Gambit and Rogue walked into the waiting room, returning from their search. "Thanks for watching over him, Storm."
Storm put down her magazine and stood up gracefully. "Did you find anyone?"
"No." Rogue sighed and flopped down into a chair.
Storm smiled. "Don't lose hope, child. I'm sure things will work out. Good night you two. Remy, I'm sure your brother will be all right."
"'Tanks Stormy." As Storm left, Remy sighed.
"It's o.k., Remy. Storm's right, things'll look better in the morning."
"Oui, I know." He sat down in a chair next to her. "But still, chere, I'm startin' t' wish you'd never called."
Rogue looked surprised. "Remy, Ah never called you."
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Chere, of course y' called me. How you 'tink Belle knew to tell me 'bout my brother?"
"But Ah never called. How did Belle know?"
An unpleasant look of realization slowly dawned on Gambit. "She'd know if one of her assassins did it." He said grimly.
"You think she sent someone to do it?" asked Rogue.
"Non. I 'tink maybe on of de other Assassins have a problem wit de union." A look of dismay colored his face.
"Remy, what's wrong?"
"Chere, what if dey're after Belle?" He stood up quickly. "We got t' get back to de hotel."
Rogue's brow furrowed in confusion as she followed him. "Ah don't understand. Why would one of Belle's own assassins try to kill her and Henri?"
"Julien is Belle's brother and second in command. If Belle dies he control de Guild and he can call off de union."
Rogue looked horrified. "You think he'll kill his own sister and lay the blame on Henri?"
"Oui."
As they walked to the door of the waiting room, Rogue suddenly stopped. "Remy, what about Henri?"
"Don worry bout me," a weak voice answered. Gambit and Rogue spun around to see Henri leaning against the doorway of the infirmary.
"Henri!" Gambit ran over to hug his brother. "You all right!"
"Of course. You two loud enough to wake de half dead."
"Henri, why don't you go upstairs and stay with Storm? Tell her we'll be back soon." Rogue suggested.
"Oui. I be fine. Now go!"
* * *
"Dat stupid Wolverine." Belle cursed and slammed the closet door. "What kind of a man runs away when his wife cheat on him wit another man?" Whirling around, she turned to the woman sitting on the bed. "He needs to catch dem in de act."
Kwannon calmly regarded Belladonna. "I don't know that that's possible."
"What dat 'sposed t' mean? I pay you enough money."
The Asian woman's expression did not change. "Rogue's mind is cluttered with many psyches and her permanent incorporation of Ms. Marvel's Kree heritage makes her almost impossible to read telepathically. It was a tribute to me that I was even able to project the dreams into her mind."
"It's not enough! Obviously, de dreams didn't work like dey were 'sposed to on Rogue. She was 'sposed to be ravaged with guilt like my dear husband! Wolverine has t' 'tink Remy been havin' his woman."
"Why not simply allow me to kill him, if you want your husband dead so badly?"
Belle's nose wrinkled in disgust. "You 'tink you could kill Remy? Remy be many 'tings, Kwannon, but a bad fighter not one of dem. Besides, you fool, I don want to raise any suspicion. Remy have t' die, but not by Assassin."
"But I'm not part of your Guild. How would any connection be made?"
"Someone would have had t' hire you! Who you 'tink dose Thieves blame? Non, I need Wolverine t' kill him. Den Thieves 'tink it was jus a jealous lover of one of Remy's many femmes." Taking a deep breath, she finished her rant. Calming down she walked into the bathroom to look in the mirror. "No matter. Kwannon, you jus keep dose dreams goin' in Remy's mind. I don want him 'tinkin too hard about anything else." She smiled at her reflection. "I gon be de leader of de Thieves Guild and de Assassins Guild. Wit Remy gone, day not strong enough to resist. Den no one can stop me." She paused when there was no answer from Kwannon. Frowning she walked back into the bedroom-and froze.
"Allo, mon amour." Gambit said quietly.
"Remy." Hiding her surprise, Belle rushed to embrace her husband. When he didn't respond she looked up at his face. The look there made her back up. "Remy? My husband, what's wrong?" She noticed Rogue standing behind him.
"I heard everything, Belle." He held up a hand as Belle opened her mouth to explain. "Non. I don wan hear y' lies anymore."
"You a fool Remy. Dis changes nothing!" With a snarl, Belle brought an energy gun out from behind her back and aimed it at Gambit.
"No!" Rogue launched herself into the air and made it in front of Gambit just as the shot hit. With a grunt Rogue was knocked hard into him and they both crashed to the floor. Instantly, Rogue was up and flying towards Belladonna. Belle brought the gun up to fire another shot, but Rogue grabbed the gun and crushed it. "It's over ya swamp witch."
"Not hardly." Rogue spun around just in time to see an Asian woman creeping up behind Gambit. Raising her fist, a pink light emanating from it in the shape of a knife, she brought it down on Gambit's head. Gambit cried out as the psychic knife cut through his mind and he collapsed to the floor. "Remy!" Rogue threw Belladonna hard against the wall and went to move towards Kwannon. As the two women sized one another up, Kwannon made a swipe at Rogue with her psychic knife. Dodging the blow, Rogue took a swing at Kwannon, bare hand going for her face. Gracefully, Kwannon avoided her touch. For several minutes they circled one another, until suddenly a knife flew towards Rogue from behind. It bounced harmlessly off her near-invulnerable skin, but it was enough of a distraction to give Kwannon the opening she needed. With the grace of her profession she brought the psychic knife down towards Rogue's head.
Before the knife could reach its target, a growl sounded through the room and Wolverine came barreling in. Tackling Kwannon, it was only a few minutes before the fight was over and the Asian assassin unconscious. As Wolverine stood up Rogue walked up to Belle. For a minute, Belle considered reaching for another weapon, but the look in the Southern mutant's eyes promised a harsh punishment and Belle did not want to give her a reason to absorb her mind.
Behind them Wolverine sighed. "Can we go home now?"