X-Men Fan Fiction ❯ The Camping Trip ❯ Ch 15 ( Chapter 15 )

See disclaimers in ch 1

Words between ~ ~ are thoughts or mental speak

CH 15

Remy was apprehensive when he stepped outside the cave, apprehensive and nervous to be exact.  These feelings were not new for him.  He always felt that way before heading into battle.  Problem was, he usually had a figurative mask to put in place to hide his feelings, and used that mask to hone his fighting ability to his advantage.  This time was different.  The exhaustion and illness of his body made erecting and maintaining a shield impossible.  No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't rein those feelings in.  He knew it had much to do with the loss of his shields and he cursed himself again for his failings.  Without his shields, he would be slammed by the emotions of the soldiers out here.  And with the unpredictable control, or lack thereof, that he tended to have over his empathy, the feelings would flow back stronger to the soldiers, stoking their hatred to burn even hotter.  He really was a pathetic waste of skin.  Perhaps Warren and Rogue had been right all along?

No.  He couldn't think that way.  Now was not the time for self-loathing.  It would surely get him killed.  Worse yet, it would get his lover killed.  And that was unacceptable.  He just needed to make sure he didn't lose control of the situation.

Remy moved quickly towards the forest edge.  The bloodlust pouring off the soldiers radiated through his body, getting stronger with each step he took.  He gritted his teeth against the onslaught as he neared the group of men, steadily formulating his attack plan as he moved.  By his estimates, Remy could taste eight different personalities, a far cry from the number that originally attacked Logan and him.  On a good day, he would have no problem taking them all on at once.  But, this was not a good day.  The rain was still falling, his body was barely responding to him, and he was limited on items to charge.  So, the best plan at this point, was to rely heavily on his stealth skills and sneak around the group to take them out one at a time while leading them away from the cave.

Crouching behind a large tree, he shifted slightly to get a better look at the group.  They were well armed and prepared for the elements in their slicker suits, but none sported tranquilizer darts this trip.  It was obvious they were no longer interested in capturing them.  Their emotions indicated they were out for blood.  It made him wonder if this bunch were still following orders.  It didn't make sense that the military would go to the efforts of trying to capture Weapon X previously, to the point of developing a drug that specifically counteracted his healing factor, only to change gears and order termination.  This team had to be a splinter group, broken off from the main troupe, with a mission of its own.  It only meant these men were more dangerous to deal with because they had nothing left to lose, given their obvious defiance of their orders. 

Remy strained to listen above the sounds of the rainfall as he watched the one in charge issue orders.  "Alright men, those freaks are around here somewhere.  I've got a good feeling about this spot."  The commander smiled as he held up a playing card. 

~ Merde ~ Remy inwardly cursed when he saw the card held up.  He must have lost it during one of his trips back and forth to the river.  Stupid.

The leader of the group was an older man with grey hair and a hard face set in stone.  A fresh scar ran down his right cheek from the edge of his receding hairline to the bridge of his nose.  Remy speculated that he probably caused that during the explosion a few days back, the only plausible explanation for the sheer hatred and desire for revenge pouring off the man.  The leader glanced down at some device in his hand, a slight smirk appearing on his face for a moment, before looking back up at his men.  He motioned to two of the soldiers, giving them some sort of hand signals, and they moved off into the woods opposite Remy.  With more hand signals directed at the soldiers in front of him, another pair of men moved off ahead of the team.  Finally, a pair of men disappeared into the woods behind their leader, leaving just the man in charge and one other soldier.  An uneasy feeling descended on Remy as his sense of the soldiers was stretched in three directions.  The rain falling down didn't allow for his vision to scan too far in front of him, but he dared not move any closer.

Remy reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a few stones.  With the troupe split into four teams of two, he might stand a better chance of taking them out, starting with the leader.  He shifted all his attention on the two men in front of him, as he started charging a rock.  He raised his arm back, concentrating on the forms in front of him, and prepared to release when suddenly he froze.  There was no mistaking the cold barrel of the gun pressing against his temple.

"Throw that rock and it'll be the last thing you ever do, boy."  The soldier all but snarled, the words dripping with venom.

~ Damn ~ Remy closed his eyes.  He had been so focused on the leader that his senses had failed to detect the men that snuck up on him.  Before he could even react, two more soldiers came up behind the first two and grabbed him by the arms, hurling him forward toward the leader of the group.  They shoved him down to his knees in front of the man, maintaining a tight grip on each arm.

"Well, well, well.  What have we here?"  The leader looked at Remy with complete disdain.  Moving over to stand in front of him, the gray haired man brought the device forward to show the devil-eyed captive.  "Thought you'd get away from us, did you?  This little baby has been specially designed to seek you mutants out.  It's only good for short distances, unfortunately.  But, of course, you were so kind to come within range."  Scar face smiled evilly. 

Clasping his hands behind him, he moved back and forth in front of Gambit in a pace-like manner.  "Where is Weapon X?"

Gambit didn't say a word, his face impassive as he looked straight in front of him, rain running down his face.  The slap rocked his head to the side, stinging in its intensity.  "I won't ask you again."

Blood started trickling from his nose, and a pink tongue darted out to lap at it as Remy slowly turned back to face his attacker.  "Embrasse mon tcheue"

Scar face grabbed a handful of Remy's hair and jerked his head back painfully.  He moved his face such that his lips almost touched Gambit's, the stench of his breath filling the Cajun's nostrils and the rain dripping onto his face from the edges of the man's hood.  "No, boy.  I think it is my ass you will be kissing before we're done."  Gambit's eyes widened slightly and the old man chuckled.  "Yes.  I make it a point to learn everything about my enemies, even that guttural perversion of French that you bayou trash prefer." 

Shifting his other hand to Remy's neck to stroke it, and tilting Remy's head back further, the old man laid his cheek against Gambit's so that his mouth was right next to the boy's ear.  "I know what you two have been about.  I saw the evidence at your campsite a few days back."  Pulling back, he dragged a tongue along the side of Remy's face before stepping back.  "Maybe you'd like to play with us too, since you swing that way."

Shivering from both the cold wetness of his drenched clothes and the implications of the older man's words, Remy's face contorted in disgust as the serpent-like appendage slimed his face.  He could feel the excitement of the men around him, feel their bloodlust building and turning to something else - plain lust.  He had to remain calm despite the fear that was building.  To lose his calm was to feed their excitement.  He turned to glare at the scarred man before donning his usual cocky expression.  "Non, homme, you ain't my type.  I prefer real men.  Y'all don't even come close."

With a snarl, the old man back-handed Gambit, then kneed him in the chest.  Again grasping the Cajun's hair to tilt his head up, he ran a thumb roughly over Remy's lips.  "I can see what Weapon X sees in you, pretty boy.  Such spirit.  I'm going to enjoy breaking you."  He gestured to the men holding each arm. 

"Take him down a notch."

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