Chapter IV:A Little Information

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Jennie's door slammed shut, followed a millisecond later by Remy's door.

"This is going to be bad, isn't it?" Feryal asked from her spot on the couch.

"This is gonna be worse than bad, Sheila," John answered, rocking back and forth in the Lay-Z-Boy.

"Yeah," Aidan agreed. "They haven't been this mad at each other since that time Remy forgot their anniversary."

"So, exactly what's going on here?" Feryal asked. "Who's Remy supposed to be over and why is this Sensation guy causing such a tizzy?"

"Well, em," John started, "the Tin Man 'n I don't exactly know the whole story…"

Everyone glanced over at Sheridan, who was tied up in the corner in one of Feryal's thread-ropes with a strip of duct tape over his mouth.

"Gawd, do we have to untie him?" Feryal inquired. "I was just beginning to enjoy the peace and quiet…"

Carlin walked slowly through the corridors of the lower levels of the Institute. She was surprised she hadn't run into anyone yet. Perhaps they were all upstairs getting ready for dinner. Carlin stopped and peeked her head around the corner.

Another security camera.

Carlin squinted her eyes and walked down the corridor, focusing her energy on the camera.

Wonder 'ho in their right mind would sit in a dingy lit'le room, watchin' these cam'ras, Carlin thought. Must be a sad, pathetic life…

Upstairs in the video surveillance room, Bobby picked his nose and then spun around in the swivel chair. Meanwhile, the camera poised above the corridor showed no sign of Carlin as she walked past.

That seemed a wee bit too easy, Carlin thought, rounding the next corner. It's got t'be 'round here somewhere…

She turned the next corner and stopped in her tracks. There it was. The big round door gave it away. No other door in the mansion looked like that. She walked closer and noticed the retinal scan.

Faith! 'N now I afta go back through all 'em cam'ras. Thar's no way fer me t'manipulate a retinal scan…

Well, then, I guess I'll just hafta figure out another way t'get inta Cerebro…

"Hang on a sec before you untie him," Aidan said. "John, you and Piotr tell us what you know first."

"Y'sure, love? Y'know 'ow me mem'ry gets sometimes…"

"It's all right, John. If you mess up, Piotr'll help you," Aidan assured.

"Yeah," Feryal agreed. "I wanna know what the hell's goin' on!"

"Alrighty then… Em… I guess it all started when Remy 'n Rogue broke up—"

"Whoa!" Aidan yelped. "Remy and Rogue?!"

Feryal's mouth dropped to the floor and her eyes bugged out of her head.

Piotr patted her lightly on the shoulder. "I know. It is a little shocking at first… Just breathe…"

"Yeah," John confirmed. "They got inta a fight about somethin' 'n Remy went packin'. He left the mansion for about—"

"The mansion!" Aidan yelped again.

"Yes," Piotr said. "He was an X-Man originally."

John nodded toward Sheridan. "'N 'at's when this bloke 'ere decided t'show up 'n muck around with things. Only two days afta Remy 'n Rogue I sets me eyes on that bloke 'n 'er at the Bayville Mall… holdin' hands. No gloves'r anythin'."

"Well, how's that possible?" Aidan asked. "Wouldn't Rogue have sucked the life right outta him?"

"Well, 'at's what I thought, but I still 'aven't figgered it out. Then that night at Mag's base this lit'le Sheila shows up lookin' fer Jennie. Said she was 'er pen pal. 'Ow the hell she even found the base was beyond me. Jennie didn't come back 'at night, so Mags sent me 'n Tin Grin out lookin' for 'er. Well, we ended up findin' 'er—with Gambit."

"So, this is when they hooked up?" Aidan asked, trying to follow along.

"Close," Piotr chimed in. "There is still a lot more to come."

"Remy talked Jennie inta joinin' the X-Men," John continued. "This is where my end gets a lit'le sketchy. After a week, Jennie shows up back at the base—with Gambit. The poor bloke was beat all t'hell—but I don't think 'e'd want me usin' that description." John thought for a moment. "He was 'urt bad! 'Is leg was 'angin' off an—"

"We get it, John," Aidan interrupted. "Please continue."

"Right. Jennie took care 'a Remy 'n nursed 'im back t'health. 'At's when he decided t'join up with us."

Now Aidan's mouth was on the floor with Feryal's. "So Remy and Jennie hooked up ala Florence Nightingale?"

"Yes," Piotr said. "In layman's terms: Had Remy not gotten his ass kicked, he and Jennie would not be."

Feryal shook her head and snapped back to reality. "Remy and ROGUE!"