POWER GAMBIT 3

NOTE Just back from a 3 day GIG FROM HELL! The roads were
a disgusting slush, the place was the arse of the universe, only
stinkier, the so-called hotel was a poky inn with only 1 bathroom
for 6 rooms and NO room service, the venue - HA! `venue' - was
a rotten little old cinema theatre that was so dirty we had to wash
the stage which was much too little for our equipment so we had
to use less than half of it and our engineer – he's great – wept
on the ruins of a once proud hand made sound system. The
owner of the place was oily and kept leering at my poor
Singingskull who complained he felt dirty to the bone until I
unsubtly told him to quit ogling MY axeman. The gig was Spinal
Tap and Comic Strip's Bad News together only much worse.
There were 2 boys and a dog and the boys – ugly - kept arguing
whose stupid idea it had been to come to the gig in the first
place and the dog cocked its leg at us. SO I WANT TO KILL
SOMEBODY! KILL SMASH DESTROY UTTERLY ANNIHILATE!
Er… Okay.
So I took it out on my – ok ok they're Marvel's – characters, so
this episode is a tad violent, ok more than a tad, so people get
smashed, `specially Warren, it makes me feel good. So there.

POWER GAMBIT 3

*
Next morning, danger room
They're all there and fidget. They all look at the Wolverine and
fidget. Bobby, not iced up yet, doesn't fidget, his eyes are huge
and he looks scared as roadkill a second before it becomes just
that. Storm is at the controls today and rather testily says "Logan,
where's my brother?"
"Resting." Not quite a growl, not quite unselfconscious "He
overdid it yesterday"
"You mean last night don't you?" unsubtle Warren at work.
"No, and fuck you too." Really growling now.
"Alright, gentle ladies and gentlemen, this is supposed to be a
surprise exercitation so please, don't be too surprised to act.
Now."
"No wait, Ro!" this is Jean "I'm picking up something, but I'm not
sure if it's Remy or not. Logan, would you please go check on
him?"
"If you're not sure I don't think we should interrupt, we're
supposed to act as if in a real combat situation and you wouldn't
check on absent… friends in such a situation, now, would we?"
"Can it Blue, count me out."
"Good, Logan. We will proceed without you." Storm's calm is
tinged with a whiff of electricity and all obey.
*
Logan can smell the smell and hear the sounds as soon as he
gets on the floor. Breaking into a run `fuck fuck fuck fuck' he
slams into the room, a bound gets him to the wardrobe and a
wrench rips off its doors. Remy is lying in a pool of foul smelling
vomit and is gasping so horribly that Logan's hairs rise. In a
feverish haste of terror he cuts the cage and the bonds, drags
the heaving body away and sets about cutting off all restraints.
The dildo has worked in so he has to push his fingers in the raw
red anus and draw it out, as soon as the cock is free a steam of
piss arches out and Remy wails through all this as soon as his
mouth is free, a long toneless unearthly wail that freezes
Logan's blood. Then he starts puking again. Logan is losing it
and fast, stammering he says "I'll get you to the lab." And is even
more shocked by the faint croaking scream of
"Nonononononono!" but Remy heaves and heaves again and
faints.
*
Hank is on cloud nine, he gets to examine a very stimulated
Remy and berate Logan at the same time.
"You should have emptied him, Logan. I told you, didn't I? To
empty him. Bladder, intestines and stomach. Of course the
constrictions put pressure on him. Luckily he's very elastic. I'd
say he's very used to some kind of exercises, so no great harm
done." `Aaaaaaah!' his finger's in "But" this comes out a bit
strangled but Logan is too furious to notice "now he needs rest
and abstinence. Total abstinence, Logan. His throat is inflamed
too."
Remy has come to. `Where… oh, shit!' he feels the horny nail
scraping his tender ass and wants to vomit again. He knows
how to react properly: lean into the pain and disgust, make them
yours, make them the black flame of ecstasy that can make you
do anything, anything at all. But that would mean losing, but that
would mean you've wasted your time, energy, control for nothing.
Get a grip, Gambit, if you go back to that, why the fuck did you
make you poor love's life a sort of living hell? As best as he can,
he musters his few reserves, as best as he can he breathes
deep breaths to get his voice back, ah but his best is so near
perfection it really doesn't matter, so now back in control he
croaks coldly "Are you fingerfucking me, you overgrown
monkey?"
SNAP! That's Logan temper.
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!!" he roars
and rips Hank's finger out so furiously that Remy flinches.
"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO IN THERE, HUH?"
Hank is taken aback "I was examining my patient for
damages…"
"YOU'LL GET DAMAGES! YOU'LL GET YOUR FAMILY JEWELS
DAMAGED FOR GOOD IF I FIND OUT YOU SET ME UP FOR
THIS!!!"
The claws are out, the Wolverine is raging and Remy's heart is
singing. `Ah-ha! Maybe it was worth it then'
Logan scoops him in his arms and stomps out, each stomp jars
Remy to the bones, but his singing heart doesn't care, doesn't
care…
In the shadows Bobby watches hungrily, but his inchoate
distress can find no thought to anchor to.
*
Scott is kneeling in Xavier's office, gently unbuttoning the
professor's pants.
"Scott, you know you don't have to do this." Charles is kind and
awkward, as every morning after practice and Scott has to hide a
smile.
"Dearest professor, I want to. It's the only gift I have to give you
and I would be very sad if you refused it." His nose gently
snuggles the rather shrivelled balls and wrinkly sack of his
mentor and saviour. He means to give the poor man his best.
Since that first time when, a gawky teenager, he had finally found
out how to repay the kind man who has saved him from a fate
worse than hell, he had always really enjoyed the challenge of
making Charles Xavier come. Granted, the man was not an
Adonis down there, and it took a bit of doing, but lately he just
pretends the professor's rather poor equipment is Remy's
splendid glory and he and Charles go like firecrackers. Jean
approves, she likes to see her pet express his gratitude.
"Oh, Scott!" Xavier breathes and Scott smiles around the gnarled
cock deep into his wide open mouth, and the smile makes his
teeth brush the sensitive skin and all's well in cocksucking
paradise.
*
Where to go? Not in his room, stinks like a cesspool and is half
demolished. So Remy's old room. Bedclothes are clean and
floor as well. The boy must rest, that's for sure. The *boy* says,
malevolently, "Are you too scared to go back to the scene of the
crime?" Well, croaks actually, but the venom is there.
"It stinks to high heaven thanks to you." Logan sulks – but he has
said you, recognition at last!
"To you." The deadly croak is unstoppable "I can't control bodily
functions forever."
The problem is Logan doesn't know if he's more angry or
remorseful so he says nothing. Dumps his fair charge –
ooooomph – on the bed and stomps out.
Remy squirms on the bed, that blasted man is so overcome by
emotion he has forgotten to wash him. He's filthier than a
cesspit and the stink is making his gorge rise. He tries to slither
on the bed to attempt going to the bathroom, but his cramped
limbs refuse to obey. Shivering he resigns himself to the stench
and relaxes as much as he can to try and sleep the worst off.
*
Evening. The mansion settles for nighty night.
"Where you ever told to take a flyng fuck, girl mine?"
"No, most people are too afraid, and did you really say *fuck*?"
"I know the words, I simply elect not to use them." She grins
"Well? Want to try?"
"Try what?" Rogue is a tease, she's really enjoying this.
"Airfuck, girl mine. Have you ever tried it?" Storm's sly smile takes
Rogue's breath away.
"Can't say I ever did, darling."
"Takes some manoeuvring"
"I can manoeuvre like nobody on this planet."
"Lots and lots of manoeuvring."
"Do you spiral, weather girl?"
"My second name is spiral, girl mine. Ready?"
"Just open the damned window and I'll loop the loop you to
heaven!"
*
"And this" pushing the pin in the right ball "is for not behaving in a
way appropriate to you position, toy. And *this*" pushing a pin
into the gland "is for not properly appreciating my authority…"
Bobby screaming in a world of hurt is spiralling down into
blackness.
*
"And now turn around, pet."
"GNNNNNNHHHHH…"
"You're so lovely, so tender and nice, now I *have* to eat my
lovely pet." Jean's falling red mantle of loveliness slaps gently on
Scott's belly.
"MMMMMMMMMMMM"
*
HN HHN HHNN HHHNNN a man's best friend is his right hand,
isn't it, Warren?
*
Logan tries, as always to ignore the sounds of frantic fucking that
permeate the mansion at night. After much soul searching he
has decided to give his boy a gift, not to apologise, no, no, never!
Just a gift to put things right.
*
As soon as Remy sees the collar, he gets into his kill mode. To
start with he's still filthy and foul smelling, then that thing is really
the father of all kitsch, moreover it *is* a collar, a
back-to-square-one-and-redo-from-start collar. And, as if that
weren't enough, Logan is carrying the thing as if it was the royal
crown of Egypt. Before the Wolverine can let a word escape his
opening mouth he thrusts in.
"Are you going to strangle me to put that tasteless filth on? Do
you really think I will keep that stupid thing on a second? Are you
really braindead? Is this supposed to be an apology? Have you
understood nothing of what's being happening between us?
How many time do I have to repeat I love you before it percolates
into that soggy mass of puke you call a brain?"
Logan steps back before the onslaught and finds he is
stammering "'s all black gold real black gold and rubies like your
eyes costs a fortune `s beautiful…" and stops, once more out of
balance `What am I saying?' "WHAT THE FUCK AM I SAYING?!!"
*oops*…
"I don't know what the fuck you're saying and neither do you. Stop
blathering and listen for once, because I will not repeat it." Yes,
he's refreshed after a good long sleep but this isn't going to be
easy, to both of them, so he calms down a bit and chooses his
words with care.
"I thought that after what you've been through with your implanted
memories and all the rest you were terrified of feeling again and
rightly so. That I could, and can, understand very well. I thought
that was why you started playing games with people that
afforded you to have sex and keep you distanced from the
persons you had it with. That I can understand as well. So you
got your pleasure without really touching and the S/M scene
helped you to find an outlet that would let you do just that. I was
there and I understand. Then you moved in on me. That was
what I wanted. Since I came here you were my standards of
ethics. You had the best ethics of all and stuck to them. I thought
not touching people to have sex was to keep you safe and
people safe. No commitment. No affection on both sides. Go to
the clubs and take a willing sub. No problem. In action you
always guarded everyone's back. Right. You were always honest
and direct. Right. Some people may think that simple is stupid,
but not me. I'm the living proof of how stupid complicated can
get." A deep deep breath "Right. So I fall in love with you. Right.
Or wrong? You want me. 'Good' stupid complicated me thinks.
He wants me *that* way. But I can make him see touching is not
lethal, I can make him accept the fact that he needs love and
touching like anybody else, it will take a while because he's in
this groove and is too scared to try and understand what he feels
anymore, but I can help and if it hurts, fuck hurt, I can take it and I
can make him think. Wrong. You're too scared of feeling to think,
too scared to touch to think, all you want is a plastic doll with
orifices. Well you got me and I'm not a plastic doll and if you're
too afraid to…"
SNAP! Logan's temper again
"I'M NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING YOU LONG WINDED WHORE!"
"Oh, you like `em short and sweet, do you? Like your sex Wham,
bam, thank you Sam! Alright then, 2 syllables: coward coward
coward coward coward coward coward coward…!"
He keeps screaming it enraged out of his mind during the
tornado of punches bites and kicks – to his dying day Logan will
never know what kept him from using his claws – louder and
louder and louder until, goaded beyond endurance, Logan grips
the twisting body and slams it on its right flank, rises the left
knee higher and higher and punches his fist into the inflamed
arse.
The accusing voice spirals beyond soprano and stops with a
catch.
Remy tenses for the slash of claws ripping him to shreds, but
nothing happens. Then the Wolverine - no Logan - comes to his
senses and slowly takes his hand out, careful not to damage the
paper thin walls more that they already are. Blood and pus slime
down the right leg, the bed and his arm.
He jumps away, as if burned and looks at his hand.
He makes futile gestures in the air, the rage is still too red hot to
contain, and runs away howling.
*
Suddenly Jean raises here head from Scott rather splendid cock
and barks "Remy!"
She is out of the room before Scott can put his pants on. Scared
to death he follows.
*
Warren hears the scream of agony and comes again, unaided,
in his sticky bed.
*
After one look at the contorted body on the bed Scott pants "Let's
take him to the medlab!" and the contorted body on the bed
answers him through clenched teeth "I'll explode it and this
bloody fucking mansion if you do."
Jean is not amused "Yes, very well Remy, I think I even
understand why, but are you sure you aren't in danger of life?"
Kindness always makes it so hard to maintain rage, but if you're
not anchoring to rage, what is left? "Yes" Remy manages to get
out "I only need time and rest." This is harder, if the barriers are
down, you're done for "Thank you."
Jean can't read him and wouldn't dream of trying, the people she
respects are few and far between, but her obsessed friend is
one of them. She doesn't need to be a telepath to know how
hard it is for him.
"Very well, then, is it alright by you if Scott takes you somewhere
else to recuperate?" and before he can answer "We have a few
secret places, you know. Now just nod."
So he nods.
"We could go to Santorini, love" Scott has been mulling on the
problem "It's out of the superhero-supervillain circuit."
"Good boy!" she beams "Very good boy!" Remy expects her to pat
his head, but she refrains "You'll go there, officially on a secret
fact finding mission coupled with some due R&R for Remy. I'll
tell Charles what to say. Take all the time you need to get well,
Remy. Secret mission secret place. Only I will know the location,
nobody will bother you. Pet, you will take care of him."
"Of course I will! He's my best friend!"
Remy is almost in tears at the kindness, he whispers "But don't
worry Ro."
"As if I would!" Jean is indignant. "I will worry Logan, instead."
"No, please, this time I really provoked him… Wanted him to
think… I got carried away…"
"Alright alright don't have kittens, love, I think I understand. But"
and she's severe again "I will *not* tell him where you are, not
even if you ask me. Understood?"
Nod.
"Right, I'll carry you and my pet will fly steady as a rock, won't he."
"You didn't have to tell me that!" Scott yelps and flinches realising
he's ovestepped his bounds.
She musses his hair and smiles "It's alright pet, you do me
proud."
*
The days pass. Logan looking like the last days of Pompeii
prowls the mansions and grounds days and nights and all the
Xmen have been to see the professor asking him to send him
on a mission, preferably on Mars, but no such luck.
*
Logan, deprived of his boy-enemy seems to be foaming at the
mouth permanently. But underneath the Deathstalker persona,
he is furiously thinking on how and why things have gotten so out
of hand. What border was passed – or better, trespassed – and
when? In Logan's own words: what the fuck's happened? He
doesn't realise he's keeping a fundamental datum out of his
equation of bewilderment. He doesn't realise why he is so
frustrated. He just knows he wants his boy and he wants him
NOW. But he isn't there. But he's away. Is it possible you're
starting to miss the aggro, Logan?
*
Warren has a knack to be where he isn't wanted. He stalks the
Wolverine for awhile and finally he gets enough courage up to
crowd him.
"Listen, Wolvie" bad move "when your boy is back, and after
you've had you fun with him, of course" worse move "could you
lend him to me for a bit? I can push his buttons, you know, make
him more amenable." Worst move ever.
BANG! Logan fist smashes with no little satisfaction into the
smirking face, and Warren dribbling blood from a smashed
nose crumbles on the floor. "And stay out of my business, you
fuckless wanker!"
Logan feels better and is suddenly hungry, maybe he should
have done that long before.
In the shadows Bobby has seen and gnaws his hand, an
unaccustomed tendril of thought is awakening in his tired mind.
Jean was nearby and is there now. "What happened?" she asks
Warren who's holding onto his nose as if it was going to
explode.
"Mtha mthsupi Loga mthi mfme on mthe mfnos!(1)"
"Take your hands off your nose, Warren and speak like a human
being."
"Don' talk t'me like that, fuckyouJean! `m not your stupi' slave
husban'!"
"Do not mention my husband, creep. Do not DARE try and mess
up our life as you did with poor Hank's. From the beginning I saw
how you blew hot and cold on him, it amused you that he
worshipped you and desired you and wanted to be you, it
amused you to see Bobby having a crush on Hank and every
time he seemed to gain something you would flap in and entice
the poor besotted Beast away. It was you who brought Hank into
the clubs, it amused you to see the goodygoody doctor take his
frustration out on poor subs who never imagined what they were
getting into. It amused you to suggest Bobby and his
neverending crush on him to Hank as possible permanent
slave. You laughed when it happened, didn't you? Well from now
on you'll laugh from the other side of your fat florid face." Mental
blows punctuate the words, WHAM BANG and Warren squeezes
his head with his hands trying to contain the grandfather of all
headaches.
He whimpers "Bobby's a whore and so is Remy."
WHAM "Bobby is not a whore, you gutless bastard!" WHAM!
"Remy is not a whore, and you know it well, asshole." WHAM!
"You tried it on him, didn't you? But Remy's got good taste, Remy
told you to sodoff wanker and because you couldn't stand the
idea that somebody had seen through you, you put the idea in
Logan's head, didn't you?"
WHAM "Didn't you?" WHAM
She gathers her power until her hair stands on end sprinkled
with sizzling energy "If you ruined their life it's the very last thing
you'll be allowed TO DO!" WHAM!!!
And away she goes the flame of her hair swings like a banner of
vengeance in the hall.
*
Bobby has seen it all and the realisation that what she's said it's
true it's like a crack that floods his brain with light. Everything
he's gone through for the past years is no more a meaningless
jumble of confusion. Yes, that's why. That's why Hank and he
could never truly connect. That's why what to him was a dear
wish come true has degenerated in a hellish ride to perdition. A
sudden flood of anger makes him ice up, now Warren will really
gets his due. But the bleeding sodden mass on the floor is not a
worthy target. Dazed he asks himself `what would Remy do?' but
it's a rhetorical question, he's seen Remy do it over and over
again. Girding his icy loins, Bobby goes to tackle his dearest
enemy in the lab.
*
"I have a thing to tell you" shocked Hank can't speak because ice
blocks his feet and ice covers his mouth "There! See how much
you like hearing and not speaking. I loved you since I first came
here. I was 16 and I wanted you to be my teacher in life, my big
brother, my mentor. But I soon found out I wanted to bed you –
no, I wanted you to bed me. I've wasted all these years trying to
find someone else but it was not possible. Then you asked me if
I wanted to be your boy and I thought I was home. I expected
guidance, care and loving discipline – oh yes, I too had grown up
and finally knew what's what, and that's what I wanted. I didn't
mind being punished for real things. In fact I needed it, I was still
playing pranks like a 16 year old. But you had a grudge with life
and took it out on me. Used me like a thing not like a person.
Control meant fear, the only thing you taught me was fear. Fear
made me less than human, I enjoyed it no more, I only feared.
Fear made me stupid and I couldn't think anymore! But now
Jean opened my eyes and I can think and I see fear has made
you stupid too. I can see what Remy was trying to do but he is
brave to madness I am a coward. I can't try and make you think
that way. My way is to stop it. No more. Find somebody else to be
your whipping boy. Or think about things and find a conclusion
for us. Here take your collar. When you are again a rational being
and think you can love me, then you can put it on my neck again."
*
And the day of farewells comes in the whiteblue jewel in the sea.
"Are you sure you can?" a worried Scott asks.
"Yes, chere. I can."
"We can stay a few days more, no problem."
Remy's kind arms encompass his hunched shoulders, Remy's
kind body welcomes him in. "It's time for me to go and for you to
go back, chere." He smiles "Nice Scott all silk and fire go back to
your heart."
"I don't want you to go."
"I know, chere. But I must."
"Logan will see the light. Logan *must* see the light."
"But maybe there's no light to be seen. I'm a great one for
imagining thing. Maybe the simple answer is the right one. He
never loved me, not even a little."
Shyly "Jean doesn't think so."
"I know, chere, but she wants happy endings. Sometimes
there's no happy ending."
"You know your sadness kills me?"
"Desolée, chere, I won't have a parody of the real thing." He
kindly disengages and takes out a knife.
"What…?" a hint of panic.
"Not to worry, Slim dear. A funeral rite, is all. In ancient times
people bereaved of their loved ones mutilated themselves to
express their pain. `m not going to cut off a finger, as they did, or
worse. Jus' this."
And the razor sharp blade cuts through soft hair at the band
holding the ponytail.
"Oh, Remy…!" Scott is weeping.
"Don', chere, don'. `s just hair. It grows back." He goes to the
table and takes a box. "There." He puts his long lock of red hair
in "You jus' give this to Logan and tell him and Ro and all of
them I'm not coming back. Ever. You can tell Logan `bout the
funeral rite if you wish, but nothing else. `kay?"
"May I say a proper farewell to you?"
"Scott, chere, your ass is to die for, but Remy's a little too sad
now for sex. Remy's a little tired of sex just now." - No Remy,
you've been so good up till now, no tears now, understood?-
"This jus' for you and Jean of course. No sex anymore until there
is love, and Logan-love is what I'm talking about. `kay? You're not
offended?"
"No, love. You know I love you don't you?"
"Oui."
"And Jean loves you, you know that?"
"Oui"
"And we always liked to imagine us four together, see the
sparkle fly, you know that?"
So Remy kisses him deep and tender, tongue like a caressing
pup all slobber and headbutts "Oui, I know. Farewell my dear
friend. I really mus' go now."
Scott watches him walk away to the tiny port and the ship that will
take him back into the world and sighs.
°Well done, pet° Jean sends °Now hurry home.°
*
The jet is back, Scott is back and presumably Remy too. The
long days have passed like a curse for Logan who pops out of
the house long before all the others. Scott walks alone with a box
in his hands like a priest at some incomprehensible rite.
"Where's Remy?!" Logan snarls – ah, now you can say his
name? – but Scott shakes his head.
"He's not coming back. Ever. Sorry everyone, that's all he asked
me to tell you and that's all I will tell you. Honestly I don't know
where he is now. We parted company several hours ago."
Not coming back? Not coming back? Logan can't wrap his mind
around that.
"Ah, Logan." Scott goes on "He gave me this to give to you." And
hands the gasping Wolverine the box, gravely, like a holy relic.
Logan mechanically opens it and is shocked out of his mind. A
black gold and ruby collar and a long long long lock of hair like
the corpse of all tomorrows. The Wolverine howls, a long long
long howl of despair.
TBC
TRANSLATION
1 that stupid Logan hit me on the nose