Disclaimer: Hope and her buds are of my creation. They belong to me, and aren't to be stolen (As if anyone WOULD steal them). The Marvel characters belong to Marvel (Hence the reason I called them Marvel characters n'est pas?)
Thanks: To JelymoLd, my longwinded editor, for the editing and laughing at all the inside jokes. God knows no one else would!
Warning: I get REALLY bad with the profanity in this one. It's not like me to be anywhere's NEAR this bad. I'm sorry if it offends, but I needed it to get the tension across. If you really think you can't handle it, write me and I'll send you a nice 'Dubbed' version, with all of the nasty words politely replaced.
Started: April 20, 1999.
Finished: June 22, 1999. (Woo- who! Prom's tomorrow!!!)
Bobby was not the first to stir, but he was also not the last. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his temples were throbbing with a headache like he had never felt. He allowed his mind to focus slowly on what he felt in his immediate surroundings.
A violent chill passed over him as he felt the coldness of the floor he was laying on. The fact that he even felt the cold was not a good sign. Slowly he opened his eyes and allowed the world to break through into his mind.
The floor directly around him was wet, accounting for the cold chill he had felt. Bobby guessed that when he had been knocked unconscious his ice form had simply melted off him. Joseph was laying huddled in a heap directly beside him. The slow rise and fall of his chest told him that the other man was at least still breathing.
Bobby continued searching the room with his eyes. Just to the left of Joseph was Jubilee. Left of them was Angel, leaning against the wall. He had Hope bundled in his arms with his wings around her. Gambit was no where to be seen. He should have been if Jubilee was.
Bobby recalled Joseph pointing out that the soldiers had originally been searching for something at Xavier's, and they had found it in Gambit's room. Now they had come back for Gambit himself.
"Unnnn...." Joseph groaned slowly moving his hand to his head as Jubilee made similar motions. Hope showed no signs of movement.
"You three okay?" Angel asked.
"Yeah... Sure... Just great..." Bobby responded.
"I appear to be uninjured," Joseph stated.
"Ditto," Jubilee agreed. Then she looked around and in a startled voice added, "Where's the Cajun?"
"Then he was taken from the roof when you were," Angel stated. He was apparently on the same wavelength as Bobby.
Jubilee nodded, even though she had known that it wasn't a question. "Why would they separate him from us?"
Bobby shrugged. Changing the topic, he asked, "Is she alright?" gesturing to Hope.
Angel looked down at Hope and nodded. "A little cold from the wetness, and her breathing is a little shallow, but at least it's breathing."
"Shouldn't she be awake if the rest of us are?" Bobby mused.
"She wasn't taken down the same way the four of you were." A voice from the side of the room stated.
Startled, they all turned to its source: A woman with long blond hair in front of the closed door, standing with two armed guards at her side.
"Why the Hell are you doing this?!?" Bobby fumed, jumping up and ignoring the head rush from the fast motion.
"She was dangerous, and had to be detained. I can wake her now, if the four of you behave yourselves," the woman stated, ignoring Bobby and finishing her previous thought.
They all exchanged looks, and then nodded. She came forward and knelt beside Hope and Angel, gesturing for Angel to pass Hope to her. She then drew a syringe and lifted Hope up so she was resting in her arms.
Angel looked as if he wanted to stop her, but didn't dare move with the weapons trained on him and his friends.
The woman ignored his protective glares. She continued what she was doing, puncturing the skin on Hope's neck in about the same place a vampire might strike. For a moment or two she didn't react, then her eyes fluttered open.
She appeared disoriented for a few seconds, then her eyes centred on the glass object the other woman held in her hand. Hope pushed back away from her, while at the same time reaching out in a chop, knocking the needle to the floor. It smashed on impact. In the opposite motion, she tightened her fist and struck the woman in the jaw. She rolled to her feet, and went to activate her powers, only to discover that they weren't within her reach. "Whoa," she stated and stumbled backwards into Jubilee's arms as dizziness overwhelmed her.
Jubilee caught her and straightened her on her feet as the guards came into the centre of the room and went to the other downed woman. She got to her feet and wiped the blood from her mouth as the X- Men moved strategically between her and Hope.
"You don't like needles I take it," the blond stated. Hope didn't respond. She merely balled her fists, shaking Jubilee off her and made ready for an attack. "I guess that shouldn't surprise me. I mean with your track record for doctors..." The blond continued.
This threw Hope off guard. "What would someone like you know about me?"
The agent beside her shrugged. "A lot. It's our job to know about you and your friends. We had to know if Essex succeeded in what he attempted. You and your friends would make formidable opponents if he could manage to turn you against us. We didn't need any surprises."
Hope was shocked. "Bu- But you're the Government! You're supposed to protect people like us from people like him! It's your job!!! How could you just let him do everything he did?!?"
He shrugged. "You were expendable." Hope's mouth dropped. "Perhaps that's the wrong word. We had to test your loyalties. If Sinister managed to turn you, we would be able to stop you before you did anything to hurt us, and if he didn't, then he would have kept you locked away anyway. In the end--"
"--In the end, it was one less Muttie... One less Freak for you to worry about!!!" She was so angry that the air around her seemed to crackle with energy, even though her powers were suppressed.
"Hope, please..." The woman pleaded in a pleasant, calming voice, "It's not that simple. You and your friends might have proven to be dangerous, and--"
"Dangerous?!? Are you serious?!? What sort of danger does a ten year old child present to you?!? If anything you should take us in! You could have shown us that there is something to look forward to, a reason to live. Instead you sent us off to a monster, hoping that we would learn from any harshness he might put us through that killing was wrong!"
"You people are sick!" Jubilee stated.
The second one piped up again. "We didn't know what would happen! Your kind isn't exactly the most reliable source! We've learned from experience that they can be murderous--" The first agent whirled on him in shock at his racism, but didn't get a chance to put in a word, as Hope cut him off for her.
"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?!? That just because some mutants took their powers to an evil, the rest of us are going to do the same? So what then? You take away the chance for them to live a good life, because you simply assume that they will make the wrong decisions? You lock them up and throw away the key?"
"We had to prevent the possibility that you might become what others of your kind have become in the past!!" he replied defensively.
"Well then mister, you better start locking up every person of every race and religion you can think of, 'cause there's always SOMEONE who ruins it for the rest of us!" Jubilee replied. Anger filled her voice in the same way it had Hope's.
"And you might as well start with your friend there." Hope gestured to the third agent who had remained silent through the conversation. "Got a Pentagram around his neck! Their Kind is evil don't you know! Dress all in black, worship Satan and don't conform to your perfect world! Out of the regular and all," she proclaimed sarcastically.
"Satanists worship Satan. We worship the Goddess and the God. And we also don't all dress in total black, that's Goths," he replied simply. From the tone of his voice, it was obvious that he had had this conversation many times before.
She shrugged. She had known the truth, but wanted to see his reaction. "Stereotypes are a bitch, aren't they."
He nodded in understanding. The other male agent put his hand on his shoulder. "Man, I'm glad you're not one of them loser guys that dress all in black. Freaks. "
His eyebrows rose in shock. "And what if I was?!? There's nothing wrong with that! They're people, just like you and me, and they deserve the chance to prove themselves! You shouldn't judge them just because of the actions of a select few! You should get to know them, and form your own decisions! I've seen the way they're treated by racists like you and it's not right!"
Hope smiled crookedly, but maintained her silence. Jubilee smiled also. "Couldn't have put it better if I tried," she mused.
The second agent looked confused, so the blond filled him in. "I believe that was her point exactly."
It took him a moment to clue in, and then he looked to the third agent. "Hey, look man, I'm sorry..."
Hope scoffed. "That's an understatement," she whispered to herself, as Jubilee said "Duh?"
He ignored them, and waited for forgiveness. The third nodded at him. "Report to your senior officer for reassignment," the woman stated.
"Yes sir." With a salute, he turned and left.
The woman looked at the third agent. "Wait outside."
He looked as if he was about to protest, but thought better as he reminded himself that he was addressing a superior officer. He too saluted and left.
"Look," Angel started, "You don't seem to want to do us any harm; So why are you keeping us here?"
She looked blankly at him. "You're not our prisoners. We're just keeping you out of the way until we have accomplished our goal."
They others looked at each other. "And that would beee...?" Bobby baited.
"That would be classified."
Hope frowned, but let it go, "Where's Remy?"
"Also classified," she stated with a steely cold, yet somehow indifferent, expression in her eyes.
"Do you think we're just going to sit here and do nothing while you do God knows what to Remy, and--"
"And you have no say in the matter. You will remain here until I return for you." She turned and headed for the door. Jubilee went to lunge after her but Hope caught her arm, dealing a glare that backed Jubilee away from anymore action.
After the door was shut, Jubilee looked at Hope. "What'd you do that for? We coulda had her!"
Hope frowned. "And how many more would rise to take her place? We couldn't take them all, it's better that we just stay put and try to learn anything we can." She turned and went to the side of the room. She leaned against the wall and slid down it, landing on the floor in a plump.
"And how the Hell are we supposed to learn anything sitting here doing nothing?!?" Jubilee exclaimed.
Hope was aware of the tension, and didn't want to aggravate it any farther, but she was the type of person who mirrored the emotions of the people around her without thinking. If one was angry at her, she automatically became angry at them. "Don't presume to know me and my friends as well as you think you do," she snapped back in a cold stare before catching herself and forcing herself to calm down. "There are connections between the others and myself-- Between Remy and myself-- that someone like you could never truly understand. If Remy really needs us, I'll know. Right now, it's best that we just sit here and wait."
They all looked at each other, and then joined Hope on the floor. After a moment, Jubilee said, "Anybody got a deck of cards?"
Hope smiled. "Where's Remy when you need him..."
A little less than a mile away, the subject of Hope's inquiry was just beginning to stir. Remy attempted to sit up, but found that he didn't have the strength to even do that. The past couple of days had taken so much out of him that he barely had the strength to blink.
With nothing else to do, he lay on his back and examined his surroundings. He was in someone's room. The bedding he was laying on was black satin sheets and matching silver pillow cases. To the left of him there was a small table. The table was black with a shimmered silver top. On it sat a clock radio and a lamp. The black lampshade was speckled with reflective silver flecks.
To the right of him, about fifteen feet away, was a black leather arm chair set in front of a larger circular table, similar to the one that sat next to the bed. On the floor under the table and chair was a black and silver Parisian rug.
At the foot of the bed sat a chest, and across from that a dresser with a single mirror. To either side of the dresser stood two book shelves, filled to overflow with famous works, and a set of encyclopedias. The four objects were made to complement the tables, set in the same colours and style.
If he were in a different circumstance, Remy thought that he would be very comfortable living in a room like this one. There was, however, something about the room that put him on edge.
He examined it closer, and descovered what exactly it was that was out of place. It appeared that someone had spent a lot of time designing the room to fit a distinct personality, but it was devoid of all signs of life. There were no plants, no pictures and no personal objects, unless one was to consider the rug.
A door that Remy hadn't noticed slid open on the other side of the table and chair. A woman with long red hair stepped through, caring a large gun. She looked at Remy, then nodded to someone behind her in the hall. This time Remy forced himself to muster the strength to sit up.
A man came through the door and looked at Remy. "Wait outside," he ordered. The woman turned and left without question, the door shutting behind her as she went.
"Nick Fury," Remy stated.
"Remy LeBeau," Nick replied. After an almost awkward moment, he continued. "Now that we've established that we remember each other's names, perhaps I should explain why I brought you here." He pulled up the chair and sat it across from Remy.
He was so close that Remy could have reached out and punched him if he was so inclined, but figuring that if he did fifty armed guards would be on him in an instant, he refrained from doing so. "Aren' y' suppose' t' be dead?"
"Long story."
"Do I have time t' hear it?"
Nick pulled out the box that he had given Remy and set it on his lap. "I need you to open this," He stated, ignoring Remy.
"Why did you attack the X- Men?" Remy replied, ignoring him.
"Remy, we really need you to open it."
"Your box. You open it."
Nick sighed in frustration, as Remy stared at him in dead pan anger, intent on being absolutely no help until Nick answered his question. "Stubborn prick." Remy didn't react. Nick looked away as Remy's glare became uncomfortable. "Remy, I honestly had no idea what would happen there. They were just supposed to go in, get the box and get out. I have no idea what happened in there. There's an investigation underway."
Remy's expression didn't change. "I know, I know, that's not going to bring them back," Nick continued in Remy's silence. "I don't know what to tell you though. There's nothing I can say that will change that."
Remy's angry grimace slowly, slightly turned to a saddened expression. He shook his head in a single fast motion, in an attempt to shake himself from his emotions. He looked down as he felt tears coming on and noticed the box on his lap. "Wha's in dere, anyway?"
"I don't know."
"What de Hell do y' mean y' don' know?!? It was 'portant 'nough t' kill good people over, but y' don' know what it is!?!"
"You're the only one who knows what's in that box Remy."
"What are you schizophrenic?!? You were de one dat gave dat box t' me!" The woman with long red hair came in the room at the heightened level of Remy's voice. When she saw that Remy and Nick were having a regular, non- physical argument, she lowered her weapon, but remained in the room in case Remy's anger level rose and he attacked Fury.
Nick ignored her. "Yes, but you were the one that gave it to me in the first place. You locked it before I even got my hands on it. I never did know what was inside."
Remy blinked. "I never saw dis t'ing b'fore it showed up at de mansion by courier."
"You just don't remember it."
"If it were as important as you say, den one, I would remember it, and B, I wouldn' have given it away in de first place!"
"There's more to this than you know."
Remy stood in frustration. "If y' bothered t' Tell me den I would know!" Still holding the box, he swung it idly as he spoke.
Feeling awkward, Nick stood as well. "I can't explain it. There's a lot of stuff going on that you simply can't know about."
Remy was visibly trying to calm himself down, but wasn't having as much luck as he would have hoped. As he spoke, his voice became more and more anxious. "Nick. I owe you my life. You saved me when I deserved not'ing better den t' rot. But y' not makin' sense. You say dis box hold some powerful secret, an' dat I'm de only one who knows what it is. You say dat I'm de only one what c'n open it, 'cause I'm de one what locked it in de first place. Why, den, would I ever possibly forget?!? Dat makes no sense!" Nick avoided his glance. "Nick... Jus' tell me de truth. Please," he pleaded.
"It's a secret that, quite honestly, and literally, could kill you. It's a something that's going to remain a secret."
"An' dis truth-- dis secret-- was enough to cause de death of de X- Men?" Remy looked to Nick, but he avoided his glare.
"Honestly?" Nick whispered in response. Disgust filled Remy, and he found himself unable to look at Nick. In an attempt to justify his response, Nick continued, "Remy, it was a something that any one of them would have given their lives to protect."
"...Dey didn' have de chance t' make dat decision, now did dey..." Remy's response was barely more audible than a light scratch. Nick didn't know how to react, and thus a long silence followed. Remy's voice was full of tears when he finally found the strength to speak. "How many good people's lives would you..." He trailed off as a realization struck him. "How many Did you sacrifice to protect dis?!?"
Remy whirled on Nick, demanding a response. Nick took time to gather the exact words to express himself, but his silence was enough to tell Remy that he wouldn't like the answer. "What is in that box--"
"De box?!? Fuck de God Damned box!!!" With that he whirled and threw the small chest with all his strength at the wall behind him. It struck the mirror causing it to shatter, before it landed on the top of the bureau. Remy spun back on Fury. "I don' give a sweet flyin' fuck what de Hell was in dat box!!! I asked you a simple question!!! How many??"
Fury was mortified. He had ceased to listen to Remy, and was attempting to look past him to the mess covering the dresser. "Jesus Christ Remy!!! Do you realize how many people will have died in vain if you've broken the contents?!?"
"...I'm talkin' to myself here..." Remy whispered quietly to himself.
"Hundreds!" Fury responded to his own question. "Countless hundreds of innocent people. Children, mothers, fathers... Lovers and fighters alike! And you just threw it across the room! You were the first! You gave your own soul to get that thing!" Fury cut himself off as he realized what he was saying.
Remy blinked. "What de Hell are you talking about?" he half whispered in a confused response.
Nick sighed. He hadn't wanted to tell Remy the entire truth, but was learning that he couldn't leave him with nothing. "You gave everything you ever had to get what's inside that box. When it became apparent to you that you could no longer protect it, you came to me, hoping that I could. Then you just disappeared into the darkness. I searched for you for the longest time, but we couldn't find you. When I found out you were with the X- Men, I made arrangements that if anything ever happened to me, you would get the box back. When I was believed dead, you received it in the mail. I have no clue what's inside, you never told me. I just know that it's very important. If we had what's inside we could save thousands upon thousands of lives. That promise was enough to risk the lives of the other X- Men."
Remy was confused, and taking a lot on faith, but was following what Fury was saying. "Why didn' y' jus' ask for it?"
"Who would we have asked? Our intelligence told us you were dead; Exiled by your own. Like I said, the field agents who attacked your home were only supposed to get in and out. They were told that the X- Men had stolen the box from us. Our suspicion is that they decided to perform a little vigilante justice."
Remy's head spun. The X- Men were killed for revenge. Revenge for an event that never even took place. He sat down on the bed and looked up at Nick to ask another question, but at the sight of the amazed look on his face, Remy followed his stare instead.
"We tried everything short of blowing it up..." Nick mused to himself. Laying on top of the dresser was the box that Remy had hurled at the mirror, open.
"Did y' try throwin' it across de room?"
Nick frowned at his joke. He then walked across the room and picked up the box. Set in blue velvet were three objects. The first was a small metallic S.H.E.I.L.D. Comm. badge, about the size of a Canadian two dollar coin. It showed the rank of lieutenant. Next to the badge was a cylindrical metal canister and to the right of that was a laser disk, only slightly larger than the badge.
Fury snatched up the vial and disk and turned to the red haired woman, acknowledging her presence for the first time. "Agent One. Take this Jennings and have him do a complete annalysis of it's contents." He handed her the vial. "Tell him that the contents may be toxic and he should use extreme caution." She saluted and left. Fury looked at Gambit and then he too departed, leaving Remy alone with his thoughts, or so they thought.
No sooner then they were out the door, Brian's voice cut into Gambit's thoughts. Remy.
Phantom. How long you been here? Gambit replied without showing any outward signs that he was talking to anyone.
I followed Hope and them in. Time I got to them, it was to late to do anything to help, so I decided to remain inconspicious.
Remy nodded slightly. He had the distinct impression that they were being watched, and didn't want to let on that Brian was there. Dey alright?
Brian nodded. He knew Remy would feel the nod, more than see it, but he did so anyway. Worried about you mostly. He moved around to see what Gambit was looking at.
Did you tell dem I'm alright?
Brian shook his head. At the time I didn't know.
Do dey even know y' here?
Hope does I think, but she didn't say anything directly. She was probably worried that someone would catch on to the Psychic talk. She was probably right. The others have no clue.
Remy picked up the third object and turned it over in his hand. You don' t'ink dey'll catch on t' us?
Brian shrugged. They're not monitoring you, and they don't know that I'm here.
Who else is here?
Angel, Iceman, Joseph and Jubilee.
Gambit nodded. With himself, Hope and Brian, that made seven. Not much of a force to take on all of S.H.E.I.L.D. Follow Fury. See what y' c'n find out.
You gonna stay here?
Remy thought a moment. It might not be very safe for him there for very much longer, but they would notice if he disappeared all of the sudden. He also didn't know what kind of tracking capibulities they had. Brian would be safer if he were alone. Oui.
Brian nodded and walked out the wall without a word. Less then ten minutes later he had found the red head, Fury had called Agent One. He followed her, assuming that she would go to Fury. His assumption proved correct when she went through a set of double doors and entered a large conference room.
She didn't speak until Fury turned to her and acknowledged her presence. "Jennings is at work on the substance in the vials, Sir."
"Vials?"
"Yes. Apparently, there were two vials incompased in the one."
Fury nodded, and then turned around again, signaling that he was done with her. She however was not done with him. After a few moments Fury noticed that she hadn't left, and looked at her expectantly.
"Permission to speak freely?"
"Granted."
The woman chewed the inside of her cheek indecicievly. "Before... In the room with LeBeau... You weren't completely honest with him."
"You want to know the truth about Remy." She nodded and Fury sighed. If it had been anyone else he would have just said that it was classified, and told them to leave. But this woman had been one of his most trusted soldiers for a very long time, and he couldn't just shrug her off like that. "Agent Sturge... Samantha." He took a deep breath. "Perhaps you should have a seat. It is a long story."
Brian's eyebrows rose. This was going to be interesting.
TBC...
Crimson.