, her purring a dull roar.
The sound gradually made its way into the pilot's fog. 'Shay became aware of it first and saw the animal there. An echo of Leon's voice came to her. You want this? Plasma, so rich and warm...
Yes...
Then show me how much. Kill the cat. C'mon, I haven't got all day!
'Shay was all over it. Here was something an X-man hadn't seen. Too bad the Master wasn't here, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.
Faster than Lin could see and without so much as an afterthought, Lakotashay snatched up the animal and twisted it with a horrible, loud crack, breaking its back before the poor thing even had a chance to scream. She gathered all their strength and next pulled on the dead, limp thing with her powerful arms and ripped it in two, spraying herself and those around her in gore. This had been Leon's favorite trick and she remembered it well.
"Kimble!" Fallen shouted in horror as she was covered in blood and guts, unable to move. One half of the ruined animal plopped down in her lap, still twitching as it drained of blood down her legs. Lakotashay had moved so fast and unexpectedly, Fallen had no chance to stop her.
Logan pounced on 'Shay immediately and pinned her to the couch. He was incredibly pissed, upset that all of his warnings had, of course, been ignored. Once again, he had been proven right. He brought one hand around 'Shay's neck, tight as a vise, and buried his knee in her abdomen, crushing her down into the couch. Lakotashay couldn't move and coughed as she heaved for breath. Wolverine drew one hand back and made fist as he choked his prey. "You sick fuck!"
"Fuckin' do it! Whatcha'all waitin' for!" she croaked at him, unable to get a full breath. The pain in her belly from Logan's weight was horrible but familiar. She arched her back even as she choked, pushing herself against the powerful man on top of her, instantly aroused from the pain.
Logan felt her arousal and was horrified when he saw the actual bulge of it in her clothing. The pilot had graduated from the boxer shorts to sweatpants, but he wore no underwear. Baggy sweatpants alone were hardly capable of concealing such a powerful desire. It was there for all to see. Logan's eyes widened and his mind went blank as he was instantly lost in a red cloud of rage. He released his grip around 'Shay's neck and punched the pilot viciously, snapping her head around violently. The blow would have broken the neck of any ordinary man.
"Logan!" the Professor shouted, overcome with horror at what was taking place. The whole incident had taken less than a minute.
Henry grabbed at his diminutive teammate and used all of his brute strength to pull him away. Good thing he had plenty, he was able to pull Wolverine back away from Kimble before he could strike him again. He had certainly intended to, Logan was snarling and growling, unable to articulate clearly in his wrath. That door labeled, "Do not Enter" had come open wide and he was lost in an uncontrollable berserker rage.
Jean came running from down the hall at his noise and burst into the room. She didn't understand all that she saw, but knew Wolverine had to be contained. She took him from Beast telekinetically and wrapped him in a tight ball of a shield, blocking his ability to move. She sent him a volley of loving, comforting thoughts and felt him gradually go limp. He was exhausted from struggling and lay still, covering his face. She then did something she disliked doing, but felt she had no choice. She reached inside his mind and flipped an invisible switch, causing him to fall asleep. It was the only way to put him down completely without causing him any further damage.
Meanwhile, the Siskan's body had slumped over onto Fallen's blood drenched lap, gripping his face and smearing it with blood. The power of the blow had snapped Lin back to the fore and he was bewildered. It was a testament to his new capability to receive abuse that he was even still conscious. He mumbled blearily, "Master... Master..?" He reached out and pawed out in front of him, groping for a man who was no longer there. When he saw the blood on his hands he freaked, screaming a torrent of hysterical Siskan. 'Shay had given him a new crime, he had failed to keep his promise of not allowing her to kill.
Fallen sobbed uncontrollably, hysterical now herself and going into shock. She was covered in ruined animal parts and not quite sane. Horrible memories from the Dognan pens flashed back on her in a torrent and she vomited explosively, fouling the pilot in her lap even more than he was before.
"Get Kimble out of here!" the Professor ordered to Henry. He wasn't angry even though the animal had been one of his favorites. He simply wanted the situation contained until it could be reasonably explained. He had no clue about what had just happened.
Beast obeyed quickly and scooped up Kimble's body, freeing Fallen. He had to use the extent of his willpower not to heave himself. The Siskan was covered in cat entrails and Fallen's half digested breakfast. It wasn't pretty.
'Shay came back and laughed crazily, grasping Henry tightly, his blue fur sticking to the gore and slime that covered her. "Hey, Kim. Look at this!" She released the Lover, unable to contain her glee. He was sure to freak out worse than Lin had.
Henry winced from the tightness of 'Shay's pinching fingers, but got moving. He heard a low moan from the body in his arms, a soft Kimble noise. Beast walked briskly to the elevator and waited, looking down into the pilot's eyes which had already started to bruise. He had recognized the Lover's voice and in an attempt to distract Kimble from the gore that covered him, said, "Well, hello there. It's been a long time, Kim."
Kimble was as bewildered as Lin had been, not sure why he was here. It was warm and comfortable snuggled here in the blue fur of Henry's massive arms. He was in pain though, and it seemed it he must have been beaten, the ache from his neck was working its way through. What was going on? It was supposed to be that the pleasure followed the beating quickly, but that wasn't happening. His throat was one huge agony. He blinked drunkenly and released his sticky death grip on Henry's chest. "Whasz goin' on? It hurtsz...Master?"
"Rest easy, Kimble. I'll have you down in Med Lab in a minute."
Kimble's brow crinkled in confusion. He became more aware and saw the blood and blue fur glued to his fingers. "Somebody hurt you?"
Henry stepped into the elevator and quickly pressed the button for the lower level. "I'm fine, don't worry," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. He knew as well as 'Shay did that Kimble would not react well. Damn 'Shay. Damn her all to hell. She had done this to get the Lover punished.
Kimble started to whimper as he struggled to remember what had happened. " 'Shay done it again? She-she hurt somebody!"
"It's all right. It'll be dealt with."
The elevator landed and the door swished open. Henry walked briskly down the hallway now, wanting only to bring Kimble to the lab and sedate him as quickly as possible.
Seth looked up as they entered the lab and shrieked sharply when he saw the blood and gore covering his brother. "Fallen!"
"She's fine," Henry said quickly, his temper rising as the situation seemed only to get worse.
Seth instantly reacted to the sight of all that blood. He had an aversion to violence, the sight of blood was even worse. He immediately dropped down to the floor and covered his ears, gasping loudly as he squeezed his eyes shut tight. He had no idea whose blood it was but seeing as how Kimble was involved, this was certain to be bad. He was trembling all over and frightened tears poured out of his eyes. He was hysterical and hardly able to contain it, but Henry had no time for him. He lay Kimble down on one of the beds and left for his office. He had several tonics there already prepared for Kimble in case of emergency.
Kimble shivered and whimpered more loudly now. He panted out denials of 'Shay's violent act, but could no longer dismiss the blood that was all over him. "No! No! Helps me! Remy!" he shrieked, his body a continuous convulsion as he shook violently. As much as he denied the Cajun was his Master, there was no else he wanted more right now. "REMY!"
"We done the baddest thing again!" Lin wailed, his Siskan voice leaking around Kimble's and taking over. He had let the Master down, he had failed. The Master was sure to punish them.
Henry came to him quickly and forced him to drink the tonic, being compelled to yank on his hair a bit, only adding to Lin's pain. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the drought to take effect and Lin lay his head back in a stupor, almost out cold by the time the others had made their way down.
Fallen limped in, held up by Storm, the Professor had called her down to lend a hand. Fallen was shaking and trembling, still sobbing. She was covered in blood and looked like an extra from a horror movie. Seth went to her but couldn't control his hysterics at the sight of her. The thought of blood on Kimble was bad enough, seeing it on her was even worse. She did her best to help him. She staggered to the shower, dragging Seth with her in spite of his noise. She had to clean up. She had to get this awful blood off of her, but didn't want to leave him alone. The door shut and the lab was more quiet.
A moment later, Gambit stumbled in. His face was red, flushed from a slight fever and his nap. He felt like shit and was now upset, adding to his misery. Jean had brought Logan down to a holding cell until they could be sure he would be calm when he woke. The noise had wakened Remy and he had been given some sketchy details of Lakotashay's crime. He rushed over to Kimble now, making a face when he saw his Siskan's condition. "Sacre merde! Gambit close 'is eyes fo' one minute an' all 'Ell be breakin' loose! What de fuck 'appened!"
Henry gave him a quick briefing on what he had seen. He was trembling now himself and feeling more than just a little ill. The room reeked of blood and vomit, enough to make even the most sturdy of doctors queasy.
Gambit was upset that he hadn't been consulted about Kimble's being brought upstairs. He didn't know if his being there would have prevented this, but he was still responsible for the pilot. "You don't move 'im again wit'out me, comprenez!"
"It wasn't supposed to be that big a deal, really. It was only for a minute. Lin surprised us by agreeing to come out so we didn't wait. I'm sorry," Beast stammered lamely.
"C'est bien, 'Enry. Really, it's okay. Jus' next time, get me, s'il vous plait?" Remy said, excusing him. The words didn't hide his disappointment that his order had been ignored.
"Yes. I'm sorry."
"Gambit knows," Remy said, his voice now low and tired.
Remy looked down at Kimble's sleeping face, trying hard to control his emotions. Yes, Anya had warned him about 'Shay and what she was capable of, but he had hoped that was all in the past. The trick here was to discover what had flipped her out. How was he going to get answers? Lin confessed his crimes but not what inspired them. Looking at Kimble's battered face gave him some new ideas. He would probably have to steal that information from her or one of the others, most likely Kimble if he was free now. He was disappointed he had missed the Lover, it had been so long since they had spoken. Some extreme measures might have to be taken.
"I'll take care of 'im," he whispered sadly.
"You can use my bathroom," Henry offered. "I can wait."
Remy nodded and with great care, scooped up the pilot and left with him for Henry's quarters. Beast had a lovely huge bathroom with a large bath tub. Remy lay Kimble's limp and lifeless body into it and used Henry's hand held showerhead to rinse him down. He looked at the welts on Kimble's stomach and the huge ugly bruises that were now spreading across his neck. Kimble didn't have bones in the real sense, so he displayed the damage Wolverine had done to him in big black bruises. Remy's pain surged. How was he going to keep Kimble safe? How many times was he going to clean blood from his friend? This was so horrible, he couldn't stop himself from crying.
Henry heard him and gently lay his big blue hands on Remy's shoulders. "He'll be all right."
"I should jus' take 'im down to Trishnar's. It ain't no good fo' him 'ere. We ain't takin' care of 'im proper, he's a fuckin' mess!"
"When do you go to Yosemite?"
Gambit sniffed. "Coupla days. Just a couple mo' days, dat's all. Merde!"
"Then wait. We'll look after him, I promise."
Remy nodded and carefully soaped Kimble down. The pilot mumbled and groaned in his stupor, but didn't wake. He laughed softly when the warm water hit him again as Remy rinsed him down and Gambit took some comfort in that. It wasn't 'Shay's voice, it had been Kimble's. He dried him off, dressed him, and carried him back to the holding cells. When the tonic wore off, he would have a talk with the pilot, see if he could figure this new puzzle out.
Gambit knew it was up to him to figure out what had just happened. Karen would be sure to report the incident and Fury would need an excuse for it or Kimble would never be freed. He found himself promising Henry that he would get Kimble to talk, one way or another. They both knew it needed to be done since all of this would have to go into Karen's weekly report. To hide it would result in Kimble being taken away and neither one was willing to risk that. If they could provide Fury with an excuse or at the very least something that could be worked on through therapy, all the better. Henry wasn't sure how Remy was going to get his Siskan to speak, but if anyone could worm a secret out of anyone, it was their clever thief.
That night, when the tonic wore off, Gambit and Seth went down to the padded holding cell with Karen to have a little talk with the pilot. Of course it was 'Shay who greeted them, she had been waiting eagerly for this. Now their pathetic new Master would see it was better for them just to die. A few hours had passed and the damage done to her from Wolverine's blow was now fully displayed. She was sporting fashionable large ugly bruises all around her neck and around her eyes, making her look like a walking corpse from a strangulation murder. It made Remy feel ill, but it wasn't going to stop him from going through with this. Remy and Seth entered the cell and circled her, pushing her to the back of the tiny room. Karen stayed at the door to watch.
"Kimble, dat you in dere?" Remy demanded without preamble.
"Ha! Fuck you!" 'Shay spat, her eyes gleaming with pure malice.
"Lemmie talk to Kimble."
"Go fuck yerself!" 'Shay snarled, a smug smile on her face.
Gambit took another step forward and she lashed out at him. With their power still so low, her movements were slow and sloppy. All he had to do was sidestep out of the way. She came at him and they sparred, but it wasn't much of a contest. He was quite a bit stronger than the Professor's cat and much more able to defend himself. Remy grabbed her wrists and crossed her arms in front of her as he shoved her back against the wall and pinned her with his body.
"Lemmie talk to Kimble!" he demanded again.
'Shay spit in his face.
Remy laughed impatiently and rubbed his face on his sleeve. "You fightin' dirty, chere. Dat's all right. Gambit know a trick or two."
He came at her and kissed her full on the mouth, sending out as much of a love vibration he could consciously muster. He was daring to use the Kundatesh against 'Shay in an effort to bring Kimble to the fore. He had gained some real control in the use of this power thanks to Babette and he had overcome a lot of his shyness regarding Kimble's gender. Seven days with a truckload of Siskans could do that to a man, especially being with one as clever as Aiden had been. It was a brave move Remy was making now for two reasons. One, he didn't know if 'Shay would bite him. Two, he had an audience here with Karen and Seth and he didn't know how they were going to react.
Karen made a small noise of surprise at his actions, but Seth remained quiet, staying close by in case Remy needed him to back him up. He wasn't the least bit offended or put off by what he was seeing, he knew what Gambit was doing. It was the same as he had done when Lakotashay had taken control before and a technique he often used to get Lin to do what he wanted. The sure way to draw Kimble out was to let him know he was loved. He responded to the need. Seth had come in case Remy failed to draw Kimble out on his own.
Kimble's body shuddered and he moaned softly as he came to the fore. Remy's love vibration had been so powerful, it had empowered him to shove Lakotashay back. Remy's training and exposure to powerful wielders of the Kundatesh had effectively doubled the strength of his own power. That and his own feelings towards Kimble had changed. He could now direct the sexual nature of the vibration, explaining what he was feeling now without ever speaking a word. / Gambit loves you, Kim. 'E love you fo' real. 'E always 'as. 'E's not scared no more. Come out and talk to 'im, s'il vous plait. /
Gambit's kiss was taken up with real love and passion and Kimble twisted his arms, using Remy's desire to restrain him to better keep the thief in close.
They continued to kiss for a full minute before Remy finally pulled away. He hadn't been prepared for how good it was to kiss with one as skilled as this. He had completely forgotten he was making out with a man, all he "felt" was Kimble's spirit, the being he was inside, not the body in front of him. The Kundatesh had melded them together and all that really passed between them was a statement of mutual love and respect.
Kimble chuckled up at Remy as he looked at him with eyes weary from the never ending battle within. "I likes the way ya kiss. Shoulda done this a long time ago," he whispered, his voice husky with desire.
Remy smiled, happy now that his plan had worked. He relaxed his body against Kimble's, comfortable against the wall as he went to work. "I 'ave to talk to you."
"Are ya ready ta have that talk now then?" Kimble asked in Siskan, his eyes hopeful. Remy's vibration had been so powerful and he could taste the thief in his mouth. Spice and cigarettes and whiskey. Kimble trembled, he was almost crazy now with want. "The one 'bout you an' me?"
Gambit startled, he thought Kimble hadn't heard him say that way back when the pilot had been so high on plasma. "Non. Dat one comes later when you fixed up. It's gonna happen, it will, but dis's sumptin' else. Sumptin' important."
Kimble turned his head away, all too ready to cry. He felt a surge of anger, Remy was toying with him as Bruce had done before. Stupid games, he wanted none of them. "Go find yer stupid wife an' leaves me alone!"
Gambit felt his anger. "Don' turn away, Kim. Don' you run from me. I love you an I really need you t' 'elp me now," Remy pleaded in English now, trying his best to keep Kimble out. "S'il vous plait!"
"Kiss me again," the Lover demanded angrily, testing.
"After."
"Now or just go fuck yerself!"
Gambit debated his options and decided to go for it. What the hell, right? He had already gone this far. He kissed Kimble again but then next cursed himself for a fool. He wasn't prepared for Kimble's backwash of angry powerful desire as it surged through him. Kimble was returning the favor, only he was truly Siskan and his Kundatesh much more powerful. Remy just knew this time Kimble was fully aware of the effect he was having and was consciously trying to seduce him. The Lover had done this on purpose, it was payback for the tease. The knowledge of this didn't make resistance any easier. It was the benefit of Gambit's training as an X-man that kept him from being washed away. He felt the full force of the Lover's intense want and need for him and almost fell under the spell, it was so powerful.
Something unexpected happened though, something Kimble hadn't planned on. He was trying to seduce someone with the same gift he possessed and the Kundatesh ran both ways. As much as he was trying to overpower Remy, to punish his new Master for daring to tease, he was being betrayed from within. Kimble's body was speaking to Remy as Babette's had, not with words, but with a powerful vibration that could never lie. / I'm hurtin' inside, Remy. I'm angry, but my love for you is vera real. I wouldn't be hurting this bad if it wuzn't. I just wants ta be worthy of you and it just ain't never gonna happen. I don't deserve you. I don't deserve nobody no more and hurts like nuthin' else. What am I gonna do?
Gambit felt it, understood the unintentional message clearly. Kimble was acting defiantly, but his heart had been laid bare and Remy knew he would win. The Quitter would fall because deep down, Kimble really did want to live and he wanted to be loved, he was simply hurt and scared.
Gambit's will was strong, empowered by this knowledge, and Kimble was the first to break away. "Fuck..." he whispered, his trembling worse now. "I wants ya so bad! Remy, please!"
"Gambit knows. 'E don' mean to 'urt you, 'e jus' gotta talk to you."
"It hurts so bad, Remy!" Kimble sobbed. "These stupid cuts and bruises, they ain't nuthin' compared to this pain what's livin' inside 'a me!"
"Gambit's gonna 'elp you, little brother. You jus' gotta 'ang fo' a little while. Coupla days, Gambit's gonna go find someone who can 'elp you."
"Yer the only one who kin helps me. Yer the only one who understands. Lay down with me, Remy. The pain'll go away, I swears!"
"Nice try, Kim, but Gambit's knows better. Dat alone ain't gonna be near good enough."
"Please!" Kimble pleaded and broke down into wracking sobs. "It hurts so much!"
"We got no time for dat now. Talk to me, little brother," Remy replied, his voice thick now. He was aroused from the Kundatesh, but at the same time almost ready to cry from Kimble's misery. He pressed his body closer to Kimble for comfort and tried to send vibrations of love and concern, not to tease now, but to soothe. Kimble's pain was an agony for him.
Kimble felt it and went limp. He wasn't going to get his way, this pain was never going to go away. He was a fool for ever thinking so. "Whatcha wants ta know?" the Lover said in a hoarse, dry whisper, giving in.
It hurt Remy to see that capitulation, the complete desolation in Kimble's face as he looked away. Kimble had relented not because he wanted to, but because he felt he had no choice. Remy wished there was something he could do or say to prove to Kimble once and for all that he was loved without question, but there was nothing he could do for it, not just yet. He kept his voice gentle and kind as he asked, "Tell me why 'Shay done tore up de 'Fessor's cat, s'il vous plait. Was it just to piss Wolvie off or sumptin' else?"
"We done the baddest things!" Lin suddenly shouted, startling Gambit as Kimble was displaced.
Remy winced from the shouting, his ear had been right next to Kimble's mouth and he had been blasted. "What baddest t'ing, Lin? Tell Gambit!"
"The baddest bloodiest things!"
"You keep sayin' dat, petit, but you ain't never said what exactly. Why did 'Shay do what she done? Tell me, tell yo' Master!"
Lin started to answer, to obey, but gasped sharply as 'Shay suddenly regained power in an effort to defend her secrets. She took control with the full force of her anger and slammed her knee into Gambit's crotch without mercy. He hadn't been the least bit prepared for her attack, so aroused and spellbound he had been by Kimble, and she knew it.
Gambit never made as a sound as his legs buckled and his world greyed out for a moment. Sparkly things danced across his eyes and he wasn't sure he could maintain consciousness. He almost forgot how to breathe. Again, it was a testament to his training and the physical weakness of the pilot that he never let her go. He pushed against her as he started to fall, using his greater weight to prop himself up as he held her back.
"Baiser-vous, putain! You fuckin' bitch!" Remy wheezed. "Dat wasn't nice!"
Karen rushed forward to assist, but a flash of Gambit's red eyes held her in place. When he wanted her help he would ask for it. She took a step back, but not too far.
Gambit returned his attention to his Siskan and Lakotashay chuckled evilly at him. "Not much of a lover now, are ya! Don't think I don' know what yer doin', ya sick fuck! How dare ya tricks Kimble like that? Yer usin' his pathetic little cock ta git ta me! Ha! I'm too strong fer ya! I hates you! I hates you! I hates-"
"Aw, shut the fuck up!" Zander snarled abruptly, cutting her off. He had been roused from his slumber by her anger and wondered vaguely if they were under some kind of attack. He really needed to be at full power to do anything about it, but he had grabbed momentary control just the same. He regarded Remy now, noting the squint of his eyes and the way his legs were shaking. Lakotashay had taken care of this threat with satisfaction, such as it was.
Zander took advantage of the situation to play a bit of turn about. He slipped his wrists free to grab Remy's own and seize control. Now he was essentially holding Gambit up as the thief was reeling. He sniffed at Remy with unveiled sexual interest. "Hey, kid. You don' look so good," he chuckled with a wry smile.
"Gambit 'ad 'is better days, mon ami," he complained, steadying himself on his shaky legs. His stomach had dropped somewhere around his knees and he was close to throwing up. He was doing his best not to show his present weakness, but he was in real pain.
"Ya know, heh, yer kinda pretty right up close," Zander teased gruffly, sniffing at him again and licking his lips, the wolf eyeing its prey. "Too bad 'Shay took ya down, maybe ya coulda managed a kiss fer me, too. Course, I'll be more'n happy ta have that blow job now, seein' as how yer halfway down to yer knees already."
Fooling around was the last thing Gambit had on his mind at that moment, really. His crotch was one huge agony and quite frankly, he was a little scared of the Punisher. He remembered all too well Zander's fury and the ease with which he had taken Sabretooth down. Remy knew he had to accept all four personalities because they were all parts of Kimble, but it was the Lover he could easily kiss, not this dangerous one. Still, he recalled what Anya said about using an alliance between Zander and Kimble to defeat Lakotashay's hold. Maybe now was a good time to put that to a test. "You know what I want, eh? 'Elp me out 'ere an' I'll see what I can do," he offered around his pain, still at work.
"Trick 'r treat," Zander continued to tease in his low growl, remembering the children that had come so brightly dressed on Halloween to the loft. "C'mon, boy. I gots yer answer. Kimble didn't know nohow, he couldn't ever watch, y'know? But the killin' never bothered me none. I gots yer answer right here, I'll even settle fer that kiss. Come an' gits it, lover...if yer brave enough."
Remy laughed in frustration, shaking his head. He couldn't fault Zander's cleverness. Whose idea had it been to persuade Kimble to talk this way? Oh, yeah. Mine. "You wan' dat boy ta talk, no problem. Gambit get it outta 'im, no fuss at all," he had said oh so confidently. Oh, well. Time to pay the piper.
"You gonna kick me, too?"
"Only if it sucks," Zander grumbled good naturedly, happy now.
Gambit sucked it up and kissed him.
Zander was much more aggressive and used Remy's captured wrists as a means to bring him closer. He was rougher and more passionate than the Lover had been and Gambit thought it was like kissing someone completely different from Kimble. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, like fucking in a rush because you might get caught. Remy flushed instantly, never one to mind a little roughness so long as it didn't get out of hand. Zander was firm but gentle enough, his free and unrestrained lust bright and powerful, tinged with no small amount of love as well. Remy was reminded of Aiden and the thought roused his body, sending a bolt of liquid heat right to where he was hurting the most. Once more his groin throbbed with pain in response, having its own agenda, one not necessarily the same as its poor beleaguered owner.
Zander felt his prisoner stiffen against him and recognized Gambit's acquiescence, his receptiveness. He gave Remy his tongue and blasted away Gambit's pain from 'Shay's blow, flooding his mind with bright white bliss. Here it was, the Kundatesh again. Remy's Kundatesh addicted mind was greedy for it instantly, lost and drowning in it, his body finally unable to say no. The Punisher was delirious with joy and triumph. Maybe Kimble wouldn't catch the prize, but Zander thought he might be up to it.
Gambit had already succumbed even as a powerful vibration from Zander crashed in on him. / You an' me? Anatime. You just say the word. I'll make ya squeal, boy. You'll never look at a man th' same way again, I promise ya that. /
Remy shivered. / Oui. Just do it. Do it now. Do it an' don' ever stop. Don' ever... /
"Hey!" Seth cried out as Remy's eyes fluttered shut and his legs finally gave way. Seth gave Zander a shove, breaking the spell.
Remy groaned at the separation, his body screaming for more. Lord have mercy, what had he gotten himself into? Zander's magic was even more powerful than Kimble's. He could see Kimble's shine now, all shimmery and bright. " 'Elp me, Zander. Tell me what I wanna know. Gambit's earned it!" he gasped, still on the job while barely hanging on to his own sanity.
He was flushed and fully aroused himself now, feeling no more pain. No, he was high instead, not even close to being in control. He had to finish this and get out of here before things got even more out of hand. He hadn't been able to resist Babette or Aiden when they used their power, he wouldn't be able to hold back Zander for long either, not with his body demanding more of this wonderful potent magic. He had been ready to let Zander take him right now, right here, no problem. If the Punisher hadn't been pushed back, he had no doubt it would have happened. His belief that he could control the situation here was woefully mistaken.
"Loved the kiss! Leon made 'er kill cats fer plasma! But that ain't all she done!" Zander blurted out, letting Gambit off the hook with a knowing wink. The Punisher grunted and willingly lost control of the body as 'Shay fought him. She was furious now, wild with anger. Inside the circle of light, 'Shay flung her sign at the Punisher to silence him and it hit him, right on target.
"Ow!" Zander barked in pain on the outside and squirmed, not strong enough to fight her and keep hold on the body.
Remy had what he wanted and was elated. He had still managed to pull this off without embarrassing himself too much. He felt Zander jerk as if he had been struck. "What she do, Zandy, eh? She kick you, too?"
"Fuckin' hit me, the cunt!" Zander snapped and let go.
Remy felt him leave and pushed away from the pilot, backing up. He wanted to get some breathing room and catch his breath. 'Shay wasn't about to give it to him. He braced for impact and was ready when she came for him again, Zander's love blast having taken enough of the edge off of his pain to give him the strength to do what he needed.
"I hates you!" 'Shay screamed. She was enraged that this had gotten turned around on her. Remy was supposed to be giving the execution orders now, not gripping them so tightly, his heart still full of love for them. "Yer the one who's bad, trickin' us like that! I hates you! I'll hates you ferever!"
"Didn' 'ear ol' Zandy dere complainin' 'bout it, but dat's all right. Dis ain't about 'im, dis about you, little sister. Gambit knows you been 'urt. 'E knows t'ings ain't all been goin' your way no matter 'ow strong you try ta look. It's okay what you done, chere. It wasn't your fault," Remy said, trying to reach out to her. She was the most powerful and the most stubborn. She was Kimble's pain.
"I likes the killin'! I likes ta do it!" she shouted, clawing at his eyes.
He grabbed her wrists again. "I know you lyin'. Gambit can smell it on you. You jus' love your precious guilt, don'tcha, girl? Too bad it's rippin' you apart. You been workin' real hard shovin' me away, but I done tol' ya, you ain't never gonna be rid a Gambit. Not 'til 'e fixes you once an' for all. Gambit ain't no quitter and he got all de time in de worl' ta fool around with you. You wanna dance? Gambit's got all day!"
She fought him, but was soon reduced to tears when she saw she was getting nowhere. This body was just too weak and unsturdy without the plasma. She slumped and crumpled to the floor, weeping.
Remy went down with her, holding her arms tightly and not letting her fall. He let go of her wrists and pulled her close. "It ain't yo' fault, what Leon make you do. It's okay now. Shhh..." he whispered and rocked her.
"It ain't never gonna be okay again...not fer us. Not ever again. Not ever!"
"Yes it will. You jus' gotta 'ave some patience an' stop fightin' us all de time."
"You won't win," she promised. "When yous ain't lookin', I'm gonna come an' finish this. Jus' you wait and see. I'm stronger than yous, you'll see..." she sobbed, turning her head away.
"I'm sorry I couldn't stops her," Lin confessed in his soft and tiny Siskan, not looking at him. "We still do the baddest things. Let us go. Let 'Shay do fer us, please!"
"Ne jemais, petite. It ain't never gonna 'appen. Not even fo' you."
"It's jus' gonna keep hap'nin'. The hurtin' and killdings. We ain't safe."
"It'll be okay. Jus' give me a coupla more days, dat's all."
"You still trust us?"
"Yeah. 'Enry and Seth gonna watch over you. Jus' do what dey say, keep quiet. Keep in de small spaces. You gonna be strong fo' me?"
"I'll try. I'll do it fer you. Fer my Master."
"Merci," Remy said, another tear leaking from him. My Master. He had made some ground, both the Punisher and the Confessor were firmly on his side. It didn't ease the ache inside of him. He had gotten the information he wanted, but it didn't really seem to matter. Kimble was still gone. He had no doubt 'Shay meant what she had said about killing them. He would have to put trust in his teammates to watch over his Siskan while he was gone, he simply had no choice. He rocked tiny Lin until he was dozing lightly and then lay him down before covering him up. He stood up on shaky legs and wiped at his mouth. The ache in his groin was horrible, Zander's backwash had faded and he was tired now. He kept his head low and walked out, giving Karen a wan smile as he passed. "Tol' ya Gambit would find out."
"You okay?" she asked, genuinely concerned. "That wasn't as easy as you made it look."
He shrugged casually and limped off towards the nearest bathroom. His stomach was swirling and he knew he would heave. He would heave and then he would go and get nice and drunk. He didn't know what bothered him more, the technique he had used, or the fact that he had enjoyed those moments of contact with Kimble and Zander. This was beyond his body's desire for the Kundatesh, he felt a love that went further than that. He would feel this way about that crazy pilot without it. It was getting easier and easier to give himself over and he wasn't sure what to do about it. He just wished Kimble would hurry up and get his shit together, but it didn't look like it was going to happen any time soon.
(break)
Karen followed Remy out of Kimble's cell, hoping he would be okay. She could tell he was hurting even though the thief was doing his best to hide it. There was a definite limp in his stride and paleness in his cheeks, the brief shot of bliss Zander had given him was wearing off. He said nothing more to her, but signed out at the desk and left.
Karen lagged behind in Security, she couldn't help but look in on Logan while she was there. He had spent the day in the holding cell next to Kimble, placed there so the two combatants couldn't see each other from across the room.
Wolverine was awake now, blinking weakly in the gloom of his darkened cell. He hadn't been up long. He was propped up against the wall, his head down and his hair tangled from his nap. Some may say that she hadn't dated Logan long enough to really know the guy well, but that wasn't true. She knew his type. He wasn't the first feral she had met and he wouldn't be the last. He was however, one of the more successful at beating back all that wildness. Molly had been fortunate not to inherit the full fledged feral mutantcy from dear old dad, she didn't share his whip crack temper, but Logan did. And he would fight it all his life. Karen knew he would be withdrawn, horrified by his loss of control. She would have to approach him carefully.
Wolverine wouldn't look at her as she came to his door, though she knew he must be aware that she was there. "Hey, love," she whispered to him. "Can I come in and talk with you?"
"It ain't safe," he replied gruffly, turning his head away.
She stood there, observing him quietly. He was relaxed, his hands limp in his lap, his face smooth and even. If he had been really angry, she would have seen his jaw working, but he was still. Safe. She unlocked the door and entered against his wishes, keeping her eye on that jaw. Her love was much too powerful for her to leave him alone like this, no matter how stubborn he was being. In spite of his warning, he made no move to stop her, he simply refused to look at her.
She came and sat next to him onto his bunk. She knew him well enough to know that it was too early for words, so she just put her arms around him and drew him close to her. At first he resisted, but then he relented and they lay down together, him with his eyes closed and her hands gently petting him, stroking his back. Now that he had given in, she knew she would win. She hummed softly, some tune he couldn't make out, but it soothed him just the same.
After a moment, he asked softly, "Is the kid okay?"
"Yes. Remy came to see him and he got Kimble to speak. It seemed that Leon forced him to kill cats for plasma. He saw the cat and reacted without thinking. None of what happened was your fault."
"He done it on purpose. That was no accident."
"She wouldn't have thought of it on her own, she just used what she already knew. She's very angry at the world right now. It's treated her unfairly and she's lashing out. Unfortunately you were an easy target. She did it to make you do just what you did."
Wolverine shivered against her. "I lost control."
"It's all right. It's done."
"I saw... I saw him gettin' all horny and I...I couldn't stop myself..."
"Shh. It's all right."
"All I saw was Crazy John... I couldn't let him do that to me again."
"It wasn't him."
"I know that now, but at the time... I can't help but think...what if it happens again? I coulda killed somebody."
"We can work on that, just you and me. It will be all right. You just have to learn to let the anger go. Don't let it win, don't let Crazy John win."
Alone with her, he could let some of his guard down. He began to shake with emotion, letting some of it out. He squeezed her tightly, grimacing as he snarled, "I won't! I can't! I fight an' I win. I always win. Nobody's ever taken me down an' it ain't gonna start now!"
"That's my little fighter. Fight your anger, but don't fight me, love. Let go of that anger, you don't need it anymore. Let it go and come out with me."
He gasped and relaxed with a shudder, opening his eyes. They were wet but he wouldn't cry. He was quiet for a moment, simply breathing her in, before agreeing. "All right."
She smiled. "Good. Let's go."
He grinned at her, softening the look of his face. It was the same cocky smile that melted her heart every time. "Yer all proud of yerself, ain'tcha? Thinkin' you got me all figured out?"
Karen laughed. "Oh, I'm sure I've only just begun to scratch the surface of you — darlin'. I figure that it'll take a long time to break down that wall you've constructed so nicely. That's okay, I love a challenge and I've got nowhere else to be."
He grunted at her happily and rose, taking her hand to lead her along. Karen signed him out at the Security desk — having the house shrink as your girlfriend has its perks — and they went up through the house. She fed him and then lay with him, happy that he had calmed down so fast.
It made her look good, really. She knew he was difficult, all that morning she had been cautioned that it could be a couple of days before he would be willing to leave the cell, never mind communicate with any one. She had been warned of his 'spells', or dark periods where he went almost completely feral and was wild and dangerous. He would most likely flee once released and take off for the woods for a few days before coming back quiet, but not quite contrite for anything he might have damaged on the way out.
Wolverine made liars of them all. He had been down in the holding cell for only a few hours and Karen had lured him out with relative ease. He gave no sign of violence nor showed any desire to leave. Quite the contrary, he clung to her and gave her his passion, curling himself around her afterwards, not quieting until she had gently petted him to sleep as always. It was as if that ugly scene that morning hadn't happened. Charles was certain to give her a raise.
She just hoped that he wouldn't be violent towards Kimble the next time the two of them were in the same room together. She would have to work on that, spend some time talking to her lover. Like Fallen, he had a hard time buying into Kimble's psyche being fractured for real. She would have to do her best to convince him that the breaking was real and each one had to be handled a certain way. Worse than that was his stubbornness in accepting that Kimble was more than just a machine that could be switched off or shut down without penalty, as if Kimble wasn't even truly alive. This was no doubt reinforced by the fact that Kimble had no scent or heartbeat, things Logan normally used to assess people. Kimble's inorganic status denied him that. No matter what Wolverine believed, he at least had to be convinced that the pilot's co-operation was best attained by playing along to a point. Seth had learned this early and manipulated his brother with relative ease, Logan would just have to do the same. Given enough time, she felt she just might be able to get him to the point where he could at least tolerate the pilot as he was. She hoped she could, if just to keep the peace.