The Cold Hearted Truth
Chapter Fourteen
Kaleidopy 

Remy doesn't hear Sinister's threat, he is basically in shock. It doesn't even register in his mind that Cyclops is screaming his name. It wasn't until Sinister swaps the side of his face with the back of his glove hand, did Remy come back to reality. He angrily slaps his father's hand away. " Y' t'ink Gambit believe y' do dat? If dat potion was addictive, den I'd already felt de symptoms." Remy suddenly begins to laugh, knowing full well that it will only succeed in making Sinister angrier. " Anymore lies y' gonna tell Gambit, Essex?"

" Essex? Remington," Sinister glares down at him. " I would have thought by now you would know how to address,"

" Oh Gambit knows what t' call y, Essex," Remy sarcastically interrupts him and even turns to look at the Marauders while talking. " Bet dey got a few t' call y' t'." He notices that Riptide suddenly started snickering " Y' like dat Quested, huh? den y' gonna like dis," Walking right up to Sinister, Remy threw all caution to the wind. " Y' ain' not'ing but a,"

" Silence your tongue!" Sinister suddenly strikes Gambit across the face with his back hand, sending him to the floor and landing at the feet of the Marauders. When Scalphunter reaches down to yank him up, Sinister stops him. " Leave him." The Marauder leader nods, he really has no intentions of helping LeBeau to his feet, he has something else in mind, but there will be another day for that plan to play out. Sinister glares down at his son, who is nursing his bleeding mouth. " Get to your feet and come before me." Essex barks out the order. He was determined to put a stop to his son's rebellious streak once and for all. " You will address me correctly and address me in that name from now on."

Remy lays on the floor on his side staring up at his father, he wipes the blood off his mouth and shrugs his shoulders as he gets to his feet. " What ever y' say," Remy smirks. " Essex."

Sinister, for his part tries to regain some of his lost dignity. Standing as straight as he cares, he folds his arms across his chest as Remy takes his time obeying him. Sinister reaches down yet again, grabbing Remy by the chin and forces him to look up into his face. Sinister lost no time wasting words. " Shall we continue this discussion without further interruptions, or shall I find your tolerance for pain?"

" Wouldn' dat b' child abuse," Remy flashes a sarcastic grin at him. " Father?"

Wolverine, unknown to the others could hear every word that was being spoken between Gambit and Sinister. His unique hearing alerts him of the danger that his friend was putting himself in, Logan growls as his efforts to destroy Sinister's shield dome is in vain. He notices that the Starjammers are getting just as frustrated as he is.

Corsair suddenly stops his attack and stands watching. Sinister turns to him, smiles the most evil grin that the Starjammer Captain has ever seen before Sinister sends out an electric charge into his son's body. Remy's scream shocks everyone into anger. " Damn you! Essex!" Corsair screams. Seeing that no progress is being made in deactiving the force field, he becomes frustrated. " Xavier, do something."

Sinister enjoys watching the events unfold. In his arms, he holds the one true possession that means anything to him and this time he is determined that it remains his. He chuckles at the defenceless X-men and Starjammers standing outside his protective field watching him. He had pulled the remaining Marauders into his force field, while the Starjammers and X-men were occupied with his recent treatment of his son, something that he knew would happen and turned to his advantage. Essex turns quickly around to the Marauders. " Sinister has reclaimed what was stolen." He walks towards the tesseract and was preparing to leave when he notices the force field just went down.

" Now, my X-men!"

Rogue and Cyclops rush forward, Rogue flies at Sinister, who quickly ducks as she flies over him. Laughing at her. " Child, your anger is only serving my purpose." He turns around quickly and comes face to face with Cyclops. " Scott, surely you would not risk attacking me without endangering your brother in the same process."

" Let him go, Essex, Remy knows you for the lair that you are." Scott tells him, while watching the Marauders out of the corner of his eye. " He belongs with us, as an X-men."

" So certain of that, are you Scott?" Sinister glances down at his son before returning his glaze to Cyclops. " Sinister knows the boy far better than you or your pathetic X-men will ever know him. I know his secrets, his needs and most importantly," Sinister makes a point to stare directly at Scott before speaking. " his fears."

" Fears!" Scott eyes his brother closely before glaring up at Essex. " For years you threaten me with my worse fears, I will not let you do the same to Remy."

" You are in no position to stop me, my dear Scott." Sinister eyes him with a glare that Scott knows all too well. Past memories of their encounters stirs anger in Cyclops that Essex, being the powerful telepath that he is, picks up those thoughts. " Have no fear Scott, I have no intentions of doing any scientific research on this child, that would make me a heartless monster, wouldn't it!" He almost had to stop himself to keep from laughing at Scott's irritating look at his snide remark. He instead addresses the matter at hand. " My son was a bad habit of annoying me and Sinister has had enough of it."

Scott angrily retreats a step or two backwards, keeping his eyes on Sinister all the time, waiting for the right moment when Sinister glances up at him, he yells. " Now!"

Bishop, pretending to still be unconscious, suddenly gets to his feet and pulls Remy out of Essex's gasp. It was embarrassing to the time traveling cop that the marauders had gotten the jump on him, with his training, he knew it should have never happened. " You lost, Sinister." He slides across the floor several feet away from Sinister and sits down on the floor. He holds Remy in one arm and pulls out a gun he has hidden in his boot with the other hand. Pointing the weapon in Sinister's direction, he yells. " Get out of here while you are still in one piece.

" Oh no, it does not end, X-men." Sinister eyes everyone in the mansion. He especially glares at the Starjammers. " Sinister doesn't know you but know now that you have a mortal enemy." He glances up at Charles. "And don't think you have won Charles. I do not give up so easily. You will not claim what is Sinister's."

" I have no claim on Remy," Charles glares down at Essex. He was thankful that none of his X-men were hurt. This was unusual for Sinister and the Marauders to attack the mansion without using their weapons or causing mass destruction. He knew the real reason why, but he wasn't about to mention it out loud for ears to hear.

Sinister eyes Xavier for a few seconds and then glances down at his son, who remains semi-unconscious in Bishop's arms. " I'll take what is mine, Bishop."

Bishop fires a warning shot at Essex's feet. " You take one more step in this direction and I will make sure you are crippled for life." He aims the gun again, ready to fire. " Just give me a reason,"

" I can take him, Boss," Scalphunter offers as he whispers quietly by Sinister. " One simple shot right between the eyes and he's dead."

" And my son?" Sinister glares back at the Marauder leader. His glaze makes Scalphunter retreat a few steps. Sinister raises his eyebrow before laughing in a mocking matter. " Do you actually believe that Sinister does not know how you and the Marauders feel about LeBeau?"

" We have no use for him." Scrambler suddenly stands by Scalphunter's side. He glances at Sinister's angry look, and then looks downward. " Just my opinion, Sir."

" And Sinister," Essex grabs Scrambler by the throat and shoves him down by the terrassace, " has no use for you." He turns around when he hears Gambit stirring. " Come Remington, it is time to go."

Remy didn't have time to answer as Bishop tightens his grip around his waist. " X-men do not turn our own over to you." The bigger man does not take his eyes off Sinister. He continues to hold his gun to make his point across to the Marauders, who for reasons he can not understand just stands around doing nothing.

" Are you willing to risk your life for these X-men who didn't give you a second thought in your recent absence?" Essex studies the X-man, he quickly notices an angry reaction he got out of Bishop. Smiling to himself, he adds. " Come now Bishop, surely you must have wondered why your friends never contacted any of their long list of mutant friends to search for you." Sinister continues to watch Bishop, searching for the one weapon he could use to strike. " Has the thought crossed your mind that the reason was your recent friendship with my son?"

" Don' listen t' him Bish," Remy glares up at Sinister, while trying to pull out of Bishop's grasp, but the big man was not about to release him. " Y' not'in' but a liar, Essex."

" Defiant as ever, aren't you, my son!" Sinister balls his hand into a fist, making it glow brighter than his own eyes. The second it does, Remy seems to go into a trance. " Enough of these games, come to me."

Remy makes a motion to move towards Sinister, but Bishop yanks him back. " What's the matter Sinister, can't make them stay so you use mind control?" Bishop struggles to hang on to Remy, while keeping his eyes on Sinister. " You are not getting him back."

" What an irony predicament for you, X-man!" Essex slowly raises his open palm in Bishop's direction. " Your self sacrifice will be all in vain."

" Put me down,"

" I want you to get a good view of New York, Harpoon." Angel continues to fly higher.

" What are you trying to prove, Worthington," The marauder begins to laugh. " How high you can stick your stuck up rich boy's nose in the air."

" No quiet." Angel soars even higher.

" I don't know what you are up too, but knock it off before I really get mad."

Warren ignores the man as his thoughts are on another matter.

" You trying to scare me, X-man?" Harpoon continues to laugh. " We both know you are not going to drop me, you goody two shoes X-men don't have the guts to do anything like that."

" Oh, I don't consider myself an X-men at the moment." Warren suddenly stops in mid air. " In fact, all I can feel is hatred for you and Blockbuster." Angel then opens his hands and drops the Marauder. " Kiss the earth for me, Marauder, may your soul forgive you because I never will."

BACK AT THE MANSION

Sinister stands ready to fire on Bishop as the horrified X-men and their allies stand defenseless, there is no way anyone of them can reach Bishop in time, at least that is what Sinister and the Marauders think, they forget to include one lone Starjammer. " Begone, Malice Creature!" Raza suddenly comes out of no where to grab Sinister by the throat and slings him into the terrassace.

The Marauders turn quickly and try to follow their master through the terrassace, but the Starjammers, Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, and Cyclops block off their escape route.

" Drop your weapons to the floor, or you will be on the floor." Corsair barks the order to the Marauders. He motions his son over. Waiting until Cyclop was within ear shot, he whispers. " You got a place for them."

" Plenty of room for all of them, I'll have Wolverine and the others to take them below," Scott answers quickly as he looks around the room. " I'm going to check on Remy."

" Raza, I want you and Ch'ad to stand guard watching the prisoners until we can decide what to do with them." Corsair yells out as he watches the group being lead away. Sighing deeply he didn't notice Hepzibah coming up behind him, until she wraps her arms around his waist.

" Well it took you long enough to do something," Bobby remarks as he makes sure Blockbuster was still unconscious. Glancing up at the group as they pass him by, he shouts at Raza. " Why do you wait so long?"

" I think Bobby, instead of complaining, you should be thanking Raza for his actions." Xavier tells his youngest student. He nods towards Jean and Betsy. " Are you two fully recovered from Sinister's blast?"

" Yes, but I am going to have one doosy of a headache later, Charles." Psylocke rubs her head. " Essex packs quiet a wallop."

Jean nods in acknowledgement of Charles' question. She quickly scans the rest of the X-men and Starjammers before speaking. " Everyone seems to be alright."

Scott turns quickly on his heels after his wife gives him an approval of everyone's health and assure him that no one was in danger, runs over to Bishop. " Thanks Bishop, I was beginning to wonder if you were really hurt." He stoops down and shakes Gambit. " Remy? You alright?"

Remy moans softly. " Don' say I told y' so, uh Scotty." He tries to get up, glancing around he realizes the reason why he is being held. " Hey, Bish, y' wanna let Gambit go, non."

Bishop slowly stands to his full height, he pulls Remy to his feet, looking down at him, " I think you need to let Hank check you over." He notices Gambit was about to protest, Bishop folds his arms. " Remy, I must insist that you accompany me down to McCoy's."

" Y' worry t' much, pup," Gambit breaks into a huge grin. " Y' know Gambit take anyt'ing dat's,"

" Yeah, yeah, yeah," Bishop interrupts him. " I've heard it all before LeBeau, you can handle anything thrown at you but this time it is different."

" Remy, we are only trying to make sure that you are alright ," Cyclops glances up to see his father approaching them. Seeing that he was not succeeding, he turns to Corsair. " Dad, maybe you can talk to him."

" William," Corsair pauses for a second after watching the smile disappear off Gambit's face. He reaches out and runs his hand through Remy's hair, taking his time as he does so. " I can see so much of Kate in you." Tears begin to form in his eyes, " You have her smile," Christopher then grabs Remy and pulls him into his chest, wrapping his arms around the son he thought was long dead. Gambit for reasons he doesn't understand, allows this stranger to hug him. Corsair speaks sadly." I only wish your mother was alive to see you, son."

"Y' tell me 'bout her, non" Remy almost whispers. He was having a hard time trying to hide his emotions. He catches his breath before he finishes. " Y' know what Essex did t' your, t' my," Remy finds he can not finish the sentence. " Y' know I'm not your son, why y' pretend when we bot' know de trut'?"

" I have you back, that is all that matters." Corsair releases him and places both of his hands on Remy's shoulders. " Your mother believed I was your father, and I consider you my son. I will not dishonor her memory by allowing Sinister to have that privilege."

" Y mebbe disappointed," Remy smiles slightly as he nods in Cyclop's direction. " I'm not'in' like Scotty."

" You can say that again," Bobby starts laughing. " Hey Remy, look on the bright side of all this, you can borrow all the money you want from Scott now without having to steal it." Bobby looks up at the balcony and gets a stern look from Xavier. " Sorry, inside joke."

" Remy," Scott moves closer to the duo, totally ignoring Bobby.. " I think when you have had enough time to calm down, you and I need to have a talk." He pauses for a few seconds almost dreading the reaction he knew he was going to get, " Big brother to little brother."

That did it, Bobby bursts out laughing, he couldn't stop. Even Bishop was trying to keep a straight face. Betsy quickly covers her mouth and gets a playful slap from Jean. Xavier clears his throat to keep from laughing himself, of all his students, the two who are polar opposites of each other turns out to be brothers. He smiles to himself, things are going to be interesting between them real soon.

Remy, himself is dumbfounded. Finally learning his true heritage is still unsettling to him. Knowing that Sinister is his father, is also something that he knows he has to live with, but the thought of Scott Summers as his brother sends a cold shiver down his back, no way is he ever going to live it down. He knows for a fact that Scott has always been tough with him, always wondering where he was and what he was doing, and now he knows it is going to get a lot worse. He would need a crowbar to keep Scott from sticking to him like glue.

" Remy," Scott's voice wakes him out of his day dream, " About Sinister, what was he talking to you about before we destroyed his force field? What ever it was, I know it upset you badly." Scott notices Remy's nonchalant look, he angrily raises his voice. " It's important, damn it."

" It can wait." Corsair interrupts his oldest. He manages to pull Scott into the embrace. " It can wait." He repeats himself barely in a whisper. Looking up he sees Hepzibah, smiling he mouths the words to her . ' I love you '.

" Christopher, my library is available," Charles offers. " I am sure that you and your family would like some privacy. I promise you that you will not be disturbed."

Corsair nods in acknowledgment. He, Jean, and his two sons try to enter the professor's private library.

" Hate ta interrupt ya'll but Ah wanna talk ta Remy," Rogue walks over to Gambit and Scott, who makes no attempt to move. Rogue clears her throat, when that didn't work, " Do Ah need ta draw ya a picture, Scott? Move ya butt!"

" Rogue, can't it wait?" Cyclops asks her. He knew Rogue would try to talk to Remy, but he was hoping the younger woman would wait until a better time. Scott, being the leader of the X-men, quickly thinks of an excuse. " Sinister might be planning an attack as we speak. I don't want him in the mansion and the X-men unprepared."

" Ah didn't make a request, Scott." Rogue eyes him sharply. She turns to Gambit, taking his hands into her gloved hands. " Remy, Sugah, ya know we gotta talk, don't ya?"

" Oui," Gambit admits. He already knew that Sinister was responsible for what happened in Antarctica, but he also knew Rogue, and she would want to know the truth of why she had been manipulated in the way she was. With her temper, he prays she doesn't take it out on him.

" Good, meet me upon th' roof in two hours." Rogue heads out of the mansion. " Spend ya some time which ya Daddy," She glances over at Scott. " And ya worry wart, brother." Rogue sees Scott give her a look. " Well, Sugah, ya know Ah'm right, ya worry ta much."

" Rogue, with yours and Remy's track record, I believe I have a reason to worry."

" Hey Scott, y' mind y' own business." Gambit speaks up. " Dis between Rogue and me." He smiles slightly towards Rogue. " Chere, Gambit b' dere."

Rogue turns to leave, but she is grabbed. " Whatcha want, Storm?"

" Come with me." Ororo walks outside the mansion and waits until Rogue joins her. " I wish to speak to you in private, so my garden so be more than a perfect place for us to talk." Once the two are well inside Ororo's gardens of vines and flowers, Storm turns around and stares at Rogue. " I don't know what you are up to Rogue, but I hope for yours and Remy's sake you do not open up new wounds." She eyes Rogue with compassion. " Both of you have been through so much, I do not want to see either one of you hurting again."

" This is between Remy and me, Storm." Rogue says as she fastens the buttons on her jacket. " Ah appreciate ya concern, but this is one time Ah'm asking ya, as mah friend, ta keep outta of it."

" I will not just stand by and watch two of my closest friends try to destroy each other, Rogue." Storm warns her. " Remy is not stable enough to handle a confrontation with you," She begins. " And you yourself are in no position to handle any more grief."

" Storm, Ah'm tellin ya for th' last time ta stay outta this." Rogue takes to the air and flies off leaving Storm eyeing her suspiciously.