A/N: Still going strong on the review front. I hope this chapter is just as good as the others have been. If not then sue me… not really please I don't have a lot as is lol. Nevertheless a TON will be revealed in this chapter. Stuff a lot of us already know but the X-Men don't. Explains why Storm was so gun ho about sending Rogue off with Remy and why she never really questioned Rogue's involvement in this whole thing. So enjoy!
Chapter 10:
Cinderella Has Left the Building (with Prince Charming close behind)
"I don't like this 'Ro," Wolverine stated as he stood leaning against the balcony railing with his arms crossed tightly against his broad chest.
"Neither do I but we have no other choice than to trust the leadership of one of our own," Ororo replied as she looked over the railing and down at her students playing carefree. Her eyes watch them like a hawk does its prey and like a mother would her children.
"Something is off with all of this. I don't understand how Rogue knows so much about the Weapon X project or how she was able to get a hold of documents I've spent years searching for," Logan admitted as he chewed on the end of his cigar.
"I do," Storm admitted as her gaze swept once more on the children below her before reluctantly turning to face Logan. Logan's eyebrow shot up in that unmistakable way that was entirely his own, a quirk the young Rogue has since picked up her self. "I did a little digging once I became headmistress of this School. I am not a telepath obviously so I don't have the luxury of knowing the intent of my students or my teachers. So I pulled everyone's file and did my own research."
"Really?" Logan asked surprised at the forethought of Xavier's new headmistress.
"Yes, surprisingly everyone's checked out, even the little we have on you. But Rogue's didn't check out all the way. Actually Xavier had two folders on Rogue. One contained information about her that we already know about her. She was sixteen when she arrived at Xavier's, grew up in Mississippi, didn't graduate high school, kissed a boy named David and that's how her mutation began, so on and so forth. But in the second folder it showed a completely different story. A story I could hardly believe it was our Rogue as I read over the information gathered in that folder. Murder, terrorism, theft it was as if a combination of Logan and Remy co-existed in this one person. Everything bad either of you did was combined in this folder, in this person. It was…unbelievable."
"Until you checked it out," Logan interrupted and Storm nodded her head in response.
"Yes, I called my guild contacts and asked if any of them had ever heard of a woman named Rogue. I got a hearty laugh and a trust me Stormy you don't want to mess with that one. I asked why and they of course gave me the best excuse they could that fille has kiss that will nock ya on your knees. I knew then that she had at least tangled with a few guild members and that in its self made me question everything we thought we knew about her," Storm stopped and let out a long sigh. Her gaze flickered over once again to the children playing and screaming down below them.
"It wouldn't be hard for her," Logan began as he pushed off the railing of the balcony to turn and lean over it instead.
"What do you mean?"
"We've always been so busy trying to stop the next crime and trying to make sure that we all stay alive long enough to see each other tomorrow, that it wouldn't be to hard to fabricate an entire life. I mean if I had the choice I would," Logan commented with a shrug.
"I haven't seen anything that would question her loyalties 'Ro. I mean look at me and Gumbo, we're some pretty bad apples with even worse connections. Both of us have pasts that won't die, I wouldn't expect anything less from her," Logan commented with a shrug as he tossed his cigar over the railing into a shrub down below. Storm gave him a look. "I'll pick it up."
"Thank you."
"So why do you trust her?" Logan asked eyeing the distance from the railing to the ground.
"Who ever said I did?"
--
"So how do you know Rogue?" Gambit asked as he slithered up next to Wanda as she went over some maps on the dinning room table.
"She's done some work for us," Wanda replied not really looking at him as she mapped distances.
"Did she use to be a member or something or was it just a hire out side the group thing?" Remy pushed trying to get as much information as possible from her.
"I really don't think that's any of your concern," She answered still not looking up at him.
"Désolé Remy understands super secret Brotherhood business and all. Remy's just curious about the Rogue you know. I've been spending so much time with mon chere that I feel like I don't know her at all," Gambit said trying to play off her female emotions.
"That's because you don't," And then he was back at square one all over again.
--
"What do you wish for Chere?" Gambit asked as they lounged in their room together.
"What do you mean?" She replies clicking away at her computer transferring funds and making us disappear a little bit more.
"If you could have anything or do anything what would it be?" Remy pressed her as he looked up at the ceiling.
"I would want to disappear for real," she answers stopping at her typing only to really mull over the question before nodding to confirm it.
"What do you mean Chere?" He asked turning to his side.
"I would stop being an X-Man. I would stop fighting for either side; I would want to be normal. You know get married and have kids and live in the suburbs. The whole nine yards and I wouldn't even care where just as long as I was really happy ya know?"
"How you know the Brotherhood so well Chere?" He asks with deep concern that she misses or wishes she didn't hear.
"Because my Mother used to work for them so, so did I," she tells him as if it's common knowledge.
"I know you they didn't catch you the first time Remy, I know you went to them willingly. I also know that they never intended on letting you go," She confesses to him with a blank look.
"I could say the same thing about you."
--
"Tell me about her," Gambit asked Pyro as they sipped beer over the kitchen counter in Magneto's dark, dank hide out. Both Wanda and Rogue were lounging on the couch catching up and watching television, a bowl of popcorn being passed between them.
"She's my family. When both of our real ones and the ones who pretended to be our real ones failed we decided to make our own," John stated as he twirled his beer bottle around.
"So Chere's like your sœur right?" Gambit asked trying to make it seem as if this was all idle conversation.
"Exactly like my sister," John replied catching the flow of the conversation. "I am with Wanda anyways. Rogue and I…well let's just say our paths went different directions even when we didn't want them too."
"Ah something tells Remy you and ice-boy didn't really see eye to eye," Remy stated as he looked at the fire yielding wonder to his right.
"We were best friends actually. I just made different life choices is all," John replied while his eyes never left Rogue and Wanda as they talked through their movie.
"So what's your deal with Rogue anyways?" John asked taking another long drawl from his beer.
"Didn't you know Firefly? She's my Cinderella."
--
"We'll need to move again soon," I said to Gambit as I looked over a map laid out over one of our twin beds. Little red X's were littered about the thin paper, each marking places that were to obvious for us to go. "Something tells me we aren't as safe as we think we are here."
"Cher how about we just move somewhere warm and hol' up there for the next twenty or so years," Gambit commented as I went over our profiles of places we've both been before and places both of us would most likely go.
"We need someplace populated. Someplace that even if they did find us we could easily escape if necessary," I explained to him not looking at him as he threw cards into a hat across the room.
"Bora Bora is more dan bon if you ask me Chere," Gambit said with a shrug of his shoulders as my eyes cut over to him. I tossed my red sharpie at the paper and turned to look at him.
"So you would rather live with me for the next twenty years in a shack in the middle of nowhere than spend time hiding in New Orleans with your family?" I ask waiting for his reaction. I could see his hesitation at my suggestion. New Orleans in the summer is beautiful no matter how hot it is. And I know Remy, I've read his profile a million times, New Orleans is his escape. It's his refuge. Or it was until his banishment seven years ago. Another thing we both have in common.
"What you saying Chere?" Gambit asks me the reality of what I am saying would mean to him. It for a moment tears at my heart at his obvious loneliness.
"I have a contact within the assassin's guild in New Orleans. She owes me more than a few life saving favors," I say hesitantly. Again I am preparing to reveal more than I want to, to this man who no one can trust, especially women.
"Who?" Gambit asks trying to think what assassin would need life saving favors. I can see his brain mulling over his list of contacts as he waits for my response. I know he'll never guess though.
"Belladonna," I state with obviousness before the look of shock rolls across his fine features.
--
"For how long?" The clipped Louisiana voice asks me as I bribe my way back into New Orleans with a banished thief at my side.
"For as long as it takes. No worries sugar we'll be over in the thieves' guild and no he will not be thieving either. Where Gambit goes I go and I am in no mood to go off scaling walls, you know me I wasn't born with an ounce of stealth in me," I tell her more for her reassurance than for mine.
"Papa will not be thrilled about this at all," she says to her self over the phone and I can already see her face in my eyes. Her blonde hair is curled and perfectly placed in rivulets down her back, her manicured fingers, painted blood red, are tapping a finely polished wooden desk as she tries to find a loop hole in our deals. There isn't one.
"You owe me Bell and him too. I don't think you want me to get involved with Marius but I will if I have to. I don't think he'll like knowing all that I've done for his precious little princess. I am going to call the LeBeau's and let them know we'll be arriving in the next 72 hours. And you know how I don't like being late," I say into the phone with a quick click of my tongue.
It was the only way to deal with an assassin. Remind them of who's in power, remind them how easy it would be for me to find her and kill her if necessary. I've done it before to lesser deserving people and a few more deserving as well. One life lost is another saved. Or so the motto goes.
"This isn't permanent clearance Rogue only until the issue is resolved," Belladonna confirmed through the phone and I couldn't help but smile.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. Just think of it as a vacation for him Bella. A few weeks in New Orleans and I'll have him back in New York before Christmas. I mean we can't have our favorite mutant Casanova miss out on the Christmas party our company throws every year. Let me tell you it's…,"
"He's gone by Christmas."
And with that she hung up.
I turned to face Gambit who was looking at me a little too hopefully.
"You know that ex-fiancé of yours sure is a talker," I quipped before turning back towards my bed to begin folding the large map up.
"What did she say Cherie?" Gambit asks me getting straight to the point no mask used to cover up his true feelings this time. I couldn't help to hold back my smile.
"Like I said the assassins owe me a few small favors," I never did elaborate on what favors exactly, "That being said if I ask to bring a banished thief home for the holidays it means I am bring a thief home for the holidays. No one will bother you while we're there as long as you stick with me when you go out side thieve territory," I inform him as I pack the map into one of our many nap sacks.
"You know Chere Remy starting to think that sticking with you seems to be a theme here," He states as he watches me begin to pack our bags for the up tenth time this week.
"Like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid sugar. Stick with me and nothing bad will ever happen to ya," I wisecrack as I throw Gambit's still semi-packed bags next to mine.
--
"Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters this Kitty speaking how can I direct your call?" Katherine Pryde spoke cheerfully into the phone as she leaned casually up against the wall.
"Kitty-Cat it's so good to hear you," an all too familiar voice oozed on the phone.
"Johnny?" Kitty asked as she straightened up.
"Got it on the first try! Makes a man wonder pretty Kitty," John replied as he looped his finger through the cord of his phone.
"What do you want?" She asks him with all the worry a guilty mind possesses.
"I need to speak with Wolf man please," John asked more than politely
"Logan's in Ms. Monroe's office right now…,"
"Then ring me up."
"What's this about Johnny?" Kitty asks him with a childish voice.
"About Cinderella and her Prince Charming now transfer me to her office Kitty I am getting bored," John lightly threatened on the phone. It only took a few minutes before Kitty was making the transfer up to Storm's office. It only took three rings before she answered.
"Ororo Monroe speaking," Storm's voice spoke across the line.
"Hey Storm it's Pyro you know ex-student future leader of the Brother of Evil Mutants just calling to give you a friendly heads up," John replied across the phone.
"Pyro?" Storm asked alarmed and confused.
"Yep! Just calling to let you know that your little Cinderella and her Prince Charming where here and have officially left the building. To where I have no idea…,"
"John are you saying Rogue was with the Brotherhood?" Storm asked trying to get a clear answer out of the manic pyromaniac.
"Isn't that what I just said? Man what are they teaching you people over there? Yes, Gambit and Rogue stayed for like two days and split when the sun came up this morning. Apparently one of our greener members let a certain blue one in on the fact that they were here. Said green member isn't the liveliest looking person this afternoon but hey who said life was easy…,"
"Stay on topic John," Storm grounded out in that all too familiar way she had done years before when John was her student.
"Fine, like I said they skedaddled this morning right before breakfast. Didn't tell us where and Wanda can't get a hold of her on her cell either. She's worried so I am calling before she hex's me into next week," John summed up and Storm sighed heavily into the phone.
"So you have no idea where they are or where they are going?" Storm asked as she rubbed her forehead.
"None and I think they want to keep it that way," John replied.
"Alright thank you John for the update. Have a wonderful afternoon," Storm replied kindly to John before he said the same and hung up the phone. Turning Storm was faced with a curious Wolverine.
"They've apparently spent sometime with the Brotherhood and are now missing," Storm explained to Logan.
"Of course they are."
A/N: DONE! Another chapter down and now our characters are off to New Orleans. Are you seeing a theme here? We're going everywhere and using everything for comics to cartoons to the movies. So very dynamic isn't it?