Thieves, Scoundrels, and All Kinds of Riffraff
By VivaGlam (who used to be Vfgirl)
Chapter 12
* * * *
Author's Note:
Yes, this chapter took ages. I'm sorry. I just had to deal with homework and finals and projects and all that kind of crap that floods you when it comes time for the semester to end. But school's almost over (I still have a presentation tonight) and I can concentrate wholly on writing, drawing, and STAR WARS!!! Yesyes, I'll finally get to see Ewan dearest in action, and get to go green with envy at how gorgeous Natalie Portman is.
And on topic, once again, the timeline is suspended, meaning that this takes place on the same day as does the last chapter. In case you forget, the catfight *is* in the next chapter. I was planning it for this one, but we can't let our X-Geeks fall behind, now can we? Well, they're already behind, but… I'm ruining things. Suffice it to say that the long anticipated catfight is definitely gonna be next chapter.
And the X-Men: Evolution characters all belong to Marvel/WB respectively.
* * * *
New Orleans, Mississippi
* * * *
"I'm boooored!!" Whined the German teenager, as he sat on the steps outside the café with his friend, an black teenager whose striking blonde hair contrasted sharply with his dark skin, making him quite the standout.
"So? I'm bored, too." grumbled the black teenager. "Auntie O's in there, and she told us not to run off." He ran a hand through his hair, sighing in frustration. "This bites, man. And I couldn't even bring my skateboard."
In contrast to their sour moods, the weather in New Orleans was perfect that morning. A soft breeze blew in from the Mississippi river, cooling down the heat that radiated off the sun that shone brightly in the sky, and the crowd of tourists drifted to and fro, a soft murmur accompanying the casual, slow pace, the sounds mixing with the smells that wafted through the air, coming from the roadside stalls that were famous for their Cajun food.
Kurt was about to reply to that when the door behind them opened, and the sound of heels clicking on concrete caused them to turn their heads around, looking at the source of the noise. Ororo Munroe floated down the steps, silver hair floating slightly in the cool breeze, her heels making her look even more statuesque than usual. Her airy skirt fluttered around her knees as the wind played with her clothes, and the soft whisper of silk against chiffon was barely perceptible to all except Ororo herself and her two young charges.
She looked down at both Kurt and Evan, and smiled faintly at the look of intense boredom that clouded their eyes. "Impatient, aren't we?" She asked.
"Did you get what you needed, Auntie O?" Asked Evan. He fervently hoped that maybe they were finally done with whatever 'business' his Aunt had needed to take care of, and maybe they could finally get to some fun.
"Not quite. But I know exactly where we need to go next. And it's just down the block." Evan's last hope wilted with that comment, and he nearly groaned with horror. Ororo bit her lip, and it was all she could do to prevent herself from laughing. "Don't worry. Once I'm done there, we'll go sample some of New Orleans's famous Cajun cuisine." She promised Evan. That wasn't able to cheer Evan up as much as she had hoped, but Kurt's invisible pointy ears perked up at the prospect of food. "Come on." She walked off in the direction of her next destination. "The sooner I reach there and find Remy, the sooner we can all have lunch."
* * * *
30 minutes, And a Leisurely Stroll Later
* * * *
Ororo pushed open the door to yet another bar, empty, as the previous one before, except for the staff of the establishment. The man bending over the bar attempting to wipe it clean with a dubious looking piece of gray cloth, looked up at her, and grunted. "We're closed, lady. Can't cha read the sign?"
"I'm not here as a patron." Answered Storm, blue eyes flashing. She raised her chin slightly, and her shoulders straightened out. "I'm looking for Gambit."
The burly man glanced up, and squinted his beady eyes at the striking black woman. "And who's lookin' for him?"
"Stormy!!" the enthusiastic yell was heard from the other side of the room, and both Ororo and the surly bartender looked up to the source of the sound. A good-looking young man with a five o'clock shadow and long brown hair that hung past his eyes leaped over the banister that led to the second floor, the grimy apron covering his shirtless torso flapping slightly as he moved quickly towards the vaguely astonished Ororo.
"Remy!" She embraced the young man hard, and then she took a step back, and smiled widely. "How have you been?"
He flicked his bangs back, and grinned at her, flashing a mouthful of white teeth at the older woman. " 'S been ok. What brings Stormy here to see lil' ol' Gambit?"
Meanwhile, both Kurt and Evan had their noses pressed up against the glass, as they tried to peer into the dim bar. Storm's white hair was like a beacon, but the glass was dirty enough, and the bar dark enough that it was difficult to see her and the other man she was talking to. They were very thankful, then, for the new stranger's white- well, gray was a more appropriate term; apron.
Being in the presence of the irrepressible young Cajun thief genuinely lifted Ororo's mood, but then, she remembered why she was looking for Remy, and the smile on her face dimmed. She looked up at him, all laughter gone from her eyes. "Can we talk?" She asked. "I'm afraid it's important."
Remy, sensing her apprehension, nodded, and pulled his apron off. "Let's go talk ups'airs. We c'n talk dere." She nodded, and proceeded to follow him, when he grinned and pointed a thumb in the direction of the grimy plate of glass that stood beside the entrance to the bar. "What 'bout dose two, Stormy? You gonna ask dem to come in, or make dem sit outside all day?"
Ororo looked, startled by Remy's sudden comment, when she realized that he was referring to her two young 'bodyguards', both of whom were currently pressing their noses to the very dubious looking plate of glass that framed the store. It looks like Remy had still kept that infamous 6th sense that he'd developed from growing up with the Guild of Thieves. She laughed, and shook her head. "I think waiting outside for a short span of time would do their impatient young countenances good." She said. "Besides, that would teach them not to come along when they're not wanted."
Remy raised an eyebrow, quizzical. "Nevermind." Ororo smirked slightly. "Let's head upstairs. I want to ask you about this Carey Li that you told me about." And so the two of them walked up the stairs together, talking animatedly, like the good friends that they were.
"Vell? Vhere are they going?!" asked Kurt, panicking.
Evan thought for a moment, his mind running through possibility after possibility, until… "No way!! Auntie O would never do that!!"
"Do vhat?" It was all Kurt could do to not flap his arms around and throttle his friend. "Tell me!!"
Evan swallowed. "You know why so many women go to places like Bali and Jamaica?" he asked.
Kurt paused. He didn't quite get where the conversation was heading. "Uh, no?" The tone of sarcasm in his voice was unmistakable.
Evan leaned forward, cupping his hand around Kurt's ear, before whispering into it. As he did, Kurt's eyes grew wider and wider, and finally, the German boy could no longer stand it, and pulled away from Evan. "No vay!! Storm vould never do a thing like that!!"
Evan shook his head. "Dude, you think I wanna think about that, too? But think about it. She says that she needs a vacation. And what do people do on vacations? Have a good time. And she was in the last shady, suspicious place for more than an hour. And she's gonna be in there for another hour, all alone, with a good-looking guy who's at least 10 years younger than her…"
Kurt paled as the image of Ororo writhing underneath that guy in the apron, and… "No!! I vill not think of that!!" He shook his head a few times, trying to get rid of those mental images, and glared at Evan. "How could you think of something like that? She's your aunt. You're suggesting that she came to New Orleans so that she could have a good time with a bunch of these… gigolos?! You're implying that your aunt is a sugar mama, for crying out loud!!"
Evan folded his arms across his chest, and turned around to lean back against the wall, squatting on the floor. "Yeah, then what do you suggest, wise guy?"
At that retort, Kurt was left blank. He paused, and then shrugged, before joining Evan down on the floor. "I dunno. But she wouldn't leave us out here, would she?"
Evan sighed. "Who knows? I mean, who would've thought that Auntie O would do such a thing anyways?"
* * * *
Ororo sat down in a chair offered by Remy, and he did the same, leaning back to cross one leg over the other. "So what does Stormy wanna 'no 'bout Carey?"
Ororo shrugged. "Well, for starters, you could tell me how both of you know that the other's a mutant." She wasn't quite sure what she wanted to know, except that she needed to know more.
At her reply, Remy laughed. "Ok, Stormy, you asked fo' it." He leaned back onto the chair, and closed his eyes. "So where to start? Ah, when he caught me pickin' his pocket. Dat was a looong time ago, and Remy not so good a thief back den." He grinned sheepishly. "Den again, Remy only 10 years old, so…"
Ororo leaned forward, interested. "You were picking his pocket?"
Remy nodded. "Uh huh. Dat was during the Mardi Gras. Carey was about… 18 den, I t'ink. He young, but already a t'ief and scoundrel, like Gambit 'ere."
Ororo grinned slightly at the thought of a young Remy having been caught by this Carey. "And you didn't know that."
Shaking his head ruefully, Remy's red on black eyes looked mournful. "No. Dat was probably de biggest mistake. But cannot blame Remy, no? Carey is from San Francisco, and Remy never see him before. So Remy t'ink he is just a tourist, seeing de femmes dance around in de bikinis, and steal his wallet." He sighed. "Den, next t'ing Remy knows, he grab Remy's hand and pull me into de alley."
Remy was startled by Ororo's laughter. She had covered her mouth, and her eyes sparkled with humor. "Forgive me, I just can't quite imagine you being caught, Remy."
Frowning, Gambit glared at his friend. "I don't see what's so funny, chere."
She raised her hand. "Very well, then. I'll stop." Still, she wasn't able to wipe the smile off her face.
Gambit heaved a longsuffering sigh, and then started talking again. "After I give him back 'is wallet, he asked 'f Gambit was a mut'nt."
"And?" Ororo leaned forward, expectant.
"And I didn't know what a mut'nt was. So I told 'im."
If Storm had barely been able to control her laughter before, she was incapacitated this time around. Remy stared at her, dismayed that she was finding this so funny. "What? Gambit only a boy back den. But Carey know 'cuz Gambit has dese eyes." He pointed to his odd looking eyes, and grinned slightly. "So Carey explained to Remy what mutants are. Den we walk around talkin' for de rest o' de day. After dat, Carey give Gambit his n'mber, and we keep 'n touch."
"Until now?" asked Storm.
"Sort o'." Remy shrugged. "Carey travels a lot. Sometimes he stop over, and we talk. Sometimes, dis Cajun gets offers f' Carey, and Carey gets offers f' Gambit. I turned dis one down because o' m' respons'bility t' de Thieves Guild."
"What responsibility?" She asked, taken off guard by that comment.
Remy paused, and squinted a little at Storm. When he realized that she wasn't pulling his leg, he nodded, realizing his mistake. "Ah, Gambit f'get dat Stormy not in de circle 'nymore. Stormy 's now playin' babysitter t' dose boys out dere."
Rolling her eyes, Ororo poked her young friend in the chest. "For your information, young man, those 'boys', as you call them, are only a few years younger than you. How old are you now, 18?"
"Nope." Remy shook his head vigorously, and flashed another smile at her. "Gambit is 19 now."
"And what does this have to do with that news that you mentioned?" Asked Ororo.
"Gambit getting married dis summer."
At this little piece of news, Storm nearly fell out of her chair. "I beg your pardon?" she asked the boy, shocked.
This time, it was Remy's turn to get a good laugh at the other person's expense. "Y' heard me right, chere. Remy 's getting' married dis summer."
"B-but, how?" asked Storm, her astonishment causing her to stutter slightly.
"D' y' remember Belladonna? De femme fr'm de Assassin's Guild?"
Storm looked at him, aghast. "But the Assassin's Guild and the Thieves Guild are archrivals. And that girl, isn't she that…" She trailed off, unwilling to say such a word.
"Bitch?" asked Remy. "She's changed f' de better, Stormy. And we're goin' t' get married. B'sides, it's gonna be good f' the Guilds."
Storm steepled her fingers together, and sighed. "So you say." She paused for a moment, and wondered if Remy should get married at such a young age. He didn't seem ready for it- too young and vulnerable, especially for a manipulative vixen like Assassin's Guild's Belladonna. But she wasn't here to condemn anybody- she was here to find out more about Carey Li and his offer. "What exactly did he say when he asked you to join his crew?" She asked.
"Not'ing much." Remy shrugged, and leaned back, putting his hands behind his back, lacing his fingers together. "Jus' dat dere would be a big take, 'n dat I would feel… comfortable."
Looking out the window, Ororo glanced at her young friend, and continued gazing out into the blue sky. "By comfortable, he meant that the crew would be comprised of all mutants?"
"Gambit t'inks so." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Why's dis so import'nt to you, chere? Dat d' crew be all mut'nts?"
Ororo froze, and Gambit could see her body tense up out of the corner of his eye. She swallowed, and regained her composure quickly. "No reason. I was just wondering."
"Oui." He had taken a card from the deck in his pocket, and was playing around with it, knowing that Storm was lying.
* * * *
By now, it had been more than half an hour. Evan sat on the floor, hand propping up his chin, while Kurt paced around. "Alright." He finally turned to look at Evan. "I can't just wait anymore. Vhat is Storm doing in there?! Ve have to stop her."
Evan rolled his eyes. "Dude, if she really is doing it, do you really want to walk in while they're busy?"
"I don't care. I can't get these pictures out of my head!!" Finally, Kurt couldn't stand it anymore, and he walked into the bar.
"Dude!" Evan got up anxiously. "Auntie O told us to stay out here!!" He got up, and jogged after his frantic friend. "We're gonna regret this…"
* * * *
There was a rather tense silence between the two friends as they sat upstairs, both contemplating the situation taking place right now. Storm was worried that Gambit knew what she was up to, and Gambit knew that Ororo was up to something- what, he didn't quite know, but the weather witch was definitely nervous, and completely unlike herself.
What should I do? Storm asked herself. If this crew is really an all-mutant crew, and they're out to pull of this incredibly big heist, then I should try and stop them. It's a liability, and if they don't pull it off, they'll give mutants a bad name. Even if they do, and the public finds out… the public isn't ready to find out about us. Before she could contemplate the situation some more, the silence between Remy and herself was broken by a most unexpected interruption.
"Ready or not, here I come!!" Hollered a very familiar German voice, and up bounded a rather anxious looking Kurt. Strangely enough, when he saw the two of them just sitting there, not doing anything, an oddly relieved look appeared on his face, and Kurt grinned sheepishly. "Oops."
Just then, Evan ploughed straight into his German friend, pushing him forward, and they both landed on the dusty wood floor in a tangle. "Dude, tell me next time you brake so suddenly, ok?" He then looked up at the grinning Gambit, and a rather bemused looking Ororo, both of whom were looking down at him and Kurt sprawled on the floor, and grinned guiltily. "Er, we weren't interrupting anything, were we?"
This is enough. Decided Storm, and she stood up. Crooking her finger at the two of them, she gestured downstairs. "Go. Before I get angry." The two boys, knowing that they had pushed things far enough, hastily untangled themselves and scurried downstairs. Ororo turned to her good friend, and hugged him once again. "Thank you for all your help, Remy. And your time, too."
"Anyt'ng f' you, Stormy." He hugged her, and then pulled back, before flashing her a roguish smile, and a mischievous wink. "Here." He reached into his pants pocket, and pulled out a simple name card, with a number on it. "Call 'im. I know y' want t', so go ahead."
Ororo took the card, and nodded. "Take care, Remy. I'll see you at the wedding?"
Gambit grinned, and nodded. "Oui." He then watched his fellow mutant turn around, and head down the stairs after her two charges. She's some woman. He thought to himself, and stuck his hands in his pockets. Better get back to cleaning. Picking up the mop resting in a nearby bucket, he starting sloshing it in the bucket, and whistled to himself, getting about his chores.
* * * *
"Just what did you think you were doing?!" asked a very exasperated Storm, as she faced the two sheepish looking teenage boys. "I was having a private conversation up there, and I specifically told you to wait down here for me. I'd only been busy for half an hour!" As Storm thundered on, Kurt and Evan seemed to shrink more and more into themselves, embarrassed and humiliated, especially when they thought about why exactly they had barged up there in the first place.
Storm looked at the both of them for a few moments, wondering why they had directly disobeyed her orders. Both were good boys. But something told her that asking wasn't going to be such a good idea, and so, instead, she decided to let that minor incident go, and take them both for the promised lunch. "Come on. I know you both must be starving."
Both Kurt and Evan glanced at each other, relieved that Ororo hadn't been too mad, and trotted off after Ororo, who had already started walking away. Hey, who were they to question why they'd been let off the hook? Might as well enjoy their vacation while they could.
* * * *
Later, that evening
* * * *
Ororo stepped out from the shower, and after drying herself off with the soft towel hanging on the rack, wrapped it around her long silver hair, and pulled on a fluffy terrycloth bathrobe, wrapping it around her slim frame, making sure to tie it securely around her waist before stepping out of the bathroom.
The hotel suite she'd upgraded to was currently empty- she had placed fifty dollars in both Evan and Kurt's hands, and sent them off by themselves, and didn't give them any curfew time. The delighted look on their faces had assured her that she'd have her privacy for many hours to come, and she could use the much needed peace and quiet to go through with her plans- spending the afternoon keeping an eye on both rascals was more than enough to drain the energy out of even a thief.
She walked over to the couch and lay down on it, before picking up the phone, and dialing a long-familiar number. The phone on the other end rung once, twice, and then it was picked up. The reassuring sound of the warm voice on the other end immediately made her relax even more, and unconsciously, she smiled. "Hello, Charles."
"Ororo." She could almost see the smile, hear the warmth in his voice. But he wouldn't be surprised. "I'd been expecting your call." Yes, she was right. He'd known, somehow. She wondered if that came with being a telepath. But no matter. That wasn't what was important right now.
"I need to find out more about this group of people, Professor."
"And what would that entail?" He asked, knowing that she wouldn't have called to ask his opinion if she didn't need some approval of sorts.
"I think I would need to join their group. Covertly- as an undercover agent."
Ororo hadn't been sure what to expect from the Professor, but she certainly hadn't expected him to start laughing. "Ororo, you're starting to sound like somebody who's acting in a James Bond movie. Don't you think that perhaps some more investigating should be done first? Just how much information do you know? Are you even sure that the crew's comprised completely of mutants?"
Ororo paused. "I'm not sure." Before the professor could say anything else, she continued. "That's why I need to join this crew. Only then can I really find out what this conman has up his sleeve."
"Child," Xavier sighed. "Doesn't the word conman ring a bell? Ororo, this man makes a living being manipulative. And how would you know that they would even let you in? And need I remind you? Undercover work is dangerous."
"Professor, please. Let me do this. I can't quite voice why I should, but I know I must."
She was met with nothing but silence. Xavier used the silence to give himself some time to think about this sudden change in one of his most trusted friend's behavior. He suspected that she was so adamant about this not only because of her determination to avert disaster, but also because she longed to return to the freedom of her former lifestyle. Ororo was often seen as a restrained woman, who was not very expressive in regard to her emotions, but he knew better. She was a free spirit, who sought to roam and not be tied down by too many responsibilities, but because her mutant abilities were affected so greatly by her emotions, she often sought to curtail her emotions, lest her emotions run wild, and the weather wreaks havoc on the surrounding area.
Perhaps letting her let loose was not such a bad idea. She longed for the freedom of such a life, and having somebody in with this crew of mutants would allow him to keep tabs on their activity. And, if necessary, he could always intervene before things got too out of hand. In addition, Storm was no weakling. She could more take care of herself. Xavier sincerely hoped that he wasn't making the worst mistake of his life, and sighed. "Very well, Ororo. You may go, but be sure to keep me informed."
Smiling, Ororo tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear, and nodded. "Thank you, Professor."
However, before she could hang up, Xavier added something in. "And don't forget to send the boys back."
She laughed gaily, and shook her head. "After this afternoon, Professor, you can have them back."
After she had hung up the phone, Ororo got up, and proceeded to look for her bag. When she did find them, she pulled out the card that Remy had given her.
Carey Li
It said, in small, elegant font. And there was a number below it. When she called it, she wasn't surprised to find out that it was one of those voicemail-messaging systems. It was just a number, and was probably untraceable, too. This man knew what he was doing. She left her message, and hung up.
Who knew? Perhaps she'd even get her call tomorrow.
$@$@$@$@$@@$@$@$@$@
Well, it's finally done!! Yes, I could've finished yesterday, but time ran out on me. Don't forget to R&R, and here's what's gonna happen for the next chapter.
Chapter 13: The crew is finally assembled. Unfortunately for the siblings, if the last heist was any indication, group dynamics need to drastically improve, and it looks like the next few weeks are going to be very trying for everyone. And dare I say it? CATFIGHT!!!
