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As Remy was forced into his father's lab he saw that it resembled Sinister's.
His heart began to beat painfully in his chest as he saw the table in the center of the lab. He turned his head and wished that he hadn't. He could see the clear walled cells on the side of the lab, and he could see the poor wretches that inhabited them. In one he saw a child, about as old as he'd been when his father had experimented on him. His stomach churned and bile burned in the back of his throat. He swallowed painfully.
His fear increased the closer he got to that table. He could see an array of sharp instruments placed close to the table. Then suddenly they were there and Remy was lifted by David's men and slammed down onto the table. The air whooshed out of Remy's lungs and while he struggled to get his breath back restraints were placed on him.
His head was also restrained and his eyes darted around wildly in his growing panic. He saw only the ceiling until a face came into view. It was his father. He pulled at his restraints which proved futile. He tried to manipulate his hands so that he could charge his restraints but they had been placed exactly so he couldn't do that. Another face came into view. Sinister.
"Maman!" he called out frantically.
Sorrel came into view and tried to calm her son, until David shoved her back.
Wires were attached to Remy's head and chest after the top half of his clothing was ripped off. A heart monitor started beeping close by.
A needle was inserted into his arm and he felt his blood being drawn out.
He renewed his struggles fearing what was to come next.
A machine came into view over him and David reached out towards him, but Sinister's voice stopped him.
"One moment David. We do not wish to blind him."
A pair of dark goggles were placed over Remy's eyes and then he saw a bright light come from the machine. The light was not bright enough to hurt thanks to the goggles.
The machine was passed completely over his body, and then the light disappeared. The goggles were removed and suddenly the table was tipped forward until he was lying vertically against the bed, held on by his restraints.
David came towards him with another machine and Remy feared what this one would do, but it was placed against his head, and Remy realized that it was a high tech opthamologists machine. His eyes were being analyzed.
The machine was moved away finally and the table was returned to it's horizontal position.
Suddenly the guards reappeared and the restraints on Remy's right aside were removed but he was given no chance to escape as he was rolled onto his side and held down forcibly. He felt a needle injected into his back and then the most intense, excruciating pain came upon him. He tried to move, to get away from the pain, but the guards did their job well and he didn't budge an inch.
Finally the pain ended and the guards released him. He lay trembling, sweat standing out on his forehead.
"Take him back to his room. I need time to analyze these results," Remy heard David say, and then he was released from the rest of his restraints and dragged to his feet.
He stumbled between the guards as they dragged him back to his room. When they reached his room he was pushed forward into the pallet and he slumped down. Being careful to lie on his side. His back still felt extremely tender. The guards left and Remy was alone, with his thoughts.
He had not expected this certainly. Why had David stopped so soon. Surely there were more tests he could inflict on Remy. Maybe he was just waiting, lulling Remy into a false sense of security. One look in David's lab had convinced him that his father had not changed at all.
And what about this link he had forced on his mother. Was it some aspect of telepathy? Could it be broken without hurting his mother? It certainly ruled out attacking David for the time being. If he could just examine his mother's mind, he could find out more about the link. Where was his mother? He hoped she wasn't being punished for trying to comfort him.
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In the lab David sat in front of a computer terminal, Sinister at his side, looking at the data being produced. Sorrel stood in the shadows watching them both. Her face a tear-streaked mask, but she could hide nothing from him. He felt her presence inside his mind. Felt her worry and concern for Remy. She was trying to hide that from him, but she couldn't. There was nowhere in her mind he couldn't control if he wanted to. For now it amused him to let her continue to struggle futilely on behalf of her son.
David himself felt only a sense of triumph when he thought of Remy. Perhaps his greatest achievement yet. If this data was correct then Remy was something he'd been unable to reproduce in all his subsequent experiments.
Remy himself had been a surprise. He'd inherited his mother's looks. Tall, lean with a grace that drew the eyes. The auburn hair drew almost as many eyes, it had something of himself in that it was completely unruly.
He recalled the encounter he'd had with his son, and was impressed by the agility Remy had seemed to possess, not to mention his aim and kinetic powers. He made a mental note to test the full extent of those powers.
But what had him thinking the most was Remy's mental powers. David had created a bond between himself and Sorrel that allowed him command over his wife. Remy however was another story. A weaker bond should have existed because of Remy's blood. David should have had limited control over Remy and it had almost worked. He'd almost made the boy come to him back at the X hovel, but interference from the X-brats and Remy's own mental shields had blocked him. This was not something David had programmed into Remy, so how had it occurred. This was also something to explore later. But his attention was brought back to Nathaniel suddenly.
"Sorry, what did you say?" he asked distractedly.
Nathaniel smiled. "I said that I have copies of brain scans I've made of Remy in the past. I think you'll be both surprised and pleased by what you see," Sinister explained.
"Indeed? Then by all means, let's see these scans of yours."
Sinister took a small data cube and placed it into the appropriate peripheral. The scans appeared on the monitor.
David let out a sudden bark of laughter. "Indeed Nathaniel, I am extremely surprised , but pleasantly so. This indicates the enormous potential Remy has. I'm surprised he hasn't been declared a genius by his peers."
Sinister smiled. "I'm afraid his upbringing didn't encourage intellectual pursuits."
"Ah yes. The Thieves Guild. Well, there's nothing to stop him from learning now. I'll have to set aside some time for his re-education."
"You never know. Remy may turn out to be a chip off the old block after all," Sinister said laughing. David's laughter echoed his.
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Back at the X-Mansion, the various X-Men were gathered together to discuss the progress they'd made in locating Remy.
"None! That's what progress we've made," Ororo declared, frustrated and worried beyond measure.
Since Remy's disappearance, black, roiling clouds had gathered over the mansion. The heavens opening on the inhabitants whenever Ororo lost control over her emotions.
"What did the search of the base Sinister used to hold Remy and Ororo turn up?" Scott asked.
"Nothing. It had been cleared out entirely. Not a speck of anything," Psylocke explained.
"Weren't even no scents to trace," Wolverine snarled.
"They have cleared their tracks very well. Now we have no idea where to find them," Ororo said, her voice filled with pain.
"There must be some way. Cerebro hasn't picked up any signal?" Scott asked.
"No. No sign of him at all. But then, that's to be expected. Sinister's bases are usually pretty well shielded," Bishop explained.
"I will keep trying to contact him on the astral plane. Maybe they'll make a mistake and give Remy a chance to talk to us," Jean said.
The X-Men agreed that at the moment that was the best they could hope for.
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Remy looked up as the door opened. He deliberately maintained his seemingly relaxed pose though.
"Your father said to come to the lab," one of David's guards said.
"Really mes ami, an' what if don' wanna go?" Remy asked.
"Then your mother will pay," the henchman replied simply before turning away.
Remy growled in frustration, but knowing he had no choice followed anyway, uncertain of what he was about to face now.
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end of part 8