Title: So Dream While Secrets of Darkness Unfold
Author: Morgana (morganalebeau@yahoo.com)
Website: http://www.oocities.org/morganalebeau/
Rating: NC-17
Pairing / Main characters: Gambit/Essex, no slash
Series/Sequel: complete
Summary: Remy unexpectedly finds himself in the nineteenth century where he runs in to Essex. Confused to why he has been sent back in time, he tries to stop Apocalypse from getting to Essex and changing Essex in to Sinister. A lot of unexpected things happen...
Disclaimer: Marvel's...
Archive/distribution: Yes, just drop me a note telling me where you're archiving it.
Warning: some violence
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So Dream While Secrets of Darkness Unfold 1
By Morgana
Hush - lay down your troubled mind
The day has vanished and left us behind
And the wind - whispering soft lullabies
Will soothe - so close your weary eyesLet your arms enfold us
Through the dark of night
Will your angels hold us
Till we see the lightSleep - angels will watch over you
And soon beautiful dreams will come true
Can you feel spirits embracing your soul
So dream while secrets of darkness unfoldLyrics and music by Secret Garden
Remy LeBeau put up the collar of his long trench coat, cursing the pouring rain that slipped inside his clothes and dripped down his hair. What the hell was he doing on the streets in weather like this? What had driven him to leave the warm of the boathouse?
The truth was that he didn't know. He had been trying to solve a crossword puzzle when an unstoppable urge had forced him outside. After an one hour drive he had hit the streets of New York in search of something he couldn't name. All he knew was that he was meant to be here.
Looking up, several heavy raindrops splashed on to his face. He shivered, hoping he wouldn't catch a cold. Mon Dieu, how he hated colds since Antarctica!
"Now what? What am I doing here?" Standing near a deserted alley, he questioningly looked about. This was stupid! He should return to his car and drive back to the boathouse. At least he would be warm and dry there.
The streets were deserted and the loneliness of the place started to affect him. He had never wanted to be an empath, but the X-factor had given him that power nonetheless.
The empathy had given him much grief through the years. It had been a shock, realizing that some people were downright evil. By the time that Jean-Luc had taken him in, he had lost all faith in humanity. Jean-Luc had restored it through years of hard work, dedication and unconditional love. Even now, banished from New Orleans, his father regularly called him on the phone.
"Merde, it's time to go home..." Home... The word tasted empty. Westchester wasn't home any more and he wasn't sure where, and if, he would ever again find a home. He wasn't sure it mattered any more.
He was a loner, always had been and doubted that would ever change. Being with Rogue had made him more sociable for a while, but now that they were no longer together, he was spending his time on his own again.
Unexpectedly he came to a stop. He had continued to walk without realizing the direction he was heading in. He suddenly found himself on a cemetery, an old and deserted graveyard. The graves and tombstones looked neglected, the writing fading with time.
Remy shivered. He didn't want to be here. Although the dead didn't radiate any emotions and left him and his empathy alone, he still felt uncomfortable, like an intruder.
Involuntarily he took a step closer to the main path, and another, and another. Something pulled him forward. Unable to stop the motion, he gave in after a short struggle. Whatever was pulling his strings was stronger than he was.
He came to a halt in front of a grave, located at the back row of the cemetery. Bushes and the branches of a small tree obscured the headstone. Suddenly his gloved hands moved, touching the wet leaves and wood. He started to uncover the headstone and suddenly his eyes widened in shock. Like bitten by a snake, he quickly stepped away from the grave, letting the leaves cover the writing again.
"Non, non..." He fiercely shook his head. "Should have known this was your doing..."
He forced himself to calm down and once more uncovered the writing. He barely registered the cold rain that was pouring down on him. His eyes were solely focused on the grave in front of him. His eyes devoured the writing, making him shake with chills of disbelief.
Here lies Nathaniel Essex, beloved father of Adam, husband to Rebecca, friend and lover.
Let your arms unfold us through the dark of night.
Rain dripped down his face, as he read the words over and over again. "Non, Nathaniel Essex is Sinister and Sinister is very much alive. This is a farce, a lie..." Throwing back his head, he screamed at the heavens. "Sinister, why are you doing this to me? Can't you leave me alone? Didn't you hurt me enough? Why drag me out here to find this empty grave?"
Suddenly a branch snapped behind him and he turned around just in time to see two red eyes staring at him from the thundering rain. Then, everything turned to black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cold... Cold and wet... Those were the first two things to enter his mind when the darkness lifted. Then flashed the two red eyes in his memory. Merde, Sinister was close! What was he doing on the cold, wet ground? He must have fainted, but couldn't figure out why. He was in a good shape and there was no reason why he should lose consciousness like that!
Opening his eyes, he still found himself on the graveyard, but it had started to snow some time ago. The graves and headstones were covered in a thin layer of ice and snow. Just how long had he been unconscious and why hadn't Sinister taken advantage of his vulnerable state? He had expected to find himself in the scientist's lab.
But apparently Sinister had left him alone and only God knew why. No longer questioning his luck, he pushed himself to his feet. He shivered and his teeth chattered due to the cold. When had the temperature dropped like that?
Remy checked his watch. He arched an eyebrow, finding it had stopped. This got weirder with every passing second!
Opting for action, he marched away from his startling discovery and headed for the gate. How can Sinister's grave be in New York? And it read Nathaniel Essex. Why did Sinister want me to find it and why did he leave like that? I don't get it.
A throbbing headache was pounding away behind his temples and he removed the sunglasses. He indulged himself in rubbing his brow and eyes for a moment, then wanted to slip the sunglasses back on, but his jaw almost hit the floor at the scene in front of him.
A few coaches and carriages were moving down the badly illuminated streets. All cars had mysteriously disappeared. The asphalt was gone, there was just a brick road instead. The stores had changed as well. A man lit the lights and the candles radiated a spooky glow. He quickly dropped his hair in front of his eyes when the man approached, who wished him a good evening and told him in a kind voice to go home. It wasn't safe on the streets at night.
Remy waited for the man to pass and then walked up to one of the stores, which was dark inside, but his alien eyes searched the darkness. It seemed to be a grocery store, selling items that were no longer available. How come they were for sale here?
"Hear, hear, the clock strikes ten. All you good folks go home now. Hear, hear, the clock strikes ten. The streets aren't safe at night. Go home."
Remy hadn't seen the man walk up to him and he quickly scooted back in to the deserted alley. His heart pounded in his throat and his mouth had gone dry. Mon Dieu, this couldn't be happening!
Looking down, his breath caught. He only now noticed that something had happened to his jeans and trench coat. They were gone! Slacks and a long woolen coat had replaced them! His sneakers were gone and he was wearing boots now.
"Merde, what happened? What did I get myself in to this time?" Remy carefully looked about, reassured when the streets appeared empty. The wind blew a piece of paper in to his direction and he picked it up, curiously searching for the date.
London, August 4th, 1859.
Oh non... Merde...fuck! Non, that means... means I went back in time... that's impossible... Am I really in London now? How did I get from New York to London? Who's behind this? Well, strictly speaking time travel is possible, but why me? Worried, Remy continued to scan the paper. His eyes froze, coming upon a very familiar name. Adam Essex' obituary. Essex' son had died last week.
He didn't know that much about Essex, the man who had later become Sinister. Xavier had once told him that Essex used to be a respected physician, that was until his son Adam died. Obsessed by restoring life to his son, Essex had lost his wife and unborn child in the process, driving him right in to the hands of Apocalypse.
That means he's still Essex in this time. Apocalypse hasn't found him yet. What do I do? Why am I here? The possible answers scared the hell out of him. Was he here to stop Essex from becoming Mister Sinister? Was he here to stop Apocalypse?
His head was reeling and he leaned against the cold wall. The grave, he had to go back to the graveyard! But no, the grave he had seen was in New York... What would he find in London?
Cautiously he sneaked back on to the graveyard, which was deserted. Not many people dared to enter it at night when it was cloaked in darkness. Remy shook his head, knowing he didn't have anything to fear from the dead.
Watching closely, he realized that this was a different graveyard, not the one he had seen back in New York. At the gate, it said, Highgate Cemetery and he knew he hadn't seen that gate in New York.
Chills ran up his spine, making him shiver. He marched toward the graves, trying to read the inscriptions. He passed the first few graves, not recognizing any names and he continued until he hit a tomb at the back of the cemetery.
"Adam Nathaniel Essex..." Remy pulled his coat closer to his body. This was the tomb of Sinister's son! "So what the hell am I doing here?"
It was a magnificent tomb made from white marble. Two angels flanked it, and one angel's arms were raised toward the heavens. "Sinister must have cared... It's amazing he ever cared..."
Standing silently, he raised a hand, removed his glove and placed his fingers against the cold marble. He rubbed the marble, trying to listen for fading emotions or memories. Sometimes the spirits of the departed would come to him, using his empathy to contact him, but nothing happened this time. Adam had long moved on to the next plane of existence.
Remy shivered, put on the glove again and considered his next move. The money in his pocket and his credit cards were useless. He needed some money to survive in this time and place. Briefly, he grinned, glad that Jean-Luc had trained him well. As a thief, there were ample ways to acquire money.
He was about to turn away from the grave and head back to the main street when sounds coming from behind him drew his attention. Using a large headstone as cover, he hid behind it, watching the new arrival closely.
The man had short black hair, a moustache and his eyes glistened in the darkness. Something about the stranger appeared familiar to Remy, but he couldn't label it. Startled he realized that the man was heading toward Adam's grave. He should put more distance between them, but he didn't dare move.
The man stopped in front of the marble tomb and placed both hands against the stone. He rested his forehead against the inscription and released a deep sigh. Remy could barely hear the man's soft whispers.
"Adam, I miss you so much. I should have been able to save you. Why was I too late? Why didn't I know how to save you? Why did you die? I can't turn to Rebecca for comfort, she doesn't understand. It was my fault."
Remy flinched. Non, it couldn't be. Was this Essex? He searched for a way out. Looking at the gate he found that the caretaker was making a last round, joined by the warm light of his lamp. Merde, his exit was blocked!
"I'll find a way to bring you back to life, Adam," continued Essex. "One of my experiments will be successful and you'll live again."
Gooseflesh appeared all over Remy's body. Essex' grief and pain was very real; he didn't have to be an empath to sense the man's emotional distress. Recalling Xavier's words, he remembered that it had been losing Adam and Rebecca that had driven Essex in to Apocalypse's arms. Maybe he could stop that from happening in this time, in this alternate dimension or wherever the hell he was!
Checking the caretaker's position, Remy pulled further back behind the large headstone. He should put on his sunglasses to hide the glow from his eyes, but the movement might attract the caretaker's attention, or even worse, alert Essex!
Suddenly his eyes met the caretaker's. The elderly man yelled horrified, dropped his lamp and started running.
"The devil! Oh my God, the devil is desecrating the cemetery!" The caretaker screamed another warning, quickly disappearing from sight.
Alarmed, Essex spun around. Remy held his breath, realizing Essex had seen him. Merde, start running, LeBeau! Don't let Sinister get to you. You know what he's really like behind that mask of flesh. Remy quickly took several steps away from Essex, and headed for the gate, but his eyes widened, seeing the caretaker return with several men. The screams echoed through the dark night.
"The devil is here! It's the devil himself! I saw him, I swear I saw him! We need to chase him away." The caretaker uncovered a crucifix, holding it in front of him.
Remy was trapped. If he tried to leave the cemetery he would fall in to the mob's hands. If he tried to climb the wall he had to get past Essex first. Choosing the lesser one of two evils, he headed for the wall.
Essex' eyes locked with his and Remy found himself slowing down, until he came to a halt in front of Essex. Merde, why couldn't he move? Charles had once mentioned that he believed Sinister to have telepathic powers; the professor was right. He felt Essex touch his mind, keep him in place. But no! Essex wasn't a mutant! Apocalypse had changed Essex in to Sinister, had given Essex his powers. Essex couldn't be a mutant by birth! Shocked, Remy could only wait for Essex' next move.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Stop..." Essex frowned. The young man standing in front of him intrigued him. The glowing red eyes revealed panic and the youngster was desperately trying to break the mental hold, which kept him in place. He made his decision right there and then. "Come over here..." He removed his cape and draped it over the young man's shoulders. "Stay with me and hold your ground." A mutant! He had found one!
He had always known mutants existed. They were the next step in evolution. Darwin would never again laugh at him after he presented this specimen to the scholar. It was important that he didn't let this one get away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The devil!"
The screams shouldn't shock Remy, but they reminded him of the cruel words children had spat at him when he had lived on the streets. They had called him Le Diable Blanc, the devil's son. I just got promoted from the devil's son to being the devil himself. That bitter realization hurt. Suddenly Essex swung his cape across his shoulders and the physician pulled him close, folding one arm around him. What the hell...?
"Doctor Essex!" The caretaker now recognized one of the two men. "Be careful, it's the devil!" He pointed at the red eyes.
Remy shivered, feeling the tight hold Essex had on him. What was the man up to?
"This man is my patient. He suffers from a very rare eye disease. Come on, man, use your senses! This isn't the devil! The devil would never show himself to mortal men!" Essex closely monitored the mob, which was slowly calming down, even looking slightly guilty. "This man is my patient and I won't let you harm him!"
Remy's shivers grew worse; not from the cold, but from the protective tone in Essex' voice. He didn't doubt that Essex wanted him in his lab, running experiments on him. He had to get away the moment the mob had left.
"John, the man just lost his son... Let it go." One of the men addressed the caretaker.
Remy gasped, as Essex tensed up against him. Those words had caused Essex pain and the empath tried to keep out the sensation. It was a strange revelation; knowing that Essex had emotions. Sinister no longer had them; Apocalypse had taken them away.
"Please forgive us, sir. We thought..." The caretaker shrugged apologetically. "Of course you and your patient can leave." The mob stepped aside, creating a corridor.
"Let's go," whispered Essex in to Remy's ear. "Stay close. They might still change their mind."
Remy nodded, indicating he had understood, but he was already looking for a way out. He couldn't allow Essex to take him to his lab. Obediently he let Essex lead him on to the street. When the gate was behind them, he made his move.
Remy pulled away, surprising Essex and once he was free, he ran down the street, trying to keep as much distance as possible between them. Essex' footfalls sounded behind him. Merde, Essex wasn't letting him go. He was tempted to open his bo staff and use it to catapult himself over the wall, on to a roof and then continue his escape, but what if anyone witnessed him using the weapon? He didn't want the police breathing down his back!
He dove into an alley, past the surprised burglars who muttered startled curses and kept on running, not paying any attention to the burglars' threats. He had a head start on them and felt confident that they wouldn't come after him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Wait, stop! Don't run! I don't mean you any harm! I just want to help... and learn!" Essex was disappointed and furious at the same time. He had hoped the young man wouldn't run and now he was chasing a stranger through the deserted city. "Wait!"
Essex nearly lost his balance when he took a sharp turn. "Ouch..." Suddenly a hard body stopped him, sending him on to the cold pavement. Looking up, he stared in to the faces of five, obviously very pissed off, thieves. Yes, there was a good reason why all citizens were supposed to be t home during the night.
He pushed himself back to his feet. "Gentlemen, don't mind me. I'll just be on my way. I never saw you..." He hoped it would work.
But the thieves shook their heads. "I don't think so, mate," said one of them. "You've seen our faces..."
Although he still wanted to catch the young mutant, Essex realized the danger he was in and his only weapon was his walking cane. Could he take on the five thugs and come out on top? He had to try. "I'm not going down without a fight!"
The thieves grinned, uncovered their knives and circled him.
Essex swallowed hard. This was an unfair fight. He released a soft yelp when the first blade opened his skin, making him bleed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remy more sensed than heard Essex' pain and panic. Apparently the thieves had turned on Essex now that he was out of reach. He stopped, panting softly, trying to catch his breath. Merde, there had been five of them and he doubted Essex could take them on alone.
Looking over his shoulder, his alien eyes made out the form of six men in the distance. One of them was on his knees, arms wrapped around his chest. A cane lay useless on the pavement. Facing a dilemma, Remy wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
He should leave Essex there to die. The thugs would end the scientist's life and Sinister would never exist, would never get a chance to stage the Massacre, to ruin his life... But the screams continued. Essex wasn't screaming for help, he was cursing them for attacking him all at once. It wasn't fair. Essex didn't have a chance, he hated it when that happened.
Remy sighed and turned around. He couldn't do it. He couldn't leave Essex there to die, couldn't turn his back on someone in need; he simply couldn't. Cursing his weakness, he uncovered his bo staff and opened it. Within seconds he made his way back and attacked the first thug who was using Essex' own cane to beat the man.
I can't believe I'm doing this! I'm helping my worst enemy! It finally happened. I went insane... But he had to follow his heart and his conscience, and they told him that he was doing the right thing. He couldn't leave a man to die, not even if that man was his worst enemy.
Several minutes later he had taken down three of the thieves. He grinned; Jean-Luc would love this, taking down thieves in the nineteenth century.
"Let's get out of here. We can't win!" The remaining thieves quickly fled, not even looking over their shoulder to check on their fallen companions.
"Cowards..." whispered Remy. Within the Guild it was unheard of that fellow thieves deserted their comrades. A strangled cough caught his attention and he quickly raised his bo staff, ready to fight off an attacker.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You... came back... Why?" Essex coughed up some blood and wiped it away with his handkerchief. This young man mystified him. First he had tried to run and now he had saved his life, not that it was worth that much after losing Adam. He grabbed his cane and struggled to his feet. His savior moved away from him, obviously not trusting him. "I spoke the truth... I want to help..."
Essex ignored the aches and pain which he had suffered during the bout. Instead, he focused on the young man, whose eyes glowed with a frightening intensity. Fascinated by his discovery he took a step closer to the young mutant. He frowned as the other man stepped back. He was tempted to read the mutant's thoughts, but found a strong wall in place, one which he couldn't penetrate. Amazing, no one else ever managed to keep me out.
"We need to get off these streets. Please stay at my home for the night. It's near and we'll be safe there." Still frowning, he saw the rising panic in the young man's eyes. He doesn't trust me, but why? We just met. I have given him no reason to distrust me... Curious by now, he signaled his savior to follow him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remy didn't trust Essex at all and he would be damned if he accepted that invitation. Essex just wanted him in his lab, which was undoubtedly hidden under his house. "Non, I'm not coming with you." He knew better than to trust Essex.
"Then where are you going? Where can I find you to thank you for saving my life?"
Remy didn't like this one bit. "You don't need to find me." Hopefully he would find a way to return to his own dimension and in the meantime he planned on staying far away from Essex.
Unexpectedly Essex released a yelp as his right knee refused to carry his weight. He quickly sought out the support of the wall and leaned against it. "They kicked my knee several times. I hope I can make it back home without running in to their colleagues."
Remy couldn't believe the pitiful look Essex was giving him! Non, it wasn't his responsibility to get Essex home safely, it wasn't! Wasn't it bad enough that he had saved the man? His worst enemy?
"I hope it's not broken..."
Remy sighed. Merde, he cursed his conscience which was telling him that he couldn't let Essex roam the streets in this condition at night. "I'll take you home and that's it." When he saw the grin on Essex' face he wondered if he had been played.
"Thank you, my friend. I can never thank you enough for your kindness. I'm greatly indebted to you."
Remy just shivered and pretended he hadn't heard those words. He simply had to make sure that he didn't end up in the man's lab after delivering him at his doorstep. Essex arched an eyebrow when he wasn't offered a supportive arm, but that was where Remy drew the line. He wasn't going anywhere close to the man. "Use your cane."
Essex moved slowly and Remy bit his bottom lip impatiently, but he let Essex lead him through London's street. "I thought you said it was near?"
"It is." Essex smiled and pointed at the mansion to their right. "Here's the key. Please open the door. My fingers are bruised..."
Remy felt Essex' eyes in his back when he used the key to them let in. He quickly stepped aside, getting ready to leave.
"No, please wait and let me thank you properly. Wait."
"Non." Remy shook his head firmly. He wasn't staying.
"At least tell me your name," said Essex curiously. "I should be able to thank my savior properly."
"It's Remy..." Mon Dieu! What was he doing? Why had he given Essex that information? Stupid!
"Remy..." Essex frowned. "Thank you, Remy..."
Suddenly the corridor behind Essex came alive. A young woman was carrying a candlestick, illuminating part of the hall. She rushed toward the door. Her long dark hair obscured part of her face and she held one hand protectively in front of her belly. It didn't take Remy long to realize that she was pregnant. Was this Essex' wife Rebecca?
"Nathaniel! What happened? Are you bleeding?" She quickly moved in front of him, searching for injuries.
"I'm fine, woman, leave me be!"
Essex' irritated tone took Remy aback. Looking at Rebecca he saw a defeated expression in her eyes and he was tempted to reach out empathically, but didn't. He had to maintain the shields to keep Essex from searching his mind.
Essex suddenly turned about, pushed Rebecca out of his way and marched down the hall, apparently forgetting about wanting to thank him for saving him from the thieves. Remy was just in time to catch Rebecca and to prevent her from taking a fall.
"Thank you, sir..." she whispered the words softly and didn't make eye contact.
"You're trembling... Should you be on your feet and in the cold in your condition?" Remy felt awkward; she was holding on to him for support, her balance seemed gone. "At least let me make sure you sit down?" Merde, now he was entering the house after all!
"I had just gotten ready to go to bed when I heard my husband return home... I needed to make sure he was all right. Surely you understand, sir?"
Her soft voice called out to him. "Oui, I do, Madame." Remy folded an arm around her shoulder and took hold of her candlestick. "Where do you want me to take you?"
She sighed. "I don't have a choice, sir. My husband won't help me back to my bedroom and I'm in no state to make that journey myself."
"Your bedroom, then?" Remy closed the door behind him.
"Yes, sir. Although a lady shouldn't ask a stranger to..."
Remy realized how tired and exhausted she was and interrupted. "You can trust me, Madame. I won't betray your trust."
Hearing that, she seemed relieved. "We need to climb those stairs."
Remy stared at the staircase in disbelief. Rebecca's belly was huge and it was clear she was close to term. "You can't climb those stairs..."
"I have to... My bed's upstairs."
Remy sighed. Why did he have to get stuck with the damsel in distress? Why wasn't Essex taking care of his wife? "Hold on..."
Rebecca yelped when he lifted her in his arms. "Mon Dieu, you're heavier than you look."
"That's not what a lady in my condition wants to hear..."
"I apologize, Madame," said Remy sincerely. He carried her upstairs and followed her directions when she guided him to her bedroom. He gently placed her in the center of the bed and pulled the blankets on top of her body. "Are you comfortable, Madame?" Part of him still couldn't believe he was in the nineteenth century, looking after Rebecca Essex.
"Yes, I'm comfortable, thank you, sir." Exhaustion took over and her eyes closed.
Remy stood back and watched her sleep. She was carrying Essex' child and he knew the stillborn child would cause her death as well. He felt strangely sorry about that. Although he had only just met her, he instantly liked her.
Realizing how vulnerable she was made him angry with Essex for the way he had treated his wife. Pushing a pregnant woman away angered him. If he hadn't been there to catch her, something horrible might have happened. "Why don't you leave him?" But these were different times. She couldn't leave her husband.
Frustrated he descended the stairs again. A light at the end of a corridor drew him closer. He pushed the door, which was ajar, open, and stepped in to Essex' laboratory. At first he only encountered a shadowed darkness, some cupboards and cabinets had been placed against the wall. Further down, he found a scientist's table with bubbling liquids. Why was he continuing? He should be back on the street by now, not spying on Essex!
"Ah, there you are! I knew you wouldn't leave like that." Essex grinned and approached him.
Remy involuntarily moved back. This antique lab reminded him too much of Sinister's modern one where he had been strapped to the exam table so Sinister could operate on him. Anger snapped inside him. "What are you doing down here, homme? Your wife needs you! What do you think you're doing, pushing her around like that!"
Essex' face suddenly hardened. "Rebecca is none of your business. I'll treat her as I seem fit. I have my reasons for ignoring her."
"But she's pregnant! That push could have resulted in a fall and you could have lost her and the baby!" Remy wasn't giving up yet.
"I don't want the child, never did. I only wanted Adam." Essex turned his back toward Remy. "I do not wish to talk about this any longer."
"I just don't get it. You lost one child, why don't you want this one? The baby could take Adam's place," reasoned Remy.
"No one can take Adam's place! And certainly not this baby! It's a girl! A girl! My Adam would have been my heir, would have grown up to become a respected physician and this girl..."
Remy flinched hearing the loathing in Essex' voice. "You'll lose Rebecca over this and then what will you have left? You'll be all alone." And an easy prey for Apocalypse!
But Essex wasn't interested in pursuing this conversation. "That is none of your business. Either you leave or you stop addressing this subject."
Remy wavered; what should he do? At least while he was close he could keep an eye on Essex and watch out for Apocalypse. "What are you doing down here?"
"Ah, I know it would pique your interest, my young friend. This is my laboratory. You see, I have this theory that people are evolving in to higher beings with special powers, like us. I can read minds and you... I'm not sure yet what you can do, but you're the first to stop me from reading your mind. Your eyes, do they have special powers?" He didn't wait for an answer and raved on. "With his Theory of Evolution, Darwin claims that all creatures are somehow related, coming from different branches of an ancient father. He believes that Evolution will take small steps in even slower mutations, that will take centuries to make some change that could be noticed in a living being. I disagree: every human has something inside him, what I call the Essex Factor, that, if mixed with another "superior" human being, could create great mutations in two generations. Well, Darwin laughs at my theory, but once I present these new beings, these strong mutants, to him, he'll have to acknowledge that I was right!"
A pitiful moan coming from the bowels of the basement made Remy shiver. "And you're experimenting on people?" Mon Dieu, Essex had been an abomination as a human as well. He had fooled himself in to believing that he could stop Essex.
"People? My friend, these are convicted criminals. Their minds are nothing like ours!"
The moan changed in to a yelp of pain. "But they feel pain just like us."
"No, they imitate our reactions. They don't feel at all. Come, let me show you." Essex signaled him to follow.
But Remy wasn't so sure he should 'trust' Essex at all. He wanted to stay here, close to the exit, but the moan and yelps of pain increased. The pain battered against his shields and he couldn't turn away. At least he had to try to help. In the end, he followed Essex in to one of the many corridors. The stench of sweat and the sensation of pain almost made him nauseous. "What are you doing to them?"
"I doubt you possess the necessary knowledge to understand. I could explain everything to you, but..." Essex grinned triumphantly as he presented his experiment to his guest. "Currently he's the only one undergoing this treatment. But my men are already searching the prisons for suitable candidates."
Horrified Remy stared at the elderly man, strapped to the table. "What are you doing to him?"
"Replacing his blood. I managed to identify certain aspects in his blood and I'm replacing them. He should be a different person after this treatment."
Remy blinked. The prisoner's eyes fastened on his and the old man begged him to stop his torment. "Essex, stop it, and let the man go."
Essex arched an eyebrow. "I can't and I won't."
"You said you're indebted to me. I want you to set this man free." Remy's eyes glowed dangerously. He would spring the old man if necessary. "You're trying to make a mutant... You can't do that. You should be upstairs with your wife, not down here playing God."
Essex seemed perplexed. "Even if I let him go, the treatment has to be finished first or he'll die."
His empathy made Remy reach out. He rested a hand on the prisoner's shoulder and whispered, "I'll get you out, I promise."
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Essex felt confused and even angry. He had hoped this young man would understand, but Remy had demanded his subject's release. Why couldn't Remy see how important this was?
He was on his way to let Remy out and the younger man seemed very eager to leave, but then Remy shot a look upstairs and he saw the concerned expression in the red on black eyes. Rebecca, why was she important to him? Did he feel a sting of jealousy? "Will you join us for dinner tomorrow evening? Rebecca will love some company."
Remy wavered; he was already spending way too much time with Essex. "I ain't sure."
"Please, it would be my way of thanking you." Essex watched Remy closely. When he tried to read the young man's mind, he saw the frown on Remy's face. He had been detected. "I'm sorry, I was trespassing, but you intrigue me. I'd love to learn more about you."
The only reason why Remy was considering accepting the invitation was Rebecca, then he could make sure she was doing fine. He shuddered, thinking of her alone in this mansion. What if she went in to labor while Essex had locked himself up in his laboratory? "I'll be there..."
"Thank you, my friend." Pleased, Essex opened the door to let Remy out. "About eight?"
Remy nodded. He started walking, mind already set on acquiring money and after that an apartment. He needed a place to stay.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few hours later he smiled and made himself comfortable in the big four poster bed. Stealing some jewelry from a local museum and finding a fence had been easy. The criminal circuits worked the same way in every age. He had checked in to a first class hotel and decided to go apartment hunting in the morning. Now that he had the cash an apartment would come easy.
Staring at the ceiling, he mentally reviewed everything he had been through these last few hours. He was most curious to find out who had send him back in time to meet Essex and would this person send him back once his work here was done? What exactly was he supposed to do? Essex, still human, was already a monster and he pitied poor Rebecca. She was an innocent victim in this game.
He missed modern day inventions, like TV, radio, cars and cigarettes. Looked like he was forced to kick the smoking habit. Sighing, he rolled on to his right side. He felt tired and confused. Why had he accepted that invitation? Oh yeah, so he could check on Rebecca. The poor woman would die soon.
Forcing himself to stop thinking in circles, he fell asleep, dreaming of deserted graveyards and red eyes that were watching every move he made.