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The man awoke with a start. A silent scream lodged in his throat. He slowly looked around, realizing his surroundings. His heartbeat slowly reduced and he stopped panting.
Just a dream he thought to himself. However, it was a dream that had been haunting him for the past week.
He got out of bed knowing he would not sleep again that night. The room was almost pitch black but the red on black eyes of the young man made night vision possible.
He climbed out of his window after pulling on some warmer clothes. His natural agility, which appeared to other at times to be superhuman, allowed him to clamber up easily to the roof. It was here he came if upset or disturbed. It allowed him a sense of freedom and peace that he couldn't find anywhere else in the grounds of the mansion.
He breathed deeply! He didn't know what the dream meant. It always started off with him and his new family and something dark came along and ripped him away, something dark and ...
Sinister!
That had to be it. Sinister was coming back for him. His heart began to pound in fear. He had to get away and hide. His mind raced as one panicked thought followed another. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't hear the man behind approach until it was too late.
"Whatcha doin' up here at this time of night gumbo?" Logan asked as he sat himself down next to Remy.
Remy almost fell off the edge in shock. He recovered quickly and looked at his visitor. He wondered how much he could tell Wolverine. Of all the male X-Men he was the one who probably understood Remy the most. He knew he couldn't lie to Logan, he would smell that a mile off, but he also knew that he couldn't tell him the truth.
"I couldn't sleep, bad dreams neh! " he said finally.
"That'll teach ya to snack on cheese 'fore you go to bed", Logan replied and laughed.
Remy laughed too, "Ah but de cheese, it called to me non? It say Gambit Gambit, an' you know me Logan, I can' refuse such beauty."
Logan chuckled in amusement, "It'll be daylight soon. Don'tcha think it's time to go back inside?"
"Oui mon ami, Gambit sighed as he climbed to his feet. "See you in a few hours Logan"
Logan scowled, "Damn, I forgot old Cyke scheduled an early morning session. Wish the damn man would over sleep for once."
Gambit laughed and said "Never mind mon ami, you 'ave de rest of de day to yourself neh?"
Logan grinned "Yeah, wanna go into town after?"
"Sure" Gambit grinned back.
***********************************************************
"Wow, thought old Cyke was never gonna let us go for a moment there" Logan grinned.
Gambit chuckled "I t'ink dat he decided he like his body in one piece non?"
They were still laughing when they reached town.
***********************************************************
They were about to play their 10th game of pool when their communicators started to beep.
Logan turned on his communicator and saw the face of Cyclops the X-Men's leader. "Logan, we need you and Gambit back up here quickly. We've had a report on some strange activity in Montana."
Logan looked at Gambit and then back at Cyclops. "Okay we're on our way." Logan turned to Gambit "Come on kid, looks like we've got to go deal with some trouble."
***********************************************************
The blackbird landed, and the X-Men alighted from the plane. Their two telepaths scanning the area for trouble.
"I feel something coming from that building over there," Phoenix said and pointed to a large institution like building. " I can feel pain, but it's subdued, I can't reach it completely."
"Same here." Pyslocke added.
"Okay let's split up into two teams and approach from either side." Cyclops said.
They split up and moved towards the building. None of them knowing what to expect, if anything.
Cyclops sighed. This wasn't looking good. Not only were the telepaths not sensing much but he had a bad feeling about the whole thing anyway. The building looked far too institutionalized for his liking. It would be just their luck to have stumbled on the FOH headquarters or something ridiculous like that. He'd split them into two teams to try and infiltrate the place.
"Cyclops." Storms voice could be heard on his communicator.
"Cyclops here, what's going on Storm?"
"It is very strange, there do not appear to be any guards at all yet that is not in keeping with the security we can see here."
Yes he really had a bad feeling about this. "Okay proceed with all caution then, Cyclops out."
He turned to face the rest of his group, "Okay people let's go, but be careful."
They moved towards the compound.
With the skills of Gambit, breaking in hadn't been a problem, but they all still felt that it was too easy, even Gambit, and he had more 'security' experience than any of them.
They met Storm's team and they all went on together, the atmosphere felt tenser the further into the compound they went. The place had a strange smell, and Jean and Betsy still couldn't sense much. They reached a large room that appeared to be empty but that was when all hell broke loose, from out of nowhere appeared Sinister's Marauders, and the X-Men were thrown into battle.
"Retreat people," Cyclops shouted, and they started to fall back covering each other as they went.
It was extremely difficult trying to fight with their mutant powers in the close confines of the corridors, especially for Cyclops who was trying hard not to hit any of his own people. They managed to beat their way to the entrance when all of a sudden their was an explosion. The X-Men took advantage of the confusion to force their way outside and back to the blackbird.
When they were sure that Sinister's henchmen weren't following they stopped, that was when they realized that Gambit and Cyclops were missing.
"Oh my God," Jean exclaimed, "They must have been captured after the explosion because I remember seeing them with us before that. Oh God, what are we going to do, Sinister must have them." She tried to hold back her tears, and Logan gave her a hug.
"Don't worry Red, we'll get them back." He growled softly.
************************************************************
Scott Summers moaned as he regained consciousness. He felt confused at first then he remembered what had happened. He sat up and looked around frantically. This wasn't the blackbird or the mansion, which could only mean that Sinister had gotten him, fear raced through his stomach but he forced himself to control it. He had to be strong. He hoped the rest of the team had gotten out okay.
He heard a moan from the corner of the cell he was in. He looked over and was alarmed when he saw Gambit there. He crawled over to Gambit.
"Gambit, wake up! Gambit come on," Scott whispered frantically shaking Gambit.
"Unghhhh," Gambit regained consciousness. He looked around and then looked at Scott, "What happen?" he asked .
"We've been captured. I think we may have been the only ones thank God."
"Captured? Who caught us?" Then he remembered where they were, "Sinister," Gambit hissed.
Scott was shocked to see all the blood drain out of the Cajun's face, he hadn't been aware that the Cajun was scared of anyone but Gambit seemed to be terrified. He could only watch, too surprised to do anything as Gambit pushed him away and scrabbled over to the door trying to find a way out.
"Got to get out, got to get out," he kept chanting.
Gambit examined the locking mechanism frantically trying to find a way out. This could not be happening, he couldn't be here when Sinister came. He ignored Scott staring at him and carried on trying to find a way out. He had never been so scared in his life. He had gotten away from Sinister once and he didn't think Sinister would give him the opportunity to do so again. Just the thought of what he knew lay in store for him sent chills down his spine.
Suddenly the door opened and light flooded the room, all they could see in the doorway was the silhouette of a man they knew far too well.
Gambit made a choking sound and tried to get as far away from Sinister as possible.
Sinister laughed, "Why hello again my little friends, it's been so long since we last met, what fun we're going to have together."
Scott looked at the hysterical Gambit and faced Sinister, "Let Gambit go, I'm the one you want, I'm the one you've always wanted, you can have all the DNA you want if you let him go."
Gambit seemed to understand this and he calmed down slightly until Sinister's next words, "But why would I give up such a valuable prize as Gambit. I now have the Summers that I've wanted the most, and it's not you Cyclops. You and Jean Grey were always a poor substitution for what I have here."
Sinister walked over to Gambit and patted him on the head, Gambit in response tried to crawl further into his corner without success. Sinister laughed. Scott was shocked. All that kept running through his mind was that Sinister had said that Gambit was a Summers.
"No that can't be," he said, "There was only Alex and me."
Sinister laughed again, "That is a long story Mr Summers why don't you come along now and maybe I'll tell it to you." He made a sign and two of Sinister's Marauders came in and picked up Gambit and Scott, "Take them to the lab." Sinister said.
They were taken to the lab and imprisoned against the wall, mutant collars were locked around their necks. Scott's mind was still in a daze. Remy had sunk into a trance like state not really registering anything outside of his mind. He was caught up in nightmares from the past, of what Sinister had done to him before and what he would do again.
Sinister finally approached them, "You don't believe me," he said to Scott, "Very well, let me tell you a story, the story of Remy LeBeau."
At this Remy finally lifted his head and looked at Sinister, "How you know about me?" he said in a fearful voice.
Sinister laughed, a sound that sent shivers down the spines of both captives "Because I have watched you from the day you were conceived. I hadn't noticed the Summers family until after Scott and Alex came along, it wasn't until then that I had equipment sophisticated enough to track down powerful mutants, and then it was a too late to do anything much, so I watched your parents. Finally your mother conceived again. I decided that I wasn't going to wait until the new Summers was born and so I took your mother. That's how I met Remy, who was of course the developing fetus. I injected the fetus with genetic material that I had been experimenting with and waited for the fetus to be born naturally. I wiped all memories of the incident from your mother's mind and she never realized what had happened. Of course now I have the equipment so that a mother's womb becomes redundant. To get back to the point Remy seemed to be developing in the womb quite well, it looked like a very promising experiment. Then your mother went into labor and that was when I lost Remy, the doctors took him and told your parents that he had died. What they did was sell Remy to a rich couple who could not have children. That is how you came to live in Louisiana Remy. When you were five your nanny lost you. I'm afraid I don't quite know the details and the rest of course you all know, Remy grew up with the thieves guild after Jean-Luc LeBeau found him. I have kept track of your life Remy waiting for the chance to reclaim what is mine, and make no mistakes Remy LeBeau you are mine. You are the culmination of all my genetic experiments. The only perfect mutant I have ever created endowed with multiple powers." Sinister gave a triumphant laugh and Remy tried to sink into the wall in fear as Sinister stared at him with a possessive gleam in his strange eyes. Scott though was confused.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken Sinister. Remy only has one mutant power, his kinetic charge."
"Oh dear, didn't you tell them Remy about all of your other powers? Tut tut and I thought you trusted these people."
Remy looked hunted as both Scott and Sinister stared at him.
"Enough of this idle chatter. It is time to get to work. Remy I will need your help with a few experiments, you aren't going to cause any trouble now are you?"
Remy moaned and tried frantically to free himself from the bonds that held him against the wall, "Non." he cried, "You not do dis to me again."
"What do you mean again? Remy when have you been here before?" Scott was now very confused.
"He didn't tell you that either. You have been a bad boy haven't you. Remy has been here before, unfortunately that time I underestimated him and he managed to get away. Not this time though. I have prepared for this day and you will not escape me again."
Sinister had Remy untied and strapped to a table and Scott was forced to watch, there being nothing he could do to help his team mate.
Remy screamed as Sinister came near him with various medical equipment. "Come now Remy, it's not as if you haven't done this before."
Remy struggled to free himself but he did not have his mutant powers to help him and he could not pick any of the locks in the position he'd been put in. He stared in horror as Sinister got closer, knowing that this time he would never get out alive. Sinister injected Remy with a cold fluid and at once Remy felt the world receding as he slipped into unconsciousness. He didn't feel the first cut of the scalpel into his flesh, nor did he hear the explosion that rocked the building. He was not aware of the X-Men's entrance as they fought with the Marauders to reclaim their team mates.
After the first explosion Sinister halted his experiment on his prize and turned to face the interruption. He saw the X-Men and ordered his Marauders to finish them. However what he hadn't counted on was the ferocity of the X-Men's attack. He realized that he was losing, and the X-Men were coming closer. He shouted with frustration, they were not going to get his prize. He turned around to drive them back. He didn't notice Nightcrawler appear behind him and free Cyclops. He didn't realize until it was too late and Cyclops optic blasts had cut into him.
"No," he screamed, "He is mine."
"You're wrong Sinister he belongs with us," Scott replied.
Sinister in danger of his life fled, but not without issuing a warning, "I will be back to claim my prize and no one will stop me."
With Sinister's disappearance the Marauders took that as a cue to leave leaving the X-Men in the lab. Beast was examining Remy, still strapped to the table. "We need to get him back to the mansion for medical treatment, Bishop will you help me to carry him?"
"No," Scott shouted, "I'll carry him."
No one stood in his way as he picked up the unconscious Remy Lebeau and carried him out to the blackbird. He didn't acknowledge anybody. Just sat cradling Remy like a child.
Jean watched her husband as he sat by Remy's side in the infirmary. He hadn't told her what had happened in Sinister's lair but she could tell something had disturbed him greatly. She moved up to him and gave him a hug. He sighed and hugged her back leaning into her body.
"Hank says Remy will be fine. Just a little scarred." She stopped when she got no reaction, "Do you want me to get you anything?"
"No thanks honey."
Jean didn’t push him. She knew he would tell her everything eventually. She was about to leave when he said, "Actually Jean could you contact Alex and my father please. I need to speak to them."
Jean nodded, "Okay I’ll come and fetch you when I’ve got them."
"Thanks Jean," he gave her an absent minded kiss and resumed his watch over Gambit.
Rogue came in soon after Jean had left. She sat on the other side of Remy's bed and held his hand in her gloved one.
"It's mah fault," she whispered, "Ah should've noticed ya were both missin' and then ah could have gotten ya both back Sugah. With ma powers ah could've got to ya."
"It’s not your fault Rogue, there was nothing you could have done," a shadow passed over Scott's eyes as he said this.
Tears fell down Rogue's cheeks, as she stared at the one true love of her life. He looked so pale and lifeless lying on the bed. If Hank hadn’t said that he'd be alright she wouldn't have believed it. He was bandaged heavily in parts where Sinister had ... No she didn’t want to think about that.
Rogue left a few hours later. She passed Bishop standing guard outside. She didn’t know why Bishop had changed so suddenly after Remy had been cleared of being the traitor. It was a mystery to them all, most of all to Remy. It was almost funny too, the way he stood guard outside of the infirmary as though someone would try to get in without his permission.
***********************************************************
Jean sat in the Com room and set Cerebro to work trying to contact Alex and Major Christopher Summers. She wondered why Scott wanted to talk to them now. Half an hour later Havok contacted her.
"Jean, Alex here, what's going on?"
"Alex, it's Scott. No nothing's happened to him, well that's not exactly true. He wants to talk to you."
"Okay! Is he going to come to the com screen or does he want me to come down there?"
"I don't know he didn't say, but I'm worried about him, he won't tell me anything."
Jeans anxious face convinced Alex, "Okay then, I'm coming down there, expect me in a couple of hours."
The com screen went blank. Jean's stomach rumbled and she went down to the kitchen to make herself something to eat. The went back to the com room hoping to hear from Scott's father.
***********************************************************
Jean greeted Alex with a hug outside the mansion when he arrived.
"Okay so where's that big brother of mine?"
"He's in the infirmary." Jean had a troubled look on his face.
"What? I thought you said that he wasn’t hurt."
Jean had explained the run in with Sinister. "No, he's not but he just sits watching over Gambit."
The sudden rumbling took them both by surprise. Cerebro shouted an intruder warning and the X-Men came rushing out to face the unknown intruder. They were surprised to find Major Summers' ship landing on their lawn. He came out of the ship and walked towards them with a grin on his face.
"Hello, everyone, nice day isn’t it?"
The X-Men grumbled but went back into the mansion, Major Summers joined his son and daughter-in-law by the front of the house.
"I got your call Jean, what's going on?"
"Forgive me you surprised us, I wasn't expecting you to visit in person."
"Oh well, I was in the neighborhood you know, and I thought it had been a while since I last visited."
"Okay why don't you both come inside and I'll take you down to see Scott, and fill you in at the same time."
Scott stood up as he saw his family enter the infirmary. Jean was about to walk out again leaving the Summers men together but he said, "Jean, you should stay, this involves all of us Summers."
"What's going on Scott?" Major Summers looked at his eldest son with an expression of worry clouding his face.
Scott took a deep breath before asking, "Dad, did you and mom ever have children other than me and Alex?"
A spasm of pain passed of Major Summers' face, "Why do you ask?"
"Because I learned something recently which may be of relevance to us all. I need to know the answer dad." Scott's expression was sincere.
Major Summers sighed before talking about a subject that was still painful to him. "Okay! A short time after we’d had you and Alex your mother got pregnant, but the baby didn’t survive childbirth."
"Oh my God," Alex exclaimed, "Why did you never tell us?"
"We didn't think that you needed to know and it upset your mother whenever I mentioned it. And you were both still kids. So we decided not to say anything."
"Did mom ever go missing while she was pregnant?"
"Yes she did, for a couple of days but she came back unharmed, only she couldn’t remember what had happened."
Scott sank back down into his chair. An expression of resignation on his face.
"What's going on Scott," Jean asked softly.
"While…" he paused and took a breath, "While we were captured by Sinister, Gambit and I found out something. Sinister told us that Gambit was my brother, and that Sinister had taken mom when she was pregnant to do genetic experiments on Gambit, and from what you've told me today dad I can only say that he must have been right."
"But how can that be, we were told that our baby was dead." Major Summers face lost all color and his past pain was now openly revealed on his face. Jean pushed him into the nearest chair before he fell down.
"Sinister said that the doctors lied to you and sold Remy to a rich couple in Louisiana who couldn't have children of there own."
They were all completely shocked by this news.
After a while Major Summers walked over to Gambits bed and looked at him.
"This is my lost son?" he asked, a sense of wonder in his voice and eyes. "Is it possible?"
Jean spoke up for the first time upon hearing the revelation. "We could ask Hank to run some tests."
"Why didn't he notice before now?" Alex said confused and hurt from not being told that he had another brother.
"Hank has a lot of trouble getting Remy into the infirmary to do any kind of tests. Although Remy's never told us why he hates labs."
Scott whispered, "I know."
"What?" Alex asked, "What do you know?"
"Sinister told me that when Gambit was younger Sinister had kidnapped him and done tests on him, and from the look of what he did to Remy in there he did some pretty bad things."
"Dear God, no wonder poor Remy is scared stiff of labs, and he never told any of us, not even Ororo." Jean exclaimed with shock on her face.
They were all silent for a while, but that silence was broken by a moan from the bed.
"He's coming round," Jean said, "I'll go fetch Hank."
The Summers men watched the newly revealed member of their family as he stirred from his unconsciousness.
Remy opened his eyes, and shut them again with an exclamation of pain. His light sensitive eyes letting in too much light for him to handle. Someone must have dimmed the lights because when he next opened his eyes the light was not so bright. He looked around and was startled to see Scott, Alex and Major Christopher Summers, standing around his bed. Then Remy remembered what had happened. He shut his eyes again and turned his head away from them all.
Jean came back with Hank in tow. She saw Remy's reaction and moved over to sit next to him.
"Remy," she said softly, "Remy I know you can hear me, open your eyes and look at me please."
Remy opened his eyes and stared at Jean. His eyes were filled with pain and she felt tears forming in sympathy with his situation. But she had a job to do, she needed to bring this member of the family back under it's wing.
"Remy, there are some people here who want to meet you, and talk. Will you talk to them please Remy. They've waited a long time for you to come back to them."
Remy felt tears form in his own eyes and he furiously blinked them away. No one would see him cry. He looked at Jean. He could see that she understood how he felt, but it hurt, after all this time wondering who he was and where he came from and now he knew, this excited him, but then he thought about rejection. Who could possibly want him? He sank back into the depths of desolation and despair.
"It's not true Remy we all want you."
"You readin' my head Jean?" he said with a warning glitter in his eyes.
She laughed, a genuinely warm sound which seemed to brighten the room. "Of course not, you know I would never do that, but your thoughts were broadcasting."
Remy finally turned over and faced the three men staring at him.
Major Summers was the first to speak, he had trouble getting past the lump in his throat, "I thought I'd lost you a long time ago son. Welcome back."
Alex simply said, "I guess I'm not the youngest anymore." He grinned wickedly.
Scott smiled at him. "We can have some early morning practice sessions together ... brother."
They all laughed at Remy's horrified expression.
**************************************************************
Remy had finally been moved out of the infirmary with Hanks permission. Well Hank hadn’t really had much of choice. Remy had threatened to walk out by himself, although he was far from completely recovered. He had declared that he was going insane cooped up in that bed, and everyone laughed because such a reaction surely meant that Remy was nearly recovered physically and emotionally from his ordeal. They did not know however what a good actor Remy actually was. Inside he was wracked with fear, his nightmares every night threatened to submerge him eternally in pain.
Major Summers and Alex had both decided to spend a week at the mansion getting to know Remy better. Remy was pleased with this chance also but sometimes he felt slightly stifled. He wasn't used to this amount of attention on himself, he had been taught to make himself invisible.
**************************************************************
Remy was outside helping Storm with her gardening when Scott rushed out, a look of excitement on his face.
"Remy I've got a surprise for you." Scott said.
Remy's eyes narrowed suspiciously, every time Scott said that he had a surprise it usually meant trouble for Remy. Yesterday Scott had taken him shopping, and had brought him a hideously straight laced suit and tie. Remy had been so shocked he hadn’t known what to say and Scott took that to mean he was pleased with the gift.
"What is it?"
Scott pulled a box out from behind his back. "Ta da, a really special gift for you."
Remy took the box and smothered the sigh. He opened it and almost choked. Storm started to laugh at the expression on his face.
"What is it Remy my friend?"
"Ummmm excuse me Stormy I 'ave to go and do something."
He started to walk back to the mansion but a bolt of lightening hit the ground in front of him.
"Stormy dat not fair."
"I have told you don't call me Stormy," she smiled, "Are you going to show me your nice present from Scott?"
Remy sighed in resignation, and pulled out the gift. Scott grinned, extremely pleased with himself. Storm started coughing. Remy glared at her, he could see that she was covering a mad laughing fit but Scott thought that she really was coughing and offered to fetch her a glass of water. Left alone Storm began to laugh out loud. Remy's face got redder and he became more furious.
"It's not funny!" he stated.
"Oh but it is, now you will truly look like brothers," she pulled out Remy's present, a uniform to match Scott's, "So when is Scott taking you for a haircut?"
That was too much for poor Remy, he clutched at his hair protectively, grabbed his present and ran off.