Of Thieves and Martyrs: Chapter 26

X~X~X~X

It was an unexpectedly windy night in the Big Easy. The stench of garbage and loneliness was thick in the air but that was an ever lingering scent in New Orleans. Remy was use to it, he would long for it while he was in New York because it reminded him of home, of his place in the world where he thought he belonged until his surrogate father threw him out.

Taking an especially long inhale of his cigarette he threw the butt out and really thought about what he was doing here, outside of Stryker's fortress. He remembered Stryker's lab the first time he was there and what it took to break out of what seemed like an impenetrable prison. The irony was not lost on him that after all that, here he was trying to break in.

He knew exactly why he was here and he still wonders why he was so tangled up in her. She offered nothing to him and yet here he was, believing her to be the pill that took away all of his pain.

Very swiftly he swung himself up and over the gated fence, racing towards the large building, not knowing exactly what awaits him and yet expected certain things.

He knew there would be a guard outside the door, which he took down quickly with a swift and hard blow to the head using his bo staff, taking the guard's badge he scanned himself in.

Quietly and with as light a foot as possible he walked down the halls, readily alert in case anything happens. It didn't take him long before he found the control room. He did his homework before hand and studied the blueprints of the building. It was still good to have connections and any building in New Orleans the Thieves knew about.

Scanning the various monitors he looked for where Rogue was and grinned slightly.

"Knew there was something about that girl," he said to himself looking at the image of Rogue unlocking her cell and walking out. "Hold on, Chere, Gambit coming."

He had to be quick if he was going to be there before she gets lost and quick he was.

"Miss me?" He said behind her and startled her, she turned around hands out and sent a blast of icy frost his way. "Guess not," he said as he looked at his frozen bo staff.

"Remy!" She gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to save you but looks like you don't need no saving. What's this?" He said pointing to his bo staff, "learned new tricks I see."

Seeing him there, she couldn't find her words, instead she grabbed him into one long hug.

"It's ok, let's just get out of here." He said and grabbed her hand leading her towards a dark hall, the same hall he was just in. Something was different, he felt it in his skin. There was something different, he wasn't sure what it was but he knew they were in danger.

He stopped suddenly without alerting Rogue and she bumped into his backside. "Really, Remy?"

"Shh," he hushed her, "there's something wrong, someone is watching us." He turned a corner in the hopes of losing the person following them. He could tell they were close to an exit and breathe a sigh of relief. Using the stolen badge to open the door, both he and Rogue felt that burst of fresh air and smiled.

"We're almost there," he said and started running, checking behind him to make sure that she was following.

"Ladies first," he said when they got near the fence and he put his hands together ready to hoist her up. She happily obliged and with graceful force he pushed her up and she grabbed onto the fence and made it across the other side.

"Ok, your turn," she said to Remy, hopeful that they can leave this god forsaken place. Without even thinking about it Gambit leaped up and scaled the fence, landing safely on his feet next to her.

"How did you even find me?" Rogue asked, thinking they were in the clear.

"I'm always going to find you Rogue. You just gotta stop getting yourself in these situations. It's like Murphy's Law with you isn't it?"

"Gambit, thank you," she said and with wide smiling eyes, thinking she can finally go home and save John.

"Now, let's go home," he said and wrapped his arms around her.

"No, we can't yet, not without the elixir, for John. We have to get it for him, it's his only chance."

"I rather you get out of the Big Easy, protect yourself, I'll take care of John. Make sure he finds you." He looked at her, his eyes a little sad, already knowing the answer she would give him before she even spoke it.

"No, if I'm leaving New Orleans, it's going to be with John." She shook her head as she said this, making sure Remy knew how serious she was.

"You're a stubborn one aren't you?" She nodded yes to his question and he followed with a large inhale.

"Very well, here," he grabbed her hands and then turned around, letting the small vile drop into her palm.

"What is this?" She looked at the glowing purple liquid inside the vile knowing that it was special but not sure why.

"The elixir of life from the Thieve's Guild. I stole it before John Luc ran me out of New Orleans. It's yours to give to John."

"I don't know how to thank you, Remy." She gripped the elixir tightly in her palm, thinking it was the answer to all of her pain and heartache in the past years.

"Just be happy, Rogue." He started to walk away from her, not really wanting to see her and John together when he gets the elixir. He can hear her shouting for him in the distance but it didn't matter. She didn't need him anymore and for the first time, it cut Gambit deeper than he had ever felt before.

X~X~X

Bourbon, that was his only reliable mistress, Remy thought as he asked for another refill on his glass. He wasn't sure why he ended up in one of the Guild's bar, he just knew he didn't want to be home at the apartment that he shared with Rogue, nor did he want to go to Tante Mattie and see John and Rogue reunite. All he can do was drown his misery in alcohol and hope that it numbed the pain he felt.

Pain, it was such a new feeling for him this emotional pain of attachment. He hated to admit it to himself but he, Remy Lebeau, was attached to someone, almost needed someone. It was dangerous for him to be here, especially since the Guild knows he was back in town and disrupted their tithing. He was banned from New Orleans before, now he's sure they would be out for blood.

"You shouldn't be here," the bartender told him. He knew the bartender and he was in the pocket of the Thieve's Guild, the entire square was. "I shouldn't be serving you or they'll come after me too."

"Well, then I guess we'll both die tonight. Let's drink to that," he said and lifted his glass. He knew he was pressing the guy's buttons but tonight he just wanted to to feel something other than loss, even if it was physical pain.

"You should probably listen to the guy, I think you've had enough," a very familiar voice said behind Remy. He knew who it was and he wondered why it took Jean Luc so long to send someone to take care of him. He was surprised by who he sent though.

"Henri, I'll let you know when I've had enough," he turned around, guards up ready for a real brawl but Henri's bloody face and battered body told him otherwise. "Henri? What happened to you?"

"We were attacked, the war, it's starting and the Assasin's made the first move, during our tithing too. We need you Remy, we need you back." He pulled a chair next to Remy and asked for a glass of water.

"Where is Jean Luc? Is he hurt?" Remy could only imagine what the Assassin's did to his father. As much as he was angry with Jean Luc now, he was still his father, the man that picked him up off the streets and raised him.

"They got Jean Luc, they got the elixir, Remy, I'm afraid this is bigger than just the Guild. They knew about us, they knew where we were, what was going on. It wasn't just them. Belladonna came with more than Assassins."

"Belle?" Of course it was Belle again. Even when he tries to run away from her he still manages to get caught up in her mess. "What did she do?"

"She's aligned herself with the Hellfire Club. The people she came with, they were like you, mutants. We didn't stand a chance. We can't fight this war alone, Remy, we need help, hopefully from those X-Men friends of yours."

"They're not my friends," he corrected Henri quickly, almost defensively. "The X-Men aren't my friends. We just happen to want to protect the same girl, that's all."

"THAT GIRL! Is the reason we're in this mess. This whole thing because of her." Henri sounded angry and furious. Never in Remy's life had he seen Henri so worked up. "I told you to keep away from her, to get out of New Orleans and now everything is destroyed. Our entire life, the Guild is destroyed!"

"She had nothing to do with this. She came here to find John. Jean Luc brought this on himself, he shouldn't have taken John in."

"Remy, you of all people should be happy that Jean Luc has a soft spot for orphans. Why do you think Belladonna was so set on destroying the Guild? Getting the elixir?" He was trying to be subtle with his brother but his patience was wearing thin.

"Girl is power mad. Everyone knew that, even you Henri."

"Not only is she power mad but she's also a woman scorned, by you, by John. She won't stop until everything you guys love, everything you care about burns." Henri was hoping for more of a reaction from Gambit but all he got was a brush of the shoulders as the young mutant downed the last drops of his drink, wiped his mouth, and turned towards his brother.

"Well, then, I guess it's about time Belle and I had a little talk then." He said and grabbed his brown duster with Henri following in tow.

"What are you going to say to her?" Henri asked.

"It's not what I'm going to say but what I'm going to do. I think the girl needs to be taught a lesson about manners."