Never Let Go

“Now Remy, you sound very unkind.” the scientist said in a solicitous tone. Remy held his breath as he thought again about the things Logan could be enduring under this mad man’s control. He cleared his throat and licked his lips. He was beginning to get over the initial shock and moving on to livid.

“Why, Essex? Why him?” he demanded looking up at the twilight sky. He heard a soft chuckle and the sound of Essex shifting in his seat.

“Weapon X is a prime specimen-” He began but Remy cut him off.

“His name is Logan! He is a man not a specimen!” his anger showed in his tone making the scientist raise a brow as his interest grew in volume.

“Fascinating.” Essex responded and his twisted mind moved quickly. Smiling though the thief couldn’t see him, Sinister made a few notes on the notepad in front of him.

“He isn’t dead, Remy. Why don’t you come and visit?” his voice sounded positively cheery. The boy felt his stomach roll over. Remy knew there was little chance the scientist would let him go should he set foot in the man’s lair, but the Cajun wasn’t about to put his safety before Logan's. If he got the feral mutant free in exchange for his freedom, then he’d rethink his plan.

“Give me the coordinates.” He said in a sullen tone as Essex knew he would.

“Wonderful.” Essex said and gave him the location. Remy committed it to memory. Sinister cautioned him to come alone and not to ‘try anything heroic’. Told him to leave the ‘good doing X-men out of it’.

“Oh, and Victor will be waiting to escort you to my office so please try not to antagonize him.” the scientist said in a long suffering tone. Remy made an outraged sound.

“Me antagonize him??” he was speechless for a beat. “The fucking bastard gutted my--friend and I am supposed to be nice to him?” he asked covering the almost slip. Sinister didn’t miss it and his warped mind filed that away for later use.

“Just asking you to be on your best behavior.” he said knowing it would piss the thief off.

Getting off the phone as quickly as he could the Cajun pocketed the cuff once more and then kicked the bike.

“This ain’t smart but Gambit don’t have lot of choice.” he mumbled to the wind before taking off in a spray of leaves and gravel.

It took two days of hard riding for Remy to reach the location. He had gone round and round in his head about possible escape, rescue, suicide scenarios. The truth was he didn’t have any idea what to expect with out more information.

Pulling off the road a mile from the location he rolled it into the brush and camouflaged it with branches. Making a last check of his gear he began to quick march through the light wooded area on foot.

What the hell was Sinister doing in Oregon anyway? Gambit shivered and pulled his duster closer, the sun was setting and the early autumn chill was making him edgy. Still grumbling to himself about the lack of intelligence this move was Remy came to a break in the foliage and beheld the nondescript warehouse. Well, nondescript if you didn’t find it odd that there was a warehouse in the middle of the woods.

Scanning the area as he crouched in the brush Remy made out the surveillance easily. He knew once he stepped from the tree line he would be visible. Taking a moment he sat on his haunches and had a head clearing smoke. He thought about Logan and his heart did the flip floppy thing again. He knew he couldn’t falter now. Logan needed him to be strong and face his demon.

Flicking the charged butt away Remy ignore the pop as he stood and stepped from the trees with his head high.

He walked around the building looking for the entrance. He knew that they were aware of him by now. He stopped when he found the metal door set in the wall next to a rolling bay door.

Scanning again and wishing he had Logan's heightened senses, he walked up and knocked. He couldn’t resist beating out ”shave and haircut”. There was a moment before the door clanged open and the towering figure of Victor Creed filled the door frame.

Remy didn’t disguise his loathing of the creature. Creed sneered and extended a hand inviting Remy in.

“Been waitin’ for ya, Swamp Rat.” he growled. Taking a deep breath he assessed that the kid was angry and scared. Creed grinned shark like as he waited for Remy to move.

Holding the mutant’s gaze Remy silently conveyed that he was prepared to do anything he could to exact revenge on Creed. With a slight nod he stepped forward and entered the building. Creed chuckled as the door slammed. Remy managed not to flinch, much. The space was wide and open, housing trucks and other vehicles Essex used for his purposes and for changing location. There was a door at the other end.

“Boss is waitin’ fer ya.” Creed said after locking the door with a screeching of metal. He shoved Remy’s shoulder hard. The boy didn’t stumble but moved with the push spinning to face the feral. Bo staff extended in a split second and pressing under Victor’s chin, glowing bright fuscia.

“How well you ‘tink you head grow back, connard?” he growled. Red eyes glowing wickedly. “Do not touch Gambit.” he said making each word clear. Creed paused, he wasn’t sure if he could recover from losing his head. He snarled at the boy but didn’t move. Remy felt a little power shift back to him and he waited a beat longer before withdrawing the staff. He drew back the charge and put away his weapon. Creed pointed ahead of them and grunted.

“Through there.” he said standing as close to Remy as he could with out touching. “Get movin’ he don’t like to be kept waitin’.”

Remy paled, he knew just how much Essex didn’t like it. Smoothing down his duster the Cajun strode confidently to the door.

The facility was fairly typical for Sinister. Cells, labs and rooms filled with horrors. Remy held his shields tight as he passed the spaces with living occupants. He couldn’t think about them now, his one and only goal was Logan.

They rounded a corner and came to a stop before a pair of glassed doors beyond which the lay out of Essex’ main lab could be seen. Remy couldn’t help the shiver as he recalled his own time in just such a lab in Arizona. Creed caught the boy’s response and laughed cruelly.

“Bring back memories, Pretty Boy?” he leered. Remy bared his teeth and pushed through the doors.

The scientist was standing at a machine waiting for some sort of results when Remy came in. Turning he gave the thief a facsimile of a smile. His metallic skin glinted in the florescent lighting as the blood red jewel in his forehead seemed to wink. He wore a white lab coat and Remy pondered how un-comforting he looked in it compared to Hank in his.

Remy crossed his arms over his narrow chest and raised a brow at the scientist. He stared into the red eyes so much like his own yet so very different. He knew his heart was racing and he tried to calm it down.

“I am here, where is Logan?” he demanded and was grateful his voice didn’t shake this time. Essex tilted his head to the side and seemed to take all of the thief in with his eyes. The Cajun felt his skin crawl and dark painful memories wafted up and he squelched them with a mental boot.

Logan.

He had to think about Logan.

Sinister moved from his machine and walked to a console next to the wall. He waved Remy closer. Flicking a few switches he brought the board to life.

“Your--friend--- has been a bit difficult.” he said sounding conversational. Remy snorted and was about to snark back at the scientist when the wall before them scrolled open revealing a glass window into a cell.

Remy’s heart skipped a beat and his blood ran cold. The room was dismal, gray metal walls and high lighted ceiling. What made the thief's heart all but stop was the sight of Logan in the middle of the room.

Hands shackled and stretched up and out by chains. Ankles likewise cuffed and chained spread wide. The feral mutant was suspended off the floor and utterly helpless. He was thrashing and roaring. His body clothed in a pair of shredded and soiled sweatpants. His prominent canines snapping and almost frothing at the mouth. It wasn’t Logan chained up like a piece of meat, it was The Wolverine. The feral beast was so far beyond enraged Remy could feel it past his shields.

“What you doing to him?” Remy said darting to the window and pressing his hands flat to the surface. He scanned the room looking for how to get his friend out.

“Let him go Essex, you have no right!” he said his anger reaching dangerous levels.

Sinister stepped up next to Remy. He reached out one cold hand and stroked a locked of the Cajun’s hair back from his cheek making the boy flinch and jerk away.

“He has a very high tolerance for pain. Much like you.” Essex said almost whispering. “If you want him freed, you have to calm him down first.” he said his ruby eyes flickering with malice.

“So, tell me, Remy. Is this man worth so much to you that you would risk being gutted by his bestial side?” the scientist watched the boy waiting for a response.