Disclaimer: Any characters previously
mentioned in a DC comic, I do not own.
DC does. I’m not making money
off of this.
Note: Warning: Chapter contains adult
language.
One Step Forward, Two
Steps Back
Part Five
A night out on the town—a
successful one was a rare thing for the X-Men. Especially when they went out as
a group. Everyone was home that night and no one had any plans. So they decided
to make the most of a rare occasion and all went out for a nice dinner in the
city. Charles however, declined, claiming he had work to do in his office.
Dinner being done, the X-Men
were walking through the park, occupying themselves in various conversation
when the man came running up to them.
"Please! You have to
help me! They’re after me! Please!"
The short man had thrown
himself against Cyclops and was begging.
"Wait, who is after
you? What are you talking about?"
"You’re the X-Men
aren’t you? You have to help me they’re after me!"
"Sir, try and calm
down." Jean implored. "Who are you? Who is after you?"
"And what makes ya
think we’re the X-Men?" Wolverine asked.
"I—My name is
Jennings. I work for—use to work for Nathaniel Essex."
"Sinister!?"
Cyclops defensively took a step back from the man.
"I don’t work for him
any more! I can’t live with myself any longer-- working for that monster. But I
know too much… he’s sent the Marauders after me! They’re on my tail right now!
Please! You have to help me!"
"Well, well, well.
Looks like we get a bonus prize tonight."
The X-Men looked up and
Jennings ducked behind Cyclops.
As though out materializing
out of thin air, the Marauders gathered about fifteen feet in front of the
X-Men.
"Wonder what the
boss’ll give us for bringin’ in their heads?" Scalphunter continued.
"You’re holding
something that belongs to us." Vertigo said pointing to the cowering
Jennings.
"Enough talk. Let’s stomp
‘em all!" Riptide said rushing forward. The others followed suit and the
X-Men responded in kind.
There was a flash of color
and an explosion on the ground in between the two groups. It stopped them both
cold. A streak of movement and Remy LeBeau was standing where his card had
exploded.
"Ain’t no stompin’
goin’ on here tonight."
"Remy?" Storm
asked.
"What the hell you
doin’ LeBeau?" Scalphunter demanded.
"Yeah, you forget
you’re on our side now?" Arclight asked.
"What?!"
Remy narrowed his eyes at
Arclight, trying to avoid looking to his left where the X-Men were standing.
"Remy. What is going
on?"
Scrambler grinned like a
four-year-old with a secret. "Gambit, I’m surprised at you! You mean you
didn’t even tell your old friends you were going back to your even older
friends? Well, I guess you weren’t as close to them as you pretended to
be."
"Ain’t none of you
ever even close t’bein’ my friend."
"Remy…?" Ororo
stepped forward and put a hand on Gambit’s shoulder. This forced him for the
first time to turn and face his family… all of who were staring at him in
confusion and disbelief. "What are they talking about? This cannot be
true…"
Gambit said nothing, just
swallowed with difficulty. His eyes revealed the truth. Ororo removed her hand.
"Why?" She
said in almost a whisper.
Riptide snorted. "Take
a look in the mirror sweetheart."
Gambit whipped his head
around to glare at Riptide.
"What the hell are you
talkin’ about ya whacked out crack pot?" Wolverine demanded.
Storm was still looking at
Remy who had turned to look back at her. Her eyes were squinting in confusion--
then they widened as the realization hit.
She stepped back from him
slowly, shaking her head in disbelief.
"No… You… You could
not have…"
"Oh, he did, he
did."
The Marauders were
thoroughly amused at the discomfort this was causing everyone else. They were
on the verge of laughing aloud when Arclight spoke.
"Hey… where’d Jennings
go?"
"Shit! The
little rat ditched us."
"We loose him and the
Boss’ll cremate us."
Scalphunter and Arclight
were already after the fugitive.
"We’ll settle this
later X-Jerks!"
"You comin’
LeBeau?"
"What do you
t’ink?" Remy answered without looking at Riptide. He hadn’t stopped
looking at Ororo.
"Suit yourself. You
know the stakes." The remaining Marauders took off as quickly as they had
come.
"How—How come they
couldn’t see me?" Jennings asked, still behind Scott.
"I simply made them
think you weren’t here. Jean said quietly not looking from the Storm/Gambit
situation. "The Marauders aren’t exactly the most intelligent creatures on
the planet."
Storm continued with Remy.
"My remission…
Sinister…?"
Remy lowered his eyes.
"…How could you?
How could you do this, Remy?"
"What was I supposed
t’do?! Stand dere and watch you die? I couldn’ do dat Stormy!"
"So you made a deal
with the devil to save my life? You betrayed the X-Men for that?"
"Didn’ betray no one.
Sinister only want me back. Needed someone wit a brain t’run dat brood.
I ain’t told him nuthin’ ‘bout d’X-Men an’ I never would!"
"What did you
do?"
"I went to Sinister. I
ask him for a cure for d’Striker’s. Den I sneak back in d’mansion and give it
to you. I leave after dat."
"Do you realize what
Sinister must have done to come up with that cure? The man is a monster!
You had no right to what you did! And did you think I would just stand by and
let you give your life to that man? I would sooner kill myself
than…"
"Don’ say dat,
Stormy."
She shook her head. "I
cannot allow you to work for Sinister, Remy. I will not trade my life for yours.
What ever it takes…"
"Stormy…"
"No. You are an
X-Man. Your place is with us. I could not look myself in the mirror if I
allowed this."
"Stormy…"
"No…"
She turned and began to
walk away from everyone.
"Ororo wait!"
Bobby spoke up. "Since you already are cured, why doesn’t Remy just come
home. We win, and to hell with Gambit’s deal with Sinister."
"She ain’t
cured."
"But you just
said…" Kitty started.
"He tricked me. What
he made for Storm, it only freezes d’cancer in its place. You get pricked wit
amino and d’cancer start back up where it left off."
Ororo faced him. "And
this is how he is holding you. You remain with him and do his bidding or he
reverses his antidote?"
Remy nodded.
"Then let it be
reversed."
"Chere, you don’ know
what you’re sayin’…"
"I do. Better than you
know. My mind is made up." She looked at the others. "I know some of
you side with Remy—in your hearts if not vocally, but put yourself in my
position. Could you live knowing your every breath you owe to a monster; and
that the life of a team mate—a family member was the price of each
breath?" She shook her head. "No. This cannot be. I will not allow
it."
"…I can’t let you die
Stormy."
She walked back to Remy and
put her hands on the sides of his face. She shook her head in a set manor.
"It was never you
choice to make."
Then she walked away from
everyone.
* * * * *
"I don’ know what
t’do. I gotta do somethin’ but I don’ know what?"
Danielle LaRoche sat on her
couch watching her youngest son pace back and forth in her living room.
He had come to her a day
earlier and confessed his actions. Anger passed into understanding, and now
Remy was here again. The pain in his every movement was a knifes in her heart.
"I… I can’t do dis…?
How can I do dis? I can’t just stand dere and let her… and watch
her…"
That very evening in which
Remy had been discovered, Ororo demanded of Hank that her reverse Sinister’s
treatment. He refused at first using his doctor’s oath, never to do harm
as a shield. Ororo broke at this medical conscious stating that accepting
Sinister’s cure would be liken to accepting treatments developed in Nazi
Germany. And when it appeared he was not accepting that argument, she convinced
him of the fact that she was dead serious when she said she would not live that
way—one way or the other, she would not allow Sinister to be responsible for
her life. She implored him to set her back on the course she was intended to be
on—or she would find another way.
After much resignation and
argument, Hank forced himself to do as she asked. Twelve hours later Ororo’s
dizziness had returned, and the illness progressed from there.
It was nearly thirty-six
hours later and Remy had to get out of that house.
"Why she gotta be so
stubborn?!"
"Because she is a good
woman. A good person. And because she loves you."
Remy flopped down into a
chair next to the couch. "Grew up wit a lot a brothers. Lotta cousins. No
girls. Always wanted a sister, course I didn’ know I really had one. Den years
later I meet Stormy… She care ‘bout me like nobody ever done—‘cept maybe Henri.
She listen to me. She give me a kick when I need it. She understand me…She gave
me a home…" He shook his head. "An’ she never give up on me… So how
am I supposed ta give up on her?"
"Is that what
you think you’re doing? Giving up on Ororo? Remy… you must be the strongest man
on the planet. You walk around with the weight of the world on your shoulders
and you keep adding to it. Remy this happens. It just happens and you have to
accept it."
"No. Can’t do dat.
Gotta do somethin’."
"Do what? What are you
going to do?"
"…I don’ know. …But I
gotta… do somethin’! Anythin’!"
"Where is Ororo
now?"
"She was down in d’med
lab when I left. She could barely move on her own."
"Then why are you here?"
"…Can’t be dere."
Danielle sighed.
"Don’t you see Remy. That is what you can do for Ororo."
"What?"
"She needs you there
Remy. Now more than ever."
"She won’ let me help
her."
"You don’t want to
help her Remy. You want to help you. Ororo has accepted what is
happening to her. The only person you are fighting is you. You don’t want to
loose her. You can’t stand the idea of her not being there. If you really want
to help Ororo, you have to stop thinking about what you want and start thinking
about what Ororo wants. And right now, I’m certain there is nothing she wants more
than to have her best friend at her side."
Remy closed his eyes
fighting the warm feeling building up behind them.
"It’s a scary thing, I
know. When your father was in that accident… those last days… those last hours I
spent by his side were the hardest moments of my life. But I also know, those
moments meant more to him than anything else in this world."
Remy reached over and put
his hand on hers.
"Just be with
her Remy. That’s what she wants more than anything, I’m sure of it. That’s
how you can help her."
There was a painful shaking
growing inside of Remy. He suddenly felt very weary. Still, he forced himself
to stand. He leaned over and kissed Danielle on the cheek.
"I love you,
mere."
"I love you too."
She said holding his hand. "Remember Remy, if you need me, I’m only a
phone call and a quick cab ride away. You’re not alone in this."
He smiled weakly. "I
know."
He reached into his pocket
and pulled out a twenty. "Here." He said handing it to her. "Cab
fare. Jus’ in case… I might need t’take you up on dat offer."
To Be Continued…