Disclaimer: Marvel owns ya Marvel, I own the rest. (Oh, and Agent One isn't entirely mine. She's supposed to be the red head from the Spiderman cartoon... And no, I don't mean Marry Jane.)
Started: July 10, 1999. (Go Jays go!!!)
Finished: September 19, 1999 (Stupid Blue Jays...)
While Sturge took a seat, Fury seemed as if he was visibly collecting his thoughts. She sat there unmoving for a few minutes not knowing what to expect, before finally Fury began to speak.
"I have known Remy for many years. Not entirely personally, but rather through the intelligence on him. We had hired him many times in the past, without him realizing it, attempting to learn more about him. Who he was, where he came from, what drove him, basically anything. It was our hopes that we would be able to recruit him in the future, and if that proved impossible, then he would have been... Dealt with." Fury paused, scowl on his face. "That doesn't give me any pride to say." He sighed, and then returned to his story, "He was kicked out of his own family. Exiled from his home. We never did learn why. Then he just... Disappeared."
"He seems to have a knack for that," Sturge mused outloud.
Fury gave a half smile. "When our tracking picked him up again, we noticed that we weren't the only ones with interest in him. Someone had been tracing him through our satellites. They were following him, watching his every move, the same way we had been. We managed to lock onto his location, and found that he had joined up with a group of mercenaries. An agent was positioned in his area, with the eventual purpose making contact with him. But that never happened."
"Why not?"
Fury smiled. "Remy beat us to the punch. Just walked up to the agent, and told him that he wanted to talk to his superiors. Before the agent even had a chance to respond, Remy had vanished into the shadows."
"So what happened?"
"He was brought aboard. The goal was to convince him that he should work for us. But Remy being Remy, he had ideas of his own. He told us that he had been aware of the fact that he was being traced, both by us, and by the second party. He knew quite a good deal about S.H.E.I.L.D. and didn't think that we would be any problem for him. What bothered him was the fact that he couldn't catch this other person who was following him. He wanted us to find out who this second person was."
"We found out that his name was Nathaniel Essex. We really had no clue about Essex at the time. We didn't even know What he was. Remy was also in the dark. Since both sides were looking at the same goal, it was decided that Remy would work for S.H.E.I.L.D. in an attempt to discover who exactly Essex was.
"Remy was sent to make contact. When he did, it was discovered that Essex had been following Remy for the same reasons that S.H.E.I.L.D. had been. He was looking for somebody skilled in Remy's particular... expertise. Someone who was intelligent enough to know how to get what Essex wanted, without asking too many questions. Remy fit the bill. When S.H.E.I.L.D. learned what Sinister was planning, we were determined to stop him. In order to do this, we had to send Remy deeper under cover. However, since we had learned that Essex possessed telepathic powers, we had to take the process a step farther, to ensure Remy's safety."
Sturge's eyes narrowed in thought, as did Brian's. He had known that there was something more to Remy's relationship with Sinister, but had never known exactly what. It looked like now he would find out. Fury continued. "We had to physically go into Remy's mind, and alter his thought patterns, perceptions and judgments. It would give a total stranger entire control over the way he thought, how he reacted, and what he would become."
"And this was just done to him? He had no say, no choice?"
Fury frowned. "No, he had all the say in the world. And that's the worst part. When Remy was told of what would happen to him if he did agree, as well as what the repercussions would be if he didn't, he agreed wholeheartedly. No regrets. He gave up his entire life to fight a fight that hardly effected him. It's one of the most courageous acts that has ever occurred in the history of the American Government, and no one even knows it happened."
Fury sighed. "I had the pleasure of meeting Remy before the process took place. I looked into the discoloured eyes of that young man, and thought to myself, there was a hero. Since I was already familiar with his father, it was my assignment to accompany him to his home in New Orleans, where he would be leaving his personal items from his room. As he placed the trinkets neatly on shelves and tables, he told me, in detail, about each memory the doctors would be erasing in order to change him.
"I asked him why he would do such a thing, and he handed me a picture of a cute little girl with strawberry blond ringlets and blue eyes. He then told me of his daughter. He had no idea where she was. She had been taken from him, and he had never been able to find her again. He believed that Sinister might have had something to do with her disappearance. I asked him 'So you're doing all of this to save your daughter?' He shook his head, but didn't elaborate.
"With the conversation at a stand still, I asked him 'So what's her name?' Without turning around, he responded 'Who, my daughter or the girl in the picture?' I was confused. 'I thought the girl in the picture was your daughter,' I said to him. Again he shook his head. 'No, I told you, I don't know where my daughter is.' An uncomfortable silence followed. He studied me a moment, and then stood up from what he was doing. He beckoned me follow him into the den, and then he pulled out a photo album and handed it to me. I thumbed through it. All of the pictures were of young children, each one with a name and number printed clearly beside them. I still didn't get what he was trying to tell me.
"After a moment he said to me, without looking from the window, 'Each one of those children has a name. They have a name because they have parents. They have people who love them, and people who would give their lives to get them back... To know they were safe. Each one of those children was, or would have become, a mutant... At least according to Essex. The little girl you hold in your hands died in my arms. The rest on a table, in a tube, in a cage' He took a deep breath, and when he continued, I could almost hear the tears in his voice. The frustration, the determination. 'I couldn't save her... Couldn't save any of them... And I'll be damned if I let it happen again.' At the time, I didn't know what to say. Wht could I say? Essex was cultivating children. Then Remy continued, 'He refers to them as 'Genetic Samples...' He gives them a number and catalogues them as experiments. He wants to create the Perfect mutant. To do this, he'll go through anyone. And I'm the only one who can stop him. You ask me why I'm volunteering to do this...? I ask you why you aren't.' Then he moved away from the window, and told me he was ready to go back. I went to give him the photo album, but he told me to keep it. It held all the secrets to the meaning of life, and he wanted me to have it. He said that someone should remember them. And then he didn't say another thing.
"He went into that surgery with all the bravery in the world, and he didn't for one second look back."
Sturge and Fury stayed unmoving for a long time, and Brian wondered which one of them would break the silence. After a long drawled pause, Fury continued. "Then... Then came the Morlocks. The lives that were wasted..." Again he left a reflective pause. "We knew about what would happen. But the lives of the people in those tunnels were expendable in the long run. Remy was led to believe that nothing so bad would come of his leading the Marauders into the tunnels. In fact, if you asked, I'm sure the words would be along the lines of 'knew it would be something illegal, didn't know it would be something so horrible' which is not a lie, nor is it ignorance. It was the only way we could get him to do what he was supposed to.
"I watched the entire drama unfold before my own eyes, through censors in Remy's. It was masochistic. The monitors which kept track of his reactions went crazy, pushed to the limits trying to keep his mind in check. They couldn't take it, and little by little Remy gained more control. He was stepping too far, and Sabretooth was getting ready to let him know. A frenzy broke out amongst those controlling his actions. Half wanted to get Remy out of there, to have him run back and play stupid to Sinister. The others thought that that would look too suspicious. I thought that Remy should be able to make his own decision of what to do."
"So what did they all decided?"
"They didn't decided anything... Someone turned off the switch which Remy mind was connected to. And then Remy not only crossed Creed's line, but he ran over it and kicked dirt at it. Creed responded by cutting into him, but for Remy, that wasn't the most painful thing about the situation.
"He remembered nothing of his deal with S.H.E.I.L.D. and hated himself for what he had done. Some of the basic instructions and barriers that were placed in his mind were holding up, but some of them had fallen, causing him to be distorted and confused. He began to vomit violently, and his vision began to blur. His senses overwhelmed him, and he almost passed out.
"Then he noticed what was going on around him. He got to his feet, and went to try and save those he could."
"How?"
"I don't know. It was about that time that we were sent to retrieve him. We found him with a little girl named Sarah, whispering apologies. He wanted so much to find a way to make it up to her, but couldn't. He couldn't even figure out why he had done it, why he had been so blatantly stupid. We brought him back to the ship. While he was in custody, I watched over him. I began to feel like I was the only friend he had. I was determined to protect him, and told him that I always would. Subconsciously, I think he still remembers that. Shortly after, I lost all contact with him... Or at least that's what the report says.
"The truth is that he sought me out. Apparently, he had grown to trust me. He left me a note in my room along with the chest, it said 'For this I sold my soul. To protect it, I'd give my life. But I'm just not strong enough to make sure it stays safe. Keep it away from Sinister. Some day you'll know why. Don't let anyone know. In the wrong hands, it could be devistating. I'll come back some day.'
"But he never came back. I had assumed that he never found proper ways of protecting the box, but from his reaction today, I would say that he simply forgot that it had ever existed. His mind dropped any conflicting information, in order to make things more easy for him to comprehend.
"S.H.E.I.L.D. soon lost all interest in him, but I continued to keep tabs. When I learned that Essex had reentered his life, I knew that the only option that remained open to us was to pull him out of the way. You see, Essex is a better telepath than we ever gave him credit for. He knew all about our deal with Remy, and could sense the emotions and thoughts we inflicted in him. He didn't care, in fact he was rather thankful to us for all of this. Because of what we did, there is a part of Remy which will always want to obey Essex. It is a small enough part that Remy can control it, but it is strong enough that Remy can't attack Essex unless his own life is in danger."
"Why has Sinister only now entered his life?"
"That has something to do with the restrictions we placed in his mind. Remy had the potential to be the world's foremost telepath, but when we went into his mind, his X Factor was tampered with. Essex couldn't figure out how to get past that. Until now. One of the children that the X- Men saved gave Essex the knowledge he needed to bring out the gene, and get Remy back under his control."
"Are you saying that LeBeau is now a full fledged telepath, under Sinister's control?"
"No. He would have been, but the girl had a change of heart half way through the experiment, and discontinued it. There's no way to predict what effects the failed attempt have had. Which was the reason I gave for bringing him aboard."
"Do you know what is really in the vials?"
"No, but I can speculate." He didn't embellish.
"And the disk?"
Fury didn't respond, but instead picked up a remote from the almost empty table in front of him. He aimed it at a section of the wall and a panel slid back to reveal a screen. On the screen was, presumably, the information which had been on the disc.
Sturge blinked. "That's--"
"That's the cure for cancer. Stolen from Essex's files by Remy. And there's more. Hepatitis, Aids, bola, Meningitis, the list goes on. Viruses we haven't even discovered yet. Only one noted exception."
"And you think that's what's in the vial."
"Remy is many things. One thing he is not, is a geneticist smart enough to figure out these formulas, or anything similar to them. One thing he is, is the only living mutant to have completely recovered from Strand B: A mechanically enhanced version of the Legacy Virus, created by Essex, and used to destroy a little girl named Jean Archibuald."
"Sir?"
"The child that died in Remy's arms, the one from the picture. Remy kidnapped her from Essex. Then when he learned how ill she was, he went to work for him, in an attempt to save her, but she was too far gone, and the virus was merely spread from Jean to Remy."
"You think Sinister gave him the cure?"
Nick nodded. "Yes, but I'll admit that I have no idea what's in the second half. Go to Jennings, and report back to me as soon as he has the results. I'll be in Remy's room." She nodded and left. He then turned his attention to the only other thing that had been on the table with the remote. He picked up a large binder and tapped it thoughtfully on the table's surface, before heading out the door.
Brian lowered himself through the floor, and found his way back to Remy. Remy?
If the Cajun was startled by Brian's sudden voice, he didn't show it. He was laying on the bed with his hands folded behind his head, staring blankly at the ceiling. What did you find out? He replied without moving.
He was so still that Brian found it unnerving. A lot of things. Including what was on the disk, and what Fury thinks is in the vials.
Already know what's in de vials. What's on de disk?
Brian wondered exactly how much of what Fury had said that Remy remembered, but decided not to ask. Cures. Hundreds of cures to hundreds of illnesses. Fury was right. The X- Men would have given their lives to protect that disk. Especially if they knew what you went through to get it. he added silently to himself.
Remy's face drooped to a frown. He had been hoping that Fury was wrong, that the X- Men wouldn't have done anything for what was in the box. He just needed someone to be mad at. But the truth was that they would have given their lives a thousand fold to protect that disk, let alone the vials.
I know the cure to Strand B is in the first vial, so what's in the second?
I don' know.
Brian blinked. But you said you did...
An' I do... Sort of... He sighed, feeling the confusion in Brian's mind. It was de scorpion an' de grasshopper.
The what?
De scorpion an' de grasshopper. Like from Phantom of the Opera. You of all people should know 'bout dat, Phantom.
You mean at the end, when he tells Christine that she has to choose between him and Roul, by choosing between the scorpion and the grasshopper. I get that, but what does that have to do with you?
'rigionally, I went t' work for Sinister under de condition dat he give me somethin' dat would be powerful enough to defeat him if I ever had to. He never t'ought I'd ever go against him, so he agreed. Den when I got sick, I asked for de cure. After I completed de job, he gave me de duel vial. He tol' me dat I had t' choose between life under his command, an' death. If I took de cure, I'd be his forever, I took de wrong juice, I'd end up with whatever fate I had planned for him, an' if I did nothin', den I'd die.
And you obviously chose the cure...
Non. I didn'. But I didn' take de poison either. I just... Got better. Sinister 'sumes I took de cure, an' dat's why he hounds me, but I locked de vials up in dat chest an' never... Remy felt ill. He sat up and clenched his eyes tight. De box. Why didn' I remember dat b'fore...?
Brian paid close attention to Remy's reaction, and to his amazement, he could actually feel Remy's thoughts rearranging themselves to make better sense. After a few moments time, Remy seemed to clear his mind, but Brian couldn't feel anything on the surface about the memory of the chest. Then, changing the subject, Remy said What else?
What do you mean what else?
I asked what you learned, an' you said dat you had learned a lot. What else did you find out?
Brian frowned. He could understand why Fury was being so cryptic. He didn't know how much of a shock Remy's system could take, and exactly what it could filter out. Fury's on his way to explain as we speak. Brian replied.
Remy nodded and swallowed, laying back down. Don' feel so good.
You don't look so good. You need to get out of here.
How close are th'others?
Not close enough that I can get you out and then get to them without out being noticed, if that's what you're asking.
Fury came in the door. "Remy?"
"'M awake Fury. What do you wan'?" What if we meet half way? I c'n get out of here, an' meet you in de middle, after you get de others out.
"I suppose I deserve your anger."
"I s'pose you do," Remy agreed, without turning to look at him.
You sure you can do that?
"Remy, I didn't come here to fight with you. Like I said, there's a lot going on that I simply can't tell you."
"Den why did you come back an' ruin my nap?" I t'ink so.
Not the positive answer I was looking for.
"I can't tell you, because I don't know if you can handle it. But I can leave you with something that might help you remember for yourself." He placed the binder on the bed, and waited for Remy to pick it up.
Curiosity overwhelmed, and he picked up the binder. He thumbed through it, and found that it wasn't a binder, but an album. In it were pictures of children. All labeled with a name and number. Remy swallowed hard. "Dis is my writing... Dis is my book..." A picture of a little girl fell out and he picked it up. Then blankly he turned to the first page and replaced her where she belonged. Next to the name Jean Carley Archibuald. He had to hold back tears as he closed the cover of the book and brought it up to his chest. "How did you get dis?" He whispered.
"Remember that, and you'll have the truth you're looking for."
Remy? You okay?
... Fine.
Just then, there was a loud echo throughout the complex. A man in a S.H.E.I.L.D. uniform came through the door. "Sir, the fortress is under attack."
Go get de others.
Fury nodded to him, and went for the door. Slowly, so as not to arouse suspicion, Remy ripped the cover from the album.
What about you?
As the door was shutting, Remy threw the cover between it and the latch. It caught, and the door remained slightly opened.
I'm right behind you.
Okay, I've been planning this part ever since I began this story. I got the idea from the Wolverine/ Gambit mini series (Interesting plot, horrid art...) issue #2.
For anyone who doesn't have the book, I'll reiterate:
Mastermind: "LeBeau, you're every bit as charming as Fury said you'd be..."
Logan: "FURY?! Lady, you've got an awful lot of explainin' to do!"
Mastermind: "Martinique Jason. Interpol. (Looking at Gambit) Your friend, Nick Fury, wanted us to pluck you out of this C.I.D. mess. Give you a chance to breathe."
Logan: "How would Nick know --?"
*All - too - Convenient Gun Shots which break out the back window of the car.*
Gambit (Changing subject): More C.I.D. -- y'know Logan, dey're very good."
If this exchange has indeed been explained, could someone fill me in? (Side note, September 29, 1999: Hey, I just read Gambit 9 and 10! The vial and Fury... Apparently I'm on a Marvel wavelength!) And yes, I do know that she wasn't really from interpol, and Nick Fury didn't really send her there to help them, but she did get the idea from Gambit's mind, and there has to be something behind that.
Crimson.