Author's note: I am such a horrible person! I feel soooooooo bad for not updating in soo long. But trust me I will finish this story and I will update whenever I can. Now as always...thoughts are italicized and in bold (except when there is a telepathic discussion, the main character at that moment will be the only one with their thoughts in bold, this way it'll make the discussion clearer- let me know if this helps or not). If ya'll have any comments or thoughts on ideas for this story or any other you want me to write just let me know! I'll gladly take it into consideration. Feel free to e-mail me too. Well then see ya'll in chapter five...

Disclaimer's notice: none of these characters belong to me (cause then I'd be rich) they belong to marvel, etc. However the story line is mine.

Achilles

By: Dark Elf

Essex shook his head in a slow deliberate manner.

"Remy, my boy, I never heard you to be so foolish."

He set down the test tube he was currently studying and shifted his cold gaze towards the dark figure lounging in the shadows of the room.

"Remy's no fool."

A slow sarcastic chuckle filled the air.

"What d' y' find s' funny, Sinister?" Remy asked between clenched teeth.

Sinister turned around and resumed observing the data he had earlier been viewing. He jotted down some numbers on a chart and began entering information into the sleek black computer that was next to him. Without recognizing the man he was talking to Essex spoke.

"Well what would you consider someone who dramatically shifts his plans just so he can have a reunion with a weather witch?" Each word was punctuated with a hint of annoyance and anger.

Remy moved slightly.

"It's not 'bout dat-"

"Then what is it about, Gambit?" Essex interrupted. He turned around to face Remy once more.

"What can you accomplish this way that you could not do before?" Essex raised an eyebrow waiting for a response.

The sterile room was silent save for the barely audible sounds of breathing. In his head Remy searched for words. Tried to remember his reasoning and the speech that he was going to convince Sinister with. But now his mind seemed to be a blank empty place. He searched for words, and couldn't find any.

Essex let out a sigh in an obvious show of frustration. He turned and arranged the papers on his lab table. Then with an unreadable expression he once again faced Remy. His eyes seemed to flutter for a brief moment and then Sinister disappeared. Remy didn't have time to wonder where he had gone, for as quickly as he had departed he returned. Sinister suddenly appeared at the young thief's side.

"How does this plan of infiltration work any better? Do you actually believe I can so easily be blinded?"

Remy averted Essex's deadly stare, hiding his eyes further behind his sunglasses. Trying to remain impassive he leaned coolly against the cold steel wall.

"Lis'en, Sinister. Dis way gets y' mo' inf'mation n' lets y' have somebody inside as well as out-"

"Remy, I know the benefits. Yet," Essex slowly reached out to stroke Remy's cheek, stopping close enough to barely graze Remy's soft warm skin. He leaned in closer lowering his hand to the back of Remy's neck. Remy couldn't help the ghastly shiver that coursed through his body as Essex pulled Remy towards him. Sinister smiled, pressing his cold pale mouth next to the Cajun's ear.

"Yet, you see, my child, your history with this type of work doesn't shine too well on your resume." His voice was a venomous hiss. "You haven't forgotten Genevieve Darceneaux have you Remy? Do you remember how that ended?"

Remy involuntarily flinched, his muscles barely contorting in response to the unwelcome memories.

"Ah. I knew you had not." Sinister let a grin spread out on his lips. "So, Remy, tell me one thing," Sinister pushed back Remy's long tousled hair from his well-defined face. "What happens if your 'petite' finds out?" He let out a slow cold lingering breath. "Or what if she comes across some unfortunate accident?"

Sinister turned to face Remy as he released him from his tense hold.

"Would you betray me, my child?"

Remy slowly inhaled and exhaled. He desperately tried to recall all his training in remaining apathetic, but Essex's disturbingly close presence caught him off guard. To anyone who didn't know him well, Gambit appeared to be perfectly in control of his actions, but the quickened rate of his heart beat and the small twitch of his lip gave him away to Essex.

"Emotions have always been you heel*, Remy."

"Non. Dey are what have gotten Gambit dis far, Essex."

"Exactly my point."

Gambit moved his blank gaze towards the ground.

"Remy never asked for 'em, y' know dat."

With a sudden burst of confidence Remy looked Essex straight in the eyes.

"Lis'en, Essex, Remy didn' come here t' ask y' for ya' permission, Remy simply done y' de honor of lettin' y' know where he gonna be and what he's gonna be doin'."

The defiant whisper seemed to fill the vast expanse of the laboratory. Sinister took in every word, weighing them carefully.

"It is always an 'honor' talking to you, my boy, but as you know there is always a price to be had."

Essex slowly let his gaze travel over Remy's lanky but well built body, knowing that in doing so his little thief felt like a mouse in the presence of a cat.

"Dere's always a price Essex, on bot' sides."

Remy let the words fall loudly on the ground, emphasizing the end.

Essex left the Cajun and reappeared next to the test tube he had been studying earlier. He turned his back on Gambit, clearly insulting him, showing Remy's inability to harm him.

"Fine," Essex said, " but when all of this is over you will not be free-"

He turned to find himself speaking to an empty room. Sinister grinned. Aside from the boy's dangerous arrogance, Essex could not help but enjoy their little tests of power. Knowing that Gambit was not out of hearing he let his final words ring through the building.

"- you see my boy, you never will."

* * *

Remy quickly exited the cold sterile compound of Essex's lab. He desperately tried to ignore Sinister's words but in the end he lost. His mind became a turmoil of hidden memories and past sins. A face occasionally flashed across his mind, bringing forth memories of men and women who he had long ago betrayed. Sorrow filled their eyes as they quietly watched him from behind a shadowy film.

Remy fell to his knees just as he reached the tree line on the farthest end of the building he had hurriedly left. He clutched his head, trying with all of his physical strength, to contain his mental flooding. His empathy enhanced the pain of the figures behind his crumbling mental shields. They reached out with their hands, trying to reach the tangible man before them.

Why Remy? Why did you leave me?

Didn't you care for me Remy?

I was your friend Lebeau, how could you...

Remy didn't you love me?

No words were needed for the fading figures to express the anguish in their eyes. Lovers, comrades, and even strangers stared back at him through a thin translucent veil. They asked him a thousand questions, never once making a sound. They supplicated and begged for answers which he could not give. Which he did not want to give.

Then she appeared. More solid then any other person in his mind. She walked toward him and stopped at the remaining barrier in his mind. He looked away. He couldn't face her, not even in his thoughts. He had never meant to hurt her. She wasn't supposed to have died...the L'Etoile de Tricherie, that astounding jewel, wasn't meant to be got at the price of a life...it wasn't...

And then he was back there. Back in Paris. Looking at the beautiful French woman, Genevieve who owned the rare Cheating Star. She was the scion of a master thief, and possessed a gem that he needed to steal to become part of the family known as the Thieves Guild. He had seen her as a project and used his developing Southern charm to ease himself into her heart. He expertly coerced her into giving him the gem, weaseling his way into her boudoir and seducing the apparently innocent young lady. She easily fell in love with him and he played her vulnerability for all it was worth. He stole the pendant from her room and left her without any regret. That was when it had happened...that was when it went wrong... Sabertooth had been hired to recover L'Etoile for the owner and had managed to catch up with Remy before he was able to leave Paris with his sponsor Henri. Creed in all of his twisted evilness decided to play with the young thief. Sabertooth left both the girl and Henri, Gambit's brother, hanging from ropes on the Notre Dame roofs...and then he had asked him that question. That question that no one should have to be asked...and God, that no one should have had to answer...Sabertooth asked him to make a decision on which to save. On which to kill. To play God, just as Creed was doing. Which to give life, and which to allow to fall and die. Gambit chose Henri, and Genevieve fell to her death. Her screams echoed through the silent night. Through his bones. Through his memory.

And now her screams where forever silenced as she was, except for in his head. Now, she appeared, stronger than any of his other sins simply because Sinister had reminded him of her. There she was, her hair perfectly flowing around her face, reaching over the broken wall in his mind; trying to scale over onto the side where he was.

Remy gave a violent shudder and shook his head. He couldn't face her, not now. Focusing all his thoughts, he slammed all of his energy into the shadowy wall. The ruins of his mental shields pieced back together forming an impenetrable blockade between himself and his past. Trapping the ghosts that haunted him back in the darkness. Trapping her back in his own hell.

And that's what it was. His own personal hell on earth; and he wasn't ready to go there yet. So he clamped his shields down as tightly as he could everyday, everywhere. And even though it saved him from being bombarded by memories of past regrets, it served as a constant reminder of them. He couldn't help but be reminded of what was concealed behind that thick barrier in his mind. All he could do was ignore it like he had done since he could remember. Like he had done for an eternity, for what seemed like forever.

And Essex knew this. Essex knew him so utterly well that even if it seemed Remy had gained the upper hand there was always some consequence to his rebellions against Sinister. He had known that in simply making Remy remember Genevieve he would cause him to lose control. He had known, and gladly had left Remy with a warning.

Remy slowly pulled his hands away from his head. Warm sticky blood dripped down the sides of his face. He glanced at his hands and realized that in clutching so tightly to reality he had impaled his nails in his head. He had deep gashes on his face where he had unconsciously dug his nails in. He stood with wavering feet looking around through darkened eyes. He had to go and take care of the job. He couldn't waste anymore time worrying over himself. Maybe if he got this job done right...

...but no. He knew Essex was correct...

...He would never be free...

* * *

*Heel: what Sinister is referring to is pretty much Achilles' Heel...umm it's like a Greek story thingy that was about this guy Achilles who his only weakness was in his heel...b/c like when he was born he was dipped in this water thingy that pretty much made him like un-killable or what not, but b/c he had been dipped in this water, who ever had dipped him had been holding him by his ankle/heel so that part didn't get like the special water...so he was vulnerable there, and that's how he was defeated eventually....anyway that should be kinda right...so like Sinister is implying that Remy's empathy will be his downfall... hint, hint

Review Responses:

Tiian: thanx for the compliments...don't worry you'll definitely be getting more Remy...he is my favorite too!

Kat: thanx! I'll try an update as soon as I can...but with school and all...I promise I'll try!

(star_cutie08@hotmail.com): I'm glad you like the way I'm developing Gambit's character...sure I'll e-mail yah when I update....though it may be a while J

Shannan and IceAngel: I posted my response on the review thingy...so I'll just copy and paste what I wrote here:

hey ummmm Ice Angel and ummm Shannan I won't be updating in a little whiles so I'd figure I just comment on ya'lls reviews. Okay Ice Angel...thanx for all the compliments, and I'm glad your not fond of Jean. She wasn't meant to come across for you to like her. I don't like her too much either, so all that about her thinking conceitedly was to get ya'll to dislike her too. heehee. and letsee Shannan what I mean about Rogue is that everybody has their bad parts and the last xmen comic i ever read was the one where she left him in antartica. yes i know what has happened since then, and i know the theories of his empathy affecting her, but its so hypocritical it got me on a wrong foot with her. In a way Remy is my favorite character and the way Rogue is often displayed has made me a bit prejudice towards her. i could talk much more and give lots of examples but its all opinions and I dont want this 'review' thingy to be too long (i understand your position and i am sure you can understand mine, however i do not plan to 'hurt' Rogue's character in any way just because I am not especially fond of her...but Jean that's a whole different thing (o yeah and by the way if any of you like Jean and don't like the little bashing i'll be giving her every now and then let me know and i'll make her character like she really is...)anyways...don't get me wrong...I love Rogue all the same,i have always like her since I was little, even way before I got into remy, its weird...its just I like Gambit so much more now that I understand his character, and I will argue his case to the end.). But all the same I would not have Gambit love any other girl...I get so angry when he's paired w/ oc's and other women...:)so if yah wanna talk to me bout this or anything else just email me. I'd be delighted to go into more detail with you.
thats it
see ya'll in ch 4
Dark Elf