Chapter 3

"You're off duty now, mon ami," Gambit called down as he opened the door. "It's dream time for dis Cajun boy."

Bishop made way for them to come down but heard a soft whoosh instead and cursed himself for a fool. "Must be getting soft," he muttered. With Rogue there, they could both have gone off any time they wanted. He stood and stretched, shook his head. Perhaps Rogue was right after all, his view of the future could be blinding him to the present. Gambit had risked his life to save Storm and the professor had touched his mind. In this case, then, he might be innocent. Logic, however, did indicate that there was some traitor. Stifling a yawn, he went down to the main computer banks, was surprised to find Wolverine there already.

"What brings ya here, Bishop?"

"I have a need to be thorough," he said, sitting at a console.

"If you're gonna check everybody's where-abouts today, don't bother. Already did that. Incomplete information." He handed him a stack of paper, most with "unable to access that data" all over them.

"How is this possible?" Bishop asked.

"Beats me, bub. Cerebro's not supposed to be open to tampering, by anybody. But then again, it's not supposed to let dimensional boxes pop up without an alarm, either."

He banged a fist against the console, "Then the traitor goes free."

"Not so fast," Wolverine said, lighting a cigarette. "Unless you're afraid of a little hard work."

"What can we do?"

"Review the tapes. There are hidden cameras all over this joint. Getting to all of them would draw attention, messy. Even gettin' to a few is suspicious, narrows things down a lot. If we watch the tapes, we should get a list of suspects."

"Let's do it. How many cameras are there?"

"Twenty five."

"I'll make coffee."

"I've tasted your coffee, I'll make it, you do another run on Cerebro."

"Why?"

"Because I could be the traitor."

"As could I."

He smiled thinly, "That's why I've already done my run."

They were at it all night, reviewing all the tapes from the day before. Towards morning, they began concentrating on tapes of the computer room and those that took place during the afternoon, and hoped their timeframe was not too narrow. They were so engrossed in their work that when they actually began hearing sounds from others awake in the mansion, they both jumped.

Wolverine glanced at his watch, "Session between Red and the Cajun should be starting soon."

"Isn't Rogue part of that also?" Bishop said. "An unusual combination."

Logan nodded. "We're all a little weird sometimes."

"You think she is in any danger?"

"She's the one set up the whole thing, way I hear it."

Bishop frowned, "There was some unusual interaction between her and Gambit yesterday wasn't there? In the breakfast room."

"She gave him a massage."

"And today, she pits him against his lover to reach her." He shook his head, "Women are odd."

"Makes perfect sense, 'xcept Jeannie's not the type to go after another woman's man." He blew out along puff from his cigar, "Least not til now."

"Was there any other unusual activity between the two of them in the tapes?"

"Gambit was gone most of the day with Rogue. They only got back right before the box hit."

His frown deepened, "Perhaps something happened the night before. I'll access those tapes, you check the ones right before the incident occurred."

Wolverine shrugged, "Fine by me, bub. Finding this needle ain't gonna be easy."

****

Gambit had been up at dawn, spent the time staring out the window. He hoped he was doing the right thing. Maybe he should have taken the chance and told the professor. But to take that chance with Storm's life... The stakes were too high. No one else was telekinetic, so even if they froze her mind, they could be a thought too late. Damn her. Whoever she was.

Then there was Rogue. He would not, would not use his mind to stop her. That left only one other way, a much harder way, that would take some of his reserves, but there was no other choice. He hoped the Danger Room was fully insured.

Rogue was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, arms tightly crossed, waiting. She didn't want to wait in the Danger Room, and she was still a little self-conscious about knocking on Gambit's door. When she heard footsteps she jerked up and smiled at seeing him there. There was a brief answering smile on his face, then it was gone, replaced by a hardness she had never really seen on him. He dropped down beside her, took her hand. His was cold.

"We can still back out of this," Rogue said.

He shook his head. "Too late. Has t' be done, chere, ain't no other way t' end it."

She watched his face, "You're talking about more than a little flirting, aren't you?" He did not answer. "You mean this has something to do with what happened to Storm yesterday?" He still didn't answer. "Remy, tell me, please."

He got up, had his back to her for a moment, turned, "I'll tell you everything, chere, right after the session. Anything you want t' know."

"Remy, Ah'm not going through with this."

"You got to, chere. We have to. This is how it's got t' be... I've seen it."

"What do you mean?"

"One of my mutant 'talents' makes me see the future sometimes."

"Like Destiny?"

"Sort of. Way I hear it, 'ough, she had more control than I do."

"Is that why we ran all the way back here? Cuz you saw something bad was gonna happen to Storm?"

He nodded, eyes lowered, "I was gonna tell you, chere, that and th' fact I also have some TP."

"You can read my mind?" she said stunned.

"Not exactly. Don' have much control over that, either, never wanted it."

She stared up at him, struggling to take in what he had told her. And was surprised to find that it didn't change anything, she still loved him, and still trusted him. "Is that how we're gonna fight in the Danger Room?" she asked, a little apprehensive despite her trust.

His eyes flew open, "Chere, no, I'd never do that t' you!"

"Then how're you gonna fight, Remy? Your cards won't do much good against me."

"Overconfidence, chere, is a bad sign." There was a touch of a grin on his face.

"Look who's talkin', sugah." She held out a hand and he helped her up. "Guess we have to do it."

He nodded, began going down the last few steps. She stopped him, "Look, Ah can tell these abilities don't sit easy on you, and Ah know how hard it was for Destiny. So... if there's ever anything Ah can do, if you ever need a shoulder... whatever... Ah'm here."

He raised her gloved hand to his lips, kissed it gently, "I 'ppreciate that, chere, more 'an you know." They walked to the Danger Room together. He paused by the door, "Jus' want you t' know that whatever happens in there... I--" He dipped his head, gave her another butterfly kiss, pushed the door open and walked in.

There was no time for anything else, Jean was already there, and they both saw the professor and Storm up in the control booth.

"Good, look like we're all here now," Jean said brightly. "Shall we get started? Rogue, you'll be acting as interceptor. It's your job to prevent him from crossing this room and getting to me. Gambit, it's yours to get through. To make it more interesting," she glanced up at the professor, took a few steps back, and portions of the floor began rising, boards came up as well, forming walls or boxes as they met various parts. "Game's over when you get through, or when Rogue stops you, understood?"

Gambit gave one sharp nod, took his place, while Rogue drifted up a couple of dozen feet.

"Then let's begin."

Immediately, the floor plates started shifting and Rogue made a point blank dive for Gambit. Only he wasn't there anymore. He'd already ducked behind the plate that had risen below him, dived and rolled beneath another set. Rogue hovered for a moment until she spotted him, then made another grab dive. This time he hit her with two full packs of cards. The explosion sent her back over a dozen yards, making her a little dizzy. She cleared her head, grinning a bit. If he wasn't going to pull any punches, neither would she. This time she went in low, and started when things began exploding on either side of her, the smoke and the noise doing its work to distract and cloud her senses. Her grin widened. He was sneaky, her love was. "Ah'm still comin after you, sugah," she said softly.

She proceeded with caution, cocked her head when she heard a couple of explosions that sounded a bit different than the others. Quickly she turned, saw a wall rising ahead, knew she wouldn't make it through in time, sped up and kicked it, bending it back. "Takes more than that to stop me..."

"Don' I know it, chere," Gambit said, stepping through the smoke, two pieces of metal in his hands. The edges looked ragged, that explained the most recent explosions.

"You shouldn't'a come out where Ah can see you..."

"More fun dis way," he said, though his words were brittle.

She came at him and he swung up on a nearby moving plate at the last moment, hoisting himself over the edge and rolling as she came right back up and made a grab. She almost got her hands on him but he was too quick, dropping over another edge and swinging away. She pulled back, eyes narrowed. He would have gotten away on his own but at that last moment, when her hand had been inches away, she'd hit a wall. A TK wall. Ignoring Gambit for a second, she rose up, saw Jean Grey waiting on the other side of the Danger Room. She had done it. She wanted Gambit to get through. Rogue wasn't sure why exactly, but she knew, she was positively certain, that that was the last thing she wanted to happen.

"No more fun and games, lady," she murmured, "you ain't gettin your claws on him." She knew she couldn't out and out attack Jean so she resolved to do exactly what she was supposed to be doing in here, keep Gambit from reaching her. But it wasn't just an exercise anymore.

Rogue spotted Gambit sneaking around a half-formed corner. Putting on some speed she followed, was brought up short as she saw him rising up, a wall coming and cutting her off. It cost her a bit of time to get out of the box, and by then, Gambit was half way across the room, leaping from plate to shifting plate as if they were rocks across a stream. "Can't let you do that, sugah, for your own good..." She put on some speed, heading right for him.

Gambit turned and saw her coming, sighed. If she had just stayed down a little longer, he would have been through and there would be no need for this. Taking note of her speed, he leaped to a nearby rising plate, one closer to the wall, fortunately a wall away from the control box. What he had in mind was not something shatterproof glass could withstand. "Jus' a little closer, chere," he said, regret in his voice. He didn't want to do this, but he had to finish the game.

"She's pouring on the speed but he'll just jump out of the way last minute like he did the last time," Jubilee said, having come up to watch. "He's got some amazing moves." She shook her head, "Gotta be the shoes."

"That's not supposed to be the skill he's exercising in this session," Charles said cryptically.

"I do not believe we know the true purpose of this, professor, and I am afraid--" Storm broke off as Rogue made her dive and Gambit simply dropped off the edge, only to swing up again and send two boomerang-like pieces of metal straight at Rogue. She turned, saw them coming, backed away as they crossed in front of her then came together behind. KABOOM!!

****

Beside him, Bishop saw Wolverine stiffen, press the rewind button, watch a specific bit of film, eyes on the recorded time. "Damn," he muttered. "Bishop, look at this."

Bishop leaned over and Wolverine played the film for him, only a few minutes long, but enough. Bishop kept his eyes fixed on the time on the video, lips tightening, "It may not be enough to--"

His words were cut off as a tremendous explosion rocked the mansion. "What the hell was that?"

Bishop shook his head, rising even as Wolverine was doing, "Has to be the Danger Room--"

"Damn Jeannie," he said, an immense sorrow in his words even as his claws came out and he leaped ahead of Bishop. "We're too late."

****

Scott and Psylocke were lounging outside in the sun when they heard it. The ground trembled for a second. "What was--the Danger Room. Jean!" Scott ran, missing the hurt look on Psylocke's face as she ran after him.

"Mother of Gods," Storm exclaimed, her ears still ringing. Through the smoke she saw Gambit rising, saw the hole--hole--in the Danger Room wall.

"It appears Gambit has been holding back," Charles said in a tight voice.

"You said it, prof, those walls are, like, adamantium or something, right?"

He gave a sharp nod, "Can you see Rogue?"

"She was blown across the room, I think I heard her hit the wall..." Storm stood, trying to see below. "There she is, Gambit is heading right for her."

"I'm putting an end to this right now, the situation is out of control," Charles said, then stiffened.

'Out of your control, Charles, but not mine. I'll call a halt when I'm ready, and I'm not quite done yet.'

"Jean, it's gone too far, Rogue is perhaps injured..." he said aloud for the benefit of the others in the room.

'You know she's not.' He caught her distaste of Rogue, 'And her devoted lover is making sure of it right now. Who'd have thought--all that power packed in such a pretty package?'

"This session is over," Charles said.

'Not until I say so,' Jean broadcast back, rising and heading to where Gambit knelt by Rogue. "I will have my prey..."

Gambit ran to where he had seen Rogue fall the minute the room stopped shaking. He hadn't meant for it to be quite that bad, but then he hadn't done this in a long while, it was easy to forget how much he could do. He had felt her surprise and her pain, tried to offer what solace he could. He was glad that he'd decided to have the impact behind her instead of on her as he'd originally planned. There was no telling what that would have done. He touched her face, relief flooding through him as he felt her life, saw that she was breathing evenly. She was out cold, and from the looks of it, might even be bruised, but otherwise would be all right.

"I'm sorry, chere, told you I wouldn' hurt you yesterday and now dis..." He brushed a strand of hair back from her face, bent to pick her up and carry her out of here, not caring very much about the game or anything else but the young woman in his arms.

"It's not quite time to make your exit, Mister LeBeau, and that is definitely the wrong partner."

He whirled to see Jean Grey standing there, resplendent in her power. "I'm not playin' your game anymore, m'mselle. Don' quite care for th' rules, or de company."

"She's no match for you, you know. Take it from someone who wasted a lot of time with the wrong man. Boy, really. Boring. Had no idea what to do with his hands, or what a woman really wants. Now you..."

"No. I don' know who you are or why you' doin' dis, and at this point, I don' care. All bets are off, you blew your own cover--"

She laughed, the same laugh that had teased at his mind the night before. "They can't do anything now." Her eyes lost focus for a moment, "Poor Scotty, trying to blast through the door. I took care of that, and I don't think he packs as much power as you do. He thinks he's coming to save me," she laughed again, "Fool, lost one lover and about to lose the second. He can never satisfy us. Not like you." She advanced, arm outstretched, pulling him forward. He resisted, placing Rogue on the ground and stepping in front of her. She allowed it--after all, she had no interest in a menage a trois.

"You wanted me t' practice my powers... you best be ready for your worst nightmare," he said, hands glowing, mind ablaze to match.

"I've been waiting a long time, Gambit," she whispered, drawing him closer despite the battering from his mind. "If you had practiced more before today, you might actually be a match for us. As it is..."

She drew him in the last few feet as frustration tightened his face. Damn her, she was right.

"That's right, lover." She took his hands in hers even as she thrust into his mind, dispersing the power he had called up, drawing him in for a kiss. 'Oh, my, you are incredible,' she said directly in his mind, closing in like she was about to swallow him hole, 'I definitely think we should be alone.'

He felt his body responding to her as their minds merged, felt the professor try to reach them, felt it all fading, felt her pulling them away, out of the here, 'Where did she get th' power?' tried to fight but his mind wasn't completely his anymore. 'God no... MOTHER!'

****