Gambling: VII: Blue and Gold
Rogue adjusted the strap to her gas mask and followed Gambit inside. Bodies were slumped over everywhere. She tried to stifle a giggle at the sight of a crotchety old man who fell asleep holding his wine. Now the wine made an interesting wet impression on his pants.
"Looks like its time for the old man to get some Depends," Rogue whispered.
Gambit looked over at the old man that had humored Rogue and then gave her a disapproving frown. "Now cherie he be an old homme, you shouldn't make fun."
Rogue would have felt guilty if she hadn't noticed the humorous twinkle in the man's red eyes. She followed closely behind Gambit into a long hallway that led far away from the main party. She had a bad feeling that these air ducts would not be the same. But that wouldn't matter because she was a member of the X-men. She was trained to improvise.
She blinked and realized that Gambit had been staring at her with an amused expression. "Deep thoughts?" he asked in a whisper.
Rogue rolled back her shoulders and focused her attention on the door he had stopped in front of. "Is this the door?"
"That it is," he answered. He leaned forward with his eyes closed, pressing his ear near the door. "Nobody talking." He reached out to try the doorknob and found it locked.
"You gonna blow it up?" Rogue asked.
"Surely you know by now that Gambit have more finesse cherie." He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small device that looked something like a Swiss army pocketknife. He inserted it into the knob and seconds later was rewarded with a satisfying click as the tumblers fell into place. "Normally it would be ladies first, but this time maybe the gentlemen should step through first, no?"
"I ain't got no problem with that," Rogue answered.
Cautiously, Gambit eased open the door and paused before it was completely open. "Guess maybe the vents don't be coming to this room."
Before Rogue could react to the statement, they were invited inside. "I find it rude to lurk in doorways," the voice of Emma Frost called out.
Gambit opened the door the rest of the way and he stepped inside, blocking Rogue's body from view. "Both of you," Emma added. Gambit tossed her a charming grin before stepping aside to allow Rogue inside the room as well.
Rogue could hardly believe her eyes. Whereas the other people were gassed into unconsciousness everyone in the inner sanctuary appeared to be frozen. Rogue had seen the professor pause time before during an altercation at the mall involving John and some non-mutants. It was hard to see someone else with the ability, especially when she was a villain.
Both Gambit and Rogue slipped their gas masks off their faces.
"I'd invite you to sit down, but I'd rather you take your X-man and leave," Emma continued.
"Thanks belle, we are much obliged," Gambit said with a tip of his head in mock southern gentlemen behavior.
Emma turned her attention to the frozen form of Jean Grey. "She's difficult to contain, but while she's under her current illusion I can manipulate her a bit more." She raised her hand to cover her mouth and then yawned. "However, I grow bored of arguing with these overgrown boys."
"You're just gonna let us take her?" Rogue asked in disbelief.
Emma crossed her legs and gave the men in her Inner Circle a disdainful glance. "I grow weary of working with idiots." She turned her attention back to her guests. "You X-men on the other hand are interesting creatures. Fighting for a world that will always hate you."
"We're part of that world," Rogue pointed out.
"Regardless, you X-men use your abilities impressively," Emma continued.
"You wanting to sign up for the team?" Gambit asked sarcastically.
Emma rose to her feet. "I will allow you take back the woman only if I also return with you to your X-mansion."
"Why do you want to come?" Rogue asked suspiciously. Things weren't adding up. She glanced across the room to see the one called Sage pouring tea, the liquid stream frozen in mid-air. Shaw was playing chess with another dark haired man. Jean sat primly across from Emma.
Emma considered her words. She could hardly tell the girl—because she was far from a woman in her opinion at the tender age of eighteen—that she had seen some of the red haired female's memories. She knew more about the woman than the actual woman knew. And she wanted Scott Summers. "My reasons are my own."
"So, let me get this straight," Gambit said leaning against the doorframe. He began to shuffle through his deck of playing cards. "You want to escort the red belle back home and make it your home?"
"I will wipe out the memory of her in the minds of the Inner Circle, none will be the wiser. And I will take up a leave of absence."
"You can't go around erasing people's memories!" Rogue argued red-faced. Gambit reached out wrapped his large hand around her upper arm, reigning in the angry tiger she had transformed into.
"Of course I can," Emma answered waving aside Rogue's concern. "Do we have a deal?"
"I should probably ask the others," Rogue hedged trying to unsuccessfully remove her arm from Gambit's grasp.
"You make the decision now or else I will scramble both of your minds until you think you are a pair of wild monkeys drowning in a river of corn syrup."
Rogue blinked at Emma Frost for the ridiculous image. Apparently it shocked Gambit too since he finally released her arm.
"She fight dirty, Rogue. Maybe this be a decision we make without the others," Gambit whispered in her ear. He straightened and turned his attention back to Emma Frost. "Suppose that be acceptable."
"You have no choice," Emma informed them both with a smile.
"There's always a choice," Rogue muttered starting to remove one of her gloves. Gambit's hand closed around her wrist and he gave her warning look. She sighed in resignation. "How do you suppose we go about this then?" she asked Emma.
A victorious smile appeared on Emma's lips as she stood up in a single fluid movement. "Jean," she called causing the red head's chin to snap up. "It is time for you to return home. Follow me."
"Only have two gas masks," Gambit pointed out.
Emma icy facade slipped momentarily into a frown. She tapped her chin thoughtfully with a pointed fingernail. "We can allow her," she gestured towards Jean, "to fall unconscious and you can carry her."
"Carry her? When did Gambit become the mule?"
"You've always been an ass," Rogue said quietly, earning her a raised brow from her gambling companion.
"You will carry her and I will accompany you with the other mask," Emma continued as if there were no questions. She gave Rogue a cursory look. "You will wait here." She turned back to Gambit. "You wouldn't leave without her."
"Gambit rather carry the Rogue over his shoulder," he said under his breath. He looked into Rogue's eyes. "Don't wonder far cherie."
Rogue handed her mask to Emma. "You gonna hold them in pause mode?"
"Of course," Emma said taking the mask.
"How about you head out to the hall with the red belle? Gambit be there in a minute."
Emma gave Gambit a suspicious look and he could feel her trying to probe his mind, but he blocked her efforts and gave her a disarming smile. She nodded her head and walked out with Jean. Gambit reached into his inner shirt pocket and pulled out a third gas mask.
Rogue looked at the mask in her hand in shock and then back up at Gambit. "Why didn't you just say you had another one, sugar?"
Gambit shrugged. "Never show all the cards in your hand. You follow close behind; don't want none of these to wake up and decide you be crashing their party."
"All right, I'll time y'all to see how long it takes to get down to the front door and then I'll wait until that time to meet you."
"Course, you see something shiny strikes your fancy you go ahead and pick one up, you hear?"
"I'm not going to steal."
"Why not?"
Rogue gave him a firm look of disapproval. He sighed disappointedly. "Gonna be hard to acclimate to this clean life."
She waited twenty seconds before she slipped on her mask and began to follow Gambit and the two telepaths, sticking to the shadows. Rogue stayed close to the wall and was relieved that everyone seemed to be either frozen telepathically or sleeping soundly thanks to whatever gas Gambit had coursing through the air ducts.
Vaguely, she wondered about Sage and how long she would keep working undercover keeping watch over Sebastian Shaw.
There was a door she hadn't seen previously at the end of the first floor. It was dark inside but she had the eeriest feeling that something was watching her. Rogue was not one to scare easily, but she was certainly unnerved right now. She thought she heard a name she scarcely used coming from that direction.
It was the name she was called before she discovered her gift, or as she often saw it her curse. However, it was also the name she was using that night on the guest list. 'Marie.'
She found herself walking toward the darkness, toward the gloom. She was only a few feet away when a hand fell upon her shoulder startling her. Rogue gripped the hand and flipped the intruder over onto his back. Her color rose in embarrassment. "Sorry sugar," she apologized to the figure lying on his back groaning.
"Maybe you give a guy some warning next time, no?" Gambit asked rubbing his lower back when he sat up.
Rogue extended her hand and helped Gambit to his feet. "Sorry, guess you spooked me."
"Let's get out of here." He kept a hold of Rogue's hand after she tried to pull free. "Why you exploring down this hall?"
"Thought I heard something," Rogue answered giving up on trying to free her hand. "Are Jean and Emma all right?"
"Right as rain," Gambit answered.
OOOOOoooooOOOOO
Gathered in Xavier's office the X-men team argued over what to do with both Jean Grey and Emma Frost. Hank McCoy had sedated Jean and she was being monitored in the medical lab. Emma sat silently in front of the professor as her fate was being debated.
"Seems to me this place is all about second chances," Wolverine spoke up interrupting a hot debate between Cyclops and Storm. They both turned to stare at him in disbelief. "We got more important things. Like Jean."
"Don't presume that Jean is not my priority," Cyclops said turning to Wolverine with his hand reflexively going for his visor.
"We made the deal. We got to stick to it," Gambit added.
"We didn't make the deal. You did," Cyclops growled rounding on the Cajun. "What gives you the authority to make a deal on behalf of the X-men?"
Rogue stepped up. "Gambit is a member of the X-men same as you. Don't you talk down to him."
Gambit's eyes widened momentarily in surprise at the southern belle's quick defense of him. He couldn't remember the last time someone had stood up for him, or if someone ever had. "Thanks chere, but Gambit don't need you to speak for him."
"The two members of the team that were present made the decision jointly. In doing so not only did we return Jean but we also brought back a potential ally." Rogue flashed a quick glance at Emma Frost. "I'd rather be her ally than her enemy."
"Child, you don't understand what you're saying," Storm interrupted.
"What does she not understand?" Nightcrawler asked. "Does not the institute offer sanctuary to all mutants who seek it?" He waited until he had the attention of the rest of the X-men. "When you met me I had tried to kill the president."
"But Kurt, you were under the influence of Stryker. You can't be held responsible for your actions," Storm argued.
"The lady comes by choice," Colossus added.
Xavier held up his hand for silence. He looked from one of the X-men to another reflecting upon how each and every one of them came to his institute. 'Emma, what do you want? What are your intentions?' he asked mentally.
Emma crossed her legs and smiled seductively at the professor. 'I respect you and your X-men. I would like to learn to hone my powers for the greater good.'
'Of course,' Xavier agreed, not believing Emma but knowing that there was some grain of truth in her words. He hadn't given up on Magneto and Emma Frost represented someone with a great potential for good works. "Welcome to the institute Miss Frost."
Cyclops' jaw dropped open. "What? Professor! You can't be serious! She's a ring leader for the Inner Circle."
Emma rose and walked to stand before Scott. She was so close that her chest brushed against his. "The Inner Circle was corrupted by egotistical males who thought they were more powerful and important than they really are." She reached up and ran her fingertip along Cyclops' smoothly shaven jaw. "Don't disappoint me Scott. I thought the X-men's leader was smarter than what you're showing."
Cyclops caught Emma's wrist and jerked her hand away from his face. "Don't provoke me," he warned. He sidestepped the busty blond and addressed Xavier. "I'll be in the medical lab."
OOOOOoooooOOOOO
Gambit climbed to the roof with agile grace. He couldn't sleep. The mansion was a strange place full of strange people and he didn't trust any of them. Well most of them. He trusted Rogue and Wolverine, surprisingly given the fact that they both liked to leave him black and blue after a Danger Room session.
Xavier had been spending the past couple of days mentally fixing Jean Grey's psyche along with the help of Emma Frost. He didn't think he'd like having two telepaths playing around in his head. He didn't want anyone inside his head without his permission. Too many secrets to be kept in the dark to welcome that kind of intrusion.
Scooter had been a royal pain, more so than usual. Xavier wouldn't allow him to see Jean more than a few minutes a day. Said he was upsetting her equilibrium or something. Old 'One eye' was almost as berserk as the Wolverine after a below the belt hit in a fight when the members of the blue and gold team were announced.
Gambit was nimbly walking across the roof when he noticed his favorite mutant sitting up there and staring off into the woods. He approached her silently and sat beside her, smiling when she jumped slightly in surprise.
Rogue turned to him. "Hi. Didn't hear you coming."
"That because Gambit didn't make no noise." He grinned, reaching into the inner pocket of his trench coat for a cigarette and lighter. "Gambit be a thief in the night."
"You're a thief all the time, swamp rat," Rogue said fighting a smile of her own. "Smoking is bad for your health."
Gambit arched an auburn brow. "You worried about this Cajun, river rat?"
Rogue crossed her arms over her chest. "River rat? I ain't no river rat," she protested.
"Ah, sure you are chere. If Gambit be the swamp rat you the river rat." He put his arm around her shoulders in a friendly gesture, ignoring her automatic stiffening. He hated seeing her isolate herself for her fear of absorbing others. He wasn't afraid. The only other person he had seen that showed the woman that sort of friendly affection was the Canadian.
"The great state of Louisiana and Mississippi share the great border of the mighty river," Gambit continued. "The way I see it we're kissing cousins." He bent closer to her, his lips only a hair's width away from her cheek. "Of course, Gambit don't mind kissing such a belle as you."
Rogue shoved him away. "Remy, will you behave? I don't feel like having your thoughts dancing in my head all night long. Hard enough to sleep without your perverted thoughts running amuck." She leaned against the eaves of the roof. "What's you're opinion on the teams?"
Gambit liked it when she called him by his first name. "Gambit always been partial to the color blue." He slipped his arm back across Rogue's shoulders and stubbornly kept it there. "The professor must know what a great team you make with Gambit."
Rogue shrugged, apparently giving up on removing his arm from her shoulder. "We work well together." She turned to him, her emerald eyes locking on his eerie red on black ones. She could stare into his eyes all day and because of that she redirected her gaze to a spot over his shoulder. "For some reason—that I can't quite figure out—I trust you. Wolverine trusts you too. And I think Storm is warming up to you."
Gambit crushed his cigarette on a nearby shingle and then tossed it to the ground. He used his free hand to tug on her white forelocks and bring her eyes back to meet his. "Look at me when you say that, chere. You make Gambit paranoid there be a bug on his forehead or something when you look away."
Rogue snorted a laugh at his ridiculous statement. "I thought Cyclops was going to blast a new skylight in the roof when he found out Jean was on the team with Wolverine and that he was paired up with Frost."
"Gambit just glad the Angel not on his team. He might talk too loud to hear the devil on the other shoulder."
Rogue's face broke out into a wide grin. She wasn't sure how he did it, but somehow this Cajun swamp rat made her forget that life was a hollow existence. He made her laugh. Things weren't nearly as bleak whenever he was around.
"Kitty and I were talking after dinner about how interesting it would be to see what happens between Cyclops and Miss Frost," Rogue commented. Gambit tugged her body closer to his and she found herself laying her head against his shoulder.
"Gambit think that why the professor put the tin man on our team to make sure they don't be killing one another."
"And why do you think Kitty's on the blue team?"
"To give you someone to gossip with. Because Gambit hate to gossip."
"Uh huh. Obviously."
"Now the gold team," Gambit continued pretending to have not heard Rogue's mockery. "Stormy gonna lead them well. The Wolverine, he watch out for Jean, or Phoenix as she like to be called. The Iceman on that team so he steers clear of Gambit." He glanced down and met Rogue's gaze. "Gambit don't want to have to accidentally blow something up in his face. That would be poor team playing. Nightcrawler on the gold team because he got feelings for Stormy. And Angel, because he can't be on the blue team."
"So glad you have an explanation for everything."
"Yep chere, you got any questions you come to Gambit. He know the answers."
Rogue wanted to ask him why he was being so darn persistent in his pursuit of her. She thought she knew the answer and didn't want to hear him validate it. Remy LeBeau liked challenges and she was the ultimate challenge. The untouchable.
Suddenly, she felt very cold despite the warmth she had felt from Gambit's embrace. She jerked out of his hold and stood abruptly. "Better go to bed. We got training early. We lose to Ororo's team in our skirmish and Scott will make us practice at all sorts of ungodly hours."
He watched her leave in silence. The woman was a pure mystery to him. One minute she was cozied up to him and the next she brushed him off like a pest. She's defending him one instant and then she's insulting him. He leaned back on the rooftop and stared at the stars above him. He'd go inside in a minute, but right now he had a show to watch down in the gardens.
He wasn't a gossip or anything, but that didn't mean he wasn't curious what Wolverine had to say to the femme he and Rogue just rescued. Who knew, maybe he'd even tell Rogue about it the next night he caught her on the rooftop.
It wouldn't be gossip. It would be sharing information about a rival team. He didn't particularly enjoy long training sessions with Scooter so he'd gleam off any tidbits that might help them defeat their fellow X-men in their friendly skirmishes.
