Playgrounds

by squeekness

This is where we learn. Part seven and conclusion to my Twilight series ---- no, not the vampires!

5. Chapter 5

(Five)

Remy wasn't one to let things go for long and he wasn't quite done with his wayward son. Julien and Kimble had made up and the worst had passed, but the boy wasn't done making his apologies. It was time for Julien to pay Hank a visit.

It was two days after Julien's apology to Kimble when Remy picked up Julien from his new quarters and brought him down to the Lab. Julien had been warned in advance that this was coming and he hadn't fought it. It was still difficult, but he was learning to adapt to this new environment he found himself in and all it was asking of him. He hadn't yet dared to touch a Bible but at least he was listening more to those who were trying to teach him to see things in a different light. Julien had seen the good that had come from his apology to Kimble and understood that this had to be done, especially if he wanted any kind of chance at being accepted here.

Once at the Lab Remy was surprised to see that the big blue doctor wasn't readily seen. He had been told that Hank was out of the back room and supposedly back to work, even if it was only in a limited capacity. He had expected to see Hank here with patients but he was nowhere in sight.

"You seen de doc?" Remy asked a nurse as she cruised by them.

The nurse hesitated, seeing Julien there at the thief's side. It had already gotten around by now just who Julien was and there was more than a little animosity towards him here in the Lab. No one was happy about what had happened to Hank. "He's in his office," she answered tersely, her eyes a bit hard. She couldn't imagine why Remy would have brought him here.

"Merci," Remy replied and steered the boy along with a hand on his shoulder. They made their way down the hall towards Hank's office and as promised, found the big blue doctor seated at his desk in front of his computer, one big paw on the mouse. He was being slow and halting with this tool and not his usual quick and easy self navigator. Even this was something that would take time to relearn.

Star was nearby as she always was now, curled up on a small sofa there, her eyes closed as she slumbered under a pile of blankets. Her shine was a little ragged still from what had happened to her, but had enough blue in there that Remy wasn't worried for her. Like Asher, he knew that the best medicine for her was Hank's constant presence.

The thief knocked softly on the open door and Hank turned at the sound, at first smiling at his unexpected visitor but was then cautious when he saw who he had brought. "Well, hello there. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

"De boy here got sumptin' to say to you," Remy replied and gave Julien a gentle push forward.

Julien was rigid with fear. He hadn't seen Hank since that fateful day that their destinies had collided so badly and he couldn't help but be shocked silent by what the Honey had done. He knew that Honey was toxic but had no idea that it could alter someone so radically. It was a completely different man he was looking at now. He still hadn't overcome his aversion to such extremely mutated people and the fact that this was all his fault was only making that worse.

Hank was dressed in his usual scrubs and lab coat and appeared to be all right, but he had only been back out in the world for just a couple of days. He still felt edgy inside, often on the verge of letting some of that internal anger slip out. Fortunately for him, much of his previous inner fortitude remained and the old doctor was winning. He wouldn't forget the internal promise he had made to maintain his control, if only for Star's sake. He felt better already just sitting here in his office and doing some of the old familiar things again. It made him feel more normal and less of a freak. He couldn't do everything as easily as he had once done of course, he was having a terrible time with writing, he couldn't quite get pencils or pens to fit in his thick heavy fingers. He hadn't yet dared to try any extended typing, but he would have to soon. He was running out of ways to make notes as he continued his research on the Honey and how he might help with Warren.

Hank hadn't been told Julien was coming, but he wasn't that surprised by it. He could see by the stern look on Remy's face that this was more of his idea than Julien's. The boy looked stricken and pale, terrified to be there. Hank should have been angry at seeing his former attacker, but all he felt was pity for the lad. He looked as though he might piss his pants.

Julien felt it as Remy gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, encouraging him to speak. He stammered weakly, "I .. uh... I'm sorry ..for what I did to you." The apology was sincere, but Julien was still so scared. He couldn't even look Hank in the eye.

Hank's left hand fisted before he could stop it, he was still working on his troublesome anger, but his voice was even and calm as he replied, "Your apology is accepted."

Julien startled at those words, he couldn't help it. It couldn't be that easy, could it? Not after what he had done. Kimble had forgiven him so easily, yes, but Julien's attack on him had been verbal and less damaging. What had been done to Henry was unspeakable. He began to stammer, "If there is anything... anything.. I can do to make it up.. to you.. I would do it."

"You could start by letting me see that hand of yours."

Julien tucked it away behind his back, his eyes still down. It wasn't out of fear so much as shame. He didn't like attention drawn to his poor mangled fingers. "I meant something I could do for you, not you for me."

"I know what you meant and this is for me. I would find it an interesting challenge to see how much use of it we could restore. I won't hurt you," Hank promised. "I just want the opportunity to help you."

"Why would you help someone like me?" Julien couldn't help but ask, his voice already cracking with emotion. He was never so fully aware of just how unworthy he was as he was in that moment. He deserved nothing, the mutant piece of trash that he was. He had been so horrible to everyone and yet they always seemed to forgive him.

"Because that is what we do here," Hank explained. "Unlike most people you seem to have allied yourself with, we civilized beings actually do try to do good in the world and pass our blessings on to others. It is up to us to provide good examples so that those who come to know us will want to do the same."

Julien closed his eyes on a rising wave of anxiety. This was too good to be true, he couldn't possibly trust it. Here again was yet another example of how everything here was so contradictory to what he had experienced in his short life. People were simply not this nice.

"Welcome to a new way of livin'," Remy said to him, leaning in close. "Dis what real honest, moral people do, dey way dey suppose' to act. Someone do good to you, den you do de same for someone else, comprenez? Gotta spread de love around. Pass it along."

"Trust me," Hank tried to assure him. "I just want a look at you. Perhaps do a couple of tests. Nothing invasive. I think I may be able to help you regain some use of your hand. I won't know if that is possible unless you let me see it."

Remy gave the boy another gentle push and he came forward, still shy with that hand. Hank reached out and gestured, "Let me see."

Julien reluctantly complied, holding it out. He wouldn't even look at it, at his terrible shame. The fingers were all twisted and bent, lumpy and misshapen. He could hardly move them and he often felt a constant ache in there though it had been better here in the warm, dryer air of the Complex.

Hank was doing his best to be gentle as he carefully ran his own less than human fingers over the worst of the damage, mindful of his newer, much larger claws. It was still a struggle for him, he had lost so much of his former dexterity. As it was, he knew that there was no way he'd be doing the reconstruction surgery even if it was possible to repair some of this. It didn't matter, he already had a couple of specialists in mind, ones that owed him favors.

"I'd like to start with an X-ray."

"Bien," Remy agreed readily, as if it was up to him. "I gotta run an errand. You can take care of dat while I'm gone, eh? I won't be long."

"No problem."

Remy left them, confident that Julien was in good hands so to speak, and made his way down to the medium security wing of Logan's detention area. His coat was heavy on one side as he walked briskly, his roomy left pocket stuffed with a big stack of tan envelopes. He had submitted a list of names to Charles only yesterday, candidates for what he hoped would be his new squad. To his surprise the Professor hadn't protested many of his selections, though he did give the thief some cautionary notes to be careful with some of his more bewildering choices. It only cemented the idea in Remy's mind that the man was truly desperate to add to his depleted ranks of X-men. These invites would not be handed out personally, he was planning to mail them after this one quick errand.

Remy had picked out quite a few kids that had already been turned down for squad status more than once by other squad leaders. He could just imagine the looks on their faces when not only did they not get turned away yet again, they had actually been sought out and requested. Unlike other squad leaders, Gambit was looking to build a different kind of team and wasn't focused on power and strength though he had chosen a couple of bruisers to round things out. He was seeking diversity and cleverness, things his stepfather Jean Luc would have appreciated.

Remy arrived at the security wing and used his badge to enter. He signed in at the desk and moments later stood outside Kyle's cell, just looking in for a moment. He knew Kyle had to have heard him come but the boy was still turned away from the door, reading a book of all things. Logan had given Remy the impression that Kyle was some sort of uneducated feral, too far gone to be taught anything. Obviously that was far from being the actual case. It was an unspoken message for him not to underestimate what the kid was capable of.

Remy took his time, wanting to read Kyle's shine before talking to him. It was speaking volumes right now, all those swirling colors. The agitation told Remy that yes, Kyle was aware of his presence and curious about him, but the lad was too cautious to betray himself by turning around. He was wary indeed, there was a good measure of brown in there which was a sign of fear. There was also a deep layer of grey - a swirling mix of a deep and penetrating loneliness and a stubborn belief that he was a creature of no value. How did Gambit know this? Well, these were colors he had long observed in Kimble's shine, things that had been steadily fading since Aiden had taken charge of him. It was just as well – Kimble's improvement was giving Remy confidence now that he might be able to reverse the trouble in this young man's shine as well. He certainly wanted the opportunity to try.

Remy rapped his knuckles on the wall, going through the motions of trying not to startle him. "Bonjour, Misieu Gibney. Could I trouble you for a minute?"

Kyle turned around then, unable to hide a look of surprise on his face. It wasn't shock at having a visitor, he had heard Remy coming from a long way off, it was the use of his formal name. No one ever did that. It was a sign of respect, something he wasn't much used to. Of course, it could also be a trap. "Who you?" he questioned suspiciously, squinting a bit. He recognized the scent, but wasn't sure from where.

"You don' remember me? I flew you and Logan out to Twilight," Remy explained, careful not to mention the long lost Kristalay. Logan had reported how Kyle had flipped out when Skye brought it up. It was best not to speak of it at all.

Kyle nodded at the reminder. He had been upset about Skye on the way out that day and trashed enough on the way back that he really hadn't paid Remy or his Siskans much mind. "What you want.. mrr! ..with me?"

Remy smiled, doing his best to lay on the charm. "I'm putting a special squad together, yo' name came up."

While Remy hadn't want the other kids to know just who it was who was heading up this new squad, he felt that Kyle was a different case. This young man had been lied to and fucked with enough that Remy figured it was best to hide nothing from him. No secrets. Perhaps it would encourage him enough that he might actually accept what he was being offered.

Kyle, ever untrusting, growled sharply at his words and turned away, going back to his book, his shoulders high and tight with anger. If Remy had thought his shine was unhealthy before, it was worse now.

Remy just stood there, waiting, growing all the more perplexed when it was clear he had just been dismissed. He had thought the kid would jump at the chance to get out of this cell. Perhaps he was mistaken.

"So you not interested, den?"

Kyle, unhappy, glared at him and replied, "Everyone just uses me. Mrr! Weapon X, Jael, Logan. Why would I think.. mrr! ...you'd be any different?"

Gambit popped a stick of gum in his mouth, buying some time for him to get his thoughts in order. He had expected this and it only confirmed that he was right to be so open with the guy. "Now first of all, me and Wolvey ain't even close to bein' de same person. As fo' dose other guys, our goals ain't de same neither. All I'm doin' is buildin' a squad of folks to go out and help people dat can't help demselves. I was t'inkin' I might go about it in a different way. See dere's more dan a few kids out dere like you dat de folks in charge here got no hope for. I was t'inkin' it might be real funny if I put together a whole squad of dem and dey turned out to be de best squad of dem all, eh?"

Kyle squinted, digesting what the thief had just said. "Like sayin' ...mrr! ...fuck you to them all?"

Remy's grin grew wide. "A lot like dat, oui. Can you just see de look on Logan's face?"

Kyle's smile joined his. "I might be...mmrr! ... interested in that."

Remy raised a finger and said, "Mais, I got only one rule, but it a big one – you can't be eatin' anyone out dere, fils. It wouldn't look good, you takin' bites outta yo' own crew, comprenez? I know you got problems, all of us do, so I'll help you in any way I can, oui? We help each other."

Kyle nodded, having pretty much known that one rule already. "Logan... mmrr! ...know about this?"

"Don' matter if he do or not. I got de word from on high, Logan ain't got no say in dis yes or non, eh? Understand, dis ain't no conscription. You come, you try, you don't like it, you walk away, no 'arm done. You'll be restricted at first in dat you'll have to stay in the lock up when you ain't out workin' with us or training, okay? But of dis all work out, you'll get a room just like de others in de squad, comprenez?"

"Count me in," Kyle agreed, his smile huge now.

"Bien. Coupla days, I'll come callin' on you again. You be ready now."

Kyle just laughed. He wasn't in a position to be going anywhere, all he had was time. Well, that and now some hope. Hope for a different future.

(break)

Remy walked into the empty classroom, looking it over. He had been promised one of the school's classrooms for his use and was happy to see it was a good sized one with plenty of chairs. He had sent out twenty invitations and was curious how many of the kids would actually accept. These things were almost never refused since joining a squad came with so many extra privileges and a significant rise in status amongst their peers.

The invites had been fairly simple – they simply stated that a special squad was being formed and that those receiving the invites had been selected to join it. They did state up front that being on a squad could be physically demanding but those who would need extra help getting into shape would receive it. It would be the same for any class work and academics that might also become part of the training. Remy was hoping that these incentives would keep some of the more promising kids interested that might have declined out of fear of failing.

With the exception of Kyle, he had sent out the invitations to his chosen ones anonymously, he hadn't wanted the kids to agree or refuse just because they knew who the squad leader was in advance. In spite of that precaution, there had been some rumors circulating amongst the young ones here about Remy possibly leading a squad, creating some eager anticipation about what that might be like. While he had never been in charge of a full squad like this before, he had taught many classes in self defense, most notably in the use of the bo staff. Few here were his equal with that particular weapon so his reputation had preceded him some. His classes were always full and the waiting lists long. That and well, there was no mistaking the fact that his natural charm had worked its magic amongst many of his female students, there were more than a few of them with crushes on him, something that both amused and embarrassed him to no end. He would have to deal with that as best he could now that his leadership would be more up close and personal.

Kimble and Aiden had come along for this first orientation meeting and had drifted behind the teacher's desk, taking positions against the chalkboard, side by side. Kimble was a little nervous, he disliked anything that might draw attention to himself, but Aiden was gently vibrating waves of calming peace and cheer to set him at ease.

Kyle had come along for this as promised. Remy had placed him in a front row seat, but furthest from the door, giving him some space to make him more comfortable. Kyle, on Logan's orders, was still dressed in his prisoner's orange and couldn't be mistaken for anything other than what he was. Still he was relaxed and comfortable, curious about just how this new direction might change his life, if at all. At any rate, it was better than being cooped up in his cell, Cody's feline company notwithstanding.

Remy had brought Julien along for this and the lad was slumped in a seat in the first row, his head down. Remy's reasons for including Julien were purely selfish – he had wanted Julien on this crew all the better to keep an eye on him but also in the hopes that their relationship might bloom into something less cautious than what they currently had. Julien had agreed if only to try and make up for some of the trouble he had caused. Besides it kept him close to Aiden and Kimble, the only two people here he could truly count as his friends.

Julien wasn't so shy about being here with his dad, it was the judgement of the other kids he was cautious about. He had no idea who Remy had invited but he could guess that some of them would probably know who he was. He felt vulnerable, exposed, and at the mercy of others to protect him. The restraining collar still flashed around his neck, he hadn't yet dared to have it removed and didn't know if he ever would.

Remy wasn't oblivious of his son's concerns but was being cautiously watchful and giving him his space. These were things Julien would simply have to work out on his own and hopefully grow all the stronger for it. It was time to grow up.

Gambit glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was getting close to the time to begin this so he finally settled down, sitting on top of the teacher's desk Indian style and munching on an apple he had brought along to calm his nerves. He couldn't help but smile with some amusement as he heard the first voices come trickling in from the hallway.

The first two heads peeked in and looked at him in confusion. "Is this 206?" one of the kids asked, looking at his invitation in bewilderment. It clearly wasn't what he had expected.

"Dat's right," Remy answered. "Take a seat, sil vous plait."

He recognized them at once — both were very young and probably wouldn't even register on the list of valuable talents. Thing was, Remy was looking for more than a little flash and pop.

The older of the pair was a redheaded boy of about nineteen, though he didn't look a day over fourteen. He was nerdy looking and frail, his true age known only to those willing to take a closer look at him. His mutant ability was that he could read and to a degree possess the minds of nearby animals. He was never without one near, most notably a large white rat he could never be separated from. The inquisitive and well cared for rodent was with him even now, its head peeking out of a roomy vest pocket, reminding Remy so much of Asher's Mumbler. The lad's name was Tristan Rodgers, but folks here just called him Dewy, a nod towards the more infamous fictional character, Dr. Doolittle. Remy had thought he might be useful - among other things - in working with Kyle.

The girl who had come in with Dewy was harder to classify – Remy knew Sheila Darwin to be about thirteen or so, but she was a tiny little thing, standing just shy of two feet high. She was dressed all in black and ghostly pale, a lovely Goth little Barbie doll of sorts and the epitome of rebellion against a society that had judged her so harshly. Sheila might have been tiny yes, but she was riding high on Dewy's shoulders, all the better to see what Remy and this room had to offer. They were a cautious pair, taking seats in the back and whispering amongst themselves.

The next gang of kids that came soon after promised to be more controversial – Malcolm was at the head of the group, one that included both Tilda and Grace. Malcolm was a large kid, bright green and physically powerful. He had a strong presence here in this room – he was riding high on his current wave of popularity amongst the new kids – outspoken and charismatic among the more aggressive kids, he was a natural leader but was hampered by an overwhelming sense of self righteous mutant pride that was sure to trip him up at some point. He liked being the boss and the power it gave him. He was going to be more than a handful, Remy could see.

One might wonder why it was that Remy had chosen Malcolm for his squad, but it had in fact been Logan's idea. It had come about after a sideways conversation where Logan had asked Remy about how Julien was doing after his mishap with Kimble. Julien's people skills were still shaky and so Logan had questioned, "You sure Julien's okay to be on a team?"

"His shine ain't all bad. He's not a complete asshole, more like half and half," Gambit had answered, slanting his hand from side to side with a slight smile at his own joke. His eyes were serious though, he wanted Logan to believe that the boy could be salvaged. "I t'ink de structure would be good for him. We already know he can take an order."

Logan nodded, chewing on a cigar thoughtfully. "Okay then. If yer set on that idea then this is what you do. You get Julien and then ya put that big bruiser Malcolm on there as well."

Remy's eyes went wide with surprise. "You serious? Malcolm gonna chew him a new one. Julien'll be dead in a week."

Logan just grinned, pleased with the idea now. Being feral, he knew his logic was sound – it wasn't much different than jailhouse rules where if you wanted to be left alone, you found the biggest bully and beat the snot out of him. It was still about respect. "Maybe, maybe not. They'll tussle a bit, but so what? Just think it through, that big boy is the leader of the kids gunnin' fer Jules. You need him, bad. You get him to change his mind about yer pup, you can turn this all around. He'll call off his boys, just you wait and see."

Remy nodded, seeing some wisdom in this. "I see yo' point, patron. Merci."

Logan, of course, couldn't help but add, "It might also be a good idea if you can get a hold of an electricity kid. Could help keep those Siskans of yers in line, seein' as how you have so many around."

Remy bristled a bit at that. It was now a fairly well known fact that the non-organic Siskans didn't handle electrical overloads well. It was one the main reasons why Logan had so many Tasers now in stock. " 'M boy's'll be fine," Remy promised, unable to keep the sharpness out of his tone and then walked off. He hadn't cared for the implied dig against the boys, but it was still there in the back of his mind all the same. He wasn't happy with acknowledging the sad fact, but he knew it wasn't like Zander was all that predictable right now. He had grudgingly taken Logan's advice and had quietly selected a boy named Charlie Wilson who could spark a bit of lightning here and there, one that was book smart but timid, the main reason he had been denied a team in the past. He had the odd nickname of Trigger, odd enough that Remy wasn't sure he wanted to know just how he had come by it. He wasn't part of Malcolm's crew and Remy had yet to see if he had agreed to come.

Malcolm had agreed readily enough to join this crew, why wouldn't he? It was just too prestigious an opportunity to pass up. And it was Malcolm who made the most noise now upon entering the room just as Remy had expected him to. "What the fuck is he doing here?" Malcolm wanted to know, glaring at Julien. It didn't escape his notice that Julien was still wearing Frost's restraining collar. The boy was still weak, still pathetic.

Remy was quick to answer, his voice a bit sharp in response to Malcolm's tone. "He's here because he need lookin' after jus' like you. Frost taught him de wrong way, now we're goan teach him de right. You 'ave a problem wit dat de door's right dere. But I guarantee you you'll regret it. Dis squad will be de best or at de very least be de mos' notorious, which work out de same if you all be lookin' for a status bump. Y'all will learn t'ings wit me dat no one else 'ere goan teach you. Dat's a fact."

"Fine by me," Grace said, interrupting, and boldly walked all the way over to where Kyle was sitting. She fearlessly plopped down in the seat next to him, giving him the eyes. She was still wearing Logan's ripped up jacket. "Hey, stranger," she greeted merrily. "Remember me? I'm Grace."

Kyle didn't recall her at all, but assumed she must know him since she was so familiar with him. He couldn't help but blush a little at her boldness, her scent showed she had no fear of him. He thought she was pretty even with her horns and strange slotted eyes, and had no idea why she was looking at him like that. It both pleased and excited him, but made him a little sad at the same time. He figured that if she really knew who he was, she would be running away in fear. There was no way this could be anything real.

He did wonder if perhaps she was Logan's property, the man's scent was still strong on that jacket. He had no desire to challenge Wolverine over anything right now, it had proven to be much too painful in the past. All he wanted now was some kind of peace. He did smile at her, unable to hide a bit of fang as he replied, " 'M Kyle."

Grace didn't fear those long teeth, no, it only made her widen her smile as she said, "Well, Kyle. I'm glad you're along for the ride. Looks like it's going to be a whole lot of fun."

Kyle just blushed a bit and dropped his eyes, oddly shy in front of this beautiful creature. She could have no idea what a temptation she was for him, or the danger it presented her. The darkness within him was quite deep and it would take a strong heart to banish it. It would be risky for her, perhaps even fatal, should she dare to find out.

Tilda was oblivious to all this. She followed Grace like a faithful groupie and took the seat next to her. Her eyes were all on Kimble and she waved to him, blushing herself when he returned her greeting with a shy smile of his own. It was true she had a slight crush on her gallant rescuer and she was happy to see he was here.

Malcolm hadn't appreciated the girls taking away some of his thunder but he took his seat all the same, his arms crossed across his large chest and his scowl obvious to anyone with eyes. The others filtered in one by one and the room filed up, most of them giving Malcolm some space so that it was pretty much him and Julien directly up front.

Remy watched them come, inwardly pleased by the large turnout though he tried to keep it to himself. It looked as though all the ones he had chosen had come, even Trigger, that lightning bug he had asked for, what an ego boost. When they had all settled down and it looked like no one else was coming, Remy got right down to business. He'd had no real speech planned for this event, but that didn't mean he didn't have an agenda. There were things that had to be said right up front and he got right down to it.

He cleared his throat and raised his hands, quieting the room, and began by saying, "Bonjour, everyone, and welcome to de firs' and hopefully not de last meeting of de soon to be formed Red Team."

Grace, outspoken and not the least bit shy, clapped her hands loudly and cheered, "Long may she reign and stomp some serious ass!"

That brought out some laughter from the rest and Remy couldn't help but smile. Enthusiasm was always welcome. Still he raised his hands and got them back under control. "True dat, but see 'ere, dis a special team wit' special folks. None of you are 'ere by accident and so some t'ings gotta be said.

"I ain't gonna lie. Dis a last ditch try and second chance crew fo' de most part. Dere's people out dere and even some in 'ere dat t'ink some of you ain't got no chance in 'ell of makin' it. Dat alla you a bunch of fuck ups and not wort' anyt'ing to anybody, dat none of you capable of makin' a difference.

"Don't feel bad, I'm in de same boat as you. Dis my first crack at leadin' a squad and dere's some out dere dat say I'm just as much of a loser as some of you. Dat I don' 'ave one clue of what I'm doin'. I say dey all wrong, each and every one, and now 'ere's our chance to prove it. We'll all screw up together, learn from our mistakes together, and laugh in alla dey faces, hein? We'll do it by keepin' open communication – no secrets, tellin' no lies, by stickin' together thick and thin. One man fall, de nearest guy pick him up. De weakest one get helped by de strong no matter if de trouble be physical or mental, schoolwork or in de gym. We do dis t'ing, work real 'ard, den I say not only will we prove all of dem assholes wrong, but we'll be de best damn squad in the Complex. I wanna do more dan just get by and so should you. We deserve it. You just gotta earn it. Dis de Gold Team X-man way and it gonna be de Red Team way, too."

"Here, here!" Grace crowed again and clapped loudly, proving herself to be the team's built in cheerleader. She was good at it, the others were making their own sounds of approval. Well, all except Malcolm. He was sitting still in his seat, not quite buying all of this pep talking. For him, words weren't going to be good enough. He would have to wait and see if Remy actually came through with his actions as well.

Remy nodded and let them go a bit before raising his hands and quieting them all down again. "Now before we get too far, it time for some introductions. Most of you know me, je suis Remy LeBeau, codename Gambit. I been an X-man a long time. Mebbe not a Gold Team member, but 'ere long enough to know m' way around.

"Behind me 'ere is Kimble and Aiden, my 'go to' guys. Dey my second in command and you will obey dem de same as you would me when it come to trainin' and missions. Dey also married to each other so if any of you find dat too much to 'andle, say so now and dismiss yo'self, de door's right dere."

Kimble blanched in fear at Remy's words, he had been given no such warning that they would be outed here and he wasn't sure how to react.

/ Don't you dare run, Zander warned from within, his voice dark and serious. He would have none of Kimble's cowardice. / Don't you fuckin' dare! /

Kimble stayed put, obeying that voice that he knew far too well. It wasn't fear of Zander that kept him in place, however, it was his promise to Aiden. Aiden had insisted that Kimble trust him and now that was being put to the test. He loved his precious Dreamer too much to cave so easily now to his own fears. He would give Aiden that chance to keep them safe. They were married and that was that, no matter what anyone thought. He would just have to be strong and hope that no one actually left the room on his account.

Aiden of course just smiled, his grin wide and proud. He was more than pleased to have his relationship upheld and out in the open. He hated lies and he hated hiding. He wouldn't have to worry about any of that now, which was precisely Remy's point.

The thief had continued, saying, "We got enough to work on here just bein' a team wit'out anyone carrying on about dis. I don't wanna hear anyt'ing more about dis now or later. Dey already prove demselves to me time and time again in de field and 'ere at 'ome. De only ones dat got to prove anyt'ing to me is all of you. Dey got nuthin' to prove to you either, only you to dem, comprenez? Keep in mind dat when it come time to choose who gets to stay and who has go, it's dem I'm goan be listenin' to, so it would be a good idea fo' you to be on deir good side."

No one made to leave, much to Kimble's relief. Most of the kids just looked at one another in confusion, as though it was no big deal. There was, however, a brief flicker of confusion in Tilda's shine at Remy's statement. Kimble couldn't be sure if it was disappointment that he was not available for her or if it was the gender of his partner in marriage. Still, she kept her peace and said nothing. What Kimble hadn't realized was that for most of these young mutants, their sexual orientation was the least of their problems. That didn't mean no one had nothing to say about it, however.

Malcolm just snorted and jeered, "Who cares about a couple of gay freaks in a place that is one big freak show already? I could care less what those guys do. What I do have a problem with is Little Julie One Hand here. He's a sicker freak than those two will ever be."

Remy just shook his head, already anticipating Malcolm's complaints, and raised a hand, asking for patience. He addressed the whole room as he replied, "I already say dis a last chance team fo' some of you. Oui, dere's some delinquents 'ere and Julien is one of dem. Kyle is dere too." He gestured to the young feral in orange and continued, "You sayin' dat no one 'ere entitled to a chance to make up for some wrong doin' in de past? T'ink real 'ard on dat. It ain't no big secret where I got most of my trainin' from. You sayin' dat even someone like me could never measure up?"

Malcolm growled and raised a bright green hand of his own. The last thing he wanted was for Remy to feel disrespected. Julien was his target, not the leader for this potential squad. "That's different. You never betrayed your own kind!"

"You so sure?" came Remy's quick reply, his eyes tinged with sadness now.

Malcolm started to say something but the look on Remy's face halted him. He just shook his head and turned away, slouching some in his seat. He wasn't going to win this argument, clearly, and didn't want to endanger his spot on the team. He had no intention of leaving, oh no, not when Remy was giving him such easy access to Julien. He would have his revenge, one way or the other.

Remy could see the kid had backed off but not down. He addressed the room again when he said, "Look it, 'ere. Julien my kid and oui, he had 'is share of troubles. Maybe what Green Jeans 'ere is trying to say is mebbe he 'fraid Julien 'ere goan get special treatment. Dat ain't goan 'appen. He 'ave to earn 'is place de same as all de rest of you. He fail, he out, dat's my promise to you. All I'm askin' is dat you at least give 'im and everyone else 'ere a shot.

"De most important t'ing de Xs taught me is dat bein' on a team is like bein' in a family. We all of us different people. We all got different strengths and weaknesses. Our primary goal 'ere is to find de best way to make all dose differences work for us, not against us.

"Nobody 'ere perfect. Everybody in dis room got some kind of strike against dem dat'll keep you off a regular team, maybe even fo' good. Psych, physical, disciplinary, whatever. What dose t'ings are ain't nobody's business, I just want you all to know dat you all on even ground 'ere.

"It's true not all of you goan make it, we usually 'ave about a fifty percent drop out rate after de first coupla months of trainin'. Dere ain't no disgrace in failin' to make dis team, only in you not tryin' as hard as you possibly can. In not helpin' de guy next to you. One guy might not make de best athlete, you might not be de best in class. We all gotta 'elp each other out. What I'd love to see is us beatin' dat fifty percent average. How about all of us pass, eh? What could be better dan dat?

"Not everyone is meant to be on a team, and dere are many ways to serve. If you don' make it, I hope you at least walk away a better person for 'avin' been 'ere wit us. You still family, eh? In or out."

Grace cheered again at that, clapping her hands loudly, bringing it out in the other kids. Remy might never have thought of himself as much of a speaker, but with Grace's help, he was winning them over, he could see. His smile was large as he asked, "So? You all in?"

The response was loud and clear, the whole room came alive with sound. Some of the ones in the back even stood, clapping loudly and with great enthusiasm. No one was going anywhere.

Remy stood up himself, lifted up by their great spirits. He was feeling no regrets for his decision to do this now, only that he had wasted some time putting this off. "D'accorde," he cheered. "Let's do it!"

He waved them on, herding them off towards the training rooms and a hopeful future.

(break)

Logan sat at his desk in his office, his head down and tired. He knew that because of his gruff manner and direct way of speaking that he came off as dispassionate and uncaring. It wasn't true. For the past couple of days he'd had to keep his office door shut and block his ears to keep from going mad at the sound of Warren screaming from two doors down. Whatever hateful thoughts he'd had toward the guy had faded fast, the man was being punished enough by his own actions beyond anything Logan could have dreamed up for him.

Hank had had the benefit of his precious Siskan to get him through the worst of the ravaging effects of the Honey poisoning, Warren was not so lucky. Here in his locked cell, Maylee had done all she could for him - she had set up an IV and was slowly feeding him pain killers and fluids. They had him hooked up to all sorts of monitors, keeping watch on his progress and tracking his ups and downs. Maylee was at a bit of a loss as to what else they could do for him exactly, this sort of thing was well beyond anything she had been trained for. Hank was feeding her a steady stream of suggestions but so far, not much of it was helping.

Warren had been alternating from fever to chills, from vomiting to a deep thirst. He coded three times the first day he had been in here and those three times they had brought him back from death, so Maylee hadn't wandered far. It was harder treating him here in the Security wing, but there wasn't much else she could do for him even if he had been kept in the Lab. They had little or no knowledge on how to treat Honey poisoning to begin with and she was basically winging it under Hanks's guidance from afar. The big blue doctor still didn't trust himself to come anywhere near his former friend.

Unable to ease Warren's suffering, they had resorted to placing him in a medically induced coma just this morning, finally providing Logan with some momentary peace. Well, his ears got some relief if not his heart. His auditory discomfort was now replaced with the disquiet of watching Jean hover over Warren's now lifeless body, her face lined with silent pain. As close as Hank had been to Warren, Jean had been so much more. Logan might not care about Warren's internal agony, but he was all too aware of hers.

Logan stared numbly at the papers in front of him, wasting his time. He was too stressed out from the uncomfortable situation to do any real work. Giving up, he grumbled to himself and got up, grabbing his jacket on his way out. He could smell Jean's distress even before he opened the door to the holding cells, it raised the hair on his arms. He had never gotten over his attraction to her even though his marriage to Karen had taken the heat out of it. He still couldn't bear to see Jean suffer.

He found her where he expected to, lying on a small sofa that had been dragged down the hallway and placed across from Warren's cell. She looked beat, her eyes were dark and tired, her long red hair a bit wild. He couldn't stop himself from stroking the worst of those loose locks back into place. "How ya doin', Red?"

She smiled at the use of her nickname. It had been a while since he had used it. "I'm all right. Better than he is," she said, gesturing to where Warren lay on his bed.

When Logan had first seen Warren transformed, he had known the changes were not complete and he had been right. Much of Warren's blond hair was now gone, replaced by long white feathers that framed his face in a disordered Mohawk, taking away from his former beauty. His face was still twisted in pain, but had narrowed, his nose longer now than it had been, bringing his face almost to a point. Not a beak, but still menacing looking. The fact that he was now half starved wasn't improving anything. They had been feeding him through the IV but it wasn't doing much more than keeping him alive. He had a long road ahead of him if he pulled through this.

"You should get some rest," Logan suggested, the play of his hands on her head never slowing.

She didn't stop his affectionate attention, she knew that it was as far as it would ever go, they had made peace with it long ago. They were both married, both happy. "I've been helping him telepathically. I should stay."

Logan grunted. "Anyone even still in there, darlin'? It hasn't sounded like it."

"He's walled himself up deep, it's hard getting to him, but now that he is resting better I've been making some progress. He is in less pain and I think he's going to make it."

Logan wasn't so sure, but he hadn't wanted to upset her by disagreeing. Instead, he changed the subject by asking, "I don't suppose he even feels the least bit bad about what he did to Star?"

Jean hesitated in answering, but opted for the truth. It wasn't like she could lie to Logan anyhow, he would know it the moment she uttered the words. "He never regarded Star as alive so no, he doesn't feel bad. At least not yet. Perhaps when he wakes, you can help him turn around like you did."

Logan just grunted again. It had gotten out amongst the women that he'd had a change of heart in regards to the Siskans, something that he found a little embarrassing. It was like he had gotten found out for having affection for children, something that he felt emasculated him just a small bit. He liked his gruff exterior, it protected him. He didn't want to be regarded as soft.

"You and Warren have a lot in common, you know," she continued, sensing his mood. "You're both very stubborn about things, but deep inside, you have good hearts."

Logan stepped away. "I ain't nuthin' like him!" he growled in irritation, flashing his teeth a little. "I would never use someone else for my own gain, not like he did."

She sat up, her eyes following him as he retreated. "Maybe not now, but I think you would have sacrificed one of Remy's Siskans before your little change of heart and not thought twice about it. Maybe not for something personal, but if it would have saved lives and you had them to offer first instead of someone living, you would have."

Logan just smiled in his way. "Ah, but the difference is that I still woulda asked. I've done many bad things, but I don't steal. Not even from Cyke," he ended suggestively, his eyes hard. It was true, as much as he had wanted Jean, he had never tried to wrench her away from Scott. He had never forced anything, not the way Warren had with Star. Wolverine had wanted Jean for himself, sure, but only if she had come willingly on her own. She hadn't.

Whatever argument that may have followed his words was cut short by the sound of Seth at the watch desk down the hall, asking for Logan. Logan was happy for the interruption, he preferred to have the last word in an argument anyhow. Besides, for Seth to have come all this way looking for him meant it was something important.

"Yeah?" Logan called out to him as he came towards him down the hallway.

Seth handed him yet another manila folder without preamble.

As soon as Logan opened it he understood why Seth had been so silent. Seth had worked with him long enough to know when he had come across something so top secret that it couldn't be discussed aloud. Seth hadn't wanted Jean to pick up on any of it. The folder contained information about the website Seth had discovered when researching the medallion Logan had found where Kristalay had been taken.

Logan's eyes met his. "Let's walk."

Seth nodded and bowed slightly at Jean, wanting her to know he had meant no disrespect in not speaking to her directly. She just smiled back at him and he turned away, satisfied. He had to walk fast though, Logan was moving quickly.

As soon as they had some privacy, Logan peppered him with questions. "Where did you find this? Is there a location we can get to? Do we know who it is?"

Seth did his best to answer. "I cracked the website and it gave me another IP address that lead to that note. If there is an actual location to go with the IP address, we'll find it eventually."

Logan was scanning through the pages Seth had printed out. A lot of it was hacker's code that he didn't understand and so he just kept sifting until he got to the end. The last printed page he could read well enough, though. It was of a solid black background with an opened white scroll floating in the center. In bold letters it read, "Welcome to the Lupine, Logan. I've been waiting for you a long time and I can't wait to finally meet you." It was signed, Romulus.

"Is that someone you know?" Seth asked cautiously, perplexed by the stricken look on Logan's face.

Wolverine had no good answer. Did he know a guy named Romulus? Not really. But the name resonated inside his brain, like something so ingrained into his DNA it could never be fully forgotten. It was like the scent in the ally way where he had found the medallion. He couldn't exactly place it, he only knew that it was bad. Very bad.

The end, for now ~ Squeekness

Author's notes: Well, this concludes this latest series. Hope it wasn't too short and abrupt. I hope you may take some small comfort in knowing that whatever small bits that got chopped out of this will be included in my next series, Children of the Gods. Hope to see you there.