"Scott's plan is working perfectly, Corsair."
"So it seems," the Starjammers' captain responded softly. With the ship
cloaked for hours, Corsair kept a silent vigil on the view scream, hoping
Scott and the small band of X-Men could complete their mission without
incident. As he continued to stare at the screen, the only thing he could
visualize was the madman only known to him as Sinister.
What little Scott had told him of the scientist hadn't relieved any of
his doubts regarding the mission. It was bad enough the son he had never
known was in the clutches of this madman, but now to place his eldest son
into the same jeopardy seemed beyond insane.
Corsair had been against the mission from the beginning but had been over
ruled by the others. Now all he could do was sit and wait until something
happened or Scott radioed to say the mission had been successful.
He glanced at his watch and realized time was quickly approaching for the
rendezvous. A smile formed across his lips; soon he'll face Sinister
himself and rid his family of the evil that had nearly destroyed them all.
"It has almost been two hours, are you ready?" Ch'od
asked. With the approval of his captain, Ch'od yelled to the others.
"Starjammers, it's time."
_____________
The first thing Scott noticed when he regained consciousness was the
strangeness of his surroundings and a nagging sore shoulder. Believing he
must have hit it when he fell, Scott moved the joint in a circular motion
until the stiffness eased. Looking around, he realized that he and the
others were now prisoners, locked inside a large cell that kept them secured
by bars giving off an eerie bluish glow.
He looked around the cell, knowing as long as the force field was
activated, their powers were null.
Hearing moaning noises, Scott turned his attention to his friends.
"Everyone all right?" He called out as the group began to stir.
"Anyone get the name of the truck that hit me?" Bobby asked as he slowly
got to his feet. "It had to be a land rover."
Rogue and Angel both slowly stood up as Bishop moaned before opening his
eyes.
"Somebody's gonna pay fer this," Wolverine growled as he looked around
his new surroundings. The Canadian almost grabbed the iron bars but instead
backed up a step. "Show yerself, Sinister. I know yer there. I smell ya."
"Logan," The scientist answered, emerging from a darkened corner.
Sinister stopped inches from the cell, making sure he stayed out of
Wolverine's reach. "It has been a long time since we last met."
"Ya wanna come a little closer and I'll show ya just how much I missed ya,"
Wolverine said, glaring at the scientist. "Ya've messed with the X-Men fer
the last time."
"You are mistaken, Logan." Essex smiled with certainty. "It is you and
the X-Men who have interfered, not the other way around."
"Cut tha' bull, Sinister, ya know this ain't no damn reunion," Rogue
said, joining Wolverine by the glowing bars. "Ya can save us all a lotta
ear strain an' just tell us where ya have Remy."
"Don't you know, Rogue?" Sinister asked in a taunting voice. "You
abandoned the boy in Antarctica, left him there to die, did you not?"
"We know Remy's here, Sinister." The young woman demanded, ignoring
Sinister's accusation. "Ah wanna see him."
"Oh be assured, child, he wants to see all the X-Men again." Essex
started laughing. The X-Men looked at each other wondering what Sinister
thought was so funny. The scientist didn't leave them guessing long when he
quickly added the one word that left them stunned. "Dead!"
Scott recovered quickly, moving in between Wolverine and Logan; he
released the anger he had been holding for several days. "If you have laid
one finger on my brother, Sinister."
"Your brother?" Sinister asked. "I have no interest in Alexander, nor
do I care of his whereabouts."
"I'm not talking about Alex," Scott hissed, clenching his teeth and
glared back. Sinister's trademark laughter was getting to him. For some
strange reason, Cyclops believed Essex knew it. "Stop playing games with
me, Sinister. I'm talking about Remy."
Sinister's laughter stopped abruptly. The humor disappeared, replaced by
harsh, angry words. "I see my two ex-associates have made their betrayal
complete."
"Prism told us everything. Including the car wreck, and how you arranged
for Mom to deliver the baby while Alex and Dad were at another hospital."
Scott spit out. "Now for the last time, where's my brother?"
"I could have killed your entire family that day, Scott. But, out of the
kindness of my heart, I spared your lives. I allowed you and Alexander to
stay with your parents. Things could have been much worse." Sinister said,
watching Cyclops closely. "But understand one thing, I created LeBeau,
therefore by law, he is rightfully mine."
"Like hell he is, bub!" Wolverine grabbed the bars with both hands. The
instant his hands made contact, he was knocked to the cell floor for his
defiance.
"I would not try that again if I were you, Logan. There is a limit to my
kindness," Sinister warned, and then turned back to Cyclops. "Would you not
agree, Scott?"
"Yeah, I just bet there is," Bishop muttered as he walked over to where
Scott and Sinister was having a stare down. "What price did Remy have to
pay for your kindness?" The big man pointed an accusing finger at Essex.
"You messed him up real good this time, didn't you?"
"Are the X-Men's hands clean in this matter?" Sinister raised his brow,
baiting Bishop. "At least in my care, the boy is alive. Would he have been
if he remained with the X-Men?" The laughter started again. "Why don't you
ask your friends why they allowed Magneto to judge one of their own?"
"He knows all about that so-called trial, Sinister." Scott continued to
glare at him. "We have no secrets from each other, so stop trying to turn
us against each other."
"You have no secrets from the X-Men, Scott?" Sinister mocked him with
another round of laughter. "Have you told them everything about us?" The
color drained from Scott's face as Sinister continued. "Have you fallen
from grace and resorted to lying to your friends now, Scott Summers?"
"Lying is your forte, Sinister. You wrote the book," Warren declared,
coming to the defense of his friend. "We don't have to know the details to
know you've made his life a living hell."
"You give me too much credit, Worthington. Scott has provided me with
enough DNA to continue my research for years." Sinister chuckled. "Without
his help, I would be out of business."
Cyclops turned his back on the others and paced to the darkest corner of
the cell. Turning back around, he glared at his archenemy. "You're doing
the same thing to Remy now, aren't you? You're using his DNA to find a
weapon to use against Apocalypse."
"Oh no! LeBeau is far more valuable to me than you could ever imagine,
Scott." Essex said, simply. "He's extremely powerful. Just how powerful,
I do not know yet, but I intent to find out."
"Ya mean experiment on him, don't ya, Sinister." Rogue reached out
through the bars, trying to grab the scientist. She pulled her arm back
inside the cell after realizing he was out of her reach. "Ya get yer kicks
outta playing with people's minds when they're down, don't ya?"
Before Sinister could answer, a beeping signal was heard. He spoke
again. "I'm afraid I must cut this conversation short, my friends. It
seems my associates are in need of me."
_______________
Walking into the large room, Sinister angrily asked, "What is so
important that you had to disturb me?"
"Gotta a little problem, Boss." Scalphunter stood up and met Sinister
halfway across the room. "Seems Creed jumped the gun and took off on his
own."
"Track him down and bring him back to me in pieces." Sinister angrily
ordered. He turned to leave the room, and then paused. "If Creed reaches
the X-mansion before you do, don't come back."
"Sure, Boss." Scalphunter signaled his group to their feet. "We won't
fail you."
"See to it that you do not," Essex replied as he left the
room. "I would hate to clone your replacements needlessly."
___________
The Cell
With Wolverine and Bishop occupied in finding an escape route, Scott and
Rogue turned their attention to the energized bars still holding them
prisoner.
Rogue stared out through the faintly glowing bars and blinked twice.
Slapping Scott on the leg to get his attention, she motioned with her head
to the furthermost corner. He looked in the direction she indicated and saw
a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at them. Knowing the individual
wasn't tall enough to be Sinister that only left one person.
"Remy?" Rogue called out tentatively.
As Gambit stepped into view, Scott noticed the changes in the younger man
immediately. The trademark leather duster that Cyclops had grown accustomed
to seeing Remy wear was gone, now replaced with a black attire. It was
undoubtedly a nonverbal display showing them that Gambit wanted no lingering
reminder that he had ever been an X-Man.
"Dis certainly a change of view, non? You on de inside of de bars an' me
on de outside." Remy touched one of the energized bars and sparks flew off
his finger. "Only it's a lot nicer dan de hell you left me in to die."
Noticing Bishop, he added, "Pup, you best be findin' a new career. De
X-Men will turn on you b'fore to long."
"Remy, listen to me," Bishop started, joining Rogue and Scott to stand in
front of the cell. "I don't know what Sinister has said or done to you, but
we're your friends. We want..."
"Friends don't leave friends to die, Pup," Remy said grimly, the
bitterness in his voice swept out and enveloped the people inside the cell.
"Sugah, Ah nevah wanted ta leave you, but Ah couldn't get your thoughts
outta mah head. Th' others didn't know because Ah nevah told them." Rogue
pleaded, but her words went ignored. She turned to Cyclops and then back at
Gambit. "Remy, Scott has something ta tell ya."
"Gambit, uh Remy, look I know you have every right to hate us, but we
came here to make amends." Scott said, hoping to reason with the younger
man but the eerie glow shinning from Gambit's eyes made him uneasy.
Cringing as he realized the unimaginable horrors that Sinister could have
performed on his newly discovered brother made his blood boil. Using a last
ditch plea, Scott stuck his arm in between two bars and offered his hand to
Gambit. "Remy, let us out of here and I'll take you home. You don't
realize it, but you're very sick."
"You mean de pneumonia I nearly died from, Scotty? Got de X-Men to thank
for dat too." Gambit glared at him. "Ol' Remy's got a lot of thankin' he's
gonna do when it comes to de X-Men. Especially to you an' your so-called
leader, Xavier. He's nothin' but a liar who brainwashes weak-minded fools
like you to do his biddin'. He's also de one who..."
"Betrayed your trust," Sinister's voice spoke from the darkness. The
scientist approached, apparently eavesdropping on the conversation.
Remy bowed his head slightly, acknowledging Sinister's presence.
"Father..."
"This area is off limits to you." Essex interrupted the young man in
mid-sentence. "They lured you away once before with their lies." The evil
eyes glared at the prisoners. "I will not allow it to happen again."
"Lies? You're the one who lied to him about the massacre," Angel
shouted.
Sinister's angry reaction to his remark spurred Warren to press forward
with Remy. "Gambit, I know you didn't know about Sinister's plan to execute
the Morlocks. You were used, just like I was. Just like Sinister is using
you now to..."
"SILENCE!" Sinister's voice thundered through the room, then he followed
with a threat, "or be silenced."
Essex tilted his head slightly as he studied Gambit. "It seems they
still want you to play X-Men with them, Remington. See how they use you?"
He waved his hand in front of his prisoners. "First, they leave you to die
because you are of no use to Xavier. Now that they are in this predicament,
they would have you betray me to save their lives, using you once again,
then they would cast you aside like they did before."
"You leave him be, Sinister! Haven't ya done enough ta him already?"
Rogue screamed. Without her powers, she was no threat to him. However,
Rogue's temper was another matter entirely. "Ya best be killin' me quick,
Sinister, cause if Ah get outta here, Ah'm gonna rip yer head clean off yer
stinkin' body."
"Not if I get him first, darlin'!" Wolverine snarled.
"I am simply making sure what is mine, stays mine," Essex said. He
glanced at Scott and then looked down at Remy. "What should I do with these
X-Men, my son?"
"Son?" Scott shouted angrily. "Remy's not your son, you bastard!"
"Scott, such language. Surely your stay here hasn't changed you that
much."
Cyclops opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a word, his
wrist was grabbed from behind.
"I caught Corsair's scent. Th' Starjammers are close. Best be makin'
some distraction to give ‘em time to attack. We don't wanna be playin' our
hand too soon," Logan whispered behind Scott's back before releasing
Cyclops' hand. Wolverine moved in between Scott and Rogue, making sure that
he had Sinister's attention. "Hey, Doctor Doolittle? Where's yer talking
animals, the Marauders?"
"Good one, Logan!" Bobby snickered, joining in on the deception. "Wish
I'd thought of that one."
"I could arrange for the two of you to share the same brain," Sinister
stated, threatening the two comedians. His mood had deteriorated after
learning Sabretooth had deserted and it quickly worsen upon finding LeBeau
in a forbidden place. First he would deal with the troublesome X-Men, and
then he would turn his attention to his rebellious protégée. "My Marauders
are stalking a prey at the moment. Once they have had their little fun,
your friends at the mansion will entertain them next."
"Wanna bet?" Wolverine glared at him. "Ya let me outta here, then you
an' me can play tag."
Something moved, catching Sinister's attention, but before the scientist
had time to react, a heavy and metallic object came out of nowhere and
struck him across the head. He fell to the ground and didn't get up.
Just as quickly, as Sinister went down, the energized bars surrounding
the cell were deactivated.
Remy backed up, his gaze wary and defensive, trying to catch a glimpse at
whom or what had attacked Essex.
Ch'od walked out of the shadows, towering over Sinister's unconscious
body. Gambit pulled out three cards, charged, and aimed them at the lizard
creature.
Bishop reached out, his powerful arms wrapping around Gambit's shoulders
before the Cajun had a chance to react, effectively pinning him against the
bars.
"Release the charge, Remy," Bishop ordered as Gambit struggled in his
arms.
Not waiting for his request to be taken, Bishop used his free hand to
yank the cards out of Gambit's hand, taking the charge into his body. He
grabbed the door, releasing his stored charge into it, then used the energy
to blast open the door.
Several figures entered the room and Scott ushered the remaining X-Men
out the cell door.
"Let go!" Gambit struggled; trying to escape Bishop's grasp but the
bigger man tightened the hold around his chest.
Scott glanced at Bishop, who nodded that Gambit was safely secured. "We
have to get him back to the mansion and warn the others." He faced his
brother for the first time since their relationship was revealed. "Remy,
we're leaving and you're..."
"I'm not goin' anywhere wit' you, Scotty." Remy glared at Cyclops. "De
X-Men can go to hell."
"Let ‘em go, Bishop," Wolverine said, waiting until the tall man
complied. Logan turned his attention to Gambit. "Listen to me, Gumbo. I
ain't no expert, but I know Sinister messed ya up pretty good, so I will
make this simple fer ya. You can either come with us under yer own power
or..." he grabbed the Cajun and pushed him harshly into the cell bars.
Using one hand, Wolverine grabbed his intended victim around the throat to
secure him. "Or I'll carry yer unconscious body outta here myself." He
eyed the younger man closely with a threatening glare. "What's it gonna be,
boy?"
Remy struggled to free himself but Wolverine's grip was like iron. "You
ain't got no right," Remy protested as he struggled to free himself. "I'm
gonna blow your..."
"Wrong answer, kid," Wolverine snarled. He turned his attention back to
Scott. "Cyke, whatcha want me ta do? I don't wanna hurt him."
With Wolverine's attention diverted, Remy reached out just enough to
touch Logan's jacket, kinetically charging the fabric. "Mais, I'm gonna
hurt you."
"Logan, your jacket!" Cyclops yelled out, warning Wolverine of the
impending danger.
"What th' hell?" Logan struggled out of the jacket and tossed it back
inside the cell before it exploded. The only damage was a crater-sized hole
inside the concrete wall.
Gambit rushed to stand guard over Sinister's unconscious body. With
cards in hands, Remy took a defensive stance. "De next one who moves gets
dealt de death card."
Glaring at Ch'od, Gambit ordered the reptilian alien to join the X-Men.
"You move over dere wit' dem. I wanna make sure your ‘ere when he's
recovered."
"I ain't believing this," Logan muttered angrily under his breath.
Turning to Scott, he whispered, "Cyke, we gotta take him out before
Sinister recuperates. Or worse, before th' Marauders return."
Bobby moved several steps away from the others, trying to draw Gambit's
attention away from the group. "Remy, don't do this. You know there's no
way you can hold us all off."
"You willin' to take dat risk, Drake?" Remy aimed a glowing card in
Bobby's direction. "Come on, try your hand wit' de cards."
Rogue's hand went to her mouth. "Mah Gawd, what has that monster done ta
him?" She took to the air, and then looked down as she floated over
Gambit. "Remy, please. We gotta getcha outta here. You're sick, sugah."
Two figures emerged out of the darkness. With weapons aimed, Corsair and
Raza moved in Gambit's direction. Both Starjammers separated, creating as
much distance between themselves as possible.
Christopher took a deep breath and addressed the young man he realized
was his youngest. "Nobody wants to hurt you, son, but you're leaving us no
other choice." In a remorseful voice, he whispered. "I'm sorry."
Remy threw one of the cards; knocking Raza's sword out of the
cybernetic's hand. Three other cards flew out of his hands in Corsair's
direction, causing the space pirate to drop to the ground and roll out of
the way to escape the exploding cards. Another card immediately dropped in
Gambit's hand, and he charged it, readying it to fire at Corsair.
As if on cue, Hepzibah stepped out of the shadows and snapped her whip.
Her expertise with the weapon was immaculate, wrapping around Gambit's legs
without ripping material or flesh. She pulled, yanking the young mutant off
his feet. The cards Gambit was holding flew out of his hand the instant he
hit the ground.
"Sorry, Remy, but you're not staying here." Scott kicked the cards out
of Gambit's reach, reached down, and yanked him to his feet before Remy
could recover. "Forgive me, little brother."
"Bro--" Remy never finished the word as Scott's fist connected to his
jaw.
"Ouch, that's gonna hurt later," Bobby replied with a cringe. Rogue
dropped down beside him with a worried look on her face. Bobby gently
touched her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "He's going to be all
right, Rogue."
"Ah don't know, Bobby. Ah'm worried," Rogue replied. "If Hepzibah
hadn't showed up when she did, Remy woulda killed Corsair."
"Say that not, young one." Hepzibah gently freed her whip from Gambit's
legs, coiled it around her fist, and then hooked it back to her belt. With
a slight smile on her feline face, Hepzibah glanced at Rogue, and added
confidently, "Master of distraction, Corsair is."
Cyclops picked up Gambit and tossed him over his shoulder. "Let's get
out of here, people. We've pushed our luck by staying here this long."
A portal opened and the Starjammers jumped into it. Scott, Rogue, Bobby,
and Warren quickly followed.
Wolverine glanced at the portal, then turned and stared back at
Sinister. Walking over, he stood over the scientist's body and grinned.
"I'm gonna take ya out now an' give myself a holiday." His claws popped
open and he bent down to rid the world of the demon at his feet.
The humming of the portal caught his attention. He noticed the blue
color was fading along with it his escape route. Snarling back at the
scientist, he vowed before jumping into the portal. "Next time, Dr.
Frankenstein."