::coughs:: *ahem* I know I have not written this in a long time, and lots of you will have to go back and read the first one again. And you'll probably be mad at me for taking so long, but I HAD TO DO IT!!! (uh huh. Suuurreee) Oh shut up.
Well, you may be mad that this is the last Bandit fic I've written or am going to write. I just don't like to write about myself! Well, you know. With my name. Then the person turns out like me and nobody would wish that on their worst enemy. ::evil chuckle::
(I would.) That's because you're evil VOICE. Or maybe really really stupid.
(Well, technically I'm in your head, so that's really your bad. Not mine.)
::Bandit shifts uncomfortably:: well…erm…SHUT UP!!

**************************


The Red Bandanna: Part Two: A Choice



Gambit stared after the retreating girl, her mount was walking over to the stables. The race was over.
"It's a damn mutie, that's what it was!" Shouted the excitable crowd.
*Soon dere gonna find out where she went…Den dey might hurt someone.* Thought the Cajun, hopping down from the dusty bleachers and jogging over to the stables.
"Where's he goin'?" Asked SwitchBlade, suspicious.
"Ta go meet a lady friend I bet." Snickered Jubilee. She knew what pissed her friend off.
"Shut up! Jubilee, your not funny." Growled Aphrodite, shoving Jubilee off of one end of the bleacher.
"Okay, like, OUCH!" Shouted Jubilee from the ground.

*_____________________*_______________________*_________________*


Gambit climbed in through the window, careful not to make any noise.
He heard a girl's voice, and the soft whicker of a horse.
"Why do they hate me? Ah didn't do anything wrong ta them. They just hate me…' The girl said softly.
Gambit looked through a knot hole in a stall.
The girl named 'Bandit' was leaning against her horse, nursing her swollen eye.
"An' then that blasted idiot! Jus' had ta go an' hit mah eye…" She spat vehemently.
"Cain't they jus' leave me alone?!"
Gambit cocked his head curiously. Apparently she was talking to her horse.

*Well, whatever floats your boat…*He thought, looking outside the barn, where the mutant haters were coming closer.
"Who's there?" Challenged the girl's voice and Gambit froze.
Her turned around slowly to see her brandishing a whip in a clenched fist.
"Who are ya? 'Nother mutie hater?" She said softly, backing up.
"Non chere. I be Gambit. I'm a mu'ant too." He said, taking his sunglasses off and blinking his red and black eyes against the light.
"Oh, well. Ya bettah go then. They'll come soon. Then they'll kill me." She said calmly.
From here Gambit could see she was about fourteen, or even younger. He felt a great swell of sorrow for her.
"Non, dey not gonna kill you! We gonna get outta here. There's a place in New York. You know? Charles Xa-"
"Ah know. He's supposed to help mutants. He can't help me. They're gonna kill me." She said again. With none of the slightest trace of fear.
"Not if you come with Remy petite…Charlie can help ya. If you come with me, we can go back ta New York an'-"
"No." She interrupted.
"Ah'm staying here. This is my home. They hate. They'll find me Gambit. They will. They all hate me." She was becoming hysterical now, as the sounds of the mob were growing louder.
"No, no see, you can come with me. Then you'll be safe…We can't stop dem from hating us, but we can keep safe."
"Ah don' want ta live in a world where people hate me." The young girl said from behind her bandanna.
"Ah can't live in a world where everybody hates. I can feel them! They hate so much…" She broke off with a sob.
"You have ta go! They'll fins you…An' kill you too. You a mutie." She wasn't making any sense now, fear taking hold of her.
The mutant haters were pounding on the doors now , they hadn't seen the windows as a possibility yet.

"Let us in you stinkin' mutie!! We know you're in there!" One man yelled.
A gunshot rang out and the barn door shook.

{}

"Jubilee, is Gambit in there?" SwitchBlade yelled over the crowd, pointing at the barn.
"I think so! We have to get past all these people first!!" Jubilee yelled back.
Some of the mob had conveniently found torches and were busy trying to set the barn on fire.
"We have to stop them Jubilee! Gambit's going to get hurt!" SwitchBlade yelled, running toward the barn, which now had tongues of flame flickering up the sides.
Jubilee followed, pulling her pink shades down over her eyes.

____________________________________________________________________________________

The girl sat down on a hayloft near her horse, sobbing.
"Ah cain't make them not hate me! Ah didn't do *anything*!" She screamed.
"I know chere. That's why we 'ave to get out of here, so we can work on dat little problem." Gambit soothed, tugging on the girl's arm.

"Let me go." Her voice was at a whisper now.
"They've set the barn on fire. Look." She pointed upward at the skylight, where flames where flickering.
"Den we really need ta get outta here…C'mon chere, please! We can help you!" Gambit begged, already getting hot in his trenchcoat.
"No! Let me go! I want to die! In heaven no one will hate me." Tears slid down her dirty cheeks, leaving muddy rivers on the parts of her face you could see.

"I can't leave you here! Please come with me!!" Gambit shouted in panic, trying to pick the girl up.
He felt a sharp pain in his back and turned to see her horse Sundance, behind him.
"He'll kick you 'gain if Ah tell 'im to." Said the girl dully, burying her face in her horse's mane.

"Ah just wanna leave here. Someplace warm and nice. Heaven would be good Gambit. Don't you understand? Death…Is only the beginning…" She looked up at him and suddenly he knew.
He couldn't help her.
It wasn't suicide. It was…Accepting death.
He turned and made a running jump out of the window.
Behind him, the rafters collapsed on both animal and girl.



"Gambit! Remy…" Aphrodite gathered him in her arms and cried.
"I thought you died, I was so worried."
"I's okay now chere. Everyt'ings fine non? Where's Jubilee?" He asked, patting her back reassuringly.
"I dunno. Once the police came I think she disappeared for awhile. Better for the police not to find the 'little girl who was setting off fireworks and burned down the barn'." SwitchBlade shrugged.
"She's probably hiding in a Port A Potty some where around here. Hey, you okay?"
She said, looking at Gambit.
He was staring bright-eyed, at the barn. Tears were glistening in his red and black eyes and Aphrodite didn't really *want* to know what happened.

"Remy…" She said, putting her arms around him.
"Let's go home? I've had enough vacation to last me awhile."
Gambit got up from the dusty ground, pulling his girlfriend with him.
"Lets."


Meanwhile, in a bathroom on the other side of the rodeo…

"Guys? Guuyyyaazzz…? I…um…locked myself in here?" Jubilee banged on the door. "Help me please?"


____________________________*_____________________*_______________________*________________________*

Bandit: Well, there. I killed her off.
(Just to clear things up…when we get bored with things we kill 'em.")
Bandit: Yup. So, hoped you liked it.
R/R!!!
EAT A RUBBER DUCKY SIR!!!! YES YOU HEAR ME!!! EAT. A RUBBER PENGUI- (Duck you idiot. You can't even remember what you said.)
::Bandit makes that little sign from Friends that means F you…::
(Oow…that hurt. MAY I HAVE ANOTHER SIR!!!)
Bandit: Oh shut up.