Why Remy Never –poofed- Out of Madripoor
Chapter 6
Blood’s Thicker Than Water, Right?

“Where is Remy anyway?” Ice asked, looking at Yezra. Since LeBeau was still her part-time muse, Yez had a connection with him, even if it wasn’t as strong as the newfound one she had with Nick. Turning around, she frowned, her brow furrowing in concentration as she felt a pent up feeling of rage in the pit of her stomach.

“He’s that way,” she said, heading back into the mansion. Nick insisted in going before her, gun raised and ready, just in case there were any lingering guards that were still armed. Logan similarly held Ice behind his back as the foursome creeped towards the back to the elaborate stained glass doors that led out to the gardens. Yez and Ice gasped as they watched Remy and Antoine ready themselves to fight. Yez was about to go to him, but Nick held her back.

“I don’t get it. Why doesn’t he just fling a few cards at the bastard and have it over?” Ice asked. Logan looked at Remy’s face, seeing the determination and hate that flitted over the other man’s handsome features.

“Because that wouldn’t be honorable. Gumbo’s just goin’ with what would be fitting,” he answered. His mind went back to last year about this time when LeBeau had locked himself up in the Danger Room. He hadn’t allowed anyone to come in or go into the observation area to watch. He has stayed there for hours, and when he came out, he was sweaty and bleeding, but with the same look of determination on his face. Now it made sense. All that time he had been fighting his demons, trying to defeat his past. Of all people, Logan knew what he was going through. Of all the years of he and Remy being teammates, he had never seen him in this mode in a battle. It looked like all bets were off, he was going to pull no punches. He just hoped that Gumbo came out of this alive.

***

Meanwhile in the back gardens, the two combatants circled the other expectantly, waiting for an opening to attack. They both knew the other’s moves as they had been trained to use their weapon of choice since boyhood side by side. In their youth, they had often sparred together, pitting one against the other. They had always ended the fight with a friendly clap on the shoulder and a laugh, but this time it would be different. This time one of them would leave the gardens and the other would remain on the ground, broken and lifeless. And Remy LeBeau swore that it would be he that left.

#We have not done this in years, no?# Antoine taunted, twirling his staff and glaring at Remy.

“Non, mon frère. We have not done dis in a while. De last time was when you killed Genine, neh?” he taunted back, hoping that it would raise Antoine’s anger and he would attack blindly. He wasn’t disappointed. Antoine lunged at him with a yell, completely forgetting himself, his only focus was hurting Remy. Gambit sidestepped him and whacked him on the back with his staff. Antoine grunted and twirled around, a look of complete rage on his face.

#YOU were the one that killed her, you bastard! She was long dead the moment she set eyes on you!# Antoine yelled, attacking with more anger than finesse now. Remy easily dodged the blows and felt grim satisfaction when his own hits connected with flesh.

#You were always the favored son. Why was it that Jean-Luc loved you more little brother? I did everything to win his affections, everything!# Focusing his ire, Antoine swung out, hitting Remy in the midsection with the flat of his staff.

#Always strutting around, women flocking to you like bees to a flower while Antoine had to be satisfied with the scraps that were thrown his way after you were done with them.# Another hit. Another connection.

#I was as handsome as you were. Why did they love you more? And you knew it! You flaunted my shortcomings in my face at every turn!# Yelling in rage, all the pent up feelings about supposed past injuries came out and Antoine attacked in a flurry of hits, mostly to Remy’s face, causing blood to splatter from a split lip and bruised nose.

***

“Oh God Remy, fight back!” Yez whispered, clutching Nick’s arm. Both Nick and Logan looked at the other, understanding every word that Antoine spoke. Ice stared back, her high school French classes trying to resurface. She understood little, but the key words that she did get caused her to understand the majority of what he said. Pressing her hands to the glass, she winced as Remy was getting his ass kicked.

“Come on Remy. You can do it,” she said, hoping that he could somehow hear both her and Yez.

***

“Mebbe if you didn’t squander your money on rotgut whiskey and gamble the rest away, den Jean-Luc would have looked at you differently,” Remy snarled, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He gripped his staff and blocked a hit, connecting with his own.

“Mebbe if you hadn’t been such a damn asshole wit de femmes, den dey woul’ have liked you better.” Another hit, this time Antoine’s breath was taken out by the hit to the chest.

“An’ mebbe if you hadn’t been so insecure about everyt’ing, den my successes wouldn’t have been dat hard to take!” Now it was Remy’s turn to attack with flourish, actually making Antoine drop his staff. Kicking it to him, Remy stepped back, hair sticking to his forehead from the sweat that dripped in his eyes. Antoine stood up, staggering and bleeding, a mad glint in his eye. Laughing lightly, he pointed up to the tall bedroom where Yez had been kept prisoner.

“You wan’ to know exactly what happened dat night, mon frère?” he hissed, almost giggling in his madness. “What happened dat made her fall to her death?” Remy didn’t take the bait and circled around, looking for another opening. Ignoring his silence, Antoine laughed and continued, his eyes taking on a glazed look as he reverted back to speaking in French.

#She kept on saying how much she loved you. Again, it was you that stole something of mine. Did you know how much I loved her? Did you care?#

#Antoine, if I had known that you loved her, I would have told her. I had no idea.# Antoine laughed, scoffing him.

#She didn’t want to stay here with me. Wanted to go back to the Quarter to be with you. I had to keep her here. So I locked her up there. My little jewel to keep that you wouldn’t- couldn’t - steal away.#

“Dat femme was only eighteen. She didn’t know love from infatuation. Remy didn’t eit’er.”

#That night when you found out that she was here, she had leaned out the window, screaming for you to rescue her. I couldn’t have that. So I pulled her back and quieted her the best way I knew how.# That made Remy pause.

“You didn’t.” Antoine laughed again.

“But I did, brother. At least you couldn’t steal her innocence. I got to have something of her first before you.”

“You bastard!” Remy lunged at him, going after him with everything he had. Antoine kept on laughing.

#She left me a mark too.# Turning his head, he showed Remy the five scars on the side of his neck that looked like scratch marks from where she must have struggled against his bulk as he took what he wanted from her.

#You see, it is your fault she died. She didn’t think she was pure enough for you. For anyone for that matter. She could have stayed here with me. I only did what I did because I loved her.# Remy narrowed his eyes.

“You don’ know de meaning of love. You never have.” Remy said, striking him once again on the side of the head. Antoine staggered back and fell facedown on the carpet of green grass and flagstones. Remy cautiously went over to him. Kicking him with his boot, he was satisfied when he didn’t move. Turning, he saw Yez and Ice pressed up against the door, staring at him. They had looks of horror on their faces, and it looked like they were screaming something. Yez kept on pointing behind him. Remy turned just in time to be nicked by Antoine’s knife as it grazed his bicep.

#So, you were going to stab me in the back, huh? Just like a man would fight?# Remy taunted, tempted to cheat and throw a charged up rock or whatever he could get his hands on at him and end the fight quickly. Then again, he was determined to be the better man standing and fight as honorably as he could. Antoine lunged, his knife stabbing Remy in the other arm. Now he could hear both women scream. I’m not going to die with them watching. Walking around Antoine, he held his staff loosely in one hand, blood dripping from the stab wounds down his arms. He knew that he wasn’t going to be able to fight him with two useless arms if he kept on bleeding like he was, but maybe he could best him another way. Charging towards him was something that Antoine never expected, and Remy had enough leverage to kick his knife out of his hands, then he placed another strong kick to his jaw. Crouching low, he had the grim satisfaction of knowing that he had at least cracked Antoine’s jaw, if not broken it completely. At least now he couldn’t throw out any verbal attacks. With red on black eyes gleaming in the torchlight, he studied how Antoine staggered around, holding his jaw. Now he had a weak spot to concentrate on. His lips curled to a sneer as he saw the spittle that was tinged a bright red fly out of Antoine’s mouth. It would end tonight. He knew it, Antoine knew it too. That’s why he turned on his heel and fled out of the gardens. Remy was hot on his heels though, determined to kill him.

Antoine ran as fast as his injured body would allow him. He would flee and recover, ready to fight LeBeau again, this time kill him. In his delusional mind, he saw several feet before him the ghostly figure of Genine in a pirogue on the swampy water. She was beckoning to him, her hair a golden halo around her, her eyes blazing blue with love and adoration for him. If he could have smiled with his broken jaw, he would have. Running towards her, arms stretched out, he splashed in the shallow water, still running to her. Of course, she wasn’t there. Neither was the small boat he had seen her standing in. All that was there was deeper, murkier swampy water. That and Cayenne and Paprika who had gotten loose from their chains during the fight. Smelling the blood on Antoine, they ignored the fact that he was their master and had raised them since they had hatched. The two six foot gators attacked, hissing at each other much like they had when the had eaten the turkey earlier in the evening. Antoine let out an unearthly scream as they rendered him into pieces, then he was silent, bubbles of red floating in the water.

Remy caught up to Antoine just as he bobbed in the water for a final time. Letting out a yell of anger, he fell to his knees, pounding the dirt once with his fist. All that he could see of Antoine was a hand floating in the water, looking like it was saying “At least you didn’t kill me.” Then it sank down into the depths. Remy stared long after it had disappeared.

#No Antoine. I didn’t kill you. You killed yourself a long time ago.#

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