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"...So he just up and left," exclaimed a disbelieving Kitty Pride over breakfast the next morning. She stared, now wide-awake, at Rogue, who was nonchalantly blowing on the steam rising out of her coffee mug.

"Yep. Ah woulda told you last night, but it was pretty late and Ah didn't wanna wake you."

Kitty shook her head. "I can't believe that people are actually out to get you. I mean, it's not like you actually stabbed this Belladonna chick yourself."

Rogue countered, "Yeah, but Ah charged that rock too much. Ah knew it was going to do some damage, but..." She trailed off.

"But you didn't know that it would kill her."

Her voice took on a panicky edge."Ah thought that at the very least, she would be knocked out, and we could escape. How was Ah supposed to know that the force of the impact would send her own sword..." She shuddered.

"Do you know what's the worst thing, Kitty. Despite her being an ex, albeit a homocidal one, Remy loved her."

Kitty gasped.

"Ah mean, not while he was with me, but Ah've been in his head. Ah know that he still had feelings for her. I mean she was his first love."

Kitty placed her hand over Rogue's. "Don't worry. If Remy was upset with you, he would have told you. I mean, did he say anything else?"

"He said, 'Get AWAY from the windows,'" came in a gruff, new voice. The girls whipped their heads to the doorway, where a concerned Logan was standing.

"I know you were having an important chat, but I believe Gumbo told you to stay away from the windows. Makes you an easy target, kid. I thought you knew that." Rogue nodded.

"Sorry, Logan. Ah forgot. Wait, how did you know what Remy said?" Logan tapped his sensitive ears.

"Oh."

She and Kitty scooped up their stuff, ready to take this conversation to a safer destination.

"Ah'll try to be a little more careful, Logan."

LeBeau Mansion, New Orleans

"Okay, Pere, I'll be more careful."

Jean-Luc LeBeau considered his son with a quirked eyebrow.

"Where have I heard dat before?" Jean-Luc shifted more comfortably into his seat, waiting for the answer.

"What about de time when Remy robbed that carnie and de bearded lady put out a hit on him," piped up a voice from the leather couch in the middle of the living room.

"Shut up, Lapin." Remy muttered.

Jean-Luc cocked his head. "I never heard about dis. Remy, I'm surprised!"

Remy lowered his head, "I didn't know dat de carnie and de bearded lady were an item, ok?"

"Dat's b'sides de point, son. I was under de impression dat people who work at carnivals don't make a lot of money."

Suddenly, Henri LeBeau appeared at the doorway.

"Pere, I t'ink you better come here," he said and exited the room. The three remaining men looked at each other and followed Henri out of the room into the affectionately christened "the technological heaven."

"Look at de screen."

There was a live video of the Assassins headquarters. Belladonna's right hand man-er woman, Sophie had assembled a small army of Assassins and was now passing out a bunch of papers. She was irate, slamming them on the table and shouting at her minions. Remy perked up curiously.

"Henri, can you zoom in on dose papers?"

Henri complied. They papers were actually glossy photographs. Remy craned his neck to figure out the subject of the photos. Henri zoomed in a little closer, and Remy was filled with dread.

On them was a picture of Rogue. Somehow, Remy was grimly unfazed.

Lapin and Jean-Luc looked at Remy apprehensively. "Now, son..." Jean-Luc began, but Remy heard none of it.

He stormed out of the room and angrily flipped open his cell phone. If the Assassins wanted a war, they were certainly going to get one.

Xavier Mansion, the following day.

Rogue sat meditating in a corner of the gym. With Remy gone, she felt especially vulnerable. God, when did Ah become such a wimp, she thought disgustedly. It seemed like the rough and tumble badass chick who punched out rivals had gone on vacation. "Well this has to stop," she decided while simultaniously cracking her neck.

She got up and strutted over to Piotr who was busy bench pressing the weight of a small truck.

"Hey Pete," Rogue questioned. Piotr grunted, then slowly brought back up the weight. She knew that he was frustrated because despite the weight, he wasn't breaking a sweat.

She cocked an eye to the boxing gloves on the shelf.

"Wanna try for a real workout?" He smiled. This was more his style.

Two minutes later, when Rogue body-slammed Piotr using his own powers against him, she gritted her teeth and narrowed his eyes. Oh yeah, Miss Vulnerablity was gone.

Unbeknownst to the scuffling mutants, Logan smiled approvingly from the doorway on the way back from getting a beer.

"It's about damn time."

A/N: Uh-oh! The Assassins have something up their sleeves. I guess they didn't take the death of their princess very well. And what is Remy planning? And Rogue gets her attitude back. Makes a hell of an interesting set-up for the next chapter, huh. If you think so, let me know. If you have any ideas as to what should happen next, lemme know, too. I'd love to make this more of an interactive story. And to prove that I actually use suggestions, know that Prof. Horatio Hufnagel was the brilliant creator of some of the past plot lines. (Thanks again, Prof!)