Chapter 7
Rogue sat on the fence with a smug expression on her face as she waited for the rest of the riders in her race to get back. Including Gambit. She'd already collected her winnings, both the pool and from betting on herself. With her were Frank and Owen.
"You up for a race tonight, old man?" Rogue asked.
"You watch your mouth girl."
"I can't. My nose is in the way."
Frank smirked.
"Yeah, I'm racing. Ahh here's Baz coming in."
Rogue turned around. Just in front of Baz coming over the finish line was Gambit.
"That must be that Gambit dude," Owen said. "Have we met him yet?"
"Actually, you've both met him," Rogue said. "But if I were you, I wouldn't say the words 'Le Diable Blanc' anywhere near Joss, Baz or Carlos."
Frank gave a low whistle.
"That's the new boyfriend, Rogue?"
"Joss has been talking I see."
"You like to live dangerously, don't you girl?"
"Is there any other way to be?" Rogue grinned at him before responding to Gambit's approach. "I beatcha, sugar."
"Just so long as you won, chérie."
"Like there was any competition."
"Guess I'd better go retrieve my winnings, no?"
"Guess you'd better."
As Gambit walked over to the bookies, Baz joined them.
"You two were looking friendly," he said to Rogue. "That the boyfriend?"
"Yeah."
"Nice bike. You should invite him to to riding with us sometime."
"I think that should wait until Joss had calmed down a bit," Frank interjected.
"What do I need to calm down about?" asked Joss as he approached from behind.
"Hey solved the big mystery on who Rogue chose over you," Baz taunted him. "Gambit."
"The new guy? Him?" Joss demanded.
"Yeah, what of it? Gonna go on a macho spree? Try to impress me by flexing your muscles at me then getting your butt handed to you?" Rogue inquired.
"Why? Does he need a girl to defend him?"
"No, but those are some pretty fine words coming from a guy who's had this gal kick his butt more than once."
"She's gotcha there," Owen snorted.
"Hey, I was just holding back 'cause you're a girl," Joss said defensively.
"Wow really? Does that mean when you go all out it's gonna take me twenty seconds instead of ten?" Rogue smirked at him.
"Oh, you can get me on my back any time, Rogue. Although, I think I'd rather have you on yours."
"Yeah, keep dreaming, 'cause it's all you're gonna get."
"Ahh, Gambit right?" Frank said, looking past them to Gambit's return.
"Oui," Gambit replied as he slipped his arm around Rogue's waist.
"These are some of my riding buddies," Rogue said. "Frank. Owen. Baz and Joss."
Gambit recognised all four of them from that first early morning in the diner.
"Bonjour."
"Not gonna take your helmet off?" Joss asked snippily.
"Now what would be the point in that, homme?" Gambit inquired. "I'm only going to have to put it back on again."
"Ahh a lazy man," Owen grinned. "I approve of this guy."
"You would," Frank commented.
"Like I need your approval," Rogue smirked at him.
"Yeah, I'd be careful around this bitch if I was you," Joss said addressing Gambit. "She's likely to get you all excited and then leave you cold and hard."
Rogue, being closer, backhanded Joss.
"Now that's no way to treat a lady," Gambit admonished, moving around to stand in between Rogue and Joss.
"No, but it is a good way to treat a whore," Joss snapped, rubbing his jaw. "A lying, back-stabbing, whoring mutie sympathiser."
"At least I'm not a bigoted, abusive jackass," Rogue snapped as Gambit kicked Joss' legs out from beneath him.
"I think you should apologise," he said, a dangerous tone in his voice.
Joss laughed.
"Do you really think I'm going to listen to you? You think I'm stupid? I know your voice. You're the demon-eyed mutie from the diner. What? You're sleeping with muties now Rogue? I think you're taking the sympathy a bit too far."
"Joss," Rogue said. "You remember when I told you you weren't my type? Well, that was only half the truth. You see, I'm not your type either."
"Obviously! I can't believe you've soiled yourself by sleeping with this mutie-trash."
"You remember that sadistic plan I told you about, Gambit?"
"Oui?"
"I think I now know what would have happened," Rogue said with bitter laughter. "Joss, I'm not a mutant sympathiser. I am a mutant."
Owen swore quietly while Frank grinned at her.
"So, you really can make men go weak at the knees?" he asked.
"You have no idea," Rogue replied, taking Gambit's arm. "C'mon sugar. I think it's time we left."
"I think you may be right, chérie," Gambit replied.
"Oh no," Baz said coldly as they turned around. "You two ain't going nowhere."
"Baz, let them go," Frank said.
"Rogue!" Owen yelled in warning.
Owen's warning was just a little too late for Joss had clambered to his feet, knife in hand, and driven it into her back. Rogue shuddered. It was Gambit's turned to call her name. A snarl appeared on her face, and she laughed.
"You think your pointy stick is gonna hurt me, bub?" Rogue demanded.
Three long bone claws extended out of one hand, while the other reached around to remove the knife from her back. Joss swore and backed off. Rogue half-turned and growled, extending the claws in the other hand as the knife clattered to the ground.
"I got six."
Joss bolted. There was a click and Rogue turned her head to see Baz aiming at her with his gun.
"I can't say I think too much o' your friends, chérie," Gambit said mildly as he reached into his pocket for his playing cards.
However, before he could charge and throw them, the gun was pulled out of Baz' hands. Baz watched in horror as the gun was crushed before his eyes and he quite literally wet his pants.
"You homo sapiens and your guns," Rogue sneered.
She blinked at the uncharacteristic - for her - words coming from her mouth and put aside Logan and Magneto's psyches.
"In fact, I'm thinking that perhaps we should be leaving town altogether, no?" Gambit commented.
Rogue sighed.
"You're probably right."
"Where did that Joss character go?"
"Oh, he ran away like a little girl."
Gambit snorted, while Rogue turned to Frank and Owen.
"Guess this is goodbye then," she said. "Send my regrets to the guys okay?"
"Sure thing, Rogue," Frank replied. "Oh, and thanks for the ammunition."
"Yeah," Owen agreed, smirking at Baz. "We're gonna get years outta this."
Rogue laughed.
"Think of it as a farewell present then," she grinned.
"Sure will. Good luck," Frank said.
"Thanks."
Hand in hand, Rogue and Gambit walked passed Baz (who was bemoaning his unfortunate accident and the loss of his precious gun), and to their motorcycles.
Upon arrival at Rogue's apartment, Gambit started loading their bikes onto the flatbed of his pickup truck.
"You'd better figure out what you're gonna pack," he said.
"Yeah. Meetcha inside," Rogue replied glumly, shoving her thumbs into the waistband of her pants.
She headed inside and went looking for her bag. Once she finally found the wretched thing, she looked around the apartment and wondered just how she had managed to acquire so much junk in three years and not even that. She opened up her wardrobe and drawers and tried to figure out what clothing she needed most. Underwear of course, shirts and a spare pair of pants. Didn't have a whole lot of room for much more than that. Rogue raided the bathroom for essential toiletries.
Gambit arrived in time to see Rogue removing the hard drive from her computer. She caught him look at her in amusement.
"What? I want the data and it seems pointless burning it to CD when all I really need is an external hard drive caddy. Not like I can take the whole computer with me anyway."
"True," he conceded as he grabbed his few things and shoved them into his bag. "We should raid the kitchen for snack food."
"Sounds like a plan," Rogue said with a sigh.
"Sorry you have to leave chére," he said quietly.
Rogue shrugged as she stuffed her the last of her things into what little room was left in the bag.
"Knew I'd have to someday, although these are not exactly the conditions I had in mind -" she broke herself off as something smashed through the window. "Great. Brick throwing. That's real mature."
Gambit was zipping up his bag when something else came flying through the window. The glass bottle smashed immediately on impacting with the carpet, which burst into flames. A second later another one appeared.
"Carlos, you fire-bombing bastard!" Rogue shouted.
"Hmm, perhaps we should skip the kitchen raid," Gambit said, starting for the door as the fire spread quickly. "chére?"
"I just need to get something."
She pulled out Magneto's psyche and used his powers to grab hold of a small metal box from the part of the apartment that was now in flames. She then replaced him with Bobby, but there was only enough moisture in the air now to cool the box, not to ice the apartment as she would have preferred. She tucked the box under her arm, even as Gambit grabbed her and hauled her out of the apartment. She contemplated seeing if she could used Pyro's powers to kill the flames, but until they stopped chucking the Molotov cocktails it would be wasted effort.
Once in the car, Gambit pulled out and onto the street. As they began their escape, they looked out the window to see two motorcycles parked on the side of the road.
"Joss and Carlos," Rogue said grimly. "Bastards. Hey, are they - they're graffiting the wall! Oh that's real nice."
"Those theirs?" Gambit asked, pointing to the bikes.
"Yeah."
Gambit pulled out his playing cards, charged them and tossed them at the motorcycles. Both of them blew apart and Gambit smirked at their owner's protests. Carlos threw one of the Molotov cocktails at the car, but Gambit had driven off too quickly and it missed. Rogue laughed nervously.
"I didn't realise they'd come after us," she said. "At least... at least not so soon."
"They sure didn't waste any time."
"This is a nightmare. It wasn't supposed to go like this. Frank, Owen, Gary, everyone else; they're good people y'know? Why'd they have to go and spoil things?"
"Chére, if you have to hide what you are to be accepted, they aren't really your friends," Gambit said gravely. "But then... you already know that."
Rogue smiled ruefully.
"Yeah. Guess I really dug my own hole that time."
"I find it amusing that someone who was so afraid o' being betrayed would knowingly make friends with folks who would ultimately betray her."
"What can I say? I'm screwed up."
"Well, if you're not now I'm sure I can arrange some screwing a bit later, if you want."
"Dirty-minded pervert," Rogue smirked.
Gambit chuckled.
"By the way, those claws you had earlier. they Logan's?"
"Yep."
"He wouldn't happen to also go by the name Wolverine and have adamantium ones would he?"
"Yeah, he does actually. You know him?"
"Met him once ages back. But unless his memory has returned in the meantime, I imagine I remember him better than he'll remember me," Gambit replied. "Should've put two and two together earlier. How many guys named Logan out there have healing factors?"
Rogue laughed.
"Say," Gambit went on. "What's in the box?"
"My own personal safe," Rogue replied, lifting up the doorless box. "Try breaking into this baby."
"Well, if you insist."
He reached over and traced a magenta square on the top.
"Cheater."
"But I can do it," he smirked as he decharged it. "Gotcha cash in there huh?"
"And a couple of other odds and ends."
Rogue sighed as she put it down and leaned into the back of the seat. There was silence for a time as they drove into the night.
"So, what now?" Rogue asked finally.
Gambit was quiet for a moment, a sly smile creeping on his lips.
"How do you feel about becoming a thief?"
"Whaddya mean?"
"Mon père has been harassing moi about getting another apprentice for awhile now. We did work rather well together on that heist, and you ain't exactly in a position to go back to your old job."
"This is true. And I always wanted to travel."
Gambit chuckled.
"Plus my cut from that job was more than I've managed to save from all those motorcycle races I've been doing for over two years," Rogue went on with a tinge of disgust in her voice. "Albeit, I had expenses, but the point is... I think I've been in the wrong line of work. Just what does an apprenticeship entail anyhow?"
"I train you up with all the skills you need to pass the initiation into the guild. And whenever we're in Louisiana, you get to run errands into N'Awlins for moi."
"Because of the exile?"
"There are some some things which are not worth risking dying for chére."
"Amen to that."
"O' course, as a mere apprentice, you're only entitled to a maximum o' twenty-five percent on any job we do, and that's after expenses and the Guild cut. So there's some incentive to learn fast, no?"
"Learning fast, huh?" Rogue said with a sly grin. "You do realise I could absorb you and just take all the info and skills I need?"
"That's cheating."
"What? The idea of stealing the skills I need to join the Thieves Guild doesn't appeal to you?"
"Oh it appeals to my sense of humour just fine. But whatcha gonna do if someone catches you and turns off your powers chére? And trust me, it can be done."
"Point taken. I wouldn't really do it that way anyhow. The point is I could."
"I'm going to have so much fun working with you."
"What does the Guild take a cut for anyway?"
"Admin, equipment, ceremonies, the annual Christmas party," Gambit replied. "The Guild master and his staff salaries. Medical. Bailing out any members stupid enough to get done by the cops."
Rogue chuckled.
"Oh what is that?" she asked in annoyance, feeling behind her.
"What is what?"
"Something itching me - oh, right," she sighed as she pulled off her jacket. "Damn you Joss, you put a hole in my favourite jacket."
She inspected the blood stained hole critically.
"The question is, can I patch it without it looking like crap, or should I just buy a new one?"
"'Sup to you chérie," Gambit replied.
Rogue pushed her jacket aside then pulled off her blood-stained shirt.
"Don't start stripping off when I'm driving. You're distracting," Gambit said, looking over at her. "So very, very distracting. In fact, I may have to pull over."
Rogue snickered as she inspected the damage to her shirt, then tried using it to wipe off any blood that might be on her back still.
"I think I'm gonna need a shower wherever we stop at," she said as she leaned forward to open up her bag.
"Hmm, I should join you," Gambit nodded. "Make sure you get all of it."
"How very thoughtful of you," Rogue smirked.
She pulled out her bear and a couple of other things while digging into her bag for a clean shirt. Gambit started chuckling.
"You brought your teddy bear," he teased her.
"Shut your mouth, swamp rat. The bear stays."
"Just as long as he doesn't join us in bed."
"Nah, he doesn't go in for that kinda thing," Rogue replied. "He's a one on one kinda bear."
Gambit chuckled as Rogue pulled her clean shirt on. She started stuffing things back into her bag, with the exception of her phone. This she picked up and sat back with, dialling a number.
"Who're you calling?"
"Work. I think I should do 'em the courtesy of telling them I won't be back in."
Gambit shrugged and was silent while Rogue spoke.
"Susie? Hey, it's Marie here... Yeah can you leave a message for Doug for me? Thanks. Let him know that I'm not coming into work on Monday, or ever again for that matter... Yes I know I'm supposed to give two weeks notice but I'm kinda busy being run out of town at the moment... No seriously," Rogue tried to sound serious, but she was too busy enjoying herself. "Some of my so-called friends found out I was a mutant and decided to fire bomb my apartment and scrawl 'Die Mutie Die' on the wall... Well, I've always been a mutant, sugar. I was cured for awhile but I got better... Actually I haven't watched Monty Python for awhile now. Hey, you wanna know what my power is?"
Gambit chuckled at the gleeful tone of Rogue's voice.
"I make men weak at the knees."
Rogue laughed to herself as she hung up. Gambit grinned.
"Ain't that the truth," he said.
Deleted scene:
"And to think I almost slept with you," Joss snarled.
"Yeah," mused Rogue, looking at her six bone claws. "Imagine me racking these babies down your back."