Chapter 6

Rogue stood before him, all dressed up, looking like a million dollars, a striking contrast to the casual, girl-next-door vibe she'd had earlier that day while touring Genosha with Remy and Nightcrawler. Her hair was made up in a beautiful do, her plump lips adorned with a red lipstick that matched her dress. Oh, that dress! It was the same flattering red dress she had worn on their very first date. As the beautiful mutant put it on just earlier that evening, it instantly brought up many memories of happier times. The rich crimson fabric hugged her figure perfectly, accentuating all the right places. It made her remember the helpless look on Remy's face when he first saw her on their first official date night. It was a mixture of pure sexual desire with something else, his eyes softened, as if he had seen an angel, the most perfect creature on Earth, yet his lips curved up maliciously. All the things he wanted to do her, but couldn't, all the love he felt for her, all expressed in one single moment. It was definitely not a great poker face for someone known as Gambit.

The dress flowed gracefully down to her ankles, swaying about with her every move as she approached him, the soft rustle of the fabric was barely audible in the quiet of his room. Her hair was elegantly styled in a chic, high bun, a few loose tendrils framing her face, softening the look and adding a touch of sophistication to her appearance. The familiar white streak framing her porcelain doll face, and her eyes… Oh, how it pained Remy to see those beautiful green eyes of hers! They looked sad, prompting Remy to brace himself, because it seemed she had news to share, news she knew that he wouldn't like to hear.

As she watched Remy sit down, her heart ached at the sight of him. Her handsome man, so appealing, looking so elegant. On the surface he looked as cool as ever. But deep inside, she knew him too well not to be able to see how he was feeling vulnerable. She could tell he was simply waiting to hear the news she dreaded delivering for the past few months. She could see the way his eyes briefly flicked over her, recognition dawning on him as he remembered the significance of the dress. For a second, his eyes lit up with hope, it couldn't be a coincidence, it must mean something, he thought. Maybe it wasn't something so bad after all. She wouldn't have picked that dress if she was about to crush his heart, would she? But that hope quickly gave way to concern as he noticed the gravity in her expression.

Rogue took a deep breath, trying to focus on the present moment, her hands clutching the fabric of her dress for support. She knew she looked beautiful that night, just as she had on that first magical evening when she learned how a loving man ought to treat a lady. But now, that beauty only served to twist the dagger a little deeper into his heart, to accentuate the heartbreak that was surely about to unfold. As she gazed at him, the man she loved more than anything, she knew this moment would be etched into both their memories forever, the dress a bittersweet reminder of what they once had and what they were about to lose. There was no way to make the news any less painful, so she closed her eyes for a moment, as if gathering the courage to jump into icy cold water, then opened them again, fixed her gaze on him, and began to tell her tale.

"It was back after I ran away from my daddy. My evil mother was helping me with my powers, said she knew a fellow who could help. An associate. The man seemed nice enough. Seemed like he wanted to help. Just not like I thought. He spent weeks talking about how mutants were special. How we'd have our own cities and culture one day. He even had plans, too, Remy. Mutant art, fashion, dance. He showed me that being a mutant wasn't just about my power," she spoke softly, her voice almost a whisper, and she studied his reactions as she laid out her truth.

Remy could well tell at this point who that man was, his heart sank as he could well predict where the story was going.

"And when we realized that his electromagnetic powers protected him from my touch, other things started happening," she paused, taking a deep breath. Her cheeks were burning hot, as she was feeling embarrassed, and guilty for not having come forward with this before. Remy was visibly distressed now and started to throw a deck of cards he had on his pocket on the fireplace. Her eyes pooled with tears about to fall, but she swallowed hard and continued. Her speech was a train wreck in progress, she couldn't go backwards, the only way was moving forward and to be done with it.

"But then I started seeing the hurt in him, like raging waters. There wasn't enough room in our affair for his demons and mine. When I joined the X-Men, Erik said he wouldn't want me to lose another family. He acted like it never happened. We both did."

As soon as she finished opening the chest of secrets from her past, she noticed that he finally tossed the Queen of Hearts card into the fire. He saved that one to be the last to find its end in the fire.

"So, let me get this straight, chére, you said that happened when you were under Mystique's care. How old were you when you met him, when all that happened?"

"I… I was… I had just turned eighteen," she replied, knowing full well where he wanted to get with that question.

"And that bastard was probably in his fifties. That ain't right in my book. I think he fucking groomed you, don't you think so too, chére? With the consent of your mother, to make things worse."

"I… I wouldn't know about that. I mean, I, I was infatuated. I guess I was impressed at how knowledgeable he was, articulate and passionate about the mutant cause. He never forced me to anything, it just happened," she said, and at those words, they both felt silent for a long while, each lost in their own thoughts, both heartbroken. "Are you mad at me? Do you think less of me now?" She reluctantly asked him. "I'm sorry I hadn't told you this before."

"We all have our pasts, you have yours, I have mine. I wasn't exactly forthcoming with my past as well. So, I'm not judging you, or your actions, if that's what you are afraid of. No, not all, I would never! If anything, I think you are a victim in all of this, so manipulated you still can't even realize that is what happened. What hurts me is that for the past few months, I was left in the dark about this. I knew something was off and that the old man was trying to get you for himself. I just, I would never imagine that my biggest fear, well, it was a ship that had already sailed..."

"No, Remy, it isn't like that. I mean, not now, I never had any intention to ditch you in favor of him, or to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you, Remy, never wanted to make you look like a fool," she tried to explain but he would cut her off.

"That's not what everyone thought, and you know it. I was made to look weak in front of everyone, that I wasn't good enough for you. Then, you would come to me, after seeing him, still wanting to be with me, to be close and I was so confused," he retorted. "I love you so much, all I wanted was to understand what was going on."

Rogue tried to apologize for the inexcusable, for years now he had been her best friend above all things, she should have confided in him. She should never have agreed to keep it all secret like Magneto told her to. Maybe Remy was right, again, she was dancing to the music like the old man told her to. And the aftermath of all this was in front of her, there he was, he just confessed that he was left feeling worthless, the lesser man, a cuckold. Her voice was trembling with the weight of her regret. She knew no words could truly make amends for the pain she had caused, but she felt compelled to try anyway. After a moment of silence, she took a deep breath and began to tell him about the offer Magneto had made her. She told him all about how Magneto had asked her to be his queen, to stand by his side and rule over Genosha together. According to the master of magnetism, it would be just a façade, to share the burden of ruling and to sell the image of a trustable, consolidated nation. The temptation had been too much, the allure of power and the promise of making a positive impact in numerous mutants' lives too much to resist. She looked into Remy's eyes, hoping he would understand the inner conflict she had faced. She hoped he would sympathize; perhaps think he would do the same if he were given the chance. His only reply was a question, though.

"You gonna accept his offer?"

"If Genosha's shown us anything, it's that we don't need to be afraid of change. And if I can play a bigger role in bettering the world, well, that's the whole reason I became an X-Man."

Without missing a beat, he changed the subject to them and their relationship.

"You never wanted to make things official. I respected that. I played the swamp rat," he said, not caring to hide how hurt he was.

"And I played your chère. All the expectations, every time looking at you, seeing all the things I couldn't do."

"Like telling Gambit the damn truth?"

"I can't touch you, Remy! Your heart may beat for me, but I can't feel it. You light up everything you touch, but never me," she lamented, feeling in her own heart the hurt she knew those words would cause. But what else could she say? What good could the world of feelings they had for each other do if she couldn't control her powers, she couldn't touch him. How much longer could she resist him, how much longer until he found himself in a hospital bed for the rest of his life? She loved him too much to risk that.

"Some things be deeper than skin, chère," he stated firmly.

"Not this," she disagreed and watched him get up and leave the room with eyes full of tears, not looking back, not once. That was painful, that went horribly, just like she knew it would. There was no other way. In the end, it was another one of the sacrifices she made to be a better person, to think of the bigger picture, to act in favor of all mutantkind. It was the ultimate sacrifice, losing Remy LeBeau, the mutant thief that stole her heart and soul. She would forever feel hollow inside without his love, his friendship, his presence by her side. It was too high a price to pay for the good of the cause, she crossed her heart and hoped she would have the strength to carry on and that he would be able to forgive her someday.

"I wager that fool will break your heart in two. Gambit always knows the odds," he told her in all honesty.

"That it?" She asked him, feeling helpless, heart in her hand.

"In this game, he do. Till then, we be friends, mon amie. Just friends," he told her, his tone of voice giving it a sense of closure, of finality and it hurt her more than she could ever imagine.

Having ended things between them, Remy stormed out of the room, his mind overflowing with a mix of emotions. He was so distracted, digesting what had just happened that he unexpectedly bumped into a man who was standing just outside the door. The impact startled him, pulling him momentarily out of the self-pity party he was immersed in. For a brief second, their eyes met, and at that very moment in time, he realized he faced himself looking back at him. Someone with the exact same features, wearing the same clothes as he was.

"Surprised to see me? I know I am," he said, feeling annoyed. Morph and his endless appetite for pranking everyone, he thought. Then he wondered, how in the world had Morph gotten to Genosha so fast? Had they all decided to attend the gala? The invitation really was open to all X-Men, as he had learned upon his arrival. But it was strange that others were also joining and never told anything to either him or Rogue.

Gambit was none the impressed, feeling angry and confused. That was the last thing he needed at that moment. Meanwhile, his clone's gaze remained unreadable for a moment. Remy's memories and emotions were being downloaded into his brain, thanks to the device Essex had implanted in Remy LeBeau a decade before. When the process ended, his replica looked deep into his eyes, his eyebrows knit together, he touched Remy's face lovingly, and shed a single tear. It got Remy terrified; he was seeing the mirror image of himself and his broken heart.

The encounter was jarring, but he wouldn't be allowed much longer to feel anything else at all. He heard footsteps approaching from behind him. When he turned around, he came face to face with none other than Nathaniel Essex. There he was, the man he hated as much as he loved Rogue. The scientist who had helped him control his powers but had made him pay the highest price for it, involving him in an act of monstrous genocide that had left permanent scars on his soul. He reached for the bo staff inside his jacket pocket, but it wasn't soon enough.

At his command, his clone held his arms, his hands glowing magenta as he seemed to be charging the real Remy LeBeau's own flesh. Remy knew better than make a move in that situation, that was not Morph. How would he replicate his power in such an intensity, so much stronger than his own? That was Essex's doing and the deal he had made was instantly brought to the surface of his mind. That was his power, pure and raw, with no tweaking, the man in front of him, probably a copy the scientist made of him with his consent, the consent of an eighteen-year-old inconsequential boy. He wouldn't be allowed much longer to think it over, though. A needle found his neck and he completely passed out in the arms of his clone who, under Mr. Sinister's influence, carried him on his shoulder to a hidden basement in the depts of the building. It was a secret place that Bastion was able to secure.

After placing Remy LeBeau's seemingly lifeless body in a tank, much like the one he used to inhabit, the clone made his way up, and into the gala party. His memory of extracting the real Remy LeBeau from the picture was completely gone. He was also responsible for using Remy's expertise with security systems before, so their little encounter with Rogue's soulmate was never seen by any cameras. Whenever he was used by Essex, he went into a trance and would not remember his wrongdoings. The mutant was Remy LeBeau himself as far as he could tell, and now he was among the other mutants in the party, feeling broken-hearted, and sad, just as Remy had been when they met.

He was surrounded by a sea of mostly familiar faces, yet he still felt lost and alone in the middle of the crowd. What was he even doing there? He wasn't quite sure how he had ended up there in the first place. Then, an eerie song started blasting from the loudspeakers, shifting the entire mood of the place. Just moments earlier, people had been dancing to club bangers and having mindless fun, but that tune changed everything. Intrigued, like everyone else, he looked up and saw her descending from the ceiling, gracefully floating in the air. The woman he absolutely loved never looked at him, she was not his sweet Rogue. She was focused, on a mission, playing her part in the show.

Remy LeBeau's heart sank as he watched the scene unfold before him. The eerie tune filled the air, and the sight of his beloved descending gracefully from the ceiling should have been a mesmerizing one. But instead, it filled him with unease. His chest tightened when he saw who she was dancing with. Of course, it wasn't a surprise, but it did unsettle him.

The way she moved with him, so effortlessly in sync, as if they had rehearsed that, made Remy's stomach churn. There was something deeply wrong about the way they looked together, the way she seemed so focused, so distant. She was playing the role she had agreed to, but he couldn't help his feeling, it felt like a betrayal. Magneto manipulated her yet again, even now that she was a fully grown and capable woman, and it pained him to witness it happening. She was slipping further away from him with every step she took alongside the man he despised.

The crowd around him faded into the background as a whirlwind of emotions surged within him: anger, jealousy, and a gnawing fear that he was losing her and that she was losing herself. Seeing her so close to Magneto disturbed him to his core, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something very dark was unfolding right before his eyes. He couldn't take it any longer and went to the bar to distract himself, to detach himself from that painful situation. As he ordered a drink, he noticed Madelyne Pryor standing nearby, her fiery red hair catching the light. She greeted him with a warm smile, her eyes filled with understanding. It was a relief to find someone who could offer a bit of comfort in this moment, and as they talked, he couldn't help but notice how her words carried a hint of flirtation. Maybe it was for his benefit, to cheer him up. He knew how broken-hearted she was herself. She had just given birth to Scott's son and lost her baby and the man she thought was hers in a matter of a week. "A drink for my dashing Cajun?" She offered with a smile.

"Not enough drink change the fact that others be more dashing, chére." He replied pensively and she felt for him, she knew how that felt, being made to feel second best.

What the Remy before didn't realize was the deeper connection between them. After all, the two of them were unknowingly like siblings, both fruit of Mr. Sinister's twisted experiments and machinations. In that moment, though, all he knew was that she seemed to understand him better than anyone else in the room, and it brought him a strange sense of comfort. That moment wouldn't last much longer, though.

The real chaos and misery had just begun.