Disclaimer: Marvel owns the X-men, Starjammers, Marauders, Sinister and everyone else in the known Marvel universe that are in this story. I am not making any money or profit, (but I can dream ) so don't sue the author.



The Cold Hearted Truth
CHAPTER FIVE
Kaleidopy


SINISTER'S BASE

" Drink it!" The man repeats himself for the fifth time.

" Non!" Remy grins back at him. He still couldn't get out of the bed, but he was enjoying pushing Sinister's medical associates
around. This was the third man trying to get him to drink something. He looks up at the man glaring down at him. " Ain' nothin' y'can do 'bout it."

" No, but I can!" A voice replies entering the room. He glares at the associate in the white lab coat. " GET OUT!"

The man suddenly puts the mug down on the table and leaves the room, but not before Sabertooth snarls at him. " Was it
something I said." He walks over to a very tense Gambit. " Scared of me, aren't ya kid?" He bares his claws in front of Remy. "
Gonna be using these real soon," Creeds starts to laugh. " Being on the side of the Angels isn't what it's cracked up to be, is it,
LeBeau."

" Leave me be, Creed."

" Summer's and his buddies must be having a good laugh at your expense right now? Wonder if they took bets on what time
they thought you would die on that ice." Creed creeps closer and baits him. " Rogue probably already got herself another punk
to string along by now."

Remy grabs the mug and tries to charge it, only to discover he doesn't have the strength to use his powers. Sighing he drops the
mug.

" Face the facts, boy, those so-called friends of yours did a number on you. " Creed laughs as he props himself up against the
wall. " The only difference between them and me is, I don't pretend to be something I ain't."

Remy didn't respond, instead he closes his eyes and shakes his head.

" Truth hurts doesn't it, LeBeau?" Sabertooth walks over and picks up the mug. Looking at it carefully, he suddenly crushes it in
his hands. " You understand why I hate them now?"

" Why y' tellin' Gambit dis, Creed?" Remy eyes him suspiciously. " Y' don' like me an' Gambit don' like y'."

" Oh, I think you're a snot nose punk, kid," Creed admits. " But I have no love for the X-men either. In fact, I have no love for
Nathaniel Essex for that matter. That one, I would love to get my claws into his,"

" CREED!!!"

Sabertooth turns around to see the angry glare of Sinister. Creed only shrugs before deciding to leave the room. He only takes a
few steps before he is thrown against the wall by an unknown force. Pinned down, he feels pain shoot into his body. As the
agony increases, Sabertooth's eyes grow in rage, he refuses to cry out. " Release me before you make me mad, Sinister."

" Well," Essex shoots another energy beam out of his left open palm. " Get mad." He laughs.

Remy sits on the bed watching the two engage in battle. Smiling to himself, he was secretly enjoying the battle, but he knew who
would be the victor. Defying Sinister meant paying a high price for the effort.

The battle over suddenly, Sinister turns his attention to Gambit. " My associates are not here to amuse you Remington," He
steps over Creed's unconscious body. " Either your appetite will return immediately or I will force feed you myself."

Gambit lowers his head as Sinister stands next to him. " Why y' care f' Gambit, Essex? I mean nothin' t' y'."

" Nothing can be further from the truth, my child." Sinister pats him on the back before leaving. " You need not know the
reasons behind my motives but know this," He adds. " Sinister cares for you."

Gambit couldn't believe what he had just heard. He smiles slightly as Creed's body is dragged out of the room. Perhaps being
considered the son of Essex wasn't so bad after all. But on the other hand, it would mean never returing to the X-men. They
were his family now, and Xavier, a father figure he could look up to, Sinister could never convince him otherwise.



ABOARD THE STARJAMMER


" Scott, you haven't said a word since we left the mansion."

" What do you want me to say, Bobby?" Cyclops shouts angrily at the younger man. " Do you want to hear me say that if I
could get my hands on Sinister right now, I would kill him." He stands up and looks at the others. " I hate that man for what he
has done to me and my family and yes, so help me God, if I see him, I will kill him."

" Hey Cyke," Logan calls from across the ship. " I know yer mad and upset right now, but you gotta pull yer self together. You
won't be any help ta us if yer not thinkin' right."

" You should talk, Wolverine." Scott glares at him. " You plan on shaking Sabertooth's hand when you see him." He notices the
angry look on Wolverine's face. " I thought so!" He heads for the cock pit. " Keep your nose out of my business," He shouts. "
All of you."

" You know something, Drake," Wolverines glares back at Iceman. " You got a way about you that brings out the worse in
people."

" I thought that was you, old man." Bobby laughs.

" Watch yer mouth, kid!" Logan growls. He begins to pace heavily.

" You need more fiber in your diet, Logan." Drake needles him. " Help your disposition."

" Logan!" Rogue grabs Wolverine and holds him from attacking Iceman. " The boy just foolin' ya, aren't ya Sugah."

" Sorry Logan, I didn't mean anything, just trying to lighten the mood." Drake admits. " You know me."

Warren walks over to Wolverine and Rogue. " We have to get our heads together, we are going up against the marauders,
remember." He glares over at Bobby. " You need to grow up real fast, Bobby." He nods in Cyclop's direction. " I am going to
see if I can talk to Scott."



SINISTER'S WAR ROOM


" I am getting tired of sitting here and doing nothing." Riptide tells the others in the room. " I say we attack the X-men now and
stop pussy footing around."

" I'm with you." Harpoon replies. " Since when do the Marauders have to wait to attack an enemy?"

" Since I am paying you, Harpoon, you will take orders when and where I tell you." Sinister walks in and slangs the unconscious
body of Sabertooth across the room. " Anyone else care to follow his lead?"

Arclight walks over to Sabertooth and looks down at him. " Not as tough as you think you are, are you, Creed." She smiles
before spitting on him.

" Philippa, at least you can pretend you are a lady in my presence." The Scientist tells Arclight. He turns to the others in the
room. " We can expect uninvited guests in about an hour. It seems the X-men have allies who own a ship that is using a cloaking
device." Sinister notices Creed coming back to consciousness, waiting until the huge mutant gets to his feet, he continues. " I
want these intruders taken alive." He turns to leave. " I have need of more specimens for my research. Capture them and bring
them to my laboratory."

" ESSEX!!!"

Sinister turns, " What is it Creed? I have work to do."

" You ever lay a hand on me again, I will make you pay dearly." Sabertooth glares. " And I do have the means to carry out that
threat."

" Indeed!" Sinister folds his arms. " My dear Creed, I spared your life for a reason, do not make me regret doing so." With
those last words he leaves the room.



THE MANSION


" Professor, I am worried about Scott." Jean sits down in the study. " He seemed so distant before he and the others left." She
sighs deeply. " I don't know what to do."

" Scott is going after revenge, Jean." Xavier tells her. He puts his head into his hands. " He totally ignored me when I asked him
to talk to me." Charles sighs. " In fact, he told me to stay out of his life."

" It's Sinister! What he has done to the Summers." Phoenix shakes her head. " I wanted to go on this mission, Charles."

" Jean, you are needed here. Storm is going to need all the help she can get to defend the mansion against the marauders."
Xavier takes her hands into his. " We must have faith in Scott."

" Scott has been through so much with that evil maniac." Jean says. " I don't know how much more he can take."

" I am also concerned about Gambit. I had a hard time trying to read him before, but now it is almost like he doesn't exist." He
closes his eyes. " Jean, I fear Sinister is going to try to turn Remy against us."

" I feel the same way, Charles." She admits. " I have been trying to scan Remy for hours and I can not get a reading, that force
that you were telling us about earlier has grown stronger."

" I am seriously thinking about calling Emma. She could help us locate him and Sinister."

" Betsy is on her way home, another telepath will only aid our cause." She sits up. " I have told her what has happened and she
wants to help."



SINISTER'S BASE


" I don't think you need to be up."

" Tired of stayin' in bed." Remy walks slowly over to Sinister. He suddenly lost his balance and Essex grabs him to keep him
from falling. Remy regains his composure. He looks up at the one who had saved his life. He had to ask the one question that
was bothering him." Why y' save Gambit, Essex? Gambit turned his back on y' b'fore."

" Will my son do it again?" Sinister cups his hand under Gambit's chin and lifts it up to stare into his eyes. " Will you betray my
kindness again, child?"

" Non!" Y' be de only one who care 'bout Gambit." Remy closes his eyes. Remembering what happened in Antarctica suddenly
hits him. He feels a shiver go down his spine as those he thought were his friends left him to die. The emotions, he had long since
buried burst forth, " Why?" He asks in a quivering voice. " Gambit laid his life on de line f' everyone of dem and dey left me t'
die. Why?"

" Because they are jealous of you, my son." Essex tells him. " You never fully allowed them to know all your powers and
secrets, and for that they hate you." Sinister tells him. " They have always treated you like an outcast, have they not?"

" Oui" Remy whispers loud enough to be heard.

" And what about Xavier? The so called leader who unleashed Onslaught upon the world, the X-men will open their arms for
the man who would have murdered them had it not been for Bishop." He says. " Proof that the X-men are hypocrites when it
comes to protecting their own. Same could be said about Warren Worthington, Jean Grey-Summers as well."

" But,"

" Xavier knew of your past." Essex says. He knew he had Gambit's full attention. " Oh yes, he knew all about your alliance with
me, why else would he allow you to join his X-men. He tried to get into your mind to learn my secrets and he couldn't. You are
far more powerful that he could imagine."

" Essex, Xavier never,"

" Never entered your mind?" Sinister begins to laugh. " You foolish naive child, who do you think told Psylocke to enter your
mind when your were unconscious!" He laughs harder. " Boy, Xavier just used you to get at me. But his plan failed miserably
and his X-men under his orders turned on you. It was Xavier who was disguised as Erik The Red."

" Non, dat can' be true, Xavier,"

" Did you not tell Xavier about your involvement in the massacre and did he not promise to keep it a secret between the two of
you? Who else could it have been, child?" Sinister asks. " Xavier can not stand knowing that he has failed to destroy me, and
you are that constant reminder of his failure. Do you really think he would turn himself over to the authorities when he knows full
well, the humans rule the courts and he would never get a fair trial?" Essex continues. " No! He disappeared to plot his
diabolical plan against you and I."

" Y' coulda been Erik de Red," Gambit tells him. " Gambit heard Sinister's voice dere."

" Xavier has friends who can mimic voices, even Sinister's." Essex adds. " And what reason would I have to reveal your
association with me? True, I have gained much with the change of events, but would Sinister ever leave you to die?"

" Non."

" Xavier is not the saint he pretends to be." Sinister adds. " Not only is he guilty of being Onslaught, but look what he did to
Magneto. And now to you!"

" Xavier, " Remy pauses and then sighs. " Gambit only,"

" You wanted a family," Sinister interrupts him but continues to look into his eyes. " What have you gained by being an X-men,
my child? Nothing.!" He replies. " Remington, I am the only one you need."

" So y' forgive, Gambit?"

" And who's forgiveness do you beg, my son?" Sinister asks.

" Yours, Father." Remy responses softly. The word was not as hard to say as he thought it would be.

" All is forgiven, my child." Essex suddenly smiles slightly. " I have great plans for you, Remy. " He holds his hand out. " Place
your hand in mine." When Gambit hesitated, Sinister assures him. " You have nothing to fear, do as I command."

Gambit lays his hand on top of Sinister's, the second he does, a power surge goes through his body.

An evil smile creeps across the face of Sinister. " You have neglected your powers far too long, my son. You have grown
weak." He releases Gambit. " Your power potential has never been tested, come with me and I will make you powerful beyond
your wildest dreams."

"But de last time,"

" You lost control because Sinister was not there to shield you ," Essex places his arm around Gambit's shoulders. " You are the
surrogate son of Nathaniel Essex, and now it is time for you to take your place by my side."