Disclaimer: This fan-fiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Still unbetaed, mistakes are all mine.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“This is what Remy abandoned us for?” The Jean-alike girl’s voice was caustic. “This is the Diable Blanc’s precious Marie?”

And the black-and-red-eyed Jean-alike drifted towards Rogue, her expression cold and pitiless. Her lithe, delicate frame as insubstantial as a wraith. Marie moved away from Amahl, feeling her mind clear some. She wasn’t sure whether it was getting away from him or the presence of the red-and-black-eyed girl that was giving her the reprieve but she didn’t care: She just knew her mind felt more her own when he was far away. Every child in the room had frozen at the sound of the anger in the girl’s voice; That told Marie all she needed to know about this bitch’s temper, and what she did when she was pissed. But the children still stood near the younger woman, and something told Marie they would get in the way if she tried to defend herself-

Which narrowed her Goddamn options if she wanted to fight her way outta there. Let alone get Remy the Hell outta Dodge. She might have had Magneto and Sabre-tooth inside her but she wasn’t gonna start massacring kids for any reason. And she guessed the bitch knew that, judging by the look on her face. She shot Rogue a smile woulda curdled buttermilk as she watched her, and for some strange reason Gambit’s smugness when caught in any wrong-doing popped into her head vividly-

But Marie shook the thought away.

She narrowed her eyes instead, refusing to back down as the girl approached her. She shifted her stance, hands held instinctively away from her body- She didn’t need a mirror to know which mutton-chopped member of her psyche was coming to the fore right now- and the girl must have seen it because she froze for a second, her gaze evaluating. Her black and red eyes searching, as if she could once again read her intentions just from the look on her face. Marie held her gaze calmly, willing herself into stillness: the adrenaline hammering through her body was making it difficult, but somehow she held on. She had no doubt that she was in real trouble but going off half-cocked wasn’t gonna help any. She might not get another chance at escaping, and she couldn’t give Amahl or the girl an opportunity to hurt Logan through their link. Besides, she had to find LeBeau. A second past, then two, both of them seeming to last an eon: Marie felt the girl probing at her thoughts, pushing at her as if she was looking for something particular, and didn’t quite understand what she saw- And then suddenly she backed the Hell away from, though she tried to mask the movement with nonchalance. Her pretty face puckered and frowning-

The children breathed more easily once she was out of range.

“I must admit, you are not what I expected,” the girl continued then, more levelly. She was wary of Rogue now, and the older woman wondered whether it was because she had seen the angry Wolverine inside her mind, or whether her own frustration and rage that was scaring her. After all, she’d be delighted to take out some of the past few day’s aggression on her tormentor, even if she didn’t feel right about wailing on a bunch o’ kids. But give her some alone time with Amahl… And reading her thoughts the malicious, smoke-like creature backed into a corner, earning a snicker from the Jean-alike and a vicious look from Marie. “I had expected someone more… controlled. Together…” the girl muttered, her voice thoughtful. “From what he said, I knew the feral was taken with you, but still… Perhaps you have some sort of mutation that makes you so attractive, eh, big brother?” And she gestured suddenly over her shoulder, the motion sweeping. Vicious. Immediately a dark shape fell forward in front of Marie, its back hunched as if receiving a beating. Its muttered curses enough to assure Marie it was a man.

The children around her gave a collective gasp then. Scattered. Marie couldn’t help but be reminded of a pack of rats, running from the light.

The man dropped to the floor with a painful thud. Marie tried to reach for him despite herself and the Jean-alike immediately gestured again, raising the man aloft, his arms and legs spread out as Logan’s had been during the Battle of Smokey. His head hanging against his chest. He tried to move, hands lolling helplessly from side to side, and Marie felt another surge of pity: Every visible inch of the man’s body was covered in bruises and burns, his filthy hair caked in blood- His red-and-black eyes pleading-

What the Hell?-

And then she heard it.

“Marie?” Remy whispered, his voice rough and broken. His words like a shiver down her spine.

“Remy?” she whispered, her heart freezing for a second. “Jesus, Remy, is that you?”

The reaction of immediate. “Who de Hell else you think it gonna be?” her husband snarled through bloodied lips. “Fucking Santa Clause?” And he began struggling against his invisible bonds, ignoring the Jean-alike girl’s snickers. “What you doin’ here, woman? Ah thought you’d be safe with Logan! Ah swear, Ah’m gonna flash-fry dat worthless fils de pute feral for not keeping an eye on you-”

Despite their situation, Marie felt her temper kick in. Only person could push her buttons better than Remy was Logan, everyone knew that. And besides, if he was here she had an idea- “What the Hell d’ya think you’re talking about, Remy Etienne LeBeau?” she growled, her eyes flashing. Not even bothering to look at the Jean-alike for permission, and began poking him in the chest as she snapped at him. The girl looked on in amusement at the fight. “Where the Hell d’ya get off yelling at me?” she demanded. “Did Ah disappear off without a word after mah mutation came back? Did Ah screw anything in a skirt ‘tween here and Meridian for the last four years-”

“No, chere,” he interrupted, “You just screwed dat claw-popping mor-ceau de merde like you always wanted to.” His smile turned venomous. “You might wanna talk to someone ’bout dem Daddy Issues, chere-”

“And ya might wanna talk t’someone ‘bout all those performance issues, mon amant-” The look he shot her was so insulted it was almost comical- “Because let me assure you, Ah didn’t go looking for affection elsewhere until you started tom-catting ‘round like a dog in heat-” She was close enough to touch his face by now, her anger still filling her mind enough (she hoped) to cloud her thoughts to others. At least Remy didn’t seem to have a clue…Though that wasn’t exactly new… “Ah put a ring on mah finger,” she continued, breathless, “Ah made you a vow-” and she held the finger in question up before his face, her eyes alight with excitement- “So why don’t you just shut the Hell up and accept that this was your fault, darlin‘?”

And quick as lightning she reached out and smacked Remy’s bare cheek with her un-gloved hand, the contact so quick nothing should have come of it-

Except that the New Reliable had other plans.

Plasma charging plans. Let’s get the Hell outta Dodge plans. Because ever since Logan’s mutation had become permanent she’d been faster, stronger, more lethal: Acquiring a useful mutation took only a second of contact to kick in and then it was good times all the way. Marie looked down for a second, hiding her face behind the veil of her hair, as her eyes turned black and red, every one of the stolen mutations the New Reliable had decided to keep in her crackling into life-

It all happened kinda fast then.

She felt Gambit’s power spilling into her, his essence flowing through her veins like lightning and caffeine, all sharp and brilliant and glittering. Completely Remy LeBeau. She did her best to deny the rush of emotions and memories, always the most disorientating element of taking a power, but she couldn’t help the few that bubbled into her mind unbidden. They were mainly fear and darkness at the hands of the Jean-alike but there were others- Her own face bloomed in her mind but she pushed the memory away- Instead she concentrated on the way the power he held spread downwards through her hands, through her fingers. The energy itching, pulsing, dancing. The explosiveness of its potential making her skin burn.

And without a second’s hesitation she grabbed the Jean-alike by her long red hair, spinning her so that the girl had her back to her and she could snake an arm around her throat, another grabbing her hands.

Immediately the children charged forward, the four copies of Scott she’d seen earlier leading the vanguard but Marie didn’t even hesitate. Instead she summoned every ounce of power she’d drained from Remy and forced it into the girl’s body, charging her like Remy would have charged a playing card. The power crackling like lighting across the younger girl’s skin and making the hair on her arms stand on end. One of the little boys aimed a beam of red energy at her and Marie summoned Kurt’s mutation, disappearing and reappearing a second later behind them. She did it three times before she could switch the damn thing off. She was a little too near the child who looked like Emma Frost and immediately the little girl turned on her, her hands instantly melding into diamond-sharp talons but Marie twisted away. Without even thinking about it Logan’s training kicked in and she dropped gracefully, still taking the young girl with her, swinging her weight and then viciously slamming a fist into the child’s torso, winding her. Another one of the Cyclopes clones took aim and she closed her eyes, picturing a shield: Immediately one of JJ’s thought-forms enveloped her, taking the form of giant feathered wings just like Warren used to own. The beam bounced harmlessly off them and Marie forced herself to her feet, charging for Remy, still dragging her red-haired hostage. She suddenly realised that JJ’s mutation had granted her thought-form claws when she totalled the work-bench beside her though she thought she’d steered clear of it. With claws Logan’s training came more easily and she ducked and dived, breaking apart weaponry though refusing to damage the kids themselves. The Jean-alike didn’t even struggle-

“You’re letting me an’ mah darlin’ husband outta here,” Marie muttered, “Or so help me, Ah’m gonna blow Little Orphan Jeannie here to kingdom come-”

But the girl did nothing, merely whispered one word. Her eyes shining.

“Father,” was all she said.

Suddenly the world went black.

Marie felt something, something like a damp, dark shadow reach into her mind. Her heart. Her- Her soul. She tried to fight it, but just like Amahl it got inside her, whispering obscenities and profanities. Making her feel like there was nothing but dirt underneath her skin. From far away she thought she could hear Remy calling to her, trying to rouse her, but she couldn’t reach out for him. She was helpless- Sweet Jesus she hated being helpless- Something bigger ‘n nastier than Victor Creed or Eric Lensherr spreading through her body like a poison. Taking heart and mind and making it his. Marie cried out as she fought it, terrified as ever of what it would do if it got back to Logan but try as she might it overwhelmed her- A broke-down heart-wrung memory of something that walked like it was a man- Something that she recognised from Logan’s memories of Project Witch-Breed, at the beginning of this whole mess. But her mind wouldn’t focus clearly on who it was. She tried to force herself to her feet, tried to focus on her feelings for Wolverine because they always gave her strength but nothing worked. Nothing. Registered dimly that she’d stopped fighting but she couldn’t help it. Couldn’t fight it. Couldn’t even care that she‘d stopped. Her arms released the Jean-alike without her telling them to, her eyes going dead and cold. Her heart might have stopped beating if the thing beneath her skin told it to, and Marie knew she had no control over it. Had no way to fight. Warm hands moved over her but she was numb to them, numb to everything. She was on her back, eyes black and red and shining-

And when she opened her eyes she knew that clarity in her head was finished. Knew that once again her mind was not her own. She didn’t want to say it but her voice did it of it’s own volition.

“Father,” she said, “Ah wanna speak to Father-”

Warm arms embraced her even as they chilled her. Someone was holding her from behind, like she was a very little girl and he cared about her. It was comforting and terrifying all in one. “Ah, my little Marie,” a familiar voice whispered behind her. “You’ve finally come home.” And then she felt rather than saw a hand close around her wind-pipe. Felt mind and body and even breath surrendering to the thing that held her in its arms.

The last thing Marie would register, before the darkness took her, was an image in her head of a man with hazel eyes and claws. He looked- jeez- he looked worried about her.

But she gave that memory up along with all the others as darkness claimed her.

She might have cried as it happened, she wasn’t sure….

Logan sat bolt upright in the Blackbird, his claws popping. “Marie?” he muttered, “Darlin’?” A beat of silence as Kitty stared at him. And then-

“That sonofabitch,” he snarled.