Chapter 5; Gambit
Scott pulled the convertible up out side his home which was up in flames.
"Uncle! Auntie!" he shouted. Scott jumped out of his car and strode around the perimeter of his home. Then he spotted what he was dreading. Two skeletons burnt and unrecognisable. Scott felt two tears well up behind his ruby glasses. He wiped them away and ran back to his car.
On the space station Avalon Princess Rogue lay in a detention cell. The door slid open to reveal a crimson armoured figure, Darth Magneto!
"Now princess, we shall discover the location of your hidden rebel base," said Darth Magneto. Darth Magneto moved out of the doorway to reveal a small floating torture mutant armed with blades.
Down on the desert planet a red convertible pulled up outside the ruined Morlock vehicle.
"There's nothing you could have done Scott. If you had stayed you would have been killed too," said Xavier.
"I want to come with you to Westchester. I want to learn my powers and become an X man like my father."
The convertible sped into the city of New York. Passing citizen upon citizen of the massive city. The car was stopped by a high ranking Acolyte before the car got very far into the city.
"How long have you had these mutants?" asked the Acolyte.
"Three or four seasons," said Scott.
"They're not for sale if you want them," said Xavier.
"Let me see some identification," ordered the Acolyte.
Xavier used his mutant power that he was born with he reached out with his mind and said, "You don't need to see his identification."
"We don't need to see his identification," said the Acolyte.
"These aren't the mutants you're looking for," said Xavier.
"These aren't the mutants we're looking for," repeated the Acolyte.
"Move along," said Xavier.
"Move along. Move along," said the Acolyte waving them past. Scott started up his convertible again and headed to a small bar that Xavier pointed out.
"Do you really think we'll find a pilot here that'll take us to Westchester," asked Scott.
"Most of the best fighter pilots hang out here," replied Xavier.
The four of them entered the bar. The bar was crowded and dark and smelt like stale beer. Many different types of alien were in this place. There were Skrull and Shi'ar all over the place.
"Hey you," yelled the bartender. "We don't serve their kind here."
"Huh?" asked Scott.
"You're mutants. They'll have to stay outside."
"Warlock. Why don't you wait outside by the car, we don't want any trouble," said Scott.
"I heartily agree with you self-friend." Warlock and Jube2 turned and headed out the way they came in.
Scott stood by the bar watching Charles interview the captains and ship mates that came to offer they're services. Scott eyed a scary looking alien that stood beside him. After what seemed like ice age, Xavier turned to Scott and said, "Beast here is first mate on a ship that might suit us." Charles indicated to a six-foot hairy mutant that was oddly bright blue. Beast led them to a man sitting by himself in a dark corner of the bar. The man had short brown hair and red glowing eyes.
"I'm Remy LeBeau you may call moi Gambit. I'm Captain of de Blackbird. Beastie here tells moi dat you need passage to the Westchester system," said the loner.
"Yes. If it's a fast ship," said Xavier.
"Fast ship? You've never heard of de Blackbird," asked Gambit. Xavier shook his head in reply.
"She's fast enough for you old man. What's de cargo?" asked Gambit.
"Only passengers. Me, the boy and two mutants. No questions asked," said Charles in a stern voice.
"Some kind o' local trouble?"
"How much?" asked Xavier sidestepping Gambit's question.
"Ten thousand. All in advance," said Gambit.
"We could buy our own ship for that," said Scott.
"Yeah. But who's gonna fly it kid, you?" asked Gambit. Scott didn't reply. He could see there was no point in continuing the argument.
"We can pay you two grand now and seventeen when we reach Westchester," said Xavier.
"Seventeen, huh," said Gambit. "'Kay you got a deal ma copain. I'm in docking bay 24." Obi Wan nodded and he and Scott stood up and left the bar. Gambit waited for the two to leave before he said, "Seventeen! This could really save ma neck. Beast go to da ship and get her ready." Beast got up and rushed out of the bar. Gambit got up slowly and began to leave when he was met by a gun pointed to his chest.
"Going somewhere LeBeau?" asked a tall figure wearing blue with a white skull splashed across his chest.
"Yes Castle in fact I was just going to see your boss," said Gambit slightly cocky. Gambit sits back down at his table. The Punisher sits across from him, gun still drawn.
"I've got his money."
"Its too late. You should have paid him while you had the chance. Mojo's put a price on your head so large that you won't be able to go near a civilised system," said the Punisher.
"Yeah but this time I have de money," said Gambit.
"If you give it to me. I might forget I found you."
"I don't have it with me. Tell Mojo." said Gambit. Under the table Gambit opened the pack of cards and drew an ace out.
"Mojo's through with you. He has no time for smugglers who drop their cargo at the first sign of the Brotherhood," said Punisher.
"Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?"
"If you tell that to Mojo he might only take your ship," said Punisher.
"Over my dead body."
"That's the idea. I've been looking forward to this," said Punisher.
"I bet you have," said Gambit. Punisher squeezed the trigger. Gambit was faster and before the bullet shot out Gambit threw his ace which had been bio-kinetically charged by the smuggler. The Punisher exploded in a burst of light. Gambit got up and waltzed over to the bar and threw a coin to the bartender saying, "Sorry 'bout de mess."
Scott pulled the convertible up out side his home which was up in flames.
"Uncle! Auntie!" he shouted. Scott jumped out of his car and strode around the perimeter of his home. Then he spotted what he was dreading. Two skeletons burnt and unrecognisable. Scott felt two tears well up behind his ruby glasses. He wiped them away and ran back to his car.
On the space station Avalon Princess Rogue lay in a detention cell. The door slid open to reveal a crimson armoured figure, Darth Magneto!
"Now princess, we shall discover the location of your hidden rebel base," said Darth Magneto. Darth Magneto moved out of the doorway to reveal a small floating torture mutant armed with blades.
Down on the desert planet a red convertible pulled up outside the ruined Morlock vehicle.
"There's nothing you could have done Scott. If you had stayed you would have been killed too," said Xavier.
"I want to come with you to Westchester. I want to learn my powers and become an X man like my father."
The convertible sped into the city of New York. Passing citizen upon citizen of the massive city. The car was stopped by a high ranking Acolyte before the car got very far into the city.
"How long have you had these mutants?" asked the Acolyte.
"Three or four seasons," said Scott.
"They're not for sale if you want them," said Xavier.
"Let me see some identification," ordered the Acolyte.
Xavier used his mutant power that he was born with he reached out with his mind and said, "You don't need to see his identification."
"We don't need to see his identification," said the Acolyte.
"These aren't the mutants you're looking for," said Xavier.
"These aren't the mutants we're looking for," repeated the Acolyte.
"Move along," said Xavier.
"Move along. Move along," said the Acolyte waving them past. Scott started up his convertible again and headed to a small bar that Xavier pointed out.
"Do you really think we'll find a pilot here that'll take us to Westchester," asked Scott.
"Most of the best fighter pilots hang out here," replied Xavier.
The four of them entered the bar. The bar was crowded and dark and smelt like stale beer. Many different types of alien were in this place. There were Skrull and Shi'ar all over the place.
"Hey you," yelled the bartender. "We don't serve their kind here."
"Huh?" asked Scott.
"You're mutants. They'll have to stay outside."
"Warlock. Why don't you wait outside by the car, we don't want any trouble," said Scott.
"I heartily agree with you self-friend." Warlock and Jube2 turned and headed out the way they came in.
Scott stood by the bar watching Charles interview the captains and ship mates that came to offer they're services. Scott eyed a scary looking alien that stood beside him. After what seemed like ice age, Xavier turned to Scott and said, "Beast here is first mate on a ship that might suit us." Charles indicated to a six-foot hairy mutant that was oddly bright blue. Beast led them to a man sitting by himself in a dark corner of the bar. The man had short brown hair and red glowing eyes.
"I'm Remy LeBeau you may call moi Gambit. I'm Captain of de Blackbird. Beastie here tells moi dat you need passage to the Westchester system," said the loner.
"Yes. If it's a fast ship," said Xavier.
"Fast ship? You've never heard of de Blackbird," asked Gambit. Xavier shook his head in reply.
"She's fast enough for you old man. What's de cargo?" asked Gambit.
"Only passengers. Me, the boy and two mutants. No questions asked," said Charles in a stern voice.
"Some kind o' local trouble?"
"How much?" asked Xavier sidestepping Gambit's question.
"Ten thousand. All in advance," said Gambit.
"We could buy our own ship for that," said Scott.
"Yeah. But who's gonna fly it kid, you?" asked Gambit. Scott didn't reply. He could see there was no point in continuing the argument.
"We can pay you two grand now and seventeen when we reach Westchester," said Xavier.
"Seventeen, huh," said Gambit. "'Kay you got a deal ma copain. I'm in docking bay 24." Obi Wan nodded and he and Scott stood up and left the bar. Gambit waited for the two to leave before he said, "Seventeen! This could really save ma neck. Beast go to da ship and get her ready." Beast got up and rushed out of the bar. Gambit got up slowly and began to leave when he was met by a gun pointed to his chest.
"Going somewhere LeBeau?" asked a tall figure wearing blue with a white skull splashed across his chest.
"Yes Castle in fact I was just going to see your boss," said Gambit slightly cocky. Gambit sits back down at his table. The Punisher sits across from him, gun still drawn.
"I've got his money."
"Its too late. You should have paid him while you had the chance. Mojo's put a price on your head so large that you won't be able to go near a civilised system," said the Punisher.
"Yeah but this time I have de money," said Gambit.
"If you give it to me. I might forget I found you."
"I don't have it with me. Tell Mojo." said Gambit. Under the table Gambit opened the pack of cards and drew an ace out.
"Mojo's through with you. He has no time for smugglers who drop their cargo at the first sign of the Brotherhood," said Punisher.
"Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?"
"If you tell that to Mojo he might only take your ship," said Punisher.
"Over my dead body."
"That's the idea. I've been looking forward to this," said Punisher.
"I bet you have," said Gambit. Punisher squeezed the trigger. Gambit was faster and before the bullet shot out Gambit threw his ace which had been bio-kinetically charged by the smuggler. The Punisher exploded in a burst of light. Gambit got up and waltzed over to the bar and threw a coin to the bartender saying, "Sorry 'bout de mess."
