X-Men Fan Fiction ❯ Origins ❯ Chapter 24 ( Chapter 24 )

Title:  Origins, ch 24
Author:  Jukebox
Pairing:  Logan/Remy, Remy/Logan
Feedback:  Always appreciated to jukebox_csi@yahoo.com
Rating:  NC-17

Archive:  If you think it's worthy, then absolutely!  Permission granted.  Just let me know where so my fragile ego will be stroked.  Also archived at my site (http://caprice.150m.com), Adultfanfiction, and Peja’s Wonderful World Of Make Believe, and on my livejournal (http://jukebox-csi.livejournal.com)

Disclaimers:  Doing this only for therapeutic value.  Not making any money off it.  All the familiar characters in this fic belong to Marvel & Stan Lee.  I'm broke, so sueing me would be like trying to squeeze blood from a turnip.

Notes:  This is an AU because empathy and spatial awareness are just too cool for Remy not to have.  I want to thank Loganberry for making this story so much more than I could have hoped for.

Summary:  An AU version of Remy's introduction and subsequent joining of the X-Men

Warnings:  I don't know French or Cajun French, so my apologies to people of those areas if I butchered the language in this fic.  If I put any in this fic, it came from online translators and La library archives.  Because this is an AU, some of the characters in this story may seem OOC.

Words between / / are thoughts or mental speak
Words between * * are flashbacks
Words between ~ ~ are lyrics to any songs that may be used in the fic

Ch 24

Another midnight raid on the X-men stocks to yield enough food for Kale and the others to last at least a week, found Remy in the pantry loading up a sack.  And though he was doing his very best to remain stealthy, he couldn’t help the bangs and crashes as he loaded up his bag; the whole room was cluttered with foodstuffs and it was obvious they had recently made a run to the local grocery.  As he stepped over two large sacks of something he suspected were flour, he shifted his weight too soon onto the leading foot and suddenly lost his balance as said foot landed on some kind of wheeled flatbed cart.  Arms flailing to the side, his back landed with a thud against the wall behind him and one hand fell flat against the flat button light switch.  To the opposite side of the switch, a panel that had been flush with the rest of the wall swung open revealing an inner hidden compartment. 

Remy froze and cocked his head to one side, straining to hear if his lapse in grace had alerted any team members to his presence.  Several tense minutes later, he gave a silent thanks for the thick insulation in which the professor had obviously invested in the pantry; most likely to keep the smell of food from tempting the two resident bloodhounds – Logan and Hank.  Straightening himself, Remy stared at the opening for a moment.  At first, he chided himself.  “How I not notice dat before?  Feh…some master t’ief I be.”  As he moved to stand in front of the compartment, his mouth fell open and soon all thoughts left his mind except one.  “Mon Dieu” he breathed.  It was the mother load.  There were chocolate bars, twinkies, lollipops, hard candies, and just about every kind of sweet treat Remy had ever seen.  A smile spread across his face as his thoughts turned to the Morlock children, and just how popular he would be tonight!

Over the months he had been staying at the mansion, Remy had learned a few tricks to packing supplies and food stuffs for his occasional motorcycle rides to the Morlock tunnels.  Ever vigilant, he had on one particular afternoon relieved one of the children of a back-pack that had been obviously discarded by the backdoor trash bins.  It was this very pack that he pulled from one of his duster pockets and unfolded to fill to capacity with as much sugar-filled treats as he could stuff within the fabric walls.  Once that was completed, he stepped back from the opening and pressed the light switch mechanism again; grinning as the panel closed and sealed flush with the wall.  He hoped it might be days before they realized some of their secret stash was missing.   With a little luck they would think some of the team members had indulged themselves.  After all, that blue bulk of a doctor and the popsicle kid had been very vocal about their sweet teeth on more than one occasion.  Back-pack secured over both shoulders, he grabbed the bag of non-perishable items he had packed earlier and headed for the garage with his bounty firmly in hand.

The ride to the city was uneventful, though more than once Remy caught himself glancing in the side mirror for something.  Hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, giving him the feeling he was being followed, but nothing ever appeared in his rear view.  Remy frowned as he turned down the alley and brought the bike to rest.  Removing the helmet, he twisted in his seat and waited a few minutes with eyes scanning the entrance to the alley.  Tentatively, he reached out with his powers to see if someone was there, but immediately pulled back as too many feelings from various humans in the area assaulted him at once.  There was too much emotional static, too much interference to lock onto any one source, and it was giving him a headache to even try.  Nothing but a soft sigh escaped him as he dismounted and rubbed unconsciously at his temple.  He wasn’t sure how much more he could take, how much longer he would be able to successfully block the onslaught of other’s feelings.  /Not dat I be effectively blocking dem now/ he noted sourly as he recalled his earlier lapse of control with Rogue.  And yet, there was nothing he could do about it until the assignment was completed.  It felt like he was drowning, the darkness of insanity closing in on his mind with no safety net in place.  But he wouldn’t go down without a fight, he just needed to work harder on his shields.  And though being around the underground dwellers for any length of time would be as draining on him as being around the X-men, the innocent and harmless feelings that flowed from the children was always a welcome reprieve.  Firm resolve in place, he flexed the muscles in his jaw and steeled himself as he entered the tunnels. 

The smell and overwhelming darkness of the tunnels always took a minute of adjustment.  Despite his enhanced night vision, even his light sensitive eyes could not always penetrate the veil of black; reducing his vision to not more than a few inches in front of him.  With practiced ease, he whipped out a comforting card and held it between the bared skin of his thumb and forefinger where the portions of his glove had been cut away, bringing a glow to the surrounding area that allowed him to walk safely; overstepping pools of tainted water in his path.  He absolutely refused to touch the slime encrusted walls, even with his glove covered fingers.  At an intersection of two opposing tunnels, he paused.  The skin on the back of his neck prickled, making him feel as if he were being watched.  Remy didn’t bother turning to see.  Even with keen eyesight, there was no way he would be able to penetrate the deep shadows beyond the edge of the artificially cast light of his glowing card. 

Logan had been trailing the boy, always keeping out of sight and needing no light to help him find his way.  But he halted in his step when he saw the light from the boy ahead of him stop bobbing, a sure sign that the body holding the light was no longer moving.  He knew the kid had sensitive eyes that allowed him to see in the dark much better than most humans, but he wasn’t sure if the Cajun could see him in the cloaking shadows of the tunnels.  Logan willed the other man not to turn his way and held his breath. 

Remy strained to listen for any out of place noises, but all he could hear was the trickling of the water as it dripped to the floor and the dull drumming of his heart in his ears.  Periodically, there were the faint squeaks and scrapping of rodents making their way along piping and narrow ledges.  Tentatively, he lowered his shields and let himself simply feel.  Logan stood frozen in wait when he felt something nudging at the fringes of his awareness.  It wasn’t the harsh feel of telepathy; that usually felt like icy cold fingers stroking and squeezing, prodding and poking the warm mass of his mind, leaving a freezing shock to every point touched.  This, however, felt different, like warm moist breath blown softly across the surface of skin, tickling the tiny hairs at the nape of his neck.  Whatever talent the boy was using on him, Logan’s mind felt like it was being wrapped gently in downy soft cotton.  As soon as he noticed the touch, however, it was gone and Logan could only hope that his shields had provided some sort of cover from detection. 

Remy pulled back, tightening his hold on his powers as his lips thinned and his brow furrowed in a tight little frown.  So, the feral had followed him.  There was nothing he could do now.  He was committed to the path he had already started, and though he hadn’t wanted to share this particular secret with any one for fear of endangering the clan, somehow he didn’t feel angry at the older man’s imminent discovery.  Instead, it seemed a relief that it was one less secret he kept from his lover.  As the tension bled out of his body with that realization, he continued forward, never looking back or acknowledging the feral’s presence.  Logan smirked as he watched the glowing card begin to bob again, indicating the Cajun’s movements, and he slowly released the breath he had been holding assuming that he had not been discovered.

No sooner had Remy made it to the main cavern than he was assaulted from all sides by the very children he sought.  “REMY! REMY!” many of them laughed and screamed in unison as they tackled him in their excitement. 

“Where you been?”

“We missed you.”

“Why’re you wearing a purse on your back?”

“What’s that in your hand?”

“Make something else glow Remy!”

“Come see the drawing I made.”

“Can I have this pack of cards?”

“These glasses are cool!”

“Take us for a ride Remy, pleeeeeeeaaaaassssseee”

“What you bring us?”

The questions came back-to-back as little hands dove into his pockets.  Remy chuckled and slipped the backpack from his shoulders, letting it land with a thud at his feet as he pulled back the ties.  “I brought y’all a special treat.  Mas first, y’all been good for your folks?”

Several mops of hair nodded together as they stared down at the bag with wide, anticipating eyes.  Remy smiled warmly, soaking up the excitement and general giddiness of the kids before dumping the contents of the bag on the floor.  It was balm on his tortured mind, lifting him from a depression that had been steadily building since earlier in the day.  His smile grew even wider as he heard the collective gasp right before all of the kids yelled “CANDY!!!!!!” and dived into the pile.

Looking around as the children snatched and grabbed an assortment of goodies, Remy’s smile slipped a little as he noticed someone missing.  He picked up a few pieces of chocolate candy, slipping them in his pocket before they were taken, and then asked one of the kids where Krystal was.  “She’s hidin’ cause she did sumd’ing bad.” The child responded before turning his attention back to the pile.  The smile gone now and frown in place, Remy stepped around the group and headed towards the back of the small complex, looking for Kale and Rosa.

*****

Kale looked up from where he sat hugging his wife, sad eyes lighting only slightly at the appearance of his friend.  “Ah Remy!  We didn’t know you were coming tonight or we would have prepared something for you to eat.”  He started to stand but Remy’s hand halted him.

“Non, Kale, t’anks.  I already ate.  Mas, I brought some more food for de clan.”  Remy laid the full bag on the floor beside the cloth covered entrance to their small makeshift dwelling and glanced around.  “Where Krystal at?  Brought some candy for de lil’ uns.”

It was this question that finally made Rosa look up at the Cajun, her eyes puffy and red from the crying she had obviously been doing.  Her traumatic emotions were strong and sliced through Remy like razor ribbon, bringing back the darkness that had been driven away only moments earlier.  “Oh Remy, nuestra niña……nuestra niña” she cried, burying her head back in her husband’s chest. 

Alarmed, Remy turned his attention to his friend.  “Quoi ça dit, bougre?”  When Kale only stared at him confused, he realized he had reverted to Cajun French.  “What’s going on?  Where Krystal at?”

Kale was whispering encouragement to his wife, stroking her hair and back, but turned to Remy once again, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears over his distraught wife and child.  “Krystal, she’s gone to her special spot on the roof and doesn’t want anyone around her.  I tried to talk to her, but she was too upset and told me to leave her alone.  I thought it best to give her some time alone while I attended to the clan’s needs.”  He pointedly looked at the top of his wife’s head before turning back toward the Cajun.  “One of the other adults is watching her from the shadows just inside the doorway to make sure she stays safe.”   

There was a plea in his eyes for understanding and help, but Remy was still lost on exactly what the problem was.  Gritting his teeth, he asked his question again.  “Tell me what happened, Kale.”

Kale sighed as he continued to rub his wife’s back, her sobs a muffled noise in the background.  “Krystal came into her powers.”  Remy waited patiently, willing the man to continue before he shook the answers from his friend in exasperation.  “She found this puppy in the tunnels.  I told her we couldn’t keep it, couldn’t afford to feed it.  But, all the kids were so excited when they found out and she was giving me those soulful eyes.  You know the ones I’m talking about, right?”  Kale smiled slightly at the tall young man in front of him, watching as Remy snorted softly in agreement.  “Yes, well, I couldn’t make her get rid of him, so I let the puppy stay.  But, earlier, she was playing with the dog…..she named it Remy by the way.”  Remy blinked.  He didn’t know whether to be flattered or insulted at having his name associated with a dog.  “She had her hands around its head, scratching its ears, when all the sudden her powers kicked in.”  Kale looked sadly at Remy again, tears beginning to fall now.  “She’s a morpher, Remy.”

Remy’s brows drew together.  “A…what?”

“A morpher.  A changling, like me.  Only it looks like her power to shape shift comes from touching.  Unlike me, she mimics living things.”  His lips thinned.  “And that change comes from drawing the life force of the thing she’s touching.”  Kale turned his eyes to the floor.  “I managed to get her to let go of the puppy before she completely changed.  But we’re not sure the shift isn’t permanent because those parts of her that did change to the puppy’s form haven’t changed back.”

Remy slowly closed his eyes.  This was bad.  As old as she had been without coming into her powers, he had hoped that she would be spared from anything form altering that might prevent her from living above ground.  “And…and de puppy?”

Kale simply looked at Remy a moment before shaking his head and placing a kiss on his wife’s head at her renewed bout of crying.  The Cajun let out a deep, shuddering breath and lowered his head.  “Ok.  I’ll talk to her.”

Kale reached out and grabbed Remy’s arm as the young man turned to leave.  “You heard me?  When I said her power’s activated by touch?”  The fall of auburn hair hid the Cajun’s expression, but he didn’t answer the Morlock leader.  “Remy….my baby…she may never be able to touch another person ever again.”  Kale choked on a sob at the thought of never being able to hold his baby girl in his arms, kiss her cheek when tucking her in bed at night. 

The pain was overwhelming, bringing tears to Remy’s own eyes.  “Oui, Kale.  Remy be careful, non?”  He struggled a smile in place for his friend, and then turned to leave them in their anguish .

He made his way back through the makeshift township, ignored for the most part by the other members of the clan as they worked to round up the morass of children on a sugar high.  He was grateful to make his way back down the tunnels away from the overload of extreme emotions.  He had come here to lighten his spirits, but the joy of the children warred with the anguish of two parents, and the polar opposite feelings threatened to rip him apart.  It was only as he neared the access hatch back to the alley that he realized Logan had not been waiting in the tunnels.  Possibly the man was already topside, hiding in the shadows to continue spying.  But at the moment, Remy couldn’t be bothered.  He had a child to find.

Emerging from the tunnels was always a relief despite the sour stench of the alley.  How the clan survived in the stale air of the tunnels was beyond Remy.  The building on the left side of the alley rose up seven stories - a dilapidated, abandoned and condemned piece of brick and mortar that had seen better days.  Hands on hips, Remy stared up towards the roof, eyeing the fire escape stairway with interest, debating for a moment whether to simply take the stairs within the building itself.  Iron steps had rusted and broken away in places, leaving large gaping holes that dared the nimblest of acrobats to traverse them.  With a smirk and a slight adrenaline rush, Remy took that dare and made the climb.  It was nothing for him to leap several feet to the ladder, or flip from a handstand from one step to the landing high above, crossing over wide open spaces where metal had broken off.  The stairs made a grinding sound, periodically grating and groaning in protest of holding weight for the first time in so many years.  All too quickly and without breaking a sweat, he reached the top, slipping over the ledge and heaving a satisfied sigh as he turned his attention to the little figure in the far corner of the roof.  The exercise had eased and calmed him from the plethora of negative emotions that had enveloped him within the clan’s living quarters and it placed him in a better mindset to cheer up the sweet little girl that was his favorite of the Morlock children.   

With cat-like stealth he approached to within a few feet of her, trying to see what changes had been made to her little body before alerting her to his presence.  Her hair was caught up into two ponytails, one on each side of her head.  With her haired pulled into bands, he could immediately see the beginnings of fur at the nape of her neck.  Closing his eyes, he let himself feel her and nearly staggered from the onslaught of sadness and depression radiating from the child.  He also noted the feral’s confusion somewhere behind him, but he couldn’t deal with the man at this moment.  Steeling himself, he gently called out to her.

“Krystal?”

The gasp was almost not contained in his throat as he fought to keep it trapped within, making sure that his face was carefully neutral as his eyes took in the sight of her.  The ear on her right side as she turned to face him flopped and slapped against the side of her head.  It was wide and bent forward, blunted around the edge with soft golden fur.  Her nose did not protrude into a snout, but was obviously headed for that shape.  It was black and wet, triangular shaped with whiskers coming out both sides.  Her left eye was a different color than her right and there were tufts of golden fur at the front of her neck as well.  When she opened her mouth in surprise, Remy could see two canine teeth in her upper row.  Obviously the puppy had been a type of retriever mix breed.  The ache in his tight chest intensified at the forlorn look in her eyes; the streaming tears.  “Hey, padnat.”  It was all he could think to say.

“Remy!” she wailed before launching herself at him.  As she was about to embrace him, though, she stopped and let her arms fall limply to her sides, her head bowing.  “Remy.” She sobbed pitifully and returned to the ledge she had previously occupied.

Chewing his bottom lip, Remy took a moment to breathe before joining her, sitting next to her with his legs dangling over the edge.  “Whatcha doin’ up here all alone, petit?  Y’know your parents be a bit worried.”

Krystal sniffed and brought the back of what Remy could see as a half formed paw with a human pinky and thumb to wipe her eye.  “I killed Remy.”

Gambit grimaced at her phrasing, still unsure about sharing his name with a dog.  “I know, chere.  It weren’t your fault.”

“But if I haddin’t a touched him, he wouldn’t be dead.” She sobbed.

“Mebbe.  Mebbe non.”  Remy stared up at the night sky, seeing a few stars overhead.  He understood why she loved this spot.  This area of the city tended to be darker at night, lacking the bustling and glowing neon lights seen in more populated and prosperous parts.  The building, though condemned, was one of the taller structures around and it made the heavens above stand out more.  “Mas, you didn’t do it on purpose.  And, I s’pose dat puppy was mighty happy you loved him, neh?”  He turned his head and looked down at her tearful, swollen eyes and smiled.  “You done a good t’ing, givin’ him happiness and a home when he had none.”  Wistful ruby orbs turned their gaze back towards the sky.  “Everyone wants someone to love dem.”

“But, how can I love anyone again?”  She sniffled again.  “I can’t touch nothing no more.”

“Ah belle.  Dere more to lovin’ dan touch.  ‘sides, who say you can’t touch no more?”  Mindful of his discovery earlier in the day with a mutant with similar powers, he slowly leaned down and tenderly kissed her forehead, lips lingering to make her gasp and flinch at the contact.  When nothing happened, she stared at him in awe as he pulled back and gave her a lop-sided grin.  A shaky paw hand reached up and cupped his cheek, soulful round eyes widening the longer her hand remained.  “How?” she whispered.

There was a slight shrug from the Cajun, more a lifting of one shoulder that broke the contact as he turned again to watch the stars.  “Dunno.  Guess it have somet’ing to do wit’ my powers.”  From the corner of his eye, he watched her lower the deformed appendage and stare at it.  He couldn’t resist throwing his arm across her shoulder and pulling her against his side.  “You can still touch, petit.  Just hafta be more careful ‘bout it, non?  Not everyone got powers like Remy.” 

Krystal sniffled and leaned into the embrace, turning her gaze to the sky above as well.  “Yeh.  Daddy said when I grow up, maybe I can control it so I don’t hurt no one else.”  The fingers on her normal hand absently stroked the patches of fur that had formed on the back of the other during the transformation when she suddenly gasped.  “Look!  A shooting star!  Daddy says you can make a wish when you see one and it’ll come true.  But I don’t believe that no more.”

Remy stroked one of her ponytails as he watched the light zip across the sky as fast as a blink of the eye.  “Lemme tell you a story, petit’.  Once upon a time, dere was dis man who made a boy doll out o’ wood.  He was a good man but he was so lonely, so one night dis fairy come along and she gave de little wood boy life.”

“That’s silly, Remy.” Krystal snorted.

“Hush girl.  Remy tryin’ to tell a story.  Now, de little wood boy – he dance around and make de ol’ man so happy.  Called de man his poppa.  Now, more dan anyt’ing, de little wood boy wanted to be normal, like a real boy. But, he was always gettin’ inta trouble, causin’ problems for his ol’ man.”  Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Krystal became engrossed in the tale.  Remy struggled to recall all the details of the story, and outright made up some parts as he told it.  “So anyways, when he was at his saddest, he had dis little cricket friend.”  He turned towards the girl with a lop-sided grin.  “His name was Johnny.  Johnny de cricket.” 

From his spot in the shadow of the roof access, Logan smirked as he listened to the boy tell the story wrong and misname the characters.  But it didn’t matter, it was obvious the girl didn’t know the story of Pinocchio anyway; thinking the story was some fantastic tale her sweet Remy made up for her instead.  He resisted the urge to shift his weight and interrupt their conversation as he continued to listen to the melodic voice of the boy.  The words flowed from the Cajun’s mouth, easing over both of them and soothing them like a warm bath as muscles relaxed under the hypnotic tones.  He recognized the same talent he had felt in the tunnels and marveled at the calming effect it seemed to be having over the child as well as himself.  “…..and dat’s when de little cricket told de boy ‘bout wishing on a star.”

“What he say?” Krystal asked in wide-eyed curiosity.

Remy stared up at the point where the shooting star disappeared and smiled.  “He say dat when you wish on a star, no matter who you are, anyt’ing your heart wants will come true.”  He leaned his cheek to rest on the top of her head.  “And you know what happened den?  De little wood doll wished on de star and he was turned into a real boy and lived happy ever after wit’ his poppa.”

Krystal turned tear-stained cheeks and an odd grin towards those ruby orbs above her.  “That was great!  How come you always know so many stories?”

Remy’s smile faded slightly as he turned away from her, back to the heavens above.  “When Remy was a chil’, he meet lots of adult…friends dat sometimes let Remy spend de night.  If Remy real good, dey let Remy stay up by his self and watch de TV after dey go to sleep.”  He paused for a moment, letting memories wash over him and fade away before turning back to the girl by his side.  “Like to watch de cartoons, me.  Always wished I was part of de show, like a prince or somet’ing.” 

“Did you ever wish you was normal Remy?”  Her dark brown curls swung gently around her face as she canted her head to look up at him with complete sincerity in her eyes.

The Cajun stared at her for a few moments, then sighed.  “Sometimes, petit.”  He leaned down to kiss her forehead.  “….somtimes.”  Sitting up straight, he gave her a charming, true smile.  “Now, you better go an’ find your pere.  He was mighty worried ‘bout you, padnat.  Besides, de candy man done left a present for you.”  With a gleam of excitement in her eyes, she reached up to kiss him on the cheek before hopping up from her perch and skipping towards the inner stairwell, her heart lighter than when she had first come up to her hiding spot. 

Logan’s heart ached for the little girl as well as the Cajun that held her tight.  He listened as Remy told her a modified version of his life as a child, closing his eyes as his own imagination ran wild.   He was startled from his musings by the sound of Remy’s voice calling him.

“I know you dere.”  Remy called out to the shadows behind him, his gaze still drawn to the stars above.  Logan slinked from his hiding place and sidled up to the Cajun, turning his back to the ledge in order to lean against it.  Remy didn’t look at him.  “Why?”

“Scott ordered me to.”  Logan shrugged.  “He has some trust issues.”  He turned to the Cajun and smirked.  “Stealing food from the pantry ain’t helping your case, bub.”

Remy chuckled softly.  “And what ‘bout you, Logan?  You got trust issues too?”

The feral folded his arms across his chest, crossing his ankles as he balanced on the edge.  “Nah, I was just curious.”  He glanced sidelong at the boy before he sighed and shifted his eyes to the door leading back inside the building.  “I think maybe I trust a little too easy.  I take people at face value for the most part, trust in my senses to tell me when a person’s lying.”

Remy arched a brow as he turned his head to look at the older man.  “Your senses?  You can smell when someone’s lying?” 

Logan snorted.  “Hell no.  It don’t work that way, Cajun.  Honesty or lying – those are intangible things.  Kinda like love an’ hate.  Can’t smell an emotion.”  He lifted his hand to rub at his chin as he continued explaining.  “But a body usually has some kinda physical reaction to them characteristics that a mutant with enhanced senses like me can pick up on.  Like…like elevated breathing, or sweat.  Sometimes it can be smelled.  Sometimes it can be heard.  And sometimes, it’s a very slight physical sign that can be seen.  Over time, ya start puttin’ emotions or feelin’s to these body reactions an’ get pretty good at figurin’ out what’s going on with someone.”

A bark of laughter flew from Remy’s mouth as he threw his head back, startling the older man.  “So, your telling me dat…dat…you just guessing?”  The twinkle of amusement in his eye made Logan grin at the boy.

“Yeh, I guess I am.”  He chortled.   After a few moments, their laughter quieted and Logan grew serious.  “So, now ya know one o’ my secrets.”

“And you know one of mine.” Remy replied, trying to head off any speculation on Logan’s part regarding the need to share any more.    

All was quiet between them for a while as wind blew gently through their hair, lifting and running through the strands like fingers.  Logan stared at the doorway where the little girl had disappeared while Remy gazed out over the city skyline.  The feral shifted on his perch and cleared his throat.  “She gonna be alright?”

He heard the sigh come from the boy beside him.  “I t’ink.  She’s strong.”

Logan cast a sideways glance at the Cajun.  “I heard ya talking to her.  She’s gotta power like Rogue.  That’s gonna be hard on her.”

Auburn hair fell forward, hiding his eyes as Remy lowered his head.  “Oui.  Mas, de Morlocks will help her.  Dey protective of deir own.”

“That what those mutants in the sewer are called?  Morlocks?”  At the nod he received, he turned his Prussian blue eyes back to the stairway entrance to the building.  “They yer family, Remy?”

“Non,” he whispered, the word nearly lost on the breeze blowing around them across the roof of the building.  “Kale likes to t’ink I’m one of dem, wants me to be part of de clan…” A self-deprecating smile in place, he turned to face the older man.  “…Mas, even among dem, Remy’s ‘Le Diable Blanc’.  Superstition run strong ‘bout humans wit’ red eyes.”  He shrugged and turned away again.  “I care for dem, some more dan ot’ers.  Bring dem food and supplies.”  Shoulder’s hunched as Remy seemed to fold in on himself when he asked the next question.  “You gon’ tell de Professor or Scott?”

“Nah,” Logan answered, firm resolve in his voice as he thought about the need to start breaking the boy of his third party speech habit.  “I’ll let Chuck know the food’s going to a good cause and he’ll be happy with that.  One eye can just kiss my ass.”  The unexpected statement had Remy laughing so hard he had to grab the edge of the building to keep from falling over the ledge.  Smiling now that the boy seemed in better spirits, Logan pushed himself up and looked down at the boy.  “C’mon, let’s get back to the mansion before we’re stuck with early morning monitor duty.”

Remy waved him off.  “Non, you go on ahead.  I’m gonna visit wit’ de lil’uns a bit more.”

“Suit yerself.” Logan replied and left the Cajun as quietly as he had come.  Remy stayed on the roof for a while, giving the feral plenty of time to leave the area before he made his way back to the bike and drove in a different direction, looking for a public payphone that hadn’t yet been vandalized.  It wasn’t necessary to return to the sewers to bid the clan farewell.  Kale and Rosa knew him too well and the discomfort he felt when around the other adults in the clan.  Noting the time as he pulled up to a booth, Remy dialed the number and waited for his boss to answer.  When the other end of the line connected, there were no initial pleasantries.

“I trust you are calling with some good news for me?” the smooth baritone filtered through the earpiece, sending a shiver down Remy’s spine.

“Non.  Mas, I’m close.” He rushed to get out.  “De files are buried deep and encrypted.  It taking longer dan I t’ought and dey don’ leave me alone long enough to get all de way in.”

“And here I thought you were supposed to be a master thief.” Remy bristled at the insult but held his tongue as Magneto continued.  “Very well.  If a distraction is what you need to give you time to hack the system, then a distraction is what you’ll have.  Be ready.”  With that, the connection was severed, leaving only the hum of the dial-tone in his ear.  Remy slammed the handset back into the cradle and clenched his jaw, before straddling his bike and heading back to the mansion.

He had a bad feeling that things were about to turn sour. 

<><><><><><> 

Translation:

Quoi ça dit, bougre – what’s happening, buddy?

nuestra niña – our little girl

***********

on to part 25

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