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kmf's stuff: She is so mean to me. Anyways, enjoy!

curt's crap: (I'm not a she!) Is Cajun really as hard as Davis says? ;-)

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Chapter Three

Only the best of the best's best were participating in the raid. As a whole, the Mutant Resistance's Elite under St John Allerdyce and Remy LeBeau (with the additions of Stuart, Shasa, Ryan and Erika's crews) was about 120 strong. On this mission, only twenty were on, excluding Jensen. The teams had practised rigorously for twelve days, once again having their outlined plan an artform. This time there would be no glitch that would undermine them. The supply of cure had been exhausted -- all the security Gearson would have would be equiped with bullets, tranqs and Tasers. They, the mutants, by all probability should have the advantage.

"Remy."

The co-leader of the Mutant Resistance looked up as Marie entered his room. He was used to her coming in with little to no warning at all...more often than not she stayed in his room with him. Because, truth be told, as much as a loner as Rogue was, her unlikely saviours held special places in her heart. And with as out of her depth as she had been since being "cured" -- not to mention how uncertain and useless she had felt now, with the Mutant Resistance and being human -- Remy's presence was a big, welcomed comfort. They'd grown pretty close in the short weeks.

"Hey, p'tite cherie. What's goin' on?" He leaned back against the far wall, at the foot of his bed, crossing his arms and smiling at her. They were infectious, his smiles, and rather unexpectedly one tipped the corners of her mouth in response. But it quickly faded.

"Remy, I wanna go with y'all," she told him, taking a seat upon his bed -- the only seating available in the Spartan room. He raised one eyebrow, looking down at her, and went before her and knelt so they were eye-to-eye. At first, Remy's intense, unusual red irises had unnerved Marie to hell and gone. But she'd gotten used to them...like the man, they were a comfort, oddly. They had become rather "exotically beautiful" -- yes, "demonically beautiful" the back of her mind whispered -- to her. She met them straight on now. He pushed back a persistent fall of auburn hair from his face.

"Now, ma chere, you know you can't do dat jus' yet."

"Remy," Marie said sternly, staring at him. "Don't treat me as a child. I...I just wanna help, y'know? I wanna feel like I'm actually worth a damn round here. I mean, all I do is sit around and look outta place."

"Chere..."

She glared. He smiled, consenting her point.

"Den get out dere wi' the others, cherie. Start practising and workin' wi' 'em, now. It's jus' dis is a big thing, p'tite. Dere can't be no compromisin' of dis."

Rogue frowned for a moment, considering. She blew out a sigh. "Okay. Start small, huh?"

"Dat's de idea."

"Fine, then. Okay."

"P'tite, don' nobody have ya confined t' your room. You just haven't set out it yet."

He was right there. Damn him. "I get your point, Remy." To that he smiled genuinely, broadly.

"I take it you don' like bein' told where you wrong, eh?"

"No more than you, Gambit."

He nodded concurrence. "So, jus' remember dis, now, okay?" His voice was lower. "You are worth a damn, ma chere. I don' care if nobody else sees it. I do, now."

Remy rose to his feet. "I gotta go round up wi' the rest of my team. We'll be back soon, cherie." And with that he headed out, leaving Rogue with her new initiative and a warm glow. She was at least wanted around by someone.

-------------

Jensen lay on the roof of a building overlooking the site where Adam Gearson was holding his rally, just looking over the parapet, high-powered binoculars braced upon it. A large crowd had already gathered. Jensen, along with being a telepath, could sense the teams down on the ground. Alpha was near the front of the stage, Bravo was around each side and toward the back.

Jensen adjusted the focus as he noticed movement from the side of the platform set up for Gearson.

He's coming up, guys, Jensen sent to Ian. A fledgling in his telepathic skills, that meant Jensen only sent well to someone he was attached to, which left John or Ian. And Ian, being telepathic himself, was more able to easily receive his message and then send it to Kimana on Bravo.

Gearson walked up and out onto the platform, his manner very stately.

Ian, move the team up. Tell Kimana to get ready.

-------------

Kimana, he's coming up. Get ready. When I say go, have the team attack. Ian telepathically told the younger mutant. He turned his attention over to John and Stuart.

"Jensen says he's heading up. Tell me when you want Bravo to move," he said to John, who nodded and turned to look at the stage. Gearson took the stage moments later.

There's a mutant up there with him, Ian! I don't know what she can do, but she's definitely on his side. She's the youngest one on the stage, Ian heard Jensen say in his mind, the boy's shock evident. His head snapped up to look at the stage again and he realized there was a woman in her early twenties standing off to the side of the stage.

"John, she's a mutant," he said, pointing at the woman. John looked up and Ian could see a less than amused look cross his face.

"Stuart, have one of your guys take her out as soon as we get up there," he said, turning to look at the teleporter, who nodded in response. Turning to the man next to him, Trent, Stuart began quietly conversing with him, hands motioning to the woman on the stage every now and then. Meanwhile, Gearson had come to the middle of his speech. John turned to Ian.

"Now," he said.

Alright, you all know what to do? he asked the people of Bravo team, linking himself to all their minds. He got the typical responses of 'yes' and 'of course', before turning his attention specifically to Remy and Erika and Kimana.

You guys? he asked them.

Of course, mon ami, came Gambit's reply.

No time like the present, Kimana sent back, loud and clear.

Start a fight. This should be fun, Erika thought back. He smiled to himself.

Alright, then. Do it now.

(The lyric in the page break is from "Violence Fetish" by Disturbed.)