- Marvel Heroes -

-- The End of the Fellowship --

The X-Men were alone in the dirty war zone of the gallery beneath Fisk's pyramid. Most of the floor was now covered in a coat of warm ash and dead and injured human bodies lay all around. The vampire hunter and the old man had vanished. Spider-Man and the Daredevil were also gone. Cyclops and Storm had returned from the tower to say it was clear and Kingpin was down.

Wandering through the no-man's-land of smoking ash, Wolverine came across the unique Sword of the Daywalker. He reached down and picked the weapon up. It was the coolest sword he'd ever seen and the hilt was decorated with alien symbols. He hefted it in his hand and already decided to keep it. Hell, if the broody bad-ass didn't want it; finders keepers. His ears pricked up at a whirring noise that seemed to come from the sword itself.

Then, suddenly, four razor knives snapped out of the sword hilt and sliced into his palm. Logan yelped and dropped the sword. To hell with that, he decided, shaking his torn hand.

Remy leaned on his new Bo staff and watched Rogue's tight leather butt as she walked up the steps to the elevator. Logan joined him, shaking the injured hand as the gashes closed up.

Remy sighed. "She a fine gal, mon frere. Got m' heart all tied round that one. I gotta be a lucky Cajun for sure."

Logan was quite surprised by the kid's sensitivity. "You ever do wrong by her and–" SHING

Remy went wide-eyed at the three knuckle skewers and slinked away after his girl.

Logan retracted the claws as Storm and Cyclops joined him.

"He did a good job tonight," Storm noted.

Logan snarled. "The kid's reckless. Cocky. Arrogant. Impulsive."

"Don't worry, Logan," said Scott. "He's in enough trouble over his card games. The Professor won't let him get off lightly after this stunt."

"I never said I didn't like him," replied Wolverine. "Hell – kinda reminds me of myself."

Storm had to agree with Logan. "Let's not be so hard on him, Scott. He turned out to be the Ace we didn't even know we had up our sleeves."

Cyclops considered it. "I guess he was our gambit after all."

"Yeah," said Storm thoughtfully, "Our Gambit."

"Gambit, huh?" Logan watched the boy as he led Rogue out of the building. "Looks like you're gonna need another costume."

The trio smiled and headed out.

"I don't think so, Logan," Cyclops began. "Whatya trying to do? Phase us old-timers out?"

Logan huffed at that remark. "Old-timers? Speak for yourself, One-eye. I'm only fifteen years old, remember."

"Ha! More like sixty, Gramps."

Storm slapped both their arms as they ascended the tiled steps. "Cool it, boys. Or one of you gets to sit in the back on the way home."

They climbed into the elevator and Scott needled: "Well, I'll be flying the jet, so…"

"Hey, I could fly your damn plane." Logan replied. "And don't you roll your eye at me."

The doors rolled shut.