Remy and Ororo | Thursday night

[x-storm.livejournal.com]

Remy gives Ororo a call at the mansion and proposes an interesting collaboration. Set before this log.

Remy ran the situation through his head for the tenth time, and still couldn't find a perspective in which they were going to be able to handle all of the factors at once. With a sigh, he slipped away from his perch overlooking the ruins and back to the camp they'd carefully hidden in the jungles outside. Amanda got up as he walked in, but he waved her back, collecting the satellite phone and going back into the foliage without a word.

"Here's where it gets interesting." He muttered, thumbing a private number and holding the phone to his ear to wait for the connection.

Ororo had just started a particularly mind-numbing batch of paperwork when her phone rang, providing a welcome excuse to pause. She didn't recognize the number in the caller ID, and so there was a note of curiosity in her voice when she picked up. "Hello?"
"Bonjour, chere. You get de flowers I sent?" Remy found himself a fallen tree to relax on, dropping almost bonelessly into the junction created by it and another. The heat was wet and oppressive, and he freed one hand to twist off the cap of his canteen.

"Remy?" The curiosity changed to something more like caution as Ororo sat back in her chair, wondering what in the world could've prompted a call from the globetrotting Cajun. "It is good to hear from you - I have heard you are feeling much better recently. I am glad."

"It's nice to be able to walk without looking like de main character from some television show, oui." It had taken him almost three weeks to figure out why Madelyn, in her e-mails to him and Moira, had referred to him as the 'dim House'. "Decided to celebrate by walking out into de middle of de jungle in South America. I think there still might be some brain damage afterall."

"Mm, how unfortunate." South America? I do not know anyone there... Nathan would be a more likely person to contact. "I hope you are staying out of trouble while you are there, at least."

"Staying out of trouble? Thought dat you knew me better den dat, Stormy." Remy grinned into the phone. "Dat's actually why I'm calling. Not only did I find de trouble I expected, but turns out, it's a little larger den I thought it would be. Remy needs some help."

'Ro nearly laughed, so unsurprised was she. "Perhaps I ought to forward this call to Snow Valley, as I am sure they are better-suited to 'help' than I or anyone at the mansion could be, Remy. If you just stay on the line I will get right to work on that..."

"If I needed a secretary, I would have called dat Summers." Remy abruptly switched tones, moving into what Amanda and others had started calling his 'broody serious' voice. "Strange ran into some stories 'bout a Selene cult operating down in Brazil. We came down to help check out de story, and it turns out it's true. Dey got 'bout forty or so people caught in some sort of magic thrall, and are working towards a purpose."

Bristling a bit at the insult against Scott, 'Ro managed to keep her mouth closed long enough to hear Remy's statement about the cultists. "What sort of purpose?" she inquired, tipping her head to one side.

"Not sure. It's obviously ritualistic, which has Strange and 'manda all having a skull session. Seems dat dere's all manner of trouble dey could get involved in, and none of it sounds good." Remy pulled the digital camera he'd brought from his pocket and thumbed on the images. "Looks like it's based around a temple complex, wit' some kind of artifact in de middle. Even Strange doesn't know specifically what it's connected to, but somehow Selene found a way to tie it in wit' her powers. Five stones, each covered wit' carvings."

"I see." There was a pause as Ororo took a sip of coffee, mulling over what Remy had said and its implications. "Obviously I understand that this is a serious situation. What do you plan on doing there, Remy, and what help do you need from us?" Might as well cut to the chase.

"Dere's too many here for my team to handle, especially unless we'll willing to accept a lot of fatalities from de bastards." Remy shoved the camera back in his pocket, and zipped the watertight seal shut. "Considering the mix of people between tourists and natives, Remy's bet is most of dem just innocent dupes or morons wit' too much time on dere hands."

He sighed, walking back towards the small ridge they'd done much of their watching the city from. "Normally, I'd just go in, grab de artifact, and let dem fall on each other. But de preparations are growing towards dis ritual, and dey got several young girls picked out for it. Couple might even be mutants."

"Oh dear." That, of course, being a giant understatement. 'Ro closed her eyes for a moment, leaning back in the chair as far as she could. "Sacrifices? I do not want to know how you manage to find these things so easily, Remy..."

"Monsters can sense each other, you know. Dis one's name is Dr. Peter Alraune. Looks like he's de one in charge of dis whole setup. Dat guy from de television specials?" Remy took a breath and forged on. "I need your help on dis one, Stormy and you're not going to like how."

Remy quickly outlined his plan to Ororo.

"You are right, I don't like it," she said when he finished, though her tone showed that her misgivings outweighed her dissent. "And I do not think there is any way I could broach this with the team that they would look upon it any more kindly. I understand your plight, Remy, but you must understand, we have limitations as well…"

"I know, but dis is going to keep happening unless we do it dis way. You know dat as well as I do." He started back towards the camp. He didn't have any real choice, not with the people he had here. "Lie to dem. It worked for de Professor before, it will work now."

He reached the camp and squatted down beside his computer. "You have a friend named Alejandro Vasco. He's a photographer wit' de National Geographic. He's actually a surveyer who works wit' de CIA and owes me a favour. He's working in Brazil right now, heard something 'bout a weird cult linked wit' some kidnappings of young girls. He called you when someone mentioned one of them was a mutant."

Had he actually suggested she lie to them? Yes, of course he had, and for a brief moment Ororo considered that it might be a good idea. Morals kicked in then, however, and she shook her head, though he couldn't see her. "I cannot lie about a mission, Remy, you know this. Despite your issues with Charles, I can assure you that we do not go into these situations under false pretenses. It is dangerous and risky, and I would not feel right doing so."

"Bullshit." Remy's voice was calm and level. "Nothing 'bout what I've suggested endangers de team on de mission. But otherwise, de people who are in charge of dis cult, and I can garauntee dat dey not down in dis valley, will just go to ground and work more quietly. Maybe de next time four girls end up on de alter, we not lucky enough to be dere first."

He didn't bother to mention the last year at the mansion, when Wisdom and Xavier's decision to bring down Selene secretly had cost several men in his network their lives, and nearly that of Amanda and Wisdom as well. "You know dis is de right way to do it, Stormy. Dat's why I called you."

There was a long pause on Ororo's end as she contemplated this. After quite some time, there was the sound of shuffling papers. "What is right for one person may not be right for another. However," Ororo said, frowning to herself, "when there are innocent lives at risk, right and wrong become more difficult to ascertain. I will do this, but know that I have reservations." Some small comfort that was.

"I know you've got reservations. Unlike de others, I also knew dat you would say yes." Remy grinned into the phone. "It's going to be soon. Tomorrow, I think. It's an ugly site for de ritual; underground catacombs. We'll break de cultists left behind, but you need to get de girls out yourself."

"I will see how quickly I can arrange a team." Ororo repressed the shiver that ran through her at the mention of 'underground catacombs'. It will be fine. Think of the girls. "And I will contact you with our plans. It will not be a large team... we do not have many active members at the moment. But we will make do."

"Thanks Stormy. Knew dat I could count on you." Remy switched off the phone and stowed it away. Now, to make sure he could do his part without getting everyone killed.